cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Solid tumor models for the assessment of different treatment modalities. XXII. The alternate utilization of radiotherapy and chemotherapy

Major increases in the time between administration of two modalities, radiation and cyclophosphamide (CP), from 1 to 7 days and in the overall time of delivery of 3 courses of combined therapy from 24 to 35 days were carried out in rats with hepatoma 3924A without major loss of therapeutic effectiveness. Cure rates of 50% or greater could be maintained even though treatment was given over much longer time periods. The radiation was given as hyperfractionated, split-course schedules which were devised by increasing the number of 250 rad fractions over a 2-day period. In one series of experiments these 2-day schedules were given at 11-day intervals for 3 courses on days 0 and 1, 11 and 12, 22 and 23; and CP (150 mg/kg) was given 1 day after each of the 3 radiation courses on days 2, 13, and 24. In the second series of experiments radiation was given on days 0 and 1, 14 and 15, 28 and 29; and this was alternated with 3 single doses of CP given 1 week after each of the 3 courses of radiation, on days 7, 21 and 35. Increasing the total radiation dose from 6000 to 7500 rad in the series given CP 1 day after each of three courses of radiation results in an increase in total tumor cure rates from 50% to 60%. The tumor cure rate in the series given CP 7 days after radiation increased from 10% to 70% when the total radiation dose was increased from 6000 to 7500 rad. Increasing the total radiation dose from 6000 to 7500 rad increased the magnitude of the acute skin reaction as well as the duration of recovery. However, the skin reactions for both the 6000 and 7500 rad were acceptable. Host toxicity and normal tissue reaction were within acceptable limits for both modalities. The results of these studies, therefore, indicate that excessive toxicity, one of the major deterrents to the effective combined utilization of these two primary means of cancer management, may be avoided by temporal separation of delivery while maintaining tumor cure rates of 50% or greater.
Structural Imperialism: An Analysis of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines

Part of the “common core” of ideas that make up dependency theory is the importance of elite relationships, yet few empirical studies in the dependency literature focus on elite behavior. This arti...
Web tool deconstructs variability in twentieth-century climate

Climate, as experienced over time in a particular locality or region, exhibits a wide spectrum of variability, ranging from daily weather to century-scale trends and beyond. As a result, climate-related risks will tend to vary as well, with slower variations modulating the likelihood of adverse or beneficial events that play out on shorter time scales. For example, the risk of crop loss due to insufficient seasonal rainfall will generally be increased during decades that themselves are drier than normal, and vice versa. Short-term planning for such risk might involve securing adequate supplies of a drought-resistant cultivar, while on longer time scales such infrastructure decisions as the design of irrigation systems or reservoirs may be at issue. An understanding of how variations on different time scales have combined to produce observed climate histories can inform adaptation or risk mitigation strategies in light of such multi-time-scale risk variability.
Analyzing the length of welfare spells

Abstract This paper studies the determinants of the length of individual spells of welfare, focusing on how the length of a spell affects the probability of its termination. The analysis utilizes six years of monthly data on time spent in the AFDC program among female household heads. A variety of duration dependence models are estimated. Monthly AFDC participation does not show strong evidence of duration dependence. Two distinct groups appear to utilize welfare: one with a very low and constant probability of leaving welfare, and a second group which is more affected by time on the program.
Structures of CnHx+ Molecules for n ≤ 22 and x ≤ 5: Emergence of PAHs and Effects of Dangling Bonds on Conformation

Mixed carbon/hydrogen cationic clusters, CnHx+ are generated in a laser desorption ion source over the size range 0 ≤ x ≤ 5 and 5 ≤ n ≤ 22. These species are mass selected and their conformations determined using ion mobility/ion chromatography methods. The conformations of pure carbon cationic species have been previously reported as pure linear chains for n ≤ 6, mixed chains and monocyclic rings for 7 ≤ n ≤ 9, and pure monocyclic rings for n ≥ 10. Addition of a single H atom extends the range of linear species to n = 15, and addition of two or more H atoms extends the linear isomer to n ≥ 22, primarily at the expense of the fraction of monocyclic ring present. At n = 15 a new isomer appears for x ≥ 4 and persists to n ≥ 22. Evidence is presented that this isomer is most likely a benzene ring with a carbon loop attached at ortho positions, providing a starting point for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) formation in carbon/hydrogen plasmas. The fraction of linear isomer for CnH2+ is ∼1.0 up to n = 12...
Long-term consequences of toxic epidermal necrolysis in children.

