cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Soluble l-selectin, a marker of immune activation, in neonatal infection

L-Selectin is an adhesion molecule shed from the surface of lymphocytes and granulocytes upon activation. Soluble L-selectin in the plasma can thus reflect immune activation and is elevated in several pathological states. Our objective was to evaluate plasma levels of L-selectin as an immune activation marker in neonates and to determine whether it can serve as a marker of infection, either neonatal or congenital, or if it is affected by the mode of delivery and obstetrical or perinatal complications. A solid-phase ELISA was used on 89 sera from neonates less than 2 days of age, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Levels of soluble L-selectin in the neonate were lower than those of older infants and children and comparable to the levels seen in adults. There was no difference between levels of soluble L-selectin of premature (median, 1172 ng/ml) and full-term babies (median, 1151 ng/ml) or between babies born via vaginal (median, 1233 ng/ml) or cesarean delivery (median, 1146 ng/ml). Conditions such as preeclampsia or administration of steroids to the mother did not affect the levels of L-selectin in the neonate. In contrast, the presence of maternal clinical chorioamnionitis resulted in an increase in levels of L-selectin in the neonate (median, 1377 vs 1072 ng/ml, p = 0.02), as did neonatal sepsis (median, 1331 vs 1149 ng/ml, p = 0.026). Soluble L-selectin, and thus immune activation level, is highest in neonates with neonatal infection and needs to be further evaluated as a surrogate marker for diagnosing sepsis in the neonate.
Under Pressure: Job Security, Resource Allocation, and Productivity in Schools under No Child Left Behind

W e conduct the first nationwide study of incentives under the No Child Left Behind ( Act, which requires states to punish schools failing to meet target passing rates on students’ standardized exams. States’ idiosyncratic policies created variation in the risk of failure among very similar schools in different states, which we use to identify effects of accountability pressure. We find NCLB lowers teachers’ perceptions of job security, shifts time towards specialist teachers in high-stakes subjects and away from whole-class instruction, and has positive or neutral effects on students’ enjoyment of learning and achievement in reading, math, and science. (JEL H52, H75, I21, I28, J45)
Human Factors Analysis of Naval Aviation Maintenance Related Mishaps

Naval Aviation has redoubled its long-standing efforts to eliminate mishaps, especially those linked to human error. The focus was expanded not only to cover aircrew error, but maintainer error as well. To examine maintainer error, the Naval Safety Center's Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) was adapted to analyze reportable Naval Aviation maintenance related mishaps (MRMs). A total of 470 MRMs for Fiscal Years 90–97 were analyzed. The HFACS Maintenance Extension effectively profiled the nature of maintenance errors and depicted the latent supervisory, working, and maintainer conditions that “set the stage” for subsequent maintainer acts that were the proximate factors leading to a MRM. The profile and general findings held true for both major MRMs and less severe, reportable MRMs.
Bispinor geometry for even‐dimensional space‐time

The geometric properties of Dirac spinor fields defined over even‐dimensional space‐time are explored with the aim of formulating the associated nonlinear sigma models. A spinor field Ψ may be uniquely reconstructed from the real bispinor densities ρi=ΨΓiΨ, apart from an overall phase, so that the ρi constitute an alternate representation of the physical information contained in Ψ. For space‐time of dimension N=2n, the corresponding Dirac spinor has D=2n complex components, and the bispinor densities satisfy a system of (D−1)2 homogeneous quadratic algebraic equations. The basis elements of the Clifford algebra {Γi} span a D2=2N ‐dimensional space whose Cartan metric is flat pseudo‐Riemannian; the bispinor densities reside in the (2D−1)‐dimensional curved subspace induced as an embedding by the algebraic constraints. The explicit geometric structure of the bispinor spaces are examined and found to be generalizations of Robertson–Walker space. In particular, the line element may be written as dS2=D dσ 2+σ...
The Role of Maternalism in Contemporary Paid Domestic Work

Various studies of domestic work have identified close personal relationships between domestic workers and employers as a key instrument in the exploitation of domestic workers, allowing employers to solicit unpaid services as well as a sense of superiority (Rollins, 1985; Romero, 2002; Glenn, 1992; Hondagneu-Sotelo, 2001). Likewise, other scholars have pointed out that close employee-employer relationships may actually empower domestic workers, increasing job leverage (Thorton-Dill, 1994). Ultimately, these lines are blurry and ever changing as employers continuously redefine employee expectations. Drawing from a larger study involving thirty interviews with white upper middle class women who currently employ domestic workers (mostly housecleaners) this paper explores employers’ interactions with domestic workers. Through these interviews this research elaborates on how employers and employees interact, how employers feel about these interactions, and explores to what extent these interactions are informed by the widely reported maternalistic tendencies of the past, while also considering the consequences of this.
Red tides—ecological headaches and research tools

