cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Weekly Paclitaxel Infusion as Salvage Therapy in Ovarian Cancer

The majority of women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer will have persistent or recurrent disease after initial treatment. We evaluated response and toxicity in women with advanced stage disease given salvage paclitaxel as a low-dose, weekly infusion. We performed a retrospective review of 22 women with advanced stage epithelial ovarian (19 women) or primary peritoneal carcinoma (3 women) who had received low-dose, weekly paclitaxel salvage therapy. All women had refractory, persistent, or recurrent disease following first-line treatment with paclitaxel and platin chemotherapy. Response and toxicity were assessed. Measurable disease present on physical or radiologic exam and serum carbohydrate antigen-125 levels were used to assess disease response. Overall response rate to low-dose, weekly paclitaxel salvage therapy was 50% (27% complete, 23% partial). Median progression-free interval (PFI) in responders was 27 weeks (range, 14-68 weeks). Stabilization of disease occurred in an additional 27% of patients with a median PFI of 22 weeks (range, 15-89 weeks). No difference in response was detected between the 7 women with platin-sensitive disease and the 15 women with platin-resistant disease (P = 0.19). The median dose of paclitaxel was 80 mg/m2 (range, 60-80 mg/m2). During a total of 325 weeks of paclitaxel treatment (median per patient, 12 weeks; range, 6-49 weeks), 13 treatment delays occurred (hematologic indication, 9; nonhematologic indication, 4). No cases of grade 4 hematologic toxicity, sepsis, or worsening neuropathy were documented. Weekly paclitaxel infusion given as salvage therapy results in significant clinical response, even in women previously treated with paclitaxel. The regimen is well tolerated with no cases of grade 4 neutropenia or worsening neuropathy in our population.
Book Review: "The Tragedy of Religious Freedom"

Ian Bartrum reviews Marc DeGirolami's "The Tragedy of Religious Freedom" (Harvard University Press 2013).
Sustainability Metrics for Efficient and Innovative Residential Building Wall Systems

With sustainability becoming more recognized and desirable by homeowners, designers need to have better metrics to make solutions possible. One of the most effective building components that can be optimized for sustainability purposes is the wall system. To select the proper wall system that is efficient and at times innovative, there is a need to better understand how metrics relate to different wall configurations and materials. This paper expands upon prior works to identify the key sustainability metrics for residential wall systems that designers, builders and homeowners can use to assess and select the best wall system. The metrics highlighted include: embodied energy, material-specific, and impact on the environment. These metrics will be examined for wall systems made up of: Insulated Concrete Form, Wood-Frame, Steel Stud, Structural Insulated Panel, Concrete Masonry Unit, Autoclaved Aerated Concrete, and Precast Concrete.
Decaying tree lossless coding for image and video

This paper describes the five main techniques used in a macroblock (MB) based codec to improve lossless compression on a wide variety of images. The decaying tree hypothesis is a central theme of this codec, and is a stronger form of Shapiro's zero tree hypothesis. It can be stated simply, as - "this node is zero, and so are all of its descendants in the same and next (less significant) bit plane". Lossless image coding is applied to professional grade video coding, for encoding video frames at the highest possible quality setting. Flat/skip coding of macroblocks gives very good compression for graphics, and switching between multiple arithmetic contexts.
The oil industry's response to new avenues in futures trading

We examine the Cumulative Abnormal Returns (CARs) of petroleum, airline and investment banking firms to the announcement and initiation of trading for two new oil-related assets in 2006: West Texas Intermediate crude futures contracts traded via the Intercontinental Exchange and the American Stock Exchange's (AMEX) US Oil exchange traded fund (USO). In general, we find few significant changes, but the changes we find are marginally positive reactions related to the two new contracts. We also find evidence that firms which utilize derivatives benefit less than firms which do not. However, firms which trade derivatives (nonhedgers) have greater returns than nontraders (hedgers).
Sources of stress among baseball and softball umpires

Abstract This study examined sources of stress among baseball and softball umpires. A revised sources of stress scale from the Ontario Soccer Officials Survey (OSOS) was completed by 782 certified umpires from randomly chosen umpire associations in one state. Principal components factor analysis of responses by half the subjects, with oblimin rotation, revealed four correlated factors (Fear of Failure, Fear of Physical Harm, Time Pressure, and Interpersonal Conflict). These factors accounted for 44.4% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis of responses by the remaining subjects with LISREL7 supported the reliability of the exploratory analysis, with an Adjusted Goodness-of-Fit Index of .90. Accumulating research suggests there are common, though not very potent, sources of stress among sport officials, but future research should examine sources of stress in officials of other sports. Stress management and situational interventions could benefit the minority of officials who perceive these sources o...
Vicarious reinforcement and direction of behavior change in the classroom

