cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Warm Responsiveness Across the Transition to Parenthood

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Postpartum depression effects up to 12.4% of women and negatively impacts parenting behaviors as early as infancy. This study examined the associations between maternal depressive symptoms and warm responsiveness from the third trimester of pregnancy through 18 months postpartum. This study assessed a high risk community sample (N = 682) of first-time mothers, ranging in age from 14–36 years old, with a majority identifying as African American and low income. Maternal depressive symptoms were assessed with a self-report measure, the Beck Depression Inventory II, prenatally and at six and 12 months postpartum, while maternal warm responsiveness data were coded via in-home observations with the Landry Observational measure at four, eight, and 18 months postpartum. Latent growth curve modeling was used to assess the associations between depressive symptoms and warm responsiveness over time. The change in depressive symptoms was −4.92 (SE = 0.39, p < 0.0001) demonstrating that depressive symptoms decreased over time. The change in warm responsiveness was −0.55 (SE = 0.06, p < 0.0001) demonstrating that warm responsiveness also decreased over time. Greater depressive symptoms prenatally were significantly associated with less warm responsiveness at 4 months postpartum (B = −0.03, SE = 0.01, p < 0.01). However, changes in depressive symptoms were not significantly associated with changes in warm responsiveness over time. It is important to assess for symptoms of depression during pregnancy in order to provide women the opportunity to have access to more resources and support.
All jumbled up: authenticity in American culinary history

This paper explores the history of jumbles, a type of cookies, through the duration of American history from the colonial period through today. The evolution of jumbles illustrates the ways that re...
Relationship Between Perceptions of Treatment Goals and Psychological Distress in Patients With Advanced Cancer.

Background Studies have shown gaps in prognostic understanding among patients with cancer. However, few studies have explored patients' perceptions of their treatment goals versus how they perceive their oncologist's goals, and the association of these views with their psychological distress. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of 559 patients with incurable lung, gastrointestinal, breast, and brain cancers. The Prognosis and Treatment Perception Questionnaire was used to assess patients' reports of their treatment goal and their oncologist's treatment goal, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to assess patients' psychological symptoms. Results We found that 61.7% of patients reported that both their treatment goal and their oncologist's treatment goal were noncurative, whereas 19.3% reported that both their goal and their oncologist's goal were to cure their cancer, 13.9% reported that their goal was to cure their cancer whereas their oncologist's goal was noncurative, and 5% reported that their goal was noncurative whereas their oncologist's goal was curative. Patients who reported both their goal and their oncologist's goal as noncurative had higher levels of depression (B=0.99; P=.021) and anxiety symptoms (B=1.01; P=.015) compared with those who reported that both their goal and their oncologist's goal was curative. Patients with discordant perceptions of their goal and their oncologist's goal reported higher anxiety symptoms (B=1.47; P=.004) compared with those who reported that both their goal and their oncologist's goal were curative. Conclusions One-fifth of patients with incurable cancer reported that both their treatment goal and their oncologist's goal were to cure their cancer. Patients who acknowledged the noncurative intent of their treatment and those who perceived that their treatment goal was discordant from that of their oncologist reported greater psychological distress.
Mobility Device Use and Mobility Disability in U.S. Medicare Beneficiaries With and Without Cancer History

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES To examine the prevalence of mobility device use in U.S. community-dwelling older adults including older adults with cancer history ("survivors") and to estimate mobility disability noting variation by cancer history, cancer site, and other factors to improve early detection of mobility limitations. DESIGN Cross-sectional analysis from the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study. SETTING In-person interviews in the homes of study participants. PARTICIPANTS Nationally representative sample of community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries, aged 65 and older (n = 6,080 including 1,203 survivors). MEASUREMENTS Participants were asked about cancer history, pain that limited activity, mobility device use (eg, canes, walkers, wheelchairs, and scooters), history of falls, and medical conditions plus they were assessed for approximate mobility disability using a 3-m gait speed test. The results were scored on a scale of 0 to 4 (0 = lowest, 4 = highest) using criteria from the National Institute on Aging. RESULTS A total of 19% of older adults and 23% of survivors reported using one or more mobility device, most commonly a single-point cane. Approximately 10% of breast, 6% of prostate, and 3% of colorectal cancer survivors reported using two or more devices in the past month. Survivors had lower mean gait speed scores (2.27) than adults without cancer history (2.39). In regression models, survivors were 18% less likely than adults without cancer history to score high on the gait speed test (odds ratio = .82; P < .05). Prior mobility device use, history of multiple falls, unhealthy weight, Black race, multimorbidity, and pain that limited activity were associated with lower gait speed scores in all participants (all P < .05). CONCLUSION A greater proportion of older survivors used mobility devices than adults without cancer history. Mobility device use varied by cancer site and was highest in survivors of breast, colorectal, and gynecological cancer. Survivors were also more likely to show signs of mobility disability, based on gait speed, compared with adults without cancer history. These indications, although modest, suggest that older survivors may require special attention to functional changes in survivorship.
The Transistor, an Emerging Invention: Bell Labs as a Systems Integrator Rather Than a ‘House of Magic’

