cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Network Analytics: Tutorial Outline

Network analytics are widely used in many fields. Increasingly though, the networks of interest are high dimensional. Rather than just focusing on the traditional who is interaction with whom networks, modern network analysis examines the who, what, where, when and why ecology of relations. For example, studies of organizations might look at the social network within the organization as well as the task assignment and knowledge network. Studies using Twitter frequently look at the mentions network at the same time as the hashtag network. Making network science actionable typically involves answering questions about where the network is concentrated or how the network varies over time. This tutorial will cover the basics of Network analytics and demonstrate the use of ORA to support social media analytics using high dimensional network analytics and visualization for social media networks, semantic networks, geo-spatial networks, and dynamic networks. It will cover the basics of visualizing and analyzing time varying networks and spatially positioned networks. Permission to make digital or hard copies of part or all of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for third-party components of this work must be honored. For all other uses, contact the Owner/Author. ORA is a powerful network analysis and visualization tool (Carley, 2017). ORA supports the assessment of standard social network data, organizational network data, high-dimensional network data, meta-network data, geo-spatial network data, and dynamic network data.
Maimónides romanceado: Apuntes sobre la "Visión Deleitable" y la recepción de la "Guía" en la España cuatrocentista

The first part of this study offers a synoptic overview of Alfonso de la Torre’s selective engagement with Maimonidean philosophy in the first part of his Vision Deleitable . Our analysis is complemented with some comparative notes on the reception of Maimonides’s thought in late medieval Spain. Vision Deleitabl e’s fate will be examined in comparison to two other 15th century works of Jewish or converso authorship that also broached the Guide for the Perplexed for the benefit of Christian readers: the Old Spanish translation of Maimonides’s Guide by Pedro de Toledo and Moshe Arragel’s commentary on his Bible translation for the Christian Master of Calatrava, don Luis de Guzman.
Size dependent charge separation and recombination in CsPbI3 perovskite quantum dots

CsPbI3 perovskite quantum dots (QDs) have shown great potential in light-harvesting and light-emitting applications, which often involve the transfer of charge carriers in and out of these materials. Here, we studied size-dependent charge separation (CS) and charge recombination (CR) between CsPbI3 QDs and rhodamine B (RhB) molecules, using transient absorption spectroscopy. When the average size decreases from 11.8 nm to 6.5 nm, the average intrinsic CS time constant decreases from 872 ± 52 ps to 40.6 ± 4.3 ps and the corresponding charge recombination time constant decreases from 3829 ± 51 ns to 1384 ± 54 ns. The observed trend of size-dependent CS and CR rates can be well explained by Marcus theory using the theoretically calculated CS and CR driving forces (ΔGCS and ΔGCR), molecular reorganization energy (λRhB), and electronic coupling strength between QD and RhB (HCS and HCR). Unlike the extensively studied more strongly quantum confined Cd chalcogenide QDs, the CsPbI3 QDs are in a weak quantum confinement regime in which size-dependent coupling strength plays a dominant role in the size-dependent charge transfer properties.
Violence and Racial Discrimination in South African Youth: Profiles of a Continuum of Exposure

In high-violence countries with limited resources, it can be difficult to identify youth who are at greatest risk for poor health outcomes due to violence exposure. Profile analysis can help achieve this goal by identifying at-risk groups based on multi-variable patterns, especially if the indicators of violence exposure are sensitive enough to identify most of the youth who are at-risk for poor health, but specific enough to identify subpopulations of youth who might benefit most from intervention programs. We conducted profile analyses to identify subgroups of secondary school students in South Africa (N = 1,317; 54% female; 40% Black; 50% Coloured; 8% White; 2% other races) who were at highest risk for substance use and risky sexual behaviors based on their exposure to different forms of violence, including witnessing violence in the community, at home, and at school, and directly experiencing community violence and racial discrimination. Our analyses yielded five profiles: youth with (1) low-violence exposure; (2) average violence exposure ; (3) high exposure to violence at home; (4) high community victimization; and (5) very high violence exposure characterized by high to very high direct and indirect violence exposure at home, school, and in the community, and moderate levels of personal racial discrimination. Profiles were differentially associated with risk behavior. These data underscore the need to examine racial discrimination on the continuum of exposure to violence, as it may exacerbate the effects of exposure to other types of violence and the likelihood of risky behaviors.
Chapter 6 – Nuclear Structure

Throughout the ages and in every civilization, people have developed explanations of observed behaviors. These explanations are based on the principle of causality, i.e. every effect has a cause and the same cause produces always the same effect. We call these explanations models.
Spatial Distance as a Barrier to Visitation for Incarcerated Youth and Why Families Overcome It

For juveniles in residential facilities, visits from family can be quite important. But juveniles are routinely confined far from home, and travel distance can deter many families from visiting. In...
Dermatologist demographics and patient satisfaction: A single-center survey study

