cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Early oral language and later reading development in Spanish-speaking English language learners: Evidence from a nine-year longitudinal study

Abstract Using nationally-representative, longitudinal data on a cohort of Spanish-speaking English language learners in the U.S., this study investigated the extent to which early oral language proficiency in Spanish and English predicts later levels and rates of growth in English reading. Latent growth models indicated that both Spanish and English proficiency in kindergarten predicted levels of English reading in third through eighth grade, but that only English proficiency was uniquely predictive. English productive vocabulary was found to be a better predictor of later English reading than more complex measures, i.e., listening comprehension and story retell, contrary to findings for native English speakers. Oral language did not predict later growth rates. Findings suggest the need for educational efforts to develop oral language during early childhood for this underserved population. Findings further suggest that such early efforts may be necessary, but insufficient to accelerate ELLs' reading trajectories as they move into adolescence.
Baseline testing procedures for PV modules beyond the qualification testing

The qualification tests described in IEC 61215 for the c-Si PV modules are essentially pass/fail tests that assist in avoiding infant mortality. This paper reports on the baseline test procedure carried out on PV modules at Florida Solar Energy Center that go beyond the pass/fail criteria of the qualification tests and obtain information about the degradation modes and mechanisms. The importance and limitations of the various characterization techniques are described. Electroluminescence imaging has been used to detect and categorize the faults at the cell level. Indoor infrared imaging has been used to study the quality of electrical interconnects in the module. The infrared imaging carried out on the modules while they are undergoing outdoor exposure has provided information about the presence and distribution of hot spots in these modules. Conventionally, the insulation resistance tester has been used mostly for the dry and wet leakage test. In this study, the importance of the polarization index test and voltage excursion test are described. The use of these tests is essential to provide insight into the modes and mechanisms of degradation, during reliability and durability studies of PV modules. A predictive model for the service life of a PV module may be developed through the results obtained from these characterization techniques in conjunction with long-term exposure and accelerated lifetime tests.
Optimal control and line‐of‐sight guidance formation flight

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to design an integrated guidance and control design for a formation flight of four unmanned aerial vehicles to follow a moving ground target.Design/methodology/approach – The guidance law is based on the line‐of‐sight. The control is optimal. The guidance law is integrated with the optimal control law and is applied to a linear dynamic model.Findings – The theoretical results are supported by the numerical simulations that illustrate a coordinated encirclement of a ground maneuvering target.Research limitations/implications – A linear dynamic UAV model and a liner engine model were employed.Practical implications – This is expected to provide efficient coordination technique required in many civilian circular formation UAV applications; also the technique can be used to provide a safe environment required for the civil applications.Social implications – The research will facilitate the deployment of autonomous unmanned aircraft systems in various civilian application...
Fuzzy HMC classifiers

In this study, we present a design strategy for hierarchical modular classifiers applicable to fuzzy and/or overlapping categories. The design includes techniques for decomposing a large-scale problem into a hierarchy of subproblems. A neural classification module is then designed for each of the subproblems. The collection of classification modules, and a rule book governing their use, comprise the resultant design. As an ancillary, but necessary, issue, we demonstrate the uses of a specific neural network for generating membership functions. We also explore the use of maximum membership as a classification criterion.
Re-evaluation of Mist Therapy in Children with Cystic Fibrosis Using Maximum Expiratory Flow-volume Curves

The measurement of maximum expiratory flow rates (Vmax) on MEFV curves is a simple yet sensitive method for detecting peripheral airway obstruction. In order to re-examine the efficacy of mist therapy (MT) in cystic fibrosis, MEFV curves as well as vital capacity (VC) and timed vital capacity (FEV1.0) were measured in 16 patients every two weeks for a period of 4 to 5 months. In half of the patients, all of whom had been in mist tents at night for at least 6 months, the studies were done during an initial 8 to 12 week period out of mist and then a similar period in mist; in the other half the test conditions were reversed. The results were expressed as percent of predicted values. During the period without MT, 4 patients improved and 2 worsened as indicated by changes in all 4 parameters studied. As a group, FEV1.0 was significantly (p<0.025) better when they were without MT. VC and Vmax at 25% VC and 50% VC were also closer to normal without MT but the difference was not signifant. Thus, these studies failed to show any beneficial effect of mist therapy in cystic fibrosis. (Supported by PHS HD00989, NCFRF and the state of Conn.)
Endothelial cell microparticles act as centers of matrix metalloproteinsase‐2 (MMP‐2) activation and vascular matrix remodeling

Endothelial cell (EC)-derived microparticles (MPs) are small membrane vesicles associated with various vascular pathologies. Here, we investigated the role of MPs in matrix remodeling by analyzing their interactions with the extracellular matrix. MPs were shown to bind preferentially to surfaces coated with matrix molecules, and MPs bound fibronectin via integrin αV. MPs isolated from EC-conditioned medium (Sup) were significantly enriched for matrix-altering proteases, including matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). MPs lacked the MMP inhibitors TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 found in the Sup and, while Sup strongly inhibited MMP activities but MPs did not. In fact, MPs were shown to bind and activate both endogenous and exogenous proMMP-2. Taken together, these results indicate that MPs interact with extracellular matrices, where they localize and activate MMP-2 to modify the surrounding matrix molecules. These findings provide insights into the cellular mechanisms of vascular matrix remodeling and identify new targets of vascular pathologies. J. Cell. Physiol. 227: 534–549, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Prostate cancer early detection: a clinical perspective.

