cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Poloxamer 188 prevents acute necrosis of adult skeletal muscle cells following high-dose irradiation

Abstract Acute cellular necrosis occurring minutes to hours after massive ionizing radiation exposure (IR) results from rapid membrane lipid peroxidation, blebbing and membrane breakdown. We have shown, previously, that certain polymer surfactants can restore structural integrity and transport barrier function of cell membranes following high-dose IR. We now investigate, specifically, the efficacy of the amphiphilic surfactant Poloxamer 188 (P188) in preventing acute necrosis of adult rat skeletal muscle cells after high-dose IR. Explanted cells were treated with 60 Co IR doses of 10, 40 or 80 Gy and their viability was determined using fluorometric probes at 4 and 18 h post-IR. IR of 10 Gy did not cause acute necrosis. Significant acute cell necrosis was observed after 40 and 80 Gy doses in a dose-dependent manner. Post-IR treatment with P188 significantly enhanced the cells’ viability post-IR treatment. By comparison 10 kDa neutral dextran, a hydrophilic polymer, was found to be ineffective. Despite progressive cell death over 18 h after high-dose IR, cells treated with P188 manifested greater survival than media or dextran-treated cells. It appears that use of P188 or similar multi-block copolymers to prolong viability of irradiated cells in vitro through membrane sealing is an important step in development of effective interventional therapy for extreme IR exposure. Not only can repairing the membrane prevent acute necrosis, but it also can provide a critical time opportunity to address other mechanisms of cell death, such as apoptosis or mitotic arrest, which manifest over a longer time frame.
Backfilling canals to mitigate Wetland dredging in Louisiana coastal marshes

Returning canal spoil banks into canals, or backfilling, is used in Louisiana marshes to mitigate damage caused by dredging for oil and gas extraction. We evaluated 33 canals backfilled through July 1984 to assess the success of habitat restoration. We determined restoration success by examining canal depth, vegetation recolonization, and regraded spoil bank soils after backfilling. Restoration success depended on: marsh type, canal location, canal age, marsh soil characteristics, the presence or absence of a plug at the canal mouth, whether mitigation was on- or off-site, and dredge operator performance.
The Revenue System of Kentucky: A Study in State Finance

I. The general property tax under the existing system, 142. — Franchise taxes, 146.—Taxes on banks and domestic life insurance companies, 147. — Tax on distilled spirits, 148. — Other taxes, 149. — Detailed examination of franchise and bank taxes, 151. — Methods of allocating franchise values of interstate corporations, 157. — County finances (Jefferson County), 159. — School district finances, 165. — City finances (Louisville), 168. — II. Recommendations of tax commissions of 1908–09, 1912–14, and 1916, 175. — Tax laws of 1917, 178. — Estimated yield of new taxes, 182. — Effect of changes upon municipal revenues, 184. — A general corporation tax proposed, 187. — Estimated revenue from this source, 190. — Effect upon municipalities of proposed changes, 195. — III. Conclusion, 201.
Blockade of cannabinoid-induced antinociception by naloxone benzoylhydrazone (NalBZH)

We have recently shown that the antinociceptive effects, but not other behavioral effects of the intrathecally administered, but not intracerebroventricularly administered, cannabinoids, are blocked by the kappa antagonist, nor-binaltorphimine. We employed naloxone benzoylhydrazone, a kappa3 agonist, and kappa1, mu, and delta antagonist, to better characterize the interaction of cannabinoids with kappa receptors. Naloxone benzoylhydrazone blocked the antinociceptive effects of both intrathecally and intracerebroventricularly administered cannabinoids. Because the cannabinoids are not blocked by mu and delta antagonists, the effects of naloxone benzoylhydrazone are presumed to occur through interaction with kappa receptors. Because the data indicate that naloxone benzoylhydrazone does not block kappa3 receptors, the data indicate that the cannabinoids may interact with kappa1 receptors in the production of antinociception. However, differences in the profile of activity of naloxone benzoylhydrazone and the cannabinoids at kappa receptors exist. Thus, the exact nature of the interaction of the cannabinoids and the kappa receptors to be elucidated.
A comparative study of precipitation and paracoagulation by protamine sulfate and ethanol gelation tests

Abstract A comparative experimental study was undertaken to determine the specificity and sensitivity of 3 methods commonly used for the detection of soluble fibrin monomer complexes and fibrin degradation products (fdp). Non-enzymatic fibrin formation (paracoagulation) induced by low concentrations of protamine sulfate (PS) occurred in the presence of fibrin monomer or early fdp and did not occur in the presence of fibrinogen alone. Ethanol gelation was found to lack this specificity. Though sensitive to fibrin monomer, ethanol gelation also occurred with fibrinogen itself in the presence of a low molecular weight protein isolated from the plasma of certain patients. Ethanol gelation was found to be insensitive to early fdp. The precipitation reaction induced by PS was sensitive to the major portion of total fibrinogen and cannot be used to identify the presence of fibrin monomer or fdp. It is concluded that only PS-induced paracoagulation should be considered specific for thrombin elaboration.
The potential of social indicators: Minimum conditions for impact at the national level as suggested by a study of the use of ‘social indicators’ 73

