cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Minimum lesion detectability as a measure of PET system performance

A phantom in combination with an imaging protocol was developed to measure the limit of small lesion detection on different PET systems. Seven small spheres with inner diameters ranging from 3.95 up to 15.43 mm were imaged in a Jaszczak ECT Phantom, in air, in a cold background, and with sphere to background contrast ratios of 15:1 down to 1.88:1. The imaging times varied from 1 to 16 min. The imaging protocol was performed on the Gemini TF and Vereos by Philips, the mCT and HRRT by Siemens, and the Discovery 710 by General Electric. For each scanning condition, the images were reconstructed with image voxel sizes of 1 to 4 mm cubic voxels. The reconstruction method used for each system was the one recommended by the manufacture to achieve best small image lesion detection results. A human observer study was performed to determine the smallest observable sphere for each scanning condition. All systems were able to image the smallest sphere of 3.95 mm inner diameter at the 15 to 1 signal to background ratio when imaged for 16 min. For a typical whole body per bed position scan time of 2 to 4 min, the smallest imaged sphere varied between 4.95 and 6.23 mm at the 15:1 contrast ratio and 12.43 and 15.43 mm at a contrast ratio of 1.88:1. In general, all systems were consistent with the Rose criteria when determining lesion detectability. Besides demonstrating that the current state of the art clinical PET/CT systems have the same lesion detection ability, the study demonstrates how sensitive scan time can be to detecting small lesions which have a relatively small contrast uptake in the range of just 2:1. This should help guide imaging protocols to use longer scan times over regions of the subject in which small lesions are suspect.
Cortical circuits implement optimal context integration

Neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1) predominantly respond to a patch of the visual input, their classical receptive field. These responses are modulated by the visual input in the surround [2]. This reflects the fact that features in natural scenes do not occur in isolation: lines, surfaces are generally continuous, and the surround provides context for the information in the classical receptive field. It is generally assumed that the information in the near surround is transmitted via lateral connections, between neurons in the same area [2]. A series of large scale efforts have recently described the relation between lateral connectivity and visual evoked responses and found like-to-like connectivity between excitatory neurons [16, 18]. Additionally, specific cell type connectivity for inhibitory neuron types has been described [11, 31]. Current normative models of cortical function relying on sparsity [27], saliency [4] predict functional inhibition between similarly tuned neurons. What computations are consistent with the observed structure of the lateral connections between the excitatory and diverse types of inhibitory neurons? We combined natural scene statistics [24] and mouse V1 neuron responses [7] to compute the lateral connections and computations of individual neurons which optimally integrate information from the classical receptive field with that from the surround by directly implementing Bayes rule. This increases the accuracy of representation of a natural scene under noisy conditions. We show that this network has like-to-like connectivity between excitatory neurons, similar to the observed one [16, 18, 11], and has three types of inhibition: local normalization, surround inhibition and gating of inhibition from the surround - that can be attributed to three classes of inhibitory neurons. We hypothesize that this computation: optimal integration of contextual cues with a gate to ignore context when necessary is a general property of cortical circuits, and the rules constructed for mouse V1 generalize to other areas and species.
Archimedes in the Twenty-First Century Imagination

Any discussion of Archimedes in the twenty-first century imagination must reach backward into the twentieth, because so much recent work arises from or responds to the sale of the codex containing the Archimedes Palimpsest at Christie’s in New York, on October 28, 1998, and its installation in the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore in 1999. The years since have seen the publication of the palimpsest by Reviel Netz and Nigel Wilson and the rest of their team; images are online, as is a transcription of the text [1]. In addition, Netz has published part of his ongoing project of translating Archimedes: three volumes are to come out of Cambridge University Press, the first of which, The Two Books on the Sphereand Cylinder, appeared in 2004. Netz has also written a three-part study of Mediterranean mathematics: The Shaping of Deduction in GreekMathematics (1999), The Transformation of Mathematics in the Early Mediterranean World: from Problems to Equations (2004), and Ludic Proof (2009). Finally, and firmly in the twenty-first century, an international conference on Archimedes held at Syracuse in June 2010 has resulted in a hefty volume of conference papers. (The Genius of Archimedes--23 Centuries of Influence on Mathematics, Science, and Engineering. eds. S. A. Paipetis, Marco Ceccarelli. Springer: New York).
Building Knowledge Together: Interactive Course Exhibits in the Academic Library

Abstract The Course Exhibit Initiative at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech) Libraries is a program in which museum-like exhibits are built and displayed in the main learning commons. These exhibits are based on the output of students’ coursework, usually from a single course. Students in featured courses have an opportunity to share their work that they would not otherwise have. The exhibits are designed so that students can inhabit them as they would any other space in the library. The intent is to create a space where any student may come and experience a course they may not otherwise have the chance to take. This chapter covers the origin of the program, the pedagogical implications, and a walkthrough of the design process for the exhibits.
Association between industry payments and prescribing costly medications: an observational study using open payments and medicare part D data.

