cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determination of the optical properties of La 2-x Ba x CuO 4 for several dopings, including the anomalous x=(1)/(8) phase

The optical properties of single crystals of the high-temperature superconductor La{sub 2-x}Ba{sub x}CuO{sub 4} have been measured over a wide frequency and temperature range for light polarized in the a-b planes and along the c axis. Three different Ba concentrations have been examined, x = 0.095 with a critical temperature T{sub c} = 32 K, x = 0.125 where the superconductivity is dramatically weakened with T{sub c} {approx_equal} 2.4 K, and x = 0.145 with T{sub c} {approx_equal} 24 K. The in-plane behavior of the optical conductivity for these materials at high temperature is described by a Drude-like response with a scattering rate that decreases with temperature. Below T{sub c} in the x = 0.095 and 0.145 materials there is a clear signature of the formation of a superconducting state in the optical properties allowing the superfluid density ({rho}{sub s0}) and the penetration depth to be determined. In the anomalous 1/8 phase, some spectral weight shifts from lower to higher frequency ({ge} 300 cm{sup -1}) on cooling below the spin-ordering temperature T{sub so} {approx_equal} 42 K, associated with the onset of spin-stripe order; we discuss alternative interpretations in terms of a conventional density-wave gap versus the response to pair-density-wave superconductivity.more » The two dopings for which a superconducting response is observed both fall on the universal scaling line {rho}{sub s0}/8 {approx_equal} 4.4 {sigma}{sub dc}T{sub c}, which is consistent with the observation of strong dissipation within the a-b planes. The optical properties for light polarized along the c axis reveal an insulating character dominated by lattice vibrations, superimposed on a weak electronic background. No Josephson plasma edge is observed in the low-frequency reflectance along the c axis for x = 1/8; however, sharp plasma edges are observed for x = 0.095 and 0.145 below T{sub c}.« less
Infectious Enterococcus from Heliothis virescens × H. subflexa Backcross Hybrids (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Plating assays have revealed the presence of a bacterium in extracts of tissues from backcross hybrid insects, derived from crosses between Heliothis virescens and H. subflexa , a bacterium found rarely and in much lower abundance in either of the 2 parent species. The bacterium is primarily localized within the gut but is also consistently recovered in small numbers from other somatic and germinal tissues. Fatty acid profile analyses and the sequence of its 16s ribosomal RNA indicate that the bacterium is an Enterococcus related to Enterococcus sulfureus and E. casseliflavus , species that previously have been encountered in insects and on plant tissues. Injection of the Enterococcus into H. virescens hosts results in the establishment of a bacterial infection similar to that of naturally infected backcross hybrids in terms of tissue distribution and relative magnitude among tissues. Like backcross hybrid males, almost 90% of H. virescens male moths infected as larvae were sterile in single pair test matdngs. The inability to either rescue male fertility in backcross lines cured of the Enterococcus or to observe characteristic abnormalities in sperm ultrastructure, however, casts doubt on the likelihood that this microorganism is the proximate cause of male sterility in backcross hybrid insects.
Negociando a Subjetividade de Mulata no Brasil

Era uma vez uma antropologa que sugeriu a uma amiga brasileira que talvez fosse hora de um academico ligado aos povos indigenas no Brasil ter um espaco na academia para eles mesmo ensinarem sobre as culturas autoctones A pessoa a quem foi dirigida esta observacao respondeu o seguinte Se um indio faz Antropologia nao e mais Antropologia" Essa antropologa sou eu Angela Gilliam e desde aquela ocasiao eu tenho pensado muito sobre aquela conversa especi almente na medida em que eu me situo intelectualmente nos ensaias Talvez aquela pessoa tenha querido dizer Se um indto faz Antropologia ele nao a mais indo Aquela formulacao postula explicitamente que o fato de ser indio e em parte uma construcao social culturalmente determinado acima de tudo Eu confesso ter ficado um pouco triste quando o comentaria foi originalmente proferido ja que imediatamente, eu transferi o contexto a minha propria situacao Se uma mulher negra faz Antropologia ainda e Antropologia' ? Ela ainda e negra? Para poder seguir neste caminho volto me para o debate atual nas ciencias sociais a respeito da relacao se existe entre producao intelectual e experiencia pessoal Alguns dos exemplas de escritura mais provocadora emergem nos momentos criticas em que a posicao de subjetividade do autor fortalece a autoridade analitica Ha muitas razoes para esta mudanca de direcao O que me atrai e eu acho outros estudiosos a escrever pessoalmente e um desejo de abandonara metaltnguagem abonadora que fecha em vez de abrir as podas da academia para todos aqueles que queiram entrar Escritura pessoal representa um esforco sustentado para democratizar a academia Realmente ela
A measure of scale-dependent asymmetry in turbulent boundary layer flows: scaling and Reynolds number similarity