Empirical evidence is presented which suggests that the use of social indicators among upper level government officials in the United States is minimal at present. Further, the level of use is not likely to be increased by improved measurement procedures, aesthetically improved packaging, or more widespread dissemination of such information among persons who influence policy decisions. The power of such informa- tion can be expected to be no greater than that of 'mere' statistics unless deliberate effort is made to institutionalize the importance of social indicators into government operations in conjunction with policy planning, goal setting, and commitment to the use of indicators as a system of national evaluation of progress toward the achievement of societal objectives. Several recommendations are made to develop the potential of social indicators and to increase their creative and useful application in matters of public policy at the national level. federal executives with an accessible compendium of policy-relevant social information in various categories including: - Health: Longevity: the quality of health; freedom from disability; and access to health care. - Public Safety: Safety of life and property from crime; fear of crime; and adequacy of the criminal justice system. - Education: Level of basic education; opportunity for and participation in higher and continuing education. -Employment: Opportunity for employment; attitudes concerning working conditions; and the quality and character of employment life. - Income: Level of income; distribution of income; and expenditure of income. - Housing: Housing quality; overall neighborhood satisfaction; comfort and living space. - Leisure andRecreation: Time and facilities for leisure activities; patterns
Subdivision of Ordovician and Silurian time scale using accumulation rates of graptolitic shale

Sections of graptolitic shale within the Cordilleran foldbelt are very condensed. An average accumulation rate of 4 ∓ 1 m/m.y. calculated for these shales falls within the range of 2 to 5 m/m.y. for modern deep-sea clay and siliceous ooze. The Deep Sea Drilling Project has shown that once an age is determined for a stratigraphic horizon within a pelagic section, it is possible to estimate the ages of other horizons by assuming constant rates of sediment accumulation. This method, used on graptolitic shale, suggests that the time span represented by a graptolite zone is proportional to its thickness. The thickest zone analyzed is that of Nemagraptus gracilis , which is calculated to have spanned about 8 m.y., whereas the thinnest zone, Glyptograptus persculptus , took less than 1 m.y. to accumulate. The readily recognized zones of Nemagraptus gracilis and Climacograptus bicomis , which together consistently form thick biostratigraphic intervals, are the zones most commonly found, whereas the G. persculptus zone is very rare. A new subdivision of the Ordovician and Early Silurian time scale has been made on the basis of the calculated time duration of graptolite zones.
Improving Spatial Soil Moisture Representation Through Integration of AMSR-E and MODIS Products

The use of microwave observations has been highlighted as a complementary tool for evaluating land surface properties. Microwave observations are less affected by clouds, water vapor, and aerosol and also contain valuable soil moisture information. However, a critical limitation in microwave observations is the coarse spatial resolution attributed to the complex retrieval process. The objective of the current study is to develop an independent (from ground observations) downscaling approach that merges information from higher spatial resolution MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) (~1 km) with lower spatial resolution AMSR-E (~25 km) to obtain soil moisture estimates at the MODIS scale (~1 km). We compare the developed (UCLA) method against a range of previous published approaches. Various key factors (i.e., surface temperature, vegetation indexes, and albedo) derived from MODIS provide information on relative variations in surface wetness conditions and contribute weighting parameters for downscaling the larger AMSR-E soil moisture footprints. Evaluation of the various downscaled soil moisture products is undertaken at the SMEX04 site in southern Arizona. Results show that the UCLA downscaling technique, as well as the previously published Merlin method, significantly improves the limited spatial variability of the current AMSR-E product. Spatial correlation (R) values improved from -0.08 to 0.34 and 0.27 for the Merlin and UCLA methods, respectively. The evaluated triangle-based methods show poorer performance over the study domain. Results from the current study yield insight on the integration of multiscale remote sensing data in various downscaling methods and the usefulness of MODIS observations in compensating for low-resolution microwave observations.
THE MANY ORIGINS OF NATURAL GAS

