cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reconstructing Rawls: Adapting Rawls's Political Philosophy to the 'New Person'

This paper attempts to gauge the relevance of new conceptions of personhood & rationality (the "New Person") put forth by various empirical sciences such as cognitive neuroscience and behavioral economics to Rawls's political philosophy and its conception of the person. I conclude that though the New Person is a deep challenge to the Rawlsian account, the best response is to reconstruct a new Rawlsian account on the basis of the New Person. That is to say, I suggest retaining the method of moral constructivism, and the overall aim of constructing principles of justice for society, but advocate moving from the Kantian-inspired Rawlsian person to a conception more explicitly drawing from the New Person.
Assistive technology use by disability type and race: exploration of a population-based health survey.

AbstractPurpose: To examine the relationships among Assistive Technology (AT) use, race, type of disability and selected other demographic characteristics. Method: Using 2009 National Health Interview Survey, descriptive statistics, statistical interactions and binary logistic regression were performed to identify, contrast and predict the likelihood of using AT based on the type of disability among African Americans (AAs) and European Americans (EAs). Results: We found that more AAs (10% within group proportion of total AAs) used AT compared to EAs (7.5% within group proportion of total EAs). Physical (p < 0.001), auditory (p = 0.028) and emotional (p = 0.008) impairments were statistically significant predictors of AT use. However, physical impairment as a predictor of AT use was greater among AAs (OR = 222.49, CI: 64.04–773.04, p < 0.001) than EAs (OR = 50.77, CI: 31.78–81.12, p < 0.001). EAs had a greater number of disabling conditions that predict the use of AT than AAs, whereas AAs had more demograp...
Description of Spherical Aberration and Coma of a Microlens Using Vector Diffraction Theory

Light distributions of a plane wave refracted by a microlens are calculated using Kirchhoff vector diffraction theory. Numerical results for beam profiles and the onset and effects of spherical aberration and coma will be presented.
Resonant frequency-domain interferometry via third-harmonic generation.

A method for measuring resonances using a combination of third-harmonic generation and frequency-domain interferometry is described and demonstrated in an index-matched dielectric material. The phase of the third-harmonic spectrum of a pulse generated from a resonant NdAlO3 thin film and a temporally displaced sapphire substrate pulse was measured by analyzing the spectral interference pattern. The appropriate combination of substrate and film signals was obtained by translating the sample through the laser focus while observing the third-harmonic intensity.
AN/APS-116 Periscope-Detecting Radar

The AN/APS-116 Radar System was developed by the U.S. Navy for ocean surveillance and antisubmarine warfare patrol. The basic system requirement is to reliably detect small periscope-sized targets against strong interfering signals form sea clutter backscatter. The radar system design approach utilized very fine range resolution and a rapid scan antenna. A signal processing scheme was implemented using scan-to-scan decorrelation, with a M-out-of-N threshold for target detection. A brief description of each major unit of the radar is included, along with a summary of the evaluation tests that verified system performance.
New nitrogen-related defects in nitrogen-rich a-SiχNl−χ:H

Abstract Previous electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements in device-quality, nitrogen-rich a-Si χ N l−χ :H have identified only one defect — a dangling bond on a three-fold-coordinated silicon that is back-bonded to three nitrogen atoms (K center). The identification is reported of a second, nitrogen-related defect (N 2 center) whose density is essentially the same as that of the K center but whose presence in the ESR spectra can only be identified unambiguously at low temperatures (4 K) and high microwave powers. This new signal is very difficult to distinguish from that of the K center at most temperatures. Computer simulations indicate that the N 2 center is a dangling bond on a two-fold-coordinated nitrogen and that the ratio of the intensities of the K and N 2 centers is approximately 1:1. These results and those previously obtained using photoluminescence (PL), PL fatigue, bleaching of fatigued PL, and PL excitation spectroscopy are most easily explained using a model that assumes charge redistribution within equal densities of pre-existing K + and N 2 − centers where both centers are assumed to have positive, effective electron-electron correlation energies (positive U eff ).
Platelet-derived Growth Factor-stimulated Secretion of Basement Membrane Proteins by Skeletal Muscle Occurs by Tyrosine Kinase-dependent and -independent Pathways

The basement membrane of skeletal muscle is produced by the muscle cells it ensheathes and by nonmuscle cells located in the surrounding extracellular matrix. In this study, we have shown that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) stimulates secretion of three basement membrane components of skeletal muscle: laminin (70% increase), fibronectin (30%), and type IV collagen (70%). Furthermore, we have found using the signal transduction inhibitors, genistein (tyrosine kinase inhibitor), phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor), thapsigargin (depletes intracellular Ca2+ stores), and H89 (protein kinase A inhibitor), that PDGF-stimulated secretion of these proteins occurs through distinct signaling pathways. Densitometry of Western blots of L6 myoblast supernatant indicates that the PDGF-induced increase in secretion of laminin and type IV collagen is tyrosine kinase-dependent. The increase in type IV collagen secretion also shows dependence on PKC, as well as the release of intracellular Ca2+. Inhibition of either of these pathways reduces the increase in type IV collagen secretion to 20%. In contrast, the PDGF-induced increase in laminin secretion is unaffected by inhibition of either PKC or intracellular Ca2+ release. The increase in fibronectin secretion by PDGF uses yet a third set of signals. PDGF-induced fibronectin secretion is not dependent on tyrosine kinase activity but is dependent on protein kinase A as well as the release of intracellular Ca2+. These divergent signaling pathways provide for independent regulation of basement membrane protein secretion, allowing a muscle cell to modify both the quantity and composition of its basement membrane in response to its environment.
Calling down the lightning [software design]

