cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rationale and design of Faith-based Approaches in the Treatment of Hypertension (FAITH), a lifestyle intervention targeting blood pressure control among black church members.

Background Uncontrolled hypertension (HTN) is a significant public health problem among blacks in the United States. Despite the proven efficacy of therapeutic lifestyle change (TLC) on blood pressure (BP) reduction in clinical trials, few studies have examined their effectiveness in church-based settings—an influential institution for health promotion in black communities. Methods Using a cluster-randomized, 2-arm trial design, this study evaluates the effectiveness of a faith-based TLC intervention vs health education (HE) control on BP reduction among hypertensive black adults. The intervention is delivered by trained lay health advisors through group TLC sessions plus motivational interviewing in 32 black churches. Participants in the intervention group receive 11 weekly TLC sessions targeting weight loss, increasing physical activity, fruit, vegetable and low-fat dairy intake, and decreasing fat and sodium intake, plus 3 monthly individual motivational interviewing sessions. Participants in the control group attend 11 weekly classes on HTN and other health topics delivered by health care experts. The primary outcome is change in BP from baseline to 6 months. Secondary outcomes include level of physical activity, percent change in weight, and fruit and vegetable consumption at 6 months, and BP control at 9 months. Conclusion If successful, this trial will provide an alternative and culturally appropriate model for HTN control through evidence-based lifestyle modification delivered in churches by lay health advisors.
Histologically proven lymphocytic hypophysitis: spontaneous resolution and subsequent pregnancy

Of the 128 previously reported cases of lymphocytic hypophysitis, the diagnosis was histologically proven in 6 patients in whom the pituitary mass regressed spontaneously; only 1 subsequently became pregnant. Among six additional patients who became pregnant after a diagnosis of presumed lymphocytic hypophysitis, the disease was confirmed histologically in only three, two of whom underwent surgical debulking and one who had no follow-up imaging. To our knowledge, we describe the second patient with histologically proven lymphocytic hypophysitis, associated with adrenocorticotropic hormone (corticotropin) and prolactin deficiencies, in whom the pituitary mass regressed completely with physiologic hydrocortisone therapy only and in whom a spontaneous pregnancy occurred subsequently with no postpartum recurrence of the pituitary mass. This information lends credence to previous recommendations that, in the absence of visual field defects, surgical and corticosteroid therapy may be safely withheld, with periodic reassessment.
A review of the pelvic girdle of acanthomorph fishes, with comments on hypotheses of acanthomorph intrarelationships

The anatomy of the pelvic girdle of acanthomorph fishes is reviewed. Derived morphological features of the pelvic complex are identified and discussed as evidence for the recognition of a monophyletic Acanthomorpha, Acanthopterygii and Percomorpha. Within the Percomorpha, evidence is presented to support the grouping of the Holocentridae with the remaining percomorph assemblage. An additional sub-grouping of “higher percomorphs” is also proposed.
Influence of Temperature, Light Intensity, and Isolate on the Development of Neofusicoccum parvum-Induced Dieback of Eugenia, Syzygium paniculatum

ABSTRACT Syzygium paniculatum (Myrtaceae) is an important plant in the South Florida ornamental industry. Known as eugenia in the trade, the plant was relatively free of diseases before Hurricane Wilma (2005). Since then, a serious dieback disease has become prevalent in local nurseries, especially during late summer. Symptoms included wilting and death of terminal and lateral branches, and vascular discoloration in dead and dying branches and the main stem. Several fungi were isolated from diseased plants, but Neofusicoccum parvum was usually the only fungus isolated from symptomatic tissue. Most isolates were sterile, but all that were tested produced significant (P < 0.05) dieback on, and reduced growth of, the cultivar Monterrey Bay. Glomerella spp. and a Pestalotiopsis sp. that were recovered from asymptomatic portions of diseased plants and Mycoleptodiscus terrestris recovered from healthy liners of Monterrey Bay did not cause dieback symptoms in pathogenicity studies or affect host growth. In incub...
Molecular Orbital Theories and the Structural Properties of Molecules

The use of theoretical models in predictions of equilibrium geometries of molecules is reviewed. If the basis set is taken to the split-valence + polarization level and if the electron is included by Moller-Plesset perturbation theory to third order, theoretical structures are found to lie within experimental error ranges for the majority of small molecules that have been investigated. The application of the same techniques to unstable intermediates is illustrated by some studies on the vinylidene-acetylene rearrangement.
Soil nutrients and beta diversity in the Bornean Dipterocarpaceae: evidence for niche partitioning by tropical rain forest trees

