cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluating Growth Patterns of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Diameter With Serial Computed Tomography Surveillance.

Importance Small abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are common in the elderly population. Their growth rates and patterns, which drive clinical surveillance, are widely disputed. Objective To assess the growth patterns and rates of AAAs as documented on serial computed tomography (CT) scans. Design, Setting, and Participants Cohort study and secondary analysis of the Non-Invasive Treatment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Clinical Trial (N-TA3CT), a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted from 2013 to 2018, with CT imaging every 6 months for 2 years. The trial was a multicenter, observational secondary analysis, not related to treatment hypotheses of data collected in the N-TA3CT. Participants included 254 patients with baseline AAA diameter between 3.5 and 5.0 cm. Exposures Patients received serial CT scan measurements, analyzed for maximum transverse diameter, at 6-month intervals. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary study outcome was AAA annual growth rate. Secondary analyses included characterizing AAA growth patterns, assessing likelihood of AAA diameter to exceed sex-specific intervention thresholds over 2 years. Results A total of 254 patients, 35 women with baseline AAA diameter 3.5 to 4.5 cm and 219 men with baseline diameter 3.5 to 5.0 cm, were included. Yearly growth rates of AAA diameters were a median of 0.17 cm/y (interquartile range [IQR], 0.16) and a mean (SD), 0.19 (0.14) cm/y. Ten percent of AAAs displayed minimal to no growth ( 0.25 cm/y). Baseline AAA diameter accounted for 5.4% of variance of growth rate (P < .001; R2, 0.054). Most AAAs displayed linear growth (70%); large variations in interval growth rates occurred infrequently (3% staccato growth and 4% exponential growth); and some patients' growth patterns were not clearly classifiable (23% indeterminate). No patients with a maximum transverse diameter less than 4.25 cm exceeded sex-specific repair thresholds at 2 years (men, 0 of 92; 95% CI, 0.00-0.055; women, 0 of 25 ; 95% CI, 0.00-0.247). Twenty-six percent of patients with a maximum transverse diameter of at least 4.25 cm exceeded sex-specific repair thresholds at 2 years (n = 12 of 83 men with diameter ranging from 4.25 to <4.75 cm; 95% CI, 0.091-0.264; n = 21 of 44 men with diameter ranging from 4.75-5.0 cm; 95% CI, 0.362-0.669; n = 3 of 10 women with diameter ≥4.25 cm; 95% CI, 0.093-0.726). Conclusions and Relevance Most small AAAs showed linear growth; large intrapatient variations in interval growth rates were infrequently observed over 2 years. Linear growth modeling of AAAs in individual patients suggests smaller AAAs (<4.25 cm) can be followed up with a CT scan in at least 2 years with little chance of exceeding interventional thresholds. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01756833.
Hot stuff under southern Chile

Isotopes of the uranium decay series can be used to explore geological processes that have taken place on and in the Earth. Such an analysis has now been applied to find out more about a slab of oceanic plate being subducted under southwestern Chile — in effect, this work provides an image of the plate at depth, and helps to relate plate melting to volcanic activity at the surface.
THE IMPACT OF THE INITIAL GUESS ON THE ACCURACY OF SATELLITE RETRIEVALS

High resolution sensors such as the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) will provide 100 times more measurements of a single profile than is being received by the current TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS). One of the reasons such instruments are being considered is that numerical models used for weather prediction continue to improve, and as they improve they require increasingly more accurate observations. For example, the current TOVS series of satellites have been flying since 1978, and since that time the accuracy of the model used by one forecast center, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Meteorological Center (NMC), has increased by over 0.4 K at 500 hPa. The forecast model run by at least one center, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), has reached the point where the positive impact TOVS soundings used to have on forecasts has disappeared in the northern hemisphere. TOVS soundings are still required to stabilize models in the data sparse southern hemisphere and new approaches are being developed to make better use of TOVS information. Still, the limitations of the current instruments are becoming a limitation on the use of the data.
Calcium, network activity, and the role of NMDA channels in synaptic plasticity in vitro

Functionally effective neuronal circuits are constructed through a competitive process that requires patterned neuronal activity elicited by structured input from the environment. To explore the mechanisms of this activity-dependent synaptic restructuring, we have developed an in vitro preparation of mouse spinal cord neurons maintained in a 3-chambered cell-culture system. Sensory afferents that received chronic electrical stimulation for 3-5 d developed stronger synaptic connections than unstimulated afferents converging onto the same postsynaptic spinal cord neuron. Exposure to 100 microM DL-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV), an antagonist of the NMDA channel, during the stimulation period prevented the competitive advantage associated with electric stimulation. However, when APV was applied with a higher concentration of calcium (3 mM), activity-dependent synaptic plasticity was no longer inhibited by the NMDA receptor antagonist. This reversal of APV block of the plasticity was not impaired by reducing transmitter release with 3 mM magnesium (in addition to 3 mM calcium and APV). A suppressant effect of APV on spontaneous activity was observed, which was attributed to loss of the NMDA component of the EPSP. Activity-dependent plasticity was also blocked if spontaneous activity was suppressed with dilute tetrodotoxin (TTX; 5-10 nM), a dosage that reduces excitability of neurons but is insufficient to block sodium-dependent action potentials. These experiments bring into question how NMDA channel activation is involved in the processes of synaptic remodeling during development. The data suggest that postsynaptic activity is required for synaptic remodeling, but this activity need not involve NMDA receptor activation specifically for activity-evoked synaptic plasticity. Instead, the mechanism for plasticity appears to operate through calcium-dependent processes in general.
Towards a Formal Verification of a Floating Point Coprocessor and its Composition with a Central Processing Unit

