cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The experience of hearing loss in adult survivors of childhood and young adult cancer: A qualitative study.

Background Hearing loss is a prevalent late effect among cancer survivors. Despite the significant social costs, there is a noted delay in seeking care and to the authors' knowledge there are limited data regarding the lived experiences of cancer survivors with hearing loss. The objective of the current study was to explore the lived experience of hearing loss in survivors of childhood and young adult cancers to guide survivorship care. Methods A total of 24 survivors participated in semistructured telephone interviews. Inclusion criteria consisted of a clinical visit at the Adult Long-Term Follow-Up Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City between September 2005 and January 2019; exposure to cranial radiotherapy, platinum chemotherapy, or both; and hearing loss as evidenced by clinical notes, use of hearing aids, or audiogram levels consistent with severe ototoxicity. Results Three primary themes emerged from the interviews. First, posttreatment hearing loss is associated with isolation and feelings of exclusion. Second, clinicians play an important role in providing survivors with education regarding hearing loss and hearing aids. Finally, hearing loss for survivors may be deprioritized because it is a reminder of the cancer history and is interpreted within the context of other treatment-related late effects. Conclusions Clinicians play an important role in initiating the discussion regarding hearing loss with survivors given the importance of hearing in maintaining social relationships, the availability of hearing care interventions, and the invisibility of hearing loss. Education regarding the value of treatment may have implications for how survivors choose to prioritize hearing loss and seek care.
Association of sleep quality with telomere length, a marker of cellular aging: A retrospective cohort study of older adults in the United States.

Abstract Background Sleep quality is a risk factor for age-related diseases, and although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear, the effects of poor sleep quality on telomere length (TL) may play a role. Objective The objective of the study was to evaluate the independent association between sleep quality and salivary TL in a large sample of older adults. Design We adopted a retrospective cohort design, and participants comprised 5,268 adults drawn from the Health and Retirement Study. We used the 2006 (baseline) and 2008 (follow-up) waves. Baseline sleep quality was assessed using 4 Likert scale questions (trouble falling asleep, waking up during the night, waking up too early and not being able to fall sleep again, and feeling well rested in the morning). The TL was assessed using the T/S ratio, a continuous variable. The associations between sleep quality and T/S were assessed using multivariable ordinary least squares regressions. All analyses were adjusted for demographics, lifestyle characteristics, psychosocial, and other factors. Results Overall, 16% reported never feeling well rested in the morning; 25.7% of respondents always had trouble waking during the night; and 12.8% always had trouble waking up too early in the morning. Respondents who never felt rested in the morning had significantly shorter TL than those who always felt rested in the morning (adjusted beta = -0.08, standard error = 0.03, P Conclusions In this cohort of older adults, not feeling well rested in the morning was significantly and inversely associated with TL; however, the composite measure of sleep quality was not significantly associated with TL. These findings suggest a potential connection between one of the measures of impaired sleep and reduction in TL, a marker of cellular aging that has been linked to multiple chronic conditions.
Use of a Videoconferencing Intervention and Systematic Hierarchy to Teach Daily Living Skills to Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Given the increasing number of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is a critical need to develop programs that facilitate positive behavior outcomes during the transiti...
Gender disparities in hepatocellular cancer survival

e15517 Background: Recent reports suggest that estrogen mediated inhibition of IL-6 protects against the development of HCC and may explain the decreased risk of liver cancer in women. We investiga...
Rare Coagulation Factor Deficiencies

Rare coagulation factor deficiencies (RCFDs) also known as rare bleeding disorders (RBDs) include autosomal recessively inherited deficiencies of coagulation factors (F) I (fibrinogen), II (prothrombin), V, VII, X, XI, and XIII as well as combined F V+FVIII and vitamin K-dependent factors. They comprise 3–5% of all congenital bleeding disorders with a heterogeneous phenotype, and adolescent girls and women tend to be disproportionately affected. In addition to mucocutaneous bleeding which is the hallmark of these disorders, there is also a significant risk of bleeding from gender-specific hemostatic challenges during menses, pregnancy, and childbirth. These include heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), miscarriages, post-partum hemorrhage, and other gynecological manifestations resulting in acute or chronic anemia. This has a significant impact on their quality of life, limitations in activities, and missed days from school/work affecting productivity and family/social interactions. The management of adolescent girls presenting with HMB associated with RCFDs is challenging because of phenotypic variability. Therefore, their care is best served in a specialized center with a multidisciplinary team comprising of hematologists, gynecologists, adolescent medicine specialists, geneticists, physical therapists, nurses, and social workers. In this setting care plans can be tailored as they transition from childhood into womanhood through their reproductive lifespan and beyond.
Minimum sample size for extreme value statistics of flow-induced response

