cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gallbladder filling and emptying during cholesterol gallstone formation in the prairie dog: A cholescintigraphic study

We studied gallbladder bile flow before, during, and after cholesterol gallstone formation in the prairie dog using infusion cholescintigraphy with 99mTc-diethyl iminodiacetic acid. In 18 fasting animals partitioning of bile between gallbladder and intestine was determined every 15 min for 140 min, and gallbladder response to cholecystokinin (5 U/kg X h) was calculated from the gallbladder ejection fraction. Ten prairie dogs were then placed on a 0.4% cholesterol diet and 8 on a regular diet, and the studies were repeated 1, 2, and 6 wk later. The proportion of hepatic bile that entered the gallbladder relative to the intestine varied from one 15-min period to the next, and averaged 28.2% +/- 5.1% at 140 min. Partial spontaneous gallbladder emptying (ejection fraction 11.5% +/- 5.6%) was intermittently observed. Neither the number nor the ejection fraction of spontaneous gallbladder contractions changed during gallstone formation. By contrast, the percent of gallbladder emptying in response to cholecystokinin decreased from 72.1% +/- 5% to 25.9% +/- 9.3% (p less than 0.025) in the first week and was 14.3% +/- 5.5% at 6 wk (p less than 0.01 from prediet values, not significant from first week). Gallbladder filling decreased from 28.2% +/- 5.1% to 6.7% +/- 3% (p less than 0.01), but this change was only observed after 6 wk, when gallstones had formed. This study shows that bile flow into the gallbladder during fasting is not constant; the gallbladder contracts intermittently; gallbladder emptying in response to exogenous cholecystokinin is altered very early during gallstone formation; and gallbladder filling remains unaffected until later stages, when gallstones have formed.
Cognitive impact of lower-grade gliomas and strategies for rehabilitation

Outcomes for patients with lower-grade gliomas (LrGGs) continue to improve with advances in molecular characterization and treatment. However, cognitive sequela from the tumor and its treatment leave a significant impact on health-related quality of life for these patients. Several factors affect each patient's cognition, such as tumor location, treatment, medication, and comorbidities. However, impairments of processing speed, attention, concentration, working memory, and executive function are common across LrGG patients. Cognitive rehabilitation strategies, well established in traumatic brain injury and stroke populations, are based on neural plasticity and functional reorganization. Adapting these strategies for implementation in patients with brain tumors is an active area of research. This article provides an overview of cognitive domains commonly impaired in LrGG patients and evidence for the use of cognitive rehabilitation strategies to address these impairments with the goal of improving health-related quality of life in this patient population.
Do Plant Mitochondria Even Need Base Excision Repair

Substitution rates in plant mitochondrial genes are extremely low, indicating strong selective pressure as well as efficient repair. Plant mitochondria possess base excision repair pathways, however, many repair pathways such as nucleotide excision repair and mismatch repair appear to be absent. In the absence of these pathways, many DNA lesions must be repaired by a different mechanism. To test the hypothesis that double-strand break repair (DSBR) is that mechanism, we maintained independent lines of plants deficient in uracil-N-glycosylase (UNG) for 10 generations to determine the repair outcomes when that pathway is missing. In the absence of UNG, there is an increase in in double-strand breaks as assayed by recombination at repeated sequences. Surprisingly, given the single-seed descent bottleneck and the bottleneck of mitochondrial genomes in gametogenesis, no single nucleotide polymorphisms were fixed in any line in generation 10. The pattern of heteroplasmy was also unaltered through 10 generations. These results indicate that double strand break repair is a general system of repair in plant mitochondria, and appears to be so efficient that base excision repair is nearly dispensable. The existence of this general system may explain the seemingly anomalous differences between genes and non-genes in plant mitochondria.
Linked networks reveal dual roles of insect dispersal and species sorting for bacterial communities in flowers

