cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Central corneal thickness in the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study (OHTS).

Abstract Objective Central corneal thickness influences intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement. We examined the central corneal thickness of subjects in the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study (OHTS) and determined if central corneal thickness is related to race. Design Cross-sectional study. Participants One thousand three hundred one OHTS subjects with central corneal thickness measurements. Intervention Central corneal thickness was determined with ultrasonic pachymeters of the same make and model at all clinical sites of the OHTS. Main outcome measures Correlation of mean central corneal thickness with race, baseline IOP, refraction, age, gender, systemic hypertension, and diabetes. Results Mean central corneal thickness was 573.0 ± 39.0 μm. Twenty-four percent of the OHTS subjects had central corneal thickness > 600 μm. Mean central corneal thickness for African American subjects (555.7 ± 40.0 μm; n=318) was 23 μm thinner than for white subjects (579.0 ± 37.0 μm; P Conclusions OHTS subjects have thicker corneas than the general population. African American subjects have thinner corneas than white subjects in the study. The effect of central corneal thickness may influence the accuracy of applanation tonometry in the diagnosis, screening, and management of patients with glaucoma and ocular hypertension.
Fifty Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners

* Designed to train ESL teachers in the most effective practices for instruction of limited English proficient students, Herrell's Fifty Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners provides an informative introduction to the field. This teacher training text was based on Herrell's research of the most successful strategies employed to support English language learners in their language acquisition process. She describes the book as a practical manual to provide K-12 ESL instructors with theoretical background and a step-by-step guide to the most effective language teaching techniques. This text is suitable for university-level or volunteer teachers-in-training. The text comprises 50 strategy chapters as well as an introduction, which includes a theoretical overview of second language acquisition theory, a discussion of practice with underlying theory, and a matrix of the 50 strategies with their objectives. Although the theoretical overview is a mere three pages long, it mentions such theories as Steven Krashen and Tracy Terrell's input hypothesis, Merrill Swain's output hypothesis, M. A. K. Halliday's seven functions of language, and Jim Cummins's concepts of basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS) and cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP). The author's discussion of the underlying theory base of instruction is also short but provides newcomers a compact set of five principles to follow: encourage verbal interaction, promote active involvement, support comprehensible input, contextualize language, and reduce anxiety. The matrix of the 50 strategies, which is vital to the use of this text, highlights which of the above principles are primary or secondary objectives of each strategy. The 50 strategies are organized alphabetically throughout the textlike
Office Building Investment and the Macroeconomy: Empirical Evidence, 1973–1985

Given the recent concern about overbuilding in the office sector, this paper considers the influence that macroeconomic factors have upon office construction. Because office construction is volatile and because the “time to build” problem requires construction to change with a lag, the paper employs a different methodology, vector autoregressions, to model the office building sector. The findings indicate that anticipated output has a large and direct effect. This effect depends on the predictive content of nominal interest rates, suggesting that the declines in nominal rates over the past five years explains the recent overbuilding.
Cardiac amyloidosis treated with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator and subcutaneous array lead system: report of a case and literature review.

Background: Preventing ventricular arrhythmias in patients with cardiac amyloidosis is challenging since the amyloid protein deposition in the myocardium may interfere with the normal cardiac electric excitation. Most of these patients succumb to either progressive congestive heart failure, or sudden cardiac death (SCD). Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) offers a near sure means of preventing SCD. Hypothesis: Myocardial infiltration with amyloid results in elevated defibrillation threshold (DFT). Intraoperative strategies may fail to lower DFT during implantation. Methods: We present a case of a 64-year-old female who had cardiac amyloidosis, and was successfully treated with an ICD and a subcutaneous array lead system. Conclusion: A subcutaneous array lead system is useful in reducing the DFT, and can terminate ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation by allowing more energy delivery and efficient defibrillation.
THE COURSE, TREATMENT, AND OUTCOME OF SUBSTANCE DISORDER IN PERSONS WITH SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS

Individuals with co-occurring substance abuse and severe mental illness are particularly vulnerable to negative outcomes. This paper reviews findings on the longitudinal course of dual disorders in traditional treatment systems, which provide separate mental health and substance-abuse programs; describes the movement toward programs that integrate both types of treatment at the clinical level; reviews evidence related to outcomes in integrated treatment programs; and discusses health-care policy changes that would encourage effective treatments.
Evaluating the effects of thin film patterns on the temperature distribution of silicon wafers during radiant processing

A numerical model was developed to find the temperature distributions during radiant heating of a silicon wafer with SiO2 thin film patterns. The radiative properties of silicon and the film structure were found by considering the effects of partial transparency and thin film interference. The average total properties over simple patterns with feature sizes of the order of a few micrometers were found, using an average of the properties of each region within the pattern, weighted by their relative areas. In general, wafers with a single SiO2 film or pattern reach a higher steady state temperature than a plain Si wafer due to higher total absorptivity. This applies to thin films of any thickness below several micrometers, where coherent effects are dominant. The temperature of patterned wafers vary nonlinearly with film thickness, with the highest temperature discrepancy from Si wafer occurring at film thickness of ~0.2 ?m. For wafers with complex patterns, the temperature distributions can be estimated by the average of temperatures for simpler patterns, weighted by their respective areas. Due to limitations in the computational domain, the radiative processing of 3-in. wafers was modeled; however, results were confirmed for the 12-in. wafer for limited cases.
Nonlinear analysis of anisotropic panels

