cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changes in the Gross Morphological Appearance of Chicken and Turkey Blastoderms During Preincubation Storage

Abstract OELLACHER (1872) reported the presence of vacuoles in the germinal area of incubated and unincubated infertile chicken eggs, observing that such vacuoles were absent in fertile eggs. According to Lecaillon (1910) segmentation in the infertile unincubated avian germ disc is restricted to its central portion and does not progress as far as in the fertile, unincubated egg. Furthermore, he found that incubating infertile eggs, or keeping them at room temperature for a time results in a rapid breakdown of the segmentation area. The vacuoles are characteristic not only of the germinal area of chicken eggs, but also those of the duck (Chappelier, 1912) and turkey (Kosin, 1951). Kosin (1944) observed that the presence of a varying number of large and small vacuoles both along the periphery and in the center of the blastodisc of unincubated chicken eggs in extreme cases gives its surface a reticular appearance. The normal blastoderm in …
Fouling of reverse osmosis membranes by hydrophilic organic matter: implications for water reuse

Abstract Effluent organic matter (EfOM) is suspected as a major cause of fouling of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes in advanced wastewater reclamation. Among the main constituents in EfOM, polysaccharides are the most ubiquitous. The influence of solution chemistry and hydrodynamics on RO membrane fouling with alginate — a model for polysaccharides in secondary wastewater effluent — was systematically investigated. Results of fouling runs with alginate demonstrate that RO membrane fouling increases with decreasing pH, increasing ionic strength, and addition of calcium ions. At fixed solution ionic strength and pH, the presence of divalent calcium ions, at concentrations typical of those found in secondary wastewater effluent, had a dramatic effect on membrane fouling. However, for similar concentrations of divalent magnesium ions, fouling was negligible. The severe fouling in the presence of calcium is attributed to the formation of a thick, dense alginate gel layer on the membrane surface via calcium-alginate complexation and crosslinking (bridging) of alginate macromolecules by calcium. In addition to solution chemistry, hydrodynamic operating conditions — initial permeate flux and crossflow velocity — were also shown to influence RO membrane fouling with alginate.
SIGNIFICANCE AND MECHANISMS OF C1q AND IgM MESANGIAL LABELING IN CHILDHOOD IgA NEPHROPATHY. † 1701

IgA nephropathy is the most common chronic glomerulopathy. In addition to the defining mesangial IgA deposition, codeposition of IgG and C3 is typically found in the condition. More rarely, IgM and/or C1q mesangial label is reported. No systematic examination of the significance of these reactants or the mechanism by which they occur has been reported.
Experimental Studies on the Repair of Wounds and Defects of the Trachea and Bronchi

SUMMARY Full-thickness segments of the trachea have been removed from dogs and the defects bridged by glass or metal tubes. The tubes were tolerated well by most animals. Examination of the tissue about these tubes at intervals of from two weeks to 14 months following operation revealed that small islands and rings of new cartilage were growing in the granulation tissue. It is believed that this cartilage develops from fibroblasts growing in the granulation tissue. 1 Several other types of operative procedure have been carried out on dogs. The following observations were made: 1) Longitudinal incisions in the dog's trachea heal without residual deformity of the tracheal wall. Complete transverse division of the trachea and end-to-end suture results in healing with rather marked stenosis in the neck whereas firm healing occurs with much less evidence of stenosis in the thoracic trachea. 2) Transplants of patches of tracheal wall, about 1 cm. square and containing parts of three tracheal cartilages were successfully used to fill defects of similar size. These grafts appeared to be tolerated equally well whether taken from the same animal or transplanted from the tracheas of other dogs. The cartilage gradually disappeared from most of these transplants, the grafts finally being composed of fibrous tissue. In two animals the cartilage did not change in appearance and in two others it appeared that new cartilage was being formed. 3) Segments of the entire trachea, 1 cm. long, which contained three cartilage rings were removed from the thoracic trachea of two dogs and then replaced by suture. These animals had no respiratory difficulty after operation and were sacrificed at the end of three weeks. The incisions were found to be well healed and histological examination revealed the tissues in the grafts to be normal in appearance. Similar transplants in the cervical trachea became partly necrotic and were rapidly replaced by scar, with contracture of the graft and marked stenosis of the trachea. Transplants from one animal to another, in both the cervical and thoracic portions of the trachea, also were replaced by scar and in those animals stenosis developed so rapidly that most of the dogs were sacrificed within two weeks of the operation because of respiratory obstruction.
Problems and current trends in rock magnetism and paleomagnetism

Continental drift, seafloor spreading, plate tectonics: These terms conjure up a picture of the whole of Earth's lithospheric plates in motion, a picture that truly represents a revolution in the earth sciences that took place in the 1960s and permanently changed our view of a more static world. If someone were to ask which subdiscipline of the geosciences has provided the crucial quantitative evidence about the past locations of discrete parts of continental and oceanic plates, the answer would be geomagnetism and paleomagnetism. Polarity stratigraphy, based on radiometrically dated 180° reversals of the dipolar geomagnetic field, informs us about the locations of parts of the seafloor in the past, and paleomagnetically determined paleolatitudes of continental rocks provide similar information about past locations of continental plates.
On the Spectral Reflectance and Maturation Darkening of Lunar Soils