Due to the difficulty of tracking microbial dispersal, it is rarely possible to disentangle the relative importance of dispersal and species sorting for microbial community assembly. Here, we leverage a detailed multilevel network to examine drivers of bacterial community assembly within flowers. We observed flower visitors to 20 focal plant species in a coflowering community in the Sierra Nevada, revealing 289 species of arthropods. We also analyzed bacterial communities on flowers of each species. We found that plant species with similar visitor communities tend to have similar bacterial communities, and visitor identity to be more important than plant relatedness in structuring floral bacterial communities. However, plant species that were hubs of arthropod visitation were not necessarily hubs of floral bacteria, suggesting an important role for species sorting. Across plant species, the composition of flower‐visiting Diptera (flies), bees and non‐bee Hymenoptera best predicted bacterial species composition on flowers. Taken together, our analyses suggest dispersal is important in determining similarity in microbial communities across plant species, but not as important in determining the overall macrostructure (nestedness, modularity) and microstructure (connectedness based on shared interactors) of the floral bacterial network. A multilevel network approach thus allows us to address features of community assembly that cannot be considered when viewing networks as separate entities.
Plasmon-driven photocatalytic molecular transformations on metallic nanostructure surfaces: mechanistic insights gained from plasmon-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Optically excited plasmonic nanostructures exhibit unique capabilities to catalyze interfacial chemical transformations of molecules adsorbed on their surfaces in a regioselective manner through anomalous reaction pathways that are inaccessible under thermal conditions. The mechanistic complexity of plasmon-driven photocatalysis is intimately tied to a series of photophysical and photochemical processes associated with the radiative and non-radiative decay of localized plasmon resonances in metallic nanostructures. Plasmon-enhanced Raman spectroscopy combines ultrahigh detection sensitivity with unique time-resolving and molecular finger-printing capabilities, ideal for detailed kinetic and mechanistic studies of photocatalytic interfacial transformations of molecular adsorbates residing in the plasmonic hot spots. Through systematic case studies of several representative reactions, we demonstrate how plasmon-enhanced Raman spectroscopy can be judiciously utilized as a unique in situ spectroscopic tool to fine-resolve the detailed molecule-transforming processes on the surfaces of optically excited plasmonic nanostructures in real time during the photocatalytic reactions. We further epitomize the mechanistic insights gained from in situ plasmon-enhanced Raman spectroscopic measurements into several central materials design principles that can be employed to guide the rational optimization of the photocatalyst structures and the nanostructure-molecule interfaces for plasmon-mediated surface chemistry.
Graphical Gaussian process regression model for aqueous solvation free energy prediction of organic molecules in redox flow batteries.

The solvation free energy of organic molecules is a critical parameter in determining emergent properties such as solubility, liquid-phase equilibrium constants, pKa and redox potentials in an organic redox flow battery. In this work, we present a machine learning (ML) model that can learn and predict the aqueous solvation free energy of an organic molecule using the Gaussian process regression method based on a new molecular graph kernel. To investigate the performance of the ML model for electrostatic interaction, the nonpolar interaction contribution of the solvent and the conformational entropy of the solute in the solvation free energy, three data sets with implicit or explicit water solvent models, and contribution of the conformational entropy of the solute are tested. We demonstrate that our ML model can predict the solvation free energy of molecules at chemical accuracy with a mean absolute error of less than 1 kcal mol−1 for subsets of the QM9 dataset and the Freesolv database. To solve the general data scarcity problem for a graph-based ML model, we propose a dimension reduction algorithm based on the distance between molecular graphs, which can be used to examine the diversity of the molecular data set. It provides a promising way to build a minimum training set to improve prediction for certain test sets where the space of molecular structures is predetermined.
Numerical Solution for Contact Pressure Distributions in Misaligned Self-Lubricated Journal Bearings

A numerical method is presented for studying the three dimensional pressure and stress distribution conformal contact problem found in misaligned self-lubricated journal bearings. The modified boussinesq force-displacement influence function and modified profile function are employed in conjunction with the integral equation discretization method and the mesh generation technique to analyze the contact pressure distribution and the axial contact length (separation point) within the misaligned pressure zone. The method has been implemented in a computer program and has been applied to the problems of misaligned and perfectly-aligned conformal contact. The results have been verified by comparison with the experimental data presented in the literature for the self-lubricated filament wound bearing under various conditions of load and misalignment. The agreement between the theory and experimental work is good within the framework of linear theory of elasticity.
Mineral Products of Pyrrhotite Oxidation by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans.

The oxidation of the sulfur entity in iron sulfides is a major contributor to sulfuric acid load in mine discharge waters. Although pyrrhotite is a component in many sulfide ores that are amenable to biological leaching, a characteristic leaching pattern has yet to be defined and the major mineral weathering products have not been identified. This study characterizes the solid-phase products (mineral weathering products) from the bacterial oxidation of pyrrhotite under laboratory conditions. Pyrrhotite undergoes an incomplete, acid-consuming oxidation step that yields elemental S, followed by an acid-producing, sulfur- and iron-oxidizing phase. Microorganisms are important catalysts in the formation of secondary Fe(III) minerals from iron sulfides in oxic zones. 19 refs., 6 figs.
Resisting the Enforcement of Sexual Harassment Law

Most people in the United States believe that sexual harassment should be illegal and that enforcement is necessary. In spite of such widespread support for antiharassment regulations, sexual harassment policy training provokes backlash and has been shown to activate traditional gender stereotypes. Using in-depth interviews and participant observations of sexual harassment policy training sessions, this study uncovers the micro-level mechanisms that underlie ambivalence about the enforcement of sexual harassment law. I find that while the different locations of men and women in the status hierarchy lead to different manifestations of resistance, gender stereotypes are used to buttress perceptions that sexual harassment laws threaten norms of interaction and status positions that men and women have an interest in maintaining. The research has implications for understanding the role of law in social change, legal compliance, and the potential/limits of law for reducing inequality.
125I-wheat germ agglutinin blotting: Increased sensitivity with polyvinylpyrrolidone quenching and periodate oxidation/reductive phenylamination

