cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The influence of structure and environment on spectroscopic and lasing properties of dye-doped glasses

Abstract A new class of hemicyanine dyes was studied as laser dyes. From the influence of structure and solvent effects on the spectroscopic and lasing properties, a basic understanding of the involved processes was obtained. The studied dyes were found to have two distinguishable mesomeric forms, one predominant in the ground-state, and the other in the excited state, leading to a large Stokes shift. The dyes exhibited low fluorescence quantum yields, which were attributed to the presence of a counter iodide ion, which increases singlet-to-triplet intersystem crossing, and to a twisted intramolecular charge-transfer (TICT) of the amino moiety. However, significant lasing efficiencies were observed under pulsed pump conditions, possibly because the stimulated emission competes with the nonradiative processes. The laser losses are mainly due to the cavity. Solvent effect studies showed that the chromophore is very sensitive to hydrogen bonding donor (HBD) solvents. The dye-doped sol-gel composite glass exhibits a behavior close to that of water, suggesting that the dye is attached to the silica skeleton of the composite glass through a hydrogen bonding. Energy transfer between two dyes copoding a multiphasic composite glass was found to be significant; therefore, this composite exhibited simultaneous lasing from both dyes. Codoped tunability was achieved through the range of both dyes, from 560 to 610, nm with an average efficiency of 7%. The lasing properties of this lasing medium was studied and compared to reference dye solutions.
Ultrasound visibility of needles used for regional nerve block: an in vitro study.

Background and objectives Ultrasound visibility of regional block needles is a critical component for safety and success of regional anesthetic procedures. The aim of the study was to formally assess factors that influence ultrasound visibility of needles used in regional anesthesia. Methods Regional block needles between 17- and 22-G diameter were inserted in a tissue equivalent phantom at angles from 0° to 65° relative to the phantom surface. For visibility enhancement, the needles were primed with air or water in combination with stylets and different size guide wires. Ultrasound measurements of needle tips and shafts were performed using transversal and longitudinal imaging with a linear 15-MHz transducer. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were performed on 719 visibility measurements. Results Hustead tip needles exhibited best ultrasound visibility. Ultrasound visibility of the needle tip was increased by insertion of a medium size guide wire. Water or air priming of the needle, insulation, and the insertion of a stylet did not influence needle visibility. Long axis imaging of the needle for shallow insertion angles ( 60°) provided the best ultrasound visibility of the needle tips. Needle visibility decreased linearly with steeper insertion angles (P Conclusions The results of our in-vitro study suggest a number of factors enhancing ultrasound visibility of regional block needles. The use of needles in the largest possible size inserted with a medium-size guide wire provides the best ultrasound visibility. Analysis of the approach angle favors needle insertion parallel to the transducer. The consideration of these factors may improve safety and success of ultrasound-guided regional blocks.
Persistent association of nailfold capillaroscopy changes and skin involvement over thirty-six months with duration of untreated disease in patients with juvenile dermatomyositis.

Objective To determine the association of changes on nailfold capillaroscopy with clinical findings and genotype in children with juvenile dermatomyositis (DM), in order to identify potential differences in disease course over 36 months. Methods At diagnosis of juvenile DM in 61 children prior to the initiation of treatment, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) −308 allele and DQA1*0501 status was determined, juvenile DM Disease Activity Scores (DAS) were obtained, and nailfold capillaroscopy was performed. The disease course was monitored for 36 months. Variations within and between patients were assessed by regression analysis. Results At diagnosis, shorter duration of untreated disease (P = 0.05) and a lower juvenile DM skin DAS (P = 0.035) were associated with a unicyclic disease course. Over 36 months, end-row loop (ERL) regeneration was associated with lower skin DAS (P < 0.001) but not muscle DAS (P = 0.98); ERL regeneration and decreased bushy loops were associated with a shorter duration of untreated disease (P = 0.04 for both). At 36 months, increased ERL regeneration (P = 0.007) and improvement of skin DAS (P < 0.001) and muscle DAS (P = 0.025) were associated with a unicyclic disease course. Conclusion Early treatment of juvenile DM may lead to a unicyclic disease course. The non-unicyclic disease course usually involves continuing skin manifestations with persistent nailfold capillaroscopy changes. The correlation of nailfold capillaroscopy results with cutaneous but not with musculoskeletal signs of juvenile DM over a 36-month period suggests that the cutaneous and muscle vasculopathies have different pathophysiologic mechanisms. These findings indicate that efforts to identify the optimal treatment of cutaneous features in juvenile DM require greater attention.
BDNF heterozygous mice demonstrate age-related changes in striatal and nigral gene expression.

