cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ligand Recognition by the Vesicular Monoamine Transporters

Publisher Summary Molecular cloning has identified three distinct proteins responsible for plasma membrane monoamine transport. Although functional analysis indicates that each can recognize multiple monoamines as substrates, selective expression within dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin cell populations of the brain suggests that each probably transports a single substrate in vivo . In contrast, molecular cloning has identified two vesicular monoamine transporters (VMATs), one expressed in the adrenal medulla and other neuroendocrine tissues (VMAT1) and the other in the brain (VMAT2). Although VMATs have no sequence similarity to the plasma membrane transporters or receptors for monoamines, they do contain individual residues implicated in substrate recognition by these other proteins. In addition to those residues required for substrate recognition, the comparison of VMAT1 and VMAT2 indicates that other residues may modulate the recognition of ligand. VMAT2 has an apparent affinity for most substrates approximately threefold higher than VMAT1. In addition, only VMAT2 recognizes histamine, and tetrabenazine inhibits only VMAT2. Residues have been identified that have a variety of roles in substrate recognition by VMATs. Analogous to other membrane proteins that interact with monoamines, VMATs contain an aspartate in TMD1 and serines in TMD3 that are required for transport activity.
Animal Studies in Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review of Methylprednisolone:

The objective of this study was to examine whether animal studies can reliably be used to determine the usefulness of methylprednisolone (MP) and other treatments for acute spinal cord injury (SCI)...
A 6.7 GHz methanol maser survey of the central molecular zone

The Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) spans the inner ~450 pc (3 degrees) of our Galaxy. This region is defined by its enhanced molecular emission and contains 5% of the entire Galaxy's molecular gas mass. However, the number of detected star forming sites towards the CMZ may be low for the amount of molecular gas that is present, and improved surveys of star formation indicators can help clarify this. With the Karl G Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), we conducted a blind survey of 6.7 GHz methanol masers spanning the inner 3deg x 40arcmin (450 pc x 100 pc) of the Galaxy. We detected 43 methanol masers towards 28 locations, 16 of which are new detections. The velocities of most of these masers are consistent with being located within the CMZ. A majority of the detected methanol masers are distributed towards positive Galactic longitudes, similar to 2/3 of the molecular gas mass distributed at positive Galactic longitudes. The 6.7 GHz methanol maser is an excellent indicator of high mass (>8 solar mass) star formation, with new detections indicating sites of massive star formation in the CMZ.
Large-eddy simulation of turbulent flow over a parametric set of bumps

Turbulent flow over a series of increasingly high, two-dimensional bumps is studied by well-resolved large-eddy simulation. The mean flow and Reynolds stresses for the lowest bump are in good agreement with experimental data. The flow encounters a favourable pressure gradient over the windward side of the bump, but does not relaminarize, as is evident from near-wall fluctuations. A patch of high turbulent kinetic energy forms in the lee of the bump and extends into the wake. It originates near the surface, before flow separation, and has a significant influence on flow development. The highest bumps create a small separation bubble, whereas flow over the lowest bump does not separate. The log law is absent over the entire bump, evidencing strong disequilibrium. This dataset was created for data-driven modelling. An optimization method is used to extract fields of variables that are used in turbulence closure models. From this, it is shown how these models fail to correctly predict the behaviour of these variables near to the surface. The discrepancies extend further away from the wall in the adverse pressure gradient and recovery regions than in the favourable pressure gradient region.
Surviving starvation simply without TFEB

Starvation is among the most ancient of selection pressures, driving evolution of a robust arsenal of starvation survival defenses. In order to survive starvation stress, organisms must be able to curtail anabolic processes during starvation and judiciously activate catabolic pathways. Although the activation of metabolic defenses in response to nutrient deprivation is an obvious component of starvation survival, less appreciated is the importance of the ability to recover from starvation upon re-exposure to nutrients. In order for organisms to successfully recover from starvation, cells must be kept in a state of ready so that upon the return of nutrients, activities such as growth and reproduction can be resumed. Critical to this state of ready is the lysosome, an organelle that provides essential signals of nutrient sufficiency to cell growth-activating pathways in the fed state. In this issue, Murphy and colleagues provide evidence that exposure of Caenorhabditis elegans roundworms to 2 simple nutrients, glucose and the polyunsaturated fatty acid linoleate, is able to render lysosomal function competent to activate key downstream starvation recovery pathways, bypassing the need for a master transcriptional regulator of lysosomes. These findings provide a quantum leap forward in our understanding of the cellular determinants that permit organisms to survive cycles of feast and famine.
Synthetic DNA Approach to Cytomegalovirus Vaccine/Immune Therapy

