cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ENTRE BEAUVOIR E BUTLER: NARRATIVAS SOBRE A CONSTITUIÇÃO DA IDENTIDADE FEMININA

Este artigo, desenvolvido no processo de doutoramento, tem como objetivo analisar o processo de constituicao da identidade feminina a partir de narrativas politicas. Para tanto, busca-se tracar um percurso discursivo sobre a condicao da mulher no contexto social, conforme escritos de Beauvoir e Butler. Este traz o conceito de misoginia desenvolvido por alguns teoricos, relacionando-o as analises das narrativas politicas, no sentido de se perceber a sua aplicacao. As analises foram estruturadas a luz dos escritos de Beauvoir e Butler, bem como, tracando uma correlacao com escritos freudianos, perspectivando discutir sobre avancos e rancos pertencentes ao processo identitario do genero.
Decentralized Detection of Signals with Joint Clayton Copula Distribution Model

This paper considers a decentralized detection system for a binary hypothesis testing problem. The sensor signals are marginally Gaussian distributed with θ-parameter Clayton copula joint distribution. Boolean functions of two variables and likelihood ratio test at the fusion center are considered to generate binary global decisions. The exhaustive search and the genetic algorithms are proposed to provide the local sensor decision rules in each scenario such that the probability of error at the fusion center is minimized. The main purpose of this paper is to study the probability of error behavior of the proposed detection systems in a correlated environment characterized by a joint Clayton copula distribution. The results show that in a correlated environment a sound detection system should be characterized by the likelihood ratio test at the fusion center and multiple-threshold decisions at the sensors.
Sophistical refutations in the climate change debates

Abstract A case study of a short televised debate between a climate scientist and an advocate for climate skepticism provides the basis for developing a contemporary conception of sophistry. The sophist has a high degree of argumentative content knowledge – knowledge of a domain selected and structured in ways that are most germane for its use in making arguments. The sophist also makes the deliberate choice to argue for a disreputable view, one that goes against the views of the majority, or of the experts. Sophistry, drawing as it does on argumentative skill, is difficult to manage. The best approach is likely to refuse debate; but if debate is unavoidable, then the sophist must be met with equal skill. It will be hard to develop such skill, however, as long as the sophist’s view is thought to be disreputable.
Improving Empathy in Children: Interactive Read-Aloud as a Counseling Intervention

The authors describe interactive read-alouds as an effective counseling strategy to improve empathy levels in school aged children. The importance of reading development and empathy development wer...
Pseudoscience: Objective or Subjective?

espanol?Que es la pseudociencia y cuando surgen generalmente las acusaciones de pensamiento pseudocientifico? Contesto estas preguntas analizando seis ejemplos en los cuales ha surgido tal acusacion: el movimiento antivacunas, que afirma que la vacunacion causa enfermedades, el creacionismo, la afirmacion de que la Biblia es literalmente verdadera, la quiropraxia y afirmaciones similares sobre curar el cancer, evolucion predarwiniana, es decir, hipotesis evolucionistas anteriores a El Origen de las especies (1859), Immanuel Velikovsky y su libro Mundos en colision, y la hipotesis de Gaia, que afirma que la Tierra es un organismo. Asumo que hay un fundamento objetivo para la pseudociencia y utilizo el testimonio del autor en un caso judicial en Arkansas en 1981, argumentando que el creacionismo no es una ciencia genuina, para respaldar dicha afirmacion. El criterio de demarcacion de Karl Popper, que invoca la falsabilidad, es una nocion clave aqui. Sin embargo, argumento que las acusaciones de pseudociencia ocurren con mayor frecuencia cuando los profesionales convencionales estan bajo amenaza. Por lo tanto, estas acusaciones se emplean para atacar posiciones no convencionales. Presento varios ejemplos para apoyar esta conclusion. EnglishWhat is pseudo-science and when do charges of pseudo-scientific thinking generally arise? These questions are answered by looking at six examples where the charge of pseudo-science has arisen: anti-vaccination and the claims that it causes illnesses, Creationism – the claim that the Bible is literally true –, chiropractic and claims about curing cancer and the like, pre-Darwinian evolution, that is developmental hypotheses before the Origin of Species (1859), Immanuel Velikovsky and his book, Worlds in Collision, and the Gaia hypothesis that the Earth is an organism. It is agreed that there is an objective foundation to charges of pseudo-science and the author’s testimony in a court case in Arkansas in 1981, arguing that Creationism is not genuine science, is used to support this claim. Karl Popper’s criterion of demarcation invoking falsifiability is a key notion here. However, it is argued that charges of pseudo-science occur most frequently when conventional practitioners are under threat. Then claims of pseudo-science are used to attack the non-conventional opposition. The examples are used to support this conclusion.
Nuclear receptors and transcriptional regulation in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Abstract Background As a result of a sedentary lifestyle and excess food consumption in modern society, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) characterized by fat accumulation in the liver is becoming a major disease burden. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is an advanced form of NAFLD characterized by inflammation and fibrosis that can lead to hepatocellular carcinoma and liver failure. Nuclear receptors (NRs) are a family of ligand-regulated transcription factors that closely control multiple aspects of metabolism. Their transcriptional activity is modulated by various ligands, including hormones and lipids. NRs serve as potential pharmacological targets for NAFLD/NASH and other metabolic diseases. Scope of review In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of NRs that have been studied in the context of NAFLD/NASH with a focus on their transcriptional regulation, function in preclinical models, and studies of their clinical utility. Major conclusions The transcriptional regulation of NRs is context-dependent. During the dynamic progression of NAFLD/NASH, NRs play diverse roles in multiple organs and different cell types in the liver, which highlights the necessity of targeting NRs in a stage-specific and cell-type-specific manner to enhance the efficacy and safety of treatment methods.
Geometric Reproducibility of Fiducial Markers and Efficacy of a Patient-Specific Margin Design Using Deep Inspiration Breath Hold for Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer.

