cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stoichiometry of the topa quinone biogenesis reaction in copper amine oxidases.

The stoichiometry of the topa quinone biogenesis reaction in phenylethylamine oxidase from Arthrobacter globiformis (AGAO) has been determined. We have shown that the 6e- oxidation of tyrosine to topa quinone (TPQ) consumes 2 mol of O2 and produces 1 mol of H2O2/mol of TPQ formed. The rate of H2O2 production is first-order (kobs = 1.0 ± 0.2 min-1), a rate only slightly lower than the rate of TPQ formation directly determined previously (kobs = 1.5 ± 0.2 min-1). This gives the following net reaction stoichiometry for TPQ biogenesis: E−Tyr + 2O2 → E−TPQ + H2O2. This stoichiometry is in agreement with recently proposed mechanisms for TPQ biogenesis, and rules out several possible alternatives.
Zn2+ Induces Permeability Transition Pore Opening and Release of Pro-apoptotic Peptides from Neuronal Mitochondria

Rapid entry of Ca(2+) or Zn(2+) kills neurons. Mitochondria are major sites of Ca(2+)-dependent toxicity. This study examines Zn(2+)-initiated mitochondrial cell death signaling. 10 nm Zn(2+) induced acute swelling of isolated mitochondria, which was much greater than that induced by higher Ca(2+) levels. Zn(2+) entry into mitochondria was dependent upon the Ca(2+) uniporter, and the consequent swelling resulted from opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. Confocal imaging of intact neurons revealed entry of Zn(2+) (with Ca(2+)) to cause pronounced mitochondrial swelling, which was far greater than that induced by Ca(2+) entry alone. Further experiments compared the abilities of Zn(2+) and Ca(2+) to induce mitochondrial release of cytochrome c (Cyt-c) or apoptosis-inducing factor. In isolated mitochondria, 10 nm Zn(2+) exposures induced Cyt-c release. Induction of Zn(2+) entry into cortical neurons resulted in distinct increases in cytosolic Cyt-c immunolabeling and in cytosolic and nuclear apoptosis-inducing factor labeling within 60 min. In comparison, higher absolute [Ca(2+)](i) rises were less effective in inducing release of these factors. Addition of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore inhibitors cyclosporin A and bongkrekic acid decreased Zn(2+)-dependent release of the factors and attenuated neuronal cell death as assessed by trypan blue staining 5-6 h after the exposures.
Rate constants for quenching and self-annihilation of NCl(a1Δ)

Quenching and self-annihilation rate constants for NCl(a) have been determined using pulsed 248 nm photolysis of ClN 3 to generate the metastable. Previous quenching measurements that employed different sources for NCl(a)yielded dramatically different rate constants. The present study provided quenching rate constants for Cl 2 , HCI, and H 2 that are in good agreement with the discharge flow measurements of Hewett et al. (J. Phys. Chem. A 2000, 104, 539). Determination of the self-annihilation rate constant required knowledge of the branching fraction for NCl(a) formation for 248 nm photolysis of ClN 3 . This information was obtained from time-resolved measurements of NCl(X) formation and decay. A lower bound for the branching fraction of 0.7 was determined. Self-annihilation of NCl(a) was studied by using intense photolysis pulses to generate high concentrations of NCl(a). Analysis of the second-order decay component yielded a rate constant of (7.0 ′ 1.5) × 10 - 1 3 cm 3 s - 1 . This value is an order of magnitude smaller than the previous estimate (Henshaw et al. J. Phys. Chem. A 1997, 101, 4048).
Rapid DNA Sequencing of More Than 1000 Bases per Run by Capillary Electrophoresis Using Replaceable Linear Polyacrylamide Solutions

The read length for DNA sequencing using capillary electrophoresis and replaceable linear polyacrylamide (LPA) solutions has been extended to more than 1000 bases with a run time of 80 min. This result was successfully achieved through the combined use of cycle sequencing with dye-labeled primers, improved matrix and separation conditions, and enhanced base-calling software. The influences of LPA molecular weight and concentration on separation were investigated. Additionally, the separation buffer, column temperature, and electric field were adjusted to increase the number of resolvable DNA fragments per run while maintaining an enhanced separation speed. Using low concentrations [2% (w/v)] of high molecular weight LPA polymers (> 5.5 x 10(6) Da), elevated column temperature (50 degrees C) and moderately high field (150 V/cm), rapid sequencing analysis for more than 1000 bases on a model ssM13mp18 template was obtained with 96.8% accuracy.
Nuclear relaxation in solid and liquid nitrogen

