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Data repositories, particularly those storing data on vulnerable populations, increasingly need to carefully consider not only what data is being collected, but how it will be used. As such, the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P) has created the Infrastructure for Collaborative Research (ICR) to establish standards on data collection practices in Autism repositories. The ICR will strive to encourage inter-site collaboration, amplify autistic voices, and widen accessibility to data. The ICR is staged as a three-tiered framework consisting of (1) a request for proposals system, (2) a REDCap-based data repository, and (3) public data dashboards to display aggregate de-identified data. Coupled with a review process including autistic and non-autistic researchers, this framework aims to propel the implementation of equitable autism research, enhance standardization within and between studies, and boost transparency and dissemination of findings. In addition, the inclusion of a contact registry that study participants can opt into creates the base for a robust participant pool. As such, researchers can leverage the platform to identify, reach, and distribute electronic materials to a greater proportion of potential participants who likely fall within their eligibility criteria. By incorporating practices that promote effective communication between researchers and participants, the ICR can facilitate research that is both considerate of and a benefit to autistic people., (© 2024 The Author(s). Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Introduction: Autistic individuals, now representing one in 36 individuals in the U.S., experience disproportionate physical health challenges relative to non-autistic individuals. The Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P) is an interdisciplinary, multi-center Research Network that aims to increase the health, well-being, and quality of life of autistic individuals. The current paper builds on the initial AIR-P Research Agenda (proposed in Year 1) and provides an updated vision for the Network., Methods: Updates to the Research Agenda were made via the administration of a Qualtrics survey, and disseminated widely to all AIR-P entities, including the Research Node Leaders, Steering Committee, Autistic Researcher Review Board, and collaborating academic and non-academic entities. Network members were tasked with evaluating the Year 1 Research Agenda and proposing additional priorities., Results: Within each Research Node, all Year 1 priorities were endorsed as continued priorities for research on autism and physical health. Specific topics, including co-occurring conditions and self-determination, advocacy, and decision-making, were particularly endorsed. Opportunities for exploratory studies and intervention research were identified across Research Nodes. Qualitative responses providing feedback on additional research priorities were collected., Conclusion: The updated AIR-P Research Agenda represents an important step toward enacting large-scale health promotion efforts for autistic individuals across the lifespan. This updated agenda builds on efforts to catalyze autism research in historically underrepresented topic areas while adopting a neurodiversity-oriented approach to health promotion., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Hotez et al.)

We document that the female advantage in childhood behavioural and academic outcomes is driven by gender gaps at the extremes of the outcome distribution. Using unconditional quantile regression, we show that family socioeconomic status particularly influences boys' relative to girls' outcomes at the lower tails of the outcome distribution, precisely where gender gaps are most pronounced. These relationships are not explained by school or neighbourhood factors, or parents' differential treatment of boys. The disproportionate effect of socioeconomic status on boys at the tails substantially contributes to the gender gap in high school dropout., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Economic Society.)

Telomeres are specialized non-coding DNA sequences located at the end of chromosomes and that protect genetic information. Telomere loss over lifespan is generally viewed as a phenomenon associated with aging in animals. Recently, telomere elongation after hibernation has been described in several mammals. Whether this pattern is an adaptation to repair DNA damage caused during rewarming from torpor or if it coevolved as a mechanism to promote somatic maintenance in preparation for the upcoming reproductive effort remains unclear. In a longitudinal study measuring telomere length using buccal swabs, we tested if telomere elongation was related to reproductive success in wild adult female Columbian ground squirrels (Urocitellus columbianus) that were monitored from emergence from hibernation to the end of the reproductive season. We found three key results. First, female telomere length increased at the start of the breeding season, both in breeding and non-breeding individuals. Second, post-emergence telomere lengthening was unrelated to female future reproductive output. Third, telomere length decreased in breeding females during lactation, but remained stable in non-breeding females over a similar period. Within breeders, telomeres shortened more in females producing larger and heavier litters. We concluded that telomere lengthening after hibernation did not constrain immediate female reproductive capacities. It was more likely to be part of the body recovery process that takes place after hibernation. Telomere erosion that occurs after birth may constitute a physiological cost of female reproduction., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Social environments can profoundly affect the behavior and stress physiology of group-living animals. In many territorial species, territory owners advertise territorial boundaries to conspecifics by scent marking. Several studies have investigated the information that scent marks convey about donors' characteristics (e.g., dominance, age, sex, reproductive status), but less is known about whether scents affect the behavior and stress of recipients. We experimentally tested the hypothesis that scent marking may be a potent source of social stress in territorial species. We tested this hypothesis for Columbian ground squirrels (Urocitellus columbianus) during lactation, when territorial females defend individual nest-burrows against conspecifics. We exposed lactating females, on their territory, to the scent of other lactating females. Scents were either from unfamiliar females, kin relatives (a mother, daughter, or sister), or their own scent (control condition). We expected females to react strongly to novel scents from other females on their territory, displaying increased vigilance, and higher cortisol levels, indicative of behavioral and physiological stress. We further expected females to be more sensitive to unfamiliar female scents than to kin scents, given the matrilineal social structure of this species and known fitness benefits of co-breeding in female kin groups. Females were highly sensitive to intruder (both unfamiliar and kin) scents, but not to their own scent. Surprisingly, females reacted more strongly to the scent of close kin than to the scent of unfamiliar females. Vigilance behavior increased sharply in the presence of scents; this increase was more marked for kin than unfamiliar female scents, and was mirrored by a marked 131% increase in free plasma cortisol levels in the presence of kin (but not unfamiliar female) scents. Among kin scents, lactating females were more vigilant to the scent of sisters of equal age, but showed a marked 318% increase in plasma free cortisol levels in response to the scent of older and more dominant mothers. These results suggest that scent marks convey detailed information on the identity of intruders, directly affecting the stress axis of territory holders., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

For proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) to become competitive, the cost of stack components, such as bipolar plates (BPP), needs to be reduced. This can be achieved by using coated low-cost materials, such as copper as alternative to titanium. Herein we report on highly corrosion-resistant copper BPP coated with niobium. All investigated samples showed excellent corrosion resistance properties, with corrosion currents lower than 0.1 µA cm -2 in a simulated PEM electrolyzer environment at two different pH values. The physico-chemical properties of the Nb coatings are thoroughly characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). A 30 µm thick Nb coating fully protects the Cu against corrosion due to the formation of a passive oxide layer on its surface, predominantly composed of Nb 2 O 5 . The thickness of the passive oxide layer determined by both EIS and XPS is in the range of 10 nm. The results reported here demonstrate the effectiveness of Nb for protecting Cu against corrosion, opening the possibility to use it for the manufacturing of BPP for PEMWE. The latter was confirmed by its successful implementation in a single cell PEMWE based on hydraulic compression technology.

