cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluating drivers of coastal relocation in Hurricane Sandy affected communities

The future viability of some coastal communities has been severely challenged by the recent major disasters, as well as other episodic and chronic coastal hazards. These events also instigated a dialogue on their long-term resilience, adaptation options, and the possibility of permanent relocation from high risk areas. Little is known how exposure to disaster, in combination with other contemporary coastal challenges, affects willingness to consider relocation on a household level in the highly-developed urban settlements. The main objective of this paper is to provide a bottom-up perspective on this dilemma via identification of demographic determinants and other disaster-related concerns that may influence support for relocation. More specifically, this study takes an interdisciplinary approach to examine the effects of pre-disaster socio-economic household characteristics, level of preparedness, disaster exposure, experience with recovery, community embeddedness, and resource loss on relocation decision-making. The findings hereby reveal that the willingness to consider relocation is primarily influenced by the age of respondents, disaster exposure, level of experienced stress related to recovery, personal financial recovery concerns, future cost of living in high-risk area, concerns with increase in crime and future flooding, and disasterinduced resource loss.
The Study of Visual Depth and Distance Perception in Animals

Publisher Summary The chapter describes Spalding's pioneer observations methods for the study of space perception in animals, as well as the results with implications for the nature-nurture problem. The aim of the study of depth and distance perception with animals is simply an understanding of space related behavior. To show how depth and distance behavior can be investigated in animals, the chapter discusses: (1) methods of investigating depth and distance perception; (2) the visual stimulus for space perception : the “cues” for space perception in animals are assessed and the results of research cited; (3) a comparative analysis of the depth perception of various species; (4) the effects of dark-rearing on depth and distance perception; and (5) the neurophysiological aspects of space perception. The years of research since Spalding have brought the development of better behavioral techniques, of ways to analyze the effects of lack of stimulation on the visual system, and of many neurophysiological techniques to alter visual input, selectively block it off, or record it.
CubeSat Deformable Mirror Demonstration Mission

Corona graphic space telescopes require wave front control systems for high-contrast imaging applications such as exoplanet direct imaging. High-actuator-count MEMS deformable mirrors (DM) are a key element of these wave front control systems, yet they have not been flown in space long enough to characterize their on-orbit performance. The MEMS Deformable Mirror Cube Sat Test bed is a conceptual nanosatellite demonstration of MEMS DM and wave front sensing technology. The test bed platform is a 3U Cube Sat bus. Of the 10 x 10 x 34.05 cm (3U) available volume, a 10 x 10 x 15 cm space is reserved for the optical payload. The main purpose of the payload is to characterize and calibrate the on-orbit performance of a MEMS deformable mirror over an extended period of time (months). Its design incorporates both a Shack Hartmann wave front sensor (internal laser illumination), and a focal plane sensor (used with an external aperture to image bright stars). We baseline a 32-actuator Boston Micromachines Mini deformable mirror for this mission, though the design is flexible and can be applied to mirrors from other vendors. We present the mission design and payload architecture and discuss the intended performance of the optical experiments.
Ordered Gun Liberty: Rights with Responsibilities and Regulation

This Article focuses on the case of the Second Amendment right to bear arms and gun control to examine whether the Constitution has fostered a pathological rights culture of rights without responsibilities and regulation. We offer some preliminary thoughts about “ordered gun liberty” – the individual right to bear arms in relation to responsibilities, virtues, and regulation. This article addresses a conundrum concerning this right: there is no individual right that cries out more for governmental encouragement of responsibility concerning its exercise and for governmental regulation to promote safety and to protect from harm, and yet there is no individual right whose defenders more strenuously reject such governmental promotion of responsibility and regulation. We argue that, notwithstanding the rhetoric of rights absolutism, ordered gun liberty supports a “reasonable right to bear arms” that also recognizes the proper role of regulation. We highlight several dimensions of responsibility talk in the discourse concerning the individual right to bear arms, including in District of Columbia v. Heller itself. We address the myth of strict scrutiny for Second Amendment rights, pointing out the wide latitude that protecting an individual right to bear arms, like other rights, leaves for government to encourage responsible exercise of the right. We argue that a form of intermediate scrutiny analogous to that of Moore v. East Cleveland under the Due Process Clause is a strong candidate for the appropriate framework for thinking about rights and responsibilities under Heller for gun control regulation, as is the undue burden standard of Planned Parenthood v. Casey. As a practical example of appropriate regulation, we discuss regulations to protect children from guns in the home – a context in which Second Amendment rights intersect with fundamental parental liberty, family privacy, children’s own rights and needs, and governmental authority to protect children from harm or evils and further their healthy development. We argue that, notwithstanding the NRA’s rejection them, safe storage, or Child Access Prevention laws, are a reasonable regulation aimed at preventing unnecessary injury and loss of life and do not unduly burden Second Amendment rights or fundamental parental liberty or religious liberty. While the NRA advocates exhortation and education over regulation, we counter that, in light of the developmental differences between children and adults – pointed out in the Supreme Court’s jurisprudence – supplementing gun education (focused on avoiding guns) with actual regulations requiring adults to take steps to keep children safe is likely to be more effective. We also argue that the privacy of the home is not unduly burdened by medical practice aimed at taking a public health approach to ameliorating risks to children by encouraging responsible gun storage.
Teaching to be American: the quest for integrating the Italian-American child

