cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Online Product Reviews on Retailer's Pricing and Return Policy Decisions

After a purchase, customers increasingly feel more comfortable sharing their experience in the form of online product reviews, which help resolve future buyers' valuation uncertainty for that product. On the other hand, retailers offer lenient return policies that also help with customers' ex-ante valuation uncertainty. We consider a monopolist retailer that sells a new experience good over two periods and makes pricing and refund decisions. Because returns for these types of products are generally associated with lack of or inadequate functionality, a customer review mentioning a return experience generally creates a negative sentiment. Consequently, in this environment, a higher refund not only increases the volume of returns which need to be resold at a discounted price, but also creates more reviews that will have a negative sentiment. Similarly, a lower refund (and the associated lower price) would decrease the return volume and increase the fraction of customers writing positive reviews. Using a framework in which the negative reviews are weighed more heavily compared to the positive ones, surprisingly, we show that the retailer offers even a more generous refund compared to the benchmark setting with no reviews. In a duopolistic competition, the overall common sentiment of the on-line reviews are influenced by the refund and pricing decisions of both retailers; in other words, a customer with the same valuation purchasing the same product at different price and refund values will have a different ex-post utility and experience. Interestingly, we show that the retailers make their returns even more lenient compared to not only the benchmark setting with no reviews, but also the monopolist retailer with the same salvage value when their decision collectively determine the review sentiment. In both settings, we show that the refund increases with salvage value, valuation heterogeneity, second-period demand and decreases with first-period demand. We show that our results remain robust when i) consumers incur hassle cost ii) consumers have ex-ante valuation heterogeneity iii) the second-period valuation uncertainty is partially resolved with reviews.
Against Instrumentalism: Realism and the Task of Science

(1) Our inability to claim that natural science as we do or can have it depicts reality correctly must not be taken to mean that science is just a practical device — a mere instrument for prediction and control that has no bearing on describing “the nature of things”. This sort of view would ride roughshed over the descriptive aims of the scientific enterprise. (2) For while we must accept a fallibilistic view of science, the fact remains that the quintessentially cognitive aspiration of getting at the truth about the world’s ways is the very essence of scientific enterprise. (3) Abandoning of “the pursuit of truth” as a regulative ideal would hamstring from the very outset the scientific project of rational inquiry into nature. (4) The problematic nature of a “rigorous empiricism” that proscribes scientific theorizing about an observation-transcending reality must be recognized. (5) In foresaking realism, we would lose any prospect of developing a naturalistic account of why the phenomena are as they are. And this is too great a price to pay. A weighty argument against a sceptical instrumentalism is that it immediately blocks any prospect of explaining why the phenomena are as they are — an explanation that must, in the nature of things, itself proceed in ultimately non-phenomenal terms.
An Introduction to Brain Metastasis

The incidence of brain metastasis is increasing. In fact, the incidence of brain metastasis outnumbers that of primary brain tumors by a factor of ten and is by far the most common neurologic complication of cancer. The reasons underlying the increasing incidence of brain metastasis are unclear, but may be associated with increased patient survival, improved imaging techniques, and greater awareness of the disease. With the increasing incidence, however, it is apparent that our understanding of the biology and epidemiology of brain metastasis is limited. Although most solid primary tumors can develop metastatic disease in the brain, approximately 80% of all brain metastases arise from adenocarcinomas of lung (50–60%) and breast (15–20%) and from malignant melanoma (5–10%). Brain metastases can develop from renal or colon cancers and other solid tumors but do so less frequently than metastases from the lung or breast. Within the brain, metastatic cancer cells can seed and grow in the brain parenchyma and the leptomeninges. Risk factors associated with the development of brain metastasis may vary according to origin of the primary cancer, which also often dictates the clinical experience and prognosis for a patient with a brain metastasis. Recently, a Graded Prognostic Assessment tool was developed to aid in treatment decisions and brain metastasis specific clinical trial strategies. Historically, patients with brain metastases have been excluded from clinical trials that enrolled metastatic cancer patients. Regardless of the origin of the primary cancer, prognosis is poor for patients who develop brain metastases, with median overall survival ranging from 4.8 to 13.8 months across all primary tumor histologies.
Validation of age estimates obtained from juvenile pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus pectoral fin spines

Summary Pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus are a federally-listed endangered species, yet little is known about their population dynamics, including age and growth. Age validation is needed before the accuracy of age estimates and ensuing analyses is known. Therefore, we evaluated the accuracy and precision of age estimates obtained from 36 pallid sturgeon recaptured from the lower Missouri River. Accuracy of age estimates varied among three readers from 28 to 41%. Most deviations from the actual age were within 1 year, and most fin spine sections were overaged due to an apparent false annulus near the focus of the section. Between-reader agreement varied by reader combination but was generally around 30%. Our findings suggest that careful attention be paid to age and growth information obtained from hatchery-reared pallid sturgeon fin spines and further methods of accurately estimating age of pallid sturgeon need to be developed.
Detection of Homologous RNA Sequences Among Six Rhabdovirus Genomes

Complete transcripts of the genome of vesicular stomatitis virus Indiana strain have been used to hybridize to virion RNA to determine if there is RNA sequence homology among these viruses. Cellular RNA from cells infected by each of these viruses has also been used for hybridization with the homologous or heterologous virion RNA. The results indicate that there is little exact sequence homology among these viruses.
Tools for controlling protein interactions using light.

