cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Global Warming Revisited (a)

Is there statistical evidence of global warming? This case presents two sets of real global temperature data, one from the Met Office and another one from NASA, and asks students to assess if the data indeed support the belief that temperatures have been rising over the last 150+ years. The case is open-ended—it provides the data and references to some popular press articles on the subject. Also available is a B case that presents three sets of analysis typical for MBA students—an efficient starting point for class discussion. Excerpt UVA-QA-0808 Jun. 26, 2013 GLOBAL WARMING REVISITED (A) In early 2013, the global warming debate took an interesting turn when new reports noted that for several years, although greenhouse gas emissions had continued to rise, average global temperatures had been stable or had even declined—essentially, according to a NASA official, “flat for a decade.” Some experts referred to this phenomenon as a global warming “plateau” whose duration matched that of the previous warming trend. The significance of such a plateau had already been hotly contested: one scientist dismissed it as too short a period to be significant, while another saw it as an indication that computer models predicting global warming were “deeply flawed.” By mid-2013, it became clear that global temperatures were below even the lowest predictions of those computer models, despite continued increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations; nobody knew quite why. Meanwhile, other studies continued to buttress arguments that global warming was an epic problem and that temperatures were much higher than they should be. According to the U.S. National Science Foundation, although the range of temperatures had remained relatively stable over the 11,000 years since the last ice age, the cycle of temperature extremes “has happened a lot more quickly” since the Industrial Revolution. The supplementary student spreadsheet (UVA-QA-0808X) presents two sets of average global temperature data: · “Met Office data” from the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia (United Kingdom). See http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/ for more information about these data. · “NASA data” from the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (United States). See http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/ for more information about these data. . . .
Women and work: Ascending to leadership positions

The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore women’s ascension to leadership positions. Two women CEOs were interviewed for this study. The literature on women leadership shows that many wom...
Examining the Perspectives of Latino Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Towards Advocacy

Rapidly becoming the largest ethnic group of American students, compared to White students with disabilities, Latino students with disabilities receive less services and their parents are more like...
Jane: a victim of Prader-Willi syndrome and the system.

Prader-Willi (P-W) syndrome was inicases, there is also some degree of tially described in 1956 by two Swiss mental retardation (Holm, 1978). physicians, Andrea Prader and Heinrich People with P-W syndrome share Willi, and the basic cause has not yet syndrome-specific physical appearance been discovered (Holm, 1978). It is characteristics: narrow forehead; among the five most common synalmond-shaped eyes; triangular mouth; dromes in most birth defects clinics, and strabismus (wandering eye); myopia many clinicians agree that it is one-fifth (nearsightedness); short stature (aver to one-tenth as common as Down's synage adult height is 5 feet); and small, drome (Holm, Sulzbacher, & Pipes, puffy, tapering hands and feet (Gins 1981). Estimates of the incidence of berg-Fellner & Knittle, 1976; Holm et P-W syndrome range from 1 in 5,000 to al., 1981; Neason, 1978). 1 in 100,000 births. Although the conThere appear to be two definitive dition is rare, the fact that many cases stages in the diagnosis of P-W syn have gone undiagnosed makes it difdrome: stage 1 begins at birth and ends ficult to establish a specific incidence between the ages of 2 and 4; stage 2 index (Raab, 1986). continues throughout the person's life. Until 1970, the syndrome was such a Features considered essential for a medical rarity that the vast majority of diagnosis of P-W syndrome in stage 1 medical professionals did not know of include low birthweight, hypotonia or its existence. Because of recent in"floppy baby," feeding problems creased attention to this syndrome in resulting from poor sucking strength, the medical research area, the medical mild dysmorphism, and delayed motor discipline may be becoming more famildevelopment. The infant with P-W syn iar with this syndrome, but knowledge drome frequently appears completely in the ancillary fields, such as psyunresponsive to his or her own environ chology and education, is just beginning ment and needs and usually will not cry (Raab, 1986). A review of the social when hungry or when in pain. Hypo work literature found no mention of the tonia is most evident during infancy, syndrome. with general improvement thereafter. The ability to hold the head erect generally occurs late in the first year, sitting occurs around 11 months, walk P-W syndrome is a birth defect that ing occurs at about 24 months, and Characteristics
Solving Darwin’s Problem of Natural Evil

Charles Darwin questions whether conflicts between species palpably captured by the conflict between Ichneumonidae and the caterpillars on which they prey could be compatible with the existence of an all-good, all-powerful God. He also questioned whether the suffering of millions of lower animals throughout our almost endless prehistory could be compatible with an all-good, all-powerful God. In this paper, I show that these two problems of natural evil that Darwin raised in his work can be resolved so as to present no objection to theism once it is recognized what the moral principles are that should govern our relationship to the natural world and analogously should govern God’s relationship to the natural world.
The Role of Serum Procalcitonin in Predicting Bacterial Sepsis in Patients With Hypothyroidism.

