cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
From audio tapes to video blogs: the delocalisation of authority in Islam

. Today, a new breed of charismatic and media-savvy religious figures are reinvigorating internal debates on Islam by drawing large audiences across the Muslim world and the Muslim diaspora in the West. Using satellite media, websites, blogs and video blogs, these new religious celebrities are changing the nature of debate in Islam from a doctrinaire discourse to a practical discussion that focuses on individual enterprise as a spiritual quest. These leaders have become religious entrepreneurs, with sophisticated networks of message distribution and media presence. From Amr Khaled and Moez Masood, two leading figures of Arab Islamic entertainment television, to Baba Ali, a famous Muslim video blogger from California, Islam has never been more marketable. Satellite television and the internet are becoming fertile discursive spaces where not only religious meanings are reconfigured but also new Islamic experiences are mediated transnationally. This delocalisation of Islamic authority beyond the traditional sources of Egypt and Saudi Arabia is generating new producers and locales of religious meaning in Dubai, London, Paris and Los Angeles. This article examines the impact of celebrity religious figures and their new media technologies on the relativisation of authority in Islam and the emergence of a cosmopolitan transnational audience of Muslims. I ask if this transnational and seemingly apolitical effort is generating a new form of religious nationalism that devalues the importance of national loyalties.
The Anyu of Siku quanshu zongmu

Anyu案语/按语, found in ancient Chinese bibliographies, is an author’s note that adds extra information to the prefaces of different classificatory sections, and may record annotations concerning individual books. Siku quanshu zongmu 四库全书总目, which contains 127 occurrences of anyu案语, may be regarded as typical. While anyu案 语 are valuable and beneficial to the bibliographical study of ancient Chinese books and to Chinese literary history, study of them has long been neglected and only a few articles have been written. This paper tries to redress this neglect by providing a more comprehensive investigation of the distribution, content and contribution to the bibliographical study of ancient Chinese books and Chinese scholarly history by the anyu 案语 contained in the Siku quanshu zongmu.
Application of the PMR Topology Optimization Scheme to Dual Material Structures

An iterative finite element based topology optimization method based on prescribed material redistribution (PMR) has recently been demonstrated to effectively identify optimal topologies for single material structures. Through the application of a family of Beta probability density and cumulative distribution functions, the method provides a gradual transition from a unimodal distribution of uniform intermediate density to a bimodal distribution of void and fully dense regions. In this paper, the PMR method is extended to dual material structures in which the tensile member strength differs from the compressive member strength. Evolution to topologies which satisfy dual material optimality criteria is ensured through the introduction of local fictitious moduli based on the local stress state. For validation, both analytically derived solutions and a numerical dual material truss optimization procedure are applied. The truss optimization procedure is based on an assumed topology for which the optimal joint coordinates and member cross-sectional areas are determined using a quasi-Newton method and fully stressed design conditions. Validation problems considered include a two-bar dual material cantilever, a dual material truss structure subjected to combined loading, and dual material shear loaded frame structures with pre-existing members. For each case, validation is provided by correlating PMR results with results obtained from the dual material truss optimization procedure. It is demonstrated that for all cases considered, the PMR method provides a reliable tool for the identification of minimum weight dual material structures.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Regional connectivity and circuit enumeration in planar graphs

The region-adjacency matrix of a planar graph G is the vertex-adjacency matrix of its geometric dual G'. Thus, regional connectivity in G has precisely the properties of vertex connectivity in G'. This duality is used to advantage in a routine presented in the paper for enumerating all the circuits in G from the set of vertex cutsets in G'. The routine yields each circuit uniquely, and circumvents a certain combinatorial tedium which is present in circuit-enumeration techniques proposed previously by Rao et al. and Maxwell and Reed.
Immunochemical relationships among lysosomal acid phosphohydrolases: DNase II and nonspecific phosphodiesterase.

Immunopracipitationsreaktionen mit Schweinemilz, Desoxyribonuklease II, unspezifische Phosphodiesterase und Rindermilz-DNase II zeigen, dass eine engere immunologische Beziehung zwischen den Nukleasen beider Spezies besteht, als zwischen den beiden Schweinephosphohydrolasen.
Alteration of nocturnal radiation balance of “red blush” grapefruit trees by application of aluminum powder suspensions to upper leaves

Abstract Theoretical considerations indicate that radiational energy loss and air-leaf temperature depressions may be reduced by lowering canopy emissivity. Aluminum powder suspensions applied to the upper leaves of “Red Blush” grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf.) trees reduced canopy emissivity (4–12%) and increased leaf temperature (0.6-0.9°C). Net radiation loss was reduced up to 9%. When net radiation loss was not reduced, air-leaf temperature depression reductions were greater.
Teachers attending to students’ mathematical reasoning: lessons from an after-school research program

