cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Growth of lung function in children with sickle cell anemia

Lung disease is a common cause of morbidity among children with sickle cell disease (SCD). Although cross-sectional studies of children with SCD describe abnormal pulmonary function, the pattern of lung function growth in these children compared to children in the general population is not known. To provide preliminary evidence that growth of lung function is attenuated in children with SCD, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of children with hemoglobin SS (HbSS) ages 6-19 years who received at least two spirometry assessments for clinical care. The growth of lung function in these cases was compared to age, gender, and race-specific children without SCD or respiratory complaints from the Harvard Six Cities Study (H6CS). Seventy-nine children with HbSS contributed 363 spirometry measurements (mean per child = 4.6, median = 4.0, range = 2-17) and 255 controls contributed 1,543 spirometry measurements (mean per child = 6.1, median = 6.0, range = 2-13). Longitudinal forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV(1)) was lower for boys and girls with HbSS compared to children in the general population, P = 0.031 and P = 0.002, respectively. When compared to the H6CS cohort, girls with HbSS showed lower longitudinal forced vital capacity (FVC) (P < 0.001) and FEV(1)/FVC (0.038); there was no difference in FVC or FEV(1)/FVC between boys in the HbSS and H6CS cohort. We conclude that growth of lung function is reduced in children with HbSS compared to children in the general population. Gender may influence the risk of developing abnormal lung function and airway obstruction in children with HbSS.
Petrogenesis of I-type granitoids from the Melrose Stock, east-central Nevada

The Melrose Stock in the Dolly Varden Mountains of east-central Nevada is one of the many Mesozoic intrusion s in the Basin and Range Province. It consists of monzonites, quartz monzonites, granodiorites, and granites sharply intruding Mississippian to Triassic units. Phenocrysts of plagioclase (An38–An24) with oscillatory zoning and albitic rims, hornblende ± diopside, and biotite are common. Coexisting phases include orthoclase, quartz and accessory magnetite, apatite, titanite, ilmenite, and allanite. Mineral compositions suggest that the intrusion was emplaced at ∼720 ± 40°C and 1.8–2.3 kbar. All rocks are metaluminous to slightly peraluminous, defining a calcalkalic trend in which the monzonites and syenites are shoshonitic. Rare earth element patterns indicate that all studied rock types are comagmatic. Harker plots show curvilinear trends with some kinks consistent with fractionation, and mixing/assimilation. Major-element modelling and petrographic evidence suggest three stages of fractionation/mi...
Redistribution and phosphorylation of occludin during opening and resealing of tight junctions in cultured epithelial cells.

We studied the expression, distribution, and phosphorylation of the tight junction (TJ) protein occludin in confluent MDCK cell monolayers following three procedures for opening and resealing of TJs. When Ca2+ is transiently removed from the culture medium, the TJs open and the cells separate from each other, but the occludin band around each cell is retained. When Ca2+ is reintroduced, the TJs reseal. When the monolayers are exposed to prolonged Ca2+ starvation the cells maintain contact, but occludin disappears from the cell borders and can be detected only in a cytoplasmic compartment. When Ca2+ is reintroduced, new TJs are assembled and the transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) is reestablished in about 20 hr. Monolayers treated with the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) show a different pattern of TJ opening: the cell-cell contact is maintained but the TJ strand network, as seen in freeze-fracture replicas, becomes discontinuous. Occludin is still localized at the cell periphery, but in a pattern of distribution that matches the discontinuous TJ. These TJs do not reseal even 24 hr after removal of the TPA. Western blot analysis showed that the 62–65 kD double band of occludin did not change with these treatments. However, in vivo phosphorylation analysis showed that the TPA treatment reduced the phosphorylation levels of occludin, while the prolonged Ca2+ starvation completely dephosphorylated the two occludin bands. In addition, a highly phosphorylated 71 kD band that immunoprecipitates with occludin is not present when TJ is opened by the Ca2+ removal. Phosphoaminoacid analysis showed that the 62–65 kD occludin bands are phosphorylated on serine and threonine, while the 71 kD band was phosphorylated exclusively on serine. Our results provide further evidence that phosphorylation of occludin is an important step in regulating TJ formation and permeability.
Optical biopsy - a new armamentarium to detect disease using light