The transistor is one of the most consequential human inventions with dissemination of the eventual MOS-FET design estimated to exceed one quintillion devices. However, the transistor’s genesis remains poorly understood. Many received accounts associate transistor invention closely with a small group of Bell Labs scientists during the 1947-1948 period. This paper argues that such a view is too narrow. Rather, the transistor – as a solid-state amplifier – emerged over a period of several decades starting with early observations of anomalous amplification in semiconductor crystals and early device designs during the 1910s and 1920s. Other types of relevant knowledge evolved in the form of advances in solid-state physics and materials processing techniques during the 1930s and early 1940s. Bell Labs identified, absorbed, evaluated, and integrated such diverse but interrelated knowledge streams – making Bell Labs appear much more like a systems integrator than the prototypical closed innovation organization it is often portrayed as. The Bell Labs transistor effort was both mission- and device-oriented with the specific goal of turning existing but imperfect solid-state amplifier designs into reliable substitutes for vacuum tubes – as such the research program is better described as applied industrial research rather than basic research. Through its systems integration activities, Bell Labs catalyzed a qualitative shift in the hitherto fragmented semiconductor field, enabling greater resource allocation and intensified research activity, as reflected in a hike in publication growth rates and the later introduction of marketed products. Thus expanded research activity eventually led to the 1959 MOS-FET design as the transistor’s dominant design used in large-scale dissemination such as in modern computer chips. Consequently, I propose to view the transistor as an emerging invention – in contrast to a discrete or singular one – with an emergence period spanning several decades. I propose to distinguish between an exploration phase (~1920-1945), a consolidation phase (1945-1950), and a maturation phase (1950-) whereas the intermediate consolidation phase represents a topological transition as is characteristic of emerging fields. Another emphasis of this article lies on the role of informal knowledge in the invention process. In the transistor case, such informal knowledge included patent specifications with proposed device designs, amateur radio magazine articles with reported anomalies, and oral anecdotes in practitioner circles describing experimental configurations of interest. This research asserts that such kinds of informal knowledge played an important role early on in the invention process as they guided both early research campaigns and managerial decisions, including at Bell Labs.
Systemic mastocytosis in adults: 2021 Update on diagnosis, risk stratification and management.

Overview Systemic mastocytosis (SM) results from a clonal proliferation of abnormal mast cells (MC) in extra-cutaneous organs. Diagnosis The major criterion is presence of multifocal clusters of spindled MC in the bone marrow. Minor diagnostic criteria include elevated serum tryptase level, abnormal MC CD25 expression, and presence of KITD816V mutation. Risk stratification Establishing SM subtype as per the World Health Organization classification system is an important first step. Broadly, patients either have indolent/smoldering SM (ISM/SSM) or advanced SM, the latter includes aggressive SM (ASM), SM with associated hematological neoplasm (SM-AHN), and mast cell leukemia (MCL). Identification of poor-risk mutations (ie, ASXL1, RUNX1, SRSF2, NRAS) further refines the risk stratification. Recently, clinical and hybrid clinical-molecular risk models have been developed to more accurately assign prognosis in SM patients. Management Treatment goals for ISM patients are primarily directed towards anaphylaxis prevention/symptom control/osteoporosis treatment. Patients with advanced SM frequently need MC cytoreductive therapy to ameliorate disease-related organ dysfunction. High response rates have been seen with small-molecule inhibitors that target mutant-KIT, including midostaurin (Food and Drug Administration approved) or avapritinib (investigational). Other options for MC cytoreduction include cladribine or interferon-α, although head-to-head comparisons are lacking. Treatment of SM-AHN primarily targets the AHN component, particularly if an aggressive disease such as acute myeloid leukemia is present. Allogeneic stem cell transplant can be considered in such patients, or in those with relapsed/refractory advanced SM. Imatinib has a limited therapeutic role in SM; effective cytoreduction is limited to those with imatinib-sensitive KIT mutations.
Abstract 15378: Impact of Delirium on Mortality in Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure: A National Inpatient Sample Study

Introduction: Heart Failure (HF) is one of the leading causes of hospitalization in USA accounting for ≈ 800,000 hospital discharges and $11 billion annually. Delirium is a common problem in the el...
Virtual Interviews in Neurosurgery Resident Selection- A Work in Progress.

Introduction Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ACGME recommended all interviews for the 2021 residency application cycle be held virtually. Because this is major shift from neurosurgical interviews in past years, this study aims to evaluate both applicant and interviewer satisfaction of conducting interviews virtually. Methods For faculty, an 11-question online survey was sent to 116 United States neurosurgery training programs. A 14-question online survey was sent to 255 neurosurgery applicants. The resulting data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Results From applicants, 118 responses were received. From faculty, 171 individual responses were received. Thirty-five percent (34.7%) of applicants agreed that they were satisfied with the virtual interview process as a whole. Although 44.5% of faculty disagreed with the statement “I would like to replace in-person interviews with virtual interviews in the future”, 57.3% of faculty agreed that they were likely to implement virtual interviews in the future. Conclusions Some things might be better assessed through in-person interviews, but there are clear benefits to virtual interviews. Future iterations of the interview process, incorporating virtual interviews, might help determine how and in which situations virtual interviews can be utilized in future residency application cycles.
Free Logic: Selected Essays