‘Red tide' is the name given to sharply localized pinkish or orange patches of the ocean surface, caused by a sudden increase in dinoflagellate population. The first recorded outbreak of a red tide may be of considerable antiquity [1] a fact which precludes a complete review of the topic. Discussion will be limited to environmental and comparative biochemical characteristics of the organisms responsible for toxic red tides. In addition, some aspects of the use of dinoflagellate toxins as membrane probes will be presented.
CMOS-Based Microsensors

Fabrication technologies for CMOS-based microsensors are highlighted, dividing them into pre-CMOS, intra-CMOS and post-CMOS approaches, depending on whether the MEMS module precedes, interrupts or succeeds the CMOS fabrication process. As an example, CMOS-based resonant microsensors for chemical and biochemical sensing applications are detailed.
The production of viral RNA inactivator(s) from the interaction of dihydric and trihydric phenols with cupric ion.

Abstract Eight lots of reagent-grade phenol from four companies were tested for capacity to interact with Cu 2+ to produce an inactivator or inactivators of the transfective RNA obtained from poliovirions; such capacity to interact with Cu 2+ is referred to as cofactor activity. Six of the lots showed cofactor activity; two did not. A review of the data on the phenol lots and of the properties of the impurity or impurities conferring cofactor activity suggested that the active impurity(ies) might be a dihydric or trihydric phenol. Commercial catechol, resorcinol, hydroquinone, orcinol and pyrogallol were tested and found active. The activity of hydroquinone was outstandingly high. Upon serial recrystallization, the activity of catechol, hydroquinone, orcinol and pyrogallol remained constant, but the activity of resorcinol decreased markedly, in stepwise fashion, showing the most of the activity of the commercial resorcinol was due to impurity(ies). Each of catechol, hydroquinone, orcinol, pyrogallol, and the commercial resorcinol was shown to react with Cu 2+ to produce inactivator(s). The effective target for inactivator(s) was the RNA and not the transfection process. The kinetics of inactivator(s) production varied for the different phenols, and the inactivator activity of the incubated mixture of pyrogallol and Cu 2+ was notably labile.
ZnO Nanotube Arrays and Nanotube-Based Paint-Brush Structures: A Simple Methodology of Fabricating Hierarchical Nanostructures with Self-Assembled Junctions and Branches

ZnO nanotube arrays and self-assembled hierarchical nanostructures are reported here. The ZnO nanostructures were synthesized on Zn foils by a simple solvothermal approach. The hierarchical nanostructures resemble the paint-brush morphology, which consisted of a bunch of self-assembled thin nanowires on a comparatively thick ZnO nanotube wall. Successful creation of surface roughness through controlled etching of the ZnO nanotube walls provided the secondary nucleation centers for the nanowires.
Test-retest reliability and stability Of the wais: A literature review with implications for clinical Practice

Abstract The literature on the test-retest reliability of the WAIS is reviewed. Included are eleven studies which reported the test-retest reliability or stability of FSIQ, VIQ, and PIO, and six studies which reported the test-retest stability of the 11 individual subtests. The findings are discussed in relation to their implications for evaluating test-retest changes found in the individual patient by clinical or forensic psychologists who are being asked to evaluate such patients in increasing numbers.
Percepts of Rigid Motion Within and Across Apertures

Humans consistently err in their percepts of rotational motion viewed through an aperture. Such errors provide insight into the constraints observers use to interpret retinal images. In the 1st of 2 experiments, Ss consistently perceived the fixed center of rotation for an unmarked line viewed through an aperture as located on the line, regardless of its actual location. Accuracy greatly improved with visible line endings. This finding was extended to explain why a square appears nonrigid when it rotates behind a partial occluder. This illusion may result from observers misperceiving the center of rotation of the unmarked square sides. In this situation, Ss seemed unable to apply an object rigidity constraint across apertures. These findings support a conceptualization of the visual system in which consistent local information must be clearly present before prior knowledge can be used to interpret retinal stimulation. The perception and recognition of objects from two-dimensional images is frequently a difficult problem because many different objects may be consistent with any particular image. Yet, human observers often interpret ambiguous images in systematic ways. Constraints can aid in the interpretation of images by restricting the set of possible solutions. For example, rigidity may be a useful constraint to help people perceive objects in motion. Researchers frequently have assumed that when a sequence
Distribution of covalently bound benzo(a)pyrene in chromatin.

