cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Religious Identity: Reflections on Revelation and Rationality

There is a widespread assumption that ethnic origins substantially contribute, if not constitute, the identity of individuals. In particular, among the ethnic elements, it is claimed that religion takes precedence and people could be individuated in terms of their religious affiliations. Indeed, public theology as an attempt to expand on the public consequences of religious doctrines and beliefs is predicated on the legitimacy of the idea of religious identity. However, the purpose of this article is to show that strictly speaking identity cannot be constituted by religion. More precisely, it is argued that a phenomenological characterization of individual identity fails to do justice to the philosophical requirements of identity. The argument is obviously philosophical by nature and is developed through an analysis of the concept of revelation. The phenomenon of revelation plays a pivotal role in the Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions, yet by its very nature owes its authenticity to something prior to itself; namely, reason. This entails the priority of reason over revelation and as such undermines claims that purport to define identity in terms of revelation/religion. This detachment of identity from religion would clearly have far reaching socio-political implications for issues such as religious diversity, pluralism and multiculturalism in particular and public theology in general.
Resonance Absorption of p‐Benzosemiquinone in the Zeeman Region

The resonance absorption of p‐benzosemiquinone in sodium ethylate—ethanol solution has been determined from t=−50°C to room temperature in the Zeeman region at frequencies of the order of the zero field splitting produced by the isotropic hyperfine coupling. At t=−50°C, the resonance absorption indicated free‐radical interactions with two sodium nuclei. The isotropic coupling constants measured for the free electron spin—1H and 23Na interactions were, respectively, | A | = 6.63±0.01 MHz and | A′| = 0.34±0.05 MHz. Due to the finite widths, resonance absorptions were observed near Hz = 0 for rf frequencies of ν/ | A | = 2.48±0.01 and 1.49±0.01. The observed linewidth inverse temperature dependence for −20°≤t≤0°C was explained on the basis of the over‐all chemical exchange process [Complex chemical formula], whence the first‐order rate of disappearance chemical exchange time τe,k=|A′|−1×exp[Ea(T−1−T0−1)/R] was obtained. The over‐all energy of activation was determined to be Ea = 10±1 kcal mole−1 and T0 = 253...
Design studies of lift fan engines suitable for use in civilian VTOL aircraft.

Low pressure ratio fan engines are receiving increasing attention as a means to provide low speed lift for civilian VTOL transports. Two general types of fan lift engines that are being studied are integral fans and remote power fans. Preliminary engine design studies of both types of lift fan systems have been made. The paper summarizes a portion of the results of the engine design studies, including the crucial engine requirements, and some of the characteristics of the emerging engine designs of each type.
Model for optimal parallax in stereo radar imagery

Simulated stereo radar imagery is used to investigate parameters for a spaceborne Imaging radar. Incidence angles ranging from small to intermediate to large are used with three digital terrain model areas which are representative of relatively flat, moderately rough, and mountainous terrain. The simulated radar imagery was evaluated by interpreters for ease of stereo perception and information content, and rank ordered within each class of terrain. The interpreter's results are analyzed for trends between the height of a feature and either parallax or vertical exaggeration for a stereo pair. A model is developed which predicts the amount of parallax (or vertical exaggeration) an interpreter would desire for best stereo perception of a feature of a specific height. Results indicate the selection of angle of incidence and stereo intersection angle depend upon the relief of the terrain. Examples of the simulated stereo imagery are presented for a candidate spaceborne imaging radar having four selectable angles of incidence.
Impact of Pension Plan Liabilities on Real Estate Investment

Typical mean–variance models estimate pension plan allocations to public and private real estate as high as 50% or even higher. An asset/liability model of pension plan decision–making predicts much lower allocations to both private and public real estate that are closer to what we actually observe. Pension plans in different industries can have different optimal allocations to private and public real estate. Industry influences allocations to private real estate more than to public real estate.
Suppression of elastic scattering resonances in microdroplets seeded with nm-sized latex particles

Resonance structure in elastic scattering (at approximately 90 deg from the direction of forward scattering) has been measured for evaporating micron-sized glycerol droplets suspended in an electrodynamic trap. Seeding the droplets with polystyrene latex particles having diameter 30 nm <EQ d <EQ 105 nm broadens and attenuates the highest Q (Q approximately equals 104-105) resonances. Further, regardless of whether resonance conditions are satisfied, the addition of latex particles causes fluctuations of the elastic scattering with amplitude up to approximately equals 10% of the total signal.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The ‘storming’ pattern of enterprise behavior in a centrally planned economy

Abstract Storming refers to an extremely uneven pattern of enterprise performance with a disproportionately large share of output being produced at the end of the planning period. I review the traditional explanations of storming and suggest new ones. I argue that enterprises find it easier to get away with producing lower quality output in the end of the planning period. Therefore, an enterprise waits until the end of the period when it can fulfill the plan with output of lower quality. I illustrate this thesis using a game-theoretic model where storming behavior is a subgame-perfect equilibrium strategy.
Zeno-free, distributed event-triggered communication and control for multi-agent average consensus

