cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deviation-amplifying feedback and unintended consequences of management accounting systems

Abstract The concept of deviation-amplifying feedback is introduced, and its potential for providing insights into unintended consequences of management accounting systems is discussed. Specific applications of deviation-amplifying feedback to various aspects of a budgetary control system are explored. Then more general implications of deviation-amplifying feedback for management accounting systems are elaborated.
Non-invasive methodology for diagnostics of bearing impacts

Various events in reciprocating machinery, such as connecting rod or piston movement, and diesel combustion produce a series of highly transient forces within the machine. These events generate force transients of short duration and broad frequency content. Even though these events may be part of a machine cycle and therefore periodic, it is often more appropriate to treat them on an individual basis because more diagnostics information is available from a single waveform during a cycle than from averages over several cycles. However, it is very rare for one to have direct access to source waveforms because of the expense and reliability problems associated with the required instrumentation, and non-invasive techniques will have to be used. This paper explores the use of cepstral smoothing and minimum phase extraction technique for non-invasive diagnostics of bearing impacts in reciprocating machinery. The methodology is based on extracting diagnostic signals from vibration measurements taken at a "convenient" location such as the crankshaft casing or bearing end-cap, and consists of source identification, diagnostic signature recovery, and diagnostic system decision-making. A dynamic simulation with lumped mass model is developed to analyze bearing impacts for the big end bearings, experimental measurements from accelerometers, transfer functions of vibration, and the structural response are presented.
Adverse neurodevelopmental effects of dexamethasone modeled in PC12 cells: identifying the critical stages and concentration thresholds for the targeting of cell acquisition, differentiation and viability.

Adverse Neurodevelopmental Effects of Dexamethasone Modeled in PC12 Cells: Identifying the Critical Stages and Concentration Thresholds for the Targeting of Cell Acquisition, Differentiation and Viability
Enantioseparations with the macrocyclic antibiotic ristocetin A using a countercurrent process in CE.

The chiral selectivity of ristocetin A was examined in a countercurrent process in CE using a coated column to suppress electroosmotic flow. Excellent enantioseparations of several nonsteroidal antiinflammatories, dansylamino acids, dinitrophenyl-derivatized amino acids, and other optically active compounds were achieved. The chiral selectivity of ristocetin A also was examined as a function of antibiotic concentration and pH. Enantioresolution was found to significantly improve with a slight increase in migration time upon increasing chiral selector concentration. Enantioselectivities were found to be greatly influenced by pH of the running buffer.
Insulin-like growth factor binding protein proteolysis in bone cell models

Abstract Insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP) proteases — their identification, regulation, and biological significance — are currently an area of ardent investigation. This has developed from the very recent realization that IGFBP availability and bioactivity is determined not only by gene expression, but also by the controlled proteolytic processing of the protein in the pertcellular environment. In each case identified so far, the modified IGFBP acts dramatically different from native or recombinant IGFBP in solution. This post-translational modification of IGFBP structure/function could have widespread significance since IGFBPs modulate the diverse growth-promoting activities of the IGFs. In fact, it may be argued that local IGF action is largely controlled by this mechanism. Therefore, knowledge of the form, function, and control of the various IGFBP proteases is likely to have major implications for our understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of the IGFs.
Healing Colonial Trauma Marcus Garvey, Cargo Movements, and Symbolic Empowerment

Religious analyses of Marcus Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) usually examine the theological, eschatological, or ecclesiastical elements of Garvey's vision or those of...
Inhibition of calcium-induced insulin secretion from intact HIT-T15 or INS-1 β cells by GTP depletion

Abstract Using intact rat islets, we previously observed that GTP depletion (achieved through the use of mycophenolic acid or other synthesis inhibitors) impedes nutrient- but not K + -induced insulin secretion. It was concluded that a proximal nutrient-dependent step in stimulus-secretion coupling (but not the process of Ca 2+ -induced exocytosis itself) is modulated by ambient GTP levels. To examine Ca 2+ -dependent steps further in intact β cells, INS-1 cells (which synthesize GTP and ATP similarly to rat islets) and HIT-T15 cells (whose synthesis of purine nucleotides is different) were studied following cell culture for 1–18 hr in various concentrations of mycophenolic acid (MPA) or mizoribine (MZ). Both agents profoundly reduced GTP content (mean: −78%) and lowered the GTP/GDP ratio by an average of −73%; concomitantly, MPA or MZ reduced insulin secretion induced by 10 mM glucose, 30 or 40 mM KCl, or 100 μM tolbutamide, independent of any changes in cell viability, insulin content, ATP content, the ATP/ADP ratio, or cytosolic free Ca 2+ concentrations. In INS-1 cells (which appear to have normal nucleobase transport and “salvage” pathway activities), guanine (but not adenine) restored GTP content, the GTP/GDP ratio, and Ca 2+ -induced secretion. In HIT cells, the phosphoribosylation of exogenous guanine or hypoxanthine is defective; however, provision of 500 μM guanosine (but not adenosine) reversed the effects of MPA. We conclude that, at least in certain situations, a requisite role for GTP in the distal step(s) of exocytosis can be demonstrated.
Effectiveness of insect growth regulators in the control of populations of the German cockroach.

