cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta mediates interferon-gamma-induced p48 (ISGF3-gamma ) gene transcription in human monocytic cells.

Abstract Previous studies have identified a novel interferon-stimulated response element-like element, termed γ-interferon-activating transcription element, within the interferon-stimulating gene factor-3γ (p48) promoter region that is bound by novel transcription factors in response to stimulation with interferons (IFNs) (Weihua, X., Kolla, V., and Kalvakolanu, D. V. (1997) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 94, 103–108). In the present study, we have identified CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBP-β) as one of the γ-interferon-activating transcription element cognate transcription factors by screening a human monophage-derived cDNA library in a yeast one-hybrid system. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay studies suggest that C/EBP-β dynamically regulates p48 gene expression upon IFN-γ stimulation by undergoing changes in its heterodimerization partners. Transient transfection studies demonstrate that overexpression of C/EBP-β strongly enhanced IFN-γ-induced transcription from the p48 promoter. However, deletion mutants of C/EBP-β that lack the N-terminal transactivation domain were unable to stimulate the p48 promoter. Western blotting revealed that C/EBP-β is induced by IFN-γ stimulation in THP-1-derived macrophages. Collectively, these results suggest that C/EBP-β plays an important role in the human IFN-γ signaling pathway by transcriptional regulation of p48 gene expression, an essential component in the IFN signaling pathway.
Auxiliary Electrodes in Mosaic Membrane Systems : Porosity Mosaics

ANY heterogeneity in the pore structure of an ionic membrane, such as differences in pore width, charge density at the pore walls, or the sign of these charges, renders the membrane electrochemically a mosaic1. When such a mosaic membrane is interposed between two electrolytic solutions of different composition its different parts will ordinarily give rise to different potentials. Consequently, the various parts of the mosaic interact electrically; spontaneous local circuits arise, somewhat analogous to those causing metal corrosion1–3.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids in the lipids from adult Galleria mellonella reared on diets to which only one unsaturated fatty acid had been added

Abstract Gas chromatographic analysis of tissue phospholipid and triacylglycerol fatty acids derived from adult moths, Galleria mellonella , reared on semi-synthetic basal medium supplemented with various single C18, C20 and C22 polyunsaturated fatty acids suggests that C20:2n6, C20:3n6 and C20:3n3 can be shortened to their C18 analogues. Only C18:2n6 and C18:3n3, or higher analogues convertible to these, can alleviate the pupal/adult ecdysis failure which results from essential fatty acid deficiency. C18, C20 and C22 polyunsaturates with double bonds on the carboxyl side of the n-9 carbon are all inadequate nutritionally. C18:3n6 is not saturated to the nutritionally active C18:2n6, and it appears that double bonds towards the carboxyl group interfere with the shortening of the higher polyunsaturated fatty acids. In addition to chain shortening, dietary C18:3n3 and C20:3n3 may be elongated/desaturated to C20:5n3, which is elevated in tissues of all moths reared to normal adult eclosion, and also is substantially accumulated in phospholipid of moths reared with dietary C20:5n3 even though their emergences are imperfect. Since the data, overall, indicate n3 and n6 fatty acids are not interconvertible, elevated C20:5n3 obtained with high dietary levels of the nutritionally adequate n6 acids, not so high as for dietary active n3 acids, probably derives from efficient sequestration of n3 fatty acids, possibly formed by symbiotic gut microorganisms. These results are discussed in terms of metabolic modifications of long-chain polyenoics by insects generally.
Orogenic tectonism on Io

[1] We catalog 143 Ionian mountains (montes) and mountain-like features (mensae, tholi, plana, and small peaks) in order to investigate orogenic tectonism on Io. From this comprehensive list, we select 96 mountains for which there are sufficient coverage and resolution to discern spatial relationships with surrounding geologic features. Three of the 96 mountains are probably volcanoes, 92 appear to be tectonic massifs, and 1 is ambiguous. Of the 92 tectonic mountains, 38 abut paterae (volcanic or volcano-tectonic craters with irregular or scalloped margins). This juxtaposition is unlikely to be a coincidence as the probability of it occurring by chance is ∼0.1%. We propose instead that orogenic faults may act as conduits for magma ascent, thus fueling patera formation near mountains. As resurfacing buries a shell of material from Io's surface to the base of the lithosphere, its effective radius is reduced and it heats up. We calculate the lithospheric volume change due to subsidence and thermal expansion as a function of lithospheric thickness. Conservation of volume dictates that this material must be uplifted at Io's surface. By estimating the total volume of the mountains, we are able to place a lower limit of 12 km on Io's lithospheric thickness. We hypothesize that, in some cases, mountain formation may be facilitated by asthenospheric diapirs impinging on the base of the lithosphere. The resulting lithospheric swell could focus the compressive stresses that drive orogenic tectonism. This model is one of several possible mechanisms for uplifting isolated mountains such as are observed on Io.
Solubility of the Parabens in Dioxane—Water Mixtures

