cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhancement of Molecular Fluorescence near the Surface of Colloidal Metal Films

Fluorescence enhancement was studied on silver colloidal metal films (CMFs) using two systems: (1) Langmuir−Blodgett monolayers of fluorescein-labeled phospholipids separated from the surface of the films by spacer layers of octadecanoic acid and (2) biotin−fluorescein conjugates captured by avidin molecules adsorbed on top of a multilayer structure formed by alternating layers of bovine serum albumin−biotin conjugate (BSA−biotin) and avidin. The dependence of fluorescence intensity on the number of lipid or protein spacer layers deposited on the surface of the CMF was investigated. The results demonstrate the requirement for adsorbate location within the region between Ag particles for maximal enhancement. The density of avidin molecules on the surface of the BSA−biotin/avidin multilayers adsorbed on the CMF was also determined. A procedure for forming a rigid, uniform silica layer around the Ag particles on the CMF is described. The layer protects the particles from undesirable chemical reactions such ...
Dynamic visuometric techniques

A general technique is described to automate the measurement of visual thresholds. The method is based on the dynamic analog of the method of adjustment, incorporating continuous feedback. Threshold is treated as a system interaction between some level of response and sensed input. The S tracks a stimulus that continually oscillates in magnitude around threshold. The accuracy and variability of the S’s response provides a dynamic and functional assessment of the threshold under the condition of the experiment. Techniques for instrumenting several visuometric procedures are described.
Teaching the Conditional Use of Communicative Requests to Two School-Age Children With Severe Developmental Disabilities

Purpose Two boys with severe developmental disabilities were taught to conditionally use requests to obtain desired snack items. Method When items were in the possession of another person (teacher, peer) or proximally distant, learners were taught to emit communicative requests. When items were proximally near, learners engaged in a self-selecting response. Results Results suggest that the conditional discriminations were established quickly. Both learners generalized their conditional discriminations to other contexts within the classroom. Clinical Implications This study demonstrates the importance of attending to conditional discriminations when teaching communication requests.
Alignment and Permeability of Al-7Si Alloy Directional Solidification with the Application of a Pulsed Magnetic Field

An experiment on the directional solidification of Al-7Si alloys under the influence of a pulsed magnetic field (PMF) is performed. Maximal peak value of PMF intensity up to 0.226 T between two iron cores was generated when a capacitor bank of 120 µF capacitance with initial voltage of 1000 V was triggered to a pair of solenoids. The PMF decreases the temperature gradient ahead of the liquidus front and increases the width of the mushy zone. The convection of symmetrical vortices seems to charge the intersectional growth of primary dendrite stems and the decrease of dendrite arms spacing under a PMF with higher magnetic intensities. Using Darcy's permeability law and Lehmann's model, the order of magnitude of the interdendritic liquid flow velocities with the application of PMF is evaluated. A strong damped effect of the mushy zone in the bulk flow of the melt is revealed.
Rapid Detection of Virulence Genes in Vibrio cholerae from Edible Ice in Jakarta

Vibrio cholerae is a bacteria that lives naturally in an aquatic environment. It causes a waterborne disease which is called cholera. Infection of waterborne disease occurs via the fecal-oral route, mostly through drinking water. As we know, ice is made from city water sources and it is commonly used in beverages. Most of publications about V.cholerae come from clinical samples, while little is known about the presence of these bacteria in potable water, especially in ice. In this study, we isolated V. cholerae from ice in Jakarta and continued with detection of the virulence genes. We recovered V. cholerae from ice samples and then continued with detection of virulence genes including toxR, ctxA, ompU, tcpA, ace, zot using multiplex PCR. The results indicated that all of the samples were non-toxigenic strains, but were classified as pathogenic strains because they have at least one of the virulence genes present. The presence of pathogenic V. cholerae in edible ice needs to be emphasized since they have some of the virulence factors and also the class 1 integron. Keywords: Vibrio cholerae, ice, multiplex PCR, virulence genes,
Short Physical Performance Battery in Hospitalized Older Adults

Background and aims: The objectives of this study were to determine if Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) information could be collected in a hospitalized older patient population, and to assess associations between SPPB scores and sociodemographic characteristics and clinical measures. Methods: A cross sectional design was used that included 90 adults aged 65 years or older admitted to an Acute Care for Elders unit. Patient information was collected within 24 hours of hospitalization. SPPB was scored using established criteria in older persons living in the community and revised criteria based on older persons hospitalized with acute illness. Results: The mean age was 75.3 (SD 7.1) years; 61% were women. The SPPB can be safely and reliably administered to hospitalized elderly patients. No injuries or adverse events occurred. Hospital SPPB scoring criteria better distributed the overall range of performance for older patients than community SPPB scoring criteria. In multivariate regression analyses, increasing age (p=0.007), length of stay (p=0.02), comorbidities (p=0.04), and cognition (p=0.02) were significantly and inversely associated with SPPB when scored using hospital based scoring criteria. Only age (p=0.02) was significantly associated with SPPB when using community based scoring criteria. Conclusions: This study showed that a SPPB can be reliably collected in hospitalized older patients. The study further suggests that hospital based SPPB scoring criteria may be more appropriate for an older patient population.
Expressive Vocabulary of German-English Bilingual Toddlers

