cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Guided-mode grating resonant filters for VCSEL applications

A brief summary of both VCSEL technology and guided-mode grating resonant filters (GMGRFs) is presented. We then discuss benefits and issues of integrating the two technologies, emphasizing control of wavelength, polarization, and laser cavity modes. We present a GMGRF design suitable for a 980 nm InGaAs VCSEL and show that a significant loss (-4%) in reflectivity results from the slight loss associated with the minimum mirror conductivity required to inject current through the mirror. Experimental data are presented at 850 mm for gratings designed for and fabricated on fused silica substrates and illustrate that GMGRFs are also very sensitive to other forms of loss such as scatter caused by roughness in the grating lines. We suggest a hybrid approach of a GMGRF on a reduced distributed Bragg reflector stack as a means to circumvent the high sensitivity to loss in the GMGRF.
The influence of rotation and stellar winds upon the Be phenomenon

A number of rapidly rotating B stars, not previously known as Be stars, were observed spectroscopically at H alpha. These results were then combined with existing data to show that the spectral type of a star and the minimum velocity at which it must rotate in order to become a Be star are related. The trend of this relationship is found to have a natural explanation in terms of stellar winds.
Comparison of seven popular patient-oriented medical web sites for three common emergency department complaints

Study objectives: Although patient education is an important physician responsibility, it is often not performed in depth. Reflecting that patients want information are data showing that of 59 million Americans who search the Internet daily, 5% (2,295,000) do so for medical information. In addition, 59% of inner-city patients, when asked, are interested in having their physician provide them with quality Web sites. Patient use of Web browsers is also time consuming and often does not produce credible information. Although we should provide sites, the health care community knows little about which sites contain the most accurate, complete, and readable information, which could help emergency physicians in this important task. Methods: This was a prospective observational study of the 7 most popular patient-oriented medical Web sites about 3 common emergency department complaints: adult asthma, chest pain, and pregnancy with pelvic pain or bleeding, from April to November 2003. Authors derived a practice- and evidence-based itemized content they believed that patients should be referred to. Each Web site was accessed and saved to an electronic notebook or Word file, and 2 study authors, blinded to the site and to each other, reviewed each for item coverage, correctness, and readability (Fry Readability Graph). Sites were also assessed according to additional guidelines (not included). Items were weighted to produce composite results. Results: Results are shown in the Table. Conclusion: The most popular patient-oriented Web sites are similar in range of content. When present, correctness is high. Reading levels are often above the suggested sixth-grade level.Table, abstract 393▪Coverage, %Correctness, %Reading Grade LevelWeb SiteAACPPAACPPAACPPDrKoop54596380919212>1210Emedicine627266829278>1288Mayo Clinic62585828780>1299Medem57343070969310>1210Medline Plus665644899592>121111Merck7272378996801010>12Web MD68606089768811512 AA, Adult asthma; CP, chest pain; P, pregnancy with pelvic pain or bleeding.
Ventriculogram segmentation using boosted decision trees

Left ventricular status, reflected in ejection fraction or end systolic volume, is a powerful prognostic indicator in heart disease. Quantitative analysis of these and other parameters from ventriculograms (cine xrays of the left ventricle) is infrequently performed due to the labor required for manual segmentation. None of the many methods developed for automated segmentation has achieved clinical acceptance. We present a method for semi-automatic segmentation of ventriculograms based on a very accurate two-stage boosted decision-tree pixel classifier. The classifier determines which pixels are inside the ventricle at key ED (end-diastole) and ES (end-systole) frames. The test misclassification rate is about 1%. The classifier is semi-automatic, requiring a user to select 3 points in each frame: the endpoints of the aortic valve and the apex. The first classifier stage is 2 boosted decision-trees, trained using features such as gray-level statistics (e.g. median brightness) and image geometry (e.g. coordinates relative to user supplied 3 points). Second stage classifiers are trained using the same features as the first, plus the output of the first stage. Border pixels are determined from the segmented images using dilation and erosion. A curve is then fit to the border pixels, minimizing a penalty function that trades off fidelity to the border pixels with smoothness. ED and ES volumes, and ejection fraction are estimated from border curves using standard area-length formulas. On independent test data, the differences between automatic and manual volumes (and ejection fractions) are similar in size to the differences between two human observers.
Efficient schemes for managing multiversionXML documents

Multiversion support for XML documents is needed in many critical applications, such as software configuration control, cooperative authoring, web information warehouses, and ”e-permanence” of web documents. In this paper, we introduce efficient and robust techniques for: (i) storing and retrieving; (ii) viewing and exchanging; and (iii) querying multiversion XML documents. We first discuss the limitations of traditional version control methods, such as RCS and SCCS, and then propose novel techniques that overcome their limitations. Initially, we focus on the problem of managing secondary storage efficiently, and introduce an edit-based versioning scheme that enhances RCS with an effective clustering policy based on the concept of page-usefulness. The new scheme drastically improves version retrieval at the expense of a small (linear) space overhead. However, the edit-based approach falls short of achieving objectives (ii) and (iii). Therefore, we introduce and investigate a second scheme, which is reference-based and preserves the structure of the original document. In the reference-based approach, a multiversion document can be represented as yet another XML document, which can be easily exchanged and viewed on the web; furthermore, simple queries are also expressed and supported well under this representation. To achieve objective (i), we extend the page-usefulness clustering technique to the reference-based scheme. After characterizing the asymptotic behavior of the new techniques proposed, the paper presents the results of an experimental study evaluating and comparing their performance.
Rearrangement of enveloping layer cells without disruption of the epithelial permeability barrier as a factor in Fundulus epiboly

