cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Non-Maxwellian Velocity distribution functions associated with steep temperature gradients in the solar transition region

We show that, in the presence of the steep temperature gradients characteristic of EUV models of the solar transition region, the electron and proton velocity distribution functions are non-Maxwellian and are characterized by high energy tails. We estimate the magnitude of these tails for a model of the transition region and compute the heat flux to be a maximum of 30% greater than predicted by collision-dominated theory.
Functional Outcomes of Young Adults with Childhood ADHD: A Latent Profile Analysis.

Adults with childhood attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience impairment in core functional domains (e.g., educational attainment, occupational status, social relationships, subs...
Animal hospice and palliative care: Veterinarians' experiences and preferred practices

Abstract Given that veterinary hospice and palliative care is still in its infancy, little is currently known about veterinarians' attitudes toward, experiences with, and preferred practices relating to the provision of hospice and palliative care. This research effort seeks to fill this void by presenting the results of a survey of members of the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care. The results from the electronic survey yielded 137 responses. The average number of companion animals euthanized annually by each veterinarian was 239, with the majority of veterinarians performing the euthanasia in the client's home. Most veterinarians prefer that other animals be present for euthanasia of a pet. Most pet owners stay for the procedure (two-step method of euthanasia protocol most frequently used), and most clients ask the veterinary practice to cremate the dead animal's remains. The respondents from the survey are aware of their role in relation to grief and tend to provide the client with grief support resources. Veterinarians would have preferred more orientation in veterinary school regarding issues on end of life.
Teen Peer Outreach-Street Work Project: HIV prevention education for runaway and homeless youth.

Each year, there are approximately 2 million homeless and runaway youths in the United States. On any given night, there are 1,000 homeless youngsters living on the streets of San Diego, CA. Homeless young people are commonly involved in one or more of the following activities that place them at risk for HIV infection--unprotected sexual intercourse, needle-sharing in the use of injectable drugs, sex with someone who injects drugs. The Teen Peer Outreach-Street Work Project trains teen peer educators to work in three existing San Diego youth service programs with street outreach staff members to provide HIV prevention education and referral services to San Diego's homeless youth. Selected teens from the target population also participate in street-based case management that provides skill development to bring about behavioral and attitudinal changes. An HIV outreach program cannot stand alone and is most successful if it is integrated with services that meet the basic needs of its clients. In the three participating youth service programs of the Teen Peer Outreach-Street Work Project, food, clothes, and shelter information are provided. There are shelters in two of the three programs that become places where HIV educational messages, delivered on the street, can be reinforced. Immediate and concrete assistance can be offered to homeless youth. Low literacy among the target population presents a significant obstacle to adequate and appropriate HIV prevention education for homeless youth. Currently, education materials that specifically target homeless youth do not exit. The outreach street project is being expanded to develop materials for homeless youth with low literacy levels. Teen peers will be used to facilitate structured focus groups composed of members of the target population. Focus groups will be used in concept development, product development, and evaluation of draft products.Because the project is unique.in San Diego, it addresses an unmet need, reaching a population often missed by traditional HIV education efforts.
Low dose and high SNR phase retrieval and micro CT using a wide area photon counting detector

X-ray phase contrast imaging has been proposed as a way to improve contrast in soft tissue. Phase retrieval methods have been developed which only require a single image acquisition, allowing phase contrast imaging to be used in combination with computed tomography without a dangerously large dose applied to the subject. Many of the existing methods use approximations regarding the knowledge of object properties as well as make assumptions such as a constant ratio of absorption and phase properties throughout the object.1 Our group has previously developed a phase retrieval algorithm which only requires a single image when using energy-resolving photon counting detectors and uses no additional approximations regarding object properties. This allows us to decompose phase properties even if the object is composed of a large number of materials with very close material properties. Our recent results on simple phantoms show that we can accurately retrieve multiple material properties corresponding to absorption and phase effects for a range of different materials. The strength of our spectral decomposition method is compounded by the use of photon counting detectors with zero dark noise. In this paper we demonstrate the first propagation-based phase contrast tomography study of a biological sample using our method. Our phase retrieval method yields excellent results with very low counts - 1 second or less per projection acquisitions using a weak microfocal X-Ray tube. We show this via known phantoms as well as satisfactory preliminary results from biological samples. Additional studies will explore dose aspects using mouse models in our benchtop micro computed tomography platform and compare against attenuation-based computed tomography.
Questions--and Some Answers--about Young Children's Questions.

Question asking plays a fundamental role in learning, and the cognitive development literature contains many studies of specific types of question-asking skills. However, little is known about the ...
Adaptive Thermogenesis in a Mouse Model Lacking Selenoprotein Biosynthesis in Brown Adipocytes.

