cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Population assessment and movement patterns of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in the Manistee River, Michigan, USA

Summary Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) population characteristics and migration patterns were evaluated in the Manistee River system, Michigan. Sturgeon (n = 102) were captured using gillnets, tagged and released in the system between 2001 and 2005. Biological data (weight, length, age, sex and spawning status) were collected to calculate length–weight relationships and relative condition factor (Kn), determine age structure, and estimate the annual spawning population size. Sturgeon were also implanted with radio and sonic transmitters, and migration patterns of 22 sturgeon were determined. The weight–length equation for sturgeon in the Manistee River system was log10 W = 3.17log10TL−5.52 and did not differ by sex. Kn equaled 0.72 and did not differ by sex or spawning status. Ages ranged from age 5 to age 54. Sexually mature male and female sturgeon were captured over the course of the study, and the size of the spawning population ranged from 21 to 66 spawners. Sturgeon migration movements up and down the Manistee River varied with date, water temperature, and discharge. The sturgeon appeared to use two different spawning sites in the Manistee River. The Manistee River system supports a remnant lake sturgeon population; the presence of a wide range of age classes and availability of a limited number of suitable spawning sites suggest continued recruitment to the population.
Getting a Visa vs. Using a Visa: Some Observations and Complaining

An Argentinian living in the USA, this author argues that nothing can provide insight into the world opinion of one’s country like the process of applying for a visa. She describes her experiences going through immigration, and outlines her concerns about observing the appropriate protocols. She concludes that it is no easy matter fitting the profile of all those dangerous 5′1″, 26 year-old female students that are plotting the end of society as we speak.
A comparison of asymptotic error rate expansions for the sample linear discriminant function

Abstract Several asymptotic expansions for approximating the expected or unconditional probability of misclassification for the sample linear discriminant function are compared for accuracy in terms of yielding the smallest mean absolute deviation from the exact value for 104 population configurations. The actual expected probabilities of misclassification are found via Monte Carlo simulation. A simple and relatively obscure asymptotic expansion derived by Raudys ( Tech. Cybern. 4 , 168–174, 1972) is found to yield better approximation than the well-known asymptotic expansions.
Vibroacoustic testing of Space Shuttle thermal protection system panels

The modes and acoustic responses of two panels representing Space Shuttle thermal protection panels were investigated. The panels consisted of flat aluminum sheet stiffened longitudinally with hat-section stringers and corrugated supporting panels representing Shuttle ring frame bulkheads. In addition, one panel had 24 tiles of LI900 silica thermal insulation material and a strain isolator pad bonded to the face sheet. Both panels were found to have approximately eight modal frequencies in the 60 to 500 Hz range, where Shuttle acoustic loads are expected to be high. The strain response to a progressive acoustic wave representing a Shuttle spectrum was characterized by the occurrence of larger strains in the direction normal to the stringers than in the direction parallel to the stringers; three modes in the 100 to 400 Hz range contributed significantly to the strain response.
Peculiarities of anisotropic photopolymerization in films

Photopolymers are used in printing, electronics, solid imaging, and holography. In typical applications the illumination from one side, normal to the surface of these materials, initiates a chemical sequence that records the incident light pattern in the polymer. The high optical density of the film and the unidirectional illumination leads to a concentration gradient of the reacting species and their consequent migration toward the illuminated surface from the bulk of the film. As such, one also sees migration from the dark regions of the pattern to the illuminated ones. As a result, the photopolymerization rate and yield vary greatly with the depth and location in the pattern creating a spatially anisotropic distribution of reactants and products. The presence of atmospheric oxygen in the system adds to nonuniformities of imaging. Using the fluorescence based technique for kinetic measurement, optical microscopy, and semiempirical finite element model computations we reconstruct the spatial dependence of photopolymerization in photopolymer films. The model assumes the mobility of every reactive species in photopolymer formulation including oxygen. We propose to control image uniformity by selecting the reactants with predetermined mobility in polymer film and by controlling the oxygen content of the material during imaging.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Evaluation of plasmapheresis membranes

Abstract The species rejected by plasmapheresis membranes are cellular. Only by postulating the form and then measuring the magnitude of cell—membrane interactions can such merebranes be compared. Superficial deposition of cells followed by movement of the cell layer has been previously postulated by the authors as the important cell behavior at the merebrane. Hence the resistance of consolidated cell layers was taken to be of primary concern. Experimental values of this resistance were obtained for seven microporous films. Results with static cell layers indicate little difference among membranes in the range of pore sizes normally prescribed for plasmapheresis. If sheared, cell layers on smooth membranes, but not on rough ones, seemed to show decreased resistance. Static layers on membranes with pores either larger or smaller than commonly prescribed for plasmapheresis showed resistances different from those of layers on the other membranes tested.
Small solutions to a given quadratic form with a variable modulus

