cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Strength of stiffened 2024-T3 aluminum panels with multiple site damage

Two modie edlinkup modelsweredevelopedfordetermining thecritical stressbased on linkup (ligamentfailure ) of2024-T3aluminumpanelswithmultiplesitedamage.ThesemodelsweredevelopedforusewithstandardMilitary Handbook for Metallic Materials and Elements for Aerospace Vehicle Structures (MIL-HDBK-5G )yield strength values. For this investigation, ligament failure stresses predicted by these models are compared with test stresses determined from a variety of stiffened panels including single-bay panels with the lead crack centered between stiffeners and two-bay panels with the lead crack centered beneath a severed stiffener. The stresses predicted by the modie ed linkup models correlate well with the test data. The results of this investigation should add to the understanding of the extent to which nonlinear behavior can be modeled with simplie ed engineering models. Nomenclature a = lead crack half-length an = nominal lead crack half-length c = multiple site damage (MSD) crack length D = hole diameter Fcol = collapse stress ` = half-length for MSD crack and hole, cC D/2 L = ligament length t = panel thickness tS = stiffener thickness W = panel width WS = stiffener width
Ultrahigh frequency microplasmas from 1 pascal to 1 atmosphere

The generation of plasma-on-a-chip is examined for two extremes in gas pressure. The application of microplasmas as sensors of industrial vacuum processes requires stable operation at gas pressures of less than 1 Pa. In this low-pressure regime, the addition of a static magnetic field that causes electron cyclotron resonance is shown to increase the emission intensity of the microplasma by 50%. Using atomic emission spectrometry, the detection of helium in air is found to have a detection limit of 1000 ppm, which is three orders of magnitude worse than the DL of SO2 in argon. The loss of sensitivity is traced to the high excitation energy threshold of He, and to the poor ionization efficiency inherent in an air plasma. At atmospheric pressure (105 Pa), a microdischarge is described that operates in a 25 µm-wide gap in a microstrip transmission line resonator operating at 900 MHz. The volume of the discharge is ∼10−7 cm3, and this allows an atmospheric air discharge to be initiated and sustained using less than 3 W of power.
A Riemann Hypothesis for Characteristic pL-Functions☆☆☆

We propose analogs of the classical Generalized Riemann Hypothesis and the Generalized Simplicity Conjecture for the characteristic pL-series associated to function fields over a finite field. These analogs are based on the use of absolute values. Further we use absolute values to give similar reformulations of the classical conjectures (with, perhaps, finitely many exceptional zeroes). We show how both sets of conjectures behave in remarkably similar ways.
Gold-tipped elastomeric pillars for cellular mechanotransduction

The authors describe a technique for the fabrication of arrays of elastomeric pillars whose top surfaces are treated with selective chemical functionalization to promote cellular adhesion in cellular force transduction experiments. The technique involves the creation of a rigid mold consisting of arrays of circular holes into which a thin layer of Au is deposited, while the top surface of the mold and the sidewalls of the holes are protected by a sacrificial layer of Cr. When an elastomer is formed in the mold, Au adheres to the tops of the molded pillars. This can then be selectively functionalized with a protein that induces cell adhesion, while the rest of the surface is treated with a repellent substance. An additional benefit is that the tops of the pillars can be fluorescently labeled for improved accuracy in force transduction measurements.
Desmoplastic malignant melanoma: A case report

A further case of desmoplastic malignant melanoma of the cheek is presented, bringing the total number of reported cases to 15. Its clinicopathological features and treatment are discussed.
Recent developments on high-power switched-capacitor converters

This paper investigates the recent developments on switched-capacitor converters for high power applications. Based on an analysis on the shape of capacitor charging current for switched-capacitor converters, technologies used to improve the efficiency and reduce the Electromagnetic Interference (EMI), including the soft-switching and interleaving scheme, are discussed. Several existing topologies for high-power switched-capacitor converters are summarized and compared with respect to components stress and efficiency. A new voltage regulation method for high-power switched-capacitor converters is also introduced.
Pockels’ coefficients of alumina in aluminosilicate optical fiber

The photoelastic constants of the alumina component in aluminosilicate optical fibers are evaluated and determined to be p11=−0.237±0.020 and p12=−0.027±0.012, thus confirming that the low and negative pij characteristics of bulk alumina are conserved as part of a binary aluminosilicate glass system in optical fiber form. In order to enumerate these values, the strain- and stress-optic coefficients of two fibers (one with an aluminosilicate core and one with a pure silica core) were measured by applying mechanical tension or twist, respectively, to the fibers and measuring changes to an optical system as a function of the mechanical deformation. In the former, the strain-optic coefficient (eOC) is measured directly by recording changes to the free spectral range of a ring fiber laser. In the latter, the stress-optic coefficient (σOC) is found by measuring the change in polarization angle after linearly polarized light propagates through a segment of twisted test fiber. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such measurement of its type, i.e., the retrieval of the component photoelastic constants, with their signs, of a multicomponent glass. Binary glass compositions wherein the constituents have opposite signs of the photoelastic constant (such as the aluminosilicates) have the potential to give rise to extremely low values of the Brillouin gain coefficient.
Constraints on the long-term modality effect☆

