cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Judges as Party Animals: Retirement Timing by Federal Judges and Party Control of Judicial Appointments

Longstanding debate over the Politicized Departure Hypothesis (PDH) asserts that federal judges arrange to retire under presidents of the same political party as the presidents who first appointed them, thereby giving that party the right to nominate their successor. PDH is important for assessing political party agency by judges, who receive no consequent personal benefit, and for explaining the long-term political party orientation of courts. Previous PDH studies suffer from absent data on known and unknown determinants of retirement timing and correlational rather than causal methods. To avoid both problems, we apply 11 sharp regression discontinuity (SRD) analyses to voluntary judicial departures before and after six elections (1920-2016) that replaced Democratic presidents with Republicans and five elections that replaced Republicans with Democrats. We contrast judicial decisions to retire, resign, or take senior status during the days before a regime-changing election with such decisions during an equal number of days after the inauguration of a president from the other party, with tests performed for periods approximating 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 months. For pre-election and post-inauguration observation periods of 270 days, for example, the results of 10 of 11 analyses, including difference tests and difference-in-difference tests, are as predicted by PDH: judges were more likely to retire when the same party holds the presidency as when they were first appointed to the federal bench. Serendipitously, judges appointed by Republican presidents appear to respond more strongly than Democratic appointees to changes in the party holding the White House. We offer a novel explanation of PDH based on normative reciprocity in addition to ideology. We also suggest using politicized departure to examine effects of former judges’ political party agency on their prior judicial decisions.
Who Believes in Conspiracy Theories? Network Diversity, Political Discussion, and Conservative Conspiracy Theories on Social Media:

A survey of 3,441 U.S. social media users showed that a high portion believes in conspiracy theories, and their beliefs vary widely along the party lines and socio-demographic factors. In particula...
Impairment Identification for PAM-4 Transceivers and Links Using Machine Learning

We demonstrate simultaneous TDECQ estimation and impairment identification using convolutional neural networks. Robust training with representative impairments yielded identification accuracy of 100% for TDECQ >2.6 dB, when considering limited bandwidth, signal compression and SNR degradation.
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on birth satisfaction in a prospective cohort of 2,341 U.S. women.

Abstract Problem Birth satisfaction is an important health outcome that is related to postpartum mood, infant caretaking, and future pregnancy intention. Background The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected antenatal care and intrapartum practices that may reduce birth satisfaction. Aim To investigate the extent to which pandemic-related factors predicted lower birth satisfaction. Methods 2341 women who were recruited prenatally in April–May 2020 and reported a live birth between April–October 2020 were included in the current analysis. Hierarchical linear regression to predict birth satisfaction from well-established predictors of birth satisfaction (step 1) and from pandemic-related factors (step 2) was conducted. Additionally, the indirect associations of pandemic-related stress with birth satisfaction were investigated. Findings The first step of the regression explained 35% of variance in birth satisfaction. In the second step, pandemic-related factors explained an additional 3% of variance in birth satisfaction. Maternal stress about feeling unprepared for birth due to the pandemic and restrictions on companions during birth independently predicted lower birth satisfaction beyond the non-pandemic variables. Pandemic-related unpreparedness stress was associated with more medicalized birth and greater incongruence with birth preference, thus also indirectly influencing birth satisfaction through a mediation process. Discussion Well-established contributors to birth satisfaction remained potent during the pandemic. In addition, maternal stress and restriction on accompaniment to birth were associated with a small but significant reduction in birth satisfaction. Conclusion Study findings suggest that helping women set flexible and reasonable expectations for birth and allowing at least one intrapartum support person can improve birth satisfaction.
Influence of enzyme induction on the sleeping time of rats

Hepatic microsomal enzyme systems can be activated by pretreatment with phenobarbital, other barbiturates, ddt, and many other drugs. Contrarily, another compound such as skf 525-a, ethionine, and puromycin can inhibit the same enzymatic mechanisms. The sleep-time periods of albino rats produced by pentobarbital, thiopental, zoxazolamine, ci-581, diazepam, and gamma-hydroxybutyrate were significantly shortened by previous administration of phenobarbital twice daily for four days. However, the duration of action of the same anaesthetics was significantly prolonged when the animals were “pretreated” by the administration of skf 525-a, an inhibiter of liver microsomal enzymes.
National Enhanced Elevation Assessment at a glance

Introduction Elevation data are essential for hazards mitigation, conservation, infra-­ structure development, national security, and many other applications. Under the leadership of the U.S. Geological Survey and the member States of the National Digital Elevation Program (NDEP), Federal agencies, State agencies, and others work together to acquire high-­ quality elevation data for the United States and its territories. New elevation data are acquired using modern technology to replace elevation data that are, on average, more than 30 years old. Through the efforts of the NDEP, a project-­by-­project data acquisition approach resulted in improved, publicly available data for 28 percent of the conterminous United States and 15 percent of Alaska over the past 15 years. Although the program oper-­
Durability Testing of Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) Products

Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) is being considered as a potential technology for the immobilization of a wide variety of radioactive wastes but especially aqueous high sodium wastes at the Hanford site, at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), and at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The FBSR technology converts organic compounds to CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O, converts nitrate/nitrite species to N{sub 2}, and produces a solid residue through reactions with superheated steam, the fluidizing media. If clay is added during processing a ''mineralized'' granular waste form can be produced. The mineral components of the waste form are primarily Na-Al-Si (NAS) feldspathoid minerals with cage-like and ring structures and iron bearing spinel minerals. The cage and ring structured minerals atomically bond radionuclides like Tc{sup 99} and Cs{sup 137} and anions such as SO{sub 4}, I, F, and Cl. The spinel minerals appear to stabilize Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous species such as Cr and Ni. Durability testing of the FBSR products was performed using ASTM C1285 (Product Consistency Test) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Toxic Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP). The FBSR mineral products (bed and fines) evaluated in this study were found to be two orders ofmore » magnitude more durable than the Hanford Low Activity Waste (LAW) glass requirement of 2 g/m{sup 2} release of Na{sup +}. The PCT responses for the FBSR samples tested were consistent with results from previous FBSR Hanford LAW product testing. Differences in the response can be explained by the minerals formed and their effects on PCT leachate chemistry.« less
The unified theory of nuclear reactions: III. Overlapping resonances

Abstract The unified theory of nuclear reactions is employed to derive general expressions which: (i) are valid in the presence of direct interactions as well as well separated or overlapping compound nuclear resonances; (ii) explicitly satisfy the requirements of unitarity; (iii) involve the minimal number of real parameters.
Design of the Los Alamos generator installation

A 1430-MVA synchronous generator from a cancelled nuclear power plant is being installed at Los Alamos to be used as the pulsed-power generator for the Confinement Physics Research Facility (CPRF). The generator is mounted on a spring foundation to prevent dynamic forces from being transmitted to the substructure and the ground. A 6-MW load-commutated inverter drive will accelerate the machine from standstill to the maximum operating speed at 1800 r.p.m., and from 1260 r.p.m. to 1800 r.p.m. between load pulses. The generator cooling method is being changed from hydrogen to air cooling. A current-limiting fuse, with a fuse clearing current of 80 kA, will protect the generator output against short-circuit currents. Changes in the excitation system are described. A status report on the installation and an appropriate schedule for completing the installation are presented. Results of special studies and tests undertaken to evaluate the condition of the generator and to predict the behavior of some critical mechanical generator components under pulsed loading conditions are discussed. >
Is BEBA Best? Researching Bilingual Education in Databases

Bilingual education is a strong component in some education systems, districts, and academic curriculums, and non‐existent in others. There is presently much controversy surrounding the issue of whether or not bilingual education is effective in providing non‐English speaking children a good education. Government officials, researchers, and educators all differ as to the need of bilingual education, especially when funding is under consideration. Thus, the need for in‐depth research is in great demand. The availability of the Bilingual Education Bibliographic Abstracts (BEBA) database provides a primary resource for research in this burgeoning area. The question is thus raised, how effective is BEBA in comparison with other databases such as ERIC, Exceptional Child Education Resources, Language and Language Behavior Abstracts, MLA Bibliography, National Institute for Mental Health, Psychological Abstracts, School Practices Information File, and Sociological Abstracts. This study attempts to investigate the differences among these databases and to provide the reader a better understanding of BEBA.
A High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Assay for Yohimbine HCl Analysis

The analysis used yohimbine HCl solution prepared from commercially available yohimbine HCl powder. Stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay procedures were established and utilized to analyze the concentration of the drug. The method proved to be a simple model since it does not contain a buffer system. The mobile phase used, a methanol: 70:30 ratio, was similar to that suggested by the manufacturer for the storage of the column. Therefore, the solvent system saves analytical processing time since it does not require a change in the mobile phase before and after the analysis. The analytical method has been shown to be stability indicating. The assay method showed a retention time for yohimbine of 4.2 min; for caffeine, the internal standard, it was 2.3 min. The standard deviation and the coefficient of variation were under acceptable limits of 2% and were specifically 1.51% and 1.35% for within-day and between-day samples, respectively. The results showed that the degrada...
Chemical interactions between 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene and n-decane in doped counterflow gaseous diffusion flames

