cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automatic Associations Between One’s Partner and One’s Affect as the Proximal Mechanism of Change in Relationship Satisfaction: Evidence From Evaluative Conditioning:

The current study examined whether directly altering affective associations involving a relationship partner through evaluative conditioning can lead to changes in relationship satisfaction. Married couples ( N = 144) were asked to view a brief stream of images once every 3 days for 6 weeks. Embedded in this stream were pictures of the partner, which, according to random assignment of couples to experimental group, were paired with either positive or neutral stimuli. Couples also completed measures of automatic partner attitudes and explicit marital satisfaction at baseline and once every 2 weeks for 8 weeks. Spouses who viewed their partners paired with positive stimuli demonstrated more-positive automatic partner attitudes than did control spouses, and these attitudes predicted increased self-reported marital satisfaction over time. These results provide novel evidence for a mechanism of change in relationship satisfaction, represent a step toward documenting how strong attitudes can evolve through passive exposure to information, and suggest novel avenues for relationship interventions.
UHV AC Y-type insulator string pollution withstand voltage characteristics

Insulator string is an important part of UHV AC transmission line, and plays an important role in electrical insulation and mechanical support. The new type of insulator string can realize optimization of wire suspension modes and insulator string performance by changing the string structure, which is of great practical value for special transmission corridors with excessively high costs of cleaning. In this paper, voltage-endurance test and electric field simulation calculation are conducted against a new type of UHV Y-type insulator string, and new type of Y-type insulator string structure which is applicable to China's UHV AC transmission line and insulation design are recommended. Test results indicate that, firstly relationship between U50% and salt deposition density is nonlinear and negative exponential decreasing with SDD set as 0.1mg/cm2,0.15mg/cm2,0.25mg/cm2 and NSDD as 1.0mg/cm2. Secondly, U50% of Y-type insulator string is 20.1% lower than that of I-type insulator string, and parameter A is 95.3, α is 0.11. The results of this paper can be used for string design of new type of UHV Y-type insulator string to improve the insulation properties of insulator string, and realize gradual application and popularization of new insulator string in the follow-up UHV engineering.
Application of quantum defect techniques to photoionization of impurities in semiconductors

Abstract Quantum defect coulomb functions are applied to calculate the photoionization cross sections of several impurity ions in Si, Ge, and GaAs. The essential observations necessary to justify the quantum defect method are that the effective mass theory is valid in the region of large r and that the potential U ( r ) asymptotically approaches - e [su2]/ Kr . For many applications (e.g. evaluation of optical transition integrals) only a knowledge of the asymptotic form of the wave function is required. Rather than attempting to solve the eigenvalue equation to determine the allowed spectrum of energy, it is regarded as valid for large r and solved for the asymptotic form of the wave functions corresponding to the empirical energy eigenvalues. Even in the simplest approximation assuming isotropic energy surfaces, the quantum defect technique provides quantitative results giving, in particular, good approximations to both the observed spectral dependence and magnitude of the photoionization cross section.
Autologous, Homologous, and Heterologous Red Blood Cell Transfusions in Cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus)

The use of heterologous blood transfusions in birds is controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine the survival of fluorescent-labeled red blood cells (RBCs) after single and multiple transfusions in compatible cross-matched groups of birds. Twenty cockatiels (Nym- phicus hollandicus) were equally divided into four transfusion groups: an autologous or control group (transfusion to same bird); a homologous group (cockatiel to cockatiel), a heterologous group of two species in the same taxonomic family (blue-fronted Amazon parrot (Amazona aestiva) to cockatiel), and a heterologous group of two species in different orders (pigeon (Columba livia) to cockatiel). Donor blood (1 ml) was centrifuged and the plasma discarded. The washed RBCs were stained with a fluorescent dye and transfused into recipient cockatiels. Three RBC transfusions using the same donor-recipient pairs were administered at 0, 7, and 9 weeks, and then serial blood samples were analyzed by using flow cytometry to measure fluorescent-labeled RBCs remaining in circulation over time. The fluorescent-labeled RBC half-life was significantly longer in the autologous and ho- mologous groups (range, 10.5 to 16.8 days) than in the two heterologous groups (range, 0.1 to 2.6 days) after all three transfusions (P < .001 for all comparisons). No difference was found in half-life of RBCs between the two heterologous groups after any of the transfusions or between the autologous and homologous groups after transfusions 1 and 2. After transfusion 3, the half-life was longer in the autologous group than in the homologous group (P < .001). We conclude that fluorescent-labeled RBC survival is comparable after autologous and homologous avian transfusions; however, heterol- ogous transfusions result in significantly shorter half-life of transfused RBCs, regardless of taxonomic relatedness. Therefore, heterologous transfusions in birds may not be efficacious.
Energy and Nutrient Balance: Focus on Kidney Stones

Healthy and balanced nutrition is important for the optimization of health status and overall quality of life. Achieving balance with respect to the consumption of energy and essential nutrients is critical for growth, reproduction, and for the prevention of disease. In addition to essential nutrients, the consumption of many non-nutrient chemicals that confer health benefits is also important. These include antioxidants, fiber, prebiotics, and probiotics (see Chap. 4 for definitions of prebiotics and probiotics). Though not considered essential as they are not required for life, these dietary components nonetheless contribute to optimal health outcomes. The concept of energy and nutrient balance is important not only in health but also in pathologic conditions. Balance is the cornerstone of nutrition therapy as disease processes may alter energy and nutrient needs. Dietary modifications to compensate or otherwise address these altered needs may be made in order to reduce disease risk, progression, or exacerbation.
Energy expenditure and intake during Special Operations Forces field training in a jungle and glacial environment.

