cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Climatic conditions and infant care: implications for child nutrition in rural Ethiopia

We examine the relationships between climatic conditions, breastfeeding behavior, and maternal time use in Ethiopia. Infant feeding practices are important predictors of child nutrition that may be affected by a number of factors including mother’s time engaging in agricultural labor, food security, cultural beliefs, and antenatal care. We use panel data from the Living Standards Measurement Study to investigate linkages between climatic conditions during a child’s first year of life and year prior to birth and duration of exclusive breastfeeding. We then explore one potential mechanism: women’s agricultural labor. Results indicate that rainfall during the primary agricultural season—kiremt—in a child’s first year of life plays an important role in duration of exclusive breastfeeding. Experiencing 25 cm of average monthly kiremt rainfall, versus 5 cm, is associated with a 20-percentage-point decrease in the likelihood of being exclusively breastfed for the recommended 6 months. More kiremt rainfall is associated with a greater number of days that women spend planting and harvesting, and at high levels of rainfall women with infants do not engage in significantly fewer days of agricultural labor than those without infants. Lastly, we find that during the year before birth, greater rainfall during kiremt as well as the dry season is associated with a lower likelihood of 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding, potentially due to the early introduction of complementary foods. Our findings indicate that agricultural labor demands may in part drive breastfeeding behaviors, leading to “sub-optimal” feeding practices in the short-term, but resulting in improved household food security in the longer-term.
On Milgrom’s Law

To explain Milgrom’s law (MOND) and the accelerated expansion of the universe, in both instances involving an acceleration of the same order of magnitude, it is assumed that the vacuum of space in a kind of plasma made up of an equal number of positive and negative mass Planck mass particles, gravitationally interacting with each other. This hypothesis leads to positive mass Dirac spinors, as composed particles, made up of positive and negative quasiparticles of this plasma. The formation of the positive mass Dirac spinors is accompanied by the emission of negative masses. The gravitationally self interacting positive mass spinors lead to the formation of a filamentary vortex tangle connecting neighboring galaxies with the galaxies formed by the Jeans instability of a cylindrical mass cylinder. This hypothesis not only explains the filamentary structure of the metagalaxy, but also Milgrom’s law by Newton’s gravitational force of a mass cylinder. The negative masses released during the formation of the positive mass Dirac spinors fill the space in between the positive mass filaments, explaining the observed voids.
Consumerism: A Dead Issue?

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the consumerism movement in the U.S. and abroad. Considering the volumes which have been written on this subject, the diverse areas which have been permeated by it, and the multitude of impacts on society which have resulted, therefore, it was necessary to make some definition of the specific directions which would be posited in this paper.
The Exponentially Weighted Moving Average

In this tutorial, the exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) is discussed. The EWMA is often used for smoothing irregular fluctuations (i.e., noise) in a time series to permit the data analyst to better reveal trend/cycle patterns over time. Additionally, the EWMA is frequently used to compute short-term forecasts of time series (e.g., sales and stocks). Some common applications of the EWMA in the management science and quality engineering disciplines are discussed. Further, some properties of the EWMA, such as the expected value, variance, and one-step ahead prediction variance are also discussed. Keywords: exponentially weighed moving average; time series forecasts; autoregressive process; autocorrelation matrix; time series smoothing; sales forecasting; statistical process control
Function of membrane proteins coupled to bacteriochlorophyll synthesis. Studies with wild type and mutant strains of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides.

Abstract Membrane proteins with estimated molecular weights of 26,000, 22,000, 19,000, and 10,000–5,000 (designated 9, 10, 11, and 15, respectively) were found previously to be coupled to the synthesis of bacteriochlorophyll in Rhodopseudomonas spheroides . They have been attributed to the reaction center complex (proteins 9, 10, 11) and light-harvesting forms (protein 15) on the basis of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of membrane fractions from the wild type and by analysis of certain photosynthetic mutants. Three of the mutants form light harvesting but not reaction-center bacteriochlorophyll; their membranes lack proteins 10 and 11, though proteins 9 and 15 are detectable. These mutants have little or no photophosphorylation or light-induced transhydrogenase activities and their respiration is not inhibited by illumination. Another mutant, strain 71-20 apparently has functional reaction centers, as determined by the above criteria, yet it does not grow anaerobically in the light for unknown reasons.
Biological Activity of Heated Diphtheria Toxin

Diphtheria toxin splits into two fragments when heated at 100 C for 10 min in a phosphate buffer. The separated fragments have molecular weights of 24,000 and 39,000, respectively. These molecular weights are similar to those of the A and B fragments found in diphtheria toxin preparations after thiol reduction. Since the separation of toxin into fragments is not complete, it is likely that only nicked toxin molecules having a cleaved peptide bond are split by heating. When toxin is suspended in phosphate buffer at pH 6.4, the B-like fragment precipitates, but at pH 7.8 it does not. Heated toxin is unable to intoxicate sensitive cells or cause a necrodermal response in animals. Fragment A produced by heating is active in inhibiting cell-free protein synthesis. It is able to intoxicate both HeLa and L cells when the uptake of the fragment is facilitated by addition of polyornithine to the cultures. Fragment B produced by heating is involved with binding to the cell surface. It is able to delay the action of toxin on KB cell cultures preincubated with fragment B.
Grand Juries: Police Violence, Civil Liabilities and Benefits

