cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of the Headmaster Collar (Cervical) for Dropped Head Syndrome in Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivors

Background Dropped head syndrome is a potential late neurologic complication of radiation therapy in survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma. There is limited evidence for conservative management of this condition. Objective To discover patient utilization patterns of the commonly prescribed Headmaster Collar (cervical) in Hodgkin lymphoma survivors with radiation-induced dropped head syndrome. Design Questionnaire-based retrospective observational study. Setting Single-site academic cancer center. Patients Twenty-six Hodgkin lymphoma survivors treated with radiation therapy involving the mantle who were prescribed a Headmaster Collar for dropped head syndrome. Methods or interventions Patients were interviewed by phone with a structured set of questions. Main outcome measurements Compliance, patterns of use, individual modifications, and side effects of collar use. Results Although 58% of patients who were prescribed a Headmaster Collar eventually discontinued its use, 62% of all patients used the collar for more than 6 months. The majority of users wore the collar for up to 3 hours per day, usually for static seated activities. Thirty-eight percent of patients made personal modifications to their collar, most commonly the addition of extra padding. All but one patient had complaints about the collar, most commonly discomfort, rigidity, and confinement. Conclusions The Headmaster Collar (cervical) is often utilized for a few hours a day, for longer than 6 months, to help with static seated activities. Insights from this study might help to improve future orthotic designs with better long-term compliance rates for the treatment of radiation-induced dropped head syndrome. Level of evidence IV.
Clinical risk factors among youth at high risk for suicide in South Africa and Guyana.

INTRODUCTION Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth worldwide, but low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) account for 78% of all suicides. The LMICs South Africa and Guyana rank high in the global suicide rates. To better understand and prevent suicide among the youth, the present study targets youths at high risk for suicide, in an LMIC, to contextually and representatively identify clinical risk factors for suicide. METHODS One hundred-ninety youths, aged 11-21, separated from biological parents at the time of assessment, in South Africa and Guyana, were administered the Child Behavior Checklist and Behavior Assessment System for Children to assess clinical symptoms. The youths were asked about current suicide ideation and previous attempt(s). Self-report responses to clinical items yielded scale scores for depression, social stress, atypicality, somatization, anxiety, and ADHD. Using an integrative data analytic technique, clinical scale scores were standardized and used to predict suicidal behaviors in a binary logistic regression analysis. RESULTS Approximately 22% of Black South African youths and 60% of Guyanese youths endorsed suicide ideation and attempt or suicide attempt only. In fully adjusted analyses, the odds of atypicality and somatization were 1.96 and 1.67 times greater among the youths who endorsed suicidal ideation when compared with those who did not (p < .04). Youth social stress was significantly associated with the suicide attempt, controlling for model covariates (odds ratio [OR], 1.88, p = .05). Gender moderated the effect of somatization on youth suicide. CONCLUSION Our results contextualize how social stress, atypicality, and somatization relate to LMIC youth suicide. Further study on high-risk samples will contribute to generalizable suicide-prevention models.
Sparsity-based DOA estimation of coherent and uncorrelated targets using transmit/receive co-prime arrays

In this paper, we use transmit/receive co-prime arrays for direction finding of mixed coherent and uncorrelated targets based on the concept of sum coarrays. The sum coarray is defined as the set of pair-wise sums of the position vectors of the elements in the transmit and receive apertures. The data measurements from the transmit/receive co-prime array are used to emulate observations at a virtual array, whose element positions are given by the sum coarray corresponding to the co-prime array. A group sparse reconstruction problem is formulated employing multiple snapshots, where each group corresponding to a specific angle of arrival extends across all the time samples. The number of resolvable targets for the proposed sparsity-based approach is limited by the number of elements in the sum coarray. Supporting simulation results are provided, which validate the effectiveness of the proposed direction finding method.
Comment: Are ISS Recommendations Informative? Evidence from Assessments of Compensation Practices

Using detailed information from the largest proxy advisor in the U.S., Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), we examine whether proxy advisors’ assessments of firms’ compensation practices are able to identify poor compensation practices as measured by subsequent performance. While prior research provides consistent evidence of an association between shareholder voting outcomes and proxy advisors’ Say-on-Pay recommendations, the evidence is mixed over whether their recommendations are informative about the quality of firms’ compensation practices. We find that ISS “Against” recommendations and negative assessments are associated with worse future accounting performance, consistent with ISS being able to detect low quality compensation packages. However, workload compression has an effect, as we find that the relation between assessments and future performance only occurs during the off season (i.e. for firms with non-December fiscal year ends).
Effect of compressibility on bubbly cavitating flows