A detailed spin-echo study combining NQR and NMR has been made of the solid phases α and β and the liquid phase of high-purity nitrogen. In f.c.c. α - N2 the quadrupole coupling constant e2qQ, the spin-lattice relaxation time T1, the spin-spin relaxation time T2, and the inverse linewidth parameter T2∗ have been measured as a function of temperature from 4.2°K to the α-β phase transition at 35.6°K. The temperature dependence of e2qQ is adequately explained by Bayer theory for T < 20°K, but at higher temperature it is shown that e2qQ accurately obeys an order parameter relation of the form A(Tc - T)β with Tc = 37.70±0.07°K and β = 0.0770±0.0008. This result is discussed in terms of the librational modes of the lattice and the orientational ordering of the molecules due to quadrupole-quadrupole interactions. The spin-lattice relaxation time follows a T−3.5 relation. Applying the theory of Bayer-Woessner-Gutowsky for relaxation via molecular librations, we have calculated the mean lifetime τa, over librational states and find τa ∞ T−3.2±0.1 with τa(4.2°K) ≅ 10−10sec. In the temperature interval 20–30°K τa becomes comparable with the period of libration implying that the librational excitations are not well defined at higher temperatures. Anomalies are also noted in T2 and T2∗ above about 20°K. In h.c.p. β - N2 hindered rotations of the molecules about the c-axis of the crystal at an angle very near 54°44' reduces the average e2gQ by three orders of magnitude. Single crystals of β - N2 were studied by means of NMR and the temperature dependence of the residual quadrupole coupling deduced from rotation patterns of the NMR line splitting. The coupling constant decreases with decreasing temperature, having the value 2.85±0.30 kHz at 63°K and being unobservably small (<0.5 kHz) below about 40°K. Spin-lattice relaxation in β - N2 is well described by short correlation time theory and apart from a small discontinuity at the triple point has the same temperature dependence as in the liquid. T1 was measured in the liquid in equilibrium with its vapor from 63 to 91°K and also as a function of pressure up to the fusion curve at 77 and 91°K. The activation energy for molecular reorientation was computed to be 180±15 cal/mole in both β - N2 and liquid N2. From the pressure measurements a correction was made for thermal expansion of the liquid and the activation energy at constant volume was calculated to be 100±30 cal/mole.
Xenograft assessment of predictive biomarkers for standard head and neck cancer therapies.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains a challenging cancer to treat with overall 5-year survival on the order of 50–60%. Therefore, predictive biomarkers for this disease would be valuable to provide more effective and individualized therapeutic approaches for these patients. While prognostic biomarkers such as p16 expression correlate with outcome; to date, no predictive biomarkers have been clinically validated for HNSCC. We generated xenografts in immunocompromised mice from six established HNSCC cell lines and evaluated response to cisplatin, cetuximab, and radiation. Tissue microarrays were constructed from pre- and posttreatment tumor samples derived from each xenograft experiment. Quantitative immunohistochemistry was performed using a semiautomated imaging and analysis platform to determine the relative expression of five potential predictive biomarkers: epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), phospho-EGFR, phospho-Akt, phospho-ERK, and excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1). Biomarker levels were compared between xenografts that were sensitive versus resistant to a specific therapy utilizing a two-sample t-test with equal standard deviations. Indeed the xenografts displayed heterogeneous responses to each treatment, and we linked a number of baseline biomarker levels to response. This included low ERCC1 being associated with cisplatin sensitivity, low phospho-Akt correlated with cetuximab sensitivity, and high total EGFR was related to radiation resistance. Overall, we developed a systematic approach to identifying predictive biomarkers and demonstrated several connections between biomarker levels and treatment response. Despite these promising initial results, this work requires additional preclinical validation, likely involving the use of patient-derived xenografts, prior to moving into the clinical realm for confirmation among patients with HNSCC.
Nonconventional first order transitions in insoluble monolayers of surfactants

Abstract Depending upon the ranges of attractive and repulsive interactions between molecules, the transition from the liquid expanded to the condensed phase can be either horizontal or inclined. When the attractive interaction has a much longer range than the repulsive one, thermodynamics favors the aggregation of the molecules of the condensed phase in a single large aggregate, and a first order, horizontal transition will occur. When the repulsive interaction has the much longer range, the free energy of the system becomes smaller when the new phase is dispersed as islands in the old one, instead of forming a separate bulk phase, and a nonconventional first order, inclined transition will take place. It is likely that the phospholipid monolayers belong to the latter kind, while the fatty acid monolayers to the former, when they are little dissociated (sufficiently low pH values), and to the latter, when they are dissociated (sufficiently high pH values). A thermodynamic approach is employed to explain the nonhorizontal transition from the liquid expanded to the condensed phase. A modified Clausius–Clapeyron equation is derived for this nonconventional first order transition.
Zinc-bis-Histidinate Preserves Cardiac Function in a Porcine Model of Cardioplegic Arrest

