cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The differential relationships of dimensions of perceived social support with cognitive function among older adults.

Objectives: Research has extensively examined the relationship of social support and cognition. Theories on social support suggest that it is a multidimensional construct including perceptions, actual assistance, and level of integration into a social network. Little is known, however, about the differential associations between distinct dimensions of perceived social support and cognition. This study examined whether four empirically validated dimensions of perceived social support were differentially related to cognitive function in aging, and whether this association was moderated by gender.Methods: The sample included 355 community-residing older adults (mean age = 77 years; %female = 55) enrolled in a longitudinal cohort study. Social support was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study-Social Support Survey. Cognition was assessed using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS).Results: Principal component analysis yielded four factors capturing different dimens...
Motion control, motion sickness, and the postural dynamics of mobile devices.

Drivers are less likely than passengers to experience motion sickness, an effect that is important for any theoretical account of motion sickness etiology. We asked whether different types of control would affect the incidence of motion sickness, and whether any such effects would be related to participants’ control of their own bodies. Participants played a video game on a tablet computer. In the Touch condition, the device was stationary and participants controlled the game exclusively through fingertip inputs via the device’s touch screen. In the Tilt condition, participants held the device in their hands and moved the device to control some game functions. Results revealed that the incidence of motion sickness was greater in the Touch condition than in the Tilt condition. During game play, movement of the head and torso differed as a function of the type of game control. Before the onset of subjective symptoms of motion sickness, movement of the head and torso differed between participants who later reported motion sickness and those that did not. We discuss implications of these results for theories of motion sickness etiology.
Thermal structure of Saturn from Voyager infrared measurements: Implications for atmospheric dynamics

Abstract Saturn atmospheric temperatures at the 150-mbar level retrieved from Voyager IRIS measurements indicate the presence of small-scale meridional gradients which are approximately symmetric with respect to the equator, but are superposed on a large-scale hemispheric thermal asymmetry. Under the assumption that the retrieved values at this atmospheric level represent kinetic temperatures on a constant pressure surface, it is suggested that the small-scale structure is produced by a meriodional circulation associated with the dissipative decay of the zonal winds with height, while the hemispheric asymmetry represents a thermal response to the seasonally varying insolation. The small-scale gradients are correlated with zonal winds derived from Voyager images at mid and high latitudes through the thermal wind relation; the calculated thermal wind shears suggest a decay with height of the jet system toward a state of uniform eatward flow. The existence of the approximately symmetric zonal winds and associated temperature gradients in the presence of a large-scale seasonal thermal response suggests that the jet system is driven at depths substantially below the levels where seasonally modulated insolation is important ( p⪆0.5 bar ).
Vascular absorption of intravesical Formalin in cyclophosphamide-induced haemorrhagic cystitis

Haemorrhagic cystitis was induced in dogs by the administration of cyclophosphamide. The bleeding was stopped by intravesical instillation of Formalin. Vascular absorption of formaldehyde was determined by measurement of serum levels. Progressively increasing amounts in apparent relationship to the concentration of Formalin instilled into the bladder were found in all dogs. Higher serum levels were noted in animals with haemorrhagic cystitis induced by cyclophosphamide than in dogs with normal bladders. This study reinforces our clinical impression that formaldehyde is absorbed continuously through the wall of the urinary bladder in dogs and absorption is related to the concentration gradient. These kinetics should be kept in mind when treating patients with intravesical Formalin in order to prevent the systemic effect of the vascular absorption.
Measurement of Serum Haptoglobin in Neonatal Farm‐Raised and Bob Veal Calves Using Two Immunoassay Methods

Two immunoassays using an anti-bovine haptoglobin monoclonal antibody, Hap 1, were used to measure serum haptoglobin levels in neonatal farm-raised and bob veal calves. Bob veal calves were grouped into condemned, normal, and icteric groups based on the appearance of the carcass and viscera at postmortem examination. The competitive inhibition assay was more sensitive than the direct hemoglobin binding assay in detecting low levels of haptoglobin in all groups of calves. A significant number of bob veal calves with gross postmortem lesions other than icterus had detectable haptoglobin levels. The low levels of haptoglobin that were detected were not useful in distinguishing the relative severity of the inflammatory or degenerative process; however, the predictive values of a positive and negative test suggest haptoglobin measurement may be useful as a supplemental tool in evaluating the health status of the neonatal calf.
Direct Detection Lasercom With The Sun In The Field Of View

