cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multimodality therapy for medulloblastoma

Eight patients with recurrent medulloblastoma were treated with a chemotherapy regimen consisting of vincristine, BCNU, dexamethasone and intrathecal and intermediate dose intravenous methotrexate (500 mg/m2). Five also received local low dose radiotherapy (RT). All 8 patients responded to treatment; 6 completely and 2 partially. These latter 2 were in their second and third recurrences. Three remain in remission. The median duration of response was 18.8 months, and median time from start of chemotherapy to death was 32 months using the Kaplan-Meier technique. In addition, 9 other patients with newly diagnosed medulloblastoma were treated with craniospinal radiation and the same adjuvant chemotherapy as above. The first 5 patients also received intraventricular methotrexate and/or intravenous BCNU during radiotherapy. The toxicity in the 5 patients was very severe. There were three toxic deaths, one death from cancer; one patient survives disease-free, but he is demented. With the discontinuance of intraventricular methotrexate and the postponement of myelo-suppressive chemotherapy until after the completion of radiotherapy, the regimen has been well tolerated. All 4 patients treated this way remain alive, well, and disease-free at intervals up to 36 months. We conclude that recurrent medulloblastomas are sensitive to multiagent chemotherapy and that prolonged remissions may occur. With primary adjuvant chemotherapy, extreme caution with myelo-suppressive drugs must be exercised during the period of craniospinal radiotherapy. We also do not recommend the use of intraventricular methotrexate. When these two criteria were followed, the preliminary results with adjuvant chemotherapy appear encouraging.
Quasi-biological apatite film induced by titanium in a simulated body fluid

Commercially pure titanium (c.p.Ti) is capable of inducing the formation of a carbonated apatite onto its surface in a simulated body fluid (SBF) comprised of calcium ions, phosphate ions, and other inorganic species present in the body fluid. In addition to the incorporation of carbonate ions, such formed apatite has other important characteristics of the bone mineral phase, such as a small crystal size and ionic substitution by Mg2+ and Cl−. Thus, we call this apatite a quasi-biological apatite. The formation of the quasi-biological apatite is proposed to be related to TiOH groups that develop on the titanium surface through interaction with the SBF. The results suggest that titanium implants may be activated such that they can form a strong bond with bone tissue through the in vivo formation of apatite. Since the solution can reach any open space, the process discussed in this study is very suitable for coating porous titanium implants with a quasi-biological apatite film. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 41, 341–348, 1998.
Superconductivity at the Two-Dimensional Limit

Superconductivity in the extreme two-dimensional limit is studied on ultrathin lead films down to two atomic layers, where only a single channel of quantum well states exists. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy reveals that local superconducting order remains robust until two atomic layers, where the transition temperature abruptly plunges to a lower value, depending sensitively on the exact atomic structure of the film. Our result shows that Cooper pairs can still form in the last two-dimensional channel of electron states, although their binding is strongly affected by the substrate.
Effects of entropy changes in anodes and cathodes on the thermal behavior of lithium ion batteries

Abstract The entropy changes (Δ S ) in various cathode and anode materials, as well as complete Li-ion batteries, were measured using an electrochemical thermodynamic measurement system (ETMS). A thermal model based on the fundamental properties of individual electrodes was used to obtain transient and equilibrium temperature distributions of Li-ion batteries. The results from theoretical simulations were compared with results obtained in experimental measurements. We found that the detailed shape of the entropy curves strongly depends on the manufacturer of the materials even for the same nominal compositions. LiCoO 2 has a much larger entropy change than LiNi x Co y Mn z O 2 . This means that LiNi x Co y Mn z O 2 is much more thermodynamically stable than LiCoO 2 ). The temperatures around the positive terminal of a prismatic battery are consistently higher than those at the negative terminal, due to differences in the thermal conductivities of the different terminal connectors. When all other simulation parameters are the same, simulations that use a battery-averaged entropy tend to overestimate the predicted temperatures when compared with simulations that use individual entropies for the anode and the cathode, due to computational averaging.
Evaluating elements of executive functioning as predictors of instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs).

OBJECTIVE Executive functioning has been repeatedly linked to the integrity of instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). The present study examined the association of multiple executive functioning elements (i.e., working memory, generation, inhibition, planning, and sequencing) to IADLs among an older adult cohort at risk for future cognitive and functional decline.
Antigen presentation: Mixing oil and water

Studies of the cellular immunology and protein structure of human and mouse CD1 proteins reveal these to be a family of antigen-presenting molecules that allow T cells to recognize lipid and glycolipid antigens of microbial pathogens.
The Biology of Bird-Song Dialects

