cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Testing the Digital Health Literacy Instrument for Adolescents: Cognitive Interviews

Background: Despite the increasing number of youth seeking health information on the internet, few studies have been conducted to measure digital health literacy in this population. The digital health literacy instrument (DHLI) is defined as a scale that measures the ability to operate digital devices and read and write in web-based modes, and it assesses seven subconstructs: operational skills, navigation skills, information searching, evaluating reliability, determining relevance, adding self-generated content to a web-based app, and protecting privacy. Currently, there is no validation process of this instrument among adolescents. Objective: This study aims to explore the usability and content validity of DHLI. Methods: Upon the approval of institutional review board protocol, cognitive interviews were conducted. A total of 34 adolescents aged 10-18 years (n=17, 50% female) participated in individual cognitive interviews. Two rounds of concurrent cognitive interviews were conducted to assess the content validity of DHLI using the thinking aloud method and probing questions. Results: Clarity related to unclear wording, undefined technical terms, vague terms, and difficult vocabularies was a major issue identified. Problems related to potentially inappropriate assumptions were also identified. In addition, concerns related to recall bias and socially sensitive phenomena were raised. No issues regarding response options or instrument instructions were noted. Conclusions: The initial round of interviews provided a potential resolution to the problems identified with comprehension and communication, whereas the second round prompted improvement in content validity. Dual rounds of cognitive interviews provided substantial insights into survey interpretation when introduced to US adolescents. This study examined the validity of the DHLI and suggests revision points for assessing adolescent digital health literacy.
The Fourth Circuit's Hocus-Pocus First Amendment Analysis of Sign Regulations

In Brown v. Town of Cary, the Fourth Circuit found a town's ordinance that regulated the size of residential signs, yet had an exception for holiday decorations and public art, was a content neutral regulation and constitutional. Although initially the court had to decide whether the deceased plaintiff had standing, the lynchpin issue was whether the ordinance was content neutral or content based regulation of speech. Content neutral laws, referred to as such because they are "justified without reference to the content of regulated speech," are "subject to intermediate scrutiny." This intermediate scrutiny requires a court to determine whether the law is "narrowly tailored" to serve a significant governmental interest, and whether it "leaves open ample alternative channels of communication." On the other hand, content based laws are specifically created to regulate speech based on its subject matter and are subjected to the strictest scrutiny. If the court determines that a law is content based, the government must demonstrate that the law "is necessary to serve a compelling state interest and that it is narrowly drawn to achieve that end."' Therein lies the rub.
Natural History of Poland Syndrome: A Long-term Study of Functional and Psychosocial Outcomes.

BackgroundPoland syndrome (PS) is a congenital condition characterized by pectoralis hypoplasia and an ipsilateral hand anomaly that frequently necessitates surgery in childhood. This study aimed t...
Health and health care access in the US transgender population health (TransPop) survey

Background Probability and nonprobability-based studies of US transgender persons identify different disparities in health and health care access. Objectives We used TransPop, the first US national probability survey of transgender persons, to describe and compare measures of health and health access among transgender, nonbinary, and cisgender participants. We directly compared the results with 2015 US Transgender Survey (USTS) data and with previously published analyses from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Methods All participants were screened by Gallup Inc., which recruited a probability sample of US adults. Transgender people were identified using a two-step screening process. Eligible participants completed self-administered questionnaires (transgender n = 274, cisgender n = 1162). We obtained weighted proportions/means, then tested for differences between gender groups. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate associations. Bivariate analyses were conducted using the weighted USTS data set for shared variables in USTS and TransPop. Results Transgender participants were younger and more racially diverse compared to the cisgender group. Despite equally high insurance coverage, transgender people more often avoided care due to cost concerns. Nonbinary persons were less likely to access transgender-related health care providers/clinics than transgender men and women. Transgender respondents more often rated their health as fair/poor, with more frequently occuring poor physical and mental health days compared to cisgender participants. Health conditions including HIV, emphysema, and ulcer were higher among transgender people. TransPop and USTS, unlike BRFSS-based analyses, showed no differences in health or health access. Discussion Transgender persons experience health access disparities centered on avoidance of care due to cost beyond insured status. Health disparities correspond with models of minority stress, with nonbinary persons having distinct health/health access patterns. Despite different sampling methods, USTS and TransPop appear more similar than BRFSS studies regarding health/health access. Conclusion Future research should elucidate health care costs for transgender and nonbinary people, while addressing methodology in national studies of transgender health.
Assessment of complication rates based on time of feeding initiation in radiologically guided gastrostomy tubes: a retrospective study.

PURPOSE We aimed to assess the association between complication rate and time to feeding in a cohort of patients undergoing radiologically guided placement of gastrostomy tubes. METHODS A retrospective study was conducted of all patients receiving pull-type and push-type gastrostomy tubes placed by interventional radiologists between January 1st, 2017 and December 31st, 2018 at a single institution. Primary outcomes included procedural and tube-related complications per medical chart review with a follow-up interval of 30 days. Exclusion criteria were enteral nutrition delayed more than 48 hours, no feeding information, and tubes placed for venting (n=20). Overall, 303 gastrostomy tubes (pull-type, n=184; push-type, n=119) were included. The most common indications for placement included head and neck carcinoma for push-type tubes (n=76, 63.9%) and cerebral vascular accident for pull-type tubes (n=78, 42.4%). RESULTS In a multiple regression analysis, there was no statistically significant association between complications and time to feeding (p = 0.096), age (p = 0.758), gender (p = 0.127), indication for tube placement (p = 0.206), or type of tube placed (p = 0.437). Average time to initiation of enteral nutrition was 12.3 hours for the pull-type and 21.7 hours for the push-type cohort (p 0.05). CONCLUSION There was no statistically significant correlation between time to feed and complications, suggesting that there is no clinical difference between early and late feeding following gastrostomy tube placement.
Phagotrophic protists (protozoa) in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems: diversity, distribution, ecology, and best research practices

Phagotrophic protists (formerly protozoa) are a highly diverse, polyphyletic grouping of generally unicellular, heterotrophic eukaryotes that are key regulators of the soil microbiome. The biodiversity and ecology of soil phagotrophic protists are still largely uncharacterized, especially in the Antarctic, which possesses some of the harshest terrestrial environments known and potentially many physiologically unique and scientifically interesting species. Antarctic soil systems are also highly limited in terms of moisture, temperature, and carbon, and the resulting reduced biological complexity can facilitate fine-tuned investigation of the drivers and functioning of microbial communities. To facilitate and encourage future research into protist biodiversity and ecology, especially in context of the broader functioning of Antarctic terrestrial communities, I review the biodiversity, distribution, and ecology of Antarctic soil phagotrophic protists. Biodiversity appears to be highly structured by region and taxonomic group, with the Antarctic Peninsula having the highest taxonomic diversity and ciliates (Ciliophora) being the most diverse taxonomic group. However, richness estimates are likely skewed by disproportionate sampling (over half of the studies are from the peninsula), habitat type bias (predominately moss-associated soils), investigator bias (toward ciliates and the testate amoeba morphogroup), and methodological approach (toward cultivation and morphological identification). To remedy these biases, a standardized methodology using both morphological and molecular identification and increased emphasis on microflagellate and naked amoeba morphogroups is needed. Additionally, future research should transition away from biodiversity survey studies to dedicated ecological studies that emphasize the function, ecophysiology, endemicity, dispersal, and impact of abiotic drivers beyond moisture and temperature.
Connecting Matrix Elements to Multi-Hadron Form-Factors

We discuss developments in calculating multi-hadron form-factors and transition processes via lattice QCD. Our primary tools are finite-volume scaling relations, which map spectra and matrix elements to the corresponding multi-hadron infinite-volume amplitudes. We focus on two hadron processes probed by an external current, and provide various checks on the finite-volume formalism in the limiting cases of perturbative interactions and systems forming a bound state. By studying model-independent properties of the infinite-volume amplitudes, we are able to rigorously define form-factors of resonances.
IMPACT OF FEEDING BIGHEADED CARP FISH MEAL ON MEAT QUALITY AND SENSORY ATTRIBUTES IN ORGANIC BROILER CHICKENS

SUMMARY Novel protein feeds are needed in ecological and organic poultry production to supply natural sources of amino acids, particularly methionine. Synthetic amino acids are increasingly banned in certified organic production. Carp is an invasive fish in the U.S and its harvest can help provide natural source of methionine, while reducing an undesirable population. In our previous study, we formulated a diet using extruded carp-based meal (CBM) to replace synthetic methionine in broiler diets and conducted a feeding trial to test its effect on broiler performance. For this study, birds were processed at the end of the feeding trial and evaluated for quality and sensory attributes of meat from birds fed with CBM diet. Controls were normal diet that contained methionine and the carp meal was used to replace methionine and a portion of soybean meal. Results suggest that birds fed with CBM diet did not differ from the Control in live weight, carcass weight, breast weight, ready-to-cook yield, wing yield, tenders and thigh yields (P>0.05). Breast meat was more light (L*) for birds from the CBM treatment compared to the Control and the pH was lower (P
Identifying an Optimal Dining Plan System for the Entertainment Industry

The Disney Dining Plan (DDP) is a pre-paid meal plan guests can purchase when they make their reservation at Walt Disney World (WDW). Under the current system, the information provided to guests explaining the program is unclear which leads to confusion for guests. For example, guests are not sure what food they can purchase using the DDP or at which dining locations they can use the DDP. Given these problems, the present study evaluated a new information system for the DDP. The independent variables in this study were symbol type, the symbols used in the current DDP and new symbols created for this study, and system type, the current paper-based system and an electronic, integrated system. Participants (N = 44) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions (old symbolspaper system, new symbols-paper system, old symbols-electronic system, and new symbolselectronic system). After reviewing the DDP, participants then completed a series of tasks including scenario-based task, a multiple-choice test based on the DDP, a symbol discriminability measure, and a measure of system usability (System Usability Scale [SUS]). In addition, participants provided open-ended feedback to the researcher about their experience with the system. Results indicated no significant difference between the type of symbols used and the amount of time it took to complete the scenario, the amount of time it took to complete the questionnaire, accuracy on the symbol discriminability task, or the overall system usability scale (SUS) score. However, significant differences were found between the type of symbol used and the accuracy and confidence rating of varying symbols in the symbol discriminability task. Furthermore, there was a significant main effect for system type with participants using the electronic system taking longer to complete the questionnaire. IDENTIFYING AN OPTIMAL DINING PLAN SYSTEM 4 Although results showed that it took participants significantly longer to answer the questions during the multiple-choice task, there are factors that could have a played a role; scanning-time, click-throughs and motivation. Participants in the paper-based group were able to scan over a list of all the dining locations whereas participants in the electronic version were forced to click through multiple screens to view various dining locations. This test, however, does not accurately represent how the electronic application would be used but it did demonstrate that participants were able to answer the DDP questionnaire regardless of system. In the field, guests would most likely access one theme park or resort and view the various dining locations in the area they are in. This study forced participants to constantly switch between theme parks and resorts. If participants were also in a theme-park environment, they may also be more motivated to use the application. IDENTIFYING AN OPTIMAL DINING PLAN SYSTEM 5 Table of
Conclusion: Political Aspects of Psychological Doctrines

Psychological doctrines have wide-ranging effects on social praxis. They influence the manner in which people think about themselves, their expectations and treatment of others, their understanding of the causes of psychological problems, the kinds of solutions they believe possible, and the public policies they endorse. Psychological descriptions and explanations are thus eminently political.
Geometrical Aspects of Hilbert C * -modules

The aim of the present paper is to solve some major open problems of Hilbert C*-module theory by applying various aspects of multiplier C*-theory. The key result is the equivalence established between positive invertible quasi-multipliers of the C*-algebra of “compact” operators on a Hilbert C*-module {ℳ, 〈., 〉} and A-valued inner products on ℳ, inducing an equivalent norm to the given one. The problem of unitary isomorphism of C*-valued inner products on a Hilbert C*-module is considered and new criteria are formulated. Countably generated Hilbert C*-modules turn out to be unitarily isomorphic if they are isomorphic as Banach C*-modules. The property of bounded module operators on Hilbert C*-modules of being “compact” and/or adjointable is unambiguously connected to operators with respect to any choice of the C*-valued inner product on a fixed Hilbert C*-module if every bounded module operator possesses an adjoint operator on the module. Every bounded module operator on a given full Hilbert C*-module turns out to be adjointable if the Hilbert C*-module is orthogonally complementary. Moreover, if the unit ball of the Hilbert C*-module is complete with respect to a certain locally convex topology, then these two properties are shown to be equivalent to self-duality.
Clinical considerations of benign ovarian cystomas.

Abstract How often does the preserved “other ovary” develop a tumor requiring a second laparotomy? Our observations can be summarized as follows (Table IV): 4 . Pathology in the remaining ovary Unilateral oophorectomy for Number of patients followed Remaining ovary removed Pathology of second ovary Dermoid 90 55 for 6+ yr. 1 in 6 yr. Same Simple cystoma 69 52 for 5+ yr. 1 in 2 yr. Same 1 in 3 yr. “Chocolate cyst” Pseudomucinous cystadenoma 64 38 for 5+ yr. 1 in 4 yr. Same Serous cystadenoma 50 31 for 5+ yr. - - Ninety women with dermoids treated by unilateral oophorectomy have been followed, 55 for more than six years after operation. One patient, during the sixth postoperative year, developed a dermoid in the remaining ovary. Sixty-nine women with one ovary removed because of a simple cystoma have been followed, 52 for more than 5 years. One patient, two years after oophorectomy, developed a similar cystoma in the other ovary and one other, after three years, developed a typical chocolate cyst in the preserved “other” ovary. Sixty-four women with one ovary removed because of a cystadenoma with pseudomucinous content have been followed, 38 for more than five years. One patient, after four years, developed a similar tumor in the opposite ovary. Fifty women with one ovary preserved after removal of a serous cystadenoma on the opposite side have been followed, 31 for more than five years. None has to date developed a tumor in the preserved ovary, nor evidence of recurrence of tumor in the pelvis. One hundred seventy-six patients have been followed more than five years after unilateral oophorectomy for supposedly benign cystomas (Table V). 5 . Summary In 176 patients followed 5+ years to date, 2.3 per cent incidence of pathology in the remaining ovary. Four have required reoperation for tumors in the preserved “other” ovaries, two, three, four, and six years after their initial laparotomies. We have observed to date only a 2.3 per cent incidence of pathology in the remaining “other” ovary. Finally, to summarize observation of 80 cystadenomas exhibiting grossly papillary linings, 16 with a pseudomucinous and 64 with serous content have been followed (Table VI). Three of the serous cystomas, all 3 multilocular papillary and occurring bilaterally, have recurred as malignant tumors. To date, 77 others have experienced a clinically benign course. 6 . Summary 80 cystadenomas with grossly papillary lining followed (16 pseudomucinous) (64 serous) 3 serous, occurring bilaterally, recurred as malignant tumors. 77 others—clinically benign course.
A boundary layer model for submarine hydrothermal heat flows at on‐axis and near‐axis regions

Hydrothermal discharge from oceanic crust makes up a significant portion of Earth's overall heat flux. In this paper we investigate two aspects of oceanic hydrothermal heat flux that are not well understood: (1) the relative partitioning of heat flux between high-temperature and low-temperature flows at oceanic spreading ridges and (2) hydrothermal behavior of the near-axis region, where seismic data suggest that a zone of partial melt extends quasi-vertically into the lower crust at the East Pacific Rise. We apply steady state boundary layer theory to each system by assuming circulation occurs near a hot isothermal wall that laterally transfers heat to and induces convection within an adjacent fluid-filled medium. We vary the permeability of the medium over a range of 10−14 to 10−10 m2. For model 1 we assume a wall temperature of 150°C, corresponding to a relatively impermeable anhydrite wall within layer 2A extrusives, whereas for model 2 we assume a wall temperature of 800°C that extends to the base of the crust. The boundary layer results for model 1 suggest that diffuse flow makes up 50% or less of the heat output at the ridge axis, which is at the low end of some observations. Should more accurate and complete heat flux data be obtained and indicate that a high fraction of ridge axis heat loss results from diffuse flow, another mechanism in addition to the boundary layer model proposed here may be required. Boundary layer results for near-axis circulation, model 2, indicate that temperature distributions are in reasonable agreement with those inferred from seismic tomographic studies of the oceanic crust and with other numerical models. For the near-axis model, results also show that heat transfer in the hydrothermal boundary layer is greater than the input from steady state generation of the oceanic crust by seafloor spreading. This difference in heat input suggests that the width of the partial melt zone may be decreasing with time. Thus, the application of the boundary layer theory to complex hydrothermal processes near oceanic spreading centers provides important insights into key system processes.
Bacterial IMPDH gene used for the selection of mammalian cell transfectants.

Stable cell transfection is used for the expression of exogenous genes or cDNAs in eukaryotic cells. Selection of these transfectants requires a dominant selectable marker. A variety of such marker...
Characterization of the lunar radiation environment using the CRaTER detector

In late 2008, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission is launched into orbit around Earth's moon. The LRO mission conducts exploration-enabling observations. One of the objectives of this mission is to characterize the lunar radiation environment and its biological impacts on humans. For this purpose a collaboration involving research personnel from Boston University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The University of Tennessee, The Aerospace Corporation, Air Force Research Laboratory, and the NOAA Space Environment Center successfully proposed to develop a sensor system called the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER). CRaTER directly measures linear energy transfer (LET) spectra, thereby providing a direct link between the ambient environment and its biological impact on future human missions to the Moon. In this presentation an overview of the CRaTER team and project organization is presented and the current version of the proposed CRaTER instrument is described. Preliminary computational predictions of some components of the LET spectra are presented.
The GAF and psychiatric outcome : A descriptive report

Since the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF) was introduced in DSM-III-R in 1987, it has been widely used, but minimally researched. This report provides information concerning the use of the GAF in routine clinical practice. Clinicians rated adult inpatients, adult day hospital patients, and adolescent inpatients at admission and discharge from psychiatric treatment. All samples were rated as significantly less dysfunctional at discharge. There were also significant differences in mean levels of dysfunction between the adult and adolescent samples at admission and discharge. These discrepancies were hypothesized to be associated with the GAF's unclear instructional format. Although this study concerned the GAF as described in the DSM-III-R, our findings are likely to be generalizable to DSM-IV, because no substantive changes have been made to the GAF.
The Problem of Criteria and the Necessity of Natural Theology

