cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Revisionist practical theology and the meaning of public discourse

The author asks how practical theology can help a pluralist public by encouraging a public discussion of value issues. The aim of practical theology is to allow practice to inform theory; he seeks to allow the pastoral and religious praxis of the Christian life and the social, cultural, and political praxis of the wider society to inform each other, and thus practical theology. He begins by stating his assumptions, i.e., his way of understanding the issue of human responsibility in American society, and goes on to suggest religious and theological resources for responding to his questions. He distinguishes three realms comprising our society and suggests that there are value questions demanding discussion that may be differentiated in each as well as appropriate ways of discussing these questions.
Concepts in x-ray physics

A basic introduction to the theory underlying x-ray processes is provided. After general remarks on the practical advantages of using x-rays for probing matter, the derivation of the minimal-coupling Hamiltonian within nonrelativistic quantum electrodynamics is outlined. Perturbation theory is reviewed and applied to describe x-ray-induced processes. In connection with x-ray absorption, inner-shell binding energies and the photon energy dependence of the x-ray absorption cross section are discussed. In the context of x-ray scattering, atomic and molecular scattering factors are introduced, the complex index of refraction is derived, and the nonrelativistic theory of Compton scattering is described. The final topic is x-ray fluorescence and Auger decay of inner-shell-excited systems.
Chronic alcohol intoxication enhances the expression of CD18 adhesion molecules on rat neutrophils and release of a chemotactic factor by Kupffer cells

Chronic alcohol intoxication has been associated with increased migration of inflammatory leukocytes to the liver that may contribute to the development of alcoholic hepatitis in susceptible individuals. Thus, this work was performed to examine the mechanism by which neutrophils [polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNS)] are sequestered in the liver during prolonged consumption of alcohol. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with Sustacal supplemented by 36% alcohol, or isocaloric diet for 16 weeks. Circulating blood PMNs were collected and examined for CD18 (beta 2-integrin) adhesion molecule expression. Monoclonal antibody 1F12, an anti-CD18 antibody and potent neutropenic agent, was used to detect CD18 on PMNs. More than 97% of neutrophils obtained from pair and ethanol-fed rats were positive for the antibody. Fluorescence intensity of fluorescein isothiocyanate-1F12 binding to PMNs from ethanol-fed rat was significantly enhanced 2-fold compared with the pair-fed controls. The release of chemoattractant and free radical-generating activity in culture supernatants of Kupffer cells was also examined. Twenty-four hr culture supernatants of Kupffer cells from chronic alcoholic rats enhanced the migration and superoxide anion generation by normal PMNs, compared with those of the pair-fed rats. Antirat interleukin-8 antiserum inhibited chemotactic activity and superoxide generating capacity of culture supernatants. These results suggest that upregulation of adhesion molecules on PMNs and chemotactic factor release from Kupffer cells may contribute, at least in part, to enhanced migration of inflammatory leukocytes to the liver during chronic alcohol intoxication.
Theory of the Rotational Brownian Motion of a Free Rigid Body

The orientation of a rigid body is specified by the Cayley-Klein parameters. A system of such bodies subject to small random changes in orientation but not subject to any externally applied torque is then considered in some detail. A diffusion equation is derived with certain linear combinations of the Cayley-Klein parameters as independent variables. This equation is expressed in terms of quantum-mechanical angular momentum operators and a Green's function for the equation is obtained as an expansion in angular momentum eigenfunctions. This expansion can be used to calculate averages of various physical quantities in a nonequilibrium distribution of orientations. It may also be used to calculate the spectral density of fluctuating quantities in an equilibrium distribution. Illustrative examples of both of these applications are given.
Review of recent laboratory double layer experiments

Recent laboratory measurements of double layers are reviewed. Most experiments that are considered employed triple plasma devices or Q-machines. It is shown that a variety of both one and three dimensional phenomena have been achieved. Stationary one and three dimensional structures consist of monotonic double layers, very weak, weak, strong and very strong double layers with potential steps e(phi)/T(e) equal to about 1, less than, greater than, and much greater than 10, respectively. Multiple double layers consist of structures with large potential dips on the low potential side and stairstep double layers. Two and three dimensional structures include multiple double layers, which resemble U shaped double layers, and ionization produced strong double layers. Moving double layers include ion acoustic double layers and double layers which are the result of drifting species and mismatches at plasma boundaries. It appears that double layers can be BGK solutions or related to turbulence. Double layer creation can occur in a variety of different ways. Ionization can sometimes be important and sometimes play no role at all.
Nucleation-Controlled Distributed Plasticity in Penta-twinned Silver Nanowires

