cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sexual Epistemology and Bisexual Exclusion: A Response to Russell Robinson's 'Masculinity as Prison: Race, Sexual Identity, and Incarceration' (2011)

In an effort to curb sexual assault behind bars, the Los Angeles County Jail currently houses inmates deemed homosexual and transgender in a special unit called “K6G.” Professor Russell Robinson’s Article, "Masculinity as Prison: Race, Sexual Identity, and Incarceration," challenges this policy on a number of grounds. I focus in this Response on just two of Robinson’s objections. First I affirm Robinson’s proposal that carceral segregation programs, if they are to persist, will more effectively protect queer inmates from sexual assault if they do not fixate exclusively on queer identity. Homosexuality’s complicated social epistemology, notoriously an “epistemology of the closet,” compels this conclusion. I then reflect on some possible reasons (not necessarily justifications) for K6G’s categorical exclusion of people who claim a bisexual identity. This exclusion is one of several aspects of the Jail’s segregation policy that Robinson criticizes for disadvantaging individuals who diverge from a race- and class-specific stereotype of “the homosexual.”
Contributing Factors to the Continued Blurring of Research and Evaluation: Strategies for Moving Forward

Despite many studies devoted to the different purposes of evaluation and research, purpose-method incongruence persists. Experimental research designs continue to be inappropriately used to evaluate programs for which sufficient research evidence has accumulated. By using a case example the article highlights several contributing factors to purpose-method incongruence, including the control of the federal level evaluation agenda by researchers, confusion in terminology, and the credible evidence debate. Strategies for addressing these challenges are discussed. Malgre le grand nombre d’etudes portant sur les divers objectifs de l’evaluation et de la recherche, une incongruite persiste au niveau des objectifs/methodes. L’utilisation inappropriee de methodes experimentales de recherches pour l’evaluation de programmes deja abondamment documentes perdure. En presentant un cas, l’article met en lumiere plusieurs facteurs qui contribuent a cette incongruite au niveau des objectifs/methodes, incluant le controle du programme federal d’evaluation par les chercheurs, la confusion terminologique, et le debat des preuves credibles. Des strategies pour s’attaquer a ces defis sont proposees.
Hyperthyroidism at the menopause

Abstract In states of ill health, the female patient at the climacteric presents a diagnostic problem to the internist, as well as to the surgeon. The question is, are we dealing with an organic disease or simply with a manifestation of the beginning menopause? The symptoms of the menopause are so protean in nature as to mimic almost any type of organic disease, e.g., cardiac, gastrointestinal, pulmonary, cerebral, pelvic, to mention but a few. In this presentation we wish to stress the close relationship between menopause and the thyroid gland. Menopause and hyperthyroidism have many leading symptoms in common. They are: increased sweating, irritability and nervousness, palpitation, increased sense of heat, etc. To differentiate the hyperthyroid symptoms from those of menopause may become very perplexing. Claiborne 1 in discussing the differential diagnosis of borderline hyperthyroidism has recently commented on this subject. He states, "During the time of the menopause many women have symptoms which are in part suggestive of hyperthyroidism. These patients begin to note a feeling of warmth, perspire readily, are emotionally unstable, cry easily, are irritable, complain of palpitation, and so forth. The decrease in menstruation may confuse the issue: is it a symptom of hyperthyroidism or beginning of the menopause? There is usually no weight loss and no appetite change. An elevated basal metabolic rate is frequently obtained; but repetition gives a drop to normal." It has been our experience that the majority of women at the menopause show a variable basal metabolic rate. According to some investigators, there is a slight fall in the basal metabolism in artificial menopause induced by surgery or roentgen ray castration. 2 The physiologic relationship between the thyroid gland and the reproductive function is vast and intriguing. Comparatively little factual knowledge on the subject is on hand. It is a well-recognized clinical fact that thyroid diseases occur more commonly in women than in men; and that the thyroid gland is enlarged at puberty, pregnancy, lactation, and the menopause. The physiologic basis for these clinical observations may be gleaned from the experimental work on the effect of the pituitary on the ovary and the thyroid.
Which patients with ARDS benefit from lung biopsy

A central tenet of caring for patients with ARDS is to treat the underlying cause, be it sepsis, pneumonia, or removal of an offending toxin. Identifying the risk factor for ARDS has even been proposed as essential to diagnosing ARDS. Not infrequently, however, the precipitant for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure is unclear, and this raises the question of whether a histologic lung diagnosis would benefit the patient. In this review, we consider the historic role of pathology in establishing a diagnosis of ARDS and the published experience of surgical and transbronchial lung biopsy in patients with ARDS. We reflect on which pathologic diagnoses influence treatment and suggest a patient-centric approach to weigh the risks and benefits of a lung biopsy for critically ill patients who may have ARDS.
Neuroendocrine coupling across adolescence and the longitudinal influence of early life stress

