cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Out of the Mouths of Babes: Voices of At-Risk Adolescents.

rofessional educators and public figures have had much to say in an attempt to educate us in the dynamics of family systems, addiction, and abuse and their impact on the group identified as "at-risk adolescents." The media has been quite graphic in its depiction of children who rear themselves when parents fail them. Newspapers, television, and radio outlets are frequently consumed with stories of crime, disease, poverty, loss of hope, and the absence of heroes. In the past, dropout theory has linked dropping out with student's background. Over time, the concept of dropping out has evolved into the concept of at-risk, which focuses on the potential for dropping out. Dropping out is an event in a long series of life stresses. All students are at risk, but for some students, at a certain point, the risk becomes simply too high. In addition to being confronted with background obstacles, students experience negative forces in the schools themselves. Those forces or impediments include the lack of intrinsic rewards, teacher obsession with covering curriculum, technical definitions of knowledge, mechanical perceptions of success, and a lack of variety in teaching styles. Nearly everyone, from politicians to teaching professionals, has had something to say about how to help those students walk across "the bridge to the twenty-first century," but the voice that has consistently been missing from the dialogue is that of the adolescents. An in-depth ethnographic study of eleven at-risk young women, aged 15 to 17, was recently conducted at a high school in a middle class neighborhood in New York State. Two of the girls were in an alternative education program; the remainder were students in the regular program. The three Latino, two
A meta-analysis of virtual reality training programs for social skill development

Abstract Recent years have seen an increase in the number of researchers and practitioners applying virtual reality (VR) to develop social skills, but varying levels of success have been observed when applying these VR training programs. Due to these disparities, review and summary work is needed to determine (a) whether these programs are effective and (b) the attributes of these programs that lead to success. In the current article, we perform a meta-analysis to determine the overall effectiveness of VR training programs for developing social skills, and we also study the effect of several moderating variables that may influence the effectiveness of these programs. We test whether certain aspects of the applied hardware (e.g. input devices, output devices), applied software (e.g. game elements, Second Life), participant population (e.g. general/specialized), and study design (e.g. type of control group, type of measure, others) influence the success of these programs. Sources were identified using EBSCO and Google Scholar, and, after our inclusion criteria were applied, 23 samples were included in our meta-analysis. Using a random-effects approach, we show that VR training programs, on average, perform better than alternative training programs for developing social skills, but almost all the other findings contradict current notions regarding these programs. Of note, gamified programs produced slightly worse outcomes than non-gamified programs, and programs utilizing immersive technologies (e.g. head-mounted displays) produced slightly worse outcomes than programs utilizing non-immersive displays (e.g. monitors). We provide suggestions regarding the effectiveness of VR training for social skills in comparison to alternative training approaches, the attributes of VR training programs that produce better outcomes, and directions for future research and practice.
The Micro-skills of Collective Communication Design Work: An Academic Team’s Development of Sensebreaking Messages

This case study documents how an academic team of mathematicians engaged in collective communication design work (CCDW) in order to improve how they communicated a process innovation to student sta...
Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome

Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES) is an uncommon cause of lower extremity exertional claudication due to external compression of vascular structures in the popliteal fossa. A developmental anomaly due to an aberrant relationship of the artery with the surrounding myofascial structures contributes to the vascular compromise. PAES presents in younger, athletic patients without atherosclerotic risk factors. Typical presentation of unilateral or bilateral, intermittent claudication in the feet and calves specifically after exercise and relieved by rest in a young person should prompt further evaluation. Early diagnosis and intervention is essential for preventing thromboembolic complication and in worst cases limb loss. Initial tests with Ankle Brachial indices or Doppler ultrasound with provocative maneuvers will prompt more definitive cross sectional imaging studies. CTA or MRA also with provocative maneuvers has a high sensitivity and specificity and will clinch the diagnosis. There are six subtypes based on the relationship of the vascular structure with surround myofascial structures. CTA and MRA can characterize the subtypes and guide surgical planning. Catheter directed thrombolysis may be attempted adjunctively to reduce surgical thrombectomy or resolve distal emboli; however, myotendinous decompression with or without vascular repair is the definitive treatment. Long term surgical outcomes are satisfactory when the distal circulation is preserved.
Offering an Internet Survey Response Mode in a Flint Water Crisis Medicaid Population

