cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Elevated Levels of Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator and Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor Type-1 in Malignant Human Brain Tumors

The plasminogen-plasmin system has been found to modulate neoplastic spread and angiogenesis in tumors outside the central nervous system (CNS), but there have been no quantitative studies on the invasive and vascular tumors of the CNS. Quantitative zymography and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to determine the amounts of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), tissue-type plasminogen activator, and plasminogen activator inhibitors type 1 and type 2 (PAI-1 and PAI-2) in benign and malignant primary brain tumors ( n = 28) as well as nonneoplastic brain ( n = 5). u-PA and PAI-1 antigen were undetectable in normal brain but significantly elevated in glioblastoma multiforme (u-PA, 2.86 ± 3.01 ng/mg; PAI-1, 8.19 ± 5.57 ng/mg; P < 0.001). There was no difference, however, in tissue-type plasminogen activator antigen levels among control, benign, or malignant tissues except for a 4- to 7-fold increase in acoustic neuroma. PAI-2 was detected at low levels in 2 of the 33 specimens. These findings indicate that malignancy in primary CNS neoplasms is associated with elevated levels of u-PA and PAI-1, supporting the role of the plasminogen-plasmin system in the pathogenesis of CNS malignancy and as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target.
Phylogeny and Character Evolution of Papaveraceae s. l. (Ranunculales)

Abstract— To explore the taxonomic status, phylogenetic patterns, and character evolution of various groups within Papaveraceae s. l. (Pteridophylloideae, Papaveroideae, Hypecoideae, and Fumarioideae), two data sets were created and analyzed using Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood, and parsimony methods: 1) a Ranunculales data set for 82 genera representing all of the major families within the order using three chloroplast DNA regions (atpB, rbcL, and matK) and nuclear 26S ribosomal DNA, and 2) a Papaveraceae s. l. data set for an expanded sampling of the family (27 genera, 40 species) consisting of chloroplast sequences only. Branch support values on the resulting trees derived from the combined data for both the Ranunculales and Papaveraceae s. l. data sets were comparable among the various ranunculalean families and supported subfamilial recognition of Pteridophylloideae, Papaveroideae, Hypecoideae, and Fumarioideae. Within Papaveraceae s. l., most analyses of both data sets resolved the position ...
How Can Wii Learn From Video Games?: Examining Relationships between Technological Affordances and Socio-Cognitive Determinates on Affective and Behavioral Outcomes

Motion controlling technology allows game players to interact with video games using kinesthetic body motions that replicate real-world activities. A 2x2 fully crossed, between-subjects experiment, plus control group was designed to empirically test how the type of controller motion controller vs. symbolic controller and avatar customization customized vs. not customized contributed to affective and behavioral responses when playing the Tiger Woods PGA Tour video game. Findings indicated that using the motion controller led to better video game performance, in addition to better performance in a real-world putting task. Further, use of the motion controller led to greater perceptions of golf efficacy indirectly through presence, and was positively correlated with liking of the video game, which in turn led to greater perceptions of liking of the game of golf. Theoretical and practical implications for these findings are discussed.
Creating Decent Prisons: A Serendipitous Finding About Prison Hospice

Abstract Limited research has been conducted on the creation or impact of “decent” prisons, institutions where prisoners are treated with care and respect. This study set out to explore organizational factors associated with locating hospice programs into prison settings. Yet, the research produced unexpected findings about the contribution of hospice to the creation of decent prisons. Findings suggest that prison hospice programs have a transformative influence on the prisoners who volunteer for the program as well as on the overall institutional climate. Hospice appears to enhance the capacity to build and communicate respect, dignity and compassion among prison staff and prisoners.
Self-Organization (Assembly) in Biosynthesis of Silk Fibers - A Hierarchical Problem

In natural systems, structural macromolecules undergo prescribed recognition and assembly steps during synthesis and processing. These associations lead to more complex assemblies that exhibit useful multifunctional properties. Many of these processes are not well understood. Some aspects of these processes are presented using the fibrous protein polymer silk as an example. Issues such as polymer chain biosynthesis, chain interactions, processing into fibrils, and complex engineering into supra-assemblies are addressed and biochemical, spectroscopic and modeling studies are reviewed. Genetic level controls of chain composition, crystalline/amorphous domain distribution, chain aggregation, chain registry, silk I-silk II phase transitions, nematic liquid crystalline phase, loss of water, global molecular alignment, and solution spinning are some of the characteristics of this biological system that are addressed. Although some information is available at the molecular and macro-scale levels, a key issue is the paucity of information at the meso-scale level to fully understand the role of structural hierarchy in the silk fiber assembly process.
Radioallergosorbent test (RAST)--reliable tool or poor substitute?

