cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How much weight do organizational personality inferences have on judgments of organizations

Abstract Organizational personality inferences are the human-like attributes individuals ascribe to organizations. Extant research has shown that individuals reliably distinguish organizations on these traits and these inferences influence individuals’ judgments of organizations. Theory of Symbolic Attraction posits that the importance given to organizational personality when forming judgments depends on the needs of the person. This policy capturing study investigated how much weight individuals give to each personality factor when forming organizational judgments and tested propositions that social identity concerns moderate the weight given. Results were also compared to the aggregated effects from extant research. Organizational personality inferences directly affected organizational judgments, some of these effects were moderated by social identity concerns, and the pattern of results were different than past research.
Breaking the Divide: Setting Environmental Precedent in the Chicago River

Here we argue that sociolegal processes can not only restructure social relationships through setting legal precedent but can also restructure socioenvironmental relationships through setting what we call “environmental precedent.” By environmental precedent we mean the environmental consequences of legal processes, environmental consequences that then become the new, dynamic material reality for future legal processes. We apply the concept of environmental precedent to a legal history of the Chicago River, using this case to illustrate how interactions between sociolegal and environmental processes can set environmental precedent in a way that reshuffles the social and material foundations of future legal processes.
A framework for auditing and strategizing to ensure cloud privacy.

In this study we present a framework for auditing and strategizing to ensure cloud privacy. Management of cloud privacy is a problem since it continues to remain an elusive concept due to the evolv...
Chapter 8 – Motor Stereotypies

Despite not being a new disorder, the definition, classification, treatment, and underlying pathophysiology of motor stereotypies continue to evolve. Historically, stereotypic movement disorders have been linked to autism and impaired cognitive deficiency, although they commonly occur in typically developing children. Motor stereotypies can be readily classified into two groups: “primary,” indicating a physiologic basis, and “secondary,” for those associated with other neurodevelopmental problems. Both types of stereotypies usually begin in early childhood, frequently persist into adulthood, and are often a source of concern for parents. Although viewed by some as behaviors produced to alter a state of arousal, there is increasing evidence to support a neurobiological mechanism. Accumulating evidence supports the use of behavioral therapy whereas there is only limited support for the use of pharmacologic treatment.
Immunosuppressive Functions of M2 Macrophages Derived from iPSCs of Patients with ALS and Healthy Controls.

Summary Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disorder with immune alterations that augment disease severity. M2 macrophages benefit diabetic and nephrotic mice by suppressing the pro-inflammatory state. However, neither have M2 cells been investigated in ALS nor have human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived M2 cells been thoroughly studied for immunosuppressive potentials. Here, iPSCs of C9orf72 mutated or sporadic ALS patients were differentiated into M2 macrophages, which suppressed activation of pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages as well as proliferation of ALS CD4+CD25- Tc (Teffs). M2 cells converted ALS Teffs into CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) and rescued Tregs of ALS patients from losing CD25 and Foxp3. Furthermore, Tregs induced or rescued by iPSC-derived M2 had strong suppressive functions. ALS iPSC-derived M2 cells including those with C9orf72 mutation had similar immunomodulatory activity as control iPSC-derived M2 cells. This study demonstrates that M2 cells differentiated from iPSCs of ALS patients are immunosuppressive, boost ALS Tregs, and may serve as a candidate for immune-cell-based therapy to mitigate inflammation in ALS.
Recurrent Diabetes Following Bariatric Surgery: Incidence and Management

While bariatric surgery has been shown to be the most effective treatment for type-2 diabetes (T2D), recurrence following an initial period of remission is a known phenomenon. The purpose of this review is to better characterize the incidence and management of recurrent diabetes following bariatric surgery. The durability of T2D remission is heavily influenced on the severity of baseline disease, adherence to prescribed life-style modifications, and to a lesser extent, procedure type. Recurrent diabetes following bariatric surgery is significant and challenging to manage. Therapeutic options range from medical management to revisional surgery. Treatment algorithms should follow a tiered approach, starting with the least invasive modality. Thus, a multidisciplinary approach is essential.
The Ethics of Resistance: Camus’s Encounter with German Idealism

Miles offers to clarify and evaluate Albert Camus’s encounter with German Idealism, Hegel in particular, in order to show how Camus’s ethics of resistance in The Rebel and other works is simultaneously attacking and informed by Hegel. He details the historical and biographical context behind this encounter, revealing how central discussions of Hegel were to French Existentialists and their support for Stalin. He then traces and evaluates Camus’s critique of Hegel on philosophical grounds. He concludes by showing Hegel’s influence on Camus’s positive ethics of rebellion and how it locates him in the company of thinkers like Henry David Thoreau, Hannah Arendt, and Martin Luther King, as well as his fellow existentialists Soren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche.
Dredging Impacts on Soil Properties of the Kankakee River System 150 Years after Perturbation

