cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Medium-Voltage Solid-State Transformer: Technology for a Smarter and Resilient Grid

The most important impact of power electronics on our society in the last 50 years has been the elimination of the 60-Hz ac power delivery system for consumer electronic products. Central to this achievement is the use of silicon (Si) power devices and pulsewidth modulation (PWM) techniques in delivering regulated ac and dc powers to low-voltage (LV) loads such as light-emitting diodes and computers. These solid-state power electronic converters have provided our society numerous benefits, including high-quality power and substantial energy savings. They also form the core technology for integrating renewable energies such as wind and solar into our power grid. Figure 1 shows a typical power delivery architecture commonly found in computer supplies and data centers. The incoming universal ac grid power is converted by a power factor correction circuit to 400 V dc before it is stepped down to a lower voltage dc intermediate bus, such as 12 V, and then it powers the digital loads at voltages as low as 1 V by a point-of-load converter. Si power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effective transistor (MOSFET) transistors from 20 V to 700 V are almost exclusively used in this application with switching frequencies from tens of kilohertz to one megahertz. Emerging devices based on gallium nitride (GaN) heterojunction field effect transistors reduce the switching and conduction losses when compared with Si power MOSFETs and are, therefore, poised to compete in these applications, driven by the need for higher energy efficiency and higher power density.
Risk-adapted simultaneous integrated boost-proton beam therapy (SIB-PBT) for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with tumour vascular thrombosis.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate clinical effectiveness and safety of simultaneous integrated boost-proton beam therapy (SIB-PBT) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with tumour vascular thrombosis (TVT). Material and methods Forty-one HCC patients with TVT underwent SIB-PBT using three dose-fractionation schemes: if gross tumour volume n =27), 1–1.9cm ( n =7), and ⩾2cm ( n =7) from gastrointestinal structures, 50GyE (EQD2, 62.5GyE 10 ), 60Gy (EQD2, 80GyE 10 ), 66Gy (EQD2, 91.3GyE 10 ), respectively, in 10 fractions was prescribed to planning target volume 1 (PTV1), and 30GyE (EQD2, 32.5GyE 10 ) in 10 fractions was prescribed to PTV2. Results Overall, treatment was well tolerated, with no grade toxicity ⩾3. Median overall survival (OS) was 34.4months and 2-year local progression-free survival (LPFS), relapse free survival (RFS), and OS rates were 88.1%, 25%, and 51.1%, respectively. Patients treated with EQD2 of ⩾80GyE 10 tended to show better TVT response (92.8% vs. 55.5%, p =0.002) 2-year LPFS (92.9% vs. 82.5%, p =0.463), RFS (28.8% vs. 19%, p =0.545), and OS (58.4% vs. 46.8%, p =0.428) rates than those with EQD2 of 10 . Multivariate analysis showed that TVT response and Child Pugh classification were independent prognostic factors for OS. Conclusions SIB-PBT is feasible and promising for HCC patients with TVT.
Temporal Changes in Kidney Stone Composition and in Risk Factors Predisposing to Stone Formation

Purpose: The prevalence of kidney stones has increased globally in recent decades. However, studies investigating the association between temporal changes in the risk of stone formation and stone types are scarce. We investigated temporal changes in stone composition, and demographic, serum and urinary parameters of kidney stone formers from 1980 to 2015.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 1,516 patients diagnosed with either calcium or uric acid stones at an initial visit to a university kidney stone clinic from 1980 to 2015.Results: From 1980 to 2015, the proportion of uric acid stones in all stone formers increased from 7% to 14%. While age and body mass index increased with time in both uric acid and calcium stone formers, uric acid stone formers were consistently older and had a higher body mass index and lower urinary pH than calcium stone formers. The proportion of females with stones has increased over time but the increase in female gender was more prominent among ca...
Role of Blueberry in modulating suicide gene SKA2 in an animal model of Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Background and RationalePost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been related to suicidal thoughts and behavior. The principal origin and the mechanism contributing to the suicidal thoughts in PTS...
Changes in substrate availability drive carbon cycle response to chronic warming

Abstract As earth's climate continues to warm, it is important to understand how the capacity of terrestrial ecosystems to retain carbon (C) will be affected. We combined measurements of microbial activity with the concentration, quality, and physical accessibility of soil carbon to microorganisms to evaluate the mechanisms by which more than two decades of experimental warming has altered the carbon cycle in a Northeast US temperate deciduous forest. We found that concentrations of soil organic matter were reduced in both the organic and mineral soil horizons. The molecular composition of the carbon was altered in the mineral soil with significant reductions in the relative abundance of polysaccharides and lignin, and an increase in lipids. Mineral-associated organic matter was preferentially depleted by warming in the top 3 cm of mineral soil. We found that potential extracellular enzyme activity per gram of soil at a common temperature was generally unaffected by warming treatment. However, by measuring potential extracellular enzyme activities between 4 and 30 °C, we found that activity per unit microbial biomass at in-situ temperatures was increased by warming. This was associated with a tendency for microbial biomass to decrease with warming. These results indicate that chronic warming has reduced soil organic matter concentrations, selecting for a smaller but more active microbial community increasingly dependent on mineral-associated organic matter.
Subaltern technologies and early modernity in the Atlantic World

