cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interannual Variability and Trends of Extratropical Ozone. Part II: Southern Hemisphere

The authors apply principal component analysis (PCA) to the extratropical total column ozone from the combined merged ozone data product and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts assimilated ozone from January 1979 to August 2002. The interannual variability (IAV) of extratropical O3 in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) is characterized by four main modes. Attributable to dominant dynamical effects, these four modes account for nearly 60% of the total ozone variance in the NH. The patterns of variability are distinctly different from those derived for total O3 in the tropics. To relate the derived patterns of O3 to atmospheric dynamics, similar decompositions are performed for the 30–100-hPa geopotential thickness. The results reveal intimate connections between the IAV of total ozone and the atmospheric circulation. The first two leading modes are nearly zonally symmetric and represent the connections to the annular modes and the quasi-biennial oscillation. The other two modes exhibit in-quadrature, wavenumber-1 structures that, when combined, describe the displacement of the polar vortices in response to planetary waves. In the NH, the extrema of these combined modes have preferred locations that suggest fixed topographical and land–sea thermal forcing of the involved planetary waves. Similar spatial patterns and trends in extratropical column ozone are simulated by the Goddard Earth Observation System chemistry–climate model (GEOS-CCM). The decreasing O3 trend is captured in the first mode. The largest trend occurs at the North Pole, with values 1 Dobson Unit (DU) yr 1 . There is almost no trend in tropical O3. The trends derived from PCA are confirmed using a completely independent method, empirical mode decomposition, for zonally averaged O3 data. The O3 trend is also captured by mode 1 in the GEOS-CCM, but the decrease is substantially larger than that in the real atmosphere.
Broad-band mirror (1.12-1.62 /spl mu/m) using a subwavelength grating

We report the first experimental demonstration of a novel single-layer subwavelength grating (SWG) that has >500-nm-wide reflection spectrum from 1.12-1.62 /spl mu/m and very high reflectivity (>98.5%). This SWG is scalable for different wavelengths by simply changing the grating dimensions, which, thus, facilitates monolithic integration of devices over a wide range of wavelengths.
Homicide prevention and intervention.

ABSTRACT: Homicide is defined a major public health problem, as well as a criminal justice problem. The direct implications of suicidology theory for the understanding and prevention of homicide are discussed. Specifically mentioned are the concepts of prevention-intervention-postvention; clues; lethality; the identification of high risk groups; and the psychological autopsy. The need for homicide-prevention education is explored at levels ranging from a better informed public to more knowledgeable professionals.
The Presence of and Invasive Macrophyte (Phragmites australis) Does not Influence Juvenile Fish Habitat Use in a Freshwater Estuary

ABSTRACT I evaluated the short-term influence of the presence of the invasive macrophyte Phragmites australis on fish use in Old Woman Creek, a freshwater estuary connected intermittently to Lake Erie in northcentral Ohio. With minnow traps, trap nets, and light traps I sampled juvenile fish in two areas of the estuary, one dominated by P. australis and the other dominated by a native macrophyte, narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia). The number of fish species present and the total number of individuals were similar in each habitat, indicating that habitat use by fish was not influenced by the presence of P. australis.
Free energies of protein decoys provide insight into determinants of protein stability

We have calculated the stability of decoy structures of several proteins (from the CASP3 models and the Park and Levitt decoy set) relative to the native structures. The calculations were performed with the force field–consistent ES/IS method, in which an implicit solvent (IS) model is used to calculate the average solvation free energy for snapshots from explicit simulations (ESs). The conformational free energy is obtained by adding the internal energy of the solute from the ESs and an entropic term estimated from the covariance positional fluctuation matrix. The set of atomic Born radii and the cavity-surface free energy coefficient used in the implicit model has been optimized to be consistent with the all-atom force field used in the ESs (cedar/gromos with simple point charge (SPC) water model). The decoys are found to have a consistently higher free energy than that of the native structure; the gap between the native structure and the best decoy varies between 10 and 15 kcal/mole, on the order of the free energy difference that typically separates the native state of a protein from the unfolded state. The correlation between the free energy and the extent to which the decoy structures differ from the native (as root mean square deviation) is very weak; hence, the free energy is not an accurate measure for ranking the structurally most native-like structures from among a set of models. Analysis of the energy components shows that stability is attained as a result of three major driving forces: (1) minimum size of the protein-water surface interface; (2) minimum total electrostatic energy, which includes solvent polarization; and (3) minimum protein packing energy. The detailed fit required to optimize the last term may underlie difficulties encountered in recovering the native fold from an approximate decoy or model structure.
QUANTITATIVE HORMONE REQUIREMENTS

