cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Ethical Phenomenology of Emmanuel Levinas: Drawing on Phenomenology to Explore the Central Features of Family Life

Phenomenology is introduced as a source of new insights into how family relations are lived and experienced today. The ethical phenomenology of Emmanuel Levinas holds particular promise in this endeavor, as his work highlights the ways in which family life emerges out of an ethical relationality that is operative in virtually all family relations. Through learning to see how ethical relationality informs the active, ongoing responsiveness of the ways of being of family members, forms of violence in family life, and the relation between family and other social organizations, interests, and institutions, ethical phenomenology can assist interpretive family research in making manifest dimensions of family life that were previously overlooked and unappreciated, and it can contribute to the development of theoretical innovations in understanding family.
Comparative in vitro activity of the new fluoroquinolone BMY-40062.

The results are presented of comparative in vitro susceptibility testing of BMY-40062, a new fluorinated quinolone which contains a tetrabutyl moiety at N-1 and a piperazinyl group at C-7. BMY-40062 inhibited 90 % ofEnterobacteriaceae strains at < 0.5 µg/ml, being either equal in activity to ciprofloxacin or two- to four-fold less active, depending upon the species. BMY-40062 was as active as ciprofloxacin againstPseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC90 0.5 µg/ml) and inhibited most other strains ofPseudomonas species at < 1 µg/ml. It was more active than ciprofloxacin or ofloxacin against hemolytic streptococci andStreptococcus pneumoniae, 90 % of strains being inhibited at < 0.5 µg/ml. MICs increased in the presence of 9 mM Mg2+ and at pH 5.5. The frequency of spontaneous mutation was low forEnterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa andStaphylococcus aureus (10−10), but repeated exposure to BMY-40062 caused selection of resistant isolates. Clinical isolates ofPseudomonas aeruginosa resistant to ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin were resistant to BMY-40062.
Interferometric Extrapolation of OBS And SSP Data

We present the theory and numerical results for interferometrically extrapolating ocean bottom seismic (OBS) and surface seismic profile (SSP) data. This method employs a natural Green’s function (i.e. shot gather) and a model-based Green’s function. Numerical results show that the OBS and SSP receiver apertures can be more than doubled in width by applying interferometric extrapolation to seismic data. Results also suggest that an OBS or marine SSP survey can yield much more information about the reflectors if data are extrapolated by interferometry. This assumes that the sources are located both outside and inside the recording aperture.
A pharmacokinetic model and the clinical pharmacology of cis-platinum, 5-fluorouracil and mitomycin-C in isolated pelvic perfusion.

Purpose: An isolated pelvic perfusion technique using multiple agents was used both in patients with unresectable recurrent pelvic neoplasms and as a preoperative therapy for advanced pelvic malignancy. Methods: The technique consisted of vascular occlusion via transfemoral balloon catheters, circulation and drug infusion using standard hemodialysis technology, and a 45-min isolation period. Blood and urine samples were analyzed for the levels of cis-platinum (17 patients, 21 courses of therapy, 50–100 mg/m2, infusion 0–10 min), 5-fluorouracil (12 patients, 14 courses, 1500 mg/m2, infusion 1/3 dose 0–1 min, 2/3 dose 1–20 min) and mitomycin-C (11 patients, 14 courses, 10–20 mg/m2, infusion 10–20 min). An empirical, four-compartment pharmacokinetic model was developed to establish drug distribution curves for the pelvic and systemic circulations and to yield valid estimates of the pharmacokinetic parameters. Results: Pelvic isolation of drug was demonstrated by the pelvic-systemic drug exposure ratios of 6.0:1 for cis-platinum, 8.4:1 for 5-fluorouracil and 9.0:1 for mitomycin-C. Isolation at the L3-4 interspace resulted in minor urine drug elimination during isolation (cis-platinum 7.2% of drug, 5-fluorouracil 2.4% and mitomycin-C 2.5%). Because drug infusion was limited to the first 20 min of isolation, drug levels at the end of the isolation period were reduced to the extent that no extracorporeal drug removal mechanism was needed. Conclusion: These pharmacokinetic results indicate that this isolation technique has the potential to provide increased therapeutic indices and is a suitable system for evaluating fast-acting highly toxic experimental drugs to human pelvic cancers which are poorly responsive to conventional clinical protocols.
Superconductivity in the Periodic System

The empirical regularities in the appearance of superconductivity in the periodic system discussed by Matthias are considered in the light of the microscopic theory of superconductivity proposed by Bardeen, Cooper, and Schrieffer. A simple model of electrons and ions interacting via screened Coulomb forces is used to describe the electron-lattice interaction. With the aid of this model, it is shown how the theory of Bardeen, Cooper, and Schrieffer provides both a satisfactory criterion for the appearance of superconductivity and a good qualitative account of the variation in transition temperature from one metal to another.
The maltese cross processor: speckle reduction for circular transducers

