cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Empirical Measurement in Market Structure Research

EMPIRICAL research in the field of industrial organization is not new to agricultural economists. The pioneering works of Hoffman and Nicholls are included in any bibliography of significant studies in this area. But until recently, market structure research was almost completely neglected for over a decade. Many things contributed to this neglect. Among them were: the coming of World War II which changed the nature of problems considered relevant by researchers; the initial emphasis on operational efficiency in research sponsored by the Marketing Act of 1946; the barriers to obtaining empirical data; the greater attractiveness of new and sophisticated theoretical tools more applicable in other areas; and the inherent controversial character of much of the research in industrial organization. Combined, these factors led to the virtual abandonment of significant empirical studies in this area by agricultural economists for over a decade. But things have changed, almost over night. Much of the renewed interest has been virtually thrust upon the profession. The most prominent marketing problems of the 1950's, as viewed by many farmers, their cooperatives, food processors, distributors, and public officials were matters of market power and bargaining, price discrimination and predatory practices, vertical integration and contract farming. These problems generally did not lend themselves to analysis by the tools most familiar to marketing economists, especially those techniques appropriate for demand analysis, plant operational efficiency, and, more recently, operations research. Not surprisingly, therefore, many economists turned to market structure theory to learn what it had to offer. I fear that for many this new interest will turn out to be just another fad. Therefore, I want to express my convictions as to why research in this area is of paramount importance today. Public policy in a free enterprise economy is concerned with insuring that industries perform in a socially desirable manner. This end may be achieved through either indirect or direct intervention into the affairs of business. The indirect approach attempts to maintain, encourage, or create an industrial environment in which firms, and those responsible for business
Mechanistic Models Predict Efficacy of CCR5-Deficient Stem Cell Transplants in HIV Patient Populations.

Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) effectively suppresses viral load in HIV-infected individuals, but it is not a cure. Bone marrow transplants using HIV-resistant stem cells have renewed hope that cure is achievable but key questions remain e.g., what percentage of stem cells must be HIV-resistant to achieve cure?. As few patients have undergone transplants, we built a mechanistic model of HIV/AIDS to approach this problem. The model includes major players of infection, reproduces the complete course of the disease, and simulates crucial components of clinical treatments, such as cART, irradiation, host recovery, gene augmentation, and donor chimerism. Using clinical data from 172 cART-naive HIV-infected individuals, we created virtual populations to predict performance of CCR5-deficient stem-cell therapies and explore interpatient variability. We validated our model against a published clinical study of CCR5-modified T-cell therapy. Our model predicted that donor chimerism must exceed 75% to achieve 90% probability of cure across patient populations.
Bioassessment of streams using macroinvertebrates: are the chironomidae necessary?

We compared the sensitivity of commonly usedbioassessment metrics to detect organic impairment ofstreams using data sets that varied only in the inclusion orexclusion of Chironomidae identified to genus. We evaluatedsituations in two contrasting ecoregions of Missouri, U.S.A.,the Ozark ecoregion and the Prairie ecoregion whereChironomidae comprise an average of 32 and 42%,respectively, of the total number of individuals. The without-Chironomidae data showed either identical or greatersensitivity than with Chironomidae data in every case whenusing the metrics total taxa, biotic index, Shannon'sdiversity index, and % dominant taxon. We conclude thatbioassessment programs employing commonly-used metrics thatusually incorporate Chironomidae may become more efficientby eliminating Chironomidae from the protocols and usingthose resources for analyzing additional sites.
Gene expression analysis of oral cancer chemoprevention by lyophilized strawberries in DMBA-induced hamster cheek pouch

B9 Oral cancers represent 2.5-3.0% of all cancers worldwide. Prognosis for oral cancers is poor with 5- and 10-year survival rates of 59% and 44%, respectively. Even with advances in treatment, these survival rates have not changed dramatically in three decades. Since current long-term treatments are relatively ineffective, it is important to develop novel strategies for the prevention of oral cancer.Chemoprevention by natural food products, e.g., black raspberries, has been demonstrated to be a viable approach for aerodigestive cancer prevention.The hamster cheek pouch (HCP) model was used to evaluate administration of lyophilized strawberries (LS) during the initiation and progression of oral cancer induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA). LS were incorporated into AIN-76A pellets at 5% and 10%, and fed to hamsters before, during, and after carcinogen treatment (Complete Chemoprevention Assay; CC), or after establishment of premalignant lesions (Post-initiation Assay; PI). Animals were sacrificed at 12 weeks and examined for total lesions, and tumor incidence and multiplicity. HCP tissues were excised and quick frozen for RNA isolation. Using Real-Time RT-PCR, we analyzed gene expression in apoptosis (Bcl2, Bax), angiogenesis (Vegfa), and proliferation (Myc, Ccnb2, Cdk2, Psmd10) pathways, as well as in select tumor suppressor genes (Cdkn2ap16, Cdkn2ap13-ARF, Trp53) in HCP tissues.LS at 5% and 10% inhibited tumor formation by 28% (p
570 PLACENTAL LIPIDS, FATTY ACID COMPOSITION, AND ENZYMES