The effect of verbal approval delivered to a target subject on the behavior of anadjacent nonreinforced peer was examined in a special education class of educably retarded children. The experiment assessed whether behavior changes in the nonreinforced peer resembled the behavior changes of the reinforced target subject. In separate phases of a reversal design, the target subject was praised either for inattentive or attentive behavior. Praising the target subject altered the behavior of both the target subject and the nonreinforced peer. The behavior of the target subject changed, depending upon the specific behavior (i.e., inattentive or attentive behavior) that was associated with praise. However, attentive behavior of the nonreinforced peer increased when the target subject was praised independently of the specific behavior performed and praised on the part of the target subject.
Contemporary domestic infrastructures and technology design

In this proposal, I describe my examination of two contemporary domestic infrastructures. Specifically, I am investigating whether we need to surface more information about these systems to make them intelligible to end-users. I describe my empirical research to date and the design of two technology probes which I will use to learn more how home infrastructure affects domestic technology design.
Upper Midwest dairy farm revenue variation and insurance implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the sources and magnitude of variation in accrual adjusted gross farm revenue and farm revenue net of feed purchases on Michigan dairy farms representative of Upper Midwest dairy farms. The paper aims to assess whether adjusted gross revenue‐type insurance instruments meet insurability conditions when applied to dairy farms.Design/methodology/approach – Accrual adjusted dairy farm revenue and revenue net of feed purchased from Michigan dairy farm panel data from 1995 through 2006 were detrended and summarized. Variance decomposition was used to identify sources of variation in adjusted gross revenue and adjusted gross revenue less feed purchases. In‐sample insurance premiums were estimated and Monte Carlo simulations were used to adjust these premiums for out‐of‐sample considerations.Findings – Milk price variation was the largest source of variation while milk production per cow varied little. Farms with smaller herds and those with larger percentages of ...
Compression Failure in Reduced Adhesion Fiber Laminates

The compressive strength of fiber composites is of key interest in many strength critical composite structures, due to the generally lower failure values relative to tension dominated stress states. The general understanding of the factors that control compression failure is quite rudimentary, and as a consequence strength controlled design of practical structures loaded in compression can not be accomplished on a rational basis at present. In recent work it has been shown that the compressive strength of the principal load carrying axial plies is markedly affected by the adjacent plies in the laminate. A micro-mechanics model for compression failure of laminates has been formulated that attempts to explain the observed behavior. In the present work a further verification of the model is presented by means of a comparison with experiments performed on laminates with specially treated fiber-matrix interphases. In addition to control specimens using fibers with standard surface treatment, tests were carried out on laminates in which the fibers were treated with a release agent to reduce fiber-matrix adhesion. The specimens with reduced fiber adhesion showed a loss of strength of up to 75%, indicating the effects of loss of matrix support. The results show that the model explains amore » number of important features of the experiments, and thus gives insight into compression failure of laminates.« less
Bayesian Inference for the Stereotype Regression Model: Application to a Case-control Study of Prostate Cancer

The stereotype regression model for categorical outcomes, proposed by Anderson (J. Roy. Statist. Soc. B. 1984; 46:1-30) is nested between the baseline-category logits and adjacent category logits model with proportional odds structure. The stereotype model is more parsimonious than the ordinary baseline-category (or multinomial logistic) model due to a product representation of the log-odds-ratios in terms of a common parameter corresponding to each predictor and category-specific scores. The model could be used for both ordered and unordered outcomes. For ordered outcomes, the stereotype model allows more flexibility than the popular proportional odds model in capturing highly subjective ordinal scaling which does not result from categorization of a single latent variable, but are inherently multi-dimensional in nature. As pointed out by Greenland (Statist. Med. 1994; 13:1665-1677), an additional advantage of the stereotype model is that it provides unbiased and valid inference under outcome-stratified sampling as in case-control studies. In addition, for matched case-control studies, the stereotype model is amenable to classical conditional likelihood principle, whereas there is no reduction due to sufficiency under the proportional odds model. In spite of these attractive features, the model has been applied less, as there are issues with maximum likelihood estimation and likelihood-based testing approaches due to non-linearity and lack of identifiability of the parameters. We present comprehensive Bayesian inference and model comparison procedure for this class of models as an alternative to the classical frequentist approach. We illustrate our methodology by analyzing data from The Flint Men's Health Study, a case-control study of prostate cancer in African-American men aged 40-79 years. We use clinical staging of prostate cancer in terms of Tumors, Nodes and Metastasis as the categorical response of interest.
Reciprocal thalamo-hippocampal EEG augmenting and muscle responses in rabbits

