cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anxiety and depression across gender and sexual minorities: Implications for transgender, gender nonconforming, pansexual, demisexual, asexual, queer, and questioning individuals.

Empirical findings indicate that sexual and gender minorities report notably poorer outcomes on measures of mental health when compared with cisgender/heterosexual individuals. Although several studies have examined these issues, few have taken the time to examine differences between cisgender/heter
II-10 Role of macrophage-driven autoinflammation in SLE

Background Although SLE is a prototype of autoimmune (T cell/B cell-mediated) disease, there is increasing evidence implicating myeloid cells in its pathogenesis. We examined the role of macrophages (MΦ) in human SLE and the pristane-induced lupus model. Methods Tissues of SLE patients and mice with pristane-induced lupus were examined by double immunohistochemistry. MΦ were analyzed by flow cytometry, phagocytosis assay, real-time PCR, Seahorse assay, and RNA-Seq. Mice were injected daily with the liver X receptor (LXR) agonist T0901317. Results SLE patients’ bone marrow contained numerous activated caspase-3+ apoptotic cells located outside of MΦ. In contrast, in leukemia patients undergoing bone marrow ablation prior to transplantation, all caspase-3+ cells were inside of MΦ, suggesting that lupus is associated with impaired clearance of apoptotic cells. MΦ in pristane-lupus took up fluorescently-labeled apoptotic cells poorly compared with controls. Studies in pristane-treated knock-out mice indicated that the induction of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH), a serious pulmonary complication of lupus, required opsonization of dead cells in the lung by ‘natural’ IgM (DAH absent in μMT mice, restored by infusion of IgM), C3, and C3b receptors (absent in C3-/- and CD18-/- mice, prevented by complement depletion with cobra venom factor). DAH also was prevented by MΦ depletion (clodronate liposomes) but not neutrophil depletion (anti-Ly6G). MΦ in pristane-induced lupus exhibited features of classical activation (impaired phagocytosis of apoptotic cells, high glycolysis, low oxidative phosphorylation, increased HIF1α expression, M1 surface markers, and TNFα production), whereas control MΦ from mice treated with mineral oil (do not develop DAH) were M2-like, with high phagocytic activity, low glycolysis, high OxPhos, increased LXRα expression, M2 surface markers, and IL-10 production. In both pristane-induced lupus MΦ and SLE patients’ monocytes, we found low levels of the LXRα-regulated reverse cholesterol transporter ABCA1. We hypothesized that it might be possible to treat DAH by ‘re-polarizing’ MΦ using a synthetic LXR agonist. Consistent with that idea, pristane-treated mice receiving T0901317 did not develop DAH and MΦ from mice receiving T0901317 exhibited an M2-like surface phenotype and decreased TNFα production compared with controls. Conclusions Our data suggest that lupus-associated DAH is partly an autoinflammatory response caused by sluggish clearance of apoptotic cells by M1-like MΦ and that certain clinical manifestations (e.g. DAH) can be treated by repolarizing MΦ using an activator of the transcription factor LXRα. Low levels of LXR-driven ABCA1 expression also may have implications for the therapy of atherosclerosis in SLE.
Outpatient and Inpatient Readmission Rates of 1- and 2-Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion Surgeries.

Objective This study looks at the various comorbidities and postoperative complications and their impact on readmission rates of patients undergoing outpatient versus inpatient 1- and 2-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). With increasing costs within the United States medical system, one emerging cost-saving strategy is to evolve traditional inpatient procedures into outpatient same-day surgeries. However, patient safety remains a crucial priority. Methods A total of 28,427 patients were analyzed, with 26,368 undergoing inpatient ACDF surgery and 2059 undergoing outpatient ACDF surgery. Age, sex, comorbidities, postoperative complications, readmission rates, and overall financial cost were compared between both cohorts. Results Data from 28,427 one- and two-level ACDF procedures that were split between inpatient and outpatient were collected. Thirty-day readmission rates were significantly lower in outpatients than inpatients (4% vs. 10.1%, P Conclusion This study suggests that in the appropriately selected patients, ACDF can safely be performed in an outpatient setting.
Modeling temporal self-regulatory processing in a higher education biology course

Abstract The scientific literacy and conceptual understanding demands of the 21st century have necessitated fundamental changes in science education, including changes from traditional lecture to more active learning pedagogies. The affordances of such pedagogies can benefit students, but only when they are able to enact effective and efficient self-regulated learning processing. More research is needed to understand how and when students should self-regulate during science learning, as well as how to help those students who struggle to do so. In this study, we leveraged multimodal online interaction trace data from 408 college students enrolled in an introductory biology class to investigate the temporal nature of self-regulation during science education. Using latent profile analyses, we found differences in self-regulatory processing predicted course performance, with implications for the development of systems for identifying and supporting students who are likely to struggle in active learning science education environments.
Critical Reflection for Civic-Mindedness: The Executive Blog as “Regeneration Alcove”:

