cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Statin Therapy and Mortality from Sepsis: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Trials

Abstract Background Statin therapy for sepsis has been suggested by observational studies. However, randomized controlled trials have not demonstrated this benefit. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials to evaluate the effect of statin therapy on mortality in patients with sepsis. Methods We searched 6 electronic databases for articles published before August 2014. Randomized trials reporting the effect of statin therapy on mortality in patients with sepsis were included. The primary outcome of interest was in-hospital or 28-day mortality. Two independent reviewers searched and identified studies and extracted data. Risk ratios (RRs) were pooled across studies using random-effects models and were verified using fixed-effects models. Results Seven randomized trials were included in the analyses, comprising 1720 patients. Statin therapy did not significantly decrease in-hospital mortality (RR, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 0.87-1.24; I 2 = 0%; P = .68) or 28-day mortality (RR, 0.93; 95% confidence interval, 0.46-1.89; I 2 = 57%; P = .85) in patients with sepsis. Study quality of the included trials was high; the median Jadad score was 4.5 (range, 4-5). Conclusions This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials suggests that statin therapy does not improve mortality outcomes in patients with sepsis compared with placebo.
30. Defining the spectrum of clinical immunology

Historically, in the development of the subspecialty of clinical immunology, loosely connected groups of transplanters, endocrinologists, gastroenterologists, and many others have existed, each practicing a special form of immunology pertinent to their area of interest. The diversity of interests and separation of efforts, and the absence of educational initiatives in this field, have conspired to prevent most clinical immunologists from receiving the education required and the recognition appropriate for this subspecialty of medicine. What is proposed here is an attempt to collect the wide spectrum and isolated components of clinical immunology-specific practices into a unifying concept centered around four themes that define the field of clinical immunology better than traditional organ or disease based specialties: (1) immunoregulation, (2) immunotherapy, (3) immunogenetics, and (4) immunodiagnostics. This definition of the themes of clinical immunology provides a cross-disciplinary approach to understanding the present spectrum of interests of clinical immunologists and easily incorporates new interests, such as host defense, as the practice of clinical immunology evolves. In the future, through the use of a thematic approach to the training of clinical immunologists, a new, more organized mechanism may evolve for defining this specialty, educating the members, and providing a common pathway of certification.
I AM Being Fair: The Bias Blind Spot as a Stumbling Block to Seeing Both Sides

Past research has demonstrated that people more readily recognize bias in others' perceptions than they do in their own. The current research demonstrates the tenacity of this effect in the context of interpersonal conflicts. In Study 1, participants assumed their own construals of conflict were fair and uninfluenced by affective preferences, whereas those disagreeing with them were seen as unfair and biased. In Study 2, participants were induced to exhibit a liking bias, yet still reported themselves uninfluenced by liking. In Study 3, participants received an explanation of the liking bias and were asked to correct for it. Despite heavy demand characteristics, they failed to do so. Together, these studies suggest that social perceivers are particularly blind to their own biases in conflict situations.
Managing enterprise risk: why a giant failed

Purpose – This case aims to chronicle the dismantling of Tenneco – a large, prosperous diversified firm. Because it failed to manage risk, its best assets ultimately had to be sold to allow its survival. Behind its actions of problematic acquisitions and questionable financial policies, are underlying dynamics that offer lessons for other companies.Design/methodology/approach – The study is are based on extensive interviews of management, board members, and review of documents and publications. The paper focuses on decisions that cumulatively contributed to enterprise‐wide risk.Findings – The paper finds that Tenneco management's blind spot was its failure to consider the interaction of its decisions and implicit assumptions over time.Practical implications – Six principles of enterprise‐risk management are distilled from the Tenneco case.Originality/value – Although Tenneco's financial crisis occurred decades ago, the lesson for present‐day management is clear: independent board oversight is crucial. Mor...
Brain-drain taxes for non-benevolent governments

Abstract This paper investigates the welfare effects of brain-drain taxes levied by non-benevolent governments, whereby a country collects a tax from skilled emigrants but potentially wastes a sizable portion of the revenue. Using a model in which taxes are chosen to maximize expected political rents, I show that the availability of a brain-drain tax increases a weighted sum of citizen utilities. However, the government's optimal brain-drain tax is found to be higher than the level that maximizes this weighted sum. In another model, a brain-drain tax is found to be desirable when governments use public good expenditures to compete for mobile residents.
Salmonella Survival During Spray Drying and Subsequent Handling of Skimmilk Powder. III. Effects of Storage Temperature on Salmonella and Dried Milk Properties

