cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal evaluation of activated protein C resistance among normal pregnancies of Hispanic women

Abstract Objective: This study was undertaken to describe pregnancy-associated activated protein C resistance and the presence of the factor V Leiden mutation in a sample population of pregnant Hispanic women. Study Design: Twenty healthy Hispanic women with single intrauterine pregnancies were randomly selected. Blood samples were taken before 8 weeks' gestation, every 4 weeks during pregnancy, and at 6 weeks post partum. Samples were collected, separated, and stored at –70°C until assay. Standard and modified partial thromboplastin time–based assays were used to evaluate response to activated protein C. A sensitivity ratio ≤2 indicated resistance to activated protein C. Repeated measures analysis of variance and unpaired t tests were used as appropriate. P Results: Mean (±SEM) maternal age was 29 ± 5 years, and most women were multiparous. Mean gestational age at delivery was 38 weeks' gestation, and the mean birth weight was 3000 g. According to the standard assay, 10 women (50%) acquired activated protein C resistance by 13 weeks' gestation, and this condition persisted through delivery and resolved post partum. Another two had preexisting activated protein C resistance. Results of the standard assay were significantly different for women with preexisting and pregnancy-associated activated protein C resistance (1.55 vs 2.18; P =.01). The modified assay distinguished between women with preexisting and pregnancy-associated activated protein C resistance at 8 weeks' gestation, 24 weeks' gestation, and post partum. The pregnancies of the women with preexisting activated protein C resistance were complicated by oligohydramnios at 34 weeks' gestation and required delivery at 36 weeks' gestation. One infant was small for gestational age. Allele-specific polymerase chain reaction analysis demonstrated that both patients with preexisting activated protein C resistance carried one copy of the factor V Leiden mutation. Conclusion: The incidences of pregnancy-associated and factor V Leiden mutation–associated activated protein C resistances in our cohort of gravid Hispanic women was higher than previously reported. Factor V Leiden–associated activated protein C resistance in two patients was associated with adverse perinatal outcome. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000;182:1433-6.)
Slavophiles and Westernizers Redux: Contemporary Russian Elite Perspectives

Drawing on surveys of Russian foreign policy elites in 2004, a political scientist asks whether the findings, and the explanation of those findings, reported in his 2002 study of the connections between Russian elites' orientations to the Russian domestic political economy and their foreign policy perspectives continue to obtain. The survey data are used to elaborate on an issue identified in that study: the latetwentieth-century reprise of the nineteenth-century Westernizer-Slavophile divide. Also assessed is the extent to which developmental-path preference and orientation to the domestic political economy continue to be major predictors of Russian elite orientation at the mid-point in Vladimir Putin's presidency.
The role of Naja flava toxoid and toxin in experimental poliomyelitis

1. Naja flava venom heated to 100° C for 15 minutes interferes with intracerebrally inducedBrunhilde andLansing poliomyelitis infection in rhesus monkeys when the blockading agent is administered subcutaneously 24 hours after infection. 2. It is suggested that this interference mechanism is based on the direct action of the heated venom on motoneurons, as evidenced by histopathologic changes in the spinal cords of normal rhesus monkeys injected subcutaneously with the venom. 3. Similar histopathologic changes are seen when large doses ofNaja flava toxoid are injected subcutaneously into normal rhesus monkeys. 4. An attempt has been made to extend the interpretation of the neurotoxoid and neurotoxin interference mechanism in poliomyelitis by correlating enzymatic studies of other workers with cobra venom and with chromatolytic cells refractory to poliomyelitis infection.
The minimum variance of estimates in quantum signal detection

A quantum-mechanical form of the Cramer-Rao inequality is derived, setting a lower bound to the variance of an unbiased estimate of a parameter of a density operator. It is applied to the estimates of parameters such as amplitude, arrival time, and carrier frequency of a coherent signal as picked up by an ideal receiver in the presence of thermal noise. The estimation of parameters of a noise-like signal is also treated.
A novel stable reproducible model of hepatic failure in canines

Abstract Background. Stable and reproducible large animal models of hepatic failure, which allow the assessment of liver-assist devices, are not available. Our objective was to develop a physiologically stable animal model of hepatic failure on which the safety and efficacy of an extracorporeal liver-assist device can be tested. We hypothesized that a surgical model which consists of an end-to-side portocaval shunt combined with common bile duct ligation and transection would create hepatic failure with: (1) elevations in amino transferases, total bilirubin, and ammonia; (2) a decrease in the ratio of branched chain to aromatic amino acids; and (3) histologic evidence of hepatic injury. Methods. Eleven mongrel dogs underwent common bile duct transection and an end-to-side portocaval shunt. Aminotransferases (AST, ALT), total bilirubin, ammonia, and branched chain and aromatic amino acids were measured prior to operation (baseline) and after 9 days. A necropsy was performed on Postoperative Day 9 and liver biopsies were obtained for histology. Results. By Postoperative Day 9, AST, ALT, total bilirubin, and ammonia values were significantly elevated compared to baseline (P Conclusion. Portocaval shunt with common bile duct transection produces liver failure with elevations in aminotransferases, total bilirubin, and ammonia, a decreased branched chain to aromatic amino acid ratio, and histologic inflammation. Unlike ischemic or chemically induced models of liver failure, the dogs were hemodynamically and neurologically stable. This model can be used to test the safety and efficacy of liver-assist devices aimed at temporizing the detoxification functions of the failing liver.
Delay of voice traffic over the Internet