Abstract TrkB receptors mediate the effects of BDNF on striatal medium spiny neurons and mesencephalic dopamine neurons. The effect of partial BDNF gene deletion on locomotor activity and the gene expression of these neurons was evaluated at 3, 12, and 24 months of age in BDNF heterozygous (BDNF LacZ/neo+ ) and wildtype mice. BDNF LacZ/neo+ mice displayed less spontaneous horizontal activity than wildtypes at 3 and 24 months of age. Whereas striatal preproenkephalin and preprodynorphin mRNA and mesencephalic tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA levels were significantly lower at all ages in BDNF LacZ/neo+ mice, GAD 67 mRNA was only lower at 24 months. In contrast, BDNF LacZ/neo+ mice expressed more trkB mRNA in the striatum at 3 months and less at 24 months of age than wildtypes. Total striatal cell number in the two genotypes was not different at 12 months of age, whereas Golgi staining revealed that the spine density on distal dendrites of medium spiny neurons was less in BDNF LacZ/neo+ mice than in wildtypes at 24 months of age. These data indicate that endogenous BDNF is required to maintain the normal phenotype and functioning of striatal projection neurons and mesencephalic dopamine neurons and that exaggerated dysfunction of these neurons and a concomitant decline in locomotor behavior occurs during aging.
Model Reduction of Large-Scale Discrete Plants With Specified Frequency Domain Balanced Structure

A new model reduction technique for linear time-invariant systems is proposed. A new method that reduces the order of large-scale systems by integrating singular perturbation with specified frequency domain balanced structure is proposed. Considering a frequency range at which the system actually operates guarantees a good approximation of the original full order model. Simulation experiments for model reduction of several large-scale systems demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed technique.
Investing For Middle America: John Elliot Tappan And The Origins Of American Express Financial Advisors. By Kenneth Lipartito and Carol Heher Peters. New York: Palgrave, 2001. Pp. x, 268. $27.95.

In this enjoyable work, Kenneth Lipartito and Carol Peters share with us the story of John Elliot Tappan, a Minneapolis lawyer who brought financial innovation to the American heartland. In an era before mutual funds, money market accounts, and in many locations safe diversified savings banks, Tappan saw the need for a safe, small denomination, financial instrument for middle-class savers. The result was Investors Syndicate and its “face-value” certificate, a combination of zero-coupon bond and term life insurance that savers of modest means could purchase in small installments. By providing the small investor with a safe means of saving a small amount each month, Investors Syndicate (latter IDS and American Express Financial Advisors) would grow into one of the nations financial behemoths. Along the way, Tappan and his company would overcome financial panic, depression, war, epidemic, and corrupt postal inspectors (the federal regulators of the day).
POLITICAL CONTROL, BUREAUCRATIC DISCRETION, AND PUBLIC COMMENTING ON AGENCY REGULATIONS

In recent years, the accessibility and transparency of administrative procedures have attracted the attention of researchers and policymakers in the United States. This article investigates the accessibility and transparency of a particularly important administrative procedure, the notice and comment process. The article presents a theoretical account of the operation of political control and bureaucratic discretion in two aspects of the notice and comment process – the duration of comment periods and timeliness of the circulation of comments. The results of the analysis of original data demonstrate that both external constraints and agency need for policy information affect the duration of comment periods and circulation of comments. These results, which are unexpected from the perspective that the notice and comment process is procedurally neutral, imply that normative values such as accessibility and transparency cannot be meaningfully separated from the politics of political control and bureaucratic discretion.
Some effects of fluid properties and location on mixing indices for flow near drops

The flow field and mixing behavior surrounding a rising drop were simulated using the SOLA-VOF computer code. The effects of kinematic viscosity, interracial tension, drop density and spatial location on the mixing behavior and several mixing indices were studied as a function of time. Two mixing indices, one based upon material line extension and rate variations in material line extension and the other based upon a Lagrangian correlation coefficient and a Lagrangian time scale, were shown to be directly related to the fluid mechanics causing the mixing. Another index, the scale of segregation, was found to be inadequate in describing the mixing since its scale was too large to discern small scale mixing behavior.
Aminopropylcellulose, synthesis and derivatization

The preparation of 3-aminopropylcellulose from cyanoethylcellulose is readily achieved. Reduction of the cyano groups with borane-dimethyl sulfide in tetrahydrofuran or a borane-tetrahy-drofuran complex proceeds quantitatively in 3 h to a corresponding 3-aminopropylcellulose. The presence of primary amine functions is confirmed by spectroscopy and a positive ninhydrin test; the concentration of amino substituents, as ascertained by titration, ranged from 1.2 to 6.4 meq/g. Because the derivatives are neither soluble nor excessively swollen in water, applications as ion-exchange resins or chromatographic supports can be envisioned. Treatment of 3-aminopropyl-cellulose with acetyl chloride, phenyl isocyanate, or p-toluenesulfonyl isocyanate produced 3-acetamido-, 3-(N′-phenyluredo)-, or 3-(N′-p-toluenesulfonyluredo)-N-propylcellulose. Alkylation with methyl chloride yielded a water-soluble quaternary ammonium salt.
Concurrent thermal design: balancing accuracy with time constraints