Summary 1 The relative importance of niche- and dispersal-mediated processes in structuring diverse tropical plant communities remains poorly understood. Here, we link mesoscale beta diversity to soil variation throughout a lowland Bornean watershed underlain by alluvium, sedimentary and granite parent materials (c. 340 ha, 8–200 m a.s.l.). We test the hypothesis that species turnover across the habitat gradient reflects interspecific partitioning of soil resources. 2 Floristic inventories (≥ 1 cm d.b.h.) of the Dipterocarpaceae, the dominant Bornean canopy tree family, were combined with extensive soil analyses in 30 (0.16 ha) plots. Six samples per plot were analysed for total C, N, P, K, Ca and Mg, exchangeable K, Ca and Mg, extractable P, texture, and pH. 3 Extractable P, exchangeable K, and total C, N and P varied significantly among substrates and were highest on alluvium. Thirty-one dipterocarp species (n = 2634 individuals, five genera) were recorded. Dipterocarp density was similar across substrates, but richness and diversity were highest on nutrient-poor granite and lowest on nutrient-rich alluvium. 4 Eighteen of 22 species were positively or negatively associated with parent material. In 8 of 16 abundant species, tree distribution (≥ 10 cm d.b.h.) was more strongly non-random than juveniles (1–10 cm d.b.h.), suggesting higher juvenile mortality in unsuitable habitats. The dominant species Dipterocarpus sublamellatus (> 50% of stems) was indifferent to substrate, but nine of 11 ‘subdominant’ species (> 8 individuals ha−1) were substrate specialists. 5 Eighteen of 22 species were significantly associated with soil nutrients, especially P, Mg and Ca. Floristic variation was significantly correlated with edaphic and geographical distance for all stems ≥ 1 cm d.b.h. in Mantel analyses. However, juvenile variation (1–10 cm d.b.h.) was more strongly related to geographical distance than edaphic factors, while the converse held for established trees (≥ 10 cm d.b.h.), suggesting increased importance of niche processes with size class. 6 Pervasive dipterocarp associations with soil factors suggest that niche partitioning structures dipterocarp tree communities. Yet, much floristic variation unrelated to soil was correlated with geographical distance between plots, suggesting that dispersal and niche processes jointly determine mesoscale beta diversity in the Bornean Dipterocarpaceae.
Abstract LB-152: Macrophage control of cancer cell stemness and tumor metastasis

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA A characteristic feature of cancer is the presence of an abundant inflammatory infiltrate, which includes tumor-associated macrophages. In response to diverse tumor-derived chemoattractants, macrophages invade the tumor microenvironment, promoting angiogenesis, growth, immunosuppression and metastasis. Because they stimulate tumor progression and metastasis, it is possible that tumor-associated macrophages enhance cancer initiating cell populations leading to increased tumorigenicity and metastasis. In the tumor microenvironment, macrophages are characterized into having two phenotypes, classical (M1) or alternative (M2). M2 macrophages suppress T-cell activation and promote angiogenesis and tumor progression, while M1 macrophages produce immunostimulatory cytokines and stimulate T cell mediated anti-tumor immunity. Whether and how macrophages affect cancer cell stemness and metastasis is not well understood. Recently our lab showed that suppression of PI3Kinase-gamma signaling in myeloid cells leads to a reduction in tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Genetic or pharmaceutical blockade of PI3Kinase-gamma or its target alpha4beta1 integrin inhibits the trafficking of monocytes to tumors and blocks expression of M2 macrophage factors, such as TGF-beta, Arginase and IL-6. To discover how PI3Kinase-gamma regulates the macrophage phenotype we performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of classical and alternative polarization conditions in PI3Kinase-gamma-deficient and WT macrophages. Using this approach, we identified gene clusters associated with tumor immunity and metastasis that are regulated by PI3Kinase-gamma. Furthermore, we observed that macrophages polarized to the M2 phenotype enhanced the colony formation of breast and lung cancer cell lines in an anchorage independent tumor spheroid outgrowth assay whereas M1 polarization inhibited colony formation. Taken together, our data support the hypotheses that PI3Kinase-gamma expressing M2 macrophages promote cancer cell stemness and tumor metastasis. These studies could lead to new approaches for cancer therapy by encouraging the use of PI3Kinase-gamma antagonists as adjuvants for immunotherapy of human cancer. Citation Format: Sara Gorjestani. Macrophage control of cancer cell stemness and tumor metastasis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-152. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-LB-152
Particulate and snow nitrite in the spring arctic troposphere

Abstract In the spring of 1986 and 1989, particle nitrite was measured at Barrow, Alaska, by filter sampling and by ion chromatographic analysis. Particle nitrite concentrations averaged 2.9 ± 3.4 and 2.6 ± 2.0 ppt (molar ratio) in 1986 and 1989, respectively. Both seasons showed diurnal variations with higher concentrations during the day which might have been caused by daytime down mixing. In 1989, nitrite was determined in several snow samples with concentrations between 0 and 0.18 μmol l−1. Particle nitrite was probably in disequilibrium with gas phase, suggesting a heterogeneous source for gaseous HONO. A relationship between particle nitrite and sodium ions suggests that sea salt could be involved in nitrite formation, perhaps through hydrolysis of nitryl halides.
Run, robber, run: parasitic acacia ants use speed and evasion to steal food from ant‐defended trees