Genetically encoded actuators that allow control of protein-protein interactions using light, termed ‘optical dimerizers’, are emerging as new tools for experimental biology. In recent years, numerous new and versatile dimerizer systems have been developed. Here we discuss the design of optical dimerizer experiments, including choice of a dimerizer system, photoexcitation sources, and the coordinate use of imaging reporters. We provide detailed protocols for experiments using two dimerization systems we previously developed, CRY2/CIB and UVR8/UVR8, for use in controlling transcription, protein localization, and protein secretion using light. Additionally, we provide instructions and software for constructing a pulse-controlled LED device for use in experiments requiring extended light treatments. Curr. Protoc. Cell Biol. 64:17.16.1-17.16.20. © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: optogenetics; photoreceptor; UVR8; cryptochrome; protein interactions; protein secretion
Surfactant “apoproteins” in human amniotic fluid: An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the prenatal assessment of lung maturity

Abstract We have developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the quantitation of human lung surfactant high-molecular weight proteins and used this assay to evaluate changes in surfactant “apoprotein” content of amniotic fluid during the last trimester of pregnancy. The amount of surfactant apoprotein in human amniotic fluid increased with advancing gestational age and correlated well with other parameters of fetal lung maturity, the lecithin: sphingomyelin ratio, and the presence of phosphatidylglycerol. The findings suggest that this test, which is relatively simple to perform, may prove useful as an additional clinical parameter for assessing fetal lung maturity and predicting more accurately fetuses at risk of developing hyaline membrane disease.
Purification and properties of rat prothrombin.

Abstract Rat prothrombin has been purified by barium sulfate adsorption, desalting by an ion exchange resin, and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. Preparations of prothrombin with activities of 2,000 to 2,400 National Institutes of Health units per mg of protein were obtained, corresponding to a 1,500- to 1,900-fold purification from rat plasma. The purified prothrombin was homogeneous when analyzed by ultracentrifugation. On acrylamide gel disc electrophoresis, a major band with two minor bands was observed. By enzymatic assays, it was devoid of contaminating fibrinogen, thrombin, and Factor X. It was not activated to thrombin by 25% sodium citrate. Rat prothrombin has an s20,w of 5.0 S, a diffusion coefficient of 4.93 x 10-7 cm2 per sec, and a molecular weight of 86,000 ± 1,000 by several methods. Amino acid analysis of rat prothrombin revealed a profile of the usual amino acids with a high percentage of glutamic and aspartic acids and a low content of S-amino acids. Our preparation contained 3.7% total hexose and 0.1% total hexosamine. An antibody against rat prothrombin (anti-rat prothrombin) was prepared in rabbits. On double diffusion, the antibody gave a single precipitin band against rat plasma as well as against rat prothrombin. Anti-rat prothrombin effectively precipitated prothrombin from rat plasma. It did not cross-react with prothrombins from human, bovine, or avian species.
A Docent’s Perspective: From Tour Guide to Advisor

This is a personalaccount of a dedicated museum docent who lost her vision in 2007, but retainedher passion for art. For the past five years, she has been an advisor on theSeattle Art Museum’s docent committee for access. She discusses what a museumcan do to enable her to form a distinct mental image of an artwork and a deepconnection to the artist. Key words: Blind museum access, blindness, low-vision, Seattle Art Museum, verbal description of visual art, audio description
Analysis of Suture Anchor Eyelet Position on Suture Failure Load

Objective: To compare mechanical performance of 2 orientations of the 5 mm Corkscrew® suture anchor with #5 Fiberwire®. Study Design: In vitro biomechanical study. Sample Population: Suture anchor–suture constructs (n=40). Methods: Acute and cyclic tensile loads were applied to suture threaded through eyelets of 40 anchors perpendicular to the long axis of the anchor. Eyelets were positioned so that the suture pull was in line with (anchor rotation angle of 0° [ARA 0]) or 90° (ARA 90) to the eyelet plane. Load at failure, stiffness, and cycles to failure were determined. Results: All constructs failed by suture breakage at the eyelet. Mean load at failure was significantly higher in the ARA 90 group (634±93 N) compared with the ARA 0 group (495±52 N; P=.0015). No significant difference was found between groups for mean number of cycles to failure (270±177 versus 178±109; P=.2166) and stiffness (50±4 versus 48±5 N/mm; P=.3141). Conclusions: The Corkscrew® 5 mm suture anchor with Fiberwire® suture fails via suture breakage at the eyelet under higher acute loads if the suture is loaded at an angle of 90° compared with 0° with respect to the plane of the eyelet.
Looking Beyond Conflict: Politics of Private Welfare Spending in the Extractive Industries in Peru