A thermal design methodology suitable for concurrent design of cost-driven electronic systems is proposed and exemplified for a sample board. This design methodology utilizes an evolutionary concept, in which the analysis tools are capable of adjusting their level of complexity as the design evolves, initiating with rough approximate analyses and culminating in a conjugate conduction/convection simulation for a portion of the sample board. The level of approximation included at each stage of the design is selected with consideration of both time and accuracy constraints. The importance of considering the conjugate problem in generating heat transfer correlations for electronic packages is discussed. >
Short and long term consequences of increases in exotic species richness on water filtration by marine invertebrates

Although recent research has considered the consequences of global declines in the number of species, less attention has focused on the aggregate effects of regional increases in species richness as a result of human-mediated introductions. Here we examine several potential ecosystem consequences of increasing exotic species diversity of suspension feeding marine invertebrates. First, we experimentally manipulated native and non-native suspension feeder richness and measured its effect on short-term phytoplankton clearance rates. Multispecies communities all performed similarly, regardless of whether they were dominated by natives, exotics, or an even mix of the two. Individual species varied considerably in filtration rates, but non-native species often filtered less than the most similar native. Second, we determined potential changes in integrated function over time by comparing seasonal patterns of recruitment as a proxy for the ability to quickly recover filtration capacity after a disturbance. We found that exotic species have complementary seasonal phenologies both to native species and each other. Our results suggest that the consequences of local increases in species richness due to invasions may be manifest over long (annual to interannual) time scales, even when short term changes in ecosystem function are negligible.
The impaired hypothyroid patient: ethical considerations and obligations.

Objectives: Analyze the ethical duties and dilemmas involved in treating the severely hypothyroid patient. Design: A critical review of the literature was conducted with respect to clinical ethics issues pertaining to severe hypothyroidism; legal and ethical guidelines for consent and capacity in the context of severe hypothyroidism; health case law involving the duty to warn third parties; and comparable clinical conditions resulting in impaired driving and the performance of critical tasks. Main outcome: Neuropsychological studies and accepted clinical experiences verify the variable degrees of intellectual and neurological impairment consequent to severe hypothyroidism. Thus, severely hypothyroid patients are considered impaired in the performance of specific tasks, such as driving. Consequent to that, they may be agents of harm as a result of their impairment if they are not warned against driving or performing other duties affecting public safety. Severely hypothyroid patients may lack the capacity t...
The Influences of Social Characteristics on the Turnover Decision Process

Work design is an important channel in which organizations can improve employee outcomes. However, little research has examined how design of work may influence employees’ decision to leave or stay...
Dynamics of the molecular hydrogen ligand in metal complexes

Abstract The recent discovery that certain metal complexes can bind hydrogen in molecular form as they do other small molecules has presented a unique opportunity for neutron scattering to assist in the determination of electronic details of the novel chemical bond formed between this dihydrogen ligand and the metal. This can be accomplished by comparative studies of the barriers to rotation for the dihydrogen ligand in various complexes where either the metal center or the other metal ligands are changed together with appropriate theoretical analyses. This information can be extracted from vibrational and rotational inelastic neutron scattering spectra. Results from a wide variety of molecular hydrogen complexes are reviewed and their implications for the metal—dihydrogen chemical bond are discussed along with reference to various theortical approaches to this problem.
Relaxorferroelectrics: An overview

Abstract The paper will trace the evolution of understanding related to the modification of sharp ferroelectric phase transition behavior that occurs in composition systems which exhibit diffuse and relaxor ferroelectric properties. The focus will be primarily upon the perovskite structure families where cations of different valence occupying similar crystallographic sites in the structure appear to play an important role. Limited ordering in the Pb(B1B2)O3 systems will be discussed and possible mechanisms for self limiting to nanometer scales in some systems explored. New studies of the break up of the simple ferroelectric behavior in lanthanum modified lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) and in lead titanate (PLT) systems will be discussed and the relevance to the general problem of relaxor behavior examined. Evidence for enhanced polarization fluctuations and super paraelectric behavior at high temperatures will be discussed and random field and spin glass models for the lower temperature state considered. ...
Migration velocity analysis using the common image cube (CIC)

Migration velocity analysis (MVA) is commonly performed in the image domain in conjunction with ray-based tomography to update the velocity model. This approach can be challenging in the presence of large velocity errors as it may require many MVA iterations before converging to a model that can focus the events in the image domain. We introduced a downward continuation-based domain for carrying out MVA that is more flexible than conventional domains. This approach consists of two steps: (1) forming the common image cube (CIC) and (2) modeling the Green’s functions. In the first step, the cross-correlation imaging condition is relaxed to produce more than the zero lag common image gather (CIG). Slicing these data at different lags forms a series of CIGs, whereas a conventional CIG can be obtained by slicing the cube at the zero lag. When the velocity model used for the migration differs from the true velocity model, properly flattened events may occur in CIGs other than the zero lag. In the second step, f...
In vitro tissue engineering to generate a human-sized auricle and nasal tip.

