cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determination of polymer–polymer interaction parameters using inverse gas chromatography

A modified method is discussed that is based on Farooque and Deshpande's method to obtain polymer–polymer interaction parameters using inverse gas chromatography (IGC) data. In the Farooque and Deshpande method, the ratio of the difference of probe–polymer interaction parameters between two polymers and the probe volume [(χ12 − χ13)/V1] is used as the abscissa. In the modified method, the ratio [(ϕ2χ12 + ϕ3χ13)/V1] is used as the abscissa. Experimental data previously reported for a poly(ϵ-caprolactone)-polyepichlorohydrin (PCL/PECH) blend and a poly(ethyl acrylate)-poly(vinyl propionate) (PEA/PVPr) blend are analyzed. It is found that the slopes obtained by the new method had smaller deviations from the theoretical values than the Farooque and Deshpande method. The standard deviations of both slopes and intercepts obtained from the new method are also smaller. Using the new method, the polymer–polymer interaction parameters obtained from the intercept are negative numbers for the PCL/PECH system and very small positive numbers for PEA/PVPr. Explanations are given for the probe and concentration dependency of the polymer–polymer interaction parameters that are generally observed in IGC studies. A new method for selecting the best probe for calculating the interaction parameter is discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 671–680, 2003
Phase Coarsening in Thin Films

Phase coarsening (Ostwald ripening) phenomena are ubiquitous in materials growth processes such as thin film formation. The classical theory explaining late-stage phase coarsening phenomena was developed by Lifshitz and Slyozov, and by Wagner in the 1960s. Their theory is valid only for a vanishing volume fraction of the second phase in three dimensions. However, phase coarsening in two-dimensional systems is qualitatively different from that in three dimensions. In this paper, the many-body concept of screening length is reviewed, from which we derive the growth law for a ‘screened’ phase island, and develop diffusion screening theory for phase coarsening in thin films. The coarsening rate constant, maximum size of phase islands in films, and their size distribution function will be derived from diffusion screening theory. A critical comparison will be provided of prior coarsening concepts and improvements derived from screening approaches.
Erythrocyte spectrin is comprised of many homologous triple helical segments

Spectrin is an αβ heterodimeric protein (molecular weight (Mr) = 460,000) which is a major component of the erythrocyte membrane skeleton1–8. The membrane skeleton also includes actin (band 5) and is attached to the membrane via non-covalent associations with two linking proteins9–12. Recently we have reported the amino acid sequence of a peptide of molecular weight 80,000 which comprises the NH2-terminal one-third of the α subunit13,14. This α-subunit peptide contains multiple homologous non-identical sequences with a periodicity of 106 amino acids and an approximate molecular weight of 12,000. It was also established that spectrin is not related to any other proteins whose sequence was known. We now report additional amino acid sequence of peptides representative of other domains of both spectrin subunits. The results suggest that most of the human erythrocyte spectrin molecule is comprised of homologous segments with a 106 amino acid (Mr 12,000) length per segment. Each homologous 106-amino acid segment may be folded into a triple helical structure with a short non-helical region connecting adjacent units.
SCML: An information framework to support supply chain modeling

Abstract We develop an open information standard to assist supply chain modeling, analysis, and decision support. The Supply Chain Modeling Language (SCML) is a platform- and methodology-independent Extensible Markup Language (XML)-based markup language for storing supply chain structural and managerial information. SCML enables supply chain problem instance reuse and sharing, provides a common format for analytical software interoperability, and can improve the quality of the supply chain description. We develop several pieces of software to aid both users and developers in the utilization of SCML. We demonstrate SCML’s applicability by developing a supply chain simulation tool (SISCO) that utilizes the SCML format.
Strength properties and deformation behaviour of arc-melted and powder-metallurgy-processed tungstens at high temperatures

Abstract The strength properties, deformation behavior, and fracture mode of arc-melted (A/M) and powder-metallurgy-processed (P/M) tungstens were determined from 1600 to 2700 K in order to provide the baseline data for the development of tungsten-base alloys. The equicohesive temperature of tungsten was found to be approximately 2300 K, below which P/M tungsten showed higher tensile strength and greater work-hardening rate than A/M tungsten. The opposite was true at temperatures above 2300 K. Empirical equations were developed to predict the strength properties of tungsten as a function of grain size and temperature. A/M tungsten, which had relatively small deformation constraint and strong grain-boundary cohesion, showed a greater ductility than P/M tungsten over the entire temperature range. The high temperature fracture morphology of A/M tungsten was transgranular, whereas it was intergranular for P/M tungsten.
Posterior Approach for Total Ankle Arthroplasty