A computational procedure is presented for the efficient nonlinear analysis of symmetric anisotropic panels. The three key elements of the procedure are: 1) use of three-field mixed models having independent interpolation (shape) functions for stress resultants, strain components, and generalized displacements, with the stress resultants and strain components allowed to be discontinuous at interelement boundaries; 2) decomposition of the material stiffness matrix into the sum of an orthotropic and a nonorthotropic (anisotropic) part; and 3) successive application of the finite element method and the classical Rayleigh-Ritz technique. The finite element method is first used to generate a few global approximation vectors (or modes). Then the amplitudes of these modes are computed by using the Rayleigh-Ritz technique. The global approximation vectors are taken to be various-order derivatives of the strain components, stress resultants, and generalized displacements with respect to an anisotropic tracing parameter and a load parameter; they are evaluated at zero values of the two parameters. The size of the analysis model used in generating the global approximation vectors is identical to that of the corresponding orthotropic structure. The effectiveness of the proposed computational procedure is demonstrated by means of a numerical example, and its potential for solving quasi-symmetric nonlinear problems of composite structures is discussed.
Some recent applications of XTRAN3S

A time marching finite difference code, XTRAN3S that solves the three dimensional transonic small perturbation equation for flow over isolated wings was developed. During initial applications of the program, problems were encountered in the prediction of unsteady forces. The use of a revised grid and force calculation scheme improved those predictions. Comparisons are made between predicted and experimental pressure data for a rectangular supercritical wing. Comparisons of steady and unsteady data at M sub infinity = 0.700 show good agreement between calculated and experimental values. A comparison of steady data at M sub infinity 0.825 shows poor agreement between calculations and experiment. Program difficulties were encountered with swept and tapered configurations.
Evanescent-wave cavity ring-down spectroscopy for trace water detection

We explore the use of evanescent wave cavity ring-down spectroscopy (BW-CRDS) for water detection through a signal-to-noise ratio analysis. Cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) is an emerging optical absorption technique that employs the mean photon decay time ofa high-finesse optical cavity as the absorption-sensitive observable. EW-CRDS is a novel implementation of CRDS that extends the technique to surfaces, films, and liquids by employing optical cavities which incorporate at least one total-internal-reflection (TIR) mirror. The concomitant evanescent wave is then used to probe the absorption ofan ambient medium at the TIR surface also through a change in the photon decay time. By employing miniature monolithic cavities with ultra-smooth surfaces that are fabricated from ultra-high transmission materials, extreme sub-monolayer detection sensitivity is readily achieved. The detection of water by EW-CRDS with a fused-silica resonator provides an interesting and important application, since the nascent hydroxylated Si02 surface is expected to show a high natural affinity for adsorption ofwater through hydrogen-bonding interactions. Furthermore, in the 13 80 nm spectral region where water absorbs strongly, low-OH-content fused silica has extremely high bulk transmission. These factors potentially provide the basis for a novel water sensor.
Inter-Agency Collaboration in Child Welfare and Child Mental Health Systems

While most children living in foster care experience emotional disturbance as a result of their maltreatment or out-of-home placement, most do not receive needed mental health assistance that can p...
Ambient-Temperature Beverages Are Consumed at a Rate Similar to Chilled Water in Heat-Exposed Workers

Palatability of beverages has been shown to influence drinking patterns and hydration. Cool beverages are known to enhance palatability; however, situations exist in which cooling is not possible. The purpose of this study was to determine the palatability of a variety of flavors of ambient temperature beverages. Ten healthy males performed two work trials in a temperature-controlled environment (WBGT = 30°C; wet = 25°C, dry = 40°C, globe = 41°C). In one trial, the subjects had only chilled water to drink. In the second trial the subjects drank their choice (any or all) of five ambient temperature beverages (water, fruit punch, lemon-lime, orange, and cola). Repeated measures ANOVA showed no difference in absolute or relative fluid consumption between the two trials (chilled = 1730 ± 316 mL and 21 ± 5 mL/kg; ambient [all five beverages combined] = 1510 ± 219 mL and 19 ± 4 mL/kg). There was no difference in the rate of fluid consumption between the two trials (608 ± 88 mL/30 min and 674 ± 82 mL/30 min, p >...
Determination of Halogenated and Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Air by Charcoal Tube and Gas Chromatography

