cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Methodological issues in modeling the relationship between low-level lead exposure and infant development: Examples from the Boston lead study

This paper addresses several methodological issues relevant to an assessment of the association between low-level lead exposure and early development. In particular, we discuss methods for choosing, from a large pool of candidates, the covariates to control when estimating this association. We examine the issue of confounding and explain why adjusting increased, rather than decreased, the estimate of the association between blood lead level and development at 6 months of age in our sample. A step-by-step description of our strategy for model building is presented. Finally, we demonstrate the robustness of the findings by showing that the magnitude and standard error of the estimated lead effect is not affected appreciably by the method of selecting covariates to be controlled for or by the characterization of lead as a continuous, ordinal, or dichotomous variable. Although these issues arose in the course of analyses of data collected by the Boston lead study (D. Bellinger, H. Needleman, A. Leviton, C. Waternaux, M. Rabinowitz, and M. Nichols (1984), Neurobehav. Tox. Teratol., 6, 387-402), they apply to other current prospective lead studies as well.
Determination of antenna parameters by scattering cross-section measurements

Experimental procedures are developed for the determination of input impedance, gain and scattering cross-section of an antenna as a function of its load, from a minimum of three scattering amplitude measurements. The procedures involve terminating the antenna with a calibrated reactive load, whose variation causes a maximising and minimising of the antenna scattering cross-section; the loads associated with certain cross-sections are plotted on a Smith chart, and through geometrical constructions are related to input impedance; formulas are developed relating maximum and minimum cross-sections to antenna gain and cross-section. Experimental verification of the procedures is presented and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed.
Optimal linear smoothing : Continuous data case †

Recently, Lainiotia (1971 c), using the so-called ‘ partition theorem ’, has obtained an optimal linear smoothing algorithm in explicit, closed-form expressions that are attractive, both from a computational and an analysis point of view. Lainiotis (1971c( ‘partition smoothing’ algorithm is re-examined herein, and its computational and analytical advantages studied. It is compared to the previously established two-filter smoothing algorithm of Mayne (1966), Fraser (1967), and Mehra (1968), as well as to the ‘ innovation smoothing ’ algorithm of Kailath and Frost (1968) Subsequently, the so-called ‘ iterative ’ or ‘ reprocessed ’ smoothing scheme, used extensively as a data reduction process in the Apollo Space Programme, is studied using the ‘ partition smoothing ’ algorithm. The resulting explicit and closed-form expressions are readily amenable to interpretation and optimization, and are, moreover, both theoretically interesting as well as practically useful. The statistical and limiting properties of t...
Advanced Analysis of WLCSP Copper Interconnect Reliability under Board Level Drop Test

The Wafer Level Chip Scale Package (WLCSP) is gaining popularity for its performance and for its ability to meet miniaturization requirements of portable consumer electronics, such as cell phones. Due to differential bending between the silicon die and the PCB and the large stiffness difference, board level drop/bend tests are widely accepted methods to evaluate damage in the parts when a handheld device is dropped by the consumer. Through an aggressive product development program which includes experiment and simulation Amkor has developed the next level of WLCSP (CSPnlTM), a product which exhibits superior board level reliability when subjected to drop impact, a strong requirement for portable electronics. The common industrial qualification criterion is for the product to withstand at least 40 drops before first failure (FF) under the JEDEC drop test condition of 1500 G/0.5 ms. With optimal CSPnl and PCB designs, recent test results show that a typical Amkor CSPnl with a die size of 5.4 mm × 5.4 mm has a minimum failure-free life of over 1000 drops. For an enhanced CSPnl design, first-failure life of 4860 drops. was recorded in actual drop testing. These excellent results imply that much larger die are possible for future CSPnl products, opening the door for wider applications of WLCSP devices, e.g. in next-generation portable electronics with greater function integration.
Evolution of local structures in polycrystalline Zn 1 − x Mg x O ( 0 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.15 ) studied by Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron x-ray pair-distribution-function analysis

The local structures of Zn{sub 1-x}Mg{sub x}O alloys have been studied by Raman spectroscopy and by synchrotron x-ray pair-distribution-function (PDF) analysis. Within the solid solution range (0{<=}x{<=}0.15) of Zn{sub 1-x}Mg{sub x}O, the wurtzite framework is maintained with Mg homogeneously distributed throughout the wurtzite lattice. The E{sub 2}{sup high} Raman line of Zn{sub 1-x}Mg{sub x}O displays systematic changes in response to the evolution of the crystal lattice upon the Mg substitution. The redshift and broadening of the E{sub 2}{sup high} mode are explained by the expansion of hexagonal ab dimensions and compositional disorder of Zn/Mg, respectively. Synchrotron x-ray PDF analyses of Zn{sub 1-x}Mg{sub x}O reveal that the Mg atoms have a slightly reduced wurtzite parameter u and more regular tetrahedral bond distances than the Zn atoms. For both Zn and Mg, the internal tetrahedral geometries are independent of the alloy composition.
Glycolysis preferentially inhibits ATP-sensitive K+ channels in isolated guinea pig cardiac myocytes

