cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
From Almshouse to Hospital: The Shaping of Philadelphia General Hospital

After almost 250 years, one of the nation's first, and most illustrious, hospitals closed. Its demise was a particularly dramatic but representative symptom of a more general decay in the quality of public medicine in America's older cities. The gradual differentiation of municipal welfare mechanisms from almshouse to hospital is traced; it has been an elusive and incomplete evolution.
El Niño and infectious disease.

The idea that climatic cycles such as the El Nino/Southern Oscillation significantly affect infectious disease, raised by Rita R. Colwell (Association Affairs, 20 Dec., p 2025) in the context of cholera outbreaks, is supported by recent findings from veterinary, entomological, and botanical epidemiology (1, 2). Botanical epidemiologists have found that plant systems have unique advantages for macro-scale, long-term epidemiological studies. Weather and climate are important driving forces affecting plant disease development. For example, the U.S. Department of Agriculture9s annual cereal rust survey, a program started in 1917 to monitor rust outbreaks over North America, accumulates time series of disease intensity, yield loss, and races of rust fungi in cereal crops (3). With these data, consistent and significant coherence patterns between El Nino and wheat rust intensity have been found in both the Eastern and Western hemispheres (2). Studies of El Nino-disease associations and their underlying mechanisms could lead to the development of early warning systems. Colwell advocates the use of satellite surveillance for predicting cholera outbreaks, while others propose using El Nino forecasts for malaria alerts (4). Outbreaks of wheat scab in eastern China can be predicted successfully 4 months in advance by measuring sea surface temperatures in the central Pacific (R2 = 0.86; P
Chronic neuroleptic administration decreases extracellular GABA in the nucleus accumbens but not in the caudate-putamen of rats

Abstract The extracellular levels of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the caudate-putamen and the nucleus accumbens of rats following administration of haloperidol decanoate, fluphenazine decanoate, or vehicle for 8 months were assessed using intracranial microdialysis. Basal levels of extracellular GABA were significantly decreased in the nucleus accumbens of both neuroleptic-treated groups while levels of GABA in the caudate-putamen were not significantly different between groups. These results provide evidence for selective chronic neuroleptic-induced effects on in vivo GABA function in different terminal regions containing dopamine receptors.
Liminality and Othering: The Issue of Rhetorical Authority in Technical Discourse

Subject matter experts, under the influence of modernist notions of authorship, often view technical writers as mere grammar and punctuation specialists and marginalize them as their ignorant “other. ” Technical writers, on the other hand, as rhetoricians occupying a liminal space between different disciplines, can understand different disciplinary rhetorics. If subject matter experts, instead of marginalizing technical writers, would view them as liminal subjects who are knowledgeable in different disciplinary rhetorics, then technical writers, through liminal practice, may be able to use their knowledge of audience and rhetoric to improve the quality of documentation.
8-OH-DPAT-sensitive neurons in the nucleus raphe magnus modulate thermoregulatory output in rats

The nucleus raphe magnus (NRM) is purported to be a relay through which peripheral thermoafferent information is transmitted to thermointegrative centers located in the preoptic/anterior hypothalamus (POAH). Therefore, suppression of neural activity in the NRM should reduce thermoregulatory responses to peripheral thermal challenges, but not affect responses elicited by manipulation of POAH temperature. At low ambient temperatures lidocaine injections into the NRM of nonanesthetized rats resulted in decreases in POAH temperature, oxygen consumption, and electromyographic activity. At a warm ambient temperature, lidocaine injections into the NRM decreased the elevations in oxygen consumption and electromyographic activity elicited by cooling the POAH. The effects of lidocaine injections were duplicated by injection of a 5-HT(1A) agonist 8-hydroxy-dipropylaminotetralin (8-OH-DPAT) into the NRM. The effect of 8-OH-DPAT was eliminated by pre-treatment with a selective autoreceptor antagonist. These results suggest that NRM 5-HT neurons are modulating the relationship between output of thermointegrative centers and thermoregulatory effector responses rather than processing thermoafferent information.
Heat transfer and thermal boundary layers in high amplitude annulus waves

Abstract The heat transfer by a rotating, differentially-heated annulus of fluid is measured throughout the high amplitude wave regime. Only Δrw T was varied (although v(T15 ).K(T15 ) varied by 46%), and it is found that Nu = C1(λ)Ra⅓ away from the symmetry and low amplitude to wave transition curves and this is independent of ω. (λ is the wavelength.) On the wave side of these transition curves a region exists in which Nu (symmetry) λ Nu λ C1(λ)Ra⅓. The local heat transfer rate also varies strongly with wave phase. Using a selection of measured internal thermal fields in the steady, high amplitude wave regime, the side-wall thermal boundary layer structure is examined. It is found that Nu, = C2·Gr2 A2; both C 2 and A 2 are independent of ω and λ to first order. For the time mean profiles, A 2 ≈ 0.25; in the high heat transfer portion of the wave A 2 ⅓. These relations hold over most of the vertical extent of the side walls. The deviations of the ...
Forty‐eight Parrots and the Origins of Population Viability Analysis