Optical absorption and diffuse reflectance spectra were obtained for simulated lunar glasses of four different compositions, both in their as-quenched (reduced) states and following mild subsolidus oxidation. The transmission spectra, when normalized by the FeO content of the glasses, differed from one another only in the relative intensity of an unresolved band in the UV. For fixed melting conditions the strength of this band in the as-quenched glasses increased with increasing FeO, or with increasing TiO2 for a fixed FeO content. Electron spin resonance (ESR) experiments have demonstrated the absence of Fe3+ or Ti3+ and the presence of metallic iron in these materials; all other transition-group elements were excluded in preparation. The unresolved UV absorption edge in the as-quenched reduced glasses is therefore tentatively ascribed to Fe2+→Ti4+ intervalency charge transfer transitions. A similar UV edge was also produced by oxidation, leading to the conclusion that the assignment of this band would be ambiguous in the absence of an independent determination of the valence states of Fe and Ti. The relationship between the transmission spectra of polished samples and the reflectance spectra of sieved powders of the same materials is shown to be well described by the Kubelka-Munk approximation. Using this insight, it is possible to understand the spectral characteristics both of oxidation darkening of synthetic glass powders and of maturation darkening of lunar soils in terms of (1) the growth of the aforementioned charge transfer band(s) and (2) the development of opaque surface phases. It is shown that mechanism (1) is of primary importance in lunar highland materials and that mechanism (2) dominates in mare materials. The present results, coupled with previous findings, suggest that lunar soil maturation darkening may result from vitrification only if accompanied by (a) enrichment in the elements Fe and Ti, (b) changes in valence states of these elements, (c) partial crystallization of opaque phases such as iron, ilmenite or magnetite, or (d) a combination of (a), (b), and (c).
Probabilities for gravitational lensing by point masses in a locally inhomogeneous universe

Probability functions for gravitational lensing by point masses that incorporate Poisson statistics and flux conservation are formulated in the Dyer-Roeder construction. Optical depths to lensing for distant sources are calculated using both the method of Press and Gunn (1973) which counts lenses in an otherwise empty cone, and the method of Ehlers and Schneider (1986) which projects lensing cross sections onto the source sphere. These are then used as parameters of the probability density for lensing in the case of a critical (q0 = 1/2) Friedmann universe. A comparison of the probability functions indicates that the effects of angle-averaging can be well approximated by adjusting the average magnification along a random line of sight so as to conserve flux.
Suboptimal results after sphincteroplasty: another hazard of obesity.

This study aimed to investigate the outcomes of sphincteroplasty in obese patients. Patients with fecal incontinence (FI) who underwent sphincter repair were identified and divided into obese [body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2] and nonobese (BMI < 30 kg/m2) groups. Cleveland Clinic Florida FI Score (CCFFIS: 0 best and 20 worst) and FI quality of life (FIQoL) score (mean global FIQoL: 4.11 best and 1 worst) were recorded. Wilcoxon and Mann–Whitney U tests compared quantitative variables; Fisher’s exact test was used for categorical variables. Seventy-nine patients (78 females; mean age: 57 ± 15 years) were divided into obese (n = 15) and nonobese (n = 64) groups and were similar in age, etiology, physiologic parameters, and preoperative CCFFIS. Median follow-up was 64 (13–138) months. There were 3 (25 %) and 11 (17 %) complications in the obese and nonobese groups, respectively (p = 0.68), the most common being wound infection. Mean CCFFIS decreased from 16.0 ± 3.9 to 11.5 ± 6.5 in the obese (p < 0.001) and 16.2 ± 3.4 to 8.4 ± 5.0 in the nonobese groups (p < 0.001). Postoperative CCFFIS correlated with FIQoL (Spearman’s correlation coefficient = −0.738, p < 0.001). Nonobese patients had significantly higher CCFFIS improvement (48 vs. 28 % p = 0.04) and a superior mean global FIQoL score (2.19 ± 0.9 vs. 2.93 ± 0.8, p < 0.01). Four (29 %) obese and 11 (17 %) nonobese patients required further surgery after failed sphincteroplasty (p = 0.45). Risk of complications and need of further continence surgery were similar between obese and nonobese patients. However, obese patients experienced less improvement after sphincteroplasty.
Low-temperature growth and orientational control in RuO2 thin films by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

