cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hypoglycemia in pediatric renal allograft recipients

Symptomatic hypoglycemia developed 5 to 45 months after transplantation in nine children who had renal transplants before 6 years of age. During hypoglycemia, serum glucose levels ranged from 14 to 39 mg/dl (0.8 to 2.1 mmol/L). Hypoglycemic episodes occurred between 1.7 and 7.5 years of age. Six patients had generalized seizures; the remaining three had diaphoresis with stupor or lethargy. None of the children had serious infections, diabetes, congenital defects of glucose metabolism, or a history of treatment with insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents. Six patients had hypoglycemic symptoms after a prolonged fast, and at least four had ketosis. Eight of the nine patients were receiving propranolol when hypoglycemia occurred. No differences in the daily prednisone dose, the number of transplant rejection episodes, or the frequency of treatment with medications other than propranolol were noted between hypoglycemic patients and 56 normoglycemic age-matched renal transplant recipients. All hypoglycemic patients were subsequently treated with frequent feedings and discontinuation of propranolol. No further hypoglycemic episodes have occurred in eight of nine patients. Symptomatic hypoglycemia should be recognized as a potentially devastating complication of pediatric renal transplantation.
Synthesis of a nanocomposite composed of reduced graphene oxide and gold nanoparticles

We report a seeded-growth process that results in the adhesion of size-controlled gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) to the surface of reduced graphene oxide (rGO), leading to the formation of rGO–Au nanocomposites. The synthesis approach involves the utilization of Au molecular precursors (i.e., the seeds) bonded to oxygen functionalities which intrinsically exist on GO. Upon reduction of the Au precursors, surface deposition of Au NPs is ensured. It is found that the size of Au NPs is controlled via the variation of precursor concentration in the growth solution. The redox chemistry between GO and Au precursors causes the reduction of GO to rGO and the generation of Au NPs on the surface of rGO. Microscopic and spectroscopic measurements have been performed to provide evidence for the suggested redox chemistry.
In Situ Dynamic Measurements of Sol−Gel Processed Thin Chemically Selective PDMDAAC−Silica Films by Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

Spectroscopic ellipsometry studies of thin sol−gel processed polyelectrolyte−silica composite films used in chemical sensing are presented. Dynamic measurements were used to characterize PDMDAAC−SiO2 film behavior when equilibrated in 0.1 M KNO3 solution (supporting electrolyte). Optical modeling of ellipsometric data revealed three transformation phases during the equilibration: (1) a slow initial phase when the film refractive index approached that of the solution while film thickness changed little; (2) the disintegration of the silica xerogel matrix during which the film incorporated a large amount of water expanding to a hydrogel of thickness many times it's original size; (3) the slow dissolution of the swollen hydrogel film. Simultaneous electrochemical studies of the incorporation of Fe(CN)63- into films coated on indium tin oxide glass substrates identified the cause of previously observed film failures in sensing applications after long equilibration in aqueous environments.
Central mu-opioid receptors are down-regulated in a rat model of cholestasis.

Abstract Ameliorations of the pruritus of cholestasis by opioid antagonists are consistent with this form of pruritus being centrally mediated by the opioid system. To determine whether the central opioid system is altered in cholestasis, the specific binding of a selective mu-opioid receptor ligand, 3 H-DAMGO, to mu-opioid receptors was studied in rats with acute cholestasis due to bile duct resection. Using whole brain membranes and subcellular mitochondrial-synaptosomal fractions the density of mu-receptor sites was 30% ( p p = 0.03) less in bile-duct-resected rats than in sham-resected rats. Using membranes from individual brain regions specific binding of 3 H-DAMGO was reduced by 43–53% in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and caudate nucleus of bile-duct-resected rats. Thus mu-opioid receptors in the brain are down-regulated in a classical model of cholestasis. This alteration of the central opioid system could be a consequence of increased exposure of opioid receptors to endogenous opioids in cholestasis and may reflect an important mechanism in the pathogenesis of the pruritus of cholestasis.
Glial Cell Mitogens bFGF and PDGF Differentially Regulate Development of O4+GalC- Oligodendrocyte Progenitors

