cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A longitudinal analysis of smoke-free laws and smoking initiation disparities among young adults in the United States.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Tobacco control policies may differentially impact smoking initiation among socio-demographic groups. We measured longitudinal associations between exposure to smoke-free laws in grade 12 (modal age 18 years) and patterns of smoking initiation in the United States. DESIGN Prospective longitudinal analysis. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS We used data on US young adults sampled at modal age 18 years from the Monitoring the Future Survey. Baseline data were collected between 2000 and 2017, with the last year of follow-up in 2018. The sample number varied by outcome and time-point, ranging from 7314 to 17 702. MEASUREMENTS Smoke-free law coverage in work-places and hospitality venues (restaurants/bars) was measured as the percentage of the county population covered by each type of law. We examined associations with any past 30-day smoking initiation and daily smoking initiation at modal ages 19/20, 21/22 and 23/24, using Poisson regression and calculating average marginal effects. We explored effect modification by sex, race/ethnicity and parental education by testing the significance of interaction terms. FINDINGS Work-place law coverage at modal age 18 was associated with a lower probability of daily smoking initiation at modal ages 21/22 [-2.4 percentage points (p.p.); 95% confidence interval (CI) = -3.9, -0.9] and 23/24 (-2.0 p.p.; 95% CI = -3.9, -0.2). Hospitality law coverage was associated with a lower probability of daily smoking initiation at modal ages 19/20 (-1.6 p.p.; 95% CI = -2.8, -0.4), 21/22 (-2.3 p.p.; 95% CI = -3.7, -0.9) and 23/24 (-1.8 p.p.; 95% CI = -3.6, -0.0). Findings were inconclusive with regard to associations with any past 30-day smoking initiation and with regard to effect modification, after adjusting for multiple testing. CONCLUSIONS Exposure to smoke-free laws at age 18 appears to be prospectively associated with reduced daily smoking initiation 1-6 years later.
The politics of reality television : global perspectives

Chapter 1. Introduction: Migrating Genres, Travelling Participants, Shifting Theories Katherine Sender PART 1: PRODUCING IDENTITY Introduction Keren Tenenboim-Weinblatt Chapter 2. Real-izing Exploitation Mark Andrejevic Chapter 3. When Reality TV is a Job Francois Jost Chapter 4. Just Be Yourself - Only More So: Ordinary Celebrity in the Era of Self-Service Television Laura Grindstaff PART 2: LABORING THE SELF Introduction Adrienne Shaw Chapter 5. Governing Bodies Gareth Palmer Chapter 6. Globalizing Lifestyles? Makeover Television in Singapore Tania Lewis Chapter 7. Reacting to Reality TV: The affective economy of an "extended social/public realm" Helen Wood and Beverly Skeggs PART 3: PERFORMING THE NATION Introduction Oren Livio Chapter 8. Commercial Nationalism on Balkan Reality Television Zala Volcic and Mark Andrejevic Chapter 9. World Citizens 'a la Francaise': Star Academy and the Negotiations of 'French' Identities Fabienne Darling-Wolf Chapter 10. Reality Television and the Making of Mobile Publics: The Case of Indian Idol Aswin Punathambekar PART 4: MIGRATING ECONOMIES Introduction Tara Liss-Marino Chapter 11. New Industry Dynamics: Lessons From Reality TV in Norway Yngvar Kjus Chapter 12. Continental Reality Television and the Expansion of South African Capital Sean Jacobs Chapter 13. Making Populations Appear Nick Couldry Chapter 14. Reality Television in New Worlds Marwan M. Kraidy
A Class of Multinomial Multifractal Measures with Negative (Latent) Values for the “Dimension” f(α)

As is well known, fractals are sets of points that possess is the property of being invariant by dilation. When a fractal set is exactly self-similar, or is self-similar in a statistical sense, a central role is played by a positive quantity called fractal dimension, which need not be an integer, and which generalizes the “ordinary” dimension.
Paleogene plants fractionated carbon isotopes similar to modern plants

Abstract The carbon isotope composition ( δ 13 C ) of terrestrial plant biomarkers, such as leaf waxes and terpenoids, provides insights into past carbon cycling. The δ 13 C values of modern plant biomarkers are known to be sensitive to climate and vegetation type, both of which influence fractionation during lipid biosynthesis by altering plant carbon supply and its biochemical allocation. It is not known if fractionation observed in living plants can be used to interpret fossil lipids because plant biochemical characteristics may have evolved during the Cenozoic in response to changes in global climate and atmospheric CO2. The goal of this study was to determine if fractionation during photosynthesis ( Δ leaf ) in the Paleogene was consistent with expectations based on living plants. To study plant fractionation during the Paleogene, we collected samples from eight stratigraphic beds in the Bighorn Basin (Wyoming, USA) that ranged in age from 63 to 53 Ma. For each sample, we measured the δ 13 C of angiosperm biomarkers (triterpenoids and n-alkanes) and, abundance permitting, conifer biomarkers (diterpenoids). Leaf δ 13 C values estimated from different angiosperms biomarkers were consistently 2‰ lower than leaf δ 13 C values for conifers calculated from diterpenoids. This difference is consistent with observations of living conifers and angiosperms and the consistency among different biomarkers suggests ancient e lipid values were similar to those in living plants. From these biomarker-based δ 13 C leaf values and independent records of atmospheric δ 13 C values, we calculated Δ leaf . These calculated Δ leaf values were then compared to Δ leaf values modeled by applying the effects that precipitation and major taxonomic group in living plants have on Δ leaf values. Calculated and modeled Δ leaf values were offset by less than a permil. This similarity suggests that carbon fractionation in Paleogene plants changed with water availability and major taxonomic group to about the same degree it does today. Further, paleoproxy data suggest at least two of the stratigraphic beds were deposited at times when p CO 2 levels were higher than today. Biomarker data from these beds are not consistent with elevated Δ leaf values, possibly because plants adapted carbon uptake and assimilation characteristics to p CO 2 changes over long timescales.
Knee joint contact mechanics during downhill gait and its relationship with varus/valgus motion and muscle strength in patients with knee osteoarthritis

