cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TH-AB-BRA-09: Radiation and Thermal Dosimetric Considerations of a Combination of Hyperthermia and Thermo-Brachytherapy Seeds

Purpose: A novel dual-modality thermo-brachytherapy (TB) seed invented by our group offers a potential means of adding hyperthermia to brachytherapy of prostate tumors, either simultaneously for dose enhancement or as a salvage therapy. To improve the minimum target temperature and temperature uniformity with this implant, we propose use of adjuvant hyperthermia-only (HT-only) seeds in unused spots within the needles used to implant the TB seeds. The impact on temperatures reached within the target, temperature uniformity, and the radiation interseed effect due to HT-only seeds were studied. Methods: Previous patient plans were reproduced in a Monte Carlo (MCNP5) model to generate dose distributions of TB seeds, with and without additional HT- only seeds. Temperature distributions for these simulated implants were obtained with the finite element analysis solver COMSOL Multiphysics. In-house software calculated dose-volume and temperature-volume histograms from these distributions. Results: Use of additional hyperthermia-only seeds substantially improves the temperature uniformity of the implant. The power generation required of the seeds for adequate temperature coverage (90% of the PTV heated to 42 °C) increases exponentially with the blood perfusion rate (BPR) of the implanted tissue, but decreases with an increase in the seeds’ Curie temperature. Large blood vessels within the target decrease the volume of the PTV reaching 42 °C by ≤7%. The temperature heterogeneity coefficient was found to vary linearly with the BPR. The interseed and scatter effect on radiation dose (beyond that of a standard LDR implant) due to non-radioactive HT-only seeds in the target was found to reduce D90 by <10% and D50 by <7%. Conclusion: Additional HT- only seeds are useful in improving the quality of hyperthermia delivered by TB seeds. For future application of these seeds in the clinic, addition of HT-only seeds is recommended, provided the planned D90 is adjusted to compensate for the incresed interseed effect. This research is partially supported with NRC grant No. NRC-HQ-12-G-38-0042.
Exotoxin A of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: substitution of glutamic acid 553 with aspartic acid drastically reduces toxicity and enzymatic activity.

Glutamic acid 553 of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A (ETA) has been identified by photoaffinity labeling as a residue within the NAD binding site (S.F. Carroll and R.J. Collier, J. Biol. Chem. 262:8707-8711, 1987). To explore the function of Glu-553 we used oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis to replace this residue with Asp in cloned ETA and expressed the mutant gene in Escherichia coli K-12. ADP-ribosylation activity of Asp-553 ETA in cell extracts was about 1,800-fold lower and toxicity for mouse L-M929 fibroblasts was at least 10,000-fold lower than that of the wild-type toxin. Extracts containing Asp-553 ETA inhibited the cytotoxicity of authentic ETA on L-M929 fibroblasts, suggesting that the mutant toxin competes for ETA receptors. The results indicate that Glu-553 is crucial for ADP-ribosylation activity and, consequently, cytotoxicity of ETA. Substitution or deletion of this residue may be a route to new ETA vaccines.
ROMM Routing: A Class of Efficient Minimal Routing Algorithms

ROMM is a class of Randomized, Oblivious, Multi-phase, Minimal routing algorithms. Our conjecture is that ROMM routing offers a potential for improved performance compared to fully randomized algorithms under both light and heavy loads. Our conjecture is also that ROMM routing offers close to best case performance for many common permutations. These conjectures are supported by extensive simulations of binary cube networks for a number of routing patterns. We show that k×n buffers per node suffice to make k-phase ROMM routing free from deadlock and livelock on n-dimensional binary cubes.
Radial flow of viscoelastic liquids: Part I: Theoretical

Abstract An analytical description is obtained for the divergent radial flow of a viscoelastic liquid between parallel disks. A five-constant Oldroyd model characterizes fluid rheology and yields several other models as limiting cases. Predictions are made for the pressure profile P(r,z) and the velocities vr(r,z) and vz(r,z) in terms of truncated series which include inertial effects through the first power of the Reynolds number and elastic effects through the second power of time constants. It is found that quite different predictions arise for models with and without τ (stress) derivatives δτ δt or stress/strain rate (·γ) couplings such as τ · ·γ. Pressures may increase or decrease, and retrograde motions may or may not appear, depending on whether such terms are included in the model and whether time constants are large. The role of non-Newtonian viscosity and possible elastic fracture effects are also discussed.
3d spatial layout and geometric constraints for scene understanding

