cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A race-conscious approach toward research on racial inequities in palliative care.

Abstract Racial inequities in palliative and end-of-life care have been well-documented for many years. This inequity is long-standing and resistant to many intervention efforts. One reason for this may be that research in racial inequity in palliative care, and the interventions developed, do not account for the effects of race and the everyday racism that patients of color experience while navigating the healthcare system. Public Health Critical Race Praxis (PHCRP) offers researchers new routes of inquiry to broaden the scope of research priorities in palliative care and improving racial outcomes through a novel conceptual framework and methodology. PHCRP, based off critical race theory (CRT), contains ten principles within four foci to guide researchers toward a more race conscious approach for the generation of research questions, research processes, and development of interventions targeting racial inequities.
Two Abbasid trials: Aḥmad Ibn Ḥanbal and Ḥunayn b. Isḥāq

According to Ḥanbalī sources, the imam (d. 855) did not capitulate to the 'Abbāsid Inquisition. In modem times, a persuasive argument has been made that he must have done so; otherwise, he would never have been released. Yet a comparison of Ibn Ḥanbal's trial with that of Ḥunayn b. Isḥāq (d. 873) suggests that the `Abbāsid caliphs, when asked to judge suspected heretics, made their decisions based on reasons of state rather than dogmatic grounds. Against this background, the trial report of Ḥanbal b. Isḥāq can be read as a plausible account of why the caliph al-Mu'taṣim might have released Ibn Ḥanbal despite the latter's defiance of the Inquisition.
Patterns of Physical Activity Among American Indian Children: An Assessment of Barriers and Support

Estimates indicate that 10% to 50% of American Indian and non-Indian children in the U.S. are obese, defined as a body mass index > or = 95th percentile of the NHANES II reference data. Pathways is a two-phase, multi-site study to develop and test a school-based obesity prevention program in American Indian schoolchildren in grades three through five. During Phase I feasibility prior to initiation of the Pathways trial, data were collected related to physical activity patterns, and the supports of, and barriers to, physical activity. Nine schools from communities representing six different tribal groups participated in this study. Multiple measures were used for data collection including direct observation, paired child interviews, and in-depth interviews and focus groups with adults. Students completed the self-administered Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors (KAB) survey, and a Physical Activity Questionnaire (PAQ). Barriers to physical activity at schools included a lack of facilities, equipment, and trained staff persons for PE. Adults were not consistently active with their children, but they were highly supportive of their children's activity level. Children reported a strong enjoyment of physical activity and strong peer support to be physically active. Weather conditions, safety concerns, and homework/chores were common barriers to physical activity reported by children and adult caregivers. The information was used to design culturally and age-appropriate, practical interventions including the five physical activity programs for schoolchildren in the Pathways study.
The free shear layer edgetone and instability measurements

The shear tone phenomenon has been explored with a hot-wire in axi symmetric and plane free shear layers and is found to be different in many ways from the slit jet-wedge edgetone.
Adapting Representation in Genetic Programming

Genetic Programming uses trees to represent chromosomes. The user defines the representation space by defining the set of functions and terminals to label the nodes in the trees. The sufficiency principle requires that the set be sufficient to label the desired solution trees. To satisfy this principle, the user is often forced to provide a large set, which unfortunately also enlarges the representation space and thus, the search space. Structure-preserving crossover, STGP, CGP, and CFG-based GP, give the user the power to reduce the space by specifying rules for valid tree construction. However, the user often may not be aware of the best representation space, including heuristics, to solve a particular problem. In this paper, we present a methodology, which extracts and utilizes local heuristics aiming at improving search efficiency. The methodology uses a specific technique for extracting the heuristics, based on tracing first-order (parent-child) distributions of functions and terminals. We illustrate these distributions, and then we present a number of experimental results. ...
Neurodevelopment of preterm infants: Neonatal neurosonographic and serum bilirubin studies

In this study of 249 preterm infants of less than 34 weeks' gestation, the relationships between maximal serum total bilirubin concentrations during the neonatal period, neonatal cranial ultrasonographic abnormalities, and severe neurodevelopmental sequelae are described. The subjects, who were selected on the basis of serial cranial ultrasonographic findings, had repeated neurologic and developmental examinations during late infancy and early childhood that established the presence (n = 45) or absence (n = 204) of spastic forms of cerebral palsy. Of the 204 subjects without cerebral palsy, 23 scored abnormally low on standardized developmental testing during early childhood. All but seven of the subjects with cerebral palsy had grade III/IV intracranial hemorrhage or moderate to severe periventricular echogenicity or both, ultrasonographic abnormalities that probably reflect a disruption in the blood-brain barrier as well as extravasation of blood into brain tissue; however, analysis of the data did not suggest that these cranial ultrasonographic abnormalities increased either the maximum serum bilirubin concentration during the neonatal period or the susceptibility of the subjects to neurologic damage from hyperbilirubinemia. Also, there was no evidence to suggest that bilirubinemia in the range studied (2.3 to 22.5 mg/100 mL total serum bilirubin) was causally related to cerebral palsy, early developmental delay, or the development of periventricular cysts in this population of preterm infants.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Isolation of Two Acetyl Esterases from Extracts of Bacillus subtilis