Abstract The chemical interaction of the two-components of a jet fuel surrogate, n -decane and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene (TMB), was studied by adding several hundreds ppm of each chemical to two counterflow diffusion flames, one using methane and the other ethylene as baseline fuels. The objective was to look into evidence of synergistic effects due to the interaction of these reference fuels, that are representative of normal alkanes and aromatics, respectively, making up the bulk of practical fuels. The dopants were added in the same proportions as in the Aachen surrogate of jet fuel. The flames presented two distinct environments: the permanently blue methane flame and the incipiently sooting ethylene flame provide well defined temperature–time histories and chemical environments, with the one based on ethylene being relatively more oxygen-deficient. Profiles of critical pyrolysis products and of some stable soot precursors were determined from GC/MS analysis of gas samples extracted from the flames and compared with results from the OPPDIFF model using a lumped chemical mechanism. Mechanistically relevant synergies among the two fuel components are highlighted considering the production rate of aromatics in both flames when adding the two components either simultaneously or separately. The principal observation is that the combined addition of the two components causes an overproduction of methane in the ethylene flame, a decrease in the concentration of acetylene in the methane flame and an acceleration of the aromatic destruction/growth pathways. The model for the most part fails to capture the principal evidence of synergistic effects. Most of the other quantified species reveal no synergy, their concentration being the sum of the contributions of each component used individually, partly because of the small amounts of reactants that were added to the flames.
An extension of Krupkowski's method of interpreting thermodynamic properties of multicomponent compound-forming alloys

Abstract An extension of Krupkowski's concept of predicting thermodynamic properties of multicomponent solutions from respective binaries is presented. The present work is based on the assumption that the logarithm of the activity coefficient of one component in the binary system can be represented by the formula ln ⁡ γ 2 = A ( T ) N 1 m − B ( T ) N 1 m + 1 This method allows satisfactory descriptions of binary and higher order systems that exhibit negative deviation from ideality. The following examples are given, Mg Bi, Mg Sb and Sb Te In.
Self-assembly of Sidewall Functionalized Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes Investigated by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

The thiol and thiophene sidewall functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes have been investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy. By exploiting the well-established Au−S chemistry, the thiol- and thiophene-modified nanotubes were self-assembled and anchored on bare gold surfaces as well as inserted into hexanethiol self-assembled monolayers. The positions of functional groups on the nanotube sidewall are revealed during imaging. From these measurements we have determined the size and spatial distribution of the sulfur-functionalized sidechains along the nanotube sidewalls.
Relative Insignificance of Mineral Grain Zeta Potential to Colloid Transport in Geochemically Heterogeneous Porous Media

The role of ζ-(zeta)potential of mineral grains in the initial deposition kinetics of colloidal particles in geochemically heterogeneous porous media is investigated. Colloid deposition experiments...
The multigrid method in solid mechanics: Part I—Algorithm description and behaviour

A multigrid algorithm is described that can be used to obtain the finite element solution of linear elastic solid mechanics problems. The method is applied to some two dimensional problems to evaluate its strengths and weaknesses. Extensive studies are made to determine the convergence behaviour of the method. In general, this depends on many factors: the number of degrees-of-freedom in the discretization, characteristics of the algorithm, Poisson's ratio when it is close to 0·5, the amount of bending deformation in the problem under consideration, and the degree of non-uniformity in the mesh. Only certain values of the multigrid parameters allow a converged solution to be obtained with a computational effort proportional to the number of degrees-of-freedom. These values include the optimum ones, i.e. those that lead to convergence with the least computational effort. The constant of proportionality is only independent of the number of degrees-of-freedom and still depends on the other factors listed above.
Organocobalt mediated radical polymerization of acrylic acid in water

Low polydispersity high molecular weight poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) is formed rapidly by the aqueous polymerization of acrylic acid (AA) initiated by an azo radical source (V-70) in the presence of cobalt complexes of tetra(3,5-disulfonatomesityl) porphyrin. Water-soluble cobalt(II) porphyrins in conjunction with an azo radical source and acrylic acid react to produce organocobalt complexes that mediate the radical polymerization of AA in water. Linear increase in number-average molecular weight with monomer conversion indicates the living character of the polymerization. Kinetic−mechanistic studies demonstrate that organocobalt complexes mediate the living radical polymerization by both a degenerative transfer radical interchange polymerization (RIP) mechanism and cobalt(II) stable free radical reversible termination.
Determinants of institutional attractiveness to bright, prospective college students

This article examines the institutional characteristics which affect the attractiveness of colleges and universities to bright, prospective students. The dependent variable was formed by using the expressed college preferences of the highest scoring third of all students taking the National Merit Scholarship Exam in 1964–65 and 1972–73. Twenty-eight independent variables were factor analyzed and selected variables entered into a stepwise multiple regression. Low tuition, well-credentialed faculty, research orientation, and fiscal strength appear as the important factors in raising institutional attractiveness.
Identification of the optimal electrocardiographic leads for detecting acute epicardial injury in acute myocardial infarction.

