cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GENERALIZED INVERSE MAPPING THEOREMS AND RELATED APPLICATIONS OF GENERALIZED INVERSES IN NONLINEAR ANALYSIS

Publisher Summary The theory and approximation of generalized inverse operators have been developed thoroughly in recent years. The methodology and results of generalized inverses of linear operators are playing an increasing role in various areas of nonlinear analysis and optimization. Uses of linear generalized inverses in nonlinear analysis can be roughly divided into two main streams: (1) local (or asymptotic) analysis, via the use of a generalized inverse of a derivative at a point xo or of a suitable approximating linear operator to a nonlinear operator, where the derivative or the linear operator is neither one-to-one nor onto; (2) nonlinear operator equations with a noninvertible linear part, either in an additive form or in a multiplicative form. This chapter presents the development of several generalizations and in-depth analysis of the inverse mapping theorem.
Amino Acid Profile of Synovial Fluid Following Intra-articular Ankle Fracture:

Background:Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is a frequent complication in patients with a previous traumatic joint injury, and the pathophysiology is not well understood. The goal of this study was to characterize the biochemical signature of amino acids, peptides, and amino acid metabolites in ankle synovial fluid following intra-articular fracture.Methods:Synovial fluid from both the injured and contralateral ankles of 19 patients with an intra-articular ankle fracture was obtained and analyzed via metabolic profiling. Follow-up analysis was performed after 6 months in 7 of these patients.Results:Statistical comparisons between injured and contralateral ankles revealed that 19 of the 66 measured amino acids, peptides, and amino acid metabolites were significantly elevated at time of fracture. Metabolites associated with glutathione metabolism exhibited the most elevated mean-fold changes, indicating a possible role for oxidative stress in fractured ankles. None of the metabolites elevated at baselin...
Screening surgical residents’ laparoscopic skills using virtual reality tasks: Who needs more time in the sim lab?

Abstract Background This study investigated the possibility of using virtual reality perceptual-motor tasks as a screening tool for laparoscopic ability. We hypothesized that perceptual-motor skills assessed using virtual reality will correlate with the quality of simulated laparoscopic ventral hernia repair. Materials and Methods Surgical residents ( N = 37), performed 2 virtual reality perceptual-motor tasks: (1) force matching and (2) target tracking. Participants also performed a laparoscopic ventral hernia repair on a simulator and final product quality score, and endoscopic visualization errors were calculated. Correlational analysis was performed to assess the relationship between performance on virtual reality tasks and laparoscopic ventral hernia repair. Results Residents with poor performance on force matching in virtual reality—“peak deflection” (r = –0.34, P P P P Conclusion Our findings support the notion that virtual reality could be used as a screening tool for perceptual-motor skill. Trainees identified as having poor perceptual-motor skill can benefit from focused curricula, allowing them to hone personal areas of weakness and maximize technical skill.
Effective Resistance of Two-Dimensional Truncated Infinite Mesh Structures

Determining the effective resistance of a mesh is a powerful tool for simplifying the analysis of complex electrical structures, ranging from transistors to power delivery systems. A common structure in science and engineering is a two-dimensional resistive grid. Applications of this structure include IR drop analysis and decoupling capacitor allocation in on-chip power and ground networks in VLSI systems, and the analysis of electrical and thermal conductive media, such as a semiconductor substrate. In the case where the effective resistance is evaluated far from the grid edges, an infinite resistive lattice can be used to simplify the analysis of a grid. If however the target nodes are located close to the grid edges, the assumption of infinite dimensions becomes invalid, producing inaccurate results. To bridge this gap, a resistive mesh truncated along a single or two dimensions is discussed here. Integral expressions for the effective resistance within a truncated infinite mesh structure are provided, as well as a closed-form approximation, which exhibits good agreement with the exact integral equation, exhibiting an average error of 0.27% and a maximum error of 4.77%. These expressions significantly improve the accuracy of the effective resistance estimation near the edges and corner of a resistive mesh, providing a tenfold reduction in error. In case studies, the expressions provide four to six orders of magnitude speedup in IR analysis of a $10^{4} \times 10^{4}$ grid, while providing accuracy comparable to nodal analysis.
Authoring Data Stories in a Media Makerspace: Adolescents Developing Critical Data Literacies.

