cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Peruvian Parents Perceptions of Children's Obesity

Although parents are critical to childhood obesity prevention, little is known about Peruvian parents' perceptions regarding childhood obesity, a country undergoing an emerging obesity epidemic. The study assessed Peruvian parents' perceptions regarding their children's obesity risks and behaviors. The specific objectives were to: (a) assess the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of parents regarding nutrition and physical activity of their preschool-aged children, and (b) assess parents’ ability to recognize overweight status in their children. Methods: The cross-sectional study surveyed 202 parents of preschool children (Mean age= 49.4 months, SD = 8.5) in the peri-urban slum communities of Lima, Peru utilizing a modified version of the Behavior and Attitudes Questionnaire for Healthy Habits (BAQ-HH) questionnaire. Children's body mass index (BMI) was compared with parental descriptions of the child's weight. Results: Nearly half (41.3%) of children had exceeded healthy weight (defined as BMI- for-age Z- score >-2 and £1). Parents demonstrated high knowledge, positive behaviors, and concerned attitudes. Parental knowledge and attitude scores predicted parental behavior scores (p=0.004). More than half (56.6%) accurately perceived their child's weight. However, 90.4% of parents of overweight/obese children underestimated their weight. Conclusions: Understanding Peruvian parents' perceptions of their children's obesity risk is essential to planning comprehensive interventions.
The Brief Case: Cough in an Immunocompromised Patient.

We report a case of a 78-year-old female with a medical history of metastatic breast cancer receiving chemotherapy who presented to the emergency department (ED) in the summertime complaining of dizziness and a cough. She had recently been seen by her primary care provider for shortness of breath,
Temporary Securities Regulation

In times of crisis, including the 2020-21 global pandemic, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has engaged in a type of securities regulation that few scholars have acknowledged, let alone evaluated. Specifically, during recent market crises, the SEC has adopted rules that are temporary, designed to help the securities markets and its participants—both public companies and public investment funds, such as mutual funds and ETFs—weather the crisis at hand but go no further. Once that goal has been accomplished, these rules usually expire, replaced by the permanent rules that they temporarily supplanted. Although the temporary-rulemaking endeavor is laudable—and arguably necessary for the sake of maintaining well-functioning markets in crisis circumstances—neither the SEC nor its observers have sufficiently acknowledged the meaningful risks that temporary rules might present to investors. At the same time, they have also not appreciated the opportunities that temporary rules may create for furthering the cause of more effective regulation. This Article seeks to illuminate the potential and the pitfalls of temporary rules, thereby contributing to a better understanding of what is at stake when the SEC adopts them and what considerations should inform the agency’s rulemaking during future crises.
Stance and Stancetaking

Stance and stancetaking are considered here as related concepts that help to explain the patterning of language and the motivations for the use of lexical items, constructions, and discourse marker...
Faraday rotation, optical isolation and modulation at 10.6 μm using hot-pressed CdCr2S4 and CoCr2S4

Measurements performed on hot-pressed samples of ferromagnetic CdCr2S4 and ferrimagnetic CoCr2S4 indicate that they would be useful as optical isolators and modulators for CO2 lasers at 10.6 μm. Based on the Faraday effect, large aperture devices could be fabricated which would operate under modest cooling and drive power requirements. The various figures of merit needed to evaluate the performance of these materials as isolators and modulators have been determined optically with a low power CO2 laser. D.C. applied magnetic fields were used to determine the variations in measured Faraday rotation as a function of sample thickness. Figures of merit pertinent to isolation were also obtained, such as the passive extinction ratio and forward to backward transmitted energy ratio. A.C. applied magnetic fields were used to determine the frequency response of the materials, their modulation depths, and drive powers up to 100 kHz. Short duration pulses were used to analyze higher frequency behavior.
Reestablishing Open Rotor as an Option for Significant Fuel Burn Improvements

A low-noise open rotor system is being tested in collaboration with General Electric and CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Snecma and GE. Candidate technologies for lower noise will be investigated as well as installation effects such as pylon integration. Current test status is presented as well as future scheduled testing which includes the FAA/CLEEN test entry. Pre-test predictions show that Open Rotors have the potential for revolutionary fuel burn savings.
Local Housing Demand

Housing demand has a significant influence on demand for construction engineers. Present or future demand for housing in a standard metropolitan statistical area may be predicted on the basis of changes in population, disposable personal income, vacancy rate, replacement rate, and units built. Available data on these variables permit reasonable estimates of housing demand for use in governmental and corporate planning.
MicroRNAs as potential target in human bone and soft tissue sarcoma therapeutics

Sarcomas are highly aggressive heterogeneous tumors that are mesenchymal in origin. There have been vast advancements on identifying diagnostic markers for sarcomas including chromosomal translocations, but very little progress has been made to identify targeted therapies against them. The tumor heterogeneity, genetic complexity and the lack of drug studies make it challenging to recognize the potential targets and also accounts for the inadequate treatments in sarcomas. In recent years, microRNAs that are a part of small non-coding RNAs have shown promising results as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in multiple sarcoma types. This review focuses on the current knowledge of the microRNAs that are deregulated in the sarcoma, and an insight on the strategies to target these microRNAs that are essential for developing improved therapies for various human sarcomas.
Inelastic Scattering Cross Sections II: Approximation Methods