Discussed here is work to formally specify and verify a floating point coprocessor based on the MC68881. The HOL verification system developed at Cambridge University was used. The coprocessor consists of two independent units: the bus interface unit used to communicate with the cpu and the arithmetic processing unit used to perform the actual calculation. Reasoning about the interaction and synchronization among processes using higher order logic is demonstrated.
Caching Technologies for Web Applications

About the Speaker: Dr. C. Mohan joined IBM Almaden Research Center in 1981. He was named an IBM Fellow in 1997 for being recognized worldwide as a leading innovator in transaction management. He received the 1996 ACM SIGMOD Innovations Award in recognition of his innovative contributions to the development and use of database systems. From IBM, he has received 1 Corporate and 8 Outstanding Innovation/Technical Achievement Awards. He has been an IBM Master Inventor with 33 patents. Mohan's research results are implemented in numerous IBM and non-IBM systems like DB2, MQSeries, Lotus Domino, Microsoft SQLServer and S/390 Parallel Sysplex. He is the primary inventor of the ARIES family of recovery and locking methods, and the industry-standard Presumed Abort commit protocol. At VLDB'99, he was honored with the 10 Year Best Paper Award for the widespread commercial and research impact of the ARIES algorithms. He has been an editor of VLDB Journal, and Journal of Distributed and Parallel Databases. Currently, Mohan is a member of the IBM Application Integration Middleware (AIM) Architecture Board and is leading a project on database caching in the context of DB2 and WebSphere.
Test case generation from AsmL specifications

Model-based testing has recently been receiving more and more attention in Microsoft’s product groups. Typically, the models are required to be finite state machines (FSMs) because there is well-known algorithmic support for test case generation for FSMs. The direct FSM based modeling approach has its limitations though. Most noticeably, the FSM model for a particular testing problem may not be the most natural one to describe the implementation under test. This motivated us to study the problem of algorithmic generation of an FSM from a given AsmL spec1. We have developed a pragmatic test case generation tool where the FSM generation algorithm is used and has been extended in several ways.
INFLUENCE OF NONIONIC SURFACTANTS ON BACTERIOPHAGE INFECTIONS. I. EFFECT OF TRITON WR-1339 ON T2 COLIPHAGE INFECTION.

Abstract Rose, Michael J., Jr. (Veterans Administration Hospital, Washington, D.C.), Stephen A. Aron, and Bernard W. Janicki. Influence of nonionic surfactants on bacteriophage infections. I. Effect of Triton WR-1339 on T2 coliphage infection. J. Bacteriol. 87:933–938. 1964.—Plaques formed by T2 phage on cultures of Escherichia coli strain B from nutrient broth which contained 0.5% Triton WR-1339 were considerably smaller than those formed on cultures from control broth. Pretreatment of phage particles with Triton did not result in small plaques. Results of population studies showed that treated and control cultures had the same growth rates. Similarly, characteristic physiological reactions of treated cultures were the same as those of the controls. Investigation of the phage growth cycle demonstrated that neither the adsorptive phase nor the latent period was affected by cultivation of the host in Triton. However, the burst size of treated cultures was significantly less than that of control cultures. Analysis of the one-step growth curve data showed that Triton did not inhibit bursting of infected cells. It was concluded that the smaller plaque size was a reflection of a reduced yield of mature virulent phage particles from the Triton-treated cultures.
Traust: a trust negotiation based authorization service

In this demonstration, we present Traust, a flexible authorization service for open systems. Traust uses the technique of trust negotiation to map globally meaningful assertions regarding a previously unknown client into security tokens that are meaningful to resources deployed in the Traust service's security domain. This system helps preserve the privacy of both users and the service, while at the same time automating interactions between security domains that would previously have required human intervention (e.g., the establishment of local accounts). We will demonstrate how the Traust service enables the use of trust negotiation to broker access to resources in open systems without requiring changes to protocol standards or applications software.
Factions and Finance in China: Elite Conflict and Inflation

1. Introduction 2. China's financial performance in comparative perspective 3. The banking system: flexible institutions and party domination 4. Factional politics and its financial implications 5. Factional politics, distribution of loans, and inflationary cycles: several quantitative tests 6. The collapse of discipline: the first two inflationary cycles and the fiscalization of Chinese banks 7. The height of the politics of inflation, 1986-1996 8. The long cycle: 1998-2006 9. Concluding discussion.
Abstract 165: Impact of Fever on Neurologic Outcome in Patients Undergoing Therapeutic Hypothermia Post Cardiac Arrest