The bolt of lightning that sparks a new product idea is totally unpredictable. The authors consider the crucial question for a product-development organization: what context allows creativity to happen and how does an organization call down the lightning? They consider the example of spreadsheet design. >
Genetic causes of Parkinson's disease and their links to autophagy regulation

Genetic studies over the past 15 years have revolutionized our understanding towards the etiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). These studies have discovered many disease-linked genetic loci (PARK 1 to 18), which are now being interrogated for cellular pathways contributing to PD. Various pathogenic pathways were proposed but validation of each pathway awaits rigorous experimental testing. Here we review recent progress in understanding the influence of disease risk genes on cellular functions, specifically, autophagy pathways. Autophagy is a cell self-eating, lysosomal degradation system that plays an important role in cell homeostasis and survival. Neurons are post-mitotic cells and particularly vulnerable to the impairment of autophagic degradation due to their inability to redistribute damaged proteins and organelles to daughter cells. Emerging evidence has implicated dysfunctional autophagy in a growing number of neurodegenerative diseases including PD. We will also discuss the prospect of intervening autophagy pathways as a potential strategy to treat PD.
The Effect of the Incident Collision Energy on the Porosity of Vapor-Deposited Amorphous Solid Water Films

Molecular beam techniques are used to grow water films on Pt(111) with various incident angles and collision energies from 5 to 205 kJ/mol. The effect of the incident angle and collision energy on the porosity and surface area of the vapor-deposited water films was studied using nitrogen physisorption and infrared spectroscopy. At low incident energy (5 kJ/mol), the infrared spectra, which provide a direct measure of the surface area, show that the surface area increases with incident angle and levels off at angles > 65°. This is in contrast to the nitrogen uptake data, which display a maximum near 65° because of the decrease in nitrogen condensation in the larger pores that develop at high incident angles. Both techniques show that the morphology of vapor-deposited water films depends strongly on the incident kinetic energy. These observations are consistent with a ballistic deposition shadowing model used to describe the growth of highly porous materials at glancing angle. The dependence of film morphol...
A watershed nitrogen and phosphorus balance : the upper Potomac river basin

Nitrogen and phosphorus mass balances were estimated for the portion of the Potomac River basin watershed located above Washington, D.C. The total nitrogen (N) balance included seven input tource terms, six sinks, and one “change-in-storage” term, but was simplified to five input terms and three output terms. The phosphorus (P) balance had four input and three output terms. The estimated balances are based on watershed data from seven information sources. Major sources of nitrogen are amimal waste and atmospheric deposition. The major sources of phosphorus are animal waste and fertilizer. The major sink, for nitrogen is combined denitrification, volatilization, and change-in-storage. The major sink for phosphorus is change-in-storage. River exports of N and P were 17% and 8%, respectively, of the total N and P inputs. Over 60% of the N and P were volatilized or stored. The major input and output terms on the budget are estimated from direct measurements, but the change-in-storage term is calculated by difference. The factors regulating retention and storage processes are discussed and research needs are identified.
Doppler-Cancelled, Two-Photon Resonant Ionization Spectroscopy

A pulse amplified cw dye laser has been developed which produces a peak power of 50 to 100 kilowatts with a bandwidth of about 80 MHz. Frequency doubling this output produces power levels of up to 1 kilowatt, sufficient for observing two-photon processes in noble gases. Doppler-cancelled two-photon resonant, three-photon ionization spectra of several states of xenon and one state of krypton have been recorded which clearly show hyperfine splittings in odd isotopes. State assignments and fitted hyperfine constants have been determined where appropriate.© (1981) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
New Spaces in Accra: transnational houses

Accra has been Ghana's primate city since the British moved their administrative headquarters there in 1877. The city took shape under British site planning and like many colonial cities, it developed a spatial layout that distinguished different neighborhoods, such as the old core, the European section, and the Muslim zongo or stranger area. Accra's Sabon Zongo (”new zongo”) was founded in the first decade of the 20th century, as a refuge for migrant Hausa who had been living in the original zongo in the city's core. House ownership continues to confer status in the community but there is little room left for building. Hausa transmigrants from Sabon Zongo have been going abroad and remitting money back home, largely to build homes in the new peri-urban margins of Accra. This paper focuses upon the latter phenomenon – the new styles of houses they are building, the process this involves, and how these styles may accommodate worldview, lifestyle and behaviors different from those with which these men were raised in Sabon Zongo. [transmigration, housing, Ghana]
Reconstruction of blurred orbits under finite resolution

