cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High dose combination radiotherapy for the treatment of localized prostate cancer

AbstractPurpose: We evaluate the efficacy of high dose combination radiotherapy for the treatment of localized prostate cancer.Materials and Methods: A total of 212 patients with localized prostate cancer (T1-T3) were treated with transperineal radioactive seed implantation followed by 45 Gy. external beam radiation therapy. Patients with Gleason scores of 2-5 were treated with125 iodine at a minimum peripheral dose of 120 Gy., while103 palladium at a minimum peripheral dose of 90 Gy. was used for those with Gleason scores of 7-10. Patients with Gleason 6 diploid tumors were treated with125 iodine and those with aneuploid tumors were treated with103 palladium. Biochemical failure was defined as inability to achieve a prostate specific antigen nadir value of 0.5 ng./ml. or less. No patient was treated with androgen deprivation therapy.Results: The 212 patients have a minimum of 24 months of followup (mean 33 months). Prostate specific antigen 0.5 ng./ml. or less was reached by 72% of the patients (152 of 2...
Compressive sensing analysis of Synthetic Aperture Radar raw data

This work addresses the use of compressive sensing to compress real Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) raw data. Due to the low computational resources of the acquisition platforms and the steadily increasing resolution of SAR systems, huge amounts of data are collected and stored, which cannot generally be processed on board and must be transmitted to the ground to be processed and archived. Although compressive sensing (CS) has been proposed and studied by a lot of researchers, almost none of them touches the real application of it. While, in this paper, we test the sparsity of the real SAR raw data (obtained by University of Kansas in Greenland, 2010), compress it using compressive sensing, and then recover the original signal using several CS recovery algorithms (Basis Pursuit, Matching Pursuit and Orthogonal Matching Pursuit), and compare these methods' performance. Simulation results are presented to prove the successful application of CS to real SAR raw data. When proper sparsity matrix is chosen, the real SAR data could be transformed to sparse signal. Using our designed algorithm, the positions and the exact values of the SAR raw data can be almost perfectly recovered with a very low MSE at a compression ratio of 1/8. This is of great significance to help us perform further research in the applications of CS to real SAR raw data.
Exploring the Effects of Single-Member Districts on an Urban Political System A Case Study of Birmingham, Alabama

The decision in Yarbrough et al. v. City of Birmingham in 1989 resulted in Birmingham, Alabama, changing its nine-member city council from at-large to district elections to preserve minority (white) representation. Implementation of this court order produced the descriptive representation it was designed to attain but did not improve citizen perceptions of the quality of representation. It produced other changes in the conduct of city politics. Council candidates altered their campaign strategies to make themselves appear more sensitive to district-level concerns. Districts do not yet seem to have stimulated either turnout or greater competition in council elections.
STRINGS, BRANES AND AN ACCELERATING UNIVERSE

Velocity-dependent interactions in a fundamental-string dominated universe lead quite naturally, with reasonable assumptions on initial conditions, to an accelerating expanding universe without assuming the existence of a cosmological constant. Using a mean-field approximation, exact solutions are obtained for various string/brane cosmological toy models. A multi-body model is also investigated. It is also shown that the repulsive velocity-dependent force arises in more general contexts and can lead to cosmic structure formation. Finally, we discuss a toy model including both ordinary and extremal matter, in which the latter accounts for dark matter while simultaneously acting as effective dark energy. Eternal acceleration is once more seen to arise in this case.
Surface area measurement by the sorption of stearic acid-1-carbon-14

Abstract A technique was developed for determining the surface area of non-porous powders by their sorption of stearic acid-1-carbon-14 from benzene solutions. Aliquots of the initial solution and of the solution in equilibrium with a sample were plated on chilled watch glasses and assayed by thin end-window Geiger counters. Specific surface areas obtained by this method for low-surface powders compared favorably with nitrogen-adsorption values (BET method). Results reported (in square meters per gram) are 21.1 for clay, 4.7 and 6.3 for two zinc oxides, 3.6 for alumina, 21.4 for calcium sulfate, 22.3 for nickel, 0.6 for glass beads, 6.5 for titania, 4.0 and 10.2 for two ferric oxides, 5.5 for zinc carbonate, 50.1 for manganese dioxide, 6.0 for maganous chloride and values of 4.0, 3.9 and 3.4 for zinc sulfide. The BET values for these powders were 19.8, 4.7 and 6.1, 3.4, 17.9, 24.9, 0.4, 7.7, 4.2 and 10.1, 4.9, 44.8, 5.8 and 3.7 m2/g, respectively.
The Academic, Personality, and Physical Outcomes of Only Children in China

