cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ADVANCES IN ECOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING: BY KUHNIAN REVOLUTION OR CONCEPTUAL EVOLUTION?

Ecology, although a rapidly evolving science, has experienced few if any paradigm shifts or revolutions in the sense of Thomas Kuhn because it is a pluralistic, multiple-causation discipline. Instead, what appears to characterize conceptual development are fads or “bandwagons,” favored themes, or transient foci of interest, that wax, wane, and even recover in popularity. These are often centered on characteristics of the real world which cannot be denied. I identify and discuss two: postlarval recruitment to an established population and physical disturbance to an intertidal assemblage. The richness of ecological thought has been broadened immeasurably by acceptance of the following themes: the necessity to distinguish open from closed systems, that equilibrium may exist only in an abstract sense, and that controlled manipulation can reveal hitherto unanticipated dynamics. These findings have expanded our understanding of nature's complexity (a conceptual evolution) rather than relegated most prior genera...
Simultaneous measurement of anisotropic solute diffusivity and binding reaction rates in biological tissues by FRAP.

Several solutes (e.g., growth factors, cationic solutes, etc.) can reversibly bind to the extracellular matrix (ECM) of biological tissues. Binding interactions have significant implications on transport of such solutes through the ECM. In order to fully delineate transport phenomena in biological tissues, knowledge of binding kinetics is crucial. In this study, a new method for the simultaneous determination of solute anisotropic diffusivity and binding reaction rates was presented. The new technique was solely based on Fourier analysis of fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) images. Computer-simulated FRAP tests were used to assess the sensitivity and the robustness of the method to experimental parameters, such as anisotropic solute diffusivity and rates of binding reaction. The new method was applied to the determination of diffusivity and binding rates of 5-dodecanoylaminofluorescein (DAF) in bovine coccygeal annulus fibrosus (AF). Our findings indicate that DAF reversibly binds to the ECM of AF. In addition, it was found that DAF diffusion in AF is anisotropic. The results were in agreement with those reported in previous studies. This study provides a new tool for the simultaneous determination of solute anisotropic diffusion tensor and rates of binding reaction that can be used to investigate diffusive–reactive transport in biological tissues and tissue engineered constructs.
The Social Relationships and Social Support of Aging Mothers Whose Adult Daughters Are Mentally Ill

Guided by a conceptual framework highlighting multiple facets of social relationships and social support, this study examined the extent to which aging mothers of adult daughters with a serious mental illness were socially integrated with members of their network. It further examined the relational content of these mothers’ social ties as tangible or intangible support and the nature of their supportive exchanges with network members, particularly their adult daughters with mental illness. A structured face-to-face interview was conducted with 22 aging mothers of these adult daughters. Two methods of analysis were used to analyze data: counting and content analysis. Findings showed aging mothers of daughters with mental illness were socially integrated with relatives and nonrelatives, evidenced relational content of tangible and intangible support in their social ties and engaged in bidirectional and asymmetrical support exchanges with network members, including their daughters with mental illness. These ...
Shock compression of deuterium to 900 Kbar

Abstract An experimental program to compress liquid deuterium with a two-stage gun is described. A xenon standard was used to check the adequacy of the EOS of the Dural container in the 7000 (1.7 Mbar) to 3000° K (0.0 Mbar) range. The agreement is reasonable. Further work on this standard is in progress to improve the accuracy. The target design parameters were checked with some sound speed measurements which confirm the liquid-like behavior of Dural at the temperatures, pressures, and strain rates of these experiments. The uncertainties of the results are analyzed and tabulated with the data. Comparison between the molecular and the metallic equations of state indicates a small volume change on metallization due to the high compressibility of the molecular phase vis-a-vis the metallic phase.
Is insulin an anabolic agent in bone? Dissecting the diabetic bone for clues

Diabetic osteoporosis is increasingly recognized as a significant comorbidity of type 1 diabetes mellitus. In contrast, type 2 diabetes mellitus is more commonly associated with modest increases in bone mineral density for age. Despite this dichotomy, clinical, in vivo, and in vitro data uniformly support the concept that new bone formation as well as bone microarchitectural integrity are altered in the diabetic state, leading to an increased risk for fragility fracture and inadequate bone regeneration following injury. In this review, we examine the contribution that insulin, as a potential anabolic agent in bone, may make to the pathophysiology of diabetic bone disease. Specifically, we have assimilated human and animal data examining the effects of endogenous insulin production, exogenous insulin administration, insulin sensitivity, and insulin signaling on bone. In so doing, we present evidence that insulin, acting as an anabolic agent in bone, can preserve and increase bone density and bone strength, presumably through direct and/or indirect effects on bone formation.
The Link between Morphotype Transition and Virulence in Cryptococcus neoformans

