cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immanuel Velikovsky and the return of the fringe

Many of us who worked in the early sociology of scientific knowledge (SSK) cut our teeth on fringe science (e.g., Shapin 1975; Wallis 1979; Collins and Pinch 1982). It was important in arguments with philosophers of science to show that their demarcation criteria for separating the wheat of science from the chaff of error were untenable. Later, what Harry Collins termed the ‘‘hard case’’ for SSK (physics) took priority over the ‘‘marginal case.’’ The SSK research program was to make progress against the head winds coming from philosophy of science by tacking between the most credible science, such as physics, (which was hard to show as social) and the fringe sciences, such as parapsychology, which philosophers considered could only be social because they were in error. With the battle against the philosophers of science won by the mid-1980s, the issue of demarcation was largely left behind. Michael Gordin, a historian of science, in this important book on Immanuel Velikovsky returns us once more to the fringe. You know you are in good hands when the opening sentence begins, ‘‘No one in the history of the world has ever selfidentified as a pseudoscientist. There is no person who wakes up in the morning and thinks to himself, ‘I’ll just head into my pseudolaboratory and perform some pseudoexperiments to try to confirm my pseudotheories with pseudofacts.’’’ (1) Quite! Gordin rightly takes up from where SSK left off 30 years ago and makes it the point of his investigation to find out why some sorts of activities, which to all intents and purposes look like the real thing, get labeled and demonized as not the real thing. As we shall see, he advances our understanding of fringe science by making an important new historical argument about this demarcation process. He not only covers the original controversy over the 1950 publication of Worlds in Collision, in which Velikovsky first posited his cosmic catastrophic history of the Earth and its close encounters with the planet Venus, but also sets Velikovsky and his dismissal in the context of postwar science and follows him and his loyal
Mechanical Presses Driven by a Geared Five-Bar with Sliding Output to Produce a Prolonged Dwell

This paper presents the use of a geared five-bar with connecting rod and sliding output for mechanical presses. Mechanical presses are used to form sheet metal parts and have economical benefits to other presswork production methods. A conventional mechanical press is driven with a slider-crank mechanism. Extended drive presses are used to alter the stamping motion required for certain operations. For instance, certain coining and squeezing operations prefer a long dwell. A knuckle joint mechanism is commercially available and permits some control over the output motion. A synthesis process is developed in this paper to produce a prolonged dwell and is applied to the kuckle joint mechanism. The geared five-bar with sliding output is shown to produce a longer dwell than a knuckle joint mechanism.
Assessment of CMP Fill Pattern Effect on the Thermal Performance of Interconnects in Integrated Circuits BEOL

This work analyzes the thermal characteristics of CMP square pattern layers and the added cooling effectiveness for activated interconnects in a multi-layered BEOL stack. An equivalent thermal resistive analysis is used to obtain the effective in-plane and through-plane thermal conductivities of the patterned MET layer. An extensive numerical thermal model is developed for modeling the full device using an ultra-fast self-adaptive multi-grid thermal engine TMX T°Solver®. The pattern-filled design is compared to the base design void of CMP fills. The simulation results are validated with experimental temperature measurements of samples using Thermoreflectance imaging system TMX T°Imager®. The results show visible thermal improvement in the stack with potential of using the fill patterns for embedded heat sink designs to improve heat dissipation of thermally critical components in the BEOL.
Restoring Attentional Resources With Nature: A Replication Study of Berto's (2005) Paradigm Including Commentary From Dr. Rita Berto.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to replicate Berto’s (2005) heavily cited work on attention restoration.BackgroundNature interventions have gained increased interest for improving performance of ...
Toward a Theory of Superdense Time in Simulation Models

We develop a theory of superdense time that encompasses existing uses of superdense time in discrete event simulations and points to new forms that have not previously been explored. A central feature of our development is a set of axioms for superdense time. The sufficiency of these axioms is demonstrated by using them to prove that a general model of a discrete event simulation procedure, expressed in terms of a mathematical system, constitutes a state transition function. Several forms of superdense time, both known and novel, are shown to satisfy the axioms.
Albumin protein coronas render nanoparticles surface active: consonant interactions at air–water and at lipid monolayer interfaces

Protein coronas are known to alter the physicochemical properties, colloidal stability, and biological fate of nanoparticles. Using human serum albumin (HSA) and polystyrene nanoparticles (NPs) with anionic or cationic surface chemistries, we show that protein coronas also govern the surface activity of PS nanoparticles as well as their interactions with a model red blood cell (RBC) lipid monolayer. The adsorption kinetics of bare nanoparticles (no corona) and nanoparticles with a hard corona (HC) at an air–water interface were well-described theoretically, which revealed that the adsorption energy was greater with the corona due to hydrophobic interactions that were enhanced with protein restructuring. Corona complexation increased the concentration of nanoparticles at the interface and led to the formation of interfacial aggregates. Despite clear differences in monolayer structure, the compressibility of PS–HC monolayers was similar to free HSA, indicating that conformational changes associated with the protein were not restricted in a hard corona. The intrinsic behavior of the proteins driving the surface activity and compressibility of the complexes at an air–water interface was also observed at an air–lipid (RBC)–water interface. In this case the lipid monolayer acted as a barrier and reduced the interface concentration of bare nanoparticles. However, with a corona the nanoparticles penetrated into the monolayer and led to the formation of NP–HC–lipid ‘pillars’ that extended into air. Our results suggest that nanoparticle surface activity, and changes in surface activity due to corona formation, are insightful parameters to predicting nanoparticle–membrane interactions, complementing the conventional view that electrostatic forces are dominant.
Special Section Guest Editorial: Introducing the Special Series on Radiative Cooling

