cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Paul, the Stoics, and the Body of Christ: The role of the νοῦς Χριστοῦ (1 Cor. 1–4)

We have seen thus far that just as the Stoics saw humanity as a body unified by πνeῦμα, so too does Paul in 1 Cor. 12 describe the new humanity in Christ as a body in the Spirit. Overall, the chapter provides a description of the unity and diversity of the Corinthians as the body of Christ, and this description provides the basis from which Paul can give more specific instructions. In the following chapters I will explore how Paul further develops the implications of bodily unity. First, while the inherent unity of being a body was a common trait of all humanity for the Stoics, there was still the potential for deeper relationships. “Love” was the means of forming these more intense relationships. In 1 Cor. 13 Paul similarly describes a “more excellent way” of love. Second, the Stoics' bodily unity was the foundational principle for ethical precepts. In 1 Cor. 14 Paul presents his specific commands to the Corinthians in regard to prophecy and speaking in tongues. In the whole picture of 1 Cor. 12–14, then, Paul sets the foundation of the Corinthians' corporate identity as a body, shows them the higher way of love which can intensify the already-existing unity they have in Christ, and concludes by commanding them to apply this unity and love in their use of the spiritual gifts of prophecy and tongues for the edification of the community rather than the self.
Computational Exploration of the Entropic Prior Over Spaces of Low Dimensionality

Bayesian methods provide an objective analysis for problems with incomplete information. Yet, the use of Bayesian methods requires the assigning of an a priori probability, or prior. The prior should be assigned to contain the least information, while at the same time being consistent with the statistical parameters of the problem. To do this correctly, a complete integration of Information Theory with Bayesian Estimation methods is necessary. When finding probability distributions over the probability assignments, traditional methods are not entirely self-consistent. In papers presented at the 1996 MaxEnt Workshop, Larson, Evenson, and Dukes demonstrated that commonly used methods minimize only part of the total information. Minimizing the total information produces an entropic prior. Implementing this complete method to find the best probability distribution over probability assignments for three- to five-sided dice showed that the entropic prior Bayesian method gives results which differ significantly from these standard approaches. This is especially apparent at low dimensions.
Efficacy of antiparkinson agents in preventing antipsychotic-induced extrapyramidal symptoms

The types of extrapyramidal syndrome (EPS) reactions produced by antipsychotic agents and the prophylactic use of antiparkinson agents in preventing EPS are reviewed. EPS are classified as akathisias, dystonias, parkinson-like symptoms and tardive dyskinesia, and have a varied incidence reported to range from 10.6 to 100%. Incidence may vary with age, gender, drug and dosage. The prophylactic use of antiparkinson agents to prevent EPS is controversial. Many psychiatrists believe the effect of EPS on patients is more harmful than the side effects of anticholinergics, whereas others believe that because of side effects, increased cost, greater risk to tardive dyskinesia and improper use, the use of antiparkinson agents cannot be justified. Most studies of prophylactic use of antiparkinson agents have lacked adequate control groups, adequate blinding procedures for investigators rating EPS, uniform definitions of EPS, random sampling and careful reporting of group characteristics such as dosage and drugs received. There is a lack of definitive studies of the value of antiparkinson agents in preventing the occurrence of EPS in patients receiving antipsychotics. A large, multicenter study should be undertaken to resolve the issue.
Sensory Organ Generation in the Chick Inner Ear

There are a total of eight sensory organs in the chick inner ear. Each sensory organ has a distinct structure tailored for its function, and its morphology is well characterized. However, the origin of these sensory organs and the lineage relationships among them are largely unknown. In this report, we show that BMP4 (bone morphogenetic protein), a secreted protein of the TGF-beta gene family, is the earliest sensory marker identified to date for the chick inner ear. In addition to BMP4, we show that Msx-1 is a sensory marker for the three cristae, the lagena, and macula neglecta. P75NGFR (nerve growth factor receptor) is a marker for the three cristae only. Based on the expression pattern of these three genes-BMP4, Msx-1, and p75NGFR-it is estimated that the first sensory organs to be generated were the superior and posterior cristae at stage 19, followed by the macula sacculi at stage 20, the lateral crista at stage 22, the basilar papilla and lagena at stage 23, the macula utriculi at stage 24, and the macula neglecta at stage 29. The age of generation of each sensory organ as defined by the first appearance of these molecular markers is well in advance of the histological differentiation. In addition, the differential gene expressions in each presumptive sensory organ may contribute to the distinct structure of the mature organ.
Script Recognition with Hierarchical Feature Maps

The hierarchical feature map system recognizes an input story as an instance of a particular script by classifying it at three levels: scripts, tracks and role bindings. The recognition taxonomy, i.e. the breakdown of each script into the tracks and roles, is extracted automatically and independently for each script from examples of script instantiations in an unsupervised self-organizing process. The process resembles human learning in that the differentiation of the most frequently encountered scripts become gradually the most detailed. The resulting structure is a hierarchical pyramid of feature maps. The hierarchy visualizes the taxonomy and the maps lay out the topology of each level. The number of input lines and the self-organization time are considerably reduced compared to the ordinary single-level feature mapping. The system can recognize incomplete stories and recover the missing events. The taxonomy also serves as memory organization for script-based episodic memory. The maps assign a unique memory location for each script instantiation. The most salient parts of the input data are separated and most resources are concentrated on representing them accurately.
Association between exercise and primary incidence of prostate cancer: does race matter?

