cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stereoselective addition of the titanium enolate of N-acetyl (4S)-isopropyl-1,3-thiazolidine-2-thione to five-membered N-acyl iminium ions.

Addition of the chlorotitanium enolate of N-acetyl 4-isopropyl-1,3-thiazolidine-2-thione to five-membered, N-Substituted N-acyl iminium ions furnished the corresponding Mannich-type addition products with good diastereoselectivity and in good yields. The synthetic utility of the addition product 8 was demonstrated in a chemospecific anti-aldol reaction with cinnamaldehyde. By using this strategy, we constructed three contiguous chiral centers with high stereocontrol employing the same chiral auxiliary. X-Ray crystallographic analysis of addition product 2 and aldol product 14 revealed their absolute stereochemistry.
Cell migration into the “established” lateral motor column in Rana pipiens larvae. II. Lumbosacral spinal cord and comparative aspects†

Neuronal turnover has been demonstrated during the period of differentiation and maturation of motor neurons in the developing lateral motor columns of Rana pipiens larvae. As determined by thymidine-3H labeling, cells continued to migrate into the lateral motor column (LMC) while there was a concurrent reduction in LMC cell numbers. Notably, cells in the lumbosacral LMC ceased to be labeled following thymidine-3H injection at an earlier time than for the brachial LMC. This is consistent with a caudo-cephalic direction of development among the two pairs of motor columns in the spinal cord. Since neuronal turnover occurs following the initial formation of the LMC and continues after the maximum number of cells has been attained, it is proposed that neuronal turnover may be a mechanism that allows for neural readjustment and refinement during spinal cord development.
Relative spatial features for image memorability

Recent studies in image memorability showed that the memorability of an image is a measurable quantity and is closely correlated with semantic attributes. However, the intrinsic characteristics of memorability are not yet fully understood. It has been reported that in contrast to a popular belief unusualness or aesthetic beauty of the image may not be positively correlated with the image memorability. This counter-intuitive characteristic of memorability hinders a better understanding of image memorability and its applicability. In this paper, we investigate two new spatial features that are closely correlated with the image memorability yet intuitively explainable. We propose the Weighted Object Area (WOA) that jointly considers the location and size of objects and the Relative Area Rank (RAR) that captures the relative unusualness of the size of objects. We empirically demonstrate their useful correlation with the image memorability. Results show that both WOA and RAR can improve the memorability prediction. In addition, we provide evidence that the RAR can effectively capture object-centric unusualness of size.
Resveratrol inhibits proliferation, induces apoptosis, and overcomes chemoresistance through down-regulation of STAT3 and nuclear factor-κB–regulated antiapoptotic and cell survival gene products in human multiple myeloma cells

Whether resveratrol, a component of red grapes, berries, and peanuts, could suppress the proliferation of multiple myeloma (MM) cells by interfering with NF-kappaB and STAT3 pathways, was investigated. Resveratrol inhibited the proliferation of human multiple myeloma cell lines regardless of whether they were sensitive or resistant to the conventional chemotherapy agents. This stilbene also potentiated the apoptotic effects of bortezomib and thalidomide. Resveratrol induced apoptosis as indicated by accumulation of sub-G(1) population, increase in Bax release, and activation of caspase-3. This correlated with down-regulation of various proliferative and antiapoptotic gene products, including cyclin D1, cIAP-2, XIAP, survivin, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Bfl-1/A1, and TRAF2. In addition, resveratrol down-regulated the constitutive activation of AKT. These effects of resveratrol are mediated through suppression of constitutively active NF-kappaB through inhibition of IkappaBalpha kinase and the phosphorylation of IkappaBalpha and of p65. Resveratrol inhibited both the constitutive and the interleukin 6-induced activation of STAT3. When we examined CD138(+) plasma cells from patients with MM, resveratrol inhibited constitutive activation of both NF-kappaB and STAT3, leading to down-regulation of cell proliferation and potentiation of apoptosis induced by bortezomib and thalidomide. These mechanistic findings suggest that resveratrol may have a potential in the treatment of multiple myeloma.
The Logic of the ‘As If’ and the Existence of God: An Inquiry into the Nature of Belief in the Work of Jacques Derrida

For Derrida, the ‘as if’, as a regulative principle directly appropriated and modified from its Kantian context, becomes the central lynchpin for understanding, not only Derrida's philosophical system as a whole, but also his numerous seemingly enigmatic references to his ‘jewishness’. Through an analysis of the function of the ‘as if’ within the history of thought, from Greek tragedy to the poetry of Wallace Stevens, I hope to show how Derrida can only appropriate his Judaic roots as an act of mourning that seeks to render the lost object as present, ‘as if’ it were incorporated by the subject for whom this act nevertheless remains an impossibility. As Derrida discerns within the poetry of Paul Celan, bringing a sense of presence/presentness to our experiences, and as a confirmation of the subject which the human being struggles to assert, is the poetic task par excellence. It is seemingly also, if Derrida is to be understood on this point, the only option left to a humanity wherein poetry comes to expre...
Computer simulation of recrystallization—III. Influence of a dispersion of fine particles

