cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toward an Ontology of Relativism

Despite the significant impact of the awareness of perspectival relativism on the religious imagination, recent philosophers and theologians have rarely subjected epistemological relativism to careful scrutiny. This paper attempts to overcome the current theological impasse by a careful exploration of the metaphysical implications of relativism. The central thesis of the essay is that truth is relative because meaning is contextual and being is relational. Contextualized meaning and relational beingjoin to form relative truth disclosed through symbolic awareness. The roots of contemporary relativism lie deep within eighteenth and nineteenth century philosophical movements and are inseparably entangled with the psycho-social pluralization endemic to the process of modernization. The efforts of Neo-orthodoxy, polytheism, and the scientific study of religion to resolve dilemmas posed by epistemological relativism are inadequate. What has gone unnoticed is that the discovery of truth's relativity is the realization of its inherently dialectical character. This insight begins to emerge when it is recognized that meaning is contextual and context is semiophantic. Principles identified in Hegel's logic, in MerleauPonty's phenomenology of temporality, and in Ricoeur's and Gadamer's hermeneutics disclose that meaning assumes form through dialectical interrelationship in which co-implicates mutually constitute each other. The synchronic and diachronic dimensions of relationality reveal the inexhaustability and perpetual revisability of meaning. The problem of semantics, however, is inseparable from the question of ontology. Ontological reflection leads to the conclusion that being itself is dialecticalfundamentally social or essentially relational. Determinate identity is born of ontological intercourse with otherness. Relations are not external and accidental, but are internal and essential to being itself. Identity and difference, unity and plurality, oneness and manyness are thoroughly corelative, joined in a dialectical relation of reciprocal implication. This pluralized unity and unified plurality is the ontological matrix of truth's relativity.
Contrast of Faculae at 1.6 Microns

We followed Active Region NOAA 7981 from 1996 July 27 to 1996 August 7 at Big Bear Solar Observatory. During the region's limb-to-limb passage, images at 1.6 μm, 6103 A, and CaK, as well as line-of-sight magnetograms were obtained every day to study the variation of facular/plage contrast and its relationship to magnetic fields. Our 1.6 μm images were observed by a high-quality 320 × 240 PtSi/Si detector, which produces extremely uniform images. Our data agree with the early results of Foukal et al. in several aspects: (1) at 1.6 μm, some faculae are dark at solar disk center and all become bright when they are close to the limb; (2) the changeover occurs approximately at cos θ = 0.5-0.7; (3) the threshold of magnetic flux required to produce a dark structure at 1.6 μm is about 5 × 1018 Mx. Equally important, our result is different from that of Foukal et al. on an important issue: among about 150 elements studied near the disk center, only four of these IR dark faculae show no contrast in the visible continuum. Other elements show dark contrasts in both 1.6 μm and the visible continuum, if there is sufficient resolution in the data. However, darkening of weaker (lower flux) elements are more obvious at IR and most bright points seen at red continuum disappear at IR. These findings do confirm that 1.6 μm images reveal new aspects of photospheric magnetic structure. In this paper, we also present a quantitative relationship between the dark contrast of 1.6 μm faculae and magnetic field strengths at the disk center, as well as the contrast variation of IR faculae as a function of the disk position.
Hospice care for patients with dementia.

Dementia is a leading cause of death in the USA. Although guidelines exist to determine hospice eligibility for dementia, only a small percentage of patients dying with this condition receive hospice care. Hospice recipients with dementia have not been well characterized, and little is known about the quality of care they receive. The Family Evaluation of Hospice Care (FEHC) survey was adopted by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) in 2003 as a standard benchmarking tool. The FEHC collects data from bereaved families regarding the quality of hospice care. An online repository of 2005 FEHC data was used to describe hospice recipients over 65 years of age who died with dementia and to examine their families' evaluation of hospice care. Decedents with cancer and chronic terminal conditions were also analyzed for comparison purposes. A total of 77,123 surveys submitted by 796 hospices nationwide met the study's eligibility criteria. Decedent diagnoses were as follows: dementia, n = 8,686 (11.3%); cancer, n = 35,693 (46.3%); and other chronic diseases, n = 32,744 (42.4%). Decedents with dementia were more likely to be >85 years, female, and have length of stays >180 days. Evaluation of care in all FEHC domains did not significantly differ between groups. Approximately three-quarters of bereaved family members of decedents in all groups perceived the overall quality of care as excellent; however, opportunities to improve care were also identified. These data suggest that the evaluation of hospice care for older patients is generally high, and does not vary with respect to terminal diagnoses.
Macro Prices and Structural Change: Discussion

Timmer's paper addresses an important set of issues often ignored by sectorally oriented agricultural economists. He wants to investigate the impact of changes in macro prices on the intersectoral terms of trade and a particular agricultural sector performance indicator, namely the sectors share of Gross Domestic Produlct (GDP). The model is constructed using data from seven Asia-Pacific developing countries and is then used to simulate the impacts of an international oil price increase. The basic hypothesis is that oil prices affect agriculture through the impacts of exchange rates on the intersectoral terms of trade. Because agriculture produces a relatively larger share of tradable goods, oil price increases cause an improvement in the intersectoral terms of trade in importing countries. The opposite occurs in oil-exporting countries. Therefore, Timmer expects and gets differential impacts on the performance of agricultural sectors.
Defects of immune regulation in the presenilin-1 mutant knockin mouse.

