cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Carnap's Aufbau Reconsidered

Rudolf Carnap's Der logische Aufbau der Welt', written largely in the years 1922-25 and published in 1928, is generally-and rightlyregarded as one of the most important classics of twentieth century positivist thought. But what exactly is the importance of this great work? Precisely where does its significance lie? The most widely accepted view of this question, I think, runs as follows. Central to twentieth century positivism is the doctrine of verificationism: the doctrine that the cognitive meaning of all scientific statements must ultimately consist in their consequences for actual and possible sense experiences. And it is this radically empiricist doctrine, above all, that forms the basis for the notorious anti-metaphysical attitude of twentieth century positivism: in virtue of their unverifiability, metaphysical statements are deprived of all cognitive meaning as well. Yet this radically empiricist program also requires a positive construction, for one must show how the nonmetaphysical statements of science and everyday life are actually translatable into terms referring only to sense experiences. In other words, twentieth century positivism requires a phenomenalistic reduction. The Aufbau, on this reading, is primarily important for its attempt at just such a phenomenalistic reduction: Radical reductionism, conceived now with statements as units, set itself the task of specifying a sense-datum language and showing how to translate the rest of significant discourse, statement by statement, into it. Carnap embarked on this project in the Aufbau.2 On this reading, then, the Aufbau is best seen as an exceptionally detailed and rigorous attempt to execute concretely the program of Russell's Our Knowlec4'e of the External World (1914):
mxCSM: A 100-slit, 6-wavelength wide-field coronal spectropolarimeter for the study of the dynamics and the magnetic fields of the solar corona

remendous progress has been made in the field of observational coronal magnetometry in the first decade of the 21st century. With the successful construction of the Coronal Multichannel Magnetometer (CoMP) instrument, observations of the linear polarization of the coronal emission lines (CELs), which carry information about the azimuthal direction of the coronal magnetic fields, are now routinely available. However, reliable and regular measurements of the circular polarization signals of the CELs remain illusive. The CEL circular polarization signals allow us to infer the magnetic field strength in the corona, and is critically important {\bf of} our understanding of the solar corona. Current telescopes and instrument can only measure the coronal magnetic field strength over a small field of view. Furthermore, the observations require very long integration time that preclude the study of dynamic events even when only a small field of view is required. This paper describes a new instrument concept that employees large-scale multiplexing technology to enhance the efficiency of current coronal spectropolarimeter by more than two orders of magnitude. This will allow for the instrument to increase of the integration time at each spatial location by the same factor, while also achieving a large field of view coverage. We will present the conceptual design of a 100-slit coronal spectropolarimeter that can observe six coronal emission lines simultaneously. Instruments based on this concept will allow us to study the evolution of the coronal magnetic field even with coronagraphs with modest aperture.
Research on Developing Environmental Logistics Industry Partnership in the Post-crisis Era

China's logistics industry development should take the path of sustainable development in the postcrisis era,and environmental logistics is undoubtedly the best choice.From the perspective of cooperative game theory,the third party logistics enterprises and logistics demand enterprises may seek a win-win collaborative innovation game model.In this process,efforts should be made to strengthen the greening businesses and the idea of collaborative innovation,and promote and perfect the environmental logistics chains gradually.
Study and Realization of ZVS Control in Phase-Shifted Full Bridge PWM DC/DC Converter

In the high-power applications,zero-voltage-switching controlled phase-shifted full-bridge PWM DC/DC converter has drawn more and more concerns in recent years,and is widely used in engineering.Its reliability is paid more and more attention.This paper introduces the working principle of this converter under zero-voltage-switching control and general problems in realization.The converter is simulated by using the power simulation software SIMetrix.A prototype of phase-shifted full bridge PWM DC/DC converter under ZVS control is designed according to the result of simulation.The validity of the research is verified finally.
Metallothionein regulates intracellular zinc signaling during CD4+ T cell activation