A new online signal processing technique is described to reduce speckle noise in ultrasound images. In the imaging system, a focused piston transducer is divided into thirty-two sectors. In the receive mode, parallel signal processing arranges the sectors into eight maltese crosses. The rf signals of the perpendicular arms of each cross are multiplied in a phase sensitive process. The orthogonal receive mode multiplication is designed to reduce side lobes resulting from the sector shapes while maintaining lateral resolution through the use of the full aperture diameter. The signals from the crosses are then combined via postdetection summation. Six of the eight crosses perform successfully. The six maltese crosses show decorrelated signals equivalent to four independent samples of the speckle noise which decreases noise contrast by a factor of two with no measureable loss of spatial resolution. Post summation compression is included to retain the conventional signal dynamic range. Parallel signal processing maintains the normal image line rate. Images of tissue-mimicking phantoms including speckle targets show improved detectability of simulated lesions.
The power of words: discussing decision making and prognosis

One of the most important skills in medicine is communication. It lies at the heart of the doctor-patient relationship, and is particularly important when one has been diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening condition. Words are powerful and too often can be interpreted in ways not intended. In our session at the 2013 ASCO Annual Meeting, we discuss the communication of cancer and ways we might want to consider discussions regarding treatment options and prognosis. We recognize that all patients are different and that approaches should be individualized, to reflect each person's needs (what they want to know) while respecting their limits (how much they want to know). We discuss the concept of shared decision making, and how it can be used when there is uncertainty in what treatments may (or may not) accomplish. Finally, we discuss the skills that constitute a toolkit for communication, which we hope can be tailored to meet the variable needs of those we are caring for and by doing so, can be of help to clinicians in their own practices. In the era of personalized medicine, treatments may become more complex, and more options may be available. We hope to encourage providers to welcome patients as active participants in their care by sharing information, requesting their input, and by engaging them in important processes such as advance care planning-to ensure their needs and wishes are respected in the present and for whatever may come in the future.
Back from the dead.

“I think I may have pulmonary edema.” This was the chief complaint voiced by a pleasant, articulate black man who walked in to the triage area of our emergency department (ED). This statement alone quickly got him a room, and as the senior resident in the department at the time, I rushed in to see him when I saw the chief complaint on our computerized track board. He was still fully dressed and not yet changed into a gown when I entered the room. He looked to be in his mid 60s and appeared comfortable and at ease. He smiled and greeted me with a friendly, appreciative demeanor. I immediately perceived a warmth and sense of contentment about him. “Sir, tell me about your symptoms,” I asked in my usual manner. He had been shoveling snow that morning, and afterwards he coughed a couple of times—nothing out of the ordinary—but the unexpected streaks of blood that came up with it scared him. He had a history of congestive heart failure with an ejection fraction of 15% and had experienced frightening decompensations into pulmonary edema before. Pink or bloody sputum was a warning sign he knew all too well. Despite the alarming blood, he felt well. No chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, or leg swelling. I probed him regarding a litany of symptoms and all came up negative. His vitals signs were normal and his lungs sounded clear. An EKG was performed—not the prettiest, given his ischemic history— yet it was unchanged from his previous one. I explained that we would do a chest radiograph and check some blood work. Leaving the ED tech to draw the blood, I left the room, reassured at his clinical appearance. Yet at the same time, I felt an inexplicable twinge of unsettledness. His name sounded oddly familiar. Had I seen him before? Working in the ED day after day, the unique names, faces, and stories of the individuals I meet inevitably meld into an amorphous mass of patient encounters. Occasionally I will see a patient who recognizes me from a previous visit. But unless it was a particularly noteworthy interaction, seeing a face or hearing a name is often not enough to trigger my memory. As I scanned the medical record to see if I had met this gentleman before, I finally came to an entry that had occurred nearly 3 years ago, at the very beginning of my residency. An ambulance had brought in an individual in cardiac arrest. He had been in a shopping mall when he was suddenly struck with severe shortness of breath. When EMS arrived he was in s
Role of pH in a nitric oxide-dependent increase in cytosolic Cl− in retinal amacrine cells

Nitric oxide (NO) synthase-expressing neurons are found throughout the vertebrate retina. Previous work by our laboratory has shown that NO can transiently convert inhibitory GABAergic synapses onto cultured retinal amacrine cells into excitatory synapses by releasing Cl− from an internal store in the postsynaptic cell. The mechanism underlying this Cl− release is currently unknown. Because transport of Cl− across internal membranes can be coupled to proton flux, we asked whether protons could be involved in the NO-dependent release of internal Cl−. Using pH imaging and whole cell voltage-clamp recording, we addressed the relationship between cytosolic pH and cytosolic Cl− in cultured retinal amacrine cells. We found that NO reliably produces a transient decrease in cytosolic pH. A physiological link between cytosolic pH and cytosolic Cl− was established by demonstrating that shifting cytosolic pH in the absence of NO altered cytosolic Cl− concentrations. Strong buffering of cytosolic pH limited the ability of NO to increase cytosolic Cl−, suggesting that cytosolic acidification is involved in generating the NO-dependent elevation in cytosolic Cl−. Furthermore, disruption of internal proton gradients also reduced the effects of NO on cytosolic Cl−. Taken together, these results suggest a cytosolic environment where proton and Cl− fluxes are coupled in a dynamic and physiologically meaningful way.
Sarcoidosis and Ocular Disease in a Young Child: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