Representative samples of 1,000 schoolchildren from 4 Chinese provinces were surveyed to compare the outcomes of only children to those of firstborn and later-born children. The children's ages ranged from 8 to 17 years, with half of the sample in the third grade and the other half in the sixth grade. 3 types of outcomes were considered. In terms of academics, differences between only children and others were found in 3 of the 4 provincial samples, with onlies being most likely to outscore others in verbal tests. In terms of personality evaluations, very few only-child effects were found. In 2 of the 4 provincial samples, only children were found to be taller or to weigh more than others. Taken together, these results suggest that the one-child policy in China is not producing a generation of "little emperors."
Depressed in vitro B-lymphocyte differentiation in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 20 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 21 normal donors were incubated with pokeweed mitogen in order to assess in vitro terminal—differentiation of B lymphocytes into cells synthesizing intracytoplasmic immunoglobulin (Ig). Although the percentage (mean ± SEM) of B lymphocytes bearing surface Ig in the initial cell suspensions was not statistically different in SLE than in normal subjects (15 ± 2.2% versus 16 ± 1.9%, respectively), the frequency of cells containing intracytoplasmic Ig per 103 mononuclear cells was significantly lower in mitogen—stimulated cultures derived from the patients than from the normal controls (10 ± 2.3 versus 56 ± 13.0 for IgM, P < 0.01; 21 ± 3.6 versus 63 ± 10.4 for IgG, P < 0.01; 13 ± 3.1 versus 24 ± 3.8 for IgA, P < 0.05 respectively). Coculturing active SLE lymphocytes with cells from normal subjects resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) increase in the frequency of cells containing intracytoplasmic IgG when stimulated with pokeweed mitogen. Moreover, culturing SLE lymphocytes in cell—free media derived from activated normal lymphocytes also resulted in a significant increase in the frequency of IgG—containing cells. These results suggest that B—lymphocyte differentiation in vitro is depressed in SLE and may, at least partially, be reversed by products derived from normal lymphocytes.
Evaluating the Impact of a Surprise Silicone Additive to a Synthetic Hydrocarbon Lubricant

A fractional percentage of a silicone compound was inadvertently introduced in one lot of Rheolube synthetic hydrocarbon grease used in the spin bearings of our momentum control systems. As a result, a decision had to made in a very short time as to whether the grease would meet the performance and life requirements. To accomplish this, a series of tests were undertaken to compare the performance of the subject grease or oil extracted from it to compare to the baseline lubricant. These tests represented each phase of bearing life: vibration, beginning of life, normal operational life, and end of life. Included were two different wettability tests, two different types of elastohydrodynamic lubrication tests and two different types of boundary tests. Acceptance test data of existing units with and without the subject grease were also used to determine how operational performance was affected. In addition to this test data, the Honeywell/Hanks lubricant life model was used to conclude that the subject grease would support our requirements.
Liver dysfunction in patients infected with hepatitis C virus undergoing chemotherapy for hematologic malignancies

BACKGROUND Reactivation of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection with the development of fulminant hepatitis induced by withdrawal of chemotherapy and/or corticosteroids (CS) is well known. However, less is known about liver dysfunction in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) who are undergoing chemotherapy. Thus, the authors conducted this study to determine whether chemotherapy for HCV positive patients with hematologic malignancies is associated with hepatic injury. METHODS Thirty-three consecutive HCV positive patients were studied. Twenty-six had B-cell lymphoma, two had Hodgkin's disease, two had acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), two had chronic myelocytic leukemia, and one had multiple myeloma. HCV infection was detected by anti-HCV antibodies (enzyme immunoassay) and HCV RNA (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction). In 28 of 33 patients, CS were used as part of the chemotherapy regimens. Liver function tests (LFTs) were evaluated prior to chemotherapy, a mean of 19 days after each cycle of chemotherapy, and during the follow-up period after the completion of chemotherapy. Mean follow-up was 14 months (range, 7-26 months). RESULTS Twenty-seven of 33 patients (82%) were positive for both anti-HCV and HCV RNA, 5 for HCV RNA only, and 1 for anti-HCV antibodies only. Fourteen patients (42%) had normal pretreatment LFTs. During treatment, 18 patients (55%) (7 with normal and 11 with abnormal pretreatment transaminase levels) had mild-to-moderate increases of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (median, 156 U/L; range, 59-491) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (median, 121; range, 45-243), which occurred 2-3 weeks after the withdrawal of chemotherapy without associated hyperbilirubinemia. Only one patient with baseline ALT and AST of 182 IU/L and 117 IU/L had a severe "flare" of hepatitis C, with peak ALT and AST of 491 IU/L and 243 IU/L. No patient developed fulminant hepatitis or died of liver-related causes. Posttreatment levels of transaminases were not significantly different from pretreatment levels. Abnormal pretreatment transaminase levels did not predict further increase during treatment. CONCLUSIONS Significant hepatic dysfunction is uncommon among HCV infected patients treated with chemotherapy for hematologic malignancies. Cancer 1998;83:1224-1230. © 1998 American Cancer Society.
Cross-sectional examination interpretation discrepancies between on-call diagnostic radiology residents and subspecialty faculty radiologists: analysis by imaging modality and subspecialty.

