cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Shared Decision Making in Cancer Screening and Treatment Decisions for American Indian and Alaska Native Communities: Can We Ethically Calibrate Interventions to Patients' Values?

Shared decision making has been advocated as a key ethical strategy to improve quality of care and cancer control, especially in relation to screening and treatment decisions at various stages of the cancer continuum. Recent research on cancer in American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities has highlighted significant disparities, raising questions about how best to implement prevention and screening programs in often fragmented and underfunded Indian health, tribal and urban systems. Incorporating shared decision making initiatives routinely may provide opportunities to address the complex choices AI/AN patients face.
Adsorption of 2,4,6‐Trinitrotoluene on MFI Zeolite

2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) was adsorbed onto all silica MFI zeolite. These TNT doped zeolite samples were examined using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). Results indicate that, using FTIR with an Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) accessory, mass loading percentages as low as 2.5 mass percent TNT in zeolite are detectable. It was also observed that adsorption of TNT onto MFI did not suppress the IR absorbing vibrations of TNT. TNT doped zeolite samples were washed, using vacuum aspiration, with water and acetone, both of which stripped the TNT from the zeolite samples, indicating that the adsorption of TNT onto MFI zeolite is a physisorption, rather than chemisorption, phenomenon. Finally, a lack of strain-induced peak broadening from XRD studies indicate that TNT does not enter the zeolitic pore structure, rather, it is adsorbed onto the zeolite surface.
Acidosis and astrocyte amino acid metabolism.

Abstract The relationship between acidosis and the metabolism of glutamine and glutamate was studied in cultured astrocytes. Acidification of the incubation medium was associated with an increased formation of aspartate from glutamate and glutamine. The rise of the intracellular content of aspartate was accompanied by a significant decline in the extracellular concentration of both lactate and citrate. Studies with either [2-15N]glutamine or [15N]glutamate indicated that there occurred in acidosis an increased transamination of glutamate to aspartate. Studies with l -[2,3,3,4,4-2H5]glutamine indicated that in acidosis glutamate carbon was more rapidly converted to aspartate via the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Acidosis appears to result in increased availability of oxaloacetate to the aspartate aminotransferase reaction and, consequently, increased transamination of glutamate. The expansion of the available pool of oxaloacetate probably reflects a combination of: (a) Restricted flux through glycolysis and less production from pyruvate of acetyl-CoA, which condenses with oxaloacetate in the citrate synthetase reaction; and (b) Increased oxidation of glutamate and glutamine through a portion of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and enhanced production of oxaloacetate from glutamate and glutamine carbon. The data point to the interplay of the metabolism of glucose and that of glutamate in these cells.
Portal hypertension in children

The main causes of intrahepatic portal hypertension in children are cirrhosis and congenital hepatic fibrosis. Non cirrhotic portal hypertension in children is mostly due to extrahepatic portal vein obstruction. In half of cases, no underlying disorder is found. The meso-Rex bypass is the preferred treatment, when it is possible. The closest to the portal vein the obstruction, the highest the risk of esophagogastric varices.
Interactive graphics in the analysis of neuronal spike train data.

Abstract This paper describes an interactive graphics system developed to facilitate the investigation of complex relationships between experimental and theoretical data in the neurosciences. Graphics affords unique insights into data structure and model properties which are difficult to obtain using other computational media. The data under analysis consists of trains of spike-like electrical activity recorded from single nerve cells. The complete data base is organized into modular subunits to allow flexible and rapid positioning on data of interest. The graphics system was developed utilizing three available computers, an IMLAC PDS 1D , an IBM 360 91 , and a DEC PDP 12 . The IMLAC is the focal point of system interaction and is used to control the other two computers. There is a data path between the IBM 360 91 and the PDP 12 through the IMLAC. The PDP 12 collects, edits, and transmits the experimental data to the auxiliary storage of the IBM 360 91 . The IBM 360 91 is a host for a FORTRAN graphics program using IMGRAF subroutines. The user, at the IMLAC, controls the flow of the graphics program at the IBM 360 91 as well as the data transmission from the PDP 12 . Using appropriate commands, new data can be acquired from the PDP 12 , analyzed immediately, and the results displayed on the screen. The interactive graphics program is structured as a resident executive with a number of phases available for overlay at execution. The major phases include data base generation, modeling, optimization, data processing and validation.
The epilepsy of Fyodor Dostoyevsky: insights from Smerdyakov Karamazov's use of a malingered seizure as an alibi.

