cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhancing the Emotional Intelligence of Salespeople

In today’s rapidly changing sales environment, successful salespeople must acquire skills that give them a competitive advantage. Emotional intelligence (EI), defined as perceiving, interpreting, and reacting to one’s own and others’ emotions, is offered as one critical skill that will allow salespeople to guide their behavior and think in ways that can enhance their sales performance. In this paper, we review emotional intelligence and discuss how it is related to existing theories of sales performance. Research propositions are then developed based on the Walker, Churchill, and Ford (1977) sales performance model. Strategies for sales practitioners are proposed, and additional opportunities for future research are identified.
Compensatory parenting: How mothers describe parenting their 3-year-old, prematurely born children*

Premature infants and their mothers experience difficulties in establishing their relationships. The effect of these early problems on later parenting is not known. This study explored whether mothers' recollections surrounding the birth and hospitalization of a preterm infant affected their perceptions and their parenting of these children at 3 years of age. Twenty-seven primary caregivers of 30 prematurely born children completed three questionnaires on their perceptions of their children and were interviewed about parenting experiences. The core concept identified in analysis was compensatory parenting, a parenting style in which mothers provided special experiences and avoided others in an attempt to compensate the children for their neonatal experiences. Compensatory parenting was influenced by the view of these prematurely born children as both special and normal and by salient prenatal, labor, and delivery experiences; memories of the neonatal intensive care unit experience; the sequelae of emotional responses to these experiences; and subsequent health problems after discharge. Prospective research is needed to further study compensatory parenting and to develop interventions.
Test of the nonequilibrium kinetic focusing of voltage-gated ion channels

It has been shown numerically (Millonas and Chialvo 1996 Phys. Rev. Lett. 76 550) that voltage-gated ion channels can be focused into specific conformational states by the application of fluctuating voltages, such as dichotomous noise. We present results of an experimental test performed on Shaker K+ channels. We applied dichotomous noise with properties mimicking the numerical simulations as closely as physiologically feasible. We observed that the probability for intermediate states can be increased as much as 50% above the maximal value for any static voltages.
A Collaboration to Teach Students to Utilize Historic Dress as Inspiration for Apparel Design

Historic dress is often used by apparel designers as a source of inspiration for new designs. However, using historic information as a source of inspiration in designing has been taught separately in apparel design (AD) and fashion history (FH) courses. To help students expand their creativity in AD, two university instructors decided to collaborate on a project linking historic dress and AD. The instructors prepared and presented teaching materials and assessed related projects for the required courses in Apparel Design and Fashion History. To assess students’ learning and satisfaction, the instructors developed prequestionnaires and postquestionnaires based on Lamb and Kallal (1992) Functional, Expressive and Aesthetic (FEA) Apparel Design Framework. Responses to the prequestionnaire showed that students lacked awareness and information about using historic dress as inspiration. Responses from the postquestionnaires revealed that students looked at historic garment details, colors, and silhouettes and interpreted them in a modern way. Students said that additional benefits were that the exposure to historic dress increased their creativity, helped them understand FH, and helped them connect their course work in Fashion History and Apparel Design.
1986 eruption of Augustine Volcano: Public safety response by Alaskan volcanologists

Although, in a general sense, all scientific work on hazardous natural phenomena such as weather, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions can advance the public safely, we wish to describe some specific actions that were motivated by direct considerations of safety. These kinds of actions are normally at the fringes of scientific research and become important only during some crisis; in this instance, the crisis was the eruption on March 27, 1986, of Augustine Volcano (Figure 1). The agencies involved were the Geophysical Institute of the University of Alaska (UAGI), the Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys of the State of Alaska (DGGS), and the Alaska Branch of the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The central theme of our mutual effort during the crisis was to communicate to response agencies and the public, in the most meaningful way possible, a prediction of what could happen next and how it would affect the public.
Bag boundary conditions for confinement in the qq-bar relative coordinate

A procedure for finding baglike confining boundary conditions in relative coordinates for noninteracting two-particle states is described and explicity developed for the case of a fermion-antifermion pair. As an example, the resulting conditions are applied to find the spectrum of low-lying meson states.
On the generality of discontinuous fatigue crack growth in glassy polymers