Abstract Extreme value statistics are one way to determine the maximum design loads for systems in extreme conditions, such as operational loads experienced by ships. Accurate predictions typically require large sample sizes, which are not always possible to obtain. Conversely, small sample sizes lead to more variation in the predictions. Increasing the sample size improves the variance to a desired range. The proposed method aimed to estimate a minimum sample size for an extreme value process by specifying and obtaining an acceptable variance. Minimum sample sizes for extreme value statistics depend on the distribution's behavior, so the method proposed here was designed for use before and during measurements. To test the proposed method, the response of a cantilever fin with a varying angle of attack was measured. The proposed method was able to estimate minimum sample sizes for several distributions. Accuracy was demonstrated by randomly drawing measured and simulated samples.
Active and Passive Voltage Arc-suppression Technology in Distribution Network

The current arc suppression method can theoretically compensate the ground current to zero, but it can only be estimated by the inherent parameters of the system because the fault point current cannot be measured directly. The compensation effect is not easy to observe directly, and the current arc suppression method cannot adapt to the change of distribution network. Voltage arc suppression is a emerging arc suppression method. There are various problems hinder the large-scale popularization and application of the new arc suppression technology in practical applications. This article discusses the differences between active and passive voltage arc suppression principles, technical characteristics, and technical difficulties that need to be resolved, and discusses the development direction of voltage suppression technology.
Temporal Structures Supported by Electronic Calendaring Systems

This research examines the complex temporal structures that individual professionals experience and manage in their electronic calendar tools. Its focus is on understanding the relationship between the quality of individual time management and an individual’s understanding and use of temporal structures afforded by electronic calendar systems. This work consists of a field study which examines the hypotheses developed from a literature review on the impact and role of time in people’s work lives. A theoretical research model is proposed and tested using partial least squares (PLS) technique to examine the relationships between the key survey constructs. Significant relationships between the quality of individual time management and various temporal structures were discovered and also indicate that temporal structures can be a new design component for today’s emerging electronic calendar systems.
A dosimetric comparison of intensity-modulated proton therapy optimization techniques for pediatric craniopharyngiomas: a clinical case study.

Background To evaluate the dosimetric characteristics of intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) optimization techniques and pencil-beam scanning (PBS) nozzle designs on pediatric craniopharyngiomas. Procedure We compared a double-scatter (DS) plan with IMPT plans using single-field uniform dose (SFUD) optimization or multi-field optimization (MFO) and different PBS nozzles. The clinical impacts of SFUD versus MFO, range shifters, and two different PBS nozzles were compared. For target coverage assessment, the conformity index and inhomogeneity coefficient were evaluated. Results Although both proton therapy techniques achieved adequate target coverage, IMPT achieved a better conformity index of 0.78 versus 0.60 for DS. For the inhomogeneity coefficient, IMPT with MFO performed better than using SFUD or DS. MFO with the dedicated nozzle (MFO-DN) achieved the best result of 0.023, as compared to values of 0.03 or higher for the other plans. IMPT achieved lower doses to the normal tissues, as compared to DS; MFO-DN had the best results. The DN provided the best beam-spot characteristics and the sharpest lateral penumbra. MFO reduced the need for range shifters. Conclusions As compared to DS proton therapy for pediatric craniopharyngiomas, IMPT achieved significantly better target coverage and dose sparing of normal tissue. Nozzle designs that provided small beam spots and sharp lateral penumbra allowed for better target coverage and reduced dose to normal tissue. In the case of shallow targets, MFO, in contrast to SFUD, required minimal use of range shifters, which preserved the penumbra and the dosimetric advantage. MFO-DN proved to be the optimal technique for IMPT. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2014;61:89–94. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Marktsegmentierung des Discount-Broker-Marktes in Deutschland mit Hilfe multivariater Verfahren

Segmentierungs- und Positionierungsanalysen gehoren zu den grundlegenden Instrumentarien fur die Formulierung und Bewertung von Marketingstrategien. Zweimodale nichtdisjunkte Klassifikationsverfahren gewinnen in der Marktforschung zunehmend an Bedeutung. Auf der Grundlage des relativ jungen, stark expansiven und heterogenen Marktes fur Direktbanken werden in diesem Beitrag die zweimodale Klassifikation und die Faktorenanalyse zur Marktsegmentierung und Positionierung eingesetzt.
Generation of Transgenic Animals Using Lentiviral Vectors

