cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Round 4A: Not a Knock-Out Punch, But Rather a Call For Pluralism -- A Further Reply to Held

This is the fourth round in my interchange with Barbara Held about the nature and role of objectivity and causality as they relate to the rationale for scientific and scholarly legitimacy of case study knowledge. Throughout, I have found HeldâA‚â‚¬A‚â„¢s critical responses to my views collegially delivered and very helpful in stimulating me to clarify and expand upon my own thinking. In this fourth and final round to our discussion, as context, I include a narrative summary of the back and forth in our discussion during the first three rounds. I then point out that HeldâA‚â‚¬A‚â„¢s definition of objective knowledge in Round 3 does not separate out a crucial distinction between (a) truth within a knowledge system that is a function of the internal logic of the system, and (b) the attitudes, values, and beliefs of particular individuals and groups. I argue that this distinction plays a very important pragmatic role in our society (e.g., in the functioning of the criminal justice system) in creating knowledge with important characteristics of objectivity âA‚â‚¬A‚â€œ i.e., characteristics associated with the coherence and pragmatic criteria of truth. I also argue that this line of reasoning allows us to distinguish causal mechanisms that are more or less objective in their roles as conceptual tools. I conclude by proposing that broadening the concept of objectivity to include the coherence and pragmatic criteria of truth helps to facilitate acceptance of William JamesâA‚â‚¬A‚â„¢ attractive idea of psychology as a âA‚â‚¬A‚A“pluralistic societyâA‚â‚¬A‚? rather than as a monolithic knowledge structure.
Synthesis and morphological characterization of block copolymers for improved biomaterials

Biocompatible polymers are known to act as scaffolds for the regeneration and growth of bone. Block copolymers are of interest as scaffold materials because a number of the blocks are biocompatible, and their nanostructure is easily tunable with synthetic techniques. In this paper, we report the synthesis of a novel class of biomaterials from block copolymers containing a hydrophobic block of methyl methacrylate and a hydrophilic block of either acrylic acid, dimethyl acrylamide, or 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate. The block copolymers were synthesized using a combination of reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and click chemistry. Since the surface morphology is critical for successful cell growth, atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies were conducted for selected block copolymers. The topography, phase angle and friction maps were obtained in dry and physiological buffer environments to study the morphology. Results of AFM imaging identified the presence of polymer domains corresponding to the copolymer components. The distribution of nanoscale features in these block copolymers is comparable to those found on other surfaces that exhibit favorable cell adhesion and growth. In physiological buffer medium, the hydrophilic component of the block copolymer (acrylic acid or hydroxyethyl methacrylate) appears to be present in greater amounts on the surface as a consequence of water absorption and swelling.
The determination of phase relations in the CH4H2ONaCl system at 1 kbar, 400 to 600°C using synthetic fluid inclusions

Synthesis of fluid inclusions in the CH4H2ONaCl system was accomplished by subjecting fractured quartz, along with known quantities of CH4, H2O, and NaCl, to a pressure of 1 kbar and temperatures of 400, 500, or 600°C, in sealed Au capsules. Under the elevated P−T conditions some of the fractures healed, trapping fluids as inclusions. Microthermometric measurements conducted on the fluid inclusions show that at 1 kbar and 400 to 600°C, there are very broad regions of fluid unmixing in the CH4H2ONaCl system. For those bulk fluid compositions that lie in the two-phase (i.e., immiscible fluids) field, the high density phase is enriched in NaCl, whereas the low density phase is enriched in CH4. For any given bulk composition, the degree of NaCl enrichment in the high density phase increases, whereas the degree of CH4 enrichment in the low density phase decreases, as temperature increases from 4.00 to 600°C.
The role of isosorbide dinitrate in the treatment of perioperative hypertension

Intravenous nitroglycerin (NTG) has recently been found to be useful for the control of blood pressure during the perioperative period, especially during coronary artery bypass procedures. The objective of this study was to determine whether intravenous isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) could play a similar role. Sixty-seven patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting at three centers were randomly assigned to an ISDN or NTG treatment group. The hemodynamic performance of all patients was assessed by the methods commonly used for cardiac patients (ECG, arterial line, thermodilution pulmonary artery catheter). One of the two nitrates was infused whenever the systolic blood pressure or the pulmonary capillary wedge pressure exceeded predetermined values. Treatment by either agent was considered successful if the elevated values returned to normal. NTG reduced the blood pressure in a higher percentage of hypertensive events. The rates of success were 84% for NTG vs 72% for ISDN in the prebypass phase, 93% vs 64% in the postbypass phase, and 71% vs 54% in the postoperative phase. Increased ISDN effectiveness may be attained with the use of a bolus administration before continuous infusion or with the use of a rapid rate of infusion.
Epicotyl Dormancy in Viburnum acerifolium (Caprifoliaceae)