The descriptions of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's seizures are many and so are the interpretations of scholars who have attempted to explain them. Dostoyevsky himself contributed to the difficulties for he reported different symptoms at different times. At one point, early in his life, he stated: I have all kinds of seizures. 1(p61) Gastaut's 2,3 writings on the subject offer an insight into the difficulties faced by anyone trying to understand Dostoyevsky's seizures. Gastaut 2 initially believed Dostoyevsky had primarily generalized seizures. Years later he returned to the subject and gave what he called an eclectic but not very clear explanation for Dostoyevsky's symptoms.
Ocular surgeries in cats

The most commonly performed feline ocular surgeries are described with emphasis on any anatomic or pathophysiologic differences that are unique to the feline eye, adnexa, and orbit.
Hydrogenation/dehydrogenation reactions: isopropanol dehydrogenation over copper catalysts

Abstract For accurate catalyst comparisons and kinetic modeling, data free of mass and heat transfer effects must be acquired over a range of temperature and reactant concentrations using well-characterized heterogeneous catalysts. For semibatch reactors operated at constant pressure, selectivity vs conversion profiles at several temperatures, preferably obtained with catalysts reduced in situ, are required to allow complicated reaction networks to be defined. Vapor-phase isopropyl alcohol (IPA) dehydrogenation over carbon-supported Cu catalysts in a differential fixed-bed reactor was studied and compared to UHP Cu powder and a Cu chromite catalyst. Low dispersions of Cu (ca. 0.02–0.17) were obtained in all these catalysts. Cu dispersed on an activated carbon heat-treated at 1223 K had the highest turnover frequency (0.052 s−1 at 448 K) of all the Cu/C catalysts, more than double that on an industrial Cu chromite catalyst; thus the rate with this 5.0% Cu/C catalyst (6.0 μmol s−1 g−1) was close to that of the chromite catalyst containing 41% Cu (10.6 μmol s−1 g−1). The steady-state selectivity to acetone was 100% for all catalysts except those containing the nitric-acid-treated carbon. In the absence of Cu, the nitric-acid-treated carbon produced propylene under steady-state reaction conditions, and reduction at 573 K decreased activity compared to reduction at 423 K. This dehydration reaction is associated with the presence of oxygen-containing acidic groups on the C surface. The apparent activation energy for acetone formation was typically near 20 kcal mol−1 for all the Cu/C catalysts and the Cu powder, but it was near 12 kcal mol−1 for the Cu chromite catalyst. A DRIFT spectrum under reaction conditions indicated the presence of an isopropoxide species and molecularly adsorbed IPA on the surface. A Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism, which assumed removal of the first hydrogen atom as the rate-determining step and incorporated adsorbed IPA, hydrogen, acetone, and a surface isopropoxide species into the site balance, fit the kinetic data well and gave physically meaningful values for the enthalpies and entropies of adsorption.
International genetic counseling students' perspective on their training experience in the United States.

International students face social, psychological and academic challenges upon moving to a foreign country to pursue higher education. Clinical disciplines such as genetic counseling present additional challenges adapting to an unfamiliar health care system and different interactions and expectations with patients and colleagues. This study used semi-structured interviews to identify challenges that international genetic counseling students face during training in the United States. Eight international genetic counseling alumni who graduated from U.S.-accredited programs were interviewed. Participants stated that the U.S. academic system was unfamiliar—class participation and paper-writing required the greatest adjustment. There was a need for help in understanding social norms in academic settings. Clinically, they were unfamiliar with the dynamics and communication style of U.S. families. Non-native English speakers experienced greater difficulty in all areas. Most participants reported that they were uncomfortable asking for help in transitioning to life, study and work. Participants identified mentorship programs for international students as potentially useful in clarifying expectations in academic and clinical settings. These results may assist international students preparing to study genetic counseling in the U.S. and may help genetic counseling training programs identify the academic and clinical challenges faced by international students.
Improved band parameters for a simplified wide band cumulative absorption coefficient distribution model for H2O and CO2

Abstract An accurate and computationally efficient approach to evaluate wide band parameters with polynomial series for use in a simplified wide band cumulative absorption coefficient distribution, g(k), model is presented. The fitting coefficients are determined by a best fit with g(k) functions generated from the latest high resolution spectroscopic database. The approach significantly improves the prediction of the g(k) function over a wide range of temperatures from 500 to 2500 K, pressures from 0.01 to 1.0 atm, and all single bands of H2O and CO2. The root mean square error of the predicted absorption coefficient is below 25% except the single 4.3 μm band model. The approach also provides accurate calculations for the wide band absorptance, generally with differences below 7% when compared to benchmark results.
Iterative solution of integral equations on a basis of positive energy Sturmian functions.

An improvement of Weinberg's quasiparticle method for solving general one-dimensional integral equations is presented. The method uses simple auxiliary Sturmian functions for positive or negative energies, and corrects iteratively for the truncation errors of the Sturmian expansion of the solution. Numerical examples are given for the solution of the Lippmann-Schwinger integral equation for the scattering of a particle from a potential with a repulsive core. An accuracy of $1:{10}^{6}$ is achieved after 14 iterations, and $1:{10}^{10}$ after 20 iterations. The calculations are carried out in configuration space with an accuracy of $1:{10}^{11}$ by using a spectral expansion method in terms of Chebyshev polynomials. The method can be extended to solving a Schr\"odinger equation with Coulomb and/or nonlocal potentials.
A Direction Sensitive Neutron Detector