Optical spectroscopy has been considered a promising method for cancer detection for past thirty years because of its advantages over the conventional diagnostic methods of no tissue removal, minimal invasiveness, rapid diagnoses, less time consumption and reproducibility since the first use in 1984. It offers a new armamentarium. Human tissue is mainly composed of extracellular matrix of collagen fiber, proteins, fat, water, and epithelial cells with key molecules in different structures. Tissues contain a number of key fingerprint native endogenous fluorophore molecules, such as tryptophan, collagen, elastin, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and porphyrins. It is well known that abnormalities in metabolic activity precede the onset of a lot of main diseases: carcinoma, diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer, and Parkinson's disease, etc. Optical spectroscopy may help in detecting various disorders. Conceivably the biochemical or morphologic changes that cause the spectra variations would appear earlier than the histological aberration. Therefore, “optical biopsy” holds a great promise as clinical tool for diagnosing early stage of carcinomas and other deceases by combining with available photonic technology (e.g. optical fibers, photon detectors, spectrographs spectroscopic ratiometer, fiber-optic endomicroscope and nasopharyngoscope) for in vivo use. This paper focuses on various methods available to detect spectroscopic changes in tissues, for example to distinguish cancerous prostate tissues and/or cells from normal prostate tissues and/or cells. The methods to be described are fluorescence, stokes shift, scattering, Raman, and time-resolved spectroscopy will be reviewed. The underlying physical and biological basis for these optical approaches will be discussed with examples. The idea is to present some of the salient works to show the usefulness and methods of Optical Biopsy for cancer detection and show new directions.
Evaluation Design and Implementation of a Bilingual Education Program, Grades 1-12. Spanish/English.

ABSTRACT The design and outcome of a bilingual education program evaluation_emphasizing the instructional and attitudinal variables of the bilingual education program presently in operatiOM is described. The purpose of this program evaluation emphasizing needs assessment is to gather base-line data for continued evaluations in the following years. The instruments and procedures are being_refined for a follow up evaluatior, in the Spring of 1977.Other bilingual education programs can adapt this design to their needs. (Author/RC)
Age effects on mouse and human B cells

Our laboratory has contributed to the areas of B cell receptor (BCR) and pre-BCR gene identification and transcription and has focused on the problem of the aged immune system in mice and humans for the last 15 years. We have found biomarkers for the decrease in B cell function in aged mice and humans. These include decreases in immunoglobulin (Ig) class switch (e.g., IgM to IgG), decreases in the enzyme AID (activation-induced cytidine deaminase) and decreases in the transcription factor E47. The E47 mRNA stability is decreased in old B cells due to decreased phospho-MAPKinase and phospho-TTP (tristetraprolin). Inflammation, e.g., TNF-α, which increases with age, impacts B cells directly by increasing their TNF-α and NF-κB and leads to the above decreased pathway. Both class switch and affinity maturation are decreased in elderly responses to the influenza vaccine and biomarkers we have found (numbers and percentages of switched memory B cells and AID in stimulated B cells in culture) can predict a beneficial or decreased immune response to the vaccine. Current and future avenues to improve the humoral immune response in the elderly are discussed.
A preliminary study on the effects of limited access to an exercise pen on stereotypic pacing in circus tigers

Abstract The effects of 0, 20, and 40min of free time in an exercise pen on pacing in circus tigers were investigated using three tigers traveling with two separate circuses (six tigers total). Each cat was subjected to each treatment at daily intervals following a Latin Square design and, except for practice or performances, held for the remainder of the time in their homecages. The tigers spent an average of 4.9±1.1% of their time pacing in their homecages, and this was not influenced by treatments ( P =0.18). The cats traveled an average of 124.6m while in the exercise pen for 20min and 219.5m during 40min of access. There was a negative correlation between the distance traveled in the exercise pen for the 20- and 40-min treatments and the amount of time spent pacing in the homecage ( r =−0.79 and −0.63). Performances and rehearsals appear to be important sources of additional exercise and stimulation that could account for why 20 or 40min of free time in an exercise pen did not influence pacing in the homecage. However, several tigers were active up until the end of the activity period, indicating that exercise pens are an important form of enrichment and that access for periods longer than 40min should be considered.
Neurodegeneration and defective neurotransmission in a Caenorhabditis elegans model of tauopathy

Frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism chromosome 17 type (FTDP-17) is caused by mutations in MAPT, the gene encoding tau. FTDP-17 begins with executive function deficits and other abnormal behaviors, which progress to dementia. Neurodegenerative changes include accumulation of aggregated tau as neuronal and glial fibrillary tangles. Aggregated tau is seen in numerous other neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). We expressed normal and FTDP-17 mutant human tau (mutations P301L and V337M) in Caenorhabditis elegans to model tauopathy disorders. Tau pan-neuronal expression caused progressive uncoordinated locomotion (Unc), characteristic of nervous system defects in worms. Subsequently, insoluble tau accumulates and both soluble and insoluble tau is phosphorylated at many of the sites hyperphosphorylated in FTDP-17, AD, and other tauopathies. Substantial neurodegeneration, seen as bulges and gaps in nerve cords followed by loss of neurons, occurs after insoluble tau begins to accumulate. Axons show vacuoles, membranous infoldings, and whorls with associated amorphous tau accumulations and abnormal tau-positive aggregates. FTDP-17 mutation lines had a more severe Unc phenotype, accumulated more insoluble tau at a younger age, were more resistant to cholinergic inhibitors, and had more severe axonal degeneration when compared with lines expressing normal tau. The Unc phenotype is caused by a presynaptic defect. Postsynaptic transmission is intact. This transgenic model will enable mechanistic dissection of tau-induced neurodegeneration and identification of genes and compounds that inhibit pathological tau formation.
Modeling in chemical engineering

Abstract In its 90 year life what has chemical engineering (ChE) contributed to society? Firstly, we have invented and developed processes to create new materials, more gently and more efficiently, so as to make life easier for all. Secondly, ChE has changed our accepted concepts and our ways of thinking in science and technology. Here modeling stands out as the primary development. Let us consider this.
Orchestrating Authorship: Teaching Writing across the Psychology Curriculum.