While many new medications may offer advantages over existing drugs, some newer drugs are reformulations of existing products that provide little innovation or incremental benefit while driving up drug costs. Despite the lack of benefit of these medications, prescribers may be motivated by payments made by the pharmaceutical industry. The objective of the study was to determine the association between payments made to physicians by the pharmaceutical industry and prescriptions for certain selected costly brand name drugs. This was a cross-sectional, retrospective study linking the Open Payments Database and Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File for 2014, including 667,278 physicians who prescribed one of 6 brand-name drugs with less costly but similarly effective alternatives: lovastatin ER, almotriptan, amlodipine+olmesartan, ibuprofen+famotidine, saxagliptin+metformin and naproxen+esomeprazole. The primary outcome was the odds of a physician prescribing one of the selected drugs, and the primary predictor was the receipt of any payment from the pharmaceutical industry. The odds of prescribing 3 of the 6 drugs were increased among physicians who received industry payment, compared to those without payment: amlodipine+olmesartan, aOR 1.42, (95% CI 1.36–1.49); saxagliptin+metformin, aOR 1.50, (95% CI 1.42–1.59); and naproxen+esomeprazole, aOR 1.45, (95% CI 1.25–1.68). Payment from the manufacturer of the specific drug, compared to not receiving payment from the drug’s manufacturer, was associated with increased odds of prescribing 4 of the 6 drugs: amlodipine+olmesartan, aOR 2.40, (95% CI 2.29–2.52), ibuprofen+famotidine, aOR 8.06, (95% CI 5.42–12.00), saxagliptin+metformin, aOR 2.21, (95% CI 2.10–2.34) and naproxen+esomeprazole, aOR 5.96, (95% CI 5.08–7.00). A physician-industry financial relationship was associated with increased odds of prescribing costly brand-name drugs of uncertain medical benefit. Patients, as healthcare consumers, should demand transparency from their physicians about payment from the pharmaceutical industry to increase shared decision-making. Physician and policy makers need increased awareness and reflection on how industry payment influences their prescribing practices.
Super Pop VRTM: An Adaptable Virtual Reality Game for Upper-Body Rehabilitation

Therapists and researchers have studied the importance of virtual reality (VR) environments in physical therapy interventions for people with different conditions such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and cerebral palsy. Most of these VR systems do not integrate clinical assessment of outcome measures as an automated objective of the system. Moreover, these systems do not allow real-time adjustment of the system characteristics that is necessary to individualize the intervention. We discuss a new VR game designed to improve upper-arm motor function through repetitive arm exercises. An automated method is used to extract outcome measures of upper extremity movements using the Fugl-Meyer assessment methodology. The accuracy of the system was validated based on trials with eighteen adult subjects. With a corresponding average assessment error of less than 5%, the developed system shows to be a promising tool for therapists to use in individualizing the intervention for individuals with upper-body motor impairments.
Conditions for Quasiconformal Deformations in Several Variables

Publisher Summary If v(z) is a measurable complex-valued function in the complex plane. Subject only to growth conditions, the inhomogeneous Cauchy–Riemann equation has the explicit solution , and this solution satisfies . This observation is fundamental for many questions in the theory of holomorphic functions of one or several variables, for partial differential equations, and in the theory of quasiconformal mappings in two dimensions. In particular, Cauchy–Riemann equation plays an important role in the study of Kleinian groups, the right-hand side being a Beltrami differential. In that connection, the solution f has a natural interpretation as an infinitesimal deformation. Such deformations can be studied in the space of n real variables.
Free Fatty Acids and Monocarbonyls in Beer

(1968). Free Fatty Acids and Monocarbonyls in Beer. Proceedings. Annual meeting - American Society of Brewing Chemists: Vol. 26, Proceedings of the Annual Meeting 1968, pp. 65-74.
Case 29: Traumatic Evisceration

A 34-year-old man presented after a metal wheel grinder struck his left face, and was found to have extensive facial fractures, periorbital soft tissue lacerations and a severely deformed left globe. Due to extensive globe injury, a preoperative discussion and consent for possible primary evisceration with ocular implant placement and facial reconstruction was undertaken with the patient. Surgical exploration revealed an unsalvageable globe. Intraoperatively the patient’s ruptured scleral tissue was identified, but there was complete absence of intraocular contents, indicating no chance of vision restoration. An implant was placed in the scleral shell and the extensive facial fractures and soft tissue injuries were repaired by the oculoplastic service, yielding an excellent cosmetic result. Primary implant placement can be considered during the initial surgery in patients with traumatic evisceration without chance of vision restoration.
THYMIC CARCINOID WITH ADRENOCORTICOTROPIC HORMONE-PRODUCING ECTOPIC CUSHING SYNDROME AND EMPTY SELLA