Context Serum levels of procalcitonin (PCT), a protein produced by the thyroid C cells under physiologic conditions, are high during sepsis. Objective To assess the test performance of serum PCT in predicting bacterial sepsis and septic shock in patients with hypothyroidism compared with those who have euthyroidism. Design and methods This retrospective study evaluated patients with no history of thyroid dysfunction (euthyroid), primary hypothyroidism [medical hypothyroidism (MH)], and postsurgical hypothyroidism from total thyroidectomy (TT) identified from a prospectively maintained database who had PCT testing from 2005 to 2018. Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score ≥ 2 or positive bacterial cultures identified bacterial sepsis, and a mean arterial pressure less than 65 mm Hg or a vasopressor requirement defined septic shock. Sensitivity and specificity of PCT for evaluation of bacterial sepsis and septic shock were measured. Results We identified 217 euthyroid patients, 197 patients with MH, and 84 patients with TT. Bacterial sepsis was found in 98 (45.2%), 92 (46.7%), and 36 (42.9%) of these patients, respectively (P > 0.05). Septic shock was identified in 13 (6.0%), 13 (6.6%), and 5 (6.0%) patients (P > 0.05), respectively. With use of a PCT cutoff of 0.5 µg/L for bacterial sepsis, the sensitivity was 59%, 61%, and 53% (P > 0.05) and specificity was 81%, 77%, and 81% (P > 0.05) for the diagnosis of bacterial sepsis in euthyroid, MH, and TT patients, respectively. With use of a PCT cutoff of 2.0 µg/L for septic shock, the sensitivity was 46%, 62%, and 63% (P > 0.05) and specificity was 86%, 82%, and 91% (P > 0.05) for the diagnosis of septic shock in these patients, respectively. Conclusions Despite the thyroidal origin of PCT, hypothyroidism did not affect the diagnostic performance of serum PCT levels in predicting bacterial sepsis or septic shock.
Racial differences in genomic testing and receipt of endocrine therapy in early-stage breast cancer.

Genomic testing in early-stage hormone-positive breast cancer is the standard of care. However, decisions based on genomic testing results are predicated on the assumption that patients receive endocrine treatment. We sought to investigate racial differences in genomic testing and adjuvant treatment in breast cancer. A retrospective, population-based hospital registry study using the National Cancer Database. Participants included women with stages I–II, ER + breast cancer between 2010 and 2014. Sociodemographic factors were analyzed. Primary outcomes were the utilization of genomic testing and receipt of endocrine therapy. Logistic regression modeling was used to compute crude and adjusted odds of genomic testing and receipt of endocrine therapy. Among a total sample size of 387,008 patients, 147,863 (38.2%) underwent genomic testing. Older age (≥ 70 years) was associated with a lower adjusted odd of genomic testing (OR 0.33; 95% CI 0.32–0.34, p = < 0.0001). Black patients had lower odds of receiving genomic testing on multivariate analysis compared to Whites (OR 0.82; 95% CI 0.80–0.85, p = < 0.0001). In patients who underwent a genomic test, compared to Whites, Blacks had a lower odds of receiving endocrine therapy (OR 0.86; 95% CI 0.80–0.93, p = < 0.0001) even if they did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy (OR 0.90; 95% CI 0.82–0.98, p = 0.014). In a national sample of breast cancer patients, Black women are less likely to get genomic testing and receive hormonal therapy, even when adjuvant chemotherapy is omitted. A priority in addressing breast cancer disparities is to ensure adherence to hormonal therapy among all women, including those who do not receive adjuvant chemotherapy.
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis and Potential Management With Prostaglandin E1 Analogs.

ABSTRACT Lumbar spinal stenosis is one of the most commonly diagnosed spinal disorders worldwide and remains a major cause for surgery in older adults. Lumbar spinal stenosis is clinically defined as a progressive degenerative disorder with low back pain and associated neurogenic intermittent claudication. Conservative and surgical management of lumbar spinal stenosis has been shown to be minimally effective on its symptoms. A treatment option that has not been investigated in the United States is the utilization of prostaglandin E1 analogs, which have been used primarily in Japan for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis since the 1980s. The vasodilatory and antiplatelet aggregation effects of prostaglandin E1 presumably improve symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis by increasing blood flow to the spinal nerve roots. This brief report examines the potential vascular pathology of lumbar spinal stenosis, reviews evidence on the use of prostaglandin E1 analog limaprost in Japan for lumbar spinal stenosis, and briefly discusses misoprostol as a possible alternative in the United States. The studies summarized in this report suggest that prostaglandin E1 analogs may provide benefit as a conservative treatment option for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. However, higher-quality studies conducted in the United States and comparison with other currently used conservative treatments are required before it can be recommended for routine clinical use.
The Regrettable Rebirth of the Two-Grant Doctrine in Texas Deed Construction