This paper studies a distributed event-triggered communication and control strategy that solves the multi-agent average consensus problem. The proposed strategy does not rely on the continuous or periodic availability of information to an agent about the state of its neighbors, but instead prescribes isolated event times where both communication and controller updates occur. In addition, all parameters required for its implementation can be locally determined by the agents. We show that the resulting network executions are guaranteed to converge to the average of the initial agents' states, establish that events cannot be triggered an infinite number of times in any finite time period (i.e, no Zeno behavior), and characterize the exponential rate of convergence. We also provide sufficient conditions for convergence in scenarios with time-varying communication topologies. Simulations illustrate our results.
The effect of aneurysm geometry on the intra-aneurysmal flow condition.

Introduction Various anatomical parameters affect on intra-aneurysmal hemodynamics. Nevertheless, how the shapes of real patient aneurysms affect on their intra-aneurysmal hemodynamics remains unanswered.
Immunohistological Study of the Endometrial Stromal Fibroblasts in the Opossum, Monodelphis domestica: Evidence for Homology with Eutherian Stromal Fibroblasts

Molecular phylogenetic studies suggest that the hemochorial placentation and decidualization are ancestral traits of eutherian mammals. While the origin of the placental tissue is well understood, the origin of the decidual cells is unclear. Here we address the origin of decidual cells by examining the expression patterns of six transcription factors (TFs) as well as four structural proteins in the endometrium of a marsupial, Monodelphis domestica, and compared them with the patterns known from eutherian species. We found a mesenchymal cell population in the subepithelial compartment of the opossum endometrium. These cells express a set of TFs, such as homeobox A11 (HOXA11), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta (CEBPB), and progesterone receptor (PGR), that are important for eutherian endometrial stromal cells. On the other hand, we did not find the expression of a decidual cell marker desmin (DES) or of TFs that are important for decidual cell differentiation, such as forkhead box O1 (FOXO1), in those cells. Based on these results, we propose that opossum has cells homologous to eutherian endometrial fibroblasts but no decidual cells. In addition, we describe cellular changes associated with the progression of pregnancy: nuclear localization of CEBPB in luminal epithelial cells as early as 8 days postcoitum, expansion of endometrial glands, nuclear localization of FOXO1 in glandular epithelial cells, and expression of smooth muscle actin in luminal epithelial cells. These data show that the luminal and glandular epithelium react to the presence of the preplacentation conceptus and suggest a limited form of pregnancy recognition.
Allport-Vernon-Lindzey Study of Values: 1. Factor Structure for a Combined Sample of Male and Female College Students

A principal components analysis was performed on the self-ratings (for a combined sample) obtained from the Allport-Vernon-Lindzey Study of Values (N = 150 combined sample of 102 male and 48 female...
Boundary layers and separation on a spheroid at incidence

Three-dimensional boundary layers on a 6:1 spheroid at an incidence of 10 deg have been calculated at two Reynolds numbers. At the lower Reynolds number, the boundary layer is predominantly laminar, but at the higher Reynolds number it includes laminar, transitional, and turbulent-flow regions. Comparisons have been made with the previously existing data. The results clearly deomonstrate the capabilities and limitations of firstorder boundary-layer theory.
Developing Content and Form: Encouraging Evidence From Italian Content-Based Instruction

Swain (1985) pointed out the need for increased modified output in the classroom in order to encourage learners to engage in more syntactic processing and, thus, make more form-meaning connections. Research in content-based instruction (CBI) (Musumeci, 1996; Pica, 2002) has revealed few occasions of pushed modified output from learners. Therefore, one questions whether CBI classes are effective in promoting and developing not only content knowledge, but also form–function abilities, specifically in the expressive skills. Second language (L2) learners from a 3rd semester university-level content-based geography course (N= 43) completed 2 (or 3) production tasks at the beginning and end of the regular semester. The findings revealed that learners made significant improvements in both content knowledge and functional linguistic abilities. However, it is possible that that latter still has room for improvement.
Influence of Clouds, Haze, and Smog on the Middle Ultraviolet Reaching the Ground

We extend the multiple scattering formalism of Shettle and Green using a turbid atmosphere of uniform horizontal layers with vertical nonhomogeneities by introducing uniform cloud, haze, and smog layers. Our solution follows the rigorous equations of Chandrasekhar. The fact that it is capable of handling a cloud layer of large optical thickness with minimal subdivision of that layer permits a fast computer solution. A formalism for treating a fractional cloud layer is presented, and this allows the interesting possibility of an increase in the global flux over the clear-sky case that was not allowed by the uniform layers. The uv spectral and dose results are then compared with existing experimental data, and averaged effects are presented and parameterized.
Association of the human kainate receptor GluR7 gene (GRIK3) with recurrent major depressive disorder.