Mutations in the presenilin-1 (PS1) gene are causally linked to early-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Studies of neurons suggest that PS1 mutations result in a gain-of-function, which perturbs calcium regulation and increases cell vulnerability to apoptosis. Alterations in immune cell function have also been demonstrated in AD, and a role for PS1 in immune regulation has been suggested recently. We now report that splenocytes from PS1-mutant (M146V) knockin mice exhibit increased caspase activity, abnormal calcium regulation and aberrant mitochondrial function. Isolated splenic T cells from PS1-mutant mice respond poorly to proliferative signals and have downregulated cluster designation 3 and interleukin (IL)-2-receptor expression necessary for a normal T-cell immune response. Thus, adverse effects of a mutation that causes AD on immune function that involves perturbed calcium regulation and cytokine signaling in lymphocytes, and associated sensitivity of lymphocytes to apoptosis are demonstrated. These findings suggest that abnormalities in immune function might play major roles in the pathogenesis of AD.
Optical source transformations.

Transformation optics is a recently appreciated methodology for the design of complex media that control the propagation of electromagnetic and other types of waves. The transformation optical technique involves the use of coordinate transformations applied to some region of space, providing a conceptual means to redirect the flow of waves. Successfully designed devices to date have made use of transformations acting on passive space only; however, the technique can also be applied when source distributions (e.g., current and charge) are included within the space being transformed. In this paper we present examples of source transformations that illustrate the potential of these expanded transformation optical methods. In particular, using finite-element full-wave simulations, we confirm the restoration of dipole radiation patterns from both a distorted ‘pin-wheel’ antenna and a bent dipole partially occluded by a cylindrical scatterer. We propose the technique of source transformations as a powerful approach for antenna design, especially in relation to conformal antennas.
Auger decay and autoionization of core hole excited states in molecular oxygen

Abstract Electron energy spectra characterizing the relaxation of molecular oxygen from different core hole excited states are reported. Spectra are obtained following excitation by monochromatic synchrotron radiation at the π * and σ * resonances and at various energies above the ionization threshold. The spectra obtained with excitation above threshold are very similar and result from Auger decay. The spectra obtained at the σ * resonance result from spectator autoionization and indicate the presence of three unresolved components. The spectra obtained at the π * resonance result from both spectator and participator autoionization.
Transformation and fate of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in anaerobic bioslurry reactors under various aeration schemes : implications for the decontamination of soils

Energetic compounds have been used in a variety of industrial and military applications worldwide leading to widespread environmental contamination. Many of these compounds are toxic and resist degradation by oxidative enzymes resulting in a need for alternative remediation methods. It has been shown that trinitrotoluene (TNT)-contaminated soil subjected to treatment in strictly anaerobic bioreactors results in tight binding of TNT transformation products to soil organic matter. The research presented here examined the fate of TNT and its metabolites in bioreactors under three different aeration regimes. In all treatment regimes, the typical metabolites of aminodinitrotoluenes and diaminonitrotoluenes were observed prior to irreversible binding into the soil fraction of the slurry. Significant transformation of TNT into organic acids or simple diols, as others report in prior work, was not observed in any of the treatments and is an unlikely fate of TNT in anaerobic soil slurries. These results indicate that aeration does not dramatically affect transformation or fate of TNT in reactor systems that receive a rich carbon source but does affect the rate at which metabolites become tightly bound to the soil. The most rapid transformations and lowest redox potentials were observed in reactors in which an aerobic headspace was maintained suggesting that aerobes play a role in establishing conditions that are most conducive to TNT reduction.
Ontogeny of rdh9 (Crad3) expression: Ablation causes changes in retinoid and steroid metabolizing enzymes, but RXR and androgen signaling seem normal