The threat of nuclear terrorism presents an increasingly urgent and difficult challenge to the United States in the 21st Century. New technologies with improved sensitivity will be needed to identify hidden nuclear weapons in order to protect the United States from this threat. This paper describes a detector under development that will measure the direction and energy of recoiling nuclei produced in collisions with neutrons emitted by spontaneous fission from plutonium warheads. Such a detector will have improved sensitivity compared to other neutron detectors due to its ability to determine the direction of approach of the neutrons, thereby reducing significantly the backgrounds due to cosmic ray neutrons.
Adsorption and diffusion of a single Pt atom on γ-Al2O3 surfaces

Abstract Motivated to better understand the interactions between Pt and γ-Al2O3 support, the adsorption and diffusion of a single Pt atom on γ-Al2O3 was studied using density functional theory. Two different surface models with atoms of various coordination (3–5) were used, one derived from a defected spinel structure, and another derived from the dehydration of boehmite (AlOOH). Adsorption energies are similar for the two surfaces, about −2 eV for the most stable sites, and involve Pt binding to surface O atoms. An unusually strong trapping geometry whereby Pt moves into the surface was identified over the boehmite-derived surface. In all cases the surface transfers ∼0.2–0.3 e− to the Pt atom. The bonding is explained as being a combination of charge transfer between the surface and Pt atom, polarization of the metal atom, and some weak covalent bonding. The similarity of the two surfaces is attributed to the similar local environments of the surface atoms, as corroborated by geometry analysis, density of states, and Bader charge analysis. Calculated activation barriers (0.3–0.5 eV) for the defected spinel surface indicate fast diffusion and a kinetic Monte Carlo model incorporated these barriers to determine exact diffusion rates and behavior. The kinetic Monte Carlo results indicate that at low temperatures (
Food availability and period of exposure as factors of Bacillus sphaericus efficacy on mosquito larvae.

Efficacy of the mosquito pathogen Bacillus sphaericus Neide strain 1593 was inversely related to the amount of food available to mosquito larvae. The rate of bacterial uptake differed between larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus Say and Anopheles albimanus Wiedemann. Larvae of C. quinquefasciatus consumed lethal quantities rapidly (from 5 min on) after bacterial application whereas those of A. albimanus did so less rapidly, resulting in low mortality even after 90 min of incubation at a high dosage (7×107 cells/ml).
Agenesis of dorsal pancreas and acute pancreatitis

Agenesis of the dorsal pancreas is extremely rare. We could find only 7 published case reports. We present a case of agenesis of the dorsal pancreas and discuss the clinical features.
Developmental cytology of the midgut in the flesh-fly, Sarcophaga bullata (Parker)

Abstract The cytological comparisons of the midgut in Sarcophaga bullata (Parker) between the second instar, the third instar larvae and the adult are made. The adult midgut differs from that of the larvae in the following ways: (1) the peritrophic membrane is thicker than in the larvae and has become multi-layered; (2) epithelial cells are smaller; (3) branched microvilli are present throughout the entire midgut instead of being present only in the posterior region as in the larval midgut; (4) nuclear pores are less frequent; (5) lysosome-type structures occur less frequently; (6) the basal membrane is thicker; (7) the z-bands in the surrounding muscle fibers are more distinct in adults. The possible function and the significance of these structures related to previous observations in Sarcophaga and other Diptera are discussed.
Variance control in weak-value measurement pointers

The variance of an arbitrary pointer observable is considered for the general case that a complex weak value is measured using a complex valued pointer state. For the typical cases where the pointer observable is either its position or momentum, the associated expressions for the pointer's variance after the measurement contain a term proportional to the product of the weak value's imaginary part with the rate of change of the third central moment of position relative to the initial pointer state just prior to the time of the measurement interaction when position is the observable---or with the initial pointer state's third central moment of momentum when momentum is the observable. These terms provide a means for controlling pointer position and momentum variance and identify control conditions which, when satisfied, can yield variances that are smaller after the measurement than they were before the measurement. Measurement sensitivities which are useful for estimating weak-value measurement accuracies are also briefly discussed.
Developing a measure of behavior change in a program to help low-income parents prevent unhealthful weight gain in children.

Abstract Objective To develop and test a brief measure of changes in eating, active play, and parenting practices after an intervention to help parents shape children’s choices and home environments. Design Sequential phases of development and testing: expert panel review, cognitive testing interviews, field testing, test-retest study, and assessment of convergence with detailed previously validated instruments. Setting and Participants Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), New York State. Low-income parents of 3- to 11-year-old children; Cooperative Extension nutrition and parenting educators. Main Outcome Measures Questionnaire reliability, validity, respondent comprehension, and feasibility of use in program contexts. Analysis Qualitative analysis of item comprehension. Correlational analysis of test-retest reliability and convergent validity. Results A behavior checklist was developed to assess change in parent-reported family eating, physical activity, and parenting practices addressed by an intervention. The checklist was feasible for use in EFNEP and questions were understood as intended. Test-retest reliability was good ( r = 0.83) and scores correlated significantly (range, 0.25 to –0.60; P Conclusions and Implications Development and testing in a program context produced a tool community nutritionists can use to evaluate educational interventions aimed at helping parents promote healthful eating and activity.
SELECTIVE INNERVATION AND RECIPROCAL FUNCTIONAL SUPPRESSION FROM GRAFTED EXTRA LABYRINTHS IN AMPHIBIANS.