Certain space communications applications have very high link availability requirements. These real-time missions would benefit from laser crosslinks in space that do not experience solar outages when the receiver must view the transmitter against the background of the solar disc. We have examined the performance penalty for a direct detection avalanche photodiode (APD) receiver with the sun in the FOV. The increased signal strength required by the solar background varies with datarate and other system parameters, but typically ranges from 10 to 15 dB. A narrower optical passband centered on a solar Fraunhofer absorption line has been found to offer an order of magnitude decrease in the required signal strength at the receiver. Several options are available to implement this performance improvement, and we summarize the potential and advantages of candidate techniques.© (1988) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Chronic kidney disease and dialysis access in women

Chronic kidney disease currently affects one in nine Americans and over 500,000 have progressed to failure requiring kidney replacement therapy, with nearly 45% being women. Clinical Practice Guidelines have been developed in an effort to synthesize the latest literature, particularly randomized controlled trials, to assist clinical decision making. Women have different levels of kidney function than men at the same level of serum creatinine and may also lose kidney function over time more slowly than men. Although the arteriovenous fistulae have long been recognized as the preferred access for hemodialysis, women are less likely to initiate dialysis with an arteriovenous fistula in place. In addition, the female sex is regarded as a risk factor for access failure as well for complications such as steal. This article reviews treatment of women with chronic kidney disease, focusing on the difficulties they are perceived to have with dialysis access.
Ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering-X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy studies of incipient structural changes in amorphous calcium phosphate-based dental composites

The local structural changes in amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) based dental composites were studied under isothermal conditions using both static, bulk measurement techniques and a recently developed methodology based on combined ultra-small angle X-ray scattering – X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (USAXS-XPCS), which permits a dynamic approach. While results from conventional bulk measurements do not show clear signs of structural change, USAXS-XPCS results reveal unambiguous evidence for local structural variations on a similar time scale to that of water loss in the ACP fillers. A thermal-expansion based simulation indicates that thermal behavior alone does not account for the observed dynamics. Together, these results suggest that changes in the water content of ACP affect the composite morphology due to changes in ACP structure that occur without an amorphous-to-crystalline conversion. It is also noted that biomedical materials research could benefit greatly from USAXS-XPCS, a dynamic approach.
Characterization of an improved polyimide-etalon all-optical transducer for high-resolution ultrasound imaging

All-optical transduction of ultrasound provides high-frequency (>20 MHz) operation in the absence of electrical noise and distortion that hinders small-scale piezoelectric probes. Although fabrication of an all-optical 2-D array suitable for in vivo imaging remains incomplete, a thin-film structure integrating a polyimide film with a Fabry-Perot (etalon) receiver has been shown to be a viable candidate. We present here incremental improvements in the performance of a polyimide-etalon transducer and demonstrate imaging with an array configuration alternative to our previous study. We first show that a gain of more than 30% in output pressure is achieved when increasing the thickness of a bare polyimide film from 3 to 15 μm. This motivated the choice of polyimide as the etalon medium-a configuration made possible by utilizing a dielectric mirror that transmits wavelengths used for generation of ultrasound (ultraviolet) and reflects those for detection (near infrared). The increased reflectivity of the dielectric mirror resulted in a 2-fold decrease in noise-equivalent pressure to 3.3 kPa over a bandwidth of 47.5 MHz (0.48 Pa/ Hz). The transmit/receive center frequency increased from 37 to 49 MHz with a -6-dB bandwidth of 126%, and a maximum pressure of 213 kPa was produced using a 43 μm UV spot. A 2 x 2 mm synthetic array of 957 transmitters centered on a 1 x 1 mm synthetic array of four receivers was used to image two wire targets. Offline reconstruction indicated lateral resolutions of 70 and 114 μm at depths of 2.4 and 5.8 mm, respectively, with an average axial resolution of 35 μm. Finally, we explore the challenges of imaging in this configuration, which provides the best opportunity for real-time performance pending further development.
Neural Correlates of Correct and Errant Attentional Selection Revealed Through N2pc and Frontal Eye Field Activity

The goal of this study was to obtain a better understanding of the physiological basis of errors of visual search. Previous research has shown that search errors occur when visual neurons in the frontal eye field (FEF) treat distractors as if they were targets. We replicated this finding during an inefficient form search and extended it by measuring simultaneously a macaque homologue of an event-related potential indexing the allocation of covert attention known as the m-N2pc. Based on recent work, we expected errors of selection in FEF to propagate to areas of extrastriate cortex responsible for allocating attention and implicated in the generation of the m-N2pc. Consistent with this prediction, we discovered that when FEF neurons selected a distractor instead of the search target, the m-N2pc shifted in the same, incorrect direction prior to the erroneous saccade. This suggests that such errors are due to a systematic misorienting of attention from the initial stages of visual processing. Our analyses also revealed distinct neural correlates of false alarms and guesses. These results demonstrate that errant gaze shifts during visual search arise from errant attentional processing.
Electrostatics of cysteine residues in proteins: Parameterization and validation of a simple model