Abstract Background . We examined the ability of zinc-bis-histidinate to preserve postarrest myocardial function when added to a standard crystalloid cardioplegic solution. Methods . Domestic pigs (35 to 50 kg) on left-sided cardiopulmonary bypass were subjected to 90 minutes of regional ischemia followed by 60 minutes of hypothermic cardioplegic arrest induced by antegrade infusion of 20 mL/kg cold St. Thomas' #2 cardioplegic solution with or without 100 μmol/L of zinc-bis-histidinate and maintained by infusion of 10 mL/kg of the same every 20 minutes. During reperfusion function was assessed at 1 and 3 hours over increasing preloads using the right-sided bypass method. Results . At roller pump flows up to 2,000 mL/min, stroke work index–end-diastolic pressure curves were significantly ( p p Conclusions . The results of this study support the conclusion that zinc-bis-histidinate is effective as a myocardial preservative when added to a crystalloid cardioplegic solution.
Spin-Labeled Analogs of CMP-NeuAc as NMR Probes of the α-2,6-Sialyltransferase ST6Gal I

Summary Structural data on mammalian proteins are often difficult to obtain by conventional NMR approaches because of an inability to produce samples with uniform isotope labeling in bacterial expression hosts. Proteins with sparse isotope labels can be produced in eukaryotic hosts by using isotope-labeled forms of specific amino acids, but structural analysis then requires information from experiments other than nuclear Overhauser effects. One source of alternate structural information is distance-dependent perturbation of spin relaxation times by nitroxide spin-labeled analogs of natural protein ligands. Here, we introduce spin-labeled analogs of sugar nucleotide donors for sialyltransferases, specifically, CMP-TEMPO (CMP-4- O- [2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl]) and CMP-4carboxyTEMPO (CMP-4- O -[4-carboxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinine-1-oxyl]). An ability to identify resonances from active site residues and produce distance constraints is illustrated on a 15 N phenylalanine-labeled version of the structurally uncharacterized, α-2,6-linked sialyltransferase, ST6Gal I.
Synthesis, formulation and evaluation of novel zinc-calcium phosphate-based adhesive resin composite cement

Abstract Three novel adhesive oligomers having carboxylic acid and methacrylate groups were synthesized, characterized and used to formulate composite bone cements with newly synthesized zinc-calcium-silicate phosphate. The optimal formulation was determined based on types of oligomer, oligomer/diluent ratio, initiator concentration, and filler level using compressive strength (CS) and curing time (CT) as screening tools. Shrinkage, exotherm and aging of the formed composite cements were also evaluated. Results show that the experimental cement was 186% higher in CS, 16% higher in diametral tensile strength, similar in flexural strength, 56% less in exotherm and 64% less in shrinkage, as compared to conventional polymethylmethacrylate cement. The optimal concentrations for initiators were found to be 1.5% (by weight) for both benzoyl peroxide and N,N′-dimethyl-p-toluidine. With increasing initiator concentration, diluent content and zinc oxide content in the cement formulation, CS of the cement increased but curing time decreased. Shrinkage and exotherm of the cement decreased with increasing filler level. CS was not proportional to an increase of filler level and CT increased with an increase of filler level. During aging, the cement showed an increase of strength over 24 h and then no change for over nine months. It appears that this novel cement may be a potential candidate for orthopedic restoration if its biological performance is good and the formulation is optimized.
Metyrapone interaction with hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 from rats treated with phenobarbital

Abstract Metyrapone, an inhibitor of steroid hydroxylation reactions, both stimulates as well as inhibits product formation during many mixed function oxidation reactions catalysed by hepatic microsomes from rats. A similar biphasic effect is found in liver microsomes when studying a) the effects of metyrapone on the enzymatic reduction of cytochrome P-450 and b) the reaction of reduced cytochrome P-450 with either O2 or CO. These studies permit the spectral and functional resolution of two forms of cytochrome P-450 with apparent differences in their reaction with CO. It is concluded that metyrapone changes the equilibrium between two functionally different forms of cytochrome P-450 which exists in microsomes. The decrease of one form of cytochrome P-450 appears as an “inhibition” of aminopyrine or hexobarbital metabolism; the concomitant increase of the other form of cytochrome P-450 results in a “stimulation” of other types of hydroxylation reactions, for example, the ring hydroxylation of acetanilide.
Reaction Chemistry of ZnTe Metalorganic Vapor-Phase Epitaxy

The reaction chemistry of zinc telluride (ZnTe) metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE) from dimethylzinc (DMZn), diethylzinc (DEZn), and diisopropyltelluride (DIPTe) has been studied using on-line gas chromatography and infrared spectroscopy. Two growth regimes have been discovered: one at low values of the II/VI ratio and the other at higher values of the II/VI ratio. In the first regime, the group VI compound is consumed in excess, while in the second regime, the group II compound is consumed in excess. The crossover point lies at II/VI ) 5.0 for DMZn and at II/VI ) 0.3 for DEZn. Stoichiometric ZnTe is deposited under all growth conditions. The excess DIPTe consumed is converted into volatile diisopropylditelluride and isopropyltellurol. Conversely, the excess DEZn or DMZn consumed produces zinc metal. These waste byproducts accumulate in the outlet of the reactor. The hydrocarbon products generated from the ethyl and isopropyl ligands are indicative of radical disproportionation, recombination, and hydrogenation reactions. However, the methyl ligands mainly undergo surface hydrogenation to produce methane.
Death in Groups: Mortality Salience and the Interindividual-Intergroup Discontinuity Effect

