cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Applying Long Short-Term Memory Recurrent Neural Network for Intrusion Detection

These days, web applications are used extensively. While organizations benefit from the new abilities they provide, the chance of being targeted is increased, which may cause massive system damage. It is thus important to detect web application attacks. Web intrusion detection systems (IDSs) are important for protecting systems from external users or internal attacks. There are however, many challenges that arise while developing a powerful IDS for unexpected and irregular attacks. Deep Learning approaches provide several methods, and they can detect known and unknown attacks. Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) is a type of Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) and has the ability to remember values over arbitrary intervals. LSTM is a suitable method to classify and predict known and unknown intrusions. In this work, we propose a deep learning approach to construct an IDS. We apply LSTM RNNs and train the model using the CSIC 2010 HTTP dataset. An LSTM model using the Adam optimizer can construct an efficient IDS binary classifier with an accuracy rate of 0.9997.
What does robustness teach us in climate science: a re-appraisal

In the philosophy of climate science, debate surrounding the issue of variety of evidence has mostly taken the form of attempting to connect these issues in climate science and climate modeling with philosophical accounts of what has come to be known as “robustness analysis.” I argue that an “explanatory” conception of robustness is the best candidate for understanding variety of evidence in climate science. I apply the analysis to both examples of model agreement, as well at to the convergence of evidence from both model and non-model sources.
Tranexamic Acid Use in Open Reduction and Internal Fixation of Fractures of the Pelvis, Acetabulum, and Proximal Femur: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective To assess the safety and efficacy of tranexamic acid (TXA) use in fractures of the pelvic ring, acetabulum, and proximal femur. Design Prospective, randomized controlled trial. Setting Single Level 1 trauma center. Patients Forty-seven patients were randomized to the study group, and 46 patients comprised the control group. Intervention The study group received 15 mg/kg IV TXA before incision and a second identical dose 3 hours after the initial dose. Main outcome measurements Transfusion rates and total blood loss (TBL) [via hemoglobin-dilution method and rates of venous thromboembolic events (VTEs)]. Results TBL was significantly higher in the control group (TXA = 952 mL, no TXA = 1325 mL, P = 0.028). The total transfusion rates between the TXA and control groups were not significantly different (TXA 1.51, no TXA = 1.17, P = 0.41). There were no significant differences between the TXA and control groups in inpatient VTE events (P = 0.57). Conclusion The use of TXA in high-energy fractures of the pelvis, acetabulum, and femur significantly decreased calculated TBL but did not decrease overall transfusion rates. TXA did not increase the rate of VTE. Further study is warranted before making broad recommendations for the use of TXA in these fractures. Level of evidence Therapeutic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Biochemical Thermodynamics: Applications of Mathematica

The most efficient way to store thermodynamic data on enzyme-catalyzed reactions is to use matrices of species properties. Since equilibrium in enzyme-catalyzed reactions is reached at specified pH values, the thermodynamics of the reactions is discussed in terms of transformed thermodynamic properties. These transformed thermodynamic properties are complicated functions of temperature, pH, and ionic strength that can be calculated from the matrices of species values. The most important of these transformed thermodynamic properties is the standard transformed Gibbs energy of formation of a reactant (sum of species). It is the most important because when this function of temperature, pH, and ionic strength is known, all the other standard transformed properties can be calculated by taking partial derivatives. The species database in this package contains data matrices for 199 reactants. For 94 of these reactants, standard enthalpies of formation of species are known, and so standard transformed Gibbs energies, standard transformed enthalpies, standard transformed entropies, and average numbers of hydrogen atoms can be calculated as functions of temperature, pH, and ionic strength. For reactions between these 94 reactants, the changes in these properties can be calculated over a range of temperatures, pHs, and ionic strengths, and so can apparent equilibrium constants. For the other 105 reactants, only standard transformed Gibbs energies of formation and average numbers of hydrogen atoms at 298.15 K can be calculated. The loading of this package provides functions of pH and ionic strength at 298.15 K for standard transformed Gibbs energies of formation and average numbers of hydrogen atoms for 199 reactants. It also provides functions of temperature, pH, and ionic strength for the standard transformed Gibbs energies of formation, standard transformed enthalpies of formation, standard transformed entropies of formation, and average numbers of hydrogen atoms for 94 reactants. Thus loading this package makes available 774 mathematical functions for these properties. These functions can be added and subtracted to obtain changes in these properties in biochemical reactions and apparent equilibrium constants.
Grit in pharmacy faculty: A pilot analysis focused on productivity measures