In the US prostate cancer is a significant public health concern due to its high incidence and mortality costs of detection and treatment and the lack of best form of treatment for any stage of the disease. With the introduction of methods of prostate cancer detection a dramatic increase was observed in the number of prostate cancer cases indicating that the introduction of effective screening test leads to detection of the disease in more patients. Prostate cancer screening or early detection has been accomplished through digital rectal examination measurement of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) transrectal ultrasonography and a combination of these tests. First-line detection effort should focus on the use of digital rectal examination and serum PSA. However early detection of prostate cancer requires consideration of economic issues because the cost of early detection is not limited to the screening tests alone. In this regard patients must be informed on the risks and benefits of prostate cancer screening before it is carried out.
Democratic Accountability and Governmental Innovation in the Use of Nonprofit Organizations

As nonprofit organizations perform many of the duties formerly discharged by government, the issue of democratic accountability becomes relevant. This article shows that governments are unwilling and, in some ways, unable to control such organizations completely. Moreover, we demonstrate how the innovative features of nonprofit organizations can directly serve to undercut democratic accountability.
Brain injury in the premature infant--current concepts of pathogenesis and prevention

Brain injury in the premature infant and, particularly, the prevention of that injury is an enormous problem. With modern neonatal intensive care, approximately 85% of very low birth weight infants survive, and of these survivals, approximately 5-15% exhibit major spastic motor deficit, grouped under the rubric, 'cerebral palsy', and an additional 25-50% exhibit less prominent developmental disabilities, particularly school failure.
Denoising of Array-Based DNA Copy Number Data Using The Dual-tree Complex Wavelet Transform

Array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) is a highly efficient technique, allowing the simultaneous measurement of genomic DNA copy number at hundreds or thousands of loci and the reliable detection of local one-copy-level variations. Characterization of these DNA copy number changes is important for both the basic understanding of cancer and its diagnosis. In order to develop effective methods to identify aberration regions from array CGH data, many recent research works focus on both smoothing-based and segmentation-based data processing. In this paper, we propose to use the dual-tree complex wavelet transform to smooth the array CGH data. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach through theoretic and experimental exploration of a set of array CGH data, including both synthetic data and real data. The comparison results show that our method outperforms the previous approaches.
Exciton spin coherence and electromagnetically induced transparency in the transient optical response of GaAs quantum wells

We report experimental studies of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) arising from exciton spin coherence in the transient optical response of GaAs quantum wells. The exciton spin coherence, which is a direct result of Coulomb correlations between excitons with opposite spins, is induced via bound or unbound two-exciton states. Theoretical analyses based on a three-level model illustrate the manifestation of EIT in a transient regime and provide qualitative guidance for understanding the transient behaviors observed in the EIT experiments. Additional studies of the effects of exciton energy renormalization on optical Stark splitting also provide insights on how exciton many-body interactions can lead to unusual time-dependent asymmetric EIT line shapes.
Endoscopic management of esophageal discontinuity.

Background The management of esophageal discontinuity remains challenging and often involves complex reconstructive surgeries. Methods and Results We describe a unique and successful treatment of esophageal discontinuity using a modification of the natural orifice translumenal surgery (NOTES) approach in a patient presenting with long-standing esophageal discontinuity resulting from an iatrogenic esophageal injury. Conclusion This case provided an opportunity to affirm the efficacy of endoscopy for treating esophageal discontinuities to minimize the degree of morbidity and mortality normally associated with the surgical treatment of this type of injury. Our case reveals a novel and possibly more direct means of evaluating and treating esophageal injuries in which the degree of discontinuity and/or stenosis initially remains unknown. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 37: E103–E105, 2015
Single-Incision Laparoscopic Approach to Management of Splenic Pathology in Children: An Early Experience

