cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Revival of Macrosociology: Methodological Issues of Discontinuity in Comparative- Historical Theory

Three forms of discontinuity in social structure produce linked analogous problems about aggregates or wholes: discontinuity in units, discontinuity in time, and discontinuity in variables. Problems of macrotheory, of comparative-historical theory, and of levels of theory are analytically equivalent. Discontinuity in processes between different units produces macro-micro problems when processes involving individuals are different from processes involving larger aggregates. Discontinuity in time refers to the fact that in most dynamic processes, time does not appear homogeneous — if a process occurs in a century, that is not necessarily any reason to suppose that 1/100th of the process occurs in a year. Discontinuity in variables refers to the fact that all variables cannot operate coherently in the same explanatory system. These three discontinuities each produce problems of generalization and scope — problems getting from particular observed relationships to the underlying conditions and determinants of those relationships. For example, temporal discontinuity leads to problems of periodization and of stages. These problems are most visible in comparative-historical theory and they can only be resolved by comparative-historical data.
Does ETF arbitrage exist

This study examines whether Exchange Traded Funds’ (ETF) arbitrage which ensures that the ETF closely tracks its underlying index exists on intradaily basis. I document that this arbitrage mechanism does exist and varies across ETFs. DIA and QQQQ have the most dynamic arbitrage activity; whereas SPY and IWM exhibit less active arbitrage trading. The paper also finds that the ETF changes in volume are not autocorrelated but that the ETF pricing deviations exhibit strong autocorrelation.
Response of calcium fluoride to 275–2550 eV photons

Abstract CaF2:Dy (TLD-200) chips were irradiated with monoenergetic photon beams of synchroton radiation of 275, 400, 500, 600, 730, 900, 1200, 1500 and 2550 eV energy. The phosphor response as a function of total energy delivered is reported. Glow curves for He- and air-annealed dosimeters are presented, showing the adverse effect of air anneal. Supralinearity factors based on the integrated TL response and on the height of the 200°C peak were determined and are reported.
Achieving Consensus in Public Decision Making: Applying Interest-Based Problem Solving to the Challenges of Intergovernmental Collaboration:

This article examines how interests can be used to guide collaborative public decision making in an intergovernmental setting. A brief overview of the governance challenge at the local level in the...
Validation Study of a Co-Parenting Scale for Foster Couples

This study examined the Casey Foster Applicant Inventory-Applicant–Co-Parenting Scale (CFAI-CP), a new scale developed to measure foster parent applicants' co-parenting potential. Also, this study illustrates statistical methods used to analyze the psychometric properties of dyadic data. Factor structure and measurement invariance were tested with 111 approved foster couples. Mplus was used to accommodate ordinal-level data. Exploratory factor analysis supported a 10-item, unidimensional measure with excellent internal consistency reliability (.88 fathers, .89 mothers). Confirmatory factor analysis supported scalar measurement invariance but not structural invariance, as expected. Good construct validity was evident. Findings support the CFAI-CP as an empirically sound measure to assess foster parent co-parenting.
Extending an existing user interface toolkit to support gesture recognition

Gestures are a powerful way to specify both objects and operations with a single mark of a stylus or mouse. We have extended an existing user interface toolkit to support gestures as a standard type of interaction so that researchers can easily explore this technology.
Risk Management Terminology

ABSTRACT Three new standards related to the risk concept appeared in January 2011. These standards are an adoption by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) of an ISO suite of documents developed in conjunction with the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) concerning risk vocabulary, risk management, and risk assessment techniques. This article describes International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Guide 73 (2009), Risk Management Terminology, and its American National Standards Institute (ANSI) equivalent Z690.1 (2011). A future article will review the Principles and Guidelines ANSI/ASSE Z690.2 (2011) and Assessment Techniques ANSI/ASSE Z690.3 (2011) documents.
Effects of Tween 20® and Tween 80® on the Stability of Albutropin During Agitation

ABSTRACT: The objectives of this work were to determine the effects of nonionic surfactants (Tween 20® and Tween 80®) on agitation-induced aggregation of the recombinant fusion protein, Albutropin™ (human growth hormone genetically fused to human albumin), and to characterize the binding interactions between the surfactants and the protein. Knowing the binding stoichiometry would allow a rational choice of surfactant concentration to protect the protein from surface-induced aggregation. Fluorescence spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) were employed to study Albutropin surfactant binding. Albutropin was agitated at 25 ± 2°C to induce aggregation, and samples were taken during a 96-h incubation. Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC-HPLC) (HPLC, high-performance liquid chromatography) was used to detect and quantify the extent of protein aggregation. The effect of surfactants on the protein's free energy of unfolding was determined using guanidine HCl as a denaturant. Tween 20 and Tween 80 had saturable binding to Albutropin with a molar binding stoichiometry of 10:1 and 9:1 (surfactant:protein), respectively. Binding of the surfactants to Albutropin increased the free energy of unfolding by over 1 and 0.6 kcal/mol, respectively. In protein samples that were agitated in the absence of surfactant, soluble aggregates were detected within 24 h, and there was almost complete loss of monomer to soluble aggregates by the end of the 96-h experiment. At the molar binding stoichiometry, Tween 20 and Tween 80 prevented the formation of soluble aggregates, even though the concentrations of surfactants were well below their critical micelle concentrations (CMC). Tween 20 and Tween 80 protected Albutropin against agitation-induced aggregation, even at concentrations below the CMC. Equilibrium unfolding data indicate that Tween confer protection by increasing the free energy of unfolding of Albutropin. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association
The clinical reasoning process

