cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Topographic Mapping Of The Ocular Fundus By Laser Contour Angiography : The Man-Machine Interaction

Laser contour angiography is a new technique which was developed by the author for topographically mapping the retina and optic nerve head of the eye. A striped pattern of laser light is projected onto the ocular fundus through one side of the patient's dilated pupil. Photographs, taken through the opposite side of the pupil, reveal the topography as parallactic displacements of the stripes. A topographic map is constructed from tracings of the stripes. The method was shown to produce highly reproducible maps. In order to further improve the reproducibility of the topographic measurements, the effects of the man-machine interaction during the stripe tracing process on measurement error were investigated. The tracing strategy of the operator is to estimate the position along the edge of a stripe at which the perceived light intensity is halfway between the local maximum and minimum. The relationship of errors in the estimates of position to those in perceived intensity was established using a theoretical model. The predictive ability of the model was tested using repeated measurements on the laser contour angiogram of a human eye. The model predicted a position error (standard deviation) of 4.3 micrometers. This agreed remarkably well with the experimental result of 4.5 micrometers. The results indicated that film grain noise and defocussing of the projected pattern are the primary contributors to measurement error. We now use a finer grain film, and have further reduced the position error to 3.4 micrometers.© (1980) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
System to decrease length of stay for vascular surgery.

Abstract Objectives Reduction of length of stay (LOS) is critical for optimal use of hospital resources. We developed and evaluated a system to aggressively reduce LOS for vascular surgery. Method Key to this system, which we introduced on January 1, 2001, was appointment of a LOS officer, who communicated daily during hospitalization with patients and families about discharge planning, organized outpatient services for wound care and rehabilitation to transition patients quickly to nonhospital care, and had biweekly meetings with relevant paramedical services. LOS for 509 patients operated on in 2000 (standard group) was compared with LOS for 474 operated on in 2001 and 595 patients operated on in 2002 (LOS reduction groups). Data for all patients with aortic aneurysm, carotid artery stenosis, lower extremity critical ischemia or amputation, and foot debridement were included. Results LOS in 2000 averaged 8.5 days, compared with 5.9 days in 2001 and 5.6 days in 2002. All decreases in LOS for each diagnostic category in 2001 and 2002 were statistically significant ( P = Conclusions A committed LOS officer with major specific daily responsibilities for decreasing LOS and discharging patients resulted in a 31% to 33% decrease in LOS, with important cost savings to the hospital and no negative effect on patient care.
‘As if’ Reasoning in Vaihinger and Pasch

Hans Vaihinger tried to explain how mathematical theories can be useful without being true or even coherent, arguing that mathematicians employ a special kind of fictional or “as if” reasoning that reliably extracts truths from absurdities. Moritz Pasch insisted that Vaihinger was wrong about the incoherence of core mathematical theories, but right about the utility of fictional discourse in mathematics. This essay explores this area of agreement between Pasch and Vaihinger. Pasch’s position raises questions about structuralist interpretations of mathematics.
Deferoxamine reverses radiation induced hypovascularity during bone regeneration and repair in the murine mandible

Background Deferoxamine (DFO) is an iron-chelating agent that has also been shown to increase angiogenesis. We hypothesize that the angiogenic properties of DFO will improve bone regeneration in distraction osteogenesis (DO) after x-ray radiation therapy (XRT) by restoring the vascularity around the distraction site.
Coordinated DNA dynamics during the human telomerase catalytic cycle

The human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) utilizes a template within the integral RNA subunit (hTR) to direct extension of telomeres. Telomerase exhibits repeat addition processivity (RAP) and must therefore translocate the nascent DNA product into a new RNA:DNA hybrid register to prime each round of telomere repeat synthesis. Here, we use single-molecule FRET and nuclease protection assays to monitor telomere DNA structure and dynamics during the telomerase catalytic cycle. DNA translocation during RAP proceeds through a previously uncharacterized kinetic substep during which the 3'-end of the DNA substrate base pairs downstream within the hTR template. The rate constant for DNA primer realignment reveals this step is not rate limiting for RAP, suggesting a second slow conformational change repositions the RNA:DNA hybrid into the telomerase active site and drives the extrusion of the 5'-end of the DNA primer out of the enzyme complex.
Cocaine self-administration causes signaling deficits in corticostriatal circuitry that are reversed by BDNF in early withdrawal