BACKGROUND: Exercise is a modifiable lifestyle risk factor associated with prostate cancer risk reduction. However, whether this association is different as a function of race is unclear. In the current study, the authors attempted to characterize the link between exercise and prostate cancer (CaP) in white and black American men. METHODS: Using a prospective design, 307 men (164 of whom were white and 143 of whom were black) who were undergoing prostate biopsy completed a self-reported survey that assessed exercise behavior (metabolic equivalent [MET] hours per week). Crude and adjusted logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the risk of prostate cancer controlling for age, body mass index, digital rectal examination findings, previous biopsy, Charlson comorbidity score, and family history of CaP stratified by self-reported race. RESULTS: There was no significant difference noted with regard to the amount of exercise between racial groups (P = .12). Higher amounts of MET hours per week were associated with a decreased risk of CaP for white men in both crude (P = .02) and adjusted (P = .04) regression models. Among whites, men who exercised ≥ 9 MET hours per week were less likely to have a positive biopsy result compared with men exercising < 9 MET hours per week (odds ratio, 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.22-0.99 [P = .047]). There was no association noted between MET hours per week and risk of CaP among black men in both crude (P = .79) and adjusted (P = .76) regression models. CONCLUSIONS: In a prospective cohort of men undergoing biopsy, increased exercise, measured as MET hours per week, was found to be associated with CaP risk reduction among white but not black men. Investigating race-specific mechanisms by which exercise modifies CaP risk and why these mechanisms disfavor black men in particular are warranted. Cancer 2013. © 2013 American Cancer Society.
Cross-sectional vascular blood flow shear rate using Doppler ultrasound

Shear rate has been linked to various arterial wall properties and diseases such as cell function, neointimal hyperplasia, post-stenotic dilation and progression of atherosclerotic plaque. An accurate noninvasive method of measuring blood flow near the arterial wall is needed to allow the study of wall shear rate in humans to progress. Current clinical vascular laboratories are limited to using the Hagen-Poiseuille formulation based on steady laminar flow through a rigid- walled tube, which is not realized in vivo. This project used data collected with an ultrasound scanner to approximate the magnitude of wall shear rate in two dimensions using the formal definition of the velocity gradient in a radial direction. Blood flow was measured in the common carotid artery of 20 subjects in both longitudinal and transverse directions. The results showed that the wall shear rate was a factor of approximately 1.5 to 2 times greater than the value calculated using the Hagen-Poiseuille formulation. A comparison of the longitudinal and transverse estimation methods showed very similar values for all of the calculated quantities. This comparison contributed to the conclusion that this image-based technique provides a more accurate assessment of wall shear rate, with the significant addition of a second dimension for analysis.
Synthesis and dilute solution properties of divinylbenzene‐linked polystyrene stars with mixed arm lengths: Evidence for coupled stars

Sequential anionic polymerization of styrene and divinylbenzene (DVB) is known to lead to the formation of star-shaped polymers. This ‘arms-first’ method has been widely used and studied. It is known that this polymerization forms stars with anionically active cores. This article is concerned with the attempt to make asymmetric-star polymers utilizing these living carbanionic sites present in the core to form a second set of shorter arms growing out from the star core. The presence of remaining unreacted DVB within the core was found to cause the stars to couple to form linked double stars and other larger structures. Results from detailed dilute solution studies of the resulting polymers are reported. It was found that the results obtained from size exclusion chromatography for the double stars were flow rate dependent; only at low flow rates was a true size separation obtained. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The Effect of 131I Therapy on Survival of Patients with Metastatic Papillary or Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma

A standardized dosimetry procedure was used to select patients for radioiodine therapy from a group of 46 patients with remote metastases from papillary or follicular thyroid cancer, studied over a 10-year period. Eight patients under the age of 40 with papillary cancer were all treatable by dosimetry criteria; metastases regressed in all instances after therapy, and one patient died of thyroid carcinoma. Of 17 older patients (over age 40) with papillary carcinoma only 8 were treatable, and 1 responded to therapy. Six of 8 older patients treated for papillary carcinoma died, as did 5 of 9 untreated patients. The survival time for 131I-treated older patients was not significantly different from that of untreated patients. Eleven of 18 older patients with follicular carcinoma retained sufficient 131I to warrant therapy and 6 demonstrated tumor regression after therapy. The survival time of treated patients was significantly enhanced by radioiodine therapy as compared to that of untreated patients. Three you...
Evaluating rate, accuracy, and fluency of young children's diadochokinetic productions: a preliminary investigation.