Two-dimensional Monte Carlo simulations of recrystallization have been carried out in the presence of incoherent and immobile particles for a range of different particle fractions, a range of stored energies and a range of densities of potential nuclei (embryos). For stored energies greater than a critical value (H/J > 1) the recrystallization front can readily pass the particles leading to a random density of particles on the front and a negligible influence of particles on the recrystallization kinetics. At lower stored energies the particles pin the recrystallization front leading to incomplete recrystallization. However at very low particle fractions, when the new grain has grown much larger than the matrix grains, before meeting any particles, the new grains can complete the consumption of the deformed grains giving complete “recrystallization” by a process that appears to be similar to abnormal grain growth. Particles are, as reported previously, very effective at pinning grain boundaries, both of the deformed and recrystallized grains, when boundaries migrate under essentially the driving force of boundary energy alone. Such boundaries show a density of particles that rises rapidly from the random value found at the start of the simulation. As a consequence, particles very strongly inhibit normal grain growth after recrystallization. Such growth can only occur if the as-recrystallized grain size is less than the limiting grain size seen in the absence of recrystallization. Under these circumstances a small increment of grain growth occurs until the grain boundaries once again acquire a higher than random density of particles.
Hydrogen – Air Fuel Cell with Homogeneous Oxidation Catalyst Redox Cycle

IN fuel cells with an intermediate redox cycle, electrochemical reactants are prepared by the action of a fuel and an oxidant on a redox system. Complexes of copper in certain organic solvents present particularly interesting systems. For example, cupric acetate dissolved in pyridine oxidizes molecular hydrogen; cuprous acetate is the homogeneous catalyst as well as the reaction product1,2. In air, the reverse reaction proceeds with ease. Such systems may be useful in fuel cells operating on air and hydrogen as they would avoid the troublesome problem of maintaining the gas/electrolyte boundary in a specific position in the porous electrodes.
Commentary: Next Steps for Graduated Licensing

Every motorized country in the world has a young driver problem. In the United States, licensing practices in place for most of the 20th century exacerbated the problem. Licensing ages around the w...
Rana pipiens Complex: Mating Call Structure and Taxonomy

Geographic variability in call structure indicates that four largely allopatric populations of leopard frogs are present in the central United States. These forms appear to maintain their distinctness in narrow zones of sympatry, and most adult males can be separated morphologically. It is suggested that the four forms represent distinct species and that the idea of gradual clinal variability in one wide-ranging species is wrong.
A research note on some of the critical factors on the dissimilar effects of chlorpromazine and secobarbital on the digit symbol substitution and continuous performance tests.

The effects of single doses of chlorpromazine and secobarbital on performance of normal subjects on four behavioral tests were compared. The tests were the Continuous Performance Test (CPT), an experimenter-paced test requiring continued vigilence on the part of the subject; the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), a self-paced, cognitive test; the Subject-Paced Test (SPT), a test designed to include the same visual stimuli as those used in the CPT with the subject having control over the speed of presentation of the visual stimuli: and the Symbol Copying Test (SCT), a test designed to have all the motor, visual, and self-pacing components of the DSST with the cognitive aspect removed. The results support the hypothesis that chlorpromazine causes more decrement in performance than does secobarbital on experimenter-paced tests where sustained attention is necessary. However, on self-paced tests where sustained attention is not necessary, secobarbital causes more decrement in performance than does chlorpromazine. A self-paced test that is sensitive to barbiturates ceases to be a sensitive indicator of barbiturate effects when the cognitive aspect of the test is removed.
Reactions of uranium hexafluoride with a variety of ions in a flowing afterglow

Abstract The room temperature flowing afterglow technique has been used for an extensive study of ion/molecule chemistry of UF6 and some of its derivatives. Rate constants and product yields are reported for the charge exchange, ionization, and/or fragmentation reactions of He+, Ne+, Ar+, Kr+, N+, N2+, O+, O2+, He(23S), and Ne(3P2) with UF6. The products of these reactions all fall in the family UFn+, n = 3–5. These fragment ions subsequently react with UF6 to produce the cluster ions U2Fn+6+. The first known observation of a gas-phase hetero-ligand uranium ion is made in the reactions of H2O+ and H3O+ with UF6 in which UOF3+ and some of its derivatives are produced. Similarly, in the negative ion regime, the reactions of O− and O2− with UF6 are observed to produce UOF5− and UOF4−. Rate constants for the overall reactions and product distributions, where measurable, are reported.
Recognition of central nervous system leukemia by flow cytometry

