cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Classification of birefringence in mode-locked fiber lasers using machine learning and sparse representation.

It has been observed that changes in the birefringence, which are difficult or impossible to directly measure, can significantly affect mode-locking in a fiber laser. In this work we develop techniques to estimate the effective birefringence by comparing a test measurement of a given objective function against a learned library. In particular, a toroidal search algorithm is applied to the laser cavity for various birefringence values by varying the waveplate and polarizer angles at incommensurate angular frequencies, thus producing a time-series of the objective function. The resulting time series, which is converted to a spectrogram and then dimensionally reduced with a singular value decomposition, is then labelled with the corresponding effective birefringence and concatenated into a library of modes. A sparse search algorithm (L1-norm optimization) is then applied to a test measurement in order to classify the birefringence of the fiber laser. Simulations show that the sparse search algorithm performs very well in recognizing cavity birefringence even in the presence of noise and/or noisy measurements. Once classified, the wave plates and polarizers can be adjusted using servo-control motors to the optimal positions obtained from the toroidal search. The result is an efficient, self-tuning laser.
Reliability of intraobserver and interobserver sonographic endometrial stripe thickness measurements.

Abstract Objective: To determine the intraobserver and interobserver reliability of endometrial stripe thickness measurements in women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. Design: Prospective blinded study. Setting: Tertiary care, university hospital. Patient(s): Sixty-three patients undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and being monitored with transvaginal ultrasound were studied. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): Intraobserver and interobserver variability of endometrial stripe thickness measurements between 2 blinded observers, with 2 observations made by each observer. Result(s): A statistically significant correlation was detected between the 2 measurements of each observer. The mean (±SD) interobserver difference between the average of the 2 measurements performed by both observers was 1.02 ± 0.82 mm. A statistically significant correlation between the measurements of the 2 observers was detected. For both observers A and B, who used ≤6 mm as an abnormal endometrial thickness, an excellent level of agreement was detected between the 2 measurements made on each patient. When comparing the average values obtained by the 2 observers for each of the patients, an excellent level of agreement was detected. Conclusion(s): There is an excellent correlation between intraobserver and interobserver measurements of endometrial stripe thickness.
The Friendly Media Phenomenon: A Cross-National Analysis of Cross-Cutting Exposure

We hypothesize that in the real world, as opposed to the lab, the norm is for people to experience friendly media that favor their political predispositions when political favoritism is perceived at all. For this reason, media are generally limited in their ability to create cross-cutting exposure. We test this hypothesis using representative survey data drawn from 11 different countries with varying media systems. We further hypothesize that television will contribute more to cross-cutting exposure than newspapers. Finally, and most importantly, we test the hypothesis that the more the structure of a country's media system parallels that of its political parties, the more that country's population will be dominated by exposure to like-minded views via mass media. We find confirmation for all 3 of these hypotheses and discuss their implications for the role of mass media in providing exposure to cross-cutting political perspectives.
Predicting bulk ambient aerosol compositions from ATOFMS data with ART-2a and multivariate analysis

The aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ATOFMS) has not generally been used to provide a quantitative estimation of chemical compositions of ambient aerosols. In an initial study, the possibility of developing a calibration model to predict chemical compositions from ATOFMS data was demonstrated, but because of the limited number of samples (only 12), the ability of the calibration model was not fully realized. In this study, 50 samples were created to further test the prediction ability of the calibration model. The conceptual framework is to relate the mass concentrations of the particles in the identified classes to the average aerosol compositions for each sampling time interval using a calibration model based on ART-2a and multivariate analysis. There may be some non-linearity between cluster mass concentrations and ambient species concentrations because of measurement errors, the scaling equations used to estimate particle mass and various assumptions required for building the model. Thus, in this study, PLS regression was integrated with radial basis functions (RBF-PLS) to obtain better prediction effects and compared to partial least square (PLS) regression alone. Compared with an earlier study, these results provide better and a more convincing demonstration of the ability of the calibration model to estimate the chemical compositions from ATOFMS data. The results also suggest that the model would be able to provide carbon data and thus substitute for thermal optical reflectance (TOR) measurements. Additionally, the calibration model based on RBF-PLS showed more accurate predictions in the cases with some non-linearity. Some of the key steps in the modeling effect are also discussed in detail. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A simple inexpensive gas phase chemiluminescence analyzer for measuring trace levels of arsenic in drinking water

Abstract An inexpensive sensitive gas-phase chemiluminescence (GPCL) based analyzer for arsenic is described; this device utilizes manual fluid dispensing operations to reduce size, weight and cost. The analyzer in its present form has a limit of detection (LOD, S/N = 3) of 1.0 μg/L total inorganic As (peak heightbased, 3 mL sample). The system was used to measure low level arsenic in tap water samples from Texas and New Mexico and compared with results obtained by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) as well as those from an automated GPCL analyzer. Good correlations were observed. Higher levels of As (50–500 μg/L, As(III), As(V) and mixtures thereof) were spiked into local tap water; the recoveries ranged from 95 ± 2% to 101 ± 1%. A single instrument weighs less than 3 kg, consumes
Electron spin resonance studies of the ovary of the rat

