cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“Good Catholic Radicals”: Harry Sylvester’s Moon Gaffney and Irish American Catholicism at Mid-Century

No other novelist in this study tackles the conservative Catholic hierarchy in quite the same way as Harry Sylvester (though Mary Doyle Curran hints at some of the same concerns). Sylvester’s Moon Gaffney is an aspiring Irish American politician working within New York’s Tammany machine, when he begins developing a conscience thanks to some labor activists introduced to him by friends. Sylvester’s novel is an unfolding of realizations for Moon about how the poor are treated by the Church and politicians alike. While other novels included in this study touch on socialism and labor unions, Sylvester’s book makes them a central concern. In the process, as this chapter will show, he exposes some of the superficiality of Irish Americans who have “made it” financially and now work to forget their humble roots. That these people still call themselves Christian while turning their backs on the poor clearly set Sylvester off. He lays it all out in his novel, Moon Gaffney.
A combination of retinal morphology and visual electrophysiology testing increases diagnostic yield in Parkinson's disease

Abstract Background Impaired vision and remodeled foveal pit have been demonstrated in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients using different techniques. Methods Ten PD (20 eyes) and eight healthy controls (HC) subjects (16 eyes) were enrolled. Subjects were evaluated for N70 and P100 latencies using two-channel VEP with pattern reversal and on/off pattern; Contrast sensitivity (CS) using Pelli-Robson chart; macular thickness measured using Zeiss-HD optical coherence tomography (OCT). Results PD patients had a significantly delayed N70 (reversal pattern) and P100 (on/off pattern), lower CS score, and decreased retinal thickness at temporal 1.5–2.5 mm from the foveola. N70 latency was negatively correlated with CS (R = −0.419, P = 0.01) and average GCL-IPL thickness (R = −0.529, P = 0.001). CS was positively correlated with parafoveal thickness (R = 0.490, P = 0.002). A combination of parafoveal thickness and CS score yielded an AUC of 0.784 for PD discrimination which increased to 0.844 when combined with N70 and P100 measures. Conclusion A combination of pattern reversal VEP latency, CS score, and inner retinal foveal thickness measures has a high diagnostic yield for PD.
ISBT Scientific Series – State of the Art Invited speakerProtein blood group systems: Berlin and beyond

As of July 2010, 24 of the 30 blood group systems recognized by the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) are protein-based. These proteins are oriented within the red cell membrane as single pass membrane proteins, multi-pass proteins, glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked proteins, or adsorbed from the plasma. At the 2010 meeting of the ISBT working party on the red cell immunogenetics and blood group terminology, 14 ‘new’ high-incidence blood group antigens were ratified into 10 of the systems, one antigen was made obsolete, and a new collection was established. Early in 2012, two new protein-based blood group systems were established. Both are members of the ATP-binding cassette family of proteins.
Meromorphic functions with large sets of Julia points

Let D = { z : | z | C = { z : | z | = 1}. If W denotes the Riemann sphere equipped the chordal metric X , let f : D → W be meromorphic. A chord T lying in D except for an endpoint γ ∈ C is called a Julia segment for f if for each Stolz angle Δ in D at γ which contains T, f assumes infinitely often in Δ all values of W with at most two exceptions. We call γ ∈ C a Julia point for f if every chord in D ending at γ is a Julia segment for f , and we denote by J(f) the set of Julia points of f .
The Amygdala, Autism and Anxiety

Brothers has proposed that the amygdala is an important component of the neural network that underlies social cognition. And Bauman and Kemper observed signs of neuropathology in the amygdala of the post-mortem autistic brain. These findings, in addition to recent functional neuroimaging data, have led Baron-Cohen and colleagues to propose that dysfunction of the amygdala may be responsible, in part, for the impairment of social functioning that is a hallmark feature of autism. Recent data from studies in our laboratory on the effects of amygdala lesions in the macaque monkey are at variance with a fundamental role for the amygdala in social behaviour. If the amygdala is not essential for normal social behaviour, as seems to be the case in both non-human primates and selected patients with bilateral amygdala damage, then it is unlikely to be the substrate for the abnormal social behaviour of autism. However, damage to the amygdala does have an effect on a monkey's response to normally fear-inducing stimuli, such as snakes, and removes a natural reluctance to engage novel conspecifics in social interactions. These findings lead to the conclusion that an important role for the amygdala is in the detection of threats and mobilizing an appropriate behavioural response, part of which is fear. If the amygdala is pathological in subjects with autism, it may contribute to their abnormal fears and increased anxiety rather than their abnormal social behaviour.
The Evolution of I-Language: Lexicalization as the Key Evolutionary Novelty

Comparative psychological research suggests that human and non-human minds comprise an array of encapsulated cognitive systems (‘core knowledge systems’). While most of these cognitive building blocks appear to be shared across species, the cognitive gap between human and non-human minds is nevertheless quite stunning (Hauser’s Paradox). Following recent ideas concerning the crucial role of human word learning in cognitive development, it is here suggested that lexicalization — the association of concepts with words — is the key evolutionary novelty that allows linguistic minds to integrate the various encapsulated conceptual resources into a common mental language.
Staffing optimization in complex service delivery systems