This study investigated whether young children learning two languages simultaneously are inherently weaker language learners than their monolingual counterparts. Two questions were examined: (a) wh...
Cognitive Effects of Cancer Chemotherapy in Adult Cancer Survivors: Cognitive-Behavioral Management

Problems of memory and attention following cancer chemotherapies have gained increasing research attention in the last 2 decades. The President’s Cancer Panel and the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship formally recognized the problem as a quality of life matter in the 1990s (Ferrell and Hassey in Oncology 11:565–576, 1997; President’s Cancer Panel in Cancer Care Issues in the United States: Quality of Care, Quality of Life, National Cancer Program, National Cancer Institute, 1999). In combination with an aging population, advances in biomedical technologies for detection and treatment of life-threatening cancers, more people than ever are living with cancer or have been diagnosed and treated for cancer. An estimated 10-million individuals living in the U.S. are considered to be in “cancer survivorship” (Institute of Medicine 2005). Given the potential large scope of the problem of cognitive effects of cancer chemotherapies, there is a strong demand to address this survivorship matter and develop methods to optimally manage it. This article will summarize the current knowledge of chemotherapy-related cognitive change and describe a developing cognitive-behavioral treatment that is being studied to aid survivors with chemotherapy-related cognitive problems.
Major Risk Factors as Antecedents of Fatal and Nonfatal Coronary Heart Disease Events

ContextA frequently cited concept is that individual major risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) are absent in many patients (perhaps >50%) with CHD. However, prior studies have not systematically evaluated the extent to which CHD patients have previous exposure to at least 1 risk factor, including diabetes, cigarette smoking, or clinically elevated levels of cholesterol or blood pressure.ObjectiveTo determine the frequency of exposure to major CHD risk factors.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThree prospective cohort studies were included: the Chicago Heart Association Detection Project in Industry, with a population sample of 35 642 employed men and women aged 18 to 59 years; screenees for the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial, including 347 978 men aged 35 to 57 years; and a population-based sample of 3295 men and women aged 34 to 59 years from the Framingham Heart Study (FHS). Follow-up lasted 21 to 30 years across the studies.Main Outcome MeasuresFatal CHD in all cohorts and nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) in the FHS, compared by exposure to major CHD risk factors, defined as total cholesterol of at least 240 mg/dL (≥6.22 mmol/L), systolic blood pressure of at least 140 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure of at least 90 mm Hg, cigarette smoking, and diabetes. Participants were stratified by sex and age (18-39 vs 40-59 years).ResultsFor fatal CHD (n = 20 995), exposure to at least 1 clinically elevated major risk factor ranged from 87% to 100%. Among those aged 40 to 59 years at baseline with fatal CHD (n = 19 263), exposure to at least 1 major risk factor ranged from 87% to 94%. For nonfatal MI, prior exposure was documented in 92% (95% CI, 87%-96%) (n = 167) of men aged 40 to 59 years at baseline and in 87% (95% CI, 80%-94%) (n = 94) of women in this age group.ConclusionsAntecedent major CHD risk factor exposures were very common among those who developed CHD, emphasizing the importance of considering all major risk factors in determining CHD risk estimation and in attempting to prevent clinical CHD. These results challenge claims that CHD events commonly occur in persons without exposure to at least 1 major CHD risk factor.
New sol–gel synthetic route to transition and main-group metal oxide aerogels using inorganic salt precursors

Abstract We have developed a new sol–gel route to synthesize several different transition and main-group metal oxide aerogels. The approach is straightforward, inexpensive, versatile, and it produces monolithic microporous materials with high surface areas. Specifically, we report the use of epoxides as gelation agents for the sol–gel synthesis of chromia aerogels and xerogels from simple Cr(III) inorganic salts. The dependence of both gel formation and its rate was studied by varying the solvent used, the Cr(III) precursor salt, the epoxide/Cr(III) ratio, as well as the type of epoxide employed. All of these variables were shown to affect the rate of gel formation and provide a convenient control of this parameter. Dried chromia aerogels were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and nitrogen adsorption/desorption analyses, results of which will be presented. The results presented here show that rigid monolithic metal oxide aerogels can be prepared from solutions of their respective metal ion salts (Fe3+, Al3+, In3+, Ga3+, Zr4+, Hf4+, Ta5+, Nb5+, and W6+), provided the formal oxidation state of the metal ion is greater than or equal to +3. Conversely, when di-valent transition metal salts are used precipitated solids are the products.
Poynting's theorem and luminal total energy transport in passive dielectric media.

