cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
God, reason and religions: An Introduction

This volume is presented in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the International Journal for Philosophy of Religion.1 In introducing the first issue of the journal in the Spring of 1970, the Editor, Edgar Henderson, began with a question put to him by one of his philosopher friends, ‘Religion is dead — why then are you trying to contribute to philosophy of religion by founding a new journal in this field?, In answering this question, Henderson noted first that there was almost no space available in philosophy journals for articles in the philosophy of religion, that such articles published in religion journals often missed the philosophical audience and that a questionnaire had indicated a large reservoir of material available. He also argued that religion at the time was in a state of confusion, that thinking persons found it difficult to make sense of religion and that older philosophical systems that once illuminated religion had been shattered. Religion had suffered from the criticisms of scientists, philosophers, theologians and ordinary thinking persons, but also from infighting within and among the great world religions. What was needed, Henderson argued, was the cool and comprehensive analysis of the philosopher to sort out the contending ideas of religion and harmonize its embattled values. The journal, said the Editor, was to be world wide in scope. It was to ‘provide a medium for the fruitful interchange of basic philosophical ideas between all peoples, all major faiths, and all varieties of philosophical thought’.
Externe Regulation kontrollierter Polymerisationen

Durch Fortschritte bei Verfahren zur kontrollierten Polymerisation und die Entwicklung verlasslicher Postfunktionalisierungsmethoden stehen Chemikern heute Werkzeuge zur Verfugung, um Materialien nahezu jeglicher Art und Architektur herzustellen. Viele wichtige Herausforderungen in den Materialwissenschaften verlangen jedoch nicht nur die Herstellung funktioneller Polymere, sondern daruber hinaus auch einen gezielten Zugang zu spezifischen Eigenschaften dieser Materialien. Eine beeindruckende zeitliche und raumliche Polymerisationskontrolle beobachten wir in der Natur, wo die Bildung von Proteinen, Nukleinsauren und Polysacchariden zur Regulation von Mehrkomponentensystemen beitragt und die Homoostase aufrechterhalt. Hier geben wir einen Uberblick uber vorhandene Strategien zur zeitlichen Kontrolle von Polymerisationen durch externe Stimuli, wie z. B. chemische Reagentien, elektrische Spannung, Licht und mechanische Kraft. Neueste Arbeiten veranschaulichen das betrachtliche Potential dieses noch jungen Gebiets und liefern einen Satz von Kriterien fur zukunftige Strategien zur Regulation kontrollierter Polymerisationen.
Fully self-consistent calculation of the electronic structure of n-type InAs accumulation layers

The screening of an external electric field at the surface of a degenerate semiconductor is modified in narrow-band-gap materials due to ``motional binding,'' where the confinement potential for surface-bound states depends on electron motion along the surface. A self-consistent calculation is presented that includes motional binding and treats both bound and mobile charge on the same footing. The calculation is applied to accumulation layers on n-type InAs and very good agreement is obtained with existing Shubnikov--de Haas data. The calculation is also used to predict intersubband spacings under conditions of motional binding.
Independence of the amount and delay ratios in the generalized matching law

Eight pigeons chose between pairs of different sizes and delays of reinforcement scheduled according to nonindependent concurrent variable-interval variable-interval schedules. The results were best described by the generalized matching law, where the relative effects of amount and delay on preference are independent and multiplicative. Order of presentation of the conditions had a significant effect on preference that was best represented in the model by a modification of the bias parameter.
Incremental prognostic power of clinical history, exercise electrocardiography and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in suspected coronary artery disease☆

The incremental ability of a clinical history, exercise electrocardiography (ECG) and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy to identify coronary events in the year after testing was assessed in 1,659 patients with symptoms suggestive of coronary artery disease (CAD), 74 of whom suffered a coronary event in the year after testing. Prognostic power was quantified in terms of the area under receiver operating characteristic curves derived from logistic regression. In 1,451 patients with normal rest ECG findings, a clinical history alone provided the most prognostic power (area = 72%). This improved significantly (by 5%) only when both tests were analyzed. In contrast, clinical history had significantly less prognostic power in the 208 patients with abnormal rest ECG findings (area = 58%), but each test then provided a significant incremental improvement in these patients (by 14% for each). A strategic model was thereby developed for prognostic assessment that recognizes the incremental power of these tests in specific patient groups as well as their overall accuracy and monetary cost. This strategy stratified individual patient risk for subsequent coronary events over a full order of magnitude (from 2 to 22%) at a 64% reduction in the cost of testing compared to performing both stress tests in all patients.
Low power system scheduling and synthesis

Many scheduling techniques have been presented recently which exploit dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) and dynamic power management (DPM) for both uniprocessors, and distributed systems, as well as both real-time and non-real-time systems. While such techniques are power-aware and aim at extending battery lifetimes for portable systems, they need to be augmented to make them battery-aware as well. This paper surveys such power-aware and battery-aware scheduling algorithms. In addition system synthesis algorithms for real-time systems-on-a-chip (SOCs), distributed and wireless client-server embedded systems, etc., have begun optimizing power consumption in addition to system price. The paper also surveys such algorithms as well, and points out some open problems.
Executive function and early reading skills

