cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chronic Low Back Pain: Improving Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment

Among all chronic pain problems and spinal pain conditions, low back pain (LBP) is the most common clinical and public health problem (Deyo et al. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 31(23):2724–7, 2006). It is the leading cause of activity limitation and work absence throughout much of the world. There is a lack of consensus evidence for the indication and efficacy for many spine surgeries and interventions. Evidence of randomized controlled trials showed inconsistent results, depending on the setting of the study (Andersson et al. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 31(14):1637–8, 2006; Freeman et al. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 30(21):2369–77, 2005; Buchbinder et al. N Engl J Med 361(6):557–68, 2009; Wardlaw et al. Lancet 373(9668):1016–24, 2009; Manchikanti et al. Pain Physician 18(1):79–92, 2015; Friedly et al. N Engl J Med 371(1):11–21, 2014; Juch et al. (JAMA 318(1):68–81, 2017; Dreyfuss et al. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 25(10):1270–7, 2000). There are multiple factors contributing to this reality. Diagnosis of spinal pathology that underlies the clinical LBP often is difficult. Correlation between anatomic pathology and clinical symptoms is weak. In this article, we will review the anatomic base of spinal pain, focusing on low back pain, and discuss some of the common potential “pain generators” and their overlapping symptomology. We will highlight the prevalence and characteristics of neuropathic pain in chronic LBP, emphasizing the change of somatosensory function and central neural processes in individuals with chronic LBP. We will discuss some of the comorbid psychological dysfunction in chronic LBP patients and its various penetrance in individual patients, as it relates to treatment outcomes. We propose a chronic LBP-focused registry to collect relevant information across the biopsychosocial domains of pain and outcome measurements, to guide individualized treatment.
cFineGAN: Unsupervised multi-conditional fine-grained image generation.

We propose an unsupervised multi-conditional image generation pipeline: cFineGAN, that can generate an image conditioned on two input images such that the generated image preserves the texture of one and the shape of the other input. To achieve this goal, we extend upon the recently proposed work of FineGAN \citep{singh2018finegan} and make use of standard as well as shape-biased pre-trained ImageNet models. We demonstrate both qualitatively as well as quantitatively the benefit of using the shape-biased network. We present our image generation result across three benchmark datasets- CUB-200-2011, Stanford Dogs and UT Zappos50k.
Pediatric Clinical for Nursing Students in Rural Areas: The Camp Nursing Experience

Problem: Clinical placement for nursing students in pediatrics can be challenging in rural settings. Hospitals in rural areas typically do not have the numbers of pediatric patients necessary to provide individual inpatient pediatric experiences for a group of nursing students nor can community settings accommodate a full group of students at once. Children’s hospitals or hospitals with pediatric inpatient units are often a significant distance from nursing programs located in rural areas and there is competition among nursing programs for placement in these facilities. A study by the Institute of Pediatric Nursing (IPN) in cooperation with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) concluded that nursing schools had challenges finding pediatric clinical sites and that pediatric content was lacking in depth and breadth (McCarthy & Wyatt, 2014). Alternative Clinical Placement: For one nursing program located in a rural area, nursing students were placed at summer camps for children with various health care needs, including diabetes, developmental delays and special needs. Placing nursing students in a pediatric clinical experience at summer camps provided a supervised environment where they interacted with children with a variety of health care needs and provided care that included recognizing signs of diabetic emergencies, working with insulin pumps, administering medications and feedings via gastric tubes, providing basic first aid, health promotion and health teaching, and engaging in therapeutic communication. Outcomes: Evaluation of the summer camp experience was positive from students, faculty and camp personnel and student learning outcomes for the pediatric clinical course were met. Summer camps can provide excellent learning experiences for nursing students and serve as viable alternatives for pediatric clinical sites when inpatient pediatric facilities are not available. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.14574/ojrnhc.v20i1.603 Grant Funding Provided by a Dawley Seed Grant Award
Ddx41 loss R-loops in cGAS to fuel inflammatory HSPC production.

In this issue of Developmental Cell, Weinreb et al. reveal that loss of the DEAD-box helicase Ddx41 unexpectedly triggers an R-loop-mediated sterile inflammatory cascade which drives HSPC production during embryonic development. Human studies suggest mechanistic conservation for inflammation in DDX41-associated hematologic disease, uncovering a potential route for future therapeutic intervention.
Current efficiency and selectivity reduction caused by co-ion leakage in electromembrane processes.