Cryptococcus neoformans is a ubiquitous human fungal pathogen. This pathogen can undergo morphotype transition between the yeast and the filamentous form and such morphological transition has been implicated in virulence for decades. Morphotype transition is typically observed during mating, which is governed by pheromone signaling. Paradoxically, components specific to the pheromone signaling pathways play no or minimal direct roles in virulence. Thus, the link between morphotype transition and virulence and the underlying molecular mechanism remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that filamentation can occur independent of pheromone signaling and mating, and both mating-dependent and mating-independent morphotype transition require the transcription factor Znf2. High expression of Znf2 is necessary and sufficient to initiate and maintain sex-independent filamentous growth under host-relevant conditions in vitro and during infection. Importantly, ZNF2 overexpression abolishes fungal virulence in murine models of cryptococcosis. Thus, Znf2 bridges the sex-independent morphotype transition and fungal pathogenicity. The impacts of Znf2 on morphological switch and pathogenicity are at least partly mediated through its effects on cell adhesion property. Cfl1, a Znf2 downstream factor, regulates morphogenesis, cell adhesion, biofilm formation, and virulence. Cfl1 is the first adhesin discovered in the phylum Basidiomycota of the Kingdom Fungi. Together with previous findings in other eukaryotic pathogens, our findings support a convergent evolution of plasticity in morphology and its impact on cell adhesion as a critical adaptive trait for pathogenesis.
LVRT capability assessment of FSIG-based wind turbine utilizing UPQC and SFCL

This paper investigates a fixed-speed induction generator (FSIG)-based wind turbines in effective combination with unified power quality conditioner (UPQC) and resistive superconducting fault current limiter (RSFCL). The UPQC control scheme is introduced to ensure the maximum low voltage ride-through (LVRT) enhancement of the FSIG-based wind turbine by compensating the voltage sag at the point of common coupling (PCC). Additionally, a realistic estimation of the voltampere rating requirements of UPQC for this type of application is carried out. In this paper the utilization of RSFCL is proposed to limit excessive current in the event of the fault. For this purpose, the electro-thermal model of the SFCL is implemented in PSCAD/EMTDC software as a component to verify SFCL damping performance. The obtained results confirm that the SFCL can not only reduce the volt-ampere rating of the UPQC, thereby reducing the installation cost but also aid to the LVRT capability improvement of the wind turbine as well as dynamic performance of the induction generator.
Hyperkyphosis in longnose gar ( Lepisosteus osseus ) of north central Texas

ABSTRACT. Two mature female longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus) exhibiting severe hyperkyphotic spinal deformities were captured during the 2010 spring spawn at Lake Arrowhead, Clay County, Texas. Yet, despite their deformities and impaired motility, both longnose gar were in overall good condition. Hyperkyphosis in both longnose gar resulted from fused trunk vertebrae in the affected areas. Results of morphological examinations and computerized tomography (CT) scans showed no evidence of injury-induced responses and suggested a congenital or possibly environmentally induced aetiology for disruption of the normal vertebral segmentation process.
Accessible Field Enhancements with Plasmonic Nanoparticles on Nanopedestals for Nanospectroscopy

We show that plasmonic nanoparticle arrays on dielectric nanopedestals support easily accessible hot spots for target molecules, which is crucial for increasing signals in biosensors and vibrational nanospectroscopy.
Portable Roadside Sensors for Vehicle Counting, Classification, and Speed Measurement

This paper focuses on the development of a portable roadside magnetic sensor system for vehicle counting, classification, and speed measurement. The sensor system consists of wireless anisotropic magnetic devices that do not require to be embedded in the roadway-the devices are placed next to the roadway and measure traffic in the immediately adjacent lane. An algorithm based on a magnetic field model is proposed to make the system robust to the errors created by larger vehicles driving in the nonadjacent lane. These false calls cause an 8% error if uncorrected. The use of the proposed algorithm reduces this error to only 1%. Speed measurement is based on the calculation of the cross correlation between longitudinally spaced sensors. Fast computation of the cross correlation is enabled by using frequency-domain signal processing techniques. An algorithm for automatically correcting for any small misalignment of the sensors is utilized. A high-accuracy differential Global Positioning System is used as a reference to measure vehicle speeds to evaluate the accuracy of the speed measurement from the new sensor system. The results show that the maximum error of the speed estimates is less than 2.5% over the entire range of 5-27 m/s (11-60 mi/h). Vehicle classification is done based on the magnetic length and an estimate of the average vertical magnetic height of the vehicle. Vehicle length is estimated from the product of occupancy and estimated speed. The average vertical magnetic height is estimated using two magnetic sensors that are vertically spaced by 0.25 m. Finally, it is shown that the sensor system can be used to reliably count the number of right turns at an intersection, with an accuracy of 95%. The developed sensor system is compact, portable, wireless, and inexpensive. Data are presented from a large number of vehicles on a regular busy urban road in the Twin Cities, MN, USA.
The global retailer's strategic proposition and choice of entry mode