The purpose of this study was to identify and compare energy requirements specific to Special Operations Forces in field training, in both cool and hot environments. Three separate training session...
Quantitative Determination of Δ9-THC, CBG, CBD, Their Acid Precursors and Five Other Neutral Cannabinoids by UHPLC-UV-MS

Cannabinoids are a group of terpenophenolic compounds in the medicinal plant Cannabis sativa (Cannabaceae family). Cannabigerolic acid, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A, cannabidiolic acid, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabigerol, cannabidiol, cannabichromene, and tetrahydrocannabivarin are major metabolites in the classification of different strains of C. sativa. Degradation or artifact cannabinoids cannabinol, cannabicyclol, and Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol are formed under the influence of heat and light during processing and storage of the plant sample. An ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatographic method coupled with photodiode array and single quadruple mass spectrometry detectors was developed and validated for quantitative determination of 11 cannabinoids in different C. sativa samples. Compounds 1 – 11 were baseline separated with an acetonitrile (with 0.05% formic acid) and water (with 0.05% formic acid) gradient at a flow rate of 0.25 mL/min on a Waters Cortec UPLC C18 column (100 mm × 2.1 mm I. D., 1.6 µm). The limits of detection and limits of quantitation of the 11 cannabinoids were below 0.2 and 0.5 µg/mL, respectively. The relative standard deviation for the precision test was below 2.4%. A mixture of acetonitrile and methanol (80 : 20, v/v) was proven to be the best solvent system for the sample preparation. The recovery of all analytes was in the range of 97 – 105%. A total of 32 Cannabis samples including hashish, leaves, and flower buds were analyzed.
Hahn, Adelaide E. (1893–1967)

E. Adelaide Hahn's life (1893–1967) spanned that period in the history of linguistics when diachronic studies of language change gave way to synchronic structural studies of linguistic variation. It was also the beginning of the period in which structural linguistics gave way to generative linguistics. She was criticized at one point for being “behind the times” because of her diachronic, as opposed to structural, approach to the study of classical languages in her 1953 book, Subjunctive and optative: their origin as futures. In reality, she proved to be quite ahead of the times throughout her long, prolific, and illustrious career, incorporating linguistic inquiry into her study of the classics, opening many doors that had previously remained closed to women in her field, and founding a groundbreaking undergraduate specialization in linguistics at Hunter College (also in 1953). Hahn was among the first group of women admitted to the New York Oriental Club in 1940. She went on to be the first woman to hold office in that organization when she was elected as vice president in 1952. She herself recognized the significance of being the first woman to hold office in the organization's 110-year existence. Also a charter member of the Linguistics Society of America, Hahn was the first woman to serve on its executive committee (1930, 1934) and be elected as its vice president in 1940, and as its first female president in 1946. In 1951, she held the prestigious Hermann and Clara H. Collitz professorship at the LSA Linguistics Institute held in Berkeley, California.
Hazards of Food Contact Material: Phthalates

Phthalate esters are found in a wide variety of consumer and food packaging products. Hence, there is widespread exposure of the human population to these chemicals. Some of the phthalate esters are known to be toxic to the developing male reproductive system. This article provides information on the reference dose for the selected phthalate esters (dibutyl phthalate, diisobutyl phthalate, butyl benzyl phthalate, diethylhexyl phthalate, dipentyl phthalate, and diisononyl phthalate) that cause adverse effects in the developing male reproductive system in laboratory rats. This article also provides a risk assessment for cumulative exposure to these phthalate esters using a dose addition model for a US and German population. The results of the risk assessment show that the hazard index is less than 1 for both populations. Thus, it is unlikely that humans are suffering adverse developmental effects from the current environmental exposure to these phthalate esters. Finally, this article summarizes recent toxicological data showing that some of the developmental effects are species specific.
Modeling Human Performance of Intermittent Contact Tasks

Abstract The work presented here tests the validity of a model of human performance of intermittent contact tasks in which the arm is alternately free and constrained by contact with an object. Experiments were performed to quantify typical human behavior while making unconstrained, constrained, and intermittently constrained two-joint arm movements. Additional experiments were performed which measured the static two-joint impedance of the experimental subjects. A series of linear and non-linear time-invariant models were created from these impedance measurements and then tested for competence in modeling human behavior measured in the three tasks. It was found that tasks with simple dynamics such as the unconstrained and constrained movements could be competently modeled with the proposed models. However, none of the models tested could match the behavior of the arm during the intermittent contact task.
Treatment of a Child with Behcet's Syndrome with Transfer Factor

