cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prospective Evaluation of the Embolic Agent Bead Block in the Treatment of Uterine Leiomyomas with Uterine Artery Embolization: A Phase II Study

Purpose To assess symptom reduction and follow-up magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings in patients who have undergone uterine artery embolization (UAE) for symptomatic leiomyomas with the use of Bead Block. Materials and Methods Symptomatic patients with uterine leiomyomas were treated with UAE with Bead Block. Degree of tumor infarction was assessed 3 months after treatment with contrast material–enhanced MR imaging. Each case was categorized as showing less than 25% infarction, 25%–89% infarction, or at least 90% infarction. Imaging-based failure was defined as tumor infarction of less than 90% (12). Symptom and quality status were determined by scores from symptom and quality of life (QOL) and health-related QOL questionnaires collected 1 and 3 months after embolization. Results This prospective trial enrolled 23 patients. Three-month follow-up MR imaging was completed in 22 patients. Tumor necrosis of 90% or greater occurred in 10 of 22 patients (45%), and 12 (54%) had partial necrosis of 25%–89%. The QOL subscale evaluation showed significant reduction of symptom severity from baseline to 1 month after treatment ( P P = .42). Because of the unacceptably high imaging failure rate of 54%, enrollment was terminated before the anticipated 30-patient goal. Conclusions The use of Bead Block in the manner described resulted in significant clinical improvement. However, there was an unacceptably high rate of imaging failure under the existing protocol. Modification of the existing protocol should be considered.
A Metallo-Thermomechanically Coupled Analysis of Orthogonal Cutting of AISI 1045 Steel

Materials often behave in a complicated manner involving deeply coupled effects among stress/stain, temperature and microstructure during a machining process. This paper is concerned with prediction of the phase change effect on orthogonal cutting of AISI 1045 steel based on a true metallo-thermo-mechanical coupled analysis. A metallo-thermo-mechanical coupled material model is developed, and a finite element model is used to solve the evolution of phase constituents, cutting temperature, chip morphology, and cutting force simultaneously using ABAQUS. The model validity is assessed using the experimental data for orthogonal cutting of AISI 1045 steel under various conditions, with cutting speeds ranging from 198 to 879 m/min, feeds from 0.1 to 0.3 mm, and tool rake angles from −7° to 5°. A good agreement is achieved in chip formation, cutting force and cutting temperature between the model predictions and the experimental data.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Massive transfusion in dogs: 15 cases (1997-2001).

Objective—To determine clinical characteristics of dogs that received massive transfusion and identify the underlying diseases, complications, and outcomes. Design—Retrospective study. Animals—15 dogs. Procedure—Medical records of dogs receiving a massive blood transfusion were evaluated for transfusion volume, underlying disease process or injury, benefits and complications of transfusion, and outcome. A massive transfusion was defined as transfusion of a volume of blood products in excess of the patient's estimated blood volume (90 ml/kg [40 ml/lb]) in a 24-hour period or transfusion of a volume of blood products in excess of half the patient's estimated blood volume in a 3-hour period. Results—Six dogs had intra-abdominal neoplasia resulting in hemoabdomen, 3 had suffered a traumatic incident resulting in hemoabdomen, and 6 had nontraumatic, non-neoplastic blood loss. Mean volumes of packed RBC and fresh-frozen plasma administered were 66.5 ml/kg (30 ml/lb) and 22.2 ml/kg (10 ml/lb), respectively. All ...
Serial replica exchange.

Parallel tempering (or the replica exchange method (REM)) is a powerful method for speeding up the sampling of conformational states of systems with rough energy landscapes, like proteins, where stable conformational states can be separated by large energy barriers. The usual implementation of the REM is performed on local computer clusters (or parallel processors) where the different replicas must be run synchronously. Here, we present serial replica exchange (SREM), a method that is equivalent to the standard REM in terms of efficiency yet runs asynchronously on a distributed network of computers. A second advantage is the method's greatly enhanced fault tolerance, which enables the study of biological systems on worldwide distributed computing environments, such as Folding@Home.1 For proof of concept, we apply the SREM to a single alanine dipeptide molecule in explicit water. We show that the SREM reproduces the thermodynamic and structural properties determined by the REM.
Optimization algorithm to choose the region of support in a filter whose entries are zero or continuous phase

An algorithm to choose the region of support in a filter whose entries are either 0 or a continuous phase is presented. Such filters will be termed ZAP filters since their entries come from the set consisting of 0 and phases (complex numbers of modulus one). This paper is an immediate sequel to ideas presented previously. As in this previuos work, the algorithm involves a simple thresholding technique applied to the general spatial filter whose design is described. In the technique described the choice of threshold is made by the user in an ad hoc manner. Here the optimal threshold is chosen to be that threshold whose selection results are sometimes surprising. Examples of such are presented here. Having fixed those pixels which are 0 in the ZAP filter, one can then view the remaining phases as free parameters and design a good ZAP filter by optimizing the filter's signal-to-clutter ratio using the author's techniques. One can then optimally discretize this ZAP filter into one whose entries are 0 or one of the nth roots of unity. For example, ternary (o, +1, and -1) filters are of this form as are filters whose entries are 0 and the fifteenth roots of unity. These ideas form the basis for a sequence of computer codes which provide a completely automatic way to start with a training set of true and false targets of any size and automatically and without human intervention produce optimized filters for use in extent and future optical correlators.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Early stage chip/package/board co-design techniques for system-on-chip

