cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetics of Crystallization of Anthracene from the Vapor

Abstract Anthracene was purified by zone melting, chromatography and sublimation. It was again zone melted in a closed system within which it was transferred to a crystal-growth tube. A sublimation apparatus was constructed allowing direct, automatic control of temperature-difference δT between sublimand and crystallization site as well as photography of the growing crystal. In evacuated tubes and in the presence of propane at 1 torr, it was not possible to control nucleation at 120°C. In the presence of N2 at 1 torr, single nuclei were formed at δ T=9.5° ± 0.5° and these were grown to 1 cm diameter crystals of good optical quality. The basal plane of the crystals was the ab plane. Cinematographic observation of growth and evaporation at under-saturations and supersaturations up to 6% showed that growth rate R varies linearly with supersaturation σ. According to the Frank theory, R should be proportional to σ2 for small σ when growth takes place by a single dislocation. Evidently this very unlikely condit...
How I changed my mind

Tom Porter, talking to me about the substance of what you might want to hear, mentioned a series of articles in The Christian Century , by prominent theologians, called “How I Changed My Mind.” I remember especially Karl Barth's three contributions to the series, over a period of thirty years. Ed Gaffney, years ago, introduced me to Barth—and did it with a perfect reference: to the prison sermons Barth gave when he turned, at least a little bit, from being a theologian and returned to being a pastor. Barth said the jail was his favorite pulpit. “There are but few theology professors,” he said, “whose sermon listener one can become only after having committed a serious violation of the civil order.” My own changes of mind are not unique. I am one of a small group of law teachers who have, over the last thirty years, become clearer in formulating an Hebraic legal ethic. We are a minority who have become bolder. We owe such courage as we have located for that to modern pioneers, most notably Harold Berman, and, more lately, Emily Hartigan. What has changed most for us has been the clarity of our public witness; the substance all along has been old-time religion. When I say “clarity” I mean that we have come to see this substance in our work, more than we did in, say, 1970.
Instability of the Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Pattern of Open Reading Frame 5 of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus during Sequential Pig-to-Pig Passages

Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis is one of the tools commonly used to study the molecular epidemiology of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome viruses (PRRSVs). As PRRSVs are genetically variable, the stability of the RFLP pattern of a PRRSV during in vivo replication was evaluated by carrying out 13 sequential pig-to-pig passages (P1 to P13) of PRRSV ATCC VR-2332 in three independent pig lines for a total of 727 days. During P1 the pigs were inoculated with a homogeneous inoculum (CC-01) prepared through a series of plaque purifications, and during P2 to P13 the pigs were inoculated with a tissue filtrate from the corresponding pig in the previous passage. Fifteen viral plaque clones were directly isolated from CC-01 and the day 7 serum of each pig of each passage, open reading frame 5 of the clones was sequenced, and the clones were compared to CC-01 to assess the mutation rates and RFLP patterns (obtained by digestion with MluI, HincII, and SacII) over time. Among the 495 viral clones recovered during the passages, 398 clones, including CC-01, had pattern 2-5-2 (MluI-HincII-SacII); however, the remaining 97 viral clones showed different patterns (2-6-2 [P2], 1-5-2 [P3], 2-5-4 [P7], and 2-1-2 [P10]). Importantly, the MluI site that was reported to be present in only one of the PRRS modified live virus vaccine strains (Ingelvac) and its parental strain (ATCC VR-2332) can disappear during in vivo replication. Furthermore, sequence homology between CC-01 and clones with pattern 2-5-2 or clones with other patterns differed by 0.05 to 1.58% and 0.5 to 1.45%, respectively, suggesting that RFLP analysis cannot accurately predict genetic relatedness between PRRSVs. Collectively, precaution should be taken when the molecular epidemiology of PRRSVs is evaluated by RFLP analysis.
Conceptual and Technical Issues Regarding the Use of HEDIS and HEDIS-Like Measures in Preferred Provider Organizations:

Preferred provider organizations (PPOs) represent a diverse and complex set of arrangements among insurance entities, networks of physicians, network organizers, and purchasers. Opinions differ reg...
Three dimensional ultrasonic imaging

Livermore California, 94550ABSTRACTUltrasonic nondestructive evaluation techniques interrogate components with high frequency acoustic energy. Atransducer generates the acoustic energy and converts acoustic energy to electrical signals. The acoustic energy is reflectedby abrupt changes in modulus and/or density which can be caused by a defect. Thus defects reflect the ultrasonic energywhich is converted into electrical signals. Ultrasonic evaluation typically provides a two dimensional image of internaldefects. These images are either planar views (C-scans) or cross-sectional views (B-scans). The planar view is generatedby raster scanning an ultrasonic transducer over the component and capturing the amplitude of internal reflections. Depthinformation is generally ignored. The cross-sectional view is generated by scanning the transducer along a single line andcapturing the amplitude and time of flight for each internal reflection. The amplitude and time of flight information isconverted into an image of the cross section of the component where the scan was performed. By fusing the C-scaninformation with the B-scan information a three dimension image of the internal structure of the component can beproduced. The three dimensional image can be manipulated by rotating and slicing to produce the optimal view of theinternal structure.The high frequency ultrasonic energy requires a liquid coupling media and thus applications for imaging in liquidenvironments are well suited to ultrasonic techniques. Examples of potential ultrasonic imaging applications are: insideliquid filled tanks, inside the human body, and underwater.
On the Right Track: Technology for Organizing and Presenting Digital Information.