Thermodynamic calculations for the C-O-S-H system indicate that at a fixed oxygen fugacity methane is in a stable phase relative to carbon dioxide at high pressures and low temperatures. At a constant temperature and pressure, methane is favored at low oxygen fugacities. Volcanic gases and near-surface igneous rocks exhibit high values of oxygen fugacity. However, direct measurement of the oxygen fugacity of spinels from peridotites of deep origin indicate that the oxygen fugacity of these rocks is low, corresponding to an iron - wustite buffer. The relative abundance of the carbon isotopes C12 and C13 varies widely in natural gases. Methane formed by bacterial fermentation is highly enriched in the lighter isotope, while methane from deep deposits is much less so as is the methane flowing from hydrothermal vents on the East Pacific Rise. Except In extreme cases, the carbon isotope ratio cannot be used alone to assess whether methane is biogenic or abiogenic. The carbon isotope ratio in coexisting methane and carbon dioxide can be used to estimate the temperature at which the two gases came into isotopic equilibrium. This ratio indicates a high temperature of equilibration for a number of gas deposits. The carbon and helium isotope ratios together with their geologic settings are strongly suggestive that the large quantities of methane in Lake Kivu and the gases venting along the East Pacific Rise are abiogenic. Methane associated with the Red Sea brines and various geothermal areas may also be in part abiogenic. The high abundance of carbon in the Sun, the atmosphere of the outer planets, carbonaceous chondrites and comets, suggests that carbon may be more abundant in the Earth than it is in near-surface igneous rocks. Such a high abundance could lead to a progressive outgassing of methane at depth, which then is oxidized near the surface or in the atmosphere. Methane hydrates are stable at low temperatures and high pressures. Today, methane hydrates are found in areas of permafrost and in ocean sediments. Methane hydrates in ocean sediments were first formed about 20 mya (million years ago) when the Antarctic ice sheet reached sea level. Terrestrial methane hydrates formed more recently during the glaciations beginning 1.6 mya. Methane hydrates and trapped gas are probably abundant under the Antarctic ice sheet. The formation of methane hydrates may be related to the low values of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere some 20,000 years ago.
Diffusion during phase separation

Nearest neighbor interactions have been incorporated into novel equations that describe diffusion processes during phase separation and ordering. None of the elements of the model are new, but the gestalt is overdue. Nearest neighbor interactions are included in the free energy of a binary alloy, then the chemical potentials of the two species are derived from this free energy. The diffusion fluxes are driven by the chemical activities, which are given by the chemical potentials. This results in fourth-order difference equations that describe the motion of atoms during phase separation or ordering. Calculations using these equations describe the expected evolution of microstructures, which have often been depicted only with cartoons. In the unstable spinodal region, perturbations grow exponentially with time until the compositions reach the phase boundary compositions, and then the structures coarsen slowly. In the meta-stable region between the spinodal and the phase boundary, composition fluctuations that are large enough generate phase separation by a nucleation process. In the single-phase region outside the two-phase field, there is critical slowing down. Far away from the critical region, the equations become standard diffusion equations, where the diffusion process is driven only by entropy. Numerical solutions describe the temporal evolution of microstructures during spinodal decomposition, precipitation, and ordering. The propagation of instability fronts in the spinodal region have been observed, and their velocities have been determined. More complex interactions between atomic sites are expected to change only the details but not the essential character of the behavior observed in this model. Based on universality, it is expected that method can be applied to many situations where there is an interaction between the volume elements.
Partially cured epoxy/SWCNT thin films for the reinforcement of vacuum-assisted resin-transfer-molded composites

An approach to strategically introduce carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into epoxy to prepare epoxy/CNT composites has been developed. CNTs can be placed at locations of interest inside a vacuum-assisted resin-transfer-molded composite, thus allowing for optimized composite reinforcement at lower cost. Moreover, it helps avoid viscosity related processing issues due to the addition of CNTs to epoxy.
A tailored optimization strategy for PDE-based design: application to a CVD reactor

Abstract We describe a tailored strategy for nonlinear programming (NLP) with partial differential equation (PDE) models. This approach is based on a reduced space Successive Quadratic Programming (rSQP) algorithm, and it allows the reuse of existing PDE-based modeling codes. This approach leads to an efficient simultaneous strategy, where the NLP and the PDE model are solved at the same time. A number of refinements were made to the NLP algorithm to enhance its performance and reliability for large, nonlinear models. This study considers PDE-based optimization problems to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach. In particular, we apply this approach to MPSalsa, a finite element PDE Solver developed at Sandia National Laboratories, and consider a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor model as the optimization application. Here, our goal is optimize the operating conditions to produce a thin film of gallium nitride with a spatially uniform thickness. To minimize nonuniformity of the film, a novel NLP formulation is described and evaluated based on constraint aggregation. In addition to the design optimization strategy, we incorporate a stability analysis of the optimal design to assure that it is a stable steady state.
Behavioral role of the mammillary efferent system.

Abstract FIELD, T. D., J. R. ROSENSTOCK, E. C. KING AND E. G. GREENE. Behavioral role of the mammillary efferent system . BRAIN RES. BULL. 3 (5) 451–456, 1978.—The present study examined the effects of lesions of the mammillary system on spatial memory and arousal. Destruction of the medial mammillary nucleus or the mammillotegmental tract produces impairments on a delayed alternation task and greatly increases activity in the open-field. Lesions of the mammillothalamic tract produce a differential effect in that the spatial alternation deficit is accompanied by a general lethargy and unresponsiveness. It is suggested that the mammillary system plays a crucial role in the short-term storage of proprioceptive information necessary for the successive execution of maze choices. It also appears to play a role in the arousal state of the animal.
Some Results of Free Choice in Extensive Reading in French

