cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Upper respiratory infection in acute pediatric care in internal conflict, Kosovo, 1999.

Only 8 few reports focus on health issues among pediatric populations in internal conflicts including care for internally displaced persons (IDPs). This report examined the risk factors for pediatric upper respiratory infection (URI) during the internal conflict in Kosovo that presented at an acute care clinic before the aerial bombardment campaign by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in March 1999. The pediatric clinic was organized and managed by Kinderberg one of the German humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the town of Vucitrn 20 km north of the capital of Kosovo in mid-February 1999 at the height of internal conflicts and massive population migration in the area. This report discusses the results of 8 risk factor analysis for URI including overcrowding malnutrition and presence of smokers. A comparison of anthropometric measurements among IDPs and non-IDPs in our clinic populations was conducted to evaluate the state of nutrition in these two groups. There were no significant differences among IDPs and non-IDPs in anthropometric measurements. Smoking and having less than three meals per day were statistically associated with the increased risk of URI. Even during emergency medical interventions prevention programs such as smoking cessation and food security may decrease URI in this pediatric population. (authors)
Myocardial fibrosis in patients with symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: correlation with echocardiographic measurements, sarcomeric genotypes, and pro-left ventricular hypertrophy polymorphisms involving the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system

Abstract Introduction Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a heterogeneous disorder of the cardiac sarcomere, resulting in myocyte hypertrophy and disarray, interstitial fibrosis, and cardiac dysfunction. Our aim was to determine whether the amount of fibrosis in HCM correlates with echocardiographic measures of diastolic dysfunction, presence of HCM-susceptibility mutations, or polymorphisms in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). Methods Surgical specimens from patients with obstructive HCM undergoing septal myectomy at the Mayo Clinic (2001–2004) were examined and compared with autopsy-derived tissues from age- and sex-matched normal controls. Digital image analysis was used to quantitate the fibrosis in representative microscopic sections. Genotyping was performed for myofilament-HCM using polymerase chain reaction, high-performance liquid chromatography, and direct DNA sequencing. RAAS polymorphism status was similarly established. Results The study included 59 HCM cases and 44 controls. Patients with HCM exhibited more fibrosis (mean 17%, range 3–45%) than controls (mean 8%, range 3–17%) ( P P =.02), left ventricular ejection fraction ( P =.02), and peak early/late diastolic mitral annulus velocity (E/A ratio) ( P =.002). Although there was no association between amount of fibrosis and myofilament-HCM genotype status or polymorphisms in the RAAS cascade, there was a trend toward more fibrosis in patients with ≥1 C-encoding allele in CYP11B2 -encoded aldosterone synthase. Conclusions Patients with HCM undergoing septal myectomy had significantly more myocardial interstitial fibrosis than controls. The amount of fibrosis in HCM patients correlated with degree of septal hypertrophy and left ventricular systolic and diastolic function. Notably, neither mutations in cardiac myofilament proteins or polymorphisms in RAAS exhibited strong associations with severity of myocardial fibrosis.
Impact of Sleep and Its Disturbances on Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Activity

The daily rhythm of cortisol secretion is relatively stable and primarily under the influence of the circadian clock. Nevertheless, several other factors affect hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. Sleep has modest but clearly detectable modulatory effects on HPA axis activity. Sleep onset exerts an inhibitory effect on cortisol secretion while awakenings and sleep offset are accompanied by cortisol stimulation. During waking, an association between cortisol secretory bursts and indices of central arousal has also been detected. Abrupt shifts of the sleep period induce a profound disruption in the daily cortisol rhythm, while sleep deprivation and/or reduced sleep quality seem to result in a modest but functionally important activation of the axis. HPA hyperactivity is clearly associated with metabolic, cognitive and psychiatric disorders and could be involved in the well-documented associations between sleep disturbances and the risk of obesity, diabetes and cognitive dysfunction. Several clinical syndromes, such as insomnia, depression, Cushing's syndrome, sleep disordered breathing (SDB) display HPA hyperactivity, disturbed sleep, psychiatric and metabolic impairments. Further research to delineate the functional links between sleep and HPA axis activity is needed to fully understand the pathophysiology of these syndromes and to develop adequate strategies of prevention and treatment.
On Predicting the Phenomenon of Surface Flow Convergence in Wind Farms

A systematic analysis of a single-rotor horizontal axis wind turbine aerodynamics is performed to obtain a realistic potential maximum efficiency. It is noted that by including the effects of swirl, viscosity and finite number of blades, the maximum aerodynamic efficiency of a HAWT is within a few percentage points of the efficiency of commercially-available turbines. The need for investigating windfarm (as a unit) aerodynamics is thus highlighted.An actuator disk model is developed and implemented in the OpenFOAM software suite. The model is validated against 1-D momentum theory, blade element momentum theory, as well as against experimental data. The validated actuator disk model is then used to investigate an interesting microscale meteorological phenomenon called “flow convergence” caused by an array of wind turbines. This phenomenon is believed to be caused by the drop of pressure in wind farms. Wind farm numerical simulations are conducted with various approximations to investigate and explain the flow convergence phenomenon.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Fiber channel storage interface for video-on-demand servers