Abstract Purpose In patients undergoing stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for pancreatic adenocarcinoma, the reproducibility of tumor positioning between deep-inspiration breath holds is unclear. We characterized this variation with fiducials at simulation and treatment and investigated whether a patient-specific breath-hold (PSBH) margin would help account for intrafraction variation at treatment. Methods and Materials We analyzed 20 consecutive patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent SBRT with deep-inspiration breath holds. At simulation, 3 additional breath-hold scans were acquired immediately after the contrast-enhanced planning computed tomography (CT) scan and used to quantify the mean and maximum variations in the simulation fiducial position (Sim_Varavg and Sim_Varmax), as well as to design the internal target volume (ITV) incorporating a PSBH margin. Results At treatment, a mean of 5 breath-hold cone beam CT (CBCT) scans were acquired per fraction for each patient to quantify the mean and maximum variations in the treatment fiducial position (Tx_Varavg and Tx_Varmax). Various planning target volume (PTV) margins on the gross tumor volume (GTV) versus ITV were evaluated using CBCT scans, with the goal of >95% of fiducials being covered at treatment. The Sim_Varavg and Sim_Varmax were 0.9 ± 0.5 mm and 1.5 ± 0.8 mm in the left-right (LR) direction, 0.9 ± 0.4 mm and 1.4 ± 0.4 mm in the anteroposterior (AP) direction, and 1.5 ± 0.9 mm and 2.1 ± 1.0 mm in the superoinferior (SI) direction, respectively. The Tx_Varavg and Tx_Varmax were 1.2 ± 0.4 mm and 2.0 ± 0.7 mm in the LR direction, 1.1 ± 0.4 mm and 1.8 ± 0.6 mm in the AP direction, and 1.9 ± 1.0 mm and 3.1 ± 1.4 mm in the SI direction, respectively. The ITV was increased by 21.0% ± 8.6% compared with the GTV alone. The PTV margin necessary to encompass >95% of the fiducial locations was 2 mm versus 4 mm in both LR and AP and 4 mm versus 6 mm in SI for the ITV and the GTV, respectively. Conclusions The interbreath-hold variation is not insignificant, especially in the SI direction. Acquiring multiple breath-hold CT scans at simulation can help quantify the reproducibility of the interbreath hold and design a PSBH margin for treatment.
Norm Stability: Visitors’ Perceptions of Crowding at Cumberland Island National Seashore

Researchers and managers of parks and protected areas often employ normative theory or a normative approach when attempting to understand and manage visitor use and related impacts. Normative theor...
Minority Population Analysis: The Aeta of the Philippines

This precis uses a critical psychology lens for minority population analysis. Specifically, the precis characterizes indigenous peoples and their vulnerability; researches the treatment of the Aeta, an indigenous people living in the mountainous areas of Luzon in the Philippines; and reflects on their experience of domination, marginalization, and exploitation.
Near, Far, Wherever You Are: Distance and Proximity in International Criminal Law

As the International Criminal Court (ICC) nears its 20th year in operation, many international criminal law practitioners and scholars are asking: where is the ICC today in relation to its original promise to end impunity for the world’s worst crimes? Baked into that question are themes of the court’s distance and proximity, temporal and spatial, professional and existential. Where is the ICC located along the historic ‘arc of justice’ and how might we push it further along that path? How does the prosecutor’s refrain that the ICC is a ‘court of law’ that must keep away from political entanglements affect its interaction with domestic actors? What do practitioners and scholars mean when they encourage the ICC to ‘get closer’ to atrocity situations, whether through better communication, cooperation or in situ proceedings? These questions prompt reflection on the ICC’s distance from, and proximity to, the atrocity space through an analysis of three recent monographs on the ICC and Africa. Reviewing these contributions in law, political science and anthropology, this review essay gauges the multiple planes of distance and proximity on which international criminal law advocates operate. These planes turn out to play an important part in ordering global justice, particularly the spaces and subjects of atrocities as sites of anti-impunity work.
Novel molecular barcoding for rapid pathogen detection in infectious keratitis