Abstract After extra labyrinths along with portions of medulla were grafted in correct orientation into the neuraxes of frog and salamander embryos at early tailbud stages, the animals acted in every respect like normal individuals. If the grafts were placed in reversed anteroposterior orientation, however, the animals acted like controls with inner ears excised. Behavioral and histological evidence indicates that precise functional neural connections were made between the implanted labyrinths and appropriate centers within the brain of the host. The result of interaction between the two opposing sets of labyrinths in the animals with reversed grafts was an effective cancellation of responses to stimuli concerned with kinetic and static equilibrium.
Assessing Rhizina Root Disease Hazard: A Case Study

SYNOPSIS Pine seedlings were sequentially planted on small observation plots used to monitor the potential for Rhizina root disease at one recently burned plantation in the Transvaal. The results indicated that seedlings could be planted without delay on sites that were grassveld or seedling pine stands at the time of the fire. A four to six-month delay was necessary at sites that had been 10-year-old pine stands. By using small observation plots, growers may be able to assess disease hazard should fires occur in their forests.
Neurotensin immunoreactivity in the superficial laminae of the dorsal horn of the rat: I. Light microscopic studies of cell bodies and proximal dendrites.

Although neurotensin perikarya have been identified in the superficial laminae of the dorsal horn, little is known regarding the cytoarchitecture of these neurotensin-containing neurons. Immunohistochemical staining of 75-μm sections in several planes through colchicine-treated rat spinal cords revealed morphologic features of neurotensinlike immunoreactive (NLI) perikarya and proximal dendrites. Populations of NLI neurons were identified in the outer one-third of lamina II, the inner one-third of lamina II, and outer lamina III. The NLI neurons in lamina II had elongated perikarya and the dendrites emerged from the rostral and caudal poles of the cell body. The proximal dendrites of NLI cells in inner laminae II were shorter and contained more spines than outer lamina II NLI cells. The NLI cells in outer lamina III did not exhibit polarity and the proximal dendrites were generally shorter than those of NLI cells in lamina II. The lamina II cells appear similar to islet cells (Gobel, 1975), while the lamina III cells have many of the characteristics of the II/III border cell described by Gobel (1978). Interestingly, the inner lamina II NLI cells occurred in clusters with NLI cells in outer lamina III. The periodicity of these clusters suggests a neurochemical dimension for the organization of the superficial laminae of the dorsal horn.
Allozymic variability in toxicity-testing strains of ceriodaphnia dubia and in natural populations of Ceriodaphnia

Ceriodaphnia dubia Richard used in 7-d chronic toxicity testing from six environmental testing centers were assayed for allozymic variability at 11 enzymatic loci. Ten of the eleven scored loci were monomorphic and homozygous in all six stocks. One stock was homozygous for an alternative electromorph, as compared to the other five, at the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) locus. Laboratory stocks comprise two morphologically distinguishable forms of Ceriodaphnia dubia that may be environmentally determined. Ceriodaphnia lacustris and Ceriodaphnia reticulata from natural populations showed within- or between-population allozymic variability at 8 of the 11 loci, suggesting Ceriodaphnia possesses genetic variability equivalent to that of other cladocerans. The three species of Ceriodaphnia are closely related, having only one diagnostic electromorph that separates Ceriodaphnia dubia from the other two species. Possible causes of the monomorphism of the laboratory stocks are discussed.
A Comprehensive Investigation of the Chemistry and Basicity of a Parent Amidoruthenium Complex

trans-(DMPE)(2)Ru(H)(NH(2)) (1) dehydrogenates cyclohexadiene and 9,10-dihydroanthracene to yield benzene (or anthracene), (DMPE)(2)Ru(H)(2), and ammonia. Addition of fluorene to 1 results in the formation of the ion pair [trans-(DMPE)(2)Ru(H)(NH(3))(+)][A(-)] (A(-) = fluorenide, 4a). Complex 1 also reacts with weak acids A-H (A-H = phenylacetylene, 1,2-propadiene, phenylacetonitrile, 4-(alpha,alpha,alpha-trifluoromethyl)phenylacetonitrile, cyclobutanone, phenol, p-cresol, aniline) to form ammonia and trans-(DMPE)(2)Ru(H)(A) (7, 8, 9a, 9b, 10, 11b, 11c, 12, respectively). In the cases where A-H = phenylacetylene, cyclobutanone, aniline, phenol, and p-cresol, the reaction was observed to proceed via ion pairs analogous to 4a. Compound 1 is reactive toward even weaker acids such as toluene, propylene, ammonia, cycloheptatriene, and dihydrogen, but in these cases deuterium labeling studies revealed that only H/D exchange between A-H and the ND(2) group is observed, rather than detectable formation of ion pairs or displacement products. Addition of triphenylmethane to 1 results in the formation of an equilibrium mixture of 1, triphenylmethane, and the ruthenium/triphenylmethide ion pair 4h. If the energetics of ion-pair association are ignored, this result indicates that the basicity of 1 is similar to that of triphenylmethide. All these observations support the conclusion that the NH(2) group in amido complex 1 is exceptionally basic and as a result prefers to abstract a proton rather than a hydrogen atom from a reactive C-H bond. The energetics and mechanism of these proton-transfer and -exchange reactions are analyzed with the help of DFT calculations.
The effect of monolayer collapse on bubble stability