The ultra-low redox potential and zinc binding properties of the intracellular pool of mammalian metallothioneins (MT) suggest a role for MT in the transduction of redox signals into intracellular zinc signals. Increased expression of MT after exposure to heavy metals, oxidative stress, or inflammatory cytokines leads to an increased intracellular redox-mobilizable zinc pool that can affect downstream zinc-sensitive signaling pathways. CD4+ T helper cells are poised to be influenced by MT transduced zinc signaling because they produce intracellular reactive oxygen species following activation through the T cell receptor and are sensitive to small changes in intracellular [Zn2+]. MT expression and intracellular [Zn2+] are both increased during primary activation and expansion of naive CD4+ T cells into the Tr1 phenotype in vitro. When Tr1 cells from wildtype mice are compared with congenic mice lacking functional Mt1 and Mt2 genes, the expression of intracellular MT is associated with a greater increase in intracellular [Zn2+] immediately following exposure to reactive oxygen species or upon restimulation through the T cell receptor. The release of Zn2+ from MT is associated with a greater increase in p38 MAPK activation following restimulation and decreased p38 MAPK activation in MT knockout Tr1 cells can be rescued by increasing intracellular [Zn2+]. Additionally, IL-10 secretion is increased in MT knockout Tr1 cells compared with wildtype controls and this increase is prevented when the intracellular [Zn2+] is increased experimentally. Differences in zinc signaling associated with MT expression appear to be a result of preferential oxidation of MT and concomitant release of Zn2+. Although zinc is released from many proteins following oxidation, release is greater when the cell contains an intracellular pool of MT. By expressing MT in response to certain environmental conditions, CD4+ T cells are able to more efficiently release intracellular zinc and regulate signaling pathways following stimulation. The link between MT expression and increased zinc signaling following activation represents an important immunomodulatory mechanism of MT and illuminates the complex role MT plays in shaping immune responses.
Occurrence of renal cell carcinoma and hematologic malignancies (predominantly lymphoid) in individuals and in families

The relationship between renal cell cancer (RCC) and hematologic malignancy (HM) in the same individual has been reported for more than 20 years, and is noted in SEER database studies. Family histories suggest a familial association as well. This study evaluates the occurrence of renal cell cancer and hematologic malignancies in individual patients and families, and the occurrence of age-of-onset anticipation among generations. Family history data from our familial patient registry, including more than 700 pedigrees of familial hematologic malignancies, and 700 patients with renal cell cancer, were reviewed. Twenty-six patients with a personal history of both RCC and HM are reported. Seventy four patients with RCC are noted to have 95 family members with HM. Consistent with past reports, there was male predominance among the patients with both diseases (71 %), and among the RCC patients’ relatives with HM (57 %). Also consistent was a predominance of lymphoid malignancies in those with both diseases (92 %) and in the HMs among family members of RCC patients (79 %). The majority (95 %) of HM relatives were first or second degree relatives of the patient with RCC. Thirty of 34 parent/child pairs demonstrated age of onset anticipation in which the child developed either disease at a younger age than the parent. The co-occurrence of RCC and HM in the same patient has been shown to be significantly greater than expected. Families also appear to have an increased association. The appearance of anticipation suggests that genetic factors may be significant in this association of RCC and HM.
A Fundamental Theory of Curriculum/Education Grounded in Ontology NOT Epistemology: Recovering the Occluded Realm of Pre-Theoretical Living-and-Learning in Vandenberg, Dreyfus, and Kelly

This first chapter is driven by the following grounding/guiding question: Can there be a fundamental curriculum or educational theory grounded in ontology? My rejoinder emerges from a critical engagement with contemporary phenomenological studies in dialogue with the history of curriculum theorizing and the reading of curriculum as phenomenological text. Working to develop the notion of a fundamental educational theory inspired by a form of phenomenology emerging from a post-Husserlian perspective, this chapter unfolds in three sections: (1) I explicate for the reader the impoverished ontological state of contemporary standardized education (social efficiency), outlining the oblivion of ontology and the potential devastating effects of the learning sciences on both educators and students, resulting in the loss of phenomenological self-hood; (2) I look to Hubert Dreyfus (1981, 1993, 1999, 2001) and Sean Kelly (2005) to envision the reconceived notion of world and human being that their unique and complex phenomenology offers, which is radically opposed to the thematized and formalized world of contemporary “standardized” education, which is driven, for the most part, by the learning sciences.
Does Culturally Relevant Teaching Work? An Examination From Student Perspectives

Culturally relevant teaching is proposed as a powerful method for increasing student achievement and engagement and for reducing achievement gaps. Nevertheless, the research demonstrating its effec...
PRINCIPLES OF CHILDREN'S ART

This chapter discusses principles of children's art. As the child's conception of the world differs completely from that of the adult, the child's expression of such a world conception also differs completely from the corresponding manifestation in the adult. The majority of adults' drawings are copies of objects; it is the imitation of their characteristics that makes these objects recognizable to everyone. Children's art is to only a slight degree an imitation of objects; it is a representation of the child's conception of them. The negative attitude of adults toward children's drawings originates either in their lack of understanding or, more frequently, in their emotional protest against a form of expression that does not fit into their world conception. Measuring of intelligence from children's drawings should be related to the child's associations to the drawn elements. The difference between the art of the adult and that of the child is caused by the different types of associations and by the different numbers of omitted links.
Self-Fertility in a Cultivated Diploid Potato Population Examined with the Infinium 8303 Potato Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Array