Two substantial improvements in sensitivity in the identification of 125I-wheat germ agglutininbinding glycoproteins on nitrocellulose blots of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels are reported. The major improvement in sensitivity (about 30-fold) derives from the use of 2% (wv) polyvinylpyrrolidone (average Mr 40,000) instead of bovine serum albumin or denatured hemoglobin as the quenching agent (or carrier) during incubation with 125I-wheat germ agglutinin in detergent-free, phosphate-buffered saline. Under these conditions, specific labeling with 125I-wheat germ agglutinin is observed for orosomucoid derivatives that display N-acetylglucosamine or sialic acid residues at the nonreducing termini of their oligosaccharides, as well as for a number of glycoprotein components of a rat hepatocyte plasma membrane fraction. An additional improvement in sensitivity (up to 10-fold) results from an increase in the binding of 125I-wheat germ agglutinin to sialic acid-containing glycoproteins after treatment of the blots with 5 mm sodium metaperiodate followed by 5 mm aniline in the presence of 30 mm sodium cyanoborohydride. This treatment appears to cause the sequential oxidation and reductive phenylamination of the side chain of glycoprotein sialic acid residues.
Tretinoin toxicity in children with acute promyelocytic leukaemia

Tretinoin is effective in acute promyelocytic leukaemia in adults. Data about its efficacy and safety in children are limited. We have treated 9 children with tretinoin at 45 mg/m2 per day. Pseudotumour cerebri or hyperleucocytosis occurred in 5 patients. Retinoic acid syndrome was seen in 3 cases. 1 of 2 children who developed hyperleucocytosis, pseudotumour cerebri, and retinoic acid syndrome died despite steroids and mechanical ventilation. Complete remissions with tretinoin alone were achieved in 15 patients. All 8 surviving children received consolidation chemotherapy. Our experience with tretinoin therapy suggests that toxicity is frequent in children.
The Impact of Job Characteristics on Private Prison Staff: Why Management Should Care

The number of private prisons run by corporate security businesses has increased rapidly throughout the past two decades. There has been a parallel increase in literature, both pro and con, comparing the efficiency and effectiveness of private and public prisons; however, private prison staff has been largely ignored. OLS regression analysis of a survey of 160 employees at a Midwestern private prison facility showed that the job characteristics of job stress, supervision, and job variety were far more important than personal characteristics of race/ethnicity, gender, age, tenure, education and position in influencing staff job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Specifically, job stress had the largest impact on job satisfaction, while quality of supervision had the greatest impact on organizational commitment.
Promotions Spontaneously Induce a Positive Evaluative Response

Research has suggested that conscious cognitive processes mediate positive responses to promotions. In contrast, we find that exposure to promotional stimuli evokes a positive evaluative reaction spontaneously and that this reaction generalizes to products that are evaluated subsequently. Three experiments support our predictions and rule out alternative possibilities. Specifically, we find that promotions spontaneously evoke positive evaluative responses and that these responses mediate liking for a target product. Our findings also identify conditions under which promotion-generated evaluative responses are transferred to products unrelated to the promotion and indicate the type of product categories that are likely to produce this effect. The theoretical and substantive implications of this research are discussed.
Perturbation theory of solid-liquid interfacial free energies of bcc metals

A perturbation theory is used to calculate bcc solid-liquid interfacial free energies of metallic systems with embedded-atom model potentials. As a reference system for bcc crystals we used a single-occupancy cell, hard-sphere bcc system. Good agreements between the perturbation theory results and the corresponding results from simulations are found. The strategy to extract hard-sphere bcc solid-liquid interfacial free energies may have broader applications for other crystal lattices.
Larval survivorship of Argyrotaenia citrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) overwintering on small fruits in the Pacific northwest.

Immature Argyrotaenia citrana (Fernald) overwintering on red raspberry and blueberry in Oregon and southwest Washington suffered high mortality following a severe winter storm in 1983. A comparison of the population age structure before and after this storm suggested that older instars were most susceptible to low temperatures. Laboratory bioassays conducted at −5, −10, and −15°C demonstrated that laboratory-reared third instars were significantly more tolerant to subfreezing temperatures than were fifth instars. Larvae sprayed with water before exposure were significantly less tolerant than unsprayed larvae. Preconditioning larvae for 28 days with a 12:12 (L:D) photoperiod at 6° (L) and −1°C (D) increased third-instar tolerance but decreased fifth-instar tolerance to −100°C exposure. Field experiments during 1984–85 demonstrated that field-collected third instars were significantly more cold tolerant than older instars. Analysis of winter temperatures for 1978–85 suggested that winters could be classified based on number of hours below −5°C during the season. Correlation of this factor with degree-day totals from 1 January to peak pheromone trap catch of A. citrana for these years was high, indicating that winter temperatures have a significant impact on phenology of spring moth emergence.
Orthogonal coordinates for systems of many components