Drawing on conceptual models illustrating the advantages of a multisystemic, interactive, developmental approach to understanding development, the present study examines the covariation of stress and sex hormones across the adolescent transition and the effect of early life stress (ELS) on neuroendocrine coupling to gain insight into atypical development. Morning levels of cortisol, testosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) were assessed at ages 11, 13, and 15; ELS was assessed during the infancy and preschool periods. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that cortisol-DHEA coupling patterns progressed to tight, positive coupling across adolescence. Cortisol-testosterone coupling was positive at age 11 but became more negative at ages 13 and 15. Exposure to ELS resulted in more adultlike neuroendocrine coupling patterns earlier in life than non-exposed youth; however the effect of ELS on cortisol-testosterone coupling was unique to girls. Results illustrate trajectories of neuroendocrine coupling that may be unique to adolescence. Moderation by ELS suggests that early stress exposure may prompt earlier adultlike neuroendocrine coupling, particularly within girls, which may contribute to early pubertal development.
Hypersequent calculi for intuitionistic logic with classical atoms

Abstract We discuss a propositional logic which combines classical reasoning with constructive reasoning, i.e., intuitionistic logic augmented with a class of propositional variables for which we postulate the decidability property. We call it intuitionistic logic with classical atoms. We introduce two hypersequent calculi for this logic. Our main results presented here are cut-elimination with the subformula property for the calculi. As corollaries, we show decidability, an extended form of the disjunction property, the existence of embedding into an intuitionistic modal logic and a partial form of interpolation.
Intolerance to volume expansion: a theorized mechanism for the development of preeclampsia

We present a theorized mechanism for the development of preeclampsia, suggesting that one important underlying pathophysiologic mechanism is intolerance to volume expansion. The stage is set for this intolerance by chronic volume constriction, which leads to a requirement for increased basal peripheral vasoconstrictor tone to maintain blood pressure and allow for continued perfusion of the upright hominid head. In pregnancy, volume expansion signaled by the placenta cannot be accommodated by the constricted vascular system. The inability of the normally adaptive endothelial vasodilatory mechanisms to overcome the chronic vasoconstrictor tone leads to endothelial damage, exacerbation of vasoconstriction, and clinical hypertension. Disease resolution, characterized by diuresis, occurs with the elimination of the placenta-derived drive to retain volume. The reason preeclampsia does not recur uniformly with subsequent pregnancy is permanent restructuring of the maternal cardiovascular system with pregnancy that allows for greater plasma volume expansion in future gestations.
Video Compressive Sensing for Dynamic MRI

Recent theoretical and practical advances in video compressive sensing (CS) hold considerable promise for the application in dynamic MRI [1,2], an imaging technique for capturing sequence of images. The most profound utility of dynamic MRI is to examine motion, which carries biological signature of malfunctions for various organs, especially the heart and the lung. Dynamic MRI can also examine brain functions, exemplified by perfusion imaging. Compressive sensing enables signal recovery based on number of samples well below Nyquist rate, thereby accelerating the acquisition process of MRI. Existing literature mainly employs two specific methodologies for dynamic imaging of organs such as the heart and the lung. The first method relies on a set of static imaging acquisitions while the subject holds breathing, and resorts to image registration for retrieving the motion. The second method tries to capture free-breathing motion by using fast imaging techniques, with a trade-off between image resolution and quality. Both methods have their limitations, and we envision video compressive sensing can resolve the challenge. We propose a novel framework, inspired by a state-of-the-art video compressive sensing algorithm [3], to estimate motion and reconstruct high fidelity dynamic MRI based on partially sampled k-t data. Given highly under-sampled data in the k-t space, we first estimate a low-resolution version of the video at a sequence of sub-sampled time points based on a customized sensing matrix in the Fourier domain. The spatial and temporal resolution of this video is optimized for the best image quality, given the time varying nature of dynamic imaging and the uncertainty principle. Optical flow is consequently estimated between consecutive frames of this reconstructed low-resolution video [4]. Based on the partially sampled Fourier data, and the motion estimate obtained from the optical flow, we use a convex optimization framework to reconstruct the dynamic MRI at full spatial resolution. For the best recovery performance, we minimize an objective function using a mixture of wavelet sparsity of the MRI signal as well as its total variation (TV) in both spatial and temporal dimensions; the objective function is minimized along with two constraints in the least square sense. These constraints (a) enforce consistency of compressive measurements, and (b) impose the estimated optical flow between consecutive frames. We develop an efficient algorithm to solve for the resultant convex optimization using the alternating direction method based on augmented Lagrangian, further accelerated using Bregman divergence on a sequence of minimization subproblems [5,6]. Our framework enables simultaneous motion extraction and high fidelity video reconstruction in a computational efficient manner, based on highly compressive k-t sampling, therefore making it possible to perform real-time dynamic MRI.
Effect of Coadsorbed Oxygen on the Chemistry of Ammonia over Ni(110) Single-Crystal Surfaces

