cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Uterine Health and Disorders

Nonspecific uterine infections reduce the reproductive efficiency of cows and the profit potential of dairy farms. Fortunately, most cows do not develop severe uterine infections. The term uterine infection indicates that the uterus is contaminated with pathogenic organisms. Actinomyces pyogenes, either alone or with other bacteria, is often associated with uterine infections. When A. pyogenes was isolated from uterine fluids after d 21 postpartum, cows developed severe endometritis and were infertile at first service. However, the exact causes of uterine infections are unknown but are associated with several factors. Cows with dystocia, retained placenta, twins or still-births, and various metabolic disorders are more likely to develop metritis than are other cows. Aberrant immune function before and after calving seems to predispose cows to severe uterine infections. Few cows die from uterine infections, but cows with uterine infections are more likely to be culled for poor reproductive performance. Also, uterine infections can reduce milk production, and some treatments contaminate milk. Because they are nonspecific, uterine infections are difficult to prevent; attention to sanitation and periparturient hygiene, especially during assisted calving, may be the best defense. Evidence that aberrant immune function predisposes cows to uterine infections indicates that methods for regulating immune function in periparturient cows have the potential for preventing or treating uterine infections.
Development of a Fe-He interatomic potential based on electronic structure calculations

Abstract A new empirical Fe–He potential has been developed by fitting results obtained from first-principles calculations. Both the formation and relaxation energies of single He defects and small He clusters were accounted for in the fitting process. The new potential consists of a repulsive pair-potential term and a three-body interaction term, and was applied in combination with three commonly used iron interatomic potentials, and a potential describing the behavior of helium in vacuum. As an application of the new potential, the stability of He–vacancy clusters at zero temperature was evaluated. The calculated results were similar for all three Fe potentials, and the new potentials provide results that are more consistent with ab initio calculations than those obtained from previous Fe–He potentials.
Acrylic interpenetrating polymer network dielectric elastomers for energy harvesting

Dielectric elastomer energy harvesters are an emerging technology that promise high power density, low cost, scalability, and the capability of fitting niche markets that have yet to be exploited. To date, materials issues that limit their overall performance have hampered the full potential of these devices. In order to supplant existing technologies, even in niche markets, dielectric elastomer generators must increase their reliability and energy density. Previous work has indicated that stiffer elastomers should be capable of higher energy densities; the increased stiffness of the elastomer films should results in lower Maxwell pressure induced strains, and thus allow the elastomer to relax further, resulting in a larger swing in capacitance and larger energy gains. In this paper we examine the use of VHB-based acrylic interpenetrating polymer network dielectric elastomers with a trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate additive network for energy harvesting purposes. We test films with varying additive content and compare their performance with highly prestrained VHB acrylic elastomers. We show that by increasing additive content, Maxwell induced strains can be suppressed and larger energy gains can be achieved at higher bias fields. Moreover, the introduction of the additive network stabilizes the highly prestrained acrylic elastomers mechanically, thereby increasing their mechanical robustness. However, the interpenetrating polymer network films suffer from an increase in viscoelastic behavior that hinders their overall performance.
Mass transfer from smooth alabaster surfaces in turbulent flows

The mass transfer velocity for alabaster plates in smooth-wall turbulent flow is found to vary with the friction velocity according to an analytic solution of the advective diffusion equation. Deployment of alabaster plates on the sea floor can perhaps be used to estimate the viscous stress, and transfer velocities for other species.
A Modular Lymphographic Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agent: Contrast Enhancement with DNA Transfection Potential

A gadolinium-chelated liposomal contrast agent has been prepared, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) efficacy has been examined by indirect magnetic resonance lymphography. A lipidic N,N‘-dimethylethylenediamine derivative (4) containing a 10,12-diyne-diacyl domain was treated with DTPA anhydride followed by GdCl3 complexation. The complex was confirmed using MALDI spectrometry. An equimolar mixture of the Gd−chelate lipid and a commercially available diyne-PE was formulated as a liposome suspension and irradiated with UV light prior to imaging experiments. Subcutaneous injection of the liposomal gadolinium agent and subsequent MRI of rabbit axillary and popliteal lymph nodes revealed significant contrast enhancement up to 4 h postinjection. To explore the possibility of imaging a DNA transfection event, the gadolinium contrast mixture was formulated with the cationic transfection lipid DOTAP and complexed with the reporter gene encoding luciferase. DNA transfection studies on the NIH3T3 cell line confi...
Neural network-based adaptive optimal consensus control of leaderless networked mobile robots

A novel neural network (NN)-based optimal adaptive consensus control scheme is introduced in this paper for networked mobile robots in the presence of unknown robot dynamics. Throughout the paper, two NNs are used. The unknown formation dynamics of each robot is identified by using the first NN. The second NN is utilized to approximate a novel value function derived in this paper as a function of augmented error vector, which is comprised of the regulation and consensus-based formation errors of each robot. A novel near optimal controller is developed by using approximated value function and identified formation dynamics. The Lyapunov stability theorem is employed to derive the NN weight tuning laws and demonstrate the consensus achievement of the overall formation. The simulation results are depicted to show performance of our theoretical claims.
Effect of 2-Dimethylaminoethanol on Renal Hemodynamics.

