cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of crystal structure on the light scatter of zirconium oxide films.

The relationship of light scatter by a thin film to thin-film morphology is examined. Light scatter by reactively evaporated ZrO2 thin films is analyzed by using in situ total internal reflection microscopy and angle-resolved scatterometry. Film crystal structure is analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction. Relations between film crystal structure and film scatter are established by using this information. Surface topography is analyzed by the use of scanning force microscopy. Results of a spectrophotometric determination of the film refractive index are reported. The film scatter is found to be sensitive to the crystal phase of the film, which is a function of substrate deposition temperature. A simple method of separating bulk from surface scatter is described.
Rituximab infusion induces NK activation in lymphoma patients with the high-affinity CD16 polymorphism

Natural killer (NK) cell–mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity involving FcγRIIIa (CD16) likely contributes to the clinical efficacy of rituximab. To assess the in vivo effects of CD16 polymorphisms on rituximab-induced NK activation, blood was evaluated before and 4 hours after initiation of the initial dose of rituximab in 21 lymphoma subjects. Rituximab induced NK activation and a drop in circulating NK-cell percentage in subjects with the high-affinity [158(VF/VV)] but not the low-affinity [158(FF)] CD16 polymorphism. There was no correlation between NK-cell activation or NK-cell percentage and polymorphisms in CD32A, C1q, or CH50. We conclude that NK activation occurs within 4 hours of rituximab infusion in subjects with the high-affinity CD16 polymorphism but not those with the low-affinity CD16 polymorphism. This finding may help explain the superior clinical outcome seen in the subset of high-affinity CD16 polymorphism lymphoma patients treated with single-agent rituximab.
Interstitial waters of some deep marine carbonate sediments

Abstract Interstitial waters of marine carbonate sediments from two cores collected on the Bermuda Apron were analyzed for dissolved chloride, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and silica. Of all the constituents investigated only silica showed considerable deviation from the composition of average sea water. Metastable carbonate minerals (aragonite and high Mg calcite) are not present in the cores investigated and the Mg/Cl and Ca/Mg ratios of the interstitial waters indicate that these minerals have not been dissolved or recrystallized in the deep sea sedimentary environment. Aragonite and high Mg calcite are present in the carbonate sediments on the Bermuda Pedestal which serve as partial source materials for the deep sea carbonates. The results suggest that a considerable amount of selective dissolution and recrystallization of metastable carbonate minerals may occur during transport from shallow water to deep sea sites of deposition.
Pedagogically Useful Extractive Summaries for Science Education

This paper describes the design and evaluation of an extractive summarizer for educational science content called COGENT. COGENT extends MEAD based on strategies elicited from an empirical study with science domain and instructional design experts. COGENT identifies sentences containing pedagogically relevant concepts for a specific science domain. The algorithms pursue a hybrid approach integrating both domain independent bottom-up sentence scoring features and domain-aware top-down features. Evaluation results indicate that COGENT outperforms existing summarizers and generates summaries that closely resemble those generated by human experts. COGENT concept inventories appear to also support the computational identification of student misconceptions about earthquakes and plate tectonics.
Radial symmetry in a chimeric glutamate receptor pore

Ionotropic glutamate receptors comprise two conformationally different A/C and B/D subunit pairs. Closed channels exhibit fourfold radial symmetry in the transmembrane domain (TMD) but transition to twofold dimer-of-dimers symmetry for extracellular ligand binding and N-terminal domains. Here, to evaluate symmetry in open pores we analysed interaction between the Q/R editing site near the pore loop apex and the transmembrane M3 helix of kainate receptor subunit GluK2. Chimeric subunits that combined the GluK2 TMD with extracellular segments from NMDA receptors, which are obligate heteromers, yielded channels made up of A/C and B/D subunit pairs with distinct substitutions along M3 and/or Q/R site editing status, in an otherwise identical homotetrameric TMD. Our results indicate that Q/R site interaction with M3 occurs within individual subunits and is essentially the same for both A/C and B/D subunit conformations, suggesting that fourfold pore symmetry persists in the open state.
Multisubunit assembly of an integral plasma membrane channel protein, gap junction connexin43, occurs after exit from the ER.

Abstract Connexin43 (Cx43) is an integral plasma membrane protein that forms gap junctions between vertebrate cells. We have used sucrose gradient fractionation and chemical cross-linking to study the first step in gap junction assembly, oligomerization of Cx43 monomers into connexon channels. In contrast with other plasma membrane proteins, multisubunit assembly of Cx43 was specifically and completely blocked when endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-to-Golgi transport was inhibited by 15°C incubation, carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone, or brefeldin A or in CHO cell mutants with temperature-sensitive defects in secretion. Additional experiments indicated that connexon assembly occurred intracellularly, most likely in the trans-Golgi network. These results describe a post-ER assembly pathway for integral membrane proteins and have implications for the relationship between membrane protein oligomerization and intracellular transport.
Enhancements to Society's Products and Services: Report of Progress Made in 2008