Objective Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is an acute inflammatory systemic condition that involves injury not just to the skin. Historically, it has been associated with a high mortality but few long-term consequences among survivors. With improved survival, long-term consequences may be becoming more apparent. The objective of this study was to define these long-term consequences and their frequency. Methods From July 1, 1991, to June 30, 2000, 11 children with severe TEN were referred to a regional pediatric burn facility. Wounds were managed with a strategy involving prevention of wound desiccation and superinfection, including the frequent use of biological wound coverings. All children survived and have been followed in the burn clinic. The records of all children were reviewed in detail. Results Two boys and 9 girls with an average age of 7.2 +/- 1.8 years (range: 6 months-15 years) and sloughed surface area of 76 +/- 6% of the body surface (range: 50%-95%) were admitted to the burn unit for care. Antibiotics (3 children), anticonvulsants (4 children), nonsteroidals (2 children), and viral syndrome or unknown agents (2 children) were believed to have triggered the syndrome. Six (55%) children required intubation for an average of 9.7 +/- 1.8 days (range: 2-14 days). Mucosal involvement occurred in 10 (91%) and ocular involvement in 10 (91%). Lengths of stay averaged 19 +/- 3 days (range: 6-40 days). Overall follow-up averaged 14 +/- 13 months. Three children had no apparent long-term consequences of the disease and were referred to primary care follow-up after the 2-month burn clinic visit. The remaining children had follow-up averaging 23 +/- 13 months. The most common long-term morbidity involved eyes (3 children [27%]), nails (4 children [36%]), and variegated skin depigmentation (all children). One child developed vaginal stenosis from mucosal inflammation. No esophageal strictures or recurrent TEN has been diagnosed. Conclusions Survival has improved in children with TEN, but long-term sequelae are not infrequent. The most common long-term consequences involve the eyes, the skin, and the nails.
Erratum to “The mechanism and thermodynamics of transesterification of acetate-ester enolates in the gas phase”: [Int. J. Mass Spectrom. Ion Process. 172 (1998) 25]

Abstract In solution, base-catalyzed hydrolysis and transesterification of esters are initiated by hydroxide- or alkoxide-ion attack at the carbonyl carbon. At low pressures in the gas phase, however, transesterification proceeds by an attack of the enolate anion of an acetate ester on an alcohol. Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS) indicates that the reaction is the second-order process: - CH 2 -CO 2 -R+R'-OH→ - CH 2 -CO 2 -R'+R-OH and there is little to no detectable production of either alkoxide anion. Labeling studies show that the product and reactant enolate anion esters undergo exchange of hydrogens located α to the carbonyl carbon with the deuterium of R′—OD. The extent of the H/D exchange increases with reaction time, pointing to a short-lived intermediate. The alcoholysis reaction rate constants increase with increasing acidity of the primary, straight-chained alkyl alcohols, whereas steric effects associated with branched alcohols cause the rate constants to decrease. Equilibrium constants, which were determined directly from measurements at equilibrium and which were calculated from the forward and reverse rate constants, are near unity and show internal consistency. In the absence of steric effects, the larger enolate is always the favored product at equilibrium. The intermediate for the transesterification reaction, which can be generated at a few tenths of a torr in a tandem mass spectrometer, is tetrahedral, but other adducts that are collisionally stabilized under these conditions are principally loosely bound complexes.
Agricultural Ethics in Rural Education

Agricultural ethics is a field of philosophy emphasizing ethical issues associated with food and fiber production, processing, distribution, and consumption. Farming and ranching have historically been viewed as morally praiseworthy activities, and rural citizens have been promoted as models of morality. Now, career as farmers or as representatives of agribusiness firms will inevitably involve practices that are currently and foreseeably embroiled in controversy. Norms and values are and will be a substantial component of such controversies. As such, familiarity with agricultural ethics may be a substantial asset for residents of rural areas who contemplate such careers. What is more, the adage "If you eat you are involved in agriculture," is particularly apt where agricultural ethics is concerned. All citizens depend upon secure agricultural production, and all affect the practice of agriculture through their consumer decisions and through political action. There is, therefore, good reason for all students to be cognizant of issues in agricultural ethics. Rural America has come to be perceived as a locus for ethically and politically contentious activities following the publication of books criticizing agriculture. Rachel Carson's Silent Spring was published in 1964. It was arguably the first in a series of books that raised questions about methods of agricultural production that were being adopted in the industrialized world. The succession of titles in this list includes E. F Schumacher's Small Is Beautiful (1973), Frances Moore Lappe's Diet for a Small Planet (1971), Wendell Berry's The Unsettling of America (1977), Wes Jackson's New Roots for Agriculture (1980), Orville Schell's Modern Meat
Expanding the Philosophical Base for Ethical Public Relations Practice: Cross-Cultural Case Application of Non-Western Ethical Philosophies

Western philosophical approaches, such as utilitarianism, have informed journalism and public relations practices in the West with little regard for non-Western frameworks. To rectify the ethnocentrism of ethical reasoning prevalent in Western public relations practices, we discuss two non-Western philosophical foundations: the palaver-tree concept from Africa and Confucianism from Asia. By focusing on the philosophical base as the first step of the ethical decision-making process, the final part of this paper applies these two non-Western approaches to a U.S. crisis-management case, comparing and contrasting their values with utilitarianism, as well as demonstrating their utility in the West.
School age effects of the Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program for medically low-risk preterm infants: Preliminary findings

