cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A metabolomics comparison of plant-based meat and grass-fed meat indicates large nutritional differences despite comparable Nutrition Facts panels.

A new generation of plant-based meat alternatives-formulated to mimic the taste and nutritional composition of red meat-have attracted considerable consumer interest, research attention, and media coverage. This has raised questions of whether plant-based meat alternatives represent proper nutritional replacements to animal meat. The goal of our study was to use untargeted metabolomics to provide an in-depth comparison of the metabolite profiles a popular plant-based meat alternative (n = 18) and grass-fed ground beef (n = 18) matched for serving size (113 g) and fat content (14 g). Despite apparent similarities based on Nutrition Facts panels, our metabolomics analysis found that metabolite abundances between the plant-based meat alternative and grass-fed ground beef differed by 90% (171 out of 190 profiled metabolites; false discovery rate adjusted p < 0.05). Several metabolites were found either exclusively (22 metabolites) or in greater quantities in beef (51 metabolites) (all, p < 0.05). Nutrients such as docosahexaenoic acid (ω-3), niacinamide (vitamin B3), glucosamine, hydroxyproline and the anti-oxidants allantoin, anserine, cysteamine, spermine, and squalene were amongst those only found in beef. Several other metabolites were found exclusively (31 metabolites) or in greater quantities (67 metabolites) in the plant-based meat alternative (all, p < 0.05). Ascorbate (vitamin C), phytosterols, and several phenolic anti-oxidants such as loganin, sulfurol, syringic acid, tyrosol, and vanillic acid were amongst those only found in the plant-based meat alternative. Large differences in metabolites within various nutrient classes (e.g., amino acids, dipeptides, vitamins, phenols, tocopherols, and fatty acids) with physiological, anti-inflammatory, and/or immunomodulatory roles indicate that these products should not be viewed as truly nutritionally interchangeable, but could be viewed as complementary in terms of provided nutrients. The new information we provide is important for making informed decisions by consumers and health professionals. It cannot be determined from our data if either source is healthier to consume.
Digging deeper into the relationship between self-esteem and mate value

Abstract Self-esteem is correlated with both gender (women reporting lower scores on average) and mate value. Both self-esteem and mate value, however, are often measured with multidimensional scales, and the documented relationship between these overall constructs has not been studied in terms of subcomponents. Using multidimensional measures of both self-esteem and mate value, the current study (n = 192) found expected sex difference in self-esteem and a correlation with mate value. These correlations extended pervasively into subscales, with a few notable exceptions, and the strongest relationships were with the overall scale scores. These results are consistent with sociometer theory and the idea that self-perceived mate value is a component of overall self-concept and esteem. Generally stronger correlations between self-esteem and mate value were found for men, relative to women, and further research is needed to assess the generalizability of these findings across more diverse samples.
CT Perfusion Collateral Index in Assessment of Collaterals in Acute Ischemic Stroke with Delayed Presentation: Comparison to Single Phase CTA.

Abstract Background & Purpose: Perfusion collateral index (PCI) has been recently defined as a promising measure of collateral status. We sought to compare collateral status assessed via CT-PCI in comparison to single-phase CTA and their relationship to outcome measures including final infarction volume, final recanalization status and functional outcome in ELVO patients. Methods: ELVO patients with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion who had baseline CTA and CT perfusion and underwent endovascular treatment were included. Collateral status was assessed on CTA. PCI from CT perfusion was calculated in each patient and an optimal threshold to separate good vs insufficient collaterals was identified using DSA as reference. The collateral status determined by CTA and PCI were assessed against 3 measured outcomes: 1) final infarction volume; 2) final recanalization status defined by TICI scores; 3) functional outcome measured by 90-day mRS. Results: A total of 53 patients met inclusion criteria. Excellent recanalization defined by TICI ≥2C was achieved in 36 (68%) patients and 23 patients (43%) had good functional outcome (mRS ≤2). While having good collaterals on both CTA and CTP-PCI was associated with significantly (p Conclusion: CTP-based PCI outperforms CTA collateral scores in determination of excellent recanalization and good functional outcome and may be a promising imaging biomarker of collateral status in patients with delayed presentation of AIS.
Posterior Lentiform Nucleus Hyperperfusion as a Diagnostic Marker for Parkinson’s disease - A Pseudo-Continuous Arterial Spin Labeling Perfusion Weighted MRI Study (P6.075)