Abstract Skimmilk powders inoculated with Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella thompson before and after spray drying were stored at 25 to 55C for up to 8 weeks. Salmonella reductions of 3 or more log cycles were obtained in 4 to 8 weeks at 45 and 55C. Generally, destruction during storage was a dual-rate phenomenon, with rapid destruction during the first 2 weeks of storage followed by reduced rates. S. thompson was more resistant to heat storage than S. typhimurium ; however, there was no difference between pre- and post-drying contamination and resistance to heat storage. Stored powders were evaluated for progressive changes in product qualities including solubility index, scorched particles, color, and flavor. While very substantial Salmonella reductions occurred at 55 and 45 C in 4 weeks or less, at both temperatures adverse flavors were found in 1 week, and other physical defects, especially at 55C, developed rapidly. Storage at 35 and even 25C reduced Salmonella numbers considerably in 4 to 8 weeks, and would be expected to affect the counts of contaminated commercial powders. However, such storage did not make heavily contaminated powders salmonella-negative in 8 weeks, and would not substitute for good sanitation in the production of milk powder.
An evaluation of lead leachability from stabilized/solidified soils under modified semi-dynamic leaching conditions

Abstract Semi-dynamic leaching tests were conducted for artificial soils contaminated with lead oxide (PbO) in order to assess the long-term leaching behavior of lead (Pb). In order to simulate “worst case” leaching conditions, the semi-dynamic leaching test was modified using 0.014 N acetic acid (pH = 3.25) instead of distilled water. Lead contaminated artificial soils were prepared by mixing kaolinite or montmorillonite with fine quartz sand. The contaminated soil was then subjected to stabilization/solidification (S/S) treatment using quicklime, fly ash, or quicklime–fly ash combination. Fly ash was added in order to provide sources of aluminum, calcium, or silicate for the formation of precipitates and pozzolanic reaction products. The effectiveness of S/S treatment was evaluated by determining diffusion coefficients (De) and leachability indices (LX). A model developed by de Groot and van der Sloot [de Groot, G.J., van der Sloot, H.A., 1992. Determination of leaching characteristics of waste materials leading to environmental product certification. Stabilization and Solidification of Hazardous, Radioactive, and Mixed Wastes, 2, STP 1123, T.M. Gilliam and C.C. Wiles, eds., ASTM, Philadelphia, 149–170.] was used in order to elucidate the controlling leaching mechanisms. Slurry tests were also performed by mixing PbO with quicklime and fly ash, in order to study the immobilization mechanisms of Pb. The resulting reaction products were identified using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. Overall, the test results indicated that S/S treatment was effective in immobilizing Pb and the treated soils can be considered acceptable for “controlled utilization” based on LX values. The controlling leaching mechanism was found to be diffusion, in most quicklime-treated samples. Precipitation was identified as the most likely Pb immobilization mechanism in quicklime–fly ash-treated slurries. Lead silicate, Pb2SiO4 (which is highly insoluble) is the most probable precipitate that can be associated with the decrease in Pb leachability. No evidence of pozzolanic reaction products such as calcium silicate hydrates (CSH) and calcium aluminate hydrates (CAH) was identified by XRD.
Effect of instructions on memory for temporal order

We conducted an experiment to test whether temporal-order encoding meets one of the criteria for automaticity (Hasher & Zacks, 1979). Sixty-four college-age students were assigned to four different instructional groups: (1) Control, (2) Judgment of Recency, (3) Judgment of Position, and (4) Recall. The subjects were presented with a serial list of words on a computer screen. Prior to list presentation, the subjects received one of the instructional sets. Subsequent to list presentation, two temporal order memory tests were administered. No differences were found among the four instructional groups on the retention measures. The results suggest that memory for temporal order satisfies one of the criteria for an automatic process. Current criticisms of incidental instructional sets as well as the criteria that define an automatic process are discussed and considered as they apply to the present study.
Cross terms in the thermodynamic diffusion equations for multicomponent alloys

The kinetic equations for the atom fluxes in a multicomponent alloy are derived in terms of atomic driving forces for a random alloy model. In this model, the contribution to each atom flux from the vacancy wind effect is directly proportional to the vacancy flux. The kinetic equations when written in the same form as the thermodynamic diffusion equations allow theL ik coefficients to be identified. The cross terms relating the flux of speciesi to the chemical potential gradients of other speciesk are found to be nonzero. These cross terms can have an appreciable effect on the atom fluxes and can lead to negative intrinsic diffusion coefficients even in ideal systems. Neglecting the cross terms can lead to serious inaccuracies. TheL ik in ann-component system depend on then tracer diffusion coeficients. In this respect, it still is possible to express then atom fluxes in terms of onlyn coefficients.
Algorithms: the next technology bandwagon

The author states that powerful modern computers can execute more sophisticated control algorithms than were practical previously, and appeals for the development of such algorithms.
Mindfulness impairments in individuals seeking treatment for substance use disorders