Medical school teachers must have an accurate idea of the doctor's clinical reasoning process (CRP) in order to provide students with learning experiences and evaluations that will ensure their acquisition of an effective and efficient CRP. It is difficult to derive this understanding from much that has been written on the subject. It is important to recognize that clinical problems are ill-structured and that the doctor's reasoning is built around a temporal unfolding of information. A model for the CRP is described along with a critique of other models that have been suggested. The results of research that examines components of the process must be seen in relation to the overall process.
Intramolecular excimer formation in a naphthalene-appended dinuclear iron-oxo complex.

The synthesis, structure, and physical properties of a Heisenberg exchange-coupled cluster containing naphthalene groups are described. [Fe2(O)(O2CCH2C10H7)2(TACN-Me3)2]2+ (3) crystallizes in space group P1 with unit cell parameters a = 12.94(2) A, b = 14.84(2) A, c = 15.23(2) A, alpha = 101.12(7) degrees, beta = 90.8(1) degrees, gamma = 114.14(7) degrees, V = 2605(6) A3, and Z = 2 with R = 0.0425 and wR2 = 0.1182. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility data indicate that the two high-spin FeIII centers are antiferromagnetically coupled with J = -105 cm-1 (H = -2 JS1.S2), which is typical for this class of compounds. The room-temperature static emission spectrum of the compound in deoxygenated CH3CN solution is centered near 335 nm and has features reminiscent of both methyl-2-naphthylacetate (1) and [Zn2(OH)(O2CCH2C10H7)2(TACN-Me3)2]+ (2) with the following two caveats: (1) the overall emission intensity is roughly a factor of 10 less than that of the free ester (1, phi = 0.13) or the ZnII analogue (2, phi = 0.14), and (2) there is significant broadening of the low-energy shoulder of the emission envelope. Time-correlated single photon counting data revealed biphasic emission for 3 with tau 1 = 4.6 +/- 1 ns and tau 2 = 47 +/- 1 ns. The latter compares favorably with that found for 2 (tau = 47 +/- 1 ns) and is assigned as the S0-S1 fluorescence of naphthalene. Emission anisotropy, time-gated emission spectra, and nanosecond time-resolved absorption measurements all support the assignment of the 4.6 ns component as being due to a singlet excimer that forms between the two naphthylacetate groups of 3, a process that is likely mediated by the structural constraints of the oxo-bis-carboxylato diiron core. No direct evidence for intramolecular electron and/or energy transfer from the photoexcited naphthyl group to the iron-oxo core was obtained, suggesting that the short-lived excimer may contribute to circumventing such pathways in this type of system.
Factors Affecting Running Economy

Running economy, defined as the steady-state VO2 for a given running velocity, has been shown to account for a large and significant proportion of variation in distance-running performance among runners roughly comparable in VO2 max. Despite this recognition, relatively little is known regarding the potpourri of physiological, environmental, structural and mechanical factors potentially associated with a lower aerobic demand of running. Early attempts at quantifying the energy expenditure of exhaustive runs incorporated measurements of oxygen consumption before, during, and after exercise. The validity of this approach has been questioned, however, since recent evidence has demonstrated that only a moderate relationship exists between postexercise VO2 and anaerobic metabolism. The energy demands for submaximal running (i.e. running economy) can be quantified by calculating the steady-state VO2, expressed with respect to body mass and time, for a standardised, submaximal running speed. Since this variable represents the aerobic demand of running, the generation of energy must derive wholly from cell respiration and not from substantial protein catabolism. Research has indicated that at low to moderate work rates, the steady-state energy condition is attained in about 3 minutes. Trained individuals reach steady-state sooner than unfit subjects. While limited by methodological constraints, the existence of a steady-state has also been verified by the lack of blood lactate accumulation and the presence of a respiratory exchange ratio of less than 1.00. The ability of economy, either singly or in combination with VO2 max, to account for a substantial portion of performance variation among trained distance runners and untrained subjects of comparable ability and fitness level has been demonstrated in recent cross-sectional studies. Limited data from short and long term longitudinal research also suggests that endurance running success is linked to training and growth-related improvements in economy. Intraindividual variation in economy has been shown to vary between 2% and 11% for a given speed. Most of this variation can probably be attributed to biological error. While the majority of evidence does not support a gender difference in running economy, data from some studies suggest that males may be more economical than women. Prepubescent children are less economical than older children and adults, whereas older adults exhibit the same trend when compared to younger counterparts. Because of air and wind resistance, the aerobic demands of indoor treadmill running significantly underestimate the cost of overground running, especially at higher speeds.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Voyager plasma wave observations near the outer planets

