cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Photorefractive (PR) polymers and their recent applications

: Photorefractive (PR) polymers offer the high potential of developing a large area platform for recording dynamic holograms. They are made by carefully manipulating the energy levels and concentrations of the components required for charge generation, transport and trapping, and modulation of refractive index. The fact that dynamic holograms can be recorded in photorefractive polymers without the necessity of any special processing techniques makes it very attractive for many applications including refreshable 3D displays. This chapter describes the basic theory used to develop photorefractive polymers, molecular energy level requirements and the components used to develop highly efficient polymer composites. In addition, it describes some of the recent applications of photorefractive polymers.
Dietary Epigenetics in Cancer and Aging

Although epigenetic aberrations frequently occur in aging and cancer and form a core component of these conditions, perhaps the most useful aspect of epigenetic processes is that they are readily reversible. Unlike genetic effects that also play a role in cancer and aging, epigenetic aberrations can be relatively easily corrected. One of the most widespread approaches to the epigenetic alterations in cancer and aging is dietary control. This can be achieved not only through the quality of the diet, but also through the quantity of calories that are consumed. Many phytochemicals such as sulforaphane from cruciferous vegetables and green tea have anticancer epigenetic effects and are also efficacious for preventing or treating the epigenetic aberrations of other age-associated diseases besides cancer. Likewise, the quantity of calories that are consumed has proven to be advantageous in preventing cancer and extending the lifespan through control of epigenetic mediators. The purpose of this chapter is to review some of the most recent advances in the epigenetics of cancer and aging and to provide insights into advances being made with respect to dietary intervention into these biological processes that have vast health implications and high translational potential.
Design of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell with variable catalyst loading

Abstract The performance and durability of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells is greatly affected by sharp temperature and stress gradients owing to the significant variation in local current density distribution. To improve the uniformity in local current density distribution and enhance the catalyst utilization, this paper proposes use of functionally graded catalyst loading in the cathode catalyst layer along the gas channel. A two-dimensional isothermal numerical model for PEM fuel cells combined with an optimization model was developed to determine the optimum cathode catalyst loadings and the associated local current density distributions for different operating conditions. Experiments were conducted to measure the local current density distribution for graded catalyst loading, using a segmented current collector. The results show that an optimized graded catalyst loading significantly reduces the current density variation along the length of the channel and enhances the catalyst utilization.
Intergenerational Activities that Promote Engaging Conversations are Preferred among Young and Older Adults: Research

Loneliness negatively affects young and older adults. Intergenerational activities foster social connectedness. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, this study explored which intergeneration...
Lack of association between hypothyroxinemia of prematurity and transient thyroid abnormalities with adverse long term neurodevelopmental outcome in very low birth weight infants.

Introduction The association between hypothyroxinemia of prematurity with neurodevelopment was controversial. Objectives To compare 5 year neurodevelopmental outcomes of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants with hypothyroxinemia of prematurity against those without. Methods Retrospective cohort study in a single tertiary neonatal centre of VLBW infants born between the year 2008 to 2011. Comparisons were made between all abnormal and normal thyroid function controls using cord thyroid function tests, thyroid function tests during admission and pre-discharge thyroid function test done at term equivalent age. At 2 years corrected age, Bayley scales of infant and toddler development-third edition and Vineland II adaptive behaviour scales (VABS) were collected. At 5 years, Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-III), Bracken School Readiness Assessment, VABS and Beery Test of Visual-Motor Integration were collected. Results 110 subjects were studied at 2 years corrected age and 80 subjects at 5 years old. 29 infants had abnormal thyroid function test (10 infants with hypothyroxinemia of prematurity and 19 infants with transient thyroid abnormalities). There were no significant difference in the 2 years and 5 years developmental outcome between infants with and without hypothyroxinemia of prematurity (p-value>0.05); and between infants with and without transient thyroid abnormalities (p-value>0.05). There were no significant difference in neurological, visual and hearing impairment between infants with or without hypothyroxinemia of prematurity (p-value>0.05). Conclusions Hypothyroxinemia of prematurity or transient thyroid abnormalities in VLBW infants were not associated with poorer neurodevelopment and did not support the need for levothyroxine supplementation.
What Color as an Integrated Pictorial Element in Himalayan Art Can Communicate: Cross-Cultural Congruence of Color-Emotion Conceptualizations in Himalayan Art:

The idea of art as a language of emotion has historical roots. This study asked if color, as an integrated pictorial element in Himalayan art, can communicate the intended emotions to North America...
Their words, their worlds: Critical literacy in bilingual spaces

Historically, the teaching of literacy in American classrooms has been “restricted to formalized, monolingual, monocultural and ruled-governed forms of language” (The New London Group, 1996, p. 60–...
Anticipated Effects of Nicotine Reduction on Youth Smoking Initiation and Maintenance