Total ankle arthroplasty is a technically challenging reconstruction, with soft tissue complications posing potential significant morbidity, especially when the anterior ankle soft tissue envelope is not pristine. Alternate approaches to the ankle for arthroplasty may need to be sought in unique cases. The author describes a posterior surgical approach for total ankle arthroplasty.
Attenuation of Forkhead signaling by the retinal determination factor DACH1

The Drosophila Dachshund (Dac) gene, cloned as a dominant inhibitor of the hyperactive growth factor mutant ellipse, encodes a key component of the retinal determination gene network that governs cell fate. Herein, cyclic amplification and selection of targets identified a DACH1 DNA-binding sequence that resembles the FOX (Forkhead box-containing protein) binding site. Genome-wide in silico promoter analysis of DACH1 binding sites identified gene clusters populating cellular pathways associated with the cell cycle and growth factor signaling. ChIP coupled with high-throughput sequencing mapped DACH1 binding sites to corresponding gene clusters predicted in silico and identified as weight matrix resembling the cyclic amplification and selection of targets-defined sequence. DACH1 antagonized FOXM1 target gene expression, promoter occupancy in the context of local chromatin, and contact-independent growth. Attenuation of FOX function by the cell fate determination pathway has broad implications given the diverse role of FOX proteins in cellular biology and tumorigenesis.
Abstract 4017: Identifying Protein-Protein Interactions in Single Protein Complex level by Microchannel Device

Cancer is the most threaten disease in this country and deregulations of signal pathways are often responsible for the cancer progression. Many mysteries of cancer related signal pathways have been revealed by current molecular biology research and the detection of protein-protein interactions is one of the critical techniques. The general techniques for protein-protein interactions detection include immuno-precipitation, immuno-fluorescence staining, and fluorescence resonant energy transfer. These techniques can detect specific protein in cultured cell and in tissue and have been applied in most biomedical research. However, all of them have various limitations. For instance, only two molecules could be examined in one experiment and the detection usually require long processing time with complicated procedures and large sample amount. Moreover, the detection of signals currently is still relied on X-ray film exposure or eye-direct observation that may limit the sensitivity and accuracy. We are developing a microchannel detection system in order to avoid these defects and to provide rapid and accurate detection in breast cancer signal transduction research. The principle is that nanochannel fluidics could only allow a single protein complex to pass through the detection point of fluorescence spectroscopy during examination and the result from the single protein complex could provide us most direct information of protein-protein interaction. Since the detection level is down to the single protein complex, it could highly increase the detection sensitivity. Currently, we have successful fabricated different size of microchannels and we recognized that top-down fabrication approach on transparent silicon based wafers could provide the best quality nanochannels. The channel was than integrated to the fluorescence spectroscopy for single fluorescence detection. To test the performance of the device, fluorescence antibodies were loaded into the channel and we successfully detected a single fluorescence signal during the experiment. Subsequently, we detect demonstrated that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) interact with its downstream proteins Src and STAT3 in a single complex after epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulation. However, only 1.8% of EGFR interact with both Src and STAT3 at the same time which suggests that EGFR/Src/STAT3 is a transition product in the dynamic of EGFR signal transduction. Thus, our system provides the interaction information from a single protein complex with the ratio of interactive proteins to dissect the signal transduction in dynamic aspect and will offer an effective technology. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4017.
Long-term Outcomes of Patients With Primary Biliary Cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background & Aims Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive tumor that frequently develops in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). We determined the mortality of patients with PBC who develop HCC, and which interventions (surgery, radiofrequency ablation, chemoembolization, alcohol injection, or transplantation) increase survival times. We investigated whether the Milan criteria predict outcomes of these patients and are effective in selection for liver transplantation. Methods We evaluated data from 38 patients who had a confirmed diagnosis of PBC and HCC between March 1993 and February 2011. Patients were grouped based on whether or not they met the Milan criteria. Survival was assessed using the Kaplan–Meier analysis. Results Eighteen of the 38 patients (47.3%) died during the follow-up period; 49.4% survived for 5 years and 31.7% survived for 10 years. Thirty-five patients (92.0%) underwent one or a combination of interventions. Liver transplantation improved survival (risk ratio, 0.06; P P = .07). Mortality did not appear to be affected by meeting the Milan criteria ( P = .84). Conclusions Five- and 10-year survival times for patients with PBC who developed HCC were 49.4% and 31.7%, respectively. Patients who meet the Milan criteria receive liver transplantation as often as those who do not; we did not observe a difference in survival time between groups. Patients with PBC who develop HCC appear to benefit from aggressive therapies.
Exposure to and Views of Information about Sexual Abstinence Among Older Teens

There is scant research of adolescents’ understanding of abstinence. We conducted interviews with a sample of 58 teens to find out their exposure to abstinence information from a range of sources. Most teens had received abstinence information or messages from school, family members, and friends. For many teens, information about abstinence, or delaying sex, was somewhat superficial. Most had positive views about abstinence but also thought teens should receive information about contraception and safe sex. Information from the perspective of teens can help educators and advocates of comprehensive sex education more effectively discuss abstinence.
CTOA Measurements of Welds in X100 Pipeline Steel