Objectives/Hypothesis Tissue engineering has successfully generated cartilage in a xenograft and an autograft model. However, challenges remain with both of these in vivo techniques before clinical application can be realized. We hypothesized that a human-sized cartilaginous structure could be generated completely in vitro as a complementary or an alternative technique. Methods Scaffolds were created in the shape of five full-sized human auricles and five nasal tip cartilaginous skeletons. Bovine shoulder chondrocytes at a concentration of 50 million cells/mL were seeded onto the scaffolds and were grown for 12 weeks in vitro. Two of the auricular scaffolds had internal support provided by soft acrylic sheets and were later implanted into nude rats. Results All of the scaffolds maintained shape and size through 12 weeks of in vitro culture. On gross examination the scaffolds were progressively replaced by cartilage, which was confirmed by histological and biochemical analysis. The auricular scaffolds with the acrylic internal support had the most natural rigidity, which was observed by gentle palpation. The nasal scaffolds maintained excellent definition even without internal support. Conclusion An adult human-sized auricle and nasal tip cartilaginous structure can be grown entirely in vitro using principles of tissue engineering.
ANTICIPATING REGRET : WHY FEWER OPTIONS MAY BE BETTER

We study preferences over menus which can be represented as if the agent selects an alternative from a menu and experiences regret if her choice is ex post inferior. Since regret arises from comparisons between the alternative selected and the other available alternatives, our axioms reflect the agent's desire to limit her options. We prove that our representation is essentially unique. We also introduce two measures of comparative regret attitudes and relate them to our representation. Finally, we explore the formal connection between the present work and the literature on temptation.
Finding and preventing run-time error handling mistakes

It is difficult to write programs that behave correctly in the presence of run-time errors. Existing programming language features often provide poor support for executing clean-up code and for restoring invariants in such exceptional situations. We present a dataflow analysis for finding a certain class of error-handling mistakes: those that arise from a failure to release resources or to clean up properly along all paths. Many real-world programs violate such resource safety policies because of incorrect error handling. Our flow-sensitive analysis keeps track of outstanding obligations along program paths and does a precise modeling of control flow in the presence of exceptions. Using it, we have found over 800 error handling mistakes almost 4 million lines of Java code. The analysis is unsound and produces false positives, but a few simple filtering rules suffice to remove them in practice. The remaining mistakes were manually verified. These mistakes cause sockets, files and database handles to be leaked along some paths. We present a characterization of the most common causes of those errors and discuss the limitations of exception handling, finalizers and destructors in addressing them. Based on those errors, we propose a programming language feature that keeps track of obligations at run time and ensures that they are discharged. Finally, we present case studies to demonstrate that this feature is natural, efficient, and can improve reliability; for example, retrofitting a 34kLOC program with it resulted in a 0.5% code size decrease, a surprising 17% speed increase (from correctly deallocating resources in the presence of exceptions), and more consistent behavior.
Offline and Online Evolutionary Bi-Directional RRT Algorithms for Efficient Re-Planning in Dynamic Environments

This paper explores the use of evolutionary algorithms (EAs) to formulate additional biases for a probabilistic motion planner known as the rapidly exploring random tree (RRT) algorithm in environments with changing obstacle locations. An offline EA is utilized to produce a bias in an obstacle filled environment prior to rearranging the obstacles. It is demonstrated that the offline EA finds a bias reflecting the original environment and improves the RRT's efficiency during re-planning in environments with a small number of rearrangements. The rapidly exploring evolutionary tree (RET) algorithm is introduced as a hybrid RRT algorithm employing an online EA. It is demonstrated that the RET can improve the RRT's performance during re-planning in environments with many rearranged obstacles by exploiting characteristics of a balanced spatial kd-tree.
Respiratory-mucin inhibition of the opsonophagocytic killing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a frequent respiratory tract colonizer in diseases in which mucociliary clearance is defective. The most striking of these is cystic fibrosis. The reasons for this organism9s ability to colonize the respiratory tract and to persist there are not fully understood. Earlier studies showed that P. aeruginosa adheres preferentially to tracheobronchial mucin when compared with enterobacteria. We reasoned that if adherence to respiratory mucin protected P. aeruginosa from opsonophagocytic killing, then the ability of this organism to chronically colonize the respiratory tract could be partially explained. Using an opsonophagocytic killing assay with human polymorphonuclear leukocytes, we found that respiratory mucin protected six strains of P. aeruginosa from opsonophagocytic killing but did not protect poorly adhering strains of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, or group B streptococci. Incubating P. aeruginosa with the mucin prior to addition to the opsonic assay inhibited phagocytic killing, whereas incubation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes with mucin did not, suggesting that inhibition was not due to an effect of mucin on leukocytes per se but was a consequence of bacterial adherence to mucin. Further studies indicated no decrease in the binding of either antibody or complement component C3 to the bacterial surface in the presence of mucin. This suggests that phagocytic inhibition may be due to a defect in uptake or destruction of mucin-coated bacteria by the leukocytes. Thus, the adherence of P. aeruginosa to respiratory mucin potentially contributes to its persistence in the respiratory tract by interfering with host immune responses.
Supersonic Laminar Boundary-Layer Separation by Slot Injection