There is no licensed vaccine or cure for human cytomegalovirus (CMV), a ubiquitous β-herpes virus that infects 60–95 % of adults worldwide. Infection is a major cause of congenital abnormalities in newborns, contributes to development of childhood cerebral palsy and medulloblastoma, can result in severe disease in immunocompromised patients, and is a major impediment during successful organ transplantation. While CMV has been increasingly associated with numerous inflammatory diseases and cancers, only recently has it been correlated with increased risk of heart disease in adults, the number-one killer in the USA. These data, among others, suggest that subclinical CMV infection, or microinfection, in healthy individuals may play more of a causative role than an epiphenomenon in development of CMV-associated pathologies. Due to the myriad of diseases and complications associated with CMV, an efficacious vaccine would be highly valuable in reducing human morbidity and mortality as well as saving billions of dollars in annual health-care costs and disability adjusted life years (DALY) in the developing world. Therefore, the development of a safe efficacious CMV vaccine or immune therapy is paramount to the public health. This review aims to provide a brief overview on aspects of CMV infection and disease and focuses on current vaccine strategies. The use of new synthetic DNA vaccines might offer one such approach to this difficult problem.
Frobenius-Perron Dimensions of Integral \(\mathbb {Z}_{+}\)-rings and Applications

We introduce the notion of the Frobenius-Perron dimension of an integral \(\mathbb {Z}_{+}\)-ring and give some applications of this notion to classification of finite dimensional quasi-Hopf algebras with a unique nontrivial simple module, and of quasi-Hopf and Hopf algebras of prime dimension p.
Precision UAV Landing in Unstructured Environments

Autonomous landing of a drone is a necessary part of autonomous flight. One way to have high certainty of safety in landing is to return to the same location the drone took-off from. Implementations of return-to-home functionality fall short when relying solely on GPS or odometry as inaccuracies in the measurements and drift in the state estimate guides the drone to a position with a large offset from the initial position. This can be particularly dangerous if the drone took-off next to something like a body of water. Current work on precision landing relies on localizing to a known landing pattern, which requires the pilot to carry a landing pattern with them. We propose a method using a downward facing fisheye lens camera to accurately land a UAV from where it took off on an unstructured surface, without a landing pattern. Specifically, this approach uses a position estimate relative to the take-off path of the drone to guide the drone back. With the large Field-of-View provided by the fisheye lens, our algorithm can provide visual feedback starting with a large position error at the beginning of the landing, until 25 cm above the ground at the end of the landing. This algorithm empirically shows it can correct the drift error in the state estimation and land with an accuracy of 40 cm.
Assessing the Removal of Heavy Metals using Emerging and Intensifying Technology of Emulsion Liquid Membrane with Ionic Liquid

(Pb(II)) is one of the heavy metals compounds founds in the industrial wastes that needs to be removed from treated wastewater. Emulsion liquid membrane (ELM) has been introduced as an emerging technology for advanced wastewater and water treatment. This emerging technology of treatment can be intensified by strategically adding the hydrophobic ionic liquid of [OMIM][PF6] and ({[BMIM]+ [NTf2]-) ionic liquid to organic membrane phase (O) to facilitate the industrial implementation of ELM with ionic liquid. The results show that with the use of 5% (V/V) [OMIM][PF6] ionic liquid has increased the removal efficiency to 70.37% in reaction time of 5 minutes and both the stability and extraction activity of ELM are enhanced (2–3 times greater than the ELM alone). The outcomes of this work can be extended to other heavy metal removal from industrial wastewater and water.
Rheumatologic disorders in patients undergoing esophageal manometry: prevalence, symptom characteristics, and manometric findings.

Rheumatologic disorders (RDs) can have gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations. Systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients often have upper GI symptoms from absent esophageal contractility (AC). Upper GI symptom characteristics and high-resolution esophageal manometry with impedance (HREMI) findings of other RDs have not been well studied. We aimed to: (i) determine the prevalence of RD in patients undergoing HREMI and (ii) assess the symptom characteristics and manometric findings of these patients. Patients undergoing HREMI (July 2018 to March 2020) rated their GI symptoms' severity. Healthy volunteers (HVs) also underwent HREMI. Of the 1,003 patients, 90 (9%) had RD (mean age: 55.3 ± 1.4 years, 73.3% females), most commonly SSc (n = 27), rheumatoid arthritis (RA, n = 20), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, n = 11). The most severe upper GI symptoms in patients with RD were heartburn, regurgitation, nausea, and dysphagia, with no significant differences in their severities between SSc, RA, and SLE. RD patients had higher upper esophageal sphincter (UES) pressures, lower distal contractile integral (DCI), lower bolus clearance, and more frequent hiatal hernia (HH) on HREMI (all P < 0.05) than HVs. Over half (61.1%) of patients with RD had esophageal motility disorders, most commonly AC (n = 25), ineffective esophageal motility (IEM; n = 18), and esophagogastric junction (EGJ) obstructive disorders (n = 11). Among patients undergoing HREMI, 9% had RD. Upper GI symptom severities did not distinguish different RDs. Patients with RD had higher UES pressures, weaker DCI, lower bolus clearance, and more frequent HH than HVs. Although AC and IEM were most common motility disorders, a considerable minority (12.2%) of our RD patients had EGJ obstructive disorders.
Effect of Varying Degrees of Renal Impairment on the Pharmacokinetics of Omecamtiv Mecarbil.

