cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increasing mortality by living kidney donation?: the devil is in the details.

To the Editor: We commend Dr Mjoen et al.1 for reviewing their donor experience. We, however, do have concerns regarding both the methodology and conclusions.
Characterization of PfPuf2, Member of the Puf Family RNA-Binding Proteins from the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum

Puf proteins are a family of evolutionarily conserved translational regulators in eukaryotes. The malaria parasite has two Puf proteins (PfPuf1 and PfPuf2) that share 25% homology in the RNA binding domain. Here we confirmed the preferential expression of PfPuf2 in gametocyte stages using Northern analysis. The transcriptional initiation site of this gene, mapped using RNA ligase-mediated rapid amplification of cDNA end and primer extension, is located ∼300 bp upstream from the translational start codon. The 3' end of PfPuf2 is located ∼250 bp downstream from the stop codon. The total length of the RNA is approximately 2.1 kb, consistent with the mRNA size determined by Northern analysis. Recombinant PfPuf2 proteins expressed in bacteria were purified and used to produce polyclonal antibodies. Western blot further established the preferential synthesis of PfPuf2 in gametocyte stages. Using the Nanos-responsive elements (NRE) in the Hunchback mRNA of Drosophila melanogaster as an artificial target sequence...
The Economic Success of Hong Kong: Insights from a World-System Perspective

This article studies the origins and development of the economic success of Hong Kong. After pointing out the problems of the free-market explanation and the authoritarian state explanation, this article turns to the world-system perspective for new insights. It is argued that the historical development of Hong Kong is shaped both by the capitalist world-system and by the interactions between socialist China and the capitalist power bloc between the 1950s and the 1970s. This article contributes by showing how these world-system dynamics have affected the Hong Kong political economy over the past three decades.
Communication and Innovation Implementation

The capacity of a decision unit to induce innovation implementation within an adoption unit is crucial to organizational success. Risk and complexity are characteristics of innovations that can lead to resistance within organizational adoption units. Communication costs, types of power, and communication channels are structural characteristics that can be used by a decision unit to overcome this resistance. The interaction of these factors can determine the degree of successful innovation implementation within organizations.
Towards answering opinion questions: separating facts from opinions and identifying the polarity of opinion sentences

Opinion question answering is a challenging task for natural language processing. In this paper, we discuss a necessary component for an opinion question answering system: separating opinions from fact, at both the document and sentence level. We present a Bayesian classifier for discriminating between documents with a preponderance of opinions such as editorials from regular news stories, and describe three unsupervised, statistical techniques for the significantly harder task of detecting opinions at the sentence level. We also present a first model for classifying opinion sentences as positive or negative in terms of the main perspective being expressed in the opinion. Results from a large collection of news stories and a human evaluation of 400 sentences are reported, indicating that we achieve very high performance in document classification (upwards of 97% precision and recall), and respectable performance in detecting opinions and classifying them at the sentence level as positive, negative, or neutral (up to 91% accuracy).
The Use of Cephalosporins in Penicillin-allergic Patients: A Literature Review

Abstract Background The practice of avoiding cephalosporin administration to penicillin-allergic patients persists despite the low rate of cross reactions between both groups of antibiotics. Objective The purpose of this literature review is to evaluate the published evidence regarding the commonly held belief that patients with a history of an allergic reaction to penicillin have a significantly increased risk of an allergic reaction to cephalosporins. Materials and Methods Articles were identified through a computerized search of MEDLINE from 1950 to the present using the search terms “penicillin$,” “cephalosporin$,” “allerg$,” “hypersensitivity,” and “cross-react$.” All articles were reviewed, and additional sources cited in them were added to the literature review. Results Penicillins have a cross allergy with first-generation cephalosporins (odds ratio 4.8; confidence interval 3.7–6.2) and a negligible cross allergy with second-generation cephalosporins (odds ratio 1.1; confidence interval 0.6–2.1). Laboratory and cohort studies confirm that the R1 side chain is responsible for this cross reactivity. Overall cross reactivity between penicillins and cephalosporins is lower than previously reported, though there is a strong association between amoxicillin and ampicillin with first- and second-generation cephalosporins that share a similar R1 side chain. Conclusions Although a myth persists that approximately 10% of patients with a history of penicillin allergy will have an allergic reaction if given a cephalosporin, the overall cross-reactivity rate is approximately 1% when using first-generation cephalosporins or cephalosporins with similar R1 side chains. However, a single study reported the prevalence of cross reactivity with cefadroxil as high as 27%. For penicillin-allergic patients, the use of third- or fourth-generation cephalosporins or cephalosporins with dissimilar side chains than the offending penicillin carries a negligible risk of cross allergy.
Predicting Perceptions of Date Rape An Examination of Perpetrator Motivation, Relationship Length, and Gender Role Beliefs