Silver nitrate staining of blastoderms of Fundulus heteroclitus gastrulae shows that the number of marginal cells of the enveloping layer (EVL) is reduced from 160 to 25 during epiboly. To determine whether this decrease in the number of marginal cells was due to ingression, cell death, or rearrangement of cells, marginal and submarginal regions of the late gastrula were observed directly by time-lapse cinemicrography. Marginal cells rearrange to occupy submarginal positions by first narrowing their boundary with the external yolk syncytial layer (E-YSL), thus becoming tapered in shape. Then, the narrowed marginal boundary retracts from the E-YSL and moves submarginally in the plane of the epithelium. Concurrently, the marginal cells on both sides come into apposition; no gap or break appears in the circumapical continuity of the epithelial sheet. Marginal cells leave the margin of the EVL during epiboly at a rate of about six per hour. The rate of movement of the EVL cells with respect to one another is about 0.5 to 1.0 μm/min at 21°C. Submarginal cells rearrange in a similar fashion. Although no protrusive activity was seen at the lateral aspects of rearranging cells, the tapering or narrowing associated with rearrangement was accompanied by formation of microfolds on their apical surfaces, and separating or recently separated submarginal cells form “flowers” of microfolds on their apices adjacent to the site of separation. Morphometric analysis shows that about half the narrowing of the margin of the EVL during epiboly is accounted for by cell rearrangement and the other half by the associated tapering and narrowing. These results suggest that epiboly of the EVL may have an active component as well as a passive one.
PRODUCTION AND STABILITY OF AFLATOXINS, PENICILLIC ACID AND PATULIN lN SEVERAL SUBSTRATES

Aflatoxins B1 and G1, penicillic acid and patulin were each added to Swiss cheese, bologna and cooked cornmeal. The samples were stored at 5°C for 15 min and 3, 12, 24, 48, 120 and 168 hr before extraction and recovery of the added toxins. Aflatoxins B1 and G1 were stable in the foods during the entire storage period. Patulin and penicillic acid, on the other hand, were undetectable in bologna after 12 and 48 hr storage, respectively. In Swiss cheese, after 168 hr of storage at 5°C, 8% of the original penicillic acid remained. With cooked cornmeal, about 80% of the patulin and peniciuic acid were detected after 168 hr of storage at 5°C. Growth and experimental toxin production on Swiss cheese, Mozzarella cheese, bologna, bacon, cooked cornmeal, and English muffins were studied by using known toxinogenic strains of Aspergillus flavis, Penicillium patulum and a Penicillium sp. incubated at 5, 12 and 25°C for 6, 4 and 2 wk respectively. No growth of A. flaws or aflatoxin production was observed at 5 and 12°C on any substrate, but at 25°C, growth and aflatoxin production occurred on Swiss cheese, bologna, cooked cornmeal, Mozzarella cheese and bacon. Patulin and penicillic acid were produced in cooked cornmeal at all three temperatures. No patulin or penicillic acid was found in the other food substrates, except for a small amount of penicillic acid in one of the English muffin samples at 5°C, even though the molds grew extensively on all substrates at all three temperatures.
Extracting dynamics from blur

This paper considers dynamic state estimation using blurry measurements from image sensors such as CCD(charge coupled device) or CMOS(complementary metal oxide semiconductor) arrays. Typically, the information obtained from these sensors is the time-averaged output measurement during the exposure time. The additional information available in the intensity distribution, termed blur, is disregarded as noise. This manuscript models the image sensor as an integrative intensity sensor and exploits its unique properties to extract additional (non-linear) output information through spatial moments of the intensity distribution. An extended Kalman filter is then designed to exploit this information for better state reconstruction. We illustrate this modeling and algorithm development in the context of state estimation for adaptive optics systems. Simulation results verify that using the spatial moments can lead to more fidelous state estimation.
Transmission in the visceral ganglion of the fresh-water pelecypod, Elliptio complanatus—II. Esterase histochemistry☆

1. 1. The visceral ganglion of Elliptio complanatus contains non-specific esterases localized in granules (0·5-2 μ in diameter) in neural and glial cells. 2. 2. Acetylcholinesterase is not present in the ganglion. 3. 3. Extracts of the posterior adductor muscle contain both acetylcholinesterase and non-specific esterase.
Reactions of chiral phosphorous acid diamides