No single theory so far proposed gives a wholly satisfactory account of the origin and maintenance of bird-song dialects. This failure is the consequence of a weak comparative literature that precludes careful comparisons among species or studies, and of the complexity of the issues involved. Complexity arises because dialects seem to bear upon a wide range of features in the life history of bird species. We give an account of the principal issues in bird-song dialects: evolution of vocal learning, experimental findings on song ontogeny, dialect descriptions, female and male reactions to differences in dialect, and population genetics and dispersal.We present a synthetic theory of the origin and maintenance of song dialects, one that accommodates most of the different systems reported in the literature. The few data available suggest that large, regional dialect populations are genetically differentiated; this pattern is correlated with reduced dispersal between dialects, assortative mating by females, and male-male exclusion. At the same time, “subdialects” may be formed within regional dialects. Subdialect clusters are usually small and may represent vocal mimicry among a few adjacent territorial males. The relative importance of genetic and social adaptation may contribute to the emergence of subdialects; their distinctiveness may be correlated with the degree of polygyny, for example. Thus, subdialect formation is linked to one theory of the evolution of repertoire size, but data are too fragmentary to examine this idea critically.
Vasoconstriction as the etiology of hypercalcemia-induced seizures.

Summary: Purpose: Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction has been hypothesized to be the etiology of seizures due to hypercalcemia, but angiographic studies documenting vasoconstriction have not previously been available. Methods: We present a 43-year-old woman who had frequent seizures that later evolved to status epilepticus with marked hypercalcemia at the time of the seizures. Results: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the patient's brain revealed high signal changes in T2-weighted imaging, fluorescence-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) over the bilateral occipital and thalamic areas. Cerebral angiography showed blood vessels narrowing, disappearing altogether over the right posterior cerebral artery (PCA) branch, which is compatible with vasoconstriction. Vasoconstriction caused the MRI high signal in the occipital area, which was associated with subsequent periodic lateralized epileptic discharges. The patient's clinical condition improved with management of seizures and hypercalcemia. A second brain MRI 2 weeks later revealed complete resolution of the high-signal lesions. Follow-up cerebral angiography study also showed total recovery of vasoconstriction. Conclusions: The sequence of events suggests the hypothesis that reversible cerebral vasoconstriction may play a role in hypercalcemia-induced seizures.
How frustrated strings would pull the black holes from the centers of galaxies

Recently Pen and Spergel have shown that a universe whose energy density is dominated by a frustrated network of non-Abelian TeV-scale cosmic strings could account for a broad class of cosmological observations. In this paper we consider the effects of such a string network on the massive black holes widely believed to inhabit the centers of many galaxies. As these black holes traverse the universe together with their host galaxies, they would intersect a large number of string segments. We argue that such segments would become stuck to the black hole, and be stretched by the hole's motion. Stretching the strings would cause significant deceleration of the black holes. Although the black holes would probably not be removed from the galaxies completely, they would be noticeably displaced from the galactic center of mass\char22{}by at least 5 kpc. This displacement seems to be in contradiction with the observational evidence.
Unintended consequences of Ze Ren Zhi reforms in China: Interplay of agricultural reform and population control policy

Abstract National policies, however innovative, well intentioned, and even apparently successful, can sometimes produce consequences almost as serious as the problems they were designed to solve. Troublesome policy “side-effects” are neither always the result of chance, nor are they inevitable. Modern policy solutions often begin by “isolating the problem,” but in this very isolation can lurk the causes of serious unforeseen difficulties. The following paper treats precisely such a situation. It will show how an apparently effective solution to agricultural under-production in China has led to serious, but unintended, consequences in the form of a resurgence of population growth. In addition, the paper will trace in some detail the history of agricultural policy in the PRC from 1949 to present.
Van der Waals Nanocapsular Complexes of Amphiphilic Calixarenes

The inclusion complexes of p-alkanoyl calix[4]arenes with alkanoyl chain lengths from C4 to C10 (C4OH−C10OH) and tetrahydrofuran, dioxane, and some halocarbons as guests were prepared and their structures were studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, TGA, DSC, and 13C CP-MAS NMR. The complexes of C6OH are nanocapsules stabilized by van der Waals interactions between the calixarene cavity as extended by the alkanoyl chains and one or more guest molecules. The stability of the nanocapsule compounds depends strongly on the size and saturation vapor pressure of the guests, as well as on the presence of halogen atoms in the guest molecule. In the presence of the latter, the C6OH capsular complexes have markedly lower stability and easily eject the guests. C4OH calixarene prefers to form open-container type complexes, whereas it is possible to prepare quasicapsular complexes of C10OH with dioxane as a guest. In this case, two dioxane molecules are encapsulated by two molecules of calixarene and the third di...
Phase Transitions Induced By Femtosecond Pulses

Optical studies of semiconductors under intense femtosecond laser pulse excitation suggest that an ultrafast phase transition takes places before the electronic system has time to thermally equilibrate with the lattice. The excitation of a critical density of valence band electrons destabilizes the covalent bonding in the crystal, resulting in a structural phase transition. The deformation of the lattice leads to a decrease in the average bonding-antibonding splitting and a collapse of the band-gap. Direct optical measurements of the dielectric constant and second-order nonlinear susceptibility are used to determine the time evolution of the phase transition.
Electromagnetic Production of Pions from Nuclei.