The etiology of mood disorders remains elusive, despite our increasing understanding of the neurotransmitter systems and brain regions that are involved. We performed a large family-based association study to test if the human kainate receptor GluR7 gene (GRIK3) is associated with bipolar disorder (BP) or recurrent major depressive disorder (R-MDD). One hundred fifty-three multiplex BP families from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Genetics Initiative on Bipolar Disorder were analyzed with the transmission disequilibrium test (TDT). We detected a significant linkage disequilibrium (LD) indicated by preferential maternal transmission of the GluR7 S310 allele to R-MDD patients (P = 0.012), but not to bipolar I disorder (BPI) patients (P = 1.00). We performed a second independent study by applying the TDT in 81 parent–offspring triads from families that inherit recurrent early-onset major depressive disorder (RE-MDD). The results from this second study showed only a suggestive maternal association (P = 0.068). Our findings imply that the GluR7 gene is a susceptibility factor in R-MDD and that the glutamatergic receptor system plays a critical role in the disease etiology. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Concussion: the hidden injury.

Concussions are often a hidden injury. Unlike other injuries such as breaking an arm or tearing a muscle, a concussion will not always show outward symptoms, even though the damage inside can be very severe.
A novel stop codon mutation (X417L) of the ferrochelatase gene in bovine protoporphyria, a natural animal model of the human disease.

Abstract Protoporphyria (PP) is caused by a deficiency of ferrochelatase (FC) activity, which catalyzes the final step in the heme biosynthesis pathway. Bovine are the only species other than man with naturally occurring PP. For expression of the PP phenotype, two copies of the mutated gene are necessary in bovine, whereas one copy is sufficient in humans. We report the first potential disease-causing mutation in the bovine FC gene. The coding region of FC was sequenced from the liver tissue of protoporphyric and normal bovine. A transversion was identified at nucleotide position 1250 which changed the stop codon to leucine (TGA→TTA) in the protoporphyric FC sequence. As a consequence, the mutant protein is predicted to have an additional 27 amino acids. To screen other bovine for the G→T transversion, cDNAs from liver tissue of clinically and biochemically normal, and from heterozygous and homozygous affected animals were used for allele-specific polymerase chain reaction. Three normal animals had only the G allele, five affected animals had only the T allele, and three heterozygous animals had both the G and T alleles. These results support our hypothesis that this mutation causes PP in bovine.
Detection of the human specific Bacteroides genetic marker provides evidence of widespread sewage contamination of stormwater in the urban environment

Human sewage contamination of surface waters is a major human health concern. We found urban stormwater systems that collect and convey runoff from impervious surfaces act as a conduit for sewage originating from breeches in sanitary sewer infrastructure. A total of 828 samples at 45 stormwater outfalls were collected over a four-year period and assessed by culture based methods, PCR, and quantitative PCR (qPCR) to test for traditional and alternative indicators of fecal pollution. All outfalls had the HF183 (human) Bacteroides genetic marker detected in at least one sample, suggesting sewage contamination is nearly ubiquitous in the urban environment. However, most outfalls were intermittently positive, ranging from detection in 11%-100% of the samples. Positive results did not correlate with seasonality, rainfall amounts, or days since previous rainfall. Approximately two-thirds of the outfalls had high (>5000 copy number, i.e. CN, per 100 ml) or moderate levels (1000-5000 CN per 100 ml) of the human Bacteroides genetic marker. Escherichia coli (E. coli) and enterococci levels did not correlate to human Bacteroides. A total of 66% of all outfall samples had standard fecal indicator levels above 10,000 CFU per 100 ml. A tiered assessment using this benchmark to identify high priority sites would have failed to flag 35% of the samples that had evidence of sewage contamination. In addition, high fecal indicators would have flagged 33% of samples as priority that had low or no evidence of sewage. Enteric virus levels in one outfall with high levels of the human Bacteroides genetic marker were similar to untreated wastewater, which illustrates stormwater can serve as a pathway for pathogen contamination. The major source of fecal pollution at four of five river sites that receive stormwater discharge appeared to be from sewage sources rather than non-human sources based on the ratios of human Bacteroides to total Bacteroides spp. This study shows the feasibility and benefits of employing molecular methods to test for alternative indicators of fecal pollution to identify sewage sources and potential health risks and for prioritization of remediation efforts.
Automatic administration of the get up and go test

In-home monitoring using sensors has the potential to improve the life of elderly and chronically ill persons, assist their family and friends in supervising their status, and provide early warning signs to the person's clinicians. The Get Up and Go test is a clinical test used to assess the balance and gait of a patient. We propose a way to automatically apply an abbreviated version of this test to patients in their residence using video data without body-worn sensors or markers.
Geothermal energy and desalination: Partners in progress

Abstract Geothermal resources provide not only great potential of energy and desalting water, but, are pollution free of soot, nitrous oxides, sulphur dioxide, nuclear heated water, or radiation. This paper presented the detailed program information on the development project of geothermal resources in the Imperial Valley of California which shows great expectation. Problems and analysis of geothermal water from neighboring Mexican wells were also outlined.
Sialic acid metabolism in rats undergoing chemically-induced mammary gland carcinogenesis in specific dietary states.