Colonial Latin American and Atlantic-world scholarship that does not explicitly concern indigenous, black, and other subaltern individuals and groups continues to marginalize, if not completely ignore, them. This lingering, if often inadvertent, Eurocentrism endures, according to this essay, for several reasons, including a preoccupation with modernization, notions of ‘nature’ that make it easy to ignore ‘culture,’ and models of culture that presume fixed boundaries rather than permeability. This essay suggests that a focus on ‘technology’—capaciously defined to include phenomena such as hammocks and chocolate, as well as mining and storm management—is one way out of this predicament. Investigating the myriad technologies that dominated colonial Latin America reveals the centrality of subaltern actors throughout the region and the Atlantic world more broadly. It also affords a fruitful way to explore the relationships between material and symbolic culture in the context of an ‘entangled’ early modern world.
Job-Searching Expectations, Expectancy Violations, and Communication Strategies of Recent College Graduates:

Expectancy violations theory, a communicative framework, is applied in this study to understand how recent college graduates form, evaluate, and respond to violated job-searching expectations. In-d...
From the Marketplace to the Dinner Plate: The Economy, Theology, and Factory Farming

Factory farming is big business. Since the "products" of factoryfarming are living, breathing, sentient creatures, particular ethical issues are raised in a market system based on efficiency, productivity, costs of production, and profit. This paper focuses on the question of weather food animals in the American market system are subjected to unnecessary pain and suffering before they make it to our dinner plates. The single most important consideration, then, is an exploration of the extent to which economic considerations render factory farming not only lucrative but also necessary under present market conditions. The concern for "unnecessary suffering" moves the paper into an exploration of the extent to which the practices and effects of factory farming raise spiritual concerns which believers ought to address.
The Lieberman–Brian Inclusion Rating Scale for Physical Education:

Children with disabilities have mixed feelings about their inclusion experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore the validity and reliability of results from the Lieberman-Brian Inclusion...
The Behavioral Approach System (BAS) Model of Vulnerability to Bipolar Disorder: Evidence of a Continuum in BAS Sensitivity across Adolescence.

Behavioral Approach System (BAS) sensitivity has been implicated in the development of a variety of different psychiatric disorders. Prominent among these in the empirical literature are bipolar spectrum disorders (BSDs). Given that adolescence represents a critical developmental stage of risk for the onset of BSDs, it is important to clarify the latent structure of BAS sensitivity in this period of development. A statistical approach especially well-suited for delineating the latent structure of BAS sensitivity is taxometric analysis, which is designed to evaluate whether the latent structure of a construct is taxonic (i.e., categorical) or dimensional (i.e., continuous) in nature. The current study applied three mathematically non-redundant taxometric procedures (i.e., MAMBAC, MAXEIG, and L-Mode) to a large community sample of adolescents (n = 12,494) who completed two separate measures of BAS sensitivity: the BIS/BAS Scales Carver and White (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 319–333. 1994) and the Sensitivity to Reward and Sensitivity to Punishment Questionnaire (Torrubia et al. Personality and Individual Differences, 31, 837–862. 2001). Given the significant developmental changes in reward sensitivity that occur across adolescence, the current investigation aimed to provide a fine-grained evaluation of the data by performing taxometric analyses at an age-by-age level (14–19 years; n for each age ≥ 883). Results derived from taxometric procedures, across all ages tested, were highly consistent, providing strong evidence that BAS sensitivity is best conceptualized as dimensional in nature. Thus, the findings suggest that BAS-related vulnerability to BSDs exists along a continuum of severity, with no natural cut-point qualitatively differentiating high- and low-risk adolescents. Clinical and research implications for the assessment of BSD-related vulnerability are discussed.
Incremental Learning in Deep Convolutional Neural Networks Using Partial Network Sharing

Deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) based supervised learning is a widely practiced approach for large-scale image classification. However, retraining these large networks to accommodate new, previously unseen data demands high computational time and energy requirements. Also, previously seen training samples may not be available at the time of retraining. We propose an efficient training methodology and incrementally growing DCNN to learn new tasks while sharing part of the base network. Our proposed methodology is inspired by transfer learning techniques, although it does not forget previously learned tasks. An updated network, for learning new set of classes, is formed using previously learned convolutional layers (shared from initial part of base network) with addition of few newly added convolutional kernels included in the later layers of the network. We employed a `clone-and-branch' technique with calibration, which allows the network to learn new tasks (containing classes with similar features as old tasks) one after another without any performance loss in old tasks. We evaluated the proposed scheme on several recognition applications. The classification accuracy achieved by our approach is comparable to the regular incremental learning approach (where networks are updated with new training samples only, without any network sharing), while achieving energy efficiency, reduction in storage requirements, memory access and training time.
Dynamic evaluation of a trilobal capillary‐channeled polymer fiber shape for reversed phase protein separations and comparison to the eight‐channeled form