This article describes an online resource that helps teachers and students organize and annotate Web sites (more specifically, the addresses or URLs to the Web sites) into lessons, presentations, assignments, or instructional resources. TrackStar was created to assist teachers to integrate the Web more effectively into their classroom to meet the needs of all students. Each Track provides a user with a list of Web-based resources offering easy access to the content.
Cross sections for several (n, 2n) reactions at 14 Mev

Abstract Precision measurements of the cross sections of the (n, 2n) reactions to produce 44mSc, 88Y, 89Zr, 92Nb, 150Eu(35y), 168Tm, 174m+gLu and 196Au were made for a range of neutron energies from 13.7 to 15.0 MeV. The samples were irradiated at various positions on the surface of a 20 cm radius sphere centered at the 2H–3H neutron source. This allowed a range of neutron energies to be obtained with good energy resolution. The 27Al(n, α)24Na reaction was used to monitor the neutron fluence in the target samples. Particular attention was given to the accurate measurement of the (n, 2n) products, using calibrated Ge(Li) and NaI(Tl) detectors. An uncertainty of about ±5% is assigned to the results, except those for 150Eu and 174Lu, which have an additional uncertainty in their decay schemes.
Practical Issues in the Use of NdFeB Permanent Magnets in Maglev, Motors, Bearings, and Eddy Current Brakes

In this paper, practical design issues related to the use of high-strength neodymium-iron-boron magnets are described. These magnets have increasing utility in transportation systems (maglev, linear and rotary motors), bearings, and in eddy-current brakes. However, careful design must be done to utilize the full capabilities of these magnets.
S alience, complexity and state resistance to federal mandates

Although state resistance to federal mandates is a prevalent characteristic of contemporary American federalism, little is known about the factors that separate resisting states from states that do not oppose federal policy. This article examines state resistance through a framework that classifies public policies by salience and complexity and identifies societal interests and government officials who are hypothesised to influence policy making on issues of varying types. These hypotheses are investigated in the context of state resistance to four federal laws – the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, No Child Left Behind Act, Help America Vote Act and REAL ID Act. The results of the statistical analysis demonstrate the centrality of the characteristics of citizens, elected officials and specialised interest groups in conditioning state resistance to federal mandates. These results suggest that state resistance can be characterised as a strategic response to federal mandates that varies systematically across types of public policies.
Interstitial deletion 8q11.2-q13 with congenital anomalies of CHARGE association

Specific genetic loci responsible for CHARGE association are currently unknown. Herein, we describe a neonate with clinical manifestations consistent with CHARGE association who has a de novo interstitial deletion involving bands 8q11.2 to 8q13. Genetic mapping and genomic microarray technology have been used to more accurately define the breakpoints of this deletion. Within the deleted region, there are approximately 150 expressed genes, one or more of which may contribute to the manifestations of CHARGE association.
Fuzzy real algebra: Some results

Abstract In this paper, the possibility to perform easily most of the extended n-ary operations on fuzzy subsets of the real line is shown. A general algorithm is given. These results are particularized for usual operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, ‘max’ and ‘min’ operations for normalized convex fuzzy subsets of the real line, i.e. fuzzy numbers. A three parameters representation for fuzzy numbers is shown to be very convenient to perform usual operations. Lastly, interpretative comments about fuzzy real algebra are given and possible applications pointed out.
X-Ray Diffraction Patterns from Plant Fibres

DIFFRACTION patterns obtained from plant fibres, ramie, hemp, etc., by using a method similar to that of Hull for crystal powders (Phys. Review, 10, 2, 661, 1917), do not agree in certain particulars with the data reported by Herzog and Jancke in Zeits. fur Physik, 3–3, 196 to 198, 1920. They give a list of eight sets of planes, based on data obtained by using the “white light” radiation from a copper anticathode, and eliminating by inspection the Kβ reflections. In our work, molybdenum radiation was used and a monochromatic beam was obtained by filtering through a zirconium oxide screen.
Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole in Brucellosis