Abstract Introduction Grit, a “perseverance and passion for long-term goals,” is an important characteristic that has been linked to success in academics and career endeavors. In pharmacy education, there have been mixed results on grit as a predictor of academic performance in pharmacy students. Furthermore, there have been no studies on the implications of grit in pharmacy faculty. The purpose of this study was to determine pharmacy faculty Short Grit Scale (Grit-S) scores at two universities and whether those scores correlate with faculty productivity. Methods A 36-item electronic survey was administered to pharmacy faculty members at two institutions. Baseline demographics and self-reported Grit-S scores were obtained. Metrics of productivity in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service were defined using quantitative measures. Non-parametric analyses were conducted to test if higher Grit-S scores correlated with other variables. Results Faculty reported an average Grit-S score of 3.68. There was no significant correlation between Grit-S scores and components of faculty productivity in teaching and service for the previous academic year or career. Higher Grit-S scores had a moderately positive correlation with the number of peer-reviewed publications in 2017. Conclusion Grit-S scores are high among pharmacy faculty and were not correlated with higher productivity in most components of faculty workload.
Association of gastrostomy placement on hospital readmission in premature infants

We sought to determine the association of gastrostomy placement on post-NICU-discharge resource utilization in premature infants. We performed a propensity-matched retrospective cohort study of NICU infants born under 32-week gestation in US Children’s Hospitals. Multivariable logistic regression and propensity score-matching were used to determine the association of gastrostomy placement on 90-day hospital readmissions and emergency department visits adjusting for salient patient characteristics. A total of 12,621 premature infants were included of which 697 (5.5%) underwent gastrostomy placement. After propensity matching, infants who underwent gastrostomy placement have a higher rate of 90-day inpatient readmission (41.9 vs 26.3%, p < 0.001) and emergency department visit (27.1 vs 16%, p < 0.001). Premature infants who undergo gastrostomy placement have increased the risk of inpatient readmission and emergency department visits after NICU discharge. Gastrostomy placement likely is both a driver and marker for increased resource utilization in premature infants post-NICU discharge.
Rapidly Changing Alkaline Phosphatase.

An 81-year-old asymptomatic man with a history of prolonged hospitalization from pancreatitis was readmitted after follow-up CT revealed fluid collection in his anterior abdominal wall. A complete metabolic panel revealed increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity (Table 1). Alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase concentrations were also increased but not reported owing to sample hemolysis. A follow-up hepatic panel ordered 3 …
4-1BB costimulation promotes CAR T cell survival through noncanonical NF-κB signaling

Clinical response to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is correlated with CAR T cell persistence, especially for CAR T cells that target CD19+ hematologic malignancies. 4-1BB–costimulated CAR (BBζ) T cells exhibit longer persistence after adoptive transfer than do CD28-costimulated CAR (28ζ) T cells. 4-1BB signaling improves T cell persistence even in the context of 28ζ CAR activation, which indicates distinct prosurvival signals mediated by the 4-1BB cytoplasmic domain. To specifically study signal transduction by CARs, we developed a cell-free, ligand-based activation and ex vivo culture system for CD19-specific CAR T cells. We observed greater ex vivo survival and subsequent expansion of BBζ CAR T cells when compared to 28ζ CAR T cells. We showed that only BBζ CARs activated noncanonical nuclear factor κB (ncNF-κB) signaling in T cells basally and that the anti-CD19 BBζ CAR further enhanced ncNF-κB signaling after ligand engagement. Reducing ncNF-κB signaling reduced the expansion and survival of anti-CD19 BBζ T cells and was associated with a substantial increase in the abundance of the most pro-apoptotic isoforms of Bim. Although our findings do not exclude the importance of other signaling differences between BBζ and 28ζ CARs, they demonstrate the necessary and nonredundant role of ncNF-κB signaling in promoting the survival of BBζ CAR T cells, which likely underlies the engraftment persistence observed with this CAR design.
Biomechanics and hemodynamics of stent-retrievers:

In 2015, multiple randomized clinical trials showed an unparalleled treatment benefit of stent-retriever thrombectomy as compared to standard medical therapy for the treatment of a large artery occlusion causing acute ischemic stroke. A short time later, the HERMES collaborators presented the patient-level pooled analysis of five randomized clinical trials, establishing class 1, level of evidence A for stent-retriever thrombectomy, in combination with intravenous thrombolysis when indicated to treat ischemic stroke. In the years following, evidence continues to mount for expanded use of this therapy for a broader category of patients. The enabling technology that changed the tide to support endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke is the stent-retriever. This review summarizes the history of intra-arterial treatment of stroke, introduces the biomechanics of embolus extraction with stent-retrievers, describes technical aspects of the intervention, provides a description of hemodynamic implications of stent-retriever embolectomy, and proposes future directions for a more comprehensive, multi-modal endovascular approach for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke.
Improved Method to Determine Young’s Modulus for Concrete Cylinder Using Electromechanical Spectrum: Principle and Validation

AbstractElectromechanical impedance (EMI) has been used as an in-situ nondestructive testing (NDT) method for concrete material property testing, e.g., strength and Young’s modulus, for decades. Ho...
Impact of uranium oxide (UO2) fuel with molybdenum (Mo) inserts on pressurized water reactor performance and safety