A new, trilobal-shaped capillary-channeled polymer fiber is under development to address the issues of poor A-term performance of the previous eight-channeled form. The trilobal geometry should provide better packing homogeneity due to the fewer potential orientations of the symmetric fiber geometry. Comparisons of separation efficiency and peak shape were made between the two fiber shapes through several dynamic parameters. Column hydrodynamics were investigated with two marker compounds, uracil and bovine serum albumin, with van Deemter plots of those two compounds revealing differences in the packing qualities between the different fiber shapes. Parametric fitting to the van Deemter, Knox, and Giddings equations provides insights into the column physical structures. Separation quality for both shapes was evaluated across differences in fiber packing density, gradient rate, and mobile phase linear velocity for the reversed phase separation of a four protein mixture, containing ribonuclease A, cytochrome c, lysozyme, and myoglobin. The results of this study lay the ground work for future efforts in the use of trilobal fibers for the separation of biomacromolecules.
Column Sketches: A Scan Accelerator for Rapid and Robust Predicate Evaluation

While numerous indexing and storage schemes have been developed to address the core functionality of predicate evaluation in data systems, they all require specific workload properties (query selectivity, data distribution, data clustering) to provide good performance and fail in other cases. We present a new class of indexing scheme, termed a Column Sketch, which improves the performance of predicate evaluation independently of workload properties. Column Sketches work primarily through the use of lossy compression schemes which are designed so that the index ingests data quickly, evaluates any query performantly, and has small memory footprint. A Column Sketch works by applying this lossy compression on a value-by-value basis, mapping base data to a representation of smaller fixed width codes. Queries are evaluated affirmatively or negatively for the vast majority of values using the compressed data, and only if needed check the base data for the remaining values. Column Sketches work over column, row, and hybrid storage layouts. We demonstrate that by using a Column Sketch, the select operator in modern analytic systems attains better CPU efficiency and less data movement than state-of-the-art storage and indexing schemes. Compared to standard scans, Column Sketches provide an improvement of 3x-6x for numerical attributes and 2.7x for categorical attributes. Compared to state-of-the-art scan accelerators such as Column Imprints and BitWeaving, Column Sketches perform 1.4 - 4.8× better.
Analysis of the Rous Sarcoma Virus Promoter Region by Site-Directed Mutagenesis

Publisher Summary Transcription of the Rous sarcoma virus genome is presumed to be modulated, at least in part, by DNA sequences that lie within the U3 region of the long terminal repeat. This putative promoter is composed of a sequence very similar to the Goldberg–Hogness box that resides 24 to 30 bp upstream from the viral RNA cap site. An attempt was made to delineate the viral DNA sequences that control viral RNA transcription, employing site-directed mutagenesis techniques. Using a recombinant plasmid containing a biologically active, genome-length viral DNA insert, a series of mutants containing deletions or small insertions was constructed at a site 53 bp upstream from the RNA cap site. A comparison of the biological activity and DNA sequence analysis of individual mutants reveals two classes of mutants. Mutants of the first class possess deletions extending into the Goldberg–Hogness box and are replication defective. Mutants within the second class contain either deletions or small insertions upstream from the Goldberg–Hogness box. These mutants can be further subdivided into replication competent mutants and partially defective replication mutants. Replication competent mutants are phenotypically indistinguishable from wild type upon transfection of chick embryo cells, while the partially defective replication mutants have a significantly slower rate of replication compared to the wild-type virus.
Analysis of Bone Remodeling

The preceding chapter provided a general description of the structure and biology of bone and cartilage. We learned how bones grow, are sculpted by modeling and continuously renewed by remodeling, and repair themselves when fractured. All of these are important processes, but in this chapter we focus on remodeling, for two reasons. First, remodeling is the only one of these processes that occurs throughout one’s lifetime. Growth and modeling are essentially restricted to children, and fracture healing is restricted to even more isolated periods of time. Second, because bone remodeling occurs throughout life, it plays a dominant role in determining the structure of most of the tissues in the skeleton, most of the time. Consequently, remodeling is a primary determinant of the mechanical properties of bone, their resistance to fatigue failure, and their ability to function in a changing mechanical environment. Therefore, we need to develop our understanding of bone remodeling in some depth to pursue our study of skeletal tissue mechanics.
What A Difference a Sum (?) Makes: Agony and Ecstasy in the Rationalization of Demand

Most historical discussions of Arrow-Debreu general equilibrium theory discuss the negative impact of the so-called Sonnenschein-Mantel-Debreu (SMD) results on aggregate excess demand functions. This paper argues that the SMD results were a natural extension of the integrability literature of the period 1959-71 - something that has not been recognized in the historical literature - and considers some of the implications of this for the history of modern economic thought.
Pasteurella in Reptiles

For many years pasteurellosis has been recognized as a significant infectious disease in domestic ruminants and fowl, as well as free-flying fowl. The two species of this bacterium most frequently associated with disease are Pasteurella multocida and P. haemolytica. Clinical signs in mammals and birds have included those characteristic of pneumonia, hemorrhagic septicemia and mastitis.
In Vivo Estimation of Oncolytic Virus Populations within Tumors.

