cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hospitalization and Survival of Medicare Patients Treated With Carboplatin Plus Paclitaxel or Pemetrexed for Metastatic, Nonsquamous, Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

Importance Chemotherapy is a mainstay treatment of metastatic non–small cell lung cancer. However, little is known about the comparative risk of hospitalization associated with commonly used chemotherapy regimens. Objective To evaluate the real-world association of specific lung cancer chemotherapy regimens with measures of acute hospital care (primary objective) and survival (secondary objective). Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective, propensity-matched, cohort study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare linked data for cancer diagnoses between 2008 and 2013, with follow-up through 2014. Patients were Medicare beneficiaries 66 years of age or older receiving initial chemotherapy for treatment of stage IV, nonsquamous, non–small cell lung cancer. Analyses were performed between September 2017 and April 2018. Exposures Receipt of chemotherapy with carboplatin-pemetrexed or carboplatin-paclitaxel, with or without concurrent bevacizumab. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was risk of hospitalization within 30 days of chemotherapy initiation. Secondary measures included cumulative 90-day hospitalizations, 90-day mean hospital-free survival time, and overall survival. Results Of the 3310 eligible patients, 1823 received carboplatin-pemetrexed, and 1487 received carboplatin-paclitaxel. The median age at diagnosis was 73 years (interquartile range, 69-77 years), 1784 patients (53.9%) were men, and 2909 patients (87.9%) were non-Hispanic white. In total, 2182 patients were included in the propensity-matched analysis. The 30-day hospitalization risk was 20.7% (95% CI, 18.3%-23.1%) among patients receiving carboplatin-pemetrexed vs 26.0% (95% CI, 23.4%-28.6%) among patients receiving carboplatin-paclitaxel (5.3% difference;P = .003). The 90-day cumulative hospitalizations did not differ significantly between the 2 treatment groups; however, the 90-day mean hospital-free survival time was improved for patients receiving carboplatin-pemetrexed (68.4 days [95% CI, 66.5-70.4 days] vs 63.6 days [95% CI, 61.6-65.7 days];P = .001). The median survival time was 9.0 months (95% CI, 8.4-9.5 months) with carboplatin-pemetrexed therapy vs 7.6 months (95% CI, 7.0-8.4 months) with carboplatin-paclitaxel therapy (P = .005). Stratified analyses showed no association of bevacizumab use with hospitalization risk or survival when combined with either chemotherapy regimen. Conclusions and Relevance The findings from this study suggest that patients receiving carboplatin-pemetrexed compared with those receiving carboplatin-paclitaxel have a lower 30-day hospitalization risk, a greater 90-day hospital-free survival, and improved overall survival. Information about hospitalization risk may provide valuable context for evaluating real-world cancer treatment outcomes.
Proceedings of the 17th ACM conference on Computer and communications security

It is our pleasure to report that the tradition of excellence established in previous years will again be manifest in this year's ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security (CCS 2010), held October 4 - 8, 2010 in Chicago IL, USA. We received a record 325 submissions from 36 countries. Each paper was reviewed by at least three of the 54 program committee members, with 20% of submissions receiving additional reviews (in some cases, up to 6 total reviews). This effort corresponded to a massive 1029 reviews, with each PC member responsible for 18 papers on average. The evaluation was made on the basis of each submission's significance, novelty, and technical quality. After the reviews were completed, the program committee conducted a month-long online discussion for each submission. Of the papers submitted, 55 were selected for presentation at the conference (with two of these submissions merged into a single paper), representing an acceptance rate of 17%. The quality of many of the papers that we could not accept was also very high; we are confident that with only a little (if any) additional work, many will be accepted and appear in other high-quality conferences. In this, we hope they will have benefited from the hard work of the excellent program committee members whom we had the pleasure to work with. We wish to thank the committee for the collegiality, diligence, responsiveness, and enthusiasm they exhibited throughout this grueling, but also extremely rewarding process. We also wish to thank the 223 external reviewers who provided additional input to the process. This year, we introduced two innovations to the conference review process: review rebuttals and supplemental material. We expect both of these experiments to be repeated at least once more. The rebuttal process proved popular with the authors, with 256 responses submitted during the designated two-day period. These helped clarify and guide the subsequent deliberation by the program committee, and we hope that they have further improved the quality of the feedback received by the authors. In our experiment with supplemental material, authors were allowed to provide a 3-minute video (preferred) or a small number of slides with their submissions. Our goal was to improve understanding of the work by the reviewers by supplying them with an executive summary of the work in a different format. We received 27 submissions (8% of the total) with supplemental material, the large majority of which consisted of slides. The acceptance rate among these submissions was 15%, matching that of the overall conference. However, the acceptance rate for the few submissions that provided video demonstrations of their system was 42%.
Solar ponds for power generation

This study investigates the technical feasibility of solar pond power generation in the state of Florida. A one-dimensional model is used to analyze three different modes of operation of the pond; the steady state analysis determines the maximum overall efficiency of the pond, optimum load and optimum brine temperature to be extracted. The steady periodic analysis determines the performance of the pond subjected to a seasonal variation. The transient analysis determines the time necessary for the pond to reach the optimum temperature.
Rate and causes of severe maternal morbidity at readmission: California births in 2008-2012.