The emerging `information super-highway' and accelerating improvements in computer and mass storage technologies will soon make multimedia services, such as video-on-demand (VOD), a reality. Since a media server will be required to move a large amount of data over distribution networks, its I/O subsystem design is critical to its success. In this paper, we explore a new technology, Fiber Channel, as a storage interface for video servers. Specifically, we study Fiber Channel loop topology that attaches multiple disk drives to a server host. In order to compare the performance of the new Fiber Channel interface with existing parallel SCSI, we built a video server simulator that simulates the behavior of both interfaces. The results show that with the same number of disks and the same system configurations, one Fiber Channel loop can achieve 50% higher performance (measured by the number of concurrent streams supported by the server) than four fast/wide SCSI channels. Our results show that Fiber Channel is attractive as a video/media server I/O interface. We also analyze the buffer size requirements and I/O transfer size for various configurations.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Ultraviolet inactivation of Saccharomyces during the budding cycle.

Abstract Analysis of the survival curves of cells of a synchronously budding yeast population exposed to ultraviolet reactivation has led to the following conclusions: 1. 1. The rate at which monokaryotic cells in a population are inactivated is associated directly with the number of events required to inactivate the individual cells. In general, increases in cell target values are accompanied by increases in rates of logarithmic inactivation. Both survival curve constants are related to the cellular desoxyribose nucleic acid content. 2. 2. Target values for dikaryotic cells are related to the total cellular desoxyribose nucleic acid content. The rates of logarithmic inactivation of dikaryons are conditioned by the distribution of desoxyribose nucleic acid between two nuclei as well as the total cellular desoxyribose nucleic acid content. 3. 3. Variations in the relative amounts of cytoplasm and desoxyribose nucleic acid affect the amount of damage cells may sustain prior to inactivation but have no discernable effect upon cellular inactivation rates or target values. 4. 4. The primary events in the inactivation processes are nongenic and probably involve the heterochromatin.
The use of damage-control principles for penetrating pelvic battlefield trauma.

Abstract Background High-velocity, penetrating pelvic injuries present one of the most difficult challenges to military trauma surgeons. The patients often present in physiologic extremis, and their injury-site patterns frequently include soft tissue, pelvic fractures, genitourinary tract, rectum, vascular structures, and intra-abdominal viscera. Methods A retrospective review of the 31st Combat Support Hospital damage-control laparotomy database, under an Institutional Review Board–approved protocol, revealed 28 patients with severe multisystem penetrating pelvic injuries. Up to 75 data points were queried for each patient and subjected to descriptive analysis using SPSS 11.0.4 Statistical Software Package (SPSS, Inc, Chicago, IL). Results Of 28 patients with severe penetrating pelvic injuries, 43% had extraperitoneal rectal, 43% had urologic, and 50% had major vascular injuries. On average, patients required 4 abdominal operations for treatment of all injuries. Six of 28 (21%) patients died within the first week after injury, and 36% of patients with vascular and rectal injuries died. Conclusions Management of these injuries frequently required damage-control techniques and a staged, multidisciplinary approach to reconstruction. Combined rectal and vascular injuries were the most devastating in this type of injury complex.
Susceptibility of 1‐ and 3‐Day‐Old Chicks to Infection with the Coccidium, Eimeria acervulina

SYNOPSIS. One-day-old chicks were less susceptible to experimental infection with E. acervidina than were 3-day-old chicks. Chicks fed intact oocysts when 3 days old produced 5.3, 6.7, and 42.7 times as many oocysts and had more extensive lesions than did those fed a similar number of oocysts when 1 day old. When oocyst suspensions that contained both liberated sporocysts and intact oocysts were administered, chicks infected when 3 days old produced only 1.8, 1.3, and 2.6 times as many oocysts as did those infected when 1 day old. Examination of gizzard and intestinal contents of chicks killed 2–1½ hr after receiving massive numbers of intact oocysts showed that only a few sporocysts were liberated from oocysts in the gizzard of 1-day-old chicks, whereas more were liberated in the gizzard of 3-day-old chicks. Very few sporozoites were found in the duodenum of the 1-day-old chicks. but there was a linear increase in the percentages in samples from lower levels of the small intestine. In 3-day-old chicks, excystation in the duodenum was high and, instead of increasing, remained at about the same level in the jejunum. The far smaller number of liberated sporocysts in the gizzards of 1-day-old chicks is attributed to less musculature and an incompletely developed grinding surface The delayed excystation of sporozoites in the intestine of 1-day-old chicks is thought to be due to suboptimal concentrations of trypsin and/or other pancreatic enzymes effecting excystation. The lighter infections observed in 1-day-old chicks, as compared to those in chicks 3 days old, are attributed to (a) a smaller number of liberated sporocysts leaving the gizzard, (b) delayed excystation in the intestine, and (c) less opportunity for sporozoites to penetrate epithelial cells.
Use of frozen chick and duck embryo cells for plaque assays of arboviruses and rickettsiae.