There is a documented need for more opportunities for teachers to learn about students’ mathematical reasoning. This article reports on the experiences of a group of elementary and middle school mathematics teachers who participated as interns in an after-school, classroom-based research project on the development of mathematical ideas involving middle-grade students from an urban, low-income, minority community in the United States. For 1 year, the teachers observed the students working on well-defined mathematical investigations that provided a context for the students’ formation of particular mathematical ideas and different forms of reasoning in several mathematical content strands. The article describes insights into students’ mathematical reasoning that the teachers were able to gain from their observations of the students’ mathematical activity. The purpose is to show that teachers’ observations of students’ mathematical activity in research sessions on students’ development of mathematical ideas can provide opportunities for teachers to learn about students’ mathematical reasoning.
Self-guiding effects in semiconductor waveguide amplifiers

An active double heterostructure diode structure is employed as a nonlinear medium to demonstrate soliton waveguiding effects. It was observed that the nonlinearities due to reverse bandfilling in active semiconductor amplifiers give rise to a spectral region where self-focusing takes place for photon energies corresponding to the peak of the gain. By monitoring the mode-profile at the output of the slab waveguide as a function of wavelength, a district narrowing of the output beam lateral dimension was observed and the beam profile appeared to stay stable for a range of input intensities. The slab waveguide was 650 micrometer long and each of the contact pads for electrical carrier injection was 60 micrometer wide. The experiments showed that the lateral dimension of the near field profile output beam changed from a FWHM width of 32 micrometer to 5.5 micrometer as the wavelength of the laser was tuned into the optimum range for self-focusing nonlinearities. This corresponds to a peak nonlinear coefficient of n2 equals 2.8 X 10-10 cm2/watt.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Long-distance navigation in sea turtles

Adult sea turtles of several species migrate across vast expanses of ocean to arrive at specific nesting areas and feeding sites. Two hypotheses have been proposed to account for this remarkable navigation. The first is that chemical cues emanating from target areas guide turtles to their destinations. The second is that turtles can approximate their position relative to target regions using features of the earth's magnetic field. Because animals often rely on multiple cues while migrating, the two hypotheses are not mutually exclusive. Satellite tracking experiments have revealed that migrating turtles often swim directly to distant goals, even when traveling perpendicularly to water currents. Because animals usually change course frequently while seeking the source of a chemical plume, the consistency of headings casts doubt on the hypothesis that turtles follow such plumes over great distances. Chemical cues may nevertheless play a role in enabling turtles to recognize a target area in the final stages...
Non-Invasive Right and Left Systolic Time Intervals by Echocardiography

Evaluation of left ventricular Derformance has been possible by the measurement of systolic time intervals (STI’s). However, non-invasive assessment of the right ventricular performance has been difficult because of inability to determine the onset of ejection. Twenty-five children, ages 2 weeks to 14 years have been studied using the electrocardiogram, phonocardiogram, carotid pulse and echocardiogram.
Bayesian Multiscale Modeling of Closed Curves in Point Clouds

Modeling object boundaries based on image or point cloud data is frequently necessary in medical and scientific applications ranging from detecting tumor contours for targeted radiation therapy, to the classification of organisms based on their structural information. In low-contrast images or sparse and noisy point clouds, there is often insufficient data to recover local segments of the boundary in isolation. Thus, it becomes critical to model the entire boundary in the form of a closed curve. To achieve this, we develop a Bayesian hierarchical model that expresses highly diverse 2D objects in the form of closed curves. The model is based on a novel multiscale deformation process. By relating multiple objects through a hierarchical formulation, we can successfully recover missing boundaries by borrowing structural information from similar objects at the appropriate scale. Furthermore, the model’s latent parameters help interpret the population, indicating dimensions of significant structural variability...
Metabolic changes in dogs during anaphylactic shock

Abstract Hemodynamic and metabolic parameters were studied in conscious dogs during anaphylactic shock. Mean arterial blood pressure and cardiac output decreased and heart rate increased during shock. FFA flux and O2 consumption decreased significantly shortly after the challenging injection. RQ was elevated indicating a shift in metabolite utilization towards carbohydrates.
Evidence for target site insensitivity to cyanide in Spodoptera eridania larvae

Abstract 1. 1. Isolated mitochondria from the whole southern armyworm larvae, Spodoptera eridania , show all of the characteristics of mammalian liver mitochondria, except for target site sensitivity to cyanide. 2. 2. The armyworm larval mitochondria are 17 times less sensitive to cyanide when compared to rat liver mitochondria and cannot be completely inhibited with extremely large doses. 3. 3. These data suggest the presence in the southern armyworm of either a cyanide-insensitive cytochrome oxidase, or the elaboration of cyanide-insensitive oxidative pathway reminiscent of an alternative oxidative pathway that is known to coexist in plants alongside the cyanide-sensitive pathway.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS AND CASE STUDIES: Socioeconomic Analysis Options for Pesticides Management in Developing Countries: A Review