A clinical trial of the combination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (TMPSMZ), was conducted in 86 patients with brucellosis, hospitalized either in Trikala (Thessaly) or in Athens. All cases had the typical clinical picture of acute brucellosis, or that of special localizations and high titers of agglutination reactions in their sera. In 39 patients the diagnosis was confirmed by positive blood cultures. There were 14 cases of osteoarthritic localization, one severe case of brucella endocarditis, and two cases of epididymo-orchitis. Clinical response to the drug was good in 78 cases, with defervescence ensuing within two to eight days. In eight cases the response was not satisfactory. Relapses occurred in 4% of all cases. Bacteriologic response was observed in 19 of 39 patients. In 15 patients the blood ;culture remained positive although the clinical response was good. There were five patients who initially had a negative blood culture, and later a positive culture. Dosage varied from four to six tablets, occasionally eight tablets daily. Duration of treatment was generally one month at first, and subsequently two months. It is concluded that TMP-SMZ is effective in the treatment of acute brucellosis and in some special forms such as osteomyelitis and endocarditis. Longer duration of treatment and the higher initial doses seem warranted to improve results and prevent recurrences.
Digital Library Task Force

In 1995, the IEEE Computer Society established the Task Force on Digital Libraries as a first step leading to a full-fledged Technical Committee. The task force is to promote research in the theory and practice of all aspects of digital libraries. The task force sponsors activities that benefit its members and profession. Such activities include sponsoring and co-sponsoring symposia, sessions in large conferences, tutorials, and a newsletter. The task force co-sponsored the Forum on Research and Technology Advances in Digital Libraries and is co-sponsoring the International Journal of Digital Libraries, published by Springer-Verlag. Membership in the Task Force on Digital Libraries is free.
Dostoevsky's epilepsy: A case report and comparison

The Russian writer Dostoevsky (1821-1881) suffered from a rare form of temporal lobe epilepsy termed "ecstatic epilepsy." Dostoevsky used his epileptic experiences to create Prince Myshkin, the protagonist of The Idiot. The recent case of a patient who experienced ecstatic epilepsy as a result of a temporal lobe brain tumor is presented and compared with that of Prince Myshkin. Reading Dostoevsky can give the contemporary physician an insight into the inner life of an epileptic patient--an example of how art can directly benefit medical practice.
Doubling the production and precision of the MBTH spectrophotometric assay for dissolved carbohydrates in seawater

Abstract Extensive use of the three step 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone hydrochloride (MBTH) method for determining concentrations of both free and combined dissolved carbohydrate occurring in diverse marine environments has shown its suitability for studies of carbohydrate dynamics. Modification of the analytical sequence to extend over 2 working days to eliminate a confusing and error producing overlap of analytical operations allows a single analyst to determine 15 instead of 8 samples in the same 2-day period. This modification also permits an increase in the number of blank plus replicate determinations from 5 to 7 per sample so that a total of 105 reaction tubes can be assayed every 2 days compared to 40–50 for the original procedure. For a series of 7 Narragansett Bay samples, the standard deviation of the method serendipitously decreased by 50% (from ±5.3 to ±2.7 μ g C l −1 ) when the original procedure was compared with the modified procedure. Postponing the final analytical step for a day when the analyses can be completed with an autoprocessor will free the analyst for the processing of more samples, causing an additional doubling in productivity.
Identification of the DNA Binding Specificity and Potential Target Genes for the Farnesoid X-activated Receptor

The farnesoid X-activated receptor (FXR; NR1H4) is a member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily and functions as a heterodimer with the 9-cis-retinoic acid receptor (RXR). In order to determine the optimal DNA binding sequence for the FXR/RXR heterodimer, we have utilized the selected and amplified binding sequence imprinting technique. This technique identified a number of related sequences that interacted with FXR/RXR in vitro. The consensus sequence contained an inverted repeat of the sequence AGGTCA with a 1-base pair spacing (IR-1). This sequence was shown to be a high affinity binding site for FXR/RXR in vitro and to confer ligand-dependent transcriptional activation by FXR/RXR to a heterologous promoter. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and transient transfection assays were used to investigate the importance of the core half-site sequences, spacing nucleotide, flanking sequences, and orientation and spacing of the core half-sites on DNA binding and ligand-dependent transcriptional activation by FXR/RXR. These studies demonstrated that the FXR/RXR heterodimer binds to the consensus IR-1 sequence with the highest affinity, although FXR/RXR can bind to and activate through a variety of elements including IR-1 elements with changes in the core half-site sequence, spacing nucleotide, and flanking nucleotides. In addition, FXR/RXR can bind to and transactivate through direct repeats. Three genes were identified that contain IR-1 sequences in their proximal promoters. These elements were shown to bind FXR/RXR in vitro and to confer FXR/RXR-dependent transcriptional activation to a heterologous promoter in response to a bile acid or synthetic retinoid. The endogenous mRNA levels of one of these genes, phospholipid transfer protein, were shown to be induced by FXR and FXR ligands. The identification of the IR-1 and related elements as high affinity binding sites and functional response elements for FXR/RXR and the identification of a target gene for FXR/RXR should assist in the identification of additional genes regulated by FXR/RXR.
Increased hepatic retinal dehydrogenase activity after phenobarbital and ethanol administration