The solubilities of methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl parabens have been determined in aqueous solutions of dioxane at 25°. A dielectric requirement of about 8–10 was found for the above materials. Two-phase systems were found for the ethyl, propyl, and butyl derivatives over a given composition range for the binary mixture. Phase separation occurred over a broad range of composition for the butyl derivative, intermediate range for propyl, and a narrow range for the ethyl derivative. The two phases were found to be invariant with respect to the concentration of the components of the ternary system. It is suggested that a solvate between the paraben and a fixed composition of the binary mixture is produced forming a biphasic system in equilibrium.
The Three Ps: Increasing concurrent operation by unambiguously defining and delegating radio rights

The increasingly intensive coexistence of diverse radio systems and the inability of existing institutions to resolve conflicts in a timely manner requires a change in the way operating rights are defined, assigned and enforced. We propose that operating rights should be articulated using transmission permissions and reception protections, defined probabilistically (the Three Ps). Transmission permissions should be based on resulting field strength over space and frequency, rather than radiated power at a transmitter. Reception protections should state the maximum electromagnetic energy an operator can expect from other operations. This formulation does not require a definition of harmful interference, which is delegated to operators and adjudicators should the need for it arise, and does not entail receiver standards. We also recommend ways to facilitate the adjustment of rights in the market place. The remedy (injunction vs. damages) that attaches to an operating right should be stipulated when it is issued. The regulator should separate its rule making and adjudication roles by not changing rights during dispute resolution. The regulator should leave parameter values unchanged after defining an entitlement, though it may add new parameters at license renewal. Values may be adjusted by negotiation between operators at any time, though any changes should be recorded in a public registry of entitlements. The number of parties to a negotiation should be limited by minimizing the number of rights recipients and by enabling direct bargaining between the parties through effective delegation, obviating the regulator's participation.
bell hooks, Carter G. Woodson, and African American Education

The following is a “conversation” between two of the most prominent and prolific African American scholars and intellectuals, bell hooks and Carter G. Woodson. Though their works were published more than 60 years apart, many of the issues Woodson addressed in his now-classic work, The Miseducation of the Negro, remain significant for African American intellectuals today. What is education? And what does is mean to truly “transgress” the boundaries of tradition?
Observed communication in the workplace: Content, source, and direction

Police dispatchers play a critical role in human service work; they screen calls from the public and effectively control access to police intervention and a wide range of other community services. This observational study examined face-to-face interactions between police radio dispatchers (N = 60) and their peers and superiors. Dispatchers were observed throughout an entire work shift; all were observed on at least one occasion, and about half were observed on three occasions. For each interaction, observers recorded its occurrence, duration, and characteristics; i.e., content (work- or non-work focused), source (self- or other initiated), and direction (lateral with peers or vertical with superiors). Rates of communication were stable over 1 to 2 months, although the extent of stability varied by source and direction. Interactions generally were quite brief (averaging less than 1 minute), were work focused (77%), and involved peers rather than superiors (63%). The exchange of work information tended to reinforce the exchange of non-work information, and vice versa. Symmetry in sending and receiving characterized interactions; symmetry was greatest in interactions with peers. Implications of these findings for understanding communication in human service organizations and for intervening are discussed.
Are lifespan rodent carcinogenicity studies defensible for pharmaceutical agents

For most pharmaceuticals, the assessment of carcinogenic risk to humans can be made from information available from a) genotoxicity studies in vivo, b) 3-6 month toxicology studies in two or more animal species and c) clinical investigations in Phase I and II studies aimed at assessing the existence of risk factors (genotoxicity, immune suppression, hormonal activity and chronic irritation/inflammation) associated with cancer in humans caused by pharmaceuticals. The rodent carcinogenicity bioassay is redundant for compounds with such properties. In considering the utility of a bioassay, one must recognize that the outcome of the bioassay has been shown to be predictable for about half of a random selection of chemicals in the US National Toxicology Program (NTP). The predictability of bioassay outcomes for many pharmaceuticals should be even better, given the availability of extensive knowledge on genotoxic potential in vivo and of pharmacological mechanisms, this adding to the redundancy of the bioassay. Furthermore, the value of the bioassay is itself questionable. The inconsistencies in tumor responses between rodent species and strains, the simultaneous tumor increase and decreases within a study and the susceptibility to tumorigenicity from non-genotoxic chemicals by mechanisms now shown to be of no relevance to humans, together make the use of rodents highly misleading as predictors of human cancer risk. For pharmaceuticals with a novel or poorly-understood pharmacodynamic mechanism, useful information on long-term adverse effects that might presage a carcinogenic hazard to humans may be obtained from a 12 month study, usually in rats, conducted at clinically relevant dose levels.
Statistical Determination of Certain Mathematical Constants and Functions Using Computers

