cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Psychological reactions to hysterectomy: A critical review

The animal and human literature concerning psychological reactions to hysterectomy was reviewed and examined. Psychological reactions to hysterectomy include reported loss of sexual desire, although this is not organic as in lower mammals; concerns about loss of femininity, loss of strength, and loss of childbearing ability and menstruation; effects on aging and appearance; and lowered self-esteem. Psychological sequelae to hysterectomy consist generally of depression and referral to a psychiatrist. Factors were described that might be predictive of a woman’s reaction and adjustment to hysterectomy, and suggestions for psychological preparation of the hysterectomy patient were made.
Bipolar pulse conductometric monitoring of ion-selective electrodes : Part 4. Interferences from Electroactive Species in Measurements with the Calcium Electrode

Abstract The effects of electroactive interferences on bipolar pulse conductance measurements with calcium electrodes are evaluated. Stainless steel and platinum rods are evaluated as counter electrodes in the presence of oxidizing agents, reducing agents, and electroactive couples. Some of these species, such as Cu2+, Ag+, and the I−3/I− couples, can poise a metal counter electrode at a characteristic electrochemical potential. The presence of electroactive species yilds the same errors in conductometric measurements as they would in potentiometric measurements when stainless steel or platinum electrodes were used as reference electrodes. These interferences are not observed in conductometric monitoring, if a Ag/AgCl electrode is used as the counter electrode. Voltage pulses of long-duration (10 ms) in bipolar pulse conductometric monitoring of the calcium electrode yielded errors in current measurements because of faradaic reactions. Such faradaic errors were especially noticeable when Ag+, Cu2+, or ascorbic acid was present. Plots of measured current vs. applied voltage pulse amplitude were nonlinear, and showed increasingly larger errors at the higher applied pulse amplitudes. The studies show that voltae pulses of short duration must be used in conductometric monitoring of ion-selective electrodes if electroactive species are present in solution.
Optical properties of superconducting K3C60 and insulating K6C60.

The electronic structures and the linear optical properties of superconducting fcc ${\mathrm{K}}_{3}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ and insulating bcc ${\mathrm{K}}_{6}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ are calculated by means of a first-principles method within the local-density approximation. The calculated optical properties for these two crystals as well as those of fcc ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ are in very good agreement with recent electron-energy-loss spectra measurements.
Parallel Triangle Counting and Enumeration Using Matrix Algebra

Triangle counting and enumeration are important kernels that are used to characterize graphs. They are also used to compute important statistics such as clustering coefficients. We provide a simple exact algorithm that is based on operations on sparse adjacency matrices. By parallelizing the individual sparse matrix operations, we achieve a parallel algorithm for triangle counting. The algorithm is generalizable to triangle enumeration by modifying the semiring that underlies the matrix algebra. We present a new primitive, masked matrix multiplication, that can be beneficial especially for the enumeration case. We provide results from an initial implementation for the counting case along with various optimizations for communication reduction and load balance.
Assessing the value of hospice care: is documentation of cost savings necessary.

Hospice care is one end-of-life option that since its inception has been the subject of numerous cost comparisons. Early hospice care emerged as a social movement in the United Kingdom. This movement began outside the medical services establishment and sought to improve care for the terminally ill through palliative and supportive services, provided in the patient's own home (1). Hospice care was viewed as a dramatic shift away from the dominant medical paradigm that favored aggressive and technologically intensive treatment of advanced disease in an institutional setting. While many public and health policy analysts have attributed the high cost of dying to the use of aggressive and intensive treatments, the cost-savings of hospice is still an issue for debate. The results of the National Hospice study, which documented medical cost savings during the last six months of life for hospice patients as compared to conventional care patients, was seen as the impetus for Medicare reimbursement for hospice serv...
Novel measurements of periaortic adipose tissue in comparison to anthropometric measures of obesity, and abdominal adipose tissue.