Many factors must be considered by environmental officials tasked with managing pesticides. Several socioeconomic analysis techniques can be used to quantify these issues and help improve managemen...
Do Some Lenders Have Information Advantages? Evidence from JapaneseCredit Market Data

Using detailed Japanese credit data, we test for the existence of a credit market hierarchy. Empirical tests indicate that firms with information problems are more likely to carry higher proportions of relationship loans from main banks than non-main banks, holding constant risk and control factors. We further examine credit specialization on the part of lenders by testing the relationship between client firms' information and risk characteristics and the concentration of loans obtained from depository institutions versus other financial institutions. However, no significant differences in information superiority between these two types of financial institutions are found. We conclude that our evidence supports the credit market hierarchy hypothesis for Japanese main banks in particular but not depository institutions in general.
Composite Laminate Free-Edge Reinforcement with U-Shaped Caps Part 11: Theoretical-Experimental Correlation

Une analyse par elements finis des deformations planes generalisees predit la reduction des contraintes normales interstrates quand une plaque en composite stratifie est renforcee aux limites par une mâchoire. Prediction de la charge de rupture de strates pour differents types de mâchoires en utilisant un critere de rupture des materiaux composites tridimensionnels pour une analyse de la rupture progressive. Les materiaux renforces supportent une charge 1,3 a 1,4 fois superieure. Precision de la methode element fini satisfaisante et presentation d'applications possibles ainsi que de voies de recherche
Dramatic extension of the high-order harmonic cutoff by using a long-wavelength driving field

We present an experimental demonstration of extending the high-order harmonic cutoff photon energy more than a factor of 2 when the driving-field wavelength is changed from 0.8 to 1.51 μm with an optical parametric amplifier. With argon gas, the cutoff has been extended from 64 to 160 eV. We predict that coherent keV x rays can be generated by exciting helium gas with the long-wavelength driving pulses. Experiments on xenon gas with several pump wavelengths also showed the dramatic cutoff extension, as well as full tunability of the generated XUV wavelengths.
Changes in Transmission Risk Behaviors Across Stages of HIV Disease Among People Living With HIV

Advances in treatments for HIV infection and related opportunistic illnesses have significantly extended the life expectancy of people living with HIV. A review of the literature on HIV transmission risks among HIV-infected individuals shows patterns of risk behavior that vary according to HIV disease stage. Studies confirm that the period immediately preceding HIV infection is characterized by high rates of risk behaviors, indicating the potential for rapid spread of HIV during acute infection. Reductions in risk behavior are often seen immediately following an HIV diagnosis. However, these behavioral changes are not universal, and an individual's state of health is an important factor relating to transmission risks. Chronic periods of asymptomatic HIV infection are generally associated with some degree of reverting to risky behaviors. CD4 cell counts below 200 cells/mm 3 , resulting in a formal diagnosis of AIDS, are associated with decreased sexual and drug-related risk behaviors. HIV risk reduction interventions for HIV-infected persons, therefore, require tailoring to address the health and psychological challenges individuals face as they progress through stages of HIV disease. Additional research on both risk behaviors of long-term HIV-infected persons and longitudinal data on risk behaviors is needed.
Differences in Proportion of Fawns to Hinds in Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) from Several New Zealand Environments

Differences in Proportion of Fawns to Hinds in Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) from Several New Zealand Environments
The Effects of the Asselin Time Filter on Numerical Solutions to the Linearized Shallow-Water Wave Equations

In the present investigation, a one-dimensional linearized analysis is used to determine the effect of Asselin's (1972) time filter on both the computational stability and phase error of numerical solutions for the shallow water wave equations, in cases with diffusion but without rotation. An attempt has been made to establish the approximate optimal values of the filtering parameter nu for each of the 'lagged', Dufort-Frankel, and Crank-Nicholson diffusion schemes, suppressing the computational wave mode without materially altering the physical wave mode. It is determined that in the presence of diffusion, the optimum filter length depends on whether waves are undergoing significant propagation. When moderate propagation is present, with or without diffusion, the Asselin filter has little effect on the spatial phase lag of the physical mode for the leapfrog advection scheme of the three diffusion schemes considered.
Observing the Transition from a Multiphoton-Dominated to a Field-Mediated Ionization Process for Polyatomic Molecules in Intense Laser Fields

The photoelectron spectra for benzene, naphthalene, and anthracene ionized using a 780 nm, 170 fs laser pulse of intensity $3.8\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{13}\mathrm{W}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ reveal a decrease in the discrete features associated with above threshold ionization with increasing molecular size. A corresponding exponential increase in the intensity of a broad featureless distribution indicates that field ionization dominates the coupling mechanism for the larger molecules. A coupling model based on a zero-range potential predicts that only multiphoton ionization should occur. This model, incorporating both the ionization potential and electronic delocalization of the molecule, correctly predicts the observed transition.
The arrest and vindication of John H. Hickcox

In January 1882, John H. Hickcox, a central government documents figure in his time, and the creator of United States Government Publications: A Monthly Catalogue or Hickcox's Monthly Catalogue was arrested in Washington, DC, for taking letters addressed to the Librarian of Congress. Although the charges were eventually dismissed, 1882 is the last year that Hickcox worked for the Library of Congress. In an effort to add to the history of the key players in government documents publishing, this paper explores this strange incident and also documents other details of Hickcox's life and his catalog, which were discovered during the course of this investigation. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Astrophysics: One of the first of the second stars.