• Uveitis in the very young child may be a manifestation of sarcoidosis. A case of sarcoidosis with intraocular inflammation that occurred in a child 2 years 7 months old is reported. The diagnosis was supported by biopsy of uncommon bulbar conjunctival nodules. Knowledge by the ophthalmologists that this disease can occur in children younger than 5 years of age may be crucial to the establishment of proper diagnosis.
Prognostic value of exercise thallium scintigraphy in patients with good exercise tolerance and a normal or abnormal exercise electrocardiogram and suspected or confirmed coronary artery disease.

Abstract Exercise thallium scintigraphy is widely used to assess prognosis in patients with suspected or proven coronary artery disease. The incremental prognostic value of this technique in patients who have good exercise tolerance has not been well studied. Two hundred ninety-nine patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease with-out prior myocardial infarction or revascularization procedure referred for exercise myocardial perfusion imaging and able to exercise to ≥ stage III of the Bruce protocol were included. After a mean follow-up of 50 ± 10 months, there were 15 cardiac events (5%). The incidence of cardiac events was 10 versus 3% (p
Electron transfer at electrodes and in solution: Comparison of theory and experiment

Detailed quantitative information about different theoretical aspects of electron-transfer rates in solution and at electrodes can be obtained from appropriate experiments. Recent theoretical work has predicted certain quantitative correlations between rates of crossed-redox reactions and rates of isotopic exchange, and between homogeneous and electrochemical rates. Experimental tests of these predictions yield insight into “intrinsic” and “driving force” factors. The intrinsic factor is related to differences in properties of oxidized and reduced species (eg, differences in corresponding bond lengths and differences in solvent orientation polarization). The driving force term is related to the standard free energy of reaction in the homogeneous reaction and to the activation overpotential in the electrode reaction. Measurements of temperature coefficients of rates in dilute solution provide some information about adiabatic and dielectric-saturation effects. Absolute rates, in conjunction with knowledge of bond-length differences and bond-force constants, provide some insight into the over-all picture, (instrinsic, adiabatic, unsaturation factors etc). Study of the cited quantitative correlations permits the cancellation of many effects, and so can reveal others. The present state of experimental information on these theoretical topics is described.
Component analysis of adherence in a family intervention.

Purpose – Most studies of adherence use a single global measure to examine the relation of adherence to outcomes. These studies inform us about effects of overall implementation but not about importance of specific program elements. Previous research on the Strengthening Families Program 10‐14 has shown that outcomes were unrelated to global adherence. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether adherence to specific components of SFP was related to outcomes, even though global adherence was not.Design/methodology/approach – The authors micro‐coded data from an observational study of 11 instances of SFP (N=47 facilitators, 151 participants) into specific process and content components. Using multilevel analysis, they examined the relation of each component to program outcomes, accounting for individual‐ and program‐level variables.Findings – Most associations of adherence with outcome were negligible for European‐Americans but significant for minority participants.Research limitations/implic...
Computer vision system for the detection and characterization of masses for use in mammographic screening programs

The incidence of breast cancer in women continues to increase1 . Studies have shown that early detection of breast cancer through periodic mammographic screening of asymptomatic women could reduce breast cancer mortality by 3050. However screening yields a high volume of mammograms requiring interpretation. In addition accurate characterization of detected masses is an important task of radiologists in order to reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies. Although some general rules have been suggested for the differentiation of malignant and benign masses34 considerable misclassification of masses still occurs. In fact on average only 20-30 of masses referred for surgical breast biopsy are actually malignant''5. As a potential aid to radiologists in mammographic screening programs we are developing a computer-vision system for the detection and characterization of masses in digital mammograms6''7. This system includes a detection subsystem and a characterization subsystem. Motivated by the systematic methods of viewing mammograms used by radiologists the detection system is designed to analyze the deviation from the architectural symmetry of normal right and left breasts and employs gray-level histogram analysis a bilateral-subtraction technique and run-length linking of multiple subtraction images to locate potential masses. False-positive detections are further reduced by various feature-extraction techniques. The characterization system employs various image analysis techniques such as the measurement of margin spiculation of masses in order to estimate the likelihood of malignancy.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Optimized radiofrequency coils for increased signal‐to‐noise ratio in magnetic resonance microscopy