Purpose The aim of this study was to identify the rate of discrepancies between radiology residents and faculty radiologists at an academic hospital and to determine the distribution across subspecialties and modalities, specifically CT, MR, and ultrasound. Methods Consecutive CT, MR, and ultrasound preliminary interpretations rendered by on-call second-year through fourth-year radiology residents for 9 months on emergency department patients, inpatients, and urgent outpatients formed the study population. All preliminary interpretations were graded using a modified RADPEER® system (scores 0 and 1 = concordance; score 2 = minor, clinically insignificant discordance; scores 3 and 4 = clinically significant discordance) by the subspecialty faculty members who rendered the final interpretation. Results There were 158 clinically significant discrepancies out of 21,482 preliminary interpretations, for a discrepancy rate of 0.7%. There was no statistically significant difference in rates across subspecialties or between adult and pediatric examinations (cardiothoracic, 1%; abdominal, 0.7%; neuroradiology, 0.6%; musculoskeletal, 0.7%; pediatrics, 0.8%). MR and CT interpretations had significantly higher rates than ultrasound (MR, 1.4%; CT, 0.9%; ultrasound, 0.2%; P Conclusions Discrepancy rates in this study were less than or comparable with those reported previously and within or lower than rates for practicing radiologists. Discrepancy rates varied among subspecialties and modalities, suggesting the use of a RADPEER system with attention to modality and subspecialty as a methodology for identifying areas for targeted resident education.
Nonlinear absorption properties of AlGaAs/GaAs multiple quantum wells grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

The nonlinear absorption properties of the excitonic resonances associated with multiple quantum wells (MQWs) in AlGaAs/GaAs grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition are reported. The dependence of the saturation properties on growth parameters, especially growth temperature, and the well width are described. The minimum measured saturation intensity for these materials is 250 W/cm/sup 2/, the lowest reported value to date. The low saturation intensities are the result of excellent minority carrier properties. A systematic study of minority carrier lifetimes in quantum wells are reported. Lifetimes range from 50-350 ns depending on growth temperature and well width. >
A friction model based on the upper-bound approach to the ridge and sublayer deformations

Abstract A theory of friction during the steady state sliding of metals is developed on the basis of the upper-bound method, and it focuses on the energy consumed by the relative motion of materials. The sublayer's deformations, the apparent Coulomb (Amontons) coefficient of friction for moderate loads and the constant friction factor for excessive loads are determined as functions of the nominal normal pressure p σ 0 , the interface friction factor m0 and the wedge angle α1. Furthermore, a criterion for steady state sliding is offered through the optimization process. The results appear to be consistent with a number of published observations.
Numerical investigation of fine-particle gyrophase drift

Summary form only given. The gyration of a dust grain due to the Lorentz force depends on the grain charge among other parameters. Gyrophase-resonant excursions into inhomogeneous regions causing periodic charge-state changes may occur in science and industry dusty-plasma laboratory experiments involving a strong magnetic field and either inhomogeneous UV illumination or inhomogenous plasma potential. A phase lag between the grain charging cycle and the cycle associated with the grain's instantaneous surface potential or photocurrent results in a modification to the usual ExB drift, and is known as gyrophase drift [1,2]. The motion of a single dust grain is computed numerically for three different charging models (Orbit-Motion-Limited, Collision-enhanced-current, and Hydrodynamic) while the grain executes its gyro-orbit in inhomogeneous plasma. Parameters are varied, including the ratio of charging timescale to the grain gyroperiod, inhomogeneity length scale to the grain gyroradius, and characteristic axis of the inhomogeneity with respect to the magnetic field direction. The sensitivity of the gyrophase drift upon this model choice will be evaluated by determining the magnitude of the gyrophase drift for parameters relevant to selected astrophysical and experimental regimes. One goal of this project is to emphasize the utility of the charging-model sensitivity of gyrophase drift phenomenon, specifically in a future magnetized-orbit dusty plasma experiment being constructed at Auburn University, to experimentally validate charging-model details for space plasma physics and industrial applications.
Biophysics: Cell dipoles feel their way

Biological cells respond actively to the physical properties of their surroundings as well as to external mechanical forces — a coupling that is captured in a model of a cell as a contractile dipole, and shown to drive cell re-orientation.
Learned control of meal size in spontaneously obese and nonobese bonnet macaque monkeys

Ten pairs of obese and nonobese monkeys, matched for age and sex, received one liquid test meal a day for 4 days. Testing was conducted during the middle of a 6-h period of food deprivation. At all other times the monkeys were freely fed on maintenance chow biscuits. The first test meal of grape and orange flavor drinks familiarized them with fluids containing an intermediate level of added carbohydrate (CHO) (27.5%); equal volumes of grape and orange flavors were presented. During testing, the positions of the two flavors were switched three times, thus forcing the monkey to make four choices during the meal. On days 2 and 3, four pairs of monkeys received low-energy liquid meals (10% CHO), and six pairs received high-energy meals (45% CHO); half of the pairs in each group had orange flavor, half grape. On day 2, meal volumes did not differ between the 10% and 45% CHO groups; rather, the size of the meal (regardless of CHO composition) correlated with mean daily chow intake. On day 3, the volume consumed of the 10% CHO solution increased and the volume of the 45% CHO solution decreased, generating a difference between groups that indicated one-trial learning of control of meal size. On day 4, each monkey was given a test meal of repeated choices between samples of grape and orange flavor, both containing the intermediate 27.5% CHO.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Effect of stenotic dimensions and blood flow on the hemodynamic significance of model coronary arterial stenoses