One of the most popular and simple models for the calculation of pK(a) s from a protein structure is the semi-macroscopic electrostatic model MEAD. This model requires empirical parameters for each residue to calculate pK(a) s. Analysis of current, widely used empirical parameters for cysteine residues showed that they did not reproduce expected cysteine pK(a) s; thus, we set out to identify parameters consistent with the CHARMM27 force field that capture both the behavior of typical cysteines in proteins and the behavior of cysteines which have perturbed pK(a) s. The new parameters were validated in three ways: (1) calculation across a large set of typical cysteines in proteins (where the calculations are expected to reproduce expected ensemble behavior); (2) calculation across a set of perturbed cysteines in proteins (where the calculations are expected to reproduce the shifted ensemble behavior); and (3) comparison to experimentally determined pK(a) values (where the calculation should reproduce the pK(a) within experimental error). Both the general behavior of cysteines in proteins and the perturbed pK(a) in some proteins can be predicted reasonably well using the newly determined empirical parameters within the MEAD model for protein electrostatics. This study provides the first general analysis of the electrostatics of cysteines in proteins, with specific attention paid to capturing both the behavior of typical cysteines in a protein and the behavior of cysteines whose pK(a) should be shifted, and validation of force field parameters for cysteine residues.
Julia sets for certain rational functions

Julia sets or F sets, have been of considerable interest in current research. In this paper we find a new characterization of the Julia set for certain rational functions and find bounds for its Hausdorff dimension.
A Bacterial G Protein-Mediated Response to Replication Arrest

To define factors in E. coli promoting survival to replication fork stress, we isolated insertion mutants sensitive to replication inhibitors. One insertion caused partial loss of the universally conserved GTPase, obgE/yhbZ gene. Although obgE is essential for growth, our insertion allele supported viability until challenged with various replication inhibitors. A mutation designed to negate the GTPase activity of the protein produced similar phenotypes, but was genetically dominant. Synergistic genetic interactions with recA and recB suggested that chromosome breaks and regressed forks accumulate in obgE mutants. Mutants in obgE also exhibited asynchronous overreplication during normal growth, as revealed by flow cytometry. ObgE overexpression caused SeqA foci, normally localized to replication forks, to spread extensively within the cell. We propose that ObgE defines a pathway analogous to the replication checkpoint response of eukaryotes and acts in a complementary way to the RecA-dependent SOS response to promote bacterial cell survival to replication fork arrest.
Pointwise relations between information and estimation in the Poisson channel

Identities yielding optimal estimation interpretations for mutual information and relative entropy - paralleling those known for minimum mean squared estimation under additive Gaussian noise - were recently discovered for the Poisson channel by Atar and Weissman. We express these identities as equalities between expectations of the associated estimation and information theoretic random variables such as the actual estimation loss and the information density. By explicitly characterizing the relations between these random variables we show that they are related in much stronger pointwise senses that directly imply the known expectation identities while deepening our understanding of them. As an example for the nature of our results, consider the equality between the mutual information and the mean cumulative filtering loss of the optimal filter in continuous-time estimation. We show that the difference between the information density and the cumulative filtering loss is a martingale expressible as a stochastic integral. This explicit characterization not only directly recovers the previously known expectation relation, but allows to characterize other distributional properties of the random variables involved where some of the original objects of interest emerge in new and surprising roles. For example, we find that the increasing predictable part of the Doob-Meyer decomposition of the information density (which is a sub-martinagle) is nothing but the cumulative loss of the optimal filter.
The effect of repeated blood transfusions upon the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in rheumatic heart disease

Summary The case of a boy, nine years old, having his sixth attack of rheumatic heart disease is herein reported. After twelve weeks of continuous fever and a persistent accelerated sedimentation rate with no prospect of the infection subsiding, repeated blood transfusions were given and as a result of their use there apparently occurred an immediate slowing of the sedimentation rate and a drop in temperature, accompanied by clinical improvement.
CD10 expression in trichoepithelioma and basal cell carcinoma.