Abstract Crad3 (cis-retinol/androgen dehydrogenase 3), a short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase, converts 9-cis-retinol into 9-cis-retinal and 3α-androstanediol into dihydrotestosterone. Crad3 may serve in biosynthesis of 9-cis-retinoic acid, a putative RXR ligand, and/or regeneration of potent androgens. RT-PCR showed that expression of the gene that encodes Crad3, rdh9, begins in liver by e11.5, and in kidney, testis, brain and intestine during e15.5–e16.5. In situ hybridization showed rdh9 expression in embryonic liver, ganglia, small intestine, lung, skin and vertebral cartilage. In adult, in situ hybridization revealed rdh9 expression intensely in hepatocytes, weakly in kidney glomerulus, and intensely in collecting tubules. In intestine, undifferentiated epithelia had greater expression than differentiated epithelia at the distal villus end. Testes expressed rdh9 in spermatogonia, and weakly in Leydig cells. Adult brain expressed rdh9 in the dentate gyrus and CA regions of the hippocampus, the cerebellum Purkinje cells, and the glomerular and mitral cell layers of the olfactory bulb. Rdh9-null mice, backcrossed against C57BL/6J mice, were born in Mendelian frequency, were healthy and fertile, and had normal tissue retinoid and serum dihydrotestosterone levels. Expression of rdh1, a gene that encodes an efficient retinol dehydrogenase, decreased 3- to 8-fold in rdh9-null mice, depending on dietary vitamin A. Microarray analysis and quantitative PCR revealed 2- to 4-fold increases in mRNA of enzymes that catalyze xenobiotic and steroid metabolism, including Cyp2, Cyp3, 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2, and 17β-hydroxsteroid dehydrogenases types 4 and 5. These data indicate widespread Crad3 function(s) in steroid and/or retinoid metabolism starting mid embryogenesis.
A simplified method for the design and sizing of anaerobic digestion systems for smaller farms

Anaerobic digestion (AD) as a waste treatment practice has existed for nearly 200 years and has become an accepted option for many farming and small-scale residential operations. Many developing countries now encourage the use of AD in order to meet new environmental regulations and/or to provide small amounts of energy resulting from methane generated during the process. This development has been met with some difficulty due to the lack of resources and knowledge of the systems in many of the rural communities in which these digesters are placed. A properly designed AD system can help prevent soil and water pollution as well as help mitigate methane emissions by capturing them for use as a potential energy source. This paper focuses on providing guidance to the proper design and sizing of an AD system for typical small farms, which account for the majority of dairy farms worldwide. A focus was on the implementation of such systems as they might be applied in Central America, although the aspects studied here can be applied for AD systems handling animal waste streams practically anywhere. We provide a method for sizing of anaerobic digester systems based on design standards from the US National Resource Conservation Service and using field sampled data of holding pen wash water runoff. An overview of the decision process for alternative designs is given, and simple-to-use nomographs are presented for use in sizing of an anaerobic digester system for smaller (non-industrial)-scale farms.
Ionic conductivity of Li+ ion conductors, Li4.2MxSi1−xO4 (M: B3+, Al3+, Ga3+, Cr3+, Fe3+, Co2+, Ni2+)

Abstract Ionic conductivities of lithium ion conductors, Li4.2MxSi1−xO4, with the trivalent ions. B3+, Al3+, Ga3+, Cr3+, Fe3+, and disvalent ions, Co2+, Ni2+ are discussed in the view of crystal chemistry. The highest conductivity of σ=1.58×10−3 S cm−1 at 300°C was observed in the Al3+ substituted compound. This value is larger by two orders of magnitude than that of Li4SiO4. Refinement of the cell constants for each compound showed that the volume expansion would be attributed to the extra lithium ion content (x=0.2) and MO4 tetrahedron expansion. This may cause the high ionic conductivity, possibly due to the increase of charge carrier concentration.
Review Article: Epoxyeicosatrienoic Acids: Novel Mediators of Cardioprotection

Recent evidence from a number of in vitro and in vivo studies in isolated cells and animal models has suggested that the cytochrome P450 (CYP450) pathway of arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism produces potent cardioprotective metabolites that markedly reduce reversible (myocardial stunning) and irreversible (infarct size [IS]) injury in the ischemic/reperfused heart. The major players in this protective response appear to be the AA metabolites including the regioisomers of 5,6-, 8,9-, 11,12-, and 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs). The present review article will discuss the beneficial effects of the EETs on myocardial stunning and IS reduction and consider some of the signaling pathways and cellular mechanisms by which the EETs produce their beneficial effects and the possible therapeutic benefits that may result from activation of this pathway. The results discussed in this review are taken from experiments obtained from 3 diverse species in different laboratories: the mouse, rat, and dog, in which the results were nearly identical qualitatively and quantitatively, suggesting that these findings are likely to be extrapolated to man as well.
Schedule-induced alcohol ingestion

Rats were run on a behavioral schedule that produced excessive collateral Kool-Aid ingestion. Ethyl alcohol was then mixed with the Kool-Aid in varying concentrations. The rats continued to drink excessive amounts of fluid, and the resultant quantity of alcohol ingestion was high.
Compensatory Releases of Microterys flavus as a Biological Control Agent Against Brown Soft Scale

Releases of Microterys flavus (Howard) in selected citrus groves in south Texas reduced populations of brown soft scale, Coccus hesperidum L., for prolonged periods compared with groves exposed to chemical control. The theoretical potential of this encyrtid parasite is such that a single gravid female could produce sufficient offspring in 6–7 weeks to destroy 1,089,300 scales. Procedures might be developed that would overcome adverse effects on the parasites and assure the success of compensatory releases of this parasite for control of brown soft scale.
Demonstration of ammonia utilization for purine biosynthesis by the intact cell and characterization of the enzymatic activity catalyzing this reaction.