This study explored the use of critical reflection blogs to integrate civic-mindedness into an executive education program at a large public university in the south Atlantic region of the United St...
Several Opinions about Information Service at Universities for the Coming 21st Century

For the new century 's infromation service, some personal opinions are presented about how to establish creative mentality to do knowledge management well how to increase the number of users to deepen service content and how to pay attention to talent - cultivation to make full use of talen reasonably . As the author's opinion , the destination of knowledge management is to bring hidden and non - hidden knowledge into play maxium effect and the core of it is to share knowledge and make people give afull play to their abilities ; In the aspect of service quality ,field, content and the number of users, the thought about how to magnify the number of users and service forms such as multi - database , net, consulting, investigating , acting index and outcome transformation are presented .The first essential forction of talent is discussed and the methods of how to cultivate talent and how to optimize the group knowledge structure also given in this paper.
The Role and Importance of Individual Retirement Accounts

What are now called “traditional IRAs” (Individual Retirement Accounts) were created by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. Roth IRAs were added in 1997. Employer-sponsored Simplif...
Care of Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescents

With approximately 11% of adolescents in the United States identifying as sexual or gender minority (SGM, i.e., lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning/queer), pediatricians, internists, and family practitioners are likely to care for SGM patients during their career and have the opportunity to support their healthy development. It is important to take steps to let SGM young people know they are welcome and respected in a clinical setting, where providers should emphasize confidentiality, nonjudgment, and honesty. Services such as pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), extragenital testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), inclusive reproductive health services, and transition services or referral information for transgender youth are all ways to create an affirming clinical environment and to improve both individual and public health outcomes for SGM adolescents.
Wall and Corner Effects on Fire Plumes as a Function of Offset Distance

A series of compartment fire experiments is described in which a square natural gas burner was positioned in a corner or against a wall and gradually moved towards the room center to assess the relative effects on the plume and compartment temperatures. The experiments were conducted to validate computational fluid dynamics simulations that were performed to provide guidance for probabilistic risk assessments in nuclear power plants. The measurements consist of one dimensional vertical thermocouple arrays to measure the hot gas layer temperature and height, and a three dimensional thermocouple array to measure the temperature of the fire plume as the burner is moved away from the corner or wall. As a result of the modeling and experiments, recommendations have been made that quantify wall and corner effects as a function of offset distance.
An inventory and assessment of glaciers, rock glaciers, perennial snowfields, and permafrost landforms in the Teton Range, WY, USA

Glaciers, rock glaciers, and permafrost landforms store water within ice reserves in alpine and periglacial zones. In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem of northwestern Wyoming, U.S.A., these landforms charge the hydrological system through meltwater, which raises questions about the ecological impacts of these limited water reserves in a regime trending toward warmer and drier conditions. Here, I investigate the impact of glacier and rock glacier meltwater on the ecological systems within the Grand Teton, Wind River, and Gros Ventre mountain watersheds. This investigation relies on remotely sensed satellite imagery, aerial photography, and Lidar, as well as in situ field data. With these data, I provide a high-resolution inventory of glacial, rock glacial, and permafrost landforms in the GYE. Featured photo by Grand Teton on Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/2hwtrRb
Finite Element model of concrete repaired by High Molecular Weight Methacrylate (HMWM)

Abstract Epoxy is widely used to fill concrete cracks that are less than a millimeter in width to protect the steel rebars from corrosion. However, the mechanical behavior of epoxy-repaired concrete remains vastly unknown. In order to understand whether or not epoxy can be used to recover the mechanical properties of damaged concrete, we provide a quantitative assessment of concrete repaired by injection of High Molecular Weight Metacrylate (HMWM). Uniaxial compression tests and three-point bending tests were conducted on cut-and-repaired specimens. The experiments were simulated with the Finite Element Method (FEM), in which concrete was assigned a constitutive model that combines continuum damage mechanics and plasticity and in which the concrete/HMWM interface was modeled with bilinear softening cohesive zone elements (CZEs). The numerical model was calibrated and validated against the experimental results. Steel-reinforced concrete (RC) beams were subjected to three-point bending to produce cracks. The beams were then repaired and reloaded. We used Digital Image Correlation (DIC) to identify the zones of high maximum principal strain after the first loading cycle. These zones were modeled with repaired concrete elements and HMWM CZEs to simulate the second load cycle. The load-displacement curves, damage distributions and strain fields obtained numerically are in agreement with those obtained experimentally, which validates the proposed model. Our simulation results suggest that HMWM can penetrate cracks of width 0.01 mm and above by gravity. We also found that HMWM reparation increases concrete stiffness and strength if cracks in concrete members are over 0.1 mm in width, in which case, the load capacity of repaired RC beams is 30–40% higher than that of as-built RC beams.
Moving towards a molecular categorization of autoimmune disease

