cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk factors associated with subsequent initiation of cigarettes and e-cigarettes in adolescence: A structural equation modeling approach.

Abstract Background Previous youth tobacco research has identified multiple correlated risk factors for initiation of cigarette and e-cigarette use; whether these factors are independently associated with initiation is not known, due to challenges with disentangling the independent effects of these correlated risk factors. Methods Students in 11th/12th grade enrolled in the Southern California Children’s Health Study were surveyed in 2014 (baseline) and again in 2015 (N = 1553). Structural equation models (SEM) were developed to investigate associations of susceptibility, marketing, and the social environment (as latent factors), and other tobacco use at baseline with cigarette or e-cigarette initiation between baseline and follow-up. Analyses were restricted to baseline never cigarette users (N = 1293) for models evaluating cigarette initiation, and to never e-cigarette users (N = 1197) for models evaluating e-cigarette initiation. Results In fully-adjusted prospective SEM models, latent factors for cigarette susceptibility, marketing, and the social environment, along with ever e-cigarette use and ever hookah use at baseline were independently associated with cigarette initiation between baseline and follow-up (P Conclusions We identified independent effects of multiple risk factors in SEM models on initiation of cigarettes and e-cigarettes. E-cigarette use was associated with cigarette initiation, but cigarette use was not associated with e-cigarette initiation in fully adjusted models. Research to identify underlying causal mechanisms is warranted.
Quarantining the Law of Quarantine: Why Quarantine Law Does not Reflect Contemporary Constitutional Law

Over the past thirty years, public health legal scholars have reached a consensus that contemporary notions of substantive and procedural due process, as they have developed in civil commitment cases, apply when states quarantine individuals to prevent the spread of a communicable disease. Both civil commitment and quarantine, after all, restrict an individual’s liberty in order to prevent harm to others. However, because involuntary quarantines have been used rarely in the U.S. in the post-antibiotic period, until the 2014 Ebola outbreak, no federal court had the opportunity to consider the validity of that consensus. When that opportunity arose following the Ebola quarantines, two federal courts refused to reach the merits of the plaintiffs’ constitutional claims on jurisdictional grounds. Most importantly, the two courts concluded that the defendants had qualified immunity because the constitutional restraints on quarantine had not been clearly established. This Article looks at the practical and doctrinal factors that have prevented courts from updating the law of quarantine. The paper begins by reviewing quarantine, examining its history, and exploring the development of the scholarly consensus as to what the Constitution requires when states impose it. In Part II, I discuss the practical and jurisdictional factors, including standing and qualified doctrines that have prevented courts from updating and clarifying the constitutional restraints applicable to quarantine. In Part III, I discuss why the lack of updating is troubling from a public health perspective, and offer some tentative thoughts about how we can release the law of quarantine from its constitutional and jurisdictional quarantine.
The Replication Initiator Protein of P1 Is Activated by two E. coli Heat Shock Proteins, DnaJ and DnaK

Two E. coli heat shock proteins, DnaK (the hsp70 homolog) and DnaJ activate the specific DNA binding function of the replication initiator protein, RepA, of plasmid P1 by about 100-fold (Wickner et al., 1991). The activation is ATP-dependent and DNA-independent. The mechanism of activation is the conversion of RepA dimers to monomers and the monomer form binds with high affinity to P1 origin DNA. Treatment of RepA with reversible chemical denaturants also converts dimers to monomers and simultaneously activates P1 origin binding. Increasing protein concentration converts monomers to dimers and deactivates RepA.
Treatment of acne with spironolactone: a retrospective review of 395 adult patients at Mayo Clinic, 2007-2017.