The use of replication-competent viruses as oncolytic agents is rapidly expanding, with several oncolytic viruses approved for cancer therapy. As responses to therapy are highly variable, understanding the dynamics of therapy is critical for optimal application of virotherapy in practice. Although mathematical models have been developed to understand the dynamics of tumor virotherapy, a scarcity of in vivo data has made difficult parametrization of these models. To tackle this problem, we studied the in vitro and in vivo spread of two oncolytic measles viruses that induce expression of the sodium iodide symporter (NIS) in cells. NIS expression enabled infected cells to concentrate radioactive isotopes that could be reproducibly and quantitatively imaged using SPECT/CT. We observed a strong linear relationship in vitro between infectious virus particles, viral N and NIS gene expression, and radioactive isotope uptake. In vivo radioisotope uptake was highly correlated with viral N and NIS gene expression. Similar expression patterns between viral N and NIS gene expression in vitro and in vivo implied that the oncolytic virus behaved similarly in both scenarios. Significant titers of viable virus were consistently isolated from tumors explanted from mice that had been injected with oncolytic MV. We observed a weaker but positive in vivo relationship between radioisotope uptake and the viable virus titer recovered from tumors; this was likely due to anisotropies in the viral distribution in vivo. These data suggest that methods that enable quantitation of in vivo anisotropies are required for continuing development of oncolytic virotherapy.
The emerging contaminant 3,3'-dichlorobiphenyl (PCB-11) impedes Ahr activation and Cyp1a activity to modify embryotoxicity of Ahr ligands in the zebrafish embryo model (Danio rerio).

Abstract 3,3′-dichlorobiphenyl (PCB-11) is an emerging PCB congener widely detected in environmental samples and human serum, but its toxicity potential is poorly understood. We assessed the effects of three concentrations of PCB-11 on embryotoxicity and Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr) pathway interactions in zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio). Wildtype AB or transgenic Tg(gut:GFP) strain zebrafish embryos were exposed to static concentrations of PCB-11 (0, 0.2, 2, or 20 μM) from 24 to 96 h post fertilization (hpf), and gross morphology, Cytochrome P4501a (Cyp1a) activity, and liver development were assessed via microscopy. Ahr interactions were probed via co-exposures with PCB-126 or beta-naphthoflavone (BNF). Embryos exposed to 20 μM PCB-11 were also collected for PCB-11 body burden, qRT-PCR, RNAseq, and histology. Zebrafish exposed to 20 μM PCB-11 absorbed 0.18% PCB-11 per embryo at 28 hpf and 0.61% by 96 hpf, and their media retained 1.36% PCB-11 at 28 hpf and 0.84% at 96 hpf. This concentration did not affect gross morphology, but altered the transcription of xenobiotic metabolism and liver development genes, impeded liver development, and increased hepatocyte vacuole formation. In co-exposures, 20 μM PCB-11 prevented deformities caused by PCB-126 but exacerbated deformities in co-exposures with BNF. This study suggests that PCB-11 can affect liver development, act as a partial agonist/antagonist of the Ahr pathway, and act as an antagonist of Cyp1a activity to modify the toxicity of compounds that interact with the Ahr pathway.
Underrepresented and Overlooked: A Review of Asian American Children with Disabilities

Thirty years after the Council for Exceptional Children's first symposium on Asian American youth with disabilities, this study synthesizes research on the key experiences of this population and their families. Results show that most studies focused on the views of Asian American parents, especially their perceptions of and attitudes toward disabilities, experiences in raising a child with a disability, and interactions with service providers and school officials. Although less frequent, studies also examined the perspectives of service providers and students themselves. An important finding is the diversity in experiences among Asian American parents due to religion, acculturation, education, and income level. The review has implications for research, practice, and policy related to serving Asian American children with disabilities.
Argument and Change in World Politics: Ethics, Decolonization, and Humanitarian Intervention

Arguments have consequences in world politics that are as real as the military forces of states or the balance of power among them. Neta Crawford proposes a theory of argument in world politics which focuses on the role of ethical arguments in fostering changes in long-standing practices. She examines five hundred years of history, analyzing the role of ethical arguments in colonialism, the abolition of slavery and forced labour, and decolonization. Pointing out that decolonization is the biggest change in world politics in the last five hundred years, the author examines ethical arguments from the sixteenth century justifying Spanish conquest of the Americas, and from the twentieth century over the fate of Southern Africa. The book also offers a prescriptive analysis of how ethical arguments could be deployed to deal with the problem of humanitarian intervention. Co-winner of the APSA Jervis-Schroeder Prize for the best book on international history and politics.
Relating Self-Reported Balance Problems to Sensory Organization and Dual-Tasking in Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury.