Abstract Objective The objective of this exploratory study was to evaluate tibiofemoral joint contact point excursions and velocities during downhill gait and assess the relationship between tibiofemoral joint contact mechanics with frontal-plane knee joint motion and lower extremity muscle weakness in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods Dynamic stereo X-ray was used to quantify tibiofemoral joint contact mechanics and frontal-plane motion during the loading response phase of downhill gait in 11 patients with knee OA and 11 control volunteers. Quantitative testing of the quadriceps and the hip abductor muscles was also performed. Results Patients with knee OA demonstrated larger medial/lateral joint contact point excursions (p Conclusion Altered contact mechanics in patients with knee OA may be related to compromised frontal-plane joint stability but not with deficits in muscle strength.
Influence of coronary pulsation on volumetric intravascular ultrasound measurements performed without ECG-gating. Validation in vessel segments with minimal disease.

Volumetric analysis of coronary arteries can be performed using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) images selected at 1 mm intervals without ECG gating. However, there are few data regarding the influence of coronary pulsation on this volumetric analysis. We developed two models of consecutive area measurements consisting of duplicated area measurements from short coronary segments and virtual measurements based on a sine function. These models allowed the re-calculation of volumes using different sets of frames from the same simulated segments. The variability of the volume determinations was evaluated by its percent standard deviation [%SD = (SD/the mean value) × 100]. The relation of the variability to the extent of external elastic membrane (EEM) area change during the cardiac cycle (amplitude) and heart rates (frequency) were examined. In 58 short coronary segments of 15 patients, consecutive IVUS images were measured [%EEM area change: 12.3 ± 7.7 %, heart rate 78 ± 21 beats/min (bpm)]. In both models, %SD of the volume calculations was directly proportional to the %EEM area change and showed two peaks at heart rates of 60 ± 2 and 90 ± 2 bpm. In the model based on actual coronary measurements, the %SD of volume calculations of a segment with 10% EEM area change was 0.7% except for heart rates of 60 ± 2 and 90 ± 2 bpm. The variability of a volumetric analysis based upon measuring IVUS images at constant intervals without ECG gating is affected by coronary pulsation, extent of cross-sectional area changes, and heart rate. Despite these limitations, this method is feasible and provides reproducible volume measurements.
2. Evolutionary context of human development: the cooperative breeding model

According to the Cooperative Breeding Hypothesis, allomaternal assistance was essential for child survival during the Pleistocene. This breeding system — quite novel for an ape — permitted hominid females to produce costly offspring without increasing inter-birth intervals, and allowed humans to move into new habitats, eventually expanding out of Africa. Reliance on allomaternal assistance would make maternal commitment more dependent on the mother’s perception of probable support from others than is the case in most other primates. One artifact of such conditional maternal investment would be newborns who needed to monitor and engage mothers, as well as older infants and juveniles who needed to elicit care from a range of caretakers across the prolonged period of dependence characteristic of young among cooperative breeders. Implications of this evolutionary context for the sociocognitive and emotional development of infants are explored.
Ion transport and conformational changes in spinach chloroplast grana. II. Light-induced changes.

Abstract Grana, prepared by differential centrifugation of sonic-treated chloroplasts, undergo light-induced shrinkage as determined by packed volume, light-scattering, and ultrastructural studies. Evidence for light-induced H+ ion uptake was also obtained. Two mechanisms for light-induced shrinkage are described: (a) In one mechanism both the rate and extent of shrinkage is increased upon addition of salts of weak acids. This mechanism for shrinkage appears to occur osmotically as a result of extrusion of weak acids from grana driven by light-induced H+ ion uptake, (b) In an alternative mechanism, shrinkage is enhanced in the presence of salts of certain divalent cations. This shrinkage was not reversed in the dark. This mechanism appears to involve a light-dependent nonosmotic uptake or binding of divalent cations.
Variable-output charge-pump for piezoelectric and electrostatic tunable RF filters