SummaryRenal effects of DMAE were determined in rats and dogs. In high doses an antidiuretic effect was noted in rats. Dogs that had been administered DMAE in maximal tolerated doses exhibited no changes in urine flow nor renal clearances. There were no indications that this compound had any toxic effect on the kidney.
Enthalpy titration studies of the binding of surfactants to polyvinylpyrrolidonel

Abstract The temperature dependence of the enthalpy changes that accompany the addition of several surfactants to aqueous polyvinylpyrrolidone solutions was determined by titration calorimetry. The alkyl sulfates (octyl, decyl, and dodecyl) showed signs of binding, whereas the dodecylpyridinium halides (bromide and chloride), alkyldimethylphosphine oxides (decyl and dodecyl), and dodecylsarcosinate exhibited only a general solvent effect due to the presence of the polymer (that of a water structure-breaker). The binding of dodecyl sulfate was essentially athermal (although the heat of dilution was more endothermic due to increased dimicellization), and the binding of the octyl and decyl sulfates was endothermic near 25°C. At low dodecyl sulfate binding ratios, the monomeric form of the surfactant reacted with the polymer, but 2 3 of the surfactant was bound from the micellar state as saturation was approached. The differences between the binding properties of the various surfactants cannot be explained using existing theories of hydrophobic bonding.
Stratigraphy and structural setting of Upper Cretaceous Frontier Formation, western Centennial Mountains, southwestern Montana and southeastern Idaho

Abstract Stratigraphic, sedimentologic, and palynologic data were used to correlate the Frontier Formation of the western Centennial Mountains with time-equivalent rocks in the Lima Peaks area and other nearby areas in southwestern Montana. The stratigraphic interval studied is in the middle and upper parts (but not uppermost) of the formation based on a comparison of sandstone petrography, palynologic age data, and our interpretation of the structure using a seismic line along the frontal zone of the Centennial Mountains and the adjacent Centennial Valley. The Frontier Formation is comprised of sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, limestone, and silty shale in fluvial and coastal depositional settings. A distinctive characteristic of these strata in the western Centennial Mountains is the absence of conglomerate and conglomeratic sandstone beds. Absence of conglomerate beds may be due to lateral facies changes associated with fluvial systems, a distal fining of grain size, and the absence of both uppermost and lower Frontier rocks in the study area. Palynostratigraphic data indicate a Coniacian age for the Frontier Formation in the western Centennial Mountains. These data are supported by a geochronologic age from the middle part of the Frontier at Lima Peaks indicating a possible late Coniacian-early Santonian age (86.25 ± 0.38 Ma) for the middle Frontier there. The Frontier Formation in the western Centennial Mountains is comparable in age and thickness to part of the Frontier at Lima Peaks. These rocks represent one of the thickest known sequences of Frontier strata in the Rocky Mountain region. Deposition was from about 95 to 86 Ma (middle Cenomanian to at least early Santonian), during which time, shoreface sandstone of the Telegraph Creek Formation and marine shale of the Cody Shale were deposited to the east in the area now occupied by the Madison Range in southwestern Montana. Frontier strata in the western Centennial Mountains are structurally isolated from other Cretaceous rocks in the region and are part of the Lima thrust sheet that lies at the leading edge of the Sevier-style overthrusting in this part of southwestern Montana and adjacent southeastern Idaho.
Preliminary Geologic Report on the 1960 U.S. Expedition to Bellingshausen Sea, Antarctica

Thurston Peninsula, although largely snow covered, exposes massive to foliated dioritic rock and schist exhibiting northeast-trending structures. One basalt pebble was found. The adjacent continental shelf is cut by submarine valleys. Peter I Island, a dissected basaltic volcano 250 miles to the northeast, was visited.
Granulin epithelin precursor: a bone morphogenic protein 2-inducible growth factor that activates Erk1/2 signaling and JunB transcription factor in chondrogenesis

Granulin epithelin precursor (GEP) has been implicated in development, tissue regeneration, tumorigenesis, and inflammation. Herein we report that GEP stimulates chondrocyte differentiation from mesenchymal stem cells in vitro and endochondral ossification ex vivo, and GEP-knockdown mice display skeleton defects. Similar to bone morphogenic protein (BMP) 2, application of the recombinant GEP accelerates rabbit cartilage repair in vivo. GEP is a key downstream molecule of BMP2, and it is required for BMP2-mediated chondrocyte differentiation. We also show that GEP activates chondrocyte differentiation through Erk1/2 signaling and that JunB transcription factor is one of key downstream molecules of GEP in chondrocyte differentiation. Collectively, these findings reveal a novel critical role of GEP growth factor in chondrocyte differentiation and the molecular events both in vivo and in vitro.—Feng, J. Q., Guo, F.-J., Jiang, B.-C., Zhang, Y., Frenkel, S., Wang, D.-W., Tang, W., Xie, Y., Liu, C.-J. Granulin epithelin precursor: a bone morphogenic protein 2-inducible growth factor that activates Erk1/2 signaling and JunB transcription factor in chondrogenesis.
X chromosome imprinting and inactivation in preimplantation mammalian embryos

