cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sandboxing transactional memory

Correct transactional memory systems (TMs) must address the possibility that a speculative transaction may read mutually inconsistent values from memory and then perform an operation that violates the underlying language semantics. TMs for managed languages can leverage type safety, just-in-time compilation, and fully monitored exceptions to sandbox transactions, isolating the rest of the system from damaging effects of inconsistent speculation. In contrast, TMs for unmanaged languages that lack these properties typically avoid erroneous behavior by validating a transaction's view
Prediction of Interlaminar Shear Strength of a Thermally Aged Carbon/Epoxy Composite Material by Fourier Transform Infrared Photoacoustic Spectroscopy

Photoacoustic spectroscopy was used to predict the interlaminar shear strength of a carbon/epoxy composite. Samples were artificially aged by exposing the samples to elevated temperatures in an air environment. Short-beam shear tests were performed to determine mechanically the interlaminar shear strength of the samples. Photoacoustic spectra of the samples were also collected and compared to mechanical data. Chemometrics were performed on the spectral and mechanical data, and a good correlation was found between the near surface chemistry of the composite and overall mechanical integrity.
Performance evaluation and management of information services

Performance evaluation techniques can contribute substantially to the successful management of the information services function. Three major purposes for performance evaluation in a typical commercially oriented computer installation are discussed including the acquisition of new hardware and software, the improvement of existing computer operations, and the improvement of the systems design process. The most suitable of the various techniques for performance evaluation are discussed for each major purpose. A proposal is also made for extending performance evaluation beyond the hardware and software system to encompass the user.
Employing Dereplication and Gradient 1D NMR Methods to Rapidly Characterize Sponge-Derived Sesterterpenes

The sesterterpene constituents of two Indo-Pacific sponges were investigated and rapidly characterized using aggressive dereplication methods along with gradient 1D NMR techniques. Lendenfeldia frondosa yielded three sesterterpenes: 12β,16β,22-trihydroxy-24α-methylscalar-25β,24α-olide (1), the 24 epimer of a known compound; 12β,22-dihydroxy-24-methylscalar-17-en-24,25-olide (2), a known compound; and 22-hydroxy-24-methylsedn-16-en-24-one-12β,25β-olide (3), a new compound. A Hyrtios sp. sponge yielded known 12α-acetoxy-16β-hydroxyscalarolbutenolide (5).
Intrinsic connectivity in the human brain does not reveal networks for ‘basic’ emotions

We tested two competing models for the brain basis of emotion, the basic emotion theory and the conceptual act theory of emotion, using resting-state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fcMRI). The basic emotion view hypothesizes that anger, sadness, fear, disgust and happiness each arise from a brain network that is innate, anatomically constrained and homologous in other animals. The conceptual act theory of emotion hypothesizes that an instance of emotion is a brain state constructed from the interaction of domain-general, core systems within the brain such as the salience, default mode and frontoparietal control networks. Using peak coordinates derived from a meta-analysis of task-evoked emotion fMRI studies, we generated a set of whole-brain rs-fcMRI 'discovery' maps for each emotion category and examined the spatial overlap in their conjunctions. Instead of discovering a specific network for each emotion category, variance in the discovery maps was accounted for by the known domain-general network. Furthermore, the salience network is observed as part of every emotion category. These results indicate that specific networks for each emotion do not exist within the intrinsic architecture of the human brain and instead support the conceptual act theory of emotion.
Anticancer Quinones Induce pRb-Preventable G2/M Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis

Reactive oxygen species generated during the metabolism of the antitumor quinone 3,6-diaziridinyl-1,4-benzoquinone (DZQ) in human colonic carcinoma HCT116 cells lead to the induction of p21 (WAF1, Cip1, or sdi1), an upstream regulator of the retinoblastoma gene product pRb involved G1 cell cycle control. We here demonstrate that the cell cycle was arrested in G2/M phase following supplementation with DZQ of human osteosarcoma Saos-2 cells (lacking both p53 and pRb) and HCT116 cells. DZQ also induced p21 and apoptosis in Saos-2 cells. The transfection of the Rb gene into Saos-2 cells did not alter the level of p21 induction, but changed cell cycle arrest into G1 phase and prevented apoptosis. These findings suggest that quinones may lead to a p53-independent and pRb-preventable G2/M arrest and apoptosis, which correlate with p21 induction.
Penile calcification in maintenance hemodialysis patients.