Purpose – The main aim of this paper is to provide research propositions that explain global retailers' international expansion. Global retailers are considered to be concentralized‐standardized retail formats.Design/methodology/approach – Research literature is used to develop the concepts related to predicting international expansion. Examples from retailers are used to set the stage for proposition development.Findings – Seven propositions are provided for further examination. These propositions are related to unique retail concept, private brands, unique capability, internalization advantages, pioneering advantages, resource availability, governance resources, and growth experience.Research limitations/implications – This is a conceptual paper leading to development of propositions for further testing. An empirical analysis is required to determine whether the theoretical connections can be proven.Originality/value – The major value of the paper is the melding of theory and retail examples to explain ...
The highway speed-volume relationship revisited

The highway speed-volume relationship has been studied by a number of authors, and is an important issue in urban transportation. Estimates of the relationship may be used to examine congestion externalities, calculate optimal tolls, and calibrate traffic simulation models. A recent paper in this journal by Fare, Grosskopf, and Yoon [2; hereafter referred to as FGYI views highways as a production process, with flow of cars and highway scale representing inputs, and speed representing the output. FGY then present a functional speed-flow relationship grounded in production theory. In addition to the basis in production theory, FGY observe that their function is consistent with the law of variable proportions. FGY state that, unlike most other specifications that have been employed, their function is able to describe the characteristic speed-volume relationship where speed increases with volume over a range of low volume, attains a maximum, then decreases with volume. Unfortunately, as shown below, the parameter estimates presented by the authors are incorrect, due to the authors’ use of faulty software. In addition, FGY incur some minor problems in their application, which are also addressed below. Nonetheless, with some minor adjustments, the production theory approach to the speed-volume relationship remains appealing and useful. FGY begin with a general, short-run production function of the form G = g(x, N), where G represents common speed of vehicles, x > 0 represents fixed highway scale, and N E R, is defined as the flow of cars in a lane past a fixed point. This short-run production function is required to satisfy several properties of production functions listed by FGY. In Eq. (2.3) of their paper, FGY present the function
Flowfield estimation in the wake of a pitching and heaving airfoil

Biological systems have shown great abilities for navigating dense and uncertain environments with variable winds or currents. These animals have unique sensors that allow them to detect the local flowfield and adjust their motor controls accordingly. One approach to leveraging biological sensing capabilities for engineered systems is to understand the sensing from a theoretical perspective. In this paper, flowfield observability and estimation is addressed in the framework of detecting vortices in the flow around a flapping airfoil. An unsteady potential flow model is developed, and the flowfield is measured using velocity sensors placed on the surface of the airfoil. The observability characteristics are identified using two methods, which reveal that for a set of surface velocity sensors, nonzero pitch and heave controls are required to achieve full state observability of airfoil velocities, angle-of-attack, and vortex locations and strengths. These interesting results indicate that wing flapping increases environment observability for animals with wing-mounted velocity sensors. The observability results are demonstrated in simulation with an unscented Kalman filter to estimate a discrete number of vortices in the wake of the flapping foil. Although the filter assumes only a small number of vortices to be estimated, the UKF is able to capture the structure of the wake vorticity.
Ultrasonic evaluation of environmental durability of adhesive joints

An angle-beam ultrasonic technique is used to investigate the interfacial properties of lap shear adhesive joints subjected to severe environmental degradation under load. The mode of failure during the process of degradation changes from cohesive (through the bulk adhesive) to predominantly interfacial (along the adhesive/adherent interface). It is found that the minimum shift in the frequency spectrum of the reflected ultrasonic signal is more sensitive to changes of properties in the interphasial region than in the bulk adhesive. The shift of the minimum to lower frequencies is related to the fraction of interfacial failure area and to the joint strength. This could lead to a methodology for predicting the residual lifetime of the joint in service. The joint degradation is described by a mathematical model of an adhesive joint with nonhomogeneous interphase structure. Reasonable agreement between the experimental results and computer simulations on the basis of the proposed model is obtained.
Enhancement of Natural Convection Heat Transfer in Triangular Channels Using Corona Discharge in Nitrogen Gas

A computational investigation was conducted to determine the effect of nitrogen corona discharge on enhancement of natural convection heat transfer in a triangular channel. The channel side walls were isothermal, the lower wall was adiabatic, and the fluid was nitrogen gas at atmospheric pressure. The electric field was generated by a positive corona discharge from a charged wire electrode located at the center of the channel. The current-voltage characteristics of the corona discharge was measured for nitrogen and used in the computations. The governing equations of the electric and flow fields were solved by a finite-volume technique. Two different meshes, namely structured and unstructured, were used. In the computations, Rayleigh number and the electrode voltage ranged from 3,737 to 37,377 and from 8.25 to 9.5 kV, respectively. At lower values of the applied voltage, the flow pattern was characterized by the presence of six vortices. At higher voltages, however, the flow pattern changed into a single recirculation that covered the entire cross section of the channel. For the applied voltage of 8.5 kV, heat transfer coefficient was enhanced by 18 to 43.6%, while at 9 kV, the enhancement was 53.5% to 87.3%.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Ca2+ antagonists do not protect isolated perfused rat hepatocytes from anoxic injury.