Objective: Ectopic Cushing syndrome secondary to thymic carcinoid is a rare disorder that may be difficult to diagnose and manage. Methods: We describe a case of severe Cushing syndrome secondary t...
Teaching NeuroImages: Neuromyopathy in a patient with hereditary transthyretin Thr60Ala amyloidosis

A 69-year-old man with hereditary transthyretin (hATTR) Thr60Ala amyloid cardiomyopathy presented with a 2-year history of proximal greater than distal weakness and pan-modality sensation loss in the lower extremities. Nerve conduction studies/EMG revealed a proximal myopathy and length-dependent axonal polyneuropathy. Muscle biopsy was diagnostic of amyloid myopathy (figure) and skin biopsy showed large amyloid deposits but normal intraepidermal nerve fiber density (figure). Myopathy is rare in hATTR amyloidosis and concomitant polyneuropathy is always present.1 Skin biopsy is less invasive than nerve biopsy and has good sensitivity for amyloid diagnosis.2 hATTR amyloidosis is treatable and should be included in the differential diagnosis of a neuromyopathy.
Battlefields and Borderlands: The Past, Present and Future of Collateral Values

Collateral values are the improvements and/or conservation of the natural capital of landscapes upon which societies conduct war and similar conflicts. This book presents case studies of actual or potential collateral values. The study of collateral values thus falls within the new field of Warfare Ecology, as introduced by Machlis and Hanson (Bioscience 58(8):729–736, 2008). Machlis and Hanson propose a “taxonomy” of warfare ecology effects, based on whether the activities that cause the effect are part of the preparations for war, the actual waging of war, or the post-conflict recoveries. In this chapter, we analyze each of the case studies presented in this book in light of the Machlis-Hanson taxonomy, noting that the landscape under study may be defined as a unit during one phase, and acquire its collateral values in a later phase. The evolution of warfare suggests that current and future wars are unlikely to define battlefields suitable for the development of collateral values. However, older battlefields with significant collateral values may be more likely to resist pressures for economic development, due to the historical and memorial significance of those landscapes. In contrast, tensions along borders and/or border disputes may continue to define new landscapes that can acquire collateral values. As protected areas of all types are under great pressure, we hope the recognition of collateral values may help conserve them.
Advanced Heart Failure in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease

As a result of improvements in care for patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), >90% of children born with CHD are expected to survive to adulthood. For those adults, heart failure (HF) is the leading cause of death. Advances in recognition of, and treatments for, these patients continue to improve. Specifically, adults with CHD are candidates for both heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support. However, challenges remain that require investigation to improve outcomes.
Your Brain Is Like a Computer: Function, Analogy, Simplification

The relationship between brain and computer is a perennial theme in theoretical neuroscience, but it has received relatively little attention in the philosophy of neuroscience. This paper argues that much of the popularity of the brain-computer comparison (e.g. circuit models of neurons and brain areas since McCulloch and Pitts, Bull Math Biophys 5: 115–33, 1943) can be explained by their utility as ways of simplifying the brain. More specifically, by justifying a sharp distinction between aspects of neural anatomy and physiology that serve information-processing, and those that are ‘mere metabolic support,’ the computational framework provides a means of abstracting away from the complexities of cellular neurobiology, as those details come to be classified as irrelevant to the (computational) functions of the system. I argue that the relation between brain and computer should be understood as one of analogy, and consider the implications of this interpretation for notions of multiple realisation. I suggest some limitations of our understanding of the brain and cognition that may stem from the radical abstraction imposed by the computational framework.
Enhanced Sampling of Nucleic Acids’ Structures Using Deep-Learning-Derived Biasing Forces

The conformation spaces (CS) of macromolecules and their associated dynamics are of vital importance in the understanding of many biochemical functions as well as diseases and in the developments of drugs for curing or managing disease conditions. While the exploration of the CS is generally easier for molecules with fewer atoms (such as ligands and short peptides), achieving the same for larger molecules (such as nucleic acids and proteins) beyond a narrow local equilibrium is non-trivial and sometimes computationally prohibitive. In this work, we present Deep Enhanced Sampling of Nucleic Acids’ Structures Using Deep-Learning-Derived Biasing Forces (DESNA, pronounced DES-na), that combines variational autoencoder, a special deep neural network (DNN), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to create a robust technique for enhanced sampling, in which DNN-learned latent space is used for inferring appropriate biasing potentials for guiding the MD simulations. The results obtained show that DESNA performs better than conventional MD simulations and efficiently samples wider CS than conventional MD simulations even when DESNA is allowed to run for as short as 10% of the length of conventional MD simulations. This suggests that DESNA is at least 10 times more efficient that conventional MD simulations in its sampling of CS of molecules.
The ocular tissue-specificity of differentially expressed age-related macular degeneration associated genes