The production of transgenic animals has been one of the most powerful technical advances in the understanding of genetics (Jaenisch 1988). Transgenic animals have been instrumental in improving our understanding of human genetic diseases and will probably be of increasing importance in the improvement of livestock, xenotransplantation, and the production of biologically active pharmaceuticals. The first transgenic animals were generated by infecting mouse blastocyst cells with a Moloney leukemia virus-based retroviral vector (Jaenisch 1976). These animals were able to transmit the integrated proviral transgene to their progeny. However, neither the founders nor the subsequent offspring expressed the exogenously introduced gene at sufficient levels to be of practical use for most experimental applications. Subsequent studies showed that silencing of the proviral transgene was correlated to developmentally regulated methylation of the flanking host sequences (Jahner et al. 1982). To circumvent the developmental silencing observed with retroviral transgenics, a nonviral approach to transgenesis called pronuclear injection was developed (Gordon et al. 1980). In pronuclear injection, a linearized DNA sequence is introduced directly into the pronucleus of single-cell embryos by microinjection. Generally, transgenic animals that are generated by pronuclear injection transmit and reliably express the exogenous sequences, and this has become the standard approach for generating transgenic mice. Most commonly, the transgene integrates in head-to-tail tandem arrays of up to 100 copies at a single chromosomal site, and multiple copies of the transgene are frequently required to drive expression of the exogenous sequence to detectable levels (Brinster et al. 1985). Although pronuclear injection is widely used to generate transgenic mice, this procedure suffers from several limitations. First, because the technique requires visualization of the male pronucleus, which is easily seen only in the zygotes of certain strains of mice, pronuclear injection is
Numerical Experiments on Pair Correlations and on ‘Thermodynamics’

A ‘conventional’ n-body calculation was constructed to carry out a number of numerical experiments on small stellar systems. Two of these experiments will be reported here, although something of the others will creep in. All these experiments refer to a 32-body system, in which the equations of motion were handled ‘exactly’, with the usual checks on constancy of the ten first integrals of motion. Because the emphasis was on the experiments, the calculation was constructed without particular attention to running speed or minimum storage requirements. Otherwise, the calculation was quite conventional.
A framework for requirement collection and definition process for data warehousing projects

In this paper we address the issue of failure of data warehousing projects due to an inadequate requirement collection and definition process. We describe a framework that can help accomplish the objective of developing a business driven, actionable set of requirements. The framework consists of a series of steps that facilitate an effective data warehouse requirement collection and definition phase. The paper also addresses the difficult yet common issue of end-users' limited availability during the requirement collection process and proposes an approach that can serve to alleviate this problem.
The Ethical Horizons of Postmodernity

Contested Knowledge: Social Theory in the Postmodern Era, by Steven Seidman. Postmodern Ethics, by Zygmunt Bauman.
An examination of three theoretical models to explain the organ donation attitude–registration discrepancy among mature adults

An inconsistency in the research indicates positive attitudes toward organ donation do not map reliably onto organ donor registrations. Various models have sought to explain this inconsistency and the current analysis formally compared three models: the Bystander Intervention Model (BIM), the Organ Donor Model (ODM), and Vested Interest Theory (VIT). Mature (N = 688) adults between the ages of 50 to 64 years completed surveys related to organ donation. Results revealed that VIT accounted for the most variance in organ donation registrations followed by the BIM and ODM. The discussion emphasizes the importance of employing theories to explain a phenomenon as well as the practical implications of the findings.
Dynamical greenhouse-plus feedback and polar warming amplification. Part I: A dry radiative-transportive climate model

In this paper, we use a dry radiative-transportive climate model to illustrate that the atmospheric poleward heat transport plays an important role in amplifying the polar surface warming due to anthropogenic greenhouse gases. Because of a much warmer surface in tropics, the anthropogenic radiative forcing is larger in tropics than in extratropics for same amount of anthropogenic greenhouse gases. A direct response to the anthropogenic radiative forcing is an increase in the atmosphere equator-to-pole temperature contrast, leading to a strengthening of the atmospheric poleward heat transport. As a result, part of the extra amount of energy intercepted by the low-latitude atmosphere due to an increase in its opacity is transported to high latitudes. This implies a “greenhouse-plus” (“greenhouse-minus”) feedback to the high (low) latitude surface temperatures, which acts to amplify (reduce) the initial surface warming in high (low) latitudes and may cause a larger surface warming in high latitudes. The Stefan–Boltzmann feedback suppresses the negative dynamical feedback in low latitudes more strongly than the positive in high latitudes, amplifying the global mean surface temperature warming. Because of the oceanic poleward heat transport, the ocean surface temperature in extratropics is warmer in winter compared to the land, implying a larger radiative forcing for the same amount of anthropogenic greenhouse gases. The same dynamical feedback mechanism would also amplify the land surface warming in extratropics by transporting part of the extra amount of energy intercepted by the atmosphere over the ocean surface to land. This explains partly why the observed land surface warming in extratropics is stronger than the surrounding oceans in winter.
Role of transporter-mediated efflux in the placental biodisposition of bupropion and its metabolite, OH-bupropion.