Abstract Penile calcification was detected in 6 of 32 patients (19 %) with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) using soft tissue x-ray techniques. Having been maintained on hemodialysis for a minimum of one year, all the affected patients showed clinical evidence of secondary hyperparathyroidism and calcification in the blood vessels of some other tissues. All had erectile impotence, while in 1 patient gangrene of the penis developed. Penile calcification is probably more common in ESRD patients than realized and should be looked for as a possible cause of impotence in male patients treated with maintenance hemodialysis.
Modeling biogeochemical cycles in Chesapeake Bay with a coupled physical biological model

Abstract In this paper we describe the development and validation of a relatively simple biogeochemical model of Chesapeake Bay. This model consists of a 3-dimensional, prognostic hydrodynamic model that is coupled to an NPZD-type open ocean ecosystem model, which has been modified by adding additional compartments and parameterizations of biogeochemical processes that are important in estuarine systems. These modifications include an empirical optical model for predicting the diffuse attenuation coefficient Kd, compartments for representing oxygen and suspended sediment concentrations, and parameterizations of phosphorus limitation, denitrification, and seasonal changes in ecosystem structure and temperature effects. To show the overall performance of the coupled physical–biological model, the modeled dissolved inorganic nitrogen, phytoplankton, dissolved oxygen, total suspended solids and light attenuation coefficient in 1995 (a dry year) and 1996 (a very wet year) are examined and compared with observations obtained from the Chesapeake Bay Program. We demonstrate that this relatively simple model is capable of producing the general distribution of each field (both the mean and variability) in the main stem of the Bay. And the model is robust enough to generate reasonable results under both wet and dry conditions. Some significant discrepancies are also observed, such as overestimation of phytoplankton concentrations in shoal regions and overestimation of oxygen concentrations in deep channels, which reveal some deficiencies in the model formulation. Some potential improvements and remedies are suggested. Sensitivity studies on selected parameters are also reported.
Considerations in the radiolabeling of albumin

Labeled albumins for blood-pool, albumin-metabolism, and gastrointestinal-blood-loss studies have been readily available for years, and their clinical use is well established. Labeled albumin for cisternography was once widely used; now it is restricted due to pyrogen contamination at levels too low to be detected by the official U.S.P. pyrogen test but still high enough to cause a significant incidence of aseptic meningitis when injected intrathecally. The more sensitive Limulus test for pyrogens may be used to overcome this problem. Labeled albumin for nuclear angiogrophy and gated cardiac blood-pool studies is presently limited to 99m Tc-albumin. Lack of a commercially available radiopharmaceutical for this purpose has been a limiting factor in the clinical application of these studies. Kits can be used to prepare 99m Tc-albumin from 99m Tc generator eluates, but they have not yet been perfected to the point where radiochemical contaminants are not a problem. Unbound pertechnetate and insoluble technetium cause unnecessary degradation of resolution and prolongation of the studies. This problem can be solved by daily quality-control testing of kit preparations or by the development of commercial sources of prelabeled and pretested 99m Tc-human serum albumin.
Comparison of Aluminum Nitride Nanowire Growth with and without Catalysts via Chemical Vapor Deposition

This paper presents a systematic investigation of AlN nanowire synthesis by chemical vapor deposition using Al and NH3 on SiO2/Si substrate and direct nitridation of mixture of Al-Al2O3 by NH3. A wide variety of catalyst materials, in both discrete nanoparticle and thin film forms, have been used (Co, Au, Ni, and Fe). The growth runs have been carried out at temperatures between 800 and 1100oC mainly under H2 as carrier gas. It was found that the most efficient catalyst in terms of nanowire formation yield was 20-nm Ni film. The AlN nanowire diameters are about 20-30 nm, about the same thickness as the Ni-film. Further studies of direct nitridation of mixture of Al-Al2O3 by NH3 have resulted in high density one-dimensional nanostructure networks at 1100oC. It was observed that catalyst-free nanostructures resulted from the direct nitridation were significantly longer than that with catalysts. The analysis of the grown nanowires has been carried out by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and x-ray diffraction.
STRATEGIC CHANGE IN THE TURNAROUND PROCESS: THEORY AND EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE

Early corporate turnaround theorists argued that strategic reorientations are central to the recovery process at many declining firms. However, subsequent large-sample empirical studies have reported that performance turnarounds for declining firms are primarily associated with cutback actions that increase efficiency, thus creating a gap between theory and empirical findings. We close this gap by presenting and empirically supporting a model proposing that the extent of strategic change initiated in a successful turnaround varies systematically with a declining firm’s need and capacity to reorient its strategy. Based on our model, we offer explanations for why past large-sample researchers were not able to verify the role of strategic change in the turnaround process and we reassert the adaptive role that strategic reorientations have in the turnaround attempts of declining firms with weak strategic positions. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Detection of genomic alterations in human cervical cancer by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was used to comprehensively scan the whole genome of 6 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) lesions, 7 cervical squamous cell carcinomas, 1 cervical adenosquamous cell carcinoma, and 2 cervical adenocarcinomas for multiple genetic alterations, such as DNA amplification, chromosome deletion, loss of heterozygosity, and chromosome translocation, as compared with the paired normal tissues. DNA spot analysis of the genomic 2-dimensional gels was performed by a computer color overlay system and by spot recognition software allowing for objective spot comparison and quantitation. Nine spots were found to be amplified in the cervical carcinomas while two amplified spots were detected in the CIN III lesions. Fourteen DNA spots were either reduced in their intensity or absent in cervical carcinomas as compared to their normal paired tissues. Reduction of intensity in 6 spots was observed in the 5 CIN III lesions. These genetic alterations may represent changes in cancer genes that are associated with human cervical carcinogenesis. Further characterization of these alterations may be significant to the understanding of cervical tumorigenesis and to the development of biomarkers for clinical trials in cancer chemoprevention.
Complication Rates on Weekends and Weekdays in US Hospitals