Abstract Purpose: Certain splenic conditions in children require surgical interventions, the majority of which are approached via standard laparoscopy with multiple incisions. The single-incision laparoscopic (SIL) technique is gaining popularity. The aim of this study is to review our institutional experience using the SIL technique to surgically manage different splenic pathology in the pediatric population. Methods: A retrospective review was performed of the patients who underwent SIL splenic procedures at Miller Children's Hospital (Long Beach, CA) from January 2009 to December 2010. Results: Seven patients underwent a SIL technique for different splenic diseases. Five patients underwent splenectomy, 1 patient underwent a splenic cystectomy and omental patching, and 1 patient underwent reduction of splenic torsion and splenopexy. There were no conversions to open. Six procedures were successfully performed without the need for an additional trocar. However, 1 patient required an additional grasper th...
1611 ULTRASOUND-AUTOPSY CORRELATION OF THE INFANT BRAIN

Cranial ultrasound examinations were performed in five newborns and five infants under a year of age in the period immediately after death. Scans were made in multiple coronal planes angled from the anterior fontanelle. After autopsy, the brains were fixed in formalin and then sectioned in planes corresponding to the ultrasound scans. These anatomic projections are not standard and are unfamiliar even in computed tomography. Comparison of brain sections with scans revealed the anatomic basis for the echoes. Diagnostic ultrasound of the central nervous system is a noninvasive and relatively inexpensive new technique which is especially valuable during infancy while the anterior fontanelle is unossified and can act as a sonolucent window. It can be used to diagnose a variety of solid and cystic lesions and is ideally suited to follow-up examinations. Illustrative examples include a choroid plexus papilloma, a vein of Galen malformation and intracranial hemorrhage Anatomy, pathology, and the ultrasound scans are correlated.
Maternal antibodies reduce costs of an immune response during development

Young vertebrates are dependent primarily on innate immunity and maternally derived antibodies for immune defense. This reliance on innate immunity and the associated inflammatory response often leads to reduced growth rates after antigenic challenge. However, if offspring have maternal antibodies that recognize an antigen, these antibodies should block stimulation of the inflammatory response and reduce growth suppression. To determine whether maternal and/or offspring antigen exposure affect antibody transmission and offspring growth, female Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) and their newly hatched chicks were immunized. Mothers were immunized with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), killed avian reovirus vaccine (AR), or were given a control, phosphate-buffered saline, injection. Within each family, one-third of offspring were immunized with LPS, one-third were immunized with AR, and one-third were given the control treatment. Maternal immunization significantly affected the specific types of antibodies that were transmitted. In general, immunization depressed offspring growth. However, offspring immunized with the same antigen as their mother exhibited elevated growth in comparison to siblings immunized with a different antigen. This suggests that the growth suppressive effects of antigen exposure during development can be partially ameliorated by the presence of maternal antibodies, but in the absence of specific maternal antibodies, offspring are dependent on more costly innate immune defenses. Together, the results suggest that the local disease environment of mothers prior to reproduction significantly affects maternal antibody transmission and these maternal antibodies may allow offspring to partially maintain growth during infection in addition to providing passive humoral immune defense.
What Types of Jobs Do People with Disabilities Want

Introduction Do non-employed people with disabilities want to work, and if so, what types of jobs do they want? Researchers seeking to explain the low employment rate among people with disabilities have focused primarily on skill gaps, employment disincentives from disability income, accommodation mandates, and (to a lesser extent) employer attitudes and unwelcoming corporate cultures. There has been little attention paid to the attitudes of non-employed people with disabilities. Methods This paper uses the 2006 General Social Survey, a representative national survey of US adults that has disability information and a special supplement on worker preferences, to examine the above question. Results We find that, relative to their non-disabled counterparts, non-employed people with disabilities are (a) as likely to want a job but less likely to be actively searching, (b) as likely to have prior job experience, and (c) similar in their views of the importance of income, job security, and other valued job characteristics. The results, which vary little by type of impairment, indicate that the low employment rate of people with disabilities is not due to their reluctance to work or different job preferences. Conclusion Combined with evidence that a large share of new jobs can be performed by people with disabilities, the findings point toward the value of dismantling barriers to employment facing many people with disabilities.
Transient ischemic attacks (TIAS) and cerebral infarction (CI): A comparison of predisposing factors

Abstract Fifteen clinical characteristics thought to be contributors to cerebral infarction (CI) were analyzed in 42 patients with transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) due to cervical arterial lesions and 52 with cerebral infarction who had neither previous TIAs nor detectable lesions of neck arteries. By using linear discriminate function analysis, we determined characteristics which differ between these groups. The importance of such characteristics is to establish which patients will develop an infarction without TIAs as warning signals. Blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus, serum lipid level and family history of stroke seemed to discriminate between patients with infarction without history of TIAs and those who had TIAs only.
Strengthening Healthy Resistance and Courage in Children: A Gender-Based Strategy for Preventing Youth Violence