Abstract Previous studies have suggested that ammonia may be used in the first reaction of purine biosynthesis in man and that this might play a role in the stimulation of purine biosynthesis de novo, which results from an increase in nitrogen ingestion in human subjects. Due to the potential importance of ammonia utilization for purine biosynthesis, we have performed studies to determine whether ammonia is used in the intact cell, and if so, which enzymatic activity catalyzes this reaction. Chinese hamster fibroblasts were used for the studies with intact cells due to the availability of a mutant deficient in PP-ribose-P amidotransferase and PP-ribose-P aminotransferase activities. In the wild-type cell, ammonia stimulates the rate of synthesis of phosphoribosylamine (PRA) even when PP-ribose-P amidotransferase activity (glutamine-utilizing) is inhibited, eliminating the possibility that ammonia stimulates PRA synthesis through an increase in glutamine availability. In the mutant cell, with normal activity of ribose-5-phosphate aminotransferase, ammonia does not stimulate the rate of PRA synthesis. These observations indicate that the eukaryotic cell uses ammonia directly in the first reaction of purine biosynthesis and that PP-ribose-P aminotransferase is the activity that catalyzes this reaction. In human placental cells, PP-ribose-P aminotransferase and PP-ribose-P amidotransferase are found only in the cytosol, and both activities coelute from diethylaminoethyl (DEAE-) cellulose and gel filtration columns, and cosediment in sucrose gradients. In addition, both activities demonstrate identical interconversion properties after incubation with the ligands, PP-ribose-P and purine ribonucleotides. We conclude from these results that only one enzyme, amidophosphoribosyl-transferase (E.C.2.4.2.14), catalyzes the synthesis of PRA in the eukaryotic cell, and this enzyme utilizes either glutamine or ammonia as a nitrogen source.
Conservation of the Northern Spotted Owl under the Northwest Forest Plan

Development of the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) was motivated by concerns about the over-harvest of late-seral forests and the effects of intensive forest management on the long-term viability of the Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina). Following several years of intense political and legal debates, the final NWFP was approved in 1994. Even though the plan evolved with a broad ecosystem perspective, it remained anchored in the Spotted Owl reserve design proposed in 1990. Based on a criterion of stable or increasing populations, a decade later it remains unclear whether the enactment of the NWFP has improved the conservation status of Spotted Owls. The results of intensive monitoring of several Spotted Owl populations for over a decade suggest a continuing range-wide decline even though rates of timber harvest have declined dramatically on federal lands. The cause of the decline is difficult to determine because the research needed to establish cause and effect relations has not been done. One plausible hypothesis is that the owl's life history greatly constrains its rate of population growth even when habitat is no longer limiting. Since enactment of the NWFP, new threats have arisen, including the movement of Barred Owls (S. varia) into the range of the Spotted Owl, political pressure to increase levels of timber harvest, and recent changes to forest laws that eliminate the requirement to assess the viability of wildlife populations on U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service lands. At this time is appears that Spotted Owl conservation rests critically on continued implementation of the protections afforded by the NWFP and the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Failure within one year following subtotal lumbar discectomy.

Background: Reherniation within the first year following subtotal lumbar discectomy is a rare but noteworthy event. We performed a retrospective, case-controlled study to evaluate the clinical outcomes after early recurrent lumbar disc reherniation. Methods: The records of 1320 patients who had undergone primary subtotal lumbar discectomy were analyzed retrospectively by an independent reviewer. Patients with documented reherniation within twelve months were evaluated with regard to the location of the reherniation, the neurologic status, the rate of reoperation, and the subjective outcome. Patients were evaluated on the basis of a physical examination and a review of medical records. Disc morphology, anular competence, and the presence of free fragments were categorized with use of a modified five-part Carragee classification system. The mean duration of follow-up for this group was 52.6 months. Clinical outcomes were assessed with use of the Oswestry score and the modified criteria of McNab. Twenty-nine historical control patients who had undergone uncomplicated subtotal lumbar discectomy were selected. Results: We identified fourteen recurrent lumbar disc herniations within one year after the index procedure. All fourteen patients had radicular pain and weakness prior to, and complete relief of radiculopathy after, the index procedure. All reherniations occurred at the same level as the index procedure, but eight occurred in a different direction than the original herniation. All patients underwent reexploration and discectomy, and two underwent single-level posterolateral arthrodesis. Two patients underwent a third procedure. The average Oswestry score at the time of the latest follow-up was 6.4 for the recurrent herniation group, compared with 6.9 for the controls. The outcomes according to the modified McNab criteria were not significantly different between the groups, with the numbers available. The mean duration of follow-up after the second discectomy was 52.6 months. Conclusions: The rate of early reherniation after subtotal lumbar discectomy is low (1%). It is important to consider the possibility of iatrogenic instability during surgery on the lumbar spine for the treatment of reherniation. Patients who undergo reoperation because of early recurrent lumbar disc herniation can have clinical outcomes comparable with those of patients undergoing an uncomplicated subtotal lumbar discectomy. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Endothelin-1 increases 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) production in astrocytes.