Abstract Waxing and waning electrographic responses (augmenting) and primary evoked responses could be induced in restricted regions of hippocampus, thalamus, and skeletal muscle by bipolar, low-frequency (7–10 Hz), low-amplitude (35 mV-4V) stimulation of selected sites within the hippocampus or thalamus of rabbits. Induction of the immobility reflex (IR) (animal hypnosis) lowered the threshold and increased the amplitude of both kinds of responses. An additive enhancement of both kinds of responses was often produced by concurrent treatment with a tranquilizer and the immobility reflex. These results suggest the thalamus and the hippocampus have interacting modulating mechanisms which affect motor activity.
Morphological proteins of phage lambda: Identification of the major head protein as the product of gene E

Abstract Phage λ dissociates in boiling SDS into at least three major and three minor proteins, which separate from each other in gel electrophoresis. By joining, in vitro, radioactive heads to nonradioactive tails, and vice versa, and by purifying the resulting complete phage particles it was possible to identify three of the proteins as constituents of the head and three of the tail. The major head protein has a molecular weight of 38,000 and accounts for 60% of the total protein mass of the phage particle. This protein appears to be the product of gene E because it is absent from extracts of induced lysogenic bacteria carrying a susE− prophage, but is present in extracts of lysogens for sus (amber) mutants in any of the other known head genes: A, W, B, C, D, or F. Petit λ, a form of the λ head which lacks a tail and contains no DNA, is also an assembly of the major head protein. However, purified petit λ lacks the second most abundant protein of complete heads which has a molecular weight of 12,000.
Retinoic acid induction and regional differentiation prefigure olfactory pathway formation in the mammalian forebrain.

Abstract We have used an in vitro assay to identify sources of retinoic acid (RA) and transgenic mice to identify target domains in the developing forebrain. RA participates in a sequence of events that leads to the establishment of the olfactory pathway. First, the lateral cranial mesoderm activates an RA-inducible transgene in neuroepithelial cells in the olfactory placode and the ventrolateral forebrain. Then, neurons and neurites begin to differentiate in these two regions. Finally, olfactory axons grow specifically into the ventrolateral forebrain and subsequently are limited to the olfactory bulb rudiment. The coordination of these events, perhaps by common signals, implies that retinoid induction and retinoida-ctivated region-specific transcriptional regulation may help to define a forebrain subdivision and the peripheral neurons that provide its primary innervation.
Coral injury and recovery: matrix models link process to pattern

Abstract In corals, extant damage to colonies depends on the balance between injury and recovery rates. Sclerochronology — the study of scleractinian coral growth rings — provides information about these historical processes, since corals preserve traces of previous injuries and annual bands representing regrowth. Cross-sections of two Caribbean coral species, Porites astreoides (Ellis and Solander) and Siderastrea siderea Le Sueur, were examined to determine the size-frequency and incidence of partial mortality and the rate at which these injuries recover. Each year's injuries were divided into four size classes, and subsequent changes in lesion size were developed into probabilities of switching size classes each year. Matrix models, composed of a matrix of transition probabilities and a vector added annually to account for new damage, predicted a dynamic equilibrium of extant damage to corals that matches field censuses well. A census of corals was carried out at two ( P. astreoides ) or five ( S. siderea ) sites. In 23 of 28 comparisons, values of extant damage were within the 95% confidence intervals of model predictions. Discrepancies arose because the model underestimated small lesions in P. astreoides . Sclerochronology may fail in this instance because small, rapidly-recovering injuries do not leave permanent scars in coral skeleton, although they are common in point observations of reef damage. Based on sclerochronology, P. astreoides and S. siderea are differentially susceptible to injury, and P. astreoides tends to recover more rapidly.
Detecting treatment‐covariate interactions using permutation methods

The primary objective of a Randomized Clinical Trial usually is to investigate whether one treatment is better than its alternatives on average. However, treatment effects may vary across different patient subpopulations. In contrast to demonstrating one treatment is superior to another on the average sense, one is often more concerned with the question that, for a particular patient, or a group of patients with similar characteristics, which treatment strategy is most appropriate to achieve a desired outcome. Various interaction tests have been proposed to detect treatment effect heterogeneity; however, they typically examine covariates one at a time, do not offer an integrated approach that incorporates all available information, and can greatly increase the chance of a false positive finding when the number of covariates is large. We propose a new permutation test for the null hypothesis of no interaction effects for any covariate. The proposed test allows us to consider the interaction effects of many covariates simultaneously without having to group subjects into subsets based on pre-specified criteria and applies generally to randomized clinical trials of multiple treatments. The test provides an attractive alternative to the standard likelihood ratio test, especially when the number of covariates is large. We illustrate the proposed methods using a dataset from the Treatment of Adolescents with Depression Study.
The origin of the ?crack tip? mode of failure in boron filaments

A study has been made of the “crack tip” mode of failure in boron filaments. Filaments produced by a technique that ensures a high percentage of this type of flaw were subjected to tensile testing and fracture characterization. These filaments were split longitudinally and etched to expose possible fracture-causing defects. A high density of voids was detected within the bulk boron coinciding with the residual stress neutral axis, which is also the location of the tip of the radial crack in the filament. A model is proposed for this type of failure that is consistent with experimental observations and theoretical predictions.
Changes in cardiac function and cerebral blood flow in relation to peri/intraventricular hemorrhage in extremely preterm infants.