Abstract This work investigates nuclear reactor performance and safety characteristics of UO2 with high thermal conductivity Mo insert structures by using multiphysics modeling techniques. The purpose of this study is to use scoping analyses to quantify the impact of using Mo inserts from neutronic and heat transfer standpoints. Attention is given to reactor performance parameters, such as cycle length, maximum fuel temperature, temperature gradients in the fuel, and stored energy in the fuel. The finite-element code BISON and the Monte Carlo particle transport code Serpent were used to perform sensitivity analyses on the Mo insert geometry to optimize the insert design and inform larger scale modeling that required the homogenization of the UO2 and Mo. Although BISON is often used as a fuel performance analysis tool, it is used in this context for heat transfer analysis only. Fuel performance optimization is outside the scope of the current study, but would be important for future work focused on this concept. The results showed that the insert had little impact on neutronic performance and that homogenizing the UO2 and Mo was acceptable for reactor physics calculations. Reactivity temperature coefficients calculated using homogeneous UO2-Mo were shown to be relatively similar to UO2, but higher Mo content and 235U enrichment can reduce the worth of soluble boron and control rods. The effect of insert geometry on heat transfer was much greater, and an approximately 15–20% difference in maximum fuel temperature was predicted between the best and worst performing heat transfer geometries. Thermal conductivity calibration based on the finite element analysis results was performed to improve the accuracy of temperature predictions in reactor analysis models that homogenized the UO2-Mo fuel. Compared with UO2 in a pressurized water reactor (PWR), the optimized UO2-Mo design increased the margin to fuel melt by 13–32% across the fuel cycle, but it requires the 235U enrichment to exceed 5% to match the cycle length of conventional UO2.
Credibility: What Role Does It Play in a Peer Mentoring Relationship?

Peer roles develop over time as mentors become more secure. Lave and Wenger (Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1991) suggest that not only does the mentor become more secure in their role, but as that security develops, legitimacy is also conferred by those with whom they work. In fact, students may only seek out a mentor if they deem them to be credible and helpful. What may seem a straightforward expert-novice interaction of peer mentor/mentee can be complicated when there are questions of expertise, legitimacy, and credibility. In this chapter we examine whether the title of peer mentor bestows credibility or not. We look at how students define credibility, ask if credibility matters in the higher education context, and examine the roles of a peer mentor to see if they play into the issue of credibility.
Corporate Governance, Takeovers, and Top-Management Compensation: Theory and Evidence

We examine, both theoretically and empirically, top-management compensation in the presence of agency conflicts when shareholders have delegated governance responsibilities to a self-interested Board of Directors (BOD). We develop a theoretical framework that explicitly incorporates the BOD as a strategic player, models the negotiation process between the CEO and the BOD in designing CEO compensation, and considers the impact of potential takeovers by large shareholders monitoring the CEO-BOD negotiations. In equilibrium, internal governance by the BOD and external takeover threats by a large shareholder act as substitutes in imposing managerial control, especially in constraining management's profligacy in awarding equity-based compensation to itself. The model emphasizes factors in the design of compensation contracts that are rarely considered in the literature, such as equity ownership of the largest outside shareholder and the firm's bankruptcy risk. It also provides an alternative perspective on factors that are often considered in the literature, such as firm size, firm performance, equity ownership of the BOD, and BOD structure. Our empirical tests lend considerable support for our theoretical predictions. Equity ownership of the largest external shareholder, that of the BOD, and the default risk, are strongly negatively related to the size of CEO equity compensation. Consistent with the theoretical model, these factors do not significantly influence the growth of fixed (or non-performance related) compensation. We also find that the equity ownership of the BOD is more important in managerial compensation control than other BOD related variables, such as BOD size or the proportion of outside directors.
Determination of predictors impacting performance on the third-year pharmacy curriculum outcomes assessment at a historically Black college of pharmacy.

Abstract Introduction The Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment (PCOA) is a standardized exam developed by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) in 2008 to measure the curriculum in relation to student progress. The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of pre-admissions and pharmacy school variables on third-year student PCOA performance at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) College of Pharmacy. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted using data from three cohorts of students who took the PCOA in their third professional year from 2015 to 2017. An independent samples t-test, correlation analysis, and multivariate linear regression were conducted to determine the relationship between student characteristics and the PCOA score. Results The mean PCOA scaled score for the third-year pharmacy students was 349.6 ± 46.20 while the mean Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) percentile was 62.7 ± 14.5. Most students (67%) self-identified as Black and the majority (54.9%) were female. The PCOA scores were correlated with the PCAT percentile (P Conclusions The cumulative GPA through the third-year fall semester and PCAT percentiles are important factors in helping to predict PCOA scores among third year pharmacy students at a HBCU.
Ferroptosis, free radicals, and cancer