Conflict appears to be the defining feature of encounters between extractive industries and host developing countries in current research on Latin America. The burden of blame of this situation is often placed on the retreat of the State after the implementation of neoliberal reforms, which left the population at the mercy of powerful extractive companies. In this paper, I look beyond the issue of conflict and beyond neoliberalism as a single cause to aim to explore another transformation in business-state relations: the changes in formal and informal institutions of welfare provision by extractive companies. Not only have companies’ beneficiaries expanded - from workers and their families to the populations surrounding the operations - but the types of goods and services provided have changed. I argue that these changes were partly the result of neoliberal legacies, but that they were influenced by more recent processes which placed in extractive companies a new array of social responsibilities toward local populations. Using primary and secondary data for Peru, I find important changes in legislation before and after neoliberal reforms, but I contend that the most fundamental changes in private welfare provision - regulations, resources available and organizational adaptations - occurred long after the peak of neoliberal reforms had faded. These changes respond to post-neoliberal ideas of public duties of the private sector and are established and enforced through mechanisms different than formal laws. The paper’s findings provide some support to argue that, even though State presence may be limited as most research contends, there are other actors and other enforcement mechanisms that are still in place and may also be effective to encourage desired behaviors.
Wave behavior of high-frequency current through a double-barrier tunneling structure

The high-frequency (HF) current, induced by a HF signal, through a double-barrier tunneling device is shown to have wavelike characteristics, with a wavelength much smaller than that of the signal. The wave behavior of the HF current originates from quantum interference of the electron wave function due to spatial nonuniformity in a mesoscopic system. This phenomenon should affect HF measurements in tunneling devices.
SU-E-T-127: Dosimetric Evaluation Microbeam Treatment Method Using Monoenergetic Photon Î1/4-Beams

Purpose: One of the external radiotherapy techniques with potential to greatly enhance the therapeutic ratio is Microbeam Radiotherapy (MRT). A recent approach to MRT delivers discrete finely spaced μ-beams. The technique is based on two principles: a] there is almost no dose between the dose peaks of two neighboring μ-beams and b] it is not needed for the whole target to be irradiated to achieve tumor control. Preliminary results have shown the ability to increase tumor control without increasing normal tissue complication probability with this technique. The purpose of this study was to dosimetrically evaluate the clinical feasibility of the above concept, taking into consideration factors as beam energy, size, and separation, and tumor depth. Methods: A Monte Carlo (MC) model was used to simulate different configurations of μ-beams. A total of 420 different μ-beams were evaluated for beam sizes, energies, depths and distances between the beams. The different MC beam penetration results were compared vs. simulations, which were conducted at the existing Small animal irradiator (SARRP) facility at our department. Results: Separation between the peak doses of the μ-beams was well maintained in all simulations. This shows that the scatter can be ignored even for cases where the distancemore » from the center of the μ-beams was set to 200 μm (E = 100 keV) and for depths as great as 5 cm. Monoenergetic 100 keV μ-beam energies were ∼25% more penetrative than a 220 kVp SARRP beam at the depth of 8 cm. The effect is more profound as the energy increases. Conclusion: Dosimetric evaluation of this MRT method showed it could feasibly be used to treat tumors at clinically relevant depths. MC results showed that the scatter between the beams remains minimal even for depths of 5 cm and separation of the beams of 200 μm.« less
Errors in Survey Reports of Earnings, Hours Worked, and Hourly Wages

Abstract Using administrative records on earnings, hours worked, and hourly wages for hourly employees of a single manufacturing firm, we found standard assumptions about errors in survey measures to be violated to varying extents. Errors are correlated with true scores, and errors in reports of earnings and hours in different periods are generally positively correlated with one another, particularly for reports given in a single interview. Although a high proportion of reporting errors are from an approximately normal distribution, a small proportion comes from a distribution with a much greater variance, and these cases often have considerable influence on estimates of relationships between variables.
On the measurement of unresolved couplings in first-order NMR spectra

Abstract A method is presented which allows determination of the magnitudes of line spacings below the limits of resolution of most NMR spectrometers. Tests of the method for peak separations ranging from 0.02 to 0.7 Hz indicate it to be generally accurate. Possible sources of error are discussed.
Drinking and drinking-related problems among heterosexual and sexual minority women.