Abstract Background Patient satisfaction is a proxy for quality clinical care. Understanding the factors that drive patient satisfaction scores is important because they are publicly reported, may be used in determining hospital and physician compensation, and may allow patients to preselect physicians. Objective This single-center survey study of adult patients at the Michigan Medicine outpatient dermatology clinics aimed to investigate how patients respond differently to theoretical dermatologic scenarios with varying dermatologist gender. Methods Each questionnaire contained one of four clinical scenarios illustrating overall positive or negative encounters with a male or female dermatologist, followed by questions derived from the Press Ganey survey to assess patient satisfaction. Results A total of 452 completed questionnaires were collected. There were statistically significant differences in overall patient satisfaction scores between positive versus negative female and positive versus negative male dermatologists, but there were no differences in scores between positive female and positive male dermatologists or between negative female and negative male dermatologists. There were also no differences in overall scores after controlling for patient demographic characteristics or patient–dermatologist gender concordance. Conclusion Previous studies have suggested that male physicians receive better patient satisfaction scores compared to female physicians. However, our study found that, in response to hypothetical scenarios of positive and negative dermatology encounters, dermatologist gender did not affect any domain of patient satisfaction scores. Limitations include the use of hypothetical patient–dermatologist encounters and possible lack of generalizability because the study was conducted at one academic center in southeast Michigan with a predominantly Caucasian patient population.
TEECheck: Securing Intra-Vehicular Communication Using Trusted Execution

Modern vehicles have a large number of advanced driver assistance systems (e.g., adaptive cruise control and automatic lane keeping) that depend on the timely availability of data exchanged through the CAN bus from a variety of ECUs and sensors. Considering the large amount of data on the CAN bus, CAN has become a lucrative target for malicious parties wishing to take control of a vehicle. Specifically, an attacker may compromise an ECU to gain access to the bus. It is, thus, imperative that the CAN bus is secured from disruption by compromised ECUs to ensure its correct and timely operation. We design a new system architecture for ECUs that leverages trusted execution environments and propose TEECheck, an on-device message vetting mechanism to proactively contain masquerade and denial-of-service attacks, as well as eliminate information leakage. The uniqueness of our approach is that it require neither authentication at the receiver end adds any overhead if there is no need for CAN bus access. Experiments show that our technique has very low and predictable overhead, regardless of the workload.
Postoperative Pain Management in Children

Summary Postoperative pain management is a topic that has been neglected but is currently an active field. In children, pain transmission is not fully understood, but may be affected by the child’s state of development. Clearly, the child’s cognitive understanding of pain and emotional response to pain are different than an adult’s. These differences make pain assessment more difficult, but workers are developing techniques that may be helpful in estimating pain intensity in children. The effects of untreated pain in children are similar to those in adults, but the effects may be more significant. Pain treatment is often inadequate after surgery in children, but newer techniques such as continuous infusion of narcotics, patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) and regional analgesia techniques such as epidural narcotics hold promise for the future.
Patient-reported Outcomes After Metabolic Surgery Versus Medical Therapy for Diabetes: Insights From the STAMPEDE Randomized Trial.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term effects of medical and surgical treatments of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) on patient-reported outcomes (PROs). BACKGROUND Robust data on PROs from randomized trials comparing medical and surgical treatments for T2DM are lacking. METHODS The Surgical Treatment And Medications Potentially Eradicate Diabetes Efficiently (STAMPEDE) trial showed that 5 years after randomization, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) were superior to intensive medical therapy (IMT) alone in achieving glycemic control in patients with T2DM and obesity. A subset of 104 patients participating in the STAMPEDE trial were administered two generic health-related quality of life (QoL) questionnaires (RAND-36 and EQ-5D-3L) and a diabetes-specific instrument at baseline, and then on an annual basis up to 5 years after randomization. RESULTS On longitudinal analysis, RYGB and SG significantly improved the domains of physical functioning, general health perception, energy/fatigue, and diabetes-related QoL compared with IMT group. In the IMT group, none of the QoL components in the generic questionnaires improved significantly from baseline. No significant long-term differences were observed among the study groups in measures of psychological and social aspects of QoL. On multivariable analysis, independent factors associated with improved general health perception at long-term included baseline general health (P < 0.001), insulin independence at 5 years (P = 0.005), RYGB versus IMT (P = 0.005), and SG versus IMT (P = 0.034). Favorable changes following RYGB and SG were comparable. CONCLUSIONS In patients with T2DM, metabolic surgery is associated with long-term favorable changes in certain PROs compared with IMT, mainly on physical health and diabetes-related domains. Psychosocial well-being warrants greater attention after metabolic surgery.
Deep learning and regression approaches to forecasting blood glucose levels for type 1 diabetes