The distribution of the covalently bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon carcinogen, benzo(a)pyrene, in nuclease digestible and undigestible regions of chromatin was studied. Binding of [3H]benzo(a)pyrene was effected by incubating the carcinogen with calf thymus nuclei in the presence of NADPH and rat liver microsomes. The time-course of digestion of carcinogen-modified nuclei by Staphylococcal nuclease and DNase I was determined. Both enzymes result in preferential digestion of [3H]benzo(a)-pyrene modified DNA, demonstrating that the carcinogen binds more extensively to nuclease accessible regions of DNA in chromatin. Comparison of the kinetics of digestion by the two enzymes suggests that the carcinogen primarily binds to the outermost “spacer” regions of DNA in the nucleosome.
Increased atherosclerosis in LDL receptor–null mice lacking ACAT1 in macrophages

During atherogenesis, circulating macrophages migrate into the subendothelial space, internalize cholesterol-rich lipoproteins, and become foam cells by progressively accumulating cholesterol esters. The inhibition of macrophage acyl coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT), which catalyzes the formation of cholesterol esters, has been proposed as a strategy to reduce foam cell formation and to treat atherosclerosis. We show here, however, that hypercholesterolemic LDL receptor‐deficient (LDLR‐/‐) mice reconstituted with ACAT1-deficient macrophages unexpectedly develop larger atherosclerotic lesions than control LDLR ‐/‐ mice. The ACAT1-deficient lesions have reduced macrophage immunostaining and more free cholesterol than control lesions. Our findings suggest that selective inhibition of ACAT1 in lesion macrophages in the setting of hyperlipidemia can lead to the accumulation of free cholesterol in the artery wall, and that this promotes, rather than inhibits, lesion development. J. Clin. Invest. 107:163‐171 (2001).
Effects of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma activation with pioglitazone on plasma adipokines in nondiabetic patients with either hypercholesterolemia or hypertension.

Adipokines are substances produced by the adipose tissue that may play significant roles in the mechanisms contributing to the development of atherosclerosis. Thiazolidinediones have been shown to improve endothelium-dependent vasodilation and to exert multiple antiatherosclerotic effects. This study tested the hypotheses that nondiabetic patients with cardiovascular risk factors have altered levels of adipokines that can be modified by pioglitazone treatment. Eighty patients with hypertension or hypercholesterolemia were in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover study. In each treatment phase, patients received pioglitazone 45 mg/day or placebo for 8 weeks. Endothelial function studies and biochemical assays were performed at the end of each 8-week treatment period. Twenty-two normal volunteers, matched with patients for age, gender, and body mass index, were recruited as a control group. Compared with controls, placebo-treated patients had lower adiponectin levels (11,160 ± 763 vs 6,078 ± 385 ng/ml, p
Non-Gaussian data expansion in the Earth Sciences

A formalism is proposed to generate alternative equiprobable images of an underlying population spatial distribution. The resulting images honour data values at their locations and reflect important characteristics of the data such as patterns of spatial connectivity of extreme-values. The formalism capitalizes on a coding of all information available into bits (0-l), which are then processed all together accounting for their patterns of correlation in space. Such common coding allows accounting for qualitative information, possibly of an interpretative nature, to complement the usually sparse hard data available in Earth Sciences applications. The approach proposed, although of a probabilistic nature, does not call for any Gaussian-type modelling or hypothesis.
Enhanced Photoactivated Luminescence of Selected Polychlorinated Biphenyl Congeners and Aroclor Mixtures

Abstract Fluorescence studies of selected polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners and Aroclor mixtures were conducted using enhanced photoactivated luminescence. Diphenylamine (DPA) was used as a photoactivator. DPA reacts with PCBs to form a fluorescent photoproduct under UV activation. The sensitivities of fluorescence detection using three different solid substrates were compared. Background studies of the substrates and DPA blanks were also conducted to determine the substrate with the best detection characteristics for enhanced photoactivated fluorescence. It was found that the Envi disk with a glass-fiber mesh and C-18-modified silica provides more analyte access for fluorescence detection, thereby providing best sensitivity. By comparison of the fluorescence from pure PCB congener–DPA complexes, the more coplanar congeners exhibited a red shift in excitation and emission as compared with the ortho -substituted nonplanar congeners. These studies may prove useful in determining trends relating fluorescence intensity and toxicity factors.
IVHM Solutions Using Commercially-available Aircraft Condition Monitoring Systems

Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) aircraft condition monitoring system (ACMS) hardware supports critical health management functionality; real-time event forwarding or recording of any parametric/discrete data can be performed using the digital flight data acquisition unit (DFDAU). The ubiquitous DFDAU is the predominant fielded hardware supporting this important functionality -every 737, 757 and 767 airplane must have the unit installed and the same DFDAU can be used on any of the three aircraft (derivative implementations are on other airplane models). A predominant application of integrated vehicle health management (IVHM) is DFDAU-based flight operation quality assurance (FOQA) and/or engine condition monitoring (ECM) programs, and leveraging this on-going maintenance frame recording and/or Data Link type reporting can lead to dramatically improved IVHM operations. Critical functionality supports ACMS updates or continual maturation prior to a following vehicle mission, and associated Boeing On-Line Diagnostic Reporting (BOLDRtrade) IVHM data bus optimization methods are discussed. All of the aforementioned DFDAU features and future enhancements such as the import of code for sophisticated reasoning are planned for Boeing IVHM Lab prototyping.
Relationships Between Manure Particle and E . coli Transport from Direct Fecal Deposits Under Steady-State Flows