In a subject homozygous for familial hypercholesterolemia (FHC) placental lipids (PL), enzymes (E), and insulin receptors (IR) were studied to determine if changes in PL were associated with change in E or IR. Levels of FHC placental phospholipids, free fatty acids, triglycerides, cholesterol esters, and cholesterol were respectively .031, .106, .045, .149, and .044 mg/g placenta, with (X±SD) values in 6 normal placentas being .11±.02, .07±.01, .09±.004, .15±.04,and .13±.03. The FHC placenta had much less phospholipid, triglyceride, and cholesterol and more free fatty acids than normals. Placental palmitic acid in all lipid classes of the FHC was twice that of normals, while FHC placental linoleic acid was increased and arachidonic acid decreased. Marker E content and localization in the FHC placenta was normal. FHC placental alkaline phosphatase, 5′ nucleotidase, Ca++ and Mg++ ATPase, and IR concentrations were normal when compared to 6 normal term placentas. Microvillus brush border membranes were enriched 10-12 fold with marker E, as compared to activities in the whole placental homogenate in FHC and normals. The IR concentration at 12 × 10−10M I-125 insulin in the FHC and normal placentas was 33.7 vs. 37±8.2 × 10−6 nmoles/mg protein respectively, an insignificant difference. Despite changes in placental membrane lipids in the FHC, there were no changes in marker E or IR concentration, implying normal placental function as measured (indirectly) by these parameters, and by the successful butcome of this pregnancy and birth of a healthy obligate heteroygote male neonate.
Stochastic GIS-Based Water Resources/Quality Modeling of the Land Water Interface

Linking a land model to a water model at this interface is a major step in developing an integrated water quantity/quality modeling process. On the other hand, the quantification of variability and uncertainty of hydrology and water quality parameters is a great challenge facing water resources managers. The objective of this paper is to report on the use of the Gridded Surface Sub-surface Hydrological Analysis (GSSHA) and CE-QUAL-W2 model interfaces in the Watershed Modeling System (WMS) as a framework for an integrated water resources approach that can stochastically model the land water interface. The conventional integrated water resources methods are primarily based on deterministic approaches. Whereas this research uses some statistical methods to address uncertainty and account for the randomness of model input variables. WMS is a comprehensive graphical modeling environment for various phases of watershed hydrology. It is a GIS-based pre/post processing software that supports many hydrologic/hydraulic and water quality models widely used by water resources managers/engineers. GSSHA is a 2d physical, distributed hydrologic model that simulates the hydrologic response of a watershed subject to given hydrometeorological inputs. CE-QUAL-W2 is a two-dimensional water quality and hydrodynamic model capable of modeling watersheds with interconnected rivers, reservoirs and estuaries. The framework presents modeling the land portion of the watershed using GSSHA and taking the GSSHA output to use as input to CE-QUAL-W2. This process is repeatedly done using statistical simulation for GSSHA input parameters using probability density functions (PDFs) of selected parameters that are assumed to exhibit a probabilistic nature. Furthermore, the presented framework addresses uncertainty in both water quantity and quality. Statistical intervals are used to report results as opposed to single value. For example, a time series of a pollutant of choice is presented in a credible interval of, for instance, 95% confidence level would suggest there is a 95% probability that the pollutant lies between the interval limits. This is as opposed to reporting a single concentration value for each time step.
Langmuir-Trojan Two-electron Wavepackets on Regular Polygon Orbits in Atoms and Quantum Dots

We show that our recently discovered regular polygon orbits originated from the free fall of the electron onto the nucleus in strong magnetic field can be extended to two-electron Langmuir-like Trojan configurations in such fields.
Clinical effects of middle turbinate resection after endoscopic sinus surgery: a systematic review.

BackgroundThe middle turbinate (MT) is a structure that is often carefully preserved during endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) in an effort to preserve nasal physiology and serve as an anatomic landmar...
Identification of Multiple Mercury Sources to Stream Sediments near Oak Ridge, TN, USA

Sediments were analyzed for total Hg concentration (THg) and isotopic composition from streams and rivers in the vicinity of the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y12) in Oak Ridge, TN (USA). In the stream directly draining Y12, where industrial releases of mercury (Hg) have been documented, high THg (3.26 to 60.1 μg/g) sediments had a distinct Hg isotopic composition (δ202Hg of 0.02 ± 0.15‰ and Δ199Hg of −0.07 ± 0.03‰; mean ± 1SD, n = 12) compared to sediments from relatively uncontaminated streams in the region (δ202Hg = −1.40 ± 0.06‰ and Δ199Hg of −0.26 ± 0.03‰; mean ± 1SD, n = 6). Additionally, several streams that are nearby but do not drain Y12 had sediments with intermediate THg (0.06 to 0.21 μg/g) and anomalous δ202Hg (as low as −5.07‰). We suggest that the low δ202Hg values in these sediments provide evidence for the contribution of an additional Hg source to sediments, possibly derived from atmospheric deposition. In sediments directly downstream of Y12 this third Hg source is not discernible, and...
Metamaterial Perfect Absorber Based Hot Electron Photodetection