IN a previous issue of this journal' the writer presented some tabulations and observations concerning Rate and Quantity of Extensive Reading in first-year college French. The evidence offered came from the records of the College Department of Romance Languages in The University of Chicago, and concerned the extensive reading in French, totaling 769,093 pages, reported by 541 students over a period of five scholastic years (1927-32). The present study shows a tabulation of the first fifty works of fiction and the first twenty-five plays that topped the lists in total pages read during the period of five years above noted, and offers a short comment on this evidence of the students' choice in reading material. Before presenting the tables, it is well, perhaps, to make clear that the works listed do indeed represent the students' own choice within the reasonable limitations of the abilities of these students and of the materials at their disposal. In the first quarter of his year's work, at the moment when extensive reading was first approached, each student was given a list of suitable authors and titles for his choice in home reading, with the idea of limiting him reasonably to material not too heavy in vocabulary and content for a struggling beginner. As the year advanced, the attention of the student was called to other lists of wider scope: novels, plays, short-stories, biography, history, fine arts, and so on. By the time he was well launched into his third quarter in the spring of his first year of French, there was little limitation of what the student might read in a wide variety of fields, provided, of course, that the work was in modern French, had at least some worth, and was accessible. The sky, or at least the roof above all the University's bookshelves, was the limit. At no time did the instructor force any particular book upon a student. He was shown what books were to be had and was urged to read the kind of books he liked most, providing they had some literary or scientific value and were within the limitations of his capacity. The two lists published herewith represent the most persistently popular choices in fiction and drama, over a period of five years, of a half-thousand or more students having a fairly wide range of reading materials in French at their command.
Alcohol and tobacco use among rural Mexican adolescents: individual, familial, and community level factors

Abstract Purpose We investigated the contributions of individual, family, and community-level factors for explaining alcohol use and smoking among rural Mexican adolescents. Methods As part of a national survey, 3922 adolescents and their mothers from 333 poor, rural communities in seven Mexican states provided cross-sectional data on family-level, socioeconomic, and psychosocial factors, and individual-level data on substance use and psychological symptoms. Community standard of living was also assessed. Results Generalized linear models adjusted for sampling design indicated that adolescents' use of alcohol was associated with being male, older, employment, and having a mother who used alcohol. Being from an indigenous family living in a majority-indigenous community was associated with less alcohol use. Family income, family size, and community standard of living were not directly associated with adolescents' alcohol use. Current smoking was associated with being male, older, and more anxious, having a mother who smoked, and having a mother with higher educational attainment. Further analyses indicated patterns in which adolescents' alcohol use was moderated by gender and ethnicity. Conclusions Beyond the contribution of male gender and age as risk factors, maternal substance use uniquely explained variability in alcohol and cigarette use among Mexican adolescents from rural communities. Indigenous ethnicity and living in majority-indigenous community settings appeared to confer protective benefits with respect to alcohol. These findings extend prior research in Mexico and in other countries that identify the combined importance of developmental contexts and individual-level factors for adolescent health.
Learning to Rank for Query-Focused Multi-document Summarization

In this paper, we explore how to use ranking SVM to train the feature weights for query-focused multi-document summarization. To apply a supervised learning method to sentence extraction in multi-document summarization, we need to derive the sentence labels for training corpus from the existing human labeling data in form of. However, this process is not trivial, because the human summaries are abstractive, and do not necessarily well match the sentences in the documents. In this paper, we try to address the above problem from the following two aspects. First, we make use of sentence-to-sentence relationships to better estimate the probability of a sentence in the document set to be a summary sentence. Second, to make the derived training data less sensitive, we adopt a cost sensitive loss in the ranking SVM's objective function. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method.
Energy Extraction Through Flapping Foils

We demonstrate experimentally that flapping foils within an oncoming stream can efficiently extract energy from the flow, thus offering an attractive, alternative way for energy production. The greatest promise for flapping foils is to use them in unsteady and turbulent flow, where their own unsteady motion can be controlled to maximize energy extraction. The foils in this study perform a sinusoidal linear motion (sway, or heave) in combination with a sinusoidal angular motion (yaw or pitch); the effect of three principal parameters is studied systematically, yaw amplitude, the Strouhal number, and the phase angle between sway and yaw. The foils are made of aluminum, in the shape of NACA 0012 airfoils, using three different aspect ratios, 4.1, 5.9, and 7.9; they were tested at Reynolds numbers around 14,000. Efficiencies of up to 52 ± 3% are achieved with simple sinusoidal motions, thus demonstrating that foils can efficiently extract energy from unsteady flows.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Local ownership of ethanol plants: What are the effects on communities?