Background: Mindfulness training may be an effective treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs). Little research has been done, however, on baseline levels of mindfulness in the substance using population. Objectives/Methods: We investigated mindfulness levels using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) in individuals presenting for substance use treatment, and compared polydrug vs. monodrug users, as well as investigated for differences between groups based on substance used, predicting that group means would fall below the mean obtained from a large national adult sample, that the different drug groups would have comparable scores, and that the polydrug users would have a significantly lower score than do monodrug users. Results: We found that the means of most drug groups were below the national mean, and that the polydrug users had a lower score on the MAAS than did monodrug users (4 vs. 3.6, p = 0.04). We were also surprised to find that opiate users had a significantly higher score (4.31) t...
The Effects of Corticotropin (ACTH) and Cortisone in Fifteen Cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis

SUMMARY The effects of ACTH and cortisone in 15 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis are presented. In the cases reported, cortisone was usually harmful and never beneficial; whereas ACTH may have been beneficial in an occasional case, of equivocal effect in some, and probably harmful in the majority. Contraindications to hormonal therapy in tuberculosis seem to be relative rather than absolute; and, in special circumstances, advantages may out-weigh disadvantages. When hormonal therapy is mandatory in the presence of tuberculosis, and a choice of either ACTH or cortisone is available, preference should be given to ACTH. Effective antimicrobial therapy must always be given concurrently in an effort to neutralize or minimize the potential ill-effects of hormonal therapy insofar as is possible; and hormonal therapy discontinued in step-wise fashion as rapidly as the patient's condition permits.
Improving access to primary health care for chronic drug users: an innovative systemic intervention for providers

An intervention was designed to improve access to primary care for chronic drug users (CDUs) by enhancing health care providers' knowledge and skills. Using a case study method, three study sites were systematically selected for intervention implementation: a primary care clinic (PC), an emergency department (ED), and a drug treatment (DT) facility. Participants completed pre- and postintervention tests of knowledge, skills, and intentions to practice. Compared with pretest scores, participants had significantly higher posttest scores concerning knowledge of CDUs' health care needs. Postintervention evaluations indicated intentions to practice skills learned in the intervention. As hypothesized, the PC and ED subsequently instituted formal screening mechanisms to identify CDUs. This intervention revealed potential to build bridges between health care providers and CDUs. By overcoming provider resistance, primary care access can be realized for this and other disadvantaged populations.
Using Photovoice to Explore Patient Perceptions of Patient-Centered Care in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System

Accounting for patient views and context is essential in evaluating and improving patient-centered care initiatives, yet few studies have examined the patient perspective. In the Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, several VA facilities have transitioned from traditionally disease- or problem-based care to patient-centered care. We used photovoice to explore perceptions and experiences related to patient-centered care among Veterans receiving care in VA facilities that have implemented patient-centered care initiatives. Participants were provided prompts to facilitate their photography, and were asked to capture salient features in their environment that may describe their experiences and perceptions related to patient-centered care. Follow-up interviews were conducted with each participant to learn more about their photographs and intended meanings. Participant demographic data were also collected. Twenty-two Veteran patients (n = 22) across two VA sites participated in the photovoice protocol. Participants defined patient-centered care broadly as caring for a person as a whole while accommodating for individual needs and concerns. Participant-generated photography and interview data revealed various contextual factors influencing patient-centered care perceptions, including patient–provider communication and relationships, physical and social environments of care, and accessibility of care. This study contributes to the growing knowledge base around patient views and preferences regarding their care, care quality, and environments of care. Factors that shaped patient-centered care perceptions and the patient experience included communication with providers and staff, decor and signage, accessibility and transportation, programs and services offered, and informational resources. Our findings may be integrated into system redesign innovations and care design strategies that embody what is most meaningful to patients.
Relationships of practitioner communications and characteristics with women’s mammography use

Abstract Women have reported not seeking mammography because their practitioners do not recommend it. The purposes of this study were to delineate which dimensions of practitioner communications and characteristics predicted women’s mammography use. In a longitudinal, correlational design, participants were 797 mid-western women, aged 51–80 years, who had not had mammograms in the prior 13 months. Practitioner communications and characteristics and women’s subsequent mammography use were assessed through telephone interviews with participants. Controlling for pre-existing differences, communications and characteristics were entered in a hierarchical logistic regression on mammography use. Practitioner-specific communications predicted mammography use (e.g. endorsement, encouragement, and assistance with scheduling) as well as having internists as identified practitioners. Practitioners’ mammography-specific communications can promote mammography among women who have not used it often in the past. Practitioners—especially those who are not internists—can examine whether their interactions are conducive to fostering mammography use.
Preliminary observations on certain seasonal variations in the physical properties and nutritive value of cow's milk serum.

