cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of serum and multiplication stimulating activity on L6 myoblast growth: The lack of correlation with cyclic nucleotide changes

The role of cAMP and cGMP in triggering proliferation of rat myoblasts was evaluated by: (1) measuring effects of mitogens on intracellular cyclic nucleotide levels, and (2) observing effects of agents which altered cyclic nucleotide levels on cell proliferation. Multiplication stimulating activity (MSA, 1 microgram/ml), a member of the somatomedin family, stimulated cell proliferation after 48 hr. It had little effect on cellular cyclic nucleotide levels, measured by radioimmunoassay. Horse serum (HS) and fetal bovine serum (FBS) stimulated cell proliferation approximately equally. Neither affected cAMP levels; FBS reduced cGMP to 33% of control values, but HS had no effect. Thus, there was no simple correlation between mitogenic action and cyclic nucleotide levels at any time from 5 min to 24 hr after addition of a purified mitogen or serum. Furthermore, agents which caused substantial changes in cyclic nucleotide levels had no effect on cell proliferation. Prostaglandin E1 (5 microM) elevated cAMP 440% without affecting cGMP levels or cell growth. A potent phosphodiesterase inhibitor, 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine (MIX, 0.1 mM), when added alone or in the presence of MSA, HS, or FBS, elevated cAMP 200% and cGMP 167%, but it had little effect on their mitogenic action. Lastly, a purified mitogen such as MSA, unlike serum, must be present for extended periods of time in order to stimulate cell proliferation. This makes it unlikely that a trigger mechanism functions in initiating cell division. We conclude that neither cAMP nor cGMP appear to be second messengers for the mitogenic action of MSA or serum on muscle cells.
On the discovery of millet prices in Mali

Abstract. This article presents an analysis of the functioning of the staple food markets following privatisation and liberalisation in Mali. New econometric techniques are used to analyse how price changes are discovered and transmitted among spatially separated markets. Results provide empirical evidence that governments’ concerns over privatisation are largely unfounded.
Women, Birth Practitioners, and Models of Pregnancy and Birth—Does Consensus Exist?

Women have differing beliefs about pregnancy and birth, and will be more suited to one type of practitioner versus another, depending on whether they believe that birth is a natural or a medical event. I hypothesize that if women and their practitioners have similar explanatory models, then the women may experience a better relationship with their practitioners, resulting in greater understanding of birth expectations, leading to improvements in experience and outcomes. In this article I explore how differing beliefs constitute identifiable models that can be distinguished as aligning with the midwifery model versus the medical model of birth.
Mesoscale Monte Carlo Simulation of Photoresist Processing

Progress toward a comprehensive, chemically detailed, mesoscale photoresist simulation with predictive capability is reported. The semiconductor industry has developed a need for mechanistically detailed simulations capable of studying photoresist performance at nanometer dimensions. The nanometer-scale dimensional tolerances on photoresist features are becoming increasingly difficult to meet and expensive to produce in high-volume manufacturing processes. A mesoscale Monte Carlo simulation for processing of positive tone, chemically amplified photoresists has been developed to enable detailed study of photoresist performance as a function of formulation and processing variables. In this model, the molecular components of the photoresist material are included explicitly within a three-dimensional lattice framework. Molecular level models for each processing step have been derived from experimental studies and are implemented in the simulation modules for the several photoresist processing steps. Simulation input variables are fundamental and measurable material properties and processing parameters. Empirical calibrations to expensive lithography experiments are not used. The mesoscale nature of the simulation offers the ability to study the stochastic processes that contribute to resist feature roughness, while the chemical detail included in the models enables investigation of the wide photoresist formulation variable space. This suite of programs provides a unique tool to guide the rational design of new photoresist materials.
MHC structure and autoimmune T cell repertoire development.

Abstract Recent work has continued to clarify the relationship between MHC structure and thymic selection that leads to peripheral T cell repertoire development in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Particular attention has been focused on the nonobese diabetic model of autoimmune diabetes, in which a unique MHC class II molecule (I-Ag7) plays a central role. In the past year, reports on the biochemistry of I-Ag7 — combined with analysis of the role of I-Ag7 in T cell repertoire selection — support a model of defective thymic selection as the basis of the association between particular MHC molecules and autoimmune diseases. Analogous work has been done on the structure of the human MHC disease-susceptible and -resistant alleles, DQA1*0301 DQB1*0302 and DQA1*0102 DQB1*0602, and their effect on autoimmune repertoire selection. Comparison of these results (in naturally occurring, spontaneous autoimmune human and murine diabetes), with results in a variety of transgenic and knockout models, has produced an integrated view of how avidity considerations in repertoire selection in the thymus could affect predisposition towards autoimmunity.
Prevention of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis: Role of HPV vaccination

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis is a rare, but devastating, cause of airway lesions in children and adults. This disease is caused by human papilloma virus subtypes 6 and 11. At this time there are two vaccines in late stages of development seeking Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to prevent cervical cancer, which is also caused by human papilloma virus. One of these vaccines has been developed to stimulate immunity to the most common subtypes that cause cervical cancer but also includes those responsible for recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. With the possibility this could drastically reduce the incidence of RRP, the otolaryngology community should advocate for implementation of a vaccine program that provides effective prevention of HPV infection with subtypes 6 and 11.
Drug therapy for anxiety.