In heart, glycolysis may be a preferential source of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for membrane functions. In this study the patch-clamp technique was used to study potassium channels sensitive to intracellular ATP levels in permeabilized ventricular myocytes. Activation of these K+ channels has been implicated in marked cellular K+ loss leading to electrophysiological abnormalities and arrhythmias during myocardial ischemia. The results showed that glycolysis was more effective than oxidative phosphorylation in preventing ATP-sensitive K+ channels from opening. Experiments in excised inside-out patches suggested that key glycolytic enzymes located in the membrane or adjacent cytoskeleton near the channels may account for their preference for glycolytic ATP.
Diverse backmutations at an ochre defect in the tyrA gene sequence of E. coli B/r.

Abstract A DNA fragment including most of the tyrA gene from E. coli B/r strain WU (Tyr − , Leu − ) was amplified in vitro by polymerase chain reaction. The sequence was determined, first, for essentially all of the fragment to locate an ochre nonsense defect, and second, repeatedly for a region of the fragment from several independent isolates containing backmutations at the ochre codon (spontaneous and UV-induced). There were 20 single base differences in the tyrA gene region from the analogous wild-type E. coli K12 sequence: an ochre codon at amino acid position 161, 18 silent changes (1 at the first codon base and 17 at the third) and one replacement of valine by alanine. Different backmutations at the ochre codon encoded lysine, glutamine, glutamic acid, leucine, cysteine, phenylalanine, serine or tyrosine. The diversities of base substitutions at the ochre codon after UV mutagenesis or after mutagenesis where targeting by dimers was reduced or eliminated (after photoreversal of irradiated cells treated with nalidixic acid to induce SOS functions or after UV mutagenesis of cells containing amplified DNA photolyase) were similar (with two notable exceptions). The overall differences between the gene sequences for E. coli K12 or B/r seemed consistent with the neutral theory of molecular evolution.
Lung nodule detection in pediatric chest CT: Quantitative relationship between image quality and radiologist performance

Purpose : To determine the quantitative relationship between image quality and radiologist performance in detecting small lung nodules in pediatric CT. Methods : The study included clinical chest CTimages of 30 pediatric patients (0–16 years) scanned at tube currents of 55–180 mA. Calibrated noise addition software was used to simulate cases at three nominal mA settings: 70, 35, and 17.5 mA, resulting in quantum noise of 7–32 Hounsfield Unit (HU). Using a validated nodule simulation technique, lung nodules with diameters of 3–5 mm and peak contrasts of 200–500 HU were inserted into the cases, which were then randomized and rated independently by four experienced pediatric radiologists for nodule presence on a continuous scale from 0 (definitely absent) to 100 (definitely present). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) data were analyzed to quantify the relationship between diagnostic accuracy (area under the ROC curve, AUC) and image quality (the product of nodule peak contrast and displayed diameter to noise ratio, CDNR display ). Results : AUC increased rapidly from 0.70 to 0.87 when CDNR display increased from 60 to 130 mm, followed by a slow increase to 0.94 when CDNR display further increased to 257 mm. For the average nodule diameter (4 mm) and contrast (350 HU), AUC decreased from 0.93 to 0.71 with noise increased from 7 to 28 HU. Conclusions : We quantified the relationship between image quality and the performance of radiologists in detecting lung nodules in pediatric CT. The relationship can guide CT protocol design to achieve the desired diagnostic performance at the lowest radiationdose.]
SWAMI: A Flexible Logic Implementation System

A new system for logic synthesis and VLSI layout, the Stanford Weinberger Array Minimizer and Implementor (SWAMI), has been developed. This paper describes the system's algorithms and presents preliminary results. The minimization of logic expressions uses local sum-of-products minimization, kernel factorization and common subexpression recognition and generates improved expressions of arbitrary depth. Logic expressions are realized in nMOS technology using one dimensional Weinberger array structures or a new extension of Weinberger arrays to two dimensions. The placement phase uses heuristic techniques, including simulated annealing, MIN-CUT linear arrangement and local constructive clustering.
Early to middle Miocene vegetation history of Antarctica supports eccentricity-paced warming intervals during the Antarctic icehouse phase