Summary 1.The serum of winter produced milk showed physical characteristics at variance with that of summer produced milk. It was clarified with greater difficulty. An adjustment of the salt balance and pH improved somewhat the technique used for the preparation of the serum from winter milk. The time at which these changes occur varies from year to year. 2.The serum of winter produced milk showed lower nutritive value than that of summer produced milk as measured by its use in supplementing a highly purified diet as a source of the vitamin B complex. 3.The significance of these studies lies in the relation of fresh plant tissue as contrasted with field dried material to subtle changes in the milk secreted.
Healthcare access as a right, not a privilege: a construct of Western thought

Over 45 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured. Those living in poverty exhibit the worst health status. Employment, education, income, and race are important factors in a person's ability to acquire healthcare access. Having established that there are people lacking healthcare access due to multi-factorial etiologies, the question arises as to whether the intervention necessary to assist them in obtaining such access should be considered a privilege, or a right. The right to healthcare access is examined from the perspective of Western thought. Specifically through the works of Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, Thomas Hobbes, Thomas Paine, Hannah Arendt, James Rawls, and Norman Daniels, which are accompanied by a contemporary example of intervention on behalf of the medically needy by the The Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute. As human beings we are all valuable social entities whereby, through the force of morality, through implicitly forged covenants among us as individuals and between us and our governments, and through the natural rights we maintain as individuals and those we collectively surrender to the common good, it has been determined by nature, natural laws, and natural rights that human beings have the right, not the privilege, to healthcare access.
The Role of Arginine-127 at the Proximal NO-Binding Site in Determining the Electronic Structure and Function of 5-Coordinate NO-Heme in Cytochrome c' of Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Cytochrome c' is a heme protein from a denitrifying variant of Rhodobacter sphaeroides which may serve to store and transport metabolic NO while protecting against NO toxicity. Its heme site bears resemblance through its 5-coordinate NO-binding capability to the regulatory site in soluble guanylate cyclase. A conserved arginine (Arg-127) abuts the 5-coordinate NO-heme binding site, and the alanine mutant R127A provided insight into the role of the Arg-127 in establishing the electronic structure of the heme-NO complex and in modifying the heme-centered redox potential and NO-binding affinity. By comparison to R127A, the wild-type Arg-127 was determined to increase the heme redox potential, diminish the NO-binding affinity, perturb and diminish the 14NO hyperfine coupling determined by ENDOR (electron nuclear double resonance), and increase the maximal electronic g-value. The larger isotropic NO hyperfine and the smaller maximal g-value of the R127A mutant together predicted that the Fe-N-O bond angle in the mutant is larger than that of the Arg-127-containing wild-type protein. Deuterium ENDOR provided evidence for exchangeable H/D consistent with hydrogen bonding of Arg-127, but not Ala-127, to the O of the NO. Proton ENDOR features previously assigned to Phe-14 on the distal side of the heme were unperturbed by the proximal side R127A mutation, implying the localized nature of that mutational perturbation at the proximal, NO-binding side of the heme. From this work two functions of positively charged Arg-127 emerged: the first was to maintain the KD of the cytochrome c' in the 1 microM range, and the second was to provide a redox potential that enhances the stability of the ferrous heme.
TH-C-213AB-02: Improved Predictive Modeling of Radiation Pneumonitis in Lung Cancer Patients Using Machine Learning Techniques

Purpose: Early prediction of radiation pneumonitis (RP) could help physicians provide locally advanced non‐small cell lungcancer(NSCLC) patients at high risk of RP with targeted radiotherapy. To date, several RP predictive models have been developed using statistical methods and machine learning techniques. We designed an improved risk model for predicting RP using a recently introduced machine learning method. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed a single NSCLC dataset collected at Washington University School of Medicine, which consisted of 123 NSCLC patients who received 3D conformal radiation therapy with a median prescription dose of 66 Gy and had a median follow‐up of 17 months. In this analysis, 59 patients with grade=2 were considered to have RP. Using clinical variables and lung and heart dose‐volume variables extracted from this dataset, we built a novel RP predictive model based on multivariate logistic regression and supervised principal component analysis (SPCA). The performance of our proposed method was compared with that of multivariate logistic regression alone. Results: Using lung‐related dosimetric variables, SPCA‐based logistic regression model had a Spearman correlation coefficient (Rs) of 0.33 (p=0.0001), whereas logistic regression model had Rs=0.20 (p=0.014). Using heart‐related dosimetric variables, Rs=0.42 (p < 0.0001) and Rs=0.40 (p < 0.0001) were obtained in the SPCA‐based logistic regression and logistic regression models, respectively. Interestingly, when clinical variables alone were used, logistic model showed better performance with Rs=0.34 (p < 0.0001) than SPCA‐based logistic regression model with Rs=0.32 (p < 0.0001). Integrating all variables, SPCA‐based logistic regression model obtained the best performance with Rs=0.44 (p< 0.0001) while logistic model had Rs=0.37 (p< 0.0001). Conclusions: Incorporating multivariate logistic regression with a new machine learning method allowed us to produce a better predictive RP model that should be further tested for potential clinical use.
Plasmon-Assisted Audio Recording