Abstract Ca2+ antagonists were studied during anoxia in perfused isolated rat hepatocytes. Cytosolic free calcium (Ca2+i) was measured with aequorin. Anoxia was induced for 2 h by saturating the perfusate with 95% N 2 /5% CO 2 . Anoxia increased Ca2+i in two distinct phases reaching a maximum of 1.5 μM. The increase in Ca2+i was caused by Ca2+ influx from the extracellular fluids because the main Ca2+i surge was totally abolished in Ca2+-free media. LDH release increased 6-fold during the second hour of anoxia, but when Ca2+ was removed from the perfusate during the anoxic period, LDH rose only 2.7-fold. Ca2+ antagonists (10−7 to 10−5 M) did not prevent the increase in Ca2+i and the rise in LDH release. On the contrary, high concentrations (10−6 and 10−5 M) of the blockers nifedipine and diltiazem significantly increased anoxic cell injury. The observation that the increase in LDH and the rise in Ca2+i were not suppressed by Ca2+ antagonists suggests that (i) Ca2+ antagonists protect the whole liver from anoxic injury by acting on cells other than parenchymal cells; (ii) the influx of Ca2+ responsible for the massive increase in hepatocyte Ca2+i evoked by anoxia did not take place through voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels but must have occurred via the Na+-Ca2+ antiporter operating in the reverse mode (Ca2+ influx vs. Na+ efflux), and (iii) high concentrations of Ca2+ antagonists may be deleterious to the parenchymal cells of the liver.
A selection rule for interband tunneling in nanowires with a tight-binding NEGF formalism

Interband tunneling in nanowires was studied with a non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) method focusing on the incident and outgoing eigenstates of the left and right leads. Tunneling is allowed only between paired lead eigenstates linked to each other via an imaginary wavevector in the forbidden gap. Following Kane's tunneling theory, we believe that the tunneling for typical semiconductor materials is associated with the coupling between the s and p atomic orbitals, similar to the selection rule for optical transitions. The tunneling efficiencies for both homojunctions and heterojunctions are compared to select optimal materials.
Reflection and refraction at the surface of a chiral medium: comparison of gyrotropic constitutive relations invariant or noninvariant under a duality transformation

Fresnel amplitudes for specular reflection and refraction at the surface of an isotropic, intrinsically nonmagnetic chiral medium are derived for sets of constitutive relations that are invariant or noninvariant under a duality transformation of the electromagnetic fields. The invariant set leads to a differential reflection curve of incident left and right circularly polarized light that is null at normal incidence and peaks beyond Brewster’s angle; the noninvariant set leads to maximum differential reflection in the vicinity of normal incidence and extends over a wide range of incident angles. Both sets lead to effectively equivalent descriptions of standard optical rotation and circular dichroism.
Novelty seeking in patients with right- versus left-onset Parkinson disease.

OBJECTIVE AND BACKGROUND In patients with Parkinson disease, the personality trait "novelty seeking" has been linked to higher-than-normal risk for impulse control disorders. We measured novelty seeking to test whether side of onset of Parkinson disease predicted patients' risk for impulsivity. METHODS We evaluated 38 patients with Parkinson disease (19 right onset, 19 left onset) and 44 community-dwelling neurotypical controls. All participants completed demographic and mood measures and the Temperament and Character Inventory personality questionnaire. The right- and left-onset groups were nearly the same in background and clinical variables, including use of dopamine agonists. RESULTS The patients with right-onset disease exhibited significantly higher levels of novelty seeking than the patients with left-onset disease. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that patients with right-onset Parkinson disease who are taking dopamine agonists and who exhibit high novelty seeking are at greater risk for developing impulse control disorders than are patients with left onset who are also taking dopamine agonists.
Balancing act for Treg immunotherapy.

In this issue of Blood , Gaidot and colleagues demonstrate effective suppression of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) by recipient-specific regulatory T cells without compromising immunity after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT).[1][1] Should these findings push the transplant community
Concentration of measure and cluster analysis

An estimate on measure concentration for the problem of cluster analysis posed as a suitable integer linear program is stated and proved.
Racial, Ethnic, and National Boundaries: Sexual Intersections and Symbolic Interactions

Sex and race are strained, if not strange, bedfellows. Sexual depictions and denigrations of racial, ethnic, and national “ others” and the regulation of in-group sexual behavior are important mechanisms by which ethnic boundaries are constructed, maintained, and defended. Race, ethnicity, and the nation are sexualized, and sexuality is racialized, ethnicized, and nationalized. The sexual systems that prop up ethnic boundaries and dee ne ethnic identities and communities tend to be inherently conservative blueprints for ethnosexual living. These systems stress endogamy, heterosexuality, and reproduction under the rubric of traditional, often patriarchal family life for ethnic group members and tend to demonize and denigrate the sexuality of those outside ethnic boundaries or of those within ethnic communities who do not conform to heteronormative, heteroconventional models of sexuality. I present several examples of the intersections of race, ethnicity, nationalism, and sexuality/ies from U.S. and international settings, and I argue that the symbolic interaction between ethnicity and sexuality is central to their mutual constitution. What’ s love got to do with it? I would like to begin this discussion of race, ethnicity, nationalism, and sexuality by taking some liberties with Tina Turner’ s famous song title. The question I’ ll try to answer in the following pages is not, what’ s love got to do with it? Rather, my question is, what’ s sex got to do with it? What’ s sex got to do with race? What’ s sex got to do with ethnicity? What’ s sex got to do with nationalism? I should mention at the start that I see race, ethnicity, and nationalism as similar kinds of social boundaries. Race tends to be based on color differences, what David Hollinger (1995) calls the “ U.S. racial pentagon” : black, white, yellow, brown, and
Age-related expression of molecular regulators of hypertrophy and maturation in articular cartilage.