Abstract Objective: Controlling blood glucose in the euglycemic range is the main goal of developing the closed-loop insulin delivery system for type 1 diabetes patients. The closed-loop system delivers the amount of insulin dose determined by glucose predictions through the use of computational algorithms. A computationally efficient and accurate model that can capture the physiological nonlinear dynamics is critical for developing an efficient closed-loop system. Methods: Four data-driven models are compared, including different neural network architectures, a reservoir computing model, and a novel linear regression approach. Model predictions are evaluated over continuous 30 and 60 min time horizons using real-world data from wearable sensor measurements, a continuous glucose monitor, and self-reported events through mobile applications. The four data-driven models are trained on 12 data contributors for around 32 days, 8 days of data are used for validation, with an additional 10 days of data for out-of-sample testing. Model performance was evaluated by the root mean squared error and the mean absolute error. Results: A neural network model using an encoder-decoder architecture has the most stable performance and is able to recover missing dynamics in short time intervals. Regression models performed better at long-time prediction horizons (i.e., 60 min) and with lower computational costs. Significance: The performance of several distinct models was tested for individual-level data from a type 1 diabetes data set. These results may enable a feasible solution with low computational cost for the time-dependent adjustment of artificial pancreas for diabetes patients.
Distributed generator-based distribution system service restoration strategy and model-free control methods

Abstract The rapid growth of distributed generator (DG) capacities has introduced additional controllable assets to improve the performance of distribution systems in terms of service restoration. Renewable DGs are of particular interest to utility companies, but the stochastic nature of intermittent renewable DGs could have a negative impact on the electric grid if they are not properly handled. In this study, we investigate distribution system service restoration using DGs as the primary power source, and we develop an effective approach to handle the uncertainty of renewable DGs under extreme conditions. The distribution system service restoration problem can be described as a mixed-integer second-order cone programming model by modifying the radial topology constraints and power flow equations. The uncertainty of renewable DGs will be modeled using a chance-constrained approach. Furthermore, the forecast errors and noises in real-time operation are solved using a novel model-free control algorithm that can automatically track the trajectory of real-time DG output. The proposed service restoration strategy and model-free control algorithm are validated using an IEEE 123-bus test system.
Petroleum and Natural Gas

This chapter reveals that petroleum has assumed an important and growing role as an energy source in the world. Petroleum is the primary fuel for the transportation systems of the industrial nations as the automobile is totally dependent on the availability of gasoline, which is a refinery product of petroleum. Petroleum is the most important raw material for the chemical industry. Petrochemicals are chemicals that are made from petroleum, for example, plastics, nylon, fertilizers, and medical drugs. The availability of petroleum as a world resource and its annual production depend on several parameters. Some of the parameters relate to the geology of the earth, and to the techniques for oil production; however, many of the parameters are dependent on economics, governmental regulations, material and equipment supply, and similar factors.
Transfer Learning through Analogy in Games

We report on a series of transfer learning experiments in game domains, in which we use structural analogy from one learned game to speed learning of another related game. We find that a major benefit of analogy is that it reduces the extent to which the source domain must be generalized before transfer. We describe two techniques in particular, minimal ascension and metamapping, that enable analogies to be drawn even when comparing descriptions using different relational vocabularies. Evidence for the effectiveness of these techniques is provided by a large-scale external evaluation, involving a substantial number of novel distant analogs.
Self-improvement based on reinforcement learning, planning and teaching

Abstract AHC-learning and Q-learning are slow learning methods. This paper investigates three extensions to the two basic learning algorithms. The three extensions are 1) experience replay, 2) learning action models for planning, and 3) teaching. The basic algorithms and their extensions were evaluated using a dynamic environment as a testbed. The environment is nontrivial and nondeter-ministic. The results show that the extensions can effectively improve the learning rate and in many cases even the asymptotic performance.
Effect of Controlled Atmosphere on Growth of Mold on Synthetic Media and Fruit

Growth of seven spoilage molds on agar plates at several temperatures in both controlled atmosphere (CA) and in air was studied. Each mold responded somewhat differently to CA at each temperature; however, there were some general tendencies. The lag phase was generally increased by CA and, in some cases, was substantially extended when incubation was just above the minimum growth temperature. The mycelial structure of molds seems to be different when grown in CA than when grown in air. With only two exceptions of 24 holding conditions, the maximum amount of mycelia was always less in CA than in air. Spore development varied with each mold at each temperature; generally, it was considerably less in CA than in air. CA storage of cherries above 34 F (1 C) did not retard mold infection to any extent; at 34 F, mold growth was inhibited and storage life was extended several days as compared to air storage. CA storage of strawberries at 34 F resulted in a mold-free product after 7 days of incubation, whereas the air-stored berries were slightly infected. However, when mishandled berries showing some mold growth were stored at 34 F, CA did not stop further mold growth.
Supernovae and their remnants

Supernovae of type II must be related to rather massive stars. They appear to occur rather exclusively in the spiral arms of galaxies and this fact alone sets a lower limit of about 5 M⊙ to their main sequence mass. If we believe that all massive stars above some critical value become supernovae (and none below this value) the supernova rate would indicate masses in excess of 10 or 20 M⊙, the precise value depending on the particular choice of the luminosity function. Arguments of this type, however, do not take into account the possible dependence of stellar evolution on the presence of a binary system and other factors like rotation.
Anergy in memory CD4+ T cells is induced by B cells.