Techniques to retrieve information about orbits of dynamical systems lost in the process of making measurements due to discretization, sampling, or noise are developed. A general method of reprocessing the experimentally obtained data to effectively increase its information content (the accuracy of measurements) is proposed. Potential applications include many areas of applied mathematics such as inverse problems, time series analysis, ill posed problems, etc. The method can also be used to help construct new highly accurate measuring devices.
Density dependence of the single-particle kinetic energy of solid hydrogen

We have measured the inelastic neutron scattering from solid parahydrogen at molar volumes from 23.2 to 17.0 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$. We observe peaks in the differential cross section ${d}^{2}$\ensuremath{\sigma}/d\ensuremath{\Omega} dE corresponding to internal molecular transitions from ground to excited rotational and vibrational states. From the widths of these peaks we determine the center-of-mass translational energy per molecule using an underlying Gaussian momentum distribution for the initial center-of-mass translational wave function. For volumes of 23.2, 21.3, 19.5, 18.2, and 17.0 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$/mole we find kinetic energies per particle of 77\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3, 101\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}8, 122\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}14, 131\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}14, and 146\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}11 K, respectively.
Biodistribution of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies IgG1 b12 and LALA in mucosal and lymphatic tissues of rhesus macaques

Background HIV-1 transmission occurs predominantly through mucosal surfaces. In macaque models of SHIV mucosal transmission, passive administration of the monoclonal neutralizing antibody IgG1 b12 (b12) can protect against virus infection. However, an Fc variant of b12, deficient in FcgR and complement binding, (LALA) had diminished protective capacity. Concentrations and kinetics of b12 and LALA in serum and in mucosal secretions were determined in the protection studies, but the biodistribution and kinetics of the antibodies in mucosal and lymphatic tissues and around the site of viral challenge have not been assessed.
Development of MnO2 cathode inks for flexographically printed rechargeable zinc-based battery

A novel roll-to-roll flexographic printing process for rechargeable zinc-based battery manufacturing was presented in this paper. Based on the fundamental operating mechanism of flexography, key criteria for developing functional flexographic printing inks were established, including composite ink rheology (steady-state viscosity and yield stress), ink wettability as well as ink dispersing qualities. A variety of MnO2 cathode inks were developed and analyzed comprehensively based on these criteria. A novel type of aqueous cathode ink based on PSBR polymeric binder showed excellent flexographic printability as well as promising electrochemical performance.
A Practical Guide to Calculating Cohen’s f2, a Measure of Local Effect Size, from PROC MIXED

Reporting effect sizes in scientific articles is increasingly widespread and encouraged by journals; however, choosing an effect size for analyses such as mixed-effects regression modeling and hierarchical linear modeling can be difficult. One relatively uncommon, but very informative, standardized measure of effect size is Cohen’s f2, which allows an evaluation of local effect size, i.e. one variable’s effect size within the context of a multivariate regression model. Unfortunately, this measure is often not readily accessible from commonly used software for repeated-measures or hierarchical data analysis. In this guide, we illustrate how to extract Cohen’s f2 for two variables within a mixed-effects regression model using PROC MIXED in SAS ® software. Two examples of calculating Cohen’s f2 for different research questions are shown, using data from a longitudinal cohort study of smoking development in adolescents. This tutorial is designed to facilitate the calculation and reporting of effect sizes for single variables within mixed-effects multiple regression models, and is relevant for analysis of repeated-measures or hierarchical/multilevel data that are common in experimental psychology, observational research, and clinical or intervention studies.
A finite element study of the effect of friction in orthogonal metal cutting

The process of orthogonal metal cutting is studied with the finite element method under plane strain conditions. A computational procedure has been developed for simulating orthogonal metal cutting using a general-purpose finite element code. The focus of the results presented in this paper is on the effect of friction on thermomechanical quantities in a metal cutting process. A series of finite element simulations have been performed, in which a modified Coulomb friction law is used to model the friction along the tool-chip interface, and a finite element nodal release procedure is adopted to simulate chip separation from the workpiece. A tool rake angle ranging from 15deg; to 30deg; and a friction coefficient ranging from 0.0 to 0.6 have been considered in the simulations. The results of these simulations are consistent with experimental observations in the literature. In particular, it is found that shear straining is localized in the primary shear zone while the material near the tool tip undergoes the largest plastic strain rate. However, the maximum temperature rise, which is induced by energy dissipation due to plasticity and friction, occurs along the tool-chip interface, not in the primary shear zone. Furthermore, the maximum temperature, the contact length, the shear angle, and the cutting force are found to depend strongly on the coefficient of friction.
Epidermal growth factor receptor is a co-receptor for adeno-associated virus serotype 6

A key step in gene therapy is the efficient transfer of genes in a cell type- and tissue-specific manner. To better understand the mechanism of adeno-associated virus serotype 6 (AAV6) transduction, we used comparative gene analysis (CGA) combined with pathway visualization software to identify a positive correlation between AAV6 transduction and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression. Subsequent experiments suggested that EGFR is necessary for vector internalization and probably functions as a co-receptor for AAV6.
Bilateral, geographic, peripapillary, chorioretinal atrophy in a patient with porphyria cutanea tarda and high iron stores.