Abstract Electron spin resonance spectra of rat ovaries, isolated ovarian compartments, and ovarian subcellular fractions were compared with spectra of rat adrenals. Rat ovaries were found to exhibit ESR signals similar to those previously described in studies of mammalian adrenal and testis. Observations were made at 113 K in an anaerobic environment. ESR signals of the low-spin ferric cytochrome P-450, the non-heme protein ferredoxin, and the non-heme glycoprotein transferrin were consistently observed in whole ovaries. The first two signals were detected in mitochondrial fractions isolated from ovaries, while only cytochrome P-450 was detected in microsomal fractions. Signals from ferredoxin and cytochrome P-450 were also consistently observed in both whole adrenals and adrenal mitochondrial fractions. However, in the microsomal fraction only cytochrome P-450 was present. The g values for the cytochrome P-450 and ferredoxin signals found in this study of ovaries were identical to those previously reported and also found in this study in spectra of rat adrenals. The concentration of ferredoxin per milligram wet mass in rat ovaries appears to be only one-sixth of that in the rat adrenal. The concentration of cytochrome P-450 appears to be only one-ninth of that in the adrenal. Signals from ferredoxin were detected in all ovarian compartments except granulosa cells isolated from Graafian follicles. The third signal, that of transferrin, while often observed in the spectra of whole ovaries, has been attributed to residual blood in the tissues examined. The effects of oxygen on these spectra has been found to be considerable and is discussed.
Perspectives on antigen presenting cells in zebrafish.

Antigen presentation is a critical step in the activation of naive T lymphocytes. In mammals, dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages, and B lymphocytes can all function as antigen presenting cells (APCs). Although APCs have been identified in zebrafish, it is unclear if they fulfill similar roles in the initiation of adaptive immunity. Here we review the characterization of zebrafish macrophages, DCs, and B cells and evidence of their function as true APCs. Finally, we discuss the conservation of APC activity in vertebrates and the use of zebrafish to provide a new perspective on the evolution of these functions.
n-connectedness in pure 2-complexes

A graph is a 1-dimensional simplicial complex. In this work we study an interpretation of “n-connectedness” for 2-dimensional simplicial complexes. We prove a 2-dimensional analogue of a theorem by Whitney for graphs:
Cohomology of locally nilpotent groups

Abstract A series of vanishing theorems is proved for (co)homology of locally nilpotent groups in situations where (co)homology is known to vanish in dimensions 0 or 1 and the module satisfies an appropriate finiteness condition.
Geophysical Variables and Behavior: XIV. Lunar Phase and Crime: Fact or Artifact:

No relationship was found between lunar phase and number of calls for police assistance when controls for day of week, holiday, and year were made.
Properties of host specific toxins produced by Alternaria alternata f. sp. lycopersici in culture and in tomato plants

Abstract Phytotoxic fractions were isolated from extracts of necrotic leaves of tomato plants infected with Alternaria alternata f. sp. lycopersici (AAL) and compared to AAL-toxins isolated from culture filtrates of the pathogen. The toxins recovered from diseased tissue were indistinguishable from the AAL-toxins on the basis of chromatographic mobility by both thin-layer and high performance liquid chromatography. Extracts from both sources showed equivalent host-specificity in detached leaf bioassays. Quantitative estimates of toxin activity, recovered from leaves of naturally-infected field plants and greenhouse-grown plants inoculated with either of two single conidial isolates, indicated that the concentration of phytotoxin present in diseased leaves was similar to the concentration of AAL-toxin required to induce necrosis in detached leaves of the same cultivar (approx. 10 ng/ml). Derivatization of AAL-toxins, isolated from fungal culture filtrates and recovered from infected plants, with reagents specifically blocking free primary amines abolished the biological activity of both. Removal of the blocking agents restored biological activity to both toxin preparations which suggests that the amine function of the toxin is essential for biological activity.
Dynamic feedback synthesis for finite-time consensus under unknown directed graphs

The problem of finite-time distributed consensus for multi-agent networks described by fixed directed graphs is considered without assuming the global connectivity graph is known to the agents or a central authority. The problem is formulated as a dynamic game where the agents minimize their own local costs by sequentially learning the network connectivity and generating local decisions. A distributed protocol based on online optimization and linear dynamic feedback is shown to achieve an equilibrium with respect to these local costs and near-optimal finite-time consensus.
An improved LC–MS/MS method for the quantification of prostaglandins E2 and D2 production in biological fluids

We report an improved liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assay that accurately measures prostaglandins D(2) (PGD(2)) and E(2) (PGE(2)) in cell culture supernatants and other biological fluids. The limit of detection for each prostaglandin was 20 pg/ml (0.20 pg, 0.55 fmol on-column), and the interday and intraday coefficients of variation were less than 5%. Both d(4)-PGE(2) and d(4)-PGD(2) were used as surrogate standards to control for differential loss and degradation of the analytes. Stability studies indicated that sample preparation time should be less than 8h to measure PGD(2) accurately, whereas preparation time did not affect PGE(2) measurement due to its greater stability in biological samples. As an application of the method, PGD(2) and PGE(2) were measured in culture supernatants from A549 cells and RAW 264.7 cells. The human lung alveolar cell line A549 was found to produce PGE(2) but no PGD(2), whereas the murine macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 produced PGD(2) and only trace amounts of PGE(2). This direct comparison showed that COX-2 gene expression can lead to differential production of PGD(2) and PGE(2) by epithelial cells and macrophages. Because PGE(2) is antiasthmatic and PGD(2) is proasthmatic, we speculate that the balance of production of these eicosanoids by epithelial cells and macrophages in the lung contributes to the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchiectasis, asthma, and lung cancer.
Landscape of supersymmetric particle mass hierarchies in deflected mirage mediation

