cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Herbal medicine on Mauritius

Summary A preliminary study was conducted on the medical beliefs and practices on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. Mauritius is a plural society consisting of Indo-Mauritians, Sino-Mauritians, Creoles, and Franco-Mauritians. There are several types of healing specialists found on the island including at least three types of herbalists. In this paper, I report on home remedies used by individuals in the village in which I lived and on the patients and remedies of two Indo-Mauritian herbalists located in the central market in the capital city of Port Louis. The two herbalists were observed for a total of 10 hours on two working days and data were collected on the age, ethnic group, sex, and illness of each patient treated and on the ingredients of each remedy sold. The use of home herbal remedies appears to be widespread among Mauritians and is frequently the first form of treatment utilized for common ailments. The Indo-Mauritian herbalists I observed treat a wide variety of ailments and utilize approximately 150 plant species. On the days of observation, their clients consisted of all age groups, sexes, and ethnic groups except for Franco-Mauritians. The data on medicinal plants are presented in table form.
Global Politics and Multinational Health-care Encounters: Assessing the Role of Transnational Competence

This planet’s most likely political/population scenario for the 21st century anticipates more people, more spatial movement, and more transnational interactions. Global health increasingly will be shaped by encounters among clinicians and patients who meet in health-care settings where cultural, ethnic, and national-origin match is not an available option. In multinational clinical consultations, bicultural competence and lists of culture characteristics will not suffice. The article adapts the generic Koehn/Rosenau framework of transnational competence (TC), which encompasses analytic, emotional, creative, communicative, and functional skills, to the global challenge of providing migrant-health care. The focus is on the patient/clinician encounter, where interpersonal interactions carry the potential to reduce or reproduce existing inequities in health care. A structured literature review provides the basis for the adaptation to transnational health encounters presented for the first time here by incorporating recent research findings from more than 80 published studies regarding patient–provider consultations and cultural competence in the medical interview into the TC framework’s empirical foundation in cross-cultural psychology, development studies, intercultural communication, and international management. The application elaborated in this article will enhance the ability of researchers to explore and to assess the role of encounter participants’ TC capabilities and deficiencies in transnational health-care outcomes—including migrant satisfaction/dissatisfaction with provider care, the incorporation of complementary biomedical and ethnocultural health-promotion practices, effective/ineffective migrant-health-promotion behavior in the new environment, and agreement on mental-health needs. The results of conceptually grounded TC research promise to enhance practitioner training and patient education in both North and South.
Biophotonics and biotechnology in pancreatic cancer: cyclic RGD-peptide-conjugated type II quantum dots for in vivo imaging

This work introduces a novel, facile and straightforward approach to produce cyclic-RGD-peptide-conjugated type II CdTe/CdS quantum dot (QD) formulation for pancreatic tumor targeting and imaging in live animals. The ultra-small QDs were prepared by a hot colloidal synthesis method. Phospholipid micelles were then used to encapsulate the QDs, allowing them to be stably dispersed in biological fluids and able to conjugate with cyclic-RGD peptides. The QD complex had shown low cytotoxicity on Panc-1 human pancreatic cancer cell lines. In addition, the tissue sections and biodistribution of QD complexes were imaged and analyzed in mice bearing pancreatic tumor xenografts, confirming specific tumor targeting. These studies support further evaluation of type II QDs as potential probes for early pancreatic cancer assessment and detection.
Emergence of small‐molecule CXCR4 antagonists as novel immune and hematopoietic system regulatory agents

The chemokine CXCR4 receptor is a G-protein-coupled receptor that has multiple functions in normal physiologies involving the hematopoietic and immune systems. Although the CXCR4 receptor was initially discovered as one of the co-receptors involved in human immune deficiency virus (HIV) cell entry, it has also been linked to many central immune system functions through the direct regulation of cell trafficking and adhesion, and is present in many cell types within the body. The receptor ligand combination of CXCL12 (SDF-1) and CXCR4 underlies pathologies such as HIV infection, cancer metastasis and drug resistance, leukemia progression, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus. This alternative and widespread functionality has allowed researchers to discover new potential uses for substances that are CXCR4 antagonists. This has resulted in approval of the first CXCR4 antagonist, plerixafor injection (AMD3100), for hematopoietic stem cell mobilization. Newer agents are under clinical evaluation for HIV, cancer, and stem cell mobilization. As these agents are further investigated, new uses and therapeutic interventions for CXCR4 antagonists will be discovered. Drug Dev Res 72:598–602, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of ramping-up rate on film thickness for spin-on processing