Abstract Conditions for preparation, freezing, storing and plating of chick and duck embryo cell slurries are described. Comparisons of plaque assay sensitivity for fresh and previously frozen cells with Eastern equine encephalitis, Western equine encephalitis, Venezuelan equine encephalitis and Semliki Forest virus showed, for each virus, that the four classes of cells gave similar titres. Vesicular stomatis virus assayed equivalently in fresh and previously frozen chick cells, but was lower in duck embryo cells. Rickettsia rickettsii showed equal plaquing titre on chick and duck embryo cells.
A Theoretical Study of Cold Air Damming with Upstream Cold Air Inflow

Abstract The previously developed two-layer model of cold air damming is extended to include upstream cold air inflow. The upper layer is an isentropic cross-mountain flow. The lower layer is a cold boundary layer flow partially blocked by a two-dimensional mountain with a cold dome formed on the windward side of the mountain. The interface represents a sloping inversion layer coupling the two layers. The shape of the interface can be approximated by a cubic polynomial, and the interfacial coupling condition yields a set of algebraic equations that quantify the scale and intensity of the dammed flow as functions of the external parameters characterizing the environmental conditions. It is found that the cold dome shrinks as the Froude number increases or, to a minor degree, as the Ekman number decreases or/and the upstream inflow veers from northeasterly to southeasterly (with respect to a longitudinal mountain to the west). The mountain-parallel jet speed increases as the Ekman number decreases or/and th...
Notes on Love and Death in Augustine and Heidegger

By contrast to the Augustine for whom our love's exposure to temporal insecurity, or our affection for mortal things, would threaten love's happiness, such that love calls for the eternal, the Heidegger of Being and Time, this paper argues, would suggest paths for understanding mortal temporality as a condition, and not a contradiction, of love and its joy.
Faculty perspectives on the inclusion of spirituality topics in nonsectarian leadership and management education programs

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore faculty views on the inclusion of spiritual topics in graduate leadership and management programs, focusing on faculty experiences, perceived benefits and challenges, and teaching methods and principles in use. We interviewed twelve faculty members in leadership or management programs from eleven nonsectarian universities. Participants discussed eight benefits including the opportunity for whole person growth and skill development that would benefit leaders in a global workplace. Eight barriers to such inclusion were identified such as proselytizing and the misuse of power. The sampled instructors also made some suggestions for how to include spirituality topics, such as using respected resources and linking classroom discussions to practice. Overall, instructors' preference for including spiritual topics also varied in terms of explicit versus implicit and organic-emergent versus preplanned-structured approaches.
Influence of strawberry yogurt composition on aroma release

The primary objective of this study was to determine how yogurt ingredients affect aroma release in the mouth during eating. A model strawberry flavor consisting of ethyl butanoate, ethyl 3-methylbutanoate, (Z)-hex-3-enol, 2-methylbutanoic acid, 5-hexylhydro-2(3H)-furanone, and 3-methyl-3-phenylglycidic acid ethyl ester was added to unflavored, unsweetened yogurt that had different added sweeteners and hydrocolloids. In all, 12 yogurt formulations were examined to determine the effects of gelatin, modified food starch, pectin, sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, and aspartame on aroma release. Aroma release was monitored by breath-by-breath analysis (proton-transfer reaction-mass spectrometry) during eating of the test yogurts. Results showed aroma release of the ethyl butanoate, (Z)-hex-3-enol, and ethyl 3-methylbutanoate to be suppressed by sweeteners, with 55 DE high-fructose corn syrup having the greatest effect. Addition of thickening agents had no significant effect on the aroma release profiles of the compounds under study.
The free classification of hierarchically and categorically related stimuli

Two experiments investigated the free classification of sets of three stimuli selected from two conceptual hierarchies. In Experiment I, one pair of stimuli was hierarchically related, one pair was categorically related, and one pair was unrelated. The S s usually classified each set into two groups using the hierarchical or categorical relationship. The similarity between stimuli on each relationship influenced which of these relationships was used for classification. In Experiment II, different stimulus sets were used which varied the number of hierarchically related, categorically related, and unrelated stimulus pairs. As in Experiment I, classification was relational, and similarity influenced the choice of relationship. In addition, the relationship between stimuli in different groups affected classification. An explanation based on associative relatedness was not satisfactory.
ULTRAFAST COHERENT TERAHERTZ SPECTROSCOPY IN HIGH MAGNETIC FIELDS