Deed construction has been a perennial task for courts since the Statute of Uses accorded legal approval to written transfers of land in 1536. Unfortunately, two Texas cases, Luckel v. White and Jupiter Oil Co. v. Snow, may signal the rebirth of the dubious two-grant doctrine, which had seen its demise in Alford v. Krum. Under this theory, a multi-clause deed is construed as making separate grants of different types of interests in a particular tract of property or varying sizes of one interest at different times. The ramifications of the holdings in Luckel and Jupiter Oil expose the inappropriateness of resurrecting the two-grant doctrine. Ultimately, the two-grant doctrine is an arbitrary rule that tends to frustrate rather than elucidate the parties’ intent in direct contravention of the consistent mandate that ascertaining intent is the primary goal of deed construction. At the earliest opportunity, the Texas Supreme Court should provide clarity by adopting the liberal Garrett v. Dils Co. approach and specific rules for harmonizing these deeds, and by expressly renouncing a rebirth of the two-grant doctrine.
Fretting-corrosion in hip taper modular junctions: The influence of topography and pH levels – An in-vitro study

Abstract Contemporary hip implants feature a modular design. Increased reported failure rates associated with the utilization of modular junctions have raised many clinical concerns. Typically, these modular interfaces contain circumferential machining marks (threads or microgrooves), but the effect of the machining marks on the fretting-corrosion behavior of total hip implant materials is unknown. This study reports the effects of microgrooves on the fretting-corrosion behavior of hip implant materials. The flat portions of two cylindrical, polished, CrCrMo alloy pins were loaded horizontally against one rectangular Ti alloy rod. Two surface preparation groups were used for the Ti6Al4V rod (polished and machined). The polished group was prepared using the same methods as the CoCrMo pins. The machined samples were prepared by creating parallel lines on the rod surfaces to represent microgrooves present on the stem tapers of head-neck modular junctions. Newborn calf serum (30 g/L protein content; 37 °C) at pH of levels of 7.6 and 3.0 were used to simulate the normal joint fluid and a lowered pH within a crevice, respectively. The samples were tested in a fretting corrosion apparatus under a 200N normal force and a 1Hz sinusoidal fretting motion with a displacement amplitude of 25 μm. All electrochemical measurements were performed with a potentiostat in a three-electrode configuration. The results show significant differences between machined samples and polished samples in both electrochemical and mechanical responses. In all cases, the magnitude of the drop in potential was greater in the machined group compared to the polished group. The machined group showed a lower total dissipated friction energy for the entire test compared to the polished group. Additionally, the potentiostatic test measurements revealed a higher evolved charge in the machined group compared to the polished group at both pH conditions (pH 7.6 and 3.0). The machined surfaces lowered the overall dissipated friction energy at pH 7.6 compared to pH 3.0, but also compromised electrochemical performance in the tested conditions. Therefore, the role of synergistic interaction of wear and corrosion with surface topographical changes is evident from the outcome of the study. Despite the shift towards higher electrochemical destabilization in the machined group, both polished and machined groups still exhibited a mechanically dominated degradation.
SCMR president's page.

News from the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Editorial The Society has begun 2011 on multiple highpoints, yet these have been tempered by a recent and particularly saddening low - the untimely death of Stefan Fischer. For those of you unaware, Stefan was the Director of Clinical Science for Philips Healthcare, North America, an important developer of CMR pulse sequences, tools and equipment that remain critical standards today; he was a longstanding member of SCMR with friends too numerous to count in our Society and field. I had known Stefan for well over a decade, and knew him as fiercely intelligent, strong-willed yet gently firm in his guidance, purposeful in increasing the benefits we impart to patients with our technology, and always practical. His passing leaves a gap that is impossible to fill, both in our Society, and in our hearts. I trust that the work we pursue in this Society will continue to live up to those characteristics and ideals that he embodied. To recap key Society events thus far, the year began with the 2011 SCMR Annual Scientific Sessions held in conjunction with the Euro CMR Working Group in Nice, France. It was a great success with a record number of participants from around the world. Much of that success can be attributed to the constant and hard work put forth by the Program and Abstract Chairs, Sven Plein, MD, and Raymond Kwong, MD, who put together an outstanding scientific program with a compelling array of scientific presentations, excellent posters, invited talks, and thought provoking case-sessions. The opening plenary was an important prelude to the thrust of the meeting where Michael Lauer, MD, of the NHLBI, emphasized the critical importance of CMR investigators and clinicians to design trials that alter patient outcome, as opposed to simply providing a superior diagnosis - a theme that was emphasized repeatedly as necessary to maximize CMR’s impact on clinical care. During the meeting, the Society awarded its first Gold Medal Award, given for distinguished and extraordinary service to the field of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance and to the Society. Fittingly, Gerald Pohost, MD, and Charles Higgins, MD, two long-standing and esteemed leaders in CMR and the Society were the inaugural winners of this annual award. Outside of the annual meeting fantastic news was
Quantifying dielectric permittivities in the nonlinear regime.