Abstract Oxidative stress induced by an imbalance between oxidant and antioxidant factors is linked to various types of regulated cell death, which affects many aspects of tumor biology. Ferroptosis is a form of reactive oxygen species-dependent cell death, which is characterized by iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation. Although the direct molecular effector for ferroptosis is not known, ACSL4- and lipoxygenase-mediated production of lipid peroxides play a major role in the induction of ferroptosis. Autophagy, including ferritinophagy, lipophagy, clockophagy, and chaperone-mediated autophagy, contributes to ferroptotic cancer cell death through the upregulation of oxidative injury. In contrast, there are many antioxidant systems or proteins, such as the cystine/glutamate antiporter system xc−, GPX4, and NFE2L2, in place to limit reactive oxygen species-induced ferroptotic cancer cell death. Understanding the types of ferroptosis and their molecular machinery could open new approaches to cancer therapy.
Anesthesia for Pediatric Cancers

Pediatric cancer has been increasingly reported over the last few years and remains one of the important concerns for associated morbidity and mortality. Anesthesiologists caring for children with cancer are often interacting with not only the child but also the immediate caregivers. Children with cancer require anesthesia and sedation for various diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. These include radiological imaging, surgical interventions, radiotherapy, diagnostic interventions like biopsies, or central venous access insertion.
Experiential Learning Style Grouping Impact on Student Outcomes in Team Leadership Coursework

This study explores how different team configurations based on members’ experiential learning styles impacted group level variables including team learning behavior, stages of team development, pot...
Report from the Field: Public History at Howard University

At Howard University, the public history program uses new empirical methodologies and pedagogies to engage students and nonacademic audiences. This article outlines the specialized knowledge, perspectives, approaches, practices, issues, and critical concerns of this program. It illustrates how focused, innovative research opportunities simultaneously move students beyond the boundaries of academic theories, publicly funded agencies, private corporations, or entrepreneurial firms while helping them remain sensitive to community-based programs, projects, institutions, and constituencies. Public history is congruent with service, a core value of Howard University, and it strengthens the university9s ability to reach beyond the confines of academe; define, shape, and immerse students in challenging new historical syntheses; and inclusively document social, economic, political, and cultural histories that might otherwise go untold.
How far to build it before they come? Analyzing the use of the Field of Dreams hypothesis to bull kelp restoration

In restoration ecology, the Field of Dreams Hypothesis posits that restoration efforts that create a suitable environment could lead to eventual recovery of the remaining aspects of the ecosystem through natural processes. Natural processes following partial restoration has lead to ecosystem recovery in both terrestrial and aquatic systems. However, understanding the efficacy of a "field of dreams" approach requires comparison of different approaches to partial restoration in terms of spatial, temporal, and ecological scale to what would happen with more comprehensive restoration efforts. We explore the relative effect of partial restoration and ongoing recovery on restoration efficacy with a dynamical model based on temperate rocky reefs in Northern California. We analyze our model for both the ability and rate of bull kelp forest recovery under different restoration strategies. We compare the efficacy of a partial restoration approach with a more comprehensive restoration effort by exploring how kelp recovery likelihood and rate change with varying intensities of urchin removal and kelp outplanting over different time periods and spatial scales. We find that, for the case of bull kelp forests, setting more favorable initial conditions for kelp recovery through implementing both urchin harvesting and kelp outplanting at the start of the restoration project has a bigger impact on the kelp recovery rate than applying restoration efforts through a longer period of time. Therefore partial restoration efforts, in terms of spatial and temporal scale, can be significantly more effective when applied across multiple ecological scales in terms of both the capacity and rate of achieving the target outcomes.
Universality in Commensurate-Incommensurate Phase Transitions

To investigate the problem of universality in commensurate-incommensurate phase transitions, we have studied certain generalized Frenkel-Kontorova models with different interparticle and external potentials. Many new and interesting features have been found.
COST EFFECTIVENESS OF WARFARIN IN ANTICOAGULANT CLINIC AFTER INTRODUCTION OF DABIGATRAN FOR STROKE PREVENTION IN ATRIAL FIBRILLATION PATIENTS IN THE UNITED STATES

COST EFFECTIVENESS OF WARFARIN IN ANTICOAGULANT CLINIC AFTER INTRODUCTION OF DABIGATRAN FOR STROKE PREVENTION IN ATRIAL FIBRILLATION PATIENTS IN THE UNITED STATES By Mai S. Alhazami, BS. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015. Director: David Holdford, BSPharm., M.S., PhD, FAPhA Professor, Department of Pharmacotherapy & Outcomes Science OBJECTIVES: To assess cost effectiveness of anticoagulant clinics after FDA approval of New Oral Anticoagulants (NOACs) for preventing ischemic stroke in Atrial Fibrillation (AF) patients in the United States. METHODS: A decision tree was built to compare cost and effectiveness of 150mg dabigatran twice a day to adjusted dose of warfarin within anticoagulation clinic. The analysis was for one year using a societal perspective. The population in this analysis was a cohort‎of‎AF‎patients,‎≥‎65‎years‎old,‎with‎a CHADS2 score>2, and no contraindication to anticoagulation. RESULTS: The base case analysis showed that changing from warfarin with anticoagulant clinic to dabigatran without monitoring resulted in an additional $82,793 per QALY saved. Sensitivity analyses found that the model was sensitive to utilities of patients on warfarin. CONCLUSION: This study showed that substituting dabigatran for warfarin in this population was not within acceptable willingness to pay values for new therapy.
Team-Partitioned, Opaque-Transition Reinforced Learning