With an aim towards measuring the high-frequency complex conductivity of correlated electron materials in the regime of low temperatures and high magnetic fields, we introduce a method for performing time-domain terahertz spectroscopy directly in the cryogenic bore of existing dc and pulsed-field magnets. Miniature, fiber-coupled THz emitters and receivers are constructed and are demonstrated to work down to 5 K and up to 6 Tesla, for eventual use in higher-field magnets. Maintaining the sub-micron alignment between fiber and antenna during thermal cycling, and obtaining ultrafast (<200fs) optical gating pulses at the end of long optical fibers constitute the major technical challenges of this project. Preliminary data on YBCO superconducting thin films is shown.
Multipass amplification of soft x-rays in a laser cavity.

We report the first demonstration to our knowledge of multipass amplification of soft x rays. A gain medium of neonlike selenium ions was placed within a resonant cavity composed of a multilayer mirror and a beam splitter designed for normal-incidence use at the 20.63- and 20.96-nm laser lines of the neonlike selenium. The laser-cavity output was time resolved and exhibited three distinct temporal components identifiable as the single-, double-, and triple-pass amplified emission. In these experiments, multipass amplification was limited by the finite duration of the gain medium.
The analysis and training of rationales for child care workers

Research has suggested that the use of reasons by parents and child care workers plays an important role in educating and otherwise influencing children and adolescents. However, there has been no systematic effort to train parents or child care workers to use reasoning in their interactions with their children and adolescents. The present research evaluated the effectiveness of a set of procedures in training prospective child care personnel to deliver rationales, a type of reason. The training procedures consisted of a self-instructional package, a workshop lecture, and an individual practice (to criterion) and feedback component. These procedures were administered to three groups of trainees preparing to operate group home treatment programs for delinquent adolescents.. Their performances across pre- and posttest simulations of youth problem behavior situations were recorded and analyzed following a multiple-baseline design. The findings suggested that the training was effective in increasing the trainees' level of rationale-delivery during test situations. Validity ratings obtained on a sample of pre- and posttraining tapes by a group of court-adjudicated girls from a community-based, group-home program indicated that interactions containing rationales were more highly rated along treatment-relevant dimensions.
Efficient single-photon counting at 1.55 µm by means of frequency upconversion

We demonstrate efficient single-photon detection at 1.55 microm by means of sum-frequency mixing with a strong pump at 1.064 microm in periodically poled lithium niobate followed by photon counting in the visible region. This scheme offers significant advantages over existing InGaAs photon counters: continuous-wave operation, higher detection efficiency, higher counting rates, and no afterpulsing. We achieved single-photon upconversion efficiency of 90% at 21.6 W of circulating power in a resonant pump cavity with a 400-mW Nd:YAG laser. We observed high background counts at strong circulating pump powers due to efficient upconversion of pump-induced fluorescence photons.
Estimating the Dimension of Weather and Climate Attractors: Important Issues about the Procedure and Interpretation

Abstract When the reconstruction of attractors from observables is sought, the Grassberger-Procaccia algorithm for estimating the correlation dimension is often used. An overview of recent developments concerning data requirements and algorithm performance is presented within. In view of these developments the significance of previously estimated dimensions of weather and climate attractors is discussed.
Interlaminar Stresses of Uniformly Loaded Rectangular Composite Plates

An analytical solution is obtained for bending a rectangular composite plate with two sides simply-supported and other two sides free. The inter laminar shear stresses and the normal or "peel" stress, near and at the free edges of the plate, are predicted. Numerical example of a 4-layer (+θ/-θ) s laminate is given. The magnitudes of the interlaminar shear and normal stresses may be as high as 30% and 5% respectively, of the maximum bending stress of the laminate. It would play a dominant role in fatigue fracture of composite plates such as leaf-spring of automobiles, lever-arms of painting robots, and many orthopedic in-plant devices.
Antenna beam forming using holographic artificial impedance surface

The properties of the High Impedance Surfaces are used to design a ground plane for an antenna source to obtain a desired radiation pattern. Surface impedance modulation and microwave holography techniques are used to vary the surface impedance of the ground plane in a systematic pattern to achieve the desired radiation pattern for the antenna system. The ground planes are designed separately for the first two lower order modes. The performance of the ground planes thus designed for both the modes are then compared in terms of their capability to achieve the desired radiation pattern.
Mind over immunity

The central nervous system regulates the innate immune system by elaborating anti-inflammatory hormone cascades in response to bacterial products and immune mediators. We recently discovered that the central nervous system also responds via acetylcholine-mediated efferent signals carried through the vagus nerve. Nicotinic cholinergic receptors expressed on macrophages detect these signals and respond with a dampened cytokine response. Vagus nerve stimulators can mimic this response and can prevent lethal endotoxemia. This newly appreciated cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway provides a neural substrate to study brain-immune interactions and might be harnessed for therapy of cytokine-mediated disease.
A micro-autoanalytic procedure developed for the determination of ketone bodies, gluconeogenic amino acids, pyruvate, lactate, and glucose in metabolic studies.

