cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Humans use minimum cost movements in a whole-body task.

Humans have elegant bodies that allow gymnastics, piano playing, and tool use, but understanding how they do this in detail is difficult because their musculoskeletal systems are extraordinarily complicated. Nonetheless, common movements like walking and reaching can be stereotypical, and a very large number of studies have shown their energetic cost to be a major factor. In contrast, one might think that general movements are very individuated and intractable, but our previous study has shown that in an arbitrary set of whole-body movements used to trace large-scale closed curves, near-identical posture sequences were chosen across different subjects, both in the average trajectories of the body’s limbs and in the variance within trajectories. The commonalities in that result motivate explanations for its generality. One explanation could be that humans also choose trajectories that are economical in cost. To test this hypothesis, we situate the tracing data within a forty eight degree of freedom human dynamic model that allows the computation of movement cost. Using the model to compare movement cost data from nominal tracings against various perturbed tracings shows that the latter are more energetically expensive, inferring that the original traces were chosen on the basis of minimum cost.
Spin contribution to the dissociation of bound states in rotating medium in magnetic field

Abstract Magneto-rotational dissociation is the decay, by the way of tunneling, of a rotating bound state in the magnetic field. The corresponding probability was recently computed in the quasi-classical approximation using the Imaginary Time Method and was shown to increase with the angular velocity and decrease with the magnetic field strength [10] . This letter reports the calculation of the quantum correction to the dissociation probability associated with the spin of the tunneling particle. The quasi-classical motion of spin is described by the Bargmann–Michel–Telegdi equation in the rotating frame. It is shown that the spin contribution significantly increases the dissociation probability. Applications to the Quark-Gluon Plasma are touched upon.
Deep neural survival networks for cardiovascular risk prediction: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Abstract Background There is growing interest in utilizing machine learning techniques for routine atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk prediction. We investigated whether novel deep learning survival models can augment ASCVD risk prediction over existing statistical and machine learning approaches. Methods 6814 participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) were followed over 16 years to assess incidence of all-cause mortality (mortality) or a composite of major adverse events (MAE). Features were evaluated within the categories of traditional risk factors, inflammatory biomarkers, and imaging markers. Data was split into an internal training/testing (four centers) and external validation (two centers). Both machine learning (COXPH, RSF, and lSVM) and deep learning (nMTLR and DeepSurv) models were evaluated. Results In comparison to the COXPH model, DeepSurv significantly improved ASCVD risk prediction for MAE (AUC: 0.82 vs. 0.80, P ≤ 0.001) and mortality (AUC: 0.87 vs. 0.84, P ≤ 0.001) with traditional risk factors alone. Implementing non-categorical NRI, we noted a >40% increase in correct reclassification compared to the COXPH model for both MAE and mortality (P ≤ 0.05). Assessing the relative risk of participants, DeepSurv was the only learning algorithm to develop a significantly improved risk score criteria, which outcompeted COXPH for both MAE (4.22 vs. 3.61, P = 0.043) and mortality (6.81 vs. 5.52, P = 0.044). The addition of inflammatory or imaging biomarkers to traditional risk factors showed minimal/no significant improvement in model prediction. Conclusion DeepSurv can leverage simple office-based clinical features alone to accurately predict ASCVD risk and cardiovascular outcomes, without the need for additional features, such as inflammatory and imaging biomarkers.
Toward emulating nuclear reactions using eigenvector continuation

Abstract We construct an efficient emulator for two-body scattering observables using the general (complex) Kohn variational principle and trial wave functions derived from eigenvector continuation. The emulator simultaneously evaluates an array of Kohn variational principles associated with different boundary conditions, which allows for the detection and removal of spurious singularities known as Kohn anomalies. When applied to the K-matrix only, our emulator resembles the one constructed by Furnstahl et al. (2020) [29] although with reduced numerical noise. After a few applications to real potentials, we emulate differential cross sections for 40Ca ( n , n ) scattering based on a realistic optical potential and quantify the model uncertainties using Bayesian methods. These calculations serve as a proof of principle for future studies aimed at improving optical models.
An animated picture says at least a thousand words: Selecting Gif-based Replies in Multimodal Dialog

Online conversations include more than just text. Increasingly, image-based responses such as memes and animated gifs serve as culturally recognized and often humorous responses in conversation. However, while NLP has broadened to multimodal models, conversational dialog systems have largely focused only on generating text replies. Here, we introduce a new dataset of 1.56M text-gif conversation turns and introduce a new multimodal conversational model Pepe the King Prawn for selecting gif-based replies. We demonstrate that our model produces relevant and high-quality gif responses and, in a large randomized control trial of multiple models replying to real users, we show that our model replies with gifs that are significantly better received by the community.
Rewards versus Imprisonment