Background: By school-age, even low-risk moderately preterm-born children show more neuro-cognitive deficits, motor impairments, academic underachievement, behavioral problems, and poor social adaptation than full-term peers. Aim: To evaluate the outcomes at school-age for moderately preterm-born children (29-33 weeks gestational age), appropriate in growth for gestational age (AGA) and medically at low-risk, randomized to Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP) or standard care in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit. At school-age, the experimental (E) group will show better neuropsychological and neuro-electrophysiological function, as well as improved brain structure than the control (C) group. Materials and Methods: The original sample consisted of 30 moderately preterm-born infants (29 to 33 weeks), 23 (8C and 15E) of them were evaluated at 8 years of age, corrected-for-prematurity with neuropsychological, EEG spectral coherence, and diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI) measures. Results: E-performed significantly better than C-group children on the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition (KABC-II) and trended towards better scores on the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test. They also showed more mature frontal and parietal brain connectivities, and more mature fiber tracts involving the internal capsule and the cingulum. Neurobehavioral results in the newborn period successfully predicted neuropsychological functioning at 8 years corrected age. Conclusion: Moderately preterm infants cared for with the NIDCAP intervention showed improved neuropsychological and neuro-electrophysiological function as well as improved brain structure at school-age.
Calculation of atomic hyperfine-field coupling constants

The hyperfine fields characteristic of the free-atom valence s electron are calculated to a form a consistent set of values for normalization of hyperfine fields obtained by NMR, Moessbauer, and other techniques in solids. (AIP)
Optimization of a 65-nm alternating phase-shift quartz etch process

As mask features advance to the 65 nm technology node, the ability to develop advanced phase shifting masks with reliable and repeatable processes is becoming increasingly important. Changes in process conditions (i.e. power, pressure, gases, etc.), play an important role in the reduction of RIE lag, micro-trenching, loading and the improvement of sidewall profiles. In this study, the effects of changing process conditions on the Tetra TM II Photomask Etch System were investigated. Process development was conducted to screen for a quartz etch process regime with enhanced performance.
Fossil Velvet Worms in Baltic and Dominican Amber: Onychophoran Evolution and Biogeography

Velvet worms identified in Baltic and Dominican amber demonstrate that terrestrial onychophorans were present in the early Tertiary. Characters of the amber fossils are similar to those of the Cambrian Aysheaia and the Pennsylvanian Helenodora, which suggests that these Paleozoic lobopods are ancestral to extant velvet worms. The presence of slime secretions in the Dominican amber fossil shows that the slime gland-pore complex had developed by the mid-Tertiary and could have been an adaptation to terrestrial life. The Baltic amber fossil shows that the range for this now predominately gondwanan group was expanded in the Tertiary.
Spatial Pattern of Tourist Flows Among the Asia-Pacific Countries: An Examination over a Decade

The spatial dimension of tourism provides insights about travel demands and travel flows and helps destinations in planning, development and management. The last decade has witnessed a steady and rapid growth in the Asia-Pacific region's tourism industry, in terms of both inbound and outbound travel. This particular study aimed to: (a) provide information and explore the changes on the nature of travel flows as measured by the tourist arrivals among the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) member countries for the years of 1995 and 2004; (b) assess general propensity to travel among PATA countries using the concepts of Country Potential Generation Index and Gross Travel Propensity; and (c) examine the shift in the past decade in terms of the relative tourism generation power of PATA countries by comparing and contrasting the 1995 and 2004 indices. The results of the study provide an overview of the spatial patterns of travel flows and travel propensity in Pacific Asia region over a 10-year period. The s...
Potential functions in electromagnetic field problems

In two dimensional problems with the current flow in only one direction, the magnetic field can be solved by computing a scalar potential or one component of the vector potential. The general formulation for three dimensional solutions, including nonlinearities, is more complex and requires all three components of the vector potential as well as a scalar potential for the description of the fields. It is the purpose of this paper to present a general systematic formulation at low frequencies in terms of potential functions for three dimensional numerical solutions of the nonlinear electro-magnetic field problems that include either nonlinear magnetic materials or nonlinear electric materials. Special cases of the magnetostatic as well as eddy-current problems are discussed.
Fractal scaling of soil particle-size distributions: analysis and limitations

Fractal scaling has recently been proposed as a model for soil particle-size distribution (PSD). In this work, the cumulative number of soil grains greater than a characteristic size, N(R > r), and the cumulative mass distribution, M(r < R), are developed and shown to be proportional to R³⁻ᴰ and R³⁻ᴰ, respectively, where r is the grain size, R is a specific measuring scale, and D is the fractal dimension. The cumulative-number approach to estimate D is shown to be sensitive to the assumed grain density and characteristic size, while the mass distribution is less sensitive to the assumed grain density and characteristic size, and therefore more appropriate for the analysis of field soils. These two models of fractal PSD behavior also constrain the fractal dimension to lie between 0 and 3 for field soils. With constraints on the fractal dimension, soils displaying strict fractal scaling in grain-size distribution are shown to be a rather small subset of those soils commonly encountered in the field. Earlier work has shown fractal scaling in many soil PSDs with fractal dimensions exceeding 3.0 using the number-based analysis. The fractal scaling and magnitude of the fractal dimensions found in previous work are shown to be an artifact of the plotting algorithms and assumptions on grain density and size. Although fractal scaling plays an important role in soil water retention and porosity, PSD data alone are not sufficient to fully characterize this scaling.
When should an investor buy a newly issued stock

