cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of an ERAD Pathway for Nonglycosylated BiP Substrates, which Require Herp

Summary To investigate the disposal of nonglycosylated BiP substrates, we used a nonsecreted κ LC, which exists in partially (ox1) and completely (ox2) oxidized states. The ox2 form is partially reduced in order to be degraded, and only the ox1 form is ubiquitinated and associates with both Herp and Derlin-1. Herp is in a complex with ubiquitinated proteins and with the 26S proteasome, suggesting that it plays a role in linking substrates with the proteasome. Overexpressed Herp also interacts with two other BiP substrates, but not with two calnexin substrates. Either expression of p97 or Hrd1 mutants, which are in a complex with Herp and Derlin-1, or reduction of Herp levels inhibited the degradation of the BiP substrates, whereas the latter had no effect on the degradation of the calnexin substrates. This result suggests that there is some distinction in the pathways used to dispose of these two types of ERAD substrates.
Adaptive downlink scheduling and rate selection: a cross-layer design

In this paper, we discuss a cross-layer design for joint user scheduling and adaptive rate control for downlink wireless transmission. We take a stochastic learning-based approach to achieve this. The scheduling is performed at the medium access control (MAC) layer, whereas the rate selection takes place at the physical/link (PHY/LINK) layer. These two components residing in the two layers exchange information to ensure that user defined rate requests are satisfied by the right combination of transmission schedules and rate selections. The method is highly efficient for low mobility applications with mobile speeds in the order of a few kilometers per hour. While simple to implement, this technique requires no explicit channel estimation phase. The only feedback used are the single bit ACK/NACK signal indicating the correct reception/failure of the packet. As shown in the convergence theorems, the algorithm achieves optimal performance in "stationary" channels. With slowly varying channels, the rate selection algorithm sees a "quasi-stationary" channel and adaptively converges to an optimal solution. Simulations performed using a third-generation wireless system, namely, high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) validate the theoretical results.
Endocrine factors associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: Do androgens play a role?

Objective. To characterise the metabolic profile of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and to determine whether circulating androgens differ in PCOS women with NAFLD compared to PCOS subjects without NAFLD.Methods. Retrospective study of 21 women with PCOS, elevated liver enzymes and ultrasound evidence of hepatic steatosis matched with 32 PCOS women with normal liver enzymes. Extensive demographic, endocrine and metabolic data were compared. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated to assess for potential relationships between the free androgen index (FAI) and other dependent variables.Results. PCOS subjects with NAFLD demonstrate greater insulin resistance but have similar circulating androgen levels.Conclusion. In this pilot study, insulin resistance was the most prominent feature characterising NAFLD complicating PCOS. Total testosterone, FAI, DHEAS and 17-hydroxyprogesterone levels were similar between patients with PCOS and without NAFLD.
Cholesky factorization of positive definite bi-infinite matrices

A Cholesky factorization for positive definite bi-infinite matrices is presented. Applications to block Toeplitz matrices, signal processing, and spline interpolation are then derived.
First trimester paroxetine use and the prevalence of congenital, specifically cardiac, defects: A meta‐analysis of epidemiological studies

BACKGROUND: Several studies have evaluated maternal first trimester paroxetine use and the prevalence of congenital defects, particularly cardiac defects. To synthesize current epidemiologic information, a meta-analysis was conducted. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted for original research published from January 1, 1992, through September 30, 2008. Results were extracted using predefined criteria, and authors were contacted for additional information when necessary. Compiled results were evaluated for funnel plot asymmetry, heterogeneity, and study characteristic associations. Where appropriate, fixed-effect summary estimates were calculated and sensitivity analyses performed. RESULTS: Twenty reports (11 including results for aggregated congenital and combined cardiac defects, six for aggregated congenital defects only, and three for combined cardiac defects only) met prespecified inclusion criteria. There was little evidence of funnel plot asymmetry or overall heterogeneity. Summary estimates were produced for combined cardiac defects (prevalence odds ratio [POR], 1.46; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17–1.82) and aggregated congenital defects (POR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.08–1.43) and first trimester paroxetine use. Some study characteristics may be associated with differential POR estimates for paroxetine and either combined cardiac or aggregated congenital defects. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis found little evidence of publication bias or overall statistical heterogeneity and only weak evidence of associations with some study characteristics. Although subject to limitations, the summary estimate indicates an increased prevalence of combined cardiac defects with first trimester paroxetine use. The summary estimate also indicates an increased prevalence of aggregated congenital defects with paroxetine; however, this association may be explained, in part, by the increased prevalence of combined cardiac defects. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Precise and Parallel Characterization of Coding Polymorphisms, Alternative Splicing, and Modifications in Human Proteins by Mass Spectrometry