Purpose: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness in the developed world. One of the most genetically well-characterized degenerative diseases, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified 52 independent common or rare AMD risk associated variants. While transcriptome-wide association analyses (TWAS) and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) efforts have characterized the effects of these AMD-associated genes on mRNA expression in retinal tissue, we aimed to characterize the AMD-associated transcriptional profiles of functionally distinct ocular tissues including the macular and extramacular regions of the retina and the retinal-pigment epithelium (RPE)/choroid. Methods: Using publicly available microarray data (NCBI GEO accession: GSE29801) comprised of retinal and RPE/choroidal tissue samples from 142 AMD patients and 151 healthy individuals (118 retina and 175 RPE/Choroid samples), tissue-specific differential gene expression analyses were conducted. Transcriptome analyses were focused on 878 genes surrounding known AMD-associated loci. Results: Many genes which contain clinically significant or causal variants identified via GWAS or TWAS/eQTL studies were significantly differentially expressed and display transcriptional heterogeneity across different subtypes of ocular tissue and retinal geography in AMD-associated tissues. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate the importance of spatial heterogeneity and tissue specificity in the mRNA expression of known AMD-associated genes. Genes known to harbor rare or causal AMD-associated variants are differentially expressed in functionally distinct ocular tissues of AMD patients, suggesting they might contribute to disease regardless of mutation status.
Options trading activity and firm valuation

Abstract Options may have an effect on firm value because they help complete markets and stimulate informed trades. However, these benefits are likely to manifest themselves in active, rather than inactive, options markets. Supporting this observation, we find that firms with more options trading have higher values of Tobin's q, after accounting for other determinants of value. Corporate investment in firms with greater options trading is more sensitive to stock prices. Options trading affects firm valuation more strongly in stocks with greater information asymmetry. These results indicate that options trading is positively associated with firm values as well as information production.
Live Imaging and Quantification of Viral Infection in K18 hACE2 Transgenic Mice using Reporter-Expressing Recombinant SARS-CoV-2.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). To date, SARS-CoV-2 has been responsible for over 242 million infections and more than 4.9 million deaths worldwide. Similar to other viruses, studying SARS-CoV-2 requires the use of experimental methods to detect the presence of virus in infected cells and/or in animal models. To overcome this limitation, we generated replication-competent recombinant (r)SARS-CoV-2 that expresses bioluminescent (nanoluciferase, Nluc) or fluorescent (Venus) proteins. These reporter-expressing rSARS-CoV-2 allow tracking viral infections in vitro and in vivo based on the expression of Nluc and Venus reporter genes. Here the study describes the use of rSARS-CoV-2/Nluc and rSARS-CoV-2/Venus to detect and track SARS-CoV-2 infection in the previously described K18 human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) transgenic mouse model of infection using in vivo imaging systems (IVIS). This rSARS-CoV-2/Nluc and rSARS-CoV-2/Venus show rSARS-CoV-2/WT-like pathogenicity and viral replication in vivo. Importantly, Nluc and Venus expression allow us to directly track viral infections in vivo and ex vivo, in infected mice. These rSARS-CoV-2/Nluc and rSARS-CoV-2/Venus represent an excellent option to study the biology of SARS-CoV-2 in vivo, to understand viral infection and associated COVID-19 disease, and to identify effective prophylactic and/or therapeutic treatments to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection.
A graphical realization problem

Let G be a finite r-graph where two (distinct) vertices are joined by at most r lines and let [G] denote the degree sequence of G. If s is an integer, s ≥ r + 1, then we prove that a degree sequence [K1] has a realizing s-graph containing graph G if and only if the sequence [ki] - [H] is s-realizable for all subgraphs H of G.
Template-based identification of protein–protein interfaces using eFindSitePPI

Protein-protein interactions orchestrate virtually all cellular processes, therefore, their exhaustive exploration is essential for the comprehensive understanding of cellular networks. A reliable identification of interfacial residues is vital not only to infer the function of individual proteins and their assembly into biological complexes, but also to elucidate the molecular and physicochemical basis of interactions between proteins. With the exponential growth of protein sequence data, computational approaches for detecting protein interface sites have drawn an increased interest. In this communication, we discuss the major features of eFindSite(PPI), a recently developed template-based method for interface residue prediction available at http://brylinski.cct.lsu.edu/efindsiteppi. We describe the requirements and installation procedures for the stand-alone version, and explain the content and format of output data. Furthermore, the functionality of the eFindSite(PPI) web application that is designed to provide a simple and convenient access for the scientific community is presented with illustrative examples. Finally, we discuss common problems encountered in predicting protein interfaces and set forth directions for the future development of eFindSite(PPI).
U.S. National climate assessment gaps and research needs: overview, the economy and the international context

