cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sperm specific antigen(s) in detergent extract of rhesus monkey spermatozoa

Sperm surface antigens were prepared by detergent extraction (Hyamine-Triton, Rohm and Haas Co., Philadelphia, PA) of spermatozoa from rhesus monkeys. Heterologous antisera against the extracts were produced in female New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits by hyperimmunization. The antiserum was absorbed initially with sperm-free monkey seminal plasma and then with lyophilized tissue homogenates of liver, kidney, spleen, and pancreas from male rhesus monkeys. The unabsorbed antiserum produced at least three precipitin lines against detergent extract in double immunodiffusion tests and possessed sperm immobilization and sperm agglutination antibody activity. The absorbed antiserum showed one precipitin line against the detergent extract and retained sperm agglutination antibody activity only. The sperm agglutination antibody in the absorbed antiserum was completely removed by either epididymal or washed ejaculated rhesus monkey spermatozoa. The same results were obtained with ammonium-sulfate-precipitated immunoglobulin preparations. Immunoelectrophoresis revealed only one precipitation line with the absorbed immunoglobulin preparation. It is concluded that Hyamine-Triton extract of rhesus monkey spermatozoa contains a component which can be characterized as sperm-specific by immunoabsorption techniques and is apparently associated with sperm agglutination but not with immobilization.
Teachers as designers: enabling teachers to specify dynamic web programming projects for students

wConnect is a participatory action research project [1] building a developmental community for women in computer and information science (CIS). One activity hosted by wConnect is end-user web programming workshops for high school girls. Thus far we have relied on our lab's Java-based toolkit for these workshops, but this requires considerable advance work and subsequent maintenance by team members for each workshop, making the outreach process difficult to generalize and sustain. Currently we are using the Drupal CMS to create a web authoring tool that will support these workshops but also enable teachers to design and specify their own project concepts. Once a project is specified, learners can instantiate and complete them, adding data and other customizations according to personal preferences. We describe our work thus far on the authoring tool, design tradeoffs we are facing, and ongoing research.
Diagnosis of Plasmodium vivax Malaria Complicated by Abnormal Neurological Imaging

The number of patients presenting with malaria in the United States has increased. This is attributable to the growing ease and popularity of overseas travel. We present a 41-year-old man diagnosed with Plasmodium vivax malaria after a 9-month symptom-free interval following return from an endemic area. The clinical picture was complicated by the results of neurological imaging that proved to be incidental and unrelated findings. Unfortunately, there are no pathognomonic signs or symptoms of malaria. The presenting complaints are often nonspecific and may be associated with a broad differential diagnosis. Thus, physicians must have a high index of suspicion and elicit a complete travel history to arrive at the correct diagnosis.
Occult Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis Presenting with Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma, a Thickened Pituitary Stalk and Diabetes Insipidus

Etiologies of a thickened stalk include inflammatory, neoplastic, and idiopathic origins, and the underlying diagnosis may remain occult. We report a patient with a thickened pituitary stalk (TPS) and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) whose diagnosis remained obscure until a skin lesion appeared. The patient presented with PTC, status postthyroidectomy, and I(131) therapy. PTC molecular testing revealed BRAF mutant (V600E, GTC>GAG). She had a 5-year history of polyuria/polydipsia. Overnight dehydration study confirmed diabetes insipidus (DI). MRI revealed TPS with loss of the posterior pituitary bright spot. Evaluation showed hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and low IGF-1. Chest X-ray and ACE levels were normal. Radiographs to evaluate for extrapituitary sites of Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH) were unremarkable. Germinoma studies were negative: normal serum and CSF beta-hCG, alpha-fetoprotein, and CEA. Three years later, the patient developed vulvar labial lesions followed by inguinal region skin lesions, biopsy of which revealed LCH. Reanalysis of thyroid pathology was consistent with concurrent LCH, PTC, and Hashimoto's thyroiditis within the thyroid. This case illustrates that one must be vigilant for extrapituitary manifestations of systemic diseases to diagnose the etiology of TPS. An activating mutation of the protooncogene BRAF is a potential unifying etiology of both PTC and LCH.
Testosterone replacement therapy.

It is a pleasure to present this introduction to a very special issue of Translational Andrology and Urology ( TAU ) that is focused on “testosterone replacement therapy” (TRT). As editors, we strove to present a current, state-of-the-art and global perspective on this very common and important medical condition. Established national and international experts as well as rising stars were invited to contribute and the response to our invitations to provide manuscripts on this timely subject has been overwhelming and allowed for the inclusion of numerous outstanding original articles, comprehensive review articles, as well as important opinions from many of the world leaders in the area of andrology. The papers in this issue of the TAU journal provide insightful updates and perspectives on our current understanding of the epidemiology, pathophysiology and important role of TRT in clinical practice.
Proliferation of EMC Standards- A case for harmonization

