cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patterns of child abuse and neglect associated with chronological age of children living in a midwestern county.

Abstract Objective: The main objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between age of the very young victim and the type of abuse perpetrated against that victim. A secondary objective was to examine gender and racial differences in child abuse and neglect in children between the ages of birth and 7 years. Method: Archived data for all cases of substantiated abuse of children for the years of 1990–1996 inclusive were retrieved from a data bank at a county children services department (N = 876). Chi-square analyses were used to determine age, gender, and racial differences in child abuse and neglect in children 0 to 7 years of age. Results: Neglect was the most common form of primary substantiated abuse recorded for this population of children under the age of 7 years, although the incidence of neglect decreased as chronological age of the child increased. Sexual abuse increased in occurrence as the children got older. Girls were more likely to be victims of sexual abuse than boys. No significant age differences were observed for physical abuse or for emotional abuse, and no racial differences were detected for any of the four types of abuse examined. Conclusions: Although the findings of this study are in agreement with those of previously published reports, there is some question as to whether archived data are an accurate reflection of actual patterns of maltreatment occurring in very young children or whether they represent the types of abuse that are subjectively identified and reported by authorities.
Speech recognition at 1-year follow-up in the Childhood Development after Cochlear Implantation study: Methods and preliminary findings

The Childhood Development after Cochlear Implantation (CDaCI) study is a longitudinal multicenter investigation designed to identify factors influencing spoken language in young deaf children with cochlear implants. Normal-hearing peers serve as controls. As part of a comprehensive evaluation battery, a speech recognition hierarchy was designed to assess how well these children recognize speech stimuli across developmental stages. Data were analyzed for the earliest measures in 42 pairs of children reaching 1 year of follow-up. A number of children in the cochlear implant group who met criteria for testing approached levels of performance similar to the normal-hearing controls, and some could identify sentences in competition. These results demonstrate the responsiveness of the speech recognition hierarchy in tracking emergent skills from a sample of the CDaCI cohort.
Coppice growth and water relations of silver maple

Abstract Trees of silver maple (Acer saccharinum L.) planted in southern Illinois were cut at rootstock ages 2, 3, and/or 4 years. In all plantings a single main stem was the predominant growth form prior to initial harvest. The predominant post-harvest growth form was numerous coppice stems. The number of coppice stems per tree and percent tree survival decreased with greater stand density. Coppice growth, as measured by the number of stems and the height of the tallest stem, increased progressively with the number of harvest cycles. This growth was supported by a progressively older root system, and developed from an increasing number of cut stem bases. About 60% of the coppice were tall stems, over one-half the height of the tallest stem. Trees of the southernmost origin, from Mississippi, with high establishment rates had the highest dry weight production of two-year provenance coppice growth (equivalent to 59.5 Mg · ha−1 · 2 year−1, or 13.2 ton · acre−1 · year−1). The northernmost trees, from central Ontario, had low establishment rates and the lowest stand biomass. Dormant season macronutrient cropping losses were estimated related to biomass yield. Foliage density and stem elongation were greater in first-year coppiced compared to uncoppiced trees. Water relations of coppice growth differed from that of uncoppiced trees in both the first and the second year after harvest.
Accurate 3-D Capacitance of Parallel Plates From 2-D Analytical Superposition

The two conductor strip line is a classic transmission line structure which has been extensively studied and used in endless applications for decades. Unfortunately, the exact determination of the 3-D capacitance of this basic case is analytically intractable. It will be shown that accurate values of the total 3-D capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor with thin plates of any length, width, and separation can be determined from the superposition of the exact 2-D capacitance obtained from an analytic solution using elliptic integrals in a very simple manner. The accuracy is determined for a range of cases through a comparison of the analytic values with those obtained from a 3-D numerical calculation, using a work station with very large memory and processing capability. For most cases, the accuracy of the capacitance obtained by this superposition method falls nearly within the bounds of the numerical accuracy of the 3-D model and the elliptical integral evaluations. This superposition method is far more accurate than expected.
Automated cloud screening of AVHRR imagery using split-and-merge clustering☆

Previous methods to segment clouds from ocean in AVHRR imagery have shown varying degrees of success, with nighttime approaches being the most limited. An improved method of automatic image segmentation, the principal component transformation split-and-merge clustering (PCTSMC) algorithm, is presented and applied to cloud screening of both nighttime and daytime AVHRR data. The method combines spectral differencing, the principal component transformation, and split-and-merge clustering to sample objectively the natural classes in the data. This segmentation method is then augmented by supervised classification techniques to screen clouds from the imagery. Comparisons with other nighttime methods demonstrate its improved capability in this application. The sensitivity of the method to clustering parameters is presented; the results show that the method is insensitive to the split-and-merge thresholds.
Structural and transport properties of Nb nanowires

