cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prostaglandins and asthma: The use of blood components for metabolic studies

Abstract Experiments were carried out to study a possible role of prostaglandins (PGs) in the pathogenesis of human bronchial asthma. Leukocyte, plasma, and serum of ambulatory asthmatic as well as nonasthmatic individuals were used. PGF was measured by competitive radioimmunoassay with anti-PGF 2α antibody. It was found that PGF was spontaneously released from the leukocytes of both asthmatic and nonasthmatic individuals. The PGF release as studied with the cells of asthmatic individuals was enhanced by the additions of arachidonic acid and/or dibutyryl cyclic AMP. Antigenic challenge of sensitive cells failed to show any general effect on the amount of PGF released. The amount of spontaneously released PGF had no correlation with the amount of maximal antigenic histamine release. Preincubation of the cells with arachidonic acid had no effect on subsequent antigenic histamine release. Plasma PGF levels in nonasthmatic and in asthmatic individuals were not significantly different and both were considerably lower than the serum levels. The mean serum PGF level in the asthmatic group was higher than in the nonasthmatic, indicating probably a greater release of PGF from blood cells.
The THz Frequency Hall Conductivity of a High-Mobility Two-Dimensional Electron Gas

We use ultrafast terahertz spectroscopy to study the magnetoconductivity tensor of a 2DEG as a function of temperature (0.4 K-100 K). The magnetoconductivity line width decreases monotonically with temperature.
Modeling Machining Errors on a Transfer Line to Predict Quality

Abstract This paper introduces a methodology for predicting part quality based on the expected and measured process variations (geometric, static, and dynamic errors). Part quality in terms of dimensional (location), orientation, form, and profile tolerances can be predicted using a “stream of variation model” in a multistation machining system (serial, parallel, or hybrid) and validated on an engine cylinder head. The understanding gained from an application of this methodology to a machined component can help achieve substantial part-quality and process improvements.
Hepatosplenic T-Cell Lymphoma in a Young Man With Crohn's Disease: Case Report and Literature Review

Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL) is a rare form of peripheral T-cell lymphoma. It is associated with an aggressive clinical course, a poor response to conventional treatment, and an exceedingly high mortality rate. Recent reports suggest an excessive number of cases of HSTCL in young patients with Crohn's disease who are treated with thiopurines (azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine [6-MP]) either in conjunction with or without agents that inhibit tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Herein, we describe the case of an 18-year-old man with Crohn's disease who developed HSTCL after 5 years of 6-MP treatment. He died 7 months after diagnosis from chemotherapy-refractory lymphoma. Through a literature review, we identified 28 cases of HSTCL in Crohn's patients. All patients were treated with azathioprine or 6-MP; 22 of 28 (79%) received concomitant treatment with infliximab, and 3 of these 22 patients later received treatment with adalimumab. The median age at diagnosis of HSTCL was 22 years (range, 12-40 years). The median survival for all patients was 8 months (range, 5 days-31+ months), with only 1 patient achieving remission. Additional research is needed to better understand the role of thiopurines and TNF-alpha inhibitors in promoting HSTCL and what can be done to prevent and treat this devastating malignancy in young patients with Crohn's disease.
Fracture energy of bone in a shear mode

The role of the osteon as the basic strengthening unit of compact bone is discussed. Using previous work on the shear strength of bone, an analysis is given enabling a computation to be made of the mode-II (debonding) fracture energy. The evidence suggests that bone, like many reinforced composites, derives its excellent fracture characteristics from the existence of a week osteon-matrix interface.
Efficacy of estrogen supplementation in the treatment of urinary incontinence

Objective To assess the efficacy of cyclic postmenopausal hormone replacement in treating urinary incontinence in hypoestrogenic women. Methods Eighty-three hypoestrogenic women complaining of urinary incontinence were included. All patients were community-dwelling, age 45 years or older, with involuntary loss of urine occurring at least once a week and urodynamic evidence of genuine stress incontinence and/or detrusor instability. Evaluation consisted of a comprehensive clinical and urodynamic research protocol. The hypoestrogenic entry criterion was a plasma estradiol level of 30 pg/mL or less. Parabasal cells on vaginal smears were also monitored. The primary outcome was the number of incontinent episodes per week, as documented on a standardized urinary diary. Secondary outcomes were the quantity of fluid loss, voluntary diurnal and nocturnal micturition frequency, generic and condition-specific health-related quality of life measurements, and patient satisfaction. A randomized, placebocontrolled, double-blind design was used. Subjects in the treatment group were given conjugated equine estrogens (0.625 mg) and medroxyprogesterone (10 mg) cyclically for 3 months. Controls received placebo tablets. Results (All results are presented as mean ± standard deviation.) Subjects were 67 ± 9 years old. The menopause duration was 18 ± 11 years. The duration of incontinence was 9 ± 9 years. Estradiol level at baseline was 9 ± 9 pg/mL, and the parabasal cell count was 42 ± 44%. The number of incontinent episodes at baseline was 13 ± 10 for the treatment group and 16 ± 4 for controls. No significant changes occurred in the number of incontinent episodes after treatment: 10 ± 10 for the treatment group, and 13 ± 14 for the controls (P = .7). Also, fluid loss was not changed: 176 ± 106 g for the treatment group and 64 ± 88 g for the control group at baseline, and 101 ± 150 and 51 ± 69 g after treatment, respectively (P = .7). There were no significant differences for either diurnal or nocturnal voluntary micturition, quality of life meassures,or patient's perception of improvement. Conclusion Three-month cyclic hormone replacement therapy did not affect either clinical or quality of life variables of incontinent, hypoestrogenic women. Long-term effects are unlikely to be substantially different. The use of estrogen supplementation as preventive or adjuvant therapy was not evaluated in this study.
Foreign Exchange Gap, Structural Constraints, and the Political Economy of Exchange Rate Determination in Iran