An image is nothing but a projection of the physical world around us, where objects do not occur randomly but follow certain spatial rules. Many existing computer vision approaches tend to ignore this aspect of understanding images. In this work, we build representations and propose strategies for exploiting such constraints towards extracting a 3D understanding of a scene from its single image. We model a scene in terms of its spatial layout abstracted as a box, object cuboids, camera viewpoint, and interactions between them. We take a supervised approach towards estimation, and learn models from training data that is fully annotated with the 3D spatial extent of objects, walls, and floor. We assume the world is populated with axis aligned objects and surfaces, and exploit constrained appearance models which use geometric cues from the scene. Our methods are tailored towards indoor scenes that are highly structured and require careful spatial reasoning. We show that our box layout representation is able to capture the full spatial extent of a 3D scene, which we can successfully estimate even for heavily cluttered rooms. Similarly, by exploiting the geometric constraints offered by the scene, we can approximate the extent of the objects as cuboids in 3D. The box layout provides rich contextual information for detecting objects. We show that modeling the 3D interactions between object cuboids and scene layout improves object detection. Finally, we show how to use our 3D spatial layout models together with object cuboid models to predict the free space in the scene.
REALISM AND THE BOUNDARIES OF GENRE IN DUTCH ART

This essay examines the critical, though largely unrecognized, role of generic parody in Dutch art of the seventeenth century. These often subtle parodies point beyond prevailing definitions of realism as surface description to reveal the deeper ‘surplus’ of reality that lies beneath a given generic convention. As Bakhtin has shown, genres are inherently ideological and exemplary. By undermining their conventions, Dutch artists were also often undermining their accompanying didactic messages and moral norms. They thereby contribute to a multi-layered, frequently ambivalent, form of realism that is at the heart of what is most novel and most ‘modern’ in Dutch art.
A critical review and meta-analysis of the magnitude of the effect of anthelmintic use on stocker calf production parameters in Northern US States

Parasitism of the gastrointestinal tract of cattle leads to diminished health and productivity of grazing livestock. Anthelmintics are used to decrease parasite loads in cattle for improved weight gain. This critical review and meta-analysis aims to quantify the magnitude of the effect of use of anthelmintic products on production metrics in beef stocker calves. Four databases were searched in March 2013. Eligible studies compared average daily gain (ADG), or weight gain in stocker calves in northern climates of the United States that received anthelmintic treatments compared with placebo or an alternative anthelmintic treatment. Study results were extracted, and where possible, summary effect measures were calculated. Of 512 citations identified by the search, 9 manuscripts with 23 relevant individual studies were selected. Risk of bias was assessed for all studies included in the review and assessed to be unclear for the majority of the studies. There were 23 studies that assessed the magnitude of effect of anthelmintic use on ADG (summary mean difference in ADG=0.05 kg (50 g), 95% CI=0.03-0.07 kg, p<0.00001). The magnitude of weight gain associated with anthelmintic use could not be assessed, as measures of precision (standard errors or standard deviations) were not reported in these studies. Overall, the conclusion was made that anthelmintic use is associated with an increased weight gain. However, the approach to reporting employed by authors for this type of study means that many studies could not be included in the meta-analysis and the magnitude of effect not determined.
Waveband protection mechanisms in hierarchical optical networks

We consider protection and restoration mechanisms for hierarchical optical networks with different granularities of paths (wavelengths and wavebands). We formulate an integer linear programming description for the problem and propose a shared-path waveband protection algorithm. We further demonstrate its efficiency by analyzing its equipment cost and capacity utilization.
Expansion of the method of correlated temperatures to clad and fuel design analyses

Abstract In the thermal design of nuclear reactor cores, specified design limits (temperatures and linear power rating) should not be exceeded by the operating values of certain elements (coolant, clad and fuel). However, a certain number of channels or fuel pins could be permitted to exceed the specified limits without affecting the reactor's safety while still allowing reliable operation. An expansion of the method of correlated temperatures, developed for coolant temperature analysis, was performed to enable clad temperature and fuel centerline melting analyses for reactor core reliability studies. Since generation of random numbers is involved, calculational procedures, tailored to designer needs, were developed in order to reduce computational time. The method is applied to a typical LMFBR core and results are presented for various assumed clad and fuel design limits.
The constitutive representation of high-temperature creep damage

The elastic-viscoplastic constitutive equations of Bodner-Partom were applied to modeling creep damage in a high temperature Ni-alloy, B1900 + Hf. Both tertiary creep in bulk materials and creep crack growth in flawed materials were considered. In the latter case, the energy rate line integral was used for characterizing the crack driving force, and the rate of crack extension was computed using a local damage formulation that assumed fracture was controlled by cavitation occurring within the crack-tip process zone. The results of this investigation were used to assess the evolution equation for isotropic damage utilized in the Bodner-Partom constitutive equations.
Improved prognosis of children with osteosarcoma metastatic to the lung(s) at the time of diagnosis.