With the aim of uncovering viable regions of parameter space in deflected mirage mediation (DMM) models of supersymmetry breaking, we study the landscape of particle mass hierarchies for the lightest four non-Standard Model states for DMM models and compare the results to that of minimal supergravity/constrained MSSM (mSUGRA/CMSSM) models, building on previous studies of Feldman, Liu, and Nath. Deflected mirage mediation is a string-motivated scenario in which the soft terms include comparable contributions from gravity mediation, gauge mediation, and anomaly mediation. DMM allows a wide variety of phenomenologically preferred models with light charginos and neutralinos, including novel patterns in which the heavy Higgs particles are lighter than the lightest superpartner. We use this analysis to motivate two DMM benchmark points to be used for more detailed collider studies. One model point has a higgsino-dominated lightest superpartner and a compressed yet heavy spectrum, while the other has a stau NLSP and similar features to mSUGRA/CMSSM models, but with a slightly less stretched spectrum.
Uncommon Americans: The Lives and Legacies of Herbert and Lou Henry Hoover

Foreword by John W. Carlin Introduction by Timothy Walch First Thoughts Herbert Hoover: Political Orphan by George H. Nash Searching for Lou Henry Hoover by Nancy Beck Young Formative Years The Fascination of What's Difficult: Herbert Hoover and Geology by Hendrik Booraem V No So Innocent Abroad: The Hoovers' Early Years by John Milton Cooper Jr. Helping Hands Determined Humanitarians: The Hoovers in Europe by George H. Nash Orphan Boy: Herbert Hoover and Children by Richard Norton Smith and Timothy Walch Pioneer Girl: Lou Henry Hoover and the Girl Scouts by Susan Estabrook Kennedy Progressive Ideals Agent of Change: Herbert Hoover as Secretary of Commerce by Kendrick Clements Herbert Hoover and Better Homes: Housing and Socio-Economic Planning by Fred A. Bjornstad No Place Like Home: Herbert Hoover and the American Standard of Living by Regina Lee Blaszczyk That Glorious Burden War on a Thousand Fronts: Herbert Hoover and the Great Depression by David E. Hamilton Prelude to the New Deal: Lou Henry Hoover and Women's Relief Work by Martha H. Swain Herbert Hoover and the Elusive Quest for Peace by Alfred L. Castle Assessing the Hoover Presidency David A. Quigley The Chief in Response The Loyal Opposition: Herbert Hoover and the Republican Party by Gary Dean Best Years of Frustration: Herbert Hoover and World War II by Hal Elliott Wert Some of My Best Friends are Democrats: Herbert Hoover and the Kennedy Family by Timothy Walch Elder Statesman: Herbert Hoover and His Successors by Michael J. Birkner The Last Word Herbert Hoover and the Third Way by Richard Norton Smith Notes on Contributors Source Notes Index
Sentences True in All Constructive Models

Let P0, …,Pq be predicates, of which at least one has two or more places. By a formula in P0, …, Pq (or simply a formula, when the list P0, …, Pq is fixed, as in this section) is meant any formula whose only symbols, other than sentential connectives, quantifiers, and (individual) variables, are among P0, …, Pq. A realization (or possible model) of such a formula is a system where A is a non-empty set and each Pk is a relation among the elements of A, having the same number of places as Pk.
Mössbauer spectra obtained by modulation of a scattering crystal

We have carried out numerous experiments with supersources having intensities in the 100 Curie range. These sources usually require massive shielding, and are not easily moved to carry out Mossbauer spectroscopy. Several of these sources can be used with microfoil conversion electron (MICE) detectors, but they cannot be moved easily either because of the delicate microfoils used, which ideally have thicknesses less than the range of the internally converted electrons. Here, we describe a technique for doing Mossbauer spectroscopy by oscillating a monochromating crystal parallel to the reciprocal lattice vector of the Bragg reflection, this being used to filter out extraneous photons from the beam. Specifically, an LiF crystal is used in diffraction experiments as a filter to scatter the 46.5-keV Mossbauer gamma rays from183Ta by setting it at the (200) Bragg reflection. In the present measurements, the LiF crystal was mounted in the transmission mode and oscillated with a crank along the scattering vectorQ to produce the velocity modulation, with the source, sample and absorber all at rest. The velocity components of the filtering crystal along the incident and scattered beams cause the measured linewidth to be equal to the usual Mossbauer width divided by 2 sinθ, whereθ is the Bragg angle. Measured widths for the (200), (400), (600) and (800) Bragg reflections agreed with the calculated values of 12.08, 6.04, 4.03 and 3.02 cm/s, within our experimental uncertainties. The technique could have applications not only to MICE detectors, but also to very narrow resonances such as67Zn, where the increased velocities required for small Bragg angles could be an advantage and lead to enhanced resolution.
Purification and characterization of acetyl-cholinesterase from the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (say)