Abstract Seeds (true seed plus endocarp) of Viburnum acerifolium have underdeveloped linear embryos and deep simple epicotyl morphophysiological dormancy. Seeds mature and are dispersed in autumn, and radicles and epicotyls emerge the following autumn and late autumn-winter, respectively. Embryos in seeds incubated at 25/15 C became fully elongated in 16 wk, whereas those incubated at 5 C hardly grew at all. The optimum continuous temperature regime for both rate and percentage of radicle emergence was 25/15 C. At this regime, however, ≥20 wk were required for radicles to emerge in a high percentage of the seeds. GA3 had little or no effect on radicle emergence. In seeds subjected to a winter → spring → summer → autumn temperature regime in controlled environments, radicles emerged in autumn in the 20/10 → 15/6 C portions of the sequence. In those subjected only to the summer → autumn portions of the sequence, radicles also emerged in autumn at 20/10 → 15/6 C. Thus, in nature, the cold winter season has n...
Where's Waldo? How perceptual, cognitive, and emotional brain processes cooperate during learning to categorize and find desired objects in a cluttered scene.

The Where’s Waldo problem concerns how individuals can rapidly learn to search a scene to detect, attend, recognize, and look at a valued target object in it. This article develops the ARTSCAN Search neural model to clarify how brain mechanisms across the What and Where cortical streams are coordinated to solve the Where's Waldo problem. The What stream learns positionally-invariant object representations, whereas the Where stream controls positionally-selective spatial and action representations. The model overcomes deficiencies of these computationally complementary properties through What and Where stream interactions. Where stream processes of spatial attention and predictive eye movement control modulate What stream processes whereby multiple view- and positionally-specific object categories are learned and associatively linked to view- and positionally-invariant object categories through bottom-up and attentive top-down interactions. Gain fields control the coordinate transformations that enable spatial attention and predictive eye movements to carry out this role. What stream cognitive-emotional learning processes enable the focusing of motivated attention upon the invariant object categories of desired objects. What stream cognitive names or motivational drives can prime a view- and positionally-invariant object category of a desired target object. A volitional signal can convert these primes into top-down activations that can, in turn, prime What stream view- and positionally-specific categories. When it also receives bottom-up activation from a target, such a positionally-specific category can cause an attentional shift in the Where stream to the positional representation of the target, and an eye movement can then be elicited to foveate it. These processes describe interactions among brain regions that include visual cortex, parietal cortex inferotemporal cortex, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, basal ganglia, and superior colliculus.
New cucurbitacins from Phormium tenax and Marah oreganus

Abstract Cucurbitacins I and D and two new cucurbitacins, isocucurbitacin D and 3-epi-isocucurbitacin D, were isolated from Phormium tenax . A new cucurbitacin, dihydroisocucurbitacin B, was isolated from Marah oreganus . The acid sensitivity of the 2β-hydroxy-3-keto system found in cucurbitacin D was demonstrated.
Reactivity of rat pial arterioles and venules to adenosine and carbon dioxide : With detailed description of the closed cranial window technique in rats

This study describes a closed cranial window technique that allows the observation and measurement of rat pial arterioles and venules in situ. The resolving power of this system is 1-2 microns. Using this sensitive technique, we characterized the responses to 7% carbon dioxide inhalation and adenosine in arterioles (10-70 microns) and venules (15-100 microns). During carbon dioxide inhalation, larger arterioles (greater than 40 microns) dilated more than smaller arterioles (less than 20 microns). There was limited vasoreactivity of pial venules during CO2 inhalation. Dilation of arterioles was initially observed with an adenosine concentration of 10(-8) M. Almost a twofold increase in diameter was noted at 10(-3) M. In contrast to the effect of CO2 inhalation, the degree of dilation with topical application of adenosine was not size dependent. Pial venules did not respond to adenosine. The technique for observation of pial vessels using the closed cranial window and for measurement of vessel diameter by video camera system microscopy is a powerful tool for studying in vivo the cerebral circulation in the rat.
Characterizing information decay in patient handoffs.

Objective The purpose of this study was to analyze the decay of information with multiple sequential patient handoff reports given by third-year medical students who have not had standardized patient handoff training. Methods We examine the information decay of quantitative parameters included in 2 different simulated patient history and physical handoffs conducted among third-year medical students. Both student self-surveys and third party observer surveys tracked accuracy of information. A total of 93 students were surveyed for the first patient scenario and 103 students were surveyed for second patient scenario. Survey data were aggregated into 2 separate spreadsheets, one for each patient scenario tested. A total of 16 data points pertaining to the checklist were analyzed for common trends in handoff accuracy and information decay. Results Quantitative analysis of information passed between handoffs showed that between the 2 case scenarios, there was a consistent loss of information between one presenter to the next. Overall, 33% of information was lost between the first and third handoffs. Within the progression of individual handoffs, a narrative decay was demonstrated. There was a regression in handoff accuracy, trending down to an average of only 45% of information being passed on successfully by the time each presenter reached the last piece of information in their patient presentation. When examining the survey data points that had greater than an 80% success rate of being included in the handoffs, there appeared to be no correlation between their inherent qualities. Conclusions This study showed there is a significant decrease in accuracy of information during sequential patient handoff exercises. The information decay may be a result of time, memory, or relevance of the information to the student. Future studies incorporating teaching effective handoffs early in the clinical curriculum would be an area of future research.
The in vivo and in vitro corrosion products of dental amalgams.