Foreign currency transactions have come under stringent controls in postrevolutionary Iran. This is a relapse into the prevailing conditions in the years preceding 1974, before the increase in oil revenues eliminated the foreign currency gap. Initially, the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) imposed exchange controls to stop the postrevolutionary capital flight. Soon, however, exchange controls became an integral policy instrument of the government for rationing the existing supply of foreign currency in the face of a widening foreign exchange gap.
Subgroup of Reproductive Functions of Progesterone Mediated by Progesterone Receptor-B Isoform

Progesterone regulates reproductive function through two intracellular receptors, progesterone receptor-A (PR-A) and progesterone receptor-B (PR-B), that arise from a single gene and function as transcriptional regulators of progesterone-responsive genes. Although in vitro studies show that PR isoforms can display different transcriptional regulatory activities, their physiological significance is unknown. By selective ablation of PR-A in mice, we show that the PR-B isoform modulates a subset of reproductive functions of progesterone by regulation of a subset of progesterone-responsive target genes. Thus, PR-A and PR-B are functionally distinct mediators of progesterone action in vivo and should provide suitable targets for generation of tissue-selective progestins.
HOMEOSTATIC ADJUSTMENTS AFTER EXERCISE : I. ACID-BASE EQUILIBRIUM OF THE BLOOD.

The rate at which displacement and recovery of the acid-base equilibrium of the blood occur in young adult males subjected to short periods of maximal exertion has been determined. Displacement of acid-base equilibrium produced by severe exercise is along the fixed acid path, similar to the path of displacement produced by ingestion of acidifying agents such as ammonium chloride. Maximum displacement of the acid-base equilibrium is not reached until 7 to 10 minutes after the cessation of exercise. By this time over 50 per cent of the displacement in oxygen consumption, respiratory volume, and blood pressure have disappeared. A much greater metabolic acidosis was produced by exercise than could be induced by the oral administration of ammonium chloride. Recovery from the metabolic acidosis produced by exercise was much more rapid (10 times) than was recovery from the acidosis produced by ammonium chloride. After exercise the pH, returned to normal values more rapidly than did the bicarbonate content of the serum.
Skewness and kurtosis properties of income distribution models

This paper explores the ability of some popular income distributions to model observed skewness and kurtosis. We present the generalized beta type 1 (GB1) and type 2 (GB2) distributions' skewness–kurtosis spaces and clarify and expand on previously known results on other distributions' skewness–kurtosis spaces. Data from the Luxembourg Income Study are used to estimate sample moments and explore the ability of the generalized gamma, Dagum, Singh–Maddala, beta of the first kind, beta of the second kind, GB1, and GB2 distributions to accommodate the skewness and kurtosis values. The GB2 has the flexibility to accurately describe the observed skewness and kurtosis.
THE POLLINATION DYNAMICS OF SYMPATRIC SPECIES OF PEDICULARIS (SCROPHULARIACEAE)

Sympatric populations of Pedicularis oederi, P. cystopteridifolia, and P. groenlandica on the Beartooth Plateau (Montana) were obligately dependent on Bombus pollinators. Their corolla colors were mutually distinct to insect vision, but their nectars had identical sugar components. Analysis of corbicular pollen loads of pollinating insects indicated a high degree of polylecty. Queen/worker ratios of pollinators on plant species corresponded to the parallel phenological sequences of plant blooming and insect caste development. The total number of individual pollinators of each Bombus species on all plants was directly related to the number of plant species it pollinated, but a comparable relationship between the number of pollinators on a plant species to the number of Bombus species pollinating it was not found. Morphological and behavioral correspondence of floral mechanisms and pollinators form an integral part of the general pattern of coadaptive evolution of the floral ecology of Pedicularis in North America known from previous studies. Reproductive isolation between Pedicularis species in this study is attributed to internal barriers. Wide overlaps of blooming seasons, proboscis lengths of bumblebee species and castes, and pollinator species on Pedicularis species suggest resource sharing, rather than resource partitioning or competition for resources among plant and insect species and individuals.
OBSERVATIONS UPON THE ACTION OF SALTS ON THE CATALASE OF THE BLOOD IN RABBITS