Abstract The modality effect is an enhanced recency effect following auditory, rather than visual, presentation. Ten experiments examined the long-term modality effect. the modality effect found on lists where each item is preceded and followed by a period of vocalized distractor activity. No clear long-term modality effect was found when subjects had to recall the list items in order. However, large long-term modality effects were demonstrated in free recall. These effects were sensitive to the semantic relationship between list items and the material vocalized during the distractor activity. Long-term modality effects seem to occur only when the list items and distractor material come from distinct semantic classes.
Novel toroidal mirror enhances x-ray lithography beamline at the Center for X-ray Lithography

An unique lithography beamline is described that delivers x-rays using a flexible arrangement of two toroidal mirrors providing high spectral and spatial uniformity at the wafer plane. The image produced is a thin, scannable, horizontal line suitable for exposing a 25 nm X 50 nm field, compatible with submicron ULSI. The authors also present the current status of such a beamline currently under construction at CXrL for use with the Silicon Valley Group Lithography, Inc.'s 0.25 micron x-ray stepper.
Solvent control of spin-dependent charge recombination mechanisms within donor-conjugated bridge-acceptor molecules

We have shown recently that the oligomeric p-phenylene bridge within the PTZ−(Ph)n−PDI (PTZ = phenothiazine, Ph = phenyl, and PDI = perylenediimide) donor−bridge−acceptor system acts as a molecular wire in toluene, as shown by a change in the rate of radical ion pair (RP) recombination within PTZ+•−(Ph)n−PDI-• from an exponential distance dependence to a linear distance dependence as the bridge becomes longer. The population of the RP and its spin-selective recombination products are sensitive to the application of an external magnetic field, which can be used to directly measure the singlet−triplet splitting, 2J, within the RP. The value of 2J is a weighted sum of electronic coupling matrix elements that are to a good approximation directly proportional to VDA2, the effective coupling between the orbitals on the donor and acceptor sites. The dependence of RP population on magnetic field reveals the relative contributions of the singlet and triplet charge recombination (CR) pathways to overall RP decay. W...
Fast resolution optimization in a magnetic spectrograph

Abstract A technique for quickly tuning accelerator and beam optics parameters to obtain high resolution in a magnetic spectrograph is described.
Perspective on Foundations of Solvation Modeling: The Electrostatic Contribution to the Free Energy of Solvation.

require the additional inclusion of solvent for reliablyaddressing problems in liquid-phase chemistry. Methods thatinclude the solvent implicitly are especially powerful becausethey allow one to retain the minimal representation of thesolute, thereby facilitating progress with quantum mechanicalcalculations at the same high levels as those used in the gasphase,
The nature of zirconyl chloride in strong hydrochloric acid: Light scattering☆

Abstract The degree of aggregation of zirconyl ion in strong hydrochloric acid solutions is estimated from light scattering data. The principle species in 2·800 M HCl is a trimer with a charge of plus three. In 0·750 M HCl the predominant species is apparently a hexamer with a charge between plus five and plus six.
Why Do Goliaths Fall?: Performance Referents in Successful Organizations

Referents are standards of comparison that managers use to interpret organizational performance. In this paper, it is argued that managers holding identities of their firms as successful are subject to psychological processes influencing the content and stability of such comparators. While a number of different referents are implicit in many organizational perspectives, social comparison theory and temporal comparison theory are two cognitive viewpoints that provide insights into why some referents are preferred over others by executives of successful organizations. It is argued that the selective use of a small number of referents, and their associated effects on learning, is one factor promoting organizational decline. Implications for practicing managers and suggestions for future theory building are discussed.
A Study of Origins of the Time Dependencies of Scalp EEG: I - Theoretical Basis

A relationship between cortical current density and resulting scalp potential is first obtained by means of arguments about volume conduction through brain, skull, and scalp. Next, a theoretical model of neural interaction at the macroscopic level of brain hierarchy is developed in order to predict cortical current density and the resulting spatial-temporal properties of scalp EEG. EEG frequencies in the 6 to 24 cycle/s range are predicted when a threshold parameter is small. When the threshold parameter approaches a critical value, there is an abrupt decrease in EEG frequency and increase in amplitude in a manner suggestive of the transition from the awake to sleeping state.
Price instability and inflation: The Latin American case

Abstract This paper provides empirical evidence substantiating the existence of an over-time relationship between inflation and price variability for 23 Latin American countries, by employing a novel measure of price instability based on price expectations.
The importance of niches for the maintenance of species diversity

