cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Private Real Estate Returns, Style Drift, and Procyclical Risk Taking

This paper documents that development exposure is an important determinant of private real estate returns and market risk exposure. It also documents that open-end private real estate funds have time-varying, procyclical market risk exposure through their development activities. As such, these funds are disproportionately exposed to the downside of the market cycle. Lastly, I find that fund flow pressure is the primary driver of time-varying development exposure. Funds buy a higher proportion of safe, liquid assets compared to risky, illiquid assets when they have larger unfulfilled subscriptions. While this increases assets under management quicker, it also hurts existing investors by decreasing their market risk exposure at the time when it is the most desirable and beneficial. Additionally, funds stop developing as redemption requests increase, leading to lower market risk exposure when the market recovers.
Implant-related complications in patients with opioid use disorder undergoing primary shoulder arthroplasties: a matched-controlled analysis:

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to investigate whether patients undergoing primary shoulder arthroplasty with opioid use disorder have higher rates of (1) implant-related complications; (2)...
Amicus Brief to the Texas Supreme Court in Torres v. Texas Department of Public Safety

This amicus brief urges the Texas Supreme Court to grant cert and hold that a state employee can sue his employer under USERRA. At issue is the ability of Congress to use its war powers to abrogate state sovereign immunity. This brief argues that the Court of Appeals in this case erred in holding that Congress can never abrogate state immunity pursuant to its Article I powers. Although at one point in time such an argument held water, current precedent makes clear that Article I may provide Congress the power to abrogate state sovereign immunity. The only question is when. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions in Alden v. Maine and Central Virginia Community College v. Katz establish an abrogation analysis that focuses on the “history, practice, precedent, and structure of the Constitution.” In other words if, under the plan of the Constitutional Convention, states did not believe that they possessed immunity against specific federal powers, then Congress can enact laws pursuant to that power to allow private rights of action against states. The text and history of the Constitution shows that states lack immunity against private suits brought under federal war powers legislation. One of the central aims of the Constitution was to centralize war powers under the newly empowered federal government. The text of the Constitution, in addition to the ratification debates, aptly demonstrate that the Founders never intended to permit a state to unilaterally defy federal war powers actions. To the contrary, even prior to the Constitution, states were never understood to possess war powers capabilities. Accordingly, the state employer’s claim that a non-existent immunity allows it to punish a military veteran in violation of federal law not only defies the U.S. Supreme Court’s state sovereign immunity jurisprudence, but also strikes at the heart of the Constitution’s goal of establishing a unified national defense.
Validating the revised Symptom Impact Questionnaire with a proposed fibromyalgia phenotype using experimentally-induced pain and patient self-reports.

OBJECTIVES The Symptom Impact Questionnaire (SIQR), now used for over a decade, has strong psychometric properties based on patients' subjective questionnaire data and correlations with other general measures of severity. However, the construct validity of the SIQR in assessing the central features of fibromyalgia (FM) has not been tested specifically with more objective measures. This study examined the construct validity of the SIQR using clinical examination of prominent features of FM, as well as patient questionnaire data. METHODS We determined if SIQR severity groups (low, moderate, high severity) in 158 chronic pain patients (50 FM, 108 Pain/No FM) predicted four central features of FM tenderness and pain: digital palpation tenderness, blood pressure cuff evoked pain, widespread pain locations, and a persistent deep ache question. RESULTS Low, moderate, and high SIQR severity groups showed concomitant increases in tenderness in response to digital evoked palpation (F=23.5; p<0.0000; ηp2=0.23; MR=.54), blood pressure cuff evoked pain (F=17.0; p<0.0000; ηp2=0.18; MR=0.48) and number of pain location (F=38.8; p<0.0000; ηp2=0.33; MR.59). Strongest differences in SIQR severity were found in response to the question, "I have a persistent deep aching over most of my body" (F=87.5; p<0.0000; ηp2=0.53; MR=0.74). CONCLUSIONS The SIQR strongly predicts the central features of FM tenderness and pain including its widespreadness and its multifaceted character. We propose that tenderness, both locally and over most of the body, attendant to the SIQR is the hallmark of the FM phenotype: tenderness is focal, diffuse, deep, and superficial.
AT1a-dependent GABAA inhibition in the MnPO following chronic intermittent hypoxia.

Chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) is associated with diurnal hypertension, increased sympathetic nerve activity (SNA), and increases in circulating angiotensin II (ANG II). In rats, CIH increases ...
Discography

Discography is a diagnostic tool that has been used for many years. Although controversial, it provides a physiologic test for evaluation of a disc with a volumetric, manometric, radiographic, and pain-provocative challenge. Although it has a controversial past, when the anatomy and pathophysiology are considered particularly in relation to intradiscal pressure and applied loads (that correlate with daily activities of the patient), the interpretation of the results of discography become more objective and reproducible. As with any procedure, indications for patient selection are an important step in successful outcomes. The equipment and technique used for performing discography using a manometry system are described in this article, as are a review of complications and outcomes. Discography is a safe, accurate, reproducible, objective diagnostic tool when tested for volume, pressure, fluoroscopic changes, and pain provocation.
Nonhuman primates at the intersection of aging biology, chronic disease, and health: An introduction to the American journal of primatology special issue on aging, cognitive decline, and neuropathology in nonhuman primates

