cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measuring the Effects of Changes

This chapter is about looking at the analytics data for your website before and after a design change to determine the effectiveness of that change according to something that web analytics can measure. The key to measuring the effectiveness of design changes is thinking about a broader set of user actions as though they were conversion rates. Before you can measure whether a design change was successful, you must decide what to measure—what aspect of users’ behavior did you hope to influence with a design change? You also must choose two time periods for your analysis: before and after the design change, with the former being the longest time period possible without any major changes to the website. The amount of time after the design change will depend on traffic volume and how drastic the change was. You will frame the question as, for a given time period, how many users had the opportunity to take the desired action, and how many actually did. You will then compare this rate before and after the design change.
Genetic properties of linkage group XIX in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

At the base of all eukaryotic flagella is a structure known as the basal body (12). It is about 400 nm in length and is composed of triplet microtubules with a stereotyped pattern of appendages along its length. Basal bodies are morphologically similar to centrioles, which are found in a perinuclear location. The two different names reflect the different cellular locations of the same structure and the different cellular functions proposed for them. It has been suggested that basal bodies are required for the assembly of flagella. This supposition is supported by the observation that these structures are found attached to flagella in all flagellated eukaryotic cells during some or all of the cell cycle. This idea is supported further by the phenotype of mutations in Chlamydomonas that have extra basal bodies; these cells also have additional flagella (67). In addition, a mutant with morphologically altered basal bodies does not make flagella (14).
Mortality, length of stay and cost of hospitalization among patients with systemic sclerosis: results from the National Inpatient Sample.

Objectives To evaluate the hospitalizations and define the factors associated with in-hospital mortality, longer length of stay (LOS) and higher hospital costs among SSc hospitalizations. Methods We used the National Inpatient Sample (2012-13) to identify adult hospitalizations with SSc, excluding patients with concomitant diagnosis of RA and systemic lupus. We calculated rates of hospitalization, in-hospital mortality, LOS and hospital costs. Factors associated with these outcomes were evaluated by univariate and backward stepwise multivariate logistic regression. Results There were 9731 hospitalizations in the sample representing an estimated 48 655 hospitalizations nationwide with SSc (0.09%), and the inpatient mortality rate was 5%. Patients were predominantly older (mean age 63.2 years), female (82.2%) and Caucasian (71.5%). Infections were the most common primary diagnoses among SSc hospitalizations (17.4%) and among those who died (32.7%). Acute renal failure [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 4.3, 95% CI: 3.3, 5.6] and aspiration (aOR= 3.5, 95% CI: 2.5, 4.9) were strongly associated with in-hospital mortality. The median (interquartile range) LOS was 4 days (-2, 7), and the median (interquartile range) cost was $8885 (-5169, 15921). While hospital from the West region, acute renal failure, acute bowel obstruction and aspiration (aOR > 2.0 with P 2.0 with P < 0.0001 for all), were associated with longer LOS. Conclusion Infections are currently the most common diagnoses among SSc hospitalizations and in-hospital deaths. This emphasizes the importance of being vigilant in prevention and early treatment of infections in SSc patients.
Suicidal ideation and other persisting symptoms after CBT or antidepressant medication treatment for major depressive disorder

Background Persisting symptoms after treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD) contribute to ongoing impairment and relapse risk. Whether cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) or antidepressant medications result in different profiles of residual symptoms after treatment is largely unknown. Methods Three hundred fifteen adults with MDD randomized to treatment with either CBT or antidepressant medication in the Predictors of Remission in Depression to Individual and Combined Treatments (PReDICT) study were analyzed for the frequency of residual symptoms using the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) item scores at the end of the 12-week treatment period. Separate comparisons were made for treatment responders and non-responders. Results Among treatment completers (n = 250) who responded to CBT or antidepressant medication, there were no significant differences in the persistence of residual MADRS symptoms. However, non-responders treated with medication were significantly less likely to endorse suicidal ideation (SI) at week 12 compared with those treated with CBT (non-responders to medication: 0/54, 0%, non-responders to CBT: 8/30, 26.7%; p = .001). Among patients who terminated the trial early (n = 65), residual MADRS item scores did not significantly differ between the CBT- and medication-treated groups. Conclusions Depressed adults who respond to CBT or antidepressant medication have similar residual symptom profiles. Antidepressant medications reduce SI, even among patients for whom the medication provides little overall benefit.
Do birdwatchers buy the duck stamp

Bird watchers (birders) are stakeholders in wildlife conservation; yet, few federal programs provide formal mechanisms for birders to contribute economically to conservation. One exception is the M...
Reconfigurable electronic devices enabled by laser-sintered liquid metal nanoparticles