Abstract The processes of photoproduction and electroproduction of pions from complex nuclei are studied theoretically. The impulse approximation is used to relate the nuclear transition amplitude to that for pion production from a nucleon. Final-state interactions of the outgoing pion with the residual nucleus are included by using an optical model. Several experiments are analysed and proposed such as the production of a charged meson to the analog of the target ground state. It is observed that because of the vanishing of the spin-independent part of the pion production amplitude at forward directions certain reactions depend upon a single matrix element, a parity-forbidden matrix element in the terminology of beta decay, which can therefore be measured directly for a wide range of momentum transfers to the nucleus. A numerical example is given for the reaction 16O ( e,e ′ π + ) 16 N to the 1 − state in 16 N . Numerical comparison of the theory with π0 photoproduction experiments show that the results are very sensitive to the depth and form of the pion optical potential. The experimental results exceed the calculated values; a possible reason is given. Theoretical predictions for the analog reactions 88Sr (e,e′π-) 88Y, 88Sr (γ,π-) 88Y and 42Ca (e,e′π-) 42Sc are made.
Nose-to-Nose Response of a 20-GHz Sampling Circuit

We use SPICE simulations to determine a response function of a two-diode 20-GHz sampling circuit. We explore the validity of the SPICE simulations in a variety of operational conditions and examine differences between the actual response of an impedance-matched sampling circuit and the response function reconstructed by the nose-to-nose calibration procedure.
Using silicon and gallium arsenide technologies for new supercomputer design

A comparison is made between emerging high performance silicon and gallium arsenide technologies for the design and manufacture of the next supercomputers. Material, device, circuit, packaging, and manufacturing issues make comparisons complex and competing design methodologies will continue.
Photocarrier behavior in organic heterojunction photovoltaic cells

We have investigated the bias dependence of photocurrent in several organic heterojunction cells to elucidate the behavior of photogenerated charge carriers. Both the planar and planar-mixed heterojunction devices are shown to always have negative photocurrent even at large forward biases; this phenomena has been attributed to an increased driving force for carrier diffusion away from the heterointerface as the applied bias increases. In contrast, the drift current generally dominates in mixed heterojunction devices due to distributed nature of charge generation throughout the active layer, leading to a photocurrent that is highly dependent on the internal electric field. This dependence gives rise to the reversal of the photocurrent direction at high biases when compared to that at the short-circuit condition. However, the voltage yielding zero photocurrent shows appreciable wavelength dependence, which is strongly correlated to the detailed charge carrier generation profile within the active layer.
Single case research results as clinical outcomes

Abstract The movement toward evidence-based treatments, interventions, or practices pressures single case research (SCR) to use statistical summaries which have broad credibility. These summaries also need to be easily understood and useful in schools and clinics. To date the effect size families, “proportion of variance” ( R 2 , Eta 2 ) and “standardized mean difference” (Cohen's d , Hedges' g ) have little popularity in SCR. This paper demonstrates a set of alternative Clinical Outcome indices widely used in the field of medicine: Risk Difference , Relative Risk , Relative Risk Improvement , and Odds Ratio , which compare patients in treatment versus control conditions. Translated to SCR designs, the baseline phase becomes the control condition, the intervention phase becomes the treatment condition, and improvement is defined as non-overlapping data between phases. The positive attributes of Clinical Outcomes are demonstrated: (a) easily interpretable results, (b) close relationship with concept of non-overlapping data, (c) minimal data assumptions, (d) minimal statistical expertise required, (e) multiple contrasts possible for diagnostic understanding, (f) exact confidence intervals for results, and (g) close relationship to Pearson R effect size family.
Dynamics of simultaneous, single ion transport through two single-walled carbon nanotubes: observation of a three-state system.

The ability to actively manipulate and transport single molecules in solution has the potential to revolutionize chemical synthesis and catalysis. In previous work, we developed a nanopore platform using the interior of a single-walled carbon nanotube (diameter = 1.5 nm) for the Coulter detection of single cations of Li+, K+, and Na+. We demonstrate that as a result of their fabrication, such systems have electrostatic barriers present at their ends that are generally asymmetric, allowing for the trapping of ions. We show that above this threshold bias, traversing the nanopore end is not rate-limiting and that the pore-blocking behavior of two parallel nanotubes follows an idealized Markov process with the electrical potential. Such nanopores may allow for high-throughput linear processing of molecules as new catalysts and separation devices.
Characterization of kinetochores in multicentric chromosomes.