Aging across the Primate Order is poorly understood because ages of individuals are often unknown, there is a dearth of aged animals available for study, and because aging is best characterized by longitudinal studies which are difficult to carry out in long-lived species. The human population is aging rapidly, and advanced age is a primary risk factor for several chronic diseases and conditions that impact healthspan. As lifespan has increased, diseases and disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) have become more prevalent, and Alzheimer's disease and related dementias have become epidemic. Nonhuman primate (NHP) models are key to understanding the aging primate CNS. This Special Issue presents a review of current knowledge about NHP CNS aging across the Primate Order. Similarities and differences to human aging, and their implications for the validity of NHP models of aging are considered. Topics include aging-related brain structure and function, neuropathologies, cognitive performance, social behavior and social network characteristics, and physical, sensory, and motor function. Challenges to primate CNS aging research are discussed. Together, this collection of articles demonstrates the value of studying aging in a breadth of NHP models to advance our understanding of human and nonhuman primate aging and healthspan.
Mitochondria in Health and Disease

Preface, C.D. Berdanier Introduction to Mitochondria, C.D. Berdanier Bioenergetics of Mitochondria, R.L. Veech Mitochondrial Genome and Mitochondrial Function, J.-W. Taanman Mitochondrial Diseases in Growth and Development, J.M. Shoffner Using Mitochondria in Population Surveys, C.D. Berdanier Mitochondrial DNA Mutation, Oxidative Stress and Alterations of Gene Expression in Human Aging, H.-C. Lee and Y.-H. Wei Mitochondrial Mutations in Vision, M. Brown Mitochondrial DNA in Cardiomyopathies, N. Takeda Mitochondria in Diabetes, H.K. Lee Drugs, Nutrients and Hormones in Mitochondrial Function, C.D. Berdanier Bacterial F1F0ATP Synthase as a Model for Complex V, B.D. Cain, T.B. Grabar, D. Bhatt Cybrids and the Manipulation of Mitochondrial Genotype, I. Trounce Animal Modelling: From Transgenics to Transmitochondrial Models, C. Pinkert BHE/Cdb Rats as Tools to Study Mitochondrial Mutation, C.D. Berdanier
Understanding Brains: Details, Intuition, and Big Data

Understanding how the brain works requires a delicate balance between the appreciation of the importance of a multitude of biological details and the ability to see beyond those details to general principles. As technological innovations vastly increase the amount of data we collect, the importance of intuition into how to analyze and treat these data may, paradoxically, become more important.
The It Gets Better Project: A Study in (and of) Whiteness — in LGBT Youth and Media Cultures

The It Gets Better Project (IGBP) became a worldwide phenomenon, offering support for socially marginalized and oppressed queer youth who were perceived to be vulnerable to suicide. The project originally was comprised of a collection of first-person video weblogs created in response to gay male suicides, and this collection ultimately formed a type of social archive. Central to these video weblogs were messages of hope and that the viewer’s lives would ‘get better’, though exactly whose lives were supposed to get better and what ‘better’ was supposed to mean was left to the imagination. The IGBP initially began as a single video weblog on YouTube in September 2010. It was later published as a book of the same title (Savage and Miller 2011). In the video the creators of the project, Savage and Miller, discuss their own experiences of teenage bullying, survival and escape. They ‘created [it] to show young LGBT people the levels of happiness, potential and positivity their lives will reach — if they can just get through their teen years’ (Savage and Miller 2011). The evolution of the IGBP has since translated into a registered 501(c)3 organization doing business in the United States as the ‘IOLA Foundation’ located at 8,315 Beverly Boulevard, Suite 101 in Los Angeles, CA 90048 (see IGBP 2014a).1 Interestingly, since 2009 this nonprofit organization has had a total of $1,069,890 contributions, almost all of which have been expenditures on its web presence.2
Identification of a hemolysin from Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae and characterization of its channel properties in planar phospholipid bilayers.

Abstract A proteinaceous hemolysin secreted by strain 4074 of serotype 1 of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae was purified by diafiltration and ion exchange chromatographic techniques. The hemolytic activity is associated with a 107-kDa band as assessed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis and confirmed by Western blotting and immunoprecipitation. This hemolysin produces pores in membranes as demonstrated by osmotic protection studies using red blood cells and carbohydrate compounds of various molecular weights. These assays suggest a pore diameter in the order of 2 nm. Phospholipid bilayers composed of 1:1 w/w phosphotidylserine:phosphotidylethanolamine exposed to this toxin display discrete current flow events typical of transmembrane channels and consistent with the interpretation that this toxin acts by forming pores in phospholipid membranes. The linear relationship of current amplitude to holding potential when examined over the -60 to +60 mV range indicates that this pore has a constant mean single channel conductance level of 350-400 pS.
Integral equations for hadronic correlation functions: A functional-bootstrap approach

