cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Connecting all electronic states of TaH: Observation of five new weak bands

Abstract Five new weak bands in the electronic spectrum of gaseous tantalum hydride (TaH) have been recorded and rotationally analyzed by laser excitation spectroscopy. Due to common upper or lower states, the measurement of these bands has provided absolute term energies for all 18 known electronic states of the molecule. A global least-squares fit to all new and previously recorded excitation bands has produced an accurate set of term energies and rotational constants for the electronic states. Refined Ω-doubling constants are also reported as well as absolute e/f parity assignments for the Ω-doubled [16.1]1 state.
Effects of Phosphatidylserine Source of Docosahexaenoic Acid on Cerebellar Development in Preterm Pigs

Preterm birth, a major contributor to infant mortality and morbidity, impairs development of the cerebellum, the brain region involved in cognitive processing and motor function. Previously, we showed that at term-equivalent age, preterm pigs that received formula supplemented with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) esterified to phosphatidylserine (PS) had cerebellar weights similar to those of newborn term pigs and were heavier than control preterm pigs. However, whether PS-DHA promotes the development of specific cerebellar cell populations or enhances key developmental processes remains unknown. Here we investigated the effects of the PS-DHA on development of the cerebellum in preterm pigs delivered via caesarean section and reared for ten days on a milk replacer with either PS-DHA (experimental group) or sunflower oil (control group). Upon necropsy, key cerebellar populations were analyzed using immunohistochemistry. Consumption of PS-DHA was associated with the expansion of undifferentiated granule cell precursors and increased proliferation in the external granule cell layer (EGL). Preterm pigs that received PS-DHA also had significantly fewer apoptotic cells in the internal granule cell layer (IGL) that contains differentiated granule neurons. PS-DHA did not affect the number of differentiating granule cells in the inner EGL, thickness of the inner EGL, density of Purkinje cells, or Bergmann glial fibers, or diameter of Purkinje cells. Thus, PS-DHA may support cerebellar development in preterm subjects by enhancing proliferation of granule cells, a process specifically inhibited by preterm birth, and increasing the survival of granule cells in the IGL. These findings suggest that PS-DHA is a promising candidate for clinical studies directed at enhancing brain development.
Evaluation of Outcomes Following Surgery for Locally Advanced Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors.

Importance Although outcome of surgical resection of liver metastases from pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) has been extensively studied, little is known about surgery for locally advanced PNETs; it was listed recently by the European neuroendocrine tumor society as a major unmet need. Objective To evaluate the outcome of patients who underwent surgery for locally aggressive PNETs. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective single-center case series reviewed consecutive patients who underwent resection of T3/T4 PNETs at a single academic institution. Data collection occurred from 2003 to 2018. Data analysis was performed in August 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures Disease-free survival (primary outcome) and overall mortality (secondary outcome) were assessed with Kaplan-Meier analysis. Recurrence risk (secondary outcome, defined as identification of tumor recurrence on imaging) was assessed with Cox proportional hazard models adjusting for covariates. Results In this case series, 99 patients with locally advanced nondistant metastatic PNET (56 men [57%]) with a mean (SEM) age of 57.0 (1.4) years and a mean (SEM) follow-up of 5.3 (0.1) years underwent surgically aggressive resections. Of those, 4 patients (4%) underwent preoperative neoadjuvant treatment (including peptide receptor radionuclide therapy and chemotherapy); 18 patients (18%) underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy, 68 patients (69%) had distal or subtotal pancreatic resection, 10 patients (10%) had total resection, and 3 patients (3%) had other pancreatic procedures. Additional organ resection was required in 86 patients (87%): spleen (71 patients [71%]), major blood vessel (17 patients [17%]), bowel (2 patients [2%]), stomach (4 patients [4%]), and kidney (2 patients [2%]). Five-year disease-free survival was 61% (61 patients) and 5-year overall survival was 91% (91 patients). Of those living, 75 patients (76%) had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score of less than or equal to 1 at last followup. Lymph node involvement (HR, 7.66; 95% CI, 2.78-21.12;P Conclusions and Relevance In this case series, positive lymph node involvement and resection of organs with tumor involvement were associated with an increased recurrence risk. These subgroups may require adjuvant systemic treatment. These findings suggest that patients with locally advanced PNETs who undergo surgical resection have excellent disease-free and overall survival.
Implementation of Electronic Clinical Decision Support Tools for Antibiotic Stewardship in Pediatric Appendicitis.