We present a novel multi-agent learning paradigm called team-partitioned, opaque-transition reinforcement learning (TPOT-RL). TPOT-RL introduces the use of action-dependent features to generalize the state space. In our work, we use a learned action-dependent feature space to aid higher-level reinforcement learning. TPOT-RL is an effective technique to allow a team of agents to learn to cooperate towards the achievement of a specific goal. It is an adaptation of traditional RL methods that is applicable in complex, non-Markovian, multi-agent domains with large state spaces and limited training opportunities. TPOT-RL is fully implemented and has been tested in the robotic soccer domain, a complex, multi-agent framework. This paper presents the algorithmic details of TPOT-RL as well as empirical results demonstrating the effectiveness of the developed multi-agent learning approach with learned features.
Cognitive Development – Piagetian Stages

The prolific work of Jean Piaget (1896–1980) is credited for launching the field of cognitive development and for providing the roots of contemporary developmental inquiry into specific cognitive subfields. Perhaps the most renowned aspect of Piaget's theoretical perspective is his characterization of intellectual development as occurring in a fixed sequence of four qualitatively distinct stages (sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational). Research across a wide range of cultures has replicated many of Piaget's observations and claims regarding behavioral features of these proposed stages, particularly those in very early childhood; however, research has also convincingly challenged some of his interpretations and propositions. Following decades of studies that can trace their inspiration back to Piaget, modern scholars have largely abandoned a traditional Piagetian account of comprehensive, stage-based cognitive transformations in favor of domain-specific theories that address conceptual advances in particular knowledge areas. Keywords: child development; cognitive development; Piaget, Jean
Neuropathology of trimethyltin intoxication: II. Electron microscopic study on the hippocampus

Abstract When mice ( BALB c ) were given a single injection of trimethyltin chloride (TMT) at a dosage of 3.0 mg TMT/kg body wt, extensive lesions were observed in the hippocampus at 48 hr after TMT administration. Electron microscopy revealed extensive neuronal necrosis among the granule cells and many of these necrotic neurons also displayed the phenomenon of karyorrhexis (fragmentation of the pyknotic nuclei). Although few necrotic cells were found among the pyramidal neurons, extensive accumulation of lysosomes was found within the neuronal bodies and processes of these nerve cells. Intracellular edema was a prominent finding in both cell types of the hippocampus. Such phenomenon was represented by severe distention of the cytoplasmic membrane systems (endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex) within the pyramidal cells and extensive swelling of the cytoplasm and neuronal processes of the granule neurons. Vacuolation of both cell types occurred as a result of these edematous conditions. It is postulated that TMT induced a severe disruption of oxidative phosphorylation and ATP production in these neurons leading to rapid cell death and/or cellular edema of these nerve cells.
FIRST COMPREHENSIVE MOLECULAR AND MORPHOLOGICAL IDENTIFICATION OF THE RAT LUNGWORM, ANGIOSTRONGYLUS CANTONENSISCHEN, 1935 (NEMATODA: STRONGYLIDA: METASTRONGYLIDA) IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE GIANT AFRICAN SNAIL, LISSACHATINA FULICA(BOWDICH, 1822) (GASTROP

A survey for the rat lungworm, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, a nematode parasite of rats and potentially injurious to humans, was conducted in Florida in 2011-2013 in concomitance with an eradication program of the giant African snail, Lissachatina fulica, an invasive snail recently found in southern Florida. Twenty-four percent of the giant African snail samples examined were infested by the coiled second- and infective thirdstage juveniles of the nematode. These life stages embedded in or dislodged from comminuted snail tissue in water were detected using both molecular quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and morphological analyses. Nematode recovery from snail tissues was greater when both methods were concomitantly used on tissue samples from the same giant African snail specimen. More rat lungworms were extracted from the mantel than from the foot tissues of nematode-infested snails. The results of these analyses were validated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA. To our knowledge, this is the first identification of the juveniles of A. cantonensisinfecting L. fulicamade in Florida using integrated morphological and molecular analyses.
Historical Inductions, Unconceived Alternatives, and Unconceived Objections

In this paper, I outline a reductio against Stanford’s “New Induction” on the History of Science, which is an inductive argument against scientific realism that is based on what Stanford (2006) calls “the Problem of Unconceived Alternatives”. From the supposition that Stanford’s New Induction on the History of Science is cogent, and the parallel New Induction on the History of Philosophy, it follows that scientific antirealism is not worthy of belief. I also show that denying a key premise in the reductio only forces antirealists who endorse Stanford’s New Induction on the History of Science into a dilemma: either antirealism falls under the axe of Stanford’s New Induction on the History of Science or it falls under the axe of the New Induction on the History of Philosophy.
Weight-Related Behaviors When Children Are in School Versus on Summer Breaks: Does Income Matter?