This article considers the possibility of simultaneously reducing crime, prison sentences, and the tax burden of financing the criminal justice system by introducing rewards, which operate by increasing quality of life outside of prison. Specifically, it proposes a procedure wherein a part of the imprisonment budget is re-directed towards financing rewards. The feasibility of this procedure depends on how effectively the marginal imprisonment sentence reduces crime, the crime rate, the effectiveness of rewards, and how accurately the government can direct rewards towards individuals who are most responsive to such policies. A related welfare analysis reveals an advantage of rewards: they operate by transferring or creating wealth, whereas imprisonment destroys wealth. Thus, the conditions under which rewards are optimal are broader than those under which they can be used to jointly reduce crime, sentences, and taxes. With an exogenous [resp. endogenous] budget for law enforcement, it is optimal to use rewards when the imprisonment elasticity of deterrence is small [resp. the marginal cost of public funds is not high]. These conditions hold, implying that using rewards is optimal, in numerical examples generated by using estimates for key values from the empirical literature.
Anonymous Stochastic Routing

We propose and analyze a recipient-anonymous stochastic routing model to study a fundamental trade-off between anonymity and routing delay. An agent wants to quickly reach a goal vertex in a networ...
The Past, the Present, and the Future of the Size Exclusion Chromatography in Extracellular Vesicles Separation

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived membranous particles secreted by all cell types (including virus infected and uninfected cells) into the extracellular milieu. EVs carry, protect, and transport a wide array of bioactive cargoes to recipient/target cells. EVs regulate physiological and pathophysiological processes in recipient cells and are important in therapeutics/drug delivery. Despite these great attributes of EVs, an efficient protocol for EV separation from biofluids is lacking. Numerous techniques have been adapted for the separation of EVs with size exclusion chromatography (SEC)-based methods being the most promising. Here, we review the SEC protocols used for EV separation, and discuss opportunities for significant improvements, such as the development of novel particle purification liquid chromatography (PPLC) system capable of tandem purification and characterization of biological and synthetic particles with near-single vesicle resolution. Finally, we identify future perspectives and current issues to make PPLC a tool capable of providing a unified, automated, adaptable, yet simple and affordable particle separation resource.
The hardware lottery

After decades of incentivizing the isolation of hardware, software, and algorithm development, the catalysts for closer collaboration are changing the paradigm.
The Origins of Blast-Loaded Vessels

As the Manhattan Project shifted to the theory of implosion assembly in 1944, plutonium was extremely rare and large uncertainties surrounded the function of the Gadget. For these reasons, a team within the Manhattan Project began another ambitious experiment: to confine the effects of detonating two tons of high explosives and enable the recovery of precious plutonium! No data existed on the subject, and the team faced numerous challenges as they engineered what is believed to be the world's first blast-loaded confinement vessel.
Cluster synchronization of networks via a canonical transformation for simultaneous block diagonalization of matrices

We study cluster synchronization of networks and propose a canonical transformation for simultaneous block diagonalization of matrices that we use to analyze the stability of the cluster synchronous solution. Our approach has several advantages as it allows us to: (1) decouple the stability problem into subproblems of minimal dimensionality while preserving physically meaningful information, (2) study stability of both orbital and equitable partitions of the network nodes, and (3) obtain a parameterization of the problem in a small number of parameters. For the last point, we show how the canonical transformation decouples the problem into blocks that preserve key physical properties of the original system. We also apply our proposed algorithm to analyze several real networks of interest, and we find that it runs faster than alternative algorithms from the literature.
A randomly weighted minimum arborescence with a random cost constraint

We study the minimum spanning arborescence problem on the complete digraph K→n, where an edge e has a weight We and a cost Ce, each of which is an independent uniform random variable Us, where 0<s≤...
Input price discrimination by resale market

This paper analyzes supply tariffs that discriminate between resale in different markets. In a setting with competing retailers that operate in multiple (independent or interdependent) markets, we show that, all else equal, a monopolist supplier wants to discriminate against resale in the market with the higher aggregate cross-seller diversion ratio. We find that discrimination can improve allocative efficiency and present sufficient conditions, involving the pass-through rates and the inverse market demand curvatures in the different markets, under which discrimination has positive effects on output and welfare. Our insights are relevant for the policy treatment of vertical restraints on online sales.
Peptides as potent antimicrobials tethered to a solid surface: Implications for medical devices

Medical devices are an integral part of therapeutic management; despite their importance, they carry a significant risk of microbial infection. Bacterial attachment to a medical device is established by a single, multiplying organism, leading to subsequent biofilm formation. To date, no preventative measures have impacted the incidence of device-related infection. We report the bidirectional covalent coupling of an engineered cationic antimicrobial peptide (eCAP), WLBU2, to various biological surfaces is accomplished. These surfaces included (i) a carbohydrate-based gel matrix, (ii) a complex polymeric plastic bead, and (iii) a silica-calcium phosphate nanocomposite associated with bone reconstruction. WLBU2-conjugated surfaces are shown to retain potent antimicrobial activity related to bacterial surface adhesion. This study provides proof of principle that covalently coating laboratory and bone-regenerating materials with eCAPs has the potential for decreasing infection rates of implanted devices. These findings have important consequences to the patient management component of our current health care technology.
Distributed privacy preserving information sharing