Summary The enzymes responsible for the activation, transfer and hydrolysis of sialic acids were investigated in female rats with mammary adenocarcinomas induced by administration of a single oral dose (10 mg) of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene. The carcinogenic process was modulated by the levels and degree of unsaturation of the dietary lipids. Tumor incidence was highest in rats fed a diet containing 20% corn oil, intermediate with 18% coconut oil plus 2% linoleic acid, and lowest in the group receiving a diet with 2% linoleic acid. Sialyltransferase and CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid synthetase activities were higher in tumors than in control mammary glands. Neuraminidase activity, on the other hand, was higher in control tissue than in tumors. In addition to these tumor-related effects, comparison of the enzyme levels in mammary tissues from control animals of the 3 dietary groups revealed the presence of diet-related effects on sialic acid metabolism. In the livers of tumor-bearing rats, only minor changes of enzyme activities were detected.
Characterization of core-shell MOF particles by depth profiling experiments using on-line single particle mass spectrometry

Materials with core–shell structures have distinct properties that lend themselves to a variety of potential applications. Characterization of small particle core–shell materials presents a unique analytical challenge. Herein, single particles of solid-state materials with core–shell structures were measured using on-line aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ATOFMS). Laser ‘depth profiling’ experiments verified the core–shell nature of two known core–shell particle configurations (<2 μm diameter) that possessed inverted, complimentary core–shell compositions (ZrO2@SiO2versus SiO2@ZrO2). The average peak area ratios of Si and Zr ions were calculated to definitively show their core–shell composition. These ratio curves acted as a calibrant for an uncharacterized sample – a metal–organic framework (MOF) material surround by silica (UiO-66(Zr)@SiO2; UiO = University of Oslo). ATOFMS depth profiling was used to show that these particles did indeed exhibit a core–shell architecture. The results presented here show that ATOFMS can provide unique insights into core–shell solid-state materials with particle diameters between 0.2–3 μm.
Radiographic solution contamination

Contamination of processor solutions adversely affects the image quality of radiographic films. The purpose of this study was to determine the amount of developer or fixer contaminant that was necessary to produce a significant densitometric change in the base plus fog, speed, or contrast optical density readings for panoramic film. Significant differences in base plus fog (after 16 mL of fixer contaminant was added to developer), speed index (after 4 mL), and contrast index (after 8 mL) were observed in comparison with control values.
Results of operation in Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare lung disease

Abstract Background . Although operation remains part of the management of Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare lung disease, few series have assessed operation in the era of better therapeutic drugs (especially clarithromycin). Methods . From January 1, 1989, through June 30, 1997, 28 patients with M avium-intracellulare lung disease underwent pulmonary resection. All were receiving multidrug therapy (17 of 28 were receiving clarithromycin) before and after operation. Eight patients underwent pneumonectomy (6 right, 2 left); 20 patients underwent partial resections including 18 with upper lobe lobectomies (14 right, 4 left). The most common indications for operation were medical treatment failure (15) and as part of initial therapy (9). Results . Mean postoperative follow-up was 39 months. Complications occurred in 9 of 28 patients (32%), and included persistent air leak requiring surgical correction (5), early postoperative death (2), and late bronchopleural fistulae (1 patient). Twenty-three of 26 patients were known to be acid fast bacilli culture negative within 1 month of operation. Only 1 of 26 patients who survived 2 years is known to have had a relapse. Conclusions . Operation continues to play an important role in treatment of M avium-intracellulare lung disease. More than 90% of patients become culture negative and remain so when they continue to receive drugs. Although morbidity is relatively high, it is manageable and the 12-month mortality in the current series was low (7%).
Respiratory response of cunners to silver

Abstract Cunners, a common inshore teleost fish of the north-east coast of the United States, were exposed to various concentrations of silver for 96 h. At the end of this exposure period measurements of gill-tissue oxygen consumption were made. Significant respiratory depression was noted after exposure to concentrations as low as 0.12 ppm. These results are compared to those of similar studies using cadmium and mercury as the test metals.
Potential of mean force for separation of the repeating units in cellulose and hemicellulose

Abstract As a first step toward understanding the energetics of removal of cello-oligomers from the cellulose surface, we have performed umbrella sampling calculations to determine the free energy required for separation of repeating units of cellulose and hemicellulose from each other. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed for both the stacked and non-stacked arrangements of the cellobiose pair system and the xylobiose pair system. These stacked and non-stacked arrangements were taken as representative systems for the crystalline and amorphous domains in cellulose and hemicellulose. In addition, similar calculations were also carried out to determine the energetics involved in the separation of the cellobiose–xylobiose molecule pair in the non-stacked arrangement. The potential of mean force profiles exhibit a single minimum in all cases and are qualitatively similar. Our results show that the location of the minimum as well as the depth of the well can be correlated with the size of the disaccharide molecules.
Familial ovarian cancer. A report of 658 families from the Gilda Radner familial ovarian cancer registry 1981-1991