Acrylamide gel electrophoresis of crude cellular extracts of Bacillus subtilis revealed the presence of two acetyl esterases. Esterase A, the slower migrating enzyme, was found to be present in both vegetative and sporulating cells, whereas esterase B activity was more abundant after exponential growth ceased. Both esterases were present in the supernatant fraction of lysed spheroplasts and in a disrupted spore preparation. Of four pleiotropic asporogenous mutants tested, three exhibited decreased esterase B activity. Esterases A and B were partially purified by differential precipitation and co-chromatographed on diethylaminoethyl (DEAE)-cellulose (pH 7.5) and DEAE-Sephadex (pH 8.5). By employing gel filtration chromatography, the two esterases were separated, and molecular weights of 160,000 and 51,000 were estimated for esterases A and B, respectively. Esterase A was further purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by differential heating and preparative starch block electrophoresis. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-acrylamide gel electrophoresis of purified esterase A yielded a single protein band with a molecular weight of 31,000. The pI values of esterases A and B were determined to be 6.4 and 5.4, respectively. Images
Validation of a Treatment-Based Classification System for Individuals With Facial Neuromotor Disorders

Background and Purpose. A method for linking treatments to signs and symptoms of facial neuromotor disorders is needed. We describe the construct validation of a treatment-based classification system for facial neuromotor disorders. Subjects and Methods. Based on physical signs and symptoms, 148 patients (mean age=48.9 years, SD=16.1, range=20–93) were assigned to treatment-based categories. The pattern of impairment and disability was compared with clinical expectations. Results. The distribution of impairment and disability scores demonstrated the expected signs and symptoms of the treatment-based categories. Confirmatory principal-components factor analysis indicated 4 factors, corresponding to the treatment-based categories; the factor loadings confirmed the presence of the key sign or symptom characteristic of the categories. Conclusion and Discussion. Classifying facial neuromotor disorders into treatment-based categories appears to be a valid method for categorizing patients with specific impairments or disabilities and may be useful in linking treatments to outcomes.
Electronic surveillance in the global workplace: laws, ethics, research and practice

This paper considers the legal, ethical and cultural factors that must be addressed in evaluating the appropriateness of employing electronic surveillance (ES) in varying international contexts. It critically evaluates the rationale that underlies the use of ES in a variety of settings and types of organisations. It suggests guidelines for the adoption and use of ES and potential directions for future research.
Conservation of localization patterns of IP(3) receptor type 1 in cerebellar Purkinje cells across vertebrate species.

The distribution of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP(3)) receptor type 1 (IP(3)R1) protein was studied in the adult cerebella of six different vertebrate species, zebrafish, skate, claw frog, rat, hamster, and mouse. The receptor was found at high expression levels in Purkinje cells in all species examined using a subtype-specific polyclonal antiserum against IP(3)R1 and fluorescence immunocytochemistry. The immunoreactivity for IP(3)R1 was found intracellularly at high concentrations in dendrites and somata and at lower levels in axons of these cells. Despite the morphological and functional differences of the cerebella the staining patterns of IP(3)R1 labeling in Purkinje cells was preserved. This is notable because the cerebella were taken from organisms representing a large segment of vertebrate phylogenetic development. The high expression levels of IP(3)R1 in Purkinje cells were found independent of the degree of the formation of fissures and folia and of the degree of branching of Purkinje cell dendrites. The conservation of cerebellar structures not only at the cellular level but more importantly at the molecular level suggests that identical intracellular calcium signaling mechanisms are used in a number of species that represent different areas of phylogenetic development and specialization.
A strategy for the measurement of homophobia.

This paper attempts to refine and state more clearly an operational definition of homophobia. Homophobia is seen as but one dimension among many that collectively refer to the much larger domain of homonegativeism. The paper then presents a new measure of homophobia, called the IHP, and reports the finding of a study designed to validate the new scale. The IHP was found to have a reliability of .90 and good content and factorial validity.
Optomechanical crystals for quantum photon and phonon circuits

In this talk I will describe recent advances to realize radiation pressure effects within coupled, nanoscale photonic and phononic crystal circuits (dubbed optomechanical crystals).
Uncertainty evaluation in the analysis of biological samples by sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Part A: measurements of Be, Cd, Hg, Ir, Pb, Pd, Pt, Rh, Sb, U, Tl and W in human serum