The frequently repeated request concerning the amount of hormone required in the treatment of endocrine disorders has stimulated thoughtful consideration of this topic. So far, however, no general rule has been established beyond the assertion that an attempt should be made to meet the individual requirements. As opposed to hormones, the older and better known drugs are frequently assumed to have an established dosage, so that the average graduate from medical school has quite a definite idea of the kind and amount of drug to be employed when a definite disease or condition has been diagnosed. By comparison they expect similarly definite statements concerning hormone requirements. Careful reflection, however, will show that even the standard drugs exhibit considerable variations in their actions. A few of these drugs credited with a specific action and dosage will be mentioned here for comparison with the hormones.
Functional morphology of the pharyngeal jaw apparatus in moray eels

Moray eels (Muraenidae) are a relatively large group of anguilliform fishes that are notable for their crevice-dwelling lifestyle and renowned for their ability to consume large prey. Morays apprehend their prey by biting and then transport prey by extreme pro- traction and retraction of their pharyngeal jaw appara- tus. Here, we present a detailed interpretation of the mechanisms of pharyngeal jaw transport based on work with Muraena retifera. We also review what is known of the moray pharyngeal jaw apparatus from the literature and provide comparative data on the pharyngeal jaw ele- ments and kinematics for other moray species to deter- mine whether interspecific differences in morphology and behavior are present. Rather than comprising broad upper and lower processing tooth plates, the pharyngeal jaws of muraenine and uropterygiine morays, are long and thin and possess large, recurved teeth. Compared with the muraenines, the pharyngobranchials of the uropterygiines do not possess a horn-shaped process and their connection to the fourth epibranchial is dorsal rather than medial. In addition, the lower tooth plates do not exhibit a lateral groove that serves as a site of muscle attachment for the pharyngocleitheralis and the ventral rather than the lateral side of the lower tooth plate attaches to the fourth ceratobranchial. In all mor- ays, the muscles positioned for protraction and retrac- tion of the pharyngeal apparatus have undergone elon- gation, while maintaining the generalized attachment sites on the bones of the skull and axial skeleton. Urop- terygiines lack a dorsal retractor muscle and we pre- sume that retraction of the pharyngeal jaws is achieved by the pharyngocleitheralis and the esophagus. The fifth branchial adductor is greatly hypertrophied in all spe- cies examined, suggesting that morays can strongly adduct the pharyngeal jaws during prey transport. The kinematics of biting behavior during prey capture and transport resulted in similar magnitudes of cranial movements although the timing of kinematic events was significantly different and the duration of transport was twice as long as prey capture. We speculate that morays have evolved this alternative prey transport strategy as a means of overcoming gape constraints, while hunting in the confines of coral reefs. J. Morphol. 269:604-619,
Importance of n−3 fatty acids in health and disease

In the past 2 decades, views about dietary n-3 fatty acids have moved from speculation about their functions to solid evidence that they are not only essential nutrients but also may favorably modulate many diseases. Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3), which is a vital component of the phospholipids of cellular membranes, especially in the brain and retina, is necessary for their proper functioning. n-3 Fatty acids favorably affect atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, inflammatory disease, and perhaps even behavioral disorders. The 38 articles in this supplement document the importance of n-3 fatty acids in both health and disease.
Empathy and punishment

With its foundations of injury, harm, and pain, the sociology of punishment is poised to give attention to the role of empathy at precisely those instances of social experience where human connection, understanding, and social knowing are destroyed, avoided, prohibited, or simply impossible. I explore this predicament through a specific case drawn from fieldwork in a geriatric prison, where institutional and intersubjective relations established by prison workers challenge empathic connections. The ‘graying’ of the prison population, one of mass incarceration’s unanticipated consequences, brings issues of pain, death, and dying to the fore. The majority of research to date on aging and dying in prison has had an important descriptive and policy orientation. There has been less of an emphasis upon the theoretical underpinnings of such a turn and the nature of intersubjective relations at the intersection of care and punishment. There have been no intensive ground-level analyses of aging in prison against t...
Inductive Learning in Small and Large Worlds

Bayesian treatments of inductive inference and decision making presuppose that the structure of the situation under consideration is fully known. We are, however, often faced with having only very fragmentary information about an epistemic situation. This tension was discussed in decision theory by Savage (1954) in terms of ‘small worlds’ and ‘large worlds’ (‘grand worlds’ in Savage’s terminology). Large worlds allow a more fine grained description of a situation than small worlds. The additional distinctions may not be readily accessible, though. Savage realized that planning ahead is difficult, if not impossible, whenever we don’t have sufficient knowledge of the the basic structure of an epistemic situation. Since planning is at the heart of Bayesian inductive inference and decision making, it is not easy to see how a Bayesian—or any learner, for that matter—can deal with incomplete information. The aim of this paper is to outline how the mathematical and philosophical foundations of inductive learning in large worlds may be developed. First I wish to show that there is an important sense in which Bayesian solutions for inductive learning in large worlds exist. The basic idea is the following: Even if one’s knowledge of a situation is incomplete and restricted, Bayesian methods can be applied based on the information that is available. This idea is more fully developed in §§4, 5 and 6 for two concrete inductive learning rules that I introduce in §2. Importantly, however, this does not always lead to fully rational inductive learning: the analysis of a learning rule within the confines of the available information is by itself not sufficient to establish its rationality in larger contexts. In §3 I couch this problem in terms of Savage’s discussion of small worlds and large worlds. I take this thread up again in §7, where inductive learning in small and large worlds is examined in the light of bounded rationality and Richard Jeffrey’s epistemology of ‘radical probabilism’.
Silicon-nitride as a tunnel dielectric for improved SONOS-type flash memory