Pathogens are the leading cause of water quality impairments as defined by the US Environmental Protection Agency and their transport within water bodies is poorly understood. Because of this, watershed-scale, water quality models often have poor bacterial prediction capabilities. To improve the understanding of in-stream bacterial transport, a cow pie was deposited in a recirculating flume with flows ranging from 0.0102 to 0.0176 m3 s−1. Water samples were collected and analyzed for Escherichia coli concentration, E. coli attached fraction, and turbidity. E. coli concentrations ranged from 4.72 × 103 to 1.70 × 105 CFU 100 mL−1 and turbidity ranged from 1.93 to 369 NTU over both locations and all times. The percentage of E. coli attached to particles ranged from an average of 2.9 to 31 % downstream of the fecal deposition point. Spearman correlation analysis demonstrated that bacteria concentrations were significantly related with water depth (ρ = 0.128, p = 0.018), and the concentration of attached bacteria was significantly correlated with both the total concentration of E. coli (ρ = 0.4081, p = 0.009) and turbidity (ρ = 0.3627, p = 0.0214). This analysis is useful to indicate parameters that should be considered when monitoring or predicting bacteria transport in streams.
Speckle Noise Reduction in SAR Imagery Using a Local Adaptive Median Filter

Speckle noise is the grainy salt-and-pepper pattern present in radar imagery caused by the interaction of out-of-phase waves with a target. A local adaptive median filter was developed that uses local statistics to detect SAR speckle noise and to replace it with a local median value. The performance of the local adaptive median filter was evaluated using RADARSAT and JERS-1 datasets based on both visual assessment and a number of numerical measures. In comparison with established filters, it was found that the local adaptive median filter outperformed others in achieving the best balance between speckle suppression and image detail preservation.
Step width, spacing, and resolution in gradient elution moving boundary electrophoresis. Part 1. Theory and comparison with zone electrophoresis

Gradient elution moving boundary electrophoresis (GEMBE) is a recently described technique for electrophoretic separations in short capillaries or microchannels. With GEMBE, the electrophoretic migration of analytes is opposed by a bulk counterflow of separation buffer. The counterflow velocity is varied over the course of a separation so that analytes with different mobilities enter the separation channel at different times and are detected as moving boundary, step-wise increases in the detector response. The resolution of a GEMBE separation is thus dependent on the rate at which the counterflow velocity is varied, and relatively high-resolution separations can be performed with short microfluidic channels or capillaries. In this paper, a theoretical description of GEMBE is presented that can be used for calculation of expected resolution and for optimization of GEMBE separations. A comparison is made with CZE, a conventional electrophoretic separation technique for which the theoretical understanding is mature. The results indicate that the electric field strength and separation channel length are important parameters for both CZE and GEMBE. However, with GEMBE, the counterflow acceleration is also available as a parameter that can be easily adjusted for optimization of the trade-off between resolution and separation time. This allows for optimization of GEMBE separations by making changes only to the software controlling the apparatus rather than to the hardware of the apparatus itself. Further comparison of the theoretical descriptions of GEMBE and CZE indicates that the time required to achieve a desired resolution is equivalent for the two techniques.
Changes in the synthesis and intracellular localization of nuclear proteins during embryogenesis in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus

A rapid, gentle technique is described for the isolation of nuclei from sea urchin embryos. Using this technique, we have analyzed the synthesis and accumulation of nonhistone nuclear proteins during sea urchin development by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Most nuclear proteins fall into one of three patterns of synthesis, which are distinguished by maximal rates of accumulation at early (prior to hatching blastula), middle (hatching blastula/gastrula), or late (prism/pluteus) stages of development. Over 60% of observed nuclear proteins undergo apparent qualitative changes in synthesis and accumulation between the 64-cell and pluteus stages. Most of these changes represent appearances of new proteins. A large number of qualitative changes occur very early in development; the period of greatest change is between the 64-cell and 200-cell stages. Over half of the proteins which first appear in the nucleus subsequent to the 64-cell stage are synthesized at stages prior to the time of their initial appearance in nuclei, but are excluded from nuclei for some time.
Cartesian-space control of redundant manipulators using a computationally efficient adaptive control scheme

Abstract In this paper, a Cartesian-space control scheme is developed to control the motion of kinematically redundant manipulators having 7 degrees of freedom (DOF) or more. The control scheme is composed of proportional-derivative (PD) controllers whose gains are adjusted by an adaptation law driven by the errors between the desired and actual Cartesian trajectories. The derivation of the adaptation law is based on the concept of model reference adapative control (MRAC) and Lyapunov direct method under the assumption that the manipulator end-effector motion is slow as compared to the controller adaptation rate. The developed control scheme is computationally efficient because its implementation does not require the computation of the manipulator dynamics and therefore does not need an extremely fast computer. Results of computer simulation performed to evaluate the performance of the developed control scheme on a 7 DOF manipulator tracking several test paths during sudden changes in payload are presented and discussed.
Shape-controlled synthesis of platinum nanocrystals for catalytic and electrocatalytic applications