Background. A poor outcome is traditionally ascribed to osteosarcoma metastatic to the lungs, but data have been unavailable regarding the outcome of such patients after systematic treatment on clinical trials. Methods. The clinical course and outcome of 31 patients who had osteosarcoma metastatic to the lungs diagnosed between 1962 and 1990 at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital were reviewed to determine whether the use of increasingly aggressive multimodality therapy has improved their outcome. The patients were grouped by treatment eras, based on major changes in therapy (i,e., single-agent or two-agent era, 1962-1972; standard multiagent era, 1972-1982; and intensive muhiagent era, 1982-1990). Results. With increasingly intensive chemotherapy, more aggressive efforts to resect metastatic disease, and earlier detection of pulmonary metastases by computed tomography, the survival of these patients has improved significantly over the 28-year study period. Those treated since 1982 have a 50% estimated probability of survival at 3 years, whereas there were no survivors at 3 years in the two earlier eras. Survival for the former group reached a plateau of 30% at 4 years. Conclusions. The use of aggressive multimodality therapy, coupled with modern pediatric imaging techniques to detect pulmonary disease, has improved the traditionally dismal outlook in pediatric patients with osteosarcoma and synchronous pulmonary metastases.
Photoionization as the secondary mechanism in a Townsend breakdown

An extrapolation of available data on photoionization is used to make calculations for determining the probability of releasing succeeding electrons at the cathode in a Townsend breakdown of a sparkgap. These calculations indicate that photoionization is a plausible secondary mechanism in a Townsend breakdown of gaps of the order of 1 cm (centimeter) at atmospheric pressure, and also that, when an over voltage is applied to a gap, photoionization is greatly increased and can account for very rapid breakdown.
Nonlinear renewal theory for Markov random walks

Abstract Let {Sn} be a Markov random walk satisfying the conditions of Kesten's Markov renewal theorem. It is shown that if {Zn} is a stochastic process whose finite-dimensional, conditional distributions are asymptotically close to those of {Sn} (in the sense of weak convergence), then the overshoot of {Zn} has the same limiting distribution as that of {Sn}. In the case where {Zn} can be represented as a perturbed Markov random walk, this allows substantial weakening of the slow change condition on the perturbation process; more importantly, no such representation is required. An application to machine breakdown times is given.
Dimethyl Sulfoxide Is Feasible for Plant Tubulin Assembly In vitro: A Comprehensive Analysis

: It is much more difficult for tubulin from plant sources to polymerize in vitro than tubulin from animal sources. Taxol, a most widely used reagent in microtubule studies, enhances plant microtubule assembly, but hinders microtubule dynamics. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), a widely used reagent in animal microtubule studies, is a good candidate for the investigation of plant microtubule assembly in vitro. However, proper investigation is lacking about the effects of DMSO on plant microtubule assembly in vitro. In the present study, DMSO was used to establish optimal conditions for the polymerization of plant tubulin. Tubulin, purified from lily pollen, polymerizes into microtubules at a critical concentration of 1.2 mg/mL in the presence of 10% DMSO. The polymers appear to have a normal microtubule structure, as revealed by electron microscopy. In the presence of 10% DMSO, microtubule polymerization decreases when the pH of the medium is increased from 6.5 to 7.4. Both the polymerization rate and the mass of the polymers increase as temperature increases from 25 to 40 °C. Tubulin polymerizes and depolymerizes along with cycling of temperature, from 37 to 4 °C, or following the addition to or the removal of Ca2+ from the medium. When incubated with nuclei isolated from tobacco BY-2 suspension cells, tubulin assembles onto the nuclear surface in the presence of 10% DMSO. Labeling lily pollen tubulin with 5- (and 6-) carboxytetramethyl-rhodamine succinimidyl ester (NHS-rhodamine) was performed successfully in the presence of 10% DMSO. Labeled tubulin assembles into a radial structure on the surface of BY-2 nuclei. The polymerization of lily pollen tubulin is also enhanced by microtubule-associated proteins from animal sources in the presence of 10% DMSO. All the experimental results indicate that plant tubulin functions normally in the presence of DMSO. Therefore, DMSO is an appropriate reagent for plant tubulin polymerization and investigation of plant microtubules in vitro. (Managing editor: Li-Hui ZHAO)
Functional modulation of brain sodium channels by cAMP-dependent phosphorylation

Abstract Voltage-gated Na + channels, which are responsible for the generation of action potentials in brain, are phosphorylated by CAMP-dependent protein kinase in vitro and in intact neurons. Phosphorylation by CAMP-dependent protein kinase reduces peak Na + currents 40%–50% in membrane patches excised from rat brain neurons or from CHO cells expressing type IIA Na + channels. Inhibition of basal cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity by transfection with a plasmid encoding a dominant negative mutant regulatory subunit increases Na + channel number and activity, indicating that even the basal level of kinase activity is sufficient to reduce Na + channel activity significantly. Na+currents in membrane patches from kinase-deficient cells were reduced up to 80% by phosphorylation by cAMP-dependent protein kinase. These effects could be blocked by a specific peptide inhibitor of CAMP-dependent protein kinase and reversed by phosphoprotein phosphatases. Convergent modulation of brain Na + channels by neurotransmitters acting through the CAMP and protein kinase C signaling pathways may result in associative regulation of electrical activity by different synaptic inputs.
Dynamical Hysteresis in Bistable Quantum Systems

