cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of “Advanced” biofuel cost estimates: Trends during rollout of low carbon fuel policies

Abstract Costs of producing “advanced” biofuels (those with the lowest GHG and land use impacts) have not decreased in recent years as envisioned by analysts. Despite aggressive policy incentives, no transition to a lower cost mature industry has occurred. Information about the cost dynamics and slow industry emergence is of major interest to policymakers and others seeking to understand the likely success – and cost – of incentive programs. This paper reviews literature on production cost at the plantgate – without considering taxes or delivery costs – for selected biofuel technology pathways using a levelized cost of fuel approach, applying common financing assumptions for capital amortization and converting all values to year 2016 dollars, and examines results in the current low carbon fuel policy context. The average production cost estimate for cellulosic ethanol was $4 per gallon-gasoline equivalent (gge). For drop-in fuels, the pyrolysis-biocrude-hydro treatment pathway had the lowest average production cost estimate at about $3.25/gge. Biomass to liquid (BTL) production cost estimates averaged $3.80/gge, while hydrotreated esters and fatty acids (HEFA) – the sole fuel studied gaining commercial traction – averaged about $3.70/gge. Estimate ranges did not allow any definitive rank ordering of the fuels by production cost. Production cost estimates are higher in later than in earlier publications for non-HEFA fuels due primarily to higher costs for feedstock and capital expenditure components. This may reflect learning from early but largely unsuccessful commercialization efforts that yielded more realistic (and higher cost) information and detail on feedstock provision and conversion processes.
Management fees and hotel performance in the U.S.

Abstract A management company takes care of the day-to-day operations of a hotel and thus has a great amount of influence on the hotel's financial performance. Adopting models from O’Neill, Hanson, and Matilla (2008) and Hua, Morosan, and DeFranco (2015), a set of empirical models, with same-store data from 1471 hotels from 2011 through 2017, was used to test the impact of the total management fee and its subset of the base management fee and the incentive management fee on the hotels' rooms revenue and gross operating profit while controlling for potential confounding factors including chain scale and location. This is the first paper to empirically validate the value of a management contract for both the owners and the management company, including the positive and significant effects that base management and incentive management fees have on hotels’ room revenue and gross operating profit.
Hierarchical BiGraph Neural Network as Recommendation Systems.

Graph neural networks emerge as a promising modeling method for applications dealing with datasets that are best represented in the graph domain. In specific, developing recommendation systems often require addressing sparse structured data which often lacks the feature richness in either the user and/or item side and requires processing within the correct context for optimal performance. These datasets intuitively can be mapped to and represented as networks or graphs. In this paper, we propose the Hierarchical BiGraph Neural Network (HBGNN), a hierarchical approach of using GNNs as recommendation systems and structuring the user-item features using a bigraph framework. Our experimental results show competitive performance with current recommendation system methods and transferability.
African Sleeping Sickness: African Trypanosomiasis

A previously healthy 38-year-old man presents with progressive somnolence and feeling off balance when walking. During the last 2 weeks, he has had difficulty concentrating at work, unable to complete even simple tasks. He feels very sleeping, especially during the daytime, despite sleeping up to 15 hours each day. The man is a university mathematics professor who had been spending semester breaks visiting different regions of West Africa on safari for 2–3 week trips over the last 3 years. He reports “dozens” of insect bites during each trip but states that he is always careful to take prescribed malaria prophylaxis as instructed. He was hospitalized 2 months ago to be evaluated for fever, chills, and somnolence. Further discussion with the man and his spouse reveals that his symptoms began more than 8 months ago. He describes several episodes of memory problems such as losing his way while driving to his son’s school function. His spouse has noticed that he has become increasingly irritable, preferring to “sleep the day away.” The patient also notes problems with balance and coordination. On two occasions, he has fallen while walking to his car. These events have been occurring more frequently during the last month. The patient is sleepy and confused. His vital signs are normal. His physical examination reveals abnormal memory and cognition, generalized hypertonia, hyperreflexia, and ataxia. He is unable to walk without assistance. An extensive diagnostic evaluation was performed including laboratory and neuroimaging studies. Evaluation of the cerebrospinal fluid revealed a cell count of 65/μl with 90% lymphocytes and 10% neutrophils, a protein concentration of 987 mg/dL, and glucose 47 mg/dL. CSF studies for bacteria, mycobacteria, fungi, and viruses were negative. Giemsa stain of concentrated cerebrospinal fluid revealed a single trypanosome parasite by microscopy. Treatment for neurologic stage West African sleeping sickness, caused by infection with Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, is initiated with eflornithine. After 7 days of treatment, the patient is noted to be more alert and much less confused, although he remains unsteady on his feet. He completes 14 days of treatment followed by a month of inpatient physical therapy. He now walks without assistance and has been able to work part time. He undergoes repeat lumbar puncture every 2–3 months for the next 2 years to monitor for relapse of infection.
Chromatographic Analysis of Bacterial Cellular Components