Abstract Diadochokinetic (DDK) rates are commonly assessed in children with speech–language disorders, even though the implications of fast or slow DDK rates are not clear. This study explored the possibility that the accuracy and fluency of DDK productions may provide a meaningful supplement to traditional measures of DDK rate. Participants were 15 boys, age 3–7, with normal speech–language development, who were asked to produce “puh-tuh-kuh” or “pattycake” in a standard DDK task. Analyses revealed that normally developing children produce frequent articulation errors but few disfluencies during DDK tasks. Errors and disfluencies did not affect DDK rate, suggesting that the rate of DDKs may be a relatively insensitive measure of children’s speaking abilities. Although an expected correlation was found between age and overall DDK rate, no correlations were found between age and the frequency of articulation errors or speech disfluencies. Findings suggest that measures of DDK accuracy and fluency may provide information about children’s speech development that is independent of age and may be more closely related to oral motor development than rate. Overall, results underscore concerns with the interpretation of DDK rate and highlight ways that rate measures might be supplemented with measurement of accuracy and fluency in the evaluation of children’s speaking abilities. Educational objectives: The reader will learn about a technique that may facilitate the evaluation of young children’s oral DDK abilities. The reader will learn about the frequency and type of errors children produce on DDKs and how this information can be used in the assessment of children’s oral motor abilities.
Stress Distribution in Porcelain-Fused-to-Gold Crowns and Preparations Constructed with Photoelastic Plastics

Composite models representing porcelain-fused-to-gold restorations were constructed from photoelastic plastics. Better stress distributions resulted when the porcelain-gold joint was as far as feasible from the loading site, a bulk of gold was present on the lingual shoulder, and the porcelain-gold joint at the shoulder was 30° from the horizontal.
THE FINE STRUCTURE OF CHONDROCOCCUS COLUMNARIS : III. The Surface Layers of Chondrococcus columnaris

An electron microscope study of the myxobacterium Chondrococcus columnaris has revealed the following structures in the peripheral layers of the cells: (1) a plasma membrane, (2) a single dense layer (probably the mucopeptide component of the cell wall), (3) peripheral fibrils, (4) an outer membrane, and (5) a material coating the surfaces of the cells which could be stained with the dye ruthenium red.The ruthenium red-positive material is probably an acid mucopolysaccharide and may be involved in the adhesive properties of the cells. The outer membrane and plasma membrane both have the appearance of unit membranes: an electron-translucent layer sandwiched between two electron-opaque layers. The peripheral fibrils span the gap between the outer membrane and the mucopeptide layer, a distance of about 100 A, and run parallel to each other along the length of the cell. The fibrils appear to be continuous across the ends of the cells. The location of these fibrillar structures suggests that they may play a role in the gliding motility of these bacteria.
A kinetic analysis of glucokinase and glucose-6-P phosphatase in Dictyostelium.

Using a mathematical model of carbohydrate metabolism in Dictyostelium discoideum, the kinetic expressions describing the activities of glucokinase and glucose-6-P phosphatase have been analyzed. The constraints on the kinetic mechanisms and relative activities of these two enzymes were investigated by comparing computer simulations to experimental data. The results indicated that, (1) glucose-6-P is compartmentalized with respect to the enzymes involved in glucose-6-P, trehalose and glycogen metabolism, (2) a differences of approximately 0.6 mm/min in maximum specific activity of glucokinase compared to glucose-6-P phosphatase is required in order for the model to produce end product carbohydrate levels consistent with those observed experimentally, (3) the Km of glucokinase for glucose strongly influences the steady state levels of glucose in the absence of external glucose, and (4) changing the order of product removal in the reaction catalyzed by glucose-6-P phosphatase influences the level of glycogen and trehalose.
The Influence of High Environmental Temperature on Immature Domestic Fowl

ABSTRACT COMPARATIVELY little information has been published to indicate breed differences in growth responses of domestic fowl to high environmental temperatures. It is generally recognized that the growth rate of domestic fowl exhibits seasonal variations and that environmental temperature is an influencing factor in this variation. There is considerable evidence that the growth rate of chickens is retarded during the hot summer months. Heywang (1947) reported that White Leghorn and Rhode Island Red chicks grown in a cooled house during the hot summer months weighed more than those grown in an uncooled house. Kempster (1938) found that high summer temperatures depressed growth and the difference became more pronounced as the age of the birds increased. KheirEldrin and Shaffner (1954) exposed growing birds to extremely high environmental temperatures for short periods of time and depressed the growth rate. They observed that families which had the highest growth rate were best able to . . .
Enhancement of the ν = 5/2 fractional quantum Hall state in a small in-plane magnetic field.