The distribution of temporal scale-dependent streamwise velocity increments is investigated in turbulent boundary layer flows at laboratory and atmospheric Reynolds numbers, using the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory wind tunnel and the Surface Layer Turbulence and Environmental Science Test dataset, respectively. The third-order moments of velocity increments, or asymmetry index , is computed for varying wall distance and time scale separation , where it was observed to leave a robust, distinct signature in the form of a hump, independent of Reynolds number and located across the inertial range. The hump is observed in wall region limited to , with a tendency to shift towards smaller time scales as the surface is approached ( ). Comparing the two datasets, the hump, and its location, are found to obey inner wall scaling and is regarded as a genuine feature of the canonical turbulent boundary layer. The magnitude cumulant analysis of the scale-dependent velocity increments further reveals that intermittency is also enhanced near the wall, in the same flow region where the asymmetry signature was observed. The combination of asymmetry and intermittency is inferred to point at non-local energy transfer and scale coupling across a range of scales. From a turbulent structure perspective, such non-local energy transfer can be seen as the result of strong scale-interaction processes between outer scale motions in the logarithmic layer impacting and distorting smaller scales at the wall, through abrupt energy transfer across scales bypassing the typical energy cascade of the inertial range.
Minnesota Taxi Drivers: A Case Study of Religion at Work

Popular media as well as scholarly journals reveal an increased interest in religious expression at work. Instructors teaching future managers and Human Resource Management (HRM) professionals should consider exploring this topic in more depth. After providing an overview of the topic of religion at work, we present a case based on the Minnesota taxi situation in which taxi drivers at the airport refused to transport customers carrying alcohol because of language in the Quran. Teaching notes areincluded to describe discussion points as well as additional examples of how religion atwork is becoming an important HRM issue
Kolbe electrolytic coupling

Electrolysis of carboxylates to afford the coupled products. Homocoupling product is obtained if two carboxylates are the same - decarboxylative dimerization; unsymmetrical product will be produced if the two carboxylates are different.
The Quadratic Death Process

In the last section it was not possible to determine exactly how close the approximate mean and variance come to their exact counterparts. We could, however, accomplish this for a nonlinear process that can be explicitly solved. We would then have an absolute measure of the results of the method of linearized transition probabilities.
Placement of Subcutaneous Central Venous Port

This section provides a comprehensive procedural report for placement of subcutaneous central venous port procedure with up-to-date explanatory notes, synopsis of the indications and contraindications, and potential complications in an organized and practical format.
Language Shapes People's Time Perspective and Support for Future-Oriented Policies

Can the way we speak affect the way we perceive time and think about politics? Languages vary by how much they require speakers to grammatically encode temporal differences. Futureless tongues (e.g., Estonian) do not oblige speakers to distinguish between the present and future tense, whereas futured tongues do (e.g., Russian). By grammatically conflating “today” and “tomorrow,” we hypothesize that speakers of futureless tongues will view the future as temporally closer to the present, causing them to discount the future less and support future-oriented policies more. Using an original survey experiment that randomly assigned the interview language to Estonian/Russian bilinguals, we find support for this proposition and document the absence of this language effect when a policy has no obvious time referent. We then replicate and extend our principal result through a cross-national analysis of survey data. Our results imply that language may have significant consequences for mass opinion.
111 Sex differences in the association between video gaming and violence among urban youth

Statement of purpose Empirical studies of the relationship between aggression and playing violent video games have produced mixed results; one possible reason is the inattention to effect modifiers, such as sex. Our purpose is to analyse the relationship between serious violence perpetration and video gaming frequency among a sample of urban youth, and how that relationship varies by sex. Methods/Approach We analysed baseline data from a quasi-experimental intervention study of youth violence. Youth aged 14–20 were recruited at a Level 1 urban emergency department from October 2011 to March 2015. Participants self-administered a computerised survey including measures of demographics, substance use (alcohol/marijuana), violence perpetration, and number of hours per week of video gaming. The primary outcome was an indicator of any serious violence perpetration (e.g., weapon violence). Using logistic regression, we estimated the effect of gaming on serious violence perpetration, and how it varied by sex, while controlling for demographics, substance use, community violence exposure, and violence attitudes. Results 409 individuals (60.0% female) enrolled in the study. Males (M=2.5, SD=2.8) played video games more hours per week than females (M=0.8, SD=1.8); the majority in both sexes reported violent games (action/fighting/shooting games) as their favourite genre. Gaming was associated with serious violence perpetration in females (OR=1.36, 95% CI =[1.13, 1.71]), but not males (OR=1.03, 95% CI =[0.89, 1.18]); in the model including both males and females, the interaction between gaming and sex was significant (p=0.02). Conclusion Video gaming is more associated with excess risk of serious violence perpetration in females than males, possibly indicating that gaming is more normative among males, and more indicative of delinquency in females. Significance/Contribution Violence prevention efforts, particularly among females, should consider the role of video gaming. Studies of what drives video gaming frequency in females may provide information relevant to violence prevention.
Differential Tolerance of Eleven Prunus Taxa to Root Zone Flooding