The theory of atom-molecule collisions has just seen a decade of dramatic advances. Probably the single factor which has stimulated the development and testing of a variety of new, accurate approximations was the development, in the 1960’s, by Johnson and Secrest,(1–3) Gordon,(4) Sams and Kouri,(5–9) and Chang and Light (10) of extremely efficient numerical methods for solving large sets of coupled differential or integral equations. These methods were used to provide accurate close-coupling (CC) cross sections for some atom-diatom inelastic collision problems. These results in turn have provided reliable standards against which approximations could be tested and compared. Because the same potential surfaces could be used for both the (exact) CC and approximate calculations, differences in the results provided a quantitative measure of the accuracy of the approximation. By contrast, earlier attempts to compare approximate results directly with experiment had always to contend with inaccuracies in the approximation and in the potential surface (not to mention experimental uncertainties). The present status of available numerical methods is discussed by Secrest in Chapter 8 of this volume.
Persistent Interneuronopathy in the Prefrontal Cortex of Young Adult Offspring Exposed to Ethanol In Utero

Gestational exposure to ethanol has been reported to alter the disposition of tangentially migrating GABAergic cortical interneurons, but much remains to be elucidated. Here we first established the migration of interneurons as a proximal target of ethanol by limiting ethanol exposure in utero to the gestational window when tangential migration is at its height. We then asked whether the aberrant tangential migration of GABAergic interneurons persisted as an enduring interneuronopathy in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) later in the life of offspring prenatally exposed to ethanol. Time pregnant mice with Nkx2.1Cre/Ai14 embryos harboring tdTomato-fluorescent medial ganglionic eminence (MGE)-derived cortical GABAergic interneurons were subjected to a 3 day binge-type 5% w/w ethanol consumption regimen from embryonic day (E) 13.5–16.5, spanning the peak of corticopetal interneuron migration in the fetal brain. Our binge-type regimen increased the density of MGE-derived interneurons in the E16.5 mPFC. In young adult offspring exposed to ethanol in utero, this effect persisted as an increase in the number of mPFC layer V parvalbumin-immunopositive interneurons. Commensurately, patch-clamp recording in mPFC layer V pyramidal neurons uncovered enhanced GABA-mediated spontaneous and evoked synaptic transmission, shifting the inhibitory/excitatory balance toward favoring inhibition. Furthermore, young adult offspring exposed to the 3 day binge-type ethanol regimen exhibited impaired reversal learning in a modified Barnes maze, indicative of decreased PFC-dependent behavioral flexibility, and heightened locomotor activity in an open field arena. Our findings underscore that aberrant neuronal migration, inhibitory/excitatory imbalance, and thus interneuronopathy contribute to indelible abnormal cortical circuit form and function in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The significance of this study is twofold. First, we demonstrate that a time-delimited binge-type ethanol exposure in utero during early gestation alters corticopetal tangential migration of GABAergic interneurons in the fetal brain. Second, our study is the first to integrate neuroanatomical, electrophysiological, and behavioral evidence that this “interneuronopathy” persists in the young adult offspring and contributes to enduring changes in (1) the distribution of parvalbumin-expressing GABAergic cortical interneurons in the medial prefrontal cortex, (2) GABA-mediated synaptic transmission that resulted in an inhibitory/excitatory synaptic imbalance, and (3) behavioral flexibility. These findings alert women of child-bearing age that fetal alcohol spectrum disorders can be rooted very early in fetal brain development, and reinforce evidence-based counseling against binge drinking even at the earliest stages of pregnancy.
A national study of the association between food environments and county-level health outcomes

Purpose: This national, county-level study examines the relationship between food availability and access, and health outcomes (mortality, diabetes, and obesity rates) in both metro and non-metro areas. Methods: This is a secondary, cross-sectional analysis using Food Environment Atlas and CDC data. Linear regression models estimate relationships between food availability and access variables (direct-to-consumer farm sales, per capita grocery stores, full-service restaurants, fast food restaurants, and convenience stores) with health outcomes. Controls include smoking, race/ethnicity, gender, age, education, poverty, primary care availability, recreational facility availability, and mobility/distance-from-grocery-store. Findings:Non-metro findings: Lower adjusted mortality rates were associated with more per capita full-service restaurants and grocery stores, and greater per capita direct farm sales. Lower adjusted diabetes rates were associated with a lower per capita supply of fast food restaurants and convenience stores, and more per capita full-service restaurants and grocery stores. Lower adjusted obesity rates were associated with more per capita full-service restaurants and grocery stores. Unexpectedly, obesity rates were positively associated with per capita grocery stores and negatively associated with fast food restaurants. Metro findings: More per capita full-service restaurants, grocery stores, and direct farm sales are associated with positive health outcomes; fast food restaurants and convenience stores are associated with negative health outcomes. Conclusions: The food access/availability environment is an important determinant of health outcomes in metro and non-metro areas. Future research should focus on more refined specifications that capture variability across non-metro settings.
Nonlinear model predictive control strategy for low thrust spacecraft missions