In the early years of the twentieth century, the great structural, social and cultural changes in American society included a growing number of immigrants arriving from the poorest regions of Europe. For the first time, the issues of immigration, assimilation and social integration became the most important problems facing American society. In the optimistic climate of the so-called progressive era, social reformers thought that these problems could be solved by the science of pedagogy, as applied to the educational needs of foreign immigrants. This essay centres on the pedagogical efforts of Italian-American educator Angelo Patri, who attempted to integrate Italian-American children into the fabric of American society through education. It starts by assessing Patri’s early writings, such as A Schoolmaster of the Great City, and his private and professional papers. In doing so, his work is situated in the debate on progressive education alongside pedagogue Maria Montessori, demonstrating his central role ...
Ethnic Differences in the Effects of Parental Depression on Preschool Children's Socioemotional Functioning

The present study describes the depressive symptomatology of 393 parents of prekindergarten children and assesses ethnic differences in the depression scores of these parents and their differential consequences for children's social competence. Data are drawn from the National Center for Early Development and Learning (NCEDL) classroom study, a national, longitudinal study examining the quality and outcomes of prekindergarten programs operated in schools or under the direction of state and local educational agencies, and the supplemental NCEDL familial and social environments study. Analyses indicated that Latino parents were more likely than African-American and White parents to be depressed. However, as reported by both parents and teachers, behavioral outcomes for African-American children of parents with elevated depressive symptomatology were worse than children of their Latino and White counterparts. Interactions between ethnicity and depressive symptomatology emerged in the parent-child relationship, with African-American parents with elevated depressive symptoms reporting significantly greater levels of conflict in the parent–child relationship than their non-depressed counterparts. African-American parents with elevated depression scores were also less likely to be in marital relationships than their non-depressed counterparts. Among African-American families, parent–child conflict served as a mediator of the effects of parental depression on child outcomes. Implications for intervention are discussed.
Analysis of incidence and clinical outcomes in patients with thromboembolic events and invasive exocrine pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is among the most common malignancies associated with thromboembolic events (TEs); however, reported incidence figures vary significantly and contain small patient cohorts. Pancreatic cancer-specific thrombosis studies examining the correlation between clinical variables, including thrombosis timing and the impact of thrombosis on survival, have not been reported. METHODS: Survival analyses were performed relating to the development and timing of a TE in 1915 patients administered chemotherapy at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center with invasive exocrine pancreatic cancer from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2009. TE timing, relative to clinical parameters including laboratory data, erythropoietin-stimulating agent use, and body mass index (BMI), were also analyzed. RESULTS: A thrombosis was identified in 690 (36%) patients. After adjusting for patients with pancreatic surgery and thrombosis (n = 127), developing a TE significantly increased the risk of death (hazard ratio [HR], 2.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.3-2.8; P < .01). Patients with an early TE (within 1.5 months from pancreatic cancer diagnosis) had a significantly higher risk of death (HR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.7-2.5; P < .01) compared with patients with late TE or no TE. Erythropoietin-stimulating agent use and an elevated international normalized ratio were associated with significantly shorter time to thrombosis. Low BMI was associated with significantly longer time to thrombosis. CONCLUSIONS: TEs are common in exocrine pancreatic cancer, with coagulopathy, erythropoietin-stimulating agent use, and underweight BMI influencing thrombosis timing. TEs, particularly early ones, confer a significantly worse prognosis, suggesting a biological significance, underscoring the relevance of ongoing prophylaxis trials, and raising the question of whether early TEs should be considered a stratification factor for clinical trials. Cancer 2012;118: 3053–61. © 2011 American Cancer Society.
Stage-specific changes in fetal thymocyte proliferation during the CD4-8- to CD4+8+ transition in wild type, Rag1-/-, and Hoxa3,Pax1 mutant mice

Background The function of the thymic microenvironment is to promote thymocyte maturation, in part via regulation of thymocyte proliferation and cell death. Defects in fetal thymic epithelial cell (TEC) development and function, and therefore in the formation of a functional microenvironment, can be caused either directly by TEC differentiation defects or indirectly by defective thymocyte maturation. In this paper we studied fetal thymocyte proliferation during the early transition from the CD3-4-8- (triple negative, TN) to CD4+8+ (double positive, DP) stages. We compared wild type mice with Rag1-/- mice and with Hoxa3+/-Pax1-/- compound mutant mice, which have blocks at different stages of thymocyte development.
Crystal bases for _{}((2,1))