This article centers sociocultural and sociopolitical considerations of how young people understand, represent, and use data by presenting findings from a social design research study about how stu...
Regioselective Magneto-optical Heteronanorods Enabling Chiroptical Activity

Synthesis of colloidal heterostructures with rational design and controllable precision represents a promising strategy for achieving novel properties and applications. Most recently, Zhuang et al. reported a “double-buffer-layer engineering” concept that was capable of regioselectively growing magnetic Fe3O4 nanodomains only at single ends of semiconductor ZnxCd1−xS(0⩽x⩽1) nanorods. The resulting composite nanostructures exhibited chiroptical activity due to the local magnetic fields introduced by regiospecific magnetic nanodomains, highlighting the promise of controlled colloidal chemistry in synthesizing chiroptical nanostructures in the absence of chiral molecules and helical geometries. The work has been published online in Nature Nanotechnology on January 20, 2020.
Telegenetics and other care models

Abstract Advances in human genomics and genetics are revolutionizing healthcare and ushering in a new era of genetic information-based precision or personalized medical care. Despite a growing need for genetic testing and clinical and medical genetic services, there is currently a shortage of genetics professionals to support the appropriate acquisition and application of genetic information for patient care. Additionally, genetic providers are geographically maldistributed, as the vast majority is located in academic medical centers in urban and suburban locales. One approach to increase access is by the incorporation of telehealth (TH) services. While the advantages of TH are well established in other medical specialties, the uptake of such services among providers of medical genetics continues to evolve. Here, we will review various examples of telegenetics for adult patients, the delivery and regulation in the United States, and growing opportunities for the implementation of telegenetics to help address the shortage of genetics professionals and reduce the barriers to patients receiving clinical genetics and genetic counseling services in personalized precision and preventive health care.
Pneumonitis associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors among patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Purpose of review Patients with lung cancer are particularly vulnerable to lung injury associated with immune checkpoint inhibition and often present with more frequent and more severe manifestations of lung disease compared to patients with other tumor types. The present review explores the reasons for increased susceptibility to immune checkpoint-related lung injury among this group of patients and focuses on the current knowledge of the clinical and radiologic manifestations of lung injury associated with immune checkpoint blockade and current treatment strategies. Recent findings Recent investigations have shown that pneumonitis risk associated with immune checkpoint blockade may be stratified according to the tumor type that is being targeted. Patients with lung cancer have the highest rates of pneumonitis associated with this class of agents. Summary Pneumonitis associated with immune checkpoint blockade among patients with lung cancer has the highest prevalence of all cancer types. In this patient population, the additional insult to the lungs imposed by immune-checkpoint therapies is often poorly tolerated because of tumor burden within the lung, sequelae from prior treatment and frequent comorbid lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Thus, early recognition and treatment is critical in this patient population to successful outcome.
Multi-level analysis of reproduction in the Antarctic midge, Belgica antarctica, identifies female and male accessory gland products that are altered by larval stress and impact progeny viability

Abstract The Antarctic midge, Belgica antarctica, is a wingless, non-biting midge endemic to Antarctica. Larval development requires at least two years, but adult life lasts only two weeks. The nonfeeding adults mate in swarms and females die shortly after oviposition. Eggs are suspended in a gel of unknown composition that is expressed from the female accessory gland. This project characterizes molecular mechanisms underlying reproduction in this midge by examining differential gene expression in whole males, females, and larvae, as well as in male and female accessory glands. Functional studies were used to assess the role of the gel encasing the eggs, as well as the impact of stress on reproductive biology. RNA-seq analyses revealed sex- and development-specific gene sets along with those associated with the accessory glands. Proteomic analyses were used to define the composition of the egg-containing gel, which is generated during multiple developmental stages and derived from both the accessory gland and other female organs. Functional studies indicate the gel provides a larval food source and thermal and dehydration buffer, all of which are critical for viability. Larval dehydration stress directly reduces production of storage proteins and key accessory gland components, a feature that impacts adult reproductive success. Modeling reveals that bouts of dehydration may significantly impact population growth. This work lays a foundation for further examination of reproduction in midges and provides new information related to general reproduction in dipterans. A key aspect is that reproduction and stress dynamics, currently understudied in polar organisms, are likely to prove critical for determining how climate change will alter survivability.
Evaluation of Progress Toward Gender Equity Among Departmental Chairs in Academic Medicine

This cross-sectional study evaluates the extent of progress in female representation among program directors, chairs, and deans to provide a benchmark by which to evaluate future progress.
Stock Price Synchronicity and Public Firm-Specific Information

How stock price synchronicity mirrors firm-specific information has been a subject of much debate. We posit that price synchronicity can be low in either good or bad firm-specific information environments because stock prices incorporate both public and private information. Using three proxies for the cross-sectional variations in public firm-specific information and a large sample, we provide evidence supporting an inversely U-shaped relation between synchronicity and public information. Our results help reconcile the conflicting findings of previous studies and cast doubt on the validity of stock price synchronicity as a uniform indicator of the quality of a firm’s information environment.
Osteosarcoma Mimicking Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumor of the Hip in a Pediatric Patient: A Case Report.