High-resolution conductance measurements in niobium nanowires below the superconducting transition temperature are presented. Results are shown for a complete multistage elongation-compression cycle of a nanoscale contact. We focus on a bistability region which manifests itself as random telegraph noise. Density functional structural optimizations and conductance calculations using the non-equilibrium Green’s functions method reproduce and explain the measurements. In particular, the observed bistability is associated with formation of a niobium dimer between the opposing electrodes, with the dimer shuttling between a symmetric, high conductance, and an asymmetric, low conductance, configurations in the gap.
Development of a new photon diffraction imaging system for diagnostic nuclear medicine

The objective of this project is to develop and construct an innovative imaging system for nuclear medicine and molecular imaging that uses photon diffraction and is capable of generating 1–2 mm spatial resolution images in two or three dimensions. The proposed imaging system would be capable of detecting radiopharmaceuticals that emit 100–200 keV gamma rays which are typically used in diagnostic nuclear medicine and in molecular imaging. The system is expected to be optimized for the 140.6 keV gamma ray from a Tc-99m source, which is frequently used in nuclear medicine. This new system will focus the incoming gamma rays in a manner analogous to a magnifying glass focusing sunlight into a small focal point on a detector’s sensitive area. Focusing gamma rays through photon diffraction has already been demonstrated with the construction of a diffraction lens telescope for astrophysics and a scaled-down lens for medical imaging, both developed at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). In addition, spatial resolutions of 3 mm have been achieved with a prototype medical lens. The proposed imaging system would be comprised of an array of photon diffraction lenses tuned to diffract a specific gamma ray energy (within 100–200 keV) emitted by a common source. The properties of photon diffraction make it possible to diffract only one specific gamma ray energy at a time, which significantly reduces scattering background. The system should be sufficiently sensitive to the detection of small concentrations of radioactivity that can reveal potential tumor sites at their initial stages of development. Moreover, the system’s sensitivity would eliminate the need for re-injecting a patient with more radiopharmaceutical if this patient underwent a prior nuclear imaging scan. Detection of a tumor site at its inception could allow for an earlier initiation of treatment and wider treatment options, which can potentially improve the chances for cure.
A strong law for a set-indexed partial sum process with applications to exchangeable and stationary sequences

Abstract Consider a set-indexed partial sum process { Σ jeJ n Y j , n ⩾ 1} where { Y n , n ⩾ 1} are identically distributed random variables and { J n , n ⩾ 1} is a nondecreasing sequence of finite sets of positive integers with j ( n ) = Card( J n ) → ∞. A strong law of the form Σ jeJ n Y j / b j ( n ) → 0 almost certainly is established where { b n , n ⩾ 1} are constants with b n / n → ∞. As special cases, new results are obtained for exchangeable and stationary sequences. The result for stationary sequences strengthens a weak law proved by Maller [9] in that the convergence is shown to be almost certain.
NWS winter weather forecast

The Great Lakes area, the East Coast, and the southern rim of the United States may experience relatively stormy, wet weather this winter, according to the winter weather forecast for the continental United States from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service (NWS; see Figure 1). The NWS statement, which predicted average conditions in December, January , and February, also said that the south central portion of the United States has the highest chance of colder than normal winter weather, while the season is expected to bring milder than normal conditions west of the Rockies (Figure 2). The precipitation prediction is the “more interesting, stronger” part of the forecast, according to Donald L. Gilman, chief of the NWS Prediction Branch. This winter's temperature predictions are more cautious than usual, he said.
Conditional detection of fluctuations in the light form an atom in a high Q-cavity

Analytical expressions for the conditional intensity and quadrature fluctuations of the light from an atom in a high-Q cavity are derived. Fluctuations of both the squeezed and unsqueezed quadratures are shown to be nonclassical.
Effectiveness of computer-aided removable partial denture design.

Purpose Computer programs have been developed for removable partial denture (RPD) design, but their educational impact has never been investigated. This study measured the effectiveness of computer-based RPD design simulations in a traditional RPD design course for second-year dental students. Materials and Methods Thirty-six students were randomly assigned to four groups, two simulation and two control groups, at the beginning of the RPD design module. A cross-over design compared the two strategies during laboratory exercises. First, the simulation group worked with the simulation, while the control group met in small-group seminars with faculty. Post-test 1 was given, and then students switched teaching methods and post-test 2 was given. Each post-test had two parts. Part 1 involved designing an RPD based on specific patient criteria. Part 2 involved choosing the more correct of the two designs. Results Results showed a significant difference (p= .0072) in two of four test groups. Although it was an initial evaluation, the computer simulation was shown to be equivalent to faculty-led small-group seminars. Students also responded positively to a questionnaire on their perceived effectiveness of the simulations. Conclusions The results suggest that RPD design can be taught as effectively with computer-based simulations as with faculty-led seminars.
Population intervention models to estimate ambient NO2 health effects in children with asthma.