Cytosolic retinal dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.36, retinal: NAD+ oxidoreductase) activity was measured by assessing the conversion of retinal to retinoic acid by HPLC. In vitro, acetaldehyde, chloral hydrate and disulfiram were found to be inhibitors, whereas 95% of the activity remained in the presence of cyanide or in the absence of oxygen. In rats, retinal dehydrogenase activity prevailed over that of retinal oxidase. By contrast, in deermice, 80% of retinal oxidation was due to the oxidase rather than the retinal dehydrogenase activity in a normal strain (ADH+) as well as in one lacking alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH-). In ADH- deermice, retinal oxidase activity was greater than in ADH+ animals. In vivo, in the rat, chronic ethanol administration resulted in a significant increase of the dehydrogenase activity in the liver, but not in other tissues. After phenobarbital administration, hepatic retinal dehydrogenase activity was increased 8-fold, but no extrahepatic induction was observed. Conversely, feeding rats with a diet devoid of the precursor for the substrate (retinal) by replacing retinyl acetate with an equivalent amount of retinoic acid resulted in decreased retinal dehydrogenase activity. Under conditions in which retinal dehydrogenase activity is rate-limiting for the metabolism of retinal to retinoic acid, its induction after phenobarbital or ethanol administration may contribute to hepatic vitamin A depletion.
How Expensive Is Unlimited Mental Health Care Coverage Under Managed Care

Objectives. —To study costs, access, and intensity of mental health care under managed care carve-out plans with generous coverage; compare with assumptions used in policy debates; and simulate the consequences of removing coverage limits for mental health care as required by the Mental Health Parity Act. Design. —Claims data from 1995 and 1996 for 24 managed care carve-out plans; all plans offered unlimited mental health coverage with minimal co-payments. Outcome Measures. —Probability of care, intensity of care, and total costs broken down by service type and type of enrollee. Results. —Assumptions used in last year's policy debate overstate actual managed care costs by a factor of 4 to 8. In the plans studied, costs are lower owing to reduced hospitalization rates, a relative shift to outpatient care, and reduced payments per service. However, access to mental health specialty care increased (7.0% of enrollees) compared with the preceding fee-for-service plans (6.5%) or free care in the RAND Health Insurance Experiment (5.0%). Removing an annual limit of $25000 for mental health care, which is the average among plans currently imposing limits, will increase insurance payments only by about $1 per enrollee per year. Children are the main beneficiaries of expanded benefits. Conclusions. —Concerns about costs have stifled many health system reform proposals. However, policy decisions were often based on incorrect assumptions and outdated data that led to dramatic overstimates. For mental health care, the cost consequences of improved coverage under manged care, which by now accounts for most private insurance, are relatively minor.
Stability of neutral beam driven TAE modes in DIII-D

The observed characteristics of toroidicity induced Alfven eigenmodes (TAE) in DIII-D tokamak discharges are compared in detail with predictions of various theories of TAE mode stability, and good qualitative agreement is found. The observed range of unstable toroidal mode numbers (n approximately 3-6) is consistent with theoretical predictions. For DIII-D parameters, low mode numbers are damped by coupling to the stable Alfven continuum, while high mode numbers are clamped by electron kinetic effects including coupling to kinetic Alfven waves. A threshold for destabilization is observed experimentally at a fast ion beta of approximately 1%. The predicted driving and damping rates, estimated from experimental data, balance within about a factor of two for discharges at the threshold. It is demonstrated experimentally that the damping of TAE modes can be increased by current profile control, in this case with a peaked current profile produced by a negative current ramp, in qualitative agreement with theoretical predictions. A possible stabilizing effect of discharge elongation is also observed
Constant-wave laser oscillation in a carbon monoxide chemical laser.

CW laser oscillation has been observed on twenty-eight vibration–rotation transitions in the range 5.22–5.55 µm with a CO chemical laser. This is the first report of purely CW lasing in chemically excited CO, although we have previously1 announced a “quasi-CW” laser of this type in which the duration of the laser pulse is longer than the characteristic decay time of excited CO. We give here the resolved laser spectra and show that long term CW operation can be achieved in a CO chemical laser with rather modest requirements for pump speed and input energy.
Does Four-dimensionalism explain coincidence?∗

For those who think the statue and the piece of copper that compose it are distinct objects that coincide, there is a burden of explanation. After all, common sense says that different ordinary objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. A common argument in favour of four-dimensionalism (or ‘perdurantism’ or ‘temporal parts theory’) is that it provides the resources for a superior explanation of this coincidence. This, however, is mistaken. Any explanatory work done by the four-dimensionalist notion of absolute parthood rests ultimately on notions equally available to the three-dimensionalist. Thus, a neutral explanation of coincidence is at least as good while avoiding commitment to temporal parts. ∗Many thanks to David Christensen, Louis deRosset, Matti Eklund, and two anonymous referees for helpful comments.
Psychopharmacologic management of serious behavioral disturbance in ASD

Individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often exhibit serious behavioral disturbance (irritability) including severe tantrums, aggression, and self-injury that requires pharmacologic management. Research focused on the treatment of severe irritability has primarily involved the atypical antipsychotics, including risperidone and aripiprazole. Anticonvulsants have also been investigated for targeting serious behavioral disturbance; however findings have been mixed. Advances in the pharmacotherapy of irritability in ASD continue to inform practice. Research is needed to develop safer and more effective drug treatments for serious behavioral disturbance in this population. Language: en
An improved solution structure for psi-conotoxin PiiiE.