Using a 50-nm-width ultraclean $\mathrm{GaAs}/\mathrm{AlGaAs}$ quantum well, we have studied the Landau level filling factor $\ensuremath{\nu}=5/2$ fractional quantum Hall effect in a perpendicular magnetic field $B\ensuremath{\sim}1.7\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{T}$ and determined its dependence on tilted magnetic fields. Contrary to all previous results, the $5/2$ resistance minimum and the Hall plateau are found to strengthen continuously under an increasing tilt angle $0l\ensuremath{\theta}l25\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ (corresponding to an in-plane magnetic field $0l{B}_{\ensuremath{\parallel}}l0.8\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{T}$). In the same range of $\ensuremath{\theta}$, the activation gaps of both the $7/3$ and the $8/3$ states are found to increase with tilt. The $5/2$ state transforms into a compressible Fermi liquid upon tilt angle $\ensuremath{\theta}g60\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$, and the composite fermion series [$2+p/(2p\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1)$, $p=1,2$] can be identified. Based on our results, we discuss the relevance of a Skyrmion spin texture at $\ensuremath{\nu}=5/2$ associated with small Zeeman energy in wide quantum wells, as proposed by W\'ojs et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 086801 (2010)].
Comparison of sensitivities of the immature and pregnant mouse for estimation of gonadotropin.

BOTH increase in weight of reproductive organs in the immature mouse and ovulation in the pregnant mouse have been demonstrated as responses to gonadotropins. These responses have been and still are used as tests for potency of gonadotropic substances. As yet, however, the relative sensitivities of assays using the immature and pregnant mouse apparently have not been reported. A comparison of these responses was undertaken therefore, using as a source of gonadotropin the unfractionated, dried pituitary glands collected from mice shortly after parturition. Observations for parturition were made in a manner similar to that used in an earlier study (Runner and Ladman, 1950). A brief account of the data on comparative sensitivities of the 2 assays has been reported previously (Ladman, 1949). The immature female mouse was shown by Aschheim and Zondek (1928) to respond to the gonadotropin in urine of pregnant women.
Intranasal ketorolac challenge for the diagnosis of aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease

Background Intranasal administration of aspirin-lysine has been used in Europe for the diagnosis of aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease. It has a low adverse effect profile and is believed to be safer for asthmatic patients, particularly those with a low baseline forced expiratory volume in 1 second, in whom oral aspirin challenge would be contraindicated. Ketorolac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug useful for severe pain, is available in the United States in parenteral form. Objectives To determine whether ketorolac nasal challenge has acceptable specificity and sensitivity for diagnosing aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease. Methods Twenty-nine patients with suspected aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease were challenged with nasal ketorolac before oral challenge and desensitization with aspirin. Symptoms, objective changes in nasal examination findings, and peak nasal inspiratory flow values were recorded. Nasal lavage fluid for cysteinyl leukotriene analysis was collected. Ketorolac doses of 2.1, 5.2, or 7.8 mg were administered and compared with the results of oral aspirin challenge. Results Eighteen patients had a positive challenge reaction to oral aspirin. Ketorolac nasal inhalation had a sensitivity of 78% and a specificity of 64%. Patients in the reactor group had significantly higher levels of cysteinyl leukotrienes after ketorolac challenge than in the nonreactor group. Mild bronchospasm occurred in 3 patients, and 2 of these occurred at higher starting doses of ketorolac. Conclusions Nasal ketorolac administration is a reasonably accurate and safe method for diagnosing aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease.
Hypothalamic destruction and mouse aggression

Lesions of the medial preoptic-anterior hypothalamic continuum (MPAH) virtually eliminate the display of aggressive behavior in most male mice. The absence of fighting after MPAH damage is not accompanied by signs of impaired testicular functioning. Apparently, neural elements originating in and/or passing through MPAH are essential for the display of aggressive behavior in most male mice.
Surface-Wave-Scattering-Based Characterization of Nano-Particles

In this paper, we introduce a novel methodology to determine the size and structure of nano-particles on a surface. We present an analysis, dubbed Elliptically Polarized Surface-Wave Scattering (EPSWS) approach, to show that 5–10 nm size particles on or above an interface can be characterized by using the scattered surface plasmon (SP) or evanescent waves. We present an analysis to show that the scattering matrix elements of the evanescent waves scattered by the nano-particles on or near an interface can be used for characterization of nano-size particles.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Adolescent violence: a family health and community challenge

ABSTRACT Adolescent violence is increasingly a major national and international problem that particularly affects families and communities. The purpose of this article is to explore the multidimensional features of adolescent violence and profile successful prevention and intervention strategies. A review of contemporary approaches addressing youth violence was conducted and conclusions are drawn for strategies that are effective at the family and community level.
COUPLED GENETIC ALGORITHM/KOHONEN NEURAL NETWORK (GANN) FOR PROJECTION OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL PROTEIN STRUCTURES ONTO THE PLANE