This commentary summarizes emerging findings on the potential impact of a nicotine reduction policy on youth and young adults. We conclude that: (1) adolescent smokers and nonsmokers alike are likely to be less sensitive to reinforcement from very low nicotine content (VLNC) cigarettes compared with adults; (2) reducing nicotine in cigarettes to 0.4 mg/g would reduce the abuse potential of cigarettes in adolescents and young adults; (3) findings to date do not support concerns that nicotine reduction leads to compensatory smoking in young smokers; and (4) if the scope of a reduced nicotine product standard were applied to all combusted tobacco products, that would likely maximize public health benefit of this policy.
Quantitative metastatic lymph node burden and survival in Merkel cell carcinoma.

Background Current lymph node (LN) staging for Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) does not account for the number of metastatic LNs, which is a primary driver of survival in multiple cancers. Objective To determine the impact of the number of metastatic LNs on survival in MCC. Methods Patients with MCC undergoing surgery were identified from the National Cancer Database (NCDB). The association between metastatic LN number and survival was modeled with restricted cubic splines. A novel nodal classification system was derived by using recursive partitioning analysis. MCC patients undergoing surgery in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program were used as validation cohort. Results Among 3670 patients in the NCDB, increasing metastatic LN number was associated with decreased survival (P Limitations Retrospective design. Conclusions Number of metastatic LNs is the dominant nodal factor driving survival in patients with MCC.
Bèze on Tyranny in the Right of Magistrates

Beze on tyranny in the Right of Magistrates. Approximately two years after the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, Beze produced a work that describes (somewhat veiled by his vocabulary) social and political conditions in France. His aim was to recommend that the superior magistrates have the power to depose a tyrannical king. An individual or a lower magistrate cannot commit regicide; but a constituted body of high-ranking nobles and officials may depose a king. Caesar merited being assassinated, because he usurped power.
Under-Reporting of a Critical Perioperative Adverse Event: Intravenous Infiltration and Extravasation

A critical step in understanding and preventing potentially disastrous complications in the perioperative period is the accurate recording of their occurrence and subsequent analysis. However, the recording of intravenous infiltration and extravasation is likely inaccurate due to several factors: rare serious complications associated with infiltration/extravasation, limitation in ICD-10 codes to describe the injury, reliance on coders to record these events in searchable databases, and limited quality measures in anesthesiology to record these events. Although current literature cites results of studies that found rates of 16% and higher for intravenous infiltration, a limited internal review at University Hospital in Newark, NJ found significantly lower rates with only 14 instances recorded in an 18-month period across the institution. This leads the author to conclude that interventions are required to better track these events including such steps as staff education and more efficient/accessible reporting systems. The accurate recording and analyzing of data related to adverse events, and in particular regarding infiltration and extravasation, require revision and reinterpretation to gain an accurate picture of their rates.
Outgrowth of a CSF3R-mutant clone drives a second myeloproliferative neoplasm in a chronic myeloid leukemia patient: a case report.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and chronic neutrophilic leukemia (CNL) are two myeloproliferative neoplasms with mutually exclusive diagnostic criteria. A hallmark of CML is the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph), which results in a BCR-ABL1 fusion gene and constitutive tyrosine kinase activity. CNL is a Ph-negative neoplasm and is defined in part by the presence of CSF3R mutations, which drive constative JAK/STAT signaling. Here, we report the exceedingly rare co-occurrence of two granulocytic myeloproliferative neoplasms in a 69-year old male patient. After an initial diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukemia, the patient’s clinical course was shaped by hematologic toxicity, the emergence of treatment-resistant BCR-ABL1 clones, and the expansion of a CSF3R-mutant clone without ABL1 mutations under selective pressure from tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The emergence of the CSF3R-mutant, neutrophilic clone led to the diagnosis of CNL as a second myeloproliferative neoplasm in the same patient. This is the first reported case of CNL arising subsequent to CML, which occurred under selective pressure from targeted therapy in a patient with complex clonal architecture. Patients with such molecularly complex disease may ultimately benefit from combination therapy that targets multiple oncogenic pathways.
Inference in latent factor regression with clusterable features.

Regression models, in which the observed features $X \in \R^p$ and the response $Y \in \R$ depend, jointly, on a lower dimensional, unobserved, latent vector $Z \in \R^K$, with $K n$.
Private Health Insurance in Malaysia: Who Is Left Behind?

Despite various efforts introduced, private health insurance coverage is still low in Malaysia. The objective of this article is to find the factors associated with not having a private health insu...
SPLUNC1: a novel marker of cystic fibrosis exacerbations.