BackgroundThe efficacy of clinical decision support (CDS) tools to promote antibiotic stewardship in pediatric appendicitis remains poorly understood. Here, we developed an electronic order panel (...
Causal (Progressive) Encoding over Binary Symmetric Channels with Noiseless Feedback

Traditional communication systems transmit a code-word only after all message bits are available at the transmitter. This paper joins Guo & Kostina and Lalitha et al. in developing approaches for causal encoding, where the transmitter may begin transmitting codeword symbols as soon as the first message bit arrives. Building on the posterior matching encoders of Horstein, Shayevitz & Feder, and Naghshvar et al., this paper extends our computationally efficient systematic encoder to progressively encode using only the message bits that are causally available. Systematic codes work well with posterior matching on a channel with feedback, and they provide an immediate benefit when causal encoding is employed instead of traditional encoding. Our algorithm captures additional gains in the interesting region where the transmission rate $\mu$ is higher than the source rate $\lambda$ at which message bits become available. In this region, we improve performance further through the transmission of additional, non-systematic symbols before a traditional encoder would have even begun transmission.
Improving Preschool Accountability Systems: Bringing Individual Children’s Experiences Back to Child Policy:

Preschool accountability systems, including Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS), seek to assess, monitor, and improve children’s outcomes across the early care and education (ECE) landsca...
Limit to Navigation by Ice in the Port of Churchill

The Port of Churchill is closed to navigation by the passage of frazil and slush ice prior to the general freeze up of its sea approaches. The investigation shows that the navigation season could be extended up to 14 days if ice conditions can be improved. Surveys show that the river temperature reaches its freezing point in advance of the seawater and that the current system in the harbor increases the ice concentration at the wharf. Diversion of the river upstream for power purposes will affect the rate of ice production. Rough calculations indicate that reduction of flow rate will increase the rate of river cooling, but the reduction in velocity will encourage formation of a solid ice cover which will inhibit the frazil ice production.
Book Review: With Joyful Acceptance, Maybe: Developing a Contemporary Theology of Suffering in Conversation with Five Christian Thinkers: Gregory the Great, Julian of Norwich, Jeremy Taylor, C. S. Lewis, and Ivone Gebara:

With Joyful Acceptance, Maybe: Developing a Contemporary Theology of Suffering in Conversation with Five Christian Thinkers: Gregory the Great, Julian of Norwich, Jeremy Taylor, C. S. Lewis, and Ivone Gebara. By Molly Field James. Eugene, Ore.: Wipf & Stock, 2012. xiii + 213 pp. $28.00 (paper).Molly Field James is an Episcopal priest and professor who teaches ethics and pastoral care at Hartford Seminary and the University of St. Joseph. With Joyful Acceptance, Maybe is her first book-length publication. James's contemporaiy theology of suffering is influenced by her professional experience as a hospital chaplain and parish priest, as well as her personal experience as a cancer survivor.James's book offers a typology of theological responses to grief and suffering, drawing on the work of Gregory the Great, Julian of Norwich, Jeremy Taylor, C. S. Lewis, and Ivone Gebara. James's focus is not questions of evil and theodicy, but the experience of suffering in the life of the Christian. When is suffering redemptive, and therefore to be accepted? When is suffering not redemptive, and therefore to be resisted? Each of the five thinkers deals with the challenge of suffering theologically and from personal experience. Along the way, five themes serve as touchstones: the human condition, God's providence, Christ, salvation, and eternal life. After analyzing and comparing the thinkers, James proposes a fusion of the five, concluding that Christian theology requires a "nuanced acceptance" of suffering (p. 192). On the one hand, Christians are bound to experience suffering and must learn to endure it with faith and hope. On the other hand, such acceptance does not rule out the pursuit of human flourishing, which must include opposition to sin and injustice that leads to suffering.With Joyful Acceptance, Maybe begins by offering a working definition of suffering and grief, a discussion of typologies, and a review of major works that overlap with James's project. In chapter 1, James then introduces Gregory the Great and his handbook on pastoral care. For Gregory, Christians should greet all suffering as a gift from God that "pushes one to engage in reflection, repentance, and amendment of life" (p. 26). The next chapter discusses the Revelations of Julian of Norwich, who views the experience of suffering as a primarily good thing because it is "the path to the reward of blissful union with God in Christ" (p. 73). James then reviews the work of seventeenth-century divine Jeremy Taylor. In his manual Holy Living and Dying, Taylor suggests that suffering should be embraced as an opportunity to "live a more holy life through the practice of patient forbearance," looking to the reward of eternal life (p. …
Complete prevention of postischemic spinal cord injury by means of regional infusion with hypothermic saline and adenosine

