cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Are there ethnic disparities in risk of preterm birth among infants born with congenital heart defects

BACKGROUND: Birth defects and preterm birth (PTB) are leading causes of infant morbidity and mortality in the United States. Infants with birth defects are more likely to be born preterm (<37 weeks), yet the roles of maternal ethnicity and fetal growth in this relationship are unclear. This study aimed to assess the risk of PTB among non-Hispanic (NH) Black, NH-White, and Hispanic infants with congenital heart defects (CHD), adjusting for fetal growth. METHODS: Florida Birth Defects Registry data were used to conduct a retrospective cohort study on 14,319 live-born infants with CHDs born January 1, 1998 to December 31, 2002. ORs and 95% CIs were computed for each growth category (small-for-gestational age [SGA], appropriate-for-gestational-age [AGA], and large-for-gestational-age [LGA]) by ethnicity and adjusted for maternal and infant covariates using logistic regression. RESULTS: After adjusting for potential confounders, SGA and AGA NH-Black infants with CHDs had increased risk of PTB compared to NH-White infants with CHDs (OR 1.79; 95% CI: 1.40, 2.30 and OR 1.89; 95% CI: 1.68, 2.13, respectively). Hispanic SGA, AGA, and infants with CHDs had no increased risk of PTB compared to NH-White infants. CONCLUSIONS: The increased risk of PTB among SGA and AGA NH-Black infants with CHDs is not explained by the overall disparities in risk of PTB between NH-Blacks and NH-Whites. Additional studies are needed to determine the specific subtypes of CHD for which these relationships are present and if these findings are seen among infants with other birth defects. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 79:754–764, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Growth parameters associated with endocrine events in larval Trichoplusia ni (Hübner) and timing of these events with developmental markers

Abstract Numerous behavioural and morphological markers were found during the last instar of Trichoplusia ni which permit selection of highly synchronous groups of larvae for physiological or biochemical experiments. Growth parameters were also examined and it was found that the occurrence of a 6th instar was associated with a head-capsule width below the critical threshold of 1.66 mm. Starvation experiments indicated that the critical body weight triggering the first release of prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) was not the same for all larvae and was associated closely with a critical ratio of body size: head-capsule size and/or body size: initial body size at the beginning of the instar. The time of prothoracicotropic hormone-ecdysone release in preultimate instars was also associated with a similarly calculated ratio. The ratio was very similar from instar to instar. Neck or thoracic-abdominal ligation of larvae attaining various markers provided indications of times of release of critical amounts of prothoracicotropic hormone, ecdysone and juvenile hormone. The time of peak juvenile-hormone-esterase (JHE) activity in the haemolymph during the prepupal stage was determined with these markers.
High Tc Nb3Ga and Nb3Ge by CVD

Abstract The β-W superconductors Nb 3 Ga and Nb 3 Ge have been prepared by chemical vapor deposition, with T c 's of 20.3 °K and 20.6°K respectively. The β-W structure has been observed in an alloy containing 96 at % Nb, with a lattice constant of 5.25 A.
Corrigendum to “Evaluation and outcome of patients after polytrauma—Can patients be recruited for long-term follow-up?” [Injury 37 (12) (2006) 1197–1203]

University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Suite 911,Kaufmann Med Building, Pitsburgh, PA 15213, United StatesThe authors would like todraw your attention tothefact that unfortunately DrM. Stalp wasmissedfrom thelistofauthorsgivenintheiroriginalpublication.Theyapologiseforthisomission;afullauthorlistingisgivenabove.
Seasonal variation of elemental status in the lichen Ramalina menziesii tayl. From two sites in southern California: Evidence for dry deposition accumulation

Abstract In southern California the lichen Ramalina menziesii was transplanted from a relatively unpolluted area to a highly polluted area for three periods over a year. During each period multi-element analyses of both water leachable extracts and residual fractions from the leached thallus were analyzed at 2-week intervals. Total concentrations were calculated by adding these two measurements. Total concentration of most elements did not exhibit distinct seasonal patterns but the higher concentrations exceeded background levels by factors of 1.3–3.7, depending on the element. In contrast, the elements in the leachates at the control and the polluted site exhibited distinct seasonal patterns with higher concentrations generally present in summer than in winter. High leachable concentrations were only found during dry periods, and consequently the leachable fraction was assumed to represent primarily dry deposition accumulation, particularly as the magnitude of the differences was higher at the polluted site. These elemental patterns reflected not only atmospheric deposition patterns, but also intracellular release of elements as injury occurred and to a lesser extent accumulation of marine aerosols and soil particulates.
Comments, with reply, on "Accuracy improvements in microwave noise parameter measurements" by A.C. Davidson et al