Solutions to the interacting laminar boundary-layer equations with surface injection are obtained for cases when classical theory predicts catastrophic blowoff. For the case of slot injection into a supersonic mainstream, implicit finite-difference solutions were obtained that show that interaction effects drastically alter the local pressure distribution and virtually eliminate the blowoff point. Favorable comparisons are made with asymptotic triple-deck solutions where appropriate. It is concluded that the present numerical technique works well, that the solutions honor triple-deck concepts, that blowoff does not occur in the injection region, and that separation will occur ahead of the slot, if at all.
Mesoscale biogeochemical responses to iron fertilization in the upper layers of the Southern Ocean Iron Experiment areas

[1] During the Southern Ocean Iron Experiment (SOFeX), January–February 2002, two iron fertilization experiments were conducted at the south (66.45°S, 171.8°W) and north (56.23°S, 172°W) patches. The south patch was replete with all macronutrients, whereas the north patch was nearly depleted of silicate. Using a towed water sampling/ measurement system, high resolution three-dimensional observations of temperature, salinity, CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) and the concentrations of total CO2 (TCO2), nitrate, phosphate and silicate in the upper 100 m were obtained 10 and 28 days after initial iron additions in the south and north patches, respectively. TCO2 and nutrient drawdowns observed in the south patch were small due to wind events that limited biological response in the early postfertilization period. At the north patch, drawdown signals were stronger, resulting from the longer time since fertilization. The north patch was dispersed along a frontal zone between two distinct waters, with the denser subducted under the lighter. Subduction limited CO2 uptake from the air, but provided alternative mechanisms for vertical carbon export. Based on the biogeochemical drawdowns and published estimates of the rate of the entrainment of nonfertilized waters into the patch, the mean net community productivity over 28 days was estimated to be 94 � 12 mmol carbon m � 2 day � 1 , to which the air-to-sea flux contributed only 2%. Despite low silicate concentrations and potential limitation of growth of silicifying plankton in the north patch, our estimates of the enhanced carbon uptake are similar to estimates from higher silicate environments. Citation: Hales, B., and T. Takahashi (2012), Mesoscale biogeochemical responses to iron fertilization in the upper layers of the Southern Ocean Iron Experiment areas, J. Geophys. Res., 117, C01018, doi:10.1029/2011JC006956.
How Consumers' Attitudes Toward Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs Influence Ad Effectiveness, and Consumer and Physician Behavior

Data from 1081 adults surveyed by the FDA were analyzed to explore consumers’ attitudes toward direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs, and the relation between these attitudes and health related consumption behaviors. We report the favorableness of consumers’ reactions to DTCA, and more importantly, demonstrate that consumers’ attitudes toward DTCA are related to whether they search for more information about a drug that is advertised, and ask their physician about the drug. Finally, we document how consumers’ attitudes towards DTCA relate to the prescription writing behavior of their physicians. Mediation analyses that more fully explicate these findings are discussed.
Elusive Togetherness: Church Group's Trying to Bridge America's Divisions and America and the Challenges of Religious Diversity

Elusive Togetherness: Church Group's Trying to Bridge America's Divisions. By Paul Lichterman. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2005. 331p. $65.00 cloth, $21.95 paper. America and the Challenges of Religious Diversity. By Robert Wuthnow. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2005. 391p. $29.95. Robert Wuthnow's latest book is a wide-ranging and insightful study into how Americans are responding to dramatic increases in religious and cultural diversity. Wuthnow gives particular attention here to the ways in which Christians are addressing (or ignoring) the growing populations of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and other followers of non-Western religions in America. His aim is not only to understand the current terms by which American Christians are negotiating an increasingly complex and diverse religious setting but also to pointedly ask how pluralistic Americans are willing to be. The answers that are revealed throughout this book, drawing from hundreds of in-depth interviews and a large cross-national survey, offer plenty of room for deep worry as well as guarded optimism. Moving beyond these caged responses, Wuthnow pulls together the ambivalent stands of America's present attitudes toward religious differences and offers suggestive ideas about how Americans might begin to move beyond their currently shallow responses to diversity and embrace a more active, self-conscious form of pluralism, what he calls “reflective pluralism” (p. 289).
Economics through Inquiry: Creating Social Businesses in Fifth Grade.

