cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term pulmonary sequelae in children who were treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for neonatal respiratory failure.

Objective Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a life-saving therapy for neonates with intractable respiratory failure, but the long-term pulmonary outcome is unknown. Our aim was to investigate the long-term pulmonary sequelae of these children. Study design We studied 50 children at 11.1 +/- 1.1 years (mean +/- SD) who had been treated with neonatal ECMO for meconium aspiration syndrome (38%), sepsis (18%), sepsis with pneumonia (12%), congenital diaphragmatic hernia (12%), congenital heart disease (8%), persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (6%), and respiratory distress syndrome (4%) and 27 healthy controls (10.8 +/- 1.6 years). All subjects completed a respiratory questionnaire and performed pulmonary function and graded cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Results Neonatal ECMO survivors had hyperinflation (median residual volume: 131%), airway obstruction (median forced expired volume in 1 second: 79%), lower oxygen saturation with exercise, and lower peak oxygen consumption than controls. The ECMO group achieved similar exercise minute ventilation to controls, with more rapid and shallow breathing. ECMO survivors had an increased frequency of exercise-induced bronchospasm. Those who required higher inspired oxygen tension and ventilator pressures after weaning from ECMO had lower forced expired volume in 1 second and oxygen saturation values. Conclusion Neonatal ECMO survivors experience lung injury lasting into later childhood. Lung dysfunction correlates with the extent and duration of barotrauma and oxygen exposure as neonates.
17.4: A Novel Technique to Study OLED Function

We employ electrically induced absorption (EIA) spectroscopy to probe the internal operation of a series of NPB/Alq3(1) OLED structures. Our results complement the capacitance-voltage measurements of Brutting et al [3] and support the proposal of a fixed negative charge population at the NPB/Alq3 interface. We show a direct signature for hole injection under reverse bias (as predicted in [3,4]) and demonstrate that the voltage onset for hole injection, Vh (equivalent to transition voltage, Vo in [3,4]) is largely independent of anode material. Conversely, Vh appears to depend sensitively on the cathode material (an exchange of LiF/Al for CsF/Al raises Vh by +0.5V). Finally, we observe a rise in Vh after a prolonged period of current stress and propose that this finding originates in a gradual neutralization of the negative interfacial charge population.
Computerized regional air pollution abatement and fuels use modeling

Abstract The relationships between source emissions, meteorological conditions, and the air quality which results are very complex. The concentrations of pollutants in the atmosphere are controlled by variables of time, space, and various chemical and photochemical reactions. Knowledge of these relationships is quite important since air pollutant standards set down under the Clean Air Act refer to pollutant concentrations in the ambient air. The states are responsible for developing their own State Implementation Plans (SIPs) for meeting the standards in each of the Air Quality Control Regions (AQCRs) in the State. The thrust of an SIP is the control of concentrations through the control of emissions. Application of a least cost modeling approach to the development or modification of SIPs may permit meeting of standards at a savings of capital expenditures, operating and maintenance costs, and scarce clean fuels. A series of computer models developed under contract to and modified by EPA to support such analysis is introduced and the application of the model to a sample air quality control region is discussed.
Plastinated tissue samples as three-dimensional models for optical instrument characterization

Histology of biological specimens is largely limited to investigating two-dimensional structure because of the sectioning required to produce optically thin samples for conventional microscopy. With the advent of three-dimensional optical imaging technologies such as optical coherence tomography (OCT), diffuse optical tomography (DOT), and multiphoton microscopy (MPM), methods of tissue preparation that minimally disrupt three-dimensional structure are needed. We propose plastination as a means of transforming tissues into three-dimensional models suitable for optical instrument characterization. Tissues are plastinated by infusing them with transparent polymers, after which they can be safely handled, unlike fresh or fixed tissues. Such models are useful for investigating threedimensional structure, testing and comparing the performance of optical instruments, and potentially investigating tissue properties not normally observed after the three-dimensional scattering properties of a biological samples are lost. We detail our plastination procedures and show examples of imaging several plastinated tissues from a pre-clinical rat model using optical coherence tomography.
A reconstructed discontinuous Galerkin method for the compressible Navier-Stokes equations on arbitrary grids

A reconstruction-based discontinuous Galerkin (RDG) method is presented for the solution of the compressible Navier-Stokes equations on arbitrary grids. The RDG method, originally developed for the compressible Euler equations, is extended to discretize viscous and heat fluxes in the Navier-Stokes equations using a so-called inter-cell reconstruction, where a smooth solution is locally reconstructed using a least-squares method from the underlying discontinuous DG solution. Similar to the recovery-based DG (rDG) methods, this reconstructed DG method eliminates the introduction of ad hoc penalty or coupling terms commonly found in traditional DG methods. Unlike rDG methods, this RDG method does not need to judiciously choose a proper form of a recovered polynomial, thus is simple, flexible, and robust, and can be used on arbitrary grids. The developed RDG method is used to compute a variety of flow problems on arbitrary meshes to demonstrate its accuracy, efficiency, robustness, and versatility. The numerical results indicate that this RDG method is able to deliver the same accuracy as the well-known Bassi-Rebay II scheme, at a half of its computing costs for the discretization of the viscous fluxes in the Navier-Stokes equations, clearly demonstrating its superior performance over the existing DG methods for solving the compressible Navier-Stokes equations.
Exploring careers: Sources for helping students