Abstract In electromembrane processes such as electrodialysis (ED) and ion concentration polarization (ICP), the diffusion layers on both diluate and concentrate sides influence permselectivity of the ion-exchange membrane and current utilization. The diffusion layer in the diluate stream, due to lower salinity and higher resistivity, has been regarded as the primary source of energy loss. In contrast, very few studies have focused on the diffusion layer in the concentrate stream. In this paper, we evaluate the influence of hydrodynamic convective flow on the development of diffusion layers on both concentrate and diluate sides, specifically in the ICP desalination process. Interestingly, the higher convective flow in the concentrate side was shown to drastically improve the current utilization drop in high operating current, which has been a recurring challenge in electromembrane processes. We attribute this to the prevention of co-ion leakage into the membrane, confirmed by both experimentation and numerical modeling. This new insight has a clear design implication for optimizing electromembrane processes for higher energy efficiency.
Editor's Note: Time for a 28th Amendment?

The editor examines the notion of a constitutional right to access government information, including its promises and limitations.
Connectivity patterns that shape olfactory representation in a mushroom body network model

ABSTRACT Cerebellum-like structures — such as the insect mushroom body — are found in many brains and share a basic fan-out–fan-in network architecture. How the specific structural features of these networks give rise to their learning function remains largely unknown. To investigate this structure–function relationship, we developed a minimal computational model of the extensively studied Drosophila melanogaster mushroom body. We show how well-defined connectivity patterns between the Kenyon cells — the constituent neurons of the mushroom body — and their input projection neurons endow different functions, enabling the mushroom body to process olfactory information more efficiently. First, biases in the likelihoods at which individual projection neurons connect to Kenyon cells allow the mushroom body to prioritize the learning of particular, ethologically meaningful odors. Second, groups of projection neurons connecting preferentially to the same Kenyon cells facilitate the mushroom body to generalize across similar odors. Altogether, our results demonstrate how different connectivity patterns shape the representation space of a well-studied cerebellum-like network and impact its learning outcomes.
CRediT for authors of articles published in the Journal of the Medical Library Association.

To help ensure that authors of articles published in the Journal of the Medical Library Association ( JMLA ) receive appropriate recognition for their contributions and to make individual author roles more transparent to readers, JMLA articles will begin including Author Contribution statements using the Contributor Role Taxonomy.
WELKOETOXYLON MULTISERIATUM: FOSSIL MORACEOUS WOOD FROM THE EOCENE GREEN RIVER FORMATION, WYOMING, U.S.A.

A silicified wood, Welkoetoxylon multiseriatum, gen. et sp. nov., is described from the late Early Eocene Green River Formation of southwestern Wyoming. The combination of features observed in W. multiseriatum, including latex tubes (laticifers) in the rays and abundant sheath cells, indicates affinities with the Moraceae. This is the first report of fossil moraceous wood from the Eocene of the western interior of the U.S.A. and it provides reliable evidence for the Paleogene occurrence of Moraceae in this region. The indistinct growth rings of this fossil indicate this tree did not experience a distinct dormant season.
Electrochemical Model for Ionic Liquid Electrolytes in Lithium Batteries

ABSTRACT Room temperature ionic liquids are considered as potential electrolytes for high performance and safe lithium batteries due to their very low vapor pressure and relatively wide electrochemical and thermal stability windows. Unlike organic electrolytes, ionic liquid electrolytes are molten salts at room temperature with dissociated cations and anions. These dissociated ions interfere with the transport of lithium ions in lithium battery. In this study, a mathematical model is developed for transport of ionic components to study the performance of ionic liquid based lithium batteries. The mathematical model is based on a univalent ternary electrolyte frequently encountered in ionic liquid electrolytes of lithium batteries. Owing to the very high concentration of components in ionic liquid, the transport of lithium ions is described by the mutual diffusion phenomena using Maxwell-Stefan diffusivities, which are obtained from atomistic simulation. The model is employed to study a lithium-ion battery where the electrolyte comprises ionic liquid with mppy + (N-methyl-N-propyl pyrrolidinium) cation and TFSI − (bis trifluoromethanesulfonyl imide) anion. For a moderate value of reaction rate constant, the electric performance results predicted by the model are in good agreement with experimental data. We also studied the effect of porosity and thickness of separator on the performance of lithium-ion battery using this model. Numerical results indicate that low rate of lithium ion transport causes lithium depleted zone in the porous cathode regions as the porosity decreases or the length of the separator increases. The lithium depleted region is responsible for lower specific capacity in lithium-ion cells. The model presented in this study can be used for design of optimal ionic liquid electrolytes for lithium-ion and lithium-air batteries.
Regular Exchange Economies with Negative Prices

The standard model of regular exchange economies assumes monotone preferences (“more is always better”), which then assures that only positive prices need to be considered. Trout Rader (1972) has introduced a general equilibrium model where negative prices are allowed, and has provided a proof of existence of equilibrium.1 In the current paper we consider a version of Rader’s model simplified to exchange economies, and explore the results possible when regularity conditions are introduced. While static results on the number of equilibria are considered, emphasis is also given to a dynamic interpretation of the model. It is found that most static results from the standard model transfer appropriately to the current model. This process of transfer may also be reversed, however. The simplicity of the current model permits new results to be derived with minimal complications. The derivations then suggest whether the results may be extended back to the standard model. An example of this process is given in the context of comparative statics.
Rickettsial Physiology and Metabolism in the Face of Reductive Evolution

