cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PE5–PPE4–EspG3 heterotrimer structure from mycobacterial ESX-3 secretion system gives insight into cognate substrate recognition by ESX systems

Mycobacterium tuberculosis has evolved numerous type VII secretion (ESX) systems to secrete multiple factors important for both growth and virulence across their cell envelope. ESX-1, ESX-3, and ESX-5 systems have been shown to each secrete a distinct set of substrates, including PE and PPE families of proteins, named for conserved Pro-Glu and Pro-Pro-Glu motifs in their N termini. Proper secretion of the PE–PPE proteins requires the presence of EspG, with each system encoding its own unique copy. There is no cross-talk between any of the ESX systems, and how each EspG recognizes its subset of PE–PPE proteins is currently unknown. The only current structural characterization of PE–PPE–EspG heterotrimers is from the ESX-5 system. Here we present the crystal structure of the PE5mt–PPE4mt–EspG3mm heterotrimer from the ESX-3 system. Our heterotrimer reveals that EspG3mm interacts exclusively with PPE4mt in a similar manner to EspG5, shielding the hydrophobic tip of PPE4mt from solvent. The C-terminal helical domain of EspG3mm is dynamic, alternating between "open" and "closed" forms, and this movement is likely functionally relevant in the unloading of PE–PPE heterodimers at the secretion machinery. In contrast to the previously solved ESX-5 heterotrimers, the PE–PPE heterodimer of our ESX-3 heterotrimer is interacting with its chaperone at a drastically different angle and presents different faces of the PPE protein to the chaperone. We conclude that the PPE–EspG interface from each ESX system has a unique shape complementarity that allows each EspG to discriminate among noncognate PE–PPE pairs.
Design Rules Volume 2: Chapter 2—Transactions in a Task Network

From the 1930s through today, many economists have conceived of large technical systems for the production of goods and services as a series of transactions. This point of view has led eminent economists to assert that transactions are the fundamental unit of analysis in the economic system. This conceptualization has been very powerful, but it is also limiting. To truly understand the relationship between technology and organizations we must look “beneath” transactions at the full set of tasks and transfers that must take place to design and produce useful goods and services in an efficient way. The purpose of this chapter is to describe how transactions fit into a larger network of tasks and transfers and to identify the technological determinants of transaction costs.
Comparison of NOAA’s CLAP Measurements to Aerosol Absorption from Number Concentration

In this paper we describe AFIT CDE’s initial testing of the NOAA CLAP instrument as it prepares to join the NOAA FAN. Results suggest aerosol absorption can be fairly accurately deduced from particle number concentrations.
Urine Metabolites Associated with the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet: Results from the DASH-Sodium Trial

Scope Serum metabolomic markers of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet were previously reported. We investigated if urine metabolomic markers were similar in an independent clinical trial. Methods and results In the DASH-Sodium trial, participants were randomly assigned to the DASH diet or control diet, and received three sodium interventions (high, intermediate, low) within each randomized diet group in random order for 30 days each. Urine samples were collected at the end of the intervention period and analyzed for 938 metabolites. We conducted two comparisons of metabolomic profiles: 1) DASH-high sodium (n = 199) versus control-high sodium (n = 193), and 2) DASH-low sodium (n = 196) versus control-high sodium. We compared significant metabolites identified using multivariable linear regression and the top 10 influential metabolites identified using partial least-squares discriminant analysis to the results from a previous analysis of the DASH trial. Nine out of 10 predictive metabolites of the DASH-high sodium and DASH-low sodium diets were identical. Most candidate biomarkers from the DASH trial replicated. N-methylproline, chiro-inositol, stachydrine, and theobromine replicated as influential metabolites of DASH diets. Conclusions Candidate biomarkers of the DASH diet identified in serum replicated in urine. Replicated influential metabolites are likely to be objective biomarkers of the DASH diet. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Modeling Multivariate Count Time Series Data with a Vector Poisson Log-Normal Additive Model: Applications to Testing Treatment Effects in Single-Case Designs.

In education and psychology, single-case designs (SCDs) have been used to detect treatment effects using time series data in the presence or absence of intervention. One popular design variant of S...
Associations between physical function and device-based measures of physical activity and sedentary behavior patterns in older adults: moving beyond moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity.

Research supports that moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) is key to prolonged health and function. Among older adults, substantial changes to MVPA may be infeasible, thus a growing literature suggests a shift in focus to whole-day activity patterns. With data from 795 older adults aged 65–100 in the Adult Changes in Thought Activity Monitoring study, we used linear regression to estimate associations between ActiGraph and activPAL measured activity patterns – including light intensity physical activity, steps, standing, and sedentary behaviors – and physical function as measured by a short Performance-based Physical Function (sPPF) score (range 0–12), a composite score based on three standardized physical performance tasks: gait speed, timed chair stands, and grip strength. We examined whether relationships persisted when controlling for MVPA or differed across age, gender, or quartiles of MVPA. In models unadjusted for MVPA, a 1-standard deviation (SD) increment of daily sitting (1.9 h more), mean sitting bout duration (8 min longer average), or time spent in sedentary activity (1.6 h more) was associated with ~ 0.3–0.4 points lower mean sPPF score (all p < 0.05). A 1-SD increment in daily steps (~ 3500 more steps) was associated with ~ 0.5 points higher mean sPPF score (95% CI: 0.22 to 0.73). MVPA adjustment attenuated all relationships. The association between physical function and steps was strongest among adults aged 75+; associations of worse function with greater sedentary behavior were more pronounced in participants with the lowest levels of MVPA. We found associations between function and activity metrics other than MVPA in key subgroups, findings that support research on broader activity patterns and may offer ideas regarding practical intervention opportunities for improving function in older adults.
Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) control in soybean (Glycine max) with bentazon as influenced by imazethapyr or thifensulfuron tank-mixes