Background Few large studies have assessed spironolactone treatment of adult female acne. Objectives To explore the role of spironolactone in the treatment of adult female acne. Methods We performed a retrospective case series assessing the efficacy of spironolactone treatment of a cohort of women evaluated at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, from 2007 through 2017. Results In total, 395 patients (median age, 32 years) received a median spironolactone dose of 100 mg daily. Approximately two-thirds of patients (66.1%) had a complete response; 85.1% had a complete response or a partial response greater than 50%. Median times to initial response and maximum response were 3 and 5 months. Efficacy was observed across all severity subtypes of acne, including those with papulopustular and nodulocystic acne. Patients received long-term treatment with spironolactone (median duration, 13 months) and had few adverse effects. Conclusions Spironolactone is a safe and effective treatment of acne for women.
Computed tomography guided sizing for transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the predictive value of Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) measurements of the RVOT for transcatheter valve sizing. Background Transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement (TPVR) provides an alternative to surgery in patients with right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) dysfunction. We studied 18 patients who underwent catheterization for potential TPVR to determine whether CT imaging can be used to accurately predict implant size. Methods Cases were grouped by RVOT characteristics: native or transannular patch (n = 8), conduit (n = 5) or bioprosthetic valve (n = 5). TPVR was undertaken in 14/18 cases, after balloon-sizing was used to confirm suitability and select implant size. Retrospective CT measurements of the RVOT (circumference-derived (Dcirc) and area-derived (Darea) diameters) were obtained at the level of the annulus, bioprosthesis or conduit. Using manufacturer sizing guidance, a valve size was generated and a predicted valve category assigned: (1) 29 mm. Predicted and implanted valves were compared for inter-rater agreement using Cohen’s kappa coefficient. Results The median age of patients was 37 years old (IQR: 30–49); 55% were male. Diagnoses included: Tetralogy of Fallot (12/18), d-Transposition repair (3/18), congenital pulmonary stenosis (2/18) and carcinoid heart disease (1/18). Measurements of Darea (κ = 0.697, p Conclusions CT measurement of the RVOT, using Darea or Dcirc, can predict prosthetic valve sizing in TPVR. These measurements are less predictive in patients with conduits, compared to those with a native RVOT or pulmonic bioprosthesis. Condensed abstract We studied 18 patients who underwent catheterization for TPVR to determine whether CT imaging could be used to accurately predict implant size. Retrospective RVOT measurements were used to generate a predicted valve size, which was compared with implanted valve size for inter-rater agreement. Measurements of Darea (κ = 0.697, p
Nonextensive Statistical Mechanics: Equivalence Between Dual Entropy and Dual Probabilities.

The concept of duality of probability distributions constitutes a fundamental “brick” in the solid framework of nonextensive statistical mechanics—the generalization of Boltzmann–Gibbs statistical mechanics under the consideration of the q-entropy. The probability duality is solving old-standing issues of the theory, e.g., it ascertains the additivity for the internal energy given the additivity in the energy of microstates. However, it is a rather complex part of the theory, and certainly, it cannot be trivially explained along the Gibb’s path of entropy maximization. Recently, it was shown that an alternative picture exists, considering a dual entropy, instead of a dual probability. In particular, the framework of nonextensive statistical mechanics can be equivalently developed using q- and 1/q- entropies. The canonical probability distribution coincides again with the known q-exponential distribution, but without the necessity of the duality of ordinary-escort probabilities. Furthermore, it is shown that the dual entropies, q-entropy and 1/q-entropy, as well as, the 1-entropy, are involved in an identity, useful in theoretical development and applications.
A case series illustrating the implementation of a novel tele-neuropsychology service model during COVID-19 for children with complex medical and neurodevelopmental conditions: A companion to Pritchard et al., 2020.

Objective: Despite a movement toward tele-based clinical services in other healthcare domains, implementation of these services within neuropsychology, particularly with pediatric populations, is limited. With the onset of social distancing due to COVID-19, the field of pediatric neuropsychology is encouraged to consider the utility of non-traditional, tele-neuropsychological assessments. In order to accommodate ongoing service needs for medically and neurodevelopmentally complex children, a novel three-tiered telehealth service model of care was developed and implemented in a large pediatric outpatient neuro/psychological clinic within an academic medical center.Method: In this article, we provide case examples that illustrate the clinical implementation of this three-tiered telehealth service model of care for serving children during this uncertain time.Conclusion: The primary aim of this article is to provide examples outlining how clinical service decisions were made in the application of this three-tiered model for children with complex medical and neurodevelopmental histories. This article is intended to serve as a guide for other pediatric neuropsychology providers considering tele-neuropsychological services for complex pediatric patients during social distancing.
Highly Dy2O3 and Er2O3 doped boron-aluminosilicate glasses for magneto-optical devices operating at 2 µm

Abstract Magneto-optical glass materials with large Verdet constants at 2 μm have attracted increasing attention due to the significant advances of novel lasers operating at this wavelength region. In this paper, 13Al2O3-21B2O3-35.4SiO2-(30.6-X)Er2O3-XDy2O3 glasses have been synthesized, and their physical, optical, and magneto-optical properties were studied for making Faraday devices at 2 μm. A Verdet constant of as high as −5.9 rad/(T*m) at 1950 nm was measured with a 13Al2O3-21B2O3-35.4SiO2-30.6Dy2O3 glass. The temperature difference between crystallization and glass transition of 150 °C and the synthesis temperature of below 1500 °С make this glass very promising for making magneto-optical devices for 2 μm applications.
Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence Syndrome Following Head Trauma: A Multi-institutional Review.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate patients who become symptomatic from superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD) following head trauma. STUDY DESIGN Case series assessing patients presenting with SSCD after a trauma. METHODS A case series was completed assessing patients presenting with SSCD after trauma. Data from three academic medical centers were evaluated, including the following: imaging, videonystagmography (VNG)/vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) testing, audiometric assessment, and surgical repair. Outcome measures included the following: 1) Description of audio-vestibular symptoms, 2) mean pre- and post-operative pure tone average (PTA), word recognition score (WRS), and air bone gap (ABG). RESULTS A total of 14 patients were included; 86% were male. Approximately 43% were found to have bilateral SSCD on imaging, with 57% of patients pursuing surgical management. The most common presenting symptoms included pulsatile tinnitus (93%), autophony (79%), and hearing loss (64%). Approximately 36% of patients underwent VNG/VEMP testing, with 83.3% of those demonstrating abnormal results. The mean audiometric findings on the symptomatic side included an air-conduction PTA of 38.0 dB, bone-conduction PTA of 24.3 dB, WRS of 81%, and ABG of 17.9 dB. Among patients who underwent surgery (57%), there was no significant change in the air-conduction PTA, bone-conduction PTA, or WRS (P > .05). However, there was an improvement in the ABG (preoperative = 22.8 dB versus postoperative = 9.7 dB; P = .005). CONCLUSION Head trauma may be a potentiating event for SSCD syndrome. This study advances the hypothesis that these patients likely have underlying radiographic SSCD prior to their trauma, and a traumatic event increases in intra-vestibular or intracranial pressures, unmasking SSCD syndrome. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4 Laryngoscope, 131:E2810-E2818, 2021.
Adaptive laboratory evolution for improved tolerance of isobutyl acetate in Escherichia coli.