Selenoproteins are a class of proteins with the selenium-containing amino acid selenocysteine (Sec) in their primary structure. Sec is incorporated into selenoproteins via recoding of the stop codon UGA, with specific cis and trans factors required during translation to avoid UGA recognition as a stop codon, including a Sec-specific tRNA, tRNA[Ser]Sec, encoded in mice by the gene Trsp. Whole-body deletion of Trsp in mouse is embryonically lethal, while targeted deletion of Trsp in mice has been used to understand the role of selenoproteins in the health and physiology of various tissues. We developed a mouse model with the targeted deletion of Trsp in brown adipocytes (Trspf/f-Ucp1-Cre+/-), a cell type predominant in brown adipose tissue (BAT) controlling energy expenditure via activation of adaptive thermogenesis, mostly using uncoupling protein 1 (Ucp1). At room temperature, Trspf/f-Ucp1-Cre+/- mice maintain oxygen consumption and Ucp1 expression, with male Trspf/f-Ucp1-Cre+/- mice accumulating more triglycerides in BAT than both female Trspf/f-Ucp1-Cre+/- mice or Trspf/f controls. Acute cold exposure neither reduced core body temperature nor changed the expression of selenoprotein iodothyronine deiodinase type II (Dio2), a marker of adaptive thermogenesis, in Trspf/f-Ucp1-Cre+/- mice. Microarray analysis of BAT from Trspf/f-Ucp1-Cre+/- mice revealed glutathione S-transferase alpha 3 (Gsta3) and ELMO domain containing 2 (Elmod2) as the transcripts most affected by the loss of Trsp. Male Trspf/f-Ucp1-Cre+/- mice showed mild hypothyroidism while downregulating thyroid hormone-responsive genes Thrsp and Tshr in their BATs. In summary, modest changes in the BAT of Trspf/f-Ucp1-Cre +/- mice implicate a mild thyroid hormone dysfunction in brown adipocytes.
Geometric and dosimetric accuracy of deformable image registration between average-intensity images for 4DCT-based adaptive radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE Re-planning for four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT)-based lung adaptive radiotherapy commonly requires deformable dose mapping between the planning average-intensity image (AVG) and the newly acquired AVG. However, such AVG-AVG deformable image registration (DIR) lacks accuracy assessment. The current work quantified and compared geometric accuracies of AVG-AVG DIR and corresponding phase-phase DIRs, and subsequently investigated the clinical impact of such AVG-AVG DIR on deformable dose mapping. METHODS AND MATERIALS Hybrid intensity-based AVG-AVG and phase-phase DIRs were performed between the planning and mid-treatment 4DCTs of 28 non-small cell lung cancer patients. An automated landmark identification algorithm detected vessel bifurcation pairs in both lungs. Target registration error (TRE) of these landmark pairs was calculated for both DIR types. The correlation between TRE and respiratory-induced landmark motion in the planning 4DCT was analyzed. Global and local dose metrics were used to assess the clinical implications of AVG-AVG deformable dose mapping with both DIR types. RESULTS TRE of AVG-AVG and phase-phase DIRs averaged 3.2 ± 1.0 and 2.6 ± 0.8 mm respectively (p < 0.001). Using AVG-AVG DIR, TREs for landmarks with <10 mm motion averaged 2.9 ± 2.0 mm, compared to 3.1 ± 1.9 mm for the remaining landmarks (p < 0.01). Comparatively, no significant difference was demonstrated for phase-phase DIRs. Dosimetrically, no significant difference in global dose metrics was observed between doses mapped with AVG-AVG DIR and the phase-phase DIR, but a positive linear relationship existed (p = 0.04) between the TRE of AVG-AVG DIR and local dose difference. CONCLUSIONS When the region of interest experiences <10 mm respiratory-induced motion, AVG-AVG DIR may provide sufficient geometric accuracy; conversely, extra attention is warranted, and phase-phase DIR is recommended. Dosimetrically, the differences in geometric accuracy between AVG-AVG and phase-phase DIRs did not impact global lung-based metrics. However, as more localized dose metrics are needed for toxicity assessment, phase-phase DIR may be required as its lower mean TRE improved voxel-based dosimetry.
Mechanisms, Models, and Explanations: Analyzing the Mechanistic Paths Students Take to Reach a Product for Familiar and Unfamiliar Organic Reactions

This study is a follow up to two earlier studies characterizing student real-time use of mechanistic arrows. In these previous studies, students were asked to predict a product by drawing a curved arrow mechanism using an interface that allowed recording and replay of student actions. In the present study two different student cohorts responded to the same tasks as the original studies: a cohort who were enrolled in a traditional organic course, and a cohort who were part of a transformed organic course (Organic Chemistry, Life, the Universe and Everything, OCLUE). Both cohorts improved in their ability to predict an appropriate product over the two semesters, and we found little meaningful difference in the ability of students from either cohort to predict the outcome of a familiar reaction. However, students in the OCLUE cohort were more likely to draw mechanistic arrows than the students from the traditional course. In contrast, when the task involved predicting the product of an unfamiliar reaction, OCLUE students were over three times more likely to draw mechanistically reasonable steps and produce a plausible product than students from the traditional cohort. We propose that the differences between the two cohorts emerge from the following: (1) explicit attempts in the OCLUE course to link drawing reactions mechanisms using the electron pushing formalism to the scientific practice of constructing explanations. It is our contention that this approach changes the arrow pushing mechanism from a skill to the construction of a model which students can use to predict and explain outcomes; and (2) the numerous opportunities in the OCLUE course to try out ideas without penalty, leading to a willingness to try to determine outcomes in unfamiliar situations.
Peritoneal hernia following abdominal hysterectomy: A case report.