Cavitating bubbly flows can form in separated flows and shear layers leading to local regions high vapor void fraction, and these flows often exhibit periodic shedding of vaporous clouds. Historically, the presence of a liquid re-entrant flow, driven by the kinematics of liquid flow stagnation, has been identified as an important mechanism leading to cavity shedding. However, high local vapor void fractions can also result in a reduced mixture speed of sound and a possible supersonic flow. Our recent findings on different geometries indicate that propagating bubbly shocks in these flows are a primary mechanism of flow instability. In this study, we discuss the effect of compressibility on four geometries, mainly in the generation of propagating bubbly shocks that can influence the cavitation shedding dynamics. In order to elucidate the differences and similarities of the observed cavitation dynamics, and the influence of compressibility, we report observations from a backward facing step, backward facing wedge, NACA0015 hydrofoil, and a bluff body with a wedge cross section.
Szemerédi’s proof of Szemerédi’s theorem

In 1975, Szemeredi famously established that any set of integers of positive upper density contained arbitrarily long arithmetic progressions. The proof was extremely intricate but elementary, with the main tools needed being the van der Waerden theorem and a lemma now known as the Szemeredi regularity lemma, together with a delicate analysis (based ultimately on double counting arguments) of limiting densities of sets along multidimensional arithmetic progressions. In this note we present an arrangement of this proof that incorporates a number of notational and technical simplifications. Firstly, we replace the use of the regularity lemma by that of the simpler ``weak regularity lemma'' of Frieze and Kannan. Secondly, we extract the key inductive steps at the core of Szemeredi's proof (referred to as ``Lemma 5'', ``Lemma 6'', and ``Fact 12'' in that paper) as stand-alone theorems that can be stated with less notational setup than in the original proof, in particular involving only (families of) one-dimensional arithmetic progressions, as opposed to multidimensional arithmetic progressions. Thirdly, we abstract the analysis of limiting densities along the (now one-dimensional) arithmetic progressions by introducing the notion of a family of arithmetic progressions with the ``double counting property''. We also present a simplified version of the argument that is capable of establishing Roth's theorem on arithmetic progressions of length three.
Brain Injury Survivors: Impairment, Identity and Neoliberalism

This paper reflects on my decades of activism and scholarly work with brain injury survivors, highlighting some of the challenges that survivors experience, and exploring the power dynamics associated with the ‘survivor’ identity. It explores the ‘survivor’ discourse/identity which has been widely adopted by people who have sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in the context of embodied cognitive changes, the dominant view of disability as a personal tragedy, and the wider political context of neoliberalism. The key argument is that the survivor identity adopted by many people with brain injuries simultaneously supports and challenges neoliberalism. The paper involves both autobiographical reflections and the results of my political involvement and research with other survivors.
Classification of Synthetic Aperture Radar Images of Icebergs and Ships Using Random Forests Outperforms Convolutional Neural Networks

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is a common technique for capturing vessels and icebergs on the ocean surface. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are a popular approach to interpret classes captured in images which include ships and icebergs. However, CNNs are difficult to explain and are computationally expensive. In this paper, we built a random forest (RF) model which outperforms CNN based approaches by 7% and 11% on the testing and validation data, respectively. The RF model used interpretable metrics. These powerful metrics provide insight to what is important to distinguish the two classes from one another. Thus, despite noise present in the SAR images, the RF model was able to provide meaningful classifications between ships and icebergs.
Molecular-scale origins of solution nanostructure and excess thermodynamic properties in a water/amphiphile mixture

The molecular and nanoscale origins of nonideality in excess thermodynamic properties are essential to understanding cosolvent mixtures, yet they remain challenging to determine. Here, we consider a binary mixture of water and an amphiphile, N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylmalonamide (TMMA), which is characterized by strong hydrogen bonding between the two components and no hydrogen bonding between amphiphiles. Using molecular dynamics simulation, validated with excess volume measurements and X-ray scattering, we identify three distinct solution regimes across the composition range of the binary mixture and find that the transition between two of these regimes, marked by the water percolation threshold, is closely correlated with minima in the excess volume and excess enthalpy. Structural analysis of the simulations reveals an interplay between local interactions and solution nanostructure, determined by the relative strength of the water–water and water–amphiphile hydrogen bonding interactions. By comparison with other amphiphiles, such as linear alcohols, the relative strength of like and unlike interactions between water and amphiphile affects the relationship between thermodynamics and structural regimes. This provides insight into how molecular forces of mutual solvation interact across length scales and how they manifest in excess thermodynamic properties.
Cognitive load influences oculomotor behavior in natural scenes.

Cognitive neuroscience researchers have identified relationships between cognitive load and eye movement behavior that are consistent with oculomotor biomarkers for neurological disorders. We develop an adaptive visual search paradigm that manipulates task difficulty and examine the effect of cognitive load on oculomotor behavior in healthy young adults. Participants (N = 30) free-viewed a sequence of 100 natural scenes for 10 s each, while their eye movements were recorded. After each image, participants completed a 4 alternative forced choice task in which they selected a target object from one of the previously viewed scenes, among 3 distracters of the same object type but from alternate scenes. Following two correct responses, the target object was selected from an image increasingly farther back (N-back) in the image stream; following an incorrect response, N decreased by 1. N-back thus quantifies and individualizes cognitive load. The results show that response latencies increased as N-back increased, and pupil diameter increased with N-back, before decreasing at very high N-back. These findings are consistent with previous studies and confirm that this paradigm was successful in actively engaging working memory, and successfully adapts task difficulty to individual subject’s skill levels. We hypothesized that oculomotor behavior would covary with cognitive load. We found that as cognitive load increased, there was a significant decrease in the number of fixations and saccades. Furthermore, the total duration of saccades decreased with the number of events, while the total duration of fixations remained constant, suggesting that as cognitive load increased, subjects made fewer, longer fixations. These results suggest that cognitive load can be tracked with an adaptive visual search task, and that oculomotor strategies are affected as a result of greater cognitive demand in healthy adults.
Translational and functional inhibition of VEGF by Ad-mda7 and bevacizumab results in enhanced anti-tumor activity against lung cancer