Fatigue fracture surface characteristics of five commercially available amorphous polymers [poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), polystyrene (PS), and polysulphone (PSF)] as well as bulk-polymerized PMMA prepared over a wide range of molecular weights were studied to determine if common mechanisms of fatigue crack propagation prevail among these glassy polymers. In those polymers with viscosity-average molecular weight ¯Mv≲2×105, the macroscopic appearance of the fracture surface showed the presence of a highly reflective mirror-like region which formed at low values of stress intensity and high cyclic test frequencies (∼100 Hz). The microscopic appearance of this region revealed that many parallel bands exist oriented perpendicular to the direction of crack growth and that the bands increase in size with ΔK. In all instances, the crack front advanced discontinuously in increments equal to the band width after remaining stationary for hundreds of fatigue cycles. Electron fractographic studies verified the discontinuous nature of crack extension through a craze which developed continuously with the load fluctuations. By equating the band size to the Dugdale plastic zone dimension ahead of the crack, a relatively constant yield strength was inferred which agreed well with reported craze stress values for each material. At higher stress intensity levels in all polymers and all values of ¯Mv, another series of parallel bands were observed. These were also oriented perpendicular to the direction of crack growth and likewise increased in size with the range in stress intensity factor, ΔK. Each band corresponded to the incremental advance of the crack during one load cycle, indicating these markings to be classical fatigue striations.
A multiple baseline analysis of coverant control

Abstract Coverant procedures, assessed in a multiple baseline design, were used to modify three high rate, target behavior problems (finger picking, lip biting, cigarette smoking) in a psychiatric patient. An additional target behavior (mood) remained untreated to serve as a control. Results indicated successful control and maintenance by coverant techniques; however, instructional or self-monitoring effects could not be discounted.
Analysis of N- and O-glucuronides of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) in human urine

4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is a tobacco-specific lung carcinogen which may play an important role as a cause of lung cancer in smokers. NNK is extensively metabolized to 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL), which like NNK is a potent pulmonary carcinogen. NNAL in turn is glucuronidated, and both NNAL and its glucuronides are excreted in human urine. Previous studies have clearly demonstrated the presence in human urine of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-(O-β-d-glucopyranuronosyl)butane (NNAL-O-Gluc), but did not exclude the presence of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl-N-β-d-glucopyranuronosyl)-1-butanolonium inner salt (NNAL-N-Gluc). In this study, we quantified NNAL, NNAL-N-Gluc, and NNAL-O-Gluc in the urine of smokers, snuff-dippers, and people who used the oral tobacco product “toombak”. The presence of NNAL-N-Gluc in the urine of toombak users was confirmed by LC-ESI-MS/MS. In smokers' urine, NNAL-N-Gluc, NNAL-O-Gluc, and NNAL comprised (mean ± SD) 26...
Influence of osmolality and ions on the activation and characteristics of zebrafish sperm motility.

Abstract Despite the prevalence of zebrafish as a model scientific organism, understanding sperm function in this species is essentially limited to observations that osmotic shock initiates motility. During natural spawning, sperm encounter a range of environmental salinities as well as freshwater mixed with egg-associated ovarian fluid (OF), thus sperm are likely to be exposed to saline prior to egg contact. Effects of saline on sperm function in this model species are unknown, but likely to be important. Using computer assisted sperm analysis, this study addressed the effects of osmolality of spawning media and ionic composition and pH on the proportion of sperm becoming motile at activation (motility), as well as sperm velocity and path. When activated with tap water, motility was maximal (80%) at 10 s (earliest time measured), declining to 5% by 87 s postactivation. With activation at moderate osmolalities (∼160–200 mmol/kg) initial motility was decreased relative to low osmolality, increased from 10 to 30 s, and subsequently declined less rapidly (motility in 80 mM NaCl was 35%, 80%, and 60% at 10, 30 and 147 s, respectively). Thus, moderate osmolality increased duration, but introduced a temporal lag in motility onset. With moderate osmolalities, the rate of velocity decay was less than that with tap water activation. Sodium chloride and sucrose similarly impacted both motility and velocity. Replacement of NaCl with KCl, pH values ranging from 6.8 to 8.4, or the presence of gadolinium were without effect. Motility, but not velocity, was slightly supressed by Ca2+. Therefore, whereas pH and concentrations of Ca2+ or K+ of OF are unlikely to impact fertility via sperm motility, the OF contribution to spawning media osmolality may have pronounced effects on motility and velocity of sperm, factors previously correlated with fertility in other species.
Nonlinear Optical Tools for Studying Small-Stroke at Microscopic Scales

Nonlinear optical interactions enable observation and manipulation of biological tissues with cellular resolution in vivo. We use multiphoton microscopy and femtosecond laser ablation to study health and function of brain cells after disruption of microvessels.
Update on the Use of Antibiotics in Cutaneous Surgery