Background: Perivascular adipose tissue may be associated with the amount of local atherosclerosis. We developed a novel and reproducible method to standardize volumetric quantification of periaortic adipose tissue by computed tomography (CT) and determined the association with anthropometric measures of obesity, and abdominal adipose tissue. Methods: Measurements of adipose tissue were performed in a random subset of participants from the Framingham Heart Study (n ¼ 100) who underwent multidetector CT of the thorax (ECG triggering, 2.5 mm slice thickness) and the abdomen (helical CT acquisition, 2.5 mm slice thickness). Abdominal periaortic adipose tissue (AAT) was defined by a 5 mm cylindrical region of interest around the aortic wall; thoracic periaortic adipose tissue (TAT) was defined by anatomic landmarks. TAT and AAT were defined as any voxel between � 195 and � 45 HU and volumes were measured using dedicated semiautomatic software. Measurement reproducibility and association with anthropometric measures of obesity, and abdominal adipose tissue were determined. Results: The intra- and inter-observer reproducibility for both AAT and TAT was excellent (ICC: 0.97 and 0.97; 0.99 and 0.98, respectively). Similarly, the relative intra- and inter-observer difference was small for both AAT (� 1.85±1.28% and 7.85±6.08%; respectively) and TAT (3.56±0.83% and � 4.56±0.85%, respectively). Both AAT and TAT were highly correlated with visceral abdominal fat (r ¼ 0.65 and 0.77, Po0.0001 for both) and moderately correlated with subcutaneous abdominal fat (r ¼ 0.39 and 0.42, Po0.0001 and P ¼ 0.009), waist circumference (r ¼ 0.49 and 0.57, Po0.0001 for both) and body mass index (r ¼ 0.47 and 0.58, Po0.0001 for both). Conclusion: Standardized semiautomatic CT-based volumetric quantification of periaortic adipose tissue is feasible and highly reproducible. Further investigation is warranted regarding associations of periaortic adipose tissue with other body fat deposits, cardiovascular risk factors and clinical outcomes. International Journal of Obesity (2009) 33, 226–232; doi:10.1038/ijo.2008.267; published online 13 January 2009
Advances in Nonpharmacological Interventions, 2011–2012

In 2011 the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) celebrated a quarter century of advancements in nursing science that made an extraordinary impact on the health of our nation. The report, Bringing Science to Life, NINR Strategic Plan (National Institute of Nursing Research, 2011), describes breakthrough research that has vastly improved health outcomes for the most vulnerable patient populations we serve. Research In Gerontological Nursing has made a commitment to publicizing the outstanding work of gerontological nurse scientists in an Annual Commentary on the State of The Science. In this inaugural commentary, we build on the NINR Report by reflecting on critical scientific advances that are currently being made in the area of non-pharmacological interventions for the nursing care of older adults. Effective non-pharmacological nursing interventions are especially appropriate for older adults because of the low cost and low risk of associated side-effects. Non-pharmacological interventions can be considered alone or as a first step in the management of a variety of problems, and should be continued as they are augmented by appropriate pharmacological, surgical or other types of complementary interventions. This focus is quite timely in light of the recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services initiative aimed at improving behavioral health and reducing unnecessary antipsychotic drug use in nursing. This focus is also directly responsive to Americans’ need for safe, accessible, high quality, and affordable care. In this commentary we limited our review to published literature in 2011–2012, and chose a few examples of non-system interventions, i.e., those that are implemented in the context of direct, hands-on-care. In our search strategy we selected areas of intervention science that enjoy a strong basis, built over many years of investigation. These interventions include those that: relieve pain; improve physical function; reduce behaviors associated with cognitive impairment; promote sleep; and enhance end-of-life care. We also highlight examples of research that are currently being conducted, offering exciting and innovative solutions to costly clinical problems. Finally, we outline priorities for future research and address our capacity as nurse scientists to advance the science of nursing care.
THE NORTHERN FLYING SQUIRREL AS AN INDICATOR SPECIES OF TEMPERATE RAIN FOREST: TEST OF AN HYPOTHESIS

Management indicator species (MIS) often are selected because their life history and demographics are thought to reflect a suite of ecosystem conditions that are too difficult or costly to measure directly. The northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) has been proposed as an MIS of temperate rain forest of southeastern Alaska based on previous studies in the Pacific Northwest that demonstrated its habitat is multi-factorial, i.e., an emergent property of old-growth forest. We evaluated the suitability of flying squirrels as MIS in temperate rain forests of Alaska by modeling seasonal (spring, autumn) microhabitat use with stepwise logistic regression (SLR) using either individual habitat variables (n = 26) or multivariate habitat "factors," which were linear combinations of individual habitat variables generated from factor analysis. We compared the efficacy of single variable vs. multivariate factor models in explaining variation in microhabitat use to test the hypothesis that the habitat of flying squirrels in southeastern Alaska was an emergent property of old-growth rain forest. The underlying premise was that if factors were more thorough in explaining microhabitat use, the habitat of flying squirrels was multifactorial; that is, it consisted of multiple late-seral forest attributes occurring coin- cidentally at usable spatial scales (e.g., home range). SLR models with multivariate factors performed poorer in predicting capture sites than models of individual habitat variables. Two variables, density of large (>74 cm dbh) trees and understory cover of Vaccinium, explained much of the variation in microhabitat use. We conclude that the habitat of G. sabrinus in southeastern Alaska does not reflect emergent properties of old-growth forest in southeastern Alaska and hypothesize that this pattern may be related to regional ecological differences that facilitate a more general lifestyle than populations in the Pacific Northwest. Furthermore, the effectiveness of Glaucomys sabrinus as an MIS in north temperate rain forest is suspect, illusstrating that regional differences in ecology of a species warrant caution when considering the suitability of MIS among geographic areas.
Bone lead mobilization in lactating mice and lead transfer to suckling offspring.