Introduction: Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is thought to increase the rate of neurologic recovery after resuscitation from cardiac arrest. Recent evidence demonstrates that TH may be less significant than avoiding hyperthermia in preventing neurologic damage. The aim of this study is to review patients who underwent TH as a part of post cardiac arrest care and examine whether being febrile at a certain time point (i.e. 0-24hr, 24-48hr, 48-72hr) was associated with worse neurologic outcome. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of 46 patients who underwent hypothermia protocol between 2008 and 2014 in the cardiac intensive care unit at a tertiary care center. Patients who were suitable for TH were cooled to maintain a target body temperature of 34° for 24 hours after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Data collected through chart review included medical history, initial rhythm, disposition, temperature up to 72 hours post arrest, and cerebral performance category score (CPC) at discharge. Favorable CPC was defined as 1-2 whereas unfavorable was defined as 3-5. The primary outcome of this study was neurologic function quantified by the CPC score. A logistic regression model was used to determine the relationship between fever and CPC. Results: Within the cohort, 22 patients (48%) developed fever within 72 hours and 24 remained afebrile. There was a significant overall effect of fever timing (p=0.028), with the odds of favorable CPC significantly lower in all fever time points than in the reference category of no fever. Odds ratios between 0-24, 24-48, and 48-72 hours were not significant (p=0.671, 0.6721, and 0.954, respectively). Patients with fever at any time within 72 hours were significantly less likely to have a favorable CPC than those with no fever. People with no fever had 12.5 times the odds of a favorable CPC score than those with fever (OR =0.08, 95% CI (0.02, 0.37), p =0.001). Conclusions: Fever up to 72 hours post cardiac arrest is associated with poor neurologic outcomes. There was no significant difference in neurologic outcome between the different time groups, however patients with no fever had better neurologic outcome within each group.
Political‐Economic Cycles

When economic policymakers are directly elected (or appointed by directly elected officials), how do electoral and partisan incentives structure economic policymaking? Suppose, for example, that voters prefer candidates expected to deliver greater economic well-being. Voters may evaluate candidates on recent experience, perhaps on aggregate performance. As a result, incumbents seeking re-election have powerful incentives to improve voters’ economic fortunes, or to signal or feign such ability. If voters weigh recent pasts more heavily than distant periods, the incentives to manipulate economic policy to improve the likelihood of re-election sharpen as elections approach. Such electioneering may result in cycles of economic expansion and contraction that follow electoral cycles. Alternatively, voters may evaluate candidates primarily in partisan terms. Competing parties may, as a result, cultivate ties to different voter segments, and nurture reputations for policymaking that favors those segments. Under some conditions, partisan ties create incentives for incumbents of different parties to implement distinct economic policies. Patterns of partisaneering, i.e., the manipulation of economic policy to benefit a partisan constituency, are evident in cycles of emphasis on different macroeconomic policy tools that track shifts in the partisan composition of governments. While political economists have long incorporated democratic policymakers’ strong electoral and partisan motivations into theoretical models of the strength, nature, and timing of economic policymaking (e.g. Nordhaus 1975, Hibbs 1977, Tufte 1978), supportive
Positivity of the \bar \partial-Neumann Laplacian

We study the \( \bar \partial \)-Neumann Laplacian from spectral theoretic perspectives. In particular, we show how pseudoconvexity of a bounded domain is characterized by positivity of the \( \bar \partial \)-Neumann Laplacian.
DBS and diathermy interaction induces severe CNS damage

Pulse-modulated radiofrequency diathermy treatment to the maxilla produced permanent diencephalic and brainstem lesions and a vegetative state in a patient with PD with implanted subthalamic electrodes for deep brain stimulation.
A Theoretical Approach to Load Balancing of a Target Task in a Temporally and Spatially Heterogeneous Grid Computing Environment

One of the distinct characteristics of computing platforms shared by multiple users such as a computational grid is heterogeneity on each computer and/or among computers. Temporal heterogeneity refers to variation, along the time dimension, of computing power (or communication bandwidth) available for a task on a computer, and spatial heterogeneity represents the variation among computers. In minimizing the average parallel execution time of a target task on a spatially heterogeneous computing system, it is not optimal to distribute the target task linearly proportional to the average computing powers available on computers. In this study, based on a theoretical model of heterogeneous computing environment, an approach to load balancing for minimizing the average parallel execution time of a target task is discussed. The approach of which validity has been verified through simulation considers temporal and spatial heterogeneities in addition to the average computing power on each computer.
Pregnancy and Fertility in Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis is a disease that has its peak incidence during the second and third decades of life which are also the prime childbearing years for men and women. As a result, there are multiple concerns that patients have regarding the ability to get pregnant, the advisability of childbearing, disease activity during pregnancy, medication use during pregnancy, and the possibility of passing ulcerative colitis to their offspring. This chapter will review the current data available on these issues.
Inhomogeneous cellular automata for weighted random pattern generation