The history of the Grand Jury in the Anglo-American legal system is briefly sketched in the context of its role as an arbiter of control of police violence and illegal behavior. The nature of charging of police with crimes associated with shooting civilians, especially minorities and the ethnic and gender makeup of Grand Juries is considered as a factor. The cost of liability to cities from police shoots is addressed in the context of the benefits of professional police services versus alternatives.
Effects of prostaglandin E2 on the electrical properties of thermally classified neurons in the ventromedial preoptic area of the rat hypothalamus

Physiological and morphological evidence suggests that activation of the ventromedial preoptic area of the hypothalamus (VMPO) is an essential component of an intravenous LPS-dependent fever. In response to the endogenous pyrogen prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), the majority of temperature insensitive neurons in the VMPO show an increase in firing rate, while warm sensitive neurons are inhibited. We have hypothesized that these PGE2 dependent effects on firing rate are due to changes in the inherent electrical properties of VMPO neurons, which are regulated by the activity of specific ionic currents. To characterize the electrical properties of VMPO neurons, whole-cell recordings were made in tissue slices from male Sprague-Dawley rats. Our results indicate that PGE2 dependent firing rate responses were not the result of changes in resting membrane potential, action potential amplitude and duration, or local synaptic input. However, PGE2 reduced the input resistance of all VMPO neurons, while increasing the excitability of temperature insensitive neurons and decreasing the excitability of warm sensitive neurons. In addition, the majority of temperature insensitive neurons responded to PGE2 with an increase in the rate of rise of the depolarizing prepotential that precedes each action potential. This response to PGE2 was reversed for warm sensitive neurons, in which the prepotential rate of rise decreased. We would therefore suggest that PGE2 is having an effect on the ionic currents that regulate firing rate by controlling how fast membrane potential rises to threshold during the prepotential phase of the action potential.
Translational Effectiveness Analysis

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has defined translational effectiveness as the process by which the best available evidence is obtained and utilized in specific clinical settings. This process consists of both a practical component and an analytical component. This chapter discusses salient issues that pertain to translational effectiveness analysis. First, it examines the paradigm of acceptable sampling analysis and documents the process by which we can accept or reject certain reports, based on the extent to which they have satisfied or failed to satisfy fundamental criteria of research quality. Because a process of accepting studies that is solely based on a statistical analysis may not be sufficient to establish the clinically relevant best evidence, this chapter examines the process by which optimal clinical relevance may be obtained. Furthermore and considering the fact that multiple systematic review may, in parallel, be processing the evidence for the same PICOTS question, the question has arisen how do we best process multiple systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The chapter examines this question, and from the perspectives of the diverse possible inferences one can draw, both from a frequentist (i.e., Fisher) and Bayesian perspective.
A concise synthesis of (+)-batzelladine B from simple pyrrole-based starting materials

Alkaloids, secondary metabolites that contain basic nitrogen atoms, are some of the most well-known biologically active natural products in chemistry and medicine. Although efficient laboratory synthesis of alkaloids would enable the study and optimization of their biological properties, their preparation is often complicated by the basicity and nucleophilicity of nitrogen, its susceptibility to oxidation, and its ability to alter reaction outcomes in unexpected ways--for example, through stereochemical instability and neighbouring group participation. Efforts to address these issues have led to the invention of a large number of protecting groups that temper the reactivity of nitrogen; however, the use of protecting groups typically introduces additional steps and obstacles into the synthetic route. Alternatively, the use of aromatic nitrogen heterocycles as synthetic precursors can attenuate the reactivity of nitrogen and streamline synthetic strategies. Here we use such an approach to achieve a synthesis of the complex anti-HIV alkaloid (+)-batzelladine B in nine steps (longest linear sequence) from simple pyrrole-based starting materials. The route uses several key transformations that would be challenging or impossible to implement using saturated nitrogen heterocycles and highlights some of the advantages of beginning with aromatic reagents.
Geographic Distribution of the Mid-Continent Population of Sandhill Cranes and Related Management Applications

ABSTRACT The Mid-continent Population (MCP) of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) is widely hunted in North America and is separated into the Gulf Coast Subpopulation and Western Subpopulation for management purposes. Effective harvest management of the MCP requires detailed knowledge of breeding distribution of subspecies and subpopulations, chronology of their use of fall staging areas and wintering grounds, and exposure to and harvest from hunting. To address these information needs, we tagged 153 sandhill cranes with Platform Transmitting Terminals (PTTs) during 22 February—12 April 1998–2003 in the Central and North Platte River valleys of south-central Nebraska. We monitored PTT-tagged sandhill cranes, hereafter tagged cranes, from their arrival to departure from breeding grounds, during their fall migration, and throughout winter using the Argos satellite tracking system. The tracking effort yielded 74,041 useable locations over 49,350 tag days; median duration of tracking of individual cranes was 3...
Krüppel-like factor 4 exhibits antiapoptotic activity following γ -radiation-induced DNA damage