Abstract Eleven taxa of own-rooted Prunus L. were subjected to incremental flooding for 7 weeks to assess relative tolerance to root zone flooding. Rates of net photosynthesis (Pn) decreased gradua...
Irreversible Punishment: Teaching About Inequalities in Capital Punishment

Capital punishment is not equally distributed throughout the United States population. When committing comparable crimes, those who are the most at risk of receiving a death sentence are people of color (particularly African Americans), earn lower incomes, and are male. In addition to being tied to geographic location, the sanction is often tied to the quality of defense counsel. Although capital punishment is the ultimate penalty, it is also infrequently applied, so it is the punishment that most know little about. Students’ early exposure to capital punishment is often through the lens of the media. Here, I discuss pedagogical strategies and techniques to engage students on various perspectives and issues within the capital punishment system.
Objective evaluation of binaural summation through acoustic reflex measures.

Objective: A previous study [Rawool, V. W. (2016). Auditory processing deficits: Assessment and intervention. New York, NY: Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., pp. 186–187] demonstrated objective asse...
Stable Boron Dithiolene Radicals

While low-temperature (−78 °C) reaction of the lithium dithiolene radical (1•) with boron bromide gives the dibromoboron dithiolene radical (2•), the parallel reaction of 1• with (C6H11)2BCl (0 °C) affords the dicyclohexylboron dithiolene radical (3•). Radicals 2• and 3• are characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, UV-vis, and EPR spectroscopy. The nature of these radicals was also probed computationally. Under mild conditions, 3• undergoes unexpected thiourea-mediated B–C bond activation, giving zwitterion 4, which may be regarded as an anionic dithiolene-modified-carbene complex of the sulfenyl cation (RS+, R = cyclohexyl).
A THREE-DIMENSIONAL FAILURE CRITERION FOR HUMAN FEMORAL CORTICAL BONE

A three-dimensional transversely isotropic Tsai-Wu tensor polynomial failure criterion is developed for cortical bone in the femoral diaphysis. The criterion includes strength anisotropy as well as differences in tensile and compressive strength. Data for evaluating the coefficients in the failure criterion was based on tests by Reilly and Burstein (1975). The general failure surface is a six dimensional ellipsoid in stress space with failure established as a stress state on or outside the surface. Various views of the failure surface intersections in two and three dimensional stress space are presented.
Microsurgical Gross Total Resection of a Large Residual/Recurrent Vestibular Schwannoma via Translabyrinthine Approach

Although, gross total resection in large vestibular schwannomas is an ideal goal, subtotal resection is frequently performed due to lack of expertise, concerns for facial palsy, or overuse of stereotactic radiation. In this video, we present a 31-year-old man with a 7-year history of tinnitus, dizziness, and hearing loss. The patient had a subtotal resection of a 2.5 cm right-sided vestibular schwannoma via retrosigmoid craniotomy at an outside hospital. He was referred for further surgical resection due to the increased size of the tumor on surveillance magnetic resonance imagings (MRIs) and worsening symptoms. MRI showed a residual/recurrent large schwannoma with extension to the full length of the internal acoustic canal and brain stem compression. He underwent microsurgical gross total resection via a translabyrinthine approach. The facial nerve was preserved and stimulated with 0.15 mA at the brainstem entry zone. He awoke with House–Brackmann grade III facial function, with an otherwise uneventful postoperative course. In this video, microsurgical techniques and important resection steps for this residual/recurrent vestibular schwannoma are demonstrated, and nuances for microsurgical technique are discussed. The link to the video can be found at: https://youtu.be/a0ZxE41Tqzw .
Do Shareholders Prefer Political Connectedness or Corporate Social Responsibility?: Evidence from Letting Trump Be Trump

I find evidence that shareholders prefer political connectedness to corporate social responsibility (CSR). Choosing political connectedness with President Trump over CSR causes shareholder value to increase by $345 million per firm, on average. However, choosing CSR over political connectedness with Trump causes shareholders to lose $570 million on average, and as much as $1.8 billion, per firm. These results reveal an asymmetric response to the choice between political connectedness and CSR and support the view that CSR is an agency problem. Spillover also exists, as rival firms typically incur wealth gains (losses) when main firms choose political connectedness (CSR).
Duration of Pediatric Clinical Trials Submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration.

