cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The eleventh of September and the Sudanese mahdiya in the context of Ibn Khaldun's theory of Islamic history

The ruling (fatwa) to kill the Americans and their allies-civilians and military-is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it, in order to liberate the al-Aqsa Mosque [in Jerusalem] and the holy mosque [in Mecca] from their grip, and in order for their armies to move out of all the lands of Islam, defeated and unable to threaten any Muslim ... [People] even believe that this situation is a curse put on them by Allah for not objecting to the oppressive and illegitimate behaviour and measures of the ruling regime: Ignoring the divine Shari'a law, depriving people of their legitimate rights; allowing the Americans to occupy the land of the Two Holy Places ...2 These two quotations bear an obvious similarity. The first is a proclamation of the Mahdi Muhammad Ahmed, in 1882, raising the standard of revolt against the Egyptians, nominal subjects of the Ottoman sultan, and the British who occupied their country and led their armies. The same year nearly eight thousand men under Hicks Pasha, a retired Indian army officer, perished at Sheikhan; three years later General 'Chinese' Gordon, sent to avenge Hicks Pasha, died a hero's death on the steps of the governor's house at Khartoum. An engraving of the picture of Gordon surrounded by dervishes with spears, now hanging in Leeds Art Gallery, embellished many Victorian homes, imbuing the British public with a thirst for revenge. But thirteen more years passed before Kitchener finally defeated the forces of the mahdi's successor, the khalifa, at Omdurman.3
National diversity and team performance in low interdependence tasks

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between national diversity and team performance. Research on US teams involved in a task of low interdependence (baseball) is replicated with a Japanese sample to investigate possible cross‐national differences. The paper also presents a new quantitative measure of diversity.Design/methodology/approach – This study uses quantitative research based on archival data. Regression modeling is applied to professional sports data from Japan. National diversity of teams is operationalized using a new approach to Blau's Index.Findings – A negative relationship was found between national diversity and team performance in Japan. No significant results were found for age diversity. The results for national diversity are in contrast to research conducted on similar teams in the USA.Practical implications – The findings provide evidence of cross‐national differences between US and Japanese teams. Findings are also directly applicable to managers in the ...
Enhancing career benefits of employee proactive personality: The role of fit with jobs and organizations.

Organizations increasingly expect employees to demonstrate proactive behaviors. We examined person–organization fit (P–O fit) and person–job fit (P–J fit) as moderators of the relationship between proactive personality and intrinsic career success (job and career satisfaction). We hypothesized that proactive personality would be related to intrinsic career success only to the extent that individuals had high fit with organizations and jobs. In Study 1, using a sample of 295 teachers and 139 of their peers working in 15 elementary and high schools in Turkey, we found that proactive personality was positively related to job satisfaction only for individuals with high P–O fit. Furthermore, proactive personality was positively related to career satisfaction only for individuals with high P–O fit and for individuals with high P–J fit. We replicated the findings for P–O fit as a moderator of personality with respect to job and career satisfaction in Study 2, using a sample of 203 university professors in the United States. We found no support in either sample for P–J fit as a moderator of proactive personality with respect to job satisfaction. In Study 2, we found that research productivity was related to proactive personality differentially for high and low P–J fit tenure-track faculty members.
Migration of human keratinocytes in plasma and serum and wound re-epithelialisation

When skin is wounded, human keratinocytes at the wound edge stop differentiating and start migrating to resurface the wound. How this change takes place is unclear. Because keratinocytes at the wound edge are for the first time surrounded by serum rather than plasma, serum could contain some migration-promoting factor or factors that is absent in plasma. We did standard computer-assisted in-vitro migration assays of human keratinocytes in the presence of either human plasma or serum. We also did a semiquantitative western blot analysis to determine if p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) was activated by either serum or plasma. Our results showed that keratinocytes migrating on collagen in the presence of serum produced migration indices in the range of 28, whereas those in the presence of plasma were about 12--the same level as control assays without either serum or plasma. We also showed that induced keratinocyte polarisation, activation of p38MAPK, and production of matrix metalloprotease 9 are possible mechanisms for promotion of re-epithelialisation of skin wounds by human serum.
Creep-Recovery Test: A Critical Tool for Rheological Characterization of Drilling Fluids