A construction of the crystal bases for the quantized enveloping algebra of sl(2, 1) is discussed.
Uncertain Retirement and the Effects of Social Insurance on Savings, Wealth, and Welfare

The authors construct a Blanchard-style overlapping generations model consisting of long-lived individuals who have uninsurable idiosyncratic risk resulting from uncertain retirement periods and medical costs in retirement. Without social insurance, such individuals must save for these eventualities. The authors examine the impact of pay-as-you-go social insurance policies (public pensions and medicare coverage) on individual and aggregate consumption, saving, and wealth levels as well as wealth distribution. They also derive expressions for optimal (Pareto improving) social insurance policies.
Hyperfine Structure of the Quadrupole Line 2815A and of Some Other Lines of Ionized Mercury

The structure of many lines of ionized mercury is investigated by means of apparatus of high resolving power. Most of them have been found to possess complex structure. The components of the lines 2815, 3984 and 2848A are measured and the structure analyzed in terms of isotope shift and hyperfine structure. It is shown that in the case of a forbidden line of quadrupole character like the line 2815A the intensities of the hyperfine components must be computed from the formulas given by Rubinowicz (replacing $J,L$ and $S$ by $F,J$ and $I$). The hyperfine structure splittings of the levels $6{s}^{2}{S}_{\frac{1}{2}}$, $5{d}^{9}6{s}^{2}^{2}D_{\frac{5}{2}}$ and $6{p}^{2}{P}_{\frac{3}{2}}$ found experimentally are in agreement with Goudsmit's formulas and allow in the case of the $6{s}^{2}{S}_{\frac{1}{2}}$ level a very accurate evaluation of the nuclear $g$ factors for the isotope 199. The isotopic shifts in Hg II levels are discussed.
On the components and structure of the human red cell membrane

Abstract The separation of several apparently distinct fractions from red cell ghosts by means of fractional centrifugation is described. A fraction called stromin is obtained by drying sedimented ghosts, suspended them in water and centrifuging the suspension at an alkaline pH. Another fraction called elinin is obtained in a similar manner after ether extraction of the dried material. A fraction called S protein is present in the supernatant fluids obtained in the above procedures and is separated by precipitation at an acid pH. The physical and chemical properties of these fractions are described and their possible location in the red cell is discussed. The relationship of these components to those described by other workers is also discussed.
Induction of nitric oxide synthase regulates atrial natriuretic peptide receptors in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Abstract In a previous study, we reported that cyclic GMP (cGMP) selectively down-regulates the atrial natriuretic peptide clearance receptor (ANP C receptor) in the vascular endothelial cells. The aim of the present study is to determine whether nitric oxide (NO) regulates ANP receptor by accumulating intracellular cGMP in cultured rabbit aortic smooth muscle cells. Treatment with interleukin-1β (IL-1), a cytokine known to induce NO synthase, dose-dependently increased the basal level of intracellular cGMP with a concomitant increase of nitrite in the conditioned media. These effects of IL-1 were attenuated in the presence of N ω -nitro-L-arginine. IL-1 (40 pM) significantly (P 125 I]atriopeptin III binding to the cells, an effect that was inhibited by N ω -nitro-L-arginine. Treatment with sodium nitroprusside (SNP) which releases NO also decreased [ 125 I]atriopeptin III binding to the cells. In addition, further decrease in [ 125 I]atriopeptin III binding following IL-1 or SNP treatment was observed in the presence of 0.1 mM zaprinast, a cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase inhibitor. Scatchard analysis of the binding data in the treated cells showed a decrease in B max without a significant change in K d . Affinity cross-linking of [ 125 I]atriopeptin III to the treated cells demonstrated a decrease in 70-kDa band corresponding to the ANP C receptor. Meanwhile, intracellular cGMP response to atriopeptin III was significantly (P C receptor by the accumulation of intracellular cGMP in cultured rabbit aortic smooth muscle cells. Enhanced cGMP response to atriopeptin III in the treated cells indicates that the membrane type guanylate cyclase-coupled receptor (ANP B receptor) is regulated in a differential manner.
Enhanced effect of myocardial gene transfection by VP22-mediated intercellular protein transport.