The oligodendrocyte lineage in cerebrum is characterized by the expression of immunologically identified surface antigens resulting in the sequential appearance of three distinct phenotypes, A2B5+O4-, O4+GalC-, and O4+GalC+. In the present study we have placed O4+GalC- progenitors immunopanned from premyelinating rat cerebrum into a basal, defined medium that by itself does not support well either their proliferation or survival. The response of these progenitor cells to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) was then examined. The results demonstrate that both PDGF and bFGF stimulated proliferation and short-term survival of newly cultured cells, but that their effect on the course of O4+GalC- differentiation was strikingly different. PDGF delayed postmitotic development by transiently reverting (ED50 = 3 ng/ml) O4+GalC- progenitors to A2B5+O4- preprogenitor-like cells that subsequently differentiated even in the continued presence of PDGF. bFGF restored mitogenic activity of the O4+GalC- progenitors to a saturable level at low doses (ED50 = 1 ng/ml); doses of bFGF > or = 10 ng/ml impaired differentiation of the progenitors into GalC+ cells and were also mitogenic for newly differentiated GalC+ oligodendrocytes. These data imply that bFGF supplants PDGF as a mitogen during lineage progression from A2B5+O4- to O4+GalC- progenitors. Lineage reversion of O4+GalC- cells in response to PDGF is suggested as a mechanism for facilitating remyelination by triggering the proliferative expansion of O4+GalC- progenitor-like cells persisting into adulthood.
Mathematical formulation of the stefan problem

Abstract The Stefan problem describes the conduction of heat in a medium involving a solid-liquid phase change at a prescribed melting temperature. Considerations of physical, mathematical and numerical experiences with such problems all imply that enthalpy (not temperature) is the natural dependent variable to specify the solution. Our discussion centers on the physical interpretation of the multi-valued Heaviside “function” which arises in the mathematical formulation as the fraction of water. We show that this permits the consideration of (possibly large) regions of mush at the melting temperature and of problems with internally distributed sources of heat. Moreover, in order for such problems to be well-posed, this fraction of water must necessarily be specified initially in the part of the region at the melting temperature.
Differential Symmetric Functions

A (generalized) Wronskian is a determinant of the form det\( [D^{\alpha_i} x_j]_{1 \leq i, j \leq n} \), where D is the differential operator. Wronskians are differential analogs of alternants. Imitating Jacobi's definition of Schur functions as quotients of two alternants, we define differential Schur functions as quotients of two Wronskians. Differential Schur functions are absolute invariants of the general linear group acting on the vector space spanned by the “functions”x1, x2,...,xn and they generate all such invariants. Thus, they provide the building blocks for a theory of differential symmetric functions. In this paper, we prove analogs of two basic identities: the Nagelsbach identity, which expressed Schur functions as determinants of elementary symmetric functions, and the Jacobi-Trudi identity, which expresses Schur functions as determinants of complete homogeneous symmetric functions. The proofs offer insight into the nature of these identities. In particular, the Jacobi-Trudi identity can be viewed as a change-of-basis formula.
A quasi-materialist, quasi-dualist solution to the mind-body problem

If the mental can affect, or be affected by, the physical, then the mental must itself be physical. Otherwise the physical world would not be explanatorily closed. But it is closed. There are reasons to hold that materialism (in both its reductive and non-reductive varieties) is false. So how are we to explain the apparent responsiveness of the physical to the mental and vice versa? The only possible solution seems to be this: physical objects are really projections or isomorphs of objects whose essential properties are mental. (A slightly less accurate way of putting this would be to say: the constitutive - i.e. the non-structural and non-phenomenal - properties of physical objects are mental, i.e. are such as we are used to encountering only in "introspection".) The chair, qua thing that I can know through sense perception, and through hypotheses based strictly thereupon, is a kind of shadow of an object that is exactly like it, except that this other objects essential properties are mental. This line of thought, though radically counterintuitive, explains the apparent responsiveness of the mental to the physical, and vice versa, without being open to any of the criticisms to which materialism, dualistic interaction ism, and epiphenomenalism are open.
Comparative responses of two species of marine phytoplankton to metolachlor exposure.

Abstract Metolachlor, a chloroacetanilide herbicide, has been frequently detected in coastal waters. This study examined the growth, photosynthesis, and detoxification responses of chlorophyte Dunaliella tertiolecta ( DT ) and brown tide alga Aureococcus anophagefferens ( AA ) upon 5-day exposure to 0.5–5 mg L −1 metolachlor. Growth was assessed with exponential growth rate, and 5th day in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence, chlorophyll a, b or c, cell density and cell size. The photosynthesis function was assessed with photochemical parameters of photosystem II (PSII) during the mid-exponential growth phase (i.e. 2–4 day metolachlor exposure). The biochemical detoxification was analyzed with glutathione production and metolachlor degradation. Results show that metolachlor caused up to ∼9% inhibition in growth rate in both species and an expected ∼35% and 25% inhibition in chlorophyll based endpoints in DT and AA respectively. DT had an up to 70% inhibition in cell density, but AA a 35% hormesis at 1 mg L −1 metolachlor and no significant inhibition, as compared to the controls. Both DT and AA 's cell sizes were enlarged by metolachlor exposure, but greater in DT (1.2% per mg L −1 ) than in AA (0.68% per mg L −1 ). On PSII photochemistry, maximum quantum yield was not affected in both species; PSII optical cross section and connectivity factor increased in DT but decreased in AA , suggesting species specific impact on PSII function. On detoxification responses, glutathione production, when normalized to total chlorophyll a, was not affected by metolachlor in both species; further, despite of heterotrophic capacity of A. anophagefferens metolachlor was not significantly degraded by this alga during the 5-day incubation. The species specific effects on algal growth have ecological implications of potential selective inhibition of chlorophytes by metolachlor herbicide.
Protease activity establishes the block against polyspermy in sea urchin eggs.