Most streams of Christianity have emphasized the unknowability of God, but they have also asserted that Christ is the criterion through whom we may have limited access to the depths of God, and through whose life and death we can formulate the doctrine of God as Triune. This standpoint, however, leads to certain complications regarding ‘translating’ the Christian message to adherents of other religious traditions, and in particular the question, ‘Why do you accept Christ as the criterion?’, is one that Christian thinkers have attempted to answer in different ways. There are two influential responses to this query in recent Christian thought: an ‘evidentialist’ approach which gradually moves from a theistic metaphysics to a Christ-centred soteriology, and an ‘unapologetic’ standpoint which takes God's self-disclosure in Christ as the perspectival lens through which to view the world. The opposition between these two groups is primarily over the status of ‘natural theology’, that is, whether we may speak of a ‘natural’ reason, which human beings possess even outside the circle of the Christian revelation, and through which they may arrive at some minimalist understanding of the divine reality. I outline the status of ‘natural theology’ in these strands of contemporary Christian thought, from Barthian ‘Christomonism’ to post-liberal theology to Reformed epistemology, and suggest certain problems within these standpoints which indicate the need for an appropriately qualified ‘natural theology’. Most of the criticisms leveled against ‘natural theology’, whether from secular philosophers or from Christian theologians themselves, can be put in two groups: first, the arguments for God's existence are logically flawed, and, second, even if they succeed they do not point to the Triune God that Christians worship. In contrast to such an old-fashioned ‘natural theology’ which allegedly starts from premises self-evidently true for all rational agents and leads through an inexorable logic to God, the qualified version is an attempt to spell out the doctrinal beliefs of Christianity such as the existence of a personal God who interacts with human beings in different ways, and outline the reasons offered in defence of such statements. In other words, without denying that Christian doctrines operate at one level as the grammatical rules which structure the Christian discourse, such a natural theology insists on the importance of the question of whether these utterances are true, in the sense that they refer to an objective reality which is independent of the Christian life-world. Such a ‘natural theology’, as the discussion will emphasize, is not an optional extra but follows in fact from the internal logic of the Christian position on the universality of God's salvific reach.
Identification of a single sinusoidal bile salt uptake system in skate liver

To identify the sinusoidal bile acid uptake system(s) of skate liver, photoaffinity labeling and kinetic transport studies were performed in isolated plasma membranes as well as intact hepatocytes. In both preparations photoaffinity labeling with the photolabile bile salt derivative (7,7-azo-3 alpha, 12 alpha-dihydroxy-5 beta-[3 beta-3H]cholan-24-oyl)-2-aminoethanesulfonate revealed the presence of a predominant bile salt binding polypeptide with an apparent molecular weight of 54,000. The labeling of this polypeptide was inhibited by taurocholate and cholate in a concentration-dependent manner and was virtually abolished by 1 mM of the anion transport inhibitor 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid. Kinetic studies of hepatic uptake with taurocholate, cholate, and the photoreactive bile salt derivative indicated the involvement of a single transport system, and all three substrates mutually competed with the uptake of each other. Finally, irreversible inhibition of the bile salt uptake system by photoaffinity labeling of hepatocytes with high concentrations (250 microM) of photolabile derivative reduced the Vmax but not the Km of taurocholate uptake. These findings strongly indicate that a single polypeptide with an apparent molecular weight of 54,000 is involved in sinusoidal bile salt uptake into skate hepatocytes. These findings contrast with similar studies in rat liver that implicate both a 54,000- and 48,000-K polypeptide in bile salt uptake and are consistent with a single Na+-independent transport mechanism for hepatic bile salt uptake in this primitive vertebrate.
Estimation of the on-orbit distortion of the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA II) primary mirror

This paper describes the analyses performed to estimate the on-orbit distortion of the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA II) primary mirror. MOLA II is one of five scientific instruments that will be flown on the Mars Global Surveyor. The MOLA II instrument will map the surface profile of Mars for a full Marian year to a resolution of 2 meters vertical and 160 meters horizontal. The MOLA II telescope is an f/6 Cassegrain telescope with a 0.85 milliradian (mrad) field of view. The telescope is made entirely of Brush Wellman S200F vacuum hot pressed beryllium. The primary mirror diameter is 508 mm with a base radius of curvature of 711.2 mm. This mirror is plated first with electroless nickel and then with electrolytic gold. The purpose of these analyses was (1) to estimate the on-orbit distortion of the large primary mirror due to thermal loading, interface stresses, and gravity release and (2) to calculate the expected damage to the mirror surface due to micrometeroid impacts. A detailed NASA structural analysis program finite element model was used as a tool for evaluating the mirror performance. The results of the analyses indicate that a stability error of 2.4 microns peak-to-valley and 0.6 microns root mean square is expected for the on-orbit distortion of the primary mirror surface. The estimated surface damage due to micrometeoroids is 0.03 cm2, which is 0.002 percent of the total surface area. Both of these results are within mission acceptance parameters.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Regional trends in rural sulfur concentrations