~Received 26 June 2000; revised manuscript received 17 May 2001; published 25 September 2001! Without approximation the energy density in Poynting’s theorem for the generally dispersive and passive dielectric medium is demonstrated to be a system total dynamical energy density. Thus the density in Poynting’s theorem is a conserved form that by virtue of its positive definitenessprescribes important qualitative and quantitative features of the medium-field dynamics by rendering the system dynamically closed. This fully three-dimensional result, applicable to anisotropic and inhomogeneous media, is model independent, relying solely on the complex-analytic consequences of causality and passivity. As direct applications of this result, we show ~1! that a causal medium responds to a virtual, ‘‘instantaneous’’ field spectrum, ~2! that a causal, passive medium supports only a luminal front velocity, ~3! that the spatial ‘‘center-of-mass’’ motion of the total dynamical energy is also always luminal and ~4! that contrary to ~3! the spatial center-of-mass speed of subsets of the total dynamical energy can be arbitrarily large. Thus we show that in passive media superluminal estimations of energy transport velocity for spatially extended pulses is inextricably associated with incomplete energy accounting.
Health Savings Accounts: Description, Analysis, and Implications

Health savings accounts (HSAs) were authorized in federal legislation in 2003 and became effective January 1, 2004. The principal motive was to encourage working-age persons to be more cost conscious and to make more prudent health care spending decisions, thereby restraining growth in health care spending. A secondary motive was to make it easier for individuals to accumulate funds over time to be used for paying for health care. As of March 2005, enrollment in HSAs exceeded 1 million. Contributions to HSAs can be made by individuals or employers. Neither contributions nor withdrawals for qualified health care expenses are subject to federal taxation. Unused funds can be carried over to the next year or to another employer; this feature makes HSAs more attractive than other types of health spending accounts. An HSA must be coupled with a high-deductible health plan. The out-of-pocket spending gap between the annual HSA contribution and the minimum deductible is intended to make people more cost conscious in their health spending decisions. Prototypes of HSAs have been tried on a limited basis in the private sector, and these provide some lessons for the likely effects of HSAs on the socioeconomics of enrollment; the type and timing of health care spending; health outcomes; and effects on individuals, employers, and providers.
Assessing the potential contribution of vacant land to urban vegetable production and consumption in Oakland, California

Abstract As urban agriculture grows in popularity, researchers are attempting to quantify its potential contribution to local food systems. We present the results of a vacant land inventory conducted in collaboration with the HOPE Collaborative, a multi-stakeholder, community-based initiative in Oakland, CA, USA. Vacant lots, open space, and underutilized parks with agricultural potential were identified using GIS and aerial imagery. Using visual interpretation, we identified 1201 ac (486.4 ha) of public land and 337 ac (136.4 ha) of private land that could potentially be used for vegetable production. Based on USDA loss-adjusted consumption data, we calculated the potential contribution of these sites to the city's current and recommended vegetable needs. Calculations were based on average yields under three different management practices: conventional at 10 tons/ac (22.4 Mg/ha); low-biointensive at 15 tons/ac (33.6 Mg/ha); and medium-biointensive at 25 tons/ac (56.0 Mg/ha). Four different land use scenarios were considered: (1) all identified sites (
Hierarchical watermarking in IC design

A formalization of the watermarking problem is presented and basic algorithms for its generation and detection at several abstraction levels are proposed. The concepts of robustness against forgery and theft tracing are analyzed in light of the proposed algorithms.
Leptin as a predictor of carcass composition in beef cattle

Our objective was to determine if serum concentrations of leptin could be used to predict carcass composition and merit in feedlot finished cattle. Two different groups of crossbred Bostaurus steers and heif- ers were managed under feedlot conditions near Miles City, MT. The first group consisted of 88 ¹⁄₂ Red Angus, ¹⁄₄ Charolais, and ¹⁄₄ Tarentaise composite gene combi- nation steers (CGC) harvested at the ConAgra pro- cessing facility in Greeley, CO. The second group (Lean Beef Project; LB) consisted of 91 F2 steers and heifers born to Limousin, Hereford, or Piedmontese by CGC F1 cows crossed to F1 bulls of similar breed composition and harvested at a local processing facility in Miles City, MT. Blood samples were collected approximately 24 h before harvest (CGC) or approximately 3 d before and at harvest (LB). No differences in serum concentra- tions of leptin were detected (P > 0.10) between Here- ford, Limousin, or Piedmontese F2 calves nor between
An experimental study of the effects of salt erosion on pottery

