cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scientific thinking: its history, methods, and advantages.

Philosophers and scientists often dismiss complementary and alternative medicine as “pseudoscience.” In applying the pseudoscience moniker they often intend to suggest that the beliefs and practices of complementary and alternative medicine are as irrational as a fear of flying, as effective as a rabbit’s foot, and as pretentiously deceptive as a mongrel in a dog show. Many people in western society have come to think of science as the deity of reason and pseudoscience is its doppelganger. In this paper I wish to offer a less bipolar view of science and pseudoscience wherein one sees science and pseudoscience as sometimes overlapping partitions on a continuum between utopic rational inquiry and chaotic irrationality. My thesis does not represent a diminution of science, nor an exultation of pseudoscience. Rather, I portray pseudoscientific beliefs and practices as resulting from human, but nevertheless unacceptable, hypotheses, evidence standards, and innate judgment mechanisms. Likewise, science while striving towards laudable intellectual standards should not be thought of as an epistemic authority before which one must unthinkingly genuflect.
In vivo stimulated dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens: modulation by the prefrontal cortex

Abstract In vivo voltammetry was used to measure stimulated dopamine (DA) release in the nucleus accumbens following 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions of the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC). Lesions of the PFC resulted in a significant potentiation of K + -stimulated DA release (383% of control). These data are in agreement with other studies which suggest DAergic activation of cortical sites can alter the activity of DAergic neurons at subcortical sites. Specifically these results suggest that DAergic nerve terminals in the nucleus accumbens are tonically inhibited by DAergic activity in the PFC and that alleviation of this tonic inhibition produces hyperresponsiveness in the nucleus accumbens.
Evaluation of Commercial Phytases on Performance and Skeletal Strength of Two Broiler Strains

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of two commercial phytases on performance and bone mineralization of male broilers from two commercial strains when included into a diet marginal in both calcium (Ca) and non-phytate phosphorus (npP). Male chicks from two broiler strains (Strains 1 and 2; 320 of each) were placed on fresh bedding across 64 pens (10 birds/pen with 8 replicates/treatment). All birds were fed a corn-soybean meal diet (22% CP, 3,086kcal/kg) adequate in all nutrients except Ca and npP. Dietary treatments were arranged as a 2×4 factorial using 2npP/Ca combinations and four dietary treatments: 1) standard (0.45% npP, 1.0% Ca), 2) marginal (0.35% npP, 0.87% Ca), 3) marginal+500 FTU Phytase A, and 4) marginal+500FTU Phytase B. All diets were pelleted at 79°C, crumbled and provided from 0 to 21 days of age. Individual body weights and feed consumption were recorded at 21d of age and 24 birds per treatment were sacrificed for tibia breaking strength.Chicks of Strain 2 were 1.7g heavier (P 0.05) in body weight at 21d of age. Body weight, body weight gain, feed consumption and bone strength were significantly decreased (P<0.05) in the marginal diet-fed birds in comparison with the standard diet-fed birds. However, all these parameters were completely reversed with supplementation of either Phytase A or B. Overall, live performance, bone breaking strength, and response to phytase supplementation were not affected by genetic strain or type of phytase utilized in the diet. These findings suggest that reducing dietary npP requires phytase supplementation to obtain normal growth performance and skeletal growth, regardless of commercial broiler strain.
Perioperative cerebral oxygen saturation in neonates with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and childhood neurodevelopmental outcome

Objectives Neonates with hypoplastic left heart syndrome have significant hemodynamic threats to cerebral perfusion and are at risk of reduced neurodevelopmental performance. We hypothesized that cerebral hypoxia, detectable by near-infrared spectroscopy in the early postoperative period, would be related to later neurodevelopmental performance. Methods The study population was a sequential cohort of patients who had undergone stage 1 palliation of hypoplastic left heart syndrome under standard conditions, including neonatal perioperative monitoring with cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy, and who had undergone a neurodevelopmental assessment at age 4 to 5 years. The neonatal demographic and 48-hour perioperative hemodynamic parameters, including cerebral oxygen saturation, were tested for their relationship to 4 domains of neurodevelopmental performance, including visual-motor integration in childhood in univariate and multivariate models. The neurodevelopmental scores were classified as low if less than 85 (−1 standard deviation) and abnormal if less than 70 (−2 standard deviations). Results For the 51 patients in the surgical cohort, the early survival was 94%, the cumulative survival was 86%, and the neurodevelopmental assessment was completed by 21 (48%) of the survivors, without evidence of an ascertainment bias. At the test age of 56.3 ± 5.5 months, the composite neurodevelopmental index, constructed from equally weighted measures in 4 domains, was 97.6 ± 9.6, not different from the age-based norms, with 3 of 21 in the low range and none abnormal. The mean visual-motor integration was 93.4 ± 14, slightly less than the population norm ( P P 2 = 0.53, P Conclusions Neurodevelopmental performance was related to demographic, neonatal perioperative physiologic, and later factors. Perioperative cerebral oxygenation assessed by near-infrared spectroscopy can detect hypoxic-ischemic conditions associated with injury and reduced neurodevelopmental performance and was the most significant physiologic factor identified. These data suggest that efforts to avoid cerebral hypoxia are likely to improve the outcomes in this high-risk population.
A Review of the Copitarsia decolora (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Species Complex with the Description of a New Species from Chile and Argentina