Cocaine self-administration disturbs intracellular signaling in prefrontal cortical neurons that regulate neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens. The deficits in dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) signaling change over time, resulting in different neuroadaptations during early withdrawal from cocaine self-administration than after one or more weeks of abstinence. Within the first few hours of withdrawal, there is a marked decrease in tyrosine phosphorylation of critical intracellular and membrane-bound proteins in the dmPFC that include ERK/MAP kinase and the NMDA receptor subunits, GluN1 and GluN2B. These changes are accompanied by a marked increase in STEP tyrosine phosphatase activation. Simultaneously, ERK and PKA-dependent synapsin phosphorylation in presynaptic terminals of the nucleus accumbens is increased that may have a destabilizing impact on glutamatergic transmission. Infusion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) into the dmPFC immediately following a final session of cocaine self-administration blocks the cocaine-induced changes in phosphorylation and attenuates relapse to cocaine seeking for as long as three weeks. The intra-dmPFC BDNF infusion also prevents cocaine-induced deficits in prefronto-accumbens glutamatergic transmission that are implicated in cocaine seeking. Thus, intervention with BDNF in the dmPFC during early withdrawal has local and distal effects in target areas that are critical to mediating cocaine-induced neuroadaptations that lead to cocaine seeking.
Continuous sedimentation of a suspension with a nonconvex flux law

Abstract The continuous thickening of a solid-liquid suspension by gravity sedimentation is analyzed as an initial-boundary value problem of a nonlinear conservation equation. The concept of a limiting flux, commonly employed in steady state design, emerges as an intrinsic nonlinear phenomenon induced by nonuniform initial conditions and the instability of a certain class of discontinuous solutions. A limiting flux does not obtain for some uniform initial states; instead, the solids concentration follows a hysterisis path as the applied flux increases and then decreases. The model also shows that shock discontinuities caused by the interaction of rarefaction and plane waves dominate the transient response of a thickening column perturbed from its steady state by simultaneously decreasing the applied flux and underflow rate.
Late seroma during pregnancy, a rare complication in prosthetic breast augmentation: Case report

A 29 year old Hispanic woman with a history of breast augmentation and a pregnancy complicated by placental abruption presented to the plastic surgery service for evaluation of a swollen right breast. The patient was examined and several tests were performed to rule out infection, galactocele, and malignancy. The swelling was attributed to fluid adjacent to her implant which was aspirated and found to contain red blood cells and foam cells but no infectious agent or malignant cells. One month after aspiration and continued drainage, the patient returned with recurrent swelling and pain. Repeat imaging showed recurrent fluid collection in the right breast. Excision and capsulectomy were performed and the patient was found to have a double capsule with a seroma. This article presents the first known case of pregnancy-associated late implant seroma formation, as well as a brief review of the literature regarding this rare finding in prosthetic breast augmentation.
The function of PTB domain proteins.

The function of PTB domain proteins. Phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domains have been identified in a large number of proteins. In proteins like Shc and IRS-1, the PTB domain binds in a phosphotyrosine-dependent fashion to peptides that form a β turn. In these proteins, PTB domains play an important role in signal transduction by growth factor receptors. However, in several other proteins, the PTB domains have been found to participate in phosphotyrosine-independent interactions. The X11 family of proteins contains a PTB domain that binds peptides in a phosphotyrosine-independent fashion. The homologue of X11 in C. elegans is the lin-10 gene, a gene crucial for receptor targeting to the basolateral surface of body wall epithelia. The X11/Lin-10 proteins are found in a complex with two other proteins, Lin-2 and Lin-7, which have also been implicated in basolateral targeting in worm epithelia. This protein complex is also likely to be important in the targeting of cell surface proteins in mammalian neurons and epithelia. The ability of the PTB domain to bind peptides in a phosphotyrosine-dependent and -independent fashion allows this domain to be involved in diverse cellular functions.
Activity of L-carnitine and L-acetylcarnitine on cholinoceptive neocortical neurons of the rat in vivo

Carnitine and acetylcarnitine have been demonstrated to be present in the CNS and to be involved in cholinergic mechanisms, even if their exact role in neurotransmission is still unknown. This microiontophoretic study was carried out on single cholinoceptive neurons of the somatosensory cortex in the rat in order to analyze the effects of L- and D-carnitine and L-acetylcarnitine on the spontaneous firing and the neuronal responses to some putative transmitters. L-carnitine and L-acetylcarnitine increased the spontaneous discharge rate, while D-carnitine was found to be ineffective. L-acetylcarnitine clearly potentiated the cholinergic excitatory responses. On the contrary, L-carnitine was found to reduce cholinergic responses in a great percentage of units and to inhibit L-acetylcarnitine-induced excitatory responses. Atropine blocked the increase in firing rate induced by L-carnitine and L-acetylcarnitine, thus suggesting for both of them a muscarinic activity. No interactions were observed between carnitines and GABA and glutamate. These results show that carnitine and acetylcarnitine are stereospecific neuroactive compounds with a cholinomimetic activity. They may play a role in a modulatory system for the cholinoceptive cortical neuron.
Experimental demonstration of direct L-shell x-ray fluorescence imaging of gold nanoparticles using a benchtop x-ray source