Past research has shown that mortality salience (MS) increases aggression toward a worldview-threatening other. The present study evaluated whether MS would have a larger impact on aggression under...
The impact of outsourcing on test

With outsourcing test and parts of the design, it is critical to recognize that some accustomed skills and advantages will be forced obsolete, and new ones need to be created. Fast diagnosis is an example of the latter. For some chips, outsourced IP and the host chip target the same new process. For volume ramp, it is likely that a complicated IP block will share the same yield (and even turn-on) issues as the host core. Now, however, complete details of the IP may not be known. A simple example is a netlist understood by the user's gate-level diagnosis package. Cooperation with the supplier will be needed. This, however, may be cumbersome. Strong diagnosis capability is also needed for when targeting early access of a new external fabrication process. Essentially, lowered access to real fab-data can force the user to design with successively refined approximations. As artwork release may precede or coincide with process-model stability, testing of skew wafer lots may be needed to verify the design and predict yield. Should errors occur, the speed and precision of diagnosis and repair will determine the success of the early access plan.
The GMAT as a Predictor of MBA Performance: Less Success Than Meets the Eye

Consistent with previous research, the authors found that the combined use of undergraduate grade point average and the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) verbal and quantitative sections successfully predicted performance in a master of business administration (MBA) program. However, these measures did not successfully predict the competencies that underlie managerial effectiveness, including communication, teamwork, decision making, leadership initiative, and planning and organizing. These competencies were better predicted, albeit imperfectly, by the analytical writing section of the GMAT. These findings are discussed with regard to the curriculum of MBA programs.
Evolving concepts and a new approach for management of hyperlipidemia

Although treatment of modifiable risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD), including hypertension and hyperlipidemia, constitutes a large proportion of visits to family practitioners, most surveys reveal that neither hypertension nor hyperlipidemia are treated to targets specified by national guidelines. Current recommendations for the management of hypertension have evolved from earlier recommendations to titrate to high-dose monotherapy if needed to an emphasis on combination therapy, which can achieve greater efficacy than monotherapy without the increased side effects associated with a high-dose single agent.
Application of a full-scale testing facility for assessing wind-driven-rain intrusion

A new full-scale testing apparatus generically named the Wall of Wind (WoW) has been built by the researchers at the International Hurricane Research Center. The paper discusses the development of a full-scale testing methodology that can be adopted for assessing wind-driven-rain intrusion through the building envelope. The current phase of FIU's WoW is capable of testing full-scale single story building models subjected up to 56 m/s (125 mph) wind speeds and 762 mm/h (30 in./h) of rain. Emphasis has been placed on generating a wind field with a proper boundary-layer profile and turbulence characteristics. Artificial rain has been generated by continuously pumping water through a plumbing system with regularly placed spray nozzles. A large wind and wind-driven-rain field 6.7 m wide by 4.8 m high (∼22 ft wide by ∼16 ft high) has been produced, which can engulf the test specimen completely. For example, an assessment of roof secondary water barrier effectiveness in preventing water intrusion is presented. Six different roof secondary water barriers have been investigated. The amount of water intruded through the secondary water barrier and the visual observation of failure have been used as performance indexes. In addition, external and internal pressure measurements, required to explain rain intrusion mechanisms were carried out. Roof slope effects on water intrusion have been investigated by testing three different slopes (2:12, 4:12 and 6:12). Results indicated the following (i) as the slope increases the intrusion decreases, (ii) self-adhered secondary water barrier performed better than nailed secondary water barriers, and (iii) heavy secondary water barriers performed better than light secondary water barriers.
ARMA model order estimation based on the eigenvalues of the covariance matrix

An approach to model order determination based on the minimum description length (MDL) criterion is proposed and shown to depend on the minimum eigenvalues of a covariance matrix derived from the observed data. A selection procedure for estimating the model order by means of the MDL method is proposed. Examples are given to illustrate the significantly improved accuracy of the technique. >
CDP: a major breakthrough!

It is now over 15 years since infants suffering from the respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) were first treated with artificial ventilation.1-4 The principles on which this treatment was based were sound, but the difficulties in implementation great. Institution of artificial ventilation was commenced late in the disease when the infant was approaching a state of respiratory and circulatory failure. This was in part because of the problem in identifying which infant might recover spontaneously and in part because of the hazards of therapy. However, as knowledge and experience increased, pediatricians gradually learned of the intricacies not only of the machines but also of the disease and began to manage patients with varying degrees of success.5
Spectral Analysis on Infinite Sierpiński Gaskets

We study the spectral properties of the Laplacian on infinite Sierpin ski gaskets. We prove that the Laplacian with the Neumann boundary condition has pure point spectrum. Moreover, the set of eigenfunctions with compact support is complete. The same is true if the infinite Sierpin ski gasket has no boundary, but is false for the Laplacian with the Dirichlet boundary condition. In all these cases we describe the spectrum of the Laplacian and all the eigenfunctions with compact support. To obtain these results, first we prove certain new formulas for eigenprojectors of the Laplacian on finite Sierpin ski pre-gaskets. Then we prove that the spectrum of the discrete Laplacian on a Sierpin ski lattice is pure point, and the eigenfunctions are localized. 1998 Academic Press
Vesico-pustular blastomycosis.