The surface chemistry of ammonia coadsorbed with atomic oxygen on Ni(110) single-crystal surfaces was studied by temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). At intermediate oxygen coverages, direct ammonia adsorption on nickel sites is suppressed, but a new high-temperature reaction regime is generated. Desorption of ammonia from rehydrogenation of NHx surface fragments (identified by XPS) takes place around 400 K, concurrently with the production of water and molecular hydrogen. Experiments with deuterium labeling indicated extensive isotope scrambling and hydrogen transfer from nitrogen- to oxygen-containing surface intermediates. The optimum yields seen for this 400 K state at intermediate oxygen coverages strongly suggest the direct interaction of the adsorbed ammonia with oxygen atoms at the end of the −Ni−O− rows that form upon reconstruction of the surface. Hydrogen transfer between ammonia and oxygen appears to take place directly via hydrogen bonding, and t...
Improving Helicobacter pylori Eradication Regimens

The work by De Francesco and colleagues showing the enhanced efficacy of sequential therapy is a timely advance for patients with peptic ulcer disease or mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma,...
Stretch Mercerization of Cotton Fibers: Part I: Fiber and Yarn Properties

In this investigation three techniques were developed by which cotton fibers in roving form were mercerized and stretched to their original length and then neutralized in the stretched configuratio...
Transesophageal echocardiography during radiofrequency catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia

Radiofrequency lesion formation requires stable catheter tip/endocardial contact. Energy delivery is limited when temperatures are > 100 degrees C due to coagulum formation at the catheter tip. Transesophageal echocardiographic imaging may be useful for monitoring catheter position and detecting boiling. Transesophageal echocardiographic images were recorded during production of 22 radiofrequency lesions in bovine myocardium in a saline bath. Lesion size, tissue temperature and appearance of echo contrast (bubbles) were assessed. In 11 patients, transesophageal echocardiography was used to guide catheter movement and detect boiling during radiofrequency ablation for ventricular tachycardia. In the tissue bath, the appearance of echo bubbles was associated with visual bubbling at the catheter tip, tissue temperatures > 60 degrees C and larger lesions (284 +/- 165 vs 30 +/- 54 mm3; p < 0.001). In humans, transesophageal images easily identified the catheter tip in either ventricle and enabled continuous observation of electrode-tissue contact during radiofrequency application. Transesophageal echocardiographic bubbles appeared in 59 of 217 radiofrequency applications (27%). Continued radiofrequency application after appearance of bubbles was followed by an increase in impedance. Prolonged placement of the probe in heavily sedated patients resulted in a mild sore throat, but no other complications. Transesophageal echocardiographic imaging enables continuous monitoring of catheter position during radiofrequency energy application. The abrupt appearance of echo bubbles indicates boiling and impending coagulum formation at the catheter tip.
Thermal modeling of Halley's comet

The comet thermal model of Weissman and Kieffer is used to calculate gas production rates and other parameters for the 1986 perihelion passages of Halley's Comet. Gas production estimates are very close to revised pre-perihelion estimates by Newburn based on 1910 observations of Halley; the increase in observed gas production post-perihelion may be explained by a variety of factors. The energy contribution from multiply scattered sunlight and thermal emission by coma dust increases the total energy reaching the Halley nucleus at perihelion by a factor of 2.4. The high obliquity of the Halley nucleus found by Sekanina and Larson may help to explain the asymmetry in Halley's gas production rates around perihelion.
Control of membrane morphogenesis in bacteriophage PM2

The regulation of membrane formation in bacteriophage PM2 serves as a simple model for changes in membrane structure in eukaryotic cells. Prior to Pseudomonas host lysis, wild-type virions mature to an icosahedral morphology at the inner face of the cytoplasmic membrane. The preliminary characterization of two temperature-sensitive mutants of PM2 is described. In cells infected at the restrictive temperature with ts 1, an abundance of "empty" virus-size membrane vesicles are seen. Synthesis of DNA is also reduced in ts 1 infected cells. The preponderance of vesicles is not seen in cells infected with wild-type virus or with ts 1 at the permissive temperature. The "empty" appearance of the viral membranes suggests that viral DNA is not encapsulated. The major viral capsid protein (MW 26,000) is located just outside the viral membrane and normally sidiments with host and virus membranes. This protein made by mutant ts 5 does not pellet with these membranes; instead, large amounts of capsid protein can be precipitated from the supernatant with TCA. Compared to cells infected with wild type virus, cells infected with ts 5 at the restrictive temperature produced inside the cell an abundance of virus-size membrane vesicles. Taken together, these results with viral mutants suggest that formation of a viral membrane of the proper size does not require a DNA core around which to form, or an outer scaffolding of coat protein against which to form a spherical bilayer.
DYNAMICS OF SIGNALING DURING INSULIN-STIMULATED ENDOCYTOSIS OF ITS RECEPTOR IN ADIPOCYTES