ObjectiveTo examine the preferred response mode (internet, phone, paper)to a Medicaid enrollee survey. Data SourceData was obtained from survey responses for a sub-sample of Flint Water Crisis Medicaid Expansion Waiver enrollees (N=2584). Study DesignEnrollees were offered the choice of utilizing the internet, telephone, or mail to respond to a survey evaluating health services. Analyses were stratified by age, residency, race, and income. Chi-square was utilized to detect categorical differences. Principal FindingsThe majority (p<0.01) of participants responded by internet (55.46%), followed by mail (39.36%), and telephone (5.19%). Of those responding by internet, 75% used smart phones for connectivity. Weighted participation estimates for available survey modes showed variation by age, residence, race/ethnicity and poverty status. A smaller proportion (p<0.01) of ethnicities classified as Hispanic and Other used telephone participation compared to White or Black respondents. Respondents at 200% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) or higher used internet at greater rates than those below 200% FPL (p<0.01). ConclusionsOverall, this low-income population preferred the web-based response mode compared to paper or telephone, the variation by race and FPL suggests the continued presence of a digital divide in the population. Nevertheless, our findings revealed greater utilization of web-based tools for survey administration in vulnerable populations than was expected. This is a valuable finding that may inform future health programming and telehealth efforts particularly in the advent of COVID-19. What this study addsO_LIActive health care participation using internet connectivity is increasing and may be associated with improved quality and costs of health care services yet access and usage vary among populations. C_LIO_LIResearch suggests that persons of low income and resources are unable to participate with internet based activities due to access and literacy issues that may further exacerbate health disparities. C_LIO_LIThis study revealed enrollees of the Flint Michigan Section 1115 Demonstration utilized the internet for survey participation at a greater rate than responding by mail or phone. C_LIO_LIFinding that vulnerable populations have greater access to the internet via digital technology than assumed may expand opportunities to participate in their health care through health information portals and telehealth. C_LI
Full-Scale Testing of Flowable Cementitious Materials for Rapid Pavement Repair

Flowable technologies that make use of hydraulic cements are relied upon in many ways for infrastructure, operations, and contingency activities. The primary objective of this paper is to report full-scale performance findings from testing of rapid-setting flowable fill (RSFF) as an expedient pavement repair technology in hot and cold climates. The scenarios explored were hot climates where RSFF was used as the surface of the repair and directly trafficked by an aircraft simulator load cart and cold climates where RSFF was used as an expedient backfill underneath a rapid-setting concrete (RSC) cap. Twelve expedient pavement repairs were investigated in this study. The data collected showed that RSFF is capable of being used as an expedient repair surface in hot weather and as a high-quality backfill in cold weather. All repairs withstood 112 passes of an aircraft load cart after approximately 2 hours of cure time, thus demonstrating the viability of RSFF as a temporary surface in hot weather conditions and as a backfill material with an RSC cap in cold weather conditions. Aluminum sulfate was tested as an accelerating admixture for cold weather conditions, but it did not perform well. The most efficient manner of using RSFF in cold weather was to heat the mix water.
Centimetre-scale crack-free self-assembly for ultra-high tensile strength metallic nanolattices.

Nanolattices exhibit attractive mechanical, energy conversion and optical properties, but it is challenging to fabricate large nanolattices while maintaining the dense regular nanometre features that enable their properties. Here we report a crack-free self-assembly approach for fabricating centimetre-scale nickel nanolattices with much larger crack-free areas than prior self-assembled nanolattices and many more unit cells than three-dimensionally printed nanolattices. These nickel nanolattices have a feature size of 100 nm, a grain size of 30 nm and a tensile strength of 260 MPa, which approaches the theoretical strength limit for porous nickel. The self-assembly method and porous metal mechanics reported in this work may advance the fabrication and applications of high-strength multifunctional porous materials.
Validation of secondary peristalsis classification using FLIP panometry in 741 subjects undergoing manometry

Background and aims This study aimed to systematically evaluate a classification scheme of secondary peristalsis using functional luminal imaging probe (FLIP) panometry through comparison with primary peristalsis on high-resolution manometry (HRM). Methods 706 adult patients that completed FLIP and HRM for primary esophageal motility evaluation and 35 asymptomatic volunteers ("controls") were included. Secondary peristalsis, that is, contractile responses (CRs), was classified on FLIP panometry by the presence and pattern of contractility as normal (NCR), borderline (BCR), impaired/disordered (IDCR), absent (ACR), or spastic-reactive (SRCR). Primary peristalsis on HRM was assessed according to the Chicago Classification. Results All 35 of the controls had antegrade contractions on FLIP panometry with either NCR (89%) or BCR (11%). The average percentages of normal swallows on HRM varied across contractile response patterns from 84% in NCR, 68% in BCR, 39% in IDCR, to 11% in ACR, as did the percentage of failed swallows on HRM: 4% in NCR, 12% in BCR, 36% in IDCR, and 79% in ACR. SRCR on FLIP panometry was observed in 18/57 (32%) patients with type III achalasia, 4/15 (27%) with distal esophageal spasm, and 7/15 (47%) with hypercontractile esophagus on HRM. Conclusions The FLIP panometry contractile response patterns reflect a pathophysiologic transition from normal to abnormal esophageal peristaltic function with shared features with primary peristaltic function/dysfunction on HRM. Thus, these patterns of the contractile response to distension can facilitate the evaluation of esophageal motility using FLIP panometry.
[ 18 F]FDG PET/CT Studies in Transgenic Hualpha-Syn (A53T) Parkinson's Disease Mouse Model of α-Synucleinopathy.

