cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia: Antenatal management

Abstract Objective: The optimal management of pregnancies at risk for neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia is debated. Proposed management includes the administration of intravenous immunoglobulin and serial determination of the fetal platelet count. The aims of our study were to determine the effectiveness and likely mechanism of action of intravenous immunoglobulin and to evaluate the safety of cordocentesis in cases of neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia. Study Design: Eighteen mother-infant pairs were studied. All were at risk for neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia on the basis of delivery of a previously affected infant and confirmation of specific maternal antiplatelet antibodies. The pertinent antigen was HPA-1a in 13 cases, HPA-3a in 2 cases, and undetermined in 3 cases. Serial cordocenteses were used to determine fetal platelet counts. If the platelet count was Results: Seven (39%) fetuses had adequate platelet counts, were not treated, and were delivered of infants with normal platelet counts. Eleven (61%) fetuses were thrombocytopenic. Eight thrombocytopenic infants were treated with maternally administered intravenous immunoglobulin. In 6 (75%) of 8 cases the fetal platelet count increased after administration of intravenous immunoglobulin, but 2 fetuses remained severely thrombocytopenic. Two thrombocytopenic fetuses were treated with intravenous immunoglobulin infusion directly into the umbilical vein; both remained thrombocytopenic. Moreover, fetal immunoglobulin G levels did not correlate well with the response to intravenous immunoglobulin. Two (5.3%) of 38 cordocenteses were complicated by hemorrhagic complications, necessitating immediate cesarean delivery despite the use of prophylactic platelet transfusion in one case. Conclusion: Severe fetal alloimmune thrombocytopenia does not always occur in subsequent fetuses. Thus either fetal antigen status or platelet counts or both of these are necessary to determine whether treatment is needed. The effect of intravenous immunoglobulin on raising the fetal platelet count is inconsistent and appears to be caused by maternal or placental factors rather than a direct inhibition of fetal platelet destruction by immunoglobulin. The risk of hemorrhagic complications from cordocentesis in pregnancies complicated by neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia is higher than generally appreciated and is not always avoided by platelet transfusion at the time of the procedure. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000;182:1233-8.)
The incompetent professor of anatomy in the United States of America

For the last 25 years the medical student, the resident in surgery, the practicing surgeon and a growing number of members of the faculty of our medical schools have been reluctantly recognizing increasing incompetence of those who teach gross anatomy. In many cases the gross anatomist today is a young PhD * whose degree was earned without studying anatomy or embryology. The Chairman of the Department, who is often in the same position, assigned the young man or woman to be the director of gross anatomy. The comedy starts! Not knowing the theoretical or the practical aspects of anatomy, the unenthusiastic "director of gross anatomy" gives elementary lectures, suitable for high school students and an equally poor performance in the laboratory. The reasons are three, forming a stable tripod : (1) lack of knowledge, (2) lack of ability, and (3) lack of good judgement. Let us consider the knowledge of the persons assigned the responsibility for teaching our medical or dental students. Their knowledge of gross anatomy is superficial, epidermic and anachronistic. Since they consider the job to be hard and somewhat demeaning, they do not give themselves to the teaching of excellence. They want to finish and return to their neurophysiology, neuroanatomy and neurobiology laboratories. They know that if they expect tenure, more money and promotion, they must produce something about the biology of the cell but not something about the biology of cells in toto. They must have grants, even if sometimes they spend the taxpayers' money for a publication which helps their careers, but is forgotten tomorrow. Some, after experience in the dissecting
Spatial memory deficit following fimbria-fornix lesions: Independent of time for stimulus processing☆

The present experiment examined the possible role of stimulus processing time in the spatial memory deficit found following fimbria-fornix lesions in rats. Rats were trained preoperatively on a radial arm maze in a procedure that placed them at the end of each arm and confined them there for 30 seconds. This confinement period was markedly longer than the few seconds the rats normally spend there in the usual test procedure. Rats with fimbria-fornix lesions performed no better than expected by chance on the first choice after placements. Although performance on subsequent choices was above chance, this was due to a strong turning pattern; when this pattern was interrupted, performance was no greater than that expected by chance on all choices. These data demonstrate that the deficit in the radial arm maze resulted primarily from a difficulty in spatial memory, rather than from an insufficient time for processing stimulus information.
Mutations of neighboring polar residues on the second transmembrane helix disrupt signaling by the parathyroid hormone receptor.