In contrast to the static dielectric permittivity,e, associated with linear response, its high-field counterpart,eE, is not a material specific quantity, but rather depends on the experimental method used to determine the nonlinear dielectric effect (NDE). Here, we defineeEin a manner consistent with how high field permittivities are typically derived from a capacitance measurement using high voltages. Based upon characterizing the materials nonlinear behavior via its third order susceptibility,χ3, the relations between a givenχ3and the observableeEis calculated for six different experimental or theoretical approaches to NDEs in the static limit. It is argued that the quantityχ3is superior overeEor the Piekara factor, (eE-e)/E2, because it facilitates an unambiguous comparison among different experimental techniques and it provides a more robust connection between experiment and theory.
Stability of Retained Inferior Vena Cava Filter Fragments after Filter Removal.

Abstract Purpose To assess the stability and outcome of fractured inferior vena cava (IVC) filter fragments that are retained in patients after IVC filter removal. Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on all patients at a single tertiary referral center between May 2005 and June 2020 with fractured IVC filters where fragment(s) were retained after removal of the main filter body. IVC filter fragment stability was assessed by a clinician review of computed tomography images, chosen from available radiologic studies, to best visualize the fragments. Data collected included filter type, fragment location, duration of fragment follow-up, fragment stability in location, and further fragment fracture or clinical sequelae. Results Seventy-seven patients with retained IVC filter fragment(s) after complex filter removal were identified. Of this, 37 patients (14 men, 23 women) were deemed to have adequate imaging follow-up to assess positional stability of the retained fragments, whereas the remainder were excluded from further analysis. Excluding fractured foot processes, 51 separate filter fragments were retrospectively identified and followed for a median duration of 726 days (interquartile range, 843 days; range, 28–3353 days). Filter designs producing the studied fragments included Celect, G2, Recovery, Gunther, OptEase, Meridian, and G2X/Eclipse. In all, 50 of 51 (98%) fragments were found to be unchanged in position during their respective intervals of observation. One fragment displayed a rotational change without migrating from its original location. No further fragment fractures or clinical sequelae were observed among the group. Conclusions When asymptomatic, retained IVC filter fragments are predominantly stable and can be safely followed on an intermediate-term basis.
Assessing gender bias in medical and scientific masked language models with StereoSet.

NLP systems use language models such as Masked Language Models (MLMs) that are pre-trained on large quantities of text such as Wikipedia create representations of language. BERT is a powerful and flexible general-purpose MLM system developed using unlabeled text. Pre-training on large quantities of text also has the potential to transparently embed the cultural and social biases found in the source text into the MLM system. This study aims to compare biases in general purpose and medical MLMs with the StereoSet bias assessment tool. The general purpose MLMs showed significant bias overall, with BERT scoring 57 and RoBERTa scoring 61. The category of gender bias is where the best performances were found, with 63 for BERT and 73 for RoBERTa. Performances for profession, race, and religion were similar to the overall bias scores for the general-purpose MLMs.Medical MLMs showed more bias in all categories than the general-purpose MLMs except for SciBERT, which showed a race bias score of 55, which was superior to the race bias score of 53 for BERT. More gender (Medical 54-58 vs. General 63-73) and religious (46-54 vs. 58) biases were found with medical MLMs. This evaluation of four medical MLMs for stereotyped assessments about race, gender, religion, and profession showed inferior performance to general-purpose MLMs. These medically focused MLMs differ considerably in training source data, which is likely the root cause of the differences in ratings for stereotyped biases from the StereoSet tool.
Acousto-optic Modulator Based Magnetic Field Sensor Using π-Phase Shifted Fiber Bragg Grating

A fiber optic magnetic field sensor utilizing an FBG based acousto-optic modulator is introduced. Sensitivity of 1.84mV/nT with minimum detectable magnetic field strength of 6.1pT/√Hz and dynamic range of 117dB/√Hz are demonstrated at 23MHz.
Feasibility and Acceptability of Adapting the Eating in the Absence of Hunger Assessment for Preschoolers in the Classroom Setting.

Abstract Eating in the Absence of Hunger (EAH) represents a failure to self-regulate intake leading to overconsumption. Existing research on EAH has come from the clinical setting, limiting our understanding of this behavior. The purpose of this study was to describe the adaptation of the clinical EAH paradigm for preschoolers to the classroom setting and evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of measuring EAH in the classroom. The adapted protocol was implemented in childcare centers in Houston, Texas (N = 4) and Phoenix, Arizona (N = 2). The protocol was feasible, economical, and time efficient, eliminating previously identified barriers to administering the EAH assessment such as limited resources and the time constraint of delivering the assessment to participants individually. Implementation challenges included difficulty in choosing palatable test snacks that were in compliance with childcare center food regulations and the limited control over the meal that was administered prior to the assessment. The adapted protocol will allow for broader use of the EAH assessment and encourage researchers to incorporate the assessment into longitudinal studies in order to further our understanding of the causes and emergence of EAH.
analyzing powers and differential cross sections at 32, 40, 50 and 52.5 MeV

Abstract Measurements of the analyzing powers and differential cross sections for the 4He( p , d)3He reaction at 32, 40, 50 and 52.5 MeV have been carried out using a polarized proton beam from the 88 inch cyclotron at LBL. Legendre polynomial fits of the cross section and differential analyzing power (σA) as a function of energy have smoothly varying coefficients.
The evaluation of an intercultural collaborative virtual social-process simulation

