cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Writing cures: religious and communicative authority in late modern Morocco

This article examines an Islamic practice of jinn curing and counter-sorcery in contemporary Fez, and identifies the distinct religious power of its practitioners, fqihs (Ar. faqih pl. fuqaha'), with widely held Islamic reformist norms of authoritative communication. Whereas most studies of jinn curing rites in Morocco emphasise ‘popular’ (i.e. ostensibly heterodox) trance or possession rites, this study examines fqihs' ‘scriptural’ science of exorcism, using occult Qur'anic knowledge and talismanic writing. Based on observation and interviews with fqihs and their largely young adult clientele, I propose that the distinct religious authority of the curers derives from their cultural and historical association with ‘writing’ in an enhanced sense: as literal inscription, but also as communication beyond present visible and audible social life. By the power of ‘writing’, I argue, fqihs summon and connect young clients beyond their present social and familial relations, and thus enable their therapeutic passa...
A Photograph of a Wavenumber-2 Asymmetry in the Eye of Hurricane Erin

A photograph of a wavenumber-2 asymmetry in the eye of Hurricane Erin taken during a NOAA WP-3D research flight during the Fourth Convection and Moisture Experiment (CAMEX-4) field program on 10 September 2001 is described. The photograph of the cloud structure within the eye is evaluated using airborne and satellite remote sensing observations, and a possible explanation for the asymmetry is presented.
Humor ability, unwillingness to communicate, loneliness, and perceived stress: Testing a security theory

The purpose of this study was to develop and test a theory of the laughter‐humor link in interpersonal communication. The basic premise of the theory is that a sense of security underlies the ability to encode humor in everyday conversation. It was hypothesized that communication‐related security (i.e., willingness to communicate) predicts humor ability, which in turn negatively predicts loneliness and perceived stress. Undergraduates completed a survey including the following scales: Unwillingness‐ to‐Communicate, Humor Orientation, Coping Humor, revised UCLA Loneliness, and Perceived Stress. Regression analyses confirm that willingness to communicate predicted humor orientation, while humor orientation mediated the relationship between willingness to communicate and coping humor. Humor orientation negatively predicted loneliness and perceived stress, although in both cases willingness to communicate mediated the relationships. The discussion highlights methodological limitations (e.g., use of self‐repor...
Letter by Nezić et al regarding article, "The impact of diabetic status on coronary artery bypass graft patency: insights from the Radial Artery Patency Study".

To the Editor: We read with great interest the article by Singh and associates1 that was recently published in Circulation . We respect all subsequent analysis arising from an excellent, prospective, randomized basic study presented by Desai and colleagues2 a few years ago that compared the angiographic patency of radial artery (RA) grafts with that of saphenous vein (SV) grafts 1 year after surgery. Although that study demonstrated significantly better angiographic patency of RA conduits compared with SV grafts …
What is critical renal artery stenosis? Implications for treatment.

Renovascular disease due to progressive atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis is being diagnosed with increasing frequency in the elderly. At what degree of renal artery stenosis should intervention be recommended is not clear. To answer this question, unilateral or bilateral activation of the renin-angiotensin system or its absence were detected by captopril-stimulated renal vein renin measurements in 49 hypertensive patients, aged 63 years, with normal or near-normal renal function (serum creatinine concentration ≤2.0 mg/dL), and the information was matched against radiographic measurements of the extent of renal artery stenosis. With few exceptions, unilateral or bilateral hypersecretion of renin was associated with 80% or greater reduction of renal artery lumen diameter. In contrast, normal secretion or suppression of renin production in a kidney contralateral to an ischemic one was associated with either normal caliber renal artery or renal artery stenosis less than 80%. These findings suggest that renal artery stenosis less than 80% should be monitored rather than treated because improvement of renal function and amelioration of hypertension are not expected unless the renin-angiotensin system has been activated in the affected kidney. Renoprotection by early intervention is uncertain because progression of renal artery stenosis is unpredictable. Normal captopril-stimulated renal vein renin measurements in hypertensive patients obviate the need for further work-up or interventional therapy of renovascular disease.
Inhaled epinephrine for the treatment of transient tachypnea of the newborn

Infants with transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN) have relatively low levels of epinephrine, which is known to mediate fetal lung fluid absorption. Providing exogenous epinephrine could be a valuable diagnostic and therapeutic intervention for this common condition. Our primary objective was to determine if inhaled racemic epinephrine is safe for the treatment of TTN. Our secondary objective was to determine its efficacy. We conducted a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled pilot trial. Inhaled racemic epinephrine or placebo was administered to 20 newborns with TTN. Physiologic variables of cardiopulmonary function were measured during and after treatment. No infant in either the treatment or control arm experienced an adverse event, including tachycardia or hypertension. We did not detect a difference between the two groups regarding rate of resolution of tachypnea. We did not observe any adverse effects of inhaled racemic epinephrine when administered for the treatment of TTN. Larger studies are necessary to determine efficacy.
Stationary combustion: The environmental leitmotiv