Dosage compensation for the mammalian X chromosome involves the silencing of one X chromosome to achieve equal X-linked gene expression between males and females. X chromosome inactivation (XCI) is controlled by a complex set of genetic elements located in a region known as the X chromosome inactivation center, and is regulated by a combination of genomic imprinting, cell lineage-dependent erasure of imprinting, an unidentified mechanism of X chromosome counting, an incompletely understood means of selection of one X chromosome for inactivation and developmentally regulated changes in X chromosome chromatin. A detailed understanding of when and how these components of XCI occur is essential for elucidating the operative mechanisms. A model accounting for early events related to XCI, including observations in uniparental and aneuploid embryos, is presented.
Social Work in a Multicultural Society

As a Black, lesbian, feminist, socialist, poet, (and) mother ..., I usually find myself part of some group in which the majority defines me as deviant, difficult, inferior, or just plain "wrong." From my membership in all of these groups I have learned that oppression and the intolerance of differences comes in all shapes and sizes and colors and sexualities. (Lorde, quoted in Van Soest & Garcia, 2003, p. xi) Audre Lorde's words quoted in Van Soest and Garcia capture well the reality of life in a multicultural society where roles, backgrounds, and life experiences converge in relation to race, ethnicity, language, culture, gender, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, religion, and socioeconomic status. As social workers, we give much consideration to effective social work practice in a multicultural society. We know that, at its core, culturally competent practice goes far beyond the recognition that we work with colleagues and clients whose backgrounds and experiences may be very different from our own. We know that cultural competence incorporates at least three elements. First, it requires that we assess, understand, and take responsibility for our beliefs and attitudes. Second, it requires that we learn about and expand understanding and experience with diverse individuals and groups, indeed, that we become life-long students of multiculturalism. Third, it requires that we use knowledge to become respectful proponents of multiculturalism. Ultimately, we incorporate our expanded knowledge and understanding into every professional action--at the individual, organizational, and community levels--toward the ultimate goal of social and economic justice. Assessing, understanding, and taking responsibility for our beliefs and attitudes--Work in a multicultural society requires first and foremost deliberate self-scrutiny of our attitudes and beliefs, both their origins and their influence on our daily activities. Development of self-knowledge is not an easy process. A classic 1989 Social Work article by Robinson (1989) gives us some help in this area. She suggested the social worker should systematically self-assess multicultural awareness by asking questions, including What is my experience working with this group? What, if anything, did my family teach me about the group? How does working with this group affect my professional identity? What is my style in dealing with diversity and conflict? In general, how do I react in situations in which I observe individuals being subjected to oppression and intolerance? Such a process of deliberate self-scrutiny helps us understand our reactions to multicultural situations and how to work productively in them. Learning and exposing ourselves to different cultures, languages, groups--Multicultural learning is both formal and informal, immediate and ongoing. …
Stability charts for wet conical deposits

Presented are results of a 3-D limit-equilibrium stability analysis of wet conical deposits. A simplified methodology to include the effect of increased pore pressures, resulting from a brief and heavy rainfall, is suggested. The results, condensed into charts, enable one to estimate the factor of safety of a conical heap. Furthermore, one can predict also the volume of potential failure and thus assess its cost. knowledge of both factor of safety and cost of potential failure may lead towards a more rational design as compared to knowledge of the safety factor alone.
The peripheral blood flow and other observations in coarctation of the aorta

Abstract 1. 1. Using a modification of the Hardy-Soderstrom method, the peripheral blood flow was measured in twelve cases of coarctation of the aorta; included in the data necessary for the calculations were measurements of basal metabolic rate and of rectal and skin temperatures. Measurements of skin temperature were made from 11 points on the body surface. In addition, circulation time was measured in ten subjects, electrocardiographic studies were made in eleven, and the size of the heart was estimated by means of teleoroentgenograms in ten. 2. 2. The range of peripheral blood flow was from 14 to 129 c.c/sq. m./min., and the average was 68 c.c./sq. m./min. The range was greater and the average for the group was higher than in normal males, whose range was 8 to 84 c.c./sq. m./min., and the average, 33 c.c./sq. m./min. A larger volume of the cardiac output is allotted, therefore, to the periphery in these subjects than in normal persons. It is likely that an adequate blood supply was maintained in other parts of the body, for Stewart and Bailey3 have shown that the cardiac output is increased in this condition. 3. 3. The average of the weighted skin temperatures in the subjects studied was 33.63°C., that is to say, 0.81°C. higher than the value of 32.82°C. which was found in normal males. In general, the widest divergence from normal of temperatures for different areas was obtained in the upper half of the body. The increase in blood flow to the periphery accounts for the elevated skin temperature of these subjects. 4. 4. The average rectal temperature was 37.33°C., compared to 36.72°C. for the normal group, that is to say, 0.61°C. higher. 5. 5. Basal metabolic rates, when compared with the control group, fell within normal limits. The increased peripheral blood flow was not to be attributed to alterations in basal metabolic rate. 6. 6. Circulation time was prolonged in some, normal in a few, and decreased in others. These observations are discussed. 7. 7. The size of the heart, according to the cardiothoracic ratio, was greater than normal in only two of the patients who are still living. 8. 8. The most common electrocardiographic abnormalities were left axis deviation and negativity and coving of the T waves in Lead III; these occurred in seven and eight cases, respectively. Two patients who showed coving in Leads I and II died. The others are still living. Three had essentially normal electrocardiograms, and one had right axis deviation. 9. 9. Other clinical manifestations are summarized in Table III.
Conjugality and Capital: Gender, Families, and Property under Colonial Law in India