In this paper, we address issues related to sharing information in a distributed system consisting of autonomous entities, each of which holds a private database. Semi-honest behavior has been widely adopted as the model for adversarial threats. However, it substantially underestimates the capability of adversaries in reality. In this paper, we consider a threat space containing more powerful adversaries that includes not only semi-honest but also those malicious adversaries. In particular, we classify malicious adversaries into two widely existing subclasses, called weakly malicious and strongly malicious adversaries, respectively. We define a measure of privacy leakage for information sharing systems and propose protocols that can effectively and efficiently protect privacy against different kinds of malicious adversaries.
The adoption of municipal web sites: on efficiency, power, and legitimacy

This article examines the organizational factors underlying the rapid adoption of e-government Web sites and e-government services. Three strands of organizational theory -- 1) contingency theory, 2) resource dependence theory, and 3) institutionalization theory -- offer dramatically different accounts of the organizational dynamics that lead municipal governments to create and develop a web presence. The first emphasizes the need to attain technical efficiency within a complex environment, the second emphasizes the importance of internal power relationships, and the third emphasizes an organization's need to develop legitimacy vis-a-vis peer organizations. We develop hypotheses based on each of these accounts and test them by analyzing the pattern of Web site adoption among municipal governments using event history analysis. The results most strongly support a contingency perspective which argues that Web sites are developed to better manage information flows and uncertainty. We find that municipalities facing more complex external environments and internal organizational structure are more likely to be early adopters. The resource dependence and institutionalization perspectives receive at best weak support from the analysis.
Research grants: Conform and be funded.

Too many US authors of the most innovative and influential papers in the life sciences do not receive NIH funding, contend Joshua M. Nicholson and John P. A. Ioannidis.
Scatchard Analysis of Opiate Receptor Binding

The study of [3H]naltrexone binding in a membrane preparation from rat brain revealed that experimental conditions of the opiate receptor assay markedly influenced the outcome of the corresponding Scatchard analysis. The use of inappropriate concentrations of the unlabeled displacing drugs to assess stereospecific [3H]naltrexone interaction resulted in Scatchard plots which mimicked cooperativity in binding. These monophasic plots also indicated that sodium affects antagonist binding by changing receptor affinity ( KD ) but not the density of sites. When assessed under correct experimental conditions the Scatchard plots for specific [3H]naltrexone binding were biphasic. Sodium, without affecting the KD , increased and decreased the number of high- and low-affinity sites, respectively. Thus, at 25° the total number of opiate receptor sites for [3H]naltrexone binding in the absence and presence of sodium was statistically indistinguishable. Initial membrane incubation competed with sodium in increasing the density of high-affinity [3H]naltrexone-binding sites. After kinetic resolution and computer analysis considering several binding models, the data for specific [3H]naltrexone binding provided best fit for two saturable sites. At 25° and in the absence of sodium the respective approximate KD values were 0.4 and 30 nM, with densities of 200 and 350 fmoles/mg of protein. Under a variety of experimental conditions, including different temperatures and exposure of the membranes to trypsin or freezing, some of these binding parameters differed, but the biphasic nature of specific [3H]naltrexone binding was unaltered. Identical biphasic Scatchard plots were obtained if specific binding of [3H]naltrexone was determined with excess unlabeled naltrexone, morphine, ethylketocyclazocine, or SKF 10047; with dextrorphan and levorphanol; or with enantiomers of naloxone as displacing ligands. Terminating the binding assay by rapid centrifugation yielded results identical with those obtained when quick filtration was used. The dissociation of bound [3H]naltrexone was resolved into a rapid component and a slow component. In the presence of high concentrations of the drug an additional rapid component of dissociation became apparent. The KD values calculated from the two rapid components of dissociation and the corresponding rate constants of association agreed well with those determined for the high- and low-affinity [3H]naltrexone-binding sites by Scatchard analysis. The nature of the slow dissociation component with markedly high affinity has to await further clarification. The results of this study characterize the interaction of naltrexone with opiate receptor, contribute to the understanding of the mechanism of the sodium effect, and describe the role of methodology in evaluating ligand binding.
Volunteer Patterns of Mid- and Later Life American Couples

The expectation for older people to volunteer has increased, and married Americans are more likely to volunteer. Drawing on life course and couple decision-making theories, this research examines mid- and later life American couples' volunteer patterns. Ninety-five (95) couples are analyzed to determine characteristics of three groups of couples—both volunteer, neither volunteer, or only one spouse volunteers. Multinomial logistic regression comparing all couples simultaneously finds significant differences. Couples with no volunteers are more likely to report lower joint marital satisfaction and at least one spouse out of the labor force than couples where one spouse volunteers. Couples who have both spouses volunteer are more likely to have a husband with a traditional gender role ideology than those where only one spouse volunteers. Caregiving has no impact on couple volunteering. This paper addresses implications for volunteer recruitment.
Abstract 317: Beta3 Integrin-mediated CTGF Expression in Cardiac Hypertrophy

