340 research outputs found
Direct Evidence for the Source of Reported Magnetic Behavior in "CoTe"
In order to unambiguously identify the source of magnetism reported in recent
studies of the Co-Te system, two sets of high-quality, epitaxial CoTe films
(thickness 300 nm) were prepared by pulse laser deposition (PLD).
X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows that all of the films are epitaxial along the
[001] direction and have the hexagonal NiAs structure. There is no indication
of any second phase metallic Co peaks (either or ) in the XRD
patterns. The two sets of CoTe films were grown on various substrates with
PLD targets having Co:Te in the atomic ratio of 50:50 and 35:65. From the
measured lattice parameters for the former and
for the latter, the compositions CoTe (63.1% Te) and CoTe
(63.8% Te), respectively, are assigned to the principal phase. Although XRD
shows no trace of metallic Co second phase, the magnetic measurements do show a
ferromagnetic contribution for both sets of films with the saturation
magnetization values for the CoTe films being approximately four times
the values for the CoTe films. Co spin-echo nuclear magnetic
resonance (NMR) clearly shows the existence of metallic Co inclusions in the
films. The source of weak ferromagnetism reported in several recent studies is
due to the presence of metallic Co, since the stoichiometric composition "CoTe"
does not exist.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figure
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Low-Dose Continuous 5-Fluorouracil Combined with Leucovorin, nab-Paclitaxel, Oxaliplatin, and Bevacizumab for Patients with Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: A Retrospective Analysis.
BackgroundContinuous-infusion 5-fluorouracil (5FU) and calcium leucovorin plus nab-paclitaxel and oxaliplatin have been shown to be active in patients with pancreatic cancer. As a protracted low-dose infusion, 5FU is antiangiogenic, and has synergy with bevacizumab. As shown in the treatment of breast cancer, bevacizumab and nab-paclitaxel are also synergetic.ObjectiveIn this paper we retrospectively analyze the survival of 65 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who were treated with low-dose continuous (metronomic) chemotherapy given in conjunction with conventional anti-VEGF therapy.Patients and methodsSince July of 2008, we have treated 65 patients with 5FU (180 mg/m2/day × 14 days) via an ambulatory pump. Calcium leucovorin (20 mg/m2 IV), nab-paclitaxel (60 mg/m2) IV as a 30-min infusion, and oxaliplatin (50 mg/m2) IV as a 60-min infusion were given on days 1, 8, and 15. Bevacizumab (5 mg/kg) IV over 30 min was administered on days 1 and 15. Cycles were repeated every 28-35 days. There were 42 women and 23 men, and the median age was 59 years. Forty-six patients had stage IV disease.ResultsThe median survival was 19 months, with 82% of patients surviving 12 months or longer. The overall response rate was 49%. There were 28 patients who had received prior treatment, 15 of whom responded to therapy. Fifty-two patients had elevated CA 19-9 prior to treatment. Of these, 21 patients had 90% or greater reduction in CA 19-9 levels. This cohort had an objective response rate of 71% and a median survival of 27 months. Thirty patients stopped treatment due to disease progression, and an additional 22 stopped because of toxicity. One patient died while on therapy.ConclusionsThis non-gemcitabine-based regimen resulted in higher response rates and better survival than what is commonly observed with therapy given at conventional dosing schedules. Low-dose continuous (metronomic therapy) cytotoxic chemotherapy combined with antiangiogenic therapy is safe and effective
Sulfur gas exchange in Sphagnum-dominated wetlands
Sulfur gases are important components of the global cycle of S. They contribute to the acidity of precipitation and they influence global radiation balance and climate. The role of terrestrial sources of biogenic S and their effect on atmospheric chemistry remain as major unanswered questions in our understanding of the natural S cycle. The role of northern wetlands as sources and sinks of gaseous S was investigated by measuring rates of S gas exchange as a function of season, hydrologic conditions, and gradients in trophic status. The effects of inorganic S input on the production and emission of gaseous S were also investigated. Experiments were conducted in wetlands in New Hampshire, particularly a poor fen, fens within the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) in Ontario, Canada and in freshwater and marine tundra. Emissions were determined using Teflon enclosures, gas cryotrapping methods, and gas chromatography (GC) with flame photometric detection. Dynamic (sweep flow) and static enclosures were employed. Dissolved gases were determined by gas stripping followed by GC