Objective: To estimate the association between small for gestational age (SGA) at birth and educational performance on standardized testing and disability prevalence in elementary and middle school., Study Design: Through linked birth certificates and school records, surviving infants born at 23-41 weeks of gestation who entered Florida's public schools 1998-2009 were identified. Twenty-three SGA definitions (3rd-25th percentile) were derived. Outcomes were scores on Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) and students' disability classification in grades 3 through 8. A "sibling cohort" subsample included families with at least 2 siblings from the same mother in the study period. Multivariable models estimated independent relationships between SGA and outcomes., Results: Birth certificates for 80.2% of singleton infants were matched to Florida public school records (N = 1 254 390). Unadjusted mean FCAT scores were 0.236 SD lower among <10th percentile SGA infants compared with non-SGA infants; this difference declined to -0.086 SD after adjusting for maternal and infant characteristics. When siblings discordant in SGA status were compared within individual families, the association declined to -0.056 SD. For SGA <10th percentile infants, the observed prevalence of school-age disability was 15.0%, 7.7%, and 6.3% for unadjusted, demographics-adjusted, and sibling analyses, respectively. No inflection or discontinuity was detected across SGA definitions from 3rd to 25th percentile in either outcome, and the associations were qualitatively similar., Conclusions: The associations between SGA birth and students' standardized test scores and well-being were quantitatively small but persisted through elementary and middle school. The observed deficits were largely mitigated by demographic and familial factors., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Parasites affect many aspects of host physiology and behavior, and thus are generally thought to negatively impact host fitness. However, changes in form of short-term parasite effects on host physiological markers have generally been overlooked in favor of fitness measures. Here, we studied flea ( Oropsylla idahoensis and Oropsylla opisocroistis tuberculata ) parasitism on a natural population of Columbian ground squirrels ( Urocitellus columbianus ) in Sheep River Provincial Park, AB, Canada. Fleas were experimentally added to adult female U. columbianus at physiologically demanding times, including birth, lactation and weaning of their young. The body mass of adult females, as well as their oxidative stress and immunity were recorded multiple times over the active season under flea-augmented and control conditions. We also measured the prevalence of an internal parasite ( Trypanosoma otospermophili ). Doubly labeled water (DLW) was intra-peritoneally injected at peak lactation to examine energy expenditure. Effects of parasites on oxidative stress were only observed after offspring were weaned. There was no direct effect of experimentally heightened flea prevalence on energy use. A short-term 24 h mass loss (-17 g) was detected briefly after parasite addition, likely due to U. columbianus preferentially allocating time for grooming. Our parasite augmentation did not strongly affect hosts and suggested that short-term physiological effects were unlikely to culminate in long-term fitness consequences. Columbian ground squirrels appear to rapidly manage parasite costs, probably through grooming., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare no competing or financial interests., (© 2019. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.)

Yersinia pestis, a bacterial pathogen that causes sylvatic plague, is present in the prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) of North America. Epizootics of sylvatic plague through transmission in vectors (fleas) commonly completely extirpate colonies of prairie dogs. Wildlife managers employ a wide variety of insecticidal treatments to suppress plague and conserve prairie dog colonies. I compiled and statistically compared the available literature describing methods of plague control and their relative effectiveness in managing plague outbreaks by using meta-analyses. Natural log response ratios were used to calculate insecticide-induced vector mortality and vaccine-conferred survival increases in prairie dogs in 37 publications. Further, subgroupings were used to explore the most effective of the available vector suppression insecticides and plague suppression vaccines. After accounting for the type of treatment used and the method by which it was applied, I observed plague reduction through use of both insecticides and vaccines. Insecticides resulted in a significant reduction of the abundance of vectors by 91.34% compared to non-treated hosts (p<0.0001). Vaccines improved survival of prairie dog hosts by 4.00% (p<0.0001) compared to control populations. The use of insecticides such as deltamethrin and carbaryl is recommended to stop actively spreading epizootics, and dual antigen oral vaccines to initially suppress outbreaks., (© 2019 The Society for Vector Ecology.)

Accurate understanding of environmental moderation of genetic influences is vital to advancing the science of cognitive development as well as for designing interventions. One widely reported idea is increasing genetic influence on cognition for children raised in higher socioeconomic status (SES) families, including recent proposals that the pattern is a particularly US phenomenon. We used matched birth and school records from Florida siblings and twins born in 1994-2002 to provide the largest, most population-diverse consideration of this hypothesis to date. We found no evidence of SES moderation of genetic influence on test scores, suggesting that articulating gene-environment interactions for cognition is more complex and elusive than previously supposed., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Importance: Survivors of preterm birth often present with medical morbidities; however, variation in their long-term educational performance has not been well described., Objective: To estimate the association between gestational age and 4 outcomes in school-aged children: readiness to enter kindergarten, scores on standardized tests in elementary and middle school, gifted status, and low performance., Design, Setting, and Participants: In a retrospective cohort study, children born in Florida between 1992 and 2002 at 23 to 41 weeks' gestation who entered Florida's public schools between 1995 and 2012 were assessed for kindergarten readiness and tested in mathematics and reading in grades 3 through 8. Data analysis was performed from January 12, 2016, to March 1, 2017., Exposures: Gestational age at birth., Main Outcomes and Measures: Kindergarten readiness, scores on the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT), classified as gifted, and classified as low performance., Results: A total of 1 527 113 singleton infants with gestational ages of 23 to 41 weeks born between 1992 and 2002 were matched to Florida public school records. Of these, 1 301 497 children were included in the analysis; 641 479 (49.3%) were girls. A total of 301 (65.0%) Florida children born at 23 to 24 weeks' gestation were designated as ready to start kindergarten. When the FCAT test scores were adjusted for potentially confounding maternal and infant variables, children born at 23 to 24 weeks' gestation performed 0.66 SD (95% CI, -0.73 to -0.59) lower compared with those born at full term. A total of 123 554 (9.5%) of all Florida-born public school students were considered gifted, including 17 (1.8%) of those born at 23 to 24 weeks' gestation. In comparison, 75 458 (5.8%) of all Florida-born public school students were low performing; 310 (33.5%) of these children had been born at 23 to 24 weeks' gestation. Kindergarten readiness, FCAT scores, and gifted status were positively related to gestational age, whereas low performance was inversely related to gestational age., Conclusions and Relevance: Although gestational age has long been associated with poor educational performance, a sufficient proportion of children born near the limits of viability performed within expected school norms, warranting further investigation into how and why certain children are able to overcome the educational burdens that may follow preterm birth.

Purpose: Combining olaparib with carboplatin was recently shown to be active in both BRCA and non-BRCA mutant cancers in a recent phase I/Ib combination trial. The optimal drug sequence recommended was carboplatin 1-day before olaparib. However, carboplatin pre-treatment induced a ~50% faster olaparib clearance., Methods: To further explore this drug interaction, a population pharmacokinetic (PK) model was designed that included a lag time parameter, a second absorption compartment from tablet formulation, a single distribution/elimination compartment, and covariance among the clearance and volume parameters., Results: Clearance (6.8 L/h) and volume (33 L) estimates were comparable with literature. The only significant covariate was the presence of carboplatin on olaparib clearance, consistent with published noncompartmental PK and in vitro data., Conclusions: Simulations predicted lower steady-state peak/trough olaparib exposure through 24-36 h post carboplatin pre-treatment, but this effect was lost by day 2 and thus no dose adjustment is recommended.