An in vitro method, the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) has been developed for the detection of allergen-specific antibodies of the IgE class. Review of the literature shows that in comparison to skin testing, the RAST has a high degree of correlation (60% to 90% depending on the antigen); however, this method is not as sensitive as other tests (50% false-negative). The RAST is affected by blocking antibodies (IgG), resulting in false-negative values and high levels of IgE that bind on the allergen discs, giving falsepositive findings. Because of these problems, RAST is somewhat limited for use in the clinical setting.
5'-Terminal AUGs in Escherichia coli mRNAs with Shine-Dalgarno Sequences: Identification and Analysis of Their Roles in Non-Canonical Translation Initiation.

Analysis of the Escherichia coli transcriptome identified a unique subset of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that contain a conventional untranslated leader and Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence upstream of the gene’s start codon while also containing an AUG triplet at the mRNA’s 5’- terminus (5’-uAUG). Fusion of the coding sequence specified by the 5’-terminal putative AUG start codon to a lacZ reporter gene, as well as primer extension inhibition assays, reveal that the majority of the 5’-terminal upstream open reading frames (5’-uORFs) tested support some level of lacZ translation, indicating that these mRNAs can function both as leaderless and canonical SD-leadered mRNAs. Although some of the uORFs were expressed at low levels, others were expressed at levels close to that of the respective downstream genes and as high as the naturally leaderless cI mRNA of bacteriophage λ. These 5’-terminal uORFs potentially encode peptides of varying lengths, but their functions, if any, are unknown. In an effort to determine whether expression from the 5’-terminal uORFs impact expression of the immediately downstream cistron, we examined expression from the downstream coding sequence after mutations were introduced that inhibit efficient 5’-uORF translation. These mutations were found to affect expression from the downstream cistrons to varying degrees, suggesting that some 5’-uORFs may play roles in downstream regulation. Since the 5’-uAUGs found on these conventionally leadered mRNAs can function to bind ribosomes and initiate translation, this indicates that canonical mRNAs containing 5’-uAUGs should be examined for their potential to function also as leaderless mRNAs.
Annotation-based finite-state transducers on reconfigurable devices

With the ever growing amount of unstructured data, high-speed content analysis becomes ever more important. Enabling efficient search functions to help locate specific and relevant information hidden in this big data is a crucial task of today's enterprise systems, and can lead to valuable insights. A key component of content analysis systems are text parsers, which transform unstructured text data into structured information. Cascaded grammars offer a popular and powerful representation of text parsers by enabling the definition of more complex patterns in terms of simpler ones in a hierarchical fashion. This work presents a compilation framework to generate an optimized FPGA pipeline from a cascaded grammar description. We also describe the system integration and the way FPGA-based accelerators can be used as part of larger analysis tasks within Unstructured Information Management Application (UIMA) pipelines. We compare the performance of the hardware-accelerated system and a commercial software implementation using real-life UIMA pipelines from the healthcare domain. We show that the FPGA-accelerated system processes the parsing stage of a UIMA pipeline up to 31 times faster than the software implementation running on a high-end server, which results in an acceleration of up to 5 times for the complete pipeline.
Effect of inert fillers with changing energy-protein ratio on growth performance and energy digestibility in broilers

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of using sand or diatomaceous earth (DIAE) as an inert filler while changing the energy-to-protein ratio in broilers, and therefore to evaluate if doing either will confound the results in energy enzyme efficacy studies by reducing the difference observed between the standard and low energy control diets. The dietary treatments consisted of one control treatment (3,050 ME kcal/kg, 220 CP g/kg) and a 2 × 2 factorial arrangements with 2 energy-to-protein levels (2,850 ME kcal/kg, 205 CP g/kg or 2,850 ME kcal/kg, 220 CP g/kg) and 2 inert fillers (sand or DIAE), each with 9 replicates. Each replicate pen included 5 straight-run broilers fed for a period of 21 d with weekly pen BW and feed intake measured. Ileal contents were collected on d 21 for ileal digestible energy (IDE), with 0.2% titanium dioxide as an indigestible marker. According to the main effect for inert filler, BW was significantly lower (P
Individual and Group Brainstorming: Does the Question Matter?

The goal of this research was to test whether the kind of question that is used to prompt brainstorming differentially affects individual and group idea generation performance. More specifically, i...
Defining the phenotype of antibody-mediated rejection in kidney transplantation: Advances in diagnosis of antibody injury

The diagnostic criteria for antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) are constantly evolving in light of the evidence. Inclusion of C4d-negative ABMR has been one of the major advances in the Banff Classification in recent years. Currently Banff 2015 classification requires evidence of donor specific antibodies (DSA), interaction between DSA and the endothelium, and acute tissue injury (in the form of microvasculature injury (MVI); acute thrombotic microangiopathy; or acute tubular injury in the absence of other apparent cause). In this article we review not only the ABMR phenotypes acknowledged in the most recent Banff classification, but also the phenotypes related to novel pathogenic antibodies (non-HLA DSA, antibody isoforms and subclasses, complement-binding functionality) and molecular diagnostic tools (gene transcripts, metabolites, small proteins, cytokines, and donor-derived cell-free DNA). These novel tools are also being considered for the prognosis and monitoring of treatment response. We propose that improved classification of ABMR based on underlying pathogenic mechanisms and outcomes will be an important step in identifying patient-centered therapies to extend graft survival.
Commoditizing culture - tourism and Maya identity