To determine the rate, maternal characteristics, timing, and indicators of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) that occurs at postpartum readmission. Women with a birth in California during 2008–2012 were included in the analysis. Readmissions up to 42 days after delivery were investigated. SMM was defined as presence of any of the 21 indicators defined by ICD-9 codes. Among 2,413,943 women with a birth, SMM at readmission occurred in 4229 women. Of all SMM, 12.1% occurred at readmission. Over half (53.5%) of the readmissions with SMM occurred within the first week after delivery hospitalization. The most common indicators of SMM were blood transfusion, sepsis, and pulmonary edema/acute heart failure. Twelve percent of SMM was identified at readmission with the majority occurring within 1 week after discharge from delivery hospitalization. Because early readmission may reflect lack of discharge readiness, there may be opportunities to improve care.
Errors in body mass index from self-reported data by sex and across waves of Add Health

Abstract Purpose Body mass index (BMI) derived from self-reported height and weight is often used to study adiposity and its health implications. However, misestimates of BMI from self-reported data have been observed. This study adds to the literature by demonstrating how anthropometric misreporting patterns differed by sex and changed across time in a nationally representative cohort, as well as examining behavioral/psychological correlates of biases in BMI. Methods Misreporting of height and weight (and thus BMI) from adolescence to adulthood in the United States was studied using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (1996–2008). Behavioral/psychological characteristics possibly associated with errors in BMI were analyzed with fixed-effects models. Results Different patterns of anthropometric misreporting resulted in larger underestimation of BMI among females than males at the beginning waves, but females saw a reduction by the last wave. Males did not see such a decrease, and their error, at 0.75 BMI units by 2008, was comparable to that of females. For both sexes, body image perception was a significant predictor of biases in BMI. Conclusions From adolescence to adulthood, anthropometric reporting patterns changed, and its variation differed by sex. Nevertheless, errors in BMI were similarly associated with behavioral/psychological characteristics.
Chapter 9 – Community Crime Prevention

Publisher Summary Crime prevention is an important component in a comprehensive community policing approach. It has a theoretical foundation. There are three theories that can help to explain the workings of crime prevention programming: (1) social disorganization theory, (2) rational choice theory, and (3) routine activities theory. There are five levels or strategies of crime prevention programming. First is the social development. These programs attempt to negate the factors that influence juveniles and adults to engage in criminal behavior. The second crime prevention strategy is situational crime prevention. Situational crime prevention attempts to make crime more difficult through environmental design and enhanced surveillance. The third strategy is community crime prevention programming. The essence of community crime prevention is community involvement. The police have long understood that the efforts to combat crime can be successful only when people are actively involved in assisting the police. The fourth category of crime prevention strategy is legislative/administrative strategies. Programs within this strategy include efforts to pass statutes and administrative regulations that prevent crime or enhance law enforcement's ability to tackle a particular crime problem. The advent of community policing has resulted in numerous changes in law enforcement. One important change has been an increased awareness of the impact of crime prevention on a number of traditional police problems.
Groundwater discharges as a source of phytoestrogens and other agriculturally derived contaminants to streams

Groundwater discharge zones in streams are important habitats for aquatic organisms. The use of discharge zones for thermal refuge and spawning by fish and other biota renders them susceptible to potential focused discharge of groundwater contamination. Currently, there is a paucity of information about discharge zones as a potential exposure pathway of chemicals to stream ecosystems. Using thermal mapping technologies to locate groundwater discharges, shallow groundwater and surface water from three rivers in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA were analyzed for phytoestrogens, pesticides and their degradates, steroid hormones, sterols and bisphenol A. A Bayesian censored regression model was used to compare groundwater and surface water chemical concentrations. The most frequently detected chemicals in both ground and surface water were the phytoestrogens genistein (79%) and formononetin (55%), the herbicides metolachlor (50%) and atrazine (74%), and the sterol cholesterol (88%). There was evidence suggesting groundwater discharge zones could be a unique exposure pathway of chemicals to surface water systems, in our case, metolachlor sulfonic acid (posterior mean concentration = 150 ng/L in groundwater and 4.6 ng/L in surface water). Our study also demonstrated heterogeneity of chemical concentration in groundwater discharge zones within a stream for the phytoestrogen formononetin, the herbicides metolachlor and atrazine, and cholesterol. Results support the hypothesis that discharge zones are an important source of exposure of phytoestrogens and herbicides to aquatic organisms. To manage critical resources within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, more work is needed to characterize exposure in discharge zones more broadly across time and space.
Interstellar H I and H_2 in the Magellanic Clouds: An Expanded Sample Based on UV Absorption-Line Data