While the nonradiative decay of surface plasmons was once thought to be only a parasitic process that limits the performance of plasmonic devices, it has recently been shown that it can be harnessed in the form of hot electrons for use in photocatalysis, photovoltaics, and photodetectors. Unfortunately, the quantum efficiency of hot electron devices remains low due to poor electron injection and in some cases low optical absorption. Here, we demonstrate how metamaterial perfect absorbers can be used to achieve near-unity optical absorption using ultrathin plasmonic nanostructures with thicknesses of 15 nm, smaller than the hot electron diffusion length. By integrating the metamaterial with a silicon substrate, we experimentally demonstrate a broadband and omnidirectional hot electron photodetector with a photoresponsivity that is among the highest yet reported. We also show how the spectral bandwidth and polarization-sensitivity can be manipulated through engineering the geometry of the metamaterial unit ...
Hopping currents for III-V nanostructures in the tight binding approximation

Carrier transport and transport mechanisms are the essence of modern microelectronic devices. Illumination of a special class of optical devices generates free carriers in solid-state devices that eventually become collected electric currents. An important transport mechanism in microelectronic devices is hopping conduction form site to site. In this communication, we calculate Nearest Neighbor Hopping (NNH) current densities for III-V heterostructures embedded in the intrinsic layer of p-i-n geometries. We start from a general formalism that relates the density of states in individual wells with the transition probabilities from a quantum well state to any neighboring one, in a superlattice-geometry. In the process, we point out the fact that there is zero hopping-current without Fermi level splitting for any two consecutive layers. Next, and in the tight binding approximation (TBA), we relate the eigen-energies with the transition probabilities and conclude that NNH-currents seem to be of the order of 1mA/cm2, and depend on (a) device geometry (b) temperature (c) conduction band discontinuity and (d) Fermi level splitting.
Presence of Endothelial to Mesenchymal Transition in End Stage Human Myocardial Samples-Documentation in Human Heart Failure for the First Time

Background: Endothelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EndMT) and the reverse phenomenon of mesenchymal to endothelial transitioning (MET) has been shown to contribute to fibrosis in rodent models of heart failure. There are no studies documenting the same in human cardiac tissue. Methods: We performed immunofluorescence dual staining on end stage heart failure myocardial samples obtained from our bio repository. Staining for endothelial and mesenchymal markers were performed with Anti-VE-Cadherin (Santa Cruz Biotechnologies) and anti-Fibroblast specific protein 1 (Dako Antibodies) respectively using standard immunofluoresence techniques. Presence of dual staining on fluorescence microscopy was considered as positive for the presence of EndMT. Vascular density was assessed using a DAB (3-3’ Diaminobenzidine) technique with Anti-CD31 (PECAM, Abcam). Results: Of the end stage heart failure samples, 18 were from left ventricular core during LVAD implant and 5 during a direct transplant as status 1A (axillary intraaortic balloon pump). 10 hearts of patients bridged to transplant with a continuous flow LVAD (Days under support 3436228) were also studied. Mean age was 55y with 82% males and 74% white. 70% of all samples had evidence of EndMT. The number of cells ranged from 1 to 5 per high power field. There was no significant difference between patient characteristics between those with evidence of EndMT versus not, except a higher prevalence of diabetes in the latter group. (Fig 1B) 74% of the end-stage heart failure samples and 60% of the post-VAD samples showed the presence of EndMT cells. Vascular Density was higher in the samples exhibiting EndMT phenomenon. (Figure 1A). Conclusion: We have documented for the first time, the existence of endothelial-mesenchymal transition in human end stage myocardial samples corroborating earlier pioneering studies in rodents. Interestingly the existence of such dual staining cells in end stage hearts (which is highly fibrotic) suggests a possible role of ongoing fibrosis with endothelial to mesenchymal transitioning or potential antifibrotic mechanism though mesenchymal to endothelial transitioning. Further studies of the later process will be warranted to explore potential anti-fibrotic therapeutic implications.
Microbe Changes and Functions during the Production of Traditional Rice-sprinkling Mother Yeast of Yellow Rice Wine