Abstract This ethnographic study examined how the commoditization of culture for tourism affected traditional practices in a formerly Maya village adjacent to the most-visited Mayan ruins in Belize. Though the majority of villagers had abandoned this indigenous identity, they responded to the tourism demand for representations of an essentialized Mayan culture by utilizing new channels to access traditions they could no longer learn through old ways: they turned to the publications of archaeologists and epigraphers who study the ancient Maya. As villagers developed expertise in the cultural traditions of their ancestors, they remained ambivalent about whether or not their unconventional acquisition of this knowledge provided sufficient basis for reclaiming Maya identities.
Metabolic switching in pluripotent stem cells reorganizes energy metabolism and subcellular organelles

Metabolic studies of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have focused on how the cells produce energy through the catabolic pathway. The less-studied anabolic pathway, by which hPSCs expend energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), is not yet fully understood. Compared to fully differentiated somatic cells, hPSCs undergo significant changes not only in their gene expression but also in their production and/or expenditure of ATP. Here, we investigate how hPSCs tightly control their energy homeostasis by studying the main energy-consuming process, mRNA translation. In addition, change of subcellular organelles regarding energy homeostasis has been investigated. Lysosomes are organelles that play an important role in the elimination of unnecessary cellular materials by digestion and in the recycling system of the cell. We have found that hPSCs control their lysosome numbers in part by regulating lysosomal gene/protein expression. Thus, because the levels of mRNA translation rate are lower in hPSCs than in somatic cells, not only the global translational machinery but also the lysosomal recycling machinery is suppressed in hPSCs. Overall, the results of our study suggest that hPSCs reprogram gene expression and signaling to regulate energy-consuming processes and energy-controlling organelles.
Association Between Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement and Early Postprocedural Stroke

Importance Reducing postprocedural stroke is important to improve the safety of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Objective This study evaluated the trends of stroke occurring within 30 days after the procedure during the first 5 years TAVR was used in the United States, the association of stroke with 30-day mortality, and the association of medical therapy with 30-day stroke risk. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective cohort study including 101 430 patients who were treated with femoral and nonfemoral TAVR at 521 US hospitals in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve Therapies Registry from November 9, 2011, through May 31, 2017. Thirty-day follow-up ended June 30, 2017. Exposures TAVR. Main Outcomes and Measures The rates of 30-day transient ischemic attack and stroke were assessed. Association of stroke with 30-day mortality and association of antithrombotic medical therapies with postdischarge 30-day stroke were assessed with a Cox proportional hazards model and propensity-score matching, respectively. Results Among 101 430 patients included in the study (median age, 83 years [interquartile range {IQR}, 76-87 years]; 47 797 women [47.1%]; and 85 147 patients [83.9%] treated via femoral access), 30-day postprocedure follow-up data was assessed in all patients. At day 30, there were 2290 patients (2.3%) with a stroke of any kind (95% CI, 2.2%-2.4%), and 373 patients (0.4%) with transient ischemic attacks (95% CI, 0.3%-0.4%) . During the study period, 30-day stroke rates were stable without an increasing or decreasing trend in all patients (Pfor trend = .22) and in the large femoral access subgroup (Ptrend = .47). Among cases of stroke within 30 days, 1119 strokes (48.9%) occurred within the first day and 1567 (68.4%) within 3 days following TAVR. The occurrence of stroke was associated with a significant increase in 30-day mortality: 383 patients (16.7%) of 2290 who had a stroke vs 3662 patients (3.7%) of 99 140 who did not have a stroke died (P Conclusions and Relevance Between 2011 and 2017, the rate of 30-day stroke following transcatheter aortic valve replacement in a US registry population remained stable.
Experiential Learning Processes Informing Climate Change Decision Support

AbstractClimate scientists are increasingly called upon to collaborate with policy makers to develop climate science–informed policy decisions. However, there are concerns that existing professiona...
A Comparative Study of Auditory-Perceptual Speech Measures for the Early Detection of Mild Speech Impairments