A protocol that utilises data (trueness/recovery, precision and robustness) from validation tests to calculate measurement uncertainty was described and applied to a sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SF-ICP-MS)-based method for the determination of Be, Cd, Hg, Ir, Pb, Pd, Pt, Rh, Sb, U, Tl and W in human serum. The method was validated according to criteria issued by international bodies such as AOAC, Eurachem and ISO and the uncertainty in the analytical measurements was estimated following the Eurachem/Citac guide. The methodology was based on dilution of human serum with water and analysis by serum-matched standard calibration. The method quantification limits ranged 0.02 microg/L (Tl, Ir) to 0.26 microg/L (Hg). The coefficients of regression were greater than 0.9991 over a range of two orders of magnitude of concentration. The mean trueness was 101% and the mean recovery on three levels of fortification (1-, 1.5-, and 2-times the baseline serum level) ranged between 93.3% and 106%. The maximum relative standard deviation values for repeatability and within-laboratory reproducibility were 12.8% and 13.5%. The method was robust to slight variations of some critical factors relevant to the sample preparation and SF-ICP-MS instrumentation. The relative expanded uncertainty over three levels of concentration ranged from 11.6% (Hg) to 27.6% (Pt), and the uncertainty on the within-laboratory reproducibility, which included factors such as time, analyst and calibration, represented the main contribution to the overall uncertainty.
Generalized theory of semiflexible polymers.

DNA bending on length scales shorter than a persistence length plays an integral role in the translation of genetic information from DNA to cellular function. Quantitative experimental studies of these biological systems have led to a renewed interest in the polymer mechanics relevant for describing the conformational free energy of DNA bending induced by protein-DNA complexes. Recent experimental results from DNA cyclization studies have cast doubt on the applicability of the canonical semiflexible polymer theory, the wormlike chain (WLC) model, to DNA bending on biologically relevant length scales. This paper develops a theory of the chain statistics of a class of generalized semiflexible polymer models. Our focus is on the theoretical development of these models and the calculation of experimental observables. To illustrate our methods, we focus on a specific, illustrative model of DNA bending. We show that the WLC model generically describes the long-length-scale chain statistics of semiflexible polymers, as predicted by renormalization group arguments. In particular, we show that either the WLC or our present model adequately describes force-extension, solution scattering, and long-contour-length cyclization experiments, regardless of the details of DNA bend elasticity. In contrast, experiments sensitive to short-length-scale chain behavior can in principle reveal dramatic departures from the linear elastic behavior assumed in the WLC model. We demonstrate this explicitly by showing that our toy model can reproduce the anomalously large short-contour-length cyclization J factors recently measured by Cloutier and Widom. Finally, we discuss the applicability of these models to DNA chain statistics in the context of future experiments.
Correlation matching by finite length sequences

The problem of matching a finite length data sequence to a set of (not necessarily uniformly spaced) correlation lags is considered. A characterization of the set of correlations that can be derived from sequences of a given length is presented. Using this characterization, an algorithm called the expanding hull algorithm is presented for determining the minimum sequence length, and a sequence of this length, which matches a given set of correlation values, is obtained. This sequence has a Z transform which is the lowest-order correlation matching moving average model. The sequence also generates the minimum length correlation extension. The expanding hull algorithm also provides a method for extendibility testing of missing lag and multidimensional correlation sequences. Numerical examples are provided. >
Surface Modification of Small Particle TiO2 Colloids with Cysteine for Enhanced Photochemical Reduction: An EPR Study†

Surface complexation of colloidal titanium dioxide nanoparticles (40−60 A) with cysteine was investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and infrared (diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform−DRIFT) spectroscopies. Cysteine was found to bind strongly to the TiO2 surface, resulting in formation of new trapping sites where photogenerated electrons and holes are localized. Illumination of cysteine-modified TiO2 at 77 K resulted in formation of cysteine radicals with the unpaired electron localized on the carboxyl group. Upon warming to 150 K, these radicals are transformed into sulfur-centered radicals as observed by EPR spectroscopy. We have demonstrated the existence of two surface Ti(III) centers on cysteine-modified TiO2 particles having different extents of tetragonal distortion of the octahedral crystal field. Upon addition of lead ions, a new complex of cysteine that bridges surface titanium atoms and lead ions was detected by IR spectroscopy. Illumination of lead/cysteine-modified TiO...
Exploitation of Northern Pike in Seven Small North‐Central Minnesota Lakes

Abstract Exploitation of native northern pike Esox lucius was studied in seven small ( 500 mm total length) were approximately 2 to 9 times greater than for smaller fish (≤500 mm). Relatively high total annual mortality rates (mean = 0.48) compared to annual exploitation ...
Flocculated carbon nanotube composites for solvent resistant soft templated microfeatures

