cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Centrifugation speed affects light transmission aggregometry

BACKGROUND Light transmission aggregometry (LTA) is considered the gold-standard for investigating platelet activity ex vivo. However, LTA protocols are not standardized and differences in LTA procedure are a potential source of variance in results. Centrifugation speed is an essential component of platelet preparation in LTA, has yet to be standardized, and may affect platelet aggregation results. We sought to investigate the effect of relative centrifugal force (RCF) intensity on LTA results.
Intentional Rules Violations—One More Time

(2003). Intentional Rules Violations—One More Time. Journal of the Philosophy of Sport: Vol. 30, No. 2, pp. 166-176.
Alcohol-related problems, anger, and marital satisfaction in monoethnic Latino, biethnic Latino, and European American newlywed couples

Prior studies on alcohol use and marital functioning have largely overlooked the possibility that these variables operate differently in Latino and European American couples. The present study addresses this gap by examining the role of alcohol-related problems and anger as correlates of marital satisfaction among newlywed monoethnic Latino couples (n = 13), biethnic Latino couples (n = 28), and European American couples (n = 89). Higher self-reported anger by both spouses predicted lower marital satisfaction for all couples. Ethnicity interacted with husbands' alcohol-related problems in predicting husbands' marital satisfaction in monoethnic Latino couples. Ethnicity interacted with husbands' anger in the prediction of wives' marital satisfaction in biethnic Latino couples. Conclusions and implications for treatment and research are discussed.
On the solution of a minimax terminal state estimation problem-A Hilbert space approach

The solution to a continuous-time LQG minimax terminal state estimation problem is obtained using a Hilbert space approach. The minimax decision rule is determined via the method of least favorable prior distributions. The minimax estimator is shown to be a linear functional of the observed data, and the least favorable prior distribution is shown to be a degenerate Gaussian stochastic process.
Dependence Information in Parameterized Copulas

Copulas are useful devices to explain the dependence structure between variables by eliminating the influence of marginals. In this paper we develop a formula for better understanding of the dependence mechanism hidden in copulas and discuss some approximations on copulas. We explore the copula of multivariate normal distribution in detail and try to reveal interesting features of the class.
On the hysteresis and robustness of Hopfield neural networks

The effect of noise degradation on the Hopfield neural network is studied. The notion of a hysteresis network is defined. A noisy Hopfield neural network is subsequently proven to be a hysteresis network. The effect of the hysteresis phenomenon on the robustness of the Hopfield neural network to noise degradation is then investigated. An optimal Hopfield neural network is defined as the Hopfield neural network which minimizes an upper-bound on the probability of error. The minimal robustness indicator of a Hopfield neural network is defined. The upper bound on the probability of error of a noisy Hopfield neural network is derived in terms of the minimal robustness indicator. We finally prove that an optimal Hopfield neural network is obtained when the minimal robustness indicator is maximized. >
Idiopathic facial nerve paralysis: a randomized double blind controlled study of placebo versus prednisone.

Idiopathic facial nerve paralysis (IFNP) is a common malady. Because its etiology is unclear, there are a variety of treatment options. Studies to date have not clearly established the benefits of treatment with oral steroids (prednisone). The authors performed a randomized double-blind controlled study comparing the use of placebo versus prednisone which shows that prednisone-treated patients benefit from early treatment. Seventy-six patients met inclusion criteria and completed follow-up until recovery; 35 patients received prednisone and 41 received placebo. Their mean age was 36.8 years. Facial nerve function was assessed using the House-Brackmann facial nerve grading scale, as well as a variety of other measures. Patients were evaluated pretreatment, regularly post-treatment until judged recovered (return of facial function to a grade III or better), and at 6 months after recovery. Difference in mean time to resolution for the prednisone (51.4 days) and placebo (69.3 days) groups was not statistically significant. There was a significant difference in grade at recovery, with the placebo group having a higher proportion of grade III results (P < .03). Eight of 10 patients with electroneurography (ENOG) evidence of denervation were in the placebo group and accounted for 6 of the 7 grade III results. However, the difference in proportion of patients with evidence of denervation for the prednisone (5.7%) and placebo (19.5%) groups did not achieve statistical significance. This study shows that patients treated with prednisone have less denervation than placebo-treated patients. They also have a significant improvement in facial grade at recovery compared to placebo-treated patients. Therefore, the authors recommend that all patients at risk for developing denervation receive prednisone treatment.
LQT1 mutations in KCNQ1 C-terminus assembly domain suppress IKs using different mechanisms