Importance The increasing prevalence of pediatric chronic disease has resulted in increased exposure to long-term drug therapy in children. The duration of recently completed drug trials that support approval for drug therapy in children with chronic diseases has not been systematically evaluated. Such information is a vital first step in forming safety pharmacovigilance strategies for drugs used for long-term therapy in children. Objective To characterize the duration of clinical trials submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for pediatric drug approvals, with a focus on drugs used for long-term therapy. Design and setting A review was performed of all safety and efficacy clinical trials conducted under the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act or the Pediatric Research Equity Act and submitted to the FDA from September 1, 2007, to December 31, 2014, to support the approval of drugs frequently used for long-term therapy in children. Statistical analysis was performed from July 1, 2015, to December 31, 2017. Main outcomes and measures Maximum duration of trials submitted to support FDA approval of drugs for children. Results A total of 306 trials supporting 86 drugs intended for long-term use in children were eligible for the primary analysis. The drugs most commonly evaluated were for treatment of neurologic (25 [29%]), pulmonary (16 [19%]), and anti-infective (14 [16%]) indications. The median maximum trial duration by drug was 44 weeks (minimum, 1.1 week; maximum, 364 weeks). For nearly two-thirds of the drugs (52 [61%]), the maximum trial duration was less than 52 weeks. For 10 of the drugs (12%), the maximum trial duration was 3 years or more. Maximum duration of trials did not vary by therapeutic category, minimum age of enrollment, calendar year, or legislative mandate. Conclusions and relevance Pediatric clinical trials designed to sufficiently investigate drug safety and efficacy to support FDA approval are of relatively limited duration. Given the potential long-term exposure of patients to these drugs, the clinical community should consider whether new approaches are needed to better understand the safety associated with long-term use of these drugs.
Optical computing using photonic crystal slabs

We discuss the use of photonic crystal slab to accomplish a number of imaging processing tasks, including edge detection, image smoothing, white noise suppression and, suppression or extraction of periodic features. All these tasks involve filtering in the wavevector domain. Image filtering can be implemented electronically. However, in big-data applications requiring real-time and high-throughput image filtering, conventional digital computations become challenging. Nanophotonics-based optical analog computing may overcome this challenge by offering high-throughput low-energy-consumption filtering using compact devices. Here, we show that several types of isotropic two-dimensional image filters can be implemented with a single photonic crystal slab device. Such a device is carefully designed so that the guided resonance near the Γ point exhibits an isotropic band structure. Depending on the light frequency and the choice of transmission or reflection mode, this compact device realizes isotropic high-pass (Laplacian), low-pass, band-reject and band-pass filtering in the wavevector domain. We numerically demonstrate various important image processing tasks enabled by these filters as mentioned above. Our work points to new opportunities in optical analog computing as provided by nanophotonic structures.
SAT-based Compressive Sensing

This research has been supported by NASA grant (#NNH16ZDA001N-AIST 16-0091), NIH-NIGMS Initiative for Maximizing Student Development Grant (2 R25-GM55036), and the Google Lime scholarship. We would like to thank the NSF fund-ed Center for Hybrid Multicore Productivity Research for access support to IBM Min-sky cluster. We would also like to thank the D-Wave Systems management team, namely Rene Copeland, for granting access to the D-Wave 2000 quantum annealer
Intertwined spin-orbital coupled orders in the iron-based superconductors

The underdoped phase diagram of the iron-based superconductors exemplifies the complexity common to many correlated materials. Indeed, multiple ordered states that break different symmetries but display comparable transition temperatures are present. Here we argue that such a complexity can be understood within a simple unifying framework. This framework, built to respect the symmetries of the nonsymmorphic space group of the FeAs/Se layer, consists of primary magnetically ordered states and their vestigial phases that intertwine spin and orbital degrees of freedom. All vestigial phases have Ising-like and zero wave-vector order parameters, described in terms of composite spin order and exotic orbital-order patterns such as spin-orbital loop currents, staggered atomic spin-orbit coupling, and emergent Rashba- and Dresselhaus-type spin-orbit interactions. Moreover, they host unusual phenomena, such as the electronematic effect, by which electric fields act as transverse fields to the nematic order parameter, and the ferro-N\'eel effect, by which a uniform magnetic field induces N\'eel order. We discuss the experimental implications of our findings to iron-based superconductors and possible extensions to other correlated compounds with similar space groups.
Graft-Versus-Host Disease in Multiple Myeloma Patients Treated With Daratumumab After Allogeneic Transplantation.

Abstract Introduction Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) represents an adoptive immunotherapy strategy for eliciting a graft-versus-myeloma, the effect for high-risk or relapsed multiple myeloma (MM). Allo-HCT recipients are at risk for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) as well as associated increases in morbidity and mortality. Daratumumab, an anti-CD38 human immunoglobulin G1 kappa humanized monoclonal antibody, is used for treatment of MM. Daratumumab also affects CD38+ nonmyeloma cells, including T cells, which mediate GVHD. The use of daratumumab after allo-HCT has not been well described, and its potential impact on GVHD is unknown. Patients and Methods In a multicenter retrospective study, we evaluated incidence of GVHD in 34 patients with relapsed MM treated with daratumumab after allo-HCT. Results Overall response to daratumumab (partial response or better) was 41% (95% confidence interval, 24-59). Five patients (15%) developed acute GVHD after daratumumab therapy; no chronic GVHD events were observed after daratumumab therapy. One of these 5 patients had a history of chronic GVHD and developed a flare of acute GVHD during daratumumab therapy. The remaining 4 patients did not have a history of GVHD before daratumumab. Conclusion The incidence of GVHD after daratumumab was low and did not result in increased exacerbation of GVHD in patients with a history of GVHD.
Obesity and efficacy of vitamin D 3 supplementation in healthy black adults