article i nfo Recentpalynologicalevidencefrom theuppersection (b664 mbsf)of the MioceneANDRILL 2A(AND-2A) corein the Ross Sea indicated a brief warm period during the Mid Miocene Climatic Optimum (MMCO), during Antarctica's icehouse phase. The nature of other Miocene climate fluctuations in Antarctica remains poorly resolved. Here, we present new palynological data from the lower section of the AND-2A core (N664 mbsf) that reveal additional intervals of increased palynomorph abundance and diversity during the Antarctic early to middle Miocene. This evidence is consistent with a relatively dynamic early Miocene Antarctic icehouse climate with intervals of increased temperature and moisture, prior to the MMCO. Comparison with previous AND-2A studies indicates that periods of increased palynomorph abundance in the lower stratigraphic section largely coincide with ice sheet minima, distal ice conditions, and the presence of freshwater (i.e. increased precipitation, meltwater run-off, and freshwater ponds). Decreases in plant productivity mostly coincide with increased glaciation, decreased freshwater, and ice-proximal conditions during the Antarctic Miocene. Comparing the palynological data with other AND-2A data and global climate proxies (e.g., pCO2, δ 18 O, relative sea level, Milankovitch cycles) helps to resolve questions regarding the driving forces behind climate and vegetation change. We found that palynomorph assemblages reflecting generally warmer conditions are largely associated with 400-kyr eccentricity maxima, while assemblages indicative of colder conditions coincide with 400-kyr eccentricity minima. These data are consistent with other findings that indicate the early to middle Miocene climate was eccentricity-paced.
New techniques for commercial bread dough mixing

Bread dough mixing is a complex and uncertain process that involves both biological and mechanical polymerization. Although a human expert can control the mixing of dough, it is difficult to model mathematically for use in a conventional control schema. Using the results of the well-known mixograph test for gluten development, expert bakers have observed that the instantaneous mechanical power needed to mix dough has a significant relationship with the dough's gluten development and hydraulic absorption. A logical conclusion based on this observation is to measure the input electrical power for automatic control of large dough mixers. Such a control system must sense the instantaneous, three-phase input power; this signal is very noisy, nonlinear, nonstationary, and time varying. Hence, fuzzy logic is a good tool for developing an automatic control system. Such a system is described.
Efforts to control the EUV reflectance degradation of sputtered SiC films

There is a need for thin optical coatings that can be produced at low temperatures and have a high reflectance in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV). Currently, the best such material is silicon carbide (SiC) sputtered onto optical surfaces from targets of beta-SiC which were produced by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The EUV reflectance of these films, however, is not as high as that of polished CVD SiC, and in addition it degrades with time. In this study the nonreversible reflectance degradation is quantified, and efforts to ameliorate it via ion-assisted deposition (IAD) and other techniques are detailed.
Kosovo futures, Western Dilemmas

After Kosovo's Illyrian beginnings two millennia ago, history records an almost unbroken sequence of invasion, annexation, and subjugation. Roman legions conquered and colonised. Byzantine armies followed, finally defeated at Pantina in 1170 by the Serbs. The Serb occupation and settlement in the Middle Ages was thorough, creating a capital at Prizren and an Orthodox patriarchy at Peae. After the infamous Kosovo Polje battle (Gazimestan) in 1389, the defeated Serbs were pushed out and a five hundred year Ottoman domination commenced. With the Turks came Islam. And, when the disintegrating Ottoman Empire was expelled from Kosovo in the First Balkan War of the last century (1912), Serbs reasserted their control and held it until 1999. Such a cursory summary of Kosovar history does great injustice to the intellectual and cultural substance of Albanian Kosovo's society. Yet, without question, these geopolitical highlights evoke the suffering that one small territory and its inhabitants were forced to endure because of competing great powers and empires. As these forces' armies marched, Kosovo
Bacteraemia in asymptomatic human subjects

Summary-The common occurrence of post-tooth extraction bacteraemia provides a convenient model system to evaluate techniques which demonstrate the magnitude of the bacteraemia. The system used continuous anaerobiosis and membrane filter recovery to quantitate bacteraernia. 19 of 22 pre-extraction blood samples and 20 of 22 post-extraction samples from hospitalized patients had one or more colonies per 5 ml of blood. Colonies recovered averaged 7.3 per 5 ml of blood for the pre-extraction samples and 10.7 for the post-extraction samples. 86 per cent of the pre-extraction bloods contained bacteria. 30 of 42 pre-extraction and 32 of 41 post-extraction samples from asymptomatic patients having teeth extracted had a bacteraemia which averaged about 5 colonies per 5ml of blood. Subsequent studies were concerned with the prevalance of detectable bacteraemia. In one series of presumably healthy blood bank donors, blood from 16 of 20 donors was positive for bacteria, with an average recovery of 11 organisms per 5 ml of blood. In a second series, in which multiple samples were tested, 18 of 29 donors were positive with an average recovery of 2 organisms per 5 ml of blood. The taxonomic characteristics of the isolates suggested that they could have originated from the intestine (Streptococcus fuecalis), the skin (Propionibacm%un ucnes and Staphytococcus epidermidis) and the oral cavity (Actinomyces ~iscosus).
Women's Self-Estimates of Competence and the Resolution of the Career/Home Conflict.