Abstract The preparation and use of a simple charcoal tube is described for the collection of air samples for the determination of several commonly encountered halogenated and aromatic hydrocarbons of industrial hygiene significance. A rapid and efficient desorption procedure is employed. Specific parameters are presented for quantitative determination by gas chromatography. The method provides an easily applicable technique with the advantages of minimum field sampling equipment; and rapid, specific, accurate and economical determinations at atmospheric concentrations ranging from a few parts per million to several times the Threshold Limit Value.
The Hippo Pathway Promotes Notch Signaling in Regulation of Cell Differentiation, Proliferation, and Oocyte Polarity

Specification of the anterior-posterior axis in Drosophila oocytes requires proper communication between the germ-line cells and the somatically derived follicular epithelial cells. Multiple signaling pathways, including Notch, contribute to oocyte polarity formation by controlling the temporal and spatial pattern of follicle cell differentiation and proliferation. Here we show that the newly identified Hippo tumor-suppressor pathway plays a crucial role in the posterior follicle cells in the regulation of oocyte polarity. Disruption of the Hippo pathway, including major components Hippo, Salvador, and Warts, results in aberrant follicle-cell differentiation and proliferation and dramatic disruption of the oocyte anterior-posterior axis. These phenotypes are related to defective Notch signaling in follicle cells, because misexpression of a constitutively active form of Notch alleviates the oocyte polarity defects. We also find that follicle cells defective in Hippo signaling accumulate the Notch receptor and display defects in endocytosis markers. Our findings suggest that the interaction between Hippo and classic developmental pathways such as Notch is critical to spatial and temporal regulation of differentiation and proliferation and is essential for development of the body axes in Drosophila.
Short term thermal relief for improved fertility in dairy cattle during hot weather

Cooling dairy cows to basal body temperatures in a climatic-control barn before inseminating and for 1 to 6.5 days after, improved fertility during early summer in the hot desert climate of Arizona. The treatment was not as effective during later summer months when the animals had been exposed to high climatic temperature for a longer period. Physiological adaptation to heat stress, inimical to normal reproduction, is apparently irreversible over the short cooling period.
Mayer–Rokitansky–Kuster–Hauser syndrome: complications, diagnosis and possible treatment options: a review

Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome is a disorder in women that presents as Mullerian agenesis. These patients present internal genitalia abnormalities that include the absence of a uterus and the upper two-thirds of the vagina. In this review, current diagnostic methods, accompanying complications (congenital and psychological) and non-surgical and surgical treatments are summarized. Ultrasound and MRI have been the most documented options in MRKH syndrome diagnosis. Many women with MRKH syndrome have renal, skeletal, hearing or cardiac congenital anomalies and increased levels of psychological distress. Non-surgical interventions can be used to create a sexually functional neovagina through vaginal dilation, and surgical interventions provide alternate methods of creating a neovagina. Additionally, vaginal tissue engineering and gene therapy might provide more effective approaches in solving MRKH syndrome.
SL 3,R symmetry in the quantum theory of general relativity

The Dirac Hamiltonian theory for general relativity is considered with a selected set of dynamical variables as the basic Hermitian field operators in the quantum theory. The 3 spacelike subsidiary conditions are not evoked to eliminate gaugelike degrees of freedom but rather to restrict admissible (co-ordinate-independent) state functionals. Approximate solutions of the timelike subsidiary conditionH L Ψ=0 are obtained for strong quantum-gravitational fields by regarding the momentum terms as prepotent, and since the latter terms exhibitSL 3,R invariance, sets of admissible physical states associated with strong quantum gravitational fields are expected to exhibit approximate symmetry with respect to unitarySL 3,R transformations. Explicit and analysis shows that a certain infinite-dimensional set of approximate «oneparticle» physical states does indeed constitute a basis for, a unitary representation ofSL 3,R .
A higher-order plate theory with ideal finite element suitability

Abstract A variational tenth-order theory for stretching and bending of orthotropic elastic plates is proposed which lends itself perfectly to finite element formulations based upon C 0 and C −1 -continuous displacement approximations. The deformations due to all strain and stress components are accounted. The theory is derived from three-dimensional elasticity via a modified virtual work statement based upon independent displacement and transverse strain expansions through the thickness. The transverse displacement employs a special parabolic form while the in-plane displacements are taken to be linear. The issues of thickness-expansion related inconsistencies in the transverse shear strains and the transverse normal stress are resolved by the enforcement of physical stress boundary conditions and variationally consistent ‘weak’ transverse strain compatibility. The resulting transverse shear strains are parabolic, while the transverse normal strain varies cubically across the plate thickness. The variational principle yields seven equations of motion and exclusively Poisson-type edge boundary conditions. A qualitative assessment of the theory is carried out for the problem of static equilibrium involving an infinite plate under a sinusoidal normal pressure. A simple three-node plate element is then developed comparable in computational efficiency to its Mindlin-theory counterpart but which enables accurate computation of all displacement, strain and stress components for a wide range of the plate span-to-thickness ratio.
Effect of serial arm ischemic preconditioning sessions on the systemic blood pressure of a normotensive subject.

