cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Local Environmental Grassroots Activism: Contributions from Environmental Psychology, Sociology and Politics

Local environmental grassroots activism is robust and globally ubiquitous despite the ebbs and flows of the general environmental movement. In this review we synthesize social movement, environmental politics, and environmental psychology literatures to answer the following questions: How does the environment emerge as a topic for community action and how a particular environmental discourse (preservation, conservation, public health, Deep Ecology, justice, localism and other responses to modernization and development) becomes dominant? How does a community coalesce around the environmental issue and its particular framing? What is the relationship between local and supralocal (regional, national, global) activism? We contrast “Not in My Back Yard” (NIMBY) activism and environmental liberation and discuss the significance of local knowledge and scale, nature as an issue for activism, place attachment and its disruption, and place-based power inequalities. Environmental psychology contributions to established scholarship on environmental activism are proposed: the components of place attachment are conceptualized in novel ways and a continuous dweller and activist place attachment is elaborated.
The detection of small image displacements by cat retinal ganglion cells

Abstract The sensitivity of the cat's retinal ganglion cells to rapid displacement of a small luminous spot was measured by determining the minimum distance that the luminous spot must move to evoke an audible increase in the ongoing neural activity (the displacement threshold). The displacement threshold was not directly related to the gradient of receptive field sensitivity nor was the minimum displacement threshold a simple function of receptive field size. Rather, the smallest displacement threshold was found within, but not throughout, the border of the central zone which had an exponentially decreasing sensitivity to stationary flashing light. At the optimal location, “on center” and “off center” retinal ganglion cells could encode a small displacement of a constant intensity image through a difference in receptive field sensitivity of 0.07 log units.
Meteoritics as petrography

Meteorites: A Petrologic–Chemical Synthesis. By Robert T. Dodd. Pp.432. ISBN 0-521-22570-1. (Cambridge University Press: 1982.) £35, $69.50.
Surface Adsorbate Fluctuations and Noise in Nanoelectromechanical Systems

Physisorption on solid surfaces is important in both fundamental studies and technology. Adsorbates can also be critical for the performance of miniature electromechanical resonators and sensors. Advances in resonant nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), particularly mass sensitivity attaining the single-molecule level, make it possible to probe surface physics in a new regime, where a small number of adatoms cause a detectable frequency shift in a high quality factor (Q) NEMS resonator, and adsorbate fluctuations result in resonance frequency noise. Here we report measurements and analysis of the kinetics and fluctuations of physisorbed xenon (Xe) atoms on a high-Q NEMS resonator vibrating at 190.5 MHz. The measured adsorption spectrum and frequency noise, combined with analytic modeling of surface diffusion and adsorption−desorption processes, suggest that diffusion dominates the observed excess noise. This study also reveals new power laws of frequency noise induced by diffusion, which could be important in other low-dimensional nanoscale systems.
Convolution-multiplication identities for Tutte polynomials of graphs and matroids

We give a general convolution-multiplication identity for the multivariate and bivariate rank generating polynomial of a graph or matroid. The bivariate rank generating polynomial is transformable to and from the Tutte polynomial by simple algebraic operations. Several identities, almost all already known in some form, are specializations of this identity. Combinatorial or probabilistic interpretations are given for the specialized identities.
SESAME: Smartphone enabled secure access to multiple entities

In this paper we present a smartphone based architecture to secure user access to web services which require password entry. Our architecture takes advantage of biometric sensors that are present in today's smartphones when authenticating a smartphone user in order to ensure that her identity cannot be masqueraded by anyone else. The user can then access web services using a complex password stored in her smartphone but without having to manually enter the complex password. As a result, the architecture overcomes many security limitations of today's password based authentication approaches, and in particular, resolves the current dilemma associated with the use of complex passwords. In addition, the proposed architecture not only works seamlessly with today's web services since it requires no changes to the existing authentication mechanisms used by the servers, but also can be extended to directly use a person's biometrics as credentials instead of passwords when accessing web services and cyber-physical devices in the future.
Nonequivalence of backgrounds during photopic dark adaptation.

Using the equivalent-background transformation, Crawford has demonstrated the equivalence of adaptive states (dark and light adaptation) in scotopic vision. The critical feature of this transformation is that the threshold sensitivity of the eye at a particular time in the dark can be specified in terms of the steady-state, light-adapted condition necessary to produce the same threshold for all target diameters. This indicates that a single variable may control the spatial integration of light. Equivalence was investigated in the present study for long-term photopic dark adaptation using two target diameters (0.13° and 0.33°) and four chromatic combinations of red and green test and adapting stimuli (red on red, red on green, green on green, and green on red). Except under special conditions employing color-defective observers for which there was more complete isolation of cone mechanisms, equivalence between adaptive states was generally found not to exist. It is concluded that more than one process is needed to control the spatial integration of light in the photopic system, and these are hypothesized to be the wavelength-dependent excitatory and inhibitory processes of the visual receptive field.
ROLE OF RIBONUCLEASE ACTION IN PHENYLALANINE‐INDUCED DISAGGREGATION OF RAT CEREBRAL POLYRIBOSOMES