One of the major issues in myocardial gene therapy is poor transfection efficiency. The herpes simplex virus protein VP22 is known to facilitate intercellular protein transport. Not only VP22 but also VP22-linked protein are exported from the cytoplasm of cells, in which it is synthesised endogenously, and transferred to surrounding cells, where it is translocated into the nuclei. However, the feasibility and efficiency of the intercellular trafficking properties of VP22-linked protein in the myocardium has not been clarified. Rat hearts were transfected by direct intramyocardial injection of naked plasmid vectors encoding either lacZ or VP22-linked lacZ. At day 5 following transfection, similar numbers of cardiomyocytes surrounding the injection sites showed β-galactosidase (β -gal) expression in the cytoplasm in both groups. In addition to this, following transfection of VP22-linked lacZ, most of the cardiomyocytes adjacent to the cytoplasmic-positive cells demonstrated nuclear-localised β-gal expression. The number of these nuclear-positive cardiomyocytes, which are thought to be secondary protein-transported cells, was 4.3-fold greater than that of primary transfected, cytoplasmic-positive cells. Western blot analysis demonstrated that the amount of targeted protein expression is 2.9-fold greater following VP22-lacZ transfection (VP22-linked β-gal; approximately 40 kDa bigger than wild-type β-gal) compared with lacZ transfection (wild-type β-gal). This data highlights the efficiency of the VP22-mediated intercellular protein delivery in the myocardium following in vivo gene transfection and suggests that the VP22-mediated effect is useful in enhancing the efficacy of myocardial gene therapy.
A gradient-controlled proportionate technique for acoustic echo cancellation

In acoustic echo cancellation (AEC), the echo paths are often long, sparse and rapidly changing. In this paper, a new gradient controlled proportionate adaptation technique is proposed for AEC. A time-averaging gradient estimate is assigned as the gain distribution vector to assign individual step sizes so that the filter taps are updated proportionally to the magnitude of the mean of the gradient vector. Based on this new proportionate technique, we propose the gradient-controlled improved proportionate affine projection algorithm (GC-IPAPA), and gradient-controlled improved proportionate normalized least mean square algorithm (GC-IPNLMS). Simulation results demonstrate significant improvements in convergence rate and a more robust performance compared with traditional proportionate algorithms for AEC.
Characterization, optimisation and process robustness of a co-processed mannitol for the development of orally disintegrating tablets

This is a study to fully assess a commercially available co-processed mannitol for its usefulness as an off-the-shelf excipient for developing orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) by direct compression on a pilot scale (up to 4 kg). This work encompassed material characterization, formulation optimisation and process robustness. Overall, this co-processed mannitol possessed favourable physical attributes including low hygroscopicity and compactibility. Two design-of-experiments (DoEs) were used to screen and optimise the placebo formulation. Xylitol and crospovidone concentrations were found to have the most significant impact on disintegration time (p < 0.05). Higher xylitol concentrations retarded disintegration. Avicel PH102 promoted faster disintegration than PH101, at higher levels of xylitol. Without xylitol, higher crospovidone concentrations yielded faster disintegration and reduced tablet friability. Lubrication sensitivity studies were later conducted at two fill loads, three levels for lubrican...
Immune reactivity prior to development of thymic lymphoma in C57BL mice

The immune response of C57BL mice was tested following treatment with either irradiation or methylcholanthrene. Response to a weak histocompatibility antigen difference (male to female skin grafts) was found to be depressed after both treatments as was the response to a strong (H2) antigen difference as measured by the Simonsen graft-versus-host reaction. The potent immunodepressant drug 6-mercaptopurine was found to be carcinogenic in this strain of mouse, inducing approximately 29 % thymic lymphomas when given to young mice. Females of the high spontaneous lymphoma strain AKR were found to have a markeldly decreased ability to reject male skin grafts as compared with the C57BL strain.
Alexine Tinné: Nineteenth-Century Explorer of Africa

This brief biographical account of the life and times of Dutch woman Alexine Tinne argues that she was both a ‘lady traveler’ and a recognized explorer of Victorian-era northern Africa. The president of the Royal Geographical Society reported her explorations and adventures at meetings alongside the reports of travels by such illustrious men as Baker, Speke, Grant, Petherick, and Livingstone. Tinne ruffled feathers along the way, as this was ‘no place for a lady’ according to her male counterparts. Taking several journeys on the Nile and its tributaries in the period 1860–65, Tinne filled the roles of noble lady, adventuress, explorer, and that of Victorian lady traveler.
Planck scale symmetry breaking and majoron physics

Abstract Majoron models provide neutrino masses via the spontaneous breaking of a global U(1) symmetry. However, it may be argued that all global symmetries will be explicitly violated by gravitational effects. We show that it is possible to preserve most of the usual features of majoron models by invoking U(1) B-L to be a gauge symmetry and adding a second singlet scalar field. The majoron gets a small model dependent mass. The couplings of majorons to neutrinos may be of ordinary strength or may be made arbitrarily weak. We discuss the cosmological and astrophysical consequences of majoron models in the context of a model dependent majoron mass and neutrino coupling. For an appropriate choice of parameters majorons can play the role of dark matter.
Parenting children with and without developmental delay: the role of self-mastery.