The Computer Society's 2008 president reports on progress made in revitalization efforts during the past year.
Morphology of Retinogeniculate X and Y Axon Arbors in Monocularly Enucleated Cats

We examined the terminal arbors of single, physiologically identified retinogeniculate X and Y axons from the remaining retinas of adult cats raised from birth with monocular enucleation. These were compared with arbors of X and Y axons in normally reared cats. We used intra-axonal injections of horseradish peroxidase to label each axon after recording its response properties. While the axons in monocularly enucleated cats exhibited normal response properties, both X and Y axons in these cats had abnormally large terminal arbors. Each of the hypertrophied X arbors appeared to be completely confined to the single geniculate lamina A or A1 appropriate to its eye of origin (i.e., lamina A for the contralateral retina and lamina A1 for the ipsilateral retina). In contrast, in addition to their normal terminations, most of the Y arbors seemed to extend well into laminae normally innervated only by the retina that was removed. Thus most or all of the translaminar sprouting previously reported for monocularly enucleated cats appears to reflect extensions of Y axon arbors. These data, in addition to earlier, analogous data from young kittens and cats reared with monocular lid suture, suggest the following sequelae during postnatal development: the retinogeniculate X arbors mature first and develop exuberant arbors that are later competitively pruned as the Y axons expand their innervation of the lateral geniculate nucleus; monocular lid suture prevents the Y axons from succeeding in this competition, so they fail to establish normal arbors and cannot reduce the exuberant X arbors; monocular enucleation offers a less resistant path in the denervated laminae for the rapidly growing Y arbors from the remaining eye, and the expansion of these arbors there reduces the competitive pressure on the exuberant X arbors. Thus, in monocularly enucleated cats, sprouting is limited to Y axons, either because only they possess the capacity to sprout or because they are in the midst of a period of relatively rapid growth at the time of the neonatal enucleation. The X axon arbors are also abnormally large within their appropriate laminae. This occurs presumably because they are able to maintain their immature exuberance, although we cannot rule out the possibility that they are pruned and later regrow to the final size seen in our experiments.
Support groups for caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease: Implications for practice and research

An integrative review was conducted on the use of support groups for caregivers of and persons with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The research review was limited to published experimental or qu...
A simple, reliable rapid-mixing apparatus for continuous-flow studies.

Abstract We have developed a simple and economical system for rapid mixing of solutions where a continuous-flow, chemically quenched mode of operation is appropriate. This has proved especially useful for studies of pyruvate dehydrogenase which produces a stable, enzyme-bound intermediate when the terminal acceptors are absent. It has also proved convenient for studies of the overall reaction in which fluorescence of pyridine nucleotide can be measured after quenching in alkaline solution. Syringes containing reactants are driven by a Harvard infusion pump, which provides sufficient speed and power (torque) to give good mixing with conventional commercially available mixing chambers and delay lines. Liquid chromatography fittings and valves are used for the switching operations necessary in the continuous-flow mode.
A study of probabilistic models for characterizing human heart beat dynamics in autonomic blockade control

In this paper, we compare and validate different probabilistic models of human heart beat intervals for assessment of the electrocardiogram data recorded with varying conditions in posture and pharmacological autonomic blockade. The models are validated using the adaptive point process filtering paradigm and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The inverse Gaussian model was found to achieve the overall best performance in the analysis of autonomic control. We further improve the model by incorporating the respiratory covariate measurements and present dynamic respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) analysis. Our results suggest the instantaneous RSA gain computed from our proposed model as a potential index of vagal control dynamics.
Mission statehood: portraits of the second Palestinian intifada in US news media:

Media play a pivotal role in reporting news of distant conflicts. In doing so, they also construct normal/deviant dichotomies. This study investigates construction of Palestinian political violence in US news media within the second Palestinian intifada. It sheds light on media's role as agents of social control and influence by examining labels on violence committed by various parties and the use of primordial- and instrumental-type explanations of national identity and mobilization, among others. Two key intifada moments were picked: Israeli Prime Minister Sharon's visit to the Jerusalem shrine and the assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Ze'evi. Analysis indicated journalist attachment of terrorism exclusively to Palestinians, undermining Palestinian violence as legitimate resistance means. Also, religious and secular identities were conflated in attempting to identify parties of the conflict, thereby mishandling the primordial paradigm. News media's role in social control and influence is thus un...
La Familia Chicana. Nancy Porras Hein and Julie E. Stokes (Eds.), Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 2006, 100 pages, $37.50

Without a doubt, cultural deficit perspectives have a stronghold on the depiction and analysis of Chicano families. More often than not, the Chicano family is contentiously understood in the areas ...
Exploring relations between arroyo cycles and canyon paleoflood records in Buckskin Wash, Utah: Reconciling scientific paradigms