Abstract Purpose Recent studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that patient safety may be compromised on weekends. Our objective was to determine whether rates of complications in hospitals are higher on weekends than on weekdays. Methods We examined records from 4,967,114 admissions to acute care hospitals in 3 states and analyzed complication rates using the Patient Safety Indicators. We selected 8 indicators that could be assigned to a single day: complications of anesthesia, retained foreign bodies, postoperative hemorrhage, accidental cuts and lacerations during procedures, birth trauma, obstetric trauma during vaginal deliveries with and without instrumentation, and obstetric trauma during cesarean delivery. Odds ratios (ORs) comparing weekends versus weekdays were adjusted for demographics, type of admission, and admission route. In a subgroup analysis of surgical complications, we restricted the population to patients who underwent cardiac or vascular procedures. Results Four of the 8 complications occurred more frequently on weekends: postoperative hemorrhage (OR 1.07, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.14), newborn trauma (OR 1.06, 95% CI, 1.03-1.10), vaginal deliveries without instrumentation (OR 1.03, 95% CI, 1.02-1.04), and obstetric trauma during cesarean sections (OR 1.36, 95% CI, 1.29-1.44). Complications related to anesthesia occurred less frequently on weekends (OR 0.86). Among patients undergoing vascular procedures, surgical complications occurred more frequently on weekends (OR 1.46, 95% CI, 1.16-1.85). Conclusions Rates of complications are marginally higher on weekends than on weekdays for some surgical and newborn complications, but more significantly for obstetric trauma and for surgical complications involving patients undergoing vascular procedures. Hospitals should work toward increasing the robustness of safeguards on weekends.
A sandwich enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay for measurement of gonadotropin-releasing hormone-toxin conjugates

Problem Biological effectiveness of targeted cytotoxins is dependent on their stability, circulating half-life, receptor binding ability, and cytotoxicity. The objective of this study was to compare stability of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-toxin conjugates made with disulfide linkers to those using a maleimidodibutyryl (mb) linkage. Method of study We developed a sandwich enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay recognizing both GnRH analog and cytotoxin to ensure the conjugate measured was intact. Anti-D-Leu6-GnRH was used for capture and anti-pokeweed antiviral protein (anti-PAP) or anti-RNase for quantification. Specificity was verified by lack of reactivity with ovine FSH and LH, PAP, RNase, and D-Lys6-GnRH. Results Conjugates prepared using disulfide linkages were not stable in serum in vitro (half-lives 2 hr. Clearance of mbGnRH-PAP from the circulation of sheep was rapid (t1/2 <20 min). Conclusion The assays were found to be specific, sensitive and accurate for measurement of GnRH-toxin conjugates in vitro and in vivo.
Examining Associations between Reading Motivation and Inference Generation beyond Reading Comprehension Skill.

The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between reading motivation and inference generation while reading. Undergraduate participants (N = 69) read two science articles while thinking aloud, completed a standardized reading comprehension assessment, and self reported their habitual reading motivation. Findings indicate that overall reading motivation, one component of intrinsic motivation (reading as a sense of self), and one component of extrinsic motivation (reading to do well in other realms) were positively associated with text-connecting inference generation independent of reading comprehension skill. These findings are discussed in the context of standards of coherence.
Relations Between Two Sets of Variates

Concepts of correlation and regression may be applied not only to ordinary one-dimensional variates but also to variates of two or more dimensions. Marksmen side by side firing simultaneous shots at targets, so that the deviations are in part due to independent individual errors and in part to common causes such as wind, provide a familiar introduction to the theory of correlation; but only the correlation of the horizontal components is ordinarily discussed, whereas the complex consisting of horizontal and vertical deviations may be even more interesting. The wind at two places may be compared, using both components of the velocity in each place. A fluctuating vector is thus matched at each moment with another fluctuating vector. The study of individual differences in mental and physical traits calls for a detailed study of the relations between sets of correlated variates. For example the scores on a number of mental tests may be compared with physical measurements on the same persons. The questions then arise of determining the number and nature of the independent relations of mind and body shown by these data to exist, and of extracting from the multiplicity of correlations in the system suitable characterizations of these independent relations. As another example, the inheritance of intelligence in rats might be studied by applying not one but s different mental tests to N mothers and to a daughter of each
On the equivalence of DYNAMO and a financial planning language

DYNAMO has had a long history as a simulation language. Although usually thought of as a continuous language, it is, in fact, a non-procedural, fixed-time interval language. Non- procedural financial planning languages, such as the Interactive Financial Planning System (IFPS), are equivalent to DYNAMO, but IFPS is preferred because of the greater ease with which models can be described to managers and it has the ability to model a greater variety of situations quite simply.
NON-NEWTONIAN LIQUID-AIR STRATIFIED FLOW THROUGH HORIZONTAL TUBES--II