Enterprises and service providers are increasingly challenged with improving the quality of service delivery while containing the cost. However, it is often difficult to effectively manage the conflicting needs associated with dynamic customer workload, strict service level constraints, and service personnel with diverse skill sets. In this paper we propose an optimization model to provide recommended staffing levels in a complex service delivery system. The optimization model minimizes the total staffing related variable cost while considering the contractual service level constraints, the skills required to respond to different types of service requests, and the shift schedules that the service agents must follow. We describe how model-based decision making can be conducted using a combination of optimization and discrete event simulation techniques. We demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach in a large IT services delivery environment.
Ratio of shear viscosity to entropy density for trapped fermions in the unitarity limit

We extract the shear viscosity to entropy density ratio $\ensuremath{\eta}/s$ of cold fermionic atoms in the unitarity limit from experimental data on the damping of collective excitations. We find that near the critical temperature $\ensuremath{\eta}/s$ is roughly equal to 1/2 in units of $\ensuremath{\hbar}/{k}_{B}$. With the possible exception of the quark gluon plasma, this value is closer to the conjectured lower bound $1/(4\ensuremath{\pi})$ than any other known liquid.
Triplet correlations among similarly tuned cells impact population coding

Which statistical features of spiking activity matter for how stimuli are encoded in neural populations? A vast body of work has explored how firing rates in individual cells and correlations in the spikes of cell pairs impact coding. Recent experiments have shown evidence for the existence of higher-order spiking correlations, which describe simultaneous firing in triplets and larger ensembles of cells; however, little is known about their impact on encoded stimulus information. Here, we take a first step toward closing this gap. We vary triplet correlations in small (approximately 10 cell) neural populations while keeping single cell and pairwise statistics fixed at typically reported values. This connection with empirically observed lower-order statistics is important, as it places strong constraints on the level of triplet correlations that can occur. For each value of triplet correlations, we estimate the performance of the neural population on a two-stimulus discrimination task. We find that the allowed changes in the level of triplet correlations can significantly enhance coding, in particular if triplet correlations differ for the two stimuli. In this scenario, triplet correlations must be included in order to accurately quantify the functionality of neural populations. When both stimuli elicit similar triplet correlations, however, pairwise models provide relatively accurate descriptions of coding accuracy. We explain our findings geometrically via the skew that triplet correlations induce in population-wide distributions of neural responses. Finally, we calculate how many samples are necessary to accurately measure spiking correlations of this type, providing an estimate of the necessary recording times in future experiments.
The role of anaerobic bacteria in postpartum endomyometritis

Abstract To evaluate the role of anaerobic bacteria in postpartum endomyometritis, intravenous metronidazole was used as the sole initial therapy in 25 women with clinical signs of infection. This agent has not been shown to have activity against aerobic pathogens in soft tissue pelvic infections. A clinical cure was obtained in 21 of 25 (84%) with oral metronidazole utilized after the patient had been afebrile for at least 24 hours. The mean fever index of the 21 successfully treated women was 35.9 degree hours with a SD of ± 30 hours. The four patients with treatment failure required alternate antibiotics and the mean fever index of these patients was 138.0 degree hours. Transcervical endometrial cultures were obtained prior to therapy in 24 women. Anaerobes were recovered in every instance with a total of 67 isolates, a mean of 2.8 per patinet. The most common isolates were peptococcus and Bacteroides species. A culdocentesis was performed concurrently in 23 women. Anaerobes were recovered in 20 (87%) with a total of 55 isolates. The most frequent isolates were peptococcus and Bacteroides fragilis . In 23 women in whom paired transcervical endometrial and cul-de-sac cultures were obtained, at least one common organism was isolated in 18 (78%). Both the successful clinical response to metronidazole and the paired culture results suggest that anaerobic organisms have an important role in endomyometritis following vaginal delivery.
A Systematic Study of the Stellar Populations and ISM in Galaxies out to the Virgo Cluster

We present a compelling case for a systematic and comprehensive study of the resolved and unresolved stellar populations, ISM, and immediate environments of galaxies throughout the local volume, defined here as D ~1 mag below the TRGB should be resolved on scales of ~ 24 mag/arcsec^2 and m_{I,TRGB} ~250 arcmin^2), high-resolution (<~0.020"--0.065" [300--1000nm]), ultraviolet--near-infrared imaging facility on a 4m-class space-based observatory.
Endocrine regulation of insect diuresis in the early postgenomic era11This review is part of a virtual symposium on recent advances in understanding a variety of complex regulatory processes in insect physiology and endocrinology, including development, metabolism, cold hardiness, food intake and digestion, and diuresis, through the use of omics technologies in the postgenomic era.