1201-9712/$36.00 – see front matter 2012 International Society for Infectious Disea http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2012.04.003 vesicular lesions, they were thought to be herpetic. Subsequently, she developed a rapidly enlarging verrucous lesion on her forehead and a right forearm abscess. Computed tomography of the chest revealed multiple pulmonary nodules. A skin biopsy from her left hand demonstrated yeast with broad-based
Utility functions for ceteris paribus preferences

Although ceteris paribus preference statements concisely represent one natural class of preferences over outcomes or goals, many applications of such preferences require numeric utility function representations to achieve computational efficiency. We provide algorithms, complete for finite universes of binary features, for converting a set of qualitative ceteris paribus preferences into quantitative utility functions.
SCFA increase intestinal Na absorption by induction of NHE3 in rat colon and human intestinal C2/bbe cells.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), produced by colonic bacterial flora fermentation of dietary carbohydrates, promote colonic Na absorption through mechanisms not well understood. We hypothesized that...
Comprehending Youth Violence A Practicable Perspective

Over the past decade, criminal and violent acts committed by juveniles have increased dramatically. Several factors have contributed to this disturbing trend, including negative family situations, difficult individual characteristics, and societal factors. Because this problem is of so much concern to so many people, a myriad of programs, strategies, and policies have been suggested and implemented for the purpose of reducing youth violence. The literature is replete with program descriptions and global recommendations for schools, mental health agencies, juvenile justice agencies, and lawmakers. In fact, this wealth of literature has made it increasingly difficult for practitioners to decipher the true nature of youth violence and to analyze the responses. In order to assist practitioners in their task of coping with aggressive and violent youth, this article will apply a transactional-ecological framework to the problem of youth violence. By viewing this troublesome issue within a comprehensive framewor...
Reinforcement learning from human reward: Discounting in episodic tasks

Several studies have demonstrated that teaching agents by human-generated reward can be a powerful technique. However, the algorithmic space for learning from human reward has hitherto not been explored systematically. Using model-based reinforcement learning from human reward in goal-based, episodic tasks, we investigate how anticipated future rewards should be discounted to create behavior that performs well on the task that the human trainer intends to teach. We identify a “positive circuits” problem with low discounting (i.e., high discount factors) that arises from an observed bias among humans towards giving positive reward. Empirical analyses indicate that high discounting (i.e., low discount factors) of human reward is necessary in goal-based, episodic tasks and lend credence to the existence of the positive circuits problem.
Efficient Computation of Sensitivities for Ordinary Differential Equation Boundary Value Problems

For models described by ordinary differential equation boundary value problems (ODE BVPs), we derive adjoint equations for sensitivity analysis, giving explicit forms for the boundary conditions of the adjoint boundary value problem. The solutions of the adjoint equations are used to efficiently compute gradients of both integral-form and pointwise constraints. Existence and stability results are given for the adjoint system and its numerical solution. The use of the method is demonstrated for a simple example, where it is seen that the method is particularly advantageous for problems with more than a few parameters.
On dilatation invariance and the wilson expansion

This note contains a few simple remarks on dilatation invariance in field theory and its relevance in connection with the short-distance behaviour of products of fields.
Accumulation and marine forcing of ice dynamics in the western Ross Sea during the last deglaciation

Ice-shelf grounding lines off the coast of Antarctica have retreated over the past 20,000 years. Precise dating of moraines suggests the timing of retreat in the Ross Sea was controlled by the interplay between accumulation and ocean forcing. The grounding line of the ice sheet in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, retreated between the Last Glacial Maximum and the present. However, the timing of the retreat and the interplay of factors controlling ice stability in this region1 remain uncertain. Here we use 180 radiocarbon dates to reconstruct the chronology of moraine construction on the headlands adjacent to western McMurdo Sound. On the basis of these dates we then assess the timing of ice expansion and retreat in the Ross drainage system that is fed from both the East and West Antarctic ice sheets. We find that grounded ice in the western Ross Sea achieved its greatest thickness and extent during the last termination, between 12,800 and 18,700 years ago. Maximum ice thickness at our site coincides with a period of high accumulation as recorded by the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide ice core2. Recession of the ice sheet from the headland moraines began about 12,800 years ago, despite continued high accumulation and the expansion of land-based glaciers at this time. We therefore suggest that the grounding-line retreat reflects an increased marine influence as sea levels rose and the ocean warmed. We suggest that future instability in the ice sheet grounding line may occur whenever the ocean forcing is stronger than forcing from accumulation.
Catalog errors and the M8 earthquake prediction algorithm