Connective Tissue Growth Factor (CTGF/CCN2) is a fibrotic mediator overexpressed in human atherosclerotic lesions, myocardial infarction and hypertension. CTGF regulates ECM deposition, fibrosis, wound repair and angiogenesis. Our preliminary studies using wild type (WT) and global 3 integrin knockout (3-/-) mice show for the first time that pressure overload (PO) by transverse aortic constriction (TAC) induces both CTGF and 3 integrin expression in WT mice and that 3 integrin is a prerequisite for the PO-induced CTGF expression. Since both the major cells, cardiomyocyte (CM) and cardiac fibroblast (CFb) have been shown to express CTGF, exploring the primary source for the 3 integrin mediated CTGF expression is expected to identify potential targets for fibrosis. Therefore, the main focus of this proposed study is to use CM specific β3 integrin KO mice with preserved β3-integrin function in CFb as well as CFb specific β3 integrin KO mice with preserved β3-integrin function in CM and evaluate which heart c...
Jacques Maritain, Christian New Order, and the Birth of Human Rights

This paper traces some changes in Catholic political theory eventually taken up and extended during World War II by Jacques Maritain, who became the foremost philosophical exponent of the idea of "human rights" on the postwar scene. I show that the invention of the idea of the "dignity of the human person" as embedded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights occurred not in biblical or other longstanding traditions, but instead in very recent and contingent history. In conclusion, I speculate on what the restoration of Maritain's route to human rights to its proper contexts might suggest about the cultural meaning the idea had in postwar Continental Europe, which became its homeland.
Thames interglacial sites, Ipswichian sea levels and Antarctic ice surges

New and old, pollen and other studies are summarized for seven sites in the Thames estuary, all of them most probably of last (Ipswichian) interglacial age. Early in the interglacial, at Crayford, Little Thurrock, and Purfleet, there was an aggradation of laminated (3 mm/pair) ‘brickearth’ (clay, with silt and sand), to above +11 m O.D. Observations in modern estuaries suggest that the laminations were of tidal origin, and related to a sea stand at +7 m, represented on the coast by e.g. the raised cliff at Brighton. In the middle of the Ipswichian, freshwater fossils at West Thurrock and Wretton (Norfolk) suggest that the sea fell below 0 m. Late in the Ipswichian, arguably at the break of climate, at Crayford, Ilford, Aveley, West Thurrock, Stutton (Suffolk) and probably Little Thurrock, there was an aggradation of massive brickearth (famous for its mammal remains) grading up into sand, to above + 14 m. The possibility is discussed that this second aggradation reflects a second rise of sea level, to +16 m, represented by e.g. the raised beach at Portland, and caused by an Antarctic ‘surge’. According to A. T. Wilson, this surge triggered the last (Devensian) ice age.
Some Unsolved Problems of Science News Reporting

Standardized news selection, rigidly patterned reporting, and an outdated conception of the nature of the scientific enterprise have produced a misleading picture of science in the mass media. The ferment of scientific ideas, the revolutionary impact of scientific change, the variety of ways in which science has been practiced, and the fundamental importance of intellectual creativity in science have all been underplayed. Thoughtful, interpretive reporting based on a broad understanding of the history, philosophy, and sociology of science could vastly improve public understanding.
Sequential sampling and variability of acid precipitation in Hampton, Virginia

Rain samples were collected sequentially by amount (≈2.7 mm each) from individual events at a single, relatively isolated, suburban site from August 1977 to July 1980. Rain pH's for ≤ 3 mm samples closely fit a monomodal Gaussian distribution with a median of 4.50 and a standard deviation of 0.39. The variability in pH was primarily interevent as opposed to intraevent. The 3-yr volume-weighted pH was 4.35 ± 0.02 for 3.16 m collected; annual pH's were 4.31, 4.37, and 4.38, and cumulative H+ deposition was 141 mg H+ m−2. Event-averaged rain pH and meteorological and air quality data were correlated. Low pH was associated with low rainfall volume and rate; rain after several dry days; rains with northeast surface winds; high SO2, NO2, and O3 in the ambient atmosphere; and high, strongly correlated, SO4 = and NO3 − rainwater concentrations. The lowest 3-yr seasonal average pH (4.31) occurred during summer; values for other seasons were ≈4.37. Average intraevent H+ molarity (volume-weighted) was accurately characterized by 6.89 E−5 *(mm ram)−0.215. The relative merits of composite (e.g., whole event) and sequential sampling are examined.
The molecular and solid state structure of lead thiobenzoate Pb[SC(O)Ph]2

