cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Moving In and Out of Welfare and Work: The Influence of Regional Socioeconomic Circumstances on Economic Disconnection Among Low-Income Single Mothers:

An increasing proportion of low-income single mothers are experiencing periods of economic disconnection, defined as receiving no cash income from welfare or work. Most research on disconnection has focused on personal attributes as risk factors for experiencing disconnection at a static point in time. This study adopts a dynamic perspective and broadens the existing set of determinants by adding regional socioeconomic characteristics to explain changes in status. Results from multivariate survival analyses demonstrate that residence in a disadvantaged county is associated with an increased risk of becoming disconnected. State-level policies, as opposed to county socioeconomic characteristics, have stronger influences on movements out of disconnection. The findings from the analyses provide a base for policy discussions about helping this vulnerable population.
Epigenetic regulation of AXL and risk of childhood asthma symptoms

AXL is one of the TAM (TYRO3, AXL and MERTK) receptor tyrosine kinases and may affect numerous immune-related health conditions. However, the role for AXL in asthma, including its epigenetic regulation, has not been extensively studied. We investigated the association between AXL DNA methylation at birth and risk of childhood asthma symptoms at age 6 years. DNA methylation of multiple CpG loci across the regulatory regions of AXL was measured in newborn bloodspots using the Illumina HumanMethylation450 array on a subset of 246 children from the Children’s Health Study (CHS). Logistic regression models were fitted to assess the association between asthma symptoms and DNA methylation. Findings were evaluated for replication in a separate population of 1038 CHS subjects using Pyrosequencing on newborn bloodspot samples. AXL genotypes were extracted from genome-wide data. Higher average methylation of CpGs in the AXL gene at birth was associated with higher risk of parent-reported wheezing, and the association was stronger in girls than in boys. This relationship reflected the methylation status of the gene-body region near the 5′ end, for which a 1% higher methylation level was significantly associated with a 72% increased risk of ever having wheezed by 6 years. The association of one CpG locus, cg00360107 was replicated using Pyrosequencing. Increased AXL methylation was also associated with lower mRNA expression level of this gene in lung tissue from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. Furthermore, AXL DNA methylation was strongly linked to underlying genetic polymorphisms. AXL DNA methylation at birth was associated with higher risk for asthma-related symptoms in early childhood.
Cullin-3-RING ubiquitin ligase activity is required for striated muscle function in mice.

Control of protein homeostasis is an essential cellular process that, when perturbed, can result in the deregulation or toxic accumulation of proteins. Owing to constant mechanical stress, striated muscle proteins are particularly prone to wear and tear and require several protein quality–control mechanisms to coordinate protein turnover and removal of damaged proteins. Kelch-like proteins, substrate adapters for the Cullin-3 (Cul3)-RING ligase (CRL3) complex, are emerging as critical regulators of striated muscle development and function, highlighting the importance of Cul3-mediated proteostasis in muscle function. To explore the role of Cul3-mediated proteostasis in striated muscle, here we deleted Cul3 specifically in either skeletal muscle (SkM-Cul3 KO) or cardiomyocytes (CM-Cul3 KO) of mice. The loss of Cul3 caused neonatal lethality and dramatic alterations in the proteome, which were unique to each striated muscle type. Many of the proteins whose expression was significantly changed in the SkM-Cul3 KO were components of the extracellular matrix and sarcomere, whereas proteins altered in the CM-Cul3 KO were involved in metabolism. These findings highlight the requirement for striated muscle–specific CRL3 activity and indicate how the CRL3 complex can control different nodes of protein interaction networks in different types of striated muscle. Further identification of Cul3 substrates, and how these substrates are targeted, may reveal therapeutic targets and treatment regimens for striated muscle diseases.
Bargaining with characters: How personality pathology affects behavior in the ultimatum and dictator games

Abstract Although disorders of personality are associated with a range of interpersonal difficulties, little is known about how knowledge of a partner's personality pathology affects behavior in bargaining situations. We asked study participants to play two economic games with virtual confederates. Participants were told that the confederates had been interviewed and were now portrayed using brief vignettes. The vignettes described one of eight DSM-5 personality disorders and a control (no personality pathology) vignette. In Experiment 1, participants played either the role of proposer (specifying offers) or responder (specifying minimum acceptable offers) in an Ultimatum game. In the role of proposer, participants made lower offers to the avoidant, histrionic, antisocial, narcissistic, schizotypal, dependent, and borderline vignettes in comparison to the control vignette. In the role of responder, participants showed no differences among vignettes with respect to responder minimum acceptable offers. To isolate the effects of fairness or altruism, we conducted a second experiment in which participants played the role of allocator in a Dictator game. Participants made lower allocations to vignettes depicting schizoid, histrionic, antisocial, narcissistic, dependent, and borderline personality disorders compared to the control vignette. Taken together, these findings suggest that knowledge of personality pathology plays a role in bargaining situations.
A joint econometric approach for modeling crash counts by collision type