Liquid metals are promising conductive materials for creating flexible and stretchable electronic devices. However, methods to pattern liquid metal remain limited in scope: fabrication processes often require substantial manual intervention and the resulting devices are often patterned indelibly into the substrate. In this paper, we demonstrate the creation of electrical traces and components from laser-sintered liquid metal nanoparticles, a digital fabrication approach that creates devices without permanently patterning the materials. As deposited, the liquid metal nanoparticles form a non-conductive film because the conductive liquid metal cores of each particle are surrounded by a non-conductive metal oxide shell. Conductive traces are patterned into the film using an infrared laser to sinter and coalesce the nanoparticles. We demonstrate that we can create resistive and capacitive electrical elements by tailoring the geometry of the laser-sintered patterns. Furthermore, the patterned capacitors can be used to sense the proximity of an object and the patterned resistors can be used in conjunction with analog integrated circuit components to create analog circuits. We show that the fabricated analog circuits can be reconfigured and reused to attain different output responses. The laser processing technique also offers the opportunity to create stretchable conductive traces. We show that compound laser processing can be used to both sinter the nanoparticle film and cut the underlying substrate in the same processing area to achieve in-plane stretching via out-of-plane flexing of liquid metal films.
Evolving Management Paradigms on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lands in the Prairie Pothole Region

On the Ground • The US Fish and Wildlife Service manages nearly 1 million acres of wetlands and grasslands in the Prairie Pothole Region. • Initial management paradigms focused on nesting cover for waterfowl and other birds, which led to idling prairies, and seeding former croplands to non-native plants. • Current paradigms encompass a broader focus on ecological integrity and biological diversity, resulting in increased defoliation of prairies and seeding former croplands to native plants.
Los mares esquizofrénicos y la transnación caribeña

Two concepts which appear titularly, orient this paper – “Schizophrenic Seas” and the “Trans-Nation.” “The Schizophrenic Sea” is Wilson Harris’s term which appears in his classic collection of essays, The Womb of Space . The “trans-nation” is Bill Aschroft’s attempt to revise the over-reaching framing of the post-colonial. For this paper, I propose to bring these two concepts together, as constitutive of each other. They move in different directions, but allow for a series of returns to unsettled boundaries, redefined sea-scapes and land-scapes definitely given the nature of island instability and the effects of environmental turns, creating a Caribbean-trans nation that also in my reading redefines Caribbean space.
Comparison of a 2D nonlocal transport model to ECRH experiments in LHD

A recently developed model of nonlocal transport in two dimensions (2D), the “iterative method” [J. E. Maggs and G. J. Morales, Phys. Rev. E 99, 013307 (2019)], is applied to the published results of ECRH experiments [Takahashi et al. AIP Conf. Proc. 1580, 145 (2014)] performed in the Large Helical Device. It is found from the temperature profiles obtained from the 2D model that the sharply peaked electron temperature profiles observed in such experiments, and previously associated with local transport and “internal transport barriers” or Core Electron-Root Confinement, are also consistent with nonlocal transport. It is shown that the iterative method is suited to handling both scenarios.A recently developed model of nonlocal transport in two dimensions (2D), the “iterative method” [J. E. Maggs and G. J. Morales, Phys. Rev. E 99, 013307 (2019)], is applied to the published results of ECRH experiments [Takahashi et al. AIP Conf. Proc. 1580, 145 (2014)] performed in the Large Helical Device. It is found from the temperature profiles obtained from the 2D model that the sharply peaked electron temperature profiles observed in such experiments, and previously associated with local transport and “internal transport barriers” or Core Electron-Root Confinement, are also consistent with nonlocal transport. It is shown that the iterative method is suited to handling both scenarios.
Cheminformatics approach to exploring and modeling trait-associated metabolite profiles.

Developing predictive and transparent approaches to the analysis of metabolite profiles across patient cohorts is of critical importance for understanding the events that trigger or modulate traits of interest (e.g., disease progression, drug metabolism, chemical risk assessment). However, metabolites’ chemical structures are still rarely used in the statistical modeling workflows that establish these trait-metabolite relationships. Herein, we present a novel cheminformatics-based approach capable of identifying predictive, interpretable, and reproducible trait-metabolite relationships. As a proof-of-concept, we utilize a previously published case study consisting of metabolite profiles from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) adenocarcinoma patients and healthy controls. By characterizing each structurally annotated metabolite using both computed molecular descriptors and patient metabolite concentration profiles, we show that these complementary features enhance the identification and understanding of key metabolites associated with cancer. Ultimately, we built multi-metabolite classification models for assessing patients’ cancer status using specific groups of metabolites identified based on high structural similarity through chemical clustering. We subsequently performed a metabolic pathway enrichment analysis to identify potential mechanistic relationships between metabolites and NSCLC adenocarcinoma. This cheminformatics-inspired approach relies on the metabolites’ structural features and chemical properties to provide critical information about metabolite-trait associations. This method could ultimately facilitate biological understanding and advance research based on metabolomics data, especially with respect to the identification of novel biomarkers.
Kleefstra syndrome: Impact on parents.