Results from recent clinical trials suggest that vitamin D efficacy against cancer may be influenced by body mass index. As suppression of parathyroid hormone (PTH) is one indicator of vitamin D efficacy, we examined to what extent doses of vitamin D3 supplementation suppress PTH levels in individuals with and without obesity. A total of 328 healthy African Americans were randomized into the following four groups and treated for 3 months: placebo, 1,000, 2,000, or 4,000 IU/day of vitamin D3 supplementation. Among the participants, 250 individuals with PTH measurements were included in the analysis. Obese individuals (n = 141) experienced a steep reduction of 3-month PTH from placebo to 1,000 IU/day of vitamin D3 supplementation, but no further reduction at 2,000 or 4,000 IU/day. For non-obese individuals (n = 109), the reduction of 3-month PTH was approximately linear for increasing vitamin D3 doses. At supplementation of 2,000 to 4,000 IU/day, 3-month 25(OH)vitamin D levels were high in both non-obese and obese individuals, but the 3-month PTH levels remained about 10 pg/mL higher in individuals with obesity. Our findings suggest that excess adiposity confers resistance to vitamin D efficacy in suppressing PTH levels, even when given at high doses.
The Role of Mentor Teacher-Mediated Experiences for Preservice Teachers.

This study aims to better understand the role of mentor teacher–mediated experiences in preservice teachers (PTs)’ progress toward the vision of teaching advocated by their programs. Data were coll...
Sport, statehood and transition in Europe: comparative perspectives from post-Soviet and post-socialist societies: edited by Ekain Rojo-Labaien, Álvaro Rodríguez Díaz, and Joel Rookwood, London, UK and New York, USA, Routledge Research in Sport Politics and Policy, 2020, 300 pp., £120.00 (Hardback), ISBN 9780367344405; £33.29 (VitalSource eBook), ISBN 9780429325847

Why has Romania historically been home to such talented gymnasts? Lithuania to basketball players? And Albania to, well, almost no stand-out international athletic performances at all? Why have the...
Invited review: Machine learning for materials developments in metals additive manufacturing

Abstract In metals additive manufacturing (AM), materials and components are concurrently made in a single process as layers of metal are fabricated on top of each other in the near-final topology required for the end-use product. Consequently, tens to hundreds of materials and part design degrees of freedom must be simultaneously controlled and understood; hence, metals AM is a highly interdisciplinary technology that requires synchronized consideration of physics, chemistry, materials science, physical metallurgy, computer science, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering. The use of modern machine learning approaches to model these degrees of freedom can reduce the time and cost to elucidate the science of metals AM and to optimize the engineering of these complex, multidisciplinary processes. New machine learning techniques are not needed for most metals AM development; those used in other sects of materials science will also work for AM. Most prolifically, the density functional theory (DFT) community has used many of them since the early 2000s for evaluating numerous combinations of elements and crystal structures to discover new materials. This materials technologies-focused review introduces the basic mathematics and terminology of machine learning through the lens of metals AM, and then examines potential uses of machine learning to advance metals AM, highlighting the many parallels to previous efforts in materials science and manufacturing while also discussing new challenges and adaptations specific to metals AM.
Design Consideration for Power Line Sensors in Power Distribution Systems

The growing need for power system resiliency has stimulated the development of distributed, power-line, sensor networks. The sensor network could be used by utility operator to detect abnormal conditions and make appropriate decisions for grid reliability. This investigation provides some assessment of fault detection and fault location schemes as well as software to identify unintended islanding in high distributed energy resource (DER) penetration grid. Preliminary experiments and control-hardware-in-the-loop simulation tests demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution.
The Importance of Merit Principles for Civil Service Systems: Evidence from the U.S. Federal Sector:

Merit principles have served as central tenets of the U.S. civil service system since the late 19th Century, but in recent decades reforms have been proposed and implemented that weaken central asp...
Reassessing Jewish Life in Medieval Europe

Prologue: group narratives: tenacity and accuracy Introduction: the emergence of medieval European Jewry Part I. Historical Schemes: 1. The Jewish middle age: the Jewish view 2. The Jewish middle age: the Christian view 3. The European middle ages 4. The European Jewish middle ages Part II. Historical Themes: 5. Demographic movement and change 6. Economic activity 7. Status 8. Relocations within the Christian populace 9. Identity Epilogue.
Designing teleoperator architectures for transparency

The author provides tools for analyzing the performance of various teleoperation systems, including the effects of communication delay. A general multivariable system architecture is utilized which includes all four types of data transmission between master and slave robot; force and position in both directions. It is shown that a proper use of all four channels is of critical importance in achieving high-performance telepresence in the sense of accurate transmission of task impedances to the operator. Achieved transparency and stability properties of two common architectures, as well as a transparency-optimized architecture are quantitatively compared on simplified one-degree-of-freedom examples. >
Real‐Time Quantitative PCR: Theory and Practice