One of the major emphases of the author's research program is to understand how obligate intracytoplasmic growth has affected the physiology of Rickettsia prowazekii. This chapter discusses metabolism and reductive evolution from the pathogenic rickettsia's point of view. Rapid advances in sequencing technologies have contributed to the ever-expanding availability of genome sequence information. This has significantly augmented our understanding of the factors that influence virulence and shape pathogen evolution at the genome level. The chapter summarizes the studies describing rickettsial physiology and metabolism before 1998, when the first rickettsial genome sequence became available. It provides insight into some of the key experiments that guided the field during a productive period in rickettsial research. The R.prowazekii adenosine triphosphate (ATP)/adenosine diphosphate (ADP) translocase is the best-characterized rickettsial transport system. It is well established that the ATP/ADP translocase functions via an obligate exchange antiport mechanism and thus requires the presence of substrate on both sides of the membrane to catalyze transport. Studies examining the physiology of rickettsiae that are growing intracellularly have contributed much to the understanding of rickettsia-host interactions. The chapter discusses how obligate intracellular growth has affected the rickettsia's capacity for gene regulation. As a final facet of rickettsial gene regulation, transcriptional termination is also explained in the chapter.
Wearable CMG design for the Variable Vector Countermeasure Suit

The Variable Vector Countermeasure Suit (V2Suit) is a countermeasure suit for sensorimotor adaptation and musculoskeletal deconditioning in microgravity. The V2Suit consists of wearable modules containing arrays of control moment gyroscopes (CMGs) that provide a viscous resistance to motions made against a specified direction. To reduce the movement coordination and sensorimotor problems seen during and following gravity level transitions, this resistance will be felt in the direction of “down” to mimic gravity.
Introduction: After the Return

As a topic, repatriation has ignited debates for years amongst scholars, local communities, and collecting institutions. The digital age has intensified and changed these discussions in ways that are sometimes unpredictable. One such shift is away from legal definitions and assumptions about repatriation to more inclusive notions of digital return and community stewardship. There are ever more stakeholders involved in the circulation of culture, often collaborating in innovative ways to manage, preserve, use and re-use digitally returned materials in mutually beneficial and meaningful ways. The articles in this special issue explore this critical field and extend the emerging discussion.
Ontological confusion: Eshu and the Devil dance to The Samba of the Black Madman

What does it take to recognise “confusion” as a particular form in itself? This text explores how different types of knowledge inflect the way that some Brazilian favela (shantytown) dwellers experience and deal with confusion in their daily lives. I contend that religious grammars of confusion may enable the recognition and understanding of a wide variety of other (ontological) forms of confusion in the daily life of different groups living in Favela da Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro. The method used for my investigation is an ethnographic and recursive one. Part of the confusion manifested in the capacity of recognising “a confusion” derives exactly from the condition that there is no fixed or neutral epistemological position to serve as a basis from which to arbitrate with precision the existence of confusion as a form. In an attempt to better understand the way under which confusion exists in people’s everyday lives, I describe and analyse particular events that I experienced during an Afro-Brazilian (Umband...
Monitoring and evaluating implemented his

As early as 1973, Richard Nolan described a concept of stages in monitoring computer applications. By 1979 he refined his stages because of the experiences many companies in business had with computer proliferation. The stages that Nolan described may be applied to Hospital Information System dynamics. He described a time when an institution may undergo a transition from computer management to data resource management. It is a stage in the process of computer applications that evaluates the proposed change, considers the users new sophistication with the system, and alerts administrative personnel about the impact of proposed changes. This paper presents an organizational concept for monitoring 20 elements when considering HIS changes so that unilateral changes that are uncoordinated can be avoided. When a hospital reaches a stage where changes in the system, both negative and positive can be monitored and evaluated, the organization is entering a stage of maturity.
Portal fusion protein constraints on function in DNA packaging of bacteriophage T4