The purpose of this study was to examine how executive function skills in verbal and nonverbal auditory tasks are related to early reading skills in beginning readers. Kindergarteners (N = 41, aged 5 years) completed verbal (phonemes) and nonverbal (environmental sounds) Continuous Performance tasks yielding measures of executive function (misses, false alarms, and shift) as well as reaction time and D-Prime (sensitivity). Year-end measures of early reading skill included tests of phoneme awareness, letter knowledge, as well as reading (words and nonwords). The children made more errors on the verbal than the nonverbal tasks, suggesting that executive function abilities may differ by task. Adding to the literature on the role of inhibitory skills in reading, verbal inhibitory executive function skills were tied more closely to early reading than other verbal or nonverbal skills when age, short-term memory, and vocabulary were controlled.
Parametrized post-Einsteinian framework for gravitational wave bursts

The population of stellar-mass, compact object binaries that merge with non-negligible eccentricity may be large enough to motivate searches with ground-based gravitational wave detectors. Such events could be exceptional laboratories to test General Relativity in the dynamical, strong-field regime, as a larger fraction of the energy is emitted at high velocities, compared to quasicircular inspirals. A serious obstacle here, however, is the challenge of computing theoretical waveforms for eccentric systems with the requisite accuracy for use in a matched-filter search. The corresponding waveforms are more a sequence of concentrated bursts of energy emitted near periapse than a continuous waveform. Based on this, an alternative approach, stacking excess power over the set of time-frequency tiles coincident with the bursts, was recently suggested as a more practical (though suboptimal) detection strategy. The leading-order ``observable'' that would be inferred from such a detection would be a sequence of discrete numbers characterizing the position and size of each time-frequency tile. In General Relativity, this (possibly large) sequence of numbers is uniquely determined by the small set of parameters describing the binary at formation. In this paper, following the spirit of the parametrized post-Einsteinian framework developed for quasicircular inspiral, we propose a simple, parametrized deformation of the baseline general relativistic burst algorithm for eccentric inspiral events that would allow for model-independent tests of Einstein's theory in this high-velocity, strong-field regime.
Disability as Metaphor: Examining the Conceptual Framing of Emotional Behavioral Disorder In American Public Education

A growing, interdisciplinary field of cognitive linguistics has developed in recent decades, bringing together research from many fields to explore the ways that metaphors provide structure and semantic content to thought and language. In this article, the American public school disability emotional/behavioral disorder (E/BD) is examined in regard to the primary metaphors that frame the basic concepts of the disorder. The metaphors of 2 versions of E/BD, psychodynamic and behavioral, are investigated. A series of critical questions about the E/BD construct are posed, and possibilities for new metaphors are proposed.
The impact of store-and-forward teledermatology on skin cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Background Although the diagnostic accuracy of teledermatology has been extensively studied, the clinical outcomes associated with teledermatology are still unclear. Objective We examined the time intervals in which skin cancer patients referred conventionally or by store-and-forward teledermatology were evaluated, diagnosed, and treated. Methods A chart review was performed of all patients who had been treated for skin cancer in a Veterans Affairs medical center's dermatologic surgery clinics as a result of a conventional dermatology or teledermatology referral from 3 remote primary care clinics over a 4.5 year period. Results One hundred sixty-nine patient cases met the study criteria (45.6% conventional referrals, 54.4% teledermatology referrals). For conventional and teledermatology referrals, respectively, the overall mean time intervals for initial consult completion were 48 and 4 days ( p p = .034), and for surgery were 125 and 104 days ( p = .006). Teledermatology consults were also associated with fewer dermatology clinic visits before surgery ( p = .02). Limitations This was a retrospective study conducted on a Veterans Affairs healthcare system and a specific skin cancer patient population, which may not be directly comparable to other organizations. Conclusion Clinical outcomes in skin cancer management via teledermatology, as measured by times to diagnosis and to surgical treatment, can be comparable to, if not better than, management by conventional referrals for remotely located patients.
Differentiation of human leukemic leukocytes in tissue culture.

Abstract Leukocytes separated from the peripheral blood of patients with sub-acute granulocytic leukemia, sub-acute monocytic leukemia, and from healthy individuals were grown in short-term tissue cultures, employing Osgood's “gradient” method. Within a few days, both normal and leukemic cultures consisted of a uniform population of large, undifferentiated, actively mitotic cells. Periodic agitation or additions of fresh plasma maintained the cells in this undifferentiated state for several weeks. In cultures left undisturbed, maturation of the undifferentiated cells occurred within seven to ten days after the last agitation or addition of plasma. Cells from granulocytic leukemia differentiated into peroxidase-positive polymorphonuclear forms; cells from monocytic leukemia and from normal blood developed into macrophages and multinucleated giant cells. The results indicate that leukemic “blast” cells from the circulating blood are capable, under the proper circumstances, of maturing into cell types specific for the kind of leukemia involved.
Cerebellar plasticity: modification of Purkinje cell structure by differential rearing in monkeys