Spin-on processing is used in many industries to deposit very thin coatings on flat substrates, including silicon wafers, flat-panel displays, and precision optical components. A liquid precursor solution is first dispensed onto the surface of the substrate; this fluid then spreads out very evenly over the surface due to large rotational forces caused by spinning of the substrate. When looking for an optimum coating procedure process engineers can adjust many variables including the peak spin speed, the ramping rate to reach that speed, the spinning time, as well as allowing for dynamic solution dispense before ramping up, though most protocols focus on the peak spin speed as the primary controlling variable. Engineers often construct spin-speed versus thickness correlations that enable predictable adjustment of spin-speed to achieve a desired thickness. Yet, rather little attention has been paid to the importance of the acceleration rate used to reach the desired peak speed. We show here that ramping rate is also important in helping establish the final coating thickness. We present a numerical model of the fluid flow on a spinning wafer when the spin-speed is ramping linearly up to a desired peak speed and then held constant. It is shown that the coating may “set” into its final thickness before the spin-speed reaches its peak value. In these cases then the peak spin-speed parameter is no longer the primary variable that defines the final coating thickness. This also impacts the interpretation of critical exponents found when fitting spin-speed vs. thickness data. We perform parallel experimental measurements for different ramping-up times and confirm the results from the numerical model. Both experimental and theoretical results support use of the simplified model put forth by Meyerhofer over 25 years ago (J. Appl. Phys. 49 (1978) 3993–3997).
Grain-size distribution of silicon carbide as a factor in the properties of electric heaters

The variation of the proportion of the main fractions in the powders of green silicon carbide are a source of irregularity in the properties (porosity, pore structure, strength, and oxidation resistance) of silicon carbide electric heaters.
A novel readout circuit for on-sensor multispectral classification

A new readout integrated circuit (ROIC) for multispectral classification is presented. The ROIC is designed to utilize the spectral response tunability of dot-in-a-well (DWELL) infrared photodetector to exploit the possibility of real-time on- chip multispectral imaging for classification in analog domain. The unit cells are designed to include all necessary elements needed for spectral classification, including high-voltage time- varying positive and negative biases, bipolar integration, and selective sample-and-hold circuits. A test chip was designed and fabricated using TSMC's 0.35 μm high-voltage technology. The test chip has successfully completed its initial functional tests and is ready for hybridization to a DWELL focal-plane array.
On the kinematic singularities of helicity amplitudes for multi-particle processes

Abstract A method used by Trueman to obtain the kinematic singularities of the c.m. helicity amplitudes for a 2-to-2 particle reaction is extended to 2-to- n ( n ⩾ 3) multi-particle processes involving massive particles of any spin. The basic assumption is that the kinematic singularities of the multi-particle helicity amplitudes, regarded as functions of the scalar products between the four-momenta, are due to the singular behaviour of the helicity states when particular Gram determinants of the four-momenta vanish. The resulting singularities are classified and explicitly isolated by giving the expansion of the helicity amplitudes near each singularity surface.
Breaking Glass: Meta-Analytic Resolution of the Performance Effects of Women in Strategic Leadership

How does the impact of female representation in strategic leadership positions (top management teams, boards of directors, CEO positions) affect firm performance? Despite research efforts spanning several decades, the answer to this basic question is still elusive, not least due to the inconsistencies in findings reported in the literature, which is fragmented along theories, paradigms, and research contexts. Using meta-analytic techniques on a sample of 151 original studies (which provide evidence from 35 different countries and over 500,000 firms), we synthesize this research and extend it by testing several new hypotheses. We find that female occupancy of strategic leadership positions has a small, positive affect on firm performance in general, but also that these beneficial effects are attenuated by contextual factors that active gender stereotypes (e.g., country-level gender inequality and male-dominance of the industry) and the perceived riskiness of female leadership seen by capital markets. Parad...
Does the neurotransmitter transporter underlie adaptation at a histaminergic photoreceptor synapse

Using autoradiographic and biochemical techniques, we studied the sodium-dependent forward and reverse transport of the neurotransmitter histamine in an arthropod photoreceptor in order to test whether the transporter plays a central role in visual signal transfer at this synapse. In particular, we asked whether the histamine transporter might be the important factor in synaptic adaptation, the process by which the operating range of the synapse adapts to increasing depolarizations of the photoreceptor in increasing background light. Drugs known from electrophysiological observations to interfere with synaptic adaptation blocked the uptake of [3H]histamine into photoreceptors. These drugs also blocked the sodium (Na)-triggered efflux of [3H]histamine, previously loaded into photoreceptors, via the histamine transporter. Several lines of evidence showed that efflux of [3H]histamine did not occur via calcium-dependent exocytosis. First, efflux occurred when the preparation was bathed in calcium (Ca)-free/EGTA salines or in cobalt (Co)-containing salines. Even more importantly, efflux could be elicited from axons, whose membranes must contain the transporter protein since they take up [3H]histamine independently from the presynaptic terminals. Since both adaptation and the histamine transporter are blocked by the same agents, the transporter may underlie adaptation by maintaining the cleft histamine concentration in a particular range independent of light intensity. We also characterized the transporter further and found that it is partially dependent on chloride ions, and that neither [3H]norepinephrine nor [3H]dopamine are transported (at 20 microM), adding to evidence that the transporter is highly selective for histamine.
Electrical and Dielectric Spectroscopic Characterization of Polycrystalline Dy2Si2O7