The purpose of this investigation is to clarify the role of the component phases of dental amalgam in a corrosive environment and to analyze the corrosion products at various stages of formation predominantly by means of x-ray diffraction methods and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. The study encompassed in vivo as well as in vitro experiments. Sn, which came from only the γ2 phase, was found to be the sole or main constituent that contributes to the formation of the corrosion products. constituted the majority of the corrosion products formed in the early stages. SnO appeared in corrosion products more than 14 days old.
Purification and Lipid Dependence of the Recombinant Hyaluronan Synthases from Streptococcus pyogenes andStreptococcus equisimilis

The two hyaluronan synthases (HASs) from Streptococcus pyogenes (spHAS) and Streptococcus equisimilis (seHAS) were expressed in Escherichia coli as recombinant proteins containing His6 tails. Both enzymes were expressed as major membrane proteins, accounting for approximately 5-8% of the total membrane protein. Using nickel chelate affinity chromatography, the HASs were purified to homogeneity from n-dodecyl beta-D-maltoside extracts. High levels of HAS activity could be achieved only if the purified enzymes were supplemented with either bovine or E. coli cardiolipin (CL), although bovine CL gave consistently greater activity. Mass spectroscopic analysis revealed that the fatty acid compositions of these two CL preparations did not overlap. The two HAS enzymes showed similar but distinct activation profiles with the 10 other lipids tested. For example, phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylethanolamine stimulated seHAS, but not spHAS. Phosphatidylserine stimulated both enzymes. spHAS appears to be more CL-specific than seHAS, although both purified enzymes still contain endogenous CL that can not easily be removed. Both seHAS and spHAS were inhibited by phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin, and sulfatides and were not substantially stimulated by cerebrosides, phosphatidylglycerol, or phosphatidylinositol. With both HASs, CL increased the Km for UDP-GlcUA, but decreased the Km for UDP-GlcNAc and gave an overall stimulation of Vmax. A kinetic characterization of the two membrane-bound and purified HASs is presented in the accompanying paper (Tlapak-Simmons, V. L., Baggenstoss, B. A., Kumari, K., Heldermon, C., and Weigel, P. H. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 4246-4253). Both purified HASs became inactive after storage for approximately 5 days at 4 degreesC. Both purified enzymes also lost activity over 4-5 days when stored at -80 degreesC in the presence of CL, but reached a level of activity that then slowly decreased over a period of months. Although the purified enzymes stored in the absence of CL at -80 degreesC were much less active, the enzymes retained this same low level of activity for at least 5 weeks. When both spHAS and seHAS were stored without CL at -80 degreesC, even after 2 months, they could be stimulated by the addition of bovine CL to approximately 60% of the initial activity of the freshly purified enzyme.
Environmental Heat Stress Does Not Reduce Blood Ionized Calcium Concentration in Hens Acclimated to Elevated Temperatures

Changes in blood concentrations of ionized calcium and total calcium were measured in broiler breeder hens (42 wk old) relative to egg cycle and environmental temperatures. Two environmental temperature treatments were used: 1) temperature cycled daily from a low of 10 C at 0300 h to a high of 25 C at 1600 h; and 2) temperature cycled from a low of 21 C at 0300 h to a high of to a high of 39 C at 1600 h. Serial blood samples were collected from five laying hens per temperature treatment via cutaneous ulnar vein cannula beginning at the time of oviposition and every 4 h thereafter until the next oviposition. Neither blood concentration of ionized calcium nor total plasma calcium was affected by temperature. Results suggest that the supply of calcium available in blood for shell deposition is not diminished in hens acclimated to high environmental temperatures.
Permeability and reflection coefficients from osmotic transients—Extravascular factors

Abstract F. F. Vargas and J. A. Johnson in 1964 and 1967 ( J. Gen Physiol. 47, 667–677; Amer. J. Physiol. 213, 87–93) published a technique for obtaining capillary permeability and reflection coefficients from the rate of weight loss of an organ undergoing an osmotic transient. The rate of weight loss was plotted versus time on semilogarithmic paper. From the intercept an estimate of the capillary reflection coefficient could be made. From the slope an estimate of the permeability coefficient could be made. We have examined this technique using a model developed by G. Bloom and J. A. Johnson (1981, Microvasc. Res. 22, 64–79). In this paper we examine the effects of factors such as interstitial and cell buffering, solvent drag, interstitial elasticity, and cell water permeability while we maintain the intracapillary concentrations constant. In a subsequent paper we relax this restraint and allow inlet and intracapillary conditions to influence the transient and thus evaluate the role they play in an osmotic weight transient. In the present paper we have found the intercept technique for obtaining the reflection coefficient to be valid. However, the slope-permeability technique has to be modified in some cases. For highly water-soluble molecules the size of inulin, or larger, an elastic factor correction must be made. This occurs because the tendency for a large transfer of fluid from the interstitium to the capillaries is opposed by an interstitial pressure drop which influences the time course of the entire process and also gives rise to a minimum in the weight vs time curve. A simple analytical model is given which agrees very well with the full computer model for these larger compounds. In the case where the test solute is identical in properties to the extracellular buffer (e.g., NaCl), the slope (rate constant) must be modified by using the total water (cellular plus extracellular) in the denominator instead of the interstitial volume. An analytical model for this type of transient is given which also agrees very well with the computer model for NaCl.
THE PATH TO PARADISE