With the completion of the reconnaissance of the magnetospheres of the outer planets by Voyager, a first-order view is obtained of the existence of plasma waves in a wide variety of settings with which to begin the task of intercomparison. Voyager carried the first plasma-wave receivers to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune and some very strong statements can be made about the likelihood of several types of plasma-wave modes and where in a planetary magnetosphere these emissions will occur. Further, the role of plasma waves can be understood, in general, in the physics of the magnetospheres and their effects on the energy budget, plasma energization and transport, and the generation of planetary radio emissions.
SMOKELESS TOBACCO CONSUMPTION BY MEXICAN-AMERICAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS '

can women identified themselves as nonusers of smokeless tobacco. Of the Anglo-American women, one indicated that she used snuff, and 3 disclosed that they chewed tobacco. 33% of the Anglo-American men and 18% of the Mexican-American men stated that they used smokeless tobacco products. A chi-squared analysis showed this difference was significant. Implications are discussed.
Charged particle anisotropies in Saturn's magnetosphere

We report observations of anisotropies and pitch angle distributions for 0.5-1.8 MeV protons, 7--17 MeV electrons and > or approx. =3.4 MeV electrons in Saturn's magnetosphere made with the University of Chicago experiments on Pioneer 11. In the outer magnetosphere (L>6) there is clear evidence for corotation of the proton flux, and the proton pitch angle distribution shows maximum flux perpendicular to the magnetic field ('pancake' distribution). Observed changes in the amplitude and shape of the pitch angle distributions suggest the existence of significant temporal variations in the outer magnetosphere. From L=6 to L=4, the proton intensity decreased by more than two orders of magnitude, and the pitch angle distribution shifted to a 'dumbbell' form (maximum flux parallel to magnetic field). The shift in pitch angle distribution most likely results from preferential absorption of large pitch angle particles by the tenuous E- ring found in the equatorial plane out to at least R=5 R/sub s/. For L<4, the proton intensity increased inwards, implying an inner edge for the E ring at Rapprox. =4 R/sub s/. Except for regions where the flux was reduced by satellite absorption, the pitch angle distributions remained dumbbell. In absorption regions, pancake distributions were found. Themore » observations are consistent with the suggestion by McKibben and Simpson (this issue) that inward diffusion and acceleration at Saturn may proceed primarily via large, infrequent disturbances. Electron anisotropies were measurable only for L< or approx. =4.5, and the pitch angle distributions were found to be pancake for the entire region L<4.5, suggesting that the absorbing particles in the E ring have radii that lie between the range of approx.10 MeV proton and approx.10 MeV electrons, or of the order of millimeters.« less
The function of melanin in the ectomycorrhizal fungus Cenococcum geophilum under water stress

Despite the ubiquity and importance of ectomycorrhizal fungi to ecosystem function, our understanding of their functional ecology remains poor. The highly melanized and common ectomycorrhizal fungus, Cenococcum geophilum, is drought tolerant and abundant in water-stressed habitats, yet the responsible functional traits have not been identified. The production of melanin, a class of complex dark polymers found in fungal cell walls, may be a key functional trait to water stress tolerance. To test this hypothesis, we devised a series of experiments determining the effect of the melanin biosynthesis inhibitor, tricyclazole, on response to osmotic and desiccation stresses. Melanin inhibition only had negative effects on growth when C. geophilum isolates were subjected to osmotic and desiccation stress (−1.7 MPa and desiccated) but not under control conditions (−0.01 MPa and non-desiccated). This suggests that melanin production is an important functional trait that contributes to water stress tolerance of this cosmopolitan ectomycorrhizal fungus.
Balloon Dilation and Endobronchial Stent Placement for Bronchial Strictures after Lung Transplantation

PURPOSE To evaluate the effect of balloon dilation and endobronchial stent placement for bronchial fibrous stenoses and bronchomalacia after lung transplantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Bronchial dilation and/or stent placement was performed on 25 lung transplant recipients. Indications included severe dyspnea with postobstructive pneumonia ( n = 24) and respiratory failure ( n = 1). All patients underwent pulmonary function testing (PFT) before and after bronchial dilation, the results of which were evaluated for changes. A total of 63 procedures were performed between February 1996 and December 1998. Thirty-five lesions were treated (18 were due to bronchomalacia, 17 were due to fibrosis). Areas treated included the left mainstem bronchus ( n = 11), bronchus intermedius ( n = 10), right mainstem bronchus ( n = 7), left upper lobe bronchus ( n = 4), right lower lobe bronchus ( n = 2), and right middle lobe bronchus ( n = 1). Bronchoscopic and/or bronchographic follow-up ranged from 1 to 34 months (mean, 15 months). RESULTS Six-month primary patency of stents placed for bronchomalacia was 71% (10 of 14), with three of the four occlusions caused by mechanical failure of Palmaz stents in the mainstem bronchi. Six-month primary patency for treatment of fibrous strictures was 29%. Secondary patency at 1 year was 100% for both bronchomalacia and fibrous strictures. After treatment, there was a significant improvement in mean PFT results ( P = .01–.0001). There was one acute complication, obstruction of the left lower lobe bronchus by a Wallstent treated by dilating a hole in the side of the stent. CONCLUSIONS Balloon dilation and stent placement are safe and effective for bronchial strictures and bronchomalacia after lung transplantation, resulting in significant improvement in PFT results. However, there is almost universal restenosis in patients treated for fibrous strictures necessitating reintervention for prolonged patency.
Gender demographics trends and changes in U.S. CS departments