Abstract The swelling of a commercial thiol-ene adhesive and surfactant dispersed single wall carbon nanotubes (swCNTs) nanocomposites is investigated in a variety of organic solvents. These nanocomposites can be used to form well-defined microstructures via soft lithography. swCNTs are flocculated in suspension using a novel surfactant based on poly(fluorooxetane-block-polyethylene oxide-block-fluorooxetane); this procedure yields a loose floc, where the hydrophobic end blocks effectively create inter-tube bridges to provide a swCNT network structure in the thiol-ene prior to curing. Microfeatures (0.5 μm posts) fabricated in the thiol-ene and its composite using soft templating demonstrate similar fidelity in the pattern transfer. A significant decrease in the swelling by organic solvents occurs upon the incorporation of swCNTs (18.3%–1.6% for toluene at 1 wt%). Both mechanical reinforcement by the swCNT network and reduced swelling results in stable microfeatures after exposure to toluene for 24 h, while the neat cured thiol-ene microstructure is significantly deformed. These nanocomposites appear promising alternatives to glass for enabling organic syntheses in microfluidic devices due to their structural integrity when exposed to solvents.
Children's use of context and category cues to retrieve episodic information from memory

Abstract According to the encoding specificity hypothesis, a retrieval cue is effective to the extent that it is “compatible” with trace information in memory. The purpose of this study is to determine if the bases for establishing “compatibility” change with age. Adjective Noun-Noun (e.g., Bloody Axe- Sword ) word triplets were presented at acquisition to second and fourth graders and college adults, and recall for the second noun (Sword) was tested at recall. The degree to which the retrieval cue information represented the acquisition encoding context was varied through the use of Adjective Noun, Noun, and Adjective context cues and cues representing the category name (e.g., weapon). In addition, the specificity of the acquisition encoding was manipulated. Either General (i.e., straight) or Distinctive (bloody) adjectives modified the nouns; encoding was constrained by relational or highly specific orienting questions, or was unconstrained (No Orient); and the questions were congruent or incongruent. The most striking results were that the second graders made effective use only of the Adjective Noun cues that most adequately represented the encoding context, and only in the most specified event situations (i.e., distinctive adjectives/specific congruent orienting questions).
Evaluation of Proposed Storage Sites

Screening models and on-site visits by a team composed of engineers, geologists, and biologists were used to identify ten sites in the Southwest suitable for developing a pumped storage facility with a 600 MW capacity. This paper discusses the decision analysis used to rank the sites. The study included the consideration of economic, environmental, and technological concerns relating to the sites and their required transmission lines. Using sensitivity analyses, we identified factors critical to the ranking.
Fructan and Sugars in 273 Oat Accessions

Oat (Avena sativa L.) reportedly accumulates less fructan during hardening than other winter cereals. Little is known about the variability for fructan concentration after hardening in the genus Avena, however. To investigate genetic variability, fructan was measured in 273 oat accessions grown under controlled conditions. Dicktoo barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was included as a high degree of polymerization (DP) fructan check. After 3 wk of hardening, plant stems (1 cm above the crown) were ground and extracted with water. Carbohydrates were separated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and quantified by comparison of peak areas in known standards to that in unknowns (.)
MicroPET/CT Colonoscopy in long-lived Min mouse using NM404

Colon cancer is a leading cause of death in the US, even though many cases are preventable if tumors are detected early. One technique to promote screening is Computed Tomography Colonography (CTC). NM404 is a second generation phospholipid ether analogue which has demonstrated selective uptake and prolonged retention in 43/43 types of malignant tumors but not inflammatory sites or premalignant lesions. The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate (SWR x B6 )F1.Min mice as a preclinical model to test MicroPET/CT dual modality virtual colonoscopy. Each animal was given an IV injection of 124 I-NM404 (100 uCi) 24, 48 and 96 hours prior to scanning on a dedicated microPET/CT system. Forty million counts were histogrammed in 3D and reconstructed using an OSEM 2D algorithm. Immediately after PET acquisition, a 93 m volumetric CT was acquired at 80 kVp, 800 uA and 350 ms exposures. Following CT, the mouse was sacrificed. The entire intestinal tract was excised, washed, insufflated, and scanned ex vivo A total of eight tissue samples from the small intestine were harvested: 5 were benign adenomas, 2 were malignant adenocarcinomas, and 1 was a Peyer's patch (lymph tissue) . The sites of these samples were positioned on CT and PET images based on morphological cues and the distance from the anus. Only 1/8 samples showed tracer uptake. several hot spots in the microPET image were not chosen for histology. (SWR x B6)F1.Min mice develop benign and malignant tumors, making this animal model a strong candidate for future dual modality microPET/CT virtual colonography studies.
Extended Generalized Estimating Equations for Clustered Data

Abstract Typically, analysis of data consisting of multiple observations on a cluster is complicated by within-cluster correlation. Estimating equations for generalized linear modeling of clustered data have recently received much attention. This article proposes an extension to the generalized estimating equation method proposed by Liang and Zeger, which treats within-cluster correlations as nuisance parameters. Using ideas from extended quasi-likelihood, estimating equations for regression and association parameters are provided simultaneously. The resulting estimators are proven to be asymptotically normal and consistent under certain conditions. The consistency of regression estimators allows incorrect modeling of the correlation among repeated responses. The method is illustrated with an analysis of data from a developmental toxicity study.
A Simple Large-Scale Synthesis of Nearly Monodisperse Gold and Silver Nanoparticles with Adjustable Sizes and with Exchangeable Surfactants