Abstract Relationships among women's role factors, self-estimates of competence, and career commitment were investigated. Eighty female business students and 111 business alumnae completed the Attitudes Toward Women Scale, the Performance-Self-Esteem Scale (PSES), and questions regarding home and career choices. As predicted, PSES scores were related to extent of career commitment, and PSES scores mediated the relationship between career commitment and women's role factors. Among high PSES subjects, career commitment was positively related to nontraditional sex-role attitudes and negatively related to family involvement. Among low PSES subjects, the relationship between career commitment and women's role factors was weaker. Implications for women's career development are discussed.
Mechanism(s) of In Vitro Percutaneous Absorption Enhancement of Tamoxifen by Enhancers

Abstract The effects of enhancers (5% terpenes; i.e., eugenol, limonene, and menthone) in combination with 50% propylene glycol in water (50% PG) on the in vitro percutaneous absorption of tamoxifen through the porcine epidermis, on biophysical changes in the stratum corneum (SC) lipids, on macroscopic barrier properties, and on binding of the drug to the SC were investigated. These enhancers in combination with 50% PG significantly increased ( p p p in vitro transepidermal water loss (TEWL) in comparison with 50% PG alone. Thus, an enhancement by menthone, eugenol, and limonene in the permeability of the SC to tamoxifen is due to lipid extraction and macroscopic barrier perturbation. Moreover, the effective diffusion coefficient of tamoxifen through the epidermis was enhanced following the treatment with either 5% eugenol/50%PG or 5% limonene/50%PG compared with 50%PG alone. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmaceutical Association J Pharm Sci 89: 771–780, 2000
Biosynthesis of a sulfonolipid in gliding bacteria

Gliding bacteria of the genus Cytophaga synthesize sulfonolipids (1,2) that contain capnine (1-deoxy-15-methylhexadecasphinganine-1-sulfonic acid). Studies of the incorporation of radiolabeled compounds by C. johnsonae show that cysteate is utilized preferentially to both cystine and inorganic sulfate as a precursor of capnine sulfur and to both cystine and serine as a precursor of carbons 1 and 2 of capnine. The results are consistent with a pathway in which capnine is formed by condensation of cysteate with a fatty acyl CoA. Cystine, added as the sole sulfur source in the presence of glucose, provides the sulfur but not the carbon for capnine. Hence, these cells form cysteate not by direct oxidation of cystine (or cysteine), but by transfer of its sulfur to a different carbon compound.
Effects of sales force market orientation on creativity, innovation implementation, and sales performance

Abstract Market orientation (MO) lies at the very heart of modern marketing thinking and practice. Although research has shown that MO contributes to firm performance through innovation, an understanding is lacking on how the dimensions of MO (customer orientation, competitor orientation, and inter-functional coordination) may have differential effects on innovation, especially in the sales force context. Using data from business to business sales forces in the US manufacturing sector, this study identifies sales force outcome interdependence as a critical boundary condition that can strengthen the positive effect of competitor orientation but weaken the positive effect of customer orientation on sales force creativity. Moreover, results indicate that effect of sales force creativity on performance is fully mediated by innovation implementation, which can be bolstered by an innovative organizational culture.
The Politics of Trash: Solid Waste Disposal, the Interstate Commerce Clause, and Congress

The generation of increasing amounts of solid waste and the resulting interstate shipment of refuse to other parts of the nation for disposal have become not only a major environmental concern but also a serious political issue that remains unresolved. This paper examines the public policy process which has produced only “nondecisions.” It surveys efforts of various states to resist becoming dumping grounds for other states' garbage and reviews the position of the national courts that individual states cannot ban out-of-state trash in violation of the dormant Commerce Clause, in effect erecting barriers to the effective functioning of a national economy. Finally, the study considers reasons why attempts in the Congress to regulate the interstate shipment of solid waste have thus far proved unsuccessful.
A case for tree migration and integrated tree maintenance in QoS multicasting

The proliferation of QoS-aware group applications coupled with the limited availability of network resources demand for efficient mechanisms to support QoS multicasting. During a life-cycle of a multicast session, three important events can occur: membership dynamics, network dynamics, and traffic dynamics. The first two are concerned with maintaining a good quality (cost) multicast tree taking into account dynamic join/leave of members, and changes in network topology due to link/node failures/additions, respectively. The third aspect is concerned with flow, congestion, and error control. There has been many solutions proposed for dealing with each of these issues. However, the issue of tree migration has not been addressed as part of these solutions. In this paper, we highlight the importance of tree migration as a mechanism for handling membership and network dynamics in core-based multicasting, prove that it is NP-Complete, and propose four heuristic algorithms for it. The proposed algorithms are evaluated under two performance metrics: service disruption and resource wastage. Our simulation studies show that two of the algorithms offer comparable performance to that of the other two, in addition to being highly scalable and easily implementable. Moreover, we also propose an integrated approach for group management involving both local and global tree maintenance techniques.
Analysis of surface coverage of benzotriazole and 6-tolyltriazole mixtures on copper electrodes from surface-enhanced Raman spectra

Abstract The least-squares method has been used to analyze surface-enhanced Raman spectra of benzotriazole (BTA) and 6-tolyltriazole (6-TTA) mixtures on Cu electrodes. The fractional coverage of these molecules on Cu surfaces is dependent on their absolute solution concentration, and is consistent with an assumed Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. The adsorption equilibrium constant of 6-TTA is found to be about three times that of BTA. This indicates that 6-TTA is more strongly adsorbed on Cu than BTA. The free energy of adsorption for 6-TTA on Cu is 610 cal/mol lower than that for BTA.
Global Imaging Monitor of the Ionosphere (GIMI) on the Advanced Research and Global Observation Satellite (ARGOS): quick look results