Abstract For a positive definite integral quadratic form Q ( x ) in at least 4 variables, we show that there is a constant c = c ( Q ) so that for any m > 0, there is a non-zero integral vector x = ( x i ) such that Q ( x ) ≡ 0 mod( m ), and max | x i | ≤ c √ m .
Immune thrombocytopenic purpura in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection

OBJECTIVE: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been associated with the production of autoantibodies and the development of several autoimmune disorders. Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an immune-mediated syndrome of unknown etiology characterized by the presence of autoantibodies against platelet membrane proteins. METHODS: Retrospective chart review. RESULTS: Seven patients with chronic HCV infection (five with cirrhosis and two with chronic active hepatitis) developed thrombocytopenia, out of proportion to their liver disease, and were diagnosed with ITP based on the presence of anti-platelet antibodies and their response to treatment. The number of patients with ITP which occurred in a population of 3440 HCV patients seen over this time interval is much greater than would be expected by chance (p < 0.00001). Six patients required treatment and four required hospitalization. Four of the six responded to corticosteroids alone. Both of the patients who failed to respond to corticosteroids responded to cyclophosphamide. No mortality occurred from complications of thrombocytopenia. CONCLUSIONS: ITP occurs more commonly in patients with chronic HCV infection than would be expected by chance. This should be considered in patients with liver disease and unexplained thrombocytopenia, as well as in patients with newly diagnosed ITP. Evaluation of antiplatelet antibodies, using an antigen-specific assay, was useful in supporting this diagnosis. Therapy with either corticosteroids or cyclophosphamide was successful in the six patients who required treatment.
Regulation by monovalent cations of histamine H2 receptor-coupled adenylate cyclase from guinea pig fundic gastric mucosa

In thoroughly washed guinea pig fundic gastric mucosal membranes, NaCl markedly potentiates the maximal histamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity and increases the concentration of histamine required for half-maximal effect (EC50). The apparent dissociation constants for the antagonists cimetidine and metiamide are only slightly increased in the presence of NaCl. Potassium chloride does not change the histamine EC50 but does increase the maximal histamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. These results suggest that Na and K ions may play an important role in the regulation of histamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase in gastric mucosa. The effect of the Na ion appears to be more specific for histamine H2 receptor agonists than for antagonists.
Preliminary calculations concerning the maintenance of the zonal mean ozone distribution in the Northern Hemisphere

Results from a three-dimensional photochemical-dynamical model of ozone are presented and a qualitative description of the maintenance of the ozone distribution and its seasonal variations below 1 mb is given. The transition between photochemical and transport control of the ozone distribution is emphasized. Between 1 and 10 mb, transport by the eddies seems to play only a minor role at mid-latitudes in producing the observed ozone distribution despite the zero correlation between ozone and temperature which occurs in that region. In the lower stratosphere, mean and eddy contributions to ozone change generally strongly offset one another. The buildup and decay of the springtime ozone maximum is discussed. Emphasis is given to the mechanism of ozone transport by the mid-latitude eddies, which play an important role in the springtime accumulation of ozone.
Purpose and learning benefits of simulations: a design and development perspective

In the development of business enterprise simulations, designers use as their knowledge base theories and business fundamentals drawn from accounting, finance, marketing, economic, production, and management courses. A problem exists, however, as each discipline has alternative procedures, theories, and unresolved issues. Because the simulation designer must choose specific procedures and theories, the personal bias of the designer enters the picture and cannot be avoided even if the designer attempts to avoid bias. The learning benefits of a specific simulation are thereby affected by what is and is not chosen as the knowledge base.
Pharmacy students' perceptions of cultural competence encounters during practice experiences.

Objective. To determine pharmacy students’ perceptions regarding cultural competence training, cross-cultural experiences during advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs), and perceived comfort levels with various cultural encounters. Methods. Fourth-year pharmacy (P4) students were asked to complete a questionnaire at the end of their fourth APPE. Results. Fifty-two of 124 respondents (31.9%) reported having 1 or more cultural competence events during their APPEs, the most common of which was caring for a patient with limited English proficiency. Conclusion. Students reported high levels of comfort with specific types of cultural encounters (disabilities, sexuality, financial barriers, mental health), but reported to be less comfortable in other situations.
Between Two Worlds: A Reading of Descartes’s Meditations

John Carriero, (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press 2009), xviii + 544 pp., £59.00/$85.00 (hb), ISBN 13: 978‐0‐691‐13560‐1 Between Two Worlds, John Carriero’s leisurely and attentive walk thr...
Conduction and Dispersion of Ionized Gases at High Frequencies

The distribution in energy of electrons in a high frequency electromagnetic field is derived by kinetic theory methods. By use of the distribution law, the current density and hence the (complex) conductivity are calculated as functions of electron density, pressure, and frequency of the field. The real part of the conductivity has a maximum for gas pressures, or frequencies, such that the mean free time of an electron is approximately equal to the period of the field. From the conductivity, the dielectric constant of the medium, its index of refraction, and its extinction coefficient are deduced. The results are applicable in microwave researches and in ionosphere problems.
Cytochrome P450 2D6 activity predicts discontinuation of tamoxifen therapy in breast cancer patients