Ants that are obligate plant associates protect their host against herbivores and aggressively defend the resources offered by the plant. Workers of Pseudomyrmex nigropilosus Emery (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), an acacia ant that parasitizes the mutualism by not defending the tree, are seen stealing food from other ant-defended acacia trees. In the present study, hypotheses of evasion, chemical crypsis, chemical repellence and temporal activity patterns are tested in the field aiming to determine how P. nigropilosus enters other acacia trees, successfully circumventing the defence of the resident ants. When parasitic ants are stealing, resident ants are evaded by stopping walking, changing their walking direction or walking faster. Resident and parasitic workers have similar temporal activity patterns. Parasitic workers can walk 2.6-fold faster compared with any of the three species of acacia-ants from which they usually steal food. Behavioural assays suggest that P. nigropilosus do not have chemical repellence but that chemical crypsis may be involved in the evasion strategy. This last hypothesis needs to be explored further by chemical and olfactory analyses. The combination of speed and evasive reactions allows parasitic ants to access well-defended acacia trees.
Use of Erythropoietin and Parenteral Iron Dextran in a Severely Anemic Jehovah's Witness With Colon Cancer

A Jehovah's Witness presented with colon cancer and profound anemia. On admission, her hemoglobin level was 30 g/L (3.0 g/dL). She refused all transfusions and failed to respond to oral iron therapy. She was ultimately prepared for surgery using recombinant human erythropoietin, iron dextran, and total parenteral nutrition. It took nearly 1 month to increase her hemoglobin level to an acceptable preoperative level of 110 g/L (11.0 g/dL). During the postoperative period, erythropoietin and parenteral iron therapy were briefly continued and a follow-up hemoglobin level of greater than 120 g/L (12.0 g/dL) was observed. Recombinant human erythropoietin, along with parenteral iron and adequate nutrition, may be useful in patients who refuse transfusion or cannot be transfused because of difficult cross-reacting antibodies. (Arch Surg. 1993;128:1168-1170)
Perioperative Management of Pheochromocytoma and Catecholamine-Induced Dilated Cardiomyopathy in a Pediatric Patient

Dilated cardiomyopathy resulting from pheochromocytoma-mediated catecholamine excess poses a unique challenge to heart failure management. Although early screening of patients with familial neoplastic syndromes at risk for pheochromocytoma may facilitate early resection, the resultant manifestations of prolonged catecholamine excess among patients with undiagnosed pheochromocytoma may lead to myocardial fibrosis with both systolic and diastolic dysfunction. Furthermore, the hemodynamic effects of catecholamine excess exacerbate the risks of perioperative hemodynamic instability in the setting of such myocardial depression. This report describes an approach to the perioperative care of a child who had pheochromocytoma and catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy with ventricular dysfunction refractory to medical management.
STREPTOZOTOCIN-INDUCED DIABETES PARTIALLY ATTENUATES THE EFFECTS OF A HIGH-FAT DIET ON LIVER AND BRAIN FATTY ACID COMPOSITION IN MICE

The current study addresses the effects of a high-fat diet on liver and brain fatty acid compositions and the interaction of that diet with diabetes in a type 1 mouse model. Adult, male, normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic C57BL/6 mice were fed standard (14 % kcal from fat) or high-fat (54 % kcal from fat, hydrogenated vegetable shortening and corn oil) diets for 8 weeks. Liver and whole brain total phospholipid fatty acid compositions were then determined by TLC/GC. In the liver of non-diabetic mice, the high-fat diet increased the percentages of 18:1n-9, 20:4n-6, and 22:5n-6 and decreased 18:2n-6 and 22:6n-3. Diabetes increased 16:0 in liver, and decreased 18:1n-7 and 20:4n-6. The effects of the high-fat diet on liver phospholipids in diabetic mice were similar to those in non-diabetic mice, or were of smaller magnitude. In the brain, the high-fat diet increased 18:0 and 20:4n-6 of non-diabetic, but not diabetic mice. Brain 22:5n-6 acid was increased by the high-fat diet in both non-diabetic and diabetic mice, but this increase was smaller in diabetic mice. Diabetes alone did not alter the percentage of any individual fatty acid in brain. This indicates that the effects of a high-fat diet on liver and brain phospholipid fatty acid compositions are partially attenuated by concomitant hyperglycemia with hypoinsulinemia.
Virus‐induced autoimmune disease: transgenic approach to mimic insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus and other autoimmune diseases:

The technology of cloning viral genes and expressing them in vivo under cell-specific promoters allows to dissect the role of viruses, host self proteins, host genetics and immune responses in the complex etiology of autoimmune disease. Expression of a viral transgene, that is really a marker for a host "self" protein per se in beta cells of the islets of Langerhans, need not cause disease. In our model, expression of a viral gene was not associated with disease over the lifetime of the animal. However, when the host becomes infected with a virus encoding the same gene as the transgene or one closely related to it, a resultant immune response directed against the virus also recognizes the transgene leading to progressive T-cell-mediated response and destruction of the tissue expressing the viral ("self") gene, leading to autoimmune disease. This multifactorial process is influenced by whether the viral transgene is expressed in the thymus as well as in the disease-related cell or target tissue. Thymic expression influences negative selection of responder lymphocytes and thus delays the onset of the autoimmune disorder. Further, the MHC haplotype or other background genes of an individual undergoing autoimmune dysfunction play a role in the affinity of binding of the transgene products to the MHC molecule and influence the degree of negative selection that occurs, thereby influencing the vigor of the resulting immune response. The current ability to express host or viral genes in unique cell populations, and to make double- or triple-tg mice in which various cytokine genes or lymphocyte activation genes can be expressed along with the viral gene, offers a unique possibility for molecular dissection of autoimmunity. With the information on hand, approaches to the prevention and treatment of human autoimmune disease are likely to be uncovered. Finally, animal models are available in which the onset, progression and control of molecular mimicry can be evaluated. Future studies should define roles played by cytokines, bystander and immune-specific cross-reactivity to viruses and other microbes in several autoimmune diseases.
Analytical and experimental evaluation of elastic properties of vacuum assisted resin infusion molded polymer composites with eight‐harness woven fiber mats

An analytical and experimental evaluation of elastic properties of composite materials under tensile load is presented in this paper. The analysis focuses on composite materials molded by vacuum assisted resin infusion molding (VARIM). The molded composite structure consists of AS4-8 harness carbon fiber mats and a high-temperature polymer (5250-4-RTM). The analytical model presented is adapted and formulated using optical microscopy observations of cross sections of samples molded by VARIM. Effects of resin degree of cure, fiber undulation, and resin rich areas between fiber bundles are addressed in the model. An experimental case study is presented to evaluate the accuracy of the adapted analytical model. The evaluation shows a reasonable agreement between the experimental and analytical results. POLYM. COMPOS., 29:63–71, 2008. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers
Differentiating the related concepts of ethics, morality, law, and justice

This chapter offers practical differentiations among the meanings of certain terms central to the modern-day ethics dialogue. Clarity in communication not only can reduce unnecessary and nonproductive disputation but also can lead to developing appropriately ethical campus climates.
Scheduling of Monoaminergic Neurotransmitter Receptor Expression in the Primate Neocortex during Postnatal Development

Quantitative in vitro autoradiography was used to study the postnatal development of monoaminergic receptors (D1 and D2 dopaminergic, 5-HT1 and 5-HT2 serotonergic, and alpha 1, alpha 2, and beta noradrenergic sites) in the prefrontal, primary motor, somatosensory, and visual cortex of rhesus monkeys at birth and 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 36, and 60 months of age. The density of all receptors studied increased rapidly within the first 2 postnatal months to levels as high as two times that recorded in the adults. After the fourth month, receptor density began a decline that subsided around the time of puberty. This course of developmental change was similar in all cortical layers and in all regions examined. However, the magnitude of the transient overproduction and eventual reduction in receptor density varied across the cortical layers and cytoarchitectonic areas in a manner specific to the individual receptor sites. Overall, cortical maturation was associated with the increased tendency of monoaminergic receptors to concentrate preferentially in the superficial cortical layers. The common developmental course of monoaminergic receptors in diverse cytoarchitectonic areas reveals an impressive coordination in the expression and regulation of these functionally relevant proteins in the cerebral cortex during infancy and adolescence.
Report: Employer Preferences for Writing Samples Based on Data Gathered from the New Legal Writers Survey

The New Legal Writers Survey (NLWS, http://nlws.web.unc.edu) is an anonymous, IRB-approved, online survey of legal employers. The purpose of the survey is to gather data about three main areas of inquiry: (1) writing samples preferred by employers: survey questions inquired about writing sample preferences tied to employer size and type (e.g., public or private sector) and stage of a law student’s career (e.g., 1L or recent graduate). (2) Document types that new legal writers write: survey questions inquired about the types of documents (i.e., “genres”) that new legal writers are expected to write at different phrases of their early careers. Questions also inquired about the methods that legal employers expect new legal writers to employ when approaching unfamiliar document genres. (3) Supervision of new legal writers: survey questions inquired about the methods used by legal employers when supervising new legal writers, the challenges faced by legal employers when supervising new legal writers, and the good and bad moves that new legal writers tend to make on the job. This Report analyzes the preferences regarding writing samples only, expressed by legal employers who took the NLWS in the fall of 2013. The Report breaks down their responses into three areas of inquiry: (1) preferred document length; (2) preferred document type (i.e., genre); and (3) preferred document topic. We cross-referenced these preferences with employer type (e.g., private firm or public interest) in order to provide advice to law students who are applying to jobs so that they can best tailor their writing samples to the preferences of employers. The survey remains open on the NLWS website if you would like to participate.
Management Styles, Perceptions of Substance Abuse, and Employee Assistance Programs in Organizations

In this article, the authors examine the relationships among organizational style, perceptions of the extent of substance abuse, and the structure and processes of Employee Assistance Programs (EAP...
A Revised Factor Structure for the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale: Baseline and Postconcussion Factors