Free logic is an important field of philosophical logic that first appeared in the 1950s. J. Karel Lambert was one of its founders and coined the term itself. The essays in this collection (written over a period of 40 years) explore the philosophical foundations of free logic and its application to areas as diverse as the philosophy of religion and computer science. Amongst the applications on offer are those to the analysis of existence statements, to definite descriptions and to partial functions. The volume contains a proof that free logics of any kind are non-extensional and then uses that proof to show that Quine's theory of predication and referential transparency must fail. The purpose of this collection is to bring an important body of work to the attention of a new generation of professional philosophers, computer scientists and mathematicians.
Obesity: Overview of Treatments and Interventions

This chapter provides a broad overview of weight-management interventions. We start with clinical assessment and the relevance of excess fat accumulation and then review specific interventions. These range from relatively low risk (e.g., lifestyle modifications) to higher risk but potentially a higher benefit for those individuals more compromised by their higher body weights. Ultimately, we encourage the reader to think about the treatment of obesity not just from an acute weight-loss perspective but also from the perspective of both prevention of weight gain and prevention of weight regain following the acute weight-loss phase.
FM Model Based Fingerprint Reconstruction from Minutiae Template

Minutiae-based representation is the most widely adopted fingerprint representation scheme. The compactness of minutiae template has created an impression that the minutiae template does not contain sufficient information to allow the reconstruction of the original fingerprint image. This belief has now been shown to be false; several algorithms have been proposed that can reconstruct fingerprint images from minutiae templates. However, these reconstruction techniques have a common weak point: many spurious minutiae, not included in the original minutiae template, are generated in the reconstructed image. Moreover, some of these techniques can only reconstruct a partial fingerprint. In this paper, a novel fingerprint reconstruction algorithm is proposed, which not only reconstructs the whole fingerprint, but the reconstructed fingerprint contains very few spurious minutiae. A fingerprint image is modeled as a 2D Frequency Modulation (FM) signal whose phase consists of the continuous part and the spiral part (which corresponds to minutiae). An algorithm is proposed to reconstruct the continuous phase from minutiae. The proposed reconstruction algorithm has been evaluated with respect to the success rates of type-I attack (match the reconstructed fingerprint against the original fingerprint) and type-II attack (match the reconstructed fingerprint against the different impressions of the original fingerprint) using a commercial fingerprint recognition system. Both types of attacks were shown to be successful in deceiving the fingerprint system.
Commentary on the Chapter by Marjorie Montague and Asha Jitendra, “Research-Based Mathematics Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities”

In their chapter, Montague and Jitendra highlight that many students with disabilities are not making adequate progress in their mathematical performance. Further, both cognitive and behavioral characteristics appear to interfere with their performance and development in mathematics. In response to these concerns, Montague and Jitendra highlight two instructional approaches—Solve It! and Schema-Based Instruction (SBI), that can be used to help students with disabilities improve their mathematical performance.
Imaging and manipulating phosphoinositides in living cells

Phosphoinositides are minor phospholipid constituents of virtually every biological membrane yet they play fundamental roles in controlling membrane-bound signalling events. Phosphoinositides are produced from phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) by phosphorylation of one or more of three positions (3, 4 and 5) of the inositol headgroup located at the membrane cytoplasmic interface by distinct families of inositol lipid kinases. Intriguingly, many of the kinase reactions are catalysed by more than one form of the kinases even in simple organisms and these enzymes often assume non-redundant functions. A similar diversity is seen with inositide phosphatases, the enzymes that dephosphorylate phosphoinositides with a certain degree of specificity and the impairments of which are often linked to human diseases. This degree of multiplicity at the enzyme level together with the universal roles of these lipids in cell regulation assumes that inositol lipids are spatially and functionally restricted in specific membrane compartments. Studying the compartmentalized roles of these lipids at the cellular level represents a major methodological challenge. Over the last 10 years significant progress has been made in creating reagents that can monitor inositol lipid changes in live cells with fluorescence or confocal microscopy. New methods are also being developed to manipulate these lipids in specific membrane compartments in a regulated fashion. This article recalls some historical aspects of inositide research and describes the new methodological advances highlighting their great potential as well as the problems one can encounter with their use.
Probability Bounds Analysis as a General Approach to Sensitivity Analysis in Decision Making under Uncertainty

Engineers often perform sensitivity analyses to explore how changes in the inputs of a physical process or a model affect the outputs. This type of exploration is also important for the decision-making process. Specifically, engineers may want to explore whether the available information is sufficient to make a robust decision, or whether there exists sufficient uncertainty—i.e., lack of information—that the optimal solution to the decision problem is unclear, in which case it can be said to be sensitive to information state. In this paper, it is shown that an existing method for modeling and propagating uncertainty, called Probability Bounds Analysis (PBA), actually provides a general approach for exploring the global sensitivity of a decision problem that involves both probabilistic and imprecise information. Specifically, it is shown that PBA conceptually generalizes an approach to sensitivity analysis suggested in the area of decision analysis. The global nature of the analysis theoretically guarantees that the decision maker will identify any sensitivity in the formulated problem and information state. However, a tradeoff is made in the numerical implementation of PBA; a particular existing implementation that preserves the guarantee of identifying existing sensitivity is overly conservative and can result in “false alarms.” The use of interval arithmetic in sensitivity analysis is discussed, and additional advantages and limitations of PBA as a sensitivity analysis tool are identified.
Sampling and Preparation of Marine Sediments