The purpose of the current study is to examine the influence of multiple offender motivations (including no indication of a motivation), relationship length, and gender role beliefs on perceptions of a male-on-female date rape. A sample of 348 U.S. college students read a brief vignette depicting a date rape and completed a questionnaire regarding their attributions about the victim (culpability, credibility, trauma, pleasure) and perpetrator (culpability, guilt, sentencing recommendations). Results indicate that providing observers with information about the perpetrator's motivation was associated with lower victim blame. Relationship length is not predictive of rape attributions. Egalitarian gender role attitudes are associated with lower levels of victim blame. Overall, gender role attitudes exert a more significant influence on rape attributions than participant gender. The findings suggest that knowledge of an offender's motivation as well as observers' gender role attitudes can influence attributions about the culpability of victims and perpetrators of date rape.
Intraseasonal Atmospheric Teleconnection Patterns during the Northern Hemisphere Summer

Abstract At times the 30–60 day filtered outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) perturbations exhibited a systematic eastward propagation across the equatorial Indian Ocean–western Pacific during the five summers (1 May–30 September) of 1979–83. Such occasions are defined as “E” phase, while periods of irregular movement are designated as “NE” phase. Global-scale behavior of the 30–60 day filtered streamfunction and velocity potential fields differs significantly from E to NE phase. During E phase at 200 mb, a series of time-clustered, space-overlapping disturbances develop over the northern as well as the southern subtropics. Although individual disturbances are nearly stationary, a wave packet clearly propagates eastward with an approximate phase speed of 8° longitude per day and a space scale of wavenumber 1. Sandwiched between the Southern and Northern hemisphere wave packets are relatively weak equatorial zonal wind perturbations which also move eastward. At 850 mb, E phase behavior is characterized by st...
A bias‐corrected covariance estimate for improved inference with quadratic inference functions

The method of quadratic inference functions (QIF) is an increasingly popular method for the analysis of correlated data because of its multiple advantages over generalized estimating equations (GEE). One advantage is that it is more efficient for parameter estimation when the working covariance structure for the data is misspecified. In the QIF literature, the asymptotic covariance formula is used to obtain standard errors. We show that in small to moderately sized samples, these standard error estimates can be severely biased downward, therefore inflating test size and decreasing coverage probability. We propose adjustments to the asymptotic covariance formula that eliminate finite-sample biases and, as shown via simulation, lead to substantial improvements in standard error estimates, inference, and coverage. The proposed method is illustrated in application to a cluster randomized trial and a longitudinal study. Furthermore, QIF and GEE are contrasted via simulation and these applications.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Forced Unbending of Integrin αVβ3

Integrins may undergo large conformational changes during activation, but the dynamic processes and pathways remain poorly understood. We used molecular dynamics to simulate forced unbending of a complete integrin αVβ3 ectodomain in both unliganded and liganded forms. Pulling the head of the integrin readily induced changes in the integrin from a bent to an extended conformation. Pulling at a cyclic RGD ligand bound to the integrin head also extended the integrin, suggesting that force can activate integrins. Interactions at the interfaces between the hybrid and β tail domains and between the hybrid and epidermal growth factor 4 domains formed the major energy barrier along the unbending pathway, which could be overcome spontaneously in ∼1 µs to yield a partially-extended conformation that tended to rebend. By comparison, a fully-extended conformation was stable. A newly-formed coordination between the αV Asp457 and the α-genu metal ion might contribute to the stability of the fully-extended conformation. These results reveal the dynamic processes and pathways of integrin conformational changes with atomic details and provide new insights into the structural mechanisms of integrin activation.
Old Mice Express a Transient Early Resistance to Pulmonary Tuberculosis That Is Mediated by CD8 T Cells

During the natural aging process the immune system undergoes many alterations. In particular, both the CD4 and CD8 T-cell compartments become compromised, and these changes have serious implications for the capacity of the elderly to control infection. As a result, the elderly are more susceptible to many infectious diseases, including primary infection and reactivation of latent infections. In this study we addressed the capacity of old mice to control an infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and to characterize the mechanism by which old mice, paradoxically, can express a transient early resistance to infection. This resistance was shown to be associated with the presence of CD8 T cells within the lungs that were capable of secreting gamma interferon, as illustrated by the demonstration that early resistance was lost in aged CD8 gene-disrupted mice. These studies therefore show that, despite a documented decline in general CD8 T-cell responsiveness in the elderly, a subset of CD8 T cells is an important early mediator of protection in the lungs of old mice that have been infected with M. tuberculosis.
Closing the Digital Divide: Update from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study

The authors examined the progress made toward equitable technology access and use over children's first 4 years of school. The sample consisted of 8,283 public school children who attended kindergarten, 1st, and 3rd grades. In 3rd grade, high-poverty schools had significantly more computers for instruction and a smaller ratio of children to computers than did low-poverty schools. Over the first 4 years of school, however, children attending low-poverty schools had significantly more access to home computers than did those attending high-poverty schools. Children's use of computers during 3rd grade differed by school-poverty status. Results indicate that access to, and use of, a home computer, the presence of a computer area in classrooms, frequent use of the Internet, proficiency in computer use, and low-poverty school status were correlated positively with academic achievement. In contrast, frequent use of software for reading was correlated negatively with reading achievement.
Role of heme oxygenase in heme-mediated inhibition of rat brain Na+−K+-ATPase: Protection by tin-protoporphyrin

Hemoglobin has been shown to inhibit brain Na+−K+-ATPase through an iron-dependent mechanism. Both hemoglobin and iron cause spontaneous peroxidation of brain lipids. Release of iron from the heme molecule in animal tissues is dependent on the activity of heme oxygenase. We hypothesized that inhibition of heme catabolism by heme oxygenase prevents the iron-mediated inhibition of Na+−K+-ATPase and might subsequently reduce the tissue damage. Therefore, we studied the effect of heme and tin-protoporphyrin, an inhibitor of heme oxygenase, on the activity of partially purified Na+−K+-ATPase from rat brain in the presence and absence of purified hepatic heme oxygenase. Heme alone at a concentration of 30 μM did not inhibit Na+−K+-ATPase. However, in the presence of heme oxygenase, heme inhibited Na+−K+-ATPase by 75%. Pretreatment of rats with SnCl2, a known inducer of heme oxygenase, reduced the basal activity of the brain Na+−K+-ATPase by 50%. Inhibition of heme oxygenase by tin-protoporphyrin (30 μM) prevented the inhibition of Na+−K+-ATPase which occurred in the presence of heme and heme oxygenase. It is concluded that suppression of heme oxygenase by tin-protoporphyrin might be a therapeutic approach to management of hemoglobin-associated brain injury following CNS hemorrhage.
Horizontal Women: Posture and Sex in the Roman Convivium

This paper examines literary and visual evidence for women's dining posture at Rome. I distinguish actual social practice from the ideology of representation, while recognizing their interdependence. Contrary to the view that "respectable" women dined seated until the Augustan era, I argue that a women (of any status) could always dine reclining alongside a man, and that this signifies a licit sexual connection. The sitting posture, seen mostly in sub-elite visual representations, introduces further complexities of practice and ideology. In general, postures attributed to women function more as indicators of sexual mores than as direct representations of social practice.
The three-in-a-tree problem

We show that there is a polynomial time algorithm that, given three vertices of a graph, tests whether there is an induced subgraph that is a tree, containing the three vertices. (Indeed, there is an explicit construction of the cases when there is no such tree.) As a consequence, we show that there is a polynomial time algorithm to test whether a graph contains a “theta” as an induced subgraph (this was an open question of interest) and an alternative way to test whether a graph contains a “pyramid” (a fundamental step in checking whether a graph is perfect).
Effects of Flake-Cutting, Seasoning, and Structured Protein Fiber on Mechanically Deboned Poultry Meat

Abstract Eight types of patties were prepared containing mechanically deboned poultry meat: meat alone, meat plus seasoning, meat plus structured protein fiber, and meat plus both seasoning and structured protein fiber. Meat for four of the products was flake-cut prior to mixing with the other ingredients and the remaining four products were mixed without flake-cutting the meat. The products were evaluated objectively for moisture and fat, water-holding capacity, percent moisture retained, cooked yield, retention of water and fat, and textural properties. Percentage of moisture retained was significantly higher in patties made with flake-cut than with mixed meat, but it was the only variable that was significantly different between flake-cut and mixed products. Analysis of the pooled data showed significant differences due to ingredients. The addition of 1% seasoning (salt, pepper, sage, coriander, and dextrose) significantly increased percentage of moisture retained and cooked yield and significantly decreased hardness and areas under the compression curves. The addition of 15% structured protein fiber to the meat significantly increased springiness, cohesiveness, and chewiness. The combination of seasoning and structured protein fiber significantly increased cooked yield, retention of water and fat, and percentage of moisture retained.
Intravascular multi-layered glucose sensors for an artificial pancreas

An artificial pancreas has a profound impact on changing the life of patients with Type 1 diabetes (T1D). In spite of the obvious improvements in continuous glucose sensor field, there are still limitations presented such as short life time, existence of lag time, and biocompatibility issues. This paper presents a novel idea of Intravascular Multilayered Glucose Sensor (IMLGS), which is used in the closed loop system of artificial pancreas for T1D patients. This work demonstrates glucose detection directly from the blood using glucose layers made from polyaniline carbon paste (PANI-CPE) crosslinking with a glucose enzyme. The layers of glucose sensors are controlled, and switched from layer to another layer using an algorithm strategy based on calculation of calibration factor. We utilized patient glucose data and criteria of sensor replacement to simulate our proposed idea of IMLGS. Simulation results showed that the total duration time of the glucose sensor occupied approximately 134 days for a five-layer sensor. The simulations also showed that the glucose layer sensor is replaced when the calibration factor exceeds threshold value of 10.8-12.68mg/dlnA-1.
Correlation of sensing behavior of mixed potential sensors with chemical and electrochemical properties of electrodes