Abstract The effect of length, diameter and exit angle of a stenosis, percent stenosis, blood flow through the stenosis and blood viscosity on the hemodynamic significance of model coronary arterial stenoses was studied. The hemodynamic significance was quantitated by the pressure gradient across the stenosis. The total pressure gradient is the sum of the gradient due to nonturbulent flow through the body of the stenosis and the gradient due to turbulent flow at the exit from the stenosis. The gradient due to turbulent exit flow is the result of the loss of the kinetic energy possessed by the high velocity intrastenotic flow and is predicted by the Bernoulli equation. The gradient due to turbulent exit flow is proportional to the product of flow 2 and diameter of the stenosis −4 . The length of a stenosis has a small effect on the gradient due to turbulent flow because the kinetic energy possessed by the intrastenotic flow partly depends on the development of the flow profile, which in turn depends on length of the stenosis. The gradient is not affected by varying the stenosis exit angle from 10 ° to 90 °. The pressure gradient due to nonturbulent intrastenotic flow is predicted from the Poiseuille equation and is therefore proportional to the product of blood viscosity, length of the stenosis, blood flow and diameter of the stenosis −4 . Because the pressure gradient due to turbulent flow is proportional to the square of flow whereas the gradient due to nonturbulent flow is linearly proportional to flow, the gradient due to turbulent flow/ gradient due to nonturbulent flow ratio increases as flow increases. Because changes in length of the stenosis, blood viscosity and flow affect the turbulent and nonturbulent components of the pressure gradient to different degrees, the relative significance of a change in one of these values depends on the flow rate. Percent stenosis can be used to estimate the component of pressure gradient due to turbulent exit flow, but only if the flow velocity in the nonstenotic portion of the vessel is known. On the basis of these results, the hemodynamic significance of a coronary stenosis can be estimated using documented, theoretically sound concepts.
Cyanine dye labeling reagents for sulfhydryl groups

Cyanine and merocyanine dyes are introduced as new fluorescent reagents for covalently labeling proteins and other biomolecules. These dyes, which contain iodoacetamide functional groups, have high extinction coefficients and moderate quantum yields. A major advantage of these polymethine dyes is the easy manipulation of their spectral properties during synthesis. Cyanines containing reactive functional groups can be made with absorption maxima ranging from 750 nm. This property opens additional regions of the spectrum for experiments involving the simultaneous multicolor analysis of different fluorescent probes. The cyanines, which are relatively insensitive to solvent property changes, are complemented by the merocyanines, which are keen indicators of solvent polarity.
Solvable statistical mechanics models on group lattices

Abstract We define a new type of lattice which is associated with a group G. Field theories on group lattices are considered and in certain cases the models are exactly solvable. The statistical mechanics of such systems is analyzed: the partition function and correlation functions are computed. The solutions utilize the irreducible matrix representations of G.
A specific hydrophobic core in the alpha-lactalbumin molten globule.

Molten globules are partially structured protein folding intermediates that adopt a native-like overall backbone topology in the absence of extensive detectable tertiary interactions. It is important to determine the extent of specific tertiary structure present in molten globules and to understand the role of specific side-chain packing in stabilizing and specifying molten-globule structure. Previous studies indicate that a small degree of specific side-chain packing stabilizes the structures of the cytochrome c, apomyoglobin, and staphylococcal nuclease molten globules. Here we investigate the extent of specific side-chain packing in the molten globule of α-lactalbumin (α-LA), a highly fluctuating, non-cooperatively formed molten globule. By analyzing a set of point mutations in the helical domain of α-LA, we have identified a stabilizing hydrophobic core. Moreover, this core corresponds to a previously identified structural subdomain and likely contains some native-like packing interactions. Our results suggest that native-like packing of core amino acids helps stabilize molten globules and that some specific interactions can exist in even highly dynamic, fluctuating species.
Adenoviruses in lymphocytes of the human gastro-intestinal tract.