Abstract Chiral phosphorous acid diamides were prepared from chiral C2 diamines via the sequential addition of PCl3 and H2O. Alternatively, addition of PCI3 and hydrogen sulfide yieded the analogous thiophosphorous acid diamides. Deprotonation of the phosphorous acids under a variety of conditions gave the anions which reacted smoothly with alkyl halides to give phosphonamides in good yield. Reaction of the anions with aldehydes gave α-hydroxy-phosphonamides in good yield and with modest diastereoselectivity (1:1 - 25:1 ds). Treatment of the phosphorous acids with trialkylsilyl triflates and Hunnig's base gave the product of O-silylation.
Abundances of Na, Mn, Cr, Sc and Co in ultramafic rocks

Ultramafic rock content of Na, Mn, Cr, Sc and Co determined by neutron activation technique
About Some Properties of Definite, Reverse-Definite and Related Automata

For reduced finite Moore automata corresponding to regular expressions which are finite sums of expressions of the form E+H?*G (E, H, G are finite events and ? is the set of inputs) it is shown that an arbitrary change of the initial state or of the set of final states results in an automaton belonging to the same class. The transition graphs corresponding to the single inputs in definite and reverse-definite automata are investigated.
Elevated Plasma Glycocalicin Levels and Decreased Ristocetin-Induced Platelet Agglutination in Hemodialysis Patients

A bleeding diathesis caused by platelet dysfunction is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with uremia. Platelet adhesion to vascular subendothelium is defective in uremia and depends on the interactions of the platelet glycoprotein (GP) Ib/IX complex with the vascular wall. We measured levels of platelet surface GPIb, platelet surface GPIX, plasma glycocalicin (a product of enzymatic cleavage of GPIb), and ristocetin-induced platelet agglutination (RIPA) in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis compared with patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis and healthy controls. Patients undergoing chronic maintenance hemodialysis have higher levels of platelet surface expression of GPIb (187+/-10 fluorescent units; P < 0.001) than either healthy controls (120+/-4 fluorescent units; P < 0.001) or patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (127+/-5 fluorescent units; P < 0.001). Similar changes were observed in platelet surface GPIX. Plasma glycocalicin levels were elevated in chronic hemodialysis patients (71+/-5 nmol/L) compared with healthy controls (36+/-3 nmol/L; P < 0.001). Plasma glycocalicin levels also increased progressively throughout the hemodialysis procedure. The slope of RIPA was significantly lower in chronic hemodialysis patients (46+/-3) than in either healthy controls (67+/-4; P < 0.05) or peritoneal dialysis patients (62+/-2; P < 0.05). In conclusion, patients undergoing chronic maintenance hemodialysis have increased plasma glycocalicin levels and decreased RIPA, which may contribute to diminished platelet adhesion to vascular subendothelium and increased bleeding associated with uremia.
High frequency properties of shielded power cable - part 1: overview of mechanisms

This paper provides an overview of the mechanisms of high frequency (HF) loss in shielded power cables and discusses the challenges in the measurements of cable material properties at HF.
The road much less travelled: treating rural and isolated clients.

This article serves as the introduction to an issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session on the topic of treating rural and isolated clients. This preface frames the issue's topic and addresses the question, “What are the best practices for rural and isolated clients?” Themes of rural mental health are outlined, and the subsequent articles are introduced. Readers of this issue are given case examples, clinical recommendations, and seminal research findings in the hope of integrating and adopting effective methods for underserved rural clients. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol: In Session 66:1–4, 2010.
Clinical sensitivity to green algae demonstrated by nasal challenge and in vitro tests of immediate hypersensitivity.

Abstract Patients with symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis have a high incidence of skin reactivity to various green algae, particularly to a Chlorella species isolated from unprocessed dust used in the commercial production of house dust extracts. Organ sensitivity to green algae in these patients was confirmed by a new nasal challenge procedure, the results of which correlated well with in vitro tests of Type I hypersensitivity. On the basis of such tests, patients with striking skin reactions could be differentiated into sensitive and nonsensitive groups. Those patients with skin sensitivity both to house dust and the Chlorella test species exhibited similar leukocyte, histamine release responses to these allergens. The discovery of an atopic population of patients who react clinically when challenged with both green algae and house dust reaffirms the role of algae as potentially important components of the indoor "ecosystem." Moreover, this population provides an experimental model for future investigation of the biomedical impact of algae in human hypersensitivity.
A new microsurgical approach to cerebrovascular lesions of the sylvian point: report of two cases.