Guest editors Aaswath Raman, Xiaobo Yin, and Peter Bermel introduce the Special Series on Radiative Cooling.
The Dog and the Straw Man: Response to “Dividend Growth Does Not Help Predict Returns Compared to Likelihood-Based Tests: An Anatomy of the Dog”

The Dog and the Straw Man: Response to “Dividend Growth Does Not Help Predict Returns Compared to Likelihood-Based Tests: An Anatomy of the Dog”
There’s No Place Like Home: From Oz to Antichrist

This article explores the dialectic of the uncanny in The Wizard of Oz (Victor Flemming, 1939) and Antichrist (Lars von Trier, 2009), treating the latter as a sequel to the former such that we encounter Dorothy first as a young girl and then as a grown woman. I observe that the uncanny entails a repressive and expressive moment that is cinematically rendered in these two films, and drawing on Freud and Žižek, I argue that in Dorothy’s evolution from Oz to Antichrist we see that the witches and wizards and gods and devils of our own minds are known to us most powerfully through the uncanny aesthetics of their repression and expression.
Extraction of histones H2A, H3 and H4 from yeast nuclei: Measurement of the extent of yeast histone acetylation following one-dimensional gel electrophoresis

Yeast histones H2A, H3 and H4 were specifically extracted from purified nuclei using a 2% NaCl/75% ethanol solution. The extraction resulted in the complete removal of H2A, H3 and H4 from the nuclear pellet, as monitored by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the protein. The relative absence of nonhistone proteins from this histone subset simplifies the determination of the extent of histone modification in yeast. Levels of H4 acetylation were measured directly on Coomassie blue-stained Triton acid-urea gels and the levels verified by gel fluorography of the [3H]acetate-labeled histone.
Government Formation and Cabinets

The government in a parliamentary (or semi-presidential) democracy refers to the prime minister and the other cabinet ministers, whereas the government in a presidential democracy refers to the president's cabinet. The members of the government cabinet determine national policy and arguably hold the most important political positions in their country. Most governments comprise two or more parties, which means that the government formation process requires coalition-building. During this process, party elites bargain over who gets which ministerial position and over policy; they can reach an agreement quickly and take office, or the bargaining can break down and take months to resolve. This essay discusses the different types of governments that can form as well as how they form in parliamentary, semi-presidential, and presidential regimes. Recent research on government formation and cabinets has introduced new theoretical arguments, and the implications of these arguments are being tested with new data and new statistical methods. For example, analyses of European democracies now include the post-communist Eastern countries (not only the Western ones), and more scholars are studying coalition governments in Latin America. Future research might include more work on cabinets in developing democracies in regions such as Africa and Asia, as well as analyses of the political and economic consequences of bargaining delays and the partisan composition of the government. Keywords: governments; cabinets; coalition formation; prime minister; portfolio allocation; parliamentary regimes; presidential regimes; no confidence votes
Irreversibilities in fixed capital adjustment

Abstract Using two largely novel datasets, we examine how Colombians and Mexicans invest in response to imbalances between actual and “desired” capital stock levels. Nonparametric estimates of the average adjustment function support the presence of irreversibilities, but not of nonconvexities.
Furosemide Disposition in Cirrhotic Patients

Furosemide disposition in 7 cirrhotic subjects and 4 age-matched healthy controls was studied to determine the contribution of differences in pharmacokinetics to the decreased responsiveness observed in cirrhotics. Subjects were given 80 mg of furosemide orally and intravenously on separate occasions, and plasma and urine samples were collected and analyzed for furosemide by high performance liquid chromatography. The half-life of furosemide was 74% greater in the cirrhotic subjects, the result of a smaller increase in volume of distribution (30%) and a decrease in total plasma clearance (15%). The change in plasma clearance was due entirely to a change in nonrenal clearance, since renal clearance was very similar in both groups. The fraction of furosemide not bound to plasma proteins increased by 48%. Furosemide bioavailability was the same in cirrhotic subjects and controls. Consistent with other reports, there was considerable intersubject variability in all of the measured and computed parameters. The results show that differences in disposition play little, if any, role in the decreased renal responsiveness to furosemide.
On-the-fly rounding for division and square root

In division and square root implementation based on digit-recurrence algorithms, the result is obtained in digit-serial form, from most significant digit to least significant. To reduce the complexity of the result-digit selection and to allow the use of redundant addition, the result-digit has values from a signed-digit set. As a consequence, the result has to be converted to conventional representation. This conversion can be done on-the-fly as the digits are produced, without the use of a carry-propagate adder. The authors describe how to modify this conversion process so that the result is rounded. The resulting operation is faster than what is done conventionally because no carry-propagate addition is needed. Three rounding methods that differ in the rounding error and the hardware and time required are described. >
Ceramides--Friend or Foe in Hypoxia?