Weighted random pattern testing methods produce higher fault coverage with shorter test lengths than random pattern testing methods. Here we present the weighted cellular automaton (WCA), an inhomogeneous cellular automaton that generates weighted random patterns on a test per clock basis. The WCA is a complete automaton that contains no external weighting logic and no multiplexers between flip-flop outputs and the circuit under test that add to critical path delays. Since the structure is based on cellular automata there are no complex routing problems. We also give a design algorithm, WCARGO, that automatically generates WCA from an ordered set of weights. >
Effects of peripheral blood mononuclear cells on Haemonchus contortus larval motility in vitro.

Summary The objective of this experiment was to determine effects of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), derived from parasite-resistant St. Croix (STC) and parasite-susceptible Suffolk (SF) sheep, on motility of Haemonchus contortus L3 stage larvae in vitro. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected from 10 lambs of each breed, 5 naive and 5 which had received a priming infection with H. contortus. Larval motility was quantified using a MIF Nikon Sweptfield microscope and NIS Elements AR software, and measurements included path length (PL) (μm), velocity (VEL) (μm/s) and acceleration (ACC) (μm/s2). After 18 h of incubation, PL and VEL were greatest in larvae cultured with SF-derived PMBC and were significantly different from all other groups (P < 0·01). No difference was observed in PL or VEL between larvae exposed to naive or primed STC-derived PBMC and primed-SF PBMC. Differences in ACC were detected between larvae cultured with primed STC-derived PBMC (10·91 μm/s2) and naive SF-derived PBMC (45·7 μm/s2) (P = 0·035). These data indicate an innate ability of STC-derived PBMC to severely inhibit larval motility.
Direct measurement of the intermolecular forces between counterion-condensed DNA double helices. Evidence for long range attractive hydration forces.

Rather than acting by modifying van der Waals or electrostatic double layer interactions or by directly bridging neighboring molecules, polyvalent ligands bound to DNA double helices appear to act by reconfiguring the water between macromolecular surfaces to create attractive long range hydration forces. We have reached this conclusion by directly measuring the repulsive forces between parallel B-form DNA double helices pushed together from the separations at which they have self organized into hexagonal arrays of parallel rods. For all of the wide variety of "condensing agents" from divalent Mn to polymeric protamines, the resulting intermolecular force varies exponentially with a decay rate of 1.4–1.5 A, exactly one-half that seen previously for hydration repulsion. Such behavior qualitatively contradicts the predictions of all electrostatic double layer and van der Waals force potentials previously suggested. It fits remarkably well with the idea, developed and tested here, that multivalent counterion adsorption reorganizes the water at discrete sites complementary to unadsorbed sites on the apposing surface. The measured strength and range of these attractive forces together with their apparent specificity suggest the presence of a previously unexpected force in molecular organization.
Synthesis and characterization of unsymmetrical phenylene–ethynylene trimers and tetramers with different chromophores as blue-light-emitters

Abstract A series of highly fluorescent p -phenylene–ethynylene π-conjugated oligomers (trimers and tetramers) with different chromophore substituents have been synthesized stepwise under oxygen-free Sonogashira conditions. The emission wavelengths range from 400 to 455 nm for the series. All four trimers and tetramers have visible blue emission under sunlight especially for the case of the pyrene-substituted trimer and tetramer. All oligomers also exhibit very high quantum yields (0.9–1.1), which suggest that these types of compounds could be used as blue-light-emitters.
Arachidonic acid metabolism of cultured peritoneal rat macrophages and its manipulation by nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents.

Abstract [ 3 H]Arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism by cultured rat peritoneal macrophages (Mo) was examined. Ninety percent of incorporated [ 3 H]AA localized in phospholipids (phosphatidylcholine, 30%; phosphatidylinositol, 23.9%; phosphatidylethanolamine, 23.7%) whereas 8.3% and 1.5% was found in the free fatty acid and neutral lipid fractions. 12- O -tetradecanoate phorbol-13-armacetate (TPA) induced the reduction of label from phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylethanolamine (42%, 46% and 47%, respectively) and an accumulation of label into free fatty acids (34%) or neutral lipid (61%) fractions. Simultaneously, 12% of the incorporated label was released into the medium as [ 3 H]6-keto prostaglandin (PG)F 1α , [ 3 H]thromboxane B 2 (TxB 2 ), [ 3 H]PGE 2 , [ 3 H]hydroxyheptadecanoic acid (HHT), [ 3 H]15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE), [ 3 H]12-HETE and [ 3 H]AA. Exposure to 0.3–3 μM indomethacin reduced TPA-induced label release into the medium which was distinguished by dose-dependent reductions in all [ 3 H]prostanoids as well as [ 3 H]15- and [ 3 H]12-HETE and a reciprocal increase in [ 3 H]AA. Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) altered AA metabolism at concentrations which approached its toxic dose ( > 20 μM). Cells exposed to 10 μM NDGA reduced TPA-induced label release into the medium which was characterized by reductions in [ 3 H]-TxB 2 , [ 3 H]PGE 2 and [ 3 H]HHT, no change in [ 3 H]15-HETE, [ 3 H]12-HETE or [ 3 H]AA and the appearance of [ 3 H]PGF 2α . Cellular label redistributions of lipid fractions in cells exposed to NDGA or indomethacin were significantly less than that of control cultures indicating inhibition of acylhydrolase activity. Indomethacin or NDGA, therefore modify AA metabolism of cultured rat Mo by influencing more than one target enzyme.
Long‐term changes in composition, diversity and distribution patterns in four herbaceous plant communities along an elevational gradient