Abstract Background Kleefstra syndrome (KS) is associated with developmental delay, autism, intellectual disability, psychosis, and regression. Research has not been conducted to assess the impact of KS on parents. Objective/hypothesis A mixed-method study was conducted to assess the impact on parental well-being by evaluating parents’ well-being, identifying factors of parental experience predicting well-being, and exploring the parental experience. Methods Parents completed an online survey containing the PedsQL™ Family Impact Module (FIM) and a questionnaire created by the researchers. One-Way T-Test compared parents of children with KS to parents of children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). Multiple linear regression used parents’ total scale scores on PedsQL™ FIM to identify factors influencing parental well-being. Constant comparative analysis used open-ended responses to explore the parental experience of having a child with KS. Results Parents of children with KS had statistically lower scores in daily activity and social functioning, but statistically higher scores in communication and emotional functioning compared to parents of children with PWS. However, the power was below 0.80, meaning additional research needs to be completed to confirm these findings. The linear multiple regression was not significant. Most importantly, the themes of establishing the diagnosis, importance of knowledge, sense of community, KS and relationships with others, how life changed, and what the future will hold, characterized the parental experience. Conclusions Knowledge and support were important to parents who had a child recently diagnosed with KS. Therefore, parents should be provided resources about KS and support groups at diagnosis.
Highly-accurate quartic force fields for the prediction of anharmonic rotational constants and fundamental vibrational frequencies

Abstract The CcCR quartic force field (QFF) methodology is capable of computing B 0 and C 0 rotational constants to within 35 MHz (0.14%) of experiment for triatomic and larger molecules with at least two heavy atoms. Additionally, the same constants for molecules with four or more atoms agree to within 20 MHz (0.12%) of experiment for the current test set. This work also supports previous claims that the same QFF methodology can produce fundamental vibrational frequencies with a deviation less than 5.7 cm−1 from experiment. Consequently, this approach of augmenting complete basis set extrapolated energies with treatments of core electron correlation and scalar relativity produces some of the most accurate rovibrational spectroscopic data available.
An application of media and network multiplexity theory to the structure and perceptions of information environments in hurricane evacuation

Abstract Understanding how information use contributes to uncertainties surrounding evacuation decisions is crucial during disasters. While literature increasingly establishes that people consult m...
Health and Wellbeing: Bridging Secular and Islamic Worldviews

Wellbeing has been operationalized in a variety of ways, most of which fit within either a hedonic and/or eudemonic framework. The hedonic worldview equates wellbeing with subjective happiness, pleasure and momentary experiences of positive over negative affect, whereas a eudemonic worldview understands psychological wellbeing as capturing aspects of self-actualization, living well, and reaching one’s potential by developing inner capacities that serve to make an individual more fully functioning. “Chaironic” happiness, a relatively recent addition to the discussion, takes a different approach by considering the influence of spiritual and transcendental elements in wellbeing. For practicing Muslims, the goal of life is not the attainment of complete happiness, but rather a complete submission and orientation towards God. In this chapter, we discuss these conceptualizations as well as the ways in which Muslim health and wellbeing may be attained through the Five Pillars of Islam.
The Use of Lectins in Bioaffinity MALDI Probes

Publisher Summary Commonly, lectins have been utilized to isolate glycoproteins from biological fluids, such as serum and plasma. The use of lectins has advanced many areas of medical research, such as aging, cancer prevention, as well as other clinical problems. The chapter also desribes the work conducted in the Lebrilla Laboratory utilizing lectin biology to isolate glycans present in the egg jelly of the frog Xenopus laevis . In this project, the general use of bioaffinity probes for oligosaccharide analysis was examined prior to the work of developing bioaffinity matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) lectin probes. The methods developed in this phase of the project were ultimately used with the lectins to extract glycans from complex and heterogenous mixtures. Biologically active probes for MALDI can be highly useful for the rapid isolation of a compound from a mixture, thus allowing researchers to complete rapid analysis using mass spectrometry (MS).
Hypergraphs and decision trees

We survey some recent results on a space decomposition problem that has a close relationship to the size of algebraic decision trees. These results are obtained by establishing connections between the decomposition problem and some extremal questions in hypergraphs.
Engaging youth and pre-service teachers in immigration deliberations

In this report of innovative teacher practice, the author describes an arts-based event which brought together adolescent refugee and immigrant students and pre-service teachers to deliberate about immigration policies and attitudes in the United States.
Serological Diversity Within a Terrestrial Ammonia-Oxidizing Population