Writing to the government of Madras, P. C. Tyagaraja Iyer, a judge in the southern Indian town of Chittoor, argued against legislation granting property rights to women. Rejecting the notion that daughters and sons could possess an equal stake in the property of their fathers, the judge sought to defend the family as a site of male patrilineal privilege. Although such sentiments were not unusual-Tyagaraja Iyer's letter forms just one part of a voluminous correspondence opposed to legal reformthe epigraph makes starkly explicit a legal gendering of property ownership that was often left implicit in colonial discourse. Property relations within families, in his terms, depended on women's inequality.' In its mid-1930s context, Tyagaraja Iyer's emphatic assertion of such inequality was occasioned by a developing legal and political challenge to his vision of the patrilineal joint family. Whereas the judge maintained that property must be held jointly by fathers and sons, other legislators and activists invoked discourses of conjugality and capital to articulate a different model of both family and economy. Tyagaraja Iyer's statement, therefore, sought to defend existing inequalities in the colonial property law in the face of significant challenges.
FAMILY INCOME, AGE, AND SIZE OF UNIT: SELECTED INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS*

Two aspects of the relationship between family unit income and the age of the head of the family unit are examined in this exploratory paper. First, in connection with the recent discussion in the U.S. about the “fair” level of income of the aged population, the economic well-being of various age of head groups is examined for the U.S., Canada, Norway, and Israel. Problems inherent in comparing income distributions across countries are described briefly, and the sensitivity of the estimates to definitional differences is discussed. Relative incomes of the different age groups are then compared within and between countries. Relative mean incomes, relative median incomes, relative mean incomes adjusted for size of unit in alternative ways, distributions of age groups among income quintiles, and relative income shares within age groups are compared. The focus is on aged units. It is found that, using these crude measures, aged units in the U.S. are roughly as well off relative to the other age groups as aged groups in the other countries examined. In the second section of the paper, a U.S. microdata file is reweighted to be consistent with the distributions by age of head of Norway and Canada. Relative income shares of quintiles are computed before and after reweighting and compared with the shares for Norway and Canada. The reweighting to Norway's age distribution increased differences in relative income shares between the two countries; the reweighting to Canada's age distribution slightly decreased differences.
A new feature of MFIRE: the moving fire simulation

MFIRE, a mine fire simulation program, is a very useful tool for fire prevention planning, fire control, and training in underground mines. However, all of its fire source models are stationary, which are incapable of simulating a moving fire such as a conveyor belt fire. In this paper, a moving fire source model which can be used to represent a conveyor belt fire is defined and incorporated into the MFIRE program for the first time. An illustrative case study has demonstrated that the upgraded MFIRE is capable of simulating a moving fire.
Theoretical Studies of Growth of Diamond (110) from Dicarbon

A mechanism for growth on the diamond (110) surface, with dicarbon (C2) as the growth species, is examined. Reaction energies and activation energies of the various steps in the mechanism were investigated on model systems using molecular quantum mechanics, including the AM1 semiempirical method and the BLYP/6-31G* density functional method. The BLYP/6-31G* method yielded reaction energies and activation barriers in reasonable agreement with the results of G2 theory on some simple, related reactions. Two models for a hydrogen-terminated diamond (110) surface were employed, one with 18 carbon atoms (C18H26) and another with 46 carbon atoms (C46H50). The results indicate that C2 addition to diamond (110) is highly exothermic with small activation barriers (<5 kcal/mol). Insertion of C2 into CH bonds on the model surface to form an ethylene-like adsorbate is energetically favorable, resulting in energy lowerings of 150−180 kcal per mole of C2. Formation of single bonds between adjacent adsorbed C2 units can ...
Identification of the promoter for a spore coat protein gene in Bacillus subtilis and studies on the regulation of its induction at a late stage of sporulation