Diuresis, the removal of excess metabolic waste through production of primary urine while maintaining homeostasis, is an important biological process that is tightly regulated by endocrine factors....
Preconditioned conjugate gradient methods for large-scale fluid flow applications

The simulation of large-scale fluid flow applications often requires the efficient solution of extremely large nonsymmetric linear and nonlinear sparse systems of equations arising from the discretization of systems of partial differential equations. While preconditioned conjugate gradient methods work well for symmetric, positive-definite matrices, other methods are necessary to treat large, nonsymmetric matrices. The applications may also involve highly localized phenomena which can be addressed via local and adaptive grid refinement techniques. These local refinement methods usually cause non-standard grid connections which destroy the bandedness of the matrices and the associated ease of solution and vectorization of the algorithms. The use of preconditioned conjugate gradient or conjugate-gradient-like iterative methods in large-scale reservoir simulation applications is briefly surveyed. Then, some block preconditioning methods for adaptive grid refinement via domain decomposition techniques are presented and compared. These techniques are being used efficiently in existing large-scale simulation codes.
Androgen Receptor Specifically Interacts with a Novel p21-activated Kinase, PAK6

The androgen receptor (AR) is a hormone-dependent transcription factor that plays important roles in male sexual differentiation and development. Transcription activation by steroid hormone receptors, such as the androgen receptor, is mediated through interaction with cofactors. We recently identified a novel AR-interacting protein, provisionally termed PAK6, that shares a high degree of sequence similarity with p21-activated kinases (PAKs). PAK6 is a 75-kDa protein that contains a putative amino-terminal Cdc42/Rac interactive binding motif and a carboxyl-terminal kinase domain. A domain-specific and ligand-dependent interaction between AR and PAK6 was further confirmed in vivo and in vitro. Northern blot analysis revealed that PAK6 is highly expressed in testis and prostate tissues. Most importantly, immunofluorescence studies showed that PAK6 cotranslocates into the nucleus with AR in response to androgen. Transient transfection experiments showed that PAK6 specifically repressed AR-mediated transcription. This report identifies a novel function for a PAK-homologous protein and suggests a potential unique mechanism by which other signal transduction pathways may cross-talk with AR pathways to regulate AR function in normal and malignant prostate cells.
Expression of the Proenkephalin A Gene and [Met5]enkephalin Secretion Induced by Prostaglandin E2 in Bovine Adrenal Medullary Chromaffin Cells: Involvement of Second Messengers

Abstract We have reported that prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) increases the long-term secretion of [Met5]enkephalin (ME) and the expression of proenkephalin A (proENK) mRNA in bovine adrenal medullary chromaffin (BAMC) cells. In order to characterize the underlying mechanisms for the PGE2-induced responses, we have now studied the effects of PGE2 on intracellular free calcium [Ca2+]i levels. The interactions of PGE2 with several second messenger systems were also studied. Treatment with PGE2 (10 μM) produced a transient increase followed by a prolonged plateau in the levels of [Ca2+]i. Ionomycin (3 × 10-6M), which depletes intracellular calcium pools, did not inhibit the PGE2-induced responses. Nimodipine (1 × 10-6M ), an L-type calcium channel blocker, did not block the initial transient but blocked the plateau phase of the PGE2-induced [Ca2+]i response. Long-term (24 h) treatment with PGE2 (10 μM) increased both the secretion of ME and the expression of proENK mRNA. Pretreatment of BAMC cells with nimodipine but not with ω-conotoxin GVIA inhibited the secretion of ME and the expression of proENK mRNA induced by PGE2. Calmidazolium, a calmodulin antagonist, also significantly inhibited PGE2-induced responses. However, a protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, sphingosine (36 μM), was ineffective in blocking PGE2-induced responses. In addition, the down-regulation of PKC by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) (0.1 μM) for 48 h did not inhibit the PGE2-induced responses. Furthermore, PGE2 did not affect AP-1 DNA binding activity, while PMA (1 μM) increased AP-1 DNA binding activity. Forskolin (an adenyl cyclase activator) alone increased ME secretion as well as proENK mRNA levels and when coincubated with PGE2 showed less than an additive effect on the secretion of ME and the levels of the proENK mRNA. The results suggest that the Ca2+/ calmodulin pathway, but not the protein kinase A or PKC pathways, appear to be involved in mediating the PGE2-induced increases of the long-term secretion of ME and the levels of proENK mRNA.
Vertebral morphometrics in Varanus