BACKGROUND Income disparities in US youth in academic achievement appear to widen during the summer because of discontinued learning among children from lower-income households. Little is known about whether behavioral risk factors for childhood obesity, such as diet and physical activity, also demonstrate a widening difference by income when children are out of school. METHODS Data from US children in grades 1-12 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2008 (N = 6796) were used to estimate screen time, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and consumption of calories, vegetables, and added sugar. Linear regression was used to compare among children of households ≤185% and >185% poverty, as well as during the school year versus on school breaks. RESULTS Children surveyed during summer breaks consumed fewer vegetables (−0.2 cups/day) and more added sugar (+2.1 teaspoons/day), were more active (+4.6 MVPA minutes/day) and watched more television (+18 minutes/day). However, the nonsignificant interaction between school breaks and income indicated that lower-income students were not “less healthy” than higher-income students during the summer breaks. CONCLUSION Obesity-related risk factors were more prevalent during the summer and among lower-income youths, but the income disparity in these behaviors was not exacerbated when schools are not in session.
Dancing bees and the language controversy

For 30 years a controversy has raged over whether the honey bee waggle dance communicates the distance, direction, and scent of a food source to other bees, or whether it communicates only the scent. One way or the other the dance functions to recruit other bees to the food source visited by the dancing bee. Both sides of the debate have disputed the interpretation of results presented to date, but more data, rather than more arguing, are required to resolve the controversy. Two experiments are presented that test predictions of the two leading recruitment hypotheses: Karl von Frisch's dance language hypothesis, which suggests the dance is a symbolic language conveying directions to a food source, and Adrian Wenner's odor search hypothesis, which suggests the dance conveys no information other than the scent of a food source. The results indicate that recruits are indeed learning the direction of a food source when they follow dances, as von Frisch asserted 50 years ago.
A spatially distributed model for the long‐term suspended sediment discharge and delivery ratio of drainage basins

[1] Understanding and quantifying the long-term suspended sediment discharge of drainage basins is a key goal of geomorphology, with important implications for the study of water quality, agricultural sustainability, and the evolution of landscapes and sedimentary basins over geologic timescales. Previous studies have highlighted the importance of relief/slope, precipitation, temperature, vegetation, and soil texture in controlling suspended sediment discharge in natural/undisturbed landscapes. However, globally applicable models currently used to predict suspended sediment discharges are limited because they are based on basin-averaged versions of these properties and do not incorporate all of the controlling variables into a single model. In this paper, I propose a spatially distributed, globally applicable model for the long-term suspended sediment discharge of drainage basins that includes all of the principal controls on suspended sediment discharge previously documented in the geomorphic literature. The model explicitly distinguishes the detachment of sediment on hillslopes and in low-order valleys from the transport of sediment in higher-order alluvial channels. The model uses slope, soil texture, mean monthly rainfall, and mean monthly leaf area index as controlling parameters for the detachment component. The transport component is modeled using a Rouse number–dependent transport criterion that explicitly includes the effects of slope and soil texture. The model is capable of reproducing the long-term sediment yield of 128 global rivers with a Pearson correlation coefficient (R value) of 0.79 using just two free parameters. The model also predicts sediment delivery ratios consistent with those measured in natural drainage basins.
Implementing preventive services: To what extent can we change provider performance in ambulatory care? A review of the screening, immunization, and counseling literature

Strategies to improve the delivery of preventive care often consist of office-based interventions, which are designed to modify provider behaviors or practice patterns. We report on a metaanalysis of 117 behavioral outcomes extracted from 43 studies. Meta-analytic techniques were used to express the results in a common metric, which allowed quantitative comparisons across outcomes. Studies were examined by domains of preventive care (screening, immunization, and counseling) and divided into two groups based on unit of analysis (provider or patient categories). The mean effect size reflects the difference in proportion of physicians providing the targeted behavior between the experimental and comparison groups. In the provider category, the weighted mean effect size for screening was. 14, for immunization was.18, and for counseling was.28. In the patient category, the weighted mean for screening and immunization were. 12 and. 15, respectively, but were smaller for the counseling (.08). Because tests for homogeneity of effect sizes were rejected in the patient category, caution in interpreting mean effect sizes is warranted because of variability across individual values. In summary, office-based interventions were found to have positive effects on providers’ adherence to preventive recommendations. We discuss the methodological issues and needs for future work to enhance the delivery of preventive services.
Loss of protein kinase C δ isozyme immunoreactivity in human adenocarcinomas