Abstract A micro-autoanalytic procedure for the enzymic, fluorometric determinations of acetoacetate, β-hydroxybutyrate, pyruvate, lactate, alanine, glucose, glutamate, and glutamine has been described. As many as 60 to 80 duplicate samples can be analyzed simultaneously for either two or three compounds in 8 hr. The sensitivity and range of detection permit analyses of all eight compounds using only 50 μl of blood. The reproducibility, efficiency, and versatility of this autoanalytic system will warrant its wide application in metabolic studies.
Hypochondriasis, neuroticism, and aging. When are somatic complaints unfounded?

An analysis of the relation between subjective and objective health provides the framework for an evaluation of the view that medical complaints among the elderly are often unfounded. Naive realist, psychiatric-categoricaL and dimensional models of somatic concern are compared, and it is argued that individuals differ along a continuum from persistent underreporting of symptoms to frank hypochondriasis. Data are presented showing that, even among psy- chiatrically normal individuals, the personality di- mension of neuroticism is systematically related to the number of medical symptoms reported and that neuroticism-related complaints are best viewed as exaggerations of bodily concerns rather than as signs of organic disease. Psychometric data purporting to show that hypochondriasis increases in the elderly are confounded by real health changes with age, and evidence from longitudinal studies shows that where health complaints increase, they probably reflect veridical reports of changing health status. These conclusions have implications for health research, medical diagnosis, and public policy and suggest that the stereotype of old men and women as hypo- chondriacs is unfounded.
To redeem them from death. Reactions of family members to autopsy

Attitudes towards autopsy were examined in family members of 102 subjects who died in a university teaching hospital. The majority of responding families (88 percent) considered autopsy beneficial. Families permitting autopsy identified advancement of medical knowledge, comfort in knowing the cause of death, and reassurance that all appropriate care was given as the most important benefits. Fifty-five percent of the families of 40 subjects not undergoing autopsy declined permission and 45 percent had not been asked for such permission. The most frequent reasons given for not wanting autopsy were disfigurement of the body, stress of permitting autopsy, lack of information about autopsy, and family members' objections. Twenty-seven percent of 62 families permitting autopsy did not learn its results. Family members receiving results complained about long delays in receiving and complex terminology of autopsy reports. These findings suggest need for improvement in obtaining consent for autopsy, reporting autopsy results, and educating and counseling families of dying patients.
Psychosocial aspects of active surveillance.

Purpose of review To summarize the literature on psychosocial responses to active surveillance as well as educational and support strategies to promote adherence. Recent findings There are two prevalent responses among men undergoing active surveillance; anxiety and uncertainty. The education of a patient about low-risk prostate cancer as well as the inquiry by the physician into patient's priorities and goals with respect to their prostate cancer diagnosis provide opportunities to facilitate a collaborative relationship between the physician and the patient. Supplemental support services for men undergoing active surveillance, including support groups and Internet-based interventions continue to be researched in relation to their role in promoting adherence to active surveillance. Summary Active surveillance continues to remain a highly valued management approach for men with early stage prostate cancer. However, it is suggested that the psychosocial burden of living with prostate cancer plays a substantial role in adherence to active surveillance and outcomes of men with the disease. Effective clinician education and counseling, as well as the referral for supplemental support services must be implemented and documented in future research studies and clinical practice.
Promotive and Risk Factors Related To Deviant Behavior in Japanese Youth

Although deviant behavior is on the rise in Japanese youth, the promotive (or protective) factors that deter this behavior and the risk factors that exacerbate it have not been studied. This study examined promotive and risk factors related to deviant behavior among 555 male and female Japanese youth attending postsecondary schools in the Sapporo area. Individual characteristics, family characteristics and processes, and extrafamilial factors were investigated. Results showed that many factors that had been linked to deviant behavior in Western samples (e.g., lack of parental monitoring) were also predictive of deviant behavior in Japanese youth. In addition, some factors that were of particular concern in Japan (e.g., father's involvement in fuzuko) were also predictive of deviant behavior.
Measurement and control of polymerization reactors