Site-directed mutagenesis was used to assess the role of transmembrane (TM)-charged amino acids in the expression and function of the G protein-coupled receptor for PTH and PTH-related protein (PTHrP). Charged residues that are conserved in the TM regions of most or all members of the PTH/secretin receptor subfamily were targeted. Four mutants (E296A, R337A, H414A, and E459K) displayed properties similar to the wild type PTH/PTHrP receptor with respect to agonist binding and stimulation of adenylyl cyclase when expressed in COS-7 cells. Several mutations, all in TM II, produced receptors that signaled extremely poorly. Mutation of three residues (227S, 230R, and 233S), predicted to be aligned on one helical face of TM II, displayed a similar phenotype: markedly blunted adenylyl cyclase activity in response to PTH (20-30% of the wild type response) and a lower binding affinity for agonist, with no reduction in cell surface receptor expression. These results suggest that TM II contains a polar face that is ...
The future of the Soviet science

Abstract The Soviet Union was an important scientific power, though the development of science there was hindered by its command economy and closed society. This system has largely been swept away by now, and the transformation to democratic capitalism has started in some of the successor states. One would think that removing the system that inhibited science would make this sector stronger. However, a more detailed look at the relationship between the economic system and scientific performance suggests that post-Soviet science is likely to be weaker, not stronger. In a democratic capitalist society, the government will lack both the motives and the means for maintaining a scientific establishment as large as the present one. Previously non-existent careers in business and professions, as well as employment abroad will provide attractive alternatives to domestic scientific careers. The decline in the country's scientific standing will improve economic welfare.
QuakeSim: Efficient Modeling of Sensor Web Data in a Web Services Environment

QuakeSim is a project to develop a modeling environment for studying earthquake processes using a Web services environment. In order to model interseismic processes multiple data types must be ingested including spaceborne GPS and InSAR data, geological fault data, and seismicity data. QuakeSim federates data from these multiple sources and integrates the databases with modeling applications. Because the models are complex and compute intensive we are using the Columbia computer located at NASA Ames to integrate and run software programs to improve our understanding of the solid Earth and earthquake processes. The complementary software programs are used to simulate interacting earthquake fault systems, model nucleation and slip on faults, and calculate run-up and inundation from tsunamis generated by offshore earthquakes. QuakeSim also applies pattern recognition techniques to real and simulated data to elucidate subtle features in the processes.
BUSINESS FINANCING AND TAXATION POLICIES

s of Doctoral Dissertations 419 ings. In 1951-54 between 438 and 562 companies with total assets of $10 million and over retained 51.9 per cent of total corporate undistributed profits. This accounted for $2,918 million out of $5,626 million retained by some 50,000 corporations. The net profits of the companies in the asset classes of $10 million and over were such a large part of total corporate net profits that they were able to pay out a substantial part of their earnings and yet retain large amounts of money for reinvestment. A positive step toward easing the effects of taxation on small enterprises would be to create a special tax category, similar to that for investment companies or non-resident-owned investment corporations, for financial institutions which supply long-term capital to small but growing businesses. A policy comparable to that which has existed toward mining companies for many years would also seem valid for small industrial companies. The present system of determining capital cost allowances has the disadvantage of being too uniform within the main categories. In order to introduce a greater degree of flexibility in the system of capital cost allowances, a certain amount of ministerial discretion would seem justified. The adaptation of the plan undertaken by the Australian federal government of tax concessions for underdeveloped areas could aid and encourage enterprise and might also be extended to depressed areas or industries. The flow of funds within the capital market could be stimulated appreciably by tax changes directly relating to the capital market. The remarkable responsiveness of parts of the capital market to given taxes, or tax changes, reflects the tax consciousness of financial organizations and investors. However, existing and future possible tax incenitives should be more direct and specific in their effects instead of being left too general, with their consequences diffused over the capital market and not affecting particular parts of the market as they could. Furthermore, general tax policies, such as that toward capital gains, should be re-examined in order to ascertain their specific effects on the capital market. This content downloaded from 207.46.13.128 on Tue, 06 Sep 2016 06:01:44 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
A role for inhibin in the control of follicle-stimulating hormone secretion in male rats

We examined the relationship of testosterone (T) and porcine follicular fluid (pFF) in the negative feedback control of FSH and LH secretion in adult male rats. Either at the time of castration (acute) or at least 30 days after castration (chronic), we implanted T-filled Silastic capsules, which were 2 mm, 10 mm, or 30 mm long; empty capsules (30 mm) served as controls. Seven days later, we injected either 0.15 ml of pFF or saline (i.v.), decapitated the rats 6 hours later, and collected trunk blood for subsequent serum analysis of FSH, LH, and T by RIA. In the acute groups, T implants suppressed the postcastration rises in plasma FSH and LH levels in a dose-dependent manner, with only the largest implant, 30 mm, able to return them to intact levels. PFF injection significantly suppressed FSH levels in intact and acute rats but had no effect on serum LH. In chronic rats, T therapy for 7 days suppressed plasma LH levels in a dose-dependent relationship, yet did not do so to plasma FSH levels. FSH levels were significantly higher in rats with the 30 mm T implants than in intact rats, but were significantly suppressed as compared to chronic controls. PFF significantly suppressed serum FSH levels in all chronic groups with the chronic controls showing the greatest amount of suppression. We conclude that the role for inhibin in the normal control of FSH secretion is that of a secondary modulator which is superimposed on, yet independent of, the steroid feedback mechanism. At any given moment this modulation is dependent upon the secretory activity of the FSH gonadotrope.
The menopause transition and the aging process: a population perspective.