Abstract Background Internal hernias rarely lead to bowel obstruction; they are caused by a natural or unnatural opening within the peritoneal cavity. Defects in the peritoneum are extremely rare. Patients present with features of intestinal obstruction and most cases are diagnosed during surgery. Case Presentation A 47-year-old woman with a history of multiple abdominal surgeries had a small bowel hernia through a peritoneal defect of the anterior abdominal wall. She presented with abdominal pain and distension and was taken to the operating room, where findings revealed an intact fascia and small bowel herniation through a midline peritoneal defect. Conclusion Herniation of small bowel through the peritoneum is a rare type of internal hernia that can manifest in a patient with extensive history of abdominal surgeries. This type of clinical picture warrants a high degree of suspicion for prompt and proper management. Surgery should not be delayed, to avoid increased morbidity and mortality.
Engaging with Online Crowd: A Flow Theory Approach

Online collaborative problem solving (OCPS) refers to the use of social web technologies to garner netizens’ collective effort for problem solving and innovation tasks. The model has enabled organizations to involve online users in organizational works at large scale. However, success of this kind of initiatives depends much on, among other things, user engagement, or the amount of effort online users voluntarily devote to what are requested in an OCPS initiative. We argue that an important influence on user engagement in OCPS events is their experience when participating in the events. We further argue that Flow Theory by Csikszentmihalyi and Csikszentmihalyi (1988) provides much insights on how to improve this experience. In addition, we propose to measure the psychological construct “flow” through a novel physiological-psychometric approach. In this paper, detailed discussion of our theoretical standpoint and the design of a lab experiment to validate our hypotheses are provided.
The Interplay of Gender, Habit, and Individual Differences in Predicting Trying Intentions

We report results of a study investigating the interplay between gender and various aspects of individual propensity to resist change in predicting IS habit and intentions to try a new system. We also explore the relationship between habit, gender, and personal innovativeness with IT in predicting trying intentions. Our research context is student collaboration in group projects. Results indicate that gender plays a key role in affecting both habit development and trying intentions.
Zooland: The Institution of Captivity

This book takes a unique stance on a controversial topic: zoos. Zoos have their ardent supporters and their vocal detractors. And while we all have opinions on what zoos do, few people consider how they do it. Irus Braverman draws on more than seventy interviews conducted with zoo managers and administrators, as well as animal activists, to offer a glimpse into the otherwise unknown complexities of zooland. Zooland begins and ends with the story of Timmy, the oldest male gorilla in North America, to illustrate the dramatic transformations of zoos since the 1970s. Over these decades, modern zoos have transformed themselves from places created largely for entertainment to globally connected institutions that emphasize care through conservation and education. Zoos naturalize their spaces, classify their animals, and produce spectacular experiences for their human visitors. Zoos name, register, track, and allocate their animals in global databases. Zoos both abide by and create laws and industry standards that govern their captive animals. Finally, zoos intensely govern the reproduction of captive animals, carefully calculating the life and death of these animals, deciding which of them will be sustained and which will expire. Zooland takes readers behind the exhibits into the world of zoo animals and their caretakers. And in so doing, it turns its gaze back on us to make surprising interconnections between our understandings of the human and the nonhuman.
IDIOPATHIC ACQUIRED HEMOLYTIC ANEMIA IN YOUNG CHILDREN

Two cases of idiopathic acquired hemolytic anemia have been presented. Following splenectomy and the administration of hormones intermittently for 4 months one has had a complete remission lasting 5 years. This patient had spherocytosis and increased osmotic fragility. The second child, apparently identical except for normal erythrocyte fragility and absence of spherocytosis, has been asymptomatic for 12 months after similar therapy, although the Coombs test remains positive. The course during hormonal therapy in these patients and in others already reported in the literature suggests with the reservations discussed, that the treatment is of some value.
Mars Exploration Rover heat rejection system performance - comparison of ground and flight data

This paper will describe the various design modifications made on the MER HRS from that of Mars Pathfinder spacecraft. A description of the flight performance during the seven-month cruise of the spacecraft will be given. A comparison of the performance on the ground and the flight will be presented. Any significant deviation in the flight performance will be described.
Environmental Regulation in Agriculture and The Adoption of Environmental Technology