Using the past 10 years of Taulbee Survey data to evaluate female student enrollment across varied academic institutions and departments.
Comprehensive methodology for detection and diagnosis of oscillatory control loops

In recent years, significant research has been performed on control loop oscillation diagnosis; there are still many unresolved issues such as indecisive or wrong diagnostics for certain regions of process dynamics, failure in the case of multiple faults occurring simultaneously and, absence of quantification of root-cause. In this work, a novel methodology has been devised to bridge these gaps in oscillation diagnosis. Power Spectral Density (PSD) and Auto Correlation Function (ACF) based oscillation detection method followed by a model based approach for identifying and quantifying the root-cause of the oscillations is proposed. The application of each component of the algorithm is described with appropriate example cases. Finally, overall methodology is validated on industrial and simulation case studies for various cases of stiction, poor controller tuning, and external disturbances.
In situ reordering by iodine adsorption-desorption of extensively disordered (ion-bombarded) Pd(100) electrode surfaces

Abstract Previous studies have shown that the single-crystallinity of a Pd(100) electrode surface mildly disordered by electrochemical oxidation can be reestablished if the spent surface is immeresed at ambient temperatures in aqueous iodide followed by reductive desorption of the interfacial iodine. In this short note, we show that an extensively disordered (Ar+-ion-bombarded) Pd(100) surface can also be reordered by the iodine-chemisorption method. Multiple surface oxidation—reduction cycles on the ion-bombarded electrode did not regenerate an ordered surface, but the nature and/or degree of disorder was altered to resemble an anodically oxidized surface. Reordering was attained only when multiple sequences of iodine oxidative chemisorption (deposition) and reductive desorption (stripping), at potentials close to the hydrogen evolution region, were performed. Experiments were carried out in alkaline solutions to ensure that the reordering process is driven predominantly by the strong chemisorption of iodine and not by the dissolution of Pd. Electrode-surface characterization consisted of cyclic voltammetry, low-energy electron diffraction, and Auger electron spectroscopy.
THE TIME‐COURSE OF POLAR MOVEMENT OF GIBBERELLIN THROUGH ZEA ROOTS

A B S T R A C T The polarity of movement of gibberellin through sections cut from near the root tips of Zea mavs L. was studied, using methods like those we previously used in roots for auxin and in petioles for auxins, cytokinins, and gibberellic acid (GA-3). One ,lg GA-3 was added in a donor agar block and gibberellin activity in the receiver agar at the opposite end of the section was measured directly with a modified barley endosperm bioassay. The movement of gibberellin was away from the root tip (basipetal) and thus opposite in direction to the polarity of auxin through such root sections. The time-course of basipetal movement was dissimilar to that for gibberellin or auxin movement through petiole sections. It took 14-18 hr for gibberellin activity equivalent to 6 ng GA-3 to collect in the basal receivers on roots. Apical receivers showed activity equivalent to 1.6 ng GA-3 at 14-18 hr. Less than 0.01 ng equivalent GA-3 was collected from sections to which GA-3 was not added, so the 6 and 1.6 ng were almost entirely due to the added GA-3. These general conclusions were confirmed with an experiment using 14C-GA-3. A decline in activity in receivers was found in some experiments at 18 hr, paralleling earlier results with GA-3, IAA, and adenine in petioles and IAA in roots.
A cross-sectional evaluation of the factorial invariance of anxiety sensitivity in adolescents and young adults ☆

This study examined the cross-sectional factorial invariance of anxiety sensitivity in an ethnically diverse sample of adolescents (n = 173; mean age 15.5 years) and young adults (n = 291; mean age 20.1 years). Research in adult and youth samples suggests that anxiety sensitivity is best understood as a hierarchical construct with several lower-order factors. Factor models based on previous research using both adult and youth samples were compared and a hierarchical model with three lower-order factors provided the best fit to the data. Results supported the hypothesis that the factor structure of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index was invariant across age and gender. The factor scores also demonstrated differential correlations with symptoms of anxiety and depression. Results are discussed with regard to construct validation and understanding the structure of anxiety sensitivity in youth.
A multiple discrete–continuous extreme value model: formulation and application to discretionary time-use decisions