Transcript quantification methodology has evolved from Northern blots to RNase protection to competitive RT-PCR. Each of these methods made strides toward greater sensitivity and accuracy in quantification. Since the introduction of the 7700 Sequence Detection System and Taqman® chemistry by Applied Biosystems in 1996, quantitative real-time PCR has become widely accepted as the most sensitive and accurate method for the quantification of both RNA and DNA from a wide variety of sources. Today, there are a number of real-time instruments from a variety of vendors and several detection methodologies and kit chemistries available. At the same time, prices for real-time platforms are falling dramatically. This trend means that the technology is moving from one found primarily in core laboratories to the bench tops of individual investigators. There are several ways to interrogate a cell for changes induced by artificial or natural agents during a biological process. One way is to look for changes in cellular transcript levels that may indicate downstream changes in the corresponding protein. In another instance, the focus may be on the presence or absence of a viral or bacterial pathogen. In this case, detecting not only the presence but also the degree of infection provides valuable information. Alternatively, looking for the presence or the level of expression from a transgene or the inhibition of expression of an endogenous gene by an RNAi agent may be the question of interest. In all cases, quantitative real-time PCR technology can be utilized to provide the required results. However, successful implementation of the technology requires the user to have a basic background in the theoretical principles of real-time PCR as well as their practical application. The goal of this review is to provide this information. It will not be possible to cover all aspects of real-time PCR in this review. For a more comprehensive overview of real-time PCR, “A-Z of Quantitative PCR,” edited by Stephen Bustin, is highly recommended. Keywords: Amplicon; Baseline; Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Real-time PCR; Reverse Transcription; Threshold
Heroic Battles of the Protein Wars

Nature9s Robots A History of Proteins. Charles Tanford and Jacqueline Reynolds. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2001. 312 pp. $27.50, £18.99. ISBN 0-19-850466-7. Tanford and Reynolds provide a spirited narrative of the development of our understanding of proteins and their diverse and important roles in biological systems.
Effects of prolonged glucose infusion on insulin secretion, clearance, and action in normal subjects

It was the aim of this study to determine whether prolonged hyperglycemia can produce "glucose toxicity" in normal human subjects. To this end, plasma glucose was clamped at approximately 5, approx...
Abusive stimulation of excitatory amino acid receptors: a strategy to limit neurotoxicity.

Glutamate is an important excitatory amino acid at many central nervous system synapses. After its release from presynaptic nerve terminals, glutamate transiently binds to specific neuronal membrane receptors, which transduce its signal by the generation of intracellular second messengers before being rapidly cleared from the synapse. However, during ischemia, the glutamate concentration at synapses surrounding the focal lesion can be increased for sustained periods of time, resulting in abusive stimulation of glutamate receptors that can eventually be neurotoxic. To develop drugs capable of selectively blocking the pathological effects of glutamate in neurons surrounding ischemic lesions while leaving the physiological actions of glutamate in nonlesioned areas of the brain unaffected, it is essential to delineate glutamate-induced intracellular events that are specific to receptor abuse. This article describes the intracellular sequelae of physiological and pathological glutamate receptor activation and ...
Environmental and Public Health Risks from Air Pollution at the Beijing 2008 Olympics

China has made enormous strides in tackling its environmental problems, but considerable work remains to be done. In an article on environment and public health published in the Winter 2007 edition of this journal, the question was raised whether the forces unleashed by China’s aggressive approach to economic growth since the late 1970’s --- two to three times the global average --- were too strong to be controlled by its environmental policies. The same question remains relative to health risks for the Summer Olympics this August (2008): “The main problem appears to be that well intentioned public health and environmental policies have not yet been realistically integrated into overall policies which emphatically promote economic growth.”1 In other words, theory and practice are in conflict and in practice, China has been promoting objectives that are diametrically opposed. In August, 2007, China conducted a dry run of procedures to control air pollution by restricting car use. The results were hard to interpret: official websites claimed success, while other observers and official data showed varied results of successful pollution reduction (see below). Overwhelmingly the major health as well as environmental concern for Beijing is air pollution and solutions have concentrated on the city itself, but surrounding areas are also problematic and have not been addressed as well. This article will look at the health risks to athletes and the preparations that the Chinese government has been making to forestall widespread air pollution for the games. One of the main reasons Beijing was chosen for the 2008 Olympics over Toronto and Paris was its proposals to have a “green Olympics.”
Effects of Female Reproductive Tract Secretions on Rabbit Sperm III. Acrosomal Enzyme Changes Related to Capacitation