Omecamtiv mecarbil is a novel selective cardiac myosin activator (myotrope) under investigation for the treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. The objective of this clinical study was to estimate the effect of varying degrees of renal impairment on the pharmacokinetics of omecamtiv mecarbil single dose (50 mg) under fasted conditions. This phase I, open-label, non-randomized, parallel-group study evaluated the pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of a single oral dose of omecamtiv mecarbil 50 mg in individuals with normal renal function or mild, moderate, and severe renal impairment, including end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis. Geometric least-squares mean ratios of maximum observed concentration (Cmax) and area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC) and 90% confidence intervals were derived for comparisons of renal impairment vs normal renal function. Participants were monitored for adverse events. Thirty-one participants received treatment and completed the study. Geometric mean exposures were similar for participants with renal impairment (AUC∞ range, 2550–3220 h*ng/mL; Cmax range, 78.9–107 ng/mL) and participants with normal renal function (AUC∞, 2790 h*ng/mL; Cmax, 92.6 ng/mL), with geometric least-squares mean ratios of 85.2–125.9. Exposure was similar on dialysis vs non-dialysis days in participants with end-stage renal disease (AUC0–24, 1650 vs 1700 h*ng/mL; Cmax, 100.0 vs 107.0 ng/mL). Four participants (12.9%) reported four treatment-emergent adverse events. No deaths, treatment-emergent adverse events leading to discontinuation, or serious adverse events occurred. Omecamtiv mecarbil pharmacokinetics were not meaningfully affected by renal function or hemodialysis, suggesting the same dosing strategy can be used in individuals with normal renal function or renal impairment. Oral administration of omecamtiv mecarbil was not associated with major tolerability findings. This study supports omecamtiv mecarbil for the treatment of heart failure in individuals with or without renal impairment.
Intermittent Hypoxia causes targeted disruption to NMDA receptor dependent synaptic plasticity in area CA1 of the hippocampus

Changed NMDA receptor (NMDAr) physiology is implicated with cognitive deficit resulting from conditions ranging from normal aging to neurological disease. Using intermittent hypoxia (IH) to experimentally model untreated sleep apnea, a clinical condition whose comorbidities include neurocognitive impairment, we recently demonstrated that IH causes a pro-oxidant condition that contributes to deficits in spatial memory and in NMDAr-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP). However, the impact of IH on additional forms of synaptic plasticity remains ill-defined. Here we show that IH prevents the induction of NMDAr-dependent LTP and long-term depression (LTD) in hippocampal brain slices from mice exposed to ten days of IH (IH10) yet spares NMDAr-independent forms of synaptic plasticity. Deficits in synaptic plasticity were accompanied by a reduction in hippocampal GluN1 expression. Acute manipulation of redox state using the reducing agent, Dithiothreitol (DTT) stimulated the NMDAr-dependent fEPSP following IH10. However, acute use of either DTT or MnTMPyP did not restore NMDAr-dependent synaptic plasticity after IH10 or prevent the IH-dependent reduction in GluN1, the obligatory subunit of the NMDAr. In contrast, MnTMPyP during IH10 (10-MnTMPyP), prevented the suppressive effects of IH on both NMDAr-dependent synaptic plasticity and GluN1 expression. These findings indicate that while the IH-dependent pro-oxidant state causes reversible oxidative neuromodulation of NMDAr activity, acute manipulation of redox state is ineffective in rescuing two key effects of IH related to the NMDAr within the hippocampus. These IH-dependent changes associated with the NMDAr may be a primary avenue by which IH enhances the vulnerability to impaired learning and memory when sleep apnea is left untreated in normal aging and in disease.
The Campus as Crucible: A Critical Race Analysis of Campus Climate in the Experiences of American Muslim Undergraduates

Background/ContextMuslim communities in the United States have increasingly been the target of the state security apparatus, virulent public discourse, and increasing cultural xenophobia. Since 200...
A Max-Min Algorithm for an On-line DDC System

Abstract The positioning control system should carry out the follow-ing objectives, which are that the controlled machine must have the ability to accurately stall at high speed and possess no overshoot transient processes. These requirements are in conflict with one another in some cases. The solution of the max-min performance index problem, in which both weighting matrices Q and control parameter U are used to the system activity, can achieve the above objectives. Simulation experiments illustrate the validity of the method.
Proportionality in the Criminal Law: The Differing American versus Canadian Approaches to Punishment

In a passage cited approvingly by Don Stuart in his well known treatise Canadian Criminal Law,1 the Law Reform Commission of Canada, in its 1976 Report, cautions against the excessive use of the criminal law power. Noting that the "criminal law is a blunt and costly instrument," the Law Reform Commission urges restraint in its application. As society's "ultimate weapon," the criminal law power must be used with the utmost restraint. It is with this powerful warning in mind that this Article shall set forth to present a brief comparative survey of the American and Canadian constitutional prohibitions upon excessive criminal punishment. Specifically, the focus of this Article shall be upon the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution2 and s.
A Re‐Examination of the Reaction of 3,4‐Diamino[1,2,5]oxadiazole with Glyoxal