Current coronary care electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring techniques are aimed at detection of cardiac arrhythmias rather than myocardial ischemia. However, in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) who undergo reperfusion therapy, monitoring ST-segment deviation could provide an early noninvasive indicator of coronary artery reocclusion. In this study, the admission 12-lead ECGs of patients with initial AMI were used to propose optimal lead locations for ST-segment monitoring. The study population was selected from consecutive Duke University Medical Center admissions during 1965 to 1981 who met the following inclusion criteria: (1) chest pain for no more than 8 hours, (2) initial AMI documented by ECG and 3 of 4 enzyme criteria, (3) ≥0.1 mV (1 mV = 10 mm) of ST elevation in at least 1 of the standard 12 leads (not aVR) on admission ECG, and (4) no ECG evidence of conduction disturbances, ventricular hypertrophy or tachycardia. ST-segment deviation was quantified; AMI location was assigned based on the lead with maximal deviation. Of the 80 patients who had an inferior AMI, lead III was both the most frequent location for ST elevation (94%) and the most common site with maximal ST deviation. Lead V 2 had the highest incidence of ST-segment depression (60%). In the 68 patients who had an anterior AMI, lead V 2 had the highest frequency of ST elevation (99%). Leads V 2 and V 3 were the most common sites of maximal elevation. Thus, for monitoring ST deviation, leads III and V 2 may be superior to leads II and V 1 , which are commonly used in arrhythmia monitoring. Studies of patients who have undergone thrombolytic therapy are needed to examine the performance of these leads for detecting coronary artery occlusion.
Aerobic nitroreduction of dehydrochloramphenicol by bone marrow

It has been previously demonstrated that dehydrochloramphenicol (DH-CAP), a bacterial metabolite of chloramphenicol, induces DNA single strand breaks in intact cells and is profoundly more cytotoxic than chloramphenicol (CAP). In view of previous observations relating genotoxicity of nitrocompounds to their nitroreduction by the target tissue, we studied the nitroreduction of DH-CAP by human and rabbit bone marrow. Nitroreduction by tissue homogenates was determined by the Bratton Marshall colorimetric assay and by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Nitroreduction of DH-CAP by bone marrow cell homogenates was observed under aerobic conditions and the reduction was both cell concentration- and time-dependent. The formation of the amino product aminodehydrochloramphenicol was confirmed by HPLC. Reduction by other tissues including human liver, Raji cells, and HL-60 tumors was also observed. These results suggest that genotoxicity of DH-CAP may be related to its nitroreduction by the target tissue with in situ production of toxic intermediates. Together with previous studies, these observations lend support to the thesis that the p-NO2 group may be the structural feature underlying aplastic anemia from CAP.
Exponential smoothing with credibility weighted observations

Our interest is in time series data smoothing. We view this process as an aggregation of previously observed values. We first discuss the features desired of a good smoothing operator. We particularly note the conflict that exists between our desire for minimal variance and desire to use the freshest data. We describe a number of commonly used smoothing techniques, moving average and exponential smoothing. We then consider the extension of these methods to the case where the observations can have different credibility or importances. Specifically we develop an extension of the exponential smoothing method to the case where the observations can have different importance weights in the smoothing process.
Solution of the Euler equations for two dimensional transonic flow by a multigrid method

The assumption of potential o w implies that the o w is irrotational. This is not strictly correct when shock waves are present. An exact description of transonic inviscid o w requires the solution of the Euler equations. The numerical solution of the Euler equations for steady transonic o ws is therefore a problem of great interest to the aeronautical community. It also presents a testing challenge to applied mathematicians and numerical analysts.
Comparative Perspectives on Social Integration in Pluralistic Societies: Thick Norms versus Thin

AbstractI address major challenges to dealing with contentious public issues by replacing thick norms with thin ones: (1) Secularism, individual liberty, equal rights, and rule of law lend themselves to politics more thin than thick; does this condemn the approach to its own kind of thickness? (2) If the unit of analysis is the individual, and if the individual’s primary project is his or her liberty, must this approach threaten the communitarian self-understandings of some groups? (3) Does it fundamentalize political liberalism? (4) What about addressees likely to reject thin norms, such as persons guided by an otherworldly authority or an authoritarian ideology? (5) Is this approach defeated where territorialized membership rights clash with thin norms, for example in the European Union: a political and economic community internally somewhat thin yet externally thick?
Scheduling for end-to-end deadline-constrained traffic with reliability requirements in multi-hop networks

We attack the challenging problem of designing a scheduling policy for end-to-end deadline-constrained traffic with reliability requirements in a multi-hop network. It is well-known that the end-to-end delay performance for a multi-hop flow has a complex dependence on the high-order statistics of the arrival process and the algorithm itself. Thus, neither the earlier optimization based approaches that aim to meet the long-term throughput demands, nor the solutions that focus on a similar problem for single-hop flows directly apply. Moreover, a dynamic programming-based approach becomes intractable for such multi-time scale Quality-of-Service(QoS)-constrained traffic in a multi-hop environment. This motivates us in this work to develop an alternative model that enables us to exploit the degree of freedom in choosing appropriate service discipline. Based on the new model, we propose two alternative solutions, first based on a Lyapunov-drift minimization approach, and second based on a novel relaxed optimization-formulation. We provide extensive numerical results to compare the performance of both of these solutions to throughput-optimal back-pressure-type schedulers and to longest waiting time based schedulers that have provably optimal asymptotic performance characteristics. Our results reveal that the dynamic choice of service discipline of our proposed solutions yields substantial performance improvements compared to both of these types of traditional solutions under non-asymptotic conditions.
How an Administrator Evaluates a Teaching Program