The human proteome is a highly complex extension of the genome wherein a single gene often produces distinct protein forms due to alternative splicing, RNA editing, polymorphisms, and posttranslational modifications. Such biological variation compounded by the high sequence identity within gene families currently overwhelms the complete and routine characterization of mammalian proteins by MS. A new data base of human proteins (and their possible variants) was created and searched using tandem mass spectrometric data from intact proteins. This first application of top down MS/MS to wild-type human proteins demonstrates both gene-specific identification and the unambiguous characterization of multifaceted mass shifts (Δm values). Such Δm values found from the precise identification of 45 protein forms from HeLa cells reveal 34 coding single nucleotide polymorphisms, two protein forms from alternative splicing, and 12 diverse modifications (not including simple N-terminal processing), including a previously unknown phosphorylation at 10% occupancy. Automated protein identification was achieved with a median expectation value of 10−13 and often occurred simultaneously with dissection of diverse sources of protein variability as they occur in combination. Top down MS therefore has a bright future for enabling precise annotation of gene products expressed from the human genome by non-mass spectrometrists.
Designing simulation projects

Simulation projects provide a useful way to tie together the expected learning outcomes in a simulation class. Designing a good project is a challenging task and simulation instructors are always on the lookout for interesting ideas. We provide simulation instructors with two interesting simulation applications, a supply chain project and a Web site design project. The supply chain problem is based on a real company problem and the Web site design problem is based on a textbook problem. Each application is described in detail and links are provided so that other simulation instructors can access handouts and possible solutions. The authors also provide some insights about simulation project design.
The role of β-lactamase producing bacteria and bacterial interference in streptococcal tonsillitis

The causes of penicillin failure in eradicating group A β-haemolytic streptococcal pharyngo-tonsillitis are described. The mechanisms accounting for the failure include the presence in the tonsils of β-lactamase producing bacteria and the absence of bacterial interference. The use of antimicrobials that can overcome and modulate these two phenomena and achieve better cure of the infection is described.
Analyzing the environment structure of higher-order languages using frame strings

Reasoning about program behaviour in programming languages based on the @l calculus requires reasoning in a unified way about control, data and environment structure. Previous analysis work has done an inadequate job on the environment component of this task. We develop a new analytic framework, @DCFA, which is based on a new abstraction: frame strings, an enriched variant of procedure strings that can be used to model both control flow and environment allocation. This abstraction enables new environment-sensitive analyses and transformations that have not been previously attainable. We state the critical theorems needed to establish correctness of the entire technology suite, with their proofs.
Cyclical modulation of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 surface expression during lymphocyte recirculation and relationship to lymphoid organ transit

Sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1P(1)) was recently shown to be required for lymphocyte egress from lymphoid organs. Here we have examined the relationship between S1P(1) abundance on the cell and egress efficiency. Using an integrin neutralization approach to separate the processes of entry and exit, we show that pertussis toxin treatment reduces lymphocyte egress from lymph nodes. Retrovirally mediated S1P(1) overexpression is sufficient to reduce B cell accumulation in the splenic white pulp and to promote egress of activated T cells from lymph nodes, whereas S1P(1)(+/-) cells have reduced lymph node exit efficiency. Furthermore, lymphocyte S1P(1) is down-regulated in the blood, up-regulated in lymphoid organs, and down-regulated again in the lymph. We propose that cyclical ligand-induced modulation of S1P(1) on circulating lymphocytes contributes to establishing their lymphoid organ transit time.
Perceptions of competence, strength, and age influence voters to select leaders with lower-pitched voices

Voters prefer leaders with lower-pitched voices because they are perceived as stronger, having greater physical prowess, more competent, and having greater integrity. An alternative hypothesis that has yet to be tested is that lower-pitched voices are perceived as older and thus wiser and more experienced. Here the relationships between candidate voice pitch, candidate age, and electoral success are examined with two experiments. Study 1 tests whether voters discriminate on candidate age. The results show that male and female candidates in their 40s and 50s, the time in the lifecycle when voice pitch is at its lowest, are preferred over candidates in their 30s, 60s, and 70s. Study 2 shows that the preference for leaders with lower-pitched voices correlates with the perception that speakers with lower voices are stronger, more competent, and older, but the influence of perception of age on vote choice is the weakest of the three.
Correlations between cell surface protease activities and abnormalities of occludens junctions in rat bladder carcinoma in vitro.