A new chronostratigraphy for a suite of Holocene alluvial deposits along Buckskin Wash, Utah, shows that dynamic upstream alluvial systems have an important and as-yet-unrecognized infl uence on the origin and preservation of downstream paleofl ood records. An ephemeral stream featuring an upstream alluvial reach that fl ows into a narrow slot canyon, Buckskin Wash has previously been the subject of important arroyo cut-and-fi ll and paleofl ood studies. We expand upon and reconcile these earlier efforts through detailed sedimentology and a diverse geochronology (radiocarbon, optically stimulated luminescence, treering, and 137 Cs). The alluvial-reach deposits preserve at least four arroyo cut-and-fi ll cycles since ca. 3 ka. In contrast, the majority of the constricted-reach deposits date to ca. A.D. 1850‐1950, coincident with the most recent arroyo-cutting event upstream. These new data show that transfer of sediment from allu vial valleys during historic arroyo cutting temporarily enhanced preservation of alluvial deposits in the bedrock canyon downstream. Thus, we argue that slackwater deposition in canyons like Buckskin Gulch can be as much a function of upstream geomorphic changes as of fl ood frequency and magnitude. This suggests that some paleofl ood records may be seriously incomplete, and that paleofl ood chronologies could be as much related to the phase of the arroyo cycle as to temporal variability in storm frequency. This fi nding has important implications for studies that utilize paleofl ood records and for our broader under standing of the ways in which dryland fl uvial systems respond to climate change.
Controlling coupler-kick emittance growth in the cornell erl main linac

One of the main concerns in the design of a high brightness Energy Recovery Linac X-ray source is the preservation of beam emittance. Discussed is one possible source of emittance dilution due to transverse electromagnetic fields in the accelerating cavities of the linac caused by the power coupler geometry. This has already been found to be a significant effect in Cornell's ERL injector cavities if only one coupler per cavity is chosen. Here we present results of simulations for Cornell's main ERL linac with six possible coupler configurations and compare them with regards to total emittance growth after one complete pass through the linac. We explain why the sign of the phase between the transverse kick and the accelerating force alternates each cavity when the cavities are arranged in a mirror symmetric way. In this case each cavity with its coupler before the structure is followed by one where the coupler is placed after the structure. This leads to a cancellation of the emittance growth to acceptable values. We find that cavity detuning of individual cavities does not destroy this cancellation. Furthermore we analyze other methods of compensating coupler kicks and find that symmetrization of the cavity geometry in the coupler region with the addition of a stub opposite the coupler is very efficient.
Social Informatics and Aviation Technology

With the introduction of computer technology and digital displays, pilot access to information has increased thereby providing for greater safety. Yet, Controlled Flight into Terrain, (CFIT), is still the third ranking cause of fatalities among air carriers in the United States. Given the estimation that 80% of all aviation accidents are caused by human error, even with all the computer aided flight displays, the author of this article suggests that more study needs to be done on how flight crews use the information provided to them. The author suggests that perhaps flight crews have become overly dependent on graphical displays and use the information to provide, rather than support, situation awareness. All the new technology being introduced in commercial aviation may provide additional burdens or may yield benefits for the crew. More study should be done related to the needs of the pilot and crew, how information is made available, crew communication and interaction and increasing the understanding of the multitasking environment of the flight deck. Systems developers must gain a better understanding of the human element and interactions between computer generated information and how it is perceived and utilized by flight crews.
NPSAT1 Parameter Estimation Using Unscented Kalman Filtering

NPSAT1 is a small satellite being built at the Naval Postgraduate School and scheduled to launch in 2007. It primarily employs magnetic sensing and actuation for attitude control. The nature of the in-house fabrication and assembly of the spacecraft requires reliable computational estimation of the difficult-to-measure parameters of the end-product. The inherent nonlinear dynamics of the system makes the observer design a challenging problem. This paper presents the successful implementation of the unscented Kalman filter (UKF) for the spacecraft parameter estimation. Since a three-axis magnetometer is the only sensor onboard, the UKF algorithm also estimates the system orientation and angular velocity. The unit quaternion constraint is enforced by treating the norm of the quaternions as a dummy measurement. Simulations and ground test experimental results show the superior performance of the UKF in spacecraft dual state-parameter estimation.
Modeling Mutual Influence of Interlocutor Emotion States in Dyadic Spoken Interactions

In dyadic human interactions, mutual influence - a person’s influence on the interacting partner’s behaviors - is shown to be important and could be incorporated into the modeling framework in characterizing, and automatically recognizing the participants’ states. We propose a Dynamic Bayesian Network (DBN) to explicitly model the conditional dependency between two interacting partners’ emotion states in a dialog using data from the IEMOCAP corpus of expressive dyadic spoken interactions. Also, we focus on automatically computing the Valence-Activation emotion attributes to obtain a continuous characterization of the participants’ emotion flow. Our proposed DBN models the temporal dynamics of the emotion states as well as the mutual influence between speakers in a dialog. With speech based features, the proposed network improves classification accuracy by 3.67% absolute and 7.12% relative over the Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) baseline on isolated turn-by-turn emotion classification. Index Terms: emotion recognition, mutual influence, Dynamic Bayesian Network, dyadic interaction
Altered susceptibility to infection by Sinorhizobium meliloti and Nectria haematococca in alfalfa roots with altered cell cycle