Spinal cord injury after operations on the descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aorta remains a persistent clinical problem. Previous attempts to decrease the risk of this devastating complication by lowering the rate of metabolism of the spinal cord have met with varying success. We hypothesized that the tolerance of the spinal cord to an ischemic insult could be improved by means of adenosine. Twenty New Zealand white rabbits underwent 40 minutes of isolated infrarenal aortic occlusion after heparin anticoagulation. Clamps were placed both below the left renal vein and above the aortic bifurcation. In 10 rabbits (group A), a bolus of adenosine (100 mg) was infused into the isolated aortic segment immediately after crossclamping and this bolus was followed by a flush of hypothermic saline (8° C, 30 ml/kg) over the first 10 minutes of ischemia. In one control group of five animals (group B), the descending infrarenal aorta was crossclamped without infusion of adenosine or saline. In another control group of five animals (group C), the aortic segment was flushed with normothermic saline (37° C) in a fashion identical to that of the study group. The aortic clamps were removed after 40 minutes, the abdomen was closed, and the animals were allowed to recover from anesthesia. Spinal cord function was assessed 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours after operation by the Tarlov scale. All animals were put to death at 96 hours after operation and spinal cords were harvested for histologic analysis. The spinal cord function of all group A animals was fully intact with Tarlov scores of 5; group B and group C animals were all paraplegic with Tarlov scores of 0 ( p adenosine completely prevented paraplegia in our model despite a 40-minute ischemic insult.
PARTICLE-BEAM FUSION EXPERIMENTS AND DIAGNOSTICS

Two lectures are combined in one written contribution. The first lecture deals with two evolving experimental approaches, pellet-compression and the long solenoid. Two proposed breakeven experiments are described, and some of the source, target and diagnostics requirements are discussed. High power ion source developments are discussed and applications stated. The second lecture outlines some of the diagnostics problems and discusses a few useful techniques in detail. These techniques are somewhat different from those used in most other fusion experiments because of the short time scales and large power levels encountered.
Approximating Market Equilibria

In this paper we consider the classic problem of finding the market equilibrium prices under linear utility functions. A notion of approximate market equilibrium was proposed by Deng, Papadimitriou and Safra [5]. Using this notion, we present the first fully polynomial-time approximation scheme for finding a market equilibrium price vector. The main tool in our algorithm is the polynomial-time algorithm of Devanur et al. [6] for a variant of the problem in which there is a clear demarcation between buyers and sellers. Their algorithm is used as a subroutine in our algorithm.
Protein Degradation in Cell Cycle

Cell cycle is a series of events that take place within a cell, leading to its division and duplication. Protein degradation through ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis plays an important role in the cell-cycle regulation. Most importantly, the Anaphase Promoting Complex/Cyclosome (APC/C) and the Skp1-Cullin-1-F-box complex (SCF) are the two major E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes that regulate proper cell cycle transitions by timely degrading the various key cell cycle regulators. The SCF complex controls the G1/S and the G2/M transitions by degrading Cyclin D, Cyclin E, p27, CDC6 and Wee1, whereas the APC complex facilitates the transition from metaphase to anaphase by degrading Cyclin A, Cyclin B, Securin and many other substrates. The APC complex also plays an integral role in the maintenance of chromatin metabolism, particularly in G1 and G0 via destruction of the aurora A kinase. These cell cycle transitions are tightly regulated, and defective regulation of cell cycle leads to genomic instability and ultimately cancer development. Key Concepts: Cell cycle is an essential physiological process, which generates additional number of cells when the body needs them. Cell cycle checkpoints are the built-in control mechanisms that ensure the accuracy of cell division in eukaryotic cells. The timely destruction of various cell cycle regulators by the APC/C and the SCF complexes is necessary for proper cell cycle progression. The protein degradation pathways involve the ubiquitin-mediated modification of substrates, which are subsequently targeted for degradation by the 26S proteasome. Misregulation of the cell cycle processes leads to abnormal cell division, chromosomal instability and subsequently cancer development. Keywords: ubiquitination; E3 ubiquitin ligase; cell cycle; protein degradation; proteasome; APC; SCF
Chlorofluoromethanes and the Stratosphere

The conclusions of a workshop held by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to assess the current knowledge of the impact of chlorofluoromethane release in the troposphere on stratospheric ozone concentrations. The following topics are discussed; (1) Laboratory measurements; (2) Ozone measurements and trends; (3) Minor species and aerosol measurements; (4) One dimensional modeling; and (5) Multidimensional modeling.
Mysteries of the Farside of the Moon: What Galileo Couldn’t See

When Galileo first turned his improved spyglass to view the Moon from Padua, he was astounded at what he saw: “And it is like the face of the Earth itself ... which is marked here and there with chains of mountains and depths of valleys” (Galilei, 1610). His remarks about his new discoveries captured the joy which ultimately drives every planetary explorer: “I render infinite thanks to God for being so kind as to make me alone the first observer of marvels kept hidden in obscurity for all previous centuries” (Galilei, 1610).
"Just enough reality", microstereopsis, and the prospect of zoneless autostereoscopic displays

Just as color can be shouted in primary tones or whispered in soft pastel hues, so stereo can be shoved in your face or raised ever so gently off the screen plane. This paper reviews the problems with "in your face stereo" and demonstrates that "just enough reality" is both gentle and effective in achieving stereoscopy's fundamental goal: resolving the front-back ambiguity inherent in 2D projections. Something unexpected and perhaps fortuitous falls out: soft stereo means small on-screen disparities, and when on-screen disparities are small, crosstalk is perceived as blur rather than as ghosting. Blur, particularly if it occurs only in the background and foreground (to which regions it can be relegated by "center-of-interest compensation"), is, in contrast to ghosting, quite unobjectionable. Gracefully accepting crosstalk may enable zoneless autostereoscopic displays.
Limits of the mass of ντ from CLEO