The measurement and control of polymerization reactors is very challenging due to the complexity of the physical mechanisms and polymerization kinetics. In these reactors many important variables, which are related to end-use polymer properties, cannot be measured on-line or can only be measured at low sampling frequencies. Furthermore, end-use polymer properties are related to the entire molecular weight, copolymer composition, sequence length, and branching distributions. This paper surveys the instrumentation technologies, which are of particular interest in polymerization reactors with emphasis on, for example, measurement of viscosity, composition, molecular weight, and particle size. This paper presents a hierarchical approach to the control system design and reviews traditional regulatory techniques as well as advanced control strategies for batch, semibatch, and continuous reactors. These approaches are illustrated by focusing on the control of a commercial multiproduct continuous emulsion polymerization reactor. Finally, the paper captures some of the trends in the polymer industry, which may impact future development in measurement and reactor control.
Single Edge Crack in Rectangular Tensile Sheet

Abstract : The stress intensity factors for single edge cracks in rectangular tensile sheet are studied by using a complex variable form of analysis. The results for deep cracks show a considerable increase in the intensity factors as compared to the case of symmetric edge cracks. Accurate numerical values of the stress intensity factors for the appropriate range of parameters are included. (Author)
Child Psychosocial Adjustment and Parenting in Families Affected by Maternal HIV/AIDS

Child adjustment and parenting were examined in twenty-three 9–16-year-old youth from families affected by maternal HIV infection and 20 same-age peers whose mothers were not infected. Children whose mothers were seropositive reported significantly more externalizing problems. Infected mothers reported less age-appropriate supervision/monitoring relative to non-infected mothers. Better mother-child relationship quality and less impairment in parental supervision/monitoring of age-appropriate youth behaviors were associated with fewer externalizing difficulties among the HIV-positive group only. Similarly, only among HIV-infected mothers was refraining from engaging in inconsistent disciplinary tactics associated with lower reports of internalizing and externalizing problems. These data highlight the promise of programs targeting parenting skills to prevent or ameliorate child difficulties.
How should children with West syndrome be efficiently and accurately investigated? Results from the National Infantile Spasms Consortium

Summary Objective To prospectively evaluate the etiology of new-onset infantile spasms and evaluate the yield of genetic and metabolic investigations in those without obvious cause after initial clinical evaluation and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods Twenty-one U.S. pediatric epilepsy centers prospectively enrolled infants with newly diagnosed West syndrome in a central database. Etiology and investigations performed within 3 months of diagnosis were documented. Results From June 2012 to June 2014, a total of 251 infants were enrolled (53% male). A cause was identified in 161 (64.4%) of 250 cases (genetic,14.4%; genetic-structural, 10.0%; structural-congenital, 10.8%; structural-acquired, 22.4%; metabolic, 4.8%; and infectious, 2.0%). An obvious cause was found after initial clinical assessment (history and physical examination) and/or MRI in 138 of 161, whereas further genetic and metabolic studies were revealing in another 23 cases. Of 112 subjects without an obvious cause after initial evaluation and MRI, 81 (72.3%) had undergone genetic testing, which showed a causal abnormality in 23.5% and a variant of unknown significance in 14.8%. Although metabolic studies were done in the majority (serum, 79.5%; urine, 69.6%; and cerebrospinal fluid [CSF], 38.4%), these revealed an etiology in only five cases (4.5%). No correlation was found between type of health insurance (public vs. private) and either genetic or metabolic testing. Significance Clinical evaluation and MRI provide a specific diagnosis in 55% of children presenting with West syndrome. We propose that a cost-effective workup for those without obvious cause after initial clinical evaluation and MRI includes an array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) followed by an epilepsy gene panel if the microarray is not definitive, serum lactate, serum amino acids, and urine organic acids.
Solution to the galactic foreground problem for LISA

Low frequency gravitational wave detectors, such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), will have to contend with large foregrounds produced by millions of compact galactic binaries in our galaxy. While these galactic signals are interesting in their own right, the unresolved component can obscure other sources. The science yield for the LISA mission can be improved if the brighter and more isolated foreground sources can be identified and regressed from the data. Since the signals overlap with one another, we are faced with a 'cocktail party' problem of picking out individual conversations in a crowded room. Here we present and implement an end-to-end solution to the galactic foreground problem that is able to resolve tens of thousands of sources from across the LISA band. Our algorithm employs a variant of the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method, which we call the blocked annealed Metropolis-Hastings (BAM) algorithm. Following a description of the algorithm and its implementation, we give several examples ranging from searches for a single source to searches for hundreds of overlapping sources. Our examples include data sets from the first round of mock LISA data challenges.
Comparison of aquarius measurements over oceans with radiative transfer models at L-band