The recent development in the exploitation of the resources of the ocean floors of the world for petroleum, natural gas, and other minerals, along with waste disposal has resulted in an increased interest in the application of geotechnical sciences to the marine environment (Anderson, 1981; Chaney, 1984; Chaney and Fang, 1985, 1986; Chaney et al., 1986; Fang and Chaney, 1985, 1986; Fang and Owen, 1977; Lee, 1985; Richards and Chaney, 1981, 1982; Winterkorn and Fang, 1971). The selection of an offshore site is essential for most seafloor engineering projects. It is a process strongly influenced by engineering judgment that is often constrained by economic, political, environmental, and societal considerations. Fletcher (1969) considers that the purpose of an offshore site investigation is to “secure such information by procedures appropriate to the project and to report the findings in sufficient technical detail to provide a basis for economic studies and design decisions.” The process of site evaluation from the recognition of a siting problem to the development of a problem solution involves a number of discrete steps as shown in Figure 2.1 (Chaney et al., 1985). These steps are: (1) determination of environmental loading, (2) site reconnaissance, (3) development of a stratigraphic model based on both a combination of sampling and in-situ testing, and (4) interpretation of data.
Valuing Public Goods

Why we do not spend enough on public goods--the author makes an economic case. The upshot is that we undervalue them.
Black Raspberry Constituents and Genistein Do Not Alter the Effectiveness of Taxane Chemotherapy in Human Prostate Cancer Cells

It is common for cancer patients to use dietary supplements in addition to standard of care therapy and/or modify their diets. The use of soy products is common for men with prostate cancer (PCa) a...
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology: Environmental and Health Impacts

Preface. Contributors. PART I ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH IMPACTS OF NANOMATERIALS: OVERVIEW AND CHALLENGES. Chapter 1: Nanomaterials and the Environment (Mai A. Ngo, Suzette Smiley-Jewell, Peter Aldous, and Kent E. Pinkerton). Chapter 2: Assessing the Life Cycle Environmental Implications of Nanomanufacturing: Opportunities and Challenges (Vikas Khanna, Yi Zhang, Geoffrey Grubb, and Bhavik R. Bakshi). Chapter 3: An Integrated Approach Toward Understanding the Environmental Fate, Transport, Toxicity, and Health Hazards of Nanomaterials (John M. Pettibone, Sherrie Elzey, and Vicki H. Grassian). PART II FATE AND TRANSPORT OF NANOMATERIALS IN THE ENVIRONMENT. Chapter 4: Properties of Commercial Nanoparticles that Affect Their Removal During Water Treatment (Paul Westerhoff, Yang Zhang, John Crittenden, and Yongsheng Chen). Chapter 5: Transport and Retention of Nanomaterials in Porous Media (Kurt D. Pennell, Jed Costanza, and Yonggang Wang). Chapter 6: Transport of Nanomaterials in Unsaturated Porous Media (Lixia Chen and Tohren C.G. Kibbey). Chapter 7: Surface Oxides on Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs): Effects on CNT Stability and Sorption Properties in Aquatic Environments (Howard Fairbrother, Billy Smith, Josh Wnuk, Kevin Wepasnick,William P. Ball, Hyunhee Cho, and Fazlullah K. Bangash). Chapter 8: Chemical and Photochemical Reactivity of Fullerenes in the Aqueous Phase (John D. Fortner, Jaesang Lee, Jae-Hong Kim, and Joseph B. Hughes). Chapter 9: Bacterial Interactions with CdSe Quantum Dots and Environmental Implications (Jay L. Nadeau, John H. Priester, Galen D. Stucky, and Patricia A. Holden). PART III TOXICITY AND HEALTH HAZARDS OF NANOMATERIALS. Chapter 10: Potential Toxicity of Fullerenes and Molecular Modeling of Their Transport across Lipid Membranes (Dmitry I. Kopelevich, Jean-Claude Bonzongo, Ryan A. Tasseff, Jie Gao, Young-Min Ban, and Gabriel Bitton). Chapter 11: In Vitro Models for Nanoparticle Toxicology (John M. Veranth). Chapter 12: Biological Activity of Mineral Fibers and Carbon Particulates: Implications for Nanoparticle Toxicity and the Role of Surface Chemistry (Prabir K. Dutta, John F. Long, Marshall V. Williams, and W. James Waldman). Chapter 13: Growth and Some Enzymatic Responses of E. Coli to Photocatalytic TiO2 319 (Ayca Erdem, Dan Cha, and Chin Pao Huang). Chapter 14: Bioavailability, Trophic Transfer, and Toxicity of Manufactured Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles in Terrestrial Environments (Jason Unrine, Paul Bertsch, and Simona Hunyadi). Chapter 15: Health Effects of Inhaled Engineered Nanoscale Materials (Amy K. Madl and Kent E. Pinkerton). Chapter 16: Neurotoxicity of Manufactured Nanoparticles (Jaime M. Hatcher, Dean P. Jones, Gary W. Miller, and Kurt D. Pennell). Chapter 17: Occupational Health Hazards of Nanoparticles (Patrick T. O'Shaughnessy). References. Index. CONTENTS.
Photon-Efficient Computational 3-D and Reflectivity Imaging With Single-Photon Detectors