Abstract Previously, Escherichia coli was engineered to produce isobutyl acetate (IBA). Titers greater than the toxicity threshold (3 g/L) were achieved by using layer-assisted production. To avoid this costly and complex method, adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) was applied to E. coli for improved IBA tolerance. Over 37 rounds of selective pressure, 22 IBA-tolerant mutants were isolated. Remarkably, these mutants not only tolerate high IBA concentrations, they also produce higher IBA titers. Using whole-genome sequencing followed by CRISPR/Cas9 mediated genome editing, the mutations (SNPs in metH, rho and deletion of arcA) that confer improved tolerance and higher titers were elucidated. The improved IBA titers in the evolved mutants were a result of an increased supply of acetyl-CoA and altered transcriptional machinery. Without the use of phase separation, a strain capable of 3.2-fold greater IBA production than the parent strain was constructed by combing select beneficial mutations. These results highlight the impact improved tolerance has on the production capability of a biosynthetic system.
The Role of Foreign Policy in Constructing the Party Identity of the Turkish Justice and Development Party (AKP)

AbstractSince the start of its tenure, the Justice and Development Party's (AKP) departure from traditional Turkish foreign policy identity has elicited praise and criticism. This article addresses this development by discussing how the AKP has impacted traditional Turkish foreign policy identity, and how, in return, Turkish foreign policy identity has impacted the party identity of the AKP in domestic politics. In particular, this study examines the domestic politics–foreign policy continuum by exploring how foreign policy has served both as an extension of domestic politics as well as a medium to restructure domestic politics during the AKP's three terms in office.
As principais causas da não formalização das empresas na cidade de Guarapari/ES

Este artigo e uma pesquisa descritiva, com carater quantitativo, cujo objetivo e verificar as principais causas da nao formalizacao das empresas na cidade de Guarapari/ES, ou ainda, o artigo vem auxiliar os novos empreendedores, governo, sociedade e demais interessados na tematica, quanto as razoes que contribuem para a formacao deste quadro. Para sua realizacao foram adotados como instrumentos de pesquisa o levantamento bibliografico e questionario com perguntas fechadas, realizado com 198 (cento e noventa e oito) empreendedores na cidade de Guarapari/ES. Por fim, relatam-se os motivos que levaram a amostra estudada a empreender, e o perfil dos empreendedores nao formalizados.
Deciding to Provide: Local Decisions on Providing Social Welfare

Fiscal federalism predicts local governments will avoid social welfare expenditures, owing to capital mobility across local jurisdictions. Yet Census of Governments data consistently show that many local governments provide one or more social welfare functions, and moreover many jurisdictions provide these functions without federal or state intergovernmental support. This article finds evidence that, while local expenditures are largely driven by fiscal capacity and federal and state assistance, local decisions on providing social welfare functions and participating in intergovernmental revenues are primarily affected by degree of capital mobility and by local political factors. Consequently, local governments exercise much greater autonomy over social welfare policymaking than fiscal federalism suggests.
Learning About Biology

Study and Communication Skills for the Biosciences . By Stuart Johnson and Jon Scott . 2009. Oxford University Press. (ISBN 978-0-19-921983-4). 235 pp. Paperback. $39.95. Johnson and Scott, professors at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, have developed a guide that addresses study and presentation strategies for college students in the biological sciences. The book is composed of 14 chapters that cover general topics from note-taking skills up to poster preparation and study skills for exams. The beginning chapters are very general and struck me as common-sense knowledge for any dedicated student, regardless of the subject area. The narrative picks up when the authors discuss specific topics, using biology as …
Thermal Inactivation of Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B in Veronal Buffer