The relaxation time of drilling fluids is small compared to operational time, s o under normal steady shear, the viscous response is dominant. However, under infinitesimal deformation o r high shearing speed, drilling fluids behave viscoelastically. Viscoelasticity has received much attention from the petroleum i ndustry since many phenomena are related to it. Viscoelastic properties of fluid are the measurement of the gel structure, structure stability and gelling speed. Hence, it governs particle settling and the invasion of fluid into the formation. These viscoelastic properties can be determined through dynamic tests including oscillato ry, creep-recovery and relaxation tests. However, current rheological characterization is not sufficient to evaluate these important properties. In addition, a standard test procedure for dynamic test is not available. Theref ore, the petroleum industry still lacks a rheological tool to evaluate fluids in term of particle transportation and structure s tability. In this search, creep-recovery test is used to obtain the viscoelastic pro perties of drilling fluids. A standard experimental procedure is designed to obtain creep-recovery data of six teen drilling fluids. This test procedure provides a guideline for other experimental investigations. Creep compliance, a material function of fluid, is analyzed and compared. A method of using creep-recovery data to evaluate the settling of particles is discussed. The procedure to obtain the zero shear viscosity from creep-recovery test is shown in detail. To mathematically model the viscoelastic response of fluids, a viscoelastic model, consisting of three Kel vin-Voigt models and one Maxwell model, was used to fit the experimental data. The model parameters for each sa mple obtained from nonlinear regression are presented. The results of this study provide petroleum engineers a practical rheological tool to obtain zero shear viscosity, predict particle settling and evaluate fluid structure stability. Our mathematical model ca n also be used to model the viscoelastic response of drilling and hydraulic fracturing fluids.
Reliability: paradigm or paradox, with especial reference to personality tests.

Abstract Conventional reliability theory is inapplicable to many domains, including personality and projective tests. Repeat reliability, or temporal stability, is a matter to be investigated, not assumed; it is obvious that measures of some personality characteristics, e.g., mood, if temporally stable cannot be valid. As for internal consistency, classical mental test theory holds that an unreliable test cannot be valid. It is demonstrated mathematically that the maximum validity of a test with zero internal consistency (reliability) is one. The supposed limitation of validity follows only from the assumption of a random error component, uncorrelated with anything, to test scores. This often useful assumption leads us astray. A physical example is given as well as that of projective tests. Some consideration is given to the nature of these measurements. The largest validity squared is a conservative reliability estimate from classical test theory which may be used without being hurt by the theory's inapp...
Forecasting Maximum Temperatures through Use of an Adjusted 850- to 700-mb Thickness Technique

A new technique is discussed for forecasting maximum daily surface temperatures at Dugway Proving Ground (DPG), Utah, a non-MOS site, using real-time surface data and the adjusted 850- to 700-mb thickness from 1200 UTC radiosonde profiles. Based on the hypsometric equation, this technique is easily computed, is less influenced by climatology, and allows the forecaster to weigh the various parameters influencing each forecast. The technique requires that empirical best-fit relationships between maximum temperature and the 1200 UTC 850- to 700-mb thickness be established by month for various sky conditions. These relationships are further adjusted and refined by empirical rules that account for thermal advection at 700 mb, state of ground, surface pressure, and surface wind circulations. As a result, this thickness technique has been used successfully at DPG to accurately forecast days ranging from ones with temperatures near the climatological average to ones with an extreme departure from average. Forecasters at DPG expressed greater confidence in their maximum temperature forecasts using this adjusted thickness technique. While only demonstrated at DPG, it has potential use elsewhere
Evaluating an innovative program to improve new nurse graduate socialization into the acute healthcare setting.

Problem New nurse graduates experience a stressful role transition into healthcare organizations, with 30% leaving their first job within 1 year and 57% leaving by 2 years of employment. Aim This study tests whether an internship program, Social and Professional Reality Integration for Nurse Graduates (SPRING), improves new nurse graduate retention, sense of belonging, organizational commitment, and anticipated turnover. Design Quasi-experimental, posttest only, control group design. Method New nurse graduates hired by an academic institution that completed SPRING were compared with baseline nurse graduates who did not complete SPRING, using the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire, Modified Hagerty-Patusky Sense of Belonging Instrument, and Anticipated Turnover Scale. Retention was also examined. Results Anticipated Turnover was higher for baseline nurses than for 6-month SPRING nurses. Six-month SPRING nurses have lower antecedent sense of belonging than baseline or 12-month SPRING nurses. One-year retention is higher for SPRING new graduates than for non-SPRING new graduates. Conclusion Internship programs for nurse graduates must support the socialization of nurses and their transition into the professional role as well as teach the skills and knowledge needed for competence. This study supports the value of a comprehensive program for new nurse graduates in improving nurse retention and decreasing new nurse graduate intent to leave the organization at 6 months.
Effect of Xyloquinone in Normal Dogs and Dogs with “Neurogenic Hypertension.”:

Summary1. 2,5-dimethyl paraquinone was found to cause a marked reduction in the blood pressure of dogs made hypertensive by proprioceptor depressor neurotomy. 2. No significant changes were observed in the blood pressure of normal dogs given an amount of this chemical sufficient to cause a marked effect in hypertensive dogs.
Paracrystalline aggregates of microtubules in the anterior pituitary cells of the chinchilla (Chinchilla laniger)