Fluorescent antibodies (FAs) prepared against 16 ammonia-oxidizing nitrifying bacteria were examined as to cross-reactivity in heterologous FA staining tests. Virtually all cross-reactions to the seven Nitrosomonas FAs were confined to the Nitrosomonas isolates. The five Nitrosospira, three Nitrosolobus, and one Nitrosovibrio FAs stained isolates only within their respective genera. Within each genus shared antigens were more common among Nitrosomonas and Nitrosolobus than among Nitrosospira isolates. Isolates obtained from a single soil were stained to examine the effectiveness of the suite of FAs for study of a given ammonia-oxidizing population. Of the seven Nitrosomonas isolates, five were stained effectively through the use of four FAs; six of twelve Nitrosospira isolates were identifiable through use of four different FAs. The one Nitrosolobus isolate was stained well only by one (its homologous) FA.
A nonlinear Luenberger-type observer with application to catalyst activity estimation

The present work proposes a new approach to the nonlinear observer design problem. Based on the ideas that influenced the development of the linear Luenberger observer theory, the proposed approach develops a nonlinear analogue. The formulation of the observer design problem is realized via a system of first-order linear PDEs, and a rather general set of necessary and sufficient conditions for solvability is derived. Within the proposed design framework, both full-order and reduced-order observers are studied. The performance of the proposed nonlinear observer is evaluated in a batch reactor example, where catalyst deactivation takes place and the problem of catalyst activity estimation becomes truly important for an efficient reactor operation.
Performance of Thorium-Fueled Fast Breeders

Three studies were made of the performance characteristics of thorium-containing reactors. The first of these compared two small breeder designs, one using thorium oxide, the other using thorium metal, both with /sup 233/U enrichment. The second compared a plutonium-uranium oxide 1200 MWe design to a uranium-thorium 1200 MWe design. The third compared the performances of thorium metal and thorium oxide radial blankets for three large breeders using uranium or thorium oxide cores and axial blankets. Results are presented and discussed.
Application of Radio-Frequency Plasma Glow Discharge to Removal of Uranium Dioxide from Metal Surfaces

Recent experiments have shown that radio-frequency (rf) plasma glow discharge using NF3 gas is an effective technique for the removal of uranium oxide from metal surfaces. The results of these expe...
Geophysical Constraints on the Subseafloor Environment Near Mid-Ocean Ridges

Studies of the subseafloor biosphere require an understanding of the physical characteristics of oceanic crust and in particular its hydrological state. Marine geophysics provides many tools to infer subsurface structure and processes remotely, but hydrological properties are difficult to infer from other physical parameters and are best constrained by controlled, in situ experiments. Because of the lack of boreholes at unsedimented ridge-crest sites, our knowledge of hydrological processes at mid-ocean ridges is derived indirectly by using geophysical images, geological studies, measurements in vent fields, and comparisons with off-axis sites as constraints for models of hydrothermal circulation. A synthesis of results from three well-studied ridge segments shows that there have been considerable advances in our understanding of the thermal structure of young oceanic crust and the linkages between hydrothermal, magmatic, and tectonic processes. However, there are still many unanswered questions related to processes in the heat uptake zone, the geometry of circulation, the formation and fate of brines, the effect of volcanic and tectonic events on hydrothermal systems, and the critical linkages between the many processes that affect crustal permeability and drive fluid flow. We argue that geophysical investigations will contribute most to studies of the subsurface biosphere near mid-oocean ridges if they first focus on shallow processes in the vicinity of hydrothermal upflow zones. The role of geophysical studies is likely to be enhanced by advances in underwater vehicle capabilities, the move towards establishing long-term seafloor observatories, and the prospects for new techniques to drill bare rock.
In vitro transcriptional activation of the phage Mu mom promoter by C protein.

Abstract The phage Mu gene C encodes a 16.5-kDa site-specific DNA-binding protein that functions as a trans-activator of the four phage "late" operons, including mom. We have overexpressed and purified C and used it for DNase I footprinting and transcription analyses in vitro. The footprinting results are summarized as follows. (i) As shown previously (V. Balke, V. Nagaraja, T. Gindlesperger, and S. Hattman, Nucleic Acids Res. 12:2777-2784, 1992) in vivo, Escherichia coli RNA polymerase (RNAP) bound the wild-type (wt) mom promoter at a site slightly upstream from the functionally active site bound on the C-independent tin7 mutant promoter. (ii) In the presence of C, however, RNAP bound the wt promoter at the same site as tin7. (iii) C and RNAP were both bound by the mom promoter at overlapping sites, indicating that they were probably on different faces of the DNA helix. The minicircle system of Choy and Adhya (H. E. Choy and S. Adhya, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:472-476, 1993) was used to compare transcription in vitro from the wt and tin7 promoters. This analysis showed the following. (i) Few full-length transcripts were observed from the wt promoter in the absence of C, but addition of increasing amounts of C greatly stimulated transcription. (ii) RNA was transcribed from the tin7 promoter in the absence of C, but addition of C had a small stimulatory effect. (iii) Transcription from linearized minicircles or restriction fragment templates was greatly reduced (although still stimulated by C) with both the wt and tin7 promoters. These results show that C alone is capable of activating rightward transcription in vitro by promoting RNAP binding at a functionally active site. Additionally, DNA topology plays an important role in transcriptional activation in vitro.
The Same Old Elephant