If organisms are involved in a perpetual struggle for existence, how is it that communities are so diverse? The traditional answer is the ecological 'niche' — even at very small scales, environmental differences are enough to allow different species to coexist. Recently, the 'neutral theory' of biodiversity has suggested that this explanation is too complicated, and species are distributed more by chance effects. Jonathan Levine and Janneke HilleRisLambers test these ideas with an intriguing mix of experiment and theory, showing that diversity declines when niches are removed: in this round, at least, traditional explanations have the edge. If organisms are involved in a perpetual struggle for existence, how is it that communities are so diverse? The traditional answer is the ecological niche but this has recently been challenged by the neutral theory of biodiversity, which explains coexistence with the equivalence of competitors. Here, theory and experimentation are integrated in order to explore this problem; the results show that diversity declines when niches are removed. Ecological communities characteristically contain a wide diversity of species with important functional, economic and aesthetic value. Ecologists have long questioned how this diversity is maintained1,2,3. Classic theory shows that stable coexistence requires competitors to differ in their niches4,5,6; this has motivated numerous investigations of ecological differences presumed to maintain diversity3,6,7,8. That niche differences are key to coexistence, however, has recently been challenged by the neutral theory of biodiversity, which explains coexistence with the equivalence of competitors9. The ensuing controversy has motivated calls for a better understanding of the collective importance of niche differences for the diversity observed in ecological communities10,11. Here we integrate theory and experimentation to show that niche differences collectively stabilize the dynamics of experimental communities of serpentine annual plants. We used field-parameterized population models to develop a null expectation for community dynamics without the stabilizing effects of niche differences. The population growth rates predicted by this null model varied by several orders of magnitude between species, which is sufficient for rapid competitive exclusion. Moreover, after two generations of community change in the field, Shannon diversity was over 50 per cent greater in communities stabilized by niche differences relative to those exhibiting dynamics predicted by the null model. Finally, in an experiment manipulating species’ relative abundances, population growth rates increased when species became rare—the demographic signature of niche differences. Our work thus provides strong evidence that species differences have a critical role in stabilizing species diversity.
Multilevel analysis of a measure of community prevention collaboration.

This study assesses a measure of community-wide collaboration on prevention-specific activities (i.e., prevention collaboration) in context of the theory of community change used in the Communities That Care prevention system. Using data from a sample of 599 community leaders across 41 communities, we examined the measure with regard to its factor structure, associations with other concurrent community-level measures, and prediction by individual- and community-level characteristics. Results of multilevel confirmatory factor analysis provide evidence for the construct validity of the measure and indicate significant (p < .05) associations with concurrent validity criteria. Female community leaders reported significantly higher levels of prevention collaboration and community leaders sampled from religious organizations reported lower levels of prevention collaboration than did their respective counterparts. Although no community-level characteristics were associated significantly with prevention collaboration, community clustering accounted for 20–28% of the total variation in the measure. Findings support the use of this measure in assessing the importance of collaboration in community-based prevention initiatives.
Hare: a file system for non-cache-coherent multicores

Hare is a new file system that provides a POSIX-like interface on multicore processors without cache coherence. Hare allows applications on different cores to share files, directories, and file descriptors. The challenge in designing Hare is to support the shared abstractions faithfully enough to run applications that run on traditional shared-memory operating systems, with few modifications, and to do so while scaling with an increasing number of cores. To achieve this goal, Hare must support features (such as shared file descriptors) that traditional network file systems don't support, as well as implement them in a way that scales (e.g., shard a directory across servers to allow concurrent operations in that directory). Hare achieves this goal through a combination of new protocols (including a 3-phase commit protocol to implement directory operations correctly and scalably) and leveraging properties of non-cache-coherent multiprocessors (e.g., atomic low-latency message delivery and shared DRAM). An evaluation on a 40-core machine demonstrates that Hare can run many challenging Linux applications (including a mail server and a Linux kernel build) with minimal or no modifications. The results also show these applications achieve good scalability on Hare, and that Hare's techniques are important to achieving scalability.
Validation of a modified method for Bxb1 mycobacteriophage integrase-mediated recombination in Plasmodium falciparum by localization of the H-protein of the glycine cleavage complex to the mitochondrion.

Abstract The glycine cleavage complex (GCV) is a potential source of the one carbon donor 5,10-methylene-tetrahydrofolate (5,10-CH 2 -THF) in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum . One carbon (C1) donor units are necessary for amino acid and nucleotide biosynthesis, and for the initiation of mitochondrial and plastid translation. In other organisms, GCV activity is closely coordinated with the activity of serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT) enzymes. P. falciparum contains cytosolic and mitochondrial SHMT isoforms, and thus, the subcellular location of the GCV is an important indicator of its role in malaria metabolism. To determine the subcellular localization of the GCV, we used a modified version of the published method for mycobacteriophage integrase-mediated recombination in P. falciparum to generate cell lines containing one of the component proteins of the GCV, the H-protein, fused to GFP. Here, we demonstrate that this modification results in rapid generation of chromosomally integrated transgenic parasites, and we show that the H-protein localizes to the mitochondrion.
Sandblasting and silica-coating of dental alloys: volume loss, morphology and changes in the surface composition