Summary Combustion and pollutant formation are inseparable processes. Because of the central role of direct fossil fuel utilization in the provision of heat and power for the foreseeable future, major efforts are being made to ameliorate the environmental effects. The most cost-effective way of reducing pollutant emission is the modification of the combustion process. Combustion scientists and engineers have developed new clean combustion technologies based on the better understanding of the physicalchemical bases of NO x formation and destruction in flames, the capture of SO 2 by additive sorbent or ion-exchangeable alkali compounds, the formation and destruction of PACs, and the formation of fine inorganic aerosols in high temperature combustion processes. New information has become available on the mechanism of coal combustion, on the effect of fragmentation of coal and char particles upon the rates of heterogeneous reactions of carbonaceous solids and on the development of the fly ash size distribution. It is of interest to note that while it is combustion chemistry that provides guidance for the development of combustion processes with reduced pollution emission, the realization of the required concentration-temperature history of the fuel in furnaces, boilers and combustors represents a challenge to combustion physics, notably fluid dynamics and heat transfer.
Degradation of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with aluminum nitride and alumina

This paper deals with the thermal and thermal-oxidative degradation of pure poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), PMMA/AIN and PMMA/Al 2 O 3 composites. Kinetic parameters were determined from the weight loss data using non-isothermal Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). The amount and morphology of the carbon residue in the burnt samples under N2 and air atmospheres were also investigated using a Leco combustion analyzer. This study also showed that the normally accepted three-stage polymer thermal degradation, and hence three regions of Arrhenius linearity, can be treated with one value of activation energy. This is a basic departure from the normally accepted three different regions and applying the same diffusion equation (such as Jander diffusion) separately to each region. In nitrogen atmosphere, the activation energy of pure PMMA was 129.4 kJ/mol; however, the activation energies of 14% PMMA/AlN and PMMA/Al 2 O 3 were found to be 119.5 and 118.2 kJ/mol, respectively.
Transient behaviour of porous electrodes with high exchange current densities

Abstract A theoretical analysis of the non-steady-state reaction distribution in a porous electrode with a high exchange current density is made by application of a simplified macrohomogeneous model for porous electrodes. The dimensionless transfer current for short times is given as an expansion in time, and two terms in a moderate time solution are also presented. At moderate times the current is split into time-dependent and time-independent parts, but this distinction is not apparent in the short time solution. For the limiting case of reversible kinetics, the analysis specifies the fraction of the superficial current density that will be distributed through the electrode. Treatments for the PbO2 and LiAl electrodes are presented as examples.
EFFECTS OF STRUCTURAL VARIATION WITHIN PROTON-IONIZABLE CROWN ETHERS UPON THE SELECTIVITY AND EFFICIENCY OF SOLVENT EXTRACTION OF ALKALI METAL AND ALKALINE EARTH CATIONS

ABSTRACT Lipophilic crown ethers with pendant proton-ionizable groups are novel complexing agents for use in solvent extraction of alkali metal and alkaline earth cations. A variety of crown carboxylic acids, crown phosphonic acid monoesters, and crown phosphonic acids have been synthesized to probe the effect of structural variation within the complexing agent upon selectivity and efficiency in solvent extraction. Synthetic routes to these novel extractants and results from competitive solvent extractions of alkali metal cations and of alkaline earth cations from aqueous solutions into chloroform are summarized
The Cascade of Tidal Energy from Low to High Modes on a Continental Slope

AbstractThe linear transfer of tidal energy from large to small scales is quantified for small tidal excursion over a near-critical continental slope. A theoretical framework for low-wavenumber energy transfer is derived from “flat bottom” vertical modes and evaluated with observations from the Oregon continental slope. To better understand the observations, local tidal dynamics are modeled with a superposition of two idealized numerical simulations, one forced by local surface-tide velocities and the other by an obliquely incident internal tide generated at the Mendocino Escarpment 315 km southwest of the study site. The simulations reproduce many aspects of the observed internal tide and verify the modal-energy balances. Observed transfer of tidal energy into high-mode internal tides is quantitatively consistent with observed turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) dissipation. Locally generated and incident simulated internal tides are superposed with varying phase shifts to mimic the effects of the temporally ...
Research Report---A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the User Information Satisfaction Instrument