Induction of tolerance in memory T cells has profound implications in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and transplant rejection. Previously, we reported that the presentation of low densities of agonist peptide/MHC class II complexes induced anergy in memory CD4+ T cells. In the present study, we address the specific interaction of different types of APCs with memory CD4+ T cells. A novel ex vivo anergy assay first suggested that B cells induce anergy in memory T cells, and an in vivo cell transfer assay further confirmed those observations. We demonstrated that B cells pulsed with defined doses of Ag anergize memory CD4 cells in vivo. We established that CD11c+ dendritic cells do not contribute to anergy induction to CD4 memory T cells, because diphtheria toxin receptor-transgenic mice that were conditionally depleted of dendritic cells optimally induced anergy in memory CD4+ T cells. Moreover, B cell-deficient muMT mice did not induce anergy in memory T cells. We showed that B2 follicular B cells are the specific subpopulation of B cells that render memory T cells anergic. Furthermore, we present data showing that anergy in this system is mediated by CTLA-4 up-regulation on T cells. This is the first study to demonstrate formally that B cells are the APCs that induce anergy in memory CD4+ T cells.
The Rise and Fall of the Arbitrage Pricing Theory

The Arbitrage Pricing Theory (APT) was proposed as a more complex and therefore more complete alternative to the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) which was thought to be too simple and limited in scope to be a useful or empirically testable theory. In the end it turned out that what the APT had to offer was nothing more than complexity for the sake of complexity. In this paper we review this eventful chapter in the history of finance to gain the insight that research fads often subvert the orderly accumulation of knowledge.
A method to infer the stellar population that dominated the UV background at the end of reionization

We present an observational test of the spectrum of the ionizing background at z~5; the test is sufficiently sensitive to determine whether Pop II or Pop III stars are the dominant source of ionizing radiation. The ionizing background at z~5 may reflect the nature of the sources responsible for the final overlap phase of reionization. We find that rest-frame extreme-UV HeI absorption will be detectable in deep spectral observations of some rare z~5 quasars; the ratio of HeI to HI absorption reflects the shape of the ionizing background in the photon energy range between 13.6 and 24.6 eV. Most z~5 quasars have too much HI absorption along their line of sight for HeI absorption to be observed. However, based on current measurements of HI absorber statistics, we use Monte Carlo simulations to demonstrate that the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) will discover a sufficient number of z~5 quasars to turn up a quasar suitable for measuring HeI absorption (and we illustrate a selection method to identify that quasar). From simulated observations of a suitable z~5 quasar with a 10-meter telescope, we show that a constraint on the spectral slope of the ionizing background at that redshift can be obtained.
High fire multilayer ceramic capacitor electrode technology

Palladium and palladium-silver multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLC) electrodes for high fire systems have fundamentally different technology versus that for low fire system. Pd oxidation to PdO is a primary consideration. The phase diagram for the system Pd-Ag-O is used to demonstrate and quantify the effect of Ag on Pd oxidation. Choice of Pd powder is important for oxidation resistance. Additives can also control Pd oxidation. Pd sintering occurs essentially below 900 degrees C, just above the temperature at which PdO reduces back to the metal. Additives can also control Pd sintering and make the temperature range over which Pd densifies more closely match that of high fire dielectrics. Control of Pd oxidation and sintering shrinkage mismatch with dielectrics is important in connection with avoiding physical defects in finished MLC parts. >
Migration and US Economic Competitiveness

Most Americans are dissatisfied with US immigration policies. This dissatisfaction stems from several factors, including the presence of over 11 million unauthorized foreigners and the fact that many US immigrants who want their spouses and children to join them face long waits. There is also a sense that the US, which accepts over a million immigrants and several hundred thousand temporary foreign workers a year, is not getting enough highly skilled immigrants and temporary workers who could bolster innovation and competitiveness in an increasingly knowledge-based economy. It is very hard to measure the benefits and costs of immigrants and migrant workers, which is one reason why the unsatisfactory status quo persists.
A new base driving technique of a high voltage BJT for the horizontal deflection output using a CRT

This paper presents a new driving circuit and method to improve the base driving performance, and to show the validity of the proposed base current driving method by seeing the whole basic operations of the horizontal deflection circuit. Finally, the improved performance results by employing the proposed circuit and base current waveform are given by the experiment results.
Interactions of mammalian cytochrome P450, NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase, and cytochrome b5 enzymes