The cotA (pig) gene of Bacillus subtilis encodes a 65,000 Mr protein that is a component of the spore coat and is responsible for the brown pigment characteristic of colonies in which cells are undergoing sporulation. To study developmental regulation of the cotA gene, we identified its promoter and studied its transcription in a large number of mutants blocked at various stages of sporulation and germination. Deletion analysis showed that induction and efficient transcription of cotA required DNA sequences extending no more than 55 base pairs (bp) upstream (and no more than 130 bp downstream) from the 5′ terminus of cotA mRNA. Transcription from the cotA promoter was found to be switched on at approximately the time (4 to 5 h after the onset of sporulation) of spore coat synthesis and deposition. Strikingly, this transcription was substantially inhibited in almost all asporogenous mutants blocked prior to the developmental stage (V) of spore coat formation. cotA transcription was also impaired in several stage V mutants but not in other stage V mutants or in mutants blocked in germination. The germination mutant gerE caused a several-fold overexpression of cotA. The dependence of cotA expression on so many genes required at early to intermediate stages of sporulation suggests that transcription of this spore coat gene is somehow coupled (directly or through several intervening steps) to a morphological or physiological feature(s) of the developing sporangium.
Structural models for covalent non-oxidic glasses: Atomic distribution and local order in CdGeAs2-xPx glasses studied by use of 31P and 113Cd spin-echo and 31P-113Cd spin-echo double-resonance NMR spectroscopy.

The structure of glasses in the system ${\mathrm{CdGeAs}}_{2\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{P}}_{\mathit{x}}$ is discussed on the basis of complementary solid-state NMR experiments, including $^{31}\mathrm{P}$ and $^{113}\mathrm{Cd}$ magic-angle spinning (MAS) and spin-echo techniques, as well as $^{31}\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}^{113}$Cd spin-echo double resonance (SEDOR) NMR. Computer simulations of atomic distribution models and experimental studies on crystalline model systems are used to quantify the results. The analysis reveals striking differences in the short-range order between the glassy and the stoichiometrically analogous crystalline materials. The structure of glasses in the system ${\mathrm{CdGeAs}}_{2\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{P}}_{\mathit{x}}$ is characterized by the presence of a substantial fraction of homopolar pnictogen-pnictogen bonds and by a distribution of cadmium relative to phosphorus that is close to random. These results lend credence to the bond-switching model invoked for the structural description of amorphous tetrahedral semiconductors.
Simple Correction Algorithm of Scanning Horizon Sensor Measurement for Earth Oblateness

where Q is de ned by Eq. (5). Therefore, using Eqs. (9), (12), and (13), one can obtain the sail orientation and lightness number required for an equilibriumsolution. The effect of a nonideal  at solar sail is shown in Fig. 3 for a re ectivityof 0.9, typicalof an aluminizedsail  lm. First it can be seen that the volume of space available for equilibrium solutions about L2 is signi cantly reduced.This is due to the centerlineangle,which limits the direction in which the radiation pressure force vector can be oriented. For solutions near L1 the main effect of the nonideal sail is to displace the equilibrium solutions toward Earth. This is due to the reduction in the magnitudeof the radiation pressure force rather than the centerline angle.
Prediction of fatty acid content in beef neck lean by near infrared reflectance analysis

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy in the prediction of individual and total fatty acids of bovine M. Longissimus dorsi neck muscles has been studied. Beef neck lean was collected from meat processin...
Noise dosimeter for monitoring exposure to impulse noise

Abstract Commercially available noise dosimeters do not perform properly in impulsive noise environments because they suffer from instrumentation limitations and lack metrics that characterize impulse noise. In this paper, a design concept is proposed for an impulse noise monitoring dosimeter that addresses the current dosimeter’s limited capabilities and describes the various parameters that can appropriately be used to measure and evaluate exposure to impulse noise. The design concept is based on the accurate acquisition and storage of the original impulse waveform. For data analysis (using MATLAB) and calculation of “impulse noise metrics,” National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) used a prototype impulse noise dosimeter system that consisted of a Bruel&Kjaer 4136 microphone and a Panasonic Digital Audio Tape Recorder. The proposed instrument would enable collection of data for validation of presently defined and yet to be defined metrics quantifying noise-induced permanent threshold shifts (NIPTS) resulting from impulse/impact exposures. It will also enable occupational safety and health professionals to make accurate measurements of ultimately approved metrics.
Letter-writing in French Louisiana: Interpreting variable spelling conventions, 1685–1840

This article reports a sociolinguistic analysis of the French spelling system in newly discovered, authentic personal letters written by literate settlers living in Louisiana during the 18th and 19th centuries. After showing that French and non-French vernaculars were very much alive among the Louisiana founding population, the paper examines the use of old and new French norms in Louisiana for three socio-economic classes over time: the elite, planter, and military/merchant populations. Socio-demographic pressures are described that could have led to the maintenance of old French features or the expansion of some French varieties. It is shown that the history of French spelling in France, the origins of diverse migrant populations that settled in colonial Louisiana, and the powerful socio-economic events that shape the expansion of a socially well-delineated population not only explain the linguistic behavior of both French settlers and Louisiana-born writers, but also provide many hints to determining the sociolinguistic attributes of the illiterate French vernacular-speaking population.
ANTIHISTAMINES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF ALLERGIC PRURITUS IN DOGS AND CATS