Copitarsia gibberosa n. sp. is described from Chile and Argentina. Morphological characters are discussed to differentiate it from Copitarsia decolora (Guenee), Copitarsia incommoda (Walker), and Copitarsia corruda (Pogue & Simmons). Copitarsia corruda has its status revised based on CO1 and morphology. Copitarsia paraturbata Castillo & Angulo is a new synonym of C. incommoda based on morphology. Copitarsia uncilata Burgos & Leiva is a new synonym of C. decolora based on morphology. A review of recent literature revealed a misunderstanding of the complex of species related to C. decolora, and these papers are evaluated and species are identified. Host plant utilization is discussed between C. decolora and C. corruda. Adults and male and female genitalia are illustrated to differentiate between the species in the C. decolora species complex. Keys to male and females based on genitalic morphology are given. Distribution maps of collected specimens are provided.
Coronary atherosclerosis stabilization: an achievable goal

Coronary atherosclerotic plaques may restrict coronary blood flow producing angina or rupture causing unstable angina, myocardial infarction or sudden death. The rupture prone plaques are lipid rich, have thin fibrous caps and are often angiographically mild. Most treatment strategies are focused on relieving cardiac symptoms or salvaging myocardium in the wake of myocardial infarction rather than preventing plaque rupture. Animal studies revealed that atherosclerotic plaques can be modified and consequently trials were designed to test if lipid-altering strategies could favorably influence coronary artery disease in humans. Sixteen angiographic regression studies have been published to date and consistently show that favorably altering lipid levels results in retardation of coronary artery disease progression and markedly reduces cardiac events. The disparity between the extent of event reduction and angiographic disease change generated the concept that these favorable lipid alterations result in plaque stabilization. Therefore, the need to identify individuals at risk from these vulnerable plaques is more important than ever, knowing that such patients can now be effectively treated.
Steric influences on the stability and synthetic accessibility of tetraalkylcyclopentadienes

Abstract The phase transfer-catalyzed addition of cyclohexyl bromide to cyclopentadiene under basic conditions yields 2,3,5,5′-tetracyclohexylcyclopentadiene as the sole tetra-substituted isomer. An X-ray crystal structure reveals that some angle distortion exists around the quaternary carbon, including a compressed C 5 ring angle (99.4(5)°). The reason for the production of only the 2,3,5,5′ isomer from the seven possible for tetracyclohexylcyclopentadiene was probed with molecular mechanical and semiempirical MO calculations. The 2,3,5,5′ form was determined to be the lowest in strain energy, although not in the heat of formation. Close intramolecular H…H contacts are present in the cyclohexyl-substituted cyclopentadienes that are absent in isopropyl analogs.
Light Field Photography and Microscopy

Light fields represent radiance as a function of position and direction in space. I describe three systems for recording and generating light fields: a camera array, a handheld plenoptic camera, and a light field microscope.
Stochastic management of pump-and-treat strategies using surrogate functions

Typical pump-and-treat (PAT) optimization problems involve design of pumping schemes, while minimizing cost and meeting a set of constraints. Due to scarcity of information about the hydrogeological system, stochastic modeling approaches can be used to assess tradeoffs between optimality and reliability. Using a stochastic approach, the constrained, single-objective problem may be turned into a multiobjective problem by substituting constraint inequalities with an additional objective function (OF) that accounts for the reliability of the PAT process. In this work, two approaches are analyzed: in one case, the additional OF consists of the probability of failure of a given remediation policy; in another, the OF additional is represented by the recourse, namely the penalty cost induced by the violation of constraints. In order to overcome the overwhelming computational cost required by stochastic simulation, surrogate forms of the OFs are introduced. In the test case under investigation, such functions are estimated by a kriging interpolation of the OF over a series of data points obtained from stochastic simulations of flow and transport, and calibrated against stochastic optimization solutions. The analysis of the two approaches for addressing the tradeoff of cost vs. reliability indicates that recourse accounts not only for the frequency of constraint violations, as the probability of failure does, but also for the intensity with which these occur. Ultimately, the recourse method allows considering less restrictive policies, although these may be highly sensitive to the choice of penalty functions.
Advances in power MMIC amplifier technology in space communications

Advances in microwave and millimeter-wave power monolithic amplifier technology are reviewed. Device structures and circuit topologies that enhance the efficiency of monolithic power amplifiers for space communication applications are discussed. Mature GaAs MESFETs as well as emerging III-V heterostructure field-effect and bipolar transistors designed for high-efficiency operation are covered. Relative merits of various types of devices for implementation in high performance monolithic amplifiers are discussed.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effective channel approach to nuclear scattering at high energies. II. Proton-helium elastic scattering at 1 GeV

