cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In vivo effect of interleukin-6 on cycling status of hematopoietic progenitors from adults and neonates.

ABSTRACT: In vitro, IL-6 can induce hematopoietic progenitors to progress from G0 into cycle, but a role for IL-6 in regulating cycling status of progenitors in vivo has not been established. In our studies, groups of five to six adult and newborn rats received i.v. injections of either IL-6 (1 ng/g body wt) or the vehicle (control), after which cycling of hematopoietic progenitors was evaluated by tritiated thymidine suicide. Progenitors from adult rats injected with the control had thymidine suicide rates of 7 ± 1% (mean ± SEM), compared with 23 ± 7% in the IL-6 recipients (p < 0.02), Progenitors from newborn rats injected with the control had thymidine suicide rates of 19 ± 2%, compared with 29 ± 1% in the IL-6 recipients (p < 0.003). In addition, IL-6 administration resulted in release of cells from the nentrophil storage pool into the circulation, as evidenced by fewer polymorphonuclear cells flushed from the long bones (neonates, p < 0.001; adults, p < 0.003), a rise in blood neutrophil concentration (neonates, p < 0.001; adults, p < 0.005), and a leukocyte "left shift" (neonates, p < 0.001; adults, p < 0.01). Thus, the effects of IL-6 in vivo in newbora and adult rats include cycle induction of hematopoietic progenitors and release of neutrophils from the storage pool into the circulation.
Spectropolarimetry of Herbig-Haro objects and the exciting star of HH 30

Spectrophotometric and spectropolarimetric observations are presented of three HH objects: HH 11, 30, and 43. Although null polarization results are obtained for HH 11 and 43, the unusually strong continuum of HH 30 is linearly polarized by 3%. The emission lines in this nebula are unpolarized. The electric vector position angle appropriate to the continuum polarization, and the presence of Fe II emission lines apparently from the photosphere of a T Tauri-like star, indicate HL Tau as the exciting/illuminating star for HH 30. Evidence is adduced for a highly anisotropic distribution of circumstellar obscuration around this star.
Manufacturing process monitoring using neural networks

Abstract Effective automatic control in manufacturing processes depends on a properly designed and implemented computerized monitoring system. In this paper, a monitoring system designed for identifying both periodic and aperiodic process signals using neural networks is reported. Digital signal processing techniques are first used to convert collected manufacturing signals into frequency domain. Then a neural network-based program is used to identify these signals by examining their characteristic frequencies. Implementation of neural networks in program logic and the system's computational properties are discussed. The promising results demonstrated by application examples show that the neural network-based system seems to have a good potential in automatic manufacturing process control.
Transcription initiation-defective forms of sigma(54) that differ in ability To function with a heteroduplex DNA template.

Transcription by ς54-RNA polymerase holoenzyme requires an activator that catalyzes isomerization of the closed promoter complex to an open complex. We examined mutant forms of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ς54 that were defective in transcription initiation but retained core RNA polymerase- and promoter-binding activities. Four of the mutant proteins allowed activator-independent transcription from a heteroduplex DNA template. One of these mutant proteins, L124P V148A, had substitutions in a sequence that had not been shown previously to participate in the prevention of activator-independent transcription. The remaining mutants did not allow efficient activator-independent transcription from the heteroduplex DNA template and had substitutions within a conserved 20-amino-acid segment (Leu-179 to Leu-199), suggesting a role for this sequence in transcription initiation.
From limitation to excess: the consequences of substrate excess and stoichiometry for phytoplankton physiology, trophodynamics and biogeochemistry, and the implications for modeling

Abstract Current parameterization of several important physiological rates using rectangular hyperbolic saturation formulations is inadequate to capture our expanding understanding of the dynamic regulation of nutrients and energy at the primary producer level across all substrate levels, from limiting to super-saturating. Nutrient regulation by primary producers can affect chemical composition, in turn affecting predator–prey interactions and biogeochemical feedbacks in complex foodwebs. Anthropogenically altered nutrient loads are accentuating these challenges by altering nutrient stoichiometry. Using examples derived from the development of phytoplankton physiological dynamic regulation, the case is made that dynamic regulatory concepts are relevant at all levels of ecosystem regulation, that elemental stoichiometry must be considered in physiological, trophodynamic and biogeochemical constructs, and that the classical notion that nutrients and nutrient stoichiometry are only regulatory for physiology when at the limiting end of the spectrum must be laid to rest. Advancing models will require new emphasis on physiology including both dissipatory regulation and assimilatory regulation and the feed-back mechanisms between them.
Electrokinetic behavior of selected alkali and alkaline-earth fluoride salts in organic solvents