The effectiveness of 10 insect growth regulators (IGR) on small populations of Blattella germanica (L.) was assayed by treating the bedding material with an IGR-corn-starch mixture. Ethyl-3,7,11-trimethyl-2,4-dodecadienoate (ZR-512) was the most effective, with 5 ppm preventing normal metamorphosis in 97% of the population. But even with 100 ppm ZR-512, a mixed population of 100 adults and nymphs was not totally exterminated in 7 months, as some adultoids survived although no reproduction occurred. Besides interference with metamorphosis, these juvenile hormone mimics produced an increased melanization of both adultoids and supernumerary nymphs.
Demand-driven interpretation of FP programs on a data-flow multiprocessor

Presents a demand-driven evaluation system for list-structure language systems, using the functional language FP. It enables execution in a data-driven environment. A formal approach for transforming FP programs into lazy programs, which contain the notion of demands, is used. The superset language of FP is called DFP (demand-driven FP). A demand reduction scheme is used to remove unnecessary demand propagations on DFP programs to reduce run-time overhead. The DFP programs are translated into data-flow graphs according to the graph schemata developed from the FP-DFP transformation rules. The execution characteristics of the DFP graphs are identified and the architecture supports for efficient execution are suggested. The system allows programming in FP by infinite data structures and the application of partial-function-value evaluation. Examples of these applications are used to demonstrate the transformation process, the principles of run-time interpretation, the effectiveness of the transformation, and the power of the evaluation system. >
Compositional Analysis and “Sources” of Pottery: An Ethnoarcheological Approach

One of the important assumptions of compositional analysis is that the elemental composition of an artifact reflects the source of the materials used to make it. Thus, pottery from a particular source will be chemically similar to the raw materials from that source. This “commonsense” assumption seems beyond dispute, but the fact that pottery is a mixture of clay, water, and often temper added by the potter, complicates the interpretation of compositional data from ceramics. This article examines the relationship between potters' behavior in obtaining and using raw materials, on the one hand, and the chemical composition of their finished pottery, on the other, by comparing the elemental composition of ethnographic pottery and raw materials from contemporary pottery-making communities in the Valley of Guatemala. The results of this research show that the relationship between pottery and its constituent raw materials is not as obvious as was first supposed. The article concludes with an alternative approach to compositional analysis that is more in line with the realities of real-world pottery production.
Some comments on line transect grouped data analysis

Abstract Anderson and Pospahala (1970, J. Wildl. Manag. 34, 141–146) investigated the estimation of wildlife population size or abundance using the belt or line transect sampling method and devised a correction for bias, thus leading to an estimator with interesting statistical characteristics. This work was given a more uniform mathematical framework in Burnham and Anderson (1976, Biometrics 32, 325–336). In this paper we investigate several ways to generalize that correction for bias, and suggest that the data analyst has available a number of alternative directions that can, and indeed should, be explored.
Management Strategies to Effect Change in Intensive Care Units: Lessons from the World of Business. Part II. Quality-Improvement Strategies

The success of quality-improvement projects relies heavily on both project design and the metrics chosen to assess change. In Part II of this three-part American Thoracic Society Seminars series, we begin by describing methods for determining which data to collect, tools for data presentation, and strategies for data dissemination. As Avedis Donabedian detailed a half century ago, defining metrics in healthcare can be challenging; algorithmic determination of the best type of metric (outcome, process, or structure) can help intensive care unit (ICU) managers begin this process. Choosing appropriate graphical data displays (e.g., run charts) can prompt discussions about and promote quality improvement. Similarly, dashboards/scorecards are useful in presenting performance improvement data either publicly or privately in a visually appealing manner. To have compelling data to show, ICU managers must plan quality-improvement projects well. The second portion of this review details four quality-improvement tools-checklists, Six Sigma methodology, lean thinking, and Kaizen. Checklists have become commonplace in many ICUs to improve care quality; thinking about how to maximize their effectiveness is now of prime importance. Six Sigma methodology, lean thinking, and Kaizen are techniques that use multidisciplinary teams to organize thinking about process improvement, formalize change strategies, actualize initiatives, and measure progress. None originated within healthcare, but each has been used in the hospital environment with success. To conclude this part of the series, we demonstrate how to use these tools through an example of improving the timely administration of antibiotics to patients with sepsis.
Computer processing of gas chromatographic data: Quantitative analysis of fatty acid methyl esters using an off line magnetic tape system