Aims Long QT syndrome 1 (LQT1) mutations in KCNQ1 that decrease cardiac I Ks (slowly activating delayed rectifier K+ current) underlie ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death. LQT1 mutations may suppress I Ks by preventing KCNQ1 assembly, disrupting surface trafficking, or inhibiting gating. We investigated mechanisms underlying how three LQT1 mutations in KCNQ1 C-terminus assembly domain (R555H/G589D/L619M) decrease I Ks in heterologous cells and cardiomyocytes. Methods and results In Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, mutant KCNQ1 + KCNE1 channels either produced no currents (G589D/L619M) or displayed markedly reduced I Ks with a right-shifted voltage-dependence of activation (R555H). When co-expressed with wild-type (wt) KCNQ1, the mutant KCNQ1s displayed varying intrinsic dominant-negative capacities that were affected by auxiliary KCNE1. All three mutant KCNQ1s assembled with wt KCNQ1 as determined by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). We developed an optical quantum dot labelling assay to measure channel surface density. G589D/R555H displayed substantial reductions in surface density, which were either partially (G589D) or fully (R555H) rescued by wt KCNQ1. Unexpectedly, L619M showed no trafficking defect. In adult rat cardiomyocytes, adenovirus-expressed homotetrameric G589D/L619M + KCNE1 channels yielded no currents, whereas R555H + KCNE1 produced diminished I Ks with a right-shifted voltage-dependence of activation, mimicking observations in CHO cells. In contrast to heterologous cells, homotetrameric R555H channels showed no trafficking defect in cardiomyocytes. Conclusion Distinct LQT1 mutations in KCNQ1 assembly domain decrease I Ks using unique combinations of biophysical and trafficking mechanisms. Functional deficits in I Ks observed in heterologous cells are mostly, but not completely, recapitulated in adult rat cardiomyocytes. A ‘methodological chain’ combining approaches in heterologous cells and cardiomyocytes provides mechanistic insights that may help advance personalized therapy for LQT1 mutations.
A review of catalytic issues and process conditions for renewable hydrogen and alkanes by aqueous-phase reforming of oxygenated hydrocarbons over supported metal catalysts

We have recently developed a single-step, low-temperature process for the catalytic production of fuels, such as hydrogen and/or alkanes, from renewable biomass-derived oxygenated hydrocarbons. This paper reviews our work in the development of this aqueous-phase reforming (APR) process to produce hydrogen or alkanes in high yields. First, the thermodynamic and kinetic considerations that form the basis of the process are discussed, after which reaction kinetics results for ethylene glycol APR over different metals and supports are presented. These studies indicate Pt-based catalysts are effective for producing hydrogen via APR. Various reaction pathways may occur, depending on the nature of the catalyst, support, feed and process conditions. The effects of these various factors on the selectivity of the process to make hydrogen versus alkanes are discussed, and it is shown how process conditions can be manipulated to control the molecular weight distribution of the product alkane stream. In addition, process improvements that lead to hydrogen containing low concentrations of CO are discussed, and a dual-reactor strategy for processing high concentrations of glucose feeds is demonstrated. Finally, various strategies are assembled in the form of a composite process that can be used to produce renewable alkanes or fuel-cell grade hydrogen with high selectivity from concentrated feedstocks of oxygenated hydrocarbons. # 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Aspergillus antigen induces robust Th2 cytokine production, inflammation, airway hyperreactivity and fibrosis in the absence of MCP-1 or CCR2

Background: Asthma is characterized by type 2 T-helper cell (Th2) inflammation, goblet cell hyperplasia, airway hyperreactivity, and airway fibrosis. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1 or CCL2) and its receptor, CCR2, have been shown to play important roles in the development of Th2 inflammation. CCR2-deficient mice have been found to have altered inflammatory and physiologic responses in some models of experimental allergic asthma, but the role of CCR2 in contributing to inflammation and airway hyperreactivity appears to vary considerably between models. Furthermore, MCP-1-deficient mice have not previously been studied in models of experimental allergic asthma. Methods: To test whether MCP-1 and CCR2 are each required for the development of experimental allergic asthma, we applied an Aspergillus antigen-induced model of Th2 cytokinedriven allergic asthma associated with airway fibrosis to mice deficient in either MCP-1 or CCR2. Previous studies with live Aspergillus conidia instilled into the lung revealed that MCP-1 and CCR2 play a role in anti-fungal responses; in contrast, we used a non-viable Aspergillus antigen preparation known to induce a robust eosinophilic inflammatory response. Results: We found that wild-type C57BL/6 mice developed eosinophilic airway inflammation, goblet cell hyperplasia, airway hyperreactivity, elevations in serum IgE, and airway fibrosis in response to airway challenge with Aspergillus antigen. Surprisingly, mice deficient in either MCP-1 or CCR2 had responses to Aspergillus antigen similar to those seen in wild-type mice, including production of Th2 cytokines.
Variation in nectar robbing over time, space, and species