The authors report two cases of microsurgical excision and follow up of vascular lesions located at the sylvian point and describe the operative approach.
Improved Embryo Quality and Rates of Cryopreservation With Modifications in an In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Culture System

G1 versus HS. Materials and Methods: Oocyte cohorts from 94 retrievals were randomized to G1 or HS. Oocytes were cultured in HS from retrieval until ICSI (2–4 hrs). Following ICSI oocytes were cultured in G1 or HS until the fertilization check (16–18 hrs post-ICSI). Normally fertilized zygotes were transferred to fresh drops of the designated media and cultured until ET, the morning of day 2. Results: Study outcomes are shown below (N-retrievals; average # eggs, # inseminated (ins.) & # 2PN/retrieval; Gr 0-best to 3-poor).
Processing of porcelain enamel glass powders for electrostatic spraying

Abstract Following a brief review on current technology of electrostatic spray for enameling, the requirements on powder properties were discussed. The use of poly (siloxanes) or poly (silanes) as encapsulants for producing electrostatic porcelain enamel powders with appropriate electrical resistivity, hydrophobicity and fluidity was analyzed from a mechanistic standpoint. Experimental results were presented to illustrate typical processing problems such as the change of powder properties on aging as a result of differential encapsulation of glass components. Various measures were proposed for improving the stability of powder properties. Optimization of powder processing parameters by means of Taguchi experimental design technique was described.
Pyrophosphate functions as phosphoryl donor with UDP-glucose-treated mammalian phosphofructokinase.

Abstract Phosphofructokinase of rabbit muscle, which is specific for nucleoside triphosphates such as ATP, dissociated and gained the capability to utilize pyrophosphate as phosphoryl donor following incubation with UDP-glucose. The pyrophosphate- and ATP-linked activities of UDP-glucose-treated muscle phosphofructokinase were promoted by a protein species that showed a molecular weight of 80 kDa (vs. 320 kDa for the untreated enzyme). In the presence of citrate, a known inhibitor of PFK, the pyrophosphate-dependent activity elicited by UDP-glucose treatment was activated by fructose-2,6-bisphosphate. On removal of the UDP-glucose by either dialysis or dilution, the treated enzyme reassociated and become ATP-specific. ATP, dithiothreitol, and fructose-2,6-bisphosphate stimulated reassociation. The results suggest that metabolite-mediated catalyst conversion, yielding an enzyme form capable of utilizing both ATP and pyrophosphate, takes place with the phosphofructokinases of animal tissues.
Inhibition of dihydropteridine reductase by novel 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine analogs

Hydroxylated derivatives of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), a nigrostriatal neurotoxin in humans and primates, noncompetitively inhibited dihydropteridine reductase from human liver and rat striatal synaptosomes in vitro at micromolar concentrations. In contrast, MPTP and its chloro- and norderivatives did not inhibit this enzyme at lower than millimolar concentrations. Dihydropteridine reductase converts dihydrobiopterin to tetrahydrobiopterin, the required cofactor for the hydroxylation of aromatic amino acids during the synthesis of dopamine and serotonin.
Early versus late congestive heart failure after initially uncomplicated anterior wall acute myocardial infarction.

We determined the incidence and clinical, noninvasive, and angiographic variables contributing to postdischarge early (≤3 months) and late (>3 months) congestive heart failure (CHF) after anterior wall acute myocardial infarction. The patient cohort consisted of 94 consecutive patients p ≤0.05) than those with late CHF. The early group had less multivessel disease (40% vs 90%, p ≤0.03). Fifty percent (5 of 10) of patients who developed late CHF did so after a recurrent infarction compared with 10% (1 of 10) in the early CHF group ( p
Expression of p27(Kip1), a Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor, in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Is Inversely Associated with Potential Carcinogenic Risk in Obese Type 2 Diabetic Individuals Relative to Lean Normal Controls

Introduction: The consensus report issued jointly by the American Diabetes Association and the American Cancer Society stated that “type 2 diabetes and cancer share many risk factors, but potential biologic links between the two diseases are incompletely understood”. Interestingly, however, a recent report suggested that the expression of p27(Kip1), a cell cycle repressor protein, in the rodent liver was inversely associated with potential carcinogenic risk in the genetic rodent models of diabetic obesity. p27 is a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor that, when down-regulated, allows the progression of the cell cycle from G1 to S phase, thereby increasing the risk of developing cancer. Objective: The objective of the study described below was to extend the results of the recent report on the expression of p27 in the livers of obese, diabetic rodents to the humans and investigate whether the expression of p27 in the human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) might also be inversely associated with potential carcinogenic risk in obese type 2 diabetic individuals relative to the lean normal controls. Methods: Western immunoblot analysis was performed to evaluate the expression of p27 and the two most relevant upstream molecular signaling pathways of the expression of p27, namely 4E-BP1 and MNK1, in human PBMCs obtained from obese type 2 diabetic individuals relative to the lean normal controls. Results: First, expression of p27 in human PBMCs was significantly down-regulated in obese type 2 diabetic individuals relative to the lean normal controls. Secondly, expression of p27 in human PBMCs was also significantly down-regulated in obese type 2 diabetic African Americans relative even to the obese type 2 diabetic Caucasian Americans. Conclusions: Expression of p27 in human PBMCs was inversely associated with potential carcinogenic risk in obese type 2 diabetes relative to the lean normal controls.
Glutamate synthase and nitrogen assimilation