The city of Palm Springs gained fame as an exclusive resort in the 1920s. Thereafter, the city elite became consumed with maintaining its reputation. Because public policies in Palm Springs increasingly re�ected the interests of local business, real estate, and village elites, social engineering and control over land use became the driving forces behind the city's political economy. Collaborating with local businessmen and attorneys, Palm Springs civic leaders persecuted their lower-income constituents who resided on the local Native American reservation . Attempting to dispossess the Indians of their tribal lands and erase any blighted neighborhoods that might degrade "the city beautiful," Palm Springs of�cials successfully removed the city's people of color and restructured the race and class con�guration of the city.
Experimental Study of Premixed Flames in Intense Isotropic Turbulence

Abstract A methodology for investigating premixed turbulent flames propagating in intense isotropic turbulence has been developed. The burner uses a turbulence generator developed by Videto and Santavicca and the flame is stabilized by weak-swirl generated by air injectors. This setup produces stable premixed turbulent flames under a wide range of mixture conditions and turbulence intensities. The experiments are designed to investigate systematically the changes in flame structures for conditions which can be classified as wrinkled laminar flames, corrugated flames, and flames with distributed reaction zones. Laser Doppler anemometry and Rayleigh scattering techniques are used to determine the turbulence and scalar statistics. In the intense turbulence, the flames are found to produce very little changes in the mean and rms velocities. Their flame speed increase linearly with turbulence intensity as for wrinkled laminar flames. The Rayleigh scattering probability density functions (pdfs) for flames within the distributed reaction zone regime are distinctly bimodal. The probabilities of the reacting states (i.e. contributions from within the reaction zone) is not higher than those of wrinkled laminar flame. These results show that there is no drastic changes in flame structures at Karlovitz number close to unity. This suggest that the Klimov Williams criterion underpredicts the resilience of wrinkled flamelets to intense turbulence.
A Conversation Analysis of a Solution-Focused Marital Therapy Session.

This study is a qualitative exploration of the therapeutic process occurring in a solution-focused therapy session. A complete one-session solution-focused marital therapy case conducted by Bill O'Hanlon was analyzed using conversation analysis. Conversation analysis is a method of data analysis that describes how language is used to elicit new constructions of reality; it offers descriptive categories useful to both clinicians and researchers. Through intense examination of the communications of the therapist, wife, and husband, nine categories of linguistic strategies used by O'Hanlon in his pursuit of solution-focused conversation are developed. Implications of these strategies for the field are discussed.
Pediatric RIFLE for acute kidney injury diagnosis and prognosis for children undergoing cardiac surgery: a single-center prospective observational study.

This study evaluated the performance of the pediatric RIFLE (pRIFLE) score for acute kidney injury (AKI) diagnosis and prognosis after pediatric cardiac surgery. It was a single-center prospective observational study developed in a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (pCICU) of a tertiary children’s hospital. The study enrolled 160 consecutive children younger than 1 year with congenital heart diseases and undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Of the 160 children, 50 (31 %) were neonates, and 20 (12 %) had a univentricular heart. Palliative surgery was performed for 53 patients (33 %). A diagnosis of AKI was determined for 90 patients (56 %), and 68 (42 %) of these patients achieved an “R” level of AKI severity, 17 patients (10 %) an “I” level, and 5 patients (3 %) an “F” level. Longer cross-clamp times (p = 0.045), a higher inotropic score (p = 0.02), and a higher Risk-Adjusted Classification for Congenital Heart Surgery score (p = 0.048) but not age (p = 0.27) correlated significantly with pRIFLE class severity. Patients classified with a higher pRIFLE score required a greater number of mechanical ventilation days (p = 0.03) and a longer pCICU stay (p = 0.045). Renal replacement therapy (RRT) was needed for 13 patients (8.1 %), with two patients receiving continuous hemofiltration, and 11 patients receiving peritoneal dialysis. At the start of dialysis, the distribution of RRT patients differed significantly within pRIFLE classes (p = 0.015). All deceased patients were classified as pRIFLE “I” or “F” (p = 0.0001). The findings showed that pRIFLE is easily and feasibly applied for pediatric patients with congenital heart disease. The pRIFLE classification showed that AKI incidence in pediatric cardiac surgery infants is high and associated with poorer outcomes.
The measurement of DNA content in Wilms' tumor and its clinical significance