Abstract The effects of the non-cultural formation process of salt erosion on ceramics were studied experimentally in order to determine if variations in manufacturing techniques affect susceptibility to salt damage. Briquettes with differing firing temperatures, surface finishes, and presence or absence of sand temper were subjected to erosional cycles with mesquite wood ash as the salt source. Resulting damage was recorded in photograph and photomicrograph. Firing temperature proved to be the only significant variable. Briquettes with high firing temperatures eroded less than those with low firing temperatures. Surface treatment and tempering had no effect on the amount of salt erosion.
Markov chains and probabilistic computation-a general framework for multiplexed nanoelectronic systems

In emerging nanotechnologies, reliable computation will have to be carried out with unreliable components being integral parts of computing systems. One promising scheme for designing these systems is von Neumann's multiplexing technique. Using bifurcation theory and its associated geometrical representation, we have studied a NAND-multiplexing system recently proposed. The behavior of the system is characterized by the stationary distribution of a Markov chain, which is uni- or bi-modal, when the error probability of NAND gates is larger or smaller than the threshold value, respectively. The two modes and the median of the stationary distribution are the keys to the characterization of the system reliability. Examples of potential future nanochips are used to illustrate how the NAND-multiplexing technique can lead to high system reliability in spite of large gate error probability while keeping the cost of redundancy moderate. In nanoelectronic systems, while permanent defects can be taken care of by reconfiguration, probabilistic computation schemes can incorporate another level of redundancy so that high tolerance of transient errors may be achieved. The Markov chain model is shown to be a powerful tool for the analysis of multiplexed nanoelectronic systems.
Modern treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease: surgery vs medication.

Context: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic, relapsing disease with symptoms that have negative effects on daily life. Two treatment options are long-term medication or surgery. Objective: To evaluate optimized esomeprazole therapy vs standardized laparoscopic antireflux surgery (LARS) in patients with GERD. Design, Setting, and Participants: The LOTUS trial, a 5-year exploratory randomized, open, parallel-group trial conducted in academic hospitals in 11 European countries between October 2001 and April 2009 among 554 patients with well-established chronic GERD who initially responded to acid suppression. A total of 372 patients (esomeprazole, n = 192; LARS, n = 180) completed 5-year follow-up. Interventions: Two hundred sixty-six patients were randomly assigned to receive esomeprazole, 20 to 40 mg/d, allowing for dose adjustments; 288 were randomly assigned to undergo LARS, of whom 248 actually underwent the operation. Main Outcome Measure: Time to treatment failure (for LARS, defined as need for acid suppressive therapy; for esomeprazole, inadequate symptom control after dose adjustment), expressed as estimated remission rates and analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Estimated remission rates at 5 years were 92% (95% confidence interval [CI], 89%-96%) in the esomeprazole group and 85% (95% CI, 81%-90%) in the LARS group (log-rank P = .048). The difference between groups was no longer statistically significant following best-case scenario modeling of the effects of study dropout. The prevalence and severity of symptoms at 5 years in the esomeprazole and LARS groups, respectively, were 16% and 8% for heartburn (P = .14), 13% and 2% for acid regurgitation (P Conclusion: This multicenter clinical trial demonstrated that with contemporary antireflux therapy for GERD, either by drug-induced acid suppression with esomeprazole or by LARS, most patients achieve and remain in remission at 5 years. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00251927
Watching the Weather Using a Seismograph

Scientists are by nature a curious group of people (in all senses of that phrase!). Seismologists want to know everything they can about earthquakes, physicists about elementary particles, meteorologists about the weather, etc. Most scientists are curious not only about their own disciplines but also about many other scientific subjects as well. For example, I am a seismologist by training, but each fall I teach an introductory meteorology course to non-science majors at Boston College as part of the students' core science requirement. It is a good thing that scientists are so widely curious, since it helps them in their work. This is because scientific phenomena are inherently interrelated. For example, the study of global climate change does not merely involve an analysis of the atmosphere. The Earth's oceans and its biosphere are intricately linked factors that play roles in controlling global climate. In fact, the movement of continents has likely played a crucial role in determining climatic conditions in the geologic past. Thus, scientists often look outside their own disciplines for ideas to help them understand phenomena they study. For seismologists who routinely analyze seismograms, the presence of background noise is often a source of frustration, since such noise can partially or even totally obscure earthquake signals they wish to analyze. A study of seismic background noise can be an interesting subject on its own, however. There is a saying among scientists that is quite applicable to the subject of this EduQuakes column: “One person's noise is another person's signal.” If you've ever looked at the traces recorded by a sensitive seismograph, you will see that they are never flat. Rather, the traces indicate that there are always some vibrations that shake the ground. Some of these vibrations are man-made: vehicular traffic, people walking, operating machinery that shakes the …
Atherosclerotic vascular disease may be associated with osteoporosis or osteopenia in postmenopausal women: a preliminary study.