Abstract The rapid expansion of ethanol plants across the U.S. state of Iowa has fueled debate about the burdens and benefits of local (in-state investors) versus non-local ownership of biorefineries. Central to these concerns is the extent to which non-local, absentee owners might reap the benefits of the ethanol industry at the expense of local communities. A key argument within the rural development literature is that local ownership of firms has a positive effect on the long-term well-being and sustainability of the communities in which they are situated. This literature asserts that firms operate at different scales, with local firms embedded within local supply chains and institutions, and non-local firms embedded within national and international networks and institutions. Conversely, there is a growing body of work within the alternative agrifood systems literature that cautions against the ‘local trap’; the assumption that the local scale is inherently good and therefore advantageous. Despite this broader debate, the literature on local ownership and renewable energy remains limited. This paper addresses this gap by drawing on case study research of the community effects of ethanol plant ownership structure from the perspective of community leaders. My findings suggest that differences between the structure and effects of local versus non-local ownership of firms on communities are rather more ambiguous than the literature asserts. Therefore, assumptions about the benefits of local ownership may be overstated and concepts of ‘local’ and ‘non-local’ may be inadequate for considering firm outcomes on the civic welfare and socioeconomic well-being of a community.
Native-English Speaking Instructors Teaching Writing in China

This article presents two separate but related studies on native-English speaking (NES) instructors’ teaching writing practice in Chinese universities. One study is a case study that explores the teaching practice of three NES instructors’ writing instruction in a southern Chinese university as well as students’ responses to their practice. Another study takes on an auto-ethnographic approach, in which the researcher retrospectively examines his own writing instruction as a college NES instructor in China with his new understanding of Bakhtin’s dialogic theory and theories of multi/biliteracy. The pairing of these two studies, methodologically and conceptually, illustrates the NES instructors’ teaching experiences in China from both an outsider and an insider’s perspectives. The findings of the studies indicate that one of the key factors that hinder the effectiveness in teaching writing in English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts is the doctrine of ‘native fallacy’ widespread in the EFL field. This i...
Hume, points of view and aesthetic judgments

Hume elaborates upon these comments in terms of the example of oratory, but his clear intention is to extend this principle to all other genres of art. As I understand it, the good critic is required by this principle to adopt a point of view that both excludes considerations of one's particular circumstance and includes certain cultural predispositions of the work of art which are unlike those of his own "age or nation." For instance, friendship or enmity with the author of the work of art must be forgotten and the peculiar views and manners of the audience to which it is addressed must be allowed for.: Our credibility as aesthetic witnesses relies, then, in part, upon our ability to shift our point of view from its customary position and accommodate ourselves to another one which, while familiar to the author and his audience, is initially unfamiliar to ourselves. In some ways Hume's mind "cleared of all prejudice" resembles the "aesthetic attitude". But there is an important difference between most versions of attitude theory and this part of Hume's theory of taste. For the attitude theorists the aesthetic experience is defined in terms of a universal frame of mind characteristic of every genuine aesthetic encounter. Its exponents (e.g. Stolnitz, Schopenhauer and Bullough) understand the aesthetic attitude to be one of detachment from all practical concerns, impositions of will, and interests peculiar to oneself, a Generally, the authentic aesthetic consciousness is described by the attitude tradition as a kind of attention and contemplation that is disinterested in a sense very close to what Kant had in mind for the pure judgment of taste. 4 Hume's claim that the
Synergism between Metarhizium anisopliae (Deuteromycota: Hyphomycetes) and Boric Acid against the German Cockroach (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae)

Abstract Mortality of German cockroaches, Blattella germanica (L.), caused by Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin strain AC-1 alone and in combination with different formulations of boric acid, was evaluated in laboratory bioassays. Topical application of M. anisopliae alone (8.96 × 10 9 conidia/m 2 ) required 28 days to cause >92% cockroach mortality (LT 50 = 10 days). In contrast, in combination with boric acid (topically applied as a dust or in drinking water), M. anisopliae killed cockroaches significantly faster than without boric acid. M. anisopliae conidial dust (8.96 × 10 8 conidia/m 2 ) with either 12.5% (w/w) boric acid dust or 0.1% (w/v) boric acid in drinking water killed 100% of the cockroaches in only 8 days (LT 50 = 5 days) and 10 days (LT 50 = 6 days), respectively, without compromising the fungus emergence from cadavers. Replacement of M. anisopliae with flour dust or heat-killed M. anisopliae conidia eliminated this effect, demonstrating that it was not the consequence of greater boric acid ingestion due to more extensive cockroach grooming upon exposure to M. anisopliae conidia. Moreover, injections of a low dose of M. anisopliae, which caused only 30% mortality, together with sublethal concentrations of boric acid into the cockroach hemocoel resulted in a doubling of mortality. Statistical analysis demonstrated a synergistic interaction between these two insecticides.
Recurrent dislocation of extensor carpi ulnaris tendon.