Originally designed for data communication, the Internet is being considered for real-time voice and video communication (in applications such as telephony, voice conferencing, videophone and video conferencing). In order to become a legitimate alternative to the traditional circuit-switched telephone network, the internet must guarantee toll quality for voice communication, which translates into stringent requirements on voice packets, in particular in terms of delay, loss rate and service availability. In this paper, we seek to assess voice delay in the Internet. In this respect, we use network simulation to derive the end-to-end delay incurred by voice traffic for various network scenarios (i.e. path lengths, link bandwidths) and loading conditions, using different encoding and packetization schemes. As a consequence of the tradeoffs revealed by the delay results obtained, we propose a simple mechanism for end-to-end bandwidth management and admission control for voice streams.
Biochemical characterization of six trisomics of grain sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.

To determine protein differences of grain sorghum disomics and trisomics, we analyzed leaf extracts from six trisomics and a disomic control by disc gel, gel isoelectric focusing, and SDS gel electrophoresis. Based on the number and position of protein bands revealed by Commassie blue staining, the disomic control could be differentiated from the trisomics, and trisomics could be shown to differ among themselves in most cases. SDS gels revealed the most protein bands, followed by isoelectric focusing and disc gel. However, disc gel electrophoresis was the simplest technique of the three and was just as effective in identifying trisomics and differentiating trisomics from the disomic control.
AGU Position Statements Addressed at Fall Meeting Town Hall

The AGU Outreach Committee and Public Affairs staff held a town hall at the 2012 Fall Meeting to discuss AGU position statements. The town hall, “AGU Position Statements: Announcing New Submission and Review Methods,” held on Monday, 3 December, provided background on AGU position statements, recent changes to the review and writing processes, updates on statements under revision, and ways for members to utilize and impact position statements.
Effects of Menstrual Cycle and Race on Peripheral Vascular α-Adrenergic Responsiveness

Gender differences in the incidence of many cardiovascular diseases may be due to the effects of sex hormones. Both alpha(1)- and alpha(2)-adrenergic receptors produce vasoconstriction in peripheral blood vessels and have demonstrated gender effects in previous studies. In addition, race has been shown to influence the effects of some alpha-adrenergic stimuli. We therefore sought to determine the effects of the menstrual cycle and race on peripheral blood flow responses to the intra-arterial infusion of phenylephrine (alpha(1)-agonist) and clonidine (alpha(2)-agonist). Ten white and 8 black women were studied during the early luteal phase and the follicular phase; these phases were verified in each woman through measurements of plasma estradiol and progesterone. Plasma norepinephrine was measured with HPLC. During phenylephrine infusion, there was significantly greater vasoconstriction in the luteal phase versus the follicular phase (P 0.8) between white and black women. During clonidine infusion, white women showed significantly more vasoconstriction in the follicular phase than during the luteal phase (P 0.9). Blood pressures were significantly higher in the black women (diastolic P<0.005, systolic P<0.05). The luteal-phase elevation of alpha(1)-adrenergic responses may be due to elevated levels of estradiol, progesterone, or both. The lack of luteal-phase reduction in alpha(2)-adrenergic vasoconstriction in black women may contribute to their increased pressor responses to adrenergic stimuli.
Interaction of bovine erythrocyte N-glycolylneuraminic acid-containing gangliosides and glycoproteins with a human Hanganutziu-Deicher serum.

A human Hanganutziu-Deicher (H-D) serum reacted with N-glycolylneuraminic acid (NeuGc)-containing gangliosides and glycoproteins isolated from bovine erythrocyte membranes. Three populations of H-D antibodies were identified in the human H-D serum. One population very likely recognized the NeuGc-Gal sequence; a second population appears to recognize additional sugars in the oligosaccharide sequence, e.g. NeuGc-Gal-GlcNAc; while a third population may also recognize polypeptide determinants in addition to the NeuGc-Gal-GlcNAc sequence. The H-D serum distinguished two high mol. wt glycoproteins (HMGP I and II) present in crude extracts of bovine erythrocyte membranes. These glycoproteins were separated by repetitive fractionation on Sephacryl S-1000 in the presence of urea and their composition determined.
Double Jeopardy: The Compounding Effects of Class and Race in School Mathematics