Objective: Studies of alcohol use among lesbians have typically used convenience samples with uncertain generalizability or general population samples with small numbers of lesbians. Here we compare rates of high-risk and problem drinking in a large sample of Chicago-area lesbians and a national sample of age- and education-matched urban heterosexual women. Method: Data came from comparable face-to-face interviews with 405 self-identified Chicago-area lesbians and with 548 urban women from a U.S. national sample. Rates of hazardous drinking (heavy episodic drinking, intoxication, drinking-related problems, alcohol-dependence symptoms) were compared for exclusively heterosexual, mostly heterosexual, bisexual, mostly lesbian, and exclusively lesbian subgroups. Results: Exclusively heterosexual women had lower rates than did all other women on all measures of hazardous drinking. Exclusively heterosexual women also reported less childhood sexual abuse, early alcohol use, and depression. Bisexual women reported more hazardous drinking indicators and depression than did exclusively or mostly lesbian women. Conclusions: These results indicate that sexual minority women are likely to have elevated risks of hazardous drinking. The differences between lesbian and bisexual women suggest that more attention is needed to subgroup differences among sexual minority women. Health care providers need to know the sexual identity of their patients and how their sexual identity may affect their risks for hazardous drinking. Higher rates of childhood sexual abuse, early drinking, and depression among sexual minority women suggest that these experiences may be important in assessing and treating problems related to their drinking, and in developing prevention and early intervention strategies. Language: en
Host Plant Resistance and the Spread of Plant Viruses

Crop cuitivars resistant to insect vectors of plant viruses are likely to alter the population size, activity, and probing and feeding behavior of the vector, thereby influencing the pattern of virus spread. The effect of a vector resistant cuitivar on virus spread will depend upon the type of resistance (nonpreference, antibiosis, or tolerance), the level of resistance, the relative importance of primary and secondary virus spread, the length of the acquisition, inoculation, retention, and latent periods of the virus, and the effect of virus infection on vector resistance in the plant. Each combination of these factors may result in a different effect on virus spread; the possibilities are discussed. Because of the complexities involved, a thorough understanding of the ecology of virus spread, the biology of vector resistance, and the ecology of the vector arc essential to predict the effect of vector resistance on virus spread.
Effect of CO on hydrogen adsorption on palladium

Abstract Coadsorption of H 2 and CO on Pd has been studied using TDS and ESD techniques. It has been observed that the presence of 10% CO in the H 2 dosing gas during exposure gives rise to a drastic change in the TDS spectra of H 2 compared to the case when only H 2 is separately adsorbed. Furthermore, significant modifications occur in the ESD energy distribution of CO + and H + as a result of coadsorption of H 2 and CO. These observations are taken as evidence of adsorbate interaction possibly resulting in formation of an HCO surface complex.
Nonparametric probability density estimation: improvements to the histogram for laboratory data

The histogram has long been used in the clinical laboratory for the depiction and manipulation of frequency data. We present recent results of refinements to the usual histogram procedures along with modern alternative methods of estimating frequency distributions, including the kernel and discrete maximum penalized likelihood estimation (DMPLE) approaches. We compared these nonparametric methods on 15 different types of simulated distributions, and on several sets (greater than 1000 subjects/set) of real data, including alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase levels. Each frequency curve estimation technique was evaluated by measuring the integrated mean square error between each technique's prediction and the true underlying distribution, using Monte Carlo techniques on sample sets with size 49 and 119. The kernel method was the clear method of choice, both in performance (best in 22/36 cases) and in practical usage.
A Report on the Economic Literacy of Adults.

Test of Economic Literacy (TEL) scores from a sample of 942 adults are analyzed in terms of a number of factors. These adult TEL scores were also compared with high school student performance, with the latter outperforming the former. As with the scores of high school students, adult scores were positively related to both the level of education achieved and the completion of an economics course.
MODELING AND IDENTIFICATION OF THE LIQUID ENCAPSULATED CZOCHRALSKI GAAS PROCESS FOR CONTROL

Abstract This paper develops an analytic model of the macroscopic dynamics of the liquid encapsulated Czochralski (LEC) GaAs growth process together with a series of system identification experiments that confirm the validity of the model for control system design and analysis. The model combines the meniscus dynamics with a low-order model of the thermal dynamics of the process. the effective heat transfer coefficients used in the model are determined from a steady-state finite-element model of the process. The identification experiments confirm that the model gives accurate predictions of the dominant process dynamics and high frequency phase characteristics. Although the model gain at high frequencies is less accurate, the error can be identified and accommodated in the control system design and analysis process.
A Report on the Acquisitions Institute at Timberline Lodge, May 2009

The Acquisitions Institute at Timberline Lodge has been providing an opportunity for acquisitions and collections librarians to meet and discuss pertinent trends and issues since 2000. This report provides a brief historical overview of the institute and its place among other acquisitions events. Then it gives a report on the sessions that constituted the Acquisitions Institute at Timberline Lodge held May 16–19, 2009.
The Comparison Between Synthetic Aperture Radar Imageries and Surface Truth of Ocean Waves

Ocean waves measured offshore of Marineland, Florida, by the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) are compared with the surface truth data. The Fourier transform of SAR imageries are taken and the corrections of the wave directions and wave lengths due to the relative velocities between SAR and waves are considered. Favorable comparisons are obtained for the peak frequencies, wave directions, and directional distributions. However, the one-dimensional SAR spectra are quite different from the surface truth wave height spectra.
The amyloid precursor protein/protease nexin 2 Kunitz inhibitor domain is a highly specific substrate of mesotrypsin