Tunable RF filters are essential components for the coming generation of communication systems. Amongst these, RF filters, tuned electrostatically or by piezoelectric actuators, have shown excellent performance in terms of tuning range and insertion loss. Those filters, however, require a wide dynamic range control voltage. Generating such voltages is a challenge due to power and size limitations. In this work, we present a variableoutput high-voltage charge-pump that can generate a suitable voltage for those filters. The presented improved Dickson chargepump has been simulated with the control part implemented in 130 nm RF-CMOS. The voltage tuning is controlled by a digital input, easing the integration of the charge-pump with other system components. The charge-pump can generate voltages from 0 V to 45 V. At the highest output voltage, the circuit consumes only 26 mW.
Primitive Art in Civilized Places

Primitive Art in Civilized Places. Sally Price. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1989/1991. 145 pp., b/w illustrations, bibliography. $19.95 (cloth), $10.95 (paper).
Circulating angiogenic cells and Alzheimer's disease: contribution of the bone marrow to the pathogenesis of the disease.

The most prevailing view on the pathogenesis of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD) assumes that chronic imbalance between production and clearance of amyloid-β (Aβ) leads to accumulation of this hydrophobic and aggregation prone peptide in the brain and induces a neurodegenerative cascade [1]. Removal of Aβ through the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) to the bloodstream constitutes one of the critical pathways of Aβ clearance from the brain. Connected by tight junctions, endothelial cells line the cerebral vasculature and constitute the luminal layer of the BBB. Such endothelial cells are directly responsible for the active transport of numerous blood-borne elements to the brain and express the low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP-1) which serves as a major Aβ clearance receptor. Numerous data indicate damage and dysfunction of the endothelial cell layer in AD patients and in AD transgenic animals, which undoubtedly contributes to the dysfunction of the BBB and impairment of its protective Aβ clearance capacity [2]. This dysfunction is exacerbated by Aβ itself, which shows pronounced vasculotropism and vasculotoxicity. Virtually all AD cases have some extent of cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Aβ peptide was shown to inhibit angiogenesis [3] and to be directly toxic to brain endothelial cells [4]. In this issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, Dr. Soon-Tae Lee and colleagues described dysfunction of circulating angiogenic cells (CACs) in patients with sporadic AD [5]. Recently, the same group also reported a reduced number of CACs in AD patients [6], which inversely correlated with severity of the disease on cross-sectional study. These original observations contribute to our understanding of the etiopathogenesis of the vasculopathy and BBB dysfunction associated with AD.
Labor's Role in Government Agencies During World War II

During World War II a system of labor participation and representation emerged in a series of national economic planning agencies. This study is primarily concerned with the representation and participation of organized labor in the activities of the National Defense Advisory Commission, the Office of Production Management, and the War Production Board. Some attention is also given to the War Manpower Commission and the Office of Price Administration.
Semiotics of complex systems: a hierarchical notation for the mathematical structure of a single cell

How are “computational” dynamics of organic components organized to form organisms? The semiotic dilemma is exemplified by noting that the terms organic, organism, and organization are all derived from the same root! The common semantic origin of these terms strongly suggests the existence of a common perceptual pattern underlies the phenomena of complex pattern generators. Presumably, these generators create cellular “computations.”
Intergranular Stress-Corrosion Cracking Resistance of Austenitic Stainless Steel Castings

This paper evaluates the resistance to intergranular stress-corrosion cracking (IGSCC) in the boiling water reactor of several grades and compositions of austenitic stainless steel castings. A specific objective of this work was to predict the performance of Alloy Casting Institute CF3, CF3A, and CF8 castings in nuclear applications. Full-size welded pipe tests were performed on 10.16-cm-diameter (4 in.) centrifugal castings and small-specimen tests were performed on isothermally treated static and centrifugal castings. The environment for both series of tests consisted of oxygenated high-purity water at 288°C (550 ′ 10°F). Axial loads were applied to the full-size pipes in a trapezoidal time-load wave shape with the peak stress exceeding the 288°C (550°F) yield strength of the material tested. For the small-specimen tests, either a constant-extension-rate test technique, a constant-load test technique, or a variable-load test technique was utilized. Both the pipe test and small-specimen tests consistently produce IGSCC in susceptible material such as sensitized AISI-304 stainless steel. Test results clearly indicate the influence of carbon content and δ-ferrite in determining IGSCC susceptibility of austenitic stainless steel castings in the aforementioned environment. Both low carbon content and the presence of critical quantities of ferrite in CF3, CF3A, and CF8 cast material are shown to promote high resistance to IGSCC. In contrast, AISI-304 with essentially zero ferrite (comparable carbon content to CF8) fails by IGSCC when tested similarly.
Propagation and primary isolation of papovavirus JC in epithelial cells derived from human urine.