Insulin causes rapid insulin receptor autophosphorylation, receptor endocytosis, and phosphorylation of its principle substrate (IRS-1). Using rat adipocytes, we studied the dynamics of receptor autophosphorylation, the kinase activity, and the IRS-1 phosphorylation state relative to the subcellular localization of these proteins. After 2 min of insulin exposure, the specific phosphotyrosine content of the insulin receptor in the internal membranes (IM) peaks at a level 5-6-fold higher than the plasma membrane (PM) receptor and then declines after 5-8 min to a level similar to the PM receptor. The exogenous kinase activity of these receptors exactly mirrored their phosphotyrosine content. The distribution of IRS-1 is 80% cytosolic, 20% IM-associated, and essentially undetectable in the PM. The phosphorylation state of IRS-1 in the IM parallels that of the insulin receptor, but cytosolic IRS-1 phosphorylation remains constant. Insulin-dependent GLUT4 translocation to the PM occurs after the peak of IRS-1 phosphorylation. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that insulin action may be mediated by receptor internalization and interaction with its substrate(s) associated with internal membranes. A small fraction of phosphorylated insulin receptors is sufficient for signal transduction. The dephosphorylation of the insulin receptor and IRS-1 in the IM appears to be a concerted process, possibly mediated by the same enzyme.
DNA repair: a simple enzymatic assay for human cells

An assay is described based on the ability of certain endonucleases in Micrococcus luteus extracts to react specifically at sites of DNA damage, and produce single-strand breaks. The breaks were detected by sedimenting the DNA through alkali. DNA repair was assumed to occur if the number of endonuclease sensitive sites decreased during post-treatment incubation of cells. It is claimed that improvements have been obtained in an established technique by adding M. luteus extract to partially disintegrated cells, instead of to isolated purified DNA, enabling samples to be processed in 30 min with most of the manipulations at 0 deg C. As few as one or two endonuclease-sensitive sites per 100 million daltons of DNA could be detected. The potential of the method is demonstrated with results obtained from uv-irradiated human diploid fibroblasts. (UK)
Review of current therapies for secondary hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy.

Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (HOA) is a disabling condition that may occur secondarily to primary lung cancer. It is characterized by digital clubbing, arthralgia/arthritis, and periostosis of the tubular bones. The pain associated with HOA can be disabling and often refractory to conventional analgesics. We performed a comprehensive review of the literature using the PubMed database on treatment modalities available for HOA. We found 52 relevant articles—40 case reports, six case series, two review papers, and four combined case series and review papers. There were no randomized controlled trials reported. We then classified treatments used for HOA into two categories: (1) treatment of primary cause (i.e., resection of tumor, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, treatment of infection, etc.) and (2) symptomatic treatments (i.e., bisphosphonates, octreotide, NSAIDs, vagotomy, etc.). Subsequently, we summarized the main findings for each treatment. Although the clinical diagnosis of HOA has existed for over 100 years, the pathogenesis mechanism has not yet been elucidated, and treatment options for this condition remain experimental. Primary treatment is the most widely reported modality to be efficacious. In cases which primary therapy is not possible, several symptomatic treatment modalities are suggested, with various degree of success. Further research is needed to clarify the pathophysiological mechanism of HOA as to appropriately direct therapy.
Posttraumatic hypothermia increases doublecortin expressing neurons in the dentate gyrus after traumatic brain injury in the rat

Previous studies have demonstrated that moderate hypothermia reduces histopathological damage and improves behavioral outcome after experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI). Further investigations have clarified the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of hypothermia by showing that cooling reduces multiple cell injury cascades. The purpose of this study was to determine whether hypothermia could also enhance endogenous reparative processes following TBI such as neurogenesis and the replacement of lost neurons. Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent moderate fluid-percussion brain injury and then were randomized into normothermia (37°C) or hypothermia (33°C) treatment. Animals received injections of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) to detect mitotic cells after brain injury. After 3 or 7 days, animals were perfusion-fixed and processed for immunocytochemistry and confocal analysis. Sections were stained for markers selective for cell proliferation (BrdU), neuroblasts and immature neurons (doublecortin), and mature neurons (NeuN) and then analyzed using non-biased stereology to quantify neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG). At 7 days after TBI, both normothermic and hypothermic TBI animals demonstrated a significant increase in the number of BrdU-immunoreactive cells in the DG as compared to sham-operated controls. At 7 days post-injury, hypothermia animals had a greater number of BrdU (ipsilateral cortex) and doublecortin (ipsilateral and contralateral cortex) immunoreactive cells in the DG as compared to normothermia animals. Because adult neurogenesis following injury may be associated with enhanced functional recovery, these data demonstrate that therapeutic hypothermia sustains the increase in neurogenesis induced by TBI and this may be one of the mechanisms by which hypothermia promotes reparative strategies in the injured nervous system.
Relationships Between the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality and Health Outcomes for a Heterogeneous Rehabilitation Population