With the availability of high speed electronic computers it is now quite convenient to devise statistical experiments for the purpose of estimating certain mathematical constants and functions. The paper contains statistical formulas for estimating such mathematical constants and functions as p, C (Euler's constant), e, P(1)(1), G(x), In x, B(x, y), arctan x, P(p) and polygamma functions. Statistical estimates of these quantities may be used to construct desired confidence intervals for these parameters. Although numerical techniques are available to approximate these mathematical quantities very satisfactorily, a statistical approach to these problems seems to deserve mention in the scientific literature. Numerical illustrations are given in the paper which also give some indication of the effect of pseudorandom numbers on the final results. Statistical procedures, considered in the paper, make extensive use of a high speed electronic computer which may help to develop a positive attitude among theoreticians, promising students of mathematics and others toward the role of computers in the ever-expanding scientific work.
An expanding role for mTOR in cancer.

Rapamycin, a valuable drug with diverse clinical applications, inhibits mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin), which is a protein kinase that controls cell growth by regulating many cellular processes, including protein synthesis and autophagy. The sensitivity of select tumor cells to rapamycin has ignited considerable excitement over its potential as an anti-cancer therapeutic. Recent findings identified a rapamycin-insensitive function of mTOR in regulating a cell-survival pathway that is hyperactive in many cancers, particularly those with elevated PtdIns3K signaling or harboring mutations in the tumor suppressor PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10). These new findings suggest that targeting this function of mTOR might have broader applications in cancer therapy. In this article, we re-evaluate mTOR signaling, suggesting a more central role for mTOR in cancers with defective PtdIns3K–PTEN signaling and conceptually discuss these implications in the context of drug discovery.
The microwave spectrum and structure of the argon trifluoroacetonitrile complex

Abstract The rotational spectrum of argon trifluoroacetonitrile complex has been studied by pulsed-nozzle, Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. Both a -type and b -type transitions have been observed. The rotational constants are A = 3053.0903(2) MHz, B = 1039.9570(2) MHz, and C = 895.5788(1) MHz. The 14 N nuclear quadrupole hyperfine components of the rotational transitions have been resolved, the 14 N nuclear quadrupole coupling constants are χ aa = 1.746(1) MHz, and χ bb − χ cc = −6.426(2) MHz. The complex is T-shaped, with the argon atom located 3.73 A from the center of mass of the trifluoroacetonitrile molecule.
Reforming the IMF: Can it serve as an “international lender of last resort?”

A series of financial crises in emerging market economies during the 1990s have been a catalyst for efforts to strengthen the international financial system. Indeed, much has been done to strengthen the architecture of the international financial system, both in terms of crisis prevention and crisis management. The powerful G‐7 countries have made it clear that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) plays a significant role in shaping the new global financial architecture. However, is the IMF up to the task? This paper argues that despite its many limitations, the IMF is an important institution that can strengthen the global financial system. The paper begins with a discussion of what the IMF is and what it is not This will help put in perspective the nature, mandate, and role of this much‐misunderstood global institution. The second section reviews some of the recent reforms the IMF has introduced to effectively carry out its new function. While these reforms are hardly revolutionary, they nevertheless, ...
MOODD, a method for object-oriented database design

Abstract In this paper we propose a Method for Object-Oriented Database Design, called MOODD. Considerable recent research [22] has focused on object-oriented design techniques. MOODD distinguishes itself by generating an object-oriented data definition from requirements written in a natural language. Examples to illustrate the method are given for a particular OODBS called O2 [19]. MOODD consists of three phases. The first phase is to use a Requirement Specification Language (RSL) [27] to represent user requirements. Next, the RSL requirements are converted into an object-oriented conceptual model composed of the Nested Entity-Relationship (NER) [10]/ Update Protocol Model (UPM) [9]. Finally, the NER/UPM schemas are implemented by an object-oriented data model.
Inhibition of β2-microglobulin/hemochromatosis enhances radiation sensitivity by induction of iron overload in prostate cancer cells.

Background Bone metastasis is the most lethal form of several cancers. The β2-microglobulin (β2-M)/hemochromatosis (HFE) complex plays an important role in cancer development and bone metastasis. We demonstrated previously that overexpression of β2-M in prostate, breast, lung and renal cancer leads to increased bone metastasis in mouse models. Therefore, we hypothesized that β2-M is a rational target to treat prostate cancer bone metastasis.
Primary care for the developmentally disabled adult.