The menopause transition period, extending from active reproductive capacity with well-characterized hormone profiles through reproductive senescence, has been less well studied than any other period of the life span except extreme old age. Yet, for the gerontologist, this is an important period to understand for at least two reasons. First, during this period changes in the neuroendocrine system and ovary may provide a model for the study of other aging-related processes. Second, specific characteristics of this transitional period (including duration, intensity, and age at menopause) may be considered “aging”, and influence short-term health and quality-of-life status, as well as life expectancy. In addition to discussing the menopause transition in terms of age and culture, we include some of the theories and conceptual models that can influence the nature and interpretation of information from this time period, and its ultimate impact on health and health practice.
Legible robot pointing

Good communication is critical to seamless human-robot interaction. Among numerous communication channels, here we focus on gestures, and in particular on spacial deixis: pointing at objects in the environment in order to reference them. We propose a mathematical model that enables robots to generate pointing configurations that make the goal object as clear as possible — pointing configurations that are legible. We study the implications of legibility on pointing, e.g. that the robot will sometimes need to trade off efficiency for the sake of clarity. Finally, we test how well our model works in practice in a series of user studies, showing that the resulting pointing configurations make the goal object easier to infer for novice users.
Multicenter Review of Preoperative Risk Factors for Endarterectomy for Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Stenosis

Background and Purpose—The benefit of carotid endarterectomy is highly dependent on surgical risk. However, little data are available concerning factors affecting the risk of endarterectomy performed for asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis outside the setting of a randomized controlled trial. The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of potential preoperative risk factors on the frequency of postoperative complications in patients undergoing the operation for asymptomatic disease in academic medical centers. Methods—Data regarding postoperative complications were systematically abstracted from the medical records of a random sample of patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy at 12 academic medical centers. Results—Of 1160 procedures reviewed, 463 (40%) were performed for asymptomatic disease. Postoperative stroke or death occurred in 13 (2.8%), and myocardial infarction occurred in 8 (1.7%). The rate of postoperative stroke or death was lower in asymptomatic patients than in those with a h...
Gas-Phase Reactivity of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Radical Cations with Compounds that are Models of DNA Bases

Abstract Radical cations are known to take part in biological chemistry. For example, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) may be activated to radical cations enroute to damaging DNA and causing cancer. Mass spectrometry can be used to generate radical cations in the gas phase and study their inherent reactivity. It follows that mass spectrometry can play a role in establishing the reactivity of the radical cations of carcinogenic PAH. The strategy of this work is to react PAH radical cations with nucleophiles that are volatile and serve as models for DNA bases. Gas-phase reactivity of PAH will be evaluated in terms of adduct formation and the structure of reaction products. Once the PAH gas-phase reactivity is established, the possibility that gas-phase reactivity correlates with biological activity can be assessed. Molecular orbital calculations will also be used to investigate the theoretical charge localization of PAH radical cations. Theoretical sites of charge localization will then be compared wi...
Peptization studies of asphaltene and solubility parameter spectra

Abstract Asphaltene particles are dispersed in gas oil (saturates and aromatics) with resins as peptizing agents in the asphalt system. The interaction between resin and asphaltene micelles is not well understood. In the present study, aromatic hydrocarbons are proved to be a good dispersed medium for peptization tests by the solubility parameter approach. The partial precipitation of asphaltene in a fixed amount of aromatic hydrocarbon system (such as toluene), with gradual additions of paraffinic hydrocarbon (such as pentane), in the presence of various surfactants has been studied. These surfactants affect the asphaltene precipitation, either by acceleration or by retardation, depending on the structural types and quantities of the surfactants. We have found that the nature of resin serves as a good peptizing agent (interfacial agent) since the polar fractions of resin also contain surfactants (amphiphiles). Due to this peptizing function, resins can be applied to enhance oil recovery or lengthen paving asphalt life.
Momentum enhancement in hypervelocity impact