Abstract Electrophoretic mobility measurements by laser-Doppler electrophoresis are reported for selected alkali and alkaline-earth fluorides in different organic solvents. These measurements coupled with FTIR/transmission spectroscopy (FTIR/TS) studies allow for the sign of the surface charge to be predicted for fluoride salts in organic solvents. On the basis of this analysis, the electrokinetic behavior in both hydrogen and non-hydrogen bonding liquids can now be explained. Analysis of these results show that the surface charge of fluorides in methanol (hydrogen bonding liquid) is positive as it is in water. Importantly, the surface charge of fluoride salts in other organic solvents (non-hydrogen bonding liquids) can be either positive or negative depending on the nature of the organic solvent. For example fluoride salts are negatively charged in acetone due to the strong solvation of the cation relative to the fluoride ion. The opposite is true for water and other protic solvents where the fluoride ion is more extensively solvated.
Measurement of von Willebrand factor activity: relative effects of ABO blood type and race

Tests based on three different principles are reported to measure the activity of von Willebrand factor (VWF): ristocetin cofactor (VWF:RCo), collagen binding (VWF:CB), and the so-called "activity ELISA" (VWF:MoAb). We measured these and other diagnostic parameters in a population of 123 randomly selected female study controls, age 18-45 years. Type O subjects had significantly lower levels than non-O subjects in each test. Race differences were seen in all tests except VWF:RCo, with Caucasians having significantly lower levels than African-Americans. ABO differences accounted for 19% of the total variance in VWF:Ag (P < 0.0001) and race for 7% (P < 0.0001), for a total of 26%. Both effects were mediated through VWF:Ag and were independent. VWF:Ag level was the primary determinant of VWF function, accounting for approximately 60% of the variance in VWF:RCo and VWF:CB and 54% of the variance in factor VIII. The ratio VWF:RCo/VWF:Ag differed significantly by race within blood group. The median ratios were 0.97 for type O Caucasians vs. 0.79 for type O African-Americans and 0.94 for non-O Caucasians vs. 0.76 for non-O African-Americans. The ratio VWF:CB/VWF:Ag did not vary. This suggests racial differences in the interaction of VWF with GP1b but not with subendothelium. Alternatively, VWF:RCo may be regulated to maintain a relatively constant plasma level in the presence of excessive VWF:Ag. This heterogeneity within the normal population is partially responsible for the difficulty in defining diagnostic limits for von Willebrand disease.
Enthalpy and Heat Capacity Changes for Formation of an Oligomeric DNA Duplex: Interpretation in Terms of Coupled Processes of Formation and Association of Single-Stranded Helices†

The thermodynamics of self-assembly of a 14 base pair DNA double helix from complementary strands have been investigated by titration (ITC) and differential scanning (DSC) calorimetry, in conjunction with van't Hoff analysis of UV thermal scans of individual strands. These studies demonstrate that thermodynamic characterization of the temperature-dependent contributions of coupled conformational equilibria in the individual "denatured" strands and in the duplex is essential to understand the origins of duplex stability and to derive stability prediction schemes of general applicability. ITC studies of strand association at 293 K and 120 mM Na+ yield an enthalpy change of -73 +/- 2 kcal (mol of duplex)-1. ITC studies between 282 and 312 K at 20, 50, and 120 mM Na+ show that the enthalpy of duplex formation is only weakly salt concentration-dependent but is very strongly temperature-dependent, decreasing approximately linearly with increasing temperature with a heat capacity change (282-312 K) of -1.3 +/- 0.1 kcal K-1 (mol of duplex)-1. From DSC denaturation studies in 120 mM Na+, we obtain an enthalpy of duplex formation of -120 +/- 5 kcal (mol of duplex)-1 and an estimate of the corresponding heat capacity change of -0.8 +/- 0.4 kcal K-1 (mol of duplex)-1 at the Tm of 339 K. van't Hoff analysis of UV thermal scans on the individual strands indicates that single helix formation is noncooperative with a temperature-independent enthalpy change of -5.5 +/- 0.5 kcal at 120 mM Na+. From these observed enthalpy and heat capacity changes, we obtain the corresponding thermodynamic quantities for two fundamental processes: (i) formation of single helices from disordered strands, involving only intrastrand (vertical) interactions between neighboring bases; and (ii) formation of double helices by association (docking) of single helical strands, involving interstrand (horizontal and vertical) interactions. At 293 K and 120 mM Na+, we calculate that the enthalpy change for association of single helical strands is approximately -64 kcal (mol of duplex)-1 as compared to -210 kcal (mol of duplex)-1 calculated for duplex formation from completely unstructured single strands and to the experimental ITC value of -73 kcal (mol of duplex)-1. The intrinsic heat capacity change for association of single helical strands to form the duplex is found to be small and positive [ approximately 0.1 kcal K-1 (mol of duplex)-1], in agreement with the result of a surface area analysis, which also predicts an undetectably small heat capacity change for single helix formation.
A MODEL AND IMPLEMENTATION OF MULTIGRID FOR MASSIVELY PARALLEL COMPUTERS