ON fertilization, sea urchin eggs release soluble macromolecules which are referred to collectively as the fertilization product. We have described1 a trypsin-like activity in the fertilization product which may be involved in the elevation and transformation of the vitelline layer into the fertilization membrane. Soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI) abolished the activity of this fertilization protease in vitro; if fertilization occurs in SBTI the elevation of the vitelline layer is severely impaired1.
5.4.2 Applying Systems Thinking to Expatriate Selection

A key factor in expatriation success starts with an effective selection process. Unfortunately, the expatriate selection process is often rushed and unstructured, resulting in poor expatriate performance or the cancellation of assignments. Systems thinking can provide structure and discipline to improve this process and, thus, expatriates' performance potential. Systems thinking can also assist corporations in defining expatriate selection as a problem that can be solved through developing a methodology that adequately addresses the problem, delineates feasible solutions to the problem, and provides feedback to improve the methodology used. Furthermore, such methodology can reduce selection costs and enhance expatriate performance. This paper shows the need for systems thinking in expatriate selection and describes how a systems methodology may be applied to expatriate selection.
On approximating the renewal function with its linear asymptot: How large is large enough?

A measure of convergence of the renewal function to its linear asymptot is defined and computed for gamma. Weibull, truncated normal, inverse Gaussian and lognormal distributions, using McConalogue's [5] generalized cubic splining algorithm. This measure is then approximated by second degree polynomials in the coefficient of variation.
Determination of dialkyltriazenoimidazoles by nonaqueous titration.

An analytical method for dialkyltriazenoimidazoles has been developed. It serves as a reliable purity check on these anticancer drugs whose effectiveness is a function of their purity. The method consists of titration in nonaqueous media with perchloric acid. The titrant, perchloric acid, is dissolved in a nitroethane-chlorobenzene mixture. Samples are dissolved in glacial acetic acid or in acetonitrile. Poor solubility of some of the compounds is overcome by the selection of an appropriate solvent system, chosen to give also optimum titration end-points. The electrode system consists of conventional glass and calomel electrodes. The method is directly applicable to the unstable 5(or 4)-[3,3-bis(2-choloroethyl)-1-triazeno]imidazole-4(or 5)-carboxamide, without interference by its transformation product, 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-[5(or 4)-carbamoyl-imidazol-4(or 5)-yl]-v-triazolinium chloride, usually present in small amounts.
Changing views of ecological change

Ecosystems are always in flux. Paleoecology and long-term ecological research reveal no balance of nature. Instead, ecosystems exhibit periods of rather regular behavior, punctuated by intervals of transition to new modes of behavior [1]. Shifts between intervals of regular behavior can be rapid, or they can last for such a long time that transience itself becomes an object of research. Thus ecological notions of stability are themselves in a phase of turbulent change, with emerging concepts that raise profound questions.
Cutaneous Inflammatory Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma Presenting with a Leukemoid Reaction: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) is the most common sarcoma found in adults. We discuss a case of inflammatory MFH of dermal/epidermal origin presenting with a severe leukemoid reaction (LR). A 60 years old white male presented to hematology/oncology clinic complaining of mild shortness of breath on exertion. Past medical history was remarkable for removal of a left upper extremity necrotic mass 4.4 × 3 × 3 cm. Microscopy of the specimen showed clear surgical margin, and tumor cells restricted to the dermis without lymphovascular invasion. Immunohistochemestry was positive for CD 68 and CD 99. Chest x-ray was negative for metastatic disease. White blood cell count was 109.4 k/mm3 with 24 k/mm3 band neutrophils, and absolute neutrophil count of 69 k/mm3. CT scan of the thorax revealed numerous bilateral pulmonary nodules suspicious for metastasis. Based on these findings patient was diagnosed with metastatic cutaneous IMFH associated with a LR. Following review of medical literature, this appears to be the first reported case of inflammatory cutaneous MFH associated with LR. This histological variant is rare, and carries a poor prognosis. Thus, we would like to emphasize the need for investigating alternative therapies capable of improving the survival of these patients.
Approach to Cost-Effectiveness Assessment in the MADIT Trial