The times and temperatures required to inactivate staphylococcal enterotoxin B were studied by use of the double-gel-diffusion technique to assay enterotoxin. Enterotoxin B (99 +% pure) was suspended in 0.04 M Veronal buffer, dispensed into borosilicate vials, and the vials were sealed and heated in an oil bath. An amount of 30 μg/ml of this toxin was reduced to less than 0.7 μg/ml in 103.0, 87.1, 70.5, 57.2, 39.1, 27.6, 16.4, and 12.0 min, respectively, at temperatures of 96, 99, 101.7, 104.4, 110, 115.6, 121, and 126.7 C. The end point for enterotoxin inactivation by gel diffusion was identical to that by intravenous injection of cats. Limited studies with crude enterotoxin B showed that the crude preparation was slightly more thermostable. The respective D values of crude and purified enterotoxin B were 64.5 and 52.3, 40.5 and 34.4, 29.7 and 23.5, 18.8 and 16.6, and 11.4 and 9.9 min at temperatures of 99, 104.4, 110, 115.6, and 121 C. The z value for purified enterotoxin B was 32.4 C. The experimental activation energy was 20,700 cal/g mole, standard enthalpy of activation at 120 C was 19,900 cal/g mole, standard entropy of activation at 120 C was -21.4 cal/g mole K, and the standard free energy of activation at 120 C was 28,200 cal/g mole.
Measurements of oil-film thickness and liner temperature at top ring reversal in a diesel engine

An investigation into factors influencing top-ring oil film thickness at TDC, in a diesel engine, was carried out using capacitance probes and surface thermocouples installed in the liner. Short term and long term trends in the data were observed, and many unexpected features were found. Significant, consistent differences in the film thickness around the cylinder were detected, and the thermocouples, showed that for this engine, the top ring unexpectedly cools the wall for a short time near TDC. Due to irreproducibility of the data, two different data acquisition techniques were used. Acquiring consecutive cycles, for a short period of time, provided a high solution snapshot of the process. This method however, was not sufficient to characterize the data, and it was found that taking non-consecutive cycles, over a longer period of time, provided much more knowledge about the long term trends in the data.
Electron paramagnetic resonance of Pu3+ and Cf3+ in single crystals of LuPO4.

Electron-paramagnetic-resonance (EPR) spectroscopy has been used to investigate the ground-state properties of the actinide ions Pu[sup 3+] (5[ital f][sup 5]) and Cf[sup 3+] (5[ital f][sup 9]) incorporated as dilute impurities in single crystals of the tetragonal-symmetry host LuPO[sub 4]. The [ital g] values of the electronic ground states were determined experimentally at a sample temperature of 4 K. These values are compared to those calculated using the free-ion parameters available from previous crystal-field analyses of Pu[sup 3+] and Cf[sup 3+] ions diluted in LaCl[sub 3]-host single crystals and a set of crystal-field parameters reported earlier for Cm[sup 3+] (5[ital f][sup 7]) ions in LuPO[sub 4]. These crystal-field parameters were obtained from spin-Hamiltonian parameters using operator-equivalent factors and the assumption that the zero-field splitting of the ground state of the 5[ital f][sup 7] ion is due primarily to intermediate-coupling effects. The relatively poor agreement between the experimental and calculated [ital g] values indicates that the crystal-field parameters obtained for Cm[sup 3+] in LuPO[sub 4] cannot be used to predict the correct electronic ground-state properties of the other actinide ions Pu[sup 3+] and Cf[sup 3+] in the identical host single-crystal LuPO[sub 4]. Accordingly, in the case of actinide impurity ions in singlemore » crystals, there is no simple correspondence between the spin-Hamiltonian parameters and the crystal-field parameters.« less
The effect of alloy additions on the rod-plate transition in the eutectic NiAl−Cr

Alloys of the eutectic NiAl-34 at. pct Cr with additions of Mo, V, W, and Fe were directionally solidified to determine the effect of the addition element and solidification rate on structure. The directionally solidified NiAl−Cr consists of 〈100〉-oriented columnar grains with long chromium rods of round cross section. The addition of 0.6 at. pct Mo or 0.7 at. pct W or 1.3 at. pct V causes a transition from the round rod grains to 〈111〉-oriented grains with faceted rods and plates of Cr(Mo), Cr(W), or Cr(V). At these compositions, the lattice parameters of the chromium-rich phase and the NiAl matrix phase are nearly equal. Additions of iron produced only the round rod structure as the difference of the lattice parameters was increased. High temperature anneals changed the nonequilibrium faceted rods to rods with regular hexagonal cross sections. Coherency strains near zero mismatch may influence the morphology and may be responsible for the effect of mismatch on structure. Further additions of molybdenum, tungsten, and vanadium resulted in a gradual reduction of the number of faceted rods and finally, the formation of cells with radial plates. Higher solidification rates formed cells and dendrites. A model relating cell and dendrite formation to freezing range of the eutectic alloy was derived.
Investor Timing and Fund Distribution Channels