During the production of rice-sprinkling mother yeast, in cavity-building saccharification period, lactic acid cocci mainly included Enterococci, Leuconostoc, Pedicoccus, Lactococcus, Oenococcus, and minute quantity of Lactobacillus; in resting stage, acid content increased greatly and yeast propagated rapidly; in stirring stage, yeast produced alcohol rapidly and lactic acid cocci quantity dropped quickly, however, Lactobacillus quantity increased greatly and achieved the peak value and pH value in fermented wine decreased to the lowest value. In this period, drastic changes of yeast and lactic acid bacteria (lactic acid cocci and lactobacillus) occurred, and the functions of Endomycopsis gradually faded. Lactic acid cocci and lactobacillus played important roles in the production of rice-sprinkling mother yeast for they were the key bacteria ensuring normal production of rice-sprinkling mother yeast. The key factors influencing the production of mother yeast included temperature, yeast, technical operation and water. The microbes in mother yeast mainly came from yeast and production spot. And mother yeast functions covered the following aspects: inoculation, used as mixed embryo, jar washing, used to produce rice-sprinkling wine and homemade wine, and used for the separation of microzyme and lactobacillus etc. (Tran. by YUE Yang)
A New Trinomial Deliverability Equation with Consideration of Stress Sensitivity

Reservoirs with low permeability always exhibit strong stress-sensitivity.According to the regression of extensive experimental data,power function is suitable for describing the stress sensitivity of reservoir permeability.However,the related reported on productivity of reservoirs with low permeability using power function of permeability is rare.This paper established a novel productivity equation for abnormally high pressure and low permeability reservoirs with consideration of threshold pressure gradient,turbulent effect as well as stress-sensitivity using the power function equation.The inflow performance relationships(IPR)were also plotted under different combination of relevant parameters.These parameters have significant effects on the productivity of low permeability gas wells,which should be taken into account when we assess the deliverability of these reservoirs.
The Analysis of Unbalanced Active Energy Error in Power Plant

This paper introduced a real case of active energy error.According to three groups of electric energy load profile data which included electric energy meter of power-side,energy power data acquire system of power-side and energy power data acquire system of grid side,the paper compared the three groups of data for each other by the sequence of time.Through analyzing and comparing the data,this article introduced a method and idea for energy power error,which can find the reason of error.After correcting the fault,the electric energy measurement became normal.
Research on Fault Criteria of Single Phase Grounding in Resonant Grounding Systems

A kind of criteria to diagnose the type and phase of distribution grid faults by sampling three phase voltage and neutral voltage and a kind of calculation and discrimination is discussed in this paper.The performance of the criteria is verified by the model established in MATLAB environment.
Ag BL Description for General Atomics

The Material Strength campaign at LLNL is an effort to measure the resistance of materials to deformation when placed under large stresses. These experiments are carried out at large laser facilities, where a laser-driven plasma pusher creates a pressure in excess of 5 Mbar (on the NIF) or 1 Mbar (at OMEGA) in the sample of interest. Strong materials resist deforming in response to these high pressures, and the magnitude of the strength can be inferred using an x-ray probe traversing the sample. The x-ray source used for this probe must be bright, high-energy, and spatially coherent. To achieve all of these things, silver micro-wires and micro-flags are an essential diagnostic tool.
The Sources of Naval Capability

Four primary sources of naval capability are analysed in this chapter. Together these indicate the degrees of support given at different ranks for naval expansion. This in turn gives a basis for estimating the likely behaviour of individual navies; whether and to what extent they will rise or fall in rank or whether they will remain stable. The characteristic patterns between sources of naval capability and the six naval ranks will also be identified.
Global Financial Crisis of 2008, Asymmetric Effects of Exchange Rate Changes, and Stability of the Demand for Money in Japan

We wonder if Global Financial Crisis of 2008 affected stability of the demand for money in Japan. In testing this hypothesis we deviate from previous studies which either excluded the exchange rate from money demand function in Japan or have not been able to find any significant relation between the exchange rate and the demand for money. While we address stability of the demand for money, we show that failure to find a cointegrating relation or significant effects could be due to assuming a linear model in which exchange rate changes have symmetric effects. Once we consider a nonlinear ARDL approach of Shin et al .â€™s (2014), we show that not only variables in the money demand are cointegrated but exchange rate changes have asymmetric effects. In the long run, while appreciation of yen has significantly positive effect on the demand for money in Japan, depreciation does not. We also find a stable money demand which was not affected by 2008 financial crisis.
The effect of sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus on speech recognition over air and bone conduction military communications headsets.

Military personnel are at risk for hearing loss due to noise exposure during deployment (USACHPPM, 2008). Despite mandated use of hearing protection, hearing loss and tinnitus are prevalent due to reluctance to use hearing protection. Bone conduction headsets can offer good speech intelligibility for normal hearing (NH) listeners while allowing the ears to remain open in quiet environments and the use of hearing protection when needed. Those who suffer from tinnitus, the experience of perceiving a sound not produced by an external source, often show degraded speech recognition; however, it is unclear whether this is a result of decreased hearing sensitivity or increased distractibility (Moon et al., 2015). It has been suggested that the vibratory stimulation of a bone conduction headset might ameliorate the effects of tinnitus on speech perception; however, there is currently no research to support or refute this claim (Hoare et al., 2014). Speech recognition of words presented over air conduction and bone conduction headsets was measured for three groups of listeners: NH, sensorineural hearing impaired, and/or tinnitus sufferers. Three levels of speech-to-noise (SNR = 0, -6, -12 dB) were created by embedding speech items in pink noise. Better speech recognition performance was observed with the bone conduction headset regardless of hearing profile, and speech intelligibility was a function of SNR. Discussion will include study limitations and the implications of these findings for those serving in the military.
Comparison of astigmatic prediction errors associated with new calculation methods for toric intraocular lenses