Reaction coordinate mapping was used to study the reaction of 3,4-diamino[1,2,5]oxadiazole (3,4-diaminofurazan) and 3,4-diamino[1,2,5]thiadiazole with glyoxal. The thiadiazole was known to give a good yield of [1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4-b]pyrazine, whereas the oxadiazole had not yielded, until now, [1,2,5]oxadiazolo[3,4-b]pyrazine (or furazano[2,3-b]pyrazine). The calculations suggested that the diols, 5,6-dihydroxy-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro[1,2,5]oxadiazolo[3,4-b]pyrazine and 5,6-dihydroxy-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro[1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4-b]pyrazine should be stable intermediates, and once formed, should provide a pathway to the target compounds via two dehydration steps, under forcing conditions. With this information in mind, the reactions of 3,4-diamino[1,2,5]oxadiazole with glyoxal and pyruvic aldehyde were re-examined. The reaction of 3,4-diamino[1,2,5]oxadiazole with glyoxal and pyruvic aldehyde produced, under slightly basic conditions, a near quantitative yield of the expected initial products, 5,6-dihydroxy-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro[1,2,5]oxadiazolo[3,4-b]pyrazine and the 5-methyl analog, respectively. The diols were easily isolated by lyophilizing the aqueous reaction mixture. The diols were pyrolized on silica gel at 160°C to give the desired [1,2,5]oxadiazolo[3,4-b]pyrazine and the 5-methyl analog. Both compounds were easily reduced to the corresponding 4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-derivative using sodium borohydride in THF/methanol. The [1,2,5]oxadiazolo[3,4-b]pyrazine also displayed other interesting chemistry.
A fine-grained peer sharing technique for delivering large media files over the internet

In this paper we propose a fine-grained peer sharing technique for delivering large media files in content distribution networks. The replica servers are divided into groups, and those in the same group cooperate with each other. The key difference of the technique from conventional peer to peer systems is that the unit of peer sharing is not a complete media file, but at a finer granularity, in order to increase the flexibility of replica servers for handling client requests. We design a protocol for peers to exchange the information about available resources with each other, and a scheduling algorithm to coordinate the delivery process from multiple replica servers to a client. Our simulations show that the fine-grained peer sharing approach can reduce the initial latency of clients and the rejection rate of the system significantly over a simple peer sharing method.
Quantitative X-Ray Powder Diffraction Analysis of Portland Cements: Proficiency Testing for Laboratory Assessment

Quantitative X-ray powder diffraction analysis (QXRD) is being used within the cement industry for phase characterization of hydraulic cement. The current ASTM standard test method for powder diffraction analysis of cements provides guidance, but not an explicit method, for quantifying phase concentrations. The standard utilizes qualification criteria, where an analysis of a set of certified reference materials must fall within stated precision and bias limits. Validation of X-ray powder diffraction analyses by the Rietveld method is particularly important because the normalization inherent in the mass fraction calculations can obscure accuracy problems. Currently, the only certified reference materials for phase abundance are a set of NIST SRM clinkers, which lack the calcium sulfate and carbonate phases found in portland cements. A set of portland cements was distributed to 29 laboratories for analysis according to each lab’s individual protocols. The objective was to provide each lab with quantitative feedback on its precision and accuracy performance. The results from all the labs are presented graphically with Youden plots that incorporate ranking to illustrate relative lab precision and accuracy based upon a consensus mean for each phase and ASTM C1365 performance qualification criteria. Labs that fall outside of the compliance limits are provided with information via the Youden plots to assess their systematic and random error. Proficiency testing of this sort provides participating laboratories with a quantitative assessment of their performance relative to peers using a wider range of materials encompassing the broad spectrum of modern hydraulic cement production. These newer materials may include, for example, the calcium sulfate phases and the limestone additions that have become commonplace in today’s cements. Such a quantitative assessment could be used to qualify laboratories and may be stipulated in a specification.
Challenges in web search engines

This article presents a high-level discussion of some problems that are unique to web search engines. The goal is to raise awareness and stimulate research in these areas.
805 MHz and 201 MHz RF cavity development for MUCOOL

A muon cooling channel calls for very high accelerating gradient RF structures to restore the energy lost by muons in the absorbers. The RF structures have to be operated in a strong magnetic field and thus the use of superconducting RF cavities is excluded. To achieve a high shunt impedance while maintaining a large enough aperture to accommodate a large transverse emittance muon beam, the cavity design adopted is a pillbox-like geometry with thin Be foils to terminate the electromagnetic field at the cavity iris. The possibility of using grids of thin-walled metallic tubes for the termination is also being explored. Many of the RF-related issues for muon cooling channels are being studied both theoretically and experimentally using an 805 MHz cavity that has a pillbox-like geometry with thin Be windows to terminate the cavity aperture. The design and performance of this cavity are reported here. High-power RF tests of the 805 MHz cavity are in progress at Lab G in Fermilab. The cavity has exceeded its design gradient of 30 MV m−1, reaching 34 MV m−1 without external magnetic field. No surface damage was observed at this gradient. The cavity is currently under conditioning at Lab G with an external magnetic field of 2.5 T. We also present here a 201 MHz cavity design for muon cooling channels. The proposed cavity design is also suitable for use in a proof-of-principle muon ionization cooling experiment.
Distributed Relaxation-Type Algorithms for Noncooperative Games