Microenvironmental alterations, i.e. , proteolytic enzymes, may play a causative role in abnormalities of zonulae occludentes. To test this hypothesis, we compared in vitro the ultrastructure of three carcinoma cell lines which were derived from N -[4-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-2-thiazolyl]formamide-induced tumors of the rat urinary bladder. One of these lines had a high cell surface protease activity; the other two lines exhibited relatively low activities. Quantitative electron microscopy data revealed differences in configuration and distribution of zonula occludens-intramembrane fibrils among these cell lines, as indicated by means and standard deviations of zonulae occludens widths, and numbers of intramembrane fibrils. Although the total length of the intramembranous fibrils per square micrometer of occludens junction area was not statistically different in the three lines, junctional morphology varied greatly. Thus, carcinoma cells with high surface protease activities are able to synthesize near-normal amounts of intramembrane fibrils but are unable to assemble normal zonulae occludentes. This indicates that alterations in zonula occludens morphology, which have been induced by exogenous proteolytic enzymes, are identical to those observed in a cell line with high cell surface protease activity.
DO INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES INFLUENCE FLIGHT INITIATION DISTANCE

Flight initiation distance (FID), or the distance between a prey animal and an approaching intruder when the prey initiates its escape, is an important factor in wildlife management. We conducted a study on individually identified yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) to test 3 key assumptions of FID research: (1) differences in individual responses are small enough so as not to confound results; (2) pseudoreplication may bias results; and (3) habituation and sensitization can be studied without knowledge of individuals. We found that individual identity was not a significant predictor of FID. Furthermore, a moderate degree of pseudoreplication did not significantly affect the results of most analyses. However, individuals differed greatly in their rates of habituation, such that habituation was apparent only when individual identity was known and could not be detected without knowledge of individuals. If our marmot results can be generalized to other species, they suggest that researchers need not be concerned about individual identity when studying variables largely dependent on environmental factors, but that identification of individuals is important for studies of properties of individuals, such as habituation.
Blind attribute-based encryption and oblivious transfer with fine-grained access control

We propose two constructions of oblivious transfer with access control (OTAC), i.e., oblivious transfer schemes in which a receiver can obtain a message only if her attributes, which are certified by a credential issuer, satisfy the access control policy of that message. The receiver remains anonymous towards the sender and the receiver's attributes are not disclosed to the sender. Our constructions are based on any ciphertext policy attribute based encryption ($$\mathrm {CPABE}$$CPABE) scheme that fulfills the committing and key separation properties, which we define. We also provide a committing $$\mathrm {CPABE}$$CPABE with key separation scheme that supports any policy described by a monotone access structure, which, in comparison to previous work, allows our OTAC construction to support efficiently a wider variety of access control policies. In our constructions, a receiver obtains from the sender a $$\mathrm {CPABE}$$CPABE secret key for her attributes by using a blind key extraction with access control protocol. We provide a blind key extraction with access control protocol for any committing $$\mathrm {CPABE}$$CPABE with key separation scheme. Previous work only provided ad-hoc constructions of blind key extraction protocols. Our generic protocol works in a hybrid model that employs novel ideal functionalities for oblivious transfer and for anonymous attribute authentication. We propose constructions that realize those novel ideal functionalities and analyze the overall efficiency of our OTAC constructions.
Hydraulic Regime and Activated Sludge Performance

The standard bio-kinetic theory used to describe the activated sludge process predicts that the soluble organic matter (SOM) concentration in the effluent of plug flow aeration tanks will be less than the SOM concentration in the effluent of completely mixed aeration tanks, if both contain the same total biomass and are operated at the same solids' retention time (SRT). Large-scale field studies indicate that this prediction is false. An alternate model of the process is presented that identifies the effluent SOM as a product synthesized and excreted by the microbes of the activated sludge. This model predicts that all aeration tanks treating a given wastewater will produce the same effluent SOM concentration if they contain the same total biomass and are operated at the same SRT. The alternate model also predicts that the effluent SOM concentration will be proportional to the influent organic matter concentration, that the apparent microbial decay rate will vary as different nutrients are considered, and that plots of the specific uptake rate vs. the effluent SOM concentration will show a positive SOM intercept. All these predictions are supported by experiment.
Optimization of Nuclear Materials Safeguards Sampling Systems by Dynamic Programming

The dynamic programming algorithm is used to determine the optimal allocation of effort (measured in dollars or other appropriate units) to minimize the variance on the measurement of Material Unac...
THE ROLE OF SOME MEMBRANE-RELATED EVENTS IN B LYMPHOCYTE ACTIVATION BY ANTIGEN