Abstract A limit on the mass of the tau neutrino mντ is derived from 4.5 × 106 tau pairs produced in an integrated luminosity of 5.0 fb−1 of e + e − ar γ∗ → τ 3 τ − reactions at center of mass energies ≈ 10.6 GeV. The measurement technique involves a two-dimensional extended likelihood analysis, including the dependence of the end-point population on mντ, and allows for the first time an explicit background contribution. We use the decays τ → 5πντ and τ → 3π2π0ντ to obtaine an upper limit of 30 MeV/c2 at 95% C.L., as well as a preliminary limit of 31 MeV/c2 from τ → 3hπ0ντ
XRD and FTIR Studies of Natural Cellulose Isolated from Pineapple (Ananas comosus) Leaf Fibres

Cellulosic materials derived from pineapple leaves fibers (PALF) which are being wasted after fruit harvested. There are two methods to extract cellulose from PALF. First methods were using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) 2% for alkaline treatment and bleached by sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) and buffer. Second method, cellulose was extracted using peroxyacetic acid delignification and bleached the sample in acidified pH 3 hydrogen peroxide solution. From X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) data’s, it is proven that both samples of cellulose have shown cellulose I structure.
Failure of Splenectomized Rabbits to Respond to Liver Extract and to Pteroylglutamic Acid.

ConclusionsSplenectomized white rabbits showed no significant change in percentage of reticulocytes following oral and parenteral administration of either pteroylglutamic acid or of liver extract effective in pernicious anemia. Greater variations were found in daily reticulocyte counts, both in controls and in splenectomized animals, than were reported by Jacobson and Williams.
Quality of life and functional outcome after pediatric trauma.

Background: Injury is the leading cause of preventable morbidity and functional limitation in children. Long-term sequelae are measured best by the degree of impairment after recovery from the acute traumatic event. The specific aim of this study was to determine the quality of life and functional status of moderately to severely injured pediatric trauma patients at hospital discharge and at 1, 6, and 12 months postinjury. Methods: We conducted a prospective longitudinal study of children aged 1 to 18 years with blunt injury and Injury Severity Score ≥ 9, excluding head and spinal cord injury. Children were evaluated at hospital discharge and at 1, 6, and 12 months postinjury, using the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ), the Functional Independence Measure, and the Impact on Family Scale. Baseline and 1- and 6-month data analyses are reported. Results: One hundred sixty-two children were enrolled in the study, and 156 had completed 6-month data entry. The mean age was 9.3 ± 5.3 years, and the mean Injury Severity Score was 14 ± 7.4. The most common cause of injury was motor vehicular-related (43%). Fifty-eight (37%) had multisystem injuries. Femur fracture represented the most common injury (54.8%). Families experienced economic, social, and personal strain, as measured by the Impact on Family scale. There was a significant improvement in CHQ and Functional Independence Measure scores between baseline and 1 month and between 1 month and 6 months postinjury. However, at 6 months, physical scores remained lower than age-matched norms. Conclusion: Injury in children results in a significant burden on families. Although children demonstrate a rapid recovery of function and quality of life after blunt injury, physical function remains lower than age-matched norms at 6 months postinjury. It is unclear whether this represents a plateau in recovery or whether further improvements can be expected over longer time intervals.
Structural basis of multisite single-stranded DNA recognition and ACTA2 repression by purine-rich element binding protein B (Purβ).

A hallmark of dysfunctional fibroblast to myofibroblast differentiation associated with fibrotic disorders is persistent expression of ACTA2, the gene encoding the cyto-contractile protein smooth muscle α-actin. In this study, a PURB-specific gene knockdown approach was used in conjunction with biochemical analyses of protein subdomain structure and function to reveal the mechanism by which purine-rich element binding protein B (Purβ) restricts ACTA2 expression in mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs). Consistent with the hypothesized role of Purβ as a suppressor of myofibroblast differentiation, stable short hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown of Purβ in cultured MEFs promoted changes in cell morphology, actin isoform expression, and cell migration indicative of conversion to a myofibroblast-like phenotype. Promoter-reporter assays in transfected Purβ knockdown MEFs confirmed that these changes were attributable, in part, to de-repression of ACTA2 transcription. To map the domains in Purβ responsible for ACTA2 repression, several recombinant truncation mutants were generated and analyzed based on hypothetical, computationally-derived models of the tertiary and quaternary structure of Purβ. Discrete subdomains mediating sequence- and strand-specific cis-element binding, protein-protein interaction, and inhibition of a composite ACTA2 enhancer were identified using a combination of biochemical, biophysical, and cell-based assays. Our results indicate that the Purβ homodimer possesses three separate but unequal single-stranded DNA-binding modules formed by subdomain-specific inter- and intramolecular interactions. This structural arrangement suggests that the cooperative assembly of the dimeric Purβ repressor on the sense strand of the ACTA2 enhancer is dictated by the association of each subdomain with distinct purine-rich binding sites within the enhancer.
Asian-Indian parents' attributions about the causes of child behavior: a replication and extension with parents from Chennai, India.