Several herbicides control common ragweed postemergence in soybean. However, weed response may be altered if herbicides are tank-mixed and the choice of additive may also influence the degree of weed control. Imazethapyr and thifensulfuron could be tank-mixed with bentazon for broadleaf weed control and visual crop injury reduced compared to a bentazon plus acifluorfen tank-mix. Experiments determined common ragweed control with these herbicides and herbicide combinations when applied with various additives. In the greenhouse, bentazon at 560 g ai/ha reduced common ragweed dry weight 95 to 97%. Common ragweed control with imazethapyr at 35 g/ha increased by 13 and 7% when 28% urea ammonium nitrate was applied with nonionic surfactant or petroleum oil adjuvant, respectively. Tank-mixing imazethapyr with bentazon did not change dry weight of common ragweed compared with bentazon. Bentazon plus thifensulfuron plus nonionic surfactant required the addition of 28% urea ammonium nitrate to reduce dry weight of common ragweed comparable to that with bentazon. In field research, bentazon at 1120 g/ha reduced common ragweed dry weight 78 to 81%. Tank-mixing bentazon with thifensulfuron at 4.5 g/ha or imazethapyr at 71 or 35 g/ha reduced common ragweed dry weight at 14 d after treatment by 89 to 91%, thus enhancing control compared to each herbicide applied alone. Adding 28% urea ammonium nitrate to bentazon plus imazethapyr or bentazon plus thifensulfuron tank-mixes did not increase control compared to these treatments applied with either nonionic surfactant or petroleum oil adjuvant. By 28 d after treatment only imazethapyr at 35 or 71 g/ha plus 28% urea ammonium nitrate plus nonionic surfactant or petroleum oil adjuvant and bentazon plus imazethapyr tank-mixes provided 85% or more control of common ragweed in 1991, and only imazethapyr at 71 g/ha plus 28% urea ammonium nitrate plus petroleum oil adjuvant or imazethapyr at 71 g/ha plus bentazon provided greater than 78% common ragweed control in 1992. Soybean yield was not different from the handweeded control only where bentazon plus 71 g/ha of imazethapyr or acifluorfen at 560 g/ha was applied
Green Technology by Design: A New Paradigm for Engineering Education for Sustainable Development

In this paper I explore some aspects of the challenge we face in changing the culture and perspective of engineering education so as to achieve a holistic and integrated systems approach to design that includes “design for resource conservation and environmental elegance” or “Green Technology By Design”. These ideas are essential components of any philosophy or program for “sustainable development”. My context for these ideas is the USA. Thus, specifics come from my own country, but the general themes, I believe, are applicable worldwide. Engineering education for the environment has grown up in the USA, in departments of environmental engineering, often housed in civil engineering, and with an “end-of-pipe”, “pollution control” philosophy and mind-set that mirrors the pollution control, regulatory philosophy of government. Today we are beginning to recognize that while “pollution control” is very important and probably always will be, perhaps we also need to think more expansively than from just a “control” perspective to one of “prevention” -- from “pollution control” to “pollution prevention”. It is this transition from a philosophy of “control” to one of “prevention” in the environmental education of engineers, that I address in this paper. I will also suggest a non-coercive model for achieving these needed changes -- namely the model of “quality by design” that has played such a major role in improving the quality of products and processes designed and produced by our society in recent years. Unless we in the “first world” are able to bring these ideas into reality, then I fear that our collective futures on planet earth are likely doomed by “resource wars” and unbelievable entropic environmental degradation.
Scalable inductive learning on partitioned data

With the rapid advancement of information technology, scalability has become a necessity for learning algorithms to deal with large, real-world data repositories. In this paper, scalability is accomplished through a data reduction technique, which partitions a large data set into subsets, applies a learning algorithm on each subset sequentially or concurrently, and then integrates the learned results. Five strategies to achieve scalability (Rule-Example Conversion, Rule Weighting, Iteration, Good Rule Selection, and Data Dependent Rule Selection) are identified and seven corresponding scalable schemes are designed and developed. A substantial number of experiments have been performed to evaluate these schemes. Experimental results demonstrate that through data reduction some of our schemes can effectively generate accurate classifiers from weak classifiers generated from data subsets. Furthermore, our schemes require significantly less training time than that of generating a global classifier.
Recombinant human factor VIIa‐induced alterations in tissue factor and thrombomodulin in patients with advanced liver cirrhosis

Background: Recombinant human factor VIIa (rhFVIIa) is used to treat hemophilia and occasionally individuals with liver disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate the consequences of rhFVIIa in individuals with advanced liver disease in an attempt to understand the mechanism of action of rhFVIIa in this unique population. Methods: Levels of plasma tissue factor, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, tissue factor pathway inhibitor, fibrin split products, d-dimers and free thrombomodulin were measured following the administration of rhFVIIa in 17 subjects. The results were compared to normal controls. Results: The prothrombin time declined from 20.2 ± 2.8 s to 14.3 ± 3.9 s (P < 0.01). No change in the activated partial thromboplastin time occurred. A 15.6% reduction in thrombomodulin was observed (P < 0.05). A mean 75.2% reduction in plasma tissue factor occurred (P < 0.01). Tissue factor pathway inhibitor levels declined to less than the control value (P < 0.05). No changes in plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, fibrin split products or d-dimer levels occurred. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that rhFVIIa administration to individuals with liver disease results in (i) a transient improvement in the prothrombin time; (ii) no change in the activated partial thromboplastin time; and (iii) a marked reduction in the levels of thrombomodulin and tissue factor. These data suggest that rhFVIIa binds tissue factor and enhances tissue factor and thrombomodulin clearance from the circulation.
An unusual complication of myocardial infarction, persistent bigeminy only in the recumbent position.

Abstract A case is presented which demonstrated a previously unreported complication of myocardial infarction: persistent bigeminy only in the recumbent position. A forty-nine year old male had a severe myocardial infarction of the posterior and anterolateral walls. Since recovery he has had persistent bigeminy in only the recumbent position. This has not been altered by quinidine, procaine amide, tranquilizers or sedatives.
Mineral resources of the Blue Lakes Wilderness Study Area, Humboldt County, Nevada

The part of the Pahute Peak Wilderness Study Area (NV-020-621) requested for mineral surveys encompasses 25,200 acres in the central and southern parts of the Black Rock Range. Fieldwork for this report was done in 1984 and 1985. Three areas are identified as having mineral resource potential, and one area has potential for geothermal resources. An area at the northwest corner of the study area has moderate resource potential for gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, molybdenum, and tungsten. An area adjacent and partially overlapping to the south has high resource potential for gold and silver. Most of the northern two-thirds of the study area has moderate resource potential for gold and silver. An area in the southwestern part of the study area has high potential for geothermal resources. There is low potential throughout the study area for mercury and uranium resources. Minor amounts of opal and petrified wood are found in the study area, but there are no indications of resource potential. In this report, references to the Pahute Peak Wilderness Study Area or study area refer only to that part of the wilderness study area requested by the U.S. Bureau of Leind Management for mineral surveys. Character and setting The Pahute Peak Wilderness Study Area is in the central and southern parts of the Black Rock Range in Humboldt County, northwest Nev. (fig. 1). The study area includes some of the most rugged parts of the range, and relief locally exceeds 4,000 ft. A major active normal fault system bounds the west margin of the range. The area is underlain largely by slightly tilted rhyolitic to basaltic volcanic rocks of Oligocene and Miocene(?) age (fig. 2; see appendix for geologic time chart). Some of these rocks are hydrothermally altered, whereas others were altered by reaction with groundwater. Granodiorite to quartz monzonite of Cretaceous age and metasedimentary rocks of probable Mesozoic and Paleozoic age are exposed locally in the northwestern part of the study area. A few landslide masses are present along the west side of the Black Rock Range. Identified Resources There are no identified resources within the Pahute Peak Wilderness Study Area. Mineral Resource Potential The northwestern part of the study area around Copper Canyon is underlain by granitic and metasedimentary rocks and has moderate resource potential for gold, silver, copper, lead, molybdenum, tungsten, and particularly for zinc in skarn deposits. An area underlain by volcanic rock 2 mi south of Copper Canyon has high potential for gold and silver resources in precious-metal deposits of epithermal vein or disseminated type. Areas underlain by Cenozoic volcanic rocks in the central and northern
Inverse problem for upper asymptotic density

For a set A of natural numbers, the structural properties are described when the upper asymptotic density of 2A + {0,1} achieves the infimum of the upper asymptotic densities of all sets of the form 28 + {0, 1}, where the upper asymptotic density of B is greater than or equal to the upper asymptotic density of A. As a corollary, we prove that if the upper asymptotic density of A is less than 1 and the upper asymptotic density of 2A + {0,1} achieves the infimum, then the lower asymptotic density of A must be 0.
Multi-Pixel Photon Counters for Optofluidic Characterization of Particles and Microalgae

We have developed an optofluidic biosensor to study microscale particles and different species of microalgae. The system is comprised of a microchannel with a set of chevron-shaped grooves. The chevrons allows for hydrodynamic focusing of the core stream in the center using a sheath fluid. The device is equipped with a new generation of highly sensitive photodetectors, multi-pixel photon counter (MPPC), with high gain values and an extremely small footprint. Two different sizes of high intensity fluorescent microspheres and three different species of algae (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii strain 21 gr, Chlamydomonas suppressor, and Chlorella sorokiniana) were studied. The forward scattering emissions generated by samples passing through the interrogation region were carried through a multimode fiber, located in 135 degree with respect to the excitation fiber, and detected by a MPPC. The signal outputs obtained from each sample were collected using a data acquisition system and utilized for further statistical analysis. Larger particles or cells demonstrated larger peak height and width, and consequently larger peak area. The average signal output (integral of the peak) for Chlamydomonas reinhardtii strain 21 gr, Chlamydomonas suppressor, and Chlorella sorokiniana falls between the values found for the 3.2 and 10.2 μm beads. Different types of algae were also successfully characterized.
Low current GaAs MMIC family with a miniaturized band-stop filter for Ku-band broadcast satellite applications

A low-current GaAs MMIC (monolithic microwave integrated circuit) family has been designed, fabricated, and tested for broadcast satellite receivers operating in the 11.7 to 12.2 GHz range. There are three kinds of MMICs: a low noise amplifier, a filter-type image rejection mixer, and an intermediate frequency amplifier. The total current dissipation of the three MMICs is only 35 mA. A single chip image rejection downconverter, in which the three circuits are integrated, has been successfully fabricated. The downconverter has no external hybrids and exhibits a noise figure of 3.5 dB, a conversion gain of 37 dB, and an image rejection of 40 dB. >
Yeast high mobility group protein HMO1 stabilizes chromatin and is evicted during repair of DNA double strand breaks

DNA is packaged into condensed chromatin fibers by association with histones and architectural proteins such as high mobility group (HMGB) proteins. However, this DNA packaging reduces accessibility of enzymes that act on DNA, such as proteins that process DNA after double strand breaks (DSBs). Chromatin remodeling overcomes this barrier. We show here that the Saccharomyces cerevisiae HMGB protein HMO1 stabilizes chromatin as evidenced by faster chromatin remodeling in its absence. HMO1 was evicted along with core histones during repair of DSBs, and chromatin remodeling events such as histone H2A phosphorylation and H3 eviction were faster in absence of HMO1. The facilitated chromatin remodeling in turn correlated with more efficient DNA resection and recruitment of repair proteins; for example, inward translocation of the DNA-end-binding protein Ku was faster in absence of HMO1. This chromatin stabilization requires the lysine-rich C-terminal extension of HMO1 as truncation of the HMO1 C-terminal tail phenocopies hmo1 deletion. Since this is reminiscent of the need for the basic C-terminal domain of mammalian histone H1 in chromatin compaction, we speculate that HMO1 promotes chromatin stability by DNA bending and compaction imposed by its lysine-rich domain and that it must be evicted along with core histones for efficient DSB repair.
Effect of solar perturbation on motion near the collinear earth-moonlibration points.

The perturbative acceleration of the sun disrupts the equilibrium of the five Lagrange libration points in the earth-moon system by introducing a nonhomogeneous forcing function in the equations of motion. Analytic expressions for this forcing function, including the indirect effect of the sun on the moon, are derived. It is shown that the perturbation at the collinear points is of second-order only, in the ratio of the moon's distance to the sun's distance. For the LI and Lz points the magnitude of the perturbative acceleration is about 2 X 10~ meters/sec. To verify this result, actual trajectories were computed by numerical integration for a body starting from rest at the LI and L% points using a four-body model. Sun and moon positions were obtained from an ephemeris tape. Initial velocities were chosen so as to suppress the divergent motion resulting from the unstable nature of the collinear points. The motion was in good agreement with that predicted by the analysis of the solar perturbation. It is concluded that the stationkeeping propulsion required to maintain a vehicle near LI or L% is nearly independent of the solar perturbation and therefore depends primarily upon the accuracy of the navigation and guidance systems.
Effect of Glucagon Secretin, and Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide on the Feline Lower Esophageal Sphincter: Mechanism's of Action

We studied the effect of glucagon, secretin, and VIP on the feline LES as well as their mechanisms of action by pharmacologic analysis. Secretin and VIP caused relaxation, whereas glucagon caused LES contraction with all doses studied (1–80 μg/kg). The LES contraction in response to maximal doses of glucagon was two-thirds of the contraction after pentagastrin. Secretin was a weak LES inhibitor decreasing basal pressures by 25% and with relaxation only occurring after 4 and 8 clinical units/kg. In contrast, VIP was a potent inhibitor of LES pressures and its maximal dose (1 μg/kg) abolished basal pressures completely. The inhibitory action of secretin and VIP could not be antagonized by adrenergic (phentolamine and propranolol), or cholinergic (atropine and hexamethonium) antagonists or after complete LES denervation with tetrodotoxin. In contrast, the effect of glucagon was antagonized by a combination of hexamethonium and atropine, by phentolamine, by catecholamine depletion with reserpine, by TTX, or by surgical bilateral adrenalectomy. The dose of phentolamine needed to block the effect of a maximal dose of glucagon was onehalf of that required to antagonize the effect of a maximal dose of an alpha-adrenergic agonist (phenylephrine). These findings suggest that glucagon acts at the preganglionic level of the sympathetic pathway within the adrenal glands and its action appears to be mediated by humoral factors. Secretin and VIP appear to inhibit the LES circular muscle by direct action.
Specific Language Impairment, Nonverbal IQ, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cochlear Implants, Bilingualism, and Dialectal Variants: Defining the Boundaries, Clarifying Clinical Conditions, and Sorting Out Causes