This article describes the kinds of writing that could be introduced at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced course levels in the psychology major. We present exemplars of writing assignments a...
TRF1 and TRF2 use different mechanisms to find telomeric DNA but share a novel mechanism to search for protein partners at telomeres

Human telomeres are maintained by the shelterin protein complex in which TRF1 and TRF2 bind directly to duplex telomeric DNA. How these proteins find telomeric sequences among a genome of billions of base pairs and how they find protein partners to form the shelterin complex remains uncertain. Using single-molecule fluorescence imaging of quantum dot-labeled TRF1 and TRF2, we study how these proteins locate TTAGGG repeats on DNA tightropes. By virtue of its basic domain TRF2 performs an extensive 1D search on nontelomeric DNA, whereas TRF1's 1D search is limited. Unlike the stable and static associations observed for other proteins at specific binding sites, TRF proteins possess reduced binding stability marked by transient binding (∼ 9-17 s) and slow 1D diffusion on specific telomeric regions. These slow diffusion constants yield activation energy barriers to sliding ∼ 2.8-3.6 κ(B)T greater than those for nontelomeric DNA. We propose that the TRF proteins use 1D sliding to find protein partners and assemble the shelterin complex, which in turn stabilizes the interaction with specific telomeric DNA. This 'tag-team proofreading' represents a more general mechanism to ensure a specific set of proteins interact with each other on long repetitive specific DNA sequences without requiring external energy sources.
Violent Victimization Across the Life Course Moving a “Victim Careers” Agenda Forward

The present study examines violent victimization patterns across the life course and outlines a victim careers agenda for future scholarly inquiry. I analyzed four waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to examine whether violent victimization prevalence, onset, and persistence during earlier stages of the life course can predict violent victimization risk in adulthood, and whether these relationships are observed independent of current violent offending. Violent victimization in adolescence was significantly related to subsequent risk in adulthood. Even when current violent offending is controlled, those who report early and persistent violent victimization during prior stages of the life course appear particularly vulnerable to subsequent victimization. The findings demonstrate the importance of moving forward with a victim careers agenda and the present study outlines numerous theoretical and empirical avenues for victimization scholars to pursue.
A simple approach to evaluate mixed layer depths

In this paper we present a review of the different existing methods to evaluate the mixed layer depth (zi) by using direct and simple meteorological data over a mast. Wind speed at one height in the atmosphere and temperature at two levels are the necessary values for calculating a value of the mixed layer depth. The procedure is based on a reformulation of the Tennekes1 and Panosfky et al. 2 equations. The expression proposed in this paper has been tested with those values from four international field experiments Limagne (France), Beauce (France), Weldon (USA) and Sea of Chine (AMTEX). The resulting correlation coefficient (0.88) is considered to be good enough, taking into account the simplicity of the meteorological measurements to be carried out. No special computer requeriments are need.
Observer-based test of analog linear time-invariant circuits

An observer-based test methodology is proposed for detecting parametric faults in analog linear time-invariant circuits. A Kalman filter is used to reduce the measurement noise. Experiments conducted on an analog circuit are used to test the viability of the test methodology. The paper also discusses some inherent limitations of analog test in general. We show that, in the analog test domain, a fault-free parameter may mask the detection of a faulty parameter. Moreover, one faulty parameter may mask the detection of another faulty parameter leaving them both undetected.
Approximate timing analysis of combinational circuits under the XBD0 model

This paper is concerned with approximate delay computation algorithms for combinational circuits. As a result of intensive research in the early 90's efficient tools exist which can analyze circuits of thousands of gates in a few minutes or even in seconds for many cases. However, the computation time of these tools is not so predictable since the internal engine of the analysis is either a SAT solver or a modified ATPG algorithm, both of which are just heuristic algorithms for an NP-complete problem. Although they are highly tuned for CAD applications, there exists a class of problem instances which exhibits the worst-case exponential CPU time behavior. In the context of timing analysis, circuits with a high amount of reconvergence, e.g. C6288 of the ISCAS benchmark suite, are known to be difficult to analyze under sophisticated delay models even with state-of-the-art techniques. For example [McGeer93] could not complete the analysis of C6288 under the mapped delay model. To make timing analysis of such corner case circuits feasible we propose an approximate computation scheme to the timing analysis problem as an extension to the exact analysis method proposed in [McGeer93]. Sensitization conditions are conservatively approximated in a selective fashion so that the size of SAT problems solved during analysis is controlled. Experimental results show that the approximation technique is effective in reducing the total analysis time without losing accuracy for the case where the exact approach takes much time or cannot complete.
DSENDS - A high-fidelity dynamics and spacecraft simulator for entry, descent and surface landing