Bicarbonate of soda fed in varying quantities over a period of months has no direct effect upon the catalytic activity of the blood. When fed to rabbits, it invariably causes a slight albuminuria and occasional casts. The kidneys of pregnant animals, especially in the later stages of pregnancy, seem to be more susceptible to this salt, and in some instances there may be complete suppression of urine followed by death. In these cases there is a decline in the catalytic activity of the blood similar to that observed in cases of acute nephritis, following the administration of uranium nitrate. The subcutaneous injection of salts is impracticable on account of the slow absorption. In intravenous injections it is important to make observations during the injection and at short intervals after the injection has been discontinued, since there is a rapid compensation on the part of the organism with a return of the normal catalytic activity of the blood. The simple diluting effect brought about by the injection of distilled water into the circulation manifests itself as a slight transitory decrease in the catalytic activity of the blood. This must be taken into consideration when estimating the effect of the injection of solutions of salt upon the catalase of the blood. Salts, such as sodium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, sodium sulphate and potassium iodide, acids, such as sulphuric, and alkalies, such as sodium hydrate, cause a definite decrease in the catalytic activity of the blood. This decrease varies directly with the concentration of the salt. The organism compensates rapidly and brings about a return to the normal activity. This compensation becomes less and less complete as larger quantities or repeated infusions are made. For example, twenty cubic centimeters of a five per cent. bicarbonate of soda solution causes a marked fall in the catalytic action of the blood. This is rapidly recovered from in from one to five minutes, and then a much more marked fall in the activity, requiring a longer time for compensation, occurs after the injection of six cubic centimeters of the same solution. It is of interest to note that sodium sulphate and potassium iodide, which have been shown to accelerate the catalytic activity of liver extract in the test-tube, have an inhibiting effect on the action of the blood when injected intravenously. This is only another instance of the dangers to be encountered from the immediate application of test-tube experiments to the living organism. The inhalation of carbon dioxide gas, even until convulsions are manifested, is without effect on the catalytic activity of the blood. On the other hand, there is a definite decline in this activity following the administration of illuminating gas. In this respect our results are directly at variance with those of Jolles.
KALTA: a BASIC program for simulation of the experimental determination of the phase diagram for the system kalsilite—silica

Abstract The study of phase relationships in silicate systems at high temperatures requires a high-temperature furnace. KALTZ is a program which simulates experimental procedures using such a furnace to study the system kalsilite-silica. For each run various messages related to the simulation are displayed on the CRT, and prompts are issued for input of parameters including charge composition and quench temperature. An output message then is issued indicating phases present. Input and output parameters are saved in a data file and data graph. Inspection of these data influence decisions on the direction of future experiments. File and graph printouts provide for the convenient construction of the phase diagram for this system.
Chinese State Responses to Pressures from Below: Old Methods for New Challenges?

Social Protest and Contentious Authoritarianism in China. By Chen Xi. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012. 241 pp., $95.00 hardcover (ISBN-13: 978-1-107-01486-2). Economic Openness and Territorial Politics in China. By Sheng Yumin. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012. 292 pp., $85.00 hardcover (ISBN-13 978-0-521-19538-6). How will the new leadership team in China cope with challenges from dissatisfied citizens and restive provinces? The two books under review approach these questions from the perspective of Chinese state institutions and investigate the tools they use to maintain political control and manage social protest. In Economic Openness and Territorial Politics in China, Yumin Sheng focuses on the fiscal and personnel policies the Chinese central government employs to maintain political control over the wealthier Chinese provinces that have benefited most from economic openness. Xi Chen's Social Protest and Contentious Authoritarianism in China examines the institutions and strategies that enable the Chinese party state to routinize social protest. Using an empirical cross-national analysis, Sheng takes issue with theories predicting that economic globalization leads to a decline in state power. Drawing on William Riker's (1964) work on federalism, the author argues instead that in political systems, where political power is centralized, the national government has economic and political incentives to control winner regions to extract revenue from them, redistribute wealth within the country, and prevent pressures for regional autonomy from diminishing central control. Turning to the Chinese case, Sheng first reviews the history of China's economic opening in the 1980s and 1990s. When the preferential policies that enabled coastal provinces to boom resulted in growing economic disparities, in the mid-1990s Chinese national leaders implemented fiscal reforms to redistribute wealth from the coastal winners to the inland losers. Another important goal of fiscal recentralization was to redress a growing power imbalance between the center and the provinces and restore control over corrupt local leaders whose policies were creating conditions for instability and rural protest (Oi, Singer Babierz, Zhang, Luo, and Rozelle 2012). How did the leadership in Beijing rein in recalcitrant provincial leaders from the …
Ionic conductivities and structure of lithium phosphorus oxynitride glasses

Abstract Lithium phosphorus oxynitride glasses with different lithium contents have been prepared by melting base glasses at high temperature in a flowing ammonia atmosphere for 16–72 h. The melt was then furnace-cooled to room temperature to avoid bubble formation in the sample. The structure of the lithium phosphorus oxynitride glasses was probed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and high performance liquid chromatography. The results of ac impedance measurements show that nitrogen incorporation into the glass structure increases the ionic conductivity. The highest conductivity was found in Li0.99PO2.55N0.30 glass with σ ∼ 3.0 × 10−7 S cm−1 at 25°C and Ea = 0.60 eV.
Assessment of toxicologic interactions resulting from acute inhalation exposure to sulfuric acid and ozone mixtures.