It is important to appreciate that as the U.S. population matures, the number of middle-aged and elderly developmentally disabled adults living in the community will increase. This population may constitute a larger proportion of the primary care physician’s practice. Although this population carries a heavier burden of chronic illness than their nondisabled counterparts, studies indicate that the vast majority of their problems can be handled well by primary care physicians. We hope more information will become available to clinicians over the next few years as more controlled studies are performed to define the physical and mental health needs of the developmentally disabled. Providing primary care for the developmentally disabled is challenging but rewarding. Physicians need to accept the challenges of this aspect of medicine and contribute their efforts and expertise to this field.
Control of Codling Moth in Apple and Pear with Sex Pheromone-Mediated Mating Disruption

During 1987-1988 replicated 0.3-ha plots of apple and pear were used to measure the efficacy of sex pheromone-mediated mating disruption of codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.). Comparisons of fruit injury were made between pheromone-treated and untreated plots either with or without releases of field-collected moths. In IH87, one moth per tree was released twice during the season in two apple orchards and total season fruit injury in untreated plots ranged from 7.0 to 21.2%. Levels of fruit injury in the pheromonetreated plots were 1.0-4.0%. In 1988, either one moth was released per five trees three times during the season or no moths were released in replicated apple plots. Seasonal fruit injury ranges in untreated plots were 1.41-1,65% and 0.39-1.21% with and without moth releases, respectively. Correspondingly, levels of fruit injury in the pheromonetreated plots were 0.09-0.27% and 0.05-0.07% with and without moth releases, respectively. In 1988, fruit injury in the pheromone-treated and untreated pear plots with moth releases were 0.05 and 0.16%, respectively. Average emission levels of (E, E)-8,10- dodecadien-l-ol at dusk for a 14-d period after releases were 8.4-40.9 mg/ha per h each year. Spatial analysis of fruit injury showed that fruit injury was aggregated and moth movement within orchards was limited and not influenced by the presence of pheromone. Our data suggested that more fruit injury occurred on ‘Golden Delicious’ than ‘Red Delicious’.
Cognitive enhancers: potential strategies and experimental results.

Abstract Wenk, Gary L. and David S. Olton: Cognitive Enhancers: Potential Strategies and Experimental Results. Prog. Neuro-Psychopharmacol. & Biol. Psychiat. 1989, 13 (Suppl): S117–S139 1. 1. Cognitive impairments follow natural processes such as aging, diseases, exposure to neurotoxins and traumatic injury. In all of these instances, the brain possesses some capability for recovery. 2. 2. A cognitive enhancer is any compound that will help this recovery occur more rapidly, or increase the final level of performance. 3. 3. This chapter describes the types of strategies that can be used to develop a cognitive enhancer with emphasis on studies of the cholinergic system.
Orpheus in Berlin: A Reappraisal of Johann Georg Sulzer's Theory of the Polite Arts

In 1771 Johann Georg Sulzer, a well-established member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences and Belles-Lettres, published the first volume of his long awaited lexicon A General Theory of the Polite Arts (Allgemeine Theorie der schonen Kunste). Although the work sold well, not many critics were convinced of its major tenet that the production and enjoyment of works of art should serve to promote the civic awareness of the citizenry of the modern state. And while Sulzer's influence on the aesthetic theories of Kant and Schiller is generally recognized and he consequently has kept a relatively high profile in histories of aesthetics, his lexicon did not survive the century in which it was written.
Percutaneous vascular surgery (Prostar® Plus and Techstar® for femoral artery site closure)

Abstract Percutaneous vascular surgery by Prostar, Prostar Plus, and Techstar devices provide immediate secure hemostasis at femoral artery puncture sites. Hemostasis is achieved by tissue approximation with sutures, independent to coagulation status. The PVS procedure is done immediately following cardiac or peripheral procedures in fully anticoagulated status and continuous anticoagulation is allowed if clinically indicated. Bed rest is remarkably shortened and early ambulation is allowed following the procedure. PVS improves not only patient comfort but also decreases the need for nursing care. Since the procedure is different from “interventional procedures,” adequate training for the operator is critical and important.
An integrated renewable energy park approach for algal biofuel production in United States

Algal biomass provides viable third generation feedstock for liquid transportation fuel that does not compete with food crops for cropland. However, fossil energy inputs and intensive water usage diminishes the positive aspects of algal energy production. An integrated renewable energy park (IREP) approach is proposed for aligning renewable energy industries in resource-specific regions in United States for synergistic electricity and liquid biofuel production from algal biomass with net zero carbon emissions. The benefits, challenges and policy needs of this approach are discussed.
Variable selection in the cox regression model with covariates missing at random.

Summary We consider variable selection in the Cox regression model (Cox, 1975, Biometrika 362, 269–276) with covariates missing at random. We investigate the smoothly clipped absolute deviation penalty and adaptive least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) penalty, and propose a unified model selection and estimation procedure. A computationally attractive algorithm is developed, which simultaneously optimizes the penalized likelihood function and penalty parameters. We also optimize a model selection criterion, called the ICQ statistic (Ibrahim, Zhu, and Tang, 2008, Journal of the American Statistical Association 103, 1648–1658), to estimate the penalty parameters and show that it consistently selects all important covariates. Simulations are performed to evaluate the finite sample performance of the penalty estimates. Also, two lung cancer data sets are analyzed to demonstrate the proposed methodology.
Study of F -Center Formation in KCl on a Picosecond Time Scale