A revised, high-resolution structure of ψ-conotoxin Piiie (ψ-Piiie), a noncompetitive inhibitor of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), produced through the use of NMR and molecular modeling calculations is presented. The original structures of ψ-Piiie had a relatively high degree of disorder, particularly in the conformation of the disulfide bridges. Our studies utilized 13C-labeling of selected cysteine residues allowing the resolution of all problems of resonance overlap for the cysteine residues. The improved data were used to produce a new set of structures by a molecular modeling process incorporating relaxation matrix methods for the determination of interproton distance restraints and a combination of distance geometry and simulated annealing for structure generation. The structures produced are very well converged with the RMSD of backbone atom positions of the main body of the peptide improving from 0.73 to 0.13 A. Other indicators of correlation with the experimental data and quality o...
Safety and biocompatibility of carbohydrate-functionalized polyanhydride nanoparticles.

Carbohydrate functionalization of nanoparticles allows for targeting of C-type lectin receptors. This family of pattern recognition receptors expressed on innate immune cells, such as macrophages and dendritic cells, can be used to modulate immune responses. In this work, the in vivo safety profile of carbohydrate-functionalized polyanhydride nanoparticles was analyzed following parenteral and intranasal administration in mice. Polyanhydride nanoparticles based on 1,6-bis-(p-carboxyphenoxy)hexane and 1,8-bis-(p-carboxyphenoxy)-3,6-dioxaoctane were used. Nanoparticle functionalization with di-mannose (specifically carboxymethyl-α-d-mannopyranosyl-(1,2)-d-mannopyranoside), galactose (specifically carboxymethyl-β-galactoside), or glycolic acid induced no adverse effects after administration based on histopathological evaluation of liver, kidneys, and lungs. Regardless of the polymer formulation, there was no evidence of hepatic or renal damage or dysfunction observed in serum or urine samples. The histological profile of cellular infiltration and the cellular distribution and kinetics in the lungs of mice administered with nanoparticle treatments followed similar behavior as that observed in the lungs of animals administered with saline. Cytokine and chemokine profiles in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid indicated surface chemistry dependence on modest secretion of IL-6, IP-10, and MCP-1; however, there was no evidence of any deleterious histopathological changes. Based on these analyses, carbohydrate-functionalized nanoparticles are safe for in vivo applications. These results provide foundational information towards the evaluation of the capabilities of these surface-modified nanoparticles as vaccine delivery formulations.
iGPU: exception support and speculative execution on GPUs

Since the introduction of fully programmable vertex shader hardware, GPU computing has made tremendous advances. Exception support and speculative execution are the next steps to expand the scope and improve the usability of GPUs. However, traditional mechanisms to support exceptions and speculative execution are highly intrusive to GPU hardware design. This paper builds on two related insights to provide a unified lightweight mechanism for supporting exceptions and speculation on GPUs. First, we observe that GPU programs can be broken into code regions that contain little or no live register state at their entry point. We then also recognize that it is simple to generate these regions in such a way that they are idempotent, allowing their entry points to function as program recovery points and enabling support for exception handling, fast context switches, and speculation, all with very low overhead. We call the architecture of GPUs executing these idempotent regions the iGPU architecture. The hardware extensions required are minimal and the construction of idempotent code regions is fully transparent under the typical dynamic compilation framework of GPUs. We demonstrate how iGPU exception support enables virtual memory paging with very low overhead (1% to 4%), and how speculation support enables circuit-speculation techniques that can provide over 25% reduction in energy.
An Analysis of EVA and Other Measures of Firm Performance Based on Residual Income

This paper reviews the theoretical foundations of residual income as a tool for evaluating a firm's interim performance for purposes of assigning incentive compensation. Although residual income can be easily linked to the discounted cash flow model of firm valuation, it bears no necessary relation to wealth creation during any particular time period. Consequently, paying for performance using residual income to measure wealth creation can have incentive effects that are inconsistent with wealth creation. We show that recent attempts to address the shortcomings of residual income can effectively address the wealth measurement issue; however, they give rise to serious implementation problems related to the necessity for forecasting future firm performance. Furthermore, if internal forecasts of future firm performance are used, this is a source of a potentially serious moral hazard problem as the same managers whose performance is being evaluated provide the forecasts.
Autographa californica Nucleopolyhedrovirus orf69 Encodes an RNA Cap (Nucleoside-2-O)-Methyltransferase