The compound Dy2Si2O7 exists in two polymorphs, the low temperature triclinic phase (type B) and a high temperature orthorhombic phase (type E).The dc and ac electrical conductivities of E-Dy2Si2O7 are measured in the temperature range 290-510 K and frequency range 1 kHz to 1 MHz . The dc electrical transport data are analyzed according to Motts variable-range hopping model. The disorder parameter (To) and density of states at fermi level are obtained. The ac conductivity σac (ω) is obtained through the dielectric parameters. The ac conductivity can be expressed as σac (ω) =B ω s , where s is slope and it decreases with increase in temperature. The conduction mechanism in the compound is discussed in low and high temperature regions in the light of theoretical models.
New art of Cuba

Acknowledgments Introduction 1 "Volumen I" 2 Cuban Influences on the 1980s Generation 3 Art within the Revolution 4 Art Education in Cuba 5 The Generations Following "Volumen I" 6 The Individuals 7 Cuban Art and Postmodernism Postscript Second Postscript Epilogue Luis Camnitzer with Rachel Weiss Notes 000 Bibliography 000 Index 000
COHESIVENESS-CONFORMITY RELATIONSHIP AND CONFORMITY INSTRUMENTALITY

Summary.-A perceptual judgmental situation with a Crutchfield-type ap. paratus was used with 128 Ss to test the hypothesis that a relationship between conformity and cohesiveness appears only when conformity is seen as being instrumental to attaining a group goal. No relationship was found and results further suggested behavior contradictory to the hypothesis with the cohesiveness-conformiry relationship holding when conformity was not instrumental. No relationship between cohesiveness and ambiguity appeared in affecting conformity behavior and no differences in conformity between sexes were found. Many studies have established a positive relationship between group cohesiveness and conformity behavior. Back ( 195 1 ) , Festinger ( 1950), Thrasher (1954), and Berkowitz ( 1957) among others found conformicy to be dependent upon intermember liking. However, several studies have reported either no relationship between conformity and cohesiveness or a negative one. Moran (1965) described how aspects of some snldies thought to support the relationship actually fail to do so. Negative snidies include those by Bovard (1953), Downing ( 1958), Harper and Tuddenham ( 1964), and Moran ( 1965). Walker and Heynes (1962) found that, if conformity behavior was instrumental to being liked, the conformity-cohesiveness relationship would hold, but an exactly opposite relationship of greater conformity in low cohesive groups would appear if conformity was not instrumental to being liked. The purpose of this study was to amplify further the concept of instrumentality as applied to chis problem. The hypothesis was that a positive cohesiveness-conformity relation would be found only where conformity was instrumental to the attainment of a group goal. Also, it was believed that with greater stimulus ambiguity, the greater the conformity difference would be between high and low cohesive groups. Method.-A Crutchfield-type apparanis was used to induce conformity behavior in a perceptual judgmental situation where groups of four Ss of the same sex were asked to judge which of four figures was largest. E induced social pressure by controlling lights on subject panels that indicated other Ss had previously responded in a given manner. Three ambiguity levels, determined by 190 Ss in a control group, were used. Two cohesiveness levels were used, the high cohesive groups determined by mutual friendship choices of 200 high school students on a questionnaire asking for an individual's five best friends. The 128 Ss tested were further divided into two instructional groups. Where conformity was made instrumental to attaining a group goal instructions stated
Suboptimal feedback control of linear gyroscopic systems

A simplified model of reduced dimensionality is presented for a class of linear gyroscopic systems with quadratic performance indices. This model is based on the concept of weakly coupled subsystems and can be used in the synthesis of suboptimal controllers. Controllers based on this model compare favorably with both optimal and conventional controllers.
Two scaling transformations for the numerical computation of multidimensional unsteady laminar flames

Abstract Numerical computations of the unsteady propagation of multidimensional laminar flames are difficult to perform because the structure of the flame must be resolved and the thickness of the flame is often several orders of magnitude smaller than the characteristic dimension of the field. Two scaling transformations are discussed which make possible such computations by reducing the computation time to acceptable levels. The α-transformation is associated with the spatial uniformity of the time-varying pressure and is shown to be valid for low-Mach-number flows. It reduces computational time by either reducing the total number of time steps or, in the RICE code, the number of iterations required each time step. The β-transformation is related to the small thickness of the flame with respect to the characteristic dimension of the field and is shown to be useful for high Reynolds number flows. It reduces computation time by reducing the number of necessary grid points which, in turn, is achieved by broadening the flame front without altering the flame speed. The β-transformation was introduced by T. D. Butler and P. J. O'Rourke (“Proceedings, Sixteenth Symposium on Combustion, August 1976,” pp. 1403–1516, The Combustion Institute, Pittsburgh, 1977 ). The validity of the two transformations is shown theoretically and through a series of computer calculations.
Experimental observation of resonance Raman optical activity