We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.—T. S. Eliot (Little Gidding, 1991, p. 210) Efforts pe...
Introduction: Distributed High Performance Computing and Gigabit Wide Area Networks

In many countries there are nation wide high performance wide area computer networks, e.g. the German broad band science network B-Win or the very high speed backbone network services vBNS of the American National Science Foundation (NSF). They form a part of the Internet, the widest wide area network of them all. Experience with these networks provides a wealth of information, in particular on hardware and software for wide area networking and high performance computing.
Microring-based multi-chip WDM photonic module

We report on a packaged prototype of a WDM photonic transceiver. It is an all-solid state hybrid assembly based on 130nm SOI photonic circuitry integrated with a 40nm CMOS VLSI driver. Our prototype supports eight tunable WDM channels operating at 10Gb/s, each capable of both transmitting and receiving data on the same chip. We discuss two options to close the link using the optical fiber or a waveguide bridge chip. We provide integration details and supporting link measurement data to describe packaged photonic module and its power efficient functionality with its on-chip power per channel averaging 1.3pJ/bit, excluding off-chip laser electrical power.
Improving Coordination of Related Agency Responsibilities

Interagency coordination is one of the great challenges of modern governance. This Report, prepared for the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS), highlights the challenges presented by fragmented agency responsibilities. Rather than oppose all agency fragmentation, the Report highlights instances when it presents governance problems and describes the variety of tools that Congress, the President, and agencies may use to manage coordination challenges more effectively. These tools include agency interaction requirements, formal interagency agreements, and joint policymaking.This Report also assesses the relative strengths and weaknesses of these coordination tools using the normative criteria of efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability, and it concludes that the benefits of coordination will frequently be substantial. To varying extents, these instruments can reduce regulatory costs for both government and the private sector, improve expertise, and ameliorate the risk of bureaucratic drift without compromising transparency. Coordination can also help to preserve the functional benefits of shared or overlapping authority, such as promoting interagency competition and accountability, while minimizing dysfunctions like discordant policy.Building on the existing literature, and past proposals of organizations like ACUS, the Report recommends a comprehensive executive branch effort to promote stronger interagency coordination and improve coordination instruments. The Report also recommends some more targeted reforms designed to promote coordination and its benefits, including development of agency policies on coordination, sharing of best practices, ex post evaluation of at least a subset of coordination processes, and tracking of outcomes and costs. These reforms could be adopted in a new Executive Order on agency coordination; added as amendments to existing Executive Order 12866 or 13563; adopted as part of the Office and Mangement and Budget’s implementation of the Government Performance and Results Act; or prescribed by Congress via statute. Agencies might also voluntarily adopt a number of these reforms.This Consultants' Report served as a background for ACUS Recommendation 2012-5, "Improving Coordination of Related Agency Responsibilities," adopted on June 15, 2012.
Individual and Structural Orientations in Socially Just Teaching: Conceptualization, Implementation, and Collaborative Effort

This essay, drawn from theory, research, and the author’s practitioner research as a teacher educator, proposes a framework to inform teacher educators’ conceptualization and implementation of soci...
Requirements for in vitro shortening and lengthening of isolated thick filaments of Limulus striated muscle.

DE VILLAFRANCA1 first reported that the A bands of Limulus skeletal muscle shortened during ATP-stimulated contraction of glycerinated myofibrils. We have found that in Limulus striated muscle, unlike vertebrate striated muscle, the length of the A band varies linearly with sarcomere length2. This is partly due to variation in thick filament length. We have isolated either long or short thick filaments from this muscle, depending on the conditions to which the muscle was exposed before the isolation procedure3. We have further determined that the paramyosin-containing thick filaments4,5 of the Limulus telson muscle decrease 30–40% in length2 and increase in diameter by a similar amount during sarcomere shortening below rest length (7.0 µm)6. The mechanism for the control of this shortening process is unknown but the series of experiments reported here implicate Ca2+ and ATP in thick filament shortening.
Black and White Suburban Population Growth Since World War Ii: A Comparison of Intradecade Models

This article examines the relationship between the percent black population, black population change, and white population change for American suburbs for the 1950 to 1980 period Linear, tipping po...
An analysis of an embedded crossover scheme on a GA-hard problem

Abstract This paper analyzes the effect of an embedded crossover scheme on the performance of a genetic algorithm in solving a GA-hard problem. Embedded crossover schemes have been found to be efficient in achieving convergence in a variety of numerical problems in the past. This analysis confirms these findings through a minimal deceptive problem (with severe deceptive conditions), which would cause a simple GA to diverge from the best solution.
Identification of Genes Needed for Regeneration, Stem Cell Function, and Tissue Homeostasis by Systematic Gene Perturbation in Planaria