For growth temperatures in the range of 275°C to 425°C, highly conductive RuO2 thin films with either (110)- or (101)-textured orientations have been grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on both SiO2/Si(001) and Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si(001) substrates. Both the growth temperature and growth rate were used to control the type and degree of orientational texture of the RuO2 films. In the upper part of this growth temperature range (∼ 350°C) and at a low growth rate ( 3.0 nm/min.), the RuO2 films favored a (101)-textured orientation. In contrast, higher growth temperatures (> 425°C) always produced randomly-oriented polycrystalline films. For either of these low-temperature growth processes, the films produced were crack-free, well-adhered to the substrates, and had smooth, specular surfaces. Atomic force microscopy showed that the films had a dense microstructure with an average grain size of 50–80 nm and a rms. surface roughness of ∼ 3–10 nm. Four-probe electrical transport measurements showed that the films were highly conductive with resistivities of 34–40 μΩ-cm (at 25°C).
α-Crystallin binding in vitro to lipids from clear human lenses

The association of alpha-crystallin to lens membranes increases with age and cataract. Lipid compositional changes also occur with age, cataract, and diabetes. In this study we determined the influence of lipid compositional differences on the binding capacity of alpha-crystallin to lipid vesicles in vitro. Lipids were extracted from pools of human lenses from younger (22+/-4 y, n=30) and older (69+/-3 y, n=26) nondiabetic donors as well as from diabetics taking insulin (60+/-9 y, n=26) and diabetics not taking insulin (58+/-9 y, n=20). Diabetics were insulin dependent for an average of 6 years. Extracted lipids were extruded into large unilamellar vesicles. alpha-Crystallin was mixed with the lipid at 36 degrees C, allowed to bind for about 12 h, and centrifuged at 14,000 g. This centrifugal force was low enough to not pellet free alpha-crystallin but high enough to pellet the lipid and bound alpha-crystallin. alpha-Crystallin-lipid binding was characterized by comparing the amount alpha-crystallin in the pellets of samples with and without lipid. Protein was measured using an assay that minimized interference from lipids. Lipid composition was determined by 31P-NMR spectroscopy. The binding capacity of alpha-crystallin to lipids was 12, 19, 8.9, 17 microg bound/mg lipid for lens lipids extracted from younger, older, insulin-treated and nontreated diabetic donors, respectively. The amount of alpha-crystallin in the pellet (bound alpha-crystallin) was significantly lower for the lipids from the younger group of lenses, p=0.033 and insulin-treated group, p=0.006, compared with the older group of lenses. Higher binding capacity was associated with a higher relative amount of sphingolipid and lower relative amounts of phosphatidylethanolamine-related lipid and phosphatidylcholine. The binding capacity of alpha-crystallin to lens lipids, measured in vitro, increases with age and decreases in diabetic donors that were treated with insulin. Our data support the idea that with age and perhaps certain types of diabetes, more alpha-crystallin is bound to the membrane and serves as a condensation point to which other crystallins bind and then become oxidized.
Spore Photoproduct Lyase Catalyzes Specific Repair of the 5R but Not the 5S Spore Photoproduct

Bacterial spores are remarkable in their resistance to chemical and physical stresses, including exposure to UV radiation. The unusual UV resistance of bacterial spores is a result of the unique photochemistry of spore DNA, which results in accumulation of 5-thyminyl-5,6-dihydrothymine (spore photoproduct, or SP), coupled with the efficient repair of accumulated damage by the enzyme spore photoproduct lyase (SPL). SPL is a member of the radical AdoMet superfamily of enzymes, and utilizes an iron−sulfur cluster and S-adenosylmethionine to repair SP by a direct reversal mechanism initiated by H atom abstraction from C-6 of the thymine dimer. While two distinct diastereomers of SP (5R or 5S) could in principle be formed upon UV irradiation of bacterial spores, only the 5R configuration is possible for SP formed from adjacent thymines in double helical DNA, due to the constraints imposed by the DNA structure; the 5S configuration is possible in less well-defined DNA structures or as an interstrand cross-link....
RF capture variations for the muon storage ring neutrino source

Abstract We present possible scenarios for capturing the long bunches of a muon source into a string of high-frequency bunches for cooling and acceleration into a muon storage ring for neutrinos. A matched solution using double-harmonic RF appears appropriate to the Palmer neutrino source scenario (R. Palmer, Muon Collider Note 46, 9/3/99, Proceedings of Lyon Workshop on Neutrino Factories); however, different scenarios (i.e., with single stage RF rotation) may prefer an adiabatic solution to minimize phase-space dilution.
Chemical and physical properties of the ZSM-5 substitutional series

Abstract ZSM-5 is a new silica-rich zeolite that has been synthesized with greatly differing SiO2/Al2O3 ratios; the aluminum content, while always small, can be varied by several orders of magnitude. ZSM-5 thus constitutes a substitutional series whose physical, chemical, and catalytic properties are reported and discussed in terms of their structural and compositional dependance. Ion exchange capacity, catalytic activity, and water sorption (at P P 0 = 0.006 ) are shown to vary linearly with aluminum content and extrapolate smoothly to the end member of the series, a pure silica ZSM-5. Other properties such as X-ray diffraction pattern, pore size and volume, framework density, and refractive index are primarily a result of the structural features and are largely composition independent. From a comparison of their properties, the recently reported “silicalite” appears to be a member of the ZSM-5 substitutional series.
Effects of crack surface convection for rapid crack growth in a thermoelastic solid