The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is a major obstacle to achieving increased resolution in magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM). The SNR considerations for MRM are presented, with particular attention to the role of judicious receiver coil design in maximizing sensitivity and limiting noise contributions both from the sample and the coil. We present a number of different coil configurations that have been optimized for particular applications of MRM in the biological sciences. An overview of the literature regarding derivations of the SNR for birdcage-configuration volume coils, inductively coupled surface coils, and surgically implanted coils is presented in a unified fashion. Microscopy coils designed to reduce the total volume of excitation, thus coupling more closely to a given region of interest, are discussed. The volume coil is presented in terms of its application to lung imaging in small animals at 2 T and imaging of stroke at 7 T. The performance of traditional surface coils is demonstrated by application to spinal cord imaging in the rat. Finally, implanted coils are examined, as used in studies of the carotid arteries. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 8, 277–284, 1997
Light-Controlled Polymerization Kinetics for the Photostabilization of Cholesteric Fingerprint Rolls

We use a focused ultraviolet (UV) laser beam to photopolymerize localized polymer networks in a cholesteric liquid-crystalline host and to thereby stabilize small, light-diffracting “fingerprint” domains within a uniform, planar-aligned sample. As we have previously described, these “microspot” gratings are electrically switchable [1] and can be produced with diameters ranging from a few tens to hundreds of microns. Our focus in this article is to model the growth of the stabilized domain using a simple reaction-diffusion model of the photopolymerization process and to compare this model with data for networks formed both from isotropic and mesogenic monomers. In spite of an initial spatial asymmetry observed in the mesogenic case, both types of light-controlled networks develop in accordance with the fast photoreactivity/weak diffusion limit of the model.
Isotope effect studies on the calcineurin phosphoryl-transfer reaction: transition state structure and effect of calmodulin and Mn2+.

The hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP) catalyzed by calcineurin has been studied by measurement of heavy-atom isotope effects in the substrate. The isotope effects were measured at the nonbridging oxygen atoms [18(V/K)nonbridge], at the position of bond cleavage in the bridging oxygen atom [18(V/K)bridge], and at the nitrogen atom in the nitrophenol leaving group [15(V/K)]. The isotope effects increased in magnitude upon moving from the pH optimum of 7.0 to 8.5; 18(V/K)bridge increased from 1.0072 to 1.0115, and 15(V/K) from 1.0006 to 1.0014. The value for 18(V/K)nonbridge is 0.9942 at pH 8.5. These data are consistent with P−O bond cleavage being partially rate-limiting at the pH optimum and more so at the higher pH. The 18(V/K)nonbridge isotope effect indicates that the dianion is the substrate for catalysis, and a dissociative transition state is operative for phosphoryl transfer. Increasing the concentration of the activating metal ion Mn2+ at pH 7.0 from 1 mM to 5 mM increases the magnitude...
The toughest transistor yet [GaN transistors]

GaN transistors withstand extreme heat and are capable of handling frequencies and power levels well beyond those possible with silicon, gallium arsenide, silicon carbide, or essentially any other semiconductor yet fabricated. Frequency and power-handling capabilities of this caliber could make all the difference in amplifiers, modulators, and other key components of the advanced communications networks. GaN transistors could double or triple the efficiency of base-station amplifiers, so that a given area could be covered by fewer base stations or, more likely, be flooded with more data at much higher rates. These same characteristics of speed, high-power handling, and heat resistance would also suit the transistors for many other uses.
Distinct phosphorylation patterns underlie Akt activation by different survival factors in neurons.

Abstract The survival of cultured cerebellar granule neurons can be maintained by depolarizing levels of potassium (high K+, HK), insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), cyclic AMP or lithium. We examined the possibility that the signaling pathways activated by these different factors converge and that Akt might represent such a point of convergence. Consistent with this possibility, we find that Akt is phosphorylated and activated by all four survival factors. The pattern of Akt phosphorylation induced by the four survival factors, however, shows differences. While IGF-1 induces phosphorylation of Akt at both Ser473 and Thr308, HK and cyclic AMP stimulate phosphorylation at Thr308 only. Lithium increases phosphorylation at Ser473 but not at Thr308. Our results are consistent with the possibility that Akt is a central component of different survival-promoting pathways in granule neurons. The different phosphorylation patterns, however, point to a previously unappreciated complexity in the regulation of Akt activity in neurons. Finally, we provide evidence indicating that SGK, a kinase that is structurally related to Akt, is also activated by the four survival factors.
Pluvial lakes in the Great Basin of the western United States: a view from the outcrop