Somatic therapies have enhanced and improved the treatment of anxiety disorders. Their use requires attention of a number of factors discussed in this chapter.
It's About Time: Using Electronic Literature Discussion Groups with Adult Learners.

This article describes what happened when adult learners in a literacy education class participated in online book discussions. Forty students, enrolled in a graduate literacy class, talked about the book Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor in an asynchronous online discussion. Findings included a higher level of satisfaction with online discussions than with face-to-face discussions during class. Students' comments about the experience clearly suggest that the electronic discussions provided things that could not be made available in class, such as varying amounts of time individual students had for reflecting and responding and affording students opportunities to participate in ongoing discussion. Students reported that the online discussions provided them with “think time” and that this time for reflecting and responding improved the quality of their discussions. They also reported that the asynchronous format allowed them to complete their thoughts without interruption. In addition, students noted that quieter classmates participated more fully online than during class. However, students also reported that prior face-to-face discussions were crucial for the success of the electronic experience in terms of building rapport, comfort level, and their willingness to take intellectual risks.
I lift the lamp beside the golden door

From applications programming and systems design, from teaching computer science and Latin, from business and government, they're coming to User Services.“Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift the lamp beside the golden door!”The familiar passage above, inscribed on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, can very easily be applied to User Services:“Well-established professions, keep your famous sons and Daughters of status. Give me your over-burdened teachers. Your programmers yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, who do not fit, to me, I light the way to golden opportunities!”Immigrants we have left the ancient lands and arrived in User Services. Where have we come from? Where are we now? Where do we go from here?
STUDIES IN DEMYELINATION, II. ENZYMATIC PATTERNS IN CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AND SCIATIC NERVE IN EXPERIMENTAL "ALLERGIC" ENCEPHALOMYELITIS.

SummaryAcid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, adenosinase and β-glucuronidase were determined in the central nervous system and sciatic nerve of rabbits with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis and the enzymatic pattern compared with that of normal rabbits and rabbits with Wallerian degeneration. The only enzymatic change common to both Wallerian degeneration and EAE was an increase of β-glucuronidase, occurring at the respective site of demyelination. A 10-fold increase was observed in the resected sciatic nerve in Wallerian degeneration. In EAE the β-glucuronidase activity gradually increased from the cervical part of the spinal cord down to the sacral section, where the enzyme activity was about 5-fold the normal value.
The effect of early exercise on myocardial infarct scar formation

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine if exercise undertaken during the phase of incomplete healing after myocardial infarction influences scar formation. Eighteen ether-anesthetized rats underwent coronary artery occlusion (CAO) and were paired by matching ECG infarct size as assessed by QRS morphology. One member of each pair was randomized to a nonswimming group (NoS) or a graded swimming (S) protocol group (up to 40 minutes of swimming per day) beginning 7 days after CAO. Twenty-one days after CAO, rats were reanesthetized, hearts were excised and examined under magnification, and were then sectioned for histology. Transmural scar thickness (mm) measured on gross pathologic specimens was thinner in the S rats (1.0 ± 0.2, p p p
Effective Therapy of Enteric Hyperoxaluria: In Vitro Binding of Oxalate by Anion-Exchange Resins and Aluminum Hydroxide

Hyperabsorption of dietary oxalate is a major factor in the pathogenesis of enteric hyperoxaluria and a frequent complication of inflammatory bowel disease and ileojejunal bypass surgery. Successful treatment requires reduction in oxalate intake or inhibition of absorption of dietary oxalate by oral ingestion of oxalate binding agents. To identify such agents, oxalate binding by anion-exchange resins, gums, and aluminum hydroxide was measured under conditions that simulated those present in the intestinal lumen. Of the agents tested, those that bound oxalate best were colestipol and aluminum hydroxide. Strongly basic anion-exchange resins readily bound oxalate only in the absence of chloride. These results suggest that colestipol and aluminum hydroxide administration might reduce dietary oxalate absorption in patients with enteric hyperoxaluria.
Theory of active mode locking of a semiconductor laser in an external cavity

An analytical treatment is given for the active mode locking of a semiconductor laser in an external resonator. The width of the mode-locked pulses is obtained as a function of the laser and cavity parameters and the amount of frequency detuning. The effects of self-modulation and saturation are included in the treatment. The pulse output is compared with that obtained by a strong modulation of the laser diode with no external cavity.
Do early caregiving experiences shape what people find attractive in adulthood? Evidence from a study on parental age

Abstract The purpose of this research was to examine whether early caregiving experiences are associated with adult mate preferences. Participants completed an online survey in which they rated the attractiveness of target faces. Participants born to older parents were more attracted to older faces compared with participants born to younger parents. The results are consistent with the idea that early experiences may play a role in shaping later mate preferences.
Weight Gain and Metabolic Effects of Mood Stabilizers and Antipsychotics in Pediatric Bipolar Disorder: A Systematic Review and Pooled Analysis of Short-Term Trials.