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 251 A humanized monoclonal antibody against VEGF, Bevacizumab (Avastin; Genentech, CA) has demonstrated reduced tumor angiogenesis and growth. However, Bevacizumab treatment does not induce complete tumor regression. Therefore, additional treatment strategies need to be incorporated in combination with Bevacizumab to achieve tumor regression. We have shown melanoma differentiation associated gene-7 (MDA-7) protein exerts a potent antiangiogenic activity in vitro and in vivo. In the present study we evaluated the therapeutic effects of Bevacizumab in combination with Ad-mda7 using lung cancer as a model. Treatment of lung tumor cells (H1299, A549) with non-cytotoxic dose of Ad-mda7 (1000 vp/cell) or Bevacizumab showed inhibition of VEGF with no effect on tumor cell growth. However, treatment of tumor cells with Ad-mda7 plus Bevacizumab resulted in enhanced inhibition of VEGF as determined by ELISA. Furthermore, a significant (P < 0.05) inhibition of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) cell proliferation was observed when tissue culture supernatant from Ad-mda7 plus Bevacizumab-treated tumor cells was added to HUVEC compared to HUVEC proliferation treated with culture supernatant from Ad-mda7- or Bevacizumab-treated tumor cells. These results showed that both Ad-mda7 and Bevacizumab effectively inhibit VEGF albeit via different mechanisms. Ad-mda7 inhibited VEGF at a transcriptional level regulated by the Src pathway; Bevacizumab inhibited VEGF by preventing its binding to its receptors (VEGFR) expressed in HUVEC. We next conducted animal experiments using subcutaneous H1299 lung tumor xenograft model to determine whether Ad-mda7 combined with Bevacizumab enhances tumor growth suppression. Tumor-bearing mice were treated with PBS, Ad-luc, Ad-mda7, Bevacizumab, Bevacizumab plus Ad-luc or Bevacizumab plus Ad-mda7. Ad-luc or Ad-mda7 was administered intratumorally (5 X 109 vp/dose) and Bevacizumab intraperitoneally (5 mg/Kg). Treatment was given twice a week for a total of four weeks and tumor growth measured. A significant tumor growth inhibition was observed in mice that were treated with Ad-mda7 plus Bevacizumab compared to tumor growth inhibition in mice that were treated with Ad-mda7, Bevacizumab or Ad-luc plus Bevacizumab. Furthermore, in approximately 70% of the Ad-mda7 plus Bevacizumab-treated mice the tumors completely regressed. Tumor regression was not observed in other treatment groups. Molecular analysis of tumors showed Ad-mda7 plus Bevacizumab treatment enhanced tumor cell apoptosis, effectively inhibited VEGF and reduced angiogenesis as determined by western blotting and immunohistochemsitry. In conclusion, Ad-mda7 plus Bevacizmab treatment significantly increases the antitumor activity against human lung cancer cells and can be potent treatment strategy for advanced lung cancer.
Seizure Freedom Rates and Prognostic Indicators After Resection of Gangliogliomas: A Review.

Gangliogliomas are rare tumors that comprise up to 40% of lesional epilepsy. Seizure control represents an important quality-of-life determinant in patients with these tumors. Here we present results of a literature review addressing rates of seizure freedom in in patients with gangliogliomas. Across studies, seizure freedom occurred in 63%–100% of patients. Many studies included follow-up times of greater than 5 years, suggesting that the responses are durable. We discuss potential prognostic factors associated with seizure freedom, including the duration of epilepsy, patient age, frequency and semiology of seizures, tumor location, extent of surgical resection, and operative strategy, including surgical approach and use of invasive monitoring. Although significant differences in study populations and treatments preclude meta-analysis, we discuss prognostic factors identified in individual studies. Increased extent of resection, lesser duration of epilepsy, and younger age at surgery have been associated with increased seizure freedom rates in at least 2 studies each. Although all studies were retrospective in nature and are consequently limited by the weaknesses inherent to such investigations, the literature suggests that surgery is able to relieve most ganglioglioma patients—regardless of patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and operative variables—of seizures.
Abstract #LB-207: The antitumor effects of OSU-HDAC42, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, in HER2-positive breast cancer are mediated partly through Hsp90 modulation