Purpose To compare the prediction errors in residual astigmatism associated with new calculation methods for toric intraocular lenses (IOLs). Setting Hospital da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal. Design Retrospective case series. Methods In eyes having cataract surgery with toric IOL implantation (Acrysof IQ), the predicted residual astigmatism by each calculation method was compared with the manifest refractive astigmatism. The prediction error in residual astigmatism was calculated by vector analysis. Results The study evaluated 86 eyes (86 patients). All calculation methods resulted in overcorrection of with-the-rule astigmatism and undercorrection of against-the-rule astigmatism. For the original Alcon calculator, the centroid prediction error was 0.43 @ 170, which was reduced by the application of the Baylor nomogram (0.35 @ 169) or the Abulafia-Koch formula (0.34 @ 170). For the Holladay toric calculator, the centroid prediction error was 0.40 @ 168, which was reduced by the Baylor nomogram (0.35 @ 169), the Abulafia-Koch formula (0.25 @ 158), and the Goggin coefficient of adjustment (0.38 @ 170). The Barrett calculator and the newly introduced Alcon calculator yielded the lowest centroid prediction errors (0.17 @ 165 and 0.19 @ 164, respectively). The centroid prediction error of ray-tracing calculations (PhacoOptics) using real posterior corneal surface measurements was 0.32 @ 171. Conclusions The Barrett toric calculator and the new Alcon calculator yielded the lowest astigmatic prediction errors. Of the nomogram methods, application of the Abulafia-Koch formula achieved the best results. The outcomes of toric IOL implantation might be improved by using 1 of these calculation methods.
A Cell Population Model with Structured Medium for Budding Yeast Cultures

Abstract Continuous cultures of Saccharomyces ceremsiae are known to exhibit sustained oscillations under aerobic and glucose limited growth conditions. The oscillations are reflected in measurements of both intracelluar and extracellular variables. Our recent work has shown that unstructured cell population balance models are capable of generating sustained oscillations over a range of dilution rates. A disadvantage of unstructured models is they lack variables that can be compared directly to experimental data. In this paper we present a structured description of the medium that allows the cell population model predictions to be compared to easily measured extracellular variables such as the dissolved oxygen and evolved carbondioxide concentrations. The proposed model is shown to replicate transient behavior observed experimentally for both batch and continuous cultures
Individual Autonomy and Local-Level Solidarity in Africa

Come election time, many localities in Africa seem to speak with one voice. Vote totals often suggest near-unanimity within villages and neighborhoods, even when national-level results demonstrate greater competitiveness. However, there is substantial variation in the electoral solidarity of local communities, with some demonstrating significantly less cohesion than others. Few if any scholars have tried to explain this variation. I theorize that solidarity levels are largely a function of community members' abilities to act autonomously. Namely, communities will be more likely to vote en bloc when residents are less able to resist pressures from local elites, who often act as brokers for national politicians, due to elite-empowering land-tenure regimes, poverty, and information scarcity. I test this theory with data from Uganda, which displays significant variation in local-level electoral solidarity. I find that electoral solidarity is lower in communities where freehold land arrangements are more common, living standards are higher, and mass media (i.e., radio signals) are more accessible.
Atmospheric Ice Particle Shape Estimates from Polarimetric Radar Measurements and In Situ Observations

AbstractA remote sensing approach to retrieve the degree of nonsphericity of ice hydrometeors using scanning polarimetric Ka-band radar measurements from a U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program cloud radar operated in an alternate transmission–simultaneous reception mode is introduced. Nonsphericity is characterized by aspect ratios representing the ratios of particle minor-to-major dimensions. The approach is based on the use of a circular depolarization ratio (CDR) proxy reconstructed from differential reflectivity ZDR and copolar correlation coefficient ρhυ linear polarization measurements. Essentially combining information contained in ZDR and ρhυ, CDR-based retrievals of aspect ratios are fairly insensitive to hydrometeor orientation if measurements are performed at elevation angles of around 40°–50°. The suggested approach is applied to data collected using the third ARM Mobile Facility (AMF3), deployed to Oliktok Point, Alaska. Aspect ratio retrievals were also p...
Incomplete clustering of electricity consumption: an empirical analysis with industrial and residential datasets

In this paper, we study the role of analytics for electricity consumption in smart grids and their possible applications like detecting fraud. Using data-sets of industrial as well as residential c...
Characterization of AHR2 and CYP1A expression in Atlantic sturgeon and shortnose sturgeon treated with coplanar PCBs and TCDD.