Abstract Purpose Porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) is a systemic disease caused by a deficiency of the enzyme uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase, which is the fifth enzyme in the heme biosynthetic pathway. This deficiency prevents porphyrin and its byproducts from producing heme. Case Report This case report presents a patient with PCT that is further complicated by high iron stores, chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV), and a history of alcoholism. Bilateral, geographic, peripapillary chorioretinal atrophy is evident and shows progression over a significant period despite improving the PCT. Conclusion A bilateral and progressive appearance of a retinal pathology in a middle-age male patient, with no family ocular history, suggests systemic causation. One theory includes a back flow of porphyrin byproducts from PCT. This is exacerbated by a less-than-productive liver caused by high iron stores, chronic HCV, and a history of alcoholism, which prevents the normal filtering process to occur. We believe this is the first report of a case of presumed bilateral, geographic, peripapillary chorioretinal atrophy in a patient with PCT, complicated by high iron stores, HCV, and alcoholism.
ACCELERATED AGING OF PAPERS OF PURE CELLULOSE - MECHANISM OF CELLULOSE DEGRADATION AND PAPER EMBRITTLEMENT

ACCELERATED AGING OF PAPERS OF PURE CELLULOSE - MECHANISM OF CELLULOSE DEGRADATION AND PAPER EMBRITTLEMENT
High density DNA methylation array with single CpG site resolution

We have developed a new generation of genome-wide DNA methylation BeadChip which allows high-throughput methylation profiling of the human genome. The new high density BeadChip can assay over 480K CpG sites and analyze twelve samples in parallel. The innovative content includes coverage of 99% of RefSeq genes with multiple probes per gene, 96% of CpG islands from the UCSC database, CpG island shores and additional content selected from whole-genome bisulfite sequencing data and input from DNA methylation experts. The well-characterized Infinium® Assay is used for analysis of CpG methylation using bisulfite-converted genomic DNA. We applied this technology to analyze DNA methylation in normal and tumor DNA samples and compared results with whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) data obtained for the same samples. Highly comparable DNA methylation profiles were generated by the array and sequencing methods (average R2 of 0.95). The ability to determine genome-wide methylation patterns will rapidly advance methylation research.
Staging of pancreatic and ampullary cancers for resectability using laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound.

Background: Cancers of the pancreas and periampullary region are rarely curable. We set out to determine the efficacy of laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound in the staging of pancreatic and ampullary malignancies for resectability. Methods: Between January 1994 and September 1999, we retrospectively reviewed the laparoscopic staging (LS) of tumors already deemed resectable by standard radiologic criteria in 27 patients using laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound (LUS). Patients found to be resectable by LS evaluation underwent laparotomy (LA). We then compared the results of the LS and LA findings. Results: Of the 27 patients evaluated, 17 were men and 10 were women. Their mean age was 66 years. Preoperative computerized tomography (CT) scans were done in all 27 patients (100%), and transabdominal and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) was done in 21 (78%). By LS, seven patients (26%) were found to have unresectable disease. Two patients with mesenteric tumor infiltration (one with peritoneal implants, and one with a visible liver metastasis) were judged to be unresectable by laparoscopy alone. LUS revealed that one patient had portal vein (PV) occlusion and two had metastases to the lymph nodes or liver that were not revealed by preoperative studies or laparoscopy alone. Among 20 patients (74%) deemed resectable by LS, two (10%) were found to be unresectable at LA, one due to PV involvement and the other due to local tumor extension with superior mesenteric lymph node metastasis. Eighteen of those in whom resection was attempted (90%) were resectable, with no unexpected findings of distant lymph node or hepatic metastasis. Pathology examination showed that eight had regional metastases (44%). The sensitivity of LS in determining unresectability was 77% (seven true positives and two false negatives). The negative predictive value (reflecting resectability) was 90%. Laparoscopy alone had a sensitivity of 44%, with a negative predictive value of 78%. The sensitivity and positive predictive value of LS was 100%, reflecting no false positive examinations. Conclusions: LS can effectively stage most patients and reliably predict which of them will benefit from LA. Intervention for unresectable patients can then be limited to laparoscopic or endoscopic bypass. The main limitation is that LS may underestimate PV and regional lymph node involvement.
Gregory Bateson and the composition of human communication

(1987). Gregory Bateson and the composition of human communication. Research on Language and Social Interaction: Vol. 20, Multichannel Communication Codes: Part I, pp. 53-77.
Active Contours without Edges for Vector-Valued Images

In this paper, we propose an active contour algorithm for object detection in vector-valued images (such as RGB or multispectral). The model is an extension of the scalar Chan?Vese algorithm to the vector-valued case 1]. The model minimizes a Mumford?Shah functional over the length of the contour, plus the sum of the fitting error over each component of the vector-valued image. Like the Chan?Vese model, our vector-valued model can detect edges both with or without gradient. We show examples where our model detects vector-valued objects which are undetectable in any scalar representation. For instance, objects with different missing parts in different channels are completely detected (such as occlusion). Also, in color images, objects which are invisible in each channel or in intensity can be detected by our algorithm. Finally, the model is robust with respect to noise, requiring no a priori denoising step.
Experimental games: a review.