Beginning with the distinction between core consciousness or a core sense of self and a self that is wedded to a story about itself, this paper suggests that we have collectively been wedded to a false story about ourselves, a story that the core self resists. The gender disparity with respect to times in development when children's resilience is at heightened risk highlights the costs of an initiation that occurs for boys in early childhood and for girls at adolescence. Because of this difference in the timing, girls can become informants about a process of psychic splitting and dissociation that impedes the relational capacities of children and opens the way to violence. The articulateness of girls' resistance to losses that are psychologically and socially consequential illuminates a resistance in boys that may otherwise be overlooked. Evidence drawn from studies of girls' development leads to the suggestion that by joining a healthy resistance in children, we can act to prevent youth violence. The paper ends with a case study of a suicidal adolescent girl to illustrate how a relational framework shifts the interpretation of violent behavior and informs a strategy of response.
Recently identified measures of human thymic function

Abstract The increase in the number of patients with iatrogenic and disease-induced T-cell depletion over the last generation has heightened the sense of urgency for improved diagnostic modalities for immune reconstitution. A full understanding of immune reconstitution requires quantification of every important immune cell population. A cell population that is essential for full reconstitution of a robust immune system is the naive T cells that have recently emigrated from the thymus, the so-called recent thymic emigrants. In this article, we review the emerging methodologies, rationale and indications for monitoring human thymus function. These technologies (T-cell receptor excision circles, thymic index by computed topography analysis and multiparameter flow cytometric analysis of immunophenotype) are potentially useful in clinical laboratory monitoring of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease, transplantation and congenital T-cell immunodeficiency syndromes.
Sequential adjuvant chemotherapy after surgical resection of high-risk urothelial carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Despite definitive surgery, the survival of patients with high-risk urothelial carcinoma (UC) is poor. Adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy may be beneficial, but it is restricted by the need for normal renal function (RF). Sequential administration of adjuvant chemotherapy facilitates drug delivery and improves survival in patients with breast cancer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and survival impact of adjuvant, sequential chemotherapy in patients with high-risk UC. METHODS: Fifty patients were treated on 2 simultaneous protocols between 1997 and 2004. The patients on Protocol A (normal RF) received doxorubicin and gemcitabine (AG) followed by paclitaxel and cisplatin. The patients on Protocol B (impaired RF) received AG followed by paclitaxel plus carboplatin. Overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were compared with a group of 203 contemporary control patients who had similar pathology and RF and who underwent surgery alone. RESULTS: The median follow-up of protocol patients was 6.5 years (range, 0.9-8.6 years), and 25 patients remained alive. The median follow-up of the control group was 4.7 years (0.0-9.2), and 68 patients remained alive. The median OS for patients on Protocol A was greater than that for controls who had good RF (4.6 years vs 2.5 years; P = .03). The median OS for patients on Protocol B was greater than that for controls who had impaired RF (3.4 years vs 2 years; P = .04). DSS for the protocol and matched control groups was similar (good RF: 4.6 years vs 3 years; P = .24; impaired RF: 3.4 years vs 3.3 years; P = .40). CONCLUSIONS: In this nonrandomized study, adjuvant, sequential chemotherapy for patients with high-risk UC did not improve DSS over that observed with surgery alone. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
Care of the Critically Ill Patient with Penetrating Head Injury

Patients who have penetrating head injury all too often present with some of the most devastating and challenging intracranial injuries. The mechanisms of injury and associated neuropathology affect every body system and require a multidisciplinary approach. Evidence-based guidelines have been developed to offer some direction to clinicians involved in their care. Much remains scientifically unsubstantiated, however. Optimal management of critically ill patients who have penetrating head injury requires clinical expertise and care of the highest quality.
Information navigation on the web by clustering and summarizing query results

We report our experience with a novel approach to interactive information seeking that is grounded in the idea of summarizing query results through automated document clustering. We went through a complete system development and evaluation cycle: designing the algorithms and interface for our prototype, implementing them and testing with human users. Our prototype acted as an intermediate layer between the user and a commercial Internet search engine (AltaVista), thus allowing searches of the significant portion of World Wide Web. In our final evaluation, we processed data from 36 users and concluded that our prototype improved search performance over using the same search engine (AltaVista) directly. We also analyzed effects of various related demographic and task related parameters.
Photomechanical chemical microsensors