A number of knowledge gaps and research priorities emerged during the third US National Climate Assessment (NCA3). Several are also gaps in the latest IPCC WG2 report. These omissions reflect major gaps in the underlying research base from which these assessments draw. These include the challenge of estimating the costs and benefits of climate change impacts and responses to climate change and the need for research on climate impacts on important sectors such as manufacturing and services. Climate impacts also need to be assessed within an international context in an increasingly connected and globalized world. Climate change is being experienced not only through changes within a locality but also through the impacts of climate change in other regions connected through trade, prices, and commodity chains, migratory species, human mobility and networked communications. Also under-researched are the connections and tradeoffs between responses to climate change at or across different scales, especially between adaptation and mitigation or between climate responses and other environmental and social policies. This paper discusses some of these research priorities, illustrating their significance through analysis of economic and international connections and case studies of responses to climate change. It also critically reflects on the process of developing research needs as part of the assessment process.
Utilization of health services along the Arizona-Sonora border: the providers perspective

Under the proposed North American Free Trade Agreement between Mexico, Canada, and the United States, issues of health policy and health care delivery will have to be addressed. People at the U.S.-Mexico border have been using health care providers on either side of the border for many years. Studying how the movement of patients has been taking place, and how it has affected health care providers' practices, is the first step towards the understanding and organization of health care services for the border region. This paper reports on the results of a health care provider survey conducted between 1987 and 1989 in Arizona and Sonora border towns. The paper includes information on the characteristics of border health care providers (98 residing on the U.S. side of the border and 249 on the Mexican side) and the demographics and diagnosis of patients who engage in border crossing behavior. The opinions of health care providers about why patients from the neighboring country come to their offices; the existing communication system between providers in both nations; and some of the problems that result from attending patients residing in the neighboring nation are also reported. Results from the survey demonstrate that although the border constitutes a region in itself, health services at the border are not structured to recognize this regional orientation. Improved communication between health care providers on both sides of the border, the establishment of health care protocols with quality assurance programs, and suitable health care financing mechanisms are some of the issues that require immediate attention if the health care delivery system at the border is to function more efficiently and to the satisfaction of health care providers and consumers.
Biochemical mechanism of glucocorticoid-and phenytoin-induced cleft palate.

Publisher Summary This chapter illustrates the biochemical mechanism of glucocorticoid and phenytoin-induced cleft palate. The production of cleft palate by glucocorticoids and phenytoin is a complicated interference in a complex developmental program involving many genetic and biochemical processes. The H-2 histocompatibility region includes genes that affect (1) susceptibility to glucocorticoid- and phenytoin-induced cleft palate, (2) glucocorticoid receptor level in a variety of tissues including maternal and embryonic palates, adult thymuses, and lungs, and (3) the degree of inhibition of prostaglandin and thromboxane production by glucocorticoids and phenytoin in thymocytes. A gene linked to a minor histocompatibility locus on the second chromosome also influences susceptibility to glucocorticoid- and phenytoin-induced cleft palate. Phenytoin is an alternate ligand for the glucocorticoid receptor affecting prostaglandin and/or thromboxane production. The capacity of glucocorticoids to induce cleft palate is correlated with their anti-inflammatory potency. Some of the anti-inflammatory effects of glucocorticoids can be explained by the inhibition of prostaglandin and/or thromboxane release, which in turn could be caused by the inhibition of arachidonic acid release from phospholipids.
Monitoring groundwater‐surface water interaction using time‐series and time‐frequency analysis of transient three‐dimensional electrical resistivity changes

[1] Time-lapse resistivity imaging is increasingly used to monitor hydrologic processes. Compared to conventional hydrologic measurements, surface time-lapse resistivity provides superior spatial coverage in two or three dimensions, potentially high-resolution information in time, and information in the absence of wells. However, interpretation of time-lapse electrical tomograms is complicated by the ever-increasing size and complexity of long-term, three-dimensional (3-D) time series conductivity data sets. Here we use 3-D surface time-lapse electrical imaging to monitor subsurface electrical conductivity variations associated with stage-driven groundwater-surface water interactions along a stretch of the Columbia River adjacent to the Hanford 300 near Richland, Washington, USA. We reduce the resulting 3-D conductivity time series using both time-series and time-frequency analyses to isolate a paleochannel causing enhanced groundwater-surface water interactions. Correlation analysis on the time-lapse imaging results concisely represents enhanced groundwater-surface water interactions within the paleochannel, and provides information concerning groundwater flow velocities. Time-frequency analysis using the Stockwell (S) transform provides additional information by identifying the stage periodicities driving groundwater-surface water interactions due to upstream dam operations, and identifying segments in time-frequency space when these interactions are most active. These results provide new insight into the distribution and timing of river water intrusion into the Hanford 300 Area, which has a governing influence on the behavior of a uranium plume left over from historical nuclear fuel processing operations.
Urban-rural differences in health status among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Background: While geographic variation in health care access and quality may affect health status of patients with chronic diseases little is known about the health status of patients with COPD. Objectives: The purpose of this analysis was to examine urban-rural differences in health status among patients with COPD. Methods: This was a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from patients with COPD enrolled in a self-management clinical trial. Urban-rural residence was determined from zip code. Health status was measured using BODE index (BMI, obstructive impairment, dyspnea severity, exercise capacity), and generic (SF-12) and disease-specific (Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire [CRQ]) quality-of-life instruments. Independent sample t-tests and chi-square tests were used to examine statistical differences. Results: To date, results from 82 patients are available with mean age of 69 years, 46% female, 51% rural residence, and 98.8% with health insurance. Rural residence was associated with greater impairment (mean [SD] BODE index=4.9 [1.8]) compared to urban residence (3.4 [1.8], p=0.0003). Moreover, 6-minute walk distance was clinically and significantly less among rural (325 m [104]) vs. urban (375 m [90]) (p=0.02) residence. A similar pattern was found for quality-of-life measures with a lower SF-12 physical summary score among rural (28.3 [9.6]) vs. urban (36.1 [10.0], p=0.0006) residence and clinically worse dyspnea (CRQ-dyspnea=4.1 [1.0]) vs. 4.8 [1.3], respectively, p=0.009). Conclusion: In this population of patients with COPD rural residence was associated with poorer health status for all measures despite similar access to health care as measured by health insurance.
The Fundamental Plane of Damped Lyα Systems