This paper describes the off line processing of chromatographic data from fatty acid methyl ester mixtures by a large digital computer. The output of the gas chromatograph is recorded and stored on magnetic tape; the tape can then be processed at any convenient time. The system takes the analog signal from the electrometer and converts it to digital form, adds a time base and records the data using an incremental magnetic tape recorder. The data sampling rate can be varied from 0.05 to 5 times per second. The total number of samples per tape is limited only by the length of the tape. A 1200 ft reel can store up to 30 hr of gas chromatographic runs. The tape is processed by a CDC-6600 computer. The computer locates all peaks, determines the retention time and calculates the mass percentage of each peak. Along with the numerical output, a cathode ray tube plot of the data is also generated by the computer. The program has provisions for baseline corrections and peak overlap. The program also incorporates corrections for detector nonlinearity and variation in detector response to different molecular species. The accuracy of the system is within 5% based on analysis of fatty acid methyl ester samples of known composition. Computation time for a 1200 ft reel of tape is approximately 20 min.
Elastic Composite Materials Having a Negative Stiffness Phase Can Be Stable

We prove that composite materials containing an isotropic phase having negative bulk and Young's moduli (hence being unstable by itself) can be stable overall, under merely applied traction boundary conditions, if the stable encapsulating phase is sufficiently stiff. We derive specific quantitative requirements on the elastic moduli of the constituent materials that ensure composite stability for two fundamental composite geometries. These results legitimize the concept of negative-stiffness-phase composites, thus dramatically expanding the parameter landscape in which novel and optimal overall material properties may be sought.
Canine Ventricular Myocyte β2-Adrenoceptors Are Not Functionally Coupled to L-Type Calcium Current

INTRODUCTION To establish the functional coupling of beta adrenoceptor (betaAR) subtypes beta1AR and beta2AR to L-type calcium current (I(CaL)), we investigated the nonselective agonist isoproterenol (ISO) and the relatively selective beta2AR agonists zinterol (ZIN) and salbutamol (SAL) on I(CaL) in isolated canine ventricular myocytes in the presence and absence of CGP 20712A (CGP) and atenolol (AT), selective beta1AR antagonists, and ICI 118,551 (ICI) a selective beta2AR antagonist. METHODS AND RESULTS Peak I(CaL) was determined using "patch type" microelectrodes and whole cell voltage clamp. ISO (0.5 microM) increased I(CaL) maximally 3.5 +/- 0.67 fold. ZIN (10.0 microM) and SAL (10.0 microM) increased I(CaL) maximally 1.5 +/- 0.2 fold (n = 5) and 1.4 +/- 0.1 fold (n = 5), respectively. These effects were fully inhibited by CGP (0.3 microM) and AT (1.0 microM), which are inhibitors of beta1AR, but not by ICI (0.1 microM), which is a beta2AR inhibitor. ZIN at relatively lower concentrations (< or = 0.1 microM) did not increase I(CaL). CGP (0.3 microM) but not AT and ICI inhibited I(CaL) in the absence of betaAR agonists. CGP inhibition of I(CaL) was absent in the presence of forskolin (1.0 microM), which increases cAMP levels and I(CaL) by directly stimulating the adenylate cyclase. These data indicate that none of the antagonists affect I(CaL) through an action downstream of betaAR. CONCLUSION Beta-adrenergic agonists increase I(CaL) via beta1AR but not beta2AR in canine ventricular myocytes.
Mechanisms of abdominal organ injury in seat belt-restrained children.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has identified key predictors of elevated abdominal injury risk in seat belt-restrained child vehicle occupants; however these data cannot be used to isolate specific mechanisms or sources of injury to suggest strategies for prevention. METHODS: Using a large child-focused crash surveillance system, cases of seat belt-restrained children who sustained an internal abdominal injury in a frontal crash were studied using standard crash investigation protocols. A second group of cases of restrained children in similar crashes without abdominal injury was investigated. Medical, crash, and child characteristics of each case were analyzed in the context of known biomechanics of abdominal injury to determine the mechanisms of injury and associated kinematics. RESULTS: Review of 21 cases of abdominal injury identified belt loading directly over the injured organ as the most common mechanism of injury. Three unique kinematic patterns were identified that varied by the initial position of the lap belt and kinematics of the upper torso. Sixty percent of the drivers and 90% of the other child occupants in these crashes sustained either no or minor injury. In the 16 no abdominal injury cases, all but one sustained external bruising to their abdomen and contact injury to the head and face. CONCLUSIONS: This evaluation of crashes in which belted children did and did not sustain abdominal injuries revealed key characteristics about their mechanism. In this data set, belt compression directly on the abdomen, manifested by improper initial placement of the seat belt, poor child posture, or misuse of the shoulder belt, resulted in abdominal injury in low-severity crashes in which other occupants sustained little injury. The cases pointed to control of torso excursion by consistent use of the shoulder belt and suggested that technologies such as lap belt pretensioners or belt-positioning booster seats might be a possible strategy, among others, for prevention. Language: en
Characterization of Polyphasic Silicon Carbide Using Surface-Enhanced Raman and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