Background and Purpose The aim of the study was to compare transcription-based speech intelligibility and scaled speech severity for the detection of mild speech impairments, by studying these metrics across talkers with Parkinson's disease (PD), age- and sex-matched older adults, and younger adults. An additional aim was to determine the impact of listener experience on these clinical measures. Methods Fifteen speakers from each experimental group were asked to read aloud 11 randomly generated sentences from the Speech Intelligibility Test at their typical speaking rate and loudness. Two groups of four listeners each, stratified as experienced or inexperienced listeners based on their clinical experience, judged the sentence samples. To estimate intelligibility, both listener groups were asked to orthographically transcribe exactly what they heard for each sentence. For severity estimates, the listener groups were asked to rate the sentences for overall quality based on voice, resonance, articulation, and prosody, using a visual analog scale. Results Transcription-based intelligibility and scaled severity scores of the PD group differed significantly from those of the older and younger adults. Between-age group differences in intelligibility and scaled severity were not observed. Listener experience had an impact on scaled speech severity, but not speech intelligibility. Between-group differences in speech severity were driven by the inexperienced group and not the experienced listener group. Implications Both transcription-based intelligibility and scaled severity estimates appear to be sensitive to relatively mild speech impairments in PD. Obtaining scaled severity is less labor intensive than transcription; therefore, visual analog scaling may be the preferred paradigm for clinical use. However, listener experience and training are important considerations for scaling techniques to be implemented clinically.
Dual-energy estimates of volumetric bone mineral densities in the lumbar spine using quantitative computed tomography better correlate with fracture properties when compared to single-energy BMD outcomes

Abstract It is estimated that over 200 million people worldwide are affected by osteoporosis. Vertebral fracture risk prediction using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is confounded by limitations of the technology, such as 2D measurements of bone mineral density (BMD), inability to measure bone distribution and heterogeneity, and potential overestimations of BMD due to degenerative diseases. To overcome these shortcomings, single energy (SE) quantitative computed tomography (QCT) imaging estimates of Hounsfield units (HU) and volumetric BMD have been implemented as alternative methodologies for assessing fracture risk. However, marrow fat within the vertebrae can highly affect the vBMD and fracture properties estimations. To address this issue, 54 vertebrae were dissected from nine cadaveric spines and scanned using SE-QCT (120kVp) and dual energy (DE)-QCT (80/140 kVp), with the latter accounting for marrow fat within the vertebrae. The vertebrae were then scanned using DXA and subjected to mechanical testing to obtain fracture properties. aBMD outcomes from DXA showed a better correlation with DE-QCT vBMD versus SE outcomes [DE: aBMD vs. vBMD (R2: 0.61); SE: aBMD vs. vBMD (R2: 0.27)]. SE-QCT underestimated vertebral vBMD by -56% (p
Novel Approach for Stress Detection Using Smartphone and E4 Device

Stress reduction is important for maintaining overall human health. There are different methodologies for detecting stress including clinical tests, traditional methods and various sensors and systems developed using either a smartphone, wearable devices or sensors connected to the human body. In this paper, a novel methodology is proposed by creating a personalized model from the generalized model because stress differs from person to person for the same work profile. A generalized model for stress detection is developed from smartphone and E4 device data of all the available individuals. A generalized model is used to build a personalized model that is a person-specific model and will be build up over a time of time when enough amount of person-specific data gets collected. This proposed methodology intends to give more accuracy as two devices are used with the novel approach of model building. Various machine learning algorithms such as ANN, xgboost, and SVM are implemented with the E4 device dataset while the LASSO regression model is used for smartphone data. ANN worked best than xgboost and SVM with 93.71% accuracy. In LASSO, 0.6556 RMSE is achieved.
Towards the higher point holographic momentum space amplitudes. Part II. Gravitons

In this follow up paper, we calculate higher point tree level graviton Witten diagrams in AdS4 via bulk perturbation theory. We show that by rearranging the bulk to bulk graviton propagators, the calculations effectively reduce to the computation of a scalar factor. Analogous to the amplitudes for vector boson interactions we computed in the previous paper, scalar factors for the graviton exchange diagrams also become relatively simple when written in momentum space. We explicitly calculate higher point correlators and discuss how this momentum space formalism makes flat space and collinear limits simpler.
Hydrophobicity versus Pore Size: Polymer Coatings to Improve Membrane Wetting Resistance for Membrane Distillation

Initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) was used to coat two porous substrates (hydrophilic cellulose acetate (CA) and hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)) with a cross-linked fluoropolym...
Visual complexity analysis using deep intermediate-layer features

Abstract In this paper, we focus on visual complexity, an image attribute that humans can subjectively evaluate based on the level of details in the image. We explore unsupervised information extraction from intermediate convolutional layers of deep neural networks to measure visual complexity. We derive an activation energy metric that combines convolutional layer activations to quantify visual complexity. To show the effectiveness of our proposed metric for various applications, we introduce Savoias , a visual complexity dataset that compromises of more than 1,400 images from seven diverse image categories (e.g., advertisement and interior design). We demonstrate high correlations of our deep neural network-based measure of visual complexity with human-curated ground-truth (GT) scores on various widely used network architectures, e.g., VGG16, ResNet-v2-152, and EfficientNet, and in networks trained on two classification tasks (object and scene classification). This result reveals that intermediate convolutional layers of deep neural networks carry information about the complexity of images that is meaningful to people. Furthermore, we show that our method of measuring visual complexity outperforms traditional methods on Savoias and two other state-of-the-art benchmark datasets. Moreover, we perform extensive analysis on the performance difference between our unsupervised method and a supervised method trained on the feature map, and show that by supervision, we can improve the prediction. Finally, we demonstrate that, within the context of a category, visually more complex images are also more memorable to human observers.
Evaluation of Anxiety and Self-Confidence Among Baccalaureate Nursing Students Post Pandemic Simulation Exercise