Purpose: To develop a proof-of-principle L-shell x-ray fluorescence (XRF) imaging system that locates and quantifies sparse concentrations of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) using a benchtop polychromatic x-ray source and a silicon (Si)-PIN diode x-ray detector system. Methods: 12-mm-diameter water-filled cylindrical tubes with GNP concentrations of 20, 10, 5, 0.5, 0.05, 0.005, and 0 mg/cm3 served as calibration phantoms. An imaging phantom was created using the same cylindrical tube but filled with tissue-equivalent gel containing structures mimicking a GNP-loaded blood vessel and approximately 1 cm3 tumor. Phantoms were irradiated by a 3-mm-diameter pencil-beam of 62 kVp x-rays filtered by 1 mm aluminum. Fluorescence/scatter photons from phantoms were detected at 90° with respect to the beam direction using a Si-PIN detector placed behind a 2.5-mm-diameter lead collimator. The imaging phantom was translated horizontally and vertically in 0.3-mm steps to image a 6 mm × 15 mm region of interest (ROI). For each phantom, the net L-shell XRF signal from GNPs was extracted from background, and then corrected for detection efficiency and in-phantom attenuation using a fluorescence-to-scatter normalization algorithm. Results: XRF measurements with calibration phantoms provided a calibration curve showing a linear relationship between corrected XRF signal and GNP mass per imaged voxel. Using the calibration curve, the detection limit (at the 95% confidence level) of the current experimental setup was estimated to be a GNP mass of 0.35 μg per imaged voxel (1.73 × 10−2 cm3). A 2D XRF map of the ROI was also successfully generated, reasonably matching the known spatial distribution as well as showing the local variation of GNP concentrations. Conclusions:L-shell XRF imaging can be a highly sensitive tool that has the capability of simultaneously imaging the spatial distribution and determining the local concentration of GNPs presented on the order of parts-per-million level within subcentimeter-sized ex vivo samples and superficial tumors during preclinical animal studies.
A perturbation-based estimate algorithm for parameters of coupled ordinary differential equations, applications from chemical reactions to metabolic dynamics

Conversion of complex phenomena in medicine, pharmaceutical and systems biology fields to a system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) and identification of parameters from experimental data and theoretical model equations can be treated as a computational engine to arrive at the best solution for chemical reactions, biochemical metabolic and intracellular pathways. Particularly, to gain insight into the pathophysiology of diabetes's metabolism in our current clinical studies, glucose kinetics and insulin secretion can be assessed by the ODE model. Parameter estimation is usually performed by minimizing a cost function which quantifies the difference between theoretical model predictions and experimental measurements. This paper explores how the numerical method and iteration program are developed to search ODE's parameters using the perturbation method, instead of the Gauss-Newton or Levenberg-Marquardt method. Several interesting applications, including Lotka-Volterra chemical reaction system, Lorenz chaos, dynamics of tetracycline hydrochloride concentration, and Bergman's Minimal Model for glucose kinetics are illustrated.
Morphological changes in the hippocampal CA3 region induced by non-invasive glucocorticoid administration: a paradox.

Repeated stress induces atrophy, or remodeling, of apical dendrites in hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons. In rats, the stress effect is blocked by adrenal steroid synthesis inhibitors, and mimicked by daily injection of corticosterone. We report that non-invasive administration of corticosterone in the drinking water (400 μg/ml) also produced atrophy of apical dendrites in CA3. Unexpectedly, the combination of daily stress and oral corticosterone negated the effects of either treatment alone, and no changes in the apical dendritic length or branching pattern of CA3 pyramidal neurons were observed compared to control unstressed rats.
Effects of Purified Hypothalamic Corticotropin-Releasing Factor and Other Substances on the Secretion of Adrenocorticotropin and β-Endorphin-Like Immunoactivities in Vitro

The effects of various substances on the secretion of β-endorphin-like immunoactivities (β- END-LI) or ACTH-like immunoactivities (ACTH-LI) by primary anterior pituitary cell cultures have been studied. Culture medium levels of /J-END-LI and ACTH-LI were estimated by RIAs directed against the LeuH-His27 region of β-endorphin and the N-terminal region of ACTH (ACTH antiserum courtesy of D. Orth). General secretagogues, such as 8Br-AMP, 3-isobutyl methyl xanthine, and elevated medium [K+], stimulate the secretion of both /3-END-LI and ACTH-LI. More specific ACTH secretagogues, such as norepinephrine, vasopressin, and a highly purified preparation of ovine hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor (HYPCRF), increase the secretory rates of 8-END-LI as wellas ACTH-LI. The glucocorticoid, dexamethasone-21-PO4, progesterone; and prostaglandin, PGE2, inhibit theCRF-mediated secretion of 0-END-LI and ACTH-LI. Multiple peaks of 0-END-LI and ACTH-LI were resolved by gel filtration of cu ture fluids on Biogel P-60 ...
The second annual symposium on the future of lung cancer: a translational focus

Lung cancer continues to be a leading cause of death in the US, and in its most advanced stages remains incurable. Cytotoxic chemotherapies have been the standard of care for the treatment of unresectable disease. However, recent advances in the development of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors have led the way to a new generation of targeted biological agents. During the second annual symposium entitled ‘the future of lung cancer: a translational focus’, which was sponsored by the Physician´s Education Resource, new strategies for the treatment of lung cancer were discussed. Besides the role of EGFR inhibitors, potential targets include the angiogenesis pathway; other growth factor pathways, such as phosphoinositol-3 kinase/Akt and Raf-MEK; the 26S proteasome, the histone deacetylase mechanism; and the TNF-related apoptosis-inducing factor receptors. Agents that are directed against these targets are all in varying stages of clinical development. As more is learned about their mechanisms ...
A Comparative Analysis of Propositions Describing Social Movement Organizations

Natural history, observational, and interview data from a study of two anti-pornography crusades and the social movement organizations which created and directed them are used to assess nine propos...
Intraductal US is a useful adjunct to ERCP for distinguishing malignant from benign biliary strictures.