Abstract This paper presents an analysis of trends in atmospheric concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) and particulate sulfate (SO 4 2− ) at rural monitoring sites in the Clean Air Act Status and Trends Monitoring Network (CASTNet) from 1990 to 1999. A two-stage approach is used to estimate regional trends and standard errors in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions of the US. In the first stage, a linear regression model is used to estimate site-specific trends in data adjusted for the effects of season and meteorology. In the second stage, kriging methodology based on maximum likelihood estimation is used to estimate regional trends and standard errors. The method is extended to include a Bayesian analysis to account for the uncertainty in estimating the spatial covariance parameters. For both pollutants, significant improvement in air quality was detected that appears similar to the large drop in SO 2 power plant emissions. Spatial patterns of trends in SO 2 and SO 4 2− concentrations vary by location over the eastern US. For SO 2 , trends at monitoring sites in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic were in the −30% to −42% range with smaller changes in the South. Across most of the US, trends in SO 4 2− were smaller than for SO 2 . Both spatial prediction techniques produced similar results in terms of regional trends and standard errors.
Helicon wave excitation with rotating antenna fields

By using phased bifilar antennas, helicon waves have been excited by applying fields which rotate either in space or in time, or both simultaneously. The direction of rotation is made to favour either m=+1 or m=-1 waves, where m is the azimuthal mode number, and m is measured directly. Rotation in time is found to be more effective than rotation in space and makes possible a direct comparison of excitation. An m=-1 structure was seen only in the antenna near field, while m=+1 modes propagate far downstream. Up to 2 kW of RF power, density profiles and antenna loading measurements show that m<0 (left-hand) waves are poorly coupled, and m=+1 (right-hand) waves are necessary for good plasma production. Loading results indicate that antennas also couple to absorption mechanisms unrelated to helicon waves.
Seroepidemiology of new AIDS‐associated adenoviruses among the San Francisco Men's Health Study

A seroprevalence survey to recently proposed adenovirus (AV) serotypes AV 48 and AV 49, isolated primarily from AIDS patients, was conducted among the San Francisco Men's Health Study cohort. This cohort of homosexual, heterosexual, or bisexual HIV-seronegative and -seropositive men from selected San Francisco census tracts has been studied since 1984. The presence or absence of type-specific antibody in 628 serum specimens from 1989 was determined by micro-neutralization. Thirty of these subjects (26 positive and four negative) were studied longitudinally. Serum specimens taken at 6-month intervals from 1984 to 1993 were tested to characterize antibody response and to document the advent of these new serotypes. Eight subjects were tested against five other AV serotypes for comparison. AV 48 and AV 49 seroprevalence rates were significantly higher in HIV-seropositives, but infection was not limited to the immunocompromised. Sexual preference was not a significant determinant for AV seroprevalence in HIV-seronegatives. However, the extent and duration of the neutralizing antibody response was strikingly different between homosexuals and heterosexuals: an endemic pattern of continuous reexposure over the 9-year period was seen in 90% of 19 homosexuals, while five of six heterosexuals (83%) had an episodic pattern of exposure with antibody decline to undetectable levels. These data suggest that these viruses may be endemic in some part of the homosexual population and that sexual transmission may be the primary source of continuous reexposure. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
General Derivation of the Time-Independent Wavepacket Schrödinger and Lippmann-Schwinger Equations

We present a new, general derivation and analysis of the time-independent wavepacket Schrodinger and Lippmann-Schwinger equations. These equations retain the memory of the underlying time-dependent quantum description of a system's dynamics for an initial wavepacket that does not originate an infinite distance away from the target. The relationship between the new scattering solutions and those of standard scattering theory is developed in general, and the implications for both computations and the relationship between theory and experiment are given.
Developing effective communication strategies for the Spanish and Haitian‐Creole‐speaking workforce in hotel companies

Purpose – The aim of this study is to explore effective communication strategies for Spanish‐speaking and Haitian‐Creole‐speaking employees in hotel companies.Design/methodology/approach – A case study approach was employed. Three employee, focus group interviews and semi‐structured interviews with 12 managers were conducted in a resort hotel in Orlando to elicit critical factors related to effective communication strategies with Spanish‐speaking and Haitian‐Creole‐speaking employees.Findings – It was found that the case study company mainly communicated with its employees through daily meetings, daily written information (e.g. hot sheets), wall postings, e‐mails, and periodic monthly/quarterly meetings. It was found that bilingual employees often worked as unpaid translators and assisted their colleagues. Spanish and Haitian‐Creole‐speaking employees felt that not being proficient in English hindered their promotion opportunities. Differences were observed among English, Spanish, and Haitian‐Creole‐speak...
Evidence for angiogenesis in Parkinson’s disease, incidental Lewy body disease, and progressive supranuclear palsy