The present report explores the use of cross-polarization (CP) and single-pulse magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR) as well as normal and surfaceenhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), in concert, for characterizing highly crystalline polymorphic silicon carbide ceramics. The combined use of these techniques provides a wealth of information regarding bulk, near-surface, and surface speciation. Both Raman and SERS are promising techniques for fracture surface characterization of these systems. The application of CPMAS-NMR and SERS to the study of ceramics is reported for the first time in this investigation.
Differential Cratering of Synchronously Rotating Satellites by Ecliptic Comets

We use Monte Carlo methods to simulate impacts of ecliptic comets on the synchronously rotating satellites of giant planets. We reconfirm the long-standing prediction that the cratering rate should be much higher on the leading hemispheres than on the trailing hemisphere; indeed we find that previously published analytical formulations modestly underestimate the degree of apex-antapex asymmetry to be expected. We then compare our results to new mapping of impact craters on Ganymede, Callisto, and Triton. Ganymede reveals a pronounced apex-antapex asymmetry that is nonetheless much less than predicted. All of Triton's confirmed impact craters are clustered toward the apex of motion, far exceeding the predicted asymmetry. No asymmetry is observed on Callisto. In each case at least one of our basic assumptions must be wrong. Likely candidates include the following: (i) the surfaces of all but the most sparsely cratered satellites are saturated or nearly saturated with impact craters; (ii) these satellites have rotated nonsynchronously over geological time; (iii) most of the craters are made not by heliocentric (Sun-orbiting) comets and asteroids but rather by planetocentric (planet-orbiting) debris of indeterminate origin; or (iv) pathological endogenic resurfacing has created illusions of structure. Callisto's surface is readily classified as nearly saturated. Ganymede's bright terrains, although less heavily cratered than those of Callisto, can also be explained by crater densities approaching saturation on a world where endogenic processes were active. The leading alternative is nonsynchronous rotation, an explanation supported by the distribution of catenae (crater chains produced by impact of tidally disrupted comets). Triton's craters can be explained by planetocentric debris or by capricious resurfacing, but both hypotheses are inherently improbable.
Expression of Slow Skeletal Troponin I in Adult Mouse Heart Helps to Maintain the Left Ventricular Systolic Function During Respiratory Hypercapnia

Compared with the adult, neonatal heart muscle is less sensitive to deactivation by acidic pH. We hypothesized that expression of slow skeletal troponin I (ssTnI), the embryonic isoform, in adult heart would help maintain left ventricular (LV) systolic function during respiratory hypercapnia. We assessed LV function by transthoracic 2D-targeted M-mode and pulsed Doppler echocardiography in transgenic (TG) mice in which cardiac TnI was replaced with ssTnI and in nontransgenic (NTG) littermates. Anesthetized mice were ventilated with either 100% oxygen or 35% CO 2 balanced with oxygen. Arterial blood pH with 35% CO 2 decreased to the same levels in both groups of animals. In the absence of propranolol, the LV fractional shortening was higher in TG compared with NTG mice throughout most of the experimental protocol. LV diastolic function was impaired in TG compared with NTG mice both at 100% oxygen and 35% CO 2 because E-to-A wave ratio of mitral flow was significantly lower, and E-wave deceleration time and LV isovolumic relaxation time were longer in TG compared with NTG mice. When compensatory mechanisms that occur through stimulation of β-adrenergic receptors during hypercapnia were blocked by continuous perfusion with propranolol, we found that NTG mice died within 3 to 4 minutes after switching to 35% CO 2 , whereas TG mice survived. Our experiments demonstrate the first evidence that specific replacement of cardiac TnI with ssTnI has a protective effect on the LV systolic function during hypercapnic acidosis in situ.
Toxoplasma gondii Triggers Release of Human and Mouse Neutrophil Extracellular Traps

Neutrophils have recently been shown to release DNA-based extracellular traps that contribute to microbicidal killing and have also been implicated in autoimmunity. The role of neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation in the host response to nonbacterial pathogens has received much less attention. Here, we show that the protozoan pathogen Toxoplasma gondii elicits the production of NETs from human and mouse neutrophils. Tachyzoites of each of the three major parasite strain types were efficiently entrapped within NETs, resulting in decreased parasite viability. We also show that Toxoplasma activates a MEK-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway in neutrophils and that the inhibition of this pathway leads to decreased NET formation. To determine if Toxoplasma induced NET formation in vivo, we employed a mouse intranasal infection model. We found that the administration of tachyzoites by this route induced a rapid tissue recruitment of neutrophils with evidence of extracellular DNA release. Taken together, these data indicate a role for NETs in the host innate response to protozoan infection. We propose that NET formation limits infection by direct microbicidal effects on Toxoplasma as well as by interfering with the ability of the parasite to invade target host cells.
Triazolam Impairs Delayed Recall but Not Acquisition of Various Everyday Memory Tasks in Humans