The selective estrogen receptor modulator tamoxifen is routinely used for treatment and prevention of estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer. Studies of tamoxifen adherence suggest that over half of patients discontinue treatment before the recommended 5 years. We hypothesized that polymorphisms in CYP2D6, the enzyme responsible for tamoxifen activation, predict for tamoxifen discontinuation. Tamoxifen-treated women (n=297) were genotyped for CYP2D6 variants and assigned a 'score' based on predicted allele activities from 0 (no activity) to 2 (high activity). Correlation between CYP2D6 score and discontinuation rates at 4 months was tested. We observed a strong nonlinear correlation between higher CYP2D6 score and increased rates of discontinuation (r(2)=0.935, P=0.018). These data suggest that presence of active CYP2D6 alleles may predict for higher likelihood of tamoxifen discontinuation. Therefore, patients who may be most likely to benefit from tamoxifen may paradoxically be most likely to discontinue treatment prematurely.
Doppler signals observed during high temperature thermal ablation are the result of boiling.

Purpose: To elucidate the causation mechanism of Spectral Doppler ultrasound signals (DUS) observed during high temperature thermal ablation and evaluate their potential for image-guidance.Methods: Sixteen ex vivo ablations were performed in fresh turkey breast muscle, eight with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) devices, and eight with a conductive interstitial thermal therapy (CITT) device. Temperature changes in the ablation zone were measured with thermocouples located at 1 to 10 mm away from the ablation probes. Concomitantly, DUS were recorded using a standard diagnostic ultrasound scanner. Retrospectively, sustained observations of DUS were correlated with measured temperatures. Sustained DUS was arbitrarily defined as the Doppler signals lasting more than 10 s as observed in the diagnostic ultrasound videos captured from the scanner.Results: For RFA experiments, minimum average temperature (T1 ± SD) at which sustained DUS were observed was 97.2 ± 7.3°C, while the maximum average temperature (T2 ± SD) ...
Reductive dechlorination of halogenated phenols by a sulfate-reducing consortium

A sulfidogenic consortium enriched from an estuarine sediment utilized 4-chlorophenol as a sole source of carbon and energy. Reductive dechlorination as the initial step in chlorophenol degradation by the sulfate-reducing consortium was confirmed with the use of chloro-fluorophenols. Both 4-chloro-2-fluorophenol and 4-chloro-3-fluorophenol were dechlorinated, resulting in stoichiometric accumulation of 2-fluorophenol and 3-fluorophenol, respectively. The fluorophenols were not degraded further. Furthermore, phenol was detected as a transient intermediate during degradation of 4-chlorophenol in the presence of 3-fluorophenol. Reductive dechlorination was inhibited by molybdate and did not occur in the absence of sulfate. These results indicate that 4-chlorophenol is reductively dechlorinated to phenol under sulfate-reducing conditions and mineralization of the phenol ring to CO2 is coupled to sulfate reduction.
Merchant houses as spectacles of modernity in Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu

This article examines the production of visually spectacular ancestral houses by migrant merchants in colonial South Asia between 1860 and 1930, as well as the recent transformation of these now-abandoned homes into sites of tourism. I primarily consider the elaborately painted houses belonging to the migrant Marwari traders of north India in the Shekhawati region of eastern Rajasthan, and comment upon the south Indian ornamental houses built by the Chettiar merchants in Madras Presidency, now known as Tamil Nadu. I argue that these empty mansions are being rapidly appropriated into new objects of visual consumption through international tourism, thereby transforming spaces of the private into spaces of public access. Visual practices in India have to be understood as part of a global and capitalist modernity, and not just in terms of India's pre-modern past. Through practices of tourism, spatial geographies of diasporic identity formation are being re-created through a visual orientation of the past.
Reactions of Aqueous Chlorine and Chlorine Dioxide with Tryptophan, N-Methyltryptophan, and 3-Indolelactic Acid: Kinetic and Mutagenicity Studies

Reactions of tryptophan, N-methyltryptophan and 3-indolelactic acid with aqueous chlorine or chlorine dioxide (ClO2) in 0.1M potassium phosphate buffer, pH 6.0, were investigated to determine any structural relationships with regards to kinetics and mutagenicity. The reaction with ClO2 followed pseudo-first order kinetics, with the half-life of the respective compounds being 36, 22, and 8 milliseconds. The formation of a dark precipitate in the reaction of tryptophan with HOCl precluded any kinetic comparison. The reaction products of tryptophan with hypochlorous acid (HOCl) or ClO2 were mutagenic to Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100; while those of N-methyltryptophan with HOCl and ClO2 were more mutagenic toward TA98. Higher recoveries of the reaction products were achieved by passing the acidified (pH 2.5) mixture through an XAD-8/XAD-2 resin column.
Characterization of Organosolv Lignins using Thermal and FT-IR Spectroscopic Analysis