The chemical content of a star that was born relatively shortly after the formation of the Milky Way calls into question conventional understanding of how stars formed in the early Universe.
Identification of Trypanosoma brucei RMI1/BLAP75 Homologue and Its Roles in Antigenic Variation

At any time, each cell of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei expresses a single species of its major antigenic protein, the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG), from a repertoire of >2,000 VSG genes and pseudogenes. The potential to express different VSGs by transcription and recombination allows the parasite to escape the antibody-mediated host immune response, a mechanism known as antigenic variation. The active VSG is transcribed from a sub-telomeric polycistronic unit called the expression site (ES), whose promoter is 40–60 kb upstream of the VSG. While the mechanisms that initiate recombination remain unclear, the resolution phase of these reactions results in the recombinational replacement of the expressed VSG with a donor from one of three distinct chromosomal locations; sub-telomeric loci on the 11 essential chromosomes, on minichromosomes, or at telomere-distal loci. Depending on the type of recombinational replacement (single or double crossover, duplicative gene conversion, etc), several DNA-repair pathways have been thought to play a role. Here we show that VSG recombination relies on at least two distinct DNA-repair pathways, one of which requires RMI1-TOPO3α to suppress recombination and one that is dependent on RAD51 and RMI1. These genetic interactions suggest that both RAD51-dependent and RAD51-independent recombination pathways operate in antigenic switching and that trypanosomes differentially utilize recombination factors for VSG switching, depending on currently unknown parameters within the ES.
Tropical Cyclogenesis in the Intra-Americas Sea: Hurricane Cindy (2005)

The tropical cyclogenesis (TCG) of Atlantic Hurricane Cindy (2005) was investigated to study environmental conditions preceding mesoscale vortex development in the Intra-Americas Sea (IAS; i.e., the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea) using the ERA-Interim Reanalysis pressure level data. Major findings include that the development of a mesoscale vortex occurred downward over Central America due to 600 hPa level enhanced winds downstream of southeasterly winds from northern South America, triggering Cindy's TCG in a few days. The contribution of midlevel enhanced winds should be noted as a potential precursor of other TCGs in the IAS.
Animal models for the study of alcohol addiction

Abstract (1) Animal models of alcoholism which fulfill the pharmacological criteria of addiction, tolerance and physical dependence, have been developed only recently. (2) Both pharmacological (forced alcohol administration) and behavioral (self-administration) models are now possible in rodents and primates. (3) The relative advantages and disadvantages of pharmacological and behavioral models depends on the types of questions to be investigated. (4) It is now possible to examine the neurophysiological, endocrinological, biochemical and behavioral correlates of the development of alcohol addiction and to study the alcohol withdrawal syndrome in experiments which are neither feasible nor ethical in man.
Policy analysis: The undisciplined discipline

Policy analysis is an amorphous, multi-disciplinary, adademic pursuit in search of a professional focus. This discussion surveys the parameters of this pursuit and outlines the basic ingredients of a professional perspective. Argument is made for a multi-faceted, yet integrative approach which appreciates both the rational and trans-rational elements of public policy and which is anchored in a mixture of technical expertise and public regardedness.
Performance on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children as Related to Salivary Testosterone in Children with Learning Disabilities: A Poststudy Analysis

Reanalysis of testosterone values published in 1993 gave a significantly higher mean and standard deviation for 15 learning-disabled children scoring P > V than those for 10 scoring V > P but not for a matched nonlearning-disabled group. Replication with larger samples would allow a test of hemispheric integration.
Bivariate Logistic Distributions

Abstract The logistic distribution closely resembles the normal one. Both are symmetrical. Here two logistic bivariate distributions are studied. In both cases the curves of equal probability density are not ellipses, the regression curves are not linear and the conditional expectations are limited. The first distribution analyzed with the help of the bivariate moment generating function is asymmetrical and therefore departs considerably from the normal one. The coefficient of correlation is constant and equal to one half. The second bivariate logistic distribution is symmetrical. The regression curves are linear in probability scale and the coefficient of correlation varies in the interval ± .30396.
Classic and current opinion in embryonic organ transplantation.