Dendritic branching in Purkinje and granule cells and the diameters of Purkinje cell somas were compared in several cerebellar areas of monkeys reared in isolation, with social experience, or in a large colony. In the colony-reared monkeys, spiny branchlets of Purkinje cells were more extensive in the paraflocculus and the nodulus than they were in the other two groups. Granule cell dendritic branching in the paraflocculus and nodulus did not differ across groups. In addition, Purkinje cell somas were larger in the uvula and the nodulus of the colony animals than in the other groups. These data indicate that the social and physical environment during development influences the morphology of cerebellar Purkinje cells.
Diet-dependent cholesterol transport in the American lobster

Abstract The absence of dietary phosphatidylcholine (PC) in a purified diet fed to juvenile lobsters Homarus sp. is associated with a significant reduction in serum cholesterol titers throughout most of the molt cycle. The reduction in circulating cholesterol has no apparent effect upon ecdysteroid (molting hormone) titers even during proecdysis when these hormone levels increase dramatically. The bulk of dietary cholesterol is absorbed and digested within 8–12 h after ingestion. Transport rates of [3H]cholesterol out of the midgut gland and into the hemolymph are reduced in the absence of dietary PC. Changes in the specific activity of serum cholesterol over time conform well to a model based upon differential transport rates. The hemolymph lipid of juvenile lobsters is predominantly phospholipid and PC comprises > 60%. Most of the serum cholesterol is associated with equilibrium density gradient fractions that contain the serum lipoproteins. These observations suggest that cholesterol transport is associated with hemolymph lipoproteins that have phospholipids as their principal lipid component.
Field scale variability of nitrogen and δ15N in soil and plants

Abstract Understanding the factors that influence soil and plant nitrogen (N) spatial variability may improve our ability to develop management systems that maximize productivity and minimize environmental hazards. The objective of this study was to determine the field (65 ha) scale spatial variability of N and δ15N in soil and corn (Zea mays). Soil, grain, and stover samples were collected from grids that ranged in size from 30 by 30 m to 60 by 60 m. Plant samples, collected following physiological maturity in 1995, were analyzed for total N and δ15N. Soil samples, collected prior to planting in the spring of 1995 and 1996, were analyzed for inorganic‐N, total N, and δ15N. All parameters showed strong spatial relationships. In an undrained portion of the field containing somewhat poorly and poorly drained soils there was a net loss of 95 kg N ha‐1, while in an adjacent area that was tile drained there was a net gain of 98 kg N ha‐1. Denitrification and N mineralization most likely were responsible for lo...
Status Epilepticus after Ligation of Portosystemic Shunts

Status epilepticus developed in four dogs, 2 to 3 days after ligation of an extrahepatic portosystemic shunt. Pentobarbital or phenobarbital intravenously was required to control seizure activity. Two dogs treated with phenobarbital recovered. Exacerbation of hepatic encephalopathy secondary to metabolic changes after surgery may be a cause of this syndrome. A treatment protocol for status epilepticus after ligation of a portosystemic shunt is proposed.
Prediction of midfoot instability in the subtle Lisfranc injury. Comparison of magnetic resonance imaging with intraoperative findings.

Background: The objective of the present study was to assess the utility of magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis of an injury to the Lisfranc and adjacent ligaments and to determine whether conventional magnetic resonance imaging is a reliable diagnostic tool, with manual stress radiographic evaluation with the patient under anesthesia and surgical findings being used as a reference standard. Methods: Magnetic resonance images of twenty-one feet in twenty patients (ten women and ten men with a mean age of 33.6 years [range, twenty to fifty-six years]) were evaluated with regard to the integrity of the dorsal and plantar bundles of the Lisfranc ligament, the plantar tarsal-metatarsal ligaments, and the medial-middle cuneiform ligament. Furthermore, the presence of fluid along the first metatarsal base and the presence of fractures also were evaluated. Radiographic observations were compared with intraoperative findings with respect to the stability of the Lisfranc joint, and logistic regression was used to find the best predictors of Lisfranc joint instability. Results: Intraoperatively, seventeen unstable and four stable Lisfranc joints were identified. The strongest predictor of instability was disruption of the plantar ligament between the first cuneiform and the bases of the second and third metatarsals (the pC1-M2M3 ligament), with a sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of 94%, 75%, and 94%, respectively. Nineteen (90%) of the twenty-one Lisfranc joint complexes were correctly classified on magnetic resonance imaging; in one case an intraoperatively stable Lisfranc joint complex was interpreted as unstable on magnetic resonance imaging, and in another case an intraoperatively unstable Lisfranc joint complex was interpreted as stable on magnetic resonance imaging. The majority (eighteen) of the twenty-one feet demonstrated disruption of the second plantar tarsal-metatarsal ligament, which had little clinical correlation with instability. Conclusions: Magnetic resonance imaging is accurate for detecting traumatic injury of the Lisfranc ligament and for predicting Lisfranc joint complex instability when the plantar Lisfranc ligament bundle is used as a predictor. Rupture or grade-2 sprain of the plantar ligament between the first cuneiform and the bases of the second and third metatarsals is highly suggestive of an unstable midfoot, for which surgical stabilization has been recommended. The appearance of a normal ligament is suggestive of a stable midfoot, and documentation of its integrity may obviate the need for a manual stress radiographic evaluation under anesthesia for a patient with equivocal clinical and radiographic examinations. Level of Evidence: Diagnostic Level II. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Defect Chemistry of Yttrium-Doped Barium Zirconate: A Thermodynamic Analysis of Water Uptake