Questions Have species expanded their ranges upward in elevation? Have α- and β-diversity changed over time? Have species richness changes along the gradient shown distributional patterns? Have community compositions changed over time, and if so, which plant families are responsible for variation? Do herbaceous changes correspond to increased warming, overstorey shifts and disturbance events at each site? Location Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) sites near Niwot Ridge, CO, US. Methods We surveyed four herbaceous plant communities along an elevational gradient for species composition, diversity and frequency. Our results were compared to those found in 1981 and 1996 in the same plots to determine long-term community change at each site and along the elevational gradient. We evaluated changes in elevational species range expansion, community diversity, and composition. We related herbaceous change to tree data and site-specific literature on climate and disturbance to analyze change patterns and drivers. Results Our investigation showed the upward range expansion of eight species. Alpha-diversity changes were site-specific, while species richness changes along the gradient did not exhibit distinctive patterns. Each community changed significantly (P < 0.05) in composition and in β-diversity. Shade-tolerant families increased in dominance at the three lower sites, which reflected succession-driven canopy closure. Changes correlated to increased warming, overstorey shifts and disturbance. Conclusions Herb aceous communities have changed in dynamic ways, as evidenced by shifts in composition, diversity and distribution. We confirm the need for more long-term studies that can offer robust insights into the interplay between change drivers, such as climate, biotic interactions and disturbance, which work in concert to determine community assemblage.
Order statistics on a linear array with a reconfigurable bus

Abstract The order statistics problem is considered in this paper. We present a parallel algorithm to find the smallest (or largest) kth element in a set of N totally ordered (but not sorted) data items. This algorithm runs in O(log2 N) expected time on a reconfigurable linear array with N processors and a constant amount of memory space in each processor. We also show that this algorithm can be generalized to process an oversized order statistics problem efficiently.
Compressional deformation of island-arc lithosphere in northeastern Japan resulting from long-term subduction-related tectonic forces: finite-element modeling

Abstract Northeastern Japan experienced an approximately constant, compressional deformation during the last 5 million years resulting from the steady subduction of the Pacific plate. Because the direction of the maximum compression axis is approximately perpendicular to the strike of the island arc, 2-D finite-element modeling can be used to examine the deformation over time of the island-arc lithosphere, which, in turn, allows a test of the hypothesis that the large-scale features of topography, gravity and seismicity in northeastern Japan result from tectonic compression. The model geometry is based on heat flow data and laboratory-derived flow low, and each model run requires an assumed interplate coupling. Novel in our modeling is the ability to include erosion/deposition loading and the creation of strike-slip faults, based on a dynamically applied fracture criterion. The criterion for acceptability of a model is how well it matches observed present-day topography, gravity, and seismicity patterns. Models with the following viscosity structure are consistent with present-day observations: The long-term effective elastic thickness is 10 km in the inner arc, increasing to about 50 km near the trench. The effective elastic thickness in the inner arc is therefore much smaller than the about 30 km short-term elastic thickness estimated from seismological data. The viscosity of the lower crust is on the order of 1022 Pa s or less. Our model explains the observed positive gravity anomaly of the Kitakami range as a consequence of uplift resulting from a coupling which increases with depth along the interface between the subducting and overriding plates. The model also predicts the slip on the faults adjacent to the Backbone range, as well as the crustal shortening.
Effect of pentachlorophenol on the growth and mortality of embryonic and juvenile steelhead trout

The toxicity of sodium pentachlorophenate to early life stages of steelhead trout (Salmo gairdneri) was investigated, using a flowthrough exposure system. A 96-hr LC50 of 66 μg/ L was derived for previously unexposed ten-week-old fry. A 72-day test, beginning 24 hr after fertilization, yielded a chronic toxicity threshold of 14 μg/L. These results, and the acute/chronic ratio of 4.7, compare reasonably well with values in the literature. Yolk sac edema and cranial malformations, which are commonly observed in chronic tests with technical grade pentachlorophenol, were rare in this test with purified (99%) material.
Increasing the number of feminist scientists: why feminist aims are not served by the Underdetermination Thesis