Abstract Recently, there has been an increasing demand to perform real-time in situ chemical detection of hazardous materials, contraband chemicals, and explosive chemicals. The advent of inexpensive mass produced MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) devices has enabled the use of various microstructures for chemical detection. For example, microcantilevers were found to respond to chemical stimuli by undergoing changes in their bending and resonance frequency even when a small number of molecules adsorb on their surface. In our present studies, we extended this concept by studying changes in both the adsorption-induced stress and photo-induced stress as target chemicals adsorb or desorb on the surface of microcantilevers. We demonstrate that photo-induced bending of microcantilevers depends on the number of absorbed molecules on their surface. On the other hand, microcantilevers that have undergone photo-induced bending will adsorb a different number of guest molecules. Depending on the photon wavelength and microcantilever material, the microcantilever can be made to bend by expanding or contracting a surface layer on one of its sides, unequally. Coating the surface of the microstructure with different materials can provide chemical specificity for the target chemicals. However, by choosing a handful of different photon wavelengths, tunable chemical selectivity can be achieved due to differentiated photo-induced response without the need for multiple chemical coatings. We will present and discuss our results on diisopropyl methyl phosphonate (DIMP), trinitrotoluene (TNT), two isomers of dimethylnaphthalene (DMN), tetrachloroethylene (TCE) and trichloroethylene (TRCE).
Predicting Hydraulic Conductivity of Clay Liners

Data are presented from four projects in which rates of leakage from ponds lined with clay significantly exceeded the rates that would have been predicted on the basis of laboratory permeability tests. The actual hydraulic conductivities of the clay liners were generally found to be 10 to 1,000 times larger than values obtained from laboratory tests on either undisturbed or recompacted samples of the clay liner. The source of difficulty with laboratory permeability tests is the problem of obtaining a representative sample of soil for testing. Neither recompacted samples nor small, undisturbed samples are likely to contain a representative distribution of desiccation cracks, fissures, slickensides, or other hydraulic defects that may be present in the liner. Field permeability tests were performed for three of the four case histories and yielded results that compared well with field performance. Field permeability tests seem to produce much better results than laboratory tests. The four projects had certai...
Current theories of pathogenesis and treatment of nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia

Nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI) is a poorly understood condition marked by progressive intestinal ischemia leading to infarction, sepsis, and death in a high proportion of patients. The mortality rate for this intestinal disorder remains high, even when the diagnosis is made early in the disease course. This paper presents a comprehensive review of NOMI with a detailed discussion of its history, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment.
Massive pulmonary hemorrhage in the newborn

Pulmonary hemorrhage in the newborn infant is commonly recognized by the pathologist but seldom by the clinician. Analysis of the clinical courses of 135 infants who were found at autopsy to have massive pulmonary hemorrhage reveals that in many respects the disease is similar to hyaline membrane disease. It is postulated that abnormal surface forces may at times produce pulmonary hemorrhage.
High-Temperature Microreactors for In-Situ Nanomaterial Deposition

We demonstrate the fabrication of sealed high- temperature microreactor for the integration of nanomaterials directly into microfluidic channels. In this approach, a microfluidic channel serves first as a microscopic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system, then later as a fluid delivery system.
Human parathyroid hormone gene (PTH) is on short arm of chromosome 11.

The human gene for parathyroid hormone (PTH) was chromosomally mapped using human-rodent hybrids and Southern filter hybridization of cell hybrid DNA. A recombinant DNA probe containing human PTHcDNA insert (pPTHm122) hybridized to a 3.7-kb fragment in human DNA cleaved with the restriction enzyme EcoRI. By correlating the presence of this fragment in somatic cell hybrid DNA with the human chromosomal content of the hybrid cells, the PTHgene was mapped to the short arm of the chromosome 11.
Characterization of native and reconstituted plasma membrane H+-ATPase from the plasma membrane of Beta vulgaris

Characteristics of the native and reconstituted H+-ATPase from the plasma membrane of red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) were examined. The partially purified, reconstituted H+-ATPase retained characteristics similar to those of the native plasma membrane H+-ATPase following reconstitution into proteoliposomes. ATPase activity and H+ transport of both enzymes were inhibited by vanadate, DCCD, DES and mersalyl. Slight inhibition of ATPase activity associated with native plasma membranes by oligomycin, azide, molybdate or NO 3 − was eliminated during solubilization and reconstitution, indicating the loss of contaminating ATPase activities. Both native and reconstituted ATPase activities and H+ transport showed a pH optimum of 6.5, required a divalent cation (Co2+>Mg2+>Mn2+>Zn2+>Ca2+), and preferred ATP as substrate. The Mg:ATP kinetics of the two ATPase activities were similar, showing simple Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Saturation occurred between 3 and 5mM Mg: ATP, with aK m of 0.33 and 0.46mM Mg: ATP for the native and reconstituted enzymes, respectively. The temperature optimum for the ATPase was shifted from 45 to 35°C following reconstitution. Both native and reconstituted H+-ATPases were stimulated by monovalent ions. Native plasma membrane H+-ATPase showed an order of cation preference of K+>NH 4 + >Rb+>Na+>Cs+>Li+>choline+. This basic order was unchanged following reconstitution, with K+, NH 4 + , Rb+ and Cs+ being the preferred cations. Both enzymes were also stimulated by anions although to a lesser degree. The order of anion preference differed between the two enzymes. Salt stimulation of ATPase activity was enhanced greatly following reconstitution. Stimulation by KCl was 26% for native ATPase activity, increasing to 228% for reconstituted ATPase activity. In terms of H+ transport, both enzymes required a cation such as K+ for maximal transport activity, but were stimulated preferentially by Cl− even in the presence of valinomycin. This suggests that the stimulatory effect of anions on enzyme activity is not simply as a permeant anion, dissipating a positive interior membrane potential, but may involve a direct anion activation of the plasma membrane H+-ATPase.
The Use of Psychoendocrine Strategies in Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder1