The commenter disagrees with the description by A.C. Davidson et al. (ibid., vol.37, p.1973-8, Dec. 1989) of the contents of an earlier article by the commenter about the necessity of only one measurement of noise figure together with several cold noise power measurements. In replying, Davidson et al. explain that the commenter's earlier article described a solution for a special case of Y/sub 1/=Y/sub 2/ and T/sub 1/ not=T/sub c/, the author's method of determining noise parameters represents a general solution. >
TOOL PAPER: ScalaBison Recursive Ascent-Descent Parser Generator

ScalaBison is a parser generator accepting bison syntax and generating a parser in Scala. The generated parser uses the idea of ''recursive ascent-descent parsing,'' that is, directly encoded generalized left-corner parsing. Of interest is that fact that the parser is generated from the LALR(1) tables created by bison, thus enabling extensions such as precedence to be handled implicitly.
Welfare practices in rural China

Abstract In rural China emergency aid and long-term financial assistance are distributed annually to approximately seven million people. Final responsibility for this enormous undertaking lies with the Ministry of Public Security in Peking, but for the majority of individuals in need relief comes directly from surpluses generated and controlled by village communities. Rural relief is distributed primarily in kind rather than in cash payments and guarantees only a minimal standard of living. Thus recipients who are physically able supplement their aid with light jobs or cultivate dependency relationships with neighbours and relatives. The number of recipients is kept at a minimum by a government policy of full employment, limited internal migration, and a strong sense of family responsibility for destitute or disabled relatives. Administered without a separate welfare bureaucracy or staff, the system is organizationally simple. It success, however, rests on a complex mix of political and economic resources not easily replicated by reorganization of bureaucracies, retraining of civil servants, or increases in cash payments. In short, the rural relief system is an integral part of the social and political transformation of the traditional rural economy implemented by the Chinese Communist Party since 1949.
Tomato Seed Protein Concentrates: Effects of Methods of Recovery Upon Yield and Compositional Characteristics

Tomato seed protein concentrates (TSPC) were recovered from ground tomato seeds using alkaline extraction and three different protein coagulants (citric acid, citric acid/hydrochloric acid mixture or hydrochloric acid) at three coagulation temperatures (25°C 60°C or 95°C). The effect of this 3 × 3 protein recovery matrix on protein yield and composition of the freeze-dried TSPC was studied. No significant effect of protein coagulants on protein yield (TCA/heat coaguable protein) was found but it was significantly higher with samples coagulated at 25°C than when heat coagulation was applied. Coagulation procedures at room temperature resulted in lower moisture, crude fat and ash concentration than heat coagulated samples. Lowry protein content of TSPC was not significantly affected by recovery methods but crude protein content after coagulation with citric acid resulted in significantly higher values of the samples coagulated at 25°C than those at 95°C.
The rapid separation of nucleotides in cell extracts using high-pressure liquid chromatography.

Abstract Nucleotide profiles of cell extracts were determined using high pressure liquid chromatography. The nucleotide levels were quantitatively reproducible and the adenine levels as determined by the analyzer were in close agreement with those determined by an enzymatic cycling procedure. Optimal conditions were determined for the mono-, di- and triphosphates of the naturally occurring ribosides as well as for the sulfur analogs of some of these compounds. The peaks were identified by the use of internal standards, by comparison to chromatograms of standard solutions, by collection and identification of the fractions chemically and spectrophotometrically and by the use of an enzymic peak-shift technique. The latter method which utilizes the specificity of enzyme reactions with a nucleotide or class of nucleotides, can be used not only to verify peak identities but also to clarify or “unmask” a chromatogram. Chromatograms of cell extracts of red blood cells, homogenized schistosomes or murine leukemia or sarcoma cells were obtained in seventy minutes.
Bounded Inputs and the Representation of Linear System Maps

We give an expression for the most general input-output map associated with the members of a certain important large family of multidimensional linear shift-invariant systems with bounded Lebesgue-measurable inputs. The expression given is an iterated function-space limit of a convolution. We also give a necessary and sufficient condition under which the limit can be written as a convolution with an integrable impulse-response function. A key role is played by a certain family of weighting operators. It is observed that for the large family of inputs and maps addressed, the Dirac impulse-response concept is in fact not the key concept concerning the representation of H, and that instead the inputoutput properties of H are determined in general by a certain type of family of responses. Some related material concerning engineering education is also given.
A Queueing Analysis to Determine How Many Additional Beds Are Needed for the Detention and Removal of Illegal Aliens