Background While parenting behaviours have direct effects on children’s behavioural outcomes, other, more distal factors also may be shaping the way a mother handles parenting responsibilities. Dispositional factors are likely to be a major influence in determining how one parents. Although researchers have studied the relationships among maternal dispositional factors, parenting, and child behaviours, few studies have examined these relationships when the child is at developmental risk. Children with developmental delays evidence elevated clinical level behaviour problems, so this group is of primary interest in the search for precursors to psychopathology. The present study examined how the maternal dispositional trait of self-mastery, as well as supportive and non-supportive parenting, relate to behaviour problems in young children with and without developmental delay. Method Participants were  families, drawn from Central Pennsylvania and Southern California. The children, all aged  years, were classified as delayed ( n =  ) or non-delayed ( n =  ). The Self-Mastery Scale measured perceived level of control over life events. The Coping with Children’s Negative Emotions Scale measured different ways parents perceive themselves as reacting to their children’s distress and
Disruption of lordosis by dorsal midbrain lesions in the golden hamster

Bilateral lesions of the dorsal midbrain at levels from the anterior to posterior deep tectum abolished lordosis responses to males or manual stimuli. The lesions also blocked reflexive head turning and biting responses to tactile stimulation of the face. Unilateral dorsal midbrain lesions impaired responses to stimuli impinging upon the contralateral body and/or face without affecting lordosis responses to ipsilaterally-applied manual stimuli. The pattern of deficits following unilateral lesions was consistent with the known somatosensory organization of the dorsal midbrain, but the uniform effectiveness of the bilateral lesions placed at any anterior-posterior level of the dorsal midbrain may have been due to bilateral interruption of central gray efferents in addition to deep tectal neuronal damage. Neither bilateral nor unilateral lesions had to involve the central gray to produce their effects.
Ion scattering analysis of speckles appearing on solution heat-treated Al–Li alloys

Abstract The surfaces of Al–Li 2090 alloys are typically covered with small dark spots or speckles following vertical solution heat-treatment and water quenching. Ion scattering spectroscopy (ISS) has indicated that the surface concentration of fluorine in the speckled areas is significantly less than that in the normal appearing areas. The non-uniform surface distribution of fluorine apparently results from the use of ammonium fluoborate in the solution heat-treating furnaces to prevent high temperature oxidation (HTO).
Refinement of Speech Breathing in Healthy 4- to 6-Year-Old Children

Purpose The purpose of this study was to offer a better understanding of the development of neuromotor control for speech breathing and provide a normative data set that can serve as a useful stand...
Electron-stimulated production of molecular oxygen in amorphous solid water.

The low-energy, electron-stimulated production of molecular oxygen from pure amorphous solid water (ASW) films and ASW films co-dosed with H2O2 is investigated. Layered films of H216O and H218O are used to determine the spatial profile of the reactions in the films leading to O2. The O2 yield is dose-dependent, indicating that precursors are involved in the O2 production. For temperatures below {approx}80 K, the O2 yield at steady state is relatively low and nearly independent of temperature. At higher temperatures, the yield increases rapidly. The O2 yield is enhanced from H2O2-dosed water films, but the experiments show that H2O2 is not the final precursor in the reactions leading to O2. Instead, a stable precursor for O2 is produced through a multi-step reaction sequence probably involving the reactions of OH radicals to produce H2O2 and then HO2. The O2 is produced in a non-thermal reaction from the HO2. For relatively thick films, the reactions leading to O2 occur at or near the ASW/vacuum interface. However, the electronic excitations which initiate the reactions occur over a larger range in the film. A kinetic model which qualitatively accounts for all of the observations is presented.
Resource utilization after gastrostomy tube placement: defining areas of improvement for future quality improvement projects.

Abstract Background Gastrostomy tube (GT) placement is a frequent procedure at a tertiary care children's hospital. Because of underlying patient illness and the nature of the device, patients often require multiple visits to the emergency room for GT-related concerns. We hypothesized that the majority of our patient visits to the ER related to gastrostomy tube concerns were not medically urgent. The purpose of this study was to characterize the incidence and indications for GT-related emergency room visits and readmission rates in order to develop family educational material that might allow for these nonurgent concerns to be addressed on an outpatient basis. Methods We reviewed the medical records of all patients with GT placement in the operating room from January 2011 to September 2012. We evaluated our primary outcome of ER visits at less than 30 days after discharge and 30–365 days after discharge. The purpose of the ER visit was categorized as either mechanical (dislodgement, leaking) or wound-related (infection, granulation tissue). Additional outcomes assessed included readmission rates, reoperation rates, and the use of gastrostomy contrast studies. Results During the study period, 247 patients had gastrostomy tubes placed at our institution at a median age of 15.3 months (range 0.03 months–22 years). Of the total patient population, 219 were discharged less than 30 days after their operation (89%). Of these, 42 (20%) returned to the emergency room a total of 44 times within 30 days of discharge for concerns related to their GT. Avoidable visits related to leaking, mild clogs, and granulation tissue were seen in 17/44 (39%). An additional 40 patients among the entire cohort of 247 (16%) presented to the ER a total of 71 times 31–365 days post-discharge; 59 (83%) of these visits were potentially avoidable. The readmission rate related to the GT was low (4%). Conclusions Few studies have attempted to quantify the amount of postoperative resources utilized post-GT placement in children. Our findings indicated this is not an insignificant quantity. In response to these findings, we have developed a series of educational materials and identified a dedicated nurse to perform inpatient gastrostomy education to these patients prior to discharge.
Obesity- and aging-induced excess of central transforming growth factor-β potentiates diabetic development via an RNA stress response