Purpose of review Here, we review the rationale for the use of organs from embryonic donors, antecedent investigations and recent work from our own laboratory, exploring the utility for transplantation of embryonic kidney and pancreas as an organ replacement therapy. Recent findings Ultrastructurally precise kidneys differentiate in situ in rats following xenotransplantation in mesentery of embryonic pig renal primordia. The developing organ attracts its blood supply from the host. Engraftment of pig renal primordia requires host immune suppression. However, beta cells originating from embryonic pig pancreas obtained very early following initiation of organogenesis [embryonic day 28 (E28)] engraft long term in nonimmune-suppressed diabetic rats or rhesus macaques. Engraftment of morphologically similar cells originating from adult porcine islets of Langerhans occurs in animals previously transplanted with E28 pig pancreatic primordia. Summary Organ primordia engraft, attract a host vasculature and differentiate following transplantation to ectopic sites. Attempts have been made to exploit these characteristics to achieve clinically relevant endpoints for end-stage renal disease and diabetes mellitus using animal models. We and others have focused on use of the embryonic pig as a donor.
Reaction of N-hydroxyguanidine with the ferrous–oxy state of a heme peroxidase cavity mutant: A model for the reactions of nitric oxide synthase

Abstract Yeast cytochrome c peroxidase was used to construct a model for the reactions catalyzed by the second cycle of nitric oxide synthase. The R48A/W191F mutant introduced a binding site for N-hydroxyguanidine near the distal heme face and removed the redox active Trp-191 radical site. Both the R48A and R48A/W191F mutants catalyzed the H2O2 dependent conversion of N-hydroxyguanidine to N-nitrosoguanidine. It is proposed that these reactions proceed by direct one-electron oxidation of NHG by the Fe+4 O center of either Compound I (Fe+4 O, porph+ ) or Compound ES (Fe+4 O, Trp+ ). R48A/W191F formed a Fe+2O2 complex upon photolysis of Fe+2CO in the presence of O2, and N-hydroxyguanidine was observed to react with this species to produce products, distinct from N-nitrosoguanidine, that gave a positive Griess reaction for nitrate + nitrite, a positive Berthelot reaction for urea, and no evidence for formation of NO . It is proposed that HNO and urea are produced in analogy with reactions of nitric oxide synthase in the pterin-free state.
Tissue- and species-specific antigens of the rat submandibular gland

En evaluant par heteroimmunisation les caracteres antigeniques de la glande submandibulaire du rat, nous avons decouvert plusieurs antigenes specifiques et autres mis en reaction avec le serum sanguin et les tissus. Lorsque l'on compare les extraits glandulaires de diverses especes, on constate que la glande submandibulaire du rat a des caracteres hautement specifiques.
Microbial conversion of choline to trimethylamine requires a glycyl radical enzyme

Choline and trimethylamine (TMA) are small molecules that play central roles in biological processes throughout all kingdoms of life. These ubiquitous metabolites are linked through a single biochemical transformation, the conversion of choline to TMA by anaerobic microorganisms. This metabolic activity, which contributes to methanogenesis and human disease, has been known for over a century but has eluded genetic and biochemical characterization. We have identified a gene cluster responsible for anaerobic choline degradation within the genome of a sulfate-reducing bacterium and verified its function using both a genetic knockout strategy and heterologous expression in Escherichia coli. Bioinformatics and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy revealed the involvement of a C–N bond cleaving glycyl radical enzyme in TMA production, which is unprecedented chemistry for this enzyme family. Our discovery provides the predictive capabilities needed to identify choline utilization clusters in numerous bacterial genomes, underscoring the importance and prevalence of this metabolic activity within the human microbiota and the environment.
Expression of α-synuclein, parkin, and ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 mRNA in human brain: Genes associated with familial Parkinson's disease

Mutations in the alpha-synuclein, parkin, and ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) genes have been linked to some cases of familial Parkinson's disease. To provide insight into how these genes may relate to each other and contribute to the pathology of Parkinson's disease, their expression was examined in normal human brain. Tissue sections from multiple regions of 11 normal human brains were hybridized with radiolabeled and digoxygenin-labeled cRNA probes for alpha-synuclein, parkin, and UCH-L1 mRNA. Expression of each of these three genes was predominantly neuronal. Alpha-synuclein and parkin mRNAs were expressed in a restricted number of brain regions, whereas UCH-L1 mRNA was more uniformly expressed throughout brain. The melanin-containing dopamine neurons of the substantia nigra had particularly robust expression. The expression patterns of alpha-synuclein and parkin mRNAs were similar, suggesting that these two proteins may be involved in common pathways contributing to the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease.
Intracerebral Mycobacterium bovis bacilli Calmette-Guerin infection-induced immune responses in the CNS☆

To study whether cerebral mycobacterial infection induces granuloma and protective immunity similar to systemic infection, we intracerebrally infected mice with Mycobacterium bovis bacilli Calmette-Guerin. Granuloma and IFN-gamma(+)CD4(+) T cell responses are induced in the central nervous system (CNS) similar to periphery, but the presence of IFN-gammaIL-17 double-positive CD4(+) T cells is unique to the CNS. The major CNS source of TNF-alpha is microglia, with modest production by CD4(+) T cells and macrophage. Protective immunity is accompanied by accumulation of Foxp3(+)CD4(+) T cells and PD-L2(+) dendritic cells, suggesting that both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses develop in the CNS following mycobacterial infection.
Role of BNP in patients with severe asymptomatic aortic stenosis.