Abstract Cigarette smoking during pregnancy is a preventable risk factor associated with maternal and fetal complications. Bupropion is an antidepressant used successfully for smoking cessation in non-pregnant patients. Our goal is to determine whether it could benefit the pregnant patient seeking smoking cessation. The aim of this investigation was to determine the role of human placenta in the disposition of bupropion and its major hepatic metabolite, OH-bupropion. The expression of efflux transporters P-gp and BCRP was determined in placental brush border membrane (n = 200) and revealed a positive correlation (p < 0.05). Bupropion was transported by BCRP (K t 3 μM, V max 30 pmol/mg protein/min) and P-gp (K t 0.5 μM, V max 6 pmol/mg protein*min) in placental inside-out vesicles (IOVs). OH-bupropion crossed the dually-perfused human placental lobule without undergoing further metabolism, nor was it an efflux substrate of P-gp or BCRP. In conclusion, our data indicate that human placenta actively regulates the disposition of bupropion (via metabolism, active transport), but not its major hepatic metabolite, OH-bupropion.
MORAL REASONING OF MSW SOCIAL WORKERS AND THE INFLUENCE OF EDUCATION

This research examined the influence of undergraduate degree and ethics education on the moral reasoning of social workers. Statistical analyses found MSW social workers with liberal arts undergraduate degrees more likely to prefer postconventional levels of moral reasoning, defined as greater complexity of thought and principled reasoning. The overall mean Defining Issues Test scores of 44.77 place the sample in maintaining-norms levels, i.e., authority-based moral reasoning. Ethics courses were found to be somewhat related to levels of moral reasoning.
Aggregation of colloidal iron during estuarine mixing: Kinetics, mechanism, and seasonality

Abstract The colloid chemistry of iron and humic aggregation was studied in a series of laboratory experiments, which were related to seasonal aggregation extent data collected in a temperate estuary. Kinetically, the aggregation of iron occurs with a rapid initial reaction, finished within a few minutes, followed by an extensive, slow second reaction, which lasts for several hours. Organic carbon aggregation, however, occurs primarily in the first reaction. The first reaction is perikinetic while the second reaction is observed to be either perikinetic or orthokinetic, depending on the pore size of the filter used to clarify the suspension. The second reaction involves aggregation of small filtrable colloids ( −1 for the second reaction is due to a combination of transport and charge repulsion terms. Field data show a correspondingly greater aggregation extent of iron with salinity in warmer months relative to colder months.
Stimulation‐induced factors which affect augmentation and potentiation of trasmitter release at the neuromuscular junction.

1. End-plate potentials (e.p.p.s) were recorded from frog sartorius neuromuscular junctions under conditions of decreased transmitter release to study the effect of repetitive stimulation on augmentation and potentiation of transmitter release. 2. The magnitudes and time constants of decay of augmentation and potentiation were determined both following a primary conditioning train and following an identical secondary conditioning train applied from 30 to 170 sec after the primary conditioning train. 3. The magnitude of augmentation following the secondary conditioning trains was increased over that following the primary conditioning trains even though augmentation, with a time constant of decay of about 7 sec, had decayed to insignificant levels before the onset of the secondary trains. This increase in augmentation was not due to a change in its rate of decay during the secondary trains. 4. The increased magnitude of augmentation can be described as arising from an expression factor which, for conditioning trains of 200 impulses at 20/sec, has an initial magnitude of 1-6 +/- 1-2 (S.D. of observation) (the magnitude of augmentation is increased 2-6 times) and decays approximately exponentially with a time constant of 90 +/- 50 (S.D. of observation) sec. The expression factor thus decays about ten times slower than augmentation. 5. Doubling the number of impulses in the primary conditioning train from 100 to 200 led to a 2-8 +/- 1-0 (S.D. of observation) times increase in the magnitude of the expression factor, estimated by placing a 200 impulse secondary conditioning train 40 sec after the primary conditioning train. 6. The expression factor, while increasing the magnitude of augmentation, had little or no effect on the magnitude of potentiation or on trasmitter release in the absence of augmentation. The expression factor decayed about twice as slowly as potentiation. 7. The time constants characterizing the decay of potentiation were greater following the secondary conditioning trains than following the primary conditioning trains. 8. The increased time constant for the decay of potentiation can be described as arising from a time constant factor which, for conditioning trains of 200 impulses at 20/sec, has an initial magnitude of 1-2 +/- 0-7 (S.D. of observation) (the time constant of potentiation is increased 2-2 times) and decays approximately exponentially with a time constant of 130 +/- 45 (S.D. of observation) sec. The time constant factor decayed about three times slower than potentiation. 9. Doubling the number of impulses in the primary conditioning train from 100 to 200 led to a 1-6 +/- 0-8 (S.D. of observation) times increase in the magnitude of the time constant factor, estimated by placing a 200 impulse secondary conditioning train 40 sec after the primary conditioning train. 10...
An Experimental Evaluation of the Performance of Two Combination Pitot Pressure Probes