Oncology researchers analyzed data on 658 families (1568 women) with familial ovarian cancer accessioned in the Gilda Radner Familial Ovarian Cancer Registry maintained at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo New York from 1981 through May 1991 to examine features of familial ovarian cancer. This registry was named after the late comedienne Gilda Radner who had had a history of familial ovarian cancer. Data on 1568 women free of ovarian cancer attending the Roswell Park Screening Clinic were used to determine odds ratios (ORs). Ovarian cancer occurred in 338 mother-daughter relationships accounting for 40.5% of families with familial ovarian cancer. 66.4% (218) and 13.8% (114) of these families were mother-1 daughter and mother-2 daughters relationships respectively. 1 family had 7 members afflicted with ovarian cancer (1 mother 4 daughters 1 maternal aunt and 1 other woman). A woman with a family history of ovarian cancer that included her mother had an OR of 40.73. The daughters tended to be younger at diagnosis of ovarian cancer than were their mothers (mean 58.56 years vs. 49086; median 57 vs. 49; p < .001 for both mean and median). Sister-sister relationships comprised the 2nd most common familial ovarian cancer relationship (38.8% [255]) especially 2 sisters (75.7%). A woman with a family history of ovarian cancer that included a sister had an OR of 34.51. Oral contraceptive use was considerably less common in index cases who had ovarian cancer than it was in those who did not have ovarian cancer (26.7% vs. 73.2%; p < .001). On the other hand index cases with ovarian cancer were more likely to have used other estrogens than those free of ovarian cancer (23.3% vs. 16.9%; p < .01). Histology of the registry cases revealed an increase in serous adenocarcinoma poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma borderline carcinoma and gonadoblastoma between 1973-1977 and 1981-1991. These findings highly suggest that ovarian cancer is an autosomal dominant inheritance with variable penetrance.
Facultative blood-feeding in the crabhole mosquito, Deinocerites cancer.

. 1. Most of the female crabhole mosquitoes Deinocerites cancer Theobald entering bait traps had undeveloped ovaries. 2. Nearly half of the D.cancer females that were captured in bait traps, but denied blood, were gravid following a 1 week holding period; they developed relatively small egg clutches autogenously (mean=7.4 eggs per gravid female). 3. Although both parous and nulliparous D. cancer females were captured exiting from crabholes, only parous females were attracted to and collected in bait traps. 4. Much larger egg clutches (mean=41.8 eggs per female) were produced anautogenously by mosquitoes that blood-fed on chickens. 5. All D. cancer females from field collected pupae developed eggs autogenously when allowed to mate and sugar feed in the laboratory. These mosquitoes produced an initial egg clutch with a mean size equivalent to that found in blood-fed, parous mosquitoes from bait traps. 6. In the field, mating and sugar feeding rather than blood-feeding seem to stimulate production of the initial egg clutch. 7. D.cancer blood-feeding appears to be delayed until after the first egg clutch has been laid; some parous crabhole mosquitoes are facultative blood feeders and can produce an egg clutch either with or without a blood meal.
Connective tissue biology and hepatic fibrosis: Report of a conference

The past 15 years have seen major advances in the characterization of extracellular matrix proteins and structure of matrix. As a by-product of this work, investigators now have an array of molecular and immunological reagents for monitoring matrix metabolism. Progress in the isolation and culture of individual cell types from liver has made possible direct measurement of matrix protein production and also has opened the way to studies of matrix degradation. The expanding knowledge of soluble mediators of inflammation is being applied to the regulation of matrix protein synthesis and degradation. Finally, experimental models of fibrosis in vivo are available for defining the complexity of matrix metabolism in the intact tissue and for validating the findings from cell culture and in vitro systems.
Spectral Envelope and Context Effects in the Tritone Paradox

In previous studies of the ‘tritone paradox’ Deutsch has suggested that, when listeners are presented with pairs of octave-complex tones that are equal in average log frequency but differ in chroma by 6 semitones (a tritone), they perceive the direction of the chroma difference according to an individual pitch-class template. However, it has also been found that the perceived direction changes for many listeners when the spectral envelope of the tones is shifted along the frequency axis. Reanalysis of these data indicates a strong tendency to perceive the pitch class corresponding to the frequency on which the spectral envelope is centered as subjectively lowest. In experiment 1 this spectral-envelope effect was replicated with tone pairs presented in isolation, at the rate of one a day, which rules out artifacts of test format. In experiment 2, involving another context-free format, envelope center frequency was varied over a wide range and it was shown that some individuals are totally envelope dependen...
Broadband fiber-optic 1x2 switch using an electrically controlled liquid lens