Abstract Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) consists of repeated 5′ periods of blood pressure (BP) cuff inflations applied to the upper arms at pressures above the systolic blood pressure (SBP), interspersed with 5′ periods of reperfusion have been shown to benefit the ischemic and infarcted myocardium in animal experiments, and human clinical experience. Serial sessions of RIPC, as described, were applied to the arms of a normotensive subject. RIPC resulted in a statistically significant mean drop of the SBP by >6 mm Hg, of the diastolic BP by >3 mm Hg, and of the pulse pressure by 3 mm Hg, 30′ after RIPC, with some evidence for a delayed effect in the ensuing days following RIPC. RIPC exerts an immediate BP lowering effect and possibly has a prolonged delayed such influence on BP. This newly described herein phenomenon needs to be corroborated and explored for its potential value in the physiology of BP regulation and the pathophysiology and therapy of hypertension.
Digital bowel cleansing for computer-aided detection of polyps in fecal-tagging CT colonography

Digital bowel cleansing (DBC) is an emerging method for segmentation of fecal materials, which are tagged by an X-ray-opaque oral contrast agent in CT colonography (CTC) images, effectively removing them for digital cleansing of the colon. Existing DBC approaches tend to use simple thresholding-based methods for the removal of tagged fecal materials; however, because of the pseudo-enhancement of polyps caused by the surrounding tagged fecal materials, such methods tend erroneously to remove a part of or the entire polyps submerged in these materials. In this study, we developed a novel DBC method that preserves the soft-tissue structures submerged in or partially covered by tagged fecal materials. In our approach, submerged soft-tissue structures are characterized by their local shape signatures that are calculated based on the eigenvalues of a Hessian matrix. A structure-enhancement function is formulated for enhancing of the soft-tissue structures, and the values of the function are integrated into the speed function of a level set method to delineate the submerged soft-tissue structures while removing the tagged fecal materials. In an analysis of 10 submerged polyps, our new DBC method was shown to delineate polyps better than was possible with our previously reported cleansing method based on thresholding. Application of our computer-aided detection (CAD) scheme showed that the use of the new DBS method substantially reduced the number of false-positive detections compared with those of our previous, thresholding-based method.
Monomelic parkinsonian tremor caused by contralateral substantia nigra stroke.

Abstract Patients with Parkinson's disease have been frequently classified by their most prominent symptoms into tremor-predominant and akinetic/rigid variants. A few pathological studies have suggested that these different phenotypes represent topographical differences in nigral pathology. A patient is described in whom a medial substantia nigra stroke led to contralateral lower extremity parkinsonian tremor, providing a clinical–pathological correlation of this tremor, indicating a somatotopic organization of the substantia nigra and supporting the central generator hypothesis of parkinsonian tremor.
The study of differentiative potential of the lactating mouse mammary gland in organ culture

The organ culture of the mammary gland of lactating mice was used to examine the response of the differentiated gland to lactogenic stimuli, insulin, cortisol, and prolactin. Time course studies showed that casein synthesis in cultured tissue decreased rapidly during the first 2 d despite the presence of the three hormones, but on the 3rd d tissue cultured with either insulin and prolactin or all three hormones regained the ability to synthesize milk proteins, casein, and α-lactalbumin: a greater increase occurred in the three hormone system. The delayed addition of prolactin on Day 2 to the culture system containing insulin and cortisol also stimulated casein synthesis. The addition of cytarabine, which inhibited insulin-dependent cell proliferation in cultured explants, did not block the rebound of milk protein synthesis. The results indicate that in the presence of insulin, cortisol, and prolactin mammary epithelial cells in culture first lose and then regain the ability of synthesizing milk protein without requiring the formation of new daughter cells.
LATERAL HETEROGENEITY IN FLUID BILAYERS COMPOSED OF SATURATED AND UNSATURATED PHOSPHOLIPIDS

Evidence has been obtained for the existence of lateral heterogeneity in fluid bilayers composed of mixtures of saturated and unsaturated phospholipids by use of nearest-neighbor recognition (NNR) ...
INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RESTRICTION : DEFINITION AND ETIOLOGY

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a frequent cause of perinatal morbidity as well as of impaired growth during childhood. Therefore, a clearcut definition of IUGR to identify those babies at risk is essential: The label IUGR generally should be assigned only to those infants with birth weight and/or birth length below the 10th percentile for GA with a pathologic restriction of fetal growth. According to the recent literature, clinical classification of the retarded babies seems to be less significant. Among the etiologic factors responsible for IUGR, one-third of the variations in birth weight are determined by genetic variables, two-thirds by environmental factors. In spite of the fact that a long list of established, different etiologic factors is known, in at least 40% of children no underlying pathology can be identified. Among the preventable, environmental causes of IUGR, smoking of the mother during pregnancy is by far the most important one, which is responsible for more than one third of all IUGR newborns.
Photoemission studies of the oxidation of Cs. Identification of the multiplet structures of oxygen species