DNA content analysis with paraffin-embedded tissue was performed by flow cytometry on extracted nuclei from 42 Wilms' tumors. DNA histograms showed diploid in 13, tetraploid in 12, and aneuploid in 17. The frequency of DNA aneuploid was 40.48%. The 2- and 5-year survival rates were 84% and 75.16%, respectively, for patients with the DNA diploid pattern; the 2- and 5-year DNA aneuploid survival rates were 47.06% and 41.18% (P < .03 and P < .05), respectively. The 2- and 5-year survival rates for DNA tetraploid were in between, both 55.90%. For patients with stage I and II, the difference in the 2- and 5-year survival rates between DNA diploid plus tetraploid and DNA aneuploid was even more significant (P < .004 and P < .002, respectively). Thus, DNA aneuploid is an important indicator of poor prognosis in Wilms' tumor, especially for stages I and II.
A MODEL FOR CORRECTING WORKPLACE PROTECTION FACTORS FOR LUNG DEPOSITION AND OTHER EFFECTS

The Workplace Protection Factor (WPF) is a measure of the protection provided by an industrial respirator against a challenge agent. It is traditionally defined as the ratio of the ambient contaminant concentration (Co) in a worker's breathing zone to the in-facepiece contaminant concentration (Ci) that occurs during inhalation, and is determined by simultaneous concentration measurements during the time the respirator is worn. There are several sources of paniculate loss that result in the overestimation of the true WPF. A model is presented to “estimate” these losses so that an adjusted or “unbiased” WPF can be calculated. This model requires three measurements: Co, Ci, and the ambient aerodynamic mass frequency particle size distribution (PSD). Both Co and Ci, are expressed in units of “mass per unit volume.” There are four steps to the calculation of the unbiased WPF. First, the in-facepiece PSD is estimated using the ambient PSD and a particle leak penetration curve. Second, the fraction of the in-fa...
Condensed-matter physics: Defects and perfect flows

The discovery that parts of a solid helium crystal could flow through other parts without friction ignited physicists' interest. Independent experiments confirm this unusual superflow, but its origin remains mysterious.
The Cholesteric Blue Phase: A Progress Report

Abstract Experimental studies of the blue phase of cholesteric liquid crystals have revealed two cubic phases (BPI and BPII) and a possible amorphous “fog” phase (BPIII). In addition, a number of theoretical models have been proposed which arrive at these structures from the point of view of a Landau theory, a lattice of disclinations, or as an ordered emulsion. We review the present state of knowledge of the blue phase and show the significance of blue phase studies to other problems in condensed matter research.
A Neurobiological Hypothesis of Treatment-Resistant Depression – Mechanisms for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Non-Efficacy

First-line treatment of major depression includes administration of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), yet studies suggest that remission rates following two trials of an SSRI are <50%. The authors examine the putative biological substrates underlying "treatment resistant depression (TRD)" with the goal of elucidating novel rationales to treat TRD. We look at relevant articles from the preclinical and clinical literature combined with clinical exposure to TRD patients. A major focus was to outline pathophysiological mechanisms whereby the serotonin system becomes impervious to the desired enhancement of serotonin neurotransmission by SSRIs. A complementary focus was to dissect neurotransmitter systems, which serve to inhibit the dorsal raphe. We propose, based on a body of translational studies, TRD may not represent a simple serotonin deficit state but rather an excess of midbrain peri-raphe serotonin and subsequent deficit at key fronto-limbic projection sites, with ultimate compromise in serotonin-mediated neuroplasticity. Glutamate, serotonin, noradrenaline, and histamine are activated by stress and exert an inhibitory effect on serotonin outflow, in part by "flooding" 5-HT1A autoreceptors by serotonin itself. Certain factors putatively exacerbate this scenario - presence of the short arm of the serotonin transporter gene, early-life adversity and comorbid bipolar disorder - each of which has been associated with SSRI-treatment resistance. By utilizing an incremental approach, we provide a system for treating the TRD patient based on a strategy of rescuing serotonin neurotransmission from a state of SSRI-induced dorsal raphe stasis. This calls for "stacked" interventions, with an SSRI base, targeting, if necessary, the glutamatergic, serotonergic, noradrenergic, and histaminergic systems, thereby successively eliminating the inhibitory effects each are capable of exerting on serotonin neurons. Future studies are recommended to test this biologically based approach for treatment of TRD.
Versal normal form of the Hamiltonian function of the restricted problem of three bodies near L 4

Abstract When one studies matrices depending on parameters, the transformation into Jordan canonical form can become singular, when multiple eigenvalues occur. The versal normal form for a matrix was introduced by Arnol'd (1971) in order to overcome this difficulty. Unfortunately, no method was given on how to construct this transformation. For a special class of matrices we describe a simple procedure to accomplish this task. We use the one-to-one resonance at the Lagrangian triangular equilibrium point in the restricted problem of three bodies as an example to demonstrate our method. We then extend the idea of versal normal form to higher-order terms in the Hamiltonian function. After performing this normalization, We are able to analyze the behavior of the periodic orbits near the equilibrium point.
Insulin increases serum leptin concentrations in children and adolescents with newly diagnosed Type I diabetes mellitus with and without ketoacidosis