To the best of our knowledge, proposed is the first liquid lens technology-based 1x2 fiber optic switch using a single Electronically Controlled Variable Focus Lens (ECVFL). By controlling the focal length of the liquid ECVFL, the input optical beam is spatially adjusted to couple into the respective output fiber port. The switch demonstrates a 3-dB bandwidth of 175.67 nm, with a center frequency of 1550 nm, and features low power consumption suitable for mobile applications. The proposed switch can be useful in communication and control systems, in roadway sensor systems, vehicle detection systems, and monitoring systems.
Early Embryonic Development Role-Playing in a Large Introductory Biology Lecture

Animal development in introductory biology texts is generally described as a series of four coordinated and controlled phases of cell growth and movement: Body Axis, Segmentation, Segment Structures/Characteristics and, finally, Differentiation. In an ongoing effort to reform my teaching practices and place my introductory biology lectures within the context of student’s lives, I began teaching the development chapter as one possible outcome of the transcription and translational processes. During this process, I realized that students were having difficulty visualizing what was happening during early embryonic development. This activity was created to expose students to early embryonic development by making them move and change in a manner similar to what a cell in the embryo might undergo.
Color Term Salience

Eleven focal colors are named by basic color terms in many languages. The most salient colors (black, white, and perhaps red) are named in all languages; the least salient of the set are named in fewer languages. Salience correlates with earliness of introduction, as measured by a scale of social evolution; with brevity of expression, as measured by phonemic length of basic color terms; with frequency of use, as measured by frequency of basic color terms in literary languages; and with frequency of mention in ethnographic literature. None of these correlations are established in the pioneer study of Berlin and Kay (1969), a study whose defects are well exposed by Durbin (1972) and Wescott (1970). The first two were documented respectively in Naroll (1970) and Durbin (1972); the last two are documented here. These four correlations independently support the Berlin-Kay color salience theory. They furnish a sound basis for further research on color term salience in particular and indeed on salience phenomena in general. We speculate that salience may be an important general principle of cultural evolution.
Outcome of Sturge-Weber syndrome in 52 adults

Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) is a neurocutaneous disorder characterized by cutaneous facial angioma, leptomeningeal angioma associated with seizures and other neurologic complications including mental retardation, and glaucoma. Only limited information about long-term outcome, including the societal integration of adult patients, is available in the literature. Data on 52 adults with SWS, ages 18-63 years, ascertained through the Sturge-Weber Foundation, were obtained via written questionnaires, telephone interviews, and reviews of medical records. The distribution of port-wine stains (cranial 98%, extracranial 52%) and the prevalences of glaucoma (60%), seizures (83%), neurologic deficit (65%), and other complications were established. The age of onset of glaucoma (0-41 years), the age of onset of seizures (0-23 years), and the correlation between the distribution of port-wine stains and the prevalence of seizures was identified. The relationship between the age of onset of seizures and seizure control was established. In those with and without seizures, the prevalences of developmental delay (43% vs. 0%), emotional and behavior problems (85% vs. 58%), special education requirements (71% vs. 0%), and employability (46% vs. 78%) were analyzed. Overall, 39% were financially self-sufficient, and 55% were or could be married. Ten participants produced 20 liveborn offspring; 17 were healthy, and tuberous sclerosis, a cafe-au-lait spot, and a "birthmark" were found in 1 child each. The results of this study can be used for genetic counseling in Sturge-Weber syndrome.
Effects of phlorizin on glucose transport into blood and lymph

Abstract Phlorizin was administered by oral and intraperitoneal routes to rats prepared with cannulated mesenteric lymph ducts. Oral phlorizin (fed with glucose by stomach-tube) depressed the uptake of fed glucose into both blood and lymph. No inhibition of water transport occurred while glucose transport was decreased, yet very high levels of oral phlorizim (220 μmoles) would block water transport to lymph from the intestine. Intraperitoneally injected phlorizin did not show an effect on glucose transported by lymph or blood, but did promote glycosuria. Typical findings are presented in the text.
The removal of co-deposited carbon/deuterium films from stainless steel and tungsten by transferred-arc cleaning

Abstract Deuterium and carbon were co-deposited onto tungsten and stainless steel samples using a deuterium plasma seeded with varying amounts of deuterated methane to simulate carbon-based deposited layers in magnetic-confinement fusion devices. Cathodic arc, or transferred-arc (TA) cleaning was employed to remove the deposits from the samples. The samples were characterized by ion beam analysis both before and after cleaning to determine deuterium and carbon concentrations present. The extent of TA cleaning was varied to determine the deuterium and carbon removal efficiency and sample erosion rate. The deuterium content was greatly reduced by the cleaning, thus demonstrating the possibility of using the TA cleaning technique for removing deuterium and/or tritium from components exposed to D–T fuels. The TA removal of carbon, tantalum and molybdenum contaminants from the same samples was also quantified. Removal of surface layers and significant reduction of subsurface concentrations of these contaminants were observed.
Digital coil protection system I/O and data subsystem for NSTX-U