Career planning quickly becomes a search for information. This information is likely to be found in different locations throughout a community, school system, or college campus, and the library is one of these. While the library may not be the focus of career planning services, it plays a strong complementary role to established services. In particular, libraries can provide information that helps high school or college students or recent graduates explore their career options. This article will present a method for building library collections in career planning and suggest sources that help meet diverse student needs.
Leptin treatment prevents type I diabetic marrow adiposity but not bone loss in mice.

Leptin is a hormone secreted by adipocytes that is implicated in the regulation of bone density. Serum leptin levels are decreased in rodent models of type 1 (T1-) diabetes and in diabetic patients. Whether leptin mediates diabetic bone changes is unclear. Therefore, we treated control and T1-diabetic mice with chronic (28 day) subcutaneous infusion of leptin or saline to elucidate the therapeutic potential of leptin for diabetic osteoporosis. Leptin prevented the increase of marrow adipocytes and the increased aP2 expression that we observed in vehicle-treated diabetic mice. However, leptin did not prevent T1-diabetic decreases in trabecular bone volume fraction or bone mineral density in tibia or vertebrae. Consistent with this finding, markers of bone formation (osteocalcin RNA and serum levels) in diabetic mice were not restored to normal levels with leptin treatment. Interestingly, markers of bone resorption (TRAP5 RNA and serum levels) were decreased in diabetic mice by leptin treatment. In summary, we have demonstrated a link between low leptin levels in T1-diabetes and marrow adiposity. However, leptin treatment alone was not successful in preventing bone loss.
Deep currents in the Arabian Sea in 1987

Abstract New features of the deep circulation in the Arabian Sea were revealed by four sections of deep CTD-O 2 stations occupied by the R.R.S. Charles Darwin late in 1986 and early in 1987, during the northeast monsoon, and repeated during the succeeding southwest monsoon. The most prominent elements in the bottom-water layer were (1) a northward flowing, western-boundary current of volume transport of about 4×10 6 m 3 s −1 in the southern Somali Basin, which appeared to turn eastward at the equator and supply water to the northern Somali Basin from along the equator, and (2) a southeastward flowing boundary current along the northeastern flank of the Carlsberg Ridge in the Arabian Basin, which demonstrated that the bottom water of the Arabian Basin enters mainly from the Somali Basin through the Owen Fracture Zone, rather than from the Central Indian Basin. The strength of the boundary current in the Somali Basin implies an unusually large upward velocity at the top of the bottom water, about 12×10 −5 cm s −1 . Mapping of water properties in the deep-water layer above the bottom water during successive monsoons was undertaken because three earlier surveys had shown differing horizontal distributions there, and had thus raised the possibility of a monsoonal reversal of the circulation, paralleling that in the near-surface water. However, the patterns of variation in the salinity and oxygen fields were essentially the same on the two Darwin cruises, suggesting a broad southwestward flow in the deep-water layer of the Somali Basin during both monsoons. We propose that this pattern was not forced by the monsoons but reflected mainly the mean circulation of the deep water as driven by the upwelling of the bottom water from below, that that pattern might be enhanced during the northeast monsoon if the wind-forcing penetrates into the deep water, and that a moderately strong southwest monsoon (in contrast to the extraordinarily weak monsoon of 1987) would be required to disrupt this distribution of water properties.
The C9ORF72 mutation brings more answers and more questions

The clinical, neuropsychiatric and neuroimaging features of patients who carry the important new C9ORF72 mutation are discussed in this special series of Alzheimer's Research & Therapy. First reported in November 2011, the C9ORF72 mutation is the most common mutation associated with both frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in the Western hemisphere and Europe. It is a gene with strong penetrance, and the vast majority of subjects with the C9ORF72 mutation die from a neurodegenerative condition. The most common clinical manifestation of disease in gene carriers is behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia. An extremely long hexanucleotide repeat (usually greater than 400), appears to lead to ribonucleic acid aggregates within the nucleus and suppression of gene expression. Finding therapies for C9ORF72 will be difficult and require novel therapeutic approaches that involve suppression of the expression of the C9ORF72 repeat.
Vulnerability of Disproportionate Collapse in Older Flat Plate Buildings Subjected to Sudden Removal of a Bearing Column