Paracrystalline aggregates of microtubules were observed by electron microscopy in some cells of the anterior pituitary glands from ten untreated chinchillas (Chinchilla laniger). Longitudinal section of the paracrystals revealed regular arrays of electron-opaque lines parallel to the long axis of the microtubules and in transverse sections the paracrystals showed an unusual checkerboard pattern of closely packed microtubules. However, the inner wall of each subunit was hexagonal in shape.
Abstract C86: FGFR inhibition potentiates the effect of conventional chemotherapeutic agents in endometrial cancer cells

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological malignancy and the fourth most common cancer in women in the United States. Most women present with early stage disease confined to the uterus and thus have a favorable prognosis. However, for the subset of women who present with advanced disease or that recur, prognosis is poor, with a median survival after recurrence of 10 months, reflecting a lack of effective treatment options. We identified activating mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) receptor tyrosine kinase in 10–15% of endometrial tumors, and hypothesized that FGFR inhibition may be a viable therapeutic option for patients with FGFR2 mutation positive tumors. Indeed, we have shown that treatment of FGFR2 mutation positive endometrial cancer cell lines with PD173074, a pan‐FGFR small molecular inhibitor, induces cell death both in vitro and in vivo. We have shown this cell death is caspase-independent, raising the possibility that combination of an FGFR inhibitor with chemotherapeutic agents may exhibit synergistic activity due to their non‐redundant mechanisms of action. Moreover, as FGF ligand expression has been associated with chemoresistance and poor prognosis in a number of other cancer types, including lung, breast, ovarian, prostate, and head and neck carcinomas, we hypothesized that FGFR inhibition may also sensitize wildtype FGFR2 endometrial cancer cell lines to chemotherapeutic agents. We therefore sought to evaluate whether FGFR inhibition synergizes with conventional chemotherapeutic agents in endometrial cancer. Using combination index and Bliss additivity analysis, we evaluated whether FGFR inhibition potentiated the effect of paclitaxel and doxorubicin in a panel of FGFR2 mutant and non‐mutant endometrial cancer cell lines. FGFR2 mutation status did not alter sensitivity to either chemotherapeutic agent alone. The combination of PD173074 with paclitaxel or doxorubicin showed synergistic activity in all three FGFR2 mutant cell lines. In addition, though non‐mutant cell lines were resistant to FGFR inhibition alone, the addition of PD173074 potentiated the effect of paclitaxel and doxorubicin in a subset of FGFR2‐wildtype cell lines tested. Together these data suggest a therapeutic benefit to combining an FGFR inhibitor with standard chemotherapeutic agents, and, importantly, this may extend to patients whose tumors possess wildtype FGFR2. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):C86.
Up-regulation of cholesterol absorption is a mechanism for cholecystokinin-induced hypercholesterolemia.

Excessive absorption of intestinal cholesterol is a risk factor for atherosclerosis. This report examines the effect of cholecystokinin (CCK) on plasma cholesterol level and intestinal cholesterol absorption using the in vivo models of C57BL/6 wild-type and low density lipoprotein receptor knock-out (LDLR−/−) mice. These data were supported by in vitro studies involving mouse primary intestinal epithelial cells and human Caco-2 cells; both express CCK receptor 1 and 2 (CCK1R and CCK2R). We found that intravenous injection of [Thr28,Nle31]CCK increased plasma cholesterol levels and intestinal cholesterol absorption in both wild-type and LDLR−/− mice. Treatment of mouse primary intestinal epithelial cells with [Thr28,Nle31]CCK increased cholesterol absorption, whereas selective inhibition of CCK1R and CCK2R with antagonists attenuated CCK-induced cholesterol absorption. In Caco-2 cells, CCK enhanced CCK1R/CCK2R heterodimerization. Knockdown of both CCK1R and CCK2 or either one of them diminished CCK-induced cholesterol absorption to the same extent. CCK also increased cell surface-associated NPC1L1 (Niemann-Pick C1-like 1) transporters but did not alter their total protein expression. Inhibition or knockdown of NPC1L1 attenuated CCK-induced cholesterol absorption. CCK enhanced phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and Akt phosphorylation and augmented the interaction between NPC1L1 and Rab11a (Rab-GTPase-11a), whereas knockdown of CCK receptors or inhibition of G protein βγ dimer (Gβγ) diminished CCK-induced PI3K and Akt phosphorylation. Inhibition of PI3K and Akt or knockdown of PI3K diminished CCK-induced NPC1L1-Rab11a interaction and cholesterol absorption. Knockdown of Rab11a suppressed CCK-induced NPC1L1 translocation and cholesterol absorption. These data imply that CCK enhances cholesterol absorption by activation of a pathway involving CCK1R/CCK2R, Gβγ, PI3K, Akt, Rab11a, and NPC1L.
Hydroxyl radical scavengers inhibit human natural killer cell activity