A group of biomass-derived lignins isolated using organosolv fractionation was characterized by FT-IR spectral and thermal property analysis coupled with multivariate analysis. The principal component analysis indicated that there were significant variations between the hardwood, softwood, and grass lignins due to the differences in syringyl and guaiacyl units as well as the different processing temperatures and times used to isolate the lignins. Partial least squares regression revealed that the concentration of syringyl units was the foremost factor behind the variation in glass transition temperature (Tg) for each lignin sample. It was concluded that structural variations resulting from altering the processing time and temperature and the lignin species directly affect the thermal properties of the lignin. Therefore, by determining the thermal properties of a lignin sample, a basic understanding of its structure can be developed.
The sportswriter as development journalist: Covering African football

Abstract Football is Africa's game, but performance in world competition reveals the sport as metaphor for African development is stymied by political corruption, infrastructure deficiency, and neocolonial exploitation. The media‐sport complex has perpetuated this cycle. Development journalism contrarily posits media as a force for good. Where the ideal of objectivity dominates traditional news, development journalism stresses nation building. However, emphasizing news, development journalism overlooks the powerful role of sport in African life. Through meta‐analysis, this article compares the values and practices of development journalism and of sportswriting. The article concludes that sportswriters are well positioned to act as development journalists. As mediator of football, the sportswriter can capitalize on the promise of sport to effect nation building and development in Africa.
NOAA's ‘Mussel Watch’ project: Current use organic compounds in bivalves

Abstract The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) established the National Status and Trends (NS&T) Mussel Watch Project in 1985 to assess the current status and the long term trends for selected contaminants in US coastal waters. Starting in 1994 bivalves have been analyzed for compounds not reported in previous years. Dicofol, alachlor, trifluralin and atrazine were detected in 5% of the samples and analyses were not continued. On the other hand, the concentrations of 1,2,4,5-tetrachloro-benzene, 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorobenzene, pentachlorobenzene, pentachloroanisole, endosulfan and chlorpyrifos were measurable in bivalves collected from 1994 to 1997. The distribution of concentrations for these analytes were different from each other and from the pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls historically measured in the NS&T project. The concentrations of these analytes are comparatively low and some were not detected at a majority of sites sampled. However, continued monitoring will provide information on the temporal trends of these environmental contaminants and therefore should be continued.
Batch preparation of rabbit γG globulin with DEAE-cellulose☆

Abstract A rapid method for the preparatoin of γG globulin of specified purity from rabbit serum by a single batch absorption with DEAE-cellulose is described. The percentage purity of the product depends upon the quantity of DEAE-cellulose used per ml serum. The content of contaminating proteins was determined by semiquantitative scans of disc electrophoresis patterns or of immunodiffusion lines. The recovery of cytolytic antibody activity is compared with that obtained by ammonium sulfate fractionation. The procedure is very effective in reducing the anticomplementary activity ofwhole antisera or of whole γ-globulin. A rapid method for regeneration of used DEAE-cellulose is given.
Crack initiation and mechanical fatigue of silica glass

Abstract The characteristics of the static and dynamic fatigues of freshly abraded and water-soaked silica glass were investigated in water and in formamide. While freshly abraded samples showed static and dynamic fatigue both in water and in formamide, water-soaked samples showed an appreciable fatigue only in water and showed practically no fatigue in formamide. These behaviors can best be explained as follows: the fatigue of the samples with blunt cracks produced by soaking in hot water involves crack initiation which plays the dominant role, in addition to slow crack growth, while that of the freshly abraded samples with sharp cracks involves only the slow crack growth. While both water and formamide can cause slow crack growth of a sharp crack, only water is capable of causing crack initiation from a blunt crack under sub-critical stress. The static and dynamic fatigue equations were modified to account for the crack initiation in addition to the crack growth. The analysis based upon this model showed that for specimens with a blunt crack the crack initiation stress was almost identical to the failure stress and that most of the fatigue lifetime is the time required for crack initiation.
RINKONOMICS: A WINDOW ON SPONTANEOUS ORDER†

The idea of spontaneous order is here exposited by analogy with roller skating at a roller rink. In the roller rink and in the economy, the key ingredient of spontaneous order is coincidence of interest. This makes the beneficial outcome possible. Central planning is bound to fail if for no other reason than because of the knowledge problem. The meaning of ‘spontaneous’ is discussed, along with the limits of the principle.
An Analysis of Ensembles that are Both Pre- and Post-Selected

The idea of ensembles which are both pre- and post-selected was introduced by Aharonov, Bergmann, and Lebowitz and developed by Aharonov and his school. To derive formulae for the probabilities of outcomes of a measurement performed on such an ensemble at a time intermediate between pre-selection and post-selection, the latter group introduces a two-vector formulation of quantum mechanics, one vector propagating in the forward direction in time and one in the backward direction. The formulae which they obtain by this radical generalization are vindicated by a rigorous derivation using Bayes’s theorem together with standard quantum mechanical predictions regarding ensembles that are only pre-selected. Their own two-vector derivation, however, suffers from a serious lacuna.
Identification of Grass-specific Enzyme That Acylates Monolignols with p-Coumarate