In response to γ-radiation-induced DNA damage, organisms either activate cell cycle checkpoint and repair machinery or undergo apoptosis to eliminate damaged cells. Although previous studies indicated that the tumor suppressor p53 is critically involved in mediating both responses, how a cell decides which pathway to take is not well established. The zinc-finger-containing transcription factor, Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), is a crucial mediator for the checkpoint functions of p53 after γ-irradiation and does so by inhibiting the transition from the G1 to S and G2 to M phases of the cell cycle. Here, we determined the role of KLF4 in modulating the apoptotic response following γ-irradiation. In three independent cell systems including colorectal cancer cells and mouse embryo fibroblasts in which expression of KLF4 could be manipulated, we observed that γ-irradiated cells underwent apoptosis if KLF4 was absent. In the presence of KLF4, the degree of apoptosis was significantly reduced and cells resorted to checkpoint arrest. The mechanism by which KLF4 accomplished this antiapoptotic effect is by activating expression of the cell cycle arrest gene, p21WAF1/CIP1, and by inhibiting the ability of p53 to transactivate expression of the proapoptotic gene, BAX. Results of our study illustrate an unexpected antiapoptotic function of KLF4, heretofore considered a tumor suppressor in colorectal cancer, and suggest that KLF4 may be an important determinant of cell fate following γ-radiation-induced DNA damage.
Short Sleep Duration and Weight Gain : A Systematic Review

Objective The recent obesity epidemic has been accompanied by a parallel growth in chronic sleep deprivation. Physiologic studies suggest sleep deprivation may influence weight through effects on appetite, physical activity, and/or thermoregulation. This work reviews the literature regarding short sleep duration as an independent risk factor for obesity and weight gain.
Heat capacities of selenium crystal (trigonal), glass, and liquid from 5 to 360 K

Abstract Heat capacities of high purity selenium (better than 99.999 moles per cent) have been measured for the trigonal crystal from 5 to 360 K, for the quenched and annealed glasses from 5 K to T g (around 300 K) and for the supercooled liquid from T g to 340 K. The glass transformation temperature T g , as determined from plots of H against T , is 304 K for the quenched glass and 295 K for the annealed glass. C p of the glass is higher than that of the crystal over the entire temperature range of investigation. C p , [ H ( T )− H (c, 0)], and S for the trigonal form of Se at 298.15 K are 25.05 J K −1 mol −1 , 5509 J mol −1 , and 42.27 J K −1 mol −1 , respectively. The corresponding thermodynamic properties of the annealed Se glass at 298.15 K, evaluated by incorporating the present results with recently published high-temperature data, are 26.23 J K −1 mol −1 , 9363 J mol −1 , and 48.60 J K −1 mol −1 , respectively. The residual entropy of the annealed Se glass is estimated to be 3.6 J K −1 mol −1 at T = 0.
Are there differences in fatalism between rural southerners and midwesterners

We conducted a phone survey of the rural South and Midwest examining fatalism and riskiness of health practices. Contrary to the contentions of some historians, ethnographers, writers, and social scientists, we found no evidence that Southerners were more fatalistic than Midwesterners. Southerners were not more likely to express the view that God or fate controlled their lives, and they were not more likely to take chances with their health and safety. The present findings contradict a commonly held view of the South, as well as a famous report in Science (Sims & Baumann, 1972) maintaining that higher death rates for tornadoes in this region might be due to Southern fatalism.
EFFECT OF RECEIVER ORIENTATION ON ERYTHEMA DOSE1,2

— -The analysis of solar erythema dose under changing ozone amount, previously confined to the study of horizontal surfaces, is extended to include the effects of receiver orientation. A semi-empirical model is used to calculate erythema (sunburn) dose for non-horizontal plane areas under cloudless conditions as a function of latitude, season, and ozone amount. According to the model, in middle and high latitudes, surfaces with inclination angles (α) up to 45° receive at least 80% of the daily erythema dose received by a horizontal surface. Much larger reductions in daily erythema dose occur for α > 45°. which can result in a significant reduction in the latitudinal gradient of erythema dose. The amplification factor for erythema dose (Δdose/ΔO3) varies significantly with latitude, but it is only weakly dependent upon receiver orientation. Additional calculations indicate that the amplification factor may be significantly larger for skin cancer than for erythema.
Partially-constrained thermomechanical fatigue of eutectic tin-bismuth/copper solder joints

Small bimetallic load-frames with reference assembly stiffness, k′, and fully-constrained shear strain, γfc, were used to simulate the thermo-mechanical conditions experienced by eutectic Bi-42wt.%Sn-to-Cu solder joints. Shear stress and strain were induced in the solder joint by a 45-minute, 0 to 100°C temperature cycle and were calculated from the assembly temperature, joint configuration, and measured elastic strain in the load-frame. Early in cycling, a hysteresis loop representing the maximum stress range and minimum strain range was reached. As damage accumulated in the solder, the stress range decreased and the strain range increased. The TMF life of the joints, defined by the load range drop, Φ, as a function of k′ and γfc, can be determined, defining an effective plastic strain range which allows data for various stiffnesses and thermal expansion mismatches to be summarized on a single Coffin-Mansion plot. The effective plastic strain range also provides an important link to conventional low cycle fatigue (LCF) data taken from an infinitely stiff load-frame.
Magnetic and transport properties of HgBa2CuO4+δ