The Global Imaging Monitor of the Ionosphere (GIMI) is one of nine space research and technology instruments aboard the Air Force Space Test Program's Advanced Research and Global Observation Satellite (ARGOS). The ARGOS was launched into a sun-synchronous polar orbit by a Delta II launch vehicle from Vendenberg AFB, CA on the morning of 23 February 1999. At the time of this writing, GIMI had completed preliminary check-outs in orbit, with actual data takes beginning in late May, 1999. The GIMI instrument consists of two far- ultraviolet cameras, using electron-bombarded CCD array detectors, operating in the 75 - 115 nm wavelength range (Camera 1) and the 131 - 160 and 131 - 200 nm wavelength ranges (Camera 2). Both cameras are mounted on a two-axis gimbaled pointing system and simultaneously view the same 9 degree(s)-square field.
1086. T Cell Responses to Canine Factor IX and AAV Capsid Antigens in Hemophilia B Dogs after Intravascular Gene Delivery to Skeletal Muscle

Previous studies have shown successful correction of hemophilia B in dogs by muscle-directed gene delivery of canine F.IX (cF.IX) using an adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotype 2. Intravascular delivery of the cF.IX gene to skeletal muscle allowed long-term expression of cF.IX of 4-20%, thereby correcting the disease phenotype. However, concerns over the risk of immune responses against the transgene and viral vector antigens have focused recent work on further characterizing the immunogenicity of both AAV capsid and F.IX in a gene therapy setting.
Norethandrolone produces temporary loss of the ability to escape from salt-retaining steroids

Patients with diseases characterized by salt retention manifest a loss of the normal ability of healthy persons to escape from repeat injections of aldosterone or other salt-retaining steroids. This phenomenon may be a clue to the pathophysiological mechanisms of salt retention. Administration of norethandrolone to a subject who had demonstrated the ability to escape from the salt-retaining effect of corticosteroid administration temporarily and reversibly deleted his ability to escape. Thus norethandrolone administration provides the basis for a model system for exploring the mechanisms of escape (and therefore of salt retention).
The Existence of Equilibria in Games with Arbitrary Strategy Spaces and Payoffs: A Full Characterization

This paper provides a complete solution to the question of the existence of equilibria in games with general strategy spaces that may be discrete, continuum or non-convex and payoff functions that may be discontinuous and do not have any form of quasi-concavity. We establish a single condition, called recursive diagonal transfer continuity, which is both necessary and sufficient for the existence of pure strategy Nash in games with arbitrary compact strategy spaces and payoffs. As such, our result strictly generalizes all the existing results on the existence of pure strategy Nash equilibrium. Recursive diagonal transfer continuity also permits full characterization of symmetric, mixed strategy, and Bayesian Nash equilibria in games with general strategy spaces and payoffs. The method of proof adopted to obtain our main results is also new and elementary — a non-fixed-point-theorem approach.
The potential for carbon offset trading to provide added incentive to adopt silvopasture and alley cropping in Missouri

Global carbon trading may present a unique opportunity to change the rural landscape by allowing landowners to make an environmental impact with financial incentives. By enticing point source polluters to trade to an optimal level of pollution by offsetting their emissions with compatible carbon reduction projects, markets are able to facilitate a cleaner environment. Agroforestry provides a set of practices that can sequester carbon with managed tree and crop plantings. However, the initial lack of financial resources has been an obstacle to its adoption in the United States. This paper explores the potential for carbon offset trading to provide an added incentive to adopt agroforestry practices. Chicago Climate Exchange carbon sequestration projects are used as a baseline assessment, and the requirements that Missouri landowners would need to do in terms of contracting and ownership are identified. Data from landowners in central Missouri and the Ozarks (353 individuals) are used to determine characteristics of potentially interested landowners in agroforestry. A model to evaluate agroforestry profitability scenarios is used to compare the added carbon credit trading revenue to traditional alternate uses for the property. The findings from this analysis indicate that in the current context carbon trading does not provide an added incentive value for Missouri landowners to adopt either silvopasture or alley cropping practices because of the low magnitude of annual return.
Growth of primary embryo cells in a microculture system

We present optimal perfusion conditions for the growth of primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts (mEFs) and mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) using a microfluidic perfusion culture system. In an effort to balance nutrient renewal while ensuring the presence of cell secreted factors, we found that the optimal perfusion rate for culturing primary embryonic fibroblasts (mEFs) in our experimental setting is 10 nL/min with an average flow velocity 0.55 μm/sec in the microchannel. Primary mEFs may have a greater dependence on cell secreted factors when compared to their immortalized counterpart 3T3 fibroblasts cultured under similar conditions. Both the seeding density and the perfusion rate are critical for the proliferation of primary cells. A week long cultivation of mEFs and mESCs using the microculture system exhibited similar morphology and viability to those grown in a petri dish. Both mEFs and mESCs were analyzed using fluorescence immunoassays to determine their proliferative status and protein expression. Our results demonstrate that a perfusion-based microculture environment is capable of supporting the highly proliferative status of pluripotent embryonic stem cells.
Russia's demographic decline and the public reaction