This study examines the investment timing performance of equity mutual fund investors and its relationship to the distribution arrangement of the fund. We find that investors who transact through investment professionals using conventional distribution arrangements experience substantially poorer timing performance than investors who purchase pure no-load funds. Investors in all three principal load-carrying retail share classes (A, B, and C) significantly underperform a buy-and-hold strategy. Among all load funds, Class B investors suffer from the poorest cash flow timing, underperforming a buy-and-hold strategy by 2.28% annually, compared with annual underperformance of 0.78% for investors in pure no-load funds. No-load index funds are the only funds found to show no evidence of poor investor timing. We discuss several potential explanations for the poorer timing performance of investors in load funds, such as broker incentives, fund advertising, and investor return-chasing behavior.
SBA-15 confined synthesis of TiNb2O7 nanoparticles for lithium-ion batteries.

Unlike most conventional anode materials, the newly developed TiNb2O7 (TNO) does not form a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer, which makes it safe for high power requiring lithium-ion batteries. In this paper, we demonstrated an SBA-15 confined synthetic approach to prepare TNO nanoparticles (S-TNO) with a small particle size around 10 nm and a large BET surface area of 79.5 m2 g−1. It is worth mentioning that this is the smallest size reported so far for TNO. In contrast, the TNO (L-TNO) synthesized without SBA-15 has a particle size above 100 nm and a BET surface area of only 4.3 m2 g−1. The S-TNO shows better lithium-ion storage properties than L-TNO. The excellent electrochemical performance of S-TNO is attributed to its small crystalline size, which not only provides a larger effective area for better contact between the electrode material and the electrolyte, but also reduces the rate-limiting Li diffusion path. Moreover, S-TNO shows a high Coulombic efficiency (above 98% over 300 cycles) and negligible increase of impedance after cycling, which confirms no SEI layer formation in the operational voltage (1–3 V) of TNO.
A quantitative analysis of the flora and plant communities of a representative midwestern U.S. town

Abstract Thirty-eight sites, representing a wide range of habitat types in a representative urban area in Ohio, were sampled for their herbaceous vegetation. Ordination of the sites yielded several major axes: an inner city-rural dichotomy, a gradient related to soil compaction, and a gradient based on the nutrient status of the site. A classification of the sites by means of two-way indicator species analysis revealed the existence of three major community types (residual, managed, and ruderal) and a variety of minor community subtypes. Many of the communities, particularly those of a more ruderal nature. are American analogues of the plant communities common to urban areas in central Europe.
High-current stimuli to the spared epicardium of a large infarct induce ventricular tachycardia.

BACKGROUND Previous studies have demonstrated that both ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) may begin as figure-eight reentry: VT with a longer cycle length from spared tissue adjacent to an infarct by programmed stimulation and VF with a shorter cycle length from noninfarcted tissue by a large premature S2 stimulus. These results suggest that the type of tissue or cycle length of the arrhythmia rather than the mode of induction determines whether the figure eight becomes sustained VT or degenerates into VF. Thus, a protocol similar to that by which a VF threshold is determined may induce VT rather than VF when performed in the spared tissue over an infarct. METHODS AND RESULTS In 10 dogs, 4 days after occlusion-reperfusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery, 10 S1 stimuli were delivered from a total of 34 right and left ventricular sites outside the infarct. An epicardial S2 stimulus over the infarct was increased in 10-mA steps and introduced in diastole at decreasing cycle lengths of 5 msec until VT or VF was induced. Sustained monomorphic figure-eight VT was induced from 24 S1 sites and VF from nine (p = 0.03). The mean cycle lengths for the initial six arrhythmic cycles was 152 +/- 33 msec for VT and 115 +/- 13 msec for VF (p less than 0.001). Mean transmural infarct extent was 80% in five dogs with only VT, 63% in three dogs with both VT and VF, and 15% in two dogs with only VF. Different morphologies of VT were induced by changing the S1 site, the S2 strength, or the S1S2 coupling interval. In 25 of the 34 arrhythmias, the central part of the initial figure-eight pathway was oriented opposite the S1 activation sequence in that region. CONCLUSIONS A large S2 stimulus over a nontransmural infarct induces VT if the spared myocardium is thin. This study introduces a useful technique for inducing sustained monomorphic VT in which the location and direction of the figure-eight pathway are known a priori and in which different morphologies of sustained VT can be produced by changing the S1 site.
The strong CP problem in orbifold compactifications and an SU(3)⊗SU(2)⊗U(1) n model

Abstract We point out that the anomalous U(1)'s arising frequently in nonstandard embeddings of orbifold compactification is the needed Peccei-Quinn symmetry which can be broken at the intermediate scale. We show this in an orbifold model with the minimal gauge group SU(3)⊗SU(2)⊗U(1)n.
Special symposium: In vitro plant recalcitrance recalcitrance of woody and herbaceous perennial plants: Dealing with genetic predeterminism