Molecular details of how nematode cells respond to a low-oxygen environment suggest a possible mechanism by which mammalian cells survive hypoxic conditions.
HYDRA: a Java library for Markov Chain Monte Carlo

Hydra is an open-source, platform-neutral library for performing Markov Chain Monte Carlo. It implements the logic of standard MCMC samplers within a framework designed to be easy to use, extend, and integrate with other software tools. In this paper, we describe the problem that motivated our work, outline our goals for the Hydra pro ject, and describe the current features of the Hydra library. We then provide a step-by-step example of using Hydra to simulate from a mixture model drawn from cancer genetics, first using a variable-at-a-time Metropolis sampler and then a Normal Kernel Coupler. We conclude with a discussion of future directions for Hydra.
Growth of Psychrotolerant Pseudomonads and Achromobacteria on Various Chicken Tissues

Abstract INTRODUCTION EARLY work with laboratory-processed chickens indicated that bacteria-induced changes, leading to off-odour of whole birds during refrigerated storage, occur first on the surface of the skin (Lochhead and Landerkin, 1935). In modern commercial processing other tissues besides skin (gut-cavity lining, muscle in the neck area and connective tissue between the skin and muscle) are freely exposed to contamination; the surface layer of skin is removed by scalding at 59°C., and bacteria present are uniformly spread over all surfaces during washing and cooling processes carried out in continuously-operated tanks. There are therefore reasons to question whether or not skin is still the initial site of bacteria-induced off-odour in refrigerated whole poultry. This matter is particularly important in the case of cut-up poultry meat where larger areas of muscle and connective tissue surfaces are exposed to contamination. This paper compares the growth rates of three groups of psychrotolerant bacteria (pigmented pseudomonads,…
Glial Cell Line-derived Neurotrophic Factor Reverses Ethanol-mediated Increases in Tyrosine Hydroxylase Immunoreactivity via Altering the Activity of Heat Shock Protein 90

We previously found that glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA) negatively regulates alcohol drinking (He, D. Y., McGough, N. N., Ravindranathan, A., Jeanblanc, J., Logrip, M. L., Phamluong, K., Janak, P. H., and Ron, D. (2005) J. Neurosci. 25, 619–628). Several studies suggest a role for GDNF in the regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) levels in the midbrain (Georgievska, B., Kirik, D., and Bjorklund, A. (2004) J. Neurosci. 24, 6437–6445). Up-regulation of TH levels has been reported as a hallmark of biochemical adaptations to in vivo chronic exposure to drugs of abuse, including ethanol (Ortiz, J., Fitzgerald, L. W., Charlton, M., Lane, S., Trevisan, L., Guitart, X., Shoemaker, W., Duman, R. S., and Nestler, E. J. (1995) Synapse 21, 289–298). We hypothesized that GDNF plays an important role in regulating prolonged ethanol-mediated increases in TH protein levels. Using the SH-SY5Y dopaminergic-like cell line, we found that the increase in TH levels in the presence of ethanol required the activation of the cAMP/PKA pathway and was reversed by GDNF. Ethanol treatment did not alter the mRNA level or protein translation of TH, but enhanced the stability of the protein that was decreased by GDNF. Interestingly, we observed that ethanol treatment resulted in an increase in TH association with the chaperone heat shock protein (HSP90) that was mediated by the cAMP/PKA pathway and inhibited by GDNF. Taken together, these data suggest that prolonged ethanol exposure leads to increased association of TH and HSP90 via the cAMP/PKA pathway, resulting in the stabilization and subsequent accumulation of TH. GDNF reverses this ethanol-mediated adaptation by inhibiting the interaction of TH with HSP90.
Positive water vapour feedback in climate models confirmed by satellite data

It has recently been suggested that GCMs used to evaluate climate change overestimate the greenhouse effect due to increased concentrations of trace gases in the atmosphere. Here, new satellite-generated water vapor data are used to compare summer and winter moisture values in regions of the middle and upper troposphere that have previously been difficult to observe with confidence. It is found that, as the hemispheres warm, increased convection leads to increased water vapor above 500 mbar in approximate quantitative agreement with results from current climate models. The same conclusion is reached by comparing the tropical western and eastern Pacific regions. Thus, water vapor feedback is not overestimated in models and should amplify the climate response to increased trace-gas concentrations.
Influence of internal scattering on the optical properties of particles and drops in the near infrared