Abstract Teaching and weather may have something in common. Both can run hot and cold; but many people are convinced there's little to be done about it. We’ll leave the weather to researchers on cloud seeding, forecasting satellites, and the like, to concentrate a few comments on effective teaching and how it may be recognized. The very title of this paper—How an Administrator Evaluates a Teaching Program—holds elements repugnant to faculty and presumptuous to the administrator. Certainly, no administrator has self-competency to determine the proper content and quality of the diverse coursing found in university or college instruction. One must look to other sources for this information. Faculty, students, and alumni of the College are interested—often vitally interested—in the teaching program. All may be tapped for evaluations. Faculties at other institutions may be called upon for detached critical appraisals. Also, the Council members of the College, representing the broad field of modern agriculture including commercial farmers, officers of farm organizations, and leaders in agricultural industries constitute another useful source of evaluation.
Parameter learning with truncated message-passing

Training of conditional random fields often takes the form of a double-loop procedure with message-passing inference in the inner loop. This can be very expensive, as the need to solve the inner loop to high accuracy can require many message-passing iterations. This paper seeks to reduce the expense of such training, by redefining the training objective in terms of the approximate marginals obtained after message-passing is “truncated” to a fixed number of iterations. An algorithm is derived to efficiently compute the exact gradient of this objective. On a common pixel labeling benchmark, this procedure improves training speeds by an order of magnitude, and slightly improves inference accuracy if a very small number of message-passing iterations are used at test time.
The path to affordable and available 640x480 uncooled FPAs

The cost of high sensitivity, high resolution, (640x480) Uncooled IR (UCIR) sensors is too high for the sensors to widely proliferate. To achieve cost reduction and production capacity goals, improvements are required in the following areas: the Read-out Integrated Circuit (ROIC), the pixel design, the Integrated Circuit Processing of MEMS structures, vacuum package design, batch assembly package processing and automated testing. The improvements result in increased yield at the wafer level, increased yield through packaging, lower labor assembly and testing costs and improved performance. A cost model will be presented to show the interrelationship of the various costs and how the reduction in cost may be achieved.
Motor control of accessory muscles in the tendon receptor organ in Limulus polyphemus

Abstract 1. 1. The motor control of the accessory muscles of the tendon receptor organ of Limulus polyphemus (L.) was investigated by recording nerve and muscle activity. 2. 2. Motoneurons to the accessory muscles and the trochanter depressor muscle discharge simultaneously during spontaneous leg movement. 3. 3. Four motoneurons were found to be shared between the accessory muscles and the trochanter depressor. 4. 4. The shared motoneurons represent only a small contribution to the innervation of these muscles since each receives many unshared motoneurons.
Hydrologic properties of coal beds in the Powder River Basin, Montana I. Geophysical log analysis

As part of a multidisciplinary investigation designed to assess the implications of coal-bed methane development on water resources for the Powder River Basin of southeastern Montana, six wells were drilled through Paleocene-age coal beds along a 31km east–west transect within the Tongue River drainage basin. Analysis of geophysical logs obtained in these wells provides insight into the hydrostratigraphic characteristics of the coal and interbedded siliciclastic rocks and their possible interaction with the local stress field. Natural gamma and electrical resistivity logs were effective in distinguishing individual coal beds. Full-waveform sonic logs were used to determine elastic properties of the coal and an attendant estimate of aquifer storage is in reasonable agreement with that computed from a pumping test. Inspection of magnetically oriented images of the borehole walls generated from both acoustic and optical televiewers and comparison with coal cores infer a face cleat orientation of approximately N338E, in close agreement with regional lineament patterns and the northeast trend of the nearby Tongue River. The local tectonic stress field in this physiographic province as inferred from a nearby 1984 earthquake denotes an oblique strike-slip faulting regime with dominant east–west compression and north–south extension. These stress directions are coincident with those of the primary fracture sets identified from the televiewer logs and also with the principle axes of the drawdown ellipse produced from a complementary aquifer test, but oblique to apparent cleat orientation. Consequently, examination of these geophysical logs within the context of local hydrologic characteristics indicates that transverse transmissivity anisotropy in these coals is predominantly controlled by bedding configuration and perhaps a mechanical response to the contemporary stress field rather than solely by cleat structure. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Physiological Disturbance of the Reproductive System in White Leghorn Cockerels Following the Feeding of Enheptin