Case A 17-year-old boy presented to the clinic complaining of right hip pain after soccer participation. Clinical findings and imaging studies led to the diagnoses of femoroacetabular impingement and diffuse tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT). Comprehensive arthroscopic management and biopsy revealed a diagnosis of osteosarcoma. The patient subsequently underwent chemotherapy, surgical resection, and reconstruction. Conclusion Osteosarcoma of the proximal femur may mimic TGCT on imaging studies because osteosarcoma may show changes suggestive of inflammation. We recommend heightened clinical awareness and a comprehensive differential workup in the management of presumed TGCT about the hip in the pediatric patient population.
Concept Mapping for Planning and Evaluation

Preface Acknowledgments 1. An Introduction to Concept Mapping 2. Preparing for Concept Mapping 3. Generating the Ideas 4. Structuring the Statements 5. Concept Mapping Analysis 6. Interpreting the Maps 7. Using Concept Mapping in Planning 8. Using Concept Mapping in Evaluation 9. Mapping the Future Appendix: Concept Mapping Dissertations References Index About the Authors
Identification of ADP in the iron-sulfur flavoprotein trimethylamine dehydrogenase.

Abstract Analysis of the 2.4-A resolution electron density map of trimethylamine dehydrogenase has revealed the unexpected presence of one molecule of ADP/subunit. This binding has been confirmed chemically. The binding site is located at the analogous position of the ADP moiety of FAD in glutathione reductase, the FAD and NADPH binding domains of which resemble two of the domains of trimethylamine dehydrogenase. Comparison of the environments of the ADP moieties in the two proteins indicates that 32 residues in 6 peptides are in equivalent positions with a root mean square deviation for C alpha positions of 1.11 A. Twelve of these amino acids are identical, based on the electron density-derived "x-ray" sequence of trimethylamine dehydrogenase. Detailed analysis of the environment of the ADP moiety indicates that most of the conserved residues are not in direct contact with the cofactor. Some of them probably represent the "fingerprint" of the beta alpha beta binding fold found in dinucleotide binding proteins, but the remaining conserved residues may indicate a closer evolutionary relationship between these two proteins.
Immersion Refractometry of Isolated Bacterial Cell Walls

Immersion-refractometric and light-scattering measurements were adapted to determinations of average refractive indices and physical compactness of isolated bacterial cell walls. The structures were immersed in solutions containing various concentrations of polymer molecules that cannot penetrate into wall pores, and then an estimate was made of the polymer concentration or the refractive index of the polymer solution in which light scattering was reduced to zero. Because each wall preparation was heterogeneous, the refractive index of the medium for zero light scattering had to be estimated by extrapolation. Refractive indices for walls suspended in bovine serum albumin solutions ranged from 1.348 for walls of the rod form of Arthrobacter crystallopoietes to 1.382 for walls of the teichoic acid deficient, 52A5 strain of Staphylococcus aureus. These indices were used to calculate approximate values for solids content per milliliter, and the calculated values agreed closely with those estimated from a knowledge of dextran-impermeable volumes per gram, dry weight, of the walls. When large molecules such as dextrans or serum albumin were used for immersion refractometry, the refractive indices obtained were for entire walls, including both wall polymers and wall water. When smaller molecules that can penetrate wall pores to various extents were used with Micrococcus lysodeikticus walls, the average, apparent refractive index of the structures increased as the molecular size of probing molecules was decreased. It was possible to obtain an estimate of 1.45 to 1.46 for the refractive index of wall polymers, predominantly peptidoglycans in this case, by extrapolating the curve for refractive index versus molecular radius to a value of 0.2 nm, the approximate radius of a water molecule. This relatively low value for polymer refractive index was interpreted as evidence in favor of the amorphous, elastic model of peptidoglycan structure and against the crystalline, rigid model.
Physical Factors of the Environment

Physical influences from the environment on biological systems are considered an energetic, as well as an informational input. This chapter therefore on the one hand refers to the biophysical basis of sensory systems, and on the other hand to the input of energy. This energy input can occur either by a specific mechanism of absorption, for example in the case of photosynthesis, where the energy of photons is transformed into chemical energy, or it can be absorbed in an unspecific way, randomly modifying molecules or directly dissipating in the form of heat.
Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor of the ovary: Analysis of a single institution database

Aim: To evaluate the clinicopathological features, management, survival and prognostic factors of patients with Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors of the ovary (SLCT) managed at a single institution. Material and Methods: The clinical records of patients with Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors of the ovary managed at the KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, between October 1998 and December 2008 were reviewed. Data of pathological features, treatment given and progress on follow-up was studied. Results: Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor of the ovary accounted for 1.3% of malignant ovarian neoplasms. The median age of the patient was 30 years. The most common mode of presentation was with hormonal-related symptoms (80%) in the form of secondary amenorrhea, irregular menses and features of virilization. Thirteen of the 15 patients underwent surgical staging and all were found to have stage-I disease at the time of diagnosis. Ten patients with intermediate and poorly differentiated tumors received adjuvant bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin (BEP) chemotherapy. Recurrent disease was detected in two patients (13.3%) during a median follow-up of 63 months, both of whom had poorly differentiated type of tumor. Both these patients underwent optimal debulking surgery followed by postoperative chemotherapy (BEP regimen). There were no disease -elated deaths and all patients were under complete remission at the last follow-up. Conclusion: As most Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors of the ovary are seen in young women and detected while still in the early stages, a favorable outcome can be achieved by conservative surgery. Patients with moderate and poorly differentiated types of tumors benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. Recurrences tend to occur early and are commonly seen in patients with poorly differentiated tumors.
The Adverse Effects of Comorbid Pain on Depression Outcomes in Primary Care Patients: Results from the Artist Trial