—l-phenylalanine (1 mg/g body wt) or physiological saline (0.9% NaCl) was given intraperitoneally to infant (7-day old), immature (14-day old), and adult (42-day old) rats. The state of ribosomal aggregation was determined in the cerebral postmitochondrial supernatant and purified polyribosome fractions prepared in the presence of rat liver ribonuclease inhibitor. Polyribosomes isolated from cerebral cortices of infant and immature rats 30 or 60 min after administration of phenylalanine were partially disaggregated, whereas the state of aggregation of polyribosomes from mature cerebrum was unchanged. In contrast, little or no evidence of phenylalanine-induced polyribosome disruption was noted in the postmitochondrial supernatant fractions, from which the cerebral polyribosomes were prepared, in any of the animals. Omission of the ribonuclease inhibitor resulted in polyribosome disaggregation in the postmitochondrial supernatant fractions prepared from saline-treated as well as phenylalanine-treated infant rats, but the disruption was more profound in the latter group. Ribonuclease activities in cerebral postmitochondrial supernatant preparations from infant and immature rats were higher than the corresponding values in preparations from adult animals. In addition, the administration of phenylalanine resulted in increases in ribonuclease activities in cerebral postmitochondrial supernatant preparations from the younger animals, but had no effect on these activities in adult animals. These results suggest that alterations in structure and function of polyribosomes from the infant rat cerebrum following a loading dose of phenylalanine were related to exposure of the polyribosomes during isolation to elevated activities of cerebral ribonucleases resulting from this treatment. This hypothesis was supported by the finding that phenylalanine treatment had no effect on the incorporation in vivo of intracisternally-administered radioactive lysine into total, soluble or ribosomal protein of infant cerebrum. However, when cerebral ribosomal RNA was differentially labelled in phenylalanine-treated and saline-treated infant rats by the intracisternal administration of [3H] or [14C]uridine, and polyribosome fractions were then prepared from the pooled cerebral cortices of both groups, radioactive ribosomes derived from saline-treated rats were more highly aggregated than those derived from phenylalanine-treated animals. It is concluded that gross alterations in cerebral polyribosome structure and function do not occur in vivo in young rats given a large amount of phenylalanine intraperitoneally. However, this treatment, in addition to increasing ribonuclease activity in cerebral cell-free preparations, also sensitizes cerebral polyribosomes to subsequent breakdown upon exposure to ribonucleases during isolation.
Mapping by simple indicator kriging

The problem of predicting the type of an unsampled point in a two-type map is addressed using a procedure called simple indicator kriging. This procedure estimates the conditional probability that the point is of one type or the other given the types of sample points. Simple indicator kriging is applied to examples of certain map models. It is shown to perform well, and in some cases to be exact in a specified sense. Use of simple indicator kriging to estimate multivariate normal quandrant probabilities is explored.
Outcome of pregnancies complicated by ruptured membranes after genetic amniocentesis.

Abstract Objective: We sought to compare perinatal outcomes of pregnancies complicated by preterm premature rupture of membranes after genetic amniocentesis with pregnancies complicated by spontaneous preterm premature rupture of membranes at a similar gestational age. Study Design: A retrospective study was performed in which a computerized database was reviewed to identify all patients presenting to our institution with preterm premature rupture of membranes within 48 hours of a genetic amniocentesis from July 1988 to August 1999. Control subjects were matched for gestational age at preterm premature rupture of membranes. Patients were all managed expectantly. Outcomes were compiled from review of medical records. Descriptive statistics, the Student t test, and the χ2 test were used, with P
Dirichlet problem for stochasticparabolic equations in smoothdomains

A second-order stochastic parabolic equation with zero Dirichlet boundary conditions is considered in a sufficiently smooth bounded domain. Existence, uniqueness, and regularity of the solution are established without assuming any compatibility relations. To control the solution near the boundary of the region, special Sobolev-type spaces with weights are introduced. To illustrate the results, two examples are considered: general linear equation with finite-dimensional noise and equation on a line segment, driven by space-time white noise.
Orbital interactions in stable and metastable conformations of the dimethylphosphate anion