Within a population of F hybrids between two genotypes ( L. Group Phureja DM 1-3 516 R44 [DM] and L. Group Tuberosum RH89-039-16 [RH]) used in the potato genome sequencing project, we observed fruit set after self-pollination on many plants. Examination of pollen tube growth in self-fertile and self-unfruitful F plants after controlled self-pollinations revealed no difference in the ability of pollen tubes to reach the ovary. To identify genomic regions linked with self-fertility, we genotyped the F population using a genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. Polymorphic and robust SNPs were analyzed to identify allelic states segregating with the self-fertile phenotype. All 88 highly significant SNPs occurred on chromosome 12. Seeds obtained after self-pollination of self-fertile individuals were used to advance the population for four generations. Genotyping 46 self-fruitful and 46 self-unfruitful S plants on the Infinium 8303 Potato SNP array revealed eight SNPs segregating with self-fertility on chromosomes 4, 9, 11, and 12. Three times more heterozygosity than expected was found in the S generation. Estimates of heterozygosity were influenced by copy number variation (CNV) in the potato genome leading to spurious heterozygous genotyping calls. Some spurious heterozygosity could be removed by application of a CNV filter developed from alignment of additional monoploid potato genomic sequence to the DM reference genome. The genes responsible for fruit set in self-fertile plants in the F generation were restricted to chromosome 12, whereas new genomic regions contributed to the ability of S plants to set fruit after self-pollination.
Classification of Air Traffic Controller Utterance Transcripts via Warm-Start Non-Negative Matrix Factorization

Air traffic control voice (i.e., utterance) transcript data are often underutilized in the context of airspace analysis, despite its increasing availability. This underuse provides an opportunity for enhanced analysis, as utterances contain operational directives which are typically inferred from aircraft trajectories. Direct knowledge of such directives would facilitate various activities such as Area Navigation (RNAV) procedure assessment, airspace redesign, or controller workload studies. Though transcribed utterances can be free-form, they fit into a finite number of categories. To this end, we propose using domain knowledge to create an effective warm-start strategy for the non-negative matrix factorization (NMF), which in turn can be used to categorize utterance transcripts automatically. Using human and machine transcribed voice data, we show that our approach closely matches manually labeled (i.e., by subject matter experts) utterances. Furthermore, we associate labeled utterances to their corresp...
Inter-row Robot Navigation using 1D Ranging Sensors

Abstract: In this paper a fuzzy logic navigation controller for an inter-row agricultural robot is developed and evaluated in laboratory settings. The controller receives input from one-dimensional (1D) ranging sensors on the robotic platform, and operated on ten fuzzy rules for basic row-following behavior. The control system was implemented on basic hardware for proof of concept and operated on a commonly available microcontroller development platform and open source software libraries. The robot platform used for experimentation was a small tracked vehicle with differential steering control. Fuzzy inferencing and defuzzification, step response and cross track error were obtained from the test conducted to characterize the transient and steady state response of the controller. Controller settling times were within 4 seconds. Steady state centering errors for smooth barrier navigation were found to be within 3.5% of center for 61 cm wide solid barrier tests, and within 38% for simulated 61 cm corn row tests.
Propaganda, Inequality, and Epistemic Movement

I analyze Jason Stanley's model for how propaganda works, paying close attention to Stanley's own rhetoric. I argue that Stanley's language be supplemented with a vocabulary that helps us to attend to what sorts of things move democratic knowers (epistemically speaking), what sorts of things do not, and why. In addition, I argue that the reasonableness necessary for considering the views of others within democratic deliberation ought to be understood, not as an empathic, but as an interactive capacity. Finally, I critique some of the ways in which Stanley speaks about the marginalized populations he aims to support.
Synthesis and Characterization of Microporous Silica Prepared with Sodium Silicate and Organosilane Compounds

Microporous silica gels were prepared in the pH range of 3–4 using sodium silicate as a silica source. Surface polarity of these gels was modified by grafting hydrophobic groups into the silica gel matrix with the help of hydrophilic solvents (acetone, acetonitrile, ethanol and methanol) and alkoxysilane compounds containing nonhydrolyzable alkyl groups. The porous framework and hydrophobicity of the silica gels were evaluated using nitrogen adsorption/desorption and water adsorption measurement techniques. All the measured isotherms were found to be type I which is indicative of microporosity. The surface area and microporosity of these samples were estimated by analyzing the measured nitrogen adsorption/desorption data using BET, Langmuir and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) adsorption isotherms. The micropore size distribution was determined from their nitrogen adsorption isotherms using the slit-pore model of the Horvath-Kawazoe equation. Silica gels with high surface area (over 500 m2/g) as well as high microporosity (over 0.2 cc/g) were obtained at gelation pH of 3.50 from the water-solvent system.
Examining the effects of cigarette smoking on food cravings and intake, depressive symptoms, and stress