Cerebrospinal fluid of 24 patients with acute leukemia was studied by DNA/RNA flow cytometry. In six of 15 patients with central nervous system (CNS) relapse, the spinal fluid cells had abnormal DNA stemlines, ranging from near haploid to hyperdiploid. In two additional cases, leukemic cells were identified by a abnormally high RNA content only. One patient had two different aneuploid cell populations in spinal fluid not distinguished by cytologic morphology. Another patient with initial diploid leukemia had CNS relapse characterized by the same DNA stemline long after a triploid DNA stemline emerged in the marrow. DNA/RNA flow cytometry detected leukemic cells that were not identified ("uniform" or "reactive") by cytological criteria in 5/6 patients studied and in addition differentiated lymphoblastic from nonlymphoblastic cell types according to low and high RNA content.
Particle-in-Cell algorithms for emerging computer architectures

Abstract We have designed Particle-in-Cell algorithms for emerging architectures. These algorithms share a common approach, using fine-grained tiles, but different implementations depending on the architecture. On the GPU, there were two different implementations, one with atomic operations and one with no data collisions, using CUDA C and Fortran. Speedups up to about 50 compared to a single core of the Intel i7 processor have been achieved. There was also an implementation for traditional multi-core processors using OpenMP which achieved high parallel efficiency. We believe that this approach should work for other emerging designs such as Intel Phi coprocessor from the Intel MIC architecture.
Optimizing the pharmacoinvasive approach to acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: use of half-dose thrombolytic therapy in combination with glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitors compared with full-dose thrombolytic therapy in the setting of routine urgent post-thrombolytic percutaneous coronary intervention

presentation, hemodynamics, and in-hospital outcome were compared. A composite of cardiogenic shock or death was considered to equate to hemodynamic status of these patients. Results: COPD patients were older (Pb.001), more of female gender (Pb.001), and smokers (Pb.001). They had higher prevalence of chronic renal insufficiency (Pb.001), hypertension (P=.001), and diabetes mellitus (P=.01). COPD patients had higher rates of in-hospital mortality and cardiogenic shock (Pb.0001). After multivariate analysis, COPD remained the strongest independent predictor of the composite end point of death and cardiogenic shock (Pb.001). Conclusion: COPD is the strongest, independent predictor of hemodynamic compromise resulting in death or cardiogenic shock in patients presenting with acute MI. This observation suggests that the hemodynamic and pulmonary consequences of COPD reduce the capacity of the circulatory system to adjust to the effects of acute MI.
FACTORS AFFECTING THE PRODUCTION OF CHROMOSOME ABERRATIONS BY CHEMICALS

In the present paper, the results of a study on the influence of temperature, hydrogen ion concentration, and oxygen tension on the production of chromosome aberrations in Vicia root tips by maleic hydrazide (MH), di-(2, 3-epoxypropyl)ether (DEPE), and 8-ethoxycaffeine (EOC), are described. Variations in the hydrogen ion concentration of the treatment solutions did not significantly influence the effect of EOC and DEPE. In contrast, the MH effect was considerably diminished by raising the pH from 4.7 to 7.3. A marked increase in the frequencies of aberrations produced by DEPE and MH was obtained by raising the temperature from 3° to 25°C. The effect of EOC increased with rising temperature up to 12°C. With a further rise in temperature the effect of EOC decreased, so that at 25°C. it was of about the same magnitude as at 3°C. The effect of EOC was completely inhibited, and that of MH partly so, when during the treatment (1) oxygen was excluded from the solution, (2) respiration was inhibited by azide or cyanide, or (3) phosphorylation was uncoupled from respiration by 2, 4-dinitrophenol (DNP). Pretreatments with DNP had a similar effect, but posttreatments did not influence the frequencies of aberrations. The effect of DEPE was unchanged by anoxia. Pre- or posttreatments with DNP did not change the total number of aberrations produced by DEPE, but the appearance of the effect was considerably delayed. The results are discussed.
How overconfidence influences entrepreneurship

The only thing certain in economic life is that most of it is conducted into an uncertain environment; that raises a question though: what makes individuals pursue entrepreneurship which engages too much risk for an unsure, or too little, return? Research has shown that people tend to be optimistic when a decision is made under uncertainty (Taylor and Brown, Psychological Bulletin, 103:193–210, 1988) and exhibit overconfidence in judgment (DeBondt and Thaler 1995). Overconfident individuals tend to overestimate their relative ability (Svenson, Acta Psychologica 47:143–148, 1981); therefore, their perception about their actions, probabilistically, appears to them to be safer than that of others who exhibit no overconfidence. A sample of 2,994 entrepreneurs provides us with interesting findings (Cooper et al., Journal of Business Venturing 3:97–108, 1988): 81% consider their chances of success to be at least 70%, and 33% believe their chances of success to reach a probability of 100%. In reality, about 75% of new businesses no longer exist after 5 years. Is it that entrepreneurs are incapable of seeing the risk or/and measure it, or is it that they consciously perceive a different dimension of risk involved in their actions? A more recent study (Wu and Knott, Management Science 52:1315–1330, 2006) showed, in general, that entrepreneurs are more cautious than most of us would think or believe, and the belief that entrepreneurs have bigger tolerance for risk is rather unsupported according to their findings. Although there are some cases where entrepreneurs appear to be more risk averse than average, still it does not prevent them to bear risk. Such finding sounds controversial, but in reality it is not. Entrepreneurs seem to set different dimensions for uncertainty; thus, the oxymoron suggested above actually justifies their actions. Entrepreneurs believe that uncertainty has two dimensions: the market uncertainty and the uncertainty regarding ability. Similar to the majority of people, entrepreneurs detest the market risk but, on the other hand, they much appreciate their own abilities(overconfidence) that compensate for their dislike of risk. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the impact of overconfidence in entrepreneurial behavior.
General score tests for associations of genetic markers with disease using cases and their parents