The field of rheumatology is poised to categorize the phenotypes of systemic autoimmune diseases on the basis of measurable and quantifiable molecular signatures. Emerging efforts to identify similarities across diseases, predict clinical outcomes and predict response to therapy using quantitative, data-driven approaches could considerably change treatment paradigms.
Epigenetic Regulation of Claudin-1 in the Development of Ovarian Cancer Recurrence and Drug Resistance

Over 21,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer (OC) in the United States each year and over half that number succumb to this disease annually, often due to recurrent disease. A deeper understanding of the molecular events associated with recurrent disease is needed to identify potential targets. Using genome-scale DNA methylation and gene expression data for 16 matched primary-recurrent advanced stage serous epithelial OCs, we discovered that Claudin-1 (CLDN1), a tight junction protein, shows a stronger correlation between expression and methylation in recurrent versus primary OC at multiple CpG sites (R= -0.47 to -0.64 versus R= -0.32 to -0.57, respectively). An independent dataset showed that this correlation is stronger in tumors from short-term ( 7y) survivors (R= -0.41 to -0.46 versus R= 0.06 to -0.19, respectively). The presence of this inverse correlation in short-term survivors and recurrent tumors suggests an important role for this relationship and potential predictive value for disease prognosis. CLDN1 expression increased following pharmacologic inhibition of DNA methyltransferase activity (p< 0.001), thus validating the role of methylation in CLDN1 gene inhibition. CLDN1 knockdown enhanced chemosensitivity and suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and wound healing (p< 0.05). Stable CLDN1 knockdown in vivo resulted in reduced xenograft tumor growth but did not reach significance. Our results indicate that the relationship between CLDN1 methylation and expression plays an important role in OC aggressiveness and recurrence.
Gender differences in stress levels among Southeast Asian American college students

The objectives of the study were to identify sources of stress and examine stress levels by gender among students of Southeast Asian descent. Participants: Six hundred and five Cambodian, Hmong, La...
Radiomics and deep learning methods in expanding the use of screening breast MRI.

• The use of screening breast MRI is expanding beyond high-risk women to include intermediate- and average-risk women. • The study by Potsch et al uses a radiomics-based method to decrease the number of benign biopsies while maintaining high sensitivity. • Future studies will likely increasingly focus on deep learning methods and abbreviated MRI data.
Elastic Metro Ethernet and Elastic Cloud Services

Abstract Lifecycle Services Orchestration (LSO) architecture for Metro Ethernet Services was introduced by MEF. In the LSO architecture, the ALLEGRO interface was defined for dynamic service control between customer and Service Provider while the INTERLUDE interface was defined between Orchestrators of two Operators to initiate a technical operation or dynamic service control. In order to address dynamic control of services supported by networks of multiple operators over ALLEGRO and INTERLUDE interfaces, Elastic E-Line Service was introduced by the author in MEF. In addition, Cloud Services Architecture was introduced as an architectural framework for virtual services by the author. In this paper, we describe LSO architecture and Elastic E-Line Service concept, and interactions between various LSO entities for dynamic service provisioning. After that, we describe Cloud Services Architecture and dynamic modifications of Elastic Cloud Services over ALLEGRO and INTERLUDE interfaces, for the first time.
Brain Glucose Metabolism is Reduced After Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer

Purpose/Objective(s) The effects of cancer treatment exposures on the brain are poorly understood, particularly for cancers outside of the central nervous system. Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) treated with radiation (RT) often have portions of their brain exposed to moderate doses of radiation, particularly within the posterior fossa. The purpose of this study was to characterize changes in brain metabolism using 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET after HNC treatment, with emphasis on accounting for the distribution of the radiation exposure. Materials/Methods This study included patients who received RT for newly diagnosed HNC at an academic center since 2012 for whom an FDG PET scan was utilized for RT treatment planning, a subsequent PET was obtained within 6 months of completing RT, and both PET scans included the entire brain. Brain regions of interest (ROIs) were defined using the original RT treatment plans and included the intersection of the brain with the 10 Gy, 20 Gy, 30 Gy isodose lines, typically contained within the posterior fossa. The portion of the brain outside of the 3 Gy isodose line was also defined as an ROI relatively spared from radiation ( Results A total of 50 patients met the inclusion criteria. Pre-RT average SUVMean was statistically higher for the Conclusion In this population of patients receiving RT for HNC we observed a decrease in SUVMean when comparing pre- and post-RT FDG PET. The decline in SUVMean was greatest in the portion of the brain that was relatively spared from radiation. Further research is needed to clarify whether the observed changes are a direct result of radiation exposure or differences in regional brain metabolism, assess for a dose effect, and to relate changes on PET with patient-centered outcomes.
Individual differences in the perceptual span during reading: Evidence from the moving window technique