We have determined column densities of H I and/or H_2 for sight lines in the Magellanic Clouds from archival HST and FUSE spectra of H I Lyman-alpha and H_2 Lyman-band absorption. Together with some similar data from the literature, we now have absorption-based N(H I) and/or N(H_2) for 285 LMC and SMC sight lines (114 with a detection or limit for both species) -- enabling more extensive, direct, and accurate determinations of molecular fractions, gas-to-dust ratios, and elemental depletions in these two nearby, low-metallicity galaxies. For sight lines where the N(H I) estimated from 21 cm emission is significantly higher than the value derived from Lyman-alpha absorption (presumably due to emission from gas beyond the target stars), integration of the 21 cm profile only over the velocity range seen in Na I or H_2 absorption generally yields much better agreement. Conversely, N(21 cm) can be lower than N(Ly-alpha) by factors of 2--3 in some LMC sight lines -- suggestive of small-scale structure within the 21 cm beam(s) and/or some saturation in the emission. The mean gas-to-dust ratios obtained from N(H_tot)/E(B-V) are larger than in our Galaxy, by factors of 2.8--2.9 in the LMC and 4.1--5.2 in the SMC -- i.e., factors similar to the differences in metallicity. The N(H_2)/E(B-V) ratios are more similar in the three galaxies, but with considerable scatter within each galaxy. These data may be used to test models of the atomic-to-molecular transition at low metallicities and predictions of N(H_2) based on comparisons of 21 cm emission and the IR emission from dust.
Ion acoustic traveling waves

Models for traveling waves in multi-fluid plasmas give essential insight into fully nonlinear wave structures in plasmas, not readily available from either numerical simulations or from weakly nonlinear wave theories. We illustrate these ideas using one of the simplest models of an electron–proton multi-fluid plasma for the case where there is no magnetic field or a constant normal magnetic field present. We show that the traveling waves can be reduced to a single first-order differential equation governing the dynamics. We also show that the equations admit a multi-symplectic Hamiltonian formulation in which both the space and time variables can act as the evolution variable. An integral equation useful for calculating adiabatic, electrostatic solitary wave signatures for multi-fluid plasmas with arbitrary mass ratios is presented. The integral equation arises naturally from a fluid dynamics approach for a two fluid plasma, with a given mass ratio of the two species (e.g. the plasma could be an electron–proton or an electron–positron plasma). Besides its intrinsic interest, the integral equation solution provides a useful analytical test for numerical codes that include a proton–electron mass ratio as a fundamental constant, such as for particle in cell (PIC) codes. The integral equation is used to delineate the physical characteristics of ion acoustic traveling waves consisting of hot electron and cold proton fluids.
Moving on up: Vertical distribution shifts in rocky reef fish species during climate-driven decline in dissolved oxygen from 1995 to 2009

Anthropogenic climate change has resulted in warming temperatures and reduced oxygen concentrations in the global oceans. Much remains unknown on the impacts of reduced oxygen concentrations on the biology and distribution of marine fishes. In the Southern California Channel Islands, visual fish surveys were conducted frequently in a manned submersible at three rocky reefs between 1995 and 2009. This area is characterized by a steep bathymetric gradient, with the surveyed sites Anacapa Passage, Footprint and Piggy Bank corresponding to depths near 50, 150 and 300 m. Poisson models were developed for each fish species observed consistently in this network of rocky reefs to determine the impact of depth and year on fish peak distribution. The interaction of depth and year was significant in 23 fish types, with 19 of the modelled peak distributions shifting to a shallower depth over the surveyed time period. Across the 23 fish types, the peak distribution shoaled at an average rate of 8.7 m of vertical depth per decade. Many of the species included in the study, including California sheephead, copper rockfish and blue rockfish, are targeted by commercial and recreational fisheries. CalCOFI hydrographic samples are used to demonstrate significant declines in dissolved oxygen at stations near the survey sites which are forced by a combination of natural multidecadal oscillations and anthropogenic climate change. This study demonstrates in situ fish depth distribution shifts over a 15-year period concurrent with oxygen decline. Climate-driven distribution shifts in response to deoxygenation have important implications for fisheries management, including habitat reduction, habitat compression, novel trophic dynamics and reduced body condition. Continued efforts to predict the formation and severity of hypoxic zones and their impact on fisheries dynamics will be essential to guiding effective placement of protected areas and fisheries regulations.
David T. Blackstock: Friend, husband, father

David T. Blackstock, my father, was an exceptional and esteemed scholar, scientist, and teacher. He was an even more exceptional human being: a pillar of integrity, a kind and generous friend, a devoted husband, and a loving father. Like many in the audience, I learned so much from him. I have never understood how he had the energy to be so engaged in his research and teaching and, also, so attentive to his family. One of my older brother's childhood friends remarked, shortly after David's passing: “What made him so special was that he remained a good dad despite all the pressures of his professional life.” In this talk, I’ll explore this mystery, and I hope that, along the way, you’ll get to know David Blackstock, the person, a little better. David taught many students how to be good scientists. He taught me how to be a good human being.
Hypersensitivity in the 4 f −4 f Absorption Spectra of Er 3+ and Ho 3+ Complexes

