cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Challenges of Transitioning From Pediatric to Adult Care in a Patient with Lipodystrophy Syndrome

Introduction: Due to the advances in modern medicine, 90% of adolescents and young adults with special heath care needs (AYA-SHCN) survive into adulthood. The value of internal medicine-pediatrics (med-peds) training is exemplified during the transition of care (ToC) from pediatric to adult services of AYA-SHCN. This is demonstrated in the case of an 18-year-old woman with lipodystrophy syndrome (LDS) during her recent ToC experience. Case Presentation: At the age of eleven, this patient noticed an enlarging abdomen and wasting of her lower extremity bulk. Lipodystrophy was suspected based on her pattern of fat loss. Workup revealed …
Effects of Auditory Cueing on Cadence and Gait Pattern

A large portion of the population participate in gait rehabilitation, especially those with conditions such as increased fall risk such as stroke, or Parkinson’s Disease. Some studies have shown th...
Modeling of polymerization kinetics in femtosecond two photon polymerization

There is a lack of a comprehensive understanding of the size reduction in femtosecond two-photon polymerization (TPP) fabricated structures. In this work, we aim to evaluate the volumetric strain distribution induced by covalent bond formation during TPP. We present a transient computational model which simulates the photochemical processes during TPP and calculates the functional group conversion at each time step. The nonuniform strain development is obtained by incorporating the shrinkage – double bond conversion correlation of bulk materials. The shrinkage induced by chemical bond formation is found to reduce the size of the final structure on the order of a few percent.
Applications of Medical Tattooing: A Systematic Review of Patient Satisfaction Outcomes and Emerging Trends.

Background Medical tattooing is often applied in the context of plastic, aesthetic, and reconstructive surgery to help achieve the best cosmetic outcome. Objectives This article reviews various conditions that medical tattooing has been empirically studied in terms of patient satisfaction outcomes, makes practice recommendations, and suggests future directions for research. Methods This review was performed following the PRISMA guidelines. Studies were included if the tattooing application was associated with a medical condition and if outcome data were provided using at least a case series methodology. Where no cohort or clinical series exist, case examples are used from the literature and the author's practice to illustrate emerging medical tattooing applications that need further evaluation. Results Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria and addressed the following conditions: baldness, vitiligo, scars from incisions, lacerations or burns, and nipple-areola complex reconstruction. Conclusions The application of medical tattooing has shown high levels of patient satisfaction across conditions. The practice recommendation grade is "B" or recommend since the level of evidence for these interventions ranged from III to IV according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons guidelines. This means clinicians can consider this treatment alternative, but they should be alert to new information and be sensitive to patient preferences. Recommendations are made for reporting future research including clearly describing procedural details, identifying the professional performing the procedure, increased use of standardized outcome measures, and that satisfaction ratings be assessed by someone independent of the health service provider. Further research using randomized controlled trial methodology with waitlist controls is needed. Level of Evidence 4
Endocrine and Pharmacological Factors which Influence the Onset of Labour in Rhesus Monkeys

Indomethacin administration in late pregnancy prolonged gestation in caged rhesus monkeys and inhibited premature labour and postponed delivery in chronically catheterized monkey fetuses. Chronic indomethacin treatment was associated with a reduction in the urinary excretion of a prostaglandin metabolite, a potent inhibitory effect on myometrial cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase, and severe oligohydramnios in pre-term and post-term fetuses. Experimental anencephaly (functional hypophysectomy) of the rhesus fetus results in lowered concentrations of maternal oestradiol and loss of the precise control of gestational length, with 40% of fetuses delivering beyond term. Corticotropin (ACTH) infused into the fetus results in raised concentrations of fetal and maternal cortisol, progesterone and oestrogens. Progesterone concentrations in peripheral blood apparently have little bearing on uterine quiescence in the rhesus monkey, since the concentrations of progesterone in maternal and fetal blood vary directly with uterine activity. The results of chronic infusion of corticotropin in the fetal monkey support the theory that in the monkey parturition is mediated by increased oestrogen production by the fetoplacental unit and by a rise in the concentrations of oestrone and prostaglandin in the amniotic fluid.
Public Enterprise Inefficiency and the Road to Privatization in Bangladesh

This essay provides an overview of public enterprises inefficiency and discusses the main issues concerning the privatization program in Bangladesh. The paper points out how the country's privatization program can be improved.
Utility of touch preparation for rapid diagnosis of cutaneous mucormycosis

Cutaneous mucormycosis is an aggressive infection that must be treated rapidly. Touch preparation is an easy diagnostic tool, rarely reported in the literature and underused by physicians. We present a case of an immunocompromised patient with cutaneous mucormycosis diagnosed using touch preparation, highlighting the usefulness of this technique.
Dipolar ordering and the shapes of Mn 12 -acetate crystals