Oleylamine-ligated gold and silver nanoparticles can be conveniently synthesized by reaction of tetrachloroauric acid or silver acetate with oleylamine in refluxing toluene, hexane, or 1,2-dichlorobenzene. The sizes of the colloids can be controlled with the solvent, reaction temperature, and reaction time. The gold nanoparticles spontaneously organize into micrometer-size colloidal crystals. Reactions of the gold and silver nanoparticles with aliphatic and carboxylic acid-functionalized thiols affords the ligand-exchanged nanoparticles as colloids that, depending on the surfactants, can be soluble in aqueous or nonaqueous solvents.
Recent Advances: Medical informatics

Medical informatics is as much about computers as cardiology is about stethoscopes. For those who have studied the application of information technologies in medicine, the past decade has delivered one unassailable lesson. Any attempt to use information technology will fail dramatically when the motivation is the application of technology for its own sake rather than the solution of clinical problems.1 2 3 The role of the information sciences in medicine continues to grow, and the past few years have seen informatics begin to move into the mainstream of clinical practice. The scope of this field is, however, enormous. Informatics finds application in the design of decision support systems for practitioners,4 in the development of computer tools for research,5 and in the study of the very essence of medicine—its corpus of knowledge.6 The study of informatics in the next century will probably be as fundamental to the practice of medicine as the study of anatomy has been this century. I will consider recent advances in medical informatics with two seemingly contradictory themes in mind—apparently unbridled technological promise against less than satisfying practical achievement—and against three criteria—possibility, practicability, and desirability. Possibility reflects the science of information—what in theory can be achieved? Practicability addresses the potential for successfully engineering a system—what can be built given the constraints of the real world? Desirability looks at the fundamental motivation for using a given technology. These criteria are suggested because a framework is necessary to judge the claims made for these new technologies by those who seek to profit from them. Just as there is a longstanding symbiosis between the pharmaceutical industry and medicine, there is a newer and consquently less examined relation between medicine and the computing and telecommunication industries. Clinicians should try to judge the claims of these newcomers in …
The behavior of iron, manganese and silicon in the Peconic River estuary, New York☆

Abstract The behavior of dissolved and particulate iron and manganese and dissolved silicon has been studied as a function of chlorinity in the Peconic River estuary, New York. This study sought to identify important geochemical processes in a relatively pristine estuary facing increasing anthropogenic impact. Dissolved iron behaved in the classical non-conservative manner exhibiting removal of nearly 80% at very low chlorinities, while particulate iron increased by a corresponding amount over the same chlorinity range. Dissolved manganese was enriched by up to 200% over its predicted concentration at low and intermediate chlorinities by desorption from suspended particulates and by a probable benthic flux. Dissolved silicon was enriched by up to 100% at low and intermediate chlorinities also from a probable benthic flux. These fluxes were estimated to be 5 μg cm −2 day −1 for dissolved manganese and 70 μg cm −2 day −1 for dissolved silicon. The quantity of both particulate iron and manganese increased at high chlorinities due to an influx of suspended inorganic particulates. In the intermediate to high chlorinity region, oxidation of sediment-derived manganese is believed to contribute to the observed increase in particulate manganese. Total iron was essentially conservative throughout most of the estuary, while total manganese was non-conservative presumably due to extensive remobilization of dissolved manganese from the sediments.
New Insights from Existing Sequence Data: Generating Breakthroughs without a Pipette

With the rapidly declining cost of data generation and the accumulation of massive data sets, molecular biology is entering an era in which incisive analysis of existing data will play an increasingly prominent role in the discovery of new biological phenomena and the elucidation of molecular mechanisms. Here, we discuss resources of publicly available sequencing data most useful for interrogating the mechanisms of gene expression. Existing next-generation sequence data sets, however, come with significant challenges in the form of technical and bioinformatic artifacts, which we discuss in detail. We also recount several breakthroughs made largely through the analysis of existing data, primarily in the RNA field.
Maximal Opposition Approach to Phonological Treatment

The purpose of this paper was to evaluate a phonological treatment program of maximal rather than minimal feature contrasts by charting the course of learning in a child displaying a systematic error pattern involving the nonoccurrence of word-initial consonants. Generalization data indicated that the child learned 16 word-initial consonants following treatment of only three sets of maximal opposition contrasts. Overgeneralization data indicated that the child restructured his phonological system based on a larger concept of "word initialness." Basic components of and differences between various forms of contrast treatment are discussed.
Integrated care: incentives, approaches, and future considerations.