A reasonable «microscopic» foundation of the Feynman hadron-liquid analogy is offered, based on a class of models for hadron production. An external-field formalism, abstracted from the many-body theory is introduced to describe the hadronic observables. In this formalism, the equivalence (complementarity) of the exclusive and inclusive descriptions of hadronic reactions is specifically expressed in a functional-bootstrap form, and integral equations between inclusive and exclusive correlation functions are derived. Using the latest CERN-ISR data on the two-pion inclusive correlation function, and assuming rapidity translational invariance for the exclusive one, we solve the simplest integral equation in the «central region», and predict an exclusive correlation length of 1.3 units in rapidity, which is in reasonable agreement with preliminary NAL four-prong results. On the basis of the same equation, an explanation is also offered for the unexpected similarity observed between π+π− and π−π− inclusive correlations.
Phosphorylation of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus In Vivo and In Vitro

The structural protein, NS, of purified vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is a phosphoprotein. In infected cells phosphorylated NS is found both free in the cytoplasm and as part of the viral ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex containing both the 42S RNA and the structural proteins L, N, and NS, indicating that phosphorylation occurs as an early event in viral maturation. VSV contains an endogenous protein kinase activity, probably of host region, which catalyzes the in vitro phosphorylation of the viral proteins NS, M, and L, but not of N or G. The phosphorylated sites on NS appear to be different in the in vivo and in vitro reactions, and are differentially sensitive to alkaline phosphatase. After removal of the membrane components of purified VSV with a dextran-polyethylene glycol two-phase separation, the kinase activity remains tightly associated with the viral RNP. However, viral RNP isolated from infected cells shows only a small amount of kinase activity. The protein kinase enzyme appears to be a cellular contaminant of purified VSV because an activity from the uninfected cell extract can phosphorylate in vitro the dissociated viral proteins NS and M. The virion-associated activity may be derived either from the cytoplasm or the plasma membrane of the host cell since both of these cellular components contain protein kinase activity similar to that found in purified VSV.
U.S. Civil Litigation and International Terrorism

Since September 11, the United States has mobilized enormous military, political, and legal resources to combat the threat of terrorism. This paper examines one component of these efforts: civil suits for acts of terrorism. We analyze current U.S. law governing civil actions against terrorists, consider the strengths and weaknesses of such actions, and propose alternative reforms. The paper proceeds in four parts. Part I describes the central pivot around which the doctrinal issues turn - the problem of state action. Part II analyzes U.S. law governing civil litigation against alleged terrorists who do not implicate the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act ("FSIA"). Part III analyzes U.S. law governing civil litigation against alleged terrorists who do implicate the FSIA. Part IV discusses the policy tradeoffs of civil actions against terrorists, considers the strengths and weaknesses of current law in light of these policy issues, and analyze several legal reforms.
Synthesis and Characterization of Sol‐Gel Derived Nanostructured Composite of ZnO/PVP Thin Film as Biosensor

Undoped and Mn-doped ZnO films and ZnO nanoparticles dispersed polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) films were prepared on Pyrex glass substrate by the sol-gel dip-coating technique utilizing zinc acetate precursor. The thin film is extensively characterized for its surface morphology, chemistry, thickness, and nanocrystallite size using various advanced analytical techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Under the given processing conditions, ZnO semiconductor thin film with nanocrystallite size 15-20nm is obtained and the ZnO nanoparticles of varying shapes are uniformly distributed in the PVP polymer matrix.
Enhancing model‐based land surface temperature estimates using multiplatform microwave observations

[1] Land surface temperature plays an important role in surface processes and is a key input for physically based retrieval algorithms of soil moisture and evaporation. This study presents a framework for using independent estimates of land surface temperature from five microwave satellite sensors to improve the accuracy of land surface temperature output from a numerical weather prediction system in an off-line (postprocessing) analysis. First, structural differences in timing and amplitude of the temperature signal were addressed. Then, satellite observations were assimilated into an auto-regressive error model, formulated to estimate errors in the numerical weather prediction output. Errors in daily minimum and amplitude were treated separately. Results of this study provide new insights about potential added benefits of preprocessing and off-line assimilation of microwave remote sensing-based and model-based temperature retrievals. It is shown that the satellite observations may be used to reduce errors in surface temperature, particularly for day-time hours. Preprocessing is responsible for the bulk of this reduction in temperature error; data assimilation is shown to further reduce the random temperature error by a few tenths of a Kelvin, accounting for a 10% reduction in RMSE.
Systems That Learn: An Introduction to Learning Theory for Cognitive and Computer Scientists

Systems That Learn presents a mathematical framework for the study of learning in a variety of domains. It provides the basic concepts and techniques of learning theory as well as a comprehensive account of what is currently known about a variety of learning paradigms.Daniel N. Osherson and Scott Weinstein are at MIT, and Michael Stob at Calvin College.
Biofunctionalization on Alkylated Silicon Substrate Surfaces via “Click” Chemistry