We have measured the growth of $F$-band absorption at 532 nm in pure KCl following two-quantum band-gap excitation by a 266-nm pulse. The rise time at $T\ensuremath{\approx}25$ K is 11\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}9 psec. Spectral measurements confirm attribution of the early absorption to $F$ centers. This absorption reflects the generation of new Frenkel defects with the $F$ center created directly in its electronic ground state.
Expectation and Entropy in Spoken Word Recognition: Effects of Age and Hearing Acuity

Background/Study Context: Older adults, especially those with reduced hearing acuity, can make good use of linguistic context in word recognition. Less is known about the effects of the weighted distribution of probable target and nontarget words that fit the sentence context (response entropy). The present study examined the effects of age, hearing acuity, linguistic context, and response entropy on spoken word recognition. Methods: Participants were 18 older adults with good hearing acuity (M age = 74.3 years), 18 older adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss (M age = 76.1 years), and 18 young adults with age-normal hearing (M age = 19.6 years). Participants heard sentence-final words using a word-onset gating paradigm, in which words were heard with increasing amounts of onset information until they could be correctly identified. Degrees of context varied from a neutral context to a high context condition. Results: Older adults with poor hearing acuity required a greater amount of word onset informat...
A Note on the Complementary Mixture Pareto II Distribution

We introduce a new survival distribution, of Pareto type, that arises from a cure-mixture frailty model. We describe its properties and demonstrate connections with familiar distributions including the Pareto and exponential. We derive its characteristic function and moments.
ASAS Centennial Paper: Animal science teaching: A century of excellence

Teaching has a long and varied history in the life of departments of animal science and the American Society of Animal Science. Some of the earliest reports from meetings of the society have strong indication that planning the curriculum was a prominent feature of the meetings. Teaching symposia were also included almost from the beginning. The society went through a lengthy period from the 1940s through most of the 1960s when teaching was not a prominent focus, but a symposium in 1968 appeared to be a catalyst for change, and, since that date, teaching has again been an important part of the meetings. In recent years, outstanding symposia and contributed papers have made the teaching section a vibrant entry. Departments of animal science have changed considerably since the early days in which "men taught boys" and the primary goal was to produce farmers. More female students, more urban students, interest in a wide variety of animals, and greatly diversified career goals have been emerging during the last few decades. Departments of animal science and the American Society of Animal Science are positioning to be able to respond to change and face the challenge of providing excellence in teaching during the next century.
Oxidation of 2,6-dimethylaniline by recombinant human cytochrome P450s and human liver microsomes.

2,6-Dimethylaniline (2,6-DMA) is classified as a rodent nasal cavity carcinogen and a possible human carcinogen. The major metabolite of 2,6-DMA in rats and dogs is 4-amino-3,5-dimethylphenol (DMAP) but oxidization of the amino group to produce metabolites such as N-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)hydroxylamine (DMHA) is also indicated by the occurrence of hemoglobin adducts of 2,6-DMA in human and rats. Previous studies have shown a large interindividual variability in human 2,6-DMA hemoglobin adduct levels. In the present study, 2,6-DMA oxidation in vitro by human liver microsomes and recombinant human P450 enzymes was investigated to assess whether the hemoglobin adduct variability could be attributed to metabolic differences. At micromolar concentrations, the only product detectable (UV) was DMAP, while at 10 nM, DMHA was a substantial product. 2E1 and 2A6 were identified as the major P450s in human liver microsomes responsible for the production of DMAP by using P450-specific chemical inhibitors and mouse monocl...
Review of Flow Patterns in a Column Reactor for Photobioreactor Application

Photobioreactors (PBRs) and chemical reactors are often vertical columns with either circular or rectangular cross sections. The reactors are frequently referred to as column reactors and are treated as if they perform in the same manner. The reactors can have two different types of flow established in them regardless of cross sectional shape depending on the saprger/diffuser type and location within the reactor. The flow patterns in the reactors are induced by gas that is bubbled into the reactor volume usually near the bottom of the reactor. When the gas bubbles rise up through the reactor in a plug flow fashion, most of the mixing is in the radial direction which tends to make the reactor liquid and gas more homogeneous across the width of the reactor. The gas bubbles in the reactor may not move up through the reactor in a plug flow fashion, but may instead move vertically up through a portion of the reactor cross-section. This will establish a column of bubbles and liquid rising from the bottom of the reactor up to the surface and, in turn, induce a column(s) of liquid moving downward from the top of the reactor to the bottom. This behavior is similar to an air lift reactor which generally has walls physically dividing the upward (riser) and downward (down comer) flows. Without physical separation of the flows, the percent of cross sectional area of the reactor acting as the riser and down comer is established by the gas flow rate through the reactor, reactor cross sectional area, and the reactor volume. Velocity of flow(s) in the reactors is often based on the superficial gas velocity, which is the incoming gas flow rate divided by the gross cross sectional area of the reactor volume. This parameter may not relate to the two flows in the same manner. The two different flow patterns will be discussed in relation to superficial gas velocity, light in a PBR, chemical reactions in the reactor, and riser and down comer size.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Pastoral Burnout and the Impact of Personal Spiritual Renewal, Rest-taking, and Support System Practices