Agriculture in the United States has been the subject of numerous government incentive programs over the years. These programs have been designed to achieve a wide variety of goals that include supply control, cropland conversion, soil conservation and environmental quality. A variety of incentive mechanisms have been used to achieve these goals. Incentives for protecting and enhancing water quality come from two different programmatic directions. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a long history of promoting natural resource stewardship through various forms of voluntary assistance (carrots), such as education, technical assistance and cost sharing. Water quality programs that have arisen from the Clean Water Act (CWA) and state water quality protection laws can be of the variety (stick), where farmers are forced through command-and-control or other incentive mechanisms to adopt alternative management practices.
Simulation and control of electric shipboard power systems using Modelica and Matlab/Simulink

This paper investigates the advantages of the object-oriented language Modelica for modeling the naval electric shipboard power DC distribution testbed and its controls. Modelica's hybrid system modeling capabilities allow efficient formulation of continuous and discrete information processing systems and these have been utilized to cope with multi-level control and automation of the system. Further, the capability of interfacing Modelica models and Matlab/Simulink has been explored to simulate a networked control scheme; the results are presented.
Allometric prediction of locomotor performance: an example from Southeast Asian flying lizards.

Allometric scaling analysis is the standard paradigm for studies attempting to unravel the consequences of evolutionary size change (Huxley 1932; Gould 1966; SchmidtNielsen 1984). Although the value of this approach is clear, prediction of the allometry of performance is often hamstrung by the complexity of biological systems. This complexity derives from the heterogeneous interaction of physiological and morphological variables that together determine maximal performance. Despite this complication, allometric analysis is widely employed primarily because understanding the consequences of size evolution is so important to our field. Not only does size influence virtually every aspect of an organism’s biology (Calder 1984; Schmidt-Nielsen 1984), but it is also remarkably variable, even among closely related species. There is little consensus in the literature regarding the expected relationship between morphology and locomotor performance over a range of sizes. Despite a diversity of alternative models attempting to predict the allometry of performance (Thompson 1917; Hill 1950; Alexander 1968; McMahon 1973, 1975, 1984; Gunther 1975; Bennet-Clark 1977; Rubin and Lanyon 1984; Marsh 1988, 1994; Wakeling et al. 1999), empirical data often fail to conform to any extant model (e.g., Emerson 1978; Garland 1983, 1985; Chappell 1989; Katz and Gosline 1993; Bennett 2000; Wil-
On the best compact approximation problem for operators between L p -spaces

Abstract We construct (for 1 p l p into L p which has no nearest compact operator. We also give a sufficient condition for an operator from L p into L p (2 p
The impact of mucositis on α-hemolytic streptococcal infection in patients undergoing autologous bone marrow transplantation for hematologic malignancies†

BACKGROUND Antibacterial prophylaxis with quinolone antibiotics has resulted in an increase in streptococcal infections among bone marrow transplantation (BMT) recipients with myelosuppression. Oral ulceration (mucositis), which frequently occurs as a consequence of chemotherapy, has been implicated as a significant portal of entry for streptococci. The objectives of this study were to confirm the correlation between mucositis and streptococcal bacteremia, determine the risk associated with this correlation, and evaluate the impact of mucositis and streptococcal bacteremia on hospital course and costs associated with autologous BMT. METHODS This was a retrospective, case-control study in which the charts of autologous BMT recipients treated for hematologic malignancies between 1990 and 1996 were reviewed. Twenty-four patients were identified who met the criteria of autologous BMT; their blood cultures confirmed (x2) α-hemolytic streptococcal sepsis. A control group of 45 without positive cultures was matched by gender, age, diagnosis, and treatment to the study group. RESULTS The results confirm that ulcerative mucositis is a significant risk factor for α-hemolytic streptococcal bacteremia among autologous BMT patients. Of the 24 patients with bacteremia, 15 of 24 (62%) had ulcerative mucositis, compared with 16 of 45 (36%) of patients in the control population (P < 0.05). Patients with ulcerative mucositis were found to be three times as likely to develop α-hemolytic streptococcal bacteremia as those without ulcerative mucositis (odds ratio = 3.02). Both independently and as a cofactor associated with bacteremia, mucositis adversely affected the length of hospital stay (LOS). Of all the patients studied, those with oral ulcerations had an LOS of 34 days, compared with 29 days for patients without oral ulcerations (P < 0.05). Of patients in the study group, those with oral ulcerations stayed in the hospital 6 days longer than patients without oral ulcerations (40 days vs. 34 days, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Oral ulcerative mucositis is a significant, common, and important risk factor for α-hemolytic streptococcal bacteremia in BMT recipients with myelosuppression; it results in longer hospital stay and increased costs. Cancer 1998;82:2275-2281. © 1998 American Cancer Society.
PDFR and CRY Signaling Converge in a Subset of Clock Neurons to Modulate the Amplitude and Phase of Circadian Behavior in Drosophila