My unpaid postgraduate research associate raised his voice. "Forty-eight?" I looked up from my Drosophila. He said it strangely, almost ominously. It wasn't the universal and galactic 42, but 48, a somewhat larger number. And, I soon learned, it had more to do with the mathematics of Australian parrots than with the labored calculations of mice (c.f., The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy). The postgraduate researcher was more interested in chaparral bird species in remnant habitats in the city of San Diego, where he had grown up, the local environment for our urban university. He had been interrupted from his maps and aerial photos. The question had arrived long distance from concerned scientists in Australia. They had only 48 parrots left; was it hopeless? Should they spend their limited resources elsewhere? They had phoned my postdoctoral associate to find out. With his permission, they might decide to let the parrots go extinct. I hear him say something to the effect that there are no hopeless cases, only cases of people without hope. They should not despair. But from the tone in his voice I could tell he wasn't satisfied with that response. Fortyeight troubled him. The phone call was not concluded on an optimistic note. Still mumbling "forty-eight," he returned to the table next to mine. "They've only got 48 parrots and they wonder if it is genetically hopeless to try to save them." It was nonsense to think that. He knew it and I immediately visualized a stochastic population growth line that happened to drop below 48 but then turned upwards. However, 48 was less than 50, and 50 was the rule, the Magic Number, the scientifically honed edge of the decision ax. And what's the point of rules if we don't follow
Haitian Family Patterns of Migration to South Florida

This paper analyzes Haitian families migrating to South Florida and demonstrates how the microsystem of the Haitian extended family survives and reproduces itself within the problematic political-economic macrosystems into which it moves. The article traces the historic flow of Haitian migration from before Francois Duvalier came to power in 1958 when much of the migration was to northern cities such as New York Montreal and Chicago up to the most recent wave of immigration dating to Jean-Claude Duvaliers installation as President-For-Life in the early 1970s which was directed mostly toward South Florida. The Haitian family is well-suited to move "family fragments" to new places. The study examines 7 family histories. The authors stress 4 aspects for understanding the study: 1) Haitian family movement may cover a lot of territory 2) the data bears witness to a "process" of movement 3) Haitian kinship is broadly based and 4) the study is restricted to the domestic household. The family histories show that the Haitian extended family is not a bounded household and can function as an extended network often extending over many locations and different countries. Nodes in the network can be single males or females or groups of people connected through affinal consanguineal or fictive family ties. The network provides the setting in which Haitian family beliefs about reciprocity and hard work for survival and betterment of oneself and ones family work out in the daily life routines of survival in a new land. This paper demonstrates that the organization of the Haitian extended family has made it possible for the people to survive and sometimes even prosper under harsh circumstances. Future studies and policy decision analyses on migration must not forget the micro-level of the family; policy makers concentrating solely on macro issues often forget human costs.
Comparative Studies on U.S. and Chinese Mathematics Learning and the Implications for Standards-Based Mathematics Teaching Reform

Chinese students often outperform U.S. students on international tests in mathematics. Chinese students’ mathematics performances are assumed to be related directly to their teachers’ deep mathematics understanding and ability to represent concepts flexibly in their classrooms, which, in turn, are thought to be influenced by Chinese mathematics curriculum and policies. The authors examine this theoretical assumption through a systematic review of relevant literature and attempt to identify the relationship between Chinese students’ mathematics performance and the factors that contribute to their achievement. On the basis of their review, the authors raise questions about the assumption and propose research that can lead to a better understanding of the relationship between the quality of students’ mathematics learning and the contexts in which their learning occurs.
Fossil Actinomycetes in Middle Precambrian Glacial Varves

Fossil actinomycetes and other bacteria have been found in sulfide minerals from "varved" argillites in the middle Precambrian Cobalt Series of Canada. The fossils consist of branched and unbranched nonseptate hyphae and chains of rod-shaped cells. The presence of actinomycetes is consistent with the theory that the argillites are lacustrine desposits.
Exposure to high fluoride concentrations in drinking water is associated with decreased birth rates

A review of fluoride toxicity showed decreased fertility in most animal species studied. The current study was to see whether fluoride would also affect human birth rates. A U.S. database of drinking water systems was used to identify index counties with water systems reporting fluoride levels of at least 3 ppm. These and adjacent counties were grouped in 30 regions spread over 9 states. For each county, two conceptionally different exposure measures were defined, and the annual total fertility rate (TFR) for women in the age range 10-49 yr was calculated for the period 1970-1988. For each region separately, the annual TFR was regressed on the fluoride measure and sociodemographic covariables. Most regions showed an association of decreasing TFR with increasing fluoride levels. Meta-analysis of the region-specific results confirmed that the combined result was a negative TFR/fluoride association with a consensus combined p value of .0002-.0004, depending on the analytical scenario. There is no evidence that this outcome resulted from selection bias, inaccurate data, or improper analytical methods. However, the study is one that used population means rather than data on individual women. Whether or not the fluoride effect on the fertility rate found at the county level also applies to individual women remains to be investigated.
Effects of a Health Education Curriculum on the Smoking Intentions of Preschool Children