The brain, in particular the hypothalamus, plays a role in regulating glucose homeostasis; however, it remains unclear whether this organ is causally and etiologically involved in the development of diabetes. Here, we found that hypothalamic transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) production is excessive under conditions of not only obesity but also aging, which are two general etiological factors of type 2 diabetes. Pharmacological and genetic approaches revealed that central TGF-β excess caused hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance independent of a change in body weight. Further, using cell-specific genetic analyses in vivo, we found that astrocytes and proopiomelanocortin neurons are responsible for the production and prodiabetic effect of central TGF-β, respectively. Mechanistically, TGF-β excess induced a hypothalamic RNA stress response, resulting in accelerated mRNA decay of IκBα, an inhibitor of proinflammatory nuclear factor-κB. These results reveal an atypical, mRNA metabolism-driven hypothalamic nuclear factor-κB activation, a mechanism that links obesity as well as aging to hypothalamic inflammation and ultimately to type 2 diabetes.
Intercellular adhesion molecule I (ICAM-1) expression by rat fetal alveolar epithelial cells in vitro. |[bull]| 1784

ICAM-1 is an important molecule in immune and inflammatory interactions that is expressed abundantly on normal type I cells in the adult lung. ICAM-1 expression by adult alveolar epithelial cells in vitro is a function of cell differentiation that is greatly influenced by cell shape. Previously we found that there is low level expression of ICAM-1 on primitive cuboidal epithelial cells in the developing rat lung, and that this expression increases dramatically in neonatal life during alveolarization, suggesting that ICAM-1 expression on maturing alveolar epithelial cells (AEC) is a developmentally regulated process. To further investigate the mechanisms involved in this process, AEC were isolated from 21 day fetal rats (term=22 day) by enzymatic cell dispersion and differential adherence. Epithelial cell purity was consistently >90%. Adult type II AEC were used for comparison. After 2 days, adult AEC that had spread in culture expressed abundant ICAM-1 that remained stable through 7 days in culture. Although both adult and fetal cells had assumed a similar flat, squamous shape at 2 days, fetal AEC expressed dramatically less ICAM-1 by Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence microscopy. However, by 4 days in culture, ICAM-1 expression had increased markedly in the fetal AEC, and was similar to that in adult cells. Thus, fetal AEC recapitulate the differentiation-related induction of ICAM-1 expression by isolated cells in vitro found with cells from adult animals. However, ICAM-1 expression in fetal AEC is determined by additional AEC features beyond cell shape and cell-cell interactions.
A 300-MHz CMOS voltage-controlled ring oscillator

A voltage-controlled ring oscillator based on feedback derived from a weighted sum of two phases of an oscillation is described. A prototype fabricated in 1- mu m CMOS attains a maximum frequency of 320 MHz, with a controllable frequency range of 100 MHz. An almost sinusoidal waveform appears at the output across this range of frequencies. >
The Ethics of Organizational Secrets

Most organizations are holders of sanctioned and unsanctioned secrets. While some secrets such as product formulas are necessary and ethical, others such as hiding the negative health effects of smoking tobacco are unethical. We examine secrets along two dimensions: The first one examines the beneficiaries and victims/targets of a secret while the second focuses on whether the secret was sanctioned by the secret holders, the organization, or society. Thinking about secrets along these two dimensions helps provide a handle on the complexities involved in understanding the ethics of organizational secrets.
Conserving biodiversity: the tropical challenge

Passion, dedication, and persistence are essential character traits for leading conservation efforts in the face of a daunting and ever-growing list of threats to biodiversity (and sometimes to conservationists themselves). Our friend, colleague, and collaborator Navjot S. Sodhi had these in abundance and Conservation Biology: Voices from the Tropics is the perfect symbol of his legacy. Navjot was a devoted and accomplished conservationist who led a globally influential, productive, and inspiring career before his unexpected and heart-breaking passing in 2011 [1].
Comparison of Reward Modulation in the Frontal Eye Field and Caudate of the Macaque

The frontal eye field (FEF) influences saccade generation via direct projections to the superior colliculus and an indirect pathway through the basal ganglia. To test whether different reward information is represented in the FEF and the basal ganglia, we recorded from the FEF and the caudate nucleus in monkeys performing an asymmetrically rewarded memory-guided saccade task. A peripheral cue at one of two opposing positions was flashed briefly to indicate the saccade target. In a given block, one position was associated with big reward and the other with small reward. Big-reward position was alternated between blocks. In this task, the FEF and caudate displayed similar prevalence of neuronal activity before cue onset that was larger in blocks with specific big reward-cue position associations. They also exhibit comparable reward modulation of visual responses that were spatially selective. In contrast, visual responses that were specific to expected reward size, instead of spatial locations, were commonly observed in caudate but rarely seen in the FEF. Thus, both the FEF and basal ganglia may contribute to reward bias in saccade generation, with the FEF providing spatially relevant reward information and the basal ganglia providing additional reward-specific information.
Anxiety and classroom examination performance.