Abstract Studies examining effects of air pollutants often use single compounds, while “real world” exposures are to more than one chemical. Thus, it is necessary to assess responses following inhalation of chemical mixtures. Rabbits were exposed for 3 hr to sulfuric acid aerosol at 0, 50, 75, or 125 μg/m 3 in conjunction with ozone at 0, 0.1, 0.3, or 0.6 ppm, following which bronchopulmonary lavage was performed. Various pulmonary response endpoints related to general cytotoxicity and macrophage function were examined. In addition, a goal of the study was to define an improved approach to the analysis of data sets involving binary pollutant mixtures. Results were evaluated using analysis of variance with multiple linear contrasts to determine the significance of any effect in the pollutant-exposed groups compared to sham control animals and to assess the type, and extent, of any toxicological interaction between acid and ozone. Interaction was considered to occur when the effects of combined exposure were either significantly greater or less than additive. Pollutant exposures had no effect on lavage fluid levels of lactate dehydrogenase, prostaglandins E 2 and E 2α , nor on the numbers, viability, or types of immune cells recovered by lavage. Phagocytic activity of macrophages was depressed at the two highest acid levels and at all levels of ozone. Exposure to all mixtures showed significant antagonism. Superoxide production by stimulated macrophages was depressed by acid exposure at the two highest concentrations, while ozone alone had no effect. Significant antagonistic interaction was observed following exposure to mixtures of 75 or 125 μg/m 3 acid with 0.1 or 0.3 ppm ozone. The activity of tumor necrosis factor elicited from stimulated macrophages was depressed by acid at 75 and 125 μg/m 3 while ozone had no effect. Exposure to mixtures of 125 μg/m 3 acid with 0.3 or 0.6 ppm ozone resulted in synergistic interaction. This study provided additional evidence for antagonism between two common air pollutants and demonstrated that the type of interaction between sulfuric acid and ozone depended upon the endpoint but that the magnitude of any interaction was not always related to the exposure concentrations of the constituent pollutants.
The analysis of a prospective surgical database improves postoperative fast-tracking algorithms after pulmonary resection

Objective We evaluated our results from our prospective database to identify possible modifications that may improve our fast-tracking protocols in selected high-risk patients. Methods We conducted a retrospective study of a prospective database. Using multivariable regression, we identified several patient characteristic that predicted failure to fast-track owing to increased morbidity. We modified our fast-tracking algorithm by substituting pain pumps for epidurals in elderly patients (>70 years). In addition, patients with a body mass index greater than 35 had increased aspiration precautions. Patients with poor pulmonary function (ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second to forced vital capacity and/or diffusing capacity/alveolar volume Results A total of 2895 patients underwent elective pulmonary resection before the algorithm modifications (January 1997–December 2001) and 3252 patients afterward (January 2002–July 2007) by one surgeon. The length of stay was reduced by the protocol changes from 6.7 to 4.9 days ( P = .024) in elderly patients, from 5.7 to 4.8 days in obese patients, and from 6.2 to 4.3 days ( P = .008) in those with poor pulmonary function. Morbidity was reduced from 26% to 17% in elderly patients ( P = .046), from 29% to 20% ( P = .027) in obese patients, and from 45% to 23% in those with poor pulmonary function. Overall mortality was also reduced 4.0% to 2.1% ( P = .014). Conclusion A prospective database provides important information that can lead to improvement in patient care by identifying specific complications. High-risk patients such as the elderly, the obese, and those with poor pulmonary function can safely undergo pulmonary resection and have a shorter hospital stay.
How far can you reach

The problem of computing the maximum reach configurations of a 3D revolute-jointed manipulator is a long-standing open problem in robotics. In this paper we present an optimal algorithmic solution for orthogonal polygonal chains. This appears as a special case of a larger family, fully characterized here by a technical condition. Until now, in spite of the practical importance of the problem, only numerical optimization heuristics were available, with no guarantee of obtaining the global maximum. In fact, the problem was not even known to be computationally solvable, and in practice, the numerical heuristics were applicable only to small problem sizes.We present elementary and efficient (mostly linear) algorithms for four fundamental problems: (1) finding the maximum reach value, (2) finding a maximum reach configuration (or enumerating all of them), (3) folding a given chain to a given maximum position, and (4) folding a chain in a way that changes the endpoint distance function monotonically. The algorithms rely on our recent theoretical results characterizing combinatorially the maximum of panel-and-hinge chains. They allow us to reduce the first problem to finding a shortest path between two vertices in an associated simple triangulated polygon, and the last problem to a simple version of the planar carpenter's rule problem.
Mycotic aneurysm and fungal spinal abscess due to tainted steroid injection.