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses results of experiments conducted to study treatment of a child with Behcet's syndrome with transfer factor (TF). The team selected a 14-year-old Caucasian girl with Behcet's syndrome for evaluation and treatment with TF. During her hospitalization, vesicular and ulcerating oral and vaginal lesions were first noted. The tests suggested that bacteria, fungi, or viruses could not be demonstrated in the initial biopsy either by direct isolation or by morphologic studies. The biopsy showed superficial ulceration, chronic inflammation and vasculitis involving many submucosal and deeper arterioles and venules. The second biopsy demonstrated slight focal, acute, submucosal inflammation without vasculitis. The results showed that although markedly elevated fibrinogen levels have been observed in patients with Behcet's syndrome presenting with thrombophlebitis, the selected patient did not have thrombophlebitis. It resulted in the speculation on the role of the coagulation sequence in the pathogenesis of the vasculitis in this disease, seen especially during exacerbations.
Mechanisms of Hormone Action

The completion of the human genome sequence has permitted the identification of additional signaling molecules of many different classes. The impact of this new information on the understanding of the pathophysiology of disease is already evidenced in terms of the ability to predict specific receptors or pathways that might harbor mutations in different disorders. Selected examples of such mutations are cited this chapter, and the reader is referred to other chapters in this section for detailed discussions of these disorders. Although written from a perspective that is grounded in endocrinology, the concepts regarding the receptor classes and signaling pathways are generally applicable to all areas of biology and medicine.
Distinct roles of myofibroblast-specific Smad2 and Smad3 signaling in repair and remodeling of the infarcted heart.

Abstract TGF-βs regulate fibroblast responses, by activating Smad2 or Smad3 signaling, or via Smad-independent pathways. We have previously demonstrated that myofibroblast-specific Smad3 is critically implicated in repair of the infarcted heart. However, the role of fibroblast Smad2 in myocardial infarction remains unknown. This study investigates the role of myofibroblast-specific Smad2 signaling in myocardial infarction, and explores the mechanisms responsible for the distinct effects of Smad2 and Smad3. In a mouse model of non-reperfused myocardial infarction, Smad2 activation in infarct myofibroblasts peaked 7 days after coronary occlusion. In vitro, TGF-β1, -β2 and -β3, but not angiotensin 2 and bone morphogenetic proteins-2, −4 and −7, activated fibroblast Smad2. Myofibroblast-specific Smad2 and Smad3 knockout mice (FS2KO, FS3KO) and corresponding control littermates underwent non-reperfused infarction. In contrast to the increase in rupture rates and adverse remodeling in FS3KO mice, FS2KO animals had mortality comparable to Smad2 fl/fl controls, and exhibited a modest but transient improvement in dysfunction after 7 days of coronary occlusion. At the 28 day timepoint, FS2KO and Smad2 fl/fl mice had comparable adverse remodeling. Although both FS3KO and FS2KO animals had increased myofibroblast density in the infarct, only FS3KO mice exhibited impaired scar organization, associated with perturbed alignment of infarct myofibroblasts. In vitro, Smad3 but not Smad2 knockdown downmodulated fibroblast α2 and α5 integrin expression. Moreover, Smad3 knockdown reduced expression of the GTPase RhoA, whereas Smad2 knockdown markedly increased fibroblast RhoA levels. Smad3-dependent integrin expression may be important for fibroblast activation, whereas RhoA may transduce planar cell polarity pathway signals, essential for fibroblast alignment. Myofibroblast-specific Smad3, but not Smad2 is required for formation of aligned myofibroblast arrays in the infarct. The distinct in vivo effects of myofibroblast Smad2 and Smad3 may involve Smad3-dependent integrin synthesis, and contrasting effects of Smad2 and Smad3 on RhoA expression.
Novel Radical Cation Reactions of Bichromophoric Systems. Transannular Aryl Migrations; Mechanistic and Exploratory Organic Photochemistry(,)(1)(,)(2).

Eight aryl-substituted 1,4-pentadienes were subjected to photochemically induced electron transfer using dicyanonaphthalene and dicyanoanthracene. The radical-cations produced underwent a regioselective cyclization, wherein one electron-deficient aryl group of one diarylvinyl moiety bonds to the β-carbon of the second diarylvinyl group. A pattern of regioselectivity and reactivity was encountered. As cyclization proceeds, the odd-electron density becomes localized in the benzhydryl side chain while the positive charge becomes localized in the second portion of the molecule. Substitution in one diarylvinyl branch designed to delocalize odd-electron density but destabilize electron deficiency led to higher reactivity than the unsubstituted parent 1,1,5,5-tetraphenyl-3,3-dimethyl-1,4-pentadiene. The benzhydryldihydronaphthalene photoproducts themselves proved photochemically reactive. On sensitization, the benzhydryldihydronaphthalene reacted with a transannular 1,5-migration of one aryl group of the benzhyd...
Presentation Slides for 'Are Investors Really Reluctant to Realize Their Losses? Trading Responses to Past Returns and the Disposition Effect'