Background. Antibiotics are often prescribed in perioperative settings, including dermatologic surgery. Given the continued evolution in the breadth and complexity of cutaneous procedures performed and inevitable localized or distant infections that occasionally occur, it seems prudent to periodically evaluate findings and recommendations from the literature regarding the use of antibiotics in cutaneous surgery. Materials and Methods. Literature review from English-language sources from the past 30 years, especially focusing on sources from the past 5 to 10 years. Data were examined for a variety of cutaneous surgical procedures, routes of antibiotic administration, and consideration of both cutaneous and distant infections. Results. The literature suggests that, for most routine skin procedures, antibiotic use is probably not warranted for the prevention of surgical wound infection, endocarditis, and late prosthetic joint infections. During prolonged Mohs procedures, delayed repairs, grafts, takedowns of interpolation flaps, or any procedure that breaches a mucosal surface, the evidence is less clear, and decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis. Topical antibiotics are probably overused, although silver sulfadiazine may have an undeserved negative reputation among dermatologists. Systemic prophylactic antibiotics for laser resurfacing and liposuction appear not to be routinely necessary, although patients with known prior herpes infection likely should receive antiviral prophylaxis. The overall reported infection rates and infectious complications remain low in dermatologic surgery, and antibiotic therapy may be prescribed excessively or inappropriately as a result. Conclusion. Antibiotics continue to be widely used, and through varying routes of administration, in the setting of dermatologic surgery. Prudent use of these agents is indicated in high-risk patients, certain anatomic locations, and the presence of overt infection. Additional studies may help clarify the most appropriate indications, and in which patient populations, in the future.
A modified team-based learning physiology course

Objective. To implement and assess an interactive, clinically applicable first-year physiology course using team-based learning. Design. The course was designed on a team-based learning backbone using 6 modules, pre-class preparation, a readiness-assurance process, and in-class application. Integrative cases were used to review concepts prior to examinations. Various assessment methods were used to measure changes, including course evaluations, an attitudinal survey tool, and a knowledge examination. Assessment. Course evaluations indicated a higher perception of active learning in the revised format compared with that of the previous year's course format. There also were notable differences in opportunities to promote communication skills, work as part of a team, and collaborate with diverse individuals. The assessment of content knowledge indicated that students who completed the revised format course outperformed the previous year's students in both foundational knowledge and application-type questions. Conclusion. Using more team-based learning within a physiology course had a favorable impact on student retention of material and attitudes toward the course.
An unprecedented interpenetrating structure with two covalently bonded open-frameworks of different dimensionality

A chemical rearrangement under hydrothermal conditions resulted in an unprecedented interpenetrating structure with two covalently bonded open frameworks of different dimensionality: {[Cu2(IN)4·3H2O]·[Cu 2(IN)4·2H2O]}·3H2 O (IN = isonicotinate).
Decision theory and artificial intelligence: I. A semantics-based region analyzer

Abstract Mathematical decision theory can be combined with heuristic techniques to attack Artificial Intelligence problems. As a first example, the problem of breaking an image into meaningful regions is considered. Bayesian decision theory is seen to provide a mechanism for including problem dependent (semantic) information in a general system. Some results are presented which make the computation feasible. A programming system based on these ideas and its application to road scenes is described.
Quantum cryptography without optical fibers

Summary form only given. Current limitations on the range of quantum cryptography systems using optical fibers could be eliminated if it were possible to transmit and receive single photons between a ground station and a satellite, and between two satellites, which would allow the operation of a global network for secure communications. We are currently investigating the feasibility of such systems, with the initial goal of demonstrating secure communications between two ground stations in open air during daylight hours.
Fast row-parallel CMOS range image sensor

The work presents a novel row-parallel architecture for a fast, high-resolution CMOS range sensor utilizing dynamic triangulation. The sensor detects the location of the structured light (e.g., laser line) in each row based on temporal signatures from the sensory signal. The range map is detected at twice the resolution than the photodetector count and is sampled on a 30 /spl times/ 30 /spl mu/m grid in the image plane. Our current prototype can operate up to 2000 frames per second, and deliver sub millimeter precision from a stand off distance of about 70 cm.
Integrated DC-DC converter design for improved WCDMA power amplifier efficiency in SiGe BiCMOS technology

We present a DC-DC converter design for on-chip integration with a WCDMA power amplifier to provide supply voltage modulation and efficiency enhancement. It operates from a 3.3 V supply using 0.35 /spl mu/m 'high-breakdown' CMOS transistors available in IBM's SiGe BiCMOS 6H:P process. Five selectable output voltage levels are available ranging from 1.3 V to 3.3 V. The converter is optimized for operation at 88.7 MHz. Simulation results show an average efficiency of 78.8% over the power amplifier operating conditions and a peak enabled efficiency of 86%. CCM-DCM mode switching and transistor width switching are used to minimize losses at the different output voltage and current load levels.
Cancer Statistics, 2009