A suite of tests characterizing X100 pipeline steels was initiated at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder. Part of the test matrix included testing the toughness of the base metal, welds, and heat-affected zones (HAZ) by use of modified double cantilever beam specimens for crack tip opening angle (CTOA) testing. The thickness of the test section was either 3 mm or 8 mm. Girth welds perpendicular to the growing crack, and seam welds and their HAZ parallel with the crack, were tested with a crosshead displacement rate of 0.02 mm/s (with the exception of one girth weld specimen for each thickness, which were tested at 0.002 mm/s). Analysis of the data revealed some general differences among the weld specimens. The tests where the crack ran perpendicular to the girth weld demonstrated changes in CTOA and crack growth rate as the crack moved through the base metal, HAZ, and weld material. We observed the values for CTOA increasing and the crack propagation slowing as the crack moved through the weld and approached the fusion line. The stress field appeared to be strongly influenced by the thin HAZ, the fusion line, and the tougher base material. Consequently, the CTOA of the HAZ associated with the girth weld was larger than that of the seam-weld HAZ. It was not possible to obtain CTOA data for the seam weld, with the crack parallel within the weld, because the crack immediately diverted out of the stronger weld material into the weaker HAZ. CTOA values from both girth welds and seam-weld HAZ were smaller than those of the base material. The 8 mm thick specimens consistently produced larger CTOA values than their 3 mm counterparts, introducing the possibility that there may be limitations to CTOA as a material property. Further tests are needed to determine whether a threshold thickness exists below which the constraints and stress field are sufficiently changed to affect the CTOA value.
Antiplane shear crack problem in bonded materials with a graded interfacial zone

Abstract In this paper the interface crack problem for two elastic half spaces bonded through a nonhomogeneous interfacial zone is considered. It is assumed that the medium is under antiplane shear loading. The problem is solved for two different interfacial zone models that may approximate the actual diffusion bonded materials or homogeneous solids bonded through a functionally gradient material. Extensive results are obtained by varying the stiffness and the interfacial zone thickness to crack length ratios. Also, for various limiting cases the behaviour of the stress intensity factors and the strain energy release rates are studied.
Translating Anthropologies of Education

: [commentary, circulation, anthropology of education, world anthropologies, publishing, translation, globalization]
The roots of community organizing, 1917-1939

Preface Part I: Identifying the Roots The Roots of Community Organizing: An Introduction The Intellectual Origins of Community Organizing Part II: Locality Development The Cincinnati Unity Experiment, 1917-1920 The International Institutes: Their Philosophy and Role in Community Organizing Grass Roots Organizing in the Community Center Movement, 1907-1930 Rural Organizing and the Agricultural Extension Service Part III: Social Planning Social Planning and Physical Planning Federated Philanthropy in a Jewish Community, 1904-1939 Part IV: Social Action The Urban Political Boss as Community Organizer The Conflict Approach to Community Organizing: Saul Alinsky and the CIO Religious Organizations as a Base for Community Organizing: The Catholic Worker Movement during the Great Depression Part V: Epilogue The Legacy of Community Organizing at the Close of the Great Depression Notes Index
Time evolution in a driven quantum system: Excitation through bands of states.

Time-evolution patterns for energy absorption in a driven H\'enon-Heiles Hamiltonian with and without extra off-diagonal random-coupling terms are reported. The time dependence of the average number of photons absorbed is quite different for these two systems, being fluence dependent for the latter. Similarities are found between the dynamics of the driven system with random coupling and a four-mode molecular model which interacts with a quantum monochromatic field. Comparison is made between the presently found mechanism of excitation and the diffusive energy growth due to externally induced chaos found in the kicked-rotor or in microwave ionization of the hydrogen atom.
Distribution of recombination lifetimes in amorphous silicon

Abstract Light-induced ESR (LESR) and luminescence in aSi:H are studied in order to resolve a recent controversy over whether the low temperature recombination is geminate or non-geminate. New transient measurements find that at moderate excitation intensities, luminescence is predominately monomolecular, whereas LESR is not. We show that the different behavior occurs because there is a very broad distribution of decay times for geminate electron-hole pairs. LESR is dominated by a small fraction of the pairs which have a very long decay time and which therefore slowly generate a non-geminate distribution. Luminescence is dominated by the closer geminate pairs that recombine quickly.
Bicentennial: A Critical Moment in Secondary Schooling.