Purpose To determine relationships between the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS; i.e., positive/negative spirituality, forgiveness, religious practices, positive/negative congregational support) and physical and mental health (Medical Outcomes Scale-Short Form 36; SF-36) for individuals with chronic disabilities. Research method A cross-sectional analysis of 118 individuals evaluated in outpatient settings, including 61 with traumatic brain injury (TBI), 32 with cerebral vascular accidents (CVA), and 25 with spinal cord injury (SCI). Results Three of 6 BMMRS factor scores (i.e., positive spiritual experience, forgiveness, negative spiritual experience) were significantly correlated with the SF-36 General Health Perception (GHP) scale, and only 1 of 6 BMMRS factor scores (i.e., negative spiritual experience) was significantly and negatively correlated with the SF-36 General Mental Health (GMH) scale. BMMRS scales did not significantly predict either physical or mental health in hierarchical multiple regressions. Conclusions Positive spiritual experiences and willingness to forgive are related to better physical health, while negative spiritual experiences are related to worse physical and mental health for individuals with chronic disabilities. Future research using the BMMRS will benefit from using a 6-factor model that evaluates positive/negative spiritual experiences, religious practices, and positive/negative congregational support. Interventions to accentuate positive spiritual beliefs (e.g., forgiveness protocols, etc.) and reduce negative spiritual beliefs for individuals with chronic disabilities are suggested.
Minority Group Strategies for Endogenous Institutional Change: Kurdish Parties and Voters in Turkey's 2007 Referendum

Political institutions are socially constructed rules manifesting the preferences and strategic interactions of key actors at decisive moments. We investigate a contentious episode of institutional change in a divided society: the adoption of direct presidential elections in Turkey, approved by referendum in October 2007. Process tracing and regression analyses demonstrate that Kurdish politicians and voters in Turkey supported this reform. However, direct elections are unlikely to increase Kurds’ leverage over choosing Turkey's presidents and may even diminish it. Kurdish support for direct elections is better explained by the reform's broader anticipated impacts on the structuring of state power.
Adsorption and stabilizing effects of highly-charged latex nanoparticles in dispersions of weakly-charged silica colloids

An experimental study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of using highly-charged nanoparticles as stabilizers for colloidal dispersions. The specific systems used here involved cationic (amidine) and anionic (sulfate) polystyrene latex nanoparticles with an approximate diameter of 20 nm and silica microparticles of diameter 1.0 μm, and experiments were conducted at the isoelectric point of the silica. It was found that while both types of nanoparticles adsorbed to the silica microparticles and increased the zeta potential to values where stability was expected, long term stability was not achieved, even at bulk nanoparticle concentrations as high as 0.5 vol.%. It is theorized that the incomplete coverage of the microparticles by the nanoparticles (i.e., surface coverage never exceeded 50%) allowed either direct contact between bare patches of the underlying microparticles or, alternatively, for nanoparticles adsorbed on one microparticle to bridge to bare spots on a neighboring microparticle.
The advanced light source at Lawrence Berkeley laboratory: a new tool for research in atomic physics

Abstract The Advanced Light Source, a third-generation national synchrotron-radiation facility now under construction at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, is scheduled to begin serving qualified users across a broad spectrum of research areas in the spring of 1993. Based on a low-emittance electron storage ring optimized to operate at 1.5 GeV, the ALS will have 10 long straight sections available for insertion devices (undulators and wigglers) and 24 high-quality bend-magnet ports. The short pulse width (30–50 ps) will be ideal for time-resolved measurements. Undulators will generate high-brightness partially coherent soft X-ray and ultraviolet (XUV) radiation from below 10 eV to above 2 keV; this radiation is plane polarized. Wigglers and bend magnets will extend the spectrum by generating high fluxes of X-rays to photon energies above 10 keV. The ALS will have an extensive research program in which XUV radiation is used to study matter in all its varied gaseous, liquid, and solid forms. The high brightness will open new areas of research in the materials sciences, such as spatially resolved spectroscopy (spectromicroscopy), and in biology, such as X-ray microscopy with element-specific sensitivity; the high flux will allow measurements in atomic physics and chemistry to be made with tenuous gas-phase targets. Technological applications could include lithography and nano-fabrication.
Three-dimensional model acquisition using rotational stereo and image focus analysis

We present a digital vision system for acquiring the complete 3D model of an object from multiple views. The system uses image focus analysis to obtain a rough 3D shape of each view of an object and also the corresponding focused image or texture map. The rough 3D shape is used in a rotational stereo algorithm to obtain a more accurate measurement of 3D shape. The rotational stereo involves rotating the object by a small angle to obtain stereo images. It offers some important advantages compared to conventional stereo. A single camera is used instead of two, the stereo matching is easier as the field of view remains the same for the camera (but the object is rotated), and camera calibration is easier since a single stationary camera is used. The 3D shape and the corresponding texture map are measured for 4 views of the object at 90 degree angular intervals. These partial shapes and texture maps are integrated to obtain a complete 360 degree model of the object. The theory and algorithms underlying rotational-stereo and integration of partial 3D models are presented. The system can acquire the 3D model (which includes the 3D shape and the corresponding image texture) of a simple object within a 300mm x 300mm x 300mm volume placed about 600 mm from the camera. The complete model is displayed using a 3D graphics rendering software (Apple's QuickDraw 3D Viewer). Both computational algorithms and experimental results on several objects are presented.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Dynamic mechanical analysis of magnetic tapes at ultra‐low frequencies