The Digital Coil Protection System (DCPS) for NSTX-U is a system that evaluates operational parameters in real time and prevents physical damage to the reactor and its coils. The system is built upon commercial products: a realtime Linux operating system and analog and digital I/O boards. Signals from various digital and analog sources are captured, conditioned, validated and stored before being passed to a system of parallel algorithms for processing. Incremental data must be recorded during processing for postshot analysis. Additionally, algorithm parameter data must be stored in a fashion that prevents both inadvertent and malicious tampering which could result in exposing the machine to the risk of severe damage. This paper will discuss the object oriented design and implementation used to address these challenges. Details of how real time Linux tools were used to ensure predictable and stable operation will also be discussed.
Functional cor triloculare

Abstract We have presented the clinical and pathologic data on a patient with malrotation of the colon, dextrocardia, common ventricular origin of the aorta and pulmonary artery, and patent interventricular septum. We feel that this represents an unusual variant of transposition of the great vessels.
Correlation between Plasma, Intracellular, and Cervical Tissue Levels of Raltegravir at Steady-State Dosing in Healthy Women

Raltegravir is an antiretroviral with potential value for preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against HIV, but the intracellular pharmacokinetics in genital tissue have not been described. In this study, healthy, HIV-uninfected nonpregnant women took 400 mg of raltegravir twice daily for 22 days. On day 8, 15, and 22, blood was collected 0, 4, 6, 8, and 12 h and cervical biopsy specimens taken 0, 6, and 12 h after raltegravir dosing. Plasma and intracellular raltegravir concentrations in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and cervical tissue were measured by tandem mass spectrometry. Linear mixed effects models evaluated correlations between different sample types, as well as differences in concentration between phases of the menstrual cycle. Ten women were enrolled: 9 completed all three visits and 1 completed two visits. The age (mean ± standard deviation) of participants was 30 ± 8 years. Trough plasma concentrations of raltegravir 12 h after a directly observed dose were above the HIV 95% inhibitory concentration (IC95) of 33 nM (14.6 ng/ml) in 96% of measurements, compared to 67% of PBMC and 89% of cervical tissue trough values. Across all measurements, only 2% (3/135) of plasma values fell below the IC95, compared to 10% (13/135) for PBMC and 6% (5/81) for cervical tissue. There was no impact of menstrual phase on raltegravir concentrations. In conclusion, cervical tissue raltegravir concentrations were no greater than plasma concentrations, and ∼10% of all cervical tissue trough values were below the IC95, making the current twice-daily formulation of raltegravir impractical for PrEP.
Hepatitis C and depressive symptoms: psychological and social factors matter more than liver injury.

Objective:Given that the hepatitis C virus (HCV) crosses the blood-brain barrier, biological factors are commonly blamed for the high rates of mood disturbance in HCV-infected patients. However, no study assessing the potential contribution of psychosocial factors to depression in HCV has yet been conducted.Methods:A cross-sectional survey of 65 patients was undertaken to identify biological, psychological, and sociological contributions to depression. Biological, psychological, and sociological variables were tested for their association with depressive symptomatology as measured by the BDI-II. Separate analyses were conducted on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), as measured by the SF-36, in order to confirm findings in previous work.Results:Psychosocial variables assessed in the study, such as less social functioning, less religious faith, less ability to work, less salary, personal suicide attempt, worse reaction to diagnosis, and feeling “stressed out” were all associated with higher depression ...
Convergence of Consensus Models With Stochastic Disturbances

We consider consensus algorithms in their most general setting and provide conditions under which such algorithms are guaranteed to converge, almost surely, to a consensus. Let {A(t), B(t)} ∈ RN×N be (possibly) stochastic, nonstationary matrices and {x(t), m(t)} 6 RN×1 be state and perturbation vectors, respectively. For any consensus algorithm of the form x(t + 1) = A(t)x(t) + B(t)m(t), we provide conditions under which consensus is achieved almost surely, i.e., Pr-{limt →∞ x(t) = c1} -1 for some c ∈ R. Moreover, we show that this general result subsumes recently reported results for specific consensus algorithms classes, including sum-preserving, nonsum-preserving, quantized, and noisy gossip algorithms. Also provided are the e-converging time for any such converging iterative algorithm, i.e., the earliest time at which the vector x(t) is e close to consensus, and sufficient conditions for convergence in expectation to the average of the initial node measurements. Finally, mean square error bounds of any consensus algorithm of the form discussed above are presented.
Evidence for a Phase Transition in Silicate Melt at Extreme Pressure and Temperature Conditions

Laser-driven shock compression experiments reveal the presence of a phase transition in ${\mathrm{MgSiO}}_{3}$ over the pressure-temperature range 300--400 GPa and 10 000--16 000 K, with a positive Clapeyron slope and a volume change of $\ensuremath{\sim}6.3$ ($\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.0$) percent. The observations are most readily interpreted as an abrupt liquid-liquid transition in a silicate composition representative of terrestrial planetary mantles, implying potentially significant consequences for the thermal-chemical evolution of extrasolar planetary interiors. In addition, the present results extend the Hugoniot equation of state of ${\mathrm{MgSiO}}_{3}$ single crystal and glass to 950 GPa.
Two rank order tests for M-ary detection