Architecturally conserved viral portal dodecamers are central to capsid assembly and DNA packaging. To examine bacteriophage T4 portal functions, we constructed, expressed and assembled portal gene 20 fusion proteins. C-terminally fused (gp20-GFP, gp20-HOC) and N-terminally fused (GFP-gp20 and HOC-gp20) portal fusion proteins assembled in vivo into active phage. Phage assembled C-terminal fusion proteins were inaccessible to trypsin whereas assembled N-terminal fusions were accessible to trypsin, consistent with locations inside and outside the capsid respectively. Both N- and C-terminal fusions required coassembly into portals with approximately 50% wild-type (WT) or near WT-sized 20am truncated portal proteins to yield active phage. Trypsin digestion of HOC-gp20 portal fusion phage showed comparable protection of the HOC and gp20 portions of the proteolysed HOC-gp20 fusion, suggesting both proteins occupy protected capsid positions, at both the portal and the proximal HOC capsid-binding sites. The external portal location of the HOC portion of the HOC-gp20 fusion phage was confirmed by anti-HOC immuno-gold labelling studies that showed a gold 'necklace' around the phage capsid portal. Analysis of HOC-gp20-containing proheads showed increased HOC protein protection from trypsin degradation only after prohead expansion, indicating incorporation of HOC-gp20 portal fusion protein to protective proximal HOC-binding sites following this maturation. These proheads also showed no DNA packaging defect in vitro as compared with WT. Retention of function of phage and prohead portals with bulky internal (C-terminal) and external (N-terminal) fusion protein extensions, particularly of apparently capsid tethered portals, challenges the portal rotation requirement of some hypothetical DNA packaging mechanisms.
Behavioral Sleep Disorders in Children and Adolescents

Sleep problems in children and adolescents are common, with an estimated prevalence of 25–40%. If left untreated, sleep problems can have a significant impact on the cognitive, social, and emotional functioning of children and adolescents. In general, behavioral sleep disorders present with at least one of the following complaints: bedtime problems, difficulties falling asleep, frequent and/or prolonged night wakings, or excessive daytime sleepiness. Despite these common symptoms, the causes, diagnoses, and treatments for behavioral sleep disorders vary depending on the nature of the disorder and the child's age. Furthermore, behavioral sleep issues are frequently experienced by children and adolescents with common psychiatric disorders, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, and mood/anxiety disorders.
Visual discrimination learning in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Three experiments demonstrated visual discrimination learning in zebrafish (Danio rerio). In each experiment, zebrafish were given a choice between two visually distinct arms of a T-maze. Choice of one stimulus was always followed by a food reward, but choice of the other stimulus was not rewarded. Different colored sleeves fitted around the arms of the T-maze were used in Experiments 1 (green and purple) and 2 (red and blue). The stimuli used in Experiment 3 were white sleeves lined with horizontal or vertical black stripes. In all three experiments, zebrafish acquired a significant preference for the stimulus that led to a food reward. Experiments 1 and 2 also showed that zebrafish could learn a reversal of the discrimination. Finally, the effect of discontinuing food rewards was examined after reversal training in Experiment 2 and after initial discrimination training in Experiments 1 and 3. Non-reinforcement led to a decrease in correct responding in Experiments 2 and 3 independent of stimulus identity, but to an asymmetrical pattern of responding in Experiment 1. The median latency to make a choice response decreased over the course of acquisition in all three experiments; during extinction, median response times did not change at all in Experiment 1 and increased only very slightly in Experiment 2, but showed a substantial increase in Experiment 3. The implications of these results for the zebrafish as a model system for genetic studies of learning and memory are discussed.
Finite-amplitude instability of mixed convection

The finite-amplitude instability of mixed convection of air in a vertical concentric annulus with each cylinder maintained at a different temperature is studied by use of weakly nonlinear instability theory and by direct numerical simulation. A strictly shear instability and two thermally induced instabilities exist in the parameter space of Reynolds and Grashof numbers. The first thermal instability occurs at low Reynolds numbers as the rate of heating increases, and is called a thermal-shear instability because it is a shear-driven instability induced by thermal effects. The second thermal instability occurs at larger Reynolds number as heating increases, and is also a thermally induced shear instability called the interactive instability. The weakly nonlinear results demonstrate that the thermal-shear instability is supercritical at all wavenumbers. With the shear and interactive instabilities, however, both subcritical and supercritical branches appear on the neutral curves. The validity of the weakly nonlinear calculations are verified by comparison with a direct simulation. The results for subcritical instabilities show that the weakly nonlinear calculations are accurate when the magnitude of the amplification rate is small, but the accuracy deteriorates for large amplification rates. However, the trends predicted by the weakly nonlinear theory agree with those predicted by the direct simulations for a large portion of the parameter space. Analyses of the energy sources for the disturbance show that subcritical instability of the shear and interactive modes occurs at larger wavenumbers because of increased gradient production of disturbance kinetic energy. This is because, at shorter wavelengths, the growth of the wave causes the shape of the fundamental disturbance to change from that predicted by linear instability theory to a shape more favourable for shear-energy production. The results also show that many possibly unstable modes may be present simultaneously. Consequently, all of these modes, as well as all of the possible wave interactions among the modes, must be considered to obtain a complete picture of mixed-convection instability.
Magnetoresistance, micromagnetism, and domain-wall scattering in epitaxial hcp Co films