Abstract Several consumer demand choices are characterized by the choice of multiple alternatives simultaneously. An example of such a choice situation in activity-travel analysis is the type of discretionary (or leisure) activity to participate in and the duration of time investment of the participation. In this context, within a given temporal period (say a day or a week), an individual may decide to participate in multiple types of activities (for example, in-home social activities, out-of-home social activities, in-home recreational activities, out-of-home recreational activities, and out-of-home non-maintenance shopping activities). In this paper, we derive and formulate a utility theory-based model for discrete/continuous choice that assumes diminishing marginal utility as the level of consumption of any particular alternative increases (i.e., satiation). This assumption yields a multiple discreteness model (i.e., choice of multiple alternatives can occur simultaneously). This is in contrast to the standard discrete choice model that is based on assuming the absence of any diminishing marginal utility as the level of consumption of any alternative increases (i.e., no satiation), leading to the case of strictly single discreteness. The econometric model formulated here, which we refer to as the multiple discrete–continuous extreme value (MDCEV) model, has a surprisingly simple and elegant closed form expression for the discrete–continuous probability of not consuming certain alternatives and consuming given levels of the remaining alternatives. To our knowledge, we are the first to develop such a simple and powerful closed-form model for multiple discreteness in the literature. This formulation should constitute an important milestone in the area of multiple discreteness, just as the multinomial logit (MNL) represented an important milestone in the area of single discreteness. Further, the MDCEV model formulated here has the appealing property that it collapses to the familiar multinomial logit (MNL) choice model in the case of single discreteness. Finally, heteroscedasticity and/or correlation in unobserved characteristics affecting the demand of different alternatives can be easily incorporated within the MDCEV model framework using a mixing approach. The MDCEV model and its mixed variant are applied to analyze time-use allocation decisions among a variety of discretionary activities on weekends using data from the 2000 San Francisco Bay Area survey.
Stress and temperature coupling effects on dislocation density reduction in multicrystalline silicon

In multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si), the presence of dislocation-rich areas limits solar cell conversion efficiencies [1–2]. Previous studies have demonstrated that dislocation densities higher than 106 cm−2 can dramatically decrease the minority carrier lifetime [3]. High dislocation densities, and their decoration with impurities, can limit minority carrier lifetime even after phosphorous diffusion or hydrogen passivation [4–5]. We previously proposed a method to remove dislocations from mc-Si by high-temperature annealing, demonstrating dislocation density reductions of 95% approximately [6]. We demonstrated that the dependence of dislocation density reduction on annealing temperature is much more pronounced that the dependence on annealing time [7]. In this contribution, we propose stress as an additional mechanism to enhance dislocation density reduction. We discuss the relationship between temperature, stresses and dislocation density in string ribbon.
Mercury metallation of the copper protein azurin and structural insight into possible heavy metal reactivity.

Mercury(II) metallation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin has been characterized structurally and biochemically. The X-ray crystal structure at 1.5A of mercury(II) metallated azurin confirms the coordination of mercury at the copper binding active site and a second surface site. These findings are further validated by NMR, Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization spectrometry (MALDI), and UV-visible spectroscopic methods indicating copper displacement from the wild-type protein. Bioinformatic analysis has identified homologous human protein domains computationally, and compared them to the structure of azurin, providing a model for human mercury interactions. Study of the mercury-azurin adduct, in combination with other known examples of protein-heavy metal interactions, could provide further insight into the chemical mechanisms of toxicological interactions, leading toward a global understanding of the biological speciation of toxic heavy metals.
Performance analysis and optimization of latency insensitive systems

Latency insensitive design has been recently proposed in literature as a way to design complex digital systems, whose functional behavior is robust with respect to arbitrary variations in interconnect latency. However, this approach does not guarantee the same robustness for the performance of the design, which indeed can experience big losses. This paper presents a simple, yet rigorous, method to (1) model the key properties of a latency insensitive system, (2) analyze the impact of interconnect latency on the overall throughput, and (3) optimize the performance of the final implementation.
A FURTHER STUDY OF THE BACTERICIDAL ACTION OF ETHYLHYDROCUPREIN ON PNEUMOCOCCI

1. The serum of rabbits which have been previously treated with a single dose of ethylhydrocuprein (optochin) exerts a bactericidal action on, and, later, inhibits the growth of pneumococci in the test-tube. 2. These actions are most evident in the serum of rabbits when the base (optochin base) is given in oil subcutaneously; somewhat less when the hydrochloride of the drug is given in water subcutaneously; slight when the base is given in oil intramuscularly; and least evident, or absent, when the hydrochloride in water is introduced directly into the stomach. To get these effects by the intravenous route, toxic doses must be given, and, even with toxic non-fatal doses, the effects do not last long. 3. In the case of the base given in oil subcutaneously to rabbits in a dosage of 0.1 gram per kilo of body weight, the bactericidal action of the serum is at its maximum about one hour after administration, and it passes into an inhibitory effect about four hours after the drug has been given. 4. In man the same inhibitory and bactericidal actions of the serum are present when a single dose of 0.5 gram of the hydrochloride of the drug is given by the mouth or subcutaneously, but the bactericidal action is not so marked as in rabbits. 5. When the optochin concentration in the serum has, apparently,. diminished to a certain point in relation to the number of pneumococci present, the pneumococci which have survived the bactericidal action for a few hours acquire the power of growing freely.
An acquired form of epidermolysis bullosa without immunoreactants. Report of a case