Background: Application of latent variable models in medical research are becoming increasingly popular. A latent trait model is developed to combine rare birth defect outcomes in an index of infant morbidity., Methods: This study employed four statewide, retrospective 10-year data sources (1999 to 2009). The study cohort consisted of all female Florida Medicaid enrollees who delivered a live singleton infant during study period. Drug exposure was defined as any exposure to Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) during pregnancy. Mothers with no AED exposure served as the AED unexposed group for comparison. Four adverse outcomes, birth defect (BD), abnormal condition of new born (ACNB), low birth weight (LBW), and pregnancy and obstetrical complication (PCOC), were examined and combined using a latent trait model to generate an overall severity index. Unidimentionality, local independence, internal homogeneity, and construct validity were evaluated for the combined outcome., Results: The study cohort consisted of 3183 mother-infant pairs in total AED group, 226 in the valproate only subgroup, and 43,956 in the AED unexposed group. Compared to AED unexposed group, the rate of BD was higher in both the total AED group (12.8% vs. 10.5%, P < .0001), and the valproate only subgroup (19.6% vs. 10.5%, P < .0001). The combined outcome was significantly correlated with the length of hospital stay during delivery in both the total AED group (Rho = 0.24, P < .0001) and the valproate only subgroup (Rho = 0.16, P = .01). The mean score for the combined outcome in the total AED group was significantly higher (2.04 ± 0.02 vs. 1.88 ± 0.01, P < .0001) than AED unexposed group, whereas the valproate only subgroup was not., Conclusions: Latent trait modeling can be an effective tool for combining adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes to assess prenatal exposure to AED, but evaluation of the selected components is essential to ensure the validity of the combined outcome.

Importance: Late-term gestation (defined as the 41st week of pregnancy) is associated with increased risk of perinatal health complications. It is not known to what extent late-term gestation is associated with long-term cognitive and physical outcomes. Information about long-term outcomes may influence physician and patient decisions regarding optimal pregnancy length., Objective: To compare the cognitive and physical outcomes of school-aged children who were born full term or late term., Design, Setting, and Participants: We analyzed Florida birth certificates from 1994 to 2002 linked to Florida public school records from 1998 to 2013 and found 1 442 590 singleton births with 37 to 41 weeks' gestation in the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics. Of these, 1 153 716 children (80.0%) were subsequently located in Florida public schools. Linear and logistic regression models were used to assess the association of gestational age with cognitive and physical outcomes at school age. Data analysis took place between April 2013 and January 2016., Exposures: Late-term (born at 41 weeks) vs full-term (born at 39 or 40 weeks) gestation., Main Outcomes and Measures: There were a number of measures used, including the average Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test mathematics and reading scores at ages 8 through 15 years; whether a child was classified as gifted, defined as a student with superior intellectual development and capable of high performance; poor cognitive outcome, defined as a child scoring in the fifth percentile of test takers or having a disability that exempted him or her from taking the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test; and Exceptional Student Education placement owing to orthopedic, speech, or sensory impairment or being hospitalbound or homebound., Results: Of 1 536 482 children born in Florida from singleton births from 1994 to 2002 with complete demographic information, 787 105 (51.2%) were male; 338 894 (22.1%) of mothers were black and 999 684 (65.1%) were married at time of birth, and the mean (SD) age for mothers at time of birth was 27.2 (6.2) years. Late-term infants had 0.7% of an SD (95% CI, 0.001-0.013; P = .02) higher average test scores in elementary and middle school, 2.8% (95% CI, 0.4-5.2; P = .02) higher probability of being gifted, and 3.1% (95% CI, 0.0-6.1; P = .05) reduced probability of poor cognitive outcomes compared with full-term infants. These cognitive benefits appeared strongest for children with disadvantaged family background characteristics. Late-term infants were also 2.1% (95% CI, -0.3 to 4.5; P = .08) more likely to be physically impaired., Conclusions and Relevance: There appears to be a tradeoff between cognitive and physical outcomes associated with late-term gestation. Children born late-term performed better on 3 measures of school-based cognitive functioning but worse on 1 measure of physical functioning relative to children born full term. Our findings provide longer-run information for expectant parents and physicians who are considering delivery at full term vs late term. These findings are most relevant to uncomplicated, low-risk pregnancies.

Purpose: There is an increasing use of geocoded birth registry data in environmental epidemiology research. Ungeocoded records are routinely excluded., Methods: We used classification and regression tree analysis and logistic regression to investigate potential selection bias associated with this exclusion among all singleton Florida births in 2009 (n = 210,285)., Results: The rate of unsuccessful geocoding was 11.5% (n = 24,171). This ranged between 0% and 100% across zip codes. Living in a rural zip code was the strongest predictor of being ungeocoded. Other predictors for geocoding status varied with urbanity status. In urban areas, maternal race (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] ranging between 1.08 for Hispanic and 1.18 for black compared to white), maternal age [aOR: 1.16 (1.10-1.23) for ages 20-34 compared to <20], maternal nativity [aOR: 1.20 (1.15-1.25) for non-US versus US born], delivery at a birth center [aOR: 1.72 (1.49-2.00) compared to hospital delivery], multiparity [aOR: 0.91 (0.88-0.94)], maternal smoking [aOR: 0.82 (0.76-0.88)], and having nonprivate insurance [aOR: 1.25 (1.20-1.30) for Medicaid versus private insurance] were significantly associated with being ungeocoded. In rural areas, births delivered at birth center [aOR: 2.91 (1.80-4.73)] or home [aOR: 1.94 (1.28-2.95)] had increased odds compared to hospital births. The characteristics predictive of being ungeocoded were also significantly associated with adverse birth outcomes such as low birth weight and preterm delivery, and the association for maternal age was different when ungeocoded births were included and excluded., Conclusions: Geocoding status is not random. Women with certain exposure-outcome characteristics may be more likely to be ungeocoded and excluded, indicating potential selection bias., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Ambient air pollution has been linked to the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). However, evidence of the association is very limited, and no study has estimated the effects of ozone., Objective: Our aim was to determine the association of prenatal exposures to particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) with GDM., Methods: We used Florida birth vital statistics records to investigate the association between the risk of GDM and two air pollutants (PM2.5 and O3) among 410,267 women who gave birth in Florida between 2004 and 2005. Individual air pollution exposure was assessed at the woman's home address at time of delivery using the hierarchical Bayesian space-time statistical model. We further estimated associations between air pollution exposures during different trimesters and GDM., Results: After controlling for nine covariates, we observed increased odds of GDM with per 5-μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 (ORTrimester1 = 1.16; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.21; ORTrimester2 = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.10, 1.20; ORPregnancy = 1.20; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.26) and per 5-ppb increase in O3 (ORTrimester1 = 1.09; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.11; ORTrimester2 = 1.12; 95% CI: 1.10, 1.14; ORPregnancy = 1.18; 95% CI: 1.15, 1.21) during both the first trimester and second trimester as well as the full pregnancy in single-pollutant models. Compared with the single-pollutant model, the ORs for O3 were almost identical in the co-pollutant model. However, the ORs for PM2.5 during the first trimester and the full pregnancy were attenuated, and no association was observed for PM2.5 during the second trimester in the co-pollutant model (OR = 1.02; 95% CI: 0.98, 1.07)., Conclusion: This population-based study suggests that exposure to air pollution during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of GDM in Florida, USA., Citation: Hu H, Ha S, Henderson BH, Warner TD, Roth J, Kan H, Xu X. 2015. Association of atmospheric particulate matter and ozone with gestational diabetes mellitus. Environ Health Perspect 123:853-859; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408456.