Abstract Atlantic sturgeon and shortnose sturgeon co-occur in many estuaries along the Atlantic Coast of North America. Both species are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and internationally on the IUCN Red list and by CITES. Early life-stages of both sturgeons may be exposed to persistent aromatic hydrocarbon contaminants such as PCBs and PCDD/Fs which are at high levels in the sediments of impacted spawning rivers. Our objective was to compare the PCBs and TCDD sensitivities of both species with those of other fishes and to determine if environmental concentrations of these contaminants approach those that induce toxicity to their young life-stages under controlled laboratory conditions. Because our previous studies suggested that young life-stages of North American sturgeons are among the more sensitive of fishes to coplanar PCB and TCDD-induced toxicities, we were interested in identifying the molecular bases of this vulnerability. It is known that activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor 2 (AHR2) in fishes mediates most toxicities to these contaminants and transcriptional activation of xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes such as cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A). Previous studies demonstrated that structural and functional variations in AHRs are the bases for differing sensitivities of several vertebrate taxa to aromatic hydrocarbons. Therefore, in this study we characterized AHR2 and its expression in both sturgeons as an initial step in understanding the mechanistic bases of their sensitivities to these contaminants. We also used CYP1A expression as an endpoint to develop Toxicity Equivalency Factors (TEFs) for these sturgeons. We found that critical amino acid residues in the ligand binding domain of AHR2 in both sturgeons were identical to those of the aromatic hydrocarbon-sensitive white sturgeon, and differed from the less sensitive lake sturgeon. AHR2 expression was induced by TCDD (up to 6-fold) and by three of four tested coplanar PCB congeners (3–5-fold) in Atlantic sturgeon, but less so in shortnose sturgeon. We found that expression of AHR2 and CYP1A mRNA significantly covaried after exposure to TCDD and PCB77, PCB81, PCB126, but not PCB169 in both sturgeons. We also determined TEFs for the four coplanar PCBs in shortnose sturgeon based on comparison of CYP1A mRNA expression across all doses. Surprisingly, the TEFs for all four coplanar PCBs in shortnose sturgeon were much higher (6.4–162 times) than previously adopted for fishes by the WHO.
Analysis of dual-stator 6/4 FSPM and IPM machines under internal short circuits

This paper discusses an analysis of internal short circuits (ISC) on a low pole dual-stator flux-switching permanent magnet (FSPM) synchronous machine. The 6/4 FSPM topology utilized in this paper is particularly useful in high speed applications due to low pole count. One of the key feature of the dual-stator 6/4 FSPM is that it overcomes the even harmonics which is an important drawback in the conventional 6/4 FSPM topology. Unlike interior permanent magnet (IPM) machines, where both permanent magnet (PM) and saliency contribute to overall torque, FSPM machines rely only on the PM to develop torque. Hence for a given torque value, PM flux is higher in FSPM than IPM which makes ISC more detrimental in FSPM. Finite element analysis (FEA) is performed on both the dual-stator 6/4 FSPM and a baseline IPM machine. Typically, IPM machines have considerable amount of spatial harmonics. However, because of its unique even order harmonic cancelation properties, the current waveforms obtained for the dual-stator FSPM are more sinusoidal which make it easier for online diagnostics of ISC.
Association of tumor-infiltrating T-cell density with molecular subtype, racial ancestry and clinical outcomes in prostate cancer.

The inflammatory microenvironment plays an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of tumors and may be associated with somatic genomic alterations. We examined the association of tumor-infiltrating T-cell density with clinical-pathologic variables, tumor molecular subtype, and oncologic outcomes in surgically treated primary prostate cancer occurring in patients of European-American or African-American ancestry. We evaluated 312 primary prostate tumors, enriched for patients with African-American ancestry and high grade disease. Tissue microarrays were immunostained for CD3, CD8, and FOXP3 and were previously immunostained for ERG and PTEN using genetically validated protocols. Image analysis for quantification of T-cell density in tissue microarray tumor spots was performed. Automated quantification of T-cell densities in tumor-containing regions of tissue microarray spots and standard histologic sections were correlated (r = 0.73, p < 0.00001) and there was good agreement between visual and automated T-cell density counts on tissue microarray spots (r = 0.93, p < 0.00001). There was a significant correlation between CD3+, CD8+, and FOXP3+ T-cell densities (p < 0.00001), but these were not associated with most clinical or pathologic variables. Increased T-cell density was significantly associated with ERG positivity (median 309 vs. 188 CD3+ T cells/mm2; p = 0.0004) and also with PTEN loss (median 317 vs. 192 CD3+ T cells/mm2; p = 0.001) in the combined cohort of matched European-American and African-American ancestry patients. The same association or a similar trend was present in patients of both ancestries when analyzed separately. When the African-American patients from the matched race set were combined with a separate high grade set of African-American cases, there was a weak association of increased FOXP3+ T-cell densities with increased risk of metastasis in multivariable analysis. Though high T-cell density is associated with specific molecular subclasses of prostate cancer, we did not find an association of T-cell density with racial ancestry.
Pelage color of red bats Lasiurus borealis varies with body size: An image analysis of museum specimens