Lignin is a major component of plant cell walls that is essential to their function. However, the strong bonds that bind the various subunits of lignin, and its cross-linking with other plant cell wall polymers, make it one of the most important factors in the recalcitrance of plant cell walls against polysaccharide utilization. Plants make lignin from a variety of monolignols including p-coumaryl, coniferyl, and sinapyl alcohols to produce the three primary lignin units: p-hydroxyphenyl, guaiacyl, and syringyl, respectively, when incorporated into the lignin polymer. In grasses, these monolignols can be enzymatically preacylated by p-coumarates prior to their incorporation into lignin, and these monolignol conjugates can also be “monomer” precursors of lignin. Although monolignol p-coumarate-derived units may comprise up to 40% of the lignin in some grass tissues, the p-coumarate moiety from such conjugates does not enter into the radical coupling (polymerization) reactions of lignification. With a greater understanding of monolignol p-coumarate conjugates, grass lignins could be engineered to contain fewer pendent p-coumarate groups and more monolignol conjugates that improve lignin cleavage. We have cloned and expressed an enzyme from rice that has p-coumarate monolignol transferase activity and determined its kinetic parameters.
Contamination and Effects of Perfluorochemicals in Baikal Seal (Pusa sibirica). 2. Molecular Characterization, Expression Level, and Transcriptional Activation of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor α

To investigate the biological effects of perfluorochemicals (PFCs) and to identify biomarkers of exposure to PFCs, this study focused on the effects mediated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) in Baikal seals (Pusa sibirica). We cloned a full-length cDNA, encoding PPARα from the liver of Baikal seal, which has a deduced open reading frame of 468-amino acid residues with a predicted molecular mass of 52.2 kDa. Comparison of the amino-acid sequence of Baikal seal PPARα with that of other mammalian PPARα showed considerable similarities with PPARα of dog (97%), human (95%), rat (92%), and mouse (91%). The quantitative real-time RT-PCR analyses of tissues from Baikal seals revealed that PPARα mRNAs were primarily expressed in the liver, kidney, heart, and muscle. The hepatic expression levels of PPARα mRNA showed a positive correlation with the expression levels of immunochemically detected cytochrome P450 (CYP) 4A-like protein, indicating that the PPARα-CYP4A signaling pathway in Baikal ...
Transcription Factor AP-2 Is an Essential and Direct Regulator of Epidermal Development in Xenopus

Abstract Expression of the Xenopus homolog of the mammalian transcription factor AP-2α (XAP-2) is activated throughout the animal hemisphere shortly after the midblastula transition, and becomes restricted to prospective epidermis by the end of gastrulation, under the control of BMP signal modulation. Elevated expression in the future neural crest region begins at this time. Ectopic expression of XAP-2 can restore transcription of epidermal genes in neuralized ectoderm, both in ectodermal explants and in the intact embryo. Likewise, loss of XAP-2 function, accomplished by injection of antisense oligonucleotides or by overexpression of antimorphic XAP-2 derivatives, leads to loss of epidermal and gain of neural gene expression. These treatments also result in gastrulation failure. Thus, AP-2 is a critical regulator of ectodermal determination that is required for normal epidermal development and morphogenesis in the frog embryo.
Lysine-specific demethylase-1 modifies the age effect on blood pressure sensitivity to dietary salt intake

How interactions of an individual’s genetic background and environmental factors, such as dietary salt intake, result in age-associated blood pressure elevation is largely unknown. Lysine-specific demethylase-1 (LSD1) is a histone demethylase that mediates epigenetic regulation and modification of gene transcription. We have shown previously that hypertensive African-American minor allele carriers of the LSD1 single nucleotide polymorphism (rs587168) display blood pressure salt sensitivity. Our goal was to further examine the effects of LSD1 genotype variants on interactions between dietary salt intake, age, and blood pressure. We found that LSD1 single nucleotide polymorphism (rs7548692) predisposes to increasing salt sensitivity during aging in normotensive Caucasian subjects. Using a LSD1 heterozygous knockout mouse model, we compared blood pressure values on low (0.02 % Na+) vs. high (1.6 % Na+) salt intake. Our results demonstrate significantly increased blood pressure salt sensitivity in LSD1-deficient compared to wild-type animals with age, confirming our findings of salt sensitivity in humans. Elevated blood pressure in LSD1+/− mice is associated with total plasma volume expansion and altered renal Na+ excretion. In summary, our human and animal studies demonstrate that LSD1 is a genetic factor that interacts with dietary salt intake modifying age-associated blood pressure increases and salt sensitivity through alteration of renal Na+ handling.
Reflections on a Relational Theory of Space

The modern discussion of the philosophy of space and time continues in the pattern set by the controversy between Leibniz and Newton. The positions in that controversy are usually identified by the labels ‘relational’ vs. ‘absolute’ and the opposition thus marked is generally taken to be between the conceptions of space as “a lattice of quantitative relations” and as “a unity which precedes and makes possible all relations that can be discovered in it.”1 Both positions, so described, are difficult to understand. There is, moreover, associated with each of them a special difficulty that I want to focus on, for these special difficulties will suggest a point of view that may aid our understanding of the controversy and its contemporary continuations.
Multiplanar reconstruction in computed tomography of the orbit.