Objective To investigate whether changes in cardiac function and cerebral blood flow (CBF) precede the occurrence of peri/intraventricular hemorrhage (P/IVH) in extremely preterm infants. Study design In this prospective observational study, 22 preterm infants (gestational age 25.9 ± 1.2 weeks; range 23-27 weeks) were monitored between 4 and 76 hours after birth. Cardiac function and changes in CBF and P/IVH were assessed by ultrasound every 12 hours. Changes in CBF were also followed by continuous monitoring of cerebral regional oxygen saturation (rSO 2 ) and by calculating cerebral fractional oxygen extraction. Results Five patients developed P/IVH (1 patient grade II and 4 patients grade IV). Whereas measures of cardiac function and CBF remained unchanged in neonates without P/IVH, patients with P/IVH tended to have lower left ventricular output and had lower left ventricle stroke volume and cerebral rSO 2 and higher cerebral fractional oxygen extraction during the first 12 hours of the study. By 28 hours, these variables were similar in the 2 groups and myocardial performance index was lower and middle cerebral artery mean flow velocity higher in the P/IVH group. P/IVH was detected after these changes occurred. Conclusions Cardiac function and CBF remain stable in very preterm neonates who do not develop P/IVH during the first 3 postnatal days. In very preterm neonates developing P/IVH during this period, lower systemic perfusion and CBF followed by an increase in these variables precede the development of P/IVH. Monitoring cardiac function and cerebral rSO 2 may identify infants at higher risk for developing P/IVH before the bleeding occurs.
Cognitive Hypnotherapy With Bulimia

Research on the efficacy of hypnosis in the treatment of bulimia nervosa has produced mixed findings. This is due in part to the interplay between the characteristics of people with bulimia and the wide variety of hypnosis interventions that have been employed. Several authors have noted that methodological limitations in hypnosis research often make evaluation of treatment efficacy difficult. Many of the studies extant provide insufficient information regarding the specifics of participants' hypnotizability, the hypnotic induction, or the hypnotic suggestion(s) employed. Such limitations preclude replication and clinical implementation. This article reviews the literature with replicable methodologies and discusses the implications for evaluating treatment efficacy.
Acoustic power calibrations of cylindrical intracavitary ultrasound hyperthermia applicators

Preliminary clinical results indicate that some tumors can be heated well utilizing cylindrical ultrasound sources placed in body cavities. In this paper a simple method for measuring the acoustic power from cylindrical intracavitary transducers will be described. The radially propagating acoustic field was converted to a beam with a single propagation direction by a brass reflector, and the radiation force generated by this beam on an absorbing target was measured. The power output of several clinical intracavitary arrays varied significantly between identically shaped transducer elements. The results show that it is important to measure the acoustic power output from each element prior to its clinical use. The radiation force technique is simple and sensitive and can be easily adapted to be used as a routine clinical quality assurance method.
New reconstruction of Krapina 5, a male Neandertal cranial vault from Krapina, Croatia

The Neandertals from Krapina, Croatia represent some of the geologically oldest Neandertals known, and they comprise the largest Neandertal collection from a single site in the world. However, comparisons of the Krapina material with other, later Neandertals have been limited both because of their fragmentary condition and because the sample has a disproportionate number of females and/or young individuals. This paper presents a preliminary description of our new reconstruction of Krapina 5, an adult male, and provides comparisons with females from Krapina and with later Neandertal males from Western Europe. Like other hominid sites with large samples, there is considerable cranial variation at Krapina; we believe that some, but clearly not all of it is due to sexual dimorphism. Although Krapina 5 differs from the later males in a number of features, such as cranial thickness, cranial height, and sagittal curvature, it fits well within the male Neandertal range for most other metric variables, including cranial capacity.
Metals in the sediments along the Hudson River estuary

Abstract The distribution of metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in bottom and suspended sediments from the ocean up to the Hudson River estuary for 70 km were analyzed. The bottom sediments has a metal concentration maximum in the harbor. Everywhere studied, the metal concentrations in suspension are much higher than in the bottom sediments by 30 times for Cd, 20 times for Cu, and 10 to 15 times for Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn. The composition of metals in the suspended material varied along the estuary with a large metal maximum in the harbor and again in Haverstraw Bay. By standardizing toxic metal concentrations to Fe, a maximum level of pollution in New York Harbor is indicated, along with a lesser maximum in Haverstraw Bay.
Globorotalia truncatulinoides as a Paleo-oceanographic Index