A unique size-dependent strain hardening mechanism, that achieves both high strength and ductility, is demonstrated for penta-twinned Ag nanowires (NWs) through a combined experimental-computational approach. Thin Ag NWs are found to deform via the surface nucleation of stacking fault decahedrons (SFDs) in multiple plastic zones distributed along the NW. Twin boundaries lead to the formation of SFD chains that locally harden the NW and promote subsequent nucleation of SFDs at other locations. Due to surface undulations, chain reactions of SFD arrays are activated at stress concentrations and terminated as local stress decreases, revealing insensitivity to defects imparted by the twin structures. Thick NWs exhibit lower flow stress and number of distributed plastic zones due to the onset of necking accompanied by more complex dislocation structures.
Interferon-γ induces progressive nigrostriatal degeneration and basal ganglia calcification

We found that CNS-directed expression of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) resulted in basal ganglia calcification, reminiscent of human idiopathic basal ganglia calcification (IBGC), and nigrostriatal degeneration. Our results indicate that IFN-γ mediates age-progressive nigrostriatal degeneration in the absence of exogenous stressors. Further study of this model may provide insight into selective nigrostriatal degeneration in human IBGC and other Parkinson syndromes.
Asthma in Hispanics in the United States

The Hispanic population in the United States is diverse in many respects. Although there is marked variation in the prevalence, morbidity, and mortality of asthma among Hispanic subgroups in the United States, these differences are poorly understood. Future stu-dies of asthma should include large samples of Hispanic subgroups that are well characterized in terms of self-reported ethnicity, country of origin, place of birth, area of residence, and indicators of socioeconomic status. Because a significant proportion of Hispanics live in poverty, public health interventions aimed at improving access to health care and housing conditions would have a major impact on reducing asthma morbidity among Hispanics in the United States.
Dopamine, serotonin and related compounds: Presynaptic effects on synaptic depression, frequency facilitation, and post-tetanic potentiation at a synapse inAplysia californica

Abstract Dopamine, serotonin and related compounds (referred to collectively as biogenic amines) were found to modify transmission at the presumably cholinergic synapse made by an axon in the right visceropleural connective onto cell R15 of the abdominal ganglion ofAplysia californica. (1) With chronic application, dopamine hyperpolarizes R15, and serotonin depolarizes R15. Both actions upon the membrane potential desensitize in 10 min. All the actions described below were studied with chronic perfusion of the biogenic amines after desensitization of this postsynaptic action. (2) The biogenic amines drastically reduce the size of the EPSP evoked at the synapse under investigation; but they do not alter the ACh potential evoked in the soma of R15. (3) The biogenic amines reduce the amplitude of synaptic depression. The relationship between the effects of the amines on the size of an isolated EPSP and on synaptic depression differed from this relationship as affected by post-tetanic potentiation (PTP) or by changes in the Ca2+−Mg2+ balance. (4) The biogenic amines increase frequency facilitation, when the latter is defined as the ratio of the facilitated to the isolated EPSP. However, the absolute magnitude of the facilitated EPSP is always reduced at long times after introduction of the agent; shortly after introduction of the biogenic amines the absolute magnitude of the facilitated EPSP is unaffected in most preparations.
Tutorial T2A: Scheduling Issues in Embedded Real-Time Systems

Summary form only given. The correctness of most computations in an embedded real-time application depends not only on the logical value but also on the time at which the results are produced. Examples of such applications include automotive systems, process control applications, aerospace applications, multimedia streaming, etc. Since the mid-1970s, various algorithms have been developed to schedule their real-time tasks without violating their timing constraints. In recent years, it has become apparent that next generation of embedded real-time systems must also deal with additional challenges such as power and thermal management constraints of modern day integrated circuits (IC). In this tutorial, we will discuss several models of real-time applications, introduce the different notions of real-time guarantees, review of scheduling algorithms with different real-time guarantees for single and multi-core systems, including algorithms that deal with emerging challenges such as processor's power and thermal constraints.
CONTRAST AND STIMULUS GENERALIZATION FOLLOWING PROLONGED DISCRIMINATION TRAINING1

Different groups of pigeons received discrimination training in which the reinforcement-associated and extinction-associated stimuli were respectively either (a) a line tilt vs a blank key, (b) a blank key vs a line tilt, or (c) two different line tilts. The high response rates that developed to the positive stimulus in all groups during discrimination learning were maintained over 64 sessions of training. After these sessions, all subjects were tested for stimulus generalization along the line-tilt dimension. Gradients of relative (per cent) generalization around the stimulus associated with reinforcement (so-called excitatory gradients) and around the stimulus associated with extinction (so-called inhibitory gradients) were as steep as they typically are after much briefer training periods. These results do not support several of Terrace's predictions on the basis of the hypothesis that emotional responses develop to the stimulus associated with extinction during discrimination learning with errors, but eventually dissipate after extended training.
Factors influencing the transfer of xanthines across the everted rat jejunum

Abstract A number of factors having the potential to influence the transfer of theophylline across the everted rat jejunum were examined. The transfer of several other xanthine derivatives was also investigated. Strophanthin-K and 2,4-dinitrophenol had no effect on theophylline transfer. The transfer of theophylline from a 2:1 complex with phenobarbital was identical to that of theophylline alone. Magnesium ion (120 mM) and hypertonicity (600 mOsm) had no effect on the transfer of theophylline at pH 5.5. With the exception of xanthine, the clearance of all of the xanthine homologs tested was related to their partition coefficients in a chloroform/pH 7.4 phosphate buffer.
First-Order Mathematical Modeling of Brain Swelling in Focal Cerebral Ischemia