Background:Symptom reports play a critical role in the assessment and management of concussions. Symptoms are often conceptualized as factors comprising several related symptoms (eg, somatic factor = headache, nausea, vomiting). Previous research examining the factor structure of the 22-item Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS) has been limited to small samples and has not adequately evaluated factor loadings at both baseline and postconcussion for male and female athletes at the high school and collegiate levels.Purpose:To examine the factor structure of the 22-item PCSS in independent samples of high school and collegiate athletes reported at baseline and postconcussion, and to evaluate sex and age differences in the resulting baseline and postconcussion symptom factor scores.Study Design:Case series; Level of evidence, 4.Methods:Exploratory factor analytic (EFA) methods were applied to 2 separate samples of athletes who completed the PCSS at baseline (n = 30,455) and 1 to 7 days after a sport-related c...
Improving Radiation Conformality in the Treatment of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

One of the many challenges of lung cancer radiotherapy is conforming the radiation dose to the target because of tumor/organ motion and the need to spare surrounding critical structures. Evolving radiotherapy technologies, such as 4-dimensional image-based motion management, daily on-board imaging, and adaptive radiotherapy, have enabled us to improve the therapeutic index of radiation therapy for lung cancer by permitting the design of personalized treatments that deliver adequate doses conforming to the target while sparing the surrounding critical normal tissues. Four-dimensional computed tomography image-based motion management provides an opportunity to individualize target motion margins and reduce the risk of a geographic target miss. Daily on-board imaging and adaptive radiotherapy reduce setup and motion/anatomy uncertainties over the course of radiotherapy. These achievements in image guidance have permitted the implementation in lung cancer patients of highly conformal treatment delivery techniques that are exquisitely sensitive to organ motion and anatomic change, such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy, stereotactic body radiation therapy, and proton therapy. More clinical studies are needed to further optimize conformal radiotherapy using individualized treatment adaptations based on changes in anatomy and tumor motion during the course of radiotherapy and using functional and biological imaging to selectively escalate doses to radioresistant subregions within the tumor.
Estimation of multiple fiber orientations from diffusion tensor MRI using independent component analysis

Determination of fiber orientation from diffusion tensor is problematic when the tensor is not linear anisotropic. Particularly planar anisotropy is often an indicator of multiple fibers in a voxel. A novel method has been developed to identify the orientations of multiple fiber tracts in a voxel of diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using independent component analysis (ICA). A computationally efficient algorithm to estimate the independent sources has been derived by introducing a new adaptive nonlinear function to model the cumulative distribution of the sources. Monte Carlo simulation was used to evaluate the method. Simulations suggest that the orientations of two tensors in a voxel can be estimated with mean error of less than 10/spl deg/ for most interfiber angles when the signal-to-noise ratio is higher than 30. A processing and source selection strategy has been proposed and successfully tested with simulated tensor fields incorporating fiber crossing and with human data. Qualitative assessment of the result from human data analysis demonstrated that the ICA method reasonably estimated multiple fiber orientations corresponding to anatomically known white matter tracts.
Setting, Evaluating, and Maintaining Certification Standards with the Rasch Model:

Expert judgments about the ability of candidates were combined with expert judgments about the content of test items to arrive at a passing standardfor a test. This article describes how Rasch measurement can facilitate the use of the test content judgments in setting a standard. It also describes how Rasch measurement can then be used to evaluate and improve the precision of the standard and to hold it constant across time.
Quantification of ceramide levels in mammalian cells by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry with multiple-reaction-monitoring mode (HPLC-MS/MS-MRM)

Ceramides play an important role in a variety of cellular functions including cell differentiation and apoptosis, responses to DNA damage and stress, and transcriptional events. Detection of ceramides in mammalian cells is required for many biological studies. Here, we report a validated method using LC-MS/MS-MRM on an Agilent 6410 triple quadrupole mass spectrometer to simultaneously quantify six ceramides extracted from mammalian cell lysates following a 5 min HPLC gradient. This method demonstrated outstanding sensitivity, accuracy, reproducibility, and speed of analysis.
Algebraic multigrid for higher-order finite elements

Two related approaches for solving linear systems that arise from a higher-order finite element discretization of elliptic partial differential equations are described. The first approach explores direct application of an algebraic-based multigrid method (AMG) to iteratively solve the linear systems that result from higher-order discretizations. While the choice of basis used on the discretization has a significant impact on the performance of the solver, results indicate that AMG is capable of solving operators from both Poisson's equation and a first-order system least-squares (FOSLS) formulation of Stoke's equation in a scalable manner, nearly independent of basis order, p, for 3
The EpiSLI Database: A Publicly Available Database on Speech and Language

Purpose This article describes a database that was created in the process of conducting a large-scale epidemiologic study of specific language impairment (SLI). As such, this database will be referred to as the EpiSLI database. Children with SLI have unexpected and unexplained difficulties learning and using spoken language. Although there is no uniform standard for the diagnosis of SLI, the construct encompasses a language deficit occurring in the presence of grossly normal sensory and nonverbal cognitive abilities (H. Tager-Flusberg & J. Cooper, 1999). Although these language difficulties are most apparent during the preschool and early school years, evidence now exists that these problems are usually present well into adulthood and are probably present throughout a person’s life (see, for instance, C. J. Johnson et al., 1999; S. E. Stothard, M. J. Snowling, D. V. M. Bishop, B. B. Chipchase, & C. A. Kaplan, 1998; J. B. Tomblin, 2008). Discussion Much of what we know of these children has come from resea...
A Vietnamese Head Start Interpreter: A Case Study