Abstract Paleo-lakes in the western United States provide geomorphic and hydrologic records of climate and drainage-basin change at multiple time scales extending back to the Miocene. Recent reviews and studies of paleo-lake records have focused on interpretations of proxies in lake sediment cores from the northern and central parts of the Great Basin. In this review, emphasis is placed on equally important studies of lake history during the past ∼30 years that were derived from outcrop exposures and geomorphology, in some cases combined with cores. Outcrop and core records have different strengths and weaknesses that must be recognized and exploited in the interpretation of paleohydrology and paleoclimate. Outcrops and landforms can yield direct evidence of lake level, facies changes that record details of lake-level fluctuations, and geologic events such as catastrophic floods, drainage-basin changes, and isostatic rebound. Cores can potentially yield continuous records when sampled in stable parts of lake basins and can provide proxies for changes in lake level, water temperature and chemistry, and ecological conditions in the surrounding landscape. However, proxies such as stable isotopes may be influenced by several competing factors the relative effects of which may be difficult to assess, and interpretations may be confounded by geologic events within the drainage basin that were unrecorded or not recognized in a core. The best evidence for documenting absolute lake-level changes lies within the shore, nearshore, and deltaic sediments that were deposited across piedmonts and at the mouths of streams as lake level rose and fell. We review the different shorezone environments and resulting deposits used in such reconstructions and discuss potential estimation errors. Lake-level studies based on deposits and landforms have provided paleohydrologic records ranging from general changes during the past million years to centennial-scale details of fluctuations during the late Pleistocene and Holocene. Outcrop studies have documented the integration histories of several important drainage basins, including the Humboldt, Amargosa, Owens, and Mojave river systems, that have evolved since the Miocene within the active tectonic setting of the Great Basin; these histories have influenced lake levels in terminal basins. Many pre-late Pleistocene lakes in the western Great Basin were significantly larger and record wetter conditions than the youngest lakes. Outcrop-based lake-level data provide important checks on core-based proxy interpretations; we discuss four such comparisons. In some cases, such as for Lakes Owens and Manix, outcrop and core data synthesis yields stronger and more complete records; in other cases, such as for Bonneville and Lahontan, conflicts point toward reconsideration of confounding factors in interpretation of core-based proxies.
The Effects of Temperature on Nest Predation by Mammals, Birds, and Snakes

Abstract. Understanding how weather influences survival and reproduction is an important component of forecasting how climate change will influence wildlife population viability. Nest predation is the primary source of reproductive failure for passerine birds and can change in response to temperature. However, it is unclear which predator species are responsible for such patterns because predation events are rarely observed. We investigated whether temperature influenced predator-specific rates of nest predation by analyzing data from six prior studies conducted between 1997 and 2010 in Texas, Illinois, and Missouri that used constant-surveillance video systems to identify predators at the nests of Golden-cheeked Warblers (Setophaga chrysoparia), Blackcapped Vireos (Vireo atricapilla), Indigo Buntings (Passerina cyanea), and Acadian Flycatchers (Empidonax virescens). Rates of nest predation by snakes and birds increased as daily maximum temperatures increased, whereas predation by mammals was essentially ...
An Emerging Model for BAP1’s Role in Regulating Cell Cycle Progression

BRCA1-associated protein-1 (BAP1) is a 729 residue, nuclear-localized deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) that displays tumor suppressor properties in the BAP1-null NCI-H226 lung carcinoma cell line. Studies that have altered BAP1 cellular levels or enzymatic activity have reported defects in cell cycle progression, notably at the G1/S transition. Recently BAP1 was shown to associate with the transcriptional regulator host cell factor 1 (HCF-1). The BAP1/HCF-1 interaction is mediated by the HCF-1 Kelch domain and an HCF-1 binding motif (HBM) within BAP1. HCF-1 is modified with ubiquitin in vivo, and ectopic studies suggest BAP1 deubiquitinates HCF-1. HCF-1 is a chromatin-associated protein thought to both activate and repress transcription by linking appropriate histone-modifying enzymes to a subset of transcription factors. One known role of HCF-1 is to promote cell cycle progression at the G1/S boundary by recruiting H3K4 histone methyltransferases to the E2F1 transcription factor so that genes required for S-phase can be transcribed. Given the robust associations between BAP1/HCF-1 and HCF-1/E2Fs, it is reasonable to speculate that BAP1 influences cell proliferation at G1/S by co-regulating transcription from HCF-1/E2F-governed promoters
Human Visual Cortex: Progress and puzzles

A wealth of data is now available on the functional organization of the human visual cortex. Caution is necessary in basing interpretations of such data on information gained from studies of the monkey visual cortex.
The ability of two age composition error distributions to estimate selectivity and spawning stock biomass in simulated stock assessments

Abstract A simulation study was conducted that examined two different error distributions for age composition data; the multinomial and the adjusted lognormal. Across 24 different simulation cases, and 4800 total data inputs, the multinomial error distribution consistently outperformed the adjusted lognormal error distribution, even when the true error was generated from the adjusted lognormal distribution. Both error distributions had a tendency to overestimate spawning stock biomass, but the bias was more severe for the adjusted lognormal. The only scenario in which the adjusted lognormal performed better was when selectivity was mis-specified; in this circumstance, the strong positive bias associated with the adjusted lognormal compensated for model runs that forced flat selectivity when selectivity was truly domed. Model selection criteria were overly sensitive when using the adjusted lognormal error. The utility of the adjusted lognormal error distribution in stock assessments is significantly diminished by the biased nature of the estimator, high variability of estimates, and inability to properly identify the correct selectivity pattern. Stock assessments that estimate domed selectivity patterns should have simulations conducted to evaluate if this bias is present. This can be accomplished by simulating data according to the error distributions used within the stock assessment and evaluating biases in estimates of selectivity and spawning stock biomass.
Estimation and Uses of the Proportion of Method Variance for Multitrait-Multimethod Data