This article reports a cross-case analysis examining the impact of class and race upon two young adolescent girls' experiences with school mathematics. Based on repeated in-depth interviews and ethnographic observation of their mathematics classroom, the researcher portrays contrasting pictures of two high-achieving, young, adolescent girls who come from different class and racial backgrounds. Although a very small sample, this study reveals the impact of class intertwined with race upon the girls' experiences with school mathematics as well as their teacher's evaluation of their academic potential in the discipline. I argue that traditional ways of teaching and learning mathematics present middle-class-based cultural values and dispositions as an essential, legitimate, and objective indicator of one's academic potential. This reflects implicit classism existing at the structural level of the schooling process.
Diffusion tensor imaging in moderate-to-severe pediatric traumatic brain injury: changes within an 18 month post-injury interval

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability in children, yet little is known regarding the pattern of TBI-related microstructural change and its impact on subsequent development. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to examine between-group differences at two time points (planned intervals of 3 months and 18 months post-injury) and within-group longitudinal change in a group of children and adolescents aged 7–17 years with moderate-to-severe TBI (n = 20) and a comparison group of children with orthopedic injury (OI) (n = 21). In the 3- and 18-month cross-sectional analyses, tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) generally revealed decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) and increased apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in the TBI group in regions of frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital white matter as well as several deep subcortical structures, though areas of FA decrease were more prominent at the 3-month assessment, and areas of ADC increase were more prominent at the 18 month assessment, particularly in the frontal regions. In terms of the within-group changes over time, the OI group demonstrated primarily diffuse increases in FA over time, consistent with previous findings of DTI-measured white matter developmental change. The TBI group demonstrated primarily regions of FA decrease and ADC increase over time, consistent with presumed continued degenerative change, though regions of ADC decrease were also appreciated. These results suggest that TBI-related microstructural changes are dynamic in children and continue until at least 18 months post-injury. Understanding the course of these changes in DTI metrics may be important in TBI for facilitating advances in management and intervention.
Ca2+/Mg2+-dependent endonuclease activation is an early event in VP-16-induced apoptosis of human breast cancer MCF7 cells in vitro

Abstract Apoptosis is now recognized as one of the major processes regulating the size of cell populations. However, despite intensive investigations the biochemical and enzymological mechanisms involved in apoptosis remain unclear. In the present study we demonstrate activation of a Ca 2+ /Mg 2+ -dependent endonuclease during VP-16-induced apoptosis in MCF7 cells. Nuclease activation occurred prior to the appearance of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, suggesting that this activation may be an early and possibly critical step in drug-induced apoptosis. Analysis of the internucleosomal DNA fragments showed that they contained phosphorylated 5′-ends indicating that they were produced by a Ca 2+ /Mg 2+ -dependent endonuclease.
To treat or not to treat: A working document for making critical life decisions

To treat or not to treat: A working document for making critical life decisions. Showalter, J.S., and Andrew, B.L. (The Catholic Health Association of the United States, St. Louis, Missouri, 1984), 107 pages, $15.00.
A note on mathematical induction on phrase structure grammars

Two rules of derivation are exhibited and shown to yield valid metalinguistic theorems concerning phrase structure grammars (type 2 or context-free grammars, in Chomsky's notation).
An analysis of void distribution effects on the dynamic growth and coalescence of voids in ductile metals

Abstract T he effects of void distribution on dynamic failure are studied by modeling a discrete set of randomly distributed cylindrical voids and subjecting them to a tension wave. The model problems are solved numerically with an Eulerian finite element program to allow for the generation of new free surfaces during coalescence. Unlike previous work, the growth and coalescence of small clusters of voids are simulated, i.e. the analysis is continued until the ligaments between the voids are broken and a fracture surface is formed. The peak transmitted stress is found to be insensitive to the magnitude of the tension wave and sensitive to the void distribution, but the time for the voids to coalesce into a fracture surface and the path of the fracture surface are found to be functions of the magnitude of the tension wave. For the small number of voids considered, the effects of the void distribution on the failure stresses were equivalent to the effects of doubling the initial void fraction.
Time evolution and spectral concentration in quantum systems

Abstract Time dependence and spectral concentration in quantum systems are reviewed. A partitioning technique is presented based on retarded and advanced propagators. The associated fundamental time symmetry is conveniently formulated in correspondence with the classical notion of reversal of time and momenta. Symmetry breakings occur when a particular convolution product is broken up into past and future times. The separation of the time variable into two scales is discussed. Comparison with the wave and reaction operator formulation gives a reciprocal relationship between these times together with an emphasis of the role played by the associated spectral density. Examples are given from applications of Weyl's complex eigenvalue theory.
Model for determining real-time optimal dam releases during flooding conditions