Objective Persistent adenoviral shedding in stools is known to occur past convalescence following acute adenoviral infections. We wished to establish the frequency with which adenoviruses may colonize the gut in normal human subjects. Methods The presence of adenoviral DNA in intestinal specimens obtained at surgery or autopsy was tested using a nested PCR method. The amplified adenoviral DNA sequences were compared to each other and to known adenoviral species. Lamina propria lymphocytes (LPLs) were isolated from the specimens and the adenoviral copy numbers in the CD4+ and CD8+ fractions were determined by quantitative PCR. Adenoviral gene expression was tested by amplification of adenoviral mRNA. Results Intestinal tissue from 21 of 58 donors and LPLs from 21 of 24 donors were positive for the presence of adenoviral DNA. The majority of the sequences could be assigned to adenoviral species E, although species B and C sequences were also common. Multiple sequences were often present in the same sample. Forty-one non-identical sequences were identified from 39 different tissue donors. Quantitative PCR for adenoviral DNA in CD4+ and CD8+ fractions of LPLs showed adenoviral DNA to be present in both cell types and ranged from a few hundred to several million copies per million cells on average. Active adenoviral gene expression as evidenced by the presence of adenoviral messenger RNA in intestinal lymphocytes was demonstrated in 9 of the 11 donors tested. Conclusion Adenoviral DNA is highly prevalent in lymphocytes from the gastro-intestinal tract indicating that adenoviruses may be part of the normal gut flora.
The aberrant thyroid.

The patient is a 74-year-old white woman with a 2-month history of dysphagia. Evaluation with barium swallow first identified an extrinsic compression in the upper to middle third of the esophagus. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed the mass extended to the midline posteriorly and was compressing the esophagus. The left lobe of the thyroid gland appeared larger than did the right, and a question of connection to the left lobe existed (Fig. 1). A computed tomography (CT) scan confirmed a posterior mediastinal mass with no cervical connections (Fig. 2), The physical examination revealed no abnormalities. Thyroid studies, hematologic panels, and chemistry panels were normal. Operation proceeded. A right posterolateral thoracotomy incision allowed visualization of the mass beneath the pleura. Mobilization of the mass encountered no communication with the cervical thyroid, and all blood supply to the mass was intrathoracic. The specimen was soft, tan, and measured 10 3 7 3 3 cm (Fig. 3). Histologic examination was representative of multinodular goiter.
Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen Innovative Capacity, Collaborative Network Orientation, and Performance in Small Family Businesses

This study examines the connection between innovative capacity and small family firm performance and how that relation is moderated by collaborative network orientation and family firm ownership. U...
Femoral dimensions and mid‐thigh circumference in Alligator mississippiensis

The mid-thigh circumference of the intact hindlimb in Alligator mississippiensis is tightly correlated with transverse dimensions of the proximal and distal articular surfaces of the femur, and with minimum midshaft femoral circumference. Maximum diameter of the proximal articular end, width across the distal articular end, and midshaft circumference are the best femoral predictors of circumference of the intact thigh. Regression equations of mid-thigh circumference against these femoral dimensions can be used to estimate the transverse dimensions of the intact hindlimb in extinct crocodylian-like archosaurs.
Lymphatic blockage and severe edema in dermatomyositis: lessons from this case and others

Generalized subcutaneous edema is a rare presentation of dermatomyositis. Here, we describe the case of a 57 year-old Hispanic female who presented with dermatomyositis and generalized edema. This case represents the first report of decreased lymphatic drainage, investigated using lymphoscintigraphy in dermatomyositis. Upon reviewing the literature regarding dermatomyositis cases with generalized edema, we found that treatment response and imaging modalities such as lymphoscintigraphy may provide insight into underlying pathophysiology and possible disease management.
An embedded mesh method using piecewise constant multipliers with stabilization: mathematical and numerical aspects

Summary An embedded mesh method using piecewise constant multipliers originally proposed by Puso et al. (CMAME, 2012) is analyzed here to determine effects of the pressure stabilization term and small cut cells. The approach is implemented for transient dynamics using the central difference scheme for the time discretization. It is shown that the resulting equations of motion are a stable linear system with a condition number independent of mesh size. Next, it is shown that the constraints and the stabilization terms can be recast as non-proportional damping such that the time integration of the scheme is provably stable with a critical time step computed from the undamped equations of motion. Effects of small cuts are discussed throughout the presentation. A mesh study is conducted to evaluate the effects of the stabilization on the discretization error and conditioning and is used to recommend an optimal value for stabilization scaling parameter. Several nonlinear problems are also analyzed and compared with comparable conforming mesh results. Finally, several demanding problems highlighting the robustness of the proposed approach are shown. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Neuronal control of swimming behavior: Comparison of vertebrate and invertebrate model systems

Swimming movements in the leech and lamprey are highly analogous, and lack homology. Thus, similarities in mechanisms must arise from convergent evolution rather than from common ancestry. Despite over 40 years of parallel investigations into this annelid and primitive vertebrate, a close comparison of the approaches and results of this research is lacking. The present review evaluates the neural mechanisms underlying swimming in these two animals and describes the many similarities that provide intriguing examples of convergent evolution. Specifically, we discuss swim initiation, maintenance and termination, isolated nervous system preparations, neural-circuitry, central oscillators, intersegmental coupling, phase lags, cycle periods and sensory feedback. Comparative studies between species highlight mechanisms that optimize behavior and allow us a broader understanding of nervous system function.
Concentration of MgSO4 in the intestinal lumen of Opsanus beta limits osmoregulation in response to acute hypersalinity stress