A fresh view of the strategies employed by individuals, groups, or social institutions in conflict situations has been stimulated by the mathematics of game theory. This has provided us with norms concerning reasonable decision policies to follow under various circumstances, but not with information on actual behavior. Something about this can be learned from experiments in which subjects resolve dilemmas involving opposition of interests. Such research is rapidly becoming voluminous, but an overview of it can still be crammed into one article. Such a review must deal with 2- and with n-person games, with zero-sum and nonzero-sum games, with games where payoffs are known and unknown, and with simulations which involve games.
Reclaiming Realism for the Left: Gar Alperovitz and the Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb

Sixty-seven years after the decision to use the atomic bomb in World War II, controversy remains whether the United States was justified in using fission bombs in combat. Gar Alperovitz, the great revisionist historian, in his Atomic Diplomacy and The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb transformed our knowledge of the geopolitical motives behind the atomic attack against Japan at the end of World War II. These uranium and plutonium-core bombs were political, not primarily military in purpose and motive behind their deployment. His analysis will be compared to realists such as Hans Morgenthau, Kenneth Waltz, Henry Kissinger and George Kennan who for the most part questioned unrestrained violence and offered nuanced views on the wisdom of using such indiscriminate, savage weapons of war. The paper will explore Alperovitz’s classic argument that out of the ashes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the A-bomb drove the incipient Cold War conflict. American national-security elites construed the bomb as a political-diplomatic lever to contain Soviet power as much as a military weapon to subdue Japan. The views of various political and military leaders, President Truman, Henry Stimson, James Byrnes, General George C. Marshall, Admiral William Leahy and General Dwight Eisenhower are assessed.
Influence of Managerial Accounting Skills on SME’s on the Success and Growth of Small and Medium Enterprises in Kenya.

Several studies show that most small and medium businesses fail within their first three years. Although the role of factors such as access to funds and culture has been widely studied, the influence of owner/manager practices and capabilities have generally been ignored. To bridge this gap, this paper investigates the managerial business practices and capabilities used by SMEs such as strategic management, financial, marketing, human resource and ICT and their influence on decision making for enterprise success and growth. Data was collected from Kenya Industrial, Research and Development Institute (KIRDI) incubated SMEs in Nairobi. A census research design was used, with a self administered questionnaire given to all participants. The results show that owner/manager capabilities in financial, marketing, human resource and managerial accounting influence decision-making, and consequently SMEs success and development. The paper concludes that training level and managerial accounting capabilities of owner/manager have a strong, positive and significant influence on the decision making and consequently are critical for the success, growth and survival of SMEs. Key words : Small and Medium Enterprises, owner/manager, managerial practices, managerial accounting, decision making
Further evidence that the mouse defense test battery is useful for screening anxiolytic and panicolytic drugs : effects of acute and chronic treatment with alprazolam

Abstract The Mouse Defense Test Battery (MDTB) has been designed to investigate defensive responses of Swiss-Webster mice confronted with a natural predator, a rat. These behaviors include flight, avoidance, defensive threat/attack responses, and risk assessment activities. Previous studies with the MDTB have suggested that this model may have some utility for the investigation of panicogenic and antipanic compounds. In the present study the MDTB was used to investigate the effects of acute (0.05-1 mg/kg, i.p., 30 min) or chronic (0.5-2 mg/kg, one daily i.p. injection during 10 days) treatment with the benzodiazepine receptor (BZPR) full agonist and panicolytic agent alprazolam. At non motor-impairing doses (0.05-0.5 mg/kg), acute alprazolam failed to alter the avoidance distance between the subject and the predator, the number of avoidances when the rat is approaching, predator assessment activities, defensive threat/attack responses when contact is forced between the subject and the predator or contextual escape attempts after the predator was removed. This was in contrast to chronic treatment which decreased both avoidance variables at 0.5 and 1 mg/ kg, defensive threat/attack responses at all doses, and predator assessment responses at 0.5 mg/kg. In addition, the latter treatment reduced post-predator potentiation of escape attempts at 2 mg/kg. These results (1) confirm previous findings with the BZPR full agonist chlordiazepoxide, indicating that these compounds generally attenuate antipredator defensive responses in Swiss-Webster mice; (2) support recent data indicating that panic-altering drugs modulate flight/escape reactions, and suggest that the primary mechanism of action of drugs with efficacy against panic disorder may involve neural systems controlling flight; (3) confirm that the MDTB may be useful for the investigation of panicolytic as well as anxiolytic agents.
Are the physical and TABP risk factors for heart disease unique to CHD