Edema is an important part of the pathophysiology of stroke. However, it remains unclear how brain swelling may influence the progression and measurement of infarction after cerebral ischemia. Initial studies in a mouse model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion demonstrated that infarction grew from 24 to 72 h after stroke onset. Comparison of 24-h versus 72-h brains suggested that tissue swelling developed in both infarcted and non-infarcted ipsilateral regions. Volumes of infarction differed, depending on the method of calculation: direct, indirect, or normalized. A simple first-order model was constructed dividing total brain into three subsets, comprising normal contralateral tissue, non-infarcted ipsilateral tissue, and infarcted ipsilateral tissue. Each subset was then defined as a ratio of original volumes plus additional swollen volumes. By changing the relative portion of swelling assigned to infarct versus non-infarct, our model demonstrated that direct, indirect, and normalized calculations led to different thresholds for matching absolute infarct volumes. In this proof-of-principle study, we described a mathematical model to simulate the distribution of brain swelling and infarct development over time. Our findings suggest that accurate quantitation of infarct volumes depends on relative distributions of edema that may occur in both infarcted as well as non-infarcted brain.
Arthroscopic repair of large rotator cuff tears using the interval slide technique

Abstract Purpose: In some cases of larger and chronic rotator cuff tears, the supraspinatus tendon may be held in a retracted position by the contracted tissue of the rotator interval and the attached coracohumeral ligament. This study was performed to evaluate the utility and clinical effectiveness of an arthroscopic release of the rotator interval from the supraspinatus tendon combined with repair of the rotator cuff. Type of Study: Prospective clinical follow-up study. Methods: Forty-three arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs were performed and followed up for an average of 32 months. All of these patients had large, contracted tears that could not be adequately mobilized without a rotator interval release. In each case, an arthroscopic rotator interval release and superior capsular release were performed to improve cuff mobility. End-to-bone and side-to-side repair was performed depending on the configuration of the tear. Postoperatively, the patients were evaluated using a modified University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) rating system. Results: Forty-two repairs were available for at least 2-year follow-up. No cases of deltoid morbidity or progressive superior migration of the humeral head were seen. The average overall preoperative score was 17.4 (range, 9–26). The average postoperative score was 36.4 (range, 20–45). We saw 21 excellent, 6 good, 11 fair, and 4 poor results based on prior criteria established for smaller tears. All of the average postoperative scoring categories were improved from preoperative scores. Only 3 patients were not satisfied with their results. Conclusions: The use of the interval slide technique greatly improves supraspinatus mobility in the case of large retracted tears. Although average improvements were less than in our previous study of smaller tears, complete or partial repair of these tears yields good results and high patient satisfaction.
Exercise capacity and systolic and diastolic ventricular function after recovery from acute dilated cardiomyopathy

Objectives. This study was undertaken to determine whether abnormalities in exercise capacity or ventricular function persist after recovery from acute dilated cardiomyopathy. Background. Persistent ventricular structural abnormalities could cause abnormalities in exercise capacity or ventricular function. Methods. The results of rest and exercise first-pass radionuclide ventriculography in 18 patients who were seen within 6 months of the onset of dilated cardiomyopathy and subsequently had a normal rest left ventricular ejection fraction were compared with those of age- and gender-matched control subjects. Results. Patients were studied 144 ± 34 (mean ± SEM) days after the onset of left ventricular dysfunction at a time when heart failure symptoms had resolved. Patients with myocyte necrosis, as assessed by endomyocardial biopsy (n = 13) or antimyosin scintigraphy (n = 12), recovered more rapidly than did those without necrosis. Oxygen consumption both at peak exercise (17.7 ± 1.2 vs. 26.1 ± 1.5 ml/kg per min, p < 0.05) and at the anaerobic threshold (11.1 ± 0.5 vs. 17.1 ± 1.3 ml/kg per min, p < 0.05) was lower in the patients who had recovered from cardiomyopathy than in control subjects. Rest and exercise end-systolic and end-diastolic left ventricular volumes were greater in the patients than in the control subjects, although stroke volumes were similar. Left ventricular filling at rest was lower at diastolic filling intervals of 40% and 90%, and rest and exercise left ventricular early peak filling rate normalized for end-diastolic volume was slower in the patients than in the control subjects. At long-term follow-up of 1,082 ± 206 days, two patients had a return of heart failure symptoms and a decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction. Conclusions. Despite the apparent normalization of rest left ventricular ejection fraction, patients who have recovered from dilated cardiomyopathy have abnormalities in aerobic exercise capacity and in left ventricular systolic and diastolic performance.
Promoting Civic Activism: Student Leadership in Service‐Learning