Biofunctionalization of silicon substrates is important to the development of silicon-based biosensors and devices. Compared to conventional organosiloxane films on silicon oxide intermediate layers, organic monolayers directly bound to the nonoxidized silicon substrates via Si−C bonds enhance the sensitivity of detection and the stability against hydrolytic cleavage. Such monolayers presenting a high density of terminal alkynyl groups for bioconjugation via copper-catalyzed azide−alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (CuAAC, a “click” reaction) were reported. However, yields of the CuAAC reactions on these monolayer platforms were low. Also, the nonspecific adsorption of proteins on the resultant surfaces remained a major obstacle for many potential biological applications. Herein, we report a new type of “clickable” monolayers grown by selective, photoactivated surface hydrosilylation of α,ω-alkenynes, where the alkynyl terminal is protected with a trimethylgermanyl (TMG) group, on hydrogen-terminated silico...
Optimal and distributed algorithms for coverage hole healing in hybrid sensor networks

Network coverage is one of the most decisive factors for determining the efficiency of a WSN. In this paper, we focus on how to schedule mobile sensors in order to cope with coverage hole issues in a hybrid WSN containing both static and mobile sensors. To this end, we introduce a new metric, namely to maximise the minimum remaining energy of all moved sensors since the more energy remains, the longer the network can operate. Based on this metric, we propose an efficient coverage healing algorithm that always determines an optimal location for each mobile sensor in order to heal all coverage holes, after all mobile sensors locations and coverage holes are located. When the target area is too big, we present a scalable area-based algorithm which returns a near optimal solution. Furthermore, we also present a lightweight-distributed scheduling strategy for mobile sensors in case of small sensor failures.
Comparisons of trophic state measurements

Abstract Twenty-nine methods commonly used to measure trophic state were compared with respect to their ability to rank 44 test lakes against two standards: total phosphorus, a nutrient or driving force standard and chlorophyll a, an eutrophication response standard. The phosphorus loading models had high rank correlations with phosphorus; however, they did not rank the lakes well against chlorophyll. The relative trophic ranking of many lakes differed depending upon whether primary nutrients or biological manifestations were used as the ranking mechanism. Secchi disk was very effective in ranking the lakes against phosphorus but was relatively ineffective in ranking them against chlorophyll. Total Kjeldahl nitrogen was effective in ranking the lakes against phosphorus and had the highest rank correlation of all the methods tested against chlorophyll. Methods based upon phytoplankton community structure were especially ineffective in ranking the test lakes. Algal assay control yield gave disappointing results when compared against the chlorophyll standard. Most methods were much more effective in ranking the lakes against the total phosphorus standard than the chlorophyll a standard.
Entomopathogenic hyphomycetes associated with gypsy moth larvae

Gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, popula- tions were sampled in four eastern North American states during 1991 and 1992 to evaluate levels of hy- phomycete infection in association with releases of the Asian gypsy moth pathogen Entomophaga mai- maiga. Paecilomyces farinosus was the most abundant hyphomycete species, occurring at the majority of sites, although levels of infection averaged only 4.6% (1991) and 12.2% (1992). In the plots sampled, con- current levels of infection by E. maimaiga averaged 22.2 ± 5.5 during 1991 and 71.4 ± 12.7% during 1992 but there was no association between preva- lence of P farinosus and E. maimaiga. Beauveria bas- siana was the only other hyphomycete killing larvae in the field but its occurrence was rare. Verticillium
Combination Studies On Hyperthermia Induced By The Neodymium Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Nd:YAG) Laser As An Adjuvant To Photodynamic Therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and hyperthermia have been investigated as treatments for several types of tumors. Studies have been done to determine the efficacy of each modality individually and recently in combination with each other. In this study 630 nm light was delivered by an argon-dye laser and hyperthermia was induced using a Nd:YAG laser. Both lasers offer the ability of delivering the beams through a quartz fiberoptic alone or simultaneously. This present study examines (a) the efficacy of the simultaneous administration of PDT and selective hyperthermia at 44.5°C in tumor control; (b) the effect of hyperthermia and PDT + hyperthermia on tumor and normal tissue microcirculation; and (c) the toxicity in normal tissue of PDT, hyperthermia and the simultaneous administration of the two modalities. Hyperthermia alone (44.5°C, 30 min) resulted in complete destruction of tumors with no subsequent regrowth in 12% of the mice treated. PDT alone (5 mg/kg DHE; 135 J/cm2) resulted in a cure rate of approximately 30%, and the simultaneous treatment of the modalities resulted in a 65% cure rate after 6 weeks. These values are indicative of a synergistic interaction. This study also examined the toxic effects of hyperthermia and the combination therapy to normal tissues in mice. Direct organ exposures produced much greater tissue damage than whole abdomen exposures, as expected, although there was no resulting lethality. Necrosis to a small degree occurred in the spleen and pancreas with hyperthermia alone, while extensive necrosis occurred in all of the organs with the combination. The extent of damage caused, however, was no greater than that caused by PDT alone in most tissues examined. Fluorescein angiography shows a lack of response in the surrounding normal tissue microcirculation for hyperthermia only. The combination treatments, however, shut down the microcirculation within the treatment field.
Parturition in American Bison: Precocity and Systematic Variation in Cow Isolation