Using a sample of 100 H I-selected damped Lyα (DLA) systems, observed with the High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer on the Keck I telescope, we present evidence that the scatter in the well-studied correlation between the redshift and metallicity of a DLA is largely due to the existence of a mass-metallicity relationship at each redshift. To describe the fundamental relations that exist between redshift, metallicity, and mass, we use a fundamental plane description, which is described by the following equation: [M/H] = (– 1.9 ± 0.5) + (0.74 ± 0.21) centerdot logΔv_90 – (0.32 ± 0.06) centerdot z. Here, we assert that the velocity width, Δv_90, which is defined as the velocity interval containing 90% of the integrated optical depth, traces the mass of the underlying dark matter halo. This description provides two significant improvements over the individual descriptions of the mass-metallicity correlation and metallicity-redshift correlation. Firstly, the fundamental equation reduces the scatter around both relationships by about 20%, providing a more stringent constraint on numerical simulations modeling DLAs. Secondly, it confirms that the dark matter halos that host DLAs satisfy a mass-metallicity relationship at each redshift between redshifts 2 through 5.
Purification of cytochrome oxidase from mitochondria of higher plants

Abstract A simple procedure for the purification of cytochrome oxidase from mitochondria of higher plants is described. The enzyme from wheat, beans, cauliflower and sweet potato was purified 20-, 15-, 20- and 11-fold respectively. Differences in specific activity and Km were observed for the different species. The qualitative differences in cytochrome oxidase activity may be due to the interspecific genetic differences.
Civic duty and turnout in the UK referendum on AV: What shapes the duty to vote?

This paper examines the question of what shapes a voter's sense of duty to vote. We begin with a standard model of turnout at the 2011 British electoral system referendum. We show that the respondent's assessment of whether it is a citizen's duty to vote on referendums adds substantial explanatory power to a basic model of turnout. From here we move to examine what drives that sense of duty. We find that assessments of duty are structured by evaluations of politics and politicians. Low interest in politics, low political efficacy, and low regard for politicians correspond with less support for the idea that citizens have a duty to vote on referendums and at other elections. These findings have implications for accounts of turnout decline that stress the effects of a public that is exposed to negative portraits of politics and politicians.
Cardiovascular effects of pimobendan in healthy mature horses

Summary Reasons for performing study Pimobendan is an inodilator used in dogs for the management of heart failure due to myxomatous valve disease or dilated cardiomyopathy. The lack of data regarding the effects of pimobendan in horses prevents the rational use of this drug. Objective To determine the cardiovascular effects of pimobendan in healthy mature horses. Study design Randomised experimental study. Methods Five horses were fasted overnight prior to receiving i.v. pimobendan (0.25 mg/kg bwt), intragastric (i.g.) pimobendan (0.25 mg/kg bwt) or i.g. placebo with a washout period of one week between each administration. Horses were instrumented for the measurement of right ventricular (RV) minimum pressure, RV maximum pressure, RV end diastolic pressure, and maximum rate of increase and decrease in RV pressure before and 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 h after drug administration. Arterial blood pressure, central venous pressure, cardiac output and heart rate were measured at the same time points. Data were expressed as a maximum percentage of change over baseline values. Results There were no adverse effects associated with administration of pimobendan. The percentage increase in heart rate was significantly greater for horses given pimobendan i.g. (33 ± 4%) and i.v. (36 ± 14%) than for those given a placebo (−2 ± 7%). The percentage increase in maximum rate of increase in RV pressure (35 ± 36%) and the percentage decrease in minimum pressure (47 ± 24%) and end diastolic pressure (34 ± 13%) were significantly greater in horses given pimobendan i.v. than in those given placebo. Other variables measured were not significantly different between treatment groups. Conclusion Pimobendan administered i.v. has positive chronotropic and inotropic effects in healthy mature horses and warrants further investigation for the treatment of heart failure in horses.
Intersections in Identity–Identity Development among Queer Women with Disabilities