The absorption intensities of certain lanthanide ion (Ln3+) 4f→4f transitions exhibit an especially strong sensitivity to the detailed nature of the ligand environment about the Ln3+ ion. Transitions showing this behavior are referred to as “hypersensitive” transitions. The absorption spectra of these transitions are of value in following changes in the ligand environment brought about by complex formation, chelate:substrate adduct formation, or ligand structural alterations in solution media. Hypersensitivity has been exploited extensively as a structure probe even though a full understanding of the phenomenon, from a theoretical point of view, has remained elusive (1,2).
Angular Momemtum and Large-Scale Magnetic Field in Textures Seeded Models

We start by pedagigically reviewing the problem of large scale magnetic fields. We explain the acquisition of angular momentum in the general context of Dark Matter models and we use this result to derive a dynamical mechanism for magnetic field generation. This mechanism does not produce any magnetic field for standard CDM, but it does for a large class of other models. We apply this mechanism in the context of the texture scenario of large-scale structure formation. Resulting constraints on the texture scenario and other models are discussed.
Transistor design with TCAD tuning and device optimization for process/device synthesis

Process/device synthesis using automated optimized device design with a set of target/constraint values is investigated to reduce device design time and product cycle time. As a first step, the authors report results on (a) transistor design methodology, (b) TCAD simulator tuning methodology, and (c) device optimization using process sensitivity considerations and a new transistor figure-of-merit for digital circuit speed. >
Interannual Indian Rainfall Variability and Indian Ocean Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies

It is shown that interannual variations in Indian continental rainfall during the south-west monsoon can be usefully represented by two regional rainfall indices. Indian rainfall is concentrated in two regions, each with strong mean and variance in precipitation: the Western Ghats (WG) and the Ganges-Mahanadi Basin (GB) region. Interannual variability of rainfall averaged over each of the two regions (WG and GB) is uncorrelated; however, the rainfall over these two regions together explains 90% of the interannual variance of All-India rainfall (AIR). The lack of correlation between WG and GB rainfall suggests that different mechanisms may account for their variability. During the period 1982-2001, rainfall variability over each of these two regions exhibits distinct relationships to Indian Ocean SST: warm SSTA over the western Arabian Sea at the monsoon onset is associated with increased WG rainfall (r = 0.77), while cool SSTA off of Java and Sumatra is associated with increased GB rainfall (r = -0.55). The connection between SSTA and AIR is considerably weaker, and represents the superposition of that associated with each region. We find the relationship with WG rainfall is robust, while that with GB results from a single exceptional year. Each region also exhibits distinct relationships to El Nino SSTA indices.
In Memoriam: Edward L. Keenan

An obituary for Edward L. Keenan, a professor of history at the Harvard University, Massachusetts, is presented.
Conversion of urodynamic pressures measured simultaneously by air‐charged and water‐filled catheter systems

Aims The objective of this study was to compare the simultaneous responses of water-filled (WFC) and air-charged (ACC) catheters during simulated urodynamic pressures and develop an algorithm to convert peak pressures measured using an ACC to those measured by a WFC. Methods Examples of cough leak point pressure and valsalva leak point pressure data (n = 4) were obtained from the literature, digitized, and modified in amplitude and duration to create a set of simulated data that ranged in amplitude from 15 to 220 cm H2O (n = 25) and duration from 0.1 to 3.0 sec (n = 25) for each original signal. Simulated pressure signals were recorded simultaneously by WFCs, ACCs, and a reference transducer in a specially designed pressure chamber. Peak pressure and time to peak pressure were calculated for each simulated pressure signal and were used to develop an algorithm to convert peak pressures recorded with ACCs to corresponding peak pressures recorded with WFCs. The algorithm was validated with additional simulated urodynamic pressure signals and additional catheters that had not been utilized to develop the algorithm. Results ACCs significantly underestimated peak pressures of more rapidly changing pressures, as in coughs, compared to those measured by WFCs. The algorithm corrected 90% of peak pressures measured by ACCs to within 5% of those measured by WFCs when simultaneously exposed to the same pressure signals. Conclusions The developed algorithm can be used to convert rapidly changing urodynamic pressures, such as cough leak point pressure, obtained using ACC systems to corresponding values expected from WFC systems. Neurourol. Urodynam. 34:507–512, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A simple effective Hamiltonian for low-frequency linear responses

Abstract It is shown that low-frequency linear responses may be obtained formally from second-order stationary state perturbation theory through the use of effective potentials. The effective potentials are related to time averages of Heisenberg operators.
Analgesic and cardiovascular effects of centrally administered substance P

Substance P (SP) injected intracerebroventricularly (ICV) into rabbits caused dose-related thermal analgesia with the maximum effect after 2 micrograms. The analgesia was measured by timing the withdrawal of the rabbit's ear from an infrared beam. Equimolar amounts of the related peptides physalaemin and eledoisin-related peptide also caused analgesia, but the SP N-terminal fragment (1-9) was inactive. This suggests that the analgesic message of SP resides within the C-terminal fragment. The analgesia caused by each peptide developed more rapidly but did not last as long as that after central injection of beta-endorphin. In separate experiments, 2 micrograms SP injected ICV increased blood pressure and decreased heart rate. The analgesic, bradycardic and pressor responses to central administration of SP were opposite to effects of peripherally administered SP, described previously. These results indicate that the effect induced by SP depends upon its specific neuroanatomical site of action.
Chromate resistance and reduction in pseudomonas fluorescens strain LB300