Purpose This study examined the relationships among smoking status and total and specific types of food cravings (i.e., high-fats, sweets, fast-food fats, and complex carbohydrates/starches) and the influence of demographic, clinical, and psychological factors on this relationship.
Linear dynamometer testing of hydraulic artificial muscles with variable recruitment

A novel, meso-scale hydraulic actuator characterization test platform, termed a linear hydraulic actuator characterization device, is demonstrated and characterized in this study. The linear hydrau...
Fast initialization of cognitive radio systems

Fast initialization of cognitive radio systems is a key problem in a variety of wireless communication systems, particularly for public safety organizations in emergency crises. In the initialization problem, the goal is to rapidly identify an unoccupied frequency band. In this paper, we formalize the initialization problem within the framework of active hypothesis testing. We characterize the optimal scanning policy in the case of at most one free band and show that the policy is computationally challenging. Motivated by this challenge for the implementation of the optimal policy and the need to cope with an unknown number of interferers larger than one, we propose the constrained DGF algorithm. We show that for strict constraints on the maximum number of observations, the constrained DGF algorithm can outperform the error probability of the state-of-the-art C-SPRT algorithm by an order of magnitude, for comparable average delays.
Syringohydromyelia in Patients with Chiari I Malformation: A Retrospective Analysis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The association of syringohydromyelia with Chiari I malformation has a wide range, between 23% and 80% of cases in the current literature. In our experience, this range might be overestimated compared with our observations in clinical practice. Because there is an impact of Chiari I malformation–associated syringohydromyelia on morbidity and surgical intervention, its diagnosis is critical in this patient population. Identifying related variables on the basis of imaging would also help identify those patients at risk of syrinx formation during their course of disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of the MR imaging studies of 108 consecutive cases of Chiari I malformation. A multitude of factors associated with syrinx formation were investigated, including demographic, morphometric, osseous, and dynamic CSF flow evaluation. RESULTS: Thirty-nine of 108 (36.1%) patients with Chiari I malformation had syringohydromyelia. On the basis of receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, a skull base angle (nasion-sella-basion) of 135° was found to be a statistically significant classifier of patients with Chiari I malformation with or without syringohydromyelia. Craniocervical junction osseous anomalies (OR = 4.3, P = .001) and a skull base angle of >135° (OR = 4.8, P = .0006) were most predictive of syrinx formation. Pediatric patients (younger than 18 years of age) who developed syringohydromyelia were more likely to have associated skull base osseous anomalies than older individuals ( P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support evidence of the role of foramen magnum blockage from osseous factors in the development of syringohydromyelia in patients with Chiari I malformation.
GPU-accelerated high-fidelity simulation of beam-beam effects in particle colliders

Particle colliders are essential tools for understanding the fundamental structure of matter in physical science. In circular colliders, two counter rotating beams, each containing hundreds of millions of particles moving at nearly the speed of light are forced to collide at each turn. Numerical simulation of this beam-beam effects at each turn relies on matrix-based, arbitrary-order symplectic particle tracking for beam transport and the generalized Basetti-Erskine approximation for beam-beam interaction. Serial, or even naively parallel implementation of this simulation is prohibitively costly in terms of efficiency and computational requirements, necessitating simulation times on the order of months. In this paper, we present a high-performance, high-fidelity model for simulation of beam-beam effects in particle colliders using GPUs. The parallel simulation algorithm implemented on NVIDIA Tesla K40 GPU delivers two to three orders-of-magnitude speedup when compared to a non-optimized sequential simulation. With the parallel simulation model resulting in orders-of-magnitude reduction in the computation time, previously computationally prohibitive long-term simulations become tractable.
A wideband, pattern reconfigurable, compact yagi

A wideband, pattern reconfigurable, compact Yagi antenna is proposed using a driven element in a bow-tie shape and two parasitic wires positioned on the opposite sides of the driven element. The radiation pattern is reconfigured with PIN diode switches located in the middle of the parasitic elements. The −10-dB impedance bandwidth is 30% (2.15 GHz ∼ 2.91 GHz) and the average realized gain is about 5.8 dB over the bandwidth.
Multiple oxidation state trace elements in suboxic waters off Peru: In situ redox processes and advective/diffusive horizontal transport