Freshwater marshes provide ecosystem services such as improving water quality by storing water and filtering nutrients from upland runoff, minimizing erosion and flooding by reducing stream and river velocity and peak flows, and carbon sequestration by storing organic matter for long extended periods of time. These ecosystem services have increased interest in the protection and restoration of marshes and soil properties and are an important consideration for successful restoration. This study was conducted in Indiana, USA, within the historical extent of the Grand Kankakee Marsh that once encompassed 202,343 ha, until the dredging of the Kankakee River from 1852 to 1917 to convert the marsh to cropland. Current (in 2019) soil properties (organic matter mass and concentration, bulk density, moisture content, and carbonate concentration) were compared between (1) marshes that were dredged and presently in other land-use categories such as cropland and forests, and (2) remnant marshes that were not impacted by dredging. On average, organic matter mass and concentration were not significantly different between dredged areas and marshes (p > 0.05). However, marshes tended to have lower bulk densities, greater moisture contents, and greater carbonate concentrations compared to dredged areas. The soil properties of remnant marshes in this study can be used to evaluate the success of marsh restoration efforts in regions with similar soils, climate, and land-use history.
Mainstream Marginalization: Secret Political Organizing Through Social Media:

Scholars have addressed how the socially marginalized, individuals with fringe viewpoints, or the politically marginalized in authoritarian regimes use social media to organize or connect in secret...
Multi-Principal Assistance Games: Definition and Collegial Mechanisms.

We introduce the concept of a multi-principal assistance game (MPAG), and circumvent an obstacle in social choice theory, Gibbard's theorem, by using a sufficiently collegial preference inference mechanism. In an MPAG, a single agent assists N human principals who may have widely different preferences. MPAGs generalize assistance games, also known as cooperative inverse reinforcement learning games. We analyze in particular a generalization of apprenticeship learning in which the humans first perform some work to obtain utility and demonstrate their preferences, and then the robot acts to further maximize the sum of human payoffs. We show in this setting that if the game is sufficiently collegial, i.e. if the humans are responsible for obtaining a sufficient fraction of the rewards through their own actions, then their preferences are straightforwardly revealed through their work. This revelation mechanism is non-dictatorial, does not limit the possible outcomes to two alternatives, and is dominant-strategy incentive-compatible.
Model reduction of irreducible Markov chains

We are interested in developing computational tools for reducing the state space of irreducible Markov chains. As means of decreasing the dimensionality of a given Markov chain we study the concept of aggregation. The approximation error between the original and the reduced order model is captured by a metric that penalizes the asymptotic deviation of the outputs of the two systems. For the case of nearly completely decomposable Markov chains we demonstrate how a decomposition approach can be used to derive a low order model of good fidelity.
Investigation of γ-ray induced polymer formation in the carboranes—II: Dynamics of the polymerization of 1-vinyl-o-carborane in the liquid and plastic crystalline states☆

Abstract G(−m) values have been measured for polymerizing bulk 1-vinyl-o-carborane as functions of dose, temperature, dose rate and scavengers, using as a source 60Co γ-rays. Also, an attempt has been made to compare the radiolysis polymer with thermochemically polymerized 1-vinyl-o-carborane. The monomer is plastic crystalline between 11° and 79°C, and it was found that this phase was characterized by liquid-like polymerization dynamics, i.e. a plot of log10 G(−m) versus T−1 was linear over a 175°C range and continuous within the experimental error at the capillary melting point (79°C). Overall Ea was 3·3 kcal/mole, which should be regarded as a lower limit for the propagating step. The exponent of the dose rate dependence of Rp was 0·76.
Relationship between d-dimensional models with langevin dynamics, associated quantum systems and (D+1)-dimensional classical and static models

Much effort has been devoted to the subjects of dynamic I, quantum 2,3 and classical critical phenomena 4, as well as to classical diffusion in random or modulated media 5-7 and localization 8. These research fields, however, developed rather independently. Recently, remarkable connections have been established. This was achieved by using the well-known equivalence between the Langevin equation in d-dimensions and the Fokker-Planck equation. The latter is then reduced to an imaginary-time Schr6dinger equation 9-II, defining the Hamiltonian of a quantum system, which in turn can be mapped on a static and classical (d+l)-dimensional counterpart2, 3. Applications of these mappings include:
Group B coxsackievirus diseases.