Abstract We provide the first experimental evidence for resonance Raman optical activity (RROA). In non-aqueous solution (+)-naproxen ((S)-6-methoxy-α-naphthalenacetic acid) and its deuterated methyl ester exhibit monosignate negative RROA, whereas the RROA spectrum of (−)-naproxen sodium is monosignate positive (aqueous solution above pH 10), for 514 nm excitation. In all cases, the RROA bands exhibit the same relative intensities as those in the parent resonance Raman (RR) spectrum, and the ratio of RROA to RR is comparable in magnitude, but opposite in sign, to the electronic circular dichroism (CD) anisotropy ratio of the lowest energy electronic state near 330 nm. These findings are in accord with the theory of RROA in the limit of strong resonance with a single electronic state.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae-induced activation and cytokine production in rodent mast cells.

Abstract Background: Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a respiratory tract pathogen that has been associated with severe exacerbations in patients with chronic asthma. Murine models of infection have recently been established, with disease manifestations similar to those observed in human subjects. Previous studies have suggested that this organism is capable of producing activation of a wide range of immunologic cell types. Objective: We sought to determine whether M pneumoniae can induce mast cell activation in the rodent mast cell line RBL-2H3. Results: After 4 hours of coculture, morphologic changes indicative of activation were observed by means of electron microscopy, and M pneumoniae was identified, by means of immunoelectron microscopy, adhering to mast cell membranes. Coculture of rat basophilic leukemia cells with viable M pneumoniae for 4 hours resulted in net release of β-hexosaminidase and serotonin into the supernatant. Live, but not heat-killed, organisms induced the release of IL-4 protein into the culture supernatant, with a peak at 4 hours. During coculture with M pneumoniae , production of mRNA for IL-4, IL-6, and TNF-α was upregulated after 2 hours and had returned to near baseline by 24 hours after infection. Conclusions: We conclude that viable M pneumoniae induces activation of mast cells with release of granule contents, as well as cytokine production. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2002;109:470-6.)
Calcium-dependent protein kinase gene expression in response to physical and chemical stimuli in mungbean (Vigna radiata)

Protein kinases are important in eukaryotic signal transduction pathways. In this study we designed degenerate oligonucleotides corresponding to two conserved regions of protein kinases and using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) have amplified a 141 bp fragment of DNA from mungbeans (Vigna radiata Rwilcz cv. Berken). Sequence analysis of the PCR products indicates that they encode several putative protein kinases with respect to their identity with other known plant protein kinases. Using one of the six fragments (CPK3-8), we isolated a 2022 bp cDNA (VrCDPK-1) from a Vigna radiata lambda gt11 library. VrCDPK-1 has a 96 bp 5'-untranslated region and a 465 bp 3'-untranslated region and an open reading frame of 1461 bp. VrCDPK-1 contains all of the conserved regions commonly found in calcium dependent protein kinases (CDPK). VrCDPK-1 shares 24 to 89% sequence identity with previously reported sequences for plant CDPKs at the protein level. Southern analysis revealed the presence of several copies of the CDPK gene. VrCDPK-1 expression was stimulated when mungbean cuttings were treated with CaCl2, while treatment with MgCl2 had no effect. We are reporting for the first time a CDPK gene in mungbean which is inducible by mechanical strain. Cuttings treated with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) or subjected to salt stress showed an increase in VrCDPK-1 expression. There was a dramatic stimulation in VrCDPK-1 expression 6 h after cuttings were treated with cycloheximide.
Myasthenia Gravis in Conjunction With Graves’ Disease: A Diagnostic Challenge

Objective: To describe an association between Graves’ disease and myasthenia gravis and discuss the clinical features and laboratory tests that may help distinguish these two diseases. Methods: The clinical, laboratory, and electrophysiologic findings in a patient with Graves’ disease and myasthenia gravis are presented. Results: A 28-year-old African American man was admitted to the University of Louisville Hospital with generalized muscle weakness, exophthalmos, diplopia, weight loss, and mild dysphagia. The diagnosis of Graves’ disease with ophthalmologic involvement was suspected clinically and confirmed by an undetectable thyrotropin level (<0.03 µIU/mL), high total thyroxine (20.5 µg/dL), and increased homogeneous 123I thyroid uptake. Because of the generalized muscle weakness and mild dysphagia, assessment was done by a neurology team, and severe thyrotoxic myopathy was diagnosed. He was treated with 131I and β-adrenergic blocking agents and scheduled for follow-up as an outpatient. Two weeks later, the patient presented in acute respiratory failure. The neurology team was reconsulted because of suspected myasthenic crisis. Anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies were undetectable in the serum, and computed tomography of the chest showed no thymic enlargement. Repetitive nerve stimulation testing, however, showed findings consistent with an abnormality of the neuromuscular junction. The patient responded dramatically to an anticholinesterase agent and corticosteroids. Conclusion: The overlapping clinical features may cause diagnostic confusion when myasthenia gravis and Graves’ disease coexist, and numerous tests may be needed to distinguish these two conditions, which have differing treatments and prognoses. (Endocr Pract. 2001;7: 275-278)
Biochemical heterogeneity of the Sanfilippo syndrome: preliminary characterization of two deficient factors.

