460 research outputs found
Rhetorical Dominance: How Homeric Dialogue Defines Characterization
The importance and social power of a character in the Odyssey can be defined by their dialogue. Characters who display tact and strategy when speaking to others are often much more successful in their goals than those who are blunt or careless. There are scenes wherein characters noticeably gain these skills, such as the conversation between Telemachus and Athena, as well as scenes where characters engage in rhetorical âcombat,â seen in Calypsoâs farewell to Odysseus. By examining the dialogue between characters in these scenes, we can see clearly how a characterâs rhetorical strength directly correlates with their importance and role in the greater text. Beyond dialogue, this can be found in the repeated lines that introduce and carry conversations. How this formula is used in various points throughout the text, especially when characters use it within dialogue, indicates a characterâs grasp of social interaction. By examining dialogue rather than narration, we can learn more about the social status of characters, which defines their narrative role
Algorithms for optimizing drug therapy
BACKGROUND: Drug therapy has become increasingly efficient, with more drugs available for treatment of an ever-growing number of conditions. Yet, drug use is reported to be sub optimal in several aspects, such as dosage, patient's adherence and outcome of therapy. The aim of the current study was to investigate the possibility to optimize drug therapy using computer programs, available on the Internet. METHODS: One hundred and ten officially endorsed text documents, published between 1996 and 2004, containing guidelines for drug therapy in 246 disorders, were analyzed with regard to information about patient-, disease- and drug-related factors and relationships between these factors. This information was used to construct algorithms for identifying optimum treatment in each of the studied disorders. These algorithms were categorized in order to define as few models as possible that still could accommodate the identified factors and the relationships between them. The resulting program prototypes were implemented in HTML (user interface) and JavaScript (program logic). RESULTS: Three types of algorithms were sufficient for the intended purpose. The simplest type is a list of factors, each of which implies that the particular patient should or should not receive treatment. This is adequate in situations where only one treatment exists. The second type, a more elaborate model, is required when treatment can by provided using drugs from different pharmacological classes and the selection of drug class is dependent on patient characteristics. An easily implemented set of if-then statements was able to manage the identified information in such instances. The third type was needed in the few situations where the selection and dosage of drugs were depending on the degree to which one or more patient-specific factors were present. In these cases the implementation of an established decision model based on fuzzy sets was required. Computer programs based on one of these three models could be constructed regarding all but one of the studied disorders. The single exception was depression, where reliable relationships between patient characteristics, drug classes and outcome of therapy remain to be defined. CONCLUSION: Algorithms for optimizing drug therapy can, with presumably rare exceptions, be developed for any disorder, using standard Internet programming methods
Section on Prospects for Dark Matter Detection of the White Paper on the Status and Future of Ground-Based TeV Gamma-Ray Astronomy
This is a report on the findings of the dark matter science working group for
the white paper on the status and future of TeV gamma-ray astronomy. The white
paper was commissioned by the American Physical Society, and the full white
paper can be found on astro-ph (arXiv:0810.0444). This detailed section
discusses the prospects for dark matter detection with future gamma-ray
experiments, and the complementarity of gamma-ray measurements with other
indirect, direct or accelerator-based searches. We conclude that any
comprehensive search for dark matter should include gamma-ray observations,
both to identify the dark matter particle (through the charac- teristics of the
gamma-ray spectrum) and to measure the distribution of dark matter in galactic
halos.Comment: Report from the Dark Matter Science Working group of the APS
commissioned White paper on ground-based TeV gamma ray astronomy (19 pages, 9
figures
Synthesis, radiolabelling and in vitro and in vivo evaluation of a novel fluorinated ABP688 derivative for the PET imaging of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5
(E)-3-(Pyridin-2-ylethynyl)cyclohex-2-enone O-(2-(3-18F-fluoropropoxy)ethyl) oxime ([18F]-PSS223) was evaluated
in vitro and in vivo to establish its potential as a PET tracer for imaging metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype
5 (mGluR5). [18F]-PSS223 was obtained in 20% decay corrected radiochemical yield whereas the non-radioactive
PSS223 was accomplished in 70% chemical yield in a SN2 reaction of common intermediate mesylate 8 with potassium
fluoride. The in vitro binding affinity of [18F]-PSS223 was measured directly in a Scatchard assay to give Kd =
3.34 ± 2.05 nM. [18F]-PSS223 was stable in PBS and rat plasma but was significantly metabolized by rat liver microsomal
enzymes, but to a lesser extent by human liver microsomes. Within 60 min, 90% and 20% of [18F]-PSS223 was
metabolized by rat and human microsome enzymes, respectively. In vitro autoradiography on horizontal rat brain
slices showed heterogeneous distribution of [18F]-PSS223 with the highest accumulation in brain regions where
mGluR5 is highly expressed (hippocampus, striatum and cortex). Autoradiography in vitro under blockade conditions
with ABP688 confirmed the high specificity of [18F]-PSS223 for mGluR5. Under the same blocking conditions but using
the mGluR1 antagonist, JNJ16259685, no blockade was observed demonstrating the selectivity of [18F]-PSS223
for mGluR5 over mGluR1. Despite favourable in vitro properties of [18F]-PSS223, a clear-cut visualization of mGluR5-
rich brain regions in vivo in rats was not possible mainly due to a fast clearance from the brain and low metabolic
stability of [18F]-PSS223
A global survey of the societal benefits of trophy hunting in Africa