ABSTRACT Objective To review weight and metabolic effects of mood-stabilizing treatments in pediatric bipolar disorder. Method Systematic PubMed/ Medline search of studies reporting on change in weight and/or glucose/lipid values with mood-stabilizing drugs in at least nine pediatric patients with bipolar disorder. Results Nineteen studies, including 24 medication trials in 684 patients (mean age, 12.3 ± 2.9 years) were included. Youngsters received lithium, antiepileptics, or their combinations ( n = 459), or second-generation antipsychotics, alone or combined with lithium or divalproex ( n = 225), for 4 to 48 (mean, 15.4 ± 12.7) weeks. Weight increase was significant/clinically relevant in 18 (75.0%) trials. Weight loss was significant with topiramate (2 studies, 38 subjects) and present with aripiprazole (1 study, 14 subjects). In trials lasting ≤12 weeks, weight gain was greater with second-generation antipsychotics plus mood stabilizers (5.5 ± 1.8 kg) compared to mood-stabilizer monotherapy (1.2 ± 1.9 kg, p d = 2.33) or mood-stabilizer cotreatment (2.1 ± 1.3 kg, p d = 2.17), but not compared to antipsychotic monotherapy (3.4 ± 1.3 kg, p >.05, Cohen's d = 1.34). Nonfasting glucose/lipid changes were nonsignificant in two second-generation antipsychotic trials ( n = 61, 8.9%). Conclusions Data are sparse regarding body composition effects and lacking for fasting metabolic effects of mood stabilizers in pediatric bipolar disorder. Combining antipsychotics with mood stabilizers seems to lead to greater weight gain than treatment with one or two mood stabilizers.
Descartes, the Aristotelians, and the Revolution that did not Happen in 1637

Descartes is, for us, the father of modern philosophy, the figure with whom the history of our philosophy begins, the philosopher who ended scholasticism once and for all and turned aside the excesses of Renaissance thought. And the Discours de la m?thode and Essais is the work in which Descartes seems to have declared his revolution, and announced to the world his independence from the history of philosophy. In the opening pages of his first published writing, Descartes wrote:
LOCAL REPRESENTATION AND THE POLICY AGENDA

The effect of a change from at-large to district representation on the agendas of local councils is examined in five cities. Based on analysis of roll-call votes and members' verbal interactions (as coded from official minutes), it is determined that this change in representation does not affect the proportion of the agenda devoted to such routine matters as streets and sanitation, nor to social minimum (welfare) or police and other protective issues. It may result in greater controversy concerning zoning and planning, and may make conflict more evident over any issue if it has been a subject of controversy in the community before the change to districts.
A Simple, Rapid Fat Biopsy Technique to Monitor Pesticide Residues in Chickens

Abstract A simple, rapid surgical technique to collect body fat samples from chickens for pesticide residue analysis is described. Residues of dieldrin (the chemical model used in this study) found in fat samples taken by this procedure did not differ from residues found in abdominal fat taken at necropsy. Minimal time and labor are required and the procedure can be performed repeatedly on the same chicken. Postbiopsy care and complications of repeated biopsies by this technique were negligible.
Teacher Empowerment: The Orphan of Educational Reform

(1993). Teacher Empowerment: The Orphan of Educational Reform. Action in Teacher Education: Vol. 15, National Forces on Teaching and Teacher Education, pp. 1-8.
Dielectric function and the Lyddane-Sachs-Teller relation for crystals with Debye polarization

A derivation of the Lyddane-Sachs-Teller (LST) relation is presented for a dielectric dispersion having both the low-frequency Debye modes and the optical-frequency damped-oscillator modes. It is shown that the LST relation should be expressed as $\ensuremath{\epsilon}(0)\ensuremath{-}\frac{{S}^{\ensuremath{'}}}{{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{\ensuremath{\infty}}}=\frac{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{l}^{2}}{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{t}^{2}}$ which reduces to the familiar LST relation $\frac{\ensuremath{\epsilon}(0)}{{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{\ensuremath{\infty}}}=\frac{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{l}^{2}}{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{t}^{2}}$ in the absence of a permanent dipole polarization (${S}^{\ensuremath{'}}=0$), or should be expressed equivalently as $\frac{\ensuremath{\epsilon}(0)}{({\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{\ensuremath{\infty}}+S)}=\frac{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{z}}{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{p}}$ ($S$ is the oscillator mode strength and ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{z}$ and ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{p}$ are the zero and pole of the dielectric function in the low-frequency limit) rather than as $\frac{\ensuremath{\epsilon}(0)}{{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{\ensuremath{\infty}}} = \frac{|{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{z1}||{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{z2}||{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{z3}|}{|{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{p1}||{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{p2}||{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{p3}|}$ for practical use.
Governmental planning and budgeting with multiple objective models