Purpose: Elevated HER-2 /neu expression in primary breast tumors is associated with frequent relapse and poor prognosis. For this reason, HER-2 /neu has been actively pursued as a target for novel therapeutic agents. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, a new class of antitumor drugs, have exhibited the ability to downregulate HER2 through hyperacetylation of heat shock protein 90 (hsp90), an important ATP-dependent chaperone that mediates the stability and maturation of a variety of important oncogenic proteins, including HER2, Akt and ER\#945;. In the present study, we assessed the efficacy of OSU-HDAC42, a novel phenylbutyrate-based HDAC inhibitor, in inducing anti-proliferation and hsp90 down-regulation in both in vitro and in vivo HER2+ breast cancer models. Methods: HDAC42 was tested for effects on the human breast cancer cell lines BT474, SKBR3, MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7. Cell viability (MTT) and cell cycle (flow cytometry) changes were determined. Cellular protein levels of HER2, phospho-HER2, PARP cleavage, Akt1/2, ER\#945;, hsp90, hsp70 and \#946;-actin were detected by immunoblotting. Acetylation of hsp90 was assessed via hsp90 immunoprecipitation and acetyl-lysine immunoblotting. The ATP-agarose pull-down assay tested for cellular hsp90 activity. The in vivo efficacy of OSU-HDAC42 was evaluated in a syngeneic orthotopic HER2+ mammary tumor model, using AIN-76A diets ± OSU-HDAC42 at 208 mg/kg of diet. Tumor volume, mass and gene expression changes served as in vivo endpoints. Results: SKBR3 (HER2+, ER\#945;-) was the most susceptible to the antiproliferative effects of OSU-HDAC42 after 72 hours of treatment (IC 50 = 0.034 \#956;mol/L), followed by BT474 (HER2+, ER\#945;+), MCF-7 (HER2-, ER\#945;+) and MDA-MB-231 (HER2-, ER\#945;-) cells with IC 50 values calculated at 0.16, 0.2 and 0.79 \#956;mol/L, respectively, which correlated with the level of inhibition of Hsp90 client protein expression (HER2, Akt). OSU-HDAC42 not only yields 43- or 65- fold more potent cell killing than suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA; vorinostat) or MS-275, but exerts a more potent suppressive effect on the expression levels of Hsp90 client proteins (HER2, ER\#945; and Akt) and apoptosis induction in HER2+ breast cancer cells. In vivo administration of OSU-HDAC42 resulted in significant reductions of 76% and 82% in NT5 (HER2+,ER-) tumor mass and volume, respectively, which correlated with tubulin hyperacetylation, increased PARP cleavage, decreased pHER2 and pAkt levels in OSU-HDAC42 treated mouse tumors. Conclusions: OSU-HDAC42 is a potent inhibitor of HER-2+ breast cancer, mediated in part through hsp90 downregulation. As an orally bioavailable HDAC inhibitor with greater potency than other clinically available HDACi agents, OSU-HDAC42 warrants evaluation in clinical trials as a novel therapy for HER2+ breast cancer. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr LB-207.
Integrating a database with real-time computing systems

The authors present their experience in integrating a relational database manager with a real-time operating system kernel. Since a database system must operate in the context of available operating system services, an environment for database systems development must provide facilities to support operating system functions and integrate them with database systems for experimentation. The choice made is the ARTS real-time operating system kernel which provides a predictable and reliable distributed real-time computing environment. The ARTS testbed has been used to investigate many issues relating to the construction of real-time systems, including priority-based scheduling, various thread workload mediation policies, and memory resident data. >
Metal Clusters in Zeolites: Nearly Molecular Catalysts for Hydrocarbon Conversion

Metals supported in the pores of zeolites have long been used as catalysts, but only recently have samples been prepared and characterized that incorporate metal particles smaller than about 1 nm in diameter, referred to here as clusters. Nearly uniform zeolite-supported metal clusters are the focus of this review, which addresses their synthesis, physical characterization, and catalytic properties. Supported clusters represented as Ir4, Ir6, Rh4, and Rh6 were prepared in the supercages of faujasite zeolites by ship-in-a-bottle synthesis of the metal carbonyl cluster precursors [Ir4(CO))12], [Ir6(CO)16], [Rh4(CO)12], and [Rh6(CO)16], respectively, which were decarbonylated. Alternatively Ir4 and Ir6 clusters in zeolite NaX were prepared by synthesis and then decarbonylation of [HIr4(CO)11]− and [Ir6(CO)15]2−. Metal clusters that are nearly as small and uniform as these have also been formed from metal salt precursors in, various zeolites, including zeolites NaY and KLTL. The most important of these are clusters of 5–6 Pt atoms each, on average in basic zeolite LTL. These were made from platinum ammine salts by calcination and reduction in hydrogen. Similarly, clusters of iridium nearly this same size were prepared from an iridium ammine salt. The supported platinum clusters are active and selective industrial catalysts for dehydrocyclization of naphtha to give aromatics, whereas the supported iridium clusters are unselective. The unique selectivity and activity of the zeolite-supported platinum clusters is associated with the basicity of the support and the smallness of the platinum clusters; the role of the zeolite is not fully understood. Opportunities for discovery of supported metal clusters with new catalytic properties appear to be excellent.
A Transformed System GMM Estimator for Dynamic Panel Data Models