Scores of 40 hospitalized CHD patients on 11 Type A-related and 7 physical CHD risk factors were compared to those of 40 hospitalized non-CHD patients. Family history for CHD was the only physical risk factor for which a significant difference was found. CHD patients scored significantly higher on all seven interview-measured Type A and Type A subcomponent variables. Only two of the four Jenkins Activity Survey-measured Type A variables produced significant differences, with one higher for non-CHD subjects. It was concluded that some CHD risk scores also may be associated with other diseases, to the experience of being seriously ill, and/or to the experience of hospitalization.
Association of an Abnormal Exercise Heart Rate Recovery With Pulmonary Function Abnormalities

Background Heart rate recovery (HRR) after exercise correlates with decreased vagal tone and mortality. Patients with COPD may have altered autonomic tone. We sought to determine the association of HRR with spirometry measures of pulmonary function. Methods We analyzed 627 patients (mean [+/- SD] age, 58 +/- 12 years; 65% men; mean FEV(1), 2.6 +/- 0.9 L, 80 +/- 20% predicted; patients receiving inhaled beta(2) agonist therapy, 10%; patients receiving inhaled anticholinergic therapy, 3%; patients receiving inhaled steroids, 5%; patients receiving oral prednisone, 4%) who had undergone maximal exercise testing and had undergone pulmonary function tests Results An abnormal HRR was seen in 229 patients (36%). The mean FEV(1) values broken into quartiles 1 to 4 were 54 +/- 11% predicted, 74 +/- 3% predicted, 87 +/- 4% predicted, and 106 +/- 10% predicted. In smokers and nonsmokers, a worsening FEV(1) percent predicted was associated with an abnormal HRR. In a multivariable model accounting for confounding factors including medications and functional capacity, the predictors of an abnormal HRR included FEV(1) percent predicted (adjusted odds ratio for 1 SD decrease, 1.32; 95% confidence interval, 1.07 to 1.65; p = 0.0004), impaired functional capacity, male gender, and age. Conclusions Abnormalities found on spirometry are associated with abnormal HRR, which may reflect an altered autonomic tone associated with pulmonary dysfunction, either obstructive or restrictive in nature.
Checkpoint alpha (keynote)

We're into the 15th year of the 21st century, 1/7th of our way through it. We have spent one day of the 21st century week. It is time to pause, and look at what has changed since the start of the century, perhaps even make an informed proposal as to - how could we best align our engineering and research efforts for the rest of it.
Peat-marl deposition in a Holocene paludal-lacustrine basin—Sucker Lake, Michigan

Exceptionally thick (over 15 m) deposits of peat which fill the northern end of Sucker Lake basin in northcentral Michigan document the volumetric importance of allochthonous organic material in a modern coal-forming environment. Organic debris that originates in, and is derived from, a highly vegetated floodplain immediately upstream is deposited as a lakeward-prograding lobe that exhibits features typical of most lacustrine Gilbert deltas, but is composed almost entirely of organic material. This system overlies an additional 7 m of nearly pure, brecciated lacustrine carbonate, deposited as shallow lake-margin benches and emplaced into the deep basin centre by gravity sliding prior to deltaic progradation. In the southern end of the basin, bottomset beds of fine silt-size organic phytoclasts onlap distal facies of progradational bench carbonates, which originate (in shallow water) through calcite encrustation about stems of the dominant macrophyte Chara. With continued sedimentation, a stratigraphic succession in which allochthonous organics will overlie pure, allochthonous lacustrine carbonates and in part be overlain by autochthonous carbonates will characterize the northern end of this Holocene system. In the southern end around the basin margins, however, autochthonous carbonates will entirely underlie allochthonous organics. Numerous continuous cores (up to 22 m) through these units document: (1) the importance of sources of allochthonous organic debris in modern coal-forming complexes, (2) the genetic relationship between nearly pure calcareous and nearly pure carbonaceous facies within these paludal-lacustrine settings, and (3) the complexity of interrelationships between the several component facies within such continental sedimentary systems.
History of the discovery of the solar wind

AGU's History Committee sponsored a well-attended session on the discovery of the solar wind at the 1993 AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco. Speakers, three of whom are shown in Figure 1, included many of the key participants in early solar wind research. In the introductory talk Karl Hufbauer, a science historian, whose book Exploring the Sun inspired this session, described the understanding of the Sun's corpuscular emissions, as they were then called, in the early 1950s. Hufbauer noted that Biermann's work on comet tails involved what at the time was thought to be the least interesting component of the corpuscular emission, namely the supposedly weak “background flux of evaporative particles” that gave rise to incessant minor geomagnetic fluctuations and to faint polar aurorae.
Do deans publish what they preach

Deans/directors at top-ranked library and information science (LIS) programs in North America are assessed in terms of their scholarly salience. Citation analysis suggests that most LIS deans are not scholars of note. No correlation was found between decanal citation counts and programmatic rankings.
Complement 1s is the serine protease that cleaves IGFBP-5 in human osteoarthritic joint fluid