Natural bond orbital (NBO) theory has been applied to analyze stereoelectronic preferences of the gg, tg and tt stationary states and two connecting transition states of the dimethylphosphate (DMP−) anion. In going from the compact gg to the extended tt state, the Oa–P–Oa angle closes as phosphoryl anionic oxygen, P–Oa, bonds are weakened by negative hyperconjugation. Phosphoryl ester oxygen, P–Oe, bonds are strengthened, however, due to increased π-overreach, largely a result of delocalization of ester oxygen lone pair density. In a ‘closing scissors effect’, contraction of the Oe–P–Oe angle between these stronger bonds also results, in this case due to the dominance of repulsive forces among the lone pairs. Counterintuitive arrangements in the transition states between gg and tg, and between two equivalent, twisted tt stationary states result, again, from dominant repulsions of oxygen lone pairs. Complexation of DMP− with water, Na+, or Mg+2 ions is accompanied by significant charge transfer to the ligand, thus imparting a degree of covalency to the anion–ligand bond. H-bonds between water and the two Oa oxygens lead to delocalization of charge through lone pairs at the docking site of DMP− into σ∗(Ow–H) antibonds. For the ion-pairs, charge is transferred by a similar mechanism into Rydberg orbitals on the cation. Rearrangement of electron density within DMP− in the complexes replenishes losses from Oa lone pairs and increases the magnitude of the anomeric effect involving Oe lone pairs. NBO theory provides a quantitative description of the complex balance of interactions that dictate the conformational features of this biologically significant molecular functionality.
Investigations of the torque anomaly in an annular sector. I. Global calculations, scalar case

In an attempt to understand a recently discovered torque anomaly in quantum field theory with boundaries, we calculate the Casimir energy and torque of a scalar field subject to Dirichlet boundary conditions on an annular sector defined by two coaxial cylinders intercut by two planes through the axis. In this model the particularly troublesome divergence at the cylinder axis does not appear, but new divergences associated with the curved boundaries are introduced. All the divergences associated with the volume, the surface area, the corners, and the curvature are regulated by point separation either in the direction of the axis of the cylinder or in the (Euclidean) time; the full divergence structure is isolated, and the remaining finite energy and torque are extracted. Formally, only the regulator based on axis splitting yields the expected balance between energy and torque. Because of the logarithmic curvature divergences, there is an ambiguity in the linear dependence of the energy on the wedge angle; if the terms constant and linear in this angle are removed by a process of renormalization, the expected torque-energy balance is preserved.
Coefficients of determination for least absolute deviation analysis

Abstract The least-absolute deviation or l 1 analysis of a linear model is an important alternative to the classical least squares analysis from the point of view of efficiency for longer-tailed error distributions and robustness to the presence of outliers. In this paper two coefficients of determination are proposed for the least-absolute deviation analysis. It is shown that they have desirable properties as measures of multiple association. Both fixed and random predictor variable cases are considered. In the case of random predictor variables, the sample coefficients of determination are shown to be consistent estimators of appropriate population parameters.
Mixed-Function Oxidase and Glutathione S-Transferase Activities from Field-Collected Larval and Adult Tobacco Budworms, Heliothis-Virescens (F.)

Abstract Mixed-function oxidase and glutathione S -transferase activities were measured from tissue homogenates of larval and adult tobacco budworms that were collected from cotton fields in Texas and Louisiana. Mixed-function oxidase activity toward p -nitroanisole was detected in both developmental stages and, in six of the eight field collections tested, mean levels of activity were significantly higher than activity measured in parallel assays with insects from a laboratory-reared, insecticide-susceptible colony. However, the significance of this activity with respect to pyrethroid metabolism and resistance is unclear because variation in mixed-function oxidase activity among these strains was poorly correlated with susceptibility to cypermethrin. Glutathione S -transferase activities toward 3,4-dichloronitrobenzene and 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene were also detected in both larvae and adult insects, and mean levels varied among the field collections tested. Patterns of activity in tissues examined for both mixed-function oxidases and glutathione S -transferases were different between larvae and adults suggesting that the regulation and expression of these enzyme activities is dependent on developmental stage.
Attenuation of the cs-preexposure effect after a retention interval in preweanling rats

The effects of flavor preexposure and retention interval were assessed in 6- and 12-day-old rats. Conditioned aversions to a flavor appeared at both ages. The conditioning of the younger pups was unaffected by conditioned stimulus (CS) preexposure and was not evident after a 10-day retention interval. For the 12-day-old rats, preexposure to either the flavor CS or a different flavor attenuated aversion strength when the rats were tested soon after conditioning. Other 12-day-old rats that were tested 10 days after conditioning also expressed substantial aversions, but with a retention interval of this length, the aversions were equivalent for animals preexposed to the CS and those not preexposed before conditioning. This loss of the CS-preexposure effect over a long interval, which has also been observed in adult rats, identifies the locus of this effect as postacquisition and perhaps at the stage of memory retrieval.
Foreign investment in Canada;: Prospects for national policy