A double-blind test battery was administered to 24 human subjects (8 control, 16 drug) to assess the effects of 0.125 mg triazolam (oral) on memory encoding and retention across delay intervals ranging from seconds to 1 week after presentation. Although the drug reduced immediate psychomotor performance, it did not impair recall of previously learned information, nor did it significantly impair encoding of new information. The drug enhanced immediate recall of the location and identity of playing cards, without affecting 4-h delayed recall. The drug treatment impaired correct recall of object names after a delay of 20 min. At 4 h delay, the drug impaired olfactory recognition and free-recall of object names. At both 1 day and 1 week delay, the drug impaired recall of biographical information and correct identification of picture-photographer pair associations. The drug also impaired the daily improvement of the drug group as compared with the control group in a geometric puzzle solving task. The time course of these memory impairments compares well with the known effects of triazolam on long-term potentiation (LTP), a candidate biological mechanism underlying telencephalic memory formation and expression.
Far3 and Five Interacting Proteins Prevent Premature Recovery from Pheromone Arrest in the Budding Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In budding yeast, diffusible mating pheromones initiate a signaling pathway that culminates in several responses, including cell cycle arrest. Only a handful of genes required for the interface between pheromone response and the cell cycle have been identified, among them FAR1 and FAR3; of these, only FAR1 has been extensively characterized. In an effort to learn about the mechanism by which Far3 acts, we used the two-hybrid method to identify interacting proteins. We identified five previously uncharacterized open reading frames, dubbed FAR7, FAR8, FAR9, FAR10, and FAR11, that cause a far3-like pheromone arrest defect when disrupted. Using two-hybrid and coimmunoprecipitation analysis, we found that all six Far proteins interact with each other. Moreover, velocity sedimentation experiments suggest that Far3 and Far7 to Far11 form a complex. The phenotype of a sextuple far3far7-far11 mutant is no more severe than any single mutant. Thus, FAR3 and FAR7 to FAR11 all participate in the same pathway leading to G1 arrest. These mutants initially arrest in response to pheromone but resume budding after 10 h. Under these conditions, wild-type cells fail to resume budding even after several days whereas far1 mutant cells resume budding within 1 h. We conclude that the FAR3-dependent arrest pathway is functionally distinct from that which employs FAR1.
American Foreign Policy, The Politics of Missions and Josiah Strong, 1890–1900

The revival of interest in American Protestant missionary activity is a remarkable feature of current historical writing in the United States. Two generations ago mission history was a flourishing enterprise, but was closely tied to the missionary movement itself. And when the fire went out of the crusade to evangelize the world in a single generation, the study of mission history was thereby virtually extinguished. With the exception of the distinguished writings of the late Kenneth Scott Latourette, the history of Christian missions in the modern period has been generally disregarded by American historians for most of this century. The renascence of mission history in a new, more modern and ostensibly more objective form began around a decade ago. Whether the present generation of historians will produce greater understanding of the missionary movement than did the generation of their grandfathers is an open question; in any event, the history of missions is once again the latest thing.
The parallel channel with ordered gains: A high snr analysis

A parallel channel with random but ordered gains is considered. A sufficient condition on the code-book (with unit block length codewords) for this channel is derived, so that the fundamental D-M tradeoff of this channel is achieved, irrespective of the distribution of the gains. This condition suggests to construct codes so that the magnitudes of elements of each codeword difference vector are ordered, and the minimum Euclidean distance is maximized. Moreover, an average power constraint on the codewords is sufficient, rather than a constraint on every codeword required for approximate universality [1] if the gains are not ordered. For a 2-parallel channel (i.e. having 2 sub-channels) with ordered gains, a simple explicit code, referred to as the Zig Zag code, is proposed, which achieves the highest diversity order at a fixed rate. For a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) block fading channel, a novel low-complexity D-M tradeoff optimal space-time (ST) architecture, referred to as the ordered D-BLAST-ZF, is proposed, which effectively decomposes the MIMO channel into a parallel channel with ordered gains. This architecture uses a few bits of feedback, containing information of the antenna strength order, as determined by a careful choice of mapping between channel matrices and permutation matrices. Numerical simulations show that, over a parallel channel obtained via the ordered D-BLAST-ZF in a 2 times 2 MIMO channel, a Zig Zag code gives comparable gain over the permutation code of [1] as the latter gives over QAM code used over only the stronger sub-channel.
Baden between Revolutions: State-Building and Citizenship, 1800–1848

Arising from the French revolutionary upheaval and the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire, nineteenth-century Baden, as a political and administrative structure joined to a social body, had few continuities with an earlier past. Though a Napoleonic progeny, its successful transition to modern statehood started as an act of dynastic and bureaucratic will, imposed upon a recalcitrant or disinterested population. Remarkably, the new creation struck roots within its inhabitants which are still evident today. Beyond doubt the Zahringen monarch and the grand duchy's officialdom were estranged from large segments of the population at midcentury, as the revolutionary events of 1848–49 show. Nonetheless, a sense of Badenese citizenship and patriotism had become widely institutionalized by 1848.
Protons from the disintegration of deuterons by 8–28 MeV neutrons