Long-term cultures of certain rat and mouse cell lines carry several dicentric and some multicentric chromosomes. Using antikinetochore antibodies obtainable from serum of scleroderma (var. CREST) patients we studied the number of kinetochores formed along the length of these chromosomes. The rat cells displayed as many kinetochores as there were centromeres. However, mouse cells showed the synthesis of only one kinetochore in dicentric and multicentric chromosomes which had been in the culture for a period of 1 year or more. When translocations were induced by bleomycin in mouse L cells, the newly formed dicentric chromosomes showed the formation of two kinetochores. It is not known when the accessory centromeres lose their capacity to assemble kinetochore proteins. Possibly, in the rat the ‘latent’ kinetochores lack a specific component which renders them ineffective for microtubule binding. The reason for the formation of only one kinetochore in mouse multicentric chromosomes is not clear. It may be due to the accumulation of mutations, modification of the kinetochore protein so that it lacks the antibody binding component, or a more effective regulatory gene than in the rat.
Postnatal development of protein P-38 (‘synaptophysin’) immunoreactivity in pontine and medullary gustatory zones of rat

Abstract Neurons located in gustatory zones of the nucleus of the solitary. tract (NST) and parabrachial nucleus (PBN) exhibit extensive morphological development during the first 5–7 weeks of rat's postnatal life. The present study examined the time course for development of protein P-38 (‘synaptophysin’), a specific integral membrane glycoprotein of clear synaptic vesicles, in the rostral NST and PBN. Results show that volumetric fractions of P-38 immunoreactions increase in the NST from P1 to P10, and are adult-like in the NST after approximately P11. In contrast, volumetric fractions of P-38 immunoreactivity increase in the PBN between approximately P11 and P30. Because we have previously demonstrated that dendritic growth in the rostral gustatory NST precedes dendritic growth in the PBN, these results confirm that maturation of both presynaptic and postsynaptic constituents of brainstem gustatory relays develop in a temporally sequential manner. Relationships between neurological development of brainstem gustatory relays and the ontogeny of taste-guided responses are discussed.
The Kinase-Independent, Second Life of CDK6 in Transcription

CDK6 is an oncogenic kinase regulating the cell cycle. In this issue of Cancer Cell, Kollmann and colleagues demonstrate that CDK6 performs a kinase-independent transcriptional function in regulating expression of VEGF-A and p16INK4a. These observations link the cell cycle machinery and angiogenesis and reveal the presence of a fail-safe antiproliferative mechanism.
Digital fluoroscopy using the optically coupled CCD: preliminary investigations

This paper reports our preliminary investigation of developing an optically coupled CCD x-ray imaging system for digital x-ray fluoroscopy. The limitations of an image intensifier, TV camera based fluoroscopy are discussed. The contrast sensitivity and contrast-detail deductibility of a lens coupled CCD prototype was compared with an image- intensifier, TV camera based fluoroscopy. The results indicated that a well designed coupled CCD can be x-ray quantum noise limited, and it offers better contrast and resolution than the investigated image-intensifier, TV camera fluoroscopy systems.
Elevated levels of the Kearns-Sayre syndrome mitochondrial DNA deletion in temporal cortex of Alzheimer's patients.

Abstract A mitochondrial hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been proposed based on a number of studies which establish altered oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and ATP synthesis in AD tissue. Four out of five complexes in the OXPHOS pathway are partly encoded by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA); thus, this may be a crucial site of lesions that alter brain activity. We examined temporal cortex autopsy tissue for deleted mtDNA by PCR-based methods and Southern analysis. AD tissue was obtained from autopsy-confirmed cases that had a postmortem delay ranging from 5 to 27 h. Using a rat brain model system to examine postmortem effects by Southern analysis, no evidence of mtDNA degradation after 30 h of postmortem delay at room temperature was found. Nine tissue samples taken from AD autopsy brain (average age 68 years) and nine age-matched controls (average age 66 years) were assessed by serial dilution PCR for the 5 kb deletion (mtDNA Δ 4977) ) previously associated with Kearns–Sayre syndrome. Using this method we determined that AD temporal cortex had a 6.5-fold greater frequency of mtDNA Δ 4977 than controls (0.0593% vs. 0.0092%, p =0.0269, one-tailed; p =0.0530, two-tailed), indicating that damaged mtDNA preferentially accumulates in AD compared to aged brain.
Towards a New Structural Analysis — the Present State and the Prospects of the International Sociology of Sport

There is now expansion of sociology of sport in countries of the Third World at the same time that there is overall saturation on a level of continued high productivity. Major national centers reflect in topical areas problems of their society or their form of sport organization. Theoretical sophistication is limited. It is suggested that sociology of sport not only continue to emphasize topics genuine to the field of sport such as conflict, stratification, non-utility and the body. Future orientation should focus on a new form of structuralism (Stegmuller). Non-statement structural theory will go beyond hypothesis-testing and the D-N-model. The action theory of von Wright is suggested as a respective approach for that level understanding sport action as determined by intention, institutional norms, capability and situative context.
Effect of Coulomb interaction on current noise in open quantum dots