Abstract As a Green’s function for rapid steady-state crack growth with crack surface convection, semi-infinite Mode I crack growth at subcritical speeds in an unbounded solid under the action of compressive line loads moving on the crack surfaces is considered. A standard convection law that relates heat flux to change in temperature is employed, and the solid obeys the fully-coupled (dynamic) equations of thermoelasticity. The use of robust asymptotic forms reduces the problem to the solution of coupled integral equations. These exhibit both Cauchy and Abel operators, but an exact solution is possible. The solution indicates that convection can give rise to temperature changes in the crack plane that are both more prominent and extensive than those that occur for an insulated crack surface. Exact expressions for the thermoelastic Rayleigh speed, which is the critical crack speed, and for speeds that arise for a particular value of an important characteristic parameter are also presented.
An update on cardiovascular malformations in congenital rubella syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) has long been characterized by the triad of deafness, cataract, and cardiovascular malformations (CVMs). While initial reports identified patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) as the primary CVM in CRS, the exact nature of the CVMs found in CRS has not been well established. METHODS: We searched the English literature from 1941 through 2008 to identify studies that used cardiac catheterization or echocardiography to evaluate the CVMs in CRS. RESULTS: Of the 121 patients in the 10 studies with catheterization data, 78% had branch pulmonary artery stenosis, and 62% had a PDA. In 49% of cases, both branch pulmonary artery stenosis and PDA were present, whereas isolated branch pulmonary artery stenosis and isolated PDA were found in 29 and 13% of cases, respectively. Of the 12 patients in the 10 studies with echocardiographic data, PDA was more common than branch pulmonary artery stenosis, but this finding is greatly limited by the small numbers of patients and limitations of echocardiography. Although published studies of CVMs in CRS have in general reported PDA as the CVM phenotype most commonly associated with CRS, among CRS cases evaluated by catheterization, branch pulmonary artery stenosis was actually more common than PDA. Moreover, although the combination of branch pulmonary artery stenosis and PDA was more common than either branch pulmonary artery stenosis or PDA alone, isolated branch pulmonary artery stenosis was twice as common as isolated PDA. CONCLUSION: Among children with suspected CRS, clinical evaluations for the presence of CVMs should include examinations for both branch pulmonary artery stenosis and PDA. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Beyond Welfare: Framing and the Racialization of White Opinion on Social Security

Many consider Social Security to be unique, and uniquely popular, among New Deal social welfare programs. Political actors and scholars have both suggested that the popularity of the program is rooted importantly in its universal design. Unlike other social welfare programs, almost all Americans—including members of the middle and upper classes—can expect to receive Social Security benefits. In this article I argue that the framing of Social Security in political discourse has associated it symbolically with race. The linkages are subtle and symbolic, and they serve to associate Social Security with whiteness in a mirror image of the association of welfare with blackness. In turn, these associations have racialized white opinion on the program. This leads white Americans who feel closer to and more warmly about whites as a group to feel more positively about Social Security, compared with those who feel less close and warm toward their racial group. This analysis is important for several reasons. In addition to improving our understanding of opinion on Social Security itself, this analysis expands importantly our un
Transfer shift performance of first-grade children as a function of presentation locus of relevant cues

Forty children from first-grade classes learned a two-choice visual discrimination problem and a subsequent shift problem in which the presentation locus of relevant cues was varied. There was no difference in original learning due to relevant cue-presentation area. Shift performance was affected adversely by a switch in the relevant area of cue presentation. The results were interpreted in terms of the attention theory of Zeaman & House (1963).
How do mothers’ childrearing histories, stress and parenting affect children's behavioural outcomes?

Abstract Background Information is needed to understand the role of low to moderate levels of mothers’ emotional stress and child characteristics (i.e. prematurity) on parenting behaviours and their impact on children's behaviour that might be deemed ‘challenging’ but not ‘disordered’. Methods The direct and indirect relations of maternal childrearing history and emotional stress, and observed parenting practices when children were 3 years of age on 4-year child behavioural outcomes was examined in a sample of low-income families with a term (n = 112) or preterm (n = 180) child. Parenting practices included displays of warmth and restrictiveness when interacting with their children. Child outcomes at 4 years included observation of social initiations with their mothers and maternal report of social and attentional problems. Results A Structural Equation Model building approach guided by specific hypotheses indicated that preterm as compared to full-term children had more maternal reported social and attentional problems but did not differ in observed social initiating skills. Greater negative maternal childrearing history indirectly influenced social initiating skills through its direct influence on maternal emotional stress. Greater maternal emotional stress directly influenced mothers’ parenting that, in turn, directly influenced social initiating. Prematurity and a more negative childrearing history had a direct negative influence on the maternal report of social and attentional behavioural outcomes. Conclusions These findings delineate the effects of prematurity and maternal parenting on the behaviour of 4-year-old-children and extend current knowledge of the influence of parental emotional stress on parenting. Even milder levels can negatively influence parenting, and in turn, contribute to children's less well developed social skills. The issues raised in this study could help with the identification and prioritization of medical and psychological services.
Progress in the development of a fluorescent intravascular blood gas system in man