Spaceborne radiometric measurements at L-band from the Aquarius instrument are compared to numerical model simulation. The empirical calibration of the data, performed over oceans only, is checked for consistency with measurements over the celestial sky. The calibration for the horizontal polarization is found to extend properly to the cold sky temperature, but the vertical polarization exhibit large biases, questioning the calibration accuracy over the whole dynamic range of measurements. The dependence of measurements on wind speed and wind direction is compared to model predictions. The accuracy of the model for surface roughness impact is estimated to be of the order of 0.25K over a large range of wind speeds, but is less accurate at the low and high end of the wind speed range, particularly for wind speeds much larger than 15 m/s. The impact of wind direction, while measureable at large wind speeds, is more uncertain to quantify because its amplitude is close to that of the radiometric noise.
Dissolved iron anomaly in the deep tropical-subtropical Pacific: Evidence for long-range transport of hydrothermal iron

Abstract Dissolved iron profiles along a north–south transect along 158°W in the tropical Pacific show evidence of two deepwater anomalies. The first extends from Station ALOHA (22.78°N) to the equator at ∼1000–1500 m and lies below the maximum apparent oxygen utilization and nutrient (N, P) concentrations. The feature is not supported by vertical export processes, but instead corresponds with the lateral dilution field of δ 3 He derived from the Loihi seamount, Hawaii, though a sediment source associated with the Hawaiian Island Chain cannot be entirely ruled out. The second, deeper (2000–3000 m) anomaly occurs in tropical South Pacific waters (7°S) and also does not correlate with the depths of maximum nutrient concentrations or apparent oxygen utilization, but it does coincide closely with δ 3 He emanating from the East Pacific Rise, more than 5000 km to the east. We hypothesize that these anomalies represent the long-range (>2000 km) transport of hydrothermal iron residuals, stabilized against scavenging by complexation with excess organic ligands in the plume source regions. Such trace leakage of hydrothermal iron to distal plume regions would have been difficult to identify in most hydrothermal vent mapping studies because low analytical detection limits were not needed for the proximal plume regions. These findings suggest that hydrothermal activity may represent a major source of dissolved iron throughout the South Pacific deep basin today, as well as other regions having high mid-ocean spreading rates in the geologic past. In particular, we hypothesize that high spreading rates along the South Atlantic and Southern Ocean mid-oceanic ridges, combined with the upwelling ventilation of these distal hydrothermal plumes, may have increased ocean productivity and carbon export in the Southern Ocean. Assessing the magnitude and persistence of dissolved hydrothermal iron in basin scale deep waters will be important for understanding the marine biogeochemistry of iron and, potentially, on ocean productivity and climate change during the geologic past.
Preservation of neutrophils in CPD-adenine.

Human neutrophils were stored in vitro in CPD or CPD-adenine plasma under conditions designed to simulate those of leukapheresis followed by short-term preservation. Viability, morphology by light microscopy, and phagocytic ability of cells stored in either anticoagulant were similar when studied sequentially during 72 hours of storage. Thus, CPD- adenine offered no advantage, under the conditions employed, over standard CPD without adenine.
The role of soliton-antisoliton configurations with Ag symmetry in the nonlinear optical response of polyacetylene

Abstract The contribution of soliton—antisoliton (S S ) configurations with Ag symmetry to the third-order nonlinear optical response is investigated for conjugated polymers having a degenerate ground state. The results indicate that nonresonant terms in the expansion of χ(3) (−3ω:ω, ω, ω) involving the Ag symmetric neutral S S pair configuration as an intermediate state are one to two orders of magnitude larger than the corresponding rigid band contribution. This mechanism for the third order response is enabled by nonlinear zero-point motion which provides a finite Franck—Condon overlap between the ground and S S excited state lattice configurations. The contribution to χ(3) (3ω) from the neutral S S configuration is due to the large transition dipole moment and is further enhanced by a condition unique to degenerate ground state systems, simultaneous two- and three-photon resonance.
Multi-objective optimization tool for a free structure analog circuits design using genetic algorithms and incorporating parasitics

This paper presents a novel approach for a free structure analog circuit design using Genetic Algorithms (GA). A major problem in a free structure circuit is its sensitivity calculations as a polynomial approximation for the design is not available. A further problem is the effect of parasitic elements on the resulting circuit's performance. In a single design stage, circuits are produced that satisfy a specific frequency response specifications using circuit structures that are unrestricted and with component values that are chosen from a set of preferred values including their parasitic effects. The sensitivity to component variations for the resulting designs is performed using a novel technique and is incorporated in the fitness evaluation function. The extra degrees of freedom resulting form unbounded circuit structures create a huge search space. The application chosen is a LC all pass ladder filter circuit design.
Defective oxidative metabolic responses of neutrophils from stressed neonates