The structure and dimensionality of the user information satisfaction UIS construct is an important theoretical issue that has received considerable attention. Building upon the work of Bailey and Pearson Bailey, J. E., S. W. Pearson. 1983. Development of a tool for measuring and analyzing computer user satisfaction. Management Sci.295, May 530--545., Ives et al. Ives, B., M. Olson, J. J. Baroudi. 1983. The measure of user information satisfaction. Comm. ACM2610, October 785--793. conduct an exploratory factor analysis and recommend a 13-item instrument two indicators per item for measuring user information satisfaction. Ives et al. also contend that UIS is comprised of three component measures information product, EDP staff and services, and user knowledge or involvement. In a replication using exploratory techniques, Baroudi and Orlikowski Baroudi, J. J., W. J. Orlikowski. 1988. A short-form measure of user information satisfaction: A psychometric evaluation and notes on use. J. Management Inform. Systems44, Spring 44--59. confirm the three factor structure and support the diagnostic utility of the three factor model. Other researchers have suggested a need for caution in using the UIS instrument as a single measure of user satisfaction; they contend that the instrument's three components measure quite different dimensions whose antecedents and consequences should be studied separately. The acceptance of UIS as a standardized instrument requires confirmation that it explains and measures the user information satisfaction construct and its components. Based on a sample of 224 respondents, this research uses confirmatory factor analysis LISREL to test alternative models of underlying factor structure and assess the reliability and validity of factors and items. The results provide support for a revised UIS model with four first-order factors and one second-order higher-order factor. To cross-validate these results, the authors reexamine two data sets, including the original Baroudi and Orlikowski data, to assess the revised UIS model. The results show that the revised model provides better model-data fit in all three data sets. Thus, the evidence supports the use of: 1 the 13-item instrument as a measure of an overall UIS; and 2 four component factors for explaining the UIS construct.
Stranger sociability, public hope, and the limits of political transformation

(2002). Stranger sociability, public hope, and the limits of political transformation. Quarterly Journal of Speech: Vol. 88, No. 4, pp. 444-454.
Finite amplitude doubly diffusive convection

A layer of fluid containing gradients of both temperature and salinity is subject to several instabilities of geophysical interest. When the salinity and temperature increase upwards, the layer may become unstable even if the density profile indicates stability. This ‘doubly diffusive’ instability, first treated by Stern, is seen experimentally to consist of thin fingers of up- and downgoing fluid. Linear analysis cannot explain this small horizontal scale for a steady-state process, but a nonlinear treatment of the problem combined with a stability analysis indicates that only small-scale motions are stable when the salinity gradient is larger than that necessary for the onset of instability. In the limit of small salt diffusivity the flux of salt is calculated using the Galerkin technique and found to reach a maximum at a wavelength that decreases with increasing salinity and temperature gradients. The stability of the finite amplitude solutions is treated; only small-scale motions are found to be stable and the wavelength of the most stable mode is found to compare favourably with the wavelength that maximizes the salt flux.
Characterization of Porphyrin Surface Orientation in Monolayers on Au(111) and Si(100) Using Spectroscopically Labeled Molecules

The synthesis and surface IR characterization are reported for a series of porphyrins bearing vibrational spectroscopic labels that afford distinction of the two in-plane axes of the porphyrin ring. The labeled porphyrins include three different types of tethers for surface attachment, those containing either methylthio (−CH2S−) or benzylthio (−BzS−) for attachment to either Au or Si and a tripodal alkenyl group for attachment to Si. The spectroscopic labels are placed so as to enable distinction between the methyl group of a p-tolyl substituent that lies along the molecular axis distal to the tether versus the p-tolyl substituents that lie along the orthogonal in-plane axis lateral to the tether. The porphyrins include isotopically labeled species containing CD3 and species wherein a CF3 replaces CH3. The spectroscopically labeled molecules allow evaluation of both the tilt angle (θ) with respect to the surface normal and the rotation angle (φ) about the molecular axis. These two angles cannot be uniquel...
Liquid Ventilation with Perfluorocarbons Facilitates Resumption of Spontaneous Circulation in a Swine Cardiac Arrest Model

Background Induced external hypothermia during ventricular fibrillation (VF) improves resuscitation outcomes. Our objectives were twofold (1) to determine if very rapid hypothermia could be achieved by intrapulmonary administration of cold perfluorocarbons, thereby using the lungs as a vehicle for targeted cardiopulmonary hypothermia, and (2) to determine if this improved resuscitation success.
A comparison of the box-cox transformation method and nonparametric methods for estimating quantiles in clinical data with repeated measures

In this paper we studied the problem of estimating the quantiles of a distribution when the observations are not independent. The type of data we considered was repeated measurements on independent units. Four methods of quantile estimation were compared, one parametric and three nonparametric. Box- Cox power transformations were used to transform a set of repeated measures to multivariate normality and a quantile estimate was obtained from the inverse transformation of the quantile on the transformed scale. The first nonparametric estimate was obtained by taking a weighted average of two order statistics from a sample consisting of one observation per independent unit, the second nonparametric estimate was a bootstrap of the first estimate, and the third was a bootstrapped version of the Harrell-Davis estimate. Comparisons were made with simulated data from Gaussian, Student's Tlog-normal, chisquared, contaminated normal, and mixed distributions of the first, fifth, ninety-fifth and ninety-ninth quantile...
Infrared matrix isolation study of the (CH3)3In·NH3 complex in inert matrices