Objective Our goal was to look for diagnostic markers of Parkinson’s disease (PD) using pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pcASL) perfusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and compare it with the current gold standard [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission computed tomography (FDG-PET). Background pcASL MRI technology is a newly developed technique using the non-invasive MRI to evaluate the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in normal or disease condition. It uses magnetically labeled arterial blood water as an endogenous tracer, which eliminates the need to inject the exogenous contrast agents. Design/Methods A total of 23 non-demented PD patients and 12 matched healthy control subjects underwent brain pcASL-MRI and FDG-PET. The two imaging modalities for each participant were completed within a one-month time period. Imaging of PD subjects was performed in the practically-defined “off” state, after antiparkinsonian medications had been withheld for 12 hours. We conducted a hypothesis-driven analysis, focusing on basal ganglia, thalamus, hippocampus and parahippocampus. Significance level was set as p<0.001, uncorrected. Results Both pcASL-MRI and FDG-PET revealed significant signal increases (p<0.001, uncorrected) near the bilateral posterior lentiform nucleus extending to the thalamus, and parahippocampal area in PD subjects as compared to controls. However, FDG-PET showed a greater significance level (peak significance: p=0.007, FWE corrected) as compared to pcASL (p=0.075, FWE corrected). Conclusions Although pcASL-MRI may have slightly reduced degree of statistical significance and increased noise as compared with the gold standard FDG-PET, it is a less expensive, non-invasive technology that can be repetitively performed. Thus, pcASL-MRI might potentially be useful for diagnosing PD, following disease progression, and monitoring the effects of therapeutic interventions in future clinical trials. Disclosure: Dr. Huang has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dyke has nothing to disclose. Dr. Nirenberg has nothing to disclose. Dr. Piboolnurak has nothing to disclose. Dr. Voss has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tsiouris has nothing to disclose. Dr. Henchcliffe has received personal compensation for activities for GE Healthcare, Lundbeck, Teva, Acorda Therapeutics, Peptron Inc, Gerson Lehman Group, and MedIQ. Dr. Henchcliffe has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Neurolog Dr. Severt has received personal compensation for activities with Teva Neuroscience, Allergan, Inc., Merz Pharma, Impax Laboratories, Novartis, and UCB Pharma as a speaker and/or advisory board member. Dr. Beal has nothing to disclose.
The risks of using REDD+ to manage rich socio-ecological systems

REDD+ is an important development in environmental and social justice policy instruments. However, its success depends on a network of complex contingencies, and the achievement of difficult governance transformations in countries that are under severe economic pressure. It ought be obvious that there are significant risks associated with this endeavour, but overt risk management, using standard approaches, is not evident. This paper highlights some of the many risks that the governance of REDD+ (in common with most environmental policy innovations) needs to pay attention to in order to avoid policy failure. There are eight distinct elements that have to work for the REDD+ program to achieve its public policy goals, and each of these carries its own risk. These are: securitisation of carbon sequestration; protection for complex non-carbon values, ensuring the integrity of the supply of credit; multi-level administration and aggregation of tradeable carbon interests; managing the social and economic imbalance of interests; deploying new methods for measurement and securitisation of interests; ensuring a platform of rules, administrative and enforcement systems, teams and intelligence networks; and achieving price and ‘brand’ competitiveness in a crowded carbon offsets marketplace. Although the issues listed in this paper are not comprehensive, they highlight major concerns and support the argument that a comprehensive and systematic approach to policy risk is likely to add value to the REDD+ implementation. The paper suggests that good management practice would separate risk management from policy or instrument development, and embed this aspect of good governance with a sufficient level of authority to ensure that the negative potentials are managed with a degree of vigour consistent with the importance of the issues.
Teichoic acid phosphorylcholine esterase. A novel enzyme activity in pneumococcus.

Abstract A mutant of pneumococcus which lacks most of the usual autolysin (N-acetylmuramyl-l-alanine amidase), contains another enzyme that can remove a maximum of 15 to 20% of phosphorylcholine residues from pneumococcal cell walls and from the Forssman antigen. An identical enzymatic activity was found to be also present in the wild type of pneumococcus.
Measures in ℝ n

Hereafter I denotes [0,1], S β (I) is σR(K(I)), S λ (I) is the set of Lebesgue measurable sets in I. If A ⊂ ℝ n , S β (A) and S λ (A) have analogous meanings (even if A is neither Borel nor Lebesgue measurable). When the context permits little ambiguity, the symbols S β and S λ will be used by themselves.
The Application of Wavelet Transform to Multi-modality Medical Image Fusion

Medical image fusion has been used to derive useful information from multi-modality medical image data. The idea is to improve the image content by fusing images like computer tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images, so as to provide more information to the doctor and clinical treatment planning system. This paper aims to demonstrate the application of wavelet transformation to multi-modality medical image fusion. This work covers the selection of wavelet function, the use of wavelet based fusion algorithms on medical image fusion of CT and MRI, and the fusion image quality evaluation. We introduce the peak-to-peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) method for measuring fusion effect. The performances of other two methods of image fusion based on pyramid-decomposition and simple image fusion attempts are briefly described for comparison. The experiment results demonstrate the effectiveness of the fusion scheme based on wavelet transform
Eating Disorders, Addictions, and Substance Use Disorders: Research, Clinical, and Treatment Perspectives, edited by Timothy D. Brewerton and Amy Baker Dennis

Eating Disorders, Addictions, and Substance Use Disorders: Research, Clinical, and Treatment Perspectives is the first manual to focus on the co-occurrence of eating disorders (ED) and substance us...
Chapter 54 Sleep in aging and neurodegenerative diseases