Abstract Non-Newtonian liquid gas stratified flow data were obtained using 0.052 and 0.025 m dia horizontal circular ducts. Unless the liquid velocity was very low, the flow pattern generally observed was non-uniform stratified flow having an interfacial level gradient between the two phases. The Heywood-Charles model is valid for predicting the pressure drop and liquid holdup in pseudoplastic (shear thinning) non-Newtonian liquid-gas uniform stratified flow. Two-phase drag reduction, which is predicted by the Heywood-Charles model did not occur because there was a transition to semi-slug flow before the model criteria were reached. Interfacial liquid and gas shear stresses were compared.
On the existence and decay of 149Pr

Abstract The existence of 2.3 min 149Pr has been confirmed by studies of sources produced by 150Nd(γ,p). Gamma rays were observed at 110, 139, 165, 742 and possibly 578 keV. The total disintegration energy is 3.0±0.2 MeV. There is evidence for a beta-ray branch of 149Pr to the ground state of 149Nd with log ft = 5.9±0.3. A decay scheme is proposed.
Rewriting Patriarchal Scripts: Women, Labor, and Popular Culture in South African Clothing Industry Beauty Contests, 1970s-2005

This study explores how black women garment workers in South Africa transformed a seemingly banal beauty pageant into a cultural event for self-empowerment, solidarity, and trade union democratization. It examines beauty contests in the Cape Town clothing industry by using oral and written sources that privilege the voices of factory workers. The study analyzes how and why the Spring Queen festival changed from being a tool for social control of increasingly restive employees to a partially autonomous space for proletarian women's sociability and power. As apartheid gave way to democracy in the 1990s male and female unionists debated the value of the Spring Queen pageant, which they eventually transformed into a vehicle for the promotion of South African-made clothing and textiles in a fiercely competitive global business. The article reveals how black working women reworked a gendered form of popular culture to assert their humanity and citizenship, and promote gender equity within the union.
Hox11L1 Expression by Precursors of Enteric Smooth Muscle: An Alternative Explanation for Megacecum in Hox11L1 −/− Mice

Previous studies have focused on expression of Hox11L1 in enteric neurons as the explanation for intestinal and urinary bladder dysmotility observed in mice that do not have the transcription factor. However, Hox11L1 is also expressed transiently in endo-, meso-, and ectodermal cells of the most caudal embryo during gastrulation. We sought to more fully characterize the fates of these cells because they might help explain the pathogenesis of lethal pseudo-obstruction in Hox11L1-null mice. The Cre recombinase cDNA was introduced into the Hox11L1 locus, and expression of the “knock-in” allele was used to activate the Rosa26R, β-galactosidase reporter gene in cells with ongoing Hox11L1 transcription and their descendants. During gastrulation, Rosa26R activation was observed in progenitors of caudal somatic and visceral cells, including enteric smooth muscle. Expression in enteric neural precursors appeared much later. Analysis of endogenous Hox11L1 mRNA in aneuronal segments of large intestine that were grafted under the renal capsule indicated that the early activation of Hox11L1 in visceral mesoderm was transient and ceased before colonization of the large intestine by neural progenitors. Mice homozygous for the Cre allele died shortly after weaning, with cecal and proximal colonic distention but without overt anatomic defects that might represent maldevelopment of the visceral mesoderm. Our findings expand the range of possible functions of Hox11L1 to include activation of an as yet unknown developmental program in visceral smooth muscle and allow the possibility that intestinal dysmotility in Hox11L1-null animals may not be a primary neural disorder.
Proposed SPR Section Bylaws

Each of the sections of AGU has been requested by Council to adopt a set of bylaws. The Union has provided a set of model bylaws that each section can adapt to its own particular needs. At t h e request of Bob Helliwell, I have taken the model bylaws and attempted to alter them to better reflect the needs of the SPR Section. I n doing so, I have made several proposed changes in t h e operation of the SPR Section. The first one to note is that the draft bylaws call for only three sections and not four. This is to create three more equal subdivisions in SPR. Even with the SC and SS section programs combined, as SS and SC have been at recent meetings, they have not sustained a full program during the meeting. The other important change is a limitation on the term of the secretaries. This is not any reflection on the past or present performance of our secretaries but rather an acknowledgment of the strong influence that they wield on t h e intellectual directions of the section and the feeling that this influence should be shared among many individuals over the course of time. The section does not lack talented individuals who would be good secretaries.
Graduate Drug Education Emphasizes People Involvement, Communication Awareness, and Reality

Through realistic drug education many of today's teachers are developing a greater appreciation for “communication awareness” and the vital role of “feelings” in “people to people” relationships. Instruction in graduate drug classes at Southern Connecticut State College emphasizes an investigation of the substantive and practical issues of the overall drug scene and the teacher role in relating these issues to students in a credible manner.
Synthesis of MSn(OH) 6 (where M = Mg, Ca, Zn, Mn, or Cu) materials at room temperature