In recent years, there is growing recognition that common unobserved factors that influence crash frequency by one attribute level are also likely to influence crash frequency by other attribute levels. The most common approach employed to address the potential unobserved heterogeneity in safety literature is the development of multivariate crash frequency models. The current study proposes an alternative joint econometric framework to accommodate for the presence of unobserved heterogeneity – referred to as joint negative binomial-multinomial logit fractional split (NB-MNLFS) model. Furthermore, the study undertakes a first of its kind comparison exercise between the most commonly used multivariate model (multivariate random parameter negative binomial model) and the proposed joint approach by generating an equivalent log-likelihood measure. The empirical analysis is based on the zonal level crash count data for different collision types from the state of Florida for the year 2015. The model results highlight the presence of common unobserved effects affecting the two components of the joint model as well as the presence of parameter heterogeneity. The equivalent log-likelihood and goodness of fit measures clearly highlight the comparable performance offered by the proposed joint model relative to the commonly used multivariate approach. Overall, the model interpretations and fit measures clearly highlight the potential complementary role of the proposed approach for crash frequency analyses.
Enhanced Processing of Temporal Features of Sounds in Background Noise by Cochlear Nucleus Single Neurons

Sound envelope temporal fluctuations are important for effective processing of biologically-relevant acoustic signals including speech sounds, animal vocalizations, pitch cues, music and sound-source locations. Insights can be gained from previous studies into the nature of how the auditory system processes certain complex sound features. Virtually all of these prior investigations have been carried out utilizing acoustic signals presented in quiet. Representative, key studies will be described that have set the stage for the present investigation. Some of this background has been put forth previously (Frisina et al., 1993).
Factors Related to the Assessment of Resting Metabolic Rate in Critically Ill Patients.

BACKGROUND Predicting resting metabolic rate (RMR) in mechanically ventilated, critically ill patients is an important part of the nutrition care in such patients. METHODS RMR and associated clinical data from various studies of mechanically ventilated, critically ill patients were combined, and the impact of body size, age, reason for admission, and sedation level were analyzed along with prediction methods of RMR (the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition [ASPEN] standards and the Penn State equation). RESULTS Among 826 measurements, trauma patients had a higher RMR than surgical and medical patients (2077 ± 290 vs 1987 ± 282 kcal/d; P < .0001). RMR was not different in sedated vs unsedated patients. Wide ranges of weight (27-374 kg) and age (18-95 years) were captured. The relationships between weight and RMR and RMR and age were curvilinear. For weight-based ratio methods of RMR prediction, <50% of predictions were within the range in which they were designed to work. The accuracy of the Penn State equation was better in some weight categories than others. New equations based on a wider range of body weights and ages are presented. CONCLUSIONS Curvilinear functions exist for weight and age in relation to RMR, but extraordinary levels of each are required for the curve to become apparent. The ASPEN energy standards (kcal/kg body weight) fail to predict RMR because the relationship is more complex than a simple ratio. The Penn State equations are better able to model these relationships. The new versions of the equation presented here await validation.
Phase II study of aziridinylbenzoquinone (AZQ: NSC-182986) in the treatment of malignant gliomas recurrent after radiation. Preliminary report.

Seventeen patients with malignant gliomas recurrent after chemotherapy and/ or radiation failure were treated with aziridinylbenzoquinone (AZQ) at a dose of 20-15 mg/M2 weekly for four weeks followed by a two week rest. Regression of disease was observed in four patients, 4/17 (24%) for 35, 15+,40+, and 10 weeks. Toxicity was limited to moderate reversible myelosuppression. AZQ in this dose and schedule has limited but definite activity in patients with malignant gliomas progressive after primary radiation therapy failure.
DONOR PATIENTS ON VASOACTIVE MEDICATIONS DOES NOT IMPACT SURVIVAL FOR HEART TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS BASED ON THE UNITED NETWORK FOR ORGAN SHARING (UNOS) DATABASE

The purpose was to evaluate the effects of inotropes/vasopressors on HtxR survival. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database was retrospectively reviewed from 01/2000-03/2018 for donor hearts. After exclusions for multiorgan transplants and age (donor < 15, recipient < 18), 35,953 went
Onset, duration, and clinical impact of immune-related adverse events in Hodgkin lymphoma.