A smoking questionnaire that was designed to assess children's views about the identity, availability, and use of tobacco products, as well as their intentions to use such products in the future, was given to 150 four-year-old preschool children, 99 of whom had been taught the Preschool Health Education (PHEP) curriculum. Results indicated that significantly fewer of the children who received the PHEP curriculum intended to smoke in the future. Most of the children who intended to smoke were influenced by adult models.
Necrotizing fasciitis following percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy

1. Ponsky JL, Gauderer MWL. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy: a nonoperative technique for feeding gastrostomy. Gastrointest Endosc 1981;27:9-11. 2. Gauderer MWL, Ponsky JL. A simplified technique for constructing a tube feeding gastrostomy. Surg Gynecol Obstet 1981;152:83-5. 3. Preshaw RM. A percutaneous method for inserting a feeding gastrostomy tube. Surg Gynecol Obstet 1981;152:658-60. 4. Larson DE, Fleming CR, Ott BJ, Schroeder KW. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. Mayo Clin Proc 1983;58:103-7. 5. Strodel WE, Lemmer J, Eckhauser F, et al. Early experience with endoscopic percutaneous gastrostomy. Arch Surg 1983;118:449-53. 6. Ponsky JL, Gauderer MWL, Stellato TA. Percutaneous endo-
Cytochalasin B: preparation, analysis in tissue extracts, and pharmacokinetics after intraperitoneal bolus administration in mice.

Abstract Cytochalasin B (CB) was prepared by methanol extraction of dehydrated mold ( Drechslera dematioidea ) matte, reverse-phase C18 silica gel batch adsorption, selective elution with 1:1 (v/v) hexane:tetrahydrofuran (THF), crystallization, preparative TLC, and recrystallization. Unit gravity silica gel normal phase chromatography afforded additional CB. Yield per liter of medium was 300 mg of CB >95% pure by NMR, HPLC (60:40 hexane: THF, Lichrosorb Si60 silica gel, 230 nm), and TLC. CB added exogenously to mouse organs at 1 and 5 μg/organ was recovered 70 to 100% by methanol extraction, adsorption to C18 silica gel Sep-Pak cartridges, elution with ethyl acetate, and analysis by TLC and/or HPLC. Limiting sensitivity (micrograms/extract) was 0.5 TLC; 1.0 HPLC. Quantitative extraction was confirmed with 3 H-labeled CB. CB ip in mice at 50 mg/kg (LD 10 ) distributed rapidly into liver, renal fat, kidney, intestines, mesentery, pancreas, spleen, and blood cells and was cleared from all but liver within 24 h. CB was below detectable levels in thymus, lymph nodes, heart, brain, bone marrow, and lungs. Cytochalasin A is fixed to tissues and not extractable. This work affords a source of CB in quantities permitting in vivo study, provides methods for extraction and analysis, and reveals the pharmacokinetics of ip bolus CB.
Business models for people, planet (& profits): exploring the phenomena of social business, a market-based approach to social value creation

This article explores the hybrid phenomenon of social business, that is, both a form of organization and a practice that deliberately harnesses market dynamics to address deeply rooted social issues through the design and implementation of a core product or service. This new form of hybrid venture melds the social purpose traditionally associated with non-profit organizations with the economic purpose and market-based methods traditionally associated with for-profit firms. This exploratory research inductively explores the process by which social businesses are designed. The result suggests that clear intentionality around social purpose drives the design of these ventures and their associated missions and business models such that they can creatively synthesize competing paradigms (economic and social purpose) within one venture. The tight coupling of mission, method, and operationalization allows for the multi-stakeholder promise of the business model to be fulfilled.
The decomposition of formic acid vapor by infrared radiation from a pulsed HF-laser

Abstract The decomposition of formic acid vapor by 2.783 μm infrared radiation from a pulsed HF laser has been studied at pressures from 1.6 to 44 torr temper
Carrier and Timing Synchronization of BPSK via LDPC Code Feedback

In traditional receiver architectures, symbol acquisition and tracking are performed using phase lock techniques that are independent of the channel-code decoding process. In [1] feedback from the constraint-node side of a bi-partite graph is used to estimate symbol frequency and timing offset in a baseband pilotless transmission. In [2] soft information feedback from an LDPC decoder is used to recover carrier phase information under the assumption of perfect symbol timing. In this paper we address the problem of joint carrier-phase and symbol timing recovery. The proposed system is able to perform within 0.3 [dB] of the code performance with perfect knowledge of carrier phase and symbol timing.
Fluorescent inhibitors of thymidylate synthetase.

Abstract Two fluorescent derivatives of 2'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine 5'-p-aminophenyl phosphate were prepared by treatment of this compound with fluorescein isothiocyanate in dimethyl sulfoxide or 5-(di- methylamino)naphthalenesulfonyl chloride in pyridine. The products of the reactions were isolated by diethylaminoethylcellulose chromatography and were shown to be homogeneous by polyacrylamide electrophoresis and TLC. Confirmation of the structure was provided by elemental analysis, absorption and fluorescence spectra, PMR measurements, and liberation of nucleotide upon hydrolysis with snake venom phosphodiesterase. The fluorescent derivatives are good com-
Endogenous mutagens and the causes of aging and cancer.