The effective channel formulation of high-energy nuclear reactions is applied to the proton-helium system, and the result is compared with experimental data. This formulation provides a consistent procedure for the evaluation of the ground state to effective channel coupling potential, average excitation energy, and the average potential in the effective channel. The effect of coupling to the effective channel as well as the effect of each quantity in that channel are demonstrated. The calculated cross sections were compared to the recent data from Saclay as well as to the earlier Brookhaven data for 1 GeV p-$sup 4$He elastic scattering. The possibility of using proton-nucleus scattering experiments to obtain a refined estimate of the ratio of the real part to the imaginary part of the proton-nucleon elastic scattering amplitude was investigated. The effect on the calculated cross section due to the uncertainty in the input parameters was carefully analyzed and found to be large enough to obscure the nature of any possible dynamical correlation effects and any possible off-shell effect in the two-body amplitude. (AIP)
Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Tissue Compartment Model Selection in Drug Development and Risk Assessment

A well-stirred tank (WST) has been the predominant flow-limited tissue compartment model in physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling. Recently, we developed a two-region asymptotically reduced (TAR) PBPK tissue compartment model through an asymptotic approximation to a two-region vascular-extravascular system to incorporate more biophysical detail than the WST model. To determine the relevance of a flow-limited TAR (F-TAR) approach, 75 structurally diverse drugs were evaluated herein using a priori predicted tissue:plasma partition coefficients along with hybrid and whole-body PBPK of eight rat tissues to determine the impact of model selection on simulation and optimization. Simulations showed that the F-TAR model significantly improved the ability to predict drug exposure, with hybrid and whole-body WST model error approaching 50% for tissues with larger vascular volumes. When optimization was used to fit F-TAR and WST models to pseudo data, WST-optimized drug partition coefficients more appropriately represented curve-fitting parameters rather than biophysically meaningful partition coefficients. Median F-TAR-optimized error ranged from -0.4% to +0.3%, whereas WST-optimized median error ranged from -22.2% to +1.8%. These studies demonstrated that the use of F-TAR represents a more accurate, biophysically realistic PBPK tissue model for predicting tissue exposure to drug and that it should be considered for use in drug development and regulatory review.
Low prevalence of diabetes mellitus in patients with Takotsubo syndrome: A plausible ‘protective’ effect with pathophysiologic connotations

Aims:The pathophysiology of Takotsubo syndrome is still elusive; coronary vasospasm, microvascular dysfunction, or catecholamine-mediated injury to the cardiomyocytes, effected by local release from the autonomic nerves and/or blood-borne catecholamines, are considered as tentative cause(s). Diabetes mellitus-induced autonomic neuropathy leads to a brain–heart disconnection, and it can conceivably ameliorate/block the effect of an unbridled adrenergic storm to the heart, and the emergence of Takotsubo syndrome. This study sought to evaluate the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in patients with Takotsubo syndrome.Methods and results:All the papers accessed in PubMed were reviewed, to evaluate the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and hypertension in Takotsubo syndrome patients, employing the rate of the latter as an index of how representative of the general population were the study patients, and the rate of the former as the focus of this investigation. Out of the 1932 papers, 959 were suitable for analysis...
The only child as a separate entity: differences between only females and other firstborn females.

Summa~y.-To distinguish personality characteristics of only-born women, 25 only-born women were compared with 25 firstborn women with one younger brother and 25 firstborn women with one younger sister. The mean age was 22 yr. Gough's Adjective Check List, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and the Parent Perception Index were used to measure self-image, sexual identity, preferences as to perception and judgment, and perceptions attributed to prents. A factor analysis resulted in 16 factors, which accounted for 80% of the variance of the data set. The 16 factors were used as variables in the discriminant analysis. The only-born women mere confident, resourceful, and assertive. They were the most independent, the least anxious and conventional. The women with brothers were the most responsible. They were more dependent than the only women and also more interest-d in the opposite sex. The women with sisters were the most conventional and also the most dependent.
SU-GG-T-38: Tracking of Brachytherapy Source Position Using Emission Imaging