Association studies of genetic markers with disease play a critical role in the dissection of genetically complex traits because they are relatively easy to conduct and are useful for fine-scale mapping of genetic traits. The advantage of family-based controls has recently received much attention because spurious associations caused by population structure can be controlled for, and marker genotype information on diseased cases and their parents can be used to test the compound hypothesis of both linkage and linkage disequilibrium. However, debate still exists regarding the statistical methods of analysis. Herein are presented statistical methods to test for linkage (in the presence of linkage disequilibrium) between multiallelic genetic markers and disease when diseased subjects (cases) and their parents are sampled. Theoretical considerations for the development of general statistical tests are presented as well as asymptotic formulas to compute their power when planning a study. Furthermore, simulation results for nine specific statistics are used to contrast the power of these methods under different genetic mechanisms leading to disease (dominant vs. recessive, one vs. two high-risk alleles). These results demonstrate substantial gains in power for specific statistical tests designed to detect specified genetic mechanisms. However, without a priori knowledge of the likely genetic mechanism, it is desirable to rely on a fairly robust statistical method, robust so that power is not drastically lost when either dominant or recessive mechanisms are acting, and when either one or more than one marker alleles are associated with disease. Based on both theoretical and simulation results, a general score statistic, which generalizes the transmission/disequilibrium test, tends to offer sufficient power for a variety of genetic mechanisms, so that it is worth considering for broad use in studies which use genetic marker information from both diseased cases and their parents.
School Engagement as a Mediator of Academic Performance Among Urban Youth: The Role of Career Preparation, Parental Career Support, and Teacher Support

Drawing from the contributions of vocational psychology, this study examined school engagement as a mediator of academic performance through the effects of career preparation (career planning, career decision-making self-efficacy), parental career support, and teacher support among diverse urban youth in middle school and high school (N = 285). Based on structural equation modeling, all structural paths of the proposed hypothetical model were significant. The effects of teacher support and parental career support on school engagement were mediated by career preparation; in turn, the effect of career preparation on grades was mediated by school engagement. Teacher support also had a direct effect on school engagement.The middle school students had significantly higher grades than the high school students, but there were no significant grade-level differences in terms of school engagement, career preparation, parental career support, or teacher support.The limitations of the study and its implications for r...
Direct measurement of the interactions of glycosaminoglycans and a heparin decasaccharide with the malaria circumsporozoite protein.

Circumsporozoite (CS) protein is a predominant surface antigen of malaria sporozoites, the infective form of the parasite, and has been used for making anti-malaria vaccines. For the first time we have examined the interaction of CS protein with various glycosaminoglycans in real time using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Heparin was the best binder among the glycosaminoglycans tested and bound to CS protein with nanomolar affinity. Using purified and structurally defined small heparin oligosaccharides, we identified a decasaccharide to be the minimum sized CS protein-binding sequence. In an indirect competition assay, this decasaccharide blocked the CS protein interaction with HepG2 cells with an ID50 of less than 60 nM. The decasaccharide has a structure commonly found in hepatic heparan sulfate, and the same sequence has recently been shown to bind specifically to apolipoprotein E. Examination of porcine liver heparan sulfate in this indirect competition assa...
Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder in a Child with Asperger Syndrome A Case Report

This case report outlines the cognitive-behavioral treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder in a 7-year-old female with Asperger syndrome. Interventions were based upon the work of March and Mulle and were adapted in light of the patient's cognitive, social, and linguistic characteristics. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms improved markedly after approximately 6 months of treatment. Issues regarding symptom presentation, assessment, and treatment of a dually diagnosed patient are discussed.
NUTRITIONAL FACTORS IN CANCER PREVENTION

Current epidemiologic and laboratory evidence suggests that nutritional factors may play an important role in chemoprevention, although the relative importance of that role for the various micronutrients and dietary constituents is still unclear. The complexity of this area of investigation and practice clearly requires knowledge of the relevant measurement tools, chemistry, biology, and food science, and also the limitations that must be considered in the interpretation of nutritional data. Despite the challenges encountered in translation to clinical research and practice, nutrition remains a promising area of chemoprevention, likely to yield important information and strategies with a large public health impact.
Missing price and coupon availability data in scanner panels: Correcting for the self-selection bias in choice model parameters