ABSTRACT Using hypothetical vignettes, 152 parents of children 10–17 years old living in Chennai, India, made attributions about whether the origins of 2 positive and 2 negative behaviors performed by their own child or another child were due to the child's personality or the situation, or to parenting or nonparenting influences based on the frequency, intensity, and cross-situational consistency of the behavior. Parents attributed the positive behaviors of all children to the personality of the child and to parenting. Parents attributed negative behavior of their own children to situational influences and nonparenting effects, but attributed the negative behavior of other children to their personality and to parenting, a pattern that enhances and reinforces parent self-esteem. Results were discussed in terms of the self-serving bias and the actor–observer bias, cognitive distortions that protect and enhance parents’ views of themselves and their children.
Antenatal marijuana use is unrelated to sexually transmitted infections during pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the relationship between marijuana use and sexually transmitted diseases in pregnant women. METHODS: A retrospective review of clinic records over a 12-1/2 month period identified all women entering prenatal care. Eighty-six women using no illicit substance other than marijuana were compared to 441 drug-free women. The prevalence of gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B surface antigen, human papilloma virus, and herpes was ascertained. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in the prevalence of any single sexually transmitted disease between pregnant women who used marijuana and drug-free pregnant women. When the presence of one or more sexually transmitted disease was considered, again no difference was found. CONCLUSION: Marijuana use was not associated with sexually transmitted disease in pregnant women.
Analysis of Temperature Effects on Tension Infiltrometry of Low Permeability Materials

Tension infiltrometers have become popular for in situ measurement of the near-saturated hydraulic conductivity as a function of the soil water pressure head. Unfortunately, fluctuating ambient temperatures can cause dramatic pressure variations due to the presence of confined air inside the infiltrometer, thereby affecting the intended pressure head to be applied to the soil surface and hence also the measured infiltration rate. This is especially true for low infiltration rates and long equilibration times typical of low permeability materials, including unsaturated fractured rock. We developed a model to analyze the effects of temperature changes on the static pressure of the confined air volume within tension infiltrometers. The model was tested using several prototype infiltrometer designs in a computer-controlled variable-temperature room. Experimental results confirmed the model simulations. For example, predicted and measured changes in the pressure head in one experiment were 11.2 and 12.5 cm following a change of 18.5°C in the temperature. Using the model, we were able to optimize several infiltrometer designs that significantly reduced the undesired effects of temperature on tension infiltration results.
An Attempt at Systematic Reconstruction in the Theology of Thomas Chalmers

According to William Hanna “it had for many years been the highest object of [Thomas Chalmers'] literary and professional ambition to leave behind him a complete body of Divinity containing the fruits of his maturest reflections, both on the credentials and contents of the Christian Revelation.” Thus in 1845, after the epochal events of the Scottish Disruption had been put behind him, Chalmers undertook the project of writing his Institutes of Theology which were published in 1849, two years after his death. In approaching the systematic problem Chalmers felt that he was contravening “the order of every system and every text-book in theology that we are yet acquainted with” and proposing a radically altered arrangement of topics ”from that in which Calvin and Turretin, Pictetus and Vitringa have delivered them.” Chalmers' assumption that a continuity exists between Calvin and the theological systems of the seventeenth century need not detain us except to point out that Chalmers merely reflects a tradition, uniformly established until recent times, in which theology as “system” was projected retrospectively from its formulation in seventeenth-century thought back onto the theological work of the Reformation.
Selective enhancement of ifosfamide-induced toxicity in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Purpose O6-Benzylguanine (BG) is a unique purine analog that has been shown to influence nitrogen mustard activity and increase cytotoxicity. Ifosfamide is a nitrogen mustard with growing clinical applications; effective modulation may lead to improved efficacy. We thus undertook a preliminary investigation of BG's effects on ifosfamide and ifosfamide derivatives in vitro.
Resinites, with examples from New Zealand and Australia

Abstract Resinites are defined as semi-fossilized or fossilized resin found in association with coal. The occluded resinites occur in microscopic form within the coal matrix. The larger non-occluded resinites are embedded in coal seams. The plant origins and properties of resinites are discussed and examples of resinites in New Zealand and Australian coal fields are presented. The transformations which occur during the fossilization of plant resins (termed resinition) and the extraction and commercialization of resinites in New Zealand are discussed.
Death in the afternoon