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is developing a high-fidelity spacecraft simulator for entry, descent and landing (EDL) on planetary and small-bodies. This simulator, DSENDS (Dynamics Simulator for Entry, Descent and Surface landing), is an EDL-specific extension of a JPL multi-mission simulation toolkit (Darts/Dshell) which is capable of modeling spacecraft dynamics, devices, and subsystems, and is in use by interplanetary and science-craft missions such as Cassini, Galileo, SIM, and Starlight. DSENDS is currently in use by the JPL Smart Lander project to provide a high-fidelity testbed for the test of precision landing and hazard avoidance functions for future Mars missions. We first briefly describe the core tool capabilities in dynamics, instrument/actuator device models, and real-time simulation engineering. These allow the modeling of the flight-train elements during various phases of EDL and all of the spacecraft responses. We then address the various EDL-specific aspects of the simulator. These include the high-fidelity entry-body and parachute aerodynamic models and supporting atmospheric models.
Mammillothalamic tract lesions disrupt dead reckoning in the rat.

Debate surrounds the role of the limbic system structures’ contribution to spatial orientation. The results from previous studies have supported a role for the mammillary bodies and their projections to the anterior thalamus in rapid encoding of relationships among environmental cues; however, this work is based on behavioral tasks in which environmental and self-movement cues could not be dissociated. The present study examines the effects of mammillothalamic tract lesions on spatial orientation in the food hoarding paradigm and the water maze. Although the food hoarding paradigm dissociates the use of environmental and self-movement cues, both sources of information are available to guide performance in the water maze. Mammillothalamic tract lesions selectively impaired performance on both tasks. These impairments are interpreted as providing further evidence for the role of limbic system structures in processing self-movement cues.
The importance of conceiving of grief as an active process

Abstract Concepts of the grieving process as passive are rejected, and concepts of the process as active are embraced. Standard stage-phase and medical treatments of bereavement are based on the belief that grieving is experienced passively. The emotion of grief and the coping process of grieving are distinguished; the emotion is said to render the bereaved passive and the coping process is said to challenge the bereaved, presenting them with choices. Alternative concepts of the grieving process as an active one are reviewed, tasks that confront the bereaved are outlined, and grieving is discussed as being rich in choice. The importance of the latter concepts for promoting self-understanding and defining helping strategies is underscored.
CO 1st overtone spectra of cool evolved stars: Diagnostics for hydrodynamic atmosphere models

We present spectra covering the wavelength range 2.28 to 2.36 m at a resolution of = 0.0007 m (or R = 3500) for a sample of 24 cool evolved stars. The sample comprises 8 M supergiants, 5 M giants, 3 S stars, 6 carbon stars, and 2 RV Tauri variables. The wavelengths covered include the main parts of the 12 C 16 O v = 2{0 and 3{1 overtone bands, as well as the v = 4{2 and 13 CO v = 2{0 bandhead regions. CO lines dominate the spectrum for all the stars observed, and at this resolution most of the observed features can be identied with individual CO R -o rP-branch lines or blends. The observed transitions arise from a wide range of energy levels extending from the ground state to E=k > 20 000 K. We looked for correlations between the intensities of various CO absorption line features and other stellar properties, including IR colors and mass loss rates. Two useful CO line features are the v = 2{0 R14 line, and the CO v = 2{0 bandhead. The intensity of the 2{0 bandhead shows at rend withK-(12) color such that the reddest stars (K-(12) > 3 mag) exhibit a wide range in 2{0 bandhead depth, while the least reddened have the deepest 2{0 bandheads, with a small range of variation from star to star. Gas mass loss rates for both the AGB stars and the red supergiants in our sample correlate with the K-(12) color, consistent with other studies. The data imply that stars with _ Mgas < 5 10 7 M y 1 exhibit a much narrower range in the relative strengths of CO 2{0 band features than stars with higher mass loss rates. The range in observed spectral properties implies that there are signicant dierences in atmospheric structure among the stars in this sample.
The Federal Role in Sentencing Law and Policy

Compared to some other areas of governmental activity, the federal presence in the realm of sentencing law and policy has remained insignificant. Setting aside the growth in federal criminal jurisdiction per se, which still accounts for less than 8 percent of all incarcerated offenders, Congress historically has shown little interest in influencing the goals or the particulars of state sentencing systems and has done little to help fund those systems. This may, however, be changing. There are now calls to expand the federal government's role in both paying for and controlling the contours of criminal punishment at the state level. These developments raise long-term questions concerning the appropriate allocation of federal, state, and local authority over sentencing law. Surprisingly, very little consideration has been given to these issues. This article suggests a pragmatic analysis for addressing them. It posits that, for the foreseeable future, it would be a mistake to move toward a federally dominated...
FRONTLINE—Another of the Interminable Revisitings of Freud's "Analysis Terminable and Interminable"