Health effects of ambient air pollution are most frequently expressed in individual studies as responses to a standardized unit of air pollution changes (e.g., an interquartile interval), which is thought to enable comparison of findings across studies. However, this approach does not necessarily convey health effects in terms of a real-world air pollution scenario. In the present study, we use population intervention modeling to estimate the effect of an air pollution intervention that makes explicit reference to the observed exposure data and is identifiable in those data. We calculate the association between ambient summertime nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of forced vital capacity (FEF25–75) in a cohort of children with asthma in Fresno, California. We scale the effect size to reflect NO2 abatement on a majority of summer days. The effect estimates were small, imprecise, and consistently indicated improved pulmonary function with decreased NO2. The effects ranged from −0.8% of mean FEF25–75 (95% confidence interval (CI): −3.4, 1.7) to −3.3% (95% CI: −7.5, 0.9). We conclude by discussing the nature and feasibility of the exposure change analyzed here given the observed air pollution profile, and we propose additional applications of population intervention models in environmental epidemiology.
Neighborhood context and hypertension outcomes among Latinos in Chicago.

Although a health advantage in hypertension has been documented among Latinos, this advantage appears to be eroding. Of particular concern is the observation that Latinos are less likely to be screened and treated for hypertension and to having it controlled. Scholars have suggested that, above and beyond individual-level factors, neighborhood characteristics may be important predictors of health and health care. We analyzed 2001–2003 data from the Chicago Community Adult Health Study to examine (a) the relationship between the Latino and immigrant composition of neighborhoods in Chicago and several outcomes among Latinos: having hypertension, utilizing hypertension-related health care, and being treated for hypertension; and (b) whether there was a differential effect of neighborhood Latino/immigrant concentration by language of interview and nativity status. We controlled for additional neighborhood characteristics relevant to hypertension and to the availability and accessibility of health care resources. Neighborhoods with higher concentrations of immigrants and Latinos were associated with Latinos having lower odds of hypertension (OR = 0.60, p = 0.03). However, among those with hypertension, our results point to deleterious effects on hypertension care (OR = 0.55, p = 0.06) and treatment (OR = 0.54, p = 0.04) associated with living in neighborhoods with higher concentrations of immigrants and Latinos. We detected no significant interaction effects between immigrant/Latino neighborhood composition and language of interview or being an immigrant in this sample. These results suggest that improving access to care for Latinos with hypertension requires enhanced placement of community clinics and other safety-net health centers in neighborhoods with higher proportions of immigrants and Latinos.
Functional Amyloids in the Mouse Sperm Acrosome

The acrosomal matrix (AM) is an insoluble structure within the sperm acrosome that serves as a scaffold controlling the release of AM-associated proteins during the sperm acrosome reaction. The AM also interacts with the zona pellucida (ZP) that surrounds the oocyte, suggesting a remarkable stability that allows its survival despite being surrounded by proteolytic and hydrolytic enzymes released during the acrosome reaction. To date, the mechanism responsible for the stability of the AM is not known. Our studies demonstrate that amyloids are present within the sperm AM and contribute to the formation of an SDS- and formic-acid-resistant core. The AM core contained several known amyloidogenic proteins, as well as many proteins predicted to form amyloid, including several ZP binding proteins, suggesting a functional role for the amyloid core in sperm-ZP interactions. While stable at pH 3, at pH 7, the sperm AM rapidly destabilized. The pH-dependent dispersion of the AM correlated with a change in amyloid structure leading to a loss of mature forms and a gain of immature forms, suggesting that the reversal of amyloid is integral to AM dispersion.
Metal-catalyzed oxidation in the presence of water in foods.

Methyl linoleate was oxidized in model systems consisting of either cellulose or casein with which the lipid was dispersed with water containing cobalt salts. The dispersion was extruded into Warburg flasks, frozen and freeze-dried at 100 µ Hg and with platen temperatures of 80 F. The samples were then humidified over saturated salt solutions to give moisture contents from less than 1 g H2O/100 g solids up to 30 g H2O/100 g solids. The higher moisture contents were obtained by addition of glycerol to the model system during preparation and humidification at 60–75% RH. Chelating agents including EDTA and citric acid in concentrations of 1 to 10 moles per mole of cobalt ion were used in some experiments. Oxidation was followed manometrically and by peroxide analysis. At low water contents, water acts as an antioxidant through hydration of metallic catalysts. As the moisture content increases, water promotes oxidation through its solvent activity. In the region of capillary condensation, antioxidant effect of metal hydration is overshadowed by the prooxidant effect of metal solubilization. The water soluble chelating agents such as EDTA act on metals in aqueous solution and their activity is promoted by increased moisture content.
Improved Dielectric Breakdown Strength of Covalently-Bonded Interface Polymer–Particle Nanocomposites

Interfacial covalent bonding is an effective approach to increase the electrical resistance of a polymer–particle composite to charge flow and dielectric breakdown. A bifunctional tether reagent bonded to an inorganic oxide particle surface assists with particle dispersion within a thermosetting epoxy polymer matrix but then also reacts covalently with the polymer matrix. Bonding the particle surface to the polymer matrix resulted in a composite that maintained the pure polymer glass transition temperature, compared to modified or unmodified particle dispersions that lacked covalent bonding to the polymer matrix, which depressed the polymer glass transition to lower temperatures. The added interfacial control, directly bonding the particle to the polymer matrix, appears to prevent conductive percolation across particle surfaces that results in a reduced Maxwell–Wagner relaxation of the polymer–particle composite and a reduced sensitivity to a dielectric breakdown event. The inclusion of 5 vol% particles o...
Intracerebral Hemorrhage Volume Predicts Poor Neurologic Outcome in Children