Studied classroom examination performance over the course of an entire semester as a function of (a) students' anxiety level (high, medium, low); (b) difficulty level of exam question (more vs. less difficult); (c) type of exam question (rote memory vs. generalization); (d) sex of S; and (e) intelligence level of S. As expected, there was a strong main effect of anxiety and a significant interaction between anxiety and item difficulty. The latter was consistent with the Hull-Spence formulation of learning and performance--as the habit strength of incorrect responses increases (i.e., as the items become more difficult), the superiority of low over high anxious Ss also should increase. When item difficulty was held constant, anxiety did not interact with type of exam question.
Estimation of Drainage Areas in a Homogeneous Landscape

Summary In areas where there is little or no topographic relief and where soils, vegetation, geologic structure and other factors are essentially uniform, identification of drainage basin boundaries is difficult or impossible. In such a homogeneous landscape, however, assumptions may be made that the hydrologic and geomorphic controls over drainage basin development are constant within the area. If this is true, it is suggested, the drainage area of a stream is related solely to the stream length and factors governing the length-area relationship are also constant. A simple formula based on these assumptions and the gravity model is proposed which can be used to estimate drainage divides in a homogeneous landscape.
Pro-oxidant iron in exhaled breath condensate: a potential excretory mechanism.

Summary Aims Pro-oxidant iron provides a potential measure of iron-catalysed oxidative stress in biological fluids. This study aimed, to investigate if the Bleomycin technique for measurement of pro-oxidant iron in biological fluids could be utilised for determinations in exhaled breath condensate (EBC). Secondly, to measure levels of pro-oxidant iron in EBC from asthmatics after exposure to polluting city environments. Methods Retrospective analysis of samples of EBC and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Pro-oxidant iron levels were determined by the Bleomycin method. Transferrin levels were determined by radial diffusion immunoassay and lactoferrin by ELISA. Subjects : Patients undergoing surgery necessitating cardiopulmonary bypass, normal healthy controls, "healthy" smokers, and asthmatics (mild and moderate). Results Pro-oxidant iron was significantly decreased (p Conclusion Similar patterns in the levels of pro-oxidant iron detectable in EBC and paired BALF from patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (pre and post surgery) suggest a potential for EBC determinations. Significantly elevated levels in EBC from smokers relative to control subjects provide further support for this technique. In asthma disease severity and environmental exposure influenced levels of pro-oxidant iron measured in EBC indicating a potential for enhanced iron-catalysed oxidative stress.
Hyperfine Field Spectra in Fe-Mn and Fe-V Alloys

The hyperfine field distributions at both the host and the impurity nuclei in iron-rich Fe-Mn and Fe-V alloys have been examined by nuclear resonance techniques.
A simplified but intuitive analytical model for intermittent-contact-mode force microscopy based on Hertzian mechanics

The forces acting on the substrate in intermittent-contact-mode (IC mode, tapping mode) atomic force microscopy are not accessible to a direct measurement. For an estimation of these forces, a simple analytical model is developed by considering only the shift of the cantilever resonance frequency caused by Hertzian (contact) forces. Based on the relationship between frequency shift and tip–sample force for large-amplitude frequency-modulation atomic force microscopy, amplitude and phase versus distance curves are calculated for the intermittent contact mode, and the forces on the substrate are calculated. The results show a qualitative agreement with numerical calculations, yielding typical maximal forces of 50–150 nN. When working above the unperturbed resonance, forces are found to be significantly larger than below the resonance.
A bedside method for investigating the integrity and critical thresholds of cerebral pressure autoregulation in severe traumatic brain injury patients

To avoid ischaemic secondary insults after severe head injury (SHI) it would be helpful to know the relationship between cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) and intracranial pressure (ICP). Static cerebrovascular autoregulation (AR) was tested in 14 patients after SHI. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was varied to detect changes in intracranial pressure (ICP) indicative of intact AR. Three types of responses were observed: (1) MAP elevation causes an increase in ICP; (2) MAP elevation has no or very little effect on ICP; (3) MAP elevation lowers ICP; Changes between types 1/2 and type 3 suggests AR breakpoints. Varying response types and breakpoints were observed between and within patients. Lower AR breakpoints were seen from 60 to 80 mmHg CPP, upper breakpoints were as high as 112. CPP monitoring achieves a twofold utility in targeted therapy: (1) defining the range of intact AR; and (2) lower AR breakpoint assessment to avoid secondary insults. Although the precise relationship between pAR breakpoints and the adequacy of cerebral perfusion to meet metabolic needs remains unclear, a technique such as described here is simple and has much to offer in targeting therapy toward specific pathophysiological processes in traumatic brain injury.
A defective interfering RNA that contains a mosaic of a plant virus genome.