Abstract Fibroblasts cultured from the skin of Sanfilippo patients show excessive accumulation and prolonged turnover time of sulfated mucopolysaccharide. This abnormality can be corrected by a macromolecular factor contained in the secretions of fibroblasts of differing genotype, as well as in normal human urine. By cross-correction tests, the Sanfilippo fibroblasts can be subdivided into two groups, each deficient in a different factor. Analytical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis shows the two factors, which are probably proteins, to have a similar molecular weight (ca. 200,000) but to differ in charge at pH 8.5.
Bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling using desmopressin or corticotropic-releasing hormone: a single-center experience

Background Bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling (BIPSS) following corticotropic-releasing hormone (CRH) stimulation is the current gold standard technique in the diagnosis of Cushing disease. However, as a result of CRH shortage, desmopressin (DDAVP) has been used instead for BIPSS. We present the experience of a single tertiary care center using the modified BIPSS protocol and compare the results obtained with DDAVP with those obtained with CRH. Methods Using the radiology department’s electronic database, BIPSS procedures performed at our institution using DDAVP and CRH were identified. Electronic medical records and imaging studies were reviewed and the clinical history, demographic data, endocrine test results, complications of BIPSS, and patient outcomes were recorded. BIPSS data were analyzed for centralization and lateralization of pituitary adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) source. We identified 20 BIPSS cases (16 women, mean age 38 years) performed using DDAVP between 2012 and 2013. Results The 20 cases demonstrated conventional inferior petrosal sinus anatomy and were successfully cannulated bilaterally. Of these, 18 met the criteria for both centralization and lateralization. A total of 18 patients underwent trans-sphenoidal tumor resection; one patient was lost to follow-up and one is still being followed. There were no complications resulting from the use of DDAVP, specifically no thromboembolic events. Calculated sensitivity for BIPSS with DDAVP was 94.5%. There was also no significant difference in the biochemical results produced by BIPSS using either DDAVP or CRH. All 18 patients demonstrated an ACTH-secreting adenoma on pathology review. Conclusions DDAVP is a safe alternative to CRH, producing comparable diagnostic results.
Mating experience in field crickets modifies pre- and postcopulatory female choice in parallel

Modifications in female mate choice resulting from social experience can affect male reproductive success, thereby influencing the evolution of male secondary sexual characters. However, there is little information about how social experience affects different stages of female choice, for example, pre- versus postcopulatory choice, and whether social experience exerts parallel or divergent effects. Using field crickets, we tested 1) how prior experience with males of varying attractiveness modifies females' precopulatory and postcopulatory mate choice during subsequent mating encounters and 2) whether socially mediated changes in precopulatory choice reinforce or oppose changes in postcopulatory choice. We manipulated the attractiveness of males that females experienced by surgically silencing them and playing back artificially constructed courtship songs during preliminary mating trials. This experience, mediated solely by acoustic signals, had long-term effects on both pre- and postcopulatory choice during subsequent mating trials. Experience with an attractive male 24 h earlier caused females to mount subsequent males more slowly and retain their spermatophore for less time, whereas experience with an unattractive male caused females to mount subsequent males faster and retain their spermatophores for longer. Prior experience had a parallel effect on pre- and postcopulatory choice. The perceived attractiveness of previously encountered males, mediated by their courtship song, appears to strongly influence the reproductive success of subsequent males via alterations in pre- and postcopulatory female choice, confirming key predictions of theoretical models of sexual selection and mate choice that incorporate social effects. Copyright 2011, Oxford University Press.
Computer generation of dirichlet random vectors

Five different methods for computer generation of Dirichlet (multivariate 2-parameter beta) random vectors are studied. The performance of these five methods are compared in terms of Central Processing Unit (CPU) time. For parameter values suspected to be less than 1.0, the modified acceptance-rejection method is preferable and for parameter values greater than 1.0, the beta method is recommended.
Polystyrene and PMMA surface modification by electron beam generated plasma in argon and oxygen - effect of increased ion energy on polymer surface characteristics

The present study investigates the polymer surface changes when the incident ion energy is increased to levels comparable to conventional, low pressure plasma discharges (20 eV). This allows for a study of polar groups incorporation, topography, and surface energy analysis over a range of ion energies not easily achieved in plasmas. The use of inert gas environments (Ar) would permit us to compare the influence of ion energy, while the addition of reactive gases (02) adds a chemical component to the studies.
Scaling in Hydrodynamics

The concept of scaling and dimensional analysis has been extensively used in hydrodynamics, and most especially in the study of turbulence. But, in fact, scaling is used in many different ways in this subject.
ENZYME-LABELED ANTIBODIES FOR THE LIGHT AND ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC LOCALIZATION OF TISSUE ANTIGENS