Service-learning is an approach to experiential education where students apply knowledge and skills that they learn in the classroom by providing needed service to the larger community in which they live. One goal of service-learning programs is to develop citizens who are engaged and involved in the political process. This paper examines the effects that service-learning programs have on students' political participation. The data we use come from the Civic Education and Political Participation Survey gathered by the Indiana Department of Education. This pre/post survey includes students from the 5th through the 12th grades from five states. The survey allows us to examine the change in political participation for students involved in service-learning programs. Using a political socialization perspective on participation and education theory that draws from Dewey, Piaget and Kolb, we use an expansive definition of political participation that includes much more that the simple act of voting. Specifically, we examine whether students, through their involvement in service learning, (1) engage in political communication, (2) will participate in acts of civic support, (3) will contact public officials, and (4) will vote. We find that service-learning does appear to make students more likely to participate in the future. The effects of service-learning are even greater when students had leadership in the project.
Predictors of Treatment After Initial Surveillance in Men With Prostate Cancer: Results From CaPSURE

ABSTRACTPurpose: Expectant management of prostate cancer or watchful waiting (WW) is a reasonable option for some men with clinically localized prostate cancer. We identified predictors of eventual prostate cancer treatment in a cohort of men initially choosing WW.Materials and Methods: We identified 457 men in the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor data base selecting WW as initial management without subsequent treatment for at least 6 months. A subset of these men eventually received active treatment for prostate cancer. These groups were compared with respect to baseline clinical, sociodemographic characteristics and followup prostate specific antigen (PSA) characteristics using Kaplan-Meier life tables and Cox proportional hazards models to determine predictors of active treatment after WW.Results: Of the 457 men initially on WW 188 (41%) went on to active treatment at a median of 1.7 years after diagnosis. Baseline characteristics associated with progression to active treatme...
Purification and characterization of a tyrosine aminotransferase from Crithidia fasciculata.

Abstract Tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT, EC 2.6.1.5) from the kinetoplastid, Crithidia fasciculata, was purified over 2000 fold to electrophoretic homogeneity. The native form of the enzyme had a molecular weight of approximately 100 000, whereas under denaturing conditions it produced two polypeptides of approximately 50 000 and 48 000, respectively. Absence of a reaction with the periodic acid-Schiff stain suggested that the crithidial enzyme was not a glycoprotein. It was relatively stable and remained active over a wide range of pH and temperature. It exhibited a broad substrate specificity and was able to utilize l -tyrosine, l -tryptophan, and l -phenylalanine as amino donors. Antiserum produced against partially purified crithidial tyrosine aminotransferase failed to inhibit the enzymatic activity. The same antiserum cross-reacted with a soluble extract from Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, but not with that from normal mouse liver, confirming evolutionary conservatism between the two protozoa.
ICSBP-mediated immune protection against BCR-ABL-induced leukemia requires the CCL6 and CCL9 chemokines.

Interferon (IFN) is effective at inducing complete remissions in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), and evidence supports an immune mechanism. Here we show that the type I IFNs (alpha and beta) regulate expression of the IFN consensus sequence-binding protein (ICSBP) in BCR-ABL–transformed cells and as shown previously for ICSBP, induce a vaccine-like immunoprotective effect in a murine model of BCR-ABL–induced leukemia. We identify the chemokines CCL6 and CCL9 as genes prominently induced by the type I IFNs and ICSBP, and demonstrate that these immunomodulators are required for the immunoprotective effect of ICSBP expression. Insights into the role of these chemokines in the antileukemic response of IFNs suggest new strategies for immunotherapy of CML.
Unmasking a unique glomerular lesion

Membranous-like glomerulopathy with masked IgG-κ deposits (MGMID) is a novel entity requiring antigen retrieval on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue to detect the immunoglobulin by immunofluorescence. MGMID is clinically distinct from other glomerulopathies with non-organized monoclonal IgG deposits, although the source of the kappa-restricted IgG is uncertain. Careful examination including ultrastructural analysis is essential for identifying diseases such as MGMID that may be misclassified by routine methods and ultimately require alternative techniques for accurate diagnosis.
A convergent algorithm for FIR system identification using higher-order cumulants

A new adaptive blind system identification scheme is proposed for a non-Gaussian white-noise-driven linear, nonminimum phase finite impulse response (FIR) system. A two-step coarse-to-fine identification procedure is developed. Utilizing the fourth-order cumulants of the system output, the method changes the nonlinear identification problem in the cumulant domain into a linear problem to make the algorithm converge. The whole set of cumulants available is involved in the identification procedure to speed up the convergence. Theoretical results are given and computer simulation results are also presented in support of the theory. >
Body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, and depression: A developmental perspective