Background: Trichoepithelioma (TE) is a benign neoplasm that shares both clinical and histologic features with basal cell carcinoma (BCC). However, it is important to distinguish these neoplasms. Limited immunohistochemical stains are available to separate these two tumors. Methods: CD10 protein immunohistochemistry was performed on paraffin-embedded biopsies of 13 TE and 23 BCC diagnosed by routine microscopy. Cases were analyzed for pattern of CD10 expression by tumor cells and surrounding stroma. Results: Twelve of 13 (92%) TE showed positive stromal immunoreactivity. Of these, eight cases also demonstrated positivity of the papilla, and two also showed positivity of the basaloid cells. No TE demonstrated epithelial expression alone. On the other hand, expression of CD10 by basaloid cells was identified in 20 (87%) cases of BCC. Stromal positivity was also identified in three cases of BCC. Condensation of CD10-positive stromal cells around basaloid nests was statistically significant in differentiating TE from BCC (p < 0.0001). Conversely, CD10-positive basaloid cells were seen predominantly in BCC (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: This study demonstrates a statistically significant difference in CD10 staining pattern between TE and BCC. Thus, CD10 may be a useful adjunct marker in distinguishing these tumors.
A cross-country assessment of government intervention and entrepreneurial activity

Recent studies have shown that the contribution of small firms to employment and GDP is increasing. A large amount of work has also established the significance of social and economic variables for entrepreneurial decisions. Very little is known, however, about how government policies and programs influence entrepreneurial activity, and whether these effects are consistent across countries. Using original data from a representative sample of 10,000 individuals and from more than 300 open-ended interviews in 10 countries, this article provides some suggestive evidence that government intervention aimed at enhancing the underlying environment of entrepreneurial decisions may be more effective than intervention designed to provide safety nets.
Ambivalence, Uncertainty, and Processes of Candidate Evaluation

The on-line and memory-based processing models of candidate evaluation can be better understood by incorporating the concepts of ambivalence and uncertainty, both as subjective feeling states and as objective properties of information. An experiment was designed to address three questions: What are the relationships between ambivalence and uncertainty? What are the informational foundations of subjective ambivalence and uncertainty, and to what extent are they rooted in on-line (time of exposure) and memory-based (time of judgment) processes? What are the consequences of ambivalence and uncertainty for candidate evaluation? The results suggest that (1) subjective uncertainty is more strongly rooted in information about the candidate than is subjective ambivalence; (2) subjective uncertainty and (to a lesser extent) ambivalence are associated with an increased propensity to engage in memory-based processing; and (3) subjective ambivalence and uncertainty result in more negative evaluations, particularly among less sophisticated people. These results suggest ways in which the on-line and memory-based models might productively be combined.
Understanding Confounding Effects in Linguistic Coordination: An Information-Theoretic Approach

We suggest an information-theoretic approach for measuring stylistic coordination in dialogues. The proposed measure has a simple predictive interpretation and can account for various confounding factors through proper conditioning. We revisit some of the previous studies that reported strong signatures of stylistic accommodation, and find that a significant part of the observed coordination can be attributed to a simple confounding effect—length coordination. Specifically, longer utterances tend to be followed by longer responses, which gives rise to spurious correlations in the other stylistic features. We propose a test to distinguish correlations in length due to contextual factors (topic of conversation, user verbosity, etc.) and turn-by-turn coordination. We also suggest a test to identify whether stylistic coordination persists even after accounting for length coordination and contextual factors.
Selective inhibition of activin receptor–like kinase 5 signaling blocks profibrotic transforming growth factor β responses in skin fibroblasts

Objective Members of the transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) cytokine superfamily play critical roles in both homeostasis and disease. In light of their profibrotic effects, these molecules are implicated in the pathogenesis of fibrosis. In fibroblasts, TGFbeta signals through the activin receptor-like kinase 5 (ALK-5) type I TGFbeta and triggers Smad and MAP kinase signaling pathways. Because targeting of TGFbeta signaling represents a potential approach to the treatment of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and other fibrotic disorders, we investigated the modulation of intracellular TGFbeta signal transduction by SB431542, the first small-molecule inhibitor of ALK-5 to be described. Methods Ligand-induced activation of the Smad signaling pathway in human dermal fibroblasts was examined by Western blot analysis and confocal immunocytochemistry. Modulation of profibrotic gene expression was investigated using Northern blot analysis, transient transfection assays, and confocal microscopy. Induction of TGFbeta production was evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results SB431542 abrogated TGFbeta-induced phosphorylation and nuclear importation of endogenous Smad2/3 and Smad4, and inhibited Smad3- and Smad2-dependent gene transcription. Treatment with SB431542 prevented TGFbeta-induced stimulation of collagen, fibronectin, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, and connective tissue growth factor gene expression, TGFbeta autoinduction, and myofibroblast transdifferentiation, and it could reverse stimulation even when added to the cultures after TGFbeta. In contrast, STAT-6-mediated stimulation of collagen gene expression induced by interleukin-13 was not prevented by SB431542, indicating the specificity of blockade for ALK-5-dependent signaling. Furthermore, in contrast to its effects on receptor-activated Smad activation, SB431542 failed to prevent TGFbeta-induced activation of MAP kinases. Conclusion The results indicate that SB431542 is a potent inhibitor of intracellular TGFbeta signaling in normal fibroblasts through selective interference with ALK-5-mediated Smad activation and Smad-dependent transcriptional responses. Therefore, SB431542 is useful as a novel experimental tool for gaining a detailed understanding of normal and aberrant TGFbeta signaling in SSc. Furthermore, as an anti-TGFbeta agent, SB431542 may represent a potential new approach to the treatment of fibrosis.
Closing in on the Target: Sustained Virologic Response in Hepatitis C Virus Genotype-1 Infection Response-Guided Therapy