Each year, the American Cancer Society estimates the number of new cancer cases and deaths expected in the United States in the current year and compiles the most recent data on cancer incidence, mortality, and survival based on incidence data from the National Cancer Institute, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries and mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics. Incidence and death rates are standardized by age to the 2000 United States standard million population. A total of 1,479,350 new cancer cases and 562,340 deaths from cancer are projected to occur in the United States in 2009. Overall cancer incidence rates decreased in the most recent time period in both men (1.8% per year from 2001 to 2005) and women (0.6% per year from 1998 to 2005), largely because of decreases in the three major cancer sites in men (lung, prostate, and colon and rectum [colorectum]) and in two major cancer sites in women (breast and colorectum). Overall cancer death rates decreased in men by 19.2% between 1990 and 2005, with decreases in lung (37%), prostate (24%), and colorectal (17%) cancer rates accounting for nearly 80% of the total decrease. Among women, overall cancer death rates between 1991 and 2005 decreased by 11.4%, with decreases in breast (37%) and colorectal (24%) cancer rates accounting for 60% of the total decrease. The reduction in the overall cancer death rates has resulted in the avoidance of about 650,000 deaths from cancer over the 15-year period. This report also examines cancer incidence, mortality, and survival by site, sex, race/ethnicity, education, geographic area, and calendar year. Although progress has been made in reducing incidence and mortality rates and improving survival, cancer still accounts for more deaths than heart disease in persons younger than 85 years of age. Further progress can be accelerated by applying existing cancer control knowledge across all segments of the population and by supporting new discoveries in cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment.
Adaptive motion coordination: Using velocity feedback to achieve parameter convergence

We study a coordination problem where the objective is to steer a group of agents to a formation that translates with a prescribed reference velocity. In [1] we considered the situation where the information of reference velocity is available only to a leader, and developed a decentralized adaptive design with which the other agents reconstruct the reference velocity. Although [1] guaranteed that the desired formation is achieved, it did not ensure parameter convergence. We now propose a new adaptive redesign, which incorporates relative velocity feedback in addition to relative position feedback, to guarantee parameter convergence.
A Cancer Drug Promotes Hair Growth

When a patient diagnosed with cancer begins treatment, a common question is, “Will this medication make me lose my hair?” Hair loss is often associated with cancer chemotherapy, and although it can cause emotional distress, it is typically transient. Some forms of hair loss, such as alopecia areata, are mediated not by drugs but by an autoimmune process. Until now, the mechanism of autoimmunity in this disease was undefined, although genome-wide association studies suggested a role for the NKG2D ligands ULBP3 and MICA. NKG2D is an activating receptor found on cytotoxic T cells and Natural Killer (NK) cells. Xing and colleagues demonstrate that NKG2D+CD8+ T cells are necessary and sufficient to cause alopecia areata in a mouse model prone to the disease. These T cells infiltrate the skin in affected mice, draining lymph nodes, and display a transcriptional profile of activated cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) with up-regulation of interferon-response genes and common-gamma chain cytokines and their receptors (type I cytokines). Because many of these cytokines signal via Janus kinases (JAKs) , the authors hypothesized that the JAK1 and JAK2 inhibitor ruxolitinib or the JAK3 inhibitor tofacitinib could have therapeutic effects. Encouragingly, both ruxolinitib and tofacitinib, administered orally or topically, were able to prevent disease and restore hair growth in mice. The drugs also blocked the inflammatory gene expression signatures in skin. Ruxolinitib is currently approved for the blood cancer myelofibrosis and is often used in other JAK2 mutation-driven malignancies; tofacitinib is approved for rheumatoid arthritis. Xing et al. treated three patients with alopecia areata with oral ruxolinitib, and all three had nearly complete restoration of hair growth within months. These data bridge what has been learned from aberrant signal transduction pathways in cancer with pathways of cellular immune responses to open new avenues for treating autoimmune disease. L. Xing et al ., Alopecia areata is driven by cytotoxic T lymphocytes and is reversed by JAK inhibition. Nat. Med. 20 , 1043–1049 (2014). [[Full Text]][1] [1]: http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v20/n9/full/nm.3645.html
Evaluating domestic and international Web‐site strategies

This paper presents the AIPD approach to the evaluation of commercial Web sites within or across borders. The author explains how benchmarking techniques can be used to compare attracting, informing, positioning, and delivering (AIPD) strategies of Web sites in order to clarify strategic opportunities or advantages. The AIPD model is then used to compare the Internet strategies of some Japanese and American banks. Results show that Japanese banks have created more dynamic and content rich Internet environments than their American counterparts. Cultural and institutional differences are given for the contrasting approaches to Web design, information and service delivery.
Inactivation of p21 by E1A Leads to the Induction of Apoptosis in DNA-Damaged Cells