As a general, long-lived perennial plants probably present the most challenging obstecles to the researcher, breeder or propagator utilizing microculture as a tool. These challenges appear during all stages of the microculture process, but are probably most resplendent during the stabilization phase. What may be particularly frustrating is that much of this ‘recalcitrance’ is genetically driven and is thus difficult to control by environmental and nutritional manipulations in microculture. Perennials have complex seasonal cycles and life cycles, which complicate control of their growth in microculture. As shoot cultures have provided useful tools for overcoming these limitations, the inability to establish stabilized shoot cultures is a major form of recalcitrance. Plants having seasonal growth dynamics dominated by strong episodic or determinant shoot growth are some of the most recalcitrant species because stabilized shoot cultures cannot be readily generated. In some cases, episodic growth may be tied closely to phase state and can thus be controlled by manipulating phase; nevertheless, adequate controls have not been identified for many problematic plants. Another trait contributing to recalcitrance of perennials is the relatively slow growth rate in microculture. Slow growth complicates such procedures as selection of transformed tissues. The high phenolic content of many perennial tissues can interfere with the efficacy of transgenic traits such as β-glucuronidase. Developmentally determined growth characteristics such as plagiotropism may persist through all stages of microculture and complicate the recovery of commercially useful micropropagules. Although some technical approaches can occasionally circumvent immediate microculture limitations, general solutions await the development of a deeper understanding of physiological bases of such genetically predetermined phenomena.
Reprint of: The prostate cancer genome: Perspectives and potential.

Abstract Objectives Prostate cancer has a variable clinical course, and molecular characterization has revealed striking mutational heterogeneity that may underlie the unpredictable clinical behavior of the disease. Advances in technology have resulted in a rapid expansion of our understanding of the genomic events responsible for the development and progression of prostate cancer. In this review, we discuss the genomic alterations underlying prostate cancer, and potential to utilize this knowledge for diagnostic and prognostic benefit. Methods and Materials We reviewed the relevant literature, with a focus on recent studies on somatic alterations in prostate cancer. Results Pathways known to affect tumorigenesis across a wide spectrum of tissues are dysregulated, such as the PI3K pathway, cell cycle control, and chromatin regulation. Lesions more specific to prostate cancer include alterations in androgen signaling, gene fusions of ETS transcription factors, and mutations in SPOP. Accumulating data suggests that prostate cancer can be subdivided based on a molecular profile of these genetic alterations. Conclusions These findings raise the possibility that prostate cancer could transition from a poorly understood, heterogeneous disease with a variable clinical course to a collection of homogenous subtypes, identifiable by molecular criteria, associated with distinct risk profiles, and perhaps amenable to specific management strategies or targeted therapies.
The Tribal Environment: Solid Waste in Indian Country

The issue of solid waste management in Indian country is multidimensional in scope because it affects more than just regulatory concerns. There are more than 550 federally recognized Alaska Native and American Indian Tribes in the United States. Tribes are sovereign nations that have a special relationship to the federal government and a unique legal status. The environmental problems faced by tribes are many, and it is only fair that tribes, as sovereigns, specify the levels of protection on their lands. The one-size-fits-all regulatory approach to environmental problems and solid waste management in particular does not work and often leads to conflict between tribes and the federal and state governments. Inherent tensions also exist between tribes and various levels of government concerning jurisdiction of lands and managing solid waste. These intergovernmental relationships are often complex and present unique challenges to all. More research needs to be done on targeting resources to meet the capacity-building needs of tribes, as well as the overall environmental management needs of Indian country under the federal trust obligation. Successful intergovernmental relationships can be fostered through partnership arrangements between tribes and federal, state, and local governments. In the area of solid waste such partnerships have worked. It requires that all levels of government deal with tribes with careful consideration of their cultural, historic, and socioeconomic aspects, which are often intertwined.
Pitfalls in radiology leadership.

Radiology’s leaders face both external and internal challenges. External challenges include, among others, declining reimbursements, increasing workloads, and personnel shortages. Leaders can successfully meet such challenges only by adapting both themselves and their organizations to succeed in such environments or by modifying their environments to suit their own strengths. Internal challenges include leaders’ habits of perception, judgment, and imagination that limit their organizations’ opportunities for success. Leaders fail not only because they find themselves in untenable situations but also because they approach situations in both ineffective and counterproductive ways. Like runners with a hitch in their stride, leaders need to identify—and to correct—such bad habits if they are to perform at their full potential. This is one of the most important leadership development activities that radiology organizations can offer (1). The purpose of this article is to review eight leadership pitfalls, derived from the social-cognitive theory of Albert Bandura (2), that can seriously hamper a radiology organization’s performance. When such behaviors become habitual, they pose a serious threat to both the leader and the organization. They impair communication among the organization’s members, obscure the members’ vision of the organization’s goals and of their own roles in the pursuit of these goals, and undermine the members’ overall commitment to the organization’s success (3). Leaders who repeatedly fail to escape these pitfalls will find that they have depleted their leadership capital. Colleagues and subordinates will soon determine that the leader does not deserve their trust and respect, and the leader’s authority will be lost. In turn, the organization will suffer, because it has lost the benefits of an effective leader (4). By recognizing and avoiding these pitfalls, leaders can do both themselves and their organizations a big favor.
Autoimmunity is triggered by cPR-3(105–201), a protein complementary to human autoantigen proteinase-3