We examine how investor preferences and beliefs affect trading in relation to past gains and losses. The probability of selling as a function of profit is V-shaped; at short holding periods, investors are more likely to sell big losers than small ones. There is little evidence of an upward jump in selling at zero profits. These findings provide no clear indication that realization preference explains trading. Furthermore, the disposition effect is not driven by a simple direct preference for selling a stock by virtue of having a gain versus loss. Trading based on belief revisions can potentially explain these findings. Paper available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1876594.
Target capture strategy selection in a simulated marksmanship task

This paper examines how individuals track targets that move in relatively unpredictable trajectories. Gaze and behavioural data were captured as twenty two participants learned a simulated competitive marksmanship task known colloquially as the Death Star over six training days. Participants spontaneously selected one of two consistent target-tracking strategies with approximately equal probability. Participants employed either chasing behaviour, in which gaze follows a target’s trajectory before a shot, or ambushing behaviour, wherein gaze anticipates the trajectory and the participant intercepts a moving target predictively. All participants improved in task performance measures (completion time and number of shots), but did so at the expense of accuracy in missed shot attempts. Surprisingly, neither behavioural strategy offered a significant advantage in task performance measures, indicating that either may be equally effective in tackling a hand-eye coordination task with complex target motion such as the Death Star.
Attentional Disengagement Deficits Predict Brooding, but Not Reflection, Over a One-Year Period.

A growing literature suggests that rumination is linked to attentional control deficits in depression. This is particularly the case with brooding, a maladaptive form of rumination. However, research on the potential constructive association between attentional control and self-reflection, a putative adaptive form of rumination, is sparse. Thus, the goal of the present study was to examine whether attentional control deficits, indexed via visual attentional disengagement, differentially predict dispositional brooding and self-reflection tendencies. Depressed participants (n = 17), those in remission from depression (n = 42), and their peers with no depression histories (n = 70) completed clinical interviews, the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS), and an eye-tracking task that measured attentional disengagement from pleasant (happy) and unpleasant (sad) facial images during a laboratory visit, and the RRS at four-month intervals over a one-year period. Results revealed that slow disengagement from sad faces, and rapid disengagement from happy faces, was specifically associated with brooding tendencies concurrently and across follow-up. Attentional disengagement was unrelated to self-reflection. The disengagement-brooding associations remained after controlling for depression status and anxiety disorder histories, suggesting that attentional control deficits may be a state-independent marker of brooding. Theoretical and clinical implications for these associations are discussed.
A Profession Without Expertise? Professionalization in Reverse.

That ethics—in the sense of being a clinical ethicist or doing clinical ethics consultation—is or could be a professional undertaking has recently been reaffirmed by ASBH, which has been engaged, s...
Assessment of intestinal absorption/metabolism of 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPD) and three 3-MCPD monoesters by Caco-2 cells.

Abstract 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPD) and 3-MCPD esters are contaminants present in a variety of processed foods, including infant formulas. Toxicological data are unavailable in humans, but rodent studies have demonstrated renal and testicular toxicity from 3-MCPD and 3-MCPD esters. There is evidence that 3-MCPD esters are hydrolyzed in the digestive system, releasing 3-MCPD that would be absorbed and induce damage. We assessed absorption and metabolism of 3-MCPD and three 3-MCPD monoesters, 1-oleoyl (1-Ol), 1-linoleoyl (1-Li) and 1-palmitoyl (1-Pa) commonly found in U.S. infant formula using differentiated Caco-2 cells. After 1-hour incubation, all three monoesters released free 3-MCPD and free fatty acids (FFA) into Caco-2 cell supernatants. Free 3-MCPD had a high apparent permeability (Papp = 30.36 ± 1.31 cm/s × 10−6) suggesting that it is freely diffusible and highly absorbed by intestinal epithelium. 1-Li released 3–4-fold more 3-MCPD than 1-Ol and 1-Pa over 1 h, suggesting that this variable release rates might contribute to the overall in vivo exposure to 3-MCPD. None of the monoesters or FFA were detected in basolateral supernatants, suggesting that these compounds do not cross the intestinal wall without further transformation. In summary, this study provides relevant data to advance knowledge of in vivo intestinal absorption and metabolism of 3-MCPD monoesters.
Evaluation of immune-related adverse events (irAE): Utilizing the patient-reported outcomes of the common terminology criteria for adverse events (PRO-CTCAE) in a phase II study of ipilimumab (ipi) in men with castration-sensitive prostate cancer (CSPC).

e24174Background: Incorporation of the PRO-CTCAE during chemotherapy is associated with fewer ER visits and improved survival. Limited data exist using this tool to capture irAE in immunotherapy tr...
Analysis on parents' attitudes to resuscitation companionship in critically ill children and its influencing factors