Retrospective analyses of the boceprevir and telaprevir phase 3 trial data demonstrate the clinical relevance of detected but not quantifiable hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 RNA during treatment. These analyses illustrate the importance of using precise and standard terminology in reporting low-level HCV RNA results for consistent data collection across clinical trials, and to ensure optimal virologic response-guided treatment decision making in clinical practice. In the context of currently available quantitative HCV RNA assays, we clarify that unquantifiable HCV RNA should be classified as target detected or target not detected, as both have been shown to reflect clinically different qualitative HCV RNA levels during treatment. Additionally, use of terms such as “undetectable” or “below limit of detection” should be avoided as such terms are imprecise, not consistently defined, and often misinterpreted.
Latent Class Analysis Is Useful to Classify Pregnant Women into Dietary Patterns

Empirical dietary patterns are derived predominantly using principal components, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), or cluster analysis. Interestingly, latent variable models are less used despite their being more flexible to accommodate important characteristics of dietary data and despite dietary patterns being recognized as latent variables. Latent class analysis (LCA) has been shown empirically to be more appropriate to derive dietary patterns than k-means clustering but has not been compared yet to confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). In this article, we derived dietary patterns using EFA, CFA, and LCA on food items, tested how well the classes from LCA were characterized by the factors from CFA, and compared participants' direct classification from LCA on food items compared with 2 a posteriori classifications from factor scores. Methods were illustrated with the Pregnancy, Infection and Nutrition Study, North Carolina, 2000-2005 (n = 1285 women). From EFA and CFA, we found that food items were grouped into 4 factors: Prudent, Prudent with coffee and alcohol, Western, and Southern. From LCA, pregnant women were classified into 3 classes: Prudent, Hard core Western, and Health-conscious Western. There was high agreement between the direct classification from LCA on food items and the classification from the 2-step LCA on factor scores [κ=0.70 (95% CI = 0.66, 0.73)] despite factors explaining only 25% of the total variance. We suggest LCA on food items to study the effect for mutually exclusive classes and CFA to understand which foods are eaten in combination. When interested in both benefits, the 2-step classification using LCA on previously derived factor scores seems promising.
Systemic benefits and potential uses of tualang honey in addition to its beneficial effects on postmenopausal bone structure

To the Editor, I read the recent article by Zaid et al. (1) with great interest. Recent research has shown that tualang honey may have a number of systemic benefits in addition to its protective effect on bone structure in post-menopausal animal models. Tualang honey has considerable potential as an anti-cancer agent. For example, it exerts anti-proliferative activities against breast cancer tissue, attenuating tumor growth in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cell lines (2). These anti-neoplastic effects are mediated by caspase 2 and caspase 9 activation and a reduction of the mitochondrial membrane potential in cancer cells, reflecting an increase in apoptosis. Tualang honey administration also produces early apoptosis in osteosarcomas in a dose-dependent manner (3) and attenuates proliferation in HeLa cell lines (2). Apoptosis is also enhanced in oral squamous cell carcinomas following exposure to tualang honey (3). Furthermore, tualang honey reduces photo-carcinogenesis secondary to ultraviolet B radiation exposure (4). These anti-carcinogenic effects are mediated by an attenuation of PGE-2 synthesis and inhibition of the nuclear translocation of NF-κB in keratinocytes. Methanol extracts of tualang honey also decrease proliferation in keloid fibroblasts and may thus be of clinical use in the dermatological treatment of keloids (5). Interestingly, gamma radiation enhances the anti-oxidant potential of tualang honey (6). Tualang honey is considered by some to be the natural equivalent of “hormone replacement therapy”. For example, short-term memory is improved in post-menopausal women following the administration of tualang honey (7), which is comparable to the increase in short-term memory observed after the administration of estrogen/progesterone combination therapy. The administration of tualang honey also attenuates atrophy in uterine tissue and increases vaginal epithelium thickness (8). It is also associated with a lower post-menopausal increase in body weight. Tualang honey also decreases the wound size of burns and provides enhanced control and containment of burn infections, especially by bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9). Tualang honey also exerts anti-oxidant activities against pancreatic cells, thus reducing hyperglycemia in diabetic models (10). The above examples clearly illustrate the various potential uses of tualang honey and the need for further studies to fully elaborate the extent of its properties.
A low-capacitance bipolar/BiCMOS isolation technology. II. Circuit performance and device self-heating