Most infections of plant roots are initiated in the region of elongation; the mechanism for this tissue-specific localization pattern is unknown. In alfalfa expressing PsUGT1 antisense mRNA under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter, the cell cycle in roots is completed in 48 h instead of 24 h, and border cell number is decreased by more than 99%. These plants were found to exhibit increased root-tip infection by a fungal pathogen and reduced nodule formation by a bacterial symbiont. Thus, the frequency of infection in the region of elongation by Nectria haematocca was unaffected, but infection of the root tip was increased by more than 90%; early stages of Sinorhizobium meliloti infection and nodule morphology were normal, but the frequency of nodulation was fourfold lower than in wild-type roots.
Reasoning about digital systems

The uses of automated reasoning in the process of the design and analysis of digital systems are explored. A discussion of reasoning and automated reasoning is presented. Several examples of successful application of this technology are described, and current research is discussed. The author mentions AURA (automated reasoning assistant), ITP (interactive theorem prover) and flow nets. >
Urban Economies and Spatial Governmentalities in the World Heritage City of Antigua, Guatemala

As one of 725 UNESCO World Heritage Properties, Antigua, Guatemala, is subject to local international regulations related to building codes and how streets and public places are occupied. These regulations are discussed within the theoretical framework of spatial governmentality to explore that relationship between governance and Maya street vendors' economic practices. I situate the scholarly discussion of spatial governmentality within a specific economic context by highlighting how street economies are affected by what Foucault calls the “era of ‘governmentality,’” especially in an ethnographic context. In this article, I argue that horizontal and vertical forms of governmentality affect the economic practices of street vendors within Antigua's sociopolitically constructed spaces. Understanding how spatial governmentalities work in a particular place helps explain why street economies persist and why new ones emerge. In Antigua's case, a new mobile form of street vending emerged because of newly implemented municipal regulations and policing priorities.
Extractable glucagon of the human pancreas.

THE presence of a hyperglycemic substance was recognized in some of the earliest preparations of insulin. Murlin suggested the name of glucagon for this substance in 1923 (1). It was, however, the recent work of de Duve (2) and Sutherland (3, 4, 5) which stimulated the current interest. The hyperglycemic-glycogenolytic factor, or glucagon, has been found in pancreatic extracts of all species in which it has been sought (6, 7). In some species, but not all, it has also been found in extracts of gastric mucosa and to a lesser extent in duodenum and ileum (4). It has been postulated that the alpha cells are the main source of this substance in the pancreatic islets (8), though objections have been raised to this view (9). Glucagon has been recently obtained in a highly purified, crystalline form and it appears to have the properties of a protein (10). Its principal, and probably only site of action, is in the liver cell where it increases the amount of the active form of phosphorylase (5). This enzyme appear...
Exceptions to the expulsion: violence, security and community among Ugandan Asians, 1972–79

Abstract This paper explores the precarious social worlds of Indians, or Ugandan Asians, who continued to live in Uganda after the 1972 expulsion of the Asian population; men and women who were bureaucratic “exceptions” to the larger out flux of the Indian population. They responded to their racialization and ambivalent inclusion in Amin's Uganda with complex forms of collaboration, complicity, and social practices geared towards shoring up security. Significantly, leaders defined the Indian social body away from an already marginalized Indian political domain that was instituted in the colonial period. Men constructed a new cross-ethnic, religious and sectarian social collectivity in response to their visible status as racialized subjects, forging private enclaves of urban Indian space. Finally, their narratives illustrate aspects of the contingent, bureaucratic, and arbitrary nature of violence and governance in the dictatorial regime. The social and cultural practices developed by Indians during the 19...
Inhibition of Replication of an F′lac Episome in Hfr Cells of Escherichia coli

Hfr strains of Escherichia coli K-12 were found capable of accepting a F'lac episome during mating, with a frequency approximating that of F(-) strains. However, the F'lac episome was unable to replicate in the Hfr cells, and was diluted out during the growth of the culture. The lac(+) gene of the episome can be "rescued" by recombination into the host chromosome, as shown by the appearance of variegated recombinant colonies on a lactose-fermentation indicator medium. In recA Hfr strains, however, no lac(+) offspring were obtained in crosses with F'lac donors. The induced synthesis of beta-galactosidase in F'lac(+) x Hfr zygotes was studied. Rates of enzyme synthesis were approximately constant with respect to time as expected from unilinear inheritance of the F'lac episome. However, the rate of synthesis eventually increased, presumably due to integration of the lac(+) gene in some of the zygotes. In F'lac(+) x recA Hfr zygotes the rate of beta-galactosidase synthesis remained constant with respect to time, as expected.
Autonomic responses are elicited by electrical stimulation of the medial but not lateral frontal cortex in rabbits.