Pseudomonas fluorescens LB300 is a chromateresistant strain isolated from chromium-contaminated river sediment. Chromate resistance is conferred by the plasmid pLHB1. Strain LB300 grew in minimal salts medium with as much as 1000 μg of K2CrO4 ml−1, and actively reduced chromate to Cr(III) while growing aerobically on a variety of substrates. Chromate was also reduced during anaerobic growth on acetate, the chromate serving as terminal electron acceptor. P. fluorescens LB303, a plasmidless, chromatesensitive variant of P. fluorescens LB300, did not grow in minimal salts medium with more than 10 μg of K2CrO4 ml−1. However, resting cells of strain LB303 grown without chromate reduced chromate as well as strain LB300 cells grown under the same conditions. Furthermore, resting cells of chromate-sensitive Pseudomonas putida strain AC10, also catalyzed chromate reduction. Evidently chromate resistance and chromate reduction in these organisms are unrelated. Comparison of the rates of chromate reduction by chromate grown cells and cells grown without chromate indicated that the chromate reductase activity is constitutive. Studies with cell-free extracts show that the reductase is membrane-associated and can mediate the transfer of electrons from NADH to chromate.
The conversation continues I.

I read with much interest your trialog in Accounts of Chemical Research. However, I believe that you and your coauthors are a bit young to have experienced, in real time, the sea change in the way organic chemists essentially abandoned resonance theory as their sole means for qualitatively rationalizing organic structures.
Alveolar permeability to protein in rats differentially susceptible to ozone

Sprague-Dawley rats susceptible (DS) to NaCl-induced hypertension suffer higher mortality when exposed daily to 2.0 ppm ozone than do hypertension-resistant (DR) rats, independent of salt in the diet or systemic blood pressure. To investigate one possible contribution to this differential sensitivity to ozone, alveolar permeabilities to serum albumin were measured both in ozone-exposed and in control DS and DR rats. Female rats aged 5-7 weeks maintained on a low-salt (0.4% NaCl) diet were injected intravenously with 125I-bovine serum albumin and were then exposed to either 2.0 ppm ozone or air for 5 h. After pentobarbital anesthesia, the rats were exsanguinated and their lungs were lavaged in situ with saline. Lavage fluids and blood samples were measured for radioactivity using a NaI-well gamma counter. The results indicated that while DS and DR control rats have similar pulmonary permeabilities to 125I-albumin, the lungs of the ozone-exposed DS animals were 63% (p less than 0.02) more permeable than those of DR rats exposed to ozone. Sloughing of epithelial tissue, mucous formation and an accumulation of macrophages in the end-airways were more pronounced among ozone-exposed DS animals than in DR-ozone-exposed rats. This increased damage among DS rats correlated well with the increased protein permeability levels. In similar studies, Sprague-Dawley (D) rats were more variable in their response to ozone than either inbred strain. However, the results appeared generally more like those of the DS animals, suggesting that the trait selected by inbreeding may have been resistance rather than sensitivity to ozone-induced lung injury.
Environmental exposures and asthma morbidity in children living in urban neighborhoods

A substantial disparity in asthma prevalence and morbidity among urban children compared with their nonurban counterparts has been recognized for more than two decades. Because of the nature of urban neighborhoods, pest allergens, such as cockroach and mouse, are present in high concentrations in US urban housing and have both repeatedly been linked to asthma morbidity in sensitized children. In addition, there is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that concentrations of many pollutants are higher indoors than outdoors in both US and European urban communities and that exposures to indoor pollutants such as particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are independently associated with symptoms in children with asthma. Although environmental interventions are challenging to implement, when they reduce relevant indoor allergen and pollutant exposures, they are associated with clear improvements in asthma. Other modifiable risk factors in urban childhood asthma that have emerged include dietary and nutritional factors. Overweight and obese children, for example, may be more susceptible to the pulmonary effects of pollutant exposure. Insufficiency of vitamin D and folate has also emerged as modifiable risk factors for asthma morbidity in children. The identification of these modifiable risk factors for urban childhood asthma morbidity offers a ripe opportunity for intervention.
Dietary Adherence in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Trial