This is a case study of a Vietnamese interpreter working for a Head Start center in a midwestern city in the United States. The data are from a larger ethnomethodological study involving nine Southeast Asian families, 10 Southeast Asian children, and three Euro-American Head Start staff. The interpreter was expected to play multiple roles as a Head Start interpreter/health service worker, but these roles were neither explicitly designated nor described by the participants. This article describes the different role expectations of the various participants and the conflict that occurred because of these differences. Interpretation of the data includes description of the following cultural constructs: interpreter roles, independence/interdependence, power/distance, and cultural perspectives about time. Implications drawn from this case study are discussed.
EARLY CHILDHOOD NUTRITION AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: A LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS

Abstract Many policymakers propose early childhood nutrition programs as a way to increase students’ academic achievement. This paper investigates the nutrition–learning nexus using a unique longitudinal data set that follows a large sample of Filipino children from birth until the end of their primary education. We find that better nourished children perform significantly better in school, partly because they enter school earlier and thus have more time to learn but mostly because of greater learning productivity per year of schooling. Our cost–benefit analysis suggests that a dollar invested in an early childhood nutrition program in a developing country could potentially return at least three dollars worth of gains in academic achievement, and perhaps much more.
A Distributed ePedigree Architecture

Current ePedigree creation and discovery services rely on a centralized framework, i.e., EPCglobal network. The centralized system has several restrictions to prevent it from being widely adopted. For example, it is unscalable when ePedigree service requests are increased dramatically due to the item-level product tracking; it has little privacy protection since the product historical information can be easily derived from the object name service (ONS) provided by the centralized EPCglobal network; it is cumbersome since the ePedigree information will be amplified in the local databases along with the product transportation stops; and so on. To overcome the above mentioned problems, we propose a distributed EPC information service (EPC-IS), which makes the ePedigree creation and discovery more robust, scaleable, and secure. Using our approach, the ePedigree historical records of a product is created and stored in the ePedigree creating parties' EPC-IS servers; in addition, each EPC-IS server maintains a look up table that stores the EPC-IS providers' one-hop up/down stream information. In this way, the ePedigree service creation and discovery are processed following a chain of processes with a distributed manner. The distributed ePedigree architecture and a set of EPC-IS service protocols are described in this paper
Avoiding Stay in the Intensive Care Unit After Liver Transplantation: A Score to Assign Location of Care

Select liver transplantation (LT) recipients in our program are transferred from operating room to postanesthesia care unit for recovery and extubation with transfer to the ward, completely eliminating an intensive care unit (ICU) stay. Developing a reliable method to determine patients suitable for fast-tracking would be of practical benefit to centers considering this practice. The aim of this study was to create a fast-tracking probability score that could be used to predict successful assignment of care location after LT. Recipient, donor and operative characteristics were assessed for independent association with successful fast-tracking to create a probability score. Of the 1296 LT recipients who met inclusion criteria, 704 (54.3%) were successfully fast-tracked and 592 (45.7%) were directly admitted to the ICU after LT. Based on nine readily available variables at the time of LT, we created a scoring system that classified patients according to the likelihood of being successfully fast-tracked to the surgical ward, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.790 (95% CI: 0.765-0.816). This score was validated in an independent group of 372 LT with similar AUC. We describe a score that can be used to predict successful fast-tracking immediately after LT using readily available clinical variables.
Prospective Comparison of 99mTc-MDP Scintigraphy, Combined 18F-NaF and 18F-FDG PET/CT, and Whole-Body MRI in Patients with Breast and Prostate Cancer

We prospectively evaluated the use of combined 18F-NaF/18F-FDG PET/CT in patients with breast and prostate cancer and compared the results with those for 99mTc-MDP bone scintigraphy and whole-body MRI. Methods: Thirty patients (15 women with breast cancer and 15 men with prostate cancer) referred for standard-of-care bone scintigraphy were prospectively enrolled in this study. 18F-NaF/18F-FDG PET/CT and whole-body MRI were performed after bone scintigraphy. The whole-body MRI protocol consisted of both unenhanced and contrast-enhanced sequences. Lesions detected with each test were tabulated, and the results were compared. Results: For extraskeletal lesions, 18F-NaF/18F-FDG PET/CT and whole-body MRI had no statistically significant differences in sensitivity (92.9% vs. 92.9%, P = 1.00), positive predictive value (81.3% vs. 86.7%, P = 0.68), or accuracy (76.5% vs. 82.4%, P = 0.56). However, 18F-NaF/18F-FDG PET/CT showed significantly higher sensitivity and accuracy than whole-body MRI (96.2% vs. 81.4%, P
Surface Chemistry of Various Poly(vinyl butyral) Polymers Adsorbed onto Alumina