Background and Purpose— Although intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) volume and location are important predictors of outcome in adults, few data exist in children. Methods— A consecutive cohort of children, including full-term newborns to those younger than 18 years of age with nontraumatic, acute ICH and head CT available for analysis were studied. Clinical information was abstracted via chart review. Hemorrhage volume was expressed as percentage of total brain volume (TBV) with large hemorrhage defined as ≥4% of TBV. Hemorrhages were manually traced on each head CT slice and volumes were calculated by multiplying by slice thickness. Location was classified as supratentorial or infratentorial. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of poor neurological outcome, defined as a Glasgow outcome scale ≤2 (death or persistent vegetative state). Results— Thirty children were included, median age 6 years. Median ICH volume was 20.4 cm3 and median ICH size as a percentage of TBV was 1.9%. Only 4 of 22 chil...
On optimal multidimensional mechanism design

We solve the optimal multi-dimensional mechanism design problem when either the number of bidders is a constant or the number of items is a constant. In the first setting, we need that the values of each bidder for the items are i.i.d., but allow different distributions for each bidder. In the second setting, we allow the values of each bidder for the items to be arbitrarily correlated, but assume that the bidders are i.i.d. For all e > 0, we obtain an efficient additive e-approximation, when the value distributions are bounded, or a multiplicative (1--e)-approximation when the value distributions are unbounded, but satisfy the Monotone Hazard Rate condition. When there is a single bidder, we generalize these results to independent but not necessarily identically distributed value distributions, and to independent regular distributions.
High resolution X-ray scattering study of the multiply reentrant polar mesogen DB9ONO2

Liquid crystal of the polar molecule DB 9 ONO 2 display fluctuations on two incommensurate and temperature dependent lenght scales. We have used high resolution X-ray scattering to study the structure of this material between 80°C and 230°C at atmospheric pressure. We confirm the previously reported phase sequence of multiply reentrant nematic phases. The low temperature nematic phases are highly ordered, with correlation lenghts exceeding 3300 A far from the phase boundary. We find evidence of an S c phase between the low temperature S A1 and S c phases Confirmation de la sequence de phases nematiques reentrantes multiples. Les phases nematiques a basse temperature sont tres ordonnees avec des longueurs de correlation qui depassent 3300 A loin de la limite de phase. Existence d'une phase S c entre les phases basse temperature S A1 et S c
Deep venous thrombosis: Incidence on admission to a brain injury rehabilitation program

Abstract Objective: To determine the incidence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in brain injured individuals at time of admission to a brain injury (BI) rehabilitation program. Design: Prospective study, sequential case series. Setting: University tertiary care BI rehabilitation center. Data Set: Eighty-two traumatic brain injury (TBI) and 71 atraumatic brain injury (ABI) patients were consecutively admitted to our BI unit over a 12-month period and screened within 24 hours of admission for a lower extremity DVT with color flow duplex Doppler ultrasonography. All patients had been prophylaxed with either subcutaneous heparin anticoagulation therapy or intermittent compression devices, and all patients were within 2 months of the original BI. Main Outcome Measure: Evidence of intrinsic venous occlusion by duplex Doppler. Results: DVTs were detected and treated prior to rehabilitation admission in three patients (2%), and these persisted at rehabilitation admission. New DVTs were detected at time of rehabilitation admission in 17 patients (11%). All were occult DVTs; none of the 17 patients had clinical findings indicative of acute DVT. No significant differences were noted in the TBI group when age, highest 24-hour Glasgow Coma Scale score, length of acute hospitalization, type of DVT prophylaxis, or presence of an extremity fracture were compared for individuals with and without DVT. No significant differences were noted in the ABI group when age, length of acute hospitalization, and type of DVT prophylaxis were compared for individuals with and without DVT. Conclusion: The overall incidence of DVTs was 13% and the incidence of occult DVT was 11%. Individuals with TBI had an overall incidence of DVTs of 20% and an occult DVT incidence of 18%. Individuals with ABI had an overall incidence of DVT's of 6% and an occult DVT incidence of 4%. These findings indicate the importance of baseline screening for DVT in this patient population.
The Association between Self-Reported Grocery Store Access, Fruit and Vegetable Intake, Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption, and Obesity in a Racially Diverse, Low-Income Population.