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the role of some membrane-related events in B lymphocyte activation by antigens. The interaction of antigenic determinants with B lymphocyte surface receptors is necessary to initiate the differentiation of progeny cells to plasma cells. Antigen stimulated lymphocytes exhibit several early changes, such as the movement and redistribution of antigen–receptor complexes and changes in membrane ion flux, in intracellular cyclic nucleotides, and in the microfilament–microtubule system. An interaction of antigen with SMIg followed by the redistribution of the complex and a second interaction with Fc receptors are events necessary for the activation of B lymphocytes to produce an immune response. This antigen binds to 1% of spleen cells with its antigenic determinant and has been shown to bind SMIg. It is capable of eliciting a better immune response in the absence of macrophages and T cells than when these are present. These events may be important in providing the signal transduction for lymphocyte activation. Macrophages and T and B lymphocytes have Fc receptors that made it possible that the suppression of DPFC could be at the level of one or several of the interactions occurring in a complex system. This chapter describes studies conducted to better characterize the DPFC response to DNP-Ficoll and to examine the suppressive effect of aggregated IgG on this response.
When Do Students Benefit From Performance Feedback? A Test of Feedback Intervention Theory in Speaking Improvement

This study reviews the important role of feedback in instructional communication Feedback Intervention Theory (FIT). FIT proposes that feedback efficacy is related to three primary constructs: message cues (locus of attention), personality traits, and the nature of the task to be learned. In an experimental design, the effect of grading, along with assessment of personality differences in feedback attributional sensitivity and perceptions of feedback utility are examined for their impact on feedback provided to student speakers. Changes in observed behavior for both eye contact and length of introduction are found. In addition, it is noted that traits and message cues function independently in predicting changes in behavior. Suggestions for future research are provided.
The sensitivity of lab-measured friction coefficients

Friction plays an important role in the production of stamped or drawn parts. Because of the interest in quantifying frictional behavior, measured coefficients of friction are often determined using laboratory tests. This article addresses the sensitivity or experimental error in the coefficients of friction reported using such tests.
Synthesis and Characterization of FOX-12

FOX-12, (i.e. N-gualnyl urea-dinitriamide), can be synthesized by amonium dinitramide (ADN) and dicyandiamide. Its structure was identified by IR, UV. Some properties such as friction sensibility, impact sensibility and hygroscopicity were determined.
Parathyroid hormone-induced translocation of Na-H antiporters in rat proximal tubules

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is believed to inhibit bicarbonate reabsorption by inhibiting Na-H antiport activity in proximal tubular brush-border membranes. The sequence of events triggered by PTH was investigated in a crude preparation of proximal tubules obtained by mechanical disruption and filtration through nylon mesh filters. Tubule samples were subjected to analytical subcellular fractionation after 2-, 5-, and 30-min treatments with 1 IU/ml PTH. These PTH-treatment intervals caused 54, 63, and 68% decreases in the Na-H antiport activity of a population of brush-border membrane vesicles that was resolved from a PTH-unresponsive brush-border population by density-gradient centrifugation. The rapid loss of Na-H antiport activity from the responsive population was accompanied by a transient increase in the Na-H antiport activity of a region of the density gradient, designated density window III, which was shown to contain two distinct membrane populations; these populations were both enriched in acid phosphatase activity, and one of them was also an important locus of galactosyltransferase activity. The increase in the Na-H antiport activity of window III accounted for 52% of the activity lost from the PTH-responsive population after 2 min, and for 43% of the activity lost after 5 min, but it was completely abolished after 25 more minutes in the presence of PTH. These observations suggest that PTH triggers a rapid translocation of Na-H antiporters from the microvillus membrane to a distinct membrane domain, where they are subsequently inactivated.
An Evidence-Informed Health Policy Model: Adapting Evidence-Based Practice for Nursing Education and Regulation

Evidence-based practice (EBP) models help address clinical problems; translate relevant research to practice; and improve care, outcomes, and systems quality. These models designed to solve clinical problems can be adapted to solve health policy problems in nursing education and nursing regulation. This article describes a model for evidence-informed health policy (EIHP) in nursing based on Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt’s EBP model. The EIHP model combines the use of the best available evidence and issue expertise with stakeholder values and ethics to inform and leverage dialogue toward the best possible health policy agenda and improvements. Unique to this model are dual uses for the PICOT question: to clarify the policy question driving the evidence search and to deconstruct and analyze existing or pending policy retrospectively. Implications for the model’s use in nursing education and nursing regulation are described, and implementation challenges are addressed.
Endoscopic Revisional Procedures After Bariatric Surgery