We show how a set of orthogonal coordinates is defined for a system having an arbitrary number of components. These coordinates, in conjunction with the limiting atom fractions of the components, define the equilateral triangle for a three component system and a regular tetrahedron for a four component system. Various manipulations of such figures in higher order space are carried out using linear algebra. Two dimensional sections are considered the most important construction. The utility of such sections is enhanced if the sections are taken parallel to important sets of tie lines. The present exercise is but one facet of the larger problem in which complex phase equilibria are calculated from thermodynamic descriptions of binary systems. We suggest that, eventually, problems involving phase equilibria for systems of many components will be addressed by calculating the required sections for the problem at hand.
Extraction of stress intensity factors from generalized finite element solutions

Abstract The performance of several superconvergent techniques to extract stress intensity factors (SIFs) from numerical solutions computed with the generalized finite element method is investigated. The contour integral, the cutoff function and the J -integral methods are considered. An implementation of the extraction techniques based on a sequence of mappings that are independent of the underlying solution method or discretization is proposed. It is shown that this approach is suitable for virtually any mesh-free or mesh-based solution method. Several numerical examples demonstrating the convergence of the computed SIF and the flexibility of the proposed implementation are presented. The path independence of the extraction methods is also investigated. Numerical experiments demonstrate that the contour integral and the cutoff function methods are more robust than the J –integral method with the CFM being the most accurate.
Adaptive Framework for Collisions in RFID Tag Identification

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is promising, as a technique, to enable tracking of essential information about objects as they pass through supply chains. Information thus tracked can be utilised to efficiently operate the supply chain. Effective management of the supply chain translates to huge competitive advantage for the firms involved. Among several issues that impede seamless integration of RFID tags in a supply chain, one of the problems encountered while reading RFID tags is that of collision, which occurs when multiple tags transmit data to the same receiver slot. Data loss due to collision necessitates re-transmission of lost data. We consider this problem when Framed Slotted ALOHA protocol is used. Using machine learning, we adaptively configure the number of slots per frame to reduce the number of collisions while improving throughput.
Response models for predicting fear of crime

More and more urban police departments are being called upon to meet the needs of a diverse and changing population. The differences in police service needs for urban centers are especially obvious in cities that have a rapidly expanding industrial/ commercial population base. The new or expanded portion of the population base attracts not only a new middle and upper middle class, but also a migrant blue collar and laborer population hoping to be included in the economic growth of the city. This urban growth translates directly into an increased demand for police service, as well as destabilization of lower income neighborhoods, and new ethnically homogenous enclaves within the city (PriceSpratten & Lee, 1994).
Superconducting and nonsuperconducting phases of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub x/: Modifications at the high-temperature phase transition

A phase transition starting at 900 /sup 0/C has recently been found to be a necessary precursor to the high-T/sub c/ superconductivity in YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub x/. We report here that the phase change involves an insulator (T>900 /sup 0/C phase) to metal transformation. Specific-heat measurements show that both phases have comparable Debye temperatures, and, unexpectedly, linear T terms at low temperature. For the insulating phase, this term is comparable to that in a transition metal. The insulating phase also has an electrical resistivity of the unusual form rho..cap alpha..e/sup -//sup T//sup ///sup T//sup >//sup a//sup =/ below 300 K.
Scheduling advertising slots for television

The ISCI (Industry Standard Commercial Identification) rotator problem requires the assignment of a set of commercial videotapes to slots such that multiple airings of each tape in the set are as equally spaced as possible with respect to an L1 loss function. The contributions of this research paper are threefold. First, an enhanced branch-and-bound algorithm is presented and shown to produce optimal solutions for each of several problems that were not computationally feasible for a previously developed branch-and-bound implementation. Second, a fast simulated annealing heuristic is developed for larger problems. This heuristic has established new benchmark (best-known) solutions for 16 large ISCI rotator problems from a recently published test suite. Third, we consider alternative loss function metrics, and have found that a branch-and-bound algorithm for the L∞ algorithm is especially scalable.
Comparative transcript profiling in roots of Phaseolus acutifolius and P. vulgaris under water deficit stress

Abstract Transcript profiles in roots of Phaseolus acutifolius and P. vulgaris were compared under water deficit conditions that demonstrated the drought resistance phenotype of P. acutifolius . Differential gene expression was monitored with microarray analysis using slides printed with ∼5200 anonymous cDNAs from libraries of Phaseolus spp. Those genes whose expression was significantly altered by water deficit were sequenced and functional classifications were inferred based on similarity to other annotated genes. Fewer genes ( n = 64) were responsive in P. vulgaris , the more drought sensitive species, compared with P. acutifolius ( n = 488). Only 25 genes were drought responsive in the roots of both species, at a drought stress level of −2.5 MPa leaf water potential. Most of the responsive genes in P. vulgaris were in the functional class for stress responsive genes, while the largest functional class in P. acutifolius was populated with unannotated or novel genes. There were a number of genes likely to be important in cell growth and metabolism that were uniquely stress responsive in P. acutifolius.
Inhibition of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase with partially thiolated polynucleotides.