Abstract Drinking water containing 200 μg/ml lead (labeled with 210Pb) was provided to adult female mice for 105 days prior to the date of mating or for 105 days prior to mating and during the periods of gestation and lactation (160 days total exposure). During lactation there was an increased rate of lead elimination from adult mice exposed prior to mating compared to nonlactating female mice. The magnitude of the additional lead elimination during lactation was similar to the magnitude of the decrease in femur ash weights during lactation. These data support the hypothesis that lead mobilization during lactation is the result of bone mineral mobilization. Approximately 3% of the lead body burden of mothers exposed to lead prior to mating was retained in litters of suckling pups as a result of lead transferred in milk. The magnitude of lead mobilized from maternal bone during lactation was not increased by a diet which was moderately calcium deficient. Continuous ingestion of lead by mothers during lactation significantly increased the net transfer of lead to suckled pups. Lead transferred from mother to offspring during lactation greatly exceeded transfer during gestation for all treatment groups. These data indicate that both prior and current maternal lead exposure should be considered in assessing potential lead exposure of suckling infants.
In-situ failure identification in woven composites throughout impact using fiber Bragg grating sensors

In this study, measurements from low-impact velocity experiments and surface mounted optical fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors were used to obtain detailed information pertaining to damage progression in two-dimensional laminate woven composites. The woven composites were subjected to multiple strikes at 2m/s until perforation occurred, and the impactor position and acceleration were monitored throughout each event. From these measurements, we obtained dissipated energies and contact forces. The FBG sensors were surface mounted at different critical locations near penetration-induced damaged regions. These FBG sensors were used to obtain initial residual strains and axial and transverse strains that correspond to matrix cracking and delamination. The transmission and the reflection spectra were continuously monitored throughout the loading cycles. They were used, in combination with the peak contact forces, to delineate repeatable sensor responses corresponding to material failure. From the FBG spectra, fiber and matrix damage were separated by an analysis based on the behavior of individual Bragg peaks as a function of evolving and repeated impact loads. This provided an independent feedback on the integrity of the Bragg gratings. Thus, potential sources of error such as sensor debonding were eliminated from the strain data throughout the measurements. A comparison by number of impact strikes and dissipated energies corresponding to material perforation indicates that these measurements can provide accurate failure strains.
Atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical characterization of Al alloys, conversion coatings, and primers used for aircraft

Characterization of the metal–coating interface is crucial to the understanding and prediction of the performance of corrosion protective coatings. To date, such characterization has been incomplete and performed on a scale of measurement that gives little microscopic-scale information. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have the ability to provide such information. We present in this work the use of such methods to examine the interface between steel and marine coatings and to image the surface of untreated aircraft aluminum alloys. We have also imaged these aircraft alloys after chromate/phosphate pretreatment. AFM and SEM have also been used to investigate the changes in surface morphology, which accompany changes in the samples due to exposure. Electrochemical noise methods, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements, and ProhesionTM testing were performed in parallel with the AFM/SEM measurements. The results, along with implications for aircraft coatings, are discussed.
STE20/SPS1-related proline/alanine-rich kinase (SPAK) is critical for sodium reabsorption in isolated, perfused thick ascending limb

SPAK [STE20 (sterile 20)/SPS1-related proline/alanine-rich kinase] kinase consists of a full-length (FL-) and an alternatively spliced kidney-specific (KS-) isoform. SPAK regulates the NaCl cotrans...
Description and Performance of Finescale Drifters for Coastal and Estuarine Studies

Abstract The authors have designed and built a differential Global Positioning System (DGPS)-positioned Lagrangian drifter system to study complex nearshore, estuarine, and inner shelf flows with strong gradients and small scales. Various measures of the accuracy of the positioning system were assessed experimentally, as were the windage effects of antennas and floats. The DGPS-indicated position of a fixed drifter has a standard deviation of less than 1 m (over 600 samples) at a distance from the base station of up to 20 km. Windage effects are linear with a slope of about 0.002 drift-to-wind velocity ratio, which is about half the theoretical value.
The role and status of women in a rural village in Egypt: Five life stages

Abstract The issue of gender role appears as a controversial problem in many cultures, but particularly in Islamic cultures. A patriarchal society and the associated attitudes along with certain perceptions and/or interpretations of legal doctrines of Islamic law appear to place women in a secondary and discriminated-against position. The purpose of the present study is to examine the lived experiences of women in rural Egypt today and to determine implications for human resource development (HRD). This study will help those working in HRD to understand the cultural context in which women live and work in order to engage them in meaningful and appropriate ways. Interviews were undertaken with specific women in this village in Egypt, and these women's stories depict various circumstances and life histories. The women will be drawn from across the age span – from childhood to the elderly. Some implications for HRD research and practice will be drawn from these stories.
Ineffectiveness and potential proarrhythmia of atrial pacing for atrial fibrillation prevention after coronary artery bypass grafting

Abstract Background . Atrial pacing is often used empirically to suppress atrial ectopy and prevent atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods . To determine whether atrial overdrive pacing reduces atrial fibrillation and atrial ectopy after coronary artery bypass grafting, 100 patients were randomized to no atrial pacing (Control) versus AAI pacing at 10 beats/min or more above the resting heart rate (Paced), started by postoperative day 1 and continued through day 4. Major end points were new atrial fibrillation and frequency of atrial ectopy during the first 4 days after coronary artery bypass grafting. Results . Atrial fibrillation occurred by day 4 in 13 of 51 (25.5%) Paced and in 14 of 49 (28.6%) Control patients, p = 0.90. Control patients who developed atrial fibrillation had significantly more atrial ectopy than those who did not. Atrial ectopy was paradoxically more frequent in the Paced group (2,106 ± 428 versus 866 ± 385 per 24 hours, p = 0.0001). Loss of capture, sensing, and consistent atrial pacing occurred frequently during atrial pacing. Conclusions . Contrary to prevailing opinion and practice, postoperative atrial overdrive pacing significantly increases atrial ectopy and does not reduce the likelihood of atrial fibrillation.
Bakhtin's Carnival Laughter and the Cajun Country Mardi Gras

M.M. Bakhtin's social construction of Renaissance carnivals, and his views on carnival in general, encounter trouble when tested against a presentday enactment, the Cajun country Courir de Mardi Gras, a processional begging ritual celebrated in southern Louisiana. The living festival reveals structures missing from Bakhtin's elite sources and consequently from his writings: structures that articulate the folk community's autonomous values and cooperative survival strategies. As long as literary studies based on Bakhtin find in carnival only that which opposes elite culture, they will fail to recognise the dimensions of community selfcelebration and self-definition essential to many folk festivals.
U.S. Abortion in Context: Selected Characteristics and Motivations of Women Seeking Abortions

Who has abortions and why will play an important role in how policy makers regulate access if the Supreme Court further restricts abortion. Group summaries of characteristics have masked the diversity of competing role obligations access to coping resources and stressful life events which can affect the abortion decision. This article provides descriptive analyses of selected demographic and social characteristics of abortion patients with separation for critical subpopulations of women: never married minors never married adults and married adults along with a comparison of mothers and non-mothers. Topics include: Abortion Data: Sources and Limitations; The Abortion Context; Characteristics of Women Obtaining Legal Abortions; Reasons for Abortion. Many of the reasons that adult women give for abortion reflect a desire to meet responsibilities for others or to conform to societys norms e.g. not having children when one cannot afford them. A lack of readiness or ability to take care of a child figure prominently for minors. Married women cite personal health concerns; financial concerns figure prominently in all groups. Favoring adoption fails to consider the potential psychological and emotional impact of an adoption decision on a womens existing children. Without abortion the past 10 years would have seen the birth of an estimated 15 million additional children a population at high risk for psychological social and economic disadvantages. The abortion context is complex: the decision reflects a desire to optimize the quality of martial and childbearing experiences and to reduce the risk of physical psychological social and economic disadvantage for women and their children. In so doing women help reduce a variety of social and economic problems that would undermine the integrity and functioning of the larger society.
Electron microscopic determination of the preferential binding sites of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase to φX174 replicative form DNA

Abstract Binding of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase to φX174 DNA replicative form (RF) has been studied by electron microscopy. Samples of the binary complexes were spread for observation upon polylysine-coated carbon films. Binding was obtained with both RFI and RFIII forms of the DNA; complexes formed with the former were treated with restriction enzyme Pst I before spreading. A histogram constructed from the positions of 558 polymerase molecules bound to 181 DNA strands exhibited three prominent, sharp peaks at 3.3 × 10 2 nucleotides, 39.7 × 10 2 nucleotides and 49.0 × 10 2 nucleotides from the Pst I cleavage point. These positions correspond closely to those of the D, A and B promoter sequences, as derived from φX174 DNA sequence data by Sanger et al. (1977).
Dispersion of alumina powders in nonaqueous media