Angiogenesis has not been extensively studied in Parkinson’s disease (PD) despite being associated with other neurodegenerative disorders. Post-mortem human brain tissues were obtained from subjects with pathologically confirmed Parkinson’s disease (PD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rapidly progressing Parkinsonian-like disorder. Tissues were also obtained from subjects with incidental Lewy body disease (iLBD) who had Lewy bodies in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) but had not been diagnosed with PD, and age-matched controls without Lewy body pathology. The SNpc, putamen, locus ceruleus (LC) and midfrontal cortex were examined for integrin αvβ3, a marker for angiogenesis, along with vessel number and activated microglia. All parkinsonian syndromes had greater αvβ3 in the LC and the SNpc, while only PD and PSP subjects had elevated αvβ3 in the putamen compared to controls. PD and PSP subjects also had increases in microglia number and activation in the SNpc suggesting a link between inflammation and clinical disease. Microglia activation in iLBD subjects was limited to the LC, an area involved at an early stage of PD. Likewise, iLBD subjects did not differ from controls in αvβ3 staining in the putamen, a late area of involvement in PD. The presence of αvβ3 reactive vessels in PD and its syndromes is indicative of newly created vessels that have not likely developed the restrictive properties of the blood brain barrier. Such angiogenic vessels could contribute to neuroinflammation by failing to protect the parenchyma from peripheral immune cells and inflammatory or toxic factors in the peripheral circulation.
Regulation of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 by the oxidized lipid, 13-hydroperoxyoctadecadienoic acid, in vascular smooth muscle cells via nuclear factor–kappa B (NF-кB)

The leukocyte- type 12/15-Lipoxygenase (12/15-LO) enzyme and its oxidized lipid products play important roles in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) growth, migration, and matrix responses associated with hypertension, atherosclerosis, and restenosis. However, much less is known about their inflammatory effects. In this study, we showed that the 12/15-LO product of linoleic acid, 13-hydroperoxyocta decadienoic acid (13-HPODE) can transcriptionally upregulate the expression of the chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in VSMC. We also observed reduced activation of the transcription factor, NF-kappa B and reduced expression of MCP-1/JE mRNA in VSMC from 12/15-LO knock-out mice relative to WT. To confirm the role of NF-kappa B in 13-HPODE-induced MCP-1 expression and to selectively block the induction of such inflammatory genes in VSMC, we designed novel molecular approaches to knockdown NF-kappa B with short interfering RNAs (siRNAs). We designed siRNAs to human NF-kappa B p65 transcriptionally active subunit by using a rapid PCR-based approach that generates sense and antisense siRNA separated by a hairpin loop downstream of the U6 promoter. siRNA PCR products targeting seven different sites on p65 cDNA could induce upto 92% reduction in HA-p65 protein levels. A six-fold decrease in NF-kappa B-dependent luciferase activity was also seen. Transfection of human VSMC with these siRNA PCR products resulted in 70% reduction in p65 protein levels. We cloned the PCR products into a pCR3.1 vector and these p65 siRNA expressing plasmids very effectively blocked 13-HPODE-induced expression of both MCP-1 and TNF-alpha genes. These results show for the first time that 13-HPODE can induce MCP-1 in the vasculature via activation of NF-kappa B.
Prostate cancer: modeling the outcomes of prostate cancer screening.

Randomized trials on prostate cancer screening are limited by logistical and temporal issues. Modeling can be useful to estimate the results for alternative scenarios not examined in the studies and to explain sources of variation between trials.
Spectral fluorescence imaging for the characterization of HPV16 transfected cells

In this study we examine the intrinsic fluorescence properties of normal keratinocytes and HPV16 transfected keratinocytes over a range of excitation-emission wavelengths. We find significant differences in the tryptophan and NADH fluorescence of these cells.
Polymerase Chain Reaction for the Detection of Cryptosporidium Spp. in Cat Feces

The objective of this study was to compare a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and a monoclonal antibody–based immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for detection of Cryptosporidium parvum in cat feces. Eight C. parvum–naive DSH cats were orally inoculated with 1 × 106 oocysts of a C. parvum human isolate. Fecal samples were collected before inoculation, daily for the next 30 days, and twice weekly until day 85. Methylprednisolone acetate was administered at 20 mg/kg i.m. on days 85, 92, and 99. From days 86 to 115, feces were collected daily and then up to twice weekly until day 126. Immunofluorescence assay was performed after collection of the samples, and then the samples were frozen at −70 C until assayed by PCR. Cryptosporidium parvum was detected by PCR in 101 of 353 samples and by IFA in 52 of 353 samples: 27 samples were PCR positive, IFA positive; 74 samples were PCR positive, IFA negative; 25 samples were PCR negative, IFA positive; and 227 samples were PCR negative, IFA negative. The percentage o...
Structure of Escherichia coli ribosomal protein L25 complexed with a 5S rRNA fragment at 1.8-Å resolution