Conscious rabbits received electrical stimulation of the anterior midline frontal cortex or lateral somatosensory and motor cortex, through chronically-implanted electrodes. Active sites for cardiovascular responses were found in the anterior midline cortex, but stimulation of the frontolateral sensory-motor cortex either did not elicit cardiovascular changes or elicited only small and variable changes when stimulated. The heart-rate response elicited was, in all cases, bradycardia. All blood pressure changes consisted of depressor responses. Stimulation of the lateral frontal cortex almost always resulted in increases in EMG activity, although many placements were observed in the medial frontal cortex that were unaccompanied by movement. In all cases in which depressor responses and bradycardia were elicited, increases in respiration rate and decreases in depth also occurred. The active area from which bradycardia and depressor responses were elicited forms the medial portion of the cortical projection area of the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus and thus may be involved in the autonomic accompaniments of the behavioral activities, i.e. learning and memory processes, associated with this nucleus.
Clinical research is part of what we do: the experience of one medical intensive care unit.

1In nursing, clinical research dates back to the days of Florence Nightingale. In the Crimea, Nightingale meticulously recorded the results of nursing interventions and initiated new procedures and methods that improved the outcomes of the patients under her care. Research was integrated into what she did every day, and she used the data to ensure that she could get what she needed for her charges. 2 Today, clinical nursing research is done in some clinical areas, but it is far from integrated into what nurses do every day. 3-6
The local definition of asymptotic particle states

A generalization of quantum field theory is described which has a unique particle interpretation—even in space-times where no global timelike co-ordinate exists. The formulation is described in detail for the case of scalar bosons and spin—one-half fermions in flat space-time. We show that it is possible to construct a model in our approach which is physically equivalent to any given model in the usual formulation. In addition, a new class of models can be constructed which are not possible in the usual formulation. This class includes quantum action-at-a-distance models which can be used to develop models with higher-derivative field equations which are unitary. Our formulation allows some latitude in the choice of boundary conditions, so that one can opt for a continuum of possible Green's functions ranging from Feynman propagators to principal-value propagators (half advanced-half retarded).
Characterization of Picochlorum sp. use of wastewater generated from hydrothermal liquefaction as a nitrogen source

ABSTRACT Picochlorum sp. strain SENEW3 is a halotolerant green alga with high growth rates and the ability to utilize organic nitrogen sources including wastewater generated from hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL-WW). Picochlorum acclimates to the presence of HTL-WW. In a photosynthesis/respiration rate test, Picochlorum SENEW3 showed a stress response to HTL-WW additions in a dose-dependent manner while cells pre-grown with HTL-WW had a greatly reduced response to additions. A quantitative proteomics tool, iTRAQ, was applied to assess Picochlorum global proteome changes in response to HTL-WW as a nitrogen source. From this approach, a total of 350 different proteins were identified across 2 biological replicates which were significantly up-regulated or down-regulated (average ratio of more than 1.2 or less than 0.8, at least one p-value of
Whole-brain amide proton transfer (APT) and nuclear overhauser enhancement (NOE) imaging in glioma patients using low-power steady-state pulsed chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) imaging at 7T.

Purpose To explore the relationship of amide proton transfer (APT) and nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) signal intensities with respect to different World Health Organization (WHO) brain tumor grades (II to IV) at 7T. Materials and Methods APT-based and NOE-based signals at 7T using low-power steady-state chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) were compared among de novo primary gliomas of different WHO grades (II to IV). The quantitative APT and NOE signals, calculated by fitting approach using extrapolated semisolid MT reference (EMR) signals, were compared with the magnetization transfer ratio asymmetry (MTRasym) analysis, commonly used in APT-weighted MRI. Results The observed NOE signals of all glioma grades were significantly lower than normal brain tissue (P < 0.01). NOE signals significantly differed between low-grade (II) gliomas and high-grade (III, IV) gliomas (P < 0.05). APT signals showed no difference between the tumor regions for any glioma grades (M = 3.08%, 2.64%, and 3.10%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.81% ∼ 3.33%, 2.36% ∼ 2.91%, and 2.85% ∼ 3.36% for grade II, III, and IV, respectively), and between normal brain tissue and all glioma grades (P = 0.08, M = 4.29% and 2.94%, 95% CI = 3.57% ∼ 4.99% and 2.47% ∼ 3.41% for normal and average grade II, III, and IV), while MTRasym differed significantly between normal tissue and all glioma grades (P < 0.05). Conclusion NOE contributes substantially to APT-weighted MRI at 7T at low RF saturation power and provides a promising biomarker for glioma grading.J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2015.
The Uniqueness of Odd Pair Designs

A pair design is an ordering of all pairs in {1, 2,…, n} such that pairs that share an element have at least [(n − 3)/2] pairs separating them. Such designs can be constructed for all n. We present a shorter proof of a result of Simmons and Davis, that pair designs for odd n are unique up to permuting the numbers or reversing the order of the pairs.
Heterogeneity identified at birth and blood pressure in adulthood