Recent evidence supports the use of the correlated uniqueness model over the general confirmatory factor analysis model for multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) data The former provides no method factor loadings and therefore no obvious estimate of the proportion of method variance. This is problematic; researchers have used proportions of method variance from the general confirmatory factor analysis model for many purposes. Demonstrations showed that correlated uniquenesses can be averaged to estimate the proportion of method variance. Unlike factor loadings, correlated uniquenesses need not be squared. The first demonstration included a mathematical proof and analysis of an artificial matrix The second involved two employment interview matrixes and one performance appraisal matrix Proportion of method variance estimates were used to make comparisons within and between MTMM matrixes. Results suggested that more structured employment interviews contain smaller proportions of method variance and that peer perform...
Non‐double‐couple earthquake mechanisms in the Nazca Plate Subduction Zone

Earthquakes that occur within the Nazca plate subduction zone tend to fall into two populations: the generally smaller, nearly pure double-couple events, and the usually larger, non-double-couple earthquakes. In fact, there appears to exist a direct relationship between the proportion of the non-double-couple component in the earthquake solution and the scalar moment. A similar trend is not observed on the global scale. Furthermore, most of the earthquakes with large non-double-couple components occur in the locations where the greatest amount of structural complexity is expected. We therefore hypothesize that the non-double-couple mechanisms in this region are, in general, related to the break-down of the assumption of slip on a planar fault-surface, one of the fundamental assumptions in obtaining moment tensor source mechanisms in accord with the double-couple model. This failure is, in turn, related to the extreme structural complexity in this region.
Social Preferences aren't Preferences

Abstract Experimental economists robustly observe that people in the laboratory regularly make choices that result in lower payoffs for themselves. When faced with this paradox of preferences, economists posit that there must be two meanings of preferences: preferences for the self and preferences for the social. In this paper I argue that this is an example of economists forcing ordinary human behavior to fit their models. The force of my argument is to confute the notion that an individual's expression of so-called social preferences as an action can be represented as a set of separable and private utilitarian “preferences” within him.
Surface Acidity and Properties of TiO2/SiO2 Catalysts Prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition: UV−visible Diffuse Reflectance, DRIFTS, and Visible Raman Spectroscopy Studies

Highly uniform submonolayer to multilayer thin films of titanium dioxide supported on high surface area silica gel have been synthesized by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using titanium tetrachlorid...
Nozzle design parameters and their effects on rapid sample delivery in flow cytometry.

Background Rapid kinetic and high throughput flow cytometry are emerging as valuable tools in biotechnology research applications ranging from mechanistic analysis of molecular assemblies to high throughput screening. Many of these new applications have been made possible by improved sample delivery capabilities, focusing increased attention on fluidic issues associated with rapid sample delivery. Methods Using basic fluidic premises, we derived a model that predicted the effect of nozzle parameters during rapid sample delivery. We tested the model using the rapid mix flow cytometer and modifications were made to the equipment to optimize performance. Results The model predicted that shorter nozzles with wide exit orifices decrease the delay before initial particle analysis and the fluidic stabilization time. Experimental results confirmed this prediction and model-based modifications allowed analysis of particles within 55 ms or 600 ms after mixing, with or without electronic gating, respectively. Conclusions The model along with modifications to commercial equipment will allow rapid mix flow cytometry to analyze reactions in time frames threefold shorter than previously possible. The model allows for nozzle design predictions that should allow for analysis in the millisecond time frame. Furthermore, these findings are general for all rapid delivery applications, including high throughput flow cytometry. Cytometry 47:127–137, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Income Volatility and Wealth: The Effect on Charitable Giving

Charitable giving in the United States provides a major source of funding for nonprofit organizations, but it is also a highly variable source of funding. A possible explanation for the substantial variability in giving lies in the measurement of income. In addition to permanent and transitory income, this article introduces the variability of income as a factor affecting charitable donations. The variability of income increases with the level of household income and varies by the source of income. In distinguishing types of income the authors are also able to shed some light on decision making by married couples. The effect of changes in permanent household income on charitable giving is significantly larger than that of transitory household income. Greater variability in the flow of annual household income has a negative effect on total giving. In addition, the authors find some significant differences in the impact on giving between the husband's and wife's earnings.
Bridging the gap between class and space: U.S. worker solidarity with Guatemala.