Transgenic mice line M83 that express the A53T mutant α-synuclein protein at six times the level of endogenous mice α-synuclein are a model of α-synucleinopathy found in Parkinson's disease (PD). This Hualpha-Syn (A53T) PD model is useful in assessing non-motor deficits at earlier stages of onset of PD. We report findings on metabolic changes using [18F]FDG PET/CT in the Hualpha-Syn (A53T) PD mouse model in comparison to non-carrier mice. Whole-body PET/CT imaging of male and female mice were carried out 2 h after [18F]FDG ip administration under 3% isoflurane anesthesia. Brain images were analyzed with PET images coregistered to a mouse brain MRI template. Hualpha-Syn (A53T) mice had significantly lower [18F]FDG uptake in several brain regions compared to the no-carrier mice. Significant hind limb muscle and lower spinal cord [18F]FDG hypometabolism at 9 months of age in A53T PD mice was also indicative of neurodegenerative disease, with a progressive motoric dysfunction leading to death. Significant decrease (up to 30%) in [18F]FDG uptake were observed in 9-month old male and female Hualpha-Syn (A53) mice. This is consistent with the cortical hypometabolism in PD patients. Hualpha-Syn (A53) mice may thus be a suitable model for studies related to PD α-synucleinopathy for the discovery of new biomarkers.
National Identity and Globalization: National youth identity policy

The goal of this chapter is to explore the evolution of official policy regarding national youth identity in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. After all, official policy represents one important aspect of collective identity formation, and serves as the framework for local negotiations and interventions concerning such matters. I begin with a brief discussion of the key features of “indigenous nationalism,” including myths of origin and officially propounded constellations of social values and norms. Beyond describing such idealized constructs, however, my main concern is to examine how the formal process of state building is implicated in efforts to articulate and enact an official national identity. As we will see, youth policy is inextricably bound up with nation building, given the importance of youth identity for the prospects of coherent nationhood. This requires not only an apparatus for formulating policy, but also a vision of governance, including desirable modes of institutionalizing the processes of youth socialization and politicization. I therefore consider, first, the development of official policymaking in each country. Next, I review the nature of the official policy statements which have resulted, and compare them to the analytical categories of hybridization examined in the previous chapter. Finally, I assess the prevailing perspectives, in each state, on how to manage relations between central governing structures and youth organizations. Nation building Since the collapse of the USSR, the post-Soviet states have attempted to establish their legitimacy through the process of nation-building, involving the creation of new systems of social meaning and order.
Thin-layer chromatography and ultraviolet spectrophotometry of mixtures of sulfonamides. Practical applications.

A method is proposed for the analysis of mixed sulfonamides by thin-layer chromatography and ultraviolet spectrophotometry. Solutions of sample mixtures are spotted on fluorescent Silica Gel H plates and developed in chloroform—methanol (88:12). The developed spots are delineated under short-wave ultraviolet light, scarped from the plate and extracted with 0.1 N NaOH. The centrifuged extracts are read with a recording spectrophotometer. A new method of calculation is introduced which permits to calculate the recovery of each chromatogram and to derive from it the recoveries of the individual compounds.
Perinatal death of full-sized and full-term infants.

Abstract Evaluation of numbers of perinatal deaths in a population rather than death rates shows that neither preterm infants nor those of low birth weight constitute as great a majority as is usually believed. Original data from the British Perinatal Mortality Survey and from hospitals in Baltimore were supplemented by 16 reported series and 4 made available by colleagues. About 40 to 60 per cent of all deaths occurred in infants weighing more than 2,500 grams or having a gestational age of more than 37 weeks. The problems inherent in the deaths of full-term and full-sized infants must not be overlooked because death in these groups is more readily preventable at the present state of our knowledge than that of small or immature infants.
Parametric soliton formation in narrow-band laser-gain driven microresonators

We investigate comb formation in laser-gain driven microresonators for various gain bandwidths and show that broadband cavity solitons exist for gain as narrow as one cavity mode, in close correspondence to parametric frequency combs.
First-Grade Basic Facts: An Investigation into Teaching and Learning of an Accelerated, High-Demand Memorization Standard.