Objective In the developmental programming literature, the association of birth weight and blood pressure later in life is modest at best. This article reexamines this issue using Covariate Density Defined mixture of regressions (CDDmr) to determine if a latent variable, based on birth weight, and known to influence infant mortality, provides a stronger indicator of developmental programming. Methods CDDmr identifies two latent components in the birth weight distribution, generally interpreted in the infant mortality literature as “compromised” and “normal” fetal development. The data are taken from the 1958 British National Child Development Study. Results In the 1958 cohort, the “compromised” component consists of about 10% of the birth weight distribution. Compared to “normal” births, the mean systolic blood pressure at age 45 of “compromised” births is 20.3 (females) and 26.4 (males) mm Hg higher than “normal” births. The relative risks of stage-I-II systolic hypertension (>140 mm Hg) of “compromised” births compared to “normal” births are 10.7 (females) and 4.2 (males). The relative risks of stage-II systolic hypertension (>160 mm Hg) are considerably higher, 241.6 (females) and 74.3 (males). In general, the highest blood pressures are observed in “compromised” births with birth weights within the normal (about 3.0–3.5 kg) birth weight range. Results for diastolic blood pressure are similar. Conclusions These associations are much stronger than those identified using conventional methods. CDDmr is likely to be useful for studying the dynamics of developmental programming particularly in large cohort studies where birth weight is often the only indicator of programming available. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 28:545–554, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Tools to improve the accuracy of kidney stone sizing with ultrasound.

Abstract Purpose: Ultrasound (US) overestimates stone size when compared with CT. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the overestimation of stone size with US in an in vitro water bath model and investigate methods to reduce overestimation. Materials and Methods: Ten human stones (3–12 mm) were measured using B-mode (brightness mode) US by a sonographer blinded to the true stone size. Images were captured and compared using both a commercial US machine and software-based research US device. Image gain was adjusted between moderate and high stone intensities, and the transducer-to-stone depth was varied from 6 to 10 cm. A computerized stone-sizing program was developed to outline the stone width based on a grayscale intensity threshold. Results: Overestimation with the commercial device increased with both gain and depth. Average overestimation at moderate and high gain was 1.9±0.8 and 2.1±0.9 mm, respectively (p=0.6). Overestimation increased an average of 22% with an every 2-cm increase in depth (p=...
Analysis of deoxyribonucleic acid distribution in noncleaving oocytes from patients undergoing in vitro fertilization.

The purpose of this study was to describe the quantity and distribution of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in oocytes that did not fertilize or did fertilize and failed to cleave, from patients who underwent in vitro fertilization. Patients were selected with at least one cleaving egg, so that the sperm population was known to be fertile, and failure of fertilization or cleavage in the remaining oocytes could be attributed to nonspermatozoan factors. The noncleaving oocytes were classified into five categories, the majority of which (71%) lacked a polar body and any morphologically identifiable nucleus or germinal vesicle. Three general defects were found: (1) failure to replicate the DNA properly; (2) failure to package the DNA properly; and (3) failure to organize the nuclear material properly after sperm penetration. It is concluded that either altered stimulation protocols or altered in vitro maturation conditions are needed to increase the average number of normal embryos available for transfer.
Motivating parents of kids with asthma to quit smoking: the effect of the teachable moment and increasing intervention intensity using a longitudinal randomized trial design

Aims We tested two aims: (1) the teachable moment (TM): whether second-hand smoke exposure (SHSe) feedback motivates cessation in parents of children with asthma versus parents of healthy children (HC); and (2) whether greater intervention intensity [enhanced-precaution adoption model (PAM)] produces greater cessation than a previously tested intervention (PAM). Design and interventions Aim 1: two home visits (asthma education or child wellness), and cessation induction using motivational interviewing and SHSe feedback. Aim 2: post-home-visits, parents with asthmatic children were randomized to PAM (n = 171; six asthma education calls) or enhanced-PAM (n = 170; six asthma education/smoking cessation calls + repeat SHSe feedback). Setting Rhode Island, USA. Participants Parents of asthmatic (n = 341) or healthy (n = 219) children who did not have to want to quit smoking to enroll. Measurements Measurements were given at baseline, 2, 4, 6 and 12 months. Abstinence was bioverified. Outcomes were 7-day and 30-day point prevalence abstinence (ppa) and SHSe (primary) and asthma morbidity (secondary). Findings Aim 1: the TM was supported: parents of asthmatic children were more than twice as likely to achieve 30-day [odds ratio (OR) = 2.60, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.22–5.54] and 7-day ppa (OR = 2.26, 95% CI = 1.13–4.51) at 2 months (primary end-point) and have non-detectable levels of SHSe than HCs. Greater treatment intensity yielded stronger TM effects (OR = 3.60; 95% CI = 1.72–7.55). Aim 2: enhanced-PAM was more likely to achieve 30-day ppa at the primary end-point, 4 months (OR = 2.12, 95% CI 1.09–4.12) and improved asthma outcomes versus PAM. Conclusions Smoking cessation intervention (Motivational Interviewing plus biomarker feedback) appear to motivate smoking cessation more strongly among parents of asthmatic children than among parents of healthy children. Increased intervention intensity yields greater smoking cessation among parents of asthmatic children and better asthma outcomes.
Additive Prognostic Value of Echocardiographic Global Longitudinal and Global Circumferential Strain to Electrocardiographic Criteria in Patients With Heart Failure Undergoing Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy

Background— Response to cardiac resynchronization therapy is most favorable in patients with heart failure with QRS duration ≥150 ms and left bundle branch block and less predictable in those with QRS width 120 to 149 ms or non–left bundle branch block. Methods and Results— We studied 205 patients with heart failure referred for cardiac resynchronization therapy with QRS ≥120 ms and ejection fraction ≤35%. We tested the hypothesis that contractile function using speckle-tracking echocardiographic global circumferential strain (GCS) from 2 short-axis views and global longitudinal strain (GLS) from 3 apical views add prognostic value to electrocardiographic criteria. There were 112 patients (55%) with GLS >−9% and 136 patients (66%) with GCS >−9%. During 4 years, 81 patients reached the combined primary end point (death, circulatory support, or transplant) and 120 reached the secondary end point (heart failure hospitalization or death). Both GLS >−9% and GCS >−9% were associated with increased risk of unfavorable events as follows: for the primary end point (hazard ratio=2.91; 95% confidence interval, 1.88–4.49; P <0.001) and (hazard ratio=3.73; 95% confidence interval, 2.39–5.82; P <0.001) for the secondary end point (hazard ratio=2.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.45–3.05; P <0.001) and (hazard ratio=3.25; 95% confidence interval, 2.23–4.75; P <0.001). In a prespecified subgroup of 120 patients with QRS 120 to 149 ms or non–left bundle branch block, significant associations of baseline GLS and GCS and outcomes remained: P =0.014 and P =0.002 for the primary end point and P =0.049 and P =0.001 for the secondary end point. Global strain measures had additive prognostic value to routine clinical or electrocardiographic parameters ( P <0.001). Conclusions— Baseline GCS and GLS were significantly associated with long-term outcome after cardiac resynchronization therapy and had additive prognostic value to routine clinical and electrocardiographic selection criteria for cardiac resynchronization therapy.
Etiologic factors in congenital heart diseases.

Clues to the etiology of congenital heart disease have clustered in the two areas of genetic and environmental factors. After stating and briefly discussing the multifactorial hypothesis for the etiology of congenital heart disease – the genetic-environmental interaction – the author presents his personal experience in etiologic investigation.
SIGACT news online algorithms column 8

Pros and cons of the competitive analysis have been discussed in the literature by many authors. Continuing this discussion in this quarter s column, Reza Dorrigiv and Alejandro Lopez-Ortiz review and compare various performance measures for online algorithms, highlighting their differences with respect to the competitive ratio. Many thanks to Reza and Alejandro for contributing this article.
Structure of High-Tc Superconducting Thin Film by Laser Ablation

High quality YBa2Cu3O7−x thin films were prepared on (100)SrTiO3 substrate by laser ablation. One of the best samples showed the critical current density (Jc) of 8.0x106A/cm2 at 77.3K under a zero magnetic field. The characteristics of this sample were investigated in comparison with the sample which has Jc of 2.0x106A/cm2. The characteristics of the film, mis-oriented crystallites and stacking faults, were revealed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Furthermore, the preferential orientations of the film with various preparation conditions by laser ablation were also studied.
The Leggett-Rice Effect in Liquid 3He Systems

In a recent series of papers Leggett and Rice1 and Leggett2,3 showed that it should be possible to measure spin-wave effects in a Fermi liquid by using spin-echo magnetic resonance techniques. Spin-wave effects become important in a Fermi liquid in the “collisionless regime,” when ω 0 τ ≳ I, where ω 0 is the Larmor frequency and τ the quasiparticle collision time.
Spondyloptosis of the Cervical Spine in a Patient with Neurofibromatosis Type 1: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Kyphotic deformities of the cervical spine in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1) have received little attention because of their low incidence and the presence of coexisting thoracic or thoracolumbar spine deformities1-3. To the best of our knowledge, there are few cases (Table I) of severe cervical kyphosis (>90°) in a patient with NF-1 that have been reported in the literature4-7. We present the case of an adolescent who was referred to our NF-1 clinic for a progressive cervical kyphosis (130°) with no neurologic deficits. There was radiographic evidence of a C2-C3 intramedullary spinal cord tumor (IMSCT) with extensive cervical plexiform neurofibromas with intraspinal encroachment. The patient and his parents were informed that data regarding this case would be submitted for publication, and they provided consent. View this table: TABLE I Cases in the Literature of Severe Cervical Kyphosis (>90°) in Patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 An eleven-year-old boy with NF-1 was referred to our institution with a history of severe cervical kyphosis. Progressively worsening neck pain was present, although there were no symptoms of weakness, numbness or tingling sensation, or bladder and bowel incontinence. Physical examination revealed multiple cafe-au-lait spots, plexiform neurofibromas in the region of the cervical spine, axillary and inguinal freckles, and substantial cervical kyphosis with no neurological deficit. Radiographs of the cervical spine revealed a kyphosis of 87° (Figs. 1-A and 1-B). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an IMSCT at C2-C3 and large paraspinal plexiform neurofibromas involving the right-sided nerve roots of the cervical spine that extended to T2 with an intraspinal extension from C3-C6, dural ectasia, and focal kyphosis (Figs. 2-A and 2-B). Based on the clinical examination and imaging studies, we recommended intervention. However, the patient was not able to return for the treatment for one year. Fig. 1 Anteroposterior ( Fig. 1-A ) and …
Abstract 3346: Testing the cancer stem cell hypothesis using the hybrid spheroid assay and Koch's postulates