SUMMARY In this paper, two nonlinear model predictive control (MPC) strategies are applied to solve a low thrust interplanetary rendezvous problem. Each employs a unique, nonclassical parameterization of the control to adapt the nonlinear MPC approach to interplanetary orbital dynamics with low control authority. The approach is demonstrated numerically for a minimum-fuel Earth-to-Mars rendezvous maneuver, cast as a simplified coplanar circular orbit heliocentric transfer problem. The interplanetary transfer is accomplished by repeated solution of an optimal control problem over (i) a receding horizon with fixed number of control subintervals and (ii) a receding horizon with shrinking number of control subintervals, with a doubling strategy to maintain controllability. In both cases, the end time is left unconstrained. The performances of the nonlinear MPC strategies in terms of computation time, fuel consumption, and transfer time are compared for a constant thrust nuclear-electric propulsion system. For this example, the ability to withstand unmodeled effects and control allocation errors is verified. The second strategy, with shrinking number of control subintervals, is also shown to easily handle the more complicated bounded thrust nuclear-electric case, as well as a state-control-constrained solar-electric case. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Impact of emergency contraception status on unintended pregnancy: observational data from a women’s health practice

Objective: This study aimed to determine if non-prescription emergency contraception (EC) availability impacted self-reported unintended pregnancy rates and to assess women’s knowledge and awareness of EC prior to and after non-prescription availability.Methods: A survey regarding contraception use and knowledge was verbally administered to a cross-sectional, convenience sample of 272 pregnant women receiving prenatal care at a large urban community women’s clinic between August 2003 and October 2008. Statistical analyses determined the differences between two groups (before [BA] and after, [AA] non-prescription EC availability in the U.S. drug market) in terms of self-reported unintended pregnancy rates, knowledge and awareness of EC.Results: The AA group reported higher incidence of unintended pregnancy when compared to the BA group (90.7% vs. 72.7%, P = 0.0172). The majority of both groups reported that they were not using any contraception at the time of conception (BA-84.4%; AA-83.3%). There was no significant difference in the participants’ awareness of EC between the two groups (BA-46.8% vs. AA-43.0%) nor was there a significant difference between the two groups in the self-reported willingness to use EC in the future (BA-53.1% vs. AA-63.4%). However, among participants who were unaware of EC, 61% reported they would consider using it in the future after receiving brief EC counseling from a pharmacist or student pharmacist. Neither age nor pregnancy intention was associated with self-reported EC awareness but there was an association with income (P = 0.0410) and education (P = 0.0021).Conclusion: The change from prescription-only to non-prescription status of EC in the U.S. drug market did not impact the unintended pregnancy rate in this patient population. Lack of knowledge and awareness is still a major barrier to widespread EC use.
Proper construction of ab initio global potential surfaces with accurate long-range interactions

An efficient procedure based on the reproducing kernel Hilbert space interpolation method is presented for constructing intermolecular potential energy surfaces (PES) using not only calculated ab initio data but also a priori information on long-range interactions. Explicitly, use of the reciprocal power reproducing kernel on the semiinfinite interval [0,∞) yields a set of exact linear relations between dispersion (multipolar) coefficients and PES data points at finite internuclear separations. Consequently, given a combined set of ab initio data and the values of dispersion (multipolar) coefficients, the potential interpolation problem subject to long-range interaction constraints can be solved to render globally smooth, asymptotically accurate ab initio potential energy surfaces. Very good results have been obtained for the one-dimensional He–He potential curve and the two-dimensional Ne–CO PES. The construction of the Ne–CO PES was facilitated by invoking a new reproducing kernel for the angular coordi...
A Contemporary Political Economy of Family Farming

Making sense of two ill-defined concepts is not an easy task. It must be undertaken, however, because people inside and outside of agriculture are asking about the family farm and how it relates to the political economy. The source of confusion centers on the changing organization of agriculture and changes in the control of resources traditionally used by North American farmers to produce crops and livestock products. It is suspected that this changing control is bringing considerable change in output, efficiency, and the distribution of spoils in the industry, but no one yet knows if this is so. The fundamental changes in U.S. farming need not be recounted. Farm numbers have dropped, nonfarm capital has substituted for home-grown capital, the use of stock resources has replaced the use of flow resources, and formal information-gathering techniques have substituted for informal gossip. All this is known; some is only partially understood. Similarly, the increased centralization of economic activity, the increased interdependence between the agricultural and the nonagricultural sectors, the resurgence of world trade, and the apparent worldwide fuel crisis are familiar attributes of the contemporary political economy. They impinge upon agriculture, but they need not be described here. It seems appropriate to turn directly to the main problem. How is the family farm related to the contemporary political economy and what relationships exist between economic society and the agricultural industry? This question is addressed by elaborating some definitions, commenting on production, exchange, and distribution within agriculture, and discussing agriculture's place in the political economy.
Ising models on hyperbolic graphs