Aims/hypothesis. The aims of this study were to analyse the changes of serum leptin in newly diagnosed children and adolescents with Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus after insulin treatment and to examine the possible impact of ketoacidosis on these changes. Methods. Baseline serum leptin concentrations were measured in 28 newly diagnosed Type I diabetic patients [age 8.75 ‐ 4.05 years (means ‐ SD); BMI 15.79 ‐ 2.47 kg/m 2 ; HbA 1c 11.3 ‐ 1.9 %] with (n = 18) and without (n = 10) ketoacidosis before commencement of insulin treatment, at the time of diagnosis. Thereafter, during a 4-day course of continuous intravenous insulin injection to gain and maintain euglycaemia, serum leptin concentrations were assessed. Results. Baseline serum leptin concentrations, adjusted to age, BMI, sex and pubertal stage, differed among these patients. There was, however, an increase of leptin in all subjects from 1.37 ‐ 0.56 ng/ml (mean ‐ SD) up to 2.97 ‐ 1.52 ng/ml by 117 % (p < 0.0001) after insulin therapy. On average, peak serum leptin concentration was obtained after 42 h of insulin treatment. Further, there was no difference in the mean increase of serum leptin concentrations in the two groups, namely with and without ketoadicosis, of insulin-dependent diabetic children and adolescents. In addition, there was no correlation between serum leptin concentrations and correction of ketoacidosis during insulin treatment. Conclusions/interpretation. Insulin increases serum leptin, within 1 day, in children and adolescents with newly diagnosed Type I diabetes. Ketoacidosis does not influence this interaction between insulin and leptin. [Diabetologia (1999) 42: 1067‐1070]
W.E.B. Du Bois and “The damnation of women”: An essay on africana anti-sexist critical social theory

INTRODUCTION TO DU BOIS'S ANTI-SEXIST SOCIAL THOUGHT AND AFRICANA CRITICAL THEORY Though many read him as an archetypal "race man," according to Joy James, W.E.B. Du Bois actually practiced "a politics remarkably progressive for his time and ours" (1997, p. 36). James notes, "Du Bois confronted race, class, and gender oppression while maintaining conceptual and political linkages between the struggles to end racism, sexism, and war" (pp. 3637). His socio-theoretical framework was dynamic and constantly integrated diverse components of African American liberation theory; Pan-Africanism and anti-colonial theory; women's liberation theory; peace and international politics theory; and MarxThis article explores W.E.B. Du Bois's contributions to the discourse and development of the Africana tradition of critical theory. It examines the sociotheoretical and political linkages he made between various antiracist, anti-sexist, anticolonial, and anti-capitalist thoughttraditions and movements. It argues that unlike most of the members of the Frankfurt School tradition of critical theory, Du Bois did not
Fluxes Associated with Brine Motion in Growing Sea Ice

Laboratory and field studies have demonstrated that fluid motion occurs at two locations in growing sea ice: in a network of brine channels and within the skeletal layer at the ice-water interface. Brine channel fluxes estimated using brine channel areal density from natural sea ice and channel velocities from laboratory studies are compared with recent measurements reported in the literature. Fluxes into the porous skeletal layer of sea ice may be estimated using rates of nutrient uptake by ice algae and adjacent seawater nutrient concentrations. Both approaches indicate fluxes of the order of 10-6 cc cm-2 s-1 (l m-2 h-1), which are about equal to fluxes reported in bioirrigated sediments. Fluxes of this magnitude indicate a very short residence time for the liquid phase in the skeletal layer, suggesting that this fluid motion may be important in maintaining the ice algae community. © 1984 Springer-Verlag.
Two Immunological Approaches to the Detection of Ribulose-1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase in Guard Cell Chloroplasts

Two immunological approaches were used to determine if ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase (RuBisCo) is present in guard cell chloroplasts. Immunocytochemistry on thin plastic sections using tissue samples that were processed using traditional glutaraldehyde/osmium fixation and then restored to antigenicity with metaperiodate treatment, resulted in labeling over wild-type mesophyll and guard cell plastids of several green and white variegated Pelargonium chimeras. The density of immunogold labeling in guard cell chloroplasts was only about one-seventh of that noted in mesophyll chloroplasts on a square micron basis. Because guard cell chloroplasts are much smaller than mesophyll chloroplasts, and occur at lower quantities/cell, the relative differences in RuBisCo concentration between the cell types indicate that guard cells have only 0.48% of the RuBisCo of mesophyll cells. No reaction was noted over 70S ribosomeless plastids of these chimeras even though adjacent green chloroplasts were heavily stained, indicating the high specificity of the reaction for RuBisCo. Spurr9s resin gave the most successful colloidal gold labeling in terms of low background staining and structural detail but L. R. White9s resin appeared to be superior for antigen retention. In the white leaf edges of the white and green Pelargonium chimeras, the only green, functional chloroplasts are in the guard cells. When either whole tissue or plastid enriched extracts from this white tissue were electrophoresed, blotted, and probed with anti-RuBisCo a large subunit band was detected, identical to that in the green tissue. These data indicate that a low, but detectable, level of RuBisCo is present in guard cell chloroplasts.
An experimental seminar on microprogramming and emulation