Abstract Background: Distinguishing malignant from benign biliary strictures remains a challenge. This prospective study assessed intraductal US as an adjunct to endoscopic retrograde cholangiography and tissue sampling for diagnosis of malignant and benign biliary strictures. Methods: Sixty-two patients were enrolled who had biliary strictures suspected to be malignant but with negative tissue sampling by endoscopic retrograde cholangiography, or suspected biliary strictures based on clinical manifestations and/or cross-sectional imaging. Intraductal US was performed with an over-the-wire 2.4-mm diameter 20 MHz catheter US probe. The diagnostic accuracy of endoscopic retrograde cholangiography plus tissue sampling with and without intraductal US was compared with surgical findings or clinical outcome at a 12-month follow-up (benign/malignant) in nonsurgical cases. Tissue sampling results were reported as malignant, suspicious for malignancy, atypical, or normal. Analysis was by intention-to-treat. Results: Two patients (3%) were excluded from analysis because the stricture could not be traversed with the intraductal US probe. Of the 60 remaining patients (37 men, mean age 64 years, range 27-89 years), 31 had malignant strictures (12 cholangiocarcinoma, 8 pancreatic, 5 metastatic, 3 gallbladder, 3 papilla), and 29 had benign strictures. Sphincterotomy was not required in any case to facilitate intraductal US. Fourteen patients (23%) underwent subsequent surgery including 11 with a preoperative diagnosis of resectable tumor. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography/tissue sampling (atypia considered equivalent to benign) correctly identified 15 of 31 malignant strictures ( p = 0.001) and all 29 benign strictures ( p = 0.16) (accuracy 73%, sensitivity 48%, specificity 100%). The addition of intraductal US correctly identified 28 of 31 malignant strictures and 27 of 29 benign strictures (accuracy 92%, sensitivity 90%, specificity 93%). Of 11 patients with tumors who came to surgery, intraductal US correctly staged 4 (36%), understaged 5 (45%), missing metastatic lymph nodes in all cases and vascular invasion in 1 patient, and overstaged 2 (18%), with a false-positive diagnosis of metastatic lymph nodes in 1 and tumor mass in 1 patient who had no cancer at surgery. Conclusion: Technically easy, intraductal US is a valuable adjunct to endoscopic retrograde cholangiography/tissue sampling that increases the ability to distinguish malignant from benign strictures. Intraductal US is unsuitable for assessing lymph nodes associated with malignant strictures. (Gastrointest Endosc 2002;56:681-7.)
Mechanisms of flow-mediated signal transduction in endothelial cells: kinetics of ATP surface concentrations.

Intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) was measured in single cells of a confluent endothelial monolayer subjected to defined flow. Flow medium containing adenosine triphosphate (A
Anti-periodic solutions to a class of nonlinear differential equations in Hilbert space

Abstract A broad class of nonlinear, non-monotone anti-periodic boundary value problems in a Hilbert space is considered. As a preliminary step, the existence, uniqueness and continuous dependence upon data of anti-periodic solutions to some first- and second-order evolution equations associated to odd, noncoercive monotone operators is established. Applications of the theory to nonlinear partial differential equations are also discussed.
Organizational Identity as a Constraint on Strategic Action: A Comparative Analysis of Gay and Lesbian Interest Groups

Interest groups can seek legislative action through state and national legislatures, partnerships with presidents, governors, or mayors for direct executive action, litigation in the state and federal courts, or grassroots mobilization on popular referenda and ballot initiatives. These numerous institutional venues foster various advocacy strategies. How and why do interest groups target different venues to achieve their objectives? What factors affect an interest group's capacity to act within, and thus its subsequent targeting of, particular institutional venues to pursue social reform?
Genome-wide differential gene expression in immortalized DF-1 chicken embryo fibroblast cell line