The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework from the National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) features an inquiry approach to teaching K–12 social studies in which social studies standards are organized into an “inquiry arc.” Inquiry in elementary economics is often underused in practice (Laney 2001). This study describes how a class of fifth-grade students engaged in the inquiry arc in economics through the One Hen unit, a curriculum in which students create social businesses. Students learned concepts and skills in economics, math, and language arts while developing questions, evaluating evidence, and presenting results of their work helping homeless youth in their community.
Group B streptococcal disease : From trials and tribulations to triumph and trepidation

Group B streptococci garnered attention during the 1970s when they surpassed Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus to become the principal causes of sepsis in early infancy. During the 1980s, several clinical trials demonstrated that administration of antimicrobial agents during labor could interrupt vertical transmission and prevent invasive disease in the first week of life (i.e., early-onset disease). However, prophylaxis was not widely used during the next 10 years. On the basis of efforts by clinician-researchers, professional organizations, community-based parent advocacy groups, and the public health community, consensus recommendations for group B streptococcal prophylaxis were finally issued in 1996. By the end of 1999, the incidence of early-onset disease in selected counties within the United States had decreased by 70%, and the gap between black and white persons with disease narrowed by 75%. This recent triumph leaves the professional community treading lightly, alert to the need to monitor for unintended consequences that may threaten recent progress.
HEMOLYTIC ACTIVITY IN THE PERIODONTOPATHOGEN PORPHYROMONAS GINGIVALIS : KINETICS OF ENZYME RELEASE AND LOCALIZATION

Porphyromonas gingivalis W50, W83, A7A1-28, and ATCC 33277 were investigated for their abilities to lyse sheep, human, and rabbit erythrocytes. All of the P. gingivalis strains studied produced an active hemolytic activity during growth, with maximum activity occurring in late-exponential-early-stationary growth phase. The enzyme was cell bound and associated with the outer membrane. Fractionation of P. gingivalis W50 localized the putative hemolysin almost exclusively in the outer membrane fraction, with significant hemolytic activity concentrated in the outer membrane vesicles. Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions significantly increased the expression of hemolytic activity. Hemolytic activity was inhibited by proteinase K, trypsin, the proteinase inhibitors Na-P-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone and benzamidine, the metabolic inhibitor M-chlorophenyl-hydrazone, and iodoacetate. KCN and sodium azide (NaN3) only partially inhibited P. gingivalis hemolytic activity, while antiserum to whole cells of each of the P. gingivalis strains had a significant inhibitory effect on hemolytic activity. The P. gingivalis W50 hemolysin was inhibited by cysteine, dithiothreitol, and glutathione at concentrations of at least 10 mM; at low concentrations (i.e., 2 mM), dithiothreitol did not completely inhibit hemolytic activity. Heating to temperatures above 55 degrees C resulted in an almost complete inhibition of hemolytic activity. The effect of heme limitation (i.e., iron) on hemolysin production indicated that either limitation or starvation for heme resulted in significantly increased hemolysin production compared with that of P. gingivalis grown in the presence of excess heme.
Delineation of nevus cell nests in inflammatory infiltrates by immunohistochemical staining for the presence of S100 protein

Fifteen halo nevi were stained for the presence of S100 protein by an unlabelled antibody peroxidase-antiperoxidase method. S100 protein was clearly identifiable within nevus cell nests in the inflammatory infiltrate. The presence of this substance helped to identify nevus cells in dense inflammatory infiltrates and confirm the histologic diagnosis of halo nevus.
The last departure time from an M t /G/∞ queue with a terminating arrival process

This paper studies the last departure time from a queue with a terminating arrival process. This problem is motivated by a model of two-stage inspection in which finitely many items come to a first stage for screening. Items failing first-stage inspection go to a second stage to be examined further. Assuming that arrivals at the second stage can be regarded as an independent thinning of the departures from the first stage, the arrival process at the second stage is approximately a terminating Poisson process. If the failure probabilities are not constant, then this Poisson process will be nonhomogeneous. The last departure time from an M t /G/? queue with a terminating arrival process serves as a remarkably tractable approximation, which is appropriate when there are ample inspection resources at the second stage. For this model, the last departure time is a Poisson random maximum, so that it is possible to give exact expressions and develop useful approximations based on extreme-value theory.
Efficacy of Applied Relaxation and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Nondirective (ND), applied relaxation (AR), and cognitive behavioral (CBT) therapies for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) were compared. The latter 2 conditions were generally equivalent in outcome but superior to ND at postassessment. The 3 conditions did not differ on several process measures, and ND created the greatest depth of emotional processing. Follow-up results indicated losses in gains in ND, maintained gains in the other 2 conditions, especially CBT, and highest endstate functioning for CBT. AR and CBT thus contain active ingredients in the treatment of GAD; support exists for further development of imagery exposure methods or cognitive therapy because of their likely role in promoting maintenance of change with this disorder. Expectancy for improvement was also associated with outcome, suggesting the need for further research on this construct for understanding the nature of GAD and its amelioration.
Understanding the High Prevalence of Diabetes in U.S. South Asians Compared With Four Racial/Ethnic Groups: The MASALA and MESA Studies