Large negative magnetoresistance ~MR! observed in transport measurements of hcp Co films with stripe domains were recently reported and interpreted in terms of domain-wall ~DW! scattering mechanism. Here detailed MR measurements, magnetic force microscopy, and micromagnetic calculations are combined to elucidate the origin of MR in this material. The large negative room-temperature MR reported previously is shown to be due to ferromagnetic resistivity anisotropy. Measurements of the resistivity for currents parallel ~CIW! and perpendicular to DW’s ~CPW! have been conducted as a function of temperature. Low-temperature results show that any intrinsic effect of DW’s scattering on MR of this material is very small compared to the anisotropic MR. The effect of magnetic domain walls ~DW’s! on the transport properties of thin films and nanostructures is a topic of great current interest. Recent experimental research has extended early studies of iron single crystals 1,2 to nanofabricated thin-film structures of 3d transition metals 3‐5 and transition-metal alloys. 6,7 This topic has been approached from a number of viewpoints. In nanowires an experimental goal has been to use magnetoresistance ~MR! to investigate DW nucleation and dynamics in search of evidence for macroscopic quantum phenomena. Conductance fluctuations and MR hysteresis observed at low temperature in nanowires of Ni, Fe, and Co ~Refs. 8 and 9! have stimulated theoretical work on the effect of DW’s on quantum transport in mesoscopic ferromagnetic conductors. 10,11 In thin films and microstructures with stripe domains, experiments have focused on understanding the basic mechanisms of DW scattering of conduction electrons. Specifically, large negative MR observed at room temperature in hcp Co thin films with stripe domains were recently reported and interpreted in terms of a giant DW scattering contribution to the resistivity. 4 Independently, and to understand this result, a mechanism of DW scattering was proposed which invokes the two channel model of conduction in ferromagnets and spin dependent electron scattering—a starting point for understanding the phenomena of giant MR ~GMR!. 12 Within this model DW’s increase resistivity because they mix the minority and majority spin channels and thus partially eliminate the short circuit provided by the lower resistivity spin channel in the magnetically homogeneous ferromagnet.
Approximating sample size requirements for s2 charts

Sample size determination is one of the most important considerations in the design of a control chart. The optimal sample size will provide control over both type I and type II errors. The optimal sample size for an S2 chart can be determined exactly using an iterative procedure. Duncan presented a procedure to approximate the required sample size. The accuracy of Duncan's approximation is examined and an improved approximation is proposed.
Gamma decay of isoscalar and isovector giant resonances following heavy-ion inelastic scattering

Abstract Results from studies of gamma decay of giant resonances in 208 Pb and 90 Zr following inelastic excitation by 22 and 84 MeV/nucleon 17 O ions are presented. Data on ground state decay of isoscalar giant quadrupole and isovector giant dipole resonances are presented and compared with calculations. Decays from resonances to low lying excited states are also discussed. Preliminary results from an attempt to isolate the isovector quadrupole resonance in 208 Pb using its gamma decay are presented.
Chaperones That SNARE Neurotransmitter Release

The cellular machinery of neurotransmitter release is well known, but the precise molecular mechanism has long been elusive ( 1 ). Its basic features are clear enough: Neuron firing causes the intracellular Ca2+ concentration to rise, triggering the fusion of synaptic vesicles carrying neurotransmitter molecules with the plasma membrane. Fusion is mediated by SNARE [soluble N -ethylmaleimide–sensitive factor (NSF) attachment protein (SNAP) receptor] proteins and a Ca2+ sensor (synaptotagmin) in a process that has been reproduced in vitro using artificial membrane vesicles (liposomes) and purified proteins. A conundrum has, however, remained: In vitro fusion does not depend critically on two additional proteins—Munc13 and Munc18—that are essential for synaptic vesicle fusion in vivo. On page 421 of this issue, Ma et al. ( 2 ) report a modified in vitro fusion assay that depends not only on SNAREs and synaptotagmin-Ca2+, but also on both Munc13 and Munc18. The results identify a mechanistic role for Munc13 and Munc18 and force reconsideration of the fundamental model for SNARE assembly.
Computational analysis using CisFind of the 3'UTR of cytosolic Glutamine synthetase genes involved in posttranscriptional regulation

Glutamine synthetase (GS) is a key enzyme in nitrogen metabolism in plants. One of the GS isoforms in plants, GS1, is transcriptionally regulated. Our recent studies show that a soybean GS1, Gmglnsl, gene is posttranscriptionally regulated by its 3'UTR. Using a transgenic approach, we have shown that the 3'UTR of one of the two alfalfa GS 1 genes, MsGS100, plays a similar role as the 3'UTR of Gmglnsl gene in posttranscriptional regulation of a reporter gene while the 3'UTR of the other alfalfa GS1 gene, MsGS13, does not. The transgenic data was verified using CisFind, and the results showed that the MsGSl00 and Gmglnsl with similar posttranscriptional regulation pattern shared common putative cis-elements in their 3'UTRs whereas these elements were absent in MsGS13 3'UTR that did not exhibit similar posttranscriptional regulation pattern. CisFind also detected putative cis-elements that are overrepresented in the 3'UTR of nodule-enhanced GS 1 genes.
Great Men and Large Numbers: Undertheorising a History of Mass Killing