When compared to primary chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF) cells, the immortal DF-1 CEF line exhibits enhanced growth rates and susceptibility to oxidative stress. Although genes responsible for cell cycle regulation and antioxidant functions have been identified, the genome-wide transcription profile of immortal DF-1 CEF cells has not been previously reported. Global gene expression in primary CEF and DF-1 cells was performed using a 4X44K chicken oligo microarray. A total of 3876 differentially expressed genes were identified with a 2 fold level cutoff that included 1706 up-regulated and 2170 down-regulated genes in DF-1 cells. Network and functional analyses using Ingenuity Pathways Analysis (IPA, Ingenuity® Systems, http://www.ingenuity.com ) revealed that 902 of 3876 differentially expressed genes were classified into a number of functional groups including cellular growth and proliferation, cell cycle, cellular movement, cancer, genetic disorders, and cell death. Also, the top 5 gene networks with intermolecular connections were identified. Bioinformatic analyses suggested that DF-1 cells were characterized by enhanced molecular mechanisms for cell cycle progression and proliferation, suppressing cell death pathways, altered cellular morphogenesis, and accelerated capacity for molecule transport. Key molecules for these functions include E2F1, BRCA1, SRC, CASP3, and the peroxidases. The global gene expression profiles provide insight into the cellular mechanisms that regulate the unique characteristics observed in immortal DF-1 CEF cells.
An Examination of Integrated Marketing Communication in U.S. Public Institutions of Higher Education.

This research examined the strategic process of integrated marketing communication and its application in U.S. public institutions of higher education. A quantitative survey analyzed 42 leading U.S. public colleges and universities as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. To further examine the findings of the survey, qualitative interviews were conducted with nine of the survey respondents. A four stage integrated marketing communication framework, based on studies of the American Productivity and Quality Center, served as the foundation for the research. The findings revealed the importance of leadership and formal communication mechanisms and demonstrated that integrated marketing communication strengthens branding.
Effects of exercise training on dendritic morphology in the cardiorespiratory and locomotor centers of the mature rat brain

It has been shown that dendritic branching in neural cardiorespiratory and locomotor centers can be attenuated with exercise training (ET) initiated immediately after weaning. The purpose of this s...
Synthesis and characterization of 10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[b,f]metallepins of group IV

Direct reaction of 2,2′-dilithiobibenzyl with (CH3)2MCl2 or (C6H5)2MCl2 where M  Si, Ge, Sn, or Pb results in the formation of 10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo-[b,f]metallepins. The germanium derivaives were successfully converted to 5,5-dimethyl- and 5,5-diphenyl-5H-dibenzo[b,f]germepin by bromination followed by dehydrobromination with 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene. Reactions of dihydrodibenzo[b,f]stannepins uniformly gave ring cleavage products. The abundances of the metal fragments produced in the mass spectrum of the dihydrodibenzometallepins are recorded and a fragmentation pattern common to the system is given.
Idiopathic leucine-sensitive hypoglycemia syndrome: insulin and glucagon responses and effects of diazoxide.

Idiopathic Leucine-Sensitive Hypoglycemia Syndrome: Insulin and Glucagon Responses and Effects of Diazoxide
Disease Modification in Rheumatic Diseases

Recently, the battle lines between patients in a partnership with their rheumatologist on one side and the disorders we fight on the other have been drawn, and the scientific gauntlet has been thrown. In response to this, the clinical and investigative tectonic plates of rheumatology have shifted in a profound manner, all for the good of our patients. Through a combination of explosions in our knowledge about the basic mechanisms of disease, advances in our appreciation of the clinical bpersonalitiesQ of autoimmune and musculoskeletal disorders, and the rapidity with which basic scientific wisdom is catapulted into therapeutic advances at the bedside, our patients are living better and longer lives. Despite these advances, we are still treating key components of the pathogenesis of diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus rather than their etiologies. Although we can block one of the centrally important pro-
Numerical models of wind-driven circulation in lakes

Abstract The state-of-the-art of numerical modelling of large-scale wind-driven circulation in lakes is presented. The governing equations which describe this motion are discussed along with the appropriate numerical techniques necessary to solve them in lakes. The numerical models are categorized into three large primary groups: the layered models, the Ekman-type models, and the other three-dimensional models. Discussions and comparison of models are given and future research directions are suggested.
Nonaxisymmetric radiative transfer in cylindrical enclosures

A finite-volume method for radiative transfer in cylindrical enclosures is presented. Angular redistribution terms in the equation of transfer are avoided by defining radiation directions in terms of angular coordinates measured with respect to Cartesian base vectors; this definition of radiation directions can result in control angles that overlap controlvolume faces, depending on the type of spatial and angular grids used in the azimuthal direction. A simple treatment far such control-angle overlaps is presented, which is also applicable to nonorthogonal curvilinear spatial coordinates. A comparison of the present procedure with other similar methods is given. Solutions are presented for axisymmetric transfer through a cylinder and nonaxisymmetric transfer through two- and three-dimensional annular sectors. Results show that the procedure produces reasonable solutions for transparent and participating media in axisymmetric and nonaxisymmetric cylindrical enclosures.
Staging portraits: Tourism’s panoptic photo-industry

Abstract Shifting from representationally-oriented analysis of images to analysis of practices—the production, circulation and consumption of tourists’ images, and from photos created by tourists to photos staged, produced and displayed by the industry, this article offers a qualitative, ethnographic study of tourism’s visual culture. Through observations conducted on a cruise ship, the author offers up-close depiction of photo-taking routines, and of the public display of multiple images of vacationing tourists. The article critically accounts for tourists’ desire to be photographed and portrayed by the industry in terms of visual surveillance (Foucault) under contemporary neoliberal visual regime. It is further argued that public displays of tourists’ images create, through collective mediation/mediatization, a commercially assembled touristic collective or public.
Finite element design of manipulator-coupled spacecraft for a research testbed