Ordering in realistic elongated box-shape crystals of the molecular magnet Mn_12 Ac is investigated with the site-resolved mean-field approximation that does not assume a uniform ordering. It is shown that ferromagnetic ordering should not occur in crystals with the aspect ratio up to 12. Instead, for the aspect ratio about 6, the inner and outer regions of the crystal order in different directions, uniformly along its length. Finding ordering temperature by extrapolating the inverse susceptibility curve does not provide a correct T_C.
Developing a Balanced Information System

Many service organizations′ corporate mission is “to be number one in delivering service to customers”. The use of traditional financial accounting measures as performance indicators has led to an inappropriate reliance on internal information resulting in an unbalanced information system and, therefore, by definition a dysfunctional strategy. A balanced information system must provide information on both internal operations and external customer satisfaction. In order to optimize overall performance in service organizations, a balanced information system is critical. The long run survival of a service business depends on the appropriate balance between internal information (efficiency) and external information (effectiveness). Both internal information (efficiency) and external information (effectiveness) must be used as complements to each other in order to fulfill long‐term corporate goals. Reliance on internal information or the substitution of internal information for needed external information will...
Study of the Josephson Plasma Resonance

We report direct observation of the plasma resonance in Josephson tunnel junctions. The properties of the plasma mode are found to agree quantitatively with theoretical predictions.
Electron stimulated desorption of negative ions from gases adsorbed on molybdenum

Abstract The purpose of this letter is to present the results of an initial qualitative study of negative ions produced by electron stimulated desorption (ESD) of adsorbed gas layers.
Production of Octaketide Polyenes by the Calicheamicin Polyketide Synthase CalE8: Implications for the Biosynthesis of Enediyne Core Structures

Enediyne antibiotics are categorized according to the presence of either a 9- or 10-membered ring within their polyketide-derived core structures. Recent literature reports have favored the notion that biosynthetic divergence of the two structural families is determined by the enediyne polyketide synthases (PKSs) alone. We now disclose the simultaneous in vitro production of three octaketide polyenes by biosynthetic enzymes for the 10-membered enediyne calicheamicin γ1I, including the elusive β-keto acid precursor to a previously described C15 methyl hexaenone. Alongside these two polyene products, we have additionally detected a hydrocarbon heptaene previously isolated only from 9-membered enediyne systems. The discovery of the heptaene in the calicheamicin system promotes a more convergent model for the early steps of enediyne biosynthesis. Furthermore, the synthesis of this set of octaketides by the enediyne PKS CalE8 and thioesterase CalE7 suggests, in contrast to recent biosynthetic proposals, that a...
Delayed pitch comparisons and the principle of proximity

Subjects compared the pitches of two tones which were separated by a retention interval during which six extra tones were interpolated. The effects were studied of varying the sizes of the melodic intervals formed by the successive tones of the interpolated sequence. It was found that error rates were lower when the interpolated sequences were composed of smaller melodic intervals; and it was argued that such sequences formed a more effective framework of pitch relationships to which the test tones could be anchored.
Adoption and Effectiveness of Internal Mammary Artery Grafting in Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Among Medicare Beneficiaries

Objectives The aim of this study was to assess the pattern of the adoption of internal mammary artery (IMA) grafting in the United States, test its association with clinical outcomes, and assess whether its effectiveness differs in key clinical subgroups. Background The effect of IMA grafting on major clinical outcomes has never been tested in a large randomized trial, yet it is now a quality standard for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Methods We identified Medicare beneficiaries ≥66 years of age who underwent isolated multivessel CABG between 1988 and 2008, and we documented patterns of IMA use over time. We used a multivariable propensity score to match patients with and without an IMA and compared rates of death, myocardial infarction (MI), and repeat revascularization. We tested for variations in IMA effectiveness with treatment × covariate interaction tests. Results The IMA use in CABG rose slowly from 31% in 1988 to 91% in 2008, with persistent wide geographic variations. Among 60,896 propensity score-matched patients over a median 6.8-year follow-up, IMA use was associated with lower all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.77, p Conclusions Internal mammary artery grafting was adopted slowly and still shows substantial geographic variation. IMA use is associated with lower rates of death, MI, and repeat coronary revascularization.
Nontraditional cross sections and morphological operations

A new concept of g a - cross sections by arbitrary homothetic curves g a that generalizes the traditional horizontal cross sections used in the mathematical morphology is considered. On the base of these kinds of cross sections, the corresponding set representations in the form of umbrae, as well as the function processing transformations such as dilation and erosion are given. Main properties of these transformations are described.
Aphidicolin inhibits eukaryotic DNA replication and repair — Implications for involvement of DNA polymerase α in both processes

Abstract Normal human lymphocytes were stimulated with phytohemagglutinin or treated with UV radiation or N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitroso guanidine then rendered permeable to exogenously supplied nucleotides and used to measure the replicative and repair modes of DNA synthesis. Aphidicolin, N-ethyl maleimide and several other compounds inhibited both DNA replication and repair. Since aphidicolin and N-ethyl maleimide are selective inhibitors of DNA polymerase α, these findings suggest that DNA polymerase α is involved in both the replicative and repair modes of DNA synthesis.
Why is a function defined as set of ordered pairs

In this short note, we describe the reasoning that makes the standard mathematical definition of a function (as a set of ordered pairs) more natural for students in an introduction to computer science course.
Prolonged cold ischemia in rat cardiac allografts promotes ischemia-reperfusion injury and the development of graft coronary artery disease in a linear fashion.