Abstract Measured lifetimes are reported for air bubbles trapped between insoluble monolayers and the bulk aqueous substrate in a Langmuir-Wilhelmy trough under conditions of constant surface pressure. Results for all films studied, octadecanol and myristic, oleic and gondoic acids, indicate that monolayer collapse is a decisive factor in determining bubble stability. The presence of nascent reservoirs of collapsed film capable of rapid respreading appears responsible for the observed loss of stability. The results also challenge the generally held belief that the stability of evanescent bubbles is directly proportional to the Gibbs elasticity of the monolayer.
Precollision and Postcollision Electron-Electron Correlation Effects for Intermediate-Energy Proton-Impact Ionization of Helium

We report fully differential cross sections (FDCS) for the single ionization of helium by a 75 keV incident energy proton. Previous three-body distorted wave (3DW) calculations for this collision system are in poor agreement with the absolute magnitude of the experimental measurements. The 3DW approximation treats the four-body problem as an effective three-body problem in which the passive electron does not participate in the collision. We have developed a full four-body approach in which the passive electron fully participates in the collision. It will be shown that the FDCS is very sensitive to the treatment of the passive electron-ejected electron interaction. Results of our full four-body approach will be compared with recent absolute experimental measurements.
Shapiro's syndrome: a renewed appreciation for vital signs

Vital signs are an invaluable diagnostic tool, but in this era of modern medicine and expensive tests, important information obtainable at the patient's bedside is often overlooked. We report an unusual case, Shapiro's syndrome, in which an appreciation of temperature recordings was essential to diagnosis. We review this disorder and the thermoregulatory system.
Mammalian cell cytotoxicity and genotoxicity analysis of drinking water disinfection by-products.

Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity assays were used to analyze drinking water disinfection by-products (DBPs) in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) AS52 cells. The DBPs were chosen because they are common in drinking water, resulting from conventional disinfection using chlorination and chloramination. Data were also available to compare these results with cytotoxicity and mutagenicity studies in Salmonella typhimurium. The rank order in decreasing chronic cytotoxicity measured in a microplate-based assay was bromoacetic acid (BA) >> 3-chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2[5H]-furanone (MX) > dibromoacetic acid (DBA) > chloroacetic acid (CA) > KBrO(3) > tribromoacetic acid (TBA) > EMS (ethylmethanesulfonate, positive control) > dichloroacetic acid (DCA) > trichloroacetic acid (TCA). The induction of DNA strand breaks by these agents was measured by alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE, comet assay) and the rank order in decreasing genotoxicity was BA >> MX > CA > DBA > TBA > EMS > KBrO(3), while DCA and TCA were refractory. BA was more cytotoxic (31x) and genotoxic (14x) than MX in CHO cells. BA was over 400x more genotoxic than potassium bromate. The brominated haloacetic acids (HAAs) were more cytotoxic and genotoxic than their chlorinated analogs. The HAAs expressed a statistically significant inverse relationship in CHO cell cytotoxicity and genotoxicity as a function of increased numbers of halogen atoms per molecule. A quantitative comparison was conducted with results from a previous study with cytotoxicity and mutagenicity in S. typhimurium. There was no correlation between chronic CHO cell and bacterial cell cytotoxicity. DBP-induced CHO cell cytotoxicity was not related to mutagenic potency in S. typhimurium. Cytotoxicity in CHO cells was statistically significant and highly correlated to CHO cell genotoxicity. Finally, we determined that the DBP genotoxic potency in CHO cells and the mutagenic potency in S. typhimurium were not related. This suggests that toxicity data in S. typhimurium did not quantitatively predict the toxic effects of DBPs in mammalian cell systems. The microplate CHO cell cytotoxicity and genotoxicity assays were well suited for the analysis of DBPs, especially when the quantity of test material is limited.
How Mad Is Mad Money? Jim Cramer as a Stock Picker and Portfolio Manager

This article examines a widely popular and controversial source of investment advice: buy and sell recommendations made by Jim Cramer on his popular nightly Mad Money show on CNBC. The results show that Cramer’s recommendations impact share prices of the companies that he mentions. The effects are short-lived and reverse for buy recommendations, although they persist for sell recommendations. Returns for a portfolio of Cramer recommendations are significantly different from zero for some subperiods. Factor analysis suggests that these returns are driven by beta exposure, smaller stocks, growth-oriented stocks, and momentum effects. Overall performance is average after adjusting for factor exposures. Further analysis indicates a significant cluster of new or updated analysts’ ratings of stocks just before and just after a Cramer recommendation. The results provide insights into the performance of a popular but controversial market pundit and should be of interest to followers and detractors seeking to develop an active, or alpha-generating, investment strategy.
2 Cor 6.14–7.1 and the Chiastic Structure of 6.11–13; 7.2–3