A macro model is proposed for disproportionate collapse analysis of reinforced concrete flat-plate structures. The macro model consists of connector beam elements for the slab near columns and shell elements for the slab outside critical sections. The macro model simulates the complex behavior associated with flexure, shear, torsion, punching failure, and failure propagation. The model is first validated by test results of slab-column connections subjected to different loading conditions and then applied to the collapse analysis of an older flat-plate building. By nonlinear dynamic and static analyses, the impact of dynamic loading on slab local force and deformation demands is examined. The analyses reveal that older flat plate buildings are highly venerable to disproportionate collapse when a support column is suddenly removed. Additionally, both the dynamic increase factor for vertical displacement at the lost column and that for slab rotation at the critical neighboring slab-column connection are greater than 2.
A multicomponent theory of the perception of briefly exposed visual displays

Abstract A feature extraction model for the recognition of tachistoscopically presented alphanumeric material is presented. This model is applied to data from whole report, partial report, detection, and backward masking experiments. On the whole, the results are encouraging. In a final section the model which is presented as an extension of Bower's multicomponent model for memory is shown to be derivable as a limiting case of LaBerge's neutral element stimulus sampling model.
Information policy: National strategies, international effects*

Abstract Nations are devising plans and strategies to develop their “information” sectors — microchip technology, computers and software, information itself, and telecommunications. Such national strategies have effects beyond the border of an individual country. This article provides a synopsis of selected national and regional strategies. The author maintains that the strategic significance of developing a viable indigenous capacity in communications and information may be seen as outweighing the prospective benefits of open trade, international specialization, and the division of labor.
Antibiotic-resistant organisms among long-term care facility residents on admission to an inpatient geriatrics unit: Retrospective and prospective surveillance

Abstract Background: There is limited information about antibiotic-resistant organisms in community long-term care facilities (LTCFs). The objective of this study was to obtain data on resistant organisms in residents from community LTCFs admitted to an inpatient acute geriatrics service (AGS). Methods: Two studies were performed. In the first study, bacteriology records of all admissions to the AGS for the period from November 1, 1998, through June 30, 2000, were reviewed for resistant organisms (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA], vancomycin-resistant enterococci [VRE], and resistant gram-negative bacilli). In the second study, residents admitted to the AGS during a 2-month period (N = 92 admissions) had surveillance cultures (nares, gastrostomy site, wounds, and urine) for resistant organisms done within 72 hours of admission. Results: In the retrospective study, there were 727 admissions, of which 437 (60%) had 928 cultures within 72 hours of admission; 590 (64%) cultures grew 1 or more pathogens. Urine (65%) and blood (26%) cultures accounted for 91% of all cultures done. Rates of resistance by culture site were as follows: urine (resistant organism in 16.6% of 373 cultures), blood (6.7% of 60 cultures), wound (52% of 23 cultures), and sputum (40% of 20 cultures). MRSA and enterococci with high-level gentamicin resistance were the most common resistant organisms identified. No VRE were isolated; only 3% of 421 gram-negative isolates were considered resistant strains compared with 19% ( P Conclusions: Among residents of community LTCFs admitted to an AGS, resistant organisms were identified infrequently (
The effects of endotoxin on platelet-activating factor synthesis in cultured rat glomerular mesangial cells.

Platelet-activating factor (PAF), a potent vasoactive phospholipid, may contribute to acute renal failure and septic shock accompanying endotoxemia. Rat glomerular mesangial cells in culture synthesize PAF and contract after the addition of PAF. We thus investigated the potential of mesangial cells to respond to Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide endotoxin with enhanced PAF synthesis in vitro. The mesangial cells were incubated with [3H]acetate, substrate for lyso-PAF: acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase, and endotoxin at different concentrations for various periods of time at 37°C. Lipids were extracted and PAF was isolated by thin-layer chromatography. Endotoxin stimulated PAF generation in a time- and dose-related manner. Whereas most of the PAF was associated with the cells, endotoxin more than doubled the amount of PAF released into the extracellular medium as compared to control. Furthermore, the PAF-like material obtained from endotoxin-stimulated mesangial cells irreversibly aggregated washed rabbit platelets. This effect was lost after alkaline methanolysis and was totally blocked by L-652,731, a specific PAF-receptor antagonist. Finally, the PAF-like material exerted a hypotensive effect, which was abolished by L-652,731, when infused intravenously into healthy rats. These data indicate that rat glomerular mesangial cells have the ability to synthesize PAF in response to endotoxin. This suggests that PAF, so generated within the glomerulus, may contribute to acute decrements of glomerular filtration rate in endotoxemia.
Experimental and Theoretical Gamow-Teller Beta-Decay Observables for the sd-Shell Nuclei