Abstract This paper presents a goal programming model development and application for a state level public health care agency. Only limited applications of macro planning processes related to health care have been presented in the literature. In that regard, this paper describes briefly the goal programming model, the background of the agency involved and the specific models developed. Three formulations of the model are presented involving (1) the resources required to achieve all goals, (2) the goal attainment status utilizing a likely budget and (3) a proposal for resolving the goal desire-resource limitation dilemma.
Evaluation of a ten year life planning assignment for an Academic Scholarship Success Class

In Fall 2010, 98 students in a one-credit Academic Scholarship Success Class were given an assignment to write a life plan for the ten years after their Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree. The students in this class were either NSF S-STEM Scholarship students (engineering or computer science majors), transfer students who would receive a $300 scholarship after successful completion of the class, or other upper division students who had heard that the course was very helpful. The programs supporting the class have an emphasis on women and underrepresented minority students. The students were to address a summary of goals and professional objectives, current status in education and personal life, education goals and planned coursework, research importance, industrial importance, community service importance, personal mentoring plan, graduate school, professional goals, lifelong learning, family planning, travel plans, contingency plans, and their philosophy of life. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the reaction of the students to this assignment. The students were asked at a later time for their evaluation: was the assignment helpful, what did they learn doing the assignment, was the assignment thorough enough, and what changes would they make in the assignment. A summary of these findings is presented. Some students were surprised at how much their goals and plans in some areas changed in just a semester. The conclusion of the study is that this is a very helpful, important, and interesting assignment that should be given in mentoring situations and academic success classes.
Zunami! The South African elections of 2009

Zunami! The South African elections of 2009, edited by Roger Southall and John Daniel, Johannesburg, Jacana Media, 2009, 300 pp., £14.95, ISBN 9781770097223 Ironically, the meteoric rise of Jacob Z...
A Note on Price Asymmetry as Induced Technical Change

This note evaluates whether fixed time effects (yearly dummy variables) are a better representation than separate price-decomposition terms for induced technical change in energy and oil demand. Fixed time effects are a proxy for all omitted variables that change similarly over time for all countries. Many of these omitted variables have little relevance to technical change. Empirically, statistical tests applied to previous studies reject an important premise of the fixed-time-effect model that energy or oil demand responds symmetrically to price increases and decreases. Moreover, when price-decomposition techniques allow for price-asymmetric responses, the estimated income elasticities are not dramaticalxly different from their fixed-time-effect counterparts, as it is sometimes alleged. There are also practical reasons for choosing models that allow for asymmetric responses to price, especially when evaluating the long-run implications of a number of important energy and environmental issues.
Ionic dependence of electrical activity in small mesenteric arteries of guinea-pigs

The regulation of blood vessel diameter is under the control of the autonomic nervous system (as well as hormones and metabolites), sympathetic nerve stimulation evoking depolarizing post-synaptic potentials. Excitatory junction potentials (EJPs) were recorded from vascular smooth muscle cells of guinea-pig small mesenteric arteries (pressurized) following nerve stimulation. Repetitive stimulation (>5Hz) led to summation of EJPs, which evoked spikes and vasoconstriction. Replacing extracellular Na+ with choline (plus atropine) resulted in a decrease in EJP amplitude, but spike amplitude and maximum rate of rise (+Vmax) were unaffected. Decreasing the extracellular Ca2+ concentration produced decreases in EJP amplitude and spike +Vmax, while increasing extracellular Ca2+ resulted in increased EJP amplitude and spike +Vmax. Verapamil and bepridil, agents that depress Ca2+ influx in vascular and visceral smooth muscle, depolarized the membrane and depressed EJPs and spikes at high concentrations (10−5 M and 5×10−6 M, respectively). The data indicate that EJPs are dependent on external Na+ and Ca2+ ions, and that spikes are dependent on Ca2+. Thus, neuromuscular transmission in this muscle is similar to that in non-vascular smooth muscles, such as intestinal muscle and vas deferens.
Electronic Properties of Pentacene versus Triisopropylsilylethynyl-Substituted Pentacene: Environment-Dependent Effects of the Silyl Substituent

Energy measures of the intra- and intermolecular electronic effects of triisopropylsilylethynyl substitution on pentacene have been obtained from the combination of closely related gas phase and solid phase ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) measurements along with solution electrochemical measurements. The results show that the shift to lower ionization energy that is expected with this substitution and observed in the gas phase measurements becomes negligible in solution and is even reversed in the solid phase. The principles that emerge from this analysis are supported by electronic structure calculations at the density functional theory level. The relation between the gas phase and solid phase UPS measurements illustrated here provides a general approach to investigating the electronic effects acting on molecules in the condensed phase, which in this case are greater than the direct substituent electronic effects within the molecule. Electronic properties such as lower ionization energies bu...
Smooth muscle myosin subfragment-1 is a kinetic analogue for heavy meromyosin in the extended conformation