A geometric optics approximation is used to compute the near-infrared absorption by particles containing internal scatterers, such as bubbles, occlusions, or other refractive-index inhomogeneities. If the probabilities of absorption and scattering are comparable, absorption by a weakly absorbing particle can be increased substantially beyond that in the absence of internal scattering. Although the geometric optics approach limits the range of applicability of the results, the effects are not necessarily restricted to particle dimensions and wavelengths where geometric optics is accurate.
Analysis of the random configuration of the polycarbonate of diphenylol‐2,2′‐propane

The structure of the polycarbonate chain has been analyzed from the point of view of the spatial configurations it may assume. The carbonate group is certainly planar, and the trans,trans configuration probably is strongly preferred. Rotations about the aryloxygen bonds are subject to symmetric, twofold potentials. It follows that the molecule can be treated as a freely rotating chain consisting of a succession of virtual bonds 7.0 A in length, joined at angles of ca. 112°. Calculations carried out on this basis yield 〈r2〉0/M = 0.85 A2/g-mole wt for the unperturbed random coil, in excellent agreement with the experimental results of Berry, Nomura, and Mayhan. The effect of occurrence of some of the carbonate groups in cis, trans configurations is investigated using more elaborate methods.
Does spatial resolution matter? A multi-scale comparison of object-based and pixel-based methods for detecting change associated with gas well drilling operations

An implicit assumption of the geographic object-based image analysis GEOBIA literature is that GEOBIA is more accurate than pixel-based methods for high spatial resolution image classification, but that the benefits of using GEOBIA are likely to be lower when moderate resolution data are employed. This study investigates this assumption within the context of a case study of mapping forest clearings associated with drilling for natural gas. The forest clearings varied from 0.2 to 9.2 ha, with an average size of 0.9 ha. National Aerial Imagery Program data from 2004 to 2010, with 1 m pixel size, were resampled through pixel aggregation to generate imagery with 2, 5, 15, and 30 m pixel sizes. The imagery for each date and at each of the five spatial resolutions was classified into Forest and Non-forest classes, using both maximum likelihood and GEOBIA. Change maps were generated through overlay of the classified images. Accuracy evaluation was carried out using a random sampling approach. The 1 m GEOBIA classification was found to be significantly more accurate than the GEOBIA and per-pixel classifications with either 15 or 30 m resolution. However, at any one particular pixel size e.g. 1 m, the pixel-based classification was not statistically different from the GEOBIA classification. In addition, for the specific class of forest clearings, accuracy varied with the spatial resolution of the imagery. As the pixel size coarsened from 1 to 30 m, accuracy for the per-pixel method increased from 59% to 80%, but decreased from 71% to 58% for the GEOBIA classification. In summary, for studying the impact of forest clearing associated with gas extraction, GEOBIA is more accurate than pixel-based methods, but only at the very finest resolution of 1 m. For coarser spatial resolutions, per-pixel methods are not statistically different from GEOBIA.
Effects of perinatal polychlorinated biphenyls and dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene on later development.

Objective: Determining whether early developmental effects of perinatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) or dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene (DDE) persist. Design: Cohort followed from birth; ages now 5 1/2 to 10 1/2 years. Setting: General community. Participants: Volunteer sample of 859 children, of whom 712 had been examinedwith the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities at 3, 4, or 5 years; 506 sent report cards. Interventions: None. Measurements and results: Neither transplacental nor breast-feeding exposure to PCBs or DDE affected McCarthy scores at 3, 4, or 5 years. There was no statistically significant relationship between poorer grades and PCB or DDE exposure by either route. Conclusions: The deficits seen in these children on the Bayley Scales of infantDevelopment through 2 years of age are no longer apparent.
The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children

The author examines the negative behaviors of children in milieus in which sheltered women report and do not report the occurrence of child abuse. The sample of women was randomly selected from those sheltered in a midwestern regional family-violence center at some point during a 22-month period. Data on children's negative behaviors were collected from women ex post facto by examining the intake forms they completed with shelter workers. The results of the study suggest that social work practitioners take a social-constructivist approach in working with children in milieus in which children observe and/or experience abuse and further suggest that social work practitioners work with public/community health professionals on behalf of those children. In addition, the findings indicate that the heuristic nature of the social-constructivist approach in working with children in abusive situations might provide insights into their interpretations of the violence occurring around them.
Innovation in urodynamic testing: Report of the first fully computerized work station

We have conducted the first clinical trials on a new fully computerized urodynamic instrument on a referral population of 1,690 patients. The instrument performed the full range of urodynamic tests equivalent to that of a six-channel strip chart recorder. The computer was found capable of recording urodynamic tracings, storing the data on computer files, and generating graphic summaries of test results. The computerized work station was found to be easy to operate, safe for patient use. accurate in reporting results, and durable in active clinical use. Computer technology is proven well adapted to urodynamic testing with both clinical and research applications.
Pomeron form-factors and dual Regge cuts