Capturing depth and reflectivity images at low light levels from active illumination of a scene has wide-ranging applications. Conventionally, even with detectors sensitive to individual photons, hundreds of photon detections are needed at each pixel to mitigate Poisson noise. We develop a robust method for estimating depth and reflectivity using fixed dwell time per pixel and on the order of one detected photon per pixel averaged over the scene. Our computational image formation method combines physically accurate single-photon counting statistics with exploitation of the spatial correlations present in real-world reflectivity and 3-D structure. Experiments conducted in the presence of strong background light demonstrate that our method is able to accurately recover scene depth and reflectivity, while traditional imaging methods based on maximum likelihood (ML) estimation or approximations thereof lead to noisier images. For depth, performance compares favorably to signal-independent noise removal algorithms such as median filtering or block-matching and 3-D filtering (BM3D) applied to the pixelwise ML estimate; for reflectivity, performance is similar to signal-dependent noise removal algorithms such as Poisson nonlocal sparse PCA and BM3D with variance-stabilizing transformation. Our framework increases photon efficiency 100-fold over traditional processing and also improves, somewhat, upon first-photon imaging under a total acquisition time constraint in raster-scanned operation. Thus, our new imager will be useful for rapid, low-power, and noise-tolerant active optical imaging, and its fixed dwell time will facilitate parallelization through use of a detector array.
Work-up of the solitary pulmonary nodule

Although the solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN) is a common presentation of lung cancer, most SPNs are benign. The challenge in evaluating SPNs is to avoid invasive procedures in patients who have benign nodules, without allowing potentially curable bronchogenic carcinomas the time to progress to more advanced or even unresectable disease. Various approaches include assessment of nodule morphology, interval growth and contrast enhancement, as well as techniques such as percutaneous biopsy, positron emission tomography scanning and depreotide imaging. The role of each of these approaches is discussed.
Caregiver and care recipient characteristics as predictors of psychotropic medication use in community-dwelling dementia patients

Objectives: The current practice of prescribing psychotropic medication for the management of dementia-related behavioral disturbances is under substantial debate. Using Pearlin's stress process model as theoretical underpinning, the aim of this investigation is to identify caregiver and care recipient characteristics as predictors of anxiolytic, antipsychotic, and antidepressant use among community-dwelling dementia patients. We hypothesized that caregiving burden and patient characteristics, particularly behavior disturbances and pain, would be positively associated with psychotropic medication use.Methods: Data for this exploratory, cross-sectional study were drawn from the baseline assessment of the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health II trial. Only participants with full baseline information were examined (N = 598). Caregiver characteristics, such as confidence managing problematic behaviors, and care recipient characteristics including pain, problem behaviors, cognitive impairment, ...
Substrate Oxidation by Cytochrome P450 Enzymes

Cytochrome P450 mechanisms continue to surprise and delight, although the field is growing to maturity and the completely unexpected is less frequently encountered. Experimentally, the past few years have seen major progress in characterizing the intermediates that are formed as molecular oxygen is activated to the final oxidizing species. All the intermediates, with the exception of the critical ferryl species, have now been directly observed by various spectroscopic and crystallographic methods. The ferric peroxo anion has been found to act as the oxidizing agent with a growing range of highly electrophilic substrates. In contrast, the proposed role for the ferric hydroperoxo complex as an electrophilic oxidizing agent remains a matter of debate, as the evidence advanced in support of the proposal is circumstantial and contradictory. Although the ferryl species remains elusive, it is increasingly clear that it plays the predominant role as the oxidizing agent in the P450 catalytic cycle. A second area that has recently received considerable attention is the mechanism of hydrocarbon hydroxylation, the key question being whether the radical rebound mechanism that has held sway for three decades is in fact valid. The contradictory results obtained with radical and cation probes, which have provided most of the new evidence, must be resolved by further experimentation in order for this quest ionto be settled. The development of a two-state model for the catalytic action of P450 enzymes may be one of the most important recent advances in the field, as it provides a ready explanation for a variety of otherwise contradictory data, some of which argues for concerted and some for nonconcerted oxidation mechanisms. No doubt, the next few years will uncover novel aspects of P450 function and will lead to deeper and more sophisticated understanding of the catalytic mechanisms of the amazing family of P450 enzymes.
A molecular simulation study of Pt stability on oxidized carbon nanoparticles

Abstract Molecular simulation is used to model the structural change of carbon nanoparticles in terms of total mass loss during the oxidation process. The density changes as well as simulation snapshots suggest a location-dependent gasification, particularly taking place in the core of the carbon particles. A graphitic shell structure of degraded carbon particles obtained from our simulations is in agreement with experimental observations. In addition, the shrinkage of graphitic crystallites near the carbon surface leads to the formation of micropores, the volume of which increases with the oxidation level. On the basis of this carbon model, the stability of Pt nanoparticles is investigated for various temperatures and roughnesses of the carbon surface. Simulation results show that migration and coalescence of Pt particles indeed occur, but at a low rate. In particular, detachment and transport of small Pt clusters were observed from simulation snapshots, supporting the argument that the transport of molecular Pt species occurs on carbon surface. The thermal activation plays a key role in the deformation of the Pt crystal structure. During simulations, both the size and surface of Pt particles increase at elevated temperature, i.e. 600 °C. However, only a few of the surface Pt atoms may contribute to the catalytic performance due to their site-dependent reactivity.
Divergent functions for eIF4E and S6 kinase by sonic hedgehog mitogenic signaling in the developing cerebellum.