"No other people ever demanded so much of education as the American. None other was ever served so well by its schools and educators."' This statement, made by the eminent historian, Henry Steele Commager, in 1950, should be emblazoned throughout the nation as the guidepost for the celebration in educational circles of our bicentennial in each of its three phases: Heritage (the past), Festivals (the present), Horizons (the future).
Olfactory bulb control of circadian activity rhythm in mice

Ablation of mouse olfactory bulbs lengthened the circadian period of wheel-running activity by 43 min and delayed the onset of entrained activity by 108 min. A transient increase in activity during the light phase of the 12:12 h light-dark photoperiod also occurred following surgery. These disruptions suggest that olfactory systems can modulate mammalian circadian rhythms.
The Heartbreak of Drug Pricing

It can hardly be a mystery why the price of prescription drugs in the United States has become such a contentious issue. What does the evidence tell us about the actual cost-effectiveness of prescr...
Layered histories: the wandering bible of Marseilles

The artists developed an interactive work based on the imaginary story of an actual 13th century illuminated Bible, investigating the many levels of meaning of the Manuscript: as a beautiful artifact, as a work of art reflecting the convergence of cultures in medieval Spain, and as a text which tells stories which themselves are layered in meanings. Transforming their own photographs and sound samples with digital media, the creative process challenged the artists to incorporate traditional Jewish cultural motifs in a work intended to appeal to contemporary general audiences. Juxtaposition, reinterpretation, and hybrid formats as artistic approach parallel the essential nature of Jewish culture, as well that of other historically nomadic peoples.
Fully-integrated correlated tuning processor for continuous-time filters

Measurement results on the correlated tuning loop (CTL), a novel tuning loop for continuous-time filters integrated in a 2 mu m CMOS process are presented. Measured performance indicates that a second-order bandpass filter at 2.5 MHz and Q-factor of 10 can be tuned with an error in resonance frequency of only 0.2% and a gain error of only 1.1 dB. The prototype circuit, which measures 4.8 mm/sup 2/, has been designed and optimized specifically to tune a second order bandpass filter at 10 MHz. The CTL approach, however, may be applied to any filter structure in which the attenuation specifications can be translated to specifications of real and imaginary parts of transfer functions. >
Role of cd20 monoclonal antibodies in previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) directed against the CD20 antigen on B cells have dramatically altered the treatment landscape for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Rituximab, a chimeric mouse/human MoAb, was the first antibody to be approved for the treatment of indolent B-cell lymphomas. Although single-agent, standard-dose rituximab has limited activity as first-line therapy for patients with CLL, it has synergistic therapeutic activity when combined with chemotherapy. Indeed, chemoimmunotherapy with combined fludarabine (F), cyclophosphamide (C), and rituximab was shown to improve both progression-free and overall survival in a randomized phase III clinical trial compared with FC in previously untreated patients with CLL. In this article, we review important clinical trials that have incorporated rituximab with other agents for treatment-naive patients with CLL. We also highlight second- and third-generation CD20 MoAbs approved or in development for the treatment of CLL.
A Coordinated Temporal Interplay of Nucleosome Reorganization Factor, Sister Chromatin Cohesion Factor, and DNA Polymerase α Facilitates DNA Replication

DNA replication depends critically upon chromatin structure. Little is known about how the replication complex overcomes the nucleosome packages in chromatin during DNA replication. To address this question, we investigate factors that interact in vivo with the principal initiation DNA polymerase, DNA polymerase (Pol). The catalytic subunit of budding yeast Pol (Pol1p) has been shown to associate in vitro with the Spt16p-Pob3p complex, a component of the nucleosome reorganization system required for both replication and transcription, and with a sister chromatid cohesion factor, Ctf4p. Here, we show that an N-terminal region of Pol (Pol1p) that is evolutionarily conserved among different species interacts with Spt16p-Pob3p and Ctf4p in vivo. A mutation in a glycine residue in this N-terminal region of POL1 compromises the ability of Pol1p to associate with Spt16p and alters the temporal ordered association of Ctf4p with Pol1p. The compromised association between the chromatin-reorganizing factor Spt16p and the initiating DNA polymerase Pol1p delays the Pol1p assembling onto and disassembling from the late-replicating origins and causes a slowdown of S-phase progression. Our results thus suggest that a coordinated temporal and spatial interplay between the conserved N-terminal region of the Pol protein and factors that are involved in reorganization of nucleosomes and promoting establishment of sister chromatin cohesion is required to facilitate S-phase progression.
Leverage Points for the Implementation of Evidence-Based Practice