Until recently the sexuality of individuals with disabilities has largely been ignored or incorrectly assumed to be non-existent. Individuals with disabilities have a range of sexual orientations encompassing both heterosexual and queer identities. In what ways do individuals with disabilities construct their sexual orientation identity? How do women who identify as both disabled and queer develop their multiple identities? Do current models of lesbian identity development or models of disability identity development address the reality of queer women with disabilities identity? This project involved interviews with five queer women with disabilities in the Northwest to understand their subjective experiences of their identity and the process of its development. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed with Atlas.ti software. Both identity development models for disability and queer identity could be used to describe either women’s disability identity development or queer identity development. A combination of identity development models best fit these women’s life experiences.
Effects of obscene language upon three dimensions of listener attitude

Male and female university students and non‐students heard audiotapes containing a combination of two antagonistic persuasive speeches on the energy crisis: one with 12 obscene phrases, one with 12 parallel, non‐obscene phrases; one by a male speaker, one by a female; one pro‐environmentalists, one pro‐oil companies. Listener attitude was assessed on three dimensions using the Speech Dialect Attitudinal Scale. Analyses indicated that speakers were rated lower on Socio‐Intellectual Status and Aesthetic Quality when they used obscene language than when they did not; however, no difference was found on Dynamism. Other findings regarding speaker sex, listener group, and listener sex are discussed.
Dibromomethylborane and bromodimethylborane adducts with pyridine, 4-methylpyridine, trimethylamine and trimethylphosphine

Abstract The systems C 5 H 5 NBBr 2 CH 3 , C 5 H 5 NBBr(CH 3 ) 2 , 4-CH 3 C 5 H 4 NBBr 2 CH 3 , 4-CH 3 C 5 H 5 NBBr(CH 3 ) 2 , (CH 3 ) 3 NBBr 2 CH 3 , (CH 3 ) 3 NBBr(CH 3 ) 2 , (CH 3 ) 3 PBBr 2 CH 3 and (CH 3 ) 3 PBBr(CH 3 ) 2 are reported. The bromomethylboranes are not available commercially and, therefore, were synthesized as required. All of the systems were found to form 1:1 adducts except pyridine and 4-methylpyridine which form only 2:1 adducts with bromodimethylborane, i.e. (C 5 H 5 N) 2 BBr(CH 3 ) 2 and (4-CH 3 C 5 H 4 N) 2 BBr(CH 3 ) 2 . These systems were studied and characterized by tensimetric titrations, IR spectroscopy, 11 B and 1 H NMR spectroscopy, elemental analyses, vapor pressure determinations, molecular weight determination, and m.p. determinations as appropriate.
The Electoral Fortunes of Women Candidates for Congress

Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain why women remain underrepresented in Congress. One of those hypotheses is that some voters have blatant prejudices against women politicians, while oth...
Atmospheric stabilization of CO2 emissions: Near-term reductions and absolute versus intensity-based targets

This study analyzes CO2 emissions reduction targets for various countries and geopolitical regions by the year 2030 to stabilize atmospheric concentrations of CO2 at 450 ppm (550 ppm including non-CO2 greenhouse gases) level. It also determines CO2 intensity cuts that would be required in those countries and regions if the emission reductions were to be achieved through intensity-based targets without curtailing their expected economic growth. Considering that the stabilization of CO2 concentrations at 450 ppm requires the global trend of CO2 emissions to be reversed before 2030, this study develops two scenarios: reversing the global CO2 trend in (i) 2020 and (ii) 2025. The study shows that global CO2 emissions would be limited at 42 percent above 1990 level in 2030 if the increasing trend of global CO2 emissions were to be reversed by 2020. If reversing the trend is delayed by 5 years, global CO2 emissions in 2030 would be 52 percent higher than the 1990 level. The study also finds that to achieve these targets while maintaining expected economic growth, the global average CO2 intensity would require a 68 percent drop from the 1990 level or a 60 percent drop from the 2004 level by 2030.
A note on the correspondence of an immersed boundary method incorporating thermal fluctuations with Stokesian-Brownian dynamics

Abstract In this paper a direct correspondence is made between the effective stochastic dynamics of elastic structures of an Immersed Boundary Method incorporating thermal fluctuations and Stokesian–Brownian Dynamics. The correspondence is made in the limit of small Reynolds number, in which the fluid relaxes rapidly on the time scale of the motion of the immersed structures, by performing an averaging procedure directly on the stochastic equations of the Immersed Boundary Method. It is found that there is agreement with Stokesian–Brownian Dynamics for the far-field hydrodynamic interactions and that a fluctuation–dissipation relation is satisfied for the stochastic fluctuations of the effective equations.
Computer simulation of trails on a square lattice. II. Finite temperatures and the collapse transition