Marine teleosts constantly lose water to their surrounding environment, a problem exacerbated in fish exposed to salinity higher than normal seawater. Some fish undergo hypersaline exposures in the...
Approval Summary: Letrozole (Femara® Tablets) for Adjuvant and Extended Adjuvant Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Treatment: Conversion of Accelerated to Full Approval

On April 30, 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration converted letrozole (Femara®; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, NJ) from accelerated to full approval for adjuvant and extended adjuvant (following 5 years of tamoxifen) treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor–positive early breast cancer. The initial accelerated approvals of letrozole for adjuvant and extended adjuvant treatment on December 28, 2005 and October 29, 2004, respectively, were based on an analysis of the disease-free survival (DFS) outcome of patients followed for medians of 26 months and 28 months, respectively. Both trials were double-blind, multicenter studies. Both trials were unblinded early when an interim analysis showed a favorable letrozole effect on DFS. In updated intention-to-treat analyses of both trials, the risk for a DFS event was lower with letrozole than with tamoxifen (hazard ratio [HR], 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.77–0.99; p = .03) in the adjuvant trial and was lower than with placebo (HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.76–1.03; p = .12) in the extended adjuvant trial. The latter analysis ignores the interim switch of 60% of placebo-treated patients to letrozole. Bone fractures and osteoporosis were reported more frequently following treatment with letrozole whereas tamoxifen was associated with a higher risk for endometrial proliferation and endometrial cancer. Myocardial infarction was more frequently reported with letrozole than with tamoxifen, but the incidence of thromboembolic events was higher with tamoxifen than with letrozole. Lipid-lowering medications were required for 25% of patients on letrozole and 16% of patients on tamoxifen.
Severity of drug use, initiation of prenatal care, and maternal-fetal attachment in pregnant marijuana and cocaine/heroin users.

Objective To compare the severity of drug use, initiation of prenatal care, and maternal‐fetal attachment between pregnant marijuana and cocaine/heroin users. Design A cross‐sectional design. Setting A prenatal clinic of a medical center in the northeast of the United States. Participants 19 marijuana, 17 cocaine, and 4 heroin users. Cocaine and heroin users were combined in one group. Main Outcome Measures The Severity of Drug Use Questionnaire containing 11 questions of withdrawal, dependence, and medical, legal, and interpersonal issues was used to assess the severity of drug use. Initiation of prenatal care was obtained from the chart and was calculated by weeks of gestation when care began. Cranley's Maternal‐Fetal Attachment Scale measured maternal‐fetal attachment. Results Pregnant cocaine/heroin users were 6 years older, had experienced more pregnancies, had higher drug severity scores, and initiated prenatal care later than marijuana users. No significant difference in maternal‐fetal attachment was found. Conclusion Interventions to help especially cocaine/heroin users initiate early prenatal care and reduce severity of drug use are indicated.
A constitutively active GPCR governs morphogenic transitions in Cryptococcus neoformans

Sex in fungi is driven by peptide pheromones sensed through seven-transmembrane pheromone receptors. In Cryptococcus neoformans, sexual reproduction occurs through an outcrossing/heterothallic a- sexual cycle or an inbreeding/homothallic – unisexual mating process. Pheromone receptors encoded by the mating-type locus (MAT) mediate reciprocal pheromone sensing during opposite-sex mating and contribute to but are not essential for unisexual mating. A pheromone receptor-like gene, CPR2, was discovered that is not encoded by MAT and whose expression is induced during a- mating. cpr2 mutants are fertile but have a fusion defect and produce abnormal hyphal structures, whereas CPR2 overexpression elicits unisexual reproduction. When heterologously expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Cpr2 activates pheromone responses in the absence of any ligand. This constitutive activity results from an unconventional residue, Leu222, in place of a conserved proline in transmembrane domain six; a Cpr2L222P mutant is no longer constitutively active. Cpr2 engages the same G-protein activated signalling cascade as the Ste3a/α pheromone receptors, and thereby competes for pathway activation. This study established a new paradigm in which a naturally occurring constitutively active G protein-coupled receptor governs morphogenesis in fungi.
Role Shock: A Tool for Conceptualizing Stresses Accompanying Disruptive Role Transitions

This paper attempts to develop the concept of role shock by describing its theoreticalproperties and exploring its relationship to relevant existing concepts in the social sciences. Role shock is defined as the stresses accompanying either major discrepancies between anticipated and encountered roles or the sudden and significant departure from familiar roles which are "'played differently" in the new setting or replaced altogether by new and unfamiliar roles. Its sources and manifest forms are described, with particular attention paid to the distinctions between role shock and the related concepts of culture shock, identity crisis, and such sociological constructs as role loss and role discontinuity. The usefulness of this concept is discussed in terms of its value in clarifying, and thus helping us deal more effectively with, a particularform of maladaptive role-related stress. Role shock thus is seen to underscore the value of such ameliorative modes as the "mutual help groups" of recent origin, which ...
Time‐dependent effects of daily thermoperiods, feeding, and disturbances on scale allograft survival in the gulf killifish, Fundulus grandis