With the aim of combating the threat of electromagnetic pollution, different governments, organizations & authorities have formulated various EMC standards for specific environments/platforms like industrial, residential, automobile or aircraft. A study of these standards reflects the fact that there is a proliferation of EMC standards with differing test limits & test methods. This proliferation creates problems of design of products with multiple applications resulting in increased costs. A study of EMC standards indicates that there is a scope for harmonizing the standards & reducing their numbers & standardizing on test methods. This paper gives results of such a study & gives recommendations on harmonization of some standards especially with reference to Mil Std 461 E, DO 160 F, IEC, CISPR & FCC standards.
SoC integration in deep submicron CMOS

System-on-a-chip (SoC) integration involves a complete system level tradeoff analysis that involves the entire bill of materials, and the architectures used for the communication systems being designed. To realize and optimize SoC requires close collaboration from diverse engineering disciplines, including process integration engineers, circuit engineers, and system engineers to determine the best set of tradeoffs. This synergism will result in finding the most cost effective solution and harness the strengths of the ultra deep submicron process, producing new architectures which will result in innovative solutions to SoC products.
Quantification of Diabetic Macular Ischemia Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography and Its Relationship with Visual Acuity.

Purpose To quantify foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area and macular vascular density objectively using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and to examine correlations with visual acuity in eyes with diabetic retinopathy (DR) in the absence of diabetic macular edema. Design Retrospective observational case series. Participants Eighty-four eyes from 55 patients with DR and 34 control eyes from 27 age-matched healthy participants. Methods All eyes underwent OCTA (RTVue-XR Avanti; Optovue, Inc, Fremont, CA). Integrated automated algorithms were used to quantify FAZ area and macular vascular density. Main Outcome Measures FAZ area, vessel area density (VAD), vessel length density (VLD), and visual acuity. Results In each study eye, DR was classified as mild nonproliferative DR (NPDR; n = 32 [38%]), moderate-to-severe NPDR (n = 31 [37%]), or proliferative DR (n = 21 [25%]). Mean FAZ area was greater in diabetic eyes compared with control eyes both in the superficial (0.427 mm 2 vs. 0.275 mm 2 ; P 2 vs. 0.372 mm 2 ; P P P −1 vs. 21.55 mm −1 ; P −1 vs. 24.38 mm −1 ; P P P P P Conclusions Automated quantitative algorithms allow for objective assessment of retinal vascular changes in eyes with DR that are correlated to visual acuity. These methods may prove useful in monitoring disease progression and identifying parameters that affect visual function.
Dynamics of stem water uptake among isohydric and anisohydric species experiencing a severe drought

Predicting the impact of drought on forest ecosystem processes requires an understanding of trees' species-specific responses to drought, especially in the Eastern USA, where species composition is highly dynamic due to historical changes in land use and fire regime. Here, we adapted a framework that classifies trees' water-use strategy along the spectrum of isohydric to anisohydric behavior to determine the responses of three canopy-dominant species to drought. We used a collection of leaf-level gas exchange, tree-level sap flux and stand-level eddy covariance data collected in south-central Indiana from 2011 to 2013, which included an unusually severe drought in the summer of 2012. Our goal was to assess how patterns in the radial profile of sap flux and reliance on hydraulic capacitance differed among species of contrasting water-use strategies. In isohydric species, which included sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) and tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.), we found that the sap flux in the outer xylem experienced dramatic declines during drought, but sap flux at inner xylem was buffered from reductions in water availability. In contrast, for anisohydric oak species (Quercus alba L. and Quercus rubra L.), we observed relatively smaller variations in sap flux during drought in both inner and outer xylem, and higher nighttime refilling when compared with isohydric species. This reliance on nocturnal refilling, which occurred coincident with a decoupling between leaf- and tree-level water-use dynamics, suggests that anisohydric species may benefit from a reliance on hydraulic capacitance to mitigate the risk of hydraulic failure associated with maintaining high transpiration rates during drought. In the case of both isohydric and anisohydric species, our work demonstrates that failure to account for shifts in the radial profile of sap flux during drought could introduce substantial bias in estimates of tree water use during both drought and non-drought periods.
Thorium distributions in high‐ and low‐dust regions and the significance for iron supply

Thorium and uranium isotopes (232Th, 230Th, 238U, and 234U) were investigated to refine their use for estimating mineral dust deposition and Fe delivery to the ocean. U concentrations and isotope ratios were consistent with conservative behavior and can safely be described using published U-salinity relationships and global average seawater isotopic composition. Near Barbados, waters affected by the Amazon outflow contained elevated 232Th. This signals one region where the thorium-dust method is inaccurate because of a confounding continental input. Dissolved 232Th fluxes in this region suggest that Amazonian Fe supply to the adjacent open ocean is much larger than local atmospheric deposition. The colloidal content of dissolved Th south of Bermuda was found to be quite small (2–6%), similar to that found north of Hawaii, despite the order of magnitude higher dust deposition in the Atlantic. This finding supports the assumption that dissolved 232Th and 230Th are scavenged at the same rate despite their different sources and also sheds light on the increase of dissolved 232Th fluxes with integrated depth. Outside the region influenced by Amazon River waters, dissolved 232Th fluxes are compared with Bermudan aerosol Fe deposition to estimate that fractional Th solubility is around 20% in this region. Finally, new dissolved and soluble Fe, Mn, and Cr data from the subtropical North Pacific support the idea that Fe concentrations in the remote ocean are highly buffered, whereas 232Th has a larger dynamic range between high- and low-dust regions.
Lateral arm free tissue transfer for parotid reconstruction: A pictorial essay.