BACKGROUND Individuals who have experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI) often have residual balance problems. It remains unclear whether these balance problems are driven by vestibular dysfunction or gait automaticity deficits, particularly in the chronic stages of TBI recovery, because most studies include only acute/subacute cases. OBJECTIVES Compare performance on the Sensory Organization Test vestibular score and Dual-Task test in individuals with and without subjective balance problems at least 1 year after a TBI. Investigate the ability of each test to predict perceived balance problems. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Rehabilitation department within a single institution. PARTICIPANTS Fifty adults (21-71 years) with a history of mild, moderate, or severe TBI 1 to 5 years following nonpenetrating TBI. INTERVENTIONS N/A. METHODS Measures included the Dual-Task test, Sensory Organization Test, Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory, Dizziness Handicap Inventory, and assessments of four cognitive domains and depression. Participants who endorsed "feeling dizzy" and "loss of balance" on the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory were classified as symptomatic (n = 26) and others as asymptomatic (n = 24). T-tests, chi-square, and regression analyses predicting the Dizziness Handicap Inventory total score were performed. RESULTS Dual-task gait cost was negatively associated with the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (P = .044), controlling for depression and gender, whereas vestibular scores failed to predict balance-related disability. Symptomatic individuals endorsed more balance problems (P < .001) and depression symptoms (P = .007), had poorer dual-task cognitive output (P = .036), and slower dual-task gait velocity (P = .036) than asymptomatic participants. Groups did not differ on Sensory Organization Test scores. CONCLUSIONS The nature of balance problems in chronic TBI may be related to automaticity of gait. These findings suggest that patients in the chronic stages of TBI may benefit from dual-task assessments and interventions. Balance rehabilitation should be tailored to patient needs and assess cognition and affect.
Reevaluating the Role of Ideology in Chile

Voters’ ideological stances have long been considered one of the most important factors for understanding electoral choices in Chile. In recent years, however, the literature has begun to call this premise into question, due to several changes in the Chilean political landscape: the current crisis of representation, the high programmatic congruence between the two main coalitions, the decline in the political relevance of the dictatorship, and the rise of nonprogrammatic electoral strategies. In addition to these transformations, Chile switched to voluntary voting in 2012. This article studies whether ideology still informs electoral choices in Chile in an era of voluntary voting. It implements a conjoint survey experiment in low-to-middle-income neighborhoods in Santiago, where voters would be expected to be less ideological. It shows that candidates’ ideological labels are crucial for understanding the electoral decisions of a large part of the sample, particularly among likely voters.
Regulation of the Pseudomonas syringae Type III Secretion System by Host Environment Signals

Pseudomonas syringae are Gram-negative, plant pathogenic bacteria that use a type III secretion system (T3SS) to disarm host immune responses and promote bacterial growth within plant tissues. Despite the critical role for type III secretion in promoting virulence, T3SS-encoding genes are not constitutively expressed by P. syringae and must instead be induced during infection. While it has been known for many years that culturing P. syringae in synthetic minimal media can induce the T3SS, relatively little is known about host signals that regulate the deployment of the T3SS during infection. The recent identification of specific plant-derived amino acids and organic acids that induce T3SS-inducing genes in P. syringae has provided new insights into host sensing mechanisms. This review summarizes current knowledge of the regulatory machinery governing T3SS deployment in P. syringae, including master regulators HrpRS and HrpL encoded within the T3SS pathogenicity island, and the environmental factors that modulate the abundance and/or activity of these key regulators. We highlight putative receptors and regulatory networks involved in linking the perception of host signals to the regulation of the core HrpRS–HrpL pathway. Positive and negative regulation of T3SS deployment is also discussed within the context of P. syringae infection, where contributions from distinct host signals and regulatory networks likely enable the fine-tuning of T3SS deployment within host tissues. Last, we propose future research directions necessary to construct a comprehensive model that (a) links the perception of host metabolite signals to T3SS deployment and (b) places these host–pathogen signaling events in the overall context of P. syringae infection.
Narrative review of palliative care in trauma and emergency general surgery

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this article is to discuss the goals of palliative care with regards to acute care surgery patients and review the literature regarding administration and implementation of palliative programs. BACKGROUND For patients who experience unexpected and sometimes catastrophic life changes related to trauma or emergency general surgery, palliative care is a crucial adjunct that can help ensure the provision of optimal symptom management, communication, and goal-concordant care provided. METHODS Palliative care is medical specialty with a philosophy of care focused on improving the quality of life for patients with serious injury or illness and their loved ones. Palliative care provides significant benefit across the entire spectrum of illness and injury, regardless of prognosis. We will discuss palliative care topics related to trauma and emergency general surgery patients, including symptom management, goal setting, end of life care, communication strategies, addressing implicit/explicit bias, trauma-specific and emergency general surgery-specific considerations, and implementation strategies to reduce barriers for utilization of palliative care. CONCLUSIONS Unfortunately, palliative care is often underutilized in the trauma and emergency general surgery population. Acute care surgeons should be familiar with principles of primary palliative care, as well as understand the added benefits that be provided by consultant palliative care specialists.
The Pricing of Small Business Loans