By factorizing dual loops, we obtain amplitudes with external pomerons. We also extract all Regge cuts formed from pomerons and leading reggeons. They obey Gribov's reggeon calculus, with specific propagators and vertices. The pomeron-reggeon cut converges to the weak absorption model as s → ∞.
Solderability Study of RABiTS-Based YBCO Coated Conductors

The solderability of commercially available YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-x} (YBCO) coated conductors that were made from Rolling Assisted Biaxially Textured Substrates (RABiTS)-based templates was studied. The coated conductors, also known as second-generation (2G) high temperature superconductor (HTS) wires (in the geometry of flat tapes about 4 mm wide), were laminated with copper, brass, or stainless steel strips as stabilizers. To understand the factors that influence their solderability, surface profilometry and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the wire surfaces. The solderability of three solders, 52In48Sn, 67Bi33In, and 100In (wt.%), was evaluated using a standard test (IPC/ECA J-STD-002) and with two different commercial fluxes. It was found that the solderability varied with the solder and flux but the three different wires showed similar solderability for a fixed combination of solder and flux. Solder joints of the 2G wires were fabricated using the tools and the procedures recommended by the HTS wire manufacturer. The solder joints were made in a lap-joint geometry and with the superconducting sides of the two wires face-to-face. The electrical resistances of the solder joints were measured at 77 K, and the results were analyzed to qualify the soldering materials and evaluate the soldering process. It wasmore » concluded that although the selection of soldering materials affected the resistance of a solder joint, the resistivity of the stabilizer was the dominant factor.« less
Isidis basin: Site of ancient volatile-rich debris layer

The differentiation of the Martian Isidis impact basin's interior plains into hillocky terrains with isolated mounds arranged in arctuate chains, and ridged terrains with systems of parallel curvilinear ridges, is presently suggested to reflect the deposition and subsequent removal of a thick layer of material within the basin. The process of terrestrial ice-cover dissintegration, which yields such landforms as moraines, kames, and eskers, furnishes a possible analog to the Isidis features; Viking orbiter images show Martian ridges with similar characteristics, suggesting that the Isidis layer may have been only part of a more general deposition period that coincided with one of major outflow channel formation involving the release of subsurface volatiles.
The critical role of proximal gag sequences in feline immunodeficiency virus genome encapsidation

Abstract Retroviral RNA encapsidation is mediated by specific interactions between viral Gag proteins and cis-acting packaging sequences in genomic RNA. Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) RNA encapsidation determinants have been shown to be discrete and noncontinuous, comprising one region at the 5′ end of the genomic mRNA (R-U5) and another region that mapped within the proximal 311 nt of gag . To aid comparative understanding of lentiviral encapsidation and refinement of FIV vector systems, we used RNase protection assays (RPAs) of cellular and virion RNAs to investigate in detail the gag element. mRNAs of subgenomic vectors as well as of full-length molecular clones were optimally packaged into viral particles and resulted in high-titer FIV vectors when they contained only the proximal 230 nucleotides (nt) of gag . Further 3′ truncations of gag sequences progressively diminished encapsidation and transduction. Deletion of the initial ninety 5′ nt of the gag gene abolished mRNA packaging, demonstrating that this segment is indispensable for encapsidation. Focusing further on this proximal sequence, we found that a deletion of only 13 nt at the 5′ end of gag impaired encapsidation of subgenomic vector and proviral RNAs.
Hippocampal glutamate receptors

For years, the hippocampus has been the privileged domain of anatomists and electrophysiologists for investigating various neurobiological processes. The present review deals with recent work which shows that this structure is also well suited to study the role of glutamate as a neurotransmitter and more particularly the characteristics of glutamate receptors and their possible involvement in hippocampal function. After a brief description of the main anatomical features of the hippocampus, we attempt a critical evaluation of the electrophysiological studies of hippocampal glutamate receptors. We then describe the properties of Na-independent 3H-glutamate binding sites in hippocampal membranes, and discuss the possibility that these binding sites are related to postsynaptic glutamate receptors. Finally we show that these binding sites are extremely labile and that hippocampal membranes possess various mechanisms which regulate their number. In particular we develop the idea that the calcium-stimulation of 3H-glutamate binding in hippocampal membranes may be the mechanism by which electrical activity regulates the number of glutamate receptors at hippocampal synapses and thus induces long-lasting changes in synaptic transmission.
The relationship between optimism-pessimism, loneliness, and death anxiety

Two hundred sixty undergraduate college students (167 women, 93 men) served in a study to ascertain the relationships among loneliness, optimism, pessimism, and death anxiety. Corroborating previous data, the results indicated that loneliness was positively related to pessimism but negatively related to optimism. Optimism and pessimism were negatively related. Contrary to initial predictions, death anxiety was not consistently related to the other factors.
Isolation and characterization of unsaturated fatty acids as natural ligands for the retinoid-X receptor.