Spatiotemporal variation in the interactions among plants and animals is widespread; yet our concep- tual and empirical understanding of this variation is limited to a few types of visitors, mainly herbivores, pollinators, seed predators, and seed dispersers. Despite the ubiquity of nectar robbing and the strength of its effects on plant fitness, we know relatively little about the magnitude and intensity of spatial and temporal variation in interac- tions among plants and nectar robbers. The purpose of the present study was to quantify spatial and temporal variation in the interactions between a nectar-robbing bumblebee and its host plants. In the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, USA, over 7 years, and multiple locations, we measured levels of nectar robbing by the bumblebee Bombus occidentalis and its interactions with four differ- ent host plants, Delphinium nuttallianum (Ranunculaceae), Ipomopsis aggregata (Polemoniaceae), Corydalis caseana (Fumariaceae), and Linaria vulgaris (Scrophulariaceae). Significant variation was found in the robbing rates experienced by different species. Within species, there was variation in robbing rates on an annual basis, on a seasonal basis, among different sites, and within sites. This variation may have important consequences with respect to the population dynamics of host plants as well as selection on floral and flowering traits. Electronic supplementary material is available if you access this article at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00442- 002-1060-z. On that page (frame on the left side), a link takes you directly to the supplementary materials.
The Forum: Therapeutic Politics: An Oxymoron?

In this essay, I explore the connections between the personal and the political, and what those connections suggest for discourse, action, and meaning.
Hedge Funds and the Collapse of Long-Term Capital Management

or a time during fall 1998, hedge funds seemed to be on the front page of every newspaper in the world. Investors in some hedge funds had taken huge losses following the collapse of the Russian economy in August, and the Federal Reserve felt it necessary to organize a rescue of a hedge fund called Long-Term Capital Management. If the misadventures of a single wayward hedge fund with only about $4.8 billion in equity at the start of 1998 could take the United States or even the world economy so close to the precipice of financial disaster that the Federal Reserve felt impelled to step in, what might happen if a number of hedge funds got into trouble? These events propelled hedge funds into the spotlight, with promises of congressional hearings and a forthcoming study of hedge funds by the President's Working Group on Financial Markets. The purpose of this article is to demystify hedge funds and to explore the policy implications of the collapse of Long-Term Capital Management. What are hedge funds? What do they do? How are they regulated? What happened to LTCM? Did the Federal Reserve act prudently in engineering a rescue of LTCM? What are the policy and regulatory issues raised by the LTCM debacle? Legal and Organizational Structure of Hedge Funds It is hard to imagine a greater misnomer than "hedge fund," since hedge funds typically do just the opposite of what their name implies: they speculate. The term "hedge fund" was apparently first used in a 1966 Fortune magazine article which described the activities of a fund now commonly considered to be the first hedge fund (Loomis, 1966). That fund was started by a Columbia University sociologist
Characterization of Local Structures in Plasma Deposited Semiconductors by X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy

Extended X-ray-Absorption Fine-Structure Spectroscopy (EXAFS) has been used to investigate the subtle local structural variations in plasma deposited semiconductors. Grazing incidence geometry EXAFS is a very effective tool to study the surface layers. Since EXAFS is an element specific sensitive local structural probe, it is advantageous to commonly used structural characterization techniques where there is no long-range crystalline order in material. EXAFS can provide crucial information deposition or post-deposition induced crystallographic structural modifications. The information extracted from EXAFS can be used as an important feedback for the thin film growth mechanisms. In this chapter the fundamental principles of EXAFS will be introduced. The data reduction and analyses with the structural model calculations will be discussed. The application of the EXAFS in plasma deposited silicon wafers and plasma-plume deposited high-k dielectric thin films will be presented.
Stability analysis of pulse-width-modulated feedback systems with type 2 modulation: the critical case

In this paper, the author presents new Lyapunov and Lagrange stability results for the critical case of pulse-width-modulated (PWM) feedback systems with type 2 modulation. The linear plant considered herein is assumed to be critically stable, i.e., the plant has one and only one pole at the origin and the rest of the poles are in the left half of the complex plane. An algorithm is incorporated to allow easy calculation of the stability bound. The applicability of the present results is demonstrated by means of two specific examples.
The Power of Positive Recollections: Reducing Test Anxiety and Enhancing College Student Efficacy and Performance

This research sought to develop an intervention (targeting positive emotions and thoughts) as a mechanism for reducing test anxiety and raising confidence and performance in a sample of college students. Participants were randomly assigned to a positive thought task or a control task. Those in the positive-thought condition, who were assigned to write about successful personal experiences, derived several benefits, when compared with control participants who wrote about their morning routines. Specifically, they experienced more positive affect and less negative affect, exhibited a more optimistic outlook, and reported less test anxiety. They were more likely to appraise the quiz confidently, perceiving it as a challenge rather than a threat. Perhaps most importantly, they exhibited superior performance on the quiz. jasp_595 732..745
Rural public health education as a pharmacist-led team endeavor.