The author designed a computer-mediated social process simulation that allowed participants to explore potentially threatening dynamics in a safe, player-controlled communication-rich environment and then evaluated its effects. Evaluation methodologies employed include design ethnography, task analyses, usability studies, prototyping, and quantitative evaluation. A quantitative comparison study of intercultural simulations measured perceptions of threatening topics in both face-to-face and computer-mediated settings. It was concluded that the intercultural problem-solving simulation (DomeCityMOO) designed for multi-user learning in a virtual environment may make it easier to learn the essence of cultural identity awareness and intercultural relation skills expressed through one's communication. To date, intercultural real time simulations are only designed for face-to-face. The DomeCityMOO is the first computer-mediated intercultural, multi-user, real time simulation designed specifically to address issues of power and identity. The design principles employed in the DomeCityMOO challenge the popular belief that aspects of tacit culture, and intercultural awareness can only be taught successfully face-to-face.
PRO SE DIVORCE LITIGANTS: Frustrating the Traditional Role of the Trial Court Judge and Court Personnel

With the increased number of divorce litigants appearing pro se in the past century, trial court judges and court personnel are forced to deal with their conflicting obligations with more frequency. It is virtually impossible for a trial court judge to ensure all litigants have a fair and meaningful trial without compromising their neutrality. Likewise, court personnel are allowed to give out legal information but not legal advice, with the definition of legal information and advice not neatly packaged into two separate and distinct categories. Consequently, changes must be made. This note suggests various solutions that can be imposed to either reevaluate the role of trial court judges and court personnel so that they no longer have conflicting obligations and are able to accommodate the needs of the pro se litigants or implement services that can provide pro se litigants with other avenues of obtaining information and assistance.
Exon Skipping in Cardiac Troponin T of Turkeys with Inherited Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Troponin T is a central component of the thin filament-associated troponin-tropomyosin system and plays an essential role in the Ca2+ regulation of striated muscle contraction. The importance of the structure and function of troponin T is evident in the regulated isoform expression during development and the point mutations resulting in familial hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathies. We report here that turkeys with inherited dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure express an unusual low molecular weight cardiac troponin T missing 11 amino acids due to the splice out of the normally conserved exon 8-encoded segment. The deletion of a 9-bp segment from intron 7 of the turkey cardiac troponin T gene may be responsible for the weakened splicing of the downstream exon 8 during mRNA processing. The exclusion of the exon 8-encoded segment results in conformational changes in cardiac troponin T, an altered binding affinity for troponin I and tropomyosin, and an increased calcium sensitivity of the actomyosin ATPase. Expression of the exon 8-deleted cardiac troponin T prior to the development of cardiomyopathy in turkeys indicates a novel RNA splicing disease and provides evidence for the role of troponin T structure-function variation in myocardial pathogenesis and heart failure.
RELIABILITY OF THE QUARTERLY NATIONAL INCOME AND PRODUCT ACCOUNTS OF THE UNITED STATES, 1947–1971*

The reliability of the quarterly national income and product (NIP) accounts of the United States is examined from several standpoints. First, possible sources of error in the quarterly NIP accounts are explored, the most important being the lack of appropriate data, seasonal adjustment errors, sampling errors and biases, and the nature of the U.S. statistical system. Next, four ways of assessing the reliability of the accounts are considered. The most weight is given to measures of revisions in early estimates of the quarterly NIP aggregates. Results of previous studies of revisions are reviewed, and a summary of a major study of revisions for the period 1947–71 is given. The other ways of assessing reliability which are examined are the effect of errors on economic policy making, analysis of the statistical discrepancy, and expert judgment on sources and methodology. The degree of accuracy is judged to be generally sufficient for the policy decisions for which the NIP estimates are used. The early estimates of a quarter's change in GNP almost always distinguish whether the ultimate estimate will be large or small and will usually distinguish whether the ultimate estimate will be larger or smaller than the preceding quarter. While the accuracy of the estimates has generally been sufficient, the accuracy for 1965 was judged insufficient by policymakers. There is some evidence that errors have been reduced over time.
Interactions of a Monofluorinated Phospholipid with Saturated Phosphatidylcholines of Different Chain Lengths

This study uses differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and fluorescence spectroscopy to study the thermodynamic and kinetic effects of the monofluorinated phospholipid 1-palmitoyl-2-[16-fluoropalmitoyl]-phosphatidylcholine (F-DPPC) on bilayers composed of the fully saturated phosphatidylcholines 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC) and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC). In both bilayer systems, DSC thermograms indicate a disappearance of pretransition peaks (Tp) along with a rise in main transition (Tm) hysteresis at elevated F-DPPC mol%. Fluorescence intensity measurements reveal an inverse relationship between F-DPPC mol% and the emission intensity of the environment-sensitive probe 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) below the main transitions of the respective lipids. These trends suggest a growth in interdigitated domains with the incorporation of additional F-DPPC into the bilayer. Significant drops in intensity values were observed at lower F-DPPC mole percentages in the DSPC system than the DMPC system, indicating that the latter lipid has a higher threshold for F-DPPC-induced interdigitation. Our results support that F-DPPC encourages the interdigitated phase (LβI) in saturated bilayers and highlight the stabilizing effect that long acyl chains have on this phase.
Breeder reactors: A renewable energy source