Scholarship is not only about gaining new insights or establishing accurate knowledge but also about struggling for political impact and for market shares – shares of public or private funds, of academic jobs, of quotations by peers, and of media performances. Timothy Snyder's Bloodlands fights for recentring contemporary European history.1 No longer, his new book implies, should the centre of that history be Germany, which initiated two world wars and engaged with three genocides; even less should the centre be Western Europe, which historians for long have glorified as the trendsetter of modernity; and the Soviet Union, or Russia, does not qualify as ‘centre’ anyway. Introducing ‘to European history its central event’ (p. 380) means to focus on the eastern territories of Europe, the lands between Germany and Russia, which, according to Snyder, suffered more than any other part from systematic, politically motivated, mass murder in the twentieth century. The superior victimhood of the ‘bloodlands’ is a numerical one. Fourteen million people, Jewish and non-Jewish, in the territories of what is today most of Poland, the Ukraine, Belarus, western Russia, and the Baltic States did not become just casualties of war but victims of deliberate mass murder. Indeed, this is ‘a very large number’ (p. 411), one that stands many comparisons: ten million people perished in Soviet and German concentration camps (as opposed to the Nazi death camps, which were located within the ‘bloodlands’), 165,000 German Jews died during the Holocaust (p. ix), and even the number of war casualties most single countries or territories counted in the Second World War was smaller.
Pretoria's “total strategy” and low‐intensity warfare in Southern Africa

Abstract Since the late 1970s the Republic of South Africa has faced mounting internal and external threats to the white regime which it assumes are motivated and controlled by the Soviet Union. Pretoria's response to this has been the creation of what is called the “Total Strategy.” This is characterized by a near wartime level of resource mobilization, the integration of political, economic, and military resources, and a combination of negative and positive inducements used against threats to the regime. Since its inception, negative inducements, particularly the use of force, have increasingly been stressed at the expense of positive inducements. The Total Strategy represents the most sophisticated development of low‐intensity conflict doctrine in the world today, particularly the psychological dimensions of conflict, but its long‐term viability may be challenged by a range of dilemmas and contradictions.
Reconfigurable Fiber Optics And Generalized Crossbar Switches

A novel design concept for a generalized optical crossbar switch is presented. The approach relies on a massive fiber optic logic array and entirely eliminates the need for a spatial light modulator. Interconnection limitations and scaling issues are examined.
Direct role for Myc in transcription initiation mediated by interactions with TFII-I

THE nuclear proto-oncoprotein Myc has been implicated in the control of cell proliferation and differentiation1–3. Myc participates in transcription4,5 and belongs to the basic–helix–loop–helix (bHLH) family of regulatory proteins2,3. Here we show that Myc interacts with TFII-I, a transcription initiation factor that activates core promoters through an initiator element (Inr)6. As previously observed for the bHLH activator USF6, Myc was found to interact cooperatively with TFII-I at both Inr and upstream E-box promoter elements. However, in this case Myc interactions with TFII-I at the Inr lead to an inhibition of transcription initiation. This inhibition is selective for a TFII-I-dependent (as opposed to TFIIA-dependent) initiation pathway and correlates with the prevention of complex formation between the TATA-binding protein TBP (TFIIDτ), TFII-I and the promoter. TBP probably interacts with Myc, but only slowly. These observations indicate that Myc has the potential to interact physically and functionally with components of the general transcription machinery.
Density Measurements on Synthetic Rubbers

Abstract For many purposes the density of a material need be known with an accuracy of only a few per cent. For many materials the density of one sample may differ from that of another by this amount, and no useful purpose may be served by making more precise measurements on individual samples. In natural rubber, the densities of different samples have been shown, in a compilation of twenty-one values, to lie with two exceptions between 0.905 and 0.919 gram per cc. at 25° C. The variations probably represent real differences in the samples and not accidental errors of observation. Since one can seldom know exactly the origin and subsequent treatment of a sample of natural rubber, there is little value in increasing the precision of measurement. Synthetic rubbers, on the other hand, can be regarded as usually produced under conditions which are much better controlled and known. It is logical, then, to measure the density with greater precision and to hope to be able to ascribe significance to its variation...
Optimal call admission control under packet and call level QoS constraints and effect of buffering