The AcNPV orf69 gene encodes a protein that contains an S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet)-dependent methyltransferase signature motif. More significantly, ORF69 shows high conservation at residues diagnostic for (nucleoside 2′-O)-methyltransferase activity. To analyze the function of this protein, which was renamed MTase1, it was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. Photo cross-linking experiments showed that MTase1 bound AdoMet, and functional assays demonstrated cap 0-dependent methyltransferase activity. In vivo expression assays in insect cells showed that MTase1 was synthesized during the late phase of infection and that its expression was dependent on viral DNA replication. Primer extension analysis identified a late promoter motif, ATAAG, at the transcription start site. A mutant virus was constructed by inserting the lacZ gene into the coding region of mtase1. Immunoblot analysis confirmed that MTase1 was not synthesized in these cells, and single-step growth curves revealed that the rate of virus replication in tissue culture was not affected by the absence of MTase1.
Progress on bunch lengthening at the NSLS VUV ring

The authors describe the basic theory and experimental results on bunch lengthening at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) ring. Emphasis is placed on results of experiments conducted since the last study. A fourth harmonic cavity was used to provide the necessary conditions for bunch lengthening. Experiments have included using the harmonic cavity in a beam excited mode as well as using an external generator to provide the desired conditions. >
Interruptions and distractions in healthcare: review and reappraisal

Objectives To systematically review the peer-reviewed literature on interruptions in healthcare settings to determine the state of the science and to identify the gaps in research. Methods Inclusion criteria were determined, and the online databases PubMed and Web of Knowledge-CrossSearch were searched. Results Thirty-three papers were reviewed. Several important findings were identified: (1) interruptions occur frequently in all healthcare settings, (2) an important gap exists: only seven studies examined outcomes related to interruptions, (3) interruptions in healthcare have only been studied from the viewpoint of the person being interrupted and (4) few studies explicitly or implicitly examined the cognitive implications of interruptions. Conclusions The high frequency of interruptions coupled with information content may simply be indicative of the high need for constant communication and coordination in healthcare. Many interruptions may be necessary for safe, high-quality care; thus, trying to eliminate all interruptions is unwise. That said, there may be situations, such as during high-risk procedures, when limiting interruptions may be warranted. Taking a complex sociotechnical systems approach will help researchers view interruptions more holistically and will result in more comprehensive studies that take into account the complexity of interruptions and the many variables in healthcare settings.
Integrating the improvement and the control phase of Six Sigma for categorical responses through application of Mahalanobis-Taguchi System (MTS)

A unified framework for achieving improvement and control of processes with categorical responses during implementation of Six Sigma is proposed. The proposed framework exploits the versatility of MTS as a tool for classification, variable selection and monitoring, and is explained and demonstrated using a simulated example.
Evaluation of surface-potential-based bulk-charge compact MOS transistor model

The existing surface-potential-based compact metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor models are based on the 1978 Brews delta-function charge-sheet approximation, which was derived empirically from the 1966 Pao-Sah drift-diffusion double integral formula. This paper provides a device physics-based derivation of a surface-potential-based compact model by analytical approximation of the double and single bulk-charge integrals of the four one-dimensional components of the six-component 1996 Sah two-dimensional formula. In this compact model development, the mobile carrier-space-charge-limited parabolic-drift and linear-diffusion current components are analytically represented by the surface potential without approximation, while the immobile-impurity bulk-space-charge-limited double-integral drift-current and single-integral diffusion-current components are evaluated analytically using three possible surface-potential compact model approximations. This paper calculates the accuracy of these approximate analytical bulk-charge-limited drift and diffusion current components in both the inversion and subthreshold ranges and discusses factors that affect the accuracy in the subthreshold range and near flatband.
Greenhouse gas contributions and mitigation potential of agriculture in the central USA

The central USA contains some of the most productive agricultural land of the world. Due to the high proportion of land area committed to crops and pasture in this region, the carbon (C) stored and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission due to agriculture represent a large percentage of the total for the USA. Our objective was to summarize potential soil organic C (SOC) sequestration and GHG emission from this region and identify how tillage and cropping system interact to modify these processes. Conservation tillage (CST), including no-tillage (NT), has become more widespread in the region abating erosion and loss of organic rich topsoil and sequestering SOC. The rate of SOC storage in NT compared to conventional tillage (CT) has been significant, but variable, averaging 0.40 � 0.61 Mg C ha � 1 year � 1 (44 treatment pairs). Conversion of previous cropland to grass with the conservation reserve program increased SOC sequestration by 0.56 � 0.60 Mg C ha � 1 year � 1 (five treatment pairs). The relatively few data on GHG emission from cropland and managed grazing land in the central USA suggests a need for more research to better understand the interactions of tillage, cropping system and fertilization on SOC sequestration and GHG emission.
Homogeneous Time-Resolved Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Assay for Measurement of Phox/Bem1p (PB1) Domain Heterodimerization