Momentum enhancement is the increase in momentum transferred to a target due to ejecta material being thrown backwards during crater formation. Quantitative estimates of momentum enhancement are of interest in determining the effectiveness of hypervelocity impactors in deflecting potentially hazardous cosmic objects. This paper explores the influence of impactor density and shape on momentum enhancement when striking aluminum, rock, and ice for impacts up to 10 km/s. Computations are performed and compared to the relatively sparse available data for validation. The computations show that momentum enhancement is most sensitive to the tensile fracture stress of the target material. Further, it is shown that for consolidated (low porosity) targets, momentum enhancement is maximized when the density of the impactor is similar to that of the target and the shape of the impactor is close to a sphere.
Biogeochemistry of dust sources in Southern Africa

Abstract In Southern Africa, the Makgadikgadi Pan in Botswana and the Etosha Pan in Namibia are two of the major dust sources in the Southern Hemisphere. Dust from Southern Africa could play an important role in sustaining the productivity of the surrounding terrestrial and marine ecosystems. However, very little is known about the biogeochemical properties of dust from this region. In this study, we analyze sediments from the Makgadikgadi and Etosha salt pans and the Kalahari dunes and compare the total nitrogen, total phosphorous, soluble iron and common anions between the soil fine fraction (
The electroweak core of the magnetic monopole

The presence of an electroweak scale in any realistic grand unified theory has important consequences for the theory of monopole catalysis of proton decay.
Data fusion on a distributed heterogeneous sensor network

Alarm-based sensor systems are being explored as a tool to expand perimeter security for facilities and force protection. However, the collection of increased sensor data has resulted in an insufficient solution that includes faulty data points. Data analysis is needed to reduce nuisance and false alarms, which will improve officials' decision making and confidence levels in the system's alarms. Moreover, operational costs can be allayed and losses mitigated if authorities are alerted only when a real threat is detected. In the current system, heuristics such as persistence of alarm and type of sensor that detected an event are used to guide officials' responses. We hypothesize that fusing data from heterogeneous sensors in the sensor field can provide more complete situational awareness than looking at individual sensor data. We propose a two stage approach to reduce false alarms. First, we use self organizing maps to cluster sensors based on global positioning coordinates and then train classifiers on the within cluster data to obtain a local view of the event. Next, we train a classifier on the local results to compute a global solution. We investigate the use of machine learning techniques, such as k-nearest neighbor, neural networks, and support vector machines to improve alarm accuracy. On simulated sensor data, the proposed approach identifies false alarms with greater accuracy than a weighted voting algorithm.
Impact of American-style football participation on vascular function.

Although hypertension is common in American-style football (ASF) players, the presence of concomitant vascular dysfunction has not been previously characterized. We sought to examine the impact of ASF participation on arterial stiffness and to compare metrics of arterial function between collegiate ASF participants and nonathletic collegiate controls. Newly matriculated collegiate athletes were studied longitudinally during a single season of ASF participation and were then compared with healthy undergraduate controls. Arterial stiffness was characterized using applanation tonometry (SphygmoCor). ASF participants (n = 32, 18.4 ± 0.5 years) were evenly comprised of Caucasians (n = 14, 44%) and African-Americans (n = 18, 56%). A single season of ASF participation led to an increase in central aortic pulse pressure (27 ± 4 vs 34 ± 8 mm Hg, p
Lithium protection from glutamate excitotoxicity: therapeutic implications

Abstract Long-term treatment with lithium, the primary drug used to treat bipolar mood disorder, robustly protects against glutamate-induced, NMDA receptor-mediated excitotoxicity in primary cultures of rat brain neurons. The neuroprotective effects of lithium are accompanied by a reduction in NMDA receptor-mediated calcium influx, up-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, down-regulation of pro-apoptotic p53 and Bax, and activation of the cell survival signaling pathway. In addition, lithium antagonizes glutamate-induced activation of c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38 kinase and AP-1 binding, and suppresses glutamate-induced loss of phosphorylated CREB due to activation of protein phosphatase 1. Evidence has also been obtained that lithium induces BDNF and activates its receptor TrkB in cortical neurons and this BDNF/TrkB signaling activation is imperative for the neuroprotective effects of this drug. In a rat stroke model, post-insult treatments with therapeutic doses of lithium or valproic acid (VPA) markedly reduce ischemia-induced brain infarction and neurological deficits. These neuroprotective effects are associated with suppression of caspase-3 activation and induction of chaperone proteins. In a rat excitotoxicity model of Huntington's disease (HD) in which an excitotoxin was infused into the striatum, both long- and short-term pretreatment with lithium reduces excitotoxin-induced DNA damage, caspase-3 activation and striatal neuronal loss. This neuroprotection is associated with up-regulation of Bcl-2 in neurons. Lithium also induces cell proliferation near the injury site with a concomitant loss of proliferating cells in the subventricular zone. Some of these proliferating cells display neuronal or astroglial phenotypes. This finding corroborates our in vitro results showing that lithium stimulates the proliferation of neuroblasts in primary cultures of CNS neurons.
Size-Specific Capture of Circulating DNA Onto a Nanotip Using Dielectrophoretic and Capillary Forces