Based on a cost analysis of uranium extracted from seawater, it is concluded that the world’s energy requirements for the next 5 billion years can be met by breeder reactors with no price increase due to fuel costs.(AIP)
Naturalized Philosophy of Science with a Plurality of Methods

Naturalism implies unity of method--an application of the methods of science to the methodology of science itself and to value theory. Epistemological naturalists have tried to find a privileged discipline to be the methodological model of philosophy of science and epistemology. However, since science itself is not unitary, the use of one science as a model amounts to a reduction and distorts the philosophy of science just as badly as traditional philosophy of science distorted science, despite the fact that the central theme of naturalized philosophy of science is that methodology should be true to science as practiced. I argue that naturalized philosophy of science must apply a plurality of methods to epistemological issues.
A comparison of several invariant imbedding algorithms for the solution of two-point boundary-value problems

A comparison of several invariant imbedding algorithms for the numerical solution of two-point boundary-value problems is presented. These include the Scott algorithm, the Kagiwada-Kalaba algorithm, the addition formulas, and the sweep method. Advantages and disadvantages of each algorithm are discussed, and numerical examples are presented.
Mitral valve prolapse and ruptured chordae tendineae

To determine the causes of ruptured chordae tendineae and a suspected etiologic role for mitral valve prolapse (MVP), the mitral valve in 25 consecutive and surgically proved cases of chordal rupture were examined. The diagnosis of MVP was made on the basis of redundancy and marked hooding of the mitral leaflets and on histologic changes. MVP was the underlying morphologic abnormality in 23 patients, only 1 of whom had infective endocarditis that was responsible for the rupture. Thus MVP was the only underlying morphologic abnormality in 22 of 25 patients (88%). Another finding in this study was the demonstration of auscultatory and angiographic or echocardiographic evidence of MVP in 4 patients, aged 4 to 11 years (mean 7), before chordal rupture; no patient had had endocarditis. The morphologic and historical evidence would indicate that MVP is probably the most common cause of so-called spontaneous chordal rupture.
An AP-2 binding sequence within exon 1 of human and porcine choline acetyltransferase genes enhances transcription in neural cells.

Abstract The gene for choline acetyltransferase, synthesizing acetylcholine, is induced by several neurotrophic factors. A role for AP-2 in enhancing this transcription and limiting it to neural cells is strongly suggested. Previous studies demonstrated that base pairs +465–727 within the untranslated exon 1 of the porcine gene enhanced the expression of a reporter gene transfected into PC-12 cells. Deletion and mutation experiments indicate that base pairs +465–472 (CCGCGGGG) in the porcine gene, or +307–314 (CCTCGGGG) in the human sequence, were necessary and sufficient for increased gene expression in cholinergic or adrenergic but not liver cells. Constructs containing active sequences, but not inactive mutated sequences, specifically bind nuclear proteins from neuroblastoma cells, but not liver cells, in gel shift experiments. The human and porcine sequences are in agreement with an AP-2 consensus binding sequence, a nuclear transcription factor expressed only in cells derived from the neural crest. Gel shift experiments using recombinant AP-2 confirm this identification. AP-2 antibody further retarded the mobility of these DNA–nuclear extract or DNA–AP-2 complexes. These results support the importance of this AP-2 binding sequence in enhancing and limiting choline acetyltransferase expression in neural cells.
A metalinguistic interpretation of counterfactual conditionals

The problem of finding clear truth conditions for counterfactual conditionals (CFCs), conditional sentences whose antecedents are false, has been a vexing one for philosophers. Many attempts to solve this problem have been made, most notably by Goodman1 and D. K. Lewis.2 The attempts of these authors are representative of the two main kinds of approaches that have been taken to the problem of CFCs, Goodman taking a metalinguistic approach and Lewis using a possible worlds approach. After a brief discussion of the main problems encountered by these authors, I shall give a metalinguistic interpretation that does not encounter these problems. I shall then discuss some results and limitations of my interpretation and suggest some ways we might be able to overcome the limitations.
A Series of α-Amino Acid Ester Prodrugs of Camptothecin: In Vitro Hydrolysis and A549 Human Lung Carcinoma Cell Cytotoxicity