Objective To explore the attitudes of parents of critically ill children to resuscitation companionship and its influencing factors so as to provide a scientific basis for improving the experience of children and their families in the rehabilitation process. Methods A cross-sectional survey method was used, and parents of critically ill children who were hospitalized in Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from August 2018 to August 2019 were selected by convenience sampling. The general data questionnaire and Family Presence During Resuscitation Benefits-Risks (FPDR-BRS) were used to investigate the attitudes of parents of critically ill children to the resuscitation companion and influencing factors were analyzed. A total of 200 questionnaires were distributed, 189 of which were effective, with an effective recovery rate of 94.5%. Results The total scores of FPDR-BRS of 189 parents of critically ill children were (74.75±22.54) points. Univariate analysis showed that the total scores of FPDR-BRS of parents of critically ill children had statistically significant differences in the relationship with children, parents' occupations, cultural level and presence or absence of resuscitation experience (P<0.05) . Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the relationship with children, parents' occupation and cultural level were the influencing factors of attitude to resuscitation companionship (P<0.05) . Conclusions Parents of critically ill children have a moderate level of recognition for resuscitation companionship. The relationship with children, parents' occupation and cultural level are factors that influence the attitude to resuscitation companionship. Medical staff should formulate targeted interventions based on the influencing factors of attitude to resuscitation companionship so as to improve the experience of children and their families during the resuscitation process. Key words: Child; Parents; Department of pediatrics; Critically ill; Resuscitation companionship; Attitudes; Influencing factors
Development of high-early-strength fiber-reinforced self-compacting concrete

Abstract High-early-strength fiber-reinforced self-compacting concrete (FRSCC) is a practical material for the precast concrete industry to double its production capacity. This study developed high-early-strength FRSCC mixtures that achieved a compressive and flexural strength of at least 24 MPa and 3.5 MPa, respectively, at 6 h, using commercially available components, typical mixing procedures, and air curing. A mix design process was developed based on the literature and experimental results. The effect of six different fiber reinforcements on the fresh and mechanical properties of concrete was analyzed. The cost limit was set at 523 USD/m3 to make the concrete mix cost-effective.
Calibration of a radiation quality model for sparse and uncertain data

Abstract This article proposes chance-constrained formulations for the calibration of computational models given data subject to uncertainty. The uncertainty might be caused by a poor metrology system, measurement noise, model-form uncertainty or by the inability to directly measure the inputs and/or outputs of the model. The formulations developed, called Forward Maximum Likelihood and Inverse Maximum Likelihood, are applicable to datasets with and without uncertainty. The forward approach performs the calibration in the space of the model’s output thereby requiring repeated model simulations. Conversely, the inverse approach leverages an ensemble of solutions to an inverse problem in order to perform the calibration in the space of the model’s parameters. The potential loss of performance incurred by this approach is often justified by a sizable reduction in computational cost. The ideas proposed are applied to the calibration of a radiation quality model used by NASA to assess cancer risk in future deep space missions. We calibrate several models in order to evaluate the extent by which data uncertainty, outliers, and the commonly made assumption of parameter independence cause conservatism in the resulting model prediction.
Formation of Carbon‐Hetero Atom Bonds by Free Radical Chain Additions to Carbon‐Carbon Multiple Bonds

Free-radical chain addition to carbon-carbon multiple bonds to form carbon-hetero atom bonds is an important synthetic method of wide scope. Carbon-halogen, carbon-sulfur, carbon-silicon, carbon-germanium, carbon-phosphorus, and carbon-nitrogen bonds have been formed by this method, In this chapter, the mechanism, scope, limitations, and experimental conditions are treated for the addition reactions that lead to the formation of the six types of carbon-hetero atom bonds mentioned above. Since the direction of addition of free radicals to carbon-carbon multiple bonds is common to all classes reviewed here, it is briefly explained. Keywords: carbon-hetero bonds; free radical chain; additions; multiple bonds; hydrohalogenation; carbon-sulfur bonds; silanes; germanes; olefins; phosphorus-carbon bonds; carbon-nitrogen bonds; experimental procedures
Bootstrapping Errors-in-Variables Models

The bootstrap is a numerical technique, with solid theoretical foundations, to obtain statistical measures about the quality of an estimate by using only the available data. Performance assessment through bootstrap provides the same or better accuracy than the traditional error propagation approach, most often without requiring complex analytical derivations. In many computer vision tasks a regression problem in which the measurement errors are point dependent has to be solved. Such regression problems are called heteroscedastic and appear in the linearization of quadratic forms in ellipse fitting and epipolar geometry, in camera calibration, or in 3D rigid motion estimation. The performance of these complex vision tasks is difficult to evaluate analytically, therefore we propose in this paper the use of bootstrap. The technique is illustrated for 3D rigid motion and fundamental matrix estimation. Experiments with real and synthetic data show the validity of bootstrap as an evaluation tool and the importance of taking the heteroscedasticity into account.
Exodus Inverted: A New Look at The Grapes of Wrath

[John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath has been read typically as period social activism, as sentimental Marxist fable, and as watered-down Christian theology via its failed preacher, Jim Casy. Religious interpretations have at best seen the text as an allegorical reenactment of Exodus. Yet such criticism requires a willful misreading of the text, as the Joads end the story not in a promised land but destitute. The novel makes more sense, however, if seen as a reversal of Exodus. The Joads progress from a despoiled but occupied promised land (Oklahoma) toward bondage in Egypt (California). This extended image pattern permits Steinbeck to draw a larger thematic vision in which material poverty teaches the Joads a broadly Christian worldview. Far from ending in despair, the novel closes in the Joads emerging from a self-satisfied and legalistic moralism into a new ethos of universal love in the pattern of Christ, culminating in Rose of Sharon's spiritual maturity in her selfless act at the novel's end when the family finally moves from “I” to “we.”, ]
Influence of spo mutations on sigma E synthesis in Bacillus subtilis.