Background The goals of parotid reconstruction are to provide accurate volume reconstruction of the defect while minimizing ptosis, optimize color match to surrounding facial skin, maintain anatomic position of the auricle, and to perform facial nerve rehabilitation in cases in which the facial nerve is removed. Methods and results For many complex parotid defects, the lateral arm free tissue transfer achieves these reconstructive goals and is the ideal donor site for microvascular reconstruction. In this pictorial essay, we describe the anatomy, harvest, inset, and reconstructive advantages of the lateral arm free tissue transfer in complex parotid reconstruction. Conclusions The lateral arm donor site provides well-compartmentalized adipose tissue that resists ptosis, favorable color match to facial skin, and the posterior cutaneous nerve to the forearm may be used as a nerve graft for facial nerve rehabilitation. These reconstructive advantages make the lateral arm donor site our primary reconstructive option for complex parotid defects. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 1015-1019, 2017.
Interaction of Epstein-Barr virus genes with human gastric carcinoma transcriptome.

// Ruiyuan Zhang 1 , Michael J. Strong 2 , Melody Baddoo 2 , Zhen Lin 2 , Yu-Ping Wang 3 , Erik K. Flemington 2 , Yao-Zhong Liu 1 1 Department of Global Biostatistics and Data Science, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA 2 Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA 3 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University School of Science and Engineering, New Orleans, LA, USA Correspondence to: Yao-Zhong Liu, email: yliu8@tulane.edu Erik K. Flemington, email: erik@tulane.edu Keywords: EBV, RNA-seq, gastric carcinoma Received: January 18, 2017 Accepted: March 13, 2017 Published: March 21, 2017 ABSTRACT Gastric carcinoma (GC) is a leading cause of mortality. 10% of GC cases are related with EBV (Epstein-Barr virus) infection. The detailed mechanistic roles EBV genes play and especially the interaction between the viral genes and human genes in GC remain unclear. In this study, raw fastq data from 285 GC samples were downloaded from TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas), including 25 EBV positive (EBV+) GC samples and 260 EBV negative (EBV−) GC samples. RNA-seq based expression data were generated for both human genes (among all the samples) and for the EBV genes (among the 25 EBV+ samples). Bioinformatics analyses were performed to identify differentially expressed (DEx) human genes and DEx KEGG pathways in EBV+ vs. EBV− samples and co-expressed human gene modules and hub genes among the DEx genes. Within the EBV+ samples, analyses were conducted to find correlation between EBV gene expression and the human gene expression modules, between EBV gene expression and the human hub genes, and between EBV gene expression and the DEx human pathways. EBV genes LMP-1, BALF1 and BALF2 were found to have significant correlation with human hub genes, CNTD2 and VANGL2. EBV genes BALF4 and BALF5 were found to correlate with human pathways, including Jak-STAT signaling and Phosphatidylinositol Signaling System. Our study has revealed the coordinated expression patterns between EBV and human GC transcriptome and identified several key EBV genes that may play an important role in EBV+ GC pathogenesis through their interactions with human genes and pathways.
Use of flow cytometry and stable isotope analysis to determine phytoplankton uptake of wastewater derived ammonium in a nutrient-rich river

Abstract. Anthropogenic alteration of the form and concentration of nitrogen (N) in aquatic ecosystems is widespread. Understanding availability and uptake of different N sources at the base of aquatic food webs is critical to establishment of effective nutrient management programs. Stable isotopes of N (14N, 15N) are often used to trace the sources of N fueling aquatic primary production, but effective use of this approach requires obtaining a reliable isotopic ratio for phytoplankton. In this study, we tested the use of flow cytometry to isolate phytoplankton from bulk particulate organic matter (POM) in a portion of the Sacramento River, California, during river-scale nutrient manipulation experiments that involved halting wastewater discharges high in ammonium (NH4+). Field samples were collected using a Lagrangian approach, allowing us to measure changes in phytoplankton N source in the presence and absence of wastewater-derived NH4+. Comparison of δ15N-POM and δ15N-phytoplankton (δ15N-PHY) revealed that their δ15N values followed broadly similar trends. However, after 3 days of downstream travel in the presence of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, δ15N-POM and δ15N-PHY in the Sacramento River differed by as much as 7 ‰. Using a stable isotope mixing model approach, we estimated that in the presence of effluent between 40 and 90 % of phytoplankton N was derived from NH4+ after 3 days of downstream transport. An apparent gradual increase over time in the proportion of NH4+ in the phytoplankton N pool suggests that either very low phytoplankton growth rates resulted in an N turnover time that exceeded the travel time sampled during this study, or a portion of the phytoplankton community continued to access nitrate even in the presence of elevated NH4+ concentrations.
Emergent cortical circuit dynamics contain dense, interwoven ensembles of spike sequences

Neocortical computation occurs largely within microcircuits comprised of individual neurons and their connections within small volumes (<500 μm3). We found evidence for a long-postulated temporal c...
Electronic structure, polaron formation, and functional properties in transition-metal tungstates.