It remains unclear how and why autoimmunity occurs. Here we show evidence for a previously unrecognized and possibly general mechanism of autoimmunity. This new finding was discovered serendipitously using material from patients with inflammatory vascular disease caused by antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA) with specificity for proteinase-3 (PR-3). Such patients harbor not only antibodies to the autoantigen (PR-3), but also antibodies to a peptide translated from the antisense DNA strand of PR-3 (complementary PR-3, cPR-3) or to a mimic of this peptide. Immunization of mice with the middle region of cPR-3 resulted in production of antibodies not only to cPR-3, but also to the immunogen's sense peptide counterpart, PR-3. Both human and mouse antibodies to PR-3 and cPR-3 bound to each other, indicating idiotypic relationships. These findings indicate that autoimmunity can be initiated through an immune response against a peptide that is antisense or complementary to the autoantigen, which then induces anti-idiotypic antibodies (autoantibodies) that cross-react with the autoantigen.
The subjective experience of the self in the large group: two models for study.

Abstract More and more opportunities now exist for group therapists to engage in the study of the self in the large group at local, national, and international conferences as well as in clinical and other organizational settings. This may be particularly important for the group therapist in the next century with potential benefit not only for individuals but also for groups and social systems of all kinds. In this article, I review my own subjective experiences in the large group context and in large study group experiences. Then, I contrast the group analytic and the group relations approaches to the large group with particular reference to Winnicott's theory about maturational processes in a facilitating environment.
3D point of regard and subject motion from a portable video-based monocular eye tracker

The ability to determine the motion of an observer and his/her point of regard (POR) in the world can be very beneficial to the study of human visual behavior and cognition. State-of-the-art eye-tracking systems output an observer's POR in 2D image or screen coordinates. Here we present a novel technique for determining POR in 3D world coordinates using a monocular video-based eye tracker. Currently, there are various techniques to determine an observer's gaze within an image sequence but many fewer techniques for determining his/her POR in three dimensions. Existing eye-tracking methods for determining a subject's 3D POR are limited to virtualreality applications and/or can only be used with binocular eye trackers. Techniques that provide 3D information in the real world are limited to gaze direction without precise report on POR.
Polymer flow length simulation during injection mold filling

The maximum flow length of a polymer for a given set of processing conditions is important in injection molding to avoid incomplete mold filling. Experimental analysis, using various processing conditions, can generate the actual influence of processing conditions on the maximum flow length. However, the experimental determination of the flow length for all known industrial polymers would be time consuming and expensive. A non-Newtonian, nonisothermal model of mold filling was developed to evaluate the flow length without requiring large amounts of computation time. The model implements the use of both a temperature and shear rate-dependent viscosity as well as viscous heating. This paper presents the model and its numerical implementation, followed by simulation results. The model is compared with other simulation programs and experimental results using both an amorphous Styron 484-27 polystyrene and a semicrystalline 640I polyethylene in a spiral mold geometry. Good agreement between the three is observed.
Effect of atmospheric composition and pressure on the laser ablation of (GeTe) 85 Sn 15 chalcogenide thin films

Laser ablation of (GeTe)85Sn15 thin films as a function of atmospheric exposure was monitored in real time by transient reflectivity. The observed optical changes were correlated with microstructural analysis. Among the key findings were that the presence of water in the atmosphere during laser irradiation of a thin-film structure reduced the incident laser power required for ablation by as much as a factor of 2. The magnitude of the effect was dependent on both H2O vapor pressure and duration of exposure to the vapor. The reduction of laser power necessary to ablate was partially reversed by exposure of the thin-film structure to vacuum. Significantly, exposure to other (dry) gases such as N2 did not change the ablation threshold from that observed in vacuum. We determined that dome formation and ablation occurred at lower temperatures in the presence of water. In addition, the power necessary to crystallize the amorphous chalcogenide layer in the structure was independent of atmospheric composition or pressure. Microstructure analysis showed the presence of H2O fostered the formation of a nonuniform distribution of the chalcogenide material in the ablated region. The experimental results are consistent with our model that ablation is assisted by high pressures produced by vaporization of absorbed liquid water.
Forward and backward location probabilities for sorbing solutes in groundwater