Abstract THE efficacy of Enheptin (2-amino, 5-nitrothiazole) in the treatment and prevention of blackhead (infectious enterohepatitis) of turkeys has been demonstrated by DeVolt et al. (1951), Jungherr and Winn (1950), and Waletzky et al. (1950), and others. These investigators reported that, except for a short period of retardation in growth due to depressed feed consumption, no toxic effects were noted. At one time blackhead in chickens was considered to be a benign disease and of no economic importance. After vaccination against fowl pox became a common practice, however, a change was noted. It was observed that, though a flock appeared to be in good health at the time of vaccination, heavy losses were suffered from blackhead. These losses usually began ten days to two weeks after vaccination and continued for ten or more days. This sequence of events can be explained by assuming that the chickens were carriers of the blackhead . . .
Sensing refractive-turbulence profiles (Cn2) using wavefront slope measurements from two reference sources

This paper examines a remote sensing technique for measuring the atmospheric structure constant, C-squared(n) as a function of altitude by performing spatial correlation of wave front sensor measurements. Two point sources are used to irradiate separate wave front sensors in the aperture plane of an optical system. The geometric relationship between the sources and the sensors gives rise to crossed optical paths. At the point where the paths cross, the turbulence contributions in both paths are highly correlated. The correlation of the slope sensor measurements is shown to be mathematically related to the structure constant in terms of an integral of C-squared(n) multiplied by a path weighting function. The value of the structure constant can be inferred from the correlation. The resolution of the technique depends on the angle between the optical paths and the size of the wave front sensor apertures. For sensing the vertical profile of C-squared(n), resolution on the order of 100 m can be obtained by using sources separated by 0.29 deg.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Depression and recovery of the electrocorticogram, behavior, and brain amines in rats treated with reserpine

Summary The effect of reserpine on the integrated electrocorticogram (ECoG) of conscious,unrestrained rats was examined by recording from electrodes chronically implanted on parietalcortex. Rotarod performance, spontaneous locomotor activity and brain aminelevels were alsomeasured at various times following reserpine treatment. Four and 24 hr after single i.p.injections of doses ranging from 0·5 to 4 mg/kg, the ECoG voltage was signiflcantty increasedover control. ECoG had returned to control by 48 hr after drug. Motor activity did notrecover until 72 hr after 4 mg/kg, while rotarod performance was depressed up to 96 hrfollowing the 2 mg/kg and 4 mg/kg dose. Brain norepinephrine, dopamine, and 5-hydroxy-tryptamine were markedly depleted 48 hr after 2 mg/kg reserpine and were still below controlat 7 days. The order of recovery of the measured parameters was ECoG voltage, motor activity,rotarod performance, and brain amine concentrations. It is suggested that the differingrates of recovery may reflect regional variations in depletion and recovery of fun~ional braincatecholamine stores following reserpine.
Loss of nm23 and Alu DNA in human lung cancer propagated in nude mice

Freshly resected human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been successfully transplanted and propagated subcutaneously in nude mice (Cancer Letters 61 (1991) 53-60). We used this model to study the changes of the human metastasis suppressor genes, nm23-H1 and nm23-H2, through the process of propagation and metastasis of human NSCLC. Using a non-radioisotopic Southern analysis, the nm23-H1 and nm23-H2 genes were detected without evidence of deletion in the early generations of the tumor grafts. These genes, however, were absent from the tumor grafts sampled past 4 generations of propagation and from all the propagated metastases originated from the subcutaneous grafts. Further restriction analysis revealed that only mouse DNA, but no human Alu DNA, was present in the tumor specimens which lacked the human nm23 genes. Thus, there is a loss of human DNA but a gain of mouse DNA in the propagated tumors originated from the transplanted human NSCLC. The mechanisms of loss of human DNA in these propagated tumors in nude mice have yet to be delineated.
Elevation of cyclic AMP in C-1300 murine neuroblastoma by adenosine and related compounds and the antagonism of this response by methylxanthines.

Abstract Adenosine, in the presence of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor. Ro 20-1724, produces large increases in the intracellular content of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate of murine neuroblastoma cells (clone N2a). This response is not blocked by dipyridamole, an antagonist of adenosine uptake, but is antagonized by certain methylxanthines. The structure activity relationships for agonistic and antagonistic activity were determined and the following observations made: (1) the N 6 is necessary for the binding of adenosine to its receptor, but not for antagonist activity; (2) the substitution of a methyl group at the 1 position increases antagonistic activity of xanthines (from no activity to measurable activity) but greatly decreases the affinity of adenosine for its receptor; and (3) the sugar moiety is important for the binding of adenosine to its receptor, but not for antagonistic activity. The dissimilarities in the structure-activity relationships for agonistic activity and antagonist activity are interpreted to indicate that this antagonism is not competitive in nature.
Defects in the Peripheral Taste Structure and Function in the MRL/lpr Mouse Model of Autoimmune Disease