A major difficulty in determining the appropriate risk premium for lending to small businesses is the lack of market value information. This paper develops a mean-variance model that uses available failure rate data to establish a benchmark risk premium for lending to firms in specific industries. This model incorporates the benefits of diversifying across firms and industries. This paper also presents evidence that a random walk model provides the best forecast of future failure rates.
The Social Cost of Motor Vehicle Use in the United States

This chapter has classified and estimated the social costs of motor vehicle use in the United States using data from 1990 and 1991. The analysis is meant to inform general decisions about pricing, investment, and research. It provides a conceptual framework for analyzing social costs, develops analytical methods and data sources, and presents some detailed first-cut estimates of some of the costs.
Detection and characterization of a nucleoside transport system in human fibroblast lysosomes

Lysosomes contain enzymatic activities capable of degrading nucleic acids to their constituent nucleosides, but the manner by which these degradation products are released from the lysosome is unknown. To investigate this process, human fibroblast lysosomes, purified on Percoll density gradients, were incubated with [3H]adenosine at pH 7.0, and the amount of adenosine taken up by the lysosomes was measured. Adenosine uptake by fibroblast lysosomes attained a steady state by 12 min at 37 degrees C and was unaffected by the presence of 2 mM MgATP or changes in pH from 5.0 to 8.0. An Arrhenius plot was linear with an activation energy of 12.9 kcal/mol and a Q10 of 2.0. Lysosomal adenosine uptake is saturable, displaying a Km of 9 mM at pH 7.0 and 37 degrees C. Various nucleosides and the nucleobase, 6-dimethylaminopurine, strongly inhibit lysosomal adenosine uptake, whereas neither D-ribose or nucleotide monophosphates have any significant effect upon lysosomal adenosine uptake. On a molar basis, purines are recognized more strongly than pyrimidines. Changing the nature of the nucleoside sugar from ribose to arabinose or deoxyribose has little effect on reactivity with this transport system. The known plasma membrane nucleoside transport inhibitors, dipyridamole and nitrobenzylthioinosine, inhibit lysosomal nucleoside transport at relatively low concentrations (25 microM) relative to the Km of 9 mM for lysosomal adenosine uptake. The half-times of [3H]inosine and [3H]uridine efflux from fibroblast lysosomes ranged from 6 to 8 min at 37 degrees C. Trans effects were not observed to be associated with either inosine or uridine exodus. In contrast to adenosine uptake, adenine primarily enters fibroblast lysosomes by a route not saturable by high concentrations of various nucleosides. In conclusion, the saturability of lysosomal adenosine uptake and its specific, competitive inhibition by other nucleosides indicate the existence of a carrier-mediated transport system for nucleosides within fibroblast lysosomal membranes.
Biometric identity based signature revisited

In this paper, we describe a new biometric Identity Based Signature (IBS) scheme based on the Sakai Kasahara Key Construction and prove its security in the framework of a stronger security model compared to exisiting adversarial models. Besides, we present a new type of a denial of service (DoS) attack and evaluate existing biometric IBS schemes in this context. Based on the recently defined privacy notions, we show that our scheme achieves weak signer-attribute privacy and the security is reduced to the k-DHI computational problem in the ROM with an efficient reduction. Finally, our scheme is compared to other error tolerant signature schemes and shown to be much more efficient in terms of its each phase.
Data Handling in the AAVSO: An Example from a Large Organization of Amateur Astronomers

The American Association of Variable Stars (AAVSO) is an international organization that coordinates, collects, evaluates, and archives variable star observations, analyzes and publishes variable star data, and makes them available to the astronomical community. It has the world’s largest and longest-running electronic database of variable-star observations — the AAVSO International Database — of close to 10 million observations going back to 1.911. The observing programs of the AAVSO that contribute to this unique database and its contents and structure are described. The guidelines that were followed in establishing the database and that are recommended for archiving data, particularly variable star data, in astronomy are discussed.
The Effect of Fiber Coating Thickness on the Interfacial Properties of a Continuous Fiber Ceramic Matrix Composite

The interfacial properties (coefficient of friction, residual clamping stress, residual axial stress, and debond stress) of a continuous fiber ceramic composite were determined by means of single-fiber push-out tests. The composite consisted of Nicalon{trademark} fibers, that had been coated prior to matrix infiltration with carbon layers ranging in thickness from 0.03 to 1.2 {mu}m, and a SiC matrix. It was found that the effective interfacial frictional stress decreased as the thickness of the carbon layer increased, from 24.6 {plus_minus} 9.9 MPa for a thickness of 0.03 Jim to 5.8 {plus_minus} 1.4 MPa for a thickness of 1.25 {mu}m. It was also found that both the coefficient of friction and the residual clamping stress decreased as the thickness of the carbon layer increased. These results are explained in terms of the state of residual stresses in this composite and the role of the fiber surface topography during fiber sliding.
MHD Modeling of the Solar Corona and Inner Heliosphere: Comparison with Observations