Astrocytes play an important role in neuroprotective responses. Recent studies indicate that endothelin-1, a neuropeptide upregulated during brain injury, increases levels of the endocannabinoid anandamide, a lipid with neuroprotective properties, in astrocytes in primary cultures. However, whether this neuropeptide also alters levels of 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG), the most abundant endocannabinoid in the CNS, in astrocytes remains unknown. In addition, 2-AG levels in astrocytes have never been measured. In this report we use chemical ionization gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to quantify picomole amounts of 2-AG in primary cultures of mouse astrocytes. We also demonstrate that endothelin-1 increases 2-AG production by 5-fold in these cells, a response that requires extracellular calcium and endothelin-1(A) receptor engagement. Immunocytochemistry showed that although cultured mouse neurons and microglia express cannabinoid receptors, cultured astrocytes do not. The data suggest that endothelin-1 modulates 2-AG production in astrocytes and that this endocannabinoid may participate in paracrine signaling toward neurons and microglia.
The Human Side of Lean Teams

Organizations use lean principles to increase quality and decrease costs. Lean projects require an understanding of systems-wide processes and utilize interdisciplinary teams. Most lean tools are s...
How we changed from paper to online education: Teaching Immunization Delivery and Evaluation

This article discusses meeting the challenges encountered in changing a paper-based, interactive immunization delivery curriculum into an online, self-paced format. The program, TIDE (Teaching Immunization Delivery and Evaluation), was developed through collaborative efforts of medical educators and content experts with initial funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Ambulatory Pediatric Association and the Medical University of South Carolina. We summarize the efforts of the development team to create interactive case scenarios, provide ready access to resource materials and an audit tool for assessing the immunization rate of the learner's clinic or practice, and meet the rigorous requirements of awarding continuing education credit. Data based on more than 100 doctors' and nurses' evaluations indicate a trend toward higher overall ratings of the online version than the paper version (88% online vs. 76% paper reported module as very good or excellent). As the TIDE program is evaluated, the team's goal is to incorporate instructional methods to increase relevance and learners' opportunities for 'learning by doing.' Future plans include extending online office assessment tools to encourage use for continuous quality improvement, and providing a mechanism for learners to share their techniques for obtaining and maintaining high immunization rates.
Genetics of common forms of obesity: a brief overview

The obesity epidemic is attributable to dietary and behavioral trends acting on a person's genetic makeup to determine body mass and susceptibility to obesity-related disease. Common forms of obesity have a strong hereditary component, yet genetic pathways that contribute to obesity have not yet been elucidated. Many genetic association studies have been reported, but few have been successfully replicated. New research tools and large studies will lead to an understanding of genes and their interaction to cause obesity, which may help guide successful interventions and treatments.
Intraperitoneal Bladder Rupture: An Uncommon Manifestation of Child Abuse

Abdominal injuries in the battered child are well described, and more than 10 % of blunt abdominal traumas in young children may be child-abuse related.1 Duodenal hematoma, liver laceration, superior mesenteric artery tear, and pancreatic damage are common nonaccidental injuries. Physical evidence of injury and clinical presentation are often inconsistent with the history. Child abuse is not often considered in the differential diagnosis of the acute abdomen. Because trauma to the kidneys or urinary system is an uncommon manifestation of child abuse, these injuries are more likely to go unrecognized. In this report, we review an unusual case of missed child abuse involving this system.
Enabling Web Service extensions for scientific workflows

Web services have become an integral part of workflow orchestration in scientific applications and many tools used by scientists including Kepler, Taverna and Triana incorporate Web services. However orchestration of complex workflows that involve services that exploit standards like WS-Addressing or WS-Security are not easily managed by these tools. Most complex use cases that involve ldquoadd onrdquo service standards use implementation specific assumptions, and as a result, the services and workflow composers become tightly coupled. This leads to stove-piped, noninteroperable implementations. This paper describes an effort to implement complex use cases that include asynchronous messaging and WS-Security, for a large application project called LEAD, while maintaining standard conformance and composer simplicity. The primary contribution of the paper is design of a Mediator and a generic Web service actor that allow the addition of new Web service standards to services in a workflow, without the need to make the workflow composer or enactor explicitly aware that these standards are being used. These concepts are demonstrated by an implementation that allows large workflows to be constructed using two different scientific workflow systems that were not designed with these extensions in mind.
Sublacustrine-Fan Deposition in the Oligocene Creede Formation, Colorado, U.S.A.