We report the results of an eye tracking experiment that used the gaze-contingent moving window technique to examine individual differences in the size of readers' perceptual span. Participants read paragraphs while the size of the rightward window of visible text was systematically manipulated across trials. In addition, participants completed a large battery of individual-difference measures representing two cognitive constructs: language ability and oculomotor processing speed. Results showed that higher scores on language ability measures and faster oculomotor processing speed were associated with faster reading times and shorter fixation durations. More interestingly, the size of readers' perceptual span was modulated by individual differences in language ability but not by individual differences in oculomotor processing speed, suggesting that readers with greater language proficiency are more likely to have efficient mechanisms to extract linguistic information beyond the fixated word.
Regulation of the Lipid Composition of Lung Surfactant

During lung development, the phosphatidylinositol (PI)-rich surfactant that is produced by type II pneumonocytes of immature lungs is replaced by the phosphatidylglycerol (PG)-rich surfactant that is characteristic of mature lungs. Synthesis of phosphatidyicholine (PC) (the most abundant lipid of surfactant) increases before the change in the relative amounts of PG and PI and was found to be accompanied by an increase in the intracellular amount of CMP. CMP-dependent synthesis of PG in lung was demonstrated and its characteristics were consistent with the proposition that CMP promotes the reverse reaction catalyzed by PI synthase (EC 2.7.8.11) thus decreasing net synthesis of PI and increasing the availability of CDP-diacylglycerol for PG synthesis. When the amount of CMP in isolated type II pneumonocytes was increased, directly or indirectly, synthesis of PG was increased. Synthesis of PG by these cells was also influenced by extracellular myo-inositol at concentrations similar to those found in fetal serum. Availability of myo-inositol to lungs, from either synthesis in situ or uptake from the blood, was found to decline in late gestation. This developmental decline in myo-inositol availability is delayed in pregnancies that are complicated by diabetes mellitus and this may account for the delayed appearance of PG-rich fetal lung surfactant during such pregnancies.
IKS and globalisation

No Abstract. Indilinga: African Journal of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IAJIKS) Vol. 4(1) 2005: 38-45
Stress-induced dislocation roughening: a phase transition in one dimension at finite temperature.

We present an example of a generically forbidden phase transition in 1D at finite temperature---stress induced and thermally assisted roughening of a superclimbing dislocation in a Peierls potential. We also argue that such roughening is behind the strong suppression of the superflow through solid $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ in a narrow temperature range recently observed by Ray and Hallock [Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 145301 (2010)].
Hepatic handling of bile salts and protein in the rat during intrahepatic cholestasis

17 alpha-Ethynyl estradiol-induced cholestasis was used to study the relationship of protein to bile salt transport in liver. The biliary secretion of horseradish peroxidase was unaltered in treated animals despite a 56% reduction in bile flow. Cytochemistry confirmed that estradiol caused no alteration in the handling of tracer. In a second study, the peak biliary secretion of [14C]taurocholate was reduced by approximately 46% in treated animals. The kinetics of 125I-cholyglycylhistamine, a bile salt derivative, were identical to those of taurocholate in control and cholestatic animals. Taurocholate and cholylglycylhistamine secretion were markedly reduced in control animals during competition with unlabeled taurocholate. Quantitative electron microscopic autoradiography with 125I-cholylglycylhistamine revealed a high concentration of grains over the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi complex including associated lysosomes and vesicles. These data demonstrate that estradiol markedly inhibits bile salt transport, but not vesicular transport of horseradish peroxidase. Furthermore, estradiol may alter the movement of bile salts through these organelles.
Insertional inactivation of the vaccinia virus 32-kilodalton gene is associated with attenuation in mice and reduction of viral gene expression in polarized epithelial cells

The mechanism of poxvirus attachment to cells is poorly understood. We have identified a 32-kDa envelope protein of vaccinia virus which binds to the surface of cultured cells. This binding is specific and selective (J.-S. Maa, J. F. Rodriguez, and M. Esteban, J. Biol. Chem. 265:22174-22180, 1990; C. Lai, S. Gong, and M. Esteban, J. Virol. 65:499-504, 1991). In this investigation, we studied the effect of inactivating the 32-kDa gene (32K gene) on the biology of vaccinia virus. We show that inactivation of the 32K gene decreases by 80% the mortality of mice infected with 32K- vaccinia virus. This reduction in mortality correlates with diminished viral gene expression in target tissues. In highly polarized epithelial cells, viral gene expression of 32K- virus was reduced (50 to 60%) at both the apical and basolateral surfaces in comparison with a 32K+ virus. Restriction of virus gene expression in polarized cell surfaces occurs for both intracellular and extracellular forms of infectious 32K- vaccinia virus. The two infectious forms of vaccinia virus 32K+ infect polarized cells preferentially by the basolateral surface. Our findings provide evidence of the importance of the 32-kDa protein in viral pathogenesis.
An automated approach to the initialization of the snakes algorithm for the detection of swimbladder regions in x-ray image data

Snakes have been widely used for object tracking, shape detection, and segmentation of an area of interest within image data. A snakes algorithm uses an energy minimization approach to deform an initial boundary or curve so that it traces along the contour of a shape in an image. However, a major disadvantage of the algorithm is that it requires users to draw the initial boundary in the image of an object, which is not feasible when large number of images need to be processed or when user-introduced bias in the selection of the initial boundary may influence the accurate detection of objects. This paper reports on an algorithm for the automatic detection of a region of interest that utilizes a snakes algorithm for image segmentation. It specifically combines multiple image processing and screening techniques to build a pipeline of processing steps that produces the initial boundary of a region in an image for the initialization of a snakes algorithm. The approach has been evaluated on X-ray images of the striped burrfish to detect the swimbladder as a region of interest. Results from the fully automated algorithm are compared against ground truth values and semi-automated algorithm results.
Resource Use in Treating Alcohol- and Drug-related Diagnoses: Does Teaching Status and Experience Matter?