Due to lack of detention capacity (the U.S. government measures capacity by the number of detention beds), tens of thousands of apprehended illegal aliens are released into the U.S. interior each year, instead of being removed from the country. This vulnerability can be exploited by terrorist groups wanting to enter the United States. We construct a queueing model of the U.S. detention and removal operations, and derive approximate analytical expressions for key performance measures, including a simple normal approximation for the required number of beds. Due to shortcomings in the U.S. government's data collection procedures, we cannot directly estimate all of the model's parameter values. Consequently, we use the approximate analytical expressions and the 2003 U.S. government data quantifying these key performance measures to estimate several unknown parameter values. Although current funding is for approximately 21,000 detention beds, we estimate that approximately 34,500 beds are needed to remove all potential detainees (this does not include nonviolent, noncriminal Mexicans, who are returned to Mexico within several hours) based on 2003 data. The dramatic increase in the arrivals of potential detainees since 2003 suggests that approximately 50,000 beds are currently required, although the estimation of future arrival rates is very difficult due to uncertainties about the future direction of U.S. immigration policy. Our estimated bed requirements are approximately 25% higher than naive estimates that fail to account for right censoring of residence times due to some detainees being released from detention before removal to make way for higher-priority detainees.
A modeling approach to the evaluation of internal sorting methods

The purpose of this paper is to report a modeling approach to the evaluation of internal sorting methods. The technique used is a regression modeling technique and has been found to be a very fast statistical method for evaluation which relies on the performance of data collection from the system being evaluated. The parameters considered for evaluation are: (1) number of stages, (2) number of transfers, (3) number of records, (4) sort time, (5) number of comparisons. The empirical model has been developed for sorting time as a function of the number of stages, number of records, number of comparisons, and number of transfers. The correlation coefficient obtained during the process of modeling was an average of 0.96 and has been found statistically significant.
Eigenfunctions for partially rectangular billiards

In this note, we further develop the methods of Burq and Zworski (2005) to study eigenfunctions for billiards which have rectangular components: these include the Bunimovich billiard, the Sinai billiard, and the recently popular pseudointegrable billiards (Bogomolny et al., 1999). The results are an application of a “black-box” point of view as presented in Burq and Zworski (2004).
Marijuana: Effects on pulse rate, subjective estimates of intoxication and multiple measures of memory

Abstract Twelve experienced marijuana users received marijuana cigarettes containing 10 mg Δ 9 -THC or placebo in two experimental sessions each separated by a one week interval. The effects of both treatments on pulse rate, subjective estimates of intoxication, multiple measures of memory including free, serial and delayed recall, final free recall, and recognition memory were assessed. Pulse rate and subjective ratings were elevated significantly following intoxication with active marijuana in comparison to placebo. Each of the three types of recall were significantly reduced following intoxication with marijuana but no differential effects of drug on recall condition were noted. Intrusion errors were elevated on the final free recall test following intoxication but recognition memory was unaffected.
Determination of the Number of Sucrose and Acceptor Binding Sites for Leuconostoc mesenteroides B-512FM Dextransucrase, and the Confirmation of the Two-Site Mechanism for Dextran Synthesis

In previous studies on dextransucrase using pulse and chase experiments with [14C]sucrose, Robyt et al. [Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 165 (1974) 634-640] proposed a two-site insertion mechanism to explain the data for the synthesis of dextran. To further establish the validity of the two-site mechanism, the number of sucrose binding sites at the active site have been determined by using equilibrium dialysis with 6-deoxysucrose, a strong competitive inhibitor for dextransucrase. A ligand binding plot gave a straight line that indicated there were two sucrose binding sites at the active site. A similar experiment was performed using the acceptor, maltose. The ligand binding plot for maltose also gave a straight line and indicated that there was one acceptor binding site at the active site. These results corroborate the proposed two-site mechanism for dextran synthesis. To further test the two-site mechanism, dextransucrase was partially inactivated to varying extents by reaction with diethylpyrocarbonate, which chemically modifies essential active-site histidines. The various partially inactivated enzymes were assayed for dextran synthesis and for the synthesis of maltose acceptor products. A plot of the log of the relative percentage of dextran synthesized and acceptor products synthesized against varying degrees of enzyme inactivation showed that the synthesis of dextran decreased to a greater extent than did the decrease of the synthesis of acceptor product. The proposed mechanism requires two sucrose sites for the synthesis of dextran and only one sucrose site for the synthesis of acceptor product. When one site is modified, the synthesis of dextran stops, but the synthesis of acceptor products can continue at the other site. Thus, the greater loss of dextran synthesis in comparison with the lesser loss of acceptor product synthesis by enzymes modified to varying degrees, gives further evidence for the two-site mechanism for dextran synthesis.
Viscoplastic Cap Model for Soils under High Strain Rate Loading

A viscoplastic cap model of the Perzyna type was developed for simulating high strain rate behaviors of soils. An associative viscous flow rule was used to represent time-dependent soil behaviors. The viscoplastic cap model was validated against experimental data from static and dynamic soil tests. The model was also compared with soil behaviors under creep and stress relaxation with good agreement. However, the model was unable to represent tertiary creep where strain softening became significant. The model was subsequently integrated into LS-DYNA for finite-element simulations of high strain rate behaviors of sandy and clayey soils in explosive tests. The significance of strain rate effect on the soil responses is presented herein. It is concluded that the viscoplastic cap model is adequate for simulations of soil behaviors under high strain rate loading, creep, and stress relaxation, covering a wide range of time-dependent problems.
Histochemical observations on enamel and dentine undergoing carious destruction.