Abstract Photoemission studies of the oxidation of Cs have been performed. Four different states of oxygen were observed to be sorbed into Cs; three of the four states have been definitively identified to be O2− O 2 2 and O−2. Little differential relaxation in the orbital energies is observed for O2−2 sorbed in Cs, whereas significant differential relaxation is observed for O−2. The difference is attributed to the closed-shell configuration of O2−2 and the open-shell configuration of O−2.
A study of image reconstruction algorithms for hybrid intensity interferometers

Phase retrieval is explored for image reconstruction using outputs from both a simulated intensity interferometer (II) and a hybrid system that combines the II outputs with partially resolved imagery from a traditional imaging telescope. Partially resolved imagery provides an additional constraint for the iterative phase retrieval process, as well as an improved starting point. The benefits of this additional a priori information are explored and include lower residual phase error for SNR values above 0.01, increased sensitivity, and improved image quality. Results are also presented for image reconstruction from II measurements alone, via current state-of-the-art phase retrieval techniques. These results are based on the standard hybrid input-output (HIO) algorithm, as well as a recent enhancement to HIO that optimizes step lengths in addition to step directions. The additional step length optimization yields a reduction in residual phase error, but only for SNR values greater than about 10. Image quality for all algorithms studied is quite good for SNR≥10, but it should be noted that the studied phase-recovery techniques yield useful information even for SNRs that are much lower.
Purification and crystallization of ferric enterobactin receptor protein, FepA, from the outer membranes of Escherichia coli UT5600/pBB2

Abstract The ferric enterobactin receptor protein, FepA, was isolated and purified from the outer membranes of a genetically transformed strain of Escherichia coli (UT5600/pBB2) using anion-exchange chromatography, chromatofocusing and gel filtration. The purified protein was found to crystallize from 25 mM sodium phosphate buffer in the presence of 0.8% β-D-octylglucoside under a range of conditions. The protein formed mostly small rods and needle-shaped crystals in the hanging drop method.
Size Influence on the Oxygen Reduction Reaction Activity and Instability of Supported Pt Nanoparticles

Size-dependent oxygen reduction reaction activity (ORR) and instability of Pt nanoparticles is of great importance in proton exchange membrane fuel cell applications. In this study, the size-dependence of ORR activity on Pt nanoparticles (NPs) was investigated on high-surface-area carbon supported Pt NPs below 5 nm in acidic electrolytes using rotating disk electrode method. The ORR activity was correlated to the estimated surface coverage by OH anion from cyclic voltammogram measurements and the surface composition and electronic structure of Pt NPs, which was studied using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy. The results revealed a size-independent ORR activity on Pt NPs below 5 nm, which was attributed to similar surface compositions and surface electronic structures of Pt NPs below 5 nm as well as comparable OH anion coverage at the potential where ORR was evaluated. In contrast, the instability of Pt NPs under accelerated potential cycling was found to be strongly dependent on the particle size.
On the complexity of partial order productions

Let $P = ( < _P ,Y)$ be a partial order on a set $Y = \{ y_1 ,y_2 , \cdots ,y_n \} $ of n elements. The problem of P-production is as follows: Given an input of n distinct numbers $Y = x_1 ,x_2 , \cdots ,x_n $, find a permutation $\sigma $ of $(1,2, \cdots ,n)$ such that $y_i < _P y_j $ implies $x_{\sigma (i)} < x_{\sigma (j)} $. Let $C(P),\bar C(P)$ be, respectively, the minimum number and the minimum average number of binary comparisons $x_i :x_j $ needed by any decision-tree algorithm to produce P. It is proved that $C(P) = \Theta (\bar C(P))$. As an intermediate result, it is shown that $C(P) = O(\log _2 ({{n!} / {\mu (P)}}) + n)$, where $\mu (P)$ is the number of permutations consistent with P, thus proving a conjecture of Saks.
The effects of ZnO buffer layers on the properties of phosphorus doped ZnO thin films grown on sapphire by pulsed laser deposition

The properties of phosphorus doped ZnO thin films grown on sapphire by pulsed laser deposition were examined, specifically focusing on the effects of undoped ZnO buffer layers. In particular, buffer layers were grown under different conditions; the transport properties of as-deposited and rapid thermal annealed ZnO : P films were then examined. As-deposited films showed n-type conductivity. After rapid thermal annealing, the film on buffer layer grown at a low temperature showed the conversion of carrier type to p-type for specific growth conditions while the films deposited on buffer layer grown at a high temperature remained n-type regardless of growth condition. The films deposited on buffer layer grown at a low temperature showed higher resistivity and more significant change of the transport properties upon rapid thermal annealing. These results suggest that more dopants are incorporated in films with higher defect density. This is consistent with high resolution x-ray diffraction results for phosphorus doped ZnO films on different buffer layers. In addition, the microstructure of phosphorus doped ZnO films is substantially affected by the buffer layer.
On a class of semilinear elliptic systems