We analyze the effect of Coulomb interaction on the noise of electric current through an open quantum dot. We demonstrate that the ensemble average value of the noise power acquires an interaction correction even for a dot coupled to the leads by reflectionless point contacts, when the ensemble average conductance is known to have no interaction corrections. To leading order, the correction to the noise originates from the formation of a nonequilibrium state of the Coulomb field describing the interaction between electrons. We find the dependence of the current noise power on the electron temperature, the applied voltage bias, and the strength of the Coulomb interaction.
Toxicological studies of benomyl and carbendazim in rainbow trout, channel catfish and bluegills

Benomyl and carbendazim exhibited high acute toxicity to channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque), but were much less toxic to rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri (Richardson), and bluegills, Lepomis macrochirus (Rafinesque). Changes in water temperature, pH, and water hardness altered the acute toxicity to fish of both compounds; however, the alterations were less marked in channel catfish than in rainbow trout. Carbendazim injected intraperitoneally was not readily metabolized and was the major radioactive product excreted by the three fish species. The rapid depuration of radiocarbon into the containment water and the storage of residues in the gall bladder of each species indicated that both branchial and biliary excretion were major pathways for the elimination of carbendazim by fish. In the carbendazim residue dynamic studies, rainbow trout had the highest uptake rate constant and bioconcentration factor of the three species. Much less carbendazim was accumulated by channel catfish than by the other two species, but this residue level (0.44 μg/g) appeared to be lethal after 48 h of exposure. The elimination rate constant and biological half-life of carbendazim were similar for rainbow trout and bluegills; however, the elimination rate constant was larger and the biological half-life shorter in channel catfish than in the other two species. It was concluded that benomyl and carbendazim were selectively toxic to channel catfish compared with rainbow trout and bluegill, but because of the instability of benomyl and the fast elimination of carbendazim, the possibility of these compounds excessively bioconcentrating in fish was remote.
Doing research in prison: The strengths and weaknesses of full participation as a guard

Prison research has traditionally been conducted by outsiders, or researchers in non-participant roles. This paper, however, demonstrates that involvement in the prison as a prison guard, an insider, is a viable and needed form of participant observation. As an insider, the author was able to collect data on behaviors often concealed from other fieldworkers. However, participation as a member was not problem-free and this paper addresses the strengths, weaknesses, and ethical dilemmas of full participation as a research role. The paper also addresses whether or not full participation hinders or hampers data collection when the researcher returns to the same setting but in the traditional or outside role.
Prime-time Satanism: rumor-panic and the work of iconic topoi:

This article examines images of The Satanic Bible and clips from a 1969 shockumentary titled, Satanis: The Devil’s Mass, tracing the gradual transformation of their imagery into what is termed, variously, ‘iconic topoi ’ or ‘visual abbreviations’. Mapping the visual abbreviations of Satanic imagery demonstrates how the mass media enable the invention of rumor-panics from a limited number of ‘texts’. Once divorced from their actual content in media programs, the imagistic forms of the book and film collectively served as ready-made topoi for the invention of a clandestine and criminal Satanic ‘underground’ in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This article also argues that the fragmentation of the book and film into stock footage reflects the conditions of their production, helping to highlight the cultural logics typical of late capitalism.
Pseudopotential approaches to the structural energies of crystalline solids and solid surfaces

It is now feasible to predict accurately the structural energies of solids and solid surfaces from first principles computational techniques based on pseudopotential theory. We illustrate these techniques for several prototypical systems. We predict structural properties for binary crystalline systems of the form: ANB8–N where (A, B) are simple metals and metalloids and N is the number of valence electrons on A. We illustrate the chemical forces responsible for stabilizing rocksalt, zinc blende, and white tin structures as a function of pressure. Also we demonstrate the utility of these techniques for predicting the surface properties for insulators and transition metals.
A simple description of the bonding in transition-metal borane complexes

The use of oxidation numbers to determine the dn configuration of metal borane compounds (M→BX3) is problematic due to differences in opinion concerned with the charge assigned to the BX3 ligand; a...
How Efficient are Africa's Emerging Stock Markets?

The development of financial institutions has been viewed in recent years as critical to the economic development process. This research uses recent data from the eight largest African stock markets to test whether these markets meet the criterion of weak-form stock market efficiency with returns characterised by a random walk. Results are then compared with similar tests on emerging stock markets in South-east Asia and Latin America. Conclusions from the research indicate that test results for weak-form efficiency in the emerging African stock markets compare favourably with those performed on other emerging stock markets.
Information accessibility: Customer responsiveness and enhanced performance

Information is generally believed to be a key component in creating corporate responsiveness, i.e. being able to anticipate or respond quickly to customer requests. Most firms are well aware of the need to become more responsive to customers in order to develop and maintain long‐term close relation‐ships. A recent survey of the warehouse industry confirms the hypothesized relationship between information and responsiveness. Firms that formally collect customer‐related information and internal service/quality information were found to be more responsive as evidenced by enhanced ability to accommodate selected events/ requests. The research also supported a link between responsiveness and improved operating performance. Responsive firms indicated greater success in achieving specific operating performance improvements – improved reliability service, improved customer service/satisfaction, quality improvements, cycle time reductions, productivity improvements, reduced costs, improved organizational structure, and enhanced goal setting – than less responsive firms.
437. An E1b-19kD-Deleted p53-Expressing Replicating Adenovirus Markedly Enhances the Induction of Apoptosis When Combined with Cisplatin in Head and Neck Cancer Cells