Thermogravimetry has been used to evaluate the equilibrium constants of the water incorporation reaction in yttrium-doped BaZrO3 with 20-40% yttrium in the temperature range 50-1000 °C under a water partial pressure of 0.023 atm. The constants, calculated under the assumption of a negligible hole concentration, were found to be linear in the Arrhenius representation only at low temperatures (≤500 °C). Nonlinearity at high temperatures is attributed to the occurrence of electronic defects. The hydration enthalpies determined here range from -22 to -26 kJ mol^-1 and are substantially smaller in magnitude than those reported previously. The difference is a direct result of the different temperature ranges employed, where previous studies have utilized higher temperature thermogravimetric measurements, despite the inapplicability of the assumption of a negligible hole concentration. The hydration entropies measured in this work, around -40 J K^-1 mol^-1, are similarly smaller in magnitude than those previously reported and are considerably smaller than what would be expected from the complete loss of entropy of vapor-phase H2O upon dissolution. This result suggests that substantial entropy is introduced into the oxide as a consequence of the hydration. The hydration reaction constants are largely independent of yttrium concentration, in agreement with earlier reports.
Multifunctional Composites of Ceramics and Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Polycrystalline ceramic/single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) composites possess unique grain boundaries, containing 1D tortuous SWNTs bundles that form 2D tangled embedded nets. This unprecedented grain-boundary structure allows tailoring of multifunctional ceramic/SWNTs composites with unique combinations of desirable mechanical (toughness, strength, creep) and transport (electrical, thermal) properties. A brief discussion and analysis of recent developments in these composites are presented.
Identification of Multiple Metabolic Enzymes from Mice Cochleae Tissue Using a Novel Functional Proteomics Technology

A new type of technology in proteomics was developed in order to separate a complex protein mixture and analyze protein functions systematically. The technology combines the ability of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) to separate proteins with a protein elution plate (PEP) to recover active proteins for functional analysis and mass spectrometry (MS)-based identification. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of this functional proteomics approach, NADH and NADPH-dependent oxidases, major redox enzyme families, were identified from mice cochlear tissue after a specific drug treatment. By comparing the enzymatic activity between mice that were treated with a drug and a control group significant changes were observed. Using MS, five NADH-dependent oxidases were identified that showed highly altered enzymatic activities due to the drug treatment. In essence, the PEP technology allows for a systematic analysis of a large enzyme family from a complex proteome, providing insights in understanding the mechanism of drug treatment.
Equivalence notions and model minimization in Markov decision processes

Many stochastic planning problems can be represented using Markov Decision Processes (MDPs). A difficulty with using these MDP representations is that the common algorithms for solving them run in time polynomial in the size of the state space, where this size is extremely large for most real-world planning problems of interest. Recent AI research has addressed this problem by representing the MDP in a factored form. Factored MDPs, however, are not amenable to traditional solution methods that call for an explicit enumeration of the state space. One familiar way to solve MDP problems with very large state spaces is to form a reduced (or aggregated) MDP with the same properties as the original MDP by combining "equivalent" states. In this paper, we discuss applying this approach to solving factored MDP problems--we avoid enumerating the state space by describing large blocks of "equivalent" states in factored form, with the block descriptions being inferred directly from the original factored representation. The resulting reduced MDP may have exponentially fewer states than the original factored MDP, and can then be solved using traditional methods. The reduced MDP found depends on the notion of equivalence between states used in the aggregation. The notion of equivalence chosen will be fundamental in designing and analyzing algorithms for reducing MDPs. Optimally, these algorithms will be able to find the smallest possible reduced MDP for any given input MDP and notion of equivalence (i.e., find the "minimal model" for the input MDP). Unfortunately, the classic notion of state equivalence from non-deterministic finite state machines generalized to MDPs does not prove useful. We present here a notion of equivalence that is based upon the notion of bisimulation from the literature on concurrent processes. Our generalization of bisimulation to stochastic processes yields a non-trivial notion of state equivalence that guarantees the optimal policy for the reduced model immediately induces a corresponding Optimal policy for the original model. With this notion of state equivalence, we design and analyze an algorithm that minimizes arbitrary factored MDPs and compare this method analytically to previous algorithms for solving factored MDPs. We show that previous approaches implicitly derive equivalence relations that we define here.
Pathological mechanisms in carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity.