SummaryRabbit sperm incubated in uterine fluid in vitro did not show any decrease in acrosomal proteolytic activity. There is a measureable decrease in acrosomal hyaluronidase activity following incubation in postovulatory uterine fluid, but not during incubation in pre-ovulatory uterine fluid. Rabbit sperm incubated in post-ovulatory uterine fluid for 5 hr were capable of fertilizing ova and were considered to be capacitated. Sperm incubated past the time of hyaluronidase release were not capable of fertilizing ova. It is believed that the release of hyaluronidase by rabbit sperm incubated in uterine fluid is related to the completion of the process of capacitation. Thus, the release of hyaluronidase can be used, under the proper conditions, as an end point for the study of in vitro capacitation of rabbit sperm.
Palm oil vitamin E protects against ischemia/reperfusion injury in the isolated perfused Langendorff heart

Abstract We studied the effect of palm oil vitamin E on Langendorff perfused rat hearts subjected to 40 minutes of global ischemia. Our results demonstrated that palm oil vitamin E was more efficient in the protection of isolated Langendorff heart against ischemia/reperfusion injury than tocopherol as measured by its mechanical recovery. Palm oil vitamin E completely suppressed LDH enzyme leakage from ischemic hearts, prevented the decrease in ATP and creatine phosphate levels and inhibited the formation of endogenous lipid peroxidation products. Our data indicate that a palm oil vitamin E mixture containing both alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocotrienol may be more efficient than alpha-tocopherol alone in the protection of the heart against oxidative stress induced by ischemia-reperfusion.
THE USE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF VORTICAL FLOWS NEAR A GENERATING AERODYNAMIC SURFACE: A PERSPECTIVE

Abstract A review is given of the various vortical-flowfield studies with which the author has been involved, first with attached then with separated-vortical flows. All these studies have contained the mutual interference of the flowfield on the generating surface. The common element throughout is using experiment to provide insight to formulate analytical or semi-empirical methods in order that an impact be made on the design of flight vehicles. Examples of these methods, along with an estimate from computational fluid dynamics, and experimental results from wind tunnel and flight are presented.
Perioperative total parenteral nutrition in patients with gastrointestinal cancer

Forty-one male surgical patients with gastrointestinal cancer were randomized into three groups on the basis of preoperative weight loss: Group I (20 patients)—mean age 64.1 ± 11.0 years, less than 10-lb weight loss, no TPN; Group II (9 patients)—mean age 65.8 ± 12.0 greater than 10 pound weight loss, no TPN; Group III (12 patients)—mean age 63.7 ± 10.7 years, greater than 10-lb weight loss, TPN. Group III received greater than 2000 cc of D25/4.25% Travasol for at least 5 days preoperatively and 8 days postoperatively. Major postoperative complications included abscess, anastomotic leak, or wound infection. Results: Preoperative immunocompetence was no different between any group (P > 0.05). Postoperative weight loss was significantly greater in Group I than in Group III (P 0.05). Rate of major complications was not significantly different between any of the groups (P > 0.05). Mortality was 10% in Group I, 0% in Group II, and 0% in Group III. Conclusion: An 18-day duration of perioperative TPN in comparable randomized patients based on preoperative weight loss does not alter the rate of major postoperative complications or mortality, but allows patients to maintain weight.
Temporal and regional variability in the surgical treatment of cancer among older people.

OBJECTIVES: Numerous studies have documented that older individuals with cancer have been treated less aggressively than younger individuals. We utilized data from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program to assess geographic variation in the effects of age on the surgical treatment of cancer and to examine temporal trends in the treatment of older people between 1973 and 1991. DESIGN: Ecological analyses comparing time trends of treatment in nine regions over a 19-year period. SETTING: Population-based data for nine geographic areas of the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Persons with incident cancer of the breast, colon, rectum, lung, ovary, uterus, pancreas, and stomach residing in these regions during the selected years. RESULTS: After age 64, the percentage of patients treated surgically decreased with increasing age for every cancer site studied. Between 1973 and 1991, the likelihood of receiving surgery for cancers of the uterus, colon, rectum, ovary, and breast increased more rapidly among patients ages 65 years and older than among those under age 65. This relative decrease occurred consistently across most geographic areas should For cancers of the lung, stomach, and pancreas, the effect of age of age on the likelihood of receiving surgery did not diminish through the period under study.: CONCLUSIONS: Although older people remain less likely to receive surgical therapy than younger persons, for some important cancer sites the gap between the treatment of older and younger individuals narrowed from 1973 through 1991.
Effect of gastric-feeding on feed consumption, growth, organ size, and body composition of swine