Abstract The identification and spectroscopic characterization of the 1:1 molecular complex between trimethylindium and ammonia in argon and nitrogen matrices at cryogenic temperatures is reported for the first time. Several vibrational modes associated with the acid and base subunits of this complex were observed to shift relative to the parent peaks. These shifts, particularly the InC 3 antisymmetric stretch which is the mode of (CH 3 ) 3 In that is most sensitive to complexation, were similar in magnitude to the shifts observed in the related complexes of trimethylindium with PH 3 , AsH 3 and SbH 3 . Isotopic labeling using 15 NH 3 assisted in product identification and band assignments.
Measurement of dynamic Stark polarizabilities by analyzing spectral line shapes of forbidden transitions

We present a measurement of the dynamic scalar and tensor polarizabilities of the excited state $|5d6s {}^{3}{D}_{1}\ensuremath{\rangle}$ in atomic ytterbium. The polarizabilities were measured by analyzing the spectral lineshape of the 408-nm $6{s}^{2} {}^{1}{S}_{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}5d6s {}^{3}{D}_{1}$ transition driven by a standing wave of resonant light in the presence of static electric and magnetic fields. Due to the interaction of atoms with the standing wave, the lineshape has a characteristic polarizability-dependent distortion. A theoretical model was used to simulate the lineshape and determine a combination of the polarizabilities of the ground and excited states by fitting the model to experimental data. This combination was measured with a 13$%$ uncertainty, only 3$%$ of which was due to uncertainty in the simulation and fitting procedure. By comparing two different combinations of polarizabilities, the scalar and tensor polarizabilities of the state $|5d6s {}^{3}{D}_{1}\ensuremath{\rangle}$ were measured to be ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{0}({}^{3}{D}_{1})=0.009(21) {\mathrm{Hz}(\mathrm{V}/\mathrm{cm})}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ and ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{2}({}^{3}{D}_{1})=\ensuremath{-}0.103(26) \mathrm{Hz}(\mathrm{V}/\mathrm{cm}){}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$, respectively. We show that this technique can be applied to similar atomic systems.
Syntheses of Some Hydroindolizines by Reductive Cyclization

The syntheses of dodecahydrobenzo[b] indolizine, octahydrocyclopenta[b] indolizine, decahydronaphth[2,1-b] indolizine, and 7-methoxydecahydronaphth[2,1-b]-indolizine are reported. The preparations of pyridylmethylene and pyridylmethyl derivatives of cyclopentanone, cyclohexanone, 1-tetralone, and 7-methoxy-1-tetralone also are described. Some preliminary pharmacological observations in mice are included.
Energetic particles in the inner Van Allen belt

A survey is given of the high energy particle populations in the inner radiation belt. The experiments which have given information about particles are discussed and the best experimental information about particle fluxes and spectra presented. Calculations are given which deal with the particles and indicate what particle sources and loss processes are most important. The role of neutrons in making the inner belt is considered in detail and the need for particle acceleration and/or other sources is shown.
General position for closed subsets of euclidean space

Let X and Y be “tame” closed subsets of Euclidean space En having dimensions k and l, respectively. It is shown that arbitrarily close to the identity there exists a homeomorphism h of En onto itself such that dim (h(X) ∩ Y) ⩽ k + l − n.
Rare earth element systematics of hydrous liquids from partial melting of basaltic eclogite a re-evaluation

The origin of orogenic andesitic magmas is tested by calculations of REE fractionation in hydrous melts derived from partial melting of subducted ocean basalt in eclogite facies. New data on the subsolidus phase proportions of basaltic eclogite, the enrichment of LREE in altered ocean basalts, and experimentally determined REE partition coefficients (KD's) between garnet and melt have been included in trace element fractionation equations. Non-modal melting of phases combined with variation inKD's during melting is a unique feature of these calculations. Variation ofKD, melting proportions, initial proportion of subsolidus phases, degree of melting, and initial REE concentrations yield a wide range of input parameters that produce REE profiles in partial melts of basaltic eclogite matching REE profiles of some orogenic andesites. The positive correlation of REE concentration with silica content for many andesitic suites can be accounted for by non-modal melting if quartz (or a similar phase with low REEKD values) melts at a high melting proportion and garnet melts at a low melting proportion during the first stages of fusion. However, no mineralogic fractionation scheme can account for REE/silica systematics if REEKD values are linearly decreasing with increasing melting. Earlier workers who have used similar calculations to discredit the eclogite fractionation model have set overly strict, and sometimes incorrect, constraints concerning the range in REEKD values for garnet, the subsolidus proportions of phases in basaltic eclogite, and the relative concentrations of REE in subducted ocean crust undergoing partial melting.
Latin America and the Question of Cuban Independence