Purpose: To construct an imagingsystem that uses the exit radiation from a brachytherapy source during treatment. This system uses a single flat panel detector(FPD) and is capable of tracking the source position in 3D space, with no extra imaging radiation source or extra radiation dose to the patient. Method and Materials: It uses one a‐Si FPD and BB tray. The BB plane is parallel to detector surface and has multiple BBs embedded with mechanical accuracy. When illuminated by an Ir‐192 HDR source, the BBs cast shadows on FPD. Based on the geometric relation between the BBs and FPD, coordinates of HDR source in 3D were derived: x s = x f 1 x b 2 /( x f 2 − x f 1 − x b 2 ), y s = y f 1 x b 2 /( x f 2 − x f 1 − x b 2 ), z s =− hx b 2 /( x f 2 − x f 1 − x b 2 ), y f 1 = y f 2 , where z is perpendicular to FPD, s denotes HDR source, f denotes FPD, 1 and 2 refer to two different BBs. A kVp source at 3.3 meters away was used to align the center BB with the center pixel on FPD. Image acquisition time was between 3 and 6 seconds per projection. For a HDR test plan of 11 dwell points, one projection was taken for each dwell point and the shadow of the BBs were manually identified from the projection images.Results: The 3D coordinates for the 11 dwell positions of the test HDR plan were all successfully reconstructed based on two BBs. As a simple consistency check, the relative distances between dwell points were compared with the expected values. The average of the difference is less than 0.05 cm with a standard deviation of 0.16 cm. Conclusion: With automated BB shadow recognition and faster FPD, this technique possesses the potential of tracking 3D trajectory of a brachytherapy source in real time, for real time position verification or dose reconstruction.
NASA applications and lessons learned in reliability engineering

Since the Shuttle Challenger accident in 1986, communities across National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) have been developing and extensively using quantitative reliability and risk assessment methods in their decision making process. This paper discusses several reliability engineering applications that NASA has used over the years to support the design, development, and operation of critical space flight hardware. Specifically, the paper discusses several reliability engineering applications used by NASA in areas such as risk management, inspection policies, components upgrades, reliability growth, integrated failure analysis, and physics based probabilistic engineering analysis. In each of these areas, the paper provides a brief discussion of a case study to demonstrate the value added and the criticality of reliability engineering in supporting NASA project and program decisions to fly safely. Examples of these case studies discussed are; reliability based life limit extension of Shuttle Space Main Engine (SSME) hardware, Reliability based inspection policies for Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) turbine disc, probabilistic structural engineering analysis for reliability prediction of the SSME Alternate Turbo-pump Development (ATD), impact of the Space Shuttle External Tank (ET) foam reliability on the Space Shuttle System risk, and reliability based Space Shuttle upgrade for safety. A special attention is given in this paper to the physics based probabilistic engineering analysis applications and their critical role in evaluating the reliability of NASA development hardware including their potential use in a research and technology development environment.
OXYGEN CONCENTRATION WITHIN THE NITROGEN-FIXING ROOT NODULES OF MYRICA GALE L.

Microelectrodes were used to study the oxygen concentration within Myrica gale L. nodules. Low oxygen concentrations were found only in the region of the mature, nitrogen-fixing endophyte, and appeared to correspond to clusters of infected host cells. The oxygen concentration in the remainder of the nodule was much higher. Interconnected intercellular air spaces were demonstrated by infiltration with India ink. Infiltration of the spaces with water greatly reduced oxygen concentration throughout the nodule, indicating that they function in supplying oxygen to the infected cells and remainder of the nodule. These results differ from those found previously for soybean nodules and provide evidence that legume and actinorhizal nodules have different mechanisms for protecting nitrogenase from oxygen. PURIFIED NITROGENASE is rapidly denatured when exposed to oxygen, and thus requires protection from oxygen when present in organisms living in an aerobic environment. In
External PIXE analysis of the alt-I pump limiter

Abstract The Sandia nuclear microprobe has been used to analyze a wide variety of magnetic-confinement fusion reactor components such as limiters used in several major tokamaks from around the world. This analysis has been performed prior to and following periods of time when the components were in use. A principle aspect of this investigation was the determination of the identity and quantity of impurities which are deposited on limiters. Ex vacuo PIXE analysis has become the technique of choice for determining the areal distributions of impurity deposits. The results of such an analysis of the ALT-1 pumped limiter used in the TEXTOR tokamak at KFA-Julich are highlighted in this paper. The deposits are directly related to erosion and redeposition processes occurring during plasma exposure.
Magnetooptic bubble-domain devices

The practical feasibility of display and sensing systems using the magnetooptic properties of the three most widely discussed bubble-domain materials is discussed; the orthoferrites (100 μm bubbles), the garnets (10 μm bubbles), and the hexaferrites (1 μm bubbles). It is found that on a per bubble basis, the incident light intensity at the surface of the magnetic platelet necessary for both applications is remarkably close for all three materials, varying only between several microwatts and several tens of microwatts. Because of the large range of bubble diameters, however, the power per unit area varies from a quite tolerable 0.025 W/cm2in orthoferrites to a prohibitive 114 W/cm2for hexaferrite. Thus orthoferrite magnetooptic devices should be relatively straightforward, garnet devices will require careful heat sinking, and hexaferrite devices seem very doubtful.
Simulation study of the longitudinal variation of evening vertical ionospheric drifts at the magnetic equator during equinox