Abstract A very large oxidative damage rate to DNA occurs as part of normal metabolism. In each rat cell the steady-state level is estimated to be about 106 oxidative adducts and about 105 new adducts are formed daily. It is argued that this endogenous DNA damage is a major contributor to aging and the degenerative diseases of aging, such as cancer. The oxidative damage rate in mammalian species with a high metabolic rate, short life span, and high age-specific cancer rate is much higher than the rate in humans, a long-lived creature with a lower metabolic rate and a lower age-specific cancer rate. It is argured that deficiency of micronutrients, such as dietary antioxidants or folate, is a major contributor to human cancer and degenerative diseases. Understanding the role of mitogenesis in mutagenesis is critical for clarifying the mechanisms of carcinogenesis and interpreting high-dose animal cancer tests. High-dose animal cancer tests have been done mainly on synthetic industrial chemicals, yet almost all of the chemicals humans are exposed to are natural. About half of natural chemicals tested in high-dose animal cancer tests are rodent carcinogens, a finding that is consistent with the view that high-dose tests frequently increase mitogenesis rates. Animals have numerous defenses against toxins that make them very well buffered against low doses of almost all toxins, whether synthetic or natural.
Gender and Material Transfers Between Older Parents and Children in Ismailia, Egypt

In Egypt, kin relations have been governed by a patriarchal contract, which defines expectations for intergenerational support along gendered lines. Social changes may be disrupting these customs and bringing attention to the ways gender may influence intergenerational support in rapidly changing contexts. Using data from 4,465 parent–child dyads in Ismailia, Egypt, we examined whether intergenerational material transfers favored women over men and whether gaps in needs and endowments accounted for gender differences in transfers. Fathers gave children money and goods more often than did mothers; mothers received material transfers from children more often than did fathers. Compared to sons, daughters made transfers to parents less often and received transfers from parents more often. We found residual advantages to mothers and daughters, even adjusting for differential needs and endowments. Findings corroborate persistent norms of gender complementarity, patrilocal endogamy, and reciprocation for women’s caregiving, despite changes that have threatened patriarchal rules of exchange.
Luminol-dependent chemiluminescence analysis of cellular and humoral defects of phagocytosis using a chem-glo photometer

Abstract In summary, this report describes the conditions under which luminol has been utilized to measure phagocytosis-associated metabolic events in activated human PMNs and rabbit and dog alveolar macrophages. We feel that this system may have wide applicability to both clinical and experimental situations. Some possible applications are shown in the following table. Potential Applications of Luminol-Amplified Chemiluminescence Cell type Applications Human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (1) Detection of bactericidal defects, particularly chronic granulomatous disease (2) Detection of host opsonic defects (both immunoglobulin and complement −C3b opsonic defects). (3) Analysis of drug effects on host cellular and opsonic defenses ( 9,11 ). (4) Characterization of bacteria or other particulate matter in terms of ability to generate opsonic activity and/or be ingested by phagocytic cells ( 3,7 ). Alveolar macrophages (1) Detection of environmental pollutant effects on respiratory defense mechanisms (against both particulate and soluble matter). (2) Analysis of drug effects on respiratory defense mechanisms, particularly drugs administered in the treatment of respiratory diseases.
Sensory evaluation of a hard white compared to a hard red winter wheat

Traditionally bread wheats grown in the USA have been hard red genotypes. Introduction of hard white genotypes provides an opportunity for the comparison of the products and evaluation of consumer acceptance. MT 7811, a hard white wheat, and ‘Norwin’, a hard red winter wheat, were grown in adjacent plots in each of two years. Grain from each was divided, with half milled into whole wheat flour (wholemeal) and the other half milled into white flour (milled flour). Breads made from wholemeal and milled flour from each wheat genotype were tested by panelists for differences. Color differences were easily detected. The Wilcoxon-Mann Whitney rank sums test was used to evaluate signal detection data. Both crust and crumb differences between the two wheats could be detected by some panelists. Differences could be detected between the two wheat types in either wholemeal or milled flour bread. Crust differences were often greater than crumb differences. Trained panelists commented on some bitterness in red wheat products and a sweetness in white wheat products.
Judgment Strategies for Coping With Ambiguous Clinical Situations Encountered in Primary Family Care

This naturalistic study identifies and describes strategies for clinical problem solving in situations of uncertainty, from observations of patient/family visits in a family health center. Judgment strategies were described for four types of uncertainty: information, diagnosis, treatment, and patient response that roughly correspond to the phases of assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of the clinical problem-solving process. The study contributes to increased understanding of the practical (experiential) knowledge involved in clinical judgment.
Ultrahigh-resolution Cn 2 profiles derived from an FM-CW radar

The U.S. Army Atmospheric Science Laboratory operates a frequency modulated-continuous wave (FM-CW) radar at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. This 10 cm wavelength radar has the unique capability of measuring 2 m resolution Cn2 profiles to 2 km above ground level. At this short wavelength, scattering from point targets, presumably insects, seriously contaminates the turbulence measurements. The ability of the FM-CW radar to resolve individual insects even at two km allows the insect signature to be removed from the turbulent backscatter. Radar calibration, data, and a technique for removing insect contamination are presented.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Pattern dynamics and forecast methods in seismically active regions