Abstract An immobilized system was developed to detect interactions of human cytochromes P450 (P450) with the accessory proteins NADPH-P450 reductase and cytochrome b5 (b5) using an enzyme-linked affinity approach. Purified enzymes were first bound to wells of a polystyrene plate, and biotinylated partner enzymes were added and bound. A streptavidin–peroxidase complex was added, and protein–protein binding was monitored by measuring peroxidase activity of the bound biotinylated proteins. In a model study, we examined protein–protein interactions of Pseudomonas putida putidaredoxin (Pdx) and putidaredoxin reductase (PdR). A linear relationship (r2 = 0.96) was observed for binding of PdR-biotin to immobilized Pdx compared with binding of Pdx-biotin to immobilized PdR (the estimated Kd value for the Pdx · PdR complex was 0.054 μM). Human P450 2A6 interacted strongly with NADPH-P450 reductase; the Kd values (with the reductase) ranged between 0.005 and 0.1 μM for P450s 2C19, 2D6, and 3A4. Relatively weak interaction was found between holo-b5 or apo-b5 (devoid of heme) with NADPH-P450 reductase. Among the rat, rabbit, and human P450 1A2 enzymes, the rat enzyme showed the tightest interaction with b5, although no increases in 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylation activities were observed with any of the P450 1A2 enzymes. Human P450s 2A6, 2D6, 2E1, and 3A4 interacted well with b5, with P450 3A4 yielding the lowest Kd values followed by P450s 2A6 and 2D6. No appreciable increases in interaction between human P450s with b5 or NADPH-P450 reductase were observed when typical substrates for the P450s were included. We also found that NADPH-P450 reductase did not cause changes in the P450 · substrate Kd values estimated from substrate-induced UV–visible spectral changes with rabbit P450 1A2 or human P450 2A6, 2D6, or 3A4. Collectively, the results show direct and tight interactions between P450 enzymes and the accessory proteins NADPH-P450 reductase and b5, with different affinities, and that ligand binding to mammalian P450s did not lead to increased interaction between P450s and the reductase.
Alexithymia and movie preferences

The goal of this study was to further our understanding of the relationship between the ability to identify one’s emotions and the kinds of emotion arousing experiences that people prefer. One h
ON DEFINING INTERPLANETARY CORONAL MASS EJECTIONs FROM FLUID PARAMETERS

Because the majority of spacecraft that observe Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections (ICMEs) reside in the neighborhood of the Earth while the best coronagraph observations of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are of eruptions orthogonal to the Earth–Sun line, the observation of a causative CME on the Sun is not a prerequisite for defining an ICME seen in space. Several observers have compiled lists of ICMEs for the ascending and maximum phase of solar cycle 23 based on varying criteria but derived from a common database: WIND and ACE solar wind and IMF measurements. The criteria include a stronger than ambient magnetic field, rotating magnetic field, low beta, low ion temperature, declining velocity profile, and other characteristics. When we examine the events on these lists we find that these various lists differ considerably. Of the 240 events identified on one or more lists only 22 are consensus identifications. Even when the groups do agree on the identification of an event, they do not agree on when the event starts and stops. Sometimes these differences are of only a few hours but at times they can be up to a day difference. Herein we illustrate the disparity in ICME lists and propose a scheme for rating ICMEs according to the behavior of their fluid parameters in comparison with the flux rope paradigm.
Plasma Kynurenine Levels in Autistic Disorder

Serotonin and its precursor tryptophan have long been implicated in the pathophysiology of autistic disorder (autism). Recent genetic evidence implicates involvement of a gene encoding tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase, a rate-limiting enzyme in tryptophan's major metabolic pathway, the kynurenine pathway, in autism. To test activity of the kynurenine pathway in autism, plasma kynurenine levels were measured in 30 drug-free autistic children (mean age (SD)=6 years 0 months (2 years 9 months)) and 29 age-, race- and gender-matched healthy comparison subjects (mean age (SD)=6 years 5 months (2 years 6 months)) using high-performance liquid chromatography. No difference was found in plasma kynurenine levels between the study groups. In the autistic children, plasma kynurenine levels did not correlate with autistic behaviors or IQ. These results do not support a role for abnormal global function of the kynurenine pathway; however, the status of this pathway in the brain remains unknown.
Correlations for effects of coal type and pressure on tar yields from rapid devolatilization

A correlation relating maximum tar yield from rapid pyrolysis (heating rate ≈100–1000° C/s) to coal type and total pressure is presented. The tar yield predicted from the correlation represents the maximum amount of tar to be expected during the devolatilization phase of the coal combustion process. Coal-type effects are treated using only information on the elemental C, H, O, and S analysis of the unpyrolysed coal. Pressure effects are correlated via empirical parameters obtained from best-fit analyses of existing data. The correlation is tested against a large set of experimental data representing a wide range of coals (37 coals, ranging from lignites to anthracites) and pressures (‘vacuum’ to 9 MPa). Good agreement between the predicted and experimental yields are obtained for all coals and pressures, with a standard error of estimate of ±3 wt% dmmf. This result is a significant improvement over predictions from existing correlations.
Stability of Economically-Oriented NMPC with Periodic Constraint