Given the increasing number of bariatric procedures performed each year, the number of patients with unsatisfied weight loss and procedure intolerance will increase. Reoperation after bariatric surgery, especially Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB), can constitute a high perioperative morbidity and mortality risk and also exert a significant toll on health system resources. The recent advances in flexible technology have promoted endoscopic techniques and devices for the primary treatment of obesity. Those endoscopic procedures could also be implicated for revisions of failed bariatric surgery. With low complication rates, faster recovery, incisionless procedure, and reversibility, endoscopic revisions might offer an alternative solution for weight gain after bariatric surgery. Early experience with endoscopic revisions after RYGB is expected to increase and will play a more important role in the management of weight loss failure and complications following bariatric surgery.
Late recurrence of gastric cancer with isolated brain metastasis

A 70-year-old woman presented to our clinic in 2007 after an evaluation for dysphagia revealed a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophogeal junction. Workup for metastatic disease was negative at presentation. She had a complete response to treatment, which was completed in November 2007. She continued to follow up regularly until 2011 when she presented again with neurologic symptoms and was found to have an isolated brain metastasis. She underwent resection of the lesion, and pathology was consistent with her originally diagnosed gastric cancer. The patient received adjuvant radiation therapy, however, unfortunately had rapid progression of disease 1 month later and was transitioned to hospice. Here, we report a rare case of late recurrence of gastric cancer with isolated brain metastasis with a review of literature.
Stages of Learning during a Self-Directed Stress Management Experience.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to document the stages of learning reflected through student journaling during a self-directed experience in stress management, and the relationship of those stages to a historical model. Methods: College students participating in a full-semester course in stress management theory were required to select a single stress management technique, learn and practice the technique in a self-directed fashion, continue practice of the technique for an eight –week time frame, and journal about the experience twice each week. Results: Over a five-year period, 111 student journals were collected. Journal entries were individually coded. Qualitative review showed patterns in experience reflecting a skill-acquisition process matching Haring’s Stages of Learning. Conclusions: The acquisition of stress management skills during self-directed practice may take an extended time, allowing for the participant to work through appropriate stages of learning new skills. Students may not be able to retain, and thus benefit from, random, single-session institutional offerings in stress management. Recommendations: Those teaching stress management who want their students to develop a specific skill set should allow for an extended time of practice and reflection in order for students to more fully develop the skills necessary to successfully incorporate the technique into their lives.
The Effects of Repeated Readings on the Reading Performances of Hispanic English Language Learners with Specific Learning Disabilities

Abstract A multiple probe across participants design was used to explore the effects of repeated readings on the reading fluency, errors, and comprehension of 4, third-to-fifth grade English langua...
Models of bright storm clouds and related dark ovals in Saturn's Storm Alley as constrained by 2008 Cassini/VIMS spectra

Abstract A 5° latitude band on Saturn centered near planetocentric latitude 36°S is known as “Storm Alley” because it has been for several extended periods a site of frequent lightning activity and associated thunderstorms, first identified by Porco et al. (2005). The thunderstorms appeared as bright clouds at short and long continuum wavelengths, and over a period of a week or so transformed into dark ovals (Dyudina et al., 2007). The ovals were found to be dark over a wide spectral range, which led Baines et al. (2009) to suggest the possibility that a broadband absorber such as soot produced by lightning could play a significant role in darkening the clouds relative to their surroundings. Here we show that an alternative explanation, which is that the clouds are less reflective because of reduced optical depth, provides an excellent fit to near infrared spectra of similar features obtained by the Cassini Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) in 2008, and leads to a plausible scenario for cloud evolution. We find that the background clouds and the oval clouds are both dominated by the optical properties of a ubiquitous upper cloud layer, which has the same particle size in both regions, but about half the optical depth and physical thickness in the dark oval regions. The dark oval regions are also marked by enhanced emissions in the 5-µm window region, a result of lower optical depth of the deep cloud layer near 3.1–3.8 bar, presumably composed of ammonium hydrosulfide (NH4SH). The bright storm clouds completely block this deep thermal emission with a thick layer of ammonia (NH3) clouds extending from the middle of the main visible cloud layer probably as deep as the 1.7-bar NH3 condensation level. Other condensates might also be present at higher pressures, but are obscured by the NH3 cloud. The strong 3-µm spectral absorption that was displayed by Saturn’s Great Storm of 2010–2011 (Sromovsky et al., 2013) is weaker in these storms because the contrast is muted by the overlying cloud deck that these less intense storms do not fully penetrate. Our speculated evolutionary scenario that seems consistent with these results is that deep convection produces lightning and bright clouds of large ammonia particles that rise up into the mid level of the overlying visible deck, pushing out the particles in that layer with the outflow at the top of the convective towers. When the convective pulse subsides, these large particles fall out of the column within a week or so, leaving behind less optical depth than background clouds, making them appear darker because they are less reflective. However, this simple picture does not explain all details of the phenomenon, e.g. the irregular morphology of the bright convective regions and the stable regular shapes of the dark ovals that are formed in their wake.
Chaotic behavior of DC-DC converters