The amyloid precursor protein (APP) is a ubiquitously expressed transmembrane adhesion protein and the progenitor of amyloid-β peptides. The major splice isoforms of APP expressed by most tissues contain a Kunitz protease inhibitor domain; secreted APP containing this domain is also known as protease nexin 2 and potently inhibits serine proteases, including trypsin and coagulation factors. The atypical human trypsin isoform mesotrypsin is resistant to inhibition by most protein protease inhibitors and cleaves some inhibitors at a substantially accelerated rate. Here, in a proteomic screen to identify potential physiological substrates of mesotrypsin, we find that APP/protease nexin 2 is selectively cleaved by mesotrypsin within the Kunitz protease inhibitor domain. In studies employing the recombinant Kunitz domain of APP (APPI), we show that mesotrypsin cleaves selectively at the Arg15-Ala16 reactive site bond, with kinetic constants approaching those of other proteases toward highly specific protein substrates. Finally, we show that cleavage of APPI compromises its inhibition of other serine proteases, including cationic trypsin and factor XIa, by 2 orders of magnitude. Because APP/protease nexin 2 and mesotrypsin are coexpressed in a number of tissues, we suggest that processing by mesotrypsin may ablate the protease inhibitory function of APP/protease nexin 2 in vivo and may also modulate other activities of APP/protease nexin 2 that involve the Kunitz domain.
NEW TOOLS FOR STUDYING INTEGRATION AND MODULARITY

The study of phenotypic integration concerns the modular nature of organismal phenotypes. The concept provides a rationale for why certain subsets of phenotypic traits show particularly high levels of association over development and/or evolution. The techniques detailed in this report facilitate the generation and testing of hypotheses of phenotypic integration and trait interaction. The approach advocated for exploring patterns of interaction among traits is based on the statistical notion of conditional independence, incorporated in a technique known as graphical modeling. The use of graphical models is illustrated with an application to a well-known biological dataset of fowl skeletal measurements, previously analyzed by Sewall Wright. A definition of phenotypic modularity is given, based on a notion of mutual information, which provides a consistent criterion for recognizing and delimiting integrated subsets of traits and which can be related to standard models of multivariate selection.
Early surgical therapy of infective endocarditis in children: a 15-year experience.

Objectives Infective endocarditis is rare in children but potentially carries high mortality and morbidity. Few data exist regarding surgical therapy and the associated outcomes in children with infective endocarditis. The aim of the present study was to describe the characteristics and outcomes of children undergoing surgery for infective endocarditis. Methods A retrospective review of all patients aged 21 years or younger diagnosed with definitive infective endocarditis at a single center from 1996 to 2010 was performed. Results Of 76 identified patients with infective endocarditis (median age, 8.3 years; 73.9% boys), 46 patients (61%) required surgical intervention. Staphylococcus aureus was most commonly isolated (18 patients, 24%) followed by Streptococcus (17 patients, 22%). Common surgical indications included severe valvular insufficiency in 13 patients, septic embolization in 12, concomitant severe valvular insufficiency and ventricular dysfunction in 9, persistent vegetations in 9, and persistent bacteremia in 3. Although early surgery was performed within 7 days of diagnosis in 35 patients (76%), 25 (54%) underwent surgery within 3 days or less. The factors associated with surgery included the presence of ventricular dysfunction, left-sided vegetation, severe valvular insufficiency, septic embolization, and S aureus . Surgery within 3 days or less was associated with the presence of ventricular dysfunction and S aureus . Native valve repair was performed in 50% of patients with native-valve disease. Postoperatively, no septic embolization events occurred and recurrence was low (2%). The 1-, 5-, and 10-year survival was 98% ± 2%, 90% ± 8%, and 81% ± 11%, respectively. Conclusions Children with infective endocarditis can undergo successful early surgical therapy with a low risk of septic embolization, recurrence, and operative mortality.
Kinematics and Thermodynamics Across a Propagating Non-Stoichiometric Oxidation Phase Front in Spent Fuel Grains

Spent fuel contains mixtures, alloy and compound, but are dominated by U and O except for some UO{sub 2} fuels with burnable poisons (gadolinia in BWR rods), the other elements evolve during reactor operation from neutron reaction and fission + fission decay events. Due to decay, chemical composition and activity of spent fuel will continue to evolve after removal from reactors. During the time interval with significant radioactivity levels relevant for a geological repository, it is important to develop models for potential chemical responses in spent fuel and potential degradation of repository. One such potential impact is the oxidation of spent fuel, which results in initial phase change of UO{sub 2} lattice to U{sub 4}O{sub 9} and the next phase change is probably to U{sub 3}O{sub 8} although it has not been observed yet below 200C. The U{sub 4}O{sub 9} lattice is nonstoichiometric with a O/U weight ratio at 2.4. Preliminary indications are that the UO{sub 2} has a O/U of 2. 4 at the time just before it transforms into the U{sub 4}O{sub 9} phase. In the oxygen weight gain versus time response, a plateau appears as the O/U approaches 2.4. Part of this plateau is due to geometricalmore » effects of a U{sub 4}O{sub 9} phase change front propagating into UO{sub 2} grain volumes; however, this may indicate a metastable phase change delay kinetics or a diffusional related delay time until the oxygen density can satisfy stoichiometry and energy conditions for phase changes. Experimental data show a front of U{sub 4}O{sub 9} lattice structure propagating into grains of the UO{sub 2} lattice. To describe this spatially inhomogenous oxidation phase transition, as well as the expected U{sub 3}O{sub 8} phase transition from the U{sub 4}O{sub 9} lattice, lattice models are developed and spatially discontinuous kinematic and energetic expressions are derived. 9 refs.« less
Primary somatosensory cortex and pain perception