Recent feminist philosophers of science have argued that feminist values can contribute to rational decisions about which scientific theories to accept. On this view, increasing the number of feminist scientists is important for ensuring rational and objective theory acceptance. The Underdetermination Thesis has played a key role in arguments for this view [Anderson (1995) Hypatia 10(3), 50–84; Hankinson Nelson (1990) Who knows? From Quine to a feminist empiricism. Temple University Press, Philadelphia; Longino (1990) Science as social knowledge. Princeton University Press, Princeton; Longino (2002) The fate of knowledge. Princeton University Press, Princeton; Kourany (2003) Philosophy of Science 70, 1–14]. This thesis is alleged to open an argumentative “gap” between evidence and theory acceptance and provide a rationale for filling the gap with feminist values. While I agree with the conclusion that feminist values can contribute to rational decisions about which theories to accept, I argue that the Underdetermination Thesis cannot support this claim. First, using earlier arguments [Laudan (1990) in: R. Giere (ed) Minnesota studies in the philosophy of science, vol 14, pp 267–297; Slezak (1991) International Studies in Philosophy of Science 5, 241–256; Pinnick (1994) Philosophy of Science 61, 664–657] I show that Underdetermination cannot, by itself, establish that feminist values should fill the gap in theory acceptance. Secondly, I argue that the very use of the Underdetermination Thesis concedes that feminist values are extra-scientific, a-rational, factors in theory acceptance. This concession denies feminists grounds to explain why their values contribute to rational scientific reasoning. Finally, I propose two alternative ways to explain how feminist values can contribute to rational theory acceptance that do not rely on Underdetermination.
Partitioning of ion-induced surface and bulk displacements☆

Abstract An analytical method is described to determine the number and partitioning of displacements of surface and bulk atoms by low energy ions incident on a solid. Results are presented for Ge, Si and C (diamond and graphite). For Ge the results are compared with Monte Carlo calculations using the computer code TRIMRC. Good agreement is found in this comparison, thereby verifying the adequacy of several approximations introduced into the formalism. Displacement threshold and surface-to-bulk displacement ratio contours are presented as a function of ion mass and energy based on our analytic calculations. Comparison of these contours with recent experimental results for Si suggests that this approach provides a global framework for understanding and optimizing the effects of low-energy ions on semiconductor expitaxial growth.
A method for computing horizontal pressure-gradient force in an oceanic model with a nonaligned vertical coordinate

[1] Discretization of the pressure-gradient force is a long-standing problem in terrain-following (or σ) coordinate oceanic modeling. When the isosurfaces of the vertical coordinate are not aligned with either geopotential surfaces or isopycnals, the horizontal pressure gradient consists of two large terms that tend to cancel; the associated pressure-gradient error stems from interference of the discretization errors of these terms. The situation is further complicated by the nonorthogonality of the coordinate system and by the common practice of using highly nonuniform stretching for the vertical grids, which, unless special precautions are taken, causes both a loss of discretization accuracy overall and an increase in interference of the component errors. In the present study, we design a pressure-gradient algorithm that achieves more accurate hydrostatic balance between the two components and does not lose as much accuracy with nonuniform vertical grids at relatively coarse resolution. This algorithm is based on the reconstruction of the density field and the physical z coordinate as continuous functions of transformed coordinates with subsequent analytical integration to compute the pressure-gradient force. This approach allows not only a formally higher order of accuracy, but it also retains and expands several important symmetries of the original second-order scheme to high orders [Mellor et al., 1994; Song, 1998], which is used as a prototype. It also has built-in monotonicity constraining algorithm that prevents appearance of spurious oscillations of polynomial interpolant and, consequently, insures numerical stability and robustness of the model under the conditions of nonsmooth density field and coarse grid resolution. We further incorporate an alternative method of dealing with compressibility of seawater, which escapes pressure-gradient errors associated with interference of the nonlinear nature of equation of state and difficulties to achieve accurate polynomial fits of resultant in situ density profiles. In doing so, we generalized the monotonicity constraint to guarantee nonnegative physical stratification of the reconstructed density profile in the case of compressible equation of state. To verify the new method, we perform traditional idealized (Seamount) and realistic test problems.
Cell performance of molten-carbonate fuel cell with alkali and alkaline-earth carbonate mixtures

Abstract Molten-carbonate fuel cells with two types of alkali carbonate mixture as the electrolyte have been operated. The resulting cell performances have been compared in order to optimize the composition of each carbonate mixture. One electrolyte type is a mixture of the high lithium eutectic ((Li 0.62 K 0.38 ) 2 CO 3 ) and an alkaline-earth carbonate, while the other is a mixture of the lithium-sodium eutectic ((Li 0.52 Na 0.48 ) 2 CO 3 ) and an alkaline-earth carbonate. Additions of CaCO 3 , SrCO 3 and BaCO 3 have been used. A small amount of each alkaline-earth carbonate to both eutectics does not influence the cell performance. On the other hand, larger amounts reduce the cell performance. The required content of each additive to provide optimum cell performance depends on both the additive itself and the host eutectic. The temperature dependence of cell performance in the presence of the different additives has also been investigated. There is little difference between the behaviour of ((Li 0.62 K 0.38 K 0.38 ) 2 Ca)CO 3 , ((Li 0.62 K 0.38 ) 2 Ba)CO 3 and ((Li 0.52 Na 0.48 ) 2 Ca)CO 3 . By contrast, high temperature dependence was found for ((Li 0.62 K 0.38 ) 2 Sr)CO 3 , ((Li 0.52 Na 0.48 ) 2 Sr)CO 3 and ((Li 0.52 Na 0.48 ) 2 Ba)CO 3 .
MDCT imaging of Alloderm biologic mesh spacers in the abdomen and pelvis — preliminary experience