ABSTRACT The Oligocene Creede Formation represents mostly lacustrine deposits of an annular caldera lake, Lake Creede, within the Creede caldera in southwestern Colorado. The preserved record of Lake Creede reflects high sedimentation rates in a high-relief lake basin. The deep-water facies in the Creede Formation provide insight into sediment-gravity-flow and subaqueous-fan processes that are applicable to similar lacustrine and marine settings. The deep-water facies are dominated by sediment-gravity-flow and suspension-lamina deposits. Sediment gravity flows were deposited by four major processes: (1) lithic-rich debris flows generated by subaerial slope failure that deposited coarse-grained beds around the basin margin, (2) intraclast-rich debris flows generated by lacustrine-slope failure that deposited massive coarse-grained beds across the basin, (3) debris flows or high-density turbidity currents that deposited massive sandstone and conglomerate with fine-grained, turbidite caps in fan-delta, sublacustrine-fan, and profundal settings, and (4) low-density flows that deposited fine-grained tuffaceous turbidites. The compositional characteristics of the first two types of sediment-gravity-flow deposits suggest specific modes of initiation (e.g., subaqueous and subaerial slope failure); however, the latter two types were probably generated by a variety of mechanisms. The low-density flows were probably generated through flow transformations of the other flows. Exposures of fan-delta and sublacustrine-fan deposits are observed basinward of known or inferred paleovalleys. In the Antlers Park area, coarse-grained sediment-gravity-flow deposits are arranged into a hierarchy of lens-shaped units that are comparable to features observed in modern lacustrine and marine subaqueous fans along active tectonic margins. In the Wason Ranch area, coarse-grained deposits are arranged into broad lens-shaped units that are most consistent with intermediate to shallow-water deposition at the base of a fan delta, similar to the delta-fed ramp model of Heller and Dickinson (1985) or delta-fed apron of Galloway (1998). These exposures and others provide examples of the range of depositional environments in which coarse-grained deposition can occur in lacustrine basins, especially those influenced by high sedimentation rates. These exposures also provide insight into the sequence stratigraphic significance of sublacustrine-fan deposits in lacustrine versus continental-margin marine settings.
Automatic synthesis of CMOS operational amplifiers for a switched capacitor compiler

Algorithms and methodologies for the synthesis of CMOS operational amplifiers with applications to switched-capacitor (SC) networks are presented. The operational amplifier is specified by a set of requirements for a switched-capacitor block or an operational amplifier itself. The topology of the amplifier is formed through a decision-decomposition tree which contains typical operational amplifier submodules. The result is evaluated and can be modified with SPICE. The final netlist is used in layout synthesis. A design example is given. >
Fish oil constituent docosahexa-enoic acid selectively inhibits growth of human papillomavirus immortalized keratinocytes.

The omega-3-fatty acids inhibit proliferation of breast cancer cells whereas omega-6-fatty acids stimulate growth. In this study, we examined effects of these fatty acids on human pre-cancerous cells. Cervical keratinocytes, immortalized with the oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16, were treated with linoleic acid, an omega6-fatty acid, and the omega-3-fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids. Using both cell counts and bromodeoxyuridine incorporation, docosahexaenoic acid inhibited growth of these cells to a greater extent than eicosapenta-enoic acid. Linoleic acid had no effect. The effect of docosahexaenoic acid was dose dependent and caused growth arrest. Docosahexaenoic acid inhibited growth of HPV16 immortalized foreskin keratinocytes and laryngeal keratinocytes grown from explants of benign tumors caused by papillomavirus, but had no effect on normal foreskin and laryngeal keratinocytes. Docosahexaenoic acid inhibited growth in the presence of estradiol, a growth stimulator for these cells. Indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor like docosahexaenoic acid, had only minimal effect on growth. a-Tocopherol, a peroxidation inhibitor, abrogated effects of docosahexaenoic acid implying that inhibitory effects were via lipid peroxidation.
Redundancy and reduction: Speakers manage syntactic information density

A principle of efficient language production based on information theoretic considerations is proposed: Uniform Information Density predicts that language production is affected by a preference to distribute information uniformly across the linguistic signal. This prediction is tested against data from syntactic reduction. A single multilevel logit model analysis of naturally distributed data from a corpus of spontaneous speech is used to assess the effect of information density on complementizer that-mentioning, while simultaneously evaluating the predictions of several influential alternative accounts: availability, ambiguity avoidance, and dependency processing accounts. Information density emerges as an important predictor of speakers' preferences during production. As information is defined in terms of probabilities, it follows that production is probability-sensitive, in that speakers' preferences are affected by the contextual probability of syntactic structures. The merits of a corpus-based approach to the study of language production are discussed as well.
Chest pain in patients with heart failure: why history may matter