Large, extended fault systems such as those in California demonstrate complex space-time seismicity patterns, which include repetitive events, precursory activity and quiescence, and aftershock sequences. Although the characteristics of these patterns can be qualitatively described, a systematic quantitative analysis remains elusive. Our research suggests that a new pattern dynamics methodology can be used to define a unique, finite set of seismicity patterns for a given fault system. In addition, while a long-sought goal of earthquake research has been the reliable forecasting of these events, very little progress has been made in developing a successful, consistent methodology. In this report, we document the discovery of systematic space-time variations in seismicity from southern California using a new technique. Here we present examples of this analysis technique on data obtained prior to events in seismically active areas that show coherent regions associated with the future occurrence of major earthquakes in the same areas. These results strongly support the hypothesis that seismic activity is highly correlated across many space and time scales within large volumes of the earth’s crust.
Health comorbidities and cognition in 1948 patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease

Abstract Background Health comorbidities, particularly cardiovascular factors, are well known to pose risks for cognitive decline in older adults. This study examined the prevalence and contribution of comorbidities on cognitive performance in a large cohort of Parkinson patients. Methods Data on 1948 PD patients were obtained from the National Parkinson Foundation Quality Improvement Initiative (NPF-QII) registry, a multi-site initiative from NPF Centers of Excellence. Available comorbidity data included six common conditions (heart/circulation problems, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, respiratory disease, and other neurologic disease) that were clinician-rated for presence and severity. Available cognitive measures included semantic fluency and a 5-word recall memory task. The unique effects of comorbidities on cognition were analyzed (multiple hierarchical regression) controlling for demographic, PD disease severity (duration, Hoehn-Yahr), and medication status. Results The two most reported comorbidities were arthritis (46.6%) and heart/circulation problems (36.3%), with diabetes affecting 9% of the sample. Severity of heart/circulation problems independently contributed to worse delayed recall performance (p = 0.03). A trend emerged for more severe diabetes as contributing to worse semantic fluency scores (p = 0.06). Conclusions This study with a large cohort of PD patients provides evidence for a small detrimental influence of specific health comorbidities, particularly heart/circulatory and diabetes, on general measures of cognition. This effect is present, above and beyond the influences of basic demographic information (age), duration and staging of PD, and medication status. Future studies involving more refined cognitive indices and direct assessment of comorbidities are warranted.
Primate models to study eccrine sweating

The histochemistry and histology of the eccrine sweat gland in the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) are described. The histochemical distribution and localization of enzymes and substrates are very similar to those found in the human; innervation is cholinergic. Active eccrine glands on the general body surface average 136 glands/cm2. Above the thermal neutral zone (TNZ), sweating is the major avenue for heat loss and the role of panting in dissipating heat is relatively insignificant. The intrahypothalamic administration of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) suppresses sweating and leads to an increase in core temperature. A linear relation is found between local sweat rates on the general body surface and clamped hypothalamic temperature. Studies also provide direct support for the concept that brain temperature and skin temperature interact additively in the control of sweating in higher primates. The functional characteristics of eccrine sweating in the patas monkey (Erythocebus) are qualitatively similar to those in the rhesus monkey. The patas monkey maintains a relatively constant rectal temperature (37.6-38.4°C) when equilibrated to a wide range of ambient temperaures of 15-40°C. Eccrine sweating is the main effector system for heat dissipation above the TNZ. We emphasize here that evaporative heat loss that is due to sweating is related to both mean skin and mean body temperature and at 40°C is 40% higher than that recorded from the rhesus monkey. These results indicate that the patas monkey, because of its high sweating capacity and other similarities with the human eccrine system, is a most appropriate animal model for comparative studies of eccrine sweat gland function in primates in general.
Oxidation of Co-10 w/o Cr interrupted by vacuum annealing

The influence of vacuum annealing treatments on the oxidation rate of Co-10 w/o Cr has been studied at 900°C and 1100°C in 100 Torr oxygen. The oxidation rate posttreatment has been found to decrease markedly with the length of the vacuum annealing period. At 900°C this effect is maintained for all periods of reoxidation studied but at 1100°C the effect of vacuum annealing disappears after a period of slow reoxidation. It is assumed that the decrease of the oxidation rate is due to an increase in the amount of CoCr2O4 in the inner layer.
Larval population dynamics of Culicoides variipennis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in southern California.