Few studies have assessed the associations between residential proximity to power plants and adverse birth outcomes including preterm delivery (PTD), very preterm delivery (VPTD), and term low birth weight (LBW). We geocoded 423,719 singleton Florida births born from 2004 to 2005 and all active power plants and determined residential proximity to the nearest power plant for each birth. Prenatal exposure to particulate matter less than 2.5 µm in diameter for women living near different types of power plants was also determined by using National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network data. Logistic regression models were used to test the hypothesized associations. Women who lived closer to coal and solid waste power plants were exposed to higher levels of particulate matter less than 2.5 µm in diameter compared with other types. We observed a 1.8% (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3, 2.3) increased odds for PTD, 2.2% (95% CI: 1.0, 3.4) for VPTD, and 1.1% (95% CI: 0.2, 2.0) for term LBW for each 5 km closer to any power plant. When stratifying by different fuel type, we found that only solid waste had an association with term LBW, whereas oil, gas, and solid waste all had an association with PTD and VPTD. Results were consistent when exposure was categorized by number of power plants. Our study found evidence of increasing odds of adverse birth outcomes among infants born to pregnant women living closer to power plants. More research is warranted to better understand the causal relationship., (© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

We make use of a new data resource--merged birth and school records for all children born in Florida from 1992 to 2002--to study the relationship between birth weight and cognitive development. Using singletons as well as twin and sibling fixed effects models, we find that the effects of early health on cognitive development are essentially constant through the school career; that these effects are similar across a wide range of family backgrounds; and that they are invariant to measures of school quality. We conclude that the effects of early health on adult outcomes are therefore set very early.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP, including gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia) have a substantial public health impact. Maternal exposure to high levels of air pollution may trigger HDP, but this association remains unclear. The objective of our report is to assess and quantify the association between maternal exposures to criteria air pollutants (ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter ≤ 10, 2.5 μm) on HDP risk. PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Current Contents, Global Health, and Cochrane were searched (last search: September, 2013). After a detailed screening of 270 studies, 10 studies were extracted. We conducted meta-analyses if a pollutant in a specific exposure window was reported by at least four studies. Using fixed- and random-effects models, odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were calculated for each pollutant with specific increment of concentration. Increases in risks of HDP (OR per 10 ppb = 1.16; 95% CI, 1.03-1.30) and preeclampsia (OR per 10 ppb = 1.10; 95% CI, 1.03-1.17) were observed to be associated with exposure to NO 2 during the entire pregnancy, and significant associations between HDP and exposure to CO (OR per 1 ppm = 1.79; 95% CI, 1.31-2.45) and O 3 (OR per 10 ppb = 1.09; 95% CI, 1.05-1.13) during the first trimester were also observed. Our review suggests an association between ambient air pollution and HDP risk. Although the ORs were relatively low, the population-attributable fractions were not negligible given the ubiquitous nature of air pollution.

Mithramycin is a neoplastic antibiotic synthesized by various Streptomyces bacteria. It is under investigation as a chemotherapeutic treatment for a wide variety of cancers. Ongoing and forthcoming clinical trials will require pharmacokinetic analysis of mithramycin in humans, both to see if target concentrations are achieved and to optimize dosing and correlate outcomes (response/toxicity) with pharmacokinetics. Two published methods for mithramycin quantitation exist, but both are immunoassays that lack current bioanalytical standards of selectivity and sensitivity. To provide an upgraded and more widely applicable assay, a UPLC-MS/MS method for quantitation of mithramycin in human plasma was developed. Solid-phase extraction allowed for excellent recoveries (>90%) necessary for high throughput analyses on sensitive instrumentation. However, a ∼55% reduction in analyte signal was observed as a result of plasma matrix effects. Mithramycin and the internal standard chromomycin were separated on a Waters Acquity BEH C18 column (2.1×50 mm, 1.7 μm) and detected using electrospray ionization operated in the negative mode at mass transitions m/z 1083.5→268.9 and 1181.5→269.0, respectively, on an AB Sciex QTrap 5500. The assay range was 0.5-500 ng/mL and proved to be linear (r(2)>0.996), accurate (≤10% deviation), and precise (CV<15%). Mithramycin was stable in plasma at room temperature for 24 h, as well as through three freeze-thaw cycles. This method was subsequently used to quantitate mithramycin plasma concentrations from patients enrolled on two clinical trials at the NCI., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Air pollution has been shown to have adverse effects on many health outcomes including cardiorespiratory diseases and cancer. However, evidence on the effects of prenatal exposure is still limited. The purpose of this retrospective cohort study is to evaluate the effects of prenatal exposure to air pollutants including particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) on the risk of adverse birth outcomes (ABOs) including term low birth weight (LBW), preterm delivery (PTD) and very PTD (VPTD)., Methods: singleton births from 2004 to 2005 in Florida were included in the study (N=423,719). Trimester-specific exposures to O3 and PM2.5 at maternal residence at delivery were estimated using the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network data, which were interpolated using Hierarchical Bayesian models., Results: After adjustment for potential confounders such as demographics, medical and lifestyle factors PM2.5 exposures in all trimesters were found to be significantly and positively associated with the risk of all ABOs. Second-trimester exposure had the strongest effects. For an interquartile range (IQR) increase in PM2.5 during the second trimester, the risk of term LBW, PTD and VPTD increased by 3% [95% confidence interval (CI): 1-6%)], 12% (11-14%) and 22% (18-25%), respectively. O3 was also found to be positively associated with PTD and VPTD with the strongest effects over the whole pregnancy period [3% (1-5%) for PTD and 13% (7-19%) for VPTD for each IQR increase]. However, O3 was observed to have protective effects on term LBW. Results were consistent for multi-pollutant models., Conclusion: PM2.5 has consistent adverse effects on ABOs whereas O3 has inconsistent effects. These findings warrant further investigation., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objectives: Despite Al-Anon's widespread availability and use, knowledge is lacking about the drinkers in attendees' lives. We filled this gap by describing and comparing Al-Anon newcomers' and members' reports about their "main drinker" (main person prompting initial attendance)., Methods: Al-Anon's World Service Office mailed a random sample of groups, yielding completed surveys from newcomers (N = 362) and stable members (N = 265)., Results: Newcomers' and members' drinkers generally were comparable. They had known their drinker for an average of 22 years and been concerned about his or her's drinking for 9 years; about 50% had daily contact with the drinker. Most reported negative relationship aspects (drinker gets on your nerves; you disagree about important things). Newcomers had more concern about the drinker's alcohol use than members did, and were more likely to report their drinkers' driving under the influence. Drinkers' most frequent problem due to drinking was family arguments, and most common source of help was 12-step groups, with lower rates among drinkers of newcomers. Concerns spurring initial Al-Anon attendance were the drinker's poor quality of life, relationships, and psychological status; goals for initial attendance reflected these concerns., Discussion and Conclusions: The drinker's alcohol use was of less concern in prompting initial Al-Anon attendance, and, accordingly, the drinker's reduced drinking was a less frequently endorsed goal of attendance., Scientific Significance: Family treatments for substance use problems might expand interventions and outcome domains beyond abstinence and relationship satisfaction to include the drinker's quality of life and psychological symptoms and in turn relieve concerns of family members., (© American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.)