The objective of this study was to determine if there is an association between osteoporosis or osteopenia and atherosclerotic vascular disease (AVD) (two conditions quite prevalent in nursing homes) in a sample of postmenopausal women. We conducted a retrospective chart review on 101 postmenopausal women in a university-affiliated nursinghome toinvestigate ifthere isan association between osteoporosis or osteopenia and AVD. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by DEXA scan obtained from a computerized radiology database. Low BMD was defined as 1.5 standard deviations below the mean of a cohort of young women. AVD was diagnosed if documented coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, or peripheral arterial disease was present. The mean age and prevalence of smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hypercholesterolemia were not significantly different between 51 women with osteoporosis or osteopenia and 50 women with normal BMD. AVD was present in 31 of 51 women (51%) with osteoporosis or osteopenia and in 19 of 50 women (38%) with a normal BMD (p < 0.025). # 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Soil Heterogeneity Effects on Tallgrass Prairie Community Heterogeneity: An Application of Ecological Theory to Restoration Ecology

Spatial heterogeneity of resources can influence plant community composition and diversity in natural communities. We manipulated soil depth (two levels) and nutrient availability (three levels) to create four heterogeneity treatments (no heterogeneity, depth heterogeneity, nutrient heterogeneity, and depth 1 nutrient heterogeneity) replicated in an agricultural field seeded to native prairie species. Our objective was to determine whether resource heterogeneity influences species diversity and the trajectory of community development during grassland restoration. The treatments significantly increased heterogeneity of available inorganic nitrogen (N), soil water content, and light penetration. Plant diversity was indirectly related to resource heterogeneity through positive relationships with variability in productivity and cover established by the belowground manipulations. Diversity was inversely correlated with the average cover of the dominant grass, Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), which increased over time in all heterogeneity treatments and resulted in community convergence among the heterogeneity treatments over time. The success of this cultivar across the wide range of resource availability was attributed to net photosynthesis rates equivalent to or higher than those of the native prairie plants in the presence of lower foliar N content. Our results suggest that resource heterogeneity alone may not increase diversity in restorations where a dominant species can successfully establish across the range of resource availability. This is consistent with theory regarding the role of ecological filters on community assembly in that the establishment of one species best adapted for the physical and biological conditions can play an inordinately important role in determining community structure.
Using Statistical and Symbolic Simulation for Microprocessor Performance Evaluation

As microprocessor designs continue to evolve, many optimizations reach a point of diminishing returns. We introduce HLS, a hybrid processor simulator which uses statistical models and symbolic execution to evaluate design alternatives. This simulation methodology enables quick and accurate generation of contour maps of the performance space spanned by design parameters. We validate the accuracy of HLS through correlation with existing cycle-by-cycle simulation techniques and current generation hardware. We demonstrate the power of HLS by exploring design spaces defined by two parameters: code properties and value prediction. These examples motivate how HLS can be used to set design goals and individual component performance targets.
The amino terminal and E2F interaction domains are critical for C/EBPα-mediated induction of granulopoietic development of hematopoietic cells

The transcription factor C/EBP alpha (CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha) is critical for granulopoiesis. Gene disruption in mice blocks early granulocyte differentiation and disruption of C/EBP alpha function has been implicated in human acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but no systematic structure-function analysis has been undertaken to identify the mechanisms involved in C/EBP alpha-mediated granulocyte differentiation. Here we demonstrate that loss of either of 2 key regions results in disruption of C/EBP alpha granulocytic development: the amino terminus and specific residues residing on the non-DNA binding face of the basic region. Mutation of either results in loss of C/EBP alpha inhibition of E2F and down-regulation of c-Myc, but only mutation of the basic region results in loss of physical interaction with E2F. In contrast, while the amino terminal mutant retains the ability to interact with E2F, this mutant fails to bind a C/EBP alpha site efficiently, fails to activate C/EBP alpha target genes, and is also defective in inhibition of E2F activity. These results further emphasize the importance of inhibition of proliferative pathways in granulopoiesis and demonstrate that several regions of the C/EBP alpha protein are involved in this mechanism.
Effects of the Cloze Procedure on Good and Poor Readers' Comprehension

The effects of a cloze procedure developed from transfer feature theory of processing in reading on immediate and delayed recall of good and poor readers were studied. Easy cloze passages were generated so all cloze deletions were successfully supplied by approximately 75% of 78 students used in a norming process. Twenty third-grade good and twenty fifth-grade poor readers read and recalled an easy cloze and a normal, non-cloze version of two expository passages. Recalls were scored ac- cording to an analysis of discourse procedure. Results indicated that fifth-grade poor readers remember more than third-grade good readers immediately after reading and after a one-week delay. Moreover, fifth-grade poor readers remember more from reading an easy cloze passage than from reading a normal passage in immediate recall. Implications for the use of this cloze procedure as an instructional technique are discussed. Improving reading comprehension is an important goal, if not the most important goal of every reading program. Therefore, the purpose of many activities in learning to read is to increase comprehension abilities. One technique used to enhance com- prehension abilities, the cloze procedure, consists of having students read a passage with words deleted in a regular pattern of every fifth word (Bormuth, 1966). Students supply the deleted words while reading so that the completed passage again makes sense. Cloze tasks, although initially developed to measure readability (Taylor, 1953), are considered to improve ability to use context clues effectively (Kennedy & Weener, 1973) and to provide motivation for reading (Bloomer, 1966; Heitzman & Bloomer, 1967).
GOOD? BETTER? BEST?1