The purpose of this study was to determine changes in the expression of regulatory molecules in normal equine articular cartilage throughout development up to 18 months of age. The hypothesis was that expression of these regulatory molecules would decrease from birth to postpubescence. Cartilage was harvested from normal femoropatellar or scapulohumeral joints from 34 fresh horse cadavers. Horses were placed in four age groups (prenatal (n ¼ 5); prepubertal, 0- 6 months (n ¼ 11); pubertal, 7-14 months (n ¼ 13); and postpubertal, 15-18 months (n ¼ 5)). Indian hedgehog (Ihh), Gli1, Gli3, Patched1 (Ptc1), Smoothened (Smo), Noggin, bone morphogenetic protein-6 (BMP-6), BMP-2, parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP), and PTH/PTHrP receptor mRNA expression levels were evaluated by real-time quantitative PCR. Spatial tissue mRNA and protein expression was determined by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. The expression of PTHrP decreased (p ¼ 0.002) in the pubertal group, while PTH/PTHrP receptor expression significantly increased (p ¼ 0.001). No significant difference was found between groups for Ihh (p ¼ 0.6) or Smo (p ¼ 0.3) expression. In contrast, there was significantly increased expression of Ptc1 (p ¼ 0.006), Gli1 (p ¼ 0.04), and Gli3 (p ¼ 0.007) in the pubertal group, and Gli3 (p ¼ 0.007) remained elevated in the postpubertal group. The expression of BMP-6 significantly increased from prenatal to postnatal groups (p ¼ 0.03) while BMP-2 expression increased during puberty and postpuberty (p ¼ 0.03). The changes in expression of hedgehog and BMP signaling molecules in articular cartilage during postnatal development have not been shown previously. The increased expression of hedgehog receptor and transcription factors during puberty may indicate maturation of the deep articular layer during this time period. 2006 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 24:1773-1781, 2006
HYPOTHALAMIC GALANIN LEVELS IN WEANLING RATS EXPOSED TO MATERNAL LOW-PROTEIN DIET

Abstract Perinatal malnutrition and growth retardation at birth are risk factors for the later development of Syndrome X which is characterized by overweight and hyperlipidaemia, associated with hyperinsulinaemia, impaired glucose tolerance and hypertension. The offspring of mother rats exposed to protein malnutrition during gestation and lactation (LP) develop syndrome X-like disturbances during life, for unclear reasons. In male rats born to LP mothers underweight (p
Rising Meson Trajectories

An integral equation for rising meson Regge trajectories is derived and solved for the $\ensuremath{\rho}$ trajectory. The equation is a simple extension of a method previously described in which dispersion relations for $\ensuremath{\alpha}(s)$ and the reduced residue $b(s)$ are coupled by unitarity. In the present method, the trajectory dispersion relation is subtracted twice, which causes trajectories to rise $\ensuremath{\sim}s$. The solutions depend on two parameters and represent almost straight trajectories with imaginary parts.
Is Peer Victimization Associated with Academic Achievement? A Meta‐analytic Review

This paper presents a meta‐analytic review of 33 studies, with a total of 29 552 participants, that examined the concurrent association between peer victimization and academic achievement. The results revealed a small but significant negative correlation between peer victimization and academic achievement under both the random‐effects model (r=−.12, p r=−.10, p
Evaluating qualitative research

Qualitative research, like all scientific research, consists of comparing ideas with observations. In good research, the ideas are thereby changed—strengthened, weakened, qualified, or elaborated. Criteria for evaluating qualitative research focus both on the process and on the product—that is, on the research methods that are used and on the changed ideas themselves (the interpretation). Many qualitative investigators explicitly reject the possibility of absolute objectivity and truth. The concept of objectivity is replaced by the concept of permeability , the capacity of understanding to be changed by encounters with observations. Investigators argue that we cannot view reality from outside of our own frame of reference. Instead, good practice in research seeks to ensure that understanding is permeated by observation. Investigator bias can be reframed as impermeability (interpretations not permeated by empirical observations). Good practice in reporting seeks to show readers how understanding has been changed. The traditional goal of truth of statements is replaced by the goal of understanding by people . Thus, the validity of an interpretation is always in relation to some person, and criteria for assessing validity depend on who that person is (eg, reader, investigator, research participant). Qualitative research differs from traditional quantitative research on human experience in several ways. Results are typically reported in words rather than primarily in numbers. This may take the form of narratives (eg, case studies) and typically includes a rich array of descriptive terms, rather than focusing on a few common dimensions or scales. Investigators use their (imperfect) empathic understanding of participants' inner experiences as data. Events are understood and reported in their unique context. Materials may be chosen for study because they are good examples rather than because they are representative of some larger population. Sample size and composition may be informed by emerging results (eg, cases chosen to fill …
Low-cost reservoir tomographs of electrical resistivity