In a famous account of his travels, titled El destino de un continente, the Argentine writer Manuel Ugarte describes his somewhat disconcerting encounter with the Cuban ex-president Jose Miguel Gomez while traveling through Latin America during the 1920s. Ugarte, a committed advocate of panhispanismo—the idea that Spanish America was and should be unified by its shared Spanish heritage, especially in light of the “threat” from Anglo- Saxon culture—had come to Cuba to give a series of lectures. Shortly after one of his presentations, the Argentine was introduced to Gomez, who took Ugarte to task for his criticism of Cuba's close relationship to the United States. “You reproach us,” Gomez said, “for not defending our legacy of Spanish civilization, but what have all of you [Latin Americans] done to encourage us, to support us, to make us feel that we are not alone?” Taken aback and made suddenly self-conscious by the accusation, Ugarte concluded that the Cuban was admonishing him for failing to uphold the very principles he was espousing in his lectures. “It seemed as if, through the voice of her representative, all Cuba was saying, ‘It is not we who broke the link; it was you who broke it in allowing it to be cut.’” After some time and much thought, Ugarte came to the realization that “Cuba was not alone responsible for the Cuban situation. Some responsibility was also borne by Latin America.” Through his encounter with Gomez, Ugarte was forced to recognize the limitations of framing what he referred to as the “Cuban situation” exclusively in the context of a cultural war between the United States and Spain. Indeed, the expresident's challenge inspired him to reconsider Cuba's nineteenth-century struggles with both Spanish colonialism and U.S. imperialism in a distinctly inter-Latin American context.
Some synergistic properties of N- Alkyl- 2- pyrrolidones, a New class of surfactants 1

N-Alkylpyrrolidones, a new class of commercial surfactants, interact synergistically with anionic surfactants. Mixtures of the N-2-ethylhexyl-(C2,6P), N-octyl-(C8P), N-decyl-(ClOP), and N-dodecyl-(C12P) pyrrolidones with commercial linear sodium alkylbenzenesulfonate (LAS) were investigated. Measurements of the molecular interaction parameters,β a, and βM, for mixed monolayer formation and mixed micelle formation, respectively, in these mixtures indicated that the first three compounds show synergism in surface tension reduction efficiency and all four compounds show synergism in surface tension reduction effectiveness, when mixed in the proper proportions with LAS. This was confirmed experimentally. The N-alkylpyrrolidone-LAS mixtures also exhibit synergism in Ross-Miles foaming and in Draves (skein) wetting.
Surface electromyographic analysis of core trunk and hip muscles during selected rehabilitation exercises in the side-bridge to neutral spine position.

Background:Strengthening of core hip, trunk, and abdominal muscles has been utilized with injury prevention and low back pain and has the potential to improve athletic performance.Hypothesis:During...
The Effectiveness of Enhanced Parole Supervision and Community Services New Jersey’s Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative

In 2003, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, in collaboration with other federal partner agencies provided approximately US$110 million in funding to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to develop and/or fill gaps in reentry strategies through the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI). This article describes the New Jersey SVORI intervention approach and evaluates its relative impacts on participants’ rearrest rates. SVORI participants are compared with randomly selected parolees (n = 100) and unconditional releases (n = 100) that did not receive services through SVORI but otherwise met the inclusion criteria of the New Jersey SVORI intervention. Results indicate that SVORI participants were rearrested at a significantly lower rate during the follow-up period when compared with both of the non-SVORI groups. Policy issues are discussed by the authors.
Chaos in Multiple-Photon Excitation of Molecules

With use of a Hamiltonian model system to represent ir laser excitation of a molecule it is shown that chaos is a fundamental aspect of this physical process. On average the chaos leads to a fluence-dependent absorption which previously was attributed to rapid statistical equilibration of energy in the quasicontinuum and was modeled by population rate equations. The origin of the chaos is the interplay of the pump mode's anharmonicity and intramolecular energy transfer.
A Nontrivial Scaling Limit for Multiscale Markov Chains

We consider Markov chains with fast and slow variables and show that in a suitable scaling limit, the dynamics becomes deterministic, yet is far away from the standard mean field approximation. This new limit is an instance of self-induced stochastic resonance which arises due to matching between a rare event timescale on the one hand and the natural timescale separation in the underlying problem on the other. Here it is illustrated on a model of a molecular motor, where it is shown to explain the regularity of the motor gait observed in some experiments.
Developmental implications of differential effects of calcium in tail and body skin of Anuran tadpoles.