I about the cost effectiveness of the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) has been limited by the paucity of studies that have addressed this issue and by the methods previously used for economic assessment.1–7 We conducted an economic study as part of the Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial (MADIT) and collected healthcare utilization information along with clinical data. The MADIT Cost Effectiveness Study (MADIT/CES) was unique in its design as a prospective, randomized trial in which comprehensive healthcare utilization and cost-of-care data were collected from patients during the entire course of the study. This was done in recognition of the importance of cost considerations in the evaluation of new technologies and the role that such information will play in both clinical and health policy decisions in the future. In this article we first briefly review the previous literature on the cost effectiveness of ICDs with an emphasis on the methodologies used to date. This review helps to put our study and the methods we used into perspective. We then describe the approaches that were developed for this study. We also enumerate our experience with data collection and the size and adequacy of the database for the planned analysis. As for the results of the study, the final MADIT/CES calculations are completed, and the results will be reported soon.
Reading development in adults

A comparison of the development of reading ability among adults with that of children—from the lowest levels of literacy to the most advanced. Included in the comparison are characteristics of adults at each level of development, the kind of instruction that will help bring them from lower to higher levels, and the particular difficulties they experience at the various levels. The article concludes with a historical overview of the changes in literacy standards and needs in the United States and the growing recognition that among the adult illiterates, particularly native English speakers who have very limited reading skills, are large numbers who have dyslexia.
Chaos and Newton's method on systems

Abstract The chaotic behavior of multivariable Newton's method is explored. Initial conditions are varied by selection of complex parameters corresponding to screen position in two ways. Some examples illustrate that basins of attraction may be globally dominant in the multivariable case.
Substrate and metal ion interactions in the NAD+ malic enzyme from cauliflower

Malate saturation isotherms for the NAD+ malic enzyme determined at widely differing, but saturating, concentrations (8, 80, 160 mm) of magnesium show the same response to malate concentration only when velocity is plotted against the concentration of free malate2−. This identification of the ionized malic acid as the true substrate for this enzyme, together with the observation that the complex of Mg with malate has no influence on the reaction rate even at very high concentrations, indicates that the metal ion activator of the enzyme must also bind in the ionized form. A kinetic analysis shows that, with respect to magnesium and malate, the malic enzyme catalyzes a rapid equilibrium reaction of the intersecting type. Either Mg2+ or malate2− may bind first but the fact that the Km's for both Mg2+ and malate2− are smaller than the respective Ki's suggests that, when either metal ion or malate is present on the enzyme, the other is bound more tightly than when it binds to the free enzyme. This demonstration of the nature of the true substrates for this enzyme has implications for studies of the NAD+ malic enzyme in which conditions influencing the amount of free magnesium and malate, e.g., changes in pH, addition of weak acid effectors etc., are involved.
Quantification of Serum Inorganic Phosphorus, Phosphatase, and Urinary Phosphate without Preliminary Treatment

A direct method has been devised for determining serum and urinary inorganic phosphorus and serum phosphatase activity. Inorganic phosphorus forms a phosphomolybdate complex in the presence of borate. The complex is reduced with ascorbic acid. The resulting suspension is solubilized with carbonate and the absorbance measured at 720 nm. Samples containing low to moderate concentrations of bilirubin may be assayed by the method, and it compares favorably with a p -semidine reduction procedure with use of a TCA filtrate. Alkaline phosphatase values obtained by the method in which a β-glycerophosphate substrate is used compare favorably with a reference method in which p -nitrophenolphosphate is used as a substrate. Citrates, fluorides, nitrites, oxalates, and mannitol do not appreciably affect results obtained by the method.
When the Difference is in the Details: A Critique of Zentner and Mitura (2012) “Stepping out of the Caveman's Shadow: Nations' Gender Gap Predicts Degree of Sex Differentiation in Mate Preferences”:

In a recent 10-nation study, Zentner and Mitura (2012) reported observing smaller sex differences in mate preferences within nations that have higher gender parity. As noted in previous research, and in a re-analysis of Zentner and Mitura's own data, sex differences in some mate preferences (e.g., long-term mate preferences for physical attractiveness) are either unrelated to or actually get larger with higher national gender parity. It is critically important to distinguish among mate preference domains when looking for patterns of sexual differentiation across nations. Indeed, for many psychological domains (e.g., attachment styles, Big Five traits, Dark Triad traits, self-esteem, personal values, depression, emotional expression, crying behavior, intimate partner violence, tested mental abilities, health indicators; see Schmitt, 2012), sex differences are demonstrably larger in nations with higher sociopolitical gender parity. By not distinguishing among mate preferences, Zentner and Mitura committed a form of the ecological fallacy-making false conclusions about individual mate preferences when looking only at associations among groups of mate preferences.
Psychological Issues in Cancer Genetics

Objectives: To review the behavioral research that addresses the impact of hereditary cancer on the family and the psychological aspects of choosing whether or not to undergo susceptibility testing. Data sources: Scientific articles and book chapters in the professional literature pertaining to the psychological aspects of cancer genetics and susceptibility testing. Conclusions: Susceptibility gene testing for a variety of rare hereditary cancer syndromes and familial cancers will offer new options and challenges to members of cancer families. Implications for nursing practice: Oncology nurses will be involved in the identification of hereditary cancer families for risk assessment and counseling, the offer of susceptibility testing to those who may benefit, and the provision of follow-up support and referral.
Lipophilic analogs of thioflavin S as novel amyloid-imaging agents.