Transition-metal tungstates MWO4 (M = Co, Ni, Cu, Zn) have applications in many areas, including supercapacitors. A good understanding of the electronic structure is essential to understanding their functional properties. Here, we report a first-principles study of the materials using hybrid density-functional calculations. The electronic structure is analyzed with a focus on the nature of the electronic states near the band edges. We find that hole polarons can form at the Co lattice site in CoWO4 and the O site in NiWO4, CuWO4, and ZnWO4, resulting in the formation of Co3+ in the former and O− in the latter. The electrochemical activity observed in certain tungstate compounds, but not in others, appears to be related to the ability to form hole polarons on the transition-metal ions. The formation energy and migration barrier of the hole polaron in CoWO4 are also calculated and the results are employed to understand the reported p-type conductivity.
Analysis of Flow Lines

Various manufacturing facilities in different industrial sectors have some type of series arrangements of production stages. Jobs in a variety of forms are transferred from one stage to another to be processed in some order and leave the system as finished or semifinished products. The flexibility generated by computer-controlled machinery enables production stages to handle a variety of operations. This in turn creates a sequence of intelligent work stations in the shop floor, processing or assembling different types of products. Each work station may consist of one or more machines, one or more operators (robots may also be involved), and a workin-process buffer, as depicted in a rather abstract form in Fig4.1. Upon process completion at a work station, jobs join the work-in-process buffer at the next work station, if space is available. Conceivably, some cases may require repetition of a certain process or a set of processes for a number of times. Some of the work stations may process jobs in batches. Transfer of jobs from one station to another is usually done by means of vehicles or conveyors. Eventually, jobs depart from the system, which may happen practically at any of the work stations. In general, flow lines are push-type systems where little attention is given to the finished-product inventory. The line is to produce as much as it can with the assumption that all finished products are either used or demanded. Otherwise, it has to stop producing when there is an excessive accumulation of finished products. Those systems are known as pull-type systems and will be discussed in Chapter 7.
Forced Labor Under the Gulag Regime (1918–1990)

The concept of forced labor has historical, political, economic, ideological, and sociological dimensions. The relationships among them are circular, not linear. Political and ideological forces impact economic institutions and human behavior, and economic forces in turn influence politics. Economists have for a long time shown little interest in forced labor.
Book Review: Tirthankar Roy and Anand V. Swamy, Law and the Economy in Colonial India

Tirthankar Roy and Anand V. Swamy, Law and the Economy in Colonial India, Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2016, 256 pp.
Impedance Matching Network Optimization to Maximize Efficiency and Energy Transfer of WPT Systems

This paper presents an analytical optimization method for calculating the optimal stored energy in the magnetic field generated by a wireless power transfer (WPT) coupler. The ratio between the energy stored in the magnetic field and transferred power is derived to optimize the driving point impedance, which in turn determines the efficiency of the system. A new parameter, reactance mismatch coefficient, is defined to quantify the impact of impedance mismatch on efficiency. Furthermore, the wireless power transfer figure-of-merit (FOM) is redefined to consider the impedance matching capability. Circuit simulation is developed to validate the proposed methodologies and associated equations.
Toward an agent-system contingency theory for behavioral supply chain and industrial marketing research

Abstract In this study, we develop an agent-system contingency theory as a general multi-level theory of managerial decisions in the supply chain and industrial marketing (SCIM) context. The proposed theory rests on two basic assumptions: agent decision authority and bounded rationality, and postulates that agent-level properties (i.e., relevant personality traits of human agents in SCIM) and system-level properties (i.e., inter-firm and/or intra-firm properties) can concurrently and interactively influence managerial decisions and actions in SCIM. We then propose the synergistic use of experiment and survey as a methodological framework to facilitate the empirical efforts in behavioral SCIM research oriented by the agent-system contingency theory. We also provide empirical illustrations regarding how the agent-system contingency theory and the accompanied methodological framework can be applied to behavioral SCIM research inquiries, using two studies in the decision contexts of opportunism and vertical integration. Combining the proposed multi-level theoretical and methodological approaches, this study offers scholars a platform on which they can systematically advance their behavioral SCIM research agenda in the future.
Optimization of Ni–P–Zn electroless bath and investigation of corrosion resistance of as-plated coatings