Larval Culicoides variipennis (Coquillett) were sampled weekly for 18–24 mo in two dairy wastewater ponds in southern California. Numbers of larvae were lowest in January–April and highest in July–November. As many as 7,616 larvae were recovered from a single 30-ml aliquot of shoreline mud in early October. Overall, recoveries of first to fourth instars composed ca. 3, 13, 34, and 50% of the total, and relative instar recoveries were similar for both cool and hot seasonal periods. Water-levels fluctuated irregularly throughout the year, but numbers of larvae could not be related directly to changes in water level. Most first instars were collected under conditions of rising water, however. Under stable shoreline and water-level conditions, most eggs and first and second instars were recovered at or above waterline, whereas most third and fourth instars were recovered below waterline. Time series analysis techniques were applied to separate the cyclical fluctuation due to voltinism from background variation. Approximately 9–11 discrete generations were found per year, with an average interval of 4.8–6.5 wk. A time-varying cosine function model was developed to account for the yearly pattern in larval abundance and seasonal variability in the generation interval. During summer and fall (peak bluetongue virus transmission period), the generation interval was 3.0–4.5 wk.
MANAGING LIFE IN THE CLASSROOM: DEALING WITH THE NITTY GRITTY

The saying, "It isn't the mountains ahead that wear you out—It's the grain of sand in your shoe" (Priest, 1974), is an apt statement for teachers to reflect upon in their careers as exceptional educators. Not only must teachers meet their students' needs, organize and present interesting lessons, and manage student behavior (the mountains), but they also must make decisions about bathroom breaks, sharpening pencils, and other mundane matters (the grain of sand) that make a classroom run smoothly. These routine matters revolve around the following questions, adapted from a Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resource-Action Center publication (Staff, 1983):
A century of U.S. censuses and the language characteristics of immigrants.

Since 1890, every U.S. census but one has asked about the language characteristics of the U.S. population. This almost uninterrupted data series, however, has been shaped by contemporaneous presumptions about the ties between language and ethnicity, the likelihood of proficiency in English among various subgroups, and practical constraints. I describe shifts across censuses in the phrasing of questions about language, the coding of responses, and the subpopulations for which the questions were asked and the results were published. I then describe the data generated by these items and discuss their interpretation. I conclude with a summary of the major insights and limitations of a century’s worth of data.
Impacts and Conflicts Surrounding Dracula Park, Romania: The Role of Sustainable Tourism Principles

Sustainable tourism principles are applied to a historical case study of tourism-related impacts and conflicts over Dracula Park and its proposed location in Sighisoara (Romania). Analysis of this large theme park project reveals a highly political landscape, with complex interdependencies attributable to a diversity of stakeholders and issues ranging in scale and scope from the local to the global. Cultural impacts are a significant problem with the proposed park. Local civic action, as well as other domestic and international NGOs, played key roles in opposing the proposed location adjacent to the medieval town and World Heritage site of Sighisoara. The study shows the benefit of integrating broader, global principles such as the Global Code of Ethics (World Tourism Organisation, 1997) with local-level principles to guide project development, evaluation and destination sustainability. In particular, the conflicts surrounding this project point to the importance of developing process principles that can ...
Testing the Role of p53 in the Expression of Genetic Instability and Apoptosis in Ataxia-telangiectasia

We have obtained initial evidence supporting a new model for the human disease ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T), in which the A-T and p53 genes play crucial roles in a signal transduction network that activates multiple cellular functions in response to DNA damage. Three of the model's predictions were tested. (1) Disrupting cell cycle checkpoints should increase spontaneous rates in normal cells. In order to interfere with the G1/S checkpoint, we transfected a normal cell line with vectors expressing either a dominant-negative p53ala143 mutant or a human papilloma virus E6 gene. These transformants showed 10-80-fold elevations in spontaneous recombination rates when compared with their parent. (2) A-T cells should be sensitive to DNA damage-induced apoptosis. Widespread apoptosis was detectable in four A-T fibroblast lines, but not two control lines, beginning 24 h after exposure to X-rays or streptonigrin, but not UV. Streptonigrin also induced widespread apoptosis in A-T lymphoblasts but not in control lymphoblasts. (3) Disruption of p53 function in A-T cells should increase their mutagen resistance by interfering with apoptosis. Stable transfection of either the p53143ala or the HPV18 E6 construct was associated with acquisition of streptonigrin and radiation resistance, while transfection with the p53143ala construct did not affect the streptonigrin sensitivity of a control cell line.
An Empirical Study of Boss/Seat Materials and Geometries for Ultra Low-Leakage MEMS Micro-Valves

We report work on the testing and characterization of the sealing properties of various micro-valve seat/boss interfaces. Using a custom test set-up, we have measured helium leak rates for a variety of boss materials and seat geometries. The seat geometries are micro-machined in silicon, and an orifice is DRIE etched through the chip. The test fixture allows for leak-tight edge sealing of seat chips against a viton o-ring, independent of the force used to seal the boss against the seat. Bosses are sealed against the various seat chips with forces up to 400 mN by using a precision micrometer to deflect a small spring that is coupled to the boss chip. Soft metals, such as copper and gold, and polymers such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and parylene-c, coated on silicon boss chips have been tested on hard silicon seats. In all cases, leak rates were determined as a function of sealing pressure. Seat geometries include a concentric o-ring configuration, and a silicon knife-edge. Both seats have orifice diameters varying from 60 to 110 μm. Experimental results indicate that practical MEMS-scale forces (up to several hundred mN) are sufficient to cause deformation of the soft materials coating the bosses given the small loading area, which can improve sealing capacity but not repeatability. However, uneven loading of the boss prevented a tight seal across the entire seat, which is reflected in the leak rates detected. Soft boss-materials, like PDMS, however, have shown promising results for obtaining ultra-low leak rates. Leak rates as low as 1 × 10−4 atm·cc/sec were obtained on knife-edge seats with 110 μm diameter orifices.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Assessment of thermo-electric techniques for scrape-off layer current drive in flux-tube geometry