This editorial refers to "Predictors of outcome in patients with severe aortic stenosis and normal left ventricular function: role of B-type natriuretic peptide" † by P. Lim et al. on page 2048 Senile degenerative valvular aortic stenosis affects approximately 2% of the population over the age of 65. Aortic stenosis impedes left ventricular emptying and increases left ventricular wall stress, which leads to elevation of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels. Aortic stenosis progresses slowly, allowing the left ventricle to develop concentric hypertrophy, which normalizes wall stress. These compensatory mechanisms maintain cardiac output for several years, during which time the patient remains asymptomatic. Development of haemodynamically significant aortic stenosis (aortic valve area <1.0 cm2) is associated with symptoms of exercise-induced angina, syncope and dyspnoea. Lim et al.,1 in this issue of the Journal , provide insight into the possible use of BNP as a screening tool to stratify symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with isolated aortic stenosis at risk for future events (death or aortic valve replacement). Natural history studies have demonstrated that the onset of symptoms is associated with limited survival (average of 2–3 years). However, surgical replacement of the aortic valve is also associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Randomized trials comparing surgery versus continuing medical therapy are lacking but observational studies have demonstrated that aortic valve replacement at the onset of symptoms is associated with improved symptoms and prolonged survival. A major problem with the reliance on symptoms alone is that it is based upon the patient's ability to exercise, or the physician's willingness to exercise a patient, who may have critical aortic … *Correspondence to: Dr. Steven R. Bailey, University of Texas Medical Center, Mail Code 7872, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr, San Antonio, TX 78229-3901, USA. Tel.: +1 210 5674601; fax: +1 210 5676960 (E-mail: baileys{at}uthscsa.edu).
The effects of crystal size distributions on the crystallinity analysis of bone mineral.

The mechanisms by which crystal size distributions affect the usual method of quantitative X-ray diffraction analysis of bone mineral have been determined on synthetic crystals. It was observed that each component of a crystal-size distribution diffracts independently. This independence causes systematic nonlinear behavior in the plot of integrated intensity vs. broadening parameter curves. The nonlinearity resulted in an overestimation of the amount of nondiffracting material present in bone mineral. Because crystal size distributions may vary for different crystallographic directions, it is strongly suggested that the usual practice of adding thec-axis anda-axis integrated intensities to estimate the crystallinity of the sample be discontinued. Methods of understanding the crystal size distribution function in bone mineral are discussed and evaluated.
Application of network design tool to tactical mobile ad hoc networks

NEDAT (Network Engineering Design and Analysis Toolset) is an engineering tool being developed by US Army RDECOM-CERDEC to assist network designers in the design and construction of mobile ad hoc networks based on end-user performance goals and requirements. This paper will introduce and describe the functionality of the current version of NEDAT (v2.1) and to show how it can be used in designing MANETs (Mobile Ad Hoc Networks). Results produced by the tool will help network designers to choose optimum components and parameters (e.g. protocols, transmit power) for the network to meet or exceed the stated performance goals. A description of the areas focused in the networking design space will be presented.
The BC TRY integrated statistical computer package

The statistical features and general characteristics of an integrated statistical package, BC TRY, are reported. The BC TRY system of cluster and factor analysis includes many of the same descriptive and multivariate statistical analyses accomplished by the best of the packages reviewed by Berk (1977), as well as some unique routines, and it provides the user with exceptional flexibility.
Reducing drinking water sodium concentrations did not influence adolescent blood pressure

Abstract Previous investigations established that elementary and high school students residing in Reading, Massachusetts, displayed significantly higher blood pressure than their counterparts in the adjacent community of Stoneham, Massachusetts. Extensive evaluations of family history, dietary patterns, socio‐demographic variables and chemical measurements of drinking water revealed that the level of sodium in the drinking water was the variable most strongly associated with the higher blood pressure of the Reading students. A subsequent study, in which a group of Reading fifth graders’ families was given Stoneham water for all drinking and cooking purposes for a three month period., indicated that female but not male students displayed a significant decrease in their blood pressure. Subsequently, the Town of Reading announced its intention to reduce sodium levels in the drinking water by switching from the use of NaOH to CaOH as a pH adjustment technique. A study was set up to assess the impact of such a...
Free amino acids in liver, plasma, and muscle of patients with cirrhosis of the liver.

Abstract A significant decrease in concentration of branched-chain amino acids in skeletal muscle of cirrhotic patients has been observed. These data are presented in further support of the concept that a relative deficiency of these amino acids may be present in cirrhotic patients.
Inactivation of neurohypophyseal peptides by a uterine enzyme. Characterization of the hydrolytic cleavage.