Two groups of coxsackieviruses, A and B, were subsequently defined according to their pathogenicity in suckling mice: the group A coxsackieviruses caused generalized myositis, while the coxsackieviruses group B (CVB) resulted in multiorgan infections. This chapter focuses on CVB, because this group includes major human pathogens and because extensive pathogenesis studies have been carried out on a number of viruses in this group. The chapter reviews salient aspects of CVB pathogenesis with an emphasis on recent findings related to CVB4 and CVB3. Recent reviews have examined the cell's responses to CVB infection in depth. Given the distance that an RNA virus genome can randomly wander in sequence space in a short length of time, comparing contemporary strains in such studies may be necessary when mapping genetic determinants of virulence. A mechanism by which enteroviruses can persist at low levels has been identified by recent work in which enteroviral RNA with genomic terminal deletions was detected in naturally infected human heart as well as in an experimental murine model of chronic myocarditis. Evidence from a murine model of myocarditis as well as a human case of myocarditis shows that the form in which CVB persist in the heart is through selection of a defective form of the virus with 5'- terminal deletions.
Childhood Adversity and Chronic Stress Influence Vagal Tone and the Proinflammatory Response to Acute Stress in Women with Breast Cancer

We previously reported that women diagnosed with breast cancer exhibit a proinflammatory phenotype (increased behavioral symptoms and higher IL-6 levels), if exposed to childhood adversity. The purpose of this project was to determine if childhood adversity and/or chronic stress influenced vagal tone, the cortisol response, and the proinflammatory response to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), in women recently diagnosed with breast cancer. We hypothesized that exposure to child adversity and/or chronic stress will suppress the vagal anti-inflammatory pathway, increasing risk for greater stress-associated production of proinflammatory cytokines. Women were assessed for chronic stress and childhood adversity and completed the TSST while wearing Holter monitors to capture vagal tone. Salivary cortisol and cytokines were measured before, throughout, and after the TSST. Results revealed that women reporting greater childhood emotional abuse and neglect or chronic stress had lower vagal tone during the TSST and greater levels of cortisol and IL-6 post-TSST. Emotional neglect was associated with an exaggerated IL-6 response, while physical neglect was related to greater IL-1 beta response to the TSST. Women with greater chronic stress had higher IL-6 and IL-1 beta post-TSST. These results demonstrate that women with breast cancer exposed to greater childhood adversity and chronic stress exhibit a more intense stress-induced proinflammatory response, which may be mediated by suppression of vagal tone.
Hospital diversification: corporate restructuring as a survival strategy

Corporate restructuring of hospitals as a strategy for survival and continued success is described. Health-care providers' traditional orientation has been toward service and mission; now, profits and new markets in health care must be considered also. To remain competitive, hospitals must be prepared to act rapidly on opportunities. Corporate reorganization, the creation of new corporate entities that perform diversified medical and nonmedical functions, may provide the flexibility needed for quick action. Legal and accounting costs will be incurred by corporate reorganization. Tax issues, staff morale, community support, and effect on hospital managers and board members should be considered. Hospitals can cut costs through vertical integration of existing services; in this system-building strategy, new services can be added to broaden the patient base. Corporate reorganization is more important for diversification--the extension of a hospital's medical and health businesses--than for system building. Guidelines for diversification are offered. Corporate reorganization is a technique that should be considered in an institution's planning process.
A New Fast Algorithm for Radar-Based Shape Reconstruction of Smoothly Varying Objects

A new, fast, two-dimensional method to find the shape of a dielectric and perfect electric conductor body from their scattered electric fields is presented. Initially, the shape distortions and the scattered field variations are related with a simple exponential relationship. Then, the error function between the field scattered by a first guess and the observed field scattered by the actual contour is minimized to find the distortions, and thus the actual shape of the object. Multiple frequencies are iteratively used to improve the reconstruction results. The behavior of the proposed algorithm is shown for both bistatic and monostatic radar configurations in various application examples.
Sinter-free phase conversion and scanning transmission electron microscopy of FePt nanoparticle monolayers

Thermally robust monolayers of 4–6 nm diameter FePt nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated by combining chemical synthesis and atomic layer deposition. Spin-cast monolayers of FePt NPs were coated with thin, 11 nm-thick layers of amorphous Al2O3, followed by annealing to convert the FePt NPs from an alloy (A1) into intermetallic FePt (L10) and FePt3 (L12) phases. The Al2O3 layer serves as a barrier that prevents sintering between NPs during annealing at temperatures up to 730 °C. Electron and X-ray diffraction in conjunction with high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) show that as-synthesized A1 FePt NPs convert into L10 and L12 phase NPs through annealing. HAADF-STEM measurements of individual NPs reveal imperfect ordering and show that the NP composition determines which intermetallic phase is obtained. Mixed-phase NPs with L10 cores and FePt3 L12 shells were also observed, as well as a smaller number of unconverted A1 NPs. These results highlight the need for improved control over the compositional uniformity of FePt NPs for their use in bit-patterned magnetic recording.
The glutamate transporter, GLAST, participates in a macromolecular complex that supports glutamate metabolism