Freud’s (1937) brilliant paper “Analysis Terminable and Interminable” was written when he was 81 years old. Jones (1957) called it “for the practicing psychoanalyst possibly the most valuable contribution Freud ever wrote” (p. 250). It is also probably his most pessimistic work as far as the hoped for therapeutic outcome from psychoanalysis is concerned. This pessimism seems based primarily on a view of the potential for alteration of the ego, a view somewhat different than that expressed in his other work. Possible ego alteration is viewed in this paper as not having a prophylactic power over the occurrence of both fresh and different neuroses, or even the power to prevent a return of the neuroses that already had been treated. And indeed we know that even in patients who have had a successful psychoanalysis, under stress or a catastrophic life situation, their neurotic symptoms may return. Freud views the ego here as being helped to cope with the conflict that brings the patient to treatment but the treatment does not assist the capacity of the ego to deal with another conflict that may arise later. Freud also appears rather pessimistic about the personality of psychoanalysts who “have not invariably come up to the standard of psychical normality to which they wish to educate their patients” (p. 247). In elaborating on the importance to analytic cure of the analyst’s individuality and ability to learn from his mistakes, he explains,
Toward defining deficient emotional self-regulation in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder using the Child Behavior Checklist: a controlled study.

AbstractObjective: Deficient emotional self-regulation (DESR) is characterized by deficits in self-regulating the physiological arousal caused by strong emotions. We examined whether a unique profile of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) would help identify DESR in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods: Subjects included 197 children with ADHD and 224 children without ADHD. We defined DESR if a child had an aggregate cut-off score of > 180 but 210) form has been previously associated with severe forms of mood and behavioral dysregulation in children with ADHD. All subjects were comprehensively assessed with structured diagnostic interviews and a wide range of functional measures. Results: Forty-four percent of children with ADHD had a positive CBCL-DESR...
Estimation of raindrop size distribution from spaceborne Radar observations

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar uses surface reference method to estimate the attenuation encountered in the observation of radar reflectivity. The cumulative attenuation estimated from the surface reference method can be distributed along the radar range using a power law relation between the specific attenuation (k) and reflectivity factor (Z). A physical interpretation of the variability in the k-Z relation can be provided with the normalized drop size distributions. This paper describes an algorithm to estimate the drop size distribution (DSD) parameters from the measured attenuation and reflectivity values obtained from TRMM precipitation radar observations. Coincident data collected with ground polarimetric radar during the TRMM field campaigns is used to cross-validate the estimates of drop size distribution parameters obtained from the TRMM precipitation radar. The results of cross validation show fairly good agreement with the drop size distribution parameters retrieved from TRMM precipitation radar and the ground-radar-based estimates. The algorithm is subsequently used to generate monthly global maps of DSD. The global distribution of DSDs is critically important for development of retrieval algorithms used by the Global Precipitation Mission Radiometers.
Bidding against competitors

Consideration is given to a system of n competitors, where if a competitor selects its bids equally likely from a given set of bid values, its probability of winning is guaranteed to be 1/n, regardless of the bid values selected by other competitors in the system. A discussion is presented of several variations of this basic scheme, namely, bidding with unequal weights, bidding with more than one winner, and bidding with an unknown number of competitors. Two economical, but approximate, bidding schemes are discussed. In the first scheme, the competitors select their bids from a set with a constant size, and in the second, each competitor selects only one bid even though the total number of competitors is not known a priori. It is shown how to use these bidding schemes to construct solutions to several problems in distributed systems, including the mutual exclusion problem and the dining philosophers problem. >
Ultrastructural observations on effects of different concentrations of calcium and thyroxine in vitro on larval epidermal cells of Rana catesbeiana tadpoles.

During anuran metamorphosis dramatic changes in morphogenesis and differentiation of epidermis occur under the influence of thyroid hormones. Modification of ionic calcium concentration also markedly alters the pattern of proliferation and differentiation in amphibian epidermal cells in vitro. The present study was designed to determine the direct effect of low (0.05 mM) and high (0.5mM) calcium (Ca2+) in the absence or presence of thyroxine (10−7 M) on epidermal cells of the body and tail tissue in vitro. When tail fin and body skin explants were maintained in low (0.05 mM) calcium for 48 h, normal ultrastructural morphology and integrity of the cells was observed in both the tissue types. When tissues were exposed to high levels of calcium (0.5mM) in culture medium, tail epidermis showed stratification, and skein cells exhibited apoptosis, both in the presence or absence of thyroid hormones. Under high calcium conditions, the body epidermis showed keratinization of apical cells, apoptosis of skein cells, and increased desmosome formation. These results suggest that (1) optimal Ca2+ concentration for larval epidermal cells is quite low (0.05 mM), (2) high Ca2+ leads to keratinization only in body epidermis, and (3) apoptosis occurred in skein cells of both the tissues at high Ca2+ concentrations (0.5mM). The present study therefore suggests that the extracellular calcium concentration regulates the process of cell death and differentiation inRana catesbeiana larval epidermis, and this effect may be similar to the effect of calcium on mammalian epidermal cells.
LAD Spline Fitting