We consider Ising models with ferromagnetic interactions and zero external magnetic field on the hyperbolic graph ℋ(v, f), where v is the number of neighbors of each vertex and f is the number of sides of each face. Let Tc be the critical temperature and T′c=sup〈T≤Tc:νf=(ν++ν−)/2〉, where νf is the free boundary condition (b.c.) Gibbs state, ν+ is the plus b.c. Gibbs state and ν− is the minus b.c. Gibbs state. We prove that if the hyperbolic graph is self-dual (i.e., v=f) or if v is sufficiently large (how large depends on f, e.g., v≥35 suffices for any f≥3 and v≥17 suffices for any f≥17) then 0<T′c<Tc, in contrast with that T′c=Tc for Ising models on the hypercubic lattice Zd with d≥2, a result due to Lebowitz.(22) While whenever T<T′c, νf=(ν++ν−)/2. The last result is an improvement in comparison with the analogous statement in refs. 28 and 33, in which it was only proved that νf=(ν++ν−)/2 when T≪T′c and it remains to show in both papers that νf=(ν++ν−)/2 whenever T<T′c. Therefore T′c and Tc divide [0, ∞] into three intervals: [0, T′c), (T′c, Tc), and (Tc, ∞] in which ν+≠ν− but νf=(ν++ν−)/2, ν+≠ν− and νf≠(ν++ν−)/2, and ν+=ν−, respectively.
Ontogeny of drug-metabolizing enzymes and its influence on the pathogenesis of adverse drug reactions in children

Abstract Background: Examination of pediatric clinical pharmacokinetic data reveals discernible age-dependent patterns of drug clearance that can be attributed to developmental differences in drug biotransformation. Objective: This paper reviews current knowledge of developmental changes in drug biotransformation and provides examples of age-specific adverse drug events (ADEs) in which the ontogeny of drug-metabolizing enzymes may be a contributing factor. Methods: This paper cited in this review were selected to illustrate specific issues related to how developmental changes in drug biotransformation may play a role in the pathogenesis of adverse drug reactions in children. Results: Drug biotransformation contributes to the pathogenesis of adverse drug reactions as a consequence of pharmacogenetic variation in the coding region of genes such as cytochrome P450 (CYP) isozymes 2D6, 2C9, and 2C19 or thiopurine S -methyltransferase, whereby normal doses lead to functional overdoses due to drug accumulation caused by inefficient elimination via affected pathways. Furthermore, imbalances in bioactivation and detoxification processes may lead to a relative increase in reactive metabolite formation and contribute to the pathogenesis of idiosyncratic forms of toxicity. Developmental considerations represent an additional measure of complexity, because fetuses and newborns may be phenotypically poor metabolizers for certain drug-metabolizing pathways but may acquire a phenotype consistent with their genotype later in the developmental process. For example, developmentally delayed maturation of CYP2D6 over the first 2 to 4 weeks of life may contribute to symptoms consistent with serotonin toxicity in neonates exposed to fluoxetine or paroxetine during pregnancy. Furthermore, the risk of fatal hepatotoxicity due to valproic acid is highest (∼1:500) in children aged Conclusions: Identification of age-appropriate phenotyping probes and reliable markers of drug bioactivation are key to the successful implementation of longitudinal studies to more fully characterize the relationship between developmental changes in drug biotransformation and bioactivation and the pathogenesis of ADEs in children.
Thunderstorms above Frontal Surfaces in Environments without Positive CAPE. Part II: Organization and Instability Mechanisms

Abstract The second of two papers describing thunderstorms that occur above frontal surfaces, frequently in environments without positive convective available potential energy (CAPE), focuses on an impressive outbreak of elevated thunderstorms during AVE-SESAME I. It is shown that the thunderstorms occurred in three convective impulses, each of which developed in the warm sector before propagating onto the frontal surface; subsequent thunderstorms developed over the frontal surface. While in the warm sector, the convection was supported by an extremely unstable boundary layer. However, this convective energy quickly diminished above the frontal surface and thunderstorms continued and developed for many hours in an essentially stable hydrostatic environment. During the lifetime of these impulses, mesoscale updrafts developed and moved with the convective areas, maintaining nearly steady-state systems with strong low-level inflow. The environment was found to be symmetrically neutral in the region of the in...
Behavior of lasers in the small particle number limit

Master equations and random walk methods are used to study the dominant role of quantum fluctuations in determining the steady-state and temporal-behavior of small lasers. Suppression of lasing threshold and de-pinning of carriers is observed.
An immunochemical analysis of oxytocin and vasopressin prohormone processing in vivo