Background To synchronize their molecular rhythms, circadian pacemaker neurons must input both external and internal timing cues and, therefore, signal integration between sensory information and internal clock status is fundamental to normal circadian physiology. Methodology/Principal Findings We demonstrate the specific convergence of clock-derived neuropeptide signaling with that of a deep brain photoreceptor. We report that the neuropeptide PDF receptor and the circadian photoreceptor CRYPTOCROME (CRY) are precisely co-expressed in a subset of pacemakers, and that these pathways together provide a requisite drive for circadian control of daily locomotor rhythms. These convergent signaling pathways influence the phase of rhythm generation, but also its amplitude. In the absence of both pathways, PER rhythms were greatly reduced in only those specific pacemakers that receive convergent inputs and PER levels remained high in the nucleus throughout the day. This suggested a large-scale dis-regulation of the pacemaking machinery. Behavioral rhythms were likewise disrupted: in light∶dark conditions they were aberrant, and under constant dark conditions, they were lost. Conclusions/Significance We speculate that the convergence of environmental and clock-derived signals may produce a coincident detection of light, synergistic responses to it, and thus more accurate and more efficient re-setting properties.
Tocopherols and Tocotrienols in Barley Oil Prepared from Germ and Other Fractions from Scarification and Sieving of Hulless Barley

ABSTRACT Two cultivars of hulless barley (Doyce and Merlin) were scarified to abrade the outer layers of the kernels (germ, pericarp, and aleurone). The resulting scarification fines fractions were then separated into four particle-size subfractions using sieves. Each of the size subfractions was then extracted with hexane to produce a barley oil, and the levels of free phytosterols, tocopherols, and tocotrienols in the various barley oils were compared. For both cultivars, the fraction with the largest particle size (0.717–1.410 mm) had the highest oil yields (11–12%). Visual examination of this fraction indicated that it consisted almost entirely of small fragments (≈1 mm) of the germ portion of the kernel. The levels of tocopherols were highest in the largest particle-size fraction and their proportion decreased in the fractions with decreasing particle size. In contrast, the levels of tocotrienols were very low in the largest particle-size fraction and increased in the fractions with decreasing partic...
The binding of 125I-labelled rabbit globin messenger RNA to reticulocyte ribosomes.

Abstract Rabbit globin messenger RNA was labelled in vitro with 125 I to specific activities in the range 20 to 200 × 10 6 cts/min per μg. This 125 I-labelled mRNA bound to rabbit reticulocyte ribosomes with the kinetics and sensitivity to inhibitors expected from its participation in the normal process of the initiation of protein synthesis. Furthermore, when modified in 25% of its cytidine residues with unlabelled iodide, the mRNA coded for the same series of initiation peptides as did the unmodified mRNA. Using the techniques of RNA fingerprinting, the binding reaction was shown to select against contaminants and against “globin mRNA” molecules which lack a particular oligonucleotide implicated in the initiation process. When the 125 I-labelled mRNA was bound to ribosomes, both the initiating 40 S subunits and the 80 S ribosomes protected a fraction of the mRNA from digestion by pancreatic ribonuclease. Fingerprint analysis showed that highly specific regions of the mRNA were protected by the 40 S subunits and 80 S ribosomes and that these two protected regions were not identical.
The dependent patient: Diagnosis, assessment, and treatment

Although dependent psychotherapy patients are compliant and eager to please, they also use more psychological and medical resources than nondependent patients, have more pseudoemergencies, and have difficulty terminating treatment. This article reviews research on diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of dependent patients and offers recommendations for implementing effective diagnostic, assessment, and treatment strategies in inpatient and outpatient settings. Integration is key: Clinicians must combine different types of data (e.g., diagnostic, assessment) and blend different therapeutic modalities (e.g., cognitive, psychodynamic) to work effectively with dependent patients.
Plutonium distribution and oxidation states in a reactor leaching ponds system.

Concentrations of 239,240Pu and 238Pu in water, net plankton (algal material), suspended particulates and sediment, as well as Pu oxidation states in filtered water, were determined in a test reactor leaching ponds system in southeastern Idaho. The highest Pu concentration in the ponds system was found in net plankton, and concentrations varied significantly between sampling dates. Plutonium Concentration Ratios (CR) for plankton ranged from 3 X 10(4) to 4 X 10(5). The lowest Pu concentration was found in filtered water, primarily because of the absence of complexing agents. The majority of Pu in filtered water was in true solution (60-87%) or present in colloidal particles smaller than 0.22 micron. Plutonium association with sediment was inversely related to particle size. The environmental distribution coefficients (Kd) for Pu ranged from 1.6 X 10(4) to 1.2 X 10(5) reflecting the importance of sediments as the main reservoir for Pu in the ponds system. No significant differences were noted between CR or Kd values for 239,240Pu and 238Pu. The reduced Pu oxidation states (III and IV) fractions ranged from 57% to 71% of the total dissolved Pu in water. This is in contrast with oxidation states distribution from other large aquatic systems (Great Lakesmore » and the Irish Sea) where Pu is predominately in oxidized (V and VI) forms.« less
Effect of food deprivation upon elation of saccharin drinking following a temporary shift to water