An overview is presented of a pilot psychoendocrine study of PTSD inpatients in comparison with several subgroups of schizophrenic and affective disorder patients. Using a hormonal profile including Cortisol, norepinephrine, epinephrine, testosterone, and thyroxine, it was found that the mean values for the PTSD group were at or near the extreme end of the range for every hormone measured, i.e., relatively low for Cortisol and high for the remaining hormones. The possible clinical meaning of these findings is considered in the light of prior psychoendocrine research on chronic stress. The hormonal alterations in PTSD appear to be persistent and suggest the possibility of being linked largely to traits or character structure, perhaps particularly to cognitive variables related to defense and coping mechanisms, as reviewed in detail for each hormonal system. There appears to be a potential for a fruitful union between the traumatic stress and psychoendocrine fields and some future strategies for developing and strengthening such a union are suggested.
Lithium treatment in a very elderly nursing home population.

Abstract We studied the result of long-term lithium therapy in 12 very elderly nursing home residents. Good treatment results occurred most often when the diagnosis was bipolar disorder-manic or manic episode. Many of the side effects encountered were well known (tremor, ataxia, lethargy, disorientation, and hypothyroidism) and were easily reversible. The development of significant sinus bradycardia in 25% of the group raised a question concerning lithium-induced cardiotoxicity. Nephrotoxicity was not apparent in spite of very advanced age and long duration of therapy. We conclude that the question of cardiotoxicity is important and requires further study. Other side effects were not sufficiently serious to contraindicate the use of lithium therapy in appropriately selected and well-monitored elderly patients.
A Quantum Manual for Computing the Jones Polynomial

The objective of this paper is to give experimentalists a quantum manual for implementing the Aharonov-Jones- Landau algorithm on an architecture of their choice. In particular, we explicitly apply this algorithm to a number of knot examples.
Rate and pattern of visual field decline in primary open-angle glaucoma

Abstract Purpose To study the rate and pattern of visual field decline in primary open-angle glaucoma. Design Retrospective observational case series. Participants Forty eyes of 40 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma that were followed longitudinally with serial Goldmann visual fields for a minimum period of 8 years in an academic institution. Eyes with any other ocular disease except for mild cataract were excluded. Methods Visual fields obtained with worse than 20/50 Snellen visual acuity from cataract were excluded from analysis. In the remainder (671 Goldmann visual fields), the I4e isopter was quantified manually using a grid template previously described by Esterman. The visual field was divided into central and peripheral, superior and inferior, and nasal and temporal regions, all centered at the blind spot. The rate of visual field decline was estimated for each visual field region (including the four quadrants: superonasal [SN], superotemporal [ST], inferotemporal [IT], and inferonasal [IN]) using linear regression. Asymmetry of visual field progression was determined by comparing the rates of progression among the four quadrants. Pertinent clinical factors were evaluated for association with the asymmetry of visual field progression. Main outcome measures Rates of visual field decline for the entire visual field and each region. Long-term clinical outcome measures, including visual acuity, cataract and cup-to-disc ratio progression, intraocular pressures, and medical and surgical interventions were also studied. Results The rate of visual field change was −1.3% per year for the entire visual field. The rates of visual field section change (in % per year) were −1.3 (central), −1.4 (peripheral), −1.5 (superior), −1.2 (inferior), −1.4 (nasal), −1.2 (temporal), −1.8 (SN), −1.3 (IT), −1.2 (IN), and −1.1 (ST). About half the patients showed symmetric visual field decline, whereas others showed a more asymmetric pattern. Asymmetric visual field progression was associated with the presence of disc hemorrhage, overall rate of visual field progression, and surgical intervention for glaucoma. Conclusions In this group of selected patients with primary open-angle glaucoma with a long-term follow-up, all sections of the visual field declined over time. Disc hemorrhage was associated with more asymmetric visual field progression, implicating focal damage to the optic disc.
Fiber optic sensors for machine health monitoring