Abstract Proton spectra from the 2H(n, p)2n reaction have been measured for neutron bombarding energies of about 8, 10, 13, 14, 23 and 28 MeV at an average proton emission angle of 5° and for bombarding energies of 10 and 28 MeV at an angle of 20°. Measurements were performed with a counter telescope. Absolute cross sections were obtained by comparing breakup yields with those from elastic n-p scattering. The 5° data are compared with the predictions of the Watson theory and the impulse approximation. At 23 and 28 MeV, the Watson theory yielded peaks near the maximum break-up energy which were much broader than those measured. The impulse approximation yielded fits at all bombarding energies with values of the n-n scattering length ranging from 13.5 to 22 fm.
Multiprocessor supercomputers for scientific/engineering applications

Supercomputers, the fastest computers available, are playing a major role in advancing human civilization. Based on today's technology, a computer is considered a supermachine if it can perform hundreds of milllions of floating-point operations per second (100 M-Flops) with a word length of approximately 64 bits and a main memory capacity of millions of words. The value of supercomputers has been identified in three general areas: (1) supercomputers aid in knowledge acquisition by processing complex data within a reasonable time. (2) supercomputers provide computational tractability in instrumentation, predictive simulations, energy resource exploration, general circulation modeling, weapons effects, and atmospheric testing. (3) supercomputers promote productivity, as in system optimization, computeraided design and manufacturing, and VLSI circuit design. The author briefly reviews the evolution of supercomputers, then discusses supercomputing in science and engineering. He considers multiprocessing supercomputers and exploratory research multiprocessors and finally considers future directions.
Synergic activity of cephalosporins plus fluoroquinolones against Pseudomonas aeruginosa with resistance to one or both drugs

Owing to increasing resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, empirical drug regimens may include agents to which some strains may be resistant. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro activities of different combinations of cephalosporin plus fluoroquinolone against P. aeruginosa isolates with varying susceptibility to the study drugs. Broth microdilution susceptibility testing was performed with 10 clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa. The bactericidal activity of cefepime or ceftazidime alone and in combination with ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, gatifloxacin or moxifloxacin was evaluated using time-kill methods. Colony counts were determined at 0, 4, 8 and 24 h, using antimicrobial concentrations of 0.5 x MIC. All procedures were performed in duplicate. Synergy was defined as a >2-log decrease in cfu/mL at 24 h compared with the single most active agent. The MICs for tested strains were: ceftazidime 0.75-32, cefepime 0.125-8, ciprofloxacin 0.0078-8, levofloxacin 0.023-16, gatifloxacin 0.023-16 and moxifloxacin 0.0521-32 mg/L. Four strains were susceptible to all drugs, two strains were cephalosporin susceptible and fluoroquinolone resistant, and two strains were cephalosporin resistant and fluoroquinolone susceptible. Two strains were resistant or intermediately susceptible to all drugs. Various cephalosporin and fluoroquinolone combinations were synergic against P. aeruginosa, including strains resistant to one or both agents in combination. No synergy was observed in two strains susceptible to all drugs. There were no differences noted between different cephalosporin and fluoroquinolone combinations. Concentrations used in this study are clinically achievable with recommended regimens in most cases.
Habitat analysis of North American sand flies near veterans returning from leishmania-endemic war zones

Nearly 1300 cases of leishmaniasis have been identified in American military personnel deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. The symptoms of this disease can range from a mild, self-limiting cutaneous infection to a deadly visceral infection and are not prevented by chemoprophylaxis or immunization. Effective treatments, however, are available. The disease-causing parasite is spread through the bite of the female sand fly. Although the disease occurs in both the Old World and the New World, the parasite species differ between the hemispheres. The large number of cases in military veterans has caused some concern that Old World, temperate-adapted parasite species could be introduced into the native sand fly populations of American military facilities where veterans of the current conflicts return following their deployments. This paper reports part of a larger study to analyze the risk of such an accidental importation. Four potential habitats on two large Army facilities in the Southeast United States were surveyed to determine relative sand fly density. The National Land Cover Map was used to provide sand fly density prediction maps by habitat. Sand fly density was significantly higher in deciduous forest and even higher at the interface between forest and open grassland. The evergreen forest and agricultural fields supported very low densities. On Fort Campbell, KY, the percentage of land covered by suitable habitat was very high. A sand fly density prediction map identified large tracts of land where infected individuals would be at higher risk of exposure to sand fly bites, resulting in an increased risk of introducing the parasite to a native insect population. On Fort Bragg, NC, however, commercial farming of long leaf pine reduced the percentage of the land covered in vegetation suitable for the support of sand flies. The risk of introducing an exotic Leishmania spp. on Fort Bragg, therefore, is considered to be much lower than on Fort Campbell. A readily available land cover product can be used at the regional level to identify areas of sand fly habitat where human populations may be at higher risk of exposure. The sand fly density prediction maps can be used to direct further surveillance, insect control, or additional patient monitoring of potentially infected soldiers.
Flat Extensions of Positive Moment Matrices: Relations in Analytic or Conjugate Terms