and Summary We observed the birth of 16 American bison calves. Parturition was rapid and the calves were unusually precocial. Parturition occurred in early to mid-afternoon. In an open grassland habitat, 9 of 11 cows remained in groups to give birth. In contrast, 5 of 6 cows in a rugged oak-woodland habitat gave birth in isolation. Zusammenfassung Waldadaptierte Huftiere gehen gewohnlich einzeln in Vegetation, um zu gebaren, wohl um Begegnungen mit Raubtieren zu verringern. An offenes Grasland adaptierte Arten gebaren schnell und haben besonders fruhreife Junge. Gruppen sind wahrscheinlich die beste Deckung im Habitat; aber das Gebaren in Gruppen fuhrt auch dazu, das Mutter sich tauschen und fremde Sauglinge adoptieren. Amerikanische Bisons lebten vor allem auf offenem Grasland. Sie gebaren schnell, und Bisonjunge sind fruhreifer als die meisten Huftiere, ausgenommen das Gnu. Sie gebaren meist am fruhen Nachmittag. Die naheren Umstande des Gebarens waren in den zwei beobachteten Populationen verschieden. 9 von 11 Kuhen in vorwiegend offenem Habitat gebaren in einer Gruppe; 5 von 6 Kuhen in teils bewaldetem Habitat gebaren einzeln unter hoher Vegetation. Kindsverwechslungen sind wahrscheinlich selten. Die Bison-kalber, die wir beobachteten, naherten sich sofort ihren Muttern und blieben dann in ihrer Nahe.
Estradiol-induced vitellinogenesis and concomitant fat mobilization in the lizard Uta stansburiana.

Abstract 1. 1. Fatty acid release in vitro from fat-bodies removed from estrogenized Uta females is markedly faster than in fat-bodies from non-treated females. Free fatty acid content of the experimental fat-bodies from estrogenized females is generally two to three times greater than that of control tissue. 2. 2. Weight decrease of the fat-body in vivo in unilateral fat-body excised animals treated with estradiol for 10 days averaged 28 percent. 3. 3. Uta females and males are induced to synthesize plasma vitellin after a single injection of estradiol 17-β (1.0 μg/g body weight). Plasma vitellin is electrophoretically detectable in the plasma within 24–36 hr after treatment and rises to a maximum level of 60–65 per cent of the total serum protein after 4–6 days in animals injected daily. Albumin and α-globulins are concomitantly decreased. 4. 4. Hepatic lipid content is invariably high in estradiol-treated females. The size of the liver also increases markedly. Membrane-bordered, electron-dense granules can be seen budding from the “maturing face” of the Golgi apparatus in the hepatic cells of vitellinogenic animals.
A Socratic on the Elysée

In her chapter on "the clandestine ideology of the time," the French philosopher Chantal Delsol makes her own "Socratic turn" and analyzes a set of dominant opinions on the European scene. She discovers at their root a distinct view of human nature that is a terribly impoverished ideological construct. She thus points to an urgent need for her contemporaries to reconsider democracy's core anthropological tenets of human equality and freedom. This should be done for the sake of both democracy itself and her contemporaries' own fuller humanity.
Two-Frames Accurate Motion Segmentation Using Tensor Voting and Graph-Cuts

Motion segmentation and motion estimation are important topics in computer vision. Tensor Voting is a process that addresses both issues simultaneously; but running time is a challenge. We propose a novel approach which can yield both the motion segmentation and the motion estimation in the presence of discontinuities. This method is a combination of a non-iterative boosted-speed voting process in sparse space in a first stage, and a Graph-Cuts framework for boundary refinement in a second stage. Here, we concentrate on the motion segmentation problem. After initially choosing a sparse space by sampling the original image, we represent each of these pixels as 4-D tensor points and apply the voting framework to enforce local smoothness of motion. Afterwards, the boundary refinement is obtained by using the Graph-Cuts image segmentation. Our results attained in different types of motion show that the method outperforms other Tensor Voting approaches in speed, and the results are comparable with other methodologies in motion segmentation.
Berkson's bias and its control in epidemiologic studies.

Abstract The direction and magnitude of Berkson's bias is discussed for the situation where the factors (risk exposures and/or diseases) involved may not be independently distributed (as has been assumed in previous literature). It is shown that the bias may be negligible if the risk factor in a retrospective study is not a direct cause of hospitalisation, or if the case and control groups are mutually exclusive.
A dimensionality reduction technique for efficient similarity analysis of time series databases

Efficiently searching for similarities among time series and discovering interesting patterns is an important and non-trivial problem with applications in many domains. The high dimensionality of the data makes the analysis very challenging. To solve this problem, many dimensionality reduction methods have been proposed. PCA (Piecewise Constant Approximation) and its variant have been shown efficient in time series indexing and similarity retrieval. However, in certain applications, too many false alarms introduced by the approximation may reduce the overall performance dramatically. In this paper, we introduce a new piecewise dimensionality reduction technique that is based on Vector Quantization. The new technique, PVQA (Piecewise Vector Quantized Approximation), partitions each sequence into equi-length segments and uses vector quantization to represent each segment by the closest (based on a distance metric) codeword from a codebook of key-sequences. The efficiency of calculations is improved due to the significantly lower dimensionality of the new representation. We demonstrate the utility and efficiency of the proposed technique on real and simulated datasets. By exploiting prior knowledge about the data, the proposed technique generally outperforms PCA and its variants in similarity searches.
Highly ordered thin films of polyheterocycles: A synchrotron radiation study of polypyrrole and polythiophene Langmuir-Blodgett films