We present the first demonstration of the recording of optically encoded audio onto a plasmonic nanostructure. Analogous to the “optical sound” approach used in the early twentieth century to store sound on photographic film, we show that arrays of gold, pillar-supported bowtie nanoantennas could be used in a similar fashion to store sound information that is transferred via an amplitude modulated optical signal to the near field of an optical microscope. Retrieval of the audio information is achieved using standard imaging optics. We demonstrate that the sound information can be stored either as time-varying waveforms or in the frequency domain as the corresponding amplitude and phase spectra. A “plasmonic musical keyboard” comprising of 8 basic musical notes is constructed and used to play a short song. For comparison, we employ the correlation coefficient, which reveals that original and retrieved sound files are similar with maximum and minimum values of 0.995 and 0.342, respectively. We also show that the pBNAs could be used for basic signal processing by ablating unwanted frequency components on the nanostructure thereby enabling physical notch filtering of these components. Our work introduces a new application domain for plasmonic nanoantennas and experimentally verifies their potential for information processing.
Identification of conserved histidines and glutamic acid as key residues for isomerohydrolase activity of RPE65, an enzyme of the visual cycle in the retinal pigment epithelium

We have recently reported that RPE65 from the retinal pigment epithelium is the isomerohydrolase, a critical enzyme in the visual cycle for regeneration of 11-cis retinal, the chromophore for visual pigments. Here, we demonstrated that mutation of any one of the absolutely conserved four histidine and one glutamic acid residues to alanine in RPE65 abolished its isomerohydrolase activity. Substitution of the conserved glutamic acid with glutamine also resulted in loss of the activity. Moreover, these mutations significantly reduced protein stability of RPE65. These results indicate that these conserved residues are essential for the isomerohydrolase activity of RPE65 and its stability.
The analysis and effective coupling of linear ferroelectro-magnetic continua

The details and results of an analysis of two-dimensional (plane-stress), transversely isotropic, linear ferroelectro-magnetic continua are provided. An effective coupling coefficient for determining the ability of a ferroelectro-magnetic material to convert and store input energies for purposes such as active damping or energy harvesting is also presented.
Carryover Aquatic Effects On Survival Of Metamorphic Frogs During Pond Emigration

In organisms with complex life cycles, physiological stressors during early life stages may have fitness-level impacts that are delayed into later stages or habitats. We tested the hypothesis that body size and date of metamorphosis, which are highly responsive to aquatic stressors, influence post-metamorphic survival and movement patterns in the terrestrial phase of an ephemeral pond-breeding frog by examining these traits in two populations of northern red-legged frogs (Rana aurora aurora). To increase variation of body size at metamorphosis, we manipulated food availability for 314 of 1045 uniquely marked tadpoles and estimated the probability that frogs survived and emigrated using concentric rings of drift fencing surrounding ponds and Bayesian capture–recapture modeling. The odds of surviving and emigrating from the ponds to the innermost drift fences, ∼12 m, increased by factors of 2.20 (95% credibility intervals 1.39–4.23) and 2.54 (0.94– 4.91) with each millimeter increase in snout–vent length an...
RAS mutations in human melanoma: a marker of malignant progression

In this study we address whether there is an association between ras mutations and disease progression in malignant melanoma. DNA was extracted from 100 paraffin-embedded melanomas and sequences around the 12th, 13th and 61st codons of N-, H-, and K-ras were amplified using the polymerase chain reaction and probed for single base pair mutations using synthetic oligonucleotide probes. Thirty-six melanomas contained mutations, which in 25 cases (69%) occurred at the 61st codon of N-ras. The results from dot blot hybridizations were confirmed by subcloning and sequencing the polymerase chain reaction products from two tumors. No ras mutations were found in Clark's level I melanomas, whereas 19% of level II and 45% of the more advanced primary tumors contained ras mutations (Chi squared test: p < 0.05). The median Breslow thickness of primary melanomas with ras mutations was 0.72 mm, significantly thicker than the 0.42 mm of melanomas without mutations (Mann-Whitney U test, p = 0.042). Ras mutations were found more frequently in primary tumors from continuously exposed skin (56%) than tumors from intermittently or non-sun exposed sites (21%). Fifty percent of locally recurrent and 47% of metastatic melanomas had ras mutations. We conclude that ras mutations occur in a subset of melanomas from sun-exposed skin as a feature of tumor progression.
Myosin VI Walks “Wiggly” on Actin with Large and Variable Tilting

Myosin VI is an unconventional motor protein with unusual motility properties such as its direction of motion and path on actin and a large stride relative to its short lever arms. To understand these features, the rotational dynamics of the lever arm were studied by single-molecule polarized total internal reflection fluorescence (polTIRF) microscopy during processive motility of myosin VI along actin. The axial angle is distributed in two peaks, consistent with the hand-over-hand model. The changes in lever arm angles during discrete steps suggest that it exhibits large and variable tilting in the plane of actin and to the sides. These motions imply that, in addition to the previously suggested flexible tail domain, there is a compliant region between the motor domain and lever arm that allows myosin VI to accommodate the helical position of binding sites while taking variable step sizes along the actin filament.
Measuring the effect of environment on fatigue crack-wake plasticity in aluminum alloy 2024 using electron backscatter diffraction