Adoption of evidence-based practice (EBP) is an increasingly advocated yet formidable challenge. Much work on EBP has implied simplistic solutions: if researchers would produce practice-relevant evidence-based approaches, practitioners would find, adopt, and use them. Blaming researchers for problems in supply, and practitioners for resistance in adoption, will only thwart progress at improving the quality of service. The dissemination and implementation of evidence-based practice requires a more discerning analysis of issues in agency, research, and professional cultures. Drawing on literatures on knowledge diffusion, innovation, and quality improvement, this paper proposes a conceptual framework for the multiple tasks, participants, and leverage points required for the adoption of EBP. Evidence-based practice requires attainment of four intermediate outcomes—access, adoption, implementation, and assessment—each with distinct interventions required for attainment. The framework reveals action points and leverage points for researchers, agency administrators, educators, and individual practitioners. Implementation of EBP requires supportive research, training, and organizational infrastructures. [Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention 4:227‐242 (2004)]
A hybrid/mixed model for non‐linear shell analysis and its applications to large‐rotation problems

Adopting an updated Lagrange approach, the general framework for the fully non-linear analysis of curved shells is developed using a simple quadrilateral C0 model (HMSH5). The governing equations are derived based on a consistent linearization of an incremental mixed variational principle of the modified Hellinger/Reissner type with independent assumptions for displacement and strain fields. Emphasis is placed on devising effective solution procedures to deal with large rotations in space, finite stretches and generalized rate-type material models. In particular, a geometrically exact scheme for configuration update is developed by making use of the so-called exponential mapping algorithm, and the resulting element was shown to exhibit a quadratic rate of (asymptotic) convergence in solving practical shell problems with Newton–Raphson type iterative schemes. For the purpose of updating the spatial stress field of the element, an ‘objective’ generalized midpoint integration rule is utilized, which relies crucially on the concept of polar decomposition for the deformation gradient, and is in keeping with the underlying mixed method. Finally, the effectiveness and practical usefulness of the HMSH5 element are demonstrated through a number of test cases involving beams, plates and shells undergoing very large displacements and rotations.
Designing for intent-to-treat

The principle of analysis by intent-to- treat (ITT) serves as the standard basis for design decisions as well as choice of analysis in clinical trials. ITT correctly contrasts the pragmatic consequences of the treatments offered in a study, as long as the study protocol accurately reflects the realities of clinical practice. We identify the study of ongoing treatment for chronic disease as the clinical context that most strains the ITT principle. In a placebo-controlled trial of a new drug in patients with a condition for which there are standard treatments, the ethical requirement to “rescue” patients who do poorly, and who might be taking placebo, causes “drop-in” from placebo to a standard treatment. We propose that this problem reflects a lack of fit between the standard fixed design and clinical reality, rather than a weakness of ITT. We propose that the adaptive nature of clinical decision making should be captured in the design of trials, and we show how the ITT principle can be used in such designs.
Development of phase II xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes in differentiating murine clara cells.

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and epoxide hydrolases (EHs) protect cells from exogenous insult by detoxifying electrophilic compounds. Little is known about these enzyme systems during postnatal lung development. This study was designed to help establish whether the heightened neonatal susceptibility of the lung to bioactivated cytotoxicants is the result of inadequate ability to detoxify reactive intermediates. We compared the distribution of immunoreactive protein and enzymatic activity of GSTs and EHs in isolated distal airways during pre- and postnatal development in lungs of mice from 16 days gestation to 9 weeks postnatal age (adult). GST alpha, mu, and pi class protein expression in fetal and postnatal lung varied by isozyme and age. Isozymes alpha and mu are expressed at low levels before birth, high levels on postnatal day 7, low levels between postnatal days 14 and 21, high levels at postnatal day 28, and slightly lower levels in adults. Immunoreactive protein of isozyme pi has a peak expression on gestational day 18 and again on postnatal day 4, is undetectable at postnatal day 21, and is at peak levels in the adult mouse lung. GST activity in distal airways increased with age. Microsomal EH protein expression increased in intensity with age, while activity was similar in airways from all ages. We conclude that in the mouse lung (1) cellular expression of glutathione S-transferase varies by age and isozyme and does not increase with increasing age, (2) airway glutathione S-transferase activity increases with increasing age and does not correlate with immunoreactive protein expression, and (3) airway microsomal epoxide hydrolase activity does not increase, even though immunoreactive protein expression does increase with age.
Conflicts in the Surgeon's Duties to the Patient and Society

Surgeons may face a dilemma in which their obligations to their patients and their obligations to others or society may conflict. One way of examining these conflicts is through a model as depicted in Fig. 1. When both the patient and society are benefited (eg, in cases of routine surgical care), the surgeon may proceed with the planned treatment. In situations where it is agreed that both the patient and society will be harmed (eg, surgeon involvement in capital punishment or in many cases of deception), the surgeon should avoid acting in a manner against that of the patient. Many situations, however, involve the need to weigh the benefits and burdens of both the patient and society. In these cases, surgeons need to analyze carefully all of the ethical and legal issues involved, and make a decision based on their own set of values.
Blogging while angry: the sustainability of emotional labor in the Asian American blogosphere