95Background: The incidence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in patients (pts) with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) treated with PD-1 antibodies (ICI) is reported at 28 - 36%. However, clinically rel...
Molecular Recognition at Mineral Interfaces: Implications for the Beneficiation of Rare Earth Ores

Ce-bastnasite is the single largest mineral source for light rare-earth elements. In view of the growing industrial importance of rare-earth minerals, it is critical to develop more efficient methods for separating the valuable rare-earth-containing minerals from the surrounding gangue. In this work, we employ a combination of periodic density functional theory (DFT) and molecular mechanics (MM) calculations together with the de novo molecular design program HostDesigner to identify bis-phosphinate ligands that preferentially bind to the (100) Ce-bastnasite surface rather than the (104) calcite surface. DFT calculations for a simple phosphinate ligand were employed to qualitatively understand key behaviors involved in ligand-metal, ligand-solvent, and solvent-metal interactions. These insights were then used to guide the search for flexible, rigid, and semirigid hydrocarbon linkers to identify candidate bis-phosphinate ligands with the potential to bind preferentially to Ce-bastnasite. Among the five most promising bis-phosphinate ligands suggested by theoretical studies, three ligands were synthesized and their adsorption characteristics to bastnasite (100) interfaces were characterized using vibrational sum-frequency (vSFG) spectroscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). The efficacy of the selective interfacial molecular binding was demonstrated by identifying a bis-phosphinate ligand capable of providing an overall higher surface coverage of alkyl groups relative to a monophosphinate ligand. The results highlight the interplay between adsorption binding strength and maximum surface coverage in determining ligand efficiency to render the mineral surface hydrophobic. DFT calculations further indicate that all tested ligands have higher affinity for Ce-bastnasite than for calcite. This is consistent with the ITC data showing stronger adsorption enthalpy to bastnasite than to calcite, making these ligands promising candidates for selective flotation of Ce-bastnasite.
Behavioral changes in calves 11 days after cautery disbudding: Effect of local anesthesia

Hot-iron disbudding results in painful burn wounds that take weeks to heal. Spontaneous behaviors indicative of pain are apparent in the immediate hours after disbudding, but whether they occur later in the healing process is unknown. To evaluate whether ongoing pain was present around the time the necrotic tissue loosens from the scalp, we tested the effect of administration of local anesthetic 11 d after the procedure. Disbudded female Holstein and Jersey calves (n = 24) were randomly assigned to receive an injection of local anesthetic (lidocaine) or saline at the cornual nerve on both sides of the head. We recorded the frequency of 8 behaviors for 75 min: head shakes, head rubs, head scratches, ear flicks, tail flicks, bucks/jumps/kicks, grooming, and transitions between standing and lying. Calves treated with lidocaine shook their heads less and tended to flick their ears less than calves administered saline, consistent with the effects of pain relief previously reported in the immediate hours after disbudding. These calves also rubbed their head against the sides of the pen more often, suggesting lidocaine suppressed wound protective behavior. Head shaking and head scratching became more common in the last 25 min compared with the first 50 min in calves treated with lidocaine, consistent with the return of sensation to the disbudding wounds. No treatment differences in the other behaviors were observed. These results suggest that calves experience ongoing pain 11 d after hot-iron disbudding, adding to a growing body of evidence that pain persists for weeks after the procedure.
Promoting e-participation in County Governments: A case of a county government in a developing country

Public participation is considered an important pillar in governance in Kenya as demonstrated by the way it has been severally enshrined in the constitution of Kenya 2010 as well as the County Governments Acts. Despite such policy and regulatory frameworks for public participation being in place, county governments in Kenya are still characterized by poor public participation in governance and government processes. Additionally, despite several studies demonstrating that information technology (IT) is a critical enabler of public participation, not much is known on how county governments in Kenya are harnessing the power of technology for public participation. This research attempts to understand how IT is being used for public participation, and the current challenges associated with its application in the promotion of public participation in county governments in Kenya. This paper, presents the initial findings from one of the counties. The study used interviews with both junior and senior county officials. Additionally, county documents as well as information from county websites and social media platforms were used. The study findings have revealed that the use of IT was gaining prominence in county engagements with the public, more specifically, the use of social media. However, it would appear that civic participation through these platforms was minimal. Additionally, the county strategic documents reveal that e-participation is yet to be appreciated as a strategic factor in increasing and enriching public participation in county governance. Several challenges were also identified and these are presented in this paper. It was thus hoped that these findings would enable an increasing understanding of the prevailing local circumstances which inhibit e-participation within county governments. The findings have practical implications on how county governments in Kenya (and possibly other developing countries) may better position themselves to exploit technology for improved public participation.
Recidivism by Conviction Offense Type and Release Status Among Prisoners Released in Iowa

Recidivism rates vary by conviction offense type and release status. Less is understood regarding associations of conviction offense type and release status on the specific recidivism outcomes of o...
Topological entropy of switched linear systems: general matrices and matrices with commutation relations