The assimilation of ammonia by a wide variety of organisms is the primary route for the introduction of nitrogen into the biosphere. The assimilatory enzymes glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase catalyze reactions that convert α-ketoglutarate and ammonia to glutamate, which is then used in a wide variety of biosynthetic reactions. These enzymes also play a major role in the reassimilation of ammonia derived from photorespiration in C 3 plants. Recent biochemical, molecular and genetic studies are leading to a better understanding of the factors that determine the activity and function of glutamate synthase.
Some Effects of Injection of Acacia With Special Reference to Renal Function

SummaryIn experiments on dogs, after the intravenous injection of acacia, it was found that (1) the rate of glomerular filtration is essentially unchanged; (2) water excretion shows a diphasic response; (3) chloride excretion is markedly increased; (4) plasma proteins and hematocrit values diminish in comparable extent.
Sweet Liking and High Novelty Seeking: Independent Phenotypes Associated with Alcohol-related Problems

Aim: We tested the hypothesis that high novelty seeking (NS; a trait that promotes experimentation) and hedonic response to sweet taste (a trait that may reflect processing of hedonic stimuli) act independently to increase the risk for having alcohol-related problems in young adults. Methods: The study was conducted in 158 healthy subjects (age 20–25 years) with no lifetime history of alcohol and/or drug abuse/dependence. NS was evaluated using the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire. Pleasurable response to sweet taste was tested, using a sweet taste test to identify sweet likers (SL; those preferring the strongest offered sucrose solution) and sweet dislikers (SDL; those preferring weaker sucrose solutions). Results: NS score, but not SL/SDL status, was positively correlated with drinks per month ( P = 0.0054) and drinks per drinking day ( P = 0.021). When tested individually, both NS and SL/SDL status predict having alcohol-related problems (NS: odds ratio [OR] = 5.3, P = 0.0016 and SL/SDL: OR = 5.8, P = 0.0001) with an OR similar to positive family history of alcoholism status (OR = 5.7, P = 0.0007). The combination of SL status and high NS score (greater than gender-specific 70th percentile) greatly increased the estimated odds of having alcohol-related problems (OR 27.5, P < 0.0001). Conclusions: These results support the hypothesis that high NS and SL phenotypes are independently associated with risk of alcohol-related problems. The combination of both phenotypes greatly increases the likelihood of alcohol-related problems. Although confirmation is necessary, this suggests that these phenotypes could contribute to improved methods to assess risk for alcohol-related problems and provide additional insight into processes underlying progression to alcohol-related problems.
Hadronic matter in a nontopological soliton model.

We have calculated ground-state properties of hadronic matter in a mean-field approximation to a nontopological soliton model in one spatial dimension. The high-density phase of the model is a free Fermi gas of massless fermions. The low-density phase, on the other hand, is a soliton crystal characterized by spatial density oscillations. For certain values of the parameters there is an additional uniform phase in which the underlying chiral symmetry of the Lagrangian is broken and the fermion mass is dynamically generated. A stability analysis of this uniform phase via linear response theory revealed ground-state instabilities at low density and for strong coupling. These findings were consistent with the predictions obtained by solving the mean-field equations by direct matrix diagonalization. In the weak-coupling limit the soliton crystal is characterized by fermion clustering around regions of strongest attraction (shallow bags). The strong-coupling limit, on the other hand, is reminiscent of the soliton kink solution where fermions are excluded from sectors of strongest attraction and are, instead, concentrated in regions where they are effectively massless.
Haematopoietic stem cells adopt mature haematopoietic fates in ischaemic myocardium

Under conditions of tissue injury, myocardial replication and regeneration have been reported. A growing number of investigators have implicated adult bone marrow (BM) in this process, suggesting that marrow serves as a reservoir for cardiac precursor cells. It remains unclear which BM cell(s) can contribute to myocardium, and whether they do so by transdifferentiation or cell fusion. Here, we studied the ability of c-kit-enriched BM cells, Lin- c-kit+ BM cells and c-kit+ Thy1.1(lo) Lin- Sca-1+ long-term reconstituting haematopoietic stem cells to regenerate myocardium in an infarct model. Cells were isolated from transgenic mice expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) and injected directly into ischaemic myocardium of wild-type mice. Abundant GFP+ cells were detected in the myocardium after 10 days, but by 30 days, few cells were detectable. These GFP+ cells did not express cardiac tissue-specific markers, but rather, most of them expressed the haematopoietic marker CD45 and myeloid marker Gr-1. We also studied the role of circulating cells in the repair of ischaemic myocardium using GFP+-GFP- parabiotic mice. Again, we found no evidence of myocardial regeneration from blood-borne partner-derived cells. Our data suggest that even in the microenvironment of the injured heart, c-kit-enriched BM cells, Lin- c-kit+ BM cells and c-kit+ Thy1.1(lo) Lin- Sca-1+ long-term reconstituting haematopoietic stem cells adopt only traditional haematopoietic fates.
Fertile Ground, Narrow Choices: Women on Texas Cotton Farms, 1900-1940