Abstract Background Simulation-based exercises enhance self-confidence, skills, and knowledge acquisition in nursing education. This study explored clinical decision making (CDM) skills based on students’ anxiety and self-confidence. Methods This mixed-methods study used a 27-item self-administered questionnaire which assessed participants’ overall self-confidence and anxiety ratings on CDM pre- and post-simulation, as well as other three dimensions: “Using resources to gather information and listening fully,” “Using information to see the big picture,” and “Knowing and acting.” Results Participants’ self-confidence increased and their anxiety levels decreased following the simulation exercise, both overall and in terms of the threeassessed subscales. All pre- and post-simulation differences were statistically significant and featured moderate effect sizes. Conclusions The results demonstrate the value of incorporating simulation as an effective teaching strategy to decrease anxiety and improve self-confidence in preparing future healthcare professionals to respond appropriately during a pandemic.
Toward a Just-in-Time Adaptive Intervention to Reduce Emerging Adult Alcohol Use: Testing Approaches for Identifying When to Intervene.

Background: To identify critical periods for just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAIs), we measured time-varying correlates of drinking (e.g. stress, mood) daily to predict near-term alcohol use...
Religion in American public life : living with our deepest differences

Raise any number of public issues-health care, education, welfare-and religious beliefs inevitably shape Americans' viewpoints. On certain topics the introduction of religion can be explosive. This book discusses how we can and why we should hear religious voices in the public square. An American Assembly Book.
Positive and Negative Emotions

We have an intuitive idea that emotions can be distinguished as positive or negative. Gladness and sadness, love and hate, pride and shame, hope and fear, for example, seem to fall rather neatly on either side of this distinction. In philosophy and psychology, however, various criteria are used in drawing the distinction between positive and negative emotions. It is suggested, for instance, that positive and negative emotions respectively involve a favorable or unfavorable assessment of the situation or else a propensity to approach or avoidance. It is obvious that with the application of the various criteria proposed the distinction will be drawn in different places.
A Robust Estimation of Information Flow in Coupled Nonlinear Systems

Transfer entropy (TE) is a recently proposed measure of the information flow between coupled linear or nonlinear systems. In this study, we first suggest improvements in the selection of parameters for the estimation of TE that significantly enhance its accuracy and robustness in identifying the direction and the level of information flow between observed data series generated by coupled complex systems. Second, a new measure, the net transfer of entropy (NTE), is defined based on TE. Third, we employ surrogate analysis to show the statistical significance of the measures. Fourth, the effect of measurement noise on the measures’ performance is investigated up to \(S/N = 3\) dB. We demonstrate the usefulness of the improved method by analyzing data series from coupled nonlinear chaotic oscillators. Our findings suggest that TE and NTE may play a critical role in elucidating the functional connectivity of complex networks of nonlinear systems.
What is the significance of al Gore's purported hypocrisy?

This paper is a survey of a variety of hypocrisy charges levied against Al Gore. Understood properly, these hypocrisy charges actually support Gore's case.
In situ hybridization and immunohistochemical analysis of cytomegalovirus-associated ileal perforation

A patient with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) with a cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection localized in the area of an ileal Kaposi sarcoma resulting in perforation is described. Because only one case of such an association of Kaposi sarcoma with CMV leading to perforation has been reported, the presence and distribution of CMV-related nucleic acids and proteins in the affected segment of intestine were evaluated. By using in situ hybridization and immunocytochemical analyses the presence of CMV was shown within epithelial, endothelial, smooth muscle, and inflammatory cells at the site of perforation. This study not only confirmed that CMV can be detected in virtually all components of the intestinal wall despite the absence of distinctive cytomegalic changes, but also generated critical information that illustrates the usefulness of immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization in elucidating the pathogenesis of CMV-associated lesions. These findings lend further support to the concept that CMV plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of intestinal perforation and emphasize the critical importance of in situ hybridization in gaining insight into the mechanisms of CMV-induced injury.
Formal Program Verification

Using formal program verification, it is possible to prove mathematically and mechanically that software behaves correctly as specified. For verification to scale up to software built from components, components must have formal specifications and the verification process must be modular. Unlike testing that can only reveal the presence of errors, formal varification can guarantee correctness. Keywords: abstraction; assertions; components; formal specification; invariants; languages; modular verification; semantics; software engineering
Strategic Interaction Model with Censored Strategies