Abstract Human papovavirus JC, previously passaged in amnion cells or in primary human fetal glial cells, replicated efficiently in urine-derived epithelial cells. Primary isolation of the virus from brain extracts was possible in urine-derived cells, but these cells were not as sensitive as primary human fetal glial cells for this purpose. Primary isolations of human papovavirus JC from urine sediments of renal transplant patients were made in urine-derived cells.
Effect of allogeneic stem cell transplantation on bone marrow angiogenesis in chronic myelogenous leukemia

Increased bone marrow angiogenesis is a poor prognostic marker in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) can be curative for patients with CML. Studies in myeloma have shown persistent increased bone marrow microvessel density (MVD) after autologous transplantation. It is not clear if abnormal bone marrow angiogenesis persists following a curative intervention like allogeneic transplantation. We evaluated MVD from bone marrow samples obtained just prior to and at 3–5 months after ASCT in 24 patients with CML. The median MVD pre-transplant was 14 (4–37), with 11 patients having high-grade angiogenesis and 13 having low grade. The median post transplant MVD was 20 (range 5–36), with 12 patients having high-grade angiogenesis and 12 low grade. The median time between biopsies was 4 months (range 1–6 months). The microvessels in the post transplant bone marrow appeared morphologically different with striking dilatation and sinusoidal appearance compared to the pre-transplant marrow. However, there was no significant change in MVD following transplant (P=0.8, paired t-test). Abnormal bone marrow angiogenesis appears to persist in the bone marrow following ASCT for CML, at least in the short term.
Controlled Atmosphere and Subsequent Air Storage of Broccoli Florets at Various Temperatures

The physiology and quality of ‘Greenbelt’ broccoli florets (Brassica oleracea L. italica) were monitored during CA storage in 0.5% O2 and 10% CO2 at 0 and 5°C and in 1% O2 and 10% CO2 at 10°C and subsequent air storage at the same temperature. The CA reduced respiration, weight loss, and decay at all temperatures, yellowing and L-ascorbic acid loss at 5 and 10°C, and ethylene production and microbial growth at 10°C. Upon transfer of the florets to air following CA storage for 4, 3, and 1 weeks at 0, 5, and 10°C, respectively, respiration rate increased initially and then remained constant. Ethylene production continually increased. Decay, microbial count, odor, color, and L-ascorbic acid content remained essentially unchanged for a few days after the samples were transferred to air regardless of temperature.
High-pressure viscosity and density of poly(methyl methacrylate) + acetone and poly(methyl methacrylate) + acetone + CO2 systems

Abstract High-pressure viscosity and density of solutions of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) in acetone and in acetone + CO 2 mixtures have been determined in the temperature range from 50 to 125 °C in steps of 25 °C over the pressure range from 7 to 35 MPa in steps of 7 MPa using a falling cylinder type viscometer. Measurements were conducted with PMMA samples of two different molecular weights ( M w = 15,000, M w / M n = 1.8 and M w = 540,000, M w / M n = 2.8) at concentrations of 2, 5, 10 and 20 wt.% with M w =540,000, and at concentrations of 10 and 20 wt.% with M w = 15,000 sample. The effect of adding CO 2 on viscosity was investigated for the 5 wt.% solutions with the high molecular weight polymer sample. The viscosities were observed to be relatively low, with values in the range from 0.2 to 1.6 mPa s for these solutions. The flow activation energies were around 5–10 kJ/mol. Flow activation volumes were in the range from 5 to 40 cm 3 /mol. Close-packed volumes determined from density correlations were in the range of 0.76–0.98 cm 3 /g. The overlap concentrations, c * , were estimated to be in the range 0.045–0.075 g/cm 3 . In the presence of CO 2 , densities of the solution show an increase, reflecting the higher density of compressed CO 2 compared to that of acetone, but viscosities were significantly lowered, with a reduction of about 30% at 4 wt.% CO 2 additions. The density dependence of viscosity is used to visually illustrate the need for higher pressures in the presence of CO 2 to sustain a given viscosity level.
Spatial variations in the superconductivity of Nb3Sn measured by low-temperature tunneling microscopy.

The low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope is used in a new spectroscopic mode to obtain real-space images of the superconducting character of a Nb3Sn surface. These images show strong spatial variations, with reproducible transitions between fully normal and fully superconducting behavior on length scales as small as 13 nm. Images taken above and below the critical temperature confirm that the observed effects are due to superconductive tunneling. Additional confirmation comes from a successful fit of the current-voltage characteristics to a simple tunneling model.
Training women to be more assertive in mixed-sex task-oriented discussions

This study tests the effectiveness of assertiveness training in increasing the level of women's participation in a small mixed-sex task-oriented discussion. Undergraduate women who met both self-descriptive and behavioral criteria for low activity participated with three active undergraduates in a pretest and posttest discussion, each with a different topic and with nonoverlapping group membership, as well as in either an experimental or a control intervention. Experimental subjects received behavioral training in assertiveness while functioning essentially as a fifth member of several tape-recorded discussions. Assertiveness training was successful, with experimental subjects differing from controls on dependent measures reflecting three independent sources of information: (a) the subject's own behavior, as coded by an experimental assistant; (b) pretest and postttest group members' perceptions of the subject's behavior; and (c) the subject's perceptions of her own behavior. These results are interpreted as consistent with the view that a lack of assertiveness in the presence of men — rather than any lack of substantive knowledge or conceptual skill — depresses women's participation in mixed-sex discussions.
Regulation, retrenchment— The DRG experience: Problems from changing reimbursemwnt practice