Applying a metathesis approach (MCl2·xH2O+Na2SnO3·xH2O→MSn(OH)6+NaCl+xH2O), Schoenfliesite-type materials with general formula MSn(OH)6 (where M=Ca, Cu, Mg, Mn or Zn) were synthesized at room-temperature. The high lattice-energy of the by-product alkali halide NaCl drives the reaction in the forward direction leading to the formation of the desired materials. The materials synthesized were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to elucidate structural and micro structural features.
Step into liquid: Rites, transcendence and transgression in the modern construction of the social sacred

This essay looks at the construction and transformation of the notion of sacred space in the twentieth century. The notions of transgression and lived moments (or everyday rites), as put forth by numerous writers and architects, are examined as an alternative vision of the sacred and spatial ontology that relies upon material conditions and relations as its source. In particular, it focuses on the emergence of this social spatial category through the work of the College de Sociologie a group of ethnologists, philosophers, writers and artists (Georges Bataille was a founder) who convened bi-weekly at a Paris cafe between 1937 and 1939 in the hope of constructing a sacred sociology. This group's activity provides the groundwork for understanding how the social sacred emerges as a category of spatial practice in the late twentieth century, and how the categories of events and rites are explored by the youthful avant-garde in architecture that emerge from the 1960s. In particular, the architect Bernard Tschum...
Testing for drugs of abuse. Pharmacokinetic considerations for cocaine in urine.

The detection of a drug in a urine sample is usually a sound analytical procedure. However, pharmacologists and toxicologiest continue to uncover new and interesting circumstances that may influence the analytical results, or more likely, its interpretation. Future studies are needed to elucidate the pharmacological actions of drugs of abuse, both in the clinical overdose situation and upon workplace performance, and to define pharmacokinetic variables that influence the disposition of these drugs in the body and in the analytical specimen.
Tamoxifen effect on L-DOPA induced response complications in parkinsonian rats and primates

The contribution of striatal protein kinase C (PKC) isoform changes in levodopa (L-DOPA) induced motor response complications in parkinsonian rats was investigated and the ability of tamoxifen, an antiestrogen with a partial PKC antagonist property, to prevent these response alterations in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesioned rats as well as in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) treated cynomologous monkeys was studied. Following treatment of adult male rats with L-DOPA twice daily for 3 weeks, protein levels of left (lesioned) and right (intact) striatal PKC isoforms were measured. Western blot analysis showed increased protein expression of both the novel PKC epsilon isoform and the atypical PKC lambda isoform ipsilateral to the lesion (174 � 17% for epsilon, 140 � 9% for lambda, of intact striatum in 6-OHDA lesioned plus chronic L-DOPA treated animals) in acute L-DOPA treated rats. No enhancement was observed in PKC immunoreactivity for other isoforms. Tamoxifen (5.0 mg/kg p.o.) significantly attenuated the L-DOPA induced augmentation of protein expression of PKC epsilon and PKC lambda, but had no effect on immunoreactivity for other PKC isoforms. In chronic L-DOPA treated parkinsonian rats, tamoxifen prevented (5.0 mg/kg p.o.) as well as ameliorated (5.0 mg/kg p.o.) the characteristic shortening in duration of motor response to L-DOPA challenge. In MPTP lesioned primates, similar to the ameliorative effect seen in rats, tamoxifen (1 and 3 mg/kg p.o) reduced the appearance of L-DOPA induced dyskinesia by 61% and 55% respectively (p < 0.05). These results suggest that changes in specific striatal PKC isoforms contribute to the pathogenesis of L-DOPA induced motor complications and further that drugs able to selectively inhibit these signaling kinases might provide adjunctive benefit in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
TU-A-9A-09: Proton Beam X-Ray Fluorescence CT

Purpose: To evaluate x-ray fluorescence computed tomography induced with proton beams (pXFCT) for imaging of gold contrast agent. Methods: Proton-induced x-ray fluorescence was studied by means of Monte Carlo (MC) simulations using TOPAS, a MC code based on GEANT4. First, proton-induced K-shell and L-shell fluorescence was studied as a function of proton beam energy and 1) depth in water and 2) size of contrast object. Second, pXFCT images of a 2-cm diameter cylindrical phantom with four 5- mm diameter contrast vials and of a 20-cm diameter phantom with 1-cm diameter vials were simulated. Contrast vials were filled with water and water solutions with 1-5% gold per weight. Proton beam energies were varied from 70-250MeV. pXFCT sinograms were generated based on the net number of gold K-shell or L-shell x-rays determined by interpolations from the neighboring 0.5keV energy bins of spectra collected with an idealized 4π detector. pXFCT images were reconstructed with filtered-back projection, and no attenuation correction was applied. Results: Proton induced x-ray fluorescence spectra showed very low background compared to x-ray induced fluorescence. Proton induced L-shell fluorescence had a higher cross-section compared to K-shell fluorescence. Excitation of L-shell fluorescence was most efficient for low-energy protons, i.e. at the Bragg peak. K-shell fluorescence increased with increasing proton beam energy and object size. The 2% and 5% gold contrast vials were accurately reconstructed in K-shell pXFCT images of both the 2-cm and 20-cm diameter phantoms. Small phantom L-shell pXFCT image required attenuation correction and had a higher sensitivity for 70MeV protons compared to 250MeV protons. With attenuation correction, L-shell pXFCT might be a feasible option for imaging of small size (∼2cm) objects. Imaging doses for all simulations were 5-30cGy. Conclusion: Proton induced x-ray fluorescence CT promises to be an alternative quantitative imaging technique to the commonly considered XFCT imaging with x-ray beams.
Perceptions of a nearby exurban protected area in South Carolina, United States.