Organisms are obviously adapted, but in what ways are they optimal, and why does it matter? These are complex questions that have been debated from various points of view for years, so I approached this collection of essays with a mixture of hope and dread. The twelve chapters differ greatly in focus and style; collectively they touch on issues and facts from a wide range of fields including philosophy and history of science, phylogenetics, population genetics, game theory, physiology, behavior, and ecology; they cohere as a group only in their general relationship to the theme of the volume, and they reach no consensus. This unruliness is a virtue, in my opinion, because there are no simple answers to the central questions. The chapters frequently illuminate each other (if obliquely), and, although strong opinions are often expressed, each makes an able, honest, and thoughtful attempt to sort out some aspects of the roles played by concepts of adaptation and optimality in biological research. I found the book very stimulating. It will undoubtedly anchor the reading lists of many graduate seminar courses over the next few years. However, there are holes that will need to be filled from other sources, and I recommend reading the chapters in an order almost reverse that in which they appear in the volume. The penultimate chapter by Peter Godfrey-Smith (‘‘Three kinds of adaptationism’’) argues that the debates have raged so long and hot in part because three distinct issues have been lumped together under the term ‘‘adaptationism’’: the first is empirical adaptationism (the claim that selection in fact tends to dominate other evolutionary processes, at least where significant fitness differences are at stake); the second is explanatory adaptationism (the claim that apparent organismal design and fit to environment are evolutionary biology’s central problem and therefore that natural selection and adaptation are the central answer); and the third is methodological adaptationism (the claim that useful hypotheses are often discovered by asking how selection might, in principle, optimize some trait of interest). Each of these ‘‘kinds’’ or ‘‘dimensions’’ of adaptationism is logically independent of the other two, and each can be qualified or weakened in various ways, so there are many different ‘‘adaptationist’’ positions that individual biologists might (and do) represent. For example, it is possible and logically consistent to be (1) very optimistic about the near optimality of most ecologically important traits in real organisms (1 empirical adaptationism) and (2) zealously committed to the primacy
Riverine landscapes: taking landscape ecology into the water

SUMMARY 1. Landscape ecology deals with the influence of spatial pattern on ecological processes. It considers the ecological consequences of where things are located in space, where they are relative to other things, and how these relationships and their consequences are contingent on the characteristics of the surrounding landscape mosaic at multiple scales in time and space. Traditionally, landscape ecologists have focused their attention on terrestrial ecosystems, and rivers and streams have been considered either as elements of landscape mosaics or as units that are linked to the terrestrial landscape by flows across boundaries or ecotones. Less often, the heterogeneity that exists within a river or stream has been viewed as a ‘riverscape’ in its own right. 2. Landscape ecology can be unified about six central themes: (1) patches differ in quality (2) patch boundaries affect flows, (3) patch context matters, (4) connectivity is critical, (5) organisms are important, and (6) the importance of scale. Although riverine systems differ from terrestrial systems by virtue of the strong physical force of hydrology and the inherent connectivity provided by water flow, all of these themes apply equally to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and to the linkages between the two. 3. Landscape ecology therefore has important insights to offer to the study of riverine ecosystems, but these systems may also provide excellent opportunities for developing and testing landscape ecological theory. The principles and approaches of landscape ecology should be extended to include freshwater systems; it is time to take the ‘land’ out of landscape ecology.
Implementation alternatives for generalized signed-digit addition

Even though the theory of carry-free and limited-carry generalized signed-digit addition has been known for some time, exploration of the vast design space encompassing the number representation radix, choice of a redundant digit set, consideration of all possible encodings for operand and transfer digits, and selection of values for the various "free" parameters in the general algorithm has just begun. The authors review several implementation alternatives and place them into a unified framework that provides insight, facilitates comparisons and tradeoffs, helps future designers in effectively exploring the design space, and leads to novel representations or algorithms in some cases. >
The telome theory