Summary Platinum has been widely used in many applications, especially for catalysis and fuel cell technology due to its ability to maneuver both oxidation and reduction reactions. In addition to size, the shape or morphology of a Pt nanocrystal provides a sensitive knob for tuning its catalytic and electrocatalytic properties. A number of chemical routes have been developed to produce Pt nanocrystals with well-defined and controllable shapes to improve their performance in terms of catalytic activity and selectivity. Conventional polyhedrons (e.g., cubes, octahedrons, and tetrahedrons) and their overgrown structures (e.g., multipods) have all been obtained in reasonably high yields, as well as some unconventional shapes (e.g., tetrahexahedrons). Compared to commercially available Pt catalysts, these well-defined nanocrystals exhibit greatly enhanced activity and selectivity for a range of reactions.
Wasting time and wasting the earth

Recycling is typically advocated on economic grounds, yet at current prices, it does not pay. There are some reasons to think that some of these prices are inefficient, but the main problem is that recycling substitutes labor for energy, virgin materials, and landfill space. Advocates of recycling argue that this use of labor has environmental consequences that are less harmful than the one‐time use of recyclable resources. Recycling should be encouraged by legal and business policy mandates, as well as by increasing taxes on virgin resources.
Strategic Manufacturing Planning Systems and Their Linkage to Planning System Success

Academics and practitioners alike are focusing more attention on manufacturing strategy after having recognized the important role it plays in shaping the success of industrial firms. Even though research in this area has increased in the last decade, the focus of much of that work has been on the content rather than the process of the manufacturing strategy. Consequently, this study attempts to understand the important elements of the strategic manufacturing planning process and its effectiveness. Borrowing from the extant literature in the fields of strategic management and information systems, we propose a research model that relates strategic manufacturing planning system design to planning system success. Using structured questionnaires, empirical data is collected from over 200 manufacturing executives to test the model hypotheses. Planning process in manufacturing was found to be a bottom-up approach from a corporate or business perspective, which differs from the top-down planning process prevalent in strategic information systems planning process. Findings also indicate that greater planning system success in manufacturing is associated with a planning system that combines some “rational” elements (formality, comprehensiveness, control focus, longer horizon) with others that lend adaptability (wider participation and more intense interaction). But the strategic manufacturing planning system is more than just a collection of independent planning characteristics. Instead, it can be viewed as a gestalt planning system whereby planning characteristics move together in affecting overall planning system success.
RISK OF NEW-ONSET DIABETES AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK REDUCTION FROM STATIN THERAPY DIFFERS IN PRE-DIABETICS AND NON PRE-DIABETICS: A TNT AND IDEAL SUBSTUDY

Statin therapy slightly increases the risk of new-onset diabetes (NOD). Whether the risk/benefit of patients with pre-diabetes (PD) differs from those without PD has not been explored. We therefore studied the rates of NOD and cardiovascular (CV) event reduction in these two populations. We pooled
Teaching the New Paradigm: Social Media Inside and Outside the Classroom

This article is addressed to those interested in integrating social media, as a collaborative component, into Business and Technical Writing courses. Educators find themselves under the false impression that digital natives’ familiarity with these tools will result in their embracing them as part and parcel of coursework. The reality is that today’s students need help in moving beyond the familiar applications of these virtual spaces in their personal lives and toward their uses as dynamic components of the educational experience. Relearning Facebook to do more than “friending” people, “liking” activities, and announcing one’s status involves an emphasis on the professional role of this developing medium of communication. These professional applications, therefore, must be fully integrated into the academic experience. Most Business and Technical Writing courses at Rutgers University culminate with each student submitting a research proposal, developed throughout the course of a 15-week semester. The justification for the plan of action in each proposal is based upon scholarly research. In our Collaborative Writing Practices course, the students develop their proposals in teams and are instructed to use various social networking platforms to communicate with each other, as well as with their instructor, as a supplement to the face-to-face classroom environment. In addition, each researched plan is required to advance a solution that utilizes social media. Our “triangulated” approach to instruction immerses students into social networking and helps them understand that, to be successful, collaborative writing must occur on a variety of levels. We also integrate social media into several of our online classes, where it is used to replace key elements of face-to-face courses, such as formal presentations. We have found that implementing a social media project instead of the traditional PowerPoint presentation encourages a greater level of interaction and participation among students.
A novel thioether polymer with pendent ester groups from a readily available acrylate derivative

A thioether polymer with pendent ester groups was synthesized via nucleophilic substitution and Michael addition. Williamson ether synthesis conditions led to nucleophilic substitution at the α-methylene carbon of ethyl α-(chloromethyl)acrylate (ECMA, 1) and Michael addition at the activated vinyl group. Polymerization was rapid at room temperature to give a highly viscous, sticky product with intrinsic viscosity of 0.15 dL/g in chloroform at 24°C. 13C solid-state and solution NMR were used to characterize the polymer and a model compound of the nucleophilic substitution product.
John Adams’ summation speech in rex V. Wemms, et al.: A delicate act of persuasion