A 42-year-old female with Ehlers–Danlos received tainted Solumedrol injection into her lumbar spine. Two weeks later, the patient presented to the emergency room at an outside institution with head...
Computational Results for Water Pollution Taxation Using Multilevel Approach

. A regional authority is postulated as the pollution abatement agency. The authority's task is to minimize the total cost of waste treatment to the region. Data from the Miami River in Ohio are used to model a twenty-seven reach river with fifteen BOD dischargers. The description of the system model is given in terms of linear inequality constraints and a quadratic objective function. The multilevel approach with a two level optimization hierarchy in then applied. The river system model is decomposed into twenty-seven subsystems (reaches). At the first level (local level), each subsystem is “independently” optimized. At the second level (regional level) the subsystems' solutions are coordinated to yield an overall optimum to the whole region. Two types of second level coordination schemes are presented for the decentralized decision making process. The first assumes a knowledge of the local treatment cost functions by the regional authority; the other assumes no such knowledge. A discussion of the multilevel optimization approach and the coordination algorithms for both schemes is presented. In addition, the physical interpretation of effluent charges imposed by the regional authority on each user (polluter) is given. This paper presents computational results to complement the theoretical discussions on the multilevel approach [Haimes, 1971a].
A comparison of type 2 diabetes risk allele load between African Americans and European Americans

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is greater in populations of African descent compared to European-descent populations. Genetic risk factors may underlie the disparity in disease prevalence. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified >60 common genetic variants that contribute to T2D risk in populations of European, Asian, African and Hispanic descent. These studies have not comprehensively examined population differences in cumulative risk allele load. To investigate the relationship between risk allele load and T2D risk, 46 T2D single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 43 loci from GWAS in European, Asian, and African-derived populations were genotyped in 1,990 African Americans (n = 963 T2D cases, n = 1,027 controls) and 1,644 European Americans (n = 719 T2D cases, n = 925 controls) ascertained and recruited using a common protocol in the southeast United States. A genetic risk score (GRS) was constructed from the cumulative risk alleles for each individual. In African American subjects, risk allele frequencies ranged from 0.024 to 0.964. Risk alleles from 26 SNPs demonstrated directional consistency with previous studies, and 3 SNPs from ADAMTS9, TCF7L2, and ZFAND6 showed nominal evidence of association (p < 0.05). African American individuals carried 38–67 (53.7 ± 4.0, mean ± SD) risk alleles. In European American subjects, risk allele frequencies ranged from 0.084 to 0.996. Risk alleles from 36 SNPs demonstrated directional consistency, and 10 SNPs from BCL11A, PSMD6, ADAMTS9, ZFAND3, ANK1, CDKN2A/B, TCF7L2, PRC1, FTO, and BCAR1 showed evidence of association (p < 0.05). European American individuals carried 38–65 (50.9 ± 4.4) risk alleles. African Americans have a significantly greater burden of 2.8 risk alleles (p = 3.97 × 10−89) compared to European Americans. However, GRS modeling showed that cumulative risk allele load was associated with risk of T2D in European Americans, but only marginally in African Americans. This result suggests that there are ethnic-specific differences in genetic architecture underlying T2D, and that these differences complicate our understanding of how risk allele load impacts disease susceptibility.
The CO2 waveguide laser and its applications

This paper discusses the advances in CO2 waveguide laser technology and compares the output characteristics of the waveguide laser with those of the conventional CO2 laser both operating at 10.6 micron. Since the first demonstration of the waveguide laser in 1972 significant strides have been made towards the achievement of an operational unit that can be used for many electro-optical systems application. Especially due to operation at high pressures a large tunability (>1 GHz) can be obtained and applications such as tunable sources for satellite communication and doppler tracking radar appear now feasible. Beam confinement of the mode to narrow capillaries made of high strength dielectric materials gives the laser a new dimension in terms of rigidity and miniaturization. Applications appear now feasible that have thus far been a domain of conventional light sources. Sealed-off lasers are now available that do not require a gas supply and a vacuum pump. High stability waveguide lasers have been built with both excellent short-term and long-term stabilities comparable to the best conventional lasers. Thus, compact coherent receivers can be built which are superior to straight detection receivers. With this potential it is no surprise that the waveguide laser is finding every day many new applications for which lasers have not been considered.© (1977) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Religious intermarriage in the United States: trends, patterns, and predictors☆

Abstract The reciprocal connection between religion and family life makes the topic of religious intermarriage of particular importance in the sociology of religion. Spousal influences are key for motivating religious switching and other religious commitments. Religious intermarriage has also been shown to influence a host of other outcomes, including spousal conflict, domestic violence, divorce, and fertility. Using data from the 1973–1994 GSS, I estimate log-multiplicative models examining patterns of association between spouses’ religious affiliations across two broad cohorts. Two-step and FIML Heckman’s selection models are used to determine how education, migration, cohort, and denominational origins influence the probability of intermarriage and the distance of intermarriage if it occurs. Religious intermarriage increases across cohorts, but declines in homogamy are limited to liberal religious groups. Catholics and members of conservative sects are less likely to intermarry compared to others. The relative ordering of distances between religious groups was unchanged across cohorts. Educational attainment increases the likelihood of intermarriage, and marriages in which the woman has more education are more likely to be heterogamous. However, educational factors have no impact on the distance of intermarriage if it occurs. Geographically stable rural Southerners are least likely to intermarry and if they do, choose a more similar spouse.
Hemorrhage Risk After Quinsy Tonsillectomy