Summary Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) are trophic factors for cartilage and have been shown to be chondroprotective in animal models of osteoarthritis (OA). IGFBP-5 is degraded in joint fluid and inhibition of IGFBP-5 degradation has been shown to enhance the trophic effects of IGF-I. Objective To determine the identity of IGFBP-5 protease activity in human OA joint fluid. Method OA joint fluid was purified and the purified material was analyzed by IGFBP-5 zymography. Results Both crude joint fluid and purified material contained a single band of proteolytic activity that cleaved IGFBP-5. Immunoblotting of joint fluid for complement 1s (C1s) showed a band that had the same Mr estimate, e.g., 88kDa. In gel tryptic digestion and subsequent peptide analysis by LC-MS/MS showed that the band contained human C1s. A panel of protease inhibitors was tested for their ability to inhibit IGFBP-5 cleavage by the purified protease. Three serine protease inhibitors, FUT175 and CP-143217 and CB-349547 had IC50's between 1 and 6μM. Two other serine protease inhibitors had intermediate activity (e.g., IC50's 20–40μM) and MMP inhibitors had no detectible activity at concentrations up to 300μM. Conclusion Human OA fluid contains a serine protease that cleaves IGFBP-5. Zymography, immunoblotting and LC-MS/MS analysis indicate that C1s is the protease that accounts for this activity.
Innocuous Ignorance?: Perceptions of the American Jewish Population Size

The current study examines the extent and correlates of ignorance regarding the size of the American Jewish population. Using the 2000 General Social Survey, I examine how large the non-Jewish respondents perceive the Jewish population to be in both the country as a whole and in their local community. Individuals of all backgrounds are found to express high levels of Jewish population innumeracy, with the vast majority overestimating. I then attempt to understand variation in estimates using hypotheses based on heuristic decision-making. Larger size estimates at the country level are most often associated with media exposure, gender, and education. At the community level, larger estimates are related most strongly to interpersonal contact with Jews. Surprisingly, size estimates are largely unrelated to stereotypes or negative attitudes toward Jews. This unique finding suggests that, contrary to the existing literature, inflated perceptions are not uniformly problematic for intergroup relations. Rather, innumeracy regarding US Jews appears to be largely innocuous and without basis in anti-Semitism.
Ethical Communication: Moral Stances in Human Dialogue

Christians, C. G., & Merrill, J. C. (Eds.). (2009). Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press. 221 pp. $22.50 (paperback). Ethical Communication: Moral Stances in Human Dialogue, edited by Cliffor...
Temperature inversions in the open Gulf of Mexico

[1] Some ∼1500 PALACE float temperature profiles obtained throughout the Gulf of Mexico between April 1998 and March 2002 indicate that temperature inversions are rather common. Most are seen near the surface, but some are seen at essentially all depths down to the deepest measurement at about 1000 m. The inversions are associated with layers of relatively cool, and presumed fresher, riverine and coastal waters. Most are attributed to the Mississippi River and Mexican rivers discharging into the Campeche Bay, and a few are thought to have drifted in from the Caribbean Sea.
CORRELATION OF PULSE AND TIME JUDGMENT.

20 hospitalized Ss were ranked according to mean pulse rate over a 5-day period and according to variability of pulse. There was no correlation between these rank orders and results on time judgmen...
Synthesis of in situ composites through solid-state reactions: thermodynamic, mass-balance and kinetic considerations

The applications of thermodynamics, mass balance and kinetics to the synthesis of in situ composites through solid-state reactions are discussed. The proper choice of starting materials, the principles governing the diffusion paths and the formation of desirable microstructures are considered. The use of stability diagrams for rationalizing diffusion and reactions during composite synthesis is also demonstrated. Applying these principles to the synthesis of NbS1 2 -SiC composites, it is shown that the proper starting materials are Nbc 1-r and Si. The probable microstructure is an aggregate type, composed of NbSi 2 and SiC. Preliminary experimental results of the study of bulk NbC 1-x -Si diffusion couples annealed at 1300 °C for 60 h revealed that the microstructure is indeed a two-phase mixture of NbSi 2 and SiC. Discontinous SiC particles with an average size of 1 μm are homogeneously dispersed in the NbSi 2 matrix. This microstructure is considered favorable for high-temperature structural composite application. Further characterization of mechanical and other properties for this material are currently being performed.
Go Ahead, Davy Crockett!

Bezanon, who founded an undergraduate major in American Civilzation at Rutgers, investigates the Library's "Crockett's Almanac: Scenes in River Life, Feats on the Lakes, Manners in the Back Woods, Adventures in Texas, &c, &c.," (Philadelphia and New York, 1846), for sources of the Davy Crockett myth.
Layered double hydroxide-based fire resistant coatings for flexible polyurethane foam

Montmorillonite clay (MMT) is frequently used to create fire resistance in Layer-by-Layer (LbL) applied coatings. This manuscript reports that switching the MMT with layered double hydroxides (LDH) produced a more effective fire resistant coating on flexible foam. Most of the formulations required at most two trilayers (TL) to produce ignition resistant and very low heat release rate polyurethane foam. The best coating (greatest flammability reduction with the least amount of coating) delivered a 41% reduction in peak heat release rate. This was a 2TL, 10% mass coating produced using a coating solution with a high LDH content. This manuscript discusses the impact of the LDH-based coating formulations and number of monolayers on the LbL coating growth rate, composition, and fire resistance. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Epileptiform activity induced by magnesium-free solution in slices of rat amygdala: antagonism by N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists.