Cerebellar development entails rapid peri-natal proliferation of cerebellar granule neuron precursors (CGNPs), proposed cells-of-origin for certain medulloblastomas. CGNPs require insulin-like growth factor (IGF) for survival and sonic hedgehog (Shh)—implicated in medulloblastoma—for proliferation. The IGF-responsive kinase mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) drives proliferation-associated protein synthesis. We asked whether Shh signaling regulates mTOR targets to promote CGNP proliferation despite constitutive IGF signaling under proliferative and differentiation-promoting conditions. Surprisingly, Shh promoted eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) expression, but inhibited S6 kinase (S6K). In vivo, S6K activity specifically marked the CGNP population transitioning from proliferation-competent to post-mitotic. Indeed, eIF4E was required for CGNP proliferation, while S6K activation drove cell cycle exit. Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) inhibition rescued S6K activity. Moreover, Shh upregulated the PP2A B56γ subunit, which targets S6K for inactivation and was required for CGNP proliferation. These findings reveal unique developmental functions for eIF4E and S6 kinase wherein their activity is specifically uncoupled by mitogenic Shh signaling.
Standardised Observation Analogue Procedure (SOAP) for assessing parent and child behaviours in clinical trials

AbstractBackground Observational measures of parent and child behaviours have a long history in child psychiatric and psychological intervention research, including the field of autism and developmental disability. We describe the development of the Standardised Observational Analogue Procedure (SOAP) for the assessment of parent–child behaviour before and after a structured parent training program for children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). We report on the use of this procedure in a pilot study of 12 participants with PDD.Results Inter-rater reliability across behaviours coded ranged from 75–100% agreement. Blindly scored observations of behaviour showed medium effect sizes for changes in inappropriate child behaviour. Analyses of baseline scores revealed a moderate positive correlation between inappropriate child behaviours as measured in all four SOAP conditions and parent ratings of child noncompliance (rs = .66, p < .05). By contrast, the correlations of SOAP scores with parent rating...
Disordered growth hormone secretion in fibromyalgia: a review of recent findings and a hypothesized etiology.

Growth hormone (GH) deficiency occurs in about 30% of fibromyalgia patients. Treatment of GH deficient fibromyalgia patients with recombinant growth hormone improves several clinical features, including the tender point count. Defective GH secretion in these patients appears to be due to increased somatostatin tone in the hypothalamus. An hypothesis is presented which relates dysfunctional GH secretion to the effects of intermittent hypercortisolemia on upregulating the density of β-adrenergic receptors in the hypothalamus. The resulting augmentation of β-adrenergic tone stimulates the release of somatostatin, thus, impairing GH secretion.
Autocatalytic thermal decomposition kinetics of TNT

Abstract Thermal analysis has been employed to determine the kinetics and the energetics of the slow cook-off chemistry of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) by isothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in high-pressure crucibles sealed under air. Model-free isoconversional analysis of the DSC kinetic traces has been used to determine activation energies (Eα) and the functional form of the reaction model (dependence of reaction rate on the extent of conversion, α). While the variation in Eα with α is in qualitative agreement with the literature it is nevertheless constant within the 95% confidence limits at 140±10 kJ mol−1. Hence, no systematic variation in Eα occurs over the course of the reaction. Rather, the reaction model exhibits a large increase in the range 0.1
Simple and rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for esmolol.

Abstract A procedure for determining esmolol concentrations in blood is described. Dichloromethane was used to extract esmolol from the blood and to inhibit the activity of blood esterases. Blood esmolol concentrations were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography using 3-methoxy-O-demethylencainide as the internal standard. The limit of detection of this assay was 5 ng/ml. The relationship between the peak-height ratio of esmolol and the internal standard was linear in the concentration ranges 10–30 000 ng/ml. The mean absolute and relative recoveries of esmolol from blood were 84 and 89%, with coefficients of variation less than 3%. This method has been used in our laboratory for pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies.
Uniform tail-decay of Lipschitz functions implies Cheeger's isoperimetric inequality under convexity assumptions