For pt. 1 see ibid., vol. 41, no. 8, p. 1379-87 (1994). Device and circuit results from transistors fabricated with a novel bipolar isolation technology are presented and discussed. The isolation structure, called sequentially planarized interlevel isolation technology (SPIRIT), is fabricated by using a combination of selective epitaxial growth of silicon and a preferential polishing technique as the key process elements. This structural concept aims for reduced collector-substrate and collector-base capacitances, as well as a lower extrinsic base contact resistance, in a partial-SOI structure without significantly increasing the device temperature during operation. The feasibility of the isolation structure is demonstrated through ECL ring oscillators with gate delays of 23.6 ps at 0.72 mA and 47 ps at 0.23 mA. The temperature contours for SPIRIT and other bipolar isolation structures are simulated by using a finite-element method. It is shown that the capacitance versus self-heating tradeoff of SPIRIT is significantly improved over that of conventional trench or SOI isolation structures. >
Adolescent obesity and maternal and paternal sensitivity and monitoring

AbstractObjective. To determine if adolescent obesity is associated with parenting characterized by lower sensitivity and lower monitoring of adolescent activities. Methods. We used data from 744 adolescents in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Height and weight were measured at age 15½ years and obesity defined as body mass index ≥ 95th percentile for age and sex. Maternal and paternal sensitivity were assessed by direct observation of a parent-adolescent interaction task. Maternal and paternal monitoring were assessed by parent report. Lower sensitivity and lower monitoring were each defined as the lowest quartiles. Two separate multivariate logistic regression models were created to evaluate, individually for mothers and fathers, associations of sensitivity and monitoring with adolescent obesity, controlling for adolescent sex and race, family income-to-needs ratio, and parental obesity. Results. Fourteen percent of the adolesc...
Global vs. Restricted Negative Measure of Life Change Events: Methodological Inquiry.

The present study replicated a previous investigation that compared a global measure of life change events (the Schedule of Recent Experience) with a restricted negative measure of such events (the Life Experience Survey) in association with self-reported anxiety and depressive symptomatology (N = 84). With appropriate sampling methods and data analysis by gender, the previous finding of the superiority of the negative events measure was not supported. The pattern of inconsistent findings for both measures suggests the need for utilizing semi-structured interviews.
Magnetic coordinates for the Pioneer 10 Jupiter encounter

The magnetic coordinates of the Pioneer 10 spacecraft and the five innermost satellites are reported for the Jupiter encounter. The D sub 2 offset is used to make the calculations. Magnetic coordinates are needed for the interpretation of the trapped particle measurements, including the absorption effects of the satellites. Contours of constant field magnitude and magnetic latitude are given at the surface of Jupiter for the D sub 2 model. The system 3 longitude of a spacecraft at Jupiter is derived, and formulas given for the relationships between system 1, 2, and 3 longitudes. The longitude of the magnetic dipole increases by about 3 deg per year, due to the inaccurate rotation rate used to define system 3 longitude.
Amyloid-Associated Depression: A Prodromal Depression of Alzheimer Disease?

Two Large Population studies, the Rotterdam and the Mayo Clinic cohorts, have shown that a low concentration of amyloid-β peptide 42 (Aβ42) combined with a high concentration of Aβ40 in plasma increases the risk of developing Alzheimer disease (AD).1,2 Depression also increases the risk or is an early symptom of AD in the elderly population.3 We recently reported that depressed elderly individuals without cardiovascular disease (CVD) have a lower concentration of Aβ42, leading to a high Aβ40:Aβ42 ratio, in plasma compared with both depressed elderly individuals with CVD and those without depression in a homebound elderly population. 4 This result led us to hypothesize that depression characterized by a high Aβ40: Aβ42 ratio may represent a distinct depression subtype, which we have termed amyloid-associated depression. Although plasma Aβ peptides cannot be used to diagnose AD,5 plasma Aβ42 levels decline significantly at a preclinical or early stage of AD,6 suggesting a biomarker for a prodrome of the disease. In amyloid precursor protein (APP) transgenic mice, plasma Aβ42 level declines significantly before the pathological changes of AD are formed in the brain.7,8 Elevated plasma Aβ40 level is correlated with cerebral microvascular pathological features, which are linked with both late-life depression and AD.9,10 Therefore, it is possible that the combination of high Aβ40 and low Aβ42 levels in plasma may be used as a biomarker of pathological change in the brain at a preclinical stage of AD. Studies have demonstrated that there is an increased risk of the development of AD in some, but not all, individuals with late-life depression, suggesting a prodromal state of AD.11,12 We hypothesized that a high plasma Aβ40:Aβ42 ratio plus clinical symptoms of depression may represent a prodromal depression of AD and may lead to a more imminent cognitive deterioration than in those who have a high plasma Aβ40: Aβ42 ratio without depression. If our assumption is correct, at the cross-sectional level, patients with amyloid-associated depression should present with a pattern of cognitive impairment consistent with prodromal AD, ie, prominent memory dysfunction, compared with those with nonamyloid depression or those without depression. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the relationships among plasma Aβ peptide levels, depression, and cognitive function in a homebound elderly population.
Urban Black Neighborhood Environment and Homicide: A Research Note on a Decade of Change in Four Cities-1970 to 1980