Objectives. To explore the effect of pain symptoms and improvements in pain on depression outcomes. Methods. We analyzed data from A Randomized Trial Investigating SSRI Treatment (ARTIST), a randomized longitudinal effectiveness study comparing selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for the treatment of depression in primary care (n = 573). Depression outcome at month 6, defined as remission, partial response, and nonresponse using the Symptom Checklist-20, was the primary outcome. Results. Compared to patients with no pain at baseline, those with severe pain were less likely to achieve remission (OR = 0.11, 95% CI 0.05–0.25) and partial response (OR = 0.24, 95% CI 0.10–0.59) vs nonresponse. Patients with moderate pain were less likely to achieve remission vs nonresponse (OR = 0.25, 95% CI 0.13–0.48). Patients with early improvement in pain were more likely to achieve remission (OR = 1.90, 95% CI 1.03–3.49). Accounting for missing data with last observation carried forward or multiple imputation yielded similar results. Conclusion. Pain symptoms are present in the majority of depressed primary care patients beginning antidepressant therapy. Pain symptoms are associated with worse depression outcomes, while improvement in pain is associated with significantly better depression outcomes. Attention to comorbid pain may be important in enhancing depression care.
Evolutionary Malware: Mobile Malware, Botnets, and Malware Toolkits

Much as information systems themselves evolve and incorporate innovation, so too has malicious software, or "malware." The increasing threat to those who use and trust in these systems is dangerous to overlook. This article examines recent trends in malware development. Reviewing statistics of dangerous infections of various malware families, it also expands on recent developments of actual exploit code. It further expands on the evolution of recent malware development techniques, particularly the use of malware development kits, or "exploit kits." Mobile exploits taking advantage of smart phones, as well as malicious "polymorphic" code that self-mutates to evade detection are also discussed in detail.
UTERINE ADENOMATA IN THE RABBIT : III. SUSCEPTIBILITY AS A FUNCTION OF CONSTITUTIONAL FACTORS.

An investigation of uterine adenomata in the rabbit revealed an incidence of 16.7 per cent in the total female population over 2 years of age. However, the incidence varied widely in relation to age, breed, and genetic constitution and closely paralleled that of toxemia of pregnancy with reference to the same constitutional factors. In addition, all of the tumor bearing animals suffered attacks of this disease during their earlier breeding history. The facts suggest that the association of the two disorders occurred as a result of the liver damage incident to toxemia which impaired the function of this organ in relation to estrin inactivation and the concentration of this substance in the blood stream subsequently rose to a carcinogenic level. A consideration of the disparity in the distribution of uterine growths in rabbits and women indicated that the absence of squamous epithelium in the cervix of the rabbit and the greater physiological activity of the endometrium of the fundus in this species were the determining factors.
Afromontoside. A new cytotoxic principle from Dracaena afromontana

A new cytotoxic principle, steroidal saponin afromontoside (1), has been isolated from a methanolic extract of the twigs of Dracaena afromontana. It was shown to be (25R)-furost-5-ene-3β,22α,26-triol 26-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside 3-O-([O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1→4)]-β-D-glucopyranoside) by spectral and chemical methods. The aglycone of afromontoside, diosgenin, as well as dihydrodiosgenin and several structurally related compounds have been shown to be cytotoxic to cultured KB cells.
Axial moving lines and singularities of rational planar curves

A natural one to one correspondence is derived between the singular points of rational planar curves and the axial moving lines that follow these curves. This correspondence is applied to compute and to analyze all the singular points of low degree rational planar curves using @m-bases.
The estimation of electron affinities fromab initio 1s orbital energies

It has been found that the electron affinities of alkoxy-radicals can be estimated using a correlation with the 1s orbital energy of the oxygen on the associated alkoxy-anion, EA=−0.64503 * (1s orbital energy) −351.58. The method assumes that the species of interest accepts the electron into an orbital which is localized on the oxygen.
New high temperature stable positive photoresists based on hydroxy polyimides and polyamides containing the hexafluoroisopropylidene (6‐f) linking group