BACKGROUND: The goal of the study was to evaluate the incidence and possible predictive factors of post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage (PTH) in patients with peritonsillar abscess, treated by acute abscess tonsillectomy.METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed on 205 patients who underwent bilateral abscess tonsillectomy under general anesthesia. Age, sex, smoking habits, history of recurrent tonsillitis or prior peritonsillar abscess, current medical treatment, side of the peritonsillar abscess, initial treatment, surgeon's experience, procedure duration, intra- and postoperative anti-inflammatory medications, and side of bleeding were analyzed.RESULTS: Bleeding occurred in 27 patients (13%). Ipsilateral hemorrhage was observed in 8 patients (4%) and contralateral hemorrhage in 19 patients (9%). The higher incidence of PTH in the side contralateral to the abscess was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.02). Male gender (P = 0.042), smoking (P = 0.009), and aspirin intake (P = 0.008) were st...
Excited-State Charge Transfer Dynamics of p-Dimethylaminobenzonitrile in Quadrupolar Solvents†

Excited-state intramolecular charge transfer of p-dimethylaminobenzonitrile (DMABN) in benzene, toluene, and dioxane is studied. By combining the recent continuum quadrupolar solvent theory of Jeon and Kim [J. Phys. Chem. A 2000, 104, 9812] and the two-dimensional formulation of the DMABN photoreaction in dipolar solvents by Fonseca et al. [J. Mol. Liq. 1994, 60, 161], the influence of both solvent quadrupole reorganization and solute twist on the reaction free energetics and dynamics is accounted for. The solution-phase reaction paths are investigated with the aid of experimental information on the frequencies associated with solute torsional and collective solvent quadrupole dynamics. The rate constants and transmission coefficients are analyzed using transition state theory with the neglect of dissipative dynamics. Our results are in reasonable agreement with the experimental findings in quadrupolar solvents.
Crime Prevention and Control Through Environmental Engineering

From Jeffery, C.R. (1969). Crime prevention and control through environmental engineering. Criminologica, 7, 35-58.18.1.1 Schools of CriminologyTwo schools of criminology have been identified in the history of criminology: the classical school (Bentham, Beccaria) and the positive school (Lombroso, Garofalo, Ferri; Radzinowicz 1966; Mannheim 1960; Hall 1945).
Molecular abnormalities of the 21-hydroxylase gene in hyperandrogenic women with an exaggerated 17-hydroxyprogesterone response to short-term adrenal stimulation

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to establish the incidence of point mutations of the 21-hydroxylase gene (CYP21) in hyperandrogenic women with and without a 17-hydroxyprogesterone response to corticotropin stimulation above normal but below those levels associated with nonclassic adrenal hyperplasia. STUDY DESIGN: We studied 22 patients with hirsutism or hyperandrogenic oligoovulation: eight with an exaggerated net increase in 17-hydroxyprogesterone (i.e., change in 17-hydroxyprogesterone between 8.8 and 36 nmol/L) and 14 with a normal change in 17-hydroxyprogesterone. Large deletions of the 21-hydroxylase gene were evaluated by laser densitometry. Point mutations were detected with the polymerase chain reaction and dot blot hybridization analysis and included 30 Leu, intron-2 (G), 8 bp deletion exon-3, 172 Asn, 236-237-239 exon-6, 281 Leu, 318 stop, 339 His, 341 Trp, 356 Trp, and 453 Ser. RESULTS: Four patients with an increase in 17-hydroxyprogesterone carried a 281 Leu mutation, one patient had an intron-2 (G) mutation, and one had a complete deletion of CYP21. Only two of these patients demonstrated no obvious abnormality of CYP21. In contrast, only one of the control patients demonstrated a CYP21 abnormality, a significant difference ( p CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the majority of hyperandrogenic women with an exaggerated 17-hydroxyprogesterone response to corticotropin stimulation are heterozygotes (carriers) for inherited defects of CYP21. Whether these mutations are incidental to the androgen excess or predispose to the development of this disorder remains to be determined.
Photoacoustic signal amplification through plasmonic nanoparticle aggregation

Photoacoustic imaging, using targeted plasmonic metallic nanoparticles, is a promising noninvasive molecular imaging method. Analysis of the photoacoustic signal generated by plasmonic metallic nanoparticles is complex because of the dependence upon physical properties of both the nanoparticle and the surrounding environment. We studied the effect of the aggregation of gold nanoparticles on the photoacoustic signal amplitude. We found that the photoacoustic signal from aggregated silica-coated gold nanoparticles is greatly enhanced in comparison to disperse silica-coated gold nanoparticles. Because cellular uptake and endocytosis of nanoparticles results in their aggregation, these results have important implications for the application of plasmonic metallic nanoparticles towards quantitative molecular imaging.
The Feasibility of a Fast Fourier Sampling Technique for Wireless Microphone Detection in IEEE 802.22 Air Interface