Abstract The magnitude of the parallel current that can be driven by asymmetries between divertor target plates is calculated in magnetic flux-tube geometry. Current can be driven between ends of the flux-tube by passive techniques that generate a thermo-electric potential by heating or cooling one side relative to the other through pumping or neutral gas injection. The induced thermo-electric potential depends on the total particle flux pumped relative to the total recycling flux. For the geometry considered, pumping efficiency is higher for pumping by the target plate or from the private flux zone than for pumping from the outer side of the plate. Neutral gas injection is not as effective at generating an asymmetry. An important constraint for these methods may be the additional heat flux delivered to the hotter target, but additional Ohmic heating is much smaller than that generated by electrical biasing.
LADAR performance simulations with a high spectral resolution atmospheric transmittance and radiance model: LEEDR

In this study of atmospheric effects on Geiger Mode laser ranging and detection (LADAR), the parameter space is explored primarily using the Air Force Institute of Technology Center for Directed Energy's (AFIT/CDE) Laser Environmental Effects Definition and Reference (LEEDR) code. The expected performance of LADAR systems is assessed at operationally representative wavelengths of 1.064, 1.56 and 2.039 μm at a number of locations worldwide. Signal attenuation and background noise are characterized using LEEDR. These results are compared to standard atmosphere and Fast Atmospheric Signature Code (FASCODE) assessments. Scenarios evaluated are based on air-toground engagements including both down looking oblique and vertical geometries in which anticipated clear air aerosols are expected to occur. Engagement geometry variations are considered to determine optimum employment techniques to exploit or defeat the environmental conditions. Results, presented primarily in the form of worldwide plots of notional signal to noise ratios, show a significant climate dependence, but large variances between climatological and standard atmosphere assessments. An overall average absolute mean difference ratio of 1.03 is found when climatological signal-to-noise ratios at 40 locations are compared to their equivalent standard atmosphere assessment. Atmospheric transmission is shown to not always correlate with signal-to-noise ratios between different atmosphere profiles. Allowing aerosols to swell with relative humidity proves to be significant especially for up looking geometries reducing the signal-to-noise ratio several orders of magnitude. Turbulence blurring effects that impact tracking and imaging show that the LADAR system has little capability at a 50km range yet the turbulence has little impact at a 3km range.
Basement Tectonics Governing the Development of Salt Structures In the Salt Dome Province, Danish Central Graben, North Sea

T h e S a l t D o m e P r o v i n c e o f t h e D a n i s h C e n t r a l G r a b e n i s s i t u a t e d a t t h e n o r t h e r n margin of the southern Zechstein basin in NW Europe. Dur ing the Mesozo ic and Ter t i a ry t h e Z e c h s t e i n s a l t d e v e l o p e d i n t o s a l t p i l lows , s a l t r i d g e s , and piercement domes i n a d d i t i o n t o l a t e r a l i n t r u s i o n i n t o s i l l s a n d u p l i f t s t r u c t u r e s . The p roduc ing o i l a n d g a s r e s e r v o i r s a r e l o c a t e d i n U p p e r c re taceous cha lk in domes s i t t ing above the s a l t s t r u c t u r e s .
Short-wavelength cones contribute to achromatic sensitivity.

Abstract Visual thresholds for flicker detection and light detection were measured for white and yellow flickering targets superposed on a white adapting field. The flicker frequency was set so that the flicker detection thresholds always exceeded the light detection thresholds. The difference between the two types of thresholds was found to be smaller for yellow targets than for white targets. The most likely explanation of this result is that short-wavelength cones contribute to achromatic sensitivity at low temperal frequencies.
PAIR PRODUCTION IN LOW-LUMINOSITY GALACTIC NUCLEI

Electron-positron pairs may be produced near accreting black holes by a variety of physical processes, and the resulting pair plasma may be accelerated and collimated into a relativistic jet. Here, we use a self-consistent dynamical and radiative model to investigate pair production by ?? collisions in weakly radiative accretion flows around a black hole of mass M and accretion rate . Our flow model is drawn from general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations, and our radiation field is computed by a Monte Carlo transport scheme assuming the electron distribution function is thermal. We argue that the pair production rate scales as . We confirm this numerically and calibrate the scaling relation. This relation is self-consistent in a wedge in parameter space. If is too low the implied pair density over the poles of the black hole is below the Goldreich-Julian density and ?? pair production is relatively unimportant; if is too high the models are radiatively efficient. We also argue that for a power-law spectrum the pair production rate should scale with the observables LX ? X-ray luminosity and M as L 2 X M ?4. We confirm this numerically and argue that this relation likely holds even for radiatively efficient flows. The pair production rates are sensitive to black hole spin and to the ion-electron temperature ratio which are fixed in this exploratory calculation. We finish with a brief discussion of the implications for Sgr A* and M87.
Fluorometric detection of serotonin and serotonin-O.P.T.