The effect of direct administration to the stomach (via gastric fistula) of 50% (GF-50) or 100% (GF-100) of the dry matter ingested voluntarily by control pigs (C and GF-0) on voluntary feed ingestion of young rapidly growing pigs was measured. Fistula administrations were intermittent (four consecutive days of each seven-day cycle) for a sustained period (eight cycles; 56 days). Total feed intake and body weight data were collected on an additional two days (58 days total) from the end of the eighth cycle to killing of the animals. Total alimentation (GF plus voluntary intake) by the GF-50 and GF-100 pigs was not affected for the entire 58-day feeding period or for each seven-day cycle but was perturbed profoundly within each cycle (three days of no GF vs. four days of GF administrations). Daily deviations from expected total alimentation (average daily ingestion of four control pigs) on a body weight basis (g·kg Bw−1.day−1) were analysed. The results clearly demonstrated that total alimentation of the GF100 pigs surpassed expected values during the four days of GF administration but fell below expected during the other three days of each cycle. Data from the GF-50 pigs were similar but of a lower magnitude. The deviations are the result of inadequate adjustment of voluntary intake for the quantity of GF administered feed; total intake was excessive during GF days and insufficient during days of only voluntary intake. It is remarkable that total alimentation over the seven days of each cycle and over the eight cycles was not significantly different than the controls, however, The rate and efficiency of growth, gastrointestinal and other organ size, and carcass components were not significantly affected by the repetitious perturbances of total alimentation caused by the GF-50 and GF-100 treatments.
Piezoresistive strain sensors in the form of short carbon fiber composites

Short carbon fibers (5 mm long, 15 micrometers diameter) in polymer and cement matrices provide piezoresistive strain sensors that have their DC electrical resistivity change reversibly upon strain. For fibers (5 - 10 vol.%) in an epoxy matrix, the resistivity increases upon tension and decreases upon compression, due to the change in proximity between adjacent fibers in the composite, the gage factor (fractional change in electrical resistance per unit strain) is up to 97 under compression and up to 24 under tension. For fibers (0.2 - 0.5 vol.%) in a cement matrix, the resistivity increases upon tension and decreases upon compression, due to the change in contact resistivity between fiber and matrix; the gage factor is up to 700.
Platelets and initiation of intrinsic clotting.

Summary. Comparison of activities in platelet rich and platelet poor plasmas from normal donors and patients deficient in either factor VIII, IX, XI or XII indicates that platelets contain activities which can partially substitute for plasma factors XI and XII. The factor-XI-like activity is expressed in a one-stage activated partial thromboplastin assay and in an intact prothrombin consumption system. The factor-XII-like activity is scarcely detectable in a one-stage assay but markedly enhances the defective prothrombin consumption of factor XII deficient plasma. Intact prothrombin consumption tests with platelet poor plasmas fortified with cephalin show that in the presence of high concentrations of platelet factor 3 activity only trace contact activation is required to promote good prothrombin consumption. The platelet, by supplying both platelet factor 3 and activities bypassing plasma contact activation factors XI and XII, may provide an important route for activating intrinsic clotting.
Using changes in hydrostatic and osmotic pressure to manipulate metabolic function in chondrocytes

Articular cartilage has distinct histological depth zones. In each zone, chondrocytes are subject to different hydrostatic (HP) and osmotic pressure (OP) due to weight-bearing and joint-loading. Pr...
The Urban Nexus: Flows of Population, Commerce and Culture among Cities in Western India

Anthropologists Have Often viewed the city either as an isolate or merely as a backdrop for ethnographic research. A perspective analyzing urban centers instead as reservoirs and channels for larger flows of people, resources and culture helps to overcome limitations associated with conventional approaches. An analysis of three major western Indian cities, viewing them as spaces of flows, sheds new light on their role in the development of the world system from the 15th century to the present. [Indian cities, world systems, capitalistic development, urban flows]
Analysis of antibiotics by gas chromatography II. Chloramphenicol

Abstract Chloramphenicol in pharmaceutical products is determined by a gas—liquid chromatographic (GLC) method which involves the formation of the ditrimethylsilyl ether with BSA prior to chromatographic injection, and normalization of the response with m-phenylene dibenzoate as the internal standard. The method has been applied successfully to bulk material as well as to some pharmaceutical dosage forms. Results obtained by GLC compare favorably with those obtained by official assay methods.
The unoccupied electronic structure of Na/Cu(110)

Abstract Using the technique of inverse photoemission spectroscopy (IPES), we have measured the unoccupied electronic states of sodium on Cu(110) as a function of Na dose on the Cu(110) surface at room temperature. An Na-induced state appears for Na coverages above 0.08 ML for normal incidence, which we assign as the Na unoccupied 3p level. A second peak appears for coverages greater than 1 ML near the Y point. The adsorption of Na also causes shifts and attenuation of Cu(110) surface states. We compare our results with studies of related systems.
Phenethyl Propionate + Eugenol + Geraniol (3:7:3) and Japonilure: a Highly Effective Joint Lure for Japanese Beetles

Joint exfosure to Popillia japonica Newman of phenethyl propionate + eugenol + geraniol, 3:7:3, (PEG) and a synthetic female sex attractant (Japonilure) resulted in a lure of outstanding attractancy. This combination was more than 3.6 times as attractive as the current standard survey lure, phenethy1 propionate + eugenol, 3:7, (PE) and 1.34 times as attractive as PE + Japonilure PE + Japonilure however was 2.2 and 2.5 times more attractive, respectively, than either PEG or PE.