In Recent surface sediments of the ocean floor Globorotalia truncatulinoides (d'Orbigny) grades from highly conical forms in tropical areas to rather compressed forms in cold-water areas. An interdependence exists between temperature of the surface water and form ratios as defined by mean ratio of width to height and mean ratio of width to the height from keel to ventral extremity. Values of these ratios serve to identify various water masses and thus constitute a potentially useful method in determining paleo-temperatures in Quaternary marine sediments. Subpolar populations, as end members of the cline, are found only in the Southern Hemisphere.
Use of Commercial Particle Agglutination Systems for the Rapid Identification of Methicillin-Susceptible and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

The performance of a recently introducedStaphylococcus aureus identification system (Slidex Staph-Kit) was compared with that of currently available systems (Immuno Scan Staphlatex, Staphyloslide, Staphaurex and SeroSTAT II) for the identification of methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptibleStaphylococcus aureus. The new system, which detects a capsular antigen common in MRSA, performed with equal or greater sensitivity than the other systems. None of the commercial systems was adversely affected by the methicillin susceptibility of the staphylococci when isolates were recovered from non-selective media. The greatest advantage of the anti-capsular monoclonal reagent was its improved performance on isolates recovered from selective media.
King and Neuman: in search of the nursing paradigm

There is a wellspring of support within the nursing profession for the development of a true nursing paradigm, based on a unified theory to support practice, to advance the professional status of nursing in a changing health care environment In this, the preparadigm stage of nursing, there are at least 125 theories, many of them viable Prominent among them are those of King and Neuman The King theory is rooted in the effectiveness of human interaction between nurse and patient to set and achieve health goals The Neuman theory is a stress-oriented system espousing the development of patient defences and resistance The similarities outnumber the differences between the two Both seek a conceptual foundation upon which the profession may be structured to achieve its highest ideals
Abstract 1157: Differential effects of aluminum exposure on epithelial and mesenchymal cells

Introduction: Aluminium [Al(III)] is the third most abundant element as well as the most abundant metal in the Earth9s crust. The human population is exposed to Al throughout daily life; in drinking water, food, via application of antiperspirants, use of antacids and vaccination. However, aluminum exposure has been linked to a variety of pathological disorders like anemia, osteomalacia , hepatic disorder, and neurological disorder. In addition, studies report that aluminum levels are higher in tumors, including breast cancers than in surrounding normal tissues. This suggests that aluminum accumulation may provide some selective advantage to the tumor. Methods/Results:To determine how aluminum affects cells that reside in mammary tissue, we studied the in vitro effects of Al exposure on human mammary epithelial cells and mesenchymal cells. Cells used in our study included hTERT-immortalized human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs), the immortalized human mammary epithelial cell line (MCF10A), hTERT-immortalized reduction mammary fibroblasts (RMF/EG) and a dermal-derived human fibroblast cell line (MSU1.1). Using the MTT assay we found that AlCl3 and AlOH3 salts inhibit the growth of the mammary epithelial cells causing complete inhibition of proliferation at doses around 1mM and decreased proliferation was observed at doses as low as 12.8 uM. Surprisingly at these doses, Al salts caused dose-dependent increase in proliferation the mesenchymal cells. The proliferative effect of Al on mesenchymal cells was confirmed using clonogenic assay. Flow cytometric evaluation of cell cycle using PI/BrdU incorporation demonstrated that in MSU1.1 cells exposed to AlOH3 for 48 hrs, the percentage of cells in S phase of the cell cycle nearly doubled as compared to untreated cells (P Conclusions: These data indicate that while Al salts induce dose dependent cytotoxicity in human epithelial cell lines, they induce proliferation of mesenchymal cells. The tumor microenvironment, including a proliferative stroma, is known to facilitate mammary carcinogenesis. Our data suggest that Al accumulation could promote the development of a permissive microenvironment. We are currently seeking to determine the mechanism for the differential effect of Al in cells and whether this effect influences transformation or carcinogenesis. Citation Format: Manar A. AbdelMageed, Parthena Foltopoulou, Monica Betancur-Boissel, Elizabeth A. McNiel. Differential effects of aluminum exposure on epithelial and mesenchymal cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1157. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1157
Activation of antibacterial prodrugs by peptide deformylase