Abstract Sagittal and coronal image reconstruction from axial CT scan data was obtained routinely in patients who underwent CT of the orbit. In some instances, the method had proved valuable in providing additional informations regarding precise identification and extent of a lesion and occasionally the nature of a lesion. The technique had often obviated the need for direct coronal CT scanning.
Resident Preparedness for Practice: A Longitudinal Cohort Study

Objective.—To determine whether the perception of preparedness for practice changes over time. Design.—Questionnaire survey of University of Massachusetts residents 5 years after an initial survey. Responses to individual questions in the 2 surveys were compared for each graduate and the Wilcoxon rank sum test applied. A supplementary questionnaire addressed current confidence in areas with relatively low scores in both surveys. Results.—All 24 eligible graduates responded. The high rating of overall sense of preparedness was identical in the 2 surveys. Differences were statistically significant in only 3 categories: common illnesses, office gastroenterology, and office gynecology—all from a lower estimate of preparedness initially to a higher estimate in retrospect. Six areas continued to receive relatively low scores: nutrition, patient scheduling, cost-effectiveness, telephone management, office gynecology, and office orthopedics. Respondents feel more confident currently with nutrition, patient scheduling, and telephone management but not with cost-effectiveness, gynecology, or orthopedics. Conclusions.—Residents paired with office-based practitioners for their continuity experience report feeling well prepared for practice both on practice entry and 5 to 9 years later. In the 6 areas of relatively low preparedness, experience improved confidence with nutrition, patient scheduling, and telephone management, but not cost-effectiveness, gynecology, or orthopedics. The hypothesis that clinical areas of relative weakness at the end of residency may remain so years later deserves to be tested.
Numerical study of a field theory for directed percolation.

A numerical method is devised for the study of stochastic partial differential equations describing directed percolation, the contact process, and other models with a continuous transition to an absorbing state. Owing to the heightened sensitivity to fluctuations attending multiplicative noise in the vicinity of an absorbing state, a useful method requires discretization of the field variable as well as of space and time. When applied to the field theory for directed percolation in 1+1 dimensions, the method yields critical exponents which compare well against accepted values.
Plant community development of Isle Royale’s moose-spruce savannas

In Isle Royale National Park, heavy moose browsing over the past 100 years has suppressed the regeneration of many tree species, gradually resulting in a shift towards more open forests and savanna...
Peak pool boiling heat flux in viscous liquids

The stability of a gas jet in a surrounding viscous liquid is studied. An expression is developed for the critical velocity at which the jet becomes unstable in a returning viscous liquid. The stability analysis is made to correspond with the geometrical configuration of gas jets and liquid columns similar to those observed near the peak pool boiling heat flux. The critical velocity of the gas jet is then used to obtain the functional form of the peak heat flux on flat plates and cylindrical heaters. The expressions are compared with original observations of the peak heat flux in very viscous liquids on flat plate, and cylindrical, heaters at both earth-normal, and elevated, gravities.
Update in Neurology

This Update incorporates an overview of articles on stroke, transient ischemic attack, and cerebrovascular disease; hypertension; multiple sclerosis; inflammation; infectious diseases; neurocardiog...
Advances and new technologies in adult endoscopy: Can they be adapted to pediatrics?

Gastrointestinal endoscopy has revolutionized the management of many gastrointestinal and pancreatobiliary diseases and is now an integral part of the evaluation and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases in children and adolescents. Over the past several years, many new technological and therapeutic advances have been made in the field. These new technologies and therapies are often initially applied to adult patients and gradually adapted to children. This review focuses on recent advances and new technologies in adult endoscopy and discusses their adaptability to pediatric patients and the limitations to their adaptation.
Determination of selenium(IV) by anodic stripping voltammetry with an in situ gold-plated rotating glassy carbon disk electrode

Abstract The application of an in situ gold-plated glassy carbon disk electrode to the determination of selenium(IV) by anodic stripping voltammetry is described. A single anodic stripping peak is obtained for solutions containing less than 1 × 10 -6 M Se(IV). The minimum concentration detected was 2 × 10 -9 M Se(IV). The determination of selenium in NBS SRM 1577 (Bovine Liver) by anodic stripping voltammetry with an in situ goldplated rotating glassy carbon electrode yielded a value of 1.14 ± 0.07 μg Se g -1 compared with a certificate value of 1.1 ± 0.1 μg Se g -1 .
Raphe unit activity during REM sleep in normal cats and in pontine lesioned cats displaying REM sleep without atonia

