cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exercise Alveolar-Arterial Oxygen Pressure Difference in Interstitial Lung Disease

Abnormality of gas exchange is best evaluated by the exercise alveolar-arterial oxygen pressure difference, P(A-a)O2. We studied the P(A-a)O2 in 168 patients with sarcoidosis, desquamative interstitial pneumonia (DIP), usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), berylliosis, and asbestosis who were seen for clinical and disability consultations. The increase of P(A-a)O2 with exercise was greatest in UIP (mean 16 mm Hg), least in sarcoidosis (mean 1 mm Hg), and intermediate in DIP, berylliosis, and asbestosis (means 9, 9, and 7 mm Hg, respectively). The increase was best predicted by the single breath diffusing capacity (Dsb), and it occurred in patients with sarcoidosis and DIP if the Dsb was less than 50 percent predicted and in patients with the other diseases if the Dsb was less than 70 percent predicted. However, the magnitude of the increase could not be predicted from resting tests, even when multilinear regression equations were used. We conclude that for clinical evaluation of patients with interstitial lung disease, the exercise test with arterial blood gas measurement adds important information if the Dsb is less than 70 percent predicted. For disability evaluation, the invasive exercise study may be helpful when there is a wide discrepancy between clinical findings and resting physiologic studies.
Atmospheric laser optics testbed (A_LOT): atmospheric propagation characterization, beam control, and imaging results

A new Army Research Laboratory (ARL) facility, the Atmospheric Laser Optics Testbed (A_LOT), designed to support research and development for a wide range of laser communication, atmospheric optics, beam control and imaging programs is presented. A_LOT provides a research laboratory environment that includes a 2.3 km near horizontal atmospheric optical path for studying the major challenges facing applications that employ laser beam propagation or imaging through the boundary layer atmosphere. Simultaneous and continual characterization of the meteorological and atmospheric turbulence parameters with characteristics of atmospheric imaging and laser beam propagation is accomplished with a network of various sensors connected to an automated data collection and archiving system. "Local weather" control capabilities allow generation of smoke, fog or rain. Devices and experiments can be controlled and data examined remotely via internet connection and remote client software. Examples of recent laser communication and imaging results obtained using the A_LOT facilities are presented.
A quantitative examination of the light scattering properties of immune complexes in polyethylene glycol

Abstract The effect of polyethylene glycol on the light scattering properties of immune complexes prepared in vitro was examined. Immune complexes were prepared in the zone of antigen excess from purified rabbit anti-ovalbumin and ovalbumin at 2–32 times (×) the equivalence ratio. Immune complex concentration was determined by analytical ultracentrifugation. Immune complexes were then incubated for 1 h in solution containing 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4% polyethylene glycol (PEG), and examined in a laser nephelometer. The effect of PEG on light scattering (%RLS) was different for each immune complex combining ratio, although for each immune complex combining ratio, there was a linear relation between the light scattered and immune complex concentration. To evaluate the effect of serum proteins on the light scattered by the immune complexes, immune complexes made at 4 × adn 16 × the equivalence ratio were placed in serum and the sera containing these immune complexes were examined in the nephelometer. The ratio of the %RLS of the immune complexes in serum to the sum of the %RLS of the same immune complexes in saline plus the %RLS of serum alone was determined. This ratio varied systematically with changes in combining ratio and PEG concentration, as well as the concentration of the immune complexes themselves. Depending on the combination of these 3 factors, serum could increase, decrease or have no effect on the quantity of light scattered by the immune complexes. Discrimination between serum alone and serum containing immune complexes was best in 3% PEG.
New routes to large optical nonlinearities (Invited Paper)

Optical nonlinearities can arise as the result of intense electromagnetic radiation fields inducing either changes in electron or nuclear configurations. Indeed, as is discussed in this paper, several mechanisms, including mechanisms depending upon electron-phonon coupling, may be elicited from the same material. The precise contribution that a given mechanism makes to observed optical nonlinearity is often dependent upon pulse conditions employed in transient nonlinear optical experiments. The ability to control optical nonlinearity by pulse conditions is demonstrated and analyzed for a high symmetry ladder polymer where contributions from coherent parametric mixing, excitons, and bipolarons are observed. The different timescales associated with various mechanisms for index of refraction and absorption changes are discussed. The utilization of photo-induced changes occurring on widely different timescales is demonstrated in the realization of efficient second harmonic generation by quasi- phase matching. The role of chemical synthesis in engineering multi-functional materials is discussed.
Biocompatibility Study of Zirconium-Based Bulk Metallic Glasses for Orthopedic Applications

Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) represent an emerging class of materials that offer an attractive combination of properties, such as high strength, low modulus, good fatigue limit, and near-net-shape formability. The BMGs have been explored in mechanical, chemical, and magnetic applications. However, little research has been attracted in the biomedical field. In this work, we study the potential of BMGs for the orthopedic repair and replacement. We report the biocompatibility study of zirconium (Zr)–based solid BMGs using mouse osteoblast cells. Cell attachment, proliferation, and differentiation are compared to Ti-6Al-4V, a well-studied alloy biomaterial. Our in-vitro study has demonstrated that cells cultured on the Zr-based BMG substrate showed higher attachment, alkaline phosphatase activity, and bone matrix deposition compared to those grown on the control Ti alloy substrate. Cytotoxicity staining also revealed the remarkable viability of cells growing on the BMG substrates.
Multiple Pulmonary Nodules in an Asymptomatic Elderly Woman

1985;87;823-824 Chest David W. Kamp and Richard Kern Elderly Woman Multiple Pulmonary Nodules in an Asymptomatic http://chestjournal.chestpubs.org/content/87/6/823.citation can be found online on the World Wide Web at: The online version of this article, along with updated information and services ) ISSN:0012-3692 http://chestjournal.chestpubs.org/site/misc/reprints.xhtml ( without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. reserved. No part of this article or PDF may be reproduced or distributed Chest Physicians, 3300 Dundee Road, Northbrook, IL 60062. All rights of been published monthly since 1935. Copyright1985by the American College is the official journal of the American College of Chest Physicians. It has Chest
Disturbance attenuation via strictly positive real compensators

We present sufficient conditions, which can be combined with other objectives in the multi-objective approach, for design of strictly positive real compensators.
Consummatory response conditioning to an auditory stimulus in neonatal rats.

Rats, 12 days old at the start of training, were exposed to 10 daily pairings of an auditory conditioned stimulus (CS) and 10% sucrose solution unconditioned stimulus (US) on 7 consecutive days. The CS acquired the ability to evoke mouthing and paw-treading responses. This procedure may be of value to researchers interested in the development of rat's auditory system and to those interested in the ontogeny of its learning processes.
What should regulators do about consolidation and electronic money

Abstract Shared systems in the credit card mode may offer electronic money such as stored value (“smart”) cards, e-cash, and cybermoney. In such consolidations bank partners potentially may come from far outside the customary regulated banking fraternity. While some cyberbanks have been granted official status with its responsibilities, other nonbank cyberbanks have absconded with deposits amidst fraudulent claims. Electronic money is distributed typically in complex tiers, with backup reserves often held by nonbank third parties. The regulatory rules which apply to the mixed systems are therefore uneven and unclear. Banking regulators and the Antitrust Division wrestle with the ensuing dilemmas.
The global sulfur box model

Abstract A linear eight-box model is constructed for the tropospheric global sulfur cycle to examine sulfur burdens in the upper, middle and lower troposphere. Transfer and emission rates derived from estimates of atmospheric fluxes in the literature are used to solve the continuity equations of the system. The time dependent sulfur burdens, steady state SO 2 SO 4 2− ratios, and scale heights in various atmospheric regions are calculated, and the sensitivities of sulfate aerosol burdens to meteorological and chemical processes are determined. The calculated steady state SO2 and sulfate aerosol burdens, SO 2 SO 4 2− ratios, and scale heights are found to agree with existing data to within a factor of about two. The response times of the system after sudden perturbation of the upper troposphere (such as, for example, volcanic eruption) are shown to be about four days for sulfur gases and twelve days for sulfate aerosols. Examination of the sensitivities of the steady state and time dependent predictions of the model suggests that the most important transfer rates to be measured are those of cloud entrainment and detrainment (lateral and vertical), in-cloud oxidation and sulfate removal.
Simple adaptive control for aircraft control surface failures

This work extends the so-called simple adaptive control approach to direct model reference adaptive control of multi-input multi-output systems to include loss of control effectiveness failures. It is proven that all signals are bounded for loss of control effectiveness failures during a bounded input disturbance. A state space approach is introduced for computing the feedforward compensator that is required by the stability result. The adaptive algorithm is applied to a three input model of the linearized lateral dynamics of the F/A-18 aircraft. Simulation results are obtained with single, double, and triple control effectiveness failures of 88% during the occurrence of a lateral gust. These results show that the adaptive controller exhibits improved model following as compared with a fixed gain eigenstructure assignment controller.
A new approach to the functional integral formalism and its application to some simple physical problems

Abstract A new approach was developed to the problem of the propagator construction within the framework of the functional integral formalism. Central to this approach is the definition of a local operator construction, which defines the operators over some field(s) as being dependent on field(s) variables. This is in contrast to the usual creation and annihilation operators, which in the present context are defined as “global” operators. The relation to the standard functional integral formalism has been investigated, and the problem of the discontinuous paths in the standard functional integral formalism has been resolved. Finally, two simple applications of the new formalism are also discussed.
Handling calcium signaling : Arabidopsis CaMs and CMLs

The Arabidopsis genome harbors seven calmodulin (CAM) and 50 CAM-like (CML) genes that encode potential calcium sensors. The CAMs encode only four protein isoforms. Selective pressure to maintain multiple CAMs indicates nonredundancy. Sequence divergence, even in the EF hand calcium-binding motif, exists among the CMLs and, therefore, divergent functions are likely to have evolved. Expression data recently available from Massively Parallel Signature Sequencing and Genevestigator compilation of microarrays are reviewed. The seven Arabidopsis CAMs are highly and relatively uniformly expressed. Differential expression is evident among the distinct CMLs over developmental stages, in various organs and in response to many different stimuli. In spite of the potential importance in mediating plant calcium signaling, the physiological functions of the Arabidopsis CaMs and CMLs remain largely unknown.
Conversion of spin and charge currents in magnetic and non-magnetic systems

We formulate the law of conversion between spin current and charge current in several classes of materials including ferromagnetic, paramagnetic and spin-orbit coupled systems. We find that the interpretation of spin current is highly non-trivial, and we have identified pure and composite spin currents. For an interfacial Rashba spin-orbit coupled Hamiltonian, we show that the spin transport is much closer to that in ferromagnets than in non-magnetic materials. In particular, we show that an in-plane charge current in layered structures will generate a pure spin current flowing perpendicular to the Rashba spin-orbit coupled interface, and vice versa. Application of the spin-charge current conversion in several experimental realizations is discussed.
Turnover of histone acetyl groups in cultured mammalian cells.

Abstract The relative metobolic turnover rates of labeled histone fractions and of their labeled acetyl groups were determined in random cultures of exponentially-growing mammalian cells. Both the parent histones and their acetyl groups were conserved, neither exhibiting detectable metabolic turnover. The significance of these observations is discussed.
Adhesiveless Composite Structures With Carbon Fiber Prepregs for Aircraft Primary Structural Applications

The present work was focused on the properties of adhesiveless honeycomb sandwich structures with carbon fiber prepreg, while assessing the properties with adhesive films at the skin-to-core interface simultaneously. In this work, laminate and honeycomb sandwich panels were fabricated and tested with consistent lay-up, curing, and testing processes. The test specimens from the panels were tested for physical properties at room, hot, and cold temperatures, as well as different moisture absorption performances. The results confirmed that the self-adhesive prepreg physical properties met the components and void content recommendations used in primary structures of aircraft. The mechanical tests showed comparable results to panels, with prepreg and adhesive film at the skin-to-core interface, commonly used for primary structures.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
High efficiency vectors for cosmid microcloning and genomic analysis

We describe the construction and use of cosmid vectors designed for microcloning, gene isolation and genomic mapping starting from submicrogram amounts of eukaryotic DNA. These vectors contain (1) multiple cos sites to allow for simple and efficient cloning using non size-selected DNA; (2) bacteriophage T3 and T7 promoter sequences flanking the cloning site to allow for the synthesis of end-specific probes for chromosome walking; (3) a selectable gene for immediate gene transfer of cosmid DNA into mammalian cells; (4) recognition sequences for specific oligodeoxyribonucleotides to allow rapid restriction mapping; (5) unique NotI, SacII or SfiI sites flanking the cloning site to allow for removal of the cloned DNA insert from the vector. These cosmid vectors allow the construction of high quality genomic libraries in situations where the quantity of purified DNA is extremely limited, such as when using DNA prepared from purified mammalian chromosomes isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting.
The ATLAS pixel detector

Abstract A silicon pixel detector has been chosen for the innermost region of the ATLAS experiment. In addition to being a new technology sitting in a particularly hostile environment, the ATLAS experiment imposes some difficult constraints of its own on this detector. This demands an ambitious development program. The first generation of front-end chips have recently been bonded to detectors and tested in a beam of 180 GeV pions. Presented here is a description of the demands on the ATLAS pixel system and the first encouraging results.
Responses of neurons in the region of human thalamic principal somatic sensory nucleus to mechanical and thermal stimuli graded into the painful range

The role of the region of the principal somatic sensory nucleus of the human thalamus (ventral caudal - Vc) in signaling painful sensations is unclear. We have now studied the response of cells (n = 57) in this region to both thermal and mechanical stimuli graded into the painful range during surgeries (n = 24) for treatment of movement disorders. Fifteen cells had a graded response to mechanical stimuli extending into the painful range and, thus, were classified in the wide dynamic range (WDR) category. The mean stimulus-response function of cells in the WDR class, normalized to baseline, showed a fourfold mean increase in firing rate above baseline across the mechanical series of stimuli. Seven of these cells responded to heat stimuli (WDR-H) and two responded to cold stimuli (WDR-C). Twenty-five cells were in a class (multiple receptive - MR) that showed a response to both brush and compressive stimuli, although the responses were not graded into the painful range. Three of these cells (MR-H) had a response to heat stimuli and five cells responded to cold stimuli (MR-C). Nine cells responded to brushing without a response to the compressive stimuli (low threshold - LT). Cells responsive to painful mechanical and thermal stimuli were located throughout the thalamic region where cells responded to nonpainful cutaneous stimulation. These results show that cells in the region of the human thalamic principal somatic sensory nucleus respond to mechanical and thermal stimuli extending into the painful range.
Corporate philanthropy and conflicts of interest in public health: ExxonMobil, Equatorial Guinea, and malaria

Equatorial Guinea, the most prosperous country in Africa, still bears a large malaria burden. With massive wealth from oil reserves, and nearly half its population living in island ecotypes favourable for malaria control, only poor governance can explain continued parasite burden. By financially backing the country's dictator and other officials through illicit payments, the oil company ExxonMobil contributed to the state's failure. Now ExxonMobil, having helped perpetuate malaria in Equatorial Guinea, gives money to non-governmental organizations, charitable foundations, and universities to advocate for and undertake malaria work. How, and on what terms, can public health engage with such an actor? We discuss challenges in the identification and management of conflicts of interest in public health activities. We reviewed the business and foundation activities of ExxonMobil and surveyed organizations that received ExxonMobil money about their conflict of interest policies. Reforms in ExxonMobil's business practices, as well as its charitable structure, and reforms in the way public health groups screen and manage conflicts of interest are needed to ensure that any relationship ultimately improves the health of citizens.
Certolizumab pegol for the management of Crohn's disease in adults.

Abstract Background: Crohn's disease (CD) is an inflammatory disorder that can affect any portion of the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the rectum. The American Gastroenterological Association recommends that treatment with anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α be considered in patients with moderate to severe CD refractory to concomitant aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, or immunosuppressive treatment, or who have contraindications to or poor tolerance of these agents. Anti-TNF-α agents available in the United States for the management of CD are infliximab, adalimumab, and certolizumab pegol. The latter is a recombinant humanized antibody Fab' fragment against TNF-α. It is conjugated with a 40-kDa polyethylene glycol molecule to increase the t ½ of the treatment to ~2 weeks. Objective: The objective of this review was to extract and assess all relevant available data on the efficacy and tolerability of certolizumab pegol in the treatment of CD. Methods: Searches of MEDLINE and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts from 1985 to March 3, 2009, were conducted using the key terms certolizumab pegol, CDP870 , and Crohn's disease . Data from all available clinical trials published in English and ongoing trials were included in this review. The reference lists of the identified articles were searched for additional references. Data from abstracts presented at the annual meetings of the American College of Gastroenterology and Digestive Disease Week from 2004 to 2008 were reviewed and included if relevant. Results: A total of 8 studies were included in this review (1474 patients). In Phase II trials, there were no significant differences between certolizumab pegol and inactive vehicle (placebo) in week-4 or week-12 clinical response or remission rates. In the first of 2 Phase III clinical trials, certolizumab pegol was associated with significantly greater rates of response compared with placebo at weeks 6 (37% vs 26%; P = 0.04) and 26 (22% vs 12%; P = 0.05) of induction treatment (data from patients with baseline CRP concentrations ≥10 mg/L). Response was defined as a decrease from baseline in CD activity index ≥100 at week 6 and at both weeks 6 and 26 in patients with baseline C-reactive protein ≥10 mg/L. Remission rates were not significantly different between the 2 groups. In the second Phase III trial, the proportion of patients in whom response was sustained up to 26 weeks was significantly greater with certolizumab pegol compared with placebo (63% vs 36%; P Conclusions: Based on the findings from the present review, certolizumab pegol had moderate efficacy in the treatment of moderate to severe, active CD. In well-designed Phase III clinical trials, certolizumab pegol was associated with significantly greater response rates compared with placebo at weeks 6 and 26 of induction treatment. In patients who responded to the 6-week induction, certolizumab pegol administered as a monthly subcutaneous injection was effective in maintaining CD response and remission. Findings from studies of certolizumab pegol in refractory CD are awaited.
Factors predicting overweight in US kindergartners

Background: Childhood overweight is a substantial public-health problem, but little is known about predictors of early childhood overweight. Objective: We aimed to identify factors—alone and in combination— that predict kindergarten overweight. Design: We analyzed nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort, a longitudinal cohort study of 6800 children followed from birth through kindergarten. Multivariable logistic regression and recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) were performed to identify individual and clusters of parental, prenatal/pregnancy, infant, and toddler factors predicting kindergarten overweight. The main outcome was kindergarten overweight [body mass index (BMI) $85th percentile, which includes obesity]. Results: The prevalence of kindergarten overweight was 32%. By using combinations (derived from 131 factors) of a weight-for-length or BMI $85th percentile at earlier ages, race/ethnicity, a maternal gestational diabetes history, birth weight, and ages at solid-food introduction and the child pulling to a stand, the RPA identified 6 groups with a particularly high prevalence of kindergarten overweight (56– 100%) and 2 groups with a particularly low prevalence (11–15%). An especially high prevalence was noted for children with a $85th BMI percentile at preschool age (77%) and in children with a $85th BMI percentile at 2 y old, for white children whose mother had gestational diabetes (100%), and for minority children with a birth weight ,2695.5 g and who pulled themselves to a stand at ,7.5 mo old (89%). Conclusion: Clusters of parental, prenatal/pregnancy, infant, and toddler factors can be used to predict which children are at particularly high and low risk of becoming overweight kindergartners. Am J Clin Nutr doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.052019.
Two antibodies of related specificity but different hemolytic efficiency separated by centrifugation.

of immunization. This change in hemolytic efficiency of the antiserums sugfested the possibility that two different antibodies might be present and that the changes noted were due to a change in the relative amounts of the two antibodies produced as immunization progressed. Zinsser2 and others3 have demonstrated that the same antibody can manifest itself in a number of different ways, e.g., by precipitation, agglutination and complement fixation. These experiments effectively disproved previously held concepts that every manifestation of antibody activity was a function of a different type of antibody molecule, but did not answer the question of why some antibodies perform a given function more efficiently than do other antibodies. Opinion on this basic question is divided. One concept currently held is that all known differences in antibody activity can be explained on the basis of the varying specificities and reactivities of the antibodies involved. Opposing this concept is the view that some of the variations in
Articulation as a Site of Discursive Struggle: Globalization and Nationalism in an Indian Media Debate:

This article uses the theory of articulation to analyze the debate surrounding the decision by the Government of India to open up the Indian print media to foreign investment. The decision was prec...
Novel optoelectronic fibers codrawn from conducting, semiconducting and insulating materials

We report on the first successful fabrication of functional optoelectronic devices using fiber drawing techniques. The metal-insulator-semiconductor optical fibers have led to the creation of two prototype fiber structures: A fiber photodetector, and a dual electron-photon transport fiber.
Immunologic features of a carcinogen‐induced murine bladder cancer: In vivo and in vitro studies

Certain in vivo and in vitro immunologic features of carcinogen-induced murine bladder cancer have been studied. The consistency of tumor induction, its natural history, and immunogenicity both in vivo and in vitro render this syngeneic murine bladder tumor a suitable model for immunologic studies. Pre-immunization of strain C3H/Hen mice with mid-gestational fetal cells did not protect the animals from tumor challenge. Sera of mice immunized with mid-gestational fetal cells were not cytotoxic to cultured tumor cells in a microcytotoxicity assay indicative of dissimilarity between the tumor associated antigen and the syngeneic mid-gestational fetal antigen.
Functionalized Biocompatible Poly(N-vinyl-2-caprolactam) With pH-Dependent Lower Critical Solution Temperature Behaviors

Functionalized temperature- and pH-sensitive poly(N-vinyl-2-caprolactam) (PVCL) polymers are prepared by copolymerizing monomers of N-vinyl-2-caprolactam (VCL) and a VCL derivative, 3-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-N-vinyl-2-caprolactam (TBVCL). Different molar compositions are studied, with the functional monomer at 9 and 14 mol%, respectively, (COOH-PVCL9 and COOH-PVCL14). Sharp, complete, and reversible phase transitions of the copolymers with little hysteresis are shown to be pH-dependent, with cloud points ranging from 35 to 44 °C for COOH-PVCL9, and 29 to 64 °C for COOH-PVCL14, upon pH change from 2.0 to 7.4. Cytotoxicity assay demonstrates that the functionalized PVCL copolymers are biocompatible with NIH/3T3 up to 2 mg mL−1. Such new PVCL-based water soluble copolymers with tunable properties could be useful in a variety of biomedical applications.
Lidar remote sensing of above‐ground biomass in three biomes

Estimation of the amount of carbon stored in forests is a key challenge for understanding the global carbon cycle, one which remote sensing is expected to help address. However, estimation of carbon storage in moderate to high biomass forests is difficult for conventional optical and radar sensors. Lidar (light detection and ranging) instruments measure the vertical structure of forests and thus hold great promise for remotely sensing the quantity and spatial organization of forest biomass. In this study, we compare the relationships between lidar-measured canopy structure and coincident field measurements of above-ground biomass at sites in the temperate deciduous, temperate coniferous, and boreal coniferous biomes. A single regression for all three sites is compared with equations derived for each site individually. The single equation explains 84% of variance in above-ground biomass (P < 0.0001) and shows no statistically significant bias in its predictions for any individual site.
A semimicro synthesis of Ferrocene (59Fe) and some derivatives useful as « tags » for proteins

Ferrocene-59 Fe has been prepared with ferric chloride as the limiting reagent. Specific activities of five millicuries per millimole could be readily achieved. Ferrocene was converted to ferrocenylmethyl isothiocyanate and β-ferrocenylpropionic acid and these compounds were used in metabolic studies as “tags” for a series of synthetic polypeptides with molecular weights in the range of 50-100,000. Tagging at a level of about 5 microcuries per milligram of peptide obtained by direct reaction of the isothiocyanate with the e-amino groups of lysine in a glutamic acid-lysine-tyrosine copolymer or by an activated coupling of ferrocenylpropionic acid and the synthetic polypeptide with a carbodiimide derivative. Some observations on the mechanism of tagging are included.
The Future of Us All: Race and Neighborhood Politics in New York City

The Future of Us All: Race and Neighborhood Politics in New York City. Roger Sanjek. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 1998. xiv. 465pp. (Cloth US$35)
Imagining Iceland: narratives of nature and history in the North Atlantic

This article presents the case of remarkable transformation of the Icelandic landscape in 1783 and 1784 – when a series of volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and natural disasters radically altered the country – as a way of elucidating how the cultural meaning of place and different versions of ‘nature’ develop. It explores some of the contested interpretations of Icelandic nature that followed this crisis, focusing on the narratives of British geologists, Danish officials and Icelandic nationalists. The different, although sometimes overlapping and complementary, meanings of Icelandic nature developed by these different groups show how science, art and politics are closely intertwined, and how artists’ interpretations and the activities of scientists can perform the same work on landscape, transforming it in different, yet functionally equivalent, ways.
Quantification of artifact reduction with real-time cine four-dimensional computed tomography acquisition methods.

Purpose To quantify the magnitude and frequency of artifacts in simulated four-dimensional computed tomography (4D CT) images using three real-time acquisition methods- direction-dependent displacement acquisition, simultaneous displacement and phase acquisition, and simultaneous displacement and velocity acquisition- and to compare these methods with commonly used retrospective phase sorting. Methods and Materials Image acquisition for the four 4D CT methods was simulated with different displacement and velocity tolerances for spheres with radii of 0.5 cm, 1.5 cm, and 2.5 cm, using 58 patient-measured tumors and respiratory motion traces. The magnitude and frequency of artifacts, CT doses, and acquisition times were computed for each method. Results The mean artifact magnitude was 50% smaller for the three real-time methods than for retrospective phase sorting. The dose was ∼50% lower, but the acquisition time was 20% to 100% longer for the real-time methods than for retrospective phase sorting. Conclusions Real-time acquisition methods can reduce the frequency and magnitude of artifacts in 4D CT images, as well as the imaging dose, but they increase the image acquisition time. The results suggest that direction-dependent displacement acquisition is the preferred real-time 4D CT acquisition method, because on average, the lowest dose is delivered to the patient and the acquisition time is the shortest for the resulting number and magnitude of artifacts.
Smoothed analysis of condition numbers and complexity implications for linear programming

We perform a smoothed analysis of Renegar’s condition number for linear programming by analyzing the distribution of the distance to ill-posedness of a linear program subject to a slight Gaussian perturbation. In particular, we show that for every n-by-d matrix Ā, n-vector $${\bar{\varvec b}}$$, and d-vector $${\bar{\varvec c}}$$ satisfying $${{||\bar{\bf A}, \bar{\varvec b}, \bar{\varvec c}||_F \leq 1}}$$ and every σ ≤ 1,$$\mathop{\bf E}\limits_{\bf A,\varvec b,\varvec c }{{[\log C (\bf A,\varvec b,\varvec c)} = O (\log (nd/\sigma)),}$$ where A, b and c are Gaussian perturbations of Ā, $${\bar{\varvec b}}$$ and $${\bar{\varvec c}}$$ of variance σ 2 and C (A, b, c) is the condition number of the linear program defined by (A, b, c). From this bound, we obtain a smoothed analysis of interior point algorithms. By combining this with the smoothed analysis of finite termination of Spielman and Teng (Math. Prog. Ser. B, 2003), we show that the smoothed complexity of interior point algorithms for linear programming is O (n 3log(nd/σ)).
A channelized-limiter approach to receiver front-end protection

The receiver protection scheme being presented relies on frequency channelization of incident signals to accomplish +amplitude limiting on a frequency-selective, self-induced, instantaneous basis. A demultiplexer separates signals into contiguous subbands for parallel processing, after which they are reunited by a multiplexer to yield a signal composite of original bandwidth. The scheme's attractiveness lies in its ability to combine the advantages of fast response, broadband, passive limiters with the benefits of narrowband signal rejection techniques that employ frequency-tunable or switched notch filters. The concept is demonstrated with an experimental five-channel modified-logarithmic-periodic limiter prototype circuit, configured as a 7.5- to 12.5-GHz channelized self-limiting amplifier. The measured results confirm the circuit's transparency to small-amplitude signals and illustrate its effectiveness in confining large-signal effects, such as gain compression and intermodulation products, to narrow frequency intervals.
Using Physiological Dysregulation to Assess Global Health Status: Associations with Self-Rated Health and Health Behaviors

Six measures of physiological dysregulation were derived from 11 clinically assessed biomarkers, and related to health outcomes and health behaviors for the Hawaii Personality and Health cohort (N = 470). Measures summing extreme scores at one tail of the biomarker distributions performed better than ones summing both tails, and continuous measures performed better than count scores. Health behaviors predicted men's dysregulation but not women's. Dysregulation and health behaviors predicted self-rated health for both men and women, and depressive symptoms predicted self-rated health only for women. These findings provide preliminary guidelines for constructing valid summary measures of global health status for use in health psychology.
Lyn: one more actor in the p53 cast?

CommentaryLyn Tyrosine Kinase Inhibits Nuclear Export of the p53 Tumor SuppressorXinping Ren, Cheng Cao, Liben Zhu, Kiyotsugu Yoshida, Surender Kharbanda, Ralph Weichselbaum and Donald Kufe
Mycobacterium tuberculosis malate synthase is a laminin‐binding adhesin

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) uses the glyoxalate bypass for intracellular survival in vivo. These studies provide evidence that the M. tb malate synthase (MS) has adapted to function as an adhesin which binds to laminin and fibronectin. This binding is achieved via the unique C-terminal region of the M. tb MS. The ability to function as an adhesin necessitates extracellular localization. We provide evidence that despite the absence of a Sec-translocation signal sequence the M. tb MS is secreted/excreted, and is anchored on the cell wall by an undefined mechanism. The MS of Mycobacterium smegmatis is cytoplasmic but the M. tb MS expressed in M. smegmatis localizes to the cell wall and enhances the adherence of the bacteria to lung epithelial A549 cells. Antibodies to the C-terminal laminin/fibronectin-binding domain interfere with the binding of the M. tb MS to laminin and fibronectin and reduce the adherence of M. tb to A549 cells. Coupled to the earlier evidence of in vivo expression of M. tb MS during active but not latent infection in humans, these studies show that a housekeeping enzyme of M. tb contributes to its armamentarium of virulence promoting factors.
Performance comparisons and attachment: An investigation of competitive responses in close relationships

Two studies investigated whether affective responses to competitive performance situations are moderated by attachment style. In Study 1, participants (n= 115) imagined their reactions to a superior or inferior performance against their romantic partner or an acquaintance. Results showed that participants low in attachment avoidance, relative to those high in avoidance, indicated more positivity after an inferior performance (empathy effect) to their partners, and this finding held only in domains of high importance to the partner. In Study 2, participants (n= 53) imagined comparisons with their partner or a close friend. Low-avoidance participants, relative to high-avoidance participants, exhibited sympathy and empathy effects in comparisons involving their romantic partner but not those involving a friend. The findings are discussed in terms of one's model of other and perceived self–other separation, which are defined by avoidance but not anxiety.
Can we Rely on the Presence of Dextranomer-Hyaluronic Acid Copolymer Mounds on Ultrasound to Predict Vesicoureteral Reflux Resolution After Injection Therapy?

Purpose: We determined whether the presence or absence of dextranomer-hyaluronic acid copolymer mounds on bladder ultrasound coincides with voiding cystourethrogram results after injection therapy in children with primary vesicoureteral reflux.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed consecutive cases of dextranomer-hyaluronic acid copolymer injection for primary vesicoureteral reflux. The primary outcome investigated was the appearance of dextranomer-hyaluronic acid copolymer mounds on ultrasound and their association with voiding cystourethrogram results postoperatively. An intramural dextranomer-hyaluronic acid copolymer mound on ultrasound was considered a negative test result for vesicoureteral reflux.Results: A total of 187 cases were identified, of which 132 had imaging available for evaluation. Intramural mounds were seen on ultrasound in 86 cases postoperatively, of which 34 (40%) had a positive voiding cystourethrogram. Of 46 cases in which no mound was identified 21 (46%) had a positi...
RELATIVE TOLERANCE OF MAT‐FORMING ALGAE TO COPPER AND ITS IMPLICATIONS

The major method for algae control in the U.S. is the application of copper. Certain groups of phytoplankton, such as the green algae, are known to be more tolerant to copper than groups such as the cyanobacteria. Through experience, commercial applicators suggest that mat-forming algae also differ in their susceptibility to copper, but to this point, data to support these observations have not been available. Laboratory studies in which unialgal cultures of mat-forming algae were exposed to a range of copper concentrations show a clear progression in copper tolerance. The EC50 values (concentration of copper in mg Cu L−1 that results in 50% reduction of biomass) were less than 0.003 (Spirogyra, Oedogonium), approximately 0.050 (Hydrodictyon, Pithophora, Rhizoclonium), and greater than 0.200 (Oscillatoria). These data are important to us in the midwest because Oscillatoria is becoming a more frequent component of mat-forming algae infestations. The Oscillatoria infestations are caused by at least five different species, each of which is very tolerant to copper. Circumstantial evidence suggests that the increasing frequency of this mat-forming cyanobacterium is due to elimination of more sensitive genera (such as Spirogyra or Rhizoclonium) with heavy copper dosing. In addition to concerns often expressed about copper use, such as buildup in the sediments, toxicity to invertebrates, and possible (although not well verified) resistance of cyanobacteria, another compelling reason to seek alternative approaches to copper is the buildup of copper-tolerant mat-forming algae.
A GUIDE TO VALUING EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTIONS WITH A RELOAD FEATURE

At first glance, executive stock options with reload provisions appear to be more complicated than conventional options, and thus the valuation of such options would appear to be more difficult. But, as the authors demonstrate in this article, such reload options provide the employee with a dominant exercise strategy—namely, to exercise the option whenever it is “in-the-money.” And the fact that reload options will always be exercised simplifies their valuation by eliminating a major problem—that associated with employee's risk references and uncertain early exercise—in valuing conventional options.
A comparison of five algorithms for tracking frequency and frequency rate-of-change

An experimental investigation of five simple algorithms for tracking frequency and frequency rate-of-change is reported. The algorithms were developed in an evolutionary fashion from an alpha beta tracker. Two of the algorithms consist of alpha beta trackers followed by low-order, finite-impulse-response differentiators for frequency-rate estimation. The final two algorithms under consideration represent an attempt to incorporate the finite-impulse-response differentiators within a recursive tracking loop. The cascade connection of a low-order differentiator with an alpha beta tracker offers significant advantages in frequency-rate estimation, while the incorporation of these differentiators in the loop offers further benefits. The various algorithms are compared on the basis of the variance of the frequency and frequency-rate estimates, as well as the delay introduced in obtaining the derivative estimates. >
Supplementary Note on “A Scheme of Dynamic Initialization of the Boundary Layer in a Primitive Equation Model”

Abstract A scheme is presented for improving the previously proposed method of dynamic initialization of the boundary layer in a primitive equation model (Kurihara and Tuleya, 1978). Performance of the revised scheme is shown for the case of a strong vortex superposed on a zonal flow.
Role of Vitamin C in Health and Disease

The biosynthesis, physiological functions and catabolism of L-ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) in man remain topics of great interest and challenge for the clinical biochemist. L-ascorbic acid is a water-soluble vitamin, which chemically is a lactone (internal ester of a hydroxycarboxylic acid) and is characterized by the enediol group which makes it a strongly reducing compound. Ascorbic acid itself is the most active reducing agent known to occur naturally in living tissues. The empirical formula of this vitamin is C6H8O6. The Levo-ascorbic acid is an active antiscorbutic substance, while the dextro-ascorbic acid is not (Figure 1). One of the isomers, D-isoascorbic acid or erythorbic acid, is produced commercially for use as a food additive. It has the reducing power of L-ascorbic acid but cannot support growth. L-ascorbic acid is readily and reversibly oxidized to dehydro-L-ascorbic acid which retains vitamin C activity (Figure 2). This compound can be further oxidized to diketo-2-gluconic acid, in a non-reversible reaction; the compound has no reported biological activity. Dehydration and decarboxylation can lead to the formation of furfural, which can polymerize to form brown pigments or combine with amino acids in the Strecker degradation. The failure of man, non-human primates, guinea pigs and a few other species of animals to synthesize their own vitamin C from glucose is due to a deficiency of an enzyme in the liver which converts L-gluconic acid to ascorbic acid. Thus, for these animals vitamin C is an essential vitamin that is required in the daily diet. While scurvy is not as common today in the U.S.A. as compared to a century ago, vitamin C deficiency is one of the more common vitamin deficiencies, particularly in school-age children (Ten State Nutrition Survey, 1972).
The attachment process of rocket-triggered lightning dart-stepped leaders

Time-correlated 1.54 µs high-speed video frames, channel-base current and current derivative (dI/dt), and electric field derivative (dE/dt) measurements are used to analyze the attachment process of triggered lightning dart-stepped leaders. Lengths, speeds, and durations of the upward-connecting positive leaders propagating from the launching structure are measured and calculated. The “leader burst” occurring immediately preceding the dE/dt slow front is demonstrated to be a distinctly different process from the preceding downward dart-stepped leader steps and is associated with the fast increase in channel-base current due to the initial interactions of the downward and upward leader streamer zones. Locations of the leader burst pulses are found to occur within or immediately above the connection region. Pulses superimposed on the dE/dt slow front are shown to occur after the initial connection between the downward and upward leaders and are associated with kiloampere-scale increases in the channel-base current. Subsequent fast-transition pulses are found to produce multiple kiloampere-scale increases in the channel-base current. Observed time delays between dE/dt and dI/dt peaks for slow front and fast-transition pulses confirm the existence of an elevated junction point between the downward and upward leaders. Average downward current wave speeds for fast-transition pulses are found to be a factor of 2 to 2.5 faster than those for slow-front pulses. For 51 dart-stepped leader events, the average total duration of the attachment process, starting with the initial fast current increase and ending with the peak of the final dI/dt fast-transition pulse, is measured to be 1.77 µs.
Nonrelativistic Source Theory

The following is based on lectures given at Schwinger by Harvard in Spring 1969, as transcribed by the author. The goal was to construct a general theory of particles, in a nonrelativistic context. As such, this provides a transition between nonrelativistic quantum mechanics and source theory, the general development of which was given later in Schwinger’s three-volume treatise (Schwinger 1970b, 1973, 1989a).
The role of the child in physical abuse: a reappraisal.

Friedrich and Boriskin's (1976) seminal review presented compelling evidence pointing toward the contribution of child factors in heightening risk for physical abuse. Indeed, many authors currently accept that certain child characteristics (e.g., prematurity, low birthweight) can directly lead to abuse. Much of the data in this area, however, is based on methodologically weak designs, and recent findings do not support the premise that children have a major role in the etiology of abuse. There is some suggestion that children with relatively circumscribed features may add to risk in families that already exhibit additional factors predisposing them to maltreatment. This paper re-examines the role of the child in abuse, reviews recent relevant research findings, and offers new directions that research in this area might take. Language: en