Given a doubly indexed finite sequence of complex numbers γ ≡ γ (2n): γ00, γ01, γ10, …, γ0,2n, …, γ2n,0, with γ00 > 0 and the truncated complex moment problem entails finding a positive Borel measure µ supported in the complex plane C such that γ is called a truncated moment sequence (of order 2n) and µ is called a representing measure for γ. The truncated complex moment problem is closely related to several other moment problems: the full moment problem prescribes moments of all orders, i.e., γ = (γij)i,j≥0, γ00 >0, the K-moment problem (truncated or full) prescribes a closed set K ⊆ C which is to contain the support of the representing measure ([Atz], [BM], [Cas], [CP], [P3], [Sch2], [StSz], [Sza]); and the multidimensional moment problem extends each of these problems to measures supported in C k ([Ber], [BCJ], [Cas], [Fug], [Havl], [Hav2], [McG], [P1], [P2], [P4]); moreover, the k-dimensional complex moment problem is equivalent to the 2k-dimensional real moment problem [CF4, Section 6]. All of these problems generalize classical power moment problems on the real line, whose study was initiated by Stieltjes, Riesz, Hamburger, and Hausdorff (cf. [AK], [Akh], [Hau], [KrN], [Lan], [Sar], [ShT]). Recently, J. Stochel [Sto] proved that a solution to the multidimensional truncated K-moment problem actually implies a solution to the corresponding full moment problem. For k = 1, we may informally paraphrase Stochel’s result as follows: If K ⊆ C is closed, if γ = (γij)i,j>0 is a full moment sequence, and if for each n ≥ 1 there exists a representing measure µ n for γ ij 0≤i+j≤2n such that supp µ n ⊆ K, then there exists a subsequence of µ n that converges (in an appropriate weak topology) to a representing measure µ for γ with supp µ ⊆ K.
Adolescent Attachment, Identity, and Adjustment to College: Implications for the Continuity of Adaptation Hypothesis

We examined the concurrent relationship between late adolescent attachment to parents and peers and two broad indices of adolescent adaptation—personal and social identity and adjustment to college. Participants included 130 college freshmen and 123 upperclassmen. Although freshmen were disadvantaged relative to upperclassmen with respect to social and personal-emotional adjustment, there were no group differences on the attachment measures, on the measures of academic adjustment and goal commitment, and on the measure of social identity. Freshmen scored higher on personal identity than did upperclassmen. Women reported less alienation from peers, had more trust and better communication with peers, and had higher scores on personal and social idenitity than men. The attachment variables were significant predictors of personal and social identity. Pervasive relations were also found between attachment and adjustment to college, particularly for the upperclassmen sample.
Baseband and passband transport systems for interactive video services

As essentially none of the existing telecommunication networks are capable of providing interactive video services (IVS), network providers have begun to consider the network architecture that is best to deploy. Two approaches have received most of the consideration. Because of the embedded base of broadcast, coax-based cable TV networks and because of the unconfirmed demand for IVS, much attention has been paid to upgrading these networks to provide IVS transport even though extensive modification would be required. These networks are referred to as passband networks because of the use of modulated subcarriers as the signal transport mechanism. The alternative approach under consideration is the use of fiber-to-the-curb transport systems. Because such networks transport IVS directly as baseband signals without subcarrier modulation, they are known as baseband networks. The paper compares the baseband and passband approaches in several areas including: compatibility with the optical transmission medium; compatibility with IVS source/sink equipment; compatibility with the emerging telecommunications interoffice and feeder networks; and the cost of deployment. The recent history in which passband and baseband approaches competed to become the preferred transport mechanism in LAN applications is reviewed. The fact that in that case baseband emerged as the preferred approach has important implications for the selection of the preferred approach in today's IVS applications. The constituent elements and transport requirements of the end-to-end network for delivering IVS are reviewed. >
Beneficial Effects of Angiotensin-(1–7) Against Deoxycorticosterone Acetate–Induced Diastolic Dysfunction Occur Independently of Changes in Blood Pressure

Mineralocorticoids have been implicated in the pathogenesis of diastolic heart failure. On the contrary, angiotensin (Ang)-(1–7) has emerged as a potential strategy for treatment of cardiac dysfunction induced by excessive mineralocorticoid receptor activation. A critical question about the cardioprotective effect of Ang-(1–7) in hypertensive models is its dependence on blood pressure (BP) reduction. Here, we addressed this question by investigating the mechanisms involved in Ang-(1–7) cardioprotection against mineralocorticoid receptor activation. Sprague-Dawley (SD) and transgenic (TG) rats that overexpress an Ang-(1–7) producing fusion protein (TG(A1–7)3292) were treated with deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) for 6 weeks. After treatment, SD rats became hypertensive and developed ventricular hypertrophy. These parameters were attenuated in TG-DOCA. SD-DOCA rats developed diastolic dysfunction which was associated at the cellular level with reduced Ca 2+ transient. Oppositely, TG-DOCA myocytes presented enhanced Ca 2+ transient. Moreover, higher extracellular signal–regulated kinase phosphorylation, type 1 phosphatase, and protein kinase Cα levels were found in SD-DOCA cells. In vivo, pressor effects of DOCA can contribute to the diastolic dysfunction, raising the question of whether protection in TG was a consequence of reduced BP. To address this issue, BP in SD-DOCA was kept at TG-DOCA level by giving hydralazine or by reducing the DOCA amount given to rats (Low-DOCA). Under similar BP, diastolic dysfunction and molecular changes were still evident in DOCA-hydralazine and SD-low-DOCA, but not in TG-DOCA. In conclusion, Ang-(1–7) protective signaling against DOCA-induced diastolic dysfunction occurs independently of BP attenuation and is mediated by the activation of pathways involved in Ca 2+ handling, hypertrophy, and survival.
Cell type-specific chromatin organization of the region that governs directionality of yeast mating type switching