We consider a general M-ary detection problem where, given M groups of L samples each, the problem is to identify which unique group of L samples have come from the signal hypothesis. The optimal likelihood ratio test is unrealizable, when the joint distribution of M L samples is not completely known. We consider two rank order types of tests termed the modified rank test (MRT) and the modified rank test with row sort (MRTRS). We examine through simulation, the small sample probability of error performances of MRT and MRTRS for detecting a signal among contaminants. Numerically comparable closed-form error expressions are derived for some special cases. The asymptotic (large sample) error rate of the MRT is also derived. The results indicate that MRTRS provides improved performance over other previously known rank tests.
Capsular types of Vibrio vulnificus: an analysis of strains from clinical and environmental sources.

Vibrio vulnificus produces a capsular polysaccharide (CPS) that is essential for virulence. CPS from V. vulnificus clinical strain MO6-24 has been purified and the structure determined. In preliminary screening with antisera raised to MO6-24 CPS, 4 (19%) of 21 clinical isolates (including MO6-24), but none of 67 environmental V. vulnificus isolates, agglutinated with anti-MO6-24 antisera (P = .003). CPS was isolated from a subset of 12 clinical and 7 environmental isolates and analyzed by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography and one-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance. MO6-24 and 1 other serologically positive strain had identical CPS structures; the other 2 serologically positive strains had substitutions in two of four sugar residues. Thirteen other capsular types were identified among the remaining 15 strains from which CPS was extracted.
Socially Responsible Processes of Small Family Business Owners: Exploratory Evidence from the National Family Business Survey

The purpose of this exploratory study is to ascertain the impact of family, business, and community factors on the socially responsible processes of small family businesses, and investigate the inf...
Timing of renal replacement therapy: is it when or how much?

Leite et al.[1] addressed the importance of early initiation of RRT in decreasing mortality and ICU length of stay in patients with AKIN stage 3; however we have a few concerns regarding the study.
Combination Therapy for Hypertension and Renal Disease in Diabetes

The incidence of diabetic nephropathy is increasing, with cardiovascular disease still accounting for more than half of the morbidity and mortality seen in diabetes. Maintaining blood pressure levels to less than 130/85 mmHg is an important measure in patients with diabetes and hypertension in order to prevent a rise in the incidence of cardiac death and diabetic nephropathy.
A Method for Imaging Corrosion Damage in Thin Plates from Electrostatic Data

The problem of quantitative nondestructive evaluation of corrosion in plates is considered. The inpection method uses boundary measurements of currents and voltages to determine the material loss caused by corrosion. The development of the method is based on linearization and the assumption that the plate is thin. The behavior of the method is examined in numerical situations. Keywords: nondestructive evaluation, corrosion monitoring, electrical impedance tomography, numerical reconstruction methods
Computation of natural convection in channels with pin fins

In this paper, we numerically analyze the possibility of using buoyant flow in the display panel of a laptop for electronics cooling. Three-dimensional (3-D) channels with embedded pin fin arrays are analyzed using an unstructured finite volume method. Studies have been performed with a uniform heat flux boundary condition applied on the inner wall as well as for a constant inner wall temperature condition; the outer wall in all cases is exposed to the ambient. A single periodic module is selected in the lateral direction. In the axial mean flow direction, however, the entire height of the display channel is considered. Buoyancy has been modeled using Boussinesq approximation. A range of Rayleigh numbers, panel inclinations, and pin fin arrangements are considered. Local and global flow and heat transfer results are obtained including Nusselt numbers as well as local temperature and velocity fields. The results are useful in designing augmented cooling schemes in portable electronics.
Transformative practices for integrating mind-body-spirit.

This paper explores the clinical use of transformative practices that arose from the varied religious traditions of the world. Examples include prayer, meditation, mantra, affirmation, tai chi, and yoga. The purpose of these practices was to lead the practitioner to long term spiritual transformation toward an enhanced awareness of spirit, and a corresponding diminishment of identification with the mental and physical aspects of life. Unfortunately, the vagueness of the definition of transformation demonstrates that it is a broad and diffuse multidimensional concept difficult to quantify and resistant to rigorous research. However, these spiritual practices, offered as interventions separate from their spiritual tradition, have begun to be evaluated to document their effect on psychological and physical well-being. Currently, there are a number of well-designed studies that attest to the health-enhancing and suffering-reducing benefits derived from religiously transformative practices. There also is resea...
For English, Press 1: International Students' Language Preference at the Reference Desk

Non-native, English-speaking undergraduate and graduate students were directly surveyed about their language preference at an academic reference desk. Most prefer reference transactions initially in English but, if uncertain about the outcome, would like follow-up help in their primary language. Differences by academic level and country of origin were observed.