In this paper we describe the synthesis, characterization, and lithographic evaluations of novel positive photoresists based on hydroxy polyimides and polyamides containing 6-F linking groups. The polymers were synthesized using solution condensation techniques and characterized using solution viscosity, GPC, FTIR, NMR, UV, TGA, and DSC. Tg's of these polymers range from 250 to 300°C. Both polyimides and polyamides are soluble in a variety of solvents commonly utilized for photoresist applications. When formulated with diazonaphthoquinone sensitizers, these polymers provide an improved high-temperature resistant, aqueous base developable positive photoresist system with good photospeed, contrast, and resolution characteristics. High resolution relief images were obtained which are comparable to 1300 Series AZ type photoresists. No thermal deformation, loss in resolution or defects were noticed when relief patterns were annealed to 250°C. Additionally, the hydroxy polyamide based resists, when thermally annealed to 300°C, provide a photoresist system with even higher thermal stability (400 to 450°C) and excellent resistance to solvents. Also, the photoresist formulations have excellent storage stability at room temperature and can be processed like conventional positive photoresists using broad band UV radiation sources.
New statistical dynamical invariants for homogeneous turbulence

Abstract The conservation in time of J , the density of the mean-square energy fluctuations in a statistically homogeneous ensemble of inviscid incompressible flows, is shown. Other invariants are constructed based on energy and temperature fluctuations, and on energy and helicity fluctuations (the K -invariant) for the case of isotropic but reflectionally non-symmetric turbulence. Evolution equations for J and K when viscosity is present are derived.
c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) is required for survival and proliferation of B-lymphoma cells

Several primary murine and human B lymphomas and cell lines were found to constitutively express high levels of the activated form of c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), a member of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase family. Proliferation of murine B lymphomas CH31, CH12.Lx, BKS-2, and WEHI-231 and the human B lymphomas BJAB, RAMOS, RAJI, OCI-Ly7, and OCI-Ly10 was strongly inhibited by SP600125, an anthrapyrazolone inhibitor of JNK, in a dose-dependent manner. The lymphoma cells underwent apoptosis and arrested at the G2/M phase of cell cycle. Furthermore, JNK-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) inhibited the growth of both murine and human B lymphomas. Thus in the B-lymphoma model, JNK appears to have a unique prosurvival role. Survival signals provided by CD40 and interleukin-10 (IL-10) together reversed the growth inhibition induced by the JNK inhibitor. c-Myc protein levels were reduced in the presence of both SP600125 and JNK-specific siRNA, and CD40 ligation restored c-Myc levels. Moreover, Bcl-xL rescued WEHI-231 cells from apoptosis induced by the JNK inhibitor. The JNK inhibitor also reduced levels of early growth response gene-1 (Egr-1) protein, and overexpressing Egr-1 partially rescued lymphoma cells from apoptosis. Thus, JNK may act via c-Myc and Egr-1, which were shown to be important for B-lymphoma survival and growth. (Blood. 2005;106:1382-1391)
Power deposition in H2 and H2N2 glow discharges

Abstract Analyses and experiments on the fractional dissociation of H 2 in glow discharges in pure H 2 , and in H 2 N 2 mixtures are reported. The fractional power deposited in the dissociation of H 2 calculated from the Boltzmann transport analysis compares well with that required by our experimental data for absolute H atom densities. The analysis also provides generic guidelines towards identification of dominant dissociation processes in molecular gas mixture discharges. The results for low current current glow discharges in H 2 N 2 mixtures show that the vibrational energy reservoir of N 2 (X 1 Σ g + , ν ) must direcly or indirectly be an important factor in the dissociation of H 2 .
Higher Testosterone Levels Are Associated with Less Loss of Lean Body Mass in Older Men

Context: Little information exists about longitudinal changes in body composition and physical function in relation to sex hormone levels in older men. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine associations of testosterone, estradiol, and SHBG with changes in body composition and physical function. Design and Setting: We conducted a prospective cohort study within the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) study at six U.S. clinical centers. Participants: A total of 5994 ambulatory men aged 65 yr or older enrolled in the MrOS. We examined 1183 men with complete measures of sex steroid hormones, body composition, and some measure of physical function. Intervention: There were no interventions. Main Outcome Measure(s): Sex steroids were measured by mass spectrometry in serum collected at baseline. Measurements of body composition using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and physical performance (grip strength, leg power, timed chair stands, narrow walk, and 6-m walk) were performed at baseline and repeat...
Reply to “Comment on ‘Quantum suppression of chaos in the spin-boson model’ ”

We dispute the claim by Bonci et al. [Phys. Rev. E 56, 2325 (1997)] that we have misidentified a chaotic trajectory, and point out that their new results actually support the main conclusions of our original article.
Models of parent–offspring conflict: effect of environmental variance

"Parent-offspring conflict" is a theoretical concept proposing that siblings are selected to be slightly more greedy with each other than parents are selected to tolerate. This paper extends a class of previous models of parent-offspring conflict by introducing a new and more realistic dimension to the analysis: the amount of investment an offspring receives is influenced by non-genetic causes (environmental variance) as well as genetic causes. Results of previous models are substantiated for a wide range of conditions, with two interesting results: (1) direct testing of these models of parent-offspring conflict will prove harder than previously supposed, and (2) in some cases the conflict disappears. The models identify several difficulties that confront quantitative, empirical studies of parent-offspring conflict, and they may consequently help anticipate those aspects of parent-offspring conflict that are most amenable to study.
Integrated Model for Studying Small Aircraft Transportation System