Pastors risk burnout because of inordinate ministerial demands, which may drain their emotional, cognitive, spiritual, and physical energy reserves and impair their overall effectiveness. Burnout advances across three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced accomplishment. The debilitating effects of pastoral burnout were examined through a survey of 270 pastors. Relationships between burnout and three potentially preventative or mitigating factors, spiritual renewal, rest-taking, and support system practices, were explored. The results identified spiritual dryness as the primary predictor of emotional exhaustion, the stress dimension of burnout. In the published literature, no other work to date has empirically substantiated a link between pastors’ spirituality and burnout. These findings expand the burnout construct and promote leader self-care practices that foster resilience, vitality, and well-being.
Singular heteroclinic orbits for degenerate modulation equations

The problem of finding heteroclinic orbits for the quintic Ginzburg-Landau equation in the case that the imaginary parts of the coefficients are O(ϵ), with 0 < ϵ ⪡ 1, is considered. When χ = χc, where χ is a distinguished parameter in the equation, and ϵ = 0 there exists a singular heteroclinic orbit connecting a stable finite amplitude state to the stable zero state. It is shown that for a certain region of parameter space this orbit persists for ϵ small, with a wave speed c(ϵ) which is O(ϵ). Furthermore, using an approach reminiscent of the Melnikov method, the sign of c′(0) is calculated. This calculation is crucial in settling the persistence question. Finally, it is shown that for this wave speed it is possible for additional heteroclinic orbits to exist. These additional orbits connect two finite amplitude states.
A Stein-rule approach to outlying observations in regression analysis

In this paper, a Stein-rule procedure is presented as a minimax alternative to discarding suspected outlying observations in linear regression analysis. The procedure is demonstrated in an empirical example.
Sudden cardiac death in young military recruits: guarding the heart of a soldier.

In this issue, Eckart and colleagues show that cardiovascular conditions account for most sudden deaths in basic military training. These conditions are very difficult to detect with noninvasive te...
EFFECTS OF GROWTH FACTORS ON CORNEAL WOUND HEALING

Healing of ocular surface wounds is a complex process involving migration, mitosis, and differentiation of epithelial and stromal cells. Endogenously produced peptide growth factors such as epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha), or transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) may play key roles in the natural wound healing process. Lacrimal gland cells were reported to synthesize and secrete EGF into tear fluid where it may enhance healing of corneal epithelial and stromal injuries by an exocrine pathway. EGF stimulated DNA synthesis of epithelial cells and stromal fibroblasts in culture, stimulated synthesis of fibronectin by epithelial cells and was chemotactic for human epithelial and stromal cells. Human corneal epithelial cells also synthesized TGF-alpha which may influence epithelial cells by an autocrine pathway. TGF-beta, which is a potent inducer of lysyl oxidase mRNA levels in cultures of human scleral fibroblasts, may be the factor most responsible for inducing synthesis of corneal extracellular matrix components after an injury. Treatment of epithelial injuries ocular surface wounds with exogenous peptide growth factors also accelerated healing in rabbits and primates. Treatment of severe ocular surface injuries caused by alkali with a combination of EGF, fibronectin, a synthetic collagenase inhibitor, and Aprotinin significantly blocked ulceration and enhanced epithelial regeneration. Clinical trials of topical treatment of EGF for ocular surface wounds suggest that peptide growth factors may be a valuable adjuvant for treatment of ocular surface wounds.
Empirically Based Marital and Family Interventions for Alcohol Abuse: A Review

The traditional approach to substance-abuse treatment involves the disease model, as promulgated through Alcoholics Anonymous. In this model, the message for relatives and friends of substance users is that their behavior cannot influence the user to either enter treatment or to reduce their substance use. The main emphasis instead is on helping relatives concentrate on their own lives and cultivating a sense of detachment from the drinker. However, a beginning empirical literature has developed on treatment with the relatives of substance users, which indicates that the relative may be able to affect the behavior of the substance user, although the effect of such treatment on the relative may be less consistent. This article will discuss findings of studies, which are organized according to whether relatives are treated alone or in a marital therapy context. Suggestions for further research in this area and implications for social work are discussed.
ORIGIN OF A PARK–FOREST VEGETATION MOSAIC IN THE WIND RIVER RANGE, WYOMING