The soldiers’ trials following the “Boston Massacre” created a dilemma for John Adams. It appeared that Adams would have to try the city of Boston for “intent to kill” to secure a favorable verdict for his clients. In this paper the final summation speech in the second trial of the soldiers is investigated to discover how Adams met this dilemma.
Inference after variable selection using restricted permutation methods

When confronted with multiple covariates and a response variable, analysts sometimes apply a variable-selection algorithm to the covariate-response data to identify a subset of covariates potentially associated with the response, and then wish to make inferences about parameters in a model for the marginal association between the selected covariates and the response. If an independent data set were available, the parameters of interest could be estimated by using standard inference methods to fit the postulated marginal model to the independent data set. However, when applied to the same data set used by the variable selector, standard (“naive”) methods can lead to distorted inferences. The authors develop testing and interval estimation methods for parameters reflecting the marginal association between the selected covariates and response variable, based on the same data set used for variable selection. They provide theoretical justification for the proposed methods, present results to guide their implementation, and use simulations to assess and compare their performance to a sample-splitting approach. The methods are illustrated with data from a recent AIDS study.
Impact of reproductive factors and lactation on breast carcinoma in situ risk.

Incidence rates for breast carcinoma in situ (CIS) have increased markedly over the past 20 years. Breast CIS, detected primarily on mammography, now represents 30–45% of all screened detected breast cancers. We conducted a large population-based case-control study to evaluate the impact of reproductive factors and lactation on breast CIS risk. Case subjects were newly diagnosed with breast CIS at ages 35–64 years between March 1, 1995 and May 31, 1998 (n = 567), resided in Los Angeles County and were born in the United States. Control subjects (n = 614), identified through random digit dialing, fulfilled the same eligibility criteria and were required to have had at least one screening mammogram in the 2-year period before their interview. Women with a positive family history of breast cancer had a 2-fold increase in breast CIS risk. Parous women were at reduced risk relative to nulligravid women (odds ratio [OR] = 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.46–1.00). Among nulliparous women, pregnancy was unrelated to breast CIS risk. Among parous women, risk declined with each additional term pregnancy (p-trend = 0.003). No associations were found with age at first term pregnancy, induced abortion or miscarriage. Long duration of breast-feeding (≥24 months) was associated with increased risk (OR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.11–3.60). The observed effects of family history and pregnancy on breast CIS risk are consistent with those observed for invasive breast cancer. The results for breast-feeding are contrary to what has been observed in studies of invasive breast cancer. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Small RNA chaperones for ribosome biogenesis.

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06536-0812, USA. A set of small nuclear RNAs of 50 to 200 nucleotides resides in the nucleolus of the cell, the region of the nucleus in which ribosomes are made. J. A. Steitz and K. T. Tycowski discuss what is known about how these RNAs participate in the conversion of the long precursor RNAs to the mature 18 S , 5.8 S , and 28 S rRNAs of the ribosome.
Genomic analyses of RH alleles to improve transfusion therapy in patients with sickle cell disease.

Abstract Background Red cell (RBC) blood group alloimmunization remains a major problem in transfusion medicine. Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at particularly high risk for developing alloantibodies to RBC antigens compared to other multiply transfused patient populations. Hemagglutination is the classical method used to test for blood group antigens, but depending on the typing methods and reagents used may result in discrepancies that preclude interpretation based on serologic reactivity alone. Molecular methods, including customized DNA microarrays, are increasingly used to complement serologic methods in predicting blood type. The purpose of this study was to determine the diversity and frequency of RH alleles in African Americans and to assess the performance of a DNA microarray for RH allele determination. Material and methods Two sets of samples were tested: (i) individuals with known variant Rh types and (ii) randomly selected African American donors and patients with SCD. Standard hemagglutination tests were used to establish the Rh phenotype, and cDNA- and gDNA-based analyses (sequencing, PCR-RFLP, and customized RHD and RHCE microarrays were used to predict the genotype). Results In a total of 829 samples (1658 alleles), 72 different alleles (40 RHD and 32 RHCE) were identified, 22 of which are novel. DNA microarrays detected all nucleotides probed, allowing for characterization of over 900 alleles. Conclusions High-throughput DNA testing platforms provide a means to test a relatively large number of donors and potentially prevent immunization by changing the way antigen-negative blood is provided to patients. Because of the high RH allelic diversity found in the African American population, determination of an accurate Rh phenotype often requires DNA testing, in conjunction with serologic testing. Allele-specific microarrays offer a means to perform high-throughput donor Rh typing and serve as a valuable adjunct to serologic methods to predict Rh type. Because DNA microarrays test for only a fixed panel of allelic polymorphisms and cannot determine haplotype phase, alternative methods such as Next Generation Sequencing hold the greatest potential to accurately characterize blood group phenotypes and ameliorate the clinical course of multiply-transfused patients with sickle cell disease.
The role of protein content on the steady and oscillatory shear rheology of model synovial fluids