This Focus article proposes that the primary somatosensory cortex (SI) is the first level of conscious pain perception, treating the incoming information about pain as any other novel stimulus. The cortical processes underlying conscious pain perception are distributed in nature and are probably similar to cortical processes underlying conscious perception of other sensory modalities, like touch, hearing, or vision. In general, processes in SI are very dynamic across all somatosensory modalities, and the sensory cortices provide important inputs for motor control and performance. But SI is not the "pain center," because it is the interaction of SI with the other pain-related cortical and subcortical areas and structures, rather than activity of SI, that results in experience of pain. So destruction of SI leads to altered pain perception and not to abolition of pain. Any discussion regarding pain perception has to address the differences between acute pain and chronic pain, because of their biological difference and because of the varying neural processes underlying each one. The most significant difference is neuroplasticity in chronic pain. Consequently, properties of SI nociceptive neurons are altered in subjects with chronic pain when compared to pain responses of SI neurons in subjects without chronic pain.
On the nature of persistence in dendrochronologic records with implications for hydrology

Abstract Hydrologic processes are generally held to be persistent and not secularly independent. Impetus for this view was given by Hurst in his work which dealt with properties of the rescaled range of many types of long geophysical records, in particular dendrochronologic records, in addition to hydrologic records. Mandelbrot introduced an infinite memory stationary process, the fractional Gaussian noise process (F), as an explanation for Hurst's observations. This is in contrast to other explanations which have been predicated on the implicit non-stationarity of the process underlying the construction of the records. In this work, we introduce a stationary finite memory process which arises naturally from a physical concept and show that it can accommodate the persistence structures observed for dendrochronological records more successfully than an F or any other of a family of related processes examined herein. Further, some question arises as to the empirical plausibility of an F process. Dendrochronologic records are used because they are widely held to be surrogates for records of average hydrologic phenomena and the length of these records allows one to explore questions of stochastic process structure which cannot be explored with great validity in the case of generally much shorter hydrologic records.
Technology development for NASA science missions: Challenges and potential opportunities

NASA has made tremendous progress in addressing critical questions about our solar system but often the knowledge gained raises new and more challenging questions. Future robotic space missions need to be endowed with more capable instruments, spacecraft subsystems and ground support to answer the new and more difficult questions that lay before us. Developing future instrument, spacecraft subsystem, or ground support technologies for robotic planetary missions is a complicated and challenging endeavor. Recognizing this, the Planetary Science Division (PSD) in NASA's Science Mission Directorate recently chartered a panel to review its current technology development programs and provide recommendations on process and policy improvements that will enable better utilization of technology resources. This paper discusses the work and findings of that panel, known as the Planetary Science Technology Review (PSTR) panel.
The mixing of solid particles in a motionless mixer—a stochastic approach

A Markov chain model was used to model the axial mixing of solid particles in a motionless mixer having no moving parts. One step transition probabilities were determined experimentally for the model. Based on these transition probabilities, the model was able to predict spatial distribution of tracer particles up to seven steps of the Markov chain, which was equivalent to seven consecutive passes of the mixture through the mixer. Experimental results were in good agreement with those predicted from the Markov chain model.
THE CULTURE OF WHOLE ORGANS : III. THE PROBLEM OF ANTIHORMONES STUDIED ON ISOLATED LIVING THYROID GLANDS.

1. Perfusion of isolated thyroid glands from rabbits, made refractory to the action of the thyro-stimulating factor from the hypophysis by repeated injections for 2 months, has shown that in this condition the thyroid epithelium responds to pituitary stimulation. 2. The serum from refractory rabbits does not neutralize completely the thyro-stimulating effect of anterior pituitary extract upon an isolated normal thyroid gland. 3. It is believed that tissues other than the thyroid play a role in bringing about the phenomena which have been described as refractoriness against a prolonged action of the thyro-stimulating pituitary factor.
Metrology optical power budgeting in SIM using statistical analysis techniques

The Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) is a space-based stellar interferometry instrument, consisting of up to three interferometers, which will be capable of micro-arc second resolution. Alignment knowledge of the three interferometer baselines requires a three-dimensional, 14-leg truss with each leg being monitored by an external metrology gauge. In addition, each of the three interferometers requires an internal metrology gauge to monitor the optical path length differences between the two sides. Both external and internal metrology gauges are interferometry based, operating at a wavelength of 1319 nanometers. Each gauge has fiber inputs delivering measurement and local oscillator (LO) power, split into probe-LO and reference-LO beam pairs. These beams experience power loss due to a variety of mechanisms including, but not restricted to, design efficiency, material attenuation, element misalignment, diffraction, and coupling efficiency. Since the attenuation due to these sources may degrade over time, an accounting of the range of expected attenuation is needed so an optical power margin can be book kept. A method of statistical optical power analysis and budgeting, based on a technique developed for deep space RF telecommunications, is described in this paper and provides a numerical confidence level for having sufficient optical power relative to mission metrology performance requirements.
On a combinatorial problem of Erdös, Ginzburg, and Ziv

Abstract The following theorem is proved. If g 1 ,…, g 2 n −1 is a sequence of 2 n − 1 elements in a finite group of order n (written additively), then there are n distinct indices i 1 ,…, i n such that g i 1 + … + g i n = 0.
Computer modeling of the effect of perfusion on heating patterns in radiofrequency tumor ablation.

Purpose: To use an established computer simulation model of radiofrequency (RF) ablation to further characterize the effect of varied perfusion on RF heating for commonly used RF durations and electrode types, and different tumor sizes.Methods: Computer simulation of RF heating using 2-D and 3-D finite element analysis (Etherm) was performed. Simulated RF application was systematically modeled on clinically relevant application parameters for a range of inner tumor perfusion (0–5 kg/m3-s) and outer normal surrounding tissue perfusion (0–5 kg/m3-s) for internally cooled 3-cm single and 2.5-cm cluster electrodes over a range of tumor diameters (2–5 cm), and RF application times (5–60 min; n = 4618 simulations). Tissue heating patterns and the time required to heat the entire tumor ± a 5-mm margin to >50°C were assessed. Three-dimensional surface response contours were generated, and linear and higher order curve-fitting was performed.Results: For both electrodes, increasing overall tissue perfusion exponent...
LAVES PHASES OF ACTINIDE ELEMENTS.

Abstract The crystal structure and lattice constants of eight new neptunium Laves phases and three new americium Laves phases are reported. The results, together with the previously published data, are discussed in terms of atomic size and electronic effects. The occurrence of lanthanide and actinide Laves phases is also summarized and compared.
Overview: HIV/AIDS in the deep south region of the United States.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Deep Southern states of the United States (U.S.) is, in ways, more similar to the epidemic in less wealthy nations than to other areas of the US. In the Deep South, lik...
Pelvic endometriosis diagnosed on touch imprint cytology.

A case of pelvic endometriosis on touch imprint cytology in a 34-yr-old woman is presented and discussed. Touch preparations of the core biopsies showed both epithelial and spindle cell components. Bland-appearing epithelial cells, arranged in tight clusters and sheets, contained finely granular chromatin and scant cytoplasm. Clusters of bland-appearing spindle cells with oval nuclei containing small prominent nucleoli were present. The differential diagnosis and diagnostic pitfalls are discussed. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2002;27:379–381. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Continuous arterial spin labeling using a train of adiabatic inversion pulses

Purpose: To develop a simple and robust magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) pulse sequence for the quantitative measurement of blood flow in the brain and cerebral tumors that has practical implementation advantages over currently used continuous arterial spin labeling (CASL) schemes. Materials and Methods: Presented here is a single-coil protocol that uses a train of hyperbolic secant inversion pulses to produce continuous arterial spin inversion for perfusion weighting of fast spin echo images. Flow maps of normal rat brains and those containing a 9L gliosarcoma orthotopic tumor model conditions were acquired with and without carbogen. Results: The perfusion-weighted images have reduced magnetization transfer signal degradation as compared to the traditional single-coil CASL while avoiding the use of a more complex two-coil CASL technique. Blood flow measurements in tumor and normal brain tissue were consistent with those previously reported by other CASL techniques. Contralateral and normal brain showed increased blood flow with carbogen breathing, while tumor tissue lacked the same CO2 reactivity. Conclusion: This variation of the CASL technique is a quantitative, robust, and practical single-coil method for measuring blood flow. This CASL method does not require specialized radiofrequency coils or amplifiers that are not routinely used for anatomic imaging of the brain, therefore allowing these flow measurements to be easily incorporated into traditional rodent neuroimaging protocols.
Audio forensics using acoustic environment traces

Acoustic environment leaves its fingerprint in the audio recording captured in it. Acoustic reverberation and background noise are generally used to characterize an acoustic environment. Acoustic reverberation depends on the shape and the composition of a room, whereas, the background noise can be modeled using a dynamical random process. Inconsistencies in the acoustic environment traces can be used in a forensic and ballistic settings and acoustic environment identification (AEI). We describe a statistical framework to characterize recording environment. The proposed scheme uses inverse filtering to estimate reverberation component and particle filtering to estimate background noise from audio recording. A multi-class support vector machine (SVM) classifier is used for AEI. Experimental results show that the proposed system can successfully identify a recording environment for regular as well as blind AEI.
A microcomputer-based drop counter

Abstract A microcomputer-based drop counter is described that allows the accurate measurement of fluid flows up to about 5 ml/min. Detailed construction information is included. Unlike most previously described drop counters, it displays flow directly in ml/min and calculates a confidence limit for te measurement.
Disruption of glucose sensing and insulin secretion by ribozyme Kir6.2-gene targeting in insulin-secreting cells.

The ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channel, composed of Kir6.2 and sulfonylurea receptor (SUR1), in pancreatic β-cells is believed to serve as a metabolic sensor regulating insulin secretion according to glucose levels. Thus, genetic disruption of Kir6.2 expression may impair KATP channel function in glucose sensing and insulin secretion. Here we show evidence obtained from functional genetic assays supporting this hypothesis. To avoid adaptive cellular mechanisms in transgenic preparations, we designed a hammerhead ribozyme that specifically targeted the Kir6.2 mRNA at serine 78. The Kir6.2-ribozyme was constructed in an adenoviral vector and expressed in insulin-secreting RINm5F cells. Both RT-PCR and Northern blot analyses showed that Kir6.2 transcripts were significantly reduced with a Kir6.2-ribozyme treatment. Whole-cell patch-clamp studies indicated that the Kir6.2-ribozyme treatment lowered KATP channel density by 66%. In response to higher glucose challenge, insulin release from the RINm5F cells dropped...
Region‐specific response of the hippocampus to chronic unpredictable stress

The objective of the present study was to determine whether chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) would induce hippocampal neuroplasticity in a region-specific manner. Recent evidence suggests that the hippocampus has two functionally distinct subsections. The dorsal (septal) portion appears to be primarily associated with spatial navigation, while the ventral (temporal) region has been linked to affect-related functions, such as anxiety. Chronic stress has previously been shown to negatively affect the hippocampus by decreasing survival of progenitor cells, although it has also been shown to increase adaptive responses, such as increased expression of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and ΔFosB. Whether such events occur in a region-specific manner has not been investigated. We hypothesized that CUS would selectively impact cell survival, NPY, and ΔFosB expression in the more affect-related ventral subregion. Individually housed Long-Evans rats (n = 31) were divided into two groups: stressed and control. Stressed animals were exposed daily to an unpredictable schedule of ethologically relevant stressors, such as predator odors, forced swim, and open field exposure. All rats were injected with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) daily during the first 5 days of CUS in order to label dividing progenitor cells. Unbiased stereology was used to quantify BrdU+, NPY+, and ΔFosB+ cells in dorsal and ventral hippocampal subregions. In support of our hypothesis, we found that CUS selectively decreased cell survival in the ventral subregion. However, both NPY and ΔFosB were significantly increased only in the dorsal hippocampus. These results suggest that stress-induced adaptive neuroplasticity occurs primarily in the dorsal subregion, which may coincide with behavioral aspects of the stress response, such as avoidance or amelioration of the stressor. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Estimated plasma stearoyl co-A desaturase-1 activity and risk of incident diabetes: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study

Abstract Objective Evidence from pre-clinical studies suggests inhibition of stearoyl co-A desaturase-1 (SCD-1) activity improves insulin sensitivity. Translation of these findings to humans remains less defined. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the association between different measures of SCD-1 activity and incident diabetes in a large, prospective human study. Methods In 2738 white participants (aged 45–64 yrs, 47% men) who were free of diabetes at baseline, SCD-1 activity was estimated at baseline by plasma fatty acid ratios in cholesterol esters (SCD16c = 16:1n-7/16:0, SCD18c = 18:1n-9/18:0) and in phospholipids (SCD16p = 16:1n-7/16:0, SCD18p = 18:1n-9/18:0). Incident diabetes was ascertained during 3 follow-up visits. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to determine the association between estimated SCD-1 activity and incident diabetes. Results During follow-up (mean 8.0 ± SE 2.1 years), 207 (7.6%) participants developed diabetes. After adjusting for age and sex, higher SCD16c, higher SCD16p, and lower SCD18p were significantly associated with incident diabetes. After additional adjustment for education, parental history of diabetes, smoking, dietary intake (carbohydrate, fiber, saturated/monounsaturated/polyunsaturated fat), alcohol use, physical activity, body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio, blood pressure, and lipid composition – only SCD16c remained significantly associated with incident diabetes (Hazard Ratio = 1.1 linearly across decreasing quintiles, 95% CI 1.01-1.30; p = 0.03) which remained nominally associated after adjusting for insulin resistance (p = 0.05). Conclusions In a large community-based prospective cohort study, the estimate of SCD-1 activity by SCD16c had the strongest association with incident diabetes. Refinement of SCD-1 measurement and replication of its association with incident diabetes in an independent cohort is recommended.