Abstract A comprehensive comparison of experimentally observed Gamow-Teller beta decay with theory is presented for the sd-shell (A = 17–39) nuclei. Relevant experimental data on half-lives, Q values, and branching ratios are tabulated and used to deduce experimental log(ft) values and Gamow-Teller matrix elements. These are compared with theoretical values based on complete (0d 5 2 , 1s 1 2 , 0d 3 2 )- space shell-model wave functions. These wave functions are obtained from diagonalizations of a model Hamiltonian formulation which reproduces observed energy-level structures throughout the sd shell. The calculations are carried out both with the “free-nucleon” normalization for the Gamow-Teller single-particle matrix elements and with effective values for these matrix elements obtained from analyses of experimental Gamow-Teller magnitudes with the shell-model wave functions.
Monolithic hemispherical microlenses fabricated by selective oxidation of AlGaAs

We have developed a new method for the fabrication of monolithic AlGaAs microlenses on the surface of GaAs/AlGaAs light emitting diodes by combing crystal growth, ion etching and steam oxidation with wet chemical removal of the oxide. Control over the precise processing parameters has resulted in the precise control over the shape, radius, position and smoothness of the microfabricated hemispheres. These microlenses can readily be used for the fabrication of highly efficient light-emitting diodes.
A nomogram to predict loco-regional control after re-irradiation for head and neck cancer

Background and purpose Loco-regionally recurrent head and neck cancer (HNC) in the setting of prior radiotherapy carries significant morbidity and mortality. The role of re-irradiation (re-RT) remains unclear due to toxicity. We determined prognostic factors for loco-regional control (LRC) and formulated a nomogram to help clinicians select re-RT candidates.
SpamWatcher: a streaming social network analytic on the IBM wire-speed processor

The proliferation of mobile devices, coupled with continuous connectivity, has resulted in a world where massive amounts of data is being produced, on a daily basis, as a result of online interactions between people. These interactions are often captured as relationships in a social network graph, by service providers such as mobile carriers or social web applications. Social network analysis is becoming a common technique for extracting business intelligence from social network graphs in order to improve customer experience and provide better service. Some applications in this domain require processing massive data flows with high throughput and low-latency, in order to deliver timely results. SpamWatcher is a streaming social network analysis application that fits this description. It is used for real-time filtering of short messages in mobile communications, with the goal of preventing spam. The ever increasing volume of mobile users and rates of messages make realtime detection of spam a challenging problem with respect to performance and scalability. In this paper, we present a solution for the SpamWatcher application using the IBM wire-speed processor - a system-on-a-chip with specialized co-processors and integrated network I/O. This solution goes beyond the state-of-the-art by (i) using a novel implementation technique that takes advantage of the pattern matching accelerator to minimize the latency of spam detection, and (ii) employing hardware primitives to reduce the overhead caused by thread synchronization in order to achieve good scalability with respect to number of cores used. Furthermore, the solution is implemented on System S - a commercial-grade stream processing middleware. We evaluate our approach using real-world data sets and experimentally demonstrate the substantial performance improvements it achieves compared to previously published results.
Establishment of the dorsal/ventral polarity of the amphibian embryo: use of ultraviolet irradiation and egg rotation as probes.

Abstract Ultraviolet irradiation and egg rotations were employed as probes for the study of the establishment of the dorsal/ventral polarity of the amphibian embryo. Ultraviolet irradiation was discovered to alter the natural position of the doral lip and to modify the pigmentation pattern of the early embryo. Rotation of the uncleaved egg was found to succeed in relocating the dorsal lip to a new site in the embryo. Also, rotation of the egg was capable of preventing the characteristic defects associated with irradiation of the uncleaved egg. A combination of these probes was employed, and the results were interpreted in terms of models for the role of the egg surface and the internal cytoplasm in the establishment of the dorsal/ventral polarity of the egg.
HRTF phase synthesis via sparse representation of anthropometric features

We propose a method for the synthesis of the phases of Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs) using a sparse representation of anthropometric features. Our approach treats the HRTF synthesis problem as finding a sparse representation of the subjects anthropometric features w.r.t. the anthropometric features in the training set. The fundamental assumption is that the group delay of a given HRTF set can be described by thWe propose a method for the synthesis of the phases of Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs) using a sparse representation of anthropometric features. Our approach treats the HRTF synthesis problem as finding a sparse representation of the subjects anthropometric features w.r.t. the anthropometric features in the training set. The fundamental assumption is that the group delay of a given HRTF set can be described by the same sparse combination as the anthropometric data. Thus, we learn a sparse vector that represents the subjects anthropometric features as a linear superposition of the anthropometric features of a small subset of subjects from the training data. Then, we apply the same sparse vector directly on the HRTF group delay data. For evaluation purpose we use a new dataset, containing both anthropometric features and HRTFs. We compare the proposed sparse representation based approach with ridge regression and with the data of a manikin (which was designed based on average anthropometric data), and we simulate the best and the worst possible classifiers to select one of the HRTFs from the dataset. For objective evaluation we use the mean square error of the group delay scaling factor. Experiments show that our sparse representation outperforms all other evaluated techniques, and that the synthesized HRTFs are almost as good as the best possible HRTF classifier.e same sparse combination as the anthropometric data. Thus, we learn a sparse vector that represents the subjects anthropometric features as a linear superposition of the anthropometric features of a small subset of subjects from the training data. Then, we apply the same sparse vector directly on the HRTF group delay data. For evaluation purpose we use a new dataset, containing both anthropometric features and HRTFs. We compare the proposed sparse representation based approach with ridge regression and with the data of a manikin (which was designed based on average anthropometric data), and we simulate the best and the worst possible classifiers to select one of the HRTFs from the dataset. For objective evaluation we use the mean square error of the group delay scaling factor. Experiments show that our sparse representation outperforms all other evaluated techniques, and that the synthesized HRTFs are almost as good as the best possible HRTF classifier.
Interferometer Method for Measuring the Amplitude of Vibration of Quartz Bar Crystals