The geophysics we describe here will sound different from what you have heard before, because it is different. It uses electric fields instead of seismic waves. It is not designed for exploration. It is a distant cousin of cross borehole seismic tomography, although it is quite different in terms of its application and results. Probably the most curious aspect is that it doesn't chase the holy grail of geophysics—high resolution. What good could possibly come from a low-resolution, electrical geophysical tool? The answer is found in the paradigm gradually finding favor by oil executives and reservoir engineers: while finding and exploiting large new fields is important for long-term growth, improving recovery efficiency for existing resources also makes sense because developing a new field is increasingly expensive. As a result, secondary recovery methods are receiving increasing attention. This shift in view requires a parallel shift in geophysics. Now geophysics needs to deliver useful information about field production using low-cost, long-term monitoring techniques that have minimum impact on production operations. Electrical resistance tomography (ERT) is ideally suited to these new goals. ERT is a method for tomographically reconstructing the electrical resistivity distribution in the subsurface using an array of electrodes. Typically, current is driven between two of the electrodes and the resulting voltage distribution is measured on the remaining electrodes. Repeating this with other pairs of current electrodes in the array makes it possible to sample the subsurface electrical properties in a manner that allows calculation of the spatial distribution of those properties. The electrical properties depend strongly on pore fluid content. Consequently, ERT is especially good at giving information on the movements of oil, water, and gas—the principal fluids of interest in a petroleum reservoir. An important aspect of this method is that the oil well casings themselves are used as …
Beyond PET/CT in Hodgkin lymphoma: a comprehensive review of the role of imaging at initial presentation, during follow-up and for assessment of treatment-related complications.

The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of the role of imaging modalities other than PET/CT in the management of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). PET/CT is the imaging modality of choice in the management of Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL). However, imaging modalities other than PET/CT such as plain radiographs, ultrasound, CT, MRI and nuclear imaging can help in various stages of clinical management of HL, including the initial workup and post-treatment surveillance. Both CT and MRI help in detecting recurrences, treatment-related pulmonary, cardiovascular and abdominal complications as well as second malignancies. Familiarity with expected post-treatment changes and complications on surveillance images can help radiologists guide patient management. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of the role of imaging modalities other than PET/CT in the management of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). • Surveillance of HL patients is usually performed with plain radiographs and CT. • Follow-up imaging can depict normal post-treatment changes or treatment-related complications. • Imaging is important for the timely detection of second malignancies in HL patients.
The NICMOS revival: detector performance in the NCS era

We summarize the current detector performance of the NearInfrared and MultiObject Spectrometer (NICMOS) on board the Hubble Space Telescope. After a three-year hiatus following the exhaustion of its solid nitrogen coolant, NICMOS was revived with the installation of the NICMOS Cooling System during the HST Servicing Mission 3B in March 2002. In this paper, we briefly describe the timeline of the NICMOS cooldown, present the results from the cooldown monitoring program to characterize the NICMOS detectors at their current operating temperature, and summarize the scientific performance of the "new" NICMOS.
Real time digital propulsion system simulation for manned flight simulators

A real time digital simulation of a STOL propulsion system was developed which generates significant dynamics and internal variables needed to evaluate system performance and aircraft interactions using manned flight simulators. The simulation ran at a real-to-execution time ratio of 8.8. The model was used in a piloted NASA flight simulator program to evaluate the simulation technique and the propulsion system digital control. The simulation is described and results shown. Limited results of the flight simulation program are also presented.
RET/PTC rearrangement in thyroid tumors.

Rearrangement of the RET gene, also known as RET/PTC rearrangement, is the most common genetic alteration identified to date in thyroid papillary carcinomas. The prevalence of RET/PTC in papillary carcinomas shows significant geographic variation and is approx 35% in North America. RET/PTC is more common in tumors in children and young adults, and in papillary carcinomas associated with radiation exposure. There are at least 10 different types of RET/PTC, all resulting from the fusion of the tyrosine kinase domain of RET to the 5′ portion of different genes. RET/PTC1 and RET/PTC3 are the most common types, accounting for >90% of all rearrangements. There is some evidence that different types of RET/PTC may be associated with distinct biologic properties of papillary carcinomas. RET/PTC1 tends to be more common in tumors with typical papillary growth and microcarcinomas and to have a more benign clinical course, whereas RET/PTC3 in some populations shows a strong correlation with the solid variant of papillary carcinoma and more aggressive tumor behavior. RET/PTC has recently been found in hyalinizing trabecular adenomas of the thyroid gland, providing molecular evidence in favor of this tumor to be a variant of papillary carcinoma. The occurrence of RET/PTC in Hashimoto thyroiditis and thyroid follicular adenomas and hyperplastic nodules reported in several studies has not been confirmed in other observations and remains controversial.
The Tim-3 ligand galectin-9 negatively regulates T helper type 1 immunity