The goal of earthquake prediction algorithm research efforts is to identify patterns in data that characteristically occur prior to large earthquakes. Most of these algorithms implicitly assume that variations in the data they examine are related to actual changes in physical processes occurring in the Earth. In the case of seismicity data, most of the observed variations are, in fact, related to changes in the system for detecting and reporting earthquakes and not to actual changes in the Earth. We have tested the earthquake prediction algorithm M8 using five different seismicity data sets for the southwest Pacific. We demonstrate that the alarms identified by M8 are strongly dependent on the seismicity catalog used. The alarms occur preferentially during times when magnitudes are relatively high because of systematic errors. These alarms cannot be reasonably interpreted as precursors to earthquakes or any other real change in the Earth without first understanding and correcting the errors in the seismicity catalogs. This study highlights the need for improving the quality of geophysical data, which is presently unsuitable for many studies related to earthquake prediction.
2D IR spectroscopy at 100 kHz utilizing a Mid-IR OPCPA laser source

We present a 100 kHz 2D IR spectrometer. The system utilizes a ytterbium all normal dispersion fiber oscillator as a common source for the pump and seed beams of a MgO:PPLN OPCPA. The 1030 nm OPCPA pump is generated by amplification of the oscillator in cryocooled Yb:YAG amplifiers, while the 1.68 μm seed is generated in a OPO pumped by the oscillator. The OPCPA outputs are used in a ZGP DFG stage to generate 4.65 μm pulses. A mid-IR pulse shaper delivers pulse pairs to a 2D IR spectrometer allowing for data collection at 100 kHz.
Uncertain Reasoning Using Time-Dynamic Markov Random Field for Sensor-Network Applications

Sensor networks are often used in environment monitoring. We consider uncertain reasoning in sensor network-based monitoring, in particular, in detecting and tracking plumes under heavy noise. We extend Markov random field to a new time-dynamic Markov random field (TD-MRF) and use it to model the environment. We provide an algorithm for inferring, based on TD-MRF, the plume situation in the environment given noisy sensor output. Our experiments showed that TD-MRF and our inference framework can lead to better detection and tracking results even when there is a high level of noise.
Critical Sequence Dependence in Multicomponent Ligand Binding to Gold Nanoparticles

Multicomponent ligand interactions are involved in essentially all practical nanoparticle (NP) applications. Presented herein is the finding that multicomponent ligand binding to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) can be highly dependent on the sequence of ligand mixing with AuNPs. Quantitative study revealed that the competitive adenine and glutathione (GSH) adsorption onto both as-synthesized and pegylated AuNPs is predominantly kinetically controlled, and adenine that binds only nonspecifically to AuNP adsorbs faster than GSH. This raises concerns about the validity of the popular practice in current NP research of using the Langmuir isotherm or its variants to model multicomponent ligand adsorption on NPs. Mechanistically, this sequence dependency is due to the fact that there is no spontaneous ligand desorption even for the model protein and small molecules that can bind only nonspecifically to AuNPs. The insights and experimental methods provided in this work should be important for molecular-level understa...
A call for research on management accounting service quality

The purpose of this chapter is to encourage investigation of management accounting (MA) service quality via comparisons of perceptions by service users and providers. Such comparisons are important in order to satisfy the needs of service users, assure good communications, justify the costs of MA, promote improved decision-making, and help improve the organizational standing of MA. We review literature from accounting, service marketing, and information systems, a common information service with similarities to accounting, to argue the case for conducting research on MA service quality. The findings from our literature review show that research on service quality is seemingly important and abundant in many areas, but not concerning accounting. In essence, we don't know what perceptual differences exist between management accountants and their customers, why these differences might exist, or how organizations might identify and narrow identified gaps. This chapter is among the first to call for research into perceived differences in MA service quality between users and providers. We argue for investigating sources of differences based on prior research in internal marketing and information systems. We offer a conceptual model that might be used as a basis in future investigations.
Farm Chicken Flocks in the United States in 1930 and 1935

Abstract ALTHOUGH poultry statistics for the United States date back to the 1880 census which included numbers of chickens and egg production, no attempt was made to make annual estimates by states until 1929. At that time estimates by states were worked back to 1924 upon the basis of a series of reports on numbers in farm flocks belonging to crop reporters. An earlier series of estimates for the United States by geographic divisions from 1920–1924 has a different basis and is not comparable. The basic data for the present series prior to 1930 are rather thin in spots and the estimates prior to that year are not as dependable as those for later years. Estimates pertaining to livestock or poultry numbers, in order to be comparable, must be based on some definite date, because of the changes which take place in numbers throughout the year. Since census enumerations have . . .
Looking Inside the Black Box of Performance Funding for Higher Education: Policy Instruments, Organizational Obstacles, and Intended and Unintended Impacts