Abstract Compact tension samples fatigue cracked within ultrahigh vacuum and humid air were examined using electron backscatter diffraction band contrast (i.e., pattern quality) maps obtained at the crack-wake. A protocol for relating changes in band contrast with the extent of plasticity (i.e., the cyclic plastic zone size, r cpz ) as a function of environment, stress intensity range Δ K , and grain orientation is developed. Essentially, a Gaussian curve is fit to the band contrast plotted as function of distance from the crack-wake and the full width at half maximum is taken as a measure of r cpz . It is shown that the quadratic dependence between r cpz and Δ K predicted by conventional fracture mechanics theory is consistent with the observations, however, there are also strong grain-to-grain variations. Additionally, r cpz is sharply reduced in a humid environment most likely due to the combined effect of hydrogen on plasticity and decohesion.
A Role of CREB in BRCA1 Constitutive Promoter Activity and Aromatase Basal Expression

Aromatase is the rate-limiting enzyme in estrogen biosynthesis and a key target in breast cancer treatment. Its ovary-specific promoter, PII, is induced in response to protein kinase A (PKA) activation. It has been proposed that breast cancer susceptibility gene 1, BRCA1, is involved in negative regulation of aromatase PII activity. Surprisingly, inhibition of PKA pathway by inhibitor H89 elevates basal aromatase expression while abolishes cAMP-mediated aromatase induction in an ovarian granulosa cell line, KGN. In this report, we decipher the mechanism by which the PKA pathway negatively regulates aromatase basal expression. We show that PKA pathway plays a positive role in the expression of BRCA1. H89 effectively reduces endogenous BRCA1 mRNA levels as well as reporter gene expression from a BRCA1 promoter. Mutation of a cAMP-responsive element (CRE) in the BRCA1 promoter reduces BRCA1 expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) shows that CRE-binding protein, CREB, binds to the BRCA1 promoter. Furthermore, knockdown of CREB in KGN cells leads to decreased BRCA1 level as well as elevated basal aromatase mRNA expression. These data demonstrate that both the CRE site in the BRCA1 promoter and CREB are required for BRCA1 constitutive expression. Our study suggests that PKA pathway exerts its negative impact on basal aromatase expression indirectly by contributing to the constitutive expression of BRCA1.
Health and Migration of the Elderly

The degree to which migration decisions of the elderly are influenced by health status is largely unknown. Two seemingly contradictory influences of health on migration are possible within the olde...
Reactivity to imagery and nocturnal panic attacks.

We assessed psychophysiological responses to imagery of traumatic events, panic attacks, and loss of vigilance (i.e., being hypnotized) in participants diagnosed with panic disorder. Participants were either currently experiencing nocturnal panic or daytime panics only. It was hypothesized that nocturnal panickers would exhibit heightened responsivity to imagery of their worst panic and worst trauma, as well as being hypnotized, compared to day panickers. Using established imagery procedures, heart rate, skin conductance, and frontalis electromyogram were recorded as participants imagined each scene. Nocturnal and day panickers differed in their responses to the hypnosis scene only. As predicted, nocturnal panickers endorsed more panic symptoms in response to imagery of being hypnotized. Contrary to expectation, nocturnal and daytime panickers showed no differences in physiologic reactivity or self-reported distress to worst trauma or worst panic imagery. The findings are discussed with respect to the role of fear of loss of vigilance for nocturnal panic.
On identifying undetectable and redundant faults in synchronous sequential circuits

Considers undetectable and redundant faults in synchronous sequential circuits. The authors state and formally prove results regarding the types of faults identified as undetectable and/or redundant by existing test generation procedures and by procedures proposed specifically for this purpose. They distinguish between procedures that identify undetectable faults and procedures that identify redundant faults. They also give a detailed characterization of the types of faults that can be classified by each procedure considered and the types of faults that cannot be classified. The authors present examples and experimental evidence of these limitations. >
Zwitteration of dextran: a facile route to integrate antifouling, switchability and optical transparency into natural polymers

This communication reports a facile method for zwitteration of dextran with carboxybetaine (CB), which integrates superior antifouling properties, switchability between zwitterionic and cationic forms, as well as enhanced optical transparency into one polysaccharide material. This study provides a new avenue for generating multifunctional zwitterionic CB materials in situ.
Crystallization kinetics of stretched natural rubber

Studies of the crystallization kinetics of natural rubber networks held in simple extension are reported. In these experiments the length of the specimen was held constant, and the crystallization process was followed by the decay in stress that occurred. A wide range of extension ratios and crystallization temperatures was encompassed by these experiments. From an analysis of the shapes of the crystallization isotherms, it can be concluded that major changes take place in the nucleation and growth processes as the extension ratio is increased. This conclusion is in accord with reports in the literature of changes in the crystallite morphology with extension ratio. Analysis of the temperature coefficient of crystallization, by means of nucleation theory, indicates a substantial increase in apparent interfacial free energies with increased deformation. This latter observation is interpreted to indicate a departure from a correlated crystallization process to one where isolated crystallites are formed.
PTK6/BRK is expressed in the normal mammary gland and activated at the plasma membrane in breast tumors