An algorithm is presented for projecting — at the amino acid level — the three-dimensional crystal structure of a protein molecule onto a planar surface. The scheme is topologically consistent: if two amino acid residues are closely juxtaposed in three-dimensional space, they remain so upon projection. Through such projections, a single resulting picture captures the spatial relations amongst a protein molecule's amino acids. Operationally, a genetic algorithm is used to "evolve" a parameter set which serves as input for a self-organizing Kohonen neural network responsible for the projection itself. A fitness function characterizing the quality of the projections is defined and maximized via the genetic algorithm. The workings of both the genetic algorithm and neural network are discussed in detail. In this work, we seek to optimize projections resulting from the inherently "frustrated" task of collapsing a space-filling collection of amino acid residues onto a simpler surface. Ultimately, the chosen application is a testing ground for establishing the success of our coupled genetic algorithm/Kohonen neural network scheme which can easily be adapted for other uses.
Use of an in situ disulfide cross-linking strategy to study the dynamic properties of the cytoplasmic end of transmembrane domain VI of the M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor.

The ligand-induced activation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is predicted to involve pronounced conformational changes on the intracellular surface or the receptor proteins. A reorientation of the cytoplasmic end of transmembrane domain VI (TM VI) is thought to play a key role in GPCR activation and productive receptor/G protein coupling. Disulfide cross-linking studies with solubilized, Cys-substituted mutant versions of bovine rhodopsin and the M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor suggested that the cytoplasmic end of TM VI is conformationally highly flexible, even in the absence of activating ligands (Farrens, D. L., et al. (1996) Science 274, 768−770; Zeng, F. Y., et al. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 16629−16640). To test the hypothesis that the promiscuous disulfide cross-linking pattern observed in these studies was caused by the use of solubilized receptor proteins endowed with increased conformational flexibility, we employed a recently developed in situ disulfide cross-linking strategy that ...
The relationship between ethanol intake and DSM-III-R alcohol dependence: Results of a national survey

Data from a representative sample of U.S. adults were analyzed to determine the association between average daily ethanol consumption and DSM-III-R (American Psychiatric Association, 1987) alcohol dependence adjusting for heavier drinking (i.e.; drinking 5+ drinks on any one occasion) and sociodemographic variables, including age of onset of drinking and family history of alcoholism. Male gender, early onset of drinking, and drinking 5+ drinks on any one occasion during the past year were all associated with an increased risk of dependence. Factors associated with a decreased risk of dependence were age, being currently married, total body water, and income. The risk of dependence varied among population subgroups and was increased by nonblack race and positive family histories of alcoholism in the respondent's relatives.
An Optimum Block Adaptive ICA Algorithm with Individual Adaptation for Wireless QAM Receivers in Dynamic Environments

This paper applies an optimum block adaptive ICA algorithm with individual adaptation of the mixing matrix parameters (OBAI-ICA) to wireless receivers employing quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). The algorithm is tested in dynamically changing channel conditions frequently encountered in practice. Simulation results show that this algorithm outperforms the fast-ICA algorithm under these conditions.
Leukotriene C4 production during hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction in isolated rat lungs.

Leukotriene inhibitors preferentially inhibit hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction in isolated rat lungs. If lipoxygenase products are involved in the hypoxic pressor response they might be produced during acute alveolar hypoxia and a leukotriene inhibitor should block both the vasoconstriction and leukotriene production that occurs in response to hypoxia. We investigated in isolated blood perfused rat lungs whether leukotriene C4 (LTC4) could be recovered from whole lung lavage fluid during ongoing hypoxic vasoconstriction. Lung lavage from individual rats had slow reacting substance (SRS)-like myotropic activity by guinea pig ileum bioassay. Pooled lavage (10 lungs)_as analyzed by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography had an ultraviolet absorbing component at the retention time for LTC4. At this retention time the element had both LTC4 immunoreactivitiy by radioimmunoassay, and SRS myotropic activity by bioassay. LTC4 was not found during normoxic ventilation, during normoxic ventilation after a hypoxic pressor response, or during vasoconstriction elicited by KCL. Diethylcarbamazine citrate, a leukotriene synthesis blocker, concomitantly inhibited the hypoxic vasoconstriction and LTC4 production. Thus 5-lipoxygenase products may play a role in the sequence of events leading to hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction.
Formation of titanium carbide by high-fluence carbon ion implantation

Abstract Titanium carbide has been prepared by high fluence carbon ion implantation in titanium at temperatures between −70°C and 450°C. The carbon ion dose has been varied between 1.2 and 36 × 1017 C+-ions/cm2 and the ion energy between 30 and 180 keV. The carbon concentration distribution, the structure, the morphology and the microhardness have been examined with Rutherford backscattering, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and nanoindentation, respectively. The concentration distribution of carbon is characterized by a symmetric Gaussian profile for doses up to 12×1017C+-ions/cm2 and a more and more asymmetrical profile for higher fluences. The evolution of the concentration distribution is discussed on basis of swelling and sputtering. Precipitates of the titanium carbide phase can be observed after implantation at −70°C with doses ⩾3×1017C+-ions/cm2. The average diameter of the TiC precipitates is a function of ion dose, temperature and duration of annealing. A significant increase of the hardness in the near surface region of implanted samples can be detected. The measured hardness values depend strongly on ion dose, annealing conditions and the hardness of the unimplanted titanium.
On the insularity of islands