Multigrid is a fast and popular iterative method used to solve linear partial differential equations. However, because the solution of very small problems is inherent in the multigrid iteration, it is difficult to implement efficiently on a massively parallel computer. In this paper, we present a model for the efficiency of multigrid on a parallel computer that depends only on the efficiency of the smoother at each level. This model can be used to verify that it is indeed difficult to obtain extremely high efficiencies (>95%), but that it is relatively easy to obtain moderately high. efficiencies (70% to 85%). The model also indicates that moderately high efficiencies can still be achieved as the number of dimensions in the partial differential equation increases. We also present an implementation of the multigrid v-cycle that has achieved 84% efficiency on the 1,024-processor NCUBE/ten.
Development of a rapidly computable descriptor of prostate tissue temperature during transurethral conductive heat therapy for benign prostate hyperplasia.

Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) is a condition in older men in which the mass of tissue in the prostate gland gradually increases over the course of many years, ultimately leading to urinary outflow obstruction. Current treatment of this condition is to surgically remove the obstructing tissue. One novel alternative therapy being studied is transurethral thermocoagulation of excessive prostatic mass. In this approach, a heat-emitting catheter is placed in the prostatic urethra, and the intraprostatic segment of the catheter is heated to temperatures above 60°C for one hour. Two-dimensional cylindrical-co-ordinate computer simulations of this treatment modality were run to model resultant temperature distributions within the prostate gland and surrounding tissues. The simulations revealed that resultant tissue temperature changes were related directly to the power delivered to the catheter and inversely to the rate of blood perfusion. Further analysis of the temperature profiles produced a rapidly computable predictor of tissue temperature in the radial dimension. Using the predictor, a ‘kill radius’ around the prostatic urethra can be easily computed on-line, during treatment, from clinically available data, catheter, power and catheter temperature. The computed kill radius may serve as a useful predictor of the extent of thermal devitalisation of unwanted obstructing tissue and the long-term success of the treatment in relieving urinary outflow obstruction without surgery.
Reverse Micelle Synthesis and Characterization of Superparamagnetic MnFe2O4 Spinel Ferrite Nanocrystallites

MnFe2O4 nanoparticles are synthesized by using sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (NaDBS) to form water-in-toluene reverse micelles. The nanoparticles are single crystalline, and the average particle size can be controlled from 4 to 15 nm. High- and low-resolution transmission electron microscopy characterization has shown that the nanoparticles can have a size distribution as narrow as ∼9%. Neutron diffraction and magnetic measurements have been conducted on the nanoparticles with a diameter of 7.7 ± 0.7 nm. The results unambiguously prove that these MnFe2O4 nanoparticles are truly superparamagnetic. The synthesis and characterization of these nanoparticles will facilitate the development of MnFe2O4 nanoparticles for the potential applications such as contrast enhancement agents of magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic carriers for site-specific drug delivery.
Mössbauer evidence for relaxation valence averaging in CoO and NiO

M\"ossbauer spectra are reported for CoO and NiO doped with $^{57}\mathrm{Co}$ between 22\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C and 1150\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. At lower temperatures two lines are observed, which can be identified as ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{2+}$ and ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{3+}$. As the source temperature is increased the two-line pattern merges into a singlet with the position of the singlet determined by the oxygen partial pressure surrounding the source. This observation is interpreted as a charge relaxation averaging, and it is accompanied with the expected line broadening in the region of the transition temperature ${T}_{1}$ which is nearly 500 K above the N\'eel temperature for both CoO and NiO. For NiO and CoO the average M\"ossbauer characteristic temperature changes discontinuously at ${T}_{1}$, dropping about 10% for NiO and 20% for CoO as the temperature is increased through ${T}_{1}$. Below ${T}_{1}$ the recoil-free fraction associated with the ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{3+}$ line increases with increasing temperature. This is believed to be caused by an electronic interplay between the ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{2+}$ and ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{3+}$ ions. At a temperature about 300 K above the N\'eel temperature for NiO and CoO there is an abrupt change in the rate of this interplay, which we refer to as the ${T}_{2}$ transition. We discuss these results and suggest that charge and vacancy ordering may be responsible for the ${T}_{1}$ and ${T}_{2}$ transitions, respectively.
Irradiation of Brain Metastases

A series of 124 patients with intracranial metastases, treated by irradiation, has been reviewed, retrospectively and prospectively, and the results are reported. Worthwhile palliation was obtained in 79 (63%) of the total number of patients with functional improvement documented in 52 (41%). The uncorrected mean survival was 4.7 months. The addition of surgery to irradiation did not improve results significantly in this series. Therefore, surgical removal should be performed on special indications such as rapidly progressing increase in intracranial pressure unresponsive to steroids or shunt, or if the etiology of the intracranial lesion is uncertain.
Reliability as a Value in Personality Research: A Rejoinder to McCrae

McCrae seems to believe that the empirical status of the stability thesis is guaranteed by virtue of the fact that scores on measures of personality traits are always free to change over time. Yet, my thesis that trait stability is a noncontingent truth is not predicated on specific claims regarding phenotypic manifestations of personality traits. Rather, I maintain that McCrae and Costa's pre-empirical assumptions logically require an interpretation of the human personality in terms of stable traits. In this rejoinder, I further clarify this `strong' claim and I defend my `weaker' claim that the transcontextual nature of traits loads the dice in favor of empirical demonstrations of long-term stability.
Long-term observations of vadose zone and groundwater nitrate concentrations under irrigated agriculture.