New Testament scholars have long debated whether 2 Cor 6.14–7.1 originally stood at its present location in 2 Corinthians and, indeed, whether the passage should even be attributed to Paul. The verses have variously been viewed as (a) composed by Paul specifically for inclusion at their present location, (b) composed by Paul for some other occasionPerhaps as part of the earlier letter mentioned in 1 Cor 5.9–11. but subsequently included at their present location either by Paul or by someone else, (c) composed by someone other than Paul but included at their present location by Paul, or (d) both composed by someone other than Paul and included at their present location by someone other than Paul (not necessarily the same person).For a good summary of scholarship since the Reformation, see William J. Webb, Returning Home: New Covenant and Second Exodus as the Context for 2 Corinthians 6.14–7.1 (JSNTSup 85; Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 1993) 16–30; see also, e.g., Victor Paul Furnish, II Corinthians: Translated with Introduction, Notes, and Commentary (AB 32A; Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1984) 375–83. It is not my intention in this brief study to address the question of authorship; rather, I propose simply to look at one aspect of the question whether this passage originally stood at its present location in 2 Corinthians – that is, at the relation between 2 Cor 6.14–7.1 and its immediate context (6.11–13 and 7.2–3).
Free Will and Agency at its Best

Some kind of freedom call it "freedom of action" is undermined by ropes, chains and other physical constraints. And there is something that all of these constraints have in common something that makes them all constraints: they stand as obstacles to the realization of certain choices.l Freedom of action, then, is dependency of conduct on choice; the reason that physical constraints undermine this kind of freedom is that they interfere with such dependency. The question needing to be tackled is this: What more does a full-fledged free agent an agent who has all the kinds of freedom that we worry about when we worry about "the free will problem" need beyond this rather limited kind of freedom? Sometimes nothing but fear and apathy, for instance, prevent us from coming to another's rescue; sometimes we are less than full-fledged free agents despite the fact that we are not tied down, our phones lines are not cut. We can be unfree even when nothing interferes with the efficacy of our choices, for things like fear and apathy can perniciously influence what we choose. What we lack in such circumstances is freedom of will. But what, if anything, is freedom of will? This paper argues that two broad strategies for answering this question are mistaken. Many philosophers who have offered substantive theories of freedom of will have followed one or the other of these two strategies. The result is that we need a new approach. Towards the end, I suggest an alternative approach and give some reasons for thinking it promising. The strategies which I am attacking here, and that which I propose, all depend on a particular conception of what we are doing when we offer an analysis of freedom. In particular, I assume throughout that a choice or action possesses a particular kind of freedom because of something about either what causes it, or the manner through which it is caused. We know, roughly, what feature an action's causal history must exhibit to be an instance of freedom of action: it must be caused by a choice to do it, where the choice is causally crucial: in the absence of the choice the agent would not have so acted. But what must the causal history of a choice be like for the choice to manifest freedom of will?
From Teahouse to Playhouse: Theaters As Social Texts in Early-Twentieth-Century China

The qing court had a love-hate relationship with popular drama. From the Qianlong emperor (r. 1736–95) to the Empress Dowager Cixi (1835–1908), several Qing rulers were renowned for their doting patronage of popular opera, yet the state was far from sanguine about drama's social effects, viewing public theaters with great suspicion. Theaters, in the eyes of the authorities, were notorious hangouts for ruffians, slackers, gamblers, and insurgents, providing these roustabouts with the ideal environment in which to scheme and swindle. In addition to waging campaigns to censor and weed out “seditious passages” from popular dramas (Guy 1987, 92), emperors throughout the Qing dynasty issued dozens of edicts regulating the construction, location, and clientele of commercial theaters. In rural areas, especially in times of unrest, local authorities often canceled scheduled performances for fear that such occasions offered gangs and secret societies prime opportunities for stirring up trouble (Mackerras 1972, 37). Urban theaters were no safer. According to popular lore, even the Kangxi emperor was cheated by hoodlums when he ventured into a public theater during one of his legendary outings disguised as a commoner (Liao 1997, 80). Yet in spite of their reputation for breeding disorder and moral vice, commercial theaters—commonly known as teahouses (chayuan)—increasingly thrived, and in this new social space, the genre of Peking opera came into full flower during the last century of the Qing dynasty.
Biological constraints on the growth of hardwood regeneration in upland Piedmont forests

The effects of aboveground fungi, insects, browsing mammals and weeds on the growth (height, diameter and volume index) and density of hardwood stems were studied on three upland sites in the Piedmont of North Carolina, USA during the first two growing seasons following clearcutting. Competition from weeds was the most detrimental to hardwood growth. Pesticide treatments alone (broad-spectrum insecticide, fungicide and mammal repellent) did not significantly increase growth. Compared to the control (no weeding or pesticides), stems receiving the pesticide+weeded treatment increased in height 1.6–4.5 times, diameter 1.7–5.3 times and volume index 3.4–5.1 times by the end of second growing season, across all sites. Stem density did not exhibit clear treatment effects, although individual tree mortality and recruitment in the plots were not recorded. Exclosures, with weeding, to eliminate the browsing impact of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimmermann), installed only during the second year of study, yielded a 1.9, 1.6 and 3.2 times increase in mean stem height, diameter and stem volume index, respectively, as compared to weeded only plots. Results indicate that very young hardwood regeneration can respond quickly to release from biological constraints and the rate of stand establishment and development may be enhanced with stand manipulations in the first two growing seasons.
Fatty acid oxidation by carp liver mitochondria.