Tim-3 is a T helper type 1 (T(H)1)-specific cell surface molecule that seems to regulate T(H)1 responses and the induction of peripheral tolerance. However, the identity of the Tim-3 ligand and the mechanism by which this ligand inhibits the function of effector T(H)1 cells remain unknown. Here we show that galectin-9 is the Tim-3 ligand. Galectin-9-induced intracellular calcium flux, aggregation and death of T(H)1 cells were Tim-3-dependent in vitro, and administration of galectin-9 in vivo resulted in selective loss of interferon-gamma-producing cells and suppression of T(H)1 autoimmunity. These data suggest that the Tim-3-galectin-9 pathway may have evolved to ensure effective termination of effector T(H)1 cells.
Verrucous carcinoma of the nail unit.

Verrucous carcinoma (VC) of the nail bed and matrix is a rare malignancy that is often misdiagnosed as a benign condition. We present a case of a 65-year-old woman with a 2-year history of a progressive right fourth fingernail verrucous plaque replacing and surrounding her entire fourth fingernail. Diagnosis of VC was confirmed by a longitudinal biopsy and patient underwent en bloc excision and skin graft placement. The patient remained disease free with acceptable function of the digit at 24 months of follow-up. Although uncommon, VC must be considered in all patients with a persistent and enlarging verrucous lesion involving the nail apparatus. Preoperative evaluation must include an adequate biopsy specimen to avoid misdiagnosis of verruca vulgaris. Digital radio- graphs are recommended to evaluate local invasion to bone.
Postinhibitory rebound neurons and networks are disrupted in retrovirus-induced spongiform neurodegeneration

Certain retroviruses induce progressive spongiform motor neuron disease with features resembling prion diseases and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. With the neurovirulent murine leukemia virus (MLV) FrCasE, Env protein expression within glia leads to postsynaptic vacuolation, cellular effacement, and neuronal loss in the absence of neuroinflammation. To understand the physiological changes associated with MLV-induced spongiosis, and its neuronal specificity, we employed patch-clamp recordings and voltage-sensitive dye imaging in brain slices of the mouse inferior colliculus (IC), a midbrain nucleus that undergoes extensive spongiosis. IC neurons characterized by postinhibitory rebound firing (PIR) were selectively affected in FrCasE-infected mice. Coincident with Env expression in microglia and in glia characterized by NG2 proteoglycan expression (NG2 cells), rebound neurons (RNs) lost PIR, became hyperexcitable, and were reduced in number. PIR loss and hyperexcitability were reversed by raising internal calcium buffer concentrations in RNs. PIR-initiated rhythmic circuits were disrupted, and spontaneous synchronized bursting and prolonged depolarizations were widespread. Other IC neuron cell types and circuits within the same degenerative environment were unaffected. Antagonists of NMDA and/or AMPA receptors reduced burst firing in the IC but did not affect prolonged depolarizations. Antagonists of L-type calcium channels abolished both bursts and slow depolarizations. IC infection by the nonneurovirulent isogenic virus Friend 57E (Fr57E), whose Env protein is structurally similar to FrCasE, showed no RN hyperactivity or cell loss; however, PIR latency increased. These findings suggest that spongiform neurodegeneration arises from the unique excitability of RNs, their local regulation by glia, and the disruption of this relationship by glial expression of abnormal protein.
Temperature-gradient-driven electrohydrodynamic instability with unipolar injection in air

Electrohydrodynamic instability is described in a planar region of gas, with unipolar injection through a linear temperature gradient, with corresponding mobility, viscosity, and density gradients. The role of charge-relaxation instability, which is incipient at a critical value of electric Rayleigh number in a uniform mobility layer, is distinguished from the mobility-gradient-driven mechanism, which can produce instability at much smaller voltage thresholds. Relative values of electroviscous time, viscous diffusion time and ion transit time determine the nature of the instability process. The instability is stationary or dynamic for wavenumbers respectively below or above a critical value. The fastest-growing wavenumber and corresponding growth rate are determined as functions of time constants and temperature gradient.
Malnutrition and "nutrition engineering" in low-income countries: a comment on Alan Berg's vision of the nutrition track record.