The 10S-->6S (Flexed-->Extended) transition in smooth muscle myosin is related to increased ATPase activity, but there is controversy over whether the analogous 9S-->7S transition in HMM is also associated with ATPase activity. We therefore studied the association of ionic strength, phosphorylation, and ATPase activity for HMM as compared to S1 which has no apparent flexed conformation. In addition, we performed both steady state and single turnover analyses, to control for artifacts due to multiple subfragment populations that might skew steady state results. At low ionic strength where myosin and HMM are in the flexed conformation, HMM had a near zero ATPase activity while S-1 had a high ATPase rate (0.07 s-1). At 400 mM ionic strength, where both myosin and HMM are in the extended conformation, S1 and HMM had the same ATPase rate (0.04 s-1). Phosphorylation did not affect S1 significantly, but shifted the HMM curve to higher rates at lower ionic strengths. Both steady state and single turnover experiments gave the same results, indicating that steady state results were not skewed by multiple subfragment populations. These data indicate that HMM has a conformation-ATPase relation similar to that observed with myosin. Furthermore, these findings suggest that the S1 ATPase rate corresponds to that of HMM in the extended conformation.
Ratio of generalized random variables with application

The generalized Pareto distribution is one of the popular models in the environmental sciences. Scientists in these areas are often interested in comparing the values of an environmental variable under two different conditions, locations, etc. This would require the study of the ratio X/(X+Y) where X and Y are independent generalized Pareto random variables. In this note, the exact distribution of X/(X+Y) is derived, which turns out to involve the Gauss hypergeometric function. An application of this result is provided to assess the relative extremity of rainfall for 14 locations in Florida. Some computer programs for use in the applications are also provided.
Combined Use of Online Tutorials and Hands-On Group Exercises in Bibliographic Instruction for Pharmacy Students

This study describes the new blended learning methodology implemented in a Drug Literature Evaluation course for pharmacy students that involves combined use of online tutorials and in-class group exercises. Assignment grades earned by 909 students enrolled in the course before and after the new methods were implemented (2008–2010) were studied to measure student performance. Course evaluations were analyzed in order to ascertain students’ perceptions. The hybrid approach used to deliver the course content allowed students to perform at the same level as traditional didactic teaching. Students’ evaluations reported a positive educational experience and favorable perceptions of the new course design.
Hydatidiform Mole Pregnancy Trophoblast Extracts Differentially Suppress lnterleukin-2-lnduced Proliferation of Human T-Lymphocytes and PHA-Blasts

: Immunoregulatory factors of trophoblast origin may partially abrogate maternal immune responses to the fetus during pregnancy. We have previously shown that soluble factors extracted from hydatidiform mole trophoblast suppress interleukin-2 (IL-2)-dependent proliferation of a cloned murine cytotoxic T cell line (CTLL-2). To characterize human T cell responses to this trophoblast extract, we measured the effects of molar tissue extracts (HME) on IL-2-stimulated proliferation of human T-lymphocytes and mitogen (PHA) transformed T-cell blasts (PHA-blasts). HME significantly (P<0.05) suppressed T-lymphocyte proliferation in response to 5 and 10 units/ml of IL-2 at 500 and 250 μg/ml, while no effect was observed at the 100 μg/ml concentration. Suppression by HME of IL-2-stimulated T-cell proliferation was partially overcome by the addition of excess IL-2. HME also suppressed (P<0.05) IL-2-stimulated proliferation of PHA-blasts at 500 and 250 μg/well at both 5 and 10 units/ml of IL-2. As observed with resting T-cell responses, no suppression of PHA-blast proliferation was observed using 100 μg/ml of HME. In contrast to the response of the resting T-cells to excess IL-2, HME suppression of IL-2-stimulated blast proliferation was not affected by increasing the concentration of IL-2. These results indicate that extracts from hydatidiform mole trophoblast contain immunosuppressive factors that block human T-cell clonal expansion by inhibiting the utilization and/or production of IL-2. Furthermore, the effects of HME are not reversed by excess IL-2 when PHA-blasts are reacted compared to resting T-cell responses, which are partially reversed in the presence of excess IL-2. This suggests that human trophoblast-derived immunoregulatory factors that are present in hydatidiform mole inhibit human lymphocyte utilization of IL-2 in a fashion similar to the murine (CTLL) model, and exhibit irreversible effects on lymphocytes containing high affinity IL-2 receptors (PHA-blasts) compared to lymphocytes with only low affinity IL-2 receptors (resting T-cell). This property of the trophoblast may partially explain how hydatidiform mole, and possibly pregnancy trophoblast in general, escapes lethal immunological challenge by the maternal immune system.
Owner-occupied housing and investment in stocks: an empirical test