Abstract Langmuir-Blodgett films have been made with 3-n-hexadecylpyrrole and 3-n-octadecylpyrrole monomers and copolymers with unsubstituted pyrrole made by chemical polymerization at the air-water interface on a subphase containing FeCl 3 . Langmuir-Blodgett films consisting of mixtures of stearic acid and alkylsubstituted polythiophenes have also been made as bilayer films. The orientation of single and multilayer films on platinum substrates have been studied by Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Spectroscopy which also gives information about charge transfer interactions between the aromatic groups and the metallic substrates. The alkylsubstituted pyrroles form highly ordered two-dimensional structures. FeCl 3 initiated copolymerization with unsubstituted pyrrole leads to a more disordered system. In the case of polythiophene-stearic acid bilayers, the stearic acid layers are highly ordered. The poly(alkyl thiophene) layers sandwiched between stearic acid layers, on the other hand, exhibit random orientation of the thiophene moieties.
Exploring Scope of Power Reduction with Constrained Physical Synthesis

A new power optimization perspective based on constraint based library access in physical synthesis is presented in this paper. Power constraints are modelled and applied at the terminals of designs or sub designs based on relative power criticality of terminals. These constraints are then used in Physical Synthesis to selectively mask or expose different drive strength or threshold voltage variants of a given cell type. This constrained library access approach is compared with regular library access approach using a state-of-the-art power optimization engine. Experimental data shows it is possible to claim additional power savings in proposed approach with no or minimal performance impact. Also, it is possible to modulate this methodology to have selective focus on dynamic or leakage power if necessary.
Structure of the extracellular polysaccharide produced by the bacterium Alcaligenes (ATCC 31555) species

Abstract The extracellular anionic polysaccharide produced by the bacterium Alcaligenes (ATCC 31555) contains l -mannose, l -rhamnose, d -glucose, and d -glucuronic acid in the molar ratios 1.0:4.5:3.1:2.3. Analysis of the methylated and methylated, carboxyl-reduced polysaccharide indicated terminal non-reducing rhamnose and mannose, (1→4)-linked rhamnose, (1→3)- and (1→3,1→4)-linked glucose, and (1→4)-linked glucuronic acid to be present in the ratios 1.0:0.8:2.1:2.2:2.0:2.2. Partial acid hydrolysis and base-catalysed β-elimination gave a series of oligosaccharides that were isolated as their alkylated alditol derivatives by reverse-phase h.p.l.c. and characterised by f.a.b.-m.s., e.i.-m.s., and 1H-n.m.r. spectroscopy. The repeating unit 1, excluding O-acyl groups, is proposed.
A Multi-Year Aerosol Characterization for the Greater Tehran Area Using Satellite, Surface, and Modeling Data

This study reports a multi-year (2000–2009) aerosol characterization for metropolitan Tehran and surrounding areas using multiple datasets (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR), Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS), Goddard Ozone Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport (GOCART), and surface and upper air data from local stations). Monthly trends in aerosol characteristics are examined in the context of the local meteorology, regional and local emission sources, and air mass back-trajectory data. Dust strongly affects the region during the late spring and summer months (May–August) when aerosol optical depth (AOD) is at its peak and precipitation accumulation is at a minimum. In addition, the peak AOD that occurs in July is further enhanced by a substantial number of seasonal wildfires in upwind regions. Conversely, AOD is at a minimum during winter; however, reduced mixing heights and a stagnant lower atmosphere trap local aerosol emissions near the surface and lead to significant reductions in visibility within Tehran. The unique meteorology and topographic setting makes wintertime visibility and surface aerosol concentrations particularly sensitive to local anthropogenic sources and is evident in the noteworthy improvement in visibility observed on weekends. Scavenging of aerosol due to precipitation is evident during the winter when a consistent increase in surface visibility and concurrent decrease in AOD is observed in the days after rain compared with the days immediately before rain.
Sex differences and developmental changes in selected juvenile activities (play) of domestic lambs