The influence of urban black neighborhood characteristics on the level of homicide victimization in four American cities is examined for 1970 and 1980. Changes in the impact of the environment on homicide risk that may have occurred during the decade are identified. Demographic and socioeconomic information was gathered on all census tracts with majority-black populations. Homicide data for both years were collected from the cities' public health departments. Analysis indicates that the relationship between environmental factors and homicide risk for black neighborhoods in the four cities does not exhibit a consistent pattern.
The Relation of FIMR Programs and Other Perinatal Systems Initiatives With Maternal and Child Health Activities in the Community

Objectives: To evaluate the association of the presence of a fetal and infant mortality review (FIMR) program, other perinatal systems initiative (PSI), or both in a community with the performance of essential maternal and child health (MCH) services by local health departments (LHDs). Methods: Data were obtained from telephone interviews with professionals from LHDs across the United States. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds of a LHD conducting each essential MCH service in communities with and without FIMR programs or with and without PSIs, adjusted for geographic area. Results: Of the 193 communities in the sample, 41 had only a FIMR program, 36 had only a PSI, 47 had both programs, and 69 had neither. The presence of a FIMR was related to greater performance of essential MCH services in LHDs in six areas: data assessment and analysis; client services and access; quality assurance and improvement; community partnerships and mobilization; policy development; and enhancement of capacity of the health care work force. Similar findings were noted for the same broad essential services for PSIs. The comparisons of LHDs in FIMR and non-FIMR communities, however, showed greater involvement of communities with a FIMR program in essential MCH services related to data collection and quality assurance than were found for comparisons of LHDs in communities with and without a PSI. The presence of a PSI was uniquely associated with conducting needs assessments for pregnant women and infants, participation in coalitions for infants, promoting access for uninsured women to private providers and involving local officials and agencies in health plans for both populations. When both programs were present, LHDs had a greater odds of engaging in essential MCH services related to assessment and monitoring of the health of the population, reporting on progress in meeting the health needs of pregnant women and infants, and presenting data to local political officials than when either program alone was in the community. Conclusions: Local health departments in communities with FIMR programs or PSIs appear to be more likely to conduct essential MCH services in the community. Some of these relations are unique to FIMR, particularly for data collection and quality assurance services, and some are unique to PSIs, for example those that involve interaction with other community agencies or groups. Performance of the essential
Non-Nuclear, Low-Carbon, or Both? The Case of Taiwan

The author gratefully acknowledges comments and suggestions from John Reilly, Frank Hsiao, Audrey Resutek, and seminar participants of the MIT EPPA meeting, and the financial support from the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change. The Program is funded by the following institutions under various grants: the U.S. Department of Energy; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; the U.S. National Science Foundation; the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration; the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration; the Electric Power Research Institute; and a consortium of industrial and foundation sponsors (for complete list see http://globalchange.mit.edu/sponsors/all).
Creating A Cause For Sustainability: A Practice-Based Research Project For Undergraduate Students

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate sustainability (CS) practices have an influence on the image and profitability of any business. As business schools attempt to mold future leaders, schools have found exploring the topic of CSR and CS into their business curriculum. While many theoretical approaches have been taken, there are few examples of practical projects that professors can utilize in the classroom. Here, the authors present an example of a semester-long project that forces students to examine and reflect upon their own personal consumption habits and create a personal CSR report. The authors describe the project, expected outcomes, and the narratives that are created in the project and the course. Finally, the paper examines the importance of personal reflection on the development of personal cause and responsibility, which can help to develop future socially responsible leaders.
Bidirectional Reflectance Round-Robin in Support of the Earth Observing System Program

Laboratory measurements of the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDRF) of diffuse reflectors are required to support calibration in the Earth Observing System (EOS) program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
South America's Neoliberal Agricultural Frontiers: Places of Environmental Sacrifice or Conservation Opportunity