ABSTRACT The effects of external Cat+ on metamor- phosis of Rana catesbeiana tadpoles were assessed. Treat- ment of tadpoles with Ca++ (0.05 mM) during early pro- metamorphic stages induced precocious metamorphic events such as tail regression, shortening of the intestine, forelimb emergence, and keratinization of body epidermis within 23 days of treatment compared to control tadpoles still in mid-prometamorphic stages. These effects of Cat are probably mediated by the thyroid gland, as indicated + by histological features of the gland at the light and elec- tron microscopic levels. Calcium levels of tail and body skin were measured at various stages of development by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. In control and ex- perimental groups, body skin had significantly higher Cat+ concentrations than tail skin. There were no statis- tically significant effects of developmental stage on Cat+ levels of tail or body skin. Experimental Caf + treatment Amphibian metamorphosis, a complex develop- mental process controlled by thyroid hormones, re- sults in reorganization of most tadpole tissues and organs (Weber, 1967; Dodd and Dodd, 1976; Leloup and Buscaglia, 1977; Fox, 1981; Galton, 1983; Kalt- enbach, 1996). Thyroid hormone-induced remodel- ing that occurs in these organs is generally accom- plished by the death of larval cells and the growth and differentiation of adult stem cells (Yoshizato, 1992; Ishizuya-Oka and Shimozawa, 1992). Tail re- sorption is the simplest of these changes because there is no concomitant growth and differentiation (Brown et al., 1995). Thyroid hormone also induces the death of larval body epidermal and intestinal cells, and differentiation and growth of the adult organs (Kanamori and Brown, 1996). In nature, amphibian metamorphosis is also ac- celerated by a number of ecological factors such as increasing temperature, decreasing food, overcrowd- ing, and pond evaporation, which play important roles in determining the metamorphic rate (Hayes, 1997). These factors probably trigger hormonal changes, with the hormones functioning at the mo- lecular level (Hayes, 1997). Anuran skin is known to be exquisitely sensitive to chemical signals from the environment as well as from other organisms around these animals (Wassersug, 1997). Factors such as pond evaporation can be expected to in- crease concentrations of various elements and ions including Ca++. Indeed, Ca++ is one such ion crucial
Statin use and the risk of renal cell carcinoma in 2 prospective US cohorts.

Background Statins are widely used cholesterol-lowering agents that may have potential anti-tumor effect. Epidemiological studies on statin use and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) risk have been inconsistent.
Scotopic Luminosity Curve and the Absorption Spectrum of Visual Purple

MANY attempts have been made to explain the discrepancy between the scotopic luminosity curve and the absorption spectrum of visual purple. Recently, Dartnall and Goodeve1 have applied the Stark-Einstein law in order to express the luminosity curve in terms of quanta and have shown that the resulting correction was insufficient.
The intrinsic comparative dynamics of infinite horizon optimal control problems with a time-varying discount rate and time-distance discounting

Abstract The intrinsic comparative dynamics of a ubiquitous class of optimal control problems with a time-varying discount rate and time-distance discounting are derived and shown to be characterized by a positive semidefinite matrix. It is also shown that the said comparative dynamics are invariant to the functional form of the discount rate function and the type of agent. Consequently, if one limits econometric testing to the basic comparative dynamics of the given class of control problems, one cannot determine (i) the functional form of the discount rate function used by an agent, and thus if an agent is a time-consistent or time-inconsistent decision maker, or (ii) if an agent commits to a plan of action or takes into account the changing nature of his preferences when choosing a plan.
VI.—ON FORMALIZATION

THE most striking results of formalization occur in logic and mathematics. Here formalization provides at least one kind of systematization. We are led to believe that there is a fairly simple axiom system from which it is possible to derive almost all mathematical theorems and truths mechanically. This is at present merely a theoretical possibility, for no serious attempts seem to have been made to prove, for instance, all the theorems, of an elementary textbook of calculus. Nevertheless, we seem to get a feeling of grandeur from the realization that a simple axiom system which we can quite easily memorize by heart embodies, in a sense, practically all the mathematical truths. It is not very hard to get to know the axiom system so well that people would say you understood the system. Unfortunately just to be able thus to understand the system neither gives you very deep insight into the nature of mathematics nor makes you a very good mathematician. To say that physics uses the experimental method is not to say much about physics. To say that all theorems of mathematics can be proved from certain axioms by chains of syllogism (or modus ponens) is to say just as little about mathematics. Merely knowing the experimental method is not knowing the whole of physics; merely knowing an axiom system adequate for developing mathematics is not knowing the whole of mathematics. There is another kind of systematization which is less superficial than learning the axiom system. It is an intuitive grasp of the whole field, a vivid picture of the whole structure in your mind such as a good chess player would have of the game of chess. This second kind of systematization is something that formalization (or at least formalization alone) would not provide us. If we had never used logistic systems at all, the many interesting results about logistic systems (such as those of Skolem, Herbrand, and G6del') would, of course, never have been expressed in the specific form in which they are now being expressed. But it is not certain that essentially the same
Relationships Between Basicity and Reactivity of Zeolite Catalysts

A wide variety of characterization methods, including UV-vis spectroscopy of adsorbed I2, microcalorimetry of CO2 adsorption, and x-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Cs LIII edge of zeolite cations, was applied to a series of alkali containing zeolites in order to elucidate the nature of the basic sites on these materials. In addition, three catalytic reactions involving basic zeolites were studied. In the first case, alkali-exchanged zeolites (L, Beta, X and Y) were used as catalysts for the side-chain alkylation of toluene with methanol to form styrene and ethylbenzene. Zeolites with low base site densities and appropriate base strengths catalyzed toluene alkylation without decomposing methanol to carbon monoxide. In the second example, ruthenium metal clusters were supported on alkali and alkaline earth exchanged X zeolites and tested as catalysts for ammonia synthesis. Zeolites containing alkaline earth ions exhibited rates greater than those containing alkali ions. Finally, zeolite X loaded with alkali metal was an active catalyst for toluene alkylation with ethylene whereas zeolite X loaded with alkali oxide was inactive for the reaction. These results suggest that exciting opportunities exist for the use of basic zeolites as catalysts and catalyst supports.
Seedling emergence, survival and size in relation to light and water availability in two bottomland hardwood species