Abstract The crystal and molecular structure of lead thiobenzoate Pb[SC(O)Ph] 2 has been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The thiobenzoate ligands are coordinated to the lead atom through the sulfur atoms of the thiobenzoate ligands. There are weak interactions with the oxygen atoms. In the solid state the structure exhibits a complex three dimensional network of Pb[SC(O)Ph] 2 units formed by bridging interactions by the sulfur atoms.
Birth and name-giving in Hittite texts.

literary types. In the omen literature, which in Hatti is totally derivative from Mesopotamia, mentions of childbirth figure principally in the fragments of the Summa izbu series. In the historical literature the subject of childbirth has relevance chiefly in connection with the absence of a legitimate heir or to indicate the blessing of the gods on a royal marriage.' In the legal literature it is mentioned in connection with the provision for compensations due to the husband of a woman whom another man has caused to miscarry.2 The prayers express the pious wishes of the royal couple for a large posterity (DUMU. MES-latar) along with the other customary blessings: life, health, longevity, and vigor.3 The bits of proverbial wisdom scattered about in the prayers and protocols include the belief that the gods will not deny the wish of a "woman of the birth stool" (4arnawas SAL).4 Rituals connected with the mythological cycles of Telepinus and other disappearing gods are designed to avert barrenness and sterility on a mass level,5 while Luwian-authored rituals of a remedial type designed for individuals (such as the ritual of Paikuwattii) were employed to relieve the frustrations of impotent males.6 On the distaff side Kizzuwatnean birth rituals such as that of Papanikri' or Kummanna prescribed apotropaic measures against evils consequent upon the sudden and ill-boding collapse of the birth stool or its attachments at the time of a woman's delivery.7 Other birth rituals, which were of Hattic origin judging from the deities invoked, detail for us the role of the midwife and her required equipment.8 The information from the mythological texts consists of small pericopes in the narratives describing the birth of important characters in the story, whether divine or human. So far all of these descriptions are to be found in the myths of Hurrian origin. Although Hattic myths such as IlluyankaP9 employ childbirth in their plots, all descriptions of the
Influence of double occupancy and lattice distortions on the magnetic phase diagram of A{sub 1{minus}x}A{sub x}{sup {prime}}MnO{sub 3}

A model is presented that describes the competition between the ferromagnetic and several antiferromagnetic structures observed in the A{sub 1{minus}x}A{sub x}{sup {prime}}MnO{sub 3} series. It is found that the strong asymmetry of the magnetic phase diagram, i.e., predominantly ferromagnetic for x{lt}0.5 and antiferromagnetic for x{gt}0.5, can readily be explained by extending the double exchange model to include double occupancy. The strong charge fluctuations between different MnO{sub 6} clusters are the result of the charge-transfer-like nature of the manganites. The dependence of the magnetic structure on lattice distortions is described. The appearance of different magnetic structures around x=0.5 is interpreted in terms of changes in the Mn-O-Mn bond angle and the Jahn-Teller distortions. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}
Simultaneous shape decomposition and skeletonization

Shape decomposition and skeletonization share many common properties and applications. However, they are generally treated as independent computations. In this paper, we propose an iterative approach that simultaneously generates a hierarchical shape decomposition and a corresponding set of multi-resolution skeletons. In our method, a skeleton of a model is extracted from the components of its decomposition --- that is, both processes and the qualities of their results are interdependent. In particular, if the quality of the extracted skeleton does not meet some user specified criteria, then the model is decomposed into finer components and a new skeleton is extracted from these components. The process of simultaneous shape decomposition and skeletonization iterates until the quality of the skeleton becomes satisfactory. We provide evidence that the proposed framework is efficient and robust under perturbation and. deformation. We also demonstrate that our results can readily be used in problems including skeletal deformations and virtual reality navigation.
Conflict and error processing in an extended cingulo-opercular and cerebellar network in schizophrenia

The loss of cognitive control is a prominent feature of schizophrenia. Relevant for adaptive control, individuals with schizophrenia often show impairments in their ability to monitor their ongoing behavior, and to adjust their responses based on advance information or feedback. By conducting a systematic examination of the behavioral adjustments after error and conflict and of activity within and between brain regions sensitive to the need to increase control (i.e. error commission, conflict presentation) in individuals with schizophrenia (n = 38) compared to healthy controls, we aimed to 1) shed light on the role of diverse brain regions previously associated with adaptive cognitive control, and 2) contribute to our understanding of the nature of the cognitive deficits present in individuals with schizophrenia. Our results show that error- and conflict-related behavioral adjustments are relatively intact during the performance of a change-signal task. Similarly, individuals with schizophrenia demonstrated intact error- and conflict-related effects in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, as well as in a number of other key regions including the bilateral anterior prefrontal cortex (PFC), bilateral insula, right inferior parietal lobule during error processing, and bilateral inferior parietal lobule and thalamus, right anterior PFC, left insula, and left lateral and inferior cerebellum during conflict processing. Given that a critical characteristic of our experimental design was the use of tasks that explicitly provide information about errors and conflict, we interpret our results as suggesting that the error- and conflict-detection systems are still somewhat functional in individuals with schizophrenia, but that a compromise in the ability to represent task relevant information that allow for the generation of an error representation may lead to the alterations in error- and conflict-processing documented in the schizophrenia literature.
1880 TO THE PRESENT