Fiber optic sensors have been established as one of the best available technologies for acquiring measurements in harsh environments. These sensors are tolerant to extreme temperature, EMI, shock and vibration, and offer reduced weight and increased accuracy over conventional instrumentation. As a result, these sensors have begun to replace conventional sensors in harsh environment applications. The ability to predict the onset of failure in mechanical systems is key to the reduction in maintenance costs, downtime, and health hazards in industrial environments. Vibration monitoring can be used to spot mechanical problems, trigger preventative maintenance and diagnose the health of rotating machinery. Accelerometers are used in this role to detect defects in rotating components through analysis of harmonics in the power-frequency distribution. Further, high frequency acoustic emission sensors can be used to determine crack growth in metal components or failures in composite structures. Currently, a variety of MEMS accelerometers and piezoelectric acoustic emission sensors are used in health monitoring that are limited by their size, cost, and performance. Optical fiber sensors are rapidly emerging as viable alternatives to these devices as effective means of health monitoring. Optical fiber sensors offer much smaller size, reduced weight, ability to operate at temperatures up to 2000°C, immunity to electromagnetic interference, resistance to corrosive environments, inherent safety within flammable environments, and the ability to multiplex multiple sensors on a single optical fiber. This paper presents the research and development of both low-profile fiber optic-based acoustic emissions sensors for non-destructive evaluation systems and accelerometers for monitoring rotating machinery.
Recursive partitioning for risk stratification in men undergoing repeat prostate biopsies.

BACKGROUND The current study was performed to identify risk factors and risk groups for carcinoma detection in men undergoing repeat prostate biopsies. METHODS The medical records of all men who had a negative initial prostate biopsy and underwent at least one repeat biopsy between 1992 and 2003 were reviewed to extract age, race, family history of prostate carcinoma, body mass index, referral indication, all prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values, digital rectal examination, PSA density (PSAD), the presence of a hypoechoic lesion, and the presence of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) on initial biopsy. Risk factors for a subsequent diagnosis of prostate carcinoma were identified using the log-rank test and a stepwise, stratified Cox regression model. Based on the risk factors identified by Cox regression analysis, recursive partitioning was further used for risk stratification. RESULTS A total of 373 patients underwent 975 biopsy procedures. During a median follow-up of 37.0 months, prostate carcinoma was detected in 107 of 373 patients (28.9%). Independent predictors of a positive biopsy (P < 0.05) were PSA doubling time (PSADT), PSAD, referral indication, the presence of HGPIN, patient age, and family history of prostate carcinoma. Recursive partitioning identified 4 distinct risk groups that were characterized by their PSADT and PSAD and the presence of HGPIN and had estimated 2-year and 5-year carcinoma detection rates of 3 ± 1% and 21 ± 4%, 28 ± 5% and 40 ± 7%, 22 ± 6% and 58 ± 8%, and 66 ± 9% and 100%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The authors identified a series of independent risk factors for prostate carcinoma detection after an initial negative prostate biopsy and characterized clinically meaningful and distinct patient risk groups. Despite a negative initial biopsy, patients with high-risk features remain at risk for the detection of prostate carcinoma. Cancer 2005. Published 2005 by the American Cancer Society.
Generalized oscillator strengths for 4s 2S → 4p 2Po transitions in Cu and ZnII

Abstract Generalized oscillator strength (GOS) curves are obtained from accurate close-coupling differential cross sections for the resonance transitions in Cu and ZnII at energies from 10 to 60 eV. No simple and unambiguous procedure exists to extrapolate the resultant curves to the optical oscillator strength.
Passive wireless sensors for monitoring particle movement at soil-structure interfaces

The load transfer and shaft capacities of civil infrastructure foundations (e.g., axially-loaded piles) depend on the soilstructure interface's shear and friction interactions. However, cyclic loading (e.g., ground motion) can dramatically deteriorate the shaft resistance of these foundations leading to catastrophic structural failure, thereby motivating research in understanding mechanics, soil-structure interactions, and interface responses. While tethered sensing systems have been adopted for gaining insight on soil-structure interfaces, the cables that interconnect sensors with the data acquisition system can interfere with measurement of true soil-structure response. Thus, the objective of this study is to develop a passive wireless sensor that is capable of measuring absolute displacement of soil particles at the soil-structure interface. Wireless communications and power transmission to the sensor is accomplished via electromagnetic coupling between a portable reader and sensor tag. Here, the reader is simply a coil antenna connected to an impedance analyzer, and the sensor circuitry comprises of a resistor, inductor (i.e., coil antenna), and capacitor connected in a series configuration. The displacement of the embedded sensor can be easily measured by correlating reader impedance changes with the reader-to-sensor's line-of-sight distances. Preliminary experimental results of the passive wireless sensor's displacement measurement capabilities are presented.
Determining the modal mineralogy of Martian soils