A methodology for evaluating real-time optimal reservoir releases under flooding conditions that minimizes flood damages for a river-reservoir system is described in this paper. The problem is formulated as a discrete-time optimal control problem in which reservoir releases are the control variables, and water surface elevations and discharges are the state variables. Constraints imposed on the reservoir’s water surface elevations and reservoir releases to the downstream reaches are incorporated into an objective function using a penalty function method. The optimal control model consists of the two primary interfaced components: (1) the U.S. Geological Survey Full EQuation routing model to simulate the unsteady flow dynamics of the river-reservoir system and (2) an optimization technique, simulated annealing that optimizes reservoir releases (flood control gate operations) subject to system constraints. The model solves an augmented control problem. The model was applied to the river-reservoir system of Lake Travis on the Lower Colorado River in Texas. The model application to Lake Travis revealed the usefulness of the model in improving a given operation policy, regardless of the type objective function (linear or nonlinear). The methodology and the operation model developed here are unique since they can be applied to any river-reservoir system, do not require simplification of nonlinearities, and guarantee the determination of an optimal or near-global optima.
A re-examination of the use of ethnicity in prenatal carrier testing

In April 2011, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (formerly the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology [ACOG]), updated its policy on carrier screening for cystic fibrosis and proposed that because of the increasing difficulty in assigning a single ethnicity to individuals, "It is reasonable, therefore to offer CF carrier screening to all patients." However, ACOG continues to use ethnicity in its guidelines about carrier testing for autosomal recessive disorders like sickle cell disease (SCD) and Tay-Sachs disease (TSD). This practice is in marked contrast with newborn screening (NBS) which is universally provided for all conditions. In this manuscript, I evaluate the discrepant role of ethnicity in NBS and carrier screening. I argue that ACOG needs to adopt the position it now takes for CF regarding prenatal carrier testing for all conditions. To promote equity in prenatal testing decision making, health care policies must acknowledge the diversity of the populations that we serve and empower all women and couples to make more fully informed reproductive decisions by offering prenatal carrier testing to all.
Passband-shifting filters through postgrowth modification of filter optical thickness.

We describe a postgrowth method to produce passband filters with different center wavelengths from a single growth run by irreversibly changing the refractive index of a layer or a series of layers within the filter. This leads to a new type of filter, the passband-shifting filter, whose center wavelength can be irreversibly shifted from λ0 to λ0-Δλ after the filter has been grown. The passband shift can be controlled exactly by proper design of the multilayer. We present the theory behind passband-shifting-filter design along with transfer-matrix simulations and preliminary experimental results for a two-cavity filter, using lateral oxidation of AlxGa1-xAs-based materials to effect the passband shift.
The developmental expression pattern of a new murine homeo box gene: Hox-2.5

To examine the possible role of homeo box genes in murine development we have studied the structure and expression pattern of Hox-2.5, a newly isolated homeo box gene that maps to the left end of the mouse Hox-2 locus on chromosome 11. The sequence of the Hox-2.5 homeo box has been determined. It is highly homologous to Hox-1.7 and Hox-3.2, demonstrating extended conservation among three homeo box complexes in the mouse. Northern and in situ hybridization analyses of Hox-2.5 demonstrate a novel, regionally restricted pattern of expression in developing mesoderm and neurectoderm. We detect localized Hox-2.5 transcripts as early as 8.5 days postcoitum. The expression pattern of Hox-2.5 was analyzed over the next 3 days of ontogeny, as well as in later embryonic, newborn, and adult stages. Three-dimensional reconstruction of Hox-2.5 transcript localization within the central nervous system of early embryos clearly illustrates the neural expression domain. Although the Hox-2.5 expression pattern is regionally restricted during all of these stages of development, the pattern changes along the anteroposterior and dorsoventral axes of the CNS as the embryo undergoes complex morphogenetic movements and cytodifferentiation.
Extracting the rayleigh reflection coefficient from the passive fathometer

Mapping and profiling the ocean floor has, until recently, relied on the use of active sonar. These systems use transducers to transmit a known waveform toward the seabed, and hydrophones to listen for its reflections. In recent years, it has been shown that passive sonar systems, which use only hydrophones, can also be used for such purposes. Instead of artificial sounds, these techniques utilize naturally occurring noise on the ocean surface as a sound source. One of these techniques, called the passive fathometer, is able to produce a vertical profile of the seabed from breaking wave and wind noise. The time series it produces is intimately related to the acoustic properties of the seabed, as well as a quantity called the Rayleigh reflection coefficient (RRC). This paper presents a technique for estimating the normal incidence RRC using the passive fathometer. This is accomplished by time-gating the output and scaling the result using an incoherent estimate of the total power loss. Determination of the time-gate range is based off of a closed form solution that approximates the output of the passive fathometer. Using an idealized model of a vertical line array beamformer, it is shown that when surface noise undergoes several bottom-surface bounces, the correlation of end-fire beams produces a time domain representation of the RRC along with reverberations. Moving to a more realistic beamformer, it is shown how leakage at the opposite end-fire direction of the array produces additional artifacts in the time series output. In addition, leakage at oblique angles is used to explain artifacts that appear at the start of the time series that span twice the length of the array. By being able to predict the output of the passive fathometer for a given RRC, it is shown how an estimate of that coefficient can be extracted from ambient noise data. A simulation using the Ocean Acoustics and Seismic Exploration Synthesis (OASES) tool is presented which illustrates this technique.
Selective blockade of the delayed rectifier potassium current by tacrine in Drosophila.