Abstract In smart grid environment, it is economically attractive to manage the load with respect prices and demands that could change periodically. Thus it is desired to operate some plants and system applications in a cyclic fashion. Model predictive control (MPC) and nonlinear MPC (NMPC) are widely accepted advanced control tools in process industry, due to their advantages of easily handling constraints and multi-input-multi-output systems. Nevertheless, the objective of the majority of NMPC applications is to track a predefined set point. This work proposes an economically-oriented NMPC formulation with periodic constraints that directly deal with systems that exhibit cyclic steady state behavior. The periodic constraint ensures the system converges to a cyclic steady state. In addition, nominal stability of the proposed NMPC formulation is analyzed, where we introduce a transformed system with the origin as the steady state. Hence, a Lyapunov function can be established at the steady state for the transformed system that is asymptotically stable at the origin. Consequently, asymptotic stability of the original system at the cyclic steady state can be inferred from the stability of the transformed system.
Misuse of “light” cigarettes by means of vent blocking

Best-selling “light” cigarettes (9–12 mg tar, by FTC method; Federal Trade Commission, 1990) generally employ filter vents to reduce standard tar and nicotine yields. Earlier research on “ultra light” cigarettes (1–4 mg tar) showed that filter vents were blocked by human smokers leading to dramatic increases in tar and nicotine yields. An objective indicator of vent blocking was applied to a sample of 158 discarded light cigarette butts, and results indicated extreme vent blocking in 27% (±8, 95% CI), some vent blocking in 26% (±8), and no vent blocking in 47% (±8). Cigarette consumers need to be informed of the risks of vent blocking as a countermeasure to the marketing of light cigarettes to health-conscious smokers.
Rotational excitation of HCN by collisions

Rate constants for the rotational excitation of HCN by collisions with He atoms at temperatures below 100 K were computed from first principles and are presented in tabular form. The potential energy surface was obtained by using the uniform electron gas model of Gordon and Kim (1972) and then joined smoothly to the asymptotic long-range perturbation theory potential valid at large separations. Quantum close-coupling theory was used to analyze the collision dynamics. Individual rates are believed to be accurate to within 50% above 30 K and within a factor of two below 20 K. The results should be extendable to excitation by collision with H2 and may therefore be of value in the study of interstellar clouds.
Elasticity of demand for gasoline since the 1973 oil embargo

The magnitude E of the price elasticity of gasoline was found to be E = 0.2054(1 − savings due to unemployment and voluntary conservation (per cent of forcast sales)4.78 ± 0.0378 within 95% confidence limits. This results holds over a two-year period following the Arab oil embargo in which real prices rose as much as 30%. No discernable change in elasticity was observed over the two-year period. Savings in gasoline consumption due to unemployment and voluntary conservation are almost certainly less than 4.78% of forecast sales. Voluntary conservation may well be closer to 0% than to 4.78%. The methodology of the study was to fit a Box-Jenkins2 time series model to 13 years of gasoline sales prior to the embargo, and to use this model to predict what sales would have been had no change in price or other conditions occurred.
Crystal Structure of a Phosphoinositide Phosphatase, MTMR2: Insights into Myotubular Myopathy and Charcot-Marie-Tooth Syndrome

Myotubularin-related proteins are a large subfamily of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) that dephosphorylate D3-phosphorylated inositol lipids. Mutations in members of the myotubularin family cause the human neuromuscular disorders myotubular myopathy and type 4B Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome. The crystal structure of a representative member of this family, MTMR2, reveals a phosphatase domain that is structurally unique among PTPs. A series of mutants are described that exhibit altered enzymatic activity and provide insight into the specificity of myotubularin phosphatases toward phosphoinositide substrates. The structure also reveals that the GRAM domain, found in myotubularin family phosphatases and predicted to occur in ∼180 proteins, is part of a larger motif with a pleckstrin homology (PH) domain fold. Finally, the MTMR2 structure will serve as a model for other members of the myotubularin family and provide a framework for understanding the mechanism whereby mutations in these proteins lead to disease.
Renal function during extracorporeal circulation.