Abstract Participants in controlled feeding studies must consume all study foods and abstain from all other foods. In outpatient studies in which adherence may be compromised by free-living conditions, promoting, documenting, and monitoring dietary adherence are necessary. In the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) trial, a thorough participant screening process, an orientation session, and a run-in feeding period before randomization aided in the selection of participants who would most likely adhere to the demands of the study protocol. Throughout the feeding period, various educational and motivational techniques were used to encourage DASH participants to adhere to the dietary protocol. Both objective and subjective methods documented excellent participant adherence. Daily monitoring of individual adherence was based on meal attendance, body weight measurements, and daily diaries. Urinary sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and urea nitrogen values and an anonymous poststudy survey were used to evaluate adherence at the end of the study. Most DASH participants adhered to the feeding regimen by consuming only study foods and no other foods. When adherence lapsed, participants generally cited the lack of menu variety as a reason. Successful participant adherence to the constraints of an outpatient controlled feeding study is possible with carefully selected participants and a variety of adherence-promoting strategies incorporated into the study protocol. J Am Diet Assoc. 1999;99(suppl):S76–S83 .
Immunohistochemical expression of minichromosome maintenance complex protein 2 predicts biochemical recurrence in prostate cancer: a tissue microarray and digital imaging analysis-based study of 428 cases.

Prostate cancer remains a major health problem in the United States. Established clinicopathologic parameters such as Gleason score, T stage, and prostate-specific antigen levels are currently the guiding tools for prognostication and disease management. The addition of biomarkers could increase the accuracy of these parameters for predicting disease progression, response to therapy, and survival. In this regard, the goal of this study was to evaluate minichromosome maintenance complex protein 2 and Ki-67 immunohistochemical expression as predictors of outcome in prostate cancer. For this purpose, 11 tissue microarrays were constructed using tumor and nontumor samples from 428 patients. Patients were divided into short-term (mean, 2.9 years) and long-term (mean, 14.1 years) follow-up groups. End points were biochemical recurrence for the short-term follow-up group and prostate cancer–related death for the long-term follow-up group. All men in the long-term follow-up group had biochemical recurrence at the time of recruitment. Expression of both markers was higher in tumor than in nontumor glands. Percentage of minichromosome maintenance complex protein 2 was associated with Gleason score in both groups. Percentage of Ki-67 was associated with Gleason score and pathologic stage only in the short-term follow-up group. Higher minichromosome maintenance complex protein 2 percentages were associated with biochemical recurrence in the short-term follow-up group. In the long-term follow-up group, neither minichromosome maintenance complex protein 2 nor Ki-67 levels predicted prostate cancer death. In conclusion, our results suggest that in patients treated by radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer, immunohistochemistry for minichromosome maintenance complex protein 2 expression could be used to predict biochemical recurrence, independent of other known clinicopathologic factors.
Mechanism of Ene Reactions of Singlet Oxygen. A Two-Step No-Intermediate Mechanism

The mechanism of the ene reaction of singlet (1Δg) oxygen with simple alkenes is investigated by a combination of experimental isotope effects and several levels of theoretical calculations. For the reaction of 2,4-dimethyl-3-isopropyl-2-pentene, the olefinic carbons exhibit small and nearly equal 13C isotope effects of 1.005−1.007, while the reacting methyl groups exhibit 13C isotope effects near unity. In a novel experiment, the 13C composition of the product is analyzed to determine the intramolecular 13C isotope effects in the ene reaction of tetramethylethylene. The new 13C and literature 2H isotope effects are then used to evaluate the accuracy of theoretical calculations. RHF, CASSCF(10e, 8o), and restricted and unrestricted B3LYP calculations are each applied to the ene reaction with tetramethylethylene. Each predicts a different mechanism, but none leads to reasonable predictions of the experimental isotope effects. It is concluded that none of these calculations accurately describe the reaction....
Genotoxicity of naturally occurring indole compounds: correlation between covalent DNA binding and other genotoxicity tests.

3-Methylindole (3MI), melatonin (Mel), serotonin (Ser), and tryptamine (Tryp) were evaluated in vitro for their potential to induce DNA adducts, DNA strand breaks, chromosomal aberrations (Abs), inhibition of DNA synthesis, and mutations. All compounds produced DNA adducts in calf thymus DNA in the presence of rat liver S9. In cultured rat hepatocytes, all produced DNA adducts but none induced DNA strand breaks. In Chinese hamster ovary cells, 3MI and Mel produced DNA adducts, Abs, and inhibition of DNA synthesis with and without S9, except that Mel without S9 did not form adducts. Ser formed DNA adducts, was an equivocal Abs inducer, and suppressed DNA synthesis. Tryp induced neither adducts nor Abs, but did suppress DNA synthesis with S9. Ser and Tryp were less cytotoxic than 3MI and Mel. Mel, Ser, and Tryp failed to induce mutations in Salmonella and E. coli strains with or without S9. 3MI and Mel produced DNA adducts but not mutations in Salmonella TA100 with S9. 3MI and its metabolite indole 3-carbinol also did not induce mutations in a shuttle vector system in human cells. The lack of correlation between DNA adducts and other genotoxicity endpoints for these indole compounds may be due to the higher sensitivity of the 32P-postlabeling adduct assay or it may indicate that the indole-DNA adducts per se are not mutagenic and are not able to induce strand breaks or alkali-labile lesions. The indole-induced Abs may result from cytotoxicity and suppression of DNA synthesis with minimal if any contribution from DNA adducts. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 40:1–17, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Preparation of Functionalized Esters of Carboxylic Acids