A major application of chromatography in microbiology has been the study of the chemical composition of microorganisms. Data from these studies have demonstrated the value of chemical information for differentiation of closely related groups or species of microorganisms. The chemical classes studied in greatest detail are cellular fatty acids (and other lipids) and respiratory quinones. Methodology and chromatographic techniques for determination of these compounds and examples of their usefulness in taxonomy are discussed in this report.
HL-284: First Documented Use of Liposomal Doxorubicin in a Pregnant Patient with Hodgkin Lymphoma

Context Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) patients tend to be younger and may become pregnant concomitantly. We present a pregnant, heavily-pretreated HL patient who received liposomal doxorubicin (doxil) and delivered a healthy boy. Setting Patient is a 29 y/o woman diagnosed with classical HL in 2016. She completed six cycles of ABVD in October, 2016. In May 2017, she received radiation to areas of progression. She was referred to us in November 2017 with disease progression confirmed with inguinal biopsy. She received two cycles of ICE with partial response. She received brentuximab in March, April, and May 2018. In June 2018, nivolumab was added to brentuximab. The combination continued until October 2018. Given better response, she had stem cells collected. She became pregnant in October 2018. She had an abortion and proceeded to transplant November 19, 2018. PET showed remission 3 months later, and she started brentuximab maintenance. Follow-up imaging showed relapse, verified on biopsy 8/9/19. We discussed giving nivolumab, but she became pregnant again. Nivolumab and bendamustine are category D with limited to no safety in pregnancy. We offered gemcitabine, vinorelbine, and doxil (GND). After a baseline MRI and echocardiogram demonstrated ejection fraction of 59%, she started GND in the second trimester. She received three cycles of chemotherapy (January to March 2020). Results Improved lymphadenopathy was noted on exam with shrinking right inguinal mass, fewer fevers, and improved appetite. Patient developed COVID-19 in April 2020 and so discontinued further chemotherapy. She delivered a healthy boy 5/1/20 weighing 2.93 kg. Post-delivery PET-CT showed progression of disease, and palpable nodes had begun to grow again. Bendamustine started 6/3/20. Conclusions ABVD is found to be safe in pregnant HL patients starting in the second trimester. A literature search found no cases of the use of doxil in pregnancy in any malignancy setting. Experimental models, including murine, have demonstrated the potential safety of a liposomal delivery system. GND is a well-recognized chemotherapy combination for HL. While data support the use of ABVD starting in the second trimester, limited data are available for relapsed pregnant HL patients. GND may be a safe regimen in such a setting.
Predictors of Concussion Nondisclosure in Collegiate Student-Athletes.

CONTEXT Mandated concussion education has aimed to improve student-athlete knowledge; however, some collegiate student-athletes continue to not disclose concussion. Concussion knowledge may not be the only factor influencing reporting, as student-athlete sex, sport, and pressure from external stakeholders (eg, coaches, teammates, fans, parents or family) have all been documented as influencing collegiate concussion-reporting behavior. OBJECTIVE To examine predictors of concussion nondisclosure in collegiate student-athletes. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Four National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and two Division II universities. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS A total of 1125 collegiate student-athletes completed the survey, and 741 provided viable responses and were included for data analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) We used a 10- to 15-minute electronic or paper-and-pencil survey that asked about personal and sport demographics, diagnosed concussions and nondisclosed concussion history, concussion knowledge, and level of agreement regarding pressure to play after a head impact experienced during collegiate sport participation. Significant univariable predictor variables were entered into a multivariable logistic regression analysis. RESULTS Sex (P = .005), sport-risk type (P < .001), diagnosed concussion history (P < .001), concussion knowledge (P = .017), and pressure from coaches (P < .001), teammates (P < .001), fans (P = .024), and parents or family (P = .003) were predictors of concussion nondisclosure in individual univariable logistic regressions. After we conducted multivariable analyses, male sex (P = .001), high concussion-risk sport participation (P = .048), diagnosed concussion history (P < .001), increased concussion knowledge (P = .013), and experiencing pressure from coaches to continue playing after sustaining a hit to the head (P = .002) were predictors of concussion nondisclosure in collegiate student-athletes. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that concussion-education programs should go beyond the identification of signs and symptoms to include the dangers of continuing to play, long-term consequences, and transparency about concussion protocols. Comprehensive concussion-education programs should involve coaches and athletes to improve the reporting culture.
Inter-rater reliability and prospective validation of a clinical prediction rule for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

OBJECTIVES: Accurate estimation of the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection based on bedside data alone has importance to emergency department (ED) operations and throughput. The 13-item CORC (COVID [or coronavirus] Rule-out Criteria) rule had good overall diagnostic accuracy in retrospective derivation and validation. The objective of this study was to prospectively test the inter-rater reliability and diagnostic accuracy of the CORC score and rule (score ≤ 0 negative, > 0 positive) and compare the CORC rule performance with physician gestalt. METHODS: This noninterventional study was conducted at an urban academic ED from February 2021 to March 2021. Two practitioners were approached by research coordinators and asked to independently complete a form capturing the CORC criteria for their shared patient and their gestalt binary prediction of the SARS-CoV-2 test result and confidence (0%-100%). The criterion standard for SARS-CoV-2 was from reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction performed on a nasopharyngeal swab. The primary analysis was from weighted Cohen's kappa and likelihood ratios (LRs). RESULTS: For 928 patients, agreement between observers was good for the total CORC score, κ = 0.613 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.579-0.646), and for the CORC rule, κ = 0.644 (95% CI = 0.591-0.697). The agreement for clinician gestalt binary determination of SARs-CoV-2 status was κ = 0.534 (95% CI = 0.437-0.632) with median confidence of 76% (first-third quartile = 66-88.5). For 425 patients who had the criterion standard, a negative CORC rule (both observers scored CORC 4, the prevalence of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test was 58% (95% CI = 28%-85%) and positive LR was 13.1 (95% CI = 4.5-37.2). Clinician gestalt demonstrated a sensitivity of 51% and specificity of 86% with a LR- of 0.57 (95% CI = 0.39-0.74). CONCLUSION: In this prospective study, the CORC score and rule demonstrated good inter-rater reliability and reproducible diagnostic accuracy for estimating the pretest probability of SARs-CoV-2 infection.
Geomechanical properties will constrain CO2 injection into the lower Ordovician Rose Run sandstone deep saline reservoir, Appalachian Basin, Kentucky, USA

Abstract The Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) 1 Hanson Aggregates stratigraphic research well, Carter County, Kentucky, USA, was drilled to a total depth of 1474 m as a field-scale test of potential CO2 storage reservoir properties in the Central Appalachian Basin. Geomechanical properties of the Rose Run sandstone (upper Ordovician Knox group) were tested for its suitability as a storage reservoir. A 9.8-m thick section of the Rose Run was penetrated at 1000 m drilled depth and a whole-diameter core and rotary sidewall cores were taken. Average porosity and permeability measured in core plugs were 9.1% and 44.6 mD, respectively. Maximum vertical stress gradient calculated in the wellbore was 26 MPa/km. Wellbore fractures in dolomites underlying and overlying the Rose Run follow the contemporary N53°E Appalachian Basin stress field. The Rose Run elastic geomechanical properties were calibrated to values measured in core plugs to evaluate its fracturing risk as a CO2 storage reservoir. Mean Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio values of the Rose Run were 45 GPa and 0.23, respectively, whereas Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio values were 77.1 GPa and 0.28, respectively, in the overlying Beekmantown dolomite, suggesting the Rose Run may fracture if overpressured during CO2 injection but be confined by the Beekmantown. Triaxial compressive strength measured in core plugs found the Rose Run and Beekmantown fractured at mean axial stresses of 156.5 MPa and 282.2 MPa, respectively, confirming the Beekmantown as suitable for confining CO2 injected into the Rose Run. A step-rate test was conducted in a mechanically-isolated 18.6-m interval bracketing the Rose Run. Static Rose Run reservoir pressure was 9.3 MPa, and fracture gradient under injection was 13.6 MPa/km, suggesting step-rate testing before CO2 injection, and subsequent pressure monitoring to ensure confinement. As the region around the KGS 1 Hanson Aggregates well is underpressured and adjacent to faulted Precambrian basement, further research is needed to evaluate its induced seismicity risk during CO2 injection.
B Cell Development, Activation and Immunoglobulin Structure

Antibody production is the hallmark of humoral immunity in the adaptive immune responses. B lymphocytes produce antibodies (immunoglobulins) specific to antigens. B cell development occurs in the bone marrow. Unlike T cells which develop and mature mostly in the thymus, B cells begin development in the bone marrow and begin expression of immunoglobulin (Ig) and expression of B cell surface markers in the bone marrow. In this chapter, we will highlight the features that distinguish B cells from T cells and discuss the markers that define developmental stages of B lymphocytes and allow for the cells to be isolated and studied. A major event that occurs during B cell development is the generation of the variable region of the antibody molecule in the genes that encode the heavy and light chain polypeptides. The antigen binding regions of the antibody molecule are found in the variable regions in the heavy and light chains. Three germ-line genes recombine and rearrange to form the variable region. The heavy (H) chain gene is composed of V (variable), D (diversity) and J (joining) genes. The light (L) chain gene is composed of V and J genes. B lymphocytes differentiate from the common lymphoid progenitor (CLP), with the transcription factors Ikaros, purine box factor 1 (PU.1), early B cell factor-1 (EBF-1) and E2A driving B cell commitment into the B cell lineage. Maturation of the B cell continues following migration and homing of the B cells into secondary lymphoid organs. B cells exhibiting autoreactivity are deleted and negatively selected like the T cells in the thymic medulla, resulting in central tolerance within the bone marrow. Following rearrangement of Ig, autoreactivity is further prevented by receptor-editing of Ig and B cell anergy. B lymphocytes transition through pre-pro, pro and pre B cell stages. Each stage is marked by expression of specific molecules that define the developmental stage.
The great is the enemy of the good: Hedonic contrast in a coursed meal

Abstract This study investigates whether hedonic contrast occurs between foods served in different courses within a meal. In particular, does the hedonic value of an appetizer affect the hedonic value of the subsequently eaten main course? Hedonic contrast is known to occur in laboratory settings, but so far it has not been demonstrated in ecologically valid, real-world meal situations. To that end, this study was conducted in an ecologically valid setting – a training restaurant in a culinary school. Two groups of subjects ( N s = 35 and 29) were served the same pasta main course after either a good or mediocre bruschetta appetizer. The pasta was rated worse (and hedonically negative, M = −9.4) by subjects eating the good appetizer than by subjects eating the mediocre one (who judged it as hedonically positive, M = 17.4). This suggests that the hedonic value of an appetizer can influence the degree to which a diner likes the main course of a meal. Implications for the phenomenon of hedonic contrast and for meal services in restaurant settings are discussed.
Complexities for Assessment and Treatment of Co-Occurring ADHD and Tics

Bidirectional overlap between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and tic disorders has long been described. Twenty percent of individuals with ADHD may meet diagnostic criteria for a tic disorder, and more than 60 % of children ages 6–17 with Tourette’s disorder (TD) in the community had also been diagnosed with ADHD/ADD. While comorbid presentation of ADHD and tic disorders is firmly established, underlying genetic and pathophysiologic mechanisms need additional investigation. Inhibition is a core deficit in both ADHD and tic disorders, and research suggests a diffuse process in the brain involving corticostriatothalamicortical (CSTC) pathways in the basal ganglia, striatum, and frontal lobes. The complex presentation of these patients requires comprehensive evaluation and prioritization of treatment goals. Most studies indicate that ADHD places a greater burden on patients than do tics. Optimal patient outcomes may depend on management of both ADHD symptoms and tics when they co-occur. Research in the past decade has shown that these conditions can be safely treated simultaneously.
Peptide chain synthesis of human hemoglobins A and A2.

Abstract Human bone marrow was pulse-labeled with radioactive amino acids for various times. Hemoglobin A after 3 min of pulse showed a sudden increase in the relative specific activities of peptides between position 90 and the COOH terminus in both the α and β chains. A control point in this region is postulated beyond which the growth of the polypeptide chains is markedly reduced, perhaps because of the assumption of a specific tertiary conformation of the growing chains after heme insertion. Pulse labeling of hemoglobin A2 indicates that δ chains are assembled at a rate much less than that for either α and β chains of hemoglobin A or α chains of hemoglobin A2. This can, in part, account for the small quantity of hemoglobin A2 with respect to hemoglobin A found in normal peripheral blood. Also, as cells age, their capacity to produce hemoglobin A2 is lost at a greater rate than their capacity to produce hemoglobin A. The assembly of α chains for both hemoglobins A and A2 proceeds at about the same rate, suggesting a common pool of α chains for the two hemoglobin types and their synthesis in the same cell.
Crime, Lawbreaking, and Counterhegemonic Humanism in the Songs of Bruce Springsteen

legislatures, courts, and police departments - assume primary responsibility for criminal definitions and designations, but elected officials, religious leaders, and the media also contribute significantly. The media in fact eagerly report on how much crime exists, thereby inviting one and all to understand crime as a species of phenomenological fact. Overall, this multifaceted hegemonic tact confirms norms and values, reinforces the state's legitimacy, and contributes generally to the hegemony's self-preservation.2 Unfor- tunately, the process also makes those designated as criminals into extreme outsiders. The stage is set for them to be incarcerated, marginalized, denigrated and rejected. An argument can in fact be made that this concern stretches through Springsteen's four decades of singing and songwriting. To be sure, with maturity and changing times Springsteen's styles and focus have changed. The verbose ditties of his youth gave way to roaring anthems which in turn gave way to sober reflections on marriage, fatherhood, and responsibility. Instead of singing about kids and their cars, Springsteen came to sing about unemployment and personal disappointment and then, as if that was not enough, about the horror of 9-1 1. One of the great treats for a longtime Springsteen fan is tracking his changes. But still, Springsteen's topical interest in crime and lawbreaking has been present throughout his stylistic shifts and thematic turns. We can think of "Guilty" and "The Hitter" as the beginning and current embodiment of Springsteen's attention to crime and lawbreaking. He sang the song "Guilty" in 1969 and 1970 with Steel Mill, his early band from the Jersey shore. The song presents a young lawbreaker who is dragged into court and a jury only too eager to convict.3 "The Hitter," meanwhile, appears on Devils and Dust (2005) and is another song about a young lawbreaker. He flees to New Orleans with the police on his tail, makes his way as a prize- fighter, and then is paid off to illegally throw a fight to Big John McDowell. Between "Guilty" and "The Hitter," Springsteen's albums and compact disks have routinely in- cluded treatments of crime or lawbreaking. Nebraska (1982) and The Ghost of Tom Joad
Effects of Diet Composition and Adrenalectomy on the Lipogenic Responses of Rats to Starvation-Refeeding

The interacting effects of diet and glucocorticoid (GC) on the tritium incorporation into lipid and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in starved-refed rats was studied. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were intact, adrenalectomized (ADX), or ADX and given GC and fed either ad libitum or not fed for 48 hours amd refed either a 65% glucose diet, 65% sucrose diet, 65% starch diet, 65% protein diet or a 40% fat diet. No diet differences in rates of 3HOH incorporation into total lipids were observed in ad libitum-fed rats. ADX lowered lipogenesis and this effect was diet dependent. Sucrose-fed, glucose-fed and protein-fed ADX rats had lower rates of lipogenesis than their intact controls. Starvation-refeeding increased lipogenesis in all groups of intact rats except those fed the 40% fat diet. The magnitude of the response was diet dependent. Sucrose-fed rats had greater responses than fat-fed rats. The diet effect was dependent on the presence of the adrenals and GC. Thus, the large increase in liver lipid associated with starvation-refeeding is contingent on the composition of the diet and the presence of the adrenals.
Quantifying Climate Forcings and Feedbacks over the Last Millennium in the CMIP5–PMIP3 Models*

AbstractThe role of radiative forcings and climate feedbacks on global cooling over the last millennium is quantified in the CMIP5–PMIP3 transient climate model simulations. Changes in the global energy budget over the last millennium are decomposed into contributions from radiative forcings and climate feedbacks through the use of the approximate partial radiative perturbation method and radiative kernels. Global cooling occurs circa 1200–1850 CE in the multimodel ensemble mean with pronounced minima corresponding with volcanically active periods that are outside the range of natural variability. Analysis of the global energy budget during the last millennium indicates that Little Ice Age (LIA; 1600–1850 CE) cooling is largely driven by volcanic forcing (comprising an average of 65% of the total forcing among models), while contributions due to changes in land use (13%), greenhouse gas concentrations (12%), and insolation (10%) are substantially lower. The combination of these forcings directly contribut...
Essential Tremor Followed by Progressive Supranuclear Palsy: Postmortem Reports of 11 Patients

For many years, clinicians have commented on the development of signs of parkinsonism among their essential tremor (ET) patients, but the links between ET and parkinsonism are not well understood. We report 11 (12.4%) of 89 ET patients who were prospectively collected at the Essential Tremor Centralized Brain Repository during the course of its first 9 years. All patients had long-standing ET (median duration, 38 years); there was a 5- to 49-year latency from the onset of ET to the development of either parkinsonism or dementia.Despite the presence of parkinsonism or dementia during life, none had been diagnosed clinically with progressive supranuclear palsy(PSP). All 11 received the postmortem diagnosis of PSP. The prevalence of PSP in this ET sample (12.4%) is clearly larger than the population prevalence of PSP (0.001%-0.0065%). It is also 2 to 5 times the proportion of normal cases with incidental PSP in 2 previous autopsy series. This case series raises the questions of an association between ET and PSP, whether ET patients are at an increased risk of developing PSP, and what the proportion of ET patients who develop presumed Parkinson disease or Alzheimer disease in life actually have PSP (i.e. ET + PSP).
Density-based indexing for approximate nearest-neighbor queries

We consider the problem of performing nearest-neighbor queries e ciently over large high-dimensional databases. Assuming that a full database scan to determine the nearest neighbor entries is not acceptable, we study the possibility of constructing an index structure over the database. It is well-accepted that traditional database indexing algorithms fail for high-dimensional data (say d > 10 or 20 depending on the scheme). Some arguments have advocated that nearest-neighbor queries do not even make sense for high-dimensional data since the ratio of maximum and minimum distance goes to 1 as dimensionality increases. We show that these arguments are based on over-restrictive assumptions, and that in the general case it is meaningful and possible to perform such queries. We present an approach for deriving a multidimensional index to support approximate nearestneighbor queries over large databases. Our approach, called DBIN, scales to high-dimensional databases by exploiting statistical properties of the data. The approach is based on statistically modeling the density of the content of the data table. DBIN uses the density model to derive a single index over the data table and requires physically re-writing data in a new table sorted by the newly created index (i.e. create what is known as a clustered-index in the database literature). The indexing scheme produces a mapping between a query point (a data record) and an ordering on the clustered index values. Data is then scanned according to the index until the probability that the nearest-neighbor has been found exceeds some threshold. We present theoretical and empirical justi cation for DBIN. The scheme supports a family of distance functions which includes the traditional Euclidean distance measure. Microsoft Research Technical Report MSR-TR-98-58 Revised: February 28, 1999 Contact Author: Usama Fayyad (http://research.microsoft.com/~fayyad) address: Microsoft Research One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98008, USA phone: +1-425-703-1528 fax: +1-425-936-7329 e-mail: fayyad@microsoft.com This work was performed while the author was visiting Microsoft Research This work was performed while the author was on sabbatical at Microsoft Research
Theory of fine-structure splittings for donor-bound excitons in indirect materials

We present a theory for the fine structures in the electronic excitation spectra for excitons bound to various donors in Si and Ge. These fine structures are produced by the mixing of Hartree-Fock solutions through the interparticle interactions. We have calculated excitation energies for the low-lying electronic excited states in the Hartree-Fock approximation, and estimated the fine-structure splitting using the first-order degenerate perturbation theory. The energy separations between these states and the ground state are in good agreement with the experimental data. The fine-structure terms are found to be small relative to the separation between states from different configurations for most donors in Si and Ge, thus allowing an interpretation of the spectra in terms of a shell model.
Synthesis and secretion of lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase by the human hepatoma cell line HepG2

Abstract The human liver cell line HepG2 was investigated for its synthesis and secretion of lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase. The cells were grown to confluency in Eagle's minimal essential medium plus 10% fetal bovine serum. At the onset of the study, fetal bovine serum was removed and cells were grown in minimal essential medium only. At 6, 12, 24, and 48 h the cells were harvested, and the culture medium collected at each time point was assayed for lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase mass and activity, cholesterol esterification rate, and apolipoprotein A-I mass. The rate of the enzyme secretion measured by both mass and activity was linear over 24 h of culture. The enzyme mass by radioimmunoassay was 1.7, 4.1, 7.9 and 13.7 ng/ml culture medium (or 8.3, 19.9, 38.5 and 66.7 ng/mg cell protein), respectively, and enzyme activity using an exogenous source of phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol liposomes containing apolipoprotein A-I as substrate was 85, 170, 315, and 402 pmol cholesterol esterified/h per ml culture medium (or 414, 828, 1534 and 1957 pmol cholesterol esterified/h per mg cell protein) for 6, 12, 24, and 48 h of culture, respectively. The endogenous cholesterol esterification rate of the culture medium was 47, 104, 224 and 330 pmol/h per ml and apolipoprotein A-I mass was 305, 720, 2400 and 3940 ng/ml culture medium over the same time frame. In contrast to culture medium, low levels of enzyme activity (approximately 10% of that in culture medium at 24 and 48 h) were observed in the extracts of HepG2 cells. The enzyme secreted by HepG2 was found to be similarly activated by apolipoprotein A-I, apolipoprotein E, or apolipoprotein A-IV, and was similarly inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, dithiobisnitrobenzoate, p -hydroxymercuribenzoate, or iodoacetate as compared to human plasma enzyme. High-performance gel filtration of the culture medium revealed that the HepG2-secreted enzyme was associated with a fraction having a mean apparent molecular weight of approximately 200 000. We concluded that human hepatoma HepG2 cells synthesize and secrete lecithincholesterol acyltransferase, which is functionally homologous to the human plasma enzyme.
The neonatal blood count in health and disease.I. Reference values for neutrophilic cells

Reference ranges for absolute total neutrophils/mm 3 , absolute immature neutrophils/mm 3 , and thefraction of immature to total neutrophils (I:T proportion) during the first 28 days of life are developed from 585 peripheral blood counts obtained from 304 normal neonates and 320 counts obtained from 130 neonates with perinatal complications demonstrated to have no statistically significant effect on neutrophil dynamics. Perinatal factors other than bacterial disease which significantly alter neutrophil dynamics include maternal hypertension, maternal fever prior to delivery, hemolytic disease, and periventricular hemorrhage. The predictive value of these reference ranges in identifying bacterial disease in the first week of age varies with the neutrophil factor evaluated and the clinical setting. Neutropenia in the presence of respiratory distress in the first 72 hours had an 84% likelihood of signifying bacterial disease, whereas neutropenia in the presence of asphyxia had a 68% likelihood of signifying bacterial disease. An abnormal I:T proportion had an accuracy of 82% and 61%, respectively, in the same clinical settings. Elevations of either immature or total neutrophils were less specific. Interpretation of abnormal neutrophil factors must include consideration of both infectious and noninfectious perinatal events.
Dynamics of a dark matter field with a quartic self-interaction potential

It may prove useful in cosmology to understand the behavior of the energy distribution in a scalar field that interacts only with gravity and with itself by a pure quartic potential, because if such a field existed it would be gravitationally produced, as a squeezed state, during inflation. It is known that the mean energy density in such a field after inflation varies with the expansion of the universe in the same way as radiation. I show that if the field initially is close to homogeneous, with small energy density contrast delta rho /rho and coherence length L, the energy density fluctuations behave like acoustic oscillations in an ideal relativistic fluid for a time on the order of L/|delta rho /rho|. This ends with the appearance of features that resemble shock waves, but interact in a close to elastic way that reversibly disturbs the energy distribution.
A Practical Diet Containing Cottonseed for Rearing the Pink Bollworm

Pink bollworm adults, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), from larvae reared on diets containing cottonseed meals, laid 1.7 times as many eggs as adults from larvae reared on the casein-wheat germ diet. Development was equal to that on the casein-wheat germ diet when glandless meats were added to give a concentration of cottonseed protein of 5%, and this cottonseed diet was supplemented with 2% brewers yeast. Deletion of the Wesson salts from the cottonseed meat diet had little effect on growth, but deletion of the vitamin supplement reduced the rate of pupation.
10-Formyltetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase Requires a 4′-Phosphopantetheine Prosthetic Group for Catalysis

10-Formyltetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (FDH) consists of two independent catalytic domains, N- and C-terminal, connected by a 100-amino acid residue linker (intermediate domain). Our previous studies on structural organization and enzymatic properties of rat FDH suggest that the overall enzyme reaction, i.e. NADP(+)-dependent conversion of 10-formyltetrahydrofolate to tetrahydrofolate and CO(2), consists of two steps: (i) hydrolytic cleavage of the formyl group in the N-terminal catalytic domain, followed by (ii) NADP(+)-dependent oxidation of the formyl group to CO(2) in the C-terminal aldehyde dehydrogenase domain. In this mechanism, it was not clear how the formyl group is transferred between the two catalytic domains after the first step. This study demonstrates that the intermediate domain functions similarly to an acyl carrier protein. A 4'-phosphopantetheine swinging arm bound through a phosphoester bond to Ser(354) of the intermediate domain transfers the formyl group between the catalytic domains of FDH. Thus, our study defines the intermediate domain of FDH as a novel carrier protein and provides the previously lacking component of the FDH catalytic mechanism.
The emerging role for sphingolipids in the eukaryotic heat shock response

Eukaryotic cells have a highly conserved response to an increase in temperature, termed the heat shock response. Recent research has revealed multiple roles for various sphingolipids in the heat shock responses of both yeast and mammalian cells. Heat stressed or shocked yeast and mammalian cells have an acute activation of serine palmitoyltransferase, resulting in the de novo biosynthesis of sphingolipids. Also, both mammalian and yeast cells were shown to increase ceramide levels upon heat stress or shock. In yeast cells, several functions have emerged for the de novo produced sphingoid bases in terms of the heat stress response. These functions include a role in accumulation of trehalose, a role in the heat-induced transient G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and phytosphingosine activation of a ubiquitin protein degradation pathway. However, in mammalian systems, ceramides have been demonstrated as bioactive lipids. Ceramides produced in response to heat shock were demonstrated to induce the production of c-jun, leading to apoptosis, and to be upstream of dephosphorylation of serine-rich proteins. Increasingly, sphingolipids are emerging as bioactive signaling molecules involved in numerous aspects of the eukaryotic heat shock response.
A simple procedure for the synthesis of α-32P-nucleoside triphosphates

Abstract A simple method for preparing α- 32 P-labeled nucleoside-5′-triphosphates of high specific activity is presented. Unprotected nucleosides are heated dry with urea and inorganic phosphate. The products from such reactions are phosphorylated enzymatically.
Critical Thinking Revisited: Its Past, Present, and Future.

More than a decade ago, community colleges across the nation mobilized legions of faculty to craft critical thinking initiatives on their campus. Were these initiatives simply the latest educational fad, or did the implementation provoke substantive, lasting changes not only in what we teach but in how we teach?
New advances in imaging polymers at near-atomic resolution

Most protein in a cell can often be found in the form of helical filaments, but there have been many limitations on the resolution that can be routinely achieved by electron microscopy of helical polymers. There is nothing that maintains long-range order in a filament, so all disorder accumulates. To overcome this problem, we have developed single-particle approaches to helical reconstruction that have become widely used. When these approaches are applied to cryo-EM images obtained with direct electron detectors, we can now obtain near-atomic resolution from helical filaments that are quite variable in twist. Four examples will be presented showing the biological insights possible with this resolution of better than 4 A: F-actin, PYD filaments from the inflammasome, I. hospitalis adhesion filaments, and a polymer built from a synthetic polypeptide that allows us to study in vitro evolution.
Soliton-like waves in a low-temperature nonlinear rigid heat conductor

Abstract A nonlinear rigid heat conductor whose free energy and heat flux depend not only on the absolute temperature but also on the elastic heat flow that satisfies an evolution equation is considered. First, nonlinear field equations coupling the temperature T and elastic heat flow B are scaled to the dimensionless form involving a low temperature parameter ϵ, and the associated nonlinear initial-boundary value problem is formulated. Next, a nonlinear coupled ( T ; B) problem in which B = ▽Φ, where Φ is a scalar potential, is replaced by a nonlinear Φ-problem alone. Finally, the Φ-problem is used to obtain a number of new properties of one-dimensional soliton-like thermal waves propagating in an infinite rigid heat conductor. In particular, it is shown that (i) a thermal wave propagates with the velocity c = 1/√ ϵ along the conductor, (ii) its internal energy is a convex function of scaled temperature, (iii) the associated elastic heat flow is a linear decreasing function of scaled temperature that passes through a zero at which the absolute temperature attains a reference value, and (iv) in a neighborhood of thermodynamical equilibrium the thermal wave can be approximated by a singular soliton with singularities on a plane wave front propagating with velocity c = 1/√ ϵ . Graphs illustrating the propagation of a thermal wave along the conductor are presented.
Suspension Stability of Erythrocytes in Solutions of Globulin.