Pomalidomide is a second generation IMiD (immunomodulatory agent) that has recently been granted approval by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of relapsed multiple myeloma after prior treatment with two antimyeloma agents, including lenalidomide and bortezomib. A simple and robust HPLC assay with fluorescence detection for pomalidomide over the range of 1-500ng/mL has been developed for application to pharmacokinetic studies in ongoing clinical trials in various other malignancies. A liquid-liquid extraction from human plasma alone or pre-stabilized with 0.1% HCl was performed, using propyl paraben as the internal standard. From plasma either pre-stabilized with 0.1% HCl or not, the assay was shown to be selective, sensitive, accurate, precise, and have minimal matrix effects (<20%). Pomalidomide was stable in plasma through 4 freeze-thaw cycles (<12% change), in plasma at room temperature for up to 2h for samples not pre-stabilized with 0.1% HCl and up to 8h in samples pre-stabilized with 0.1% HCl, 24h post-preparation at 4°C (<2% change), and showed excellent extraction recovery (∼90%). This is the first reported description of the freeze/thaw and plasma stability of pomalidomide in plasma either pre-stabilized with 0.1% HCl or not. The information presented in this manuscript is important when performing pharmacokinetic analyses. The method was used to analyze clinical pharmacokinetics samples obtained after a 5mg oral dose of pomalidomide. This relatively simple HPLC-FL assay allows a broader range of laboratories to measure pomalidomide for application to clinical pharmacokinetics., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The androgen receptor (AR) is central to the initiation and progression of prostate cancer, even after castration. Its transcriptional activity has previously been studied in cell lines. A group at the University of Cambridge recently outlined the AR transcriptional program in tissue samples, with an emphasis on castration-resistant tumors. AR binding sites, gene-expression changes (in xenografts), and potential transcription factor interactions were notably different from those observed in cultured cells. These discrepancies suggest a distinct signaling network for the AR in vivo and serve as a reminder that results from in vitro models should be checked against clinical realities.

Background: The prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) and neurobehavioral disorders (N) has increased over the last three decades. However, it is unclear how many excess cases of ND can be attributed to LBW among U.S. children. The objectives of this study were to a) determine the association between LBW and ND including attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), behavior and conduct disorder (BCD) and learning disability (LD); and b) determine the population attributable risk (PAR) of these disorders due to LBW., Methods: Study subjects were a nationally representative cross-sectional sample of 85,637 children ages 2 to 17 years old who participated in the 2011 National Survey of Children's Health. Birth weight and ND were reported by parents., Results: LBW accounted for 6.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.3-10.4) of all ASD cases, 2.4% (CI 0.1-5.1) of BCD, and 6.8% (CI 4.8-9.0) of LD among the study population. There was not a significant association between LBW and ADHD. The percentages of these ND due to LBW were found to be higher among those who were pre-term and among ethnic minority groups., Conclusions: Based on our results and given that over 8% of U.S. children are born with LBW, with higher rates among minorities and preterm births, prospective planning for neurobehavioral services is warranted. Efforts to reduce ND in children align with national efforts to reduce LBW., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Ambient air pollution has been implicated in the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). However, evidence of the association between air pollution and HDP is still limited, and the effects of gaseous air pollutants on HDP and their time windows of exposure have not been well studied., Methods: We used the Florida birth registry data to investigate the associations between air pollutants (NO2, SO2, PM(2.5), O3 and CO) and the risks of HDP in 22,041 pregnant women in Jacksonville, Florida, USA from 2004 to 2005. Further, we examined whether air pollution exposure during different time windows defined by trimesters and the entire pregnancy had different effects on HDP., Results: The single-pollutant logistic regression model showed that exposure to four pollutants during the full pregnancy period was significantly associated with prevalence of HDP after adjusting for covariates: NO2 (OR=1.21, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.35), PM2.5 (OR=1.24, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.43), SO2 (OR=1.13, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.25) and CO (OR=1.12, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.22) per IQR increase. Similar effects were observed when first trimester exposure to NO2, SO2 and CO, and second trimester exposures to PM2.5 were examined. Consistent results were confirmed in multiple-pollutant models., Conclusions: This study suggests that exposure to high levels of air pollution during early pregnancy and the full gestational period was associated with increased prevalence of HDP in Florida, USA.

Tropomyosin-related kinases (Trk) are tyrosine kinase receptors implicated in tumor proliferation, invasion, and survival signaling across a number of tumors, making them potentially attractive targets for the treatment of cancer. AZD7451 is a potent and selective inhibitor of Trk kinases currently undergoing a Phase I dose escalation in glioblastoma multiforme at the National Cancer Institute. A key part of early clinical testing for AZD7451 involves demonstrating that pharmacokinetic half-life and clinical exposures of AZD7451 are sufficient to inhibit Trk receptors in preclinical models. To address this need, an ultra sensitive analytical method was developed to measure the AZD7451 profile in human plasma. A liquid-liquid extraction recovered >80% of AZD7451 before quantitative analysis by ultra HPLC-MS/MS. A Varian Polaris(®) C18-A column and a mass transition of m/z 383.5→340.5 (m/z 389.6→342.0 for the internal standard [(2)H6]-AZD7451) was used, and a dynamic calibration range of 0.5-1000ng/mL was established, which provided a sensitive (<8.5% deviation), and precise (<6%) quantitative assay for AZD7451. AZD7451 demonstrated stability in human plasma at room temperature for 24h (<7% change) and after extraction at 4°C for 24h (<8% change), and was stable through 4 freeze/thaw cycles (<8% change). This method was used to measure AZD7451 plasma levels in clinical samples to confirm the sensitivity at several time points following AZD7451 treatment in subjects with glioblastoma., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Recent evidence extends the health benefits of breastfeeding to include reduction of maternal body mass index (BMI) and childhood obesity. Since most women decide if they will breastfeed prior to pregnancy, it is important to understand, given the high population prevalence of obesity, if maternal underweight, overweight or obese status is associated with breastfeeding initiation. Population-based study. Florida resident birth certificate records. All live singleton births (2004-2009), excluding observations that lacked the primary outcomes of maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and breastfeeding initiation (final sample of 1,161,949 unique observations). Odds of initiating breastfeeding, adjusted by maternal and infant factors, stratified by pre-pregnancy BMI, categorized as underweight, normal, overweight and obese. Adjusting for the known maternal factors associated with breastfeeding initiation, underweight and obese women were significantly less likely to initiate breastfeeding than women with normal BMI, (adjusted odds ratio 0.87, 95 % confidence interval 0.85-0.89 for underweight women; 0.84, 95 % CI 0.83-0.85 for obese women). The magnitude of these findings did not significantly vary by race or ethnicity. Medicaid status and adherence to the Institute of Medicine's 2009 pregnancy weight gain recommendations had only minor influences on breastfeeding initiation. Among adolescents, only underweight status predicted breastfeeding initiation; obesity did not. Underweight and obese women have significantly lower rates of breastfeeding initiation compared to women with normal pre-pregnancy BMI. Future studies need to address the health care, social, and physical barriers that interfere with breastfeeding initiation, especially in underweight and obese women, regardless of race, ethnicity or income.