Abstract Various modified polynucleotides, prepared from polycytidylic and polyuridylic acids as well as from RNA and DNA isolates by partial thiolation in the 5-position of their uracil and/or cytosine bases, strongly inhibited the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase of Micrococcus lysodeikticus . The inhibition was in the presence of mercaptoethanol partially reversible by the DNA template in a concentration-dependent manner, but was irreversible without the addition of mercaptoethanol. Incubation of the enzyme with the template prior to the addition of the inhibitor afforded some protection and decreased the inhibitory effects. The results suggest that the partially thiolated polynucleotides act by competing with the DNA template for the “template site” of the enzyme. In the absence of mercaptoethanol, covalent binding via mixed disulfide linkages may take place between the inhibitor and the enzyme.
Prenatal antibiotic treatment does not decrease group B streptococcus colonization at delivery

Abstract Objective: To evaluate whether an outpatient antibiotic regimen decreased group B streptococcal (GBS) colonization to preclude the use of intrapartum antibiotics. Methods: A double-blind randomized controlled trial evaluating prenatal oral amoxicillin versus placebo with the primary outcome of GBS colonization at the time of labor. Results: Of those patients receiving both amoxicillin and a repeat culture at the time of labor, 6 of the 14 (43%) tested positive for GBS colonization. Given persistent GBS colonization of 67% (10/15) in the placebo group, treatment with amoxicillin did not significantly impact colonization at the time of delivery ( P = 0.20). Conclusion: A regimen of outpatient amoxicillin was associated with persistent GBS colonization in 43% of women at the time of labor. Oral prenatal antibiotic prophylaxis against GBS does not sufficiently reduce colonization to preclude intrapartum intravenous antibiotics.
The justification for a surgical staging system in endometrial carcinoma

Three hundred and one patients with endometrial carcinoma who were surgically staged and treated postoperatively with irradiation at the Fox Chase Cancer Center or the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania were retrospectively substaged by the 1988 FIGO staging system. For pathological stage I endometrial carcinoma, FIGO substage (IA/IB vs. IC) in addition to depth by thirds ( 2/3), grade (1 or 2 vs. 3), age ( 60), and type of postoperative irradiation (vaginal alone vs. external +/- vaginal) were predictive for 5-year cause-specific survival in univariate analysis. For all pathological stages, excluding IIIB and IV endometrial carcinoma, FIGO stage (I or II vs. III) in addition to depth by thirds ( 2/3), grade (1 or 2 vs. 3), age ( 60), and type of postoperative irradiation (vaginal alone vs. external +/- vaginal) were predictive for 5-year cause-specific survival in univariate analysis. Clinical stage (I vs. II or III) was not a significant predictor of outcome in univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis of the above factors revealed FIGO stage in addition to grade, age and depth by thirds to be independent predictors of outcome. In conclusion, the FIGO surgical staging system better predicts outcome compared with the prior clinical staging system, although the FIGO substaging needs refinement. Grade, age, and depth by thirds are equally important prognostic factors in addition to FIGO stage and can add to the predictive value of the current FIGO staging system.
Semiclassical simulations of the spectra of anharmonic molecules; problems and alternatives

Abstract Several semiclassical approaches for calculations of the absorption lineshape of anharmonic systems are examined. The recently developed semiclassical Green's function (SGF) method is found to give excellent results. The Gaussian wavepacket method does not appear to produce the exact quantization when the anharmonicity of the system increases. It is argued that the exact time-dependent propagator should include information from trajectories at all energies. Thus it might be preferable to use the SGF method which requires one to run trajectories only at the relevant energy range.
Seven types of subgrain boundaries in octachloropropane

Abstract Subgrain boundaries in thin sheets of octachloropropane deformed at 0.7–0.8 T M on the stage of a microscope are seen to appear in the material in seven different ways. Type I boundaries show the classical evolution by polygonization of bent crystals. Type II are essentially kink boundaries, which migrate sideways during deformation to reach their present positions in the crystals. Type III develop at the sites of former grain boundaries, by reduction of misorientation of adjacent grains. Type IV and V originate by impingement of migrating grain boundaries or subgrain boundaries, respectively. Type VI propagate in their own planes behind migrating grain boundaries to which they are attached. Type VII develop statically from optically strain-free grains by a process probably otherwise similar to the Type I process. Two thirds of the boundaries are Types I or II. In view of the variety of subgrain boundary histories in OCP, interpretation of similar features in minerals ought to be undertaken cautiously. Criteria are needed for telling the different types of subgrain boundaries apart in situations where only a final view of the structure is available, as in optical and electron micrographs of rocks.
LOW SHEAR RATE VISCOSITY OF BIMODALLY DISPERSED SUSPENSIONS