Abstract 1. 1. Various stages of dental decay have been examined by histochemical methods for the demonstration of acid mucopolysaccharides, lipids, alkaline phosphatase, sulfhydryl groups and keratin, glycogen, and other carbohydrate groups. Carious teeth and excavated carious tooth substance were studied in ordinary and plastic-embedded ground sections and in paraffin and frozen sections, depending upon the compound in question. 2. 2. Caries of the enamel was initiated by demineralization and depolymerization of the acid mucopolysaccharide normally present in the interprismatic substance. The demineralized carious enamel exhibited reactions for sulfhydryl groups (method of Chevremont and Frederic), keratin (Ebbinghaus's method), and lipids (sudan black B). The sudanophilic response seemed to be contributed by lipids in invading microorganisms; the latter also gave a strong basophilic reaction and were gram-positive. 3. 3. Caries of the dentine was similarly initiated by demineralization and a change in the acid mucopolysaccharide, resulting in a loss of the metachromatic and basophilic reactions normally present in the walls of the dentinal tubules (Neumann's sheaths). Except for the depolymerization of the acid mucopolysaccharide, the dentinal tubules in this region appeared normal in size or only slightly enlarged and did not contain any microorganisms which could be demonstrated by means of routine bacterial stains. 4. 4. More advanced stages of the carious lesions were most obviously characterized by extensive invasion of microorganisms. At this period many of the dentinal tubules became distended at the expense of the surrounding matrix and filled with predominantly spheroidal, gram-positive organisms. The material filling the distended tubules was strongly sudanophilic and basophilic and gave a positive periodic acid-Schiff reaction. 5. 5. It was not possible in the carious zones of human teeth to demonstrate the histochemical reaction for the presence of alkaline phosphatase. Preliminary positive tests for this enzyme in experimental rat caries suggest that it may vary, depending possibly upon the reaction of the tooth to the carious dis-integration.
Expired air carbon monoxide and saliva thiocyanate: relationships to self-reports of marijuana and cigarette smoking.

Abstract This study examined the relationship between self-reports of marijuana and cigarette smoking, and the psysiological measures of expired air carbon monoxide (CO) and saliva thiocyanate (SCN) in a sample of 1,130 seventh, ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders. Subjects who reported marijuana smoking were likely to also report cigarette smoking. The correlation between self-reported marijuana smoking and SCN was negligible. The correlation between CO and self-reported marijuana smoking was statistically significant, but when the variance due to cigarette smoking was removed, this relationship also became negligible. The existence of a sizeable number of marijuana smokers in this sample of adolescents did not alter the correlation between CO and self-reports of cigarette smoking. However, in adult samples, where marijuana and cigarette smoking are less highly correlated, marijuana smoking could affect the relationship between CO and self-reported cigarette smoking. Carbon monoxide predicted self-reported cigarette smoking better than did saliva thiocyanate. There was an interaction between grade and the CO/cigarette smoking correlation. The correlations were generally higher in upper grades.
Disturbance and post-harvest ground conditions in a structural retention experiment

Federal guidelines now specify retention of live trees on cutting units within the range of the northern spotted owl, but to date there have been no formal tests of the ecological or silvicultural implications of these guidelines, nor of possible tradeoffs associated with different spatial patterns of retention. We examined disturbance patterns and post-harvest ground conditions in mature forests of western Oregon and Washington in a factorial experiment that compared both level (15 vs. 40%) and pattern (dispersed vs. aggregated) of live-tree retention. Ground cover associated with logging disturbance (slash, disturbed soil, and intact forest floor), slash depth, and the difference (pre- vs. post-logging) in coarse woody debris (decay class I) were quantified on four treatment units (two factors, two levels) at six locations (blocks). Significantly greater disturbance was evident at lower levels of retention (15%) and on aggregated cutting units, but even greater differences were evident among blocks, reflecting the predominant influence of initial site differences and yarding methods (ground-based, suspension cable, or helicopter). Short-term responses of vegetation to varying levels and patterns of structural retention are likely to be shaped by levels of ground disturbance. Thus, we expect that block- and treatment-level effects will have important consequences for tree regeneration and understory composition in these forests. Conventional strategies used to minimize soil disturbance and to manage slash accumulation during clearcut logging should be applicable to variable retention systems.
Low-energy thermal photons from meson–meson bremsstrahlung