In this paper, we describe a 3-dimensional MHD algorithm that provides a global picture of the solar corona and inner heliosphere. For computational efficiency, we split the modeling region into two distinct parts: the solar corona (1 solar radius, R s , to 30 R s ) and the inner heliosphere (30 R s to 1-5 AU). This combined model is driven solely by the observed line-of-sight photospheric magnetic field and thus can provide a realistic global picture of the corona and heliosphere for specific time periods of interest. We validate the model results by comparing them with a variety of observations, including white-light images and in situ measurements, We also point out the main limitations of the model and our approaches toward resolving them. Ultimately, we plan to migrate this research model into an operational tool, with the goal of predicting geo-effective solar wind conditions with up to 4 days advance warning.
Student recognition of and response to suicidal peers.

A survey of 1,131 university freshmen revealed that they were able to recognize suicidal behavior in their peers, but were unsure of a helpful response to make to them. A model of self-efficacy, emotional comfort, knowledge of a helpful response, and knowledge of suicidal behavior predicted a student's intention to ask a suicidal peer directly, "Are you thinking about killing yourself?" (R2 = .38). Results of the study suggest that suicide prevention programs for adolescents should include educational experiences such as modeling, skill training, and role playing to increase self-efficacy and emotional comfort in affect-laden situations.
Hyperplastic gastropathy in the rat due to Taenia taeniaeformis infection: Parabiotic transfer and hypergastrinemia

Abstract Development of the cestode parasite Taenia taeniaeformis in the liver of rats results in gross hyperplastic changes in the stomach and small intestine. In this study we investigated the mechanism by which these lesions are induced. Acutely infected rats were joined surgically to syngeneic noninfected partners in parabiosis. When hyperplastic gastropathy developed in those rats with heavy hepatic infections with cestodes, it also occurred in the uninfected partners of the parabiotic pairs. Gastric changes were usually more severe in the uninfected partner. Duodenal mastocytosis developed in both partners, even when parasite burdens were light in the infected rats. Intact chronically infected rats with hyperplastic gastropathy developed markedly elevated serum levels of the hormone, gastrin (approximately 30-fold greater than normal). When rats were antrectomized 24–48 h after infection, gastric hyperplasia still developed, but hypergastrinemia was prevented or was of only moderate degree. There was no correlation between serum gastrin levels and the degree of gastrointestinal change in the intact rats, but hypergastrinemia never developed in infected animals which did not show hyperplasia in the stomach or intestine. When infected rats were bled serially over the first 100 days of infection, hypergastrinemia developed abruptly between 50 and 60 days after infection. These results suggest that the alterations in serum gastrin levels were secondary to the development of hyperplastic changes in the gastrointestinal tract of infected rats. The primary stimuli for both the hyperplasia and the hypergastrinemia remain unknown.
The effectiveness of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and renewable power in support of holistic environmental goals: Part 1 – Evaluation of aggregate energy and greenhouse gas performance

Abstract A study that analyzes the effectiveness of plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) to meet holistic environmental goals has been performed across the combined electricity and light-duty transportation sectors. PHEV penetration levels are varied from 0 to 60% and base renewable penetration levels are varied from 10 to 45%. Part 1 of the study focuses on CO 2 emissions, fuel usage, and the renewable penetration level of individual and combined energy sectors. The effect on grid renewable penetration level depends on two factors: the additional vehicle load demand acting to decrease renewable penetration, and the controllability of vehicle charging acting to reduce curtailment of renewable power. PHEV integration can reduce CO 2 emissions and fuel usage and increase the aggregate renewable energy share compared to the no-vehicle case. The benefits of isolated PHEV integration are slightly offset by increased CO 2 emissions and fuel usage by the electric grid. Significant benefits are only realized when PHEVs are appropriately deployed in conjunction with renewable energy resources, highlighting important synergies between the electric and light-duty transportation sectors for meeting sustainability goals.
The Two-Chambered Right Ventricle Report of Nine Cases

A relatively rare congenital cardiac malformation is described in nine patients and is characterized by aberrant hypertrophied muscular bands that divide the right ventricular cavity into two chambers. These hypertrophied muscular bands produce an effective stenosis and obstruct the outflow of blood from the right ventricle. An interventricular septal defect is usually seen in association with this abnormality. This cardiac malformation is anatomically distinct from the classic tetralogy of Fallot but may be mistakenly diagnosed as an acyanotic tetralogy of Fallot or an interventricular septal defect. The use of selective angiocardiography in conjunction with right-sided cardiac catheterization will establish the correct diagnosis. This congenital lesion is amenable to surgical correction, and five of the patients in this series were successfully operated upon with the aid of extracorporeal circulation. Surgery has been recommended for the remaining four patients because of the encouraging results.
Uniqueness of π1-negligible embeddings in 4-manifolds: A correction to theorem 10.5 of Freedman and Quinn

The purpose of this note is to provide a correction to the existence part of Theorems 10.3 and 10.5 of Topology of 4-manifolds, Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, NJ, 1990, which analyze when one can find a connected sum decomposition of a 4-manifold or a 71-negligible embedding in a 4-manifold respectively. In particular this gives a correction to the definition of the 4-dimensional Kervaire-Milnor invariant. We also define this invariant in a slightly more general context.
Pathways to discovery in epilepsy research: rethinking the quest for cures.