Oxidative metabolic responses of polymorphonuclear leukocytes were assessed in 24 stressed neonates and 22 well, term infants utilizing particulate and soluble stimuli. Stressed neonatal PMNs demonstrated a depressed CL response to zymosan, whereas O 2 − production for both normal and stressed PMNs of neonates was significantly elevated compared to that in PMNs from adults. These results were not ascribable to phagocytosis since it was comparable in all groups using radiolabeled bacteria. Stressed neonates' PMN responses to soluble stimuli were significantly elevaled when compared with those from well neonates and adult controls. Enhanced responses were most prominent in the most severely stressed infants. Treatment of neonates' PMNs with the antioxidants vitamin E and DHB partially corrected the abnormalities, suggesting peroxidative damage to the PMN membrane had occurred. The oxidative metabolic abnormalities of neonates' PMNs are consistent with either a defect in HMPS activity, a defect in functioning of the later portions of the respiratory burst, or a stimulus-specific abnormality in respiratory burst activity.
The value of digital ecosystems to the knowledge economy and the growth of intellectual capital

Digital ecosystems have been implemented and studied in many different domains, including open source software development environments, museums, as support systems for special populations, and as supportive learning environments. One domain which has received only passing attention is the value of digital ecosystems to the development of intellectual capital. Digital Ecosystems provide a critical habitat in which knowledge ecosystems and intellectual capital may flourish in the 21st century knowledge economy. This poster session considers how digital ecosystems influence the growth and adaptability of knowledge ecosystems, particularly at the level of individual members of a species.
HIGH TEMPERATURE PRESSURE PROCESSING OF MIXED ALANATE COMPOUNDS

Mixtures of light-weight elements and hydrides were investigated to increase the understanding of the chemical reactions that take place between various materials. This report details investigations we have made into mixtures that include NaAlH{sub 4}, LiAlH{sub 4}, MgH{sub 2}, Mg{sub 2}NiH{sub 4}, alkali(ne) hydrides, and early third row transition metals (V, Cr, Mn). Experimental parameters such as stoichiometry, heat from ball milling versus hand milling, and varying the temperature of high pressure molten state processing were studied to examine the effects of these parameters on the reactions of the complex metal hydrides.
A biomechanical analog of curve progression and orthotic stabilization in idiopathic scoliosis

Abstract A biomechanical analog of curve progression and orthotic stabilization in idiopathic scoliosis has been developed using the classical theory of curved beam-columns. The interaction of the spinal musculature and other supporting structures is incorporated in the model using an equivalent flexural rigidity. The stability of a given scoliotic curve relative to a normal spine is described in terms of the so-called critical load ratio ( P c P e ). This dimensionless quantity appears in the exact solution of the governing differential equation and boundary conditions. It is defined as the ratio of the load bearing capacity of a scoliotic spine (Pc) to that of a normal spine where the load bearing capacity of a normal spine is defined as Euler's buckling load (Pe). The computation of P c P e is based upon a maximum allowable moment criterion. This model is used to study the effect of the degree of initial curvature and curve pattern in the frontal plane on the stability of untreated idiopathic scoliosis. Although restricted to two-dimensions, the model appears to demonstrate the synergistic effects of end support, transverse loading, and curve correction on improvement in relative stability of an orthotically supported scoliotic curve. The results of this study are in qualitative agreement with clinical findings that are based on long-term studies of natural history of idiopathic scoliosis and of patients undergoing orthotic management for scoliosis.
Expression of human FUS/TLS in yeast leads to protein aggregation and cytotoxicity, recapitulating key features of FUS proteinopathy

Mutations in the fused in sarcoma/translocated in liposarcoma (FUS/TLS) gene have been associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). FUS-positive neuropathology is reported in a range of neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS and fronto-temporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin-positive pathology (FTLDU). To examine protein aggregation and cytotoxicity, we expressed human FUS protein in yeast. Expression of either wild type or ALS-associated R524S or P525L mutant FUS in yeast cells led to formation of aggregates and cytotoxicity, with the two ALS mutants showing increased cytotoxicity. Therefore, yeast cells expressing human FUS protein recapitulate key features of FUS-positive neurodegenerative diseases. Interestingly, a significant fraction of FUS expressing yeast cells stained by propidium iodide were without detectable protein aggregates, suggesting that membrane impairment and cellular damage caused by FUS expression may occur before protein aggregates become microscopically detectable and that aggregate formation might protect cells from FUS-mediated cytotoxicity. The N-terminus of FUS, containing the QGSY and G rich regions, is sufficient for the formation of aggregates but not cytotoxicity. The C-terminal domain, which contains a cluster of mutations, did not show aggregation or cytotoxicity. Similar to TDP-43 when expressed in yeast, FUS protein has the intrinsic property of forming aggregates in the absence of other human proteins. On the other hand, the aggregates formed by FUS are thioflavin T-positive and resistant to 0.5% sarkosyl, unlike TDP-43 when expressed in yeast cells. Furthermore, TDP-43 and FUS display distinct domain requirements in aggregate formation and cytotoxicity.