Background Acute pulmonary exacerbations (AE) are episodes of clinical worsening in cystic fibrosis (CF), often precipitated by infection. Timely detection is critical to minimise morbidity and lung function declines associated with acute inflammation during AE. Based on our previous observations that airway protein short palate lung nasal epithelium clone 1 (SPLUNC1) is regulated by inflammatory signals, we investigated the use of SPLUNC1 fluctuations to diagnose and predict AE in CF. Methods We enrolled CF participants from two independent cohorts to measure AE markers of inflammation in sputum and recorded clinical outcomes for a 1-year follow-up period. Results SPLUNC1 levels were high in healthy controls (n=9, 10.7 μg·mL–1), and significantly decreased in CF participants without AE (n=30, 5.7 μg·mL–1; p=0.016). SPLUNC1 levels were 71.9% lower during AE (n=14, 1.6 μg·mL–1; p=0.0034) regardless of age, sex, CF-causing mutation or microbiology findings. Cytokines interleukin-1β and tumour necrosis factor-α were also increased in AE, whereas lung function did not decrease consistently. Stable CF participants with lower SPLUNC1 levels were much more likely to have an AE at 60 days (hazard ratio (HR)±se 11.49±0.83; p=0.0033). Low-SPLUNC1 stable participants remained at higher AE risk even 1 year after sputum collection (HR±se 3.21±0.47; p=0.0125). SPLUNC1 was downregulated by inflammatory cytokines and proteases increased in sputum during AE. Conclusion In acute CF care, low SPLUNC1 levels could support a decision to increase airway clearance or to initiate pharmacological interventions. In asymptomatic, stable patients, low SPLUNC1 levels could inform changes in clinical management to improve long-term disease control and clinical outcomes in CF.
Social Judgments, Social Media, and Self-Deprecation

Abstract. Two experiments examined how perceivers evaluated target individuals based on minimal information as presented in a typical social media post and whether inferences varied as a function o...
A Mixed-Methods Examination of Racial Differences in Females' Perceptions and Experiences of Sexual Objectification

A MIXED-METHODS EXAMINATION OF RACIAL DIFFERENCES IN FEMALES' PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF SEXUAL OBJECTIFICATION Ellyn E. Leighton-Herrmann, Ph.D A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2014 Advisors: Maghboeba Mosavel, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Social and Behavioral Health; Kellie Carlyle, Ph.D., Program Director, Department of Social and Behavioral Health Sexual objectification has become a pervasive problem, negatively affecting the mental and physical health of many women. Understanding the influence of visual media, social-support networks and social interactions on young women's health is essential to addressing issues related to objectification. We do not have an in-depth understanding of how Black and White young adult women make meaning of objectification. Further, the existing literature suggests that experiences of objectification are likely different for Black and White women. The current research employed two studies, one qualitative and one quantitative, to address these particular gaps. Study 1 used focus groups to assess young Black and White women’s attitudes and experiences related to objectification. Four focus groups were conducted with university students, two with White women (N=11) and two with Black women (N=17). Results indicated that sexual objectification is a complex and unfortunate reality in the women’s daily lives; driven by the media, men and even other women. Participants’ immediate responses to objectifying experiences are multi-faceted and the potential consequences of long-term exposure can be detrimental to a woman’s well-being. Racial differences arose in relation to standards of beauty as well as examples of and reactions to objectifying experiences. Study 2 study assessed two different models of sexual objectification for White and Black women. Female, undergraduate and graduate students completed an online questionnaire about sources of objectification; 155 White women and 173 Black women were included in the analyses. The results suggest there are significant relationships between certain sociocultural sources of objectification, body image preoccupation and the associated consequences of depression, eating disturbances. Skin color dissatisfaction was an additional negative outcome for Black participants. The models for Black and White participants were not equivalent. Understanding how women experience sexual objectification and racial differences has implications for how objectification and related outcomes are measured. This information also has implications for developing appropriately tailored programming related to the objectification and psychological well-being of women. The information from these studies can hopefully be used to inform individuals of the risks associated with sexual objectification, as well as develop educational programs on college campuses.
Changes in hospitals' credentialing requirements for board certification from 2005 to 2010