Abstract The synthesis of simple esters (methyl, ethyl, etc.) of carboxylic acids is generally a trivial synthetic transformation due to the great variety of mehtods available (CH2N2, MeOH-H+,Me2SO4-Base, copper salts-alkylhalides1, and CaO with alkylhalides2). However, what was sought in this laboratory were methods for preparation of functionalized esters. Specifically, Investigations are underway to develop methods for intra molecular transfer or intramolecular reaction of the functionalized (“R”) portion of the carboxylic acid ester (as illustrated below).
Societal aspects of technology assessment

Abstract Despite earnest admonitions in most technology assessments that institutional arrangements, social impacts, and societal implications be taken into account, the methodology commonly used not only systematically and systematically excludes these very dimensions but often creates a distorted focus. The paradigm dominating structural modeling in technology assessment is technically-oriented; the techniques, lineal descendants of systems analysis, are no more reliable for “assessing” the uncertain future than have been their ancestors in “managing” the present.
The Jim Braddock-Max Schmeling Affair: an Assessment of a Jewish Boycott of a Professional Prizefight

The impact of the Jewish boycott of the Jim Braddock-Max Schmeling fight in the latter 1930s is assessed in this paper. The author's interpretation of historical evidence surround ing this event is that the Jewish boycott played only a minor role in the cancellation of this sporting event. It is suggested that the cancellation of this sporting event is better understood in the light of the search for the "Great White Hope." This study demonstrates how groups infuse sport with socially significant symbolic political values to further some desired objective. Through the process of using sport as a political weapon, athletes defined as political adversaries are often denied or restricted from competitive opportunities.
Effects of immunoglobulins on in vitro hatching of preimplantation rabbit embryos

Abstract The following experiments were designed to study the effects of nonspecific immunoglobulins on the growth and development of the preimplantation rabbit embryo during in vitro cultivation. Embryos (2–4 cells) were cultured in the presence of nonspecific sheep serum gamma-globulins (SSGG) for 120 h. Growth and development of embryos were unaffected by SSGG (1.0 mg/ml) as 88% of the ova advanced to the blastocyst stage compared to 90% of the controls. Of the developed embryos, the percentages of late blastocysts with expanding blastocoels in the control and SSGG-treated cultures were 77% and 74%, respectively. However, the ability of the expanding embryo to shed its zona pellucida (ZP) was inhibited by the presence of SSGG. Of the total number of embryos cultured in control medium, 51% hatched from the ZP with 27% completely hatched. In the presence of SSGG (1.0 mg/ml) hatching (32%) was significantly inhibited ( P P
Allele-specific and Mutator-associated instability at the Rpl disease-resistance locus of maize

The Rp1 locus of maize determines resistance to the fungal rust pathogen Puccinia sorghi. In an attempt to isolate insertion mutations at Rp1 with the Mutator transposable element system, we found that Rp1 inactivation was common both in lines with Mutator activity and in controls lacking any known transposable element activity. Some alleles of Rp1 are endogenously inactivated as frequently as one in five-hundred, whereas other alleles are over twenty times more stable. In a standard background, no mutations of the Rp1F allele were detected in 7,339 progeny screened. In a Mutator background, 27 Rp1F inactivations were isolated from 35,356 tested seedlings. Although most Rp1F mutant seedlings lost resistance to all of the P. sorghi isolates tested, several retained resistance to a subset of rust biotypes. Some of the resistance specificity profiles obtained in these mutants are unlike any previously identified Rp1 alleles. These data indicate that the Rp1 locus is composed of multiple resistance factors with variable intrinsic stabilities.
Impaired proteasome function activates GATA3 in T cells and upregulates CTLA-4: relevance for Sezary syndrome.

Highly regulated expression of the negative costimulatory molecule cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) on T cells modulates T-cell activation and proliferation. CTLA-4 is preferentially expressed in Th2 T cells, whose differentiation depends on the transcriptional regulator GATA3. Sezary syndrome (SS) is a T-cell malignancy characterized by Th2 cytokine skewing, impaired T-cell responses, and overexpression of GATA3 and CTLA-4. GATA3 is regulated by phosphorylation and ubiquitination. In SS cells, we detected increased polyubiquitinated proteins and activated GATA3. We hypothesized that proteasome dysfunction in SS T cells may lead to GATA3 and CTLA-4 overexpression. To test this hypothesis, we blocked proteasome function with bortezomib in normal T cells, and observed sustained GATA3 and CTLA-4 upregulation. The increased CTLA-4 was functionally inhibitory in a mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). GATA3 directly transactivated the CTLA-4 promoter, and knockdown of GATA3 messenger RNA and protein inhibited CTLA-4 induction mediated by bortezomib. Finally, knockdown of GATA3 in patient's malignant T cells suppressed CTLA-4 expression. Here we demonstrate a new T-cell regulatory pathway that directly links decreased proteasome degradation of GATA3, CTLA-4 upregulation, and inhibition of T-cell responses. We also demonstrate the requirement of the GATA3/CTLA-4 regulatory pathway in fresh neoplastic CD4+ T cells. Targeting of this pathway may be beneficial in SS and other CTLA-4-overexpressing T-cell neoplasms.
FORAGING DISTANCE AND HOME RANGE OF CASSIN'S AUKLETS NESTING AT TWO COLONIES IN THE CALIFORNIA CHANNEL ISLANDS