The purpose of this study was to assess the attenuation characteristics of the Alloderm Biologic Mesh Spacer (ABMS) in the abdomen and pelvis. Of nine patients with ABMS, five underwent multidetector computed tomographic scans at 1, 4, and 7 months postsurgery. Two patients underwent positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT). The pre- and postcontrast images were evaluated for attenuation characteristics of ABMS. The PET-CT scans were reviewed for [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake. We observed increase in the attenuation characteristics of the spacers on follow-up imaging (P<.05). No FDG uptake was noted on PET-CT. To conclude, ABMS demonstrates soft tissue attenuation on noncontrast CT and shows increase attenuation on serial CT scans.
Devils Will Reign: How Nevada Began – By Sally Zanjani

Until now there has been no informative survey of Nevada's early decades as an American colony and territory, save for dated nineteenth‐century histories. In general, these works are uneven in cove...
Effect of acid treatment on mesophase formation from petroleum pitch

Abstract The starting pitch is chemically impure and the effect of the impurities on the properties of carbon fiber can be significant. Several inorganic acids were mixed with solvents to extract the inorganic impurities during the solvent extraction. Little difference in FT-IR spectra band between acid-treated and non-acid-treated were shown. Acid-treated pitch showed no effect on mesophase formation.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ‘GOOD FARMER’

Summary The Significance of the ‘Good Farmer’ As a part of a research project on the communication of new farm practices, carried out in 79 rural communities in east and central Poland, 8543 farmers were asked to select those farmers that were in their opinion ‘good farmers’ in their own communities. In 45 communities one or more farmers collected 20 per cent or more of the votes. In the other communities no ‘good farmers’ were mentioned or the votes were too dispersed. The results of this enquiry were compared with findings concerning progressive farmers in the same communities, measured according to objective economic criteria. In the more developed communities, nearer to towns and industries, the subjective evaluation of the ‘good farmer’ correspond more closely than in the more traditionalistic communities with the judgment based on economic criteria. Most usually, no ‘good farmer’ was chosen in the traditionalistic communities, and where one was chosen he was generally not the most progressive farmer. The conclusion is that in the less advanced regions of Poland non-economic and nonprofessional criteria play a greater part in evaluating leaders. Although innovators rank high in all regions, the innovators chosen in the less-developed regions are usually not good producers.
Incremental Detection of Local Community Structure

Incremental methods for detecting community structure are necessary when a graph's size or node-expansion cost makes global community-detection methods infeasible. Previous approaches to local community detection, which conflate edges between vertices in the immediate neighborhood of a partially-known community with edges to more distant vertices, often select vertices in an order that is suboptimal with respect to the actual community structure. This paper describes two new algorithms--MaxActivation and MaxDensity--whose vertex-selection policies focus on edges among the vertices in the partially-known community and its immediate neighborhood, ignoring edges to more distant vertices. In an empirical evaluation on a collection of natural and artificial graphs of varying degrees of community cohesion, the relative performance of alternative algorithms depended upon the degree distribution of each graph. These results demonstrate that the selection of an algorithm for incremental community detection should be guided by the characteristics of the graph to which it will be applied.
Characterization of an experimental wavenumber fitting method for loss factor estimation using a viscoelastically damped structure

This study presents the experimental characterization of a relatively new method used to measure the damping performance of a structure. The method evaluated is the complex wavenumber fitting method in which an analytical description of the response over the structure surface is adjusted to match experimental measurements of the response over the same region. In computing the analytical response, a large number of points on the structure can be considered without much expense. In measuring that response, though, one must consider both experimental complexity and measurement time when considering the number of sensor locations. The goal of the present study is to examine the number of measurement points needed in the complex wavenumber fitting method to obtain a loss factor of sufficient accuracy. To that end, the loss factor for a viscoelastically damped sandwich beam with intermediate bolts is determined for different numbers of measurement points. To facilitate this study, a scanning laser vibrometer is used to measure the response at many points on the structure. Then, the wavenumber is estimated by iteratively fitting an analytical wave description to the response. For various selected sets of response points, it is shown that this approach is sensitive to both the number of measurement points as well as the coherence of that data. Experimental examples are presented to demonstrate those effects. Recommendations for better signal-to-noise ratio using the scanning laser system are also provided.
Post-diagnostic abortion in Germany: reproduction gone awry, again?