Publisher Summary Alterations in sleep architecture, sleep-disordered breathing, and abnormal 24-hour rhythms, including the sleep–wake cycle, accompany many neurodegenerative diseases. Sleep disorders, so common in neurodegenerative diseases, are often treatable, but they are too often misdiagnosed or unrecognized, especially in the elderly. The elderly report more nocturnal awakenings, daytime napping, and early morning awakenings than younger adults. Sleep problems in the elderly are most likely due to medical illnesses or their treatment rather than aging alone. Good and poor sleepers among this group can be separated by the number of medications used (excluding hypnotics), number of yearly physician visits, and self-ratings of health. Older persons who complain of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) often have more functional impairments, especially those with more than three medical conditions or those taking more than four medications. Insomnia complaints increase the risk for falls, hip fractures, and automobile accidents. Poor sleep in the elderly may predict an earlier demise. Elderly individuals who report daytime napping, especially men who nap more than two hours per day, have a significantly higher mortality than those who do not nap.
Antibacterial Ceramic Fabricated by the Ti-Bearing Blast Furnace Slag

The comprehensive utilization of Ti-bearing blast furnace slag was a technological problem that was discussed by many researchers for years. Not only does the slag take the land resources massively, but it causes environment pollution. The antibacterial ceramic materials were mainly fabricated by Ti-bearing blast furnace slag as main materials and combined with kaolinite, Potassium feldspar, pyrophylite and quartz sand, to solve the technological problem in this paper. The slag proportion and optimum sintering technology for ceramics in sintering process were obtained by single factor experiment. And, it was confirmed by orthogonal experiment that the shrinkage rate and water absorption are obviously affected by the quantity of slag, sintering temperature, holding time and so on. The composition and microstructure of ceramic materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and microscopy. It is showed that the ceramic has a good anti-bacterial for Escherichia coli, when bacteria-inhibiting ring method was used for measurement.
Hillslope asymmetry maps reveal widespread, multi‐scale organization

[1] Hillslope asymmetry is the condition in which oppositely-facing hillslopes within an area have differing average slope angles, and indicates aspect-related variability in hillslope evolution. As such, the presence, orientation and magnitude of asymmetry may be a useful diagnostic for understanding process dominance. We present a new method for quantifying and mapping the spatial distribution of hillslope asymmetry across large areas. Resulting maps for the American Cordillera of the Western Hemisphere and the western United States reveal that hillslope asymmetry is widespread, with distinct trends at continental to drainage scales. Spatial patterns of asymmetry correlate with latitude along the American Cordillera, mountain-range orientation for many ranges in the western United States, and elevation in the Idaho Batholith of the Northern Rocky Mountains. Spatial organization suggests that non-stochastic, process-driven controls cause these patterns. The hillslope asymmetry metric objectively captures previously-documented extents and frequencies of valley asymmetry for the Gabilan Mesa of the central California Coast Range. Broad-scale maps of hillslope asymmetry are of interest to a wide range of disciplines, as spatial patterns may reflect the influence of tectonics, atmospheric circulation, topoclimate, geomorphology, hydrology, soils and ecology on landscape evolution. These maps identify trends and regions of hillslope asymmetry, allow possible drivers to be spatially constrained, and facilitate the extrapolation of site-specific results to broader regions.
Procedure for the Alignment of an Ultrasonic Beam for Nondestructive Applications

Most of the nondestructive evaluation (NDE) work using ultrasonic waves generally involves detection and sizing of flaws (e.g., cracks, voids, etc.), and analysis of waves scattering from boundaries with different elastic properties inside a material. Alignment of the ultrasonic measuring system by maximizing the amplitude of the received signal is adequate for these measurements. For characterization of the material properties, one must determine the elastic constants of the material. If the material is anisotropic (e.g., composites), assuming orthorhombic symmetry, one needs a complete set of 9 elastic constants for the characterization.
What Psychotherapists Should Know About Disability

Introduction and Overview. Who Are People with Disabilities? The Minority Model of Disability. The Disability Experience: I. Stereotypes and Attitudes. The Disability Experience: II. Affect and Everyday Experiences. Families with Disabilities. Laws and Social History. Beginning Treatment. Etiquette with Clients with Disabilities. Interviews, Assessment, Evaluation, and Diagnosis. Dating, Romance, Sexuality, Pregnancy, Birthing, and Genetic Testing. Special Issues in Therapy with Clients with Disabilities. Assistive Technology and Devices. The Personal, the Professional, and the Political. Research on Disability: Shifting the Paradigm from Pathology to Policy. For Teachers and Supervisors.
Rivet: browser-agnostic remote debugging for web applications