This paper presents an investigation of the chaotic behavior of power electronic converters. The DC-DC converters are highly nonlinear devices. The switches and passive components make the behavior of these converters difficult to be characterized with the conventional analytical tools. Therefore, investigating modeling methods and analysis is necessary. Knowing the behavior of these converters allows improvement in the electromagnetic compatibility of the power supply, and enhances converter design process. Several tools to investigate the behavior of the converters are illustrated, such as bifurcation diagrams and Poincare maps. SIMULINK model is provided to illustrated chaos and bifurcation phenomena.
Anytime multi-task motion planning for humanoid robots

This paper introduces an anytime synthesized motion planning algorithm for humanoid robots unifying locomotion and manipulation planning. It generates an entire set of motions to finish specific tasks in an environment containing obstacles by exploiting a powerful inverse kinematics (IK) engine. The IK engine can compute solutions allowing the robot to reposition its feet for meeting the task requirements. The presented planning algorithm has two primary beneficial capabilities. First, it is capable of generating a motion plan to complete a task handling multiple ordered or unordered actions. Second, it produces an initial solution very quickly, and then searches for the opportunity to improve the the solution during execution. The performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated on the NASA-JSC Valkyrie humanoid robot by demonstrating an object pick up task in simulation and a box pick-and-place task in the real world.
Oil Shocks and Stock Return Volatility

Abstract Asset return volatility is important to the macroeconomy. This paper asks whether oil price volatility can be used as a predictor of stock return volatility. In contrast with previous research, we focus on the out-of-sample predictive power of oil price volatility rather than on in-sample inference. Formal tests of out-of-sample predictive ability find no evidence supporting the use of oil price volatility as a predictor of future stock return volatility. Further analysis using rolling window estimation and structural break tests shows that the coefficients of this relationship are very unstable. The coefficients can be positive, negative, or close to zero depending on the sample that is chosen. We discuss the implications of this finding for monetary policy.
Sustainability of Biodiversity Under Global Changes, with Particular Reference to Biological Invasions

Five major interacting global forces heavily influence changed ­distribution and abundance of biodiversity: (1) biological invasions, (2) overharvest, (3) changes in climate, (4) biogeochemical cycles, and (5) habitat. Modified land use, overharvest, and climate change have already affected distributions over large areas, regionally eliminating or substantially reducing natural resources such as fishing stocks, forestry trees, and traditional food plants. Further, habitat and climate change indirectly affect biodiversity patterns by their effects on invasions, biogeochemical cycles, and overharvest. Species-level biodiversity—the number of species on the planet—is unsustainable unless these impacts are ameliorated. Insufficient attention has been paid to how invasions and changed biogeochemical cycles directly affect distribution and abundance of biodiversity, as opposed to indirectly affecting biodiversity by modifying land use. Several direct, large-scale impacts of invasions and altered biogeochemical cycles on distributions and abundances of important species have been documented. These suggest that these global phenomena warrant much more research. Forestalling these global changes, or simply retarding them, has proven difficult, perhaps because of the immense scale of the enterprises causing them. However, great improvements in preventing or minimizing impacts of invasions are attainable, though we have been slow to develop effective policies and management strategies. Risk assessment procedures for planned introductions and invasion pathways are improving and can be modified to account for predicted climate and biogeochemical changes. Early warning systems, an underused tool in invasive species management, can be expanded and tied to effective rapid response procedures. Many approaches to managing established nonnative populations have produced successful control, but these successes result from projects highly tailored to particular species rather than from “silver bullets” that target multiple invaders simultaneously. Such successes will be possible even as other global changes proceed, so long as we remain committed to the effort.
32P-Postlabeling for Detection of DNA Adducts