Silica-coating alloys improves chemo-mechanical bonding. Sandblasting is recommended as pretreatment to thermal silica-coating or as part of a tribochemical silica-coating process. This study evaluated the effects of sandblasting and coating techniques on volume loss, surface morphology and compositional changes in noble (AuAgCu) and base alloys (NiCr and CoCr). Volume loss was statistically significantly higher in the noble as compared to the base alloys but does not seem to be critical for the clinical fit of restorations. Embedded alumina particles were found in all alloys after sandblasting and the alumina content increased to a range of 14 to 37 wt% as measured by EDS. Following tribochemical silica-coating, a layer of small silica particles remained on the surface, increasing the silica content to between 12 and 20 wt%. Ultrasonic cleaning removed loose alumina or silica particles from the surface, resulting in only slight decreases in alumina or silica contents, thus suggesting firm attachment of the major part of alumina and silica to the alloy surface. Clinically, ultrasonic cleaning of sandblasted and tribochemically silica-coated alloys might improve resin bonding as loose surface particles are removed without relevant changes in composition. Silica content following thermal silica-coating treatment increased only slightly from the sandblasted specimen. The silica layer employed by these silica-coating methods differs widely in both morphology and thickness. These results provide a basis for explanation of adhesive failure modes in bond strength tests which will possibly optimize resin bonding. Further research is needed to characterize the outermost surface layers after these treatments and the exact location of adhesive failures.
SU-FF-T-72: Dosimetric Comparison of SAVI, MammoSite, Contura and Clearpath for Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation

Purpose: The number of intracavitary hdr brachytherapy devices available to treat women with early stage breast cancer has increased significantly in the past several years. Blending the dosimetry of interstitial and the ease of use of MammoSite; SAVI, Contura, and Clearpath have made their way into the arena. One would postulate that the evolution of the devices in the sense of dose modulation, from least to greatest, would be MammoSite, Contura, Clearpath, and finally SAVI. This stems from the location of peripheral struts in relation to the cavity boundary. In this study, we compare the dosimetry between the 4 devices and assess their efficacy through dose volume histograms (DVH) and maximum point doses of critical structures. Comparing these modalities will help determine either the best overall treatment device or the best device for a particular type of patient. Materials and Methods: Nine patients treated with SAVI at UC San Diego were selected for this comparison. CT scans were retrospectively evaluated for delivery of APBI via MammoSite, Contura and Clearpath by simulating them in place of the SAVI in the lumpectomy cavity. The anterior tissue surrounding the balloon devices was linearly expanded to simulate tissue displacement by the balloon. All plans were generated using Brachyvision TPS (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA). Results: DVHs of the target volume were evaluated against planning criteria taken from the NSABP B‐39 protocol. All devices met the criteria and had similar target coverage (V90 ∼ 98%). However, there were differences in the dose received by normal tissue with skindose lowest in SAVI patients (∼71% of prescribed dose). This was followed by Contura, MammoSite and Clearpath, respectively. Conclusions: All devices had similar coverage of the target volume, but SAVI had the most dose flexibility for patients with close skin spacing and chestwall proximity.
Bedside vena cava filter placement with intravascular ultrasound: A simple, accurate, single venous access method

Two techniques of vena cava filter placement with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance have been described previously. Placement with real-time IVUS imaging requires two venous access sites, one for the filter delivery system and one for the IVUS catheter, which makes the procedure more invasive. Alternatively, a single-access technique of IVUS imaging of the vena cava requires measuring the distance from the access site to the desired location for filter placement and then delivering the filter to that distance blindly, risking filter misplacement. We describe in this article a single puncture technique that allows for real-time imaging to position the filter delivery sheath using IVUS and reduces the uncertainty of the blind positioning of the filter delivery system.
The effects of standing water and drainage potential on the Spartina Alterniflora-substrate complex in a North Carolina salt marsh

It has been suggested that drainage and various depths of standing water affect the growth of Spartina alterniflora in the salt marsh. Therefore, a 1-year field investigation was initiated to examine these variables on the growth of this species and on the levels of selected substrate variables. Pots were placed in the salt marsh with their surfaces at various levels above and below the natural marsh surface. The pots were filled with plugs of natural marsh (plants and substrate) some which were lined with polythene to impede drainage. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with a factorial arrangement of treatments (five elevations × two drainage treatments). Living aerial biomass and culm density of S. alterniflora ranged from o to 1144 g m −2 and from o to 144 plants m −2 , respectively, as the depth of standing water decreased from 30 to o cm. A decrease in both density and living aerial biomass was observed when the substrate surface was elevated 10 cm above the natural marsh surface. Free sulfides, soluble salts Na, P, K, Ca, and Mg concentrations in the substrate decreased as the level of standing water decreased. The concentrations of Na, soluble salts and Mg were also lower in systems with the potential to drain at low tide (unlined treatments). Redox potentials increased while pH significantly decreased (6.9 to 4.7) as the substrate surface elevation increased (−30 cm to the elevated substrate to 10 cm above the marsh surface). Factor analysis was used to combine the numerous substrate physical variables into a single soil system component measurement. This measurement suggested that a 40 cm change in soil surface elevation represents a 48% change in the soil complex. This change was concluded to be significant enough to influence S. alterniflora growth.
Retrospective analysis of the safety and efficacy of high-dose interleukin-2 after prior tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma

Although tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) are the most common first-line therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma, high-dose interleukin-2 (HD-IL2) remains the only agent that provides durable complete responses. The optimal sequence of these agents remains uncertain. This retrospective multi-institutional study examined the safety and efficacy of HD-IL2 following TKI therapy. After IRB approval at 7 HD-IL2 centers, data relating to patient, disease, and treatment characteristics among 40 consecutive patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who were treated with HD-IL2 after at least 1 prior TKI therapy were retrospectively collected. The most common cardiac adverse events were grade 3 hypotension and vascular leak syndrome. Six patients (15%) experienced other grade ≥3 cardiac adverse events. There were 2 treatment-related deaths due to congestive heart failure, occurring in 1 patient with short TKI to HD-IL2 interval and another patient with an abnormal baseline cardiac stress test. Best responses included 2 CRs (5%, duration 40+ and 62+ mo), 3 PRs (8%, duration 6, 11, and 24 mo), 13 SD (32%, median duration 12 mo), 20 PD (50%), and 2 not evaluable patients. Median overall survival was 22 months. Administration of HD-IL2 could be safe and effective after TKI therapy; however, careful selection of patients is critical. We recommend baseline cardiac risk factor assessment, screening with both cardiac stress test and echocardiogram, and allowing a TKI to HD-IL2 interval of at least 2 months.
Atypical protein kinase Cι is required for Wnt3a-dependent neurite outgrowth and binds to phosphorylated dishevelled 2.

Previously we reported that Wnt3a-dependent neurite outgrowth in Ewing sarcoma family tumor cell lines was mediated by Frizzled3, Dishevelled (Dvl), and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (Endo, Y., Beauchamp, E., Woods, D., Taylor, W. G., Toretsky, J. A., Uren, A., and Rubin, J. S. (2008) Mol. Cell. Biol. 28, 2368–2379). Subsequently, we observed that Dvl2/3 phosphorylation correlated with neurite outgrowth and that casein kinase 1δ, one of the enzymes that mediate Wnt3a-dependent Dvl phosphorylation, was required for neurite extension (Greer, Y. E., and Rubin, J. S. (2011) J. Cell Biol. 192, 993–1004). However, the functional relevance of Dvl phosphorylation in neurite outgrowth was not established. Dvl1 has been shown by others to be important for axon specification in hippocampal neurons via an interaction with atypical PKCζ, but the role of Dvl phosphorylation was not evaluated. Here we report that Ewing sarcoma family tumor cells express PKCι but not PKCζ. Wnt3a stimulated PKCι activation and caused a punctate distribution of pPKCι in the neurites and cytoplasm, with a particularly intense signal at the centrosome. Knockdown of PKCι expression with siRNA reagents blocked neurite formation in response to Wnt3a. Aurothiomalate, a specific inhibitor of PKCι/Par6 binding, also suppressed neurite extension. Wnt3a enhanced the co-immunoprecipitation of endogenous PKCι and Dvl2. Although FLAG-tagged wild-type Dvl2 immunoprecipitated with PKCι, a phosphorylation-deficient Dvl2 derivative did not. This derivative also was unable to rescue neurite outgrowth when endogenous Dvl2/3 was suppressed by siRNA (Gonzalez-Sancho, J. M., Greer, Y. E., Abrahams, C. L., Takigawa, Y., Baljinnyam, B., Lee, K. H., Lee, K. S., Rubin, J. S., and Brown, A. M. (2013) J. Biol. Chem. 288, 9428–9437). Taken together, these results suggest that site-specific Dvl2 phosphorylation is required for Dvl2 association with PKCι. This interaction is likely to be one of the mechanisms essential for Wnt3a-dependent neurite outgrowth.
Optics and photonics education in central Florida

We will describe several education programs that serve the growing optics industry in the Central Florida region, including the School of Optics’ graduate programs and two-year and four-year programs in Photonics Technology taught by collaboration between the University of Central Florida and local community colleges.
Agreement of flicker chronoscopy for structural glaucomatous progression detection and factors associated with progression.