[1] Quiet-time low-latitude ionospheric electric fields and vertical drifts in the evening sector at equinox are examined as a function of longitude and solar activity, using simulations from the Magnetosphere-Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (MTIEGCM). The model inputs are held fixed with respect to universal time, in order to evaluate the contributions to longitudinal variations of the equatorial electric fields and drifts associated with zonal variations in the geomagnetic field. The simulated upward evening drift is somewhat larger than observations. It increases with solar activity at a similar rate in all longitude sectors. This rate, about 0.32–0.37 m/s per unit of 10.7 cm solar flux, is quantitatively consistent with observations in the Peruvian sector but is considerably greater than observations in the Indian sector. The simulations agree with observations in finding larger vertical drifts in the American-Atlantic sector than in the East Asian-Pacific sector, generally associated with longitudinal variations in the strength of the geomagnetic field. Relations among the longitude variations of the vertical drift, the conductivity, the eastward wind velocity, the geomagnetic declination, and gradients of the wind and declination are examined, revealing few clear correlations. However, extrema of many of these quantities are noted in the American-Atlantic sector.
The “Luntzification” of the U.S. Health Care Debate

Pollster Frank Luntz has built a substantial global business by shifting the terminology in public policy debates to a corporate and conservative perspective. He played a substantial role in the recent U.S. health care debate, and his approaches and terminology likely will be tried again regarding health care policy in other nations. This project searched the U.S. broadcast news transcripts to discover to what extent they reflected Luntz’s list of words for opponents of health care reform. Sixteen Luntz terms were compared to a list of 16 more neutral terms describing the actual changes being considered. The Luntz words outnumbered the “descriptor” terms on Fox News, and made up a significant percentage of the terminology hits on CNN, MSNBC, and ABC, CBS, and NBC News. This content analysis adds to the growing body of work on framing, specifically how tactical use of terminology can turn a mediated debate.
Factors in prognosis of colon and rectal cancer

Early diagnosis is most important in the prognosis in colorectal cancer because the cause of cancer is unknown and an effective and practical large-scale screening test, easily and cheaply carried out, is unavailable. If the diagnosis is made early, when the patient is asymptomatic, and prior to development of complications or when the lesion is precancerous, the disease almost always is localized and adequate treatment gives excellent results. However, if symptoms have been present for months or complications have developed prior to establishing the diagnosis (because of patient neglect in seeking advice or physician lack of tenacity in evaluating the patient's condition), or if surgical treatment has been inadequate, the prognosis is poor. Education of physicians and the public remains most important in improving results further. New knowledge or new modalities of treatment should result in improved prognosis not only in colorectal cancer but also in cancer of other anatomic sites.
Impact of scattering and absorption of photosynthetic pigments on fluorescence retrieval algorithms for coastal waters

Fluorescence Line Height (FLH) algorithms are effective for fluorescence retrieval in the open ocean where elastic reflectance in the fluorescence zone does not deviate much from the baseline. In coastal waters, FLH algorithms are significantly complicated by the overlap of the fluorescence and elastic reflectance peaks. To test accuracy of MODIS, MERIS and other FLH algorithms, we compared numerical simulations using an extensive synthetic database suitable for case II waters, with results of extensive field measurements of reflectance, absorption and attenuation spectra by us in the Chesapeake Bay, as well as satellite FLH data from several areas that typically show low correlation between [Chl] and FLH. Our synthetic datasets were created using the HYDROLIGHT radiative transfer code with IOP's connected to parameterized microphysical models in accordance with procedures used to generate the IOCCG dataset, but with some added improvements. These included higher (1 nm) spectral resolution, a wider range of parameters typical for coastal waters, including chlorophyll specific absorptions with significant variations in spectral shapes and magnitude. HYDROLIGHT simulations of elastic reflectance using measured attenuation/extinction spectra followed by subtraction from measured reflectance, permitted retrieval of the fluorescence contribution to the latter, for comparisons with the data set simulations. We find relatively small fluorescence contributions to surface reflectance for mineral concentrations > 5 mg/l because of strong attenuation in the excitation zone and enhanced elastic reflectance making fluorescence detection unrealistic. For lower mineral concentrations, we find that some combinations of NIR observation bands permit reasonably good FLH retrievals in conditions where specific absorption spectral variation is not very high, and that application of multi-spectral algorithms can be more efficient for the retrieval of fluorescence contributions in coastal areas.
Cathodoluminescence of Al/x/Ga/1-x/As grown by liquid-phase epitaxy

Small-area contrast fluctuations observed in cathodoluminescence-mode SEM images of thin Al(x)Ga(1-x)As layers grown by liquid-phase epitaxy on GaAs:Cr substrates are attributed to local variations in alloy composition. Quantitative estimates of the composition excursions are obtained from the variations in CL intensity by calibration against compositions known from electron-probe microanalysis. In a typical sample, the CL variations are shown to correspond to peak-to-peak fluctuations of about 1 at. % of Al and occur over irregular regions generally in the range 6-20 microns in diameter.
Sport labour migration: understanding leisure activities of American professional basketball players abroad