This paper describes the design and analysis of a research testbed developed to study the control of manipulator-coupled spacecraft with independent attitude control systems. This scenario could present itself in the assembly of Space Station Freedom (SSF). SSF assembly calls for a rendezvous of the Space Shuttle (SS) with SSF. Part of the assembly process requires that both spacecraft be coupled via the Space Shuttle Remote Manipulator System. An additional criterion that poses increased complexity is that the Space Shuttle controls and Space Station controls can not communicate. The technical issue involved is unwanted vibrations of the coupled-configuration that occur retraction and the complications due to non-interacting control systems. To understand these vibrations and possible complications, a research testbed has been built at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. To build the testbed, the manipulator links joints, and vehicles that represent the Space Shuttle and Space Station had to be designed. Pre-design simulation studies using ANSYS [1] (a Finite Element Computer Code) is used to size and design the manipulator links for the experimental facility. The ANSYS results were verified by the development of the Lagrangian Equations of motion. The Harmonic drives used as joints for the two link, three joint manipulator have been dissected into free body diagrams to ensure proper load paths in the ANSYS models. Accurate simulation of manipulator-coupled spacecraft is an important technology for NASA to understand. This paper outlines the methodology behind the preliminary design of a research testbed developed to help NASA gain knowledge in this area.
Use of the TMA film tension technique for differentiating polymeric materials in the Space Shuttle program

During the recent processing of a forward segment of the Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) for the Space Shuttle, the topcoat white paint turned light brown after autoclave cure of the case insulation. Thermomechanical analysis (TMA) in the film tension mode produced modulusvs. temperature data that helped to explain why a certain insulation vacuum bagging material contributed to the brown paint color. TMA film tension data was also obtained on lab-created white and brown topcoat paint samples (with and without primer). The brown/white ratios of moduli were about 2/1 and 4/1 for topcoat/primer and topcoat only samples, respectively, from 25 to 55‡C.
Linking corporate strategy to capital structure: diversification strategy, type and source of financing

This study examines the relationship between corporate strategy and capital structure, specifically the diversfication and financing strategies of a firm. The results show that equity financing is preferred for related diversification and unrelated diversification is associated with debt financing. Additionally, firms diversifying through acquisitions are more likely to use public sources of financing and those emphasizing internal development of new businesses depend primarily on private sources of financing. Using simultaneous equation estimation, we found a reciprocal relationship between a firm’s financial strategy and its corporate diversification strategy. Mode and nature of diversification are also reciprocally interrelated. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
DECAY OF SPIN-ZERO MESONS INTO TWO LEPTONS

The following general theorem is formulated: The matrix element for the decay of spin-zero mesons with mass $m$ into two leptons with masses ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{1}$ and ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{2}$ respectively contains only terms proportional to $\frac{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{1}}{m}$ and $\frac{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{2}}{m}$, if in the open polygonal arc of lepton lines the number of matrices ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}$ plus the number of internal lines (${S}_{F}$-functions) is odd. There can also be terms proportional to $\frac{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{i}}{m}$ if virtual leptons with ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{i}\ensuremath{\ne}{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{1}, {\ensuremath{\mu}}_{2}$ appear in the arc. Application of this theorem to the reaction ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{e}^{+}+{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ leads to a ratio of the one pair to the two pair decay of the order ${(\frac{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{e}}{{{m}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}}^{0}})}^{2}\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$. A priori one would expect this ratio to be of the order one. Furthermore, the theorem provides a more general basis for the discussion of the relative probability of the reactions $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\mu}+\ensuremath{\nu}$ and $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}e+\ensuremath{\nu}$.
A research note on occupational changes for Louisiana urban females, 1960–1970

Abstract Occupational distributions for sex and race comparisons for areas of Louisiana are examined through an index of dissimilarity, D , a measure of the percentage of workers who must change occupational categories for the two compared percentage occupational distributions to be the same. In 1960 the more urban the area, the lower the index; indices are higher for blacks for male-female comparisons and higher for females than for males in cross-race comparisons. These patterns hold for 1970, but D decreased for all comparisons, indicating a trend toward similarity in compared occupational distributions, but the ultimate limit is unknown.
A Stochastic Process for Determining Migration Probability