Elation of saccharin intake was seen after a temporary shift to water in nondeprived rats but not after a temporary absence of solutions or after a temporary shift to an empty drinking tube. Deprivation tended to attenuate elated responding after a water shift. The relationships of the present design to others involving reinforcement shifts were discussed.
Method for Continuous Infusion of Fluids into the Chorioallantoic Circulation of the Chick Embryo

A method is described for maintaining long term infusions of fluids into the chorioallantoic circulation of the embryo of the domestic fowl. Infusions can be continued up to 4 days in 6- to 17-day-old chicks, with subsequent hatching.
STATEMENTS PARTLY ABOUT OBSERVATION

Some statements are entirely about observation. An uncompromising empiricist might say that these statements alone are meaningful; but in that case, theoretical science shares in the downfall that was meant for metaphysics. An uncompromising empiricist might tough it out: science is indeed meaningless, but yields meaningful theorems; or it is entirely about observation, after all; or some of each. But it seems, rather, that science is partly about observation and what we can observe, and partly about the hidden causes and minute parts of what we can observe. And it seems also that science is a package deal, which cannot credibly be split into one part that is meaningful and one part that isn't. The sensible empiricist, therefore, will retreat. Statements entirely about observation may remain at the core of the meaningful, but scientific statements also will be admitted. Collectively, and even individually, these are at least partly about observation. For an empiricist who wants to be a friend to science, that had better be good enough.
Coexistence of competing juvenile-adult structured populations.

The Leslie-Gower model is a discrete time analog of the competition Lotka–Volterra model and is known to possess the same dynamic scenarios of that famous model. The Leslie–Gower model played a historically significant role in the history of competition theory in its application to classic laboratory experiments of two competing species of flour beetles (carried out by Park in the 1940s–1960s). While these experiments generally supported what became the Competitive Exclusion Principle, Park observed an anomalous coexistence case. Recent literature has discussed Park’s ‘coexistence case’ by means of non-Lotka–Volterra, non-equilibrium dynamics that occur in a high dimensional model with life cycle stages. We study this dynamic possibility in the lowest possible dimension, that is to say, by means of a model involving only two species each with two life cycle stages. We do this by extending the Leslie–Gower model so as to describe the competitive interaction of two species with juvenile and adult classes. W...
Wallerstein and his critics

The reception of novel ideas in social and political theory has usually been marked by two phases: at first there is an initial burst of enthusiasm in which the idea in question is seen as providing answers to long-standing anomalies and opening up the way for new interesting paths of research; this acclaim, however, is then normally followed by a period of disillusionment in which the idea in question comes to be seen as a theoretical dead-end with the research being undertaken within its framework viewed as counterproductive. Immanuel Wallerstein's ambitious undertaking, The Modern World System, seems clearly to be in the second phase. Aristide Zolberg, for example, has argued that Wallerstein's work, "variously exhibits a functionalist tendency, viewing particular political processes as ephiphenomenal to economic causation."2
Deciphering the interactions between chlorambucil and calf thymus DNA: a multi-spectroscopic and molecular docking study.

Abstract Non-covalent interactions of chlorambucil with calf thymus DNA was investigated using multi-spectroscopic techniques and molecular docking study. Binding constant calculated was found to be 1.54 × 10 4 M −1 at 290 K , significantly lower than various known intercalators. Quenching process was found to be static as evident by biomolecular quenching constant. Thermodynamic parameters revealed the involvement of hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds in the binding. Chlorambucil was found to interact via external binding mode and follow groove binding as it replaces Hoechst (a typical groove binder) from the groove of DNA but does not replace intercalating dyes including ethidium bromide and acridine orange from the DNA helix. These results were further supported by KI quenching experiments, DNA melting studies, CD spectroscopy and molecular docking.
Integrated approaches reveal determinants of genome-wide binding and function of the transcription factor Pho4

DNA sequences with high affinity for transcription factors occur more frequently in the genome than instances of genes bound or regulated by these factors. It is not clear what factors determine the genome-wide pattern of binding or regulation for a given transcription factor. We used an integrated approach to study how trans influences shape the binding and regulatory landscape of Pho4, a budding yeast transcription factor activated in response to phosphate limitation. We find that nucleosomes significantly restrict Pho4 binding. At nucleosome-depleted sites, competition from another transcription factor, Cbf1, determines Pho4 occupancy, raising the threshold for transcriptional activation in phosphate replete conditions and preventing Pho4 activation of genes outside the phosphate regulon during phosphate starvation. Pho4 binding is not sufficient for transcriptional activation-a cooperative interaction between Pho2 and Pho4 specifies genes that are activated. Combining these experimental observations, we are able to globally predict Pho4 binding and its functionality.
Structural repeating units in chromatin III. A comparison of chromatin subunits from vertebrate, ciliate and angiosperm species