We are studying bistable quantum systems coupled to a thermal environment in the presence of an external controlling force. The impact of thermal and quantum effects on the switching hysteresis is studied by evaluating a time-dependent real-time double path integral with the recently developed iterative tensor multiplication scheme for the {ital quasiadiabatic path integral propagator method} for temperatures ranging from well above to well below quantum-classical crossover temperature. The switching dynamics and its intimate connection to quantum stochastic resonance is studied here for the first time {ital without} limitation to a two-state description and/or small external forces. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Cystadenoma and cystadenocarcinoma of the liver : a single center experience

Background Biliary cystadenomas and cystadenocarcinomas comprise 5% of cystic lesions in the liver. Cystadenomas are often incorrectly diagnosed as simple cysts, which results in inadequate therapy. Recurrence and possible malignant transformation are consequences of incomplete excision. Cystadenocarcinomas are very rare tumors that are felt to be biologically indolent. Study design A retrospective review of 18 cystadenomas and 4 cystadenocarcinomas treated at the Cleveland Clinic from July 1985 to November 2002. Results All 18 patients with cystadenomas were women; mean age was 48 years. The majority (16 of 18) were symptomatic. Preoperative CT scans demonstrated cyst(s) with septations in all patients. Fifty-five percent had undergone prior intervention(s) to treat the cyst. Thirteen patients had complete excision of the cystadenoma, either by enucleation or liver resection. None of the patients developed recurrent cystadenomas (mean followup 37 months). Of 4 patients with cystadenocarcinoma, 3 were women; mean age was 60 years. All were symptomatic. Preoperative CT scans demonstrated masses with both cystic and solid components. No patient had undergone prior intervention. All had a liver resection. Two patients died of metastatic disease at 6 and 12 months, respectively. One patient is alive and disease-free at 16 years; 1 is alive with metastatic disease 10 years after the liver resection. Conclusions Cystadenomas are uncommon tumors that are often incorrectly diagnosed as simple cysts. Preoperative imaging that demonstrates the presence of internal septations highly suggests the diagnosis of cystadenoma. Intraoperative biopsy and frozen section(s) are essential, although they are not 100% accurate. Cystadenomas require complete excision to prevent recurrence and the possibility of malignant transformation. Cystadenocarcinomas are very rare. Despite complete resection, cystadenocarcinomas can recur in a short period of time. The biologic behavior of these tumors can vary widely.
Sociology and the Prosaic

The sociology of Erving Goffman is examined, including those who influenced his work as well as those influenced by it. Goffman's sociology is examined in terms of focus and scope, theory, and method. As much of his sociology is singular in its presentation, stylistic elements in Goffman's work are also considered.
Globalization of Health Care Delivery in the United States through Medical Tourism

This study highlights some of the inefficiencies in the U.S. health care system and determines what effect medical tourism has had on the U.S. and global health care supply chains. This study also calls attention to insufficient health communication efforts to inform uninsured or underinsured medical tourists about the benefits and risks and determines the managerial and cost implications of various surgical procedures on the global health care system into the future. This study evaluated 3 years (2005, 2007, and 2011) of actual and projected surgical cost data. The authors selected 3 countries for analysis: the United States, India, and Thailand. The surgeries chosen for evaluation were total knee replacement (knee arthroplasty), hip replacement (hip arthroplasty), and heart bypass (coronary artery bypass graft). Comparisons of costs were made using Monte Carlo simulation with variability encapsulated by triangular distributions. The results are staggering. In 2005, the amount of money lost to India and Thailand on just these 3 surgeries because of cost inefficiencies in the U.S. health care system was between 1.3 to 2 billion dollars. In 2011, because many more Americans are expected to travel overseas for health care, this amount is anticipated to rise to between 20 and 30.2 billion dollars. Therefore, more attention should be paid to health communication efforts that truly illustrate the benefits/risks of medical travel. The challenge of finding reliable data for surgeries performed and associated surgical cost estimates was mitigated by the use of a Monte Carlo simulation of triangular distributions. The implications from this study are clear: If the U.S. health care industry is unable to eliminate waste and inefficiency and thus curb rising costs, it will continue to lose surgical revenue to foreign health providers.
Eilam, Hewett, and Soni reply.

G. Eilam, et al discuss the comments made by J. Soares on CP invariance in standard model for top-quark decay.(AIP)
Prediction of activated carbon adsorption performance under high relative humidity conditions

Humidity effects on carbon adsorption were investigated using five volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Relative humidities ranged from 54% to 92%. Under these high relative humidity conditions, the Dubinin–Polanyi equation was used to analyze the results of activated carbon adsorption capacity. Based on the Dubinin–Polanyi equation and the concept of a mass transfer zone, an adsorption kinetic equation was derived to predict the carbon adsorption (MTZ) velocity and the adsorbate concentration profile in the bed.
SocialTube: P2P-assisted Video Sharing in Online Social Networks