Planarians have been a classic model system for the study of regeneration, tissue homeostasis, and stem cell biology for over a century, but they have not historically been accessible to extensive genetic manipulation. Here we utilize RNA-mediated genetic interference (RNAi) to introduce large-scale gene inhibition studies to the classic planarian system. 1065 genes were screened. Phenotypes associated with the RNAi of 240 genes identify many specific defects in the process of regeneration and define the major categories of defects planarians display following gene perturbations. We assessed the effects of inhibiting genes with RNAi on tissue homeostasis in intact animals and stem cell (neoblast) proliferation in amputated animals identifying candidate stem cell, regeneration, and homeostasis regulators. Our study demonstrates the great potential of RNAi for the systematic exploration of gene function in understudied organisms and establishes planarians as a powerful model for the molecular genetic study of stem cells, regeneration, and tissue homeostasis.
A Spectre Haunts Evolution: Haeckel, Heidegger, and the All-Too-Human History of Biology

Since The Meaning of Evolution (1992), Robert J. Richards has argued that modern evolutionary theory is rooted in late 18th-century Romantic science. The publication of The Tragic Sense of Life (2009) provides a fitting occasion to evaluate how this perspective revises the standard history of biological thought. This essay focuses on three aspects of Richards's attempt to rehabilitate the reputation of German Naturphilosophie: (1) the identification of Romantic strains in Charles Darwin's portrait of evolutionary history; (2) the demonstration that any attempt to treat Ernst Haeckel as a "pseudo-Darwinian" inevitably renders Darwin himself a "pseudo-Darwinian"; and (3) the denial of Haeckel's alleged responsibility for the rise of Nazi racial hygiene. This article examines Richards's case for clearing Haeckel's name, as well as the subsequent (slanderous) charge from Daniel Gasman that Richards is guilty of whitewashing the Haeckelian roots of the Holocaust.
Reducing leachability and bioaccessibility of lead in soils using a new class of stabilized iron phosphate nanoparticles

Abstract This study prepared and tested a new class of iron phosphate (vivianite) nanoparticles synthesized with sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as a stabilizer for in situ immobilization of lead (Pb2+) in soils. Batch test results showed that the CMC-stabilized nanoparticles can effectively reduce the TCLP (toxicity characteristic leaching procedure) leachability and PBET (physiologically-based extraction test) bioaccessibility of Pb2+ in three representative soils (calcareous, neutral, and acidic). When the soils were treated for 56 days at a dosage ranging from 0.61 to 3.0 mg/g-soil as PO 4 3 - , the TCLP leachability of Pb2+ was reduced by 85–95%, whereas the bioaccessibility was lowered by 31–47%. Results from a sequential extraction procedure showed a 33–93% decrease of exchangeable Pb2+ and carbonate-bound fractions, and an increase in residual-Pb2+ fraction when Pb2+-spiked soils were amended with the nanoparticles. Addition of chloride in the treatment further decreased the TCLP-leachable Pb2+ in soils, suggesting the formation of chloro-pyromorphite minerals. Compared to soluble phosphate used for in situ metal immobilization, application of the iron phosphate nanoparticles results in ∼50% reduction in phosphate leaching into the environment.
A simple recording grip strength device.

Abstract A simple-to-construct, inexpensive recording strain gauge device which may be used to obtain graded measurements of forelimb grip strength in rats and mice is described.
Substrate emission quantum cascade ring lasers with room temperature continuous wave operation

We demonstrate room temperature, continuous wave operation of quantum cascade ring lasers around 5 μm with single mode operation up to 0.51 W output power. Single mode operation persists up to 0.4 W. Light is coupled out of the ring cavity through the substrate with a second order distributed feedback grating. The substrate emission scheme allows for epilayer-down bonding, which leads to room temperature continuous wave operation. The far field analysis indicates that the device operates in a high order mode.
Social disconnection in African American women with breast cancer.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To identify antecedents and consequences of social disconnection in African American women diagnosed with breast cancer as described in the extant literature. DATA SOURCES Literature review using broad exploration of a personal database and informal exploration of databases such as MEDLINE®, as well as clinical experience. DATA SYNTHESIS A formal definition, antecedents, and consequences of social disconnection were drawn from a review of the literature. CONCLUSIONS Antecedents included personal responses to a breast cancer diagnosis and cultural influences. Consequences included decreased well-being, partner abandonment, and decreased health. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Areas for future research include using measurement tools for assessment, as well as creating categories for the trajectory of social disconnection and determining its severity and nature. Nurses should be alert to the possibility of social disconnection in patients with cancer. Nurses can assist the patient in talking to his or her family and friends about the cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Some nested dissection order is nearly optimal

Abstract The minimum fill problem is the problem to re-order the rows and columns of a given sparse symmetric matrix so that its triangular factor is as sparse as possible. Equivalently, the problem is to find the smallest set of edges whose addition makes a given undirected graph chordal. The problem is known to be NP-complete and no polynomial-time approximation algorithms are known that provide any nontrivial guarantee for arbitrary graphs (matrices), although some heuristics well in practice. Nested dissection is one such heuristic. In this article we prove that every graph with a fixed bound on the vertex degree has a nested dissection order that achieves fill within a factor of O(log n) ofminimum. This does not lead to a polynomial-time approximation algorithm, however, because the proof does not give an efficient method for finding the separators required by nested dissection.
Esophageal injury with external esophageal perfusion.