A patient with a 10-year history of an acquired, scarring bullous eruption localized to the anterior surfaces of the lower extremities is described. Clinical, histologic, and electron microscopic features of an acquired form of epidermolysis bullosa are shown to occur in the absence of immune deposits, a finding not previously documented.
A simplified bacterial spore stain.

A simplification of the Schaeffer-Fulton spore stain for bacteria is presented. It is shown that omission of the heating step during staining with malachite green resulted in spore stains as good as when the heat was applied. The simplified procedure involves (1) heat fixation of the smear by 20 passages through the flame, (2) staining with saturated aqueous malachite green for 10 minutes, (3) rinsing, and (4) counterstaining with 0.25% aqueous safranin for 15 seconds. The omission of the heating step in staining has obvious advantages, particularly in the classroom.
Preparing to write the document: a worksheet for situational analysis in the workplace

The author presents a worksheet which helps authors facilitate writing projects by identifying important preliminary considerations, the potential readers of the document, relationships of the writer to the audience and the document, the purpose of the document, and strategies to achieve that purpose. Each of these categories is discussed in detail, in terms of the entries to be made on the form. >
LH-RH-Induced Gonadotropin Release in Chimpanzees

The ability of luteinizing hormone-releaseing hormone (LH-RH; 125 mcg iv) to induce LH and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) release was studied in 5 male and 11 female chimpanzees. LH peaks were found after LH-RH treatment in all the chimpanzees studied. Both LH and FSH peak responses were greater when the releasing hormone was given to periovulatory (LH 560 FSH 210% of control) rather than follicular (LH 290 FSH 190% of control) or luteal (LH 370 FSH 140% of control) phase females or males (LH 280 FSH 120% of control). In contrast female rhesus monkeys were relatively insensitive when LH-RH was given (10 20 40 or 80 mcg) during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle (LH 115% of control). These data support the findings of others that rhesus monkeys have a nonuniform response to LH-RH and further suggest an alternative nonhuman primate species for releasing hormone studies.(Authors modified)
Resistance and the Ungodly Magistrate in the Sixteenth Century: The Marian Exiles

he backdrop against which English theories of resistance must be placed can be seen clearly in the thought of William Tyndale. Rather than look toward Wittenberg, ZUirich, or Geneva for the formative roots of English Protestantism, it is more perceptive to see English Protestant thought in its own singularity and uniqueness. Tyndale's Obedience of a Christian Man should help us to focus on the situation in sixteenth-century England, without distortion from our own contemporaneity; for, as Gordon Rupp has reminded us, human life from biblical times to the sixteenth century lived "closer to the edge of things, to the elemental struggle for bare existence" (76). Tyndale argued in 1527 that the "powers that be" were executors of the law of God. The king's law was the "law of God," and the monarch was ordained by God whether he was good or bad (1848:163). Simply put, God rules the world in and through kings, governors, and rulers. The question of abuse of office made no difference; if rulers were evil, it was God's way of punishing his people. Obedience was due, thus, even to a heathen ruler. The tyrant would be punished by God himself, in his own way and time. Despair this would doubtless produce, but ours is not to "read the word of thy soul's health" (1848:94-95). It need not be added that this is not passive obedience, but active trust in the plan and will of God. It is important to be reminded again of Tyndale's world. His thought was etched within the sacred halls of Christendom where the unbeliever, heralded perhaps in secular societies, was the "stranger within the gate." The state must accept its duties and perform them, or
Bone of Contention: Diagnosing Diabetic Foot Osteomyelitis

spreads to bone, the risk of limb amputation, with its substantial associated morbidity and mortality, is dramatically increased [2]. Furthermore, diabetic foot osteomyelitis often requires surgical therapy and/or prolonged antibiotic therapy. Because the key to successful management is early diagnosis, making an accurate diagnosis of this entity is crucial. Unfortunately, it is also difficult. Two main issues complicate making a correct diagnosis of osteomyelitis in the diabetic foot [3]. First, as with other types of bone infection, it usually takes a couple of weeks before there is sufficient loss of
An underwater network testbed: design, implementation and measurement

This paper presents the design, implementation and measurement of Aqua-Lab, an underwater acoustic sensor network lab testbed. Aqua-Lab consists of a water tank, a set of acoustic communication hardware, and a set of software. One important component of the software is an emulator that we developed to provide user-friendly programming interfaces and emulate realistic network settings. Using Aqua-Lab, we explore basic characteristics of data transmission using Micro-Modems and conduct a set of experiments in both field and lab environments. Our results from lab testbed are consistent with those from the field experiments, and thus demonstrate that Aqua-Lab can be used to experimentally evaluate algorithms and protocols designed for underwater sensor networks.
Nonparametric estimators of the bivariate survival function under random censoring