Antisera against partially processed, unamidated forms of AVP and OT were raised and characterized by radioimmunoassay and immunocytochemistry. These antibodies, and antibodies that recognize fully processed, amidated forms of AVP and OT, were used together with various fractionation methods to study the content of prohormones, partially processed and fully processed forms of AVP and OT in the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system of adult and fetal (E21) rats. The levels of cleaved AVP and OT in the fetus were lower than those of the adult (1 to 3 orders of magnitude for brain and pituitary, respectively), and the detection of cleaved OT in brain and pituitary was delayed compared to that of AVP. Pro-AVP cleavage efficiency in the adult and the fetus was high (99 and 95% cleavage, respectively) resulting in formation of fully processed amidated forms of AVP, with no detectable partially processed peptides. Pro-OT processing in the adult was very similar (over 99% cleavage) resulting in formation of fully processed amidated OT. However, Pro-OT processing efficiency in the fetus was very low and incomplete, resulting in 40% unprocessed precursor and the accumulation of C-terminally extended unamidated intermediate forms (OT-Gly, OT-Gly-Lys, and OT-Gly-Lys-Arg).
Mutagen formation in deep-fat fried foods as a function of frying conditions

Deep-fat fried foods possess low levels of mutagenic activity, and severely abusive frying conditions must be employed to obtain appreciable levels of mutagenic activity. With French fried potatoes, either excessively long frying times (35-40 min) or abnormally high frying temperatures (above 410 F or 210 C) were necessary to generate appreciable levels of mutagenic activity (> 2.5 times the spontaneous mutation rate). Repetitive frying of 45 batches of French fried potatoes or onion rings in the same batch of shortening elicited no increase in mutagen formation. Repetitive frying of fish fillets in the same batch of shortening resulted in the generation of appreciable levels of mutagen(s) in both the acidic and basic methylene chloride extracts. Increased mutagenic activity was noted by the 7th batch. Fish fillets obtained from a local restaurant at selected intervals during a one-week period of use of a particular batch of frying oil contained much lower levels of mutagenic activity.
Neuronal and vascular biomarkers in syringomyelia: investigations using longitudinal MRI

Aims: Syringomyelia is a formation of fluid-filled cavities in the spinal cord, caused by a number of situations including trauma. To understand the origin and progression of syringomyelia, animal models were developed to mimick the condition and computer models were implemented for performing numerical analysis. This article characterizes the neuropathological stages of a contused spinal cord before and after the syringomyelia formation using longitudinal in vivo MRI. Materials & methods: Rat was subject to a contusion-type spinal cord injury (SCI) at the T12 level. MRI data were gathered on post-injury days 3, 14, 28, 72, 94 and 404 using a 9.4 T scanner. In addition, neurobehavioral tests were performed prior to the scans on these days. Results: Pathological consequences of SCI included significant edema and, to a lesser degree, hemorrhage in the acute phase, followed by neuronal loss, tissue alterations and vascular changes in the late stages. The images from the post-injury day 14 indicated shrinkage...
The high energy behavior of scattering amplitudes in perturbation theory II

Abstract A procedure is described for extracting the dominant behavior at high energies of individual Feynman diagrams. This procedure is illustrated by the calculation of several examples, and is applied to the summation of several classes of diagrams in the high energy limit. Although all the examples dealt with concern spinless bosons and nonderivative coupling, the inclusion of spin and more complicated couplings does not alter the basic method.
Crimes of the Big Four motorcycle gangs

Motorcycle clubs (MCs) can be divided into conventional and deviant clubs. The most deviant clubs are those known as 1 percent or outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs). The Big Four OMGs are the Hells Angels MC, the Outlaws MC, the Bandidos MC, and the Pagans MC. The first three, although American based, have international chapters and are the largest motorcycle gangs in the world. All four are known for their criminal activity and violence toward each other. There has been little scholarly research on these secret and dangerous motorcycle clubs. This research, utilizing a LexisNexis newspaper search classified the criminal activity of each of the Big Four gangs using a biker criminality typology developed by Quinn and Koch. The study found that the members of the Big Four gangs are involved in a wide range of criminal activities with the most common being ongoing enterprises/organized crime such as drugs and weapons trafficking. There were also numerous instances of spontaneous and planned violent acts against rivals and others. The study added to the limited body of knowledge on these deviant groups and suggests further areas of research.
Molecular Aggregates of Nitrate Ion with the Tetravalent Lewis Acid Host 12-Mercuracarborand-4: Novel Trihapto Coordination of NO(3)(-).