Soluble and particulate fractions from homogenates of rat uteri were capable of inactivating oxytocin and [8-lysine]-vasopressin. Little increase in the inactivating activity was noticed with extracts from pregnant as compared with nonpregnant rat uteri. An oxytocin inactivating principle from the soluble fraction was substantially purified and its action on neurohypophyseal hormones, hormonal analogs and intermediates was studied. The purified enzyme preparation was found to release glycine amide from oxytocin, deamino-oxytocin and a series of C -terminal acyclic intermediates of oxytocin; it cleaved the C-terminal glycine from oxytocinoic acid, but did not release glycine amide from [8-alanine]-oxypressin, [8-lysine]- vasopressin and [8-arginine]-vasopressin. (Endocrinology 87:730,1970)
Optical properties and cell parameters in the glaucophane-riebeckite series

A complete set of new optical and x-ray data is given for eleven analyzed alkali amphiboles [Na2(Mg, Fe″)3(Al, Fe‴)2Si8O22(OH)2]. Nine new wet chemical analyses are reported. Using additional selected data from the literature, variation in refractive indices, extinction angles (γ-α), optic angles, density, lattice constants and cell volume are expressed graphically as a function of composition in the glaucophane-riebeckite and magnesiorie-beckite-ferroglaucophane series. Four orientations (G, C, O, and R) of the optical indicatrix within the structure are described and shown to be characteristic of the chemical species glaucophane (G), crossite (C), magnesioriebeckite (O), riebeckite (O), and riebeckite-arfvedsonite (R and O).
Dorsal cochlear nucleus projections to the inferior colliculus in the cat: a light and electron microscopic study

In the Present report retrograde and anterograde labeling techniques are used to study the Projections of the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) to the inferior colliculus in the cat. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) or wheat germ agglutinin (WGA-HRP) injections into the inferior colliculus produce large numbers of labeled neurons in the DCN on the opposite side. Labeled cells with projections to the colliculus are identified as fusiform and giant cells and are organized into rostrocaudal bands. The axons of these DCN neurons are labeled by anterograde transport of 3H-leucine and/or proline and studied in light and electron microscopic autoradiographs. Axons from the DCN terminate within the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus in densely labeled, rostrocaudally oriented bands. Less heavily labeled extensions of these bands are found in the deepest layer of the dorsal cortex, and light labeling is found adjacent to the bands in the central nucleus and in the ventrolateral nucleus. Cells in the dorsomedial DCN project to the most ventromedial part of the central nucleus while progressively more ventrolateral cells in the DCN project to more dorsolateral parts of the central nucleus. This present evidence suggests that the DCN sends afferents to only two of the four subdivisions of the central nucleus. Within these regions, the axons from the DCN form terminal boutons or boutons de passage characterized by medium-sized, round synaptic vesicles. The labeled endings nearly always make asymmetric synaptic contacts on the dendrites of disc-shaped and stellate cells in the central nucleus. A few axosomatic contacts are found on one particular cell type, possibly the stellate variety. The results support the hypothesis that each subdivision of the central nucleus receives afferents from a different set of cell types in the auditory nuclei of the lower brainstem. The banding patterns of the efferent cells in the cochlear nucleus and the axons within the central nucleus suggest that these inputs are congruent to the fibrodendritic layers of the central nucleus and may contribute to tonotopic organization in the central nucleus. Finally, the results suggest that each of the two major classes of cells in the central nucleus receives different patterns of inputs from the DCN. These morphological differences could contribute to different electrophysiological responses to the sound stimuli by these cells.
Error modeling of simulated reflectivity observations for ensemble Kalman filter assimilation of convective storms

[1] The impact of two different ways of modeling errors in simulated radar reflectivity data for observing system simulation experiments (OSSEs) with an ensemble Kalman filter is investigated. An error model different from the one used in earlier studies is introduced, and it specifies relative Gaussian-distributed errors in the linear domain of the equivalent radar reflectivity factor. This model is consistent with the processes of error propagation in real radar data. When the error variances specified in the filter and in the data are consistently smaller or larger, the analysis is more accurate, but when these values do not match, poorer analyses result. Such behaviors agree with expectation but are not observed when errors are directly added to the reflectivity in the log domain. These results point to the importance of properly modeling observation errors in OSSEs when the observation operator is nonlinear. Citation: Xue, M., Y. Jung, and G. Zhang (2007), Error modeling of simulated reflectivity observations for ensemble Kalman filter assimilation of convective storms, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L10802, doi:10.1029/2007GL029945.
Drug effect expectancies and addictive behavior change.