Abstract Bacillus subtilis mutants blocked at the same stage of development (stage II) as strains with mutations in the structural gene for sigma E (sigE[spoIIGB]) were analyzed immunologically for sigma E and its precursor protein, P31. Mutations at spoIIL, spoIIN, and spoIIJ loci but not at the spoIIM locus significantly reduced P31 formation. Mutations at the spoIIAA, spoIIAC, spoIIEA, spoIIEB, and spoIIEC loci did not affect P31 synthesis but blocked its processing into sigma E. These results demonstrate a requirement for at least eight stage II gene products in the developmental pathway which leads to sigma E and brings to 11 the number of stage II genes (including spoIIGA, spoIIGB, and spoIIF) now known to be needed for sigma E formation.
Synthesis and X-ray crystal structures of the samarium mono(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) aryloxide complexes (η-C5Me5)Sm(O-2,6-t-Bu2C6H3)2(THF) and [(η-C5Me5)Sm(O-2,6-i-Pr2C6H3)3Li(THF)]. Differences in metathesis chemistry of 2,6-di-iso-propylphenoxide and 2,6-di-tert-butylphenoxide ligands

Abstract The reaction of SmCl3 with three equivalents of KO-2,6-t-Bu2C6H3 in THF produces the tris(aryloxide) complex Sm(OAr)3(THF) (Ar=2,6-t-Bu2C6H3, 1). Complex 1 undergoes clean metathesis reaction with one equivalent of LiC5Me5 to form the mono(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) aryloxide derivative (η-C5Me5)Sm(OAr)2(THF) (2). In contrast, an analogous reaction of LiC5Me5 with the 2,6-di-iso-propylphenoxide complex Sm(OAr*)3(THF)2 (Ar*=2,6-i-Pr2C6H3, 3) leads to overall addition of the alkali metal reagent, and isolation of the lithium-containing ‘ate’ complex [(η-C5Me5)Sm(OAr*)(μ-OAr*)2Li(THF)] (4). Compounds 2 and 4 have been subjected to single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Complex 2 features a three-legged piano-stool geometry, with Sm–O distances to the aryloxide ligands of 2.133(6) and 2.188(6) A, and a Sm–O(THF) distance of 2.435(7) A. Complex 4 also exhibits a three-legged piano-stool geometry, with two of the aryloxide oxygen atoms coordinated to a lithium metal center. A THF ligand completes the coordination sphere of the lithium. The Sm–O bond lengths to the lithium-coordinated aryloxide oxygens (2.250(6) and 2.247(5) A) are longer than the distance to the terminal aryloxide (Sm–O=2.144(6) A). The Li–O distances range from 1.876(17) to 1.945(18) A.
Transcriptional regulation of the S. cerevisiae ENA1 gene by casein kinase II

The regulatory subunit of S. cerevisiae casein kinase II (CKII) is encoded of two genes, CKB1 and CKB2. Strains harboring deletions of either or both genes exhibit specific sensitivity to high concentrations of Na+ or Li+. Na+ tolerance in S. cerevisiae is mediated primarily by transcriptional induction of ENA1, which encodes the plasma membrane sodium pump, and by conversion of the potassium uptake system to a higher affinity form that discriminates more efficiently against Na+. To determine whether reducedENA1 expression plays a role in the salt sensitivity of ckb mutants, we integrated an ENA1 -lacZ reporter gene into isogenic wild-type, ckb1, ckb2, and ckb1 ckb2 strains and monitored β-galactosidase activity at different salt concentrations. In all three mutants transcription from the ENA1 promoter remained salt-inducible, but both basal and salt-induced expression was depressed approximately 3- to 4-fold. The degree of reduction in ENA1 expression was comparable to that observed in an isogenic strain carrying a null mutation in protein phosphatase 2B (calcineurin), which is also required for salt tolerance. These results suggest that reduced expression of ENA1 contributes to the salt sensitivity of ckb strains. Consistent with this conclusion, overexpression of ENA1 from a heterologous promoter (GAL1) completely suppressed the salt sensitivity of ckb mutants. Induction of ENA1 expression by alkaline pH is also depressed in ckb mutants, but unlike calcineurin mutants, ckb strains are not growth inhibited by alkaline pH. (Mol Cell Biochem 191: 161–167, 1999)
Ecological Constraints on the Ability of Precision Agriculture to Improve the Environmental Performance of Agricultural Production Systems

In this paper, I address three topics relevant to the ability of precision agriculture to improve the environmental performance of agricultural production systems. First, I describe the fundamental ecological factors that influence the environmental performance of these systems and address how precision agriculture practices can or cannot interact with these factors. Second, I review the magnitude of the ecological processes that we hope to manage with precision agriculture relative to agricultural inputs to determine whether managing these processes can significantly affect system environmental performance. Finally, I address scale incongruencies between ecological processes and precision agriculture techniques that could limit the ability of these techniques to manage variability in these processes. The analysis suggests that there are significant ecological constraints on the ability of precision agriculture techniques to improve the environmental performance of agricultural production systems. The primary constraint is that these techniques do not address many of the key factors that cause poor environmental performance in these systems. Further, the magnitude of the ecological processes that we hope to manage with precision agriculture are quite small relative to agricultural inputs and, finally, these processes vary on scales that are incongruent with precision management techniques.
The Stock Market as a Leading Indicator: An Application of Granger Causality