Abstract GLAST is the predominant glutamate transporter in the cerebellum and contributes substantially to glutamate transport in forebrain. This astroglial glutamate transporter quickly binds and clears synaptically released glutamate and is principally responsible for ensuring that synaptic glutamate concentrations remain low. This process is associated with a significant energetic cost. Compartmentalization of GLAST with mitochondria and proteins involved in energy metabolism could provide energetic support for glutamate transport. Therefore, we performed immunoprecipitation and co-localization experiments to determine if GLAST might co-compartmentalize with proteins involved in energy metabolism. GLAST was immunoprecipitated from rat cerebellum and subunits of the Na + /K + ATPase, glycolytic enzymes, and mitochondrial proteins were detected. GLAST co-localized with mitochondria in cerebellar tissue. GLAST also co-localized with mitochondria in fine processes of astrocytes in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures. From these data, we hypothesized that mitochondria participate in a macromolecular complex with GLAST to support oxidative metabolism of transported glutamate. To determine the functional metabolic role of this complex, we measured CO 2 production from radiolabeled glutamate in cultured astrocytes and compared it to overall glutamate uptake. Within 15 min, 9% of transported glutamate was converted to CO 2 . This CO 2 production was blocked by inhibitors of glutamate transport and glutamate dehydrogenase, but not by an inhibitor of glutamine synthetase. Our data support a model in which GLAST exists in a macromolecular complex that allows transported glutamate to be metabolized in mitochondria to support energy production.
Use of Dyna CT in evaluation and treatment of pseudoaneurysm secondary to craniofacial tumor resection: Case report and diagnostic implications

Background Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is considered the gold standard for the evaluation of head and neck vascular abnormalities. It serves as a useful diagnostic and, in many cases, therapeutic tool for treatment of acute head and neck bleeding. Case description We report the case of a patient who presented with life threatening, uncontrollable epistaxis several weeks after resection of a large recurrent chondrosarcoma of the nasal cavity and anterior skull base. A DSA study, with an adjunctive C-arm computed tomography (CT) (Dyna CT), was ultimately helpful in revealing and precisely localizing a large anterior ethmoidal artery pseudoaneurysm adjacent to the tumor resection cavity. Conclusion This additional information helped define the arterial anatomy in postoperative region, allowed precise localization and direct ligation of the pseudoaneurysm to resolve the bleeding with a favorable patient outcome.
Room temperature, open-flask C–H arylation of electron-deficient heteroarenes with triazenes: rapid synthesis of heterobiaryls

Aryl triazenes, a source of aryl radicals, were coupled with heteroarenes via C–H functionalization to produce heterobiaryls in moderate to good yields. Couplings proceeded under an open atmosphere at ambient temperature for 3–24 h. Best results were obtained with electron-deficient heteroarenes, while both electron donating and withdrawing substituents in the triazene moieties were tolerated.
Microfiltration of a Dental Wastewater for Hg Removal: Clinic Demonstration

Hollow fiber (HF) and tubular membranes were installed at a dental clinic and used to treat dental wastewater (DWW) over a six-month period. Both membranes rejected the vast majority of the Hg (Tubular: 99% rejection and permeate Hg=20.8 μg/L; HF: 97% rejection and permeate Hg=6.6 μg/L). Permeate Hg concentration and flux were not adversely affected by concentrating the DWW indicating that the system can be operated indefinitely. Biological growth blocked the openings of the HF lumens necessitating frequent maintenance. The tubular membrane with its large channel diameter (2.53 cm versus 1 mm for the HF) did not experience channel blockage. Given the small volume of DWW that is produced at a dental facility (≈3 L/d), the packing density and footprint of the membrane unit are not a major concern, thus, HF module offers no real advantage over the tubular module. Additionally, the increase maintenance that is required with the HF module is a distinct disadvantage making the tubular module better suited for dental facilities.
Lengths of Stay and Costs Associated With Children's Hospitals