Abstract Oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), where the concentrations of oxygen are at analytical detection limits, but sulfate reduction is not occurring, are termed suboxic and typically nitrate serves as the terminal electron acceptor for heterotrophic respiration. Such respiration is highest near the top of OMZs where maxima in nitrite and other redox active species are observed. Within OMZs, the availability of free electrons for reduction reactions (pe) can range from − 2 to 10 and at thermodynamic equilibrium could control the oxidation states of essential trace elements like iron and toxic ones like arsenic. In turn, this oxidation/reduction speciation affects trace element solubility and bioavailability , thus controlling their reactivity and transport. Field observations and mesoscale models demonstrate the increasing areal extent of oxygen minimum zones, but whether this in turn affects trace element cycling and fluxes remains to be verified. From current observations, it is difficult to determine the relative importance of in situ processes and lateral transport from boundaries to trace elements' redox cycling, which are typically highly redox- and biologically-active in these systems. Such processes could lead to the co-occurrence of redox species that are not controlled by a unique pe. In order to evaluate the effects of in situ redox processes versus advective/diffusive transport on trace elements, the cycling of nitrate/nitrite, iodate/iodide, Fe(II), As(III)/As(V), and hydrogen sulfide was examined in the low oxygen waters off the Peru shelf to the open South Pacific Ocean during the US GEOTRACES GP16 transect in 2013. Nitrite, Fe(II), and iodide were observed from the shelf to 95° W, while reduced forms of sulfur and arsenic were absent. Maxima in nitrite, Fe(II) and iodide were coincident, indicating the utilization of Fe(III), iodate and nitrate as terminal electron acceptors was possible. For iron, this finding was unexpected with regards to thermodynamics. However, closer inspection combined with advective/diffusive modeling of water column data and 228Ra-based flux calculations, showed that benthic redox processes, coupled with westward isopycnal transport, influenced the chemical composition and redox speciation within the upper OMZ well offshore. This horizontal transport contributed to the coexistence of Fe(II) with nitrate, indicating that Fe redox chemistry is under kinetic, rather than thermodynamic, control.
Correlates of Temperament to Depressive Phenomena

Attempts to identify precisely the phenomenon of infant depression have been hindered by a lack of consensus concerning what constitutes depression in general. Currently, no universally reliable and valid definition of depression exists. Indeed, perceiving depression per se as a common clinical phenomenon appears to be the only reliable point of agreement among investigators.
Clustered Microarchitecture Simultaneous Multithreading

The excessive amount of heat that billions of transistors will produce will be the most important challenge to the design of the future chips. In order to reduce the power consumption of microprocessors, many low power architectures have been developed. However, this has come at the expense of performance, and only few low power architectures for superscalar, such as clustered architectures, target high performance computing applications.
Microstructural effects on the behavior of Sn–Ag solder joints under repeated reverse stressing

Double shear lap joints made with eutectic Sn–Ag solder were cooled from 270 °C at different rates ranging from air-cooling to iced-brine quenching. These joints were subjected to reversed stressing with constant shear strain amplitude at room temperature. Shear strain amplitudes between 0.75 and 1 were imposed during the course of this investigation. Role of microstructural features on the surface damage accumulation and stress–strain behavior was investigated as a function of shear strain amplitude and number of cycles of repeated stressing. Shear banding was found to be along Sn dendrites in air-cooled specimens, while it cut across the small Sn grains present in the quenched specimens.
Evaluation of Voice-Output Calculators for Visually Handicapped Users.

Until recently, the Speech Plus was one of the few calculators that were accessible to visually handicapped individuals. A variety of other voice-output calculators are now on the market. An evalua...
Mountaintop removal mining and multiple illness symptoms: A latent class analysis.

Abstract Background Mountaintop removal mining has been associated with multiple types of disease outcomes for populations living nearby. The current study tested whether latent classes identifying people with symptoms from multiple organ systems were associated with residence in mountaintop mining communities. Methods We used data from three cross-sectional household community surveys conducted in three Appalachian states (N = 2756). The surveys contained information on 29 recent illness symptoms grouped into eight organ systems (respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, skin, eye-ear-nose-throat, neurological, and other.) We identified latent classes, and then tested whether classes with higher probabilities of multiple symptoms would be associated with residence in mountaintop removal areas after control for covariates. Results Three latent classes were identified, including a low-symptom referent class, an intermediate class, and a class with high symptom probability across organ systems. Controlling for covariates, latent classes characterized by intermediate and high multi-symptom probabilities were significantly associated with residence near mountaintop removal mining, with the highest odds ratio for the MTR versus control condition for the high multi-symptom group (OR = 2.17, 95% CI = 1.80–2.61). Conclusions Symptoms across multiple organ systems were related to residential proximity to mountaintop removal mining. Prior research has established multiple environmental contaminants related to mining that may contribute to poor population health through more than one exposure route or chemical of concern.
Intercellular calcium waves integrate hormonal control of glucose output in the intact liver.