Summary 1 Windstorm disturbances create a wide range of microsites which can have complex effects on forest regeneration patterns. We investigated the combined effects of light and microtopography on emergence, mortality and size of seedlings of two bottomland hardwood canopy tree species, Quercus michauxii and Liquidambar styraciflua, over a 2-year period. A split-plot design in experimental tanks represented the range of light levels and the pits and mounds found in a disturbed floodplain forest. 2 Emergence was always higher on mounds than in pits, except for L. styraciflua in full sunlight. For both species, mortality was consistently lower, and seedlings of both species grew better in both years on mounds. Light levels did not affect the two later stages. 3 There were species-specific interactions between the effects of two factors on seedling emergence. Lower emergence of L. styraciflua on mounds in full sunlight suggested that full sunlight at this stage can eliminate the advantage to later stages of being on a mound. The combined stresses of low light and a high water table significantly reduced emergence of Q. michauxii in pits at low light. 4 Microsites optimal for one regeneration component of a species were not always optimal for others as seen for L. styraciflua. The relative significance of environmental factors also varied with regeneration stages, such that neither light nor a light-water interaction influenced regeneration after emergence. 5 Environmental factors may have independent or interacting effects on regeneration, and the nature or presence of these effects can vary among demographic stages. Within each environmental combination, effects may be consistently positive or negative across stages; alternatively, demographic conflicts may develop.
New frontiers for student affairs professionals: Teaching and the first‐year experience

The first-year experience movement opens a window of opportunity for student affairs professionals to extend their educational endeavors into the classroom, thus allowing entrance into segments of campus once reserved exclusively for faculty.
Nutrient resorption in shrubs growing by design, and by default in Chihuahuan Desert arroyos

In the northern stretches of the Chihuahuan Desert, the margins of ephemeral stream channels called arroyos support a unique vegetation dominated by a guild of winter-deciduous shrubs. To explore the dynamics of nutrient conservation in this assemblage of arroyo shrubs, we measured nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) resorption efficiency and proficiency in six species of shrubs growing in arroyos in southern New Mexico. Collectively, these six species were no more efficient or proficient at resorbing N and P from senescing leaves than shrubs growing in other environments. Resorption efficiency averaged 53% and 50% for N and P, respectively, and resorption proficiency averaged 0.80% and 0.06% for N and P, respectively. However, resorption varied significantly between species specifically restricted in their distribution to riparian habitats (obligate riparian species), and those that were not. The two obligate riparian species combined (Brickellia laciniata, Chilopsis linearis) were significantly more efficient and proficient at resorbing N than the non-obligate riparian species combined (Fallugia paradoxa, Flourensia cernua, Prosopis glandulosa, Rhus microphylla). Additionally, both Brickellia and Chilopsis were individually significantly more proficient at resorbing N than any of the other four species. The dichotomy in resorption between obligate riparian species and those that were not may have been the result of the interplay between hydrology, geomorphology, and biology. Because arroyos move in space as the movement of water erodes banks and changes channel location, some plants are found along arroyos only because the arroyos have moved to them. These plants (plants growing by default) may be less well adapted to arroyo margins than obligate riparian species (plants growing by design). Significant differences in resorption between obligate and non-obligate riparian species suggested that evolutionary history and habitat specificity may be added to the list of factors known to influence resorption. Selected life history traits of the six species did not appear to be related to any measure of resorption, but leaf surface area, specific leaf mass, and nutrient concentrations in green leaves were all correlated with resorption efficiency or proficiency in one or more species. The only species capable of symbiotic N fixation, Prosopis glandulosa, retained at least 2.3 times more N in its senesced leaves than any other species. Patterns of resorption in arroyo shrubs strongly indicated that efficiency and proficiency are fundamentally different, complementary measures of resorption.
The toxicity of azidothymidine (AZT) on human and animal cells in culture at concentrations used for antiviral therapy.

AZT, a chain terminator of DNA synthesis originally developed for chemotherapy, is now prescribed as an antihuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) drug at 500 to 1500 mg/person/day, which corresponds to 20 to 60 μM AZT. The human dosage is based on a study by the manufacturer of the drug and their collaborators, which reported in 1986 that the inhibitory dose for HIV replication was 0.05 to 0.5 μM AZT and that for human T-cells was 2000 to 20,000 times higher, i.e. 1000 μM AZT. This suggested that HIV could be safely inhibited in humans at 20 to 60 μM AZT. However, after the licensing of AZT as an anti-HIV drug, several independent studies reported 20-to 1000-fold lower inhibitory doses of AZT for human and animal cells than did the manufacturer’s study, ranging from 1 to 50 μM. In accord with this, life threatening toxic effects were reported in humans treated with AZT at 20 to 60 μM. Therefore, we have re-examined the growth inhibitory doses of AZT for the human CEM T-cell line and several other human and animal cells. It was found that at 10 μM and 25 μM AZT, all cells are inhibited at least 50% after 6 to 12 days, and between 20 and 100% after 38 to 48 days. Unexpectedly, variants of all cell types emerged over time that were partially resistant to AZT. It is concluded that AZT, at the dosage prescribed as an anti-HIV drug, is highly toxic to human cells.
Commercial preparations and handling of botulinum toxin type A and type B

