Change of Interest as a Function of Shift in Curricular Orientation

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67119/2/10.1177_001316445301300213.pd

A randomized controlled trial to evaluate the role of interferon as initial and maintenance therapy in patients with follicular lymphoma

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of interferon as initial and maintenance therapy in patients with newly diagnosed follicular lymphoma. Between 1984 and 1994, 204 patients with newly diagnosed Stage III or Stage IV follicular lymphoma were randomized to receive either, Chlorambucil (CB): 10 mg daily for 6 weeks, followed by a 2-week interval, with 3 subsequent 2-week treatment periods at the same dose, separated by 2-week intervals, or, CB given concurrently with interferon (IFN). IFN was given at a dose of 3 × 106units thrice weekly, subcutaneously, throughout the 18-week treatment period. Responding patients were subsequently randomized to receive maintenance IFN at the dose and schedule described above, or to expectant management. The overall response rate was 161/204 (78%), complete remission being achieved in 24% of patients. Neither the addition of IFN to the initial treatment, nor the use of maintenance IFN influenced response rate, remission duration or survival. This study was undertaken to determine whether IFN, given in combination with, and then subsequent to, CB would alter the clinical course of patients with follicular lymphoma. Disappointingly, this objective was not achieved, no advantage having been demonstrated for the addition of IFN. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.co

The diversity of bioactive proteins in Australian snake venoms

Australian elapid snakes are among the most venomous in the world. Their venoms contain multiple components that target blood hemostasis, neuromuscular signaling, and the cardiovascular system. We describe here a comprehensive approach to separation and identification of the venom proteins from 18 of these snake species, representing nine genera. The venom protein components were separated by two-dimensional PAGE and identified using mass spectrometry and de novo peptide sequencing. The venoms are complex mixtures showing up to 200 protein spots varying in size from 10. These include many proteins identified previously in Australian snake venoms, homologs identified in other snake species, and some novel proteins. In many cases multiple trains of spots were typically observed in the higher molecular mass range (> 20 kDa) (indicative of post-translational modification). Venom proteins and their post-translational modifications were characterized using specific kantibodies, phosphoprotein- and glycoprotein-specific stains, enzymatic digestion, lectin binding, and antivenom reactivity. In the lower molecular weight range, several proteins were identified, but the predominant species were phospholipase A(2) and alpha-neurotoxins, both represented by different sequence variants. The higher molecular weight range contained proteases, nucleotidases, oxidases, and homologs of mammalian coagulation factors. This information together with the identification of several novel proteins (metalloproteinases, vespryns, phospholipase A(2) inhibitors, protein-disulfide isomerase, 5'-nucleotidases, cysteinerich secreted proteins, C-type lectins, and acetylcholinesterases) aids in understanding the lethal mechanisms of elapid snake venoms and represents a valuable resource for future development of novel human therapeutics

Feedback-optimized parallel tempering Monte Carlo

We introduce an algorithm to systematically improve the efficiency of parallel tempering Monte Carlo simulations by optimizing the simulated temperature set. Our approach is closely related to a recently introduced adaptive algorithm that optimizes the simulated statistical ensemble in generalized broad-histogram Monte Carlo simulations. Conventionally, a temperature set is chosen in such a way that the acceptance rates for replica swaps between adjacent temperatures are independent of the temperature and large enough to ensure frequent swaps. In this paper, we show that by choosing the temperatures with a modified version of the optimized ensemble feedback method we can minimize the round-trip times between the lowest and highest temperatures which effectively increases the efficiency of the parallel tempering algorithm. In particular, the density of temperatures in the optimized temperature set increases at the "bottlenecks'' of the simulation, such as phase transitions. In turn, the acceptance rates are now temperature dependent in the optimized temperature ensemble. We illustrate the feedback-optimized parallel tempering algorithm by studying the two-dimensional Ising ferromagnet and the two-dimensional fully-frustrated Ising model, and briefly discuss possible feedback schemes for systems that require configurational averages, such as spin glasses.Comment: 12 pages, 14 figure

Search for nucleon decay via modes favored by supersymmetric grand unification models in Super-Kamiokande-I