Protein Tyrosine kinase 6 (PTK6/BRK) is overexpressed in the majority of human breast tumors and breast tumor cell lines. It is also expressed in normal epithelial linings of the gastrointestinal tract, skin, and prostate. To date, expression of PTK6 has not been extensively examined in the normal human mammary gland. We detected PTK6 mRNA and protein expression in the immortalized normal MCF-10A human mammary gland epithelial cell line, and examined PTK6 expression and activation in a normal human breast tissue microarray, as well as in human breast tumors. Phosphorylation of tyrosine residue 342 in the PTK6 activation loop corresponds with its activation. Similar to findings in the prostate, we detect nuclear and cytoplasmic PTK6 in normal mammary gland epithelial cells, but no phosphorylation of tyrosine residue 342. However, in human breast tumors, striking PTK6 expression and phosphorylation of tyrosine 342 is observed at the plasma membrane. PTK6 is expressed in the normal human mammary gland, but does not appear to be active and may have kinase-independent functions that are distinct from its cancer promoting activities at the membrane. Understanding consequences of PTK6 activation at the plasma membrane may have implications for developing novel targeted therapies against this kinase.
Statistical metrology for interlevel dielectric thickness variation

Statistical metrology seeks to assess the sources and magnitude of variation in semiconductor manufacturing. The methodology emphasizes electrical measurements resulting from short process flows, statistical design of experiments and analysis of data, and close coupling to technology computer aided design tools for the interpretation of data. In this paper, we apply statistical metrology to interlevel dielectric thickness variation. Capacitive test structures, in conjunction with resistive line width structures and two-dimensional capacitance simulations, are used to estimate ILD thickness for a variety of layout and process factors in a poly-metal BPSG planarization process. The methodology is successful in highlighting the key factors, including underlying structure line width spacing,and finger length that impact ILD thickness. Future work will examine other planarization processes, including chemical mechanical polishing.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Virtual path control for ATM networks with call level quality of service guarantees

We provide an algorithm for the VP distribution problem that satisfies nodal constraints on the processing load and blocking constraints for each source-destination pair. The algorithm maximizes the network revenue under the above set of constraints and is independent of the number of traffic classes in the network, the method of representation of networking resources, the admission control policy used in every link and VP, and the network routing scheme. We apply the algorithm to the Xunet ATM testbed and study several of its performance characteristics.
Race is not a factor in overall survival in patients with triple negative breast cancer: a retrospective review

The purpose of this study was to determine if race is a factor on overall survival when stage at diagnosis is compared. In this study, a total of 93 women with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) were evaluated for survival outcomes after diagnosis between the year 2000 through 2010. Thirty-five patients (38%) were African American (AA), and 58 patients (62%) were Caucasian. Overall survival rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared between groups using the log-rank test. Student’s t-test was used to calculate differences in cancer recurrence and mortality rates by stage and race. Cox proportional hazards ratios were used to determine the association of patient and variables with clinical outcome. Of women diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer, the overall survival rates for AAs was 100% compared to Caucasians at 94% (95% CI, 0.003 to 19; P = 0.5). For women with stage 2 breast cancer, overall survival for AA women was 85% and for Caucasian women was 86% (HR = 0.8; 95% CI, 0.3 to 2.6; P = 0.73). For advanced stages (stage 3 and 4), survival for AA women were 78% and 40% for Caucasian women (HR = 0.6; 95% CI 0.2 to 1.98; P = 0.43). Rates of recurrence and mortality were not significantly different between AA and Caucasian TNBC patients. After controlling for patient variables, race was not significantly associated with OS (HR = 1.24; 95% CI, 0.32 to 5.08; P = 0.74) when comparing AA to Caucasian patients. Our study suggests that race does not have an effect on overall survival in African American and Caucasian women diagnosed with TNBC in Arkansas.
Outcomes After Chemotherapy Followed by Radiation for Stage IIB Hodgkin Lymphoma With Bulky Disease