Morphologists have long been concerned with the fundamental nature of the vascular plant body-with the relationships between root, stem and leaf, and with the origin of reproductive structures. Attempts at analysis on the basis of either formal or phyletic morphology have given rise to a number of theories dealing with the organization of the plant body. Those related to the flowering plants are summarized by Arber (1930) and need not concern us here, since they are of historical interest only. A theory which encompasses a consideration of all vascular plants, and which is based primarily upon studies of the lower Tracheophyta, recent and fossil, has had greater vitality-so much so, indeed, that it has permeated the thinking of many morphologists and paleobotanists to a degree not realized by those who have not followed the literature in these fields. This is the telome theory, perhaps better termed the " telome concept". Among other aspects the telome concept has assisted in a clarification of our ideas on the relationships between root, stem and leaf, and emphasizes that the plant body is an axis, with a descending portion, the root, and an aerial portion, the shoot, whose appendages are merely modified parts of the stem. Before considering the telome theory itself, it is desirable to point out that, like many another concept, it did not arise de novo, but was foreshadowed by the work of earlier investigators. Reference will repeatedly be made to a fundamental principle advocated by all of these workers which is an essential part of the telome theory itself. This is the principle of overtopping, shown diagrammatically in its simplest form in Fig. 1. This principle involves the belief that the oldest method of branching was dichotomous (a dichopodium). If, at each fork, one of the two branches becomes stronger than the other, a sympodium will result, with an apparent main axis composed of one of the two forks. Continued development of the main axis results in a monopodium which gives off
Style in Space

The previous chapters have investigated some of the sources of architectural style within the Armidale community. In terms of social context, both local-scale membership in a particular form of capital production, and larger-scale membership in a particular social class (as a relationship to the means of production), influence the stylistic construction of identity. These boundaries are not fixed, of course, but are symbolic of relative social position at particular points in time.
Do pediatric and adult disaster victims differ? A descriptive analysis of clinical encounters from four natural disaster DMAT deployments.

OBJECTIVES The differences between pediatric (< or = 17 years of age) and adult clinical field encounters were analyzed from four deployments of Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs). METHODS A retrospective cohort review of all patients who presented to DMAT field clinics during two hurricanes, one earthquake, and one flood was conducted. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze: (1) age; (2) gender; (3) severity category level; (4) chief complaint; (5) treatments provided; (6) discharge diagnosis; and (7) disposition. Five subsets of pediatric patients were analyzed further. RESULTS Of the 2,196 patient encounters reviewed, 643 (29.5%) encounters were pediatric patients. Pediatric patients had a greater number of blank severity category levels than adults. Pediatric patients also were: (1) more likely to present with chief complaints of upper respiratory infections or wounds; (2) less likely to present with musculoskeletal pain or abdominal pain; and (3) equally likely to present with rashes. Pediatric patients were more likely to receive antibiotics, pain medication, and antihistamines, but were equally likely to need treatment for wounds. Dispositions to the hospital were less frequent for pediatric patients than for adults. CONCLUSIONS Pediatric patients represent a substantial proportion of disaster victims at DMAT field clinics. They often necessitate special care requirements different from their adult counterparts. Pediatric-specific severity category criteria, treatment guidelines, equipment/medication stocks, and provider training are warranted for future DMAT response preparations.
Analysis of Opportunities to Engage

This paper uses a heretofore unavailable technique for analyzing data generated in field experiments. Using recently developed instrumentation, the existence of line-of-sight between helicopters and opposing ground weapons was recorded. From this is derived the basic data element, the engagement opportunity.
When all is lost…a severe myopathy with hypotonia from sodium channel mutations

This scientific commentary refers to “Loss-of-function mutations in SCN4A cause severe foetal hypokinesia or ‘classical’ congenital myopathy”, by Zaharieva et al. (doi:10.1093/brain/awv352). The sodium channel is the work horse for the generation and propagation of action potentials in nerve, muscle and heart. The exquisite tuning of excitability in these cells to meet the body’s needs for impulse propagation, initiation of contraction, triggering of neurotransmitter release, or pacemaking is achieved by a highly orchestrated regulation of ion channel gene expression. In the case of voltage-gated sodium channels, the human genome contains nine separate genes encoding pore-forming α-subunits (Nav1.1–Nav1.9) (George, 2005). In skeletal muscle the Nav1.4 isoform predominates and carries >90% of the total sodium current. Mutations of the SCN4A gene encoding Nav1.4 are an established cause of several muscle disorders presenting with myotonia, familial periodic paralysis, and in very rare instances, congenital myasthenia (Cannon, 2015). In this issue of Brain , Zaharieva and colleagues identify an additional phenotype with severe congenital myopathy and neonatal hypotonia when both SCN4A alleles harbour recessive loss-of-function mutations (Zaharieva et al. , 2016). Over 60 mutations of SCN4A have been identified in patients with paroxysmal disorders of skeletal muscle that present with myotonia or periodic paralysis (Lehmann-Horn and Jurkat-Rott, 1999). All are missense mutations in which a single amino acid is replaced, producing a ‘gain-of-function’ defect with a pathological excess of inward sodium current (Cannon, 2015). The gain-of-function most often occurs from impaired inactivation of mutant channels (incomplete, too slow, or shifted in voltage-dependence …
Concentration of Teredo cellulase.