California is one of 4 states that have accelerated addition and subtraction basic-facts memorization. This article reports on teacher practices, first-grade achievement of the standard, and a broader conception of basic-facts competence.
Poor prognosis of children with pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia is associated with the t(1;19)(q23;p13): a Pediatric Oncology Group study

The prognostic significance of chromosomal translocations, particularly t(1;19) (q23;p13), was evaluated in children with pre-B and early pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Patients were treated on a risk-based protocol of the Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) between February 1986 and May 1989. An abnormal clone was detected in 46% (130 of 285) of pre-B cases and 56% (380 of 679) of early pre-B cases. Translocation of any type was associated with a worse treatment outcome than other karyotypic abnormalities: 15 of 66 versus 3 of 64 failed therapy in the pre-B group (P = .001), and 37 of 141 versus 23 of 239 failed in the early pre-B group (P less than .001). The t(1;19) (q23;p13) occurred significantly more often in cases of pre-B ALL with a clonal abnormality than in early pre-B ALL cases (29 of 130 v 5 of 380, P less than .001). Among the 285 pre-B cases in which bone marrow was studied cytogenetically, those with t(1;19) had a significantly worse treatment outcome than all others (11 of 29 v 27 of 256 have failed therapy, P less than .001). This difference is significant (P less than .001) after adjustment for leukocyte count, age, and other relevant features. Cases with the t(1;19) also had a worse prognosis than pre-B patients with other translocations (4 of 37 have failed, P less than .01) or with any other karyotypic abnormality (7 of 101 have failed, P less than .001). We conclude that chromosomal translocations confer a worse prognosis for non-T, non-B-cell childhood ALL, and that the t(1;19) is largely responsible for the poor prognosis of the pre-B subgroup.
Does information matter? Competition, quality, and the impact of nursing home report cards.

It is well known that the lack of available consumer information about product quality can lead to poor market outcomes (Akerlof 1970). If the quality of a good is difficult to assess, consumers and sellers may have difficulty agreeing on a price. Furthermore, if consumers have difficulty assessing quality, then it diminishes the incentive for firms to invest in improving quality. Asymmetric information about quality is present in health care markets (Arrow 1963), and the lack of quality information in the nursing home industry is thought to be particularly acute (Hirth 1999; Chou 2002). Although nursing home care is fairly nontechnical in nature, monitoring of care can often be difficult, and the learning period may be nontrivial relative to the length of stay in some instances. The patient is often neither the decision maker nor able to easily evaluate quality or communicate concerns to family members and staff. Since the late 1980s, there has been increasing interest in providing useful information to consumers regarding the quality of care across the medical care sector. This interest has given rise to several public and private provider health plan report cards, including nursing home report card initiatives. However, the overall welfare implications of these report card efforts are unclear. The issuance of report cards may change the incentives of a nursing home to invest in quality, but it is uncertain what the net impact of the change in incentives will be on the quality of care. On the one hand, report cards may empower consumers to make more informed choices and increase quality competition among providers. However, report cards may also increase market power on the part of providers, which may ultimately decrease quality of care (Miller 2006). Failure to account for the underlying market structure in constructing quality policy initiatives may doom these initiatives to irrelevancy. This paper examines the introduction of nursing home report cards by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on nursing home quality and the demand for nursing home care.
Probabilistic forecasting of geomagnetic indices using solar wind air mass analysis

[1] Measurements of the Sun's photospheric magnetic field can in principle be used to predict geomagnetic activity 1–3 days in advance. The accuracy of such predictions is low, however, because they do not include the north-south component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF Bz), which is the most geomagnetically relevant parameter. Aside from that carried by large-scale transients, IMF Bz is mainly a product of small-scale, in-transit turbulence and so is inherently unpredictable from solar measurements. Routine 1- to-3-day forecasts of geomagnetic activity based on deterministic algorithms are, therefore, not possible. Probabilistic forecasts offer the next best thing to deterministic forecasts, and air mass climatology offers a way to develop the advantages inherent in probabilistic forecasts for space weather applications. Here we address the IMF Bz indeterminacy problem (or better, get around it) by applying the concept of air mass climatology to the solar wind. We give criteria and statistics for solar wind air masses, which provide poof of concept for routine, midrange (1- to 3-day) probabilistic air mass forecasts of daily levels of geomagnetic activity.
Adrenal Insufficiency as a Paraneoplastic Syndrome in Gastric Adenocarcinoma.