The objective of the present study was to identify a camptothecin (CPT) prodrug with optimal release and cytotoxicity properties for immobilization on a passively targeted microparticle delivery system. A series of alpha-amino acid ester prodrugs of CPT were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated. Four CPT prodrugs were synthesized with increasing aliphatic chain length (glycine (Gly) (2a), alanine (Ala) (2b), aminobutyric acid (Abu) (2c), and norvaline (Nva) (2d)). Prodrug reconversion was studied at pH 6.6, 7.0, and 7.4 corresponding to tumor, lung, and extracellular/physiological pH, respectively. Cytotoxicity was evaluated in A549 human lung carcinoma cells using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The hydrolytic reconversion rate to parent CPT increased with decreasing side chain length as well as increasing pH. The Hill slope of 2d was significantly less than CPT and the other prodrugs tested, indicating a higher cell death rate at lower concentrations. These results suggest that 2d is the best candidate for a passively targeted sustained release lung delivery system.
COMPLETE CLASSIFICATION OF SPECTRAL OPERATOR ALGEBRAS ASSOCIATED WITH DIVISIBLE PRODUCT SYSTEMS

Completely spatial E0-semigroups constitute the most important class of E0-semigroups. Each completely spatial E0-semigroup α induces a divisible product system Eα and a C*-algebra C*(Eα) called the spectral C*-algebra. It has been shown by Arveson that Eα and Eβ are isomorphic as product systems if and only if α and β are cocycle conjugate. He has also proved that representations of E correspond bijectively to ordinary C*-algebraic representations of C*(E). While it is trivial to show that C*(Eα) and C*(Eβ) are isomorphic if the underlying product systems Eα and Eβ are isomorphic, it is not known whether C*(Eα) and C*(Eβ) can be isomorphic when Eα and Eβ are not. In this paper we will consider a related isomorphism problem among the Banach algebras, known as spectral operator algebras, associated with divisible product systems. It will be shown that the spectral operator algebras and are isomorphic if and only if Eα and Eβ are isomorphic. This classification is important as C*(E) is a hereditary subalgebra of the C*-algebra generated by .
Sex differences in the regulation of body weight

Obesity and its associated health disorders and costs are increasing. Males and females differ in terms of how and where body fat is stored, the hormones they secrete in proportion to their fat, and the way their brains respond to signals that regulate body fat. Fat accumulation in the intra-abdominal adipose depot is associated with the risk for developing cardiovascular problems, type-2 diabetes mellitus, certain cancers and other disorders. Men and postmenopausal women accumulate more fat in the intra-abdominal depot than do pre-menopausal women, and therefore have a greater risk of developing metabolic complications associated with obesity. The goal of this review is to explore what we know about sexual dimorphisms in adipose tissue accrual and deposition. Elucidating the mechanisms by which sex hormones may modulate the way in which fat is accumulated and stored is a critical area of research due to the prevalence of obesity and the metabolic syndrome, and the rapid increase in propensity for these diseases following menopause.
Experimental evolution of gene duplicates in a bacterial plasmid model.

The fate of gene duplicates subjected to diversifying selection was tested experimentally in a bacterial system. The wild-type TEM-1 β-lactamase gene confers resistance to ampicillin but not to cefotaxime. Point mutations confer cefotaxime resistance, but they compromise ampicillin resistance. Thus, selection for both drug resistances in a bacterium with two copies of β-lactamase should favor the divergence of one copy to improve cefotaxime resistance while maintaining the other copy to preserve ampicillin resistance. This selection was performed on a bacterium with identical sequences of β-lactamase on two separate, compatible plasmids. As expected, one plasmid evolved increased cefotaxime resistance when appropriately strong cefotaxime selection was applied. However, the cefotaxime-resistant plasmid maintained sufficient ampicillin resistance to tolerate the concentration of ampicillin used, and the other plasmid was lost. Hosts carrying both the cefotaxime-resistant and wild-type plasmids were then subjected to various higher concentrations of both drugs to find conditions that would ensure the maintenance of both plasmids. In a striking contradiction to our model, no such conditions were found. The fitness cost of carrying both plasmids increased dramatically as antibiotic levels were raised, and either the wild-type plasmid was lost or the cells did not grow. This study highlights the importance of the cost of duplicate genes and the quantitative nature of the tradeoff in the evolution of gene duplication through functional divergence.
Application off Dansyl Derivatization to the High Pressure Liquid Chromatographic Identification of Equine Estrogens

The HPLC qualitative analysis of conjugated estrogens is accomplished by a two-step procedure involving the formation of the corresponding dansyl derivatives. The first step involves the acid hydrolysis of the conjugated estrogens, followed by dansyl derivatization and HPLC separation of these derivatives on a liChrosorb Si-60 column with 50% (v/v) chloroform-n-heptane as the mobile phase. All of the dansyl estrogens are well separated except for the 17-keto estrogens, estrone, equilin, and equilenin. The second step, designed to detect the three 17-keto estrogens, begins with the selective sodium borohydride reduction of the conjugated 17-keto estrogens to the corresponding 17-hydroxyl compounds (the beta-epimer being formed in vast predominance over the alpha-epimer), followed by acid hydrolysis, dansyl derivatization, and HPLC separation of the derivatives as in the first step. Detection of the 17-keto estrogens is possible by determining differences in peak heights between the chromatograms of the first and second analyses. The The proposed method is sensitive, the dansyl derivatives stable, and nine different estrogens can be readily identified.
Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR): Etiology and Diagnosis