The length of time required to reject scale allografts was examined in groups of male gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis) treated daily with either 4-h thermoperiods (daily intervals of 30°C during a 20°C continuum), single meal feedings, or net-chasing disturbances at one of six different times after the onset of daily photoperiods (LD 12:12 or LD 14:10). Scale allograft survival varied by 30–60% in each timed stimulus experiment as a function of the time of day when the stimulus was provided. The phase relationship between two circadian neuroendocrine oscillations, previously proposed to regulate physiologic and behavioral conditions in gulf killifish, may have important influences on the immune system as well. The phase of one oscillation is thought to be set by the daily photoperiod, and the other is preferentially set by the nonphotic daily stimulus. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Raman spectra of gases. XIX - The low frequency gaseous phase Raman spectra and the barriers to internal rotation of the 1,1,1-trifluoroethyl halides

The gaseous phase Raman spectra of CF3CH2I, CF3CH2Br, CF3CH2CI and CF3CH2F have been investigated and the barriers to internal rotation determined. The torsional fundamentals were observed to be unusually strong, depolarized bands, and several Δν = 2 torsional transitions were measured for all compounds. Torsional transitions originating from excited states of the skeletal bend were also observed for CF3CH2CI and CF3CH2F. The torsional barriers found were: CF3CH2I, 4.16 ± 0.11; CF3CH2Br, 4.39 ± 0.07; CF3CH2CI, 4.88 ± 0.03 and CF3CH2F, 3.58 ± 0.14 kcal mol−1.
Systemic Inflammatory Response Elicited by Superantigen Destabilizes T Regulatory Cells, Rendering Them Ineffective during Toxic Shock Syndrome

Life-threatening infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus, particularly the community-acquired methicillin-resistant strains of S. aureus, continue to pose serious problems. Greater virulence and increased pathogenicity of certain S. aureus strains are attributed to higher prevalence of exotoxins. Of these exotoxins, the superantigens (SAg) are likely most pathogenic because of their ability to rapidly and robustly activate the T cells even in extremely small quantities. Therefore, countering SAg-mediated T cell activation using T regulatory cells (Tregs) might be beneficial in diseases such as toxic shock syndrome (TSS). As the normal numbers of endogenous Tregs in a typical host are insufficient, we hypothesized that increasing the Treg numbers by administration of IL-2/anti-IL-2 Ab immune complexes (IL2C) or by adoptive transfer of ex vivo expanded Tregs might be more effective in countering SAg-mediated immune activation. HLA-DR3 transgenic mice that closely recapitulate human TSS were treated with IL2C to increase endogenous Tregs or received ex vivo expanded Tregs. Subsequently, they were challenged with SAg to induce TSS. Analyses of various parameters reflective of TSS (serum cytokine/chemokine levels, multiple organ pathology, and SAg-induced peripheral T cell expansion) indicated that increasing the Tregs failed to mitigate TSS. On the contrary, serum IFN-γ levels were increased in IL2C-treated mice. Exploration into the reasons behind the lack of protective effect of Tregs revealed IL-17 and IFN-γ-dependent loss of Tregs during TSS. In addition, significant upregulation of glucocorticoid-induced TNFR family-related receptor on conventional T cells during TSS could render them resistant to Treg-mediated suppression, contributing to failure of Treg-mediated immune regulation.
Necrotizing soft-tissue infections

It has been more than 130 years since NSTIs were first described. Despite the development of various classification systems and progress in surgical management, these infections continue to have high mortality and pose enormous diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. For optimal outcome, treatment involves rapid institution of appropriate antibiotic coverage and early wide surgical debridement. Recovery requires aggressive resuscitation, postoperative nutritional support and wound care that is similar to the care of burn patients in many respects. The entire therapeutic process requires a well-prepared and coordinated team of health care professionals including EPs, general, orthopedic, and other specialist surgeons, infectious disease consultants, specially trained nursing staff, and physical therapists.
Epidemiology of suicide

Epidemiologic trends in suicide are reviewed as a foundation for understanding who is at risk for suicide, and what constitute the primary risk factors. Recent data are presented concerning suicide rates and trends in the general population, with breakdowns according to age, sex, race and marital status. Special attention is given to the recent shift toward higher suicide rates in younger age groups. Consideration is also given to other sociodemographic factors and to geographic differences in rates of suicide. An important application of information about risk factors for suicide is to suicide prediction, which is discussed here from a methodologic and clinical viewpoint. The role of low base rates in limiting predictive value is evaluated in light of several large-scale empirical studies. We conclude that numerical risk assessment (e.g., using logistic regression analysis) offers one potentially useful means of summarizing epidemiologic and clinical information as an initial step in addressing various i...
Substantial improvements in the set-covering projection classifier CHIRP (composite hypercubes on iterated random projections)