The generation of acoustic signals by light is briefly reviewed. The spectroscopic instrumentation involved in studying the photoacoustic effect is discussed as are applications of the process to gas and condensed matter measurements. (AIP)
Chemical versus Biological Explanations

: This paper analyzes four controversies in the 19th century life sciences: the nature of fermentation, the nature of infectious diseases, the generation of life from inanimate matter, and vitalism. All these controversies appear to concern chemical versus biological explanations, suggesting that reduction of biology to chemistry was the common underlying issue. My analysis rejects such interpretations, including the labels for explanation, and instead points out sophisticated forms of interdisciplinarity between chemistry, medicine, and biology in the first three debates. I argue that the philosophically favored perspective on reductionism, historically induced by a few physicians in the fourth debate, leads us astray from understanding interdisciplinary research.
Rapid and reliable inference of mitochondrial phylogroups among Watersipora species, an invasive group of ship-fouling species (Bryozoa, Cheilostomata)

Tracking biological invasion is an essential part of conservation, and identifying invasive species quickly following an introduction can be imperative. Invasive organisms are often difficult to distinguish visually, which can delay appropriate response measures. We have designed a multiplex-PCR system to effectively distinguish colonies of divergent cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) sequence clades in the bryozoan genus Watersipora, a genus with invasive species which are aggressive foulers of ship hulls, to understand small-scale invasion patterns and the ecology of lineages of different geographic origins. The identification of previously defined COI lineage groups is conducted using PCR reactions containing five primers. Lineage-specific fragment lengths were produced with 100% reliability, suggesting the assay will offer a rapid and economical means of studying invasion dynamics and the role of adaptation in this rapidly invading species complex.
A probe of emission order and time delay for pairs of ejectiles in nuclear reactions

Abstract A new technique is described for studying the physics of nuclear reactions by measurement and analysis of ejectile pairs. Ejectile correlations at small relative angles are used to construct velocity difference spectra. Comparison of these spectra with three-body trajectory model calculations (e.g. for 2HLi pairs) suggests that their shapes can reflect the fraction of events with 2H emitted first, as well as the mean lifetime between 2H and Li emissions. An example is shown for the reaction 34 A MeV 40 Ar + nat Ag ; it confirms the notion that the so-called direct 2H emission (forward deuterons of high energy) occurs predominantly before Li fragment emission. This technique has many possibilities for the elucidation of ultrafast reaction pathways.
Online Price Search: Impact of Price Comparison Sites on Offline Price Evaluations

Consumers increasingly rely on Internet price comparison sites (PCS) to gain knowledge about the market. The prices generated by a PCS search can act as contextual reference prices and influence the attractiveness of prices encountered later as consumers shop offline at local stores. This paper demonstrates that both PCS retailer ratings and the shape of the PCS price distribution influence the impact of PCS search results on later price evaluations. A favorable PCS retailer rating increases the perceived validity of the price associated with that retailer, enhancing the impact of that PCS price on offline price evaluations (Study 1). The shape of the PCS price distribution can also influence later price evaluations, however this effect depends on the information provided by the PCS retailer ratings. When PCS retailer ratings are similar, implying similar validity for the associated prices, low PCS prices and those appearing more frequently in the PCS price distribution have more impact (Studies 2 and 3). When PCS retailer ratings are variable (some high and some low), the PCS price distribution effect occurs only when the PCS retailer ratings provide congruent information about price validity — that is, the most frequent price is offered by retailers with more favorable ratings. Study 3 shows that price validity inferences do mediate this result. Finally, we depart from the offline shopping context to show that when consumers choose a retailer directly from the PCS search results, the effect of PCS retailer ratings is stronger for high-priced retailers and for consumers who rely less on the retailer price as a heuristic to infer retailer service level. Based on our findings we offer insights for online and offline retailers when considering strategic responses, such as price matching guarantees.
Sympathetic Nervous System in Heart Failure