The host−guest complex [(C2B10H10Hg)4(NO3)2(H2O)][K(18-crown-6)]2(H2O)(CH3)2CO, 1, was formed from the reaction of 12-mercuracarborand-4 with 2 equiv of potassium nitrate/18-crown-6, while [(C2B10H10Hg)4(NO3)2][K(18-crown-6)]2, 2, was found to be the preferred product in the reaction of 12-mercuracarborand-4 with 3 equiv of potassium nitrate/18-crown-6. Both were isolated in almost quantitative yield from their respective reaction mixtures. The title complexes were characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, negative-ion FAB mass spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography. In complex 2, the two bonded nitrate ions are each η3-coordinated with the oxygen atoms bonded face-on to the four Hg atoms of the planar host molecule.
Lessons learned from the CDC's post-exposure prophylaxis program following the anthrax attacks of 2001 {

The bioterrorism-related outbreak of anthrax in Fall 2001 was the result of unprecedented attacks on residents of the United States. Although addressees of anthrax spore-filled letters were most likely the targets of the attacks, thousands of U.S. postal employees and others were exposed through aerosolization of spores in mail processing facilities. 1 These attacks precipitated decisions to recommend post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to an estimated 10 000 individuals potentially exposed to Bacillus anthracis to prevent inhalational anthrax. 2 Initially, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended 60 days of antimicrobial PEP (initial PEP program), mainly either doxycycline or ciprofloxacin. 2 The CDC eventually extended its recommendation to 40 additional days of antimicrobial prophylaxis with or without three doses of anthrax vaccine adsorbed (AVA) under an investigational new drug (IND) protocol (extended PEP program). 3 Overall, approximately 5420 individuals received education about the extended PEP program. Of these, 1727 individuals agreed to take antibiotics for a full 100 days, but only 199 also chose to be vaccinated with AVA. 4,5 Fifty-seven percent of those who took at least one dose of antimicrobial prophylaxis during the first 60 days of PEP sustained an adverse event (AE), of which less than 1% were considered serious. 6 No deaths were attributed to PEP. Of the thousands of exposed individuals who were advised to take PEP, none developed any form of anthrax, whether or not they
Calculation of the radiofrequency size effect in complex metals. I. Mean free path dependence of the resonance strength for diffuse or specular surface scattering

Model calculations of line shapes and amplitudes appropriate to radio-frequency size effect resonances on “small” Fermi surface sheets in complex metals have been carried out using a perturbative technique. Detailed results are presented for high-symmetry sheets, with emphasis on the sphere and the circular cylinder; some discussion is also given to suggest what changes may occur in less regular cases. The calculated line shapes are in good agreement with experiment, both for diffuse surface scattering of the resonating electrons and also for specular surface scattering. The behavior of the amplitudes as a function of the mean free path indicates that the expression customarily used in analyzing data for the temperature dependence of the resonance strength should be modified. Except for the field region near onset, where the behavior is more complicated, we find % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4baFfea0dXde9vqpa0lb9% cq0dXdb9IqFHe9FjuP0-iq0dXdbba9pe0lb9hs0dXda91qaq-xfr-x% fj-hmeGabiqaaiaacaGaaeqabaWaaeaaeaaakeaacaWGZbGaeyyhIu% RaamyzamaaCaaaleqabaGaeyOeI0IaamiEaaaakiaac+cacaGGOaGa% aGymaiabgkHiTiaadwgadaahaaWcbeqaaiabgkHiTiaaikdacaWG4b% aaaOGaaiykaaaa!3F57!\[s \propto e^{ - x} /(1 - e^{ - 2x} )\] where % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4baFfea0dXde9vqpa0lb9% cq0dXdb9IqFHe9FjuP0-iq0dXdbba9pe0lb9hs0dXda91qaq-xfr-x% fj-hmeGabiqaaiaacaGaaeqabaWaaeaaeaaakeaacaWG4bGaaeiiai% abggMi6MaaGnaalaaabaGaaGymaaqaaiaaikdaaaGaaeiuaiaac+ca% cqaH7oaBaaa!3AEC!\[x{\rm{ }} \equiv \frac{1}{2}{\rm{P}}/\lambda \], with P the orbit perimeter and λ the mean free path. This replaces the usually adopted form % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4baFfea0dXde9vqpa0lb9% cq0dXdb9IqFHe9FjuP0-iq0dXdbba9pe0lb9hs0dXda91qaq-xfr-x% fj-hmeGabiqaaiaacaGaaeqabaWaaeaaeaaakeaacaWGZbGaeyyhIu% RaamyzamaaCaaaleqabaGaeyOeI0IaamiEaaaakiaac+cacaGGOaGa% aGymaiabgkHiTiaadwgadaahaaWcbeqaaiabgkHiTiaaikdacaWG4b% aaaOGaaiykaaaa!3F57!\[s \propto e^{ - x} /(1 - e^{ - 2x} )\]. Furthermore, the mean free path dependence is found to be essentially independent of the degree of specularity, in contrast to previous theoretical results for “simple” metals. While the difference between the usual and the revised expressions for S(x) is not large at modest mean free paths (that is, for x ≳ 1), it can be quite substantial at larger values of λ. This is of importance when dealing with very pure metals at the lowest temperatures or when trying to assess the residual mean free path in samples of moderate purity.
Brain tissue- and region-specific abnormalities on volumetric MRI scans in 21 patients with Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS)

Background Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a heterogeneous human disorder inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, and characterized by the primary findings of obesity, polydactyly, hypogonadism, and learning and behavioural problems. BBS mouse models have a neuroanatomical phenotype consisting of third and lateral ventriculomegaly, thinning of the cerebral cortex, and reduction in the size of the corpus striatum and hippocampus. These abnormalities raise the question of whether humans with BBS have a characteristic morphologic brain phenotype. Further, although behavioral, developmental, neurological and motor defects have been noted in patients with BBS, to date, there are limited reports of brain findings in BBS. The present study represents the largest systematic evaluation for the presence of structural brain malformations and/or progressive changes, which may contribute to these functional problems.
Evaluation of diffuse liver steatosis by ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging: which modality is best?