McCarthy (1990) contends that a cultural ideal of thinness (the “thin ideal”) causes depression and eating disorders to occur more frequently in women than men. She believes eating disorders are a way of coping with depression and hypothesizes that the thin ideal has its greatest impact during puberty when sexual attractiveness becomes important and changes in physical appearance increase the discrepancy between the adolescent girl's actual and ideal body image. The present study used a cross-sectional design of 5th, 8th, and 12th grade males and females (N = 599) to test several predictions from McCarthy's model. As expected, 8th and 12th grade females preferred a thinner than average body shape. They were more dissatisfied with their bodies than males and scored higher on measures of disordered eating. In contrast, before puberty (5th grade) boys were more depressed than their female peers but this pattern was reversed in 8th grade boys and girls. Paralleling changes in depression, disordered eating scores were highest in 8th and 12th grade girls. Both of these findings underscore the role of maturational factors in the onset of eating disorders. Although the sample was ethnically diverse and mainly from middle and low socioeconomic groups, there was a surprisingly high incidence of body dissatisfaction and symptoms of disordered eating. This illustrates the pervasiveness of thinness as a standard of feminine beauty in our society and the damaging effects it can have.
Costing and perspective in published cost-effectiveness analysis.

Background: Methods for appropriate costing in Cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs), seemingly straightforward, have always raised questions. Questions linger about what cost components to include under a “societal” perspective, as well as how to value resources. Objectives: This article discusses issues surrounding costing and “perspective” in published CEA. Methods: I examine data from the Tufts Medical Center CostEffectiveness (CEA) Registry to investigate the use of perspective and costing methodology in published cost-utility analyses. The CEA Registry contains over 3000 cost-utility ratios and utility weights for roughly 4000 health states from 1164 published costutility analyses through 2005. The Registry also provides an onlinebased searchable database (Available at: www.cearegistry.org). I analyze changes over time in several dimensions related to costing methodology: disclosure of study perspective; statement of time horizon; use of discounting for future costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs); statement of year of currency; reporting of sensitivity analysis; and use of incremental analysis. Results: In practice, there has been a great deal of variation in costing methodology used in published CEAs, though methods have improved somewhat over time. Many CE researchers continue to claim that their studies take a societal perspective, but instead their articles only consider a health care payer perspective. Conclusions: Analysts conducting CEAs should be more transparent about their costing methodology and clearer in their usage of terminology regarding perspective. The field would also benefit from more attention to the question of how much different costing methods influence the results of CEAs.
Theory of Interferometric Analysis of Laser Phase Noise

The line width of a well-stabilized laser operating far above threshold is determined by random fluctuations of the phase. This paper discusses several types of experiments which can give information about the details of this phase random process. In order to study the laser phase noise experimentally the laser signal (containing phase noise only) must be passed through some type of interferometer which will convert the phase noise to intensity noise. The various properties of this derived intensity noise which may then be determined are its probability density, first and second moments, autocorrelation function, and spectrum. These measurable quantities depend on two factors; the first and more fundamental is the joint probability distribution for the change in phase in a given time. The second factor is the manner of operation of the interferometer in changing phase to intensity noise. We discuss both two-beam and multiple-beam interferometers and derive theoretical expressions for the above-mentioned properties of the output intensity fluctuations. It is interesting that although in both cases the output intensity fluctuations are nongaussian random processes, it is nevertheless possible to derive a number of useful theoretical results.
Divalent Cations Suppress 3′,5′-Adenosine Monophosphate Accumulation by Stimulating a Pertussis Toxin-Sensitive Guanine Nucleotide-Binding Protein in Cultured Bovine Parathyroid Cells

We used pertussis toxin to study the mechanism(s) by which divalent cations lower cellular cAMP content in bovine parathyroid cells. In cultured parathyroid cells, high extracellular Ca2+ (5 mM) or Mg2+ (5–10 mMJ lowers dopaminestimulated cAMP content by 70-90%. Pertussis toxin (0.5 ng/ ml) totally blocks the inhibitory effects of Ca2+ and Mg2+ on cAMP content. Ba2+ and Sr2+ (5 mM) also lower cAMP content by 80–90%, and this effect is, likewise, blocked by pertussis toxin. Pretreatment with pertussis toxin had no effect on the release of cAMP into the extracellular fluid. The toxin also did not modify phosphodiesterase activity in sonicates of parathyroid cells (42.68 ± 3.26 vs. 47.00 ± 2.82 pmol cAMP hydrolyzed/ 106 cells-20 min in control and toxin-treated cells, respectively). Moreover, addition of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor isobutylmethylxanthine did not modify the inhibition of dopaminestimulated cAMP accumulation by 5 mM Ca2+ in control cells (85% vs. 86% inhibition, respectively, with and with...
Congenital Midline Nasal Masses: Diagnosis and Management

Congenital midline nasal masses (CMNMs) are rare lesions most commonly caused by dermoids, hemangiomas, nasal gliomas or encephaloceles. We report a case of nasal glioma and discuss the embryologic development, evaluation, and management of such CMNMs.
Velocity of Light