This paper studies a notion of topological entropy for switched systems, formulated in terms of the minimal number of trajectories needed to approximate all trajectories with a finite precision. For general switched linear systems, we prove that the topological entropy is independent of the set of initial states. We construct an upper bound for the topological entropy in terms of an average of the measures of system matrices of individual modes, weighted by their corresponding active times, and a lower bound in terms of an active-time-weighted average of their traces. For switched linear systems with scalar-valued state and those with pairwise commuting matrices, we establish formulae for the topological entropy in terms of active-time-weighted averages of the eigenvalues of system matrices of individual modes. For the more general case with simultaneously triangularizable matrices, we construct upper bounds for the topological entropy that only depend on the eigenvalues, their order in a simultaneous triangularization, and the active times. In each case above, we also establish upper bounds that are more conservative but require less information on the system matrices or on the switching, with their relations illustrated by numerical examples. Stability conditions inspired by the upper bounds for the topological entropy are presented as well.
Information security management

Course Objectives After completing the course, students will be able to: o Conduct an information security risk assessment. o Perform asset identification and classification o Perform threat identification o Perform vulnerability identification o Perform control analysis o Perform likelihood determination o Conduct impact analysis o Conduct risk determination o Identify control recommendations o Document results o Identify pertinent standards and regulations and their relevance to information security management. o Describe legal and public relations implications of security and privacy issues. o Present a disaster recovery plan for recovery of information assets after an incident.
Making hidden resources visible in a minority serving college context.

OBJECTIVES Navigating pathways of higher education means uncovering hidden "rules" about how to be successful in university systems that privilege dominant ways of knowing. To unpack these rules, universities have attempted a range of approaches from enrolling students in semester-long courses focused on the transition to college to more cost-effective psychological interventions that use stories to highlight pathways for navigating the transition. These cost-effective approaches are of increased interest to universities and effective in promoting student outcomes. Yet, their effects have mostly been examined in predominantly White institutions leaving open the question of how to tailor these interventions in less-resourced institutions serving a more diverse student body. We examined the effect of making these hidden resources known in concrete ways and of contextualizing these resources with student stories through a scalable online video-based assignment. METHOD Across 2 large-scale experiments at a minority serving institution, participants watched either resource videos only or resource videos coupled with students' stories. RESULTS Compared to a no-treatment control group, we found that first-generation-to-college students benefited from receiving both types of resource information. Continuing-generation-to-college students benefited the most when resources were coupled with student stories. CONCLUSIONS We speculate that first-generation students at minority serving institutions have concrete concerns that need to be addressed alongside identity and social belonging needs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Hydraulic Fracturing on Federal and Indian Lands: An Analysis of the Bureau of Land Management's Revised Proposed Rule

The federal government controls 700 million acres of subsurface rights (plus fifty-six million subsurface acres of Indian mineral estate) across twenty-four states, making it the largest landowner in the nation, and thus putting it in a position to negotiate lease terms and shape regulations of oil and gas development. The rules of the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on how drilling activity can take place on federal lands essentially dictate terms, making BLM the largest "regulator" of drilling activity in the country. BLM last revised its oil and gas regulations (the Onshore Orders) in the 1980s and early 1990s, well before the recent rapid expansion of shale gas development. To date, there have been two rounds of proposed revisions, the first issued in 2012 and the most recent issued in May 2013, after BLM received 177,000 comments on the first round. This paper examines the 2013 proposal in several key respects, including the scope and requirements of the new proposal, the substantial changes from the 2012 proposal, and a comparison of BLM's proposed rules with rules in states with shale gas development and significant federal landholdings, based on earlier work. We find that BLM's proposal addresses some apparent gaps in state-level regulation and that, generally, BLM rules do not appear to impose significant requirements beyond existing state regulations, at least across the regulatory elements we analyzed and in those states with large federal landholdings. * Molly Feiden is a research intern at Resources for the Future. ** Madeline Gottlieb is a senior research assistant at Resources for the Future. * Alan Krupnick is a RFF senior fellow and director of Resources for the Future's Center for Energy Economics and Policy; krupnick@rff.org. **** Nathan Richardson is a resident scholar at Resources for the Future; richard-
More than Lip Service: Identifying A Typology of “Social Justice” Research in LIS

Social justice is increasingly identifiable within library and information science (LIS) research and practice. However, numerous scholars have raised the concern that social justice has been commodified in order to benefit the powerful and therefore the possibility of actual and constructive change has been minimized in numerous cases. In response, this researcher undertook a literature review of self-identified “social justice” research in 2 large academic databases—Library Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA) and Library and Information Science Source (LISS)—in order to identify the types of social justice research in LIS. The result of the review identified 247 records and included results from peer reviewed journals, books, and conference proceedings from which a typology of 2 research types (e.g., knowledge and practice) and 8 sub-types (e.g., metatheoretical, theoretical, ideational, methodological, empirical, narrative, professional, and pedagogical) was identified. Identification of this typology is helpful for organizing existing social justice research within LIS, assisting in the examination of connections between theories and methods, and contributing to a broader goal of arguing that social justice is an emerging sub-discipline within LIS. Future research is needed to grow this typology and increase research in areas that remain understudied such as LIS-centered metatheoretical, theoretical, and methodological social justice research.
Pumping the Brakes: Examining the Impact of CEO Political Ideology Divergence on Firm Responses