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the variations in hospital resource use in the treatment of alcohol and drug diagnoses. Specifically, the study tested 2 hypotheses: 1) patients treated in teaching hospitals will have shorter lengths of stay and lower hospital charges than patients treated in nonteaching hospitals; and 2) patients treated in hospitals with more experience treating these conditions will have shorter lengths of stay and lower hospital charges. DESIGN: A retrospective cross-sectional study design used data from the 1996 Health Care Utilization Project to test the proposed hypotheses. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: The population for this study consisted of patients over 18 years old with an acute alcohol-or drug-related discharge diagnostic related group code. MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS: The variables of interest were teaching hospital status, as defined by the Council of Teaching Hospitals, and hospital experience, defined as the ratio of alcohol- and drug-related diagnoses to the hospital’s total admissions. Measures of hospital resource use included the patient’s length of stay and total hospital charges. Patients treated at hospitals with relatively more experience in treating alcohol- and drug-related diagnoses had 10.3% ($321) lower total charges (P=.017). CONCLUSIONS: Similar to research for high-volume surgical hospitals, these findings confirm that hospitals that have greater experience with complex medical conditions such as alcohol and drug intoxication and withdrawal may be more efficient. This important finding provides a rationale for further exploration of the key factors associated with higher quality and more efficient care for complex medical conditions.
Advanced Uncooled Infrared System Electronics

Over the past two decades, Raytheon Systems Company (RSC), formerly Texas Instruments Defence Systems & Electronics Group, developed a robust family of products based on a low-cost, hybrid ferroelectric (FE) uncooled focal-plane array (FPA) aimed at meeting the needs for thermal imaging products across both military and commercial markets. Over the years, RSC supplied uncooled infrared (IR) sensors for applications such as in combat vehicles, man-portable weaponry, personnel helmets, and installation security. Also, various commercial IR systems for use in automobiles, boats, law enforcement, hand-held applications, building/site security, and fire fighting have been developed. These products resulted in a high degree of success where cooled IR platforms are too bulky and costly, and other uncooled implementations are less reliable or lack significant cost advantage. Proof of this great success is found in the large price reductions, the unprecedented monthly production rates, and the wide diversity of products and customers realized in recent years. The ever-changing needs of these existing and potential customers continue to fuel the advancement of both the primary technologies and the production capabilities of uncooled IR systems at RSC. This paper will describe a development project intended to further advance the system electronics capabilities of future uncooled IR products.
Loneliness and interpersonal decoding skills

This paper reports the results of a study which examines the relationship between loneliness and participants’ ability to decode verbal and nonverbal messages. We also examined the relationship between loneliness and participants’ view of their own decoding ability. Ninety‐nine participants viewed the Interpersonal Perception Task (IPT, a 30 scene video‐tape designed to measure verbal and nonverbal decoding ability) and completed the Differential Loneliness Scale and a self report measure of listening ability. Results indicate that the romantic loneliness dimension of the Differential Loneliness Scale is related to decoding ability. In addition we found moderate linear relationships between several of the dimensions of the Differential Loneliness Scale and the self report of listening ability and participants’ view of their own decoding ability.
Genomic organization and expression of the rearranged REL proto-oncogene in the human B-cell lymphoma cell line RC-K8.

The human large B-cell lymphoma cell line RC-K8 has a rearranged REL locus that is transcribed into a chimeric mRNA, termed REL-NRG (Non-Rel Gene). By analyzing the recently completed human genome sequence, we have found that the normal REL and NRG loci are separated by approximately 28 megabase pairs on chromosome 2, suggesting that a deletion created the REL-NRG locus in RC-K8 cells. Using computer-based and molecular approaches, we have determined the structure of the altered REL locus in RC-K8 cells. The REL-NRG transcript is encoded by 7 REL exons and 6 NRG-derived exons. Direct DNA sequencing has identified the site of the REL-NRG fusion in RC-K8 cells. We also show that both wild-type c-Rel and c-Rel-Nrg proteins are expressed and in a complex in RC-K8 cells. Furthermore, like c-Rel, c-Rel-Nrg is a cytoplasmic protein when overexpressed in fibroblasts in culture and can bind to a κB DNA site in vitro. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The early identification of risk for grade retention among African American children at risk for school difficulty.