Abstract Carp liver mitochondria were shown to contain an enzyme system that will oxidize fatty acids in the presence of adenosine triphosphate, cytochrome c, and Mg++. The addition of a sparking substance, i.e., a small amount of a tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediate, considerably enhanced the rate of oxidation. Butyrate, octanoate, palmitate, oleate, linoleate, linolenate, arachidonate, eicosapentaenoate, and docosahexaenoate were readily oxidized. Cysteine, Cu++, and the supernatant derived from the mitochondrial separation were found to be slightly stimulatory to the oxidation; added coenzyme A, flavine adenine dinucleotide, glutathione, cocarboxylase, Fe++, Mn++, and Zn++ were without effect. Diphosphopyridine nucleotide (DPN) and ethylenediamine tetraacetate (EDTA) were slightly stimulatory to mitochondrial preparations derived from a homogenate prepared with plain sucrose, but if the homogenizing medium contained DPN and EDTA the stimulatory effect was no longer observed. Lipoic acid was inhibitory to the oxidation. Adenosine diphosphate or adenylic acid could replace adenosine triphosphate in the system; the simultaneous use of two of these adenylate compounds in the system was slightly stimulatory. The addition of hexokinase plus glucose was without effect. Malonate and 2,4-dinitrophenol effectively inhibited the oxidation. Acetoacetate was produced in less than theoretical amounts from the oxidation of octanoate and particularly from the oxidation of linoleate. This is likely due to the diversion of a portion of the fatty acid carbon into the tricarboxylic acid cycle.
Primary afferent fibers in the tract of Lissauer in the rat

More than two-thirds of the axons in the tract of Lissauer at mid-thoracic and lumbosacral levels of the rat spinal cord are primary afferent fibers. The proportions of primary afferents in the tract are approximately the same at the two spinal levels. A slightly higher percentage of the unmyelinated, as opposed to the myelinated, fibers are primary afferents. There is a somewhat greater percentage of primary afferent axons in medial parts of the tract in mid-thoracic levels, but all areas of the tract that were examined contain a majority of primary afferent fibers. The primary afferent axons appear to travel less than a segment in the tract at mid-thoracic levels but for several segments in the tract at lumbo-sacral levels. These data indicate that the tract of Lissauer is predominately a primary afferent fiber system in these segments of the rat.
A study of a family of goitrous cretins.

Apatient with cretinism encountered in an iodine-deficient area usually has an enlargement of his thyroid gland (1). Microscopically it may show all degrees of nodularity, hyperplasia and involution (2). Unless completely degenerated, such a gland might be expected to have a normal or increased avidity for iodide and to bind it readily into an organic complex. By contrast, sporadic cretinism is usually not associated with goiter; there may be only a fibrous remnant to mark the site of the gland. Little or no accumulation of radioactive iodine can be demonstrated in the gland of such a patient (3). Much more rarely one encounters a cretinous subject who is clearly not deficient in iodine, who has been exposed to no known goitrogen, and yet who shows striking enlargement of his thyroid gland. Hamilton and associates (3) refer to 2 classic cases. Following the'administration of radioactive iodine abnormally large collections of this material were noted in the thyroid glands of these patients. Two cretin brot...
Computer Calculation of Device, Circuit, Equipment, and System Reliability

A grouping into four classes is proposed for all reliability computations that are related to electronic equipment. Examples are presented of reliability computations in three of these four classes. Each of the three specific reliability tasks described was originaly undertaken to satsify an engineering need for reliability data. The form and interpretation of the print-out of the specific reliability computations is presented. The justification for the costs of these computations is indicated. The skills of the personnel used to conduct the analyses, the interfaces between the personnel, and the timing of the projects is discussed.
Ligation of superior mesenteric vein and portal to splenic vein anastomosis after superior mesenteric-portal vein confluence resection during pancreaticoduodenectomy – Case report

62 year old Caucasian female with pancreatic head mass abutting the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) presented with fine needle aspiration biopsy confirmed diagnosis of ductal adenocarcinoma. CT scan showed near complete obstruction of portal vein and large SMV collateral development. After 3 months of neoadjuvant therapy, her portal vein flow improved significantly, SMV collateral circulation was diminished. Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and superior mesenteric portal vein (SMPV) confluence resection were performed; A saphenous vein interposition graft thrombosed immediately. The splenic vein remnant was distended and adjacent to the stump of the portal vein. Harvesting an internal jugular vein graft required extra time and using a synthetic graft posed a risk of graft thrombosis or infection. As a result, we chose to perform a direct anastomosis of the portal and splenic vein in a desperate situation. The anastomosis decompressed the mesenteric venous system, so we then ligated the SMV. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course, except transient ascites. She redeveloped ascites more than one year later. At that time a PET scan showed bilateral lung and right femur metastatic disease. She expired 15 months after PD.
RFX2 is a candidate downstream amplifier of A-MYB regulation in mouse spermatogenesis