A systems engineering methodology was used to study the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) concept as a feasible mode of transportation. The proposed approach employs a multistep intercity transportation planning process executed inside a Systems Dynamics model. Doing so permits a better understanding of SATS impacts to society over time. The approach is viewed as an extension to traditional intercity transport models through the introduction of explicit demand-supply causal links of the proposed SATS over the complete life cycle of the program. The modeling framework discussed is currently being used by the Virginia SATS Alliance to quantify possible impacts of the SATS program for NASA's Langley Research Center. There is discussion of some of the modeling efforts carried out so far and of some of the transportation modeling challenges facing the SATS program ahead.
Clinical and Personality Profiles and Survival in Patients With COPD

Objective To assess the relationship of personality and clinical characteristics with survival in patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Design Prospective double-blind study. Setting Outpatient clinic of a teaching Veterans Affairs Hospital in central New York. Patient participation Sixteen male patients (mean age, 62.2±2.5 years) with severe COPD Interventions: Patients were administered Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) test; their clinical features were recorded from hospital records at the time of admission into the study. All were followed up for 4 years after the initial assessment or until their death. Measurements and main results The nine survivors and seven nonsurvivors were similar in age, pulmonary function test (PFT) results, oxygenation, number of medications, or concomitant illnesses. However, the nonsurvivors had higher MMPI and clinical illness scores compared with the survivors (p Conclusions The 4-year mortality in male veterans with severe COPD is influenced by overall psychological distress and difficulty in coping with their disease, which seem to be important prognostic indicators irrespective of PFT results or oxygenation.
Heart rate variability associated with particulate air pollution

Abstract Background: Epidemiologic studies have linked fine particulate air pollution with cardiopulmonary mortality, yet underlying biologic mechanisms remain unknown. Changes in heart rate variability (HRV) may reflect changes in cardiac autonomic function and risk of sudden cardiac death. This study evaluated changes in mean heart rate and HRV in human beings associated with changes in exposure to particulate air pollution. Methods: Repeated ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring was conducted on 7 subjects for a total of 29 person-days before, during, and after episodes of elevated pollution. Mean HR, the standard deviation of normal-to-normal (NN) intervals (SDNN), the standard deviation of the averages of NN intervals in all 5-minute segments of the recording (SDANN), and the square root of the mean of squared differences between adjacent NN intervals (r-MSSD) were calculated for 24-hour and 6-hour time segments. Associations of HRV with particulate pollution levels were evaluated with fixed-effects regression models. Results: After controlling for differences across patients, elevated particulate levels were associated with (1) increased mean HR, (2) decreased SDNN, a measure of overall HRV, (3) decreased SDANN, a measure that corresponds to ultralow frequency variability, and (4) increased r-MSSD, a measure that corresponds to high-frequency variability. The associations between HRV and particulates were small but persisted even after controlling for mean HR. Conclusions: This study suggests that changes in cardiac autonomic function reflected by changes in mean HR and HRV may be part of the pathophysiologic mechanisms or pathways linking cardiovascular mortality and particulate air pollution. (Am Heart J 1999;138:890-9.)
Asymptotic behavior of solutions to a system of viscous conservation laws related to a phase transition problem

We study the asymptotic behavior of solutions for a system of viscous conservation laws with discontinuous initial data. We discuss mainly the case where the system without the viscosity term is of hyperbolic elliptic mixed type. This problem is related to a phase transition problem. We study the initial value problem and show the decay rates of solutions to piecewise constant states where two phases coexist. The modification necessary for the hyperbolic case is also discussed.
Place-based education: a transformative activist stance

The ethnography presented by van Eijck and Roth focuses on the activities of people involved in a government funded internship program in conservation and restoration, which was offered by a ‘multidisciplinary research center’ through a local First Nation adult education center. The internship was designed, in partnership with a local non-profit conservation society (OceanHealth), to appeal to First Nation men and women considering career change, returning to school, or re-entering the work place. The primary aim of the internship was to ‘provide authentic science for diverse student populations (and their teachers), with particular attention to the needs of students from First Nations, to become scientifically literate to the extent that it prepares them for participating in public debates, community decision-making, and personal living consistent with long-term environmentally sustainable forms of life’. The authors report that at least one of the two interns was not interested in science and a WSANEC elder expressed dissatisfaction with the efforts to establish the nature park and its current approved uses. Van Eijck and Roth argue that the divergence between the project aims and the goals of the participants are a result of how ‘place’ is viewed in place-based education and that disagreements like these can be resolved if place is theorized as chronotope. There are many interesting ideas raised and directions taken in the article by van Eijck and Roth. After several discussions during the review process, we decided to focus our forum response on the meaning of ‘place’ in place-based education, the utility of theorizing place as a chronotope, the implications for teaching–learning (‘education’), and musings on what remains unclear.
Inversion of azimuthally dependent NMO velocity in transversely isotropic media with a tilted axis of symmetry