This study used insights from leisure constraint theory as sensitising concepts to generate new insights on the experiences of international sport labour migrants, thus contributing to research on ‘the leisure-globalisation nexus’. We examined empirical data from broader qualitative research on the sport labour migration of American basketball players, specifically their leisure activities outside of the basketball arena. We interviewed a total of 12 participants who had played in 21 countries, including 15 European. Major themes related to leisure experiences were technology, food consumption, travel and relationships. We discussed those themes in relation to intrapersonal, interpersonal and structural constraints. Examples illustrated the interplay between the three dimensions of the leisure constraint model. Findings supported a multidirectional or cyclical relationship between all three parts. We located the participants of this study within previously established typologies of sport labour migrants a...
CES-D four-factor structure is confirmed, but not invariant, in a large cohort of African American women

This study examined the factor structure of the Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) in a sample of 40,403 African American women participating in the Black Women's Health Study (BWHS). To examine within group differences in the structural characteristics of the CES-D, women were stratified by age ( or = 60 years). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a four-factor solution was a good fit for the data in both groups. The four factors extracted (depressed, somatic, positive, and interpersonal) matched findings from previous studies in other populations. Although item loadings were identical for 19 of 20 items, when equality restrictions were placed on factor loadings, the factors were not shown to be equivalent across groups. The only observed difference in item loadings was that the item "people disliked me" loaded higher on the interpersonal factor for younger women than older women. The variance/covariance matrix differed between groups. The correlations between the depressed and somatic factors were identical for the two age groups. However, correlations among the other factors were weaker among older women. We conclude that four-factor structure of the CES-D is supported for African American women, but the relationships among the factors vary with age.
The art & discipline of business creativity

This article has been adapted from John Kao's outstanding keynote presentation at the 1997 International Strategic Leadership Conference. The conference, which was held in Washington, D.C., from April 27 to April 30, was attended by approximately 900 professionals from 25 countries around the world.
Performance analysis of different working fluids for use in organic Rankine cycles

AbstractThis article presents a second-law analysis for the use of organic Rankine cycle (ORC) to convert waste energy to power from low-grade heat sources. The organic working fluids were selected to investigate the effect of the fluid boiling point temperature on the performance of ORCs. The working fluids under investigation are R134a, R113, R245ca, R245fa, R123, isobutane, and propane, with boiling points between 243 and 48 °C. The results are compared with those of water under similar conditions. A combined first- and second-law analysis is performed by varying some system operating parameters at various reference temperatures. Some of the results demonstrate that ORC using R113 shows the maximum efficiency among the evaluated organic fluids for temperatures >430 K; R123, R245ca, and R245fa show the best efficiencies for temperatures between 380 and 430 K; and for temperatures <380 K, isobutane shows the best efficiency. Also, it is shown that the organic-fluid boiling point has a strong influence on...
Bivalent binding of IgA1 to FcαRI suggests a mechanism for cytokine activation of IgA phagocytosis

FcαRI, the receptor specific for the Fc region of immunoglobulin A (IgA), is responsible for IgA-mediated phagocytosis, oxidative burst, and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Using the techniques of analytical ultracentrifugation and equilibrium gel-filtration, we show that two FcαRI molecules bind to a single Fcα homodimer. Surface plasmon resonance studies confirm the 2:1 stoichiometry of binding, with equilibrium dissociation constants of 176 nM and 431 nM for the first and second binding events, respectively. The binding affinity decreases at acidic pH in a manner consistent with protonation of a single histidine residue in the binding site. A thermodynamic analysis indicates that the histidine residue does not participate in a salt-bridge in the complex; in fact, less than 10% of the free energy of binding was contributed by electrostatic interactions. The bivalent, pH-dependent interaction between FcαRI and IgA has important implications for cytokine-dependent phagocytosis of IgA and the FcαRI-mediated degradation or recycling of IgA.
The Kantian Sleep: On the Limits of the "Foucault Effect"

This paper analyzes the connection, established by Michel Foucault in The Order of Things, between the appearance of “man” as an anthropological presupposition of scientific and philosophical discourses, and the construction of a transcendental dispositif of thought. In accordance with this presupposition, the notion of life is conceived by Foucault as a by-product of Kantian modernity and inscribed within a Heideggerian ontotheology. By stressing the vitalist alternatives to this paradigm, the essay questions the hegemony of Western transcendentalism and proposes a naturalistic reorientation of Foucault’s intellectual project.
Thermal properties of aliphatic nylons and their link to crystal structure and molecular motion