Abstract The upper critical field and the critical current density of a ceramic sample of superconducting HgBa 2 CuO 4+δ have been estimated from resistivity measurements and magnetic hysteresis loop data. The resistivity measurements were done over a temperature range from 10 to 350 K and in a magnetic field up to 5 T. The results showed that the resistive transition has a strong field dependence. A small coherence length of 2.7 nm was estimated in this HgBa 2 CuO 4+δ compound. Furthermore the inductive critical current density, deduced from magnetic hysteresis loop d3ta taken in fields up to 1 kOe, is estimated as 16 × 10 5 A/cm 2 at T = 5 K. This value is relatively low in comparison with the well-studied oxide superconductor YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ .
The chemical state and control of oxygen in powder metallurgy tantalum

Abstract Tantalum powders containing different oxygen concentrations have been vacuum hot-pressed in graphite dies to study the dissolution and precipitation of oxygen and carbon in powder metallurgy (PM) tantalum. Various types of oxide and carbide precipitates were observed using microscopy and analyzed by X-ray microdiffraction. An in situ contact gettering method using zirconium has been coupled with hot-pressing to control oxygen. This method is effective at removing oxygen from the solid solution, while the precipitation behavior is not significantly altered. Hardness profiles with distance from Zr contact agree well with those expected from oxygen concentration profiles predicted by analysis assuming a diffusion-limited rate of gettering. Corresponding lattice parameter measurements by microdiffraction indicate that oxygen prefers to stay in supersaturated solid solution, even under slow cooling, where it is much more effective in hardening than in the form of precipitates.
Fluxless tin bonding of silicon chips to iron

In high power electronic modules for automobiles, several alumina circuit boards are soldered to a copper (Cu) plate. In this project, we look into iron as an alternative basis plate material. The use of iron (Fe) dates back to prehistoric times. Iron was made into various steels by adding other elements. The most popular steel is carbon steel. Steel of low carbon content of 0.1-0.2% is a trade-off among various properties and was chosen for this study. Compared to Cu, iron is less expensive (about 1/25 the price of Cu). It has lower CTE of 11.5 ppm/°C vs. 17 ppm/°C of Cu, higher melting point (1450-1540 °C), and higher tensile strength (635-696 MPa). The only downside is its fair thermal conductivity of 80.4 W·m-1·K-1 vs. 401 W·of Cu. However, in a module design, this lower thermal conductivity can be compensated using thinner plate and thinner solder layer. To adapt this alternative iron base plate, iron must be made solderable. In this project, fluxless tin soldering process on low carbon steel is developed. Si chips are bonded to low carbon steel plates. Si chips instead of alumina substrates are used because Si provides the largest CTE mismatch to demonstrate the structure survival at extreme case. The low carbon steel is well cleaned and polished. Nickel (Ni) is electroplated over the steel, followed by Sn solder layer. Si chips are e-beam evaporated with chromium (Cr) as adhesion layer and gold (Au) as capping layer. The two parts are held together and bonded in 100 millitorr vacuum. Quality and microstructure of the joints are examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Composition of the joints is studied with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Cross section SEM images exhibit high quality bonding.
Enhanced selectivity and sensitivity of first‐generation enzyme electrodes based on the coupling of rhodinized carbon paste transducers and permselective poly(o‐phenylenediamine) coatings

Highly specific oxidase-based amperometric biosensors, based on the coupling of anti-interference layers with selective metal-dispersed carbon transducers are described. In particular, the efficient and preferential electrocatalytic action of rhodinized carbon pastes towards the peroxide product is combined with the discriminative properties of poly(o-phenylenediamine) (PPD) films. Such focus on both the transducer and recognition layer offers freedom from interferences, while resulting in higher sensitivity towards the substrate. The influence of preparation parameters is explored, and the surface microstructures are discussed. Similar improvements are reported for the electrodeposition of rhodium, PPD and glucose oxidase onto glassy carbon transducers.
Generalizabilidad o validez externa de los ensayos clínicos en psiquiatría

Introduction To approve the prescription of a medication in the United States, the Food and Drug Agency (Food and Drug Administration (FDA)) requires at least two Phase III clinical trials demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the medication. In these studies, however, the results can be influenced by the composition of their samples.
Measuring the implementation of injury prevention programs in state health agencies.