Abstract Within an effective hadronic model including electromagnetic interactions via a U em ( 1 ) gauge, we re-investigate photon bremsstrahlung from a hot hadronic gas as expected to be formed in relativistic heavy-ion collisions at SPS energies. We calculate photon emission from the reactions π π → π π γ and π K → π K γ by an explicit (numerical) evaluation of the multi-dimensional phase space integral. This, in particular, allows to avoid the commonly employed soft photon approximation (SPA), as well as to incorporate final-state thermal enhancement factors. Both improvements are shown to result in an appreciable increase of the photon production rate over previous hadronic calculations. Upon convolution over a thermal fireball we find an improvement in the description of recent low transverse-momentum WA98 data at SPS. The influence of both Landau–Pomeranchuk–Migdal and in-medium effects on “ σ ” and ρ -meson exchanges are briefly discussed.
Sacrococcygeal cornua as zygapophysial joints

We applaud your journal and authors Woon and Stringer on the excellent recent article entitled ‘‘The anatomy of the sacrococcygeal cornual region and its clinical relevance’’ (Woon and Stringer 2013). This publication has great clinical relevance for patients with coccydynia (tailbone pain). Importantly, the authors mentioned the coccygeal cornua articulating with the sacral cornua, corresponding to the way that zygapophysial joints (often referred to as z-joints, or facet joints) are formed at other levels of the vertebral spine. Further discussion of these anatomic correlates is relevant and warranted. For reference and comparison, we note that each lumbosacral z-joint at L5–S1 is formed by the articulation of the inferior articular process of L5 with the ipsilateral superior articular process of S1. Similarly, each corresponding sacrococcygeal zygapophysial joint (at S5–C1) is formed by the sacral cornu (inferior articular process of S5) and the ipsilateral coccygeal cornu (superior articular process of C1). It is logical to expect that somatic innervation patterns at the sacrococcygeal z-joints are similar to those well known throughout the cervical, thoracic, and lumbosacral z-joints. Specifically, innervation is via the medial branch of the dorsal primary rami, which can be targeted for diagnostic and/or therapeutic injections by using the posterolateral approach to place the needle tip at or near the site where the posterior base of the transverse spinous process intersects with lateral base of the superior articular process (Fenton and Czervionke 2003). Understanding how sacrococcygeal z-joints are similar to z-joints at other spinal levels creates a rational anatomic foundation for focal injections at the corresponding sacrococcygeal nerve sites, which is a nonsurgical treatment that is not well known among pain management physicians. The article and journal are great examples of how the everexpanding details of anatomic knowledge help to expand possible treatment options to relieve human suffering. We would appreciate the authors’ additional insights on this.
Seven Years of Experience With C2 Translaminar Screw Fixation: Clinical Series and Review of the Literature

Background C2 translaminar screws offer biomechanical stability similar to that of other C2 fixation methods but with minimal risk to neural and vascular structures. Objective To report our experience with the technique since 2002 and to review the pertinent literature to advance the understanding of C2 translaminar screw fixation. Methods Fifty-two consecutive adult patients with disorders requiring axis stabilization were treated with C2 translaminar screws by a single surgeon. All patients underwent preoperative computed tomography scans to confirm the feasibility of screw placement. Patients were followed up with serial flexion/extension radiographs and/or computed tomography scans. Results The average age in our series was 58.1 years. One hundred three C2 translaminar screws were placed (average length, 28.9 mm). No vascular or neurological injuries occurred. Of 41 patients with sufficient follow-up (average, 13.3 months) to evaluate fusion, 1 instrumentation failure/pseudoarthrosis was observed. Five patients (average age, 78.7 years) died of complications related to medical comorbidities. In the literature, 169 cases of C2 translaminar fixation have been reported, with a fusion rate of 95.3% and no vertebral artery injuries. In biomechanical studies, C2 translaminar screws perform similarly to C2 pedicle screws and may outperform C2 pars screws in intact spine models. With disrupted atlantoaxial ligaments, constructs with C2 translaminar screws may not resist lateral bending as well as those with other screws, although they have more stability than uninstrumented, intact spines. Conclusion This study reports 103 C2 translaminar screws, the largest single-surgeon series to date. C2 translaminar screws are a technically feasible, low-risk option for C2 fixation, with a 97.6% fusion rate in this series.
Thermally actuated moisture migration in granular media

The movement of moisture in granular media with varying temperature gradients was studied by means of radioactive tracers in a laboratory. The mode of moisture movement is controlled by a critical moisture content found theoretically and experimentally to be about four per cent.
451 INSULIN BINDING STUDIES IN THE ERYTHROCYTES OF DIABETICS IN ONE KINSHIP