Play of domestic lambs (Ovis aries) was recorded from birth to l0 weeks during two lambing seasons. A higher proportion of males than females mounted and butted; females were more likely than males to gambol. No differences were evident between the behaviour of females from same-sex twins and females from mixed-sex twins. The ontogeny of play followed a bimodal course, with little play in the first week of life, peaks of play during weeks 2 to 3 and 8 to 9, and a trough of activity between the peaks. Concurrently circulating hormones probably do not contribute to the sex differences or the development of play in lambs. The ontogeny of play may reflect ancestral adaptations to natural selection. This paper describes certain juvenile activities ('play') of domestic sheep (Ovis aries) from birth to l0 weeks, in order to enlarge the comparattve base for discussions of sex differences in behavi- oural ontogeny. The most extensive relevant studies on non-human mammals are those on rhesus macaques (Phoenix et al. 1968; Goy & Phoenix l97l). Data on sex differences in play are available for several other species including domestic dog (Beckoff 1974), black bear (Henry & Herrero 1974), Stellar sea lion (Gentry 1974), horse (Schoen et al. 1976) and several primates (Poirier & Smith 1974). Interpretation of the data from some studies is limited by the lack of identification of individual animals. In such cases, apparent sex differences in the total frequency of behaviour may stem from different proportions of response by each sex or frotn different frequencies of response by similar pro- portions. Despite systematic observation of many aspects of the social behaviour of domestic sheep (e.g. Scott 1945; Banks 1964), feral sheep (Grubb & Jewell 1966; Grubb 1974), and some of their wild congeners (Geist 1971), few quan- titative data are available on the juvenile activities of lambs that are not mother-orientated. With a reputation for vigorous play, domestic lambs appeared advantageous to observe.
Thou Soo and Aih Auan: Communicating Dissatisfaction in a Chinese Malaysian Community

People experience dissatisfaction and need to express this dissatisfaction for a variety of reasons. Understanding the communication associated with these common expressions of complaint can illuminate the role of social interaction in maintaining a cultural community. We seek to increase our knowledge of culture, language, and social interaction by exploring folk concepts associated with expressions of dissatisfaction among Chinese Malaysians. We discovered two common folk concepts associated with this type of communication within this community: thou soo and aih auan. Thou soo is a solution-focused speech act, and aih auan, a lamentation about situations that are irreversible and beyond the speaker's control. Thou soo implies power in the speaker, but also carries with it risk and tension. Aih auan affords the speaker a less influential position, but has the potential of creating empathetic bonds with others and providing future wisdom. We explore in detail these folk concepts and their implications for...
Reversibly-formed ion pairs are not involved during the solvolysis of N,O-diacetyl-N-arylhydroxylamines

Abstract Appropriate oxygen-18 labeling experiments demonstrate that N,O-diarylhydroxylamines do not undergo solvolysis via the reversible formation of ion pairs. This is in total conflict with the conclusions from previous indirect kinetic studies of these ultimate carcinogen models.
An accurate method for testing the thermodynamic consistency of isothermal binary vapour—liquid equilibrium data

Abstract This paper presents a method for using electronic digital computers to determine the thermodynamic consistency of isothermal binary vapour—liquid equilibrium data. Two sets of orthogonal polynomials, P = P(x) and y = y(x), are obtained by fitting the experimental total pressure and vapour-composition data as functions of the liquid composition according to the method of least squares. For P(x) and y(x) various polynomials ranging in degree from 2 to the number of experimental data points less one are determined. All the combinations of the degrees of the fitted polynomals are used to compute the excess chemical potentials which are substituted into the Gibbs—Duhem equation. That combination of polynomials, P = P(x) and y = y(x), which minimizes the Gibbs—Duhem equation is then said to characterize the experimental data in the best possible manner with regard to thermodynamic consistency. Criteria are given for determining whether or not data are thermodynamically consistent. The procedure is developed and an example is presented.
The binding of organic phosphates to oxygenated and deoxygenated eel hemoglobins

1. 1. The binding of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to oxy and deoxygenated samples of hemolysate and individual hemoglobin components (HbI and HbII) prepared from the blood of the American eel, Anguilla rostrata, was examined by membrane ultrafiltration. 2. 2. Deoxygenated unstripped hemolysates bound significantly more total nucleoside triphosphates (NTP) than did the corresponding oxygenated solutions. The mean total phosphorus binding percentages were similar. 3. 3. Stripped samples of hemolysate to which GTP or ATP was added at intraerythrocytic concentrations showed significant preferential binding in the deoxygenated state; samples to which the combined triphosphates were added showed no significant difference. 4. 4. Deoxygenated triphosphate-replaced solutions of HbI and HbII did not bind significantly greater amounts of total NTP than did oxygenated solutions. 5. 5. For all NTP-replaced samples, the differences in the mean total phosphorus binding percentages followed the pattern obtained for the binding of organic phosphates alone. 6. 6. The three types of triphosphate additions produced binding data in disagreement with previously determined effects on hemoglobin oxygen affinity. 7. 7. There was no significant correlation between extent of binding and increase in hemoglobin concentration. 8. 8. The greater binding of triphosphates to HbI than to HbII may indicate functional differences in oxygen transport.
THE SCINTIGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF SOLID PHASE GASTRIC EMPTYING IN NORMAL CATS

The gastric emptying half-time of solid food in normal cats was determined using a scintigraphic technique. 99mTc-sulfur colloid was applied to dry food. Sequential images were acquired post prandial, and the gastric emptying half-time was determined for several different acquisition and processing parameters. Good correlation was found between different acquisition and processing methods, some of which made use of edge detection applications, while others used different views, or number of views from which the gastric emptying half-time was calculated. The mean ± standard deviation, (range) and median of the gastric emptying half-time determined using the geometric mean of total counts in hand-drawn regions of interest from the lateral and ventral images were 2.47 × 0.71, (1.42–3.61) and 2.37 hours respectably.
Evolution of Causes of Mortality in Renal Transplantation in the Last 10 Years