Abstract A fatty acid (linolenic acid) and an amine terminating polyisobutylene (Oloa 1200) both proved to be effective dispersants for three different alumina powders in nonaqueous media, tetrahydrofuran and toluene. Oloa 1200 was more effective as a dispersant than linolenic acid. This was because of its longer chain length, though both of the chain lengths are long enough to induce steric stabilization. An electrostatic mechanism, related to the acid-base interactions at the alumina surface, was proposed and proof was established through electrophoretic deposition experiments. A series of electrophoretic deposition experiments proved that the particles were charged, showing that an electrostatic repulsive mechanism does exist in the alumina suspensions. These two mechanisms, electrostatic and steric, allowed the alumina powders at high solids loadings to be well dispersed in the nonaqueous media. All of the three alumina powders showed similar rheological trends in each of the solvents and with both of the dispersants. Alumina suspensions as high as 58 vol% with A-152 when using linolenic acid and 66 vol% with A-152 when using Oloa 1200 were dispersed effectively.
Extending myocardial viability during heart preservation with cyclosporine A.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF STUDY Hypothermic preservation (PRES) of donor hearts is limited to 12-14 hours for complete functional recovery after reperfusion. In a canine heterotopic heart transplant model, 50% to 60% functional recovery returned after 18 hours of PRES with University of Wisconsin (UW) solution. Concomitant with functional changes were marked increases in apoptotic cells at 2 (2.69%) and 6 (5.98%) hours of reperfusion with a concomitant decrease in lamin B1 (2% and 7.6%, respectively) with no evidence of necrotic cells. These results suggested that blockade of apoptosis may prolong myocardial viability during PRES and reperfusion. METHODS Donor hearts were subjected to 18 and 24 hours of PRES (2 degrees C to 4 degrees C) with and without cyclosporine A (CyS) treatment (apoptosis blocker). CyS was given to the donor animal (10 mg/kg), in the PRES solution (10(-5) mol/L), slowly infused during the PRES period (1 mL/min), and also to the recipient animal (2.5 mg/kg). RESULTS After 18 hours of PRES with CyS, function returned to 100% within 1 hour and stayed at this level throughout a 6-hour recovery period. Apoptotic myocytes were reduced (55%) after 18 hours PRES with CyS treatment, and 6-hour reperfusion lamin B1 was reduced to only 3.7%. Twenty-four hour PRES in UW resulted in no functional recovery. However, after CyS treatment, functional recovery returned to 100% after 4 hours of reperfusion. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and creatine phosphate (CP) concentrations were surprisingly the same with or without CyS treatment at 18 hours and lower with 24 hours. CONCLUSIONS Use of CyS in the PRES solution prolongs myocardial viability during donor heart PRES. The mechanism of action may be associated with the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) pore via cyclophilin D binding.
Volcanic spreading and lateral variations in the structure of Olympus Mons, Mars

The Olympus Mons volcano on Mars is notable not only for its immense height and width, but also for substantial asymmetries in its structure. The gently sloped northwest flank extends to a much greater distance from the central caldera complex than the more steeply sloped southeast flank. Furthermore, the northwest flank exhibits lower-flank extensional faults, whereas the southeast shows upper-flank compressional terraces and lower-flank upthrust blocks. However, both the northwest and southeast flanks exhibit characteristic concave-upward profiles and steep bounding scarps, in contrast to other sectors. The NW-SE asymmetries are aligned with the regional slope from the Tharsis rise, but an understanding of the underlying causes has remained elusive. We use particle dynamics models of growing, spreading volcanoes to demonstrate that these flank structures could reflect the properties of the basement materials underlying Olympus Mons. We find that basal slopes alone are insufficient to produce the observed concave-upward slopes and asymmetries in flank extent and deformation style that are observed at Olympus Mons; instead, lateral variations in basal friction are required. These variations are most likely related to the presence of sediments, transported and preferentially accumulated downslope from the Tharsis rise. Such sediments likely correspond to ancient phyllosilicates (clays) recently discovered by the Mars Express mission.
Clinical Evaluation of Antiallergic Agents

Testing methods used to detect antiallergic activity are described for several pharmacological classes of drugs. The pharmacodynamics of each drug determine the type of testing required to detect antiallergic or antiasthmatic activity.
PDE2D: Easy-to-use software for general two-dimensional partial differential equations

Abstract A finite element program is presented which solves quite general systems of partial differential equations in general two-dimensional regions. The interactive user interface, which makes this software exceptionally easy to use, and the linear system solvers, which make it efficient, are described in turn. Some timings are reported to measure the efficiency of the linear system solvers.
Single-molecule tools for enzymology, structural biology, systems biology and nanotechnology: an update

Toxicology is the highly interdisciplinary field studying the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms. It requires sensitive tools to detect such effects. After their initial implementation during the 1990s, single-molecule fluorescence detection tools were quickly recognized for their potential to contribute greatly to many different areas of scientific inquiry. In the intervening time, technical advances in the field have generated ever-improving spatial and temporal resolution and have enabled the application of single-molecule fluorescence to increasingly complex systems, such as live cells. In this review, we give an overview of the optical components necessary to implement the most common versions of single-molecule fluorescence detection. We then discuss current applications to enzymology and structural studies, systems biology, and nanotechnology, presenting the technical considerations that are unique to each area of study, along with noteworthy recent results. We also highlight future directions that have the potential to revolutionize these areas of study by further exploiting the capabilities of single-molecule fluorescence microscopy.
Fabrication of Stable Metallic Patterns Embedded in Poly(dimethylsiloxane) and Model Applications in Non‐Planar Electronic and Lab‐on‐a‐Chip Device Patterning