Specific insulin binding to erythrocyte receptors has previously been reported to be unaltered in children and adolescents with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (Ped. 66:385, 1980). We report here that five insulin dependent, fasting, non-ketotic juvenile diabetics from the same close kinship have a significant reduction in the percent insulin bound to erythrocytes (Normal % B/T=8.32±2.71, n=24±1SD vs 4.72%±0.84 for the diabetic children). Three non-diabetic juveniles in the family have an intermediate value of 5.77%±1.08. The youngest family member has normal binding. Scatchard analysis or two-site analysis indicate that the reduced binding is due to a decrease in the number of receptor sites/cell. There is no correlation with circulating plasma insulin values nor with the severity of the diabetes, however, the insulin dependent diabetics have an inordinate degree of ocular complications for the severity of the diabetes. Since diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous disorder, there may be familial patterns to the abnormality seen with the erythrocyte receptor as in the above patients.
An objective isobaric/isentropic technique for upper air analysis

An objective meteorological analysis technique is presented whereby both horizontal and vertical upper air analyses are performed. The process used to interpolate grid-point values from the upper-air station data is the same as for grid points on both an isobaric surface and a vertical cross-sectional plane. The nearby data surrounding each grid point are used in the interpolation by means of an anisotropic weighting scheme, which is described. The interpolation for a grid-point potential temperature is performed isobarically; whereas wind, mixing-ratio, and pressure height values are interpolated from data that lie on the isentropic surface that passes through the grid point. Two versions (A and B) of the technique are evaluated by qualitatively comparing computer analyses with subjective handdrawn analyses. The objective products of version A generally have fair correspondence with the subjective analyses and with the station data, and depicted the structure of the upper fronts, tropopauses, and jet streams fairly well. The version B objective products correspond more closely to the subjective analyses, and show the same strong gradients across the upper front with only minor smoothing.
Variability of the Arctic atmospheric moisture budget from TOVS satellite data

[1] Temporal and spatial variability of the Arctic atmospheric moisture budget is investigated using a new 19-year data set (1980 to 1998) produced from daily precipitable water retrieved from the TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) and upper-level winds from the NCEP-NCAR Reanalysis. A companion paper describes the creation and validation of these new moisture budget products [Groves and Francis, 2002]. Seasonal differences in moisture transport arise from distinct winter/summer circulation regimes and meridional moisture gradients. In winter, approximately 80% of the net precipitation (precipitation minus evaporation, P-E) is transported along well-defined storm tracks. Summer P-E is double that of winter and dominates the annual pattern. Decadal differences in winter P-E reveal statistically significant increases in the Beaufort and eastern Greenland-Iceland-Norwegian Seas, decreases in the Canadian Archipelago (islands in far northeast Canada) and Kara Sea, and a slight increase in the Arctic as a whole. Annual differences are dominated by winter changes. When the phase of the Arctic Oscillation (AO) index is positive, the net PW flux across 70°N in winter is 6 times larger than on negative-index days. Over the entire Arctic, P-E is 29% larger (20% lower) than the average on days with a positive (negative) AO index. In summer the PW transport is twice as large, and P-E is 27% higher on positive versus negative AO days. These results suggest that if the AO continues its trend toward a predominantly positive phase, we should expect to observe increasing precipitation in the Arctic overall, and particularly in regions adjacent to the marginal ice zones.
A Brief Review of Alternative Electrofocusing Techniques

Isoelectric focusing (IEF) is an excellent tool at analytical scales but has some drawbacks at preparative and process scales. Alternative electrofocusing methods have been around for over a decade but have only recently reached the point where they can begin to compete head-to-head with IEF. This paper describes some of the advances made in this field since the mid-1980s and shows how they are related to IEF by a common mathematical expression. In addition, one new technique is described which allows real-time computer-control of the focusing gradient.
Immunotherapy of hay fever with ragweed antigen E: comparisons with whole pollen extract and placebos.