Organic polymeric materials, often used as ceramic processing aids to assist in the fabrication of green bodies, are thought to be of a temporary nature, being easily removed by thermolysis at temperatures between 250{degrees} and 600{degrees}C. This paper reports the interaction of various poly(vinyl butyral) binders with fine, high-purity alumina powder investigated using variable-temperature Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis. It was found that there was interaction between the functionality of the polymers and the surface of the alumina powders. If these interactions are strong enough to persist to initial sintering temperatures, the polymers would not then be merely innocuous temporary processing aids, but could have an effect on the development of ceramic microstructures.
The Burden of Poofs: Criminal Pathology, Clinical Scrutiny, and Homosexual Etiology in Queer Cinema

Given the resurgence of scientific studies on the etiology of homosexuality in the wake of the AIDS epidemic, this article considers the effects these studies had on contemporaneous queer filmmakers. By using the subject of criminality as a way to talk about homosexual causality, queer films of the 1990s illustrate that contemporary scientific studies on homosexuality were historically and politically situated in relation to cultural anxieties about other forms of deviance. This article focuses on films that dissect the hetero-normative tendency to amalgamate forms of deviance in order to distinguish between the diseased and the healthy. Such products of New Queer Cinema highlight this amalgamation of criminality and homosexuality in order to challenge demands by the LGBT community of the 1980s and 1990s for “more positive images” in film. This article argues that queer filmmakers have manipulated the image of the queer criminal to usurp the medical tendency to biologize and pathologize the notion of queer transgression. In such a way, queer films that enthusiastically dramatize the queer outlaw perpetuate myths about homosexuality in order to dissect and discredit them.
CULTIVATION OF PSEUDORABIES VIRUS

Pseudorabies virus has been cultivated in series in rabbit testicle, guinea pig testicle, and chick embryo media, and its growth requirements have been studied. Intranuclear inclusions, similar to those produced by pseudorabies virus in vivo, have been found in rabbit testicle cultures. The virus has not changed its pathogenic properties for rabbits, guinea pigs, or mice during the course of cultivation.
Parabolic heavy ion flow in the polar magnetosphere

Recent observations by the Dynamics Explorer 1 satellite over the dayside polar cap magnetosphere have indicated downward flows of heavy ions such as O(+), O(2+), N(+), and N(2+) with flow velocities of the order 1 km/s (Lockwood et al., 1985). These downward flows were interpreted as the result of 'parabolic' flow of these heavy ionospheric ions from a source region associated with the polar cleft topside ionosphere. Here, a two-dimensional kinetic model is utilized to elicit features of the transport of very low energy O(+) ions from the cleft ionosphere. Bulk parameter (density, flux, thermal energies, etc.) distributions in the noon-midnight meridian plane illustrate the effects of varying convection electric fields and source energies. The results illustrate that, particularly under conditions of weak convection electric fields and weak ion heating in the cleft region, much of the intermediate altitude polar cap magnetosphere may be populated by downward flowing heavy ions. It is further shown how two-dimensional transport effects may alter the characteristic vertical profiles of densities and fluxes from ordinary profiles computed in one-dimensional steady-state models.
Thyroxine and triiodothyronine distribution and metabolism in thyroxine-replaced athyreotic dogs and normal humans

Reported parenteral L-thyroxine (T4) replacement doses (10–20 micrograms.kg-1 x day-1) are larger than T4 production rates (2.5 micrograms.kg-1 x day-1) in athyreotic dogs but not humans. Furthermo...
Of Altruist & Thieves

A long series of experiments have confirmed that subjects in a standard dictator game give some positive amount of money to the other subject. A dominant rationale for the observed behavior is that people actually have pro-social or altruistic preferences. However, when List (2007) changed the standard dictator game choice set and offered dictators the opportunity to give to or take from the other subject, giving behavior decreased markedly. List (2007) also discovered that when subjects earned their endowment, taking behavior ebbed. In our online study, we 1) replicate List's baseline experiment with subjects earning their endowment, 2) evaluate the effect of decreasing the stakes of the dictator game in several environments, 3) conduct a dictator game in which taking is the only option, 4) measure dictators' ex post perceptions of the experiment, and 5) impose a social distance framing effect on some of our dictators in the spirit of Branas-Garza (2007) and Charness et al. (2008). We discover that subjects in our experiment have ex post perceptions similar to subjects in the more controlled laboratory setting of Frohlich et al. (2001); and that observed behavior is influenced or "nudged" when subjects earn their endowment and the stakes of the game are changed, but not when a social distance framing effect is imposed. Lastly, in our take-only treatment where subjects earn their endowment, dictators take an average of 50% of the other subject's endowment. Our empirical findings suggest that dictators have been nudged into demonstrating altruistic tendencies in the standard dictator game, just as our taking treatment has nudged dictators to become thieves. While we agree that it is healthy to question the existence of homo economicus, this study offers additional evidence that results from the standard dictator game have not helped answer the question.
Expansions and Contractions of Major US Shopping