With the advancements in semiconductor process technologies in recent years, many circuits are mounted on small dies and the number of interface pins has rapidly increased. The demand for smaller chip/package sizes has come about in order to reduce costs. This paper describes the early stage chip/package/board co-design techniques which reduce chip and package size by cutting down the number of PDN (Power Distribution Network) pads/balls and improve the routability of the package. The key techniques are early stage package/board properties estimation and IR drop estimation. These techniques have a good degree of accuracy even at early stage estimation and a short processing time. From experimental result using a 45-nm process TEG (Test Element Group) chip, the package size was reduced by 21.5%, and the chip size was reduced by 16.4% in comparison with the original design which was designed conventional techniques. The experimental result demonstrates the validation of the proposed techniques.
How Tumor Stage Affects Surgeons' Surveillance Strategies After Lung Cancer Surgery

The factors that influence decision making among surgeons are not well understood. We evaluated how tumor stage in patients subjected to potentially curative surgery for lung cancer affects the self-reported follow-up strategies employed by practicing surgeons. Hypothetical patient profiles and a detailed questionnaire based on these profiles were mailed to the 3,700 members of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. The effect of TNM stage on the surveillance strategies chosen by the respondents was analyzed. All of the ten most commonly employed surveillance modalities were ordered significantly more frequently with increasing TNM stage, although the differences are small. Only 23% of respondents modified their strategies according to the patient's TNM stage. This effect persisted through 5 years of follow-up. We conclude that most surgeons performing surveillance after potentially curative surgery for otherwise healthy patients with lung cancer use the same follow-up strategy irrespective of TNM stage. These data should help in the design of prospective trials of this topic.
The Regulation of 24,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Production in Cultures of Monkey Kidney Cells11

Primary kidney cell cultures from normal rhesus monkeys were used to study the regulation of 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 production. Kidney cells were grown to confluency in the modified National Cancer Institute Medium NCTC 135 with 2% fetal calf serum and then maintained in a serum-free medium (2% bovine serum albumin) for five additional days prior to a study of regulation. Morphologically, 80% of the cultured cells were epithelial in nature. These cells produced 24,25- dihydroxy-[3H] vitamin D3 from 25-hydroxy-[3H]- vitamin D3. The identity of the 24,25-dihydroxy- [3H]vitamin D3 was established by Sephadex LH- 20 chromatography, by co-chromatography with authentic 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on high pressure liquid columns, and by periodate sensitivity. Bovine parathyroid hormone at a level of 3 U/ml or human 1–34 parathyroid hormone at 0.05 U/ml for five days suppressed 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 production. Nonradioactive 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (13 pmol/ml) added once every two days for eight days led ...
Magnetic anisotropy and paleomagnetic inclination shallowing in red beds: Evidence from the Mississippian Mauch Chunk Formation, Pennsylvania

[1] Red, hematite-bearing sedimentary rocks are an important source of paleomagnetic data, particularly for continental apparent polar wander paths during the Paleozoic. This study presents magnetic anisotropy data from the Mississippian Mauch Chunk Formation of eastern Pennsylvania, indicating that these red beds have suffered from a significant amount of paleomagnetic inclination shallowing. Fourteen oriented block samples were collected from normal and reversed polarity strata identified in a previous study. Thermal demagnetization isolated the characteristic remanent magnetization at seven normal polarity horizons at unblocking temperatures greater than 670°C (mean direction, D = 354.0°, I = −18.4°, α95 = 10.2°). Anisotropy of remanence measurements (anisotropy of isothermal remanent magnetization and thermal remanent magnetization) indicate a bedding parallel, foliated magnetic fabric with foliations ranging from 1.1 to 1.35. Thermal demagnetization at 670°C of the isothermal remanent magnetization isolates the magnetic fabric of the characteristic remanence-carrying grains and indicates stronger foliations (1.15–1.48). Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) also indicates bedding parallel magnetic foliations of 1.01–1.04, typical of red beds. Chemical leaching isolates the AMS of the characteristic remanence-carrying grains to range from 1.02 to 1.07. This AMS fabric was used to correct the characteristic remanence inclination isolated by thermal demagnetization. The critical parameter needed for an accurate inclination correction, the individual particle anisotropy aχ, was determined from the correlation between the normalized principal axes of remanence and susceptibility anisotropy to be 1.06. The corrected Mauch Chunk direction, D = 354.5°, I = −56.4° results in a corrected Mauch Chunk Formation paleopole (12°N, 108°E) that is consistent with a European igneous paleopole.
Diffusional transport and predicting oxidative failure during cyclic oxidation of β-NiAl alloys