Experimental tests have been completed which recorded the ability of two combination steady state and high response time varying Pitot probe designs to accurately measure steady stagnation pressure at a single location in a flow field. Tests were conducted of double-barreled and coannular Prati probes in a 3.5 in. diameter free jet probe calibration facility from Mach 0.1 to 0.9. Geometric symmetry and pitch (-40 deg to 40 deg) and yaw (0 deg to 40 deg) angle actuation were used to fully evaluate the probes. These tests revealed that the double-barreled configuration induced error in its steady state measurement at zero incidence that increased consistently with jet Mach number to 1.1 percent at Mach 0.9. For all Mach numbers, the double-barreled probe nulled at a pitch angle of approximately 7.0 deg and provided inconsistent measurements when yawed. The double-barreled probe provided adequate measurements via both its steady state and high response tubes (within +/- 0.15 percent accuracy) over unacceptable ranges of biased pitch and inconsistent yaw angles which varied with Mach number. By comparison, the coannular probe provided accurate measurements (at zero incidence) for all jet Mach numbers as well as over a flow angularity range which varied from +/- 26.0 deg at Mach 0.3 deg to +/- 14.0 deg at Mach 0.9. Based on these results, the Prati probe is established as the preferred design. Further experimental tests are recommended to document the frequency response characteristics of the Prati probe.
Toward neuroanatomical models of analogy: a positron emission tomography study of analogical mapping.

Abstract Several brain regions associated with analogical mapping were identified using 15O-positron emission tomography with 12 normal, high intelligence adults. Each trial presented during scanning consisted of a source picture of colored geometric shapes, a brief delay, and a target picture of colored geometric shapes. Analogous pictures did not share similar geometric shapes but did share the same system of abstract visuospatial relations. Participants judged whether each source–target pairing was analogous (analogy condition) or identical (literal condition). The results of the analogy-literal comparison showed activation in the dorsomedial frontal cortex and in the left hemisphere; the inferior, middle, and medial frontal cortices; the parietal cortex; and the superior occipital cortex. Based on these results as well as evidence from relevant cognitive neuroscience studies of reasoning and of executive working memory, we hypothesize that analogical mapping is mediated by the left prefrontal and inferior parietal cortices.
The consistency of students' self-assessments in short-essay subject matter examinations

Summary. This longitudinal study compares the accuracy of self-assessments of 22 students across four examinations during their first 2 years of medical school. The four examinations used a similar short-essay format and covered many of the same basic science disciplines at similar levels of difficulty. Immediately after answering an average of 20 questions on each examination, students predicted their performance on those questions. After assigned subject matter experts had scored the questions, the differences between students' predictions and the experts' scores were calculated for each question. The degree to which students had over- and underestimated their performance across all questions was determined by separately averaging all positive and negative differences between students' and experts' assessments on each examination. The results of the study indicated that accuracy in self-assessment improved from examination 1 to examination 3 (with less overestimation) and dropped on examination 4 (with more underestimation). The results revealed no relationship between self-assessment estimations and actual scores received. Furthermore, the self-assessment estimations tended to be statistically correlated between contiguous examinations (i.e., examinations 1 and 2, 2 and 3, etc.) but not between non-contiguous ones (i.e., examinations 1 and 3, etc.). The results of the study are interpreted to suggest that the students in the study have a self-assessment tendency towards over- or underestimation that is some what stable but that gradually evolves over time with experience, maturity and self-assessment practice. The most frequent direction of change is towards decreased overestimation and increased underestimation. These results are consistent with the findings of other recent longitudinal self-assessment studies.
Influence of Patient Setup and Target Delineation on Air Cavity Tomotherapy Dosimetry

There was no significant difference of dosimetric quality and treatment efficiency of tomotherapy plans with three different ways of including the air cavity in PTV. However, the target coverage of PTV2 definition was more vulnerable to patient setup uncertainty. PTV1 and PTV3 definition had overall comparable robustness of delivery and each was more resistant to setup error on certain structures. Figure 1. Three types of PTV definition. The black line is the common portion of all anatomic structures. PTV1, PTV2, and PTV3 are represented by a combination of the black line plus the blue, green, and yellow lines, respectively. The CTV is represented by the black line plus the red line. Skin max
Localized hippocampus measures are associated with Alzheimer pathology and cognition independent of total hippocampal volume