Liver cell injury induced by carbon tetrachloride involves initially the metabolism of carbon tetrachloride to trichloromethyl free-radical by the mixed function oxidase system of the endoplasmic reticulum. It is postulated that secondary mechanisms link carbon tetrachloride metabolism to the widespread disturbances in hepatocyte function. These secondary mechanisms could involve the generation of toxic products arising directly from carbon tetrachloride metabolism or from peroxidative degeneration of membrane lipids. The possible involvement of radical species such as trichloromethyl (.CCl3), trichloromethylperoxy (.OOCCl3), and chlorine (.Cl) free radicals, as well as phosgene and aldehydic products of lipid peroxidation, as toxic intermediates is discussed. Data do not support the view that an increase in cytosolic free calcium is important in the toxic action of carbon tetrachloride or bromotrichloromethane. In addition, carbon tetrachloride-induced inhibition of very low density lipoprotein secretion by hepatocytes is not a result of elevated levels of cytosolic free calcium.
Phage-based magnetoelastic biosensor for the detection of Salmonella typhimurium

In this paper, we report a wireless magnetoelastic (ME) biosensor with phage as the bio-recognition probe for real time detection of Salmonella typhimurium . The ME biosensor was constructed by immobilizing filamentous phage that specifically binds with S. typhimurium onto the surface of a strip-shaped ME particle. The ME sensor oscillates with a characteristic resonance frequency when subjected to a time varying magnetic field. Binding between the phage and antigen (bacteria) causes a shift in the sensor's resonance frequency. Sensors with different dimensions were exposed to various known concentrations of S. typhimurium ranging from 5 x10 1 to 5 x 10 8 cfu/ml. The detection limit of the ME sensors was found to improve as the size of the sensor became smaller. The detection limit was found to improve from 161 Hz/decade (2mm length sensors) to 1150 Hz/decade (500 μm length sensors). The stability of the ME biosensor was investigated by storing the sensor at different temperatures (25, 45, and 65 °C), and then evaluating the binding activity of the stored biosensor after exposure to S. typhimurium solution (5 x 10 8 cfu/ml). The results showed that the phage-coated biosensor is robust. Even after storage in excess of 60 days at 65 °C, the phage-coated sensors have a greater binding affinity than the best antibody coated sensors stored for 1 day at 45 °C. The antibody coated sensors showed near zero binding affinity after 3 days of storage at 65 °C.
Breeding to sell: a hedonic price analysis of leading Thoroughbred sire stud fees

This article utilizes panel data on leading Thoroughbred sires from 1999 until 2008 and estimates the determinants of their stud fees, or the price paid for the rights to one breeding season, and the marginal value of those characteristics. Using a Fixed Effects (FE) estimation procedure, we find strong evidence of ‘breeding to sell’: stud fees for established sires are determined primarily by the sales prices of their progeny. Other determinants include a sire's ability to produce sons who go on to become sires themselves, current year progeny racing performance and cumulative racing performance of a sire's progeny.
Transition from East to West: Vietnamese adolescents and their parents.

Abstract A 28-item questionnaire assessing family values was completed by 191 Vietnamese and 639 Caucasian adolescents in Oklahoma City Public Schools and by about half their parents. Vietnamese refugee parents, regardless of time in the United States, strongly endorsed traditional family values. Vietnamese adolescents tended to reject traditional values. This generation gap increased with time in the United States and was greater girls than for boys. Despite wholehearted endorsement of traditional family values, Vietnamese parents tended approve certain adolescent privileges. The results suggest that Vietnamese adolescents may receive conflicting messages from their parents. On the one hand, parents endorsed such traditional values as absolute obedience parental authority but on the other, they registered relative approval of adolescent freedom of choice regarding dating, marriage, and career. Such ambivalence suggests that Vietnamese refugee families may experience considerable strain while adjusting to American values.
Effect of carrier‐specific tolerance on the generation of helper cell function

The effect of carrier-specific tolerance on the development of helper cell function was studied in irradiated rats reconstituted with normal or carrier-tolerant bone marrow. Bone marrow (BM) from normal rats or rats tolerant to sheep IgG (SGG) was transferred to lethally irradiated syngeneic recipients, which were challenged 3 to 5 weeks later when immunocompetence to T-dependent antigens was shown to have recovered. When recipients were challenged with the 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl (TNP) hapten coupled to SGG in adjuvant, groups which received SGG-tolerant BM were 70-80% unresponsive in terms of anti-TNP plaque-forming cells compared to recipients of normal BM. This effect was carrier (SGG)-specific and was reversed when normal thymocytes were transferred with tolerant BM. Moreover, neither tolerant BM nor tolerant thymocytes were able to suppress the responsiveness of normal BM at a 1:1 ratio. These cell-mixing experiments imply that the reduction in helper cell function is due neither to suppressor cells nor antigen carryover in the tolerant BM. It is suggested that a BM precursor of the helper T cell may be rendered tolerant and therefore already possesses antigen specificity prior to thymic migration.
Genetic analysis of landscape connectivity in tree populations