A simple and convenient method is described for measuring the amplitude of vibration of a quartz bar crystal excited piezoelectrically. A silvered face of the quartz bar is substituted for the movable mirror of a Michelson interferometer. White light fringes are employed in the form of a narrow band. When the crystal is made to vibrate the narrow band separates into two bands the separation of which is proportional to the amplitude.
Mu-delta opioid interactions III: Differential antagonism of DPDPE-induced increases in morphine EEG and EEG power spectra by DALCE and naltrindole

Abstract In the present study, the effects of DALCE ([ d -Ala 2 ,Leu 5 ,Cys 6 ]enkephalin) and naltrindole on DPDPE ([ d -Pen 2 , d -Pen 5 ]enkephalin)-induced increases in morphine EEG and EEG power spectra were assessed. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with cortical EEG electrodes and permanent indwelling ICV and IV cannulae. Rats were pretreated with ICV DALCE at 15.7 nmol, ICV naltrindole at 20 nmol, or ICV sterile water. Rats were then administered ICV DPDPE at 2.5 nmol or ICV sterile water followed, 10 min later, by IV morphine at 3 mg/kg. Morphine-induced changes in EEG global (1–50 Hz) spectral parameters, the duration of morphine-induced high-voltage EEG bursts, the duration of EEG and behavioral excitation, and the latency to onset of slow-wave sleep were assessed. The DALCE pretreatment significantly decreased morphine-induced total spectral power seen in the DPDPE + morphine group. The DALCE pretreatment reversed the effects of DPDPE on the duration of morphine-induced EEG bursts and the duration of EEG and behavioral excitation. The ICV naltrindole, however, had no significant effect on DPDPE-induced increases in morphine EEG, EEG spectral parameters, and behavior. These data, therefore, suggest that DPDPE may be increasing the effects of morphine on EEG through DALCE-sensitive delta opioid receptors associated within the mu-delta opioid receptor complex.
The effects of vitamin C supplementation on incident and progressive knee osteoarthritis: a longitudinal study

Objective:To evaluate the association between vitamin C supplementation and the incidence and progression of radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA). Design:Prospective cohort study. Setting:Clearwater Osteoarthritis Study (COS): (1988 to the present) a longitudinal study. Subjects:Male and female COS participants aged 40 years and above (n1023). The study exposure was the participants’ self-reported history of vitamin C supplementation. The participants underwent biennial, sequential knee radiographs, which were assessed using the Kellgren‐Lawrence ordinal scale to determine evidence of the study 2 outcomes: incident radiographic knee OA (RKOA) and progression of RKOA. Results:Individuals without baseline knee OA who self-reported vitamin C supplement usage were 11% less likely to develop knee OA than were those individuals who self-reported no vitamin C supplement usage (risk ratio (RR)50?89, 95% CI 0?85, 0?93). Among those participants with RKO Aa t baseline, vitamin Cs upplement usage did not demonstrate an association with RKOA progression (RR50?94, 95% CI 0?79, 1?22). Conclusions:In the present prospective cohort study, we found no evidence to support a protective role of vitamin C in the progression of knee OA. However, after controlling for confounding variables, these data suggest that vitamin C supplementation may indeed be beneficial in preventing incident knee OA. Given the massive public health burden of OA, the use of a simple, widely available and inexpensive supplement to potentiallyreduce the impact of this disease merits further consideration.
The Diversity Policy Model and Assessment of the Policy: Debates and Challenges of (Media) Diversity

Diversity is a central policy goal in achieving democracy, which has guided the Federal Communications Commission’s action in media ownership regulation. Although the role of diversity in sustainin...
A Fourth Order Accurate Finite Difference Scheme for the Elastic Wave Equation in Second Order Formulation