Four cases of symptomatic extensor carpi ulnaris tendon subluxation secondary to extensor carpi ulnaris tendon sheath attenuation at the wrist are presented in an attempt to provide greater awareness of this frequently undiagnosed clinical entity. Sheath reconstruction has been successful in relieving symptoms.
Surveillance epidemiology and end results analysis demonstrates improvement in overall survival for cervical cancer patients treated in the era of concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Background In February 1999, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) issued a clinical alert based on 5 randomized trials that reported better overall survival (OS) with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) than with surgery or radiation alone for locoregional cervical cancer. This study analyzes data from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program to evaluate the improvement in survival in the era of CCRT. Methods The SEER database was queried for FIGO stage IB2-IVA cervical cancer patients treated with radiotherapy between 1995-2002. Patients diagnosed between 1999-2002 (CCRT era) were assumed to have received CCRT more frequently than patients diagnosed between 1995-1998 (RT era). Cases were stratified by period of diagnosis, age, and SEER region. Overall survival (OS) and cause specific survival (CSS) were compared between the two time periods with chi-square log-rank tests. Multivariable Cox models were also used to compare OS and CSS between the two time periods, with adjustment for stratification variables and other covariates. Results The study included 3517 patients. Unadjusted OS and CSS were significantly improved in 1999-2002 compared with 1995-1998 (OS: p<0.001, Hazard Ratio (HR) 0.81; CSS: p<0.001, HR 0.79). Significant improvements in OS and CSS were retained after adjustment for multiple variables (multivariable OS HR 0.78; CSS HR 0.76). Conclusion Cervical cancer patients treated with radiotherapy after 1999 had improved OS and CSS compared with patients treated before 1999, likely reflecting increased usage of CCRT. This study adds to the population-level evidence supporting the adoption of CCRT as the standard of care for locoregional cervical cancer.
Chemical speciation of dissolved Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island

The chemical speciation of `dissolved' Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb was determined by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) at three sampling sites in the high salinity region (24–30 psu) of the Narragansett Bay estuary. Speciation results show that organic chelates of these four trace metals are the dominant forms in conventionally filtered ( 99% for Cu in these estuarine waters. Dissolved Zn ([ZnT]) varied from 72 nM at the Upper Bay site to 16 nM at the Lower Bay site, the concentration of the Zn-binding ligands ([LT]) varied from 48 to 11 nM with a relatively uniform conditional stability constant (KZnL,Zn′cond=109.0 M−1). At the Upper and Lower Bay sites, where [ZnT]>[LT], there was less organic complexation (50 to 60%) of [ZnT] as compared to the Mid-Bay (bloom) station, where [ZnT]<[LT] and the degree of organic complexation was considerably higher (97%). The concentration of Cd-binding ligands was nearly constant throughout the bay (ca. 4 nM with mean KCdL,Cd′cond=108.9 M−1) and present at much higher levels than the dissolved Cd ([CdT]=0.80–0.29 nM, decreasing down bay). Titration results for Pb were modeled by two classes of Pb-binding ligands. Dissolved Pb ranged from 0.32 to 0.13 nM and the strong class of Pb-binding ligands (L1) was in slight excess of these values (ca. 0.8 nM) with a mean KcondPbL1,Pb′=1010.0 M−1. A weaker class of Pb-binding ligands (L2) existed at 4.0–8.2 nM with a mean KcondPbL2,Pb′=108.8 M−1. Titration data for Cu were interpreted as being influenced by three classes of Cu-binding ligands (L1, L2, L3), whose sum was always in excess of the dissolved [CuT] (12.7–27.9 nM). Our DPASV estimates of [L1] were 16–38 nM with a KcondCuL1,Cu′≥1012 M−1. There were higher concentrations of intermediate and weaker classes of Cu-binding ligands: [L2]=40 to 15 nM with a mean KcondCuL2,Cu′=108.8 M−1 and [L3]=100 to 54 nM with a mean KcondCuL3,Cu′=107.7 M−1. The two stronger classes of Cu-binding ligands (L1 and L2) resulted in CuL1 and CuL2 as the dominant dissolved Cu species. Free ion concentrations were calculated for all four metals at the three sampling sites: [Cu2+]≤10−12 M, [Cd2+]≤2×10−12 M, [Pb2+]∼10−12 M, while [Zn2+] ranged from 0.3–13×10−9 M. For Cu, Pb, and Cd, these ambient values are below the concentrations of toxic responses reported from laboratory studies of marine microorganisms. At the Upper Bay site, any toxic effect of the elevated free zinc ion concentration is likely to be alleviated by the antagonistic effect of high dissolved Mn.
Synthesis and biological activity of N4-phenylsubstituted-6-(2,4-dichloro phenylmethyl)-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2,4-diamines as vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 inhibitors and antiangiogenic and antitumor agents

A series of eight N(4)-phenylsubstituted-6-(2,4-dichlorophenylmethyl)-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2,4-diamines 8-15 were synthesized as vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) inhibitors with varied substitutions in the phenyl ring of the 4-anilino moiety. In addition, five N(4)-phenylsubstituted-6-phenylmethylsubstituted-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4-amines 16-20 were synthesized to evaluate the importance of the 2-NH(2) moiety for multiple receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibition. Cyclocondensation of alpha-halomethylbenzylketones with 2,6-diamino-4-hydroxypyrimidine afforded 2-amino-6-(2,4-dichlorophenylmethyl)-3,7-dihydro-4H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4-one, 23 and reaction of alpha-bromomethylbenzylketones with ethylamidinoacetate followed by cyclocondensation with formamide afforded the 6-phenylmethylsubstituted-3,7-dihydro-4H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4-ones, 40-42, respectively. Chlorination of the 4-position and displacement with appropriate anilines afforded the target compounds 8-20. Compounds 8, 10 and 14 were potent VEGFR-2 inhibitors and were 100-fold, 40-fold and 8-fold more potent than the standard semaxanib, respectively. Previously synthesized multiple RTK inhibitor, 5 and the VEGFR-2 inhibitor 8 from this study, were chosen for further evaluation in a mouse orthotopic model of melanoma and showed significant inhibition of tumor growth, angiogenesis and metastasis.
Wedge Failures along Tennessee Highways in the Appalachian Region: Their Occurrence and Correction