Abstract This paper deals with the existence of positive solutions to a Dirichlet problem for the superlinear elliptic system Δu=−λf(v), Δv=−λg(u) on a ball, where λ is a positive parameter and f(0),g(0) may be negative.
Clustering of atmospheric data by the deterministic annealing

Abstract The Deterministic Annealing (DA) clustering method, which determines the cluster centers, their sizes, and probability with which data are associated with each cluster, is tested using artificial data and applied to atmospheric satellite data. It is also shown how the method can be advantageously used to characterize data outliers. The method is based on the optimization of a cost function that depends both on the averaged distance of data points to cluster centers and the Shannon entropy of the data. The cost function uses two independent parameters in a close analog to the Gibbs' thermodynamics (with the averaged distance similar to the internal energy) allowing a sufficient control of the formation of new clusters as “phase transitions” by changing the clustering parameter similar to the thermodynamical temperature. The satellite data used are a temperature–water vapor data set and the positions of deep convective clouds obtained from the measurements of the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) on the Aqua satellite. The clustering of these data is demonstrated for the 2D case (at fixed pressure level) and for the 3D case at multiple pressure levels indicating potential applications to investigation of distributions of atmospheric profiles.
Kinematical diffraction analysis of the diffuse scattering from grain boundaries along the direction normal to the interface

Abstract A kinematical diffraction analysis for determining the intensity of excess diffuse scattering along the direction normal to the interface plane of a grain boundary is developed, taking into account the interaction between the scattering from the grain boundary core and the perfect crystal regions. Grain boundary structures are aperiodic normal to the interface plane, and amplitude-phase diagrams are used to illustrate the nature of the diffraction process and to calculate the intensity profile of the diffuse scattering along the direction normal to the interface. Various models for the boundary structure are described and the diffuse scattering intensity profile is calculated for each model structure. The effects of deviations from these model structures such as segregation and rumpling of atomic planes are described. Comparison of the diffracted intensity profiles calculated for the various model structures gives physical insight into the influence of different characteristics of the boundary st...
Growth of Cr- and Co-doped CdSe crystals from high-temperature selenium solutions

Transition metals in the group II-VI semiconductors have attracted considerable attention for their application as tunable mid-infrared (IR) lasers at room temperature. Very recently, Co-doped II-VI hosts have been considered as saturable absorber materials. In the present study, we have grown both Cr-doped and Co-doped CdSe by a high-temperature solution growth technique using Se as solvent. The Cr-doped CdSe was grown in 4,000-ppm concentration. The Co-doped CdSe crystals were grown in concentrations of 2,000 ppm and 4,000 ppm. The crystals were characterized by optical-absorption spectroscopy. The absorption-peak position for Cr was 1.92 µm, and for Co, the peak position was 1.8 µm. The doping concentrations for Cr-doped samples were estimated from optical-absorption spectra using the Beer-Lambert law. Good-quality, crack-free single crystals were grown; however, our near-IR transmission microscopy showed Se inclusions, which were also confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The electrical-resistivity dependence on doping concentrations is presented and discussed. Glow discharge mass spectrometric (GDMS) measurements for the Co-doped sample are reported. The absorption cross section for Co was calculated for the first time using the Beer-Lambert law.
Equity market integration in Latin America: A time-varying integration score analysis

Abstract We develop a measure of market integration score by extending the methodology of Akdogan [J. Portf. Manage. (1996) 33; J. Portf. Manage. (1997) 82] to reflect the degree of integration of domestic equity markets with other markets in and beyond the region. We empirically estimate the integration scores for a sample of six Latin American markets between January 1988 and December 2001. We find a trend towards increased regional integration relative to global integration until the mid-1990s. A distinct change in trend is noted during the second half of the 1990s, with global integration proceeding faster than regional integration.
Cholecystectomy and hepatic artery injuries.

• This study included 71 cadavers used for anatomical dissection that had undergone cholecystectomies. Of these five, 7% had some type of hepatic artery injury. The subjects all had survived at least 1 year after cholecystectomy and had normal livers. The mechanisms of this injury, its pathophysiology, and its prevention are discussed. ( Arch Surg. 1991;126:137-138)
Suppressed auger recombination in "giant" nanocrystals boosts optical gain performance.

Many potential applications of semiconductor nanocrystals are hindered by nonradiative Auger recombination wherein the electron−hole (exciton) recombination energy is transferred to a third charge carrier. This process severely limits the lifetime and bandwidth of optical gain, leads to large nonradiative losses in light-emitting diodes and photovoltaic cells, and is believed to be responsible for intermittency (“blinking”) of emission from single nanocrystals. The development of nanostructures in which Auger recombination is suppressed has recently been the subject of much research in the colloidal nanocrystal field. Here, we provide direct experimental evidence that so-called “giant” nanocrystals consisting of a small CdSe core and a thick CdS shell exhibit a significant (orders of magnitude) suppression of Auger decay rates. As a consequence, even multiexcitons of a very high order exhibit significant emission efficiencies, which allows us to demonstrate optical amplification with an extraordinarily la...
Hypophosphatemic Rickets with Hypercalciuria due to Mutation in SLC34A3/Type IIc Sodium-Phosphate Cotransporter: Presentation as Hypercalciuria and Nephrolithiasis