Gastric cancer is the fourth most common malignancy worldwide after lung, breast, and colorectal malignancies. It is also the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide [1]. Adrenal insufficiency occurs when the adrenal glands do not function adequately which could be due to loss of function of adrenal glands themselves (primary adrenal insufficiency) or due to loss of pituitary function (secondary adrenal insufficiency), where the pituitary gland fails to release adequate amount of ACTH [2]. Adrenal insufficiency can occur as a possible complication of malignancies. It has been reported secondary to either metastatic disease or as a primary malignant process of the adrenals, pituitary, or the hypothalamus. We present a unique case of a patient who presented with adrenal insufficiency but was subsequently diagnosed with stage IV gastric adenocarcinoma. It is the first reported case of adrenal insufficiency as a paraneoplastic syndrome of gastric adenocarcinoma.
The Accuracy and Reliability of Measurements Made on Computer-Based Digital Models

For reasons of convenience and economy, orthodontists who routinely use and maintain pre- and posttreatment plaster casts are beginning to use computer-based digital models. The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy (validity), reproducibility (reliability), efficacy, and effectiveness of measurements made on computer-based models. A plastic model occlusion ie, dentoform, served as a gold standard to evaluate the systematic errors associated with producing either plaster or computer-based models. Accuracy, reproducibility, efficacy, and effectiveness were tested by comparing the measurements of the computer-based models with the measurements of the plaster models--(1) accuracy: one examiner measuring 10 models made from a dentoform, twice; (2) reproducibility and efficacy: two examiners measuring 50 models made from patients, twice; and (3) effectiveness: 10 examiners measuring 10 models made from patients, twice. Reproducibility (reliability) was tested by using the intraclass correlation coefficient. Repeated measures of analysis of variance for multiple repeated measurements and Student's t-test were used to test for validity. Only measurements of maxillary and mandibular space available made on computer-based models differed from the measurements made on the dentoform gold standard. There was significantly greater variance for measurements made from computer-based models. Reproducibility was high for measurements made on both computer-based and plaster models. In conclusion, measurements made from computer-based models appear to be generally as accurate and reliable as measurements made from plaster models. Efficacy and effectiveness were similar to those of plaster models. Therefore, computer-based models appear to be a clinically acceptable alternative to conventional plaster models.
Fresh stored allografts for the treatment of osteochondral defects of the knee.

BACKGROUND Osteochondral allograft reconstruction of articular cartilage defects is a well-established cartilage repair strategy. Currently, fresh osteochondral allograft tissue is commercially available to clinicians approximately thirty days following graft harvest. Little clinical information is available on the outcome of patients who have been treated with fresh allografts stored for several weeks or more. The purpose of this study was to prospectively analyze the clinical outcome and graft morphology of patients who received fresh, hypothermically stored, allograft tissue for the treatment of symptomatic chondral and osteochondral defects of the knee. METHODS Nineteen patients with symptomatic chondral and osteochondral lesions of the knee who were treated with fresh osteochondral allografts between 1999 and 2002 were prospectively followed. The mean age at the time of surgery was thirty-four years. Validated outcomes instruments (the Activities of Daily Living Scale and the Short Form-36) were used; all patients must have had a baseline functional score prior to surgery and a minimum two-year follow-up evaluation. All grafts were obtained from commercial vendors; the mean preimplantation storage time of the graft was thirty days (range, seventeen to forty-two days). The mean lesion size was 602 mm(2). Magnetic resonance imaging was used to evaluate the morphologic characteristics of the implanted grafts. RESULTS The mean duration of clinical follow-up was forty-eight months (range, twenty-one to sixty-eight months). The mean score (and standard deviation) on the Activities of Daily Living Scale increased from a baseline of 56 +/- 24 to 70 +/- 22 at the time of the final follow-up (p < 0.05). The mean Short Form-36 score increased from a baseline of 51 +/- 23 to 66 +/- 24 at the time of final follow-up (p < 0.005). With the numbers studied, we could not correlate graft storage time, body mass index, lesion size, lesion location, or patient age with the functional outcome scores. At a mean follow-up interval of twenty-five months, cartilage-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated that the normal articular cartilage thickness was preserved in eighteen implanted grafts, and allograft cartilage signal properties were isointense relative to normal articular cartilage in eight of the eighteen grafts. Osseous trabecular incorporation of the allograft was complete or partial in fourteen patients and poor in four patients. Complete or partial trabecular incorporation positively correlated with Short Form-36 scores at the time of follow-up (r = 0.487, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Fresh osteochondral allografts that were hypothermically stored between seventeen and forty-two days were effective in the short term both structurally and functionally in reconstructing symptomatic chondral and osteochondral lesions of the knee. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Magnetic vortex mass in two-dimensional easy-plane magnets

The dynamical mass of a vortex in a two-dimensional easy-plane magnetic model is calculated from the translational mode spectrum and an effective force constant for the vortex in a finite lattice system. A significant feature of this method is that the mass can be calculated for both in-plane and out-of-plane vortices.
Do drug treatment services predict reunification outcomes of mothers and their children in child welfare