OBJECTIVE We compared South Asians with four other race/ethnic groups in the U.S. to determine whether sociodemographic, lifestyle, or metabolic factors could explain the higher diabetes prevalence, and whether insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction occurred at younger ages and/or lower adiposity levels compared with other groups. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Cross-sectional analysis of two community-based cohorts, the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) study and the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA); all participants had no known cardiovascular disease and were between 44 and 84 years of age. We compared 799 South Asians with 2,611 whites, 1,879 African Americans, 1,493 Latinos, and 801 Chinese Americans. Type 2 diabetes was classified by fasting plasma glucose ≥126 mg/dL or use of a diabetes medication. Insulin resistance was estimated by the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) and β-cell function was measured by the HOMA-β model. RESULTS South Asians had significantly higher age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes (23%) than the MESA ethnic groups (6% in whites, 18% in African Americans, 17% in Latinos, and 13% in Chinese Americans). This difference increased further after adjusting for potential confounders. HOMA of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) levels were significantly higher and HOMA-β levels were lower among South Asians compared with all other race/ethnic groups after adjusting for age and adiposity. CONCLUSIONS The higher prevalence of diabetes in South Asians is not explained by traditionally measured risk factors. South Asians may have lower β-cell function and an inability to compensate adequately for higher glucose levels from insulin resistance.
Carbonate Deposits on Plantagenet Bank near Bermuda

Drilling operations on Plantagenet Bank, southwest of the Bermuda Islands, penetrated approximately 20 m of carbonate sediment and dolomite without reaching the substrate. To a depth of about 13 m the subsurface consists of fragments of calcareous algae, foraminifera, mollusks, and coral (listed in order of abundance). Carbonate fragments from 8 and 13 m were diagenetically altered and may be partially consolidated. Poorly ordered and Ca-rich (57 mole per cent CaCO 3 ) dolomite, containing recognizable fragments of coralline algae, was found at 20 m. The C 13 contents of the carbonates are within the range of values observed in the sediments and calcareous skeletal fragments of marine organisms from the Bermuda Islands. The undolomitized sediment is enriched in O 18 with respect to the modern sediments near the Bermuda Islands; the dolomite is enriched in O 18 by 3 to 3.7 per mil with respect to associated carbonate minerals in the cuttings. These differences in O 18 content may be the result of reaction of the carbonate sediment with waters enriched in O 18 .
Pressure fluctuations produced by forward steps immersed in a turbulent boundary layer

Experiments have been performed on the disturbance of a high-Reynolds-number turbulent boundary layer by three forward steps with sizes close to 3.8, 15 and 60 % of the boundary layer thickness. Particular attention is focused on the impact of the steps on the fluctuating surface pressure field. Measurements were made from 5 boundary layer thicknesses upstream to 22 boundary layer thicknesses downstream of the step, a distance equivalent to over 600 step heights for the smallest step size. Flow speeds of 30 and were studied, corresponding to boundary layer momentum thickness Reynolds numbers of 15 500 and 26 600 and step size Reynolds numbers from 6640 to 213 000. The steps produce a disturbance to the boundary layer pressure spectrum that scales on step size and decays remarkably slowly with distance downstream. When normalized on step height and free-stream velocity, the disturbance is self-similar and appears to develop almost independently of the enveloping boundary layer. The disturbance is still clearly visible at 150 step heights downstream of the mid-size step. Pressure correlations show the disturbance to be characterized by organized quasiperiodic motions that become visible well downstream of reattachment. The coherence and scale of these motions, as seen in the wall pressure correlations, scales on the step height and thus their visibility relative to the boundary layer grows rapidly as the step size is increased.
A survey of smoothing techniques for ME models

In certain contexts, maximum entropy (ME) modeling can be viewed as maximum likelihood (ML) training for exponential models, and like other ML methods is prone to overfitting of training data. Several smoothing methods for ME models have been proposed to address this problem, but previous results do not make it clear how these smoothing methods compare with smoothing methods for other types of related models. In this work, we survey previous work in ME smoothing and compare the performance of several of these algorithms with conventional techniques for smoothing n-gram language models. Because of the mature body of research in n-gram model smoothing and the close connection between ME and conventional n-gram models, this domain is well-suited to gauge the performance of ME smoothing methods. Over a large number of data sets, we find that fuzzy ME smoothing performs as well as or better than all other algorithms under consideration. We contrast this method with previous n-gram smoothing methods to explain its superior performance.
Users' conceptions of web security: a comparative study