In vitro and in vivo animal studies have shown accurate measurements of arterial blood pH (pHa), carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2), and oxygen tension (PaO2) with small intravascular fluorescent probes. Initial human clinical studies showed unexplained intermittent large drops in sensor oxygen tension (PiO2). Normal volunteers were studied to elucidate this problem. In the first part of this study, the probe and cannula were manipulated and the probe configuration and its position within the cannula were varied. The decreases in PiO2 were judged to be primarily due to the sensor touching the arterial wall. Retraction of the sensor tip within the cannula eliminated the problem. In the second part of this study, the accuracy of the retracted probe was evaluated in 4 subjects who breathed varying fractions of inspired oxygen and carbon dioxide. The arterial ranges achieved were 7.20 to 7.59 for pH, 22 to 70 mm Hg for PaCO2, and 46 to 633 mm Hg for PaO2. Linear regression of 48 paired sensor (i) versus arterial values showed pHi = 0.896 pHa + 0.773 (r = 0.98, SEE = 0.017); PiCO2 = 1.05 PaCO2-1.33 (r = 0.98, SEE = 2.4 mm Hg); and PiO2 = 1.09 PaO2-20.6 (r = 0.99, SEE = 21.2 mm Hg). Bias (defined as the mean differences between sensor and arterial values) and precision (SD of differences) were, respectively, -0.003 and 0.02 tor pHi, 0.77 and 2.44 mm Hg for PiCO2, and -2.9 and 25.4 mm Hg for PiO2. The mean in vivo 90% response times for step changes in inspired gas were 2.64, 3.88, and 2.60 minutes, respectively, for pHi, PiCO2, and PiO2.
The OPRAD Research and Development Management Game

The OPRAD game was developed as an educational and research tool in R&D management. The game is an extension of a previously developed OPSIM management game Darden and Lucas, [Darden, W. R., W. H. Lucas. 1969. The Decision Making Game: An Integrated Operations Research Management Simulation. Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York.] to include R&D personnel and project decisions. A methodology of game evaluation includes both player performance and results of a written questionnaire. Utilizing data on player performance in a model of the learning process yields results which correspond to conclusions obtained from the questionnaire, providing justification for the approach taken. These results indicate that the game is useful in the training of both R&D managers and management scientists.
Visibility probabilities on line segments in three‐dimensional spaces subject to random poisson fields of obscuring spheres

Abstract : The methodology of determining simultaneous visibility probabilities and points on line segments is extended to problems of three dimensional spaces, with Poisson random fields of obscuring spheres. Required functions are derived analytically and a numerical example is given for a special case of a standard Poisson field, with uniform distribution of sphere diameters. Keywords: Poisson shadowing processes; Lines of sight; Visibility probabilities; Measures of visibility; Moments of visibility.
Experimental Measurements of the Eddy Current Signal Due to a Flawed, Conducting Half Space

The eddy current method of nondestructive evaluation involves the induction of eddy currents in a conductive test object by a time-varying field produced by a suitable distribution of impressed currents and the detection of the resultant field. The method is ordinarily used at frequencies sufficiently low to neglect effects due to displacement current; hence a theoretical analysis entails calculating the self-impedance of the coil in the presence of the test object. In practice, one often needs only the change in impedance produced by the test object or by changes in the nominal properties of the test object (e.g., changes in its geometry or position with respect to the test coil or coils, or distributed or localized changes in the resistivity of the test object).
An Asian Triangle: India's Relationship With China and Japan

Many studies of Asia's future have focused on the shifting power relationships in the region, particularly between China, Japan, and India. A prominent part of this debate is India's rise and potential role as a balancer in the evolving strategic relationships in the region. This article examines India's relations with these two Asian powers and argues that India is unlikely to play the role of balancer unless relations between China and Japan deteriorate significantly. Instead, India may be well situated to act as a stabilizer, not only between China and Japan but also between the United States and China, should tension escalate in the region.
Simple formulae for the effective moduli of unidirectional aligned composites