Abstract Nickel aluminides (NiAl) containing 40–50 at.% Al and up to 0.1 at.% Zr have been studied following cyclic oxidation at 1200, 1300, 1350 and 1400°C. The selective oxidation of aluminum resulted in the formation of protective Al2O3 scales on each alloy composition at each temperature. However, repeated cycling eventually resulted in the gradual formation of less protective NiAl2O4. The appearance of the niAl2O4, signaling the end of the protective scale-forming capability of the alloy, was related to the presence of γ′-(Ni3Al) which formed as a result of the loss of aluminum from the sample. A simple methodology is presented to predict the protective life of β-NiAl alloys. This method predicts the oxidative lifetime due to aluminum depletion when the aluminum concentration decreases to a critical concentration. The time interval preceding NiAl2O4 formation (i.e. the lifetime based on protective Al2O3 formation) and predicted lifetimes are compared and discussed. Use of the method to predict the maximum use temperature for NiAlZr alloys is also discussed.
Hepatobiliary complications in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection

Abstract Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has been associated with a number of hepatic and biliary tract disorders. Case reports, series of liver biopsies, and postmortem studies that examined the hepatobiliary system were retrieved with a MEDLARS search and form the basis of this review. The liver and biliary tract are frequently involved with opportunistic infections (most commonly mycobacteria and cytomegalovirus) and neoplasms (mainly Kaposi's sarcoma) in patients with HIV infection. The patients are often asymptomatic but may have elevated levels of serum liver enzymes. These abnormalities are nonspecific. Sulfa drugs, pentamidine, and ketoconazole are the medications used in HIV-related infections that are most likely to result in abnormalities on liver tests. Acalculous cholecystitis and sclerosing cholangitis also occur in HIV infection. Cytomegalovirus and Cryptosporidium are the organisms most commonly associated with these conditions. Imaging studies of the liver may detect parenchymal abnormalities and guide liver biopsy. The role of this procedure in the diagnosis of opportunistic infections and neoplasms is controversial because these lesions are generally disseminated at the time liver abnormalities are evident. A liver biopsy is best used when other less invasive procedures have failed to provide a diagnosis. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is a useful diagnostic procedure with therapeutic potential in patients with abdominal pain, fever, or an elevated serum alkaline phosphatase level.
The Challenge of Simple Questions: Positioning Refugee Mental Health in the Global Health Agenda

To position refugee mental health more effectively on the developing global health and humanitarian agendas requires effective communication in policy‐making processes. The capacity to answer three simple but demanding questions arguably determines the readiness of those working in this field to seek such influence. Reviewing current knowledge on the global context of refugee mental health with respect to the questions ‘What is the need?’, ‘What can we do about it?’ and ‘Will it work?’ suggests significant conceptual advance in this area over the last decade, and increasing consensus on broad intervention strategy. It remains important to document impact more effectively, however, if policy‐makers are to be persuaded to invest more resources in promoting mental health interventions with displaced and war‐affected populations.
Model equations for the Eiffel Tower profile: historical perspective and new results

Model equations for the shape of the Eiffel Tower are investigated. One model purported to be based on Eiffel's writing does not give a tower with the correct curvature. A second popular model not connected with Eiffel's writings provides a fair approximation to the tower's skyline profile of 29 contiguous panels. Reported here is a third model derived from Eiffel's concern about wind loads on the tower, as documented in his communication to the French Civil Engineering Society on 30 March 1885. The result is a nonlinear, integro-differential equation which is solved to yield an exponential tower profile. It is further verified that, as Eiffel wrote, “in reality the curve exterior of the tower reproduces, at a determined scale, the same curve of the moments produced by the wind”. An analysis of the actual tower profile shows that it is composed of two piecewise continuous exponentials with different growth rates. This is explained by specific safety factors for wind loading that Eiffel & Company incorporated in the design of the free-standing tower. To cite this article: P. Weidman, I. Pinelis, C. R. Mecanique 332 (2004).
A Hopeful Vision of Food in Africa

Drawing on case studies from Africa and successes in developing countries, Juma describes policy and institutional changes for improving Africa9s agricultural output and economies.
Modeled structure of the 75‐kDa neurotrophin receptor

Motifs in ligand-binding domains of the neurotrophin (NTR) and lymphotoxin (TNFR-I) receptors define a family of receptors that mediates programmed cell death. We have explored relationships of architecture and function in this family through a molecular model of NTR, also called p75NGFR or LANR. Modeling by homology took advantage of four modular subdomains in the crystal structure of TNFR-I that also occur in NTR. Hypothetical complexes between the model and a ligand structure (for nerve growth factor, NGF) were then examined using docking software. NTR appears to bind in the dimer interface of NGF, making two sets of contacts. NTR subdomains III and IV provide the ligand-contact surfaces, in contrast to TNFR, in which subdomains II and III contact TNF-beta. NTR subdomain II appears to have been evolutionarily modified, potentially contributing to an interface between receptor subunits. These and other specific predictions of the model will require experimental confirmation.
Social capital and relational coordination in outpatient clinics: An interprofessional analysis