Of the different modes of rock slope failures encountered along highways in the Appalachian Region of Tennessee, the wedge failure has become the most dangerous to the motoring public. Nearly all of the wedge failures experienced by the Tennessee Department of Transportation have been located in eastern Tennessee both in the Ridge and Valley Province and the Blue Ridge Province. However, the majority of wedge failures experienced has been located in the mountainous topography of the Blue Ridge Province, particularly along Interstate 40 (1-40) in Cocke County. Wedge failures along Tennessee highways are usually associated with hard, well indurated shale or slate lithologies which have well developed planes of weakness. Most of the wedge failures are associated with pre-Cambrian rock units, although some Cambrian, Ordovician and Mississippian units are also involved. Rock slopes subject to wedge failures can be evaluated by steronet analysis techniques. These procedures are usually required for preventative and/or correction measures. The treatment of wedge failures in Tennessee involves both stabilization and protection methods. The concepts of drainage, removal, and restraint provide stabilization. Drainage methods involve de-watering with the use of horizontal drains. Removal concepts include mass grading operations, controlled blasting techniques and “toe” clean-out maintenance procedures. Restraint of rock wedges involves the use of buttressing concepts such as rock buttresses and concrete buttresses. Proposed, but yet untried in Tennessee, are buttressing concepts utilizing rock bolts. Protection methods include wire meshing, catchment fences, berms, and walls.
THE INFLUENCE OF HEAT ON THE MICROSCOPIC PROPERTIES OF SILICA IN ITS DIFFERENT MINERAL FORMS1

A study is made of the effect of heat at cone 13 and cone 14 on the index of refraction of the four common mineral forms of silica used in the ceramic industries. These mineral forms are sand, quartz, chalcedony and French flit. The effect of these mineral forms on the index of refraction of porcelain bodies fired to cone 13 and cone 14 is also given.
Bartram's Garden: a reception history

Abstract Introduction Tucked between an industrial stretch of the lower Schuylkill River and a housing project in Southwest Philadelphia, Bartram's Garden has been engaged in a battle against obscurity and neglect for more than one hundred years. Once an internationally celebrated scientific and commercial landscape and today a National Historical Landmark, the garden is often overlooked by visitors to Philadelphia, a forgotten, but highly significant, aspect of Philadelphia's rich heritage. Established by John Bartram in 1731, the garden gained international renown during Bartram's lifetime for its founder's contributions to the nascent science of botany through the discovery and dissemination of North American plants. Following Bartram's death, the garden continued to be recognised for its international nursery business, which flourished under the care of Bartram's descendants through the 1830s.1 Today, however, a current brochure describes the garden as ‘Before Lewis and Clark’, ‘Before Audubon’ and ‘B...
Effects of litter size and maternal and temporal factors on the frequency of spontaneous cleft lip and open eyelid in newborn A-J mice.

Study of the etiology of congenital malformations in human beings has been particularly intense in the last 20 years. These abnormalities, which until recently were considered rare and of interest only to pathologists and embryologists, are being studied more now for at least two reasons. First, they are a leading cause of prenatal loss and of morbidity and mortality in children. Second, they present challenges to epidemiologists, geneticists, developmentalists, and evolutionists who seek answers to the perplexities they pose. The many recent family and population surveys of congenital malformations have had important results. The mathematical models' constructed to describe the genetic contribution to the basis of some relatively common congenital malformations are useful. Also, environmental factors are recognized more than ever as significant.2 Animals are used to supplement the data and insights that are provided by observation of human beings. Experimentally induced malformations have yielded much information about structural and chemical pathogenesis and other aspects of human anomalies, but not about etiology. Study of spontaneous malformations may provide information about etiology. The A/J mouse strain is prone to a number of different spontaneous congenital malformations that range in frequency from less than 1% to nearly 20% of the offspring. Like all long inbred strains, it is homozygous at all or nearly all gene loci, and is well-suited to study of the gene-environment interactions that result in deformity of some of its genetically identical members. In this paper, discussion will center on whether the frequencies of the two commonest malformations in this strain were associated with several environmental (nongenetic) variables.
DECISION ANALYSIS FOR THE RIVER WALK EXPANSION IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