Tetrahydroaminoacridine (tacrine) is an anticholinesterase agent used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Its effectiveness against dementia is attributed to its inhibition of acetylcholine breakdown in the synaptic cleft. Tacrine has also been shown to block ionic currents, including many types of potassium (K+) currents, calcium currents, and sodium currents. However, the physiologic significance of this blockade, especially with respect to its effectiveness against Alzheimer's disease, is not clear because of relatively high (several hundred micromolar to millimolar) concentrations of tacrine employed in many studies of channel blockade, and because it blocks several types of currents. A complete mutational and pharmacologic resolution of ionic currents in the larval muscles of Drosophila allowed us to examine the selectivity of tacrine's effects at very low concentrations. At concentrations as low as 10 μM, tacrine selectively blocked the delayed rectifier K+ current without affecting the three other K+ currents or the calcium channel current in these cells. It also increased the duration of the action potentials significantly. An interesting aspect of tacrine's selectivity is that the current blocked by it is the quinidine-sensitive delayed rectifier K+ current rather than the 4-aminopyridine (4-AP)-sensitive transient K+ current. This is in contrast to the generally emphasized structural relationship between tacrine and 4-AP. Since tacrine is structurally related to quinidine as well, these observations suggest a structural basis for the selectivity of tacrine, 4-AP, and quinidine for specific K+ channels. Furthermore, the data are consistent with the possibility of increased neurotransmitter release, due to prolonged presynaptic action potentials, acting synergistically with the anticholinesterase activity of tacrine to increase its therapeutic effectiveness. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 32: 1–10, 1997.
A reactive aspartyl residue of pepsin.

Abstract Recently it was reported ( Hamilton, Spona, and Crowell, 1967 ) that pepsin was inactivated by an equimolar amount of 1-diazo-4-phenylbutanone-2 (DPB). The results indicated that the reaction occurred at or near the active site of pepsin. In the present communication we report evidence indicating that DPB reacts with pepsin to form an ester of 1-hydroxy-4-phenylbutanone-2 (HPB) with the β-carboxyl group of an aspartyl residue, and that the amino acid sequence containing this aspartyl residue is: Ile-Val-Asp-Thr. This aspartyl residue is different from that attacked by another class of pepsin inhibitors, the α-haloketones ( Erlanger, Vratsanos, Wassermann, and Cooper, 1966 ). Therefore, the present results define a different section of the pepsin molecule which may be involved in the enzymic catalysis.
Closure to “Response of 0.6 m Cast-in-Steel-Shell Pile in Liquefied Soil under Lateral Loading” by Thomas J. Weaver, S. A. Ashford, and Kyle M. Rollins

The authors note that the data in the Strain Wedge Model (SWM) used by the discussers to validate the p-y curve development and pile head response for the 0.6-m diameter CISS pile uses different load cycles. Each load cycle is comprised of different load strengths and stiffnesses (Ashford and Rollins 1999). In addition, the authors have discovered that the discussers used the wrong soil profile for two of the three soils under analysis. This and other errors found by the authors have caused them to question the validity of the SWM the discussers used to analyze pile performance in liquefied soil.
An algorithmic benchmark for quantum information processing

Quantum information processing offers potentially great advantages over classical information processing, both for efficient algorithms1,2 and for secure communication3,4. Therefore, it is important to establish that scalable control of a large number of quantum bits (qubits) can be achieved in practice. There are a rapidly growing number of proposed device technologies5,6,7,8,9,10,11 for quantum information processing. Of these technologies, those exploiting nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) have been the first to demonstrate non-trivial quantum algorithms with small numbers of qubits12,13,14,15,16. To compare different physical realizations of quantum information processors, it is necessary to establish benchmark experiments that are independent of the underlying physical system, and that demonstrate reliable and coherent control of a reasonable number of qubits. Here we report an experimental realization of an algorithmic benchmark using an NMR technique that involves coherent manipulation of seven qubits. Moreover, our experimental procedure can be used as a reliable and efficient method for creating a standard pseudopure state, the first step for implementing traditional quantum algorithms in liquid state NMR systems. The benchmark and the techniques can be adapted for use with other proposed quantum devices.
Measuring the Radiopacity of the Lip and Mandible