The overall survival for advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is poor and has not changed in over 20 years. A non- replicating p53-expressing adenovirus in combination with radiation has shown promising results for this disease and is the first approved gene therapy modality worldwide. An oncolytic virus (ONYX-015) in combination with chemotherapy has also shown encouraging results. Therefore, the application of a replicating p53-expressing virus in combination with chemotherapy may be a rational advancement of this strategy. However, the adenoviral E1b-19kD protein is a potent inhibitor of apoptosis and may compromise the therapeutic efficacy of a p53-expressing oncolytic virus, inhibiting the apoptotic effect of both p53 and chemotherapy. We hypothesized that an E1b-19kD gene deletion together with p53 expression in combination with chemotherapy could further improve the ability of a replicating adenoviral vector to kill head and neck cancer cells. In two head and neck cancer cell lines (1586 and SCC15), a p53-expressing E1b-19kD-deleted replicating virus (Adp53dl19k) increased the amount of apoptosis by more than three-fold compared to a replicating control virus (Ad-co), and almost two-fold compared to a E1b-19kD-deleted virus that does not express p53 (Ad-dl19k). In the presence of cisplatin, at a dose that does not induce apoptosis in these cells, the apoptotic effect of Adp53dl19k was almost doubled, whereas Ad-co induced only minimal apoptosis. In the same two head and neck cancer cell lines, infection with Adp53dl19k in combination with cisplatin also resulted in reduced cell viability, as compared to Ad- co or a p53-expressing but not E1b-19k-deleted virus (Adp53). In conclusion, a non-cytotoxic dose of chemotherapy can markedly enhance the induction of apoptosis and cancer cell death induced by a replicating p53-expressing virus, but only in the presence of an E1b-19kD deletion.
(11R)-13-(Benzylamino)-4,5-epoxy-11,13-dihydrocostunolide

The title compound, C22H29NO3, was obtained by the reaction of benzyl­amine with parthenolide. X-ray crystal structure determination revealed that the configuration of the new chiral center at C11 is R, establishing the stereospecificity of the amination reaction.
Endoscopic optical coherence tomography and laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy in a murine colon cancer model

Background and Objectives: The diagnostic feasibility of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) have been evaluated for human colorectal cancer. This study applies these technologies to a murine model of colorectal adenoma. Study Design/Materials and Methods: The lower colon of 10 Apc Min and two C57BL/6J mice was surveyed over five 4-week intervals using a prototype 2.0 mm diameter OCT-LIF endoscope-based system. Four categories were histologically classified: control C57BL/6J, adenomatous, non-diseased regions of adenomatous, and non-diseased Apc Min . OCT images were compared to histology. Spectra from the four categories were compared via the Student’s t-test. Results: Three Apc Min and two control mice completed the study. One adenoma was histologically identified; OCT visualized mucosal thickening/abnormal mass development over the imaging timepoints. LIF spectral comparisons revealed decreased 405 nm intensity and the presence of a peak at 680 nm in the adenomatous Apc Min . Conclusions: These preliminary data indicate endoscopic OCT-LIF has the potential to identify colorectal adenomas in murine models. Lasers Surg. Med. 38:305–313, 2006. 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Retiring Replicants: Congestion Control for Intermittently-Connected Networks

The widespread availability of mobile wireless devices offers growing opportunities for the formation of temporary networks with only intermittent connectivity. These intermittently-connected networks (ICNs) typically lack stable end-to-end paths. In order to improve the delivery rates of the networks, new store-carry-and-forward protocols have been proposed which often use message replication as a forwarding mechanism. Message replication is effective at improving delivery, but given the limited resources of ICN nodes, such as buffer space, bandwidth and energy, as well as the highly dynamic nature of these networks, replication can easily overwhelm node resources. In this work we propose a novel node-based replication management algorithm which addresses buffer congestion by dynamically limiting the replication a node performs during each encounter. The insight for our algorithm comes from a stochastic model of message delivery in ICNs with constrained buffer space. We show through simulation that our algorithm is effective, nearly tripling delivery rates in some scenarios, and imposes little overhead.
A note on ‘pidgin’

The Random House Dictionary (College Edition 1968), p. 1004 s.v., attributes this word ‘perhaps (as) representing Chinese pronunciation of business’. In a recent well-informed and broadly based volume (Hymes, 1971) David DeCamp reproduces (p. 15) the ‘traditional etymology … from English business’, although mentioning that this has been challenged by Kleinecke and Hall. Nevertheless DeCamp settles comfortably for the fact that pidgin as a term for a contact vernacular was first applied to Chinese pidgin English. While it may be true that this is our earliest recorded use of such an application, it is still far from certain exactly how far back and in what regions this meaning denoting a type of vernacular extends in oral tradition.
A Neural Network Technique for Improving the Accuracy of Scatterometer Winds in Rainy Conditions