RUSSIANS HAVE BEEN HOTLY DEBATING whether to take the position of optimist or pessimist in regard to the privatisation of the 1990s, the country's future geopolitical status, relations with China and the Muslim World, as well as its economy, culture and science. There is, however, one issue upon which no one disagrees; Consensus is found when Russians assess the seriousness of their country's demographic problems. No one denies the crisis. Russians are in agreement about the diagnosis as well as the consequences of the declining population. They point to the death of people of working age and the shortage of draftees for the army. Owing to health reasons, criminal conduct and various deferments, the army has only been able to draft 10% of eligible young men. The Russian people are also concerned about the dramatic depopulation of many territories in Russia, particularly in the Far East, which faces the demographic giant China.
Role of prostaglandin E2 in cholinergic-mediated glycoprotein synthesis in canine antrum

We studied the mechanism of cholinergic stimulation of mucin synthesis in canine antral explants, including the role of PGE2 as an intermediate messenger. Isolated antral mucosa was incubated with 10−5 M carbachol (Cb), 10−5 M indomethacin (IND), 10−5 M pirenzepine (PZ), 10−5 M Cb+10−5 M PZ, 10−5 M Cb+10−5 M IND, and 10−5 M IND +PGE2 (10−8, 10−7 and 10−6 M) in the presence or absence of [3H]glucosamine. After 24 hr, total glycoprotein synthesis was quantitated by Sepharose-4B chromatography and by 10% TCA/1%PTA precipitation with lipid extraction. PGE2 released into the media was measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Cb significantly increased total glycoprotein synthesis and produced a significant increase in PGE2 release. The increase in glycoprotein synthesis and the release of PGE2 was blocked by the addition of muscarinic antagonist PZ. The addition of IND significantly inhibited glycoprotein synthesis and almost entirely suppressed PGE2 secretion. IND also inhibited the effect of Cb on glycoprotein synthesis and PGE2 release. Moreover, PGE2 (10−6 and 10−7 M) significantly increased the glycoprotein synthesis in the canine stomach. This suggests the coordinate participation of PGE2-releasing cell population in modulation of glycoprotein synthesis in gastric mucosa.
A Rise to Distinction

American Astronomy. Community, Careers, and Power, 1859-1940. JOHN LANKFORD, with Ricky L. Slavings. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1997. xxvi, 447 pp., illus. $65 or £51.95. ISBN 0-226-46886-0.
Peanut pod, seed, and oil yield for biofuel following conventional and organic production systems

Abstract Peanut ( Arachis hypogaea L.) is a crop that can enter the human diet in various forms or be used as an alternative feedstock for livestock or industrial applications. Increased use of organic production systems and peanut's potential use as a biodiesel feedstock makes it increasingly necessary to develop organic methods in their production. Corn gluten meal (CGM) and vinegar are materials used in organic weed control. These were used alone, or in conjunction with cultivation, to evaluate their efficacy for weed control in peanut that had followed winter cover crops of red clover ( Trifolium pratense L.) or wheat ( Triticum vulgaris L.). Comparisons were made to conventional weed control (Dual ® , S-metolachlor) and cultivation. Pod and oil yields and seed oil percentages were determined over 2 years in high oil cultivars Olin and Tam Runner. In 2009, cover crop, cultivar, and weed control treatments resulted in significant interactions impacting pod, seed oil yields, and seed oil percentages. Conventional weed control produced greater pod yields with clover (8220 kg ha −1 ) and wheat (7800 kg ha −1 ) cover crops, compared to all alternative weed control treatments. When averaged across cover crops, the conventional treatment produced greater seed oil yields (295.9 L ha −1 ) and few differences in seed oil percentages. In 2010, the conventional weed control treatment produced superior seed oil yield and oil percentage for both cover crops and cultivars, and greater pod yields when the wheat cover crop was used for both cultivars; and Tam Runner with clover as a cover crop. Application of CGM and vinegar did not produce pod or oil yields at levels produced with conventional weed control, and/or reduced seed oil percentage. Further research should investigate additional alternative weed control systems that would increase weed control efficacy for organic peanut production systems.
Effect of nuclear response functions in dark matter direct detection