Abstract Routine use of prenatal diagnostic technologies (PDTs) such as ultrasound and amniocentesis result in the detection of a small percentage of fetal anomalies. For those women faced with the diagnosis of fetal disability, a decision must be made to continue or terminate the pregnancy. When the diagnosis is merely hypothetical, the discursive specter of post-diagnostic abortion is shaped by social and historical contexts in which interested discourses (regional, political, ethical, and religious) weigh in with varying degrees of authority and influence. However, when the diagnosis is actual, in this sample population of women, an estimated minimum of 90% opt to terminate their pregnancies. Data collected at two German hospitals—one in former East Germany, one in former West Germany—illuminate rates of PDT use and provide data with which to discuss the specter of post-diagnostic abortion in relation to mainstream medical discourses, Germany's divided history, abortion politics, feminism, disability activism, and religion. These data demonstrate how reproductive discourses are shaped by ideological and historical contingencies, even when women's ultimate reproductive decisions are not.
A geographical approach to tracking Escherichia coli and other water quality constituents in a Texas coastal plains watershed

Diffuse sources of surface water pathogens and nutrients can be difficult to isolate in larger river basins. This study used a geographical or nested approach to isolate diffuse sources of Escherichia coli and other water quality constituents in a 145.7-km2 river basin in south central Texas, USA. Average numbers of E. coli ranged from 49 to 64,000 colony forming units (CFU) per 100 mL depending upon season and stream flow over the 1-year sampling period. Nitrate-N concentrations ranged from 48 to 14,041 μg L−1 and orthophosphate-P from 27 to 2,721 μg L−1. High concentrations of nitrate-N, dissolved organic nitrogen, and orthophosphate-P were observed downstream of waste water treatment plants but E. coli values were higher in a watershed draining an older part of the city. Total urban land use explained between 56 and 72 % of the variance in mean annual E. coli values (p < 0.05) in nine hydrologically disconnected creeks. Of the types of urban land use, commercial land use explained most of the variance in E. coli values in the fall and winter. Surface water sodium, alkalinity, and potassium concentrations in surface water were best described by the proportion of commercial land use in the watershed. Based on our nested approach in examining surface water, city officials are able to direct funding to specific areas of the basin in order to mitigate high surface water E. coli numbers and nutrient concentrations.
The Size and Conservation of a Coiled-coil Structure in the Ectodomain of Human BST-2/Tetherin Is Dispensable for Inhibition of HIV-1 Virion Release

BST-2/CD317/tetherin is a host factor that inhibits HIV-1 release and is counteracted by HIV-1 Vpu. Structural studies indicate that the BST-2 ectodomain assumes a coiled-coil conformation. Here we studied the role of the BST-2 ectodomain for tethering function. First, we addressed the importance of the length and structure of the ectodomain by adding or substituting heterologous coiled-coil or non-coiled-coil sequences. We found that extending or replacing the BST-2 ectodomain using non-coiled-coil sequences resulted in loss of BST-2 function. Doubling the size of the BST-2 ectodomain by insertion of a heterologous coiled-coil motif or substituting the BST-2 coiled-coil domain with a heterologous coiled-coil motif maintained tethering function. Reductions in the size of the BST-2 coiled-coil domain were tolerated as well. In fact, deletion of the C-terminal half of the BST-2 ectodomain, including a series of seven consecutive heptad motifs did not abolish tethering function. However, slight changes in the positioning of deletions affecting the relative placing of charged or hydrophobic residues on the helix severely impacted the functional properties of BST-2. Overall, we conclude that the size of the BST-2 ectodomain is highly flexible and can be reduced or extended as long as the positioning of residues important for the stability of the dimer interface is maintained.
Effect of chelate ring size on the photoanation reaction of polypyridine ruthenium complexes

Abstract Several new polypyridine ligands (L) with two pyridine rings linked by methylene bridges of different lengths have been synthesized. The corresponding [Ru(bpy)2L]2+ (bpy ≡ bipyridine) complexes have been prepared and their photophysical and photochemical properties examined. The low temperature (77 K) emission properties of the new complexes are similar to those of [Ru(bpy)3]2+; at higher temperatures their emission intensities are significantly decreased. In organic solvents, photoanation is efficient for all of the new complexes. In the case of [Ru(bpy)2DPE]2+ (DPE ≡ 1,2-di(2-pyridyl)ethane), substitution of the first pyridine occurs thermally in 0.01 M Cl− (solvent, CH2Cl2) and in H2SO4 so that photoanation of the second pyridine could be directly studied. For the six-membered chelate ring [Ru(bpy)2DPM]2+ (DPM ≡(2-pyridyl)methane) reclosure of the chelate ring competes with photoanation only in polar solvents where ion pairing is not significant.
The synthesis of [4,6‐2H] salicylates

[4,6-2H] Salicylic acid, salicyluric acid and methyl salicylate are prepared by hydrogenolysis of 3,5-dichlorophenol followed by carboxylation with sodium ethyl carbonate.