Recent studies have debated the role of protein content on the bulk rheology of synovial fluid; in particular, it has been questioned if proteins aggregate or interact with hyaluronic acid in synovial fluid to enhance bulk rheology, or if observed effects were due to systematic measurement error caused by interfacial rheology, stemming from protein adsorption to the interface. Utilizing several techniques to ensure results reflect only bulk rheology, an examination of the role of bovine serum albumin and γ-globulin on model synovial fluid rheology has been undertaken. When interfacial rheology caused by protein adsorption to the interface is abrogated, the bulk rheology of a model synovial fluid composed of bovine serum albumin, γ-globulin, and hyaluronic acid is found to be dominated solely by the hyaluronic acid over a wide range of shear rates, strains and frequencies. These results show that the previously reported enhanced rheological properties of model synovial fluids are solely due to interfacial rheology and not from any type of protein aggregation/interaction in bulk solution.
A Chebyshev spectral method for solving Riemann-Liouville fractional boundary value problems

The authors derive a series of explicit formulas to approximate the Riemann-Liouville derivative and integral of arbitrary order by shifted Chebyshev polynomials. This is then applied to solve boundary value problems involving Riemann-Liouville derivatives.
Evaluating the importance of demographic connectivity in a marine metapopulation

Recently researchers have gone to great lengths to measure marine metapop- ulation connectivity via tagging, genetic, and trace-elemental fingerprinting studies. These empirical estimates of larval dispersal are key to assessing the significance of metapopulation connectivity within a demographic context, but the life-history data required to do this are rarely available. To evaluate the demographic consequences of connectivity we constructed seasonal, size-structured metapopulation matrix models for two species of mytilid mussel in San Diego County, California, USA. The self-recruitment and larval exchange terms were produced from a time series of realized connectivities derived from trace-elemental fingerprinting of larval shells during spring and fall from 2003 to 2008. Both species exhibited a strong seasonal pattern of southward movement of recruits in spring and northward movement in fall. Growth and mortality terms were estimated using mark-recapture data from representative sites for each species and subpopulation, and literature estimates of juvenile mortality. Fecundity terms were estimated using county-wide settlement data from 2006-2008; these data reveal peak reproduction and recruitment in fall for Mytilus californianus, and spring for M. galloprovincialis. Elasticity and life-stage simulation analyses were employed to identify the season- and subpopulation-specific vital rates and connectivity terms to which the metapopulation growth rate (k) was most sensitive. For both species, metapopulation growth was most sensitive to proportional changes in adult fecundity, survival and growth of juvenile stages, and population connectivity, in order of importance, but relatively insensitive to adult growth or survival. The metapopulation concept was deemed appropriate for both Mytilus species as exchange between the subpopulations was necessary for subpopulation persistence. However, highest metapopulation growth occurred in years when a greater proportion of recruits was retained within the predominant source subpopulation. Despite differences in habitat and planktonic duration, both species exhibited similar overall metapopulation dynamics with respect to key life stages and processes. However, different peak reproductive periods in an environment of seasonal current reversals led to different regional (subpopulation) contributions to metapopulation maintenance; this result emphasizes the importance of connectivity analysis for spatial management of coastal resources.
Galileo and the Aristotelian Cardinals: A Study of Suppression

(2004). Galileo and the Aristotelian Cardinals: A Study of Suppression. Free Speech Yearbook: Vol. 41, No. 1, pp. 113-126.
A PROTOCOL FOR DISTRIBUTED STATE ESTIMATION IN DISCRETE EVENT SYSTEMS

Abstract We propose a protocol for distributed state estimation, where distributed observers share their state estimation information through bounded-delay channels. A synchronized truncation strategy is proposed to further reduce the space and time complexity. An example is provided to illustrate the proposed distributed state-estimation protocol.
A Table of Percentage Points of the Range of Independent t Variables

A table of selected percentiles of the range of independent Student's t variables is provided. These percentiles are required by several multiple comparison procedures, notably those not requiring the assumption of equal variances. An illustration is given.
Writing across the computer science curriculum

At our university, as at many others across the country, there is a movement to integrate the common core subjects with the disciplinary studies. While in the past writing has been a domain of English departments, the new trend is 'writing across curriculum'. It is clear that effective written and oral communication skills are critical for the successful computer professional.We present suggestions for writing assignments that complement the main themes of computer courses from introductory to advanced levels. While some of these have appeared in the literature, others are new. We report on our experience with these assignments and reflect on how they enhance the computer science curriculum.
The determfination of uranium, thorium, yttrium, zirconium and hafnium in zircon