Twenty human proteins encode Phox/Bem1p (PB1) domains, which are involved in forming protein heterodimers. MEKK2, MEKK3, and MEK5 are 3 serine-threonine protein kinases that have PB1 domains. MEKK2, MEKK3, and MEK5 are the MAP3Ks and the MAP2K in the ERK5 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling module. ERK5 is a critical MAPK for both development of the vasculature and vascular homeostasis in the adult, but no other MAPK has been shown to be critical in vascular maintenance in the adult animal. MEKK2 and MEKK3 are the only MAP3Ks shown to physically interact with and activate the MEK5-ERK5 signaling module. Interaction of MEKK2 or MEKK3 with MEK5 is mediated by heterodimerization of the MEKK2 (or MEKK3) PB1 and MEK5 PB1 domains. The authors have developed a homogeneous, time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) assay to monitor PB1-PB1 domain heterodimerization. The assay uses a europium-chelate conjugated GST-MEK5 PB1 domain chimera, biotinylated MEKK2 PB1 domain, and streptavidin-Cy5. Interaction of the MEKK2 and MEK5 PB1 domains gives a robust FRET signal (Z' factor = 0.93), which is completely abrogated by mutation of 2 acidic residues (64D65E-->AA) within the MEK5 PB1 domain that causes loss of stable PB1-PB1 domain interaction. This assay can be used to study the specificity of PB1-PB1 domain interactions and to screen for molecules that can regulate MEKK2/MEKK3-MEK5 interactions. Disruption of PB1 domain interactions represents a novel approach for selectively regulating the ERK5 signaling pathway independent of kinase active site-directed adenosine triphosphate competitive inhibitors.
Loop Closure for Enhanced Win Percentage in an Air Operation

This paper formalizes a method for generation of state-based control policy at the strategic level in an air operation, aiming at maximizing the winning probability of the Blue force. A generic model is used to explain the aspects of modeling, control design, and implementation. More specifically, a constrained bilinear control problem defined on a probability simplex is formulated and solved approximately using a receding horizon control scheme. The control policy is also implemented on-line in a closed-loop where the air operation is simulated with SimEvents as a stochastic process. A significantly enhanced win percentage is resulted from the loop closure at the strategic level, where planning activities are traditionally carried out open-loop.
Jugular venous reconstruction: A technique to minimize morbidity of bilateral radical neck dissection

Disfiguring facial edema and elevated intracranial pressure often accompany ligation and excision of the internal jugular veins (IJV) during simultaneous or staged bilateral radical neck dissection. To minimize this morbidity, unilateral reconstruction of the IJV was undertaken at the time of second-side neck dissection in 11 patients. Five patients underwent reconstruction with the spiraled saphenous vein (SVG) and in six patients 10 mm externally supported polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) was used. Prebypass jugular venous stump pressures (JVPs) were measured and ranged from 28/17 to 75/54 mm Hg with mean pressures of 17 to 62 mm Hg. Two patients had simultaneous neck dissections and nine had staged dissections. The staged interval ranged from 0.3 to 33 months. Six of nine staged reconstructions were right-sided and three of nine were left-sided. Low molecular weight dextran was started intraoperatively, regional heparinization was used in all but two cases, and platelet inhibitors were continued postoperatively in all patients. Additional time in the operating room was 45 minutes (mean). All patients have been followed up 2 to 18 months postoperatively. B-mode ultrasonography, Doppler spectrum analysis, CT scan with contrast, and magnetic resonance imaging were used to assess patency. Four of five SVGs and three of six e-PTFE grafts have remained functional, which resulted in an overall patency rate of 64%. Four grafts (one SVG, three e-PTFE) failed in the immediate postoperative period. All grafts in patients who had a mean JVP greater than 30 mm Hg remained patent, whereas those in patients with lower stump pressures thrombosed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The TMO Scheme for Wide-Area Distributed Real-Time Computing and Distributed Time-Triggered Simulation

Some parts of our recent efforts on establishing a technical foundation for wide-area distributed real-time computing (DRC) and distributed time-triggered simulation (DTS) are briefly reviewed. The basic building-block of our technology framework is the time- triggered message-triggered object (TMO) specification and programming scheme. The TMO scheme for local-area DRC has been established in a sound form and its practicality and attractiveness have been extensively demonstrated. However, its extension to fit into wide-area-network based DRC is in an early stage. The distributed time-triggered simulation (DTS) scheme is a new type of an approach to real-time simulation based on parallel/distributed computing. The TMO scheme facilitates DTS in efficient forms. Recent developments in TMO-structured wide-area DRC and DTS and the supporting tools are briefly reviewed.
Effect on Left Ventricular Performance of Stimulation of an Afferent Nerve from Muscle

The effect on left ventricular performance of electrical stimulation of the cut central end of the quadriceps nerve was studied in open-chest dogs. Stimulation of the nerve at 2 to 4 times threshold for the flexion reflex, which presumably activated intermediate-sized afferent fibers, caused a decrease in heart rate and arterial pressure. Stimulation at 5 to 25 times threshold, which presumably activated small-sized, high-threshold afferent fibers, increased heart rate, arterial pressure, and cardiac output. When heart rate, arterial pressure, and cardiac output were controlled, activation of high-threshold afferent fibers caused a significant increase in the maximal rate of pressure rise, stroke power, and mean rate of ejection of the left ventricle without an increase in the end-diastolic pressure. These same fibers may in some way be activated during muscular exercise and be partially responsible for the increase in left ventricular contractility that occurs during that time.
A Young Surgeon's Perspective