It is generally believed that the formation of DNA adducts by covalent interaction of electrophilic species of carcinogens (ultimate carcinogens) with macromolecules, particularly DNA, is an essential first step in the multistage process of carcinogenesis (Miller and Miller, 1981). Until the early 1980s, use of radiolabeled carcinogens was the main method to determine the binding of chemical carcinogens to DNA. Since then several methods have been utilized for nonradio-labeled carcinogens. The assays that are practiced currently are based on specific antibodies, fluorescence properties of adducts, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and 32P-postlabeling. These assays require a few micrograms to several hundred micrograms of DNA, with a detection limit of 1 adduct per 106 to 1010 nucleotides, depending on the method (Beach and Gupta, 1992). The 32P-postlabeling assay has emerged as the major tool for measuring DNA adducts because of its ultrasensitivity and applicability to theoretically any DNA-damaging agent, irrespective of its chemical nature, including unknowns. Over 100 individual agents or complex mixtures have been tested in rodents and aquatic systems in vivo and rodent and human cells in vitro (Beach and Gupta, 1992).
What do computer architects design anyway

This paper is an attempt to provide a tutorial answer to the question: What do computer architects design anyway? The target readers are people concerned with automatic verification of computer hardware. The goal is to help this audience understand both the nature of the circuits which are being designed today and some of the factors that influence the design process. At the very least, automatic verification techniques must be mature enough to be useful in proving correctness of some sufficiently large component of contemporary designs before designers can be expected to make much use of the technology. Additionally, history has shown that mere functional correctness is an insufficient reason to adopt a new method. New methods must be able to build upon present practices and techniques. If a new method requires abandoning the bulk of present practice, it is seldom accepted. The paper presents a skeptical view of automatic verification systems. The domain, in practice, is both too imprecise and too complex to generate much confidence in the short-term future existence of useful verification systems. The hardware design domain covers a broad scope from theory to the thousands of people who design and build countless boards, chips, and systems every year. Until verification systems are capable of supporting a very broad piece of the overall spectrum, they will remain merely an interesting puzzle for the research community. On the other hand, when verifiers exist that are useful in broad practice, they will be a tremendous asset to the designer’s tool kit. The paper attempts to impart some aspects of both design and specification which should be part of the focus of the activity in automatic verification. Finally the paper presents a small catalog of real design fragments. It is hoped that these fragments will help verification efforts by being perverse cases which will serve as interesting small scale proof targets for new verification systems.
Thrombolysis and Treatment of Acute Stroke

The ideal treatment for ischemic stroke involves removal of vascular obstruction, protection of the injured brain, and restoration of function. Irreversible brain injury probably begins about 5 minutes after onset of complete global ischemia, which does not allow much scope for completely effective therapy.1 However, degrees of ischemia and vascular occlusion are variable in symptomatic patients, which means that some stroke patients can be helped considerably by aggressive treatment within the first few hours of onset. Measures aimed at improving perfusion pressure within the affected area of brain should be effective at limiting the degree of tissue damage following an ischemic event. The most obviously effective strategy would involve removal of the occlusive lesion (Fig. 13.1). Therefore, the possibility of thrombolytic therapy by intravenous and intraarterial routes has been examined in a number of trials. The earliest trials involved use of intravenous streptokinase administered to patients within periods up to 4 days following stroke. Treated groups of patients demonstrated poorer outcomes and higher rates of hemorrhagic transformation compared with controls.2
Resolving authorship disputes by mediation and arbitration.

Disputes over authorship are increasing. This paper examines the options that researchers have in resolving authorship disputes. Discussions about authorship disputes often address how to prevent disputes but rarely address how to resolve them. Both individuals and larger research communities are harmed by the limited options for dispute resolution. When authorship disputes arise after publication, most existing guidelines recommend that the authors work out the disputes between themselves. But this is unlikely to occur, because there are often large power differentials between team members, and institutions (e.g., universities, funding agencies) are unlikely to have authority over all team members. Other collaborative disciplines that deal with issues of collaborative creator credit could provide models for scientific authorship. Arbitration or mediation could provide solutions to authorship disputes where few presently exist. Because authors recognize journals’ authority to make decisions about manuscripts submitted to the journal, journals are well placed to facilitate alternative dispute resolution processes. Rather than viewing authorship disputes as rare events that must be handled on a case by case basis, researchers and journals should view the potential for disputes as predictable, preventable, and soluble. Independent bodies that can offer alternative dispute resolution services to scientific collaborators and/or journals could quickly help research communities, particularly their most vulnerable members.
The reflex control of rhythmic motor output during swimming in the scallop