Purpose To evaluate agreement of flicker chronoscopy for structural glaucomatous progression detection and factors associated with progression. Design Retrospective cohort study. Methods Two glaucoma fellowship–trained ophthalmologists, masked to temporal sequence, independently graded serial flicker chronoscopy images from 1 eye of a cohort of glaucoma patients for features of structural progression. Agreement between graders was determined, as was accuracy for determining the temporal order of images. After adjudication, simple and multiple logistic models were constructed to determine baseline variables associated with increased odds of progression. Results Fifty of 103 included eyes/patients (48.5%) had at least 1 sign of structural progression. Temporal sequence was incorrectly determined in 14 of 206 cases (6.4%). Interobserver agreements for identifying baseline photographs (κ = 0.9), global progression (κ = 0.7), parapapillary atrophy (PPA) progression (κ = 0.7), disc hemorrhages (κ = 0.7), neuroretinal rim loss (κ = 0.5), and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) loss (κ = 0.2) were calculated. Age was significantly associated with global (1.8; 1.3-2.6, P P = .002). Lower corneal hysteresis was associated with global progression (0.78; 0.56-0.99, P = .049) and RNFL loss (0.5; 0.3-0.9, P = .02). Goldmann-correlated intraocular pressure (1.0, 0.7-1.4, P = .9), visual field mean deviation (1.0, 0.9-1.0, P = .2), and central corneal thickness (0.9, 0.8-1.0, P = .1) were not significantly associated with progression. On multivariable analysis, only age was associated with global progression (1.8; 1.2-2.5, P = .002). Conclusion Flicker chronoscopy demonstrated acceptable interobserver agreement in structural progression detection. Corneal hysteresis and age were both associated with progression, but age was the only significant factor on multivariable analysis.
Physician, where art thou?

The questions raised by Gesundheit, and colleagues (2009) bring to mind the words of a song written by Y. M. Barnwell entitled, “Would You Harbor Me?” The songwriter questions whether safe haven is...
Model Building With Prospect Theory: A Cognitive Approach to International Relations

Despite the growing call for new models of politics grounded in the capacities of real–world decision–makers, much international relations theory still incorporates rationalist assumptions. Scholars defend such assumptions as the best way to produce parsimonious theoretical structures. Recent attempts to deploy prospect theory in the study of international politics are consistent with the call for empirically grounded models of political behavior. However, past attempts have often emphasized individualized comparisons of prospect theory with rational choice at the expense of building deductive theory. The analysis here demonstrates that prospect theory can produce deductive models for empirical comparison with those already manufactured under rational choice. The result is a new set of propositions concerning international politics securely anchored to the actual capacities of human actors.
Early Detection and Treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma

Key Points 1. The major identified risk factor for the development of cholangiocarcinoma in Western countries is primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). 2. The diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma in PSC requires a high index of suspicion because endoscopic brush cytology and/or biopsies and imaging studies are often negative for malignancy. Positron emission tomography is a promising imaging modality for the diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma, even in patients with PSC. 3. A serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 value greater than 100 U/mL has a sensitivity and specificity for cholangiocarcinoma of approximately 75% and 80%, respectively. 4. Liver transplantation is a viable therapeutic option for selected patients with early-stage cholangiocarcinoma. Outcomes are optimized by using preoperative radiation and chemotherapy and ensuring the absence of metastases by an exploratory laparotomy.
An electron microscopic study of uterine arteries during pregnancy.

The mesometrial arteries of pregnant guinea pigs are not mere blood conducting channels. Instead they are dynamic in nature. The cells forming the intima and media exhibited significant structural modifications during pregnancy. The endothelial cells became hypertrophied and attenuated. Their cytoplasm showed an increase in the amount of ribosomes, rough endoplasmic reticulum and lysosome-like bodies during pregnancy. Dense bodies that were often closely associated with the Golgi apparatus were seen in pregnant animals. These bodies exhibited a graduation in size within each cell and were thought to be the precursors of the lysosome-like bodies. Similar structures were also seen in smooth muscle cells of the mesometrial arteries of pregnant animals. The endothelium of these arteries was often discontinuous in full term pregnant animals. In that case, the underlying smooth muscl4 cells provided the lining surface. Irrespective of which type of cells formed the lumen of these arteries, they became coated with a “fuzzy” layer which specifically stained intensely with phosphotungstic acid, suggesting that this layer might be a mucoprotein. The smooth muscle cell of the arterial media also became hypertrophied during pregnancy. The cytoplasm exhibited a gradual increase in free ribosomes and rough endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and microtubules throughout pregnancy. During the latter half of pregnancy many smooth muscle cells developed extensive amounts of smooth endoplasmic reticulum whose vesicles often were filled with an electron opaque secretory material. It is suggested that the development of unusually large quantities of smooth endoplasmic reticulum might be associated with steroid metabolism. Unusually thick basement membranes were formed around the modified smooth muscle cells of full term pregnant animals and the surfaces of these cells often exhibited large numbers of microvilli. The microvilli seemed to disrupt the continuous patterns of the basement membrane.
Strategy for autonomous control of correlation-based trackers