Elected on a platform for change, Bill Clinton neither wasted time nor minced words as he outlined his Vision of Change for America during his first State of the Union Address.President Clinton has proposed a comprehensive economic recovery plan aimed at reducing the deficit by $477 billion over the next five years, as well as simultaneously providing short-term relief and long-term solutions to the puzzles of unemployment and sluggish growth. In general, Clinton intends to meet these seemingly contradictory objectives by (1) revising tax codes, (2) instituting growth initiatives and (3) reducing government spending. This article is available in The Park Place Economist: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/parkplace/vol1/iss1/13 Clintonomics: A Vision of Change
Will Online Shopping Compete More with Traditional Retailing or Catalog Shopping

This paper examines consumer substitution behavior among three distribution channels: online shopping, traditional retail and catalog shopping. A model of consumer transactions costs is presented in which consumer investments in shopping human capital determine distribution channel choice. This model predicts that consumers who make investments that “spillover” to multiple channels will tend to have lower transactions costs for those two channels and will tend to consider these two channels to be closer substitutes than other channels. The model implies that, even if these investments are not measured, they will represent a component of the regression models' residual terms, which will predict distribution channel choice. I test this implication using the GVU Center's survey data on channel selection for various product categories. The results strongly suggest that consumers consider online shopping and catalog shopping to be closer substitutes than any other pair of channels.
Evolution of Irregularities in an Expanding Universe

In the standard cosmology the Universe is described by a highly symmetric model — homogeneous, isotropic, and uniformly expanding. This picture has enjoyed a modest success1, but it does neglect the obvious detail that the observed matter is not uniformly distributed; it is concentrated in galaxies, and the galaxies themselves are distributed in a highly organized fashion2. It seems clear that this irregular organization of the matter has something fundamental to say about the nature of the Universe, and it is an important challenge to cosmology to account for it. I will be describing below a few aspects of the phenomenon and a possible phenomenological picture for the development of irregularity in an expanding universe.
Prevention of Defective Placentation and Pregnancy Loss by Blocking Innate Immune Pathways in a Syngeneic Model of Placental Insufficiency

Defective placentation and subsequent placental insufficiency lead to maternal and fetal adverse pregnancy outcome, but their pathologic mechanisms are unclear, and treatment remains elusive. The mildly hypertensive BPH/5 mouse recapitulates many features of human adverse pregnancy outcome, with pregnancies characterized by fetal loss, growth restriction, abnormal placental development, and defects in maternal decidual arteries. Using this model, we show that recruitment of neutrophils triggered by complement activation at the maternal/fetal interface leads to elevation in local TNF-α levels, reduction of the essential angiogenic factor vascular endothelial growth factor, and, ultimately, abnormal placentation and fetal death. Blockade of complement with inhibitors specifically targeted to sites of complement activation, depletion of neutrophils, or blockade of TNF-α improves spiral artery remodeling and rescues pregnancies. These data underscore the importance of innate immune system activation in the pathogenesis of placental insufficiency and identify novel methods for treatment of pregnancy loss mediated by abnormal placentation.
Real-time VLSI architecture for a VQ-based high-quality image coding algorithm

A real-time vector quantizer (VQ) architecture for broadcast quality encoding of color TV images is presented. The architecture maps the mean/quantized residual vector quantizer (MQRVQ), an extension of mean/residual VQ, onto a VLSI/LSI chip set. The MQRVQ contributes to the feasibility of the VLSI architecture through the use of a simple multiplication-free distortion measure and reduction of the required memory per codevector. In other words, the complexity-reduced MQRVQ allows each subcodebook of 128 codevectors (10 kb) and its associated encoding elements to be fitted onto a VLSI chip. This architecture reduces encoding search complexity through partitioning of a large codebook into on-chip memories of a concurrent VLSI chip set. There are 64 of these VLSI chips to accommodate a codebook with size up to 2/sup 13/=8192 codevectors. The architecture is capable of real-time processing of 480*768 pixels per frame with refreshing rate of 30 frames/second. >
Design of X-UV multilayers for high X-ray flux

Les cavites de laser X, les diagnostics de plasmas et les optiques pour les sources synchrotrons sont quelques exemples d’applications envisagees des multicouches X-UV ou les flux a reflechir sont intenses. Cet article passe en revue les processus physiques qui diminuent les performances des miroirs, le choix des couples de materiaux les plus resistants a l’echauffement, les methodes employant des modeles analytiques ou semi analytiques ainsi que les codes hydrodynamiques permettant de predire les performances sous flux intenses. Des resultats experimentaux sont presentes, analyses et compares avec les previsions. Par exemple des miroirs interferentiels en W/C, V/C et WC/C conservent leur reflectivite pendant environ 1 ns lorsqu’ils sont soumis a des flux de l’ordre de 150 MW cm-2 a l’aide de plasmas crees par laser. Suivant l’application particuliere envisagee, des etudes experimentales et theoriques complementaires sont necessaires. Les techniques developpees pour de tels miroirs devraient aussi permettre d’etudier des processus importants dans les materiaux.
Photodetachment of the Tribromocuprate(I) Anion: Observation of Vibrational Wave Packets