1. Rapid adductions of the shell valves in the scallop (Aequipecten) are associated with large electrical transients in the fast portion of the adductor muscle. It is assumed that these are muscle action potentials and accurately reflect volley frequency in the motor nerves to the muscle. 2. During swimming behavior a rhythmic motor output occurs, the frequency of which can he altered by procedures which damp or assist movements of the shell valves relative to each other. 3. Adequate stretch of the fast adductor muscle is necessary for the occurrence of rhythmic motor output. However, even in the stretched condition, sustained rhythmic output must be phased by some relative valve movement. 4. Swimming behavior is most simply considered to be the result of the alternate release of energy in the resilium and the fast adductor; these elements constitute a relaxation oscillator which operates at a characteristic frequency until fast muscle stretch is damped by activity of the slow adductor, or until phasic input to the central nervous system from the muscle sensory systems is adapted out.
Early experience with use of an endoscopic "hot" scissor-type knife for myotomy during per-oral endoscopic myotomy procedure.

Background and Aims Current devices used for per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) function predominantly to either cut tissue or coagulate vessels. When bleeding vessels are encountered within the submucosa or muscle, dedicated coagulation grasping devices are often necessary. An endoscopic "hot" scissor-type knife is available that combines coagulation and cutting functions. Scissor-type knives may therefore be helpful during the POEM procedure. Methods We report 4 cases of achalasia that were treated by the POEM procedure using the Stag Beetle scissor-type knife for myotomy. Patients were identified from a prospectively maintained database of patients undergoing POEM at our center between September and October 2017. A single operator (K.J.C.) performed all of the procedures using both a hybrid knife and an SB knife. Demographic and clinical data were collected for all patients. Results All 4 POEM procedures were performed successfully without any adverse events. Only 3 spontaneous bleeding episodes occurred among the 4 procedures, and no perforation occurred. The patients were all doing very well at clinic follow-up at 4 weeks. Conclusions The technique of using the SB knife during myotomy during the POEM procedure is feasible and appears safe. Muscle tissue and blood vessels can be coagulated and cut simultaneously, reducing bleeding and improving control. Further comparative studies are warranted to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and cost effectiveness against existing techniques.
Do Negatively Framed Messages Motivate Political Participation? Evidence From Four Field Experiments:

A multitude of laboratory experiments show that subtle shifts in framing can induce individuals to participate in political activity. Using four randomized field experiments, we tested whether expo...
User Specific QoS and Its Application in Resources Scheduling for Wireless System

This paper describes user specific QoS requirements that are a critical innovation for improving spectral utilization for wireless systems. An adaptive scheduler is presented that incorporates user specific QoS requirements in the spectral allocation of resources. In this paper, we focus on voice applications, and demonstrate that by dynamically adapting MAC scheduling algorithms to the user specific QoS requirements, user satisfaction, as measured by the user specific Mean Opinion Score (MOS), is maximized. OPNET LTE system simulations have been performed for a set of AMR VoIP users with assigned specific QoS target levels. Simulation results show that significant MOS improvements can be achieved if such user specific QoS requirements are considered in the MAC scheduler. Furthermore, when targeted to maximize spectrum utilization and combined with AMR codecs matched to the auditory characteristics of users, higher system capacity, at comparable MOS levels, may be achieved.
Application of a sensor network to measure the characteristics of the human body in shipping

In modern life, electronic devices are implement in all areas of life, but one of the most evolving field is medical electronics, which serve to monitor the parameters of the human body, such as peripheral temperature, pulse, ECG, movement dynamics. The introduction of an electronic tool following the parameters of seafarers placed in a risky situation would lead to continuous monitoring and signaling for changes of parameters from nominal values of the human body, early diagnostics of altered cardiovascular function, signs of overload and fatigue, which will allow taking out people from the risk environment.To develop a system for reporting parameters of the human body is proposed architecture and evaluation criteria for specific implementations.
An Asynchronous Real-time Co-simulation Platform for Modeling Interaction between Microgrids and Power Distribution Systems

This paper presents the modeling framework of an asynchronous, real-time co-simulation platform for modeling the interactions between microgrids and power distribution systems. Components of each microgrid are simulated on the OPAL-RT eMEGASIM platform so that electromagnetic transients of the inverter units are modeled at a time step of 100 microseconds. The 3-phase unbalanced distribution feeder that microgrids are connected to is simulated by using the OPAL-RT ePHASORSIM so that load transients, capacitor switching, and tap-changing events can be modeled. A MATLAB-based microgrid controller will interface controllable microgrid components through the Modbus communication. This co-simulation framework allows different microgrid controller logic to be developed and tested on a hardware-in-the-loop testbed considering both the inverter-level transient and the dynamic response of loads and utility equipment. Because the controller communicates with controllable devices via actual communication links, the impact of communication errors, delays, or denial-of-service can also be properly quantified.