Coordination is a vital component in healthcare provision and teamwork. Relational coordination (RC) represents a type of informal coordination reinforced by communication and supportive relationships. It is an important concept in the study of interprofessional team performance and is associated with improved patient care outcomes. However, little is known about the specific relational characteristics that contribute to higher levels of RC. This study examined the association between social capital (resources embedded within relationships) and RC in outpatient clinics. RC was hypothesized to be predicted by social capital. In addition, social capital was hypothesized to be predicted by team tenure, and RC was hypothesized to be predicted by formal coordination mechanisms. A cross-sectional design was used to survey a random sample of 342 physicians and nurses from outpatient clinics. Study variables were measured using previously validated instruments with acceptable levels of reliability and validity. Structural equation modeling was used for hypothesis testing. Final analysis revealed a good fit of data to the hypothesized model (comparative fit index = 0.966; standardized root mean square residual = 0.0316). Results suggested that social capital predicted both factors of RC (b = 0.70 and 0.81, p < 0.001) and team tenure predicted social capital (b = 0.13, p < 0.05). Also, the association between team tenure and RC (b = 0.09, p < 0.05) was found to be partially mediated by social capital. Findings of this study suggest that characteristics within relational ties are predictive of informal coordination. The strength and pattern of these associations provide a better understanding in how relationships may facilitate interprofessional teamwork.
The Human Papillomavirus E7 Oncoprotein Functionally Interacts with the S4 Subunit of the 26 S Proteasome

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) have been etiologically linked to human cervical cancer. More than 90% of cervical cancer tissues express two HPV-encoded oncoproteins E6 and E7. Both E6 and E7 proteins possess transformation activity. and together they cooperate to transform primary human keratinocytes, fibroblasts. and epithelial cells. The transforming activity of E7 is associated with its ability to bind the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein (Rb). However, the carboxyl-terminal mutants of E7 are also defective for transformation, suggesting that other cellular targets for E7 might exist. We screened a human placenta cDNA library by yeast two-hybrid assay using HPV 16 E7 as a bait and identified the subunit 4 (S4) ATPase of the 26 S proteasome as a novel E7-binding protein. E7 binds to S4 through the carboxyl-terminal zinc binding motif, and the binding is independent of E7 sequences involved in binding to Rb. The interaction between S4 and E7 can be easily detected by in vitro protein binding assays. Moreover, we found that E7 increases the ATPase activity of S4. A recent study has shown that, in epithelial cells, E7 degrades Rb through the 26 S proteasome pathway. We hypothesize that E7 might target Rb for degradation by 26 S proteasome through its interaction with the subunit 4 of the proteasome.
Deletion of Ac‐NMePhe1 from [NMePhe1]arodyn under acidic conditions, part 2: Effects of cleavage conditions and N‐terminal functionality

Peptides containing N-methylamino acids can exhibit improved pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profiles compared to nonmethylated peptides, and therefore interest in these N-methylated peptides has been increasing in recent years. Arodyn (Ac[Phe¹,²,³,Arg⁴,D-Ala⁸]Dyn A(1-11)NH₂) is an acetylated dynorphin A(Dyn A) analog that is a potent and selective κ opioid receptor antagonist (Bennett et al., J Med Chem 2002, 45, 5617), and its analog [NMePhe¹]arodyn shows even higher affinity and selectivity for κ opioid receptors (Bennett et al., J Pept Res 2005, 65, 322). During the synthesis of [NMePhe¹]arodyn analogs, the arodyn-(2-11) derivatives were obtained as major products. Analysis indicated that Ac-NMePhe was lost from the completed peptide sequence during acidic cleavage of the peptides from the resin and that the acetyl group played an important role in this side reaction. Different cleavage conditions were evaluated to minimize this side reaction and maximize the yield of pure [NMePhe¹]arodyn analogs. Modifications to the N-terminus of the peptides to prevent the side reaction were also explored. The incorporation of a heteroatom-containing group such as methoxycarbonyl as the N-terminal functionality prevented this side reaction, while the incorporation of a bulky acyl group could not. Substituting NMePhe with the conformationally constrained analog Tic (1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid) also prevented the side reaction.
Pb isotopic tracers of the Cretaceous‐Tertiary extinction event

The global excess of Ir in sediments at the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary has been attributed to either a meteorite impact or enhanced volcanism (e.g. Deccan Traps). The isotopic composition of Pb associated with this Ir provides a test of these hypotheses because meteoritic Pb is isotopically quite distinct from Pb of volcanic or continental origin. Pb abundances and isotopic compositions of pelagic oozes from DSDP Site 577A (Shatsky Rise, NW Pacific) measured in this study show little change over the deposition interval of Ir-rich sediment (∼10 cm). However, a Pb enriched layer with a more radiogenic isotopic composition is found in the basal ∼0.5 cm of the Tertiary. These observations appear to preclude the Ir excess in these sediments originating as impact fallout from a stony meteorite although an iron meteorite impactor cannot be excluded. Any Pb flux accompanying Ir in volcanogenic aerosols from the Deccan Traps should be considerable. However, the boundary Pb ‧spike‧ does not isotopically resemble known Deccan Trap lavas. There is isotopic overlap with coal ash although the lack of correlation between soot and Pb abundance precludes any simple relationship between the two. Overall, any wind pattern changes following the K-T ‧event‧ were apparently short-lived as neither airborne sources of Pb nor their magnitude to the then central Pacific were affected while the Ir enriched sediments were being laid down.
The initial lift and drag of an impulsively started airfoil of finite thickness