M. E. J. GHEURY DE BRAY has directed attention to an apparent decrease in the velocity of light1. I have recently tried to explain this on the basis of the theory of the expanding universe. If the speed of light is a true constant, independent of any variation in our unit of length, then a doubling of the radius of the universe should cause the measured velocity of light to diminish by half. If the radius of the universe doubles every K years, then the velocity of light will be proportional to (1/2)t where K is the unit of time. Thus, the logarithm of the measured velocity of light must be a linear function of the time. I determined the two constants of such a function from de Bray's data and found that it represented the observations in a satisfactory manner. I then solved this equation for the length of time it would take the velocity to diminish by half. The time is of the order of 60,000 years, which is considerably shorter than the value derived from a study of the recession of the external galaxies2. Consequently, this observed variation cannot be explained by the expanding universe theory unless we assume that the rate of expansion is much more rapid in the vicinity of the earth than it is at the distance of the spirals.
Efficient NMR enantiodiscrimination of bridge fluorinated paracyclophanes using lanthanide tris β-diketonate complexes

Abstract A selection of amino-substituted 1,1,2,2,9,9,10,10 octafluoro[2.2]paracyclophanes were tested for enantiodiscrimination by 1 H and 19 F NMR spectroscopy via their interaction with different lanthanide tris β-diketonate chiral shift reagents. The amino-, and the pseudo- ortho di-amino substituted octafluoro[2.2]paracyclophanes, both of which exhibit planar chirality, revealed significant shifts and splittings of various 1 H and 19 F NMR signals upon the addition of the chiral shift reagents, which allowed the easy determination of the enantiomeric purity. When the chiral shift reagent was added to an inseparable mixture of the (chiral) pseudo- meta , and (achiral) pseudo- para diamino analogues, both the chiral and achiral molecules revealed NMR doubling. In the case of the achiral molecule, this NMR behavior is due to the meso nature of the pseudo- para species.
Comparisons of the complete sequences of two collagen genes from Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract Several collagen genes have been isolated from the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The complete nucleotide sequences of two of these genes, col-1 and col-2 , have been determined. These collagen genes differ from vertebrate collagen genes in that they contain only one or two introns, their triple-helical regions are interrupted by nonhelical amino acid sequences and they are smaller. A high degree of nucleotide and amino acid homology exists between col-1 and col-2 . In particular, the regions around cysteines and lysines are most highly conserved. The C. elegans genome contains 50 or more collagen genes, the majority of which probably encode cuticle collagens; col-1 and col-2 apparently are members of this large family of cuticle collagen genes.
Rawlsian Harmonies: Overlapping Consensus Symphony Orchestra

John Rawls’s distinction between a comprehensive liberalism and his political version remains unclear to even his sympathetic critics. They stress his over-reliance on intuitive ideas of a liberal ...
Synthesis of Thermochromic Iron(II) Tris(bipyridine)-Centered Star-Shaped Polyoxazolines and Their Bipyridine-Centered Macroligand Counterparts

Iron tris(bipyridine) complexes [Fe{4,4‘-bis(chloromethyl)-2,2‘-bipyridine}3], 1a, and the corresponding iodide analogue generated in situ using NaI, 1b, were explored as initiators for the polymerization of a series of 2-R-2-oxazoline monomers (R = ethyl, EtOX; methyl, MeOX; phenyl, PhOX; and undecyl, UnOX). The resulting labile core, red-violet Fe-centered star polymers fragment during molecular weight analysis by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Thus, samples were subjected to chemical cleavage in aqueous K2CO3 to generate metal-free bipyridine-centered polyoxazolines, bpyPROX2. When combined with ferrous ammonium sulfate, these bpyPROX2 macroligands chelate to Fe(II), regenerating the [Fe(bipyridine)3]2+ chromophores. Both preparative and analytical kinetics experiments generally produce polymers with reasonably narrow molecular weight distributions (∼1.1−1.5). Molecular weight vs % monomer conversion plots with either the iodide or chloride initiating system were nearly linear for all monomers ; ...
Evidence against prostaglandin E having a physiological role in acetylcholine liberation from Auerbach's plexus of guinea-pig ileum.

The effect of INDO, a PGE synthesis inhibitor, on ACh output from Auerbach's plexus of guineapig ileum was investigated. INDO (15–45 μm/ml) failed to alter significantly either spontaneous ACh output or ACh output induced by field stimulation. It is concluded that PGE plays no physiological role in ACh liberation from this tissue.
Pyloric stenosis: evolution from pylorospasm?

Over a 10-year period, we have performed pyloromyotomy on 260 infants with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS), 10 of whom had a history suggestive of pyloric stenosis but initially had neither the physical nor radiological findings to confirm the diagnosis. All 10 demonstrated pylorospasm on upper gastrointestinal series (UGIS), were treated medically without improvement, and subsequently developed classic HPS confirmed by repeat UGIS. Age at diagnosis ranged from 3 to 16 weeks (mean 8 weeks). Vomiting was progressively more projectile and severe from the onset until diagnosis and operation, with a duration of 5–50 days (mean 24 days). In 9 of the 10 patients a second UGIS demonstrated the diagnostic signs of HPS in 8 and suggested an antral web in the 9th. The interval between the two UGIS ranged from 2 to 46 days (mean 13 days). The 10th patient had a palpable hypertrophic pyloric muscle 9 days after the first UGIS and was operated upon without a follow-up UGIS. All 10 patients had classic HPS at operation. We conclude that although most infants with pylorospasm on UGIS improve with medical management, a small but significant number go on to develop HPS. Awareness of this variant of pyloric stenosis and appropriate follow-up UGIS will help to avoid undue delay in correctly diagnosing infants with persistent non-bilious vomiting.
BCL10 expression in ocular adnexal lymphomas.