OBJECTIVE In 2005, we conducted a study of the prevalence of board certification requirements for hospital privileging and found that one-third of hospitals did not require pediatricians to be board certified. In 2010, the American Board of Pediatrics implemented the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. To examine changes in the policies of hospitals regarding requirements for board certification, we surveyed privileging personnel at hospitals across the country. STUDY DESIGN Telephone survey between April 2010 and June 2010 of privileging personnel at a random sample of 220 hospitals. RESULTS Of the 220 hospitals, 23 were ineligible because they had no pediatricians on staff, and 26 hospitals refused to participate. The remaining 154 hospitals completed the survey, resulting in a 78% participation rate. Compared with our findings in 2005, in 2010 a greater proportion of hospitals now require board certification for general pediatricians (80% vs 67%, P = 0.141) and pediatric subspecialists (86% vs 71%, P = 0.048). Among these hospitals, a larger proportion (24% vs 4%) now requires board certification for all pediatricians at the point of initial privileging. However, a greater proportion of hospitals reported that they make exceptions to their board certification policies (99% vs 41%). CONCLUSION In the 5 years since our previous study, a larger proportion of hospitals now require pediatricians to be board certified, although the proportion of hospitals that make exceptions to this policy has increased twofold. Hospitals appear to be incorporating the MOC program into their privileging policies. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2013;8:298–303. © 2013 Society of Hospital Medicine
Defeasible Reasoning and Uncertainty: Comments

Abstract The following comments are two-part: some critical discussion of each paper in the “Defeasible Reasoning and Uncertainty” section; and brief remarks on the section topic.
Cooperative behaviour in theory and practice: leading undergraduate research in behaviour mathematical biology

The US National Science Foundation has promoted the early integration of undergraduate students into academic research environments by funding activities such as the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs. Here, we discuss the operation of the first year for one REU site held on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Eight students from across the country were brought together for a 10-week summer programme in mathematical biology to work on research topics related to the establishment of cooperative behaviour. The students were paired in four teams, which approached the dynamic tension between cooperation and defection from a variety of mathematical and contextual perspectives. Two projects employed agent-based models on lattice environments: the first consisting of sparse populations of mobile individuals and the second featuring age-structured populations, history-dependent fitness, and the possibility of kinship recognition. A third project looked at the evolutio...
Preconcentration and Analysis of Strontium-90 and Technetium-99 from Hanford Groundwater Using Solid Phase Extraction

Solid-phase extraction disks produced by 3M and Eichrom were evaluated for routine use in supporting the Hanford Groundwater Monitoring Project. Both disk formats contain Sr- or Tc-selective extractants, bound in a filter support, that act to preconcentrate and isolate the isotope of interest. The 3M Empore™ Sr Rad Disks and Tc Rad Disks were tested with respect to precision, accuracy, radiochemical yields, interferences, and volume-load variation. The Empore™ and Eichrom solid-phase extraction disks were applied to the 90Sr and/or 99Tc determination in representative Hanford groundwater samples with varying chemical and isotopic compositions. Results were compared to standard analytical methods. Both the Empore™ and Eichrom Tc extraction disks produced consistently higher radiochemical yields, lower detection limits, and greater accuracy than the standard analysis method. The Empore™ Sr extraction disks produced comparable radiochemical yields, detection limit, and accuracy relative to the standard method; however, total uncertainties were lower.
Active mode-coupling phenomena in pulsed and continuous lasers

An optical modulator inside a laser cavity, if driven at the cavity c/2L frequency or a harmonic, will produce a variety of mode-coupled short-pulse and FM-laser phenomena. This paper reviews the kinds of CW and transient mode-coupling phenomena that can occur in CW lasers and in selected lower-power pulsed lasers using either an active optical modulator or in some cases passive saturable absorbers.
Use of an immune function assay to monitor immunosuppression for treatment of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder

The first-line treatment for PTLD is reduction in immunosuppression, allowing partial reconstitution of cell-mediated immunity. However, there is a risk of inducing acute allograft rejection during clinical resolution of PTLD. A recently available assay, Immuknow, measures the cell-mediated immune response and could be used to monitor reduction of immunosuppression. We report a case of PTLD occurring in a pediatric kidney transplant recipient where the reduction in immunosuppression was serially followed using this assay and quantitative EBV-PCR. A rapid reduction to minimal immunosuppression was followed by resolution of PTLD. Later, when the cell-mediated immune response increased, with negative viral load, immunosuppression was gradually increased utilizing the assay to adjust dosing. Presently, there are no signs of PTLD and renal function remains normal.
Regional ophthalmic anesthesia: Safe techniques and avoidance of complications

Abstract In the last decade, anesthesiologists have become increasingly involved in administering regional eye blocks, while providing care for patients undergoing ophthalmic surgery. This article describes the two major approaches to regional eye block, namely retrobulbar and peribulbar, with special consideration given to relevant orbital anatomy and technical guidelines. Potential complications, ocular and systemic, with their risk factors, are reviewed. Anesthesiologists wishing to acquire skill in administering safe regional blockade are encouraged to familiarize themselves with regional anatomy and specific guidelines suggested herein.
Ethics, Prisoner Interrogation, National Security, and the Media

The role of psychologists in the interrogation of prisoners and consultants to law enforcement agencies is discussed within the context of military involvement and National Security. There has been considerable discussion in the media about the role of health care professionals as interrogators and
A prickly cause of progressive myoclonic epilepsy