OBJECTIVE: Injury prevention programs have been implemented with varying degrees of success in the United States. The objective of this study was to identify the variables that influence the successful implementation of injury prevention programs. METHODS: The key indicators of implementation success and its correlates were identified through consultation with a panel of experts. This consultation informed the content of a mail questionnaire sent to all United States state health departments, followed by telephone interviews. Data were analyzed using factor analysis and regression to identify significant relationships between variables. RESULTS: Data were obtained from 64 programs, representing 44 states; these included 24 programs in injury control units, 12 in maternal and child health units, 10 in health promotion/education units; and eight in emergency medical services units. Analysis identified four factors that are associated with an index of successful injury prevention program implementation; (1) participation and advocacy by constituent groups; (2) organizational capacity; (3) administrative control; and (4) attributes of relevant policies. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicated that constituent participation (the extent and efficacy of constituency support and advocacy) and organizational capacity (a function of program staff and their skill levels) had the greatest influence on successful program implementation. Support from advocacy groups and knowledgeable staff members, whose time is dedicated to the program, are critical for conducting the activities necessary for successful implementation of these programs.
The validity of the Holland and Basic Interest scales of the Strong Vocational Interest Blank: Leisure activities versus occupational membership as criteria.

Abstract This study compared leisure activities with occupational membership as criteria for determining the concurrent validity of the Holland and Basic Interest scales of the Strong Vocational Interest Blank (Form T399). Subjects were 89 thirty-six-year-old males representing a variety of occupations. R. H. Dolliver's (Journal of Counseling Psychology, 1975 , 22, 199–203) two methods for assessing validity were used: highest single scores on relevant scales and scores above established cutoff points on relevant scales. Results indicated greater congruence between interest scales and occupations than interest scales and leisure activities, except when Basic Interest scale cutoff scores were used. After chance factors were taken into account, Holland scales were found to be more accurate than Basic Interest scales in identifying occupations and in identifying leisure activities when highest scale scores were used. Using cutoff scores, Basic Interest scales were more accurate than Holland scales in identifying leisure activities. Supplementary analyses indicated that the validity of the Holland and Basic Interest scales increases when they are presumed to reflect either current occupation or preferred leisure activity. Results of this study were compared with Dolliver's (1975) findings.
Steroid biosynthesis in the Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor: effects of insulin and luteinizing hormone.

In vitro steroid production by a virilizing Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor of the ovary was studied. For comparison, stromal tissue from the opposite normal ovary was also incubated under similar conditions. The tumor fragments secreted significantly more testosterone (527 ± 168 versus 48 ± 29 pg/mg tissue, p p p 4 and Δ 5 steroids. Incubation of tumor fragments with luteinizing hormone alone resulted in a significant increase in the secretion of androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone ( p p 4 and Δ 5 pathways; (2) the tumor was responsive to luteinizing hormone with an increase in the secretion of androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone; (3) insulin acts synergistically with luteinizing hormone to increase secretion of androstenedione; (4) the tumor has specific binding sites for insulin; and (5) the increased levels of insulin and luteinizing hormone in polycystic ovarian disease may play a role in the pathogenesis of Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor.
Regulating Intimacy: A New Legal Paradigm

Regulating Intimacy: A New Legal Paradigm. By Jean L. Cohen. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2004. 304 pp.Although Jean Cohen's book was originally published in 2002, her argument for a reformulated justification for the right to privacy seems more relevant than ever. The resignation of a key swing vote from the Supreme Court makes feminist concerns about the future of legal abortion seem all the more pressing. As her subtitle—“a new legal paradigm”—suggests, Cohen undertakes an ambitious project of reviving the right to privacy as a key feminist concept, while simultaneously attempting to rethink the nature and use of the law. Defending the reflexive paradigm of law, she argues that neither the liberal nor welfare paradigms of legal action is adequate for formulating solutions to privacy issues tinged with issues of gender equity, including abortion, sexual orientation law, and sexual harassment. The book's strength and weakness is its admirable breadth, as it tackles an impressive pantheon of legal theory, political philosophy, legal doctrine, and substantive legal and political issues. The author successfully refutes the liberal and welfarist paradigms but is less persuasive that the reflexive paradigm offers a way out of the dilemma.
A Chemical Instrumentation Game for Teaching Critical Thinking and Information Literacy in Instrumental Analysis Courses

A simulation game is used to teach students in instrumental analysis courses to find the latest developments in the field, use the journal literature, and apply critical thinking to determine the relative importance of the work they find. They also learn about the business of chemical instruments and to make oral presentations. The competitive aspects of the game provide additional motivation and increase student engagement with the literature.
Signaling conformations of the tall cytokine receptor gp130 when in complex with IL-6 and IL-6 receptor

gp130 is a shared cytokine signaling receptor and the founding member of the 'tall' class of cytokine receptors. A crystal structure of the ligand-binding domains of gp130 in complex with human interleukin-6 (IL-6) and its a-receptor (IL-6Ralpha) revealed a hexameric architecture in which the gp130 membrane-distal regions were approximately 100 A apart, in contrast to the close apposition seen between short cytokine receptor complexes. Here we used single-particle EM to visualize the entire extracellular hexameric IL-6-IL-6Ralpha-gp130 complex, containing all six gp130 domains. The structure reveals that gp130 is bent such that the membrane-proximal domains of gp130 are close together at the cell surface, enabling activation of intracellular signaling. Variation in the receptor bend angles suggests a possible conformational transition from open to closed states upon ligand binding; this transition is probably representative of the other tall cytokine receptors.
CYP2D6, SULT1A1 and UGT2B17 copy number variation: quantitative detection by multiplex PCR