Summary In clinical studies on patients undergoing repair of congenital cardiac defects, while being supported by extracorporeal circulation at nor-mothermic conditions, effective renal plasma flow and urine production were measured during varying of body perfusion to assess the concurrent changes in renal function. A close correlation was observed between the rate of body perfusion and the rate of renal plasma flow. During perfusions which were maintained at levels approximating a normal cardiac index (3 to 3.2 L./M.2/min.), renal plasma flow equaled or exceeded values seen in control periods preceding such a bypass. When the same patients were perfused at lower rates, renal plasma flow fell off rapidly, being severely depressed even at systemic flow rates of 2.2 to 2.4 L./M.2/min. Following an initially low body perfusion rate, stepping up the rate of body perfusion produced a corresponding increase in renal plasma flow. There was little correlation between mean arterial blood pressure and renal plasma flow. Production of urine was closely related to the rate of renal plasma flow during bypass. A brief but brisk diuresis was often noted immediately following completion of a cardiopulmonary bypass; this might be explained on the basis of a reflex mechanism, triggered by distention of the left atrium as the heart became filled again and resumed its pumping activity. Although maintenance of urine production is not essential to the performance of a satisfactory cardiac bypass, or to the recovery of a patient following such extracorporeal circulation, it is believed that better homeostasis can be provided for a patient if the kidneys are kept functioning during the entire period through which extracorporeal circulation is used. Observations show that good renal function can be attained during this interval, provided the rate of body perfusion is kept above appropriate levels. There is nothing inherent in extracorporeal circulation that precludes concurrent normal renal function.
Intratracheal administration of cyclooxygenase-1-transduced adipose tissue-derived stem cells ameliorates monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats.

The effect of intratracheal administration of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1)-modified adipose stem cells (ASCs) on monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension (MCT-PH) was investigated in the rat. The COX-1 gene was cloned from rat intestinal cells, fused with a hemagglutanin (HA) tag, and cloned into a lentiviral vector. The COX-1 lentiviral vector was shown to enhance COX-1 protein expression and inhibit proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells without increasing apoptosis. Human ASCs transfected with the COX-1 lentiviral vector (ASCCOX-1) display enhanced COX-1 activity while exhibiting similar differentiation potential compared with untransduced (native) ASCs. PH was induced in rats with MCT, and the rats were subsequently treated with intratracheal injection of ASCCOX-1 or untransduced ASCs. The intratracheal administration of ASCCOX-1 3 × 106 cells on day 14 after MCT treatment significantly attenuated MCT-induced PH when hemodynamic values were measured on day 35 after MCT treatment whereas administration of untransduced ASCs had no significant effect. These results indicate that intratracheally administered ASCCOX-1 persisted for at least 21 days in the lung and attenuate MCT-induced PH and right ventricular hypertrophy. In addition, vasodilator responses to the nitric oxide donor sodium nitroprusside were not altered by the presence of ASCCOX-1 in the lung. These data emphasize the effectiveness of ASCCOX-1 in the treatment of experimentally induced PH.
Electrophysiologic characteristics of ventricular extrastimulation-induced dissipation of functional bundle branch block associated with supraventricular tachycardia.

Dissipation of Functional Bundle Branch Block. Introduction: Linking-related anterograde functional bundle branch block during supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is due to repetitive concealed retrograde conduction of impulses from the contralateral bundle branch and can be eliminated by a critically timed premature ventricular beat (PVB). We assessed the electrophysiologic characteristics of PVB-induced dissipation of functional bundle branch block during SVT. Methods and Results: During SVT with functional bundle branch block, PVB was delivered from the right ventricular apex, scanning the tachycardia cycle length (CL) with 10-msec decrements in the coupling interval in 14 patients (3 AV nodal reentrant tachycardia and 11 orthodromic AV reciprocating tachycardia). Dissipation was achieved in group 1: functional right bundle branch block (RBBB) in 4, functional left bundle branch block (LBBB) in 4, and both functional RBBB and LBBB in 1 with a dissipation zone occupying 4% to 13% (mean 8.5%) of the tachycardia CL. The outer limits were 22 ± 16 msec and 68 ± 14 msec < tachycardia CL; the inner limits were 56 ± 18 msec and 90 ± 24 msec < tachycardia CL for RBBB and LBBB, respectively (both P < 0.05). Dissipation could not be achieved in group 2 (4 RBBB and 1 LBBB) due to CL-dependent bundle branch block and/or local ventricular refractoriness. Conclusion: During SVT, functional bundle branch block due to “linking” often can be dissipated by timely PVB delivered from the right ventricular apex within a narrow zone of the tachycardia CL. Our findings suggest that the dissipation zone is affected by the pattern of functional bundle branch block relative to the site of PVB delivery.
Open versus endovascular revascularization for chronic mesenteric ischemia: risk-stratified outcomes.