Discrete choice models have been widely estimated on scanner panel data to study consumer choice. One challenge in scanner panel research is that only the prices of the items bought are recorded. The ad hoc models used to fill in the missing prices of non-purchased brands may create a self-selection bias in estimating consumer price sensitivities. This type of bias is also present in existing studies of coupon effects. To obtain consistent estimates of price elasticities in the presence of missing price and coupon values, we estimate a brand choice model jointly with models for the price and coupon processes.
Adaptive maximal asymptotic efficiency equalization using constellation mapping

The focus of this paper is the extension of maximum asymptotic efficiency (MAE) equalization for application to time-varying communication channels. While the asymptotically optimal MAE equalizer is very attractive in its low runtime complexity, it suffers from high (exponential in channel and equalizer length) design complexity. Frequent redesign renders the effective operational complexity of the MAE equalizer impractical for implementation in time-varying channels. In this work, we address this issue by mapping the time-varying channel to a fixed channel for which the MAE equalizer is pre-designed. The channel mapping is performed via a linear pre-filter. Simulation results reveal that a pre-filter followed by a fixed MAE equalizer achieves gains of up to 4 dB over a conventional minimum mean square error (MMSE) linear equalizer in the high SNR regime. The proposed adaptive equalizer provides a balance between the optimal bit error rate performance and design complexity.
Temperature tuned external cavity diode laser with micromachined silicon etalons

A tunable external cavity diode laser employing micromachined thermally tuned silicon etalons and laser-welding manufacturing is presented. Integral wavelength locking and an efficient calibration method are described. Accurate, stable wavelength and power are discussed.
A Random Approach to Study the Stability of Fuzzy Logic Networks

In this paper, we propose a general network model, fuzzy logic network (FLN), and study its stability and convergence properties. The convergence property was first deduced theoretically. Then a random approach was adopted to simulate the convergence speed and steady-state properties for a variety of fuzzy logical functions. The simulation results show that MV logical function causes the system to be on the edge of chaos when the number of nodes increases. Thus this logical function is more useful to infer real complex networks, such as gene regulatory networks.
College Students, Faith and the Public Realm: The Relationship Between Religious Attitudes and Civic and Political Engagement

This paper explores college students’ involvement in political and civic life, with a particular emphasis on the relationship between their faith and their service. We examine who is involved outside of the classroom, what characteristics are associated with high levels of activism, and how individuals’ attitudes toward faith play a role in this process.
Applying Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy to the Chronically Ill Elderly: Treatment Issues and Case Illustration

A large percentage of older adults must endure at least one chronic medical illness. Clinically significant depression and anxiety are common among these patients. Specific psychotherapy approaches as well as adaptations required to address the unique issues of this population have not been delineated in the literature. We outline a cognitive-behavioral therapy approach and discuss five treatment issues we have found to be important for this population. These issues include: (1) resolving practical barriers to participation; (2) accepting depression as a separate and reversible problem; (3) limiting excess disability; (4) counteracting the loss of important social roles and autonomy; and (5) challenging the perception of being a “burden.” A case study of a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patient with depression is presented and recommendations for future research are suggested.
Near time-optimal transient response in DC-DC buck converters taking into account the inductor current limit

This paper analyzes the general problem of inductor current limitation in the time-optimal load transient response of a DC-DC buck converter. The concept of current-limited, time-optimal control (CL-TOC) is introduced and compared to the previously reported unconstrained time-optimal solutions. A fundamental tradeoff between maximum allowed current overshoot and voltage recovery time is recognized, and a set of design equations is developed which provide the engineer with the necessary analytical tools for the controller design. Furthermore, the minimum number of switching actions required to handle a generic current-limited TOC is determined, leading to the formulation of a minimum-switch CL-TOC concept. Two distinct approaches for minimum-switch digital CL-TOC are then introduced. The first method, which is an extension of a charge-balance approach, has the advantage of achieving the time-optimal switching sequence without the need for a prior knowledge of the output filter LC parameters. The second approach implements a near CL-TOC employing the switching surface concept and defining the current limitation in the state-space. Simulation and experimental results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approaches.
Internal Dynamics of the Homotrimeric HIV-1 Viral Coat Protein gp41 on Multiple Time Scales

Fusion of viral and cellular membranes is elicited by the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120/gp41. The precursor gp160, encoded by the Env gene, is cleaved post-translationally into two chains, gp120 and gp41, which remain non-covalently associated as a homotrimer of heterodimers and form a spike on the viral surface.[1] Upon CD4 recognition, the gp120 subunit dissociates from gp41, which remains anchored through its C-terminal transmembrane helix (TM) in the viral membrane. After gp120 dissociation, the N-terminal fusion peptide of gp41 is exposed and can insert into the host cell membrane.[2] Because of its high sequence conservation and its accessibility to the humoral immune system,[3] gp41 represents an attractive drug target for antiviral therapy as well as a key player in vaccine research.[4, 5]
Recognizing religious mythology in visions of new technology