Abstract The effects of the N- methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists, d -2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate ( d -APV) and phencyclidine (PCP), were studied in vitro on epileptiform activity induced in magnesium-free solution in neurons of the basolateral amygdala of the rat, using intracellular recording techniques. Twenty to 30 min after switching to magnesium-free medium, spontaneous interictal-like events were observed in 33 out of 37 amygdala slices. The spontaneous interictal-like events consisted of an initial burst followed by a number of afterdischarges. Superfusion with d -APV, a competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, reversibly reduced the duration of the spontaneous interictal-like event in a dose-dependent manner. The frequency of spontaneous interictal-like events was also reduced. The IC50, estimated from the graph of the concentration-response relationship, was approximately 10 μM which is close to the IC50 for the binding of d -AVP to the NMDA receptor in other regions of the brain. The effect of phencyclidine, a noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist, was similar to that of d -APV. These results suggest that activation of NMDA receptors plays an intrinsic role in the induction or propagation of epileptiform activity seen in magnesium-free solution in the neurons of the amygdala.
Determination of an optimal mesh for a collocation-projection method for solving two-point boundary value problems

We consider mesh-point optimization for certain collocation-projection methods for solving boundary value problems (BVP) for ordinary differential equations. Consider the BVP (Lmx)(t) = g(t), t ϵ [0, 1], x(v)(0) = x(v)(1) = 0, v = 0, 1,…, m2 − 1, where Lm is an mth order linear differential operator. We assume conditions guaranteeing that there is a unique solution in a given (reproducing kernel) Hilbert space HR, and that ¦ (Lmx)(t)¦ ⩽ M ∥ x ∥R, 0 ⩽ t ⩽ 1, for all x∈HR, and some M, where ∥ · ∥R is the norm in HR. For a given mesh TN = {tiN}i = 1N, we let xN, our approximate solution to the BVP, be that element in HR of minimal norm which satisfies the boundary conditions and matches the data on TN, that is, (LmxN)(tiN) = g(tiN), i = 1, 2,…, N. xN is both a collocation and an orthogonal projection approximation to x, and for certain HR equivalent to the Sobolev space W2(r), xN is a spline approximant to x. We are interested in choosing the mesh TN so that ∥ x − xN ∥R is as small as possible. The optimal mesh we are after depends on the unknown x. Under certain circumstances a mesh behaving essentially like an optimal mesh can be characterized by a cumulative distribution function F∗ on [0, 1], which depends on x. A (nearly) optimal mesh TN∗ = {tiN∗} is determined by solving F∗(tiN∗) = i(N + 1), i = 1, 2,…, N. F∗ has been given by Sacks and Ylvisaker [Ann. Math. Statist.37, No. 1 (1966)] and Wahba [Ann. Math. Statist.42 (1971); Ann. Statist.2, No. 5 (1974); J. Approximation Theory16 (1976)] under various conditions. In this paper we show how an estimate Fn∗ of F∗ can be computed from data starting with an arbitrary (nice) mesh with n points. Once Fn∗ is obtained, then a new mesh, say TN = {tiN}i = 1N can be obtained as Fn∗(tiN) = i(N + 1), i = 1, 2,…, N, and the final approximate solution xN computed using the estimated approximately optimal mesh TN. From a different point of view, if data points g(tiN) are obtained from an experiment and are expensive to measure, this approach is that of the sequential design of an experiment. Data at a preliminary uniform mesh (design) are obtained, and this data is used to obtain an improved mesh (design). These results apply to more general linear operator equations.
Serial optical sectioning of macular holes at different stages of development

Objective: This study aimed to examine the characteristics of intraretinal changes associated with macular holes and epiretinal membranes by scanning retinal thickness analysis. Study Design: The study design was a nonconsecutive case series. Patients: Fifty-six eyes of patients who had either a suspected or clinically diagnosed macular hole or epiretinal membrane were recruited. Interventions: A commercial prototype of the scanning retinal thickness analyzer (RTA) was used. It projected a laser slit beam onto the retina and scanned it, in 200 or 400 msec, across a 2- × 2-mm area, yielding multiple optical cross sections that were recorded digitally. Results: Epiretinal membranes were detected, and sites of attachment could be identified. Full-thickness holes corresponded to intraretinal cavities in which the inner retinal surface was broken, usually at the center. The majority of eyes with full-thickness macular holes showed increased retinal thickness surrounding the hole. The so-called "cuff of subretinal fluid," however, often was not present by retinal thickness analysis, despite clinical diagnosis to the contrary, even though retinal thickness analysis is capable of detecting such fluid. In 20 (42%) of 47 eyes diagnosed or suspected of having macular holes, scanning retinal thickness analysis showed findings different from those reported by retinal specialists. Conclusions: Examination of macular holes with the scanning RTA provides useful information in the diagnosis of macular holes in addition to that obtained through conventional techniques. The findings support the idea that many macular holes develop in association with intraretinal cystic changes. The precise chronology of the events remains to be determined.