SUMMARY This paper, based on the 4th Annual Hoyer Lecture presented at the 2006 annual meeting of the American Epilepsy Society, first provides a general view of the current limitations in therapies aimed at achieving the goal of “no seizures, no side effects” for patients living with epilepsy. Some of the seminal discoveries in epilepsy research over the past 100 years are then reviewed, with an emphasis on the pivotal role of basic and clinical/translational science in leading the way to new and effective means for diagnosing and treating for epilepsy. The paper concludes with a view of the future course of epilepsy research. Scientific advances will increasingly rely on the collaboration of multidisciplinary teams of reseachers using the analytic and storage capabilities of machines, and linked together by communication tools such as the Internet and
Distribution of commercial flatfishes in the Newfoundland-Labrador region of the Canadian Northwest Atlantic and changes in certain biological parameters since exploitation

Abstract The flatfishes of the Newfoundland-Labrador region are a very significant component of Canadian fishery resources and comprise four major species. They are: witch flounder ( Glyptocephalus cynoglossus ), American plaice ( Hippoglossoides platessoides ), Greenland halibut ( Reinhardtius hippoglossoides ), and yellowtail flounder ( Limanda ferruginea ). The fisheries for these species are made up of 11 separate management units, all under quota control with a total allowable catch in 1989 equalling 184 500 t for all stocks combined. Witch flounder is a relatively deep-water species, predominant at depths of 184 to 366 m and prefers temperatures in the range of 2.0°C to 6.0°C. It reaches its northern limits at Hamilton Bank, near southern Labrador, but is otherwise found throughout the southern range of the study area. American plaice is a more shallow-water species, preferring colder water. It is most abundant in depths of 90 to 250 m and bottom temperatures of −0.5°C to 2.5°C. While it is found throughout the whole study area, it is found in higher concentration on the tops of hard banks—particularly Hamilton Bank, the Grand Bank and St. Pierre Bank. The Greenland halibut is the deepest of the flatfishes, preferring depths of 500 to 1000 m and greater at temperatures of 0.0°C to 4.0°C. It is most abundant in areas north of the Grand Bank along the continental slope and deep channels running between the fishing banks. Yellowtail flounder, on the other hand, is the shallowest of the four species, preferring depths of 37 to 82 m where temperatures are in the range of 3.0°C to 5.0°C. The main area of significant abundance is on the southeastern Grand Bank known as the Southeast Shoal, although it is caught in a very small area of St. Pierre Bank. All species exhibit reductions in the age range of the respective populations since the beginning of commercial exploitation. As well, there have been increases in the growth rates and reductions in the age at maturity, with a few exceptions. These changes have generally been coincident with reduced population sizes although it was not possible to correlate analytically.
The pyridoxal phosphate-binding site of rabbit muscle aldolase.

Abstract Under appropriate conditions pyridoxal phosphate forms a Schiff-base derivative with a specific lysine residue in rabbit muscle aldolase, with the incorporation of slightly less than 1 equiv of pyridoxal phosphate per enzyme subunit. Reduction of the Schiff base with tritium-labeled borohydride introduces a radioactive label at this site. A tryptic peptide containing the labeled lysine residue has been isolated and found to possess the following sequence: Gly-Gly-Val-Val-Gly-Ile-Lys∗-Val-Asp-Lys, where the asterisk indicates the modified lysine residue.
Long-Term Neuroprotection Achieved with Latency-Associated Promoter-Driven Herpes Simplex Virus Gene Transfer to the Peripheral Nervous System

We examined the ability of the herpes simplex virus (HSV) latency-associated promoter (LAP2) to drive biologically relevant prolonged transgene expression in the peripheral nervous system. Rat dorsal root ganglia were transduced in vivo by subcutaneous inoculation of replication-incompetent HSV-based vectors containing nerve growth factor (NGF) or neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) under the control of LAP2 (vectors SLN and QLNT3, respectively) and vector SHN expressing NGF under the control of the human cytomegalovirus immediate early promoter. Twenty-four weeks later a pure sensory neuropathy was induced by overdose of pyridoxine (PDX), and the animals were assessed 6 months after inoculation. Inoculation of SLN, but not SHN, attenuated the nerve damage caused by PDX and protected foot sensory amplitude, H-wave amplitude, and behavioral measures of proprioceptive function. QLNT3 was more effective than SLN in preserving the largest myelinated fibers from degeneration. These results indicate that expression of NGF or NT-3 driven by LAP2 is sufficient to prevent the development of neuropathy 6 months after vector inoculation in rats.