Abstract A study of 227,771 discharge abstracts from one U.S. state's short-term, acute care hospitals compares changes in the inpatient market available to the oldest old Medicare patients (85 and older) with those less than 70 and those 70–84 between 1981, the last year when all hospitals were under cost-based reimbursement, and 1984, the first year in which all hospitals were under a prospective payment system based on diagnosis related groups (DRGs). All three populations experienced retrenchment in services as hospitals pursued practice changes to enhance revenue potential. An older, sicker client was admitted as hospitals implemented changes in admission patterns to avoid denial of reimbursement for an admission deemed inappropriate by the Peer Review Organization (PRO). Evidence demonstrates compression in service markets and retrenchment in services for less profitable DRGs and/or cohorts. Inpatient services were reduced the most for the oldest old population although this cohort was the sickest. Changes were observed in utilization of special care units, such as in coronary and intensive care units. Large increases in readmissions in all three cohorts suggests that DRG incentives to reduce length of hospital stay may have promoted premature discharge. Or, perhaps these readmissions resulted from ‘unbunding’, a practice of splitting patient problems into multiple admissions, as hospitals sought ways to enhance revenue instead of practicing cost-containment. Policy, perceived to be economically stringent, can affect hospital practice and produce undesired results with long-reaching untoward effects on certain segments of the population.
Antibiotic resistance and protease production by Photorhabdus luminescens and Xenorhabdus poinarii bacteria symbiotic with entomopathogenic nematodes: variation among species and strains

Abstract Bacteria in the genera Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus are highly pathogenic to insects and are symbiotically associated with nematodes in the genera Heterorhabditis and Steinernema , respectively. We compared extracellular protease production and resistance to antibiotics (chloramphenicol, erythromycin, neomycin and tetracycline) for 32 isolates of P. luminescens and 11 isolates of X. poinarii taken from nematodes isolated from soil in southern New Jersey. P. luminescens produced greater amounts of protease, and was more resistant to erythromycin and less resistant to neomycin than X. poinarii . No interspecific differences in resistance to chloramphenicol or tetracycline were detected. Variability within species was not related to the site, habitat or soil core from which the isolates were obtained, and was not associated with variation in the color of the host cadaver for P. luminescens . Resistance to erythromycin was positively correlated with resistance to both neomycin and tetracycline for P. luminescens , but was negatively correlated with resistance to neomycin for X. poinarii . Antibiotic resistance profiles and extracellular protease production might be useful characteristics for distinguishing among species and strains of these bacteria, probably have ecological significance with respect to intra- and interspecific competition within host cadavers, and could have implications for the utility of these organisms for biological control.
Multifrequency ESR and ENDOR studies of ionomers

We describe methods for determining the local environment of cations and the process of ionic clustering in ionomers, using electron magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The distance between Cu2+ cations in perfluorinated membranes (Nafion) containing terminal sulfonic groups and swollen by water has been deduced from an analysis of ESR spectra at L (1.25 GHz), S (2.36 GHz) and X (9.36 GHz) bands, in membranes containing cupric ion concentrations in the range 1–30 percent of the total amount needed to fully neutralize the pendant acid groups. At higher cation concentrations ESR spectra indicate the presence of aggregated cations. The intercation distance determination is based on the simulation of spectra from isolated cations using distribution widths δg11 and δA11 and extraction of the residual width ΔHR, which is due to dipolar interactions. No aggregation is detected in membranes swollen by less polar solvents such as methanol, dimethylformamide (DMF) and tetrahydrofuran (THF); these results are in contrast to SAXS experiments in membranes swollen by methanol, which exhibit the “ionic peak”. Cu2+-Cu2+ and Ti3+-Ti3+ dimers have been detected in Nafion swollen by water, methanol, DMF and THF, and have been characterized by an analysis of the spin-forbidden half-field Δms=2 transition, and by computer simulations. The intercation distance in the cupric dimers, deduced from the intensity ratio of the Δms=2 and Δms=1 dimer transitions, is 5.0±0.2 A. A model for the dimer has been proposed, which explains the crosslinking of the polymer chains by the metal cations. ENDOR signals from 1H, 2H and 19F nuclei have been detected in Nafion neutralized by Ti3+. The ENDOR results allow determination of the local environment of the paramagnetic cations, to a distance of ∼10 A.
Signature for local mixmaster dynamics in U ( 1 ) symmetric cosmologies

Previous studies have provided strong support for a local, oscillatory approach to the singularity in $U(1)$ symmetric, spatially inhomogeneous vacuum cosmologies on ${T}^{3}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}R.$ The description of a vacuum Bianchi type IX, spatially homogeneous mixmaster cosmology (on ${S}^{3}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}R)$ in terms of the variables used to describe the $U(1)$ symmetric cosmologies indicates that the oscillations in the latter are in fact those of local mixmaster dynamics. One of the variables of the $U(1)$ symmetric models increases only at the end of a mixmaster era. Such an increase therefore yields a qualitative signature for local mixmaster dynamics in spatially inhomogeneous cosmologies.
Analyticity of effective coupling and propagators in massless models of quantum field theory