Why do some states enact stronger pollution control progammes than others? And, do stronger controls have identifiable impacts on environmental quality in these states? This work seeks to answer these question by means of combining data, methods and theory from the natural and social sciences.
A Near-Infrared BiFC Reporter for In Vivo Imaging of Protein-Protein Interactions

SUMMARY Studies of protein-protein interactions deep in organs and in whole mammals have been hindered by a lack of genetically encoded fluorescent probes in near-infrared region for which mammalian tissues are the most transparent. We have used a nearinfrared fluorescent protein iRFP engineered from a bacterial phytochrome as the template to develop an in vivo split fluorescence complementation probe. The domain architecture-based rational design resulted in an iSplit reporter with the spectra optimal for whole-body imaging, high photostability, and high complementation contrast, which compares favorably to that of other available split fluorescent protein-based probes. Successful visualization of interaction of two known protein partners in a living mouse model suggests iSplit as the probe of choice for noninvasive detection of protein-protein interactions in vivo, whereas its fast intracellular degradation enables time-resolved monitoring of repetitive binding events.
A comprehensive process engineering on TDDB for direct polishing ultra-low k dielectric Cu interconnects at 40nm technology node and beyond

The failure ratios of the three typical time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) failure modes, including top interface, sidewall and bottom corner areas, have been identified for a direct polishing ultra low k (ULK) dielectric Cu back-end-of-line (BEOL) structure at 40nm node. The Cu surface roughness of the metal lines, and the adhesion and thickness of the metal capping layers are strongly correlated to the top interface failure mode. The dielectric constant of the ULK and the concentration of the aluminum-doped Cu (CuAl) seed layer could be related to the sidewall failure mode. The bottom corner failures are induced by inappropriate Cu barrier re-sputter processes. In this study, the TDDB reliability performance can be effectively improved by evaluating a post-Cu chemical mechanical polishing (Cu CMP) cleaning process with smooth Cu surface roughness, developing a better step coverage with multi-layer capping layer, using a slightly higher dielectric constant ULK film, replacing a conventional pure Cu with a CuAl seed layer and optimizing the Cu barrier layer deposition process. The lifetime of the TDDB can be significantly improved over three orders (larger than 10000 years) as implementing an optimized integrated Cu with ULK BEOL structures at 40nm technology node.
Land regulation and property rights: When regulation means “taking of property”

Abstract It now appears that landowners may be compensated when environmental land use regulations negatively affect a property's value, even if ownership of the property is unaffected.
Default network deactivations are correlated with psychopathic personality traits.

Background: The posteromedial cortex (PMC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) are part of a network of brain regions that has been found to exhibit decreased activity during goal-oriented tasks. This network is thought to support a baseline of brain activity, and is commonly referred to as the ‘‘default network’’. Although recent reports suggest that the PMC and mPFC are associated with affective, social, and self-referential processes, the relationship between these default network components and personality traits, especially those pertaining to social context, is poorly understood. Methodology/Principal Findings: In the current investigation, we assessed the relationship between PMC and mPFC deactivations and psychopathic personality traits using fMRI and a self-report measure. We found that PMC deactivations predicted traits related to egocentricity and mPFC deactivations predicted traits related to decision-making. Conclusions/Significance: These results suggest that the PMC and mPFC are associated with processes involving selfrelevancy and affective decision-making, consistent with previous reports. More generally, these findings suggest a link between default network activity and personality traits.
Up-regulation of the enzymes involved in prostacyclin synthesis via Ras induces vascular endothelial growth factor.

Background & Aims: The constitutive activation of Ras is an important step in the development and progression of several different cancers and is known to increase the level of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2). Prostaglandins are the downstream bioactive lipid mediators produced by the COX-2 enzyme. We sought to determine the role of Ras-induced up-regulation of the enzymes involved in prostacyclin biosynthesis in nontransformed rat intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). Methods: Messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression were analyzed by Northern and Western analysis, respectively, to determine the level of enzymes induced by Ras. In vitro assays were used to determine the production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and prostaglandins as well as the promoter and enzymatic activation of the rate-limiting enzyme in prostaglandin production (phospholipase A 2 [cPLA 2 ]). Results: The inducible expression of Ha-Ras V12 increased the production of prostaglandin (PG)F 2α and prostacyclin by 2- and 13-fold, respectively. The induction of Ha-Ras V12 also up-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of cPLA 2 , COX-2, and prostacyclin synthase, as well as the promoter and enzyme activity of cPLA 2 . Furthermore, oncogenic Ras increased the production of the pro-angiogenic factor VEGF. The increase of VEGF was abolished after treatment with celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor. The addition of PGI 2 alone also induced the expression of VEGF. Conclusions: Inducible Ha-Ras V12 increases the production of PGI 2 through the coordinate up-regulation of cPLA 2 , COX-2, and prostacyclin synthase (PGIS). The production of PGI 2 leads to an increase in the level of the pro-angiogenic factor VEGF, which is known to play a crucial role in the regulation of tumor-associated angiogenesis.
Computational origami: a creative blend of mathematics and art