We examine the effect of nuclear response functions, as laid out by Fitzpatrick et al. [J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 02 (2013) 004], on dark matter (DM) direct detection in the context of well-motivated UV completions, including electric and magnetic dipoles, anapole, spin-orbit, and pseudoscalar-mediated DM. Together, these encompass five of the six nuclear responses extracted from the nonrelativistic effective theory of Fitzpatrick et al. [J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 02 (2013) 004] (with the sixth difficult to UV complete), with two of the six combinations corresponding to standard spin-independent and spin-dependent responses. For constraints from existing direct detection experiments, we find that only the COUPP constraint, due to its heavy iodine target with large angular momentum and an unpaired spin, and its large energy range sensitivity, is substantially modified by the new responses compared to what would be inferred using the standard form factors to model the energy dependence of the response. For heavy targets such as xenon and germanium, the behavior of the new nuclear responses as recoil energy increases can be substantially different from that of the standard responses, but this has almost no impact on the constraints derived from experiments such as LUX, XENON100, and CDMS since the maximum nuclear recoil energy detected in these experiments is relatively low. We simulate mock data for 80 and 250 GeV DM candidates utilizing the new nuclear responses to highlight how they might affect a putative signal, and find the new responses are most important for highly momentum-suppressed interactions such as the magnetic dipole or pseudoscalar-mediated interaction when the target is relatively heavy (such as xenon and iodine).
Intrinsic inhomogeneity due to nonlinearity

Presence of strong nonlinearity in a material, either explicit, or effective (resulting from the interaction of coupled degrees of freedom), can lead to intrinsic inhomogeneity even in a periodic extended system. We briefly discuss two examples where such a breaking of the translational symmetry due to nonlinearity (i) determines the optical features (in particular the resonance Raman scattering spectra) of a quasi-one-dimensional halogen-bridged mixed-valence transition metal complex, and (ii) enhances the trapping of a charge in a model of DNA, which is likely to affect the long-range transport properties in this biomolecule.
Pressurized bag pump and syringe pump arterial flushing systems: an unrecognized hazard in neonates?

Abstract Objective. Hand-held flushing of radial arterial lines at 0.5 ml/s in neonates can result in retrograde embolization of flush solution into the central arterial circulation. We studied flush flow velocities during intermittent arterial line purging using a flow regulating device with an infusion bag pump and a syringe pump system. Measurements and interventions. In this in vitro experiment we simulated flushing of a 24- and a 22-G cannula against a mean arterial pressure of 45 mmHg. Fluid flow velocities were gravimetrically measured during flushing from an infusion bag system pressurized to 100, 200, and 300 mmHg and from a syringe pump flush system after initialization of boluses of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 ml. The flow regulating device was opened for 1, 2, and 5 s. Results. Both flush systems tested allowed delivery of flush flow velocities exceeding 0.5 ml/s (e.g., 22-G cannula; bag system, pressure 300 mmHg up to 0.64±0.08 ml/s; syringe pump, 2 ml bolus up to 0.74±0.05 ml/s). In syringe pump systems the main determinant of flow velocity was bolus size, in bag pump systems flushing time and bag pressure. Conclusions. Based on data about critical flow velocities through an radial arterial cannula in neonates, both tested flushing systems carry the risk of exceeding the critical value of 0.5 ml/s. They are likely to cause retrograde embolization of flushing solution into the central arterial circulation with the associated risk of clot and air embolization. In vivo studies should identify margins of safety to minimize the risk of retrograde flushing into the central arterial circulation.
Shock compression of solids

Abstract This review contains a brief, comprehensive, critical assessment of the status of investigations concerning the response of solids to shock compression. Mechanical, metallurgical, electrical, optical and other phenomena occurring in substances subjected to shock pressures covering the range from about 0.1 to 6000 GPa are considered. Emphasis is placed on physical interpretation of observations peculiar to the shock environment and on the relationships among observations in the various areas of investigation.
Rotational rainbows in high energy H+CO scattering

Abstract Large-scale coupled-channel scattering calculations are reported for collisions of H with CO for zero total angular momentum and total energies between 0.60 and 1.00 eV, where two to three vibrational states of CO and many rotational states are open. An ab initio global potential surface is used in these calculations. Rotational rainbows are observed in the final rotational distributions, thermally averaged over initial rotational states for 300 K, for the ground and first excited final vibrational states of CO. The energy dependence of these rainbows is determined and shown to be well described by a simple hard-shell model. In addition, classical trajectory calculations are reported at 1.0 eV total energy and compared to the quantum results.
Protein kinase C overactivity impairs prefrontal cortical regulation of working memory

The prefrontal cortex is a higher brain region that regulates thought, behavior, and emotion using representational knowledge, operations often referred to as working memory. We tested the influence of protein kinase C (PKC) intracellular signaling on prefrontal cortical cognitive function and showed that high levels of PKC activity in prefrontal cortex, as seen for example during stress exposure, markedly impair behavioral and electrophysiological measures of working memory. These data suggest that excessive PKC activation can disrupt prefrontal cortical regulation of behavior and thought, possibly contributing to signs of prefrontal cortical dysfunction such as distractibility, impaired judgment, impulsivity, and thought disorder.
Synthesis of 4-, 8-, 12-arm star-branched polybutadienes with three different chain-end functionalities using a functionalized initiator