[1] A method for identifying the major and minor minerals and quantifying their proportions (by weight) in soils at the Mars Exploration Rovers landing sites is presented. The procedure utilizes modeled Mossbauer data for iron-bearing minerals, chemical calculations of Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer data for iron-absent minerals, and modeling of MiniTES thermal infrared spectra for silica and clays. Two models are formulated, using different assumptions about the mineralogy of sulfur and chlorine: sulfate + chloride, or incorporated in or adsorbed onto schwertmannite + akaganeite. The actual soil mineralogy may be bracketed by these results. Using either model, average dark soils on the Gusev crater plains and on Meridiani Planum are shown to be composed of a mixture of igneous (olivine, pyroxene, plagioclase, Fe-Ti-Cr spinels, phosphate) and alteration (amorphous silica, hematite, nanophase oxides, clays, plus sulfate + chloride or oxysulfate + oxychloride) minerals. This assemblage suggests that soil alteration did not occur in situ and that the igneous and alteration components were likely derived from different sources. The (model dependent) mixing ratio of igneous and alteration components is identical at the two sites on opposite sides of the planet, implying that Martian soils may provide a representative mineralogical sampling of the exposed crust.
Phylogenetic relationships and character evolution in Heuchera (Saxifragaceae) on the basis of multiple nuclear loci

UNLABELLED • PREMISE OF THE STUDY The use of multiple genetic regions from the nuclear genome, including low-copy markers, has long been recognized as essential to robust phylogenetic construction, addressing gene tree incongruence, and allowing increased resolution to test current taxonomy and resolve basic hypotheses about character evolution, biogeography, and other organismal traits of interest to biologists. Heuchera, the largest genus of Saxifragaceae endemic to North America, has presented an unusually difficult case for systematists with limited sampling in previous molecular studies. We used morphological and multilocus molecular phylogenetic data to test the monophyly of Heuchera, better resolve hypotheses of relationships, and test hypotheses of character evolution, biogeography, and diversification rates.• METHODS Phylogenetic relationships were inferred using sequences from six nuclear loci and 39 morphological characters using concatenation and coalescent analysis. Ancestral state reconstruction, diversification, and correlated evolution of morphological traits were performed using parsimony, BiSSE, and Pagel's method, respectively.• KEY RESULTS The concatenation and species tree analyses gave confident support to the monophyly of Heuchera and suggested several well-supported subclades. The addition of morphological data significantly improved support numbers. Ancestral character reconstruction suggested frequent homoplasy and reversal of floral characters and a complex biogeographical history.• CONCLUSIONS Heuchera is a natural genus; however, the current subgeneric classification is artificial and requires revision. Biogeographic reconstructions suggest a Pacific Northwest origin for the genus; morphological shifts in stamen exsertion and hypanthium length are hypothesized to have driven diversification in Heuchera in concert with possible pollinator shifts.
The dynamics of satisfaction and loyalty after relational transgressions

Purpose – This study aims to investigate how customer satisfaction and loyalty evolve during the initial years of a business services relationship. In addition to assessing the potential for dynamic effects, models explore how relational transgressions such as very poor sales and implementation experiences might moderate customer satisfaction dynamics and the relationship trajectory.Design/methodology/approach – Analyses utilize structural equation modeling on longitudinal data obtained over a three‐year period from customers contracting with a global provider for IT services.Findings – Results reveal significant dynamic effects for satisfaction across two successive time periods but not for loyalty intentions, suggesting prime importance for finding ways to continually satisfy customers. Customers' initial sales and implementation experiences negatively moderated the dynamic effects of satisfaction from time 1 to time 2, but not for time 2 to time 3. This result indicates that customers who experience re...
PERMEABILITY AND PIPING IN FRACTURED ROCKS

Two discussions of the paper and the closure by the author are presented. The first discusser points out the need for research to develop criteria for placement of compacted soil, filter and transition materials against fractured rock. The second discusser questions the technique used in the study and points out the different failure mechanisms that could occur in the compacted fill without the fill material being eroded into the rock fractures. The author, in his closure, notes that it is doubtful whether the criteria used for gravel packs would be sufficient to present erosion of very fine particles from the compacted zone into fractures, since gravel packs customarily exclude fires. Other questions discussed and answered include the apparent anomaly between shim thickness and the maximum size of particles eroded in experiments, the need for conservatism when placing compacted soil against rock face with fracture traces, and the use of continuous concrete facing.
See-saw nystagmus and brainstem infarction: MRI findings

A patient with see-saw nystagmus had a lesion localized by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to the paramedian ventral midbrain with involvement of the right interstitial nucleus of Cajal. This the first MRI study of see-saw nystagmus associated with a presumed brainstem vascular event. Our findings support animal and human studies suggesting that dysfunction of the interstitial nucleus of Cajal or its connections is central in this disorder.
Discovery of novel small molecule cell type-specific enhancers of NF-κB nuclear translocation

Abstract An IKKβ inhibitor reported to block NF-κB transcriptional activities in Jurkat T cells, was found to enhance NF-κB translocation in HUVEC cells. These studies suggested a noncanonical NF-κB signaling pathway independent of IKKβ in HUVEC cells.