Abstract Objective To examine the state of public health provision and education in North Dakota and to identify the current and potential future roles pharmacists and pharmacy educators play in these activities. Setting Rural, medically underserved areas of North Dakota, as well as professional training sites for the practitioners working in these areas. Practice description Practice sites encompass both rural community pharmacies and critical-access hospital pharmacies. The primary education practice site is North Dakota State University. Practice innovation Pharmacists in rural North Dakota are proactive leaders in providing public health care to their patients. For example, they participate in a statewide diabetes disease management project similar to the Asheville, NC, project. Pharmacy educators are leading the formation of a new interprofessional Master of Public Health program. Main outcome measure Development of an interprofessional public health education program that allows for greater collaboration among rural health practitioners. Results The new degree program is successfully negotiating the academic approval process. Conclusion Because of the efforts of pharmacists and pharmacy educators, North Dakota is better prepared to face current and future public health challenges.
Optos Optomap Panoramic 200MA imaging of a serous choroidal detachment responsive to furosemide.

Purpose: To describe a case of a serous choroidal detachment which resulted after discontinuation of furosemide and illustrate the utility of ultrawide-angle fundus imaging in documenting this lesion in the retinal periphery. Design: Observational case report. Method: An 85 year old female presented with symptoms of a “brown curtain” descending over the left eye which was temporally related to recent discontinuation of oral furosemide. Ultrawide-field photography allowed for accurate documentaton of the choroidal detachments. Result: After resuming furosemide, the serous choroidal detachments resolved. Conclusion: We hypothesize a shift of free water following discontinuation of furosemide as a novel etiology for the development of serous chordoidal detachments. Ultrawide-field fundus photography was useful to document this lesion.
The Validity of the Compressible Reynolds Equation for Gas Lubricated Textured Parallel Slider Bearings

The Navier-Stokes and compressible Reynolds equations are solved for gas lubricated textured parallel slider bearings under hydrodynamic lubrication for a range of realistic texture geometry parameters and operating conditions. The simplifying assumptions inherent in the Reynolds equation are validated by comparing simulation results to the solution of the Navier-Stokes equations. Using the Reynolds equation to describe shear driven gas flow in textured parallel slider bearings is justified for the range of parameters considered.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Does Legal Enforcement Affect Financial Transactions? The Contractual Channel in Private Equity

Analyzing 210 developing country private equity investments, we find that transactions vary with nations’ legal enforcement, whether measured directly or through legal origin. Investments in high enforcement and common law nations often use convertible preferred stock with covenants. In low enforcement and civil law nations, private equity groups tend to use common stock and debt, and rely on equity and board control. Transactions in high enforcement countries have higher valuations and returns. While relying on ownership rather than contractual provisions may help to alleviate legal enforcement problems, these results suggest that private solutions are only a partial remedy.
The Lower Bound to the Evolution of Mutation Rates

Despite substantial attention from theoreticians, the evolutionary mechanisms that drive intra- and interspecific variation in the mutation rate remain unclear. It has often been argued that mutation rates associated with the major replicative polymerases have been driven down to their physiological limits, defined as the point at which further enhancement in replication fidelity incurs a cost in terms of reproductive output, but no evidence in support of this argument has emerged for cellular organisms. Here, it is suggested that the lower barrier to mutation rate evolution may ultimately be defined not by molecular limitations but by the power of random genetic drift. As the mutation rate is reduced to a very low level, a point will eventually be reached at which the small advantage of any further reduction is overwhelmed by the power of drift. This hypothesis is consistent with a number of observations, including the inverse relationship between the per-site mutation rate and genome size in microbes, the negative scaling between the per-site mutation rate and effective population size in eukaryotes, and the elevated error rates associated with less frequently deployed polymerases and repair pathways.
Wire Obstacle Warning System (WOWS): A Real-Time Airborne Sensor For Automatic Detection And Recognition Of Wirelike Objects

A sensor has been designed to provide real-time detection and recognition of 3mm wires at a range of 300 meters during nighttime helicopter flight operations. An Army-sponsored program to demonstrate such automatic wire detection and warning for Nap-of-the-Earth (NOE) helicopter missions is currently in progress. Wire or wire-like objects are electro-optically detected and then recognized by a pattern recognition technique. The recognition algorithm is accomplished within 50 msec of the first wire detection indication. A flyable exploratory development WOWS model, consisting of a scanning laser transmitter, electro-optical receiver, real-time processor and display unit is described.
Bankrupt: Entitlements and the Federal Budget

The U.S. government is about to exceed its statutory debt limit of $14.3 trillion. But that actually underestimates the size of the fiscal time bomb that this country is facing. If one considers the unfunded liabilities of programs such as Medicare and Social Security, the true national debt could run as high as $119.5 trillion.Moreover, to focus solely on debt is to treat a symptom rather than the underlying disease. We face a debt crisis not because taxes are too low but because government is too big. If there is no change to current policies, by 2050 federal government spending will exceed 42 percent of GDP.Adding in state and local spending, government at all levels will consume nearly 60 percent of everything produced in this country. Whether financed through debt or taxes, government that large would be a crushing burden to our economy and our liberties.Driving this massive increase in the size and cost of government are so-called "entitlement programs," in particular Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Indeed, by 2050, those three programs alone will consume 18.4 percent of GDP. If one assumes that revenues return to and stay at their traditional 18 percent of GDP, then those three programs alone will consume all federal revenues. Therefore any serious attempt to balance the federal budget and reduce our growing national debt must include a plan to reform entitlements.It may well be politically convenient to continue ducking entitlement reform. But doing so will condemn our children and our grandchildren to a world of mounting debt and higher taxes.
An Implementation Model for Multidatabase Queries