I T HAS been a common experience among those who study dental radiographs to note the wide variation in appearance among sets of radiographs produced with standard technics. The routine x-ray examination of a group of individuals will produce some sets of radiographs which are generally dark or dense and other sets which appear quite light or thin, but the appearance of the majority of the sets will lie between the dark and light extremes. It is the purpose of this paper to report an investigation which was made to determine and predict the occurrence of the factors which cause the wide variations in the appearance of radiographs produced by conventional technics. There are manv variables involveed in the production of a radiograph. Each variable is a possible cause of the wide radiographic variations which occur among individuals.
Single cell detection using a glass-based optofluidic device fabricated by femtosecond laser pulses

We demonstrate the fabrication of integrated three-dimensional microchannel and optical waveguide structures inside fused silica for the interrogation and processing of single cells. The microchannels are fabricated by scanning femtosecond laser pulses (523 nm) and subsequent selective wet etching process. Optical waveguides are additionally integrated with the fabricated microchannels by scanning the laser pulse train inside the glass specimen. Single red blood cells (RBC) in diluted human blood inside of the manufactured microchannel were detected by two optical schemes. The first involved sensing the intensity change of waveguide-delivered He–Ne laser light (632.8 nm) induced by the refractive index difference of a cell flowing in the channel. The other approach was viadetection of fluorescence emission from dyed RBC excited by Ar laser light (488 nm) delivered by the optical waveguide. The proposed device was tested to detect 23 fluorescent particles per second by increasing the flow rate up to 0.5 μl min−1. The optical cell detection experiments support potential implementation of a new generation of glass-based optofluidic biochip devices in various single cell treatment processes including laser based cell processing and sensing.
Quality Disparities in Child Care for At-Risk Children: Comparing Head Start and Non-Head Start Settings

The study objectives are to describe child care type and quality experienced by developmentally at-risk children, examine quality differences between Head Start and non-Head Start settings, and identify factors associated with receiving higher-quality child care. Data are analyzed from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey, Birth Cohort, a prospective study of a nationally representative sample of US children born in 2001. The sample consisted of 7,500 children who were assessed at 48 months of age. The outcome of interest is child care quality, measured by the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale (center care) and the Family Day Care Rating Scale (family day care). Results of descriptive and multivariate regression analyses are presented. Less than one-third of poor children were in Head Start. Child care quality was higher in Head Start centers than other centers, particularly among poor children (4.75 vs. 4.28, p < 0.001), Hispanics (4.90 vs. 4.45, p < 0.001), and whites (4.89 vs. 4.51, p < 0.001). African Americans experienced the lowest quality care in both Head Start and non-Head Start centers. Quality disadvantage was associated with Head Start family care settings, especially for low birthweight children (2.04 in Head Start vs. 3.58 in non-Head Start, p < 0.001). Lower family day care quality was associated with less maternal education and African American and Hispanic ethnicity. Center-based Head Start provides higher quality child care for at-risk children, and expansion of these services will likely facilitate school readiness in these populations. Quality disadvantages in Head Start family day care settings are worrisome and warrant investigation.
COMPARISON OF THE VIRUS-RECEPTOR INTERACTIONS OF HUMAN PARAINFLUENZA VIRUSES TYPES 1, 2 and 3. † 995

COMPARISON OF THE VIRUS-RECEPTOR INTERACTIONS OF HUMAN PARAINFLUENZA VIRUSES TYPES 1, 2 and 3. † 995
Discriminative control of hyperdipsic drinking in the baboon

Abstract A baboon subject was surgically prepared with an arterial catheter and subsequently trained to elevate diastolic blood pressure with an operant schedule of food procurement and shock avoidance with associated discriminative stimuli. Blood pressure elevations developed in accordance with the requirements of the conditioning procedure. In addition, large-scale increases in water intake occurred on days when the conditioning sessions were in effect. Both blood pressure and water intake elevations were maintained when the conditioning procedure was changed to eliminate food reinforcement. Electrical monitoring of water spout contacts revealed that drinking occurred exclusively during response-produced S D s associated with food delivery, and did not occur either during response-produced S D s associated with electric shock, or during intertrial intervals. Because acute elevations in blood pressure preceded licking bouts, the drinking was not producing the pressor episodes. Overall, the data illustrate that drinking can occur in a systematic manner under the control of exteroceptive discriminative stimuli during non-skeletal response contingencies.
Stochastic token theory