EnglishThe forces acting on the vertebral column of varanid lizards differ greatly during swimming and walking. To examine the long-term impact of these forces, the dorsal vertebrae of terrestrial and aquatic species of Varanus were compared using 3-D laser scanning and morphometric analysis. There were significant differences between the two groups in vertebral anatomical features, particularly in the articular surfaces. Further analysis demonstrated that the dorsal vertebrae could be significantly divided into three groups of nearly equal size: the sternal group (dorsal vertebrae 1-7), the middle group (dorsal vertebrae 8-14), and the pelvic group (dorsal vertebrae 15-22). Within each of these groups there was significant differences between the terrestrial and aquatic species; these differences were least in the more conserved sternal region and greatest in the highly variable pelvic region. The results suggest that vertebral morphometrics can be used as a tool to further delineate the habitat preferences of extinct varanoid lizards, and could serve to highlight the functional transitions between terrestrial and aquatic species. francaisLes forces agissants sur la colonne vertebrale des lezards varanides different grandement entre la nage et la marche. Afin d'examiner l'impact a long terme de ces forces, les vertebres dorsales d'especes terrestres et aquatiques de Varanus ont ete comparees en utilisant un scan laser 3-D et une analyse morphometrique. Il existe des differences significatives dans les caracteres anatomiques vertebraux entre les deux groupes, notamment au niveau des surfaces articulaires. L'analyse demontre que les vertebres dorsales pourraient etre significativement divisees en trois groupes de taille presque egale: le groupe sternal (dorsales 1-7), le groupe median (dorsales 8-14) et le groupe pelvien (dorsales 15-22). A l'interieur de chacun de ces groupes existent des differences significatives entre les especes terrestres et aquatiques; ces differences sont moindres dans la region sternale plus conservatrice et les plus importantes dans la region pelvique hautement variable. Les resultats suggerent que la morphometrie vertebrale peut etre utilisee comme un outil pour delimiter plus en avant les preferences d'habitat des lezards varanoides fossiles, et pourrait servir a mettre en evidence les transitions fonctionnelles entre les especes terrestres et aquatiques.
Induction and potentiation of parturition in fingernail clams (Sphaerium striatinum) by selective serotonin re‐uptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

Parturition in fingernail clams (Sphaerium spp.) can be induced by external application of serotonin and serotonergic ligands. Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) increase neurotransmission at serotonergic synapses by blocking re-uptake transporters. We tested the efficacy of SSRIs (fluvoxamine, fluoxetine, paroxetine) at inducing parturition in the fingernail clam Sphaerium striatinum. Parturition was induced by fluvoxamine and paroxetine, but only potentiated by fluoxetine. Fluvoxamine was potent, significantly inducing parturition at concentrations from 10 nM to 100 μM compared with negative controls. Fluvoxamine also significantly potentiated a subthreshold (10 μM) concentration of serotonin. Paroxetine also induced parturition but was less potent. Only 10 μM paroxetine significantly induced parturition compared with controls. Fluoxetine (1–100 μM) did not induce any parturitions, but at 5 μM it potentiated parturition in subthreshold serotonin concentrations as low as 50 nM. These results suggest the presence of serotonin re-uptake transporters in bivalve molluscs and may provide a way of stimulating serotonergic mechanisms without using serotonin or its ligands. J. Exp. Zool. 280:260–264, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Localized mechanical property assessment of SiC/SiC composite materials

Abstract SiC fiber-reinforced SiC matrix composites (SiC/SiC) are under consideration as a structural material for a range of nuclear applications. While these materials have been studied for decades, recently new small scale materials testing techniques have emerged which can be used to characterize SiC/SiC materials from a new perspective. In this work cross section nanoindentation was performed on SiC/SiC composites revealing that both the hardness and Young’s modulus was substantially lower in the fiber compared to the matrix despite both being SiC. Using scanning electron microscopy it was observed that the grain growth of the matrix during formation was radially out from the fiber with a changing grain structure as a function of radius from the fiber center. Focused ion beam machining was used to manufacture micro-cantilever samples and evaluate the fracture toughness and fracture strength in the matrix as a function of grain orientation in the matrix. Additionally microstructural characterization techniques like Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and microtomography were used to evaluate differences in the matrix and fibers of the composite.
Longitudinal Stability of IRT and Equivalent-Groups Linear and Equipercentile Equating:

A multiscale criterion-referenced test that featured two presumably equivalent forms (A and B), was administered to 1,667 Head Start children at each of four points over an academic year. Using a randomly equivalent groups design, three equating methods were applied: common-item IRT equating using concurrent calibration, linear transformation, and equipercentile transformation. The methods were compared by examining mean score differences, weighted mean squared difference, and Kolmogorov's D statistics for each subscale. The results indicated that over time the IRT equating method and conventional equating methods exhibited different patterns of discrepancy between the two test forms. IRT equating yielded marginally smaller form-to-form mean score differences and generated slightly fewer distributional discrepancies between Forms A and B than both linear and equipercentile equating. However, the results were mixed indicating that more studies are needed to provide additional information on the relative merits and weaknesses of each approach.
Short Period Investigations in Spark Discharges

With the help of an automatic electronic switch placed between phototube and recorder of a spectrograph, the intensities as function of time of a series of spectrum lines produced in a spark have been recorded. The changes as function of the position in the gap were also investigated. There is an extensive afterglow which in general decays faster for the higher stages of ionization. The continuous background has the same characteristics as the spectrum of the surrounding gas. The changes in self-absorption excitation and line profile were also studied as function of time and partly correlated with the fundamental processes responsible for the afterglow.
The effect of epinephrine on small-dose hyperbaric bupivacaine spinal anesthesia: clinical implications for ambulatory surgery.