Background Prolonged cold ischemia is thought to exacerbate ischemia–reperfusion injury and graft coronary artery disease (GCAD). We investigated the effect of varying lengths of cold ischemia on inflammation and apoptosis during ischemia–reperfusion injury and correlated this with the degree of GCAD in rat cardiac allografts. Methods PVG rat (RT1c) hearts subjected to 30, 60, 90, 120, or 150 minutes of cold ischemia were heterotopically transplanted into ACI rats (RT1a). Grafts were procured after 4 hours of reperfusion and analyzed for superoxide generation, myeloperoxidase activity, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1/chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (MCP-1/CCL2) production, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and caspase-2, -3, -8, -9 activities. Additional transplanted animals received cyclosporine A (7.5 mg/kg/day) for 10 days as chronic rejection models. Indices of GCAD were determined at 90 days. Results A direct linear correlation was found between cold ischemic time, ischemia–reperfusion injury, and GCAD. Superoxide generation, myeloperoxidase activity, TNF-α, IL-1β, MCP-1/CCL2 production, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and caspase-2, -3, -8, and -9 activities increased with ischemic time, peaking at 120 minutes and plateauing at 150 minutes. GCAD, assessed by the percentage of luminal narrowing, the intima/media ratio, and the percentage of diseased vessels, worsened with increased ischemic time, peaking at 120 minutes and plateauing at 150 minutes. All tested variables in both the acute and chronic phases were significantly increased with 120-minute ischemia compared with 30-minute ischemia. Conclusions These data indicate that the degree of cardiomyocyte apoptosis and inflammatory response in cardiac allografts during ischemia–reperfusion injury depends on the duration of cold ischemia. More important, that prolonged cold ischemia correlates with increased GCAD.
Relative Risk Factors for Requirement of Blood Transfusion after Total Hip Arthroplasty

One thousand thirty-five total hip arthroplasty (THA) cases were retrospectively reviewed, and the number and type (autologous and allogenic) of postoperative units of blood transfused were analyzed with respect to pre-, intra-, and postoperative variables. The most significant and consistent predictors of a blood transfusion after THA were advanced age and the use of low-molecular-weight heparin for deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis. Our recommendations for predonation are 1 unit for THA patients younger than 75 years if hemoglobin is 130 g/dL or greater and 2 units or a combination of 1 unit of predonated blood and 1 unit of directed or banked blood for THA patients older than 75 years.
Cell- and tissue-specific expression of rice histone gene transcripts during anther and pollen development in henbane (Hyoscyamus niger)

labeled antisense probe were present in more or less the same density in all the cells of the anther primordium. During later development of the anther, there was a sequential accumulation of histone mRNA beginning in the epidermis on the outside and ending in the tapetum inside. These changes in transcript abundance in the sporophytic cells of the anther were also related to the stage of microsporogenesis. Transcript level increased during sporogenesis and reached a maximum in mature pollen grains collected from open flowers. Among eukaryotes, histone genes are encoded by multigene families. Because histones complex with DNA to form the structural unit of chromatin, they represent a set of proteins that are almost universally found. Of the four histones (H 1, H2, H3, and H4) that have been thus far characterized, the highly conserved primary structure of H3 and H4 makes them particularly useful in studies of gene expression in eukaryotic systems. Although the isolation and characterization of histone genes and the analysis of their developmentally regulated expression have been accomplished only in a few plants, it is clear that this kind of information will be useful to explain the molecular mechanisms of plant cell differentiation (Chau
Optimal scheduling of interactive and noninteractive traffic in telecommunication systems

Heterogeneous traffic types compete for access to a shared resource (satellite channel, bus, etc.). If a packet is not immediately given access to the resource, it waits in a buffer, which is assumed to be infinite. The traffic types are partitioned into two groups: interactive and noninteractive, and the average delay of each of the interactive types is required below given thresholds. The problem of finding an optimal scheduling policy that minimizes a linear combination of the average delays for the noninteractive types while meeting the design constraints is considered. Simple necessary and sufficient conditions are derived for the existence of a policy that satisfies the constraints. An algorithm is given that decomposes the traffic types into an ordered arrangement of groups, and the existence of a policy that gives strict priority accordingly is established. Under weak conditions on the costs and rates, it is shown that all optimal policies must have this structural property. Sensitivity and aggregation analyses are given. An optimal policy is constructed and is shown to have many appealing properties. >
Communication and Negotiation Outcome