Bill Joy, Chief scientist for Sun Microsystems, agrees that coming advances in computing power seem to make it possible that an intelligent being will be built by the year 2030, and, that shortly thereafter, we will gradually replace ourselves with our robotic technology, achieving near immortality by downloading our consciousness. But Joy asks, if we are downloaded into our technology, what are the chances that we will thereafter be ourselves, or even human? Given the seriousness of the threat, Joy wonders why the development of new technologies proceeds without hesitation. The article addresses Joy's question "why?" by using religious mythology as an analytical tool of narrative interpretation.
Planning-Level Tool for Assessing and Optimizing Gate Layout for Marine Container Terminals:

Drayage is a critical link in the intermodal supply chain. In the past decade, a sharp growth in drayage activity has occurred at major container ports in the United States. Because of the high volume of drayage trucks arriving at container terminals, the trucks often experience significant delays at the terminal gates. Reducing this delay is necessary to improve the efficiency of drayage operations and the entire freight supply chain and to reduce the emissions from diesel-fueled trucks. This study developed a planning-level tool that can be used by design engineers, terminal operators, port authorities, and transportation planners to assess the effectiveness of gate layouts and determine the optimal layout for marine container terminals. Specifically, the analytical tool can be used to determine the average truck queuing time for a given gate configuration and to determine how many service gates and queuing lanes are needed to achieve a desired level of service for a given truck arrival rate and truck s...
Reasoning about containment events in very young infants

The present research examined very young infants' expectations about containment events. In Experiment 1, 3.5-month-old infants saw a test event in which an object was lowered inside a container with either a wide opening (open-container condition) or no opening (closed-container condition) in its top surface. The infants looked reliably longer at the closed- than at the open-container test event. These and baseline data suggested that the infants recognized that the object could be lowered inside the container with the open but not the closed top. In Experiment 2, 3.5-month-old infants saw a test event in which an object was lowered either behind (behind-container condition) or inside (inside-container condition) a container; next, the container was moved forward and to the side, revealing the object behind it. The infants looked reliably longer at the inside- than at the behind-container test event. These and baseline results suggested that the infants in the inside-container condition realized that the object could not pass through the back wall of the container and hence should have moved with it to its new location. Experiments 3 and 4 extended the results of Experiments 1 and 2 to 2.5-month-old infants. Together, the present results indicate that even very young infants possess expectations about containment events. The possible origins and development of these expectations are discussed in the context of Baillargeon's model (Advances in infancy research 9 (1995) 305. Norwood, NJ: Ablex) of infants' acquisition of physical knowledge, and of Spelke's proposal (Cognition 50 (1994) 431) that, from birth, infants interpret physical events in accord with a solidity principle.
Exploring m-commerce in terms of viability, growth and challenges

The growth and use of m-commerce as an emerging technology has the potential to dramatically change the way consumers do business; hence m-commerce has enormous potential to be the dominant form of transactions. The benefits will be gradually introduced and will first be adopted by large companies, and early adopters look for value-added operation efficiencies and convenience, as proposed and empirically tested in this study. The industry needs to develop standard networks, platform and devices and also create reliability in the medium through which m-commerce will take place. From the empirical section of this paper, m-commerce has become more available and user friendly and is considered a pull market as reflected in increasingly positive attitudes towards the implication of such technology into routine decision-making tasks.
Distinct requirements for signal peptidase processing and function in the stable signal peptide subunit of the Junín virus envelope glycoprotein.

The arenavirus envelope glycoprotein (GP-C) retains a cleaved and stable signal peptide (SSP) as an essential subunit of the mature complex. This 58-amino-acid residue peptide serves as a signal sequence and is additionally required to enable transit of the assembled GP-C complex to the Golgi, and for pH-dependent membrane fusion activity. We have investigated the C-terminal region of the Junin virus SSP to study the role of the cellular signal peptidase (SPase) in generating SSP. Site-directed mutagenesis at the cleavage site (positions -1 and -3) reveals a pattern of side-chain preferences consistent with those of SPase. Although position -2 is degenerate for SPase cleavage, this residue in the arenavirus SSP is invariably a cysteine. In the Junin virus, this cysteine is not involved in disulfide bonding. We show that replacement with alanine or serine is tolerated for SPase cleavage but prevents the mutant SSP from associating with GP-C and enabling transport to the cell surface. Conversely, an arginine mutation at position -1 that prevents SPase cleavage is fully compatible with GP-C-mediated membrane fusion activity when the mutant SSP is provided in trans. These results point to distinct roles of SSP sequences in SPase cleavage and GP-C biogenesis. Further studies of the unique structural organization of the GP-C complex will be important in identifying novel opportunities for antiviral intervention against arenaviral hemorrhagic disease.
Subband autocorrelation features for video soundtrack classification