We study by the scanning simulation method trails on a square lattice at finite temperatures. This method constitutes a very efficient tool since it enables one to obtain results at many temperatures from a single sample generated at any given temperature. The tricritical temperature at which the collapse transition occurs is -\ensuremath{\varepsilon}/${k}_{B}$${T}_{t}$=1.086\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.002. The tricritical exponents of the trail shape and its free energy are, respectively, ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{t}$=0.569\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.008 and ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{t}$=1.133\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.024 (95% confidence limits). They are equal within the error bars to the exact values of self-attracting self-avoiding walks (SAW's). However, the crossover exponent ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{t}$=0.807\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.005 is significantly larger than the exact value 0.423 of SAW's. We also carry out a detailed scaling analysis near ${T}_{t}$ and demonstrate that the various properties scale as predicted by theory. At sufficiently low temperatures (T\ensuremath{\le}${T}_{t}$) the persistence length appears to be \ensuremath{\sim}1.
Deciphering dyads: Concepts, methods, and controversies in relational research

Data source issues in dyadic research routinely revolve around the same persistent controversies: insiders versus outsiders, subjectivity versus objectivity, self-report versus observation, one partner versus two, first-order versus second-order data analysis. Yet much of the controversy in dyadic research would be eliminated if analysts would specify a priori whether the conceptual or theoretical rationale for the research is (a) to decipher the personal, subjective, or idiographic experience of individuals in dyads (individual properties), or (b) to decipher objective, generalizable patterns of personality and lifestyle interaction that characterize dyadic relationships (relationship properties). © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A self-consistent field scattering theory and weak asymptotic conditions

Abstract A fully self-consistent field (SCF) theory of many-particle collisions attempts to treat both the target and scattering arbitals on an equal footing, by simultaneously determining them, all self-consistently. It necessarily results in relaxation of the exact asymptotic boundary condition, because the SCF target orbitals are approximate and depend on the collision energy. Thus the original scattering problem is modified by this weak asymptotic condition (WAC) in the most fundamental was and the validity of the theory depends on multiconfiguration mixing to restore the condition. We show by extensive numerical calculations that, as more configurations are mixed, the solution converges to the correct limit. The theory is then applied to the positron-helium and electron-helium scattering systems, where the helium target functions are determined self consistently, as a part of the overall solution of the collision problem. The result shows that the weak condition is sufficient in providing physically acceptable target functions.
Microbial sulfate reduction and the sulfur budget for a complete section of altered oceanic basalts, IODP Hole 1256D (eastern Pacific)

Abstract Sulfide mineralogy and the contents and isotope compositions of sulfur were analyzed in a complete oceanic volcanic section from IODP Hole 1256D in the eastern Pacific, in order to investigate the role of microbes and their effect on the sulfur budget in altered upper oceanic crust. Basalts in the 800 m thick volcanic section are affected by a pervasive low-temperature background alteration and have mean sulfur contents of 530 ppm, reflecting loss of sulfur relative to fresh glass through degassing during eruption and alteration by seawater. Alteration halos along fractures average 155 ppm sulfur and are more oxidized, have high SO4/ΣS ratios (0.43), and lost sulfur through oxidation by seawater compared to host rocks. Although sulfur was lost locally, sulfur was subsequently gained through fixation of seawater-derived sulfur in secondary pyrite and marcasite in veins and in concentrations at the boundary between alteration halos and host rocks. Negative δ34Ssulfide-S values (down to − 30‰) and low temperatures of alteration (down to ~ 40 °C) point to microbial reduction of seawater sulfate as the process resulting in local additions of sulfide-S. Mass balance calculations indicate that 15–20% of the sulfur in the volcanic section is microbially derived, with the bulk altered volcanic section containing 940 ppm S, and with δ34S shifted to − 6.0‰ from the mantle value (0‰). The bulk volcanic section may have gained or lost sulfur overall. The annual flux of microbial sulfur into oceanic basement based on Hole 1256D is 3–4 × 1010 mol S yr− 1, within an order of magnitude of the riverine sulfate source and the sedimentary pyrite sink. Results indicate a flux of bacterially derived sulfur that is fixed in upper ocean basement of 7–8 × 10− 8 mol cm− 2 yr− 1 over 15 m.y. This is comparable to that in open ocean sediment sites, but is one to two orders of magnitude less than for ocean margin sediments. The global annual subduction of sulfur in altered oceanic basalt lavas based on Hole 1256D is 1.5–2.0 × 1011 mol yr− 1, comparable to the subduction of sulfide in sediments, and could contribute to sediment-like sulfur isotope heterogeneities in the mantle.