Despite the prominence of talk in negotiation sessions theoretical discussions of bargaining do not agree as to whether settlement terms are importantly influenced by the nature of that interaction. Further, most laboratory studies have restricted communication opportunity as a means of control in their designs. Consequently, the question of the influence of the communication behavior of negotiators on agreements reached is unanswered. This study was designed to generate data in regard to that question by comparing results obtained by negotiators when the opportunity for communication was restricted and when it was not. Subjects simulated the negotiation of a legal damage case under two conditions of communication opportunity; the first restricted to written offers of a settlement amount, the second, unrestricted. Four dependent measures were obtained following each negotiation: negotiation settlement terms, negotiator satisfaction with those terms, the time required to reach agreement, and the success or failure of each negotiator as compared to other negotiators. Settlement was more likely and the dispersion of settlements was greater under the unrestricted condition. No differences between conditions were found in the time required for settlement or the satisfaction of the negotiators with settlement terms. Negotiation success could not be attributed to the number of the subjects' siblings nor to the presence in the subjects' families of professional negotiators. Results lend support to those theorists who regard communication variables as important influences on negotiation outcomes.
Cesarean delivery for intrapartum fetal heart rate abnormalities: incorporating survey data into clinical judgment.

Objective To identify the descriptive clinical practice of maternal-fetal medicine specialists when faced with severe intrapartum fetal heart rate (FHR) abnormalities (as determined by continuous electronic fetal monitoring). Methods All regular members of the Society of Perinatal Obstetricians (maternal-fetal medicine specialists) were sent a survey questionnaire on the topic of cesarean delivery for intrapartum FHR abnormalities. The time from observation of FHR abnormalities to making the decision to proceed to cesarean delivery was the main outcome measure. Time was allowed for intrauterine resuscitative maneuvers to alleviate the abnormal pattern. Legislative definitions of consensus and strong consensus were applied to the data. Analysis of covariance was performed to determine the effect of physician demographic factors on the times reported. Results Four hundred thirty-one of 704 (61.2%) questionnaires were returned. Consensus was identified for deciding on cesarean delivery (after intrauterine resuscitation) 1) after 30 minutes for cases of repetitive late and severe variable decelerations, 2) after 10 minutes in cases of fetal bradycardia, and 3) in all scenarios with decreased beat-to-beat variability of the FHR. Consensus was identified for deciding on cesarean delivery in five of eight intrapartum FHR pattern abnormalities. Conclusion The descriptive clinical practice of maternalfetal medicine specialists demonstrated in this study should be considered in prudential clinical judgment.
Why Right Mindfulness Might Not Be Right for Mindfulness

Monteiro, Musten and Compson (2015) examined a number of critical issues in the ongoing debates concerning the nature of “mindfulness” and its applications within and beyond clinical psychology. Often appearing to take a neutral stance in relation to the debates between “traditional mindfulness” and “contemporarymindfulness,” their primary aimwas to “assess the validity” of criticisms concerning the conceptual integrity of contemporary mindfulness (p. 1). In particular, they evaluated the relationship of contemporary mindfulness to the Buddhist doctrines of “right mindfulness,” the degree to which “suffering” is alleviated in traditional and contemporary mindfulness, and whether Buddhist ethics should play a more explicit and pronounced role in mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs). The authors were careful throughout the article to suggest what could be done rather than what should be done in the ongoing dialogue between traditional and contemporary mindfulness. This commentary suggests that this stance leaves a number of implicit assumptions unexamined or underexamined. In particular, two key issues will be explored: (1) the assumption that Buddhist conceptions of suffering and psychological conceptions of suffering are compatible and serve as an adequate point of departure for the translation of mindfulness from traditional contexts to contemporary applications in psychology and (2) the consequences of importing Buddhist ethical and normative frameworks associated with “right mindfulness” into contemporary mindfulness. Establishing Common Ground Between Buddhism and Psychology: the Problem of “Suffering”
Bandlimited angular spectrum approximation to a scalar dipole field

Abstract The scalar dipole field is evaluated numerically in the homogeneous wave-field approximation for which all evanescent plane waves in its angular spectrum are discarded. Diagrams of this homogeneous wave-field are compared with those of the exact scalar dipole field, and it is found that the fields are essentially identical outside a region the order of one wave-length from the plane containing the dipole. This result supports a frequently made assumption. The homogeneous wave-field is shown graphically, together with a closely related homogeneous wave-field which resembles the image of a scalar dipole field formed by a diffraction limited lens.
A critical physiological role of zinc in the structure and function of biomembranes.