To some, mathematics is an art form. In this interview, we discuss the creativity behind computational origami, a growing area of computational geometry, with Erik Demaine.
Governance Without Politics: Civil Society, Development and the Postcolonial State

In the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the G8 Summits and the World Bank, civil society organizations are often held up as the only legitimate institutional actors capable of representing and managing distributional inequities of a highly fractured information society. This paper locates the current role of civil society organizations in a longer history within the academic and policy fields of ‘development’ communications. While issues of access are clearly more central for Third World nations, this paper examines the social terrain behind the institutions of policy-making in the postcolonial contexts, specifically addressing debates between Southern and Northern perspectives in debates over the WSIS and the larger parameters of the Information Society. I argue that the dominant discourse on the digital divide—that between the North and South most generically—is rooted in assumptions about the neutrality of the category of civil society, devoid not just of history but of politics.
Webb Haymaker: operation 'stratomouse'.

(1996). Memories of famous neuroscientists. Journal of the History of the Neurosciences: Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 208-212.
The Psychological Foundations of Human Rights

Respect for human rights requires engagement of a special capacity to identify and respond to rights, but current research on the psychological causes and conditions of human rights violations has proceeded without a clear enough understanding of the distinctive ways this psychological capacity functions. This article integrates contemporary insights from social and cognitive psychology with findings from a broader range of fields, including philosophy and evolutionary theory, to develop a contemporary account of this special capacity. The account suggests that processes of so-called “dehumanization” are not as fundamental to the generation of human rights violations as current research has suggested. Humans have an innate capacity to identify and respond to rights, but it needs support to produce stable perceptions of rights beyond one's in-group. Distinctive factors engage this capacity and can help orient it to support a more stable and universally shared form of respect for human rights in the modern world.
The Formation of Physician Impressions in Online Communities: Negativity, Positivity, and Nonnormativity Effects

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) research has long been interested in how interpersonal impressions form online. This research argues that, given the advance of technology and the diversity in online communities, researchers must now consider the context in which social information appears in order to more fully understand the effects of social information on impression formation. This research explored three different paths through which the relationship between the context of a website and the social information presented impacts credibility impressions: the negativity effect, the positivity effect, and the nonnormativity effect. An original 2 (valence of photograph: casual vs. professional) × 2 (normative context: WebMD vs. Facebook) experiment examining the impact of moving identical cues across contexts found normative expectations impact impression formation. Strongest support was found for a nonnormativity effect: cues that defied normative expectations were more influential whether they were ...
Multi-functionalization of nanoporous catalytic materials to enhance reaction yield: Statistical mechanical modeling for conversion reactions with restricted diffusive transport

Multi-functionalization of catalytically-active nanomaterials provides a valuable tool for enhancing reaction yield by shifting reaction equilibrium, and potentially also by adjusting reaction-diffusion kinetics. For example, multi-functionalization of mesoporous silica to make the interior pore surface hydrophobic can enhance yield in dehydration reactions. Detailed molecular-level modeling to describe the pore environment, as well as the reaction and diffusion kinetics is challenging, although we briefly discuss current strategies. Our focus, however, is on coarse-grained stochastic modeling of the overall catalytic process for highly restricted transport within narrow pores (with single-file diffusion), while accounting for a tunable interaction of the pore interior with reaction products. We show that making the pore interior unfavorable to products can significantly enhance yield due to both thermodynamic and kinetics factors.
International contracting-a formal language approach

A model of international electronic contracting is proposed whereby parties express contractual terms and conditions in a restricted form of their native language. This is parsed into a formalized language, called Candid, for transmission over the network. At the receiving end, the Candid representation is rephrased into a similarly restricted form of the receiver's native language. An operating prototype is presented with examples in English, German, and Portuguese. Further extensions are discussed. >
Success and Interactive Learning: Sailing Toward Student Achievement

Success and Interactive Learning's (SAIL) front-loaded retention activities and unique financial incentives have combined to improve retention, persistence, and success of first-time college students. Its effectiveness has been validated through a comparison of retention rates and aggregate quality-point averages of SAIL cohorts with those rates for overall first-time freshman cohorts.
Isolated sphenoid sinus lesions.