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with perinatal morbidity and mortality. IUGR is defined as fetus that fails to achieve his growth potential. Antenatal small for gestational age (SGA) is defined as fetus with weight <10th percentile. IUGR and SGA are commonly used interchangeably. The identification of IUGR is important. IUGR identification begins with assessment of risk factor(s), and the diagnosis is made by ultrasound using biometry when this confirms an estimated fetal weight (EFW) of <10th percentile. The common risk factors include maternal causes (hypertension, diabetes, cardiopulmonary disease, anemia, malnutrition, smoking, drug use), fetal causes (genetic disease including aneuploidy, congenital malformations, fetal infection, multiple pregnancies), and placental causes (placental insufficiency, placental infarction, placental mosaicism). Intrauterine growth determines the perinatal, postnatal, and adult life development. IUGR is associated with increased risk of development in adult life of metabolic diseases including but not limited to hypertension, diabetes, obesity, dyslipidemia, and the metabolic syndrome.
Lineage selection and the capacity to evolve

The capacity of genetic recombination is an unusual adaptive trait since it is based on the capacity to produce evolutionary change rather than on the capacity to produce better performing individuals. The evolution of this character has been considered to be a case of group or species selection. Alternatively, I introduce a new concept, lineage selection, to account for the evolution of this trait.
Respiratory responses to ACTH and dexamethasone in unanesthetized goats

Abstract The effect of dexamethasone and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) treatment (12 and 36 hr) on hypercapnic respiratory drive was studied in three unanesthetized goats with carotid loops. Minute ventilation, respiratory frequency, fractions of expired 0; and CO;, and arterial pH, CO 2 tension and bicarbonate concentration were measured while each animal breathed room air, 2.5% CO 2 and 5% CO 2 in air. Oxygen consumption, respiratory dead space and alveolar ventilation were calculated. With maintenance of unchanged metabolic acid-base status, the hormone treatments uniformly increased respiratory excitability without altering respiratory sensitivity. No changes in oxygen consumption were associated with the observed increase in respiratory responsiveness. The similarity of respiratory response changes occurring during ACTH and dexamethasone treatment suggests that glucocorticoids are the operative agents and that the induced effect occurs within the first twelve hours after treatment initiation.
The structure of formate on TiO2 (110) by scanned-energy and scanned -angle photoelectron diffraction

Abstract We have used high- and low-energy X-ray photoelectron diffraction to determine the structure of formate adsorbed on TiO 2 (110). Formate binds to the surface through both oxygens to pairs of neighboring Ti 4+ cations oriented along [001] to form a 2×1 overlayer. The O–C–O bond angle is 126±4°. The vertical distance between formate oxygens and surface Ti cations is 2.1±0.1 A. These results are in good agreement with those from Hartree–Fock total energy minimization.
Synthetic aperture ultrasound imaging with robotic aperture extension

Synthetic aperture (SA) is a technique that enhances the image resolution by synthesizing information from multiple subapertures. The application of this technique for medical ultrasound imaging has been an active research area, but the resolution improvement is limited by the physical size of the ultrasound array transducer. With a large F number (depth to aperture-size ratio), it is hard to achieve high resolution at deep regions without extending the effective aperture size. In this paper, we investigate experimentally an approach to extend the available aperture size for SA by sweeping the ultrasound transducer using a precise robotic arm. Pose information from the robot’s kinematic for the calibrated probe is used to synthesize the signals received at different positions; therefore the available aperture is wider than the size of transducer. To experimentally validate this approach, a robot arm (UR5, Universal Robot) was used to hold a 64 elements phased array transducer (0.32 mm pitch, 2MHz central frequency), and in-plane lateral translational motion was applied. A line phantom as a point source and an ultrasound phantom with wire targets and anechoic region were used for evaluation. The full width at half maximum of a reconstructed point source improved a factor of 2.76 by moving five poses with 10.24 mm step size. For the ultrasound phantom, the contrast-to-noise ratio of anechoic region enhanced 12% by moving three poses with the same step. Results indicate that the technique to robotically extend aperture has potential to improve the image quality for SA ultrasound imaging. © (2015) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Right Heart Catheterization, Coronary Angiography, and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

About the Procedure ![][1] Hyperlinked to this article is a video … [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Experimental study of the protein folding landscape: unfolding reactions in cytochrome c.

Hydrogen exchange results for cytochrome c have been interpreted in terms of transient hydrogen bond-breaking reactions that include large unfolding reactions and small fluctuational distortions. The differential sensitivity of these opening reactions to denaturant, temperature, and protein stability makes it possible to distinguish the different opening reactions and to characterize their structural and thermodynamic parameters. The partially unfolded forms (PUFs) observed are few and discrete, evidently because they are produced by the reversible unfolding of the protein’s several intrinsically cooperative secondary structural elements. The PUFs are robust, evidently because the structural elements do not change over a wide range of conditions. The discrete nature of the PUFs and their small number is as expected for classical folding intermediates but not for theoretically derived folding models apparently because the simplified non-protein models usually analyzed in theoretical studies encompass only a single cooperative unit rather than multiple separable units.