5'-Dipeptidyl derivatives of 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FdU) (1a-d) were synthesized. These compounds are biologically inactive but can be activated by peptide deformylase, which removes the N-terminal formyl group of the dipeptide, to release the active drug FdU via an intramolecular cyclization reaction. Because the deformylase is ubiquitous among bacteria but absent in mammalian cells, 1a-d provide a novel class of potential antibacterial agents.
Human Factors at the Department of Energy National Laboratories: An Integrated Lecture-Poster Session

After World War II, a system of national laboratories was created to foster a suitable environment for scientific research. Today, human factors activities are in evidence at most of the nine U.S. Department of Energy multi-program national laboratories as well as at a number of “special program” facilities. In this integrated lecture-poster session, the opening and closing lecture presentations–providing historical and future perspectives, respectively–surround a “thematic poster session” conducted by representatives from six multi-program and two special program laboratories.
Separation and identification of aromatic acids in soil and the Everglades sediment samples using solid-phase microextraction followed by capillary zone electrophoresis

The separation and identification of aromatic acids in soil and the Everglades sediment samples was carried out using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) followed by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). The soil and sediment samples were subject to a series of sample treatments including oxidative hydrolysis with molecular oxygen in a sodium hydroxide solution, acidification and filtration. The aromatic acids in the sample filtrate were extracted using SPME with a polyacrylate-coated fiber. The acids adsorbed on the fiber were subsequently desorbed in methanol. The desorbed acids were then separated by CZE. Several aromatic acids (e.g., salicylic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid and vanillic acid) in both soil and sediment samples were separated, identified and quantified. The results of this study show that the combination of SPME with CZE is promising for environmental analysis.
P02.33. Effects of inpatient integrative medicine on pain and anxiety in an acute cardiovascular population

Methods Primary observational data were collected on 280 inpatient admissions that: (1) had a primary diagnosis of ischemic heart disease, acute cardiovascular (CV) disease, or other forms of heart disease, and (2) were seen by IM staff at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. IM providers collected data before and after each treatment session; primary outcomes were pre and post-treatment pain and anxiety scores using a 0-10 numeric self-report intensity scale. Data were retrospectively analyzed from the IM database after electronic health record extraction for calendar year 2010. Chi-square tests were used to test for significant differences in the percentage of patients with acute cardiovascular conditions who received specific IM therapies, while paired t-tests were used to test for significant differences in mean pain and anxiety score changes in the same population.
Measurement of the Absolute Hohlraum-Wall Albedo under Ignition Foot Drive Conditions

We present the first measurements of the absolute albedos of hohlraums made from gold or from high-Z mixtures. The measurements are performed over the range of radiation temperatures (70-100 eV) expected during the foot of an indirect-drive temporally-shaped ignition laser pulse, where accurate knowledge of the wall albedo (i.e. soft x-ray wall re-emission) is most critical for determining capsule radiation symmetry. We find that the gold albedo agrees well with calculations using the super transition array opacity model, potentially providing additional margin for ICF ignition.
Sedimentary records of non-Aroclor and Aroclor PCB mixtures in the Great Lakes

Three sediment cores from Lake Ontario, Lake Erie and Indiana Harbor Ship Canal were collected, segmented and analyzed for Aroclor and non-Aroclor polychlorinated biphenyl congeners (PCBs). PCBs associated with the commercially produced Aroclor mixtures 1248 and 1254 dominate the sediment signal and the sum of all congeners (ΣPCB) peaks in concentration and accumulation around 1970 in the Great Lakes. This trend is very similar to Aroclor production history. In the Indiana Harbor Ship Canal, PCBs appear around 1935 and remain at very high levels between 1940 and 1980, probably reflecting the history of use at the nearby steel mill. In contrast, the non-Aroclor PCBs in the Lake Ontario and IHSC sediment cores, including PCB11 and heavily chlorinated congeners PCB206, 207, 208 and 209 reach a peak in the 1950s, decline and peak again in the 1970s or in the early 1980s. All five congeners have been previously measured in commercial paint pigment. PCB11 was found to peak about 5 years later than ΣPCBs, and is probably associated with the production or use history of diarylide yellow pigments. The temporal distribution profiles of these non-Aroclor PCBs are well correlated with the production history of paint pigments and dyes. Although it is well known that the production of Aroclor PCBs is preserved in Great Lakes sediments, this study is the first to show that production of non-Aroclors are also preserved in the sediments as a record of long term trends in environmental exposure.
All-Payer Hospital Rate-Setting in Maryland: Reinvent or Deregulate?