Proper N management for agricultural production is critical to minimize groundwater contamination with NO3. For 18 yr, research was conducted to observe NO3–N concentrations in the vadose zone, groundwater, and subsurface drainage under sprinkler-irrigated, primarily corn ( Zea mays L.) production. Potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) and soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] were also grown intermittently on the site. The lysimeter leachate NO3–N concentration increased to 156 mg L−1 under corn production within 1 yr after the initiation of irrigation (at the onset of the study), then decreased to <10 mg L−1 during a 6-yr period of best-management N fertility management for corn. The average yearly lysimeter NO3–N concentration fluctuated between 8 and 117 mg L−1 during the study. Nitrate concentrations in the shallow groundwater followed a similar time series trend as leachate concentrations, but with lower concentrations and lagging about 1 yr. Subsurface drainage NO3–N concentrations were much lower but followed the same trend as the shallow groundwater. An N balance indicated higher net N mineralization after the initiation of irrigation and the years after potato production. Fertilizer N application rates and yearly weather conditions, which affected crop vigor and N uptake, combined to affect the fall residual soil NO3. Fall soil NO3 from 0- to 1.8-m depth was the most significant factor influencing the leachate NO3–N concentration each year during the study ( r 2 = 0.76).
Alternating Life Histories of Smallmouth Bass

Abstract We review some patterns of reproduction among and within cohorts of male smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu in Nebish Lake, Wisconsin. Previous studies of the population have shown that many males and females fail to breed in a given season and that males are effectively semelparous. Age at first reproduction among males of a cohort appears to be mediated by size, which may in part explain the large number of males failing to breed in a given year. We suggest that competition among cohorts of males result in older males breeding earlier within a season than younger males and that differences in reproductive timing within a season ultimately determine the age at which males of the next generation reproduce. We argue that the observed differences in age at reproduction among males are not alternative life histories, but are the result of a single alternating life history pattern in which males breeding at a young age produce male offspring that breed at an old age and vice versa. The evolution of...
Mental illness, crime, and violence: Risk, context, and social control

In this article, I review theory and research on the relationship between mental illness, crime, and violence. I begin by discussing the larger backdrop of deinstitutionalization of mental illness and its consequences for the criminal justice system in both individual and macro-level terms. I then compare public perceptions of dangerousness associated with mental illness with individual-level studies that assess the risk of violence and criminal behavior among those with mental illness. I review key findings as to the role of certain psychotic symptoms, social demographic characteristics, and the context in which violence unfolds. Finally, I discuss recent efforts at managing persons with mental illness who violate the law, focusing on the limitations of diversionary programs.
POTENTIATION OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC‐PITUITARY‐ADRENAL RESPONSE TO METYRAPONE BY l‐DOPA IN ACROMEGALIC PATIENTS

SUMMARY The effects of l-DOPA administration on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function were studied in five normal subjects and in five patients with active acromegaly. In acromegalic patients, oral l-DOPA (500 mg every 4 h for six doses) failed to alter the urinary excretion of 17-hydroxycorticoids (17-OHCS), 17-oxosteroids (17-OS), and tetrahydro-11-desoxycortisol (tetrahydro-comp S). However, when cortisol synthesis was blocked with oral metyrapone, enhancement of excretion of 17-OHCS, 17-OS, and tetrahydro-comp S by l-DOPA became apparent in acromegalic patients but not in the normals. In patients with acromegaly, on the day of metyrapone administration, the mean excretion rates of 17-OHCS, 17-OS, and of tetrahydro-comp S were 8.6 mg, 6.4 mg and 4.1 mg/24 h, respectively. When 500 mg l-DOPA was co-administered with metyrapone, the corresponding values increased significantly (P<0.01) to 14.9 mg, 9.0 mg and 7.7 mg/24 h. This effect of l-DOPA was not observed in the normal subjects. It was concluded that l-DOPA markedly enhanced the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal response to metyrapone in acromegalic patients, but not in normal subjects. l-DOPA (or one of its metabolites) probably acts upon a noradrenergic or a dopaminergic system located in the hypothalamus to alter the release of ACTH. The unusual pituitary-adrenal response to l-DOPA in acromegaly may reflect: (1) a supersensitive reaction of the pituitary-adrenal axis to l-DOPA; (2) a paradoxical response of the pituitary-adrenal axis to l-DOPA; or (3) a subtle pituitary-adrenal dysfunction.
Damping of DNA vibration modes by viscous solvents