Antihistamines clearly have a place in the management of pruritus in the atopic dog and cat and, in this paper, important aspects of pharmacology and pharmacokinetics, adverse effects and precautions, and clinical use of these compounds are reviewed. Successful use of antihistamines is dependent on, among other considerations, the adherence to recommended doses and frequencies of administration, the recognition and control of concurrent and secondary factors, the willingness to try several different compounds, and the realisation that these agents are best employed in a preventive fashion.
Asymmetrical Mixing Patterns of Spanish and English in a New Immigrant Community

Analysis of Spanish and English speech in a new immigrant community of Latinos in Georgia, USA, shows that Spanish and English pattern differently. There is a higher frequency of Spanish sentences containing English words than English sentences containing Spanish words. But the reverse is true of grammatical influence without mixing words. There is a higher frequency of English influenced grammatically by Spanish than Spanish influenced grammatically by English. This asymmetry of the two languages may be due to the asymmetrical status of each language in the social setting. Spanish is the first and dominant language of the Latino immigrant community, but English is their second language, the dominant language of the larger community.
Clinical Applications of Recent Advances in Phonological Theory

Historically, the behavioral theory of articulation that was applied to clinical assessment was consistent with the behavioral theory of developmental change that was applied to intervention. However, more recent applications of cognitively oriented linguistic theories have not been accompanied by novel intervention approaches. This article reviews some recent advances in phonological theories, including autosegmental, metrical, and lexical phonology, and their potential applications. A new theory of developmental change that also is cognitive in its orientation is presented, along with some preliminary suggestions for clinical applications.
Stablization of fiber lasers using chip-based high-Q optical resonators

High-Q disk resonators are used to frequency stabilize two fiber lasers. The improved phase noise of the devices is measured by heterodyne detection and compared to theoretical limits set by thermo-refractive noise.
Crystals in Light

We have made images of crystals illuminated with polarized light for almost two decades. Early on, we abandoned photosensitive chemicals in favor of digital electrophotometry with all of the attendant advantages of quantitative intensity data. Accurate intensities are a boon because they can be used to analytically discriminate small effects in the presence of larger ones. The change in the form of our data followed camera technology that transformed picture taking the world over. Ironically, exposures in early photographs were presumed to correlate simply with light intensity, raising the hope that photography would replace sensorial interpretation with mechanical objectivity and supplant the art of visual photometry. This was only true in part. Quantitative imaging accurate enough to render the separation of crystalloptical quantities had to await the invention of the solid-state camera. Many pioneers in crystal optics were also major figures in the early history of photography. We draw out the union of optical crystallography and photography because the tree that connects the inventors of photography is a structure unmatched for organizing our work during the past 20 years, not to mention that silver halide crystallites used in chemical photography are among the most consequential "crystals in light", underscoring our title. We emphasize crystals that have acquired optical properties such as linear birefringence, linear dichroism, circular birefringence, and circular dichroism, during growth from solution. Other crystalloptical effects were discovered that are unique to curiously dissymmetric crystals containing embedded oscillators. In the aggregate, dyed crystals constitute a generalization of single crystal matrix isolation. Simple crystals provided kinetic stability to include guests such as proteins or molecules in excited states. Molecular lifetimes were extended for the preparation of laser gain media and for the study of the photodynamics of single molecules. Luminophores were used as guests in crystals to reveal aspects of growth mechanisms by labeling surface structures such as steps and kinks. New methods were adopted for measuring and imaging the optical rotatory power of crystals. Chiroptical anisotropies can now be compared with the results of quantum chemical calculations that have emerged in the past 10 years. The rapid determination of the optical rotation and circular dichroism tensors of molecules in crystals, and the interpretation of these anisotropies, remains a subject of future research. Polycrystalline patterns that form far from equilibrium challenged the quantitative interpretation of micrographs when heterogeneities along the optical path and obliquely angled interfaces played large roles. Resulting "artifacts" were nevertheless incisive probes of polycrystalline texture and mesoscale chemistry in simple substances grown far from equilibrium or in biopathological crystals such as Alzheimer's amyloid plaques.
An Integrated Microfabricated Device for Dual Microdialysis and On-Line ESI-Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry for Analysis of Complex Biological Samples