A large number of proposals for estimating the bivariate survival function under random censoring have been made. In this paper we discuss the most prominent estimators, where prominent is meant in the sense that they are best for practical use; Dabrowska's estimator, the Prentice–Cai estimator, Pruitt's modified EM-estimator, and the reduced data NPMLE of van der Laan. We show how these estimators are computed and present their intuitive background. The asymptotic results are summarized. Furthermore, we give a summary of the practical performance of the estimators under different levels of dependence and censoring based on extensive simulation results. This leads also to a practical advise.
An Exploration of Conceptual and Temporal Fallacies in International Health Law and Promotion of Global Public Health Preparedness

In February 2007, Indonesia withheld sharing H5N1 viral samples in order to compel the World Health Organization and Member States to guarantee future access to vaccines for States disproportionately burdened by infectious diseases. This article explores conceptual and temporal fallacies in the International Health Regulations (2005) and the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, as relates to global public health preparedness. Recommendations include adopting laws to facilitate non-pharmaceutical interventions; securing the rights of affected populations; and fostering inter-State collaborations to promote intra-State public health capacity building.
Sensitivity of breeding parameters to food supply in Black-legged Kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla

We fed Herring Clupea pallasi to pairs of Black-legged Kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla throughout the breeding season in two years at a colony in the northern Gulf of Alaska. We measured responses to supplemental feeding in a wide array of breeding parameters to gauge their relative sensitivity to food supply, and thus their potential as indicators of natural foraging conditions. Conventional measures of success (hatching, fledging and overall productivity) were more effective as indicators of food supply than behavioural attributes such as courtship feeding, chick provisioning rates and sibling aggression. However, behaviour such as nest relief during incubation and adult attendance with older chicks were also highly responsive to supplemental food and may be useful for monitoring environmental conditions in studies of shorter duration. On average, the chick-rearing stage contained more sensitive indicators of food availability than prelaying or incubation stages. Overall, rates of hatching and fledging success, and the mean duration of incubation shifts were the most food-sensitive parameters studied.
Pulsed High-Energy Radiographic Machine Emitting X-Rays (PHERMEX): Applications To Study High-Pressure Flow And Detonation Waves

PHERMEX, an acronym for Pulsed High-Energy Radiographic Machine Emitting X Rays, has been used as a diagnostic tool to make quantitative measurements from radiographs of inert materials under dynamic high-pressure conditions and of explosives during the detonation process. In some experiments, radiography is the best method (compared to high-speed optical cameras and contactor pins) to study complicated hydro-dynamic flow occuring in a dynamic experiment. To demonstrate the versatility and uniqueness of PHERMEX and the radiographic method, several experiments on inert solids having high and low atomic numbers will be discussed with some particulars. This includes the observation of the 11.0-GPa-pressure phase transition for antimony and the accompanying two-shock structure and the off-Hugoniot data for lead using regular reflection. Also, by careful design of a radiographic experiment, the Hugoniot state behind a shock front can be completely and precisely specified. Aluminium is an example of a material studies in this manner. PHERMEX is useful in studying some detonation properties of explosives. As an illustration, the discussion will include radiographic results of divergence characteristics of a detonation wave in sensitive and insensitive explosives as it propagates past a corner and the effect of preshocking on the detonation process of insensitive explosives when the detonation wave interacts with a region that has been shock-compressed at a pressure too low to cause detonation. The above are only a few of the hundreds of radiographic studies of shock-wave phenomena of solids and detonation characteristics of explosives. A complete list of PHERMEX experiments is published in LASL PHERMEX Data Volumes, I, II, and III, "University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, California, 1980, C.L. Mader Editor.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Effect of State Workers’ Compensation Program Changes on the Use of Federal Social Security Disability Insurance: State WC Program Changes and Federal DI Use