Purpose The purpose of this research forum article is to provide an overview of a collection of invited articles on the topic “specific language impairment (SLI) in children with concomitant health...
Inferences about human demography based on multilocus analyses of noncoding sequences

Data from 10 unlinked autosomal noncoding regions, resequenced in 15 individuals from each of three populations, were used in a multilocus analysis to test models of human demography. Each of the 10 regions consisted of approximately 2500 bp. The multilocus analysis, based on summary statistics (average and variance of Tajima's D and Fu and Li's D*), was used to test a family of models with recent population expansion. The African sample (Hausa of Cameroon) is compatible with a constant population size model and a range of models with recent expansion. For this population sample, we estimated confidence sets that showed the limited range of parameter values compatible with growth. For an exponential growth rate as low as 1 x 10(-3)/generation, population growth is unlikely to have started prior to 50,000 years ago. For higher growth rates, the onset of growth must be more recent. On the basis of the average value of Tajima's D, our sample from an Italian population was found to be incompatible with a constant population size model or any simple expansion model. In the Chinese sample, the variance of Tajima's D was too large to be compatible with the constant population size model or any simple expansion model.
Professional education programs in rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology

Historically, rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology practitioners have received inconsistent pre-professional training. A survey of current post-secondary professional curricula reveals several facets of rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology educational models that remain diverse. Suggestions for improvement and standardization of educational curricula are given based on the body of literature related to pre-professional education of practitioners, as well as anticipated certification and accreditation efforts by the field's principal credentialing body. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Benign and Malignant Thyroid Incidentalomas are Rare in Routine Clinical Practice: A Review of 97,908 Imaging Studies

Background: Thyroid nodules incidentally identified on imaging are thought to contribute to the increasing incidence of thyroid cancer. We aim to determine the true rate of incidental thyroid nodule reporting, malignancies rates of these nodules, and to compare these findings to rates of detection by dedicated radiology review. Methods: A cross sectional analysis was done to determine the prevalence of thyroid nodules in radiologist reports by analyzing all reports for CT, PET, and MRI scans of the head, neck and chest as well neck ultrasounds performed at a tertiary care center from 2007 to 2012. Retrospective chart review was performed on patients with a reported thyroid nodule to determine clinical outcomes of these nodules. Radiology reports were compared with dedicated radiology review of 500 randomly selected CT scans from the study group to determine the difference between clinical reporting and actual prevalence of thyroid nodules. Results: 97,908 imaging studies met inclusion criteria, 387 (0.4%) thyroid incidentalomas were identified on radiology report. 163 (42.1%) of these nodules were worked up with FNA, diagnosing 27 thyroid cancers (0.03% of all studies, 7.0% of reported incidentalomas). The prevalence of incidentalomas clinically reported was 142/100,000 CT scans, 638/100,000 MRIs, 358/100,000 PET scans, and 6,594/100,000 ultrasounds. In contrast, review of CT scans screening for thyroid nodules had a prevalence of 10%. Conclusions: Routine clinical reporting of incidental thyroid nodules is far less common than on dedicated review. Impact: These data, contradict the notion that incidentalomas contribute significantly to rising thyroid cancer rates.
From quasi-revolutionaries to capitalist entrepreneurs: how the P/NDC changed the face of Ghanaian entrepreneurship

Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings and his fellow ‘revolutionaries’ waged a sustained campaign against established Ghanaian entrepreneurs, insisting that they were corrupt. This narrative is misleading. The prime motive of these self-styled revolutionaries was to de-capitalise political opponents – a goal that they largely accomplished through control and manipulation of the state apparatus. During the 1990s, the same people who had launched a quasi-revolutionary campaign against Ghanaian capitalists became the most successful businesspeople in Ghana. This paper sheds light on a profound, yet ultimately transitory, revolution in Ghana that has largely escaped detailed scholarly examination.
Evaluation of energy storage technologies for integration with renewable electricity: Quantifying expert opinions

Abstract Solving climate change and the associated need for increasing renewable energy supply make energy storage a critical technological component of the future energy landscape. Research to build more reliable and cost-effective energy storage technologies is now on the rise. As a result, many new technologies and applications are evolving and competing. This paper presents a method to evaluate and select energy storage technologies for investor-owned or public utilities. For this purpose, energy storage applications which could benefit wind power in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States are identified through internal interviews and surveys with experts at the federal wholesale power marketing agency in Portland, Oregon. The study employs a technology evaluation process integrating fuzzy Delphi method, analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy consistent matrix. The result shows that compressed air storage is the most promising technology for sustainable growth of renewable energy in the region.
Scimitar syndrome: Cine magnetic resonance imaging demonstration of anomalous pulmonary venous drainage

Abstract A "'scimitar" shadow was found on routine chest roentgenography in an asymptomatic patient. Evaluation with cine magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated an anomalous pulmonary vein draining into the inferior vena cava below the diaphragm. The diagnosis of scimitar syndrome was confirmed and successfully repaired at operation. Cine magnetic resonance imaging may be of considerable value in the assessment of congenital pulmonary venous abnormalities and may provide an alternative to more traditional invasive diagnostic techniques in certain circumstances.
Trends and outlook for the massive-scale analytics stack

Massive-scale analytics (MSA) applications are characterized by the large amount of data that they process and the complexity of algorithms used to process the data. The ideal MSA system will not only support processing of large amounts of data but also offer a high degree of parallelism and support scheduling and resource allocation of complex workloads. Designers of MSA systems must provide three necessities: programming abstractions, runtime systems, and hardware. Historically, two communities have undertaken the task of designing MSA systems: the database community, which has argued for an SQL (Structured Query Language)-influenced processing paradigm, and the high-performance computing community, which has focused on developing infrastructures for highly efficient, but complex, parallel implementations. These two communities have developed disparate technologies to meet the necessities of MSA systems, and the solutions provided by the individual communities are not completely satisfactory. In this paper, we attempt to characterize the strengths and weaknesses of the approaches of these two communities at all levels of the MSA stack, characterize implications with respect to resource management within the MSA system, and define how an MSA system should be designed.
Triaxiality - recent progress in mass 160 region

Abstract Triaxiality may affect various properties of the nucleus, such as the quasiparticle excitation energy, the relationship between signature partner bands, the electromagnetic decay strength between bands, etc. However, these effects can also be caused by other phenomena. On the other hand, quantized wobbling-phonon excitation, characterized by a sequence of rotational bands with increasing number of wobbling quanta, is a predicted mode uniquely related to triaxiality of nuclear shape [A. Bohr and B.R. Mottelson, Nuclear Structure, Vol. II, Benjamin, New York, 1975]. The search for experimental signatures of triaxial nuclear shapes has proven to be very challenging.
Distributions with power-law decrease and the approach to equilibrium

The main purpose of our work concerns the long-time behavior of initial distributions with diverging second moments and to show that in the mean the behavior is still exponential. We consider solutions $F(x,t)$ of the Boltzmann equation for a Maxwell-like model for which $\ensuremath{\int}{0}^{\ensuremath{\infty}}\mathrm{dx}{x}^{2}F(x,0)=\ensuremath{\infty}$ and $\ensuremath{\int}{0}^{\ensuremath{\infty}}\mathrm{dx}F(x,0)=\ensuremath{\int}{0}^{\ensuremath{\infty}}\mathrm{dx}\mathrm{xF}(x,0)=1$. It is shown that $F(x,t)$ can be approximated arbitrarily well in the mean by $\overline{F}(x,t)$ for $0\ensuremath{\le}tl\ensuremath{\infty}$ and $\overline{F}(x,t)\ensuremath{\simeq}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}x}[1+K{e}^{\ensuremath{-}\frac{t}{3}}{L}_{2}(x)]$ as $t\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$. Consequently, the Hilbert space of square-integrable functions, viz., $\ensuremath{\int}{0}^{\ensuremath{\infty}}\mathrm{dx}{F}^{2}(x,0)l\ensuremath{\infty}$, is complete in the sense of convergence in the mean for $0\ensuremath{\le}tl\ensuremath{\infty}$, and thus the time evolution of initial singularities---for instance, an $F(x,0)$ with $\ensuremath{\delta}$-function peaks, jump discontinuities, etc.---is not physically meaningful.
All-optical packet switching: architecture and implementation

We report in this paper the architectural design and implementation of all-optical packet networks. Using photonic switches to route information, an all-optical network has the advantages of bit rate, wavelength, and signal format transparencies. Within the transparency distance, the network is capable of handling a widely heterogeneous mix of traffic. We will describe our research on the implementation of all-optical backbone switches. The switch components including frame synchronizers, frame delineation units, frame header over-writing units, wavelength converters, frame concentrators, and WDM buffers were constructed at 2.5 Gb/s. Their subsystem and device structure as well as preliminary performance are reported.
Sensitivity of sample values not generated by inversion

The perturbation generation rule of Suri (Ref. 1) is extended to cases where random variables are not generated by inversion. Conditions are given for the use of other methods. Infinitesimal perturbation analysis is shown to be compatible with common random number techniques in cases where finite-difference approximations are not.
Infra-azygous pneumomediastinum versus pulmonary ligament air collection: CT evaluation

A full-term infant developed a large collection of air posteriorly in the thorax. Computed tomography showed the anatomical distribution of this extraventilatory air and although, it did not conclusively differentiate between infra-azygous pneumomediastinum and a pulmonary ligament air collection, inappropriate needle aspiration of the air was avoided.
Equipotent Inhibition of Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase and Monoacylglycerol Lipase – Dual Targets of the Endocannabinoid System to Protect against Seizure Pathology