Rivet is the first fully-featured, browser-agnostic remote debugger for web applications. Using Rivet, developers can inspect and modify the state of live web pages that are running inside unmodified end-user web browsers. This allows developers to explore real application bugs in the context of the actual machines on which those bugs occur. To make an application Rivet-aware, developers simply add the Rivet JavaScript library to the client-side portion of the application. Later, when a user detects a problem with the application, the user informs Rivet; in turn, Rivet pauses the application and notifies a remote debug server that a debuggable session is available. The server can launch an interactive debugger front-end for a human developer, or use Rivet's live patching mechanism to automatically install a fix on the client or run diagnostics for offline analysis. Experiments show that Rivet imposes negligible overhead during normal application operation. At debug time, Rivet's network footprint is small, and Rivet is computationally fast enough to support non-trivial diagnostics and live patches.
Simplifying control flow in compiler-generated parallel code

Optimizing compilers for data-parallel languages such as High Performance Fortran perform a complex sequence of transformations. However, the effects of many transformations are not independent, which makes it challenging to generate high quality code. In particular, some transformations introduce conditional control flow, while others make some conditionals unnecessary by refining program context. Eliminating unnecessary conditional control flow during compilation can reduce code size and remove a source of overhead in the generated code. This paper describes algorithms to compute symbolic constraints on the values of expressions used in control predicates and to use these constraints to identify and remove unnecessary conditional control flow. These algorithms have been implemented in the Rice dHPF compiler and we show that these algorithms are effective in reducing the number of conditionals and the overall size of generated code. Finally, we describe a synergy between control flow simplification and data-parallel code generation based on loop splitting which achieves the effects of more narrow data-parallel compiler optimizations such as vector message pipelining and the use of overlap areas.
Bacterial-type ferredoxin genes in the nitrogen fixation regions of the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 and Rhizobium meliloti.

Abstract The nucleotide sequence of a region located downstream of the nifB gene, both in the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 and in Rhizobium meliloti, has been determined. This region contains a gene (fdxN) whose predicted polypeptide product strongly resembles typical bacterial ferredoxins. Cyanobacteria have not previously been shown to contain bacterial-type ferredoxins. The presence of this gene suggests that nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria have at least four distinct ferredoxins.
Performance of silicon carbide devices in power converters

This paper describes the characterization of the performance of a 100 V/1 A SiC p-n diode and a 50 V/0.5 A SiC JFET in a DC-DC buck converter. A fundamental study of material defects and process techniques in SiC is needed for significant material purification. The nonidealities of device operation are clearly indicated, and the impact on buck converter operation is described. Improved device design and fabrication techniques are required for further improvement in device performance.
A slow bow shock ahead of the heliosphere

[1] Current estimates of plasma parameters in the local interstellar medium indicate that the speed of the interstellar wind, i.e., the relative speed of the local interstellar cloud with respect to the Sun, is most likely less than both the fast magnetosonic speed (subfast) and the Alfven speed (sub-Alfvenic) but greater than the slow magnetosonic speed (superslow). In this peculiar parameter regime, MHD theory postulates a slow magnetosonic shock ahead of the heliosphere, provided that the angle between the interstellar magnetic field and the interstellar plasma flow velocity is quite small (e.g., 15° to 30°). In this likely scenario, our multifluid MHD model of the heliospheric interface self-consistently produces a spatially confined quasi-parallel slow bow shock. Voyager 1 is heading toward the slow bow shock, while Voyager 2 is not, which means that the two spacecraft are expected to encounter different interstellar plasma populations beyond the heliopause. The slow bow shock also affects the density and spatial extent of the neutral hydrogen wall.
Ultrafiltration Membranes with Structure-Optimized Graphene-Oxide Coatings for Antifouling Oil/Water Separation

Fouling of ultrafiltration (UF) membranes in oil/water separation is a long-standing issue and a major economic barrier to their use in a broad range of applications. Currently reported membranes typically show severe fouling, resulting from the strong oil adhesion on the membrane surface and/or oil penetration inside the membranes. This greatly degrades their performance and shortens service lifetime. Here, the use of graphene oxide (GO) as a novel coating material for the fabrication of fully recoverable, UF membranes with desired hierarchical surface roughness is accomplished by a facile vacuum filtration method for antifouling oil/water separation. The combination of ultrathin, “water-locking” GO coatings with the optimized hierarchical surface roughness, provided by the inherent roughness of the porous supports and the corrugation of the GO coatings, minimizes underwater oil adhesion on the membrane surface. Cyclic membrane performance evaluation tests revealed approximately 100% membrane recovery by facile surface water flushing, establishing their excellent easy-to-recover capability. The novel GO functional coatings with optimized hierarchical structures may have broad applications in oil-polluted environments.
Multi-task feature and kernel selection for SVMs

We compute a common feature selection or kernel selection configuration for multiple support vector machines (SVMs) trained on different yet inter-related datasets. The method is advantageous when multiple classification tasks and differently labeled datasets exist over a common input space. Different datasets can mutually reinforce a common choice of representation or relevant features for their various classifiers. We derive a multi-task representation learning approach using the maximum entropy discrimination formalism. The resulting convex algorithms maintain the global solution properties of support vector machines. However, in addition to multiple SVM classification/regression parameters they also jointly estimate an optimal subset of features or optimal combination of kernels. Experiments are shown on standardized datasets.
Interrogating the equity principle: The rhetoric and reality of management planning for sustainable archaeological heritage tourism