Switching of mating type in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is directional; MAT alpha cells recombine to transfer information from HMRa while MATa cells switch using the silent cassette at HML alpha. Genetic analysis recently has defined a 700 bp recombination enhancer approximately 29 kb from the left end of chromosome III that is necessary for directionality. The chromatin structure of this region differs strikingly in a- and alpha-cells. Mat alpha2p organizes a 3.7 kb chromatin domain that opposes interaction of trans-acting proteins with the enhancer. In a-cells lacking the alpha2 repressor, two footprinted regions flank an approximately 100 bp section having a unique DNA structure. This structural signature probably reflects interactions of proteins that result in directional mating type switching.
What we learn from multimodal co-registration methods for stereotactic imaging: from here to where?

CT, MRI, PET and SPECT 3D coregistered imaging is state-of-art in determination of the treatment planning in stereotactic radiotherapy. Stereotactic correlation of these images needs accurate localization. For it, a device measures the accuracy of CT, MRI, PET and SPECT based images on measured x, y coordinates of target positions in space. Various methods of multimodal image-fusion quantify the dimensionality, spatial resolution and tissue target geometry. New emerging imaging methods are very specific to gene and biomolecules and pose challenge of registration.
Who's Responsible? Our Mutual Implication in Each Other's Suffering

In this paper, I examine the social and psychological roots of what I call neoliberal subjectivity, a version of contemporary subjectivity marked by a repudiation of vulnerability that has arisen from the social, economic, and political milieu of the past 30 years. The defense mechanisms involved in such a repudiation cause a decline in empathic capacities and in the capacity to experience ourselves as responsible and accountable for the suffering of others. I look at the way conflicts in the area of accountability and responsibility are lived both within our patients and within the interaction between patient and analyst. I argue that contemporary definitions of empathy normalize the repudiation of vulnerability and thereby foster an experience of empathy in which one can sustain a safe distance from the suffering other and not hold oneself accountable. A two-way version of empathy that counters neoliberal trends requires that we examine the ways we seek refuge in identifications that distance us from vu...
Book Review—On The Customer Service Solution: Managing Emotions, Trust, and Control to Win Your Customer's Business

I review the book The Customer Service Solution: Managing Emotions, Trust, and Control to Win Your Customer's Business by Sriram Dasu and Richard B. Chase (ISBN 978-0-07-180993-1, Copyright © 2013).
The cryosistor&#8212;A field-effect controlled impact ionization switch

The cryosistor is a new three-terminal device in which the low temperature (4.2°K) impact ionization of impurities in germanium is controlled by means of the depletion field effect of a reverse-biased p-n junction. In compenstated germanium, impact ionization breakdown occurs at a critical electric field value with a resulting bistable voltage-current characteristic and the formation of a filamentary ionized current path. In a structure resembling the unipolar transistor a reverse biased gate junction can reduce the area of a conducting channel, between the source and drain ohmic contacts, to below the minimum value of filament area necessary to sustain breakdown. This provides the possibility of bistable switching in and out of the ionized state by means of pulses applied to a biased gate. The critical gate voltages can be calculated from elementary considerations, and with suitable choice of physical dimensions and material, a wide range of values of switching voltages and of power dissipation is possible, The switching speed is limited by the ionization and recombination times of the bulk material and may be as fast as a few nanoseconds, depending upon the amplitude of the switching pulse.
An Uncommon View of the Ground Transportation Problem

A more realistic review of the so-called "ground transportation problem" as it influences and relates to air travel suggests that the ground access-travel time and effort can be reduced more effectively by alteration of air technologies, by airport specialization and by the relocation of air terminals than by modification, expansion or development of ground transport systems. This may be done by locating smaller-scale airports served by V/STOL aircraft for trips under 800 miles closer to travelers homes or places of business. High frequency and direct access should be provided at both ends of the trip at airports which include facilities for ground and water transportation.
Regulation of extracellular calcium entry in endothelial cells: role of intracellular calcium pool.

We have investigated the role of the intracellular Ca2+ pool in regulating Ca2+ entry into vascular endothelial cells. The intracellular Ca2+ pool was mobilized using either thapsigargin (TG) or 2'...