High-quality silicon-nitride (Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/) formed by rapid thermal nitridation is investigated as the tunnel dielectric in a SONOS-type memory device for the first time. Compared to a conventional thermal SiO/sub 2/ tunnel dielectric, thermal Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/ provides 100/spl times/ better retention after 1e5 P/E cycles and better endurance characteristics with low programming voltages. Hence, the SONNS structure is promising for nonvolatile memory applications.
Identification of Drosophila Mutants Altering Defense of and Endurance to Listeria monocytogenes Infection

We extended the use of Drosophila beyond being a model for signaling pathways required for pattern recognition immune signaling and show that the fly can be used to identify genes required for pathogenesis and host–pathogen interactions. We performed a forward genetic screen to identify Drosophila mutations altering sensitivity to the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. We recovered 18 mutants with increased susceptibility to infection, none of which were previously shown to function in a Drosophila immune response. Using secondary screens, we divided these mutants into two groups: In the first group, mutants have reduced endurance to infections but show no change in bacterial growth. This is a new fly immunity phenotype that is not commonly studied. In the second group, mutants have a typical defense defect in which bacterial growth is increased and survival is decreased. By further challenging mutant flies with L. monocytogenes mutants, we identified subgroups of fly mutants that affect specific stages of the L. monocytogenes life cycle, exit from the vacuole, or actin-based movement. There is no overlap between our genes and the hundreds of genes identified in Drosophila S2 cells fighting L. monocytogenes infection, using genomewide RNAi screens in vitro. By using a whole-animal model and screening for host survival, we revealed genes involved in physiologies different from those that were found in previous screens, which all had defects in defensive immune signaling.
Credit derivatives and risk aversion

We discuss the valuation of credit derivatives in extreme regimes such as when the time-to-maturity is short, or when payoff is contingent upon a large number of defaults, as with senior tranches of collateralized debt obligations. In these cases, risk aversion may play an important role, especially when there is little liquidity, and utility-indifference valuation may apply. Specifically, we analyze how short-term yield spreads from defaultable bonds in a structural model may be raised due to investor risk aversion.
Osteoarthritis year 2010 in review: biochemical markers

At the 2010 Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) congress in Brussels I was asked to present on "Biochemical Markers" in the "Year in Review" session. This provided an opportunity to summarize ongoing work and consensus building in the osteoarthritis research community related to osteoarthritis biomarkers, and second, and an opportunity to briefly overview a subset of studies from the previous 12 months related to soluble biomarkers that provided novel insights in the field. This review therefore briefly summarizes the progress in 2010 of the OARSI OA Biomarkers Global Initiative and the OARSI FDA Biomarkers Working Group, and provides a summary of selected osteoarthritis biomarker studies reported over the previous 12 months based on a review of articles from seven musculoskeletal journals and a PubMed search using the terms biomarkers and osteoarthritis.
The Long‐Term Effects of Spousal Care Giving on Survivors' Well‐Being in Widowhood*

Objective. Previous research suggests that bereavement and adjustment to widowhood are long term and should be studied as processes rather than as static outcomes. We analyze how spousal care giving affects survivors' depressive symptoms 18 and 48 months into widowhood. Method. We use three waves of data from the Changing Lives of Older Couples (CLOC) Survey and estimate OLS regression equations to determine the long-term effects of spousal care giving on widow(er)s' well-being. Results. At 18 months, more burdensome spousal care giving predicted higher levels of depressive symptoms, while greater caregiver stress predicted lower levels. Specific characteristics of the caregiving situation were no longer significant predictors of well-being 48 months into widowhood, although care giving itself had an ameliorative effect on level of symptoms. Conclusions. The results highlight the dynamic nature of bereavement and suggest that the effects of spousal care and characteristics of the care situation on depressive symptoms during widowhood are not linear over time. We discuss the implications of our findings for the conceptualization of the relationship between care giving and bereavement.
Cell Bounds in Two-Way Contingency Tables Based on Conditional Frequencies

Statistical methods for disclosure limitation (or control) have seen coupling of tools from statistical methodologies and operations research. For the summary and release of data in the form of a contingency table some methods have focused on evaluation of bounds on cell entries in k-way tables given the sets of marginal totals, with less focus on evaluation of disclosure risk given other summaries such as conditional probabilities, that is, tables of rates derived from the observed contingency tables. Narrow intervals - especially for cells with low counts - could pose a privacy risk. In this paper we derive the closed-form solutions for the linear relaxation bounds on cell counts of a two-way contingency table given observed conditional probabilities. We also compute the corresponding sharp integer bounds via integer programming and show that there can be large differences in the width of these bounds, suggesting that using the linear relaxation is often an unacceptable shortcut to estimating the sharp bounds and the disclosure risk.
A Balloon-Borne Continuous Cloud Particle Replicator for Measuring Vertical Profiles of Cloud Microphysical Properties: Instrument Design, Performance, and Collection Efficiency Analysis