KEY POINTS Sympathetic outflow and circulating glucogenic hormones both regulate liver function by increasing cytosolic calcium, although how these calcium signals are integrated at the tissue level is currently unknown. We show that stimulation of hepatic nerve fibres or perfusing the liver with physiological concentrations of vasopressin only will evoke localized cytosolic calcium oscillations and modest increases in hepatic glucose production. The combination of these stimuli acted synergistically to convert localized and asynchronous calcium responses into co-ordinated intercellular calcium waves that spread throughout the liver lobule and elicited a synergistic increase in hepatic glucose production. The results obtained in the present study demonstrate that subthreshold levels of one hormone can create an excitable medium across the liver lobule, which allows global propagation of calcium signals in response to local sympathetic innervation and integration of metabolic regulation by multiple hormones. This enables the liver lobules to respond as functional units to produce full-strength metabolic output at physiological levels of hormone. ABSTRACT Glucogenic hormones, including catecholamines and vasopressin, induce frequency-modulated cytosolic Ca2+ oscillations in hepatocytes, and these propagate as intercellular Ca2+ waves via gap junctions in the intact liver. We investigated the role of co-ordinated Ca2+ waves as a mechanism for integrating multiple endocrine and neuroendocrine inputs to control hepatic glucose production in perfused rat liver. Sympathetic nerve stimulation elicited localized Ca2+ increases that were restricted to hepatocytes in the periportal zone. During perfusion with subthreshold vasopressin, sympathetic stimulation converted asynchronous Ca2+ signals in a limited number of hepatocytes into co-ordinated intercellular Ca2+ waves that propagated across entire lobules. A similar synergism was observed between physiological concentrations of glucagon and vasopressin, where glucagon also facilitated the recruitment of hepatocytes into a Ca2+ wave. Hepatic glucose production was significantly higher with intralobular Ca2+ waves. We propose that inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3 )-dependent Ca2+ signalling gives rise to an excitable medium across the functional syncytium of the hepatic lobule, co-ordinating and amplifying the metabolic responses to multiple hormonal inputs.
Rates and patterns of uninsured cancer survivors before and after implementation of the Affordable Care Act, 2000-2017.

e18105Background: Cancer survivors experience difficulties in maintaining healthcare coverage, however the reasons and risk factors for lack of insurance are poorly defined. We sought to assess sel...
Bilateral aid in sub-Saharan Africa: are donor delivery tactics stimulating economic growth and development?

The literature assessing the effectiveness of bilateral foreign aid flows to sub-Saharan Africa primarily focus on one aspect of the aid delivery mechanism that is employed by donors, namely that o...
SEARCHING THE GREY LITERATURE. Bonato, Sarah. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2018. 263p. ISBN 978-1-5381-0064-6. $45.00 (softcover).

Do not let your personal feelings about searching the grey literature keep you from this book. Though not the favorite task of some research librarians, Bonato’s book makes reading about the task a...
The Importance of Subordinate Emotional Intelligence Development in the Workplace

Rather than focusing exclusively on executive leadership, this study analyzes the significance of emotional intelligence across the entire employee spectrum of organizations. The data from a signif...
Educational Intervention Changes College Students' Attitudes toward Prescription Opioid Drug Use.

Background: More than 47,000 people in the United States died from opioid drug overdoses in 2017. Among college students, opioid drugs are the second most abused drug. Objective: This study aimed t...
Bench to Bedside: Animal Models of Radiation Induced Musculoskeletal Toxicity.

Ionizing radiation is a critical aspect of current cancer therapy. While classically mature bone was thought to be relatively radio-resistant, more recent data have shown this to not be the case. Radiation therapy (RT)-induced bone loss leading to fracture is a source of substantial morbidity. The mechanisms of RT likely involve multiple pathways, including changes in angiogenesis and bone vasculature, osteoblast damage/suppression, and increased osteoclast activity. The majority of bone loss appears to occur rapidly after exposure to ionizing RT, with significant changes in cortical thickness being detectable on computed tomography (CT) within three to four months. Additionally, there is a dose–response relationship. Cortical thinning is especially notable in areas of bone that receive >40 gray (Gy). Methods to mitigate toxicity due to RT-induced bone loss is an area of active investigation. There is an accruing clinical trial investigating the use of risderonate, a bisphosphonate, to prevent rib bone loss in patients undergoing lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Additionally, several other promising therapeutic/preventative approaches are being explored in preclinical studies, including parathyroid hormone (PTH), amifostine, and mechanical loading of irradiated bones.
Resilience and Associated Factors Among Parents of Children with Orofacial Clefts

This study aims to examine the associations among social support, coping styles, and resilience in parents of children with orofacial clefts (OFCs). We conducted a cross-sectional study. Through convenience sampling, 306 parents of children with OFCs completed questionnaires on social support, coping styles, and resilience. Pearson's correlations and hierarchical regression analyses were used to examine the relationships among the selected variables. The results showed that age, gender, educational level, diagnosis of children, severity of OFCs, social support, and positive coping style had significant associations with resilience, which jointly explained 69.1% of the total variance in resilience. The findings suggested that social support and a positive coping style may be instrumental in improving resilience. Further research is required to explore interventions to improve the resilience of parents of children with OFCs.
Combining blood-based biomarkers to predict risk for Alzheimer’s disease dementia

Accurate blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are critical tools that have the potential to revolutionize dementia research, clinical trials and clinical care. Models combining blood-based biomarkers that represent multiple aspects of AD brain pathology with key individual level factors may improve prediction of AD dementia.
Placental EPO mRNA Expression Is Measurable in Very Preterm to Term Placentae

Objectives Our objective was to evaluate placental EPO mRNA expression in term and preterm placentae and explore maternal/neonatal/placental determinants of EPO expression.
Prevalence of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) Difficulties and Associated Cognitive Predictors Across Racial/Ethnic Groups: Findings from the KHANDLE Study.