Lipophilic analogs of thioflavin S were synthesized and radiolabeled with positron or single photon emitting radionuclides. The binding affinity for Aβ was evaluated using isolated amyloid fibrils from human brain tissue. Binding specificity was assessed using fluorescent tissue staining. In vivo brain uptake was evaluated in mice. Following synthesis, neutral analogs of thioflavin S capable of radiolabeling with 11C or 125I, were found to bind isolated human Aβ with affinities in the nanomolar range. Fluorescent tissue staining showed selective binding to Aβ deposits in vitro. Biodistribution of selected compounds displayed high brain permeability at early time points. At later points, the compounds were cleared from the normal brain, indicating low non-specific binding in vivo. These studies indicated that novel amyloid imaging probes can be developed based on thioflavin S that readily entered the brain and selectively bound to Aβ deposits and neurofibrilary tangles. Potential applications of these amyloid binding agents include facilitating drug screening in animal models and use as in vivo markers of early and definitive diagnosis of AD.
Conservative and Provably Stable FDTD Subgridding

The finite difference time domain (FDTD) method is a common, robust simulation technique for transient electromagnetic interactions with complicated structures. However, the standard FDTD method is limited to cartesian grids everywhere in the computational grid. Many practitioners have extended FDTD to handle multiresolution problems by using finer grids near structures with small geometrical features abutted to coarse grids in regions of empty space. Unfortunately, subgridding implementations based on interpolation or extrapolation of neighboring field values can exhibit late time instabilities. Herein, a subgridding method based on multigrid finite element principles will be developed and its stability proven. Numerical results will assess its performance in 2-D and 3-D.
Costs of a more spacious home after remodelling by hermit crabs

Architectural creations occur throughout the animal kingdom, with invertebrates and vertebrates building structures such as homes to maximize their Darwinian fitness. Animal architects face many trade-offs in building optimally designed structures. But what about animals that do not build, and those that only remodel the original creations of others: do such secondary architects face similar trade-offs? Recent evidence has revealed that hermit crabs-animals well known for opportunistically moving into remnant gastropod shells-can also act as secondary architects, remodelling the shells they inherit from gastropods. Remodelling has only been found among terrestrial hermits (Coenobita spp.), not marine hermits. Here we investigate the potential trade-offs Coenobita compressus faces from remodelling by subjecting its remodelled and unremodelled homes to controlled engineering crush tests, which parallel the homes being crushed by predators. While remodelled homes are significantly more spacious and lightweight than unremodelled homes, we find that the homes attain these beneficial qualities at a cost: a reduced resistance to being crushed. Hermit crabs may therefore only remodel their homes to thresholds set by the bite force of their predators. Our results suggest that, like primary animal architects, which face trade-offs when optimizing architectural designs, secondary animal architects face trade-offs when remodelling such designs.
DIFFERENCES IN CONFORMATIONAL DYNAMICS OF RIBONUCLEASES A AND S AS OBSERVED BY INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY AND HYDROGEN-DEUTERIUM EXCHANGE

Differences in conformational dynamics of bovine pancreatic RNase A and RNase S have been investigated using hydrogen-deuterium (H-D) exchange in conjunction with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Deuteration-induced spectral changes in the amide I and II regions were monitored as a function of time. Second-derivative analysis revealed similar amide I spectral patterns for both proteins in H2O as well as fully deuterated in D2O. However, the rate of amide proton exchange of RNase S is much faster than that of RNase A at 25 degrees C as determined by changes in the intensity ratio of amide II/amide I bands and frequency red-shifts of amide I components. The frequency red-shifts of the amide I components ascribed to beta-sheet, alpha-helix, and beta-turns are continuous as a function of time, indicating that both proteins are too small to contain isolated secondary structural groups containing only exchanged or unexchanged amide protons in the partially deuterated intermediate states. Despite the dramatic difference in H-D exchange rate, the patterns of spectral changes in the conformation-sensitive amide I regions of RNase A and RNase S are very similar throughout the course of deuteration, indicating a similar pathway of amide proton exchange in both proteins.
Effects of doubled atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration on the responses of assimilation and conductance to humidity