: The San Antonio River Walk is considered a unique tourist attraction as well as an urban rejuvenation catalyst for San Antonio, Texas. This utilization of the mile-long horseshoe bend in the downtown area of San Antonio is as successful and imaginative as can be found in the United States. Testimony is very strong from San Antonio voters and outside visitors of the great social and economic value of the River Walk. This overwhelming success has led to plans for expansion of the present River Walk. The River Walk expansion decision should not be evaluated merely on a benefit-cost ratio. It has become the recommendation of the Water Resources Council that intangible attributes such as recreational values and social impacts should be considered as well as tangible attributes such as cost. This prevailing attitude has highlighted the application of decision analysis techniques with multiattribute utility ratings. Decision analysis is a systematic solution procedure which can be used to crystallize a complicated decision problem into manageable subproblems by ranking the decision alternatives in accordance with cardinal utility values attached to their consequences. Recent advances in multiattribute utility theory allow a decision maker to weigh utility assessment over tangible and intangible attributes according to their relative importance. This insures that the intangible attributes will receive due consideration in the final decision-making.
Clinical presentations of food allergy.

Food allergies are immune-mediated responses to food proteins. Because of differences in the underlying immunologic mechanisms, there are varying clinical presentations of food allergy. This article discusses the manifestations of IgE-mediated disorders, including urticaria and angioedema, rhinoconjunctivitis, asthma, gastrointestinal anaphylaxis, generalized anaphylaxis, food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis, and oral allergy syndrome. It also reviews the presentations of mixed IgE- and cell-mediated disorders, including atopic dermatitis and eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders. Finally, the manifestations of cell-mediated food allergies are discussed, including dietary protein-induced proctitis and proctocolitis, food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome, celiac disease, and food-induced pulmonary hemosiderosis.
Fast axonal transport in the C-fibers of the garfish olfactory nerve

The application of aqueous solutions of tritiated L-Leucine to the olfactory epithelium of the longnosed garfish (Lepisosteus osseus) results in a rapid sorption of the labeled precursor and the subsequent establishment along the nerve of a profile of labeled macromolecular constituents. This profile consists of a sharp wavefront, a peak and a saddle region. At 23°C, the wavefront enters the nerve 1.8 hr after the isotope application and moves away from the cell bodies at an average rate of 222 ± 2.4 mm/day. As the labeled material is propelled along the nerve fiber, its distribution undergoes several characteristic profile changes. The peak broadens and decreases in height and the slope of the wavefront becomes gradually less steep, while the area of the profile increases. These systematic, time-dependent changes suggest a redistribution of some of the labeled axonal material during transport.
Disseminated sporotrichosis presenting with granulomatous inflammatory multiple mononeuropathies

We describe a case of sporotrichosis that disseminated to involve multiple nerves after initiation of immunosuppressive therapy and then precipitously worsened after withdrawal of therapy. This case illustrates that multiple mononeuropathies are not always caused by vasculitis, and a correct pathological diagnosis should be established before treatment. Based on clinical and pathological features, the mechanism of neuropathy may have been due to either direct nerve infection or a bystander effect of inflammatory/immune damage or, perhaps more likely, to both mechanisms.
Buoyancy effects on smoldering combustion

The effect of buoyancy on the rate of spread of a concurrent smolder reaction through a porous combustible material is investigated theoretically and experimentally. In the experiments, buoyant forces are controlled by varying the density difference, and the smolder rate spread through porous alpha cellulose (0.83 void fraction) is measured as a function of the ambient air pressure. The smolder velocity is found to increase with the ambient pressure; extinction occurs when the buoyancy forces cannot overcome the drag forces, indicating that diffusion by itself cannot support the spread of a smolder reaction. Theoretical predictions are found to be in good qualitative agreement with the experimental results.
Mitochondrial ATP-Pi exchange complex.

Abstract An enzyme complex with high ATP-Pi exchange activity has been purified from beef heart mitochondria, using the general procedure which also yields electron transfer complexes I, II, III and IV from the same batch of mitochondria. The ATP-Pi exchange activity of the preparation, designated complex V, is inhibited by various uncouplers, rutamycin, venturicidin, dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, arsenate, azide, adenylyl imidodiphosphate, and valinomycin plus potassium. The ATP-Pi exchange activity of complex V is specific with respect to ATP; ITP, GTP and UTP are essentially ineffective. Complex V is deficient in cytochromes, but 2–3 times enriched as compared to mitochondria with respect to binding sites for the uncoupler 2-azido-4-nitrophenol. As in mitochondria, this binding is competitively inhibited by other uncouplers. Complexes I, III and IV, which in mitochondria contain the three energy coupling sites, do not bind the above uncoupler.
Air-Assisted Marine Vehicles for Future Use in Transoceanic Transportation

The technical aspects of two types of advanced marine vehicles, Air Cavity Ship and Wing-In-Ground, are considered for future use in transoceanic transportation. Both concepts utilize the air medium to improve technical and economic characteristics of transportation means. The air is supplied under the bottom hull sections of the Air Cavity Ship, reducing the overall wetted surface and consequently hydrodynamic drag. A contact with water is completely eliminated in the case of the Wing-in-Ground, which moves above the water. This results in enhancing the lift-drag ratio in comparison with a flight in the open air. The principles, experience, and research opportunities on the way to make these concepts applicable for transportation are discussed.© 2003 ASME