Ni-P coating is well-known for its excellent corrosion and wear resistance. The electrochemical and mechanical properties of these coatings can be improved by incorporating Zn. The electrochemical properties of Ni-P-Zn coatings are highly related to bath parameters. In this research the effect of Ni-P-Zn electroless bath parameters, such as concentration of reactants, pH level and deposition time on corrosion characteristics of as-plated coatings were investigated. An energy Dispersive Analysis of x-ray (EDAX) was performed to calculate the chemical composition of the deposited coatings. To study surface morphology, SEM images were used. Finally, corrosion resistances of the obtained coatings were tested via potentiodynamic polarization experiment. According to the results, the optimal bath is comprised of 10 g l(-1) and 15 g l(-1) of reducing agent and zinc agent, respectively. The pH value is 10.5 and deposition time is 60 min. The optimal solution results in an excellent corrosion resistant layer with corrosion current density of 0.23 mu A cm(-2).
Use of the McHargian LUSA in agricultural research and decision-making in the age of non-stationarity and big earth observation data

In the past 50 years, there have been two major changes that are of methodological and consequential importance to the McHargian land-use suitability analysis (LUSA): increasing evidence of non-stationarity of global and regional ecological conditions and increasing availability of high-resolution spatial–temporal earth observation data. For 50 years, the McHargian LUSA has been an important analysis tool for designers and planners for both regional conservation planning and development. McHarg’s LUSA is a decision support tool that reduces the dimensions of spatial–temporal data. This makes the technique relevant beyond decision support to spatial identification and prediction of areas of socio-ecological opportunity, risk, and priority. In this article, I use a set of recent studies relating to agricultural LUSA to reveal relationships between the traditional McHargian LUSA and related spatial–temporal research methods that are adapting to more data and non-stationary ecological conditions. Using a classification based on descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive research activities, I organize these related methods and illustrate how linkages between research activities can be used to assimilate more kinds of spatial “big data,” address non-stationarity in socio-ecological systems, and suggest ways to enhance decision-making and collaboration between planners and other sciences.
Advance Care Planning Conversations in the Oncology Setting: Tips from the Experts.

Advance care planning (ACP) has been identified as a fundamental part of every patient’s total health care plan and is actively supported by a number of health care organizations. Despite these endorsements, however, having advance care planning conversations has not come easily for physicians. Training future physicians should include practical ways to address this issue. Fifty physicians at an oncology hospital, who were identified as having the most ACP conversations, were approached. Twenty-six percent participated in a survey which was sent out electronically via Qualitrics. All answers were recorded online and responses were collected and analyzed according to thematic analysis methodology. Major themes were noted and summarized for each of the survey’s 10 questions, resulting in how the physicians can successfully plan for and initiate advance care planning conversations with their patients and families. Themes touched upon self-awareness, one’s outlook on the value of life, and the importance of death as part of the care continuum. A physician’s own perception of the value of ACP conversations greatly influences them having those conversations. Furthermore, it is key that the physician understands and be aware of the patient’s perspective regarding their cancer and how it impacts them. This dynamic will then allow the physician to better align their plan of care with the treatment goals and expectations of the patient. Future training programs should incorporate these suggestions.
Patient expectations of benefit from systemic treatments for metastatic prostate cancer

BACKGROUND Metastatic prostate cancer is incurable, but systemic therapies can improve quality of life and prolong survival. Accurate perceptions of treatment risks and benefits are vital as patients with metastatic disease make treatment decisions. We assessed treatment-related expectations for benefit among patients with metastatic prostate cancer and explored associated sociodemographic characteristics. METHODS Men with metastatic prostate cancer (N = 100) completed surveys assessing their treatment-related expectations for cancer cure, symptom relief, and prolonged life expectancy. Frequencies were used to describe the proportions of reported expectations. Fisher's exact tests were used to assess the associations of sociodemographic characteristics with treatment expectations. RESULTS One third (33%) of participants believed treatment was at least a little likely to cure their metastatic cancer. Most participants believed treatment could provide symptom relief (76%) and extend life expectancy (95%). Among participants reporting that cancer cure was at least a little likely vs not at all, more men identified as non-white (24% vs 5%; P = .01), self-reported good health (90% vs 58%; P < .01), and had greater optimism (78% vs 47%; P < .01). Among participants reporting that symptom relief was at least a little likely vs not at all, more men were less than 70 years old (62% vs 0%; P = .01). CONCLUSION A large proportion of patients with metastatic prostate cancer reported beliefs inconsistent with understanding that treatment was not curative. Race, better self-reported health, and greater optimism were related to unrealistic expectations. Efforts to ensure alignment of patient and clinician expectations may facilitate more effective shared decision-making for treating metastatic disease.
Possessing women in Olive Schreiner’s From Man to Man or Perhaps Only —:

In her final unfinished novel, From Man to Man or, not of Perhaps Only —, Olive Schreiner features women as both possessors and possessed. This article explores the dual and often interwoven charac...
Measuring Fun: A Case Study in Adapting to the Evolving Metrics of Player Experience