We exhibit a technique for improving wind accuracy in Ku-band ocean wind scatterometers in the presence of rain. The technique is autonomous in that it only makes use of measurements made by the scatterometer itself, so that no colocation of an external data set (e.g., rain radiometers) is required to perform the correction. The only inputs to the technique are the normalized radar cross-section measurements for each wind vector cell, the cross-track distance of the cell as a proxy for measurement geometry, and the nominal retrieved wind vector for the cell without rain correction. This last input is used to avoid modifying winds not contaminated by rain. The technique was applied to QuikSCAT data for the month of January 2008, resulting in a marked improvement to rainy data. For data that were determined to be rain contaminated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory rain flag, the rms speed error with respect to National Data Buoy Center buoy winds improved from 8.9 to 3.5 m/s for colocations within 25 km. The rms speed error in rain also improved when compared with the European Centre Medium-Range Weather Forecast winds from 7 to 3 m/s. Data that were not flagged as rain contaminated were not significantly changed, despite the fact that the technique does not make use of the rain flag. The technique was able to distinguish between rain-contaminated wind cells and rain-free wind cells and to substantially improve the wind speed accuracy of the former using QuikSCAT data alone without recourse to any external information about the extent of the rain.
Si IC-compatible inductors and LC passive filters

Passive inductors and LC filters fabricated in standard Si IC technology are demonstrated. Q-factors from three to eight and inductors up to 10 nH in the gigahertz range have been realized. Measurements on a five-pole maximally flat low-pass filter give midband insertion loss and -3 dB bandwidth close to the nominal design values of 2.25 dB and 880 MHz. >
Federal sponsorship of cost-effectiveness and related research in health care: 1997-2001.

Abstract Objectives To describe recent federal sponsorship of cost-effectiveness and related health economics research to provide insight into the functioning of existing research support systems and assess the roles of federal health agencies. Methods Using the PubMed database, we identified cost-effectiveness and related publications citing support from a US government entity and published during the period of 1997 through 2001, and audited them for information on funding sources, study type, and content focus. Results Five Department of Health and Human Services agencies and centers and the Veterans Administration are cited as funders in 74% of 520 federally supported health economics publications we identified. Three-fourths of federally supported publications address five areas of high disease burden: infections, cancer, HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, and substance abuse. Other high burden diseases, including mental health, diabetes, and injuries, receive less attention. Federal support of health economics studies of health education and care delivery—intervention types underexamined in the field—is relatively strong but most often focuses on substance abuse or mental health services. Each of the top federal funders has a distinct funding pattern, but there are substantial areas of overlap within which we could not identify content domains specific to one funder or another. Conclusions Federal support of health economics research has paralleled growth in the field. Federal funders support projects consistent with their mission and focus on high-burden disease areas. However, overlapping funding areas, ambiguity concerning agency interests within overlapping content areas, and gaps in some disease and intervention areas suggest that the coordination of health economics research funding could be improved.
Incident angle dependence of nanogap size in suspended carbon nanotube shadow lithography

Suspended nanotubes or nanowires can be used in line-of-sight depositions to produce nanometre-scale lines. Reported here is the experimental quantification of line-of-sight shadow widths for multiwalled carbon nanotubes that are suspended (400 nm) over a silicon nitride (Si3N4) membrane (transmission electron microscopy) TEM grid by a lithographically defined resist line array. Aluminium evaporation was performed at incident angles of 0.7 ◦ –2.0 ◦ by use of the slit (0.81 mm diameter). Shadow widths and carbon nanotube diameters were directly observed by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Observed gaps were less (0–7 nm) than that predicted from simple line-of-sight geometry. Thus, surface migration assisted by the momentum of incident metal evaporant may be an important mechanism in nanoscale shadow lithography processes.
Ground Response in Lotung: Total Stress Analyses and Parametric Studies

Previous papers have reported on the performance of a recently developed nonlinear ground response analysis code, SPEC- TRA, with reference to the prediction of the free-field response at a Large-Scale Seismic Test site in Lotung, Taiwan during the M6.5 earthquake of May 20, 1986. Two more major earthquakes of different characteristics shook this test site later that same year, a M6.2 earthquake that occurred on July 30 and a M7.0 earthquake that occurred on November 15. The present article analyzes the free-field responses recorded by a downhole array from these latter two events using the code SPECTRA and a widely used equivalent linear analysis code SHAKE. The studies focus on the relative accuracy and sensitivity of the two codes with respect to the variations of the input material parameters, using time histories, acceleration response spectra, Fourier acceleration amplitude spectra, and Arias intensities as criteria for the comparison. The two codes captured the general wave form of the acceleration histories well, but there was a general tendency for both codes ~particularly SHAKE! to underpredict the Arias intensities of the earthquakes.
Fault diagnosis of interconnection circuits in wafer scale arrays