The Asian American blogosphere has developed to encompass a variety of voices regularly providing readers with news items, opinions, and personal narratives of life in Asian America. In this article I investigate the relationship between emotion and activism in order to better understand the potential for using blogs as part of a sustainable social movement, as well as to theorize the kind of labor that activism can entail. This study is based on interviews with 15 bloggers who have created or written for blogs that focus specifically on Asian American issues. Through an analysis of the bloggers’ interviews and their blogging archive, I argue that emotion can play a foundational role in generating activist interventions and building the necessary community required for contributing to social change, but can also have a deleterious impact on the individuals involved. It is only through recognizing the ambivalent role of emotion within the affective labor of activism online that we can work toward more sust...
Cannibalism of Embryos and Larvae by Adult Woundfin in Intensive Culture: Application to Conservation Propagation

Abstract Woundfin Plagopterus argentissimus are a small, endangered cyprinid native to the Colorado River basin. Woundfin occur only in the Virgin River in Utah, Arizona, and Nevada, and habitat de...
Erlotinib in non-small-cell lung cancer: a review of the clinical and economic evidence

Lung cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis in the world and the leading cause of cancer-related death. Despite considerable investment into drug development, to date, the survival gains have been relatively modest and treatment costs are often high, leading to concerns regarding the value of the existing therapeutic options. Erlotinib, an oral EGF-receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has been evaluated in multiple trials and patient populations in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, and is currently approved for use after failure of first- or second-line treatment. Recently reported clinical trial data suggest that the indication for erlotinib may be expanded into the first-line maintenance setting after chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab. However, the monthly treatment cost for erlotinib is high, raising concerns regarding its value, especially in combination with other, often expensive, treatments. This article reviews the clinical and economic evidence on the use of erlotinib in advanced non...
Scleroderma lung disease: treatment with cyclophosphamide.

Evaluation of: Tashkin, Elashoff, Clements PJ et al. Cyclophosphamide versus placebo in scleroderma lung disease. N. Engl. J. Med. 354(25), 2655–2666 (2006).Interstitial lung disease has become one...
Development of a Non-Self-Sustained Electric Discharge Pumped Oxygen-Iodine Laser 1

The paper presents results of singlet oxygen generation experiments in a high-pressure, non-selfsustained crossed discharge. The discharge consists of high-voltage, short pulse duration, high repetition rate pulsed discharge, which produces ionization in the flow, and a low-voltage DC discharge which sustains current in a decaying plasma between the pulses. The sustainer voltage can be independently varied to maximize the energy input into electron impact excitation of singlet delta oxygen. The results demonstrate operation of a stable and diffuse crossed discharge in O2-He mixtures at static pressures of at least up to P0=380 torr and sustainer discharge powers of at least up to 1200 W, achieved at P0=120 torr. The reduced electric field in the positive column of the sustainer discharge varies from E/N=0.3·10 -16 V·cm 2 to E/N=0.65·10 -16 V·cm 2 , which is significantly lower than E/N in self-sustained discharges and close to the theoretically predicted optimum value for O2(a 1 ∆) excitation. Measurements of visible emission spectra O2(b 1 Σ→X 3 Σ) in the discharge afterglow show the O2(b 1 Σ) concentration to increase with the sustainer discharge power and to decrease as the O2 fraction in the flow is increased. Rotational temperatures inferred from these spectra in 10% O2 – 90% He flows at P0=120 torr and mass flow rates of m& =0.73 g/sec to 2.2 g/sec are 365 K to 465 K. Singlet delta oxygen yield at these conditions, 1.7% to 4.4%, was inferred from the integrated intensity of the (0,0) band of the O2(a 1 ∆→X 3 Σ) infrared emission spectra calibrated using a blackbody source. The yield remains nearly constant in the discharge afterglow, up to at least 15 cm distance from the discharge. Kinetic modeling calculations using a quasi-one-dimensional nonequilibrium pulser-sustainer discharge model coupled with the Boltzmann equation for plasma electrons predict gas temperature rise in the discharge in satisfactory agreement with the experimental measurements. However, the model overpredicts the O2(a 1 ∆) yield by a factor of 2-2.5, which suggests that the model’s description of nonequilibrium O2-He plasma kinetics at high pressures is not quite adequate.
Cottus schitsuumsh , a new species of sculpin (Scorpaeniformes: Cottidae) in the Columbia River basin, Idaho-Montana, USA