This study documents the amount of time it takes for Initial Public Offerings (POs) to make the transition from underperformance to meeting or exceeding the return for firms of similar size. The study looks at yearly holding period lengths of 1 to 10 years. The results of this study show that if purchased on issuance date, IPOs need to be held for over five years in order to make a return equal to the market.
Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) suppresses stress induced eating.

Abstract Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) administered both intraventricularly and parenterally suppressed stress induced eating (using the mild tail pinch model) in a dose related manner. This suppression was partially reversed by intraventricular administration of the long acting synthetic enkephalin analog, D-Ala-Met-Enkephalin (p
P-complete problems in data compression

Abstract In this paper we study the parallel computational complexity of some methods for compressing data via textual substitution. We show that the Ziv-Lempel algorithm and two standard variations are P-complete. Hence an efficient parallelization of these algorithms is not possible unless P = NC.
Proton endor on VO(acac)2 in frozen solution

Abstract Information on magnitudes and signs of principal components of ligand hyperfine tensors in vanadyl bisacetylacetonate in frozen solution has been obtained with the aid of ENDOR and TRIPLE.
Rationales for Developing a Perioperative Web-Based Resource: Informatics in Action

ABSTRACT AS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES rapidly develop, perioperative nurses have the opportunity to take advantage of these advancements. USING EXISTING infrastructure, web-based resources can bring valuable information directly to the OR that otherwise might be unavailable. THIS ARTICLE EXAMINES the advantages of using nursing informatics to shape existing infrastructure into a teaching and orientation tool for perioperative nurses, with the goal of developing web-based applications that can positively influence perioperative nursing and patient safety. AORN J 86 (August 2007) 239-248. © AORN, Inc, 2007.
Simultaneous operative repair of multilevel lower extremity occlusive disease

Abstract Sixty-two patients (39 men (63%), 23 women (27%), mean age 68 years) with multilevel lower extremity arterial occlusive disease underwent simultaneous inflow and outflow operative arterial repair consisting of aortofemoral bypass in 22 (35%), axillofemoral bypass in 17 (28%), femorofemoral bypass in 15 (24%), iliac endarterectomy in 7 (11%), and unilateral aortoiliac bypass in 1 (2%), combined with 69 outflow procedures (unilateral in 55 patients, 89%), including above-knee femoropopliteal in 12 (17%), below-knee femoropopliteal in 35 (51%), femoroinfrapopliteal in 20 (29%), popliteal tibial in 1 (1%), and femoropedal bypass in 1 (1%). Multiple criteria were used to identify patients with multilevel disease likely to benefit from multilevel procedures. The operations were performed by two operating teams in a median time of 240 minutes. Prosthetic grafts were used for eight (13%) distal bypasses, the remainder were autogenous vein. There was one operative death (1.8%). The mortality rate, morbidity rate, and operative time were not significantly different from a group of patients who underwent concurrent, isolated inflow operations (aortofemoral, axillobifemoral, femorofemoral bypass or iliac endarterectomy). Mean follow-up was 14.9 months (range, 0 to 120). The life-table primary patency for the inflow procedures was 92.6% at 24 months, the outflow was 94.9% at 24 months. Cumulative limb salvage was 90.9% at 48-month follow-up. All patients with claudication were relieved of their symptoms. We conclude that complete correction of multilevel disease can be accomplished with operative time, morbidity rate, and patency equal to that of single level repair. Multilevel procedures provide complete relief of symptoms in a higher percentage of patients than has been reported after single level repair. (J VASC SURG 1991;13:211-21.)
Misfolding of Mutated Vasopressin Causes ER-Retention and Activation of ER-Stress Markers in Neuro-2a Cells.