The crystal structure of Escherichia coli ribosomal protein L25 bound to an 18-base pair portion of 5S ribosomal RNA, which contains “loop E,” has been determined at 1.8-Å resolution. The protein primarily recognizes a unique RNA shape, although five side chains make direct or water-mediated interactions with bases. Three β-strands lie in the widened minor groove of loop E formed by noncanonical base pairs and cross-strand purine stacks, and an α-helix interacts in an adjacent widened major groove. The structure of loop E is largely the same as that of uncomplexed RNA (rms deviation of 0.4 Å for 11 base pairs), and 3 Mg2+ ions that stabilize the noncanonical base pairs lie in the same or similar locations in both structures. Perhaps surprisingly, those residues interacting with the RNA backbone are the most conserved among known L25 sequences, whereas those interacting with the bases are not.
Validity of the dictionary of occupational titles residual functional capacity battery.

Background Data: The Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) is a U.S. government publication that defines each job in the United States according to 20 job factors. Fishbain et al. (Spine 1994;19:872-80) developed a DOT residual functional capacity (RFC) battery whose predictive validity for employment/unemployment had not been tested previously. Objectives: The purposes of this study were as follows: (a) to determine whether results of a DOT-RFC battery performed at completion of pain facility treatment predicted employment status at 30 months' follow-up and (b) to determine whether the DOT-RFC battery predicted employment capacity as determined by the DOT employment levels of the chronic pain patients' (CPPs) jobs. Study Design: This is a prospective low back pain CPP pain facility treatment study using employment status and the DOT occupational levels as outcome measures. Methods: One hundred eighty-five consecutive CPPs who fitted the selection criteria completed a DOT-RFC battery at the completion of pain facility treatment and were contacted at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30 months for determination of their employment status and DOT employment level. Eight DOT job factors plus pain and worker compensation status were found to be significantly different between employed and unemployed CPPs and between those employed in different DOT employment levels. For the 10 variables, stepwise discriminant analysis was used to select final predictor variables. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated along with pain level cutpoints that separated the groups. Results: The eight DOT job factors found to be statistically significant between groups were the following: stooping, climbing, balancing, crouching, feeling shapes, handling left and right, lifting, carrying, and pain and worker compensation status. In the discriminant analysis, these variables could discriminate between the employed and unemployed categories, with a sensitivity and specificity of approximately 75%. The pain level cutpoint between employed and unemployed was 5.4 on a 10-point scale. Conclusions: We cannot as yet predict DOT-RFC employment levels. However, if a CPP can pass the above eight DOT job factors and has a pain level less than the 5.4 cutpoint, that CPP will have a 75% chance of being employed at 30 months after treatment at the pain facility. Therefore, some DOT-RFC battery job factors demonstrate a predictive validity in the real work world.
Effect of Graphitization on the Wettability and Electrical Conductivity of CVD-Carbon Nanotubes and Films

The use of carbon nanomaterials in various applications requires precise control of their surface and bulk properties. In this paper, we present a strategy for modifying the surface chemistry, wettability, and electrical conductivity of carbon tubes and films through annealing in a vacuum. Experiments were conducted with 60−300 nm nanotubes (nanopipes), produced by noncatalytic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) in a porous alumina template, and with thin films deposited by the same technique on a glassy carbon substrate having the same structure and chemistry of the CNTs. The surface of the as-produced CVD-carbon, treated with sodium hydroxide to remove the alumina template, is hydrophilic, and the bulk electrical conductivity is lower by a factor of 20 than that of fully graphitic multiwalled nanotubes (MWNT) or bulk graphite. The bulk electrical conductivity increases to the conductivity of graphite after annealing at 2000 °C in a high vacuum. The analysis of CNTs by transmission electron microscopy (TEM)...
Nuclear volume and chromatin organization in some radiosensitive and radioresistant mammalian cells.

Nuclear dimensions in mammalian cells appear as a determining factor of chromatin organization and cellular radiosensitivity. Most radioresistant interphase cells have a nuclear volume ( V n ) of 75 to 2700 μm 3 , that could allow both the topological organization of chromatin as loops attached to the inner surface of the nuclear envelope and the unfolding of condensed chromatin within the topological constraints existing along the DNA molecule. In contrast, the radiosensitive small lymphocytes, with V n values of 20 to 65 μm 3 , seem to comprise significant amounts of highly condensed chromatin and dispose of an uncompleted topological organization of DNA, which may cause their incapacity to perform replication and transcription of DNA as well as the repair of radiation damage at a cell level. The indications are that radiosensitivity (1/ D 37 ) of animal cells, containing a similar quantity of DNA, should be directly proportional to 1/nuclear volume (1/ V n ). However, DNA is unevenly distributed within the nuclear space, according to a partial ordering of interphase chromosomes; and it appears that radiosensitivity increases in zones of high DNA or chromatin density.