In this paper we discuss an approach to formulation and processing of multidatabase queries. The proposed approach allows incremental growth of a federated database system and provides mechanisms for resolving schema incompatibilities. The implementation model assumes that global queries are evaluated by performing synthesis of (rather than decomposition into) individual site queries. The approach is based on a single language that can be used for both schema integration and query formulation. Once a multidatabase query is formulated, a query evaluation plan can be generated and translated into site queries by an incremental compiler.
Imaging of differential reactivity of the vascular tree in the human forearm by optical tomography

We demonstrate that different components of the vascular tree can be identified in a cross-sectional view by their reactivity to simple manipulations (e.g., deep breathing) and by the existence of different naturally occurring beat frequencies
1,4-Diazaspiro[2.2]pentanes as a Flexible Platform for the Synthesis of Diamine-Bearing Stereotriads

Nitrogen-containing stereotriads occur in a number of biologically active compounds, but general and flexible methods to access these compounds are limited mainly to the manipulation of chiral olefins. An alternative approach is to employ a highly chemo-, regio-, and stereocontrolled allene oxidation that can install a new carbon–heteroatom bond at each of the three original allene carbons. In this paper, an intramolecular/intermolecular allene bis-aziridination is described that offers the potential to serve as a key step for the construction of stereotriads containing vicinal diaminated motifs. The resultant 1,4-diazaspiro[2.2]pentane (DASP) scaffolds contain two electronically differentiated aziridines that undergo highly regioselective ring openings at C1 with a variety of heteroatom nucleophiles to give chiral N,N-aminals. Alternatively, the same DASP intermediate can be induced to undergo a double ring-opening reaction at both C1 and C3 to yield vicinal diaminated products corresponding to formal ri...
Immature stages and biology of fifteen species of Peruvian Calliphoridae (Diptera)

Isofemale rearings from egg to adult are reported for 15 species of Peruvian blow flies. Twelve reared for the first time are: Chrysomya chloropyga putoria (Wiedemann), Compsomyiops boliviana (Mello), Compsomyiops verena (Mello), Hemilucilia flavifaces (Engel), Hemilucilia hermanlenti (Mello), Paralucilia fulvinota (Bigot), Calliphora peruviana (Robineau-Desvoidy), Phaenicia ibis (Shannon), Sarconesia chlorogaster (Wiedemann), Sarconesia magellanica (Macquart), Sarconesia splendida (Townsend), and Sarconesia versicolor (Bigot). Cochliomyia macellaria (F.), Phaenicia cuprina (Wiedemann), and Phoenicia eximia (Wiedemann) were also reared. Some of these flies are exclusively Andean or rain forest, others span both habitats. The study includes: descriptions of first, second, and third instars, puparia, and egg plastrons; developmental rates; successional and diel activity of highland flies in Montaro Valley; and a key to the known third instars of Peru. Similarities exist between species of Sarconesia, Calliphora, and Phaenicia in developmental rates and morphology of the immature stages, suggesting that Sarconesia may be more closely related to the Calliphorinae than previously thought.
Accuracy and Convergence Characteristics of Steady Transonic Potential Flow Solutions

This paper discusses the importance of artificial viscosity in analyzing transonic potential flows in terms of:•convergence characteristics of a relaxation scheme, and•accuracy of the obtained solutions.In this first part of the paper, two types of relaxation schemes are discussed where different types of damping terms are employed. The utilization of artificial viscosity for these different procedures are studied. In the second part, the accuracy of solutions obtained by employing artificial viscosity is investigated, in particular for the solution around a shock. Finally, it is suggested that comparison of solutions with different levels of artificial viscosity may be an efficient tool in determining the accuracy of the obtained solution.Copyright © 1984 by ASME
EFFECT OF PERCHLORATES ON ELECTRON RADIOLYSIS OF GLYCINE WITH APPLICATION TO MARS