Abstract The main objective of this paper is to review some recent results and also to present some new algorithms for the on-line, distributed computation of equilibria in noncooperative deterministic and stochastic games. The algorithms to be studied are of the relaxation-type , which require memory on either the past policy choices or the past actions of the players, depending on whether the iteration (and learning) is in the policy or the action space. Our earlier work on this topic has shown that incorporating memory into Jacobi and Gauss-Seidel type iterations in two-person Nash games could lead to considerable improvements in both the region of convergence and the speed of convergence towards noncooperative equilibrium, under both asynchronous and totally asynchronous modes of update. The present paper shows that these appealing features carry over to partially asynchronous modes of update, when there is a bound on the memory available to one or more players. The paper also discusses robustness of the partially asynchronous relaxation-type algorithms to inaccuracies in each player's knowledge regarding the others' response functions.
A Spatial Analysis of Poverty and Income Inequality in the Appalachian Region

The Appalachian Region has neared parity with the national average in terms of poverty rate but Appalachian residents are still poorer than the non-Appalachian residents. The relationship between poverty and income inequality has continued to be region specific and understanding the relationship is important to evaluate how a development strategy would benefit the region. Cross sectional county level data from 1990 and 2000 are used to examine the relationship between poverty and income inequality in the region. Since spatial models fail to capture the spatial dependence of the variables across the region, a spatial regression approach is used in the study. The empirical results indicated an inverse relationship between poverty and income inequality in the Appalachian region. Keywords: Poverty rate, Income inequality, Gini coefficient, Spatial Durbin Model
On the environmental consequences of intra-industry trade

Abstract In the trade and environment debate, the relevance of examining the impact of a location's intra-industry trade (IIT) on environmental quality cannot be overemphasized, in part, due to the increasing prominence of such trade and the paucity of related empirical evidence. Although existing studies largely indicate overall trade to be pro-environment, the consequences of IIT may differ owing to greater varieties of intermediate and final goods, easier technology diffusion via trade in similar goods, productivity gains from within-sector reallocations, and increased innovation. However, identification of the causal effect is plagued by the potential endogeneity of IIT attributable to crucial unobservables and measurement error. In this light, utilizing an instrumental variables strategy and data on multiple environmental indicators from roughly 200 countries over 2000-2005, we investigate IIT's impact on the environment. To measure IIT, we rely on two indexes of within-industry specialization based on changes in and levels of sector-level trade. Regardless of the indicator of IIT or environmental performance, across several sets of instruments, we mostly find (i) IIT to benefit the environment, (ii) overall trade to be less pro-environment than IIT, and (iii) concerns over endogeneity to be relevant.
Un)Welcome Conduct and the Sexually Hostile Environment

Courts, including the Supreme Court, have consistently noted that sexual harassment must be unwelcome to be actionable. The unwelcomeness requirement can be justified as serving two functions: guaranteeing that sexual harassment harm has occurred and providing notice to the putative harasser that continuing the harassing conduct may cause harm. When sexual harassment was thought to consist largely or nearly exclusively of face-to-face, conduct related to sexual activity, e.g., sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other conduct of a sexual nature, the unwelcomeness requirement may have been thought defensible, if not reasonable. However, as courts expand the conduct that can support a sexual harassment claim to include all styles of sex-based harassment, including conduct that need not necessarily be directed at the plaintiff, the lack of unwelcomeness does not guarantee a lack of harm. Other changes in sexual harassment law eliminate the need for unwelcomeness' notice-serving function. Because the theoretical justifications for unwelcomeness have eroded and the unwelcomeness requirement may lead to results inconsistent with Title VII's broad prohibition on discrimination, the time has come (again) to jettison the requirement, though welcomeness may remain an evidentiary issue related to how severely a plaintiff's terms or conditions of employment were affected and how much damage a plaintiff suffered.
Photochemical reduction of methemoglobin and methemoglobin derivatives.

Publisher Summary Hemoglobin solutions that must be stored for long periods of time must be kept either at very low temperatures or in the complete absence of oxygen, or both. These are conditions are not easy to achieve. The spontaneous oxidation to methemoglobin can be especially bothersome when solutions of precious hemoglobin variants or hemoglobin derivatives need to be stored for an extended time. One is thus often faced with the problem of having to reduce any methemoglobin that has formed in hemoglobin preparations before valid studies with the hemoglobin can be initiated. There are various procedures for the reduction of methemoglobin present in hemoglobin preparations that use a variety of reducing agents, such as dithionite, ascorbate, 5-hydroxyanthranilic acid, and iron salts. However, the direct reduction of methemoglobin with a reducing agent sometimes presents difficulties. The reduction of methemoglobin with reducing agents, such as ascorbate and cysteine reaches equilibrium when there are still considerable amounts of methemoglobin present in the solution.
Efficient cycles for carbon capture CLC power plants based on thermally balanced redox reactors