Purpose To study BCL10 expression in ocular adnexal lymphoma in the US population and its association with clinical outcomes. Design Institutional, retrospective study. Methods Immunohistochemistry was performed with antibody against BCL10 on two tissue microarray blocks that were constructed with paraffin-embedded tissues from the same cohort of 48 patients with ocular adnexal lymphomas. The main outcomes that were measured include extraorbital involvement, recurrence rate, and time to recurrence. The median length of the follow-up period was 40 months. Results Aberrant BCL10 expression (nuclear [moderate intensity] and cytoplasmic [weak to moderate intensity] staining) was observed in 10 of 33 cases (30.3%) of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, in 4 of 10 cases (40%) of follicular lymphoma (grade 1, 9 cases; grade 2, 1 case), in 0 of 2 cases of diffused large B-cell lymphoma, in 0 of 1 case of chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma and in 1 of 1 case (100%) of mantle cell lymphoma. There were no differences in clinical parameters at examination (ie, average age, gender, site of occurrence, laterality, extraorbital involvement at diagnosis), recurrence rate, and time to recurrence for patients (MALT lymphoma or follicular lymphoma) with or without aberrant nuclear BCL10 expression. Conclusion Aberrant BCL10 expression can occur in other types of ocular adnexal lymphomas besides MALT lymphoma. Ocular adnexal MALT lymphoma may have slightly lower frequency of aberrant BCL10 expression than gastric/pulmonary MALT lymphomas that have been reported in the literature. Furthermore, aberrant BCL10 nuclear expression in ocular adnexal lymphoma does not seem to correlate with clinical outcome. Further studies that include a larger number of cases and longer follow-up period are needed to confirm our observation.
Seeing the Light: Mormon Conversion and Deconversion Narratives in Off- and Online Worlds

Religious worlds proliferate online, but the Internet does more than simply reinforce preexisting religious identity. Among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), or the Mormons, the impulses that drive spiritual communion in the offline world also motivate active online communities of questioning and former Mormons. Using ethnographic methods and dialogic analysis, I explore the discourse of heterodox and former Mormons on popular online forums and parallel these with the testimonies of faithful Mormons. I show how questioning and former Mormons use the Internet as their sanctuary, engaging in a ritual of sharing that binds them in a spiritual community, despite their disavowal of faith.
An investigation of swell and microseisms from the hurricane of September 13–16, 1946

Date from swell and microseism records associated with the hurricane of September 13–16, 1946 are compared. There appears to be no relationship between the period of the swell arriving at Cuttyhunk off Cape Cod and the period of microseisms recorded at nearby Weston Observatory. Time relationships tend to minimize the importance of swell or resulting surf as the microseism excitation factors. The origin of the microseisms is suggested as occurring directly beneath the storm.
Compressed sensing for MIMO radar: A stochastic perspective

Compressed sensing for MIMO radar can potentially enhance spatial resolution and improve anti-jamming capability by virtue of multiple transmitter and receiver antennas, and at the same time reduces the number of samples needed by making use of the inherent sparsity property of most radar scenes. Existing work along this line adopts a deterministic model for the radar signals, which may not be effective to cope with fading propagation and signal correlation in practical scenarios. This paper takes a stochastic approach by modeling the target scenes as random processes that are possibly correlated. A new stochastic framework of compressed sensing for MIMO radar is developed for reconstructing useful statistics of the random target scenes using a small number of samples. The proposed approach directly extracts the useful statistics for estimation without reconstructing the random signals; as a result, it is computationally more efficient and requires a smaller number of samples than existing deterministic approach to compressed sensing.
Characterization using normal or log‐normal data with multiple censoring points

Probability plotting methods based on the Kaplan–Meier estimator of the cumulative distribution function provide an effective way of checking the normality or log-normality of samples with multiple left censoring points. The plots also provide graphical estimates of the mean and standard deviation of the underlying data. The paper shows that the distributional and performance properties of the methods depend largely on the number of complete readings rather than on the original sample size or the percentage of censoring that occurred. On the view that parametric methods are generally preferable to non-parametric where both can be applied, this argues for choosing analysis methods on the basis of the absolute number of uncensored readings rather than their proportion in the original sample. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dormant-season sprays affect the mortality of peach twig borer (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) and its parasitoids.