SUMMARY The research and demonstration programs sponsored by CMS collectively address all the dimensions of the continuum of care ranging across multiple settings of care, providers, disease types, and severity of conditions. This article reviews current CMS activities and discusses several delivery programs in local communities that include disease management and the Program in All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) and the contributions these have made to care integration and social policy development. Methods for accelerating knowledge development affecting the development of social policy, particularly collaborative efforts with PACE programs at the local level are discussed.
Hammerhead ribozyme structure: U-turn for RNA structural biology

Two crystal structures of the hammerhead ribozyme provide the first atomic-resolution views of an RNA active site, and suggest that the catalytic center may reside in a U-turn motif which was first seen in tRNA(Phe).
Relative influence of prestige as a determiner of intelligence judgments for occupations

Abstract A forced-choice test was constructed to determine how well students could discriminate between occupations on the basis of the average intelligence of the members of the various occupational groups. At the outset, it was known that the prestige of the various occupations would have to be taken into account, and so the 72 forced-choice test items were systematically constructed to represent 24 combinations of intelligence and prestige differences. Accuracy at identifying the occupation with the higher average intelligence was significantly worse than chance, because subjects relied exclusively on prestige to make their choices. On items where the intelligence difference opposed the prestige difference, subjects could have improved their accuracy by flipping coins. The factors leading to significantly worse than chance accuracy, and the potency of prestige, are discussed.
Comparative availability to wheat of metals from sewage sludge and inorganic salts

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the availability of metals from sewage sludge and inorganic salts, and the effect of pH and soil type on yield and metal (Zn, Cu, Cd and Ni) uptake by wheat (Triticum aestivum L. var. ‘holly’). Soils used in this study were Hartsells sandy loam (fine-loamy, siliceous Thermic Typic Hapludult) and Decatur silty clay loam (Clayey, kaolinitic, Thermic Rhodic Paleudult). Two treatments of sewage sludge containing metals were applied at the rate of 20 and 100 mt ha−1. Inorganic Salts of Zn, Cu, Cd, and Ni were applied (as sulfate salts) at concentrations equivalent to those found in the 20 and 100 mt ha−1 sludge. One treatment consisted of inorganic metals plus sewage at the 20 Mg ha−1 rate. Two soil pH levels, one at field pH (below 6.0) and another pH adjusted between 6.5 and 7.0 were used. Wheat plants were harvested four weeks after germination. Two more subsequent harvests were made at four week intervals. For each harvest, dry matter yield increased as the rate of sludge application increased for both soil types. The soil pH also influenced the dry matter yield. High yield was observed when the pH was adjusted between 6.5 to 7.0 for both soils. An increase in yield was also observed at each subsequent harvest for most of the treatments. Inorganic salt treatments produced lower dry matter yields when compared with the sludge. Both sludge application and metal salts increased plant tissue concentration of Zn, Cu, Cd, and Ni at field pH for both soils. However, increasing the pH of the soil for both sludge and inorganic salt treatments generally decreased the tissue concentration of the above metals.
On Azumaya algebras arising from Clifford algebras

In this paper we continue the investigation begun in Haile [4] and Tesser [12] into the structure of the Clifford algebra of a form. If f is a form of degree d in n variables over a field F, then the Clifford algebra off is the F-algebra C,= R/T where R = Fix,, . . . . x,} is the free associative F-algebra in n variables and T is the ideal generated by {(a,x,+ ..’ + %X,Y-f(~1, ---, cx,,)jcxl ,..., cl,~F}. If d=2 this is the classical Clifford algebra of a quadratic form. If d > 2 then this is also called the “generalized” Clifford algebra and has been studied by various authors (see Roby [ 111, Revoy [lo], Childs [2] ). In Haile [4] it was shown that if d= 3 and n = 2 (i.e., iffis a binary cubic form) and the characteristic of the field F is not 2 or 3, then the Clifford algebra C,of the form is Azymaya with center the affine coordinate ring of an explicitly given elliptic curve over F (the center was also determined by Heerema in [6]). Moreover the algebra C, can be extended to an Azumaya algebra over the projective closure of the elliptic curve. Applying the pairing investigated by Lichtenbaum [4] and Manin [9], one obtains then for each field extension K/F a homomorphism from the group of K-rational points on the elliptic curve to the Brauer group of K, given by specialization. In [lo] Revoy, using results of Roby [ 111, exhibited an explicit F-basis for the Clifford algebra of an arbitrary form. Using this basis it is easy to
Optimal impulsive control of compartment models, II: Algorithm

The optimal impulsive control of systems arising from linear compartment models for drug distribution in the human body is considered. A system of linear, time-invariant, homogeneous differential equations is given along with a set of continuous constraints on state and control. The object is to develop a constructive algorithm for the computation of the optimal control relative to a convex cost functional. Under suitable hypotheses, satisfying the continuous constraints is equivalent to satisfying the constraints at a finite set of abstractly definedcritical points. Once these critical points have been determined, the solution of the optimal control problem is found as the solution of an ordinary finite-dimensional convex programming problem. An iterative algorithm is given for the situation in which the critical points cannot all be determineda priori.
Delicate Transaction of Neo-liberal Policies to Irregular Streams in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Region, 1989-2005*