Rural women comprised the largest part of the adult population of Texas until 1940 and in the American South until 1960. On the cotton farms of Central Texas, women's labor was essential. In addition to working untold hours in the fields, women shouldered most family responsibilities: keeping house, sewing clothing, cultivating and cooking food, and bearing and raising children. But despite their contributions to the southern agricultural economy, rural women's stories have remained largely untold. Using oral history interviews and written memoirs, Rebecca Sharpless weaves a moving account of women's lives on Texas cotton farms. She examines how women from varying ethnic backgrounds--German, Czech, African American, Mexican, and Anglo-American--coped with difficult circumstances. The food they cooked, the houses they kept, the ways in which they balanced field work with housework, all yield insights into the twentieth-century South. And though rural women's lives were filled with routines, many of which were undone almost as soon as they were done, each of their actions was laden with importance, says Sharpless, for the welfare of a woman's entire family depended heavily upon her efforts. |A moving account of women's lives on Texas cotton farms during the first half of the 20th-century, this book reveals their substantial contributions to the southern agricultural economy and to family life.
Pharmacotherapy of painful diabetic neuropathy

The scope of this review is to describe the epidemiology, physiology, symptomatology, and treatment of diabetic painful neuropathy, which is a common complication of diabetes with significant morbidity. This article focuses on treatment options. Various clinical trials of several classes of medications (eg, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and topical medications) and alternative treatments (eg, acupuncture, electrostimulation, magnets) are reviewed. Physicians have a large panel of medications that can be used effectively solely or in combination at their disposal. However, a number of these treatments have significant side effects, which are noted, that limit their use. As the understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms of diabetic neuropathy improves, new medications are under investigation, which are reviewed in this article. There is great hope that the future may hold treatments that would prevent nerve damage.
Physiological tolerance, climate change, and a northward range shift in the spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius

1. Considerable evidence indicates that the Earth's climate has warmed over the past 20 years and most models predict that this process will continue or accelerate. Previous studies involving butterflies and other species have shown that ranges have shifted towards the poles although the mechanisms responsible for these range shifts have not been demonstrated conclusively. 2. Here it is reported that the range of the meadow spittlebug has moved northward along the California coast since 1988. 3. Survival and reproduction of this species in previous laboratory experiments were very sensitive to humidity and temperature. Small deviations from optimal conditions resulted in high mortality. 4. These laboratory results were corroborated by annual field censuses from one location since 1983 in which population densities of spittlebug nymphs were positively correlated with summer humidity and negatively correlated with temperature deviations from the published optimum. Thus it is shown that there are strong links between physiological tolerance and a geographic range shift associated with climatic change.
Individualism and Collectivism

Psychologists have long portrayed the mind “as a machine or computer that is the same in all times and places, while only the raw materials processed by the machinery or the data in the computer vary” (Fiske, Kitayama, Markus, & Nisbett, 1998, p. 918). This state of affairs changed dramatically over the last decade and a rapidly growing body of experimental research documents profound cultural differences in basic psychological processes. To date, much of this work has addressed the influence of individualism or collectivism, often framed in terms of independent vs. interdependent self-construals (Markus & Kitayama, 1991; for a comprehensive review, see Oyserman, Coon, & Kemmelmeier, 2002). Other dimensions of culture, which figured prominently in Hofstede's (1980) groundbreaking analysis, received less attention. In this issue's Research Dialogue, Shavitt, Lalwani, Zhang, and Torelli (2006) draw attention to one of these dimensions, namely the distinction between horizontal and vertical cultural orientations, which value equality or emphasize hierarchy, respectively. They review the importance of this distinction for understanding personal values, advertising and consumer persuasion, self-presentational patterns, and gender differences, noting that the influence of horizontal/vertical orientations is often obscured by their conflation with differences in individualism and collectivism. Commentaries by Aaker (2006), Meyers-Levy (2006), and Oyserman (2006) elaborate on their analysis and suggest additional avenues for future research. In combination, this set of papers makes a compelling case for extending the analysis of cultural differences in cognition, emotion, motivation, and behavior beyond the individualism/collectivism distinction that has captured the lion's share of recent attention.
Racial Differences in Contraceptive Choice: Complexity and Implications

Previous research has failed to generate consensus about why black fertility has persistently exceeded that of whites in the United States. In an effort to shed light on this question, this article examines black/white differences in sociodemographic factors affecting contraceptive choice. Using data from the 1976 and 1982 National Surveys of Family Growth, we find a complex pattern of black/white differences. Not only does contraceptive choice vary by race, but the effects of such variables as age, marital status, and education also differ between blacks and whites. For example, compared with whites, black married women avoid coital methods, and compared with blacks, white women shift contraceptive behavior more as they change marital status. The complex nature of the racial differences in contraceptive choice are interpreted as reflecting differences in marriage patterns and trends.
Neuropsychological test performance of bulimic patients

Thirty subjects with DSM-III diagnoses of bulimia were compared to 30 matched controls on the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery. The bulimics showed poorer performance on tasks associated with functioning of the right frontal cortical area, primarily tasks involving speed of drawing geometric figures. The similarities of the findings to previous findings with anorexic samples and patients with affective disorders are discussed.
Conversion to soft-copy sonography: effects on imaging time and costs.