A homozygous mutation in human PRICKLE1 causes an autosomal-recessive Progressive Myoclonus Epilepsy-Ataxia Syndrome Bassuk et al. (2008) American Journal of Human Genetics 83: 1–10.
Realism and Antirealism in Artificial Intelligence

In the philosophy of mind, the controversy between realists and antirealists often concerns the logical form of sentences embedded in attitude reports. Antirealists believe that such sentences refer to psychological states; realists believe that they refer to situations or states of the world. In this essay, it is shown how these two modes of semantic representation are associated with different approaches to the computational modeling of cognitive processes. I put forward a normative account of methodology in artificial intelligence that reconciles realism and antirealism, and suggest that my account sheds light on the problem of representing the logical form of attitude reports.
Constructing a Web Effects of Power and Social Responsiveness on Firm-Stakeholder Relationships

In this single industry study, the authors examine relationships between forest products companies in Maine and their stakeholders. The research question, why do firms work with stakeholders, is ex...
Comparing Component Functional Template Modeling Experimental Results in an Undergraduate Level Engineering Design Course

Component functional templates are a foundational tool, for the functional modeling method, that novice users can implement to develop functional modeling skills and produce better results by not requiring the modeler to have extensive background knowledge in the method. The templates provide common function layouts of ordinary electromechanical components that are based on historic data collected from design information on a wide range of consumer products. A previous experiment has been performed on a sophomore level design class to assess the change in quality between functional modeling results with and without the use of component functional templates. To address further evaluation of the usefulness the templates, another experiment was performed on multiple sections of an undergraduate engineering design course, controlling the amount of time that the students are exposed to the templates, in order to eliminate any extended exposure biases in the models using the templates. Quality and accuracy of the resulting models were gauged using a metric consisting of function structure, number of functions, flow representation through a chain, and product representation (the same metric used in the previous experiment). The results show that the students using the component functional templates consistently made fewer mistakes in their models in all categories than those that did not use them and thus, produced better models in terms of quality and accuracy.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
A clinically comprehensive ethical framework for offering and recommending cancer treatment before and during pregnancy

Thirteen percent of malignancies in women develop during the reproductive years, and cancer is second only to accidents as the leading cause of death during that period of time. In both the United States and the United Kingdom, approximately 1 in 1000 pregnancies is complicated by malignancy. This figure includes women in the period from the beginning of pregnancy to 6 months postpartum. This incidence figure is expected to rise with increasing childbearing age. Cancer diagnosed during pregnancy presents the physician, the pregnant woman, and the woman’s family with numerous difficult challenges. The conflicting concerns regarding the growing fetus and the dangers of cancer and cancer treatment raise many ethical and clinical issues that are unique to the management of cancer during pregnancy. The scientific and clinical challenges presented by cancer and pregnancy have been explored in the literature. Particular attention has been paid to the clinical indications for and against treatment of cancer during pregnancy in terms of efficacy of treatment and risks to the pregnant woman and fetus. The ethical challenges presented by cancer during pregnancy have received less attention. To date, however, no clinically comprehensive ethical framework has been offered to guide physicians in their role in the informed consent process, especially with respect to when to offer or recommend cancer treatment for women of childbearing potential and pregnant women. The purpose of the current report is to present such a framework, based on the ethical principles of beneficence and respect for autonomy and the concept of the fetus as a patient. In addition, the clinical implications of this framework with regard to offering and recommending 215
Proteomic and Mitochondrial Genomic Analyses of Pediatric Brain Tumors