We analyze the determinants of expansions and contractions of shopping centers using a unique dataset of property level data for shopping centers in eleven metropolitan areas over the period from 1995 through 2005. We find that shopping centers with large operating costs are less likely to expand and are more likely to contract. Higher expected revenue per square foot increases the likelihood of expansion and decreases the likelihood of contraction. For small shopping centers the decision to change gross leaseable area (GLA) is largely driven by potential revenue, while the decision to change the number of stores is largely a function of cost. We find some support for Grenadier's theory that a large number of competitors reduces the value of option to wait and increases the likelihood of both expansion and contraction. The market share of competitors reduces the likelihood of increasing the number of stores as suggested by the theory of strategic positioning.Our hypotheses best explain contraction decisions of large shopping centers and expansion decisions of small shopping centers. We find that both expansions and contractions of GLA are less likely for large shopping centers in MSAs with greater uncertainty about real estate prices, indicating that the option to delay has value. Moreover, small centers are significantly less sensitive to cost and revenue; since small centers are likely to have greater idiosyncratic risk than large; this provides indirect evidence for a significant delay option.
In Vivo Experimental Study of Brain Temperature Distribution in Rats During Head Surface Cooling

In recent years, mild or moderate hypothermia during which brain temperature is reduced to 30–35°C has been proposed for clinical use as an adjunct for achieving protection from cerebral ischemia and traumatic brain injury [Busto et al., 1987; Dietrich 1992; Gal et al., 2002; Jiang et al., 2000; Stone et al., 1995]. Clinical data have suggested a 1–2 hour treatment window within which post-ischemic hypothermia must be instituted to confer any significant neuro-protection [Maier et al., 1997; Markgraf et al., 2001]. Based on the clinical and animal studies, it would be ideal to initiate hypothermia treatment in the pre-hospital settings.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Prototypes and the politics of the artefact: visual explorations of design interactions in teaching spaces

AbstractThis study investigates how design artefacts shape interactions among student designers and design reviewers to mediate design and design learning. By analysing data collected from two design courses in mechanical engineering and industrial design courses, this study draws on Winner’s concept of politics of the artefact and Gee’s discourse analysis to explore the ways in which design artefacts help structure social relationships and power dynamics between reviewers and students in design learning settings. We use this exploration to examine how student designers work with reviewers to negotiate meaning as they shift from student to collaborator. Our results indicate that functional and well-developed design artefacts allowed students to position themselves as experts of their designs; engage in collaborative, innovative discussion with design reviewers; and elicit constructive feedback from reviewers. In contrast, students who developed incomplete or inaccurate design artefacts experienced limited...
Single-sample classification of breast cancer tumors using data-driven reference genes

Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer to strike women. There are four major subtypes of breast cancer, and therapies are different for each of these subtypes. In particular, two of the four subtypes are grouped into so-called ER-positive (ER+) subtype and are treated with tamoxifen. Therefore an important first step in personalizing breast cancer therapy is to classify a patient into ER+ or ER− on the basis of the tumor. Due to so-called "batch effect," measurements of gene expression levels of tumors vary from one instrument to the next, or even the same instrument from one day to another. In the present paper, we propose that reference genes should be chosen in a data-driven manner, to consist of those genes that show very little variation across tumors. Our choice of reference genes shows far less variation compared to genes proposed in the literature, known as "housekeeping" genes. Using our reference genes to normalize measurements, we trained a binary classifier to discriminate between ER+ and ER− patients using the TCGA Agilent database of 519 samples. This classifier was then tested, one sample at a time, on 759 other tumors and also on the original 519 samples but using a different platform (Affymetrix). The results are extremely satisfactory. Thus our paper is the first to present a method for classifying breast cancer tumors into ER+ and ER-, one tumor at a time, in the presence of the batch effect and platform variation.
Additions to Our Knowledge of the Toxicity of Stomach Poisons to Insects

The so-called sandwich method was used to study the effect of calcium hydroxide, calcium caseinate, precipitated sulfur, dry Bordeaux mixture, and hydrated ferric oxide on the toxicity of acid lead arsenate for the fourth instar silkworm. No remarkable effect was produced by any of these substances. It is fairly certain, however, that calcium hydroxide and calcium caseinate increase the toxicity of acid lead arsenate when mixed with it in approximately equal proportions by weight: The indications are that precipitated sulfur may increase the toxicity of acid lead arsenate, and that dry Bordeaux mixture and hydrated ferric oxide may decrease it. Experiments were made by the sandwich method on the relative susceptibility to acid lead arsenate of the following caterpillars in the last instar: Eastern tent caterpillar (Malacosoma Americana Fab.), fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea Drury), walnut caterpillar (Datana integerrima G. & R.). and the catalpa sphinx (Ceratomia catalpae Boisd.) With the median lethal dose of acid lead arsenate for the fourth-instar silkworm as the standard of comparison, it was found that the first two insects were less susceptible and the last two more susceptible to acid lead arsenate than the fourth instar silkworm. It was also shown that, although the median lethal doses of acid lead arsenate and cuprous cyanide are different for the catalpa sphinx and silkworm, their relative toxicity is about the same for each of these insects. Certain improvements in the sandwich method are described.