One of the critical challenges in the fields of disease diagnostics and environmental molecular biology is detection of circulating DNA from a sample mixture. Circulating DNA is free DNA in biological solution, which can provide critical information about pathogens and toxins. Current DNA detection methods, however, are not able to directly capture circulating DNA. This paper presents a novel, size-specific concentration mechanism that captures DNA onto a nanotip using dielectrophoresis and capillary action in a size-specific way. To investigate the size-specific mechanism, the dielectrophoretic force and the capillary forces are compared. The experiment using nanospheres are performed to validate the size-specific mechanism. The size-specific concentration is also demonstrated for capturing DNA from sample mixtures. The experimental and analytical work will provide the ground work formulating the basic principles for a nanoscale concentrator in a size-specific way.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Sugar transport in the LLC‐PK1 renal epithelial cell line: Similarity to mammalian kidney and the influence of cell density

Cells of confluent cultures of the established pig renal epithelial line, LLC-PK1, accumulate α-methyl-D-glucoside against a concentration gradient. This transport system is strongly inhibited by phlorizin and 6-deoxy-D-glucose, moderately inhibited by phloretin, and only weakly inhibited by 3-0-methyl-D-glucose, paralleling the situation in mammalian kidney. The time course for the uptake of α-methyl-D-glucoside and for the carrier-mediated but passive uptake of 3-0-methyl-D-glucose are identical to those seen in mammalian kidney. Subconfluent cultures of LLC-PK1 cells are unable to accumulate α-methyl-D-glucoside, and their transport of this glucose analog is less sensitive to phlorizin inhibition than is the transport system in confluent cultures. Transmission electron micrographs show that cells from subconfluent cultures lack the microvillous surface seen in cells from confluent cultures. Cell density is thus a factor in the occurrence of structural and functional differentiated properties related to transport in these cells.
Permanent El Niño and the onset of Northern Hemisphere glaciations: Mechanism and comparison with other hypotheses

[1] The tropical Pacific transitioned from a “permanent El Nino” state, that is, without the current equatorial zonal gradient of sea surface temperatures, to one with an equatorial cold tongue in a process that started ∼4 Ma, during the early Pliocene. The latter stages of this transition, around ∼2.75 Ma, marked the onset of Northern Hemisphere glaciations. We explore the hypothesis that this onset of glaciation is causally linked to the development of the cold tongue guided by atmosphere general circulation model (AGCM) simulations forced by various hypothesized climate influences. A unique feature of our simulations is imposing permanent El Nino conditions not by imposing sea surface temperatures anomalies directly but rather through changing the implied ocean heat transport in the slab ocean component of the AGCM, done in such a way as to maintain global ocean heat balance. Similar to previous studies, we find increased near-surface temperature conditions occur during simulated permanent El Nino conditions at the locations of known ice sheet growth during glacial periods. We establish that this tropical-extratropical connection is mediated through atmospheric stationary waves, a well-known atmospheric pathway for today's El Nino influence on North America. The influence of the permanent El Nino condition is compared, through model simulations, to other mechanisms proposed to date to explain the onset of glaciations at ∼2.75 Ma: changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations, closure of the Panama seaway, and changes in North Pacific seasonality. The exact comparison is done by calculating differences in the equilibrium line altitude at the known locations of ice sheet growth, an approach that permits the translation of climate anomalies into a measurement of glaciation trends in terms of glacier mass balance. We find that permanent El Nino and atmospheric CO2 are the leading influences in this comparison, leading us to conjecture that the two influences combined determined the long-term background conditions governing ice sheet growth. Within this long-term background evolution, however, we additionally find that the exact timing of Northern Hemisphere glaciations is likely to have come from favorable orbital conditions. Our results regarding permanent El Nino on Northern Hemisphere glaciations is, however, conditioned on a strong sensitivity of Northern Hemisphere climate changes to how the oceanic heat compensation to the permanent El Nino is achieved.
The Moving Flame Experiment

When a flame is rotated around the outside bottom rim of a cylindrical pan of water initially at rest, D. Fultz has observed that the fluid acquires a net vertical component of angular momentum opposite to the rotation of the heat source. We have repeated this experiment in a cylindrical annulus in order to restrict the radial motions and have found that the same phenomenon occurs. Using a simple model based on the latter experiment we investigate the mechanism by which a fluid can acquire and maintain this momentum, considering that friction is the only force which can exert a net torque about the vertical. The effects of the heat source are replaced by a forced temperature field which has sinusoidal variations in the circumferential direction and which rotates about the vertical axis at a constant rate. The correlation between vertical and horizontal velocity components in the equilibrium state has been computed from the linearized two-dimensional vorticity equation. It is shown that when the viscosity is small or when the speed of the heat source is large there is a convergence of horizontal momentum towards the center of the channel which is balanced by the viscous stress of the induced mean motion. The total momentum of the fluid is computed from the conservation principle and is found to vary inversely as the square root of the molecular viscosity and inversely as the 5/2 power of the speed of the heat source. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1959.tb00018.x
Intralaboratory Repeatability of Residual Stress Determined by the Slitting Method