Abstract A symptom-modulating RNA associated with tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) was investigated with respect to physical and biological properties. Linear RNA of approximately 396 nucleotides was packaged in viral coat protein and was dependent on TBSV for replication. Coinoculation of the small RNA with TBSV resulted in the attenuation of TBSV-induced symptoms and depression of virus synthesis in whole plants. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that the symptom-modulating RNA was derived from 5′, 3′, and internal segments of the TBSV genome. The identification of this symptom-modulating RNA as a colinear deletion mutant of the helper virus genome establishes it as the first definitive defective interfering RNA (DI RNA) to be identified in association with a plant virus.
Medical pluralism in world perspective

Abstract Starting from the observation of local medical systems, anthropologists cultivate an evenhanded view of medical pluralism, in contrast to the normative view that characterizes health professionals. From this perspective, the division of labor between different kinds of practice appears as a continuously negotiated compromise structure and cosmopolitan medical practices are seen to adapt to local cultures. Also, when the Chinese system is described as a comprehensive normative system, one suspects that its pluralistic structure has been neglected and that planners who want to encourage the utilization of traditional medicine in developing countries should learn more about the on-going nature of medical pluralism.
A parametric study of self-similar blast waves

Comprehensive examination of self-similar blast waves with respect to two parameters, one describing the front velocity and the other the variation of the ambient density immediately ahead of the front. All possible front trajectories are taken into account, including limiting cases of the exponential and logarithmic form. The structure of the waves is analyzed by means of a phase plane defined in terms of two reduced coordinates. Loci of extrema of the integral curves in the phase plane are traced, and loci of singularities are determined on the basis of their intersections. Boundary conditons are introduced for the case where the medium into which the waves propagate is at rest. Representative solutions, pertaining to all the possible cases of blast waves bounded by shock fronts propagating into an atmosphere of uniform density, are obtained by evaluating the integral curves and determining the corresponding profiles of the gasdynamic parameters. Particular examples of integral curves for waves bounded by detonations are given, and all the degenerate solutions corresponding to cases where the integral curve is reduced to a point are delineated.
Pseudo-time algorithms for the Navier-Stokes equations

A pseudo-time method is introduced to integrate the compressible Navier-Stokes equations to a steady state. This method is a generalization of a method used by Crocco and also by Allen and Cheng. We show that for a simple heat equation that this is just a renormalization of the time. For a convection-diffusion equation the renormalization is dependent only on the viscous terms. We implement the method for the Navier-Stokes equations using a Runge-Kutta type algorithm. This enables the time-step to be chosen based on the inviscid model only. We also discuss the use of residual smoothing when viscous terms are present.
The Theory of Acoustic Resonance and Acoustic Instability in HID Lamps

AbstractThis paper reviews the current state of knowledge of acoustic instabilities in HID lamps. The phenomenon of acoustic instability has been investigated during the last four decades. However the exact physical background of this effect is still unclear. Based on the theory of acoustic streaming, a new explanation of the physical reasons for the excitation of acoustic instabilities and the temporal response of the discharge is given. To support the discussed hypothesis a real case of acoustic instability is investigated. It is shown that this hypothesis is able to explain some behavior of the lamp discharge when an acoustic resonance is excited.
Preparation of terdentate complexes of 4-cyclohexylphosphorin: π-M(CO)3C11H15PM′(CO)5(M= Cr, Mo; M′ = Cr, Mo, W)

Abstract The first examples of a π-bound aromatic heterocyclic ring in which the hetero atom is also σ-bonded to a second metal atom have been prepared.
Geophysical interpretations of heat-flow provinces of Venus utilizing Magellan SAR imaging

Venus is the earth’s “sister planet” both in terms of the planets’ proximity and their physical characteristics. From the earth, Venus is visible before dawn in the southeast hemisphere and after evening twilight in the southwest hemisphere. Venus was certainly one of the first planets to be noticed by the ancients because of its bright appearance, at times being visible even in the daylight hours.
Optical switch with a holographic Mach-Zehnder interferometer in a bulk photorefractive crystal

We demonstrate an optical switch with a holographic Mach-Zehnder interferometer in a bulk photorefractive crystal. We perform theoretical studies of the grating recording conditions, required crystal orientation, and applied voltage for this photorefractive optical switch. We experimentally demonstrated the switch in a LiNbO3:Fe crystal cut in the shape of an elongated hexagon using the 514 nm line from an argon laser. A modulation depth of 75% was obtained experimentally.
Chlamydia Screening: Expanding the Scope

The findings reported by Hu and colleagues in this issue reinforce recommended practice for chlamydia screening and force us to confront our failure to fully implement the clinical practices that t...