As natural killer (NK) cell activity is an essential constituent of host defence systems1 and reactive oxygen intermediates participate in such defence2–4, the effect of scavengers of oxygen radicals on NK cell activity was investigated. Hydroxyl radical (OH·) scavengers5 (dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), thiourea, dimethylurea, tetramethylurea, benzoic acid, ethanol, methanol and ethylene glycol) inhibited NK cell activity. Catalase, a scavenger of H2O2, and Superoxide dismutase (SOD), a scavenger of O−2, either alone or in combination, did not inhibit NK cell activity. Inhibition of the lipoxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism, a potential source of cellular OH·, with nordihydroguaiaretic acid6 and 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid (ETYA)7 resulted in marked inhibition of NK cell activity. Inhibition of the cyclooxygenase pathway7,8 with acetylsalicylic acid or indomethacin had minimal effects on NK cell activity. Taken together, these findings suggest that OH·, possibly generated via the lipoxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism, is critical for NK cell cytotoxicity.
Cell adhesion molecules in the development of the Drosophila nervous system

Abstract Differential cell adhesion plays an essential role in the development of the Drosophila nervous system. Proteins that are involved in these adhesive interactions have been identified and characterized. Many of these molecules contain structural motifs that have previously been identified in cell adhesion molecules in vertebrates, suggesting that vertebrates and invertebrates may share many of the same molecular mechanisms of neuronal recognition and adhesion. Mutations in many of these adhesion molecules have now been identified; the classical and molecular genetic techniques that are the strengths of the Drosophila experimental system promise to be powerful tools for studying the role of cell adhesion molecules in the development of the nervous system.
Determination of the Strength Function of Nuclear Energy Levels

An investigation of the average reduced neutron width to spacing ratio, or strength function $\frac{〈{{\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{0}}^{2}〉}{\overline{D}}$, of nuclear energy levels has been carried out as a function of atomic weight and neutron energy. The experiment was performed by measuring deviations from exponential attenuation of a beam of neutrons passing through samples of various elements. Deviations from exponential attenuation were observed by comparing transmissions of thin samples for neutron beams filtered through thick samples with transmissions of thin samples for unfiltered beams.
Dissolution Dynamics and Temporal Variations of Groundwater Flux in the Subsurface Source Zone of Nonaqueous Phase Liquids

AbstractWidespread production and use of industrial solvents and liquid petroleum products have created problems of subsurface contamination by nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs). The objective of this study is to relate NAPL dissolution dynamics to temporal variations of groundwater flux in the NAPL source zone. The approach is based on the idea that the source zone NAPL mass discharge into the aqueous phase is related to the temporal variations of the NAPL source zone groundwater flux. By incorporating this new idea, the NAPL source dynamics including source zone contaminant concentrations, reduction in the NAPL mass discharge to the aqueous phase, reduction in the NAPL mass in the source zone can be effectively related. In illustrating the new model development, an exponential form of the NAPL source zone groundwater flux is used to accommodate a range of potential temporal variations of groundwater flux. These models simply predict how NAPL source zone characteristics change with time, which can be easi...
Preliminary evidence for brain complications in obese adolescents with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Aims/hypothesis Central nervous system abnormalities, including cognitive and brain impairments, have been documented in adults with type 2 diabetes who also have multiple co-morbid disorders that could contribute to these observations. Assessing adolescents with type 2 diabetes will allow the evaluation of whether diabetes per se may adversely affect brain function and structure years before clinically significant vascular disease develops.
Demonstration of an active quantum key distribution network

We previously demonstrated a high speed, point to point, quantum key distribution (QKD) system with polarization coding over a fiber link, in which the resulting cryptographic keys were used for one-time pad encryption of real time video signals. In this work, we extend the technology to a three-node active QKD network - one Alice and two Bobs. A QKD network allows multiple users to generate and share secure quantum keys. In comparison with a passive QKD network, nodes in an active network can actively select a destination as a communication partner and therefore, its sifted-key rate can remain at a speed almost as high as that in the point-to-point QKD. We demonstrate our three-node QKD network in the context of a QKD secured real-time video surveillance system. In principle, the technologies for the three-node network are extendable to multi-node networks easily. In this paper, we report our experiments, including the techniques for timing alignment and polarization recovery during switching, and discuss the network architecture and its expandability to multi-node networks.
Acute hypoxia decreases E. coli LPS-induced cytokine production and NF-κB activation in alveolar macrophages