In addition to traditional forms of private and public medical insurance, two other large public programs help pay for costs associated with ill health. In 2008, Workers’ Compensation (WC) insurance provided $57.6 billion in medical care and cash benefits to employees who are injured at work or contract a work‐related illness, and Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) provided $106 billion to individuals who suffer from permanent disabilities and are unable to engage in substantial gainful activity. During the 1990s, real DI outlays increased nearly 70 percent, whereas real WC cash benefit spending fell by 12 percent. There has been concern that part of this relationship between two of the nation’s largest social insurance programs may be due to individuals substituting toward DI as state WC policies tightened. We first show that this negative correlation between the national series does not hold over time within states, the level at which a causal relationship should operate. We then test for a causal effect of changes in WC enrollment on DI applications and new DI cases within states over time, using state policy (the maximum WC benefit) as an instrument for WC enrollment. Despite a strong first stage fit, we find no statistically significant evidence that WC tightening caused DI rolls to increase, although the standard errors are large enough that we cannot reject effects of substantial magnitude. We conclude it is unlikely that state WC changes were a meaningful factor in explaining the rise in DI during our study period of 1986–2001, although further study using individual level data is warranted.
Suppression of in vitro lymphocyte DNA synthesis by killed Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Whole antibiotic-killed classic Pseudomonas aeruginosa organisms elicited human lymphocyte [3H]thymidine (TdR) uptake in vitro after 5 days in culture. However, high concentrations of the same preparation did not elicit [3H]TdR incorporation. The investigation of this lymphocyte unresponsiveness revealed that a high dose of P. aeruginosa, when added to lymphocyte cultures together with optimal concentrations of lymphocyte activators (e.g., plant lectins or whole killed Staphylococcus aureus Cowan 1), caused a potent, nonspecifically expressed inhibition of lymphocyte [3H]TdR uptake in response to these mitogens. High doses of P. aeruginosa were not cytotoxic to lymphocytes, and the inhibition caused was reversed when lymphocytes were washed free of bacteria. The inhibition of [3H]TdR uptake by high-dose P. aeruginosa did not require the generation of adherent suppressor cells or prostaglandin-mediated, steroid-sensitive or radiation-sensitive suppressor mechanisms. At optimal lymphocyte stimulatory concentrations of P. aeruginosa, the addition of indomethacin or the depletion of adherent cells caused an increase in lymphocyte [3H]TdR incorporation. This is consistent with an adherent-cell population regulating [3H]TdR uptake in response to P. aeruginosa via a prostaglandin-dependent pathway. This population was not involved in the inhibition of lymphocyte [3H]TdR uptake by high concentrations of P. aeruginosa.
Origin of the Summertime Synoptic-Scale Wave Train in the Western North Pacific*

Abstract The origin of the summertime synoptic wave train in the western North Pacific is investigated with a multilevel, nonlinear baroclinic model. A realistic three-dimensional summer mean state is specified and eigenvectors are calculated by introducing small perturbation initially to the model. Numerical experiments indicate that the origin of the synoptic wave train may arise from instability of the summer mean flow in the presence of a convection–frictional convergence (CFC) feedback. In the lack of the CFC feedback, the summer mean flow supports only a least damped mode, characterized by a northwest–southeast-oriented wave train pattern with a zonal wavelength of 2500 km. In the presence of both the realistic summer mean flow and the CFC feedback, the model reproduces a fast growing mode, whose structure and propagation characters are similar to the observed. Sensitivity experiments with different initial perturbation patterns indicate that the model solution is not sensitive to initial conditions...
Transmural pressure-area relation for veins and arteries

Experiments on isolated dog carotid arteries and jugular veins are performed to examine the effects of altered transmural pressure on the cross-sectional area of the blood vessel lumen. The data serves to provide a foundation describing the collapse of both arteries and veins for both positive and negative transmural pressures. In all normal and paralyzed vessels studied, change from a circular shape to collapsed occurred in the positive transmural pressure range, while in an elastic tube of similar geometry it occurred in the negative range. Over normal physiological pressure range, the veins showed a maximum normalized compliance (dA/dP)A/sub 0/ nearly ten times greater than that in the arteries. At higher transmural pressures the veins were considerably stiffer than the arteries. The veins assumed a circular shape at lower positive transmural pressures than did the arteries. The lumen normalized cross-sectional area from a paralyzed vessel showed a decrease for a given transmural pressure when compared with that of a normal vessel at the same transmural pressure. >
Characteristics of Intracardiac Electrograms

Cardiac electrograms were measured on endocardial leads on patients undergoing pacemaker implantation. The data show that small area electrodes reduce R wave amplitude, decrease width of the complex, and increase slopes. The bandwidth of the electrogram increases as the electrode area decreases. The loading of the sensing amplifier changes these characteristics. Distortion is most pronounced for small area electrodes and low lead resistances.
Effect of d-amphetamine on prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex in humans.

Rationale: Prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex (PPI) is attenuated in animals after administration of d-amphetamine and other drugs that stimulate mesolimbic dopamine activity. Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of d-amphetamine (20 mg) on a variety of psychophysiological and subjective measures, including PPI, in humans. Method: Thirty-six participants (18 women) participated in a double-blind, placebo controlled, repeated measures study. In one session, participants received d-amphetamine (20 mg) orally, and in the other session, participants received an identical appearing placebo. Participants were assessed at 60, 90, and 120 min after ingestion with a 5-min block of startle trials (six control trials and six prepulse trials) followed by subjective measures of stimulation and mood. Results: d-Amphetamine increased subjective measures of stimulation and euphoria, attenuated PPI, and increased heart rate, relative to placebo treatment. Conclusions: The effect of d-amphetamine on the subjective measures was substantial and consistent over time, while the effect on PPI was only observed at 90 min after ingestion, and the effect on heart rate was limited to 90 and 120 min after ingestion.