The gaming industry and the concept of gamification have altered the way many developers and users approach interactive products. As social gaming demographics expand to what was previously considered “casual” audiences, more users expect an enjoyable experience from their digital applications and games. Developers now request more detailed subjective descriptions of satisfaction and the player experience from user-experience (UX) practitioners. Focusing on how fun a product is for users/players requires subjective, situationally dependent metrics rather than traditional UX efficiency metrics. The UX discipline is still constructing a comprehensive ecology of the player experience and how to measure it. This article contributes to that ecology by detailing a case in which our team conducted a usability test on a new video game peripheral. Our client’s primary concern dealt with how fun experienced gamers found the device. As our test progressed, we encountered a number of fun-related participant behaviors that led us to develop new metrics beyond our initial planned metrics. These new metrics helped us and our client better define and discuss enjoyability. Our case, in conjunction with a detailed definition and review of player experience and UX scholarship, shows the importance of adopting metrics contextually specific to the video-game product and player group when measuring fun is the primary goal.
More beads, more peristaltic reserve, better outcomes: factors predicting postoperative dysphagia after magnetic sphincter augmentation

Magnetic sphincter augmentation (MSA) offers a minimally invasive anti-reflux alternative to fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux disease. The most common side effect of MSA is dysphagia, which may require dilation or even device removal. The incidence of dysphagia may be reduced by MSA sizing and preoperative motility studies. Multiple rapid swallows (MRS) is a provocative maneuver during high-resolution esophageal manometry (HRM) that assesses peristaltic reserve. We evaluated factors predicting development of dysphagia following MSA. A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database identified patients undergoing MSA. Preoperative work-up included barium swallow, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, and esophageal manometry. Peristaltic augmentation was defined as a ratio > 1 of the distal contractile integral (DCI) following MRS and the mean DCI of the 10 baseline wet swallows during manometry. Demographics, MSA implant size, and postoperative symptom data were gathered on all patients. Sixty-eight patients underwent MSA. Mean age was 51.7 years, average BMI was 25.8 kg/m2. 15 (22.1%) of patients had severe dysphagia requiring endoscopic dilation. Peristaltic augmentation with MRS was significantly higher in patients without dysphagia (46.1% vs 6.3% p = 0.026). 33.3% of patients requiring dilatation exhibited complete absence of smooth muscle contraction following MRS (DCI = 0). The ratio of the DCI of MRS/wet swallows predicting dysphagia following MSA was 0.56. Patients with a small (12–14 beads) versus a larger MSA implant (15–17 beads) had a significantly higher rate of postoperative dysphagia (58.5% vs 30.0% p = 0.026). Adequate peristaltic reserve and larger device size correlate with decreased incidence of dysphagia following MSA implantation without compromising the anti-reflux barrier. Routine assessment of peristaltic reserve during preoperative HRM should be considered prior to MSA placement.
Sex differences in reporting of concussion symptoms in adults

To examine differences in concussion symptom reporting between female and male adults considering current psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression and pre-injury factors in order to id...
The Causality between Financial Instability and Monetary Policy Uncertainty: Who Predicts Whom?

By employing the bootstrap full-sample Granger causality test and sub-sample rolling window causality test, this paper attempts to disentangle the causal nexus between financial instability and monetary policy uncertainty in the US, Japan, and Greece. The bootstrap full sample causality test reveals that there is unidirectional causality from monetary policy uncertainty to financial instability in the US, while there exists the reverse channel in Japan and Greece. Nonparametric Granger causality test further demonstrates that there is no causal relationship in each country, indicating the potential time-varying relationship between two variables. To allow the dynamic relationship between them, we use the bootstrap sub-sample rolling window Granger causality test and conclude that there are bidirectional causal relationships between financial instability and monetary policy uncertainty in specific subperiods for all three countries, such as during regional and global crisis. Overall, this paper helps us better understand the intricate mechanisms between financial instability and monetary policy uncertainty from the predictive perspective.
Actions of symmetry groups

This paper studies maps which are invariant under the action of the symmetry group S k . The problem originates in social choice theory: there are k individuals each with a space of preferences X, and a social choice map ϕ:X k → X which is anonymous i.e. invariant under the action of a group of symmetries. Theorem 1 proves that a full range map ψ:X k → X exists which is invariant under the action of S k only if, for all i≥1, the elements of the homotopy group Π i (X) have orders relatively prime with k. Theorem 2 derives a similar results for actions of subgroups of the group S k . Theorem 3 proves necessary and sufficient condition for a parafinite CW complex X to admit full range invariant maps for any prime number k:X must be contractible.
Managing change to BT‘s operational support systems

BT has around 1300 applications covering all aspects of its operations. The need to keep pace with an increasing rate of change in the telecommunications industry is being impacted by the ability to design and manage changes to such a large integrated applications portfolio. Computing technology and design methods are also advancing, and both old and new technologies have to work together. Achieving a balance between replacement and enhancement of applications within the constraints of money, time, and skills availability has to be carefully managed. New ways of looking at the portfolio have been developed so that a set of coherent strategies for the design and management of change can be implemented.
The interaction of ellipsis and binding: Implications for the sequencing of Principle A