Research on CEO political ideology has demonstrated the construct’s impact on many firm outcomes. Yet, political ideology does not exist in a vacuum; beyond representing a CEO’s values, political i...
The Moral Politics of Organizations: Reflections of an Unlikely Feminist*

In this autobiographical account, the author describes how her background and organizational experiences in school, the church, employment, and other contexts have influenced her life and work. The author's upbringing in a Deep South town dominated by a textile company and her work in universities as a student and faculty member have led to her interest in organizational use and abuse of power, decision making, ethics, discriminatory practices, and the contradictions of official versus informal goals and practices. When organizations in her life failed to uphold their promises of neutrality, meritocracy, and fairness, particularly with respect to women, the author came to realize how much organizations tolerate and sometimes even reward rule violations. This prompted her to become a feminist, and to view organizations as entities responsible for the morality of their outcomes.
Parallel expression of Sox9 and Col2a1 in cells undergoing chondrogenesis.

To assess the role of the transcription factor Sox9 in cartilage formation we have compared the expression pattern of Sox9 and Col2a1 at various stages of mouse embryonic development. Expression of Col2a1 colocalized with expression of Sox9 in all chondroprogenitor cells. In the sclerotomal compartment of somites the onset of Sox9 expression preceded that of Col2a1. A perfect correlation was also seen between high levels of Sox9 expression and high levels of Col2a1 expression in chondrocytic cells. However, no Sox9 expression was detected in hypertrophic chondrocytes; only low levels of Col2a1 RNA were found in the upper hypertrophic zone. Coexpression of Sox9 and Col2a1 was also seen in the notochord. At E11.5 Sox9 expression in the brain and spinal neural tube was more widespread than that of Col2a1 although at E14.5 Sox9 and Col2a1 transcripts were colocalized in discrete areas of the brain. Distinct differences between Sox9 and Col2a1 expression were observed in the otic vesicle at E11.5. At E8.5, expression of Sox9 but not of Col2a1 was seen in the dorsal tips of the neural folds and after neural tube closure also in presumptive crest cells emigrating from the dorsal pole of the neural tube. No Col2a1 expression was detected in gonadal ridges in which high levels of Sox9 expression were detected. Together with our previous results showing that the chondrocyte-specific enhancer element of the Col2a1 gene is a direct target for Sox9, these results suggest that Sox9 plays a major role in expression of Col2a1. The correlation between high expression levels of Sox9 and high expression levels of Col2a1 in chondrocytes suggests the hypothesis that high levels of Sox9 are needed for full expression of the chondrocyte phenotype; lower levels of Sox9 such as in neuronal tissues which are also associated with lower expression levels of Col2a1 would be compatible with other cell specifications. Dev. Dyn. 209:377–386, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Assessment of fetal kidney size in normal gestation by comparison of ratio of kidney circumference to abdominal circumference.

Abstract with ultrasound one can outline fetal kidneys and evaluate intrarenal anatomy. In an effort to determine how fetal kidney size varies with gestational age, 89 patients not at risk for fetal kidney disease and whose pregnancies resulted in a normal outcome were studied from 12 weeks until term. Kidney diameter measurements were taken and found to increase linearly until term. Kidney circumference (KC) measurements were made and compared to abdominal circumference (AC) measurements at the level of the umbilical vein by means of a KC/AC ratio. This ratio was found to remain constant throughout pregnancy (0.27 to 0.30). In addition, three patients at risk for congenital kidney disease were studied and the fetal kidneys were found to have KC/AC ratios approximately 6 S.D. (KC/AC ratio ≥ 0.45) above the normal mean. The diagnosis was confirmed by autopsy in two cases. These data are presented for reference in evaluating patients in the second and third trimester whose fetuses are at risk for kidney abnormalities.
Hysteretic behavior of an ATPase from the archaebacterium, Halobacterium saccharovorum.

Abstract The membrane-bound detergent-activated ATPase from Halobacterium saccharovorum was purified at a physiological salt concentration (4 M NaCl) in the presence of nonionic detergents. The preparation contains putative subunits of 110, 71, 31, 22, and 14 kDa. The enzyme activity required high salt concentration but was not dependent on any one specific monovalent cation or any anion. The hydrolysis of ATP was nonlinear with time; the data are consistent with a kinetic model where the enzyme is irreversibly converted from an initial into a final stable form during the first few minutes of the reaction. The model thus contains a rate constant (k) for the transition and hydrolytic rates, v1 and v2, for the two forms of the enzyme. We found that this hysteretic behavior was influenced differently by various conditions and inhibitors. The constant k was smaller with Mn2+ than with Mg2+ as the divalent cation, showed negative temperature dependence, and a distinct pH optimum between 7.5 and 8.5. Thiols decreased k, but nitrate, a specific inhibitor of archaebacterial ATPases, increased it. ADP showed competitive inhibition against both the initial and the final form of the enzyme. Nitrate reversibly inhibited only the latter and in a manner dependent on whether Mn2+ or Mg2+ was used. The kinetic data suggest that all agents tested, with effects on the hydrolytic activity, seem to act at or near the catalytic site of the enzyme.
THE EFFECT OF MONTHLY GAMMA-GLOBULIN ADMINISTRATION ON MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY FROM INFECTION IN PREMATURE INFANTS DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE

A double-blind controlled study to determine the effect on infections of repeated administration of large doses of gamma-globulin to premature infants revealed that significantly more of these infants had no infections and fewer had mild infections during the first year of life. The data also suggests that gamma-globulin afforded some amelioration of serious but nonfatal infections. Deaths from infection showed a similar trend in favor of the gamma-globulin group, but this difference on its own was not significant.
Hitting the IT-Implementation Trifecta

BPO and enterprise-software vendors need to manage enormous IT-implementation risks arising from their outsourcing contracts. They want to hit the IT-implementation trifecta: (i) finish on time; (ii) deliver under budget; and (iii) contribute spare cash to troubled IG projects. This payoff looks as good as the ones at the racetrack. But, how can the vendor stack the odds in its favor?The answer lies in applying proven risk-management and portfolio-underwriting techniques from other fields.Note -- This article arises from the entirely private research activities of the author and does not reflect the views of author's employers, past or present, nor any other organizations with which the author is or has been affiliated.
Hardness and Adhesion of Filmed Structures as Determined by the Scratch Technique

In the first part we discussed the evolution of the scratch technique for measuring adhesion of thin films and the associated difficulties involved in the interpretation of the results. Subsequently, results on scratch hardness and adhesion of multilayered structures as determined by a single point loaded scratch tester are presented. The controlled scratches produced by the tester were examined by a very sensitive surface profilemeter and by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) for their scratch topography, modes of film deformation, and the mechanisms for film material removal. It is found that (a) the mechanism of film failure depends on whether the film is ductile or brittle; (b) there may not always be a clear channel formation, that is, complete removal of the film; and (c) scratch depth increases linearly with increasing load, which provides a means to determine scratch hardness for various layers.
Long-term outcomes after proton therapy, with concurrent chemotherapy, for stage II-III inoperable non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract Purpose We report long-term disease control, survival, and toxicity for patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer prospectively treated with concurrent proton therapy and chemotherapy on a nonrandomized case-only observational study. Methods All patients received passive-scatter proton therapy, planned with 4D-CT–based simulation; all received proton therapy concurrent with weekly chemotherapy. Endpoints were local and distant control, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS). Results The 134 patients (21 stage II, 113 stage III; median age 69years) had a median gross tumor volume (GTV) of 70cm 3 (range, 5–753cm 3 ); 77 patients (57%) received 74Gy(RBE), and 57 (42%) received 60–72Gy(RBE) (range, 60–74.1Gy(RBE)). At a median follow-up time of 4.7years, median OS times were 40.4months (stage II) and 30.4months (stage III). Five-year DFS rates were 17.3% (stage II) and 18.0% (stage III). OS, DFS, and local and distant control rates at 5years did not differ by disease stage. Age and GTV were related to OS and DFS. Toxicity was tolerable, with 1 grade 4 esophagitis and 16 grade 3 events (2 pneumonitis, 6 esophagitis, 8 dermatitis). Conclusion This report of outcomes after proton therapy for 134 patients indicated that this regimen produced excellent OS with tolerable toxicity.
TU-C-201-03: The Use of Checklists and Audit Tools for Safety and QA

Recent use of HDR has increased while planning has become more complex often necessitating 3D image-based planning. While many guidelines for the use of HDR exist, they have not kept pace with the increased complexity of 3D image-based planning. Furthermore, no comprehensive document exists to describe the wide variety of current HDR clinical indications. This educational session aims to summarize existing national and international guidelines for the safe implementation of an HDR program. A summary of HDR afterloaders available on the market and their existing applicators will be provided, with guidance on how to select the best fit for each institution’s needs. Finally, the use of checklists will be discussed as a means to implement a safe and efficient HDR program and as a method by which to verify the quality of an existing HDR program. This session will provide the perspective of expert HDR physicists as well as the perspective of a new HDR user. Learning Objectives: 1. Summarize national and international safety and staffing guidelines for HDR implementation 2. Discuss the process of afterloader and applicator selection for gynecologic, prostate, breast, interstitial, surface treatments 3. Learn about the use of an audit checklist tool to measure of quality control of a new or existing HDR program 4. Describe the evolving use of checklists within an HDR program
Lbx1 is required for muscle precursor migration along a lateral pathway into the limb.