Previous studies have shown that the activity of serotonin-containing raphe neurons in cats is almost completely suppressed during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. However, since raphe unit activity is known to be grossly correlated with the level of behavioral arousal or tonic motor activity, this decrease in activity during REM sleep may be simply due to the fact that tonic EMG activity or motoric output is at a minimum. On the other hand, raphe unit activity may be related to the state (i.e. REM sleep) of the organism. To test these competing hypotheses, in the present study we compared raphe unit activity in normal cats with that in cats that display REM sleep without atonia (produced by bilateral lesions of the pontine tegmentum). These lesioned cats manifest episodes which, by all criteria, appear to be REM sleep except that they display overt behavior, presumably because the mechanism normally responsible for producing atonia has been disrupted. Although the activity of raphe neurons in lesioned cats during REM sleep without atonia was significantly below that seen in these cats during waking, the level of activity was often impressive. This is especially true when those animals that displayed the greatest degree of tonic motor activity during REM sleep (group IV animals) are considered separately. In these cats, the depression was only 40.5% below their quiet waking level, whereas in lesioned cats displaying less tonic motor activity (Group II animals), raphe discharge rate was 65.6% below their quiet waking level. The discharge rate of raphe neurons during REM sleep in lesioned cats was more than 6-fold greater than that seen in normal animals. These data, in conjunction with other recent results from our laboratory, suggest that the decrease in raphe unit activity during REM sleep is largely a concomitant of the atonia which characterizes that state. These data are discussed within the general context of the relationship between raphe unit discharge and the activity of central motor systems.
Effects of feeding rumen-protected choline on incidence of diseases and reproduction of dairy cows

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of feeding rumen-protected choline (RPC) to dairy cows on the incidence of disease in early lactation, and on their fertility as measured by return to ovarian cyclicity and pregnancies per insemination (P/AI). In the first experiment, 369 cows were fed 15 g/day of RPC between 25 days pre-calving and 80 days post calving. In the second experiment, 578 primigravid cows were fed 15 g/day of RPC for the last 21 days of gestation only. In both experiments, P/AI were evaluated for the first and second inseminations, and health disorders were monitored daily until 90 days after calving. Return to cyclicity was evaluated in experiment 1 only, on days 51 and 61 post calving. In the first experiment, feeding RPC reduced the incidence of clinical ketosis, mastitis, and morbidity, and the number of cases of mastitis per cow. Feeding RPC did not influence cyclicity and P/AI. In the second experiment, cows fed RPC tended to have greater morbidity than controls because of an increased incidence of metritis and fever, although the incidence of retained fetal membranes was lower. The P/AI for first and second inseminations were similar between treatments. Supplementing the diets of dairy cattle with RPC from before until after calving improved the health of early lactation cows. However, in primigravid cows feeding RPC before calving only had mixed effects on health. Feeding RPC had no beneficial effects on reproduction in either experiment.
The Effects of Hydrocortisone and Estrogen on Experimental Fever Induced by Etiocholanolone

The effects of hydrocortisone and estrogen on experimental etiocholanolone fever were studied. Hydrocortisone given either orally, iv, or im in a different site from etiocholanolone had no significant effect on the febrile responses of normal men and women. When the hydrocortisone was given in the same site as the etiocholanolone, there was significant reduction in fever. These results suggest that the local inflammatory reaction is essential to the pyrogenicity of etiocholanolone. Nine women without ovarian function were given estrogen, and their febrile responses to etiocholanolone and endotoxin were measured. After treatment with estrogen the responses to etiocholanolone were significantly less, but no difference in the pyrogenic reactivity to endotoxin was detected. These studies demonstrate that estrogens are not nonspecific antipyretic agents and that the previously observed diminished febrile responsiveness of normal young women to etiocholanolone may be due, in part, to estrogens.
An fMRI examination of developmental differences in the neural correlates of uncertainty and decision-making

Background: Maturation of prefrontal circuits during adolescence contributes to the development of cognitive processes such as decision-making. Recent theories suggest that these neural changes also play a role in the shift from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) to depression that often occurs during this developmental period. Cognitive models of the development of GAD highlight the role of intolerance of uncertainty (IU), which can be characterized behaviorally by impairments in decision-making. The present study examines potential developmental differences in frontal regions associated with uncertain decision-making, and tests the impact of IU on these circuits. Methods: Twelve healthy adults (ages 19–36) and 12 healthy adolescents (ages 13–17) completed a decision-making task with conditions of varied uncertainty while fMRI scans were acquired. They also completed measures of worry and IU, and a questionnaire about their levels of anxiety and certainty during the task. Results: Combined group analyses demonstrated significant linear effects of uncertainty on activity within anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Region of interest (ROI)-based analysis found a significant interaction of group and IU ratings in ACC. Increased IU was associated with robust linear increases in ACC activity only in adolescents. An ROI analysis of feedback-related processing found that adolescents demonstrated greater activation during incorrect trials relative to correct trials, while the adults showed no difference in neural activity associated with incorrect and correct feedback. Conclusions: This decision-making task was shown to be effective at eliciting uncertainty-related ACC activity in adults and adolescents. Further, IU impacts ACC activity in adolescents during uncertain decision-making, providing preliminary support for a developmental model of GAD.
Photoemission from a spherical particle suspended in an electric field. The Smoluchowski model