Objective. Because of the unique mission of freestanding children9s hospitals, higher costs have generally been accepted; however, increasing health care costs and the impetus for outcomes data demand more accountability. For common diagnoses, with respect to quality care indicators, length of stay (LOS), and total charges, we propose to compare freestanding children9s hospitals and other hospitals. Our hypothesis is that, for similar diagnoses, freestanding children hospitals will have longer LOSs and higher costs than other hospitals. Methods. Data were analyzed from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids9 Inpatient Database 2000. Encounters qualified for evaluation when 1 of the top 3 discharge codes was consistent with pneumonia, gastroenteritis, respiratory syncytial virus, dehydration, or asthma. Our outcomes were LOS and total charges per hospital admission; hospitals were categorized as children9s hospitals and nonchildren9s hospitals. We adjusted for the following potential confounders: number of diagnoses, insurance information, patient age in years, race of patient, admission source, procedures, teaching status of hospital, and hospital location. Because of the right skew of the outcomes, our primary analyses consisted of robust median regression; to support our final models, we also performed sensitivity analyses. Results. Of 252262 total inpatient encounters, 24322 met the inclusion criteria. There were 3408 encounters from 23 different freestanding children9s hospitals and 20914 encounters from 1749 nonchildren9s hospitals. Freestanding children9s hospitals provided care to a higher risk population with more children transferred from other hospitals, a higher percentage of minorities, increased number of co-diagnoses, and a higher percentage on Medicaid. There was no statistically significant difference in LOS by hospital type. However, there was a significant difference in total costs, with the median cost of an admission at freestanding children9s hospitals $1294 more per hospitalization than at nonchildren9s hospitals, after adjusting for confounders. Conclusion. We found no significant difference in median LOS among freestanding children9s hospitals and nonchildren9s hospitals, but freestanding children9s hospitals had higher total charges per admission, even after adjusting for differences in population characteristics. Additional studies are needed to elucidate whether these increased costs result in better health outcomes or are simply attributable to other characteristics of children9s hospitals, in which not all patients may benefit.
Attentional patterns of horseshoe pitchers at two levels of task difficulty

In a dual-task paradigm, two tasks are performed concomitantly, and their performance is assessed relative to the performance of each task individually. The decline in performance that occurs during dual performance has been attributed to the limits on a construct referred to as attention (Wickens, 1980). Nideffer (1976) described attention as "the ability to direct our senses and thought processes to particular objects, thoughts, and feelings" (p. 340). Three major groups of theories attempt to explain the mechanism behind this decline in performance. The structural theories suggest that a fixed limit to attentional capacity results in a "bottleneck" in human information processing (e.g., Broadbent, 1958; Keele, 1973; Kerr, 1973; Welford, 1952). The capacity theories suggest that the available attentional capacity (or pool) can be allocated in a graded quantity between separate tasks until the limit on this capacity has been reached (e.g., Kahneman, 1973; Knowles, 1963). The multiple resource theories suggest there are several "pools" of attentional resources, each of which has its own capacity and is designed for certain types of information processing (e.g., Allport, Antonis, & Reynolds, 1972; Navon & Gopher, 1979; Wickens, 1980).
Endoscopic treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease: Effect of gender on clinical outcome

Objective. Gender differences in gastroesophageal reflux disease have been reported. Higher frequency and severity of symptoms, lower esophageal acid exposure and lower incidence of reflux-related complications have been observed in women. The aim of this study was to determine whether there are any gender differences in clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluations and response to endoscopic therapy in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. Material methods. Patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease referred for endoscopic therapy were scored for typical (heartburn and regurgitation) and atypical (chest pain, cough, wheezing, and hoarseness) symptoms at baseline. Upper endoscopy, manometry and pH studies were performed for all patients. Endoscopic treatment consisted of placement of two to three sutures within 2 cm of the squamocolumnar junction. Reflux symptoms were re-scored after endoscopic treatment. Results. Ninety-five patients (37 M, 58 F, mean age 51 years) were included in the analys...
Using the new cholesterol guidelines in everyday practice.

The third Adult Treatment Panel guidelines from the National Cholesterol Education Program, released in May 2001, depart from previous guidelines in several ways. As in previous guidelines, treatment and treatment goals are based not only on lipid levels but also on the patient’s risk status. The method for calculating risk, however, has been refined considerably. Patients are classified in the highest-risk group if they have any of these disorders: known coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, peripheral vascular disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm, carotid artery disease, or a 10-year risk of a coronary event of more than 20% (as determined by use of a scoring method).
Octopus predation on hermit crabs: A test of selectivity

Foraging selectivity of the predator Octopus digueti on the hermit crab Pagurus albus was investigated in the laboratory. The animals were collected from the lower tidal regions of Bahia Cholla, Sonora, Mexico in the northern Gulf of California. Hermit crab shell‐preference experiments with the field‐predominant gastropod shell Cerithium stercusmuscarum established a relationship of ideal‐fit which served as a reference guide in preparing presentation trials. A tether line attached to the shells of three hermit crabs was used to achieve simultaneous encounters with an octopus. Feeding preference was determined by noting which of the hermit crabs was first extracted from it's shell. Presentations of three equal‐sized hermit crabs in different‐sized shells resulted in 70% preference for tight‐fitted hermit crabs. Presentations of three different‐sized hermit crabs each in ideal‐fitted shells resulted in 90% preference for the largest hermit crabs.
Edema, cation content, and ATPase activity after middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats.