Abstract The low shear rate viscosity was determined experimentally for suspensions of bimodally distributed polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) spheres dispersed in silicone oil over a large range of particle volume fractions. Analysis of the data showed that the concentration dependence of the reduced viscosity could be predicted by a modification of the empirical equation proposed by Eilers for monodispersed suspensions.
The alleged demise of science: a critical inquest

Examines the alleged demise of science in terms of claimed difficulties including: the human limitations of scientists, that science seeks ultimate reality and universal truth, oversimplifies complexity, and accepts no standard external to itself. Also considers incommensurability, the theory ladeness issue, and the assumption of orderliness. Overall, there is little discussion of epistemological issues in the sense of exploring pros and cons, while the resurrection of positivism and its equation with science and “big tent” thinking that confers legitimacy on every interest group’s position regardless of its cogency, further degrades discourse. The naturalistic‐pragmatist perspective presented as an alternative sees scientific inquiry as an open, growing, fallible activity that has proven far superior to other methods of problem solving. Inquiry is also taken to be central to principled moral choice and to efforts aimed at improving people’s lives.
Radiophosphorus uptake in chewing and nonchewing teeth

Previous studies have indicated that the teeth of experimental animals show cer­ tain variations which may be related to the amount of chewing required by the foods eaten. Thus the molars of rats which were maintained on a liquid diet tended to show a decrease in specific gravity1 and the molars of rhesus mon­ keys fed a soft diet showed a significant increase in water content.2 Other experiments3 indicated that in rhesus monkeys which were made to chew unilaterally, intraperitoneally injected radioactive phosphorus was taken up to a significantly greater degree in the molars of the nonchewing side than in the molars of the chewing side of the same animal. In the experiments mentioned, activity was measured from the enamel surface in situ with a small end-window counter. The limitations of this method have been pointed out.3 In the work described here the teeth were extracted and the radioactivity was measured first from the enamel surface. Each tooth was then digested and the radioactivity of the whole tooth deter­ mined in solution. These procedures were designed to make the measurements in­ dependent of background influences of the other oral tissues.
Solidification zoning and metallographic cooling rates of chondrites

The cooling rates of chondrites have been determined according to the cooling rate method of Wood (1967) which involves the measurement of the concentration of nickel in the interiors of taenite grains of various sizes. The present paper presents an investigation of the effect of zoning produced during solidification on the use of the Wood method. Cooling rate curves were obtained in a computer simulation based on a model of kamacite formation on the outer edge of a taenite sphere of uniform initial composition, followed by the inward radial progression of the kamacite-taenite interface. When a concentration gradient produced by solidification is present in the initial conditions, deviations from the cooling rate curves for uniform 10% Ni are obtained only at cooling rates greater than 1000 K/million years, which would result in an overestimation of the cooling rates based on observed Ni gradients in grains of radius greater than 20 microns.
Safety and Efficacy of Everolimus in Adult Patients with Neuroendocrine Tumors

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) consist of a diverse family of tumors which are derived from the neuroendocrine system. Most NETs are well or moderately differentiated tumors with a relatively indolent growth pattern. However, these tumors can cause significant clinical disease due to release of functional products that mediate the carcinoid syndrome and other diverse sequela. They also can grow progressively and cause symptoms from local invasion or distant metastasis. NETs are optimally treated with surgery and somatosatin analogs (SSA's) to control symptoms but are relatively insensitive to systemic chemotherapy. As a result, patients with advanced unresectable NETs have a poor prognosis. In 2011, two targeted therapies, sunitinib and everolimus were approved in the subset of progressive pancreatic NETs (pNETs). Everolimus is an oral inhibitor of the growth stimulatory mTOR pathway. In Phase 2 trials in NETs and pNETs, everolimus was well tolerated and associated with some response and widespread disease stabilization. In follow-up, randomized Phase 3 trials, everolimus was compared to placebo. In the RADIANT-2 trial, everolimus and a somatostatin analog were used in patients with functional NETs and treatment was associated with an an improvement in progression-free survival (PFS). In the RADIANT-3 trial, patients with pNET were randomized to receive everolimus or placebo along with best supportive care. Everolimus was again associated with improvement in PFS compared to placebo and it has been approved by the FDA for patients with progressive pNET. Everolimus is associated with frequent low grade toxicity but is also notable for increased rates of infection as well as non-infectious pneumonitis. mTOR inhibition with everolimus represents a significant advance in the treatment of advanced neuroendocrine tumors.
Properties of satellite and primary aerosols from a modified may spinning-top aerosol generator

Abstract Primary and satellite droplets are produced during the atomization process of the May spinning-top aerosol generator. The satellites have been commonly considered as secondary, or nuisance, aerosol and eliminated from the desired, or primary droplet, aerosol. Here, NaCl aerosol data for the satellite and primary droplets, including size distribution, production rate, and number density, were obtained in a series of experiments with a novel fractionation method. It was found that without using a centripeter, satellite droplets can be produced to serve as an important source of aerosol that is uniform in size, having a coefficient of variation of 20% vs that for primary droplets of 25%. The number density of the secondary droplets produced can be almost two orders of magnitude higher than that of the primary aerosol, and the size of the former can vary from between 10 and 70% of the size of the latter.
The value of improving the productivity of the drug development process: faster times and better decisions.