African trophy hunting is controversial. Central to the debate on this practice is whether it may be justified by any broader provisions to African society. These typically include meat supply to poor communities, problem animal control, and the funding of conservation and community development. The societal role of African hunting is as contested as the practice itself, with proponents advocating for the benefits of hunting, while critics point to these being inadequate. Little is known about the role of location and demography in the debate on hunting benefits. Here we circulated an anonymous online survey through our international networks. We asked respondents to indicate which (if any) benefits they thought may justify the practice and whether they supported African trophy hunting, or not. We also collected data on respondent geographic location, age, gender, and employment within conservation. The 5755 responses were analysed using multiple correspondence analysis and provided strong evidence for an association between the level of support/rejection of trophy hunting and potential benefits that were perceived to justify the practice. Funding of wildlife conservation through hunting was the most frequently selected benefit, even among many respondents with a neutral or slightly negative view toward trophy hunting as a practice. Respondents strongly opposed to trophy hunting were more likely to reject all societal benefits of hunting. There was some divergence in views between Africa-based respondents, and those outside of Africa. We suggest that any policy development on African trophy hunting be required to incorporate the views of all African stakeholders
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Submarine Basaltic Glass Colonization by the Heterotrophic Fe(II)-Oxidizing and Siderophore-Producing Deep-Sea Bacterium
Phylogenetically and metabolically diverse bacterial communities have been found in association with submarine basaltic glass surfaces. The driving forces behind basalt colonization are for the most part unknown. It remains ambiguous if basalt provides ecological advantages beyond representing a substrate for surface colonization, such as supplying nutrients and/or energy. Pseudomonas stutzeri VS-10, a metabolically versatile bacterium isolated from Vailulu'u Seamount, was used as a model organism to investigate the physiological responses observed when biofilms are established on basaltic glasses. In Fe-limited heterotrophic media, P. stutzeri VS-10 exhibited elevated growth in the presence of basaltic glass. Diffusion chamber experiments demonstrated that physical attachment or contact of soluble metabolites such as siderophores with the basaltic glass plays a pivotal role in this process. Electrochemical data indicated that P. stutzeri VS-10 is able to use solid substrates (electrodes) as terminal electron donors and acceptors. Siderophore production and heterotrophic Fe(II) oxidation are discussed as potential mechanisms enhancing growth of P. stutzeri VS-10 on glass surfaces. In correlation with that we discuss the possibility that metabolic versatility could represent a common and beneficial physiological trait in marine microbial communities being subject to oligotrophic and rapidly changing deep-sea conditions
A global survey of the societal benefits of trophy hunting in Africa
African trophy hunting is controversial. Central to the debate on this practice is whether it may be justified by any broader provisions to African society. These typically include meat supply to poor communities, problem animal control, and the funding of conservation and community development. The societal role of African hunting is as contested as the practice itself, with proponents advocating for the benefits of hunting, while critics point to these being inadequate. Little is known about the role of location and demography in the debate on hunting benefits. Here we circulated an anonymous online survey through our international networks. We asked respondents to indicate which (if any) benefits they thought may justify the practice and whether they supported African trophy hunting, or not. We also collected data on respondent geographic location, age, gender, and employment within conservation. The 5755 responses were analysed using multiple correspondence analysis and provided strong evidence for an association between the level of support/rejection of trophy hunting and potential benefits that were perceived to justify the practice. Funding of wildlife conservation through hunting was the most frequently selected benefit, even among many respondents with a neutral or slightly negative view toward trophy hunting as a practice. Respondents strongly opposed to trophy hunting were more likely to reject all societal benefits of hunting. There was some divergence in views between Africa-based respondents, and those outside of Africa. We suggest that any policy development on African trophy hunting be required to incorporate the views of all African stakeholders
From Quantum Systems to L-Functions: Pair Correlation Statistics and Beyond
The discovery of connections between the distribution of energy levels of
heavy nuclei and spacings between prime numbers has been one of the most
surprising and fruitful observations in the twentieth century. The connection
between the two areas was first observed through Montgomery's work on the pair
correlation of zeros of the Riemann zeta function. As its generalizations and
consequences have motivated much of the following work, and to this day remains
one of the most important outstanding conjectures in the field, it occupies a
central role in our discussion below. We describe some of the many techniques
and results from the past sixty years, especially the important roles played by
numerical and experimental investigations, that led to the discovery of the
connections and progress towards understanding the behaviors. In our survey of
these two areas, we describe the common mathematics that explains the
remarkable universality. We conclude with some thoughts on what might lie ahead
in the pair correlation of zeros of the zeta function, and other similar
quantities.Comment: Version 1.1, 50 pages, 6 figures. To appear in "Open Problems in
Mathematics", Editors John Nash and Michael Th. Rassias. arXiv admin note:
text overlap with arXiv:0909.491
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