IT IS COMMON to speak, think, and order our activities in terms of probabilities. Even a desultory consideration of the statements of daily life shows that a great number of them owe their character to their high degree of likelihood of occurrence. The notion of probability is not a foreign one to sociological research. Behavioral scientists have extensively employed the notion of the normal curve of probability, for example, to test a null hypothesis about the proportion of an event in the universe and to make inferences based on the study of population samples. Although the notion of probability is of conscious or unconscious concern in numerous everyday situations and has been extensively employed in some form or another in sociological research, comparatively little work has been done by sociologists in the development of predictive models in the area of "statistical probability." Statistical probability, which refers to repeatable experiments whose outcome on a single trial is uncertain, may be defined as the ratio of favorable cases to the total number of alternatives. If an event is performed N times and event A occurs n(A) times, then the statistical probability of the occurrence of event A is n(A). The probability of the occurrence of an event is simply N_ the ratio of the number of times event A occurs to the number of times it is given the opportunity to occur.' Stochastic Processes and Transition Probabilities
Importance of automobile exhaust catalyst emissions for the deposition of platinum, palladium, and rhodium in the Northern Hemisphere

An estimated 500 million vehicles worldwide are equipped with an exhaust catalyst that uses platinum group elements (PGE) as the main active components and thus contribute to global PGE emissions. Although PGE emitted from automobile exhaust catalysts were first believed to remain in the roadside environment, we propose here that fine PGE-containing particles in automobile exhaust have resulted in a widespread distribution of emitted PGE. Regional and long-range transport of PGE from automobile exhaust catalysts is supported by elevated PGE deposition in both a peat bog located 250 m from traffic and in central Greenland, respectively. Russian smelters were also found to contribute to PGE contamination in central Greenland. Deposition rates estimated for the roadside environment, the peat bog, and central Greenland were used to provide a first estimate of PGE deposition in the northern hemisphere. The results show that deposition of regionally or long-range transported PGE accounts for a large fraction of total PGE deposition, and PGE deposition in the roadside environment represents less than 5% of the total deposition. Transport at the regional and global scales represents an important component in the environmental cycle of emitted PGE and needs to be further studied to fully assess the environmental fate of PGE from automobile exhaust catalysts.
XVIII. India-Pakistan engagement with the greater Middle East: Implications and options

This article aims to examine Indo–Pakistan relations to assess their implications for the Greater Middle East (GME). Both countries are frantically engaged in deploying their military and nuclear capabilities, resources as well as extra-regional connections, with an intention to alter the balance of power in one's favor, as this is evident from their close contest for enhancing the level of strategic cooperation with the United States, especially after 9/11. Moreover, the deep-seated historic hostility between India and Pakistan has produced a peculiar geopsychology among ruling elites to outmaneuver the other in order to contain each country's political, economic, and strategic influences in GME rather than to contribute to peace, prosperity, and stability there. This article also aims to explore interaction and interconnectedness between the three core concepts—geopolitics, geoeconomics and geopsychology—while evaluating Indo–Pakistan engagement with GME to advance and safeguard their respective manifold national interests.
Oxygen consumption, ventilation and respiratory heat loss in a parrot,Bolborhynchus lineola, in relation to ambient temperature

1. Bolborhynchus lineola, a parrot of the humid tropics, has an unusually narrow thermoneutral zone (TNZ) (28–30 °C) and a total (wet) conductance 40% greater than predicted based upon its mass. 2. Within thermal neutrality mean tidal volume was 1.22 ml/breath and respiratory frequency was 28.6 breaths/min. These values are, respectively, 2.11 and 0.68 times allometrically predicted values (Lasiewski 1972). The mean rate of oxygen consumption in the TNZ during simultaneous measurement of other respiratory parameters was 1.87 ml O2/min and mean inspiratory minute volume equaled 34.3 ml/min (1.12 times the predicted value). 3. Mean oxygen extraction efficiency in the TNZ was 27.2%, 1.25 times the predicted value for a nonpasserine bird of 55.7 g and 1.66 times the predicted value for a similarly sized mammal. Maximum extraction efficiencies were about 53% at 27 °C and the highest mean value, 40.0%, was measured at that temperature. Mean oxygen extraction efficiency at allTa's belowTlc were higher than within TNZ or above it. 4. Total respiratory heat loss accounted for 9% of total heat production atTlc and only 3% of total heat production at 5 °C. Elevated oxygen extraction efficiencies belowTlc help to reduce respiratory heat loss. 5. Normal respiratory responses of resting birds to changes in ambient conditions can best be measured in totally unrestrained animals because respiratory frequency and oxygen consumption, and therefore oxygen extraction efficiency, are very labile and any disturbance masks normal responses.
Novel Rhodobacter capsulatus genes required for the biogenesis of various c-type cytochromes.