Video sharing has been an increasingly popular application in online social networks (OSNs). However, its sustainable development is severely hindered by the intrinsic limit of the client/server architecture deployed in current OSN video systems, which is not only costly in terms of server bandwidth and storage but also not scalable with the soaring amount of users and video content. The peer-assisted Video-on-Demand (VoD) technique, in which participating peers assist the server in delivering video content, has been proposed recently. Unfortunately, videos can only be disseminated through friends in OSNs. Therefore, current VoD works that explore clustering nodes with similar interests or close location for high performance are suboptimal, if not entirely inapplicable, in OSNs. Based on our long-term real-world measurement of over 1,000,000 users and 2,500 videos on Facebook, we propose SocialTube, a novel peer-assisted video sharing system that explores social relationship, interest similarity, and physical location between peers in OSNs. Specifically, SocialTube incorporates four algorithms: a social network (SN)-based P2P overlay construction algorithm, an SN-based chunk prefetching algorithm, chunk delivery, and scheduling algorithm, and a buffer management algorithm. Experimental results from a prototype on PlanetLab and an event-driven simulator show that SocialTube can improve the quality of user experience and system scalability over current P2P VoD techniques.
Selling our independence? The perils of Pentagon funding for anthropology

The Pentagon has launched the Minerva Initiative, a $50 million effort to direct social science research toward national security goals, including particular questions about the Chinese military, ideological trends in Islam, and terrorist organizations. While a small fraction of the Department of Defense's $85 billion R & D budget, this Initiative makes the Pentagon one of the largest potential funders of anthropological research. This editorial argues that such research should not be conducted, as it threatens to militarize our discipline. Given their ideological framing and the imperial mission in which they are embedded, the research questions will exacerbate rather than ameliorate global insecurity.
Polymerization via Cluster−Solid Surface Impacts: Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Molecular dynamics simulations of collisions between simple organic molecular clusters and a nonrigid, hydrogen-terminated diamond (111) surface have been performed to study the chemical reactions that occur within the clusters and between the cluster and the surface as a result of impact. A second-generation version of the reactive empirical bond order potential for hydrocarbons developed by Brenner, which has been modified to include long-range van der Waals interactions, is used in the simulations. The velocities considered are in the hyperthermal region and are comparable to those that result in shock-induced chemistry in energetic materials and that occur between particles and solid surfaces in interstellar space. The outcome of the scattering event is monitored as the reactivity of the molecular cluster is varied, and the dependence of the chemistry on the incident cluster velocity and the position of the reacting molecules within the cluster is examined. We find that polymerization reactions occur ...
Thermal decomposition of 4-amino-1,2,4-triazolium nitrate under infrared laser heating

Abstract The objective of this work is to study the behavior of an ionic liquid, 1-H-4-amino-1,2,4-triazolium nitrate, during thermal decomposition driven by an infrared laser (10.6 μm). The focus was to understand the initial decomposition reactions and subsequent reactions that lead to ring decomposition and eventually to ignition. A triple quadrupole mass spectrometer with molecular beam sampling was used to obtain gaseous decomposition species of the sample. The principal mass peaks that may contain multiple masses were analyzed through tandem mass techniques. The experiments were conducted at a laser heat flux of 100 W/cm 2 in helium at 1 atm. To assist in interpreting the data, three other materials were also tested, 4-amino-1,2,4-triazolium hydrochloride, 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole, and 1-H-1,2,4-triazole. The results show that the most probable route to initiate the decomposition of the 1-H-4-amino-1,2,4-triazolium nitrate is through proton transfer from N 1 site to the nitrate forming a neutral pair, nitric acid and amino-triazole. Subsequent reactions involve decomposition of the neutral pair and their interactions.
Emission characteristics of vacuum spark discharges. II. Aluminum spectra in the extreme ultraviolet

A study of spectra of several-times-ionized atoms in a vacuum spark has been extended into the far ultraviolet. Thirty-two lines from the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh spectra of aluminum have been photographed either in first or second order in the region from 230 to 330A. The spark was operated at voltages between 5 and 20 kv with the aid of a gas trigger, and by varying the self-inductance between about 2 and 40 μh, peak currents ranging from 15 to 62 kiloamperes were obtained. Eastman SWR plates, calibrated by a time-varied method, were used for quantitative measurement of exposure values of the spectral lines. The data indicate that the relative excitation of the spectra of different stages of ionization is nearly a linear function of the current. However, a marked enhancement at 10 kv, 30 ka, and minimum inductance shows that the excitation process must depend also on other parameters.An apparent splitting of some of the Al iv lines at the higher currents has been attributed to self-reversal.
The influence of the conditions of hematopoietic cell transplantation on infectious complications.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW The multitude of factors that influence the risk of infection after hematopoietic cell transplantation has been further complicated by the rapid evolution of this therapy in the past 5 years. The degree to which functional immune reconstitution has been achieved reflects the equilibrium reached by the immune systems of the recipient and donor in the context of host non-hematopoietic tissue. Thus immunomodulatory influences on the recipient and the transplanted graft, both before and after hematopoietic cell transplantation, have a profound influence on the incidence and severity of infection. This review of the recent literature contributes to our understanding of how the conditions of hematopoietic cell transplantation influence the timing and nature of infectious complications. RECENT FINDINGS The main themes of published primary research from 2004 to the present focus on non-myeloablative conditioning regimens and their effects on immune reconstitution after hematopoietic cell transplantation. SUMMARY A plethora of clinical trials are ongoing, focused on the outcome after conditioning regimens designed to result in less regimen-related toxicity while preserving or enhancing the graft-versus-tumor effect. Given the infancy of these new approaches, it is not possible to make definitive statements regarding the relative risk of serious infection with each therapy. It is clear that a reduction in regimen-related non-infectious complications or mortality does not necessarily ensure a reduction in clinically significant infections. Improvements in early diagnostic and therapeutic options for these infections now bring us to an era of understanding pathogens as probes of the functional reconstitution of immunity.
An increase of cytochrome C oxidase mediated disruption of gemcitabine incorporation into DNA in a resistant KB clone