Abstract A comparison was made of the chromatin subunit (‘nu’ body) structure present in nuclei from chicken erythrocytes, Tetrahymena cells, and Pisum sativum (pea) buds. All three types of chromatin yielded spherical subunits upon nuclease digestion which were indistinguishable in the electron microscope, and contained approximately the same amount of DNA. There were, however, consistent and significant differences in the digestion patterns of chromatin from the three organisms.
Disrupting the isochrony underlying rhythm: An asymmetry in discrimination

Recognition memory for equitone sequences was tested as a function of whether the pattern of stimulus onsets mapped easily onto an isochronous grid (rhythmic) or did not (disrupted). In a same-different task, discrimination between a rhythmic sequence and its disrupted variant was better when the rhythmic sequence was presented first and the disrupted variant second than vice versa. Analogous effects have been obtained for melodies and chord sequences as a function of tonal structure, and for text as a function of semantic and pragmatic coherence. In each domain, discrimination between coherent sequences and anomalous variants is better when the coherent version is presented first.
Imaging the Trigeminal Nerve and Pons before and after Surgical Intervention for Trigeminal Neuralgia

OBJECTIVE: To study the various imaging changes occurring in the trigeminal nerve and brainstem in patients before or after trigeminal neuralgia surgery. METHODS: During a 7-year period, 275 patients with trigeminal neuralgia underwent high-resolution, contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the pons during gamma knife radiosurgery. Ninety-seven patients had no previous surgical intervention for trigeminal neuralgia, and 178 patients had undergone one or more previous procedures. Two independent observers, one of whom was blinded to patients' clinical details, reviewed MRI scans retrospectively. The analysis of the independent observers was then correlated with all previous therapeutic interventions. RESULTS: One hundred one MRI scans demonstrated no radiological changes related to trigeminal neuralgia, and 174 MRI scans exhibited some radiological abnormality. The average axial plane diameter of the nerve for all patients was 4 mm (range, 2-6 mm). In the group that had not undergone previous surgery, 65 patients (67%) exhibited vascular compression. In the 88 patients who had undergone previous microvascular decompression, 21 (24%) had evidence of a pontine infarction. Twenty-six patients experienced facial sensory loss, 22 (88%) of whom had undergone previous surgery with evidence of a pontine infarction (n = 11) or perineural scarring (n = 6). CONCLUSION: The majority of patients who had undergone previous trigeminal neuralgia surgery demonstrated readily identifiable abnormalities of the trigeminal nerve or brainstem. The frequency of such changes correlated with the type and number of procedures. Evidence of vascular compression was detected in the majority of patients. Most patients with postoperative facial sensory loss demonstrate changes in the nerve or pons on MR images.
Tumor angiogenesis and rectal carcinoma.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to determine whether those rectal cancers that demonstrated increased vessel ingrowth or angiogenesis behave in a different fashion. METHODS: The paraffin blocks of 48 rectal cancers removed by low anterior or abdominoperineal resection were recalled and immunostained with a monoclonal antibody specific for endothelial cell Factor VIII. The intense reddish brown color imparted to blood vessels facilitated their quantification which was undertaken at ×100 and ×200 magnification. Vessel counts within three microscopic fields were averaged and the relationships between angiogenesis score and tumor size, depth of invasion, incidence of lymph node or distant metastases, and survival were assessed. RESULTS: Significantly higher angiogenesis scores were seen in tumors with transmural penetration (at ×100,P=0.002; at ×200,P=0.002) and in patients dying before five years (at ×100,P=0.013; at ×200,P=0.034). Although higher angiogenesis scores were seen in patients with larger tumors and metastases, these trends were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the growth of rectal cancer is dependent on the ingrowth of new blood vessels, and that increased vascularity promotes dissemination and adversely affects survival.
Work‐site variation in managerial drinking

To assess cross-work-site variation in the general drinking behaviors (on and off the job) of employees, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of managers (n = 7255) at 114 places of work located throughout the continental United States. The work-site mean for the total number of drinks consumed on a typical drinking day ranged from 1.4 to 3.17, a two-fold differential. Regression analysis showed an independent work-site effect, controlling for respondents demographics and type of work. This finding suggests that modifiable work-site characteristics could influence what employees drink on and off the job.
Governing the republic of letters: The politics of culture in the French enlightenment

(1991). Governing the republic of letters: The politics of culture in the French enlightenment. History of European Ideas: Vol. 13, No. 3, pp. 183-199.
Use of an Interactive Computer Agent to Support Breastfeeding