Abstract This paper analyzes the empirical link between housing investment and stockholding by testing implications of the model of Flavin and Yamashita [American Economic Review 92 (2002) 345–362]. Their model illustrates how the house-to-net-worth ratio influences a homeowner's portfolio composition. Regression estimates suggest that there is a strong relationship between housing investment and stockholding, and the house-to-net-worth ratio could explain certain heterogeneity in stockholding. Households with a high house-to-net-worth ratio hold a lower proportion in stocks. The results support the hypothesis that overinvestment in housing affects financial portfolio of homeowners.
Using Digital Photography to Enhance Student Creativity

The purpose of this article is to help students develop their digital photography skills and see the world through new eyes. An emphasis is placed on using digital photography to communicate ideas ...
Sources of small area variations in the use of medical care

Abstract This paper develops an economic model of physician care utilization which incorporates the uncertainty and practice style hypotheses proposed by Wennberg and others as explanations of the substantial intermarket variations in per capita utilization rates of many medical and surgical procedures. Practice style, which is distinguished from inducement, is modeled as a set of physician beliefs about the production function of health. In the model, per capita utilization is decomposed into a first occurences demand and an intensity demand. It is argued that the influence of practice style affects primarily the intensity with which physicians treat their patients. Alternative tests are proposed and carried out on a comprehensive aggregated measure of physician care utilization for market areas in Michigan. Although practice style is undoubtedly important for some individual procedures, the empirical results indicate that it is unimportant in determining either an aggregated index of market area utilization or the average intensity with which patients are treated by physicians.
A review of the theory, methods and recent applications of high-throughput single-cell droplet microfluidics

Most cell biology experiments are performed in bulk cell suspensions where cell secretions become diluted and mixed in a contiguous sample. Confinement of single cells to small, picoliter-sized droplets within a continuous phase of oil provides chemical isolation of each cell, creating individual microreactors where rare cell qualities are highlighted and otherwise undetectable signals can be concentrated to measurable levels. Recent work in microfluidics has yielded methods for the encapsulation of cells in aqueous droplets and hydrogels at kilohertz rates, creating the potential for millions of parallel single-cell experiments. However, commercial applications of high-throughput microdroplet generation and downstream sensing and actuation methods are still emerging for cells. Using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) as a benchmark for commercially available high-throughput screening, this focused review discusses the fluid physics of droplet formation, methods for cell encapsulation in liquids and hydrogels, sensors and actuators and notable biological applications of high-throughput single-cell droplet microfluidics.
Transcriptional regulation of human 11β-hydroxylase (hCYP11B1)

Steroid 11β-hydroxylase is a mitochondrial enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of deoxycortisol to cortisol. The gene encoding human 11β-hydroxylase (hCYP11B1) is expressed in the adrenal cortex under the control of circulating levels of ACTH. The current study was undertaken to define the cis-regulatory elements and transacting factors that regulate hCYP11B1 transcription. The hCYP11B1 5′-flanking DNA was studied using transient transfection of luciferase reporter constructs in NCI-H295R human adrenocortical cells. A cAMP analogue ((Bu)2cAMP) increased expression of a construct containing −1102 bp of hCYP11B1 5′-flanking DNA (pB1–1102). An element at position −71/−64 (TGACGTGA, previously termed Ad1) resembling a consensus cAMP response element (CRE) was required for maximal induction by cAMP. The Ad1 element bound several transcriptional factors in electrophoretic mobility shift assays, including CRE-binding protein, activating transcription factor-1 (ATF-1), and ATF-2, but only the ATF-2 complex migra...
A Commonsense Theory of Mind-Body Interaction

We propose a logical formalization of a commonsense theory of mind-body interaction as a step toward a deep lexical semantics for words and phrases related to this topic.
A real-time matching system for large fingerprint databases

With the current rapid growth in multimedia technology, there is an imminent need for efficient techniques to search and query large image databases. Because of their unique and peculiar needs, image databases cannot be treated in a similar fashion to other types of digital libraries. The contextual dependencies present in images, and the complex nature of two-dimensional image data make the representation issues more difficult for image databases. An invariant representation of an image is still an open research issue. For these reasons, it is difficult to find a universal content-based retrieval technique. Current approaches based on shape, texture, and color for indexing image databases have met with limited success. Further, these techniques have not been adequately tested in the presence of noise and distortions. A given application domain offers stronger constraints for improving the retrieval performance. Fingerprint databases are characterized by their large size as well as noisy and distorted query images. Distortions are very common in fingerprint images due to elasticity of the skin. In this paper, a method of indexing large fingerprint image databases is presented. The approach integrates a number of domain-specific high-level features such as pattern class and ridge density at higher levels of the search. At the lowest level, it incorporates elastic structural feature-based matching for indexing the database. With a multilevel indexing approach, we have been able to reduce the search space. The search engine has also been implemented on Splash 2-a field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based array processor to obtain near-ASIC level speed of matching. Our approach has been tested on a locally collected test data and on NIST-9, a large fingerprint database available in the public domain.
Finance and Growth: Schumpeter Might Be Right