This article describes the fabrication of durable metallic patterns that are embedded in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and demonstrates their use in several representative applications. The method involves the transfer and subsequent embedding of micrometer-scale gold (and other thin-film material) patterns into PDMS via adhesion chemistries mediated by silane coupling agents. We demonstrate the process as a suitable method for patterning stable functional metallization structures on PDMS, ones with limiting feature sizes less than 5 μm, and their subsequent utilization as structures suitable for use in applications ranging from soft-lithographic patterning, non-planar electronics, and microfluidic (lab-on-a-chip, LOC) analytical systems. We demonstrate specifically that metal patterns embedded in both planar and spherically curved PDMS substrates can be used as compliant contact photomasks for conventional photolithographic processes. The non-planar photomask fabricated with this technique has the same surface shape as the substrate, and thus facilitates the registration of structures in multilevel devices. This quality was specifically tested in a model demonstration in which an array of one hundred metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) devices was fabricated on a spherically curved Si single-crystalline lens. The most significant opportunities for the processes reported here, however, appear to reside in applications in analytical chemistry that exploit devices fabricated using the methods of soft lithography. Toward this end, we demonstrate durably bonded metal patterns on PDMS that are appropriate for use in microfluidic, microanalytical, and microelectromechanical systems. We describe a multilayer metal-electrode fabrication scheme (multilaminate metal–insulator–metal (MIM) structures that substantially enhance performance and stability) and use it to enable the construction of PDMS LOC devices using electrochemical detection. A polymer-based microelectrochemical analytical system, one incorporating an electrode array for cyclic voltammetry and a microfluidic system for the electrophoretic separation of dopamine and catechol with amperometric detection, is demonstrated.
Molecular approaches to cerebral laterality: development and neurodegeneration.

Little is understood about the genetic or epigenetic mechanisms that underlie brain asymmetry. Because higher cognitive functions such as language, constructional and spatial abilities, and attention are organized along the left/right axis, understanding the underpinnings of this process has significant implications for both developmental biology and cognitive neuroscience. However, scientists have begun to explore, in only the most preliminary manner, the influences of subtle biologically inherited brain asymmetries on human behavior and disease. Because brain asymmetry develops prenatally, the recognition of asymmetry in neurodegeneration implies a possible relationship between the development of cerebral laterality and regional vulnerability in neurodegenerative diseases. This suggests that the study of cerebral asymmetry and laterality is likely to be relevant to a number of degenerative conditions that were previously considered to be only diseases of aging. In this article, I will outline our perspective and some of the approaches that my laboratory has begun to take to characterize the molecular basis of cerebral asymmetry. Most of these data are preliminary and the models presented are highly speculative, reflecting the primitive stage of work defining the molecular basis of cerebral asymmetry.
Accelerated respiratory response to moderate exercise in late pregnancy.

Abstract We studied the rates of change of expired ventilation (V E , BTPS), O 2 , STPD) and CO 2 production (V CO 2 , STPD) at the start and stop of 6 min of 50-W bicycle exercise, comparing 20 healthy young women at 38 weeks of pregnancy (G) and 3 months postpartum (NG). V O 2 , V CO 2 and VE were significantly greater at rest for G than for NG. The absolute increases of V O 2 and V CO 2 from steady-state rest (SSR) to steady-state exercise (SSE) were the same for G and NG. The absolute increase of V E from SSR to SSE was significantly greater for G than NG. V CO 2 and V E increased more rapidly in G than NG, but only during the first 90 sec of exercise. Recovery rates after exercise were equal for G and NG. We believe that lower extremity muscles of G contract on more distended veins at the onset of exercise, forcing increased volumes of venous blood through the lungs, increasing V O 2 and V CO 2 . V E follows V CO 2 closely.
Determination of Salicylates by GLC

Silylation of salicylic acid by hexamethyldisilazane, N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)acetamide, and N,N-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide was compared using GLC. The completeness of the reaction, the stability of products, and the reproducibility of results with time were investigated. Different reaction vessels were examined for their reliability and application for a routine assay procedure.
Bivariate normal classification of North American air masses using the normix program