Genetic connectivity in plant populations is determined by gene movement within and among populations. When populations become genetically isolated, they are at risk of loss of genetic diversity that is critical to the long-term survival of populations. Anthropogenic landscape change and habitat fragmentation have become so pervasive that they may threaten the genetic connectivity of many plant species. The theoretical consequences of such changes are generally understood, but it is not immediately apparent how concerned we should be for real organisms, distributed across real landscapes. Our goals here are to describe how one can study gene movement of both pollen and seeds in the context of changing landscapes and to explain what we have learned so far. In the first part, we will cover methods of describing pollen movement and then review evidence for the impact of fragmentation in terms of both the level of pollen flow into populations and the genetic diversity of the resulting progeny. In the second part, we will describe methods for contemporary seed movement, and describe findings about gene flow and genetic diversity resulting from seed movement. Evidence for pollen flow suggests high connectivity, but it appears that seed dispersal into fragments may create genetic bottlenecks due to limited seed sources. Future work should address the interaction of pollen and seed flow and attention needs to be paid to both gene flow and the diversity of the incoming gene pool. Moreover, if future work is to model the impact of changing landscapes on propagule movement, with all of its ensuing consequences for genetic connectivity and demographic processes, we will need an effective integration of population genetics and landscape ecology.
Three interacting excitons in three coupled quantum dots

Using a scaled Kohn-Sham formalism, we examine three heavy- and light-hole excitons, respectively, in three coupled quantum dots to study the effects of competition involving the electron-electron and hole-hole interactions between excitons, the electron-hole interaction within excitons and the effective masses. The particle-particle interactions play dominant roles in determining the configuration of the excitons in the coupled dots. In the absence of an external electric field, the two lowest (occupied) energy states of the heavy-hole excitons are degenerate, and the excitons have an equal probability of residing in either of the two side dots. The corresponding states of the light-hole excitons exhibit nondegenerate character and the lowest energy exciton is confined predominantly to the centre dot. Under a weak dc electric field, both the heavy- and light-hole excitons form direct excitons which are localized in the side dots. For large values of the electric field, we find that the electrons associated with the excitons become ionized as a result of strong confinement by the field and the electron-electron repulsion between excitons before the excitons can be transformed into indirect excitons. This result is in contrast to the conclusion that a single exciton in a double-quantum-well structure will be transformed into an indirect exciton in real space when it is subjected to large fields. Furthermore, we suggest that the wave function overlap between interacting excitons may diminish significantly the increase in excitonic lifetime predicted for a single exciton in two coupled quantum dot systems, implying that it may be difficult to make use of several excitons in coupled structures for nonlinear devices.
Adiposity and Depressive Symptoms in Police Officers

Purpose To determine the association between measures of adiposity and depression in a sample of police officers. Methods This study was a cross sectional observational study of 115 police officers stratified by gender and selected at random from an urban police department. Measures of adiposity (Body Mass Index (BMI), abdominal height, and waist circumference) and depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scale) were obtained during a clinic visit. One hundred and three officers (61 men and 42 women) had complete data and linear regression analysis was conducted separately for men and women. Covariate adjustments were made for age, alcohol use, years of police service, smoking, physical activity, fasting serum glucose, and marital status. Results We found statistically significant positive associations between the CES-D score and both BMI (p = 0.005) and abdominal height (p = 0.006) for men. No significant associations were found between CES-D score and adiposity in women (p =0.591 for BMI, p = 0.81 for abdominal height, p = 0.52 for waist circumference). Adjustment for covariates did not result in any meaningful change in the reported associations. Conclusion Results indicate a significant positive association between adiposity and depression among male police officers. The temporal sequence and additional physiological and psychological factors that might influence this association should be examined prospectively.
Wittgenstein and logic

In his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951) presents the concept of order in terms of a notational iteration that is completely logical but not part of logic. Logic for him is not the foundation of mathematical concepts but rather a purely formal way of reflecting the world that at the minimum adds absolutely no content. Order for him is not based on the concepts of logic but is instead revealed through an ideal notational series. He states that logic is “transcendental”. As such it requires an ideal that his philosophical method eventually forces him to reject. I argue that Wittgenstein’s philosophy is more dialectical than transcendental.
Nested mirrors for x-rays and neutrons