This paper presents repeated slitting method measurements of the residual stress versus depth profile through the thickness of identically prepared samples, which were made to assess repeatability of the method. Measurements were made in five 17.8 mm thick blocks cut from a single plate of 316L stainless steel which had been uniformly laser peened to induce a deep residual stress field. Typical slitting method techniques were employed with a single metallic foil strain gage on the back face of the coupon and incremental cutting by wire EDM. Measured residual stress profiles were analyzed to assess variability of residual stress as a function of depth from the surface. The average depth profile had a maximum magnitude of −668 MPa at the peened surface. The maximum variability also occurred at the surface and had a standard deviation of 15 MPa and an absolute maximum deviation of 26 MPa. Since measured residual stress exceeded yield strength of the untreated plate, microhardness versus depth profiling and elastic–plastic finite element analysis were combined to bound measurement error from inelastic deformation.
On the fabrication of three-dimensional silicon-on-insulator based optical phased array for agile and large angle laser beam steering systems

In this article, the authors present and discuss the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) optical phased array (OPA) devices for large angle, two-dimensional optical beam steering. Fabrication of a single layer (one-dimensional) OPA prototype for one-dimensional beam steering on silicon nanomembrane is presented. The authors present different approaches, such as nanoimprint lithography, optical lithography, and self-aligned patterning of multibonded silicon-on-insulator wafers, for the realization of 3D OPA devices in particular and 3D photonic circuits in general. At the end, the authors discuss the challenges and potential solutions.
Nuclear Waste Management

Several recent congressional and executive proposals address the political problem posed by nuclear wastes. The proposals are divided into three categories on the basis of the degree of authority granted to state officials in siting decisions: those granting states a veto power, those providing for consultation with state officials during planning, and those leaving plenary authority in the hands of the Federal goverment. Legislative proposals are discussed under these categories. The most-balanced approach provides a formal role for state officials without granting the states an absolute veto. This solution provides a political outlet for local concern and ensures a wider range of views. It also avoids the problem, inherent in the state veto, of sacrificing the national interest in selecting the safest possible disposal site. 69 references.
Perceptions and Reality

Media outlets have reported that the cause of a 2008 jetliner crash in Spain was caused by malware. IEEE Security & Privacy's Steve Bellovin examines the facts to determine the true root cause.
Multiple strategies for directed growth cone extension and navigation of peripheral neurons.

Leeches have a diverse constellation of peripheral neural elements that are challenged to extend growth cones in highly specific ways in a constantly changing embryonic environment. Two major systems are reviewed here. In one, peripheral afferents extend growth cones toward the central nervous system (CNS), forming common pathways, and then segregate into particular tracts within the CNS. A majority of these afferents depend on CNS-derived guidance cues and projections from the CNS to guide their way. However, not all of the nerves are established this way and at least one of the peripheral nerves is likely to be pioneered by sensillar sensory afferents. The distribution of particular antigens (such as the lan3–2 antigen) suggests the identity of molecules involved in homophilic adhesion along common pathways, whereas others (such as the lan4–2 and 3–6 antigens) are candidates for mediating specific pathway choices. In the second system, the myo-organizing Comb cell (C cell) projects multiple growth cones simultaneously along oblique trajectories not influenced by segmental or midline boundaries. Its parallel growth cones exhibit space-filling as well as directional growth and are guided by local cues to extend in discrete phases that are coordinated with the development of the environment. Both systems exhibit highly directed outgrowth orchestrated by a hierarchy of cues, establish patterns of neurites used to direct later migrating cells, and seem to be regulated temporally and spatially by interactions with the embryonic environment. These systems illustrate the strengths of examining neural development in vivo across several levels of analysis. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The special deterrent effects of a jail sanction on first-time drunk drivers: A quasi-experimental study