Electron photodetachment of the tribromocuprate(I) anion CuBr3 2-in water is achieved by ultrafast pump-dispersed probe spectroscopy resulting in a transient absorption signal containing oscillatory features that correspond to the vibrational frequencies in the detached product.
Further studies on cholesterol levels in the Johns Hopkins medical students: The effect of stress at examinations

1. 1. Serum cholesterol determinations on 52 male medical students were carried out at admission to medical school (Test I), at final anatomy examination (Test II), and during a period of regular academic work (Test III). 2. 2. The mean cholesterol levels at Tests I and II were significantly higher than at Test III. 3. 3. The cholesterol levels of two additional subjects showed a similar pattern when the values at final biochemistry examination (Text IV) were compared with Test III. 4. 4. For certain students, Test III fell close to the final biochemistry examination; the fall from Test II to Test III was less marked in these subjects. 5. 5. The total eosinophil count was significantly lower at Test II than Test III. 6. 6. There was no significant difference in body weight between Tests I, II, and III. 7. 7. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that stress such as accompanies the first few weeks of medical school or important final examinations is accompanied by a significant mean rise in cholesterol level.
Effectively Exploiting Parallel Scale for All Problem Sizes in LU Factorization

LU factorization is one of the most widely-used methods for solving linear equations, and thus its performance underlies a broad range of scientific computing. As architectural trends have replaced clock rate improvements with increases in parallel scale, library writers have responded by using tiled algorithms, where operand size is constrained in order to maximize parallelism, as seen in the well-known PLASMA library. This approach has two main drawbacks: (1) asymptotic performance is reduced due to limited operand size, (2) performance of small to medium sized problems is reduced due to unnecessary data motion in the parallel caches. In this paper we introduce a new approach where asymptotic performance is maximized by using special low-overhead kernel primitives that are auto-generated by the ATLAS framework, while unnecessary cache motion is minimized by using explicit cache management. We show that this technique can outperform all known libraries at all problem sizes on commodity parallel Intel and AMD platforms, with asymptotic LU performance of roughly 91% of hardware theoretical peak for a 12-core Intel Xeon, and 87% for a 32-core AMD Opteron.
Adaptive orthogonal series density estimation for small samples

Abstract Adaptive nonnegative orthogonal series estimators are investigated for the case of small sample sizes. The estimators are analyzed via intensive Monte Carlo study and oracle inequalities when an estimator is compared with optimal pseudo-estimators (“oracles”) based on an underlying (estimated) density. The results are favorable to a modified asymptotically efficient estimator. The paper also sheds light on that how to employ results of asymptotic theory for the practically important case of small sample sizes.
A PROBLEM-SOLVING APPROACH TO SOCIAL SKILLS TRAINING IN EMPLOYMENT SETTINGS WITH MENTALLY RETARDED YOUTH

The present study examined two approaches to teaching social behaviors to 3 developmentally disabled youths in work contexts. In one approach, a problem-solving procedure was learned and transferred to different materials. Conversational probes monitored interactions between disabled employees and their co-workers and customers. A multiple baseline design demonstrated that the training produced generalization and maintenance of the targeted social behaviors to the work settings: A second approach based on a role-playing intervention produced no substantial generalization in the work setting. A social validation questionnaire administered to co-workers supported the efficacy of the problem-solving training procedure. The efficacy of social problem-solving training was discussed in terms of sufficient exemplars, common stimuli, and self-mediations.
Modular arithmetic weight and cyclic shifting

This note shows that the modular arithmetic weight of an integer is invariant to the cyclic shifts of its radix-2 form. This result leads to a reduced search for the minimum weight codeword in a cyclic AN-code as well as to a better understanding of previous work.
Surgery for chronic achilles tendon problems

The author introduces a new procedure for surgical treatment of Achilles tendocalcinosis and other techniques for treatment of various chronic Achilles pathologies. Results of 21 procedures on 19 patients are presented.
Improved Fracture Toughness of a Titanium Alloy Laminate by Controlled Diffusion Bonding

Abstract The use of laminate composites containing a weak interface to increase the fracture toughness of high strength titanium alloys has been studied. Billets were fabricated from Ti-6A1-4V sheet material using a diffusion bonding process. Six billets were fabricated, each billet having an interface with different properties. Results indicate that toughness, as measured by the precracked Charpy test, may be increased when delamination or splitting of the bond occurs. A simple model to predict the conditions necessary for delamination has been formulated. Correlations between the model and experimental results are made. The model can account for the effect of different base metal and interface material properties and thicknesses. It is seen that a thin, low yield strength interface material with a full strength diffusion bond to a high yield strength, fairly tough base metal leads to optimum composite toughness.