This work explores the radiolytic decomposition of glycine (H2NCH2COOH) under simulated Martian conditions in the presence of perchlorates ( ClO4 ), which are abundant oxidizers on the surface of Mars, by energetic electrons at 10, 160, 210, and 260 K, mimicking the radiation exposure of the Martian regolith in the first 5–10 cm depths over about 250 million years. Our experiments present quantitative evidence that the rate constants of the glycine decomposition in the presence of magnesium perchlorate hexahydrate (Mg(ClO4)2 ·6H2O) were a factor of about two higher than that of the pure glycine, suggesting that energetic oxygen atoms (O) released from the ClO4 have a significant effect on the decomposition rates and accelerate them by providing a unique oxidizing environment in the radiolyzed samples. Hence, two decay mechanisms exist: radiolysis by the electrons and oxidation by the O atoms. Within the Mars-relevant temperature range covering 160–260 K, the destruction rates are nearly temperature invariant with rates varying as little as 5%. Further, the formation rates of carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) are both accelerated in the presence of ClO4 by a factor of three to five, supporting our conclusion of an active oxygen-initiated chemistry. In addition, the degradation rates are significantly higher than the formation rates of CO2 and CO. This suggests that, besides the decarboxylation, alternative degradation pathways such as a polymerization of glycine must exist. Finally, besides CO2 and CO, three alternative products were identified tentatively: methylamine (CH3NH2), methane (CH4), and ammonia (NH3).
Research of Substation Risk Assessment Based on Monte Carlo Simulation

Substation risk assessment has a very important significance for the safe operation of the whole network.Based on the main wiring circuit analysis of a typical substation,component failure model is established for substation outage,repairing,and normal working by stratified state enumeration method.Mainly studied the system connectivity,the status switching and so on,and putting forward the optimization algorithm for state enumeration method combined with the power network model.
NMNAT2:HSP90 Complex Mediates Proteostasis in Proteinopathies.

Nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyl transferase 2 (NMNAT2) is neuroprotective in numerous preclinical models of neurodegeneration. Here, we show that brain nmnat2 mRNA levels correlate positively with global cognitive function and negatively with AD pathology. In AD brains, NMNAT2 mRNA and protein levels are reduced. NMNAT2 shifts its solubility and colocalizes with aggregated Tau in AD brains, similar to chaperones, which aid in the clearance or refolding of misfolded proteins. Investigating the mechanism of this observation, we discover a novel chaperone function of NMNAT2, independent from its enzymatic activity. NMNAT2 complexes with heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) to refold aggregated protein substrates. NMNAT2’s refoldase activity requires a unique C-terminal ATP site, activated in the presence of HSP90. Furthermore, deleting NMNAT2 function increases the vulnerability of cortical neurons to proteotoxic stress and excitotoxicity. Interestingly, NMNAT2 acts as a chaperone to reduce proteotoxic stress, while its enzymatic activity protects neurons from excitotoxicity. Taken together, our data indicate that NMNAT2 exerts its chaperone or enzymatic function in a context-dependent manner to maintain neuronal health.
Variation of movement characteristics with washing and capacitation of spermatozoa. II. Multivariate statistical analysis and prediction of sperm penetrating ability

Fifty semen samples were studied by computer-assisted semen analysis before testing in the sperm penetration assay (SPA). Twenty-one concentration and movement measurements were obtained from each sample on sperm in semen, after washing and swim-up, and again after an 18-hour capacitation period. Discriminant analysis was then used to define a function from these measurements that would classify the SPA results as above or below a 10% penetration rate. A significant function was identified using the following variables: sperm concentration and motility in semen, and mean curvilinear velocity, linearity, and amplitude of lateral head displacement of washed sperm. Movement measurements of capacitated spermatozoa were not useful predictors in this analysis. The overall accuracy of this function for predicting SPA results was 72%. These findings demonstrate that computer-derived measurements of sperm movement provide biologically useful information regarding sperm function, and, in addition, emphasize the importance of multivariate techniques in the analysis and description of human sperm motion.
Drug‐resistant epilepsy in adults: Outcome trajectories after failure of two medications

SummaryObjective To examine the seizure trajectories of adults with epilepsy developing drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) and to identify the predictors of seizure trajectory outcome. Methods Adult patients failing two antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) due to inefficacy and starting their third AED at a tertiary epilepsy center were followed for seizure trajectory outcome during medical management. Seizure trajectories were categorized into one of four patterns: (1) course with constant seizures; (2) fluctuating course; (3) delayed attainment of seizure freedom (seizure freedom delayed for >12 months after start of the study, but patient stayed in seizure freedom); and (4) early attainment of seizure freedom (within 12 months of starting study). Multiple ordinal logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between trajectory categories and clinical factors. Results Four hundred three adult patients met the eligibility criteria. Of these, 212 (53%) never achieved a seizure-free period of a year or more. The trajectories of 63 patients (16%) had a complex fluctuating trajectory, 62 (15%) had delayed onset of seizure freedom, and 66 (16%) had an early seizure freedom. Independent predictors associated with more favorable outcome trajectories were epilepsy type and length of follow-up. Specifically, compared to patients with focal epilepsy of temporal lobe, patients with focal epilepsy of occipital lobe (OR 3.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00–14.51, p = 0.04), generalized genetic (OR 3.23, 95% CI 1.88–5.57, p < 0.0001), unclear epilepsy type (OR 3.82, 95% CI 1.53–9.52, p < 0.005), and both focal and generalized epilepsy(OR 11.73, 95% CI 1.69–81.34, p = 0.01) were significantly more likely to experience a better trajectory pattern. Significance Examination of patterns of seizure trajectory of patients with incident DRE showed that 31% were in continuous seizure freedom at the end of the observation period.
Diversity in leadership: race in leader-member exchanges