Simple closed form expressions for the effective tensile moduli of an unidirectionally aligned two phase composite reinforced by fiber-like or flake-like inclusions of aspect ratio α are obtained. The case of α>>1 corresponds to fiber-like inclusions whereas the case of α<<1 corresponds to flake-like inclusions. These expressions are based on the exact results obtained by Tandon and Weng, who used the Mori-Tanaka method to obtain the effective moduli of such composites. These expressions are then compared with various empirically based formulae such as the Halpin-Tsai equation and the Modified Rule of Mixtures equation. It is found that very large discrepancies result when the modulus ratio E 0 /E 1 is sufficiently small compared with the aspect ratio of the flake-like inclusions, where E 1 and E 0 are the Youngs modulus of the inclusions and the matrix, respectively. Simple criteria for the validity of the rule of mixtures relation are also given. Also, the predictions of the simple closed form expressions are compared to available experimental results and favorable agreements are obtained.
Zinc Chloride Methylene Blue, Ii. Preparation of Giesma and Wright Type Low Azure B Blood Stains from Dichromate Oxidized Commercial Dye

TO determine the amount of K2Cr2O7 required to produce optimal Giemsa type staining, six 1 g amounts (corrected for dye content) of zinc methylene blue were oxidized with graded quantities of K2Cr2O7 to produce 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24% conversion of methylene blue to azure B. These were heated with a blank control 15 minutes at 100 C in 60-65 ml 0.4 N HCI. cooled, and adjusted to 50 ml to give 20 mg original dye/ml. Aliquots were then diluted to 1% and stains were made by the “Wet Giemsa” technic (Lillie and Donaldson 1979) using 6 ml 1% polychrome methylene blue, 4 ml 1% cosin (corrected for dye content), 2 ml 0.1 M pH 6.3 phosphate buffer, 5 ml acetone, and 23 ml distilled water. The main is added last and methanol fixed blood films are stained immediately for 20-40 min.For methylene blue supplied by MCB 12-H-29, optimal stains were obtained with preparations containing 20 and 24% conversion of methylene blue to azure B. With methylene blue supplied by Aldrich (080787), 16% conversion of methylene blue ...
The Origins of Morality: An Essay in Philosophical Anthropology

By what steps, historically, did morality emerge? Our remote ancestors evolved into social animals. Sociality requires, among other things, restraints on disruptive sexual, hostile, aggressive, vengeful, and acquisitive behavior. Since we are innately social and not social by convention, we can assume the biological evolution of the emotional equipment – numerous predispositions to want, fear, feel anxious or secure – required for social living, just as we can assume cultural evolution of various means to control antisocial behavior and reinforce the prosocial kind. Small clans consisting, say, of several extended families whose members cooperated in hunting, gathering, defense, and child-rearing could not exist without a combination of innate and social restraints on individual behavior.I shall argue for a naturalistic theory of morality, by which I do not mean the definitional claims G.E. Moore sought to refute, but a broader and more complex theory that maintains that a sufficient understanding of human nature, history, and culture can fully explain morality; that nothing is left hanging. A theory that coherently brings together the needed biological, psychological, and cultural facts I shall call a philosophical anthropology; it is a theory that:1) takes the good for humans – both an ultimate good (if there is any) and other important goods – to depend on human nature;2) argues that a rudimentary but improving scientific and philosophical theory of human nature now exists, and thus denies that people are “essenceless”;3) takes this theory to be evolutionary and historical, making the question “How did morality originate?” pivotal for ethical theory, but leaves open the empirical question of the relative importance of biological and cultural evolution; and4) takes the origin of the moral ideas to be explainable in terms of human nature and history.
Earlier stage at diagnosis and improved survival among Medicare HMO patients with breast cancer.

Abstract Objective: We sought to evaluate differences in the stage at diagnosis and the survival of breast cancer patients enrolled in two different Medicare healthcare delivery systems: fee for service (FFS) and health maintenance organizations (HMO). Methods: We used a linkage of two national databases, the Medicare database from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program database, to evaluate differences in demographic data, stage at diagnosis, and survival in patients with breast cancers over the period 1985–2001. Results: Medicare patients enrolled in HMOs were diagnosed at an earlier stage of diagnosis than FFS patients. HMO patients diagnosed with breast cancer had improved survival, and these differences remained even after controlling for potential confounders. Specifically, breast cancer patients enrolled in HMOs had 9% increased probability of survival (hazard ratio [HR] 0.91, 95% con...
Automating tactile graphics translation

Access to graphical images (bar charts, diagrams, line graphs, etc.) that are in a tactile form (representation through which content can be accessed by touch) is inadequate for students who are blind and take mathematics, science, and engineering courses. We describe our analysis of the current work practices of tactile graphics specialists who create tactile forms of graphical images. We propose automated means by which to improve the efficiency of current work practices.We describe the implementation of various components of this new automated process, which includes image classification, segmentation, simplification, and layout. We summarize our development of the tactile graphics assistant, which will enable tactile graphics specialists to be more efficient in creating tactile graphics both in batches and individually. We describe our unique team of researchers, practitioners, and student consultants who are blind, all of whom are needed to successfully develop this new way of translating tactile graphics.
A comparative study on the iron-binding proteins of vertebrate blood sera.