Abstract Preseasonal immunotherapy of ragweed hay fever with the major allergen of ragweed pollen, antigen E, has been tested in double-blind controlled comparisons with whole extract of ragweed and placebos over a period of four years. Antigen E was well tolerated by ragweed-sensitive patients, giving fewer systemic and local reactions than whole extract. As a result, greater quantities of antigen E could be administered in its purified form than could be given in whole extract. Gradually increasing doses of antigen E were given preseasonally each year as this relative safety became apparent. Therapeutic results were significantly better than the results of placebo injections in the third and fourth years of trial when the antigen E-treated patients received an average preseasonal dose of 252 and 743 mcg., respectively. These results were similar to those obtained in patients treated with whole ragweed extract in the same years with average doses of 2,440 and 9,480 PNU, respectively. Whether similar doses can be administered with as good a result in the first year of treatment remains to be tested. It seems likely that a major proportion of the desensitizing effect of whole extract can be attributed to antigen E.
The Automated Planetary Space Station

Results are presented for a study on mission definition and design to determine broad technology directions and needs for advanced planetary spacecraft and future planetary missions. The discussion covers mission selection, system design, and technology assessment and review for a multicomponent spacecraft exploration facility provided with nuclear power propulsion. As an example, the Automated Planetary Space Station at Jupiter is examined as a generic concept which has the capability of conducting in-depth investigations of different aspects of the entire Jovian system. Mission planning is discussed relative to low-thrust trajectory control, automatic target identification and landing, roving vehicle operation, and automated sample analysis.
The effects of radiation-induced interface traps on base current in gated bipolar test structures

Abstract Ionizing radiation experiments on gated bipolar transistors used as radiation test structures show a broadening in the peak base current profile after irradiation. The primary mechanism for this effect is identified as the change in the charge state of radiation-induced interface traps in the oxide over the base. From theoretical analysis using Shockley–Reed–Hall (SRH) statistics, a mathematical formulation of effective Fermi level, Ef,eff is derived to describe the charge state of interface traps in a gated bipolar transistor under forward bipolar operation as the surface of the transistor is changed from accumulation to inversion by biasing on the gate terminal.
Light scattering from a particle on or near a perfectly conducting surface

Abstract A formal solution to the scattered field of a particle of arbitrary shape and optical constants located on or near a perfectly conducting surface is derived. The solution is in terms of a vector harmonic expansion. The only knowledge required of the particle is its scattering coefficients when the plane surface is not present. It is sufficiently general that the particle can be inhomogeneous or represent a set of subparticles.
The transcription factor CREB has no non-redundant functions in hepatic glucose metabolism in mice.

Excessive hepatic glucose production is a hallmark of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes. The cAMP responsive transcription factor cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB), thought to be a key activator of the hepatic gluconeogenic gene regulation programme, has been suggested as a therapeutic target to reduce glucose output by the liver. Here, we test directly the requirement for hepatocytic CREB for the maintenance of glucose homeostasis. We derived mice with a Creb (also known as Creb1) loxP allele for conditional, cell-type specific gene ablation. Hepatocyte-specific deletion of Creb was induced by injecting Creb loxP/loxP mice with Cre recombinase expression adeno-associated virus. Strikingly, we found no difference in fed and fasted glucose levels, or in glucose, insulin and glucagon tolerance in mice fed a normal chow or a high-fat diet. In addition, mRNA levels of liver-specific genes, including several CREB target genes involved in gluconeogenesis, were not affected by CREB deficiency in the liver. Our data show that CREB has no non-redundant functions in hepatic glucose metabolism, and is therefore not likely to be a useful target for the development of glucose-lowering drugs.
Contemporary principles of coronary chronic total occlusion recanalization.

Successful recanalization and percutaneous revascularization of coronary arteries with chronic total occlusion (CTO) is one of the “last frontiers” in coronary interventions. Conquering this objective may enable complete percutaneous revascularization in an increasing number of patients. Revascularization of CTOs carries multiple theoretical advantages such as improvement in wall motion abnormalities and left ventricular function, and ultimately, increased long-term survival. In the long term, when coronary disease progresses, having an open artery may increase the tolerance to future coronary events. The contemporary principles of the recanalization technique are reviewed. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF THE RELATIVE SURFACE AREAS OF POWDERED MATERIALS1

The ratios of the surfaces of powders of different degrees of fineness are obtained by determining the relative amounts of a radioactive substance, ThB, adsorbed on the surfaces of the powders. The ThB is dissolved in an ammonical solution of water or alcohol, and equal-weight samples of the various powders are placed in equal volumes of this radioactive solution. After adsorption equilibrium is complete, 10 cc. of the clear supernatant liquid of each sample are evaporated to dryness on watch glasses, and the relative radioactivities of the deposits are measured in an electroscope. Since, for a given concentration of radio-active solution, the degree of adsorption is not a straight-line function of the surface exposed, an adsorption curve must be determined for each material studied.
Inorganic materials for anomalous-dispersion phase-matched second-harmonic generation: rubidium titanyl arsenate isomorphs, Rb[Ti1−2xLnxNbx]OAsO4