Objective. To determine the effect of conversion to soft-copy interpretation on the number of images and imaging time. Materials and methods. Before and 1 year after conversion to soft-copy interpretation, 20 consecutive normal abdominal, renal, and cranial sonograms were performed by each of three technologists (360 sonograms total). The number of images and imaging time per sonogram were recorded. For each technologist and each examination type, the differences between number of images and the imaging times before and after conversion were compared. Multivariate repeated measures analysis of variance was used to analyze the data. Results. After conversion to soft-copy, the number of images significantly increased for all imaging types (P = 0.004), and the imaging time significantly decreased (P < 0.001). After conversion, there were 213 more images. The average number of images increased 1.0 per abdominal sonogram, 0.5 per renal sonogram, and 2.0 per cranial sonogram. The additional storage requirement for the 213 images was 64 MB; total long-term storage media cost increased $1.06. On average, there was a 19 % decrease in imaging time, with abdominal imaging time decreasing 2 min and 18 s, renal 1 min and 46 s, and cranial 40 s. This would potentially allow time for two additional sonograms to be performed per day and would generate up to $112,000 additional revenue per year. Conclusion. Following soft-copy conversion, there was a significant increase in the number of images acquired per examination, with an increased storage requirement but a negligible increase in storage cost. Technologist efficiency significantly improved.
Isolation, purification and characterization of RNA polymerases from wheat germ.

Abstract Two DNA-dependent RNA polymerases (ribonucleoside triphosphate: RNA nucleotidyltransferase, EC 2.7.7.6) have been isolated from wheat germ. The enzymes were solubilized by high salt extraction with sonication and were resolved by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. Enzyme I eluted at 0.11 M (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , was insensitive to α-amanitin, and was relatively labile. Enzyme II eluted at 0.22 M (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , was inhibited by α-amanitin, and was stable after DEAE-cellulose chromatography. Both enzymes were more active with denatured than native DNA as template, but differed in their relative activities with Mg 2+ and Mn 2+ and in their ionic strength requirements. The quiescent wheat embryo appears to be a rich source of RNA polymerases and their properties are similar to nuclear RNA polymerases from other eukaryotes.
Accurate characterization of carcinogenic DNA adducts using MALDI tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Many chemical carcinogens and their in vivo activated metabolites react readily with genomic DNA, and form covalently bound carcinogen-DNA adducts. Clinically, carcinogen-DNA adducts have been linked to various cancer diseases. Among the current methods for DNA adduct analysis, mass spectroscopic method allows the direct measurement of unlabeled DNA adducts. The goal of this study is to explore the use of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF MS) to determine the identity of carcinogen-DNA adducts. Two of the known carcinogenic DNA adducts, namely N-(2'-deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenyl-imidazo [4,5-b] pyridine (dG-C8-PhIP) and N-(2'-deoxyguanosin-8yl)-4-aminobiphenyl (dG-C8-ABP), were selected as our models. In MALDI-TOF MS measurements, the small matrix ion and its cluster ions did not interfere with the measurements of both selected dG adducts. To achieve a higher accuracy for the characterization of selected dG adducts, 1 keV collision energy in MALDI-TOF/TOF MS/MS was used to measure the adducts. In comparison to other MS/MS techniques with lower collision energies, more extensive precursor ion dissociations were observed. The detection of the corresponding fragment ions allowed the identities of guanine, PhIP or ABP, and the position of adduction to be confirmed. Some of the fragment ions of dG-C8-PhIP have not been reported by other MS/MS techniques.
CHARGING OF DUST GRAINS IN ASTROPHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTS BY SECONDARY ELECTRON EMISSIONS

The dominant charging processes in various astrophysical environments are considered to be by photoelectric emissions with radiation from nearby stars and secondary electron emissions (SEE) by impact of electrons in a medium with sufficiently high energies. The charging of bulk materials with planar surfaces by SEE with electron impact appears to be well understood with theoretical expressions as well as by experimental techniques. However, the charging of submicron/micron-size dust grains by SEE with sufficiently high-energy electrons is a complex process, and is a function of electron energies, the electron current, and the grain size, and the charge or the surface potential. Development of viable theoretical models and acquisition of experimental data for charging properties of micron-size dust grains are still in the early stages. This paper focuses on SEE charging properties of individual micron-size dust grains by low-energy electron impact, obtained from laboratory measurements on an experimental facility based on an electrodynamic balance. The measurements of SEE yields of positively charged dust grains indicate the yields increase with decreasing grain size and the equilibrium surface potentials showing generally linear size dependence. These experimental results are generally in agreement with several independent experimental and analytical model studies in the literature, with the exception of a recently published paper which is in fundamental conflict with our studies as well as with several other experimental and theoretical studies. The sources and causes of this conflict are critically examined and discussed in this paper.
Magnetically targeted nanoparticles for brain tumor therapy: what does the future hold?