Protein kinase C (PKC) has been implicated in the control of colonic epithelial proliferative activity and in the process of malignant transformation. In the present study, we assessed by histone IIIS phosphorylationin vitro, total PKC activity, and the subcellular distribution of this activity in human adenocarcinomas and surrounding uninvolved mucosa from six patients. In these same tissues, we also examined the isozyme profile of PKC by immunoblotting. Total PKC activity and the subcellular distribution of PKC activity was not significantly different in mucosa compared to corresponding values in the tumors. Extracts of both human mucosa and tumors reacted with antibody to PKC isozymes α, β, δ and ζ but did not react with antibody to the γ and ɛ isozymes. The antibodies employed were directed against rabbit brain PKC (α, β, γ) or peptide sequences deduced from rat cDNA (γ, δ, ɛ, and ζ). Accordingly, the apparent absence of the epsilon isozyme in human mucosa and adenocarcinoma may be due to failure to conserve the relevant sequence rather than to loss of the isozymeper se. No statistically significant differences were noted in subcellular distribution of any of the isozymes in the tumors compared to mucosa. However, the subcellular distribution of the δ isozyme was highly variable in the tumors. Total PKC β immunoreactivity and that of the soluble, but not particulate, fraction were both significantly lower in homogenates of adenocarcinomas compared to corresponding values in surrounding mucosa, when expressed as a function of protein. However, these differences in PKC β were abolished when results were expressed as a function of tissue DNA content. By contrast, immunoreactivity of the δ isozyme of PKC in adenocarcinomas was markedly and consistently lower (78–98%) compared to surrounding mucosa, whether results were expressed as a function of DNA or protein. Loss of immunoreactivity of the δ isozyme of PKC may play a role in the process of colon carcinogenesis in man.
Amino acid and ammonia metabolism by the halophilic nonsulfur purple bacterium Rhodospirillum salexigens

Abstract The halophilic phototrophic bacterium Rhodospirillum salexigens was tested for growth on a variety of organic and inorganic nitrogenous compounds as sole nitrogen sources. In media containing acetate as carbon source, the amino acids glutamate, proline, and aspartate supported good growth of R. salexigens ; several other amino acids or ammonia did not support growth. Attempts to grow R. salexigens on ammonia led to the discovery that this organism excretes a highly basic substance under certain nitrogen nutritional conditions which raises the pH above that supporting growth. Cultures of R. salexigens transferred to media containing both pyruvate and acetate as carbon sources grew on ammonia as sole nitrogen source and the culture pH did not rise. Dual substrate experiments showed that R. salexigens utilized glutamate in preference to ammonia when both were present at equimolar concentrations.
Coil‐stretch transition in deformation flows

We present a novel Monte-Carlo lattice model for the study of the coil-stretch transition for polymer chains in deformation flows. Our results indicate that elongational flows are much more effective than shear flows in stretching polymer chains, in full agreement with experimental observation. Our model data also show that the e˙c∼M−1.5 powerlaw observed experimentally for the dependence of critical flow rate on polymer molecular weight can be fully explained through a nonuniform stretching of the chain by the flow. A higher powerlaw exponent is predicted in more affine deformation cases. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 2422–2428, 2000
3D NMR experiments for measuring 15N relaxation data of large proteins: application to the 44 kDa ectodomain of SIV gp41.

A suite of 3D NMR experiments for measuring 15 N‐{ 1 H} NOE, 15 N T1, and 15 N T1r values in large proteins, uniformly labeled with 15 N and 13 C, is presented. These experiments are designed for proteins that exhibit extensive spectral overlap in the 2D 1 H‐ 15 N HSQC spectrum. The pulse sequences are readily applicable to perdeuterated samples, which increases the spectral resolution and signal-to-noise ratio, thereby permitting the characterization of protein dynamics to be extended to larger protein systems. Application of the pulse sequences is demonstrated on a perdeuterated 13 C/ 15 N-labeled sample of the 44 kDa ectodomain of SIV gp41.
Role of the HIV gp120 conserved domain 1 in processing and viral entry.

The importance of the N-terminal region of HIV gp120 conserved domain 1 (gp120-C1) to envelope function has been examined by alanine-scanning mutagenesis and subsequent characterization of the mutagenic effects on viral entry; envelope expression, processing, and incorporation; and gp120 association with gp41. With respect to the wild-type gp120, mutational effects on viral entry fall into two classes: functional, as defined by >20% entry with respect to wild type, and impaired, as defined by
A computer-assisted learning programme to reduce caries detection variability

Design A randomised controlled trial using block design was devised. Intervention A computer-assisted learning (CAL) programme, with feedback, was tested. Outcome measure Sensitivity and specificity of caries diagnosis, and the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) method for summarising true-positive ratio (sensitivity) and false-positive ratio (1 — specificity), were used to analyse the dichotomous data. Results The mean sensitivity for dentine caries detection was 76.3% (standard deviation (SD), 13.0%) for the experimental group and 66.9% (SD, 14.8%) for the control group (P=0.005). Mean false-positive ratios were similar (experimental 28.1% and control 28.7%; P=0.5). The area under the SROC curve was 0.832 for the experimental group and 0.773 for the control group (P=0.002). Conclusions The CAL programme does improve diagnostic performance. Improving the cognitive feedback provided by the programme should be considered before implementation.
An unusual extraspinal cause of bilateral leg pain