ABSTRACT This proof-of-concept study describes the application of a novel molecular barcoding approach for rapid and comprehensive pathogen detection in infectious keratitis.
Staurosporine Causes Epidermal Growth Factor to Induce Differentiation in PC12 Cells via Receptor Up-regulation

Although they all utilize tyrosine kinase receptors and activate signaling pathways characterized by a similar set of phosphoproteins, epidermal growth factor (EGF) promotes only cell division while fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) can induce division followed by differentiation in PC12 cells. EGF, in contrast to NGF and FGF, cannot maintain the sustained phosphorylation and activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase and MAP kinases, which may account for the difference in phenotypic response. The pretreatment of PC12 cells with staurosporine, a protein kinase inhibitor, causes a substantial increase in both receptor and MAP kinase phosphorylation that results in a differentiative response (neurite proliferation). However, neurites begin to disappear after 3 days, despite the continual presence of EGF, and are largely gone after 5 days, which is not the case with NGF and FGF. Thus, the effect of staurosporine is not permanent. Northern and Western blots indicate that the staurosporine response mainly results from a substantial up-regulation in EGF receptor synthesis, thus providing a much stronger cell surface signal and supporting the view that quantitative rather than qualitative differences distinguish the EGF versus NGF/FGF signaling pathways in these cells.
Biodiesel production : a review

Biodiesel has become more attractive recently because of its environmental benefits and the fact that it is made from renewable resources. The cost of biodiesel, however, is the main hurdle to commercialization of the product. The used cooking oils are used as raw material, adaption of continuous transesterification process and recovery of high quality glycerol from biodiesel by-product (glycerol) are primary options to be considered to lower the cost of biodiesel. There are four primary ways to make biodiesel, direct use and blending, microemulsions, thermal cracking (pyrolysis) and transesterification. The most commonly used method is transesterification of vegetable oils and animal fats. The transesterification reaction is aAected by molar ratio of glycerides to alcohol, catalysts, reaction temperature, reaction time and free fatty acids and water content of oils or fats. The mechanism and kinetics of the transesterification show how the reaction occurs and progresses. The processes of transesterification and its downstream operations are also addressed. ” 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Cyclical Wage Movements in Emerging Markets Compared to Developed Economies: A Contractual Approach

This paper documents that, at the aggregate level, (i) real wages are positively correlated with output and, on average, lag output by about one quarter in emerging markets, while there are no systematic patterns in developed economies, (ii) real wage volatility (relative to output volatility) is about twice as high in emerging markets compared with developed economies, and (iii) real wage volatility, as a ratio of output volatility, decreases with the level of financial development across countries. I then present a model of contractual arrangements between workers and employers in a small open economy that helps explain this contrast in cyclical wage movements between emerging markets and developed economies. Only employers have access to financial and capital markets in the model, but they need to borrow working capital to pay for labor costs before production is carried out. The idea is that countercyclical interest rates and less developed financial markets in emerging markets make it less optimal for employers to provide workers with relatively stable wages, leading to more volatile and procyclical wages. This is further demonstrated by calibrating the model using data from Mexico and the U.S. to represent emerging and developed economies respectively.
Glutamine-dependent carbamyl phosphate synthetase. Properties and distribution in normal and neoplastic rat tissues.

Abstract A quantitative assay for the glutamine-dependent carbamyl phosphate synthetase (Synthetase II) that depends upon the conversion of bicarbonate-14C to citrulline-14C in the presence of excess ornithine carbamyltransferase has been used to investigate the properties of the enzyme and its distribution in relation to growth rates in normal tissues and transplanted tumors of the rat that lack the hepatic type enzyme, ammonia-dependent carbamyl phosphate synthetase (Synthetase I). The rate of the enzyme reaction in the tissues studied was a small fraction of the rate of Synthetase I found in liver. Synthetase II is distinguished from Synthetase I by its utilization of glutamine as substrate, its inhibition by 6-diazo-5-oxo-l-norleucine, its lack of requirement for N-acetylglutamate, and its presence in the soluble fraction. It can also utilize NH3 as substrate but the affinity for glutamine is 600 times greater. Under optimal conditions the rate of reaction is proportional to tissue concentration and constant with time. Rapidly growing normal tissues (fetal liver, spleen, and testis) had much more Synthetase II activity than other tissues tested (lung, uterus, heart, brain, and muscle). Tumors were more active than most normal tissues and did not contain detectable Synthetase I. The Synthetase II activities in tumors were proportional to the measured rates of growth in volume of seven tumors, and significantly so when the enzyme was expressed per tumor cell.
HEI–LO Model: A Grounded Theory Approach to Assess Digital Drawing Tools