This paper explores the reinvention of a state rate-setting agency in the face of competitive market forces from the viewpoint of sense-making theory. It argues that sense-making presents a useful framework for understanding how regulation can coexist with competitive forces to achieve cost-containment goals. This case of a statewide hospital rate-setting agency reveals the role of cultural differences between market forces and a state regulatory agency in forming a statewide partnership to maintain rate setting as a state-level policy tool. The results of initial sense-making of various hospital cost issues by both public and private sector actors are contrasted with the common, constructed meaning on these issues that can arise from mutual communication. The study concludes that an understanding of the process of organizational sense-making offers state regulators practical utility in considering the redesign of an organization.
Infrared spectroscopic characterization of oriented polyamide 66: Band assignment and crystallinity measurement

Having found much ambiguity in the infrared band assignments for polyamide 66 (PA66), we revisited some of these assignments before using infrared spectroscopy to assess microstructure changes resulting from multiple thermal treatments. We discovered that earlier assignments of the 1144 and 1180 cm -1 bands to the amorphous (noncrystalline) phase were incorrect, whereas the bands at 924 and 1136 cm -1 can be attributed unambiguously to the noncrystalline phase. We also confirmed that PA66 bands at 936 and 1200 cm -1 are crystalline bands. The normalized absorbance of the 1224-cm 1 fold band increases in proportion to crystallinity, indicating that chain folding is the predominant mechanism of thermal crystallization in PA66. We demonstrated that infrared spectroscopy can be used to estimate the degree of crystallinity of PA66, and two methods were explored. One is a calibration method in which the band ratio of 1200 and 1630 cm -1 is plotted against crystallinity measured by density. The other is an independent infrared method based on the assumption that PA66 satisfies a two-phase structure model. The crystallinity determined by the independent infrared method showed good agreement with the crystallinity obtained from density measurements.
A multi-layer, data-driven advanced reasoning tool for intelligent data mining and analysis for smart grids

This paper presents the multi-layer, data-driven advanced reasoning tool (M-DART), a proof-of-principle decision support tool for improved power system operation. M-DART will cross-correlate and examine different data sources to assess anomalies, infer root causes, and anneal data into actionable information. By performing higher-level reasoning “triage” of diverse data sources, M-DART focuses on early detection of emerging power system events and identifies highest priority actions for the human decision maker. M-DART represents a significant advancement over today's grid monitoring technologies that apply offline analyses to derive model-based guidelines for online real-time operations and use isolated data processing mechanisms focusing on individual data domains. The development of the M-DART will bridge these gaps by reasoning about results obtained from multiple data sources that are enabled by the smart grid infrastructure. This hybrid approach integrates a knowledge base that is trained offline but tuned online to capture model-based relationships while revealing complex causal relationships among data from different domains.
A teratocarcinoma-derived endoderm stem cell line (1H5) that can differentiate into extra-embryonic endoderm cell types.

Abstract We investigated the ability of the teratocarcinoma-derived, epithelial-type cell line 1H5 to differentiate into either of the two pathways to primary endoderm, and tested the hypothesis that 1H5 represents a state similar to primitive endoderm in the late 4th-day blastocyst. Like other endodermal cell types, 1H5 cells mixed with embryonal-carcinoma cells sort out into “embryoid bodies” or structures that resemble 4th-day mouse embryos. The epithelial line conforms morphologically and biochemically to the few known characteristics typical of primitive endoderm. The present study demonstrates that the formation in vitro of overt visceral endoderm is readily achieved. The spontaneous arrangement of the cells into a cystic form is followed by the appearance of several markers of visceral endoderm, most notably alphafetoprotein, which is detected when 1H5 cells are cultured either in the presence of retinoic acid or when the cells interact with embryonal-carcinoma cells in a specific spatial arrangement after sorting out. However, some less specific properties of visceral endoderm are not expressed. Although 1H5 differentiates histologically into parietal-like endoderm in the tumor form, parietal cells cannot yet be identified with certainty in vitro because of the paucity of parietal-specific markers. The 1H5 cell line could provide a useful system for studying the characteristics and mechanisms underlying visceral-endoderm differentiation in vitro, since it has the distinct advantage that homogeneous cultures are produced, in contrast to other teratocarcinoma cell lines such as F9 which differentiate into a mixture of cell types.
Chordoma: A Case with Unusual Endocrine Findings