The speed and accuracy of spectrum sensing techniques are essential factors in the performance of cognitive radio networks. The limitations imposed by computational complexity and limited monitoring time window impede the success of spectrum sensing operation performed by cognitive radio nodes. Compressive sensing technique is viewed as a novel approach to solve scalability problems in some signal processing operations. One popular application of compressed sensing is sizable image recovery. This technique can be used in spectrum sensing applications to reduce the barriers of current spectrum sensing computational requirements. The success of this technique will result in faster sensing operations, less complex sensing modules, or wider spectrum sensing capabilities. The coming IEEE 802.22 air interface standard aims to provide wireless services in wireless regional area network using TV spectrum white spaces. This standard is considered as the first standard that is based on cognitive radio approach. Spectrum sensing is a critical functionality that needs to be performed by 802.22 compliant devices. While, the standard does not specify any spectrum sensing method, it requires the sensing operation to be performed within timing and accuracy constraints. This work in progress is investigating the feasibility of using one of the compressive sensing techniques named Fast Fourier Sampling to detect wireless microphone signals for IEEE 802.22 air interface.
Growth of AlN/Pt heterostructures on amorphous substrates at low temperatures via atomic layer epitaxy

Recent results on atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) growth and characterization of (0 0 0 1)AlN on highly oriented (1 1 1)Pt layers on amorphous HfO2/Si(1 0 0) are reported. HfO2 was deposited by atomic layer deposition on Si(1 0 0) followed by ALE growth of Pt(15 nm) and, subsequently, AlN(60 nm) at 500 °C. Based on the X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy measurements, the Pt and AlN layers are highly oriented along the (1 1 1) and (0 0 0 2) directions, respectively. Demonstrations of AlN/Pt heterostructures open up the possibility of new state-of-the-art microelectromechanical systems devices.
Step tracking shrinking targets

Four models describing how people might acquire targets that dynamically vary in size were examined; two that described movement speed as a simple function of target size (either initial or final) and two that described movement speed as a function of the predicted size of the targets at a fixed time in the future (one was referenced to the beginning of the reaction time phase, and the other to the end of this phase). It was found that movement time was best described as a function of a size prediction made at the end, rather than the start, of the reaction time phase. Subjective workload ratings primarily reflected the total amount of time needed to acquire the targets rather than the time pressure imposed by the diminishing size of these targets.
Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome Associated with Porokeratosis

Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS) is a rare DNA repair disorder caused by mutations in the NBS-1 gene (8q21). Patients with this autosomal recessive condition have characteristic facial features, microcephaly present at birth, immunodeficiency, predisposition to malignancy, ionizing radiation hypersensitivity, and growth retardation. We report a 12-year-old boy with NBS associated with porokeratosis; to our knowledge this association has not previously been reported.
Cell surface glycoconjugates as modulators of embryo attachment to uterine epithelial cells

Attachment of mammalian embryos to the uterine wall involves the coordinated development of both the embryo and the uterine epithelium to an attachment-competent state. This coordination is achieved directly or indirectly through the actions of ovarian steroids. Acquisition of attachment competence is proposed to reflect two processes. The first is the loss of non-adhesive glycoproteins at the cell surface of embryos, e.g. zona pellucida subunits, as well as uterine epithelial cells, e.g. mucin glycoproteins. The second process is the functional expression of complementary adhesion-promoting molecules at these cell surfaces. A series of studies indicates that heparan sulfate proteoglycans and their corresponding binding sites can play an important role in the initial stage of embryo attachment to the uterine surface.
COOPERATIVITY OF THE MUC1 ONCOPROTEIN AND STAT1 PATHWAY IN POOR PROGNOSIS HUMAN BREAST CANCER

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) is activated in the inflammatory response to interferons. The MUC1 oncoprotein is overexpressed in human breast cancers. Analysis of genes differentially expressed in MUC1-transformed cells has identified a network linking MUC1 and STAT1 that is associated with cellular growth and inflammation. The results further show that the MUC1-C subunit associates with STAT1 in cells and the MUC1-C cytoplasmic domain binds directly to the STAT1 DNA-binding domain. The interaction between MUC1-C and STAT1 is inducible by IFNgamma in non-malignant epithelial cells and constitutive in breast cancer cells. Moreover, the MUC1-STAT1 interaction contributes to the activation of STAT1 target genes, including MUC1 itself. Analysis of two independent databases showed that MUC1 and STAT1 are coexpressed in about 15% of primary human breast tumors. Coexpression of MUC1 and the STAT1 pathway was found to be significantly associated with decreased recurrence-free and overall survival. These findings indicate that (i) MUC1 and STAT1 function in an auto-inductive loop, and (ii) activation of both MUC1 and the STAT1 pathway in breast tumors confers a poor prognosis for patients.
Occasional drinking among University students

Data from a survey of university students are analyzed using a logistic regression model. The results reveal interactions among factors associated with drinking behavior that are not easily detected when more traditional linear additive statistical models are employed. The utility of employing indicators of personal beliefs, demographic attributes, and contextual descriptors in a single model of drinking behavior is demonstrated. Implications for intervention planning are discussed.
Direct and acclimatory responses of dark respiration and translocation to temperature.