SummaryA method of concentrating cel-lulase from marine wood-boring molluscs of the genus Teredo has been described. The procedure differs from others in that the cel-lulase is separated from tissue homogenate by adsorbing it on a precipitated form of cellulose gum. The latter is washed, redispersed, and the cellulase recovered by ammonium sulfate precipitation.
Blood Curse and Belonging in Thailand: Law, Buddhism, and Legal Consciousness

This article takes up Talal Asad’s suggestion that studies of law and religion should reject the modern/non-modern binary and instead consider the “fragmented cultures” and “hybrid selves” associated with constantly changing social circumstances. The article begins with a seemingly bizarre incident that occurred during Thai street protests in March 2010. Tens of thousands of rural demonstrators splashed their own blood on Bangkok’s public buildings to curse the ruling government and its legal and political institutions. An explanation of the demonstrators’ controversial actions is found in their reaction against efforts of the central Thai ruling elite over the past century to modernize Thai law, rationalize its religious administration, and eliminate rival systems in outlying regions. These efforts, in turn, are placed in the context of a centuries-old tradition of law, kingship, and religious purification through which Thai rulers centralized their power and demonstrated their legitimacy. The street protests in 2010 represented a failed attempt by rural workers simultaneously to claim their place in the Thai nation and to challenge its hegemony, to assert their rights under modern law, and to invoke pre-modern legal norms and identities.
Production of transplantable growth

After analyzing the known numerous theories on the origin of abnormal growth and especially of malignant growth, which have been devised either with or without reference to facts, it seems possible to concentrate the apparently necessary postulates for the successful origin of abnormal growth to the following conditions which cover all important theories on this subject. The presence of a cell group in an indifferent stage of growth, the dissociation of this cell group from its surrounding and its change from the indifferent stage of growth to a stage of proliferation, the inflammation of the connective tissue, neighboring this cell group, and a changed metabolism of the cells, in which this cell penetrates and which it destroys. Supposed these conditions are true to actual facts it must be possible to produce experimentally these factors either in various sequence or all at once and observe results.I. Embryonic tissue of the chicken heart, after twelve days'rncubation, was cultivated in a plasma medium f...
A prophylactic fresh frozen plasma transfusion leads to a possible case of transfusion-related acute lung injury.

A 39-year-old man with cholangiocarcinoma presented with fever and abdominal pain. He was hypotensive, jaundiced and had right upper quadrant tenderness. Laboratory testing showed a leucocytosis, elevated liver function tests, total bilirubin and International Normalised Ratio (INR). Given the concern for cholangitis, the patient was given antibiotics and three units of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) before biliary drain placement. After drain placement, and within 3 h of receiving blood products, the patient became tachypnoeic and hypoxic with a chest X-ray revealing new bilateral airspace disease. The rapid development of respiratory distress was determined to most likely be transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI). He rapidly progressed to intubation and required 100% FiO2, high positive-end expiratory pressure (PEEP) and intermittent-prone ventilation for 48 h but eventually recovered and was extubated. TRALI is an under-recognised aetiology for respiratory distress in the critically ill. Adopting a conservative transfusion strategy may prevent TRALI.
Inactivation of hormone-sensitive lipase in extracts of adipose tissue.

Abstract When supernatant fluid fractions of rat adipose tissue homogenates prepared in water, 0.25 m sucrose, or 0.15 m KCl were incubated at 30° with ATP, MgCl2, and Tris buffer, pH 7.4, lipase activity decreased. On passage over Sephadex G-25, all of the lipase activity of the fluid fraction emerged in the exclusion volume, but was inactivated by ATP and MgCl2 only when material from the later column fractions was added back. Inactivation of the ammonium sulfate-precipitated hormone-sensitive lipase required ATP (g0.5 mm), MgCl2 at a molar concentration in excess of that of ATP, and a factor(s) present in the same Sephadex G-25 fractions. Since inactivation was completely prevented by 50 µm EDTA in the presence of excess Mg++ ion, another cation may be required. The conditions chosen were essentially optimal for demonstration of inactivation of ammonium sulfate-precipitated lipase dependent on the addition of ATP, MgCl2, and the Sephadex G-25 fraction. At lower pH or temperature, the rate of this process was decreased; at 40° or at higher pH, inactivation not dependent on these additions increased. Inactivation was almost completely prevented in 50 mm phosphate buffer, pH 7.4. GTP or creatine phosphate, but not AMP or sodium pyrophosphate, could replace ATP, but no substitute for MgCl2 was found. Inactivation could be decreased or abolished by the addition of 30 µm cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP). This effect of cyclic AMP was prevented by the addition of protein kinase inhibitor from skeletal muscle (Gilman, A. (1970) Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 67, 305–312). Inactivation was proportional to the amount of the lipase fraction added in the presence of Sephadex G-25 fraction from an equal or greater amount of tissue, and was proportional to the latter in the presence of lipase derived from more than twice as much tissue.