A microfabricated dual-microdialysis device in a single integrated microfabricated platform was constructed using laser micromachining techniques for the rapid fractionation and cleanup of complex biological samples. On-line dual microdialysis and ESI-MS of biological samples was demonstrated using an ion trap mass spectrometer. The mass spectra obtained demonstrated the efficiency of dual microdialysis for removing both high-molecular-weight and low-molecular-weight species that interfere with effective ESI-MS analysis of target biopolymers. Signal-to-noise ratios were also greatly improved compared to direct sample infusion. In addition to its compactness, negligible dead volume, and robustness, the device can be used at a flow rate of only 200 nL/min, an order of magnitude lower than that obtained previously. This reduced sample consumption and improved sensitivity with ESI-MS. The results suggest the potential for integration of such microfabricated devices with other sample manipulations for the rapid ESI-MS analysis of complex biological samples.
Teacher Professional Development for At-Risk Preschoolers: Closing the Achievement Gap by Closing the Instruction Gap

Abstract Students entering school from economically disadvantaged homes may have difficulty developing early literacy skills, leading to subsequent reading difficulties and poor academic performance. It is not sufficient for at-risk children to make progress; their achievement has to be accelerated, given that their middle-class peers are also making progress. This article describes a professional development model that has evolved from work with grants based on Early Reading First. The model grew out of action research, during which we reflected on our practice to determine why children served by one grant were not making anticipated gains. The model consists of three necessary but not individually sufficient components: Appropriate environment, research-based curriculum, and instruction informed by professional development. We present the research base for the model and empirical evidence for the efficacy of the model.
Hippocampal and amygdalar involvement in discriminatory place learning

A conflict task was developed that simultaneously examines place aversion learning and fear-motivated context discrimination. The task superimposed Pavlovian discriminative fear conditioning on an appetitively motivated instrumental response (alternation). Rats were trained to alternate along a high-walled, diamond-shaped runway between two chambers for food. On half of the trials, a tone CS signaled the fact that a fixed section at the apex of the runway was electrified. Both the tone and the shock were turned on at the beginning of, and remained on for the duration of, each tone trial. A new trial was initiated at the time the animal entered the subsequent food chamber. Therefore, during a tone trial, in order to attain additional food reinforcement, the animal had to cross over the electrified region at the runway apex. Behavioral performance of rats with small lesions of the amygdala or dorsal hippocampus (DH) was compared with that of sham-operated controls. All groups displayed significant discriminative responding, hesitating more on tone trials while in areas of the runway adjacent to the shock region. Animals with lesions of the DH were similar to controls with respect to the tone-mediated discrimination, yet were delayed in the initial expression of a location-specific fear response. Conversely, amygdala lesions did not affect place learning; however, these animals were impaired in their suppression of the fear response following repeated unpaired trials.
In-situ FTIR reflection spectroscopy for the semiconductor electrolyte interfaces

Abstract Polarization modulation fourier transform infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (FTIR-RAS) and subtractively normalized interfacial fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (SNIF-TIRS) have been applied to the studies of adsorption of ions and neutral molecules on p-silicon and p-gallium phosphide electrodes in aqueous as well as non-aqueous solutions. The potential and concentration dependence of adsorption were observed. Thiourea is adsorbed on silicon through the sulfur atom and adsorption increases in the anodic direction. Thiourea adsorption on silicon follows a Temkin type isotherm and the free energy adsorption was calculated to be − 5.63 kJ/mole. Acetate in aqueous medium is adsorbed as neutral acetic acid molecule on silicon. The potential dependence of adsorption passes through a maximum which lies close to the potential of zero charge. The tetraethylammonium ion in acetonitrile is adsorbed according to a Langmuir isotherm. Acetonitrile is adsorbed strongly on gallium phosphide when used as a solvent for sodium acetate at cathodic potentials. At anodic potentials adsorbed acetonitrile is replaced by acetate ions. Adsorption of acetate ion starts at potentials cathodic to the potential of zero charge, due to specific adsorption. Ammonium ion adsorption on gallium phosphide occurs through two hydrogen atoms and the other two hydrogen atoms project towards the solution. Two peaks corresponding to different N-H deformation vibrations are observed at 1560 and 1700 cm −1 . At sufficiently cathodic potentials, adsorbed ammonium ions are reduced.
Use of remote sensing measurements to evaluate vehicle emission monitoring programs: results from Phoenix, Arizona☆

Abstract Vehicle emission inspection and maintenance (I/M) programs are the US EPA’s primary policy to reduce on-road emissions of in-use vehicles. The EPA is preparing guidance for states on how to use on-road emissions measurements made by roadside sensors (remote sensing) to evaluate the effectiveness of their I/M programs. In its guidance EPA describes three methods of using remote sensing data for such evaluations: the comprehensive method, the step change method, and the reference method. We used an extensive number of remote sensing measurements in the Phoenix area to estimate program benefits under each method, in order to understand how each method measures emission reductions under an I/M program. The extensive number of measurements also allows testing the sensitivity of results obtained under the comprehensive method to the month in which the measurements were taken. We found that the comprehensive method estimates a small reduction in CO emissions (3.3±0.6%) from the I/M program; however, the step change method estimates no program benefit. A reference method analysis comparing on-road emissions of fleets in an enhanced and a basic program indicates that older vehicles have higher on-road emissions under the enhanced program than the basic program. Discrepancies between these results are discussed, as are several factors which appear to influence results under each method.
Predictors and outcomes of postpartum mothers' perceptions of readiness for discharge after birth.