Advances in the understanding of the endogenous cannabinoid system have led to several therapeutic indications for new classes of compounds that enhance cannabinergic responses. Endocannabinoid levels are elevated during pathogenic conditions, and inhibitors of endocannabinoid inactivation promote such on-demand responses. The endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol have been implicated in protective signaling against excitotoxic episodes, including seizures. To better understand modulatory pathways that can exploit such responses, we used the new generation compound AM6701 that blocks both the anandamide-deactivating enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and the 2-arachidonoyl glycerol-deactivating enzyme monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) with equal potency. Also studied was the structural isomer AM6702 which is 44-fold more potent for inhibiting FAAH versus MAGL. When applied before and during kainic acid (KA) exposure to cultured hippocampal slices, AM6701 protected against the resulting excitotoxic events of calpain-mediated cytoskeletal damage, loss of presynaptic and postsynaptic proteins, and pyknotic changes in neurons. The equipotent inhibitor was more effective than its close relative AM6702 at protecting against the neurodegenerative cascade assessed in the slice model. In vivo, AM6701 was also the more effective compound for reducing the severity of KA-induced seizures and protecting against behavioral deficits linked to seizure damage. Corresponding with the behavioral improvements, cytoskeletal and synaptic protection was elicited by AM6701, as found in the KA-treated hippocampal slice model. It is proposed that the influence of AM6701 on FAAH and MAGL exerts a synergistic action on the endocannabinoid system, thereby promoting the protective nature of cannabinergic signaling to offset excitotoxic brain injury.
Intraocular grafts of embryonic sexual ducts of the rat.

ConclusionReviews (11,12) of the vast literature on gonadal control of embryonic differentiation of sexual ducts in mammals reveal 3 general viewpoints: (a) that the developing testes and ovaries produce sex hormones and that each has 2 opposing actions, stimulation of ducts of corresponding sex and inhibition of ducts of opposite six; (b) that the testes produce hormone which stimulates male parts while suppressing the female, but the ovaries do not influence sexual differentiation; (c) that sexual differentiation is not governed by gonad hormones. The results here submitted, namely, absence of correlation between duct development and hormonal environment provided by host and the similar lack of correlation between ducts and accompanying gonads, support the third view. This conclusion conforms in general to that reached by Bronski (10).
Artificial dielectric waveguides from semiconductor-embedded polymers

Novel dielectric properties are achieved when semiconductor crystallites are emedded in polymeric, passive host material. Upon illumination which photon energy above the semiconductor band-gap, a dielectric constant change will be observed for a below band-gap, propagating photon.
Pupil dilation with intracameral 1% lidocaine during glaucoma filtering surgery.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate pupil dilation from intracameral injection of nonpreserved 1% lidocaine. Design Observational case series of 25 consecutive phakic trabeculectomies. Method Patients were evaluated in the operating room setting and given one drop of topical tetracaine preoperatively. Nonpreserved 1% lidocaine (0.1 cc) was injected intracameraly into the anterior chamber through a paracentesis site at the corneal limbus. Pupil diameter was measured after instillation of topical tetracaine, before injection of intracameral lidocaine. Postinjection measurements were made at 1, 3, and 5 minutes. Results The mean male pupil diameter was significantly greater than female dilation at every time point. The mean blue iris diameter was greater than brown at 1 and 3 minutes, but there was no difference at 5 minutes or more. There was no racial difference in the pupil dilation response to intracameral lidocaine. Conclusions Nonpreserved intracameral 1% lidocaine produces immediate pupil dilation in previously undilated phakic patients during trabeculectomy surgery.
TandemHeart device as rescue therapy in the management of acute heart failure

Background The TandemHeart device (THD) is a pump system that can be deployed percutaneously (PC) or via conventional surgical (CS) cannulation; it is capable of supporting one or both ventricles. It is a versatile system designed for use as a rescue device in acute heart failure and as a bridge to decision in moribund patients. Methods Retrospective analysis was conducted on all patients who underwent a THD implant; either PC or CS; at our institution. Univariate analysis was done using Fisher's exact and Chi-square tests for categorical variables and Wilcoxon Rank Sum test for continuous ones. Results 51 adult patients were identified: 10 PC and 41 CS. Mean age was 58.9 ± 12.8 years, and 31% were female. In hospital mortality was 61%. Univariate predictors of death were prolonged support (74% versus 46%, P = .04) and higher lactic acid levels (5.3 ± 4.9 versus 2.3 ± 1.9 mmol/L, P = .012). The length of stay (LOS) for survivors was 59.8 ± 30.0 days. Conclusion Uni- or bi-ventricular unloading can be successfully achieved using the THD, either trans-thoracically or percutaneously, with an acceptable complication profile.
Species variation in transcription factor IIIA