We present a fourth order accurate finite difference method for the elastic wave equation in second order formulation, where the fourth order accuracy holds in both space and time. The key ingredient of the method is a boundary modified fourth order accurate discretization of the second derivative with variable coefficient, (μ(x)u x ) x . This discretization satisfies a summation by parts identity that guarantees stability of the scheme. The boundary conditions are enforced through ghost points, thereby avoiding projections or penalty terms, which often are used with previous summation by parts operators. The temporal discretization is obtained by an explicit modified equation method. Numerical examples with free surface boundary conditions show that the scheme is stable for CFL-numbers up to 1.3, and demonstrate a significant improvement in efficiency over the second order accurate method. The new discretization of (μ(x)u x ) x has general applicability, and will enable stable fourth order accurate approximations of other partial differential equations as well as the elastic wave equation.
A Pseudoautosomal Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Marker for the Sex Chromosomes of Silene dioica

The segregation pattern of an 810-bp random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) band in the F1 and backcross generations of a Silene dioica (L.) Clairv. family provides evidence that this molecular marker is located in the pseudoautosomal region (PAR) of the X and Y chromosomes. The marker was found through a combination of bulked segregant analysis (BSA) and RAPD techniques. Recombination rates between this pseudoautosomal marker and the differentiating portion of the Y chromosome are 15% in both generations. Alternative explanations involving nondisjunction or autosomal inheritance are presented and discussed. Chromosome counts provide evidence against the nondisjunction hypothesis, and probability calculations argue against the possibility of autosomal inheritance. This constitutes the first report of a pseudoautosomal DNA marker for plant sex chromosomes.
Nonsense-mediated decay of mRNA for the selenoprotein phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase is detectable in cultured cells but masked or inhibited in rat tissues

Previous studies of mRNA for classical glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1) demonstrated that hepatocytes of rats fed a selenium-deficient diet have less cytoplasmic GPx1 mRNA than hepatocytes of rats fed a selenium-adequate diet. This is because GPx1 mRNA is degraded by the surveillance pathway called nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) when the selenocysteine codon is recognized as nonsense. Here, we examine the mechanism by which the abundance of phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PHGPx) mRNA, another selenocysteine-encoding mRNA, fails to decrease in the hepatocytes and testicular cells of rats fed a selenium-deficient diet. We demonstrate with cultured NIH3T3 fibroblasts or H35 hepatocytes transiently transfected with PHGPx gene variants under selenium-supplemented or selenium-deficient conditions that PHGPx mRNA is, in fact, a substrate for NMD when the selenocysteine codon is recognized as nonsense. We also demonstrate that the endogenous PHGPx mRNA of untransfected H35 cells is subject to NMD. The failure of previous reports to detect the NMD of PHGPx mRNA in cultured cells is likely attributable to the expression of PHGPx cDNA rather than the PHGPx gene. We conclude that 1) the sequence of the PHGPx gene is adequate to support the NMD of product mRNA, and 2) there is a mechanism in liver and testis but not cultured fibroblasts and hepatocytes that precludes or masks the NMD of PHGPx mRNA.
Experimental results for a graded dielectric focusing lens

Recent research shows that fast electromagnetic pulses with high amplitude can be used to kill melanoma cells or aid in gene insertion [1]. In this paper we present the experimental results for a five layer electromagnetic focusing lens. This lens is used to match the spherical TEM wave converging at the second focal point of a prolate-spheroidal impulse radiating antenna (PSIRA) into a biological target.
Regression of Adenomyosis on Magnetic Resonance Imaging after a Course of Hormonal Suppression in Adolescents: A Case Series

Abstract Study Objective To demonstrate that adenomyosis is a rare cause of dysmenorrhea or chronic pelvic pain (CPP) in the adolescent population that can be identified with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to report resolution of adenomyosis by MRI after a course of hormonal suppression in 4 adolescents. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective case series of 4 adolescents with adenomyosis on pelvic MRI at Texas Children's Hospital. Interventions Continuous oral contraceptive (COC) therapy or leuprolide acetate. Main Outcome Measures Lesions on pelvic MRI after treatment. Methods We reviewed medical records of 4 adolescents with CPP and adenomyosis on T2-weighted pelvic MRI. All patients had initial diagnostic pelvic MRI and then definitive hormonal intervention. Repeat imaging was obtained after a symptom-free interval. Results Patient ages ranged from 12 to 16 years. One patient had resolution of symptoms with COC therapy. MRI performed 3 years later showed no adenomyosis. Three patients failed COC therapy. All were symptomatically improved after therapy with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist. Follow-up MRI performed at intervals between 6 months and 3 years showed resolution of adenomyosis. Conclusion MRI can raise suspicion for the diagnosis of adenomyosis in adolescents with refractory CPP. Subsequent MRI can show regression of lesions after symptom resolution with hormonal therapy.
Reduction of breakdown threshold by metal nanoparticle seeding in a DC microdischarge

Significant reduction of the breakdown threshold in a DC microdischarge via seeding metal nanoparticles has been demonstrated. Compared to standard Paschen curves in dry air, reductions in the breakdown voltage of 5% to 25% were obtained for PD values (the product of pressure and electrode gap distance) ranging from 20 to 40 Torr-cm by seeding aluminum and iron nanoparticles with mean sizes of 75 nm and 80 nm, respectively. No secondary energy source was required to achieve this breakdown threshold reduction. From high-speed chemiluminescence imaging of the discharge evolution, breakdown was shown to be initiated at reduced voltages. Following breakdown, the increase in temperature ignited some of the nanoparticles near the cathode. Results suggest that possible charging of the nanoparticles within the gap may reduce the effective transient distance, leading to the threshold reduction.
Afterword: new directions in research with immigrant families and their children.