A major impediment to successful chemotherapy is the propensity for some tumor cells to undergo cell cycle arrest rather than apoptosis. It is well established, however, that the adenovirus E1A protein can sensitize these cells to the induction of apoptosis by anticancer agents. To further understand how E1A enhances chemosensitivity, we have made use of a human colon carcinoma cell line (HCT116) which typically undergoes cell cycle arrest in response to chemotherapeutic drugs. As seen by the analysis of E1A mutants, we show here that E1A can induce apoptosis in these cells by neutralizing the activities of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21. E1A's ability to interact with p21 and thereby restore Cdk2 activity in DNA-damaged cells correlates with the reversal of G1 arrest, which in turn leads to apoptosis. Analysis of E1A mutants failing to bind p300 (also called CBP) or Rb shows that they are almost identical to wild-type E1A in their ability to initially overcome a G1 arrest in cells after DNA damage, while an E1A mutant failing to bind p21 is not. However, over time, this mutant, which can still target Rb, is far more efficient in accumulating cells with a DNA content greater than 4N but is similar to wild-type E1A and the other E1A mutants in releasing cells from a p53-mediated G2 block following chemotherapeutic treatment. Thus, we suggest that although E1A requires the binding of p21 to create an optimum environment for apoptosis to occur in DNA-damaged cells, E1A's involvement in other pathways may be contributing to this process as well. A model is proposed to explain the implications of these findings.
Reproducibility and reliability of semen analysis in youths at risk for infertility.

Purpose: There are few normative data on semen analyses in youths at risk for but not presenting with infertility. Standard practice among infertility specialists includes evaluation of 2 separate semen samples, given the degree of within subject variability. We hypothesized that males transitioning from pediatric to adult care who are at risk for infertility would similarly have this variability.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with a history of cryptorchidism or varicocele who submitted 2 semen samples for evaluation of fertility potential. The within subject coefficient of variation and intraclass correlation coefficient were calculated for each semen parameter to evaluate reproducibility and reliability, respectively.Results: A total of 79 subjects were studied. Mean ± SD age was 18.8 ± 1.2 years (range 17.8 to 24.7). The within subject coefficient of variation was high for each semen parameter, ranging from 36% for volume and motility to 82% for total motile count. Intracla...
The design of a transport protocol for on-demand graphical rendering

In recent years there have been significant advances in 3D scanning technologies that allow the creation of meshes with hundreds of millions of polygons. A number of algorithms have been proposed for the display of such large models. These advances, coupled with the steady growth in the speed of network links, have given rise to a new area of interest, the streaming transmission and visualization of three-dimensional data sets. We present a number of issues that must be addressed when designing a transport protocol for three-dimensional images as well as a method of transport. We then evaluate an implementation of an On-Demand Graphic Transport Protocol (OGP) that addresses these issues.
Differential regulation of ER Ca2+ uptake and release rates accounts for multiple modes of Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release.

The ER is a central element in Ca2+ signaling, both as a modulator of cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and as a locus of Ca2+-regulated events. During surface membrane depolarization in excitable cells, the ER may either accumulate or release net Ca2+, but the conditions of stimulation that determine which form of net Ca2+ transport occurs are not well understood. The direction of net ER Ca2+ transport depends on the relative rates of Ca2+ uptake and release via distinct pathways that are differentially regulated by Ca2+, so we investigated these rates and their sensitivity to Ca2+ using sympathetic neurons as model cells. The rate of Ca2+ uptake by SERCAs (JSERCA), measured as the t-BuBHQ-sensitive component of the total cytoplasmic Ca2+ flux, increased monotonically with [Ca2+]i. Measurement of the rate of Ca2+ release (JRelease) during t-BuBHQ-induced [Ca2+]i transients made it possible to characterize the Ca2+ permeability of the ER (), describing the activity of all Ca2+-permeable channels that contribute to passive ER Ca2+ release, including ryanodine-sensitive Ca2+ release channels (RyRs) that are responsible for CICR. Simulations based on experimentally determined descriptions of JSERCA, , and of Ca2+ extrusion across the plasma membrane (Jpm) accounted for our previous finding that during weak depolarization, the ER accumulates Ca2+, but at a rate that is attenuated by activation of a CICR pathway operating in parallel with SERCAs to regulate net ER Ca2+ transport. Caffeine greatly increased the [Ca2+] sensitivity of , accounting for the effects of caffeine on depolarization-evoked [Ca2+]i elevations and caffeine-induced [Ca2+]i oscillations. Extending the rate descriptions of JSERCA, , and Jpm to higher [Ca2+]i levels shows how the interplay between Ca2+ transport systems with different Ca2+ sensitivities accounts for the different modes of CICR over different ranges of [Ca2+]i during stimulation.
Ultrastructural morphology of the normal nasal respiratory epithelium of the mouse

The nasal respiratory epithelium of the mouse has been studied at the ultrastructural level. The tissue was found to be a rather typical pseudostratified columnar ciliated epithelium, superficially different but basically similar to tracheal and bronchial epithelium in the same species, and clearly similar in most respects to that of other mammals. Four cell types were distinguished: ciliated columnar, secretory (goblet), intermediate, and basal. The ciliated cells, which exhibited typical surface cilia and microvilli, were characterized by a distinct stratification in the arrangement of subcellular components in their supranuclear cytoplasm. Beginning at the apical end and proceeding basally, the following strata were seen: an ectoplasmic region relatively free of organelles; an area rich in vesicular and tubular membrane profiles; a mitochondrial zone; a layer rich in ribosomes and polyribosomes; and a stratum of Golgi complexes. Secretory (goblet) cells were observed at various stages of secretion droplet accumulation. Cells in the earliest stage, characterized by a dense content of sER in the supranuclear cytoplasm, were similar to the “non-ciliated” cells of the mouse's lower respiratory tract. Some of the secretory cells contained dilated cisternae of rER which were engorged with a relatively electron-dense material. The possible significance of these inclusions is discussed. Unlike the other cell types, intermediate and basal cells displayed no features indicative of specialized function.
Body size and endometriosis: results from 20 years of follow-up within the Nurses' Health Study II prospective cohort