CNS cancers account for approximately 142,000 deaths annually – with brain tumor patients typically surviving up to just 12 months after diagnosis [1]. Today’s ‘standard of care’ therapy for brain tumors includes surgical tumor resection coupled with adjuvant radiation and/ or small-molecule chemotherapy treatments. Despite advancements in each of these intervention routes, overall patient survival rates have generally remained unchanged for decades. The limitations of status quo treatments can generally be attributed to the challenge of providing remissive therapy and concurrently avoiding off-target damage to healthy tissues. Clearly, the development of new technologies is required to realize a cure for brain tumors. To that end, many ongoing investigations have been focused toward achieving more selective, more therapeutic tumor drug action.
Influence of Substrate Composition on Distribution of Eastern Sand Darters (Ammocrypta Pellucida) in the Poultney River

Eastern sand darters (Ammocrypta pellucida) are a threatened species in both New York and Vermont and have become rare in other parts of their range, in part due to their dependence on clean, sandy substrates in large rivers. Field observations suggest that eastern sand darters are more likely to be found in fine sand than in coarser sand or gravel. The goal of this study was to evaluate the habitat used by eastern sand darters in the Poultney River, and characterize more specifically the sizes of sediment particles that they seem to use most often. Between July 30 and August 7, 2001, we collected sediment and fishes, and measured water velocity and depth, in 99 different sample plots located along a one-mile stretch of the Poultney River on the New York-Vermont border. The areas we sampled were all less than one meter deep and had a velocity that was less than 1 m/sec. Our study indicated that eastern sand darters seem to be more common in areas with a substrate made up of a high percentage of particles between 0.12 and 0.54 mm in size. Fewer eastern sand darters were found in areas that had high percentages of particles greater than 1.0 mm. This suggests that eastern sand darters are very selective about the habitat in which they live and might, therefore, be affected by fluctuations or changes in the composition of the substrate within that habitat.
Synthesis of polymer-decorated hydroxyapatite nanoparticles with a dispersed copolymer template

In this research, a nanoparticle synthesis method was explored in order to produce nanoparticles with different shapes and polymer-coated surfaces. Specifically, a poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(methacrylic acid) (PEO-b-PMAA) block copolymer was employed as a dispersed template for the controlled synthesis of hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanoparticles in water. Six different synthesis conditions were used to produce different nanoparticle shapes, and characterization of these nanoparticles was performed to understand the level of morphological control available with this synthesis method. SEM images showed that needle and spherical nanoparticles could be produced by changing the block copolymer concentration. The shape of the nanoparticles produced by this synthesis method was shown to be related to the relative concentrations of the calcium precursor and the block copolymer used. Significant quantities of the block copolymer used for synthesis remained on the particle surface, constituting a functionalized moiety and providing an opportunity to control component interactions in composites.
Cohomology for Frobenius kernels of SL2

Abstract Let ( SL 2 ) r be the r-th Frobenius kernels of the group scheme SL 2 defined over an algebraically closed field of characteristic p > 0 . In this paper we give for r ⩾ 1 a complete description of the cohomology groups for ( SL 2 ) r . We also prove that the reduced cohomology ring H • ( ( SL 2 ) r , k ) red is Cohen–Macaulay. Geometrically, we show for each r ⩾ 1 that the maximal ideal spectrum of the cohomology ring for ( SL 2 ) r is homeomorphic to the fiber product G × B u r . Finally, we adapt our calculations to obtain analogous results for the cohomology of higher Frobenius–Lusztig kernels of quantized enveloping algebras of type SL 2 .
Separability of Agricultural Cover Types in Spectral Channels and Wavelength Regions

This study was a continuation of a more complete evaluation of the spectral channels as well as wavelength regions-visible, near infrared, middle infrared, and thermal infrared-with respect to their estimated probability of correct classification Pc in discriminating agricultural cover types reported previously by Kumar and Silva [1]. Multispectral scanner data in twelve spectral channels in the wavelength range of 0.4-11.7 ?m acquired in the middle of July for three flightlines were analyzed by applying automatic pattern recognition techniques. The same analysis was performed for the data acquired in the middle of August 1971, over the same three flightlines, to investigate the effect of time on the results. The effect of deletion of each spectral channel as well as each wavelength region on Pc is given. Values of Pc for all possible combinations of wavelength regions in the subsets of one to twelve spectral channels are also given. The overall values of Pc were found to be greater for the data of the middle of August than the data of the middle of July.
Bootstrap approach to inference and power analysis based on three test statistics for covariance structure models

We study several aspects of bootstrap inference for covariance structure models based on three test statistics, including Type I error, power and sample-size determination. Specifically, we discuss conditions for a test statistic to achieve a more accurate level of Type I error, both in theory and in practice. Details on power analysis and sample-size determination are given. For data sets with heavy tails, we propose applying a bootstrap methodology to a transformed sample by a downweighting procedure. One of the key conditions for safe bootstrap inference is generally satisfied by the transformed sample but may not be satisfied by the original sample with heavy tails. Several data sets illustrate that, by combining downweighting and bootstrapping, a researcher may find a nearly optimal procedure for evaluating various aspects of covariance structure models. A rule for handling non-convergence problems in bootstrap replications is proposed.