Enzymes, either acid phosphatase or horseradish peroxidase, were conjugated to antibodies with bifunctional reagents. The conjugates, enzymatically and immunologically active, were employed in the immunohistochemical localization of tissue antigens utilizing the reaction product of the enzymatic reaction as the marker. Tissues reacted with acid phosphatase-labeled antibodies directed against basement membrane were stained for the enzyme with Gomori's method, and those reacted with peroxidase-labeled antibody were stained with Karnovsky's method. The reaction products of the enzymes localized in the basement membrane. Unlike the preparations of the fluorescent antibody technique, enzyme-labeled antibody preparations were permanent, could be observed with an ordinary microscope, and could be examined with the electron microscope. In the latter, specific localization of antibody occurred in the basement membrane and in the endoplasmic reticulum of cells known to synthesize basement membrane antigens. The method is sensitive because of the amplifying effect of the enzymatic activity. The ultrastructural preservation and localization were better with acid phosphatase-labeled antibody than with peroxidase-labeled antibody, but acid phosphatase conjugated antibody was unstable and difficult to prepare. Peroxidase-antibody conjugates were stable and could be stored for several months at 4°C, or indefiniely in a frozen state.
A security regime among democracies: cooperation among Iroquois nations

In precolonial and colonial North America five Iroquois nations, which previously had fought for generations, stopped wars among themselves and lived in peace for about 325 years. This history raises several questions: why did the Iroquois nations stop fighting each other; did the fact that each nation was a democracy have anything to do with the end of war among them; and what are the lessons of this peace for international relations scholars? A security regime formed by the Iroquois in 1450, known as the Iroquois League, accounts for the peace. Comparing the Iroquois League with the Concert of Europe indicates an important role for norms and institutionalization in ameliorating the security dilemma. Further, the five democratic nations that formed the Iroquois League exemplify Immanuel Kant's idea of a system for “perpetual peace.” Finally, the history of the Iroquois League challenges realist claims of cross-cultural and timeless validity.
Barley Yellow Dwarf Luteoviruses and Their Predominant Aphid Vectors in Winter Wheat Grown in South Carolina

Barley yellow dwarf is recognized as an important disease problem in winter wheat production in the southeastern United States, but there is relatively little known about the ecology and epidemiology of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) in this region. From 1991 to 1993, and in 1996 and 1997, winter wheat was sampled for BYDV throughout the principal wheat production areas in South Carolina. In addition, in 1997, a small number of samples were collected from fields in North Carolina and Kentucky. Plant samples were assayed to determine the BYDV serotype and, subsequently, coat protein sequences of isolates within the same serotype were compared using restriction fragment length polymorphisms. Representative BYDV isolates from South Carolina and type isolates from New York were compared in aphid transmission experiments using aphid species collected from South Carolina and laboratory colonies maintained in New York. The predominant BYDV serotype in South Carolina (in all years) was PAV, accounting for 94% of the total BYDV-infected samples analyzed. The RPV serotypes were more abundant in samples collected from western North Carolina and Kentucky. PAV isolates from all regions were identical to the New York BYDV-PAV in terms of serology and restriction fragment patterns. Furthermore, the aphid transmission phenotypes were similar for South Carolina and New York BYDV isolates. The predominant aphids colonizing winter wheat in South Carolina included Schizaphis graminum, Rhopalosiphum rufiabdominalis, R. padi, and Sitobion avenea. The South Carolina clones of R. padi and S. avenae were similar to the New York laboratory clones in their abilities to transmit various BYDV isolates from New York and South Carolina. In contrast to the New York clone of Schizaphis graminum that can vector SGV, PAV, and RPV, the S. graminum clone from South Carolina was not a vector of any BYDV serotype tested. R. rufiabdominalis was found to be an efficient vector of PAV, RPV, and RMV isolates, but did not transmit MAV or SGV.
An Improved Distribution Algorithm for Shortest Paths Problem

The time complexity of a distributed algorithm [5] for all-pair shortest path problem is improved by a factor 0(n) by pipelining instructions. Its implementation using VLSI technology is proposed and area complexity is computed.
Bachelorhood and Men's Attitudes about Gender Roles

This paper examines the gendered domestic division of labor and men's attitudes regarding gender roles. It focuses on a potential catalyst for changing gender attitudes: bachelorhood. Because socia...
The utility of aged seeds in DNA banks