SummaryAn analysis of the effects of 6 different types of globulin, dissolved in Locke's solution, upon the sedimentation time of erythrocytes, reveals that in 12 experiments 4 of the types prolonged the sedimentation time, and that in 12 experiments the remaining 2 types shortened the sedimentation time. In 8 experiments in which 2 of the types of globulin were dissolved in plasma, the sedimentation time was prolonged.
Invited Paper: Next Generation of Applied Internet Technologies in E-manufacturing

In the last decade we have been witnessing a new revolution in information processing and information accessibility via Internet. The evolution of Information Technologies (IT) and personal digital technologies has important impact on automation and manufacturing industry. The IT has become essential component of operational, control and business processes in everyone’s life worldwide. In the area of Real Estate the modern smart houses are now being built enabling owners to change window tints, turn on music, control thermostats, regulate sprinklers, monitor security, and open the front door from their cars [1]. In the medical field the impact of IT is most significant in the area of patient’s remote monitoring, medication administration and diagnosis control. Wearable computers, such as small wristwatch devices enable to check temperatures, news headlines, personal messages, and personal planners. Modern handheld devices, mobile phones, cameras, TVs, and personal computers are converging into single mobile and computational device. In the field of education, most of the colleges are implementing wireless campus enabling students to monitor their course content and working on collaborative projects. Current Precision CNC Lathes and Mills SmartCut II Series are not only a cutting device but a fully computerized and interconnected apparatus controlled remotely via mobile handheld device with wireless link. SmartCut was designed for growing companies evolving from manual lathe operations to CNC and more sophisticated users who would like a simple, easy to use machine. The Fagor 8055TC control is equipped with multiple ports for connection to off-line programming systems for more advanced users. The combination of these control features and hand wheels enable you to use a single machine for one-off or prototype production; in a semi-automatic mode for small production lots; and in its fully automatic mode for medium length production runs [2]. The author discusses the current state of the art and future trend of IT for the 21st century in automation and manufacturing industry as well as in education and public sectors.
An improved internal mammary irradiation technique in radiation treatment of locally advanced breast cancers

The purpose of the present study was to compare a new internal mammary irradiation technique with traditional techniques for locally advanced breast cancers in terms of sparing ipsilateral lung and heart and reducing the "cold" and "hot spots"in breast tissue. The new technique uses wide tangential fields for the first eight fractions of treatment. A medial internal mammary field (IMF) of electrons matched with narrowed tangential fields is used for the remaining fractions. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) by means of segmented multileaf collimation (SMLC) is used in the narrowed tangential fields to improve the match between the electron and the photon fields. Treatment planning was performed to compare this technique to a wide-tangential-only technique and to a traditional oblique IMF technique for three patients with differing habitus. Film dosimetry was performed in a solid water phantom to confirm the planning results. For all three patients, the mean doses of the ipsilateral lung and the heart were significantly reduced with the new technique. The lung and the heart volumes were remarkably reduced at lowdose levels (< or =12 Gy) compared to the traditional IMF technique, and significantly reduced at all dose levels compared to the wide tangential technique. The new technique also reduced the "cold" and "hot spots" along the match plane between the IMF and the tangential fields compared to the traditional IMF technique. In conclusion, the new IMF technique shows dosimetric improvement compared to the traditional IMF technique in terms of the critical organ sparing and target dose uniformity.
Napster and the press: Framing music technology

Fifteen years ago, a new file-sharing technology called Napster provided college students and adults alike with a novel way of engaging with both the Internet and popular music. In this paper, we examine how the media framed Napster for an audience that largely was not Internet savvy at a time when listening to music was still tied to physical media. We conducted a textual analysis of stories regarding Napster appearing in both the specialized music press and the general mainstream media. We found that the mainstream media devoted considerable coverage to Napster and the file-sharing issues surrounding it while the music press barely mentioned the technology. Multiple themes emerged, some familiar to our ongoing conversation regarding the impact of new technologies, that place Napster at the nexus of cultural struggles over technology and power.
Membrane-perturbing domains of HIV type 1 glycoprotein 41.

Structural and functional studies were performed to assess the membrane actions of peptides based on HIV-1 glycoprotein 41,000 (gp41). Previous site-directed mutagenesis of gp41 has shown that amino acid changes in either the N-terminal fusion or N-leucine zipper region depressed viral infection and syncytium formation, while modifications in the C-leucine zipper domain both increased and decreased HIV fusion. Here, synthetic peptides were prepared corresponding to the N-terminal fusion region (FP-I; gp41 residues 519-541), the nearby N-leucine zipper domain (DP-107; gp41 residues 560-597), and the C-leucine zipper domain (DP-178; gp41 residues 645-680). With erythrocytes, FP-I or DP-107 induced dose-dependent hemolysis and promoted cell aggregation; FP-I was more hemolytic than DP-107, but each was equally effective in aggregating cells. DP-178 produced neither hemolysis nor aggregation, but blocked either FP-I- or DP-107-induced hemolysis and aggregation. Combined with previous nuclear magnetic resonanc...
Late ct detection of gas in an aortic graft: A normal postoperative finding

Presence of gas in the prosthetic graft bed does not necessarily represent infection, but may rather be indicative of the presence of benign gas. The diagnostic and therapeutic implications of this finding are discussed.