A custom, ultra-low frequency, dynamic mechanical analyzer (ULDMA) has been developed to study the correlated effects of temperature and frequency on the viscoelastic behavior of magnetic tapes. It has been used to acquire data needed for the development of future magnetic tapes that require an archival life of up to 100 years. A range of elevated temperatures is used to simulate real-world storage environments, which enables the investigation of how the viscoelastic characteristics of tape samples influence the extent to which the tape deforms. The experiments and subsequent analysis examine the influence of the molecular structure on the viscoelasticity of magnetic tapes. Experiments were performed on a variety of magnetic tapes, including poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), poly(ethylene naphthalate) (PEN), metalized PET (M-PET), and metalized Spaltan (M-SPA). Additional experiments examined PEN and PET substrates by removing the front and back magnetic layers from the tape sample. Because of the viscoelastic behavior of the tapes, a time delay was present between the strain and stress signals, which was determined using a Fourier transform program. The elastic modulus (E), storage modulus (E′), loss modulus (E″), and loss tangent (tan δ) were obtained from the time delay for each of the ULDMA experiments at 25, 50, and 70°C over the frequency range of 0.0100–0.0667 Hz. Plots of these mechanical characteristics demonstrate the ability of frequency and temperature to affect trends associated with mechanical and thermal properties. Finally, some samples displayed an initial relaxation during the ULDMA experiments, which, when modeled using Maxwell's viscoelastic model, provided an insight into the relaxation characteristics of the samples. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Lekner Summation of Long Range Interactions in Periodic Systems

We present a complete set of practical expressions for fast and accurate evaluation of Coulomb interactions, forces and energies, in any rectangular periodic medium. This analysis also includes explicit expressions for energy constants and self-energies of charged particles in periodic lattices. Energy constants and self-energies are further evaluated for logarithmic interactions in two-dimensional rectangular systems with periodic boundary conditions. The expressions are optimized for computational speed and tested by direct numerical implementation.
Localized charge distributions. The internal rotation barrier in borazane

Abstract The barrier to internal rotation in borazane is analyzed in terms of the localized charge distribution defined in previous papers. The origin of the barriers is found to be similar to that in ethane. Upon rotation from staggered to eclipsed, the vicinal H-H one-electron interference energies within the NH and BH bonds change from binding to antibinding, the BH contribution being considerably larger. The calculated and interference barriers are, respectively, 1.98 and 1.89 kcal/mole. As in ethane, it is found that while repulsion and quasi-classical two-center attractions are changed drastically by geometry optimization, the interference analysis of the barrier is relatively insensitive to geometry changes.
Evidence that β1-Adrenoceptor Activation Mediates Isoproterenol-Stimulated Renin Secretion in the Rat*

The goal of these experiments was to determine if isoproterenol-stimulated renin secretion in the rat is mediated by activation of β1- and/or β2-adrenoceptors. The rat renalcortical slice preparation was used. The renin secretory rate was a sigmoid function of the logarithm of the isoproterenol concentration; half-maximal and maximal stimulation occurred at approximately 0.01 and 0.1 μm isoproterenol, respectively. Neither timolol (a nonselective β-antagonist) nor atenolol (a β1-selective antagonist) had a significant effect on basal secretory rate, but both shifted the isoproterenol dose-response curve to the right without changing its slope, suggesting competitive antagonism. Timolol was the more potent, but the response to a maximally effective concentration of isoproterenol could be blocked by timolol (0.9 μm), atenolol (110 μm), or a combination of the two (0.45 μm timolol plus 55 μm atenolol). This latter finding is consistent with action of the two antagonists at one and the same site. If it is ass...
Characterization of order 3 algebraic immersed minimal surfaces of S 3

In this paper we prove that if \(\phi M\to S^3\) is a minimal immersion of a compact surface and \(\phi(M)= S^3\cap f^{-1}(0)\) , for some homogeneous polynomial f of degree 3 on R4, then, M is a torus and \(\phi(M)\) is one of the examples given by Lawson (1970, Complete minimal surfaces in S3. Ann. Math. 92(2), 335–374).
The Intracarotid Amobarbital Procedure: An Historical Perspective ☆ ☆☆ ★

Abstract The intracarotid sodium amobarbital procedure (IAP) is currently regarded as the best method for the determination of hemispheric specialization for speech, and it is universally relied on as a prognostic test for patients with medically refractory epilepsy who are candidates for neurosurgical intervention. Since its initial development, the IAP also has been adapted for assesssing lateralized mesiotemporal contributions to memory functioning in this patient population, and it is now in wide use for both basic and applied research in behavioral neuroscience on language, memory, visuospatial functions, emotion, attention, and consciousness. Despite the IAP's wide range of applications, little has been said about its history and development. This essay recounts and discusses this history.
Reunifying Europe in an Emerging World Economy: Economic Heterogeneity, New Industrial Options, and Political Choices

This article examines the industrial reintegration of central and eastern Europe into the broader European economy in the context of the emerging world economy. Since the Cold War, Europe’s economic heterogeneity has sharply increased, making it comparable to Asia. And Europe as a whole must adapt to a global economy of three regional centres and industrial strategies implemented through International Production Networks (IPNs). The article asks whether policies favoring IPNs that link east and west can reconcile eastern industrial development with western prosperity and employment. Thus the eastward enlargement of the European Union, which has been driven primarily by security concerns, can also improve the region’s competitiveness in global markets.
Recurrent Pulmonary Intimal Sarcoma Involving the Right Ventricular Outflow Tract

Intimal sarcoma of the pulmonary artery is commonly misdiagnosed as chronic pulmonary embolism. Rarely, it can involve the right ventricular outflow tract and the pulmonary valve. We report a patient who was treated surgically for an intimal sarcoma of the pulmonary artery involving the right ventricular outflow tract and the pulmonary valve. The sarcoma recurred in about 8 weeks. It responded favorably to chemoradiation therapy and shows some signs of regression.
Influence of vitamin B6 status on aspects of lead poisoning in rats.