Reduction of cerebral blood flow results in several acute metabolic disturbances, including a reduction in Na,K-ATPase activity. The relation between this reduction and the onset of edema is unknown, as is the effect of restoration of blood flow. Therefore, we investigated the role of decreased Na,K-ATPase activity in the pathogenesis and time course of ischemic brain edema and reperfusion.The middle cerebral arteries of rats were occluded by cannulation with a nylon suture for 30, 60, 120, or 240 minutes. The animals were then decapitated (permanent occlusion) or the suture was withdrawn to allow 24 hours of reperfusion before decapitation (temporary occlusion). Na,K-ATPase activity and Na+, K+ and water contents were measured at various intervals.In the ischemic hemisphere, Na,K-ATPase activity was significantly decreased at 30, 60, 120, and 240 minutes of permanent occlusion (p less than 0.05). There was also a significant decrease in rats subjected to 60 or 120 minutes of temporary occlusion followed ...
Using GPS-IPW in a 4-D data assimilation system

The NOAA Forecast Systems Laboratory (FSL) has been continuously calculating integrated atmospheric precipitable water (IPW) from GPS signal delays since 1994. Using rapid orbit information, these data have the accuracy required for use in a numerical weather prediction model through data assimilation. Parallel cycles with and without GPS-IPW data have been running at FSL since November 1997 using the 60-km Rapid Update Cycle (RUC). Verification of the analysis and the 3, 6, and 12-h forecasts against rawinsondes has been ongoing throughout the experiment. Results from these statistics show a consistent improvement in short-range forecasts of relative humidity when the GPS data are included. Precipitation verification has also been calculated for this experiment, and results show that GPS data also improve these forecasts. Recently, the average number of available GPS observations jumped from 18 to 56, and results for November–December 1999 show that the previous slight positive signal is now amplified to a stronger positive impact on the short-range moisture forecasts.
Crystal Structure of Mouse H2-M

Abstract H2-M (HLA-DM in humans) resides in an acidic endosomal compartment, where it facilitates the loading of antigenic peptides into the peptide-binding groove of class II MHC. The crystal structure of a soluble form of H2-M has been solved to 3.1 A resolution, revealing a heterodimer with structural similarities to the MHC family of proteins. In contrast to its antigen-presenting cousins, the membrane distal α helices of H2-M pack closely together, occluding most of the binding groove except for a single large pocket near the center. The structure of H2-M has several unique features that may play a role in its function as a molecular chaperone and peptide exchange factor.
Transport Construction, Corruption and Developing Countries

Abstract The construction industry is consistently ranked as one of the most corrupt industries worldwide. The impact of corruption goes beyond bribe payments to poor‐quality construction of transport infrastructure with low‐economic returns alongside low funding for maintenance. Regulation of the construction sector is necessary, but simplicity, transparency, enforcement and a focus on the outcomes of poor construction are likely to have the largest impact. Where government is the client, attempts to counter corruption need to begin at the level of planning and budgeting. Output‐based and community‐driven approaches show some promise as tools to reduce corruption, they will need to be complemented by a range of other interventions including publication of procurement documents, independent and community oversight, physical audit and public–private anti‐corruption partnerships.
Nutrient-conditioned flavor preference and acceptance in rats: Effects of deprivation state and nonreinforcement

Abstract Rats acquire strong preferences for flavors paired with intragastric (IG) Polycose infusions. The present study investigated the ingestive responses to these flavors when they were no longer reinforced. All rats were first trained to associate a CS+ flavor with IG 32% Polycose and a CS− flavor with IG water during 23 h/day sessions. Experiment 1 examined the effects of deprivation on short-term (4 h/day) CS intakes under nonreinforcement conditions. Food deprivation selectively enhanced CS+ intake whereas water deprivation increased both CS+ and CS− intakes. The results also suggested that extinction training differentially affects CS+ preference and acceptance as measured by relative and absolute intakes. This was confirmed in a second experiment. The rats' absolute intake of the CS+ solution during 4 h/day sessions significantly decreased when it was no longer paired with IG Polycose infusions; yet the rats continued to show a strong preference for the CS+ over the CS− in both 4 h and 23 h/day tests. Experiment 3 examined the effects of extensive long-term extinction training on the CS+ preference. When the alternative was plain water, the CS+ preference extinguished over 12 days. Yet the same rats continued to prefer the CS+ to the CS− during 12 additional extinction days and during 16 extinction days that followed a 1-month rest period. The CS+ preference relative to the CS− was blocked only when the CS+ was paired with food deprivation and the CS− was paired with food repletion. These experiments confirm earlier reports of the resistance of Polycose-conditioned flavor preferences to extinction but also show that flavor acceptance is more susceptible to extinction. Flavor acceptance was not completely extinguished, however, and remained responsive to deprivation state.
Improving Investors' Forecast Accuracy when Operating Cash Flows and Accruals Are Differentially Persistent