In Wilkinson et al. [2011] we introduced a new set-covering random projection classifier that achieved average error lower than that of other classifiers in the Weka platform. This classifier was based on an L∞ norm distance function and exploited an iterative sequence of three stages (projecting, binning, and covering) to deal with the curse of dimensionality, computational complexity, and nonlinear separability. We now present substantial changes that improve robustness and reduce training and testing time by almost an order of magnitude without jeopardizing CHIRP's outstanding error performance.
Efficient program composition on Parix by the Ensemble methodology

A message passing program composition methodology, called Ensemble, applied for Parix is presented. Ensemble overcomes the implementation problems and complexities in developing applications in message passing environments. Parallel applications are virtually specified by Process Communication Graphs (PCGs) annotated with communication information for Parix processes. Annotated PCGs are generated from application scripts by supporting tools. Reusable Parix executable components are defined from which all processes are created. A universal Parix program loader interprets the annotated PCGs creating the application processes from the reusable components and establishing their communication dependencies. Ensemble is applied to compose variations of Parix applications using the same reusable components. The methodology has been applied for PVM.
Ischemia/reperfusion injury of primary porcine cardiomyocytes in a low-shear microfluidic culture and analysis device

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury was induced in primary porcine cardiomyocytes in a low-shear microfluidic culture chip. The chip was capable of sustaining the cardiomyocyte culture and inducing I/R injury by subjecting the cells to periods of hypoxia lasting 3–4 hours followed by normoxia. Mitochondrial membrane potential was assayed using MitoTracker Red to follow mitochondrial depolarization, the earliest stage of apoptosis. Cell adhesion and morphology were also determined simultaneously with fluorescence measurements. Changes in membrane potential were observed earlier than previously reported, with mitochondria becoming depolarized as early as 2 hours into the ischemia period. The cells with depolarized mitochondria were deemed apoptotic. Out of 38–61 cells per time frame, the fraction of apoptotic cells was found to be similar to control samples (3%) at two hours of ischemia, which increased up to 22% at the end of the ischemia period as compared to 0% in the control samples. Morphological analysis of cells showed that 4 hours of ischemia followed by reperfusion produced blebbing cells within 2 hours of restoring oxygen to the chip. This approach is a versatile method for cardiomyocyte stress, and in future work additional analytical probes can be incorporated for a multi-analyte assay of cardiomyocyte apoptosis.
Dynamic Class Hierarchy Mutation

Class hierarchies in object-oriented programs are used to capture various attributes of the underlying objects they represent, allowing programmers to encapsulate common attributes in base classes while distributing private attributes in lower-level derived classes. In essence, the semantics of the class hierarchy elegantly capture some of the possible states that a particular object can assume. However, class hierarchies are often poorly designed or evolve in ways that fail to fully capture the stateful behavior of objects. This paper proposes an automated approach for detecting stateful class attributes, and then mutating the class hierarchy dynamically to capture such behavior by creating implicit derived classes that can be specialized for specific object states. Our scheme captures both run-time static behavior, which could have been captured by the programmer by restructuring the class hierarchy at the source level; as well as run-time variant behavior, which cannot be captured using source code transformations. In the latter case, objects transition from one state to another and are dynamically mutated from a derived class to a peer derived class corresponding to the object's new state. These class hierarchy mutations create new opportunities for conventional optimizations such as constant propagation, function specialization, and dead code elimination. For our benchmark set, which includes two versions of SPECjbb, we measure speedups of 1.9% to 31.4% within our Jikes-based prototype implementation, with negligible increases in compilation overhead and object code size.
A 31-Year-Old Man With Fever, Dyspnea, and Pulmonary Infiltrates

31-year-old man sought medical assistance because of a 4-day history of low-grade fever, worsening dyspnea, and lethargy. For more than 6 months, he had had a chronic cough that produced mucopurulent sputum, the color and consistency of which had remained unchanged. A diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-I infection had been established 8 years previously, and antiretroviral therapy, consisting of two nucleoside ana­ logues, had been administered for I year. He had suffered numerous episodes of pneumonia of unknown cause but had no history of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). He had been vaccinated against pneumococcal disease. His history was positive for thrush more than 6 months before the current examination but no recent episodes. He had no history of sweats or weight loss. Three months before admission, the CD4+ lymphocyte count was 170 cells/ul., He had been noncompliant with inhaled pentamidine for PCP prophylaxis. He admitted to a sev­ eral-year history of abuse of orally administered narcotics, for which he was in a methadone program. He denied any current or past intravenous drug abuse. He reported an allergy to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX). Physical examination revealed an obese man who ap­ peared lethargic. He had a temperature of 37.9°C, pulse rate of 96 beats/min, blood pressure of 120/80 mm Hg, and respirations of 24/min. The oropharynx was normal. No lymphadenopathy was palpable. Faint crackles were de­ tected at both lung bases. Cardiac examination showed normal findings, as did examination of the abdomen and extremities. A chest roentgenogram revealed diffuse bilateral reticu­ lar and nodular densities with a basilar predominance (Fig. I). The room air arterial oxygen tension (Pao.) was 73.8 mm Hg. The serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level was 212 U/L (normal, 91 to 196).