The vegetation of the montane and subalpine zones of the Rocky Mountains is a mosaic of conifer forests and large (1 ha to several square kilometers) treeless “parks” dominated by sagebrush (Artemisia spp.), grasses, and forbs. Three hypotheses for the origin of parks are proposed. The “permanent site hypothesis” states that the park–forest vegetation mosaic is a result of differences in physical characteristics of sites. In the “remnant hypothesis” parks are thought to be remnants of vegetation that was widespread under previous climate conditions. The “replacement hypothesis” states that parks replace forest vegetation in response to disturbance, climate change, or a combination of these two factors. Patterns in the past distribution of park and forest vegetation in the vicinity of Fish Creek Park (elevation 2750 m) were used to test these hypotheses. Fossil pollen extracted from the sediments of five small ponds in and around Fish Creek Park was used to reconstruct Holocene vegetation changes. Changes in vegetation were reconstructed through the use of multivariate analyses and pollen ratios derived from modern surface samples and by comparison with pollen data from other studies. The pollen record indicates that shortly after deglaciation (∼11000 yr BP) the area supported alpine tundra, followed by whitebark pine–spruce–fir parkland at ∼9500 yr BP. From ∼8500 to 6000 yr BP, a pine parkland occupied the area, perhaps in response to climate conditions warmer than today. By 5000 yr BP a mixed pine–spruce–fir forest resembling the modern subalpine forest near Fish Creek Park probably replaced the pine parkland at all five sites. The modern park vegetation originated only within the last ∼2500 yr. The conversion to park vegetation may not have been synchronous at all three sites, and the replacement of forest by park did not always result in a long-term conversion to park vegetation. The timing and pattern of changes in the vegetation mosaic eliminate the permanent site and remnant hypotheses and suggest instead that climatic cooling over the last several thousand years, possibly combined with removal of forest cover by fire or some other disturbance, could explain the origin of Fish Creek Park.
Pain Intensity, Psychological Inflexibility, and Acceptance of Pain as Predictors of Functioning in Adolescents with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: A Preliminary Investigation

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is a chronic rheumatic disease associated with pain and maladjustment. This study investigated whether pain, acceptance of pain, and psychological inflexibility uniquely predicted functional disability, anxiety, general quality of life (QOL), and health-related quality of life (HQOL) among adolescents with JIA. Twenty-three adolescents with JIA and pain were recruited from a pediatric rheumatology clinic. Participants completed self-report measures pertaining to the key study variables. A series of multiple regression analyses demonstrated that higher pain uniquely predicted higher functional disability. Greater psychological inflexibility uniquely predicted higher anxiety, lower general QOL, and lower HQOL. Increases in acceptance of pain were found to be uniquely related to increases in general QOL. These data confirm prior findings that pain impacts functioning, and provide preliminary findings that psychological inflexibility and acceptance may be important targets of psychological intervention for youth with JIA and pain to improve functioning and QOL.
Fast numerical method for growth and retreat of subsurface ice on Mars

Abstract Subsurface water ice on Mars evolves due to exchange of vapor with the atmosphere, in the form of loss of ice to the atmosphere or in the form of the growth of interstitial ice. Described here is an accelerated numerical method for the long-term evolution of subsurface ice. This accelerated method is five orders of magnitude faster than explicit vapor transport calculations, enabling fundamentally new types of climate models. Its speed matches that of purely thermal models. The speedup is achieved primarily by solving time-averaged equations for vapor transport and ice volume change. Processes incorporated are growth of interstitial pore ice, retreat of pore ice, retreat of an ice sheet, and retreat of pore ice due to geothermal heating from below. Two example applications illustrate this numerical method’s capabilities. Near the permafrost margin at 55° latitude, ice is periodically depleted and slowly recharged, leading to a pore ice layer estimated to be currently no more than a few meters thick. At the Phoenix Landing Site, it shows the formation of a three layered structure, whereby the layer of pore ice can be very thin.
Strained layer and lattice matched transverse junction stripe quantum well lasers for continuous room temperature operation

Abstract Two new Transverse Junction Stripe (TJS) laser structures using lattice matched AlGaAsGaAs and strained layer InGaAsGaAsAlGaAs quantum wells have been demonstrated. The lasers are grown by molecular beam epitaxy and the junction is produced by a two step zinc diffusion and anneal. The diffusion process produces a lateral heterojunction (in addition to the as grown heterojunctions) by diffusion enhanced compositional disordering of the quantum well active region. Both lasers exhibit low thresholds (20–30 mA, continuous wave, room temperature) and single mode operation. The excellent performance of both lasers indicates that high quality lateral +-p-n junctions and heterojunctions can be formed by zinc diffusion enhanced compositional disordering of both lattice matched GaAsAlGaAs and strained layer InGaAsGaAsAlGaAs quantum well structures. The threshold current versus temperature, emission wavelength versus annealing time and preliminary lifetime data are presented.
Dynamics of diapause hormone and prothoracicotropic hormone transcript expression at diapause termination in pupae of the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea

Both diapause hormone (DH) and ecdysone (E) are capable of terminating pupal diapause in members of the Helicoverpa/Heliothis complex. In this study we examine how the transcript encoding prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH), the neuropeptide that stimulates the prothoracic gland to produce E, and the transcript encoding DH respond to developmental changes, as well as environmental and hormonal cues that can trigger the termination of diapause. In nondiapausing individuals PTTH and DH transcripts are abundant from pupation until adult eclosion, while in pupae that enter diapause PTTH transcripts are undetectable and abundant DH transcripts are present only briefly after pupation. Injection of E can break diapause at either 18 or 21°C, but DH is effective in breaking diapause only at the higher temperature. Transfer of pupae to a diapause-terminating temperature of 25°C, injections of 1nmol DH or 75ng E at 21°C, and injections of 500ng E at 18°C, are all accompanied by a simultaneous elevation of mRNAs encoding both PTTH and DH, although the rate of PTTH mRNA increase is consistently more rapid than that of DH. Subthreshold doses of E or injections of distilled water elicit a temporary rise in PTTH and DH transcripts but do not lead to diapause termination. The results suggest that these two hormonal systems work together in the cascade of events leading to diapause termination, producing a sophisticated control system that is finely tuned and responsive to subtle temperature changes in the overwintering environment.
A combinatorial perturbation method and Arnold's whiskered tori in vortex dynamics

Abstract A combinatorial perturbation method for some n-body problems is presented. This method is used to reformulate a class of n-body problems in the form of near integrable Hamiltonian systems with many degrees of freedom. The KAM theory is worked out for n-body problems defined on subgraphs G of the complete graph Kn. The main result in this paper is the existence of Arnold's whiskered tori and diffusion for vortex lattice dynamics. Throughout the paper, combinatorial and graph-theoretic concepts play important roles, in particular the KAM nondegeneracy and Melnikov transversability conditions are given in terms of binary trees T(n). One of the main tools here is a combinatorial algorithm for symplectic transformations to Jacobi (relative) coordinates, which is based on binary trees T(n).
O retardamento da montagem final de produtos como estratégia de marketing e distribuição

The decision to assemble products for shipment to warehouses and retail stores is typically based on a sales forecast. This article advocates that substantial savings in transportation and inventory carrying costs can be achieved by delaying product assembly until after a customer arder is received. This delay, known as postponement, is also a lasting source of competitive advantage because firms are able to ofter customers a broader assortment of models, package sizes, and colors for its products. The article first distinguishes between four types of postponement and then points to research results which suggest managerial guidelines for the identification and implementation of postponement opportunities. A numerical example is provided to illustrate the application of the postponement.
Dissecting qualified health claims: evidence from experimental studies.

This paper reviews recent consumer studies evaluating comprehension of a novel form of food labeling, qualified health claims, now permitted by FDA. The joint goals of qualified health claims are to encourage firms to make accurate, science-based claims about the health benefits of their products while helping consumers prevent disease and improve their health through sound dietary decisions using enhanced nutrition information. This paper examines whether consumers can differentiate between multiple levels of health claims and determines if a front label visual aid helps consumer understanding. Results of experimental consumer attitude studies are presented which suggest that people do not perceive significant differences between the three levels of qualified claims and traditional (unqualified or SSA) health claims. An additional experiment suggests that a visual aid (report card) may be an important device to help consumers distinguish between the levels of health claims. However, thought-listing data ...
An annotation similarity model in passage ranking for historical fact validation

State-of-the-art question answering (QA) systems employ passage retrieval based on bag-of-words similarity models with respect to a query and a passage. We propose a combination of a traditional bag-of-words similarity model and an annotation similarity model to improve passage ranking. The proposed annotation similarity model is generic enough to process annotations of arbitrary types. Historical fact validation is a subtask to determine whether a given sentence tells us historically correct information, which is important for a QA task on world history. Experimental results show that the combined model gains up to 7.7% and 4.2% improvements in historical fact validation in terms of precision at rank 1 and mean reciprocal rank, respectively.
UV-vis spectroscopic determination of the dissociation constant of bichromate from 160 to 400°C

On the basis of direct measurements by UV−vis spectroscopy, the dissociation constant of bichromate was found to decrease with temperature from 160 to 400 °C. For fixed Cr(VI) and KOH concentrations, the molal concentration of HCrO4- initially increases with temperature but decreases again in the vicinity of water's critical point, where the density decreases substantially. The decrease in HCrO4- at high temperature and low density may be attributed to (K+)(CrO42-) ion pairs, to a high degree of electrostriction about CrO42-, which facilitates the reaction HCrO4- + OH- = CrO42- + H2O, and to ion activity coefficients.
Separation of functional and non-functional beta subunits of thyrotropin preparations by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

Electrophoretic patterns of intact human and bovine TSH and bovine LH can be clearly distinguished from those of their subunits in 12% polyacrylamide gels, thus providing an easy method of examining subunit recombination. Two distinct components of both bovine and human TSH-beta subunits are observed, of which only one recombines with alpha subunits. Both beta-components cross-react with antisera to TSH and TSH-beta and have, within experimental error, identical amino acid compositions. Thus, the non-recombining component is a non-functional form of TSH-beta which has retained its immunological specificity, and the data explain why the recovery of biological activity during the recombination of TSH subunits is substantially less than with several other glycoprotein hormone preparations.