Abstract 1. 1. The electrophoretic, pH and temperature characteristics of the iron-binding proteins in rat, chicken, turtle and frog blood sera were examined by using starch gel electrophoresis and radioactive iron59. 2. 2. Species differences in the number of serum iron-binding components and their iron-binding capacities were noted. These components differed in electrophoretic mobility, response to pH changes and temperature of inactivation. These studies demonstrated major physico-chemical differences in serum proteins of similar function obtained from different animals. 3. 3. Physico-chemical differences between the various iron-binding components within the same animal were also noted. 4. 4. The possible evolutionary significance of these differences in relation to erythropoiesis was discussed.
Effect of Ethanol on Development of Fetal Mouse Thymocytes in Organ Culture

Exposure of mouse fetuses to ethanol in utero retards thymus development. The direct effect of ethanol on growth and differentiation of thymocytes was studied using organ cultures of 14-day fetal mouse thymuses. Fetal thymus organ cultures containing 0.2 or 0.4% ethanol produced fewer total thymocytes, proportionately fewer CD4+CD8+ (immature) thymocytes, and proportionately more CD4+CD8- (mature) cells than untreated control cultures after 5 days of culture. Total cell numbers and proportions of CD4+CD8+ thymocytes declined in a dose-dependent manner with increasing ethanol concentrations from 0.2 to 0.8%. In time course studies, thymuses cultured with 0.4% ethanol had an increased percentage of CD4+CD8- cells at all days examined between Days 4 and 6. In the same experiments, thymuses exposed to ethanol underwent accelerated loss of the interleukin-2 receptor (a marker of immature prothymocytes) and had higher percentages of cells positive for the gamma delta-T-cell receptor. Exposure to ethanol for 16 to 20 hr increased the percentage of noncycling thymocytes. Furthermore, ethanol increased apoptosis in fetal thymocytes. Acetaldehyde, the immediate product of ethanol catabolism, had no effect on thymocyte subpopulation ratios or cell numbers at a physiologic concentration (50 microM). Results indicate that in a controlled in vitro model of thymus development, ethanol reduced cell numbers and altered proportions of thymocyte subsets defined by differentiation antigens.
The expulsion of the Sudeten Germans: 1945–1952

For over 700 years Czechs and Germans lived together in those lands which in this century would be consolidated as Czechoslovakia. It was not always a harmonious existence, but a kind of symbiosis did develop which sustained the relationship to the point where one group was unthinkable without the other. All of that changed in the twentieth century in an age characterized by awakening, intolerant ethnic nationalism and total war. Indeed, by the end of the Thirty Years' War of this century, the long Czech-German relationship in Bohemia came to a bitter, and seemingly permanent, end through the expulsion of the Germans of Czechoslovakia.
Age and sex differences in personality during adolescence.

Summary.-The study sought to determine what changes occur in adolescent personality in the age period between 12 and 19 yr. Specifically the aims were ro identify the personaliy dimensions that distinguish boys from girls at various age periods and any age trends in personality change. The Interpersonal Style Inventory was administered to 331 boys and 358 girls from six high schools. Boys and girls were significantly differentiated on this inventory at each of four age levels through use of discriminant function analyses. Girls scored more Sociable, Nurrurant, Conscientious, Help-seeking. and Anxious at all age levels. The boys scored more Detached, Withholding, Self-sufficient, and Stable. Results were in close agreement with those reported by Sealy and Cattell and by Garai and Gurin. Age trends, however, were few in number. The study was designed to assess the interpersonal patterns of high school adolescents by means of a rationally constructed personality inventory. The aims of the study were to identify any sex differences and to determine any age changes for the period from age 12 to 19 yr. From the viewpoint of personality development theory it would be plausible to expect some changes on interpersonal variables over time. Some characteristics such as dependency and expediency might decrease and other characteristics such as impulse control and conformity might tend to increase. METHOD Measurer The Interpersonal Style Inventory has 430 items to be answered true or false. The inventory measures 16 bipolar dimensions (hrr & Youniss, 1973) balanced for acquiescence and social desirability. In the present study only 14 scales were used to reduce testing time: Directive vs Nondirective, Achieving vs Nonachieving, Attention Seeking vs Attention Avoiding, Sociable vs Detached, Nurturance vs Withholding, Help Seeking vs Help Avoiding, Trusting vs Mistrustful, Tolerant vs Hostile, Conscientious vs Expedient, Independent vs Yielding, Rule Free vs Rule Bound, Orderly vs Unsystematic, Deliberate vs Impulsive, Stable vs Anxious. The scale reliabilities (Kuder-Richardson 20) vary from .71 to 39. Test-retest reliabilities following a 2-wk. interval vary from .81 to .95. Supporting construct validity data are available in the Manual and the previously cited report. Samples and Test Procedare The samples were drawn from six high schools in four communities located in Newfoundland, Canada. The age range of both sexes was from 12 years
WSGC Collegiate Rocket Competition Design Analysis – Team ChlAM