The effectiveness of a dormant-season oil spray with or without an organo-phosphate insecticide for control of the peach twig borer, Anarsia lineatella Zeller, was investigated. Results from experimental field plots indicated that an application of a dormant oil alone resulted in poor control of peach twig borer inside the hibernaculum. Limb crotches containing live peach twig borer in hibernacula were field-collected and treated in the laboratory with either organophosphate (diazinon) and oil insecticides or varying concentrations of a dormant oil alone. Significantly greater larval mortality was found in the organophosphate treatment, whereas mortality in the oil treatments was not significantly different from the control. Overwintering larvae from an insectary colony that were exposed to two rates of an oil had significantly greater mortality than larvae in a control sprayed with water, indicating that peach twig borer inside the hibernaculum may be protected from the insecticidal activity of the oil. To determine the effect of dormant sprays on parasite species composition and numbers, peach twig borer were field-collected and reared through to adult moths or parasitoids. Parasitoid activity was low, with only 0.79% of peach twig borer parasitized (n = 3,032). Macrocentrus ancylivorus Rowher, Spilochalcis n.sp. aff torvina (Cresson), Paralitomastix pyralidis (Ashmead), Erynnia tortricis (Coquillett), Euderus cushmani Crawford, and an unidentified braconid species were reared from 2,528 peach twig borer collected in orchards that did not receive an organophosphate insecticide. A single parasitoid, M. ancylivorus , was reared from 504 peach twig borer collected in orchards treated with an organophosphate insecticide. The virtual absence of peach twig borer parasitoids in fields treated with an organophosphate may be a reflection of the low number of moth pests collected at those sites.
Religiosity, spirituality, and cancer fatalism beliefs on delay in breast cancer diagnosis in african american women

African American women are more likely than any other racial or ethnic group to present with a later stage of breast cancer at initial diagnosis. Delay in breast cancer detection is a critical factor in diagnosis at a later stage. Available data indicate a delay of 3 months or more is a significant factor in breast cancer mortalty. Numerous factors have been reported as contributing to delay in time to seek medical care including religiosity, spirituality, and fatalistic beliefs. This study examined the influence of religiosity, spirituality, and cancer fatalism on delay in diagnosis and breast cancer stage in African American women with self-detected breast symptoms. A descriptive correlation, retrospective methodology using an open-ended questionnaire and three validated measurement scales were used: the Religious Problem Solving Scale (RPSS), the Religious Coping Activity Scale (RCAS) subscale measuring spiritually based coping, and the modified Powe Fatalism Inventory (mPFI). A convenience sample of 129 women ages between 30 and 84 years who self-reported detecting a breast symptom before diagnosis of breast cancer within the preceding 12 months were included in the study. Outcome variables were time to seek medical care and breast cancer stage. Other variables of interest included marital status, income, education, insurance status, and to whom the women spoke about their breast symptoms. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, logistic regression analysis, Pearson r correlations, Mann-Whitney U analysis, and Chi Square analysis. Participants were found to be highly religious and spiritual but not fatalistic. While most women delayed more than 3 months in seeking medical care, no associations were found between the three predictor variables and time to seek medical care. The median delay in time from self detection of a breast symptom to seeking medical care was 5.5 months. Women who were less educated, unmarried, and talked to God only about their breast change were significantly more likely to delay seeking medical care. An association was found between disclosing a breast symptom to God only and delay in seeking medical care. In contrast, women who had told a person about their breast symptom were more likely to seek medical care sooner. African American women who delayed seeking medical care for longer than 3 months were more likely to present with a later stage of breast cancer than women who sought care within 3 months of symptom discovery.
Emergence of Compulsive Behavior and Tantrums in Children with Prader-Willi Syndrome

Many adults with Prader-Willi syndrome are affected by behaviors such as tantrums, skin-picking, and compulsions. The nature and extent of these problems suggest more attention be directed to their emergence in childhood. Our purpose was to investigate behavior problems in children with this syndrome and identify the age at which these behaviors emerge. Parents of children with Prader-Willi syndrome, Down syndrome, and those developing typically completed questionnaires. Children with Prader-Willi syndrome exhibited more compulsions, skin-picking, and tantrums than did the other groups. A discriminant analysis of behavior variables derived two statistically significant functions that were interpreted as developmental milestones and problematic behavior. These functions correctly predicted membership for 79% of grouped cases.
The problem of a standardized technic for the methyl-green-pyronin stain.

During the study of possible staining methods for the demonstration of pentose nucleic acid in tissue sections, two technics employing methyl green and pyronin were found to be satisfactory. Both of these are modifications of that originally proposed by Scudder. Methyl green, pyronin Y (no longer on the market), and pyronin B, all National Aniline certified dyes, were used. The results were compared with other technics. Numerous fixatives were tried, and Carnoy's fluid and absolute alcohol proved to be the most satisfactory. Frozen-dried tissue and tissue dehydrated in the frozen state from N-butyl alcohol also stained well. The problem of purification of methyl green is discussed. The effect of arbitrary change of pH of the staining solutions is described.In the recommended technic with pyronin B, 0.5 g. methyl green (purified by extraction with chloroform) is dissolved in 100 ml. of M/10 acetate buffer at pH 4.4. This solution is extracted repeatedly with further chloroform to remove residual methyl vio...