The system GMM estimator developed by Blundell and Bond (1998) for dynamic panel data models has been widely used in empirical work; however, it does not perform well with weak instruments. This paper proposes a variation on the system GMM estimator, based on a simple transformation of the dependent variable. Simulation results indicate that, infinite samples, this transformed system GMM estimator greatly outperforms its conventional counterpart in estimating the coefficient of the lagged dependent variable, especially when the variation in the fixed effects is large relative to that in the idiosyncratic shocks and when the dependent variable is highly persistent. Applying this transformation also substantially strengthens the reliability of inferences on the overall model specification based upon the Sargan/Hansen test. As illustrations, the transformed system GMM estimator is applied to two empirical examples from the literature: a production function and an employment equation.
A General Automaton

This chapter contains sections titled: Formal Analysis for a General Automaton An Application of the Disciplines to the Modeling of Natural Automata Exercises
Antimicrobial alkaloids from Boehmeria cylindrica

Abstract Investigation of extracts of Boehmeria cylindrica resulted in identification of cryptopleurine and 3,4-dimethoxy-ω-(2′-piperidyl)acetophenone, known alkaloids, as agents responsible for intense activity against Candida albicans . Julandine, the secophenanthroquinolizidine alkaloid related to cryptopleurine, was also active but not definitely identified in the extracts examined.
Ab initio comparative study of BH4CN and BH5

Abstract Structure and stability of BH 4 CN, a possible intermediate in the BH 3 CN − aqueous hydrolysis, were analyzed by ab initio molecular orbital calculations. With an endothermic association energy of 1.2 kcal mol −1 at the coupled cluster method with single, double, and triple excitations (CCSD(T))/augmented correlation-consistent polarized valence-triple-ζ (aug-cc-pVTZ)//MP2/6-311++G(d,p) level, BH 4 CN is 1.7 kcal mol −1 less stable toward H 2 loss than its BH 5 analog. Due to its increased acidity conferred by the CN electron withdrawing group, BH 4 CN is stabilized by 6.4 kcal mol −1 upon H 2 O complexation compared to only 2.9 kcal mol −1 in the case of BH 5 , which may be partly responsible for the enhanced stability toward acidic conditions of BH 3 CN − relative to BH 4 − .
Contrast-Enhanced Transcranial Imaging Results of an American Phase-Two Study

Background and Purpose Pulsed color Doppler imaging of cerebrovascular structures permits rapid visual identification of the intracranial vessels. In some patients, however, the clinical utility of transcranial ultrasound examinations is limited by poor tissue penetration and inadequate imaging of vessels. This phase-two clinical trial evaluates whether administration of an echocontrast agent in such ultrasound-refractory patients enhances image acquisition enough to yield meaningful diagnostic impressions. Methods This is a phase-two clinical trial of safety and efficacy of the “galactose/palmitic acid–based microbubble preparation” Levovist injection (Berlex Laboratories). Thirty subjects with clinical indications for cerebrovascular imaging but refractory to transcranial Doppler studies were enrolled in a nonrandomized, single-center study. Echocontrast agent was administered intravenously in a tiered-dose protocol. Safety was determined by clinical and laboratory monitoring for 18 to 24 hours. Efficac...
The effect of the stringent response on mutation rates in Escherichia coli K‐12

The reversion rates of two isogenic Escherichia coli K-12 auxotrophs differing only in relA have been determined in the absence or presence of serine hydroxamate, which provokes the stringent response. Reversion rates of leuB- and argH- were significantly higher in the relA+ than in the relA- strain, and the reversion rates in both strains were enhanced by serine hydroxamate. A positive correlation was established between reversion rates and the synthesis of guanosine-5'-diphosphate-3'-diphosphate in the absence and presence of serine hydroxamate. It is proposed that mutation rates are dependent upon rates of transcription and upon the genes which regulate the level of the signal nucleotide, guanosine tetraphosphate.
Synergistic catalysis of anthrone Diels-Alder reactions.

The combination of an amine base and Lewis acid (Li+) leads to synergistic catalysis of the Diels−Alder reaction of anthrone with methyl crotonate and some other less reactive dienophiles. These cycloadditions either do not occur with the individual catalysts used separately or they are greatly accelerated by the combined catalysts. DMSO solvent allows the use of LiCl as the Lewis acid source and can provide greater control of subsequent conversion to Michael adduct.
SU-GG-T-482: Automatic Beam Placement for Breast Radiotherapy Using Support Vector Machine