Introduction. Improvements in immunosuppressive therapy have significantly changed results of organ transplantation. The aim of this study was to review the causes of mortality among our renal transplant population. Methods. This study population included 750 patients who underwent kidney transplantation between 1970 and 2007. During the follow-up, we recorded all causes of death and major cardiovascular events: stroke, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, and cardiac death were considered major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) The occurrence of MACE was related to wellestablished cardiovascular risk factors—age, sex, arterial blood pressure, diabetes, renal function, cardiovascular body mass index, history, or dyslipidemia measured at 6 months, as well as 5 and 10 years after transplantation. At these times we also calculated the INDANA, Framingham, and Italian Heart Project scores. Results. The median follow-up was 63 months and mean age was 45 ± 11 years. The median waiting time for transplant was 34 months. During follow up, 22 patients (6.1%) developed MACE, with 2 (0.55%) events within 6 months 10 (3.1%) between 6 months and 5 years, and 10 (6.5%) between 5 and 10 years. The INDANA score at all the time periods was significantly different among patients with vs without MACE (P < .0001), whereas no significant difference was observed using the Framinghan or the Italian Heart Project scores (P < .11). Conclusion. Our study indicated that the INDANA scoring system better predicted the risk of MACE as approved to the Framinghan or Italian Heart Project systems. The INDANA score might be used to plan selective cardiovascular screening among recipients.
The Impact of Maternity Minimum Stay Mandates on Hospitalizations: An Extension

Due to concerns about the health impacts of deliveries with short postpartum hospital stays, many states—and later the federal government—passed mandates regulating the minimum length of hospitalizations insurance policies had to cover. We use the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project-National Inpatient Sample to analyze whether these mandates have differential impacts on various groups of patients. We find that mandates do have a differential impact based on race and hospital size. These differential effects, however, are not equally present in all analyzed discharge groups.
Cardiac arrest in dialysis patients: Approaches to alter an abysmal outcome

Cardiac arrest in dialysis patients: Approaches to alter an abysmal outcome. Cardiac disease is the major cause of death in dialysis patients, accounting for 45% of all-cause mortality. Sudden cardiac death may be implicated in 60% of these cardiac deaths in dialysis patients. The combination of obstructive coronary artery disease, electrolyte shifts (in hemodialysis patients), left ventricular hypertrophy, and abnormal myocardial ultrastructure and function may contribute to the vulnerability of ESRD patients to sudden death. In this review, the epidemiology of cardiac arrest in dialysis patients is presented, including the high lethality associated with cardiac arrest. Clinical strategies to reduce the likelihood of fatal cardiac arrest include the identification of high-risk patients, alteration of dialysis prescription to avoid large volume and electrolyte shifts, and reduction of myocardial ischemic burden. Implantable cardioverter defibrillators may potentially reduce the risk of fatal cardiac arrest in dialysis patients and improve long-term cardiac survival.
Outcomes of Lipid-Lowering Treatment in Postmenopausal Women

Elevated triglycerides and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels are more important coronary risk factors in women, and elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels less important in women, than men. There is clear-cut evidence in clinical trials that the benefit of cholesterol lowering in women and men is virtually identical. Modifiers of lipids and lipoproteins in women include diabetes mellitus, bodyweight and its distribution, and menopausal status. Diabetes is a more powerful predictor of risk in women than men. This may relate to the importance of elevated triglycerides as a risk factor in women, and to the effects of lipoprotein glycosylation, which lead to increased susceptibility to arterial deposition of LDL and decreased reverse cholesterol transport with HDL. Therapy for lipoprotein disorders in women and men is identical. For the overwhelming majority of patients, treatment with statin therapy is both highly efficacious and well tolerated.
Control of sympathetic nerve activity by vagal mechanoreflexes is blunted in heart failure.

BACKGROUNDPrevious studies have documented abnormalities of arterial baroreflexes in animals and patients with congestive heart failure. This study determined whether cardiopulmonary reflex control of sympathetic nerve activity was abnormal in a canine model of low-output heart failure induced by rapid ventricular pacing.METHODS AND RESULTSWe stimulated mechanoreceptors throughout the cardiopulmonary region by volume expansion and left atrial mechanoreceptors selectively by inflating small balloons at the junctions of the pulmonary veins and left atrium. Responses of renal sympathetic nerve activity and left atrial and systemic arterial pressures were recorded. In the control group, 15% volume expansion raised left atrial pressure 3.5 +/- 0.8 mm Hg and resulted in a 70 +/- 8% reduction in renal nerve activity. In the heart failure group, 15% volume expansion resulted in a 6.8 +/- 3.0 mm Hg rise in left atrial pressure with only a 16 +/- 20% reduction in renal nerve activity (p < 0.01). When volume expansi...