Inspired by the system presented in [1], we have developed novel auditory-model-based features that preserve the fine time structure lost in conventional frame-based features. While the original auditory model is computationally intense, we present a simpler system that runs about ten times faster but achieves equivalent performance. We use these features for video soundtrack classification with the Columbia Consumer Video dataset, showing that the new features alone are roughly comparable to traditional MFCCs, but combining classifiers based on both features achieves a substantial mean Average Precision improvement of 15% over the MFCC baseline.
Differences in brachial and femoral artery responses to prolonged sitting

It is unknown if there are limb differences in vascular function during prolonged sitting. This study was designed to test whether the effects of prolonged sitting on brachial artery (BA) and the superficial femoral artery (SFA) are similar. Twelve men (24.2 ± 4 yrs.) participated in a 3 hr prolonged sitting trial (SIT). SFA and BA flow mediated dilation (FMD) and respective flow patterns were measured at baseline, 1 hr, 2 hr and 3 hr. By a one-way ANOVA there was a significant decline in SFA FMD during 3 hrs of SIT (p < 0.001). Simultaneously, there was a significant decline in antegrade (p = 0.04) and mean (0.037) shear rates. By a one way ANOVA there were no significant differences in BA FMD during 3 hrs of sitting. There were no changes in the shear rates in the BA except for a significant decrease in antegrade shear rate (p = 0.029) and a significant increase in oscillatory shear index (p = 0.034) during 3 hrs of sitting. Furthermore, there was no correlation between BA and SFA FMD measurements. Three hours of sitting resulted in impaired SFA FMD but not BA FMD. Although 3 hours of sitting did not impair BA FMD, it impaired shear patterns in the BA.
Effects of Feeding Various Milo, Corn and Protein Levels on Laying Performance of Egg Production Stock

Abstract INCREASING production costs and narrowing profit margins encourage attempts to formulate least-cost diets. The abundant supply and lower price have made milo preferable to corn as a source of grain for poultry diets in the Southwest. The productive energy value of milo was given by Fraps (1946) to be 1,144 Calories per pound as compared with 1,145 for corn. Since Fraps’ original values were assigned they have been variably modified by later workers and today values commonly used are 1,105 for corn and 1,100 for milo, Feed Bag Red Book (1962). A common practice in the Southwest has been to substitute milo for corn pound for pound but reducing the amount of protein concentrate to allow for the higher protein level (11%) of the milo, corn 8.6%. Recent introduction of hybrid milos and changes in fertilization and cultural practices have resulted in lower protein levels of many samples of milo,…
CHILDREN'S BELIEF IN SANTA CLAUS, EASTER BUNNY AND TOOTH FAIRY

147 4- to 10-yr.-old children were identified at the preoperational, transitional, and concrete operation stages of cognitive development and were interviewed as to their beliefs in Santa Claus, th...
Performance of a 60 gram cryogenic germanium detector

A 60-g particle detector which utilizes the ionization and the phonons produced by a particle interaction has been developed. Six NDT (neutron transmutation doped) Ge thermistors are attached to a pure germanium crystal which has implanted contacts for drifting charge. The authors have operated the detectors at 30 mK and have studied its response to irradiation by 18- and 60-keV photons from an /sup 241/Am source. An analysis of the resolution of the detector which addresses the noise of the front-end electronics and signals from extraneous sources such as microphonics is presented. The simultaneous measurement of phonons and ionization has been demonstrated to have a resolution of 4 keV. This joint detection should prove to be very valuable in distinguishing between candidate dark matter interaction events and competing background processes. >
Chapter 33 Empirical research on nominal exchange rates

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a critical survey and an interpretation of recent exchange rate research. It focuses on empirical results for exchange rates among major industrialized countries. The expectations of future exchange rate changes are a key determinant of asset demands, and therefore of the current exchange rate. The expectations variable is relatively straightforward in the conventional monetary models; in theoretical terms , it is determined by the rational expectations assumption, while in empirical terms, it is typically measured by the forward discount or interest differential. The standard empirical implementation of rational expectations methodology infers ex ante expectations of investors from ex post changes in the exchange rate. Unexpected changes in monetary policy frequently cause movements in the exchange rate in the direction hypothesized by the sticky-price monetary model. The chapter presents a survey of the work on exchange rate determination in floating rate regimes. It considers evidence across exchange rate regimes and examines the issue of speculative bubbles. It also reviews some relatively new directions in exchange rate research that focus on the micro-structure of foreign exchange markets.
Abdominal closure protocol in colorectal, gynecologic oncology, and urology procedures: a randomized quality improvement trial.