Polynomial spline functions are useful in numerical approximation and smoothing. Their use for smoothing of statistical data was first described by Schoenberg (1964). Several authors have pursued these ideas [e.g. Reinsch (1967, 1971); Wahba (1976); Utreras (1981b)]. The use of splines to be described in this chapter is closely related to the robust splines described by Huber (1979). Utreras (1981a) has discussed a similar problem, also using the term “robust splines”, though somewhat inappropriately for statisticians, since his work is centered around the use of the discrete L∞ norm.
Phenomena Involving Magnetic Moment Suppression

The following is an abbreviated account of a series of three lectures that were given by the author at the NATO/CAP Advanced Study Institute on Moment Formation in Solids. Various phenomena that are associated with magnetic moment suppression in rare earth and actinide systems were reviewed in diese lectures, the first two of which were primarily (but not exclusively) devoted to concentrated systems such as α-Ce, “gold” SmS, and UIr3B2, and the last of which focused on dilute systems such as (LaCe)Al2, (LaSm)Sn3 and ThU.
Victorian Miser Texts and Potential Energy

In London Labour and the London Poor, Henry Mayhew envisions a fully sustainable future, one in which recycling averts fears of overpopulation and excessive urban waste.1 “Up to the present time we...
The Tragic Case of Jodie and Mary: Questions about Separating Conjoined Twins:

(2003). The Tragic Case of Jodie and Mary: The Linacre Quarterly: Vol. 70, No. 2, pp. 159-170.
Program collaboration and service integration activities among HIV programs in 59 U.S. health departments.

Objectives. We identified the level and type of program collaboration and service integration (PCSI) among HIV prevention programs in 59 CDC-funded health department jurisdictions. Methods. Annual progress reports (APRs) completed by all 59 health departments funded by CDC for HIV prevention activities were reviewed for collaborative and integrated activities reported by HIV programs for calendar year 2009. We identified associations between PCSI activities and funding, AIDS diagnosis rate, and organizational integration. Results. HIV programs collaborated with other health department programs through data-related activities, provider training, and providing funding for sexually transmitted disease (STD) activities in 24 (41%), 31 (53%), and 16 (27%) jurisdictions, respectively. Of the 59 jurisdictions, 57 (97%) reported integrated HIV and STD testing at the same venue, 39 (66%) reported integrated HIV and tuberculosis testing, and 26 (44%) reported integrated HIV and viral hepatitis testing. Forty-five (76%) jurisdictions reported providing integrated education/ outreach activities for HIV and at least one other disease. Twenty-six (44%) jurisdictions reported integrated partner services among HIV and STD programs. Overall, the level of PCSI activities was not associated with HIV funding, AIDS diagnoses, or organizational integration. Conclusions. HIV programs in health departments collaborate primarily with STD programs. Key PCSI activities include integrated testing, integrated education/outreach, and training. Future assessments are needed to evaluate PCSI activities and to identify the level of collaboration and integration among prevention programs.
Mechanism of phosphoglycolate phosphatase. Studies of hydrolysis and transphosphorylation, substrate analogs, and sulfhydryl inhibition.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of phosphoglycolate proceeds through O-P bond cleavage as determined by reaction in H218O and analysis of the trimethylsilyl derivatives of the reaction products by mass spectrometry. No phosphate, hydroxyl, or carboxyl exchange occurred. End product inhibition was consistent with an ordered release of products, first the alcoholic product, glycolate, then phosphate. Analysis of the data indicated that the phosphate.enzyme complex dissociated very rapidly, and this was confirmed by use of alternative phosphomonoester substrates. Maximum velocity with these alternate substrates was found to be proportional to the pKa of of the corresponding alcoholic product, indicating the rate-limiting step in the reaction was protonation of the bridge oxygen. The use of substrate analogs further suggested that enzymatic specificity residues in exacting steric requirements for binding, and that large alkyl groups were excluded on this basis. Phosphoglycolate phosphatase catalyzed transphorylation to a wide range of acceptors and was inhibited at the active site by diisopropyl-fluorophosphate. The data suggest that the reaction sequence proceeds via a phosphoenzyme intermediate. N-Ethylmaleimide slowly inactivated the enzyme, the rate being greatly increased by P-glycolate, but not by magnesium or phosphate ions. The data suggest a conformational change is necessary to induce the transition state complex and phosphoenzyme formation. This may account for the phosphate acceptor specificity and is consistent with the failure to observe an enzyme-mediated H2O-phosphate oxygen exchange.
Death, Sex and the Cylon: Battlestar Galactica’s Existential Kink