Purpose: To develop an automatic beam placement algorithm using the support vector machine (SVM) method for breast radiotherapy with tangential beams. Method and Materials: The optimization goal is to find the optimal parameters of the tangential beams to cover the planning target volume (PTV) including the clinical target volume (CTV) and the ipsilateral breast and minimize the dose to the organs at risk (OARs) consisting of the heart, ipsilateral lung, contralateral breast. Relative significance of different organs were first determined based on the following clinical concerns: (1) CTV should be fully covered, (2) heart sparing is more critical than lung sparing, (3) coverage of the ipsilateral breast tissue beyond the CTV can be compromised in exchange for significant dose reduction of heart and lung, and (4) radiation to the contralateral breast should be avoided. The SVM finds the optimal plane that best separates the PTV and OARs according to a pre‐defined cost function considering the relative significances of all involved objects. Gantry angle, collimator angle and collimator opening of the tangential beams were obtained through geometry transformations of this plane. Dose‐volume histograms of plans determined by this beam placement algorithm were then compared with those by radiationoncologists.Results: Plans of 23 prone and 13 supine patients were analyzed. Our algorithm reduced the heart volume that receives >500 cGy by 38.0% (from 2.68cm3 to 1.66cm3) on average and the ipsilateral lung volume that receives >1000 cGy by 26.3% (from 55.22cm3 to 40.71cm3). Volume of CTV1 and CTV2 receiving >95% of prescription dose decreased by only 0.74% and 0.07% respectively. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the feasibility of using a SVM‐based algorithm to determine the optimal beam placement without physician's intervention. Our algorithm significantly reduced the dose of OARs at the expense of slightly degraded but still acceptable dose homogeneity and coverage.
Image enhancement and edge-based mass segmentation in mammogram

This paper presents a novel, edge-based segmentation method for identifying the mass contour (boundary) for a suspicious mass region (Region of Interest (ROI)) in a mammogram. The method first applies a contrast stretching function to adjust the image contrast, then uses a filtering function to reduce image noise. Next, for each pixel in a ROI, the energy descriptor (one of the Haralick descriptors) is computed from the co-occurrence matrix of the pixel; and the energy texture image of a ROI is obtained. From the energy texture image, the edges in the image are detected; and the mass region is identified from the closed-path edges. Finally, the boundary of the identified mass region is used as the contour of the segmented mass. We applied our method to ROI-marked mammogram images from the Digital Database for Screening Mammography (DDSM). Preliminary results show that the contours detected by our method outline the shape and boundary of a mass much more closely than the ROI markings made by radiologists.
Beyond the DSM: defining endophenotypes for genetic studies of substance abuse.

Although substance-related disorders are heritable, the genetic factors contributing to vulnerability to these disorders are expected to be complex. Nonetheless, identifying genes underlying this vulnerability and understanding their relationship with environmental factors and behavior holds the promise of dramatic advances in diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. The search is complicated by a number of factors, however, including the weak validity of psychiatric diagnosis for identifying gene carriers, the complexity of the brain and behavior, and the numerous intervening variables between genetic transcription and its behavioral consequences. One strategy for bridging this theoretical gap is to study endophenotypes—biologic correlates of disorders that precede their overt development, may have higher reliability than behavioral measures, and present simpler relationships with a smaller number of genes. This article reviews research suggesting the usefulness of several putative endophenotypes for substance-related disorders, including 1) reduced P3 amplitude of the visual event-related potential, 2) increased EEG beta power, 3) a lowered level of response to an alcohol challenge, and 4) the inability to modulate autonomic nervous system reactivity under the stress of anticipating a predictable aversive stimulus.
Infectious Complications in Irradiated Breasts Following Conservative Breast Therapy

: Delayed infectious complications are reported to occur following radiation therapy in women who have undergone conservative breast therapy. Herein, we have reviewed the clinical history of women undergoing conservative therapy in our institution. Of 46 patients treated over a span of 2 years, 13% developed a delayed infectious complication in their irradiated breast ranging from cellulitis to abscess. Onset occurred weeks to months following the completion of radiotherapy. Women experiencing these infections typically had undergone excision of a large volume of breast tissue and had received a radiation boost as part of the radiotherapy technique. Treatment entailed aggressive antibiotic therapy plus drainage of any abscess. All cases resolved; one patient experienced multiple episodes. Resulting cosmetic appearance was often less than ideal. Awareness of this potential problem is important when discussing treatment options with women newly diagnosed with breast cancer, especially those with larger lesions.
Parental Factors Associated With Social Anxiety: Methodological Limitations and Suggestions for Integrated Behavioral Research

The quality of social relationships is a strong predictor of later adjustment. Thus, it is crucial to identify those environmental factors that lead to appropriate versus deficient childhood social relations. Parent-child interaction is one important context to examine due to the crucial role that the family environment plays in children's social development. This article reviews the parental factors associated with social anxiety, integrating the literature from various fields within psychology. Methodological limitations of this research are discussed, pointing to ambiguous constructs, limited assessment procedures, lack of research integration, and reliance on cognitive interpretations. Finally, suggestions are made for future investigations to clarify the definition of constructs and allow for more precise specification of the parental behaviors associated with social anxiety.
B-Lymphocytes in plaque and adventitia of coronary arteries in two patients with rheumatoid arthritis and coronary atherosclerosis: preliminary observations.