ABSTRACT: This study uses an experiment to examine (1) what factors give rise to investors' inability to fully incorporate operating cash flows and accruals into their earnings forecasts, and (2) what conditions help to improve investors' forecast accuracy when operating cash flows and accruals exhibit differential persistence. I investigate how decomposing the forecasting task and altering the presentation format combine to enable analysts and nonprofessional investors to acquire and accurately process financial statement information when operating cash flows and accruals are differentially persistent. I find that the earnings forecasts of analysts and M.B.A. students are more accurate only when participants are required to provide separate forecasts for operating cash flows and accruals and the income statement is altered to present the disaggregated cash and accrual components of earnings.
Compound Capillary Flows in Complex Containers: Drop Tower Test Results

Drop towers continue to provide unique capabilities to investigate capillary flow phenomena relevant to terrestrial and space-based capillary fluidics applications. In this study certain ‘capillary rise’ flows and the value of drop tower experimental investigations are briefly reviewed. A new analytic solution for flows along planar interior edges is presented. A selection of test cell geometries are then discussed where compound capillary flows occur spontaneously and simultaneously over local and global length scales. Sample experimental results are provided. Tertiary experiments on a family of asymmetric geometries that isolate the global component of such flows are then presented along with a qualitative analysis that may be used to either avoid or exploit such flows. The latter may also serve as a design tool with which to assess the impact of inadvertent container asymmetry.
3D displays: toward holographic video displays of 3D images

As the flat panel displays (Liquid Crystal Displays, AMOLED, etc.) reach near perfection in their viewing qualities and display areas, it is natural to seek the next level of displays, including 3D displays. There is a strong surge in 3D liquid crystal displays as a result of the successful movie Avatar. Most of these 3D displays involve the employment of special glasses that allow one view perspective for each of the eyes to achieve a depth perception. Such displays are not real 3D displays. In fact, these displays can only provide one viewing perspective for all viewers, regardless of the viewer’s position. In addition, a fundamental viewing problem of focusing and accommodation exist that can lead to discomfort and fatigue for many viewers. In this paper, the authors review the current status of stereoscopic 3D displays and their problems. The authors will also discuss the possibility of using flat panels for the display of both phase and intensity of video image information, leading to the ultimate display of 3D holographic video images. Many of the fundamental issues and limitations will be presented and discussed.
Development of a system to time scouting for the lesser cornstalk borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) attacking peanuts in the southeastern United States.

We developed a system to time scouting for the lesser cornstalk borer, Elasmopalpus lignosellus (Zeller), in conventionally planted and tilled fields of peanut, Arachis hypogaea (L.). The system used borer-days (BD) to predict when to scout for the damaging larval stage. Borer-days was patterned after degree-days and is a running total of hot and dry weather minus cooler and wetter weather during the growing season. Number of borer-days explained 67% of the variance in the density of E. lignosellus larvae during the 1986 population outbreak in Alabama and Georgia. We calculated the number of borer-days for the past 9 yr and found that borer-days reached >10 in the outbreak years of 1980, 1986, and 1990 but never reached this value in years when E. ligllosellus did not achieve outbreak densities. Applying a granular insecticide at 0 to + 10 BD increased yield compared with yield in untreated plots. Yields did not increase when a granular insecticide was applied at <;0 BD. Borer-days can be a valuable tool in predicting when to scout for this insect.
Additional studies on human C5: development of a modified purification method and characterization of the purified product by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Abstract This paper reports on the purification and characterization of human C5. 1. 1. A modified isolation technique has been elaborated allowing the isolation of highly purified C5 within 5–7 days in yields of 1–2 mg per 100 ml processed serum. 2. 2. In the process of developing this new procedure the difficulty of removing a trace plasminogen-plasmin contaminant from C5 was recognized. The new procedure employs a technique which eliminates this contaminant, and which prevents activation of plasmin during isolation. Since plasmin was found to degrade C5 proteolytically, possible plasmin dependent degradation of C5 during preparation can now be prevented. 3. 3. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate was employed in the study of reduced C5: (a) two polypeptide chains were demonstrable; (b) the mean molecular weights of these chains were 83000 (80–87000) and 123000 (120–125000) respectively in three independent tests; (c) since the native C5 molecule appears to contain one of each of these chains, the molecular weight of the intact C5 molecule appears to be approximately 206000.
Modulation and commutation of Matrix Converter based Power Electronic Transformer using a single FPGA

Power Electronic Transformers (PETs) have been proposed for future power distribution systems as well as for use in adjustable speed drives where space and weight are at a premium. This paper investigates the commutation of Matrix Converter (MC) based PETs where finite leakage inductance is present at the input of the matrix converter and it is no longer purely a voltage port. A PET with reduced number of switches on the primary side is selected for the presented research. This paper compares modulation based on carrier comparison and space vector along with commutations using four-step and dead-time. All these combinations of modulation and commutation are implemented efficiently in a single FPGA chip and some of the experimental results are presented.
Efficient and safe delivery of siRNA using anionic lipids: Formulation optimization studies