Abstract The retinoid-X receptor (RXR) is a ligand activated nuclear receptor that is the heterodimer partner for many class II nuclear receptors. Previously identified natural ligands for this receptor include 9- cis retinoic acid (9cRA), docosahexaenoic acid, and phytanic acid. Our studies were performed to determine if there are any unidentified, physiologically important RXR ligands. Agonists for RXR were purified from rat heart and testes lipid extracts with the use of a cell-based reporter assay to monitor RXR activation. Purified active fractions contained a variety of unsaturated fatty acids and components were quantified by gas–liquid chromatography of derivatized samples. The corresponding fatty acid standards elicited a similar response in the reporter cell assay. Competition binding analysis revealed that the active fatty acids compete with [ 3 H]9cRA for binding to RXR. Non-esterified fatty acids were analyzed from lipid extracts of isolated heart and testes nuclei and endogenous concentrations were found to be within the range of their determined binding affinities. Our studies reveal tissue dependent profiles of RXR agonists and support the idea of unsaturated fatty acids as physiological ligands of RXR.
Patient Navigation and the Quality of Breast Cancer Care: An Analysis of the Breast Cancer Care Quality Indicators

Purpose Patient navigation programs are initiated to help guide patients through barriers in a complex cancer care system. We sought to analyze the impact of our patient navigator program on the adherence to specific Breast Cancer Care Quality Indicators (BCCQI).
Radio Interferometry of Discrete Sources

Salient features of the theory and practice of radio interferometry are presented with special attention to assumptions and to the specifically two-dimensional aspects of the subject. The measurable quantity on an interferometer record is defined as complex visibility by generalization from an analogous quantity in optical interferometry. Subject to conditions on antenna size and symmetry, the observed complex visibility is equal to the normalized two-dimensional Fourier transform of the source distribution, with respect to certain variables S. and S, which are defined. This transform is in turn identically equal to the complex degree of coherence ? between the field phasors at the points occupied by the interferometer elements. The correlation between the instantaneous fields, and that between the instantaneous intensities are less general parameters which are, however, deducible from ?. A theorem is proved according to which only certain discrete stations on a rectangular lattice need be occupied for full determination of a discrete source distribution. Procedures in interferometry are discussed in the light of this result and an optimum procedure is deduced. Current practice is considered over-conservative, e.g, independent data in the case of the sun are obtainable only at station spacings of about 100 wavelengths on the ground, a fact which has not hitherto been taken into account.
MATURATION OF THE REPRODUCTIVE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM IN CYSTSIC FIBROSIS (CF)

Prolonged survival has magnified the clinical problem of delayed sexual maturation in CF. Cross-sectional evaluation of 19 prepubertal and 66 pubertal CF patients revealed (X ± SEM): The data are within the normal range for stage of maturation. When expressed on an age-related basis, however, the data reflect the delayed sexual development of these patients. Between 10 and 20 yr, levels of the adrenal androgen, DHAS, were significantly (p< .01) lower than in normal children. 23 CF patients underwent a 3 hr infusion of 100 μg synthetic LHRH (X ± SEM): These data do not differ from normals in our clinic. Within the group of pubertal CF, the mean (r=.673) and peak(r=.676) LH response correlated significantly (p< .01) with the aggregate CF assessment score, as well as with each of its components. These data suggest: 1) Hormonal studies in CF reflect the degree of sexual maturation, as in normal children; 2) Adrenal androgenesis, a sensitive indicator of early pubescence, is diminished throughout the 10 to 20 yr period in CF; and 3) Delayed sexual development in CF seems related to overall clinical status, as well as to the degree of nutritional debilitation. *males †females
Simultaneous and sequential display of ICU AP-chest images

The display of a large number of projection radiographs (e.g., AP chest images) for comparison purposes poses potential problems for any electronic environment. In an attempt to assess the concept of rapid sequential viewing, 10 series of AP chest images were each reviewed on a high-resolution workstation under two conditions: (1) simultaneous display of each series in a mosaic configuration; and (2) separate image display in which each image was viewed individually in a rapid sequential mode. In our study, the sequential display was believed subjectively to be of comparable or higher quality by four of six readers. Diagnostic performance (patient improved; no change; patient condition worsened) was comparable for both display modes. Readers were somewhat more comfortable with the simultaneous (mosaic) configuration. Our preliminary results indicate that after minimal training, rapid sequential viewing of AP-chest images may be a reasonable alternative for the display of a series of AP chest images in the ICU.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The response of single degree of freedom systems with quadratic and cubic non-linearities to a subharmonic excitation

Abstract The response of single degree of freedom systems with quadratic and cubic nonlinearities to a subharmonic excitation is investigated. The method of multiple scales is used to derive two first order ordinary differential equations that govern the evolution of the amplitude and phase of the subharmonic. These equations are used to obtain the steady state solutions and their stability. The results identify two critical values ζ1 and ζ2, where ζ2>ζ1, for the excitation amplitude f. The value ζ2 is the threshold for the stability of the trivial solution. When f>ζ2, subharmonic oscillations of finite amplitude are always excited. When f
The lanthanide contraction revisited