This study examined risk factors that might assist in the early identification of children likely to experience school-related problems that lead to grade retention in a low-income sample of 220 African American children followed longitudinally. The hypothesis investigated was that risk associated with maternal smoking and alcohol use during pregnancy, small size for gestational age at birth, and preterm birth would be mediated through child cognitive and social readiness for school as indexed by measures of IQ and externalizing behavior at age 5. Measures of maternal receptive vocabulary and the home environment as well as type of day care enrollment prior to kindergarten were included as covariates. Contrary to hypothesized mediation, findings indicated that small size at birth, inadequate developmental stimulation in the home, low IQ (£ 75), high externalizing behavior, and enrollment in private or church center-based day care were independently associated with increased risk for grade retention. Child...
Analyzing Repeated Measures Data on Individuals Nested within Groups: Accounting for Dynamic Group Effects.

Researchers commonly collect repeated measures on individuals nested within groups such as students within schools, patients within treatment groups, or siblings within families. Often, it is most appropriate to conceptualize such groups as dynamic entities, potentially undergoing stochastic structural and/or functional changes over time. For instance, as a student progresses through school, more senior students matriculate while more junior students enroll, administrators and teachers may turn over, and curricular changes may be introduced. What it means to be a student within that school may thus differ from 1 year to the next. This article demonstrates how to use multilevel linear models to recover time-varying group effects when analyzing repeated measures data on individuals nested within groups that evolve over time. Two examples are provided. The 1st example examines school effects on the science achievement trajectories of students, allowing for changes in school effects over time. The 2nd example concerns dynamic family effects on individual trajectories of externalizing behavior and depression.
Vocalizations and breeding behaviour of surgically deafened ring doves (Streptopelia risoria).

Abstract Male doves deafened as squabs develop vocalizations that are normal in structure and temporal delivery. Intact birds tend to be more vocal than deaf ones, but this difference is not significant. Loss of hearing does not affect the scatter of perch- and bow-cooing sequence lengths around a median value and the tendency for perch-cooing sequences to occur in clusters. During incubation, when deaf and intact males presumably share a same hormonal background deaf birds start perchcooing sequences less often, but deliver longer sequences. Latencies from pairing to ovulation are longer in deaf than in intact females. Commencement of nest-building is also delayed in pairs with deaf females. Deaf parents do not feed their squabs enough food and abandon them prematurely.
Patterning silicon carbide on silicon by ion modification of C60 films

Abstract Reaction of C60 with Si at temperatures above 800°C is known to give SiC. Furthermore, treatment of vapor-deposited C60 films with a beam of Ar+ transforms the surface layer of C60 into a nonvolatile carbon deposit. Based on these two findings, we have developed a method for patterning SiC structures on silicon. C60 is first vapor deposited onto a clean Si surface. By rastering the ion beam on selected parts of the sample, we write a chosen pattern on the C60 film. Upon increasing the temperature to around 300–350°C, the C60 film remains only in the areas that were subjected to irradiation, while it evaporates off the remaining surface. During the subsequent annealing at 900°C, the modified C60 layer confines the underlying C60 on the silicon surface, allowing the formation of SiC. At shorter times, traces of the capping layer are visible at the edges of the irradiated zone. These results demonstrate the principle of fabricating lithographically patterned SiC structures on silicon without masking and etching processes and with the high lateral resolution possible with ion beams.
Each otoconia polymorph has a protein unique to that polymorph.

Abstract 1. 1. Otoconia, contained within the vestibular portion of the inner ear, are mineralized by one of three polymorphs of calcium carbonate. Each otoconial polymorph contains a unique, major protein. 2. 2. The major protein of calcitic otoconia of members of different vertebrate classes, Amphibia (African clawed frog) and Mammalia (rat), have similar molecular weights. 3. 3. The major protein of calcitic rat otoconia and of vateritic otoconia of the gar may be calcium binding proteins. No protein from the other polymorph, aragonite, appear to have this characteristic.
Synthesis and Mesomorphic Properties of New T- Shaped Dimesogens

Several new T- shaped liquid crystalline dimesogenic compounds were synthesized and their LC properties were characterized. These T-shaped dimesogens consist of substituted fluorene and substituted biphenyl units connected by flexible spacer units of varying lengths. The compounds were characterized for their liquid crystallinity by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarizing microscopy. All the compounds were found to exhibit enantiotropic nematic phase.
A study of the rates of catalyzed Boudouard reaction

Abstract The rate of Boudouard (C-CO2) reaction catalyzed by Li2O and Li2CO3 was investigated in the temperature range 839°–1050°C. The rate data is reported in the form of Fractional burn-off (F) vs time (t) plots. The experimental rate constant (K) data deduced from the initial linear region of these plots is represented by log K = 2.901(±0.186) − 22,240(±1,020) 2.303RT ; K is in gm/gm min. The experimental rate constant data was corrected for pore-diffusion and film mass transfer effects. The intrinsic rate constant (Kv) was found to exhibit the following temperature-dependence: log K v = 5.471(±0.353) − 48,040(±1,920) 2.303RT ; Kv is in moles/cm3atm sec. An electrochemical mechanism was proposed to explain the catalytic activities of Li2O and Li2CO3.
Effects of elevated hydrogen pressures on carbon monoxide chemisorbed on Ni(111)