Aim: Among the genes of drug-metabolizing enzymes, CYP2D6 is notoriously difficult to characterize owing to the complexity of gene deletions, duplications, multiplications and the presence of hybrid genes composed of CYP2D6 and CYP2D7. For SULT1A1 up to five gene copies have been reported, while UGT2B17 is known for gene deletions only. Different platforms exist for copy number variation (CNV) detection; however, there are no gold standards. Robust methods are required that address specific challenges to accurately determine gene CNVs in complex gene loci. Materials & methods: Quantitative multiplex PCR amplification (MPA) was performed on a diverse set of genomic DNA samples. Resulting PCR fragments were separated on an ABI 3730 instrument and analyzed with GeneMapper. CYP2D6 was targeted at four different gene regions and either normalized against CYP2D8 or UGT2B15 and SULT1A2. Inconsistent observations and CNVs contrasting genotype data were further characterized by long-range PCR and/or DNA sequence a...
Phase diagram of Sr on Si(001): A first-principles study

The best known method for growing epitaxial oxides on silicon requires the deposition of 1/2 monolayer of an alkaline earth metal, usually Sr, as the first step; however, the details of this process are not well understood. Using first-principles density functional theory calculations, we compute the total energies and vibrational free energies of several classes of Sr on Si(001) structures. These structures, in particular those with submonolayer Si reconstructions, allow us to explain the observed phase diagram of submonolayer Sr on Si(001). We analyze the electronic states of key structures using maximally localized Wannier functions and present simulated scanning tunneling microscopy images of key structures and find that they compare well with recent experiments. Our results clarify the role of temperature in epitaxial oxide growth on silicon, predict an experimentally verified low temperature path to epitaxy, and may be important in finding pathways to epitaxy between silicon and other oxides.
Multiple residence and cyclical migration: a life course perspective.

As a result of restrictive time-space bounds in viewing migration, surprisingly little is known about the tempos and rhythms of geographical mobility in America. We discuss limitations of the conventional definition of migration and develop a life course framework of multiple residence and cyclical migration. Results of an Arizona-based case study reveal that multiple residence is common and more diverse than the annual influx of elderly snowbirds. Coming to grips with multiple residence and recurrent mobility in the United States represents a fundamental challenge in population and migration studies.
Developmentally regulated expression of Drosophila chorion genes introduced at diverse chromosomal positions.

Abstract Drosophila chorion genes are organized into two clusters that are selectively amplified in the ovarian follicle cells. During oogenesis the transcription of individual genes is temporally regulated, resulting in distinct, stage-specific profiles of chorion mRNA accumulation. P element-mediated gene transfer was used to study the regulation of genes encoding the major chorion proteins s15-1 and s38-1. Transformed chorion genes integrated at diverse chromosomal locations exhibited proper tissue-specific and stage-specific expression, despite separation from the gene clusters. Qualitatively normal expression was not dependent on the ability of the inserted DNA to undergo amplification. However, chromosome position quantitatively influenced the RNA produced by the transformed genes. The level of RNA per gene copy produced by individual transformed genes varied approximately tenfold, after correction for differences in gene dosage due to the amplification of some inserted sequences. Transformation experiments with an s38-1-lacZ fusion gene demonstrated that cis -regulatory sequences sufficient for the stage-specific program of s38-1 expression were confined to a 1.3 × 10 3 base-pair segment between −748 and +573 relative to the s38-1 initiation site. Finally, egg chamber-specific amplification was induced at the site of two s38-1 insertions, suggesting that an amplification control element resides near this gene.
The surface reaction of Pd/MgO studied by scanning reflection electron microscopy

Surface reactions of Pd particles deposited on MgO substrate surfaces are observed using scanning reflection electron microscopy and nanodiffraction patterns. Oxidation of Pd(100) takes place after ≈ 800 °C annealing treatment. The process of beam-induced-oxidation, under electron irradiation, of Pd(100) to PdO(110) is studied with a series of SREM images and diffraction patterns. The PdO(110) particles growing on a MgO(100) surface have preferred orientation with PdO[001] parallel with MgO[001]. A thin PdO oxide layer ≈ 1.0 nm thick is resolved surrounding the Pd particles. No intermediate microstructure phase is found in the induced oxidation process. The study of surface structure on the MgO(100) surface shows regular arrays of atomic steps with a 2.5 nm periodicity which may be influenced by surface defects. Oberflachenreaktionen von auf MgO-Substratoberflachen abgeschiedenen Pd-Partikeln werden mittels Reflexionselektronenmikroskopie und Nano-Beugungsdiagrammen beobachtet. Oxydation von Pd(100) findet nach 800 °C-Temperungsbehandlung statt. Der Vorgang der unter Elektronenstrahlung strahlinduzierten Oxydation von Pd(100) zu PdO(110) wird an einer Serie von SREM-Bildern und Beugungsdiagrammen untersucht. Die PdO(110)-Teilchen, die auf einer MgO(100)-Flache wachsen, haben eine bevorzugte Orientierung mit PdO[001] parallel zu MgO[001]. Eine dunne PdO-Oxidschicht ≈ 1.0 nm dick, die Pd-Partikel umgibt, wird aufgelost. Keine Mikrostruktur-Zwischenphase wird im induzierten Oxydationsprozes gefunden. Die Untersuchung der Oberflachenstruktur auf der MgO(100)-Oberflache zeigt regulare Anordnung von atomaren Stufen mit einer 2.5 nm-Periodizitat, die durch Oberflachendefekte beeinflust sein kann.
Local linear stability characteristics of viscoelastic periodic channel flow