The phase behavior of semicrystalline, aliphatic nylons is analyzed on the basis of differential scanning calorimetry, DSC, and quasi-isothermal, temperature-modulated DSC, TMDSC. The data of main interest are the apparent heat capacities, C p, in the temperature range from below the glass transitions to above the isotropization. Based on the contributions of the vibrational motion to C p, as is available from measurements in our laboratory, the ATHAS Data Bank, and multifaceted new TMDSC results, as well as on information on the crystal structures, NMR, molecular dynamics simulation of paraffin crystals, and quasi-elastic neutron scattering, the following observations are made: (a) In semicrystalline nylons the glass transition of the mobile-amorphous phase is broadened to higher temperature. The additionally present rigid-amorphous phase, RAF, undergoes a separate, broad glass transition at somewhat higher temperature. (b) The transition of the RAF, in turn, overlaps usually with an increase in large-amplitude motion of the CH2-groups within the crystals and latent heat effects due to melting, recrystallization, and crystal annealing. (c) Above the glass transitions of the two non-crystalline phases, C p of the crystals approaches and exceeds that of the melt. This effect is due to additional entropy contributions (disordering) within the crystals, which may for some nylons lead to a mesophase. In case a mesophase is formed, the C p drops to the level of the melt as is common for mesophases. (d) Some locally reversible melting is present on the crystal surfaces, but seems to be minimal for the mesophase. (e) The increasing amount of large-amplitude motion in the crystals is described as a third glass transition, occurring over a broad temperature range below the melting or disordering transition from crystal to mesophase. The assumption of a separate glass transition in ordered phases was previously discovered on analyzing aliphatic poly(oxide)s such as poly(oxyethylene), POE, and in the broad class of mesophase-forming small and large molecules. To attain a full description of the globally-metastable, semicrystalline phase-structure of nylons and to understand its properties, one needs quantitative information about the glass transitions of the two non-crystalline phases and that of the crystal, as well as the various irreversible and locally reversible order/disorder transitions and their kinetics. Finally, with different substitutions in the α-position of the backbone structure of nylon 2, one describes poly(amino acid)s which on proper copolymerization yield proteins. This links the present study to the earlier thermal analyses of all naturally occurring poly(amino acid)s, a number of copoly(amino acid)s, and globular proteins in their dehydrated states. It will be of importance to check by quantitative thermal analysis if similar glass transitions and phase structures as seen in the aliphatic nylons are also present in the poly(amino acid)s to possibly gain new information about the nanophase structure of proteins.
Designing π-conjugated polymers with light emission in the infrared

There is currently a great need for solid state lasers that emit in the infrared. Whether or not conjugated polymers that emit in the IR can be synthesized is an interesting theoretical challenge. We show that emission in the IR can be achieved in designer polymers in which the effective Coulomb correlation is smaller than that in existing systems. We also show that the structural requirement for having small effective Coulomb correlations is that there exist transverse π-conjugation over a few bonds in addition to longitudinal conjugation with large conjugation lengths.
Lanthanum inhibition of calcitonin secretion and calcium uptake in porcine thyroid slices.

Abstract The influence of lanthanum on theophylline-induced calcitonin secretion and 45 Ca uptake by slices of porcine thyroid was examined in the present study. Theophylline (4 mM) produced a significant rise in calcitonin release; however, tissue uptake of 45 Ca was not affected. In the presence of 10 mM lanthanum 45 Ca uptake was reduced in both the control and theophylline-treated tissue and theophylline-stimulated calcitonin secretion was abolished. It is concluded that the calcium ion is necessary for theophylline-mediated calcitonin secretion.
Comparison and cost analysis of drinking water quality monitoring requirements versus practice in seven developing countries.

Drinking water quality monitoring programs aim to support provision of safe drinking water by informing water quality management. Little evidence or guidance exists on best monitoring practices for low resource settings. Lack of financial, human, and technological resources reduce a country’s ability to monitor water supply. Monitoring activities were characterized in Cambodia, Colombia, India (three states), Jordan, Peru, South Africa, and Uganda according to water sector responsibilities, monitoring approaches, and marginal cost. The seven study countries were selected to represent a range of low resource settings. The focus was on monitoring of microbiological parameters, such as E. coli, coliforms, and H2S-producing microorganisms. Data collection involved qualitative and quantitative methods. Across seven study countries, few distinct approaches to monitoring were observed, and in all but one country all monitoring relied on fixed laboratories for sample analysis. Compliance with monitoring requirements was highest for operational monitoring of large water supplies in urban areas. Sample transport and labor for sample collection and analysis together constitute approximately 75% of marginal costs, which exclude capital costs. There is potential for substantive optimization of monitoring programs by considering field-based testing and by fundamentally reconsidering monitoring approaches for non-piped supplies. This is the first study to look quantitatively at water quality monitoring practices in multiple developing countries.
How to kiss a leper