Abstract Reductions in alveolar oxygenation during lung hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury are common after gram-negative endotoxemia. However, the effects of H/R on endotoxin-stimulated cytokine production by alveolar macrophages are unclear and may depend upon thresholds for hypoxic oxyradical generation in situ. Here TNF-α and IL-1β production were determined in rat alveolar macrophages stimulated with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS, serotype O55:B5) while exposed to either normoxia for up to 24 h, to brief normocarbic hypoxia (1.5 h at an atmospheric PO 2 = 10 ± 2 mm Hg), or to combined H/R. LPS-induced TNF-α and IL-1β were reduced at the peak of hypoxia and by reoxygenation in LPS + H/R cells ( P 2 of alveolar macrophages that do not deplete GSH suppress LPS-induced TNF-α expression, IL-1β production, and NF-κB activation even as oxyradical production is decreased.
Intraepithelial Lesions of Urinary Bladder: Morphologic Considerations

Urological pathologists representing the World Health Organization and the International Society of Urological Pathology have reached a new consensus on the definitions of flat, non-invasive lesions of the urothelium. Lesions are classified as: (1) carcinoma in situ (CIS); (2) dysplasia; (3) atypia of unknown significance; and (4) reactive atypia. These terms are intended to describe a histological spectrum of architectural and cytological abnormalities ranging from the unequivocally malignant (CIS) through the probably neoplastic (dysplasia) to the benign (atypia). The biological potential of these lesions in individual patients cannot be accurately predicted, although the degree of risk for an adverse outcome is very likely to be proportional to the degree of architectural and cytological anaplasia. It is likely that each phenotype has two biological potentials: dynamic and effete. It should be emphasized that most of our knowledge concerning these lesions in humans has been obtained from studies of groups of patients who have already developed a papillary or nodular, invasive or non-invasive urothelial carcinoma, as descriptions of primary CIS, dysplasia, and atypia are uncommon. Future knowledge in this area might be enhanced by attention to the following: better definitions of terms and more accurate application of words such as bladder cancer, early lesion, tumor progression, precursor, and premalignant; increased understanding of the biological processes underlying phenotypic changes; development of models (probably computer-based) with the capacity to factor in the complexities of human carcinogenesis in an ongoing fashion, as new information becomes available.
The lattice anharmonicity-induced broadenings of defect spectral lines

The effect of the anharmonicity of the host lattice to the defect optical absorption and emission is studied. Anharmonicity contributes to the defect optical linewidths via phonon lifetime effect and defect-phonon scattering mediated by a second phonon. Numerical estimates of these contributions indicate that the anharmonic broadenings may not be negligible in some insulating crystalline hosts.
Modulation of drug reinforcement by behavioral requirements following drug ingestion.

Eight volunteers with histories of drug abuse participated in two experiments examining the modulation of drug choice by behavioral requirements following drug ingestion. Each morning subjects ingested color-coded capsules containing triazolam (0.25 mg), d-amphetamine (15 mg), or placebo and then engaged in a relaxation or a computer vigilance activity. Experiment 1 involved two phases (i.e. a triazolam and a d-amphetamine phase), presented in counterbalanced order. Within each phase, subjects were first exposed to each of two compounds (placebo and either triazolam or d-amphetamine) once with each activity. Then every other day for 20 days subjects chose which compound they ingested with the vigilance and relaxation activities, with the restriction that they could not choose the same compound with both activities. Seven of eight subjects reliably chose d-amphetamine with the vigilance activity; all subjects always chose triazolam with the relaxation activity. In experiment 2 (5 days' duration), after re-exposure to the color-coded compounds used in experiment 1, subjects chose which compound (placebo, d-amphetamine or triazolam) they ingested with the vigilance activity, and on another occasion (in counterbalanced order), which they ingested with relaxation activity. Seven of eight subjects chose d-amphetamine with the vigilance activity; all subjects chose triazolam with the relaxation activity. The relaxation and vigilance activities modulated triazolam and d-amphetamine reinforcement, thereby demonstrating a new class of environmental variable that can influence drug self-administration.
Endopolygalacturonase: a Candidate Gene for Freestone and Melting Flesh in Peach

Peach fruit are handled, processed, and marketed according to their stone adhesion and fruit softening type. Uncertainty exists over whether these simply inherited traits are controlled by two linked loci, Freestone (F) and Melting flesh (M) or one multi-allelic locus, and whether M is controlled by the cell wall degrading enzyme, endopolygalacturonase. From morphological and molecular analysis of two related segregating populations of peach, we conclude that a single locus containing at least one gene for endopolygalacturonase, controls both F and M with at least three effective alleles. A simple diagnostic PCR test is now available for the three major phenotypes of freestone melting flesh (FMF), clingstone melting flesh (CMF), and clingstone non-melting flesh (CNMF).
House societies vs. kinship-based societies: An archaeological case from Iron Age Europe

The idea that houses and territories can be alternative systems for structuring society is undermining the traditional belief that lineages, clans and other systems based on kinship ties were the only conceivable principle of social organization in traditional communities. The concept of societe a maison (house society) developed by Levi-Strauss is proving to be a useful tool in anthropology. However, only a few archaeological examples have been provided to date. Following LeviStrauss’ deWnition and drawing on diVerent ethnographic cases of societies based on house and territory rather than kinship, an archaeological example from the Iberian Iron Age is explored.
Tail probability approximations in the first-order noncircular autoregression