This study examines the special deterrent effects of alternative sanctions on first-time offenders convicted of driving while intoxicated (DWI). It uses a quasi-experimental design based on the fact that in Hennepin County, Minnesota, some judges did not comply with the judicial policy that mandated a two-day jail sentence for all first-time DWI offenders. Data were collected on all drunk driving cases adjudicated by two judges during an 11-month period. One judge was known to sentence few first offenders to jail; the other was reputed to sentence virtually all first offenders to jail. Of the 383 offenders sentenced by the two judges, 60 were, reconvicted within the 23-month follow-up period. Using judge as an indirect measure of the jail sanction, we found no statistically significant difference in the recidivism rates of persons sentenced by the "jail" and "no jail" judges. Nor did the sanction have a direct effect. After statistically controlling for offender characteristics and prior traffic record, there was no significant difference between those sentenced to a fine (large or small) with no jail and those who were given a two-day jail sentence plus a small fine. Thus, a two-day jail stay is found to be no more effective in deterring subsequent drunk driving by convicted first offenders than an alternative monetary sanction.
Two boundary value problems for the Ginzburg-Landau equation

Abstract Two boundary value problems for the Ginzburg-Landau equation are considered. Extensive numerical calculations have been performed in each case, including bifurcation histories, spectral analysis, Poincare sections and Hausdorff dimension estimates. The approach to the inviscid limit is given detailed treatment. In this case universal behavior has been found to exist. Arguments are presented to account for this behavior.
Modeling cell layers on complex surfaces using constrained Voronoi diagrams

Voronoi diagrams, found in the morphology of many biological structures, produce natural-looking networks of cells in two dimensions. But creating three dimensional models of cell layers in biological tissue is difficult when the tissue has a complex shape. I present a new method that constrains a Voronoi diagram to an arbitrary surface. Unlike other approaches, my method does not require computationally expensive boundary intersection calculations.
Can Education Be Used as a Tool to Build a Socialist Society in Africa? The Tanzanian Case

By the time most African countries achieved independence in the early 1960s, education had become a sacred cow for both the governments and the people. For the former, education represented a major tool for nation-building and development which, in those days, meant essentially rapid industrialisation; for the latter, education–especially at the post-primary levels–was the main vehicle for social mobility, primarily because it made possible the acquisition of a well-paid job in the modern sector. For a few years it looked as if there was no contradiction between the aspirations of the people and the goals of the governments, on the one hand, and the socio-economic realities, on the other. Soon the bubble burst, however: industrialisation turned out to be no panacea; the limits of Africanisation were rapidly reached in the civil service, but proved to be a protracted affair in the economy. As the ugly scourge of youth unemployment started to spread in Africa by the mid-1960s, attention was focused on educational systems which began to be perceived as ‘dysfunctional’–i.e. as incompatible with the social and economic realities which were largely agricultural and rural. But more ominously, schools came also under attack as serving mainly the interests of the emerging bourgeoisies.
Severe hypoxemia and intrapulmonary shunting resulting from cirrhosis reversed by liver transplantation in a pediatric patient

Despite improving success with liver t ransplanta t ion, the procedure remains contra indicated in pat ients with cirrhosis in whom severe hypoxemia develops as a result of intrapu lmonary shunting. 1 Several factors cont r ibute to the reluctance to perform t ransplants in these patients, including previous unsuccessful a t tempts at t ransplanta t ion , questions regarding the pathophysiologic cause of the condition, the sensitivity of the graf ted organ to hypoxemia, and the lack of documenta t ion of the reversibili ty of the shunt af ter t ransplantat ion.I , 2 Stoller et al.3 described an adul t pat ient with pr imary bil iary cirrhosis and modera te hypoxemia resul t ing from in t raputmonary shunt ing , who underwent successful liver t ransp lan ta t ion and had subsequent reversal of her shunting. In this case report we detai l the clinical course of a pediatr ic pat ient with cryptogenic cirrhosis and a more severe degree of hypoxemia caused by in t rapu lmonary shunting, who underwent a successful liver t ransplanta t ion result ing in complete reversal of shunting.
The Equity Threat of Promising Innovations: Pioneering Internet-Connected Schools.

This article examines the distribution of student Internet use across 152 schools in the National School Network (NSN), schools that were among the first to provide high-speed direct Internet acces...
Coarse-grained submarine-fan deposits of magmatic arc affinity in the late Precambrian Aaron Formation, North Carolina, U.S.A.