This paper compares the efficacy of four digital drawing tools—mouse, iPad, Wacom Cintiq, and Bamboo1—when measured by user perception of technical and esthetic quality outcomes. The tools were assessed through the experiences of 20 senior-level undergraduate students majoring in interior design. The results indicate the mouse was preferred overall, contradicting previous studies showing students' preference for digital drawing tablets. However, as we show, drawing is an affordance-based interaction that is influenced by participants' prior experience with both hand and digital drawing tools. We therefore propose a grounded-theory model underscoring the importance of hand–eye–interface (HEI) and layout and orientation (LO) in supporting successful introduction of any new drawing tool. Further implications of the HEI–LO model suggest facilitating learning with multiple opportunities to use a wide range of tools to embed experiences in long-term memory, strengthen learned conventions, and promote positive affordances for both hand and digital media.
A Meteorite Falls on Ice

Primitive meteorites provide a glimpse into the early history of our solar system, but some of the most primitive meteorites are also rarely found on Earth. In his Perspective, Grossman explains why the fall of the Tagish Lake meteorite on 18 January 2000 in British Columbia, Canada, was a lucky event for meteorite researchers. The first analysis of the meteorite is reported by Brown et al. Well-preserved organic matter in the meteorite provides a unique opportunity to study the nature and origin of organic matter that may have accreted on early Earth and played a role in the origin of life.
Sine-Cosine Polynomial Systems

Frequently, in the design and analysis of robotic mechanisms, sets of nonlinear equations appear and must be solved. The nonlinearities often arise due to the kinematic couplings between members, which lead to mathematical descriptions in terms of products of trigonometric functions. The sets of equations which must be solved, then, are often polynomials in the sine and cosine of a group of variables. Because these sine-cosine polynomial systems occur so frequently in mechanical analysis, it is highly desirable to study such systems, and the solutions to which they lead.
Modeling the influence of rainfall gradients on discharge, bedrock erodibility, and river profile evolution, with application to the Big Island, Hawai'i

Motivated by convex-concave bedrock river profiles developed across a climate gradient on the wetside of the Kohala Peninsula of the Big Island of Hawai'i, we numerically model how rainfall gradients may influence longitudinal fluvial incision patterns. First, we model transient profile adjustment with two tectonic boundary conditions: subsidence and uplift. In this generalized analysis, we assume that rainfall gradients only influence incision by modifying the relation between upstream drainage area and local discharge. Using a detachment-limited model, downstream increases in rainfall lead to profile convexities during transient adjustment in both tectonic settings, and this is the opposite of the predicted increase in profile concavity that would develop in a steady state uplifting profile. A transport-limited erosion model develops only concave channel profiles without clear signatures of the rainfall pattern. Second, we model the development of convex-concave transient profiles and incision patterns on Kohala using a detachment-limited model. If rainfall gradients only influence incision through the local discharge, reasonable rainfall gradients can only develop channel convexities that are much smaller than those observed. Instead, we hypothesize that local bedrock erodibility increases with the degree of rainfall-dependent chemical weathering. When local erodibility is assumed to scale with local rainfall rate, the model can produce convex-concave profiles similar to those observed in Kohala. Our results suggest that changes in local bedrock erodibility due to local climate-dependent weathering may be an important mechanism by which climate influences landscape form and rates of evolution. This hypothesis requires further testing in this study area and beyond.
Should We Value Legislative Integrity

This essay challenges the widely held view that legislative integrity is a distinct political ideal. According to this ideal, lawmakers should try to make the total set of laws they enact as morally coherent as possible. I advance two types of arguments against this ideal. First, I try to show that the ideal of legislative integrity is directly at odds with the value of pluralism and the commitment of a liberal state to respect reasonable pluralism. Second, I explore the main causes of the failure of legislative integrity in democratic legislatures, arguing that there is nothing regrettable about these causes, on the contrary, they manifest commendable aspects of democratic law making.
Evaluation of slower-growing broiler genotypes grown with and without outdoor access: growth performance and carcass yield

Consumer interest in organic and free-range poultry production is growing. An experiment was conducted to assess the impact of genotype and outdoor access on growth rate and carcass yield. One slow-growing genotype (S), 2 medium-growing genotypes (M1 and M2), and a commercial fast-growing genotype (F) were raised (straight-run) for 81, 67, and 53 d, respectively. The placement date was staggered in order to achieve a similar final body weight and each genotype was processed on the same day. Each genotype was assigned to 3 pens of 24 birds each and raised in indoor floor pens in a curtain-sided house with ventilation fans; the S and F genotypes were also assigned to 2 floor pens with outdoor access (during daylight hours) containing 36 birds each. All birds were provided with the same starter, grower, and finisher feeds, and birds were commercially processed. Weight gain was similar (P > 0.05) among genotypes, but males gained more weight (P < 0.05) than females. The S and F genotypes had the highest and lowest (P < 0.05) feed intakes and, consequently, the lowest and highest (P < 0.05) feed efficiencies, respectively. The F genotype had the greatest (P < 0.05) breast yield (%) and the lowest (P < 0.05) wing yield (%). The S genotype exhibited the lowest (P < 0.05) breast yield (%) and the greatest leg quarter yield (%). Birds given outdoor access had greater (P < 0.05) bone strength in the tibia, and the F genotype had highest (P < 0.05) bone strength. These data indicate that substantial growth performance and yield differences exist among genotypes in alternative poultry systems.
Assessing the spatial and temporal variability of fine particulate matter components in Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian cities