UNLABELLED The effect of adding epinephrine to small doses of spinal bupivacaine on the duration of sensory motor block has not been carefully investigated. Twelve volunteers underwent hyperbaric bupivacaine spinal anesthesia (7.5 mg) with and without epinephrine (0.2 mg) in a randomized, double-blind, cross-over fashion. Sensory block was assessed with pinprick, transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TES) equivalent to surgical stimulation (at umbilicus, pubis, knee, and ankle), and tolerance of a pneumatic thigh tourniquet. Motor block was assessed with isometric force dynamometry. Discharge criteria were defined as return of pinprick sensation to dermatome S2, ability to ambulate, and ability to urinate. Extent of sensory block to pinprick over time was unaffected by the addition of epinephrine. However, epinephrine prolonged tolerance of TES at the pubis, knee, and ankle (33-48 min, P < 0.05) and of thigh tourniquet (30 min, P < 0.01). Motor block was prolonged by epinephrine at the quadriceps and gastrocnemius muscles (by 23 and 51 min, respectively, P < 0.002). Achievement of discharge criteria was prolonged by 48 min by the addition of epinephrine (P < 0.01). Thus, epinephrine may prolong surgical anesthesia for lower abdominal and lower extremity surgery and delay time until patients achieve discharge criteria. IMPLICATIONS Using a cross-over study design, 12 volunteers underwent bupivacaine spinal anesthesia with and without epinephrine. This study suggests that adding epinephrine to bupivacaine may prolong surgical anesthesia and also delay patients' discharge.
Political religion vs non-establishment: Reflections on 21st-century political theology: Part 2

This article defends the principle of non-establishment against 21st-century projects of political religion, constitutional theocracy and political theology. It is divided into two parts. The first part, published in special issue 39.4–5 of Philosophy and Social Criticism, proceeds by constructing an ideal type of political secularism, and then discussing the innovative American model of constitutional dualism regarding religion that combined constitutional protection for the freedom of religious conscience and exercise with the principle of non-establishment. It then critically assesses the integrationist approach –disguised as a concern for pluralism and fairness – as an alternative to this framework. The integrationist approach challenges ‘separation’ and political secularism in a subtle attack on the non-establishment principle, aimed at drastically narrowing its scope. Successes of this approach in recent Supreme Court jurisprudence and politics, have triggered a response by liberal egalitarians. I a...
340 Reduction in Death or Moderate/Severe Disability by Whole Body Hypothermia for Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)

Background: Post-asphyxial hypothermia is protective in experimental animals; however, there have been no RCT evaluating safety and effectiveness of whole body hypothermia in term infants with HIE.
A review of aripiprazole in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder.

Aripiprazole has been approved by regulatory agencies for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder. Although it is a dopamine partial agonist, it also has substantial binding affinity for the serotonin 5HT2A receptor. Several double-blind randomized clinical trials have established the efficacy and tolerability of aripiprazole within the dose range of 10–30 mg/day for schizophrenia, and 15–30 mg/day for manic or mixed states associated with bipolar I disorder. Relatively few comparative trials with other second-generation antipsychotics have been published for schizophrenia, with none available for bipolar disorder. The evidence so far suggests that in terms of efficacy for schizophrenia, aripiprazole is superior to placebo and haloperidol (long term), similar to perphenazine and risperidone, and inferior to olanzapine. Its tolerability profile in patients with schizophrenia appears superior to haloperidol, perphenazine, risperidone, and olanzapine. Efficacy in treating manic or mixed states was established in placebo-controlled trials. Among some patients with bipolar disorder, akathisia and gastrointestinal (GI) complaints can emerge at the start of treatment; however, the GI symptoms were time-limited in many instances. Appropriate dosing may also be important in individualizing therapy to improve tolerability, with lower starting doses becoming more important when adding to, or switching from, another antipsychotic. Aripiprazole appears to have a low propensity for weight gain, a favorable metabolic profile, and no association with hyperprolactinemia.
Safe and Effective Importance Sampling

Abstract We present two improvements on the technique of importance sampling. First, we show that importance sampling from a mixture of densities, using those densities as control variates, results in a useful upper bound on the asymptotic variance. That bound is a small multiple of the asymptotic variance of importance sampling from the best single component density. This allows one to benefit from the great variance reductions obtainable by importance sampling, while protecting against the equally great variance increases that might take the practitioner by surprise. The second improvement is to show how importance sampling from two or more densities can be used to approach a zero sampling variance even for integrands that take both positive and negative values.
Results of an Educational Intervention to Improve the Health Knowledge, Attitudes and Self‐Reported Behaviors of Swine Confinement Workers