Experiments were performed to determine if growth at elevated partial pressure of CO2 altered the sensitivity of leaf water vapour conductance and rate of CO2 assimilation to the leaf-to-air difference in the partial pressure of water vapour (Δw). Comparisons were made between plants grown and measured at 350 and 700 μPa Pa−1 partial pressures of CO2 for amaranth, soybean and sunflower grown in controlled environment chambers, soybean grown outdoors in pots, and orchard grass grown in field plots. In amaranth, soybean and orchard grass, both the absolute and the relative sensitivity of conductance to Δw at the leaf surface were less in plants grown and measured at the elevated CO2. In sunflower, there was no change in the sensitivity of conductance to Δw for the two CO2 partial pressures. Tests in soybeans and amaranth showed that the change in sensitivity resulted from elevated CO2 during the measurement of the Δw response. Assimilation rate of CO2 was not altered by Δw in amaranth, which has C4 metabolism. In sunflower, the assimilation rate of plants grown and measured at elevated CO2 was insensitive to Δw, consistent with the response of assimilation rate to intercellular CO2 partial pressure in the prevailing range. In soybean, the sensitivity of assimilation rate to Δw was not different between CO2 treatments, in contrast to what would be expected from the response of assimilation rate to intercellular CO2 partial pressure.
Content Analysis of Literature About LGB People of Color: 1998-2007

This study provides a content analysis of the past decade (1998-2007) of psychological scholarship about lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people of color. Findings revealed that literature about LGB people of color is growing. But, findings also highlighted underused methods, underrepresented subpopulations, and understudied topics in the scholarship about LGB people of color. In addition, divergence found between the topics of focus represented in empirical and nonempirical literature suggested the need for empirical evaluation of themes and topics discussed in the conceptual literature. Finally, understudied topics seemed to reflect areas in which counseling psychologists have expertise and experience and can make substantial contributions to advance scholarship about LGB people of color.
Assessing health effects of air pollution

Abstract Exposure to elevated concentrations of ambient air pollutants causes adverse human health effects. Two modes or methods of study are generally relied on to quantify the relationships between pollutants and specific effects. These are: human clinical experiments and epidemiological (or community exposure) studies. (Animal toxicological studies can be used to indicate the existence of an effect, but not the rate of the effect in humans.) Each method has limitations as a basis for quantifying the level of adverse effects anticipated in a given human population as a result of exposure. Consequently, care must be taken in deciding which studies are appropriate for assessment of health impacts in a population. Some limitations are inherent in the method. Epidemiological studies, for example, depend on adequate community monitoring and the ability to associate a cohort with ambient data. Clinical studies often do not represent the complex mix of pollutants in the atmosphere. Consequently, construction of dose/exposure-response functions is challenging. Another common complication in quantifying expected health impacts of a pollutant mix is lack of adequate ambient monitoring data coupled with little or no knowledge of a population's time and activity profiles. This paper summarizes the difficulties inherent in constructing estimates of health effects in populationsliving in densely populated and polluted areas and suggests approaches to making initial limited estimates. An example of the level of effort required to conduct a sophisticated study, using relatively rich databases, is given based on work done in the Southern California region.
Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey Scores for Reading Versus Other Near Visual Activities in School-Age Children

Purpose To measure the difference in Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey scores for reading vs favorite near visual activities. Design Comparative validity analysis of diagnostic tools. Methods At a single clinical private practice, 100 children aged 9–18 with normal binocular vision were recruited to receive either the original survey emphasizing reading or a modified survey replacing "reading" with their favorite near activity. Average survey scores and subscores for questions emphasizing fatigue, discomfort, impaired vision, and cognitive performance were compared using t tests, while responses to individual questions were compared using Mann-Whitney U tests. Results The average reading survey score was significantly greater than the favorite near activity survey score (14.1 ± 11.5 vs 6.7 ± 5.8, P = .0001). The largest difference resulted from questions emphasizing cognitive performance (subscore 5.8 ± 4.3 vs 2.0 ± 2.1, P = .0000002), although significant differences were also found for fatigue (5.4 ± 3.8 vs 3.0 ± 2.7, P = .0003), discomfort (3.9 ± 4.6 vs 1.8 ± 2.2, P = .004), and impaired vision (3.2 ± 3.9 vs 1.8 ± 2.2, P = .02). Significant differences were found for 7 survey questions, with higher symptom scores for the reading survey in every case. Using survey scores ≥16 to diagnose convergence insufficiency, significantly more children taking the reading survey would have been diagnosed with convergence insufficiency than children taking the favorite near activity survey (19 of 50 [38%] vs 5 of 50 [10%], P = .001). Conclusions By emphasizing reading, the Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey score significantly overestimates near visual symptoms in children with normal binocular vision compared with symptoms caused by preferred near activities that require similar amplitudes of accommodation and convergence.
Operations Research and public policy for Africa: harnessing the revolution in management science instruction