We propose that islands arc “less insular” than is generally perceived. This belief results, in part, from the paucity of studies on vagrant species that exploit islands but are not permanent residents with continual breeding populations. We show, via aneedotal evidence extracted from the literature and data acquired ON Gulf of California islands, that visitors to insular systems are fairly common. We delineate three types of events beyond the bounds of current biogeographical analysis that make islands less insular: I) migrants and “accidental” visitors. 2) individuals of a species whose foraging areas encompass many islands or the mainland and islands, and 3) species who “colonize” islands during opportune periods or years but become extinct during difficult times (source-sink situations). Such events potentially significantly affect the ecology and evolution of island inhabitants by such means as increased predation and/or competition, transport of parasites and pathogens, dispersal of seeds and eggs, and genetic introgression and hybridization. Discussion of other “insular” habitats such as freshwater lakes and wildlife refuges illustrate that vagrancy events may be nearly ubiquitous. Studies addressing the frequency and ecological and evolutionary significance of vagrants are required, especially in light of recent and rapid extinctions on islands and the increasing fragmentation of habitats.
Care in Context: Men's Unpaid Work in 20 Countries, 1965–2003

By situating men within the country and time period in which they live, social scientists are better able to understand men's housework and child care behaviors. The author proposes that national c...
Assessment of contrast sensitivity. Part II: The relationship between objective lens opacity and laser interferometric contrast sensitivity in the cataract patient.

Abstract The laser interferometer can effectively bypass the optics of the eye and measure retinal function in patients with immature cataracts. However, it is not known how much laser interferometric measurements are impaired by cataract density. In this study we compared objective lens opacity using the Intra0ptics opacity lensmeter with contrast sensitivity (CS) measured by a Randwal He-Ne laser interferometer. Comparison of lens opacity with CS in the cataract population revealed an inverse linear relationship between objective lens opacity and retinal contrast sensitivity. Separation by cataract type showed correlation coefficients as high as −0.91 for nuclear sclerotic predominant cataracts and as low as no significant correlation for posterior subcapsular predominant cataracts. Comparisons of before and after implantation surgery contrast sensitivities (as measured by the laser interferometer) with preoperative lens opacities (as measured by the IntraOptics opacity lensmeter) quantified the extent to which laser interferometric measurements underestimated potential retinal function. We found that for all cataracts, other than posterior subcapsular predominant cataracts, potential contrast sensitivity (in decibels) was underestimated by about 0.2 to 0.3 times the opacity measured by this technique.
System factors to explain H1N1 state vaccination rates for adults in US emergency response to pandemic.

Abstract Introduction During the 2009–2010 H1N1 pandemic, vaccine in short supply was allocated to states pro rata by population, yet the vaccination rates of adults differed by state. States also differed in their campaign processes and decisions. Analyzing the campaign provides an opportunity to identify specific approaches that may result in higher vaccine uptake in a future event of this nature. Objective To determine supply chain and system factors associated with higher state H1N1 vaccination coverage for adults in a system where vaccine was in short supply. Methods Regression analysis of factors predicting state-specific H1N1 vaccination coverage in adults. Independent variables included state campaign information, demographics, preventive or health-seeking behavior, preparedness funding, providers, state characteristics, and H1N1-specific state data. Results The best model explained the variation in state-specific adult vaccination coverage with an adjusted R -squared of 0.76. We found that higher H1N1 coverage of adults is associated with program aspects including shorter lead-times (i.e., the number of days between when doses were allocated to a state and were shipped, including the time for states to order the doses) and less vaccine directed to specialist locations. Higher vaccination coverage is also positively associated with the maximum number of ship-to locations, past seasonal influenza vaccination coverage, the percentage of women with a Pap smear, the percentage of the population that is Hispanic, and negatively associated with a long duration of the epidemic peak. Conclusion Long lead-times may be a function of system structure or of efficiency and may suggest monitoring or redesign of distribution processes. Sending vaccine to sites with broad access could be useful when covering a general population. Existing infrastructure may be reflected in the maximum number of ship-to locations, so strengthening routine influenza vaccination programs may help during emergency vaccinations also. Future research could continue to inform program decisions.
A Numerical Study of the East Coast Snowstorm of 10–12 February 1983