This preliminary study employs Wolfe's cluster analysis program (NORMIX) in the bivariate normal classification of North American air masses. Once-daily observations of potential temperature and mixing ratio were classified by the NORMIX program into ‘types’ which represent different air masses. The cluster analysis was performed at the surface, at 850 mbar, at 700 mbar, and at 500 mbar for each of seven stations located along the 80th meridian. Individual data sets were composed of 10 years of observations taken during January or July at each level. Analyses derived from the NORMIX results showed more types at the middle latitudes than at source region latitudes. A different number of NORMIX types was found at each level above each station, except at Miami in July. Frequency tables for the Greensboro station showed that some NORMIX types at upper levels occurred in conjunction with two or more surface NORMIX types, thereby indicating the presence of overrunning. Synoptic analyses for the Greensboro station showed that each NORMIX type was associated with a specific synoptic air mass type. The NORMIX program generated discriminant functions which were used to objectively classify independent potential temperature and mixing ratio data for the Greensboro station. The results of the independent data classification compared favourably with synoptic air mass types and with the original NORMIX results.
Effects of sodium ions on DNA duplex oligomers: improved predictions of melting temperatures.

Melting temperatures, Tm, were systematically studied for a set of 92 DNA duplex oligomers in a variety of sodium ion concentrations ranging from 69 mM to 1.02 M. The relationship between Tm and ln [Na+] was nonlinear over this range of sodium ion concentrations, and the observed melting temperatures were poorly predicted by existing algorithms. A new empirical relationship was derived from UV melting data that employs a quadratic function, which better models the melting temperatures of DNA duplex oligomers as sodium ion concentration is varied. Statistical analysis shows that this improved salt correction is significantly more accurate than previously suggested algorithms and predicts salt-corrected melting temperatures with an average error of only 1.6 °C when tested against an independent validation set of Tm measurements obtained from the literature. Differential scanning calorimetry studies demonstrate that this Tm salt correction is insensitive to DNA concentration. The Tm salt correction function ...
Caring for the Organization Social Workers as Frontline Risk Managers in Neonatal Intensive Care Units

Though both sociologists of the professions and social workers themselves would predict that social work will be concentrated where there is social “trouble,” neither can fully account for variatio...
Prospects for a vaccine against Chlamydia genital disease II. — Immunity and vaccine development

Summary Based on available data, both published and unpublished, we propose the following model for the acquired immune response to chlamydial genital infection (fig. 1). Chlamydial EBs or chlamydial antigen through a yet undefined interaction with resident macrophages elicit the production of IL12 and TNFα which in turn recruit and activate NK cells to release IFNγ within the first few days of infection. The effect of IFNγ is two-fold: (1) it may serve to control the chlamydial infection until the acquired immune response is activated and (2) in conjunction with IL12, it effects the shift of the CD4 population to a Th1 dominant response which is required for the resolution of the infection. Since antibody to chlamydiae is produced, it would seem likely that some Th2 cells are also present which can provide help for the production of antibody, although because of the Oh1-dominant response, the main antibody produced is IgG 2a . Both antibody and CMI are required for resolution of the infection. It is hypothesized that antibody neutralizes chlamydial EBs, preventing infection or differentiation into reticulate bodies. Since some EBs most likely escape antibody and attain the intracellular environment, CMI acting via IFNγ produced by CD4 and CD8 cells would then be necessary to eliminate the organism or at least prevent replication of the organism. When individuals become reinfected, it is likely that antibody (both IgG and sIgA) in genital secretions is able to reduce the number of organisms by neutralization. The chlamydiae which avoid neutralization can go on to infect cells and may go through one or more cycles until O cells can be recruited to the area to elaborate their appropriate cytokines including IFNγ and once again control the infection. In the absence of reinfection, it is possible that when chlamydial antigen ceases to be produced by organisms in the persistent state, the immune cells will no longer be maintained in the local area. When they are gone, it is possible that the lack of IFNγ will cause the organisms to again begin replication and possibly elicit another inflammatory event. The level of the infection may be held in check by the presence of antibody in secretion.
‘You care for your work; I'll care for your family’: perceptions of paternalistic managerial actions and employee commitment in Mexico

This study focuses on paternalism as a managerial strategy to foster employee commitment. Using in-depth, qualitative interviews during extended fieldwork at a Mexican multinational company, I examine employee perceptions of managerial actions within the context of workplace transformation. Employees perceived management as caring toward them and their families and characterized the workplace as a considerate and respectful environment. Employees interpreted managerial actions positively because a company cooperative provided family-supportive policies and cultivated a family-supportive culture, even after workplace transformation. Rather than disrupt the paternalistic practices, management combined them with the new strategic management practices. In exchange, employees were committed to the organization as evidenced by expressions of loyalty, pride, and appreciation. With its focus on how a specific family-supportive setting matters in the global south, this study extends the research on managerial stra...
Kinetic theory of a system of coulomb particles in the weakly relativistic approximation

An analysis is made of the connection between the relativistic analogs of the Vlasov and Landau equations obtained by Bogolyubov's method and the corresponding relativistic kinetic equations. The H theorem is considered in the weakly relativistic approximation.
Effect of a DC preionization source on energy deposition in a pulsed inductive plasma

Understanding of the early time formation of inductively coupled pulsed plasmas is a necessary step in producing high power pulsed plasmoid propulsion systems, namely field reversed configuration devices1. Several circuit models exist for estimating plasma properties but neglect the effect that a preionization source will have on the plasma properties2,3. Other authors have studies preionization sources but have not performed a detailed parametric study4. This paper studies the effect that position and bias voltage of a DC preionization source have on energy coupling to a pulse inductive plasma formed using a theta pinch. Five radial positions and five bias voltages are applied to Argon prefills of 10–1,000 mTorr. Using SPICE5 software and established plasma models, an iterative method is used to determine the effective plasma resistance and inductance and are used to determine the energy present in the plasma as a function of time. The greatest amount of energy transferred to the plasma was TBD J occurred with at TBD mTorr with the DC preionization source located at TBD cm with a bias voltage of TBD V. It is observed that energy coupling into plasma increased TBD% as the probe neared the wall of the quartz insulator. Increasing the bias voltage increased plasma energy by TBD%. Increasing Argon prefill pressure past TBD mTorr resulted in reduced plasma energy.
The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae, acquires a LIPOXYGENASE5-derived oxylipin from Arabidopsis thaliana, which promotes colonization of the host plant

Oxylipins derived from lipoxygenase (LOX) activity play important roles in plant growth, development and stress response. In a recent study, we provided evidence that infestation of Arabidopsis thaliana foliage by the green peach aphid (GPA; Myzus persicae), a phloem sap-consuming insect, was promoted by plant LOX5-derived oxylipins. In comparison to the wild-type (WT) plant, GPA population was smaller on the Arabidopsis lox5 mutant. The insect spent less time feeding from the sieve element and xylem of the lox5 mutant compared with the WT plant. In addition, compared with insects feeding on the WT plant, when on the lox5 mutant, the GPA was unable to suppress an antibiotic activity that is present in Arabidopsis vascular sap. Roots are the critical source of a LOX5-derived oxylipin(s) that promotes colonization of the foliage by GPA. Here we show that the 9-hydoxy-10E, 12Z-octadecadienoic acid (9-HOD), a LOX5-derived oxylipin, accumulated in GPA that were reared on the WT, but not the lox5 mutant plant. However, 9-HOD accumulated in insects reared on lox5 mutant plants that were irrigated with 9-HOD, thus indicating that the insect ingests oxylipins from the host plant. We further demonstrate that the host plant requires LOX5 function to promote expression of the defense regulatory gene PHYTOALEXIN-DEFICIENT4 in the foliage. Taken together, our previous observations and results presented here indicate that while the host plant utilizes LOX5-dependent factors for promoting defense mechanisms, GPA has evolved to utilize plant 9-LOX-derived oxylipins as cues to facilitate infestation, thus suggesting a complex involvement of oxylipins in Arabidopsis interaction with GPA.
When neighbours matter most: innovation, diffusion and state policy adoption in tertiary education

We now have ample evidence that public policies diffuse across the American states; that is, policy adoption is due at least in part to the emulation of policies enacted in nearby states. But, policy adoption is the result of a complex process, a process that often takes years and sometimes decades to complete. According to the ‘stage’ or ‘step’ approach, the lawmaking process begins with the identification of a public problem for which redress by governments is sought and ends when programmes are implemented and effects are evaluated. Using the tertiary education system in the USA as a case, this study considers at what stage(s) in the policymaking process pressures created from neighbouring states are brought to bear. Analysis of data from state policymakers reveals that the experiences of neighbours are most pronounced during the agenda‐setting and proposal formulation stages and least during adoption.
Studies of Peripheral Circulation during Sickle-Cell Crisis

In 18 Negro patients with sickle-cell anemia or sickle cell-hemoglobin C disease, gradients of oxygen and pH were measured between brachial artery and superficial and deep venous system of the upper extremity. The results obtained during crisis were compared with those obtained from asymptomatic patients. Arterial oxygen unsaturation, with normal arteriovenous gradients for oxygen and pH was observed in the 11 asymptomatic patients. Unusually low arteriovenous gradients for oxygen and pH, mainly due to abnormal venous values, were found when blood draining from cutaneous areas was compared with arterial samples in the 7 patients studied during acute crisis. The 5 patients restudied after symptoms subsided showed a return toward normal of arteriovenous differences. The evidence suggests that during crisis arterialization of venous blood is the result of anatomic or functional by passes in the superficial circulation, so that oxygen is not removed by the tissues. It is postulated that a vascular neurogenic mechanism may be the precipitating factor in sickle-cell crisis. It is also suggested that a low arteriovenous oxygen gradient or arterialization of superficial vein blood may be used as a laboratory aid in establishing the diagnosis of sickle-cell crisis in uncertain cases.