This study sought to examine the relationship between self-reported time and distance to the nearest retail grocery store, healthy and unhealthy food consumption, and objectively measured body mass index. We conducted a survey with 1,503 racially diverse, low-income residents at five public health centers in Los Angeles County. Most participants reported shopping at a supermarket (86.7%) and driving (59.9%) to their usual source for groceries. Over half reported living less than a mile from (58.9%) and traveling five minutes or less to reach (50.3%) the nearest grocery store. In the multivariable regression models, neither self-reported distance nor time to the nearest grocery store was consistently associated with fruit and vegetable intake, sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, or body mass index. Results suggest the need to consider access and quality as well as urban planning and transportation, when examining the relationship between the retail food environment and health outcomes.
Where is El Niño

I enjoyed George Philander's note, “Who is El Nino?,” (Eos, March 31, 1998, p. 170) and his effort to rationalize the Nino nomenclature. There is a further complication that he does not mention—the widespread labeling of El Nino as any unusual warming far from the equator, whether or not it is linked to the tropical event. This leads to considerable confusion, since the timings and intensities of these occurrences may be very different. For example, El Nino of 1972–1973 was a major event in the tropics that was associated with the collapse of the Peruvian anchoveta fishery, and yet significant sea-surface temperature anomalies were barely detectable north of southern California. No one on the Washington coast would have called this El Nino. On the other hand, the minor tropical event of 1976–1977 was associated with the regime shift in the eastern North Pacificsemi; unusual surface warming as far north as the Bering Sea persisted into the early 1980s. Should both the 10-month tropical event and the 5-year subarctic event be called El Nino? The current frenzy over the 1997–1998 event, where subarctic warming was contemporaneous with equatorial developments, demonstrates the need to regularize the terminology.
Normal lymphocyte responses to mitogens in term and premature neonates following normal and abnormal intrauterine growth.

Cord blood lymphocyte responses to a panel of four mitogens were studied in 242 neonates using a whole blood technique. The patient population was divided into five gestational-age groups: 20–27.9, 28–32.9, 33–37.9, 38–41.9, and 42–44 weeks. Neonatal lymphocytes undergo a continuous reduction in proliferative responsiveness to the polyclonal ligands phytohemaglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin A (Con A) as gestation progresses from 20 to 44 weeks postconception. This is consistent with their change in unstimulated in vitro blastogenesis which when measured over the same developmental period is greatest in more immature neonates. Neonatal lymphocyte proliferative responsiveness to pokeweed mitogen (PWM) and staphylococcus protein A (SpA), however, was unrelated to gestational age. The influence of intrauterine nutritional deprivation on lymphocyte proliferative responses was studied in clinically uninfected newborns and compared to gestational age-matched controls with a normal nutritional status. Intrauterine nutritional deprivation was not associated with a decrease in mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation. Further, we explored the influence of several perinatal clinical settings commonly associated with fetal distress on cord blood lymphocyte responses to mitogens. Although perinatal stress in the form of low Apgar scores, meconium-stained amniotic fluid, and prolonged rupture of the amniotic membranes was not related to differences in mitogen induced lymphocyte proliferation, mode of delivery was. Cesarean section delivery as compared to vaginal delivery was associated with a significantly greater PHA-, Con A-, and SpA-induced neonatal lymphocyte response. Several alternative explanations for this finding are explored. Lastly, the purified protein thymosin fraction 5 was not associated with alteration in either neonatal or adult mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation.
Response to Richard M. Weiss's Commentary on Jill W. Graham's Review (AMR, 1988) of Managerial Ideology and the Social Control of Deviance in Organizations

The article presents a response by Jill W. Graham to a commentary by Richard M. Weiss on her review of his book “Managerial Ideology and the Social Control of Deviance in Organizations.” Graham takes offense to Weiss' assertion that she misrepresented his book in any way. She contends that she tried to offer a balanced treatment of his book and a constructive tone to her review. The author notes that to qualify as a scholarly contribution, new research must show that it adds to existing knowledge.
Fluid structure in supercritical xenon by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and small angle X-ray scattering

Chemical shifts for [sup 129]Xe at 25[degrees]C are presented for densities between 5 [times] 10[sup -3] and 2.2 [times] 10[sup -2] mol/cm[sup 3], corresponding to pressures between 50 and 1000 bar. Also presented are small angle X-ray scattering results for xenon at 28 and 45[degrees]C and pressures between 30 and 400 bar. The scattering results reveal the expected increase in aggregation and correlation length near the critical density. The chemical shifts exhibit deviations from the second-order virial equation over a broad range of densities. These deviations are also evident in calculations from integral equation theory. A departure from the cage model of solvent nearest neighbors due to repulsive solvation effects is discussed as a possible source of these deviations. 45 refs., 12 figs., 1 tab.
Thermally-Controlled Formation of Crystalline Hexachlorobenzene, Hexachloroethane, and Anhydrous Chromium Chloride