For massless models of quantum field theory, some general theorems are proved concerning the analytic continuation of the renormalization group functions as well as the effective coupling and the propagators. Starting points are analytic properties of the effective coupling and the propagators in the momentum variablek2, which can be converted into analyticity of β- and γ-functions in the coupling parameter λ. It is shown that the β-function can have branch point singularities related to stationary points of the effective coupling as a function ofk2. The type of these singularities of β(λ) can be determined explicitly. Examples of possible physical interest are extremal values of the effective coupling at space-like points in the momentum variable, as well as complex conjugate stationary points close to the realk2-axis. The latter may be related to the sudden transition between weak and strong coupling regimes in quantum chromodynamics. Finally, for the effective coupling and for the propagators, the analytic continuation in both variablesk2 and λ is discussed.
A filter based solution for inverse heat conduction problems in multi-layer mediums

Abstract This paper presents a solution for the inverse heat conduction problem (IHCP) in a multi-layer medium based on solutions from individual layers separately. The approach allows for inclusion of known contact resistances between the layers. The temperature histories are assumed known at two points on the inner layer and the heat transfer rate at the far end of the outer layer is the desired unknown parameter. A step-by-step solution is proposed for solving this problem based on minimization of the sum-of-squared errors between the computed and known temperature values and using Tikhonov regularization for stabilizing the solution. A Tikhonov digital filter solution is developed which allows near real-time heat transfer estimation in multi-layer application. The proposed method is tested via numerical experiments using exact solutions and ANSYS to generate synthetic data.
Longitudinal mixing by the human larynx.

Abstract Both the characteristics of the velocity field and the longitudinal dispersion of helium, oxygen and sulfur hexafluoride in air flowing through a cast of a cadaveric human larynx have been studied. The larynx cast was mounted in the center of a 5 m long, 1.6 cm diameter tube through which air was admitted at 206, 425 or 775 ml/s, corresponding to fully-developed laminar (Reynolds number = 1110), transitional (2310), and fully-developed turbulent (4210) flow conditions, respectively. A significant enhancement of longitudinal mixing was detected immediately downstream of the glottis, presumably because of the jetting of air in the vicinity of the constriction. This enhancement did not depend upon the flow rate of air but was inversely related to the molecular diffusivity of the tracer gas; this indicates the importance of Taylor dispersion in the jet. The glottis generated intense local turbulence which propagated as as 110 cm from the constriction. This turbulence caused a flattening of the velocity profiles resulting in a reduction in the rate of downstream longitudinal mixing. The reduction was so great that, in spite of mixing enhancement in the jet, the overall mixing was less with the larynx in place than in the empty tube.
Variation in aufwuchs at six freshwater habitats in terms of carbon biomass and of carbon: Nitrogen ratio

(1) From May to December 1971 at six sites in upstate New York, samples of freshwater Aufwuchs (the largely algal “scum” flora) were collected on sets of exposed microscope slides. Successive standing crop biomass estimates are presented as analyses of total organic carbon (by wet oxidation) and total nitrogen (by micro-Dumas). Nutritional quality of the Aufwuchs can be assessed in carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratios, and these are correlated with substantive data from concurrent studies on the growth and fecundity of second trophic level snails (Laevapex and Lymnaea). (2) Peak values of carbon biomass for the six sites range from 1.1 mgC/dm2 to 4.2 mgC/dm2, and mean C:N ratios ranged from 3.7:1 to 10.1:1 (corresponding to 29% protein). Higher snail growth rates (computed as increase in mgC/100 snails/30 days) and greater fecundities correlate, beyond certain minimal levels of carbon biomass, to lower C:N ratios in the corresponding Aufwuchs samples. (3) In discussing these nutritional aspects of Aufwuchs production, it is emphasized that freshwater macrophytes have C:N ratios well above 17:1, and are not much fed upon. In smaller bodies of fresh water, the most important sector of primary production is that of the Aufwuchs, and its nutritional quality in terms of lower C:N ratios is of unique significance to the bioenergetics of the second trophic level invertebrates.
The Urban Threshold and the Second Great Awakening: Revivalism in New York State, 1825–1835

Generally regarded as a rural phenomenon, the spread of religious revivalism in the Second Great Awakening may have also been associated with urbanization and early industrialism. This report of a secondary analysis of data originally collected by John Hammond (The Politics of Benevolence [1979]) provides support for the urban argument. Ordinary least-squares and Poisson regression analyses of the incidence of revivalism indicate that revivalism is associated with population size, township manufacturing, location in agricultural counties, and proximity to other towns experiencing revivals. Among urban places and manufacturing towns, the highest levels of revivalism are found in New York’s western region. However, the results also uncover a strand of revivalism in the rural northern part of the state that cannot be reduced to the principal variables. The significance of these findings for the study of the Second Great Awakening and American evangelicalism broadly is highlighted.
SV2B regulates synaptotagmin 1 by direct interaction