Just as the transversely isotropic model with a vertical symmetry axis (VTI media) is typical for describing horizontally layered sediments, transverse isotropy with a tilted symmetry axis (TTI) describes dipping TI layers (such as tilted shale beds near salt domes) or crack systems. P-wave kinematic signatures in TTI media are controlled by the velocity VP0 in the symmetry direction, Thomsen’s anisotropic coefficients e and δ, and the orientation (tilt ν and azimuth β) of the symmetry axis. Here, we show that all five parameters can be obtained from azimuthally varying P-wave NMO velocities measured for two reflectors with different dips and/or azimuths (one of the reflectors can be horizontal). The shear‐wave velocity VS0 in the symmetry direction, which has negligible influence on P-wave kinematic signatures, can be found only from the moveout of shear waves. Using the exact NMO equation, we examine the propagation of errors in observed moveout velocities into estimated values of the anisotropic parame...
Rate-limiting steps in the interactions of fluoropyrimidines and methotrexate.

Rate-limiting steps are defined between methotrexate (MTX) and 5-fluorouracil (FU) or 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FUdR) and [14C]-formate incorporation into RNA, DNA and protein as a function of the basal rate of dTMP synthesis. When Ehrlich cells are incubated with 0.1 μM FUdR, 1 μM FU and 50 μM MTX for 1–35 min, [3H]-deoxyuridine (UdR) incorporation into DNA is maximally inhibited within 1, 10 and 15 min respectively. The delay in suppression of [3H]-UdR incorporation into MTX-exposed cells compared to cells exposed to FU or FUdR is related to the slow transport of MTX and the increasing free intracellular MTX levels. Influx of MTX is 4 and 10 times slower than FU and FUdR respectively. At 2.5, 5, 10 and 15 min the free intracellular MTX levels (nmol/g dry wt) are 5.8, 7.4, 8.7 and 8.8 respectively. Free intracellular FdUMP is identified 1 min after exposure of cells to FU and FUdR. Antagonism to MTX-suppression of [14C]-formate incorporation into RNA, DNA and protein occurs when cells are simultaneously exposed to MTX and FU or FUdR. However, [14C]-formate incorporation into RNA, DNA and protein is maximally inhibited when Ehrlich tumor cells are incubated with 50 μM MTX for 10 min and then exposed to 1 μM FU for 1 min (a time in which free intracellular MTX is maximal and [3H]-UdR incorporation is maximally suppressed). Hence the sequence and time of administration of FU or FUdR and MTX inhibition of formate incorporation into RNA, DNA and protein is related to the rate of (a) FU, FUdR and MTX transport, (b) FU and FUdR metabolism to FdUMP and (c) generation of maximal free intracellular MTX.
Autoregulation after ischaemic stroke.

ObjectivesAbsent outcome data from randomized clinical trials, management of hypertension in acute ischaemic stroke remains controversial. Data from human participants have failed to resolve the question whether cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the peri-infarct region will decrease due to impaired autor
The Marriage: Geriatrics and Oncology

Cancer always has been a disease of greater incidence and morbidity in the elderly, and sociodemographic trends predict this fact to escalate in the decades ahead. Optimum care of older adults with cancer can be enhanced through the marriage of two disciplines that have matured in recent years: geriatrics and oncology. This article reviews issues of cancer care for the elderly, including the strengths and challenges of this special population, quality of life considerations, and future directions.
Anti-lock braking control of a hybrid brake-by-wire system

AbstractThis paper presents a non-linear sliding mode type controller for slip regulation in a braking event for a hybrid electromagnetic-electrohydraulic brake-by-wire (BBW) system. The anti-lock braking system (ABS) controller modifies the brake torque command generated by a supervisory controller based on a driver request via the brake pedal sensor. The brake torque command is then generated by a closed-loop actuator control algorithm to control the eddy current brake (ECB) and electrohydraulic brake (EHB) systems. The proposed control algorithm shows very good slip regulation in a braking event on low friction coefficient surfaces when compared with non-ABS braking. It has been observed that the eddy current brake provided most of the torque while the electrohydraulic brake compensated for the difference between ABS torque command and estimated ECB torque. The result is a very smooth ABS stop minimizing the noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) of current hydraulic ABS systems. It is also shown that t...
Target muscles and sensory afferents do not influence steroid-regulated, segment-specific death of identified motoneurons in Manduca sexta.