International archaeological heritage management in developing countries frequently entails planning for the development of sustainable tourism. A central tenet of sustainable tourism development is the equitable distribution of tourism benefits, a goal reflected in stakeholder consultations and management plan provisions for capacity-building among community members. The lack of longitudinal data demonstrating the meaningful participation of target populations in tourism development dividends, however, calls into question the efficacy of such measures. A review of tourism development outcomes at Machu Picchu, Angkor, Lijiang, Copan, Borobudur and Cape Coast Castle supports the contention that sustainable management planning has not produced equity. The problem lies not in specific planning provisions but in the lack of correspondence between developed country assumptions and developing country reality, which is characterized by structural and systemic power imbalances. The cases inform the creation of a ...
Absorption and Space Reddening in the Galaxy as Shown by the Colors of Globular Clusters.

The globular clusters, because of their great distances and intrinsic luminosities as compared with individual stars, furnish an excellent means for testing the transparency of space in the neighborhood of our galactic system. The photoelectric cell, when applied to the photometry of such objects, has the advantage of integrating the light effect from a luminous surface or a group of stars, and thus the total light or color of a cluster may be compared with that of a standard star. The present report is based upon observations made at Mount Wilson during the past year with a photoelectric cell attached to the 100-inch reflector. The photometer used was that which has been in operation for a number of years at the Washburn Observatory. The gas-filled potassium hydride cell by Kunz is of the type we have applied to the photometry of stars, and its construction in a quartz bulb eliminates the dark current, which is troublesome when currents of 1014 or 10-1l amperes are to be measured. The rate-ofcharge method with a Lindemann electrometer was used throughout the investigation. For measures of color the instrument is furnished with filters, which may be conveniently interposed in front of the cell. With a cell having a maximum sensitivity at 4500 A, the blue and yellow filters give effective maxima at about 4300 A and 4800 A, respectively. Between stars of spectrum AO and KO the combination gives a difference in color-index of 0.44 mag. This amount is not a large leverage for the determination of color-indices, but it maintains the possibility of reaching faint objects. At the Newtonian focus of the 100-inch reflector the ordinary limit for satisfactory measures of the total light of a star, nebula or cluster is about photographic magnitude 13.0, and with the loss in the filters the limit for colors is about 12.5. These limits can be extended somewhat, but for fainter objects the elimination of the effect of the sky background becomes increasingly difficult. The faintest object actually observed for total light was of magnitude 14.6, and satisfactory color-indices have been found for clusters and nebula ranging from 12.5 to 13.0. Since the recognized globular clusters are brighter than the thirteenth magnitude, it is possible to observe all of them that can be reached from Mount,Wilson, that is, all those north of declination -30?.
The cost effectiveness and budget impact of natalizumab for formulary inclusion.

AbstractBackground: Crohn's disease (CD) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are debilitating autoimmune diseases, which represent a substantial cost burden in the context of managed care. As a corollary, there is an unmet pharmacotherapeutic need in patient populations with relapsing forms of MS, in addition to populations with moderately to severely active CD with evidence of inflammation who have experienced an inadequate response to other mainstream therapies. The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical and economic data associated with natalizumab (Tysabri) and to determine the potential impact of its formulary inclusion in a hypothetical health plan.Findings: Regarding MS, the implemented cost-effectiveness and budget-impact models demonstrated an anticipated reduction in relapse rate of 67% over 2 years, and a total therapy cost of $72,120 over 2 years, equating to a cost per relapse avoided of $56,594. With respect to the model assumptions, the market share of natalizumab would experience an inc...
An ideal solution to disputes about multiply realized kinds

Multiply realizable kinds are scientifically problematic, for it appears that we should not expect discoveries about them to hold of other members of that kind. As such, it looks like MR kinds should have no place in the ontology of the special sciences. Many resist this conclusion, however, because we lack a positive account of the role that certain realization-unrestricted terms play in special science explanations. I argue that many such terms actually pick out idealizing models. Idealizing explanation has many of the features normally associated with explanation by MR kinds. As idealized models are usually mere possibilia, such explanations do not run afoul of the metaphysical problems that plague MR kinds.
Explanatory update theory: applications of counterfactual reasoning to causation