Hippocampal injury in the Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathological process is region-specific and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based measures of localized hippocampus (HP) atrophy are known to detect region-specific changes associated with clinical AD, but it is unclear whether these measures provide information that is independent of that already provided by measures of total HP volume. Therefore, this study assessed the strength of association between localized HP atrophy measures and AD-related measures including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amyloid beta and tau concentrations, and cognitive performance, in statistical models that also included total HP volume as a covariate. A computational technique termed localized components analysis (LoCA) was used to identify 7 independent patterns of HP atrophy among 390 semiautomatically delineated HP from baseline magnetic resonance imaging of participants in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Among cognitively normal participants, multiple measures of localized HP atrophy were significantly associated with CSF amyloid concentration, while total HP volume was not. In addition, among all participants, localized HP atrophy measures and total HP volume were both independently and additively associated with CSF tau concentration, performance on numerous neuropsychological tests, and discrimination between normal, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and AD clinical diagnostic groups. Together, these results suggest that regional measures of hippocampal atrophy provided by localized components analysis may be more sensitive than total HP volume to the effects of AD pathology burden among cognitively normal individuals and may provide information about HP regions whose deficits may have especially profound cognitive consequences throughout the AD clinical course.
The mechanism of particulate carrier reactions with rheumatoid sera. II. Sensitizing capacity of various human gamma globulins for latex particles

Latex particles can be sensitized by 7S gamma globulin as well as by aggregated gamma globulin. The excess of gamma globulin not on the particle surface may act as an inhibitor of agglutination if it is in the aggregated state. Studies are presented to demonstrate the sensitizing capacity of various human gamma globulin preparations for latex particles. Particulas de latex pote esser sensibilisate per globulina gamma 7S e etiam per globulina gamma aggregate. Le excesso de globulina gamma non attachate al superficie del particulas pote ager como inhibitor del agglutination si illo se trova in stato aggregate. Es presentate studios pro demonstrar le capacitate sensibilisatori de varie preparatos de globulina gamma human pro particulas de latex.
Changes in Senna obstuifolia Germination Requirements over 12 Months under Field Conditions

Senna obtusifolia seeds were collected in Fall 2003 and immediately field sown to assess dormancy alleviation and effect of after-ripening over a 12-month period on light and temperature requirements for germination. Seeds did not exhibit physical dormancy at maturation and readily germinated over a broad range of light and thermal conditions. Dormancy gradually increased during Winter months, resulting in only a small fraction of the population capable of germination by early Spring. Dormancy break did not occur at a specific time of the year nor did dormancy alleviation increase over the 12-month period following maturation. Conditions during Spring and Summer coincided with thermal requirements for germination of the nondormant fraction of the population. Senna obtusifolia seeds were nonresponsive to red and far-red lights, and seeds did not acquire a light requirement following burial for 6 months.
Calculating risks: the power and pitfalls of registry data.

COMMENTARY ON Schoenfeld AJ, Carey PA, Cleveland AW III, et al. Patient factors, comorbidities, and surgical characteristics that increase mortality and complication risk after spinal arthrodesis: a prognostic study based on 5,887 patients. Spine J 2013;13:1171–79 ( in this issue ).
The transcription termination region of the adenovirus 2 major late transcript contains multiple functional elements.

Summary In order to understand the process of transcription termination by eukaryotic RNA polymerase II, the transcription termination region of the advenovirus 2 major late transcription unit was analysed in a transient transfection system. Previously, it had been demonstrated that the entire sequence from map units (m.u.) 97.1 to 100 of the adenovirus 2 genome terminates transcription when inserted into the 5′ or 3′ untranslated sequences of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene. Using subclones and Bal 31 deletion mutants of the termination region, we have shown that the termination region consists of multiple elements each capable of inhibiting gene expression independently. A DNA sequence analysis reveals the presence of a highly repetitive A-rich sequence motif throughout the entire termination region. The data suggest that the A-rich motif may mediate the transcription termination process.
Suicidality and helplessness

In a sample of 70 undergraduate men and women, scores on prior suicidal ideation were associated with scores on a helplessness scale based on an internal locus of control but not a helplessness scale based on an external locus of control.
Satellite image-based maps: Scientific inference or pretty pictures?

The scientific method has been characterized as having two distinct components, Discovery and Justification. Discovery emphasizes ideas and creativity, focuses on conceiving hypotheses and constructing models, and is generally regarded as lacking a formal logic. Justification begins with the hypotheses and models and ends with a valid scientific inference. Unlike Discovery, Justification has a formal logic whose rules must be rigorously followed to produce valid scientific inferences. In particular, when inferences are based on sample data, the rules of the logic of Justification require assessments of bias and precision. Thus, satellite image-based maps that lack such assessments for parameters of populations depicted by the maps may be of little utility for scientific inference; essentially, they may be just pretty pictures. Probability- and model-based approaches are explained, illustrated, and compared for producing inferences for population parameters using a map depicting three land cover classes: non-forest, coniferous forest, and deciduous forest. The maps were constructed using forest inventory data and Landsat imagery. Although a multinomial logistic regression model was used to classify the imagery, the methods for assessing bias and precision can be used with any classification method. For probability-based approaches, the difference estimator was used, and for model-based inference, a bootstrap approach was used.
Quantitative studies of wildfire smoke injection heights with the Terra Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer

ABSTRACT The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) is in its ninth year of operation aboard NASAs Terra satellite. MISR acquires imagery at nine view angles between 70.5o forward and backward of nadir. Stereoscopic image matching of red band data at 275-m horizontal spatial resolution provides measurements of aerosol plume heights in the vicinity and downwind of wildfires. We are supplementing MISRs standard stereo product with more detailed, higher vertical spatial resolution stereo retrievals over individual smoke plumes, using the MISR INteractive eXplorer (MINX) analysis tool. To limit the amount of data that must be processed, MODIS (Moderate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) thermal anomaly data are used to identify fire locations. Data over North America are being analyzed to generate a climatology of smoke injection heights and to derive a general parameterization for the injection heights that can be used within non-plume-resolving chemical transport models. In 2002, we find that up to about 30% of fire plumes over North America reached the free troposphere. Sufficiently buoyant plumes tend to become trapped near stratified stable layers within the atmospheric vertical profile, supporting a result first obtained on a more limited set of MISR data [1]. Data from other years are being processed to further establish the robustness of these conclusions. Keywords: wildfires, smoke, plumes, stereo imaging, MISR
Particle formation in the ozone‐propylene reaction

Abstract Particle formation in the ozone‐propylene reaction has been studied using a microprobe system. Size frequencies show that particles are formed by a complex chemical accretion process possibly involving polymeric ozonides. For a given propylene concentration, particle production is found to increase with increasing ozone concentration. Water vapor is found to inhibit partially particle production. Structural characteristics of the chemical constituents of the particles have been studied by IR and NMR.
Level-set algorithm for the reconstruction of functional activation in near-infrared spectroscopic imaging

We introduce a new algorithm for the reconstruction of functional brain activations from near-infrared spectroscopic imaging (NIRSI) data. While NIRSI offers remarkable biochemical specificity, the attainable spatial resolution with this technique is rather limited, mainly due to the highly scattering nature of brain tissue and the low number of measurement channels. Our approach exploits the support-limited (spatially concentrated) nature of the activations to make the reconstruction problem well-posed. The new algorithm considers both the support and the function values of the activations as unknowns and estimates them from the data. The support of the activations is represented using a level-set scheme. We use a two-step alternating iterative scheme to solve for the activations. Since our approach uses the inherent nature of functional activations to make the problem well-posed, it provides reconstructions with better spatial resolution, fewer artifacts, and is more robust to noise than existing techniques. Numerical simulations and experimental data indicate a significant improvement in the quality (resolution and robustness to noise) over standard techniques such as truncated conjugate gradients (TCG) and simultaneous iterative reconstruction technique (SIRT) algorithms. Furthermore, results on experimental data obtained from simultaneous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and optical measurements show much closer agreement of the optical reconstruction using the new approach with fMRI images than TCG and SIRT.
Landscape heterogeneity predicts gene flow in a widespread polymorphic bumble bee, Bombus bifarius (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Bombus bifarius is a widespread bumble bee that occurs in montane regions of western North America. This species has several major color pattern polymorphisms and shows evidence of genetic structuring among regional populations, and the taxonomic status of regional populations has repeatedly been debated. We test whether observed structure is evidence for discrete gene flow barriers that might indicate isolation or instead reflects clinal variation associated with spatially limited dispersal in a complex landscape. We first consider color pattern variation and identify geographical patterns of B. bifarius color variation using cluster analysis. We then use climate data and a comprehensive set of B. bifarius natural history records with an existing genetic data set to model the distribution of environmentally suitable habitat in western North America and predict pathways of potential gene flow using circuit theory. Resistance distances among populations that incorporate environmental suitability information predict patterns of genetic structure much better than geographic distance or Bayesian clustering alone. Results suggest that there may not be barriers to gene flow warranting further taxonomic considerations, but rather that the arrangement of suitable habitat at broad scales limits dispersal sufficiently to explain observed levels of population differentiation in B. bifarius.
Psychological Symptoms are Greater Among Weight Cycling Women with Severe Binge Eating Behavior

Abstract Objective To identify psychological characteristics and eating behaviors associated with weight cycling and binge eating behaviors in overweight women (body mass index >27.3). Design Questionnaires measuring self-esteem, self-efficacy, coping strategies, psychological symptoms, depression, binge eating, restrained eating, disinhibition, and hunger were administered to female weight cyclers who were overweight. Psychological characteristics were compared between subjects grouped by binge eating disorder classification and by binge eating severity. Subjects A convenience sample of 62 female weight cyclers who were overweight was recruited from the Chicago, Ill, area. Questionnaires were administered individually or in small groups in subjects' homes or other private settings. Statistical analyses Student's t tests or Mann-Whitney U tests were used to assess differences in psychological characteristics. Results Thirty-six weight cyclers (58%) met the criteria for binge eating disorder and 26 (42%) did not. Weight cyclers with binge eating disorder reported greater severity of binge eating ( P P P P P P =.0001) and used less healthful coping strategies ( P =.0027) than weight cyclers with no binge eating to moderate binge eating problems. Weight cyclers with severe binge eating behavior also reported more hunger ( P P =.0024) than those with no binge eating to moderate binge eating problems. Applications Operational definitions of weight cycling and binge eating are needed to facilitate research on effective weight-loss treatments. Persons seeking to lose weight (especially weight cyclers) should be assessed for binge eating severity, problematic eating behaviors, and psychological symptoms. J Am Diet Assoc. 1998;98:863-868.
Electronic structure and bonding in calcium apatite crystals: Hydroxyapatite, fluorapatite, chlorapatite, and bromapatite