Montel (nested) Kirkpatrick-Baez mirrors can focus X-ray and neutron beams with larger divergences into small beams than is possible with standard (sequential) Kirkpatrick-Baez optics. They also provide for a more compact focusing system and higher fluxes into small beams than with current alternatives. These attributes make Montel optics critically important for both achromatic neutron and X-ray focusing. Here we describe design rules that optimize mirror performance under various constraints, including diffraction-limited, and flux-limited focusing. We also describe first tests of optical designs that employ nesting as a way to improve neutron microfocusing optics and suggest future directions for X-ray nanofocusing optics.
Detection of 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-3-one (NTO) by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Abstract 3-Nitro-1,2,4-triazol-3-one (NTO) is an insensitive but powerful explosive. In this paper, Ag nanofilm was used as the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate for analysis of explosive NTO. The detection limit of NTO in deionized water (DI) water and an aged tap water were 35 μg/L (0.35 ng) and 0.35 mg/L (3.5 ng), respectively. pH variation in the range from 4.7 to 9.1 did not affect the position of SERS NTO bands, but affected the band intensity. The effect of eight common ions in natural waters on the SERS of 3.5 mg/L NTO was evaluated. K + , Na + , Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ at 100 mg/L did not have significant negative effect on the SERS of 3.5 mg/L NTO as NTO has a stronger affinity for Ag nanofilm than that for the cations. SO 4 2− , CO 3 2− and NO 3 − (100 mg/L) also did not have significant negative effect on the SERS of 3.5 mg/L NTO. Cl − in the range of 1–50 mg/L can activate the SERS of NTO. At the high concentration of 100 mg/L Cl − , the activation and deactivation of the SERS of 3.5 mg/L NTO were both observed, but the overall average effect of Cl − was not very negative.
Point and counterpoint. Should HECs initiate policies to prevent recurring bioethical dilemmas

Since the role of HECs continues to evolve, it is important for those of us who serve on these committees to remain alert to new avenues for improving patient care within our institutions.
A broader multicountry perspective on the Gibson paradox and fisher's hypothesis

A broader multicountry perspective on the gibson paradox and fisher's hypothesis Correlations between nominal interest rates and price levels in 44 countries over periods of about 30 years indicate the Gibson paradox is widely observed in the post-Word War II era. Fisher's hypothesis on the determination of nominal interest rates, which has been regarded as one possible explanation for the phenomenon, is formulated in terms of Granger-causality between inflation and interest rates, and a test of causal ordering across the pair is conducted. The test results seem to provide only a limited degree of support for the hypothesis.
On the feasibility of using neural nets to derive hearing-aid prescriptive procedures.

A neural net is a ‘‘black box’’ information processing system that can be used for pattern matching, optimal prediction, or functional approximation. A neural net requires a minimal amount of a priori knowledge about the problem to be solved, but can require large amounts of data to converge to a solution. For a hearing‐aid fitting procedure, a multilayer perceptron net was trained to generate an optimum match between a set of input pure‐tone audiograms and the corresponding best frequency response and gain for each subject. The feasibility of using neural nets to select hearing‐aid response characteristics was tested using both simulated and real audiometric data. The simulation results indicate that a neural net can be successfully trained to reproduce a fitting rule such as the NAL‐R procedure, and that a minimum of about 50 sets of audiometric response data are needed for the net to converge to a generalized solution. When used to predict, from the pure‐tone audiograms, the best frequency response characteristics determined for subjects having severe‐to‐profound hearing losses, the neural net was more accurate than the NAL‐R fitting procedure derived from the same data.
Program Value: What Can We Learn From Major Defense Programs?

In program management, several best practices have been developed from major aerospace and defense programs. In this study, we examined seven major defense programs. Our intention was to learn from these successful programs, especially about the concepts of program value. As a result, we are able to suggest the definition of program value, the forms of program value, and some propositions for future research. Our research also suggests a better way to manage a program for the better business results, organized as a conceptual hierarchy of program value.
WDHA syndrome caused by pheochromocytoma: Report of a case

A case in which a pheochromocytoma secreted vasoactive intestinal peptide, causing WDHA syndrome, is reported. The patient, a 43-year-old woman, was seen because of intractable watery diarrhea, hypokalemia and weight loss. She was found to have a mass in the right adrenal area. Preoperatively, vasoactive intestinal peptide levels were elevated, and the diagnosis of WDHA syndrome was entertained. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a tumor of the right adrenal gland, measuring 15×15 cm, which was resected. Histologic examination revealed it to be a pheochromocytoma. Postoperatively, vasoactive intestinal peptide returned to normal. The patient had complete remission of symptoms, and has remained well since.
Labellar modifications of Blepharoneura (Diptera: Tephritidae): neotropical fruit flies that damage and feed on plant surfaces

Using scanning electron microscopy, we examined external and internal surfaces of labella of several species of Blepharoneura , Neotropical fruit flies that rasp and cause damage to plant surfaces. Blepharoneura has blade-like and brush-like pseudotracheal ring tips. By examining the internal surface of the labellum, we discovered that rings that bear blades are highly modified structures that no longer function as braces of the pseudotracheal canals. These robust structures may represent adaptations for scarifying plant tissues, an activity that has never been reported for other flies.
Mean shape of three-dimensional dendrites: A comparison of pivalic acid and ammonium chloride