The problem of viscous damping of vibrating DNA polymer in aqueous solution is solved in the low-amplitude limit for all acoustic branches of the spectrum. The acoustic spectrum covers the microwave region of frequencies. The viscious damping is found to be a strong function of frequency, singular both at very low and very high frequencies. All acoustic modes are overdamped, implying that the observation of well-defined resonances in DNA requires highly structured water or very dry material.
Middle East History: a Review Essay

The Modern Middle East: a history; James L. Gelvin The Modern Middle East: a political history since the First World War; Mehren Kamrava
Changes in K+ pump transport and ouabain binding sites in erythrocytes of genetically low K+ lambs

Abstract Red cells from 3 genetically low K + lambs exhibited: high cell K + and K + pump activity and 135 pumps/cell on day 3 after birth; increased cellular Na + and a decrease of the number of pumps relative to K + pump flux on day 17; and low cell K + , low K + pump flux and about 40–50 pumps/cell on day 40 or later.
Avoiding Pairs of Partial Latin Squares

We show that two partial latin squares of order mk are simultaneously avoidable if m > 4 and $${k>\frac{m^3(m^2-1)}{2}}$$ . If m = 4, we show the same conclusion when k > 56.
Infrared and Raman spectra of [(CH3)3C]2PF and [(CH3)3C]2PCl

Abstract The liquid state infrared spectra of bis(t-butyl) fluorophosphine and bis(t-butyl) chlorophosphine were recorded from 3100 to 33 cm−1. Corresponding Raman displacements are reported as well as polarization data. Assignments of fundamental frequencies are consistent with Cs symmetry for the skeletal framework and local C3v for the t-butyl groups. The assignments are compared with those of the related t-butyl-dihalophosphines reported earlier.
Monopolistic Cocoa Pricing

Although attempts to introduce international regulation as a device to benefit cocoa producing countries have failed in the past five years, considerable pressure remains to try again. In this study, estimates are formed of the probable changes in some of the relevant variables if an international monopolistic cocoa pricing agreement were implemented. On the basis of new estimates of cocoa supply and demand relations, effects of the hypothetical institution of discriminatory monopolistic pricing in 1964 are examined. Such an agreement would have resulted in marginal, although possibly important, additions to the leading cocoa producing countries' command over external resources; but stock accumulation or surplus disposal problems might have been troublesome, and long-run supplies would have increased substantially unless producers were effectively isolated from the world market.
Transport processes and large deformation during baking of bread

A model of multiphase transport in a porous medium coupled with large deformation of the porous matrix is developed and applied to the process of bread baking. Transport-governing equations are based on energy conservation and mass conservation of water, water vapor, and CO2 produced during baking. Deformation is caused by the pressure gradient from internal evaporation and CO2 generation. Temperature, moisture, and pressure changes in turn are affected by deformation. Bread is assumed to be viscoelastic, mechanical properties of which are functions of temperature. Geometric nonlinear effects are considered in the mechanics problem. Results are compared with those from baking experiments and literature data. Vapor pressure inside the matrix is likely to be lower than the equilibrium vapor pressure. Convective heat transfer is small compared to heat conduction and evaporation–condensation of water vapor promotes heat transfer to the inside. Rate of CO2 generation, mechanical properties of dough, and gravity together determine the final shape of the bread. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2005
SUI surgery at the time of vaginal POP repair: is a surgical algorithm possible or desirable?

Aims To review the question of whether SUI Surgery should be performed at the time of vaginal POP repair and whether a surgical algorithm is possible and report discussion on this topic from the ICI-RS meeting in 2010. Methods The literature on this topic was surveyed and discussion from ICI-RS is reported. Results There are multiple approaches to this question with literature supporting each of these approaches. Some perform an anti-incontinence procedure in all patients undergoing vaginal surgery, many are selective and only perform it in patients with symptoms or signs (including occult) of SUI and some perform it in no patients preferring to wait and see if they have symptoms of SUI post-operatively. There are a number of algorithms in use reflecting these practices but none agreed on by all. Ongoing trials may provide more information that allows the construction of better algorithms. All agreed that preoperative counseling was critical. Conclusion Surgical practice regarding SUI surgery at the time of vaginal POP repair varies widely and there is conflicting literature that supports different approaches and algorithms. Ongoing trials should provide more information to help construct better algorithms. Other approaches for designing prediction models for this problem may be useful. Neurourol. Urodynam. 30:758–761, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Bus Rapid Transit Systems in Latin America and Asia: Results and Difficulties in 11 Cities