Abstract Of the large number of recognized zinc metalloenzymes, the activities of only a few are significantly decreased in severely zinc deficient animals. On the other hand, physiological pathology is manifested rapidly after dietary zinc deprivation. This shows that zinc exerts physiological and biochemical roles other than as a component of the known zinc metalloenzymes. The research results reviewed here suggest that zinc plays an important role in the maintenance of membrane structure and function.
Annual Legume Cover Crops in Spring Wheat-Fallow Systems

Soil erosion is a problem in conventional tillage spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-fallow rotations in semiarid regions. Early research using legumes to provide surface cover for erosion control in dryland crop rotations showed no yield benefits to a succeeding crop. Better residue management practices have improved fallow soil water storage and could reduce detrimental soil water influences of legumes to a succeeding crop. Objectives of our research were to determine whether field pea (Pisum safivum. L.) and Tangier flatpea (Lathyaus tingitanus, L.) could be grown during part of the fallow period in a hard red spring wheat-fallow rotation to provide dry matter (DM) and surface cover for erosion control and to evaluate the influences of legumes on a succeeding spring wheat crop. Legumes were seeded during the fallow phase of a spring wheat-fallow rotation from 1989 through 1992. During dry years, total DM and surface cover were reduced more for Tangier flatpea than field pea. Legumes produced sufficient DM to exceed 35% surface cover by the flowering plant development stage when precipitation was not limiting. If growing conditions were good, legumes used soil water to a depth of 5 ft when legume growth was terminated at pod formation or grown for the full season. The N contribution to a succeeding spring wheat crop was not evident in grain N concentration or uptake. When legume growth was terminated at or before flowering, legumes provided sufficient DM and surface cover to control erosion without consistent detrimental influences to a succeeding wheat crop.
An application of the trost reaction to the stereoselective synthesis of trans-tetrasubstituted fluoroalkenes

Abstract The coupling of β-fluoroallylic acetates ( 1 ) with stabilised ester-enolates ( 3 ), in the presence of catalytic palladium(0), gave tetrasubstituted fluoroalkenes ( 2 ) in good yield and with generally satisfactory trans -stereoselectivity.
Cognition and Motivation as Treatment Targets in Schizophrenia

In this issue of JAMA Psychiatry, Fervaha and colleagues 1 use the publicly available database derived from 1331 patients with cognitive data in the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) schizophrenia trial to explore the relationship between cognitive impairment and behaviors referred to as “amotivational.” The authors report correlations of about r = 0.30 between cognitive test performance and a cluster of items from the Heinrichs-Carpenter Quality of Life Scale that measure sense of purpose, motivation, and curiosity, which they refer to as “motivation.” The authors conclude that cognitive impairment in schizophrenia “may be partly secondary to amotivation.” This apparently controversial and simple statement is neither. First, we have known for decades that the constellation of behaviors we identify as belonging to the constructs of cognitive performance and motivation are related to one another in patients with schizophrenia, just as they are in healthy people, nonhuman primates, and rodents. The relationship between cognitive impairment and negative symptoms was even reported using the same database in previous articles from the CATIE investigators. In this article, however, Fervaha and colleagues 1 confine their exploration to correlations between cognitive performance and the 3 items purported to measure sense of purpose, motivation, and curiosity. These items are assessed using questions that have cognitive elements to them, such as the following: Do you think about the future, set goals, and have plans? What do you anticipate your situation will be? What have you accomplished? Do you read the newspaper? Are there things you want to know more about? Given that scores on these items are driven in part by cognitive ability, a sizable correlation with cognitive performance is not surprising. Patients with worse cognitive performance are likely to be less interested in planning events, less able to accomplish tasks, and will have less interest in pursuing cognitively demanding activities. The correlations reported by Fervaha et al 1 are not evidence of amotivation causing poor cognitive test performance any more than they are evidence that poor cognitive performance causes low scores on items rating sense of purpose, motivation, and curiosity. What is particularly relevant about the relationship between these constructs is that each of them has a role in causing the other over time. We know now that cognitive impairment leads to functional disability prior to the onset of psychosis. 2 The self-defeat that is generated from
Open Boundary Conditions for Lagrangian Geophysical Fluid Dynamics

Initial-boundary-value problems for the hydrostatic primitive equations of meteorology and oceanography are ill-posed if the boundaries are open and fixed in space (Oliger and Sundstrom, 1978). It is shown here with theory and computation that the same problems are well-posed if the open boundaries are comoving, that is, if they move with the fluid particles. Comoving or Lagrangian coordinates are then particularly convenient. These findings will expedite the variational assimilation of Lagrangian data.
Note onA-stability of multistep multiderivative methods

Daniel and Moore [4] conjectured that anA-stable multistep method using higher derivatives cannot have an error order exceeding 2l. We confirm partly this conjecture by showing that for a large class ofA-stable methods the error order can not be 2l+1 mod 4. This extends results found in Jeltsch [13].
Disasters and Youth: A Meta-Analytic Examination of Posttraumatic Stress