Challenges to health care access in the US are forcing local policymakers and service delivery systems to find novel ways to address the shortage of primary care clinicians. The uninsured and underinsured face the greatest obstacles in accessing services. Geographic information systems mapping software was used to illustrate health disparities in Alachua County, FL; galvanize a community response; and direct reallocation of resources. The University of Florida Family Data Center created "hot spot" density maps of important health and social indicators to highlight the location of disparities at the neighborhood level. Maps were produced for Medicaid births, teen births, low birth weight, domestic violence incidents, child maltreatment reports, unexcused school absences, and juvenile justice referrals. Maps were widely shared with community partners, including local elected officials, law enforcement, educators, child welfare agencies, health care providers, and service organizations. This data sharing resulted in advocacy efforts to bring resources to the greatest-need neighborhoods in the county. Novel public-private partnerships were forged between the local library district, children and family service providers, and university administrators. Two major changes are detailed: a family resource center built in the neighborhood of greatest need and a mobile clinic staffed by physicians, nurses, physician assistants, health educators, and student and faculty volunteers. Density maps have several advantages. They require minimal explanation. Anyone familiar with local geographic features can quickly identify locations displaying health disparities. Personalizing health disparities by locating them geographically allows a community to translate data to action to improve health care access.

To measure the effect of a short interpregnancy interval (IPI), along with other indicators routinely asked during pregnancy on later report of child maltreatment. We hypothesized that an IPI of <18 months was associated with increased risk of child maltreatment. This study was a secondary analysis of a linked population-based dataset from 2005 to 2007 in Florida. Data were derived from three sources: Birth Certificates, Healthy Start Prenatal Risk Screens, and the HomeSafeNet Database. Primary predictor variables were IPI, and mothers' evaluations of the timing of the pregnancy and perceptions of harm. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the odds of child maltreatment, adjusting for demographic and other known risk factors for maltreatment. The final study sample consisted of 85,258 multipara women-infant dyads with credible IPIs and with completed Healthy Start Prenatal Risk Screens. Seventeen percent of children had a report of child maltreatment in the first 5 years of life. An IPI of less than 18 months was associated with 18 % higher odds of maltreatment compared to an IPI of greater than 18 months (95 % CI 1.13, 1.23). Mothers' perception of harm and desire to be pregnant at a later time were also significantly associated with higher odds of maltreatment report (AOR = 2.43 95 % CI = 2.17, 2.71 and AOR = 1.18 95 % CI 1.13, 1.24, respectively). Ascertaining short IPI and asking pregnant and peripartum women about their perception of harm and desire for a longer birth spacing can alert obstetricians, family practitioners and pediatricians to potential child maltreatment.

Abuse of prescription and illicit drugs has been rapidly increasing. This study examines the prevalence of drug use in the non-natural deaths of pregnant or recently pregnant women. Records from Florida's Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review conducted between 1999 and 2005 (n = 415) were linked to 385 toxicology reports obtained from Florida medical examiners' offices. The final study sample consisted of 169 drug-positive, pregnancy-associated non-natural deaths. Of these, 86 were positive for both blood and urine, 64 were positive for blood only and five for urine only, and the remainder were positive for some other specimen. Among these deaths, 91 cases (54%) involved prescription drugs, 78 cases (46%) involved illicit drugs, and 69 cases (41%) involved alcohol. Opioids constituted the majority of deaths associated with prescription drugs. Substantial co-use of opioids and benzodiazepines was seen. Pregnant or recently pregnant women may have more interactions with healthcare providers, which may present more opportunities for intervention and prevention., (© 2013 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.)

Objective: Empirical knowledge is lacking about Al-Anon Family Groups (Al-Anon), the most widely used form of help by people concerned about another's drinking, partly because conducting research on 12-step groups is challenging. Our purpose was to describe a new method of obtaining survey data from 12-step group attendees and to examine influences on initial Al-Anon attendance and attendees' recent life contexts and functioning., Method: Al-Anon's World Service Office sent a mailing to a random sample of groups, which subsequently yielded surveys from newcomers (n = 359) and stable members (n = 264)., Results: Reasons for groups' nonparticipation included having infrequent newcomers and the study being seen as either contrary to the 12 Traditions or too uncomfortable for newcomers. Main concerns prompting initial Al-Anon attendance were problems with overall quality of life and with the Al-Anon trigger (a significant drinking individual), and being stressed and angry. Goals for Al-Anon attendance were related to the following concerns: better quality of life, fewer trigger-related problems, and less stress. Members reported better functioning in some of these domains (quality of life, relationship with the trigger) but did not differ from newcomers on physical and psychological health. Newcomers were more likely to have recently drunk alcohol and to have obtained treatment for their own substance misuse problems., Conclusions: This method of collecting data from 12-step group attendees yielded valid data and also was seen by many in Al-Anon as consistent with the Traditions. Both newcomers and members had aimed to improve their overall quality of life and well-being through Al-Anon, and, indeed, members were more satisfied with their quality of life than were newcomers.

Background: Motor vehicle crashes, homicide, suicide, and drug abuse are among the leading causes of pregnancy-associated deaths. To prevent such deaths, identifying women for intervention is required. The universally offered Florida Healthy Start Prenatal Risk Screen was evaluated to identify women at increased risk for traumatic pregnancy-associated death., Methods: Florida's Enhanced Maternal Mortality Reporting Database for 1999 through 2005 was linked with Florida's Healthy Start Prenatal Risk Screen to identify traumatic pregnancy-associated death as the outcome. Distribution of Healthy Start risk scores among women who died were compared with the screened population. Traumatic death estimates per 100,000 births were drawn for each risk score, along with estimates of the relative risk (RR) of traumatic death for each score. The RR of women with scores greater than or equal to 4 were compared with the risk of women scoring 0 to 3., Findings: Almost 20% of the 620,959 women who did not die of traumatic death had a risk score of 0, compared with only 3% of the 144 women who did die of traumatic death. As risk scores increased, the chance of traumatic deaths sharply increased. A woman with a score of 4 had 11.78 times (confidence interval [CI], 4.63-29.69) the risk of traumatic death compared with a woman with a risk score of 0., Conclusions: The implementation of prenatal risk screening to identify women at increased risk for traumatic pregnancy-associated death would help to ensure that policies to reduce infant risk factors also address maternal risk factors., (Copyright © 2013 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