This study characterizes users' conceptions of web security. Seventy-two individuals, 24 each from a rural community in Maine, a suburban professional community in New Jersey, and a high-technology community in California, participated in an extensive (2-hour) semi-structured interview (including a drawing task) about Web security. The results show that many users across the three diverse communities mistakently evaluated whether a connection is secure or not secure. Empirically-derived typologies are provided for (1) conceptions of security based on users' verbal reasoning, (2) the types of evidence users depend upon in evaluating whether a connection is secure, and (3) conceptions of security as portrayed in users' drawings. Design implications are discussed.
New Inner and Outer Bounds for the Memoryless Cognitive Interference Channel and Some New Capacity Results

The cognitive interference channel is a two-user interference channel in which one transmitter is non-causally provided with the message of the other transmitter. This channel model has been extensively studied in the past years and capacity results have been proved for certain classes of channels. This paper presents new inner and outer bounds for the capacity region of the cognitive interference channel, as well as new capacity results. Previously proposed outer bounds are expressed in terms of auxiliary random variables for which no cardinality constraint of their alphabet is known. Consequently, it is not possible to evaluate such outer bounds explicitly for a given channel. The outer bound derived in this work is based on an idea originally devised by Sato for channels without receiver cooperation and results in an outer bound that does not contain auxiliary random variables, thus allowing it to be more easily evaluated. The inner bound presented in this work-which includes rate splitting, superposition coding, a broadcast channel-like binning scheme and Gel'fand Pinsker coding-is the largest known to date and is explicitly shown to include all previously proposed achievable rate regions. The novel inner and outer bounds are shown to coincide in certain cases. In particular, capacity is proved for a class of channels in the so-called “better cognitive decoding” regime, which includes the regimes in which capacity was known. Finally, the capacity region of the semi-deterministic cognitive interference channel, in which the signal at the cognitive receiver is an arbitrary deterministic function of the channel inputs, is established.
TAPHONOMIC BIAS OF SELECTIVE SILICIFICATION REVEALED BY PAIRED PETROGRAPHIC AND INSOLUBLE RESIDUE ANALYSIS

Silicification is an important mode of fossil preservation but the extent to which silicified material represents an unbiased sampling of the total fossil assemblage within a given rock sample remains poorly quantified. Here, we use paired analyses of thin sections and acid-extracted silicified specimens from the same samples to examine the biases introduced during silicification of Lower Triassic Virgin Limestone carbonates preserved in the Muddy Mountains of southern Nevada. Bivalves dominate most thin sections in the point count data, but rarely silicify completely enough to be recognized in residue. Echinoderms and gastropods are less abundant in thin section but dominate the residues. The abundances of these groups in thin section and residue are only weakly correlated. These findings suggest that although silicification generally captures relative trends in proportional abundance of higher taxa among samples, the silicification process can be taxonomically biased. Given the biases that can occur during silicification, it should not be assumed that silicified collections present a pristine picture of taxonomic or paleoecologic composition. Petrographic analysis has the potential to illuminate the reliability of paleontological data based on silicified collections.
Seasonal Variation In Flexible Pavement Deflection

A mathematical model is formulated to relate flexible pavement deflections to single-axle load, thickness of pavement components, and time (or season of the year). Plotting creep speed deflection versus time for the AASHO Road Test data reveals significantly higher deflections in the spring than in the winter. This behavioral pattern is described reasonably well by a sine wave of constant amplitude oscillating about a displaced horizontal base line. The assumptions of constant amplitude and horizontal base line are substantiated to some degree by data taken over a ten year period from seven highways in Maryland, but they are subject to modification as more data becomes available. The amplitude of the wave and level of the base line are then determined as functions of the thickness index and applied single-axle load, and correlation plots are given to indicate the reliability of the resulting mathematical model in predicting measured deflections.
Women Military Veterans, Disability, and Employment

This study contributes to the growing body of literature about women veterans of the U.S. military by investigating how veteran status and disability are related to women’s ability to work. The study uses nationally representative data to analyze labor market outcomes of women who served in the U.S. military since 1973, with a focus on findings about women who have served since 2001. Results indicate women who served after 2001 are more likely to have a disability when compared to men veterans and women nonveterans. Those women veterans who do not have a disability are more likely to be employed than their nonveteran counterparts, net of controls for demographic factors. Disability, including service-related disability, is strongly related to unemployment and being out of the labor force. The discussion considers the implications of women’s military service for their ability to work.