Abstract The defect chemistry and optical properties of Rb[Ti 1−2 x Ln x Nb x ]OAsO 4 are reported. The solid solubility of lanthanide ions in these materials decreases exponentially as the size of the lanthanide ion increases. The high-temperature chemistry is complex: Rb[Ti 1−2 x Ln x Nb x ]OAsO 4 is formed at low dopant concentrations and Rb 1− z □ z [Ti 1−2 x − z Ln x Nb x + z ]OAsO 4 and additional phases are formed at higher concentrations. All the materials exhibit absorption spectra that are characteristic of the particular lanthanide ion in the structure. The charge transfer band is red-shifted 0–27 nm relative to RbTiOAsO 4 (midpoint 331 nm). The magnitude of the shift depends on the method of sample preparation. Second-harmonic intensities measured at 532 nm decrease exponentially as the lanthanide ion concentration is increased.
Intermediate trophoblast: a distinctive form of trophoblast with specific morphological, biochemical and functional features

Morphological and immunohistochemical analysis of placental tissue from 12 days to term using antibodies directed against the unique carboxyl terminal peptide of human chorionic gonadotrophin beta subunit, human placental lactogen (hPL) and pregnancy-specific beta I-glycoprotein reveals that an intermediate form of trophoblast with distinctive features exists. This cell has a diverse morphological expression and is located overlying chorionic villi, in the trophoblastic columns, basal plate and the trophoblastic shell. Although all three placental proteins are localized in this cell the predominant hormone is hPL, which can serve as an immunocytochemical marker. One of the primary functions of this cell is in implantation and in the establishment of the uteroplacental circulation since it extensively invades the spiral arteries at the placental site. It is proposed that this distinctive form of trophoblast be termed 'intermediate trophoblast'.
The Verbal Portrait: Erik H. Erikson’s Contribution to Psychoanalytic Discourse

This article makes the case that Erik H. Erikson developed a form of psychoanalytic discourse—the verbal portrait—which, although not unprecedented, became a focal feature of his work, and the testing ground for the cogency of his major contribution to psychoanalysis (the concept of identity). It suggests that Erikson was inspired to develop the verbal portrait because he came to psychoanalysis from art and was, in fact, a portrait artist. Drawing especially on the work of Richard Brilliant, it presents the view that a portrait is a portrayal of the subject’s identity and goes on to show how Erikson’s memorial to the cultural anthropologist Ruth Benedict is representative of the verbal portrait.
RELATIONSHIP OF THE ORGANIC ACIDS OF TOBACCO TO THE INORGANIC BASIC CONSTITUENTS.

There is little doubt that one of the important functions of the organic acids commonly found in relatively substantial proportions in leaf tissues is to provide a means whereby the hydrogen-ion activity of the solution in the cells is maintained within the proper limits for the particular species. There is considerable literature on the buffer capacity of plant juices (3, 4, 5), and it is obvious that the combined effects of the partially neutralized organic acids, and of the phosphoric acid, as well as of the amino acids, and posssibly, to some extent, of the soluble proteins result in systems that are remarkably stable with respect to change in hydrogen-ion activity. Owing to the inadequacies of the methods available until recently, few reliable studies have been made of the detailed organic acid composition of leaves, and for determinations of total acidity many investigators have depended entirely upon titration of water extracts of the tissues. Such data furnish a measure merely of that part of the water-soluble acids that remains unneutralized at the reaction of the cells and give little indication of the total quantity present either as soluble or insoluble salts. In order to ascertain the true organic acidity it is necessary to liberate the acids from combination and isolate them as a group ; the total quantity present can then be determined by titration between properly selected pH limits. With this information available it becomes possible to investigate the relationships between the chief acidand base-binding substances of the tissue. Data obtained in the course of a study of these factors in tobacco leaf tissue are described in the present communication. We were fortunate in having at our disposal a series of samples derived from plants that had been grown with especially careful control of the inorganic constituents of the fertilizer applied. Complete analyses of the ash of these samples had been made by Dr. E. M. Bailey of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and published in connection with Bailey and Anderson's studies (1) of the effect of various soil treatments on the technical quality of the leaf. We are indebted to them for permission to carry out organic acid analyses of these samples and to recalculate and quote their data.
Critical current densities in textured thin films of BiSrCaCuOxide

Abstract We have measured the temperature and magnetic field dependence of the critical current densities in highly textured BiSrCaCuOxide thin films. The samples measured were either nearly single phase Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 or a mixture of Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 and Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10 . The zero-field critical current density increased almost linearly with decreasing temperature for both types of samples, reaching approximately 5×10 4 A/cm 2 at 4.2K. At 4.2K the critical current density was > 10 4 A/cm 2 even in fields of 6.7 kOe. However, the current carrying capacity of both types of samples was easily destroyed at 77K by application of fields of only a few hundred Oe perpendicular to the copper-oxide planes. Critical current densities were much less sensitive to field at both 4.2K and 77K when the field was applied parallel to the copper-oxide planes.