The long-term utility of DNA banks is predicated on the stability of DNA during storage. The quality and yield of DNA extracted from seeds from four garden species, which varied in age from 1 to 135 years old, was used to examine the early stages of DNA degradation. Seeds that were 70 years old yielded high molecular weight DNA, which permitted amplification of a 650 bp segment of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the nuclear ribosomal DNA and a 487 bp segment of the plastid-encoded large subunit of rubisco (rbcL). DNA extracted from seeds estimated to be about 135 years old was degraded, but still permitted amplification when routine extraction procedures were used. The rbcL sequences obtained from c. 135-year-old cucurbit seed DNA were consistent with species identifications based on seed morphological features; however, ITS sequences from the same samples were determined to be of fungal origin. A comparison of our results with studies of DNA stability in leaf specimens suggested that DNA degraded within both tissues, but perhaps more slowly within seeds. Evidence that high-quality DNA can be extracted from old, non-viable seeds expands the utility of seed banks in preserving genetic resources.
High Performance Non-blocking Switch Design in 3D Die-Stacking Technology

Die stacking is a promising new technology that enables integration of devices in the third dimension. It allows the stacking of multiple active layers directly on top of one another with short, dense die-to-die vias providing communication. Previous work has shown significant bene?ts at all design targets, from stacking memory on logic to partitioning individual architectural units across multiple layers. Many high-speed processor units—ALUs, register ?les, caches, and instruction schedulers—have all been designed in 3D, achieving signi?cant, simultaneous power savings and performance boosts. Other work has looked at the implementation of network-on-chip in a die stack but restricted the focus to planar designs of the various unit(processors, routers, etc.). This work follows up on these two re-search areas to explore the 3D design of router components, speci?cally the crossbar. We examine the implementation of a crossbar and two multistage interconnect networks to determine the potential bene?ts of 3D implementations. Compared to equivalent planar designs,we achieve a maximum delay reduction of 26% and maximum power savings of 24%.
Mixed solvent effect on lithium‐coordination to poly(ethylene oxide)

This article presents a comparative study of the structure formation of poly (ethylene oxide) PEO/Li complexes in aqueous and acetonitrile solutions using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). We demonstrate that in acetonitrile solutions, Li-cations coordinate to the ether–oxygen of the monomeric unit, and this results in charging and stretching of the polymer chains. This is found to be in contrast to aqueous solutions, where the ions remain free in solution. In particular, we demonstrate that the “binding” and “screening” regimes that were observed in case of PEO/K+ solutions in acetonitrile are also found in the respective PEO/Li+ solutions. The addition of water to solutions in acetonitrile increasingly diminishes the ion-coordination to the polymer, eventually resulting in neutral polymer chains at water contents above ϕ*water = 30% (w/v). The preferential adsorption of water on PEO in mixtures of acetonitrile and water is evidenced by the pronounced stretching of polymer chains, in particular, at a water content of ϕwater = 25% and 33.33% (w/v) where complete stretching of the chains is observed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 3642–3650, 2006
Calcinosis of the flexor and extensor tendons in dermatomyositis—Case report

The case of a young female child with dermatomyositis and flexion contracture in the dominant hand secondary to calcinosis is presented. Function was improved by flexor tenosynovectomy and removal of calcium deposits.
Understanding the Controls on Storm Surge through the Building of a National Storm Surge Database

ABSTRACT Peek, K.M. and Young, R.S., 2013. Understanding the controls on storm surge through the building of a national storm surge database. The Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines at Western Carolina University (WCU) is using relational tools (Microsoft Access) and a geographic information system (ArcGIS) to build a national storm surge database. The database is comprehensive, queriable, and will provide one central location for coastal scientists, engineers, and the general public to access storm surge and high water-mark data. The national database currently contains over 5800 storm surge data points from 42 hurricanes. Detailed geo-referenced storm characteristics from the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration's International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship are also part of the database and include storm track, wind speed, central pressure, and storm diameter. This allows the database to be queried to match storm characteristics with the surge generated. Analysis of the d...
Synthetic Biology: Implications and Uses

Synthetic biology is an effort to construct and engineer biological systems, ranging from individual genetic elements, to biosynthetic pathways, to whole organisms. The results of these engineering efforts can be of great value to human interests such as medicine and industry. In this chapter, advances in DNA assembly technologies are reviewed, and how these advanced DNA assembly technologies, in conjunction with the application of engineering principles such as modular parts, have facilitated the rational engineering of organisms to obtain desired functions or to understand complex cellular behavior, are highlighted. The recent creation of a synthetic cell is also described. Finally, the societal concerns posed by synthetic biology are discussed. Keywords: Synthetic biology; Synthetic cell; DNA assembly; Circuits; Compartmentalization
Cell Cycle Dependence of Ionizing Radiation-Induced DNA Deletions and Antioxidant Radioprotection in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract The yeast DEL assay is an effective method for measuring intrachromosomal recombination events resulting in DNA deletions that when occurring in mammalian cells are often associated with genomic instability and carcinogenesis. Here we used the DEL assay to measure γ-ray-induced DNA deletions throughout different phases of yeast culture growth. Whereas yeast survival differed by only up to twofold throughout the yeast growth phase, proliferating cells in lag and early exponential growth phases were tenfold more sensitive to ionizing radiation-induced DNA deletions than cells in stationary phase. Radiation-induced DNA deletion potential was found to correlate directly with the fraction of cells in S/G2 phase. The ability of the antioxidants l-ascorbic acid and DMSO to protect against radiation-induced DNA deletions was also measured within the different phases of yeast culture growth. Yeast cells in lag and early exponential growth phases were uniquely protected by antioxidant treatment, whereas no...
Estimating the system costs of wind power forecast uncertainty