Abstract We radio-marked 99 Cassin's Auklets (Ptychoramphus aleuticus) nesting at two colonies, Prince Island and Scorpion Rock, separated by 90 km in the California Channel Islands to quantify foraging distance, individual home-range area, and colony-based foraging areas during three consecutive breeding seasons. Auklets generally foraged <30 km from each colony in all years. Core foraging areas (50% fixed kernel) from Prince Island in 1999–2001 were north to northeast of the colony over the insular shelf near the shelfbreak. Core foraging areas from Scorpion Rock in 2000–2001 occurred in two focal areas: the Anacapa Passage, a narrow interisland passage adjacent to the colony, and over the southeastern Santa Barbara Channel. During 2000, intercolony foraging areas overlapped by 10%; however, auklets from each colony used the overlapping area at different times. Equivalent-sample-size resampling indicated Prince Island foraging area (1216 ± 654 km2) was twice that of Scorpion Rock (598 ± 204 km2). At Pri...
Bistability between synchrony and incoherence in limit-cycle oscillators with coupling strength inhomogeneity

The effect of coupling strength inhomogeneity on the synchronization of identical oscillators is investigated. Through simulations and analysis of phase-reduced models, it is shown that the mean value of coupling function and the degree of inhomogeneity in the total of coupling strength to the each oscillator cooperate to stabilize incoherent states. Under some circumstances, there can be bistability between coherent and incoherent states. Various cases of coupled Morris-Lecar oscillators are studied as examples of our results.
Application of linear optimization techniques to MRI phase contrast blood flow measurements

The goal of this study was to use linear optimization techniques as a systematic method of cine phase contrast pulse sequence design and to apply this technique to the measurement of blood flow in vivo. The optimized waveforms were validated in a constant flow phantom with average velocities ranging from 5 to 50 cm/s. The same optimized sequence was also run in a segmented k-space variation with five phase encoding lines per segment. The magnetic resonance (MR) derived velocity measurements were accurate over the entire range of velocities tested (p < .05) in both cases. The same optimized pulse sequence was applied to the measurement of flow in the main pulmonary artery of five normal volunteers and compared with stroke volumes and cardiac outputs calculated from right ventricular volume measurements. These measurements showed a mean difference between the MR phase contrast calculated stroke volume and the volumetric stroke volume measurement of 9.8 ± 11.6%. The mean difference between the calculated phase contrast cardiac output and the volumetric cardiac output was 4.4 ± 10%. These results imply that optimization techniques are an efficient method for designing cine phase contrast pulse sequences.
Neighborhood Factors Associated with Time to Resolution Following an Abnormal Breast or Cervical Cancer Screening Test

Background: The effect of neighborhood and healthcare access factors on cancer outcomes among patients enrolled in navigator programs is not clearly understood. This study assessed associations between: (i) neighborhood factors and diagnostic time to resolution (TTR) and (ii) geographic access and TTR following an abnormal breast or cervical cancer screening test among women participating in the Ohio Patient Navigator Research Program (OPNRP). Methods: Patient (demographic, socioeconomic status, home-to-clinic distance) and neighborhood (deprivation, racial segregation) characteristics of 801 women living in one of 285 census tracts (CT) in greater Columbus, Ohio were examined. Randomization to receive navigation occurred at the clinic level. Multilevel Cox regression and spatial analysis were used to estimate effects of various factors on TTR and assess model assumptions, respectively. Results: TTR increased as neighborhood deprivation increased. After adjustment for age, friend social support, education, and healthcare status, the TTR among women living in a neighborhood with a moderate median household income (between $36,147 and $53,099) was shorter compared with women living in low median household income neighborhoods (<$36,147; P < 0.05). There is little evidence that unmeasured confounders are geographically patterned. Conclusions: Increased neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation was associated with longer TTR following an abnormal breast or cervical cancer screening test. Impact: These results highlight the need for addressing patient- and neighborhood-level factors to reduce cancer disparities among underserved populations. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(12); 1–10. ©2014 AACR .
Short-pulse laser deposition of diamond-like carbon thin films

The high intensities present in and the non-thermal nature of ultrashort-pulse laser ablation provide a nearly ideal source for thin-film deposition. The high kinetic energies and high ion content in the ablation plume suggest that it would be useful for the creation of diamond thin films. We used a 120 fs, 3 W, 1 kHz laser to ablate a graphite target and characterized the resulting films. We were able to grow amorphous films of up to 18 μm thick and free from graphite particulates with no annealing necessary and at rates up to 25 μm/hr. The films had 40–50% sp3 bonds as measured by using EELS and had properties typical of PLD-generated diamond-like carbon films.