We present a detailed analysis of the electronic structure, bonding, charge transfer, and optical properties of selected perfect-crystal calcium apatites [${\mathrm{Ca}}_{10}{({\mathrm{PO}}_{4})}_{6}{X}_{2}$ with $X={(\mathrm{OH})}^{\ensuremath{-}},{\mathrm{F}}^{\ensuremath{-}},{\mathrm{Cl}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$, or ${\mathrm{Br}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$]. The ab initio orthogonalized linear combinations of atomic orbitals-density-functional-theory-based computational method is used to obtain the band structure, total and partial density of states, bond order, Mulliken effective charge, dielectric constant, and energy-loss function for each system. Band results indicate that these materials are all wide band-gap insulators in the range of $\ensuremath{\sim}5.3\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$. The bonding results show that the systems are dominated by two sets of structures: a ${\mathrm{PO}}_{4}$ sublattice and Ca channels populated by ion columns of $X$. The exact positions and orientations of the ions in the Ca channels are subject to debate on many levels. To contribute to the discussion, we analyze the position and orientation of the hydroxyl group from hydroxyapatite along the Ca channel using total-energy comparisons.
Comparison of the microbial population dynamics and phylogenetic characterization of a CANOXIS reactor and a UASB reactor degrading trichloroethene.

O. TRESSE, F. MOUNIEN, M.-J. LEVESQUE AND S. GUIOT. 2004. Aims: To understand the microbial ecology underlying trichloethene (TCE) degradation in a coupled anaerobic/ aerobic single stage (CANOXIS) reactor oxygenated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and in an upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactor. Methods and Results: The molecular study of the microbial population dynamics and a phylogenetic characterization were conducted using polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR- DGGE). In both reactors, TCE had a toxic effect on two uncultured bacterial populations whereas oxygen favoured the growth of aerobic species belonging to Rhizobiaceae and Dechloromonas. No methanotrophic bacteria were detected when targeting 16S rRNA gene with universal primers. Alternatively, pmo gene encoding the particulate methane monooxygenase of Methylomonas sp. LW21 could be detected in the coupled reactor when H2O2 was supplied at 0AE 7gO 2 l � 1 R day )1 . Conclusions: Methylomonas sp. LW21 that could be responsible for the aerobic degradation of the TCE by- products is not among the predominant bacterial populations in the coupled reactor. It seems to have been outcompeted by heterotrophic bacteria (Rhizobiaceae and Dechloromonas sp.) for oxygen. Significance and Impact of the Study: The results obtained show the limitations of the coupled reactor examined in this study. Further investigations should focus on the operating conditions of this reactor in order to favour the growth of the methanotrophs.
Echocardiographic and Phonocardiographic Characteristics of the Lillehei-Kaster Mitral Valve Prosthesis

The Lillehei-Kaster (L-K) valve is a tilting disc prosthesis currently in use for heart valve replacement. We report data from phonocardiography (PHONO) and echocardiography (ECHO) in 20 patients with a normally functioning mitral valve prosthesis (MVP). The MVP is well recorded by ECHO, resembling a mitral stenosis pattern with a disc excursion of 7 to 12 mm and a mean opening and closing velocity of 37.7 and 59.8 cm/sec, respectively. Combined PHONO and ECHO show that the opening sound of the MVP is small, related to onset of valve opening and not peak opening. It follows the aortic component of the second sound (A 2 ) by 0.05 to 0.09 sec in normals; it may be absent (12/20). Peak opening follows A 2 by 0.08 to 0.12 sec. The closing sound of the MVP, best heard in the mitral area, is always two-fold with a small initial high frequency (HF) component and a second large HF sound separated by no more than 0.03 sec. The first component (A) is related to onset of closure and the second (B) to completion of closure. Systolic and diastolic murmurs were commonly present. These data establish the normal ECHO and PHONO findings for patients with L-K MVP. Two other patients are also reported in whom such data were helpful for the noninvasive evaluation of valve function, indicating in one instance acute mitral regurgitation and in the other an increase in degree of aortic regurgitation.