: In recent decades organized labor in the United States has responded to restructuring of the global economy by increasing its commitment to international solidarity, providing moral and material support for the organizing efforts of workers abroad. The international labor solidarity strategy appears to be designed to lessen the competition among places over investment, plant location, and jobs by uniting workers in different countries on the basis of their shared class interests. Yet international solidarity programs may serve to benefit one geographically distinct group of workers over another without challenging capitalism's allocative mechanisms. I develop criteria for differentiating between the latter kind of solidarity campaigns, which I call accommodationist, and transformatory solidarity, which attempts to prevent capital from using space to weaken workers' organizations, thereby altering the labor-capital relationship in fundamental ways. I then examine the work of an organization of union members and workers in the United States committed to forming relationships of solidarity with workers in Guatemala. I look at the history, philosophy, and activities of the U.S./Guatemala Labor Education Project (US/GLEP), which provides an informative case study of the opportunities and dangers of international solidarity. The limitations of international solidarity campaigns are identified, and I suggest ways to overcome these barriers. spatial relations,
A thermally stable polybenzimidazole polybenzoxazole segmented block copolymer

m-phenyl benzoate end-capped pre-polybenzoxazole oligomer and a 3,4-diaminobenzene endcapped pre-polybenzimidazole were synthesized. These functionalized oligomers were then condensed to give a polybenzoxazole-polybenzimidazole segmented block copolymer. The functionalized oligomers were characterized by proton NMR, diffuse reflectance FTIR, and thermal gravimetric analysis. The final block copolymer was characterized by diffuse reflectance FTIR and thermal gravimetric analysis.
Histologic and physiologic evaluation of electrically stimulated peripheral nerve: considerations for the selection of parameters.

Helical electrodes were implanted around the left and right common peroneal nerves of cats. Three weeks after implantation one nerve was stimulated for 4–16 hours using charge-balanced, biphasic, constant current pulses. Compound action potentials (CAP) evoked by the stimulus were recorded from over the cauda equina before, during and after the stimulation. Light and electron microscopy evaluations were conducted at various times following the stimulation. The mere presence of the electrode invariably resulted in thickened epineurium and in some cases increased peripheral endoneurial connective tissue beneath the electrodes. Physiologic changes during stimulation included elevation of the electrical threshold of the large axons in the nerve. This was reversed within one week after stimulation at a frequency of 20 Hz, but often was not reversed following stimulation at 50–100 Hz. Continuous stimulation at 50 Hz for 8–16 hours at 400 μA or more resulted in neural damage characterized by endoneurial edema beginning within 48 hours after stimulation, and early axonal degeneration (EAD) of the large myelinated fibers, beginning by 1 week after stimulation. Neural damage due to electrical stimulation was decreased or abolished by reduction of the duration of stimulation, by stimulating at 20 Hz (vs. 50 Hz) or by use of an intermittent duty cycle. These results demonstrate that axons in peripheral nerves can be irreversely damaged by 8–16 hours of continuous stimulation at 50 Hz. However, the extent to which these axons may subsequently regenerate is uncertain. Therefore, protocols for functional electrical stimulation in human patients probably should be evaluated individually in animal studies.
A note on the application of the Flamant solution of classical elasticity to circular domains

It is a well known fact that the Flamant solution of classical elasticity cannot be used at an interior point of an elastic body since the resulting displacement field would be multivalued. In this note we demonstrate that the solution to the problem of a concentrated force at a point on an interior circular boundary has a multivalued displacement component but that the exclusion of the point of application of the load from the domain renders the displacement field single-valued everywhere. ©2002 ASME
Proteolysis of the Human Platelet and Endothelial Cell Thrombin Receptor by Neutrophil-derived Cathepsin G

Cathepsin G is a neutrophil-derived protease that has been shown to inhibit the effects of thrombin on some cells expressing thrombin receptors while acting as an agonist on others. The present studies examine whether cleavage of the thrombin receptor by cathepsin G can account for these diverse effects. When added to cells that normally respond to thrombin, cathepsin G prevented a subsequent cytosolic Ca2+ increase caused by thrombin, but had no effect on responses to the thrombin receptor agonist peptide, SFLLRN. These effects were observed in cells in which cathepsin G had little or no agonist effect (human umbilical vein endothelial cells and HEL cells), as well as in cells in which cathepsin G acted as an agonist (platelets and CHRF-288 cells). Binding studies using monoclonal antibodies with defined epitopes within the first 60 residues of the thrombin receptor N-terminus showed that incubation of platelets and endothelial cells with cathepsin G abolished the binding of all of the antibodies, while thrombin abolished only the binding of antibodies whose epitopes were N-terminal to the known thrombin cleavage site between Arg41 and Ser42. Analysis of peptide proteolytic fragments identified three potential cleavage sites for cathepsin G: Arg41-Ser42, Phe43-Leu44, and Phe55-Trp56. Cleavage at Phe55-Trp56 would account for both the observed loss of all of the antibody binding sites and the inhibition of receptor activation by thrombin. Two approaches were used to determine whether a solitary cleavage at Arg41-Ser42 could result in receptor activation. In the first, HEL cells were exposed to cathepsin G or thrombin in the presence of an antibody whose epitope includes Phe55. The antibody inhibited responses to thrombin, but augmented the response to cathepsin G. In the second, COS-1 cells were transfected with variant thrombin receptors in which Phe55 and Trp56 were mutated to alanine. Transfected wild-type receptors responded to thrombin, but not cathepsin G, while the variant receptors responded to both proteases. These results 1) suggest that the ability of cathepsin G to inhibit responses to thrombin, but not SFLLRN, is due to cleavage of the receptor at Phe55-Trp56, deleting the tethered ligand domain, and 2) show that cathepsin G can activate thrombin receptors, but only if the cleavage site at Phe55-Trp56 is mutated or otherwise protected.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Global-scale hybrid simulation of dayside magnetic reconnection under southward IMF: Structure and evolution of reconnection