For several decades, policymakers have been concerned about increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of postsecondary institutions. In recent years, performance funding—which directly connects state funding to an institution's performance on indicators such as student persistence, credit accrual, and college completion—has become a particularly attractive way of pursuing better college outcomes. But even as states have made an enormous investment in performance funding, troubling questions have been raised about whether performance funding has the effects intended and whether it also produces substantial negative side effects in the form of restrictions in access for underrepresented students and weakening of academic standards. This paper addresses these troubling questions by drawing on data richer than heretofore available. In addition to drawing on the existing body of research on performance funding, it reports data from a study of the implementation of performance funding in three leading states ...
The Empirical Study on the Influential Factors of Environmental Quality

The environmental problem is an important topic concerning to human.Thus,the discussion on the factors influencing environmental quality is of theory value and practical meaning.The paper studies the theory analysis and positive test to many factors.The result is that GDP has a positive influence on total waste water.Industry waste gas is on the rising period of economical structure.Industry energy consumption can increase the emission of industry solid waste and the investment can decrease the emission of solid waste.The influence of industry output and energy consumption to the emission of industry SO2 is nonlinear.Increasing investment is an effective method to decrease fumes emission.Saving energy and increasing investment are the effective selections to industry dust emission.
Characteristics of heat resources during crop growth season in Shenyang region,Liaoning province

Based on daily mean air temperature data from 7 weather stations in Shenyang from 1958 to 2009,the heat resources characteristics for the different critical temperatures during crop growth season were analyzed by the conventionally statistical method.Under the global warming background,the analytical results were favorable to regulate the agricultural planting structure,master the disadvantageous and advantageous relations caused by warming and promote the local development of agricultural economy.The results indicate that the beginning day and ending day of various critical temperatures during crop growth season is ahead and delays,respectively.The duration is prolonged and accumulated temperature increases obviously.The lasting days of ≥0 ℃,≥5 ℃,≥10 ℃ and ≥20 ℃ accumulated temperature extend 11 days,13 days,12 days and 8 days,and their active accumulated temperature increase 340 ℃ · d,359 ℃ · d,305 ℃ · d and 326 ℃ · d respectively.The beginning days of various critical temperatures are earlier in city or in the south than in county or in the north,while the ending days are later in city or in the south than in county or in the north.Accumulated temperature changes of different critical temperatures are larger in city or in the south than in county or in the north.
Immunoregulation by tumor necrosis factor α (TNF): an opportunity for therapeutic intervention ?

Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF), a protein cytokine, is an endogenous pleiotropic mediator of inflammatory, immune and host defense functions. It is extremely potent, acting either alone or in combination with other cytokines or factors. It acts both as an autocrine and a paracrine mediator of a wide variety of localized responses as well as in a more generalized fashion. Based on current knowledge, its critical roles as local mediator of homeostasis and host defense are considered advantageous and those on systemic metabolic responses are not. In fact, systemic TNF has been demonstrated to be a/the causative agent in septic shock, in cachexia and in certain autoimmune diseases. TNF was so named because of its extremely potent anti-tumor (hemorrhagic necrosis) activity observed following systemic administration [1]. As the understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of action of this cytokine is improved, opportunities for therapeutic intervention based on this knowledge are increased and should be given further consideration.
Meaningful Use of IT to Transform Healthcare: What Differentiates Success from Failure?

Although a growing body of evidence indicates that the transition to electronic health information is having a predominantly positive effect on healthcare outcomes, equally compelling evidence suggests that many health IT implementations fall short of achieving their potential. A critical question remains: Why do projects that essentially follow implementation recommendations and best practices still all too often fail to achieve the intended benefits? The aim of this study was to systematically analyze research literature and case studies on health IT implementation from a multidisciplinary systems framework to determine contextual or implementation characteristics that appear to differentiate organizations that have been most successful at using IT to achieve improvements in healthcare delivery and outcomes. The research results identified ten factors which healthcare organizations that are most successful at ‘meaningfully using’ health IT to improve care delivery appear to share in common.
Health, Enterprise, and Labor Complementarity in the Household

We study the role of household enterprise as a coping mechanism after health shocks. Using variation in the cost of traveling to formal sector health facilities to predict recovery from acute illness in Tanzania, we show that individuals with prolonged illness switch from farm labor to enterprise activity. This response occurs along both the extensive (entry) and intensive (capital stock and labor supply) margins. Family members who are not ill exhibit exactly the same pattern of responses. Deriving a simple extension to the canonical agricultural household model, we show that our results suggest complementarities in household labor.
The Great Game and the copyright villain

This essay explores the reactions of Sherlock Holmes fans and enthusiasts to assertions of intellectual property ownership and infringement by putative rights holders in two eras of Sherlockian history. In both the 1946–47 and 2013–15 eras, Sherlock Holmes devotees villainized the entities claiming ownership of intellectual property in Holmes, distancing those entities from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and casting them as greedy and morally bankrupt. Throughout each era, Sherlockians did not shy away from creating transformative works based on the Holmes canon over the objections of putative rights holders. This complicates the usual expectation that copyright assertions against fans are likely to chill fan production. The essay explores possible reasons why Sherlockian fandom might differ from other fandoms in this respect, including the role of the Great Game form of Sherlockian fandom in shaping fan attitudes toward their subject.
Deficiencies in Molecular Dynamics Simulation-Based Prediction of Protein-DNA Binding Free Energy Landscapes.