Operations Research (OR) has made major contributions in the developed world to public policy domains that are of great relevance to Africa. Inasmuch as OR has failed to live up to its potential for addressing such issues in Africa, a principal barrier may have been distance between OR analysts and decision makers. However, the revolution in management science instruction and potential to train end-user modelers has democratized OR. This makes training for policy makers and managers in the public and non-profit sectors in Africa both feasible and highly beneficial. Existing management science courses for public and non-profit leaders, such as those taught at Carnegie Mellon's Heinz School, could be adapted to fit the needs of educators and policy makers in Africa and disseminated via a “train the trainers” approach. A plan is sketched whereby 800,000 end-user modelers might be trained in Africa (one for every 1000 people) at an annual cost of about $5 million/year. Such budgets are well within the range of investments in human capital formation currently being made in Africa.
Establishing new principles for nutrient reference values (NRVs) for food labeling purposes

Many countries such as The Republic of Korea have established their own nutritional standards, collectively termed Nutrient Reference Values(NRVs), and they vary due to the science which was reviewed, the purposes for which they are developed, and issues related to nutrition and food policy in the country. The current effort by the Codex Alimentarius Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CNFSDU) to update the NRVs that were established following the Helsinki Consultation in 1988 represents an opportunity to develop a set of reference values reflecting current scientific information to be used or adapted by many countries. This paper will focus on possible approaches to selecting or developing reference values which would serve the intended purpose for nutrition labeling to the greatest extent possible. Within the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) is currently reviewing regulations on nutrition labeling to better address current health issues, and is expected to enter into a process in the next few months to begin to explore how best to update nutrient Daily Values (DVs), most of which are still based on the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) of the Food and Nutrition Board, U.S. National Academy of Sciences, last reviewed and revised in 1968. In this presentation, I review the current purposes in the U.S. for nutrition labeling as identified in the 1938 Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act as amended, the scientific basis for current nutrition labeling regulations in the United States, and the recommendations made by the recent Committee on Use of Dietary Reference Intakes in Nutrition Labeling of the Institute of Medicine (2003) regarding how to use the DRIs in developing new DVs to be used on the label in the United States and Canada. Based on these reviews, I then provide examples of the issues that arise in comparing one approach to another. Much of the discussion focuses on the appropriate role of nutrient labeling within the Nutrition Facts panel, one of the three major public nutrition education tools in the United States (along with MyPyramid and Dietary Guidelines for Americans).
Modeling Churn in P2P Networks

The objective of this paper is to introduce a model to guide the analysis of the impact of churn in P2P networks. Using this model, a variety of node membership scenarios is created. These scenarios are used to capture and analyze the performance trends of chord, a distributed hash table (DHT) based resource lookup protocol for peer-to-peer overlay networks. The performance study focuses both on the performance of routing and content retrieval. This study also identifies the limitations of various churn-alleviating mechanisms, frequently proposed in the literature. The study highlights the importance of the content nature and access pattern on the performance of P2P, DHT-based overlay networks. The results show that the type of content being accessed and the way the content is accessed has a significant impact on the performance of P2P networks
Deriving IT Configurations from Business Processes

Identifying proper business processes, formalizing and documenting them has always been a challenge. Maintaining them in synchronization with changing business needs makes the problem harder. It becomes even harder when business processes are fully or partially implemented in IT systems where changes to the business cause changes in IT configurations. This paper presents an approach how IT configurations can be derived from business process definitions. Additional information needs to be supplemented to enable the desired function. This information is made available in form of models about application components and their performance characteristics. A series of transformations has been defined between models that constitute the model information flow. The work is part of joint research between HP Labs and SAP Research.
Oxygen sensing in yeast: Evidence for the involvement of the respiratory chain in regulating the transcription of a subset of hypoxic genes

Oxygen availability affects the transcription of a number of genes in nearly all organisms. Although the molecular mechanisms for sensing oxygen are not precisely known, heme is thought to play a pivotal role. Here, we address the possibility that oxygen sensing in yeast, as in mammals, involves a redox-sensitive hemoprotein. We have found that carbon monoxide (CO) completely blocks the anoxia-induced expression of two hypoxic genes, OLE1 and CYC7, partially blocks the induction of a third gene, COX5b, and has no effect on the expression of other hypoxic or aerobic genes. In addition, transition metals (Co and Ni) induce the expression of OLE1 and CYC7 in a concentration-dependent manner under aerobic conditions. These findings suggest that the redox state of an oxygen-binding hemoprotein is involved in controlling the expression of at least two hypoxic yeast genes. By using mutants deficient in each of the two major yeast CO-binding hemoproteins (cytochrome c oxidase and flavohemoglobin), respiratory inhibitors, and cob1 and ρ0 mutants, we have found that the respiratory chain is involved in the anoxic induction of these two genes and that cytochrome c oxidase is likely the hemoprotein “sensor.” Our findings also indicate that there are at least two classes of hypoxic genes in yeast (CO sensitive and CO insensitive) and imply that multiple pathways/mechanisms are involved in modulating the expression of hypoxic yeast genes.
Modeling Metabolic Adaptations and Energy Regulation in Humans