While our understanding of the molecular and cellular aspects of taste reception and signaling continues to improve, the aberrations in these processes that lead to taste dysfunction remain largely unexplored. Abnormalities in taste can develop in a variety of diseases, including infections and autoimmune disorders. In this study, we used a mouse model of autoimmune disease to investigate the underlying mechanisms of taste disorders. MRL/MpJ-Faslpr/J (MRL/lpr) mice develop a systemic autoimmunity with phenotypic similarities to human systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjogren's syndrome. Our results show that the taste tissues of MRL/lpr mice exhibit characteristics of inflammation, including infiltration of T lymphocytes and elevated levels of some inflammatory cytokines. Histological studies reveal that the taste buds of MRL/lpr mice are smaller than those of wild-type congenic control (MRL/+/+) mice. 5-Bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) pulse-chase experiments show that fewer BrdU-labeled cells enter the taste buds of MRL/lpr mice, suggesting an inhibition of taste cell renewal. Real-time RT-PCR analyses show that mRNA levels of several type II taste cell markers are lower in MRL/lpr mice. Immunohistochemical analyses confirm a significant reduction in the number of gustducin-positive taste receptor cells in the taste buds of MRL/lpr mice. Furthermore, MRL/lpr mice exhibit reduced gustatory nerve responses to the bitter compound quinine and the sweet compound saccharin and reduced behavioral responses to bitter, sweet, and umami taste substances compared with controls. In contrast, their responses to salty and sour compounds are comparable to those of control mice in both nerve recording and behavioral experiments. Together, our results suggest that type II taste receptor cells, which are essential for bitter, sweet, and umami taste reception and signaling, are selectively affected in MRL/lpr mice, a model for autoimmune disease with chronic inflammation.
Lives Worth Living: Religious Education and Social Movements

Abstract When people of faith participate in movements for social change, how are their religious and moral identities formed, challenged, and transformed? Although they have explicit and tangible goals as they participate in advocacy, protest, and boycotts, religious social activists also, James Jasper argues, craft “lives worth living” (1997). This article examines the identity-shaping power of religious participation in social movements, in conversation with scholarship in religious education and social movement theory; describes the relationship between social activism and theological imagination; and proposes some explicit practices for nurturing religious and moral formation.
An Empirical Investigation of Extensible Information Sharing in Supply Chains: Going Beyond Dyadic

Although information sharing is highly desirable in a supply chain, the reality is that most supply chain participants restrict themselves to dyadic information sharing (i.e., information sharing between immediate, first-tier supply chain participants). In this investigation, data is collected from one system that permits extensible information sharing (i.e., information sharing beyond immediate, first-tier supply chain participants) to empirically investigate the determinants of extensible information sharing. The goal of this study is to identify specific actions that promote extensible information sharing. It uses hierarchical regression analysis to examine the contribution of these actions, after controlling for certain dyadic information sharing and industry practices. According to the results, companies that pursue real-time integration of the supply chain and are willing to change the roles and responsibilities of their employees engage in extensible information sharing. Surprisingly, it is found that companies that have a long-term relationship with immediate supply chain participants are less likely to expand their information sharing beyond dyadic information sharing, perhaps because of a perception that their information needs are adequately met.
γ-γ coincidence spectrometry of high-energy nuclear reaction targets

Abstract The application of Ge(Li) γ−γ coincidence spectrometry to the assay of a uranium foil irradiated by 300 GeV protons is described. Digital gates were set on γ-rays from a number of possible reaction products and coincidence spectra were recorded. The technique was applied to the determination of both cross sections and thick-target recoil properties, and results are presented and compared with those obtained by conventional techniques.
Spontaneous labor at term is characterized by specific differential expression of micrornas: A novel mechanism for post-transcriptional gene expression regulation in human parturition

250 SPONTANEOUS LABOR AT TERM IS CHARACTERIZED BY SPECIFIC DIFFERENTIAL EXPRESSION OF MICRORNAS: A NOVEL MECHANISM FOR POST-TRANSCRIPTIONAL GENE EXPRESSION REGULATION IN HUMAN PARTURITION BETH L. PINELES, ROBERTO ROMERO, DANIEL MONTENEGRO, JUNG-SUN KIM, ADI L. TARCA, JUAN PEDRO KUSANOVIC, POOJA MITTAL, SONIA HASSAN, JIMMY ESPINOZA, CHONG JAI KIM, Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD, NIH, DHHS, Detroit, Michigan, Wayne State University, Department of Computer Science, Detroit, Michigan, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Detroit, Michigan, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Detroit, Michigan OBJECTIVE: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are novel, key post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression with fundamental roles in development and control of the immune response (Taganov et al, PNAS online 2006 Aug 2). This study was conducted to determine whether miRNAs are differentially expressed in the human myometrium during spontaneous parturition. STUDY DESIGN: Myometrial biopsies were obtained at the time of cesarean delivery from women not in labor and those in early labor (cervical dilatation !5 cm). We studied the relative expression levels of 157 miRNAs using quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Statistical analysis was performed using generalized estimating equations and the false discovery rate correction method. P values are displayed in the Figure. SMFM Abstracts S85
Revitalization and counter‐revitalization: tourism, heritage, and the Lantern Festival as catalysts for regeneration in Hội An, Việt Nam