To address the dearth of literature on the relations between local residents in urban areas and nearby higher-order exurban protected areas, this study examined the perceptions of Columbia (South Carolina) residents toward Congaree National Park. Mail-out survey results from a random sample of 455 adult residents showed positive overall attitudes toward the park, although this did not extend to a desire to personally volunteer in park activities. Cluster analysis on the basis of seven perceptual statements produced three groups: “very enthusiastic park supporters” (VEPS), accounting for one fourth of the sample; “less enthusiastic park supporters” (LEPS), accounting for approximately one half of the sample; and “ambivalents” (AMBS), accounting for the rest. The AMBS tend to be younger than members of the other clusters and have higher income, but enthusiasm was more clearly related to high levels of interaction and awareness relative to the park. Managerial implications of the study are considered, including the need to encourage higher levels of park awareness and visitation, as well as more ecologically responsible behavior, among residents of the greater Columbia urban area.
THE CHANGING AMERICAN VOTER REVISITED: Candidate Evaluations in Presidential Elections, 1952 to 1984

The state of knowledge regarding the relative influence of issues, parties, and candidates across time in presidential elections is confounded because researchers have typically employed standardized correlation coefficients. Employing unstandardized coefficients on openended presidential candidate evaluations for the 1952 to 1984 elections, this article examines the manner and extent to which the relationship between issues, party, candidates, and the vote have fluctuated over time. The results suggest, as have others, that party influence on the vote has declined. However, no evidence is found to support the assertion of an increase in issue influence on the vote decision. Candidate influence on the vote is found to be stable over time.
Electrical response matrix of a regular $2n$-gon

Consider a unit-resistive plate in the shape of a regular polygon with 2n sides, in which even-numbered sides are wired to electrodes and odd-numbered sides are insulated. The response matrix, or Dirichlet-to-Neumann map, allows one to compute the currents flowing through the electrodes when they are held at specified voltages. We show that the entries of the response matrix of the regular 2n-gon are given by the differences of cotangents of evenly spaced angles, and we describe some connections with the limiting distributions of certain random spanning forests.
Elevated Homologous Recombination Activity in Fanconi Anemia Fibroblasts

It is widely believed that Fanconi anemia cells possess a reduced ability to repair inter-strand DNA cross-links. While the mechanism through which inter-strand DNA cross-links are removed from mammalian chromosomes is unknown, these lesions are repaired via homologous recombination in lower eukaryotes and bacteria. Based on the hypothesis that a similar mechanism of DNA repair functions in mammalian somatic cells, we measured homologous recombination activity in diploid fibroblasts from healthy donors, and Fanconi anemia patients. Somewhat surprisingly, homologous recombination levels in nuclear protein extracts prepared from Fanconi anemia cells were nearly 100-fold higher than in extracts prepared from control cells. We observed a similar increase in the activity of a 100-kDa homologous DNA pairing protein in extracts from Fanconi anemia cells. Transfection studies confirmed that plasmid homologous recombination levels in intact Fanconi anemia cells were substantially elevated, compared with control cells. These results suggest that inappropriately elevated levels of homologous recombination activity may contribute to the genomic instability and cancer predisposition that characterize Fanconi anemia.
A novel Kalman filter based approach for multiscale reacting flow simulations

Abstract A multi-scale approach for coupling a coarse-grained (CG) deterministic solution for a reacting flow with a fine-grained (FG) stochastic solution is proposed. The model includes a CG solution for the mass density and momentum and a FG solution for the temperature. A model for the turbulent transport in the FG solution is implemented using the linear-eddy model (LEM), which combines a deterministic implementation for reaction, diffusion and large-scale transport with a stochastic implementation for fine-scale transport. A common variable is obtained from these solutions based on a CG density field defined from continuity on the coarse scales and the spatial filtering of the density derived from the state equation in the FG solution. Kalman filtering is used to combine these two solutions. The resulting CG density is both smooth and steered by heat release from the FG solution. The algorithm is demonstrated on a 1D model combining continuity and the Burgers’ equation for the CG solution and the temperature equation with heat release for the FG solution. The results establish the feasibility of Kalman filtering in coupling deterministic CG solutions and stochastic FG solutions in reacting flow applications.
Mdr1b facilitates p53-mediated cell death and p53 is required for Mdr1b upregulation in vivo.