A complete, isostructural series of complexes with La−Lu (except Pm) with the ligand TREN-1,2-HOIQO has been synthesized and structurally characterized by means of single-crystal X-ray analysis. All complexes are 1D-polymeric species in the solid state, with the lanthanide being in an eight-coordinate, distorted trigonal-dodecahedral environment with a donor set of eight unique oxygen atoms. This series constitutes the first complete set of isostructural complexes from La−Lu (without Pm) with a ligand of denticity greater than two. The geometric arrangement of the chelating moieties slightly deviates across the lanthanide series, as analyzed by a shape parameter metric based on the comparison of the dihedral angles along all edges of the coordination polyhedron. The apparent lanthanide contraction in the individual Ln−O bond lengths deviates considerably from the expected quadratic decrease that was found previously in a number of complexes with ligands of low denticity. The sum of all bond lengths around...
Bi-directional gas pump driven by a thermoelectric material

The paper describes the first use of a thermoelectric material to create a thermally driven, bi-directional pump with no moving parts using the thermal transpiration effect (called a Knudsen pump). The use of a thermoelectric material to create the temperature gradient increases the efficiency of the pump and enables the design of a bi-directional pump. Pumps using thermal transpiration reported in earlier publications were all uni-directional. This pump achieves high flow rates in both directions, is easy to fabricate, and generates a continuous pneumatic pressure. The measured pump efficiency, 0.035 cm3/min/W, is the highest reported to date for a Knudsen pump.
Perioperative Morbidity and 30-Day Mortality After Intertrochanteric Hip Fractures Treated by Internal Fixation or Arthroplasty

The conventional treatment for intertrochanteric hip fracture is open reduction and internal fixation. However, hip arthroplasty is occasionally performed. The objective of this study was to determine the 30-day mortality for patients with intertrochanteric hip fracture treated with open reduction, internal fixation, or hip arthroplasty. The mortality rate for patients treated with arthroplasty at 4.8% (23/478) was slightly, but not significantly, higher than that for patients treated with open reduction and internal fixation at 4.5% (62/1395). However, more of the patients in the arthroplasty group exhibited serious intraoperative cardiorespiratory disturbances (62% vs 22%) and died in the hospital (77% vs 35%) when compared with the patients in the open reduction and internal fixation group. Although the incidence of 30-day mortality in these groups was not significantly different, the patients in the arthroplasty group were more likely to have a complicated intraoperative course and die in the hospital.
Process Philosophy, a Categorial Analysis

Process philosophy is that type of philosophy which takes reality to consist in process or processes, and which, if it acknowledges elements other than process, comprehends these elements, at least partially, within process. To define or describe reality and its elements by reference to process is to raise further questions concerning the definition or description of process. Here the history of philosophy may be helpful. Among the ancients Heraclitus must be counted in the first rank of process philosophers; among the moderns, Whitehead. In a dialogue devoted to one of Heraclitus’ disciples, Cratylus, Plato penned the phrase that is the hallmark of process philosophy πάντα ρeί, “everything flows.”1 Whitehead’s declarations of process philosophy are more prosaic, but they are vigorous. In Science and the Modern World, he wrote: “The reality is the process.”2
Power Calculation for Multiple Comparisons of Two Independent Samples on "p" Variables Using PROC IML in SAS.

In this study, the SAS system was used to program power calculations for multiple comparisons of two groups on p variables. Three programs were prepared to accommodate variations in the information that may be available to do the power analysis.
Sulfite oxidase deficiency: A high risk factor in SO2, sulfite, and bisulfite toxicity?

It has been hypothesized that sulfite oxidase deficient persons may be at increased risk to toxicity from SO2 and dietary sulfites widely used for food preservation. Sulfite oxidase is believed to be responsible for the detoxification of SO2 and/or sulfite to sulfate for excretion. Human and animal studies have shown that S-sulfonates, believed to transport sulfite in the blood, are formed in response to exposure to low levels of SO2. Besides its numerous toxic effects, e.g. respiratory impairment, interference with immunological response and oxygen transport and platelet aggregation inhibition, SO2 has the ability to alter DNA during replication causing T . A transitions, chromosome abnormalities and depression of DNA synthesis.
Estimation of microscopic dose enhancement factor around gold nanoparticles by Monte Carlo calculations