Objective Outcomes of open (OR) and endovascular revascularization (ER) for chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI) were analyzed with respect to clinical risk stratification. Methods The data of 229 consecutive patients treated for CMI with OR (146 patients/265 vessels) or ER (83 patients/105 vessels) between 1991 and 2005 were reviewed. Patients were classified as low-risk or high-risk using standard scoring systems. End points were mortality and morbidity, recurrence-free survival, and patency rates. A subset analysis compared 111 patients (208 vessels) who had OR with 58 patients (76 vessels) who had stenting. Results The ER patients were significantly older (71 ± 15 vs 65 ± 11 years; P P = NS). Mortality was higher for high-risk patients (OR, 6.7% vs 0.9%; ER, 4.8% vs 0%; P P P P P = NS). In the subset analysis of patients having first-time operations vs stenting, OR resulted in improved ( P Conclusion OR has similar mortality but higher morbidity and longer hospitalization than ER in low-risk or high-risk patients with CMI. Both treatments effectively improved symptoms, but restenosis, recurrent symptoms, and reinterventions were more likely in ER patients. These findings may guide treatment selection and counseling of low-risk and high-risk CMI patients undergoing OR or ER procedures.
Economic analysis of carbon dioxide sequestration in powder river basin coal

Unminable coalbeds are potentially large storage reservoirs for the sequestration of anthropogenic CO2 and offer the benefit of enhanced methane production, which can offset some of the costs associated with CO2 sequestration. The objective of this paper is to study the economic feasibility of CO2 sequestration in unminable coal seams in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming. Economic analyses of CO2 injection options are compared. Results show that injecting flue gas to recover methane from CBM fields is marginally economical; however, this method will not significantly contribute to the need to sequester large quantities of CO2. Separating CO2 from flue gas and injecting it into the unminable coal zones of the Powder River Basin seam is currently uneconomical, but can effectively sequester over 86,000 tons (78,200 tonne) of CO2 per acre while recovering methane to offset costs. The cost to separate CO2 from flue gas was identified as the major cost driver associated with CO2 sequestration in unminable coal seams. Improvements in separations technology alone are unlikely to drive costs low enough for CO2 sequestration in unminable coal seams in the Powder River Basin to become economically viable. Breakthroughs in separations technology could aid the economics, but in the Powdermore » River Basin they cannot achieve the necessary cost reductions for breakeven economics without incentives.« less
Seasonal and interannual variability of the marine bacterioplankton community throughout the water column over ten years.

Seasonal and interannual variability of the marine bacterioplankton community throughout the water column over ten years
Dynamic duopoly with adjustment costs: A differential game approach

Abstract This paper develops a differential-game model of duopoly, in which firms incur costs associated with how fast they change their level of output. The analysis solves for a subgame perfect equilibrium to the model in which the steady-state level of output lies strictly between the static Cournot and perfect competition solutions. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the limit game in which the speed of adjustment parameter approaches zero does not tend toward the static Cournot equilibrium.
Precautionary wealth and income uncertainty: a household-level analysis

This study investigates the presence of precautionary savings among self-employed farm households using an instrumental variable approach on farm-level data. Results indicate that precautionary saving is a powerful determinant of wealth accumulation among U.S. farm households. Precautionary savings account for 53% of total wealth accumulation in general. Our results indicate an age-wealth profile that is consistent with the life-cycle hypothesis. The share of precautionary saving in total wealth accumulation differs across farm households. Results show that for farm households receiving government payments (designed to benefit farmers by reducing income variability), precautionary saving account for a large share (51%) of wealth accumulation, compared to 41% for households that do not receive any government payments.
Paradoxes of Popular Sovereignty: A View from Spanish America

Democratic theorists agree that in a democracy the people should be sovereign. However, they cannot give democratically acceptable criteria for telling who precisely the people are. According to some theorists, this “paradox of popular sovereignty” can lead to disastrous consequences such as territorial disputes and ethnic cleansing. By contrast, others hold that this paradox is productive. Using the tools of Comparative Political Theory (CPT), this article enters into the controversy by providing new evidence of how this theoretical paradox has influenced political practice. The article shows that the problem was already apparent in early nineteenth-century Spanish America, where two different conceptions of the people had contrasting consequences. The article argues that the main effect of the paradox was to bring to the fore the ineradicable discrepancies between political praxis and juridical form. This effect should be seen as an opportunity to be seized rather than a problem to be solved.
Hyperbaric oxygen limits infarct size in ischemic rabbit myocardium in vivo.

BACKGROUNDWe explored the ability of increased oxygen pressure to modify necrosis in an open-chest rabbit model of myocardial ischemia and reperfusion.METHODS AND RESULTSA branch of the left coronary artery was occluded for 30 minutes followed by 3 hours of reperfusion. Infarction was measured by triphenyl tetrazolium staining and expressed as a percentage of the ischemic zone. Untreated rabbits were ventilated with 100% oxygen at 1 atm absolute. Treatment animals were exposed to hyperbaric oxygen at 2.5 atm absolute. The 1.0-atm control hearts developed 41.5 +/- 4.6% infarction of the ischemic zone. Animals exposed to hyperbaric oxygen during ischemia only, reperfusion only, or ischemia and reperfusion had significantly smaller infarcts with respect to control animals (16.2 +/- 2.9%, 14.5 +/- 3.7%, and 9.8 +/- 2.7%, respectively; P < or = .01), indicating that they had been protected by the procedure. When hyperbaric oxygen was begun 30 minutes after the onset of reperfusion, no protection was seen (35.8...