Abstract The effects of vitamin B 6 status and lead (Pb) toxicity on aspects of glutathione (GSH) metabolism in rats were examined in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment. The administration of 2000 ppm Pb as Pb acetate 3H 2 O significantly ( P 6 -adequate (+B 6 ) but decreased GSH in rats fed B 6 -deficient (−B 6 ) diets. The addition of Pb to the +B 6 diet also increased hepatic glutathione reductase (GSSG-R) activity. Plasma pyridoxal phosphate (PLP), cystathionine and valine levels were decreased by the −B 6 diets independent of the presence of Pb. Plasma arginine, alanine, serine and proline levels were increased by Pb in both −B 6 and +B 6 groups. Glycine levels were increased in −B 6 rats only in the absence of Pb while taurine was decreased by Pb only in +B 6 rats. There were significant −B 6 × Pb interactions for hepatic GSH, cysteine and GSSG-R as well as plasma valine, glycine and proline. These results suggest an influence of B 6 status on Pb-induced changes in hepatic GSH, possibly through its role as a co-factor for enzymes involved in amino acid metabolism.
Randomized controlled trial of interpersonal psychotherapy versus enhanced treatment as usual for women with co-occurring depression and pelvic pain.

Abstract Objective Our study assessed the effectiveness of Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) tailored for biomedical patients with depression and pain. IPT was compared to enhanced treatment as usual (E-TAU) among women with co-occurring depression and chronic pain presenting for care at a women's health or family medicine practice. We hypothesized that women presenting to urban medical practices with depression and chronic pain would benefit from IPT tailored to address their needs to a greater degree than from E-TAU. Methods We conducted a randomized controlled psychotherapy trial of 61 women from 2 urban medical practices who met criteria for major depressive disorder and chronic pelvic pain. Participants were assigned to receive either 8 sessions of IPT or a facilitated psychotherapy referral to a community mental health center, and assessed for depression, social interactions, and pain at 0-, 12-, 24-, and 36-weeks, with score on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression as the primary outcome. Both intent-to-treat (ITT) and causal modeling analyses correcting for treatment attendance were conducted. Results ITT analyses were not significant. In causal modeling analyses, participants assigned to IPT showed significantly more improvement for depression and social interactions, but not for pain. Conclusion IPT may be a viable option as part of a comprehensive treatment program for women in medical practices with depression and chronic pain. Clinical Trials Registration: Clinical Trials.gov, www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT00895999 .
No Effect of Selenium Supplementation on Serum Glucose Levels in Men with Prostate Cancer

Abstract Background Literature indicates a relationship between selenium supplementation and risk of diabetes. However, because these data are inconclusive, we investigated the effect of selenium supplementation on serum glucose levels in men with prostate cancer enrolled in a clinical trial testing of the effect of selenium on prostate cancer progression. Methods Subjects were randomized to receive placebo (n=46), selenium 200 μg/day (n=47), and selenium 800 μg/day (n=47). Serum glucose levels were obtained every 6 months for up to 5 years. Longitudinal analysis was carried out to assess whether rate of change of serum glucose levels was significantly different in the selenium-supplemented groups as compared with placebo. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness of findings. Results Changes in serum glucose levels during the course of the trial were not statistically significantly different as compared with placebo for the selenium 200 μg/day ( P =.56) or selenium 800 μg/day ( P =.91) treatment groups. Conclusion These results do not support a relationship between selenium supplementation and changes in serum glucose levels. Recommendations about selenium supplementation and risk of diabetes will require more definitive studies.
Effects of toxicants on populations: A qualitative approach II. first order kinetics

System level effects exhibited by a population subjected to a chronic or an acute dose of toxicant are the emphasis of this study. A three dimensional model of a toxicant and a population, with state variables (the population biomass, the concentration of toxicant in an organism, and the concentration of toxicant in the environment) coupled by a linear dose-response function, is analyzed analytically. One of the main results presents sufficient conditions, in terms of a system level parameter, for the persistence, and for the extinction, of a population exposed to a chronic dose of toxicant. When depuration and degradation are negligible processes, the effects of toxicant accumulation associated with an acute exposure of a population are analyzed in some detail. Both persistence and extinction are shown to be viable behavior modes of a population in this biochemical setting.
Pathogenic murine coronaviruses. I. Characterization of biological behavior in vitro and virus-specific intracellular RNA of strongly neurotropic JHMV and weakly neurotropic A59V viruses.