Abstract A stratified view of causal reasoning is set forth; one in which the identification of counterfactual dependencies plays an important role in determining what sort of causal connection, if any, exists between two events named by a given pair of partial descriptions. A semantics for temporal counterfactuals in which events are represented at the object level is then formalized based on a syntactic form of belief updating. Counterfactuals are evaluated relative to an agent's information state, taken to include a set of initial beliefs together with additional assumptions to handle the frame problem. Inertial inferences emerge as a side-effect of requiring minimal information change between states of the world in some chronicle. A chronicle is, in addition, assumed minimal with respect to an explanatory preference that minimizes the set of beliefs that are not part of an agent's initial set of beliefs or are not supported by some body of law-like knowledge. A number of epistemic preferences that underly the choice of alternative worlds in accommodating a counterfactual supposition are then examined ranging over types of knowledge, locality of action, and time. This leads to a semantics for causation.
Ethanol modulation of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic interactions in cultured cortical neurons

The effects of ethanol on spontaneous excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs and IPSCs) were studied in a culture of embryonic rat cortical neurons. In these experiments, EPSCs and IPSCs were recorded concurrently as inward and outward currents, respectively. These spontaneous currents were dominated by a slow (<1 Hz) repetitive pattern of prolonged N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA)-EPSCs and co-occurring IPSCs when Mg2+ was left out of the perfusate. A 3- to 5-min bath perfusion of 100 mM ethanol reduced the average integrated EPSC by 65%, while simultaneously potentiating IPSCs by about 3-fold. EPSC frequency was also reduced by about one-third. NMDA-mediated EPSCs were inhibited more than non-NMDA currents. A perfusion of 30 mM ethanol was less effective and probably represents a threshold concentration for these effects. The ethanol inhibition of currents evoked by directly applied glutamate or NMDA to these cells was much less than that observed for spontaneous EPSCs. Currents evoked by exogenous gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) application were never potentiated by ethanol. When spontaneous NMDA-EPSCs were blocked with an NMDA antagonist, ethanol no longer potentiated the IPSCs. However, benzodiazepine treatment increased these IPSCs 2-fold. In other experiments, spontaneous IPSCs were blocked by a GABA(A) antagonist. Here, the EPSCs occurred as groups of repetitive bursts. Ethanol decreased the total number of EPSCs per burst but did not decrease their overall amplitude, as in the control recordings. Thus, the way in which ethanol affects concurrently recorded spontaneous EPSCs and IPSCs appears different from the way in which it affects isolated GABA- and NMDA-evoked currents. In addition, the antagonist studies show that concurrently activated NMDA and GABA channels each tend to limit the responses of the other. Thus, the overall effect of ethanol on spontaneous activity may result, in part, by a modification of this synaptic interaction.
Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol: Depression of ventilatory regulation; Other respiratory and cardiovascular effects

Abstract Δ 9 -Tetrahydrocannabinol, administered intravenously in doses of 1.0, 0.5 and 0.25 mg/kg, caused marked decrease of ventilatory response to carbon dioxide in anesthetized dogs. The drug also resulted in mild decrease of total pulmonary resistance, in marked bradycardia and in transient arterial hypotension. These results clearly demonstrate that marijuana can cause depression in the regulation of ventilation.
Spectrochemical Analysis of Titanium Alloys Using a Vacuum-Cup-Electrode Technique

A materials-research project required analysis of titanium alloys to determine whether there was correlation between the chemical and physical properties. In addition, the chemical analysis would be needed for standard specification ranges.
JET CONVERSIONS IN QGP AND SUPPRESSION OF IDENTIFIED HADRONS

A gluon or quark jet traversing through a quark-gluon plasma can be converted into a quark or gluon jet through scatterings with thermal partons. Their conversion rates due to two-body elastic and inelastic scattering as well as scatterings involving gluon radiation are evaluated in the lowest order in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). Including both energy loss and conversions of quark and gluon jets in the expanding quark-gluon plasma produced in relativistic heavy ion collisions, we find a net conversion of quark jets to gluon jets. This reduces the difference between the nuclear modification factors for quark and gluon jets in central heavy ion collisions and thus enhances the p/π+ and ratios at high transverse momentum. Using the larger QCD coupling constant from lattice QCD calculations than that given by the perturbative QCD further enhances the net quark to gluon jet conversion rate, leading to a closer similarity between these ratios at high transverse momentum in central Au+Au collisions at and in p+p collisions at same energy as observed in experiments.
Outcomes of a Spiritually Focused Wilderness Orientation Program

Higher education often supports new student transition through various orientation programs. Recently a greater focus on student spiritual growth has emerged as an important aspect. The wilderness orientation program in this study is unique because of its length (12–14 days) and its focus on students' spiritual development. The purpose of this study was to understand the students' perceptions of a spiritually focused wilderness orientation program and the influence of their participation in the program during their transition to the college. Data were collected through a post-course essay, the Student Adaptations to College Questionnaire, and a focus group interview. The themes that emerged indicate categories that the students recognized as important: (a) community, (b) developing competence, (c) stewardship, and (d) spiritual growth. These results are helpful in answering some of the questions asked by those involved in traditional student transition programs and those providing wilderness orientation p...
Treatment of death in selected child care books

Abstract Twenty child care books were examined to see if they contained information on helping children cope with death. Eight books included no information, five books included some information, and seven books included somewhat more thorough information. In the five books having some treatment of the topic, the information given had no value. Of the seven books with a more developed treatment of the topic, five contained information that would be of value to parents seeking to help their children face and cope with death.
The effects of knife cuts between the medial and lateral hypothalamus on feeding and LH self-stimulation in the rat.