When employed for development purposes, tourism often elicits a fundamental tension between locals’ desire (and need) to both change and to stay the same. Like other development projects, it is often paradoxically conceived as a means of empowering and ‘bettering’ hosts that necessarily rests in the hands of the guests. After briefly tracing the historical conjunctures between development discourses and tourism, the author argues for the adoption of an alternative theory, one that eschews development’s tautologies and evolutionary notions: Anthony Wallace’s classic revitalization theory, a ‘deliberate, organized, conscious effort by members of a society to construct a more satisfying culture’. He contends that this paradigm is a more totalizing set of processes, since it accounts for environmental, religious, psychological, and biological pressures stemming from extra‐cultural challenges. Using ethnographic fieldwork to explore the emergence of Hội An from a sleepy Vietnamese town into the country’s most ...
Utilization of primary nutrients by the polyphagous xylophage, Homalodisca coagulata, reared on single host species

Feeding experiments were conducted to assess development of the polyphagous leafhopper, Homalodisca coagulata, on single host species. Insects were reared from eggs on two cultivars of Euonymus japonica, two cultivars of Lagerstroemia indica, and two species of Prunus. Only insects on nonvariegated E. japonica and L. indica cv. Osage survived to maturity, although a substantial proportion of those on P. salicinia developed to the fourth instar. Chemical profiles of food source (xylem fluid), insect excreta and body composition, and consumption rates were used to estimate assimilation efficiencies, daily assimilation rates, and efficiency of conversion of food into biomass for all primary nutrients identified in the xylem fluid. Rates of successful maturation were greatest on the highest nitrogen and carbon source (nonvariegated E. japonica) and were associated with low consumption rates, high assimilation efficiencies, and prolonged instar durations. Developmental period on L. indica was shorter and consumption rates were higher, yet assimilation efficiencies were reduced and young nymphs had lower survivorship. Low consumption rates, coupled with the low nutritional value of P. salicinia, precluded sufficient accumulation of nutrients to complete development. Insects fed on hosts with xylem fluid containing high ratios of amides to total organic compounds (indicative of low carbon to nitrogen ratios) had higher consumption rates but less efficient assimilation of primary nutrients. Carcass analyses of newly enclosed adults suggest that regulation of consumption rates and assimilation efficiencies to provide adequate accumulation of essential amino acids may be pivotal for successful development. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Approximating Maximum Weight Matching in Near-Linear Time

Given a weighted graph, the {\em maximum weight matching} problem (MWM) is to find a set of vertex-disjoint edges with maximum weight. In the 1960s Edmonds showed that MWMs can be found in polynomial time. At present the fastest MWM algorithm, due to Gabow and Tarjan, runs in $\tilde{O}(m\sqrt{n})$ time, where $m$ and $n$ are the number of edges and vertices in the graph. Surprisingly, restricted versions of the problem, such as computing $(1-\epsilon)$-approximate MWMs or finding maximum cardinality matchings, are not known to be much easier (on sparse graphs). The best algorithms for these problems also run in $\tilde{O}(m\sqrt{n})$ time. In this paper we present the first near-linear time algorithm for computing $(1-\epsilon)$-approximate MWMs. Specifically, given an arbitrary real-weighted graph and $\epsilon>0$, our algorithm computes such a matching in $O(m\epsilon^{-2}\log^3 n)$ time. The previous best approximate MWM algorithm with comparable running time could only guarantee a $(2/3-\epsilon)$-approximate solution. In addition, we present a faster algorithm, running in $O(m\log n\log\epsilon^{-1})$ time, that computes a $(3/4-\epsilon)$-approximate MWM.
Gay-related stress and its correlates among gay and bisexual male adolescents of predominantly Black and Hispanic background

The relationships among gay-related and non-gay-related stressful life events, self-esteem, emotional distress, and multiple problem behaviors (conduct problems, alcohol use, drug use, and sexual risk acts) were examined among 136 gay and bisexual male youths, predominantly Hispanic and Black, seeking social and recreational services at a gay-identified community-based agency in New York City. Increasing levels of gay-related stressful life events were associated moderately with emotional distress and the multiple problem behaviors. In addition, high self-esteem was related to low levels of emotional distress. However, self-esteem did not buffer the relationships between gay-related stressful life events and emotional distress or between these life events and the multiple problem behaviors. In addition, only one chance ethnic difference emerged in emotional distress or multiple problem behaviors. Future research should examine the chronic impact of gay-related stressful life events on gay and bisexual youths and identify the resources that allow the youths to cope with this stress. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.