This editorial refers to ‘Relationship between angina pectoris and outcomes in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction: an analysis of the Controlled Rosuvastatin Multinational Trial in Heart Failure (CORONA)’[†][1], by A.A. Badar et al . on page 3426. Recording a patient's medical history and being able to describe fully the so-called ‘patient story’ is becoming a lost art. Many patients are in need of care; in conjunction with this reality comes the pressure to make diagnoses and consequent treatment decisions rapidly. As a result of these pressures, essential diagnostic elements, such as recording a patient's medical history, get left by the wayside. Companies such as Google, International Business Machines (IBM), and others are investing heavily in organizing information technology that will address the diagnostic challenges in medicine. Furthermore, these companies are striving to find novel ways of integrating medical information to allow for better decision-making. Yet, despite these technical advancements, medical professionals must remain mindful that it is very often the simplest question that informs the most crucial decision. For example, asking ‘Do you have chest pain (CP)?’ could assist in managing heart failure (HF). Interestingly, clinicians treating HF patients … [1]: #fn-2
A parallel point-process filter for estimation of goal-directed movements from neural signals

Brain machine interfaces work by mapping the relevant neural activity to the intended movement known as ‘decoding’. Here, we develop a recursive Bayesian decoder for goal-directed movements from neural observations, which exploits the optimal feedback control model of the sensorimotor system to build better prior state-space models. These controlled state models depend on the movement duration that is not known a priori. We thus consider a discretization of the task duration and develop a decoder consisting of a bank of parallel point-process filters, each combining the neural observation with the controlled state model of a discretization point. The final reconstruction is made by optimally combining these filter estimates. Using very coarse discretization and hence only a few parallel branches, our decoder reduces the root mean square (RMS) error in trajectory reconstruction in reaches made by a rhesus monkey by approximately 40%.
Tropical metacommunities along elevational gradients: effects of forest type and other environmental factors

Elevational gradients provide a natural experiment for assessing the extent to which the structure of animal metacommunities is molded by biotic and abiotic characteristics that change gradually, or is molded by aspects of plant community composition and physiognomy that change in a more discrete fashion. We used a metacommunity framework to integrate species-specifi c responses to environmental gradients as an approach to detect emergent patterns at the mesoscale in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico. Elements of metacommunity structure (coherence, species turnover and range boundary clumping) formed the basis for distinguishing among random, checkerboard, Gleasonian, Clementsian, evenly spaced and nested patterns. Paired elevational transects (300 – 1000 m a.s.l.) were sampled at 50 m intervals to decouple underlying environmental mechanisms: a mixed forest transect refl ected changes in abiotic and biotic conditions, including forest type (i.e. tabonuco, palo colorado and elfi n forests), whereas another transect refl ected changes in environmental conditions but not forest type, as its constituent plots were located within palm forest. Based on distributional data (presence versus absence of species), the mixed forest transect exhibited Clementsian structure, whereas the palm forest transect exhibited quasi-Gleasonian structure. In contrast, the distribution of modes in species abundance was random with respect to the latent environmental gradient in the mixed forest transect and clumped with respect to the latent environmental gradient in the palm forest transect. Such contrasts suggest that the environmental factors aff ecting abundance diff ered in form or type from those aff ecting distributional boundaries. Variation among elevational strata with respect to the fi rst axis of correspondence from reciprocal averaging was highly correlated with elevation along each transect, even though axis scores were not correlated between mixed forest and palm forest transects. Th is suggests that the identity of the environmental characteristics, or the form of response by the fauna to those characteristics, diff ered between the two elevational transects. Despite the proximity of the transects, the patchy confi guration of palm forest, and the pervasive distribution of the dominant palm species, the relative importance of abiotic variables and habitat in structuring gastropod metacommunities diff ered between transects, which is remarkable and attests to the sensitivity of metacommunity structure to environmental variation.
Impact of a Social Work Care Coordination Intervention on Hospital Readmission: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study assessed how a social work-led care coordination intervention would reduce the within-30-day hospital readmission rate among moderate- and high-risk patients age 50 years or older. Authors ran a randomized controlled trial to determine whether there was a significant difference in within-30-day readmission rates between patients receiving usual care post-discharge and those receiving intervention from an MSW intern (one home visit and one to two phone calls). Results were obtained using a sample of hospitalized patients with a LACE index score of 7 or higher (N = 89). Analysis suggests that the intervention improved the likelihood of not being readmitted by some 22 percent (RR = 1.222; 95% CI = 1.063-1.405). The risk improvement with the intervention was highly statistically significant (p = .003). This study shows that a time-efficient care coordination intervention by MSW interns may decrease hospital readmission rates. Replications of this study in other communities, with more diverse populations, and with larger numbers of patients will indicate whether results are generalizable.
The Private Roots of American Political Development: The Immigrants' Protective League's “Friendly and Sympathetic Touch,” 1908–1924