Mathematical modeling of human energy regulation and body weight change has recently reached the level of sophistication required for accurate predictions. Mathematical models are beginning to provide a quantitative framework for integrating experimental data in humans and thereby help us better understand the dynamic imbalances of energy and macronutrients that give rise to changes in body weight and composition. This review provides an overview of the various approaches that have been used to model body weight dynamics and energy regulation in humans, highlights several insights that these models have provided, and suggests how mathematical models can serve as a guide for future experimental research.
Mississippian crinoid biodiversity, biogeography and macroevolution

The biodiversity and biogeography of 217 genera of Mississippian crinoids from North America and the Brit- ish Isles shed light on the macroevolutionary turnover between the Middle Palaeozoic and Late Palaeozoic Crinoid Evolutionary Faunas. This turnover resulted from steady dif- ferential extinction among clades during the middle Missis- sippian after crinoids reached their Phanerozoic peak of generic richness during the early Mississippian. This peak richness was primarily a function of Mississippian origina- tions rather than Devonian-holdover taxa. North America had 100 per cent higher generic richness than the British Isles, but rarefaction analysis adjusts the difference to only 37 per cent higher. Rarefaction demonstrated that North America had increased biodiversity, compared to the British Isles, almost entirely among monobathrid camerates, dispar- ids and primitive cladids. In contrast, diplobathrid camerates, advanced cladids and flexibles had the same generic biodiver- sity between regions, when compared using rarefaction. The early Mississippian radiation resulted from two primary causes: (1) the expansion of Tournaisian carbonate ramps following the Frasnian mass extinction of reef faunas and (2) the predatory release in the Tournaisian following the end- Famennian Hangenberg extinction of durophagous fishes. A majority of crinoid genera from the British Isles are cosmo- politan. When combined with rarefaction analysis and evi- dence for more first occurrences in North America, this suggests higher origination rates in North America, especially when carbonate ramps were widespread. With the gradual reduction in the area of carbonate ramps from the early to late Mississippian, in conjunction with the radiation of new durophagous fishes, camerate crinoids in particular experi- enced continuous background extinction, without replace- ment, beginning during the earliest Visean (late Osagean). By middle Visean time (late Meramecian) advanced cladids were dominant in all settings. This resulted in the transition from the Middle Palaeozoic to the Late Palaeozoic Crinoid Macro- evolutionary Fauna.
Suicide prevention: the necessity of treating contributory psychiatric disorders.

This article reviews those few reports on suicide that are derived from systematic, data-based observation, discusses the general characteristics of suicidal behavior and their relationship to mental disorders, and expands on various aspects of suicide prevention. The thesis is developed that the failure of many studies to show prevention is due to the insufficient weight given in suicide prevention programs to the available data linking certain types of mental disorder to completed suicide. The authors present their findings that illustrate the feasibility of suicide prevention in a large cohort of primary affective disorders treated by modern-day standards.
Safety Strategies in an Academic Radiation Oncology Department and Recommendations for Action

Article-at-a-Glance Background Safety initiatives in the United States continue to work on providing guidance as to how the average practitioner might make patients safer in the face of the complex process by which radiation therapy (RT), an essential treatment used in the management of many patients with cancer, is prepared and delivered. Quality control measures can uncover certain specific errors such as machine dose miscalibration or misalignments of the patient in the radiation treatment beam. However, they are less effective at uncovering less common errors that can occur anywhere along the treatment planning and delivery process, and even when the process is functioning as intended, errors still occur. Prioritizing Risks and Implementing Risk-Reduction Strategies Activities undertaken at the radiation oncology department at the Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore) include Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), risk-reduction interventions, and voluntary error and near-miss reporting systems. A visual process map portrayed 269 RT steps occurring among four subprocesses—including consult, simulation, treatment planning, and treatment delivery. Two FMEAs revealed 127 and 159 possible failure modes, respectively. Risk-reduction interventions for 15 "top-ranked" failure modes were implemented. Since the error and near-miss reporting system's implementation in the department in 2007, 253 events have been logged. However, the system may be insufficient for radiation oncology, for which a greater level of practice-specific information is required to fully understand each event. Conclusions The "basic science" of radiation treatment has received considerable support and attention in developing novel therapies to benefit patients. The time has come to apply the same focus and resources to ensuring that patients safely receive the maximal benefits possible.
Regulation of chronic inflammatory and immune processes by extracellular vesicles

Almost all cell types release extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are derived either from multivesicular bodies or from the plasma membrane. EVs contain a subset of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids from the cell from which they are derived. EV factors, particularly small RNAs such as miRNAs, likely play important roles in cell-to-cell communication both locally and systemically. Most of the functions associated with EVs are in the regulation of immune responses to pathogens and cancer, as well as in regulating autoimmunity. This Review will focus on the different modes of immune regulation, both direct and indirect, by EVs. The therapeutic utility of EVs for the regulation of immune responses will also be discussed.