Absolute Calibration and Characterization of the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer. II. 70 micron Imaging
The absolute calibration and characterization of the Multiband Imaging
Photometer for Spitzer (MIPS) 70 micron coarse- and fine-scale imaging modes
are presented based on over 2.5 years of observations. Accurate photometry
(especially for faint sources) requires two simple processing steps beyond the
standard data reduction to remove long-term detector transients. Point spread
function (PSF) fitting photometry is found to give more accurate flux densities
than aperture photometry. Based on the PSF fitting photometry, the calibration
factor shows no strong trend with flux density, background, spectral type,
exposure time, or time since anneals. The coarse-scale calibration sample
includes observations of stars with flux densities from 22 mJy to 17 Jy, on
backgrounds from 4 to 26 MJy sr^-1, and with spectral types from B to M. The
coarse-scale calibration is 702 +/- 35 MJy sr^-1 MIPS70^-1 (5% uncertainty) and
is based on measurements of 66 stars. The instrumental units of the MIPS 70
micron coarse- and fine-scale imaging modes are called MIPS70 and MIPS70F,
respectively. The photometric repeatability is calculated to be 4.5% from two
stars measured during every MIPS campaign and includes variations on all time
scales probed. The preliminary fine-scale calibration factor is 2894 +/- 294
MJy sr^-1 MIPS70F^-1 (10% uncertainty) based on 10 stars. The uncertainty in
the coarse- and fine-scale calibration factors are dominated by the 4.5%
photometric repeatability and the small sample size, respectively. The 5-sigma,
500 s sensitivity of the coarse-scale observations is 6-8 mJy. This work shows
that the MIPS 70 micron array produces accurate, well calibrated photometry and
validates the MIPS 70 micron operating strategy, especially the use of frequent
stimulator flashes to track the changing responsivities of the Ge:Ga detectors.Comment: 19 pages, PASP, in pres
Using NEURON for Reaction-Diffusion Modeling of Extracellular Dynamics
Development of credible clinically-relevant brain simulations has been slowed due to a focus on electrophysiology in computational neuroscience, neglecting the multiscale whole-tissue modeling approach used for simulation in most other organ systems. We have now begun to extend the NEURON simulation platform in this direction by adding extracellular modeling. The extracellular medium of neural tissue is an active medium of neuromodulators, ions, inflammatory cells, oxygen, NO and other gases, with additional physiological, pharmacological and pathological agents. These extracellular agents influence, and are influenced by, cellular electrophysiology, and cellular chemophysiology—the complex internal cellular milieu of second-messenger signaling and cascades. NEURON's extracellular reaction-diffusion is supported by an intuitive Python-based where/who/what command sequence, derived from that used for intracellular reaction diffusion, to support coarse-grained macroscopic extracellular models. This simulation specification separates the expression of the conceptual model and parameters from the underlying numerical methods. In the volume-averaging approach used, the macroscopic model of tissue is characterized by free volume fraction—the proportion of space in which species are able to diffuse, and tortuosity—the average increase in path length due to obstacles. These tissue characteristics can be defined within particular spatial regions, enabling the modeler to account for regional differences, due either to intrinsic organization, particularly gray vs. white matter, or to pathology such as edema. We illustrate simulation development using spreading depression, a pathological phenomenon thought to play roles in migraine, epilepsy and stroke. Simulation results were verified against analytic results and against the extracellular portion of the simulation run under FiPy. The creation of this NEURON interface provides a pathway for interoperability that can be used to automatically export this class of models into complex intracellular/extracellular simulations and future cross-simulator standardization
Effects of exotic soybean genotype on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and carcass traits in finishing pigs
Compared to a corn-soybean meal control, added-fat from tallow, soybean oil, and dry-extruded whole soybeans (DEWS) improved ADG, F/G, and digestibility of DM and N. Feeding tallow increased belly firmness but also increased backfat thickness compared to diets with soy oil and DEWS. Comparisons among soybean genotypes indicated that high oleic acid soybeans supported greater growth performance than soybeans with high palmitic acid content. However, soybean genotype had no effect on carcass or meat quality measurements.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 19, 199
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