The re-imagined Battlestar Galactica (BSG) (2003–2009) is a remarkably philosophical creature. Strange as it may seem, the second half of BSG’s four-season narrative arc constitutes an extended, energetic and effective commentary on one of the twentieth century’s most important philosophies of death. This philosophy was initiated by Martin Heidegger in his 1927 masterpiece Being and Time. The subject matter of Being and Time’s chapter on death is, by Heideggerian standards, relatively straightforward, and is largely expressed in the chapter’s title: “Dasein’s Possibility of Being-a-whole, and Being-towards-death.” As I shall argue below, these also become the fundamental concerns of BSG’s cybernetic organisms, the Cylons. Being and Time is concerned with Dasein or “being-there,” the entity for whom being is an issue (Heidegger 1927/1962: 32). In the chapter on death, Heidegger argues that Dasein is defined by the way in which it comports itself towards death, its being-towards-death. He speaks of an attitude which truly recognizes death as the ultimate limit of Dasein’s possibilities, an attitude that derives meaning from that limitation. Heidegger dubs this attitude “authentic,” and seems to endorse it. So the chapter on death appears to be an existential cry for us to embrace our finitude. But as we shall see, everything depends on the meaning of “death.”
Words will never hurt me? Preferred terms for describing obesity and binge eating

SummaryObjective This study evaluated individuals’ language preferences for discussing obesity and binge eating. Method Participants (N = 817; 68.3% female) were an online community sample. They rated the desirability of terms related to obesity and binge eating, and also completed psychometrically established eating-disorder measures. In addition to examining participants’ preferences, analyses explored whether preferences differed by socio-demographic variables, weight status and binge-eating status. Results Preferred obesity-related terms were weight and BMI, although women rated undesirable obesity-related terms even lower than did men. Participants with obesity and binge eating rated weight, BMI, unhealthy BMI and large size as less desirable than participants with obesity but not binge eating. Binge-related terms were generally ranked neutrally; preferred descriptions were kept eating even though not physically hungry and loss of control. Conclusions Preferred terms were generally consistent across sex, weight status and binge-eating status. Using terms ranked more preferably and avoiding terms ranked more undesirably may enhance clinical interactions, particularly when discussing obesity with women and individuals reporting binge eating, as these groups had stronger aversion to some non-preferred terms. Findings that the selected binge-related descriptions were rated neutrally on average provide support for their use by clinicians.
Towards a Semantic Theory of Robotic Non-cooperation☆

Abstract This paper explores the notion of non-cooperation by a robot or an intelligent agent within a HARMS hybrid-team project. There is surprisingly little research on this topic which should actually acquire a considerable urgency in the light of cyber security and threats. To understand non-cooperation, one has to define cooperation more substantively than it has been done. We approach non-cooperation on the basis of a rule-based, non-statistical, semantical approach, where meaning is viewed comprehensively, approximating human comprehension, at a practical grain size that humans used to communicate, rather than selectively on the basis of what is easy to formalize. To the extent the reader is new to or familiar with semantics, the paper can be read as a position paper or an implementation outline because, of course, most position papers are a little bit of both.
Cohort Study of Severe Bronchiolitis during Infancy and Risk of Asthma by Age 5 Years

Background Severe bronchiolitis (ie, bronchiolitis requiring hospital admission) is thought to markedly increase asthma risk, with 30%-50% developing asthma by age 5 years. To date, studies of this association are small, and most are from outside the United States. Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the association between severe bronchiolitis and risk of asthma in a US birth cohort. Methods We studied a cohort nested within the Massachusetts General Hospital Obstetric Maternal Study (MOMS), a prospective cohort of pregnant women enrolled during 1998-2006. Children of mothers enrolled in MOMS were included in the analysis if they received care within our health system (n = 3653). Diagnoses and medications were extracted from the children's electronic health records; we also examined pregnancy and perinatal risk factors collected for the underlying pregnancy study. Results The birth cohort was 52% male, 49% white, and 105 infants (2.9%) had severe bronchiolitis. Overall, 421 children (11.5%) developed asthma by age 5 years. Among the children with severe bronchiolitis, 27.6% developed asthma by age 5 years. In multivariable logistic regression adjusting for 12 risk factors, severe bronchiolitis remained a strong risk factor for developing asthma by age 5 years (odds ratio 2.57; 95% confidence interval 1.61-4.09).Conclusions: In a large Boston birth cohort, the frequency of severe bronchiolitis and childhood asthma was similar to published data. Among children with severe bronchiolitis, the risk of developing asthma was lower than prior studies but still high (27.6%). This difference may be due to different study designs, populations, and outcome definitions studied.
Racial/Ethnic Differences in Duration of Smoking Among Former Smokers in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.