In mammalian embryos, myogenic precursor cells emigrate from the ventral lip of the dermomyotome and colonize the limbs, tongue and diaphragm where they differentiate and form skeletal muscle. Previous studies have shown that Pax3, together with the c-Met receptor tyrosine kinase and its ligand Scatter Factor (SF) are necessary for the migration of hypaxial muscle precursors in mice. Lbx1 and Pax3 are co-expressed in all migrating hypaxial muscle precursors, raising the possibility that Lbx1 regulates their migration. To examine the function of Lbx1 in muscle development, we inactivated the Lbx1 gene by homologous recombination. Mice lacking Lbx1 exhibit an extensive loss of limb muscles, although some forelimb and hindlimb muscles are still present. The pattern of muscle loss suggests that Lbx1 is not required for the specification of particular limb muscles, and the muscle defects that occur in Lbx1(−/−) mice can be solely attributed to changes in muscle precursor migration. c-Met is expressed in Lbx1 mutant mice and limb muscle precursors delaminate from the ventral dermomyotome but fail to migrate laterally into the limb. Muscle precursors still migrate ventrally and give rise to tongue, diaphragm and some limb muscles, demonstrating Lbx1 is necessary for the lateral, but not ventral, migration of hypaxial muscle precursors. These results suggest that Lbx1 regulates responsiveness to a lateral migration signal which emanates from the developing limb.
ASTRA.BAS: a program in QuickBasic 4.5 for exploring rose diagrams, circular histograms and some alternatives

Abstract Rose diagrams and other circular (angular) histograms are arbitrary with respect to class width and starting position and a researcher's choices can dramatically influence the results. To give researchers as much flexibility as possible in exploring periodic and orientation datasets, besides drawing standard circular histograms, ASTRA.BAS automatically draws rose diagrams at all combinations of class widths and starting positions and it also offers some new alternative depictions, including `corona' and `mean-deviation' dot diagrams. It also examines the possibility of summing all possible rose diagrams as a means of producing a unique and non-arbitrary depiction of orientation data.
Phosphorylation, maturational processing, and relatedness of strain Colburn matrix proteins

Abstract The intracellular 66,000 D (66K) and 69,000 D (69K) matrix-like phosphoproteins of strain Colburn cytomegalovirus (CMV) have been compared with each other and with their electrophoretic counterparts in the virion. Three lines of evidence indicate that the 66K and 69K proteins are products of separate genes, and that the intracellular and virion :species are closely related. First, “pulse-chase” radiolabeling experiments showed that these proteins have separate precursors; that modification of each to the mature form correlated with phosphorylation; and that phosphorylation of the 69K precursor occurred more slowly than that of the 66K precursor, and resulted in a more dramatic slowing; of its electrophoretic mobility. Second, comparisons of the 66K and 69K proteins based on partial proteolysis of [ 35 S]methionine-labeled proteins, using VS protease, and complete proteolysis of [ 32 P]orthophosphate-labeled proteins, using trypsin or Pronase, provided no evidence of sequence relatedness. These analyses also suggested that the distribution of phosphorylated residues differs in the two proteins—clustered for the 69K and more disperse for the 66K. Phosphoamino acid analyses showed only phosphoserine in the 66K protein. The 69K protein contained, in addition to phosphoserine, an electrophoretically faster moving, unidentified spot. And third, immunological comparisons showed these proteins to exhibit little or no antigenic cross-reactivity. They did, however, demonstrate that the nuclear proteins are immunologically cross-reactive with their respective virion counterparts. Additional comparisons of these nuclear and virion proteins established that the virion 69K protein (v69) differs in electrophoretic mobility and net charge from the nuclear 69K protein but that it, as well as the virion 66K protein, has a two-dimensional phosphopeptide pattern similar to its nuclear counterpart.
ANGPTL8/Betatrophin Does Not Control Pancreatic Beta Cell Expansion

Summary Recently, it was reported that angiopoietin-like protein 8 (ANGPTL8) was the long-sought "betatrophin" that could control pancreatic beta cell proliferation. However, studies of Angptl8 −/− mice revealed profound reduction of triglyceride levels, but no abnormalities in glucose homeostasis. We now report that Angptl8 −/− mice undergo entirely normal beta cell expansion in response to insulin resistance resulting from either a high-fat diet or from the administration of the insulin receptor antagonist S961. Furthermore, overexpression of ANGPTL8 in livers of mice doubles plasma triglyceride levels, but does not alter beta cell expansion nor glucose metabolism. These data indicate that ANGPTL8 does not play a role in controlling beta cell growth, nor can it be given to induce such expansion. The findings that plasma triglyceride levels are reduced by Angptl8 deletion and increased following ANGPTL8 overexpression support the possibility that inhibition of ANGPTL8 represents a therapeutic strategy for hypertriglyceridemia.
A decision aid for coordinating fishing and fish processing