Although migration is fundamentally a family affair, the family, as a unit of analysis, has been understudied both by scholars of migration and by developmental psychologists. Researchers have often struggled to conceptualize immigrant children, adolescents, and their families, all too often giving way to pathologizing them, ignoring generational and ethnic distinctions among immigrant groups, stereotyping immigrants as “problem” or (conversely) “model” minorities, and overlooking the complexity of race, gender, documentation, and language in their lives. In addition, contexts other than the family remain understudied. In this afterword, the authors examine these issues, the contributions of the chapters in this volume to understanding them, and their implications for research and theory within the field of developmental science. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A high-efficiency traveling-wave power amplifier topology using improved power-combining techniques

Traditional distributed amplification techniques have allowed for high gain and bandwidth at the expense of low efficiency. The decreased efficiency is primarily due to the existence of an actively loaded artificial transmission line as the output, resulting in backward wave propagation. Using the same traditional input line distributed techniques to achieve high bandwidth, this research has explored a delay line and corporate combining output topology which improves the travelling-wave amplifier's (TWAs) efficiency at large signal by elimination of the backward waves. The broad-band output combiner transforms the amplifier load impedance to that of an optimum load for each device, thus realizing a traveling-wave power amplifier. The results for a 1-9-GHz hybrid circuit are presented.
Prostate-specific antigen in vaginal fluid as a biologic marker of condom failure

Forty women participated in three clinic visits during which they were exposed to their partner's semen (10 microL, 100 microL, and 1 mL). At each visit they took vaginal fluid samples before exposure to their partner's semen, immediately after, and at 1, 24, and 48 h after exposure. PSA was measured with an enzyme-linked immunoassay. The mean PSA level for preexposure swabs ranged between 0.43 and 0.88 ng/mL. The mean PSA levels were 193 immediately after exposure to 10 microL, 472 after 100 microL, and 19,098 after 1 mL. The PSA levels declined within 1 h, and returned to background at 48 h. The findings confirm that our procedure is a sensitive and specific method for detecting recent semen exposure, and indicate that PSA levels depend on exposure intensity and time since exposure. Application of this method in condom efficacy studies provides objective evidence of condom failure that enhances the interpretation of self-report.
State Indicator Report on Fruits and Vegetables, 2013, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.

Background The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which lays the groundwork for the nation’s nutrition-related programs and policies, recommends that we consume 1–4 cups of vegetables and 1–2.5 cups of fruits each day, depending on individual caloric requirements. These national health recommendations have been put forth largely because fruits and vegetables tend to be rich in essential vitamins, select minerals, and dietary fiber. In addition, these plant foods provide myriad phytochemicals (e.g., the non-vitamin A carotenoids such as lycopene) that, although not considered to be in the category of the traditional essential nutrients, are likely to impart important health benefits. Indeed, numerous studies report an inverse link between fruit and/or vegetable consumption and risk for a variety of chronic conditions such as certain forms of cancer and cardiovascular disease. As such, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity has a vested interest in monitoring fruit and vegetable consumption in the United States. This type of monitoring is especially useful in terms of assessing how close the United States population is to meeting current fruit and vegetable consumption recommendations. In addition, this information can be used to target possible windows of opportunity in this regard. In response, the CDC recently released its State Indicator Report on Fruits and Vegetables, 2013. This report, the first of its kind published since 2009, provides stateand nationwide information on fruit and vegetable consumption, related policies, and associated environmental supports. It also provides “stories from the field” that describe success stories related to increasing availability of fresh produce around the country.
Correlation plot facility in the SLC control system

The correlation plot facility is a powerful interactive tool for data acquisition and analysis throughout the SLC (Stanford Linear Collider). A generalized interface allows the user to perform a wide variety of machine physics experiments. The user may step one or two independent parameters such as magnet or feedback setpoints while measuring or calculating up to 160 others. Measured variables include all analog signals available to the control system as well as a variety of derived parameters such as beam size or emittance. Various fitting algorithms and display options are provided for data analysis. A software-callable interface is also provided. Applications based on this facility are used to phase klystrons, measure emittance and dispersion, minimize beam size at the interaction point and maintain beam collisions. >
Overload and Ultimate Load Behavior of Posttensioned Slab Bridge