The effect of mothers' participation in substance abuse treatment on reunification with their children who are in out-of-home care is an important policy issue. This article examines the predictors of child reunification among mothers who participated in a statewide treatment outcome study. Data were integrated from multiple sources to determine the contributions of characteristics of mothers (n = 1,115), their children (n = 2,299), and treatment programs (n = 43) on reunification outcomes. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to determine the fixed and random effects of mother, child, and program characteristics. Mothers with more employment and psychiatric problems were less likely to be reunified with their children; completion of 90 or more days in treatment approximately doubled their likelihood of reunification. Mothers who were treated in programs providing a "high" level of family-related or education/employment services were approximately twice as likely to reunify with their children as those who were treated in programs with "low" levels of these services.
Increased Cardiopulmonary Disease Risk in a Community-Based Sample With Chemical Odor Intolerance: Implications for Women's Health and Health-Care Utilization

Chemical intolerance, or reported illness from odors of common environmental chemicals (e.g., car exhaust, pesticides), is emerging as an important environmental and public health-care issue. Epidemiologic methods provide relevant heuristic devices for studies of complex disorders, such as chemical intolerance. The authors examined personal and reported parental cardiopulmonary disease prevalence rates in a community sample of chemically intolerant and control individuals. A county government (Tucson, Arizona) employee and kin subset (N = 181; 113 households) completed standard health questionnaires. Investigators determined chemical intolerance (n = 41/181) from self-reports of individuals who felt "moderately" to "severely" ill from exposure to at least three of five chemicals (i.e., car exhaust, pesticides, paint, new carpet, and perfume) on a Chemical Odor Intolerance Index. The authors chose the control group (n = 57/181) on the basis of self-reports of "never" feeling ill on the Chemical Odor Intolerance Index. The chemically intolerant group, which primarily comprised women (78% versus 51% of controls, p < .05), was significantly more likely to report-and to have sought--medical attention for heart problems, bronchitis, asthma, and pneumonia. Reports of heart problems in the chemically intolerant index cases and the occurrence of heart disease in both of their parents were significant (Fisher's p < .05). The chemically intolerant individuals were also significantly more likely to report maternal histories of chest problems (e.g., inhalant allergens, tuberculosis) than controls. The findings of the study suggested that the chemically intolerant individuals (a preponderance of whom were women [sex-related risk]) were more likely to have (a) reported cardiopulmonary problems (i.e., greater health risk); (b) actively sought medical care for these problems (i.e., increased medical utilization); and (c) reported more parental illnesses-particularly heart disease, asthma, and diabetes (i.e., genetic risk). Additional community-based studies of chemical intolerance are needed.
Progestin suppression of miR-29 potentiates dedifferentiation of breast cancer cells via KLF4

The female hormone progesterone (P4) promotes the expansion of stem-like cancer cells in estrogen receptor (ER)- and progesterone receptor (PR)-positive breast tumors. The expanded tumor cells lose expression of ER and PR, express the tumor-initiating marker CD44, the progenitor marker cytokeratin 5 (CK5) and are more resistant to standard endocrine and chemotherapies. The mechanisms underlying this hormone-stimulated reprogramming have remained largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the role of microRNAs in progestin-mediated expansion of this dedifferentiated tumor cell population. We demonstrate that P4 rapidly downregulates miR-29 family members, particularly in the CD44(+) cell population. Downregulation of miR-29 members potentiates the expansion of CK5(+) and CD44(+) cells in response to progestins, and results in increased stem-like properties in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrate that miR-29 directly targets Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), a transcription factor required for the reprogramming of differentiated cells to pluripotent stem cells, and for the maintenance of breast cancer stem cells. These results reveal a novel mechanism, whereby progestins increase the stem cell-like population in hormone-responsive breast cancers, by decreasing miR-29 to augment PR-mediated upregulation of KLF4. Elucidating the mechanisms whereby hormones mediate the expansion of stem-like cells furthers our understanding of the progression of hormone-responsive breast cancers.
Mixed Cobaltocenium−Ferrocene Heterobimetallic Complexes and Their Binding Interactions with β-Cyclodextrin. A Three-State, Host−Guest System under Redox Control

A new organometallic compound (2) containing a cobaltocenium and a ferrocene residue was synthesized, and its structure was determined by X-ray diffraction methods. The two metallocene subunits in 2 are linked by a connector featuring a positively charged quaternary ammonium nitrogen atom, which increases the aqueous solubility of 2 in every oxidation state, as compared to the previously reported heterobimetallic cobaltocenium−ferrocene complex 1, which has an uncharged tether. The electrochemical behavior of 1 and 2 in 0.1 M NaCl is characterized by the reversible one-electron oxidation of the ferrocene residue and by the one-electron reduction of the cobaltocenium subunit. The latter electrochemical process is reversible only in 2. In compound 1, the voltammetric reduction wave is distorted by precipitation of the fully reduced form on the electrode surface. Both compounds exhibit three accessible oxidation states that can be represented as Fc+-Cob+, Fc-Cob+, and Fc-Cob. Cyclic voltammetric experiments ...
Characteristics Of Extension's Food And Nutrition Programming: A Content Analysis Of Plans Of Work