Objectives: This study examines the financial benefits that can accrue to drug developers from improvements in the drug development process. The effect on drug development costs from faster development, earlier decisions on project failures, and higher approval success rates are quantified. Data and Methods: The results from a recent study of research and development (R&D) costs for new drugs are used as a benchmark against which improvements in the discovery and development processes are simulated. The cost results in the benchmark study were based on a sample of 68 randomly selected investigational drugs from 10 pharmaceutical firms. Results: Simultaneous 25% reductions in phase lengths lower capitalised total cost per approved drug by 16%, or $US129 million; 50% reductions in time lower cost by 29%, or $US235 million. Earlier decisions to terminate research on drugs that will ultimately fail significantly reduce clinical costs. For example, shifting 5% of all clinical failures from phase III/regulatory review to phase I reduces out-of-pocket clinical costs by 5.5 to 7.1%; and capitalised clinical cost is lowered by 5.1 to 6.3%. If more productive discovery programmes or better preclinical screens increase success rates from 21.5% to one in three, firms can reduce capitalised total cost per approved drug by $US221 million to $US242 million. Conclusions: Whether faster development times, quicker termination decisions or higher success rates derive from public policy initiatives, better management, or new technologies, the impact on R&D costs can be substantial. Ultimately, the increased efficiency could result in more innovation and new therapies reaching patients sooner.
Language and Dementia: Sociolinguistic Aspects

This review of sociolinguistic aspects of language and dementia focuses on studies that (1) examine naturally occurring language with attention to variation that relates to speakers' cognitive or sociocultural attributes or to dimensions of the communicative context, (2) provide a nuanced understanding of individuals with dementia or contexts of communication that may illuminate sociolinguistic analyses, or (3) call for sociolinguistic investigations to clarify or provide additional evidence for a particular finding outside of linguistics. Structured from the global to the local levels, the review begins with literature that frames the study of language and dementia from the societal or cultural perspective, focusing on public discourse relating to dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Studies that shed light on social activities and physical environments are addressed next as possible influences on the shape of the discourse. Finally, investigations of verbal and nonverbal aspects of discourse produced by and with individuals with dementia are reviewed. Ideas for future research are outlined along with a call for increased cross-disciplinary cooperation among researchers who work at the intersection of language, dementia, and society.
A chart audit of factors related to urine flow and urinary tract infection.

Background. Clients with long-term urinary catheters are at risk for urinary tract infection (UTI) and catheter blockage that disrupt client/family daily activities. The United States Centers for Disease Control guideline strongly recommends keeping urine flowing to help prevent UTI in this population, but little is known about factors associated with urine flow and how they are related to UTI. Aim. The purpose of this descriptive study was to identify urine flow factors contributing to UTI in home care clients who had had an indwelling urinary catheter for at least 3 months. Methods. Twenty-four records were reviewed from one home care agency. The sample of 12 males and 12 females ranged in age from 31–102 (mean 70 years, sd 17·2) and they had used a catheter from 5 to 105 months (mean 27·9, sd 32). Findings. Catheter blockage and low urine output were the only ‘urine flow indicators’ that were significantly related to UTI. Other ‘urine flow indicators’ were not related to UTI, including bloodstained urine, pulling on the catheter, leakage, and sluggish urine. Thirteen people experienced blockage and 11 did not. Of the 13 with blockage, six had UTI and seven did not, during the 6 months of the review. It was particularly notable that, of the 11 people with no blockage, none went on to experience UTI. Conclusion. This finding raises questions about why some people with blockage developed UTI and some did not. We suggest that nurses taught their clients what to do to get the urine flowing, such as, increasing fluid intake or checking for proper placement. Identifying more information from clients about how they monitor and adjust urine flow will be the next step toward understanding how to prevent UTI in those with long-term catheters.
The use of Neoaplectana carpocapsae (Steinernematidae: Rhabditoidea) against adult yellowjackets (vespula spp., Vespidae: Hymenoptera).