AbstractThis article argues that neo-liberal development policies and related political and cultural crises in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries result in making men and women face unprecedented economic hardships, hence the consequent massive migration. In these instances the dramatic decline in women’s social status through which bodies are represented and understood to mesh with dominant ideology has created a situation favorable to traffickers to lure them into the web of irregular migration, making them easy victims to exploitation and abuses. Using data from CIS Statistic Committee, and textual analysis methods we analyze the pattern of CIS regular and irregular migration streams for the period of 1989-2005. This article discusses the relevance of textual analysis to an appreciation of a way in which emigration and neo liberal policy leaves its marks on the bodies of poor women who are then interpreted as pathological “others” in need of further public and material control, is evidenced by the fact that over half of the world’s migrants are women. Since labor is not regarded as a commodity, the term ‘irregular’ tends to criminalize migrants and fails to capture the comprehensive and different dimensions of irregularity. An important lesson learned from this study is translating gender-aware poverty reduction policies into gender-responsive action, remains a great challenge not only for CIS but also elsewhere, due to the paucity of relevant gender-disaggregated data.
Avian oogenesis and yolk deposition.

Es wird die Auffassung vertreten, dass bei Vogeln die grosse Masse des Eidotters extrazellular ist. Dieser wird durch selektive Absorption von Blutplasma abgelagert, welches zwischen den Follikelzellen in die Follikelhohlung eindringt. Wasser, Natrium and andere geloste Stoffe werden wieder ins Blut abgegeben, und der kaliumreiche Eidotter bleibt zuruck. Das Cytoplasma der Eizelle geht funktionell im Eidotter auf und spielt bei der Ablagerung des Dotters nur eine passive Rolle.
Challenges of designing and processing extreme low-G microelectromechanical system (MEMS) accelerometers

ABSTRACT There is an increasing demand to build highly sensitive, low-G, microscale acceler ation sensors with the ability to sense accelerations in the nano-G (10 -8 m/s 2 ) regime. To achieve such sensitivities, these sensors require compliant mechanical springs attached to large masses. The high sensitivities and the difficulty in integrating robust mechanical stops into these designs make these parts inherently weak, lacking the robustness to survive even the low level accelerations encountered in standard handling, from release processing, where supporting interlayers present during fabrication are etched away, through packaging. Thus, the process of transforming a MEMS-based acceleration sensor from an unreleased state to a protected functional state poses significant challenges. We summarize prior experiences with packaging such devices and report on recent work in pack aging and protecting a highly se nsitive acceleration sensor that optically senses displacement through th e use of sub-wavelength na nogratings. We find that successful implementation of such sensors requires starting with a clean and robust MEMS design, performing careful and controlled release processing, and designing and executing a robust handling and packaging solution that keeps a fragile MEMS device protected at all times. Keywords: MEMS, nano-G, accelerometer, sub-wavelength grating, MEMS packaging, MEMS release
The genetics of food allergy

The term food hypersensitivity (allergy) refers to an adverse reaction mediated by specific immunologic responses to particular food proteins. Approximately 7% of children and 2% of adults suffer from food allergy [1]. The phenotypic expression of food allergy varies according to the foods involved, target organs, severity, chronicity, and underlying pathophysiology. The most common and best-characterized food allergy disorders are those mediated by food-specific IgE antibodies. This antibody also has a central pathophysiologic role in the disorders of the classical atopic triad: atopic dermatitis, asthma, and allergic rhinitis. When Coca and Cooke first coined the term atopy (‘‘strange disease’’) in 1923, the diseases under consideration did not include food allergy, but the current understanding suggests that food allergy also should be considered an atopic disorder. Food allergy most often is expressed in individuals and within families with other atopic diseases. Although much progress has been made on elucidating the genes responsible for asthma, immunoglobulin E (IgE) responsiveness, and atopic dermatitis [2,3], there has been relatively little progress on determining the genes that are responsible for food allergy. Food allergy, like the other atopic disorders, is a complex trait with phenotypic expression that undoubtedly is based on multiple genes with major and minor influences. Like any human disease, the phenotype is influenced by gene–gene and gene–environment interactions. In approaching the genetics of complex traits such as food allergy, it is important to carefully define the specific phenotype under investigation. The success of linkage and association studies depends on numerous factors, most importantly the supposition that cases with the trait in question can be ascertained as cleanly and specifically as possible [4]. Once the disorder is defined appropriately, genetic dissection can proceed by first scouting for the impact of genetics on the expression of the disorder through genetic epidemiologic studies (eg, twin studies, relative risk assessment, segrega
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in girls: epidemiology and management.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in girls is a topic of growing research and clinical interest. For many years, girls with ADHD have been ignored and overshadowed by hyperkinetic and impulsive boys, but they are now attracting interest in an effort to understand the similarities and differences in the prevalence, symptoms, familial risk, comorbidities and treatment of ADHD in the two sexes. A review of past and current literature finds that the symptoms of ADHD are not sex specific, but that identification of girls with ADHD is hampered by parental and teacher bias, and confusion. Girls are more likely to be inattentive without being hyperactive or impulsive, compared with boys. Girls and boys share the same familial risk patterns, as well as similar, although not identical, comorbidity or impairment patterns. The risk of non-treatment is as great in girls as it is in boys; up to 70–80% of identified children will have persistent symptoms and impairment that extends into adolescence and adulthood. Treatment modalities are equally effective in girls and boys. Stimulants, non-stimulants and behavioural modalities are the mainstays of effective treatment.
Relational Spirituality and Dealing With Transgressions: Development of the Relational Engagement of the Sacred for a Transgression (REST) Scale