Abstract Background Prevention of surgical site infections (SSIs) can improve surgical quality through reductions in morbidity and cost. We sought to determine whether the abdominal closure protocol, in isolation, decreases SSI at an academic teaching hospital. Methods Adult patients undergoing laparotomy were prospectively randomized to an abdominal closure protocol, which includes unused sterile instruments and equipment at fascial closure, or usual care. A 30-day SSI rates were compared. General surgery, colorectal, urology, or gynecologic oncology patients undergoing anticipated wound classification II cases were eligible. Results Overall SSI rates were 11.6% in patients randomized to protocol closure vs 12.4% for usual care (total n = 233; P = .85). The abdominal closure protocol and usual care groups had similar rates of superficial (4.5% vs 4.1%; P = .9), deep (.9% vs 0%, P = .3), organ-space SSI rates (6.2% vs 8.3%, P = .55), and wound dehiscence (2.7% vs 5.3%; P = .24). Conclusions An abdominal closure protocol did not decrease the rate of SSI and is likely not a key intervention for SSI reduction.
Autism Spectrum Disorder and Criminal Justice: Square Peg in a Round Hole?

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with deficits in social cognition, personal idiosyncrasies and impaired empathy. Though most individuals with ASD steer clear of criminal justice, their peculiarities sometimes render them the focus of unwanted attention. Odd behaviors, awkwardness and inability to read others’ motives and behavior can lead to situations in which persons with ASD act impulsively, irrationally or with seeming antisocial qualities. Their interactions with law enforcement and the criminal justice system can be self-defeating or even disastrous. Persons with ASD may display behaviors that appear intentionally unlawful; yet, they may have a completely different subjective reality. Once charged, it is difficult for them to use ASD as a basis of a defense or mitigation. Accordingly, it is important to identify persons with ASD and to interpret their behaviors in light of what is known about their differences.
Stress relaxation in a semi-infinite viscoelastic earth model

Expressions for quasi-static surface stresses resulting from a finite, rectangular, vertical, strike-slip fault in a Maxwellian viscoelastic half-space are derived. Variation of the stresses with time and epicentral distance is studied. Contour maps are obtained in some representative cases. It is found that all nonvanishing stress components at the free surface die exponentially with time. This is in contrast to the behavior of the displacements and strains which, in general, do not vanish for large times.
Viral evolution and CTL epitope stability during JHMV infection in the central nervous system.

The JHM strain of mouse hepatitis virus (JHMV) establishes a persistent infection in the murine central nervous system (CNS) associated with chronic ongoing demyelination in the absence of detectable virus. To distinguish between immune and replication associated mechanisms of persistence, brains from acutely and persistently infected mice were analyzed for viral RNA mutations in the encapsidation sequence (ECS) and regions encoding either the transmembrane domains of the matrix (M) protein or a protective CTL epitope in the nucleocapsid (N) protein. Detection of the ECS to 120 days post infection (p.i.) indicated low levels of replication. The ECS remained stable whereas the fragment encoding the CTL epitope revealed extensive diversity with mutation frequencies in the order of 2.0 per 1000 nts. The M gene also remained stable despite random mutations during the acute phase. Mutations in the N gene were random and not selected for during persistence, with the exception of a single prominent Pro363 to Ser substitution in a region not associated with any known regulatory function or immune response. Mutations within the CTL epitope affecting CTL recognition were found early in responder BALB/c mice (H-2d), but also in non-responder C57BL/6 (H-2b) mice, suggesting that CTL escape variants play no significant role in establishing persistence.
Bactra verutana, a Possible Biological Control Agent of Purple and Yellow Nutsedge: Large Scale Rearing on Artificial Diet

An artificial diet was developed for rearing larvae of the nutsedge moth, Bactra verutana Zeller, and a technique was established for adults. At 30±2°C, the period from egg to adult was 18–20 days. Recovery of adults from diet-reared larvae averaged 61% for 5 generations. When the laboratory-reared insects were used to infest nutsedge plants in the greenhouse and in the field the adults showed no loss of vigor, and the larvae were not less able to infest nutsedge, even after 35 generations. This apparent retention of typical field behavior may be related to the use of host plant material into the rearing medium.
Diffusion of A Deposited GeSe Film in GaAs using Ion-Beam Mixing

Ion-beam mixing and rapid thermal annealing (RTA) techniques are used to form shallow and heavily-doped n+ layers in undoped GaAs. RTA reduces surface degradation and improves crystalline quality compared to lengthy thermal cycles, although furnace annealing produces identical electrical characteristics. Ion-beam mixing has only a small effect on the diffusion of a deposited GeSe film, because the damage created by implantation is repaired during RTA before significant diffusion occurs. We define a threshold temperature representing the onset of significant electrical activation and/or diffusion, and propose a model relating the annealing, activation, and diffusion temperatures for the GeSe/GaAs system. RBS. SIMS, and electrical measurements show that extremely shallow layers with a sheet resistivity as low as 148Ω/□ can be formed in GaAs by diffusion from a GeSe source. This technique has potential application to the formation of shallow ohmic contacts for GaAs integrated circuits.