The method of apparent masses is utilized to compute the initial lift and drag of an airfoil that starts impulsively from rest. Analytical solutions are obtained for in viscid incompressible flow past a slightly cambered airfoil at a small angle of attack. For a Joukowski airfoil with a cusped trailing edge, it is found that increasing camber or angle of attack will cause increases in both initial lift and drag, whereas increasing thickness will result in an opposite effect. Effects of trailing-edge angle are examined by considering the symmetric Karman-Trefftz airfoil. The result shows that both lift and drag vanish at the initial instant if the airfoil has a finite trailing-edge angle.
Recent developments in the production of liquid fuels via catalytic conversion of microalgae: experiments and simulations

Due to continuing high demand, depletion of non-renewable resources and increasing concerns about climate change, the use of fossil fuel-derived transportation fuels faces relentless challenges both from a world markets and an environmental perspective. The production of renewable transportation fuel from microalgae continues to attract much attention because of its potential for fast growth rates, high oil content, ability to grow in unconventional scenarios, and inherent carbon neutrality. Moreover, the use of microalgae would minimize “food versus fuel” concerns associated with several biomass strategies, as microalgae do not compete with food crops in the food chain. This paper reviews the progress of recent research on the production of transportation fuels via homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic conversions of microalgae. This review also describes the development of tools that may allow for a more fundamental understanding of catalyst selection and conversion processes using computational modelling. The catalytic conversion reaction pathways that have been investigated are fully discussed based on both experimental and theoretical approaches. Finally, this work makes several projections for the potential of various thermocatalytic pathways to produce alternative transportation fuels from algae, and identifies key areas where the authors feel that computational modelling should be directed to elucidate key information to optimize the process.
Patterns of usage in an enterprise file-sharing service: publicizing, discovering, and telling the news

How do people use an enterprise file-sharing service? We describe patterns of usage in a social file-sharing service that was deployed in a large multinational enterprise. Factor analyses revealed four factors: Upload & Publicize (regarding one's own files); Annotate & Watch (add information to files and maintain awareness); Discover & Tell (find files uploaded by other users, and communicate to additional users about those files); and Refind (re-use one's own files). We explore the attributes of users who score highly on each of these factors, and we propose implications for design to encourage innovation in usage.
Effective smoking intervention during pregnancy.

ABSTRACT: About one-third of women enter their pregnancies as smokers. Attempts to help those who do not quit on their own have not been effective. As part of a 3-year study to test the hypothesis that smoking reduction during pregnancy improves the birthweight of the infant (an hypothesis which was confirmed), a smoking intervention program was developed that resulted in a twofold increase in the percentage of women who stopped smoking cigarettes during their pregnancy. There was no comparative evaluation of the different kinds of intervention activities that were used, but because they were successful in the aggregate, they are described here and a judgment made of the effectiveness of the different components. The main method of contact for the counseling was a single face-to-face session at the smoker's home, followed by frequent phone contacts. Although information was given on the risks of smoking during pregnancy, the emphasis was on how to stop through the use of behavioral skills such as developing commitment, self-monitoring, stimulus control, substitute and incompatible behaviors, and positive associations with not smoking. A series of contacts through mailed information was maintained throughout the pregnancy. The findings have implications for strengthening the intervention activities that are presently offered to pregnant smokers.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 neutralization measured by flow cytometric quantitation of single-round infection of primary human T cells.

There is currently intensive research on the design of novel human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vaccine immunogens that can elicit potent neutralizing antibodies. A prerequisite for comparing and optimizing these strategies is the ability to precisely measure neutralizing antibody responses. To this end, we sought to develop an assay that directly quantifies single-round HIV-1 infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Initial experiments demonstrated that essentially all productively infected PBMC could be identified by flow cytometric detection of intracellular p24 antigen (p24-Ag). After infection of PBMC with HIV-1, p24+ lymphocytes could be distinguished beginning 1 day postinfection, and the majority of CD8− T cells were p24-Ag positive by 3 to 4 days postinfection. To directly quantify first-round infection, we included a protease inhibitor in PBMC cultures. The resulting 2-day assay was highly sensitive and specific for the detection of HIV-1-infected PBMC. Serial dilutions of virus stocks demonstrated that the number of target cells infected was directly related to the amount of infectious virus input into the assay. In neutralization assays, the flow cytometric enumeration of first-round infection of PBMC provided quantitative data on the number of target cells infected and on the inactivation of infectious virus due to reaction with antibody. We also used this single-round assay to compare the percentage of cells expressing p24-Ag to the number of copies of HIV-1 gag per 100 PBMC. The precision and reproducibility of this assay will facilitate the measurement of HIV-1 neutralization, particularly incrementally improved neutralizing antibody responses generated by new candidate vaccines.
Are Components of the Medical Home Differentially Associated With Child Health Care Utilization, Health, and Health Promoting Behavior Outcomes?