Female rats which received bilateral parasagittal knife cuts between the medial and lateral hypothalamus increased their food intake and body weight during a 2-wk postoperative period. The knife-cut rats did not, however, increase or decrease their LH self-stimulation behavior during this period compared to a sham-operated control group. These results question the view that the VMH inhibits the LH, but are consistent with the recent suggestion that these hypothalamic areas involve different body-weight setpoint mechanisms.
Effects of 2.8-GHz microwaves on restrained and ketamine-anesthetized rats.

To compare the effects of ketamine anesthesia and mild restraint on microwave-induced thermal and cardiovascular changes, sixteen Fischer 344 rats were irradiated in two states:1) unanesthetized, restrained, and2) ketamine-anesthetized (150 mg/kg, I.M.). Individual animals were exposed in H orientation to far-field continuous-wave 2.8-GHz microwaves. Irradiation was conducted at a power density of 60 mW/cm2 (whole-body average specific absorption rate of 14.4 W/kg) to cyclicly increase colonic temperature from 38.5 to 39.5° C. Colonic and subcutaneous temperatures, aortic blood pressure, and heart rate were continuously monitored. The time required for colonic temperature to increase 1° C was significantly longer in the anesthetized state; however, the time to return to baseline was similar under both conditions. Heart rate and blood pressure significantly increased during irradiation in the unanesthetized state, but remained virtually unchanged in the anesthetized state. The subcutaneous temperature increase during exposure was significantly greater in the anesthetized state. The differences in responses of anesthetized and mildly restrained animals should be considered when conducting experiments on thermoregulatory responses to microwave irradiation.
The Lack of Assessment in the Academic Library Plagiarism Prevention Tutorial

The absence of assessment—mostly notable in the college plagiarism prevention tutorial—reveals a severe gap in the preservation of information literary (IL) standards set forth by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). Common forms of plagiarism prevention methods are analyzed, and their ability to each produce useful assessment data, principally retained for the academic library, is considered. The Web-based tutorial is then selected as the most robust tool to capture scores and provide valuable assessment data. Using two Web-based surveys, one capturing the responses of 156 participants and the other focusing closely on twenty-five popular tutorials, many of which earned ACRL award distinction, the author raises awareness concerning how infrequently and inefficiently Web-based tutorials are utilized to capture assessment data and also how the single-most important element of online instruction—the learning objective—is largely excluded from college library tutorial design.
Academic Earth science in transition

During the past 5 years, I have served on visiting committees for Earth science departments at Stanford, Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia, Cal-Tech, and the Geophysical Lab of the Carnegie Institution in Washington, D.C. As chair of Princeton's department, I have also experienced external review from the other side of the process. These committees attempt to diagnose major problems, supply appropriate remedies, and target opportunities for improvement in matters ranging from faculty hiring to curriculum. One very useful service provided by a visiting committee is to help distinguish dilemmas that are truly local and unique to the institution from those common to science and society as a whole. A snapshot of the tensions and opportunities common to academic Earth science has emerged from these experiences.
LAGOMORPHS AS SENTINELS FOR SURVEILLANCE OF BORRELIOSIS IN THE FAR WESTERN UNITED STATES

Brush rabbits (Sylvilagus bachmani) and black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus) from California (USA) were assayed for antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme borreliosis. Significant antibody titers were detected in 90% (range, 67 to 100%) of brush rabbits from four of six localities, and in 90% of jackrabbits from a single locality, in northern California. One of the populations of brush rabbits that did not yield seropositive individuals inhabited an oceanic island devoid of any other terrestrial mammal, whereas the other population was located on an isolated flood plain bordering San Francisco Bay. Absorption tests using B. burgdorferi as antigen revealed that antibodies detected in both species of lagomorphs were directed against borreliae. These findings reinforce the earlier suggestion that lagomorphs may be useful as sentinel animals for surveillance of borreliosis in the far western United States.
Numerical studies of optical forces from adiabatic rapid passage

We present a numerical study of the properties of optical forces on moving atoms derived from purely stimulated processes produced by multiple adiabatic rapid-passage sequences. The optical Bloch equations are solved for a carefully timed sequence of frequency-swept pulses that can produce a force much larger than the ordinary radiative force. We describe the effects of the sweep range, peak intensity, sweep direction, number of pulses, atomic velocity, and spontaneous emission. Since the momentum of thermal atoms is much larger than that transferred by a single absorption-stimulated emission cycle, multiple repetitions are needed to make a significant velocity change.
The boron-catalyzed polymerization of dimethylsulfoxonium methylide. A living polymethylene synthesis.