This paper argues that Principle A is not `an anywhere principle',contrary to Belletti and Rizzi (1988) and much subsequent work, but must apply relatively late in derivations, perhaps at the end of each phase (Chomsky 2000). Evidence comesprincipally from the analysis of pseudo-gapping, in which the ellipsis remnant isextracted to a position outside of the VP which deletes. Anaphors cannot appear asellipsis remnants when the antecedent is within the deleted material. The interaction ofanaphora and ellipsis is mirrored by restrictions on scrambling of anaphors in Dutchobject scrambling, and a unified analysis is proposed. The paper draws implicationsfor other theories of constituency, such as Phillips (1996), as well as for the A-status of the ellipsis remnant, contra Jayaseelan (1999). Given that the ellipsis remnant is focused, focus cannot be explicitly represented in syntactic representations, but rathermust be interpretive in nature.
Mechanics of PAN Nanofibers

Novel and scalable fabrication methods, such as electrospinning and pulsed laser deposition, provide low-cost polymeric nanofibers for structural applications. However, there is insufficient knowledge about the structural and mechanical behavior of polymeric nanostructures, which, in turn, limits their potential as enabling materials. The knowledge void in the systematic mechanical characterization of polymeric nanofibers is addressed in this chapter with focus on the room-temperature temporal and scale-dependent mechanical response of polyacry-lonitrile (PAN) nanofibers. Their molecular structure and deformation processes are intimately related to their fabrication conditions, and this chapter describes the first effort in literature to establish fabrication—structure-properties interrelations. The nanoscale experiments presented here demonstrate strong diameter dependence of the elastic modulus and tensile strength of PAN nanofibers for a variety of electro-spinning conditions, while for particular fabrication conditions, the applied strain rate is shown to result in non-monotonic mechanical behaviors and very unusual deformation profiles during cold drawing.
Destruction of L Cells by Mengo Virus: Use of Interferon to Study the Mechanism

Interferon, when added to L cells, inhibited the synthesis of infectious Mengo viral ribonucleic acid, hemagglutinins, and infectious virus by 85 to 95%. Serum-blocking antigens were also reduced by the action of interferon, but threefold excess amounts of these antigens accumulated in interferon-treated cultures above the amounts expected for the quantity of infectious virus that was produced in these cultures. Radioautographic analysis showed that 28 to 36% of the cells of an interferon-treated population synthesized viral ribonucleic acid and 36 to 47% produced viral antigens as determined by an immunofluorescence technique. Despite the reductions in synthesis of viral components, all cells in an interferon-treated culture underwent cytopathic effects at the same time as cells in infected cultures which had not been treated with interferon. The results are compatible with the hypothesis that the cell destruction which results from the infection of L cells with Mengo virus is due to a protein which is coded for by the virus but is not a component of the mature virion.
Antarctic stratospheric ozone from the assimilation of occultation data

Ozone data from the solar occultation Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement (POAM) III instrument are included in the ozone assimilation system at NASA's Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, which uses Solar Backscatter UItraViolet/2 (SBUV/2) instrument data. Even though POAM data are available at only one latitude in the southern hemisphere on each day, their assimilation leads to more realistic ozone distribution throughout the Antarctic region, especially inside the polar vortex. Impacts of POAM data were evaluated by comparisons of assimilated ozone profiles with independent ozone sondes. Major improvements in ozone representation are seen in the Antarctic lower stratosphere during austral Winter and spring in 1998. Limitations of assimilation of sparse occultation data are illustrated by an example.
Dietary folate and folylpolyglutamate synthetase activity in normal and neoplastic murine tissues and human tumor xenografts.

The importance of polyglutamation for the activation of natural folates and classical antifolates and recent evidence for the role of dietary folate as a biochemical modulator of antifolate efficacy led us to investigate the influence of changes in dietary folate on folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS) activity. Activities were measured using lometrexol (6R-5,10-dideazatetrahydrofolic acid) as a substrate for FPGS with extracts of murine tissues, murine tumors, and human tumor xenografts from mice on standard diet or low folate diet. Tissues and tumors from mice on standard diet exhibited a 6-fold range of FPGS activity. Kidney had the lowest activity (36 pmol/hr.mg protein), followed by the human xenograft PANC-1 pancreatic carcinoma (46 pmol/hr.mg protein), liver (109 pmol/hr.mg protein), murine C3H mammary tumor (112 pmol/hr.mg protein), and the human xenograft MX-1 mammary carcinoma (224 pmol/hr.mg protein). In response to restricted dietary folate, four out of five tissues had significantly increased (25-50%) FPGS activity. Only the tumor with highest FPGS activity under standard diet conditions (MX-1 mammary) did not respond to low folate diet. The results indicate that changes in dietary folate intake can modulate FPGS activity significantly in vivo and suggest that the tissue distribution and toxicities of classical antifolates requiring polyglutamation for activation and cellular retention will be influenced significantly by folate status of the host.
Raman Spin-Lattice Relaxation of Shallow Donors in Silicon