Abstract This manuscript presents results from an extensive, multi-country comparative monitoring study of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and its primary chemical components in Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian cities. This study represented the first time that researchers from these countries have worked together to examine spatial and temporal relationships for PM 2.5 and its major components among the study sites. The findings indicated that total PM 2.5 mass was relatively homogenous among many of the 11 sites as shown from strong between-site correlations. Mean annual concentrations ranged from 19.9 to 34.9 μg m −3 in Haifa and Amman, respectively, and exceeded accepted international air quality standards for annual PM 2.5 mass. Similarity of total mass was largely driven by SO 4 2− and crustal PM 2.5 components. Despite the close proximity of the seven, well correlated sites with respect to PM 2.5 , there were pronounced differences among the cities for EC and, to a lesser degree, OC. EC, in particular, exhibited spatiotemporal trends that were indicative of strong local source contributions. Interestingly, there were moderate to strong EC correlations ( r > 0.65) among the large metropolitan cities, West Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Amman. For these relatively large cities, (i.e., West Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Amman), EC sources from the fleet of buses and cars typical for many urban areas predominate and likely drive spatiotemporal EC distributions. As new airshed management strategies and public health interventions are implemented throughout the Middle East, our findings support regulatory strategies that target integrated regional and local control strategies to reduce PM 2.5 mass and specific components suspected to drive adverse health effects of particulate matter exposure.
Dynamics-enabled quartz reference oscillators

Stable local oscillators with low phase noise are extremely important elements in high performance military communication and navigation systems. We present the development of compact UHF-band frequency sources capable of maintaining low phase noise under high accelerations or vibrations and over a wide temperature range for handheld portable systems. We also explored nonlinearity in MEMS resonators and attempted to use nonlinear dynamics to enhance phase noise performance. Using the quartz MEMS technology, we have thus far demonstrated a 645 MHz Pierce oscillator with -113 dBc/Hz phase noise at 1 kHz offset with acceleration sensitivity of 5x10 -10 /g. The controlled oscillation of a nonlinear Duffing resonator in a closed-loop system with improved phase noise is described.
A Model Case of Suicide Intervention

Case studies provide important insight into the actual work within clinical settings. In Craig BryanA¢Â€Â™s (2007) detailed description of outpatient treatment of a suicidal client, the author illustrates several important elements of a comprehensive treatment approach for such clients. One of these elements is an active approach that fosters the clientA¢Â€Â™s collaboration in addressing his concerns. Also, the treatment is grounded in current conceptual and empirical bases. In addition, the treatment starts with a thorough assessment that yields a flexible range of specific treatment approaches which are responsive to the exigencies of the clinical situation. These treatment approaches involve connecting to the client through his pain, strategies for coping with anxiety and suicidal feelings, mobilization of supports, cognitive skills training, and increasing tolerance for suffering that at times cannot be avoided.
A Simple Model of Mortgage Insurance

This paper uses a two-period model to analyze the borrower's choice of an optimal time pattern of mortgage payments in a world where future house values are uncertain. Since a decline in values can make the borrower's equity negative, leading to default on the mortgage, lenders in the model will require the purchase of mortgage insurance. The premium on the insurance policy will depend on the riskiness of the mortgage, which in turn depends on the magnitude of the initial mortgage payment. Mortgages with large (small) first payments will carry low (high) insurance premiums. Taking this fact into account, the borrower decides on the optimal riskiness of his mortgage. Borrowers who discount the future heavily choose risky mortgages carrying high insurance premiums, while those who place a higher value on future consumption opt for less risky contracts carrying low (or zero) premiums.
The Community Artist as Community Development Catalyst: an Evaluation of a Pilot Project

Relations between culture and community are analyzed in an evaluation of a community arts project conducted in a small Colorado community. A visual artist worked with residents during a four-week residency in a wide variety of arts activities designed to promote community development goals. Surveys, interviews and direct observation revealed that the entire community was affected positively by the project. The community systems impacted included: the change agent (the artist), the change agent system (the sponsoring local arts council), the action system (the local arts community and artists) and the target and client systems (the community at large). These impacts are interpreted as confirmation that community arts can indeed serve as a catalyst for community development.
Beyond Environmental Regulatory Fragmentation: Signs of Integration in the Case of the Great Lakes Basin