ABSTRACT Objective To identify predictors and outcomes of postpartum mothers' perceptions of their readiness for hospital discharge. Design A correlational design with path analyses was used to explore predictive relationships among transition theory-related variables. Setting Midwestern tertiary perinatal center. Participants One hundred and forty-one mixed-parity postpartum mothers who had experienced vaginal birth or Cesarean delivery of normal healthy infants. Methods Before hospital discharge, patients completed questionnaires about sociodemographic characteristics, hospitalization factors, quality of discharge teaching, and readiness for discharge. Three weeks postdischarge, mothers were contacted by telephone to collect coping difficulty and health care utilization data. Main Outcome Measures Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale, Post-Discharge Coping Difficulty Scale, Utilization of postdischarge services. Results Quality of discharge teaching, specifically the relative difference in the amount of informational content needed and received and the skills of nurses in delivering discharge teaching, explained 38% of the variance in postpartum mothers' perceptions of discharge readiness. Readiness for discharge scores explained 22% of the variance in postdischarge coping difficulty scores. Nurses' skills in delivery of discharge teaching, coping difficulty, patient characteristics, and birth hospitalization factors were predictive of utilization of family support and postdischarge health care services. Conclusion A trajectory of influence was evident in the sequential relationships of quality of discharge teaching, readiness for discharge, postdischarge coping, and utilization of family support and health care services. Transitions theory provided a useful framework for conceptualizing and investigating the transition home after childbirth.
Cyclosporin-A sensitive induction of NF-AT in murine B cells.

Abstract Primary B cells are induced to proliferate by crosslinking surface immunoglobulin or by its pharmacological equivalent, phorbol ester and calcium ionophore. However, nuclear responses that have been studied in activated B cells are typically inducible with phorbol esters alone. We show that a factor, indistinguishable from the nuclear factor of activated T cells (NF-AT), is induced in B cells in response to anti-immunoglobulin signals or the combined action of phorbol ester and ionomycin, but not in response to either reagent alone. The signals necessary for NF-AT induction in B cells, therefore, closely parallel those required to induce B cell proliferation. Transfection analysis shows that B cell NF-AT is a transcriptional activator. Furthermore, NF-AT induction in spienic cells is suppressed by cyclosporin A, suggesting a mechanism by which immunosuppressive agents act on the B cell compartment. We propose that NF-AT should be considered more generally as a nuclear factor of activated lymphoid cells.
Accelerating all-atom protein folding simulations through reduced dihedral barriers

Protein folding requires extensive changes of backbone and sidechain dihedral angles, whose energy barriers constitute obstacles for the folding kinetics. Folding of small proteins is furthermore thought to be path-independent. Here, we propose that time-consuming all-atom protein folding simulations may be accelerated through a reduction of the dihedral barriers of the force field. In order to investigate this hypothesis, we performed various folding simulations of two small proteins. We report an acceleration towards smaller root-mean-square deviations from the native protein structure using our proposed method.
Embedding 1,6-Diphenyl-1,2-Dihydronaphthalene (DHN) in 1,4-Distyrylbenzene (DSB): Arene-Arene Interactions in a "Crossed Bis-Diarene"

The C38H32 hydrocarbon 1-methyl-1,3,6-triphenyl-7-((E)-2-phenyl-propenyl)-1,2-dihydronaphthalene (I) presents a novel framework that combines the functionalities of a 1,6-diarene-substituted 1,2-dihydronaphthalene (DHN) with a 1,4- distyrylbenzene (DSB). The hydrocarbon was synthesized, the crystal structure of (()-I was determined, and a detailed analysis of intermolecular interactions is presented. The crossed bis-diarene I has the capability to engage in arene-arene interactions in two nearly orthogonal directions, and various types of arene-arene interactions cooperate in the formation of its lamellar crystal architecture. While the DSB units alternate within both the R- and the S-substructures, the homochiral substructures feature opposing polarity along the long axes of the DHN-based diarenes, and hence the possibility exists for polar quasiracemic crystals. Importantly, the analysis of arene-arene contacts provides strong evidence that chemical modifications of the arenes attached to the DHN unit are possible without fundamental impediments of the lattice architecture.
The Lunar Occultation Observer (LOCO): A Hard X-Ray All-Sky Survey Mission Concept

The hard X-ray sky has tremendous potential for future discoveries and is one of the last electromagnetic regimes without a sensitive all-sky survey. A new approach to such a survey is to utilize the Moon as an occulting disk. The Lunar Occultation Observer (LOCO) mission concept, based on this lunar occultation technique (LOT) and incorporating advanced inorganic scintillators as a detection medium, represents a sensitive and cost effective option for NASA's Beyond Einstein Black Hole Finder Probe or a future Explorer-class mission. We present the motivating factors for the LOT, outline developmental details and simulation results, as well as give preliminary estimates for source detection sensitivity.