For those who have comfortably accepted the mechanistic link between sympathetic nervous system activation and poor outcome in heart failure, the study by Brede et al1 in this issue of Circulation is a welcome confirmation. The authors appear to have demonstrated in a murine model that absence of sympathoinhibitory α2 adrenoreceptors is associated with overactive catecholamine release, aggressive remodeling of the left ventricle, worsening signs of heart failure, and shortened life expectancy. Provocatively, deletion polymorphism of the α2 receptor in patients with heart failure also appears to be associated with worse heart failure and poorer outcome. See p 2491 One may, of course, quibble with some experimental shortcomings. The number of animals is small, and surgical mortality is neither addressed nor accounted for. The magnitude of circulating norepinephrine increase in the at-risk receptor-deficient mice is surprisingly modest. The clinical material has been assessed retrospectively from a database that is poorly described and not available for scrutiny. Furthermore, the experimental model of pressure overload from aortic banding bears little similarity to the syndrome of heart failure observed clinically. Nonetheless, the apparent …
A new mucopolysaccharidosis

Two sibs, the children of healthy unrelated parents, have been evaluated because of multiple soft tissue contractures. Both were found to excrete excessive amounts of mucopolysaccharides, primarily heparitin sulfate, and chondroitin sulfate B. Neither had the bony abnormalities characteristic of the other disorders of mucopolysaccharide metabolism, but fine corneal opacities, detected only with the slit lamp, were observed in both children. Intelligence was normal. The clinical and biochemical features found in these 2 sibs were compared to the known types of mucopolysaccharidosis, and it was concluded that a new variant had been detected.
Visual guidance for information navigation: a computer-human interface design principle derived from cognitive neuroscience

Abstract Cognitive neuroscience describes the important function of the ‘where’ cortical processing system in directing attention to locations in space at which the ‘what’ cortical processing system identifies information. Spatial information detected by the ‘where’ system therefore indexes content information. Studies have shown that such spatial indexing can occur in recall as well as of computer interfaces would more closely couple computer applications to in the direction of perception within a stimulus array. Application of spatial indexing, as understood in cognitive neuroscience, to the design human information processing capabilities. A principle of computer-human interface design is offered which takes spatial indexing into account at both the screen and application levels. The principle states that designers should communicate via a spatial code the range of possible behaviours available from each location within the application. In other words, the designer must define an information space and present it to users from each location-relative point of view as they navigate through the space rather than from an absolute, location-independent point of view as if they are looking down from above. The goal of this paper is to get computer-human interface designers to recognize that people are actually highly skilled navigators within three-dimensional space and that interfaces would improve if designers would take such skills into account.
Young Bilingual Children's Heightened Sensitivity to Referential Cues

Children growing up in a dual-language environment have to constantly monitor the dynamic communicative context to determine what the speaker is trying to say and how to respond appropriately. Such self-generated efforts to monitor speakers' communicative needs may heighten children's sensitivity to, and allow them to make better use of, referential gestures to figure out a speaker's referential intent. In a series of studies, we explored monolingual and bilingual preschoolers' use of nonverbal referential gestures such as pointing and gaze direction to figure out a speaker's intent to refer. In Study 1, we found that 3- and 4-year-old bilingual children were better able than monolingual children to use referential gestures (e.g., gaze direction) to locate a hidden toy in the face of conflicting body-distal information (the experimenter was seated behind an empty box while the cue was directed at the correct box). Study 2 found that by 5 years of age, monolingual children had mastered this task. Study 3 e...
Technical Issues in the Use of the Radial Artery as a Coronary Artery Bypass Conduit

The clinical and angiographic benefits related to the use of the radial artery (RA) as a bypass conduit have extensively been proven. However, due to its morpho-functional features and its anatomic position, successful use of the RA requires careful consideration of several technical issues. We herein summarize the current evidence on all the technical aspects related to the RA use in coronary surgery such as the preoperative evaluation of ulnar compensation, the different means of intraoperative vasodilatation, and the various harvesting techniques.
Reconsolidating salt: Compaction, constitutive modeling, and physical processes

Abstract The proposed use of crushed salt as a functional seal element in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) shafts has given rise to several technological advances. A large-scale dynamic compaction demonstration using mine-run salt produced a compacted mass having a fractional density of 0.9 and a permeability of 9×10 −14 m 2 . To model evolution of crushed salt from these initial conditions to a high-density, low-permeability seal requires implementation of a suitable constitutive model. Candidate models were evaluated, generalized, and fit to limited data. Refinement of model parameters and definition of the relationship between permeability and density necessitate further experimental work as discussed in this paper. Implementation of a proper constitutive model, inclusion of a reliable permeability/density relationship for reconsolidating crushed salt, and a fundamental understanding of micromechanical processes assure credible design and analyses of the WIPP shaft seal system.
FIXED POINT RATIOS IN EXCEPTIONAL GROUPS OF RANK AT MOST TWO

ABSTRACT We obtain upper bounds for the fixed point ratios of the faithful primitive representations of those almost simple finite groups G for which is group of exceptional Lie type of Lie rank 1 or 2. These bounds are shown to be either best possible, or, in the case of very close to best possible.
Inelastic processes in extended x-ray-absorption fine structure.