Transcriptional regulation allows cells to match their gene expression profiles to their current requirements based on environment, cellular physiological state, and extracellular signals. DNA binding transcription factors are major agents of transcriptional regulation, and bind to DNA with a factor-specific sequence preference to exert regulatory effects. A crucial step in unraveling the logic of a regulatory network is determining the sequence-specific binding affinity landscapes for the transcription factors in it. While such landscapes can be measured experimentally, the ability to predict them computationally would both reduce the effort required to obtain the needed data and provide additional insight into the key interactions shaping protein–DNA interactions. Here we apply free energy calculations based on all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to predict the changes in binding free energy for all single base pair perturbations of the binding sites for four eukaryotic transcription factors for whi...
Personalised medicine-the potential yet realised.

The complex interactions between genes and the environment yield multiple pathophysiologies for the great obstetrical diseases such as preterm birth (Romero R et al, Science, 2014, 345,760-765). Our current, limited capacity to define when and to what extent any number of these pathophysiologies are in effect in individual pregnant patients has resulted in therapeutic strategies being aimed preferentially toward populations defined by risk factors, particularly obstetrical history. However, strategies such as prophylactic progestogen administration indicated for a prior preterm birth necessarily overtreat pregnant women exposing them and their children to potential, possibly unforeseen, harm (O'Brien JM, BJOG 2015;122:610-614). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Kierkegaardian Deconstruction and the Paradoxes of Faith

This chapter argues that a proper “Christian deconstruction” of reason, for Kierkegaard, depends on the necessity of finitude and guilt and their rootedness in an existential anthropology. That is, the paradoxes of reason that lead to reason’s own self-deconstruction are exposed in an existential anthropology that conceives of the human being as spirit and thus as task, and as such, inevitably finite and (ironically) powerless vis-a-vis this task. Christian deconstruction then hinges, I argue, on Kierkegaard’s existential anthropology, which in turn depends upon finitude or the essential impotency of the human being vis-a-vis an ironic task of selfhood. Finitude qua impotency and guilt prove then to be a necessity for grace and faith.
Effects of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers and the Benzo[a]Pyrene on Survival and Settlement of Moon Jellyfish ( Aurelia solida ) Planulae

Owing to the continuously-increasing quick pace of industrialization, the aquatic ecosystems turn out to be subjected to the release of a wide range of contaminants, resulting in remarkable stresses being incurred on organisms living in such environments (Phillips and Rainbow in Biomonitoring of trace aquatic contaminants. London, New York: Elsevier Applied Science, p 371, 1993).
Microstructure, Mechanical Properties and Deformation Behavior of Mg–Gd–Zn Alloy

We describe here the microstructure, mechanical properties and deformation behavior of an ultrafine-grained (UFG) Gd and Zn-containing magnesium alloy that was characterized by high strength-high ductility combination. The deformation behavior was studied by nanoindentation and post-mortem electron microscopy analysis of the deformed region. The behavior is compared with low strength-low ductility coarse-grained (CG) counterpart. Extensive dislocation slip was an active deformation mechanism in the UFG alloy, while in contrast, mechanical twinning occurred in the CG alloy. We attribute these observed differences in the deformation mechanism to the grain size effect.
Fallstudie Axa Winterthur : intelligenter Distributionsanfrageprozess

Mitarbeitende in Vertrieb und Underwriting von zeitraubenden Routineaufgaben zu entlasten, damit sie sich auf ihre Kunden und fachliche Aspekte konzentrieren konnen, war die Zielsetzung des Projekts der Axa Winterthur, das in der vorliegenden Fallstudie beschreiben wird. Mit der Standardisierung des Distributionsanfrageprozesses und der Einfuhrung einer Workflowlosung inklusive Business Rules konnte eine flexible Losung geschaffen werden, die sich nicht nur auf andere Geschaftsbereiche ubertragen lasst, sondern sich durch die zentrale Wissensbasis und auswertbare operative Daten weiter in Richtung eines entscheidungsunterstutzenden und lernenden Systems entwickeln kann.
The Public Health Significance of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Recognition of hearing loss resulting from noise exposure dates back at least as far as Ramazzini’s (1713) classic occupational medicine treatise De Morbis Artificum (Diseases of Workers). Ramazzini’s vivid discussion of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is notable for its recognition that exposure to both occupational and environmental noise can lead to hearing loss in individuals and entire populations.
A Procedure for Finding Double Sampling Plans for Attributes

A trial-and-error procedure, using widely available tables, is presented for finding double sampling plans based on the binomial, hypergeometric, and Poisson distributions...