SV2 proteins are abundant synaptic vesicle proteins expressed in two major (SV2A and SV2B) and one minor (SV2C) isoform. SV2A and SV2B have been shown to be involved in the regulation of synaptic vesicle exocytosis. Previous studies found that SV2A, but not SV2B, can interact with the cytoplasmic domain of synaptotagmin 1, a Ca2+ sensor for synaptic vesicle exocytosis. To determine whether SV2B can interact with full-length synaptotagmin 1, we performed immunoprecipitations from brain protein extracts and found that SV2B interacts strongly with synaptotagmin 1 in a detergent-resistant, Ca2+ -independent manner. In contrast, an interaction between native SV2A and synaptotagmin 1 was not detectable under these conditions. The SV2B-synaptotagmin 1 complex also contained the synaptic t-SNARE proteins, syntaxin 1 and SNAP-25, suggesting that SV2B may participate in exocytosis by modulating the interaction of synaptotagmin 1 with t-SNARE proteins. Analysis of retinae in SV2B knock-out mice revealed a strong reduction in the level of synaptotagmin 1 in rod photoreceptor synapses, which are unique in that they express only the SV2B isoform. In contrast, other synaptic vesicle proteins were not affected by SV2B knock out, indicating a specific role for SV2B in the regulation of synaptotagmin 1 levels at certain synapses. These experiments suggest that the SV2B-synaptotagmin 1 complex is involved in the regulation of synaptotagmin 1 stability and/or trafficking. This study has demonstrated a new role of SV2B as a regulator of synaptotagmin 1 that is likely mediated by direct interaction of these two synaptic proteins.
Structural relationship of bacterial RecA proteins to recombination proteins from bacteriophage T4 and yeast

RecA protein is essential in eubacteria for homologous recombination and promotes the homologous pairing and strand exchange of DNA molecules in vitro. Recombination proteins with weak sequence similarity to bacterial RecA proteins have been identified in bacteriophage T4, yeast, and other higher organisms. Analysis of the primary sequence relationships of DMC1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and UvsX of T4 relative to the three-dimensional structure of RecA from Escherichia coli suggests that both proteins are structural homologs of bacterial RecA proteins. This analysis argues that proteins in this group are members of a single family that diverged from a common ancestor that existed prior to the divergence of prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
Some results on the containment and minimization of (in)equality queries

Abstract The containment and minimization of conjunctive queries are two basic problems of query optimization in relational and deductive databases. For equality queries, the problems are NP-complete due to the “homomorphism property”. For (in) equality queries, however, the containment problem has recently been proved to be πp2-complete, while the minimization is virtually unknown. In this paper, we identify subclasses of (in) equality queries which have the homomorphism property and a similar minimization procedure to the one for equality queries. We also give interesting examples to show that queries outside these classes do not have the property.
Regional alterations of synaptic O-phosphorylethanolamine in differentially housed mice.

Summary In three experiments, the relationship between brain O-phosphorylethanolamine (PE) and isolation-induced behavioral effects was considered. It was observed that following eight weeks of isolation, male CF-1S strain mice showed highly significant elevations in synaptosomal PE in structures of the limbic system and in the cerebellar cortex; such changes did not occur in the cerebral cortex. Elevation of brain PE in mice by exogenous means led to profound rapid changes in the neurological status of the animal, with a subsequent behavioral status resembling that brought about by isolation housing. A PE-mediated inhibition of cerebral protein synthesis was demonstrated in vitro for microsomal fractions, particularly for those derived from the cerebellar cortex. The present data have been considered with a view toward introducing PE as a potential link to inhibitory changes in the central nervous system.
Variants in the Wilms' tumor gene are associated with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in the African American population

Wilms’ tumor gene (WT1) is important for nephrogenesis and gonadal growth. WT1 mutations cause Denys-Drash and Frasier syndromes, which are characterized by glomerular scarring. To test whether gen...
Anti-interleukin-5 (mepolizumab) therapy for hypereosinophilic syndromes.

Abstract Background IL-5 is a cytokine critically involved in regulating several aspects of eosinophils including their production, activation, and tissue recruitment. As such, IL-5 may be involved in the pathogenesis of hypereosinophilic syndromes, a group of poorly treated diverse disorders characterized by sustained peripheral blood and/or tissue eosinophilia. Objective We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of a humanized blocking monoclonal antibody against IL-5 (mepolizumab) in patients with several forms of hyper-eosinophilic syndromes. Methods We performed an open-label trial of anti–IL-5 in which 3 intravenous doses (10 mg/kg, maximum 750 mg) were administered at 4-week intervals to 4 patients with hypereosinophilic syndromes (defined by peripheral blood and/or tissue eosinophilia). The effects of treatment on safety, eosinophil levels (in peripheral blood and/or diseased tissue), pulmonary function, and quality of life were measured over a 28-week period. Results Anti–IL-5 was well tolerated in all patients and lowered peripheral blood eosinophil counts despite ongoing systemic glucocorticoid therapy. The decline in circulating eosinophil counts was sustained for at least 12 weeks after the last dose of anti–IL-5. In addition, anti–IL-5 improved clinical and quality of life measurements. In one patient with striking tissue eosinophilia (eosinophilic esophagitis), anti–IL-5 resulted in a 10-fold reduction in tissue eosinophil levels. Conclusions These results suggest that anti–IL-5 is safe, effective in lowering eosinophil levels, and has potential glucocorticoid-sparing effects in patients with a variety of hyper-eosinophilic syndromes. As such, anti–IL-5 may have significant therapeutic potential for hypereosinophilic syndromes.
Physical origin of the negative output resistance of heterojunction bipolar transistors