One afternoon, a patient who had been in three-times-weekly psychoanalytic psychotherapy for over fi ve years with the author left the office after her session, drove down to the train tracks half a mile away, and sat down facing an oncoming train. Her suicide occurred a little over a year after 19 hijackers took over four passenger airplanes and fl ew two of them into the World Trade Center, and during the period of the massive buildup for a pre-emptive war with Iraq. This paper explores the very personal impact of these interlocking events of personal, political, and state-sponsored terrorism on the author. Interweaving the patient's and the author's personal struggle with the patient's overwhelming destructiveness--and how it ultimately failed--with the inability to stop the war despite the unprecedented mobilization of voices for peace across the world, it is a journey through the shattering impact of violence into the tentative discovery of a sustaining vision of hope. It explores the theme of terrorism, both personal and political, as a theater of violence designed to create maximum impact, and how fantasies of redemption, fueled and blinded by righteous certainty, can transmute into acts of breathtaking violence, and fi nd justification in their own mad logic. Through the elaboration of the patient's story and its impact on the author, she offers a very personal attempt to understand and reckon with violence and destructiveness as manifested in these different forms, to grasp how openings of hope and new creative possibility are often followed by a violent regressive backlash, and to fi nd a way to survive them without losing heart for the work. Language: en
Measuring Truck Travel Time Reliability Using Truck Probe GPS Data

Truck probe data collected by global positioning system (GPS) devices has gained increased attention as a source of truck mobility data, including measuring truck travel time reliability. Most reliability studies that apply GPS data are based on travel time observations retrieved from GPS data. The major challenges to using GPS data are small, nonrandom observation sets and low reading frequency. In contrast, using GPS spot speed (instantaneous speed recorded by GPS devices) directly can address these concerns. However, a recently introduced GPS spot-speed-based reliability metric that uses speed distribution does not provide a numerical value that would allow for a quantitative evaluation. In light of this, the research described in this article improves the current GPS spot speed distribution-based reliability approach by calculating the speed distribution coefficient of variation. An empirical investigation of truck travel time reliability on Interstate 5 in Seattle, WA, is performed. In addition, corr...
A decision support system for improving performance of inventory management in a supply chain network

Purpose – This article seeks to present a decision support model for improving supply chain performance. The model aims to provide a holistic view of the supply chain as an integrated system by analyzing inventory options to facilitate the decision‐making process by business partners in the system.Design/methodology/approach – In recent years, organizations have focused on incorporating both internal and external business activities of their supply chain into an integrated system. The goal of integration of all supply chain activities is to maximize total systems performance while minimizing costs. Literature review and professional experience in the field provided the foundation for the model development in this research.Findings – The article demonstrates the usefulness of a decision support model in analyzing and developing a cooperative environment among supply chain members in order to reduce the cost of inventory as well as the cost of goods sold. The effects of utilizing such tools as just‐in‐time ...
Dynamics of an atomic electron and its electromagnetic field in a cavity

Nonperturbative analytical and numerical methods are presented for the solution of the coupled nonlinear Maxwell-Schr\"odinger equations. The theory has been derived within the Hamiltonian or canonical formalism. The canonical approach to dynamics, starting from the Maxwell and Schr\"odinger Lagrangians with a Lorenz gauge fixing term, yields a set of first order Hamilton equations. They form a well-defined initial value problem. The Maxwell-Schr\"odinger equations of motion are then represented in a spatial basis of Gaussian functions. In the limit of a complete basis this representation is exact. For any choice of finite basis it provides an approximate system of dynamical equations that can be integrated in time and made systematically more accurate by enriching the basis. The basis form of the theory has been implemented numerically and is used to investigate the dynamics of a single nonrelativistic spinless one electron atom interacting with the electromagnetic modes of a cavity.
Evidence for vector meson exchange in ϱ− production at 8 GeV/c

Abstract We have studied ϱ − production at 8 GeV / c . The data cannot be explained by one-pion-exchange with absorption and we conclude that vector exchange contributes. This contrasts with ϱ o production at this energy and ϱ − production at lower energy.
Kinase inhibitors abrogate IFN-γ-induced class II transactivator and class II MHC gene expression in astroglioma cell lines

Multiple kinase events, involving both tyrosine (tyr) kinase and serine/threonine (ser/thr) kinase activity, are required for IFN-gamma-induced class II MHC mRNA and protein expression in primary rat astrocytes. In this study, we examined the necessity of ser/thr and tyr kinase activity for IFN-gamma-induced stimulation of class II MHC gene expression in the human astroglioma cell lines CRT and CH235, as well as the involvement of these kinases in IFN-gamma-induced expression of the class II transactivator (CIITA), a protein critical for IFN-gamma-induced transcription of class II MHC genes. We show that general ser/thr kinase inhibitors, inhibitors of the ser/thr kinase mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and tyr kinase inhibitors reduce IFN-gamma-induced class II MHC mRNA and protein expression in a dose-dependent manner. As well, these inhibitors abrogate IFN-gamma-induced CIITA mRNA expression in the astroglioma cell lines. We have further demonstrated that cells constitutively expressing the CIITA protein (2fTGH.CIITA) show no decrease in CIITA or class II MHC mRNA expression in the presence of ser/thr and tyr kinase inhibitors. Collectively, these data indicate that ser/thr kinase activity, possibly MAPK, and tyr kinase activity are required for IFN-gamma-induced expression of CIITA mRNA, and the subsequent expression of class II MHC genes.
Pax-6 is essential for lens-specific expression of zeta-crystallin.