: Swine confinement workers participated in an educational intervention designed to improve knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to respiratory disease. The desired changes were (1) improvement in knowledge about recommended gas and dust levels in buildings and benefits of using properly fitted masks; (2) improvement of attitudes about wearing dust masks, taking safety precautions, and inspecting the ventilation and heating systems; and (3) improvement in behaviors such as regular inspection of buildings and wearing an appropriate dust mask or respirator. The health risks of failing to practice these behaviors include chronic bronchitis, occupational asthma, organic dust toxic syndrome, chronic sinusitis, and even death from acute toxicity related to hydrogen sulfide. An intervention group and a nonintervention group of swine confinement workers were assessed at the beginning of the project and one year later to determine changes brought about by an educational intervention. During that year, swine producers in the intervention group were mailed a series of six educational home-study modules and reference materials on confinement topics. Analysis of covariance and categorical repeated measures analysis were used to determine changes over time in the percentage of people who answered correctly in each group. Significant changes in knowledge scores, attitude scores, and reported behavior scores all favored the intervention group. The 14 statistically significant changes in knowledge items were related to dust mask use, manure pit safety, liquid manure agitation, building gas and dust norms, and recommended gas levels. The four attitudinal items that improved significantly concerned the importance of regular cleaning and upkeep, improving health and safety, knowing ways to keep buildings safer, and recognizing the benefits of wearing a dust mask. The four items about self-reported behavior changes included inspecting and servicing of building heaters, measuring building gases, and wearing a mask while working. Thus, important changes in the intervention group occurred in all three targeted areas—knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. The results lead to three conclusions: the educational materials were effective; swine producers are educable through a low-cost intervention; and educational intervention acan improve many factors related to the safety and health of confinement workers.
Antebellum Wage Widening Once Again

We welcome the appearance of Scott Grosse's note as an opportunity to repeat our call for new archival research on antebellum trends in the distributions of earnings, income, and wealth.' We hope that our American Inequality and the present exchange will help stimulate such empirical exploration. Since Grosse reports no such exploration and no new evidence, however, there is no reason to revise our tentative conclusion about antebellum earnings inequality: after decades of quiescence or narrowing, nonfarm wage gaps widened between about 1816 and abodt 1856. Grosse offers no new data. Every piece of documented information comes from sources we had used and cited in American Inequality. There might appear to be an illusory exception, an offhand and undocumented sentence by Adam Smith, who had somehow heard what carpenters, bricklayers, and laborers earned in distant New York in 1773.2 Directed by us to the richer wage statistics volume of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Grosse now cites other scraps we had previously seen for the 1770s. These hardly represent fresh data about the contested trends after 1816. Instead of hunting up new data, Grosse selectively sifts through those we had already cited. His procedure seems to be as follows: First, even though Williamson and Lindert cited the whole published literature on the issue of antebellum wage gaps, find some series they did not reproduce in the book. Sure enough, some strengthen their argument while some do not. Next, ignore most of the series that confirm the Williamson-Lindert view and make excuses and complaints about others. It is an excellent formula for revisionism, even if it does not advance knowledge. Grosse repeatedly acknowledges evidence supporting our view, only to dismiss it frivolously. He concedes that there was a sustained rise in teachers' pay advantage over common labor, but sweeps it away as if offering better pay for teachers of given quality were not the same thing as a rising skill premium. He notes that machinists on average underwent a rising pay advantage, but complains that the overall averages hide a mixture of machinists from different industries. To solve the sector aggregation problem of "apples and oranges," he then dumps apples, oranges, and other fruit across the page. Oddly enough, among the sectoral figures he presents for machinists, there is only one pair of observations from the same industry, and this happens to support our view: the skilled-wage ratio for cordage works was "only 1.33" in 1840, while the ratio for 1850 was 1.61. While this cordage-works evidence supports our view, we prefer our own attempts to construct fixed-weight wage differentials, based as they are on larger samples. His reading of the evidence from northeastern textile mills is equally odd. He admits that Nickless's data fully support our view, but chooses to fret that "there may be no single trend," since the series jumps suddenly-and maintains that increase
Synthesis and properties of novel highly fluorescent pyrrolopyridazine derivatives

We report here the synthesis, X-ray structures, optical and electrochemical properties, and density functional calculations for new pyrrolopyridazine derivatives. Ten strongly luminescent heterocycles were synthesized by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions between alkylated pyridazine or cinnoline and naphthoquinone or dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD). They are benzo[f]pyridazino[6,1-a]isoindole-5,10-diones (BPID) 1−4, benzo[f]pyridazino[6,1-a]isoindole (BPI) 5, pyrrolo[1,2-b]cinnolines (PC) 6 and 7, and pyrrolo[1,2-b]pyridazines (PP) 8−10. The relative luminescence quantum yield can be as high as 90% and the heterocycles are luminescent in the solid state, which indicates that there is little self-quenching in these systems. Furthermore, we have shown that the optical properties of pyrrolopyridazines can be tuned by substitutions in different ring positions. An unexpected blue shift and a large red shift with a different π conjugation system were explained by aromaticity arguments using DFT calcula...
Chemistry and structure of lunar and synthetic armalcolite