In this paper, we develop a new model of a static game of incomplete information with a large number of players. The model has two key distinguishing features. First, the strategies are subject to threshold effects, and can be interpreted as dependent censored random variables. Second, in contrast to most of the existing literature, our inferential theory relies on a large number of players, rather than a large number of independent repetitions of the same game. We establish existence and uniqueness of the pure strategy equilibrium, and prove that the censored equilibrium strategies satisfy a near-epoch dependence property. We then show that the normal maximum likelihood and least squares estimators of this censored model are consistent and asymptotically normal. Our model can be useful in a wide variety of settings, including investment, R&D, labor supply, and social interaction applications.
International test and demonstration of a 1-MW wellhead generator: Helical screw expander power plant

A 1-MW wellhead generator was tested in 1980, 1981, and 1982 by Mexico, Italy, and New Zealand at Cerro Prieto, Cesano, and Broadlands, respectively. The total flow helical screw expander portable power plant, Model 76-1, had been built for the U.S. Government and field-tested in Utah, USA, in 1978 and 1979. The expander had oversized internal clearances designed for self-cleaning operation on fluids that deposit adherent scale normally detrimental to the utiliation of liquid dominated fields. Conditions with which the expander was tested included inlet pressures of 64 to 220 psia, inlet qualities of 0% to 100%, exhaust pressures of 3.1 to 40 psia, electrial loads of idle and 110 to 933 kW, electrical frequencies of 50 and 60 Hz, male rotor speeds of 2500 to 4000 rpm, and fluid characteristics to 310,000 ppm total dissolved solids and noncondensables to 38 wt % of the vapor. Some testing was done on-grid. Typical expander isentropic efficiency was 40% to 50% with the clearances not closed, and 5 percentage points or more higher with the clearances partly closed. The expander efficiency increased approximately logarithmically with shaft power for most operations, while inlet quality, speed, and pressure ratio across the machine had only small effects. These findings are all in agreement with the Utah test results.
An "-uniform Finite Element Method for Singularly Perturbed Boundary Value Problems

This work develops an "-uniform finite element method for singularly perturbed boundary value problems. A surprising and remarkable observation is illustrated: By moving one node arbitrarily in between its adjacent nodes, the new finite element solution always intersect with original one at fixed point. Using this fact, an effective "-uniform approximation out of boundary is proposed by adding one point only in the grid that contains boundary layer. The thickness of boundary layer is not necessary to be known from priori estimation. Numerical results are carried out and compared to Shishkin mesh for demonstration purpose.
Diffraction properties of multilayer Laue lenses with an aperture of 102 µm and WSi_2/Al bilayers

We report on the characterization of a multilayer Laue lens (MLL) with large acceptance, made of a novel WSi2/Al bilayer system. Fabrication of multilayers with large deposition thickness is required to obtain MLL structures with sufficient apertures capable of accepting the full lateral coherence length of x-rays at typical nanofocusing beamlines. To date, the total deposition thickness has been limited by stress-buildup in the multilayer. We were able to grow WSi2/Al with low grown-in stress, and asses the degree of stress reduction. X-ray diffraction experiments were conducted at beamline 1-BM at the Advanced Photon Source. We used monochromatic x-rays with a photon energy of 12 keV and a bandwidth of ΔE/E=5.4·10(-4). The MLL was grown with parallel layer interfaces, and was designed to have a large focal length of 9.6 mm. The mounted lens was 2.7 mm in width. We found and quantified kinks and bending of sections of the MLL. Sections with bending were found to partly have a systematic progression in the interface angles. We observed kinking in some, but not all, areas. The measurements are compared with dynamic diffraction calculations made with Coupled Wave Theory. Data are plotted showing the diffraction efficiency as a function of the external tilting angle of the entire mounted lens. This way of plotting the data was found to provide an overview into the diffraction properties of the whole lens, and enabled the following layer tilt analyses.
Morphology and composition of nickel–boron nanolayer coating on boron carbide particles

This work is focused on electroless coating of Ni–B nanolayer on B4C particle surfaces. The B4C particles used are approximately 2 μm in average size. Effects of activation agent PdCl2, complexing agent C2H8N2, and reducing agent NaBH4 addition rate are studied. The solids loading of B4C is 0.625 g/L and the concentration of Ni2+ ions is 0.004 mol/L in the electroless coating solution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows that when B4C:Pd2+ molar ratio is 1:0.005, a Ni–B nanolayer with the smallest Ni–B nodule size covers the B4C particle surfaces. Complexing agent C2H8N2 decreases Ni2+ ion release rate. Ni:C2H8N2 ratio of 1:6 is the preferred complexing agent amount for achieving a continuous Ni–B nanolayer. The Ni–B nanolayer formation is also strongly dependent on the rate that Ni2+ ions are reduced. Slow Ni2+ reduction leads to increased Ni content in the Ni–B nanolayer. When the above three factors are combined at the optimal values for the electroless coating process, well-defined Ni–B nanolayer is obtained. SEM cross section analysis shows the Ni–B nanolayer completely covers the B4C particles with less than 55 nm thickness.
The effect of temperature on the oxygen equilibrium curve of human blood.