mainresultsandtheroleofchance: A total of 5504 incident cases of endometriosis were reported during 1 299 349 womanyears (incidence rate ¼ 385 per 100 000 woman-years). BMI at age 18 and current BMI were each significantly inversely associated with endometriosis (P-value, test for linear trend ,0.0001). Both associations were stronger among infertile women. Obese infertile women with current BMIs of 35 –39.9 kg/m 2 and ≥40 kg/m 2 had a 55% (95% CI 0.30 –0.67) and a 62% (95% CI 0.23– 0.62) lower risk of endometriosis, respectively, compared with the low-normal BMI referent (18.5–22.4 kg/m 2 ). Rates of endometriosis were nearly 3-fold higher in women with waist-to-hip ratios ,0.60 (RR ¼ 2.78, 95% CI 1.38 –5.60) compared with those with waist-to-hip ratios between 0.70 and 0.79, although the sample size for this category was very small. limitations and reasons forcaution: Although women with undiagnosed endometriosis certainly remain in the comparison population even in this prospective cohort study, the community prevalence of endometriosis in an asymptomatic population is very low. Moreover, the characteristics of this small proportion of undiagnosed cases are diluted among the .90 000 women accurately defined as being endometriosis-free and are, therefore, unlikely to impact on effect estimation. Although geographically diverse, the NHS II cohort is overwhelmingly Caucasian, which may limit generalizability to more ethnically diverse populations. wider implications of the study: The results of this study suggest that endometriosis is inversely associated with early adult BMI and may correlate with a peripheral body fat distribution.
Dynamical Masses in Modified Gravity

Differences in masses inferred from dynamics, such as velocity dispersions or x rays, and those inferred from lensing are a generic prediction of modified gravity theories. Viable models, however, must include some nonlinear mechanism to restore general relativity (GR) in dense environments, which is necessary to pass Solar System constraints on precisely these deviations. In this paper, we study the dynamics within virialized structures in the context of two modified gravity models, f(R) gravity and Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati (DGP). The nonlinear mechanisms to restore GR, which f(R) and DGP implement in very different ways, have a strong impact on the dynamics in bound objects; they leave distinctive signatures in the dynamical mass-lensing mass relation as a function of mass and radius. We present measurements from N-body simulations of f(R) and DGP, as well as semianalytical models that match the simulation results to surprising accuracy in both cases. The semianalytical models are useful for making the connection to observations. Our results confirm that the environment and scale dependence of the modified gravity effects have to be taken into account when confronting gravity theories with observations of dynamics in galaxies and clusters.
A uroflowmeter for monitoring frequency and volume of urination

A uroflowmeter was designed to automatically measure how often patients without bladder sensation urinate and the volume of each urination. The device, based on an optical sensor which monitors and records each 10-ml increment in voided volume, can be operated by non-technical personnel and is accurate, safe, reliable and relatively inexpensive.
Factors affecting sustained smouldering in organic soils from pocosin and pond pine woodland wetlands

The smouldering combustion of peat and muck soil plays an important role in the creation and maintenance of wetland communities. This experimental study was conducted to improve our understanding of how moisture and mineral content constrain smouldering in organic soil. Laboratory burning was conducted with root mat and muck soil samples from pocosin and pond pine woodland wetlands common on the North Carolina coastal plain. The results of laboratory and prescribed burning were compared. Laboratory results showed that moisture and mineral content influenced sustained smouldering in root mat soils. Predictions based on logistic regression analysis show that root mat soils with an average mineral content of 4.5% had an estimated 50% probability of sustained smouldering at a moisture content of 93%, whereas at moisture contents above 145% the estimated probability was less than 10%. The odds that root mat soil will sustain smouldering decrease by 19.3% for each 5% increase in moisture content. Root mat soils with an average mineral content of 5.5% and a moisture content of 93% had an estimated 61% probability of sustained smouldering. The odds that root mat soil will sustain smouldering combustion increased by 155.9% with each 1% increase in mineral content. Root mat and muck soils differ in physical and chemical characteristics expected to influence smouldering behaviour. The formation of muck soil has led to increases in density, smaller soil particle size, changes in water holding characteristics and increases in waxes, resins and bituminous compounds. Muck soil smouldered at higher moisture contents than root mat soil. Muck soil at a moisture content of 201% had an estimated 50% probability of sustained smouldering, whereas at moisture contents above 260% the estimated probability was less than 10%. The odds that muck soil will sustain smouldering combustion decrease by 17.2% with each 5% increase in moisture content. Ground fire in the prescribed burns stopped its vertical spread in organic soils at moisture contents consistent with logistic regression predictions developed from our laboratory results.
The role of mitochondrial and oxidative injury in BDE 47 toxicity to human fetal liver hematopoietic stem cells.

The polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a group of flame retardants whose residues have markedly increased in the environment and in human tissues during the last decade. Of the various congeners, BDE 47 (2,2#,4,4#-tetrabromodiphenyl ether) is typically the predominant congener observed in fish and wildlife samples, as well as in human tissues. Several studies indicate in utero transfer of PBDEs during pregnancy with residues accumulating in fetal tissues, and thus the potential for BDE 47‐ mediated injury in utero is of concern. In this study, we examined the mechanisms of BDE 47‐mediated injury to primary human fetal liver hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which comprise a large proportion of fetal hepatic cells and play a key role in hematopoiesis during fetal development. Incubation of fetal liver HSCs with BDE 47 led to a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and the onset of apoptosis. These effects were observed in the low micromolar range of BDE 47 exposures. At higher concentrations, BDE 47 elicited a loss of viability, which was accompanied by the generation of reactive oxygen species and peroxidation of HSC lipids. Preincubation of fetal liver HSCs with N-acetylcysteine, a glutathione (GSH) precursor, caused an increase in cellular GSH concentrations, restored mitochondrial redox status, and ameliorated the toxicity of BDE 47. BDE 47‐mediated cytotoxicity or oxidative injury was not evident at the lower concentrations (< 1mM). Collectively, these data support a role for oxidative stress in the cytotoxicity of BDE 47 and indicate that oxidative stress‐associated biomarkers may be useful in assessing the sublethal effects of BDE 47 toxicity in other models. However, the fact that BDE 47 undergoes a concentrationdependent accumulation in other primary cells in media that can underestimate cellular concentrations (W. R. Mundy et al., 2004, Toxicol. Sci. 82, 164‐169) suggests that the HSC cell injury observed in our study may be of less relevance to human in utero PBDE exposures.
THE PROMOTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF U.S. LATINO FILMS

Henry Puente, THE PROMOTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF U.S. LATINO FILMS (Intersections in Communications and Culture Series Vol. 28), New York, NY: Peter Lang Publishing, 2011, 226 pp., $36.95 (paper) Pu...
Penetrating 3-D Imaging at 4- and 25-m Range Using a Submillimeter-Wave Radar

We show experimentally that a high-resolution imaging radar operating at 576-605 GHz is capable of detecting weapons concealed by clothing at standoff ranges of 4-25 m. We also demonstrate the critical advantage of 3-D image reconstruction for visualizing hidden objects using active-illumination coherent terahertz imaging. The present system can image a torso with <1 cm resolution at 4 m standoff in about five minutes. Greater standoff distances and much higher frame rates should be achievable by capitalizing on the bandwidth, output power, and compactness of solid state Schottky-diode based terahertz mixers and multiplied sources.
Neurochemical compartmentation of monkey and human visual cortex: similarities and variations in calbindin immunoreactivity across species.