An efficient diagnosis algorithm for data paths (or interconnection circuits) in reconfigurable arrays is proposed. The data paths, including data registers, data links, and programmable switches, are tested by applying test patterns from the outside of an array. Fault-free paths identified partition the array into smaller subarrays so that testing can be done recursively. Fault masking due to programmable switch failures is examined. A sufficient condition to avoid fault masking is obtained. The performance of the diagnosis algorithm is evaluated by computer simulation. >
Role of Gap Junctions in Cardiac Conduction and Development: Insights From the Connexin Knockout Mice

Gap junctions are membrane channels that mediate the cell-to-cell movement of ions and small metabolites. In the heart, gap junctions play an important role in impulse conduction. Studies over the last decade have revealed that gap junctions are encoded by a multigene family known as the connexins. There are at least 15 connexin genes in the vertebrate genome.1 Connexins have been referred to by 2 nomenclature systems, either according to the molecular weight of the protein or by its class as determined by protein sequence.1 2 The molecular weight designation will be used here in conformity with the study by Kirchhoff et al3 in this issue of Circulation Research . In the heart, there are 3 major connexin isotypes expressed: connexin (Cx)43 (α1 connexin), Cx45 (α6 connexin), and Cx40 (α5 connexin). Each of these connexins exhibits different channel properties and is regulated by different gating mechanisms. Cx43 is the only connexin known to be expressed in the adult working myocardium,4 although a recent report suggests that Cx37 (α6 connexin) also may be present.5 In the specialized conductive tissue of the heart, Cx45 is found in the atrioventricular node and adjoining His bundles.6 This connexin isotype forms voltage-sensitive channels with very low conductance.7 In contrast, Cx40, which generates channels with high conductance,8 is expressed in the fast-conducting tissues of the His-Purkinje system, being nested within the Cx45 expression domain (Figure⇓).9 10 In the Purkinje fibers of the peripheral conductive tissue, Cx43 is coexpressed with Cx40 (Figure⇓).9 It is hypothesized that this compartmentalized expression of connexins may provide for the orderly and sequential spread of activation from the atrial to ventricular chamber.9 10 11 Thus, expression of Cx45 in the atrioventricular node and …
Input Sources and Properties of Position-Sensitive Oculomotor Fibres in the Rock Lobster, Panulirus Interruptus (Randall)

Sets of head-up, head-down, eye-up and eye-down motor fibres were studied in the oculomotor nerve of the rock lobster. An eye-withdrawal fibre was also investigated. Apart from the statocyst input, light distribution on the eyes has the strongest influence on the position-sensitive fibres. Weaker optokinetic input from moving targets is also present. Strongly habituating input is obtained from the antennal joints. This input causes orientation of the eye toward the direction in which the antenna points. The same antennule movement in the vertical plane can result in either excitation or inhibition of the head-down fibre, suggesting the presence of two opposing inputs, presumably from the statocysts and basal joint receptors of the antennule. The inputs on to the position-sensitive fibres which indicate body position are such as to stabilize the eye position in space during body movement. The optokinetic and antennal joint inputs are probably involved in tracking and antennal pointing reactions. The eye-withdrawal fibre is stimulated by touch of the head and around the eye, but is inhibited by the excited state.
Accuracy of Ground-Penetrating Radar for Pavement-Layer Thickness Analysis

This paper deals with accuracy issues related to using ground penetrating radar (GPR) for determining the surface layer thickness of asphalt and concrete pavements. Additionally, tests were conducted to identify GPR’s repeatability on dry versus wet pavements. Finally, an attempt was made to determine the number of actual field cores necessary to accurately postprocess radar data into layer thickness data. At this time, it appears that four calibration cores would be the optimum number of cores that would minimize errors.
The analysis of three natural experiments relating to fire death rate

This article relates the incidence of fire deaths to a number of regressor variables that may have predictive or explanatory value. The data for these analyses arise in the setting of "natural experiments." That is, we analyze data as it arises in nature. Regression analysis is a statistical procedure for modeling and investigating the relationship between variables in this setting.
Employee Job Search Toward an Understanding of Search Context and Search Objectives

Job search behaviors occur across various contexts, involving diverse populations of job seekers searching for employment opportunities. In particular, individuals may search for their first jobs following a period of education, may seek reemployment following job loss, or may search for new opportunities while currently employed. Research in each of these contexts has evolved somewhat separately, yet there is value to applying the ideas and findings from one search context to other search contexts. The purpose of this article is to review the prior research in each of the three job search contexts and offer an integrative analysis of the predictors, processes, consequences, and varying objectives of job search behavior across an individual’s potential employment situations (i.e., new entrant, job loser, employed job seeker). Implications for future research on job search behavior are discussed.