Uncertainty in forecasts of wind power generation raises concerns of integrating wind power into power system operations and electricity markets at acceptable costs. The analysis presented in this paper uses an optimal power flow (OPF) model in a Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) framework to estimate the additional cost of power system operation with uncertain output from a wind farm. A base case dispatch is established along with alternate dispatches based upon a probability distribution of real time wind power generation. The cost of the uncertainty in wind power forecasts is then quantified in terms of the difference in production cost between the base case and the cost for system dispatch under scenarios drawn from the distribution of real time wind power generation. Using various regional load levels and ramp capabilities of other generators, the results from the OPF and MCS show that wind power forecast uncertainty for the test system can increase production cost between 2.5% and 11%.
Information theoretic measures of inspection performance

Four measures of inspection performance based on Shannon's measure of information are introduced: mutual information, fraction of uncertainty removed, channel capacity, and operating ratio. The measures are applicable in cases when quantitative estimates of the consequences of inspection error are not available. Several examples of the application of these measures to various inspection evaluation, selection and sequencing problems are provided.
The identification of the switching field distribution components

A direct method for measuring the ratio of the interaction field distribution and the critical field distribution in a wide variety of longitudinal recording media is presented. The method requires only the measurement of m/sub p/, the normalized remanence of the sample at the conclusion of the magnetizing process H/sub sal/, -h/sub ci/, +h/sub ci/, where H/sub sat/ is a field large enough to saturate it and h/sub ci/ is the operative remanence coercivity. In conjunction with major loop measurements, the method obtains both the standard deviation in the interaction field distribution and the standard deviation in the critical field distribution. Experimental verification of the proposed technique is presented. >
Accounting Practitioners Reflect on Faculty Impact: Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice.

A gap exists between the perception of accounting education in the classroom and accounting as it is practiced. This study explores qualitatively the perceptions and experiences of mid-career accounting professionals with respect to the impact of academic faculty on their careers in accounting. The study identifies a perception gap in the experiences of accounting practitioners and explores the reasons for and significance of this gap. The study also explores the ways in which faculty members can positively impact practitioners, such as providing a smooth entry point into the profession, as well as provides a roadmap for greater articulation between the accounting education and accounting practice.
Obstructive emphysema and peptic ulcer.

Summary One hundred fifteen consecutive cases of obstructive emphysema seen in the general medical wards of the Veterans Administration Hospital were studied over an 18-month period. The diagnosis of emphysema was based on clinical, laboratory, pulmonary function test findings. All the patients were investigated for the presence of peptic ulcer. Eight patients (7 per cent) were found to have active duodenal ulcer. An additional 16 patients presented histories of peptic ulcer preceding or concurrent with the emphysema. Since adequate data concerning the true incidence of peptic ulcer in the general population are lacking, it is not possible to prove whether or not the incidence of peptic ulcer is increased in patients with obstructive emphysema.
The role of antigen form and the induction of an intestinal immune response to cholera toxin/toxoid in rats.

Recent efforts to immunize against cholera have focused upon the protective role of antitoxin. We have studied the intestinal immune response to cholera toxin and toxoid in rats with two aims; first, to describe basic features of the secretory immune system of the gut using cholera toxin and toxoid as antigenic probes, and second, to provide an experimental basis for further efforts to induce antitoxic immunity in man.
Evaluation of an automated method for the determination of the activated partial thromboplastin time.

Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) determinations on the Lancer Coagulyzer (a photoelectric clot sensing instrument) were compared with APTT’s obtained by the standard manual method. No statistically significant difference between the Coagulyzer and the manual methods was found when APTT determinations in plasma samples containing various concentrations of Factor VIII were compared. The coefficient of variation for the Coagulyzer was 2.05% and that for the manual method was 3.79%. The Coagulyzer was sensitive to 30% Factor VIII. The Coagulyzer is an acceptable method of performing APTT and may be very useful where bulk processing of APTT is necessary.
Rapidly Solidified Microstructure in Surface Layers of Laseralloyed Mo on Fe-C Substrates

Shaped continuous-wave laser beams have been used to alloy molybdenum coatings into Fe-C substrates. The Mo overlay was first deposited by the plasma spray process in an inert gas environment. Slowly scanned laser radiation then melted a layer 2 to 5 times the thickness of the original coating causing the two metallic species to mix. Melt proceeded from the coating/substrate interface, the Mo melt temperatures being significantly higher than that of the base material. Fusion zone microstructures for individual melt passes appeared to be homogeneous, and molybdenum composition was found to be relatively uniform. With overlapping melt passes, the micro-structures became more complex with heat effects apparent in the overlap regions.