We show that for convex domains in Euclidean space, Cheeger's isoperimetric inequality, spectral-gap of the Neumann Laplacian, exponential concentration of Lipschitz functions, and the a priori weakest uniform tail-decay of these functions, are all equivalent (to within universal constants, independent of the dimension). This substantially extends previous results of Maz'ya, Cheeger, Gromov–Milman, Buser and Ledoux. As an application, we conclude the stability of the spectral-gap for convex domains under convex perturbations which preserve volume (up to constants) and under maps which are “on-average” Lipschitz. We also provide a new characterization of the Cheeger constant, as one over the expectation of the distance from the “worst” Borel set having half the measure of the convex domain. In addition, we easily recover (and extend) many previously known lower bounds, due to Payne–Weinberger, Li–Yau and Kannan–Lovasz–Simonovits, on the Cheeger constant of convex domains. Essential to our proof is a result from Riemannian Geometry on the concavity of the isoperimetric profile. Our results extend to the more general setting of Riemannian manifolds with density which satisfy the CD(0,∞) curvature-dimension condition of Bakry–Emery. To cite this article: E. Milman, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 346 (2008).
Photoluminescence and X-ray characterization of relaxed Si1 − xGex alloys grown on silicon on insulator (SOI) and implanted SOI substrates

Boron and oxygen were implanted into the SiO 2 region of a thin silicon on insulator (SOI) substrate to form borosilicate glass and reduce the reflow temperature needed for compliant substrates. The effect of lowering the reflow temperature was examined by characterizing a strained Si 0.7 Ge 0.3 layer which was grown on the implanted compliant substrate by molecular beam epitaxy. Photoluminescence (PL) and triple-axis X-ray diffraction were used to characterize film quality, Ge concentration and percent relaxation. A marked decrease in the annealing temperature required (roughly a difference of 300°C) to relax the Si 0.7 Ge 0.3 layer was fully observed. The PL spectra show a broad band around 800 meV that is believed to be related to the relaxation of the SiGe layer. The intensity of this peak first increases and then decreases dramatically when the annealing temperature reaches the point when the SiGe layer begins to relax or the underlying glass begins to flow. For the sample grown on the boron and oxygen implanted BESOI, this low-energy peak is shown to disappear completely at an annealing temperature of 900°C. Above 900°C, we begin to see the evolution of near band-gap luminescence for the Si 0.7 Ge 0.3 layer grown on implanted BESOI. An energy peak which shifts to higher energies, from 970 to 1025 meV, with greater relaxation is only observed for the sample grown on the implanted substrate. It is believed that the observation of near band-gap luminescence is primarily due to the reduced reflow temperature and a low-defect dislocation concentration in the Si 0.7 Ge 0.3 film.
CRYSTAL STRUCTURES AND SYNTHESIS OF THE COPPER-DOMINANT MEMBERS OF THE AUTUNITE AND META-AUTUNITE GROUPS: TORBERNITE, ZEUNERITE, METATORBERNITE AND METAZEUNERITE

Nous avons synthetise la torbernite, Cu[(UO 2 )(PO 4 )] 2 (H 2 O) 1 2 , la zeunerite, Cu[(UO 2 )(AsO 4 )] 2 (H 2 O) 1 2 , la metatorbernite, Cu[(UO 2 )(PO 4 )] 2 (H 2 O) 8 , et la metazeunerite, Cu[(UO 2 )(AsO 4 )] 2 (H 2 O) 8 , par diffusion dans des gels ou bien par voie hydrothermale. Les intensites des raies en diffraction X sur monocristal ont ete mesurees a temperature ambiante en utilisant un rayonnement MoKa et un detecteur de type CCD. Nous avons resolu la structure des quatre composes par methodes directes, avec affinement sur matrice entiere par techniques de moindres carres en utilisant les facteurs F2 pour toutes les reflexions uniques jusqu'a un residu wR 2 (torbernite, zeunerite, metatorbernite et metazeunerite) de 5.6, 3.5, 4.8 et 5.1% pour toutes les donnees, et R1 de 2.4, 1.6, 2.0 et 2.3%, calcule pour 764, 468, 794 et 1447 reflexions uniques observees (‖F o ‖ ≥ 4σ F ), respectivement. La torbernite est tetragonale, groupe spatial P4/nnc, a 7.0267(4), c 20.807(2) A, V 1027.3(1) A 3 , Z = 2, D c a l c 3.264(1) g/cm 3 . La zeunerite est isostructurale avec la torbernite, a 7.1797(3), c 20.857(1) A, V 1075.1(1) A 3 , Z= 2, D c a l c 3.391(1) g/cm 3 . La structure de la metatorbernite a ete determinee a partir d'un cristal macle par meroedrie. Elle est tetragonale, groupe spatial P4/n, a 6.9756(5), c 17.349(2) A, V 844.2(1) A 3 , Z = 2, D c a l c 3.689(1) g/cm 3 . La metazeunerite est isostructurale avec la metatorbernite, a 7.1094(1), c 17.416(1) A, V 880.3(1) A 3 , Z = 2, D c a l c 3.869(1) g/cm 3 ; le cristal qui a servi a l'ebauche aussi est macle. Ces mineraux contiennent un feuillet de type autunite, de composition [(UO 2 )(PO 4 )] - , dans lequel il y a partage des coins equatoriaux des bipyramides carrees a uranyle avec des tetraedres de phosphate. Dans chacune des structures, les cations Cu 2 + sont situes entre les feuillets dans des octaedres rendus difformes (4 + 2) a cause de l'effet de Jahn-Teller, avec des liaisons courtes a quatre groupes H 2 O dans un agencement carre planaire, et deux liaisons plus longues aux atomes d'oxygene des ions uranyle. Un groupe H 2 O symetriquement independant est present dans chaque structure, lie seulement par liaisons hydrogene, et dans la torbernite (et la zeunerite) forme des agencements planaires carres de groupes interstitiels de H 2 O par-dessus et par-dessous les plans contenant les cations Cu 2 + . L'affinement des quatre structures avec certaines contraintes a propos des longueurs des liaisons impliquant l'hydrogene a mene a des descriptions cristallochimiquement raisonnables des liaisons hydrogene.
Two neural-cell adhesion molecule(NCAM)-encoding genes in Xenopus laevis are expressed during development and in adult tissues