Episodes of kissing lepers appear in medieval holy lives from Sulpicius Severus's late-fourth-century vita of Martin of Tours to the early-fifteenth-century spiritual autobiography of Margery Kempe. How exactly did the leprous kiss function within medieval society? The following essay explores that question by way of a ‘historical phenomenology,’ or investigation into what kind of experience kissing a leper was imagined to be in the Middle Ages. Building from the observation that the affective shock of the kiss gave it its medieval value, the essay argues that the gesture was understood to disrupt quotidian practices of recognition, defamiliarizing the face-to-face encounter and opening new perceptual and intersubjective possibilities. However, medieval narrative representations are generally one-sided, focusing almost exclusively on the experience of the able-bodied. While the leprous kiss pushed experiential and social limits, these ran up against the asymmetry of the kiss's imagining, the solipsism of its intimacy.
Large Angle Scattering and Energy Loss of Potassium Ions Scattered by Heavy Monatomic Gases

A beam of potassium ions with energies in the range between 90 and 360 volts was scattered by collision with the heavy monatomic gases argon, krypton, xenon, and mercury vapor and the angular distribution was observed. For slower particles the scattering per unit solid angle relative to the center of mass of the colliding particles decreases with angle. At higher voltages the scattering increases at larger angles with a minimum about 60. The scattering at the larger angles increases with voltage. The results are not compatible with a rigid sphere model of the atom. The large deviations may be associated with exciting or ionizing collisions.
An Overview of the Structure and Function of Thrombin

The fundamental importance of thrombin in biology and medicine has made it one of the most extensively studied of all proteases. Thrombin performs essential functions in vertebrate biology as the central enzyme involved in blood coagulation and platelet aggregation, and as a mitogen and secretagogue for a variety of cell types. Thrombin is synthesized in the liver and secreted into the general circulation in an inactive zymogen form (prothrombin), a complex multidomain glycoprotein that is activated to yield thrombin at sites of vascular injury by limited proteolysis following upstream activation of the coagulation cascade. Thrombin shares its general architecture and catalytic mechanism with those of pancreatic trypsin, the prototypical digestive serine protease. However, the specificity of thrombin toward substrates and cofactors, as well as its spatiotemporal regulation by effectors and inhibitors, is directed by features of the molecule that distinguish it from relatively nonspecific serine proteases like trypsin. Structural and functional studies have demonstrated the presence of surface loops that partially occlude the active site and make specific contacts with residues adjacent to the scissile bond of substrates. Specificity toward macromolecular substrates and cofactors is additionally enhanced by anion-binding exosites that are spatially distinct from the active site. More than five decades of multidisciplinary research on thrombin have produced an abundance of functional and structural information and provided a robust framework for understanding the role of thrombin in vertebrate biology.
Space guidance evolution - A personal narrative

Introduction T prospect of preparing a comprehensive history of space guidance and navigation was, initially, a delight to contemplate. But, as the unproductive weeks went by, the original euphoria was gradually replaced by a sense of pragmatism. I reasoned that the historical papers which had the greatest appeal were written by "old timers" telling of their personal experiences. Since I had lived through the entire space age, and had the good fortune of being involved in many of the nation's important aerospace programs, I decided to narrow the scope to encompass only that of which I had personal knowledge. (It is, however, a sobering thought that you might qualify as an ' 'old timer.") The story begins in the early 1950's when the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory (later to become the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.) was chosen by the Air Force Western Development Division to provide a self-contained guidance system backup to Convair in San Diego for the new Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile. The work was contracted through the Ramo-Wooldridge Corporation, and the technical monitor for the MIT task was a young engineer named Jim Fletcher who later served as the NASA Administrator. The Atlas guidance system was to be a combination of an on-board autonomous system, and a ground-based tracking and command system. This was the beginning of a philosophic controversy, which, in some areas, remains unresolved. The self-contained system finally prevailed in ballistic missile applications for obvious reasons. In space exploration, a mixture of the two remains. The electronic digital computer industry was in its infancy then, so that an on-board guidance system could be mechanized only with analog components. Likewise, the design and analysis tools were highly primitive by today's standards. It is difficult to appreciate the development problems without considering the available computational aids.
Stem cell modulators (SCMs): a small molecule and biologic approach to stem cell therapeutics

The scientific advancements of stem cell and developmental biology over the past decade have formed a solid foundation to pursue regenerative medicines for diseases with little to no treatment options. These discoveries have contributed to a more comprehensive understanding of stem cell niches across many tissues of the body and of the key stem cell pathways, such as Wnt, Hedgehog and Notch, which influence these niches. The quickest way to bring in the horizon for stem cell medicines might be through the use of conventional pharmaceuticals to modulate key stem cell pathways. The premise of this approach is to intervene using small molecules and biologics, modulating stem cell biology for a desired outcome such as cell proliferation and differentiation for therapeutic benefit. As each year passes, more stem and progenitor cell populations are being identified in adult tissues, and myriad proof of concepts for treating diseases have emerged on the basis of activating stem and progenitor cells. With a dynamic and ever-growing foundation of novel biology, we explore in this review stem cell modulators (SCMs), small molecules and biologics that seek to modulate cells in vivo to harness stem cell-related biology for therapeutic applications.