The mean shape of free dendrites of pivalic acid growing from solution is determined. For a three-dimensional axisymmetric needle crystal, the mean width w\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} of the dendrites would scale with distance z from the tip according to ${\mathit{w}}_{0}$= \ensuremath{\surd}2\ensuremath{\rho}z, where \ensuremath{\rho} is the tip radius. For pivalic acid growing from a solution of pivalic acid and ethanol, we find that w\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} does not grow as a simple power law in z, and is always larger than ${\mathit{w}}_{0}$. This result reflects the concentration of material into the sidebranching planes due to crystalline anisotropy. A comparison with ${\mathrm{NH}}_{4}$Cl in aqueous solution, which has a larger surface tension anisotropy, shows that the magnitude of the crystalline anisotropy does not affect the mean shape. The connections with current three-dimensional theories of dendritic growth are also discussed.
Chlorine NQR spectra of some benzyl chlorides, allyl chlorides, and chlorophosphines

Abstract Cl 35 nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) spectra are reported for a number of substituted benzyl chlorides and allyl chlorides, for o , m , and p -chloroacetophenone, and for phenyldichlorophosphine and its p -chloro derivative. The results for the benzyl chlorides imply a large hyperconjugative interaction between the ring and the CCl bond.
Metastatic carcinoma masquerading as scleritis.

Abstract A 36-year-old white man abruptly developed painless visual loss in his left eye. Fundoscopic evaluation revealed a shallow left superotemporal retinal detachment with an underlying yellowish choroidal infiltrate. Fluorescein angiography disclosed indistinct choroidal leakage, and both B-scan ultrasonography and computed tomography demonstrated superotemporal thickening of the choroid and the sclera. The patient was diagnosed clinically as having a scleritis and an associated exudative retinal detachment. He was placed on a several months' course of systemic prednisone, and despite this regimen, his condition worsened with the appearance of severe pain, proptosis and displacement of the eye, glaucoma, and intense episcleral and scleral injection. The eye was enucleated and displayed externally a massively thickened sclera superotemporally. Light microscopic evaluation of the enucleated globe revealed an extensively necrotic tumor growing diffusely within the choroid; infiltrating viable tumor cells were discovered within the sclera and episclera. The tumor cells had the characteristics of a well-differentiated, mucinproducing adenocarcinoma. Electron microscopic studies demonstrated lumen-forming tumor cells with apical villi, cytoplasmic pseudolumens, pools of cytoplasmic glycogen, and multiple types of inclusions, including mucin, lipid, and electron-dense secretory granules similar to those in pulmonary Clara ceils. These findings were consistent with a bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma. The patient subsequently developed bilateral reticulo-nodular pulmonary infiltrates, also typical of this tumor. The unusual clinical features of this case of "malignant scleritis" are discussed in light of the final diagnosis.
Thermal Expansion of Compounds of Zircon Structure

The thermal expansion behavior of 13 members of ABO{sub 4} compounds of the zircon family is examined in terms of crystal chemical (size, charge, and mass of cations) and crystallographic (a and c) parameters. The systematic trend in the thermal expansion coefficients {alpha}{sub a} and {alpha}{sub c}, with the ionic radii, r{sub A} and R{sub B}, can be explained in terms of the unique arrangement of M-O polyhedra along a and c directions of this lattice. In the zircon structure, edge-sharing ZrO{sub 8} dodecahedra form a chain along the a direction while the chain along the c direction consists of alternate edge-sharing SiO{sub 4} tetrahedra and ZrO{sub 8} triangular dodecahedra. Substitution in the A sites affects a and {alpha}{sub a} more than c and {alpha}{sub c} and the reverse is true for replacements in the B sites. Unequal valencies on the A and B sites affect thermal expansion coefficients, particularly {alpha}{sub c}.
Ten-year recurrence rates in young women with breast cancer by locoregional treatment approach.

Purpose Young women with breast cancer have higher locoregional recurrence (LRR) rates than older patients. The goal of this study is to determine the impact of locoregional treatment strategy, breast-conserving therapy (BCT), mastectomy alone (M), or mastectomy with adjuvant radiation (MXRT), on LRR for patients 35 years or younger. Methods and Materials Data for 668 breast cancers in 652 young patients with breast cancer were retrospectively reviewed; 197 patients were treated with BCT, 237 with M, and 234 with MXRT. Results Median follow-up for all living patients was 114 months. In the entire cohort, 10-year actuarial LRR rates varied by locoregional treatment: 19.8% for BCT, 24.1% for M, and 15.1% for MXRT ( p = 0.05). In patients with Stage II disease, 10-year actuarial LRR rates by locoregional treatment strategy were 17.7% for BCT, 22.8% for M, and 5.7% for MXRT ( p = 0.02). On multivariate analysis, M (hazard ratio, 4.45) and Grade III disease (hazard ratio, 2.24) predicted for increased LRR. In patients with Stage I disease, there was no difference in LRR rates based on locoregional treatment (18.0% for BCT, 19.8% for M; p = 0.56), but chemotherapy use had a statistically significant LRR benefit (13.5% for chemotherapy, 27.9% for none; p = 0.04). Conclusions Young women have high rates of LRR after breast cancer treatment. For patients with Stage II disease, the best locoregional control rates were achieved with MXRT. For patients with Stage I disease, similar outcomes were achieved with BCT and mastectomy; however, chemotherapy provided a significant benefit to either approach.