[1] Magnetopause reconnection is investigated with our 3-D self-consistent global hybrid simulation model. The magnetic configuration and evolution of Flux Transfer Events (FTEs) and the associated ion density and ion velocity distribution at various locations on the magnetopause are investigated. The results reveal the following. (1) Multiple X lines are formed during the magnetopause reconnection, which lead to both FTEs and quasi-steady-type reconnection under a steady solar wind condition. The resulting bipolar signature of local normal magnetic field of FTEs is consistent with satellite observations. (2) A greater-than-20% plasma temperature rise is seen at the center of a FTE, compared to that of the upstream plasma in the magnetosheath. The temperature enhancement is mainly in the direction parallel to the magnetic field because of the mixing of ion beams. (3) Flux ropes that lead to FTEs form between X lines of finite lengths and evolve relatively independently. The ion density is enhanced within FTE flux ropes because of the trapped particles, leading to a filamentary global density. (4) Different from the previous understanding based on the asymmetric density across the magnetopause, a quadrupole magnetic field signature associated with the Hall effects is found to be present around FTEs. (5) A combination of patchy reconnection and multiple X line reconnection leads to the formation of reconnected field lines from the magnetosphere to IMF, as well as the closed field lines from the magnetosphere to the magnetosphere in the magnetopause boundary layer.
Carcinoma within urethral diverticula

Because diagnosis of urethral diverticulum is often elusive the presence of a tumor within the diverticular cavity may be overlooked until it has grown beyond the confines of the diverticulum. A search of the medical records from 1940 to 1975 at the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco and Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley has revealed only 3 cases of carcinoma within a urethral diverticulum. Two are presented here and the third was reported by Hinman in 1960. The paucity of cases in the literature reflects the rarity of such location for the tumor--or, perhaps, rather its evasive diagnostic nature. Undoubtedly, many cases are unreported but the important message for the clinician is that he suspect a urethral diverticulum (with the possibility of underlying neoplasm) in any patient with unexplained persistent irritative symptoms of the lower genitourinary tract.
Dinuclear palladium(II) complexes with bridging amidate ligands

New homonuclear dimeric Pd(II) complexes have been synthesized by the reaction of Pd(en)2+ or Pd(bipy)2+ (where en = ethylenediamine and bipy = 2,2′-bipyridine) units with acetamide or by the Pd(II) mediated hydrolysis of CH3CN. In these dimers the two metal centers are bridged by either two amidates or by the combination of one hydroxo group and one amidate ligand. The crystal structures of complexes {[Pd(bipy)]2(µ-1,3-CH3CONH)2}(NO3)2·H2O·1/2(CH3)2CO·1/2CH3CN (3) and {[Pd(bipy)]2(µ-1,3-CH3CONH)2}(OTf)2 (4) showed intrametallic Pd–Pd distances of 2.8480(8) A (3) and 2.8384(7) A (4), respectively, in accordance with the accepted values for a strong Pd–Pd interaction. The presence of π⋯π interactions between the bipyridine ligands on the di-µ-amidate complexes of Pd(bipy)2+ shortens the distance between the two Pd centers and allows the formation of the metal–metal interaction. By contrast, the crystal structure of complex {[Pd(en)]2(µ-1,3-CH3CONH)2}(OTf)2·H2O (6), (where OTf = triflate) where there is no π⋯π interaction between the ligands on the metal centers, is also reported, and no Pd–Pd interaction is observed. Additionally, one of the complexes, {[Pd(en)]2(µ-OH)(µ-CH3CONH)}(NO3)2 (5), presents an interesting hydrogen bonded 3-D network formed by nitrate ions and water molecules. All complexes have been characterized by infrared and 1H NMR spectroscopy.
Fat Poor Renal Angiomyolipoma: Patient, Computerized Tomography and Histological Findings

Purpose: We reviewed our experience with fat poor cases of angiomyolipoma.Materials and Methods: The records of patients with angiomyolipoma, as determined by pathological study, from 1998 to 2004 were reviewed by recording patient demographics and outcomes. Fat poor cases were defined as the failure of imaging to demonstrate fat in a lesion. Computerized tomography and histological characteristics were assessed.Results: Histologically confirmed angiomyolipoma was found in 15 patients. Multiple lesions were found in 3 of 15 cases (20%). Of these 15 patients who underwent surgery 11 (73%) had unsuspected angiomyolipoma due to absent fat on computerized tomography and they underwent intervention for presumed renal cell carcinoma. Mean age ± SD in this group was 54 ± 15 years and 8 of 11 patients (73%) were female, of whom 4 (50%) had uterine fibroids. These lesions were found incidentally in 7 of 11 cases (64%). Operative complications developed in 2 of 11 patients (18%). Average maximal diameter on patholo...