Abstract This paper presents a theory encompassing a collection of stochastic models developed earlier and concerning the evolution of subjective preferences under the influence of a stream of elementary events. The theory relies on two basic concepts. (1) The states : Each individual in the population of reference is regarded as evolving in real time through a sequence of internal states. These states can be probed by interviewing the subjects at some arbitrarily chosen times t 1 , …, t n . Each of these interviews yields a response which is a reflection of the current state. (2) The tokens : The individual is subjected to a stochastic stream of unobservable or unrecorded “particles” of information, called tokens . Each token has the potential of modifying the current state, and is accordingly formalized by a transformation on the set of states. The core of the theory and the major concern of this paper is the particular semigroup generated by all such transformations. Combinatorial and stochastic axioms are formulated which lead to testable conditions. The theorems of this paper generalize earlier results by the author and others.
Cationic polymerization of α‐methylstyrene from polydienes. I. Synthesis and characterization of poly(butadiene‐g‐α‐methylstyrene) copolymers

The preparation of poly(butadiene-g-α-methylstyrene) copolymers was investigated with three different alkylaluminum coinitiators. The alkylaluminum compounds in conjunction with polybutadiene which contained a low concentration of labile chlorine atoms initiated the polymerization of α-methylstyrene to produce graft copolymers. Trimethylaluminum gave higher grafting efficiencies than diethylaluminum chloride at comparable monomer conversions. Triethylaluminum produced only very low monomer conversions (<5%), even at long reaction times, and for this reason was not studied extensively. The number of grafts per polybutadiene backbone was determined for a number of copolymers and found to increase slightly as the allylic chlorine concentration in the polybutadiene backbone was increased. In all cases, however, only a low percentage of the available labile chlorine sites along the polybutadiene backbone resulted in grafted α-methylstyrene side chains. The addition of small quantities of water to the polymerization solvent greatly enhanced the grafting rate and ultimate monomer conversion during the synthesis of these poly(butadiene-g-α-methylstyrene) copolymers. The mechanistic role of water during these grafting reactions is unknown at the present time.
Structure–function relationships affecting the sensing mechanism of monolayer-protected cluster doped xerogel amperometric glucose biosensors

A systematic study of the structure-function relationships critical to understanding the sensing mechanism of 1st generation amperometric glucose biosensors with an embedded nanoparticle (NP) network is presented. Xerogel-based films featuring embedded glucose oxidase enzyme and doped with alkanethiolate-protected gold NPs, known as monolayer protected clusters (MPCs), exhibit significantly enhanced performance compared to analogous systems without NPs including higher sensitivity, faster response time, and extended linear/dynamic ranges. The proposed mechanism involves diffusion of the glucose to glucose oxidase within the xerogel, enzymatic reaction production of H2O2 with subsequent diffusion to the embedded network of MPCs where it is oxidized, an event immediately reported via fast electron transfer (ET) through the MPC system to the working electrode. Various aspects of the film construct and strategy are systematically probed using amperometry, voltammetry, and solid-state electronic conductivity measurements, including the effects of MPC peripheral chain length, MPC functionalization via place-exchange reaction, MPC core size, and the MPC density or concentration within the xerogel composite films. The collective results of these experiments support the proposed mechanism and identify interparticle spacing and the electronic communication through the MPC network is the most significant factor in the sensing scheme with the diffusional aspects of the mechanism that may be affected by film/MPC hydrophobicity and functionality (i.e., glucose and H2O2 diffusion) shown to be less substantial contributors to the overall enhanced performance. Understanding the structure-function relationships of effective sensing schemes allows for the employment of the strategy for future biosensor design toward clinically relevant targets.
Regulation of lymphocyte proliferation by uterine serpin: interleukin-2 mRNA production, CD25 expression and responsiveness to interleukin-2.

During pregnancy, the endometrium of the ewe secretes large amounts of a progesterone-induced protein of the serpin superfamily of serine proteinase inhibitors called ovine uterine serpin (OvUS). This protein inhibits lymphocyte proliferation in response to concanavalin A (ConA), phytohemagglutinin (PHA), or mixed lymphocyte reaction. The purpose of these experiments was to characterize the mechanism by which OvUS inhibits lymphocyte proliferation. Ovine US caused dose-dependent inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation induced by phorbol myristol acetate (PMA), an activator of protein kinase C. The PHA-induced increase in CD25 expression was inhibited in peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes (PBML) by OvUS. However, no effect of OvUS on Con A-induced expression of CD25 was observed. Further analysis using two-color flow cytometry revealed that OvUS inhibited ConA-induced expression of CD25 in γδ-TCR– cells but not γδ-TCR+ cells. Stimulation of PBML for 14 hr with ConA resulted in an increase in steady sta...
Gift, Sale, and Theft: Juan de Ribera and the Sacred Economy of Relics in the Early Modern Mediterranean