Abstract The high-temperature preparation of purple crystalline anhydrous chromium chloride (CrCl3) by passing CCl4 vapors over green Cr2O3 powder in an inert atmosphere is an instructive experiment in the inorganic chemistry laboratory. A systematic investigation of this synthesis (using a carefully calibrated tube furnace, X-ray powder diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and gas chromatography) revealed that the products formed as a consequence of the pyrolysis of CCl4 are sensitive to the reaction temperature. When Cr2O3 is present, the formation of CrCl3 dominates at temperatures between 600°C and 800°C; at temperatures above 900°C, C6Cl6 forms preferentially (presumably from the linking of the C-Cl free radicals produced by the pyrolysis) as the unreacted metal oxide is sintered to form eskolaite. In the absence of Cr2-O3, the pyrolysis products are crystalline hexachloroethane (C2Cl6) at 600°C and needle-shaped crystals of hexachlorobenzene at temperatures above 900°C.
Kidney Cancer Is Characterized by Aberrant Methylation of Tissue-Specific Enhancers That Are Prognostic for Overall Survival

Purpose: Even though recent studies have shown that genetic changes at enhancers can influence carcinogenesis, most methylomic studies have focused on changes at promoters. We used renal cell carcinoma (RCC), an incurable malignancy associated with mutations in epigenetic regulators, as a model to study genome-wide patterns of DNA methylation at a high resolution. Experimental Design and Results: Analysis of 1.3 million CpGs by the HELP assay in RCC and healthy microdissected renal tubular controls demonstrated that the RCC samples were characterized by widespread hypermethylation that preferentially affected gene bodies. Aberrant methylation was particularly enriched in kidney-specific enhancer regions associated with H3K4Me1 marks. Various important underexpressed genes, such as SMAD6, were associated with aberrantly methylated, intronic enhancers, and these changes were validated in an independent cohort. MOTIF analysis of aberrantly hypermethylated regions revealed enrichment for binding sites of AP2α, AHR, HAIRY, ARNT, and HIF1 transcription factors, reflecting contributions of dysregulated hypoxia signaling pathways in RCC. The functional importance of this aberrant hypermethylation was demonstrated by selective sensitivity of RCC cells to low levels of decitabine. Most importantly, methylation of enhancers was predictive of adverse prognosis in 405 cases of RCC in multivariate analysis. In addition, parallel copy-number analysis from MspI representations demonstrated novel copy-number variations that were validated in an independent cohort of patients. Conclusions: Our study is the first high-resolution methylome analysis of RCC, demonstrates that many kidney-specific enhancers are targeted by aberrant hypermethylation, and reveals the prognostic importance of these epigenetic changes in an independent cohort. Clin Cancer Res; 20(16); 1–12. ©2014 AACR .
Effect of ELMS on the SOL plasma in DIII-D

We have studied the evolution of the edge plasma in VH-mode discharges in DIII-D as the discharge evolves from the ELM-free H-mode phase through the VH-mode phase to the final ELMing H-mode phase, by following the changes in the radial profiles of the density and temperature, in the core plasma near the separatrix and in the scrape-off-layer (SOL) plasma outside the separatrix. The electron density and temperature profiles in the SOL do not show any significant difference between the ELM-free H-mode and VH-mode phases. In the ELMing phase, the, density profile broadens during an ELM, forming a high density (n{sub e} > 1 x 10{sup 19}/m{sup 3}) plateau that extends out into the SOL to the limit of the measurement. This density plateau persists between the ELMs, although the density in the SOL does relax somewhat between the ELMs, with a characteristic time that can be larger than ten milliseconds, much longer than the sonic particle flow time to the divertor plates. The time average density scale length measured at the separatrix increases by about a factor of two after the ELMs begin. This density scale length increases with the ELM background, as measured by the photo-diodes nearest to, but outside the outer strike-point, suggesting that recycling from the divertor targets is supplying particles that maintain the density plateau. The electron temperature profile in the SOL also broadens during an ELM, but relaxes on a much faster time scale and does not persist between ELMs.
Korean Immigrant Women's Journey from Abused Wives to Self-Reliant Women

This qualitative study examined Korean immigrant women's experience of marital abuse and post-divorce adjustment. This study aimed to explore the lives of Korean immigrant women who are underrepresented among minorities, to examine cultural and institutional factors which play key roles in Korean immigrant women's decision to leave abusive relationships, and to move beyond the general question of “Why do they stay?” to “How do they survive?” Korean immigrant women went through several stages from abused wives to self-reliant divorced women: premature marriage, marital dynamics and abuse, marital dissolution, and post-divorce adjustment.
Phase Transitions of Wheat Starch-Water Systems Containing Polydextrose

Equivalent concentrations of polydextrose and sucrose had similar effects on phase transitions of wheat starch-water systems. Onset and peak gelatinization temperatures were increased similarly with the two solutes. This was true with varied water:starch ratios, varied concentrations of solute, and for batters prepared with the two solutes. Acesulfame K, cyclamate, and saccharin at low levels, as might be used in food products, had little effect on phase transitions of starch-water-solute systems.
Soils and Climate Change: Gas Fluxes and Soil Processes