The molecular mechanism unraveling why a particular type of pediatric brain tumor (pBT) behaves so differently from child to child or genetic/epigenetic changes in the mitochondrial genome vary from tumor to tumor is not clearly understood. Despite the identification of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations in different types of pBT, the contribution of mitochondrial dysfunction-related genes or proteins that are selectively up- or down-regulated in pBT of different types has not been comprehensively examined. In the present study, we combined a 2D DIGE approach with protein identification using MALDI-TOF MS and LC–MS/MS, coupled with mtDNA genomics to screen brain samples for discovering changes in protein expression, and mtDNA sequence variation and mtDNA copy number in the disease states. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis-based differential proteomic analysis of the brain tumors showed that 116 proteins were found to be up- or down-regulated in brain tumors. Some of the proteins up-regulated in tumors compared to controls were dihydropyrimidinase-like 2; glial fibrillary acidic protein isoform 2; phosphoserine aminotransferase isoform 1; Sirt2 histone deacetylase; and C10orf2 protein, mitochondrial DNA helicase. Proteins down-regulated in brain tumors compared to controls were heat shock protein 90 kDa beta, BiP; guanine nucleotide binding protein (G protein), beta polypeptide 2-like 1, isoform CRA_d; histone H2B.1; neurofilament, light polypeptide 68 kDa; Annexin I; and RAN. These differentially expressed proteins may provide useful information for developing molecular markers of diagnostic or prognostic value. To investigate further the role of mitochondrial dysfunction, we examined the effects of mtDNA copy number, oxidative damage, and mtDNA variants as independent or combined risk factors for the development of pBTs. Bayesian network and mechanistic hierarchical structure Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) modeling were used to analyze the relationship between these variables. The combined effects of G3196, 9952A, 10006G, 100398G, oxidative mtDNA damages, and mtDNA copy number increased the probability of developing brain tumors in female children by 51 times more when compared to normal incidence of pediatric brain tumors. Comparison of mechanistic structure models also supported the finding that female children who have the wild type allele G3196, variant allele 9952A, variant allele 10006G, variant allele10398A, and high mtDNA copy number had increased probability of developing pediatric brain tumors. Estimation of nuclear genes controlling mitochondrial biogenesis and development of brain, cortical dysplasia, and the effect of the environment using MCMC method showed that these latent variables had a very significant contribution in the development of pediatric brain tumors. Together, these results suggest that mitochondrial genome and tumor proteome are important contributors to brain tumor risk in children, and findings from this study may guide the prospects for targeting mitochondria for therapeutic treatment of childhood brain tumor.
Quality Control for the Navy Operational Atmospheric Database

Abstract A new, operational meteorological database has been developed to provide quality-controlled observations for the atmospheric analysis and prediction systems at Fleet Numerical Oceanography Center (FNOC). The quality control procedures for the database were developed by Atmospheric Directorate of the Naval Oceanographic and Atmospheric Research Laboratory (now the Naval Research Laboratory), which is collocated with FNOC in Monterey, California. Global observations of atmospheric variables are subjected to various quality control techniques before being added to this database. During preliminary data processing, all observations are checked gross-error limits, multilevel reports are checked for vertical consistency, and multivariable reports are checked for internal consistency. Subsequent quality tests are performed in the analysis to ensure consistency between the observed data and the analysis background and to verify that the observations are supported by the surrounding reports. Additionally,...
The (NH4)2SO4-Na2SO4-H2O system: comparison of deliquescence humidities measured in the field and estimated from laboratory measurements and thermodynamic modeling

Hygroscopicity of atmospheric aerosol particles results in changes of the optical properties and chemical composition of the particles with significant effects on visibility degradation, atmospheric chemistry and possibly the global energy balance. Ambient aerosol, sampled in Riverside, California, USA, was characterized by measuring its light scattering coefficient as a function of controlled relative humidity and thermal treatment. These measurements and results from simultaneous filter samples have been compared with data from laboratory measurements and thermodynamic models for the (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 -Na 2 SO 4 -H 2 O system. Results from field experiments have indicated deliquescence humidities in the 74–79% range, after chemically neutralizing the aerosol with NH 3 and preheating the sample to 190 °C. Preheating was used to remove more volatile material from the aerosol particles, such as NH 4 NO3 which could inhibit the occurrence of deliquescence. The measured deliquescence humidity values were less than expected for pure (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , but their mean is, at the 95% confidence level, the same with the means of predictions for the deliquescence humidities determined from the phase diagram and thermodynamic modeling for the (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 -Na 2 SO 4 -H 2 O system. These results indicate first the importance of mixtures when examining the hygroscopic characteristics of atmospheric aerosol particles, and second the usefulness of in situ optical methods for the assessment of the chemical composition and hygroscopic properties of atmospheric aerosols. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0889.1994.00001.x
Increased risk of breast cancer in women with NF1.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a common autosomal dominant disorder associated with increased risk for neoplasms. Two studies in the United Kingdom have indicated that women with NF1 (particularly women under 50) may also be at increased risk of breast cancer. No such study has been done to date in the United States. Chart review for breast cancer diagnoses was undertaken for 126 women with NF1 followed at Johns Hopkins who were 20 years of age or older. Four of 126 women who met eligibility criteria were diagnosed with breast cancer (3.2% over 15 years). The unadjusted standardized incidence ratio (SIR) for breast cancer in the NF1 population between the ages of 20 and 49 was 2.68 (P=0.076, 95% CI: 0.68-7.29) based on incidence rates of breast cancer in the general population taken from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. The unadjusted SIR for women with NF1 ≥50 was 0.81 (P=0.84, 95% CI: 0.041-4.01). When adjusted for race, the rate of NF1 in the general population and time of diagnosis, the SIR was 4.41 (P=0.0049, 95% CI: 1.12-12.00) for women <50 versus 0.94 (P=0.95, 95% CI: 0.047-4.65) for women ≥50. The trend of a higher-than-expected number of breast cancer cases in women <50 with NF1 agrees with the prior studies from the literature. Cumulatively, the data suggests an increased risk of breast cancer for women with NF1 <50 years old, implying a need for closer surveillance and the establishment of screening guidelines for this patient population.
Diagnostic Accuracy of the Cognitive Levels Test, the KeyMath-Revised, and the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests-Revised.