AbstractIn 1599 Valencia celebrated the arrival of an ancient Christian martyr whose remains were the latest addition to the collection of the city’s archbishop, Juan de Ribera (1532-1611). Through an examination of some of Archbishop Ribera’s relic acquisitions, I explore the inner workings of the early modern sacred economy of relics. Ribera’s collection strategies blended distinct modes of exchange and linked him to a clandestine economy of relic theft. These transactions reflected the relic’s own uncertain ontological status as both person and object. This ambivalence became a factor that fostered an atmosphere of anxiety around the early modern relic economy, as did Protestant reformers’ critiques and their upending of the traditional Christian symbolic order. The reaffirmations of the cult of relics by the Tridentine Church stabilized the value of the sacred commodities. The economy of relics illustrates how the sacred constitutes a heretofore underexamined area of inquiry for commodity studies.
The Femme Fatale: Images, Histories, Contexts

Helen Hanson and Catherine O'Rawe (eds), 2010, Palgrave Macmillan, Houndmills and New York, 236 pp. (hbk), ISBN 978-0-230-20361-7 The cinematic femme fatale's combination of sexualized ambition, ca...
Formal specification and verification of Ada software

The use of formal methods in software development achieves levels of quality assurance unobtainable by other means. The Larch approach to specification is described, and the specification of avionics software designed to implement the logic of a flight control system is given as an example. Penelope is described which is an Ada-verification environment. The Penelope user inputs mathematical definitions, Larch-style specifications and Ada code and performs machine-assisted proofs that the code obeys its specifications. As an example, the verification of a binary search function is considered. Emphasis is given to techniques assisting the reuse of a verification effort on modified code.
Growth Of Low-Dislocation-Density InP Single Crystals By The VCZ Method

Low-dislocation-density InP single crystals have been successfully grown under the low axial temperature gradient of dT/dZ = 30°C/cm by the VCZ method, which is an LEC method with phosphorus vapor pressure applied over the liquid encapsulant during growth. The average EPD is about 2,000 cm-2 in the 2-inch diameter crystals doped with Fe or Sn. The slip-free and dislocation-free crystals have been obtained by doping S of 2 x 1018cm-3 at the seed end. The InP crystals have uniform distributions of electrical properties with variations of less than 2%. The photoluminescence measurements of Sn-doped crystal have revealed no deep level due to phosphorus vacancy. The VPE InGaAs layer grown on the S-doped VCZ substrate exhibits few propagated dislocations and a very low leak current.
Resource recovery systems costs

Abstract The investment cost, operating cost and overall economics of resource recovery plants handling 500 to 2 000 tons per day of municipal solid waste were determined. These plants recover only refuse derived fuel and ferrous metal from the waste. Additional economics have been developed for plants recovering other products.
The local potential approximation of the renormalization group and its applications

Abstract In the local potential approximation, the renormalization group is reduced to a differential equation. We study the general properties of the equation and in particular we show that the RG flow is the gradient of a scalar function. Then, the differential equation is solved numerically for two classes of models. The first one is that of the usual n-component Heisenberg models and serves as a quantitative test of the approximation. More challenging are the Stiefel non-linear σ-models Vn,2 which are used to describe a phase transition with a symmetry O(n) broken down to O(n−2). For these models, the usual RG perturbative expansions fail. Reliable three-dimensional critical behaviors are obtained using the local potential approximation. In particular, the model V3,2 in three dimensions is of physical interest: it possesses an almost second order transition with v = 0.63
Water in the Half Shell: Structure of water, focusing on angular structure and solvation

Water is a highly polar molecule, consisting of a very electronegative atom, oxygen, bonded to two weakly electropositive hydrogen atoms with two lone pairs of electrons. These features give water remarkable physical properties, some of which are anomalous, such as its lower density in the solid phase compared with the liquid phase. Its ability to serve as both a hydrogen bond donor and hydrogen bond acceptor governs its role as a solvent, a role that is of central interest for biological chemists. In this Account, we focus on water’s properties as a solvent. Water dissolves a vast range of solutes with solubilities that range over 10 orders of magnitude. Differences in solubility define the fundamental dichotomy between polar, or hydrophilic, solutes and apolar, or hydrophobic, solutes. This important distinction plays a large part in the structure, stability, and function of biological macromolecules. The strength of hydrogen bonding depends on the H−O···O H-bond angle, and the angular distribution is b...
Between-caste aversion as a basis for division of labor in the ant Pheidole pubiventris (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

When deprived of minor workers under expermental conditions, major workers of the ant Pheidble pubiventris dramatically increase their repertory and rate of activity, and the change is due in good part to the greater attention they pay the brood. When minor workers are reinstated in appropriate numbers, the majors reduce their attention to the immature stages to the ordinary, low levels. Their response consists of the active avoidance of minors while in the vicinity of the immature stages. However, majors do not turn from other majors near the brood as much as they do from the minors, and they do not avoid minors at all while in other parts of the nest. In addition, minors do not avoid either minors or majors anywhere in the nest. The result is a striking division of labor with reference to brood care.