Following chemical mutagenesis and screening for the inability to grow by photosynthesis and the absence of cyt cbb3 oxidase activity, two c-type cytochrome (cyt)-deficient mutants, 771 and K2, of Rhodobacter capsulatus were isolated. Both mutants were completely deficient in all known c-type cyts, and could not be complemented by the previously known cyt c biogenesis genes of R. capsulatus. Complementation of 771 and K2 with a wild-type chromosomal library led to the identification of two novel genes, cycJ and ccdA respectively. The cycJ is highly homologous to ccmE/cycJ, encountered in various Gram-negative species. Unlike in other species, where cycJ is a part of an operon essential for cyt c biogenesis, in R. capsulatus, it is located immediately downstream from argC, involved in arginine biosynthesis. Mutation of its universally conserved histidine residue, which is critical for its proposed haem chaperoning role, to an alanine led to loss of its function. All R. capsulatus cycJ mutants studied so far excrete copious amounts of coproporphyrin and protoporphyrin when grown on enriched media, suggesting that its product is also a component of the haem delivery branch of cyt c biogenesis in this species. In contrast, the R. capsulatus ccdA was homologous to the cyt c biogenesis gene ccdA, found in the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis, and to the central region of dipZ, encoding a protein disulphide reductase required for cyt c biogenesis in Escherichia coli. Membrane topology of CcdA was established in R. capsulatus using ccdA:phoA and ccdA :lacZ gene fusions. The deduced topology revealed that the two conserved cysteine residues of CcdA are, as predicted, membrane embedded. Mutagenesis of these cysteines showed that both are required for the function of CcdA in cyt c biogenesis. This study demonstrated for the first time that CcdA homologues are also required for cyt c biogenesis in some gram-negative bacteria such as R. capsulatus.
“Fix My Life”: Oprah, post-racial economic dispossession, and the Precious transfiguration of PUSH

This article examines the critical interventions of Black feminist discourses that advocate for oppositional knowledges and a womanist ethics of care and communalism versus the media-driven hypervisible representation of Black racial subjects that promote neoliberal individualism. The article devotes particular attention to how the 1996 novel, PUSH, by Sapphire, foregrounds the racially oppressive neoliberal welfare reform policies of the 1980s and 1990s while Oprah Winfrey’s coproduction of the 2009 film adaptation of the novel, retitled Precious, functions in opposition to Sapphire’s feminist narrative. The article highlights the Oprah brand’s emphasis on neoliberal self-sufficiency and personal responsibility despite ongoing racial and economic dispossession and discusses, in relation, the promotion of Iyanla Vanzant’s Oprah Winfrey Network television program, Fix My Life, as further reinforcing the post-racial, neoliberal antiwelfare state.
Group creativity: musical performance and collaboration

In this article, I focus on three defining characteristics of group creativity: improvisation, collaboration and emergence. To demonstrate these three characteristics, I present several examples of...
Demographic and environmental risk factors for gastroschisis and omphalocele in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study.

Abstract Background Primary prevention efforts for both gastroschisis and omphalocele are limited by the lack of known risk factors. Our objective was to investigate associations between potential maternal risk factors and gastroschisis and omphalocele within a large population-based sample of participants enrolled in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS). Methods Demographic, health-related, and environmental exposure data from the NBDPS were collected from women with expected delivery dates between October 1997 and December 2003. Data were collected on 485 cases of gastroschisis, 168 cases of omphalocele, and 4967 controls. Results Women who had offspring with gastroschisis were younger (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.81-0.86) and less likely to be black (AOR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.34-0.85) than controls. They also were more likely to have smoked (AOR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.12-2.03), taken ibuprofen (AOR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.23-2.10), and consumed alcohol (AOR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.06-1.79) than controls. Women who had offspring with omphaloceles were more likely to have consumed alcohol (AOR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.04-2.25) and be heavy smokers (AOR, 4.26; 95% CI, 1.58-11.52) than controls. Conclusions Our results suggest a moderately increased risk of gastroschisis among women who used tobacco, alcohol, and ibuprofen during early pregnancy. A modestly elevated risk was observed for omphaloceles among women who used alcohol during the first trimester and among women who were heavy smokers.
A channelopathy mechanism revealed by direct calmodulin activation of TrpV4

Ca2+-calmodulin (CaM) regulates varieties of ion channels, including Transient Receptor Potential vanilloid subtype 4 (TrpV4). It has previously been proposed that internal Ca2+ increases TrpV4 activity through Ca2+-CaM binding to a C-terminal Ca2+-CaM binding domain (CBD). We confirmed this model by directly presenting Ca2+-CaM protein to membrane patches excised from TrpV4-expressing oocytes. Over 50 TRPV4 mutations are now known to cause heritable skeletal dysplasia (SD) and other diseases in human. We have previously examined 14 SD alleles and found them to all have gain-of-function effects, with the gain of constitutive open probability paralleling disease severity. Among the 14 SD alleles examined, E797K and P799L are located immediate upstream of the CBD. They not only have increase basal activity, but, unlike the wild-type or other SD-mutant channels examined, they were greatly reduced in their response to Ca2+-CaM. Deleting a 10-residue upstream peptide (Δ795–804) that covers the two SD mutant sites resulted in strong constitutive activity and the complete lack of Ca2+-CaM response. We propose that the region immediately upstream of CBD is an autoinhibitory domain that maintains the closed state through electrostatic interactions, and adjacent detachable Ca2+-CaM binding to CBD sterically interferes with this autoinhibition. This work further supports the notion that TrpV4 mutations cause SD by constitutive leakage. However, the closed conformation is likely destabilized by various mutations by different mechanisms, including the permanent removal of an autoinhibition documented here.