This paper summarizes technical, financial, and performance information regarding bus system improvements in 11 cities in Latin America and Asia. The cities selected in this review improved their transport conditions either through citywide bus reorganizations (Sao Paulo, Brazil; Santiago, Chile) or through improvements in selected corridors and areas of the city (Beijing; Bogota and Pereira, Colombia; Curitiba, Brazil; Jakarta, Indonesia; Leon and Mexico City, Mexico; and Quito and Guayaquil, Ecuador). Both citywide reorganizations and corridor improvements included the introduction of bus rapid transit (BRT) elements. The reviewed systems improved the transport conditions for the commuters served and had other benefits, particularly the reduction of pollution and accidents. The BRT corridors implemented show high performance (carrying 3,000 to 45,000 passengers per hour per direction) and have generally been well received by the users, with relatively low capital investments ($1.4 million/km to $8.2 mil...
Material slow light and structural slow light: similarities and differences for nonlinear optics [Invited]

There are two standard methods for controlling the group velocity of light. One makes use of the dispersive properties associated with the resonance structure of a material medium. The other makes use of structural resonances, such as those that occur in photonic crystals. Both procedures have proved useful in a variety of situations. In this work we contrast these two approaches, especially in terms of issues such as the kinematics of energy flow though the system and the resulting implications for the behavior of nonlinear optical processes in these situations. Stated differently, this paper addresses the question of when nonlinear optical processes are enhanced through use of slow-light interactions and when they are not.
Lattice resonances of a planar array of spherical inclusions: An experimental study

This paper is concerned with an experimental investigation of the excitation of lattice resonances in a single periodic (square) array of glass inclusions embedded in an elastic matrix. A normally-incident plane longitudinal wave is used to excite the resonances. The excitation of the lattice resonances is identified through a comparison of the transmission and reflection spectra of the periodic layer with those of an equivalent random layer. At the lattice-resonant frequencies, standing shear waves are excited within the plane of the layer along certain directions of lattice symmetry. These waves are measured along five different symmetry directions by the use of shear wave transducers. The transmission and reflection spectra reveal at least three lattice resonances; these are corroborated by the shear wave spectra.
Immigration Benefits America

David Stoll suggests that because contemporary immigrants are non-European, uneducated, poor, and uninterested in joining the moral community of American society, their presence threatens national unity, obscures citizens’ obligations to one another and will shortly change the US into a minority–majority society. Drawing from historical accounts and statistical evidence, this article asserts that immigrants provide American society with social, economic and demographic benefits. Moreover, while pundits have long predicted that immigrants with national origins distinct from those of natives will transform American life to its detriment, the record reveals the US has been able to incorporate diverse nationalities to the benefit of immigrants and the native-born alike.
Lingual clamping procedures for measuring oral vibrotactile thresholds: IV. Comparison of clamping and nonclamping methods

Lingual vibrotactile thresholds were obtained from 10 adult subjects using five different clamping procedures at three test frequencies. Data indicated that the elimination of the bottom clamp will lead to thresholds comparable to those involving the use of a bottom clamp, provided that the amount of lingual constriction is carefully monitored. Elimination of the lower clamp is desirable in that it simplifies overall procedure for the experimenter and the subject being tested. Future research relating frequency response characteristics to individual clamping conditions is suggested.
Some aspects of mathematics in social sciences

The ultimate aim of this paper is to examine the compromises which can be made in order to reach a point where measurement and computation are feasible in some of the quantitative aspects of the social sciences. The basic mathematical theories upon which the social sciences depend include: 1. Linear attrition theory including Feller's abstract formulation of parabolic equations. 2. Utility theory as a branch of the calculus of variations, described, for example, by G. E. Evans. 3. Combination of utility theories and competition in many play games, including Bellman's theory of dynamic programming. Basic empirical aspects of the social sciences include: 1. The acquisition of information about probability distributions, such as distribution of demand. 2. The testing of hypotheses related to reality, such as a hypothesis of rational behavior as formulated and tested by J. Marschak. 3. The intelligent formation of a priori Bayes probabilities and their correction as demanded by L. J. Savage in his The Foundations of Statistics and as carried out by W. A. Smith. 4. Observations of value of various competitive situations, based on simulation, experience, or other valid means of practical realization of quantities introduced theoretically in dynamic programming studies. Practical considerations require action after limited observation of existing conditions, and limitations of computational facilities may prohibit complete numerical analysis of situations whose underlying parameters are believed to have been accurately evaluated. This leads to an almost epistemological question as to what can be learned through aggregation of data related to seemingly similar situations and to difficult mathematical questions of reducing the computational extent of problems. Some means of examining these questions will be treated, but the paper will not attempt to present a unified theory covering any substantial set of these problems.
A rapid test for evaluating the degree of cure in CFRP composites