Forty-five patients with isolated sphenoid sinus lesions were seen at the Mayo Clinic between 1935 and 1972. The types of lesions that these patients had included inflammatory lesions (chronic sphenoid sinusitis and mucopyoceles), tumors, fibrous dysplasia, rhinoliths, and sphenoid polyp. A review of the anatomy and important structures contiguous to the sphenoid sinus reflected the range and progression of clinical symptoms. Complications included pain or headache, visual disturbance including blurred vision, diplopia, exophthalmos, blindness, meningitis, and even death. The most frequent presenting symptoms were headache, retro-orbital pain, nasal congestion, and visual disturbance, especially diplopia. Some time during the course of the illness, 40. percent of the patients developed visual involvement. Diagnosis was made with the aid of the patient's history and physical examination, whereas the laboratory studies usually were negative, and roentgenographic findings ranged from thickening to fluid levels and bony erosion or frank destruction of the floor of the sella. Fifteen percent of the roentgenograms were false-negatives, all of which were noted in patients with inflammatory lesions. The differential diagnosis includes pituitary lesions, although the clinical features, the bitemporal hemianopsia, and hypopituitary function, which are characteristic of pituitary tumors, are absent in isolated sphenoid sinus lesions. Mild degrees of panhypopituitarism may exist with inflammatory lesions of the sphenoid sinus. Definitive diagnosis and therapy are usually effected by transnasal exploration of the sphenoid sinus.
Two- and 3-dimensional MRI comparison of levator ani structure, volume, and integrity in women with stress incontinence and prolapse.

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to identify imaging markers for genuine stress incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse by using magnetic resonance imaging and reconstructed 3-dimensional models. Study Design: Thirty women were studied, 10 with prolapse, 10 with genuine stress incontinence, and 10 asymptomatic volunteers. Axial and sagittal T1 and T2 weighted pelvic magnetic resonance scans were obtained with the patient in the supine position. Source images were measured to determine levator hiatus height, bladder neck to pubococcygeal line, levator plate angle, and perineal descent at rest and maximum Valsalva. Manual segmentation and surface modeling was applied to build 3-dimensional models of the organs. The 3-dimensional models were measured to determine levator muscle volume, shape and hiatus width, distance between symphysis and levator sling muscle, posterior urethrovesical angle, bladder neck descent, and levator plate angle. Results: The 3 groups of subjects were comparable in age, parity, and body mass index. In the control, genuine stress incontinence, and prolapse groups, the menopausal rate was 40%, 60%, and 55% ( P = .7). In the same order, significant mean 2-dimensional measures were: resting bladder neck descent of 24, 17, and 3 mm ( P P = .01), straining levator hiatus height of 48.5, 51.1, and 65.3 mm ( P P = .02). Similarly ordered mean 3-dimensional parameters showed levator volumes of 32.2, 23.3, and 18.4 cm 3 ( P P P = .03), right levator sling muscle gaps of 15.6, 22.5, and 30.8 mm, ( P = 0.003), and levator shape (90%, 40%, and 20% dome shaped; P Conclusion: Both 2-dimensional magnetic resonance images and 3-dimensional models yield findings that differ among asymptomatic subjects compared with those with genuine stress incontinence and prolapse. Our 3-dimensional data demonstrate a statistically significant continuum in levator volume, shape, and integrity across groups of asymptomatic, genuine stress incontinence, and prolapse subjects. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2001;185:11-19.)
Risk and Cost Tradeoff in Economic Dispatch Including Wind Power Penetration Based on Multi-Objective Memetic Particle Swarm Optimization

Utilization of renewable energy resources such as wind energy for electric power generation has assumed great significance in recent years. Wind power is a source of clean energy and is able to spur the reductions of both consumption of depleting fuel reserves and emissions of pollutants. However, since the availability of wind power is highly dependent on the weather conditions, the penetration of wind power into traditional utility grids may incur certain security implications. Therefore, in economic power dispatch including wind power penetration, a reasonable tradeoff between system risk and operational cost is desired. In this chapter, a bi-objective economic dispatch problem considering wind penetration is first formulated, which treats operational costs and security impacts as conflicting objectives. Different fuzzy membership functions are used to reflect the dispatcher’s attitude toward the wind power penetration. A multi-objective memetic particle swarm optimization (MOMPSO) algorithm is adopted to develop a power dispatch scheme which is able to achieve compromise between economic and security requirements. Numerical simulations including comparative studies are reported based on a typical IEEE test power system to show the validity and applicability of the proposed approach.
The Relation of Axial Length and Intraocular Pressure Fluctuations in Human Eyes