A three-tenths-scale model of a posttensioned slab bridge is constructed in a laboratory and tested in the overload and ultimate load ranges. Dimensions of the slab are 16.9 × 5.33 × 0.23 m. In addition to uniformly distributed longitudinal posttensioning, a band of tendons is located in a narrow region directly above the supporting columns. A large array of strain gauges, linear variable differential transformers, and load cells serve to gather data for each loading configuration. Results are presented for a series of overloads that are placed on the slab in a variety of critical locations. Ultimate positive bending moment is imposed on one span and an ultimate negative moment is applied to the slab in the region of the supporting columns. Complementary nonlinear finite-element analyses of the overload and ultimate loadings are also presented. Results show that the posttensioned slab bridge supported a load-causing moment equivalent to 4.8 times the factored moment of an AASHTO MS 18 loading.
Does prey size induce head skeleton phenotypic plasticity during early ontogeny in the snake Boa constrictor

Diet was manipulated in juveniles of the snake Boa constrictor (Serpentes: Boidae) to test the hypothesis of whether prey size induces phenotypic plasticity of the head skeleton. Additionally, the onset of sexual size dimorphisms (SSDs) was determined under a feeding schedule where total prey mass consumed by snakes was held constant. Twenty-three neonatal B. constrictor from a single-sired litter were placed into two treatment groups but maintained under identical environmental conditions. Group 1 (small-food treatment) was fed weanling mice throughout the entire study; group 2 (large-food treatment) was fed weanling mice, followed by rats of increasing size as the size of the snakes increased. At the termination of the study, group 1 consumed more meals but both groups consumed an equivalent mass of rodents. The snakes were measured twice during the study (5 weeks and 58 weeks). All measurements were obtained while the snakes were under general anaesthesia. Linear measurements of the head skeleton (premaxilla–basioccipital (rostrum–occipital) length, ROL; mandible length, ML) were derived from radiographs. The remaining measurements were snout–vent length (SVL), body length (BL), tail length (TL), and body mass (BM). Treatment effects between groups were equivalent, with the exception of BM and TL (group 1>group 2), and interactions between main effects were not statistically significant. Between-group differences in ROL and ML were not significant; thus, prey size did not exert an influence on growth of the head skeleton. In contrast, significant sex effects on SVL and BL (females>males) and TL (males>females) were detected, and sex effects on BM (females>males) approached significance. Because SSDs emerged during early ontogeny under conditions where prey mass consumed was held constant, a genetic role is implicated.
Robust frequency estimation based on trimmed correlation in impulsive environments

The MUSIC method represents a class of super-resolution methods for frequency estimation. However, it has poor performance in impulsive noise environments due to the presence of outliers. A more robust method called trimmed correlation based-MUSIC (TR-MUSIC) method is proposed in this paper. Through a trimming operation, outliers in the samples participating in the correlation calculation are discarded. The amount of trimming is determined by the Mahalanobis distance in which robust estimates of location and scale are utilized. Frequency estimation results from the eigendecomposition of the trimmed correlation matrix. Corroborating simulations are presented to show the robustness and performance improvement of the proposed method.
An historical perspective on the viability of urban diversity: lessons from socio-spatial identity construction in nineteenth-century Algiers and Cape Town

Social heterogeneity is fundamental to many conceptions of urbanism. Social contact in diverse cities is valorized by theorists linking pluralism with social justice, democratic functioning and the psychological development of tolerance. Others express caution, noting that conflict and instability are equally possible outcomes of intergroup contact. This paper argues that these ongoing debates can be informed by longer-term, cross-cultural perspectives on urbanism. The nineteenth-century histories of Algiers and Cape Town, cities characterized by extreme diversity, are reviewed to show the nature of diverse social contact in open spaces. The intertwined construction of group and neighborhood identities in each indicate that the very definitions of ethnic and class diversity are contextual and evolving, contingent on both neighborhood interactions and structural socio-economic forces. Thus modern efforts to plan for place diversity must grapple with a moving target and may be most realistic when confined t...
Ocular involvement in hospitalized patients with candidemia: analysis at a Boston tertiary care center.

Purpose: To study the prevalence, microbial profile, and risk factors for ocular involvement in patients with candidemia.Methods: The records of all inpatient consultations requested at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital from October 2009 to June 2011 to evaluate for ocular involvement in patients with candidemia were retrospectively reviewed.Results: Forty-nine consults were requested to rule out ocular involvement in patients with candidemia. The mean patient age was 55 years. In decreasing frequency, the organisms isolated were Candida albicans (42%), Candida parapsilosis (23%), Candida glabrata (17%), Candida tropicalis (8%), Candida dublinensis (5%), Candida krusei (3%), and Candida lusitaniae (3%). All patients were on antifungal treatment at the time of their initial ophthalmologic examination. One patient had evidence of chorioretinitis, and 3 patients had nonspecific fundus findings. Common risk factors included presence of an intravenous catheter, malignancy, and abdominal surgery.Conclusions: Ocu...