† Background and Aims Accounting for the acclimation of respiration of plants to temperature remains a major problem in analysis of carbon balances of plants and ecosystems. Translocation of carbohydrates out of leaves in the dark requires energy from respiration. In this study relationships between the responses of leaf respiration and translocation to temperature are examined. † Methods Direct and acclimatory responses to temperature of respiration and translocation in the dark were investigated in mature leaves of soybean and amaranth. In some cases translocation from leaves was prevented by heatgirdling the phloem in the leaf petiole, or photosynthesis during the previous day was altered. † Key Results In both species short-term increases in temperature early in the dark period led to exponential increases in rates of respiration. However, respiration rates decreased toward the end of the dark period at higher temperatures. Stopping translocation largely prevented this decrease in respiration, suggesting that the decrease in respiration was due to low availability of substrates. In soybean, translocation also increased with temperature, and both respiration and translocation fully acclimated to temperature. In amaranth, translocation in the dark was independent of temperature, and respiration did not acclimate to temperature. Respiration and translocation rates both decreased with lower photosynthesis during the previous day in the two species. † Conclusions Substrate supply limited total night-time respiration in both species at high temperatures and following days with low photosynthesis. This resulted in an apparent acclimation of respiration to high temperatures within one night in both species. However, after long-term exposure to different temperatures there was no evidence that lack of substrates limited respiration in either species. In amaranth, respiration did not limit translocation rates over the temperature range of 20 – 35 8C.
In vitro metabolism of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in foreskin, abdominal skin and vaginal mucosa.

ABSTRACT Newborn foreskin, abdominal skin from a normal and an anencephalic infant, and vaginal mucosa were incubated with dehydroepiandrosterone-7α-3H-sulfate (DHA - 7α- 3H-SO4) (ammonium salt). The substrate was converted to dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) in all incubations, with the yield ranging from 5.7 to 14.2%, indicating the presence of steroid sulfatase in the tissues studied. Under the conditions of these incubations, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and 17β-reductase activity converted the metabolites into Δ4-androstene-3,17-dione (Δ4-A) and testosterone.
Carbon fiber-reinforced cement as a thermistor

Abstract Carbon fiber (∼5 mm long, 0.5% by mass of cement)-reinforced silica fume (15% by mass of cement) cement paste was found to be an effective thermistor. Its electrical resistivity decreased reversibly with increasing temperature (1–45°C), with an activation energy of electrical conduction (electron hopping) of 0.4 eV. This is comparable to those of semiconductors (typical thermistor materials) and higher than that of carbon fiber polymer-matrix composites. Without carbon fibers, or with latex in place of silica fume, the activation energy was much lower and the resistivity was higher. The voltage range for a linear current-voltage characteristic was wider in the absence of fibers. The current-voltage characteristic of carbon fiber-reinforced silica fume cement paste was linear up to 8 V at 20°C.
Five trends that matter: Challenges to 21st century electronic government

Democratic government of the 21st century is believed to head towards more agility, leanness, responsiveness, accessibility, openness, and participation than its predecessors in the 20th century. However, at the same time democratic government has to cope with new challenges and trends, which are unprecedented in their potential impacts positive and negative on society at large. These challenges are intertwined and interact. The article discusses the interacting challenges of market regulations and deregulations, the third industrial revolution, sustainable levels of government spending and debt financing, the evolution of smart government, and the emergence of new models of participation. Information and communication technologies seemingly play a pivotal role in enabling the emerging shape of 21st century democratic government. They also appear to be instrumental in addressing and coping with the new challenges and trends. Consequently, electronic government research needs to fully engage in studying these complex phenomena and help both theory and practice understand the choices and potential outcomes.
Query optimization for parallel execution

The decreasing cost of computing makes it economically viable to reduce the response time of decision support queries by using parallel execution to exploit inexpensive resources. This goal poses the following query optimization problem: Minimize response time subject to constraints on throughput, which we motivate as the dual of the traditional DBMS problem. We address this novel problem in the context of Select-Project-Join queries by extending the execution space, cost model and search algorithm that are widely used in commercial DBMSs. We incorporate the sources and deterrents of parallelism in the traditional execution space. We show that a cost model can predict response time while accounting for the new aspects due to parallelism. We observe that the response time optimization metric violates a fundamental assumption in the dynamic programming algorithm that is the linchpin in the optimizers of most commercial DBMSs. We extend dynamic programming and show how optimization metrics which correctly predict response time may be designed.