A noncontact optothermal method is described for possible application to routine industrial evaluation of the degree of cure in polymeric composites. The surface of the part is heated by a laser beam or other radiative source while its temperature evolution is continuously monitored with an infrared detector. A strong exothermal peak is observed when the material is partially or totally uncured. Changes in the signal shape related to variations of the part geometry or environmental conditions are minimized by a differential approach comparing subsequent heat cycles on the same area. Results obtained with cured or uncured graphite-epoxy prepreg sheets are presented.
Graded-viscosity-bank design with pseudoplastic fluids

Etude theorique et experimentale du deplacement de fluides Newtoniens ou pseudoplastiques par des fluides Newtoniens ou pseudoplastiques en relation avec les ecoulements se produisant au cours de la recuperation de petrole par injection de polymere
Surgical approaches to suprasellar and parasellar tumors

Uncommonly, pituitary tumors require a complex intracranial approach. In such instances of extensive para- and suprasellar involvement, an approach that incorporates basic techniques enhanced by developments in contemporary cranial base surgery is effective. Tumors with extensive invasion of the cavernous sinus unilaterally are generally best approached by a frontotemporal transcavernous strategy. Those with bilateral cavernous sinus involvement are better suited for a bifrontal transbasal type of approach. Supra-sellar tumors are best exposed by a strategy that affords the surgeon an adequate inferior-to-superior viewing angle, which is generally accomplished by removal of all or part of the orbital rim. These approaches yield benefits in decreased frontal lobe retraction, which may be particularly important in cases requiring a bilateral approach. Finally, some tumors with more modest extensions outside the bounds of the sella are now treated with a more minimalistic type of approach via a small incision in the eyebrow. This marks a move toward a "minimally invasive" type of strategy. Sound judgment based on adequate experience with these approaches must be exercised to ensure appropriate application of this strategy.
A membrane-mimetic barrier for cell encapsulation

A stabilized, membrane-mimetic film was produced on a polyelectrolyte multiplayer (PEM) by in-situ photopolymerization of an acrylate functonalized phospholipid assembly at a solid-liquid interface. The phospholipid monomer was synthesized, prepared as unilamellar vesicles, and fused onto close-packed octadecyl chains as part of an amphiphilic terpolymer anchored onto the PEM by electrostatic interactions. The lipid film displayed an advancing contact angle of ∼ 60°, elemental composition, as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, was in agreement with that anticipated for a lipid membrane. Data obtained from both high-resolution scanning electron microscopy and ellipsometry were consistent with the formation of a supported lipid monolayer. In addition, polarized external reflection infrared spectroscopy revealed significant acyl chain ordering induced on lipid fusion and polymerization. Doping the lipid assembly with a fluorescein terminated polymerizable lipid provided visible confirmation of film formation and its stability under a variety of conditions, including shear rates of 2000 sec - 1 . Transport studies demonstrated that the addition of a lipid film significantly reduced barrier permeability for compounds in excess of 70 kD. The ability to coat microbeads (d ∼ 300 μm) with a robust membrane-mimetic film, while preserving encapsulated cell viability is illustrated, thereby establishing a new strategy for modulating the physiochemical and biological properties of immunoisolation barriers for cell transplantation.
Synchronicity of frequently sampled, 24-h concentrations of circulating leptin, luteinizing hormone, and estradiol in healthy women

Leptin, an adipocyte hormone, is a trophic factor for the reproductive system; however, it is still unknown whether there is a dynamic relation between fluctuations in circulating leptin and hypothalamic—pituitary–ovarian (HPO) axis hormones. To test the hypothesis that fluctuations in plasma leptin concentrations are related to the levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol, we sampled plasma from six healthy women every 7 min for 24 h during days 8–11 of the menstrual cycle. Cross-correlation analysis throughout the 24-h cycle revealed a relation between release patterns of leptin and LH, with a lag of 42–84 min but no significant cross-correlation between LH and estradiol. The ultradian fluctuations in leptin levels showed pattern synchrony with those of both LH and estradiol as determined by cross-approximate entropy (cross-ApEn). At night, as leptin levels rose to their peak, the pulsatility profiles of LH changed significantly and became synchronous with those of leptin. LH pulses were fewer, of longer duration, higher amplitude, and larger area than during the day. Moreover, the synchronicity of LH and leptin occurred late at night, at which time estradiol and leptin also exhibited significantly stronger pattern coupling than during the day. We propose that leptin may regulate the minute-to-minute oscillations in the levels of LH and estradiol, and that the nocturnal rise in leptin may determine the change in nocturnal LH profile in the mid-to-late follicular phase that precedes ovulation. This may explain the disruption of hypothalamic—pituitary–ovarian function that is characteristic of states of low leptin release, such as anorexia nervosa and cachexia.
Experimental Investigations of Single Liposome to Supported Bilayer Binding Events