Purpose – The workforce is becoming increasingly diverse and yet leadership research has lagged behind this trend. In particular, theory links leader-member exchange (LMX) to the development of racially diverse leaders (e.g. Scandura and Lankau, 1996). Yet, there remains a need for empirical evaluation of this premise. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, results of two studies of the effects of leader-member diversity on the LMX dimensions of professional respect, affect, loyalty, and contributions were examined. In the first study, supervisor-subordinate dyads in an applied work setting were examined, while in the second study a laboratory study was used. Findings – Results in Study 1 indicated that cross-race and minority dyads reported different LMX attributes of professional respect, affect, loyalty and contributions compared with dyads where both members were of the racial majority. In Study 2, racial compositions of dyads was not associated with reported differences in LMX relationships, but was associated with differences in task performance. Originality/value – This research provides the first systematic examination of the influence of racial diversity on LMX in a leader-follower dyad. As such, this work provides an important reference point in which future research on LMX and diversity can build. Such efforts will help future organizational leaders better navigate the increasingly diverse workplace.
The Phenomenon of Cultural Relations

Lurking in the background of debates over trade in cultural products, transnational mass media and global news flows is the assumption that seemingly innocent items of entertainment, such as TV programmes and recorded music, are ideological tools of governments. These ideas make the relationship between international power and international communication seem even more sinister. Before governments of countries that are large generators of cultural products (such as France, Britain and the United States) can disseminate their own propaganda it seems that images of these countries, for better or worse, have been created in the minds of foreign populations. Some thinkers have explored how governments have actually deliberately used cultural industries, especially commercial movie production, to further their foreign policy objectives.1 In comparison, the cultural industries of some countries can create certain images of some other nations or races, making it a task for these peoples to dispel stereotypes,2 or creating pretexts for specific forms of international behaviour.3 When governments decide to forsake the vagaries of mass media and international news to create and manage their own public relations they resort to ‘cultural relations’ and ‘cultural diplomacy’.
Conclusion: What the New Divisions of Labor Mean?

This chapter summarizes the contradictions and limitations of lean production, concluding that this model emerges as the new dominant model of division of labor.
Ettu: Analyzing Query Intents in Corporate Databases

Insider threats to databases in the financial sector have become a very serious and pervasive security problem. This paper proposes a framework to analyze access patterns to databases by clustering SQL queries issued to the database. Our system Ettu works by grouping queries with other similarly structured queries. The small number of intent groups that result can then be efficiently labeled by human operators. We show how our system is designed and how the components of the system work. Our preliminary results show that our system accurately models user intent.
Dietary and Behavioral Approaches in the Management of Obesity

Given the prevalence of overweight and obesity and their associated health conditions, clinicians will be increasingly tasked with the responsibility of addressing overweight and obesity. This article reviews the 5As approach-assess, advise, agree, assist, arrange-and how clinicians can use the approach facilitate weight management discussions with their patients that met the recommendations provided in the 2013 adult weight management guidelines issued by the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology/The Obesity Society.
Robust Fourier and Polynomial Curve Fitting

We consider the robust curve fitting problem, for both algebraic and Fourier (trigonometric) polynomials, in the presence of outliers. In particular, we study the model of Arora and Khot (STOC 2002), who were motivated by applications in computer vision. In their model, the input data consists of ordered pairs (xi, yi) e [-1, 1] × [-1, 1], i = 1, 2, …, N, and there is an unknown degree-d polynomial p such that for all but ρ fraction of the i, we have |p(xi) – yi|≤ δ. Unlike Arora-Khot, we also study the trigonometric setting, where the input is from T × [-1, 1], where T is the unit circle. In both scenarios, the i corresponding to errors are chosen randomly, and for such i the errors in the yi can be arbitrary. The goal is to output a degree-d polynomial q such that ||p - q||∞ is small (for example, O(δ)). Arora and Khot could achieve a polynomial-time algorithm only for ρ = 0. Daltrophe et al. observed that a simple median-based algorithm can correct errors if the desired accuracy δ is large enough. (Larger δ makes the output guarantee easier to achieve, which seems to typically outweigh the weaker input promise.) We dramatically expand the range of parameters for which recovery of q is possible in polynomial time. Specifically, we show that there are polynomial-time algorithms in both settings that recover q up to l∞ error O(δ.99) provided 1) ρ ≤/c1log d and δ ≥ 1/(log d)c, or 2) ρ ≤ c1/log log d/log2 d and δ ≥ 1/dc. Here c is any constant and c1 is a small enough constant depending on c. The number of points that suffices is N = O(d) in the trigonometric setting for random xi or arbitrary xi that are roughly equally spaced, or in the algebraic setting when the xi are chosen according to the Chebyshev distribution, and N = O(d2) in the algebraic setting with random (or roughly equally spaced) xi.
Intermolecular Interactions in Hybrid Perovskites Understood from a Combined Density Functional Theory and Effective Hamiltonian Approach