Abstract The influence of hydrogen gas on CO chemisorbed on Ni(111) has been studied by infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, temperature-programmed desorption, and low-energy electron diffraction. For CO coverages below 0.5 ML, both bridge-bonded and terminal-CO species coexist on Ni(111). Under the influence of elevated pressures of hydrogen, the terminal-CO species disappear, and CO is compressed into a disordered phase containing only bridge-bonded species. Simultaneously, a high-frequency CO species is produced by short-range interactions with electronegative coadsorbed hydrogen. These changes are all reversible, and only take place above a threshold temperature ( ∼ 240 K) and hydrogen pressure ( ∼ 10 −3 mbar). The experimental observations point to an activated motion of the CO molecules from their normal adsorption sites under the influence of a weakly-bound hydrogen species in equilibrium with H 2 (g).
Kin Keeper : A Family-Focused Cancer Prevention Model for African-American Women

Cancer mortality issues for African-American women are undeniably real. It is also apparent that to address the issue of this unequal burden, different intervention approaches are necessary. Employing a family systems approach for African-American women and their families holds benefits for both cancer prevention and cancer treatment. The Kin Keeper Modelis based on the premise that the natural ways African-American women communicate various health messages to females in their family can be used to influence their cancer prevention and screening behaviors. This paper reports empirical research that demonstrates significant familial influence on African-American women's cancer prevention screening behaviors. Findings indicated that family influence provides insight into the intersection of family altruism with cultural familial decision-making. In addition, the findings underscore the strong influence family has on African-American women's propensity to
Second-order many-body perturbation expansions of vibrational Dyson self-energies.

Second-order many-body perturbation theories for anharmonic vibrational frequencies and zero-point energies of molecules are formulated, implemented, and tested. They solve the vibrational Dyson equation self-consistently by taking into account the frequency dependence of the Dyson self-energy in the diagonal approximation, which is expanded in a diagrammatic perturbation series up to second order. Three reference wave functions, all of which are diagrammatically size consistent, are considered: the harmonic approximation and diagrammatic vibrational self-consistent field (XVSCF) methods with and without the first-order Dyson geometry correction, i.e., XVSCF[n] and XVSCF(n), where n refers to the truncation rank of the Taylor-series potential energy surface. The corresponding second-order perturbation theories, XVH2(n), XVMP2[n], and XVMP2(n), are shown to be rigorously diagrammatically size consistent for both total energies and transition frequencies, yield accurate results (typically within a few cm−1 at n = 4 for water and formaldehyde) for both quantities even in the presence of Fermi resonance, and have access to fundamentals, overtones, and combinations as well as their relative intensities as residues of the vibrational Green's functions. They are implemented into simple algorithms that require only force constants and frequencies of the reference methods (with no basis sets, quadrature, or matrix diagonalization at any stage of the calculation). The rules for enumerating and algebraically interpreting energy and self-energy diagrams are elucidated in detail.
Need for Randomized Controlled Sodium Reduction Trial

To the Editor:—We disagree with He and MacGregor1 who contend that blood pressure (BP) effect, despite small BP change, wide intra-individual variation, and attenuation of effect over time,2 is by itself an adequate surrogate for health outcomes of population-wide sodium reduction. Reduced sodium intake can stimulate the renin-angiotensin and sympathetic nervous systems, increase insulin resistance, and lead to diet changes that impact other nutritional factors, so that the overall morbidity and mortality consequences, if any, cannot be assumed. To date, at least 11 observational studies of lower sodium with clinical outcomes have shown mixed results-some positive, some negative and some null-and even when benefits of lower sodium were observed they occurred in population subsets that cannot be generalized to all.3 Among other misrepresentations, He and MacGregor inaccurately claim that “the top quartile in [our] study had a salt intake ≈15–16 g/day…exactly the amount of salt consumed in Finland.”1 In fact, the upper quartile for NHANES lll reported ≥4048 mg sodium. Correcting for discretionary salt as estimated by the USDA and HHS, yields 4453 mg sodium, or 194 mmol of sodium (11.3 g salt)-equal to the upper quartile of Finnish study women - in whom no significant sodium to mortality association was identified. In fact, only over weight Finnish men had a significant direct association. Upper quartile consumption of men was ≥262 mmol sodium (15.3 g salt).4 He and MacGregor cite an important observational follow-up study of TOHP5 but mischaracterize it as a “randomized trial.” TOHP participants had baseline characteristics similar to about 4% of the U.S. population. Those in the TOHP II sodium reduction group had no significant BP decline at 36 months despite a 33 mmol/24 h sodium decline. A significant association of sodium reduction with all CVD was found among those who responded, a subgroup of 77% no longer protected by randomization. For mortality outcomes, where follow-up data were available for almost all, there were no significant associations of outcome with the sodium intervention group. TOHP does show, however, that a randomized controlled trial of sodium reduction with clinical outcome measures is feasible and we think such a trial is needed. Without clinical outcome trial evidence, He and MacGregor nonetheless have faith that it is “extremely likely” that universal salt reduction will convey “large benefits.”1 Perhaps. But the experience of low fat diets and hormone replacement therapy suggest that policy and practice interventions not supported by trial data can be problematic. Thus, we urge science as superior to faith as a guide to safe and beneficial health practice.
Do thigh circumference and mass changes alter knee biomechanics during walking