Abstract Linear stability of periodic channel (PC) flow of an upper convected Maxwell (UCM) liquid is investigated in inertial (Reynolds number Re ⪢0, Weissenberg number We ∼O(1)) and in purely elastic ( Re ≡0, We ∼O(1)) flow regimes. Base state solution is evaluated using O( e 2 ) domain perturbation analysis where e denotes the channel wall amplitude. Significant destabilization, i.e. reduction in critical Reynolds number Re c , with increasing e is predicted for the Newtonian flow, especially in the diverging section of the channel. Introduction of elasticity E ≡ We / Re , representing the ratio of fluid relaxation time to a time scale of viscous diffusion based on channel half height, leads to further destabilization. However, the minimum in the Re c – E curve reported for plane channel flow is not observed. Analysis of the budget of perturbation kinetic energy shows that this minimum in the plane channel flow results from two competing contributions to kinetic energy: a normal stress contribution that increases with increasing E and a shear stress contribution that decreases monotonically with increasing E with the two curves intersecting for E ≈0.002. This value is approximately equal to the value of E for which the plane shear layer is maximally destabilized. When this happens, the critical Deborah number, defined as the ratio of the fluid relaxation time to time scale of the perturbation, is O(1). Comparison of results obtained for the UCM and second order fluid (SOF) models shows that the latter model does not predict a minimum Re c for E ≤0.003. Moreover, eigenspectrum for the SOF contains a set of eigenvalues with positive real parts equal to 1/ We . Results obtained for the eigenspectrum in the purely elastic limit indicate that the PC flow is linearly stable for O(1) axial wavenumbers for We ≤10, e ≤0.1 and n ≤0.1, although the decay rates of the perturbation are smaller than that of the plane channel flow. The local eigenspectrum could contain spurious eigenvalues with positive real parts that could lead to erroneous predictions of flow instability. Using a contour mapping technique, it is shown that deformation of the flow domain can lead to spurious eigenvalues.
Educational opportunity: parent and youth perceptions of major provisions of the McKinney-Vento Act

AbstractThe increasing numbers of homeless families in the United States present many social justice concerns, including issues of educational access, stigma, and self-advocacy. These problems become even more apparent when homelessness and education intersect. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 was the first legislation passed by Congress in an attempt to address these issues. While schools and homeless families have benefited from the original and subsequent legislation, clear limitations remain. This paper explores the perspectives of homeless families and youth directly impacted by the current law. Using qualitative analyses, focus groups were conducted at four homeless shelters. Focus groups transcripts were coded to capture the key themes across age/grade ranges served by the McKinney-Vento Act. In particular, the effects of the McKinney-Vento Act on transportation, safety, and discipline for homeless students are discussed. Finally, the paper explores implications for school-based s...
Hot film anemometry in molten woods metal

Mode d'emploi de ce type d'anemometre pour des mesures d'ecoulement dans le metal de Woods a 125 C
CASE OF THE MONTH: January 1999 - Fetus with echogenic mass in third ventricle

A 29-week gestational age newborn male infant was found to have an echogenic mass in the 3rd ventricle by prenatal ultrasound 2 weeks prior to delivery. At delivery he was poorly responsive and had hydrocephalus and ascites. A CT scan after birth showed cerebral infarction, amorphous tissue in the left hemisphere and numerous calcifications. Despite supportive treatment he died 4 days after birth. Postmortem examination of the brain revealed marked distortion of the architecture and a supratentorial undifferentiated neoplasm consistent with a PNET. The tumor showed extensive areas of hemorrhage and necrosis and involvement of lateral and third ventricles, brain parenchyma, and meninges.
Decay of correlations for certain quadratic maps

We prove exponential decay of correlations for (f, μ), wheref belongs in a positive measure set of quadratic maps of the interval and μ is its absolutely continuous invariant measure. These results generalize to other interval maps.
Pressure Measurements at Ultra-high Vacuum (10 -8 to 10 -14 mmHg)

The techniques of pressure measurement in the range 10−8 to 10−14 mmHg will be discussed. The construction and operating characteristics of a cold-cathode magnetron gauge will be described which can measure pressures in the range 10−4 to 5 × 10−14 mmHg. This gauge has a linear relation between ion current and pressure and a sensitivity of 10 A/mmHg (fifty times the sensitivity of a Bayard–Alpert gauge). Pressures of 5 × 20−14 mmHg have been obtained in glass systems by the use of a liquid helium cold trap.
The role of maternal and child ADHD symptoms in shaping interpersonal relationships.