Abstract Pax-6 is essential for normal eye development and has been implicated as a "master gene" for lens formation in embryogenesis. Guinea pig zeta-crystallin, a taxon-specific enzyme crystallin, achieves high expression specifically in lens through use of an alternative promoter. Here we show that Pax-6 binds a site in this promoter, which is essential for lens-specific expression. Lens and lens-derived cells exhibit a tissue-specific pattern of alternative splicing of Pax-6 transcripts and Pax-6 is expressed in adult lenses and cells that support zeta-crystallin expression. These results suggest that zeta-crystallin is a natural target gene for Pax-6 and that this Pax family member has a direct role in the continuing expression of tissue-specific genes.
Generic types of stratigraphic cycles controlled by eustasy

Thought experiments imply that stratigraphic cycles controlled directly by eustasy include keep-up, catch-up, catch-down (foreshortened or truncated), and give-up variants, different patterns of thick ness and facies being governed by the interplay of sedimentation rate and accommodation space. Most examples of these types are, in addition, base-cutout cycles, wherever lowstands of sea level dropped below the top of the underlying cycle. Overall thicknesses of multiple cycles at any locale are controlled ultimately by net subsidence rate. Accordingly, even keep-up and catch-up cycles can faithfully record full accommodation only where tectonic subsidence during cycle formation paced eustatic fluctuation. Paradoxically, however, only condensed cycles that fortuitously compensate for syncycle tectonic subsidence can accurately record the eustatic amplitude, as adjusted for water loading.
Public-sector immunization coverage in 11 states: the status of rural areas

This report uses county-level immunization data generated by state public health agencies to explore the rural-urban variation in the delivery of childhood immunizations in the public sector. Public health department-documented immunization coverage rates for 1995 were obtained from 882 counties in 11 states east of the Mississippi River. To assess the possible association between public health department immunization coverage rates and county rurality, descriptive statistics were calculated. A multiple regression model then was estimated. In all states except West Virginia, nonmetropolitan counties averaged higher completion rates than metropolitan counties. Consistent with the descriptive statistics, in the regression analysis nonmetropolitan counties had average immunization rates 2.47 percentage points higher than metropolitan counties, even when controlling for county socioeconomic characteristics. For the 11 states in the analysis, rural children immunized in the public sector had higher completion rates compared with urban children. These data reflect the dependence of rural families on the public health system and the potential for successful health care delivery through public clinics. As new health care systems are brought into rural areas, the success of this existing avenue for care must not be overlooked.
Exemestane in the Adjuvant Treatment of Breast Cancer in Postmenopausal Women

Exemestane is an irreversible inhibitor of the aromatase enzyme, which is a key component in the production of estrogen. The majority of breast cancers are sensitive to the proliferative effects of estrogen. Exemestane is approved for the adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with breast cancer after 2 to 3 years of tamoxifen therapy, based on a 32% improvement in disease-free survival compared with 5 years of tamoxifen alone (P < 0.001). Exemestane has also shown clinical benefits as an upfront therapy. The safety profile of exemestane shares some side effects with tamoxifen (hot flashes and arthralgia), but is not associated with an increased risk of endometrial cancer or thromboembolic events. This review will discuss in detail the efficacy and safety of exemestane in early breast cancer.
A spring-loaded mechanism for the conformational change of influenza hemagglutinin

Influenza hemagglutinin (HA) undergoes a conformational change that induces viral fusion with the cellular membrane. The structure of HA in the fusogenic state is unknown. We have identified a sequence in HA that has a high propensity for forming a coiled coil. Surprisingly, this sequence corresponds to a loop region in the X-ray structure of native HA: the loop is followed by a three-stranded, coiled-coil stem. We find that a 36 residue peptide (LOOP-36), comprising the loop region and the first part of the stem, forms a three-stranded coiled coil. This coiled coil is extended and stabilized in a longer peptide, corresponding to LOOP-36 plus the residues of a preceding, short alpha helix. These findings lead to a model for the fusogenic conformation of HA: the coiled-coil stem of the native state extends, relocating the hydrophobic fusion peptide, by 100 A, toward the target membrane.
Formation and growth of an amorphous phase by solid-state reaction between GaAs and Co thin films