An array of well-defined 4-, 8-, and 12-arm, chain-end functionalized, star polymers and their deuterated analogs has been synthesized using a t-butyldimethylsiloxy-functionalized alkyllithium initiator and anionic polymerization. The design of the synthesis provides for unusually well-defined comparisons of the behavior of the polymers with different chain-end functionality. For each star architecture three polybutadiene polymers were synthesized with the same labeling, the same well-defined degree of branching and molecular weight, but different chain end functionality. Deprotection of the t-butyldimethylsiloxypropyl chain ends of the stars as first synthesized provided stars with hydroxypropyl chain ends. The hydroxypropyl chain ends were further converted to trifluoroethanesulfonyloxypropyl chain ends by tresylation with 2,2,2-trifluoroethanesulfonyl chloride. Measurements of intrinsic viscosities for the hydrogenous and deuterated linear PBs made in the course of characterizing the star functionalities confirm that the dimensions of the linear chains are not affected by isotopic substitution.
Figures of the native in 20th‐century Quebec: The subaltern and the colonial subject at the intersection of colony and nation

This article examines the representation of the Native in the Quebec essay on identity after the Quiet Revolution (1960–80). It analyzes the figure of the Native as a construction shaped by the forces of colonialism and nationalism; it further distinguishes between the two different types of colonialism historically present in Quebec and considers how they have influenced Quebec attitudes towards the Native. Three distinct figures emerge from this analysis. The first, the Native as absence, is explained in the light of Gayatri Spivak’s theory of the subaltern; the second, the Native as a threat to Quebec sovereignty, in the light of her theory of the colonial subject; the third, the Native as Quebec’s co‐colonized is a hybrid figure that does not correspond to either of these theoretical formulations. The author concludes that the use of Spivak’s notions of the subaltern and the colonial subject allows for a clear understanding of how Quebec’s dual colonial past as both settler colony of France and subseq...
Stroke Reduction: Diagnosis and Management of the Atherosclerotic Ascending Aorta During Cardiac Surgery

Neurologic injury is the most devastating complication of cardiac surgery, and leads to excessive morbidity, mortality, and increased health care costs. Ascending aorta atherosclerosis is one of the most important risk factors for perioperative stroke, particularly in the el derly. As the number of elderly patients undergoing cardiac surgical procedures continues to increase, it is likely that the frequency of postoperative neurologic complications will increase as well. Strategies aimed toward the identification of high-risk patients include screening for carotid artery disease and ascending aorta atherosclerosis. Epiaortic ultrasound provides high- resolution images of the ascending aorta that allow for evaluation for the presence of atherosclerosis. Minor modifications in the operative technique based on the epiaortic ultrasound findings are easy to perform and require minimal training and relatively inexpensive equipment. Nonrandomized studies that use epiaortic ultrasound have reported perioperative ...
Unit activity of anterior cingulate cortex in differential conditioning and reversal

Neuronal activity of the anterior cingulate (AC) region of the rabbit cerebral cortex was recorded during differential conditioning and reversal of a behavioral avoidance response. Discriminative neuronal activity, in the form of a greater neuronal response to CS+ relative to CS—, occurred in the intermediate and final sessions of original conditioning. The latency of this effect was 85 msec. A large neuronal discrimination effect appropriate to original conditioning occurred in the first session of reversal training, at 85 msec, and at briefer latencies (e.g., 15 msec). Neuronal discrimination did not occur in pretraining with noncontingent presentations of the stimuli to be used for conditioning. No consistent discrimination appropriate to the reversal problem was observed.
Career Counseling: An Old Friend in Need

Gottfredson, L. Circumscription and Compromise: A Developmental Theory of Occupational Aspirations.Journal of Counseling Psychology, 1981, 28, 545–579. Fretz, B. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Career Interventions.Journal of Counseling Psychology, 1981, 28, 77–90.
The Political Economy of Fiscal Consolidations

In the context of recent research in political economy, this paper addresses the policy problem of fiscal consolidation in terms of three types of issues: i) the macroeconomic effects of alternative strategies to consolidate; ii) the institutional setups conducive to a consolidation; and iii) the best strategy for implementing a consolidation in order to maximize its political feasibility. One methodological feature of this survey is an emphasis on policy feasibility. One methodological feature of this survey is an emphasis on policy issues in order to bridge the gap between the level of abstraction of politico-economic models of fiscal policy and the issues faced by a policymaker when attempting a fiscal consolidation.
Multiplicative cascades applied to PDEs (two numerical examples)

Numerical approximations to the Fourier transformed solution of partial differential equations are obtained via Monte Carlo simulation of certain random multiplicative cascades. Two particular equations are considered: linear diffusion equation and viscous Burgers equation. The algorithms proposed exploit the structure of the branching random walks in which the multiplicative cascades are defined. The results show initial numerical approximations with errors less than 5% in the leading Fourier coefficients of the solution. This approximation is then improved substantially using a Picard iteration scheme on the integral equation associated with the representation of the respective PDE in Fourier space.