The performance of a balloon-borne Formvar replicator that measures continuous profiles of cloud microphysical properties is investigated. The replicator measures the small particles ( ,100-mm diameter) that are undetectable or poorly resolved by aircraft measurements from optical imaging probes and provides highresolution information on ice crystal shapes. During ascent on a balloon, the replicator samples and preserves plastic replicas of cloud particles collected on a filmstrip coated with Formvar; an attached radiosonde provides simultaneous thermodynamic measurements. Replicator data are digitized at a resolution of 1.4‐3.4 mm, sufficient to observe ice crystal habits and even details of ice crystal structure. Image processing and analysis yields particle size and habit distributions and particle cross-sectional areas, from which other bulk microphysical properties are calculated. Cloud particles at least as small as 7 mm in diameter are collected. The size-dependent collection efficiencyEc for this replicator is determined using a numerical fluid dynamics model and validated using wind tunnel measurements. The Ec for droplets increases slowly from 3% at 5 mm to 11% at 20 mm, then increases rapidly to 59% at 40 mm, and increases slowly for larger particle sizes. An assessment of uncertainties suggests that the Ec can be applied over the entire range of collectable particle sizes, provided the imaged replicator data are averaged and analyzed across the full width of the collector if small particles are present. The Ec differs substantially from the available theoretical treatments that use approximations of the flow around simple collector shapes, suggesting that a detailed analysis of the Ec is necessary on a caseby-case basis for impactor-type particle collectors that contain a sample opening. A summary of general design criteria for particle impactors is given, oriented toward enhancing the Ec of small particles.
Development History Granularity Transformations (N)

Development histories can simplify some software engineering tasks, but different tasks require different history granularities. For example, a history that includes every edit that resulted in compiling code is needed when searching for the cause of a regression, whereas a history that contains only changes relevant to a feature is needed for understanding the evolution of the feature. Unfortunately, today, both manual and automated history generation result in a single-granularity history. This paper introduces the concept of multi-grained development history views and the architecture of Codebase Manipulation, a tool that automatically records a fine-grained history and manages its granularity by applying granularity transformations.
Elastic spheres can walk on water

Incited by public fascination and engineering application, water-skipping of rigid stones and spheres has received considerable study. While these objects can be coaxed to ricochet, elastic spheres demonstrate superior water-skipping ability, but little is known about the effect of large material compliance on water impact physics. Here we show that upon water impact, very compliant spheres naturally assume a disk-like geometry and dynamic orientation that are favourable for water-skipping. Experiments and numerical modelling reveal that the initial spherical shape evolves as elastic waves propagate through the material. We find that the skipping dynamics are governed by the wave propagation speed and by the ratio of material shear modulus to hydrodynamic pressure. With these insights, we explain why softer spheres skip more easily than stiffer ones. Our results advance understanding of fluid-elastic body interaction during water impact, which could benefit inflatable craft modelling and, more playfully, design of elastic aquatic toys.
Letter by Madias Regarding Article, “Crescendo in Depolarization and Repolarization Heterogeneity Heralds Development of Ventricular Tachycardia in Hospitalized Patients With Decompensated Heart Failure”

The study by Nearing et al,1 on the rise of R-wave heterogeneity (RWH), T-wave heterogeneity, and T-wave alternans (TWA) as predictors of ventricular arrhythmias (VA) in patients with heart failure (HF), published online ahead of print in the Journal on December 8, 2011, immediately brings to mind the work of Chinushi et al2 on the simultaneous presence of surface QRS complex alternans, TWA, and blood pressure waveform alternans in a canine model and the contribution of …
The Use of Transvaginal Ultrasound in Type II Endometrial Cancer.

Objective To determine the use of the transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) in postmenopausal women with type II endometrial cancer. Methods/Materials A retrospective review was conducted for 173 women with pathology proven type II endometrial cancer at a single institution. Those who underwent preoperative TVUS were included, and the following data were obtained: endometrial stripe (EMS) measurement, uterine and/or adnexal findings, and uterine size/volume. Clinicopathologic factors were abstracted. Descriptive and regression analyses were performed. Results Fifty-eight women comprised the cohort, and the median age was 66.5 years (50–85 years). The most commonly reported symptom was postmenopausal bleeding in 53 patients (91.4%). The EMS was reported as thin (⩽5mm) or indistinct in 16 patients (27.5%). Approximately 60% of patients had 1 or more ultrasound abnormalities: intracavitary mass (31%), intracavitary fluid (12.1%), myometrial lesion (31.03%), and adnexal mass (12.1%). Poorly differentiated endometrioid cancer (53.45%) represented the predominant histology. Of the 16 (27.5%) women with a thin/indistinct EMS, 5 women (8.6%) did not have any abnormal ultrasound findings whatsoever. Conclusions Women with type II endometrial cancer had a thin/indistinct EMS on TVUS in approximately 25% of cases. Lack of any ultrasound abnormality, including a thickened EMS, was noted in approximately 10% of patients. The use of TVUS, which has been of value in type I cancer, is limited in type II endometrial cancer. Therefore, endometrial sampling should be included in the evaluation of all women with postmenopausal bleeding, regardless of EMS thickness.
Paths of Minimum Length in a Regular Tetrahedron