An analytical expression for the small-signal output impedance of a heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) is obtained based on device physics. It is shown that, when external parasitics are sufficiently reduced so that intrinsic time delays become the dominant limitations to high-frequency performance, the output resistance can be negative over certain bands of frequencies due to transit time delays. Under such conditions amplifiers with high gains can be designed at frequencies where the power gain of the device due to conventional transistor action is very low, and power gain vs. frequency characteristics of the device can be drastically different from the traditional 6-dB/octave rolloff. Analytical expressions that can be used in the design of these devices are derived to obtain the full benefit of negative output resistance.
Theorizing Practice and Practicing Theory: Toward a Constructive Analysis of Scientific Rhetorics

While rhetorical studies of science have made significant progress in mapping the discursive dynamics of the sciences, it has only begun to engage meaningfully the question of promoting alternative, constructive discourses of and about science in the postmodern polis. Characterizing science as a complex series of discursive practices, this essay highlights the inescapable symbiosis of technical and political ways of knowing, creating sites for rhetorical critics to offer advisory claims regarding more constructive, democratic public engagements with science in the postmodern age. A brief study of the 1989 cold fusion controversy illustrates this perspective.
A non-linear programming algorithm with application to product allocation

The algorithm presented here, although applicable to any non-linear programming problem, is designed specifically for efficiency in cases where: (1) the constraints are linear; (2) the function to be maximized is very difficult (time consuming) to compute. Thus, every effort is made to calculate the actual value of the function as rarely as possible; (3) the maximum may be an interior point of the admissible region. To achieve the second objective, we do not travel along the gradient of the function until we hit the nearest constraint; rather, we replace the function by a linear approximation throughout the admissible region, and at once proceed to the maximum of the linear function. A braking procedure ensures that in the vicinity of the maximum the step size diminishes from one iteration to the next.The algorithm was designed primarily for use in a product allocation problem, which satisfies the above conditions.
Complaints online: The case of TripAdvisor

Complaints have been studied from two major disciplinary perspectives. Whereas pragmatic approaches have tended to rely on data elicited via discourse completion tests (DCTs), more ethnomethodologically informed approaches have focused on naturally occurring talk in interaction. In addition, a handful of studies have examined written complaints, while fewer still have investigated complaints in CMC (computer mediated communication). In order to determine the extent to which CMC complaints display some of the defining characteristics of complaints as identified by previous research, a data set of 100 complaints (negative reviews of hotels on the website, TripAdvisor) was examined. The study found that a significant proportion of complaints tended to juxtapose overall negative evaluation with some positive appraisal, and that a similar proportion of the complaints made explicit reference to reviewer's expectations not being met. The study also found that complaints tended to occur as a speech act set. Whereas previous studies have found that complaints tended to co-occur with speech acts such as warnings or threats, in this particular context, complaints tended to co-occur more frequently with advice and recommendations. Finally, the study found that while the majority of the complaints on TripAdvisor can be considered indirect (or third party) complaints, there were nevertheless some examples that blur the direct/indirect dichotomy.
Dynamics of vortices in neutron stars

Abstract Neutron stars present an interesting challenge to low temperature physics: to understand the processes responsible for the sudden speed-ups, or “glitches”, observed in many pulsars. Interactions between the neutron superfluid and the neutron rich nuclei in the inner crust of neutron stars are likely responsible for glitches, post-glitch relaxations and other timing irregularities. Here we describe recent work on the physics of these interactions and how they give rise to vortex pinning, vortex creep, and the dissipative coupling between the superfluid and the crust.
Electron acceptance at photosystem II in an oxygen-evolving photosystem II preparation: Clear discrimination of two sites of electron acceptance for quinones and quinonediimines associated with a photosystem II preparation

Oxygen-producing electron transport reactions of a photosystem II preparation are described. The preparation has six major peptides with apparent molecular weights of 36,000, 31,000, 28,000, 27,000, 25,000, and 21,000. Sucrose density gradient centrifugation indicates that the preparation is more homogeneous and more dense than control thylakoid membranes. The preparation photoreduces a number of known photosystem II oxidants including the Class I acceptor, ferricyanide; the Class II acceptor, 2,6-dichloroindophenol; and the Class III acceptor, 2,6-dichlorobenzoquinone. However, quinonediimines such as phenylenediimine are not reduced, suggesting that these substances are reduced at sites in the thylakoid membrane which are not found in the photosystem II preparation. All the oxygen-producing reactions are sensitive to inhibition by 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea.