cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acute Effusive-Constrictive Staphylococcal Pericarditis

A case of acute effusive-constrictive pericarditis caused by Staphylococcus aureus infection is reported. The clinical course and hemodynamic response to pericardiocentesis are described. Emphasis is placed on the importance of early pericardiocentesis in the therapy of staphylococcal pericarditis.
NMR studies of peptide T, an inhibitor of HIV infectivity, in an aqueous environment.

The synthetic octapeptide peptide T (ASTTTNYT) has been shown to interfere with binding of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120 to the chemokine receptor R5, thus preventing viral infection. This study investigated the degree of conformational order of two analogs of peptide T, one biologically active (D-Ala peptide T amide) and one inactive (D-Ala, D-Tyr peptide T amide) using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in an aqueous environment, both in solution and in the frozen solid state. Standard solution NMR techniques such as DQFCOSY, HMQC, ROESY and inversion recovery measurements have been utilized to characterize these peptides. Solid state NMR experiments were likewise employed to study the peptides in a frozen glycerol:water mixture. The NMR results indicate that the monomeric form of both peptide T analogs have considerable conformational heterogeneity. Solid state NMR studies indicate aggregation of D-Ala peptide T, possibly into a β-sheet structure, at concentrations higher than 10 mM. Copyright © 2004 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparison of measured and empirically predicted creep of reinforced polyphthalamide

The long-term creep properties of a commercial thermoplastic resin system were determined at test temperatures of 23°C, 100°C, and 150°C. In addition, the applicability of using short-term stress relaxation test (SRT) results to predict long-term creep behavior was investigated. Creep strain and strain rate were empirically predicted from the SRT and quantitatively compared to measured values at two applied stresses for each test temperature. The SRT method predictions correlated well with measured creep curves at temperatures below the glass transition and in the secondary creep region. Poor correlations in other regimes are a primary result of differences in the initial deformation.
Opinions of trauma practitioners regarding prehospital interventions for critically injured patients.

Background: Significant controversy surrounds the prehospital management of trauma patients. Methods: A questionnaire describing clinical scenarios was mailed to a random sample of 345 trauma practitioners. Results: The 182 trauma practitioners (52.8%) who returned the surveys were predominantly general or trauma surgeons (83.5%) in academic or university practice (68.1%). For a patient with a severe traumatic brain injury, 84.5% of trauma practitioners recommended that emergency medical services personnel attempt intubation at least once when transport time was 20 to 40 minutes. For a patient with a gunshot wound to the epigastrium in decompensated shock, the majority of trauma practitioners believed that a relatively hypotensive state should be maintained, regardless of transport time. Trauma practitioners (52.2%) have recommended the use of the pneumatic antishock garment for transports of 20 to 40 minutes for patients with an unstable pelvic fracture and decompensated shock. Conclusions: Most trauma practitioners believe that emergency medical services providers should attempt intubation for a patient with a severe traumatic brain injury, should treat decompensated shock in a patient with penetrating torso trauma but maintain the patient in a relatively hypotensive state, and should apply and inflate the pneumatic antishock garment for a suspected pelvic fracture accompanied by decompensated shock if the patient is 20 to 40 minutes from a trauma center. The recommendations of trauma practitioners regarding appropriate prehospital care are significantly influenced by the time required for transport to the trauma center.
Alpha-particle-induced soft errors in dynamic memories

A new physical soft error mechanism in dynamic RAM's and CCD's is the upset of stored data by the passage of alpha particles through the memory array area. The alpha particles are emitted by the radioactive decay of uranium and thorium which are present in parts-per-million levels in packaging materials. When an alpha particle penetrates the die surface, it can create enough electron-hole pairs near a storage node to cause a random, single-bit error. Results of experiments and measurements of alpha activity of materials are reported and a physical model for the soft error is developed. Implications for the future of dynamic memories are also discussed.
An Analysis of Flow Mechanisms in High Temperature Creep and Superplasticity

The flow of crystalline solids at elevated temperatures is dependent upon creep mechanisms associated with the movement of dislocations, the relative displacements of adjacent grains and the stress-directed flow of vacancies. It is convenient to express the steady-state creep rate in terms of the dependences of these various creep mechanisms on the applied stress, the testing temperature and the grain size of the material. In practice, however, there are similarities in some of the predicted dependences for different creep processes and this may lead to experimental difficulties in unambiguously identifying the rate-controlling creep mechanism. The difficulties in identifying the creep mechanism become especially significant at low stresses. This paper reviews the characteristics of the various flow processes occurring in simple metallic systems such as pure metals and metallic alloys and describes procedures that may be adopted to provide an unambiguous identification of the rate-controlling flow mechanism.
Advantages and difficulties of implementation of flat-panel multimedia monitoring system in a surgical MRI suite

Our project was to design and implement a ceiling-mounted multi monitor display unit for use in a high-field MRI surgical suite. The system is designed to simultaneously display images/data from four different digital and/or analog sources with: minimal interference from the adjacent high magnetic field, minimal signal-to-noise/artifact contribution to the MRI images and compliance with codes and regulations for the sterile neuro-surgical environment. Provisions were also made to accommodate the importing and exporting of video information via PACS and remote processing/display for clinical and education uses. Commercial fiber optic receivers/transmitters were implemented along with supporting video processing and distribution equipment to solve the video communication problem. A new generation of high-resolution color flat panel displays was selected for the project. A custom-made monitor mount and in-suite electronics enclosure was designed and constructed at UCLA. Difficulties with implementing an isolated AC power system are discussed and a work-around solution presented.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Peptide sequencing by low resolution mass spectrometry. I - The use of acetylacetonyl derivatives to identify N-terminal residues

Mass spectrometric sequence determination of oligopeptides via acetylacetonyl derivatives, giving reliable results with small peptides
Autocrine erythropoietin signaling inhibits hypoxia-induced apoptosis in human breast carcinoma cells

Disordered perfusion and the resulting hypoxia are important features conferring tumor heterogeneity, which may contribute to relapse. Hypoxic tumor cells have been associated with resistance both to radiation and to cytotoxic drugs. Hypoxia may also serve as a selection pressure in tumors by promoting apoptosis of some cells and expanding variants with decreased apoptotic potential, and thus play a role in the development of a more aggressive phenotype. Erythropoietin (Epo), induced by hypoxia, controls erythropoiesis and plays a role in protection of neurons from hypoxic damage. We have recently demonstrated hypoxia-stimulated expression of Epo and Epo receptor (EpoR) in human breast and cervix cancers, suggesting a role for autocrine Epo signaling in the hypoxic adaptations of carcinomas. In the current study we provide evidence that increased autocrine Epo signaling induced by moderate levels of hypoxia inhibits hypoxia-induced apoptosis and promotes survival in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. The anti-apoptotic effect of Epo correlates with upregulation of bcl-2 and bcl-XL, suggesting a mechanism similar to those described in hematopoietic cells. The resulting decreased apoptotic potential of hypoxic tumor cells may contribute to increased aggressiveness and therapy resistance of breast cancers.
Another Successful Year

Another successful year has just passed. This was also the completion of my second year as Editor-in-Chief of Obesity Surgery and I am happy to report that we had another good year. The journal has a new look and a revamped editorial board. This past year, we again reviewed over 500 manuscripts, submitted from 49 countries, and accepted just less than half of them. The quality of the submissions has given us the luxury to only accept the highest quality submissions. Thanks to our excellent editorial board and reviewers, we are completing the review process, on average, in less than 42 days, an all-time low for Obesity Surgery. Our impact factor remains strong at 3.102 which ranks Obesity Surgery 23rd out of 198 surgical journals. Finally, total circulation has increased to over 10,000 subscriptions. So – Why am I not completely satisfied? Those who know me best would know that I am extremely driven to succeed and want us to reach even higher levels with our beloved journal. With that in mind, I thought this would be a good opportunity to inform the readership about the proposed improvements we have in store for the journal in 2014.
ACCURACY OF NUMERICAL RECTIFICATION OF VIDEO IMAGES TO ANALYZE BICYCLE TRAFFIC SCENES

A method is presented to process full motion video of traffic scenes to estimate bicycle location, speed, and acceleration at a given rate of image processing. The technique presented to estimate bicycle location data from video frames is based on transforming screen coordinates of video frames to ground or roadway coordinates and is known as rectification. The numerical technique and the error analysis are presented. This technique will allow researchers to video record traffic scenes and analyze them to estimate various microscopic and macroscopic traffic flow measures. These measures may be used to develop and validate traffic flow models. Very few studies have been conducted to study bicycle flow characteristics. The data collection technique presented here should allow researchers to collect bicycle flow data at very low cost.
Blind rage? Heightened anger is associated with altered amygdala responses to masked and unmasked fearful faces

We investigated anger-related variability in the BOLD fMRI response to crude/masked and detailed/unmasked fearful faces. Anger expression positively covaried with amygdala activation to crude fear, while trait anger negatively covaried with amygdala responses to detailed fear. This differential processing may trigger aggression without the subsequent inhibition associated with distress cues.
A neurofunctional theory of visual consciousness.

This paper develops an empirically motivated theory of visual consciousness. It begins by outlining neuropsychological support for Jackendoff's (1987) hypothesis that visual consciousness involves mental representations at an intermediate level of processing. It then supplements that hypothesis with the further requirement that attention, which can come under the direction of high level representations, is also necessary for consciousness. The resulting theory is shown to have a number of philosophical consequences. If correct, higher-order thought accounts, the multiple drafts account, and the widely held belief that sensation precedes perception will all be found wanting. The theory will also be used to illustrate and defend a methodology that fills the gulf between functionalists who ignore the brain and neural reductionists who repudiate functionalism.
Ombuds processes and disputant reconciliation

Effective dispute resolution systems are critical to the functioning of large universities and organizations. However, the design of dispute resolution systems is often inadequate to achieving the stated goals of the system. Analysis of the cases of 45 disputants reveals how the design of a university dispute system and the social context can prevent an ombudsperson from successfully reconciling relationships. This study shows how a dispute system that generally failed to utilize face-to-face meetings or mediation techniques between disputants in a social context of fear and limited social ties was unable to reconcile or preserve working relationships. Analysis from normative pragmatic and social contextual approaches to disputing provides a mechanism for understanding the problems encountered by this ombudsperson and provides a tool for designing more effective dispute resolution systems.
Survey of recent advances in analytical applications of immunoaffinity chromatography

Methods that use immunoaffinity chromatography (IAC) for sample preparation or detection are becoming increasingly popular as tools in the analysis of biological and nonbiological compounds. This paper presents an overview of immunoaffinity chromatography and examines some recent developments of this technique in analytical applications. The emphasis is placed on HPLC-based IAC methods or those that combine IAC with other instrumental techniques; however, novel approaches that employ low-performance IAC columns for chemical quantitation are also considered. Particular applications that are examined include (1) the use of IAC in the direct detection of analytes, (2) the extraction of samples by IAC prior to on- or off-line detection by other methods, (3) the use of IAC in chromatographic-based immunoassays, and (4) the development of postcolumn reactors based on IAC for the detection of analytes as they elute from other types of chromatographic columns. The advantages and limitations for each approach are considered. In addition, a summary is provided of reports in the literature that have used IAC for these various formats.
Synthesis of Macrocycle Isomers via Metathesis Cyclization and Their Self-Assembly from Aqueous Solutions

Novel triangular macrocycle isomers were synthesized through metathesis cyclization with high yield (77%). HPLC and MALDI-TOF showed that the purity of the macrocycles was higher than 99%, while 1H NMR clearly showed that these macrocycles contain C2 and C3 isomers in a ratio of 1:3. AFM and TEM showed that they spontaneously formed vesicular structures in a chloroform/water system with an average diameter of 460 nm, which was corroborated by DLS results.
Hypothalamus, sino-aortic reflexes and activity of the gut.

1. The effect of stimulation of the sympathetic division of the hypothalamus on gut and cardiovascular system shows two phases: 1. the sympathetic phase which appears mainly during stimulation and is characterized by inhibition of the gut and rise in blood pressure and heart rate; 2. a phase of delayed excitation of the gut appearing either immediately after cessation of stimulation or after an interval of up to two minutes. No signs of sympathetic excitation appear in the cardiovascular system during this phase. 2. The delayed excitation of the gut which persists after vagotomy increases with increasing hypothalamic sympathetic excitation and is interpreted as a “rebound” phenomenon serving homeostatic purposes. 3. Although hypothalamic stimulation (directly with square ware currents or indirectly via stimulation of somatic nerves) results frequently in generalized sympathetic effects (inhibition of the gut, rise of blood pressure and heart rate and contraction of the nictitating membrane) and, dependant on the site and the parameters of stimulation, also in generalized parasympathetic effects (increase in tone and activity of the gut and fall in blood pressure and heart rate) attention is called to certain deviations from this scheme. A sympathetic effect leading to a rapid or marked rise in blood pressure is often associated with an increased activity of the gut. Evidence is presented for the assumption that the latter results from increased baroreceptor reflexes.
Demographic Dissimilarity and Workplace Inclusion

This study examined the relationship between individual demographic dissimilarity from co-workers and three indicators of inclusion by an organization: decision-making influence, access to sensitive information, and job security. Data from 345 individuals in eight work units showed that individual dissimilarity in race and gender were negatively associated with inclusion, and the effect of race dissimilarity was more pronounced for whites than for non-whites. In contrast, individual dissimilarity in tenure and education level were positively associated with inclusion, and these effects were more pronounced for those with greater tenure and greater education, respectively. Overall, the results suggest that whether being different hinders or helps organizational inclusion may depend on whether that difference is visible and whether it reflects job expertise. Further, they suggest that, when being different is a hindrance, it may be hardest on those who have traditionally been the majority in organizations.
A Florida Defoliator, Nystalea ebalea (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae), Found Feeding on Brazilian Peppertree

SUMMARY A species of Notodontidae, Nystalea ebalea was discovered feeding on leaflets of the invasive weed Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi (Sapindales: Anacardiaceae) in south Florida. The larvae of this species generally have 5 instars and require 20–22 days to reach the pupal stage. Discovery of wild populations of this Neotropical species in the weed's invasive range precluded its consideration as a classical biological control agent.
First-Row Transition-Metal Complexes of a New Pentadentate Ligand, α,α,α′,α′-Tetra(pyrazolyl)lutidine

A new pentadentate ligand, α,α,α′,α′-tetra(pyrazolyl)lutidine, pz4lut, has been prepared by a CoCl2-catalyzed rearrangement reaction between 2,6-pyridinedicarboxaldehyde and dipyrazolylthione. The coordination chemistry with some divalent first-row transition metal (Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) chlorides has been explored. The electronic properties indicate that the new κ5N ligand is a slightly stronger-field donor to Ni2+ and Co2+ than a related pentadentate ligand with five pyridyl donors presumably because of greater interaction between the metal and axial pyridyl.
New methods for fMRI data processing based on locally linear embeddings

We propose a new method for analyzing fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) data based on locally linear embeddings (LLE). The LLE method is useful for analyzing data when there is a local structure intrinsic to the measurements allowing for reconstruction of measurements from its neighboring points only. We develop a method to extract the underlying temporal signal in fMRI experiments based on LLE. Simulations show that improved results can be obtained under certain conditions when compared to traditional methods such as the principal component analysis (PCA) and independent component analysis (ICA) methods.
Sex temperament among Japanese-American college students in Hawaii.

(1969). Sex Temperament Among Japanese-American College Students in Hawaii. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 77, No. 2, pp. 149-156.
The difficult years of Dziga Vertov: Excerpts from his diaries

(1982). The difficult years of Dziga Vertov: Excerpts from his diaries. Quarterly Review of Film Studies: Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 7-22.
Gender: production of Social Relations

"The Name of the Father: Women, Paternity, and British Rule in Nineteenth Century Jamaica" is ambitious in scope and provocative in intent. Through her treatment of the laws concerning affiliation and birth registration, Persis Charles calls attention to the importance of gender issues in shaping politics and society in post-emancipation Jamaica. Further, she uses her discussion of Jamaica to illumi nate tensions within sexual and political ideology in Britain and to comment more generally on our understanding of culture in a colonial context. I want to restrict my comments to the first of these problems. In particular, I want to explore Charles's contention that gender issues "are as fundamental to understanding post emancipation Jamaica as the conflicts over land and labor that have traditionally preoccupied historians." Charles's treatment of efforts to legally define and regulate male/female and parent/child relations in Jamaica indicates ways in which gender was a preoccupa tion among a variety of groups and interests seeking to establish a moral and social order both in the colony and in Britain. It emphasizes the conflicting perspectives and purposes among reformers, government officials, legislators, and planters (women, significantly, play almost no part) that shaped legislation governing marriage and the family and formed the legal personality of "woman." Charles thus raises important questions for understanding the historical construction of gender and gender relations in Jamaica. Nonetheless, the theoretical and historical assumptions of the argument and its narrow focus on the law create problems for understanding gender formation and its historical context. Charles treats individuals as logically prior to social relations, and presumes the freed population of Jamaica faced emancipation as individuals. This perspective depicts slavery as if it were a total institution that successfully destroyed Afro-Jamaican culture, while taking the contours of post emancipation society as given. Charles does not take into account the significant body of research that demonstrates the forms of community, culture, and collective action created by the black population of Jamaica under slavery and enlarged after the burden of enslavement had been removed. These difficulties are compounded by her reliance on legal categories, as her treatment of women and gender demonstrates.
Identification and Purification of Hydroxyisourate Hydrolase, a Novel Ureide-metabolizing Enzyme

Abstract We report the identification and purification of a novel enzyme from soybean root nodules that catalyzes the hydrolysis of 5-hydroxyisourate, which is the true product of the urate oxidase reaction. The product of this reaction is 2-oxo-4-hydroxy-4-carboxy-5-ureidoimidazoline, and the new enzyme is designated 5-hydroxyisourate hydrolase. The enzyme was purified from crude extracts of soybean root nodules ∼100-fold to apparent homogeneity with a final specific activity of 10 μmol/min/mg. The enzyme exhibited a native molecular mass of ∼68 kDa by gel filtration chromatography and migrated as a single band on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with a subunit molecular mass of 68 ± 2 kDa. The purified enzyme obeyed normal Michaelis-Menten kinetics, and theK m for 5-hydroxyisourate was determined to be 15 μm. The amino-terminal end of the purified protein was sequenced, and the resulting sequence was not found in any available data bases, confirming the novelty of the protein. These data suggest the existence of a hitherto unrecognized enzymatic pathway for the formation of allantoin.
Denaturing Gradient Gel Analysis of Single‐Base Substitutions at a Mouse Adenine Phosphoribosyltransferase Splice Acceptor Site

Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) can detect single-base changes in DNA. We used site-directed mutagenesis to produce all six possible single-base substitutions at a splice acceptor consensus AG dinucleotide within the mouse adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (aprt) gene. Studies of mouse and Chinese hamster cell aprt indicate a high level of both spontaneous and induced mutations in this region. We systematically evaluated each of the six mutations by DGGE. Five of the six mutant sequences could be distinguished from wild-type by DGGE analysis of a 560-bp fragment containing the mutation. However, one mutant could not be distinguished from wild-type, and some of the mutant constructs could not be distinguished from each other. Analysis of DNA heteroduplexes consisting of wild-type and mutant strands or two different mutant strands enabled all mutant constructs to be distinguished from wild-type and from each other. The pairwise mixtures resulted in 24 different heteroduplexes, all of which were less stable than the parental homoduplexes. End labeling of DNA prior to heteroduplex formation and subsequent DGGE analysis enabled us to determine the relative destabilization caused by different types of single-base mismatches.
Poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma arising from an intraepidermal epithelioma

Abstract The intraepidermal epithelioma (of Borst–Jadasson) constitutes a much discussed and debated entity. Currently, this diagnosis is rarely made in part, as ascribing clinical features to such lesions has, to date, proven difficult. In addition, intraepidermal proliferation of atypical cells with clonal features is more likely diagnosed as squamous cell carcinomas in situ, porocarcinomas or inflamed seborrheic keratoses. However, cutaneous tumors exhibiting microscopic and immunohistochemical features of clonally profligate malignant basaloid cells solely of epidermal origin do rarely exist. Their progression to dermal invasion appears even more uncommon.
Silver nanofiber assisted lipid extraction from biomass of a Louisiana Chlorella vulgaris/Leptolyngbya sp. co-culture

Abstract The presence of bulk water and the resistant cell walls significantly limit the efficiency of lipid extraction from microalgal biomass paste. Current methods to rupture the cell walls (i.e. grinding after freeze-drying, osmotic shock, sonication) are energy intensive and time consuming. Due to their high surface energy concentration and high surface to volume ratio, silver nanoparticles can enhanced the cell wall rupture to increase the extraction efficiency of cell components. In this study, silver nanofibers were added as enhancers for the Folch’s extraction method and microwave assisted extraction of lipids from wet biomass paste (water content of 80.9%). Nanofibers concentrations of 0–1000 μg g−1 were tested. Two solvent:biomass ratios were tested in the Folch’s extraction method. Two temperatures (70 and 90 °C) and three treatment times (2, 5 and 10 min) were compared in the microwave assisted extraction. The results showed that the extraction efficiency increased with increased concentration of the nanofibers in the range tested. At concentrations of 1000 μg g−1 silver nanofibers (w/w based on the solvent and biomass solution) the efficiency of lipid extraction increased by ∼30% and 50% for the Folch’s and microwave assisted lipid extraction respectively. Treatment with AgNO3 in the same concentration as the nanofibers did not improve the extraction compared with no silver or nanofibers addition. The extraction method affected the lipid fatty acids profile. The Folch’s extraction with no silver nanofibers resulted in proportionally higher short chain saturated fatty acids, but lower lipid extraction. The microwave assisted lipid extraction provides the best results considering fatty acid profile, treatment time, solvent use and lipid extraction efficiency.
System for demonstrating arbitrary multi-spot beam steering from spatial light modulators

A graphical user interface is used to program sequences of analog phase patterns onto a 512×512 pixel, electrically-addressed spatial light modulator (SLM). Hand sketches made with a digital pen are used to prescribe the footprints, velocities and trajectories of multiple, independently-controlled diffracted spots. The interface is intended to demonstrate to potential end-users, who are not knowledgeable about diffractive optical design, to what degree SLM’s may be considered to produce arbitrary multi-spot beam steering. Using the interface, scanning sequences are created, programmed, run through, and diffracted from a SLM that simultaneously scans multiple patterns on distinct trajectories.
Variation in Life History and Demography of the American Black Bear

ABSTRACT Variation in life history and demography across a species' range informs researchers about regional adaptations and affects whether managers can borrow information from other populations in decision-making. The American black bear (Ursus americanus) is a long-lived game species whose continued persistence depends on management of harvest and removal of habituated bears that come into conflict with humans. Understanding the demography of black bears guides efforts at management and conservation, yet detailed knowledge of many populations is typically lacking. I performed a hierarchical Bayesian meta-analysis of black bear demographic studies across the geographic range of the species to explore how vital rates vary across the range, what information they give us about population growth, and whether managers can justify borrowing information from other studies to inform management decisions. Cub, yearling, and adult survival and fecundity varied between eastern and western North America, whereas su...
Substrate integrated waveguide negativeorder resonances and their applications

A family of substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) negative-order resonances and their applications to miniaturised antennas and filters are investigated and presented. These metamaterial resonators are realised by etching the interdigital slot on the surface of SIW with varied boundary conditions. The slot acts as a series capacitor along with the waveguide inherent shunt inductor achieving a composite right/left-handed functionality. These resonances are generated below the characteristic waveguide cut-off frequency and are independent of the dominant TE10 mode. The properties of these different resonances, which are characterised by half-wavelength or quarter-wavelength resonances, are discussed and compared. According to their characteristics, different applications are investigated. First, miniaturised waveguide slot antennas based on the first-order resonance are discussed. These antennas provide relatively high radiation efficiency and regular radiation patterns while keeping a low profile. Secondly, compact waveguide filters are proposed and presented. The simulated and measured results for these filters are provided. These metamaterial filters are showing advantages in terms of low-profile, high stopband rejection, easy fabrication and integration with other circuits.
Foreign Policy Crises and the Resort to Terrorism A Time-Series Analysis of Conflict Linkages

This study tests the validity of opposing arguments regarding superpower state sponsorship of international crises by exploring the linkages between the monthly foreign policy crisis behavior of nation-states and the occurrence of international terrorism over a 228-month period from 1968 to 1986 using data drawn from ITERATE 2 and 3 and the International Crisis Behavior (ICB) data sets. Using time-series ARIMA modelling techniques, superpower involvement in international crises, attitudes toward superpower crisis intervention, and the victory and defeat patterns of democracies and nondemocracies are considered for their short-term and long-term influences on the amount and occurrence of international terrorism in the global system. The analysis lends support to the view that the Soviet Union and other authoritarian regimes are more likely than the U.S. and other democracies to resort to international terrorism as a foreign policy tool.
Annotation and Image Markup: Accessing and Interoperating with the Semantic Content in Medical Imaging

The annotation and image markup project makes large distributed collections of medical images in cyberspace and hospital information systems accessible using an information model of image content and ontologies. Interest in applying semantic Web technologies to the life sciences continues to accelerate. Biomedical research is increasingly an online activity as scientists combine and explore different types of data in cyberspace, putting together complementary views on problems that lead to new insights and discoveries. An e-Science paradigm is thus emerging; the biomedical community is looking for tools to help access, query, and analyze a myriad of data in cyberspace. Specifically, the biomedical community is beginning to embrace technologies such as ontologies to integrate scientific knowledge, standard syntaxes, and semantics to make biomedical knowledge explicit, and the semantic Web to establish virtual collaborations.
Toward a Theory of Culture as Shared Cognitive Structures

A small but important aspect of culture consists of shared cognitive representations of semantic structures that reside as localized functional units in the minds of individuals. In this article we discuss the cognitive and biological foundations for a model of culture as shared cognitive representations and summarize empirical evidence for predictions derived from the model. The structure of semantic domains such as the names of colors, animals, or kinship terms is defined as the arrangement of the terms relative to each other in a spatial model. In this space, items that are judged as more similar are placed closer to each other than items judged as less similar. Measuring the extent to which "pictures" or cognitive representations in the mind of one person correspond to those in the mind of another, research on various semantic domains has demonstrated that typical members of a culture have similar "pictures" in their minds.
Spin networks and quantum gravity.

We introduce a new basis on the state space of non-perturbative quantum gravity. The states of this basis are linearly independent, are well defined in both the loop representation and the connection representation, and are labeled by a generalization of Penrose's spin netoworks. The new basis fully reduces the spinor identities (SU(2) Mandelstam identities) and simplifies calculations in non-perturbative quantum gravity. In particular, it allows a simple expression for the exact solutions of the Hamiltonian constraint (Wheeler-DeWitt equation) that have been discovered in the loop representation. Since the states in this basis diagnolize operators that represent the three geometry of space, such as the area and volumes of arbitrary surfaces and regions, these states provide a discrete picture of quantum geometry at the Planck scale.
Up-Zoning New York City's Mixed Use Neighborhoods : Property-Led Economic Development and the Anatomy of a Planning Dilemma

This article examines land use policy and real estate market activity in the 1990s in two mixed-use neighborhoods in New York City. Using data from case studies of Greenpoint-Williamsburg in Brooklyn and Long Island City in Queens, this article finds that adherence on the part of officials to the principle of highest and best use, together with an incremental approach to planning and land use regulation, has contributed to opportunistic development and industrial displacement in these areas. The question of whether this trajectory is in the interests of the public at large remains the subject of fierce debate in the city's planning community and beyond. The article contributes to the literature on property-led economic development in central cities by exploring the complex task of planners charged with regulating areas that not only are logical sites for commercial and residential expansion but also serve as niches for loweryielding land uses.
Reply to Rattenborg and Martinez-Gonzalez: Fundamental and divergent aspects of the neurobiology of episodic memory.

To shed light on the evolution of episodic memory, we recently integrated the behavioral evidence across species with a comparative analysis of the underlying neurobiology and neural mechanisms (1). We conclude that fundamental features of episodic memory are present in mammals and birds and that a similar neural circuit could support this capacity across species (figure 2C in ref. 1). This circuit consists of homologous structures including the hippocampus (HC) and, to some extent, the mammalian parahippocampal region and avian area parahippocampalis (APH). The circuit also includes analogous structures, such as the mammalian prefrontal cortex (PFC) and avian nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL). In their …
Detection of specific IgE-secreting cells with an enzyme-linked immunospot assay

Abstract Background: An in vitro assay system for monitoring the induction of human allergen-specific IgE synthesis with an enzyme-linked immunospot assay is described. Methods: IgE-secreting cells, responding specifically to short ragweed pollen allergens. Amb a V and Amb a VI, were directly enumerated after the coculture of high-density, resting B cells with either autologous T cells or allergen-specific T-cell clones from the peripheral blood of two ragweed-allergic individuals. Both T-cell clones were type 2-like T helper cells (T H2 ) as determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The IgE-producing cells were detected on a nitrocellulose-based paper disc coated with antigen after treatment with biotinylated, anti-human IgE and avidin-peroxidase conjugate. Results: We demonstrated the induction of Amb a V- or Amb a VI-specific IgE synthesis from either peripheral blood B cells or purified resting B cells. Specific IgE-secreting B cells could be detected only when T cells were present in the culture, providing that they were not separated by a membrane. The addition of interleukin-4 had an enhancing effect on the overall numbers of IgE-secreting cells and allergen-specific T cells and a synergistic effect in the coculture of B cells and an autoreactive T-cell line. Conclusions: These results suggest that cognate interaction T and B cells is required for the de novo induction of IgE responses. This in vitro system could thus provide a useful model for analysis of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate the allergen-specific IgE responses in human beings.
Functional Magnetic Resonance of Human Breast Tumors

This review is focused on two relatively new developments in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and their application to breast lesion characterization: diffusion and perfusion MRI. Diffusion MRI measures the mobility of the water protons and thus provides a window to tissue microstructure. Perfusion MRI measures the rate at which blood is delivered to tissue and thus provides information about microvasculature. Because both tissue structure and vasculature are likely to change in disease states, measurement of diffusion and perfusion may have direct physiologic relevance. This review covers topics related to the imaging sequences, image analysis, and clinical studies for diffusion and perfusion breast MRI. Preliminary studies show that the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) is a marker of cell density and can distinguish malignant from benign lesions. Perfusion MR also shows promise for breast tumor characterization: malignant tumors have consistently higher relative tissue blood volumes (rTBV) than normal and benign tumors. Additional research is required with large patient cohorts to establish these two techniques on a clinical footing.
Analysis of the kinetics of the thermal and chemically activated elimination of HF from 1,1,1‐trifluoroethane: the CC bond dissociation energy and the heat of formation of 1,1,1‐trifluoroethane

The thermal, unimolecular elimination of HF from CH3CF3 was studied by three different groups over the temperature range 1000° to 1800°K. While the reported kinetic parameters varied greatly, it is shown here that these data may be satisfactorily correlated in terms of a four-center transition state. This correlation results in ΔE = 69.2 kcal/mol, and log (k/s−1) = 14.6 – 72.6/θ. These results may then be combined with the kinetics of the chemically activated elimination of HF from CH3CF3 formed by the recombination of methyl and trifluoromethyl radicals. The data from three different laboratories are shown to be in excellent agreement. These data, combined with extant thermal data, yield as a best value DH(CH3CF3) = 99.6 ± 1.1 kcal/mol. This gives the unexpectedly high value of DH298°(CH3CF3) = 101.2 ± 1.1 kcal/mol. It is suggested that dipoledipole interactions, primarily in CH3CF3, account for this surprisingly strong CC bond dissociation energy. These results also yield δH(CH3CF3; g, 298) = −178.6 ± 1.5 kcal/mol.
Ge x Si l-x Layers Grown by Rapid Thermal Processing Chemical Vapor Deposition

Rapid thermal processing chemical vapor deposition was used to grow single and multilayer epitaxial GexSi1−x/Si structures on (100)Si substrates using GeH4 and SiH2Cl2 at 900°C and 1000°C with SiH2Cl2:GeH4 ratios of 14:1 to 95:1 at 5 Torr. Misfit dislocation free layers with few threading dislocations were grown for Ge concentrations of up to 13%. Misfit dislocation networks aligned along were formed at the interface of films with higher Ge concentrations. Dislocation loops were also found at the interface. GexSi1−x layers grown at 1000°C were highly crystalline, but relaxed. In multi-layer structures, AES depth profiles showed Ge pile-up at the GexSi1−x/Si interface of layers with higher Ge concentrations.
The Role of Ambiguity and Gender in Mediating the Effects of Salient Cognitions

The purpose of the present research was to assess the effects of the simultaneous occurrence of two potential moderators of the perceptual-biasing effects of salient cognitions. These moderating factors were ambiguity of the behavioral information and individual differences (gender). The design was a 2 (salience-salient, nonsalient) X 2 (ambiguity-ambiguous, relatively unambiguous) X 2 gender (male, female) factorial. One-half of the subjects were exposed to information focusing on the inappropriateness of sexual inequality (salient condition), whereas the other half were not exposed to such information (nonsalient condition). Subsequently, subjects read a passage that depicted an acquaintance rape in which the female clearly (relatively unambiguous condition) or did not clearly (ambiguous condition) convey her lack of consent to intercourse. The results indicated that salience had minimal effects in the relatively unambiguous condition. In the ambiguous condition, the effects of salience were moderated b...
High Cholesterol Awareness, Treatment, and Control Among Hispanic/Latinos: Results From the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos

Background We assessed high cholesterol (HC) awareness, treatment, and control rates among US Hispanic/Latino adults and describe factors associated with HC awareness and management. Methods and Results Baseline data (collected 2008–2011) from a multisite probability sample of Hispanic/Latino adults in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (18 to 74 years old; N=16 207) were analyzed. HC was defined as low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol ≥130 mg/dL and/or total cholesterol ≥240 mg/dL or use of cholesterol‐lowering medication. Among Hispanic/Latino adults with HC, almost half (49.3%) were not aware of their condition and only 29.5% were receiving treatment. Men had a higher HC prevalence than women (44.0% versus 40.5%) but a lower rate of treatment (28.1% versus 30.6%). Younger adults were significantly less likely to be HC aware compared to those who were older. Those with hypertension, diabetes, and high socioeconomic position were more likely to be HC aware. US‐born Hispanic/Latino were more likely to be HC unaware than foreign‐born Hispanics/Latinos, but longer US residency was significantly associated with being HC aware, treated, and controlled. Cholesterol control was achieved among 64.3% of those who were HC treated. However, younger adults, women, those with lower income, those uninsured, and more recent immigrants were less likely to be HC controlled. Individuals of Puerto Rican or Dominican background were most likely to be HC aware and treated, whereas those of Mexican or Central American background were least likely to be HC treated. Individuals of Cuban and South American background had the lowest rates of HC control, whereas Puerto Ricans had the highest. Conclusions Understanding gaps in HC awareness, treatment, and control among US Hispanic/Latino adults can help inform physicians and policymakers to improve disease management and patient education programs.
Lateral Femoral Cutaneous Nerve of the Thigh

Meralgia paresthetica is a benign disturbance of a sensory nature localized to the outer thigh, which at best is annoying but which may become severely painful and occasionally disabling. It occurs in both men and women, usually of middle age. The disturbance involves the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve of the thigh, which is formed immediately before it passes through the tunnel in the inguinal fascia adjacent to the anterior superior spine. It is at this point that angulation may occur, giving rise to symptoms (Fig. 28).
TESTING THE POSSIBLE INTRINSIC ORIGIN OF THE EXCESS VERY STRONG Mg II ABSORBERS ALONG GAMMA-RAY BURST LINES-OF-SIGHT

The startling discovery by Prochter et al. that the frequency of very strong (W{sub r} (2796)>1 A) Mg II absorbers along gamma-ray burst (GRB) lines of sight ([dN/dz]{sub GRB} = 0.90) is more than three times the frequency along quasar lines of sight ([dN/dz]{sub QSO} = 0.24), over similar redshift ranges, has yet to be understood. In particular, explanations appealing to dust antibias in quasar samples, partial covering of the quasar sources, and gravitational-lensing amplification of the GRBs have all been carefully examined and found wanting. We therefore reconsider the possibility that the excess of very strong Mg II absorbers toward GRBs is intrinsic either to the GRBs themselves or to their immediate environment, and associated with bulk outflows with velocities as large as v {sub max} {approx} 0.3c. In order to examine this hypothesis, we accumulate a sample of 27 W{sub r} (2796)>1 A absorption systems found toward 81 quasars, and compare their properties to those of 8 W{sub r} (2796) > 1 A absorption systems found toward six GRBs; all systems have been observed at high spectral resolution (R = 45, 000) using the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph on the Very Large Telescope. We make multiple comparisonsmore » of the absorber properties across the two populations, testing for differences in metallicity, ionization state, abundance patterns, dust abundance, kinematics, and phase structure. We find no significant differences between the two absorber populations using any of these metrics, implying that, if the excess of absorbers along GRB lines of sight are indeed intrinsic, they must be produced by a process which has strong similarities to the processes yielding strong Mg II systems associated with intervening galaxies. Although this may seem a priori unlikely, given the high outflow velocities required for any intrinsic model, we note that the same conclusion was reached, recently, with respect to the narrow absorption line systems seen in some quasars.« less
Ex-situ depth-sensing indentation measurements of electrochemically produced Si-Li alloy films

Abstract We report for the first time ex-situ measurements of the Young's modulus and hardness of Si and Si–Li alloy thin film electrodes at various stages of lithium insertion via depth-sensing indentation experiments. Lithium is electrochemically inserted into the Si electrode, after which its mechanical properties are investigated in an anoxic environment. The Young's modulus was found to decrease from an initial value of 92 GPa for pure Si to 12 GPa at full lithium insertion (Li15Si4). The hardness changes from an initial value of 5 GPa for Si to 1.5 GPa for Li15Si4.