Abstract A numerical study of the East Coast snowstorm of 10–12 February 1983 has been conducted with the NRL mesoscale model. The three-dimensional, hydrostatic, primitive equation model has 91 × 51 horizontal grid points with a half degree resolution in a verification domain of 100°W to 60°W and 25°N to 45°N. There are ten layers in the vertical of equal σ(=p/ps) thickness. The model uses a split-explicit method for temporal integration and a second-order accurate spatial finite differencing. Model physics include precipitation on the resolvable scale and parameterized boundary layer and cumulus convection. The NMC 2.5 degree hemispheric analyses are used as the basic dataset (called NMC analysis hereafter). Because significant details in the initial conditions contained in the original rawinsonde observations may have been smoothed out by the NMC analysis algorithm, the analyses are also altered to provide a closer fit to the rawinsonde data. Original rawinsonde data are used in this enhancement of the...
Cardiac myofibroblast differentiation is attenuated by α3 integrin blockade: Potential role in post-MI remodeling

Cardiac fibroblasts and myofibroblasts are responsible for post-MI remodeling which occurs via regulation of extracellular matrix (ECM). Accelerated post-MI remodeling leads to excessive ECM deposition and fibrosis, contributing to impaired contractile function, arrhythmias, and heart failure. We have previously reported that type VI collagen induces myofibroblast differentiation in cultured cardiac fibroblasts, and that type VI collagen and myofibroblast content were both elevated in the myocardium 20 weeks post-MI. The purpose of this study was to determine the expression patterns of type VI collagen and myofibroblast content in early post-myocardial infarction (MI) remodeling to gain insight into whether type VI collagen induces in vivo myofibroblast differentiation via specific matrix-receptor interactions. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized and left coronary arteries were permanently ligated. Histological tissue sections and whole tissue protein lysates were obtained from infarcted and non-infarcted areas of MI hearts and sham operated controls. At 3 days post-MI, we observed a significant increase in alpha(3) integrin expression (2.02+/-0.18 fold); at 7 days post-infarction both type VI collagen (2.27+/-0.18 fold) and myofibroblast (4.65+/-0.6 fold) content increased. By 14 days myofibroblast content returned to sham control levels, although type VI collagen (2.42+/-0.11 fold) was still elevated. In vitro cross-linking confirmed that the alpha(3) integrin interacts with type VI collagen, and alpha(3) integrin function blocking antibodies inhibited the differentiation of isolated cardiac fibroblasts. Collectively, our in vitro results indicate that the alpha(3) integrin receptor interacts with type VI collagen to promote myofibroblast differentiation, and that this interaction may impact in vivo post-MI remodeling.
Protective immunity provided by HLA-A2 epitopes for fusion and hemagglutinin proteins of measles virus.

Natural infection and vaccination with a live-attenuated measles virus (MV) induce CD8+ T-cell-mediated immune responses that may play a central role in controlling MV infection. In this study, we show that newly identified human HLA-A2 epitopes from MV hemagglutinin (H) and fusion (F) proteins induced protective immunity in HLA-A2 transgenic mice challenged with recombinant vaccinia viruses expressing F or H protein. HLA-A2 epitopes were predicted and synthesized. Five and four peptides from H and F, respectively, bound to HLA-A2 molecules in a T2-binding assay, and four from H and two from F could induce peptide-specific CD8+ T cell responses in HLA-A2 transgenic mice. Further experiments proved that three peptides from H (H9-567, H10-250, and H10-516) and one from F protein (F9-57) were endogenously processed and presented on HLA-A2 molecules. All peptides tested in this study are common to 5 different strains of MV including Edmonston. In both A2Kb and HHD-2 mice, the identified peptide epitopes induced protective immunity against recombinant vaccinia viruses expressing H or F. Because F and H proteins induce neutralizing antibodies, they are major components of new vaccine strategies, and therefore data from this study will contribute to the development of new vaccines against MV infection.
Selenium and nutrition: The accuracy and variability of the selenium content in commercial supplements

Selenium is a required trace-element that has been found to be protective against serious chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease in some, but not all, epidemiological studies using both case-control and intervention designs. As a result, the fraction of the adult U.S. population now taking a daily selenium supplement is steadily increasing. In this study, we analyzed 10 or more replicate Se supplement tablets, from each of 15 different products representing 12 different brand names with most being sampled at two different times separated by approximately 30 months. Two chemical forms, seleno-yeast and selenate were tested in 50, 100 and 200 µg/tablet dosages (seleno-yeast) and 25 and 200 µg/tablet dosages (selenate). Variations in contemporary lots were evaluated at both sampling periods. The Se content provided on the product label is generally understated. One tablet contained 2.5 times more selenium than the stated dose. Selenate supplements are less accurately labeled and more highly variable compared to yeast supplements. One popular multivitamin, labeled at 200 µg/tablet, contained tablets in excess of 300 µg. Many subjects using this supplement will exceed the 400 µg/day tolerable upper limit of intake, recently established, for Se by the Institute of Medicine’s Food and Nutrition Board.
A critical analysis of the use of sample‐supportive techniques in the measurement of dynamic mechanical relaxation processes