Abstract Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was purified from an insecticide-susceptible strain of Colorado potato beetle by affinity chromatography following extraction with Triton X-100. The purification factor and yield were 39,000-fold and 51%, respectively. AChE activity was significantly inhibited by higher concentrations of acetylthiocholine (ATC) and acetyl-β-methylthiocholine (AβMTC), and moderately inhibited by propionylthiocholine (PTC). AChE activity was not inhibited by S-butyrylthiocholine (BTC). Substrate specificity constants ( κ cat K m ) of AChE for ATC, AβMTC and PTC were 21-, 25- and 13-fold, respectively, higher than that for BTC. Turnover numbers (κcat) of the native AChE were 23,000 min−1 for ATC, 14,000 for AβMTC, 8000 for PTC and 700 for BTC. AChE activity was effectively inhibited by 0.1 μM concentrations of eserine and BW284C51, but not by ethopropazine. The purified AChE consisted of two different molecular forms. The major form (92%) was a hydrophilic dimer, whereas the minor form (8%) was an amphiphilic dimer. Both molecular forms had virtually identical molecular weights (130,000 for native AChE and 65,000 for subunits) and isoelectric points (pI 7.3). The amphiphilic form of the AChE was insensitive to the action of phospholipase C, suggesting that this form has a hydrophobic domain that has been structurally modified. Amino acid analysis indicated that the mole percentages of amino acids of the enzyme were highly comparable to those of the previously reported AChE from Drosophila.
Electromagnetic Properties of the Deuteron. I. Charge Density and Quadrupole Moment

The Tamm-Dancoff method is applied to the calculation of the electrostatic properties of the deuteron. The state vector is assumed to contain amplitudes for at most two mesons in the field, but the possible presence of nucleon-antinucleon pairs is ignored. A formula applicable to the calculation of any multipole moment is derived and used to compute the leading exchange corrections, of order ${g}^{2}$ and ${g}^{4}$, respectively, to the usual expression for the quadrupole moment. For a suitably chosen hard-core wave function the ratio of successive terms is about one tenth, and the ${g}^{2}$ term is itself only a few percent of the total effect.
THE IMPACT OF SPECIFIC‐SECTOR CHANGES IN EMPLOYMENT ON ECONOMIC GROWTH, LABOR MARKET PERFORMANCE AND MIGRATION

It is common in empirical regional economics to use total employment as an explanatory variable while investigating issues such as the level and distribution of income and migration. This paper argues that sector-specific changes in employment and labor market performance can have different effects on economic growth, the collection of tax revenue, migration, and the level and distribution of household income. As such, it is important to model sectors separately. We find that expansions in employment opportunities for a high-wage sector such as computer manufacturing or bioengineering, a medium-wage sector manufacturing, and the lower-wage sector of retailing have differing economic consequences for a small city. We use a data intensive computable general equilibrium model to obtain these results.
Configuration studies for active electrostatic space radiation shielding

Abstract Developing successful and optimal solutions to mitigating the hazards of severe space radiation in deep space long duration missions is critical for the success of deep-space explorations. Space crews traveling aboard interplanetary spacecraft will be exposed to a constant flux of galactic cosmic rays (GCR), as well as intense fluxes of charged particles during solar particle events (SPEs). A recent report (Tripathi et al., Adv. Space Res. 42 (2008) 1043–1049), had explored the feasibility of using electrostatic shielding in concert with the state-of-the-art materials shielding technologies. Here we continue to extend the electrostatic shielding strategy and quantitatively examine a different configuration based on multiple toroidal rings. Our results show that SPE radiation can almost be eliminated by these electrostatic configurations. Also, penetration probabilities for novel structures such as toroidal rings are shown to be substantially reduced as compared to the simpler all-sphere geometries. More interestingly, the dimensions and aspect ratio of the toroidal rings could be altered and optimized to achieve an even higher degree of radiation protection.
Accounting for reengineering costs under EITF 97-13

To cut costs, companies are increasingly reengineering and depending more on information technology. So Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) 97-13 will continue to be important for corporate strategic financial planners. But which companies does the standard affect most—and how? © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Notes on the Amazon Wildlife trade

Abstract Commercial enterprises in the United States and western Europe are making inexorable demands upon wildlife of the Amazon basin. In recent years animal skins and furs for foreign apparel industries have been shipped in increasing quantities through the Brazilian ports of Belem and Manaus. Considerable anxiety is being expressed as to whether wildlife populations can withstand these pressures. A first attempt has been made in the United States to eliminate all imports of animal species that are judged to be threatened with extinction. This is being done through the Endangered Species Conservation Act, which can be improved upon but is a useful step towards instigating controls in the world fashion markets of New York, London, Hamburg, and Paris.
Characteristics of the pupillary dilation response during Pavlovian conditioning in paralyzed cats.

Previous studies of pupillary conditioning in the paralyzed cat have reported successful acquisition but have failed to control for all nonassociative factors. In the present experiment nine artificially respirated, Flaxedilized cats were presented a series of habituation, sensitization, and conditioning trials. Fifteen additional cats were tested for differentiation. The auditory conditional stimuli were reinforced with pawshock and pupillary size was monitored with an infrared pupilometer. All animals exhibited habituation and there was some evidence of sensitization. Conditional dilations during acquisition training differed from these nonassociative responses both in magnitude and frequency. Successful differentiation by a majority of animals in the second study provided further support for the authenticity of pupillary conditioning in the paralyzed cat.
Does Thumb Immobilization Contribute to Scaphoid Fracture Stability

Immobilization protocols for nondisplaced scaphoid fractures have included the elbow, wrist, and thumb. This study attempts to demonstrate whether or not immobilization of the thumb makes a difference in preventing motion at the scaphoid fracture site. Using six fresh frozen forearm specimens, a transverse waist scaphoid fracture was created through a dorsal approach. Metallic markers were imbedded on either side of the fracture. Sutures were secured to the flexor pollicus longus (FPL) and extensor pollicus longus (EPL). Each specimen was loaded in extension and flexion by attaching 50-g weights to the EPL and FPL, first with no casting, then with a short arm cast, and finally a short arm thumb spica cast. Angulation and displacement at the fracture site were measured in the coronal, sagittal, and axial planes utilizing image reconstructions from computed tomography. One-way ANOVA with repeated measures and Tukey-Kramer multiple comparison test post hoc analysis were used for statistical evaluation. There was no significant difference in fracture angulation or rotation between spica and short arm casts. There was a significant difference in angulation and rotation in all three planes when comparing between casting and no casting, p < 0.05. In our cadaveric model, wrist immobilization is crucial for nondisplaced scaphoid waist fractures, and short arm casting was just as effective as thumb spica casting in preventing fracture displacement.
Nature of a flood-basalt-magma reservoir based on the compositional variation in a single flood-basalt flow and its feeder dike in the Mesozoic Hartford Basin, Connecticut

The erosional remains of the Mesozoic Holyoke basalt in the Hartford, Pomperaug, and Deerfield basins of Connecticut and Massachusetts indicate an original flow volume of >1200 km3. Its feeder dike, which is about 50 m wide and 160 km long, can be traced down through 2 km of Mesozoic sediments and, as a result of faulting associated with basin formation, through an additional 6 km of Paleozoic metamorphic rocks. Chemical profiles through the distal and proximal parts of the flow and through the dike at depths of 2, 4, and 8 km provide sequential samples of the magma that rose during this one eruptive event. The flow and dike have restricted compositions that indicate saturation with olivine, augite, and plagioclase at depth. The flow consisted largely of a liquid at the pigeonite reaction point. Dike compositions can be modeled as mixtures of this liquid with up to 24% crystals of plagioclase, augite, and olivine. The dike compositions indicate equilibration with these minerals at 3.8 kbar. This pressure corresponds to a depth of 12.2 km, which is believed to have been the depth of the brittle/ductile transition in the crust at the time. This transition appears to be the only reasonable barrier that could have caused ponding of the magma at the mid-crustal level. The Holyoke liquid is interpreted to have segregated from a compacting crystal mush following 30% crystallization of the magma in this mid-crustal reservoir. Eruption of the basalt exhausted the supply of segregated liquid, and when the remaining crystal mush began to rise in the dike, the average density of the magma column increased until it matched the average density of the intruded crust, and the eruption ended. By analogy with the differentiation that took place in the solidifying Holyoke flow on the surface, the mid-crustal magma reservoir is estimated to have had a volume of at least 12,000 km3. The magma in this chamber must have come from a still deeper chamber, because it was too fractionated to have come directly from a mantle source.
The miniemulsification process — different form of spontaneous emulsification

The miniemulsification process involves the use of low concentrations of mixed emulsifier combinations of an ionic surfactant (e.g. sodium lauryl sulfate) and a cosurfactant (e.g. long-chain fatty alcohol — cetyl alcohol). The product is an oil-in-water miniemulsion with an average droplet diameter of 100–400 nm, and excellent shelf stability. The dominant presence of liquid crystals in the aqueous mixed emulsifier system, under conditions of the miniemulsification process, was confirmed by consideration of phase diagrams, conductivity and birefringence studies. Unexpectedly, interfacial tension studies showed relatively high values of 5–15 dyn cm−1. In spite of these high interfacial tensions, spontaneous emulsification was found at the oil-water interface, contrary to what is known in the field. Adsorption and electrophoretic mobility studies suggested that the miniemulsification process takes place by unidirectional swelling of the lamellar bilayers in the aqueous mixed emulsifier liquid crystal system as a result of absorption of oil, followed by subdivision of these entities. The stability of miniemulsions formed by this process is influenced by a steric component in the mixed emulsifier complex adsorbed at the oil-water interface.
Reliability of Gleason grading system in comparing prostate biopsies with total prostatectomy specimens.

Abstract Prostate biopsy and total prostatectomy specimens from 31 patients with adenocarcinoma of the prostate were compared using the Gleason histopathologic grading system. The overall accuracy when grouping the scores into three categories (2–4, 5–7, and 8–10) was 81 per cent. The incidence of critical undergrading was 6 per cent while the incidence of critical overgrading was 13 per cent. Eighty-seven per cent of the biopsy scores were plus or minus 1 Gleason unit of the prostatectomy scores. Intraobserver variation was less than 1 Gleason unit. The mean absolute difference between the biopsy and the total prostatectomy specimen was 0.77 Gleason units. The Gleason category score of the total prostate specimen can be predicted from the biopsy tissue with reasonably good accuracy. The limitation of this grading system in predicting the presence or absence of pelvic node involvement is discussed.
Signaling Pathways in Bacterial Chemotaxis

The sensory transduction pathways between the transducing proteins and the switch on the flagellar motors have been investigated in Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium. ATP, not GTP, is required for normal chemotaxis. A site of ATP action appears to be the conversion of an inactive form of the CheY protein to an active form, designated CheY*, that binds to the motor switch and initiates clockwise rotation. The methylation-dependent and methylation-independent pathways for chemotaxis have a common requirement for the CheA, CheW, and CheY proteins in addition to the switch and flagellar motor. It is concluded that the receptor/transducing proteins and the adaptation mechanism differ in the two types of pathway, but that other components of the transduction pathway are common to the methylation-dependent and methylation-independent pathways.
Reality TV: Remaking Television Culture edited by Laurie Ouellette and Susan Murray (New York University Press, 2004)

Laurie Ouellette and Susan Murray's collection of essays, Reality TV: Remaking Television Culture, opens with an introductory essay that outlines the history of reality formats. From the 50s quiz p...
Pharmacological disposition of negatively charged phospholipid vesicles in rats

The pharmacological disposition of four negatively charged phospholipid vesicles with radioactive cholesteryl oleate as a tracer was investigated in rats. The acidic phospholipids included phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, and diphosphatidylglycerol (cardiolipin). The blood half-life of phosphatidylserine vesicles was the shortest (< 2 min), while that of phosphatidylinositol was the longest (90 min). Cardiolipin and phosphatidylglycerol vesicles had intermediate blood half-lives (7 and 18 min, respectively). The distribution of these vesicles in six major organs (liver, spleen, heart, kidneys, lungs, and brain) varied greatly. Contrary to the long-held belief, it was possible to prepare negatively charged phospholipid vesicles with long blood half-lives. Furthermore, tissue disposition of these negatively charged vesicles could be manipulated partially by judicious selection of their components.
Reversal of baseline relations and stimulus equivalence: II. Children.

In a systematic replication of a study using college-student subjects (Pilgrim & Galizio, 1990), 5- to 7-year-old children learned two conditional discriminations (i.e., A1B1, A2B2, A1C1, and A2C2) in a two-choice arbitrary match-to-sample task and showed the emergence of two three-member equivalence classes (A1B1C1 and A2B2C2). Baseline conditional discrimination performance were quickly controlled by reversals of the AC reinforcement contingencies (i.e., choosing Comparison Stimulus C2 was reinforced given Sample A1, and choosing C1 was reinforced given Sample A2) when the reversals were introduced in restricted baselines. On reflexivity, symmetry, and transitivity/equivalence probes following the reversal, there was some limited indication of equivalence-class reorganization (i.e., A1B1C2 and A2B2C1) in keeping with the concurrently performed baseline relations for 2 of 5 subjects, but the predominant pattern across probe trials was one of inconsistent conditional control. These findings suggest that, given similar challenges, equivalence-class performances may be more easily disrupted in young children than in adults.
Evaluation and Attempted Optimization of Avian Embryos and Cell Culture Methods for Efficient Isolation and Propagation of Low Pathogenicity Avian Influenza Viruses

Abstract Surveillance of wild bird populations for avian influenza viruses (AIV) contributes to our understanding of AIV evolution and ecology. Both real-time reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RRT-PCR) and virus isolation in embryonating chicken eggs (ECE) are standard methods for detecting AIV in swab samples from wild birds, but AIV detection rates are higher with RRT-PCR than isolation in ECE. In this study we tested duck embryos, turkey embryos, and multiple cell lines for AIV growth as compared to ECE for improved isolation and propagation of AIV for isolates representing all 16 hemagglutinin subtypes. There were no differences in low pathogenicity AIV (LPAIV) propagation titers in duck or turkey embryos compared to ECE. The replication efficiency of LPAIV was lower in each of the cell lines tested compared to ECE. LPAIV titers were 1–3 log mean tissue-culture infective doses (TCID50) lower in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK), primary chicken embryo kidney (CEK), and primary chicken em...
Vector and scalar confining potentials and the Klein paradox

Confining potentials in euqations involving the interaction of fermions lead to no Klein paradoxes if the strength of the vector potential is appropriately limited compared to the scalar potential. For linear potentials the Regge trajectories are asymptotically like those of the harmonic oscillator, namely, ${E}^{2}\ensuremath{\sim}j$.
Testing for Phytochemical Synergism: Arthropod Community Responses to Induced Plant Volatile Blends Across Crops