Extension Food and Nutrition Plans of Work (POWs) from 16 states for FY 1984–87 were analyzed to determine program content, target audiences, delivery methods, evaluation tools to be used, and impacts expected. Two-thirds of Ex tension's programming efforts addressed areas of normal nutrition and family food management while one-fifth addressed diet's relationship to health. Adults, families, youth, and low-income persons were the most frequently cited target audiences for these Extension programs. Extension Specialists rely somewhat more on interpersonal methods of program delivery than on media methods. Evaluation methods that measure programmatic outcomes and knowledge gain were cited more frequently than measures of behavior change or improved nutri tional status. Nearly half of the estimated impacts in these POWs were measures of practice change and end results according to Bennett's Hierarchy. Thirty per cent of the estimated impacts were changes in health and nutrition status and decreased morbidity and mortality.
Dietary Strategy to Repair Plasma Membrane After Brain Trauma Implications for Plasticity and Cognition

Background. Damage to the plasma membrane is a prevalent but often neglected aspect of traumatic brain injury (TBI), which can impair neuronal signaling and hamper neurological recovery. Objective....
Value of Feed Consumption Records to Predict Net Income in Layer-Type Chickens

Abstract The importance of measuring feed consumption as a supplementary criterion of net performance was studied from two different sources of data: (1) random sample egg production tests conducted in the United States between 1949 and 1957 (USRST) and (2) a private test of experimental commercial strains conducted by the Goto Hatchery, Inc., Gifu City, Japan, between 1968 to 1971 (GOTO). Seven traits included in the study were net income (NI), egg rate (ER), egg weight (EW), body weight (BW), mortality (MORT), maturity (MAT) and feed consumption (FEED). Performance indexes were derived as multiple regression equations with NI dependent on the other traits. To test the value of feed consumption records, two performance indexes were compared in each data source. The first, I(6), contained all 6 independent variables, and the second, I(5), contained all variables except FEED. The correlations between NI and I(6) were 0.820 and 0.824 and between NI and I(5) were 0.818 and 0.822 in the USRST and GOTO data, respectively. The difference between the correlations with and without feed was nil in either data source. Thus, measuring FEED did not significantly improve the predictive value of a performance index when prior information was available on the other five variables. I(5) was also compared with an empirical performance index, I(E), defined as the ratio of egg mass output to the ¾ power of body weight. The latter simulates a feed efficiency index where egg mass output is an estimator of feed utilized for egg production and the ¾ power of body weight is an estimator of feed used in the maintenance of body tissues. The correlations between I(E) and net income were 0.68 ond 0.74 in the USRST and GOTO data, respectively, which were only slightly lower than the corresponding correlations between net income and I(5) when the latter was applied to the data source other than that from which it was derived. Thus, a rather simple empirical performance index of egg production efficiency, I(E), was almost as accurate in predicting net income as a multiple regression-derived performance index.
Design of a 2.5 Gbps Optical transmitter for the International Space Station

A high data rate laser transmitter assembly (LTA) has been designed as the source for an optical free-space communication link between the International Space Station and the 1-meter Optical Communication Telescope Laboratory (OCTL) to be built at the Table Mountain Facility (TMF, Wrightwood, CA). the transmitter design concept uses a fiber-based master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) configuration with an average output power of 200 mW at a 1550 nm transmit wavelength. This transmitter source is also designed to provide a signal at 980 nm to the silicon-based focal plane array for the point-ahead beam control function. This novel integration of a 980 nm boresight signal allows the use of silicon based imagers for the acquisition/tracking and point- ahead functions, yet permits the transmit signal to be at any wavelength outside the silicon sensitivity. The LTA, a sub- system of the Flight Terminal, has been designed to have a selectable data rate from 155 - 2500 Mbps in discrete steps. It also incorporates a 2.5 Gbps pseudo-random bit sequence (PRBS) generator for complete link testing and diagnostics. The design emphasizes using commercial off the shelf components (COTS).
Abstract C138: Loss of NF1 in melanoma cell lines is associated with active Ras and dependence on MEK even in the absence of BRAF or NRAS mutation.