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, global temperatures are expected to increase 1.1 to 6.4°C during the 21st century, and precipitation patterns will be altered by climate change. Soils are intricately linked to the atmospheric–climate system through the carbon, nitrogen, and hydrologic cycles. Altered climate will, therefore, have an effect on soil processes and properties, and at the same time, the soils themselves will have an effect on climate. Study of the effects of climate change on soil processes and properties is still nascent, but has revealed that climate change will impact soil organic matter dynamics, including soil organisms and the multiple soil properties that are tied to organic matter, soil water, and soil erosion. The exact direction and magnitude of those impacts will be dependent on the amount of change in atmospheric gases, temperature, and precipitation amounts and patterns. Recent studies give reason to believe at least some soils may become net sources of atmospheric carbon as temperatures rise and that this is particularly true of high latitude regions with currently permanently frozen soils. Soil erosion by both wind and water is also likely to increase. However, there are still many things we need to know more about. How climate change will affect the nitrogen cycle and, in turn, how the nitrogen cycle will affect carbon sequestration in soils is a major research need, as is a better understanding of soil water–CO2 level–temperature relationships. Knowledge of the response of plants to elevated atmospheric CO2 given limitations in nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus and associated effects on soil organic matter dynamics is a critical need. There is also a great need for a better understanding of how soil organisms will respond to climate change because those organisms are incredibly important in a number of soil processes, including the carbon and nitrogen cycles. Reviews
Effect of resist components on image spreading during postexposure bake of chemically amplified resists

The ultimate feature size achievable using a chemically amplified resist is determined by chemical and physical processes occurring during the post-exposure bake process. Using a combined experimental-modelling procedure we previously have developed a physically accurate, predictive description of coupled deprotection and diffusion in poly(p- tert-butyloxycar-bonyloxystyrene) (PTBOCST) resist containing a diaryliodonium perfluorobutanesulfonate salt as photoacid generator (PAG). In the present work we extend that study to quantify the impact of anion size and of added base on resist reaction diffusion kinetics. Our results show that both short and long range mobility of the PAG anion influence image spreading; the small triflate counterion leads to acid diffusion larger by a factor of 9 - 70 than that observed with the larger perfluoro-butanesulfonate counterion. The addition of tetra-n-butylammonium hydroxide leads to an overall suppression of image spreading in the exposed resist. This effect can be analyzed quantitatively using a proportional neutralization model, which reveals that base addition can lead to an overall sharpening of the developable latent image of deprotection even in the absence of acid diffusion.
Effects of oxygen “ashing” on indium-tin oxide thin films

Summary Indium-tin oxide (ITO) films were prepared by d.c. sputtering of ITO in an oxygen atmosphere, and measurements of resistivity, thickness, and optical constants were made. The resistivity was found to increase at first and then decrease substantially with ashing in an oxygen plasma. The basic optical gap is relatively unaffected by ashing, but impurity band absorption increased substantially.
Comparison of the phenacetin and aminopyrine breath tests: Effect of liver disease, inducers and cobaltous chloride

The phenacetin breath test (PBT) has been proposed as an alternative to the aminopyrine breath test (ABT) for the assessment of hepatic function. To investigate the clinical utility of the PBT, we compared the PBT with the ABT in 9 healthy subjects and 18 patients with biopsy-proven liver disease. We also investigated the effects of cytochrome P-450 inducers in humans and rats, and the effect of cobaltous chloride (CoCl2) in rats on the PBT to elucidate the relationship between the rate of phenacetin deethylation and exhaled labeled CO2 derived from phenacetin. In humans with abnormal ABTs, the PBT correlated with the ABT (r = 0.77), but in healthy humans there was no correlation between the two breath tests. Rifampin pretreatment in healthy humans induced the ABT by 27%, but did not induce the PBT. In rats the PBT was not induced by 3-methylcholanthrene pretreatment at phenacetin doses of 1 mg per kg, but was induced by both 3-methylcholanthrene (178%) and phenobarbital (142%) at 10 mg per kg phenacetin. Pretreatment of rats with CoCl2, which reduces cytochrome P-450 content, decreased the PBT by 40% and the ABT by 84%. The insensitivity of the PBT to induction except at high doses of phenacetin suggests that phenacetin deethylation is not the rate-limiting process modulating exhaled labeled CO2 in healthy subjects, and that the PBT does not generally reflect normal or induced phenacetin dealkylation rates. The PBT, however, did reflect hepatic damage and may even be better than the ABT for grading the severity of hepatic damage.
Fabrication and Performance of Magneto-Active Elastomer Composite Structures

This works discusses the use of magneto-active elastomer (MAE) as an active material for use in origami engineering and other applications where transformation of a composite structure between target shapes is desired. Magneto-active elastomer, as the name implies, consists of magnetic powders dispersed in an elastomer (polymer) fluid which is subsequently cured in the presence of a magnetic field to produce a net remanent magnetization in the cured solid. Having their own internal magnetization, MAE materials are affected by both magnetic forces, due to gradients in local field, as well as magnetic torques resulting from the cross product of the field and the magnetization. In this fashion, patches of MAE material, distributed throughout a non-magnetic elastomeric structure, act as distributed actuators producing deformed shapes. The use of rare-Earth magnets as the magnetic actuation elements is also investigated. The work highlights experimental efforts to develop structures with integrated MAE patches and rare-Earth magnets of varying magnetization orientations using multi-step casting processes and 3D printing techniques. Initial results show success at generating active structures having locally oriented MAE patches and magnets in accordion, water bomb and and Miru fold patterns.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
The limb musculature of the Tupaiidae