Joseph Schumpeter argued in 1911 that the services provided by financial intermediaries - mobilizing savings, evaluating projects, managing risk, monitoring managers, and facilitating transactions -stimulate technological innovation and economic development. The authors present evidence that supports this view. Examining a cross-section of about 80 countries for the period 1960-89, they find that various measures of financial development are strongly associated with both current and later rates of economic growth. Each measure has shortcomings but all tell the same story: finance matters. They present three main findings, which are robust to many specification tests: The average level of financial development for 1960-89 is very strongly associated with growth for the period. Financial development precedes growth. For example, financial depth in 1960 (the ratio of broad money to GDP) is positively and significantly related to real per capita GDP growth over the next 30 years even after controlling for a variety of country-specific characteristics and policy indicators. Financial development is positively associated with both investment rate and the efficiency with which economies use capital. Much work remains to be done, but the data are consistent with Schumpeter's view that the services provided by financial intermediaries stimulate long-run growth.
The Chinese International of Nationalities: the Chinese Communist Party, the Comintern, and the foundation of the Malayan National Communist Party, 1923–1939

In the global ideological movements of the early twentieth century, notably communism, new political concepts moved across different cultures. Together with the process of internationalization, this led to problems concerning the translation and interpretation of linguistic terms. Based on little-studied sources deposited in the Comintern archive in Moscow, this article shows that, although the members of the newly formed Malayan Communist Party (1930) were virtually all Chinese, it became the first organization to discuss directly the possibility of a multi-ethnic Malayan nation within the borders of the Malay Peninsula. As the Comintern encouraged the establishment of ‘national’ communist parties, the ambiguity of the Chinese word minzu resulted in the emergence of a discourse regarding the Malayan ‘nation’, which would be liberated from colonialism under communist leadership.
Control of a non-linear PDE system arising from non-burning tokamak plasma transport dynamics

The control of kinetic profiles is among the most important problems in fusion reactor research. It is strongly related to a great number of other problems in fusion energy generation such as burn control, transport reduction, confinement time improvement, MHD instability avoidance and high-β or high-confinement operating modes access. We seek a controller which is able to make the kinetic profiles converge to their desired equilibrium profiles. We are interested in constructing a stabilizing controller that achieves stability for unstable equilibrium profiles and increases performance for stable equilibrium profiles. As a first approach, we consider in this work a set of non-linear partial differential equations (PDEs) describing approximately the dynamics of the density and energy profiles in a non-burning plasma. This nonlinear PDE model represents the one-dimensional transport equations for the kinetic variables, density and energy, in cylindrical geometry. The transport coefficients in this model are...
The consumer revolution in urban China

List of Figures and Table Acknowledgements 1. Introduction: A Revolution in Consumption, by Deborah S. Davis 2. Inventing Oasis: Luxury Housing Advertisements in Reconfiguring Domestic Space in Shanghai, by David Fraser 3. Commercializing Childhood: Parental Purchases for Shanghai's Only Child, by Deborah S. Davis and Julia S. Sensenbrenner 4. What's in a Dress? Brides in the Hui Quarter of Xi'an, by Maris Gillette 5. The Revitalization of the Marketplace: Food Markets of Nanjing, by Ann Veeck 6. To Be Relatively Comfortable in an Egalatarian Society, by Hanlong Lu 7. Heart-to-Heart, Phone-to-Phone: Family Values, Sexuality, and the Politics of Shanghai's Advice Hotlines, by Kathleen Erwin 8. Greeting Cards in China: Mixed Language in Connections and Affections, by Mary S. Erbaugh 9. Of Hamburger and Social Space: Consuming McDonald's in Beijing, by Yunxiang Yan 10. Dancing through the Market Transition: Disco and Dance Hall Sociability in Shanghai, by James Farrer 11. Cultivating Friendship through Bowling in Shenzhen, by Gan Wang 12. Cigarettes and Domination in Chinese Business Networks: Institutional Change during the Market Transition, by David L. Wank 13. Public Monuments and Private Pleasures in the Parks of Nanjing: A Tango in the Ruins of the Ming, by Richard Kraus 14. Epilogue: The Second Liberation, by Richard Madsen Contributors Bibliography Index
Early and intermediate outcomes after repair of pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries: Experience with 85 patients

Background—Pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect (VSD) and major aortopulmonary collaterals (MAPCAs) is a complex lesion with marked heterogeneity of pulmonary blood supply. Traditional management has involved staged unifocalization of pulmonary blood supply. Our approach has been to perform early 1-stage complete unifocalization in almost all patients. Methods and Results—Since 1992, 85 patients with pulmonary atresia, VSD, and MAPCAs have undergone unifocalization (median age, 7 months). Complete 1-stage unifocalization and intracardiac repair were performed through a midline approach in 56 patients, whereas 23 underwent unifocalization in a single stage with the VSD left open, and 6 underwent staged unifocalization through sequential thoracotomies. There were 9 early deaths. During follow-up (1 to 69 months), there were 7 late deaths. Actuarial survival was 80% at 3 years. Among early survivors, actuarial survival with complete repair was 88% at 2 years. Reintervention on the neo–pulmonary a...
CATAMENIAL PNEUMOTHORAX AND OTHER THORACIC MANIFESTATIONS OF ENDOMETRIOSIS