Summary: Arginine-vasopressin (AVP) is a peptide hormone normally secreted from neuroendocrine cells via the regulated secretory pathway. In Familial Neurohypophyseal Diabetes Insipidus (FNDI), an autosomal dominant form of central diabetes insipidus, mutations of pro-vasopressin appear to accumulate in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) causing a lack of biologically active AVP in the blood. To investigate the effect of pro-vasopressin mutations regarding intracellular functions of protein targeting and secretion, we created two FNDI-associated amino acid substitution mutants, e.g., G14R, and G17V in frame with green fluorescent protein (GFP) and pro-vasopressin (VP) in frame with red fluorescent protein (VP-RFP). Fluorescence microscopy of Neuro-2a cells expressing these constructs revealed co-localization of VP-GFP and VP-RFP to punctate granules along the length and accumulating at the tips of neurites, characteristic of regulated secretory granules. In contrast, the two FNDI-associated amino acid substitution mutants, e.g., G14R-GFP, and G17VGFP, were localized to a perinuclear region of the Neuro-2a cells characteristic of the endoplasmic reticulum. Coexpression of these mutants with VP-RFP showed VP-RFP was retained in the ER, co-localized with the mutants suggesting the formation of heterodimers as found in FNDI. Stimulated secretion experiments indicated that VP-GFP was secreted in an inducible manner whereas, G14R-GFP and G17V-GFP were retained to nearly 100% within the cells. Analysis by western blotting and semi-quantitative RT-PCR indicated an increased protein and mRNA expression for an ER resident molecular chaperone, BiP. Further analysis of ER-storage disease-associated proteins such as caspase 12 and CHOP showed an increase in these as well. The results suggest that G14R-GFP and G17V-GFP are retained in the ER of Neuro-2a cells, resulting in up-regulation of the molecular chaperone BiP, and activation of the ER-storage diseaseassociated caspase cascade system.
The effects of NaCl deicing salts on Sphagnum recurvum P. Beauv.

Abstract In response to documented impacts of deicing salt runoff from a salt storage area along the Indiana Toll Road on the vegetation of Pinhook Bog, a study of the effects of NaCl on one of the prominent bryophytes of the bog was iniiated. Salt concentrations between 300 and 1500 mg/l as Cl significantly reduced growth in length of Sphagnum recurvum in laboratory cultures. Growth in biomass was also reduced at higher concentrations under certain treatment conditions. Chloride appeared to be a stronger growth inhibitor than sodium. In experiments in which water contact was reduced and evaporational plant surfaces increased, salt was deposited on plant tips through the evapotranspiration process, resulting in plant mortality at all NaCl concentrations tested. Washing of plants to simulate rainfall removed the salt encrustations, but they developed again quickly and produced similar lethal effects within 3 weeks of the last wash treatment. Since growth reduction and mortality of S. recurvum were shown at NaCl concentrations observed in Pinhook Bog, it is likely that deicing salts were responsible for the elimination of Sphagnum from the impacted area.
Selective decontamination of the digestive tract and selective oropharyngeal decontamination reduced mortality in the ICU

Source Citation de Smet AM, Kluytmans JA, Cooper BS, et al. Decontamination of the digestive tract and oropharynx in ICU patients. N Engl J Med. 2009;360:20-31. 19118302
Wear of metal-containing diamond-like carbon coatings

Four commercial metal-containing DLC coatings were tested with a ball-on-disk tribomete to examine their modes of wear. Although all were sputter-deposited, the coatings differed in their compositions, thicknesses, and surface finish. The tests showed certain common wear modes. In each case the films wore away at constant rates until they were worn through. In this sense, interface adhesion was not an important issue. Since the nominal contact areas increased significantly during the course of the test, while the wear rates were constant, the wear rate was not controlled by the nominal average contact stress. Our data are consistent with the model of Greenwood and Williamson.
Multisite prenylation of 4-substituted tryptophans by dimethylallyltryptophan synthase.

The aromatic prenyltransferase dimethylallyltryptophan synthase in Claviceps purpurea catalyzes the normal prenylation of tryptophan at C4 of the indole nucleus in the first committed step of ergot alkaloid biosynthesis. 4-Methyltryptophan is a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme that has been used in kinetic studies. Upon investigation of background activity during incubations of 4-methyltryptophan with dimethylallyl diphosphate, we found that the analogue was an alternate substrate, which gave four products. The structures of three of these compounds were established by 1H NMR and 2D NMR studies and revealed that dimethylallyltryptophan synthase catalyzed both normal and reverse prenylation at C3 of the indole ring and normal prenylation of N1. Similarly, 4-methoxytryptophan was an alternate substrate, giving normal prenylation at C5 as the major product. 4-Aminotryptophan, another alternate substrate, gave normal prenylation at C5 and C7. The ability of dimethylallyltryptophan synthase to prenylate at ...
Physician, Know Thyself