The purpose of this article is to describe an experimental senior/graduate-level seminar on "Microprogramming and Emulation" which was offered during the 1974 Spring Semester at the University of Delaware. The stated a priori objective of the course was:"To study the current "state-of-the-art" of microprogramming and microprogrammable machines, to look at where microprogramming is going and why; to develop tools for characterizing tasks and for designing architectures appropriate for a particular task such as emulation."
The origin of paleochemical signatures in North Pacific pelagic clays: Partitioning experiments

Abstract Three techniques for partitioning sediment chemical composition into source end-members, normative partitioning, multivariate Q-mode factor analysis, and linear programming, were used to determine the origin of chemical variation in a pelagic clay core, LL44-GPC3, from the central North Pacific. All partitioning models indicated that the downcore elemental distributions reflect the changing relative influence of detrital, hydrothermal, and hydrogenous sediment components. Two models suggested that biogenic sediment components influenced the sediment as well. The down core distributions of these end-members were very similar in all models, although the chemical compositions of the end-members varied slightly. There was no indication that the compositions of the end-members changed significantly over the 70 m.y. of clay sedimentation represented in the core. The changes in relative importance of the end-members downcore cannot be explained solely by changes in the position of the core site along its backtrack path and therefore suggest that there have been changes in the relative importance of different sediment sources to the North Pacific during the Cenozoic.
Estimation of age- and sex-specific background human serum concentrations of PCDDs, PCDFs, and PCBs in the UMDES and NHANES populations

Age- and sex-specific estimates of serum dioxin concentrations are important for comparisons among populations. However, such comparisons are problematic because populations have different age and sex structures and values are typically reported only in broad age ranges that are not comparable across studies. There are few studies that report congener-specific serum concentrations, and none that provide these by sex for age as a continuous function. We combined the NHANES 2003-2004 data with the University of Michigan Dioxin Exposure Study (UMDES) referent population 2005 data to achieve stable and accurate estimates of mean and quantiles of serum dioxins by sex over ages 18-85. Survey-weighted linear and quantile regression models were fitted on the combined data with the log-transformed congener concentration as outcome and age, sex, and data source as covariates. Formulas are provided to allow calculations of age- and sex-specific mean and quantile estimates over ages 18-85. For instance, the geometric mean, median, 75th percentile, and 95th percentile of serum TEQ for men aged 50 can be estimated, respectively, from the formulas as 18.33, 19.02, 22.60, and 30.37 pg g(-1) lipids among the Michigan general population, and as 15.71, 15.89, 22.60, and 29.90 pg g(-1) lipids among US non-Hispanic whites. These methods and results are useful for comparing the congener-specific human serum dioxin concentrations in any individual to the general population mean, median, 75th percentile, and 95th percentile, and for comparing the serum dioxin concentration in any group of interest to the US and the Michigan general populations.
Reliability of T-gate AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

For the first time, we report on degradation mechanisms of short gate length (Lg = 0.15 µm) T-gate AlGaN/GaN HEMTs, and compare to previously reported findings for GaN field plate devices of the same gate length. Both types of studied devices were subjected to temperature-stress tests in air. T-gate devices were stressed with a drain bias of 15 V, while field plate devices were stressed with a drain bias of 30 V. Some T-gate devices were also stressed in dry nitrogen to observe any impact of the environment. The devices stressed in air failed faster and at a lower junction temperature than the devices stressed in nitrogen. FIB-STEM, EDS and EELS analysis of devices that reached failure criteria revealed that the devices stressed in air may have failed faster due to an oxide formation. For a T-gate device stressed in air, an oxide formation was observed directly underneath the gate foot in a TEM image. For a field plate device stressed in air, an oxide was observed at the interface between the gate foot metal and the field plate dielectric on the drain side of the gate in a TEM image. Gate sinking into the barrier was observed in a TEM image for a T-gate device stressed in dry nitrogen, while no gate sinking was observed or has been reported for field plate devices. Physics-based device modeling of the two structures at the different stress bias conditions reveals that the electric field under the gate is much higher for the T-gate device compared to the field plate device, despite the much higher drain bias for the field plate device. (© 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Hares and Tortoises: Interactions of Fast and Slow Variablesin Ecosystems