Abstract The rotary reactor differs from most alternative chemical looping combustion (CLC) reactor designs because it maintains near-thermal equilibrium between the two stages of the redox process by thermally coupling channels undergoing oxidation and reduction. An earlier study showed that this thermal coupling between the oxidation and reduction reactors increases the efficiency by up to 2% points when implemented in a regenerative Brayton cycle. The present study extends this analysis to alternative CLC cycles with the objective of identifying optimal configurations and design tradeoffs. Results show that the increased efficiency from reactor thermal coupling applies only to cycles that are capable of exploiting the increased availability in the reduction reactor exhaust. Thus, in addition to the regenerative cycle, the combined CLC cycle and the combined-regenerative CLC cycle are suitable for integration with the rotary reactor. Parametric studies are used to compare the sensitivity of the different cycle efficiencies to parameters like pressure ratio, turbine inlet temperature, carrier-gas fraction and purge steam generation. One of the key conclusions from this analysis is that while the optimal efficiency for regenerative CLC cycle was the highest of the three (56% at 3 bars, 1200 °C), the combined-regenerative cycle offers a trade-off that combines a reasonably high efficiency (about 54% at 12 bars, 1200 °C) with much lower gas volumetric flow rate and consequently, smaller reactor size. Unlike the other two cycles, the optimal compressor pressure ratio for the regenerative cycle is weakly dependent on the design turbine inlet temperature. For the regenerative and combined regenerative cycles, steam production in the regenerator below 2× fuel flow rate improves exhaust recovery and consequently, the overall system efficiency. Also, given that the fuel side regenerator flow is unbalanced, it is more efficient to generate steam from the fuel side regenerator than from the air side regenerator.
Epidemiology and culture

This book shows how practitioners in the emerging field of 'cultural epidemiology' describe human health, communicate with diverse audiences, and intervene to improve health and prevent disease. It uses textual and statistical portraits of disease to describe past and present collaborations between anthropology and epidemiology. Interpreting epidemiology as a cultural practice helps to reveal the ways in which measurement, causal thinking, and intervention design are all influenced by belief, habit, and theories of power. By unpacking many common disease risks and epidemiologic categories, this book reveals unexamined assumptions and shows how sociocultural context influences measurement of disease. Examples include studies of epilepsy, cholera, mortality on the Titanic, breastfeeding, and adolescent smoking. The book describes methods as varied as observing individuals, measuring social networks, and compiling data from death certificates. It argues that effective public health interventions must work more often and better at the level of entire communities.
Association Between Chromosome 2p16.3 Variants and Glaucoma in Populations of African Descent

Jiao et al. (1) recently reported significant association of three SNPs on chromosome 2p16.3 (rs12994401, rs10202118, and rs1533428) with an increased risk of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in the Barbados population. In an effort to replicate these findings, we genotyped these three SNPs in our African-American and Ghanaian (West African) datasets. The research was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of Duke University Medical Center and for Ghanaian subjects, by the Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Ghana. The African-American dataset included 382 cases and 275 controls, and the Ghanaian dataset contained 170 cases and 132 controls as previously described (2).
Near Infrared Star Counts as a Probe of Asymmetries in the Galaxy's Disk

I have recently started an observing program to study the distribution of dynamically old giant stars in the disk, looking for (i) large amplitude spiral arms and (ii) small amplitude corrugations.
The use of the oxytocin challenge test for antepartum clinical evaluation of uteroplacental respiratory function

Over the last 4 years at Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center, Women's Hospital, clinical interest in antepartum fetal monitoring has increased considerably. As a result of approximately 1,500 tests in some 600 patients at high risk for placental insufficiency, we have reached several conclusions regarding the methods for antepartum fetal monitoring, criteria for interpretation of the results obtained, and the role of antepartum monitoring information in clinical management. In this paper, the results of "stress" monitoring (monitoring in the presence of uterine contractions) are presented. The term "oxytocin challenge test" is used in reference to "stressed" monitoring even though sometimes the contractions were spontaneous, or without oxytocin stimulation.
Relationship of Central Choroidal Thickness with Age-Related Macular Degeneration Status

Purpose To compare choroidal thickness in patients with intermediate or advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and control subjects using enhanced-depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT). Design Retrospective cross-sectional study of 325 eyes from 164 subjects who underwent EDI-OCT for the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) 2 Ancillary Spectral Domain OCT study. Methods Choroidal thickness was measured by semi-automated segmentation of EDI-OCT images from 1.5 mm nasal to 1.5 mm temporal to the fovea. Multivariate linear regression was used to evaluate the association of subfoveal choroidal thickness or average choroidal thickness across the central 3-mm segment with systemic and ocular variables. Choroidal thickness measurements were compared between eyes with no AMD (n = 154) (ie, controls), intermediate AMD (n = 109), and advanced AMD (n = 62). Results Both subfoveal and average choroidal thicknesses were associated with age ( P P P = .008), with no significant difference between advanced and intermediate AMD eyes ( P = .152) or between intermediate AMD and control eyes ( P = .098). Choroidal thinning was also noted from 1.5 mm nasal to 1.5 mm temporal to the fovea when comparing advanced AMD with control eyes ( P P = .675) or average choroidal thickness ( P = .746) across all 3 groups. Conclusions When adjusted for age and refractive error, central choroidal thickness may not be significantly influenced by AMD status based on AREDS categorization.
"Devil's staircase" in Pb/Si(111) ordered phases.