Environmental regulato y fragmentation along the medium boundaries of air, land, and water in Canada and the United States serves to skiff pollutants from medium to medium rather than contain or eliminate them. This pattern is particularly evident in the Great Lakes Basin where many of the most pressing environmental problems stem from pollutant transfer across medium or jurisdictional lines. The impediments to more integrated environmental regulation remain considerable in the Basin, and include the enduring single-medium orientation of federal programs and limitations of state, provincial, or regional innovation. Nonetheless, there is growing indication that regulato y integration need not be dismissed as a theoretical nicety but political impossibility. A series of recent developments indicate a shiff toward greater integration in the Basin, prompted in large part by environmental policy professionals who increasingly recognize the limitations of current approaches and are willing to devise alternatives. These developments are occurring at the regional as well as state and provincial levels, and they give far greater definition than ever before to the idea of integrated environmental regulation. Americans and Canadians have become increasingly skeptical of the capacity of their governments to devise effective domestic policy. Polling data show steady erosion in recent years in confidence levels assessing the performance of various governmental institutions in both nations, confirming general trends from recent decades (Lipset and Schneider 1983; Johnston 1986; Page and Shapiro 1992). Moreover, much of the scholarly literature analyzing the performance of these institutions takes a similarly negative tone, lamenting perceived governmental inefficiency at both the national and subnational levels. In the United States, a pattern of divided democracy at the national level and in many states, as well as a general systemic fragmentation, has made formation of consensus on important issues difficult (Ginsberg and Shefter 1990; Fiorina 1992; Jones 1994). In Canada, prolonged haggling over core constitutional issues has obscured serious exploration of important domestic concerns (Weaver 1992). In both nations, enormous fiscal deficits nationally and in many major subnational governments impede governmental innovation that
Experimental tests of dynamical state-vector reduction

We consider theories in which the Schr\"odinger equation is modified so that the reduction of the state vector becomes a dynamical process characterized by a mean reduction time ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{R}$. It is generally believed that such a theory and quantum theory differently predict the outcome of any two experiments performed in rapid enough succession (separated by a time interval $\ensuremath{\lesssim}{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{R}$), such as Papaliolios's successive measurements of a photon's polarization. It is shown that the predictions of a plausible class of dynamical reduction theories (for which the ensemble average of ${|〈{\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{n}|\ensuremath{\psi}〉|}^{2}$ remains constant during the reduction process, where $|\ensuremath{\psi}〉$ is the state vector, and $|{\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{n}〉$ is any one of the basis states to which it may reduce) and quantum theory do not differ for any Papaliolios-type experiment. However, there are deviations from the predictions of quantum theory if the second experiment measures interference between the superposed states created by the first measurement. As an example, the result of a recent two-slit neutron interference experiment by Zeilinger et al. is applied to the theory of Pearle, placing an upper limit ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{R}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}5$ sec on the neutron self-reduction time.
The Fine Structure of the Phoront of the Apostomatous Ciliate, Hyalophysa chattoni*

SYNOPSIS The phoront of the apostomatous ciliate, Hyalophysa chattoni, is an encysted stage that is carried on the exoskeleton of its crustacean host until the ecdysis of the host. At molting the phoront rapidly metamorphoses to the feeding stage, excysts, and immediately begins to feed on exuvial fluid trapped in the cast-off exoskeleton. The fine structure of the resting phoront resembles that of the preceding migratory stage, the tomite. A prominent ventral tuft of cilia, the ogival field, has vanished, and the trichocysts that paralleled the kinetics have disappeared. The dense inclusion bodies that were concentrated around the mouth and falciform fields have dispersed and greatly decreased in number. The cytoplasm and its membranous organelles do not appear visibly condensed or altered from the preceding stage in the life cycle. The phoront is merely quiescent instead of dormant. Unlike the few ciliate cysts previously examined by electron microscopy, the phoront's cyst is not divisible into separable layers. It resembles the loricae of certain suctoria in being formed principally of a fibrous substance, the outer surface of which has a paracrystalline pattern. The peduncle attaching the cyst to the crab's gill is a continuation of the cyst wall although its structure is somewhat modified. The most conspicuous innovation in the phoront's fine structure is the massive tracts of microtubules that run longitudinally through the macronucleus. The microtubules are in intimate contact with Feulgen-positive chromatin masses which are crowded toward the periphery of the macronucleus.
The Roman Triumph – By Mary Beard

The first Roman triumph—of more than three hundred known—was reportedly celebrated by Romulus, son of Mars and Rome's founder; the ritual persisted, or at least was invoked, as late as the sixth‐ce...
Characterization of the flow dynamics of an enzyme reaction system

Abstract The characterization of the flow dynamics of an automated enzyme reaction system is discussed. Parametric and non-parametric characterizations are constructed and then tested against actual experiments. The analytical model provides a more compact representation than the numerical model. A second-order lag-plus-dead-time model gives a good fit to the experimental data.
Brain monoamines after portacaval anastomosis

Norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin, as well as the serotonin metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, were measured in whole-brain extracts from rats with a portacaval shunt or sham operation. Norepinephrine, serotonin, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid were significantly higher after shunting. There was no difference in dopamine. The results support the idea that brain indole metabolism is increased during chronic hepatic encephalopathy. However, they provide evidence against suggestions that hepatic encephalopathy in general is accompanied by a shortage in the whole-brain content of the catecholamines norepinephrine and dopamine.
Transcatheter closure of multiple muscular ventricular septal defects using Gianturco coils

A 10-month-old boy underwent operation to close a large secundum atrial septal defect and multiple muscular ventricular septal defects. Closure of the ventricular septal defects was unsuccessful and led to worsening cardiac failure and inability to wean the patient from mechanical ventilation. Transcatheter closure of the ventricular septal defects using Gianturco coils was undertaken. This technique is an effective alternative for closure of multiple muscular ventricular septal defects in infants and small children.
Limitation of Programmed Alerts to Predict ICD Lead Failures

A 75-year-old man with a Sprint Fidelis ICD lead (Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) experienced inappropriate shocks after sudden failure of the right ventricular (RV) pace-sense connector resulting in noise. Interrogation of the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator pulse generator revealed that the 3 AM daily measurement of RV pacing impedance was slightly higher (750 Omega) than the baseline (approximately 450-550 Omega)(although below the recommended alert level of 1,000 Omega) and markedly higher at 4 AM (1,552 Omega) when therapies were delivered. The event occurred before the patient could be alerted by the audible tones. Thus, the manufacturer's recommended impedance monitoring alert parameters will not predict all lead failures.
Helium embrittlement of stainless steels at ambient temperature

Attempts to verify low temperature helium embrittlement in an austenitic stainless steel that is exposed to tritium, and widens the study by including other stainless steels. Uses notched C-shaped specimens machined from 5 stainless steels: Type 304L, Type 316, Nitronic-40, A286, and a modified A286. Points out that the modified A286 was in the annealed condition, and all others were high-energy-rate forged. Finds that severity of helium damage depends on both stainless steel composition and prior thermomechanical treatment. Concludes that the relation between helium damage and the trap characteristics need not be the same as between hydrogen damage and trap characteristics because the strain fields of helium and hydrogen differ and hydrogen is chemically reactive.
Comparison of tai chi vs. strength training for fall prevention among female cancer survivors: study protocol for the GET FIT trial

Women with cancer are significantly more likely to fall than women without cancer placing them at higher risk of fall-related fractures, other injuries and disability. Currently, no evidence-based fall prevention strategies exist that specifically target female cancer survivors. The purpose of the GET FIT (Group Exercise Training for Functional Improvement after Treatment) trial is to compare the efficacy of two distinct types of exercise, tai chi versus strength training, to prevent falls in women who have completed treatment for cancer. The specific aims of this study are to: 1) Determine and compare the efficacy of both tai chi training and strength training to reduce falls in older female cancer survivors, 2) Determine the mechanism(s) by which tai chi and strength training each reduces falls and, 3) Determine whether or not the benefits of each intervention last after structured training stops. We will conduct a three-group, single-blind, parallel design, randomized controlled trial in women, aged 50–75 years old, who have completed chemotherapy for cancer comparing 1) tai chi 2) strength training and 3) a placebo control group of seated stretching exercise. Women will participate in supervised study programs twice per week for six months and will be followed for an additional six months after formal training stops. The primary outcome in this study is falls, which will be prospectively tracked by monthly self-report. Secondary outcomes are maximal leg strength measured by isokinetic dynamometry, postural stability measured by computerized dynamic posturography and physical function measured by the Physical Performance Battery, all measured at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months. The sample for this trial (N=429, assuming 25% attrition) will provide adequate statistical power to detect at least a 47% reduction in the fall rate over 1 year by being in either of the 2 exercise groups versus the control group. The GET FIT trial will provide important new knowledge about preventing falls using accessible and implementable exercise interventions for women following chemotherapy for cancer. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01635413
The Mobile Proton in Polyalanine Peptides

Ion mobility measurements have been performed for protonated polyalanine peptides (A10 + H+, A15 + H+, A20 + H+, A25 + H+, and A15NH2 + H+) as a function of temperature using a new high-temperature drift tube. Peaks due to helices and globules were found at room temperature for all peptides, except for A10 + H+ (where only the globule is present). As the temperature is increased, the helix and globule peaks broaden and merge to give a single narrow peak. This indicates that the two conformations interconvert rapidly at elevated temperatures. The positions of the merged peaks show that A15 + H+ and A15NH2 + H+ spend most of their time as globules when heated, while A20 + H+ and A25 + H+ spend most of their time as helices. The helix/globule transitions are almost certainly accompanied by intramolecular proton transfer, and so, these results suggest that the proton becomes mobile (able to migrate freely along the backbone) at around 450 K. The peptides dissociate as the temperature is increased further to g...
Inhibitors of Bcr-abl... breaking new ground again.