Chordoma is the term applied by Ribbert (1) to those rare and invariably fatal tumors which arise from remnants of the fetal notochord. Williams (2) demonstrated the positions and limits of the notochord by reconstructions, and it is now known that remnants of that structure may be demonstrated from the spheno-occipital cartilaginous union to the sacrococcygeal region. Tissue proliferations resembling chordoma have been produced by puncturing the intervertebral discs of rabbits (1). Case reviews have been presented by Stewart and Morin (3), Coenen (4), Mabrey, (5), and others, but no instance of endocrine imbalance has been previously recorded in association with chordoma. Incidence The sites of occurrence of chordoma, as expected, range from the cranial and vertebral to the sacrococcygeal regions. The approximate ratio of occurrence in these regions is, cranial 5, vertebral 1.5, sacrococcygeal 9. While chordoma may occur at any age and in either sex, the sacrococcygeal type has its highest incidence in males and females between the ages of fifty and seventy. Mabrey (5) found the average age of incidence of the sphenooccipital type to be between thirty and fifty. The average age of onset of the sacrococcygeal type appears to be about fifty years in the male and forty-three years in the female, while the spheno-occipital type has its highest incidence at an average of forty years. Symptoms and Diagnosis Symptoms are usually present in the average case about two to three years before the patient seeks medical attention. The symptoms are not characteristic of chordoma but rather apply to neoplasms in the areas affected. These are, for the sacrococcygeal type, pain, tumor, and constipation with occasional occult blood and urinary disturbances. The spheno-occipital type, because of the location, may give rise to headaches, visual disturbances, or other signs of brain tumors, due to pressure, erosion, and invasion. The chief symptom of the vertebral chordoma is pain, with pressure effects involving the nerve roots.
A Simple Procedure for the Solution of Three-Dimensional Wheel/Rail Conformal Contact Problem

This paper describes a simple and efficient procedure for the treatment of conformal contact conditions with special emphasis on railroad wheel/rail contacts. The general three-dimensional nonconformal contact conditions are briefly reviewed. These nonconformal contact conditions, which are widely used in many applications because of their generality, allow for predicting online one point of contact, provided that the two surfaces in contact satisfy certain geometric requirements. These nonconformal contact conditions fail when the solution is not unique as the result of using conformal surface profiles or surface flatness, situations often encountered in many applications including railroad wheel/rail contacts. In these cases, the Jacobian matrix obtained from the differentiation of the nonconformal contact conditions with respect to the surface parameters suffer from singularity that causes interruption of the computer simulations. The singularities and the fundamental issues that arise in the case of conformal contact are discussed, and a simple and computationally efficient procedure for avoiding such singularities in general multibody systems (MBS) algorithms is proposed. In order to demonstrate the use of the proposed procedure, the wheel climb of a wheelset as the result of an external lateral force is considered as an example. In this example, the wheel and rail profiles lead to conformal contact scenarios that could not be simulated using the nonconformal contact conditions.
A meta-analysis of the convergent validity of self-control measures

There is extraordinary diversity in how the construct of self-control is operationalized in research studies. We meta-analytically examined evidence of convergent validity among executive function, delay of gratification, and self- and informant-report questionnaire measures of self-control. Overall, measures demonstrated moderate convergence (rrandom = .27 [95% CI = .24, .30]; rfixed = .34 [.33, .35], k = 282 samples, N = 33,564 participants), although there was substantial heterogeneity in the observed correlations. Correlations within and across types of self-control measures were strongest for informant-report questionnaires and weakest for executive function tasks. Questionnaires assessing sensation seeking impulses could be distinguished from questionnaires assessing processes of impulse regulation. We conclude that self-control is a coherent but multidimensional construct best assessed using multiple methods.
Regulation of human stearoyl-CoA desaturase by omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids: Implications for the dietary management of elevated serum triglycerides

Background Polyunsaturated fatty acids lower serum triglycerides by a mechanism that may involve the inhibition of stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD). Objective We sought to evaluate the effects of serum fatty acids on 1) the SCD index in a controlled clinical setting, and 2) SCD regulation in Hep G2 cells. Methods The SCD index was determined in 23 subjects randomly sequenced through 3 diets for 6 weeks in a crossover study. Diets were variably enriched with n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids; notably, monounsaturated fatty acids were held constant. Effects of linoleic acid (LA), α-linolenic acid (ALA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on mRNA levels of SCD, fatty acid elongases 5 and 6 (Elovl5 and Elovl6), fatty acid synthase, carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1, and sterol response element binding protein-1c were investigated in Hep G2 cells after 24-hour incubations. Results The SCD indexes C18:1/18:0 and C16:1/C16:0 were significantly ( P 2 values of 0.71 and 0.58. The correlation was negatively associated with LA and positively associated with ALA. LA and EPA decreased SCD mRNA (EC 50 of 0.50 and 1.67μM), whereas ALA did not. Likewise, LA and EPA decreased sterol response element binding protein-1c mRNA (EC 50 of 0.78 and 1.78μM), but ALA did not. Similar results were observed for Elovl6. GW9662, a peroxisome proliferation activator receptor antagonist, did not obviate the effects of LA and EPA on SCD mRNA. Conclusions Diets enriched in LA, ALA, and by metabolic inference EPA, can regulate SCD activity at the level of transcription, a nutritional intervention that may be useful in the management of increased levels of serum triglycerides in cardiometabolic disorders.