A saddlepoint expansion is derived for the cumulative distribution function of the least squares estimator of the autoregressive coefficient. The new method is shown to be superior both analytically and numerically to many existing approximations. Unlike other methods the new approximation performs uniformly well over the whole range of the distribution including the extreme tail, even when the sample size is as small as 10
Optimal Resilience- and Cost-Based Postdisaster Intervention Prioritization for Bridges along a Highway Segment

In this paper, a general framework for the optimal resilience- and cost-based prioritization of interventions on bridges distributed along a highway connection between two cities that have experienced a disruptive natural or man-made event is proposed. Given the structural damage levels after the extreme event and the bridge characteristics, the proposed computational procedure finds the best intervention schedules, defined as starting time and progress pace of the restoration. The possible intervention schedules are considered optimal when they maximize the resilience of the highway segment and minimize the total cost of interventions. Because the two objectives are conflicting, the procedure uses genetic algorithms (GAs) to automatically generate a Pareto front of optimal solutions. Numerical examples are presented and discussed.
Scheduling for end-to-end deadline-constrained traffic with reliability requirements in multihop networks

We attack the challenging problem of designing a scheduling policy for end-to-end deadline-constrained traffic with reliability requirements in a multihop network. It is well known that the end-to-end delay performance for a multihop flow has a complex dependence on the high-order statistics of the arrival process and the algorithm itself. Thus, neither the earlier optimization-based approaches that aim to meet the long-term throughput demands nor the solutions that focus on a similar problem for single-hop flows directly apply. Moreover, a dynamic programming-based approach becomes intractable for such multi-timescale quality-of-service (QoS)-constrained traffic in a multihop environment. This motivates us in this paper to develop a useful architecture that enables us to exploit the degree of freedom in choosing appropriate service discipline. Based on the new architecture, we propose three different approaches, each leading to an original algorithm. We study the performance of these algorithms in different scenarios to show both optimality characteristics and to demonstrate the favorable service discipline characteristics they possess. We provide extensive numerical results to compare the performance of all of these solutions to throughput-optimal back-pressure-type schedulers and to longest waiting-time-based schedulers that have provably optimal asymptotic performance characteristics. Our results reveal that the dynamic choice of service discipline of our proposed solutions yields substantial performance improvements compared to both of these types of traditional solutions under nonasymptotic conditions.
Optical studies on the turbulent motion of solid particles in a pipe flow

An extension of an axial viewing optical technique (first used by Lee, Adrian & Hanratty) is described which allows the determination of the turbulence characteristics of solid particles being transported by water in a pipe. Measurements are presented of the mean radial velocity, the mean rate of change radial velocity, the mean-square of the radial and circumferential fluctuations, the Eulerian turbulent diffusion coefficient, and the Lagrangian turbulent diffusion coefficient. A particular focus is to explore the influence of slip velocity for particles which have small time constants. It is found that with increasing slip velocity the magnitude of the turbulent velocity fluctuations remains unchanged but that the turbulent diffusivity decreases. The measurements of the average rate of change of particle velocity are consistent with the notion that particles move from regions of high fluid turbulence to regions of low fluid turbulence. Measurements of the root-mean-square of the fluctuations of the rate of change of particle velocity allow an estimation of the average magnitude of the particle slip in a highly turbulent flow, which needs to be known to analyse the motion of particles not experiencing a Stokes drag.
Judging the Competency of Teachers on the Performance of Their Students.

an orthodox, rigid set of procedures may stifle a student's creative powers, or make him dependent upon a certain procedure or environment. It is conceivable that a "non-method" will have to be developed which will serve to stimulate the student, rather than confining him. Perhaps, too, established methods such as the grammar-translation and audio-lingual approaches have been "successful" to the extent that they have stimulated the student's creative powers. Another area in which benefits might result appears in the concept that language is a multilevel phenomenon. Thus, as Rivers, Politzer, and others have suggested, we can legitimately allow for both practice and understanding. Both have an important function in language learning, although the exact relationship between the two is not understood as yet. Transformational theory has not obviated the need for practice of the target language, even though the learning theory behind it may be in question. Bach reminds us that:
Expression of Multidrug Efflux Pump Genes acrAB-tolC, mdfA, and norE in Escherichia coli Clinical Isolates as a Function of Fluoroquinolone and Multidrug Resistance