Objective: Meta-analyze the literature on posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms in youths post-disaster. Method: Meta-analytic synthesis of the literature (k = 96 studies; Ntotal = 74,154) summarizing the magnitude of associations between disasters and youth PTS, and key factors associated with variations in the magnitude of these associations. We included peer-reviewed studies published prior to 1/1/2009 that quantitatively examined youth PTS (≤18 years at event) after a distinct and identifiable disaster. Results: Despite variability across studies, disasters had a significant effect on youth PTS (small-to-medium magnitude; rpooled = .19, SEr = .03; d = 0.4). Female gender (rpooled = .14), higher death toll (disasters of death toll ≤25: rpooled = .09; vs. disasters with ≥1,000 deaths: rpooled = .22), child proximity (rpooled = .33), personal loss (rpooled = .16), perceived threat (rpooled = .34), and distress (rpooled = .38) at time of event were each associated with increased PTS. Studies conducted within 1 year post-disaster, studies that used established measures, and studies that relied on child-report data identified a significant effect. Conclusion: Youths are vulnerable to appreciable PTS after disaster, with pre-existing child characteristics, aspects of the disaster experience, and study methodology each associated with variations in the effect magnitude. Findings underscore the importance of measurement considerations in post-disaster research. Areas in need of research include the long-term impact of disasters, disaster-related media exposure, prior trauma and psychopathology, social support, ethnicity/race, prejudice, parental psychopathology, and the effects of disasters in developing regions of the world. Policy and clinical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved). Language: en
Characterization of New Volatile Compounds in the Neutral Fraction of Roasted Beef Flavor

Volatile flavor compounds were isolated from 190 lb of roasted eye round beef. The neutral fraction of the flavor isolate was subjected to extensive gas chromatographic fractionation and the pure fractions obtained were identified by GC-mass spectrometry. A total of 67 compounds were reported to be new constituents in beef flavor.
Oral tolerance in EAE: reversal of tolerance by T helper cell cytokines

Oral administration of myelin basic protein (MBP) inhibits clinical and histopathological manifestations of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), but only partially reduces serum anti-MBP antibody titers. We report here that orally administered MBP alters the isotypic distribution of anti-MBP antibody-forming cells (AFC) among various lymphoid tissues, with the most profound differences seen in mucosal tissues. We observed an isotype-selective reduction in anti-MBP IgA but not IgM AFC frequencies in Peyer's patches. The anti-MBP IgA AFC frequencies could be reconstituted by addition of interleukin 4 (IL-4) and interleukin 5(IL-5). The cytokines did not appear to generate de novo responses since no increases in anti-MBP lgA AFC frequencies were observed in control cultures. These results indicate that decreased antibody production, as a result of oral antigen administration, can be reversed by exposure to the appropriate cytokines.
An MSE-Based Transfer Chart for Analyzing Iterative Decoding Schemes Using a Gaussian Approximation

An alternative to extrinsic information transfer (EXIT) charts called mean-square error (MSE) charts that use a measure related to the MSE instead of mutual information is proposed. Using the relationship between mutual information and minimum mean-square error (MMSE) for the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel, a relationship between the rate of any code and the area under a plot of MMSE versus signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is obtained, when the a priori log-likelihood ratio (LLR) is from a binary input Gaussian channel. Using this result, a justification is provided for designing concatenated codes by matching the EXIT curves of the inner and outer decoder, when the LLRs are assumed to be Gaussian which is also the typical assumption used for code design using EXIT charts. Even though the Gaussian assumption is almost never true, the results presented in this paper represent a step toward the analysis of iterative decoding schemes using a single parameter. Finally, for the special case of AWGN channel it is shown that any capacity-achieving code has an EXIT curve that is a step function
HIV antigen incorporation within adenovirus hexon hypervariable 2 for a novel HIV vaccine approach.

Adenoviral (Ad) vectors have been used for a variety of vaccine applications including cancer and infectious diseases. Traditionally, Ad-based vaccines are designed to express antigens through transgene expression of a given antigen. However, in some cases these conventional Ad-based vaccines have had sub-optimal clinical results. These sub-optimal results are attributed in part to pre-existing Ad serotype 5 (Ad5) immunity. In order to circumvent the need for antigen expression via transgene incorporation, the “antigen capsid-incorporation” strategy has been developed and used for Ad-based vaccine development in the context of a few diseases. This strategy embodies the incorporation of antigenic peptides within the capsid structure of viral vectors. The major capsid protein hexon has been utilized for these capsid incorporation strategies due to hexon's natural role in the generation of anti-Ad immune response and its numerical representation within the Ad virion. Using this strategy, we have developed the means to incorporate heterologous peptide epitopes specifically within the major surface-exposed domains of the Ad capsid protein hexon. Our study herein focuses on generation of multivalent vaccine vectors presenting HIV antigens within the Ad capsid protein hexon, as well as expressing an HIV antigen as a transgene. These novel vectors utilize HVR2 as an incorporation site for a twenty-four amino acid region of the HIV membrane proximal ectodomain region (MPER), derived from HIV glycoprotein gp41 (gp41). Our study herein illustrates that our multivalent anti-HIV vectors elicit a cellular anti-HIV response. Furthermore, vaccinations with these vectors, which present HIV antigens at HVR2, elicit a HIV epitope-specific humoral immune response.
Hypercyclic and topologically transitive semigroups of composition operators

Abstract We study the dynamical properties of semigroups of composition operators of continuous functions on a separable locally compact metric space X . In particular, we show that if E is a normed vector space and ϕ : X → X is one-to-one and run-away on X , then the composition operator f ↦ ϕ ∘ f on C ( X , E ) is topologically transitive and hypercyclic, where C ( X , E ) is the space of continuous functions from X into E with the compact-open topology.
Jersey Justice: The Story of the Trenton Six. By Cathy D. Knepper. (New Brunswick, NJ: Rivergate Books, 2011. Pp. vii, 249. $24.95.)