PURPOSE. To determine in human eyes whether diurnal fluctuations in axial length are related to fluctuations in intraocular pressure (IOP) by studying these fluctuations in both eyes of individual subjects and by assessing the regularity of both rhythms on two separate study days. METHODS. Ten subjects, ages 18 to 24 years, underwent serial axial length and IOP measurements using highly precise, noncontact partial coherence interferometry and Goldmann applanation tonometry, respectively. Both eyes were measured at six 3-hour intervals during each of two study days, and significant fluctuations were modeled by sine curves. RESULTS. Of the 40 data sets, 29 had significant axial length high‐low differences and 32 had significant IOP high‐low differences (ANOVA, P 0.05 for each). The magnitude of the significant high‐low differences were 38 22 m for axial length and 6.0 1.9 mm Hg for IOP (mean SD). Neither axial length nor IOP fluctuations necessarily occurred bilaterally on the same day, and neither rhythm was regularly observed on two separate days in individual eyes. In eyes in which both parameters fluctuated on the same day, there were no correlations in the amplitude, period or phase of the two rhythms. CONCLUSIONS. Both axial length and IOP fluctuate during the day much of the time in most subjects. However, diurnal IOP fluctuations do not appear to cause diurnal axial length fluctuations. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2006;47:1778‐1784)
Improved anemia and reduced erythropoietin need by medical or surgical intervention of secondary hyperparathyroidism in hemodialysis patients.

Background. The available literature is still controversial and shows that surgical (parathyroidectomy, PTX) or medical (calcitriol) treatment actually improved or even corrected the rhEPO‐resistant anemia of ESRD patients with severe SHP. The aims of this study were to 1) assess the influence of SHP on hematological parameters in ESRD patients, 2) evaluate whether or not calcitriol could improve anemia and reduce the need of erythropoietin in dialysis patients, and 3) investigate the longitudinal effect of a parathyroidectomy for 6 months on regarding any improvements in calcitriol‐refractory ESRD patients. Methods. 37 chronic hemodialysis patients in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Dialysis Unit were divided into two groups: patients with SHP (iPTH > 300 pg/mL) and patients without SHP (ipTH < 300 pg/mL) before calcitriol therapy was applied. Sixteen patients remain with a status of hyperparathyroidism and were considered candidates for calcitriol therapy. Furthermore, we divided the patients according to ...
Methanogenesis by Methanosarcina acetivorans involves two structurally and functionally distinct classes of heterodisulfide reductase.

Summary Biochemical studies have revealed two distinct classes of Coenzyme B-Coenzyme M heterodisulfide (CoB-S-S-CoM) reductase (Hdr), a key enzyme required for anaerobic respiration in methane-producing archaea. A cytoplasmic HdrABC enzyme complex is found in most methanogens, whereas a membrane-bound HdrED complex is found exclusively in members of the order Methanosarcinales. Unexpectedly, genomic data indicate that multiple copies of both Hdr classes are found in all sequenced Methanosarcinales genomes. The Methanosarcina acetivorans hdrED1 operon is constitutively expressed and required for viability under all growth conditions examined, consistent with HdrED being the primary Hdr. HdrABC appears to be specifically involved in methylotrophic methanogenesis, based on reduced growth and methanogenesis rates of an hdrA1C1B1 mutant on methylotrophic substrates and downregulation of the genes during growth on acetate. This conclusion is further supported by phylogenetic analysis showing that the presence of hdrA1 in an organism is specifically correlated with the presence of genes for methylotrophic methanogenesis. Examination of mRNA abundance in methanol-grown ΔhdrA1C1B1 strains relative to wild-type revealed upregulation of genes required for synthesis of (di)methylsulfide and for transport and biosynthesis of CoB-SH and CoM-SH, suggesting that the mutant has a defect in electron transfer from ferredoxin to CoB-S-S-CoM that causes cofactor limitation.
The resurrection of Erigeron parryi (Asteraceae)

Erigeron parryi was described in 1890 from a single collection from southwest Montana. No additional collections were made during the following 90 years. Recent floristic treatments have synonomized E. parryi under E. ochroleucus. I used principal components and discriminant analyses of morphological characters to examine the relationship of E. parryi to its presumed closest relatives, E. ochroleucus, E. radicatus, and E. scribneri, in light of several populations discovered in the past 20 years. Erigeron parryi should be considered a distinct species. It can be readily distinguished from closely related species based on indument and caudex morphology. It is allopatric with E. ochroleucus and E. scribneri and ecologically separated from E. radicatus. Erigeron scribneri is intermediate between E. ochroleucus and E. radicatus and is probably best treated as a variety of one or the other of these species.
Role of Viral Infection in the Aetiology of Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the CNS that typically begins in late adolescence or early adulthood. It is highly variable in its expression and severity. The cause of MS is unknown, but both genetic and environmental factors have been implicated in its pathogenesis. It is known that viruses can induce chronic neurological disease, but the pathogenetic process in unclear. A viral cause for MS has been postulated, but to date no single virus has been confirmed to be associated with the disease. Although most viral candidates are no longer considered as possible aetiological agents in MS, a few are still being investigated.
Biweekly gemcitabine and low-dose cisplatin in the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer patients: a single institute experience