Components with diverse turnover times establish the tempo of ecosystem dynamics. The gradient of turnover times within an ecosystem is more than a useful device for understanding; it has practical value as well (O’Neill and others 1986). When initiating a study of a particular ecosystem process, ecologists know that the context is set by other processes with longer turnover times, while the mechanisms derive from another set of processes with shorter turnover times. With the help of the template formed by context, process, and mechanism, the investigator formulates hypotheses, chooses approaches and methods, and prioritizes the research objectives. Skilled modelers know that the essential dynamics of a given ecosystem phenomenon can be captured by including the key processes with longer and shorter turnover times (slower or faster turnover rates). Slow processes are treated as parameters, whereas fast processes may be solved at equilibrium. The range of turnover times in ecosystem components spans at least 12 orders of magnitude. At one extreme, the turnover times of limiting nutrients in pelagic ecosystems are less than a second; at the other, the weathering of rock formations can take millions of years. Organismic turnover times range from about a day for microbes to centuries for old-growth trees. Disparities in turnover times make ecological legacies possible. Extensively weathered landscapes may have phosphorus-limited vegetation, whereas glacially reworked landscapes support nitrogen-limited vegetation. Dead trees in forests support insects and birds or serve as nurse logs for extended periods of time. Large, infrequent disturbances may structure an ecosystem for centuries, and the effects of human land use can persist in ecosystems long after the activity has ceased (Turner and Dale 1998). Ecosystem dynamics are history-dependent because of the coupling of events across a range of cycling times. “Big effects from small causes” (Ricker 1963) are
Contribution of the ipsilateral motor cortex to recovery after chronic stroke

It has been proposed that the intact (ipsilateral) motor cortex play a significant role mediating recovery of motor function in the paretic hand of chronic stroke patients, but this hypothesis has not been tested experimentally. Here, we evaluated the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on motor performance of the paretic hand of chronic stroke patients and healthy controls. We hypothesized that, if activity in the intact hemisphere contributes to functional recovery, TMS should result in abnormal motor behavior in the paretic hand. We found that stimulation of the intact hemisphere resulted in delayed simple reaction times (RTs) in the contralateral healthy but not in the ipsilateral paretic hand, whereas stimulation of the lesioned hemisphere led to a marked delay in RT in the contralateral paretic hand but not in the ipsilateral healthy hand. RT delays in the paretic hand correlated well with functional recovery. Finger tapping in the paretic hand was affected by TMS of the lesioned but not the intact hemisphere. These results are consistent with the idea that recovered motor function in the paretic hand of chronic stroke patients relies predominantly on reorganized activity within motor areas of the affected hemisphere.
The Object of One’s Desire: How Perceived Sexual Empowerment Through Objectification is Related to Sexual Outcomes

There is a debate as to whether or not gaining a sense of sexual empowerment through being an object of sexual desire results in empowerment. This debate has been largely theoretical, but there are now operationalizations of self-sexualization, enjoying sexualization, and perceiving sex as a source of personal power which allow for the collection of data on this topic. The current study examined whether these constructs were related to attitudinal and behavioral indicators of sexual satisfaction and sexual agency. An online sample of young, heterosexual, sexually active women was recruited. Our constructs of interest were related to some positive sexual outcomes, including sexual esteem and sexual assertiveness. At the same time, these constructs were related to having faked orgasm, and both self-sexualization and the belief that sex can be a source of power were related to greater frequency of having faked an orgasm. Additionally, none of the variables was significantly related to sexual satisfaction or ease of orgasm. Thus, while there may be some positive sexual outcomes associated with these variables, there are other indicators that a sense of empowerment through objectified sexuality may interfere with true sexual subjectivity.
Wavelet transformation based multi-time scaling method for crystal plasticity FE simulations under cyclic loading

Abstract Microstructure based mechanistic calculations, coupled with physically motivated crack initiation criterion, can provide effective means to predict fatigue cracking in polycrystalline materials. However the accommodation of large number of cycles to failure, as observed in the experiments, could be computationally exhaustive to simulate using conventional single time scale finite element analysis. To meet this challenging requirement, a novel wavelet transformation based multi-time scaling algorithm is proposed for accelerated crystal plasticity finite element simulations in this paper. An advantage over other conventional methods that fail because of assumptions of periodicity etc., is that no assumption of scale separation is needed with this method. The wavelet decomposition naturally retains the high frequency response through the wavelet basis functions and transforms the low frequency material response into a “cycle scale” problem with monotonic evolution. The method significantly enhances the computational efficiency in comparison with conventional single time scale integration methods. Adaptivity conditions are also developed for this algorithm to improve accuracy and efficiency. Numerical examples for validating the multi-scaling algorithm are executed for a one dimensional viscoplastic problem and a 3D crystal plasticity model of polycrystalline Ti alloy under the cyclic loading conditions.
Phenotypic evaluation of fertility traits and their association with milk production of Italian Friesian cattle.

The effect of environmental factors on first service conception rate, days from calving to first service, weeks from calving to conception, days from first to second service, and number of services per conception and the relationship of production with reproductive performance were estimated using 1.42 million records. The production trait was 305-d mature equivalent milk production. Season and age affected fertility: reproductive performance was lowest for lactations initiated during warm months (May to July) and decreased with parity. The association of production and fertility was antagonistic. High producing cows had 12 d more from calving to first service, .15 lower first service conception rate, .32 more services per conception, and 4.8 wk more from calving to conception than low producing cows in the same herd. The negative effect of production on fertility was reduced by superior herd management associated with high production. The difference in reproductive performance of cows in high and low producing herds represented only about 35% of the difference in the performance of high and low producing cows within herds for all fertility traits. The negative effect of production on fertility for interval between first and second service was totally compensated for by better management.