“I know what's been done to these boys could have been done to my own boy” (96–97). Paul Robeson's words, spoken at a 1949 rally in support of the Trenton Six, evoke those recently proclaimed by Pr...
Electrical conductances of aqueous sodium trifluoromethanesulfonate from 0 to 450°C and pressures to 250 MPa

The electrical conductances of dilute (0.001 to 0.1 mol-kg−1) aqueous sodium trifluoromethanesulfonate (NaCF3SO3) solutions have been measured from 0 to 450°C and pressures to 250 MPa. The limiting molar conductance\(\Lambda _0 \) increases with increasing temperature from 0 to 300°C and decreasing density from 0.8 to 0.3 g-cm−3. Above 300°C,\(\Lambda _0 \) is nearly temperature independent, but increases linearly with decreasing density. The logarithm of the molal association constant of NaCF3SO3 calculated at temperatures from 372 to 450°C is represented as a function of temperature (Kelvin) and density of water (g-cm−3) by $$\log K_m = 0.888 - 330.4/T - (12.83 - 5349/T)\log \rho _w $$
Anticytokine therapy for osteoarthritis: evidence to date.

Several recent in vitro investigations and experimental studies performed in animal models of osteoarthritis (OA) sustained the previously held view that interleukin (IL)-1 or tumour necrosis factor-α (TNFα) disrupt the metabolism of synovial joint tissues. The evidence to date indicates that, in addition to IL-1 and TNFα, other pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, members of the IL-6 protein superfamily, IL-7, IL-17 and IL-18, can also promote articular cartilage extracellular matrix protein degradation or synergize with other cytokines to amplify and accelerate cartilage destruction. Most importantly, many of these cytokines have been implicated in causing synovial tissue activation and damage to subchondral bone as well as altering cartilage homeostasis in spontaneously occurring or surgically induced animal models of OA and in transgenic mice genetically primed to develop OA. In this regard, these pro-inflammatory cytokines may also play a significant role in the pathogenesis of human OA. However, attempts to modify the progression of human OA in well designed, controlled clinical trials with an IL-1 receptor antagonist protein (IRAP) have not been successful. Several anabolic cytokines (also termed growth factors), including transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), have also been proposed as regulators of skeletal long bone growth and development as well as cartilage and bone homeostasis. TGF-β, IGF-1 and FGF-2, in particular, have been characterized as potential chondroprotective agents. Thus, enzymatic disruption and removal of these growth factors from cartilage extracellular matrix proteins, as in the case of TGF-β and FGF-2, or disruption of their function, as in the case of the enhanced binding of free IGF-1 with IGF binding proteins in OA joint synovial fluid, may compromise and ultimately be responsible for the inadequate repair of articular cartilage in OA. An improved understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which pro-inflammatory and/or anabolic cytokines alter both the structure and function of synovial joints may eventually result in the commercial development of disease-modifying OA drugs (DMOADs). Since the prevalence of OA is high in the elderly population, future development of DMOADs must also take into account potential differences in the way DMOADs would be metabolized in the older individual compared with younger people.
Modeling and Multiresolution Characterization for Microfabrication Applications

In the fabrication of microelectronic and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices, geometric patterns are transferred onto the substrate by the process of lithography. A photoresist polymer is used in the process, which affects the surface morphology, causing line-edge roughness (LER) and surface roughness (SR) in the transferred patterns. The performance of the resulting device is critically influenced by the LER and SR of the surface. Various microscopy image analysis techniques are commonly used for LER and SR characterization, using metrics such as σ, correlation length, and fractal dimension (FD). In this work, a mesoscale lattice Monte Carlo (MC) simulation is performed to model the photoresist system. Phase separation by spinodal decomposition is found as the cause of roughness. Multiresolution LER and SR characterization is performed on the model structure. The results complement the multiresolution LER characterization from image analysis and provide additional insight toward SR characteriz...
Screening Pelvic Examinations: Right, Wrong, or Rite?