Abstract The yellowjacket workers of Vespula pennsylvanica and V. rufa atropilosa from Northern California and Vespula sp. from the Netherlands were all susceptible to attack by the agriotos or Leningrad strain of Neoaplectana carpocapsae . Infection occurred after the adult yellowjackets ingested the third-stage infective nematodes that had been placed in a fruit concentrate or on sugar cubes. Most of the yellowjackets placed with nematode-infested nourishment died after the juveniles of N. carpocapsae penetrated into their thorax and liberated cells of Achromobacter nematophilus into their hemolymph. Since yellowjackets can often be a serious problem resulting in physical discomfort and economic losses, these nematodes offer a promising alternative to our existing chemical methods of controlling these insects.
A survey of simulated annealing applications to operations research problems

Abstract This paper surveys the application of simulated annealing (SA) to operations research (OR) problems. It is concluded that SA has been applied to both traditional (like single machine, flowshop and jobshop scheduling, lot sizing, traveling salesman problems) and non-traditional (like graph coloring, number partitioning) OR areas. It is also concluded that SA is quite appropriate when the alternative solution method is based on enumeration. SA usually requires more computational resources in exchange for not being trapped in local optima.
Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Program (LINEAR)

Abstract The Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) program has applied electro-optical technology developed for Air Force Space Surveillance applications to the problem of discovering near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) and comets. This application is natural due to the commonality between the surveillance of the sky for man-made satellites and the search for near-Earth objects (NEOs). Both require the efficient search of broad swaths of sky to detect faint, moving objects. Currently, the Air Force Ground-based Electro-Optic Deep Space Surveillance (GEODSS) systems, which operate as part of the worldwide U.S. space surveillance network, are being upgraded to state-of-the-art charge-coupled device (CCD) detectors. These detectors are based on recent advances made by MIT Lincoln Laboratory in the fabrication of large format, highly sensitive CCDs. In addition, state-of-the-art data processing algorithms have been developed to employ the new detectors for search operations. In order to address stressing space surveillance requirements, the Lincoln CCDs have a unique combination of features, including large format, high quantum efficiency, frame transfer, high readout rate, and low noise, not found on any commercially available CCD. Systems development for the GEODSS upgrades has been accomplished at the Lincoln Laboratory Experimental Test Site (ETS) located near Socorro, New Mexico, over the past several years. Starting in 1996, the Air Force funded a small effort to demonstrate the effectiveness of the CCD and broad area search technology when applied to the problem of finding asteroids and comets. This program evolved into the current LINEAR program, which is jointly funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and NASA. LINEAR, which started full operations in March of 1998, has discovered through September of 1999, 257 NEAs (of 797 known to date), 11 unusual objects (of 44 known), and 32 comets. Currently, LINEAR is contributing ∼70% of the worldwide NEA discovery rate and has single-handedly increased the observations submitted to the Minor Planet Center by a factor of 10. This paper covers the technology used by the program, the operations, and the detailed results of the search efforts.
Rasterstereography-based classification of normal corneas.

Abstract Purpose: To attempt to classify the topographic patterns identified by rasterstereography in a population with normal corneas. Setting: Tulane Medical Center Clinic, New Orleans, Louisiana. Methods: Corneal elevation pictures of 100 eyes of 50 volunteers were taken using the PAR Corneal Topography Systern™. The volunteers had no history of eye injury, disease, or surgery, and none wore contact lenses. Three observers independently assigned the images to one of five subgroups. Results: Five categories were identified: unclassified, regular ridge, irregular ridge, incomplete ridge, and island. There were significant statistical differences in the degree of astigmatism between the irregular ridge and incomplete ridge groups ( P = .0419) and between the irregular ridge and island groups ( P = .017). Conclusion: The topographic patterns identified by rasterstereography in normal corneas can be classified into five distinct groups.
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor: a regulator of Th17 and Treg cell development in disease.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) was discovered almost 30 years ago as a specific binding site for the haloge-nated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), an environmental toxin (as reviewed in [1]). Within the last decade, AhR was found to have a basic helix-loop-helix and function as a ligand-ac-tivated transcription factor. Located in the cytoplasm of most cells, AhR forms a receptor complex with several proteins including the chaperone protein hsp90 (a 90kDa heat shock protein). Once a ligand binds AhR, the ligand-receptor complex translocates to the nucleus and hsp90 is exchanged for the AhR nuclear translocator (Arnt) to form a heterodi-mer. This heterodimer binds to a DNA recognition site within a gene promoter and activates the expression of several AhR-responsive genes, including pros-taglandin synthase H2 (which converts arachidonic acid into prostaglandins) and the xenobiotic metabolizing en-zyme, CYP1A1 (cytochrome P450) .The AhR has a promiscuous ligand binding site, wherein structurally di-verse synthetic and naturally occurring AhR ligands have been identified. A review by Denison and Nagy divides AhR ligands into those formed from nonbiological activity (synthetic) and those derived from biological systems as a result of natural processes (natural) [2]. TCDD falls into the synthetic cat-egory which includes planar hydropho-bic halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The natural category includes plant-derived materials, such as flavonoids and byproducts derived from converted dietary indoles (i.e., indole 3-carbinol and tryptophan). One such tryptophan photoproduct, 6-formylindolo[3,2-b]carbazole (FICZ), is a chemical with significant structural similarity to a high affinity natural AhR ligand, ICZ [2] .Only recently was TCCD reported to directly induce functional activation of AhR in T cells [3]. Moreover, in 2005, Nohara