The environment of health care delivery is responding to a variety of external forces that are changing the practice of surgery. Only when we look back at this period can any assessments be made to determine whether the changes were beneficial or detrimental. The observation that surgeons are retiring at an earlier age may be a reflection of the negative effect of the changing culture of surgery on career satisfaction. As a young surgeon who anticipates an additional 20+ years of a surgical career, these changes are important to me and will clearly affect my practice as well as my satisfaction. This special article provides my personal perspective on some of the current and anticipated changes in surgery that are a manifestation of cultural changes in health care delivery.
Automated Fluorometric Method for Determination of Serum Calcium

A simple, rapid, accurate, and reproducible method for serum calcium has been developed utilizing a fully automated fluorometric system and fluorescein-complexone as the fluorophore. The results obtained agree with those obtained with the Clark-Collip permanganate titration.
Frequency estimation with maximum entropy spectral estimators

The ability of a modified covariance method "maximum entropy" spectral estimator to estimate the frequencies of several sinusoids in additive white Gaussian noise is studied. Analytical expressions for the variance of the spectral estimate peak positions at high signal-to-noise ratios ate derived. The calculated variance is compared to the Cramer-Rao lower bound and to the results of similar variance calculations for the more familiar covariance method. It is shown that performance approaching the Cramer-Rao bound can be obtained. Simulations demonstrate substantial agreement with the analytical results over a wide range of signal-to-noise ratios.
Urban Public School Libraries and Educational Reform: The Case of the Detroit Public Schools

This article explores the implications of school reform on school libraries using the Detroit Public Schools (DPS) as a case study in urban librarianship. A literature review on the role and impact of school librarians in K-12 education is included to help illustrate the role of school libraries in public school reform. Two DPS reforms are selected for closer evaluation: a 2002 district-initiated reform and a 2008 state-mandated reform. The article concludes by offering a list of recommendations to help strengthen DPS reform goals and objectives by utilizing the professional knowledge and resources of school librarians in the district. These recommendations are shaped by the author’s personal and professional experiences as a former school library media specialist in DPS and as a college professor who teaches school and urban librarianship courses.
Integrating artificial intelligence into the undergraduate engineering curriculum

The author relates experience at Clemson University in offering a specially structured one-semester undergraduate course on applied artificial intelligence. In addition, a longer term and more integrated involvement of AI technology in the undergraduate engineering curriculum is suggested. A number of unresolved issues regarding this integration are posed and discussed. >
Incorporating Interpretation into Risky Decision-Making

Most leading computational theories of decision-making under risk do not have mechanisms to account for the incorporation of cultural factors. Therefore, they are of limited utility to scholars and practitioners who wish to model, and predict, how culture influences decision outcomes. Fuzzy Trace Theory (FTT) posits that people encode risk information at multiple levels of representation – namely, gist, which captures the culturally contingent meaning, or interpretation, of a stimulus, and verbatim, which is a detailed symbolic representation of the stimulus. Decision-makers prefer to rely on gist representations, although conflicts between gist and verbatim can attenuate this reliance. In this paper, we present a computational model of Fuzzy Trace Theory, which is able to successfully predict 14 experimental effects using a small number of assumptions. This technique may ultimately form the basis for an agent-based model, whose rule sets incorporate cultural and other psychosocial factors.
Management of drug eluting stent in-stent restenosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background The optimal management for coronary drug eluting stent in-stent restenosis (DES ISR) is unclear. We performed a meta-analysis of observational and randomized studies to compare the outcomes of management of DES ISR using DES, drug eluting balloon (DEB), or balloon angioplasty (BA). Methods Eligible studies (25 single arm and 13 comparative, including 4 randomized studies with a total of 7,474 patients with DES ISR) were identified using MEDLINE search and proceedings of international meetings. Outcomes studied include major adverse cardiac events (MACE), target lesion revascularization (TLR), target vessel revascularization (TVR), myocardial infarction (MI), stent thrombosis (ST), and mortality. Follow-up ranged from 0.5 to 3.5 years (mean 1.4 years). Results The rate of TLR was significantly lower in the DES (odds ratio [OR] 0.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.36–0.69) and DEB (OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.18–0.55) groups compared to BA. Similarly, TVR rate was significantly lower in the DES (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.39–0.77) and DEB (OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.18–0.58) groups compared to BA. All other outcomes were similar between the DES/BA and DEB/BA comparisons. TLR was significantly lower in the DES group compared to BA for vessels 2.75 mm. Conclusion Treatment of coronary DES ISR with DES or DEB is associated with a reduction in the risk of TLR and TVR compared to BA alone. The relative risk reduction for TLR with DES is similar to DEB. DEBs have a potential role in the treatment of DES ISR by avoiding placement of another layer of stent. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.