The limb musculature of the tree shrews,Tupaia glis, Tupaia nicobarica, Lyonogale (Tupaia) tana, andUrogale everetti, is described and compared with published accounts. Although these species show preferences for different forest levels, i.e., arboreal (T. nicobarica), semiarboreal (T. glis), and terrestrial (L. tana, U. everetti) niches, their musculoskeletal contrasts present no consistent patterns attributable to locomotor adaptations. However, a re-examination of the myological evidence bearing on the much discussed question of the relationship of tree shrews to primates suggests that those features shared by these forms are retentions from their basal mammalian heritage, and supports the view that tree shrews possess a primitive rather than a progressive insectivoran limb morphology.
Reaction of Trimethylaluminum with [(tBu)Al(μ3-O)]6: Hybrid tert-Butylmethylalumoxanes as Cocatalysts for Olefin Polymerization

The reaction of trimethylaluminum with the hexameric tert-butylalumoxane, [(tBu)Al(μ3-O)]6, has been investigated. Reaction of [(tBu)Al(μ3-O)]6 with 1 equiv of AlMe3 results in the formation of two isomers (A and B) of the hybrid tert-butylmethylalumoxane, [Al7(μ3-O)6(tBu)6Me3]. The structures of compounds A and B, as determined by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, consist of [Al6(μ3-O)6(tBu)5Me] alumoxane cages, formed via tert-butyl/methyl exchange, in which one of the edges of the Al6O6 cage is complexed to the (tBu)AlMe2 formed during alkyl exchange. The difference between the isomers results from the geometric relationship of the cage Al-Me group and the opened edge. The activity of [Al7(μ3-O)6(tBu)6Me3], for the [Me2C(Cp)(Flu)]ZrBz2-catalyzed polymerization of 1,5-hexadiene, is significantly increased in comparison to [(tBu)Al(μ3-O)]6. The effect of additional equivalents of AlMe3 on the cocatalytic activity of [Al7(μ3-O)6(tBu)6Me3] suggests that a maximum activity is obtained at a [(tBu)Al(μ3...
Cocrystals of Escherichia coli trp repressor bound to an alternative operator DNA sequence.

Abstract Cocrystals of a 2:1 complex of trp repressor dimers with a DNA duplex containing a single, central operator half-site sequence are described. Crystals with different, morphologies grew under diverse crystallization conditions within days to weeks by hanging drop vapor-diffusion. Twinned rods split along their longitudinal cleft produce single crystals with space group C 2 and unit cell dimensions a = 112·34 A b =90·16 A c =58·65 A and β = 113·92°. The crystals diffract to 2·4 A and are thus suitable for structural analysis by X-ray diffraction. Several heavy-atom derivative cocrystals have been obtained with iodouridine·substituted DNAs.
Fermion propagators on a four-dimensional random-block lattice

Abstract Fermion propagators, composite boson propagators and the fermion condensate are calculated numerically on the four-dimensional random-block lattice, respectively. The ensemble-averaged fermion propagator agrees with the continuum propagator for distances greater than three average lattice spacings. The results on the fermion condensate show that the chiral symmetry of the doubled modes is broken in the continuum limit. The Goldstone boson arising from the broken symmetry is revealed by examining the composite pseudo-scalar propagator. The doubled fermion and the Goldstone boson both acquire masses of the order of inverse lattice spacing and thus decouple from the theory in the continuum limit.
Direction of translation of the lysozyme gene of bacteriophage T4 relative to the linkage map.

Abstract The lysozyme gene of bacteriophage T4 has been shown to be translated in the same direction as the rII gene and in a direction opposite to that of the head gene. The time of translation of genes of bacteriophage T4 seems not to be determined by the direction of translation.
Activation-induced death of mature T cells in the regulation of immune responses

Deletion of self-reactive clones of immature thymocytes by activation-induced death (AID) is thought to be the primary mechanism for the establishment of self-tolerance in the T-cell compartment. Recent evidence suggests that a genetically distinct but analogous process of AID in mature T cells is important in regulating peripheral immune responses. AID of peripheral T cells requires the expression of functional Fas and Fas ligand by the T-cell population. As qualitatively similar signals from the TCR are responsible for both T-cell expansion in inflammation and T-cell elimination by AID, regulating the balance between these opposing functions plays a crucial role in successful responses to pathogens and tumors while minimizing autoimmunity.
Percutaneous internal fixation of fractures of the proximal phalanges.

A rational method for management of the fractures of the proximal phalanges is presented. By this technique fracture healing and recovery of movement take place concurrently rather than consecutively thereby the morbidity is greatly reduced. It leads to early and complete rehabilitation of the patient in a short period.