mRNA encoding for the CB(2) cannabinoid receptor is expressed by many subsets of human peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL), but little is known about the resulting protein expression and function. Employing clones from the A549 and 293T cell lines that were constructed to express both full-length human CB(2) and GFP, we developed a flow cytometry assay for characterizing CB(2) protein expression. A monoclonal antibody directed against human CB(2) selectively stained the surface of transduced but not parental cell lines. When cells were fixed and permeabilized, imaging flow cytometry identified large stores of intracellular protein. Total cellular staining for CB(2) corresponded closely with the level of GFP expression. When exposed to Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol, CB(2)-expressing cells internalized cell surface CB(2) receptors in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Applying these approaches to human PBL, CB(2) protein was identified on the surface of human B cells but not on T cells or monocytes. In contrast, when PBL were fixed and permeabilized, intracellular CB(2) expression was readily detected in all three subsets by both conventional and imaging flow cytometry. Similar to the protein expression pattern observed in fixed and permeabilized PBL, purified B cells, T cells, and monocytes expressed relatively equal levels of CB(2) mRNA by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Our findings confirm that human PBL express CB(2) protein but that its distribution is predominantly intracellular with only B cells expressing CB(2) protein at the extracellular membrane. The differential role of intracellular and extracellular CB(2) receptors in mediating ligand signaling and immune function remains to be determined.

This article describes observations made during a recent series of single-mode lasercom experiments in which high-rate data transmission was demonstrated between a small aircraft and a ground station separated by distances up to 80 km. A significant result of the subsequent data analysis was the discovery of near-unity correlations between the signal fluctuations observed by power monitors at the two ends of the link. This evidence of reciprocity is presented, along with the description of a preliminary concept for utilizing this channel state information to improve link performance.

Background: Birth weight has been identified as a birth-related factor associated with the risk of breast cancer. However, the evidence is inconsistent., Methods: To investigate the association between birth weight and breast cancer, we conducted a meta-analysis of published studies between 1996 and 2008. Eighteen studies encompassing 16,424 breast cancer cases were included in the meta-analysis. Data were combined using a fixed-effect or random-effect model depending on the heterogeneity across studies., Results: Women with their own birth weight >4000 g or 8.5 lb had a higher risk for developing breast cancer than those with birth weight <2500 g or 3000 g (OR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.08, 1.34). Findings were also consistent with a dose-response pattern effect. The summary effect estimate for breast cancer risk per 1 kg increase in birth weight was statistically significant (random effects OR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.02, 1.12)., Conclusions: Although these results provided no evidence indicating whether birth weight is more strongly related to early-onset than to later-onset breast cancer, our findings suggest an association between birth weight and breast cancer. The underlying biological mechanism relating to this phenomenon needs additional study.

Objective: To assess the association between length of prenatal participation in WIC and a marker of infant morbidity. By focusing on small for gestational age, we consider one of the possible pathways through which prenatal nutrition affects fetal growth., Design/methods: The study sample consists of 369,535 matched mother-infant pairs drawn from all singleton live births in Florida hospitals from 1996 to 2004. All subjects received WIC and Medicaid-funded prenatal services during pregnancy. We controlled for selection bias on observed variables using a generalized propensity scoring approach and performed separate analyses by gestational age category to control for simultaneity bias., Results: Ten percent increase in the percent of time in WIC was associated with 2.5% decrease (95% CI: 2.1-3.0%) in the risk of a full-term an SGA infant. The risk was also significantly decreased for very preterm and late preterm infants (29-33 and 34-36 weeks gestation) but not for extremely preterm infants (23-28 weeks gestation)., Conclusions: The observed small negative dose response relationship between percent of pregnancy spent in WIC and fetal growth restriction implies that longer participation in the program confers a small measure of protection against delivering an SGA infant.

Objective: Late preterm infants represent a significant portion of preterm deliveries. Until recently, these infants have received little attention because of assumptions that they carry minimal risk for long-term morbidities. The purpose of this study was to compare prekindergarten and kindergarten outcomes among healthy late preterm infants, 34 0/7 to 36 6/7 weeks' gestation at birth, and healthy term infants, 37 0/7 to 41 6/7 weeks' gestation at birth., Methods: The study sample consisted of singleton infants who were born in Florida between January 1, 1996, and August 31, 1997, with a gestational age between 34 and 41 weeks (N = 161804) with a length of stay < or =72 hours. Seven early school-age outcomes were analyzed. Outcomes were adjusted for 15 potential confounding maternal and infant variables. Unadjusted and adjusted relative risk with 95% confidence interval was estimated for each outcome by using Poisson regression modeling., Results: Risk for developmental delay or disability was 36% higher among late preterm infants compared with term infants. Risk for suspension in kindergarten was 19% higher for late preterm infants. The remaining 4 outcomes, disability in prekindergarten at 3 and 4 years of age, exceptional student education, and retention in kindergarten, all carried a 10% to 13% increased risk among late preterm infants. The assessment "not ready to start school" was borderline significant., Conclusions: This study suggests that healthy late preterm infants compared with healthy term infants face a greater risk for developmental delay and school-related problems up through the first 5 years of life.

This paper examines dispersion caused by diffraction through uniform volume holographic gratings. Of interest is the impact of this dispersion on the spatial and temporal fidelity of an optical communications signal. To this end, a holographic grating is illuminated by a Gaussian beam with 1/e(2) diameter large compared to the optical wavelength. Coupled-wave analysis is used to calculate the temporal response of the grating to transmitted symbols encoded in time as a train of Gaussian-shaped pulses. It is shown that temporal dispersion due to diffraction impacts bit-error performance, yielding increased power penalty for larger diffraction angles and beam diameters.

Boundary-layer turbulence resulting from uneven airflow around window interfaces can impact airborne laser communications (lasercom). In the focal plane, these distortions can produce fast jitter and beam break-up, posing challenges for tracking and communications. We demonstrate an experimental emulator that reproduces aircraft aero-optical distortions using a deformable mirror. This boundary-layer emulator resides in a hardware testbed that experimentally mimics air-to-space lasercom links in a controlled, laboratory environment. The boundary-layer emulator operates in the 1.55-mum band and accurately recreates aero-optical distortions at a rate of 2 kilo-frames per second.

We report experiments comparing different focal plane array (FPA) tracking algorithms for emulated laser communication links between an aircraft and spacecraft. The links include look-angle-dependent phase disturbances caused by boundary-layer turbulence replicated by using a deformable mirror. Impairments from platform jitter, atmospheric scintillation, and propagation delay are also included. We study a hyperhemispherical dome geometry that provides a large field of regard but generates boundary-layer turbulence. Results from experiments comparing peak and centroid FPA tracking algorithms in various environments show that power delivered to the optical fiber varies with algorithm and look angle. An improvement in steady-state fiber-coupled power of up to 1.0 dB can be achieved through appropriate choice of algorithm. In a real system, this advantage could be realized by implementing a tracking processor that dynamically changes its tracking algorithm depending on look angle and other parameters correlated to boundary-layer turbulence.