In a single quantitative study, we measured acrA, acrB, tolC, mdfA, and norE expression in Escherichia coli clinical isolates by using real-time PCR. acrA and acrB overexpression strongly correlated with fluoroquinolone and multidrug resistance; tolC, mdfA, and norE expression did not. The order of abundance of efflux pump transcripts in all fluoroquinolone-susceptible isolates was tolC (highest), then acrA and acrB, and then mdfA and norE. Our findings suggest acrAB overexpression is an indicator of multidrug resistance.
A survey of manufacturing flexibility: Implications for e-business flexibility

Flexibility is an effective means by which an e-business can hedge against uncertainty in a swiftly changing environment. Systems, applications, and business processes--in short, the entire environment supporting e-business--must seamlessly adapt to changes without costly and time-consuming infrastructure overhauls. Decision makers therefore have a growing need for knowledge about e-business flexibility. However, flexibility remains largely an abstraction in the e-business domain, with the term often meaning different things to different people. Whereas very little systematic research has been directed towards the study of flexibility issues associated with e-business, a rich and burgeoning literature on manufacturing flexibility has accumulated over the past 25 years. In this paper we review the existing literature on manufacturing flexibility, and extract from it guiding principles for creating and managing e-business flexibility.
Leaching of 226Ra from components of uranium mill tailings

Abstract A sequential extraction procedure was used to characterize the geochemical forms of 226Ra retained by mixtures of quartz sand and a variety of fine-grained rock and mineral species. These mixtures had previously been exposed to the sulfuric acid milling liquor of a simulated acid-leach uranium milling circuit. For most test cases, the major fraction of the 226Ra was extracted with 1 mol/1 NH4Cl and was deemed to be exchangeable. However, 226Ra retained by the barite-containing mixture was resistant to both 1 mol/1 NH4Cl and 1 mol/HCHCl extraction.
The Metrical Grammar of Beowulf: Displacement

There is in Old English poetry a word order which is of special interest to grammarians and prosodists. It involves certain classes of words such as verbs. A verb which is moved from its "normal" position in the clause is said to be "displaced," and the movement may be described as the mechanism of "displacement." Displacement puts an additional degree of stress on the displaced word. The implications of displacement for our understanding of the poetry have yet to be fully grasped, perhaps because meter tends to be mentally isolated from grammar. Stress is a point of juncture between the two, a reminder that meter is a function of the grammar of poetry, or what I will call metrical grammar. My purpose here is to investigate the mechanism of displacement in the metrical grammar of Beowulf I A proper understanding of displacement enables us to explain how those rules of metrical grammar which affect word order and stress within the clause are embedded in the half-lines with which the poet worked. And it makes possible a simplified description of the metrical typology of the poem which reveals a strict correlation between meter and clausal syntax. The metrical grammar of Old English poetry was stable and ancient in origin, as its close affinities with the metrical grammars of the alliterative poetry of the various Germanic languages on the Continent attest.2 Yet there are sufficient differences in detail from poem to poem within the corpus of Old English poetry to make it useful to distinguish the special metrical
Proposed structure for the zinc-binding domains from transcription factor IIIA and related proteins

Several proteins, including the gene regulatory protein transcription factor IIIA, have been shown to contain tandem repeats of sequences of approximately equal to 30 amino acids that are believed to form structural domains around bound zinc ions ("zinc fingers"). The consensus sequence for these repeats is (Phe, Tyr)-Xaa-Cys-(Xaa)2 or 4-Cys-(Xaa)3-Phe-(Xaa)5-Leu-(Xaa)2-His-(Xaa)3-His- (Xaa)5, where Xaa is any amino acid. Comparisons with metalloproteins with known structures have allowed the development of a detailed three-dimensional model for these domains consisting of an antiparallel beta-sheet followed by an alpha-helix. The proposed structure provides a basis for understanding the detailed roles of the conserved residues and allows construction of a model for the interaction of these proteins with nucleic acids in which the proteins wrap around the nucleic acids in the major groove.
mathFISH, a web tool that uses thermodynamics-based mathematical models for in silico evaluation of oligonucleotide probes for fluorescence in situ hybridization.

ABSTRACT Mathematical models of RNA-targeted fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for perfectly matched and mismatched probe/target pairs are organized and automated in web-based mathFISH (http://mathfish.cee.wisc.edu). Offering the users up-to-date knowledge of hybridization thermodynamics within a theoretical framework, mathFISH is expected to maximize the probability of success during oligonucleotide probe design.
Heterogeneity and Harmony: Neighboring Relationships Among Whites in Ethnically-Diverse Neighborhoods in Seattle