Solid-state amorphization reaction (SSAR) between GaAs and Co thin films was investigated by transmission electron microscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy. Upon annealing of GaAs/Co thin-film couples at 260–300 °C, an amorphous phase was observed to form. Annealing at higher temperatures or for longer times led to the crystallization of the amorphous phase into a supersaturated CoAs solid solution phase with the B31 structure. Amorphization is attributed to the rapid diffusion of Co in the rather open GaAs structure. In order to consider the thermodynamic driving force for amorphization and subsequent crystallization, the phase diagram of CoGa–CoAs was investigated using DTA and metallography. The pseudobinary system was modeled thermodynamically to yield relative stability data for the various phases between GaAs and Co. These data were used to rationalize the amorphization process.
Stochastic Lagrangian for the two-dimensional visco-resistive magnetohydrodynamics

Magnetohydrodynamics in two dimensions is of particular use in all those contexts where the plasma is strongly magnetized in a given direction, so that its relevant dynamics takes place almost only on the plane perpendicular to the strong ‘guiding’ field. This approach, referred to as reduced MHD, is of great use for describing the fusion plasma in tokamaks, due to the presence of a strong toroidal field, or the solar plasma, undergoing the action of strong fields emerging from the photosphere. In turbulent conditions, where the medium properties are expected to be irregular, the dissipative terms of viscosity and resistivity can be interpreted as forcing terms of stochastic nature, so as to mimic the large fluctuations of microscopic quantities. The statistical dynamics of the system can then be encoded in a suitably constructed stochastic Lagrangian. In this paper, we obtain the stochastic Lagrangian for the 2D viscoresistive MHD model, where the scalar vorticity ω of the plasma and the axial component of the vector potential ψ are used as dynamical variables. In the case of Gaussian δ-correlated noises the stochastic Lagrangian is completely calculated, and some possible developments of these results are discussed.
Task Based Evaluation in Error Analysis and Accident Prevention

After a system failure that is attributed to human error, an accurate accounting of the factors that led to the error is critical for redesign efforts and any resulting litigation. Without data on ...
The influence of self-efficacy and metacognitive prompting on math problem-solving efficiency

A regression design was used to test the unique and interactive effects of self-efficacy beliefs and metacognitive prompting on solving mental multiplication problems while controlling for mathematical background knowledge and problem complexity. Problem-solving accuracy, response time, and efficiency (i.e. the ratio of problems solved correctly to time) were measured. Students completed a mathematical background inventory and then assessed their self-efficacy for mental multiplication accuracy. Before solving a series of multiplication problems, participants were randomly assigned to either a prompting or control group. We tested the motivational efficiency hypothesis, which predicted that motivational beliefs, such as self-efficacy and attributions to metacognitive strategy use are related to more efficient problem solving. Findings suggested that self-efficacy and metacognitive prompting increased problem-solving performance and efficiency separately through activation of reflection and strategy knowledge. Educational implications and future research are suggested.
Preconception sex determination via intra-vaginal administration of H-Y antisera in rabbits

Abstract Sex preselection has been attempted using a variety of methods but as of today such methods are not available or complete. The objective in this study was to study the effects of intravaginal (IV) administration of control sera and H-Y antisera and their effects on sex ratio following artificial insemination (AI) in rabbits (New Zealand White). Antisera to histocompatibility-Y (H-Y) antigen were produced in two adult New Zealand White female virgin rabbits via repeated subcutaneous injections of male spleen cells. A regimen of one injection per week for a nine-week period was used. At the end of the 9th and 10th weeks two blood aliquots (50 ml) were drawn, sera were pooled and used in this study. Control sera were obtained from the same animals (50 ml/animal) two weeks prior to the beginning of the immunizations. Following ovulation induction (150 IU HCG), 0.5 ml of sera (control or H-Y antisera) were placed IV, the rabbits were held inverted for 2 minutes, placed back in the cage and AI was performed 15 minutes later with 0.2 ml AI dose which contained 2×10 6 active sperm. The percent females produced in the three treatments, i.e., 1) naturally bred, 2) control sera and 3) H-Y antisera were 1) 50.6%, 2) 44.4% and 3) 74.2%, respectively. The data indicate that H-Y antisera produced in rabbits shifted (P
Stage dependent enhanced induction of hepatocellular carcinomas in rats administered a second dose of diethylnitrosamine

An experiment was performed to investigate whether the incidence of chemical carcinogen-induced liver tumors in rats is increased by administration, during promotion, of a second dose of carcinogen. Seven groups of male Fischer-344 rats were administered a dose of diethylnitrosamine (DEN), and were placed, 1 month thereafter, on a liver-tumor promotion-regimen, consisting of a choline-devoid diet containing 0.06% phenobarbital. A second dose of the carcinogen was administered, at monthly intervals of promotion, to some of the groups of animals. The experiment was terminated after 7 months of promotion, and the incidence of hepatic tumors was determined histopathologically. In rats administered the second dose of carcinogen after 2 months of promotion, the incidence of hepatocellular carcinomas was 2-3 times greater than that in the other groups of rats. The results are consistent with the proposal, advanced by others, that development of hepatocellular carcinomas may be a multi-hit process, and indicate that, after the first induced at initiation, further genomic alteration(s) may have to occur at very discrete stage(s) in the evolution of initiated cells to tumors.