In this column, readers are encouraged to share their expertise and experiences with computer tech? nology as it relates to college mathematics. Articles illustrating how computers can enhance pedagogy, solve mathematics problems, and model real-life situations are especially welcome. Classroom Computer Capsules feature new examples of using the computer to enhance teach? ing. These short articles demonstrate the use of readily available computing resources to present or elucidate familiar topics in ways that can have an immediate and beneficial effect in the classroom. Send submissions for both columns to Richard Johnsonbaugh.
The effect of glassing solvent deuteration and Gd3+ doping on 13C DNP at 5 T

We report the influence of glassing solvent deuteration and Gd3+ doping on 13C dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) performed on [1-13C] sodium acetate at B0 = 5 T and 1.2 K. Our data reveal that at 5 T, glassing solvent deuteration still results in a 40% improvement of the 13C DNP signal when a large electron spin resonance (ESR) linewidth 4-oxo-TEMPO free radical is used, but results in a 60% decrease of the DNP signal in the case of a sample doped with small ESR linewidth trityl OX063. An addition of a trace amount of the Gd3+ complex Gd–HP–DO3A led to a negligible slight decrease on the 13C polarization TEMPO-doped sample, but is still relatively beneficial for the trityl-doped sample with 30% improvement of the DNP-enhanced 13C polarization. These findings indicate that while these DNP optimization steps are still valid at 5 T, the effects are not as pronounced as observed in 13C DNP at B0 = 3.35 T. These DNP results at 5 T are discussed thermodynamically within the framework of the thermal mixing model of DNP.
TU-AB-204-04: Partnerships

The responsibilities of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have increased since the inception of the Food and Drugs Act in 1906. Medical devices first came under comprehensive regulation with the passage of the 1938 Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. In 1971 FDA also took on the responsibility for consumer protection against unnecessary exposure to radiation-emitting devices for home and occupational use. However it was not until 1976, under the Medical Device Regulation Act, that the FDA was responsible for the safety and effectiveness of medical devices. This session will be presented by the Division of Radiological Health (DRH) and the Division of Imaging, Diagnostics, and Software Reliability (DIDSR) from the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) at the FDA. The symposium will discuss on how we protect and promote public health with a focus on medical physics applications organized into four areas: pre-market device review, post-market surveillance, device compliance, current regulatory research efforts and partnerships with other organizations. The pre-market session will summarize the pathways FDA uses to regulate the investigational use and commercialization of diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy medical devices in the US, highlighting resources available to assist investigators and manufacturers. The post-market session will explain the post-market surveillance and compliance activities FDA performs to monitor the safety and effectiveness of devices on the market. The third session will describe research efforts that support the regulatory mission of the Agency. An overview of our regulatory research portfolio to advance our understanding of medical physics and imaging technologies and approaches to their evaluation will be discussed. Lastly, mechanisms that FDA uses to seek public input and promote collaborations with professional, government, and international organizations, such as AAPM, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), Image Gently, and the Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers Alliance (QIBA) among others, to fulfill FDA's mission will be discussed. Learning Objectives: 1.Understand FDA's pre-market and post-market review processes for medical devices 2.Understand FDA's current regulatory research activities in the areas of medical physics and imaging products 3.Understand how being involved with AAPM and other organizations can also help to promote innovative, safe and effective medical devices J. Delfino, nothing to disclose
Reducing time to insight

Abstract Insight production, preferably with data (I jest), is a big part of my role at Microsoft. And if you’re reading this chapter, I’ll assert you are also an Insight Producer, or well on your way to becoming one. Since insight is the product, let’s start with a simple definition. The classical definition of insight is new understanding or human comprehension. That works well for the result of a science experiment and answering a research question. Industry, with its primordial goal of growing results, focuses my definition to new actionable comprehension for improved results. This constrains the questions of insight search to subjects and behaviors known to contribute business value.
Finite element approximation of Dirichlet control using boundary penalty method for unsteady Navier–Stokes equations

This paper is concerned with the analysis of the finite element approximations of Dirichlet control problem using boundary penalty method for unsteady Navier–Stokes equations. Boundary penalty method has been used as a computationally convenient approach alternative to Dirichlet boundary control problems governed by Navier−Stokes equations due to its variational properties. Analysis of the mixed Galerkin finite element method applied to the spatial semi-discretization of the optimality system, from which optimal control can be computed, is presented. An optimal L ∞ (L 2 ) error estimate of the numerical approximations of the optimality system is derived. Feasibility and applicability of the approach are illustrated by numerically solving a canonical flow control problem.
Discussion of Study Results