Sixty-six regular classroom children and 52 children with learning disabilities were administered the Cognitive Levels Test (CLT), the KeyMath-Revised (KMR), and the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests-Revised (WRMTR). For both groups, correlations between the CLT and WRMTR scores were found to be higher than those typically found in the literature for cognitive and reading measures. For both groups, correlations between the CLT and KMR scores were also higher than those commonly found in the literature for cognitive and math measures. With regard to differences between means, 70% of the CLT-achievement differences were significant for the learning disabled group. For the regular classroom group, only 3% of the CLT-achievement differences were significant. Overall, 81% of the combined subjects were correctly classified using the three-instrument battery.
Electrical and thermal conductivities of a silver flake/thermosetting polymer matrix composite

Abstract The electrical and thermal conductivities of a silver flake/thermosetting polymer matrix composite were studied experimentally and analytically in terms of silver flake size and size distribution. The electrical volume resistivity and the steady-state thermal conductivity of the composite were measured at various silver flake loading. The analytical study was based on a three-dimensional resistor network model, which takes into account percolation and microscopic conduction mechanisms. The predictions based on the resistor network model were compared with the experimental data, resulting in a reasonably good agreement. It was found that flakes with smaller mean value in size and broader size distribution yield smaller threshold volume fraction of silver flake. It was shown that the predictions by the present thermal resistor network model yields better agreement with the experimental data than those by the effective medium theory such as Eshelby’s model, for a composite with high thermal conductivity ratio of filler to matrix.
Post-eruption Legacy Effects and Their Implications for Long-Term Recovery of the Vegetation on Kasatochi Island, Alaska

Abstract We studied the vegetation of Kasatochi Island, central Aleutian Islands, to provide a general field assessment regarding the survival of plants, lichens, and fungi following a destructive volcanic eruption that occurred in 2008. Plant community data were analyzed using multivariate methods to explore the relationship between pre- and post-eruption plant cover; 5 major vegetation types were identified: Honckenya peploides beach, Festuca rubra cliff shelf, Lupinus nootkatensis–Festuca rubra meadow, Leymus mollis bluff ridge (and beach), and Aleuria aurantia lower slope barrens. Our study provided a very unusual glimpse into the early stages of plant primary succession on a remote island where most of the vegetation was destroyed. Plants that apparently survived the eruption dominated early plant communities. Not surprisingly, the most diverse post-eruption community most closely resembled a widespread pre-eruption type. Microhabitats where early plant communities were found were distinct and appare...
Current prescribing practices and opinions about growth hormone therapy: results of a nationwide survey of paediatric endocrinologists.

Summary Background With the advent of several new treatment indications for recombinant hGH, endocrinologists are being asked to make some difficult decisions regarding eligibility for treatment. The purpose of this study was to summarize prevailing attitudes about GH diagnosis and treatment among paediatric endocrinologists. Methods We sent surveys to all active US members of the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society (LWPES) listed in the 2004–05 directory (excluding our own group of physicians). Thirty-eight per cent of the surveys were returned and 182 met eligibility for analysis. Surveys were divided into four parts: demographic data, answers reflecting current diagnosis practices for GH deficiency and treatment with GH, attitudes and clinical practice for the idiopathic short stature (ISS) diagnosis, and four case studies. Through a series of questions, we elicited the influence towards prescribing GH of current height, growth velocity, predicted height, pubertal progression and other variables. Results were entered into a Microsoft Access database and statistical evaluation was conducted. Results Eighty-eight per cent of respondents answered ‘no’ to the statement that there is good consensus on who should be treated with GH and over 90% answered ‘no’ to the statement that secretagogue testing was the best way to determine if a child would benefit from GH. Factors listed by respondents as important for prescribing GH include: growth velocity less than the 25th percentile, target height less than the 5th percentile and pubertal stage greater than Tanner 2. Current height was also important; however, answers varied as to what height percentile indicated the need for treatment. When queried about prescribing practices for nonstraightforward cases, 62% of respondents answered that the cost of GH influenced their decision to treat, 55% responded that concerns of future unknown side-effects affected their decision and 37% noted family persistence influenced their decision. In response to queries about ISS, 82% answered that they were currently using the new indication and 69% answered that there was a need for the indication. The statement that short stature could be a disability received a ‘yes’ response from 78%. Answers to the four cases reflected lack of consensus, with one-third of all respondents answering that they would treat each case, one-third choosing to treat more than two of the cases and one-third treating less than two of the cases. Conclusion Endocrinologists differed in their answers about cause for treatment with GH but in general favoured use of poor growth velocity, poor target height and low IGF-1 levels as indications to treat a paediatric patient with GH.
Clostridium difficile infection: toxins and non-toxin virulence factors, and their contributions to disease establishment and host response.