A fully implemented vision based tracker must be able to identify an object in a variety of poses or distortions and estimate its position in a scene. After locking onto the object, continuous steady state tracking is required as the object gradually changes its position and orientation. The tracker must be able to recognize loss of track and take action to recover the object during break-lock and other transient conditions. While correlators can optimally recognize an object under theoretically ideal conditions, autonomous tracking of objects would require the development of a high level controller, or intelligent supervisor to deal will an uncontrolled visual environment. The supervisor would need to configure and control the analysis of the input environment, the detection procedure of the target, the trajectory estimation for maintaining lock on the target, and the camera orientation. In this paper we review the tracking problem. We then describe supervisor design based on configuring a suite of specific operations. Some of the operations include wide-area scan and prescreening operations using vector inner product composite filters; accurate detection and location with distortion-invariant composite filters to isolate a large data base of training views; filter banks distortion and which is distinguishable from characters associated with other objects. We discuss both hardware and algorithm considerations for the tracking problem. A general conclusion is that specific composite filter designs can be combined and configured to perform the tracking process.
Culture of human T cells in stirred bioreactors for cellular immunotherapy applications: shear, proliferation, and the IL-2 receptor.

Ex vivo expansion of T cells is a key step of many cellular immunotherapy protocols, which require large numbers of immune cells to eradicate malignant or virally infected cells. The use of stirred culture systems for T cell expansion offers many potential advantages over the static culture systems commonly used today, including homogeneity of culture conditions, ease of sampling, and implementation of control systems. Primary human T cells as well as the transformed TALL103/2 T cell line were cultured in 100-mL spinner flasks as well as 2-L bioreactors to investigate the effects of shear forces produced by agitation and sparging-based aeration on the expansion of T cells. Primary T cells could be successfully grown at agitation rates of up to 120 rpm in the spinner flasks and to 180 rpm in the bioreactors with no immediate detrimental effects on proliferation. Exposure to agitation and sparging did, however, cause a significantly increased rate of downregulation of the interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), resulting in lower overall expansion potential from a single stimulation as compared to static controls, with faster IL-2R downregulation occurring at higher agitation rates. For the primary T cells, no significant effects of agitation were found on expression levels of other key surface receptors (CD3, CD28, or CD62L) examined. No significant effects of agitation were observed on primary T cell metabolism or levels of cellular apoptosis in the cultures. The TALL103/2 T cell line was found to be extremely sensitive to agitation, showing severely reduced growth at speeds above 30 rpm in 100-mL spinner flasks. This unexpected increased fragility in the transformed T cell line as compared to primary T cells points out the importance of carefully selecting a model cell line which will accurately represent the characteristics of the cell system of interest.
Video-assisted thoracic surgery does not reduce the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation after pulmonary lobectomy

Objective The objective was to define the incidence of atrial fibrillation after video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy and determine whether video-assisted thoracic surgery reduces atrial fibrillation rate compared with thoracotomy. Methods With the use of a single-institution database of patients who underwent lobectomy for clinical stage I non–small cell lung cancer, 389 patients were identified who were in sinus rhythm preoperatively and received no prophylactic antiarrhythmics. Patients undergoing video-assisted thoracic surgery were age and gender matched with those undergoing thoracotomy. Results After matching, 122 patients undergoing video-assisted thoracic surgery and 122 patients undergoing thoracotomy were eligible for analysis. Patients undergoing video-assisted thoracic surgery had a higher preoperative diffusion capacity (92% ± 28% vs 80% ± 18% predicted, P = .001) and a lower rate of induction chemotherapy (5/122, 4% vs 11/122, 11%, P = .05) than patients undergoing thoracotomy. Atrial fibrillation occurred in 12% of patients (15/122) undergoing video-assisted thoracic surgery and 16% of patients (20/122) undergoing thoracotomy ( P = .36). Overall, complications were lower in the video-assisted thoracic surgery group (17.2% vs 27.9%, P = .046). Patients with atrial fibrillation were older in both video-assisted thoracic surgery (73 ± 7 years vs 66 ± 9 years, P = .002) and thoracotomy groups (72 ± 7 years vs 66 ± 10 years, P = .005). Length of stay for patients with atrial fibrillation was greater in both video-assisted thoracic surgery (6.0 ± 1.5 days vs 4.7 ± 2.5 days, P = .01) and thoracotomy groups (9.2 ± 4.3 days vs 6.8 ± 3.6 days, P = .03). Conclusions Regardless of surgical approach, atrial fibrillation after lobectomy occurred with equal frequency. This supports the theory that autonomic denervation and stress-mediated neurohumoral mechanisms are responsible for the pathogenesis of postoperative atrial fibrillation. Prophylaxis regimens against atrial fibrillation should be the same for either operative approach.
α2-Adrenergic receptor binding in human platelets: Alterations during the menstrual cycle