This chapter discusses the results of the author’s previously unpublished study whose main purpose was to determine and compare the efficacy of two treatment methods, one being psoralen and ultraviolet A (PUVA) monotherapy and the other being PUVA combined with interferon-alpha-2a in mycosis fungoides patients referred to the Razi Dermatology Hospital in Tehran, Iran. Our efforts focused on the comparison of these two treatment regimens with respect to complete remission, partial remission, different phases of MF, and effect of gender.
Bone Density Measurements in Patients with Severe Chronic Neutropenia On Long-Term G-CSF Therapy.

Abstract Abstract 1362 G-CSF is a very effective treatment for idiopathic, congenital and cyclic neutropenia (SCN). G-CSF also expands myeloid tissues that give rise to osteoclasts that resorb bone. For this reason, the Severe Chronic Neutropenia International Registry (SCNIR) has collected data on fractures in this population for over 15 years. These data indicate that fractures are uncommon events. To expand information on bone health for patients on long-term G-CSF, we collected additional information from a patient survey and reviewed reports of bone mineral density measurements (BMD) in US children and adults in the SCNIR. Letters were sent to 680 patients; 367 responded. 17 of 367 patients reported fractures; 15 were related to accidents (11 extremities, 4 spine) and 2 were categorized as spontaneous (both spine). The frequency of fractures was 0.005 per patient year on G-CSF. 222 patients indicated that they had not had a BMD study. We received 266 BMDs on 145 subjects (45 children { 205 of 266 BMD reports were normal; BMDs for 34 of 45 children and 85 of 100 adults were normal. 11 BMDs prior to G-CSF treatment were normal (4 children, 5 adults – 2 adults had 2 normal BMDs) and 194 BMDs during G-CSF treatment were normal (30 children, 85 adults). The G-CSF median dose for children with normal scans was 5.1 mcg/kg/day (range 0.0 - 53) and for adults was 1.1 mcg/kg/day (range 0.0 - 38). 61 of 266 scans were abnormal in 11 children and 15 adults. 1 of 6 adult scans prior to G-CSF treatment was abnormal. During G-CSF treatment there were 60 abnormal BMDs in 11 children and 14 adults. The G-CSF median dose for children with abnormal BMDs was 3.6 mcg/kg/day (range 0.0 - 18) and for adults was 2.3 mcg/kg/day (range 0.0 - 37). 28 subjects (8 children, 20 adults) had three or more sequential BMD reports. Of these, 17 subjects (3 children, 14 adults) suggested a trend of decreasing BMD while on G-CSF, 11 subjects (5 children, 6 adults) had normal serial BMDs on G-CSF without trending toward decreased bone mineral density. 33 patients reported treatments with osteoporosis medications; 15(46%) calcium supplements, 12(36%) bisphosphonates, 3(9%) Vitamin D supplements, 2(6%) hormonal supplements, and 1(3%) calcitonin; the effectiveness of these therapies could not be evaluated. This survey confirms that overt fractures are low-frequency events for patients with SCN on many years of G-CSF therapy. The trend toward decreased BMD in approximately 60% of patients with serial assessments suggests that bone loss is a common effect of chronic G-CSF treatment. The data also suggest that baseline and follow-up BMD assessments are useful for determining bone health for SCN patients on long term G-CSF therapy. Disclosures Dale: Amgen Inc.: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speaker. Boxer: Amgen Inc.: Equity Ownership.
Precise constraints on the dark matter content of Milky Way dwarf galaxies for gamma-ray experiments

We examine the prospects for detecting {gamma}-rays from dark matter annihilation in the six most promising dwarf spheroidal (dSph) satellite galaxies of the Milky Way. We use recently measured velocity dispersion profiles to provide a systematic investigation of the dark matter mass distribution of each galaxy, and show that the uncertainty in the {gamma}-ray flux from mass modeling is less than a factor of {approx}5 for each dSph if we assume a smooth Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) profile. We show that Ursa Minor and Draco are the most promising dSphs for {gamma}-ray detection with GLAST and other planned observatories. For each dSph, we investigate the flux enhancement resulting from halo substructure, and show that the enhancement factor relative to a smooth halo flux cannot be greater than about 100. This enhancement depends very weakly on the lower mass cutoff scale of the substructure mass function. While the amplitude of the expected flux from each dSph depends sensitively on the dark matter model, we show that the flux ratios between the six Sphs are known to within a factor of about 10. The flux ratios are also relatively insensitive to the current theoretical range of cold dark matter halo central slopes and substructuremore » fractions.« less
Domestic Violence Counseling in Rural Northern China: Gender, Social Harmony, and Human Rights:

Domestic violence (DV) affects over a third of Chinese women in a relationship. Focusing on ethnographic data from six staff members and six DV survivors at a rural, state-affiliated women’s center...
The forward effects of testing on eyewitness memory: The tension between suggestibility and learning