Abstract Background Treatment of stage IIB bulky Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is controversial, with treatment varying by institution. We evaluated patients with IIB bulky disease treated with combined-modality therapy at our institution by describing their long-term outcomes. Patients and Methods We identified 149 consecutive patients with stage IIB bulky HL treated between 1971 and 2012. Clinical, pathologic, and treatment characteristics were extracted from medical records. Actuarial overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Independent factors associated with these outcomes were identified by a multivariate Cox regression model. Outcomes were further compared against comparison groups of both advanced-stage and stage IIB patients treated between 1971 and 2009. Results The 8-year OS rate for patients with stage IIB bulky disease who received combined-modality ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine) and radiation was 88.8%; the 8-year RFS rate was 76.8%. On multivariate analysis, age P = .001), receipt of ABVD (vs. MOPP [mechlorethamine, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone]; HR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.10-0.88; P = .028), and radiation dose ≥ 30.1 Gy (HR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.11-0.65; P = .006) were associated with improved OS. Cardiac events (n = 11) and secondary malignancies (n = 11) only occurred in patients treated before 1995. A subgroup analysis demonstrated significantly improved survival in IIB bulky versus advanced-stage patients (8-year OS, 73.4% vs. 57.4%; P = .008). Improved outcomes in patients with in IIB bulky disease were especially evident in the modern era (> 1995; P = .004). Conclusion Patients with stage IIB bulky HL had excellent outcomes after combined-modality therapy. Treatment strategies have changed substantially over time, with concomitant improvements in disease outcomes and long-term toxicities.
Anticancer Effects of Thiazolidinediones Are Independent of Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor γ and Mediated by Inhibition of Translation Initiation

The thiazolidinedione (TZD) class of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma ligands, known for their ability to induce adipocyte differentiation and increase insulin sensitivity, also exhibits anticancer properties. Currently, TZDs are being tested in clinical trials for treatment of human cancers expressing high levels of PPARgamma because it is assumed that activation of PPARgamma mediates their anticancer activity. Using PPARgamma(-/-) and PPARgamma(+/+) mouse embryonic stem cells, we report here that inhibition of cell proliferation and tumor growth by TZDs is independent of PPARgamma. Our studies demonstrate that these compounds block G(1)-S transition by inhibiting translation initiation. Inhibition of translation initiation is the consequence of partial depletion of intracellular calcium stores and the resulting activation of protein kinase R that phosphorylates the alpha subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2), thus rendering eIF2 inactive. PPARgamma-independent inhibition of translation initiation most likely accounts for the anticancer properties of thiazolidinediones.
Ammonium chloride catalysis of the deamination of tris(ethylenediamine)chromium(III) chloride

The loss of ethylenediamine from [Cr(en)3]Cl3 has been studied using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The effectiveness of NH4Cl as a catalyst has been evaluated. In all cases, the loss of one molecule of ethylenediamine per molecule of complex is observed, but it occurs in two steps. Unlike the deamination of [Cr(en)3](NCS)3 in the presence of NH4SCN, there is no evidence that the amount of NH4Cl present changes the final product. Kinetic and thermodynamic parameters for the reactions have been determined.
Robust Two-Step Confidence Sets, and the Trouble with the First Stage F-Statistic

When weak identification is a concern researchers frequently calculate confidence sets in two steps, first assessing the strength of identification and then, on the basis of this initial assessment, deciding whether to use an identification-robust confidence set. Unfortunately, two-step procedures of this sort can generate highly misleading confidence sets, and we demonstrate that two-step confidence sets based on the first stage F-statistic can have extremely poor coverage in linear instrumental variables models with heteroskedastic errors. To remedy this issue, we introduce a simple approach to detecting weak identification and constructing two-step confidence sets which we show controls coverage distortions under weak identification in general nonlinear GMM models, while also indicating strong identification with probability tending to one if the model is well-identified. Applying our approach to linear IV we show that it is competitive with approaches based on the first-stage F-statistic under homoscedasticity but performs far better under heteroskedasticity.
Nuclear Receptor CAR Specifically Activates the Two-Pore K+ Channel Kcnk1 Gene in Male Mouse Livers, Which Attenuates Phenobarbital-Induced Hepatic Hyperplasia

.+ ion channels, is specifically induced in the livers of male mice after phenobarbital treatment. Here, we have determined the molecular mechanism of this male-specific activation of the Kcnk1 gene and character ized KCNK1 as a phenobarbital-inducible antihyperplasia factor. Upon activation by phenobarbital, nuclear receptor CAR binds the 97-bp response element (−2441/−2345) within the Kcnk1 pro moter. This binding is observed in the livers of male mice, but not in the livers of female mice and requires the pituitary gland, because hypophysectomy abrogates it. Hyperplasia further progressed in the livers of Kcnk1 −/− male mice compared with those of Kcnk1 +/+ males after phenobarbital treatment. Thus, KCNK1 suppresses phenobarbital-induced hyperplasia. These results indicate that phenobarbital treatment induces KCNK1 to elicit a male-specific and growth-suppressing signal. Thus, KCNK1 and Kcnk1 −/− mice provide an experimental tool for further investigation into the molecular mechanism of CAR-mediated promotion of the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in mice.
A 16-year-old girl with pain and swelling in the medial clavicle.

One of the authors (VOL) is a consultant for Stryker Orthopaedics, Mahwah, NJ. Each author certifies that his or her institution has approved this case report, that all investigations were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research, and that informed consent was obtained.