Mothers need consistent, sustained information and support to develop and meet personal breastfeeding goals, but often receive insufficient assistance and conflicting and incorrect advice. The use of technology may be helpful in supplementing existing health care professional breastfeeding education and support efforts. We developed and evaluated a computer-based animated, interactive agent designed to provide breastfeeding information and support to mothers interested in breastfeeding. A randomized controlled study of a first-generation system was conducted to determine the feasibility of (1) use of the Computer Agent; (2) the recruitment plan; and (3) the planned outcome evaluation (assessing the impact of the intervention on intent to breastfeed, attitudes towards breastfeeding, and breastfeeding self-efficacy). The pilot study (N = 15) showed that the use of the Computer Agent, the recruitment plan, and the planned outcome evaluation were all feasible. Mothers who used the Computer Agent had greater intentions to exclusively breastfeed after exposure to the Agent (intent to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months 1-7 scale score of 6.14 (post) vs. 5.14 (pre); p < 0.05). Non-statistically significant trends in improvement with use of the Computer Agent breastfeeding support system were also seen in the between subjects analyses of intent to breastfeed and breastfeeding self-efficacy. The pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of using a Computer Agent to support breastfeeding mothers and informed the design of a larger randomized clinical trial. An interactive Computer Agent may be helpful in improving rates of exclusive breastfeeding, particularly when there is not adequate health care professional support.
Qualitative Research: Households, Multiple Livelihoods, and the Informal Economy: A Study of American Crafters

A study of people who are self-employed producing crafts and selling the work at local craft fairs demonstrates concepts of household economies, multiple livelihood strategies, and the informal economy. Interviews with 18 crafters revealed complex interactions among household members involving mutual support, exchanges of goods and services, and contributions of income from a variety of sources. It is proposed that occupational therapists must view individuals as members of household economies in order to understand better their occupational performance issues.
Hybrid static-dynamic communication scheduling for parallel systems

ABSTRACT Parallel processing techniques have become widespreadin applications requiring very high throughput or which havereal-time deadlines. However, the potential gains from paral-lel processing can be diminished by the communication over-head inherent in these systems. With tightly-coupled architec-tures being used as the platform, an optimal way of schedul-ing the messages in a network is addressed. Static scheduling,while being able to utilize a priori information, is found tobe lacking when this information is unavailable or inaccurate.Dynamic scheduling can adjust to changes within the networkat run-time but suffers from not having any knowledge of thenetwork trafﬁc environment. To solve this problem, we in-troduce a hybrid scheduling technique which seeks to extractthe best from each of these approaches. This hybrid schedul-ing technique incorporates a priority scheme derived from us-ing the newly developed Collision Graph model. The deter-mination of an optimal schedule is an NP-complete problem.Therefore, heuristics are used in the development of a prior-ity mapping algorithm to deal with a general case model ofmessage trafﬁc. Experiments performed show a signiﬁcantimprovement over baseline approaches.
Diagnosis and management of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease.

Purpose of review The recent findings and up-to-date practice guidelines for diagnosing, evaluating, and treating gastro-esophageal reflux disease are discussed. Recent findings The patient complaints for reflux disease are crucial in diagnosis. Although physical examination findings may correlate with laryngopharyngeal reflux, these findings may not improve after an adequate course of treatment. Behavioral modifications are a critical part of improving reflux; however, weight loss has not been shown to improve laryngopharyngeal reflux disease. Patients who used proton-pump inhibitors and histamine blockers were shown to have increased risk of developing Clostridium difficile infections. Laryngopharyngeal reflux has been shown to be a better predictor of Barrett's esophagus than gastroesophageal reflux, although specific screening recommendations have not been determined. Summary Current studies in laryngopharyngeal reflux demonstrate that improvements in physical examination findings are not a reliable way of determining patient improvement. An empiric trial of therapy is the best diagnostic test for laryngopharyngeal reflux. Future studies will examine the role of transnasal esophagoscopy in the screening of the laryngopharyngeal reflux patient for Barrett's esophagus.
Yield and Performance Characteristics of Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration for Diagnosing Upper GI Tract Stromal Tumors

Background and Aims EUS-FNA is a means of sampling suspected GI stromal tumors (GIST). However, there are limited published data on factors influencing the sampling yield, and on the performance characteristics of this technique in comparison with resection pathology. We analyzed the yield of EUS-FNA for submucosal lesions of the upper GI tract, and determined the performance characteristics of EUS-FNA for diagnosing GISTs.
Low-Density Self-Assembled Monolayers on Gold Derived from Chelating 2-Monoalkylpropane-1,3-dithiols

Low-density self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold were generated by the adsorption of a series of specifically designed 2-monoalkylpropane-1,3-dithiol derivatives, CH3(CH2)nCH[CH2SH]2, where n = 11, 13, 14. The monolayers were characterized by optical ellipsometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, contact angle goniometry, polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, and sum-frequency generation. Comparison of these data to those collected on SAMs generated from normal alkanethiols, CH3(CH2)n+2SH, and 2,2-dialkylpropane-1,3-dithiol derivatives, [CH3(CH2)n]2C[CH2SH]2, of similar chain length suggests that the new “monoalkanedithiol” SAMs are the least crystalline, exposing both methyl and methylene groups at the interface due to the low density of alkyl chains. Further comparison of these low-density SAMs to those obtained on branched and linear polyethylene films suggests that the exposure of interfacial methylene groups is greater for the polymer films.