Programmed cell death plays a critical role in sculpting the nervous system during embryonic development. In holometabolous insects, cell death also plays an important role in the reorganization of the nervous system during metamorphosis. In Manduca sexta, cell death and the factors that regulate it can be studied at the level of individually identified neurons. The accessory planta retractor (APR) motoneurons undergo segment-specific death during the larval-pupal transformation. APRs in abdominal segments 1, 5, and 6 die at pupation; those in abdominal segments 2, 3, and 4 survive until adulthood. Juvenile hormone and ecdysteroids regulate the metamorphic restructuring of the nervous system, but the factors that determine which APRs will live and which will die are not known. The present study assessed the possible importance of cell-cell interactions in determining APR survival at pupation by removing APR's target muscle or mechanosensory input early in the final larval instar, prior to the hormonal cues that trigger the larval-pupal transformation. The motoneurons showed their normal, segment-specific pattern of death in nearly all cases. These results suggest that target muscles and sensory input play little or no role in determining the segment-specific pattern of APR survival at pupation. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Factors Influencing Termination of Reproductive Diapause in Orius insidiosus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae)

Orius insidiosus females, collected in the fall, were maintained for 20 days at four photoperiod and temperature regimes (8D:16L, 25°C; 8D:16L, 12°C; 12D:12L, 25°C; 12D:12L, 12°C). None of the females maintained in fall-simulated conditions (12D:12L, 12°C) laid eggs, whereas all females kept under long-day and warm temperatures (8D:16L, 25°C) broke diapause and laid eggs, suggesting that this bug undergoes a facultative reproductive diapause. Of the females maintained at 8D:16L, 12°C and 12D:12L, 25°C, only 25 and 20%, respectively, laid eggs within the 20-day experimental penod.
La « perruque » en usine : approche d’une pratique marginale, illégale et fuyante

Resume La « perruque » consiste en l’utilisation de materiaux et d’outils par un travailleur, sur le lieu de travail et pendant le temps de travail, dans le but de fabriquer un objet en dehors de la production normale de l’entreprise. Meme si de nombreuses traces juridiques, artistiques et ethnographiques attestent cette pratique, elle reste entouree d’un silence qui n’est pas simplement lie a sa marginalite et a son illegalite, ce qui ressort de l’examen de ces traces et des entretiens a ce propos avec des retraites ayant travaille dans une usine aeronautique. La perruque met en evidence une forte complicite entre salaries, independamment de leur niveau hierarchique. Parce qu’une telle complicite entre peu dans le cadre institutionnel de l'usine, ce silence est sans doute plus le signe d’une incapacite a parler de cette pratique que le signe de sa marginalite ou de son illegalite.
An analysis of customer satisfaction with waiting times in a two-stage service process

Abstract A purely operational approach to providing customer service measures the speed of the service in terms of how long the customer actually waits prior to being served. A more appropriate method. perhaps, is to deal directly with the issue of customer service by measuring customer satisfaction with the wait. In this paper a model is developed which integrates the marketing perspective of customer satisfaction and the operations management perspective of customer waiting time. With this model, the goal of the service manager is to provide an acceptable level of customer satisfaction in lieu of a maximum acceptable average waiting time, which is the current practice. This new approach to defining customer service raises several interesting managerial issues in the design and staffing of a two-stage (or, for that matter, a multi-stage) process. For example, is a customer equally satisfied waiting the same amount of time before each stage in the process? If not, what type of strategy does the service manager employ in assigning workers to each of the stages? In order to address these issues, a major portion of this paper focuses on the definition and measurement of customer satisfaction. The application of the model to a real world situation is illustrated using empirical data collected in a two-stage fast food operation. The results indicate that the speedy acknowledgement of customer arrivals into the system, that is, the prompt taking of customer orders, is more important to the customers than is the time waiting for their orders to be processed. In other words, a customer's wait prior to entering the first stage of the system impacts on customer satisfaction much more than the wait prior to entering stage two. The conclusion from this analysis is that in a sequential, multi-stage process, management should design and staff the system so that the shortest wait for the customer occurs prior to the first stage.
Note on the occurrence of Pseudo-nitzschia australis and domoic acid in squid from Monterey Bay, CA (USA) ☆

Abstract Over the past decade diatom blooms of domoic acid (DA)-producing Pseudo-nitzschia spp. have been responsible for numerous marine mammal and bird mortalities in Monterey Bay, CA. One possible toxin vector is the market squid, Loligo opalescens , a small pelagic mollusk that plays an important role in the near-shore food web of the California Current ecosystem as a favored vertebrate prey species. This study examined the trophic link between toxic Pseudo-nitzschia and L. opalescens using toxin and stomach content analyses of animals collected from Monterey Bay, CA in 2000. Receptor binding assay data (confirmed by tandem mass spectrometry), demonstrated the presence of DA in squid during a toxic Pseudo-nitzschia event, with P. australis frustules observed in stomach samples. Though DA levels were low ( −1 tissue) in L. opalescens during the study period, it is now clear that this potent neurotoxin can occur in squid and is likely delivered through its krill prey species, which are known to retain DA after feeding on toxic Pseudo-nitzschia . Our findings suggest that further study of the relationship between Pseudo-nitzschia blooms and DA contamination of squid is warranted to better evaluate the potential health risk to humans and wildlife associated with this major commercial seafood species and important prey item.