Objective Cognitive functioning is associated with instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) performance among older adults. The present study examines potential differences in the prevalence of IADL difficulty and association with cognition across diverse groups. Methods Participants included 455 non-Hispanic Whites, 395 Blacks, 370 Asians, and 296 Latinos age ≥65 without a current dementia diagnosis from the Kaiser Healthy Aging and Diverse Life Experience cohort. Participants self-reported IADL functioning and cognition was measured across episodic memory and executive functioning. Results Older age, male gender, and being Black were associated with more IADL difficulties. Executive functioning showed a stronger association with IADL than memory, and it was independent of health status whereas memory was not. In joint models including both cognitive domains, executive functioning remained a significant predictor of IADL difficulty, but memory did not. Results for both cognitive domains were attenuated with self-rated health added to the joint model. These relationships did not significantly differ across racial/ethnic groups. Conclusions Our study supports previous work suggesting that Black older adults are at increased risk for IADL disability. This is the first study we are aware of that examined the association between specific cognitive domains and IADL performance across multiple racial/ethnic groups. Findings indicate that cognitive functioning has similar associations with self-reported IADL disability across diverse groups, and that executive functioning plays a particularly important role in IADL disability among older adults without dementia; however, health status largely attenuates the relationship between IADL difficulty and cognition.
Speeding-up image-based simulation of two-phase flow in porous media with lattice-Boltzmann method using three-dimensional curvelet transforms

Multiphase fluid flow in porous media is relevant to many fundamental scientific problems as well as numerous practical applications. With advances in instrumentations, it has become possible to obtain high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) images of complex porous media and use them directly in the simulation of multiphase flows. A prime method for carrying out such simulations is the color-fluid lattice Boltzmann method with multirelaxation time (CFLB-MRT) collision operator. The simulations are, however, time consuming and intensive. We propose a method to accelerate image-based computations with the CFLB-MRT method, in which the 3D image is preprocessed by curvelet transforming it and eliminating those details that do not contribute significantly to multiphase flow. The coarsening is done by thresholding the image. After inverting the coarser image back to the real space, it is utilized in the simulation of multiphase flow by the CFLB-MRT approach. As the test of the method, we carry out simulation of a two-phase flow problem in which the porous media are initially saturated by brine or water, which is then displaced by CO2 or oil, injected into the pore space. The simulations are carried out with two types of sandstone. We show that the method accelerates the computations significantly by a factor of up to 35.
Recessive mutations in the RLBP1 gene encoding cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein in a form of retinitis punctata albescens.

PURPOSE. To determine the frequency and spectrum of mutations in the RLBPI gene encoding cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein (CRALBP) in patients with hereditary retinal degeneration. METHODS. The single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) technique and a direct genomic sequencing technique were used to screen the coding exons of this gene (exons 2-8) for mutations in 324 unrelated patients with recessive or isolate retinitis pigmentosa, retinitis punctata albescens, Leber congenital amaurosis, or a related disease. Variant DNA fragments revealed by SSCP analysis were subsequently sequenced. Selected alleles that altered the coding region or intron splice sites were evaluated further through segregation analysis in the families of the index cases. RESULTS. Four novel mutations were identified in this gene among three unrelated patients with recessively inherited retinitis punctata albescens. Two of the mutations were missense: one was a frameshift, and one affected a canonical splice donor site. CONCLUSIONS. Recessive mutations in the RLBPI gene are an uncommon cause of retinal degeneration in humans. The phenotype produced by RLBPI mutations seems to be a form of retinitis punctata albescens.
Childhood cancer survivors exposed to total body irradiation are at significant risk for slipped capital femoral epiphysis during recombinant growth hormone therapy.