Physician, heal thyself and know thyself. Most res­ idency directors can to some degree intuit the atti­ tudes, beliefs, and values of the residents in train­ ing and can to some degree respond to the residents' values systems. The report by Saba,! ""What Do Family Physi­ cians Believe and Value in Their Work?" in this is­ sue of the JABFP consists of qualitative and anec­ dotal research that reflects the heterogeneity among family practice residents. Saba studied the rich but varied religious, spiritual, and philosophi­ cal beliefs of 143 residents at the culturally diverse San Francisco General Hospital. The religious be­ liefs, values, and spiritual perspectives of the resi­ dents are based on the development, religious training, and life journey of each resident. This collage of different perspectives by Saba simply shows that the Tower of Babel exists. We should all be aware that a heterogeneity of beliefs exists within any faith community. Among Protestants, Catholics, and Jewish people, there are those open to abortion, homosexuality, and the possibility of women providing leadership in the ministry, and there are those who are strongly op­ posed to each of these positions. Similarly there is heterogeneity within the great religions in response to why bad things hap­ pen to good people. Many in the Judeo-Christian­ Islamic belief systems see a connection between our behavior and the events that occur in our life. Others hold that life is more random. Harold Kushner, in his classic book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People,2 holds this latter view. If a gunman on the street sprays bullets, Kushner can­ not believe that God has selected the 1 or 2 by­ standers who are killed and the others who are un­ harmed. Kushner believes the event is random, that God is not micromanaging all events. Others will visit the homes of slain victims and will say that the deceased are at home with God, God has
Reliable and Efficient Distributed Checkpointing System for Grid Environments

In Fine-Grained Cycle Sharing (FGCS) systems, machine owners voluntarily share their unused CPU cycles with guest jobs, as long as their performance degradation is tolerable. However, unpredictable evictions of guest jobs lead to fluctuating completion times. Checkpoint-recovery is an attractive mechanism for recovering from such "failures". Today's FGCS systems often use expensive, high-performance dedicated checkpoint servers. However, in geographically distributed clusters, this may incur high checkpoint transfer latencies. In this paper we present a distributed checkpointing system called Falcon that uses available disk resources of the FGCS machines as shared checkpoint repositories. However, an unavailable storage host may lead to loss of checkpoint data. Therefore, we model the failures of a storage host and develop a prediction algorithm for choosing reliable checkpoint repositories. We experiment with Falcon in the university-wide Condor testbed at Purdue and show improved and consistent performance for guest jobs in the presence of irregular resource availability.
The Principle of “Borrowed Feedback” and Application to Control and Observation for Systems with Varying Delay

Abstract This short paper first explains the general principle of “borrowed feedback” for linear systems with constant input delay, and in its dual form of observation with delayed measurements. This is of interest in problems where the external interaction with the system incurs a delay. One application is the control of systems over a network. In this case the delay cannot be considered constant, but depends on a congestion state of the network. It is shown that if the causality constraint, which imposes an upper bound on the rate of change of the delay, does not hold the design method fails to give consistent results.
Experimental Study on the Performance of Approach Slabs under Deteriorating Soil Washout Conditions

In the U.S. bridge design practice, an approach slab is commonly provided to facilitate a smooth transition from the highway pavement to the bridge deck. Maintenance of bridge approaches often necessitates the repair or replacement of approach slabs owing to damage from heavy traffic loads, washout of fill materials, and settlement of the approach embankment. Approach slab damage because of embankment settlement is considered a more common problem and has been extensively investigated in the literature. In this paper, performance of the approach slab degraded by void formation underneath the slab is examined by load testing. Full-size approach-slab specimens were tested under increasing magnitude up to four times AASHTO HS20-44 design truck loads. The test matrix included four slab specimens with the following details: (1) conventional steel reinforcement representative of current California design; (2) steel reinforcement replaced by a double-layer pultruded fiber-reinforced polymer grating; (3) steel re...
A Cohesive model of fatigue crack growth

We investigate the use of cohesive theories of fracture, in conjunction with the explicit resolution of the near-tip plastic fields and the enforcement of closure as a contact constraint, for the purpose of fatigue-life prediction. An important characteristic of the cohesive laws considered here is that they exhibit unloading-reloading hysteresis. This feature has the important consequence of preventing shakedown and allowing for steady crack growth. Our calculations demonstrate that the theory is capable of a unified treatment of long cracks under constant-amplitude loading, short cracks and the effect of overloads, without ad hoc corrections or tuning.
Thermoplasticization of wood. II: Cyanoethylation

On etudie la conversion de sciure et de dechets de bois en materiaux thermoplastiques par cyanoethylation. On etudie la chimie de la reaction, les effets de la concentration en acrylonitrile et en alcali, de la temperature et de la duree de reaction, les modifications de la structure chimique, les proprietes thermiques et la temperature de ramollissement
Draft Genome Sequence of Sphingobacterium sp. Strain PM2-P1-29, a Tetracycline-Degrading TetX-Expressing Aerobic Bacterium Isolated from Agricultural Soil

The genome of Sphingobacterium sp. strain PM2-P1-29 was sequenced. The bacterium contains a physiologically active tet(X) gene, encoding a tetracycline-degrading monooxygenase. To our knowledge, this is the only bacterium naturally harboring tet(X) for which tetracycline degradation has been demonstrated.
Information complexity in air traffic control displays