Abstract Research has consistently demonstrated that taking a test prior to receiving misleading information can increase misinformation susceptibility (Chan, Thomas, & Bulevich, 2009). However, research has also demonstrated that testing enhances subsequent learning (e.g., Tulving & Watkins, 1974; Wissman, Rawson, & Pyc, 2011). The goal of the present study was to examine these seemingly contradictory effects of testing. In two experiments we tested the hypothesis that testing influences how post-test information is processed. Depending on the nature of the later memory test, test-related processing can result in either memory errors or enhanced learning effects. Experiment 1 indicated that testing may result in elaborative processing of post-test material, resulting an increase in misinformation suggestibility. Experiment 2 suggested that increased suggestibility after testing may be understood as test-related learning of post-test material. Taken together, the results suggest that interim testing occurring between an original event and post-event misinformation may enhance memory suggestibility, because testing results in elaborative processing of subsequent material. However, interim testing also helps segregate memory for each source, resulting in test-potentiated learning within the misinformation paradigm.
Basic Properties of Linear Models

As we saw in Chapter 13, the equation of a compartmental model with donor-controlled flow rates has the form $$ \frac{{dx}} {{dt}} = Ax + f_i - E_0 x, $$ (19.1) whereas that with recipient-controlled flow rates has the form $$ \frac{{dx}} {{dt}} = Bx + E_i x - f_0 . $$ (19.2) The matrices A and B are both singular since the sum of the columns is zero in both cases. The difference is that all diagonal elements in A are nonpositive while the off-diagonal elements are non-negative, whereas in B, the opposite is true. The matrices Eo and Ei are both diagonal matrices with non-negative elements.
How chromosomes unite

The way in which chromosomes come together within a single nucleus after cell division has now been shown to involve a small DNA-binding protein named BAF, which might help to join chromosomes with one another. The way in which chromosomes come together within a single nucleus after cell division has now been shown to involve a small DNA-binding protein named BAF, which might help to join chromosomes with one another.
Teaching distributed memory programming from mental models

Abstract Distributed memory programming, typically through the MPI library, is the de facto standard for programming large scale parallelism, with up to millions of individual processes. Its dominant paradigm of Single Program Multiple Data (SPMD) programming is different from threaded and multicore parallelism, to an extent that students have a hard time switching models. In contrast to threaded programming, which allows for a view of the execution with central control and a central repository of data, SPMD programming has a symmetric model where all processes are active all the time, with none privileged, and where data is distributed. This model is counterintuitive to the novice parallel programmer, so care needs to be taken how to instill the proper ‘mental model’. Adoption of an incorrect mental model leads to broken or inefficient code. We identify problems with the currently common way of teaching MPI, and propose a structuring of MPI courses that is geared to explicit reinforcing the symmetric model. Additionally, we advocate starting from realistic scenarios, rather than writing artificial code just to exercise newly-learned routines.
Bioengineered Tooth Buds Exhibit Features of Natural Tooth Buds.

Tooth loss is a significant health issue currently affecting millions of people worldwide. Artificial dental implants, the current gold standard tooth replacement therapy, do not exhibit many properties of natural teeth and can be associated with complications leading to implant failure. Here we propose bioengineered tooth buds as a superior alternative tooth replacement therapy. We describe improved methods to create highly cellularized bioengineered tooth bud constructs that formed hallmark features that resemble natural tooth buds such as the dental epithelial stem cell niche, enamel knot signaling centers, transient amplifying cells, and mineralized dental tissue formation. These constructs were composed of postnatal dental cells encapsulated within a hydrogel material that were implanted subcutaneously into immunocompromised rats. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the use of postnatal dental cells to create bioengineered tooth buds that exhibit evidence of these features of natura...
Identifying Women at High Risk of Breast Cancer: Understanding the Risk Models

Breast cancer risk assessment is increasingly becoming part of routine medical care. For women who have not been affected with breast cancer, identifying those that have personal and/or family history risk factors increasing their risk can benefit from increased screening with breast MRI, chemoprevention with tamoxifen, and/or prophylactic bilateral mastectomy, especially in women found to have a hereditary susceptibility to breast cancer [1–5]. Similarly, women who have already been affected with breast cancer can benefit in the same fashion for the same reasons with respect to developing an ipsi- or contralateral tumor, in addition to the potential of recognizing other sites in the body that may be at increased risk for tumor development (e.g., ovarian, gastric, endometrium). One integral tool in assessing breast cancer risk is the incorporation of one or more breast cancer risk models.
Parasitoid Drift in Hawaiian Pentatomoids

Following the accidental introduction of the pest Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), the southern green stink bug, into Hawaii in 1961, several parasitoids were imported and released in an effort at biological control (Davis 1964). Two parasitoids established: Trissolcus basalis Woolaston (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), an egg parasitoid, and Trichopoda pilipes (F.) (Hymenoptera: Tachinidae), a parasitoid of adults and late-stage nymphs. By 1963, propagation facilities for these two parasitoids had been established on Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai and releases were being made on all the major Hawaiian Islands (Davis 1964).
Problems of Informed Consent and Confidentiality in Genetic Counseling