One of the primary ways in which cells interact with their environments is by release of extracellular vesicles. These cell-derived submicron sized containers are formed either from the cell plasma membrane (microvesicles) or secreted from multivesicular bodies (exosomes). These vesicles contain nucleic acids and proteins that have been suggested to play an important role in intercellular signaling and the process of molecular communication between cells. In microvesicle-mediated intercellular communication, vesicles released by a donor cell must bind to the plasma membrane of a recipient cell in order to deliver their cargo to the target. Despite the important physiological role of vesicle-plasma membrane fusion and vesicle endocytosis, the details of the physical interactions between microvesicles and the plasma membrane are still poorly understood. To better understand the forces which occur between microvesicles and cells, we experimentally investigate single liposome binding events with a supported lipid bilayer. We employed total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy to observe liposome interactions with a supported lipid bilayer, and compare the experimentally observed bond lifetimes to the theoretical estimates. Our experimental observations indicate that bond lifetimes increase with both increasing liposome size and decreasing temperature.
Animal Behavior: A Continuing Synthesis

INTRODUCTION 676 The Historical Synthesis of Animal Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 676 Current Status of the Synthesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . 677 A Reconsideration of the Synthesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 678 PERSISTENT RESEARCH DIFFERENCES 679 Field vs. Laboratory Methods 679 Genes vs. Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 680 Rules Guiding Research 680 METHODS OF COMPARING BEHAVIOR 682 Protoevolutionary Comparisons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 683 Phylogenetic Comparisons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 687 Ecological Comparisons 689 Microevolutionary Comparisons 691 Integration . . . . . . . . 692 THE DYNAMICS AND STRUCTURE OF BEHAVIOR 694 Motivation 694 Learning 695 Regulatory and Structural Behavior Systems ; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 695 COGNITIVE ABILITIES ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 696 Comparative Cognition 697 Mental Life and Consciousness 698 Animal Welfare and Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 699 TOWARD CONTINUING SYNTHESIS 700
The Inverted Vacuum Tube, a Voltage-Reducing Power Amplifier

By interchanging the functions of the grid and plate of the usual vacuum tube a voltage-reducing power amplifier is obtained. The usual vacuum tube acts as a voltage-increasing power amplifier. The static curves of the inverted vacuum tube are similar in form to the corresponding curves of the ordinary vacuum tube, and the theory of the inverted vacuum tube is analogous in all respects to the usual vacuum-tube theory, the only difference being reduction instead of amplification of voltage. It is relatively simple to construct an inverted vacuum tube with wide clearances between plate and the rest of the tube, so that potentials of hundreds of thousands of volts can be applied to the plate, while the effect of this high voltage stepped down in almost any desired ratio is obtained in a low-potential circuit.
Reducing health disparities or improving minority health? The end determines the means.

Improving health outcomes for racial and ethnic minorities in the United States has been a national priority since the Institute of Medicine identified equity as one of the six areas of priority focus for improving health care quality in the United States.1Finding Answers: Disparities Research for Change is a national program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that seeks to facilitate efforts to improve health care equity in part by conducting and disseminating systematic reviews of the literature on effective strategies for reducing disparities.2 This issue of JGIM features five systematic reviews, conducted by the Findings Answers program, which summarize the published literature on interventions aimed at reducing disparities in asthma, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), colorectal cancer, prostate cancer and cervical cancer. Reading these reviews, one is heartened by the progress that has been made in the decade since the Institute of Medicine report was released. Yet, it is striking that, while the Finding Answers initiative is explicitly aimed at reducing racial and ethnic disparities in care, only a few of the 178 intervention studies included in the five systematic reviews published in this issue actually examined reduction in disparities as an outcome measure. The vast majority of interventions focused on improvement in processes or outcomes of care for members of minority groups, rather than reductions in disparities; a point noted by the authors of the systematic reviews, and consistent with the findings of other systematic reviews of disparities interventions.3 The distinction between the goals of “reducing health disparities” and “improving minority health” is rarely explicitly addressed in published studies, but has important implications for healthcare organizations as they choose and implement interventions, as we describe below.
Achieving High Instruction Cache Performance With An Optimizing Compiler

Increasing the execution power requires a high instruction issue bandwidth, and decreasing instruction encoding and applying some code improving techniques cause code expansion. Therefore, the instruction memory hierarchy performance has become an important factor of the system performance. An instruction placement algorithm has been implemented in the IMPACT-I (Illinois Microarchitecture Project using Advanced Compiler Technology - Stage I) C compiler to maximize the sequential and spatial localities, and to minimize mapping conflicts. This approach achieves low cache miss ratios and low memory traffic ratios for small, fast instruction caches with little hardware overhead. For ten realistic UNIX* programs, we report low miss ratios (average 0.5%) and low memory traffic ratios (average 8%) for a 2048-byte, direct-mapped instruction cache using 64-byte blocks. This result compares favorably with the fully associative cache results reported by other researchers. We also present the effect of cache size, block size, block sectoring, and partial loading on the cache performance. The code performance with instruction placement optimization is shown to be stable across architectures with different instruction encoding density.