Mammalian pelage color can vary among individuals of many species, although this intraspecific variation is often overlooked by researchers, perhaps because of its sometimes subtle nature and difficulty in assessing it quantitatively. Thus, such variation is rarely studied in mammals, and this is especially true within the order Chiroptera, where there has been very little em- pirical research. We examined museum specimens of red bats (Lasiurus borealis, family Vespertilionidae) from Georgia, USA, to determine the extent of sexual dimorphism in pelage color and to explore possible associations between body size and pelage color. We photographed 54 specimens under uniform lighting, and used an image analysis program to measure pelage hue on the uropatagium region, which is fully furred in members of the genus Lasiurus. Statistical analyses of pelage hue scores showed males had significantly redder pelage than females when considered alone, but when examined together with effects of body size and collection year, sex was not significant, and collection year and body size were. More recent specimens tended to be less red than older specimens, which might indicate a wearing of the buffy tips of hairs from older specimens, and smaller bats of both sexes tended to be more red. These interesting findings are encouraging and we suggest that future explorations into intraspecific variation in pelage color of bats using this or similar approaches are warranted to clarify the significance of the patterns. This study also demonstrated that care must be taken in analyses of mammalian pelage color from older museum skins, or at least that researchers must take into account the age of the specimens (Current Zoology 56 (4): 401-405, 2010).
An Improved Two-Surface Plasticity Model for Concrete and Rocks Subject to Three-Dimensional Loading

ABSTRACT The constitutive model developed recently by Faruque and Chang (1986) is extended to predict deformation behavior of concrete and rocks under three-dimensional (3-D) loading. The failure and yield surfaces are described by compatible functionals defined by the same material constants. An optimization technique is employed to evaluate the associated material constants.
Initial Development and Psychometric Data for the Privilege and Oppression Inventory

The authors describe the development of the Privilege and Oppression Inventory, a measure that assesses counselors’ awareness of privilege and oppression along dimensions of race, sexual orientatio...
Toxicology Facts and Formulas

Toxic ingestions and intoxications are common reasons for emergency department presentation and admission to the intensive care unit. The following formulas, facts, and laboratory values may help the acute and critical care practitioner diagnose and manage these patients.
Effect of Age on Distribution of Zidovudine (Azidothymidine) into the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Macaca nemestrina

The brain tissue is an important target for anti-HIV drug therapy. Since the permeability of the blood–brain and blood–cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barriers may differ between neonates and adults, we have determined the effect of age on the distribution of zidovudine (ZDV or azidothymidine) into the CSF in the macaque (M. nemestrina). Five newborn macaques were administered ZDV (iv bolus, 5 mg/kg) at various ages (2 days to 4 months). Both CSF (cisternal) and venous blood samples were obtained at approximately 60 and 90 min after drug administration. In another series of experiments, adult female macaques received ZDV as either an iv bolus (5 and 10 mg/kg) or an infusion for at least 12 hr. CSF (lumbar) and venous blood samples were obtained at approximately 60 and 90 min after iv bolus and at more than 12 hr after iv infusion. ZDV concentration in the CSF and the plasma samples was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The CSF/plasma concentration ratio of ZDV in the newborn and adult macaques, after iv bolus administration, was independent of time. In addition, no significant (P > 0.05) difference was observed in the pooled iv bolus ZDV CSF/plasma concentration ratio between the adult group (0.236 ± 0.058) and the newborns (0.213 ± 0.039). Moreover, the ZDV CSF/plasma concentration ratio in the adults and the newborns, after iv bolus administration, was found not to be significantly (P > 0.05) different from the ratio obtained at steady state in the adults (0.224 ± 0.094). These data indicate that the distribution of ZDV into the CSF in macaque neonates and adults is similar.
Folding of Gα Subunits: Implications for Disease States.

G-proteins play a central role in signal transduction by fluctuating between “on” and “off” phases that are determined by a conformational change. cAMP is a secondary messenger whose formation is inhibited or stimulated by activated Giα1 or Gsα subunit. We used tryptophan fluorescence, UV/vis spectrophotometry, and circular dichroism to probe distinct structural features within active and inactive conformations from wild-type and tryptophan mutants of Giα1 and Gsα. For all proteins studied, we found that the active conformations were more stable than the inactive conformations, and upon refolding from higher temperatures, activated wild-type subunits recovered significantly more native structure. We also observed that the wild-type subunits partially regained the ability to bind nucleotide. The increased compactness observed upon activation was consistent with the calculated decrease in solvent accessible surface area for wild-type Giα1. We found that as the temperature increased, Gα subunits, which are k...
Understanding the efficiency of keywords in search engine marketing - a comparison study using data envelopment analysis