Abstract Objectives To describe the subtypes of lymphocytes in coronary arteries of two patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and coronary artery disease (CAD). Materials and methods The Mayo Clinic database was searched for patients with RA and CAD who underwent an autopsy in 2001. Medical records were reviewed, and coronary arteries were examined microscopically. The percentage of B- and T-lymphocytes was determined using histomorphometry on representative sections stained with CD20 and CD3 antibodies, respectively. Results Two men were diagnosed with RA at ages 52 and 70 years and died at ages 60 and 82 years. One sustained an acute myocardial infarction 2 years prior to the diagnosis of RA and had stable CAD until an arrhythmic death. The other developed congestive heart failure secondary to ischemic heart disease 5 years after RA was diagnosed. Both patients had severe three-vessel CAD with both stable fibrocalcific plaques and acute lesions. B- and T-lymphocytes were identified in the plaque and adventitia of all coronary arteries. The mean percentage of B-lymphocytes was 37% to 52% in the plaque and 78% to 85% in the adventitia, while that of T-lymphocytes was 38% to 51% and 28%, for plaque and adventitia, respectively. Conclusions In typical CAD, lymphocytic infiltrates are almost exclusively T-cells. In contrast, the two patients with RA and CAD showed prominent infiltrates of B-lymphocytes within plaques and adventitia. Thus, the leukocytic response in atherosclerotic plaques may be altered in patients with autoimmune disorders. This warrants further study.
Brief report: Trainee provider perceptions of group visits.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of observing group visits on trainees' perceptions of group visits as a method of health care delivery.
Buspirone as an antidote to SSRI-induced bruxism in 4 cases.

Background: One hypothesis to explain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)-induced bruxism states that SSRIs increase extrapyramidal serotonin levels, thereby inhibiting dopaminergic pathways controlling movement. Previous reports have emphasized buspirone's postsynaptic dopaminergic effect as a partial antidote to the suppressed dopamine levels. Case Reports: Four patients, recently started on treatment with the SSRI sertraline, presented with new-onset complaints attributable to SSRI-induced bruxism. All 4 responded to adjunctive buspirone, a serotonin-1A (5-HT 1A ) receptor agonist, with relief of bruxism and associated symptoms. Discussion: We expand the hypothesis put forth in previous reports by proposing that buspirone is not only acting postsynaptically in the extrapyramidal system, but also presynaptically on serotonergic neurons that influence masticatory modulation in the mesocortical tract. Our 4 cases support the concept of buspirone acting as a full agonist at the presynaptic 5-HT 1A somatodendritic receptors located on the cell bodies of raphe serotonergic neurons that project to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the midbrain. These serotonergic neurons modulate the firing of the mesocortical tract, which itself projects from the VTA to the prefrontal cortex and acts on masticatory muscle activity through inhibiting spontaneous movements such as bruxism. While the literature is confusing and contradictory on definitions of bruxism and etiologies of incompletely understood movement disorders, we believe SSRI-induced bruxism is best conceptualized as a form of akathisia.
Self-Consistent Calculations of the Energy Band Structure of Mg 2 Si

Self-consistent calculations of the band structure of the semiconducting compound ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{2}$Si are presented for the nonrelativistic Hartree and Hartree-Fock (HF) independent-particle models (IPM's). The IPM's are based on a finitely periodic model of the many-electron system. Some advantages and distinctions of this model with respect to the conventional formulation are discussed. The calculations are broken into two parts. First-order core (tight-binding) functions and energies are obtained from a model in which all valence effects are neglected. The dominant valence contributions are included in the final stage of calculation where the basis consists of first-order core functions and orthogonalized plane waves. Approximations to matrix elements are described and the error is estimated. The calculations reveal that the valence-band maximum occurs at $\ensuremath{\Gamma}({\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{15})$ and the conduction band is many-valleyed with minima at the equivalent points $X({X}_{3})$. These results agree with qualitative predictions of band symmetries based on experimental charge densities and a symmetry analysis using linear combinations of atomic orbitals. A preliminary investigation indicates that the Hartree bands are in good quantitative agreement with optical data and should be a valuable aid in the interpretation of experiment. The HF-IPM results for ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{2}$Si are compared with results for HF calculations in free atoms.
Background modeling in new physics searches using forward events at CERN LHC

We present a method to measure dominant standard model backgrounds using data containing high rapidity objects in pp collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The method is developed for analyses of early LHC data when robustness against imperfections of background modeling and detector simulation can be a key to the discovery of new physics at LHC.
Microarray Analysis of High-Dose Recombinant Erythropoietin Treatment of Unilateral Brain Injury in Neonatal Mouse Hippocampus