Abstract Coarse-grained submarine-fan deposits in the late Precambrian Aaron Formation in the Carolina slate belt are derived from a volcanic arc as indicated in the detrital grain population. Lithic volcanic clasts (Lv) are the major component, followed by plagioclase (P) and subordinate monocrystalline quartz (Qm). Recrystallisation at lower greenschist facies has not been sufficient to destroy relict grains or mesoscopic sedimentary structures in these units. Seven sedimentary facies are recognizable in the Aaron Formation: (1) massive framework-supported conglomerate (2) massive to stratified pebbly arenite (3) trough crossbedded arenite (4) horizontally stratified arenite (5) siltstone (6) argillite and (7) vitric tuff. These facies are found in 4 facies associations A through D which are stacked in a sequence displaying an upward-fining and thinning of coarse beds. The overall upward-fining of the sequence is analogous to a coarse-grained retrogradational submarine-fan model. Associations A and B are equivalent to braided inner fan(?) to mid-fan channels, whereas association C may represent mid-fan or suprafan depositional lobes. Association D records the transition to basin plain sediments in which outer-fan cycles are absent. The sedimentary sequence of the Aaron Formation is analogous to a “poorly efficient” submarine fan system in which rapid erosion in the source terrane provides abundant coarse-grained material to the depositional basin. The Aaron Formation may be related to other late Precambrian volcanic-sedimentary sequences, especially those of the Pan-African orogens. The distinct similarity of constituents in the Aaron to those of younger magmatic arc terranes suggests that active plate margin sedimentation and volcanism was prevalent at this locality in the late Precambrian.
Diel changes in adult mosquito microhabitat temperatures and their relationship to the extrinsic incubation of arboviruses in mosquitoes in Kern County, California.

Microhabitat temperatures experienced by nocturnally active Culex tarsalis Coquillett mosquitoes were measured in the southern San Joaquin Valley of California. Temperatures of the diurnal resting shelter and nocturnal activity air space were measured by digital recorder at three Cx. tarsalis habitats in Kern County. Temperatures measured by digital recorders agreed well with temperatures recorded concurrently at nearby California Irrigation Management and Inspection System weather stations. Monthly temperatures among habitats were combined to depict the diel temperature regimen experienced by female Cx. tarsalis as a consequence of daily movement between the diurnal resting shelter and nocturnal air space. Transitions between the two microhabitats corresponded to the times of mosquito ingress and egress (i.e., sunrise and sunset). The composite daily temperature mean ranged from 7.4 degrees C in December to 21.5 degrees C in July, and temperature extremes seldom exceeded a daily maximum of 25.0 degrees C during the summer or dropped below a daily minimum of 5.0 degrees C during the winter. Overall, mosquitoes occupied a composite thermal environment where the extrinsic incubation of an arbovirus would have occurred at ambient temperatures that were cooler than either the diurnal resting shelter or activity air space.
Predator presence suppresses immune function in a larval amphibian

Background: The presence of predators frequently reduces developmental rate in larval amphibians. If physiological and evolutionary trade-offs exist between immunity and predator responses, optimal immune response may not be selected for but the immunological consequences of predator exposure are unknown. Hypotheses: Amphibian larvae exposed to predators during development will develop more slowly and have weaker immune responses than those reared in a predator-free environment. Organism: The anuran, Rana sylvatica, reproduces in vernal ponds throughout North America with varying levels of predation. Rana sylvatica tadpoles respond to predators through behavioural and morphological defences resulting in reduced development time. Site of experiments: The Edwin S. George Biological Reserve, Livingston County, Michigan, March 2007 to July 2007. Methods: Rana sylvatica tadpoles were randomly assigned to replicate experimental mesocosms. Those with caged insect predators provided the chemical cues of predation. Controls had empty cages. After 6 weeks, tadpoles in each treatment group were given an immune challenge (an injection of the immune elicitor phytohaemagglutinin, a common field test of T-cell mediated immunity). I measured body mass, developmental stage, and immune response (at 24 and 48 h) between experimental and control groups using linear mixed models. I used structural equation modelling (path analysis) to distinguish the direct effects of predator exposure from indirect effects mediated by developmental stage. Results: Tadpoles reared with predators developed more slowly and had weaker immune responses at both 24 and 48 h compared with controls. Mean immune responses increased with time in both experimental animals and controls. The direct effect of predator exposure contributed more to reduced immune response than did indirect effects mediated by developmental stage.
Substructure location and size effects on decentralized model updating

To improve the simulation accuracy of the finite-element (FE) model of an as-built structure, measurement data from the actual structure can be utilized for updating the model parameters, which is termed as FE model updating. During the past few decades, most efforts on FE model updating intend to update the entire structure model altogether, while using measurement data from sensors installed throughout the structure. When applied on large and complex structural models, the typical model updating approaches may fail due to computational challenges and convergence issues. In order to reduce the computational difficulty, this paper studies a decentralized FE model updating approach that intends to update one substructure at a time. The approach divides the entire structure into a substructure (currently being instrumented and updated) and the residual structure. The Craig-Bampton transform is adopted to condense the overall structural model. The optimization objective is formulated to minimize the modal dynamic residuals from the eigenvalue equations in structural dynamics involving natural frequencies and mode shapes. This paper investigates the effects of different substructure locations and sizes on updating performance. A space frame example, which is based on an actual pedestrian bridge on Georgia Tech campus, is used to study the substructure location and size effects. Keywords: substructure