Though two-thirds of cutaneous melanomas harbor activating mutations in the BRAF and NRAS genes, the alterations that drive tumor progression in the roughly 30% of melanoma tumors wild-type for BRAF and NRAS remain largely uncharacterized. The selective RAF inhibitors vemurafenib and dabrafenib inhibit MAPK pathway activity only in BRAF mutant cells, thus their clinical utility is restricted to patients with BRAF mutant tumors. MEK inhibitors, which have broader antitumor activity and have shown promising activity in NRAS mutant melanoma, may be effective in a broader range of MAPK pathway-dependent tumors. We performed a functional and genomic analysis of melanoma cell lines wild-type for BRAF and NRAS to determine whether occult mutations in RAS signaling were present. Elevated RAS-GTP was common in BRAF/NRAS wild-type melanoma cell lines, a subset of which exhibited total loss of NF1 protein expression. The proliferation of NF1-null melanoma cells was dependent upon MEK, though the cellular potency of several allosteric MEK inhibitors that are currently in clinical testing (PD0325901, AZD6244, MEK162 and trametinib) varied widely in NF1-null melanoma cells. The greatest antitumor activity was noted with trametinib, a MEK inhibitor that also blocks RAF mediated phosphorylation of MEK. Notably, alterations in NF1 also co-occurred with RAS and BRAF mutations in both cell lines and human melanomas. In the setting of BRAF co-mutation, loss of NF1 abrogated upstream negative feedback on RAS activation resulting in constitutive expression of RAS-GTP and resistance to RAF but not MEK inhibition. In summary, NF1 loss is a common event in cutaneous melanoma that is associated with RAS activation, MEK dependence and RAF inhibitor resistance. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):C138. Citation Format: Moriah H. Nissan, Christine Pratilas, Alexis Jones, Helen Won, Li Kong, Zhan Yao, Taha Merghoub, Antoni Ribas, Paul Chapman, Rona Yaeger, Barry Taylor, Nikolaus Shultz, Michael F. Berger, Neal Rosen, David B. Solit. Loss of NF1 in melanoma cell lines is associated with active Ras and dependence on MEK even in the absence of BRAF or NRAS mutation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr C138.
Association of maternal HIV infection with increase of infant mortality in Malawi.

The aim was to determine the association between maternal HIV infection and infant mortality in Malawi. A synthetic cohort life table based on the birth history of 2618 childbirths during 1999 and 2004 from the subsample of 2020 mothers who completed interview and were tested for HIV virus in the 2004 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey was used. The survey collected socio-demographic and health data of a natural representative sample of women aged 15 to 49; and obtained voluntary counselling tests for HIV infection from one-third of the representatives of the sample. Associations of maternal HIV status and other factors with infant mortality were estimated using survival regression analysis and the results are presented as hazard ratios (HR) with level of statistical significance (P-value). Children born to HIV-infected mothers were more than two times as likely to die during infancy as those born to uninfected mothers (HR = 2.21; P less than 0.01). Controlling for other risk factors and confounding factors for infant mortality further sharpened this relationship (HR = 2.70; P less than 0.01). Boys are more likely to die in infancy than girls. Young mothers and mothers not receiving prenatal care and low-birthweight children and children living in rural areas particular so in the northern region were associated with a higher risk of infant mortality. Maternal HIV infection is strongly associated with infant mortality in Malawi independent of many other factors. Results from this study suggest that the HIV/AIDS epidemic has had an enormous impact on child well-being child survival and infant mortality. The impact increases as the HIV/AIDS epidemic matures and infection in mothers and adults increases. (authors)
The effects of altering alkyl substituents in trialkyl phosphates on the extraction of actinides

Abstract The extraction of neptunium(IV), plutonium(VI), neptunium(IV) and plutonium(IV) nitrates by trialkyl phosphates follows the same general pattern as the extraction of uranyl nitrate when the alkyl groups are varied. However, the extraction of thorium nitrate is greatly depressed when bulky alkyl groups are introduced into the extractant molecule. This behaviour of thorium nitrate appears to be due to the fact that three extractant molecules are co-ordinated to each thorium atom in the prevalent mode of extraction. Only two molecules of extractant are required for the other actinides.
An analysis of doctoral level internships in school psychology

Abstract A survey was conducted of the intership centers currently in use by the 47 universities in the United States with doctoral level training programs in school psychology. Twenty universities reported interns on full-time placement during the 1968–1969 academic year. Analysis of current placements revealed that many universities are finding it necessary to sponsor internships and provide direct supervision in local community schools; that 68% of the placements are now in a public school setting with an apparent trend toward internships in a wider range of community institutions; that the average duration of internships is 9–10 months; and the average stipend $500 per month. Well-defined pre-internship field experiences were a common provision in many programs. The fact that a significant number of universities favored progressive part-time field experiences rather than full-time extended internships should caution states not to prematurely fix the structure of field-work experiences in certification requirements.
Protection and Developing Country Exports: The Case of Vegetable Oils

The level and structure of protection from tariff and non‐tariff measures confronted by developing country exports of oilseeds, vegetable oils, and related products are examined to assess the gains available to these countries through further rounds of trade liberalisation. Although developing country exporters of these products can expect only limited benefits from a removal of tariffs by major developed market economy country (DMEC) importers, considerable gains could be realised by removing the relatively higher tariff rates imposed by the developing countries, and by removing the many non‐tariff measures which developing countries and DMECs use as well.