Expression of genes encoding neural-cell adhesion molecules (NCAM) is regulated to a large extent at the level of alternative splicing. Xenopus laevis contains two functional copies of the NCAM gene and comparison of the amino acid sequences of NCAM proteins derived from both genes shows that they differ at approximately 8% of positions. Differential expression of these proteins during development or in adult tissues could provide an additional level of regulation above that obtained by alternative splicing. PCR analysis however, shows that both NCAM genes are expressed at similar levels throughout embryonic development and in all adult tissues examined.
Robust suppression of background reflections in PIV images

Strong background reflections in PIV images are known to bias velocity estimates and their concomitant statistical ensembles. Many methods have been developed to eliminate background reflections, with the common premise of generating a reference background intensity map that is then subtracted from each individual PIV image prior to interrogation. This reference background intensity map can be generated in several ways, including acquiring a background image without particles, calculating the average or minimum intensity map based on an ensemble of PIV images, generating a reference intensity map for each individual PIV realization by means of various local sliding filters or considering the second frame of any PIV realization as its reference intensity map. Motivated by the need to suppress background reflections in a PIV study of flow over highly irregular surface roughness that generated significant diffuse background reflections from the complex topography, the efficacy of these methods was studied. It was found that all failed to adequately suppress such reflections, rendering the resulting velocity fields biased. A local-median normalization algorithm was developed to further suppress background reflections and this note reports the performance of this modified algorithm compared to those previously reported in the literature.
The Sub-acute and Chronic Toxicity of 1,1-Dimethylhydrazine Vapor

(1960). The Sub-acute and Chronic Toxicity of 1,1-Dimethylhydrazine Vapor. American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal: Vol. 21, No. 3, pp. 207-210.
Variation in the polypeptide composition of phycobilisomes from Anacystis nidulans and three pigment mutants.

Phycobilisomes, light harvesting antenna pigment systems, were studied from Anacystis nidulans wild type and from several spontaneous pigment mutants selected for improved growth in far-red light (>650 nm). This is the first characterization and description of polypeptide composition of phycobilisomes from spontaneous mutants (not chemically induced) of A. nidulans. The mutants had significant changes in the phycobiliprotein content relative to chlorophyll (Chl). Two phycobiliproteins, C-phycocyanin (λmax 625 nm) and allophycocyanin (λmax 650 nm) were present in a molar ratio of ∼3:1 in the wild type. In the mutants the amount of allophycocyanin (APC) per cell remained constant but the phycocyanin (PC) content varied. Phycobilisomes of the mutants 85Y, 19Y and 59G contained PC and APC in a molar ratio of 0.4:1, 0.7:1, and 1:1, respectively. Even though the phycobilisomes of mutant 85Y showed the greatest reduction in PC and consisted mostly of the APC core, the phycobilisomes were still functional and the growth rate of the 85Y cells was similar to the wild type. Fluorescence emission maxima of wild type and all the mutants were at 680 nm (23°C). Excitation maxima corresponded closely with expectations from absorption spectra. On SDS-PAGE gradient gels wild-type phycobilisomes had the usual 17–19 kD polypeptides of PC and APC, plus polypeptides at ca. 78, 56, 39, 36 and 31 kD. Mutants 19Y and 85Y, with the greatest PC deficiency were also deficient in the 36 and 39 kD polypeptides, presumably due to a decrease in peripheral rod structures. Energetically functional hybrid phycobilisomes were obtained when complexes of phycoerythrin-phycocyanin from Nostoc were mixed with dissociated phycobilisomes of wild-type and mutant 85Y. The 31 kD polypeptide is common to both species and immunologically cross reactive.
Tracking acid mine-drainage in Southeast Arizona using GIS and sediment delivery models

This study investigates the application of models traditionally used to estimate erosion and sediment deposition to assess the potential risk of water quality impairment resulting from metal-bearing materials related to mining and mineralization. An integrated watershed analysis using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based tools was undertaken to examine erosion and sediment transport characteristics within the watersheds. Estimates of stream deposits of sediment from mine tailings were related to the chemistry of surface water to assess the effectiveness of the methodology to assess the risk of acid mine-drainage being dispersed downstream of abandoned tailings and waste rock piles. A watershed analysis was preformed in the Patagonia Mountains in southeastern Arizona which has seen substantial mining and where recent water quality samples have reported acidic surface waters. This research demonstrates an improvement of the ability to predict streams that are likely to have severely degraded water quality as a result of past mining activities.