Abstract The oxygen affinity of human blood was measured with the micro blood film technique over six-degree temperature intervals from 13 to 43°C. Results are expressed both as standard curves at pH 7.4 and for conditions of constant carbon dioxide content. P50 (7.4) values found were 5.8, 8.3, 13.2, 19.7, 26.9 and 33.7 Torr at 13, 19, 25, 31, 37 and 43°C, respectively. The shape of the blood oxygen equilibrium curve was invariant with temperature. The measured CO2-Bohr coefficient (Δlog P50/ΔpH) ranged from −0.46 to −0.51 and was not temperature dependent. P50 data for 7.4 followed a van't Hoff isochore with a slope, Δlog P50/Δ(1/T K), of −2350 degrees and an enthalpy per mol of oxygen bound of −8.2 kcal/mol. Temperature dependence of blood oxygen affinity expressed for conditions of constant carbon dioxide content exceeds that of the standard curve. New data are used to calculate the temperature dependence of blood oxygen tension at constant total gas content as a functional of initial PO2 and saturation.
Seed quality of high protein corn lines in low input and conventional farming systems

Seed quality is a major issue for crop establishment especially in low input farming systems, where varieties often grow under more stressful conditions than in conventional farming systems. Corn (Zea mays L.) seed for organic (low input) production will eventually need to be grown organically, thus research is needed to ensure excellent seed quality in organic corn seed production. The objective of this study was to compare seed quality and composition differences between a group of high protein corn genotypes grown under low input and conventional farming systems, and to compare the relative seed quality of these genotypes to two well known inbreds, B73 or Mo17. Twenty high protein breeding genotypes were planted during two growing seasons in conventional and organic nurseries near Ames, Iowa, to produce seeds for laboratory tests. The germination, saturated cold, accelerated aging, and soak test percentages of seeds produced organically were 5 to 11% lower than for seeds produced conventionally. Protein, measured by near-infrared reflectance, was unaffected by the production location, but the oil content of seeds produced organically was significantly higher (between 0.2 and 0.3% higher) than in the conventional system. Location by genotype interactions for most tests were non significant both years, indicating that genotypes selected for high seed quality in a conventional system will also have high seed quality when grown in a low input, organic system.
Aerococcus christensenii native aortic valve subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE) presenting as culture negative endocarditis (CNE) mimicking marantic endocarditis.

Abstract This is a case report of an adult who presented with apparent culture negative endocarditis (CNE) thought to be marantic endocarditis due to a B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder. This was a most perplexing case and was eventually diagnosed as subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE) due to a rare slow growing organism. Against the diagnosis of SBE was the lack of fever, hepatomegaly, peripheral manifestations and microscopic hematuria. Also, against a diagnosis of SBE was another explanation for the patient's abnormal findings, e.g., elevated ferritin levels, elevated α1/α2 globulins on SPEP, an elevated alkaline phosphatase, flow cytometry showing B-lymphocytes expressing CD5, and a bone lesion in the right iliac. Findings compatible with both SBE and marantic endocarditis due to a B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder included an elevated ESR, and splenomegaly. Blood cultures eventually became positive during hospitalization. We report a case of native aortic valve (AV) subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE) due to Aerococcus christensenii mimicking marantic endocarditis due to a B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of native AV SBE due to A. christensenii presenting as marantic endocarditis.
Earthquake-induced net section fracture in brace connections — experiments and simulations

Abstract Results from six tests, finite element simulations and a synthesis of previous test programs on slotted end bracing connections are presented. The main objective of the research is to examine the deformation capacity of these connections, with the ultimate objective of minimizing the requirement for net section reinforcement that is often inconvenient from the perspective of fabrication. The experiments and simulations feature commonly used pipe specimens and end details. The main parameters investigated include the gusset plate thickness, the slot length and introduction of a wrap-around weld that eliminates the reduced section at the edge of the gusset plate. The results indicate that even without reinforcement, the connections offer adequate to excellent deformation capacity if they are provided with the wrap-around weld or if the net section strength is larger than the gross yield strength. This may be achieved in situations where shear lag in the connection is minimal, and where the area reduction due to the slot is small relative to the gross area. Design considerations are presented along with limitations of the study.
Modulation of neuronal sodium channels by the sea anemone peptide BDS-I

Blood-depressing substance I (BDS-I), a 43 amino-acid peptide from sea anemone venom, is used as a specific inhibitor of Kv3-family potassium channels. We found that BDS-I acts with even higher pot...
A Comparison of the Effects of Breast Milk and Infant Formula on Intestinal Blood Flow in Preterm Infants

A Comparison of the Effects of Breast Milk and Infant Formula on Intestinal Blood Flow in Preterm Infants
Cardiac UCP2 expression and myocardial oxidative metabolism during acute septic shock in the rat