Introduction The burden of tobacco-related disease is not uniformly distributed across racial/ethnic groups. Differences in smoking duration by race/ethnicity may contribute to this disparity. Previous studies have examined racial/ethnic differences in smoking duration among ever smokers (former and current smokers combined). It is unknown if racial/ethnic differences in smoking duration are evident among quitters. This study examined racial/ethnic differences in duration of smoking among former smokers in the United States. Methods We studied 6030 white, black, and Mexican-American former smokers (3647 men and 2383 women) aged 20-79 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 through 2012. Mean differences in smoking duration by race/ethnicity were estimated using linear regression models. Results After adjustment for demographics, age at smoking initiation and smoking intensity, compared to white men, black men smoked for 2.3 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3, 3.3) years longer before quitting and Mexican-American men for 0.2 (95% CI: -1.6, 1.2) years less before quitting. Compared to white women, black women smoked for 1.9 (95% CI: 0.7, 3.0) years longer before quitting and Mexican-American women for 0.9 (95% CI: -2.4, 0.5) years less before quitting. Conclusions In a representative sample of US adults, black former smokers continued smoking for longer periods before quitting compared to white former smokers. These findings support the need for smoking cessation efforts that address racial/ethnic differences in smoking behaviors. The longer time to quit among black former smokers should be investigated as an explanation for racial/ethnic disparities in smoking-associated diseases. Implications In a representative sample of US adults that successfully quit smoking, the timing of smoking cessation differed by race/ethnicity with blacks smoking for longer periods before quitting compared to whites. Racial/ethnic differences in duration of smoking among former smokers differed by participant age and age at smoking initiation. These findings support the need for smoking cessation efforts that address racial/ethnic differences in smoking behaviors.
Achievement of FDG-PET Negativity Does Not Predict Durable Responses in T-Cell Lymphoma.

Abstract Background: T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas represent approximately 12% of all lymphomas and in general are associated with a worse prognosis compared to their B-cell counterparts. In patients with Hodgkin's disease and aggressive B-cell lymphoma (18F)fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) represents an important early prognostic tool for predicting outcome. Very little information is available regarding the role of FDG-PET in T-cell lymphoma. Patients and Methods: A total of 20 patients with newly diagnosed and histologically proven T/NK cell lymphomas where staged with both conventional methods and whole-body PET scanning. Patients underwent FDG-PET, concurrently with CT of neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis within 3 weeks prior to induction treatment, after 2–4 cycles, and after the end of induction. All patients but three received HCVIDDoxil, using pegylated liposomal doxorubicin as a substitute for doxorubicin in the HyerCVAD regimen, alternating with methotrexate and cytarabine. Three patients received the standard CHOP (cyclophosphamide,hydroxydaunomycin, vincristine, prednisone) regimen. According to the International Prognostic Index (IPI), 35% of patients were stratified as low risk, 25% as low/intermediate, 35% as high/intermediate, and 5% as high risk. Baseline scans were strongly positive in all patients. Results: During induction therapy (at 2–4 cycles) FDG-PET became negative in 16 (80%) patients and remained positive in 4 (20%) patients. Twelve out of 16 (75%) patients who were PET negative during induction therapy relapsed, and four out of four (100%) in the PET positive group. Two of the “ early” PET negative patients became positive after 4 cycles. Median progression-free survival was 240 days in the PET negative group and 85 days in the PET positive group (Log-rank p=0.07). Conclusions: In this limited number of patients homogeneously treated with newly diagnosed T cell lymphomas the assessment of metabolic activity by FDG-PET during induction therapy did not predict long-term prognosis.
Changing the Therapeutic Landscape in Non-small Cell Lung Cancers: the Evolution of Comprehensive Molecular Profiling Improves Access to Therapy

Targeting genomic alterations has led to a paradigm shift in the treatment of patients with lung cancer. In an effort to better identify potentially actionable alterations that may predict response to FDA-approved and or investigational therapies, many centers have migrated towards performing targeted exome sequencing in patients with stage IV disease. The implementation of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in the evaluation of tumor tissue from patients with NSCLC has led to the discovery of targetable alterations in tumors that previously had no known actionable targets by less comprehensive profiling. An improved understanding of the molecular pathways that drive oncogenesis in NSCLC and a revolution in the technological advances in NGS have led to the development of new therapies through biomarker-driven clinical trials. This review will focus on the advances in molecular profiling that continue to fuel the revolution of precision medicine, identifying targets such as MET exon 14 skipping alterations and select recurrent gene alterations with increasing frequency.
Recovery of Alumina Nanocapacitors after High Voltage Breakdown

Breakdown of a dielectric material at high electric fields significantly limits the applicability of metal-dielectric-metal capacitors for energy storage applications. Here we demonstrate that the insulating properties of atomic-layer-deposited Al2O3 thin films in Al/Al2O3/Al trilayers can recover after the breakdown. The recovery has been observed in samples with the dielectric thickness spanning from 4 to 9 nm. This phenomenon holds promise for a new generation of capacitors capable of restoring their properties after the dielectric breakdown. Also, if employed in capacitor banks, the recovery process will ensure that the bank remains operational even if a breakdown occurs.
Dana, Charles Loomis

New York neurologist Charles Loomis Dana (1852–1935) was one of the most prominent and influential American neurologists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He and his friends Bernard Sachs and Moses Allen Starr were called ‘the New York Triumvirate.’ Dana made important contributions to many areas of neurology, including early descriptions of subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord and familial tremor, and the introduction of posterior rhizotomy. Dana's major educational contribution was his comprehensive monograph, Text-book of Nervous Diseases and Psychiatry (1892), which was popular for more than a third of a century. Dana was highly regarded as a clinician and educator and was elected twice as President of the American Neurological Association, in 1892 and again in 1928.