Context: Hereditary hypophosphatemic rickets with hypercalciuria (HHRH) is a metabolic disorder due to homozygous loss-of-function mutations in the SLC34A3 gene encoding the renal type IIc sodium-phosphate cotransporter (NaPi-IIc). The typical presentation is severe rickets and hypophosphatemia, and hypercalciuria is often discovered later or overlooked. Objective: We sought to determine the genetic basis for severe hypercalciuria and nephrolithiasis/nephrocalcinosis in an adolescent male with elevated serum levels of calcitriol but normal serum levels of calcium and phosphorus. Design and Setting: We used PCR to analyze the SLC34A3 gene in the proband and members of his family. Results: The proband was a compound heterozygote for two SLC34A3 missense mutations, a novel c.544C→T in exon 6 that results in replacement of arginine at position 182 by tryptophan (R182W) and c.575C→T in exon 7 that results in replacement of serine at position 192 by leucine (S192L). The R182W and S192L alleles were inherited from the mother and father, respectively, both of whom had hypercalciuria. A clinically unaffected brother was heterozygous for S192L. Conclusion: We report a novel mutation in the SLC34A3 gene in a patient with an unusual presentation of HHRH. This report emphasizes that moderate and severe hypercalciuria can be manifestations of heterozygous or homozygous loss-of-function mutations in the SLC34A3 gene, respectively, providing further evidence for a gene dosage effect in determining the phenotype. HHRH may be an underdiagnosed condition that can masquerade as idiopathic hypercalciuria or osteopenia.
Dietary vitamin and lipid therapy rescues aberrant signaling and apoptosis and prevents hyperglycemia- induced diabetic embryopathy in rats

Objective Maternal diabetes causes developmental malformations in the embryo. Dietary supplementation with antioxidants can reduce the malformation rates in animal models. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying diabetes-induced embryonic abnormalities and dietary interventions, activity of mitogen-activated protein kinases and factors associated with apoptotic pathways were examined in the maternal diabetic rat model. Study design Diabetes was induced in pregnant rats using streptozotocin. In the yolk sacs of the embryos, activity of the extracellular signal-regulated kinases, Raf-1, and Akt was dramatically reduced in diabetic rats, whereas that of c-jun N-terminal kinases/stress-activated protein kinases was increased. Results When the diabetic dams were fed with arachidonic acid, vitamin E, or a combination of arachidonic acid, vitamin E, and myoinositol, the changes in the expression of these kinases were reversed and correlated with the decreases in the rates of apoptosis and embryonic malformations. Conclusion These results suggest that mitogen-activated protein kinases are involved in diabetic embryopathy, and dietary supplementations can rescue the aberrant signaling pathways and reduce embryonic malformation rate.
Temporal integration of pure tones in the cat

A behavioral method for assessing auditory threshold in cats using food reward conditioning is described. The method requires that the cat press its nose against a touch panel in order to receive a stimulus and that it remove its nose when the stimulus is detected. Behavioral thresholds for pure tone stimuli of various durations are described for three laboratory-raised cats. For all frequencies tested, detection threshold varies as an exponential function of stimulus duration. For frequencies from 125 Hz to 8 kHz, integration time constant and stimulus frequency are inversely related. Response latencies are also affected by the duration of the stimulus. Results are considered in the light of similar measures obtained from human subjects.
Tracheostomy: Acute and long-term mortality and morbidity in very low birth weight premature infants

Abstract Thirty-six very low birth weight premature infants (VLBW-PT) born at 24 to 32 weeks gestation and with birth weights 635 to 1,360 g who had tracheostomies performed for acquired subglottic stenosis or for prolonged mechanical ventilation were followed in relation to acute and long-term mortality and morbidity. Mortality due to the tracheostomy occurred in 4 patients (11%); mortality from all other causes was 25%. Death after hospital discharge was associated with the nonuse of prescribed cardiorespiratory monitors. Complications 2 years and/or extensive reconstructive surgery of the airway. Parents should be counselled that VLBW-PT infants with a tracheostomy may require extended medical and home care. An effective home care program requires parental training in tracheostomy care, the use of ancillary equipment, and infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Natural Pathogens of Laboratory Animals: Their Effects on Research

This important new book informs laboratory animal veterinarians, animal caretakers, research scientists, and others, how natural pathogens of laboratory animals, many of which cause no outward signs of disease, can alter host physiology and compromise the validity of research findings. This text opens with an historical perspective on changes in the general awareness of laboratory animal pathogens and an overview of the important distinction between infection and disease. Brief descriptions of housing systems for pathogen exclusion or containment, and of approaches to pathogen surveillance are also provided. The body of the text presents chapters on the most common natural pathogens found in a wide variety of laboratory animals. For each pathogen there is a description of the agent, epidemiology, clinical signs, pathology, interference with research, and methods of diagnosis and control. Each description concludes with a convenient table indicating the organ systems affected. Natural Pathogens of Laboratory Animals is an essential resource for everyone working with laboratory animals. Electronic Only, 385 pages, illustrations, index.
Parameterization of the Mie Extinction and Absorption Coefficients for Water Clouds