The WSGC Collegiate Rocket Competition’s 2012 launch challenged teams to launch a single stage high-power rocket as close to 3000 ft in the air while transmitting live video for the entire ascent. Our team designed and successfully launched a roughly 5 foot tall rocket for the competition on a $1000 budget. With the aid of simulation software and our own calculations, our rocket had a safe and stable launch to 2479 ft, lower than our expected 3000 ft. Error was likely caused by the strong wind and rainy conditions during the launch, which add drag. In addition, we made assumptions in our calculations about the rocket’s drag coefficient, which may not have been accurate. We were satisfied with the success of our first high-power rocket and learned a lot that can be carried over to next year’s competition.
“Come on, Dummy” An Observational Study of Children's Communications

Children's conversations were recorded during a summer school session in an effort to determine possible explanations for the sociometric rejection of learning disabled children reported in earlier studies. It was found that learning disabled children's communications differed from average achievers' conversations on a number of categories. For example, learning disabled children emitted more competitive statements than the comparison group, whereas average achievers were the recipients of significantly more consideration statements from peers. The results are discussed in terms of current knowledge of the bases of children's friendships and social relationships of learning disabled children.
Genetic Technologies and Women: The Importance of Context Inmaculada de Melo-Martín St. Mary’s University:

Bioethicists, like many other academics, have a tendency to try to make things general and simpler by eliminating context. Particulars, such as race, economic class, and gender, often seem to be lo...
The Physics of Broadcast Spawning in Benthic Invertebrates

Most benthic invertebrates broadcast their gametes into the sea, whereupon successful fertilization relies on the complex interaction between the physics of the surrounding fluid flow and the biological properties and behavior of eggs and sperm. We present a holistic overview of the impact of instantaneous flow processes on fertilization across a range of scales. At large scales, transport and stirring by the flow control the distribution of gametes. Although mean dilution of gametes by turbulence is deleterious to fertilization, a variety of instantaneous flow phenomena can aggregate gametes before dilution occurs. We argue that these instantaneous flow processes are key to fertilization efficiency. At small scales, sperm motility and taxis enhance contact rates between sperm and chemoattractant-releasing eggs. We argue that sperm motility is a biological adaptation that replaces molecular diffusion in conventional mixing processes and enables gametes to bridge the gap that remains after aggregation by the flow.
Asset management for Virginia highways and roads

The maintenance of pavements, structures and bridges, and other transportation assets has become a challenge for the Virginia department of transportation (VDOT). These challenges include effective allocation of financial resources, communication improvement between upper and lower level maintenance entities in the department, ability to perform cross-asset selection, and incorporation of risk analysis in the decision making process. The center for risk management of engineering systems and the project team have developed a risk assessment and management framework to address these problems. This new methodology, which uses condition (lifetime remaining) and cost as indexes of performance, would allow VDOT to target short-term and long-term goals, and to coordinate for maintenance activities. Indeed, the framework developed will help the department maintain their transportation assets in a more efficient manner and prevent unforeseen failures.
Signal construction for high-speed access over copper wiring

In this paper, we present signal construction for the future IEEE 40GBASE-T standard. The LDPC assisted coded modulation and demodulation is presented. A code achieving 6dB gain, which is literally high enough to satisfy reliability constraints for data transmission at a rate of 40 Gbps over 50m Cat-7A (class FA) copper cable, is designed and the simulation results are presented. The main objective of the presented work is to extensively reduce the power and implementation complexities of a 40GBASE-T system.
Controlling soil transmitted helminths: Time to think inside the box?

Abstract: Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) refer to several parasitic nematode species that infect over 1 billion people worldwide. Infections with Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and the hookworms Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale cause significant morbidity in more than 450 million people, primarily children and pregnant women, resulting in over 39 million disability-adjusted life years lost. Considerable effort and resources have been, and continue to be, spent on top-down, medical-based programs to control STH infections, with little success. This review discusses the problems with these methods and proposes a new emphasis on sustainable, long-term investments in sanitation-based approaches using improved latrines (the “box”) to provide bottom-up, culturally appropriate, and economically desirable solutions to STH control in endemic areas. One such approach is the use of biogas technology. Waste undergoes fermentation in specially designed septic systems, generating a methane ga...
Novel method of estimating volume of distribution of a drug obeying Michaelis-Menten elimination kinetics

The novel method of estimating the volume of distribution involves (a) administering an appropriate bolus intravenous dose of the drug, (b) starting a constant-rate intravenous infusion of the drug at the same time, (c) maintaining the infusion for a given number of hours, (a) measuring the drug concentration over the entire time course, (e) computer-fitting the post-infusion data to obtain estimates of Vm and Km, (f) estimating the total area under the concentration-time curve from zero time to infinity, and (g) iteratively solving a cubic equation to obtain the estimate of the volume of distribution. The method was applied to ethanol in the cat and yielded an average value of 635ml/kg (63.5% of body weight) with a coefficient of variation of 23.0%. This is equivalent to total body water in the cat.