Clostridium difficile infection is the leading cause of antibiotic- and healthcare-associated diarrhea, and its containment and treatment imposes a significant financial burden, estimated to be ove...
Perturbed angular correlation study of impurity interactions in a cubic host metal: Hf in Nb.

{sup 181}Ta perturbed angular correlation experiments have been performed on Nb-Hf alloys containing 0.5--5.5 at. % Hf. A Maxwellian frequency distribution model is proposed to account for the electric-field-gradient distribution due to impurities in a cubic matrix. The model was used to analyze the Nb-Hf data. If an unperturbed fraction is included with the Maxwellian distribution, then agreement with experiment is excellent. The unperturbed site is apparently required to correct for underestimation of the actual distribution by the Maxwellian at low frequencies. The unperturbed fraction is large only for small impurity concentrations and corresponds approximately to sites more distant than five lattice spacings from the nearest impurity. The peak of the Maxwellian quadrupole frequency distribution is linear in Hf concentration.
Further comments on the integrated incoherent scattering cross sections for polarized X-rays☆

The Klein-Nishina cross section for the scattering of polarized X-rays into 90° has been integrated again over the solid angle of a circular aperture. This time all of the terms have been integrated separately so the relative merits of the major angular term, cos2α, and the terms that vary slowly with angle, KK0, K0K, and −2, can be illustrated. When observed in the plane perpendicular to the electric field vector of the incident X-ray, the cos2α term dominates the cross section. However, when observed in the plane of the incident X-ray's electric field vector, the cos2α term dominates only for the larger solid angles. For the smaller solid angles the often neglected KK0 + K0K −2 terms dominate.
Effect of product inhibition on kinetics of drug elimination

In view of recent indications that drug biotransformation processes may be inhibited in vivoby the products of such processes, pharmacokinetic studies have been carried out to determine the possible effects of product inhibition on drug elimination. Theoretical considerations and digital computer simulations show that an apparent increase in the biological half-life of a drug with increasing dose may result from product inhibition if the dissociation constant for the drug metabolite-enzyme complex is appreciably lower than the Michaelis constant for the drugenzyme complex, if drug metabolite levels remain relatively constant for some time due to slow elimination of the metabolite, and if the level of drug in the body does not appreciably exceed the apparent in vivoMichaelis constant.
Density estimation applied to stochastic abundance models

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to suggest a new approach to the area of stochastic abundance models - one that relies on the recent techniques developed in nonparametric density estimation. We apply density estimation to R = (R1, R2, …, RN), where Ri is the number of classes of species with i elements in the data sample. We give an estimate robust against sample size. We also apply the technique to λ = (λ1, …, λs), where λi is the abundance of species i to find a nonparametric means of estimating directly the abundance λ without using the index Ri.
Ceramide inhibits nitric oxide production in alveolar macrophages of endotoxin and ethanol plus endotoxin-treated rats.

Abstract The effect of ceramide on nitric oxide (NO) formation was studied in rat alveolar macrophages (AMs). Rats were infused with ethanol (EtOH) for 3 h, or the EtOH infusion was combined with i.v. injection of endotoxin (ET) 90 min into the infusion. Controls were infused with saline. Alveolar macrophages were obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage and were cultured for 20 h in the presence and absence of ET, interferon-γ (IFN), C6ceramide (N-hexanoylsphingosine), and C2dihydroceramide. Nitric oxide formation was assessed by measurement of nitrites in the medium. C6ceramide significantly suppressed NO formation in response toin vitroaddition of ET, but not IFN. C2dihydroceramide caused no inhibition. The ceramide effect appears to be not only stimulus specific, but also specific to AMs, since NO formation by Kupffer cells and liver infiltrated neutrophils was not affected. The results suggest involvement of the sphingomyelin cycle in ET-stimulated NO formation in rat AMs.
Cleaning house: Stock reassignments on the NYSE

Abstract A frequently occurring, yet unexplored, phenomenon of the New York Stock Exchange specialist system is that of reassignments of stocks by specialist firms on the floor of the Exchange. These events change the portfolios at the individual specialist level by reassigning one or more stocks from one individual specialist portfolio to another. We find that reassigned stocks have unusually wide spreads before reassignments and experience a decline in spreads to levels comparable to matched stocks after the reassignment. This improvement in liquidity is associated with a reduced cost of capital for the reassigned firms. We find that portfolio size, and industry and size concentration of the individual specialist portfolios are associated with the decision of specialist firms to reassign stocks.