Low back pain with pain radiating to the lower extremities is common in patients referred to a spine center. Lumbar spine pathology is commonly the etiology of such symptoms, but extraspinal causes of back and leg pain can manifest as a radicular disorder. Extraspinal etiologies must be considered in the workup of back and leg pain. This report describes an unusual case of spontaneously occurring bilateral femoral neck stress fractures presenting as low back pain with seemingly bilateral L4 radicular symptoms.
Left ventricular hypertrophy as a predictor of coronary heart disease mortality and the effect of hypertension

Abstract Background Although associations between hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and coronary heart disease (CHD) have been described, it is less clear whether LVH is associated with increased rates of CHD in the absence of hypertension. Methods We examined this association with Cox regression analyses of data from 7924 adults 25 to 74 years of age from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II) Mortality Study (1976 to 1992). Covariates included age, race, sex, history of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, cholesterol, body mass index, blood pressure, and smoking. Results During 16.8 follow-up years, there were 462 (26%) deaths from CHD (ICD-9 410-414) and 667 (38%) deaths from diseases of the heart (ICD-9 390-398, 402, 404, 410-414, 415-417, 420-429). LVH prevalence was 13.3 per 1000 population. Hypertension prevalence was 29.1%. LVH prevalence was higher among hypertensive adults than among normotensive adults (29.9 vs 6.4 per 1000, P Conclusions Our results confirm previous findings that the presence of LVH is a strong predictor of future cardiovascular death. Although LVH appears to be rare among normotensives, clinicians should be aware that such individuals may have an increased risk for death similar to that of hypertensive adults with LVH. (Am Heart J 2000;140:848-56.)
Integrating quantitative and qualitative discovery in the ABACUS system

Most research on inductive learning has been concerned with qualitative learning that induces conceptual, logic-style descriptions from the given facts. In contrast, quantitative learning deals with discovering numerical laws characterizing empirical data. This research attempts to integrate both types of learning by combining newly developed heuristics for formulating equations with the previously developed concept learning method embodied in the inductive learning program AQ11. The resulting system, ABACUS, formulates equations that bind subsets of observed data, and derives explicit, logic-style descriptions stating the applicability conditions for these equations. In addition, several new techniques for quantitative learning are introduced. Units analysis reduces the search space of equations by examining the compatibility of variables' units. Proportionality graph search addresses the problem of identifying relevant variables that should enter equations. Suspension search focusses the search space through heuristic evaluation. The capabilities of ABACUS are demonstrated by several examples from physics and chemistry.
DHEA: a novel adjunct for the treatment of male trauma patients

Despite significant advances in the management of trauma victims, traumatic injury with the ensuing sepsis and multiple organ failure remains the leading cause of death between the ages of 18 and 44 in the USA. Recently, interest in the clinically and experimentally observed gender dimorphic response to traumatic injury has led to the possibility of modulating cell and organ functions following trauma and hemorrhagic shock by the administration of sex steroids. Here, we review the effects of the adrenal steroid dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a precursor of sex steroid synthesis, on organ and immune functions following trauma-hemorrhage, and its potential as a novel therapy for improving the depressed cell and organ functions in trauma patients.
A 5‐decade analysis of 13,715 carcinoid tumors

were frequent in conjunction with small intestinal (29.0%), gastric (20.5%), colonic (20.0%), and appendiceal (18.2%) carcinoids. The highest percentages of nonlocalized lesions were noted for cecal (81.5‐ 83.2%) and pancreatic (71.9 ‐ 81.3%) carcinoids, whereas the highest percentage of localized disease was found among rectal (81.7%), gastric (67.5%), and bronchopulmonary (65.4%) carcinoids. The best 5-year survival rates were recorded for patients with rectal (88.3%), bronchopulmonary (73.5%), and appendiceal (71.0%) carcinoids; these tumors exhibited invasive growth or metastatic spread in 3.9%, 27.5%, and 38.8% of patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS. Carcinoids appear to have increased in overall incidence over the past 30 years; for some sites, this trend has been evident for nearly half a century. Recent marked increases in gastric and rectal carcinoids and a concomitant decrease in appendiceal carcinoid incidence may be due in part to varying rules of registration among the compiled databases examined in this report or to improvements in diagnostic technology; increased awareness of and about carcinoid tumors also may play a significant role. In 12.9% of all patients with carcinoid, distant metastases already were evident at the time of diagnosis; the overall 5-year survival rate for all carcinoid tumors, regardless of site, was 67.2%. These findings bring into question the widely promulgated relative benignity of carcinoid disease. Certain carcinoid tumors, such as those of the rectum, appear to be over-represented among the black and Asian populations within the United States, suggesting the role of genetics in the development of this intriguing disease. Cancer 2003;97: 934 –59. © 2003 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.11105