Abstract Inductively-coupled plasma emission spectrometry is used for the dertermination of selected elements in zircon seaprates. Zirconium, hafnium and vttrium can be determined directly. Thorium is measured after an extraction/concentration step with tri-n-octylphosphine oxide, and back-extraction into dilute sulfuric acid. Uranium was more easily determined bya the fused-pellet fluorimetric method. This scheme proved to be very successful, yielding results with apparent imprecision and inaccuracy of 2–6%.
Responses to Informal Accommodation Requests from Employees with Disabilites: Multistudy Evidence on Willingness to Comply

The authors developed and tested hypotheses describing the psychological process invoked when managers receive requests for accommodations from employees with disabilities. In two scenario-based ex...
Electroencephalogram of the monkey fetus in utero, and changes in it at birth

Abstract Day to day intrauterine EEG of rhesus monkeys were recorded with electrodes chronically implanted in the fetal scalp as early as the end of the second trimester of gestation. A fetal EEG was present in the youngest and its characteristics did not change greatly throughout the period studied. It was characterized by irregular slow waves and microamplitude. Faster waves of even lower voltage were super-improsed transiently, especially near term. Electrical activity was recorded also during delivery by cesarian section under local anesthesia. The characteristics of the EEG of the delivered fetus were the same as in utero and did not change until the offspring gasped, usually after clamping the umbilical cord. At that time a change occured and the fetal type of EEG suddenly was replaced by the neonatal type.
The size of T3 DNA.

The nucleic acid of the bacteriophage T3 has been studied with the electron microscope in order to determine whether it exists either as a single unit or as several pieces of equal or varying size. The nucleic acid strands, obtained by mild alkali treatment of the virus, were oriented on collodion films and shadowed perpendicular to their length. None of the strands exhibited any branching, being continuous from one end to the other, and their diameters were found to be relatively constant. Measurement of seven such strands revealed a mean length of 14·0 ± 0·6 μ . The relatively good agreement of this value with that arrived at from theoretical calculations can be interpreted to mean that all of the T3 DNA is in one piece.
Carbon-based nanomaterials for removal of chemical and biological contaminants from water: A review of mechanisms and applications

In recent years, significant discoveries related to antimicrobial and adsorption properties of carbon-based nanomaterials have led to new avenues for removal of various biological and organic/inorganic contaminants in drinking water. Furthermore, progress in the synthesis of multifunctional nanocomposites paves the way for their application in advanced water treatment system design. This review article describes and compares the adsorptive and antimicrobial properties of four common classes of carbon nanomaterials: single- and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, graphene, and graphene oxide, as well as some of their most important polymeric and metallic nanocomposites. Barriers for application of these nanomaterials in sustainable water treatment are also addressed.
Critical-temperature enhancement in thin superconducting films due to field dependence of the coherence length.

Nucleation of superconductivity in a thin film situated in a parallel magnetic field is considered. The field dependence of the coherence length is taken into account. In particular, the known result for the nucleation field H near the critical temperature ${T}_{c}$ is shown to hold only in the dirty limit. If a certain condition imposed upon the thickness and the effective mean free path of the film is met (the film should be clean enough and sufficiently thin), the phase boundary H(T) bends to temperatures Tg${T}_{c}$. A criterion for the anomalous phase boundary to occur is obtained. The method to calculate the whole curve H(T) is developed. Possible enhancement of the critical temperature, ${T}_{c}$(H)-${T}_{c}$(0), is evaluated and shown to be substantial for a proper set of film parameters.
On finite deformation plasticity with directional softening Part I: One-component model

A physically based continuum model of finite deformation plasticity with anisotropic hardening is developed and used to evaluate the differences of stress responses in tension, compression and torsion (directional softening) for various materials at large deformations. The coupling effects of back stress and plastic spin are incorporated into the model according to the scale invariance method recently suggested by Aifantis. Moreover, the effects of nonlinear dislocation hardening and recovery softening are included. It is shown that the theoretically obtained stress responses in tension, compression and torsion are in good agreement with available experimental data for Copper, Brass and Silver.
Experimental study of elongational flow and failure of polymer melts

A new and simple instrument for measurement of elongational flow response of polymer melts in constant uniaxial extension rate experiments is described. Quantitative stress development data are presented for a series of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) melts. For small elongation rate E, linear viscoelastic behavior was observed; while for large E, LDPE and PS showed exponential stress growth, while HDPE and PP showed only linear stress growth. Stress relaxation experiments were carried out for several of the same melts in the instrument. Elongation to break and mechanisms of filament failure were studied. HDPE and PP have a tendency to neck and exhibit ductile failure, while at high E, LDPE and PS seem to show cohesive fracture. The elongational flow stress response data were compared to predictions of nonlinear viscoelastic fluid theory, specifically the Bogue-White formulation. The qualitative differences in responses of the melts studied were explained in terms of different dependences of the effective relaxation times on deformation rate and, more specifically, on values of the a parameter in the theory.