Mechanistic aberrations leading to Gemcitabine (2',2'-dFdCyd,2,2-difluorodeoxycytidine, Gem) resistance may include alteration in its transport, metabolism and incorporation into DNA. To explore the mechanism of Gem resistance, the restriction fragment differential display PCR (RFDD-PCR) was employed to compare the mRNA expression patterns of KBGem (Gem resistant), KBHURs (hydroxyurea resistant) and KBwt (parental KB cell). Nine gene fragments were overexpressed specifically in the KBGem clone. Sequencing and BLAST results showed that three fragments represent cytochrome C oxidase (CCOX, respiration complex IV) subunit III (CCOX3). The cDNA microarray confirmed that the mRNAs of CCOX and ATP synthase subunits were upregulated in KBGem as compared to KBwt and KBHURs. The increase in CCOX1 protein and activity led to the increase of free ATP concentration, which is consistent with the gene expression profile of KBGem. Furthermore, the sensitivity to Gem could be reversed by sodium azide, a CCOX inhibitor. Following the treatment of sodium azide, the cellular accumulation of [3H]-Gem increased in a dose (of azide)-dependent manner, which is associated with increase of [3H]-Gem incorporation into DNA in KBGem. In summary, an increase of CCOX activity and free ATP level may reduce the transport, metabolism and DNA incorporation of Gem, resulting in Gem resistance.
Applications of a first-generation current conveyor in current-mode circuits

In current-mode filter circuits which utilise a single current conveyor as the only active device, the first-generation current conveyor permits feedback of the response without connecting filter elements to the output port. Complex poles can be realised in such circuits while maintaining high output impedance. The utility of this observation is illustrated by the derivation of new second-order, complex-pole, current-mode, all-pass networks that employ a single current conveyor. Laboratory and simulation results are compared
64. Systemic inflammation and the integrity of brain white matter tracts

Normal aging is associated with changes in brain structure and function that result in declines in cognitive performance and culminate in debilitating functional impairment for many. Converging evidence suggests that systemic inflammation plays a role in age-related changes in cognitive function, being associated with activation of central inflammatory mechanisms that result in neurodegeneration and associated cognitive declines. We have shown an inverse association of plasma interleukin (IL)-6, a relatively stable marker of systemic inflammation, with working memory and executive function, and with grey matter volume in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex among cognitively-normal middle-aged adults. In the current study, we extend this work to an examination of the association of plasma IL-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP) with microstructural white matter tissue integrity, as assessed by diffusion tensor imaging among a sample of 155 cognitively normal mid-life adults (aged 30–50 years, 78 men). Results show significant inverse associations of white matter tract integrity, as assessed by whole-brain average of fractional anisotropy, with IL-6 (r = −.22, p = .01) and CRP (r = −.25, p = .003). These associations were largely independent of age, sex, years of education, smoking, and body mass index. Taken together, our findings provide human support for a neurobiological pathway by which inflammation could impact the brain systems implicated in memory and executive function.
Sensitivity to Children: Helping Undergraduates Acquire Child Care Giving and Mental Health Skills

A program designed to train and utilize students as mental health agents working with normal and clinic-referred children.
Plasma and brain concentrations of oral therapeutic doses of methylphenidate and their impact on brain monoamine content in mice

Methylphenidate is a frequently prescribed stimulant for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). An important assumption in the animal models that have been employed to study methylphenidate's effects on the brain and behavior is that bioavailability of methylphenidate in the animal models reflects that in human subjects. From this perspective, the dose and route of administration of methylphenidate assume critical importance because both these factors likely influence rate of uptake, plasma and brain concentrations of the drug. In the present study, plasma and brain concentrations of d- and l-methylphenidate and d- and l-ritalinic acid were measured in 2-month old mice (equivalent to young adulthood in humans) following a single oral administration of a racemic mixture. Our data show that oral administration of 0.75 mg/kg dose produced within 15 min, plasma levels of d-methylphenidate that correspond to the clinically effective plasma levels in human subjects (estimated to be 6-10 ng/ml). Brain concentrations of d- and l-methylphenidate tended to exceed their plasma concentrations, while the plasma concentrations of d- and l-ritalinic acid exceeded their brain concentrations. A single oral administration at 0.75 mg/kg dose increased dopamine content of the frontal cortex within 1 h, without producing statistically significant changes in serotonin or noradrenaline contents. Striatal monoamine levels remained unaltered. These data highlight disparities between plasma and brain concentrations of methylphenidate and its metabolites following oral administration and illustrate brain region- and monoamine-specific changes produced by the low oral dose of methylphenidate.
Galectin-1 and galectin-3 expression in human prostate tissue and prostate cancer.