We show how the complex molecular structure of hybrid perovskites can be understood simply in terms of a few important intermolecular interactions. We deduce structural rules and coupling constants from an extensive density functional theory study of the structural energy landscape of methylammonium lead iodide. We have generated an unbiased structure–energy database, taking into account the orientations of molecular dipoles and inorganic lattice distortions. Analysis of this database shows that room-temperature structures are heavily dominated by a few hydrogen bonding patterns and lattice distortion modes. The molecule–molecule interactions, mediated by lattice distortions and hydrogen bonding, are shown to favor alignment of molecules at right angles to each other. We develop an effective Hamiltonian which shows that this interaction drives the cubic–tetragonal phase transition, explaining the temperature dependence of the tetragonal distortion observed in experiment.
Cooling in a dissipative dark sector

The possibility of a subdominant component of dark matter dissipating energy could lead to dramatic new phenomenology such as the formation of a dark disk. One rigorous way to assess this possibility and settle the debate on its feasibility is to include the dissipative dark component in a numerical hydrodynamical simulation. A necessary input to such a simulation is a prescription including energy dissipation rates of different processes and rates of processes that change the number densities of dark ions and atoms. In this article, we study the simplest dissipative dark sector which consists of a dark electron and proton, both charged under a dark gauged $U(1)$. We present approximate analytic formulas for energy loss rates due to Compton scattering, bremsstrahlung, recombination, collisional ionization, and collisional excitation as well as the rates of number density change. We also include the heating rate due to photoionization. The work serves as the first step to realize a numerical simulation including a dissipative dark sector, which hopefully can shed more light on the formation and properties of a dark disk originating from dark matter self-interactions.
Dwarf archaeology: Probing the first enrichment events with low-luminosity galaxies

We present a novel way to utilize metal-poor stars in the local, ultra-faint dwarf galaxies (UFDs) to learn about the formation process of the first galaxies. Since UFDs have much simpler star formation histories than the halo of the Milky Way, their stellar populations should preserve the fossil record of the first supernova (SN) explosions in their long-lived, low-mass stars. We term the study of the entire stellar population of a dwarf galaxy for the purpose of inferring details about the nature and origin of the first galaxies “dwarf archaeology”. Guided by recent hydrodynamical simulations of first galaxy formation, we develop a set of stellar abundance signatures that characterize such an early system as observed in the present-day Universe. Specifically, we argue that the first galaxies are chemical “one-shot” events, where only one (long-lived) stellar generation forms after the first, Population III, SN explosions. We compare the stellar content of select UFDs with this one-shot criterion. Several UFDs (Coma Berenices, and also Ursa Major II and Bootes I) largely fulfill the requirements, indicating that their high-redshift predecessors did experience strong feedback effects that shut off star formation. We further suggest that at least some UFDs are surviving atomic cooling haloes, suggested by recent ab initio cosmological simulations of early structure formation as first galaxy candidates.
Increasing the Room-Temperature Electric Double Layer Retention Time in Two-Dimensional Crystal FETs

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and LiClO4, a solid polymer electrolyte with a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 80 °C, is used to electrostatically gate graphene field-effect transistors. The ions in PVA:LiClO4 are drifted into place by field-effect at T > Tg, providing n- or p-type doping, and when the device is cooled to room temperature, the polymer mobility and, hence ion mobility are arrested and the electric double layer (EDL) is “locked” into place in the absence of a gate bias. Unlike other electrolytes used to gate two-dimensional devices for which the Tg, and therefore the “locking” temperature, is well below room temperature, the electrolyte demonstrated in this work provides a route to achieve room-temperature EDL stability. Specifically, a 6 orders of magnitude increase in the room temperature EDL retention time is demonstrated over the commonly used electrolyte, poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and LiClO4. Hall measurements confirm that large sheet carrier densities can be achieved with PVA:LiClO4 a...
Truncated forms of Pax-6 disrupt lens morphology in transgenic mice.

RESULTS. Two lines of PD 1 HD mice and three lines of PD mice were generated, all of which exhibit posterior nuclear and/or cortical cataracts of variable severity. The lenses from mice transgenic for either Pax-6 truncation are smaller and more hydrated than normal. Morphologically, the mice expressing the PD 1 HD of Pax-6 have swollen lens fibers with attenuated ball-and-socket junctions. In contrast, the lenses from mice overexpressing the PD of Pax-6 have posterior nuclear cataracts composed of cell debris, whereas the remaining fiber cells appear generally normal. CONCLUSIONS. The presence of truncated Pax-6 protein in the lens is sufficient to induce cataract in a wild-type genetic background. The simplest explanation for this phenomenon is a dominant‐ negative effect; however, a number of other possible mechanisms are presented. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2000;41:464 ‐ 473)