It is the premise of this paper that all persons who are given genetic counseling should be provided with complete and accurate information concerning the procedures used, the results obtained, the alternatives available, and the reasonably expected risks and problems associated with each such alternative. This premise is based primarily on the right of citizens to self-autonomy, and upon a definition of genetic counseling that has as its primary purpose the “explaining of predicted recurrence risks, with the relevant scientific basis, and describing available reproductive options to families with genetic problems” (1). To further the patient’s interest in both autonomy and privacy, no information obtained in genetic screening or counseling should be disclosed to any third party without the patient’s informed consent.
SATELLITES AND SATELLITE REMOTE SENSING | Precipitation

This article explains the fundamental principle and retrieval methodology of measuring precipitation from satellites. Radiative signatures of precipitation are first examined at visible, infrared, and microwave spectra using radiative transfer theory with a real-world example. Techniques developed for precipitation retrievals are then introduced, including those using only a single wave spectrum and those combining multiple wave spectra from multiple satellites. Topics on measuring rainfall by space-borne radars and research on snowfall remote sensing are also introduced in light of the recent advancement in observing precipitation by active and high-frequency microwave sensors.
The Rarity of Realpolitik: What Bismarck's Rationality Reveals about International Politics

Realpolitik, the pursuit of vital state interests in a dangerous world that constrains state behavior, is at the heart of realist theory. All realists assume either that states engage in such behav...
Investigating Multi-Population Competitive Coevolution for Anticipation of Tax Evasion

We investigate the application of a version of Genetic Programming with grammars, called Grammatical Evolution, and a multi-population competitive coevolutionary algorithm for anticipating tax evasion in the domain of U.S. Partnership tax regulations. A problem in tax auditing is that as soon as one evasion scheme is detected a new, slightly mutated, variant of that scheme appears. Multi-population competitive coevolutionary algorithms are disposed to explore adversarial problems, such as the arms-race between tax evader and auditor. In addition, we use Genetic Programming and grammars to represent and search the transactions of tax evaders and tax audit policies. Grammars are helpful for representing and biasing the search space. The feasibility of the method is studied with an example of adversarial coevolution in tax evasion. We study the dynamics and the solutions of the competing populations in this scenario, and note that we are able to replicate some of the expected behavior.
Effects of cold plasma treatments on spot-inoculated Escherichia coli O157:H7 and quality of baby kale (Brassica oleracea) leaves

Abstract The efficacy of non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure-pulsed dielectric barrier discharge (cold plasma)-treated mist in disinfecting baby kale leaves, and its effect on color values and cuticle composition were evaluated. UV-treated baby kale leaves were spot-inoculated (0.04-mL of 106 CFU/mL) with rifampicin-resistant strain E. coli O157:H7 ATCC 700728 incubated (0–4 °C) overnight and treated with plasma mist at 60, 120, 180, 240 or 300 s. Treated and untreated leaves were analyzed for change in color values (L*, a*, b*, chroma, hue, and browning index (BI)) using a Chroma meter. Functional groups (alcohols, esters, aldehydes, and ketones) were determined in the cuticle using FTIR. Color stability of treated leaves was also evaluated after refrigerated storage (4 °C) for 12 days. Levels of E. coli O157:H7 on the kale leaves were reduced below the detection limit of 5.5 × 103 CFU/mL after plasma treatment for 300 s with no significant change in color values. Visible change in color (browning or leaf damage) was observed after 600 s of plasma treatment. Color stability of plasma-treated leaves was enhanced during refrigerated storage (4 °C), indicated by a lower BI value of 34.4 ± 5.4 at 120-s plasma treatment compared to untreated leaves after 12 days of storage. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis concluded that plasma treatment of kale did not negatively affect functional groups in the cuticle. This study demonstrated that cold plasma mist has the potential to reduce E. coli on the surface of baby kale leaves with no significant change in the color values. Industrial relevance Kale leaves are consumed worldwide owing to their health-promoting and nutritional benefits. However, in the past two decades there has been an increase in foodborne diseases outbreaks caused by microorganisms associated with leafy vegetables. The food industry faces challenges in improving food safety while maintaining quality of the food. Chemicals in wash water or heat treatment (70–121 °C), commonly used methods for killing microorganisms, can have negative effect on the aesthetic (color) and nutritional quality of the product. Cold plasma treatment of fresh produce, an emerging food preservation technology, is an efficient, quick, and environmentally-friendly method of disinfecting the product at low temperature (30–40 °C). This study demonstrated that treatment of baby kale with cold plasma mist not only inactivated E. coli, but also enhanced its color stability during refrigerated storage. Hence, cold plasma mist has a potential application as an efficient disinfection technology, thus enhancing shelf-life of fresh leafy greens.