Using herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) to attract specific natural enemies in the field has proven challenging, partly because of a poor understanding of: (i) which compound(s) to manipulate to attract specific taxa, and (ii) the ecological conditions over which HIPVs are effective. To address these issues, we quantified the response of a complex arthropod community to three common HIPVs (methyl salicylate, cis-3-hexen-1-ol, and phenylethyl alcohol) as individual compounds and equal part blends in corn and soybean fields. Of 119 arthropod taxa surveyed, we found significant responses by four species in corn fields (2 parasitoids, 1 herbivore, and 1 detritivore) and 16 in soybean fields (8 parasitoids, 3 predators, 4 herbivores, and 1 detritivore), with both attractive and repellent effects of the HIPVs observed. For example, tachinid flies were highly attracted to cis-3-hexen-1-ol (ca. 3-fold increase), but repelled by methyl salicylate (ca. 60 % decrease). Surprisingly, we found very few cases in which HIPVs acted synergistically; only two arthropod groups (ichneumonid wasps and phorid flies) were more attracted by a blend of the HIPVs than by the individual compounds composing the blend. Crop type, however, had a strong impact on the strength of arthropod responses to HIPVs. A few arthropod species were broadly affected across both crops (i.e., the herbivore Halticus bractatus was repelled by most of our treatments, regardless of crop background), but overall more arthropod groups responded to HIPVs released in soybean fields compared with corn. This was true despite the fact that taxa responding to HIPVs were present and abundant in both systems, suggesting that crop-based outcomes were likely driven by the plant matrix rather than mere differences in taxonomic composition of the arthropod community in corn vs. soybean fields. As a whole, these results suggest that: (i) repellent effects of HIPVs on natural enemies of herbivorous insects can be observed as frequently as attractive effects; (ii) odor blends may be no more effective than single-compound lures for some taxa; and (iii) crop background alters the magnitude of attraction to HIPVs, depending on the species being targeted.
Comparative Nonclinical Assessments of the Proposed Biosimilar PF-05280586 and Rituximab (MabThera®):

Comparative nonclinical studies were conducted with the proposed biosimilar PF-05280586 and rituximab-EU (MabThera®). In side-by-side analyses, peptide maps and complement-dependent cytotoxicity assay results were similar. Sexually-mature cynomolgus monkeys were administered PF-05280586 or rituximab-EU as a single dose of 0, 2, 10, or 20 mg/kg on day 1 and observed for 92 days (single-dose study) or as 5 weekly injections of 0 or 20 mg/kg and necropsied on day 30, the day after the 5th dose, or on day 121 (repeat-dose study). The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles for both molecules were similar. Marked depletion of peripheral blood B cells 4 days after dosing was followed by near or complete repletion (single-dose study) or partial repletion (repeat-dose study). In the single-dose study, anti-drug antibodies (ADA) were detected by day 29 in all animals administered PF-05280586 or rituximab-EU and persisted through day 85, the last day tested. In the repeat-dose study, ADA were detected on day 121 in 50% of animals administered PF-05280586 or rituximab-EU. Both molecules were well tolerated at all doses. In all endpoints evaluated, PF-05280586 exhibited similarity to rituximab-EU.
MANAGEMENT OF COMMON BREASTFEEDING ISSUES

SUMMARY Breastfeeding provides ideal nutrition, growth hormones, and antibodiesthat change over time as growing infants' and children's needs change andprovides these inexpensively, with no harmto the environment. Breastfed infantsare healthier than other infants overall, and research indicates that the healthbenefits may continue on into adulthood.v" Increasingly, women are choosingto initiate breastfeeding in the hospital, but the attrition starts early and isdramatic. For women to meet their breastfeeding goals, physicians must notonly give lip service to "breast is best" but also become knowledgeable inbreastfeeding management and actively promote breastfeeding in their practicesand in their communities. References 1. Ainsworth MA: The development of infant-mother attachment. In Caldwell BM,Ricciuti HN (eds): Review of Child Development Research. Chicago, University ofChcicago Press, 19732. American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry: Baby Bottle Tooth Decay/Early ChildhoodCaries [Revised May 1996]. J Am Acad Pediatr Dent 18:25, 19973. American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry: Breast-feeding [Revised May 1994]. J AmAcad Pediatr Dent 18:27, 19974. American Academy of Pediatrics Work Group on Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding andthe use of human milk. Pediatrics 100:1035, 19975. American Academy of Pediatrics: Practice parameter: The management of acutegastroenteritis in young children. Pediatrics 97:424, 19966. Andrusiak F, Larose-Kuzenko M: The Effects of an Overactive Let Down Reflex. Unit13, Lactation Consultant Series. Garden City Park, NY, Avery Publishing, 19877. Aono T, Aki T, Koike K, et al: Effect of sulpiride on poor puerperal lactation. Am JObstet Gynecol 143:927, 19828. Ardran GM, Kemp FH, Lind JA: Cineradiographic study of bottle feeding. Br J Radial31:21, 19589. Ardran GM, Kemp FH, Lind JA: Cineradiographic study of breastfeeding. Br J Radial31:156, 195810. Armstrong HC: Breastfeeding low birthweight babies: Advances in Kenya. Journal ofHuman Lactation 3:2, 198711. Auerbach KG, Avery JL: Induced lactation: A study of adoptive nursing by twentyfour women. Am J Dis Chcild 135:340, 198112. Auerbach KG: Extraordinary breastfeeding: Relactation/Induced lactation. J TropPediatr 27:52, 198113. Barnes GR, Lethin AN, Jackson EB, et al: Management of breast feeding. JAMA151:192, 195314. Barros FC, Victora CG, Semer TC, et al: Use of pacifiers is associated with decreasedbreast-feeding duration. Pediatrics 95:497, 199515. Baumslag N, Michels DL: Milk, Money, and Madness: The Culture and Politics ofBreastfeeding. Westport, CT, Bergin & Garvey, 199516. Beck CT: The lived experience of post partum depression: A phenomenological study.Nurs Res 41:166, 1992
Bilateral carotid occlusion and the sympathetic regulation of insulin secretion