We studied the effect of several clinically important variables on the characteristics of α2-adrenergic receptors in human platelet membranes. The number and affinity of the receptor binding sites were determined from radioligand binding experiments, with [3H]yohimbine being the radioligand of choice. Platelets from female subjects had a cyclic variation in the number of α2adrenergic receptors that coincided with their menstrual cycles. The number of α2receptors was highest at the onset of menses and dropped to 74% to 79% ofthat value during the middle of the cycle. In concurrent experiments we did not observe comparable cyclic changes in receptor binding sites in platelets from male subjects. There was no age-dependent alteration in receptor number in a sample of 39 subjects ranging in age from 8 to 80 yr, but the number of α2-receptors in platelets from male and female subjects differed. We also tested the possibility of a circadian rhythm in α2-receptor number but found no cyclic changes as a function of time of day. There was no alteration in α2-adrenergic receptor binding in the platelets from five subjects with Parkinson's disease. Finally, there was no change in receptor affinity as a function of any of the variables tested. These data should apply to the design of further studies on the clinical importance of platelet α2-adrenergic receptors. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1983) 34, 90–96; doi:10.1038/clpt.1983.135
Multi-Spectral imaging of vegetation for detecting CO2 leaking from underground

Practical geologic CO2 sequestration will require long-term monitoring for detection of possible leakage back into the atmosphere. One potential monitoring method is multi-spectral imaging of vegetation reflectance to detect leakage through CO2-induced plant stress. A multi-spectral imaging system was used to simultaneously record green, red, and near-infrared (NIR) images with a real-time reflectance calibration from a 3-m tall platform, viewing vegetation near shallow subsurface CO2 releases during summers 2007 and 2008 at the Zero Emissions Research and Technology field site in Bozeman, Montana. Regression analysis of the band reflectances and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index with time shows significant correlation with distance from the CO2 well, indicating the viability of this method to monitor for CO2 leakage. The 2007 data show rapid plant vigor degradation at high CO2 levels next to the well and slight nourishment at lower, but above-background CO2 concentrations. Results from the second year also show that the stress response of vegetation is strongly linked to the CO2 sink–source relationship and vegetation density. The data also show short-term effects of rain and hail. The real-time calibrated imaging system successfully obtained data in an autonomous mode during all sky and daytime illumination conditions.
Transsituational variability in human performance within assessment centers

Abstract Current models in the psychology of personality describe behavior as largely a function of the situation (i.e., situation specific) rather than reflective of broad underlying stable traits (i.e., consistent). Because of sample size limitations and inappropriate levels of abstraction in performance measures, this “interactionist” explanation of behavior has rarely been formally evaluated in industrial/organizational psychology. In this study 2056 assessment center candidates were rated on eight skills or abilities (traits) measured over five situational exercises (situations). Person, situation, and trait variance components were identified via the multitrait—multimethod matrix analysis. The results revealed major sources of variance from person and person × situation components, high convergent validity in the ratings, but a lack of discriminant validity across specialized skills and abilities. Assessees performed differently in the various situational exercises (i.e., person × situation interaction), although differential ratings were probably due largely to halo error. The findings are discussed in the context of substantive and methodological issues relating to transsituational variability in behavior.
Stabilization of the Spectrin-Like Domains of Nesprin-1α by the Evolutionarily Conserved “Adaptive” Domain

Nesprins are located at the outer and inner membranes of the nuclear envelope and help link the cytoskeleton to the nucleoskeleton. Nesprin-1α, located at the inner nuclear membrane, binds to A-type lamins and emerin and has homology to spectrin-repeat proteins. However, the mechanical and thermodynamic properties of the spectrin-like repeats (SLRs) of nesprin-1α and the potential structural contributions of the unique central domain were untested. In other spectrin superfamily proteins, tandem spectrin-repeat domains undergo cooperatively coupled folding and unfolding. We hypothesized that the large central domain, which interrupts SLRs and is conserved in other nesprin isoforms, might confer unique structural properties. To test this model we measured the thermal unfolding of nesprin-1α fragments using circular dichroism and dynamic light scattering. The SLRs in nesprin-1α were found to have structural and thermodynamic properties typical of spectrins. The central domain had relatively little secondary structure as an isolated fragment, but significantly stabilized larger SLR-containing molecules by increasing their overall helicity, thermal stability and cooperativity of folding. We suggest this domain, now termed the “adaptive” domain (AD), also strengthens dimerization and inhibits unfolding. Further engineering of the isolated AD, and AD-containing nesprin molecules, may yield new information about the higher-order association of cooperative protein motifs.
An evolutionary perspective on effective vs. ineffective pick-up lines.

ABSTRACT This experiment examined women's impressions of men using various “pick-up” lines. Seventy women imagined being approached by a man using a flippant and flirtatious “pick-up” line, a direct complimentary line, or an innocuous line that masks his interest. His attractiveness varied too. They then considered him for long-term or short-term relationships. Matching a “good dad” hypothesis, they favored him for a long-term relationship if he used a direct or innocuous line instead of the flippant line, because the latter conveyed lower trustworthiness and intelligence. Matching a “good genes” hypothesis, they favored him for a short-term relationship if he was attractive instead of unattractive, regardless of his pick-up line, presumably because attractiveness signals heritable fitness. Limitations and theoretical implications are discussed.