With scanning tunneling microscopy we have found that ordered phases in $\mathrm{P}\mathrm{b}/\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}(111)$ are one of the best examples of the ``devil's staircase'' phase diagram. Phases within a narrow coverage range ($1.2l\ensuremath{\theta}l1.3\text{ }\mathrm{\text{monolayers}}$) are constructed with the rules similar to the ones found in theoretical models.
A Note on PhD Population Growth in Biomedical Sciences.

The explosive increase in the number of postdocs in biomedical fields is puzzling for many science policymakers. We use our previously introduced parameter in this journal, the basic reproductive number in academia (R0), to make sense of PhD population growth in biomedical fields. Our analysis shows how R0 in biomedical fields has increased over time, and we estimate that there is approximately only one tenure-track position in the US for every 6.3 PhD graduates, which means that the rest need to get jobs outside academia or stay in lower-paid temporary positions. We elaborate on the structural reasons and systemic flaws of science workforce development by discussing feedback loops, especially vicious cycles, which contribute to over-production of PhDs. We argue that the current system is unstable but with no easy solution. A way to mitigate the effects of strong reinforcing loops is full disclosure of the risks of getting PhD. © 2014 The Authors. Systems Research and Behavioral Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Gender Bias and Selection Bias in House Elections

We demonstrate that female incumbents areof higher average candidate quality than maleincumbents. This quality difference is the result ofbarriers to entry faced by potential femalecandidates, although the observed effects of thisquality differential on vote share are partiallymasked by the fact that female incumbents are alsomore likely to be opposed or to be opposed by highquality challengers. Using data from House electionsfor 1984–1992, we estimate that the gender-baseddifferential in candidate quality yields an extra sixpercentage points of vote share for femaleincumbents.
Retention of Good Visual Acuity in Eyes with Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Chronic Refractory Subfoveal Subretinal Fluid

Purpose To describe the clinical characteristics of a subset of eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NVAMD) receiving intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy which retain good visual acuity despite chronic, persistent subfoveal subretinal fluid (SRF).
Spitzer Observations of Hydrogen Deuteride

We report the detection of interstellar hydrogen deuteride (HD) toward the supernova remnant IC 443, and the tentative detection of HD toward the Herbig-Haro objects HH 54 and HH 7 and the star-forming region GGD 37 (Cep A West). Our detections are based upon spectral line mapping observations of the R(3) and R(4) rotational lines of HD, at rest wavelengths of 28.502 and 23.034 μm, respectively, obtained using the Infrared Spectrograph on board the Spitzer Space Telescope. The HD R(4)/R(3) line intensity ratio promises to be a valuable probe of the gas pressure in regions where it can be observed. The derived HD/H2 abundance ratios are (1.19) × 10-5, (1.80) × 10-5, and (1.41) × 10-5, respectively (68.3% confidence limits, based upon statistical errors alone) for IC 443 (clump C), HH 54, and HH 7. If HD is the only significant reservoir of gas-phase deuterium in these sources, the inferred HD/H2 ratios are all consistent with a gas-phase elemental abundance [nD/nH]gas ~ 7.5 × 10-6, a factor of 2-3 below the values obtained previously from observations of atomic deuterium in the Local Bubble and the Galactic halo. However, similarly low gas-phase deuterium abundances have been inferred previously for molecular gas clouds in the Orion region and in atomic clouds along sight lines within the Galactic disk to stars more distant than 500 pc from the Sun.
Tensor-meson dominance and regge couplings

The helicity structure of mesonic Regge couplings is discussed in the context of meson pole dominance for the matrix elements of vector currents and of the energy-momentum tensor. Experimental tests of this helicity structure are proposed. The obtained couplings are incompatible with theU6W×O2Lz symmetic quark model, and they, therefore, rovide a guide towardU6W×O2Lz symmetry breaking. Universal couplings for higher-spin (J > 2) mesons are considered.
Insider trading and the problem of corporate agency

This article models an economy in which managers, whose efforts affect firm performance, are able to make “inside” trades on claims whose value is also dependent on firm performance. It is shown that insider trading opportunities are a substitute for effort-assuring compensation packages. Insider-trading opportunities produce only partial effort incentives. However, they are sometimes less expensive incentive-alignment devices than effort-assuring compensation contracts, which may require payments to the manager in excess of reservation levels. Because some of the increase in value from permitting trade comes not from increased output but rather from the reduction in managerial rents, shareholders have an incentive to permit insider trade even when preventing managerial trade and paying effort-assuring compensation to managers produces greater output.
"Cujusdam nigri & scabiosi Brasiliani." Las malas visitas. Rancière y Derrida