Objective. To determine if specific components of the medical home are differentially associated with beneficial child outcomes. Methods. Logistic regression was used to model each component (family-centeredness, comprehensive care, and care coordination) with health care utilization, child health, and health promoting behaviors in 81 232 subjects from the 2003 National Survey of Children’s Health. Results. Family-centeredness was associated with increased odds of children being read to (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.16). Comprehensive care was associated with decreased outpatient (aOR = 0.70) and emergency department (aOR = 0.79) sick visits and with increased child health per parental assessment (aOR = 1.50). Care coordination was associated with increased preventive care visits (aOR = 1.41) and increased outpatient (aOR = 1.21) and emergency department (aOR = 1.24) sick visits. Stratification by special health care needs demonstrated similar findings. Conclusions. Comprehensive care was associated with...
The theory of the electromagnetic self-force according to conformal symmetry

Writing a conformal invariant electrodynamics over space-time sphere space, suggested originally by the conformal invariance of the Maxwell theory, leads unambiguously to a mathematically nonsingular theory of the classical self-force. The new degree of freedom λ, geometrically the sphere radius, has the physical meaning of a minimum nonzero time lag in causal signal propagation. The nonsingular self-force, the absence of Coulomb infinities, the finite e.m. mass renormalization are directly due to the presence of λ. Conformal invariance essentially alone fixes the model of a finite particle, which is both «point» and «extended» at the same time, however «extended in time» rather than spatially. Only retarded fields are used, and no approximations are made. In the lowest orders of a perturbation theory in powers of the classical radius, one recovers the Lorentz equation and (with an important difference) the Lorentz-Dirac equation.
Screening for Long-Term Cardiac Status During Cancer Treatment

Advances in early cancer detection and treatment have resulted in patients living longer after diagnosis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1 about 12 million cancer patients survived in the United States in 2007, two thirds of whom were expected to live at least 5 years after the diagnosis. Article see p 596 With increases in survival time, the long-term adverse effects of various cancer treatments have become a subject of concern. Chemotherapeutic agents and radiation can cause several such effects; the cumulative incidence of chronic health conditions 30 years after cancer diagnosis can be as high as 75%.2 In particular, the number and severity of adverse cardiovascular effects increase with increasing doses of cardiotoxic chemotherapeutic agents3,4 as well as with increasing age,5,6 making these effects a large portion of these chronic health conditions. The onset of the cardiotoxic effects of cancer treatment can be early or late. Late effects usually manifest as dilated cardiomyopathy or arrhythmias. Diastolic dysfunction manifests earlier than any signs or symptoms of clinical heart failure. Given the incidence and timing of these effects, several echocardiographic measures and cardiac biomarkers have been proposed to identify and predict their long-term adverse cardiovascular outcomes. In this issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging , Sawaya et al7 tried to identify predictors of early-onset cardiotoxicity, which are those presenting during the first year after therapy. Among 81 women with newly diagnosed breast cancer related to human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 overexpression (positive) that had been treated with anthracyclines followed by taxanes and trastuzumab, 26 (32%) developed cardiotoxicity. The investigators used strain and strain-rate ultrasound imaging, which are echocardiographic modalities based on tissue Doppler imaging that can measure regional myocardial wall motion and assess left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic …
The Regulation of Skeletal Muscle Protein Turnover during the Progression of Cancer Cachexia in the ApcMin/+ Mouse

Muscle wasting that occurs with cancer cachexia is caused by an imbalance in the rates of muscle protein synthesis and degradation. The Apc(Min/+) mouse is a model of colorectal cancer that develops cachexia that is dependent on circulating IL-6. However, the IL-6 regulation of muscle protein turnover during the initiation and progression of cachexia in the Apc(Min/+) mouse is not known. Cachexia progression was studied in Apc(Min/+) mice that were either weight stable (WS) or had initial (≤5%), intermediate (6-19%), or extreme (≥20%) body weight loss. The initiation of cachexia reduced %MPS 19% and a further ∼50% with additional weight loss. Muscle IGF-1 mRNA expression and mTOR targets were suppressed with the progression of body weight loss, while muscle AMPK phosphorylation (Thr 172), AMPK activity, and raptor phosphorylation (Ser 792) were not increased with the initiation of weight loss, but were induced as cachexia progressed. ATP dependent protein degradation increased during the initiation and progression of cachexia. However, ATP independent protein degradation was not increased until cachexia had progressed beyond the initial phase. IL-6 receptor antibody administration prevented body weight loss and suppressed muscle protein degradation, without any effect on muscle %MPS or IGF-1 associated signaling. In summary, the %MPS reduction during the initiation of cachexia is associated with IGF-1/mTOR signaling repression, while muscle AMPK activation and activation of ATP independent protein degradation occur later in the progression of cachexia. IL-6 receptor antibody treatment blocked cachexia progression through the suppression of muscle protein degradation, while not rescuing the suppression of muscle protein synthesis. Attenuation of IL-6 signaling was effective in blocking the progression of cachexia, but not sufficient to reverse the process.
Nonparametric Scene Parsing with Adaptive Feature Relevance and Semantic Context