The report of a new class of potent and highly selective inhibitors of Bcr-abl highlights the potential for a truly leukemia-specific drug with no expected off-target activity. GNF-2, as a representative compound of this class, may have inspired the identification of a region of Bcr-abl that is amenable to drug design, just as imatinib did almost a decade ago.
A tale of tails: sialidase is key to success in a model of phage therapy against K1-capsulated Escherichia coli

Prior studies treating mice infected with Escherichia coli O18:K1:H7 observed that phages requiring the K1 capsule for infection (K1-dep) were superior to capsule-independent (K1-ind) phages. We show that three K1-ind phages all have low fitness when grown on cells in serum whereas fitnesses of four K1-dep phages were high. The difference is serum-specific, as fitnesses in broth overlapped. Sialidase activity was associated with all K1-dep virions tested but no K1-ind virions, a phenotype supported by sequence analyses. Adding endosialidase to cells infected with K1-ind phage increased fitness in serum by enhancing productive infection after adsorption. We propose that virion sialidase activity is the primary determinant of high fitness on cells grown in serum, and thus in a mammalian host. Although the benefit of sialidase is specific to K1-capsulated bacteria, this study may provide a scientific rationale for selecting phages for therapeutic use in many systemic infections.
An Iterative Algorithm for Solving Hamilton--Jacobi Type Equations

Solutions of the optimal control and $H_\infty$-control problems for nonlinear affine systems can be found by solving Hamilton--Jacobi equations. However, these first-order nonlinear partial differential equations can, in general, not be solved analytically. This paper introduces an iterative algorithm which solves these equations numerically for points near the origin. The procedure converges to the stabilizing solution exponentially with respect to the iteration variable. The algorithm is implemented on both illustrative and comparative examples.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation in pregnancy differentially modulates arachidonic acid and DHA status across FADS genotypes in pregnancy

Some FADS alleles are associated with lower DHA and ARA status assessed by the relative amount of arachidonic acid (ARA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in plasma and red blood cell (RBC) phospholipids (PL). We determined two FADS single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a cohort of pregnant women and examined the relationship of FADS1rs174533 and FADS2rs174575 to DHA and ARA status before and after supplementation with 600mg per day of DHA. The 205 pregnant women studied were randomly assigned to placebo (mixed soy and corn oil) (n=96) or 600mg algal DHA (n=109) in 3 capsules per day for the last two trimesters of pregnancy. Women homozygous for the minor allele of FADS1rs174533 (but not FADS2rs174575) had lower DHA and ARA status at baseline. At delivery, minor allele homozygotes of FADS1rs174533 in the placebo group had lower RBC-DHA compared to major-allele carriers (P=0.031), while in the DHA-supplemented group, all genotypes had higher DHA status compared to baseline (P=0.001) and status did not differ by genotype (P=0.941). Surprisingly, DHA but not the placebo decreased ARA status of minor allele homozygotes of both FADS SNPs but not major allele homozygotes at delivery. Any physiological effects of changing the DHA to ARA ratio by increasing DHA intake appears to be greater in minor allele homozygotes of some FADS SNPs.
Environmental Crack Growth Behavior Affected by Thickness/Geometry Constraint

This article gives a short review on the effects of thickness/constraint and environment on crack growth behavior under cyclic and static loadings. Fatigue crack growth data taken from the literature, corresponding to different environments, ranging from vacuum to air and NaCl solution for a number of alloys and different specimens geometries are presented and analyzed. Reported results indicate that for relatively inert material/environment systems, there is a weak thickness/constraint effect on fatigue crack growth behavior. On the other hand, for corrosive material/environment systems, there is a significant thickness/constraint effect on crack growth rate behavior under both cyclic and static loadings. Some implications related to crack growth modeling are suggested.
Retention of clinical trial participants in a study of nongonococcal urethritis (NGU), a sexually transmitted infection in men.

Nongonococcal urethritis (NGU), an inflammation of the urethra not caused by gonorrhea, is the most common urethritis syndrome seen in men in the United States. It is a sexually transmitted infection commonly caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, a pathogen which occurs more frequently in African-American men compared to white men. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors related to retention of study participants in a randomized, double-blinded clinical trial that evaluated four treatment regimens for the treatment of NGU. After the one-week treatment period, follow-up visits were scheduled during days 15–19 and days 35–45. Participants were phoned prior to scheduled appointments to encourage attendance, and contacted after missed appointments to reschedule their clinic visits. Of the 305 male study participants, 298 (98%) were African-American, 164 (54%) were 25 years of age or younger, and 80 (31%) had a post-secondary school education. The overall retention rate was 75%. Factors associated with study completion were educational level attained and clinical center. Participants with higher levels of education were more likely to complete the study. Clinical centers with the highest retention rates also provided the highest monetary incentives for participation. The retention rate for this study suggests that strategies are needed for improving the proportion of study participants that complete a clinical trial among young men with a sexually transmitted disease. These strategies may include increasing contacts with study participants to remind them of scheduled study visits using text messaging or social media and the use of financial incentives.