Abstract It was found that the anomalous diffraction approximation (ADA) could be made to approximate Mie theory for absorption and extinction in water clouds by parameterizing the missing physics: 1) internal reflection/refraction, 2) photon tunneling, and 3) edge diffraction. Tunneling here refers to processes by which tangential or grazing photons beyond the physical cross section of a spherical particle may be absorbed. Contributions of the above processes to extinction and/or absorption were approximated in terms of particle size, index of refraction, and wavelength. It was found that tunneling can explain most of the difference between ADA and Mie theory for water clouds in the thermal IR. The modified ADA yielded analytical expressions for the absorption and extinction efficiencies, Qabs and Qext, which were integrated over a gamma size distribution to yield expressions for the absorption and extinction coefficients, βabs and βext. These coefficients were expressed in terms of the three gamma distr...
Trends of socioeconomic disparities in referral patterns for fertility preservation consultation

BACKGROUND While oncologists are aware that cancer treatments may impact fertility, referral rates for fertility preservation consultation (FPC) remain poor. The goal of this study was to identify predictors associated with FPC referral. METHODS This is a retrospective, cohort study of women aged 18-42 years diagnosed with a new breast, gynecologic, hematologic or gastrointestinal cancer at our institution between January 2008 and May 2010. Exclusion criteria included history of permanent sterilization, documentation of no desire for future children, stage IV disease, short interval (<4 days) between diagnosis and treatment and treatment that posed no threat to fertility. Demographic, socioeconomic and cancer variables were evaluated with respect to FPC. Logistic regression was used to determine the odds of referral for FPC based on specified predictors. RESULTS One hundred and ninety-nine patients were eligible for FPC and of those, 41 received FPC (20.6%). Women with breast cancer were 10 times more likely to receive FPC compared with other cancer diagnoses [odds ratio (OR) 10.1; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.8-26.8]. The odds of FPC referral were approximately two times higher for Caucasian women (OR 2.4; 95% CI 0.9-6.2), three times higher for age <35 years (OR 3.3; 95% CI 1.4-7.7) and four times higher in nulliparous women (OR 4.6; 95% CI 1.9-11.3). There was no association between BMI, income, distance to our institution, being in a relationship and referral for FPC. CONCLUSIONS Overall referral rates for FPC are low, and there appear to be significant discrepancies in referral based on ethnicity, age, parity and cancer type. This highlights a need for further provider education and awareness across all oncologic disciplines.
Separation of Viable Tumor Cells From Nonviable Tumor Cells by Flotation on Bovine Serum Albumin. A Short Communication

A method is described for obtaining tumor cell suspensions that are 95% viable. This method does not require the use of enzymes. The yield of this procedure is approximately 50%.
Should glucose-sparing prescriptions be expected to reduce the cardiovascular risk of peritoneal dialysis patients?

The median life expectancy of patients with ESRD starting maintenance dialysis ranges from only 3 to 5 years.[1][1] This high risk for death for patients undergoing maintenance dialysis represents the summative influence of the complications of frequently occurring coexisting illnesses ( viz .,
Far infrared free-carrier absorption in n-type gallium arsenide

Abstract The far i.r. absorption between 20 and 200 cm −1 has been measured at 300 and 77°K in one high resistivity and three doped samples of n -type gallium arsenide. The doped samples had carrier concentrations of 2·6×10 15 , 5·0×10 15 and 1·5×10 16 cm −3 . As was predicted in an earlier paper, in the limit (ωτ) 2 ≫ 1 the free-carrier absorption in the far i.r. approaches the Drude form with frequency dependence ω −2 . The absorption data were fitted to the Drude equation to yield values of carrier concentration and mobility which agreed fairly well with the Hall values at room temperature. Some deviations from the predictions of the Drude theory were noted. The data were taken using a Fourier transform spectrometer and a Golay detector and some comments on the suitability of this system for far i.r. measurements in doped semiconductors are given.
Mobile agent coordination via a distributed actor-critic algorithm

We consider a group of mobile agents operating in a given mission space with obstacles. We formulate a mission as a general reward collection problem where agents collaborate to maximize the total reward collected. The agents decide how they move but face constraints due to the geometry of the mission space, the presence of obstacles, and the need to avoid collisions with other agents. We discretize the mission space and model it as a graph. We then apply the distributed actor-critic method from [1] modified to benefit from least squares temporal difference learning. We present one concrete application: air vehicles flying below a forest's canopy. Our simulation results demonstrate the efficiency of the policy produced by our algorithm.