Abstract Production planning in the fishing industry depends on raw material supply. The uncertainty and randomness in the raw material supply requires frequent decisions on production plans for product mix, labor requirements, and raw material inventory carried from one period to the next. A decision aid for coordinating fishing (trawler operations on the sea) and fish processing at on-shore plants is described. The system combines a simulation model with a linear programming (LP) optimization model. The simulation model analyzes trawler operations, including catch generation, length of fishing trips, and trawler landings. The LP model uses the output from the simulation model to determine labor requirements, inventory levels, and production levels to maximize net revenues. The research shows that integration of heuristic and optimization models can be used as an effective decision aid in production planning.
Tacrolimus for the treatment of primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Background: Results from a pilot investigation with tacrolimus for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) demonstrated biochemical improvement without excessive drug toxicity. To date, no confirmatory study has been performed. Aims: We sought to determine the safety and efficacy of tacrolimus in PSC. Methods: An open-label, phase II study of tacrolimus 0.05 mg/kg twice daily for 1 year was performed. Target whole-blood concentrations ranged between 3 and 7 ng/ml. Results: A total of 16 patients were enrolled. The median age was 50 years (range, 28–68), with 31% being women. The median serum alkaline phosphatase was 903 U/l, AST 88 U/l, total bilirubin 0.9 mg/dl, and albumin 3.8 g/dl. Based primarily on drug-related adverse events, only eight (50%) patients completed 1 year of therapy. After 1 year of therapy, however, significant improvements in median serum alkaline phosphatase (903 vs. 483, P=0.0001) and AST levels (88 vs. 78, P=0.002) were observed in these patients. The median tacrolimus level in patients completing 1 year of therapy was 4.0 ng/ml. Drug-related adverse events, however, were responsible for 31% of participants withdrawing from the study. Conclusions: Despite significant improvements in serum alkaline phosphatase, oral tacrolimus is poorly tolerated in patients with PSC.
In vivo thyroid monitoring for iodine-131 in the environment.

Abstract Monitoring of air and milk samples is done routinely around nuclear facilities that release iodine-131 to the environment. Results from these measurements are used to calculate dose rates to the thyroids of people who live near such facilities. These calculated dose rates have large uncertainty factors associated with them due to the complexity of predicting the movement of iodine-131 through the environment. This paper describes an effort to monitor iodine-131 directly in the thyroids of individuals living in the environment. A NaI(Tl)-detector system was assembled in the back of a truck for rapid and convenient measurements of members of the general public. The monitoring system has a minimum detectable activity for thyroid-bound iodine-131 of approx. 35 pCi which is sensitive enough to satisfy all legal requirements for environmental monitoring in the U.S.A. except for the child who receives iodine-131 continuously from a nuclear-power plant. Thyroid doses are calculated with more certainty from in vivo measurements than from measurements made on environmental and effluent samples.
Event-based size distributions of particulate matter transported during urban rainfall-runoff events.

Abstract Source area rainfall-runoff conveyances are capable of mobilizing and transporting a very hetero-disperse size gradation of particulate matter (PM). This PM is most commonly characterized through a single event-based gravimetric index such as total suspended solids (TSS) or suspended sediment concentration (SSC) without an examination of PM fractions or particle size distributions (PSDs). Recognizing the utility of such indices, this study went further to examine PM suspended-settleable-sediment fractions and PSDs to representatively characterize the entire event-based PSD of the PM non-colloidal fractions from 1 μm to larger than 24,500 μm transported by urban source area runoff events. This study examined the hetero-disperse PSD, and provided a mass balance analysis to ensure representative event-based results. On an event basis, fine PM ( 2000 μm) ranged from 0.5% to 30%. Measured PSDs were compared to literature PSDs on paved surfaces, and in urban runoff from paved surfaces as well as the associated sampling and analysis methods. Results indicate that published urban street surface PSDs are generally within a similar range, with wider variability for published runoff PSDs. PSD variability is attributed to differences in sampling and analytical methods between studies. Knowledge of PSDs is critical for PM transport and fate, pollutant partitioning and distribution, as well as the non-stationary behavior of unit operations.
The Women of the ABCFM Oregon Mission and the Conflicted Language of Calvinism

En 1810, l'American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) engage son premier programme missionnaire a l'etranger. De nombreuses femmes de l'Oregon sont engagees dans les activites missionnaires de l'ABCFM; elles ont contribue a la transformation et a l'eclipse progressive de la theologie systematique calviniste a travers leur comprehension et leurs tentatives pour l'appliquer a leurs propres vocations evangeliques. L'interet de ces femmes pour la speculation theologique a conduit a une feminisation du calvinisme patriarcal et theocentrique