A study of the chemical trends displayed by lunar armalcolites has been made in conjunction with single-crystal X-ray structure refinements of lunar and synthetic armalcolite in order to assess the possible importance of Ti3+ in lunar armalcolite and to characterize the effects of cation substitutions on the structure. The apparent cation deficiencies found in lunar armalcolites analyzed with the electron microprobe most likely reflect the presence of Ti3+, although the existence of vacancies cannot be ruled out. Structure refinements of an Apollo 17 armalcolite are consistent with either interpretation. These results support experimental evidence suggesting the presence of Ti3+ in armalcolite and indicate that virtually all lunar armalcolites probably contain ∼4–11 mol.% Ti23+Ti4+O5 component in solid solution. The cation distribution in lunar armalcolite is essentially completely ordered. However, synthetic crystals quenched from near 1200°C have been found to retain significant cation disorder.
microRNA expression in the eyes and their significance in relation to functions

microRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, small, non-coding, regulatory RNAs, approximately 22 nucleotides (nts) in size. Since the first discovery of miRNAs in 1993 in Caenorhabditis elegans, miRNAs have been shown to be widely expressed in metazoans and plants in tissue-specific and developmental stage-specific manners. miRNAs target their downstream messenger RNAs (mRNAs) by base pairing to their target sites with sequence complementarity, mainly in the 3' untranslated region (UTR), and induce the breakdown of the targeted mRNAs and/or inhibition of translation from the mRNAs. Approximately 30% of the protein-coding genes are estimated to be regulated by miRNAs. One miRNA can target hundreds of downstream target mRNAs, while one mRNA can be targeted by multiple miRNAs. miRNAs have been recognized as a major level of post-transcriptional regulation of the fine-tuning of gene expression, playing important roles in cellular proliferation, differentiation, and cell death and are involved in all aspects of the biological processes investigated thus far. Mutations in miRNAs and/or the target sites in the transcripts of their downstream target genes and dysregulation of miRNA biogenesis can result in a wide variety of diseases, including cancers. In the past few years, we and other groups have investigated miRNA expression in the retina and other ocular tissues. The miRNA transcriptomes of the retina, lens, and cornea have been established. Many miRNAs showed unique tissue-specific and developmental stage-specific expression patterns, suggesting potential unique functions in the retina and other ocular tissues. In spite of this progress, the roles of retinal and other ocular miRNAs in the development, normal functions, and diseases of the retina and other ocular tissues are still largely unknown. This review aims to provide an extensive summary of the current status and recent progress of our understanding of the miRNAs in retinal and other ocular tissues and speculate on future directions to define the roles of miRNAs in the retina and other ocular tissues and diseases.
The nature of the linkage between phosphoinositides and proteins in brain

Abstract The nature of the linkage between phosphatidopeptides and residual protein and the linkage between phosphoinositide and protein in phosphatidopeptides from beef-brain white matter have been investigated by using various modifications in the extraction procedure. It was found that the phosphoinositide can be almost completely dissociated from all protein by using a sufficiently non-polar acidified solvent for the extraction. When more polar solvents are used increasing amounts of protein are obtained in the extracts, a substantial amount of which is bound to the extracted phosphoinositide. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that this extractable phosphoinositide-protein complex exists in situ and is not an artifact of preparation. In solvents of relatively high polarity the extracts also include some protein which is soluble by itself in the organic solvents. The principal type of bonding in both sites involved in the phosphatidopeptides appears to be electrostatic. Chemical analyses of the various extracts showed that the major lipid constituent in all cases was probably triphosphoinositide with negligible contamination by phosphatides which do not contain inositol. The variations in amino acids and other N constituents were also established.
Diffusion in microstructured block copolymers: Chain localization and entanglements.

The diffusion (${\mathit{D}}_{\mathit{s}}$) of entangled and unentangled symmetric block copolymers is compared, above and below the ordering transition. The lamellar samples were not macroscopically oriented, and thus ${\mathit{D}}_{\mathit{s}}$ reflects a combination of mobilities parallel and perpendicular to the lamellar planes. For unentangled (Rouse) chains, ${\mathit{D}}_{\mathit{s}}$ is unaffected by the microstructure, whereas entangled (reptating) chains are retarded significantly; this difference reflects an interesting combination of thermodynamic and entanglement constraints. Furthermore, this retardation persists into the nominally disordered state.
A proposed theory for nonisothermal unsteady-state transport of moisture in wood

Two equations are derived to describe the nonisothermal unsteady-state diffusion of moisture in one direction in parallel-sided bodies. One equation is based upon a gradient of activated moisture molecules and the other on a gradient of chemical potential.
The optimal process mean problem: Integrating predictability and profitability into an experimental factor space