This work reports both experimental measurements and calculations of two-phonon Raman spin-lattice relaxation times for shallow donors in silicon. Saturation, line broadening, and adiabatic fast passage techniques were used to measure ${T}_{s} (\ensuremath{\Delta}{M}_{s}=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1,\ensuremath{\Delta}{M}_{I}=0)$ between 2 and 30\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K for P, As, Sb, and Bi at 3300 G. ${T}_{x} (\ensuremath{\Delta}{M}_{s}=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1,\ensuremath{\Delta}{M}_{I}=\ensuremath{\mp}1)$ was measured in the liquid He range for As, Sb, and Bi at 3300 G. The calculations of the spin-lattice relaxation rates $\frac{1}{{T}_{s}}$ and $\frac{1}{{T}_{x}}$ for Raman processes were made using only the $1S$ doublet and triplet valley-orbit excited states. The calculations were made for both the power-law temperature-dependent region and the exponential temperature-dependent region.
On the reordering of biquadratic scalars

Abstract A theorem analogous to the Fierz reordering theorem for Lorentz scalars constructed from 4 Dirac spinors is proven for all semisimple compact groups. The proof of the theorem depends on only 4 factors, the most important of which are the reality of the generalized Clebsch-Gordan coefficients for semisimple groups and the uniqueness of the construction of a scalar from a representation of a compact group and its contragredient. The reordering matrix associated with the scalars formed from four “octets” of SU (3) is also given along with an orthogonal matrix that diagonalizes the octet-reordering matrix.
Issues in library human resources management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a discussion of the benefits of succession planning and open communication between administration and staff when an employee leaves their employment at the library.Design/methodology/approach – This paper used the personal expertise of the author who has been a professor of human resources management as well as a library consultant to all types of libraries for over 15 years.Findings – This paper proposes that every library organization should follow a five‐step succession planning strategy to guarantee a smooth transition when an employee leaves for whatever reason. The paper also proposes an open and honest communication policy when an employee is terminated to ease the anxiety of the rest of the staff.Originality/value – This paper helps the library director and the library department manager more intelligently handle the necessary transitions when an employee leaves their employment.
Epinephrine Metabolism in Mammalian Brain after Intravenous and Intraventricular Administration

Epinephrine given intravenously or intraventricularly has a half-life in the brain of the rat of 2 to 2.5 hours. After intravenous administration of the drug the principal route of metabolism is O-methylation, whereas after intraventricular administration the principal route is conjugation.
Relativistic effects on molecular hyperfine interactions: Application to ytterbium fluorides

Dirac scattered‐wave (DSW) calculations are presented for YbF3−6 and YbF5−8 clusters that model Yb+3 impurity sites in KMgF3 and CaF3 lattices, respectively. The calculations predict Γ6 and Γ7 ground states for these two cubic geometries and show good agreement with observed g tensors, spin‐orbit splittings, and Yb hyperfine interactions, but overestimate the crystal field splittings and the amount of covalency between the metal and the fluorine 2p orbitals. Nevertheless, the fluorine hyperfine tensors are in qualitative agreement with experiment, and confirm the existence of a large p‐orbital contribution to the isotropic part of the 19F hyperfine tensor for YbF3−6. The implications of these results for future relativistic calculations on lanthanide complexes are discussed.
Basin Shear-Wave Velocities beneath Seattle, Washington, from Noise-Correlation Rayleigh Waves

Tomography with short-period Rayleigh waves, extracted using noise interferometry, can refine S -wave velocity ( V S ) models in urban areas with dense arrays of short-period and broadband instruments. We apply this technique to the Seattle area to develop a new shallow V S model for use in seismic-hazard assessment. Continuous data from the Seismic Hazards in Puget Sound (SHIPS) array and local broadband stations have interstation distances of 90 km or less. This spacing allows us to extract Rayleigh waves with periods between 2 and 10 s that are sensitive to shallow-basin structure. This new V S model for the Seattle basin is constructed using direct observations rather than using P -wave velocity ( V P ) observations and a V P / V S ratio as all previous 3D models at this scale have been constructed. Our results reveal greater detail in the upper 3.5 km than previous models. Earthquake simulations calculated using our new model better predict peak ground velocities (PGV) at periods between 1 and 2 s for two local earthquakes than the previous model used to calculate Seattle’s seismic-hazard map (Frankel et al. , 2007). We collected data from two local earthquakes and ran finite-difference simulations using our new velocity model as well as the previous velocity model used in development of the Seattle seismic-hazard maps to assess how well our model predicts ground motions relative to the previous model. With a recent deployment of Netquakes strong-motion stations by the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN) and the U.S. Geological Survey, we are now able to make more comprehensive assessments of the predictions for recent events.