Location probability can be used to describe the likely position of a solute particle as it travels through an aquifer. Forward location probability describes the likely future positions of a particle, and can be used to predict the movement of a contaminant plume. Backward location probability describes the likely prior positions of a solute particle, and can be used to identify sources of contamination. For sorbing solutes, the probability distributions must also account for the phase (aqueous or sorbed) of a solute particle. We present new phase-dependent forward and backward location probabilities to describe transport of a solute undergoing linear non-equilibrium sorption. The effects of sorption are incorporated directly into the governing equations that are used to calculate the probability distributions. The shape and magnitude of the distributions depend on the phase of the contamination at both the source (or prior location) and receptor (or future location). These probabilities are related to adjoint states of concentration. Using adjoint theory, Bayes' theorem, and a clever transformation, we develop a model to efficiently calculate backward location probabilities for one or a few receptors. We illustrate important features of backward location probabilities for a sorbing solute with a hypothetical, one-dimensional confined aquifer, and we demonstrate their use in identifying sources of contamination for a trichloroethylene plume at the Massachusetts Military Reservation using a three-dimensional numerical model.
A stochastic FDTD model of electromagnetic wave propagation in magnetized ionospheric plasma

Summary form only given. Communications, surveillance, and navigation capabilities rely heavily on accurate knowledge of electromagnetic (EM) signal propagation characteristics through and reflected by the Earth's ionosphere. Satellite communications, over-the-horizon radar, and target direction finding are a few example applications. Poor understanding of either the ionospheric state or the complete signal propagation characteristics through the ionosphere can negatively affect the performance of these applications. For example, inaccurate signal predictions may lead to erroneous target identification and coordinate estimation. Numerical EM techniques typically use average (mean) values of the constitutive parameters of the materials and then solve for expected (mean) electric and magnetic fields. The ionosphere, however, exhibits considerable variability that renders many propagation problems too complex to be solved using a deterministic formulation. The structure of the ionosphere depends not only on the altitude, time of day, and season, but also on the latitude (and longitude), sun spot cycle, and occurrence of major space weather events. The ability to determine not only the mean values of the EM fields but also their variance will, for example, provide a means of determining the confidence level that a communications / remote sensing / radar system will operate as expected under abnormal ionospheric conditions. A useful approach to a highly complex problem such as EM wave propagation in the ionosphere is to consider it as a random medium problem. The Monte Carlo method is a well-established and widely used brute force technique for evaluating random medium problems via multiple realizations. Depending on the nature of the statistical correlation, however, a random medium problem may require tens or hundreds of thousands of realizations. This yields an extremely inefficient brute force approach, particularly for two-dimensional and three-dimensional problems, and is therefore rarely used in electrodynamics modeling. Here we will describe the development of an efficient, single-realization stochastic FDTD magnetized plasma model for EM wave propagation in the ionosphere. The governing equations are Maxwell's equations coupled to the Lorentz equation of motion. This work is based on the recently reported stochastic FDTD (S-FDTD) method that solves purely Maxwell's equations [Smith and Furse, TAP, 60(7), 2012] and has been applied to biomedical applications.
Simplifying heuristics versus careful thinking: Scientific analysis of millennial spiritual issues

There is ample evidence that humans (and other pri- mates) possess a knowledge instinct—a biologically driven impulse to make coherent sense of the world at the highest level possible. Yet behavioral decision-making data suggest a contrary biological drive to minimize cognitive effort by solving problems using simplifying heuristics. Individuals differ, and the same person varies over time, in the strength of the knowledge instinct. Neuroimaging studies sug- gest which brain regions might mediate the balance between knowl- edge expansion and heuristic simplification. One region implicated in primary emotional experience is more activated in individuals who use primitive heuristics, whereas two areas of the cortex are more activated in individuals with a strong knowledge drive: one region implicated in detecting risk or conflict and another implicated in generating creative ideas. Knowledge maximization and effort mini- mization are both evolutionary adaptations, and both are valuable in different contexts. Effort minimization helps us make minor and rou- tine decisions efficiently, whereas knowledge maximization connects us to the beautiful, to the sublime, and to our highest aspirations. We relate the opposition between the knowledge instinct and heuristics to the biblical story of the fall, and argue that the causal scientific worldview is mathematically equivalent to teleological arguments from final causes. Elements of a scientific program are formulated to ad- dress unresolved issues.
Online and Offline Social Networks: Use of Social Networking Sites by Emerging Adults

Abstract Social networking sites (e.g., MySpace and Facebook) are popular online communication forms among adolescents and emerging adults. Yet little is known about young people's activities on these sites and how their networks of “friends” relate to their other online (e.g., instant messaging) and offline networks. In this study, college students responded, in person and online, to questions about their online activities and closest friends in three contexts: social networking sites, instant messaging, and face-to-face. Results showed that participants often used the Internet, especially social networking sites, to connect and reconnect with friends and family members. Hence, there was overlap between participants' online and offline networks. However, the overlap was imperfect; the pattern suggested that emerging adults may use different online contexts to strengthen different aspects of their offline connections. Information from this survey is relevant to concerns about young people's life online.