We report the results for nucleon decay searches via modes favored by supersymmetric grand unified models in Super-Kamiokande. Using 1489 days of full Super-Kamiokande-I data, we searched for $p \to \bar{\nu} K^+$, $n \to \bar{\nu} K^0$, $p \to \mu^+ K^0$ and $p \to e^+ K^0$ modes. We found no evidence for nucleon decay in any of these modes. We set lower limits of partial nucleon lifetime 2.3$\times10^{33}$, 1.3$\times10^{32}$, 1.3$\times10^{33}$ and 1.0$\times10^{33}$ years at 90% confidence level for $p \to \bar{\nu} K^+$, $n \to \bar{\nu} K^0$, $p \to \mu^+ K^0$ and $p \to e^+ K^0$ modes, respectively. These results give a strong constraint on supersymmetric grand unification models.Comment: 14 pages, 13 figure

Search for Dark Matter WIMPs using Upward Through-going Muons in Super-Kamiokande

We present the results of indirect searches for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) with 1679.6 live days of data from the Super-Kamiokande detector using neutrino-induced upward through-going muons. The search is performed by looking for an excess of high energy muon neutrinos from WIMP annihilations in the Sun, the core of the Earth, and the Galactic Center, as compared to the number expected from the atmospheric neutrino background. No statistically significant excess was seen. We calculate flux limits in various angular cones around each of the above celestial objects. We obtain conservative model-independent upper limits on WIMP-nucleon cross-section as a function of WIMP mass and compare these results with the corresponding results from direct dark matter detection experiments.Comment: 10 pages, 14 figures, Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Observation of the east-west anisotropy of the atmospheric neutrino flux

The east-west anisotropy, caused by the deflection of primary cosmic rays in the Earth's magnetic field, is observed for the first time in the flux of atmospheric neutrinos. Using a 45 kt-year exposure of the Super-Kamiokande detector, 552 e-like and 633 mu-like horizontally-going events are selected in the momentum range between 400 and 3000 MeV/c. The azimuthal distribution of e-like and mu-like events agrees with the expectation from atmospheric neutrino flux calculations that account for the geomagnetic field, verifying that the geomagnetic field effects in the production of atmospheric neutrinos in the GeV energy range are well understood.Comment: 8 pages,3 figures revtex, submitted to PR

A search for periodic modulations of the solar neutrino flux in Super-Kamiokande-I

A search for periodic modulations of the solar neutrino flux was performed using the Super-Kamiokande-I data taken from May 31st, 1996 to July 15th, 2001. The detector's capability of measuring the exact time of events, combined with a relatively high yield of solar neutrino events, allows a search for short-time variations in the observed flux. We employed the Lomb test to look for periodic modulations of the observed solar neutrino flux. The obtained periodogram is consistent with statistical fluctuation and no significant periodicity was found

Limit On the Neutrino Magnetic Moment Using 1496 Days of Super-Kamiokande-i Solar Neutrino Data

A search for a non-zero neutrino magnetic moment has been conducted using 1496 live days of solar neutrino data from {\SK}. Specifically, we searched for distortions to the energy spectrum of recoil electrons arising from magnetic scattering due to a non-zero neutrino magnetic moment. In the absence of clear signal, we found $\mu_{\nu} \leq 3.6 \times 10^{-10}$ $\mu_{B}$ at 90% C.L. by fitting to the Super-Kamiokande day/night spectra. The fitting took into account the effect of neutrino oscillation on the shapes of energy spectra. With additional information from other solar neutrino and KamLAND experiments constraining the oscillation region, a limit of $\mu_{\nu} \leq 1.1 \times 10^{-10}$ $\mu_{B}$ at 90% C.L. was obtained.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Search for Supernova Relic Neutrinos at Super-Kamiokande

A search for the relic neutrinos from all past core-collapse supernovae was conducted using 1496 days of data from the Super-Kamiokande detector. This analysis looked for electron-type anti-neutrinos that had produced a positron with an energy greater than 18 MeV. In the absence of a signal, 90% C.L. upper limits on the total flux were set for several theoretical models; these limits ranged from 20 to 130 nu_e bar cm^-2 s^-1. Additionally, an upper bound of 1.2 nu_e bar cm^-2 s^-1 was set for the supernova relic neutrino flux in the energy region E_nu > 19.3 MeV.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. Submitted to Physical Review Letters. New version includes corrections to Figure 1. Also, text has been shortened to conform with the space limitations of PR