The current study investigated the influence of maternal ADHD symptoms on: (a) mothers’ own social functioning; (b) their child’s social functioning; and (c) parent–child interactions following a lab-based playgroup involving children and their peers. Participants were 103 biological mothers of children ages 6–10. Approximately half of the children had ADHD, and the remainder were comparison youth. After statistical control of children’s ADHD diagnostic status and mothers’ educational attainment, mothers’ own inattentive ADHD symptoms predicted poorer self-reported social skills. Children with ADHD were reported to have more social problems by parents and teachers, as well as received fewer positive sociometric nominations from playgroup peers relative to children without ADHD. After control of child ADHD status, higher maternal inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity each predicted children having more parent-reported social problems; maternal inattention predicted children receiving more negative sociometric nominations from playgroup peers. There were interactions between maternal ADHD symptoms and children’s ADHD diagnostic status in predicting some child behaviors and parent–child relationship measures. Specifically, maternal inattention was associated with decreased prosocial behavior for children without ADHD, but did not influence the prosocial behavior of children with ADHD. Maternal inattention was associated with mothers’ decreased corrective feedback and, at a trend level, decreased irritability toward their children with ADHD, but there was no relationship between maternal inattention and maternal behaviors for children without ADHD. A similar pattern was observed for maternal hyperactivity/impulsivity and mothers’ observed irritability towards their children. Treatment implications of findings are discussed.
Regulation of gene expression in the distal region of the Drosophila leg by the Hox11 homolog, C15

Abstract The distal region of the Drosophila leg, the tarsus, is divided into five segments (ta I–V) and terminates in the pretarsus, which is characterized by a pair of claws. Several homeobox genes are expressed in distinct regions of the tarsus, including aristaless ( al ) and lim1 in the pretarsus, Bar ( B ) in ta IV and V, and apterous ( ap ) in ta IV. This pattern is governed by regulatory interactions between these genes; for example, Al and B are mutually antagonistic resulting in exclusion of B expression from the pretarsus. Although Al is necessary, it is not sufficient to repress B , indicating another factor is required. Here, this factor is identified as the product of the C15 gene, which is another homeodomain protein, a homolog of the human Hox11 oncogene. C15 is expressed in the same cells as al and, together, C15 and Al appear to directly repress B . C15/Al also act indirectly to repress ap in ta V, i.e., in surrounding cells. To do this, C15/Al autonomously repress expression of the gene encoding the Notch ligand Delta (Dl) in the pretarsus, restricting Dl to ta V and creating a Dl+/Dl− border at the interface between ta V and the pretarsus. This results in upregulation of Notch signaling, which induces expression of the bowl gene, the product of which represses ap .
Politics as the quest for unity: Perspectivism, incommensurable values and agonistic politics

In this article I argue against the view, recently espoused by several authors, that the `incommensurability of values' and `political pespectivism' offer us decisive reasons as to why we should break the link between representation and (the quest for) unity. I hold that it is of paramount importance to retain this essential link. Since Sir Isaiah Berlin has played a major (and in my view unfortunate) role in linking `politics as the quest for unity and the common good' with the `totalitarian temptation', I proceed to show how it is possible to have an understanding of politics as precisely such a quest, but without succumbing to the temptation to totalitarianism that Berlin alerts us to. I then take issue with Chantal Mouffe's view that the tendency to antagonism, rather than the quest for unity and rational consensus, is `the essence of the political'.
A STABLE KNOTTED SINGULARITY IN AN EXCITABLE MEDIUM

Numerical studies of an apparently stable knotted singularity are used here to seek out regularities of vortex dynamics in three-dimensional excitable media. Initial conditions were contrived to produce a vortex filament in the form of a trefoil (3:2 torus) knot, using the piecewise linear 'B-kinetics', with excitability parameter 'g' set to 0.9. The simulation was pursued for 3000 time units, or about 125 wave rotations, during which time the knot was observed to rigidly 'precess' about its symmetry axis, completing one turn every 96 wave rotations, and also translate along that same axis, at about 1 percent of wavespeed. These motions, described with respect to the local Frenet frame, were shown to be highly correlated with local geometry and twist, yielding possible 'laws of filament motion', which might prove viable in other contexts. The trefoil knot is the first organizing center to be studied in detail which exhibits nonuniform twist, and its dynamical behavior supports the notion that the arclength derivative of twist is an important determinant of filament motion, first postulated by Keener in 1988. The knot also exhibited changes in twist distribution, and, to a lesser extent, local geometry, within one wave rotation period, adding an unforeseen complication to efforts at understanding vortex dynamics. The knot is compact, only about a wavelength in radius, so filament interactions may play a prominent role in determining the stability and behavior of the object. The locus of wave collisions was determined for the knot; in places this surface apparently adjoins the filament itself. In the course of this study, two different criteria for locating the filament were compared, and many analytic and graphical utilities were developed, which may prove useful in further studies of three-dimensional excitable media.