For a single network switch allocating link bandwidth to connections of a single class, an optimal call admission control (CAC) policy is found by the solution of a linear programming (LP) problem. Our optimization differs from previous work in that we include the effect of an output buffer in the switch for the temporary storage of packets bound for transmittal across the link. We find a policy that is optimal in the sense of minimizing call blocking subject to a packet level quality of service (QoS) requirement that limits the packet loss ratio. Such a policy's call blocking probability, if it is small enough to satisfy a call level QoS requirement, then establishes the feasibility of satisfying both the packet and call level QoS requirements for a given call request rate. We show with a previously described example that the addition of even a small output buffer can significantly increase the range of call request rates for which there exists a feasible policy, i.e. one that satisfies both QoS requirements. Also presented is an upper bound, valid for any fixed buffer size, on the range of call request rates for which there exists a feasible CAC policy. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Learning through self-reflection: understanding communication barriers faced by a cross-cultural cohort of pharmacy students

Abstract Objectives Little is known about the communication barriers experienced by pharmacy students. The objective of this research was to enable students to reflect on their communication styles and barriers through the writing process. Methods Twenty-six critical incident student essays were purposefully selected from a culturally diverse cohort of fourth year (P-2) Doctor of Pharmacy students. Each student in the course was required to complete a critical incident essay as part of a course-related assignment. Results The data were analyzed using ATLAS.ti (ATLAST.ti GmbH, Berlin, Germany), a computer program that aids in the analysis of qualitative data. Three main themes emerged from the analysis: (1) Social communication barriers, (2) patient-focused or experiential communication barriers, and (3) environmental or structural communication barriers. Conclusions This study allowed students a forum to introspectively focus on their communication barriers. It also allows educators a window into the cognitive and affective communicative barriers experienced by pharmacy students.
Age-related changes in septal serotonergic, GABAergic and glutamatergic facilitation of retention in SAMP8 mice.

Abstract SAMP8/TaJf(P8) mouse strain has an inherited age-related impairment of learning and memory with its onset relatively early in its lifespan. Previously, it was reported that cholinergic and glutamatergic drugs injected into the hippocampus after behavioral training showed considerable shifts in the dose that improved retention in mice at 12 compared to 4 months of age. Cholinergic neurons in the septum supply most of the acetylcholine released in the hippocampus. In the present study, we determined if altered functional status of neurotransmission in the septum might account for the decrease in cholinergic and glutamatergic activity in the hippocampus of older SAMP8 mice. After training on footshock avoidance, P8 mice received a drug injection into the septum. Retention was tested 1 week later. The results indicate that bicuculline, GABA-A, and saclofen, GABA-B, receptor antagonist had to be injected at a higher dose in 12- than in 4-month-old mice to improve retention. The serotonergic antagonists, ketanserin and methiothepin, both showed dose–response shifts such that less drug was needed to improve retention in 12- as compared to 4-month-old mice. It required four times more l -glutamate to improve retention in 12- than in 4-month-old mice. Agonists for acetylcholine, dopamine and norepinephrine receptors or an opiate antagonist required little or no change in the dose needed to improve retention in older P8 mice. SAMP8 mice may show an age-related impairment of septohippocampal functioning.
Managing qualitative information and quantitative data on political parties

Abstract Techniques are described for managing information collected for a project to compare 158 political parties from 53 countries during 1950–1962. Information obtained from bibliographic searches and correspondence was stored on microfilm; the MIRACODE system was used for retrieval. Researchers scored the parties examined on thirteen different issues along a scale ranging from +5 (leftist) to − 5 (rightist). Each code assigned was accompanied by a discussion of the coding judgments and a code to indicate adequacy of the information and the researcher's degree of confidence. The use of the system is demonstrated with reference to the two major parties in the US and UK, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the (now defunct) Portuguese National Union. The accuracy of the coding is evaluated by comparing the ratings of experts from the US and Soviet Union.
The effect of Co alloying content on the kinetics of reaction zone growth in tungsten fiber reinforced superalloy composites

A Co-free modified superalloy similar in composition to Waspaloy is investigated in an effort to understand the effect of Co on reaction zone growth kinetics and verify the chemistry dependence of reaction zone growth in the matrix of tungsten fiber reinforced superalloy composites. The values of the parabolic rate constant, characterizing the kinetics of reaction zone growth, for the Waspaloy matrix and the C-free alloy as well as five other alloys from a previous study confirm the dependence of reaction zone growth kinetics on cobalt content of the matrix. The Co-free alloy composite exhibits the slowest reaction zone growth among all tungsten fiber reinforced composites studied to date.
The Interannual Variability of Tropical Cyclones

Abstract This paper examines the interannual variability of tropical cyclones in each of the earth’s cyclone basins using data from 1985 to 2003. The data are first analyzed using a Monte Carlo technique to investigate the long-standing myth that the global number of tropical cyclones is less variable than would be expected from examination of the variability in each basin. This belief is found to be false. Variations in the global number of all tropical cyclones are indistinguishable from those that would be expected if each basin was examined independently of the others. Furthermore, the global number of the most intense storms (Saffir–Simpson categories 4–5) is actually more variable than would be expected because of an observed tendency for storm activity to be correlated between basins, and this raises important questions as to how and why these correlations arise. Interbasin correlations and factor analysis of patterns of tropical cyclone activity reveal that there are several significant modes of v...
Progression of knee joint kinematics in children with cerebral palsy with and without rectus femoris transfers: a long-term follow up

Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare long-term outcomes of multi-level surgery with and without rectus femoris transfer (RFT) in a group of children with cerebral palsy. Forty-one subjects with a diagnosis of cerebral palsy were divided into a RFT group (28 subjects with 50 sides) and non-RFT group (13 subjects with 22 sides). The study protocol included pre-operative gait analysis, multi-level orthopedic surgical intervention, one year post-operative gait analysis, and three year or greater post-operative gait analysis. All participants received inpatient physical therapy for 2–12 weeks either following surgery or following a period of immobilization, depending on surgical procedures performed. Results showed improved peak knee flexion during swing phase (PKFS) for the RFT group one year after surgery. The deviation from normal in PKFS in the RFT group improved, on average, from seven to five degrees. The deviation from normal in PKFS in the non-RFT group increased approximately four degrees in the same period of time. The knee flexion swing range (KFSR) of the RFT group increased dramatically by 11 degrees after surgery, where no significant KFSR changes observed in the non-RFT group. Those parameters maintained relatively stable from one to three years post surgery for both groups. These observations support our hypothesis that improvements after RFT surgery persist over time, counteracting the negative effects of growth and time.
Reinforcement of PDMS masters using SU-8 truss structures

In this work, a new method was developed to increase the stiffness of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) masters using SU-8 truss structures, aimed at reducing residual deformations of the PDMS masters induced in the molding process. Using this method, both global and local residual deformations in the released PDMS master have been reduced.
Determination of soluble/insoluble tungsten compounds as discrete entities in industrial hygiene samples

A method was developed for the determination of soluble and insoluble tungsten compounds collected simultaneously in industrial hygiene air samples. Soluble tungsten compounds are leached from the collection filter using deionized water. The residual tungsten material is dissolved by a HNO3HF digestion, after the removal of potential interfering metal ions by a hydrochloric acid extraction. Atomic absorption spectrometric determination of tungsten in a nitrous oxide—acetylene flame is feasible over the range 10—500 μg ml-1 at the 255.1-nm line; the working range may be extended to 1000 mg ml-1 without dilution of the sample by using the 400.8-nm line.
Video games as nursing interventions.

Edited byMona M. Shattell, RN, PhD, FAANDePaul University, School of Nursing, Chicago, Illinois, USAEdited byMichelle Cleary, RN, PhDSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Western Sydney, A...
Evaluation of the UNC toluene-SOA mechanism with respect to other chamber studies and key model parameters

Abstract In a companion paper by Hu et al. [2007. A kinetic mechanism for predicting secondary organic aerosol formation from toluene oxidation in the presence of NO x and natural sunlight. Atmospheric Environment, doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.04.025 ], a kinetic mechanism was developed from data generated in the University of North Carolina's (UNC) 270 m 3 dual outdoor aerosol smog chamber, to predict secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from toluene oxidation in the atmosphere. In this paper, experimental data sets from European Photoreactor (EUPHORE), smog chambers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and the UNC 300 m 3 dual-outdoor gas phase chamber were used to evaluate the toluene mechanism. The model simulates SOA formation for the ‘low-NO x ’ and ‘mid-NO x ’ experiments from EUPHORE chambers reasonably well, but over-predicts SOA mass concentrations for the ‘high-NO x ’ run. The model well simulates the SOA mass concentrations observed from the Caltech chambers. Experiments with the three key toluene products, 1,4-butenedial, 4-oxo-2-pentenal and o -cresol in the presence of oxides of nitrogen (NO x ) are also simulated by the developed mechanism. The model well predicts the NO x time–concentration profiles and the decay of these two carbonyls, but underestimates ozone (O 3 ) formation for 4-oxo-2-pentenal. It well simulates SOA formation from 1,4-butenedial but overestimates (possibly due to experimental problems) the measured aerosol mass concentrations from 4-oxo-2-pentenal. The model underestimates SOA production from o -cresol, mostly due to its under-prediction of o -cresol decay. The effects of varying temperature, relative humidity, glyoxal uptake, organic nitrate yields, and background seed aerosol concentrations, were also investigated.
Climate change: Southern see-saw seen.

The bipolar see-saw hypothesis provides an explanation for why temperature shifts in the two hemispheres were out of phase at certain times. The hypothesis has now passed a test of one of its predictions.
Renal artery embolization for the symptomatic treatment of adult polycystic kidney disease.

Reports from Japan indicate that renal artery embolization holds promise for relieving the 'mass effect' symptoms of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Authors from the University of Maryland School of Medicine compare the safety and efficacy of this procedure with that of the techniques more widely used to relieve the symptoms of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, including nephrectomy, cyst marsupialization and cyst decortication.