Gemcitabine in combination with low-dose cisplatin has shown promising activity in pancreatic cancer with manageable toxicities. The purpose of this study is to assess the activity of a combination of gemcitabine and low-dose cisplatin in the first-line treatment of metastatic and locally advanced pancreatic cancer patients. We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients diagnosed with metastatic and locally advanced pancreatic cancer who received a combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin in the first-line setting. Patients with baseline cytopenias and elevated liver function tests were included. Patients received cisplatin at 20 mg per square meter followed by gemcitabine at a dose of 1000 mg per square meter at fixed dose rate every 2 weeks. Patients were treated until disease progression or unacceptable toxicities. A total of 58 patients were included in the analysis. The median progression-free survival was 4.4 months [95 % confidence interval (CI) 3.6-6.4], and median overall survival was 6.7 months (95 % CI 4.4-10.9). Thirty-eight patients (66 %) experienced at least one grade 3 or 4 toxicity. The most common grade 3 or 4 toxicity was hematologic toxicity (25 patients, 43 %). Biweekly fixed dose rate gemcitabine combined with low-dose cisplatin shows interesting activity in advanced pancreatic cancer. This regimen is an acceptable alternative for patients ineligible for gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (i.e., those with elevated bilirubin at baseline) or clinical trials. Additionally, this regimen should be considered as a first-line option for those patients with breast cancer susceptibility gene mutations (BRCA1 and/or BRCA2).
Synergistic Interaction between Oxides of Copper and Iron for Production of Fatty Alcohols from Fatty Acids

The selective hydrogenation of fatty acids to fatty alcohols can be achieved under moderate conditions (180 °C, 30 bar H2) by simultaneously supporting copper and iron oxides on mesoporous silica nanoparticles. The activity of the cosupported oxides is significantly higher than that of each supported metal oxide and of a physical mixture of both individually supported metal oxides. A strong interaction between both metal oxides is evident from dispersion, XRD, TPR, and acetic acid TPD measurements, which is likely responsible for the synergistic behavior of the catalyst. Copper oxide is reduced in situ to its metallic form and thereby activates hydrogen. It is proposed that hydrogen spills over to iron oxide where fatty acids bind and are selectively reduced to the alcohol.
Solubilities of Unvulcanized Rubbers

Abstract Solubility studies on unvulcanized rubbers are very useful both to indicate types of materials most likely to be good solvents and softeners and to indicate the effect of various solvents and oils on vulcanized rubbers. Furthermore, such studies are so simple and relatively economical of time and effort that they make possible the accumulation of a broad background of data which would be impractical to obtain by other means. By investigating the effect of a wide variety of solvents on a single rubber it is possible to tell which groups have good solvent action and which do not. This information makes it possible to predict, with considerable accuracy, the solvent power of any material of known composition. The solvent power of a given material, together with chemical stability, boiling point, melting point, and viscosity, indicates quite well its utility as a softener. In many cases the nature of the solution also indicates whether or not the material is an effective tackifier. The usefulness of ...
Can Fee Shifting Reduce the Incidence of Trial? Pretrial Bargaining in the Face of a Rule 68 Offer

Under Rule 68, a defendant may submit a pretrial offer of judgment to the plaintiff. If the plaintiff refuses this offer and later receives a smaller award at trial, the defendant's court costs subsequent to the offer are shifted to the plaintiff. We analyze Rule 68 in a game theoretic setting where trials may result from an informational asymmetry in which the defendant is the informed party. We find that Rule 68 may help to encourage settlement through the offer of judgment which may partially reveal privately held information. However, the effectiveness of Rule 68 in encouraging settlement depends upon the amount of fees subject to shifting. Increasing the fees subject to shifting has an ambiguous effect on settlement, but taking the extent of fee shifting as given, settlement rates are always higher with Rule 68 than without it. The structure of the model and the key results are contrasted with Spier (1994).
Urbanism and Anthropogenic Landscapes

Humans consistently modify their environments—both directly and indirectly. However, the linkage between human activity and anthropogenic landscapes intensifies in urban situations. The artificial landscapes and dense concentrations of human populations encountered in urban environments create a centripetal pull for resources that results in continual and distant landscape changes, thus inextricably linking urbanism and anthropogenic landscapes. Examining past and present patterns of urban settlement and environmental impact provides context for this symbiotic relationship. Archaeological data, methodology, and technology offer insight into the similarities and variations in urban anthropogenic landscapes across time and space, suggesting that ancient practices can be compared with contemporary ones and that ancient models may have applicability for future-focused urban planning.
Chloride Requirement of the Turkey Breeder Hen

Two experiments were conducted to determine the chloride requirement of Nicholas Large White Turkey hens fed a corn soybean meal diet. No supplemental chloride over the .03% in the basal diet and 20 ppm in the water was required for maximum egg production, fertility, or hatchability. Supplemental chloride at .09% was necessary for maximum specific gravity.