In the study of spirituality and forgiveness, researchers have begun to look at how dynamic spiritual experiences influence forgiveness. In three studies, we develop the Relational Engagement of the Sacred for a Transgression (REST) Scale, which assesses the extent to which victims actively engage a relationship with the Sacred to deal with a specific transgression. In Study 1, exploratory factor analysis was used to determine the factor structure of the REST. In Study 2, the factor structure was replicated using confirmatory factory analysis. The REST was correlated with religious commitment and negatively related to avoidant attachment to God. In Study 3, evidence supporting the scale's construct validity was adduced. REST scores were correlated with other appraisals of relational spirituality. Structural equation modeling was used to compare theoretical models. REST scores were related to dedication to the Sacred and viewing the transgression as a desecration. In addition, REST scores were positively r...
Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH): Detection of biotin- and digoxigenin-labeled signals on chromosomes

A laboratory protocol of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on the air-dry chromosome preparation is described. This protocol contains procedures for preparing solutions; probe-labelings with biotin and digoxigenin by means of nick translation, random priming, and polymerase chain reaction; probe-annealing; and signal detection. Uses of solutions are simplified; compositions of each solution are outlined; and, whenever possible, easily accessible materials and supplies are used so that the FISH technique can be applied by all cytogenetic laboratories. Annealed signals at 4–5 kb or over were detectable, and background signals, if any at all, were low. The slides processed for FISH can be used subsequently for conventional chromosome bandings. Therefore, the same slide can be used for both conventional and molecular karyotype studies.
“Candidatus Endobugula glebosa,” a Specific Bacterial Symbiont of the Marine Bryozoan Bugula simplex

The bryozoans Bugula neritina and Bugula simplex harbor bacteria in the pallial sinuses of their larvae as seen by electron microscopy. In B. neritina, the bacterial symbiont has been characterized as a gamma-proteobacterium, “Candidatus Endobugula sertula.” “Candidatus E. sertula” has been implicated as the source of the bryostatins, polyketides that provide chemical defense to the host and are also being tested for use in human cancer treatments. In this study, the bacterial symbiont in B. simplex larvae was identified by 16S rRNA-targeted PCR and sequencing as a gamma-proteobacterium closely related to and forming a monophyletic group with “Candidatus E. sertula.” In a fluorescence in situ hybridization, a 16S ribosomal DNA probe specific to the B. simplex symbiont hybridized to long rod-shaped bacteria in the pallial sinus of a B. simplex larva. The taxonomic status “Candidatus Endobugula glebosa” is proposed for the B. simplex larval symbiont. Degenerate polyketide synthase (PKS) primers amplified a gene fragment from B. simplex that closely matched a PKS gene fragment from the bryostatin PKS cluster. PCR surveys show that the symbiont and this PKS gene fragment are consistently and uniquely associated with B. simplex. Bryostatin activity assays and chemical analyses of B. simplex extracts reveal the presence of compounds similar to bryostatins. Taken together, these findings demonstrate a symbiosis in B. simplex that is similar and evolutionarily related to that in B. neritina.
Setting the stage for embodied activity: scientific discussion around a multitouch tabletop display

Multitouch tabletop displays are a promising technology for supporting small group discussion and learning activities. Based on a view of human activity as multimodal, distributed, and embodied, we examine the pedagogical affordances of interactive tabletop technology, how it supports small group scientific discussion, and compare it with use of traditional paper-based study materials. We analyse video data from a five-week study involving 20 students from a university neuroscience course. Our analysis illustrates subtle but important differences in how students exploit their hands, bodies, and environmental resources depending on the medium. Finally, we discuss several characteristics of multitouch tabletop displays that make them particularly well-suited for supporting embodied conceptualisations during science learning.
Quantitative Epstein–Barr virus shedding and its correlation with the risk of post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorder

We postulated that quantitative monitoring of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) shedding after transplantation could distinguish EBV-associated illnesses and predict clinical outcome. EBV DNA was measured in solid organ (SOT) and hematopoietic cell transplants (HCT) using our own real-time TaqMan EBV PCR. The proportion of patients who had EBV DNAemia post-transplant was significantly lower in HCT vs. SOT (p 10(5) (p < 0.001). EBV PCR was predictive in 29 (78%) of 37 patients tested within three wk prior to tissue diagnosis of PTLD, and thus, we conclude that EBV PCR with careful attention paid to changes in EBV DNAemia could lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment of PTLD.