cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-Dose Infusional Gemcitabine Combined with Busulfan and Melphalan with Autologous Stem-Cell Transplantation in Patients with Refractory Lymphoid Malignancies

We developed a new high-dose combination of infusional gemcitabine with busulfan and melphalan for lymphoid tumors. Gemcitabine dose was escalated by extending infusions at a fixed rate of 10 mg/m2/min in sequential cohorts, in daily, 3-dose or 2-dose schedules. Each gemcitabine dose immediately preceded busulfan (adjusted targeting area under the curve 4,000 μM/min−1/day × 4 days) or melphalan (60 mg/m2/day × 2 days). We enrolled 133 patients (80 Hodgkin lymphoma [HL], 46 non-Hodgkin lymphoma [NHL], 7 myeloma), median 3 prior regimens; primary refractory disease in 63% HL/45% NHL and positron emission tomography positive tumors at transplantation in 50% patients. Two patients died from early posttransplantation infections. The major toxicity was mucositis. The daily and 3-dose schedules caused substantial cutaneous toxicity. In contrast, the 2-dose schedule was better tolerated, which allowed us to extend the infusions from 15 to 270 minutes. Pretransplantation values of C-reactive protein, B-type natriuretic peptide, ferritin, or haptoglobin did not correlate with toxicity. Overall response and complete response rates were 87%/62% (HL), 100%/69% B large-cell lymphoma (B-LCL), 66%/66% (T-NHL), and 71%/57% (myeloma). At median follow-up of 24 months (range, 3-63 months), the event-free/overall survival rates were 54%/72% (HL), 60%/89% (B-LCL), 70%/70% (T-NHL), and 43%/43% (myeloma). In conclusion, gemcitabine/busulfan/melphalan is a feasible regimen with substantial activity against a range of lymphoid malignancies. This regimen merits further evaluation in phase II and III trials.
Joining of ZrB2-based ultra-high-temperature ceramic composites using Pd-based braze alloys

Hot-pressed ZrB2–SiC and composites with carbon (ZSC) or SCS-9a SiC fibers (ZSS) were joined using Pd-base brazes, Palco (65% Pd–35% Co) and Palni (60% Pd–40% Ni). Joint integrity was exhibited by the defect-free ZS/Palco/ZS joints with large interaction zones. The ZSS/Palco and ZSC/Palco joints revealed substantial chemical interaction and interfacial cracking due to residual stresses. The joints with Palni exhibited either poor wetting/bonding or cracking. The ZS/Palco joints displayed high Knoop hardness within the ZS region and lower hardness within the Palco interlayer.
Genetics of obesity in zucker rats and koletsky rats

The breeding data on Zucker rats and on Koletsky rats confirm that the obesity in these two strains of rats is inherited recessively and results from single gene mutations. Mating a Zucker heterozygote to a Koletsky heterozygote produced obese F1 progeny. Inter-stock breeding results indicate that the obesity in the Zucker-Koletsky hybrid stock is also inherited in a recessive manner. The gene that controls obesity in the Zucker rats, fatty (fa), and the gene that controls obesity in the Koletsky rats, f, are thus alleles at the same locus. We propose that f be renamed fak until it can be proven that fa and fak are identical.
Detection of neonatal seizures through computerized EEG analysis.

Abstract Neonatal seizures are a symptom of central nervous system disturbances. Neonatal seizures may be identified by direct clinical observation but the majority of electrographic seizures are clinically silent or subtle. Electrographic seizures in the newborn consist of periodic or rhythmic discharges that are distinctively different from normal background cerebral activity. Utilizing these differences, we have developed a technique to identify electrographic seizure activity. In this study, autocorrelation analysis was used to distinguish seizures from background electrocerebral activity. Autocorrelation data were scored to quantify the periodicity using a newly developed scoring system. This method, Scored Autocorrelation Moment (SAM) analysis, successfully distinguished epochs of EEGs with seizures from those without (N = 117 epochs, 58 with seizure and 59 without). SAM analysis showed a sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of 98%. SAM analysis of EEG may provide a method for monitoring electrographic seizures in high-risk newborns.
PKC Activation in Niemann Pick C1 Cells Restores Subcellular Cholesterol Transport

Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) has previously been shown to ameliorate the cholesterol transport defect in Niemann Pick Type C1 (NPC1) cells, presumably by increasing the soluble levels of one of its substrates, vimentin. This activity would then restore the vimentin cycle in these cells and allow vimentin-dependent retrograde transport to proceed. Here, we further investigate the effects of PKC activation in NPC1 cells by evaluating different isoforms for their ability to solubilize vimentin and correct the NPC1 cholesterol storage phenotype. We also examine the effects of PKC activators, including free fatty acids and the PKC-specific activator diazoxide, on the NPC1 disease phenotype. Our results indicate that PKC isoforms α, βII, and e have the greatest effects on vimentin solubilization. Furthermore, expression or activation of PKCe in NPC1 cells dramatically reduces the amount of stored cholesterol and restores cholesterol transport out of endocytic vesicles. These results provide further support for the contribution of PKCs in NPC1 disease pathogenesis and suggest that PKCs may be targeted in future efforts to develop therapeutics for NPC1 disease.
Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy in Women of African Descent

ABSTRACT Objective To determine whether breastfeeding self-efficacy predicts the duration and pattern of breastfeeding in a sample of Black women of African descent. Design Descriptive, longitudinal, cohort study. Participants were recruited during the postpartum hospitalization and followed monthly for 6 months or until complete weaning. Breastfeeding self-efficacy was measured using the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale—Short Form (BSES-SF) (Dennis, 2003). Setting A large urban teaching hospital in New England. Patients/participants Women who self-identified as being of African descent with full-term infants who were planning to breastfeed ( N =125). Main outcome measures Breastfeeding pattern was determined by the total number of feedings the infant received in the past 24 hours and how many of these were breast milk. Duration of breastfeeding was defined as the number of weeks until complete weaning. Results Higher levels of breastfeeding self-efficacy predicted longer duration and a more exclusive pattern of breastfeeding at 1 and 6 months postpartum, consistent with prior research ( p p p Conclusion Theory-based interventions to enhance self-efficacy will help improve breastfeeding outcomes.
Circular permutation as a tool to reduce surface entropy triggers crystallization of the signal recognition particle receptor β subunit

The production of diffraction-quality crystals remains a difficult obstacle on the road to high-resolution structural characterization of proteins. This is primarily a result of the empirical nature of the process. Although crystallization is not predictable, factors inhibiting it are well established. First, crystal formation is always entropically unfavorable. Reducing the entropic cost of crystallizing a given protein is thus desirable. It is common practice to map boundaries and remove unstructured regions surrounding the folded protein domain. However, a problem arises when flexible regions are not at the boundaries but within a domain. Such regions cannot be deleted without adding new restraints to the domain. We encountered this problem during an attempt to crystallize the β subunit of the eukaryotic signal recognition particle (SRβ), bearing a long and flexible internal loop. Native SRβ did not crystallize. However, after circularly permuting the protein by connecting the spatially close N and C termini with a short heptapeptide linker GGGSGGG and removing 26 highly flexible loop residues within the domain, we obtained diffraction-quality crystals. This protein-engineering method is simple and should be applicable to other proteins, especially because N and C termini of protein domains are often close in space. The success of this method profits from prior knowledge of the domain fold, which is becoming increasingly common in today’s postgenomic era.
Consumer Education: Does It Change Students' Competencies and Attitudes?

A number of states require or are considering the required teaching of consumer education in secondary schools. However, almost all previous research has found no difference in consumer economic competency between students who had taken a consumer education/economics course and students who had not taken the course. This research was conducted in a state that requires consumer education of all students to see if there was a change in competency level and attitudes toward business. Potential differences in types of courses used to meet the state requirements were also investigated. The basic finding is that students who took a course specifically designed to present consumer education topics did improve their consumer economics competency and developed a more positive attitude toward business.
Iron Metabolism in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a common worldwide clinical and major public health problem affecting both adults and children in developed nations. Increased hepatic iron stores are observed in about one-third of adult NAFLD patients. Iron deposition may occur in parenchymal and/or non-parenchymal cells of the reticuloendothelial system (RES). Similar patterns of iron deposition have been associated with increased severity of other chronic liver diseases including HCV infection and dysmetabolic iron overload, suggesting there may be a common mechanism for hepatic iron deposition in these diseases. In NAFLD, iron may potentiate the onset and progression of disease by increasing oxidative stress and altering insulin signaling and lipid metabolism. The impact of iron in these processes may depend upon the sub-cellular location of iron deposition in hepatocytes or RES cells. Iron depletion therapy has shown efficacy at reducing serum aminotransferase levels and improving insulin sensitivity in subjects with NAFLD.
OT3-01-05: PARP Inhibition after Preoperative Chemotherapy in Patients with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) or Known BRCA 1/2 Mutations: Hoosier Oncology Group BRE09-146.

Background Based on recently reported I-SPY trial, TNBC patients who had residual disease category II or III had 2-year disease free survival (DFS) of only ∼40% (J Clin Oncol 2009;27:18s ). Currently, no standard systemic therapy exists for this high-risk group. It represents a real opportunity to explore the potential impact of novel therapies. Recent laboratory and early clinical studies ( Nature 2005;434:913 ) identified a unique sensitivity to DNA-damaging chemotherapy and PARP inhibition. We initiated a randomized phase II trial of DNA-damaging chemotherapy (cisplatin) or PARP-inhibition + cisplatin in TNBC patients with substantial residual invasive disease after standard anthracycline and/or taxane containing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Methods : To ensure a high-risk population, patients must have residual disease category 0–2 based on the Miller-Payne classification system, residual cancer burden classification II or III, residual lymph node involvement, or at least 2 cm of residual invasive disease in the breast. After completion of standard radiation therapy (when indicated), patients are randomized 1:1 to cisplatin (75 mg/M 2 IV Day 1 every 3 weeks x 4 cycles) alone or in combination with PARP inhibition (PF-01367338 — 24 mg IV D1, 2, 3 of each 3 week cycle with a single dose escalation to 30 mg in the absence of significant toxicity in cycle 1 followed by maintenance PARP inhibition weekly x 24 weeks). The primary objective is 2-year DFS. To detect an improvement in 2-year DFS from 40% with cisplatin alone to 63.2% in the cisplatin + PF-01367338 arm (corresponding to HR=0.5), with 80% power using a one-side log-rank test with 0.10 level of significance, 102 patients are required in the primary analysis. Secondary objectives include safety, 1-year DFS, overall survival, and biomarkers of tumor recurrence, resistance to chemotherapy and/or PARP inhibition. Two dose escalation safety cohorts (N=13) were completed without dose limiting toxicity; the randomized portion began enrolment in 11/2010 has enrolled 20 patients as of 05/2011. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr OT3-01-05.
Non-contact ultrasonic guided wave inspections of rails

The University of California at San Diego (UCSD), under a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Office of Research and Development (R&D) grant, is developing a system for high-speed and non-contact rail integrity evaluation. A prototype using an ultrasonic air-coupled guided wave signal generation and air-coupled signal detection in pair with a real-time statistical analysis algorithm has been realized. This solution presents an improvement over the previously considered laser/air-coupled hybrid system because it replaces the costly and hard-to-maintain laser with a much cheaper, faster, and easier-to-maintain air-coupled transmitter. This system requires a specialized filtering approach due to the inherently poor signal-to-noise ratio of the air-coupled ultrasonic measurements in rail steel. Various aspects of the prototype have been designed with the aid of numerical analyses. In particular, simulations of ultrasonic guided wave propagation in rails have been performed using a LISA algorithm. Many of the system operating parameters were selected based on Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves, which provide a quantitative manner to evaluate different detection performances based on the trade-off between detection rate and false positive rate. Experimental tests have been carried out at the UCSD Rail Defect Farm. The laboratory results indicate that the prototype is able to detect internal rail defects with a high reliability. A field test will be planned later in the year to further validate these results. Extensions of the system are planned to add rail surface characterization to the internal rail defect detection.
Relationships between arginine and glucose in the induction of insulin secretion from the isolated, perfused rat pancreas.

In an attempt to detect differences in insulin secretion induced by glucose and arginine and to observe their interaction, we studied responses in the isolated rat pancreas. We found that: Insulin was secreted in the absence of glucose, with arginine concentrations as low as 60 mg/100 ml, and was characterized by gradual increase to a plateau. Prolonged infusions of arginine without glucose produced a waning effect which was reduced with the addition of glucose; Arginine superimposed upon glucose (50, 70, 100, and ISO mg/100 ml) responded multiphasically, i.e., an early (spike) discharge, a fall, and subsequently a late rise pattern of insulin secretion. At high levels of glucose (300 and 500 mg/100 ml) arginine did not significantly alter the secretory pattern induced by the glucose; After arginine was withdrawn from systems containing high concentrations of glucose (150, 300, and 500 mg/100 ml), insulin secretion appeared transiently less than would be expected for these high glucose levels; Arginine de...
Temperature-Dependent Growth of Cotesia melanoscela (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a Parasitoid of the Gypsy Moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae)

Temperature-dependent developmental rate curves for larvae and pupae of Cotesia melanoscela (Ratzeberg), a parasitoid of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L,), were developed using linear and nonlinear models. There were small but statistically significant differences among developmental rates of parasitoids reared in first, second, and third host instars when the hosts fed on oak foliage. Differences in developmental rate between parasitoid larvae developing in first-instar hosts feeding on foliage versus artificial diet and between male versus female parasitoid pupae were more substantial. Although the r 2 values for the linear model were high, the deviations from regression were significant. Two nonlinear models fit well (high r 2) for all treatments of parasitoid larvae and pupae, and the deviations from regression were not significant. Cumulative Weibull functions were fit to the data from all treatments to model the distribution of developmental time. Applications of these models are discussed.
Quantum oscillations in graphene in the presence of disorder and interactions

Quantum oscillations in graphene are discussed. The effect of interactions are addressed by Kohn's theorem regarding de Haas--van Alphen oscillations, which states that electron-electron interactions cannot affect the oscillation frequencies as long as disorder is neglected and the system is sufficiently screened, which should be valid for chemical potentials not very close to the Dirac point. We determine the positions of Landau levels in the presence of potential disorder from exact transfer matrix and finite-size diagonalization calculations. The positions are shown to be unshifted even for moderate disorder; stronger disorder, can, however, lead to shifts, but this also appears minimal even for disorder width as large as one half of the bare hopping matrix element on the graphene lattice. Shubnikov--de Haas oscillations of the conductivity are calculated analytically within a self-consistent Born approximation of impurity scattering. The oscillatory part of the conductivity follows the widely invoked Lifshitz-Kosevich form when certain mass and frequency parameters are properly interpreted.
UHRF1 Contributes to DNA Damage Repair as a Lesion Recognition Factor and Nuclease Scaffold

We identified ubiquitin-like with PHD and RING finger domain 1 (UHRF1) as a binding factor for DNA interstrand crosslink (ICL) lesions through affinity purification of ICL-recognition activities. UHRF1 is recruited to DNA lesions in vivo and binds directly to ICL-containing DNA. UHRF1-deficient cells display increased sensitivity to a variety of DNA damages. We found that loss of UHRF1 led to retarded lesion processing and reduced recruitment of ICL repair nucleases to the site of DNA damage. UHRF1 interacts physically with both ERCC1 and MUS81, two nucleases involved in the repair of ICL lesions. Depletion of both UHRF1 and components of the Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway resulted in increased DNA damage sensitivity compared to defect of each mechanism alone. These results suggest that UHRF1 promotes recruitment of lesion-processing activities via its affinity to recognize DNA damage and functions as a nuclease recruitment scaffold in parallel to the FA pathway.
Neural networks for distributed sensor data fusion: the Firefly experiment

An intuitive architecture for neural net multisensor data fusion consists of a set of independent sensor neural nets, one for each sensor, coupled to a fusion net. Each sensor is trained from a representative data set of the particular sensor to map to an hypothesis space output. The decision outputs from the sensor nets are used to train the fusion net to an overall decision. In this paper the sensor fusion architecture is applied to an experiment involving the multisensor observation of object deployments during the recent Firefly launches. The deployments were measured simultaneously by X-band, CO2 laser, and L-band radars. The range-Doppler images from the X-band and CO2 laser radars were combined with a passive IR spectral simulation of the deployment to form the data inputs to the neural sensor fusion system. The network was trained to distinguish predeployment, deployment, and postdeployment phases of the launch based on the fusion of these sensors. The success of the system is utilizing sensor synergism for an enhanced deployment detection is clearly demonstrated.
Cross-validation of Non-linear Growth Functions for Modelling Tree Height–Diameter Relationships

Abstract Six non-linear growth functions were fitted to tree height–diameter data of ten conifer species collected in the inland Northwest of the United States. The data sets represented a wide range of tree sizes, especially large-sized trees. According to the model statistics, the six growth functions fitted the data equally well, but resulted in different asymptote estimates. The model prediction performance was evaluated using Monte Carlo cross-validation or data splitting for 25-cm diameter classes. All six growth functions yielded similar mean prediction errors for small- and middle-sized trees. For large-sized trees [e.g. DBH (diameter at breast height)>100 cm], however, five of the six growth functions (except the Gompertz function) overestimated tree heights for western white pine, western larch, Douglas-fir, subalpine fir, and ponderosa pine, but underestimated tree heights for western hemlock and Engelmann spruce. Among these five functions, the Korf/Lundqvist and Exponential functions produced larger overestimations. The Schnute, Weibull, and Richards functions were superior in prediction performance to others. The Gompertz function seemed always to underestimate tree heights for large-sized trees.
Strong cardiovascular prognostic implication of quantitative left atrial contractile function assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in patients with chronic hypertension.

Progressive left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction due to hypertension (HTN) alters left atrial (LA) contractile function in a predictable manner. While increased LA size is a marker of LV diastolic dysfunction and has been shown to be predictive of adverse cardiovascular outcomes, the prognostic significance of altered LA contractile function is unknown. A consecutive group of patients with chronic hypertension but without significant valvular disease or prior MI underwent clinically-indicated CMR for assessment of left ventricular (LV) function, myocardial ischemia, or viability. Calculation of LA volumes used in determining LA emptying functions was performed using the biplane area-length method. Two-hundred and ten patients were included in this study. During a median follow-up of 19 months, 48 patients experienced major adverse cardiac events (MACE), including 24 deaths. Decreased LA contractile function (LAEFContractile) demonstrated strong unadjusted associations with patient mortality, non-fatal events, and all MACE. For every 10% reduction of LAEFContractile, unadjusted hazards to MACE, all-cause mortality, and non-fatal events increased by 1.8, 1.5, and 1.4-folds, respectively. In addition, preservation of the proportional contribution from LA contraction to total diastolic filling (Contractile/Total ratio) was strongly associated with lower MACE and patient mortality. By multivariable analyses, LAEFContractile was the strongest predictor in each of the best overall models of MACE, all-cause mortality, and non-fatal events. Even after adjustment for age, gender, left atrial volume, and LVEF, LAEFContractile maintained strong independent associations with MACE (p < 0.0004), all-cause mortality (p < 0.0004), and non-fatal events (p < 0.0004). In hypertensive patients at risk for left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, a decreased contribution of LA contractile function to ventricular filling during diastole is strongly predictive of adverse cardiac events and death.
The contribution of melanin to microbial pathogenesis.

Summary Melanins are enigmatic pigments that are produced by a wide variety of microorganisms including several species of pathogenic bacteria, fungi and helminthes. The study of melanin is difficult because these pigments defy complete biochemical and structural analysis. Nevertheless, the availability of new reagents in the form of monoclonal antibodies and melanin-binding peptides, combined with the application of various physical techniques, has provided insights into the process of melanization. Melanization is important in microbial pathogenesis because it has been associated with virulence in many microorganisms. Melanin appears to contribute to virulence by reducing the susceptibility of melanized microbes to host defence mechanisms. However, the interaction of melanized microbes and the host is complex and includes immune responses to melanin-related antigens. Production of melanin has also been linked to protection against environmental insults. Interference with melanization is a potential strategy for antimicrobial drug and pesticide development. The process of melanization poses fascinating problems in cell biology and provides a type of pathogenic strategy that is common to highly diverse pathogens.
Bodies, bombs and barricades: geographies of conflict and civilian (in)security

This article critically examines the entanglements between ‘security’ and the geopolitical and geo-economic formations that assist in the cyclical continuation of conflict. The author questions the biopolitical configurations of state and private forms of militarised security. The author’s approach to this research addresses the spatial and corporeal aspects of civilian security in contemporary conflicts zones – with a specific focus on Afghanistan. Drawing on the work of feminist political geographers, this article highlights the corporeal as a key site of analysis for the everyday and seemingly apolitical spaces occupied by civilians living amidst political conflict. This descriptive analysis of security and insecurity focuses on four specific areas: (1) Afghan civilian security measures, (2) domestic spaces as sites of security and violence, (3) mobile forms of security and insecurity and (4) the divergent perceptions and experiences of security/insecurity between international civilian workers living in Afghanistan and Afghan civilian citizens. While macro-scale analyses of security and civilian agency in various locations are important for geographic inquiry, it remains imperative that geographers and other social scientists examine the particularities of specific conflict sites and situations in order to avoid one-size-fits-all responses to or analyses of political conflict – and subsequently flattening civilian experiences through aggregated forms of knowledge production. This paper seeks to investigate several key aspects of feminist political geography by examining the multiple and varied experiences of the everyday within this conflict zone.
An electromechanical transfer circuit to measure individual battery voltages in series packs

A novel approach has been developed to measure the voltages of individual batteries used in electric vehicle (EV) battery packs using a unique selective battery measurement system. This system consists of a voltage measurement circuit that measures battery voltages using a set of electromechanical relays connected in a matrix formation. A 16-bit microcontroller was used for controlling the operation of the relay matrix circuit. The system was designed for a pack of 12 series connected 12 Vdc lead–acid batteries. The proposed approach was found to be compact and is a universal one that can be used for any type of battery. Moreover, the method was very effective and produced good accuracy. In fact, test results over a wide temperature range of −20 to +40 ◦ C indicated that the method is very precise with voltage fluctuations less than ±30 mV.
γ‐Radiation‐induced ionic polymerization of pure liquid styrene. III. Effect of temperature

We have extended our previously reported studies on the radiation-induced ionic polymerization of styrene to higher dose rates and have covered a temperature range between 0 and 50°C. The data at 0°C are in striking agreement (up to 106 rad/hr) with the mechanism proposed by Williams, Okamura, et al.; on the other hand, styrene of the highest purity exhibits a very complex behavior with temperature variations, which does not agree with this mechanism. These apparent anomalies are presented and discussed. Data are also presented on the effects of adding dry oxygen or degassed water to pure styrene.
Translating Sexual Assault Prevention from a College Campus to a United States Military Installation Piloting the Know-Your-Power Bystander Social Marketing Campaign

One population that shares both similar and different characteristics with traditional college-age students is the U.S. Military. Similarities include a high concentration of 18- to 26-year-olds dealing with new found independence, peer pressure, and the presence of social norms that support violence and hypermasculinity. Sexual violence is a major public health problem in the United States, and because of the similarities in the age group of college and military populations, the problems regarding sexual violence in both constituencies have been well-documented. In the current pilot study we seek to add to both cur- rent knowledge about and promising practices of translating prevention strate- gies from one target audience to another. We describe how we translated, administered, and evaluated a bystander intervention social marketing campaign focused on sexual assault prevention that had been found to significantly affect attitude change on a college campus for a U.S. Army installation in Europe.
Blockade of B7-H1 and PD-1 by Monoclonal Antibodies Potentiates Cancer Therapeutic Immunity

Contemporary approaches for vaccination and immunotherapy are often capable of eliciting strong T-cell responses against tumor antigens. However, such responses are not parallel to clinical tumor regression. The development of evasion mechanisms within tumor microenvironment may be responsible for poor therapeutic responses. We report here that constitutive or inducible expression of B7-H1, a B7 family molecule widely expressed by cancers, confers resistance to therapeutic anti-CD137 antibody in mice with established tumors. The resistance is accompanied with failure of antigen-specific CD8+ CTLs to destroy tumor cells without impairment of CTL function. Blockade of B7-H1 or PD-1 by specific monoclonal antibodies could reverse this resistance and profoundly enhance therapeutic efficacy. Our findings support that B7-H1/PD-1 forms a molecular shield to prevent destruction by CTLs and implicate new approaches for immunotherapy of human cancers.
New tests for variations of the fine structure constant

We describe a new test for possible variations of the fine structure constant, /spl alpha/, by comparisons of rates between clocks based on hyperfine transitions in alkali atoms with different atomic number Z. H-maser, Cs and Hg/sup +/ clocks have a different dependence on /spl alpha/ via relativistic contributions of order (Z/spl alpha/)/sup 2/. Recent H-maser vs. Hg/sup +/ clock comparison data improves laboratory limits on a time variation by 100-fold to give /spl alpha//spl dot///spl alpha//spl les/3.7/spl times/10/sup -14//yr. Future laser cooled clocks (Be/sup +/, Rb, Cs, Hg/sup +/, etc.), when compared, will yield the most sensitive of all tests for /spl alpha//spl dot///spl alpha/.
A Discrete, Stochastic Model and Correction Method for Bacterial Source Tracking

We have developed a model to test several underlying assumptions of bacterial source tracking (BST) when the BST method is based on detection of discrete genetic markers from source-specific bacteria. The model consists of an environment and discrete-time input signals that represent sources of contamination partitioned into marker-bearing and nonmarker-bearing units "shed" into the environment. Simulations run for different types of environmental contamination patterns indicate that if hosts shed different percentages of BST markers, the environment cannot be accurately characterized unless a correction method is used. The correction method, which requires the solution to a linear system, reduces the mean error in estimating the proportions of host contamination to below 3%. The effectiveness of the method depends on accurate knowledge of the occurrence and prevalence of markers in the various hosts; this may be a challenging task, especially if these values vary across populations in space and time. In addition, the correction method does not compensate for environments with low-density or unmixed contamination. In conclusion, our simulations highlight several fundamental challenges that may prevent absolute quantification of fecal input using discrete marker BST.
Neutral Pion Decay

The study of π0 decay has played an important role in the development of particle physics: The π0→γγ decay provides key insights into the anomaly sector of quantum chromodynamics. In this review, the historical progression of π0 discovery, lifetime measurements, and theory are presented. A new measurement of the π0 radiative width via the Primakoff effect has been made at JLab. The result, Γ(π0→γγ)=7.82±0.14(stat.)±0.17(syst.) eV, is a factor of 2.1 more precise than the currently accepted value, and it is in agreement with the chiral anomaly prediction and with next-to-leading-order chiral perturbation theory calculations. Primakoff experiments at higher energies to measure the η and η′ radiative widths are also discussed.
Evaluating quantitative methods for measuring plasmid copy numbers in single cells

The life of plasmids is a constant battle against fluctuations: failing to correct copy number fluctuations can increase the plasmid loss rate by many orders of magnitude, as can a failure to more evenly divide the copies between daughters at cell division. Plasmids are therefore long-standing model systems for stochastic processes in cells, much thanks to the efforts of Kurt Nordstrom to whose memory this issue is dedicated. Here we analyze a range of experimental methods for measuring plasmid copy numbers in single cells, focusing on challenges, trade-offs, and necessary experimental controls. In particular we analyze published and unpublished strategies to infer copy numbers from expression of plasmid-encoded reporters, direct labeling of plasmids with fluorescent probes or DNA binding proteins fused to fluorescent reporters, PCR based methods applied to single cell lysates, and plasmid-specific replication arrest. We conclude that no method currently exists to measure plasmid copy numbers in single cells, and that most methods are overwhelmed by various types of experimental noise. We also discuss how accurate methods can be developed.
Sir James Reid and the Death of Queen Victoria: An Early Model for End-of-Life Care

Purpose of the study An appraisal of the last ten days of Queen Victoria's life, viewed primarily from the perspective of her personal physician, Sir James Reid, is presented. Design and methods Sir James' clinical encounters with his patient and the Royal Family are examined to reveal his strategic and medical thinking and gauge his level of success in basic palliative aims. Results It was found that the lack of effective medical interventions, tensions within the Royal Family, the importance of his post to Sir James' professional career, and the political ramifications unavoidably connected with the illness of a head of state, all presented challenges to Reid's efforts to ease the physical and emotional pain of Queen Victoria's dying. Key features of Sir James' approach included reliance on physician-patient and physician-family relationships, emphasis on emotional support for the patient, and the careful selection of interventions for the family. Implications In the first years of the 20th century, an era when the contemporary concepts of palliative care, hospice, and family dynamics did not exist, Sir James' management of the Queen's final illness suggested an early model for end-of-life care. By the end of Queen Victoria's life, Sir James was seen to have preserved his patient's comfort and dignity, at the same time advancing family and societal acceptance of the death of this matriarchal figure.
Picking statistically valid and early simulation points

Modern architecture research relies heavily on detailed pipeline simulation. Simulating the full execution of an industry standard benchmark can take weeks to months to complete. To address this issue we have recently proposed using Simulation Points (found by only examining basic block execution frequency profiles) to increase the efficiency and accuracy of simulation. Simulation points are a small set of execution samples that when combined represent the complete execution of the program.In this paper we present a statistically driven algorithm for forming clusters from which simulation points are chosen, and examine algorithms for picking simulation points earlier in a program's execution - in order to significantly reduce fast-forwarding time during simulation. In addition, we show that simulation points can be used independent of the underlying architecture. The points are generated once for a program/input pair by only examining the code executed. We show the points accurately track hardware metrics (e.g., performance and cache miss rates) between different architecture configurations. They can therefore be used across different architecture configurations to allow a designer to make accurate trade-off decisions between different configurations.
Lightweight authentication of freshness in outsourced key-value stores

Data outsourcing offers cost-effective computing power to manage massive data streams and reliable access to data. Data owners can forward their data to clouds, and the clouds provide data mirroring, backup, and online access services to end users. However, outsourcing data to untrusted clouds requires data authenticity and query integrity to remain in the control of the data owners and users.In this paper, we address the authenticated data-outsourcing problem specifically for multi-version key-value data that is subject to continuous updates under the constraints of data integrity, data authenticity, and "freshness" (i.e., ensuring that the value returned for a key is the latest version). We detail this problem and propose IncBM-Tree, a novel construct delivering freshness and authenticity.Compared to existing work, we provide a solution that offers (i) lightweight signing and verification on massive data update streams for data owners and users (e.g., allowing for small memory footprint and CPU usage for a low-budget IT department), (ii) immediate authentication of data freshness, (iii) support of authentication in the presence of both real-time and historical data accesses. Extensive benchmark evaluations demonstrate that IncBM-Tree achieves higher throughput (in an order of magnitude) for data stream authentication than existing work. For data owners and end users that have limited computing power, IncBM-Tree can be a practical solution to authenticate the freshness of outsourced data while reaping the benefits of broadly available cloud services.
Probing sepsis and acute inflammation using ICAM-1 specific mSPIO nanoparticles

Sepsis is the leading cause of death in critically ill patients in the United States. Current diagnosis of sepsis relies heavily on the patient's manifestation of septic symptoms, which occur at life-threatening late stage of sepsis. Because the underlying biological changes of sepsis occur hours to days before the clinical presentation of symptoms, early detection of the biological changes will provide crucial opportunities for early diagnosis and effective treatment of sepsis. As sepsis is resultant of acute inflammation, we propose using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to quantitatively observe a patient's degree of inflammation as an indicator of sepsis progression. By quantitatively tracking the biodistribution of nanomicelle encapsulating superparamagnetic iron oxide (mSPIO) nanoparticles specific to intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), an adhesion molecule which displays distinct spatiotemporal response to inflammation, we have found that septic in vivo mouse subjects showed greater mSPIO accumulation in the liver than that of non-septic and non-ICAM-1 specific controls, demonstrating the utility of MRI-based detection as a diagnosis method for sepsis.
Predictive value of intraoperative biopsies and liver function tests for preservation injury in orthotopic liver transplantation

Eighty liver allografts were studied to determine the predictive value of intraoperative biopsies and postoperative liver function tests for the development of preservation injury (PI). Peak transaminase (aspartate transaminase [AST] and alanine transaminase [ALT]) and prothrombin time (PT) values achieved by each patient during postoperative days (POD) 1 through 7 were determined. PI in day 0 preperfusion biopsies (0Pre) (obtained immediately before implantation) and postperfusion biopsies (0Post) (obtained immediately after revascularization) was categorized by histological criteria as present or absent. PI in biopsies taken during POD 2 through 14 was histologically graded as either moderate-to-severe, mild, or absent. Of the 80 allografts, 8 were omitted because of primary nonfunction or postoperative complications. 0Pre and 0Post biopsies were available on 25 of 72 (35%) and 69 of 72 (96%) allografts, respectively. Only 2 (8%) of the 0Pre biopsies showed histological PI compared with 48 (70%) of the 0Post biopsies. Fifty-nine patients were biopsied between POD 2 through 14. Of these, 15, 28, and 16 patients developed moderate-to-severe, mild, or no evidence of PI, respectively. The presence of PI in the 0Post biopsy strongly correlated with the development of PI during POD 2 through 14 (P < .0005). Peak AST and ALT values in patients with moderate-to-severe PI on POD 2 through 14 were significantly elevated compared with those patients with either mild (P = .01 and .03) or no PI (P = .02 and .006). Because of extensive overlap in AST and ALT values between the three groups, however, transaminase values were not useful in predicting the presence or absence of PI in the individual case. The development of PI during POD 2 through 14 correlated with advanced donor age (P = .06) but was unassociated with 0Pre biopsy findings, cold ischemia time, or peak PT values. We conclude that the 0Post biopsy is a valuable tool for the prediction of subsequent PI in the early postoperative period. In contrast, 0Pre biopsy findings and peak AST and ALT values are not useful in the assessment of PI.
Mirth Press, Inc.

In November 1994, a private equity fund is considering acquiring a controlling interest in the common stock of a small, rapidly growing publisher of humorous literature (both print and audio). In the process, the company is to be recapitalized substantially with debt and preferred stock, making this a highly leveraged transaction. The task for the student is to value the company and evaluate the attractiveness of the transaction from the standpoints of various participants. The case has three objectives: (1) to exercise students' valuation skills with respect to assets, debt, preferred stock, options, and equity; (2) to explore issues in transaction design as they affect the distribution of value; and (3) to consider the possible sources of wealth creation.
Modelers and policymakers : improving the relationships.

On April 22 and 23, 2004, a diverse group of 14 policymakers, modelers, analysts, and scholars met with some 22 members of the Sandia National Laboratories staff to explores ways in which the relationships between modelers and policymakers in the energy and environment fields (with an emphasis on energy) could be made more productive for both. This report is not a transcription of that workshop, but draws very heavily on its proceedings. It first describes the concept of modeling, the varying ways in which models are used to support policymaking, and the institutional context for those uses. It then proposes that the goal of modelers and policymakers should be a relationship of mutual trust, built on a foundation of communication, supported by the twin pillars of policy relevance and technical credibility. The report suggests 20 guidelines to help modelers improve the relationship, followed by 10 guidelines to help policymakers toward the same goal.
Immunotherapy of lymphoma: update and review of the literature.

PurposeThe therapeutic options for treating patients with lymphoma have dramatically expanded with the advent of immune-based treatments. While monoclonal antibodies have quickly become incorporated into the therapeutic armamentarium in the treatment of lymphoma, others have struggled to find a nich
In cerebrovascular circadian rhythms, EETs keep the beat. Focus on “Rhythmic expression of cytochrome P450 epoxygenases CYP4x1 and CYP2c11 in the rat brain and vasculature”

circadian rhythms permeate virtually all life. In mammals, these rhythms are evident in circulating glucose and hormone levels, immune cell abundance and activity, whole body metabolic rate and temperature, and blood pressure. Correspondingly, the function and activity of all major organ systems
Manipulating light polarization with ultrathin plasmonic metasurfaces

We analyze the design of ultrathin quarter-wave plates based on plasmonic metasurfaces. After exploring the general theoretical possibilities offered by thin surfaces to manipulate the impinging polarization, we propose optimal designs to realize quarter-wave metasurface plates, analyzing their frequency and angular response. Our designs may provide a large degree of linear polarization output for circularly polarized input over a broad bandwidth in the optical regime. The geometry may be implemented within currently available lithographic techniques and easily integrated with other optical devices for polarization manipulation, detection, and sensing at the nanoscale.
A Taxonomic Study of Graminella nigrifrons, a Vector of Corn Stunt Disease, and Its Congeners in the United States (Homoptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae)

This study treats the 15 species of the leaf hopper genus Graminella DeLong known to occur in the United States. G. nigrifrons (Forbes), the commonest and most widespread species, is of special interest because plant pathologists have shown it to be an effective vector of a corn stunt virus. Two Neotropical species, G. cognita Caldwell and G. puncticeps Linnavuori, are recorded from the United States for the first time. The paper contains a key to species, illustrations of the diagnostic features, discussions of variation, new distributional data, and notes on plant associations. One species is removed from Graminella and reassigned with this combination: Deltocephalus nigrinotus (DeLong and Mohr).
Glutathione protection in alveolar type II cells from fetal and neonatal rabbits.

Previous studies have demonstrated a correlation between intracellular glutathione (GSH) pools and sensitivity to oxidative injury. In the present study, we demonstrated that de novo GSH synthesis ...