In the issue, the ACP recommends against screening pelvic examination and the review by Bloomfield and colleagues found no evidence of its benefit. The editorialists discuss the “ritual” of the pel...
Logical Systems and Uncertainty Modeling

Previous work on logical systems and uncertainty modeling, especially using possibility distributions, is reviewed. The author emphasizes that there exists a natural relation between belief functions and random sets, and it is emphasized that Choquet's theorem can be used to obtain probabilistic interpretation for a large class of uncertainty measures, including possibility measures.
The effect of horizontal resolution on ocean surface heat fluxes in the ECMWF model

Annual mean ocean surface heat fluxes have been studied as a function of horizontal resolution in the ECMWF model (cycle 33) and compared with Oberhuber's COADS (1959–1979) based empirical estimates. The model has been run at resolutions of T21, T42, T63 and T106 for 15 months with prescribed monthly varying climatological SST and sea ice. The T42 simulation was extended to 2 years, which enabled us to determine that many differences between the resolution runs were significant and could not be explained by the fact that individual realizations of an ensemble of years can be expected to give different estimates of the annual mean climate state. In addition to systematic differences between the modeled and the observed fluxes, the simulated fields of surface shortwave and longwave radiation showed much more spatial variability than the observed estimates. In the case of the longwave radiation this may be attributable more to deficiencies in the observations than to errors in the model. The modeled latent and sensible heat fields were in better agreement with observations. The primary conclusion concerning the dependence of ocean surface fluxes on resolution is that the T21 simulation differed significantly from the higher resolution runs, especially in the tropics. Although the differences among the three higher resolution simulations were generally small over most of the world ocean, there were local areas with large differences. It appears, therefore, that in relation to ocean surface heat fluxes, a resolution greater than T42 may not be justified for climate model simulations, although the locally large differences found between the higher resolution runs suggest that convergence has not been achieved everywhere even at T106.
The spectrum of combustion-generated noise

Abstract A calculation of the energy release rate resulting from the combustion of propane-air mixtures is presented and the result is used to calculate the far field noise spectrum for an open flame by using appropriate Fourier transform techniques. The results illustrate the broad band nature of combustion noise and show that, for the range of parameters indicated, the peak frequency in the 1 3 octave band is in the range 400–1000 Hz. The results also indicate that the shape of spectrum is influenced by the time history of the heat release rate and the turbulence intensity and length scales; on the other hand, the peak frequency is a function of the heat release per unit mass of fuel which is essentially the same for hydrocarbon fuels.
Period doubling boundaries of a bouncing ball

A simple mechanical system consisting of a bouncing ball subject to repeated impacts with a vibrating table is studied in the period doubling regime. Two control parameters (the table's forcing frequency and amplitude) are varied to discover the curves in parameter space that separate periodic orbits. Experimental results for the period doubling boundaries agree with calculations from a simple model Etude, dans le regime de doublement de periode, d'un systeme mecanique simple forme d'une balle rebondissante soumise a des chocs repetes par une table vibrante
Controlling Shell Thickness in Core−Shell Gold Nanoparticles via Surface-Templated Adsorption of Block Copolymer Surfactants

When Au nanoparticles are encapsulated within shells of cross-linked, block copolymer amphiphiles, the structure of the shells is determined by the initial interaction between the amphiphile and the nanoparticle surface. In the case of small nanoparticles, for which particle size is comparable to the dimension of the block copolymer (ρAu/Rg ≈ 1), particles act like solutes that are dissolved within polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid) (PS-b-PAA) micelle cores. In the case of larger nanoparticles (ρAu/Rg > 1), PS-b-PAA adsorption is templated by the particle surface, and a concentric core−shell structure is formed. The thickness of this shell can be predicted from theoretical models of polymer adsorption onto highly curved surfaces and controlled by varying the ratio of polymer to available nanoparticle surface area. We anticipate that these rules will illustrate how cross-linked copolymer shells with predetermined thickness can be used to stabilize and functionalize a variety of nanoparticle materials.
Glucocorticoid Administration Reduces Cardiac Dysfunction After Brain Death in Pigs

Background Traumatic brain injury and subsequent brain death (BD) account for nearly half of all organ donors, yet only 33% of available hearts are transplanted. Alterations in multiple physiologic pathways after BD can lead to cardiac dysfunction and exclusion from transplantation. Triple hormone resuscitation with methylprednisolone, thyroid hormone and vasopressin has had inconsistent results in the effort to reduce cardiac dysfunction associated with BD, but individual analysis of these agents is limited. The hypothesis was that glucocorticoid administration alone could reduce BD-associated cardiac dysfunction. Methods Crossbred pigs (25 to 35 kg) had BD induced by sub-dural balloon inflation. Hemodynamics were measured for 360 minutes after BD. Negative cerebral perfusion pressures and decreased laser Doppler cerebral blood flow confirmed BD. Animals ( n = 5/treatment group) received: saline (Group 1); 30 mg/kg methylprednisolone 2 hours before BD (Group 2); or 30 mg/kg methylprednisolone 1 hour after BD (Group 3). Repeated measures analysis of variance and unpaired t -tests were used for appropriate comparisons. Results Left ventricular (LV) pre-load recruitable stroke work (PRSW) decreased in untreated Group 1 over time ( p p > 0.05). Oxygen delivery 360 minutes after BD was higher in Group 2 compared with Group 1 ( p = 0.02) and Group 3 ( p = 0.006). Conclusions Glucocorticoid therapy before or after BD preserved LV systolic and diastolic function. Glucocorticoids administered after brain death might increase the number of hearts available for transplant by reducing brain death–associated cardiac dysfunction.