This paper presents a nonparametric approach to semantic parsing using small patches and simple gradient, color and location features. We learn the relevance of individual feature channels at test time using a locally adaptive distance metric. To further improve the accuracy of the nonparametric approach, we examine the importance of the retrieval set used to compute the nearest neighbours using a novel semantic descriptor to retrieve better candidates. The approach is validated by experiments on several datasets used for semantic parsing demonstrating the superiority of the method compared to the state of art approaches.
An Experimental Investigation of the Distribution of Current And Charge Induced on a Tubular Conducting Cylinder by an Electromagnetic Pulse

The distribution of current and charge induced on a tubular cylinder by an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is investigated experimentally in the Harvard parallel-plate EMP simulator (HES). The pulse shapes of the current and charge induced on the surface of the cylinder are measured. After Fourier transforms of the observed pulse shapes are taken, the distributions of the several frequency components on the surface are obtained. The measured distribution of each frequency component is then compared with the theoretical distribution calculated using Kao's method.
PROGRESSIVISM AS A NATIONAL NARRATIVE IN BIBLICAL-HEGELIAN TIME

Progressive intellectuals at the turn of the last century founded the modern American university, created its disciplines and edited the journals that codified their thoughts. They created the ligaments of the national administrative and regulatory state; they helped legitimate the creation of a national financial and industrial corporate economy. Through the writings of Lyman Abbott, Albion Small, and Simon Patten, three features of progressive thought are underlined: the primacy of a narrative, their hostility to “principled” or abstract-philosophical forms of political and social thought, and their confidence that historical modes of social inquiry would produce “laws”? of progress that would guide practice and anchor values integrating self and society on a democratic basis. Five topics contain these animating features: national patriotism, the new industrial economy, a new democratic ethic, social Christianity, and their critique of the dominance of constitutional jurisprudence and law in American political institutions and practices.
Clinical implementation and error sensitivity of a 3D quality assurance protocol for prostate and thoracic IMRT

This work aims at three goals: first, to define a set of statistical parameters and plan structures for a 3D pretreatment thoracic and prostate intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) quality assurance (QA) protocol; secondly, to test if the 3D QA protocol is able to detect certain clinical errors; and third, to compare the 3D QA method with QA performed with single ion chamber and 2D gamma test in detecting those errors. The 3D QA protocol measurements were performed on 13 prostate and 25 thoracic IMRT patients using IBA's COMPASS system. For each treatment planning structure included in the protocol, the following statistical parameters were evaluated: average absolute dose difference (AADD), percent structure volume with absolute dose difference greater than 6% (ADD6), and 3D gamma test. To test the 3D QA protocol error sensitivity, two prostate and two thoracic step-and-shoot IMRT patients were investigated. Errors introduced to each of the treatment plans included energy switched from 6 MV to 10 MV, multileaf collimator (MLC) leaf errors, linac jaws errors, monitor unit (MU) errors, MLC and gantry angle errors, and detector shift errors. QA was performed on each plan using a single ion chamber and 2D array of ion chambers for 2D and 3D QA. Based on the measurements performed, we established a uniform set of tolerance levels to determine if QA passes for each IMRT treatment plan structure: maximum allowed AADD is 6%; maximum 4% of any structure volume can be with ADD6 greater than 6%, and maximum 4% of any structure volume may fail 3D gamma test with test parameters 3%/3 mm DTA. Out of the three QA methods tested the single ion chamber performed the worst by detecting 4 out of 18 introduced errors, 2D QA detected 11 out of 18 errors, and 3D QA detected 14 out of 18 errors.
Rainfall, Temperature, and Forage Dynamics Affect Nutritional Quality of Desert Mule Deer Forage

Forage quality affects physiological condition, population dynamics, habitat use, and distribution of ungulates. We studied how rainfall, temperature, forage biomass, and forage growth are related to water content, crude protein (CP), and in vitro drymatter digestibility (IVDMD) of some common forage species of desert mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus eremicus Mearns) in the Sonoran Desert, California. We established vegetation transects in desert washes to collect forage samples and to measure forage biomass, growth, rainfall, and temperature on a quarterly basis. Percent water and CP were positively associated with forage growth (P , 0.001) and with rainfall (P � 0.025). There were positive relationships between IVDMD and forage growth (P , 0.001), forage biomass (P , 0.001), and the combination of temperature and rainfall (P , 0.001). These findings suggest that the highest quality landscapes for deer are those with rapidly growing forage where forage water, CP, and IVDMD are greatest. With the quantified relationships between rainfall, temperature, and forage characteristics presented here, the nutritional constituents for deer forage can be predicted. Resumen
Encodeability of GPIS