Background Mammalian spermatogenesis involves formation of haploid cells from the male germline and then a complex morphological transformation to generate motile sperm. Focusing on meiotic prophase, some tissue-specific transcription factors are known (A-MYB) or suspected (RFX2) to play important roles in modulating gene expression in pachytene spermatocytes. The current work was initiated to identify both downstream and upstream regulatory connections for Rfx2.
Timing of referral for lung transplantation for cystic fibrosis: overemphasis on FEV1 may adversely affect overall survival.

Study objectives (1) Report our experience with referral for lung transplantation. (2) Review survival in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients without lung transplantation after FEV 1 remains Design Retrospective review. Setting A university hospital CF center. Patients (1) Forty-five patients referred for lung transplantation evaluation, and (2) 178 patients without Burkholderia sp infection, with the above FEV 1 criterion. Main outcome measure Survival. Measurements and results (1) One- and 2-year survival after transplantation was 55% and 45%, respectively. However, among patients without transplants with FEV 1 ie , before the transplant era, was 4.6 years with 25% living > 9 years (before 1986, 25% lived > 6 years). (2) Survival after transplantation was not correlated to any of the following: age, sex, genotype, FEV 1 percent predicted, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, or with waiting time before transplantation, and did not seem to be correlated to serum bicarbonate or percent ideal body weight. Four of five patients already infected with Burkholderia species died within 5 months of transplantation; the fifth died at 17 months. All five died of pulmonary or extrapulmonary infection with Burkholderia species Conclusions Use of FEV 1
CDC36 and CDC39 are negative elements in the signal transduction pathway of yeast.

Abstract Mutations in either the CDC36 or CDC39 gene cause yeast cells to arrest in G1 of the cell cycle at the same point as treatment with mating pheromone. We demonstrate here that strains harboring temperature-sensitive mutations in CDC36 or CDC39 activate expression of the pheromone-inducible gene FUS1 when shifted to nonpermissive temperature. We show further that cell-cycle arrest and induction of FUS1 are dependent on known components of the mating factor response pathway, the STE genes. Thus, the G1-arrest phenotype of cdc36 and cdc39 mutants results from activation of the mating factor response pathway. The CDC36 and CDC39 gene products behave formally as negative elements in the response pathway: they are required to block response in the absence of pheromone. Epistasis analysis of mutants defective in CDC36 or CDC39 and different STE genes demonstrates that activation requires the response pathway G protein and suggests that CDC36 and CDC39 products may control synthesis or function of the G alpha subunit.
Ammonia N-H activation by a N,N'-diamidocarbene.

The synthesis and characterization of N,N′-dimesityl-4,6-diketo-5,5-dimethylpyrimidin-2-ylidene is reported; this crystalline N,N′-diamidocarbene was found to split ammonia and engage in other reactions not exhibited by typical N-heterocyclic carbenes.
Asymmetric developmental potential along the animal-vegetal axis in the anthozoan cnidarian, Nematostella vectensis, is mediated by Dishevelled.

The relationship between egg polarity and the adult body plan is well understood in many bilaterians. However, the evolutionary origins of embryonic polarity are not known. Insight into the evolution of polarity will come from understanding the ontogeny of polarity in non-bilaterian forms, such as cnidarians. We examined how the axial properties of the starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis (Anthozoa, Cnidaria), are established during embryogenesis. Egg-cutting experiments and sperm localization show that Nematostella eggs are only fertilized at the animal pole. Vital marking experiments demonstrate that the egg animal pole corresponds to the sites of first cleavage and gastrulation, and the oral pole of the adult. Embryo separation experiments demonstrate an asymmetric segregation of developmental potential along the animal–vegetal axis prior to the 8-cell stage. We demonstrate that Dishevelled (Dsh) plays an important role in mediating this asymmetric segregation of developmental fate. Although NvDsh mRNA is ubiquitously expressed during embryogenesis, the protein is associated with the female pronucleus at the animal pole in the unfertilized egg, becomes associated with the unipolar first cleavage furrow, and remains enriched in animal pole blastomeres. Our results suggest that at least one mechanism for Dsh enrichment at the animal pole is through its degradation at the vegetal pole. Functional studies reveal that NvDsh is required for specifying embryonic polarity and endoderm by stabilizing β-catenin in the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. The localization of Dsh to the animal pole in Nematostella and two other anthozoan cnidarians (scleractinian corals) provides a possible explanation for how the site of gastrulation has changed in bilaterian evolution while other axial components of development have remained the same and demonstrates that modifications of the Wnt signaling pathway have been used to pattern a wide variety of metazoan embryos.