Abstract JHM virus (JHMV) and A59 virus (A59V) are neurotropic members of the hepatoencephalitis group of murine coronaviridae. JHMV has a markedly greater neurotropism for weanling BALB/c mice than does A59V. Both viruses display one-hit kinetics when grown in vitro in 17CL-16 cells, a clone of BALB/c3T3 cells. Virus-specific intranuclear, cytoplasmic, and surface antigens have been observed for both viruses by immunofluorescence. The intranuclear antigen appears first at about 2 hr after infection (hpi) followed by the development of the cytoplasmic and surface antigens at 3 hpi at 38.5°. Most, if not all cells that develop the intranuclear antigen, produce cytoplasmic antigen and presumably progeny virus. Progeny virus production is independent of cell fusion and formation of syncytia. Virus-specific ribonucleoprotein is synthesized in the presence of 1 μg/ml actinomycin D, a concentration sufficient to inhibit the synthesis of cellular ribonucleoprotein species that have sedimentation properties similar to the virus-specific species. The virus-specific ribonucleoprotein species that is resistant to 10 m M EDTA, presumptive virion ribonucleoprotein, has a sedimentation value in sucrose of about 230 S for JHMV and 200 S for A59V. The species of virus-specific ribonucleoprotein that are sensitive to 10 m M EDTA presumptive messenger ribonucleoprotein, are about 40–100 S in sucrose for both viruses. The purified presumptive virion RNA is about 50 S in sucrose for both viruses. The major species of presumptive mRNA of both viruses is about 18 S with secondary species of about 28 S in sucrose. Denaturation of the virus-specific RNA with heat and dimethylsulfoxide does not appreciably alter the sedimentation profiles of either the presumptive virion RNA or mRNA species.
Sustained ibuprofen release using composite poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid)/titanium dioxide nanotubes from Ti implant surface

ABSTRACT Developing coatings on implant surface as drug carriers can reduce organ toxicity and effectively deliver drug locally to the target compared with the oral approach. Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanotube has great potential for this application for widely used Ti implants because of its high surface area, ability to promote bone growth, and biocompatibility. However, there are two issues needed to be solved before further advancing TiO 2 nanotubes technology as drug carriers: uncontrolled drug release and poor mechanical properties. In this study, a drug carrier using a composite of biodegradable polymer/TiO 2 nanotubes is engineered. Ibuprofen is selected as a concept drug because it is a commonly used anti-inflammatory, fever, and pain-reducing drug. In addition, ibuprofen has a very short plasma half-life of only 1–3 h. A simple characterization method is developed to investigate the infiltration of polymer into TiO 2 nanotubes. Good infiltration was observed of polymer into TiO 2 nanotubes. The synthesized drug carrier demonstrated much better sustained drug release profiles for ibuprofen of 5 days (low-molecular-weight polymer) and 9 days (high-molecular-weight polymer) compared with 30 min of pure TiO 2 nanotubes. The drug carrier also exhibited much improved mechanical strength and flexibility compared with pure TiO 2 nanotubes. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 102:2341–2348, 2013
On the mechanism of carbon formation in flames

A physical model for carbon formation in flames is developed by assuming that positive ions serve as nuclei and that particles are ionized during growth and agglomeration. Analysis of the model predicts the well-known chained structure of carbon particles collected from flames and the uniform size and crystallite structure of the spherical chain units. The predicted size of the crystallites is essentially identical to the experimentally observed value of 20 to 30 A. The model is based on experimental information in the literature. The predicted structure of particles results from the effects of interparticle electrostatic forces during growth and agglomeration. The analysis includes calculation of the state of ionization of particles under typical flame conditions and calculation of the forces, and the resulting energy requirements for collision, between both dielectric (young) and conducting (older) particles.
Estrogen receptor-mediated activation of the serum response element in MCF-7 cells through MAPK-dependent phosphorylation of Elk-1.

17β-Estradiol (E2) induces c-fosprotooncogene expression in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells, and deletion analysis of the c-fos promoter showed that the serum response element (SRE) at −325 to −296 was E2-responsive. The mechanism of ligand-activated estrogen receptor α (ERα)-dependent activation of gene expression through the SRE was determined by mutational analysis of the promoter, analysis of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway activation by E2, and transforming growth factor α (TGF-α) as a positive control. In addition, ERα-negative MDA-MB-231 breast cancer and Chinese hamster ovary cells were used as reference cell lines. The results showed that transcriptional activation of the SRE by E2 was due to ERα activation of the MAPK pathway and increased binding of the serum response factor and Elk-1 to the SRE. Subsequent studies with dominant negative Elk-1, wild type, and variant GAL4-Elk-1 fusion proteins confirmed that phosphorylation of Elk-1 at serines 383 and 389 in the C-terminal region of Elk-1 is an important downstream target associated with activation of an SRE by E2. Both E2 (ERα-dependent) and growth factors (ERα-independent) activated the SRE in breast cancer cells via the Ras/MAPK pathway; however, in ER-negative CHO cells that do not express a receptor for TGF-α, only hormone-induced activation was observed in cells transfected with ERα.