For complex manufacturing systems, process or product optimization can be instrumental in achieving a significant economic advantage. To reduce costs associated with product non-conformance or excessive waste, engineers often identify the most critical quality characteristics and then use methods to obtain their ideal parameter settings. The optimal process mean problem is one such statistical method; it begins with the assumption of the characteristic parameters, whereby the ideal settings are determined based upon the tradeoff among various processing costs. Unfortunately, however, the ideal parameter settings for a characteristic mean can be unpredictable, as it is directly influenced by changes in the process variability, tolerance, and cost structure. In this paper, a method is proposed that relates the optimal process mean to the ideal settings through experimental design. With the method, one may gain greater predictability of the new optimal process mean when the process conditions are altered. The methodology is illustrated for a process with multiple mixed quality characteristics; such an optimal process mean problem is seldom treated in the literature.
Domain specificity in the primate prefrontal cortex.

Experimental studies in nonhuman primates and functional imaging studies in humans have underlined the critical role played by the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in working memory. However, the precise organization of the frontal lobes with respect to the different types of information operated upon is a point of controversy, and several models of functional organizations have been proposed. One model, developed by Goldman-Rakic and colleagues, postulates a modular organization of working memory based on the type of information processing (the domain specificity hypothesis). Evidence to date has focused on the encoding of the locations of visual objects by the dorsolateral PFC, whereas the ventrolateral PFC is suggested to be involved in processing the features and identity of objects. In this model, domain should refer to any sensory modality that registers information relevant to that domain—for example, there would be visual and auditory input to a spatial information processing region and a feature analysis system. In support of this model, recent studies have described pathways from the posterior and anterior auditory association cortex that target dorsolateral spatial-processing regions and ventrolateral object-processing regions, respectively. In addition, physiological recordings from the ventrolateral PFC indicate that some cells in this region are responsive to the features of complex sounds. Finally, recordings in adjacent ventrolateral prefrontal regions have shown that the features of somatosensory stimuli can be discriminated and encoded by ventrolateral prefrontal neurons. These discoveries argue that two domains, differing with respect to the type of information being processed, and not with respect to the sensory modality of the information, are specifically localized to discrete regions of the PFC and embody the domain specificity hypothesis, first proposed by Patricia Goldman-Rakic.
Discovery metabolite profiling — forging functional connections between the proteome and metabolome

Of primary interest for every enzyme is the identification of its physiological substrates. However, the vast structural diversity of endogenous metabolites, coupled with the overlapping activities of numerous enzymes, makes it difficult to deduce the identity of natural substrates for a given enzyme based on in vitro experiments. To address this challenge, we recently introduced an LC-MS based analytical method termed discovery metabolite profiling (DMP) to evaluate the global metabolic effects of enzyme inactivation in vivo. We have applied DMP to study mice lacking the enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), which degrades the endocannabinoid family of signaling lipids. DMP identified several previously uncharacterized FAAH substrates, including a structurally novel class of brain lipids that represent conjugates of very long chain fatty acids with the amino acid derivative taurine [N-acyl taurines (NATs)]. These findings show that DMP can establish direct connections between the proteome and metabolome and thus offers a powerful strategy to assign physiological functions to enzymes in the post-genomic era.
Cough and Gastroesophageal Reflux

Cough is a very common clinical problem, being the most common complaint for which patients seek medical attention and the second most common reason for a medical examination in the United States. The annual cost of treatment of cough in the United States alone is u$1 billion. There are many causes of both acute and chronic cough, with chronic cough being defined as the presence of cough for at least 3 weeks. The majority of the clinical scientific literature on cough addresses chronic unexplained cough, which is defined as follows; cough for at least 3 weeks, cough is the only presenting symptom, there is no associated hemoptysis, there is no prior history of chronic respiratory disease to account for the cough, and current chest xray does not contribute to the diagnosis. Utilizing a diagnostic protocol based on the anatomy of the cough reflex (Figure 1), Irwin and co-workers were able to diagnose and treat successfully the majority of patients who presented with previously unexplained chronic cough. These results have been successfully duplicated by other investigators and by Irwin’s group in subsequent series. The anatomic diagnostic protocol utilizes a complete history and physical examination; chest x-ray; lung function testing (including spirometry, lung volumes, diffusing capacity, bronchial provocation testing, and home peak flow monitoring); ear, nose, and throat examination; laryngoscopy; and paranasal sinus imaging. Studies applying this protocol to patients with previously unexplained chronic persistent cough have found that the 3 most common causes of chronic cough are bronchial asthma, postnasal drip, and gastroesophageal reflux (GER; Table I). GER has long been associated with pulmonary symptoms and diseases, many of which present with cough. These range from bronchopulmonary dysplasia in infants, bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, and diffuse pulmonary fibrosis, to the pulmonary aspiration syndromes, including lung abscess, bronchiectasis, pneumonitis, recurrent pneumonia and respiratory failure.