Abstract Novel formulations based on physiologically occurring anionic lipids have been designed to achieve safe and efficient siRNA delivery. Anionic liposomes (DOPG/DOPE) were complexed with siRNA using calcium ion bridges to prepare anionic lipoplexes. Various formulation parameters (liposome composition, lipid and calcium concentration) were evaluated and optimized to achieve efficient silencing and high cell viability in breast cancer cells. The optimal anionic lipoplexes composed of 1 μg/mL lipid (40:60 (DOPG/DOPE m/m)), 2.4 mM calcium and 10 nM siRNA, showed maximum silencing (∼70% knockdown) without being cytotoxic. These lipoplexes also showed stability and high efficiency in the presence of serum. Additionally, optimal anionic lipoplexes showed efficient intracellular uptake and endosomal escape. Characterization studies indicated the optimal anionic formulations were 324.2 ± 19.6 nm with a surface charge of (−22.9 ± 0.1) mV and 98.5 ± 1.4% encapsulation efficiency. Control cationic lipoplexes (Lipofectamine 2000) showed silencing comparable to the anionic lipoplexes but were highly cytotoxic as indicated by IC50 values (cationic – 22.9 μg/mL, compared to anionic – greater than 107 μg/mL). Calcium–siRNA complexes (without liposomes) showed low efficiency (∼50% silencing), and highly variable results. The optimized anionic formulations may offer a safer alternative to conventional cationic based systems for efficient in vitro as well as in vivo delivery of therapeutic siRNAs.
Point prevalence and incidence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in captive elephants in the United States of America

Background: Captive elephants infected with tuberculosis are implicated as an occupational source of zoonotic tuberculosis. However, accurate estimates of prevalence and incidence of elephant tuberculosis from well-defined captive populations are lacking in the literature. Studies published in recent years contain a wide range of prevalence estimates calculated from summary data. Incidence estimates of elephant tuberculosis in captive elephants are not available. Objective: This study estimated the annual point prevalence, annual incidence, cumulative incidence, and incidence density of tuberculosis in captive elephants within the USA during the past 52 years. Animals and methods: We combined existing elephant census records from captive elephants in the USA with tuberculosis culture results obtained from trunk washes or at necropsy. This data set included 15 years where each elephant was screened annually. Results: Between 1960 and 1996, the annual point prevalence of tuberculosis complex mycobacteria fo...
New IT risk framework

The nonprofit, independent Information Technology Governance Institute (ITGI) recently issued an exposure draft of its new Risk IT Framework. The new framework is reported to be the missing link between enterprise resource management and IT risk management and control. But the greatest challenge posed by the new framework may be to identify all that can go wrong. The authors give us a useful overview of the new guidelines. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Radio receiver signal processing using hands on hardware experiments

A first course in communications theory requires students to take seriously Fourier theory and spectral analysis. In the laboratory portion of the course the students learn to appreciate the spectrum analyzer as tool for seeing into the frequency domain with real signals. In this paper we explain how the study of radio receiver signal processing can be used to build up a student's understanding of the Fourier transform frequency translation and modulation theorems and superheterodyne receiver design. Mathematical modeling is the foundation of receiver design, but seeing it really work is very satisfying. The experience of seeing real signal spectra at receiver test points on the spectrum analyzer plus hearing the station is invaluable. The student gets to experiment with frequency translation using both high-side (fLO above the carrier fc) and low side (fLO below the carrier fc) tuning.
Managing the human toll caused by seasonal influenza: New York State's mandate to vaccinate or mask.

November 2013, Vol 310, No. 17 > < Previous Article Full content is available to subscribers Subscribe/Learn More Next Article > Viewpoint | November 6, 2013 Managing the Human Toll Caused by Seasonal InfluenzaNew York State�s Mandate to Vaccinate or Mask Arthur Caplan, PhD1; Nirav R. Shah, MD, MPH2 [+] Author Affiliations JAMA. 2013;310(17):1797-1798. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.280633. Text Size: A A A Article References New York State and the nation as a whole experienced one of the worst influenza seasons in a decade during the winter of 2012-2013. In the peak week ending January 19, 2013, New York alone reported more than 5000 cases of laboratory-confirmed influenza, more than 1120 hospitalizations as a result of influenza, and 5 flu-related pediatric deaths. By the season�s end, more than 45 000 cases had been confirmed, more than 9500 people had been hospitalized, and 14 children had died.1
Silk inverse opals

Researchers bring together silk and photonic crystals and report the manufacturing of robust, freestanding, three-dimensional photonic crystals with different lattice constants in the structural form of an inverse opal entirely composed of silk fibroin. These silk-based inverse opals add a new dimension at the interface of nanophotonics and biological applications.