Is war the ultimate name of being? Or is it production? Foucault says: «war,» but Marxism says: «production.» And yet only an ontology of war, or an ontology based on war as the name of being, can account for the very possibility of democracy as the uncertain negotiation of every conflict of power. The disputation around the so-called «demotic principle» between Jacques Ranciere and Jacques Derrida will be explored from the perspective opened by Spinoza´s dream about «a certain black and leprous Brazilian» as the irruption into political space of a certain force for revenge that must in every case be contained and administered. Political production is therefore always in every case already heteroproduction, and it cannot offer either guarantees for permanence or potential stability of any kind.
Governance, corruption, and trade in the Asia Pacific region

This paper examines the impact of reducing corruption and improving transparency to lower trade costs in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation region. The authors find, based on a computable general equilibrium model, significant potential trade and welfare gains for Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation members, with increased transparency and lower levels of corruption. Results suggest that trade in the region would increase by 11 percent and global welfare would expand by $406 billion by raising transparency to the average in the region. Most of the increase in welfare would take place in member economies undertaking reform. Among the reformers, the gross domestic product of Vietnam, Thailand, Russia, and the Philippines would increase approximately 20 percent. The benefits to Malaysia and China would also be substantial with increased transparency and lower levels of corruption.
STATISTICS OF THE MICROWAVE BACKGROUND ANISOTROPIES CAUSED BY COSMOLOGICAL PERTURBATIONS OF QUANTUM-MECHANICAL ORIGIN

The genuine quantum gravity effects can already be around us. It is likely that the observed large-angular-scale anisotropics in the microwave background radiation are induced by cosmological perturbations of quantum-mechanical origin. Such perturbations are placed in squeezed vacuum quantum states and, hence, are characterized by large variances of their amplitude. The statistical properties of the anisotropics should reflect the underlying statistics of the squeezed vacuum quantum states. In this paper, the theoretical variances for the temperature angular correlation function are described in detail. It is shown that they are indeed large and must be present in the observational data, if the anisotropics are truly caused by the perturbations of quantum-mechanical origin. Unfortunately, these large theoretical statistical uncertainties will make the extraction of cosmological information from the measured anisotropics a much more difficult problem than we wanted it to be. This contribution to the Proceedings is largely based on references [42,8]. The Appendix contains an analysis of the “standard” inflationary formula for density perturbations.
How Much Are Public School Teachers Willing to Pay for Their Retirement Benefits

Public sector employees receive large fractions of their lifetime income in the form of deferred compensation. The introduction of the opportunity provided to Illinois public school employees to purchase additional pension benefits allows me to estimate employees' willingness-to-pay for benefits relative to the cost of providing them. The results show employees are willing to pay 20 cents on average for a dollar increase in the present value of expected retirement benefits. The findings suggest substantial inefficiency in compensation and cast doubt on the ability of deferred compensation schemes to attract employees. (JEL H75, I21, J26, J45)
Bias in Case–Control Studies

We discuss two classes of bias that arise in case–control studies, selection bias and information bias. A third source of bias, confounding, is not considered in this article. Selection bias arises either when cases in the study sample are not representative of cases arising from the source population (“study base”) or when controls are not representative of corresponding noncases in the study base. Sources of selection bias include bias in identifying cases or noncases in the study base, nonrepresentative sampling techniques, and selective refusal to participate (nonresponse bias). Use of nonrepresentative controls, such as hospital-based controls, can lead to bias if the exposure distribution differs from that of controls in the study base. Information bias arises from inaccurate reporting of exposures and other covariates by cases or controls, and can result in serious distortion of estimated odds ratios when the errors in reporting by cases and controls are differential (recall bias). Keywords: selection bias; nonresponse bias; detection bias; hospital-based case–control study; study base; information bias; recall bias; confounding
Unit Root Testing with Unstable Volatility

Unit root test statistics may not have the usual asymptotic properties when the variance of innovations is unstable. In particular, persistent changes in volatility can cause the size to differ from the nominal level. We propose a class of modified unit root test statistics that are robust to the presence of unstable volatility. The modification is achieved by purging heteroskedasticity from the data using a kernel estimate of volatility before the application of standard tests. In the absence of deterministic trend components, this approach delivers test statistics that achieve standard asymptotics under the null hypothesis of a unit root. When the data are homoskedastic, the local power of unit root tests is unchanged by our modification. We use Monte Carlo simulations to compare the finite sample performance of our modified tests with that of existing methods of correcting for unstable volatility.
Wound Complications in Total Knee Arthroplasty

Primary wound healing is critical for the success of any total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Any delay in wound healing risks infection and arthroplasty failure (1). Prevention of soft-tissue problems through the proper selection of skin incision, an understanding of vascular anatomy and patient risk factors, and prompt management should wound problems arise, is imperative to achieve desired results.