Background External esophageal perfusion (EEP) with the idea that esophageal perfusion can be controlled with a single ingredient at a constant rate and concentration, might be used to dissect the injurious role of gastro-duodenal secretions for the progression from esophagitis to Barrett’s esophagus (BE) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). This study is to evaluate the EEP rat model for esophagitis induced by using a mirco-osmotic pump with bile perfusion. Methods Eighteen adult rats underwent the EEP procedure. Bile (0.5% bovine bile, pH 7.4) was used as perfusion agent and three types of perfusions were performed: 1 week perfusion, 2 weeks perfusion, and 4 weeks perfusion compared to saline perfusion and sham operation. Histological changes, cell proliferation, apoptosis, 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) and Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) were observed after perfusion and compared. Results The bile perfusion for 1 week, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks induced mucosa infiltration of inflammatory cells, basal cell hyperproliferation, and papillae hypertrophy in all animals. Histopathology and cellular changes consistent with the findings associated with reflux esophagitis. The apoptotic index, the proliferating index, and expression of 8-OH-dG were significantly increased in the esophageal mucosa compared to controls. MnSOD expression was decreased with bile perfusion compared to saline controls. Conclusions The external esophageal perfusion model enabled precise control of the injurious agent. It induced the typical histological injury and cellular changes seen in severe reflux esophagitis. The cellular changes in apoptosis, proliferation and anti-oxidant defense make this model unique for reflux esophagitis studies. Further studies are needed to induce Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma.
Introduction of a hybrid model for the discrete 3D simulation of dislocation dynamics

Abstract A hybrid model is suggested to discretely consider self forces and non-conservative effects in 3D dislocation dynamics. The dislocations are idealized as line defects in a homogeneous linear elastic medium. Each dislocation line consists of interconnected straight segments. The displacement and stress fields associated with the segments are formulated for general anisotropy and arbitrary crystal symmetry using Brown's theorem and the integral formalism in the version of Asaro and Barnett. The stress field of each dislocation is then computed through a linear superposition of the stress contributions of all segments. The dynamics are described by solving Newton's equation of motion for each portion of dislocation. The differential equations of the individual segments are coupled through the line tension which is discretely considered by calculating the self interaction force among the segments that belong to the same dislocation according to the concept of Brown. Non-conservative dislocation motion is introduced by considering the osmotic force that arises from emitting or adsorbing point defects at the climbing segment. The influence of temperature is introduced by regarding the crystal as a canonical ensemble and by including a stochastic Langevin force as proposed by Ronnpagel.
A comparative study on the uptake of ascorbic acid by the iris-ciliary body of the rabbit, guinea pig and rat

1. The uptake of 14C-ascorbic acid by the iris-ciliary body in vitro was examined in the rabbit, guinea pig and rat. 2. It was observed that iris-ciliary body from the rabbit and guinea pig, but not the rat, accumulated 14C-ascorbate to levels exceeding that in the bathing medium. 3. In all three species, the uptake of 14C-ascorbate was diminished by cold temperature; the degree of uptake at 0 degrees C was similar in the rabbit, guinea pig and rat iris-ciliary body. 4. Chromatographic examination of the 14C accumulated by the rabbit and guinea pig tissue demonstrated that the label remains almost exclusively as 14C-ascorbate.
What Might be the Case after a Change in View

When it comes to belief dynamics Y how a rational agent ought to change her full-beliefs after learning something new Y doxastic conservatism seems to have a lot going for it. Information is not gratuitous, the slogan goes, and so changes in view should always be minimal changes in view. This is the core of conservatism, and looks like just the kind of constraint that rationality imposes on belief revision. The conservative’s slogan is naturally codified by requiring that revision be preservative:
Spectrum of gallstone disease in the veterans population.