Fishes of the genus Cottus have long been taxonomically challenging because of morphological similarities among species and their tendency to hybridize, and a number of undescribed species may remain in this genus. We used a combination of genetic and morphological methods to delineate and describe Cottus schitsuumsh, Cedar Sculpin, a new species, from the upper Columbia River basin, Idaho-Montana, USA. Although historically confused with the Shorthead Sculpin (C. confusus), the genetic distance between C. schitsuumsh and C. confusus (4.84-6.29%) suggests these species are distant relatives. Moreover, the two species can be differentiated on the basis of lateral-line pores on the caudal peduncle, head width, and interpelvic width. Cottus schitsuumsh is also distinct from all other Cottus in this region in having a single small, skin-covered, preopercular spine. Haplotypes of mtDNA cytochrome oxidase c subunit 1 of C. schitsuumsh differed from all other members of the genus at three positions, had interspecific genetic distances typical for congeneric fishes (1.61-2.74% to nearest neighbors), and were monophyletic in maximum-likelihood trees. Microsatellite analyses confirmed these taxonomic groupings for species potentially sympatric with C. schitsuumsh and that fish used in morphological comparisons were unlikely to be introgressed. Its irregular distribution, in the Spokane River basin in Idaho and portions of the Clark Fork River basin in Montana, may have resulted from human-assisted translocation.
Standardizing Umbilical Catheter Usage in Preterm Infants

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Absence of guidelines on umbilical arterial catheter (UAC) and umbilical venous catheter (UVC) use and inability to predict the hospital course may sway the frontline staff to overuse umbilical catheters in preterm infants. Our objective was to evaluate the feasibility of implementing guidelines standardizing the use of umbilical catheters and its impact on the incidence of sepsis and resource use. METHODS: All inborn infants delivered at RESULTS: The proportion of infants receiving UACs and UVCs was significantly lower in postintervention (sustainment) phase than in the preintervention phase (93 [42.3%] vs 52 [23.6%], P = .0001) and (137 [62.6%] vs 93 [42.3%], P = .0001), respectively. There was no corresponding increase in the proportion of infants receiving peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) or surgical CVCs (SCVCs) during the sustainment phase. There was a significant reduction in the proportion of infants receiving CVCs (UVC, PICC, and SCVC) in the sustainment phase. The incidence of CLABSI was similar in the preintervention and sustainment phases. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of guidelines standardizing the use of umbilical catheters in the NICU is feasible. Fewer infants were exposed to the risk of UVC or UAC, and fewer resources were used.
Associations of Parent–Child Anxious and Depressive Symptoms When a Caregiver Has a History of Depression

We examined the associations between parent and child anxious and depressive symptoms controlling for co-occurring symptoms in both. One hundred and four families participated, including 131 9–15 year old children considered at risk for anxiety and/or depression due to a history of depression in a parent. Parents and children completed questionnaires assessing depressive and anxious symptoms. Linear Mixed Models analyses controlling for the alternate parent and child symptoms indicated that both parent and child depressive symptoms and parent and child anxious symptoms were positively associated. Parental depressive symptoms were not positively associated with child anxious symptoms, and parental anxious symptoms were not positively associated with child depressive symptoms. The findings provide evidence for positive specific links between parent and child development of same-syndrome, but not cross-syndrome, symptoms when a caregiver has a history of depression.
Informed consent and uninformed clinical practice: dissociation, hypnosis and false memories.

My brief article (Lynn, 2001) on hidden observers and informed consent seems to have jangled a raw nerve among a group of commentators whose names are a virtual “who’s who” of the proponents of the use of hypnosis for memory recovery and of ego-state and dissociation-based therapies and theories. Dr. Kluft is right: “Proponents of paradigms often conduct themselves as if they were the agents of the manifest destiny of that paradigm, charged with sweeping away all that preceded or opposes their paradigm of choice (Kluft, 2001). ” This is a cogent characterization of the commentators’ responses to my article. It therefore should come as no surprise to the reader that my suggestion to provide patients with informed consent regarding the metaphorical nature of hidden observers, inner advisors, ego states and the like, was rejected by the commentators.
Finite-beta and curvature drift effects on drift waves near the plasmapause

The linear stability of finite-β drift waves, near the plasmapause of the earth, is analysed for the case in which the magnetic field is non-uniform in two dimensions. The coupling of the drift wave to the oscillation of the magnetic field, due to non-zero β, is found to be destabilizing. The spatial structure of the unstable mode is found to be governed by the ‘curvature’ scale length of the equilibrium magnetic field.
Effects of a Spectral Surface Reflectance on Measurements of Backscattered Solar Radiation: Application to the MOPITT Methane Retrieval

Abstract The amount of solar radiation emerging from the top of the atmosphere is strongly influenced by the reflectance of the underlying surface. For this reason, some information about the magnitude and the spectral variability of the surface reflectance typically has to be included in the retrieval of atmospheric parameters from reflected solar radiation measurements. Sufficient information about the surface reflectance properties is rarely available, and the integration of this effect in the retrieval might turn out to be a challenge, especially for broadband instruments. In this paper the focus is on the Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) remote sensing instrument. Theoretical studies are performed to investigate how a spectrally varying surface reflectance might impact the retrieval of the total column amount of methane from MOPITT radiance measurements, and the current findings are compared to observed biases. However, the findings present herein might be valuable and applicable...
FURTHER NOTES ON THE GENUS THASUS (HEMIPTERA: HETEROPTERA: COREIDAE)