Trialkyl and aryl organoboranes catalyze the polymerization of dimethylsulfoxonium methylide (1). The product of the polymerization is a tris-polymethylene organoborane. Oxidation affords linear telechelic α-hydroxy polymethylene. The polymer molecular weight was found to be directly proportional to the stoichiometric ratio of ylide/borane, and polydispersities as low as 1.01−1.03 have been realized. Although oligomeric polymethylene has been the most frequent synthetic target of this method, polymeric star organoboranes with molecular weights of 1.5 million have been produced. The average turnover frequency at 120 °C in 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene/toluene is estimated at >6 × 106 g of polymethylene (mol boron)-1 h-1. The mechanism of the polyhomologation reaction involves initial formation of a zwitterionic organoborane·ylide complex which breaks down in a rate-limiting 1,2-alkyl group migration with concomitant expulsion of a molecule of DMSO. The reaction was found to be first order in the borane cataly...
Doing What Comes Naturally: Recent Work on Thomas Aquinas and the New Natural Law Theory

John Finnis, Aquinas: Moral, Political, and Legal Theory. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1998, xxi+385 pp., $55.00 (hardback) ISBN 0 19 87808 42, $18.95 (paperback) ISBN 0 19 878085 0. Robert P. George, In Defense of Natural Law. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1999, 343 pp., $65.00 (hardback) ISBN 0 19 82677 11, $19.95 (paperback) ISBN 0 19 92429 92
EFFECT OF MAGNESIUM ON PERMEABILITY CONTROL IN CHILLED BACTERIA.

THE lethal effect of chilling on certain exponential phase Gram-negative bacteria (‘cold shock’)1 may be due to interference with bacterial permeability control mechanisms2. Evidence supporting this view is that, on chilling, susceptible bacteria release normal endocellular constituents into the environment3 and are more permeable than similar unchilled bacteria to various substances including ribonuclease4. Cold shock also affects the stability of endogenous RNA. Thus, if susceptible bacteria are chilled and then incubated in fresh diluent at 37°, the rate of RNA-degradation increases with the duration of chilling4. In view of these symptoms of cold shock, the protection afforded to chilled bacteria by magnesium ions3 may be due to the metal's stabilizing effect on bacterial membranes concerned with osmotic control and/or endogenous RNA. In this connexion it is well known that magnesium stabilizes isolated protoplast membranes5, spheroplasts6 and ribosomes7. This note reports the use of the ‘optical effect’8 to determine the influence of magnesium on permeability control in exponential phase Aerobacter aerogenes during chilling.
Post-Sunset Cooling Behavior of the Lunar Surface

Differential infrared flux scans at 22μm have been made across the nighttime lunar surface over a range of phases before and after new Moon. The differential chopping technique effectively cancels atmospheric emission in the beam path but records the flux difference between adjacent resolution elements on the lunar disk. The scans show that the brightness temperature gradient across the highlands after sunset is much greater than that across the western maria. The large gradients consistently disappear approximately 3.5 days after sunset. The post-sunset enhancement could be due to surface roughness in the highlands or to a significant surface rock population with a mean size of approximately 0.5 m. The effect can be seen in the 10μm measurements of other investigators, but its global nature was not detected in their limited data sets.
Effects of pharmacological agents on the hypothalamus of Rana pipiens in relation to the control of skin melanophores.

Injection was made into the frog's brain of minute amounts of certain pharmacological agents. It was found that the effectiveness of these agents in eliciting a melanin-dispersion response ranged from very effective (acetylcholine and chlorpromazine), moderately effective (Novocain), slightly effective (atropine and serotonin), to ineffective (norepinephrine). The rates of melanin dispersion, in response to injection of these agents, are similar to those caused by lesion of the hypothalamus, electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus, or a response to a dark background. The results presented here indicate that the hypothalamus is an area of the brain most intimately involved in the control of intermedin release, and suggest that the pathway mediating the action is, in part, cholinergic.
Beta2-adaptin binds actopaxin and regulates cell spreading, migration and matrix degradation

Cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix is a key event in cell migration and invasion and endocytic trafficking of adhesion receptors and signaling proteins plays a major role in regulating these processes. Beta2-adaptin is a subunit of the AP-2 complex and is involved in clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Herein, β2-adaptin is shown to bind to the focal adhesion protein actopaxin and localize to focal adhesions during cells spreading in an actopaxin dependent manner. Furthermore, β2-adaptin is enriched in adhesions at the leading edge of migrating cells and depletion of β2-adaptin by RNAi increases cell spreading and inhibits directional cell migration via a loss of cellular polarity. Knockdown of β2-adaptin in both U2OS osteosarcoma cells and MCF10A normal breast epithelial cells promotes the formation of matrix degrading invadopodia, adhesion structures linked to invasive migration in cancer cells. These data therefore suggest that actopaxin-dependent recruitment of the AP-2 complex, via an interaction with β2-adaptin, to focal adhesions mediates cell polarity and migration and that β2-adaptin may control the balance between the formation of normal cell adhesions and invasive adhesion structures.