ABSTRACTSeptic shock decreases cardiac hydraulic work relative to the rate of myocardial oxygen consumption, causing decreased mechanical efficiency (hydraulic work/myocardial oxygen consumption). This study tested whether the mitochondrial uncoupling protein UCP2 was responsible for decreased cardi
Laser Intracavity Absorption Study of Vinyl Chloride, Ethylene and Propylene

Abstract If an organic gas sample is placed in a second cavity in a laser system, any absorption affect is greatly exaggerated by a change in laser characteristics, particularly with respect to the lasing wavelength. Detection limits were orders of magnitude greater than those of conventional i.r. absorption spectroscopy.
Flow structure in depth-limited, vegetated flow

Aquatic vegetation controls the mean and turbulent flow structure in channels and coastal regions and thus impacts the fate and transport of sediment and contaminants. Experiments in an open-channel flume with model vegetation were used to better understand how vegetation impacts flow. In particular, this study describes the transition between submerged and emergent regimes based on three aspects of canopy flow: mean momentum, turbulence, and exchange dynamics. The observations suggest that flow within an aquatic canopy may be divided into two regions. In the upper canopy, called the “vertical exchange zone”, vertical turbulent exchange with the overlying water is dynamically significant to the momentum balance and turbulence; and turbulence produced by mean shear at the top of the canopy is important. The lower canopy is called the “longitudinal exchange zone” because it communicates with surrounding water predominantly through longitudinal advection. In this region turbulence is generated locally by the canopy elements, and the momentum budget is a simple balance of vegetative drag and pressure gradient. In emergent canopies, only a longitudinal exchange zone is present. When the canopy becomes submerged, a vertical exchange zone appears at the top of the canopy and deepens into the canopy as the depth of submergence increases.
Sensory denervation of the rabbit cornea affects epithelial properties

Abstract Sensory denervation of the corneal epithelium was obtained by circumscribed lesions of the trigeminal ganglion. Two physiological effects were found: an increase in epithelial permeability and a decreased ability to repair a standardized epithelial abrasion.
Radioimmunoelectrophoresis, a sensitive method for detecting cleavage of the fifth component of human complement (C5)

Abstract A method has been developed for detecting cleavage of human C5 in serum and whole blood as a consequence of complement activation. Standard, single-dimension immunoelectrophoresis was performed using as antibody a radioiodinated IgG fraction prepared from a commercially available antiserum to human C5. Autoradiographs developed after radioimmunoelectriphoresis of either normal human serum or functionally pure human C5 revealed only one precipitin band. In contrast, when either zymosan-treated serum or trypsin-treated human C5 were examined with this technique, two additional precipitin bands were detected. One migrated more anodally than native C5 while the other remained at the origin (cathode). Radioimmunoelectrophoresis was significantly more sensitive as an indicator of complement activation in human serum than either measurements of total hemolytic complement or a standard assay for complement (C5)-derived chemotactic activity.
1–2 Inverses and the invariance of BA+C

The most general 1–2 inverse is found for a matrix over a regular ring. This result is used to give necessary and sufficient conditions for the invariance of the triplet BA'C, where A' is a 1-inverse or a 1–2 inverse of A.
Effect of Coal Gas Contaminants on Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Operation

The operation of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) was evaluated on simulated coal gas in the presence of several coal gas impurities that are expected to remain in low concentration after warm gas cleanup. Phosphorus, arsenic and sulfur were considered in this study. The presence of phosphorus and arsenic in low, 1-2 ppm, concentrations led to the slow and irreversible SOFC degradation due to the formation of the secondary phases with nickel in the upper part of the nickel-based anode close to the gas inlet. Sulfur interactions with the nickel were limited to the surface only. Cell performance losses due to sulfur exposure were reversible and independent of the presence of other impurities.
Modeling studies of PVT growth of ZnSe: current status and future course

Bulk growth of wide band gap II-VI semiconductors by physical vapor transport (PVT) has been developed and refined over the past several years at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. Results from a modeling study of PVT crystal growth of ZnSe are reported in this paper. The PVT process is numerically investigated using a two-dimensional formulation of the governing equations and associated boundary conditions. Both the incompressible Boussinesq approximation and a compressible model are tested to determine the influence of gravity on the process and to discern the differences between the two approaches. The influence of a residual gas is included in the models. The results show that both the incompressible and compressible approximations provide comparable results and the presence of a residual gas tends to measurably reduce the mass flux in the system. Detailed flow, thermal and concentration profiles are provided. The simulations show that the Stefan flux dominates the system flow field and the subtle gravitational effects can be gauged by subtracting this flux from the calculated profiles. Shear flows, due to solutal buoyancy, of the order of 50 microns/s for the liorizont,-d growth orientation and 10 microns/s for the vertical orientation are predicted. Whether these flows can fully account for the observed gravity related growth morphological effects and inhomogeneous solute and dopant distributions is a matter of conjecture. A template for future modeling efforts in this area is suggested which incorporates a mathematical approach to the tracking of the growth front based on energy of formation concepts.