Abstract Neoliberal agricultural frontiers, defined as export-oriented farming areas motivated more by global demand and land privatization than by government subsidies, present at least two major challenges for environmental researchers: estimating land change and understanding governance types and outcomes. Environmental governance, the “filter” between human and biophysical systems, is considered in terms of two models in light of empirical evidence from a neoliberal frontier in the Brazilian Cerrado (savanna) ecoregion. Land-change analysis indicates that agricultural land uses increased from 12% of the study region in 1986 to 44% in 2000 and 55% in 2005, with a corresponding loss of native Cerrado. A prominent farming organization formed in 1990 has participated in or led several environmental policy initiatives. Evidence of both governance models is found, and dilemmas facing environmental activists and managers, as well as the farming sector, are presented. For organizations representing large comm...
The Application of Virtual Reality for Cyber Information Visualization and Investigation

Performing the analysis of security data in the prevention of cyber-attacks on an organization’s information systems requires human analysts to make sense of ever-expanding amounts of information. In many security operation centers (SOCs), human analysts are presented with information through the use of multiple monitors. Information is processed using a number of commercial off-the-shelf and custom tools in order to carve information into sets of alerts that analysts can investigate. The amount and complexity of the data being presented to the analyst can significantly overwhelm a single or multiple displays. This avalanche of display information is alongside the additional research an analyst must perform in order to provide proper context to the alerts analysts may be investigating. Analyst investigations can include a number of competing interfaces. A non-exhaustive list includes web browsers with numerous tabs, documents, collaboration software, and both Graphical User Interface (GUI) and Command Line Interface (CLI) based command and control software. Adding additional monitors can lead to a diminishing rate of return in information processing as analysts now must physically observe multiple panels in fixed positions. With a virtual reality (VR) head-mounted (VRH) display, the display space for visualizing different information and data pertaining to cyber events becomes almost limitless. The information being displayed is no longer specifically restricted to a few small rectangular displays but is perceived as nearly infinite space. The OR can open the door to developing significantly more advanced VR experiences. Using more advanced VR technology not only can more information be displayed, but VR displays open the door to new and innovative visualization techniques, which enables us to model security information in new ways and which allows for the efficient identification of malicious behavior within information systems.
Changing the Opt-Out Tradition in the United States

This brief piece derives from a talk given at a Congress to celebrate the fortieth annual session of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), held at UNCITRAL’s headquarters in Vienna in July 2007. It is posted on the UNCITRAL website. It discusses reasons for the U.S. legal community’s resistance to having the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sales of Goods (“CISG”) govern international sales transactions, and it identifies forces that are slowly eroding those reasons.
Early Assyrian Contacts with Arabs and the Impact on Levantine Vassal Tribute

A survey of Assyrian documentary evidence suggests that the fall of Damascus represented a watershed event for the spread of Arabian commerce and culture to eastern Syria, the Assyrian heartland, and eventually Babylonia. Assyria made and maintained geographic contact with Arabs as a result of Arabian traffic through the intermediate Levant and not by direct routes from Mesopotamia to Dumah or Haʾil. Arabs were evidently well established north of the Gilead prior to 732 B. C. E., but were largely restrained from trading farther east until Tiglath-pileser III removed the Aramaean stranglehold. Growing Assyrian familiarity with the characteristic largess of Arabian trade, moreover, coincided with more specific, and probably more austere, tribute impositions on vassal states in Palestine.
Setting Research Guidelines for Transnational Comparison and Cooperation on Immigration and Integration

In October 1997, The Howard Gilman Foundation (HGF) and The German Marshall Fund (GMF) jointly convened a meeting of leading international migration scholars, policymakers, and advocates to discuss research and fund? ing priorities for transatlantic cooperation. The meeting was designed to com? plement the launching in 1997 of a GMF program on "Immigration and Integration" and the ongoing discussions at HGF about appropriate and effec? tive ways to become engaged in this area. The participants were given two tasks over the course of three days of discussions at White Oak Plantation. The first was to identify those issues immediate and over the horizon that could ben? efit from continued or additional comparative research and thus further the policy debate. The second task was to identify the transatlantic, institutional linkages that need to be developed to support this research and outreach. This summary offers an overview of the main themes that emerged over three days of directed and intense discussion rather than discussing each specif? ic project idea that was presented. Focus is directed to the main conceptual strands that should provide a framework for strategic philanthropy in these areas that bridge the research and the policy worlds. The discussions were framed in light of three processes that set the context for international migration and transatlantic cooperation. The first of these processes is growing, complex global interdependence and economic integra? tion, including the expansion of free trade regimes, financial markets, and increasingly independent international firms. The second process is harmoniza? tion in part related to migration controls and includes political, military, and economic cooperation in such arrangements as NAFTA, the European Union, and, to a certain extent, NATO expansion toward the East. The third process is that of devolution of decisionmaking and financial authority to the