Abstract In the study of photoemission from particles suspended in an ambient gas by an electric field, the fraction of electrons captured by an external electrode is determined as a function of the magnitude of the balance field (which is inversely proportional to the charge on the emitting particle). The experimental results have been interpreted previously in terms of a model which examines the ‘window’ for escape of the electron through the electrostatic field distribution. Here the diffusion of the electron within the gas is also taken into account by noting that the principal features of the problem are similar to those of the well-known Onsager problem of the relative escape of a geminate pair of ions in an electric field.
The Effects of Two- and Three-Day-Per-Week Aerobic Dance Programs on Maximal Oxygen Uptake

(1984). The Effects of Two- and Three-Day-Per-Week Aerobic Dance Programs on Maximal Oxygen Uptake. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport: Vol. 55, No. 2, pp. 172-174.
Bidirectional transcription in the mom promoter region of bacteriophage Mu.

Transcription of the Mu mom operon requires activation by the phage gene product, C, a site-specific DNA binding protein. Previous in vivo and in vitro footprinting studies showed that Escherichia coli RNA polymerase (Esigma70=RNAP) bound the wild-type (wt) mom promoter (Pmom) region in the absence of C; this site, now designated momP2 (-11 to -64), is slightly upstream of, but overlapping with, momP1 (+16 to -49), the functional binding site for mom operon (rightward) transcription. The location/distribution of KMnO4-sensitive sites on the two DNA strands suggested that RNAP bound at momP2 was in an open-complex, but that transcription was in the opposite direction. Here, we used both runoff transcription and reverse transcriptase-primer extension sequencing to provide direct evidence that in the absence of C protein, RNAP carries out leftward transcription from momP2 both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the 5' ends of these transcripts were mapped to the same upstream initiation site, -58G, relative to the initiation site of C-activated rightward transcription. We also present evidence that leftward transcription from momP2 requires RNAP recognition of an UP-element by the carboxyl-terminal domain of the alpha subunit.
Gaussian Brunn-Minkowski inequalities

A detailed investigation is undertaken into Brunn-Minkowski-type inequalities for Gauss measure. A Gaussian dual Brunn-Minkowski inequality is proved, together with precise equality conditions, and shown to be best possible from several points of view. A possible new Gaussian Brunn-Minkowski inequality is proposed, and proved to be true in some special cases. Throughout the study attention is paid to precise equality conditions and conditions on the coecients of dilatation. Interesting links are found to the S-inequality and the (B) conjecture. An example is given to show that convexity is needed in the (B) conjecture.
``The tube'': a simple 4π detector for enhancing channels in γ-ray spectroscopy experiments

Abstract A simple 4 π charged-particle sensitive detector useful for γ-ray spectroscopy is described. The detector is a plastic scintillator tube, which surrounds the target. The tube is segmented into four optically isolated cylindrical arcs. The tube is an efficient charge particle hit detector with a very small photon interaction probability.
Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D is inversely associated with body mass index in cancer

Background: The association between vitamin D deficiency and obesity in healthy populations and different disease states remains unsettled with studies reporting conflicting findings. Moreover, current dietary recommendations for vitamin D do not take into account a person’s body mass index (BMI). We investigated the relationship between serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D [25(OH)D] and BMI in cancer. Methods: A consecutive case series of 738 cancer patients. Serum 25(OH)D was measured at presentation to the hospital. The cohort was divided into 4 BMI groups (underweight: 30.0 kg/m 2 ). Mean 25(OH)D was compared across the 4 BMI groups using ANOVA. Linear regression was used to quantify the relationship between BMI and 25(OH)D. Results: 303 were males and 435 females. Mean age at diagnosis was 55.6 years. The mean BMI was 27.9 kg/m 2 and mean serum 25(OH)D was 21.9 ng/ml. Most common cancers were lung (134), breast (131), colorectal (97), pancreas (86) and prostate (45). Obese patients had significantly lower serum 25(OH)D levels (17.9 ng/ml) as compared to normal weight (24.6 ng/ml) and overweight (22.8 ng/ml) patients; p = 30 kg/m 2 ) had significantly lower levels of serum 25(OH)D as compared to non-obese patients (BMI <30 kg/m 2 ). BMI should be taken into account when assessing a patient’s vitamin D status and more aggressive vitamin D supplementation should be considered in obese cancer patients.
What Could It Mean for the Church to Be Christ's Body?: A Question without a Clear Answer

We were on our honeymoon. Theological questions were not high on our agenda as we toured Ireland. We drove innocently into Sneem, a village on the ring of Kerry, identified as the ‘tidy town of Ireland’ in 1988. It was certainly that. The houses that surrounded the central square were as immaculate as they were colorful.