Air traffic controllers use visual displays to interact with various automation systems. Information complexity in those systems may cause controllers to miss or misinterpret visual data, thereby reducing safety. The purpose of this study was to answer three basic questions: 1) What constitutes information complexity in automation displays? 2) How complex is "too complex" for controllers? 3) Can we objectively measure information complexity in the displays? We first developed a general framework for measuring information complexity. The framework reduces the concept of complexity into three underlying factors: quantity, variety, and the relations between basic information elements; each factor is evaluated at three generic stages of human information processing: perception, cognition, and action. We then developed nine metrics of display complexity, each measuring the effects of a complexity factor on information processing at a given stage. These metrics provide an objective method to evaluate automation displays for acquisition and design prototypes.
A cell-penetrating peptidic GRP78 ligand for tumor cell-specific prodrug therapy

Tumor targeting peptides are promising vehicles for site-directed cancer therapy. Pep42, a cyclic 13-mer oligopeptide that specifically binds to glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) and internalized into cancer cells, represents an excellent vehicle for tumor cell-specific chemotherapy. Here, we report the synthesis and evaluation of Pep42-prodrug conjugates that contain a cathepsin B-cleavable linker, resulting in the traceless release of drug inside the cancer cells.
Discussion of christofides’ conjecture regarding wang's premium principle

Christofides (1998) studies the proportional hazards (PH) transform of Wang (1995) and shows that for some parametric families, the PH premium principle reduces to the standard deviation (SD) premium principle. Christofides conjectures that for a parametric family of distributions with constant skewness, the PH premium principle reduces to the SD principle. I will show that this conjecture is false in general but that it is true for location-scale families and for certain other families.Wang's premium principle has been established as a sound measure of risk in Wang (1995, 1996), Wang, Young, and Panjer (1997), and Wang and Young (1998). Determining when the SD premium principle is a special case of Wang's premium principle is important because it will help identify circumstances under which the more easily applied SD premium principle is a reliable measure of risk.First, recall that a distortion g is a non-decreasing function from [0, 1] onto itself. Wang's premium principle, with a fixed distortion g, associates the following certainty equivalent with a random variable X, (Wang, 1996) and (Denneberg, 1994):in which Sx is the decumulative distribution function (ddf) of X, Sx(t) = Pr(X > t), t ∈ R. If g is a power distortion, g(p) = pc, then Hg is the proportional hazards (PH) premium principle (Wang, 1995).Second, recall that a location-scale family of ddfs is , in which Sz is a fixed ddf. Alternatively, if Z has ddf Sz, then {X = μ + σZ: μ∈ R, σ > 0} forms a location-scale family of random variables, and the ddf of . Examples of location-scale families include the normal, Cauchy, logistic, and uniform families (Lehmann, 1991, pp. 20f). In the next proposition, I show that Wang's premium principle reduces to the SD premium principle on a location-scale family. Christofides (1998) observes this phenomenon in several special cases.
Disseminated Infection with Fusarium in Recipients of Bone Marrow Transplants

Clinical data from 10 episodes of disseminated infection with Fusarium among eight recipients of bone marrow transplants and from 31 cases reported previously in the literature were analyzed in an effort to characterize the natural history of this rare infection and its response to therapy. The characteristic signs of fusarial infection--disseminated skin nodules, fungemia, and multiple-organ involvement--are results of its propensity for early spread. From a review of the literature and our own experience, it appears that recovery of phagocytic mechanisms (the primary immunologic defenses against Fusarium) in the form of rising neutrophil counts is mandatory for clinical resolution. Even after a graft begins to function adequately, Fusarium may not be completely eradicated, as evidenced by the high incidence of recurrence among patients with subsequent neutropenic episodes. Fusarium is highly resistant to conventional antifungal drugs in vitro, but its progression may be slowed by intensive antifungal therapy until the recovery of adequate neutrophil levels.
Heme oxygenase-1 induction in hepatocytes and non-parenchymal cells protects against liver injury during endotoxemia

Introduction Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a stress response enzyme, which catalyses the breakdown of heme into biliverdin-IX alpha, carbon monoxide and ferrous iron. Under situations of oxidative stress, heat stress, ischemia/reperfusion injury or endotoxemia, HO-1 has been shown to be induced and to elicit a protective effect. The mechanism of how this protective effect is executed is unknown.
Sex chromosome translocations in the evolution of reproductive isolation.

Haldane's rule states that in organisms with differentiated sex chromosomes, hybrid sterility or inviability is generally expressed more frequently in the heterogametic sex. This observation has been variously explained as due to either genic or chromosomal imbalance. The fixation probabilities and mean times to fixation of sex-chromosome translocations of the type necessary to explain Haldane's rule on the basis of chromosomal imbalance have been estimated in small populations of Drosophila melanogaster. The fixation probability of an X chromosome carrying the long arm of the Y(X·YL) is approximately 30% greater than expected under the assumption of no selection. No fitness differences associated with the attached YL segment were detected. The fixation probability of a deficient Y chromosome is 300% greater than expected when the X chromosome contains the deleted portion of the Y. It is suggested that sex-chromosome translocations may play a role in the establishment of reproductive isolation.
Child Neurology: Pompe disease New horizons