Alan Berg, senior nutrition advisor at the World Bank, recently asserted that Western nutritionists have engaged in “nutrition malpractice” with respect to undernutrition in developing countries. This “malpractice” results from both an underemphasis on applied research and an education of nutritionists that leaves them unprepared for practical, “how-to” aspects of applying technologies effectively to nutritional deficiency problems. The author criticizes Berg's conceptualization of undernutrition as a technical or “engineering” problem and highlights the need for a better understanding of structural determinants of malnutrition. A critique is also offered of Berg's assertion that political commitment of governments of developing countries and levels of research funding are not important constraints to combatting malnutrition. The author recommends that research and training in applied nutrition should include education of nutritionists from the regions in which the deficiency problems are found.
Module-aware translation for real-life desktop applications

A dynamic binary translator is a just-in-time compiler that translates source architecture binaries into target architecture binaries on the fly. It enables the fast running of the source architecture binaries on the target architecture. Traditional dynamic binary translators invalidate their translations when a module is unloaded, so later re-loading of the same module will lead to a full retranslation. Moreover, most of the loading and unloading are performed on a few "hot" modules, which causes the dynamic binary translator to spend a significant amount of time on repeatedly translating these "hot" modules. Furthermore, the retranslation may lead to excessive memory consumption if the code pages containing the translated codes that have been invalidated are not timely recycled. In addition, we observed that the overhead for translating real-life desktop applications is a big challenge to the overall performance of the applications, and our detailed analysis proved that real-life desktop applications dynamically load and unload modules much more frequently as compared to popular benchmarks, such as SPEC CPU2000. To address these issues, we propose a translation reuse engine that uses a novel verification method and a module-aware memory management mechanism. The proposed approach was fully implemented in IA-32 Execution Layer (IA-32 EL) [1], a commercial dynamic binary translator that enables the execution of IA-32 applications on Intel® Itanium® processor family. Collected results show that the module-aware translation improves the performance of Adobe* Illustrator by 14.09% and Microsoft* Publisher by 9.73%. The overhead brought by the translation reuse engine accounts for no more than 0.2% of execution time.
DNA microarrays and beyond: completing the journey from tissue to cell

For the cell biologist, identifying changes in gene expression using DNA microarrays is just the start of a long journey from tissue to cell. We discuss how chip users can first filter noise (false-positives) from daunting microarray datasets. Combining laser capture microdissection with real-time polymerase chain reaction and reverse transcription is a helpful follow-up step that allows expression of selected genes to be quantified in populations of recovered cells. The voyage from chip to single cell can be completed using sensitive new in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical methods based on tyramide signal amplification.
Gel–water relationships in hydrophilic polymers: Thermodynamics of sorption of water vapor

A thermodynamic study was conducted of water vapor adsorption on four hydrophilic polymers (agar, carboxymethyl cellulose, gelatin, and maize starch) at 12 and 25°C. Monolayer coverage amounted, after correction for crystallinity, respectively, to 0.93, 1.46, 0.51, and 0.77 mol water/mol monomer. Evidence is adduced from the Bradley equation and thermodynamic data to indicate that at least during coverage with the second layer of water, the energy of adsorption is greater than that due to condensation alone. Differences in the amount of sorption and in the trend of values of ΔS° and ΔH° with the amount of sorbed water are related with differences in the strength of intermolecular association as affected by steric hindrances.
On the truncation error of the sampling expansion for stationary bandlimited processes

We consider the truncation error of the cardinal sampling expansion of stationary bandlimited processes. We show that the rate of convergence does not exceed 1/N/sup 2/. This corrects the result of Pogany (see ibid., vol.39, p.1918, 1991) where a considerably faster rate of O((1n/sup 2/N)/N/sup 2q/) for every positive integer q was presented. >
Microbial gene transfer: an ecological perspective.

Microbial gene transfer or microbial sex is a means of exchanging loci amongst prokaryotes and certain eukaryotes. Historically viewed as a laboratory artifact, recent evidence from natural populations as well as genome research has indicated that this process may be a major driving force in microbial evolution. Studies with natural populations have taken two approacheseither adding a defined donor with a traceable gene to an indigenous community, and detecting the target gene in the indigenous bacteria, or by adding a model recipient to capture genes being transferred from the ambient microbial flora. However, both approaches usually require some cultivation of the recipient, which may result in a dramatic underestimation of the ambient transfer frequency. Novel methods are just evolving to study in situ gene transfer processes, including the use of green fluorescent protein (GFP)marked plasmids, which enable detection of transferrants by epifluorescence microscopy. A transduction-like mechanism of transfer from viral-like particles produced by marine bacteria and thermal spring bacteria to Escherichia coli has been documented recently, indicating that broad host range transduction may be occurring in aquatic environments. The sequencing of complete microbial genomes has shown that they are a mosaic of ancestral chromosomal genes interspersed with recently transferred operons that encode peripheral functions. Archaeal genomes indicate that the genes for replication, transcription, and translation are all eukaryotic in complexity, while the genes for intermediary metabolism are purely bacterial. And in eukaryotes, many ancestral eukaryotic genes have been replaced by bacterial genes believed derived from food sources. Collectively these results indicate that microbial sex can result in the dispersal of loci in contemporary microbial populations as well as having shaped the phylogenies of microbes from multiple, very early gene transfer events.