Galectin-1 and galectin-3, two β-galactoside-binding proteins, have been suggested to play a role in the development and progression of cancer. We have studied the expression of these molecules in normal human prostate tissue and prostate adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of seven normal human prostates, eight cases of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), 20 primary adenocarcinomas of the prostate, and 12 prostate cancer metastases. Galectin-1 was expressed in most cases of all four histologic types. In contrast, galectin-3 expression was significantly decreased in primary carcinoma and metastatic disease compared with normal and premalignant tissue. Galectin-3 expression in primary tumors tended to be less than that of surrounding normal glands. We conclude that loss of galectin-3 expression may be associated with the progression of prostate cancer.
Founders, foundations and early identities: football’s early growth in Barcelona

This essay considers football’s development in Barcelona in its first generation from 1898 through the 1910s and how it was shaped by the regional, national, religious and foreign identities of its participants and the activity itself. It starts with the foundations of F.C. Barcelona and F.C. Catala, the different stories about how this happened, and the role played by Protestant Hans Gamper in Catholic Barcelona. The second section focuses on the development of other clubs like Real Club Deportivo Espanol, early tournaments including the Copa Macaya and struggles at the end of the decade. The final portion addresses how some of these issues played out in the 1910s, when the sport began to expand beyond its almost exclusively middle-class origins to draw in a mass audience.
Bacteriophage attachment to the S-layer proteins of the mosquito-pathogenic strains ofBacillus sphaericus

The linearly arrayed surface layer proteins found on the mosquito-pathogenic strains ofBacillus sphaericus function as the site of bacteriophage attachment for the ten lytic bacteriophages used in a bacteriophage typing scheme. Attachment to the surface layer proteins was demonstrated by the ability to block bacteriophage binding with antisera and the ability of the purified proteins to neutralize bacteriophage. Bacteriophage-resistant mutants have modified surface proteins that are less able to neutralize bacteriophages than is the protein of the parent strain. No evidence was obtained that sugar residues play a part in bacteriophage attachment. Phage neutralization by surface proteins from strains that do not serve as host to the phage indicates that, although strains in each phage group have a unique surface protein, the proteins do not determine the phage groups.
Sensitization of human fibroblasts to insulin-like growth factor I by serum deprivation and dexamethasone pretreatment.

Pretreatment of confluent human fibroblast cultures for two days in dexamethasone, serum free medium increased 10 - 20 fold the sensitivity of the cells to insulin-like growth factor I (IGF I) stimulation of amino acid uptake using the amino acid analog α-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB). This increased sensitivity resulted both from the use of serum free medium and the addition of dexamethasone to the serum free media. Pretreatment of the cells for 1, 2. or 3 days before assay showed that the maximum increase in sensitivity was obtained after a two day pretreatment. Pretreatment of the cells also increased their sensitivity to insulin and bovine insulin-like growth factor II stimulation of AIB uptake similar to that seen for IGF I. No consistent effect of the pretreatment was observed on either the basal level of AIB uptake or the maximal hormonal stimulation of AIB uptake. Nor was any change noted in the shape of the dose response curves. Addition of IGF I to the pretreatment medium greatly reduced the sensit...
Has Arteriography Gotten a Bad Name? Current Accuracy and Morbidity of Diagnostic Contrast Arteriography for Aortoiliac and Lower Extremity Arterial Disease

Recently, contrast arteriography has been challenged as the diagnostic test of choice for lower extremity arterial disease because of its associated morbidity and questionable accuracy in identifying suitable distal outflow arteries. The purpose of this report was to analyze our experience to determine if these concerns were justified. We reviewed 500 consecutive contrast arteriograms performed at our hospital for aortoiliac and lower extremity arterial disease between November 1994 and November 1998. Arteriograms performed in conjunction with therapeutic procedures such as balloon angioplasty, stent placement, and thrombolysis were excluded, leaving 244 diagnostic cases for analysis. Forty-six percent (112) of patients had diabetes mellitus, 14% (34) had an elevated baseline serum creatinine (≥1.5 mg/dL), and an additional 7% (17) were dialysis dependent. Radiologists limited contrast volume by imaging only the symptomatic extremity when appropriate and using digital subtraction techniques as indicated. Our results showed that diagnostic contrast arteriography is associated with an acceptably low morbidity, has an accuracy that is unlikely to be surpassed by other modalities, and remains the diagnostic test of choice for lower extremity arterial disease.
Alveolar lavage and lavaged lung tissue phosphatidylcholine composition during fetal rabbit development.

Pulmonary surfactant, the major surface-active component of which in the adult is dipalmitoylglycerophosphocholine, can be obtained by lavaging lungs with physiological saline. We have previously shown that there is an increase in the amount of phosphatidylcholine in fetal rabbit lung lavage during the latter part of gestation. We have now measured the amount of disaturated phosphatidylcholine as well as the fatty acid composition of phosphatidylcholine in lung lavage from fetal rabbits during the period 27 days’ gestation to full term (31 days). There was no developmental change in the amount of disaturated phosphatidylcholine during the period examined. About 50% of the total phosphatidylcholine was disaturated which is approximately the same as in adult rabbit lung lavage. The fatty acid composition, however, did change. There was an increase in the amount of 16∶0 from about 20% of the total fatty acids in phosphatidylcholine at 27–28 days to about 60% at full term, after birth, and in the adults. There was a corresponding decrease in the amounts of 14∶0, 18∶0, and longer chain fatty acids, most of which were saturated. In the lavaged lung tissue, there was a 2.6-fold increase in the percentage of phosphatidylcholine which was disaturated during the period 27–31 days’ gestation. It had not decrease to the adult value 24 hr after birth.
Approximate solution for capillary exchange models with and without axial mixing

Explicit expressions are obtained which give quite accurate values for the effluent blood concentration for the model with axial mixing in tissue for the cases in which the initial capillary concentration is either zero or one. These simple expressions are useful since the formal solutions of Gosselin and Gosselin (1987,Bull. math. Biol49, 329–349) are cumbersome to use. Reasonably accurate expressions are also provided for the model without axial mixing since the formal solution for the case in which the initial capillary concentration is zero (Gosselin and Gosselin, 1987) and for the case in which the initial concentration equals that of the tissue, the solution for which is provided here, require numerical integration.
Reconstruction of the Mitral Valve with Autologous Tissue

uring the past seven years a collaborative program directed at development of a technique or techniques for the reconstrucD tion of the diseased mitral valve with the patient’s own tissues has been in progress at St. Barnabas Hospital, Bronx, N.Y. This program has comprised fundamental investigations of the anatomy of the “fibrous skeleton” of the heart and the structure of the cardiac valves [33-37], long-term studies of the fate of various types of autogenous tissue utilized as free grafts in experimental reconstruction of the heart valves, development of a new type of oxygenator more suitable for the somewhat more prolonged periods of extracorporeal bypass that may be required [18, 22, 231, and trial of various surgical reparative techniques, at first in animals, later in human patients. The surgical approaches have passed through several developmental phases, gradually evolving into a number of highly reliable techniques that appear specifically and variably to be indicated, depending upon certain anatomical and pathological considerations in the individual clinical case. In a very real sense this work has been the logical continuation of the earliest surgical efforts at valvulotomy, valvuloplasty, valvotomy, and commissurotomy [l, 2, 9, 11, 12, 19, 20, 29, 311, subsequently modified to the term neostrophingic mobilization [3,4,6-81, and early efforts at patching perforations of the mitral valve and elongation of the shrunken mural leaflet [lo, 16, 17, 301.
Predictive properties of DNA methylation patterns in primary tumor samples for osteosarcoma relapse status

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumor in children. Validated biological markers for disease prognosis available at diagnosis are lacking. No genome-wide DNA methylation studies linked to clinical outcomes have been reported in osteosarcoma to the best of our knowledge. To address this, we tested the methylome at over 1.1 million loci in 15 osteosarcoma biopsy samples obtained prior to the initiation of therapy and correlated these molecular data with disease outcomes. At more than 17% of the tested loci, samples obtained from patients who experienced disease relapse were more methylated than those from patients who did not have recurrence while patients who did not experience disease relapse had more DNA methylation at fewer than 1%. In samples from patients who went on to have recurrent disease, increased DNA methylation was found at gene bodies, intergenic regions and empirically-annotated candidate enhancers, whereas candidate gene promoters were unusual for a more balanced distribution of increased and decreased DNA methylation with 6.6% of gene promoter loci being more methylated and 2% of promoter loci being less methylated in patients with disease relapse. A locus at the TLR4 gene demonstrates one of strongest associations between DNA methylation and 5 y event-free survival (P-value = 1.7 × 10(-6)), with empirical annotation of this locus showing promoter characteristics. Our data indicate that DNA methylation information has the potential to be predictive of outcome in pediatric osteosarcoma, and that both promoters and non-promoter loci are potentially informative in DNA methylation studies.
Superconducting properties of metallic heterostructures

Abstract We review our recent results on the superconducting properties of artificially prepared metallic heterostructures. Our sputtering system used to prepare these materials is described in detail along with a calculation of the thermalization of sputtered atoms. The structure of Nb/Cu and Nb/Ti heterostructures is discussed, as are Tc, energy gap, and phonon frequency measurements.