Abstract Purpose To compare ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) determination of diffuse liver steatosis. Materials and methods Quantification of liver steatosis on ultrasound, CT, and MRI was correlated with histopathology in 67 patients. Results Opposed-phase MRI demonstrated the highest correlation with steatosis (0.68 and 0.69, P Conclusion Opposed-phase MRI demonstrated best overall performance for determining steatosis.
Participation of BRCA1 in the DNA repair response...via transcription.

No Abstract AvailableCommentary to:Title: BRCA1 Transcriptionally Regulates Damaged DNA Binding Protein (DDB2) in the DNA Repair Response Following UV-IrradiationAuthors: Rishu Takimoto, Timothy K. MacLachlan, David T. Dicker, Yoshiro Niitsu, Toshio Mori and Wafik S. El-DeiryPage Numbers: 177-186
Pattern-recognition analysis of sound radiation in metal cutting

Pattern-recognition analysis of sound radiation was developed as a basis for monitoring the metal-cutting process. The sound-pressure signals radiated during cutting under fixed conditions were recorded using a sharp tool, a worn tool and a broken tool. A round bar of heat-treated AISI 4340 steel was machined in cylindrical turning, using a titanium-carbide-coated cutting tool. The spectral components in the 0–10 kHz range were used as features. Using resubstitution, signals coming from sharp and worn tools were easily distinguished, resulting in a 100% classification with just two features, being the average of the low (0–5 kHz) and high (5–10 kHz) frequency ranges. With tool breakage, two acceptable classifications were obtained using independent testing, the first with a performance of 100%, 75% and 100% for sharp, worn and breakage signals respectively, using nine features, and the second with 80%, 88% and 80%, using eight features.
Relationship between vigour and susceptibility of Austrian pine (Pinus nigra) to blister rust (Cronartium flaccidum)

In a 13-year-old plantation of Austrian pine no apparent relationship between vegetative vigour expressed as height and as stem circumference, and susceptibility to blister rust due to Cronartium flaccidum was found. Under conditions which favour the development of the disease, it is possible to select vigorous and blister rust resistant Austrian pines.
Nitrous oxide induces feeding in the nondeprived rat that is antagonized by naltrexone.

Three experiments investigated a possible effect of nitrous oxide (N2O) on food intake in nondeprived male hooded rats in independent groups designs. Experiment 1 demonstrated a concentration-related increase in intake with increasing level of nitrous oxide (10–40% N2O), reaching statistical significance at 20% N20 when compared to room air controls (p < 0.05). In experiment 2, pretreatment with 10 and 20 mg/kg of the benzodiazepine antagonist, fiumazenil, failed to significantly attenuate 30% N2O-induced hyperphagia. In Experiment 3, pretreatment with the opioid antagonist, naltrexone, effectively antagonized 30% N2O-induced hyperphagia. Pronounced attenuation (to 59% of 30% N20-induced intake level over a 1 h period) at the lowest dose of naltrexone (0.1 mg/kg, p < 0.01) compared to vehicle level resulted in a shallow dose-response curve across the dose range tested (0.1–10.0 mg/kg). These results suggest that an endogenous opioid mechanism is prominently involved in the N2O-induced ingestive response.
Platelet membrane phospholipids in euthymic bipolar disorder patients: are they affected by lithium treatment?

Abstract Background: Abnormalities in cell membrane processes and intracellular signal transduction pathways may be implicated in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder. In this study, we attempted to investigate, in euthymic bipolar patients: 1) in vivo signal transduction abnormalities of the phosphatidylinositol pathway in platelets; and 2) possible in vivo effects of lithium treatment on platelet membrane phospholipids. Methods: We determined the relative absorbances of eight individual classes of platelet membrane phospholipids, using two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography in high-performance plates, followed by scanning laser densitometry, in a group of 10 lithium-treated euthymic bipolar patients and 11 normal controls. Results: The mean relative absorbance of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP 2 ) was lower in the patient group (0.29 ± 0.08% vs. 0.39 ± 0.12%; t = 2.35, df=19, p = .03); no significant differences between patients and controls were found for the other phospholipids. Conclusions: This study provides in vivo evidence that bipolar patients on lithium treatment exhibit a decreased relative amount of PIP 2 in the platelet cell membranes compared to normal controls.
An energy-delay model for a packet coalescer