The compartmental organization of visual cortical neurons was examined across species of primates by directly comparing the pattern of immunoreactivity for the 28-kD vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding protein (calbindin) in area 17 of squirrel monkeys, macaques, and neurologically normal adult humans. Area 17 of macaques and squirrel monkeys was similar in that somata and processes intensely immunoreactive for calbindin were present in the same layers (II-III, IVB, and V) and in both species formed a well-stained matrix that surrounded the CO-rich puffs in layer III. These intensely calbindin-immunoreactive neurons were identified as subpopulations of GABA-immunoreactive neurons. Among the most obvious differences in the two monkey species was the distribution of calbindin-positive elements outside of layer III: a dense immunostained matrix surrounded the puffs in layers II, IVB, V, and VI of squirrel monkeys but the immunostained neurons adopted no regular pattern outside layer III in macaques. In addition, although somata lightly immunoreactive for calbindin were present in both species, they were much more abundant in squirrel monkeys than macaques. The pattern of calbindin immunostaining in human area 17 resembled that of macaques in forming an intense matrix that surrounded puffs only in layer III, yet also resembled that of squirrel monkeys by including large numbers of lightly immunoreactive somata. These lightly immunostained somata included a very dense population forming a prominent band in layer IVA of human visual cortex. We conclude that for layer III of primary visual cortex, a similar pattern of neuronal chemistry exists across species of primates which is related to this layer's compartmental organization. Yet for other layers, the expression of calbindin immunoreactivity varies from one species to the next, perhaps reflecting variations in other neuronal properties.
Factors affecting dietary requirement and deficiency signs of L-tryptophan in rainbow trout.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the concentration of dietary tryptophan needed for optimal growth and survival of fingerling rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri), to characterize signs of tryptophan deficiency, and to ascer tain the effects of niacin on deficiency signs. Test diets containing either hydrolyzed or intact casein were fed with graded levels of added L-tryptophan (0.0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0 g/100 g protein). Maximum growth occurred at 0.75 and 0.50 g trypto phan in fish fed hydrolyzed and intact casein, respectively. Changes in mineral and amino acid mixtures in the intact casein diet yielded a cation-anion (Na + K â€"Cl) balance of + 15.3 meq/100 g diet and pH of 6.44, compared with a balance of - 21.3 and - 25 meq, and pH 5.8 and 4.4 for unmodified hydrolyzed and intact casein diets, respectively. Analysis of growth by the polynomial regression function; Y = 0.16 + 0.429X - 0.26X2, where Y = mean daily gain in grams, and X = grams of added tryptophan/100 g protein, predicted that at least 0.58 g of tryptophan was needed for maximum weight gain. Analysis of apparent pathology-free fish by the function; Y " 34.33 + 147.33X - 83.87X2, where Y = percentage with no signs of deficiency, and X = grams of added tryptophan, predicted that 0.63 g tryptophan/100 g protein was needed for optimum health scores. Deletion of supplemental niacin did not affect fish response to tryptophan. J. Nutr. 113: 2568-2577, 1983.
Mutation Load under Vegetative Reproduction and Cytoplasmic Inheritance

For reasons that remain unclear, even multicellular organisms usually originate from a single cell. Here I consider the balance between deleterious mutations and selection against them in a population with obligate vegetative reproduction, when every offspring is initiated by more than one cell of a parent. The mutation load depends on the genomic deleterious mutation rate U, strictness of selection, number of cells which initiate an offspring n, and the relatedness among the initial cells. The load grows with increasing U, n and strictness of selection, and declines when an offspring is initiated by more closely related cells. If Un >> 1, the load under obligate vegetative reproduction may be substantially higher than under sexual or asexual reproduction, which may account for its rarity. In nature obligate vegetative reproduction seems to be more common and long term in taxa whose cytological features ensure a relatively low load under it. The same model also describes the mutation load under two other modes of inheritance: (1) uniparental transmission of organelles and (2) reproduction by division of multinuclear cells, where each daughter cell receives many nuclei. The load declines substantially when the deleterious mutation rate per organelle genome gets lower or when the number of nuclei in a cell sometimes drops. This may explain the small sizes of organelle genomes in sexual lineages and the presence of karyonic cycles in asexual unicellular multinuclear eukaryotes.
Methods for Leveraging a Health Information Exchange for Public Health: Lessons Learned from the NW-PHIE Experience

The intent of this article is to provide public health and health information exchanges (HIEs) insight into activities and processes for connecting public health with clinical care through HIEs. In 2007 the CDC issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the “Situational Awareness through Health Information Exchange” project. The project’s goals are to connect public health with health information exchanges (HIEs) to improve public health’s real-time understanding of communities’ population health and healthcare facility status. This article describes the approach and methodology used by the Northwest Public Health Information Exchange to achieve the project’s goals. The experience of the NWPHIE Collaboration provides an organizational and operational roadmap for implementing a successful regional HIE that ensures secure exchange and use of electronic health information between local and state public health and health care entities. Keywords: Data Collection; Electronic Health Records; Health Information Exchange; Information Management; Information Services; Medical Record Linkage; Public Health; Public Health Informatics
Public Health Perspectives on Surveillance for Periodontal Diseases

Public health surveillance has been defined as the ongoing systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of data regarding a health-related event for use in public health action to reduce morbidity and mortality and to improve health. Surveillance is an essential element of public health program infrastructure. The desirable attributes of public health surveillance systems are simplicity, flexibility, data quality, acceptability, sensitivity, predictive value positive, representativeness, timeliness, and stability. However, surveillance for periodontal diseases is nearly non-existent at state, county, or local levels in the United States. That void largely is the result of the current approach to monitoring periodontal diseases in populations, which generally requires resource-intensive primary collection of clinical data using relatively invasive methods. One potential alternative to that approach to periodontal disease surveillance is the use of self-reported data collected through population surveys. Seventeen identified studies have tested the validity of individual questionnaire items for their sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values positive and negative against a range of clinical operational definitions for periodontitis. No individual items seem to be robust or valid markers for clinically determined periodontitis. However, it is possible that a multivariable statistical modeling approach, which includes variables on signs, symptoms, and established risk factors, could improve the sensitivity and specificity of that approach. An example is given of a model-based approach to public health surveillance that has been effective in quantifying the impact of a public health problem, monitoring trends between and within states, and supporting advocacy and policy development by state and local governments.