While expectancies are considered an important factor in the etiology of addiction, less is known about expectancies for drugs other than alcohol, and there has been little effort to systematically incorporate expectancies into programs designed to change addictive behavior. This report reviews the expectancy construct and the role of expectancies in the development of substance abuse. Cognitive and behavioral strategies for changing substance use expectancies and the means by which expectancies may facilitate changes in addictive behaviors are described. Examples of strategies to incorporate expectancy-based change efforts into clinical intervention for addictive behavior are presented.
A Comparison of the Salivary Gland Chromosomes of Anopheles crucians and Anopheles bradleyi

The salivary gland chromosome maps for Anopheles crucians and Anopheles bradleyi are described, and proposed as “standard” maps for these species. Confirming the morphological and taxonomic data, the salivary maps suggest that these species are quite closely related, differing by probably no more than five paracentric inversions, one in the X, one in 2R, two in 3R and one in 3L. The banding patterns in the X chromosomes are more similar than seen in any anophelines thus far studied. The autosomal banding patterns in both species are clearly of the type characteristic of the subgenus Anopheles. Comparisons of the banding pattern homologies with other North American anophelines, especially with A. freeborni, are detailed.
Serotonin binding sites during proestrus and following estradiol treatment

The binding of 3H-5-HT to hypothalamic, hippocampal and striatal membranes from female rats was examined. During the day of proestrus, there was a significant increase in binding from morning to evening. The increase reflected changes in both Kc and Bmax. Effects of estradiol were examined in ovariectomized rats, and changes in 3H-5-HT binding resulted from an increase in the Kd after estradiol treatment. These in vivo effects of estradiol were not seen when tissue was incubated in vitro with estradiol. However, the compound, polyvinylpyrrolidone, used in the in vitro incubation significantly increased the Kd for binding to 3H-5-HT and estradiol attenuated the increase. The potential significance of these changes to serotonin's modulation of reproductive function is discussed.
Interpreting cancer vaccine clinical trials.

A number of cancer vaccine strategies have entered initial Phase I clinical testing. In this review, Dr. Glenn Dranoff discusses the prospects that appropriate immunologic monitoring of patients in these trials can help delineate important differences among the various immunization strategies and prioritize the most promising approaches for further clinical development. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Functional coupling of TRPV4, IK, and SK channels contributes to Ca2+-dependent endothelial injury in rodent lung

AbstractOur previous work has shown that the increased lung endothelial permeability response to 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (14,15-EET) in rat lung requires Ca2+ entry via vanilloid type-4 transient receptor potential (TRPV4) channels. Recent studies suggest that activation of TRPV4 channels in systemic vascular endothelium prolongs agonist-induced hyperpolarization and amplifies Ca2+ entry by activating Ca2+-activated K+ (KCa) channels, resulting in vessel relaxation. Activation of endothelial KCa channels thus has potential to increase the electrochemical driving force for Ca2+ influx via TRPV4 channels and to amplify permeability responses to TRPV4 activation in lung. To examine this hypothesis, we used Western blot analysis, electrophysiological recordings, and isolated-lung permeability measurements to document expression of TRPV4 and KCa channels and the potential for functional coupling. The results show that rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells express TRPV4 and 3 KCa channels of diff...
Mechanical behavior of Au–In intermetallics for low temperature solder diffusion bonding

In this study, gold (Au)–indium (In) intermetallic compounds (IMCs) formation for low temperature solder bonding was investigated by imbedding a gold wire into the annealing indium solder. According to available research on liquid–solid reaction of gold and indium, experiments were only conducted at an annealing temperature in the range of 200–300 °C. To investigate the feasibility of forming the Au–In IMCs at lower temperature, a low annealing temperature of 160 °C was applied in this study, which is just above the melting point of indium of 156 °C. AuIn2 precipitates were confirmed to be predominately formed in the IMCs by X-ray diffraction. Different annealing times of 10, 40, and 120 min were applied to study the stabilization time of IMC AuIn2. With thermal considerations, AuIn2 was confirmed to form with a low annealing temperature of 160 °C, and a short annealing time of 10 min. In addition, the microstructure of the cross-sections in the interfacial region of the gold wire and indium solder was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical behavior of gold, indium, and their IMCs with different annealing times were studied by nanoindentation. Mechanical properties including reduced modulus and hardness were extracted after taking into account of the pile-up effect. Increased reduced modulus and hardness were observed with increasing annealing times, due to the strengthening of the atomic bonding in the compounds. The reduced modulus and hardness measured from nanoindentation indicate a significant strengthening of the indium solder by the AuIn2 nanoparticles.
High Temperature Stabilization of Nanocrystalline Grain Size: Thermodynamic Versus Kinetic Strategies

Data from the literature and our laboratory have been reviewed regarding the maximum homologous temperatures that can be attained by the addition of solute elements that may induce thermodynamic or kinetic (Zener pinning) stabilization of a nanocrystalline grain size (<100 nm) to elevated temperatures. The results of this review suggest that kinetic stabilization by Zener pinning by nanoscale second phases may be the more effective strategy for keeping a nanoscale grain microstructure at the highest homologous temperatures. More research is necessary to confirm this suggestion and to determine the influence of nanoscale grain boundary second phases on the mechanical behavior of the nanocrystalline matrix.