Newer link-layer protocols - including Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) - support a sleep mode to save energy during idle periods. Bursting or coalescing of packets can be used to reduce the overhead from sleep-wake transitions for such links. We develop an energy-delay model for a coalescing queue given deterministic interarrival and service times. We also model the delay of a downstream queue. The model shows that there is a burst size beyond which only little energy savings can be achieved while the packet delay increases linearly. By a simulation study, we show that the results from our model approximate that of an EEE-enabled Ethernet link connected to an uplink.
Design methodology of an online greek language course

We present a participatory design methodology for developing an online community supported Modern Greek language course. The students of the classes collaborate in transcribing real audio lessons, publish and peer review shared notes. Participatory design was implemented as a four step process (a) Building bridges with the intended users (b) Map user needs and suggestions to the system (c) Develop a prototype (d) Integrate feedback and continue the iteration.
Three-dimensional image registration of MR proximal femur images for the analysis of trabecular bone parameters

This study investigated the feasibility of automatic image registration of MR high-spatial resolution proximal femur trabecular bone images as well as the effects of gray-level interpolation and volume of interest (VOI) misalignment on MR-derived trabecular bone structure parameters. For six subjects, a baseline scan and a follow-up scan of the proximal femur were acquired on the same day. An automatic image registration technique, based on mutual information, utilized a baseline and a follow-up scan to compute transform parameters that aligned the two images. These parameters were subsequently used to transform the follow-up image with three different gray-level interpolators. Nearest neighbor interpolation and b-spline approximation did not significantly alter bone parameters, while linear interpolation significantly modified bone parameters (p<0.01). Improvement in image alignment due to the automatic registration was determined by visually inspecting difference images and 3D renderings. This work demonstrates the first application of automatic registration, without prior segmentation, of high-spatial resolution trabecular bone MR images of the proximal femur. Additionally, effects due to imprecise analysis volume alignment are investigated. Inherent heterogeneity in trabecular bone structure and imprecise positioning of the VOI along the slice (A/P) direction resulted in significant changes in bone parameters (p<0.01). Results suggest that automatic mutual information registration using nearest-neighbor gray-level interpolation to transform the final image ensures VOI alignment between baseline and follow-up images and does not compromise the integrity of MR-derived trabecular bone parameters.
Molecular weight sensing of polyethylene glycols by flow injection analysis and refractive index gradient detection

Abstract Fundamental aspects of a novel molecular weight sensor (MWS) will be described with application to polyethylene glycol (PEG) analysis in the range of 1470 g mole −1 to 12600 g mole −1 . The MWS incorporates controlled dispersion due to convection and diffusion contributions resulting from flow of a sample plug through a narrow diameter tube and flow cell. The controlled dispersion results in a concentration profile that is a strong function of the analyte diffusion coefficient and is readily correlated to molecular weight. The concentration profile is sensitively measured by a refractive index gradient (RIG) detector. This detector provides excellent sensitivity without requiring analyte absorbance. The data is readily converted to an asymmetry ratio (AR), a quality parameter that is independent of analyte concentration between the range of 100 ppm to 800 ppm injected PEG. The asymmetry ratio is the ratio of the relative maximum to the relative minimum on the RIG detected signal. The concentration gradient at the maximum and minimum were found to be dominated by different dependencies on the analyte diffusion coefficient. When the asymmetry ratio is calculated, the diffusion effects constructively add to the sensitivity of the molecular weight prediction. The precision of the molecular weight determination for 1470 g mole −1 PEG was 117 g mole −1 ( n =5 trials).
Comparison of Two Methods for Calculating Percent Body Weight on a Tilt Table

Physical therapists commonly treat patients when knowledge of percent weight bearing is desirable during functional lower extremity exercise. The purpose of this study was to compare two methods for calculating percent body weight at different angles of inclination on a tilt table. Twenty healthy subjects were weighed on a spring scale in standing and on a tilt table at 5 degrees increments between 0 and 90 degrees of tilt. Percent body weight at each angle was compared to a value predicted from a trigonometric equation. Predicted values were significantly greater than measured values at all angles greater than 10 degrees of tilt. Predicted overestimation ranged from 2.8 to 14.2%. Compared to the trigonometric method, physical therapists can more easily and accurately determine percent body weight on a tilt table using a scale if total body weight is known. Partial weight-bearing rehabilitation could be performed on the tilt table by varying the degree of inclination, allowing functional lower extremity exercise for patients with weight-bearing restrictions. Guidelines could be established following a variety of injuries and orthopaedic procedures incorporating functional lower extremity exercises at varying percentages of body weight.
The influence of demagnetization and anisotropy energy on bloch wall thickness and coercive force in thin films

Abstract A reasonable approximation is made to the actual Bloch wall structure in thin uniaxial magnetic films. The corresponding demagnetization, exchange, and anisotropy energies are calculated and the Bloch wall thickness is determined by minimizing the wall energy. The result is used to determine the functional relation between coercive force and film thickness on the surface roughness model of Neel. Results show that the inclusion of the demagnetization energy by the crude model of Neel is, in fact, a very good approximation. The inclusion of negative effective anisotropy leads to deviations from the four-thirds power law.