Additional distributional records are given and discussed for Thasus gigas (Klug), T. acutangulus (Stal), and T. neocalifornicus Brailovsky and Barrera. In particular, we emphasize the almost certain absence of T. neocalifornicus from New Mexico, and we discuss its population centers near Tucson, Arizona, and at the southern tip of Baja California Sur. Sinaloa and Chihuahua (Mexico) are new state records for T. gigas, and Chihuahua is a new state record for T. neocalifornicus.
Deciphering the Plant-Insect Phenotypic Arms Race

Plants and herbivorous insects interact with each other on three different time scales. On the ecological time scale, the interacting species, both plants and insects, exhibit a back-and-forth attack-defense-counterdefense cycle, resulting in a phenotypic arms race. Such short-term changes in defenses and counterdefenses of individual plants and insects are mediated by reciprocal elicitation and regulation of gene expressions. All reciprocal regulation of gene expression, in turn, are stimulated by chemical or physical signals, from the environment, the organism itself, or the interaction partner. All signals, no matter internal or external, must be received and processed at the level of individual cells. A number of signals that trigger the reciprocal regulation of plant defense or insect counterdefense genes have been characterized. A growing number of microarray studies have been conducted to define the plant defense and insect counterdefense transcriptomes, i.e., genes whose transcription rate is altered by defense-counterdefense interactions. In this chapter, we reviewed the reciprocal signaling and transcriptome dynamic that underlie the plant-insect phenotypic arms race.
Global triplet potential energy surfaces for the N2(X1Σ) + O(3P) → NO(X2Π) + N(4S) reaction

This work presents two global triplet potential energy surfaces (PESs) for the high-energy reaction N2(X(1)Σ) + O((3)P) → NO(X(2)Π) + N((4)S)-in particular, for the lowest energy (3)A' and (3)A″ PESs. In order to obtain the energies needed for fitting analytic surfaces, we carried out multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) calculations based on wave functions obtained from state-averaged complete active space self-consistent field calculations for 2280 geometries for the three lowest (3)A″ states and for 2298 geometries for the three lowest (3)A' states. The lowest-energy (3)A' and (3)A″ states at each of these geometries were then improved by applying the dynamically scaled external correlation (DSEC) method to all MRCI points, and the resulting DSEC energies were used for construction of the ground-state PES for each symmetry. The many-body component of the DSEC energies for the three-dimensional (3)A' and (3)A″ PESs was then least-squares fitted in terms of permutationally invariant polynomials in mixed exponential-Gaussian bond order variables. The global and local minima as well as the transition structures of both the (3)A' and the (3)A″ analytic PES were explored. In agreement with previous work, we find that the reverse reaction is barrierless on the (3)A″ surface along the minimum energy pathway. However, we have explored several new local minima and transition structures on the (3)A' PES. Furthermore, based on the newly found minima and transition structures, two independent reaction mechanisms have been illustrated for the reaction path on the (3)A' PES. The analytic surfaces may be used for dynamics calculations of electronically adiabatic reactive scattering and energy transfer.
Mammography Screening for A-T Heterozygotes

Swift et al (1992) have shown an increased incidence of breast cancer among A-T heterozygotes who had X-ray examinations five or more years prior to the diagnosis of the disease as compared to the incidence in the A-T heterozygotes who had not received such examinations. They assumed that the examinations were the cause for the increased incidence and suggested, therefore, that mammography screening may not be beneficial for A-T heterozygotes. We emphatically disagree: mammography screening is particularly beneficial for A-T heterozygotes whose risk for breast cancer is higher than for the general population.
Excited-State Charge Transfer within Covalently Linked Quantum Dot Heterostructures

We synthesized quantum dot (QD) heterostructures via the N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide-mediated formation of amide bonds between capping ligands on CdS QDs and CdSe QDs. Products of ligand-exchange and coupling reactions were characterized by FTIR, 1H NMR, transmission electron micrscopy, and electronic absorption and emission spectroscopy. This cross-linking strategy yields exclusively heterostructures and prohibits the undesired formation of homostructures consisting of a single type of QD. The ground-state absorption spectra of the presynthesized colloidal QDs were unperturbed upon incorporation into heterostructures. Photoexcited CdS QDs transferred holes to molecularly tethered CdSe QDs, as evidenced by significant dynamic quenching of the trap-state emission from CdS QDs and the rapid ( 10–5 s) transient absorption band in the visible region. These spectral signatures were absent for mixed dispersions of noninteracting CdS and CdSe QDs. Our results reveal t...