Mdr1b facilitates p53-mediated cell death and p53 is required for Mdr1b upregulation in vivo
Comparison of Metabolic Cost, Performance, and Efficiency of Propulsion Using an Ergonomic Hand Drive Mechanism and a Conventional Manual Wheelchair

Abstract Objective To compare the metabolic cost (oxygen uptake per unit time [ V ˙ o2 consumption], heart rate, and number of pushes), performance (velocity and distance traveled), and efficiency (oxygen uptake per distance traveled [Vo2 efficiency]) of propulsion using a novel ergonomic hand drive mechanism (EHDM) and a conventional manual wheelchair (CMW). Design Repeated-measures crossover design. Setting Semicircular track. Participants Adult full-time manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injuries (N=12; mean age ± SD, 38.8±12.4y; mean body mass ± SD, 73.7±13.3kg; mean height ± SD, 173.6±11.1cm) who were medically and functionally stable and at least 6 months postinjury. Intervention Participants propelled themselves for 3.5 minutes at a self-selected pace in a CMW and in the same chair fitted with the EHDM. Main Outcome Measures Velocity, distance traveled, number of pushes, V ˙ o2 consumption, Vo2 efficiency, and heart rate were compared by wheelchair condition for the last 30 seconds of each trial using paired t tests (α=.01). Results The CMW condition resulted in more distance traveled (33.6±10.8m vs 22.4±7.8m; P=.001), greater velocity (1.12±0.4m/s vs .75±.30m/s; P=.001), and better Vo2 efficiency (.10±.03mL·kg−1·m−1 vs .15±.03mL·kg−1·m−1; P V ˙ o2 consumption (6.43±1.9mL·kg−1·min−1 vs 6.19±1.7mL·kg−1·min−1; P=.573), or heart rate (100.5±14.5 beats per minute vs 97.4±20.2 beats per minute; P=.42). Conclusions The results demonstrate that metabolic costs did not differ significantly; however, performance and efficiency were sacrificed with the EHDM. Modifications to the EHDM (eg, addition of gearing) could rectify the performance and efficiency decrements while maintaining similar metabolic costs. Although not an ideal technology, the EHDM can be considered as an alternative mode of mobility by wheelchair users and rehabilitation specialists.
New FDA drug approval policies and HIV vaccine development.

A new era in drug research seems to have dawned, largely as the result of the pressing need to treat acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).' The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is changing the way it approves new drugs for persons with AIDS, both to speed up the process and to increase access to experimental drugs.23 The need for new drugs to effectively treat AIDS is undeniable. So is the need for vaccines to prevent HIV infection. Yet virtually none of the changes in FDA policy, or the publicity attending them, refers to HIV vaccines. One reason for the absence of vaccines from this policy debate may be the immediate need to treat persons already suffering from AIDS. Another may be the somewhat discouraging results from studies of vaccine preparations .4-9 But the years of vaccine research may pay off after all. Reports in the summer of 1989 indicate that monkeys may be protected against simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) by a whole killed preparation of the virus.'0"11 This suggests that an animal model for HIV infection and immunity may be possible. Preliminary reports indicate that experimental vaccine preparations may produce some antibody response, although their ability to achieve protective immunity has not been demonstrated.21'3 In addition, several researchers have reported promising results with passive immunization in a few chimpanzees already infected with HIV." 14','5 Such preparations are more like drugs, in that they are intended to retard disease progression in persons already infected with HIV, than true vaccines, which are intended to prevent active infection in healthy persons. Nevertheless, they may offer new knowledge to pursue vaccine development. These new developments have renewed hopes for a marketable vaccine. But because a marketable vaccine remains many years away, it is somewhat surprising that there have not been more calls for speeding up the review of candidate HIV vaccines. To examine the possibilities for expediting HIV vaccine review, I conducted a study of FDA law and policy including interviews with FDA officials in the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research and the Office of the General Counsel. That study suggests that the new FDA drug review policies do not fit vaccines. Instead, the nature of vaccines, and HIV vaccines in particular, argues for adherence to a more rigorous form of review.
Economics and Sociology: Marshall in Relation to the Thought of his Time

Introductory. I. Marshall and Max Weber on Capitalism, 317. II. The Main Lines of English Social Thought, 321. III. Marshall's Relation to the English Tradition, 330. IV. Economics and Sociology: Marshall's Difficulties, 336. V. Possible Alternatives to Marshall's position; (a) Pareto, 339, (b) Weber, 343. Conclusion, 345.
University/Industry Cooperative Teaching Laboratory for Undergraduate Education

An undergraduate optics laboratory sponsored by the National Science Foundation of the United States was established to foster a link between local industry and academia. A series of innovative experiments was developed utilizing high-speed data acquisition equipment and signal processing software to demonstrate the fundamentals of diffraction, fiber optics, and physical optics principles. The experiments were performed in two complementary settings. The university experiments concentrated on basic optical principles and experimental techniques. A parallel industrial component was provided by local industry. Students were invited to industrial research laboratories to work on real-life optical problems of current interest. The students were able to see the relevance between fundamental optical principles and real industrial problems, use state-of-the-art equipment, and experience working in an industrial laboratory. Feedback was also solicited from industry management regarding improvements to academic training of students for the work force.
A Shift in Seasonal Rainfall Reduces Soil Organic Carbon Storage in a Cold Desert