Background Childhood cancer survivors treated with cranial or total body irradiation (TBI) are at risk for growth hormone deficiency (GHD). Recombinant growth hormone (rhGH) therapy is associated with slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE). We compared the incidence of SCFE after TBI versus cranial irradiation (CI) in childhood cancer survivors treated with rhGH. Procedure Retrospective cohort study (1980–2010) of 119 survivors treated with rhGH for irradiation-induced GHD (56 TBI; 63 CI). SCFE incidence rates were compared in CI and TBI recipients, and compared with national registry SCFE rates in children treated with rhGH for idiopathic GHD. Results Median survivor follow-up since rhGH initiation was 4.8 (range 0.2–18.3) years. SCFE was diagnosed in 10 subjects post-TBI and none after CI (P < 0.001). All 10 subjects had atypical valgus SCFE, and 7 were bilateral at presentation. Within TBI recipients, age at cancer diagnosis, sex, race, underlying malignancy, age at radiation, and age at initiation of rhGH did not differ significantly between those with versus without SCFE. The mean (SD) age at SCFE diagnosis was 12.3 (2.7) years and median duration of rhGH therapy to SCFE was 1.8 years. The SCFE incidence rate after TBI exposure was 35.9 per 1,000 person years, representing a 211-fold greater rate than reported in children treated with rhGH for idiopathic GH deficiency. Conclusions The markedly greater SCFE incidence rate in childhood cancer survivors with TBI-associated GHD, compared with rates in children with idiopathic GHD, suggests that cancer treatment effects to the proximal femoral physis may contribute to SCFE. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013;60:1766–1771. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Determinants of Education Duration in Jamaica

In this paper we have applied discrete time survival analysis techniques to analyze education duration in Jamaica. Based on the Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions 2002, we are able to estimate the effects of household, individual, and other related covariates on the risks of students dropping out. We compare the discrete time Cox model and discrete time logit model and determined that the two estimations are consistent. The estimation results measure the effects of the covariates and can be used to predict the dropout risks of particular students in each grade, which could provide useful implications for the formation of policy to improve education in Jamaica.
Proximity electron tunneling study of V and V/sub 3/Ga

Using a new method of proximity electron tunneling spectroscopy (PETS) specifically developed to extend tunneling spectroscopy to poorly oxidizing metals, we have determined the effective phonon spectra ..cap alpha../sup 2/F(..omega..) for V and its important A-15 compound, V/sub 3/Ga. The results are compared with neutron scattering data. Generally good agreement is found for V while the tunneling results for V/sub 3/Ga at 1.4/sup 0/K show phonon softening and better resolution than available in the neutron results at 297/sup 0/K.
The band, a new intrauterine contraceptive device.

cuff during the time of the second surgical procedure. Brentanol has reported 2 cases of intra-abdominal implantation of ovarian tissue. If tissue from the partially resected left ovary had been displaced at the time of the previous left salpingectomy, it would have been implanted on the peritoneal surface, and in the presence of functioning ovaries would have been unlikely to survive.2 The tissue sections showed very little evidence of lymphocytic infiltration, which Deanesly’ reported to be an indication of decaying tissue and immune response. Two factors in the present case-the absence of both ovaries, and the continuous ingestion of estrogens-have been noted to increase the probability of take of an ovarian graft.3 Ovulation appears to have occurred on three occasions: 4% months, 22 months, and 23% months after hysterectomy.
Measuring solar structure variations from helioseismic and photometric observations

There has been some discussion at this meeting of small changes in frequencies and frequency splittings observed during the solar cycle. Previous observations of frequency changes at the level of 10−4 have been convincingly confirmed by several observations presented at this meeting (Jefferies et al. 1990; Libbrecht and Woodard 1990; Palle et al. 1990). It has been noted that solar photometric (differential and absolute) observations are of comparable accuracy and show similar solar cycle variations. I will summarize here how the latest photometric and helioseismic data may be accounted for by changes in the the convection zone during a solar cycle. Some of these data and this model have been further described elsewhere (Kuhn 1989; Goode and Kuhn 1990).
Nevanlinna-Pick interpolation: Pick matrices have bounded number of negative eigenvalues

The Nevanlinna-Pick interpolation problem is studied in the class of functions defined on the unit disk without a discrete set, with the property that all their Pick matrices have not more than a prescribed number of negative eigenvalues. It is shown, in particular, that the degenerate problem always has a unique solution, not necessarily meromorphic. A related extension problem to a maximal function in the class is also studied.
Short Seller Trading in Companies with a Severe Accounting Irregularity

We find that shorts establish significant positions more than a year before the average restatement announcement, those positions increase as the announcement month approaches, and the largest positions are held in companies that will announce an accounting irregularity that attracts class action litigation. Shorts are thereby well positioned to profit from the lengthy string of negative returns that precede the announcement of a severe accounting irregularity. Afterward, we find average short interest is sticky, and shorts retain positions in firms that experience a further price decline. In the six months after an announcement, positions in heavily shorted restating firms (i.e., short interest exceeding 2.5 percent before the announcement) earn an additional 24 percent (31 percent with class action litigation). We conclude that shorts have the skill to play an important private-sector role in identifying and disciplining companies with accounting irregularities.