This article aims to illuminate how non-state actors participate in forging public institutions and in establishing public agendas. It also sets out to identify novel mechanisms of state building. It does so by examining the historical experience of the Immigrants' Protective League (IPL) from its founding in 1908 through 1924. The history of the IPL highlights the role of organized, networked women in generating new boundary stories and doing boundary work; in conducting research and enhancing legibility; in incubating new policy experiments; and in moving the national, state, and local governments to take up new tasks in the progressive era. Focusing on women's activism in this period, and efforts to link immigrants to categories of the vulnerable, reveals that porous boundaries, hybrid power-sharing arrangements, and public-private collaborations may be more typical in forging new American institutions and public agendas than is generally recognized—and insufficiently captured by a narrative of a weak state borrowing temporary capacity from private actors.
Update in the pharmacologic treatment of diabetes mellitus: focus on pramlintide and exenatide.

There are now more than 20 million people in America with diabetes mellitus (DM), and the prevalence of this illness continues to increase especially in those with type 2 DM. Over the past decade, research in the area of DM treatment has focused on pharmacologic approaches to modifying glucose metabolism as well as on lifestyle interventions to prevent and manage DM. Pharmacologic research has been guided by an improved understanding of the human physiology of glucose metabolism, allowing for development of new hormonal drug therapies and improved insulin formulations. As a result, there are several new pharmacologic treatments now available or on the horizon for DM. In this article, the authors review the first of the new hormonal therapies for DM, with a focus on information that will be useful for diabetes educators including the medication actions, side effects, patient counseling points, monitoring, and place in therapy in comparison to existing DM treatments. This series on new therapies has been di...
Degree of Branching in Hyperbranched Poly(glycerol-co-diacid)s Synthesized in Toluene

1H NMR and 13C NMR spectrometry (1-dimensional and 2-dimensional) have been used to assign chemical resonances and determine the degrees of branching for polyesters synthesized by the Lewis acid (dibutyltin(IV)oxide)-catalyzed polycondensation of glycerol with either succinic acid (n (aliphatic chain length) = 2), glutaric acid (n = 3) or azelaic acid (n = 7) in quasi-melt solutions with toluene. When 1:1 and 2:1 (diacid:glycerol) molar ratios were used, it was found that the glutaric acid-derived polymers gave the highest degree of polymer branching (31.2%, 85.6%, respectively) after the 24 h reaction period followed by the succinic acid-derived polymers (39.4%, 41.9%, respectively) and the azelaic acid-derived polymers (9.9%, 13.9%, respectively). Reactions performed at reflux for 24 h resulted in a 70.8% and 56.7% decrease in degree of branching for succinic acid and glutaric acid-derived polyesters, respectively. There is no indication that degree of branching is significantly affected by the presence or absence of solvent according to the results obtained in this research.
Oceanic General Circulation Models

The practice of oceanic numerical modeling is growing rapidly. Among the reasons for this are the following: a widespread realization that model solutions can, either now or at least in the near future, be skillful in mimicking observed oceanic features; an understanding of the limitations of the alternative and more traditional scientific methodologies of making measurements in the oceans and developing analytic theories for highly nonlinear dynamical systems; an appreciation of the importance of the oceans in the socially compelling problems of anthropogenic changes in climate and the environment; and an exploitation of the steady increases in computing power that make meaningfully comprehensive oceanic calculations ever more feasible.
Speciation by selection: A framework for understanding ecology's role in speciation

Speciation research during the last several decades has confirmed that natural selection frequently drives the genera- tion of new species. But how does this process generally unfold in nature? We argue that answering this question requires a clearer conceptual framework for understanding selection's role in speciation. We present a unified framework of speciation, pro- viding mechanistic descriptions of fundamentally distinct routes to speciation, and how these may interact during lineage splitting. Two major categories are recognized: reproductive isolation resulting from (1) responses to selection, "speciation by selection," or (2) non-selective processes, "speciation without selection." Speciation by selection can occur via three mechanisms: (1) similar selection, (2) divergent selection, and (3) reinforcement selection. Understanding ecology's role in speciation requires uncovering how these three mechanisms contribute to reproductive isolation, and their relative importance compared to non-selective proce- sses, because all three mechanisms can occur side-by-side during speciation. To accomplish this, we highlight examination of groups of organisms inhabiting replicated environmental gradients. This scenario is common in nature, and a large literature illus- trates that both parallel and non-parallel responses to similar environments are widespread, and each can result in speciation. This recognition reveals four general pathways of speciation by similar or divergent selection—parallel and nonparallel responses to similar and divergent selection. Altogether, we present a more precise framework for speciation research, draw attention to some under-recognized features of speciation, emphasize the multidimensionality of speciation, reveal limitations of some previous tests and descriptions of speciation mechanisms, and point to a number of directions for future investigation (Current Zoology 59 (1): 31-52, 2013).