A 10-month-old full-term baby girl was transferred to our tertiary care hospital for respiratory distress and hypoxemia. Developmental history revealed significant motor delay. On physical examination, she was noted to be hypotonic, to be dysmorphic with macroglossia, and to have hepatomegaly.
Conditional deletion of Nrf2 in airway epithelium exacerbates acute lung injury and impairs the resolution of inflammation

Oxidant stress, resulting from an excess of reactive electrophiles produced in the lung by both resident (epithelial and endothelial) and infiltrated leukocytes, is thought to play an obligatory role in tissue injury and abnormal repair. Previously, using a conventional (whole-body) knockout model, we showed that antioxidative gene induction regulated by the transcription factor Nrf2 is critical for mitigating oxidant-induced (hyperoxic) stress, as well as for preventing and resolving tissue injury and inflammation in vivo. However, the contribution to pathogenic acute lung injury (ALI) of the cellular stress produced by resident versus infiltrated leukocytes remains largely undefined in vivo. To address this critical gap in our knowledge, we generated mice with a conditional deletion of Nrf2 specifically in Clara cells, subjected these mice to hyperoxic insult, and allowed them to recover. We report that a deficiency of Nrf2 in airway epithelia alone is sufficient to contribute to the development and progression of ALI. When exposed to hyperoxia, mice lacking Nrf2 in Clara cells showed exacerbated lung injury, accompanied by greater levels of cell death and epithelial sloughing than in their wild-type littermates. In addition, we found that an Nrf2 deficiency in Clara cells is associated with a persistent inflammatory response and epithelial sloughing in the lungs during recovery from sublethal hyperoxic insult. Our results demonstrate (for the first time, to the best of our knowledge) that Nrf2 signaling in Clara cells is critical for conferring protection from hyperoxic lung injury and for resolving inflammation during the repair process.
Clinical Characteristics of Patients Who Test Positive for Clostridium difficile by Repeat PCR

The high sensitivity of PCR assays for diagnosing Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has greatly reduced the need for repeat testing after a negative result. Nevertheless, a small subset of patients do test positive within 7 days of a negative test. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics of these patients to determine when repeat testing may be appropriate. The results of all Xpert C. difficile PCR (Cepheid, Sunnyvale CA) tests performed in the clinical microbiology laboratory at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center (NYPH/CUMC) from 1 May 2011 through 6 September 2013, were reviewed. A retrospective case-control study was performed, comparing patients who tested positive within 7 days of a negative test result to a random selection of 50 controls who tested negative within 7 days of a negative test result. During the study period, a total of 14,875 tests were performed, of which 1,066 were repeat tests (7.2%). Eleven of these repeat tests results were positive (1.0%). The only risk factor independently associated with repeat testing positive was history of a prior CDI (odds ratio [OR], 19.6 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 4.0 to 19.5], P < 0.001). We found that patients who test positive for C. difficile by PCR within 7 days of a negative test are more likely to have a history of CDI than are patients who test negative with repeat PCR. This finding may be due to the high rate of disease relapse or the increased likelihood of empirical therapy leading to false-negative results in these patients.
Modeling and simulation of electrification delivery in functionalized textiles in electromagnetic fields

Abstract This work investigates the deformation of electrified textiles in the presence of an externally supplied magnetic field ( B ext ). The electrification is delivered by running current ( J ) through the fibers from an external power source. Of primary interest is to ascertain the resulting electromagnetic forces imposed on the fabric, and the subsequent deformation, due to the terms J × B ext and P E , where P is the charge density, E is the electric field and the current given by J = σ ( E + v × B ext ) , where σ is the fabric conductivity, and v is the fabric velocity. As the fabric deforms, the current changes direction and magnitude, due to the fact that it flows through the fabric. The charge density is dictated by Gauss’ law, ∇ · D = P , where D = ϵ E , ϵ is the electrical permittivity and D is the electric field flux. In order to simulate such a system, one must solve a set of coupled equations governing the charge distribution, current flow and system dynamics. The deformation of the fabric, as well as the charge distribution and current flow, are dictated by solving the coupled system of differential equations for the motion of lumped masses, which are coupled through the fiber-segments under the action of electromagnetically-induced forces acting on a reduced order network model. In the work, reduced order models are developed for (a) Gauss’ law ( ∇ · D = P ), (b) the conservation of current/charge, ∇ · J + ∂ P ∂ t = 0 , and (c) the system dynamics, ∇ · T + f = ρ d v dt , where T is the Cauchy stress and f represents the induced body forces, which are proportional to P E + J × B ext . A temporally-adaptive, recursive, staggering scheme is developed to solve this strongly coupled system of equations. We also consider the effects of progressive fiber damage/rupture during the deformation process, which leads to changes (reduction) in the electrical conductivity and permittivity throughout the network. Numerical examples are given, as well as extensions to thermal effects, which are induced by the current-induced Joule-heating.