It is shown that the technique of dynamic spring analysis (DSA) gives rise to a dynamic mechanical loss dispersion well above the glass transition temperature, Tg, analogous to the Tu process observed in torsional braid analysis. A mechanical model is proposed which explains why any composite sample consisting of an elastic support coupled to a viscous liquid must necessarily produce such a relaxation regardless of whether the liquid is monomeric or polymeric in nature. Loss tangent measurements performed on a series of polystyrenes of varying molecular weight and on glycerol using both DSA and a Rheometrics mechanical spectrometer show that the relaxation observed in DSA is not of molecular origin.
Application of the multivariate spectral weather generator to the contiguous United States

The objective of this study was to describe improvements to the spectral weather generator and its application to diverse climates within the contiguous USA. The precipitation model, based on a second-order Markov chain coupled with the mixed-exponential distribution was found to closely reproduce the observed precipitation climatology, although interannual variability was underestimated at most locations. This underestimation was found to be due primarily to the precipitation occurrence process, but also to the precipitation intensity process. For the non-precipitation variables, which included maximum and minimum daily temperatures and daily solar radiation, the spectrally generated data were found to exhibit strong agreement with observations in terms of skewness, interannual variability and extreme values. With the use of an iterative method, the model was also able to reproduce the observed correlation and autocorrelation structure.
MAGNETIC RELAXATION IN THE SOLAR CORONA

This is a mathematical study of the long-lived hydromagnetic structures produced in the tenuous solar corona by the turbulent, resistive relaxation of a magnetic field under the condition of extremely high electrical conductivity. The relaxation theory of Taylor, originally developed for a laboratory device, is extended to treat the open atmosphere where the relaxing field must interact with its surrounding fields. A boundary-value problem is posed for a two-dimensional model that idealizes the corona as the half Cartesian plane filled with a potential field (1) that is anchored to a rigid, perfectly conducting base and (2) that embeds a force-free magnetic field in the form of a flux-rope oriented horizontally and perpendicular to the Cartesian plane. The flux-rope has a free boundary, which is an unknown in the construction of a solution for this atmosphere. Pairs of magnetostatic solutions are constructed to represent the initial and final states of a flux-rope relaxation that conserve both the total magnetic helicity and total axial magnetic flux, using a numerical iterative method specially developed for this study. The collection of numerical solutions found provides an insight into the interplay among several hydromagnetic properties in the formation of long-lived coronal structures. In particular, the study shows (1) that the outward spread of reconnection between a relaxing flux-rope and its external field may be arrested at some outer magnetic flux surface within which a constant-α force-free field emerges as the minimum-energy state and (2) that this outward spread is complicated by an inward, partial collapse of the relaxing flux-rope produced by a loss of internal magnetic pressure.
Activity-driven sharpening of the retinotectal projection in goldfish: development under stroboscopic illumination prevents sharpening.

Blocking or synchronizing activity during regeneration of the retinotectal projection prevents both the sharpening of the retinotopic map recorded on tectum and the refinement of the structure of individual arbors within the plane of the map, and this refinement is triggered by N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. We tested whether activity-driven refinement also occurs during development of the projection in larval and young adult goldfish. Shortly after hatching, larval goldfish were placed into tanks within light-tight chambers illuminated by a xenon strobe at 1 Hz for 14 h of each daily cycle. Fish were reared for 1.5–2 years, until large enough to record in our retinotectal mapping apparatus (6 cm length). Age- and size-matched controls had normal maps with multiunit receptive fields (MURFs) recorded at each tectal point of 10.8° (0.16 S.E.M., n = 5), whereas the strobe-reared fish had only roughly retino-topic maps with much enlarged MURFs averaging 26.7° (1.41 S.E.M., n = 5). This enlargement represents an abnormal convergence onto each tectal point, as the maps failed to sharpen during development. The arbors of individual retinal axons were stained with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in larval fish and in adult strobereared and control fish. They were drawn with camera lucida from tectal whole mounts, and analyzed for spatial extent in the plane of the retinotopic map, order of branching, number of branch endings, depth of termination, and caliber of the parent axon. Arbors from larval fish (1–2 weeks) were small (approximately 50 × 40 μm) with less than 10 branches, occupied a single strata, and could not be separated into different classes by caliber of axon. The 87 arbors stained in control adult fish (6 cm long) were much like previously examined adult arbors, with those from fine, medium, and coarse axons averaging 115, 166, and 194 μm in extent, respectively, and having 17–24 branch endings. The 110 arbors from 12 strobe-reared fish were often abnormal. Although the fasciculation was normal, the extrafascicular routes were abnormal with reversing turns. The axons often had branches along their course, and these branches were scattered across a wider extent, rather than forming a distinct cluster. In contrast, neither the number of branches nor the depths of termination was significantly changed in any group. The coarse caliber arbors were most abnormal, being 64% longer and 30% wider than controls. The fine caliber arbors were also significantly larger by about 20%, but the medium caliber arbors were not enlarged. The enlarged arbors partially account for the unsharpened electrophysiological maps. Together the results show that during development, as well as during regeneration, the retinotectal map is subject to an activity-driven sharpening process. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.