Thoracic endometriosis syndrome is an uncommon entity with varied clinical manifestations. Its pathogenesis is not understood completely. Recurrent unilateral right-sided pneumothorax that occurs within days of the onset of menstruation is the most common presentation. Clinical suspicion and recognition of the temporal relationship of the patient's symptoms with menses are essential to establish the diagnosis. Radiographic studies, bronchoscopy, and thoracoscopy may support the diagnosis. Pathologic evidence of thoracic endometrial tissue is not present universally. Therapeutic interventions, which include medical and surgical options, must be individualized for each patient.
Geography and State-Local Public Policy1

Abstract Many state and local policies on public revenue, expenditure, and regulation both shape and change the maps of settlement on the land. The making of those policies provides important organizing questions for geography. For geographers working on those questions, traditional subject groupings in the field tend to disperse reporting and inhibit interaction. Encouragement of special interest groups in the Association appears to be a step toward solution of the problem. More attention needs to be given both to the geographical structuring of public policy questions and to the importance of regions in the integration of topical studies.
Moral Character in Person Perception

Understanding how people form impressions of others is a key goal of social cognition research. Past theories have posited that two fundamental dimensions—warmth and competence—underlie impression formation. However, these models conflate morality with warmth and fail to capture the full role that moral character plays in impression formation. An emerging perspective separates moral character (or morality) from warmth on both theoretical and empirical grounds. When morality is pitted against warmth, morality is clearly a more important driver of impression formation, as revealed by correlational, experimental, and archival studies. Yet social warmth remains important and conveys distinct information that morality does not. Alongside competence, both factors matter not only for person perception but also for other aspects of social cognition, including group perception. Important unanswered questions remain regarding the perceived structure of moral character and the way it is appraised in everyday life.
Continuous spinal anesthetic technique for endovascular aortic stent graft surgery

Endovascular aortic stent grafts were first introduced in clinical trials in 1991. Endovascular aortic stent grafts are now being used to repair thoracic and abdominal aneurysms in patients not eligible for open repair because of severe medical coexisting diseases. Previously described anesthetic techniques in the literature for aortic stent graft placement include general anesthesia, epidural anesthesia, combined single-shot spinal and epidural anesthesia, and direct local anesthesia. We report the use of a continuous spinal anesthetic technique as a viable anesthetic option for patients with severe coexisting medical diseases undergoing abdominal aortic stent graft placement.
A Genetic Map of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) with Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism, Isozyme, Disease Resistance and Morphological Markers.

A detailed linkage map of lettuce was constructed using 53 genetic markers including 4 1 restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) loci, five downy mildew resistance genes, four isozyme loci and three morphological markers. The genetic markers were distributed into nine linkage groups and cover 404 cM which may be 25-30% of the lettuce genome. The majority (31 of 34) of the RFLP probes detected single segregating loci, although seven of these may have been homologous to further monomorphic loci. When several loci were detected by a single probe, the loci were generally linked, suggesting tandem duplications. One probe, however, detected loci in three linkage groups suggesting translocations. The five downy mildew resistance genes (Dml, Dm3, Dm4, Dm518 and Dm13), segregating in the Calmar X Kordaat cross, represented each of the four resistance gene linkage groups. Dm518 is flanked by two cDNA loci, each located 10 cM away. These flanking markers will be used to study the source of variation in downy mildew genes and are also part our strategy to clone resistance genes.
The role of regional fluid flow in the genesis of the Pine Point Deposit, Western Canada sedimentary basin

Numerical solutions of the equations for fluid flow, heat and mass transport, and geochemical reactions are used in this study to quantify the role of regional ground-water flow in the genesis of the carbonate-hosted lead-zinc deposits at Pine Point. The numerical modeling is performed along a vertical section oriented parallel to the Keg River barrier complex in order to test the hypothesis that southwest to northeast flow of topography-driven brines controlled ore formation.A sensitivity analysis is used to show that gravity-driven flow systems were capable of providing favorable fluid flow rates, temperatures, and metal concentrations for ore formation near the eastern edge of the Western Canada basin. Mass transport simulations support a genetic model whereby metal sulfate-bearing brines are focused through the Keg River barrier aquifer, and ore deposition resulted from sulfate reduction. The modeling results suggest paleoflow rates of 1 to 5 m/yr, paleoconcentrations of zinc on the order of 1 to 5 mg/kg H 2 O, and paleotemperatures in the range to 60 degrees to 100 degrees C. Under these possible site conditions, the Pine Point deposits could have formed over a time interval of 0.5 to 5.0 million years. Ore genesis likely took place in post-Cretaceous time, due to the emergence of the Rocky Mountains.