Recombinant human erythropoietin (rEpo) is neuroprotective in neonatal models of brain injury. Proposed mechanisms of neuroprotection include activation of gene pathways that decrease oxidative injury, inflammation, and apoptosis, while increasing vasculogenesis and neurogenesis. To determine the effects of rEpo on gene expression in 10-d-old BALB-c mice with unilateral brain injury, we compared microarrays from the hippocampi of brain-injured pups treated with saline or rEpo to similarly treated sham animals. Total RNA was extracted 24 h after brain injury and analyzed using Affymetrix GeneChip Mouse Exon 1.0 ST Arrays. We identified sex-specific differences in hippocampal gene expression after brain injury and after high-dose rEpo treatment using single-gene and gene set analysis. Although high-dose rEpo had minimal effects on hippocampal gene expression in shams, at 24-h post brain injury, high-dose rEpo treatment significantly decreased the proinflammatory and antiapoptotic response noted in saline-treated brain-injured comparison animals.
A spreadsheet program for simulation of bioequivalence and bioavailability studies

This paper presents a spreadsheet for Excel for Windows, which simulates bioequivalence (BE) trials. The program incorporates intersubject and intrasubject variability in drug absorption and disposition as well as assay precision and the uniformity of the administered dose. The output provides confidence intervals and a pass/fail code for each study. This program is useful for simulating BE trials using widely available and simple-to-use spreadsheet programs. An example of the application of the program in assessing the influence of intrasubject variability on the outcome of BE testing of two identical formulations is also presented.
Cubic chain-of-rotators equation of state and vle calculations

Abstract A cubic equation of state is developed based on the concept of perturbation theory to include the rotational contribution of molecular motion in addition to the repulsive and attractive contributions. Carnahan-Starling's repulsive contribution and Chien's rotational contribution are simplified to give the final equation a cubic form. The new equation represents the vapor pressure and saturated liquid density for diverse substances over the entire liquid range. Application is made to mixtures with emphasis on fluid phase equilibria.
Effect of Total Body Irradiation Dose Escalation on Outcome Following T-Cell-Depleted Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation

Prior studies of non-T-cell-depleted (TCD) transplantation have demonstrated a reduction in relapse in patients receiving escalated doses of TBI; however, overall survival in these studies was not significantly improved due to increased treatment-related toxicity seen at the higher doses of irradiation. Toxicity was in part related to an increased incidence of GVHD. Because T-cell depletion of donor bone marrow reduces the incidence of GVHD and other treatment-related complications after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, it was postulated that TBI dose may be safely escalated in this setting and may decrease the risk of relapse following TCD BMT. Herein, we report the results of a trial assessing the safety and impact of escalated doses of TBI after TCD BMT. Two hundred adults with hematologic malignancies were treated in consecutive cohorts defined by increasing doses of TBI (1400, 1480, and 1560 cGy) in combination with cyclophosphamide. In vitro T-cell depletion using anti-CD6 monoclonal antibody was used for GVHD prophylaxis. The incidence of grade II or greater acute GVHD in patients receiving 1560 cGy (36%) was significantly higher than in patients receiving 1400 cGy (18%) (P = .04) or 1480 cGy (13%) (P = .01). Two-year treatment-related mortality was significantly higher in patients who received 1560 cGy of TBI (33%) than in those who received 1400 cGy (20%) (P = .04) or 1480 cGy (19%) (P = .05). The increased dose of TBI did not reduce the rates of relapse, with the estimated 2-year risk of relapse being 24% (1400 cGy), 24% (1480 cGy), and 31% (1560 cGy) for the 3 cohorts of patients. Overall survival at 2 years was inferior for patients receiving 1560 cGy of TBI (36%) compared with those who received 1400 cGy (55%) or 1480 cGy (58%) (P = .01). We conclude that dose escalation of TBI is associated with increased GVHD and inferior survival following TCD BMT. Future efforts to reduce the risk of relapse after TCD BMT should focus on immunologic methods to induce the graft-versus-leukemia effect after BMT rather than intensification of the ablative regimen by escalation of irradiation dose.
A model of brittle fracture propagation part I—continuum aspects☆

Abstract The micromechanism of crack propagation in steel is described and analyzed in continuum terms and related to the macroscopic fracture behavior. It is proposed that propagation of cleavage microcracks through favorably oriented grains ahead of the main crack tip is the principal weakening mode in brittle fracture. This easy cleavage process proceeds in the Griffith manner and follows a continuous, multiply connected, nearly planar path with a very irregular front which spreads both forward and laterally and leaves behind disconnected links which span the prospective fracture surface. A discrete crack zone which extends over many grains thus exists at the tip of a running brittle crack. Final separation of the links is preceeded by plastic straining within the crack zone and occurs gradually with the increasing crack opening displacement. It is suggested that in low stress fracture, straining of the links is the only deformation mode. However, it is recognized that under certain conditions plastic enclaves may adjoin the crack zone. This deformation mode is associated with high stress fracture, energy transition and eventually with crack arrest. Energy dissipation resulting from the two deformation mechanisms is related to crack velocity, applied load and temperature and the crack velocity in a given material is expressed as a function of the external conditions. Fracture initiation and crack arrest are then discussed in terms of the conditions which are necessary to maintain the propagation process. Finally, the dimensions of a small scale crack tip zone for a steady state, plane strain crack are evaluated as functions of material properties and the elastic stress intensity factor. The microstructural aspects of brittle fracture will be discussed in a separate Part 2 [1].