Inelastic processes in extended x-ray-absorption fine structure (EXAFS) are studied using an extension of the semiclassical model of dynamical screening of a core hole and a photoelectron. This treatment effectively includes both extrinsic and intrinsic inelastic losses, as well as interference between them. The local-density approximation is used to derive a complex, energy-dependent final-state potential which includes dynamical corrections to the static exchange-correlation potential. A local relaxation method is developed to calculate the core-hole Green's function, from which the EXAFS amplitude-reduction factor can be determined. Applications to EXAFS amplitudes for the diatomic molecule ${\mathrm{Br}}_{2}$ and for metallic Cu yield results in reasonable agreement with experiment.
Tumor characteristics as predictors of local recurrence after treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ: a meta-analysis

While ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is seldom life threatening, the management of DCIS remains a dilemma for patients and their physicians. Aggressive treatment reduces the risk of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR), but has never been proven to improve survival. There is interest in identifying the prognostic factors for determining low-risk DCIS patients, but a comprehensive review of high-quality evidence on tumor characteristics in predicting local recurrence has never been carried out. We examined the following tumor characteristics: biomarkers, comedonecrosis, focality, surgical margin, method of detection, tumor grade, and tumor size. For this systematic review we restricted the analyses to the results of subgroup analyses from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and multivariate analyses from RCTs and observational studies. We identified 44 eligible articles. The pooled random-effects risk estimates for IBTR are comedonecrosis 1.71(95% CI, 1.36–2.16), focality 1.95(95% CI, 1.59–2.40), margin 2.25(95% CI, 1.77–2.86), method of detection 1.35(95% CI, 1.12–1.62), tumor grade 1.81(95% CI, 1.53–2.13), and tumor size 1.63(95% CI, 1.30–2.06). Limited evidence indicated that women whose DCIS is ER-negative, PR-negative, or HER2/neu receptor positive have an IBTR higher than those whose DCIS is ER-positive, PR-positive, and HER2/neu receptor negative. A variety of tumor characteristics are significant predictors for IBTR. These results are important for both clinicians and patients to interpret the risk of local recurrence and to decide on a course of treatment.
Promise and performance : a study of ability and achievement in higher education

(1963). “Promise and Performance: A Study of Ability and Achievement in Higher Education. The Journal of Higher Education: Vol. 34, No. 8, pp. 476-478.
Mammalian Mitochondria Possess Homologous DNA Recombination Activity

Mitochondrial protein extracts from normal and immortalized mammalian somatic cells catalyze homologous recombination of plasmid DNA substrates. Mitochondrial homologous recombination activity required exogenous adenosine triphosphate, although substantial activity remained when non-hydrolyzable analogs were used instead. There was no requirement for added nucleoside triphosphates, and the reaction was not inhibited by dideoxyadenosine triphosphate or aphidicolin. The majority of recombinant plasmid molecules result from a conservative process, indicating that nuclease-mediated strand-annealing is not responsible for the mitochondrial homologous recombination activity. Affinity-purified anti-recA antibodies inhibited the reaction, suggesting that activity is dependent on a mammalian mitochondrial homolog of the bacterial strand-transferase protein. The presence of homologous recombination activity within mammalian mitochondrial extracts suggests that this process is involved in mitochondrial DNA repair.
Functional subsets within clonally expanded CD8(+) memory T cells in elderly humans.

Abstract With advancing age, healthy humans frequently demonstrate large clonal expansions of CD8 + T cells in the peripheral blood, which persist for long periods of time and appear to be maintained as a population of memory cells. We studied nine large T cell clones in five elderly individuals. We noted that in most cases the expanded clones were dominated by cells that did not express CD28, a pivotal molecule in T cell activation, and these clones proliferated poorly in culture. However, nearly all of the clonal expansions had CD28 + fractions and some of these cells appeared to lose CD28 gene expression with stimulation in culture. CD28 + cells demonstrated greater proliferation in both bulk and limiting dilution cultures compared to CD28 − cells bearing the same TCR, whereas CD28 − cells showed increased perforin expression. Together, these data suggest that loss of CD28 expression marks functional differentiation to cytotoxic memory cells within these clonal expansions and likely within CD8 + memory populations in general.
Analysis of mixed categorical data in 2×K contingency tables

2×K contingency tables having both ordinal and nominal categories are often encountered in various types of studies. Such data are referred to as ‘mixed’ categorical data in this article. To apply a method for ordered categorical data one has to discard the nominal categories, and to apply a method for nominal categories one has to discard the ordering information inherent in the ordered categories. Therefore, investigators often either discard observations in nominal categories or discard the ordering of the categories before analysing such data. Some information will be lost in both approaches. A method for analysing data in 2×K ‘mixed’ tables is proposed in this paper which can be considered as an extension of well known methods for nominal and ordered categories. The proposed method utilizes observations in the nominal categories as well as the ordering information. If all the categories were ordered then the proposed method reduces to the trend test, and if all the categories were nominal then the proposed method reduced to Pearson's chi-square test. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.