Species variation in transcription factor IIIA (TFIIIA) was examined by comparing the abilities of TFIIIAs isolated from different Xenopus and Rana species to 1) bind rabbit anti-Xenopus laevis TFIIIA IgG, 2) specifically interact with the Xenopus borealis somatic 5S RNA gene, and 3) promote transcription of the Xenopus borealis 5S RNA gene in vitro. In immunoblot assays, Rana catesbeiana or Rana pipiens TFIIIA did not react readily with rabbit anti-Xenopus laevis TFIIIA IgG (assayed with anti-rabbit F(ab')2 fragment conjugated with alkaline phosphatase) whereas Xenopus borealis TFIIIA exhibited similar reactivity with this IgG as Xenopus laevis TFIIIA. When compared to Xenopus TFIIIAs, Rana TFIIIAs exhibited similar interactions with the 3' portion of the intragenic control region of the Xenopus 5S RNA gene (to residue +78 on the coding strand and up to and including +74 on the non-coding strand, nucleotides protected from DNase I digestion by the N-terminal half of Xenopus TFIIIA) and incomplete interactions with the remaining 5' portion of the control region (nucleotides protected from DNase I digestion by the C-terminal half of Xenopus TFIIIA). In a Xenopus laevis unfertilized egg extract, Rana catesbeiana and Rana pipiens TFIIIAs promoted transcription of the Xenopus borealis somatic 5S RNA gene less efficiently than Xenopus laevis and Xenopus borealis TFIIIAs.
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter event of February 11, 1982: Of cometary or solar origin?

On February 11, 1982, an unusual cusp-shaped temporal variation in the interplanetary magnetic field was detected by the Pioneer Venus orbiter. While variations of the helium content of the solar wind were detected on the preceding day, these changes had no obvious relationship to the occurrence of the cusp-shaped temporal variation in the IMF on February 11. In fact the solar wind the content was quite nominal on February 11. The magnetic variations were also quite unlike those previously reported to be magnetic clouds. Moreover, the scale size of the disturbance had to be smaller than 4 x 10 to the 6th km and thus of cometary dimensions rather than of dimensions usually found in solar initiated events. Thus, there seems to be no need to alter the original interpretation that the observations of Pioneer Venus on February 11, 1982 were consistent with the passage of a comet close to Venus.
Estimating a Dynamic Adverse-Selection Model: Labour-Force Experience and the Changing Gender Earnings Gap 1968–1997

This paper addresses two questions: What accounts for the gender gap in labour-market outcomes? What are the driving forces behind the changes in the gender labour-market outcomes over the period 1968–1997? It formulates a dynamic general equilibrium model of labour supply, occupational sorting, and human-capital accumulation in which gender discrimination and an earnings gap arise endogenously. It uses this model to quantify the driving forces behind the decline in the gender earnings gap and the increase in female labour-force participation, the proportion of women working in professional occupations, and hours worked. It finds that labour-market experience is the most important factor explaining the gender earnings gap. In addition, statistical discrimination accounts for a large fraction of the observed gender earnings gap and its decline. It also finds that a large increase in aggregate productivity in professional occupations plays a major role in the increase in female labourforce participation, number of hours worked, and the proportion of females working in professional occupations. Although of less importance, demographic changes account for a substantial part of the increase in female labour-force participation and hours worked, whereas home production technology shocks do not.
Maneuver prediction in air combat via artificial neural networks

Abstract The goal of this paper is to consider, formulate, and solve prediction problems encountered in tactical air combat. The problem involves prediction and identification of continuous-trajectory air combat maneuvers where only partial/incomplete information is given. This problem is solved using a qualitative representation of the maneuvers and their implementation as a neural network. We have broken our central dynamical problem down into several smaller subproblems (“eigencurves”), which describe the states of a continuous-trajectory dynamic system. We find that the resulting sequences of vectors uniquely express the time evolution of interacting dynamic objects. This method has been used to describe the forms of relationships between accelerations and velocities (not the values themselves.) All possible modes of a system can be identified while offering a complete parametrization of all possible tactical maneuvers. Additional information can be used to establish which of the several alternative behaviors will actually take place. These sequences serve as the symbolic input to the artificial neural network we have provided. We found that due to high correlation of input data, a single hidden layer could not satisfactorily distinguish (with at least 55–85% accuracy) simple one-on-one maneuvers, such as the Turn-In, from more complex two-on-one maneuvers; for this reason, two hidden layers were incorporated. For each layer, many different architectures and learning rules were tested; the network described here gives the best results (55–95% accuracy for partial information). Thus, we found that the neural network implementation provided a high-speed, fault-tolerant, and robust computational cell for the identification of tactical maneuvers and suggestions for a best countermaneuver. We note that, for the sake of completeness, we include considerable background material about neural networks also.
Pure Red Cell Aplasia Associated with Fenoprofen

A 69-year-old man developed pure red cell aplasia after taking fenoprofen for ten months. The erythroid defect fully reversed after the drug was discontinued and could not be attributed to the patient's previously treated lung carcinoma. This case represents the third example of erythroid aplasia associated with an anti-inflammatory agent and the first instance due to fenoprofen.