Shifts in the seasonal timing of rainfall have the potential to substantially affect the immense terrestrial stores of soil organic carbon (C, SOC). It remains unclear, however, how changes in the timing of rainfall are influencing SOC storage. We hypothesized that a sustained shift in rainfall timing from winter to a spring-summer regime would reduce desert SOC stores by creating moist and warm soil conditions, thus promoting decomposition. To investigate this, we evaluated how an 11-year seasonal shift in rainfall (winter to springsummer regime) affected SOC storage (that is, dissolved organic C, light SOC, and heavy SOC) in soils beneath dominant shrub and perennial grass species in a cold desert sagebrush-steppe ecosystem. We also measured the soil C to nitrogen (N) ratios, standing litter stocks, and root biomass C to help interpret the long-term changes in SOC stores. As predicted, a seasonal shift in rainfall caused heavy SOC to decline beneath Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis by 14%, from 3.1 to 2.7 kg C m -2 , and Pseudoroegneria spicata by 19%, from 3.0 to 2.4 kg C m -2 . Neither dissolved organic C, nor the light fraction, responded to changes in rainfall. The C to N ratio of heavy SOC beneath Artemisia declined by at least 6% under the warmer and moister conditions of the spring-summer regime, suggesting that alterations in decomposition dynamics contributed to the loss of SOC. Unexpectedly, coarse litter and root C in Artemisia soils were lower under the spring-summer than winter rainfall regime, suggesting that a decline in litter inputs may also have contributed to the loss of SOC. The C to N ratio of heavy SOC, litter stores (that is, coarse litter and thatch), and root C in Pseudoroegneria soils demonstrated similar responses as in Artemisia soils, but these variables were at best only marginally significant. Our results suggest that a sustained seasonal shift in rainfall from winter to spring-summer will reduce heavy SOC across cold deserts, and that this reduction will stem from alterations in decomposition dynamics and net primary production by plants. Further, as global temperatures rise we may see more overlap of moist and warm soil conditions, especially in ecosystems with winter rainfall regimes (for example, Mediterranean-climate ecosystems and temperate forests), that may reduce SOC in the absence of rainfall changes.
Difficulties in co‐opting a complex sign: Our Lady of Guadalupe as a site of semiotic struggle and entanglement

The Cult of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the product of appropriations authored by both the Aztecs and the Roman Catholic Church, has served as a tool of empowerment, dominion, and accommodation. Central to this contested cult is an indigenous reinvention of the Virgin Mary that is simultaneously index, icon, and symbol. This study demonstrates the difficulties in attempting to selectively appropriate the desirable features of such a sign while excluding those deemed undesirable. In attempting to appropriate certain features of the Virgin it deemed desirable, the authors argue, the Church also annexed aspects of the Aztec religious tradition at odds with the teachings of Catholicism. While Catholicism's attempt to co‐opt this Virgin extended the influence of the institutional Catholic Church, the authors suggest, it also undermined the integrity of the faith the Church promotes by fostering a form of popular Catholicism contrary to the teachings and practices of orthodox Catholicism. This study is grounded in d...
Legislating evidence-based cancer care.

The Oncologist 2003;8:128-131 www.TheOncologist.com Correspondence: Joseph J. Fins, M.D., F.A.C.P., Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 525 East 68th Street, F-173, New York, New York 10021, USA. Telephone: 212-746-4246; Fax: 212-746-8738; e-mail: jjfins@mail.med.cornell.edu Received January 7, 2003; accepted for publication February 24, 2003. ©AlphaMed Press 1083-7159/2003/$12.00/0 In 1971, President Nixon declared war on cancer. Remarkably, in a year known for growing detente with the former Soviet Union and his historic trip to China, Nixon hoped that the passage of the National Cancer Act would be viewed as “the most significant action” taken by his administration [1]. Over 30 years later, Congress is capable of making an equally historic contribution to cancer care as it considers sweeping legislation to improve cancer care. Among a number of notable proposals introduced by Senators Feinstein [2], Brownback, and Gregg [3], is Senator Kennedy’s Quality of Care for Individuals with Cancer Act [4]. Whatever legislative compromise is reached, the Kennedy Bill has features that should be included in any initiative to enhance the care of the cancer patient and the continued translation of advances from bench to bedside and beyond into the communities where cancer patients are diagnosed and cured, palliated and comforted. Kennedy introduced his bill at a Capitol Hill press conference last fall. With cancer survivor Lance Armstrong by his side, Kennedy noted that “our goal is to match the nation’s excellence in cancer research with state-of-the art excellence in cancer care” [5]. This initiative would create the infrastructure so that patients and their families would maximally benefit from our investment in basic research and the coming revolution in molecular medicine.
Real time fault tolerant control of robot manipulators

The complexity of computing the generalized forces or torques acting at the joints of a robot manipulator with n degrees of freedom directly effects the speed and accuracy of control. For real-time robust control, the large number of mathematical computations performed must satisfy the speed requirements and must also be error-free. In this paper, a combination of parallel and distributed processing techniques are proposed to compute the generalized forces using the Lagrangian formulation. The complexity of computation is reduced from the order @q(n^3) to @q(n). It is shown that with minor modification in the architecture, all single errors that occur during computation can be detected, located, and corrected for robust control.