Birth defect, abnormal condition of the newborn, developmental delay or disability and low birth weight are four major infant morbidity outcomes. Most studies have focused on assessment of the effects of risk factors on each of these outcomes or of the relationship among these outcomes or both. Little attention has been paid to the development of a composite index, which is a summary construct of infant morbidity outcomes. In this paper, we develop extended latent variable (LV) models and modified Gauss-Newton algorithms for multiple multinomial morbidity outcomes with complete responses. By assuming the marginal distribution of the LV to be log-normal, we model the conditional probability of each outcome as a nonlinear function of the LV, which has properties similar to the logistic function. The estimated generalized nonlinear least-square method is used to solve equations for parameters of interest. The models are applied to an infant morbidity data set. A new single variable, called infant morbidity index (IMI) that functions as a summary of four infant morbidity outcomes and represents propensity for infant morbidity, is developed. The validity of this index is then assessed in detail. It is shown that the IMI is correlated with each of the individual outcomes, with infant mortality and with a face-valid index of morbidity outcomes, and can be used in future research as a measure of propensity for infant morbidity., (Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

This paper investigates the power penalty from optical phased arrays used for wide-angle beam steering of optical communication signals. The analysis studies the effect of aperture size, data rate, modulation format, and diffraction angle on digital lightwave signals. The results show increasing power penalties for larger angles, aperture sizes, and data rates. At a 10 masculine steering angle, 10-cm aperture, and for both on-off keying (OOK) and differential phase-shift keying (DPSK) the 2.5-Gb/s power penalty is approximately 1.0 dB, while at 10 Gb/s the penalty increases to 7.7 dB for OOK and 7.8 dB for DPSK.

In the United States, firearms are involved in tens of thousands of deaths and injuries each year. The magnitude of this problem prompted the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to issue a report in 2004 detailing the strengths and limitations of existing research on the relationship between firearms and violence. In response, a multidisciplinary group of experts in the field of firearms and violence formed the National Research Collaborative on Firearm Violence. The Collaborative met for 2 days in June 2005 to (1) critically review the main findings of the NAS report and (2) define a research agenda that could fill research and data gaps and inform policy that reduces gun-related crime, deaths and injuries. This article summarizes the Collaborative's conclusions and identifies priorities for research and funding.

Empirical longitudinal studies assessing why community-level violence rates change over time are lacking. Despite a wide-ranging literature, questions remain as to whether changes over time are due to factors occurring in specific periods (period effects) or individuals in successive cohorts (cohort effect). The objective was to assess the relative contribution of age, period, and cohort effects on violence trends. The authors assessed differences in self-reported violence between two cohorts of males (n = 1,009) from the Pittsburgh Youth Study, which tracked delinquency and risk factors from 1987 to 2000. The youngest cohort were aged 7-19 years, and the oldest cohort were aged 13-25 years. Yearly measures of violence were examined through generalized estimating equations. The oldest cohort reported higher levels of violence even after adjustment for age and major individual-level risk factors (odds ratio (OR) = 1.45, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17, 1.81) such as gang participation and drug dealing, as well as community-level factors (OR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.65, 2.82). However, when period effects were included, cohort differences were rendered insignificant (OR = 1.23, 95% CI: 0.78, 1.94). The authors conclude that differences in the rates of violence over time may be attributed to changing social factors (period effects) and not to differences between the individuals (cohort effect) of cohorts.

Objectives: To determine if multiple births have higher risks of birth defects compared to singletons and to identify types of birth defects that occur more frequently in multiple births, controlling for seven sociodemographic and health-related variables., Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted of all resident live births in Florida during 1996-2000 using data from a population-based surveillance system. Birth defects were defined as in the 9th edition of the International Classification of Diseases-Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) code for the 42 reportable categories in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Birth Defects Registry list and eight major birth defects classifications. Relative risks (RR) before and after adjusting for control variables and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated. The control variables included mother's race, age, previous adverse pregnancy experience, education, Medicaid participation during pregnancy, infant's sex and number of siblings., Results: This study included 972,694 live births (27,727 multiple births and 944,967 singletons). Birth defects prevalence per 10,000 live births was 358.50 for multiple births and 250.54 for singletons. After adjusting for control variables, multiple births had a 46% increased risk of birth defects compared to singletons. Higher risks were found in 23 of 40 birth defects for multiple births. Five highest adjusted relative risks for birth defects among multiple births were: anencephalus, biliary atresia, hydrocephalus without spina bifida, pulmonary valve atresia and stenosis, and bladder exstrophy. Increased risks were also found in 6 out of 8 major birth defects classifications., Conclusions: Multiple births have increased risks of birth defects compared to singletons.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to provide a race- and gender-specific model for predicting 1-year survival rates for extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants by using population-based data., Methods: Birth and death certificates were analyzed for all children (N = 5076) with birth weights between 300 g and 1000 g who were born in Florida between 1996 and 2000. Semiparametric, multivariate, logistic regression analysis was used to model 1-year survival probabilities as a function of birth weight, gestational age, mother's race, and infant's gender. Estimated survival rates among different race/gender groups were compared by using odds ratios (ORs)., Results: One-year survival rates for 5076 ELBW infants born between 1996 and 2000 did not change during the 5-year period (60-62%). The survival rate at < or = 500 g was < or = 14% (n = 716). Survival rates at 501 to 600 g and 601 to 700 g were 36% and 62%, respectively. The survival rate reached > 85% for infants of > 800 g. Modeling indicated a survival advantage for female infants, compared with male infants (OR: 1.7; 95% confidence interval: 1.5-1.9), and for black infants, compared with white infants (OR: 1.3; 95% confidence interval: 1.1-1.5). Black female infants had 2.1 greater odds of survival than did white male infants., Conclusions: This population-based study highlights the significant race and gender differences in 1-year survival rates for ELBW infants, as well as the interactions of these 2 factors. These findings can assist obstetricians and neonatologists not only in the care of ELBW infants but also in frank discussions with families.

Background: Sex differences in structural birth defects are often confounded by environmental risk factors. Opposite-sex twins provide a unique model for detecting sex differences in birth defects while maximally controlling environmental risk factors in a natural setting., Methods: Population data from the Florida Birth Defects Registry were analyzed. A total of 4,768 pairs of twins who were discordant for sex and born between 1996 and 2001 were analyzed. The McNemar test was used to compare the differences between a male twin and his twin sister for the risk of developing specific defects and organ-system defects., Results: Of 4,768 twin pairs, 225 males (4.72%) and 175 females (3.67%) had birth defects. Among opposite-sex twin pairs, males had a 29% higher risk for birth defects than their twin sisters. Compared to their twin sisters, males had a 5.4 times higher risk for pyloric stenosis and a 2.4 times higher risk for obstructive genitourinary defect, but only one-tenth the risk for congenital hip dislocation., Conclusions: Sex differences in birth defects exist between opposite-sex twins.