Abstract After a 2-min bilateral carotid arterial occlusion (BCO) in puppies, a centrally originating, sympathetic discharge takes place which increases heart rate and blood pressure. We examined the specificity of this sympathetic neural outflow by determining whether it also caused a direct neurally mediated inhibition of insulin release from the pancreas. The effects of this BCO on portal venous insulin concentrations, as well as on heart rate and blood pressure, were examined during i.v. glucose infusions of 0 (saline), 5 and 15 mg/kg · min 1 . To determine changes in splanchnic blood flow and to more closely estimate pancreatic insulin secretion rates, a major vein draining the pancreas, the gastroduodenal, was catheterized. Blood flows and the amount of insulin transversing this vein per min (insulin flow rate) were followed before, during and after BCO. BCO decreased portal vein insulin concentrations during i.v. glucose infusions of 5 and 15 mg/kg · min 1 , but not when saline was infused. Since bilateral splanchnicotomy altered this result little and since BCO increased blood flow and the insulin flow rate in the gastroduodenal vein, it appears that the lower portal venous insulin concentrations during BCO are secondary, not to sympathetically induced decrease in insulin secretion rates but, to dilution of pancreatic effluent blood. We conclude that while BCO causes appropriate changes in heart rate and blood pressure, this central stimulus to the sympathetic system does not provide a direct neuroendocrine reflex change in insulin secretion. BCO alters portal venous insulin concentration indirectly, and the alteration depends on the plasma glucose concentration and an enhancement in the splanchnic blood flow.
Solving Beam-Angle Selection and Dose Optimization Simultaneously via High-Throughput Computing

We provide a framework for integrating two stages of radiation treatment planning (RTP): beam-angle selection (BAS) and dose optimization (DO). The framework is applied to both classical three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy and advanced intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Automated BAS and improved dose distribution are achieved within the framework. A metaheuristic approach, nested partitions, is applied. Alternative BAS and DO algorithms or commercial RTP software and clinical experience can be embedded within the framework to provide new methods for warm starts and evaluations of the quality of beam-angle set samples. Computational efficiency is achieved by utilizing high-throughput computing via the Condor system. Computational results show that our framework has led to a significant improvement in terms of solution quality and delivery time compared with current clinical practice.
Considering Ethics and the Responsible Conduct of Research in Tribology and in Engineering

The scientific corpus in technical fields such tribology is not immune from the harm resulting from unethical research behavior, whether intentional or unintentional. When combining this with an increasingly competitive and globalized scientific arena, the research environment can become quite fertile grounds for spawning unethical research behavior. At the same time, the increasing speed of the dissemination of research results due to the various online publication formats has highlighted the need for honest and transparent publications. Primarily developed from research conduct training modules created by the second author and his team at the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI), this primer paper serves to illuminate the tenets of responsible research conduct for senior, mid-career and junior tribologists, in addition to scientists in related fields of engineering who want to know what it means to rigorously pursue scientific research in an ethical manner.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Low doses of superoxide dismutase and a stable prostacyclin analogue protect in myocardial ischemia and reperfusion

The effects of low dose human superoxide dismutase and low dose taprostene, a stable analogue of prostacyclin, were investigated separately and together in a model of myocardial ischemia (1.5 h) with reperfusion (4.5 h) in open chest, anesthetized cats. Taprostene (60 ng/kg per min), human superoxide dismutase (0.25 mg/kg per h), both agents together, or their vehicle, were infused intravenously in cats starting 0.5 h after occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Neither low dose taprostene nor low dose human superoxide dismutase exerted any endothelial or myocardial protection in this model. However, the two agents together showed a significant endothelial and myocardial protection in cats with myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. Compared with cats that were untreated or received only taprostene or human superoxide dismutase, cats receiving both agents exhibited a lower plasma creatine kinase activity at every time point observed after reperfusion, a reduced area of cardiac necrosis (7 ± 2% vs. 21 ± 5% area at risk, p < 0.001), lower mycloperoxidase activity in the ischemic region (p < 0.01) and a significant preservation of vasorelaxant responses of left anterior descending coronary rings to endothelium-dependent vasodilators, acetylcholine (p < 0.001) and A-23187 (p < 0.001). Taprostene appears to act additively with human superoxide dismutase to inhibit neutrophil adherence and activation and to inactivate superoxide radicals, and thus reduce cellular injury 4.5 h after reperfusion of the ischemic heart. Use of this agent may allow low doses of superoxide dismutase to be used more effectively in early myocardial ischemia.