Purpose: An approach known as goldnanoparticle-aidedradiation therapy (GNRT) is a recent development in radiation therapy which seeks to make a tumor more susceptible to radiation damage by modifying its photon interaction properties with an infusion of goldnanoparticles (GNPs). The purpose of this study was to quantify the energy deposition due to secondary electrons from GNPs on a nanometer scale and to calculate the corresponding microscopic dose enhancement factor around GNPs. Methods: The Monte Carlo code EGSnrc was modified to obtain the spectra of secondary electrons from atoms of gold approximating GNPs and molecules of water under photon irradiation of a tumor loaded with GNPs. Six different photon sources were used: I 125 , P 103 d , Y 169 b , I 192 r , 50 kVp, and 6 MV x rays. Treating the scored electron spectra as point sources within an infinite medium of water, the event-by-event Monte Carlo code NOREC was used to quantify the radial dose distribution, giving rise to gold/water electron dose point kernels and corresponding microscopic dose enhancement factors. These kernels were applied to a test case based on a scanning electron microscope image of a GNP distribution in tissue, enabling the determination of the microscopic dose enhancement at each dose point. Results: For the lower energy sources I 125 , P 103 d , Y 169 b , and 50 kVp, the secondary electron fluence within a GNP-loaded tumor was increased by as much as two orders of magnitude, leading to two orders of magnitude increase in electron energy deposition over radial distances up to 10 μ m . For the test case considered, the dose was enhanced by factors ranging from 2 to 20 within 5 μ m of GNPs, and by 5% as far away as 30 μ m . Conclusions: This study demonstrates a remarkable microscopic dose enhancement due to GNPs and low energy photon sources. By quantifying the microscopic dose enhancement factor for a given photon source as a function of distance from GNPs, it also enables the selection of either a passive or an active tumor targeting strategy using GNPs which will maximize the radiobiological benefit from GNRT.
G2 AND G3 CALCULATIONS OF ENTHALPIES OF HYDROGENATION, ISOMERIZATION, AND FORMATION OF BI-, TRI-, AND TETRACYCLIC C7 HYDROCARBONS : THE NORBORNADIENE CYCLE

We have calculated the standard enthalpies of isomerization, hydrogenation, and formation (ΔhydH298, ΔisomH298, and ΔfH298) of norbornadiene, quadricyclane, norbornene, nortricyclane, and norbornan...
Proceedings Seventh International Conference on Computability and Complexity in Analysis

This volume of the Electronic Proceedings in Theoretical Computer Science (EPTCS) contains extended abstracts of talks to be presented at the Seventh International Conference on Computability and Complexity in Analysis (CCA 2010) that will take place in Zhenjiang, China, June 21-25, 2010. This conference is the seventeenth event in the series of CCA annual meetings. The CCA conferences are aimed at promoting the study and advancement of the theory of computability and complexity over real-valued data and its application.
Hydrothermal Synthesis of Sodium Zirconium Silicates and Characterization of Their Properties

By studying reactions in the system Zr(OC3H7)4−silicic acid (Na2SiO3, Na2Si3O7)−NaOH−H2O under mild hydrothermal conditions (180−190 °C) the formation of three novel layered sodium zirconium silicates, Na2Zr5Si2O15·3H2O, Na2Zr5Si2O15·4H2O, and Na2ZrSi3O9·3H2O, and five other compounds: Na4Zr2Si3O12, Na3HZrSi2O8, Na4Zr2Si5O16·H2O, Na4ZrSi3O10, and Na2ZrSi3O9·2H2O, have been found. All the synthesized materials were characterized by elemental analysis, TGA, X-ray, IR, and 29Si MAS NMR spectroscopy. The ion-exchange behavior of sodium zirconium silicates toward alkali, alkaline-earth, and some di- and trivalent metal cations was studied.
Stimulus enhancement: Dealing with stimulus compounding in systematic desensitization

Abstract Stimulus enhancement, an alternative method of scene presentation, contrasts with traditional stimulus presentation by sequentially presenting all relevant variables contributing to a phobia followed by their simultaneous presentation at each hierarchy level. The therapist has full control of the content and intensity of the image at all times. The theoretical implications of this modification are discussed as they relate to stimulus compounding and the summation phenomenon.
Unnaming the Future: Robespierre’s War on History

In the final political speeches of Maximilien Robespierre — at the end of the Reign of Terror following the French Revolution — the play of pronouns is the instrument intended to bring about and make permanent the anti-historical General Will.
Use of Kramers-Kronig relations to extract the conductivity of high- T c superconductors from optical data

In principle the conductivity of the cuprate superconductors can be obtained from reflectivity measurements using the Kramers-Kronig-transform technique. However, at low temperatures and for frequencies below \ensuremath{\sim}300 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ the reflectivities of materials such as ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ are close to unity. Uncertainty in the precise signal level corresponding to unity reflectivity and a lack of knowledge of the reflectivity below the lowest measured frequency cause this method to become unreliable. To address this problem we have used a bolometric technique and a resonant technique to obtain accurate submillimeter and microwave data for the residual losses in epitaxial thin films of ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ at low temperatures. The Kramers-Kronig analysis of our data is in good agreement with results from fitting our data to simple weakly coupled grain and two-fluid models for the a-b plane conductivity. However, below 450 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ it is in disagreement with some published results of other workers obtained from Kramers-Kronig analysis of reflectivity data. To understand this discrepancy we analyze how the conductivity determined by the Kramers-Kronig-transform technique depends on some commonly used low-frequency extrapolations of reflectivity data.
On the solution of stochastic ordinary differential equations via small delays

dx(t)=g(x{t))dW(t) is proved using an approximating sequence of stochastic delay equationsGeneralizations of the approximation scheme are indicated for the Stratonovich case and when the Brownian motion W is replaced by a continuous semi-martingale.