We present a theory of encodeability of GPIs based on the notion of raising graphs and updating sets. It is at the core of new algorithms for the computation of a branching column and of a lower bound, used in a branch-and-bound scheme to find a minimum encodeable cover of GPIs.
Is hepatic congestion a risk factor for cholangitis in heart failure patients with coexisting choledocholithiasis: the response

We appreciate Jolobe for his comments on our results regarding serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and the risk of heart failure.1 ,2 In our paper entitled ‘Serum gamma-glutamyltransferase and the risk of heart failure in men and women in Finland’, we …
Establishing an Inpatient Gym for Recipients of Stem Cell Transplantation: A Multidisciplinary Collaborative

BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that exercise can have a profound impact on physiologic and quality-of-life outcomes for patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Despite this, implementation of a gym on inpatient HSCT units may be limited because of space, infrastructure, and budget. OBJECTIVES This article presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of the gym and highlights its use for individual and group patient activities. METHODS An interprofessional team at a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center collaborated to design and implement gym space on an inpatient HSCT unit servicing as many as 86 beds. FINDINGS Informal feedback from patients, as well as metrics on use of the space, indicates that the gym is well received and frequently used. Limitations include the absence of a designated physical therapy technician to supervise individual activity, which may limit patient access when a staff member is unavailable. The cost associated with the implementation of such space may be offset by benefits to patients, including enhanced conditioning, quality of life, and time to discharge, as evidenced in the literature.
Powerful tools for resolving antibody problems

Background Identifying the specificity of antibodies in a patient's plasma can be as straightforward as testing selected reagent red cells on the basis of the antibody detection results. Many investigations, however, require the use of additional methods or supplemental tests for resolution. Aims Specifics related to performance of these procedures, their interpretations and their limitations were reviewed. Discussion Gel microcolumn or solid phase methods, polyethylene glycol or low-ionic strength saline enhancement media or unenhanced tests have appropriate uses for detecting or avoiding antibody reactivity. Useful red cell treatments include enzymes or thiol compounds to destroy antigens or enhance the antigen–antibody interaction and EDTA–glycine acid or chloroquine diphosphate to remove bound IgG from autologous cells. Separating autologous red cells from transfused donor cells for phenotyping or testing with plasma or eluate is critical. Alloantibodies or autoantibodies can be removed or separated by appropriate adsorption tests. Inhibition of antibody reactivity by a known soluble blood group substance confirms specificity or neutralizes interfering reactivity. Conclusion Combined into a logical investigation, these additional tests will aid in resolution of most antibody-containing samples.
Using Segmentation to Improve Sales Forecasts Based on Purchase Intent: Which “Intenders” Actually Buy?:

The authors investigate whether the use of segmentation can improve the accuracy of sales forecasts based on stated purchase intent. The common current practice is to prepare a sales forecast by us...
Effects of glucose, pyruvate, lactate and starvation on contractility of isolated rat atria.

SummaryAtria from fed and starved rats developed essentially the same tension and are equally stable in glucose medium. Contraction is depressed in glucose-free medium and pyruvate or lactate (2.75-S.5 mM) partially restore the tension developed, but higher concentrations of pyruvate (11 mM) produce slower and less sustained recovery. Readmittance of glucose fully restores developed tension but has little effect in the presence of 11 mM pyruvate. In glucose medium, 2.75 mM pyruvate stimulates contractility slightly, 5.5 mM pyruvate has no effect, and 11-22 mM pyruvate depresses. This depression occurs even when the entry of pyruvate into the tricarboxylate cycle is prevented by arse-nite. Lactate (2.75-5.5 mM) produces stimulating effects somewhat more marked than those of pyruvate but at higher concentrations (11-22 mM) is not quite depressant. The uptake or utilization of glucose through the Embden-Meyerhof pathway seems to be important for a fraction of atrial contractility, and thus high concentration...
Sanitary Status of Various Types of Bottled Drinking Water in Zichuan District of Zibo City during 2008-2010

[Objective]To sample and test various types of bottled drinking water in Zichuan district of Zibo city during 2008-2010,learn the sanitary status of bottled drinking water,analyze the problems,so as to improve the sanitary quality of bottled drinking water.[Methods]The sampling,test and evaluation were conducted according to the Hygienic standard for drinking natural mineral water(GB 8537-2008),Hygienic standard for bottled pure drinking water(GB 17324-2003) and the Hygienic standard of bottled water for drinking(GB 19298-2003).[Results]The qualified rate of mineral water,pure water and bottled drinking water was 91.4%,88.5% and 69.7%,respectively.[Conclusion]The qualified rate of various types of bottled drinking water in Zichuan district needs to be improved.It is important to strengthen the enforcement of food safety law,regulate the production and management of various types of bottled drinking water,so as to meet the health requirements.