Does ethnic heterogeneity in neighbourhoods create co-operative or conflict-oriented relationships among residents? Social theorists have long noted both the positive and negative aspects of heterogeneity, but the limited research on large samples of neighbourhoods documents ambiguous or weak effects. In this survey-based study of Seattle, it is found that ethnic heterogeneity is among the strongest community characteristics that negatively predict the degree to which Whites view neighbour relations as calm, trusting and helpful. In addition, it is found that Whites in heterogeneous neighbourhoods are somewhat less likely than other Whites to report that they would miss the neighbourhood if they moved away. However, the negative effects of heterogeneity should be interpreted cautiously. Residents of heterogeneous areas do not view their neighbour relationships as unacceptable on an absolute scale. Moreover, much of the tendency for Whites to have low sentimental ties in diverse neighbourhoods is found to be due to the relatively lower level of affluence and newer age of these areas.
Estimating constituent release from FGD gypsum under different management scenarios

Abstract Over 16 million metric tons of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum are produced every year, with roughly half of this material being disposed of in landfills. While the beneficial utilization of synthetic FGD gypsum reduces consumption of natural resources and energy, there is concern about the potential release of trace elements in some applications. In this paper, we examine the release of inorganic constituents from FGD gypsum under a variety of management scenarios. Cumulative, 100-year release estimates based on either percolation- or diffusion-controlled scenarios were low; significantly lower in fact than estimates based on TCLP or SPLP methodologies, suggesting that the TCLP and SPLP methods are overly conservative in estimating the environmental impact of FGD gypsum utilization evaluated in this study. Percent cumulative release of elements from FGD gypsum in fill applications decreased with decreasing infiltration and increasing fill depth in percolation-controlled scenarios. Therefore, increasing the fill depth reduces cumulative percent release of elements due to the saturation of the pore fluid thereby inhibiting further dissolution. Decreasing pH influenced the release of some elements in FGD gypsum, notably Be, Cd, Mg, Mn, Ni, Si and Zn. The results from this research provide important new information for evaluating the leaching potential of synthetic FGD gypsum in a variety of management scenarios.
Using Subjective Risk Adjusting to Prevent Patient Dumping in the Health Care Industry

We examine how to procure health care services at minimum cost while preventing suppliers from refusing to care for high-cost patients. A single risk-adjusted prospective payment is optimal only when it is particularly costly for the supplier to discover likely treatment costs. Cost sharing is optimal when these screening costs are somewhat smaller. When screening costs are sufficiently small, screening is optimally accommodated and subjective risk adjusting is implemented. Under subjective risk adjusting, the supplier classifies patients according to his personal assessment of likely treatment costs, and payments are structured accordingly. Optimal procurement policies are contrasted with prevailing industry policies.
Ultrastructure of the spermatozoon of the earthworm as revealed by negative staining.

This is the first demonstration of an apparent acrosome reaction by the use of negative staining (phosphotungstic acid) and electron microscopy. It is also the first report of such a reaction in spermatozoa of an oligochaete annelid (Lumbricus terrestris). The morphology of the negatively stained unreacted acrosomal complexes is entirely comparable to that seen in sectioned material. After reaction, a short straight filament is extruded and the compartmentalization seen in unreacted spermatozoa is no longer visible. In the flagellar axoneme there are short cross-bridges linking the two central singlet microtubules at 150-170 A intervals. Two fibrous elements are also present, forming, with the singlets, a tetragon. All four of these structures apparently change their elastic properties after incubation in distilled water for two hours, so that instead of following the doublet microtubules in gentle coils, the central complex components fall as a unit in jagged configurations.
Diabetes mellitus and female lower urinary tract symptoms: a review.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) has reached epidemic proportions world wide. Many chronic complications of DM, including neuropathy, retinopathy and nephropathy, have been well studied and although urologic complications have been recognized since 1935, little is known about DM as a pathophysiological risk factor for development of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in women. Diabetic nephropathy, a life-threatening condition, has received considerable attention in the last few years. Diabetic cystopathy, on the other hand, has received far less attention despite having a significant impact on quality of life, and with significant individual health risks. Initial studies suggested that long standing DM causes paralysis of the detrusor muscle leading to voiding difficulties and this has been the received wisdom regarding diabetic cystopathy for many years. In this review, we discuss what is currently known about lower urinary tract function and urinary incontinence in diabetic females, with a critical analysis of the available evidence and suggest areas for future research. Neurourol. Urodynam. 27:362–367, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Performance analysis of reliability filling on quasi-static fading channels

Cooperative communication techniques are network-based approaches to achieve spatial diversity in systems in which each node only has a single antenna. Many such techniques are based on relaying, which is effective in terms of error performance but requires a large information exchange among the cooperating nodes. Cooperative reception techniques that offer near-optimal performance with a smaller information exchange are an area of ongoing research. One promising approach is to investigate combining techniques that can be used as a model for designing efficient cooperative reception schemes. In this paper, we consider one such technique, called reliability filling, that combines only as much information as needed to meet some reliability threshold. We analyze the performance of this technique for several scenarios of interest. Analytical estimates of the overhead involved in reliability filling are also given. Analysis and simulation results show that reliability filling can offer performance close to maximal-ratio combining while combining fewer symbols.