We tested the Cancer Stem Cell (CSC) hypothesis using the patented Hybrid Spheroid (HS) Assay (HSA) and by applying Koch9s postulates to test its validity. The HSA is an in vitro assay that enables one to take a viable sample of an individual patient9s tumor, make a single cell suspension, mix it in known proportions with human fibroblasts (AG1522) and dispense a known number of cells of the mixture into each well of Ultra Low Attachment (ULA) 96-well plates to agglomerate into 1 HS/well, each containing an average of Applying Koch9s postulates: (1) Does the patient9s tumor contain cells with CSC properties? Yes: (a) The HSs grow to a size consistent with containing a CSC, (b) those that grew contain cells expressing ≥ 1 OKSM factor(s), and (c) such HSs contain differentiated progeny of the initial CSC. (2) Can we isolate and propagate these cells? In progress: testing HS serial growth, dissociation and reculture. (3) Can these cells induce the tumor in vivo? In progress: testing by xenografting individual CSC-containing HSs in NSG mice. (4) Do these cells contain and express specific gene products that give them CSC properties? Yes: Demonstrated for Oct4 and Nanog. (5) If we disrupt these genes, do the cells lose their CSC properties? In progress: (shRNA). (6) If we eliminate the CSCs do we eliminate the cancer? Yes: tested by (a) mathematical modeling of single CSC growth, differentiation of some progeny into ATCs capable of a limited number of divisions, that then become terminal non-proliferative tumor cells in the HSA; if a single CSC survives/remains, the HS will grow, i.e., the cancer will recur (63% for an average of 1 CSC in a HS, with a Poisson distribution, assuming that niche sites remain available), and (b) by measuring surviving fractions after exposure to radiation and/or chemotherapy agents (where sterilization of the CSC prevents the HS from growing ≥ 10 divisions. The HSA was applied to tumor samples taken from individual endometrial adenocarcinoma patients and correctly predicted, based on CSC radioresistance, which patients would fail their standard-of-care treatments. Conclusion: The CSC hypothesis is validated in the HSA. Citation Format: Christopher S. Lange, Talal Syed, Mike Zhang, Christian Sabalvaro, Hana I. Lim, Ghadir Salame, Bhargava Chitti, Ifeanyi Ilonzo, Arsalaan Ansari, Michelle Chan, Catherine Li, Jing Xu, Xiaotong Chen. Testing the cancer stem cell hypothesis using the hybrid spheroid assay and Koch9s postulates. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3346.
A thin switched beam parasitic antenna array on planar EBG for 2.4 GHz wireless application

A thin high gain switched beam (0°, 25° and 335°) parasitic antenna array is presented. Using a non-uniform aperiodic EBG array thickness of 0.04 wavelength and 8.4 dBi peak gain is achieved. The Forward-to-Back ratio (F/B) is as high as 30 dB.
Polymer-free carbon nanotube thermoelectrics with improved charge carrier transport and power factor

Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNTs) have recently attracted attention for their promise as active components in a variety of optical and electronic applications, including thermoelectricity generation. Here we demonstrate that removing the wrapping polymer from the highly enriched s-SWCNT network leads to substantial improvements in charge carrier transport and thermoelectric power factor. These improvements arise primarily from an increase in charge carrier mobility within the s-SWCNT networks because of removal of the insulating polymer and control of the level of nanotube bundling in the network, which enables higher thin-film conductivity for a given carrier density. Ultimately, these studies demonstrate that highly enriched s-SWCNT thin films, in the complete absence of any accompanying semiconducting polymer, can attain thermoelectric power factors in the range of ∼400 μW m–1 K–2, which is on par with that of some of the best single-component organic thermoelectrics demonstrated...
Civil–Military Relations and Policy: A Sampling of a New Wave of Scholarship

Thoughtful commentary on the politics of civil–military relations is as ancient as the Greek and Roman Republics and as contemporary as the latest headlines. As a subfield of political science, the...