Background: Elderly male patients are thought to have a higher incidence of biliary infections. This demographic is common among veterans, so we analyzed the spectrum of gallstone disease in a large veteran population. Methods: A total of 285 patients with gallstone disease were studied. There were 27 women and 258 men, with an average age of 62 years. Gallstones, bile, and blood (as indicated) were cultured. Illness severity was staged as none (no clinical infection), moderate (fever, leukocytosis), or severe (cholangitis, bacteremia, abscess, hypotension, organ failure). Gallstones were grouped by appearance. Three bacterial groups were defined: EK (Escherichia coli or Klebsiella species), N (Enterococcus), or Oth (all other species). Results: Biliary bacteria were present in 145 (51%) patients. Bacterial presence by patient age was 33% for those less than 50 years, 48% for those 50 to 70 years, and 65% for those more than 70 years (P <.02 vs. others). Bacterial presence by stone type was as follows: cholesterol, 11%; mixed, 51%; pigment, 71% (P <.01 vs. others). Illness severity by stone type was as follows for cholesterol: none, 73%; moderate, 27%; severe, 0%; for mixed: none, 62%; moderate, 25%; severe, 13%; for pigment: none, 41%; moderate, 17%; severe, 41% (P <.0001 vs. others). Illness severity by bacterial group was as follows for sterile: none, 77%; moderate, 23%; severe, 0%; for the Oth group: none, 57%; moderate, 22%; severe, 20%; for the N group: none, 32%; moderate, 16%; severe, 52%; for the EK group: none, 18%; moderate, 22%; severe, 60% (P <.0001 vs. sterile/Oth, P =.126 vs. N). Conclusions: Bacterial biliary tree colonization is prevalent in the veterans' population, it increases with age, and is more common with pigment stones. But not all bacterial species cause infectious manifestations. Patients with E coli and/or Klebsiella species commonly showed infectious manifestations, patients with Enterococcus were in an intermediate range, and those with other species had few infectious manifestations.
Effect of Refeeding Following Short-Term Deprivation of Feed or Water, or Both, on Selected Physiological Parameters for Broiler Chickens

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of refeeding broilers following a 12-h fast on body weight, serum glucose, serum protein, packed cell volume, hemoglobin, serum sodium, serum potassium, and plasma refractive index. Four fasting regimens were utilized in each experiment: 1) full feed and water (control); 2) no feed with full water; 3) full feed with no water; and 4) no feed and no water (NFNW). Following the 12-h fast, all birds were returned to feed and water with ad libitum access. Birds deprived of feed or water, or both, for 12 h gained more weight attributable to feed and water consumption than did the control birds during the 12-h refeeding period. Following refeeding, serum glucose values for the birds receiving only water during the fast were higher initially than those for the control birds; glucose values for the NFNW birds returned to normal. Hemoglobin values for birds receiving no feed during the fast initially were higher than for the control group after refeeding. The other blood parameters measured remained virtually unchanged during the 12 h monitored after refeeding.
Security in an uncertain world

Biological protection systems that have evolved over billions of years could be the key to strengthening national defences against unforeseen threats, says Jessica Flack.
Effects of maternal undernutrition on offspring behavior: incentive value of a food reward and ability to escape from water.

Two experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of maternal undernutrition during gestation and lactation upon the incentive value of a food reward and upon performance and reversal learning in an escape-from-water task. The results of the present experiments suggest that offspring of underfed mothers have lower incentive values for food rewards than control offspring, although they are able to perform comparably in an escape-from-water task. The implication is that the results of hunger-motivated tests of problem solving or learning in maternally undernourished and control offspring are suspect.
Professional Renewal through National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institutes: The Purdue Experience

DURING THE PAST DECADE THE QUALITY OF AMERIcan education has come under severe scrutiny from many quarters. Foreign language teaching has not been exempt from this wave of criticism.1 Clearly, if the study of foreign languages and cultures is to emerge as a fundamental component of the school curriculum, as recommended by the National Advisory Board on International Education Programs (Critical Needs in International Education), highly competent teachers will be needed in the second-lan-
Temperature as a cue for the periodicity in feeding of Brachycentrus occidentalis (Insecta: Trichoptera)

Abstract Filtering behaviour of two groups of Brachycentrus occidentalis larvae exposed to a diel temperature cycle and a LD12:12 photoperiod, was observed for 5 days at 4-hr intervals. Both groups were then subjected to 5 days of continuous light; however, a diel temperature pattern was maintained for only one group. Behaviour of larvae showed a diel periodicity under the initial conditions that was quickly lost in continuous light and constant temperature. Under continuous light and daily fluctuating temperatures, larvae could maintain a diel periodicity. However, the amplitude of the periodicity was moderated.
Disseminating Disaster Health Information: Three Trial Projects

The North Carolina Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Information and Library System (ILS) has been involved in disaster preparedness, response, and continuity of service planning for many years. ...
An Alternative Interpretation of Freedman's Nonresponse Case Study

Further analysis of the response–nonresponse data presented by Freedman (1986) shows evidence of a nonresponse bias. Covariates can be useful in comparing respondents with nonrespondents; however, we argue that they were not effective in this case. Follow-up sampling would provide stronger evidence concerning the similarity of the two groups.
Demand and Supply of Business Information Professionals: A Study of the Market from 2001–2005

ABSTRACT In 2002, the authors published their first article on the recruitment of business librarians. In this follow-up study, surveys were sent to those institutions who advertised for business (or variations of) librarians from 2001 to 2005. The data were analyzed to see if any changes or trends had occurred in the job market for business librarians.