Obese adults walk with different biomechanics compared to healthy weight adults. Previous studies have focused on knee biomechanics because they are associated with development and progression of osteoarthritis. Changes in thigh mass and circumference that occur as body weight increases may influence gait. The purpose of this study was to determine if increases in thigh mass and circumference alter gait biomechanics. For 20 healthy weight young adults (10 male and 10 female) knee kinematic, kinetic and gait temporospatial variables were collected using a three-dimensional motion capture system and a force platform during over ground walking. Data were collected during control, increased thigh mass, increased thigh circumference, and both increased mass and circumference conditions. Increases in thigh segment parameters reflected changes expected with a 10 point increase in body mass index. Step width was wider during the added circumference and combination conditions compared to the control condition. Increases in thigh circumference associated with obesity increase step width. This suggests the greater step width observed in obese adults compared to healthy weight adults is a result of the physical constraints introduced by their wider thigh segments. Peak knee flexion angle, peak knee extension moment, peak knee adduction angle, and peak knee abduction moment were similar in all conditions. Thus, acute changes in thigh segment parameters did not result in knee biomechanics suggestive of an increased risk of knee osteoarthritis.
Differential effects of acute cocaine and placebo administration on visual cortical activation in healthy subjects measured using BOLD fMRI.

Abstract Many blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have shown a strong response due to cocaine in brain regions with high concentrations of dopamine receptors. However, cocaine also has non-specific effects, including cardiovascular changes that may cause changes in BOLD signals, raising the possibility that measured changes could be due to these non-specific effects. The following experiment was conducted to address this concern. Subjects were given either cocaine or saline infusions during a long BOLD functional magnetic resonance imaging study. A flashing uniform-field stimulus, periodically alternating between on and off, provided a strong activation of primary visual cortex. There was a significant main effect of drug between cocaine and placebo. Although we did not demonstrate a significant drug × time interaction, BOLD signal changes associated with visual stimulation appeared unchanged after cocaine administration, whereas the signal differences appeared to decrease during placebo. Explanation of the differential response between the two groups may reflect cocaine expectancy instead of a direct effect of cocaine on BOLD signal changes but will require further investigation to fully elucidate.
Achievement is a Relation, Not a Trait: The Gravity of the Situation

Ability and achievement are not traits: they are relations. Mistaking traits for relations has a history even in science (our understanding of gravity). This mistake is possibly responsible for the lackluster performance of the results of our educational research when we have tried to use it to inform policy. It is particularly troublesome for interventions that target “children at risk.” The paper provides a quasi-formal outline of achievement as a relation and it then uses the outline to explain some problematic research findings.
Design of a High Yield Position Source

The Stanford Linear Collider (SLC) requires a positron source with a yield large enough to give equal number of positrons and electrons at the interaction point. In addition, the colliding positrons must have an emittance and bunch length similar to the electron beam. This report describes the design of a high yield positron source to give these characteristics. Reference 1 contains more details of the systems of the SLC and positron source. The overall positron production system in relation to the SLC is shown in Fig. 1. A single bunch of electrons of 33 GeV is extracted from the Linac at the two-thirds point by means of a fast kicker magnet and a pair of septum magnets. The extracted electron beam is transported into the positron vault where it is focused to a spot size of + or -0.6 mm at the target. Spoiler foils are placed in the extracted beam path to increase the emittance so that the spot size cannot be made so small that target damage would occur. Positrons are collected in a focusing solenoid system using an iron shaped solenoidal field of 1 Tesla at the target and a pulsed solenoidal field from a flux concentratormore » with a peak field of 5 Tesla. The positron beam emerging from the focusing solenoid system is accelerated to 200 MeV in a 1.5 meter high-gradient-accelerator of 50 MeV/meter and three 3.05 m standard accelerator sections. The positrons are contained in the accelerator aperture using a 0.5 Tesla solenoidal field in the beginning and quadrupole focusing in the final two standard accelerator sections. The positrons are then transported back to the beginning of the Linac for further acceleration to 1.2 GeV, whereupon they are sent to the positron damping ring. Later they are removed from the damping ring, accelerated to the end of the Linac, and transported around the e/sup +/ arc to the interaction point.« less