We use data envelopment analysis to examine and compare the pricing efficiency of keywords in Google and Bing sponsored search markets. It is found that keyword efficiency scores are not significantly different between Google and Bing search markets. We also evaluate the effectiveness of the Google Adgroup recommendation system that suggests the keywords in a campaign being grouped by each of the apparel attributes: generic, fabric, sex, price promotion, colour, and size. Efficiency scores significantly vary across the Adgroups categorised via Google's recommendations. Size and colour related key phrases are more efficient than generic and promotion/sale related keywords. When comparing efficiency by match type, broad terms are more efficient than modified broad terms. In addition, 'efficiency scores' and Google's 'quality scores' for keywords are found positively correlated. High-efficiency keywords are found generating high revenue for advertisers, while quality scores are found only significantly related to cost.
Parental Alienation: A Measurement Tool

The Rowlands Parental Alienation Scale (RPAS) was administered to 592 parents along with measures of convergent and discriminant validity. The scale was designed to capture the eight domains of par...
Investigation of factors influencing roof stability at a Western U.S. longwall coal mine

Abstract The coal mine roof rating (CMRR) was developed to bridge the gap between geological variation in underground coal mines and engineering design. The CMRR accounts for the compressive strength of the immediate roof, the shear strength and intensity of any discontinuities present, and the moisture sensitivity of the immediate roof. The CMRR has been widely used and validated in Eastern US coal mines, but it has seen limited application in the Western US. This study focuses on roof behavior at a Western coal mine (Mine A). Mine A shows significant lateral geological variation, along with localized faulting and a laterally extensive sandstone channel network. The CMRR is not used to predict roof instability at the mine. It is, therefore, hypothesized that there are other factors that are correlated with roof instability in underground coal mines that could potentially also be considered in conjunction with the CMRR. This hypothesis was tested by collecting 30 CMRR measurements at Mine A. At each measurement location, a binary record of the roof condition (stable or unstable) was made, and other parameters such as depth of cover, presence of faulting, and sandstone channels were also recorded. ANOVA tests showed that the CMRR values and the roof conditions were not strongly correlated, indicating that the CMRR input criteria are not fully predictive of roof stability at this mine. The CMRR values showed statistically significant correlations (p less than 0.05) with faulting as well as with location at an intersection. For areas that had previously experienced roof fall but were currently stable, faulting was correlated with roof condition (p less than 0.05) only when the condition was classified as unstable.
Potential of acidified sodium benzoate as an alternative wash solution of cherry tomatoes: Changes of quality, background microbes, and inoculated pathogens during storage at 4 and 21°C post-washing.

Abstract To evaluate the feasibility of acidified sodium benzoate (NaB) as alternative washing solutions of fresh produce, the survival of inoculated pathogens, the background molds and yeasts counts, and quality parameters were compared during 4 and 21 °C storage of cherry tomatoes washed with 3000 ppm NaB at pH 2.0, 200 ppm free chlorine at pH 6.5, water adjusted to pH 2.0, and distilled water. The acidified NaB solution was the most effective in reducing the population of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes cocktails on tomatoes (>4 log CFU/g). NaB was more effective than free chlorine (P 0.05). No recovery of bacteria was found in all treatments during storage for 15 days. The acidified NaB effectively controlled yeasts and molds on cherry tomatoes to
Focusing Processes: Potential Pathways for Transfer of Science Concepts from an Engineering Task.

Transfer is an important outcome of science and engineering education, but little work has explored factors that facilitate transfer of science concepts from engineering tasks. The transfer literat...
Single-Anchor Localizability in 5G Millimeter Wave Networks

Fifth generation networks utilizing millimeter wave frequencies enable single-anchor localization to be performed via a line-of-sight (LOS) path or, as recently suggested, via non-line-of-sight (NLOS) paths exclusively. Thus, for a single base station-mobile pair, under a Boolean model (random positions, sizes, and orientations) of reflectors, and considering first-order reflections (in addition to the LOS path), this letter analytically derives the probability that the mobile is able to obtain an unambiguous location estimate ( i.e. , the mobile’s localizability ). This analysis also reveals that localization, via NLOS signals exclusively, is a relatively small contributor to the mobile’s overall localizability.
Making the Most of Science Seminars

Although guest speakers have been a part of our curriculum for several decades, in recent years we have adopted a system that allows us to maximize the benefit of these speakers for our students. We provide learning opportunities before, during, and after a seminar to enhance students' scientific comprehension. Our system begins with students reading peer-reviewed literature relevant to a future seminar. In class, students work cooperatively to answer guided questions about the article, which serves as a basis for a discussion of the article among the entire class. This preparation facilitates students' understanding, their engagement, and their awareness of effective presentation techniques. Finally, small-group discussions with the speaker can provide students knowledge about their curriculum, awareness of additional opportunities, and insight into the nature of science. Our system thus provides a series of learning opportunities that ensure student engagement with the material multiple times, resulting in a deeper understanding of scientific research and effective mechanisms to communicate it.