Specifications and blank evaluations for the spectrophotofluorometric detection of serotonin and serotonin after reaction with ortho-phthaldialdhyde (O.P.T.) are presented. Sensitivity (detection limit) and precision for the serotonin-direct method were 55.9 ng./ml. and 2.7 ng./fluorescence intensity unit, respectively. There was a linear relationship between serotonin concentration and fluorescence produced in the range 2,797 ng./ml. to the detection limit. Blank fluorescence was composed of scattering, reagent, reagent and glassware contaminants and tissue components. The largest and most variable of these exhibited a peak of maximal fluorescence at ca. 400 nm. wavelength. It arose primarily from glassware and reagent contaminants and was not easily controllable. The blank altered the height and configuration of the serotonin spectrum producing atypicallity and resulting in inability to obtain an accurate reading for the serotonin component. No single common blank could be produced or described for correction of all specimens. The tissue blank for mid-jejunum was less than 0.2% of gross serotonin fluorescence at 545 nm. wavelength. Computer analyses indicated that the serotonin-O.P.T. blank was composed of peaks at the following wavelengths: 389, 407, 426, 448, 474 and 507 nm. A single chloroform wash was found to remove blanks peaking at 389, 426 and 474 nm. wavelengths eliminating atypicallity and permitting a more accurate reading of serotonin-O.P.T. at 473 nm. wavelength. A common reagent blank was also achieved. The chloroform wash produced a 17% loss of serotonin-O.P.T. Computer analyses further indicated that the characteristic serotonin-O.P.T. peak at 473 nm. wavelength was a composite of peaks at 459 and 490 nm. The use of O.P.T. permitted the fluorometric detection of serotonin down to a concentration of 12.3 ng./ml. with a precision of 0.1 ng./fluorescence intensity unit, and with standard linearity from 313 ng./ml. to the detection limit. These specifications represented 4.5- and 27.3-fold increases in sensitivity and precision, respectively, over the serotonin-direct method. The use of O.P.T. with a chloroform wash increased detection sensitivity to 75 ng./ml.; precision remained unaffected.
Growth hormone regulates amino acid transport in human and rat liver

Human growth hormone (GH) has been shown to improve nitrogen balance in surgical patients and to decrease urea production. This has been thought to be due primarily to an increase in protein synthesis in skeletal muscle. Little attention has focused on the liver as a possible site where GH may modulate amino acid uptake and thereby divert nitrogen away from urea-genesis. The authors hypothesized that GH regulates amino acid transport in hepatocytes at the plasma membrane level. They studied hepatic amino acid transport in 20 healthy surgical patients that received saline, low-dose GH (0.1 mg/kg/day), or high-dose (0.2 mg/kg/day) GH for 3 days before operation. At operation, a 5- to 10-g wedge biopsy of the liver was obtained, and hepatocyte plasma membrane vesicles were prepared by Percoll density gradient centrifugation. Vesicle transport of [3H]-MeAIB, a highly selective system A substrate, and [3H]-glutamine, a selective system N substrate, was measured, employing a rapid mixing/filtration technique. Hepatocyte plasma membrane vesicles were also prepared from 14 rats treated with saline or one of three different GH treatment regimens: (A) 12 hours after chronic GH treatment (6 mg/kg every 12 hours x 4 doses); (B) 4 hours after acute (1 dose) GH treatment; and (C) 4 hours after chronic GH treatment. In human liver vesicles, low-dose GH resulted in a 13% decrease in system A activity (p = not significant), whereas high-dose GH caused a marked 79% decrease (6.7 +/- 1.7 pmol/mg protein/10 seconds in control patients versus 1.4 +/- 0.7 in GH, p less than 0.05). System N was unaffected. Kinetic analysis of MeAIB transport by vesicles from high-dose GH patients showed the reduction in transport to be due to a 63% decrease in the Vmax (maximal transport velocity) with no alteration in the transport Km (carrier affinity). Vesicles from rats treated chronically with GH using a protocol similar to that used for human subjects exhibited decreased system A transport activity (10.4 +/- 0.4 pmol/mg pro/10 seconds in controls versus 7.5 +/- 0.2 in GH, p less than 0.05) secondary to a 59% reduction in the transport Vmax. Chronic growth hormone treatment decreases the activity of system A in both human and rat hepatocytes. This may be one mechanism by which GH diminishes hepatic urea-genesis and spares amino acids for peripheral protein synthesis.
Spectral theory for nonconservative transmission line networks

The global theory of transmission line networks with nonconservative junction conditions is developed from a spectral theoretic viewpoint. The rather general junction conditions lead to spectral problems for nonnormal operators. The theory of analytic functions which are almost periodic in a strip is used to establish the existence of an infinite sequence of eigenvalues and the completeness of generalized eigenfunctions. Simple eigenvalues are generic. The asymptotic behavior of an eigenvalue counting function is determined. Specialized results are developed for rational graphs.