Abstract The recognition of botulinum toxin as a therapeutic tool has revolutionized the approach to facial esthetics. In the 1970s, Dr. Alan B. Scott pioneered the use of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) for strabismus.1 This discovery led to further studies examining other clinical applications of BTX-A and, more recently, botulinum toxin type B (BTX-B). Despite its widespread use and the more than two decades of experience with BTX-A, controversy remains over the preparation and handling of the toxin.
Early Embryonic Programming of Neuronal Left/Right Asymmetry in C. elegans

Summary Background Nervous systems are largely bilaterally symmetric on a morphological level but often display striking degrees of functional left/right (L/R) asymmetry. How L/R asymmetric functional features are superimposed onto an essentially bilaterally symmetric structure and how nervous-system laterality relates to the L/R asymmetry of internal organs are poorly understood. We address these questions here by using the establishment of L/R asymmetry in the ASE chemosensory neurons of C. elegans as a paradigm. This bilaterally symmetric neuron pair is functionally lateralized in that it senses a distinct class of chemosensory cues and expresses a putative chemoreceptor family in a L/R asymmetric manner. Results We show that the directionality of the asymmetry of the two postmitotic ASE neurons ASE left (ASEL) and ASE right (ASER) in adults is dependent on a L-/R-symmetry-breaking event at a very early embryonic stage, the six-cell stage, which also establishes the L/R asymmetric placement of internal organs. However, the L/R asymmetry of the ASE neurons per se is dependent on an even earlier anterior-posterior (A/P) Notch signal that specifies embryonic ABa/ABp blastomere identities at the four-cell stage. This Notch signal, which functions through two T box genes, acts genetically upstream of a miRNA-controlled bistable feedback loop that regulates the L/R asymmetric gene-expression program in the postmitotic ASE cells. Conclusions Our results link adult neuronal laterality to the generation of the A/P axis at the two-cell stage and raise the possibility that neural asymmetries observed across the animal kingdom are similarly established by very early embryonic interactions.
Molecular analysis of IgA in multiple sclerosis.

IgA plays an important role in immune-mediated and anti-viral responses, and is the major antibody in external mucosal secretions. We used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblot to examine IgA in tears and parotid saliva of 21 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and 19 normal controls. No significant difference in absolute level were noted and both groups showed a wide range in values. However, 16 of 21 MS patients had detectable changes in molecular form of thier IgA. Monomeric IgA was found in 52% of MS tears P < 0.001) and 45% of MS parotid saliva (P < 0.05). Among normals, monomeric IgA was noted in only two saliva samples. IgA in secretions consisted of both A1 and A2 sub classes, although 14% of the monomeric MS IgA samples were restricted to a single subclass. Free secretory component was found in the secretions of all subjects with the exception of a single MS patient. However, immunoblot staining of secretory component was decreased in MS patients compared to controls. This study notes changes in IgA in two distinct external secretions in MS patients compared to controls. These changes are consistent with local mucosal inflammation. Impaired mucosal barriers have important implications in MS with regard to susceptibility to infectious agents, environmental antigen processing, and lymphocyte activation.
Soy, garlic, and ginkgo biloba: their potential role in cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment.

There are hundreds of foods, nutrients, herbs, and botanicals that have “bioactive” constituents with potential human health benefits. Three of these are discussed in this review: soy, garlic, and ginkgo biloba. Each of these three choices involves an ingestible item composed of a complex mixture of bioactive agents. For each of these three, there is a large and growing body of research suggesting potential cardiovascular health benefits. And for each there is at least some level of disagreement or controversy. The focus of this review is on results from recent human clinical trials.
Estimating population diversity with CatchAll

Motivation: The massive data produced by next-generation sequencing require advanced statistical tools. We address estimating the total diversity or species richness in a population. To date, only relatively simple methods have been implemented in available software. There is a need for software employing modern, computationally intensive statistical analyses including error, goodness-of-fit and robustness assessments. Results: We present CatchAll, a fast, easy-to-use, platform-independent program that computes maximum likelihood estimates for finite-mixture models, weighted linear regression-based analyses and coverage-based non-parametric methods, along with outlier diagnostics. Given sample ‘frequency count’ data, CatchAll computes 12 different diversity estimates and applies a model-selection algorithm. CatchAll also derives discounted diversity estimates to adjust for possibly uncertain low-frequency counts. It is accompanied by an Excel-based graphics program. Availability: Free executable downloads for Linux, Windows and Mac OS, with manual and source code, at www.northeastern.edu/catchall. Contact: [email protected]