Abstract The mixed potential response for NO and NO 2 from two different oxide electrodes on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) was examined at 500 °C. The two electrodes were La 0.6 Sr 0.4 Fe 0.8 Co 0.2 O 3 (LSFCO) and Cr 2 O 3 . Sensors made with LSFCO electrodes had consistently lower sensitivity towards NO x as compared to those with Cr 2 O 3 and the focus of this paper is to understand the fundamental reasons for the differences in electrode sensitivity. Catalytic activity of the electrodes towards equilibration of NO/NO 2 and electrical properties of the electrodes for O 2 /O 2− chemistry were examined. Based on these studies, it is being concluded that the larger signals for NO x on sensors with Cr 2 O 3 electrodes arise primarily due to the poorer oxygen electroreduction ability of Cr 2 O 3 as compared to LSFCO.
Capturing Mobile Phone Usage: Research Methods for Mobile Studies

The small form factor and constant presence of mobile phones create unique challenges to the study of their use. Mobile phone use can be difficult for outsiders to observe because of the intimate nature of the devices. Mobile use can also be multimodal (voice and text), further complicating data collection. The mobility and multitasking that are facilitated with the device pose logistical challenges for data capture as well. This paper presents a literature review of innovative methodologies for mobile phone studies. Some of these methods include cameras and other recording devices, diary studies, and controlled experiments. This paper also presents the multimethod approach that was used in an original field study of mobile phone use for supporting personal and romantic relationships in India: questionnaire, interview, participant observation, and mobile diary.
Outsourcing Resource Selection: A Rough Set Approach

Today's economic reality is forcing firms to become increasingly more efficient in managing their resource functions. Outsourcing has moved to the mainstream of business development and promised to be one of the many enterprise strategies for cost-effective service delivery. Proper screening and automatic selection of outsource partners are critical to the business. Resource selection is one of the most important steps in outsourcing decision-making processes. This paper considers a data intensive selection problem in outsourcing software development projects. We analyze the properties of the resource selection problem and propose some criteria for an automatic resource selection model. A naive model, a traditional rough set model, and a generalized rough set (GRS) model are introduced and the advantages and disadvantages of each model are compared. Experimental results indicate that the GRS model is superior to other models
Current issues relating to the transfusion of stored red blood cells

The development of blood storage systems allowed donation and transfusion to be separated in time and space. This separation has permitted the regionalization of donor services with subsequent economies of scale and improvements in the quality and availability of blood products. However, the availability of storage raises the question of how long blood products can and should be stored and how long they are safe and effective. The efficacy of red blood cells was originally measured as the increment in haematocrit and safety began with typing and the effort to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination. Appreciation of a growing list of storage lesions of red blood cells has developed with our increasing understanding of red blood cell physiology and our experience with red blood cell transfusion. However, other than frank haemolysis, rare episodes of bacterial contamination and overgrowth, the reduction of oxygen-carrying capacity associated with the failure of some transfused cells to circulate, and the toxicity of lysophospholipids released from membrane breakdown, storage-induced lesions have not had obvious correlations with safety or efficacy. The safety of red blood cell storage has also been approached in retrospective epidemiologic studies of transfused patients, but the results are frequently biased by the fact that sicker patients are transfused more often and blood banks do not issue blood products in a random order. Several large prospective studies of the safety of stored red blood cells are planned.
Plug-In Vehicle to Home (V2H) duration and power output capability

This work analyzes the capability for Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in Vehicle to Home (V2H) scenarios, for which the vehicle acts as a residential battery storage system and/or a backup generator during a grid outage or more frequent short duration distribution system fault. In this paper, we use residential energy data collected from a smart grid testbed in Austin, Texas with a custom PEV model to assess the performance (in terms of duration and power output) of a PEV used for backup power. Our results quantify the extent to which photovoltaic (PV) generation and the characteristics of a PEV (battery size, gasoline availability) affect the backup duration of a PEV based V2H system during an electric outage. We use the insight gained from our results to explore optimal engine-generator control for PV-enabled V2H, strategies to further increase backup duration, and non-continuous self-sustaining off-grid alternatives.
Selection of α variants during microstructural evolution in α/β titanium alloys

The solid-state β→β + α transformation in titanium alloys leads to complex microstructures with feature spanning across a range of length scales. In order to develop a better understanding of the microstructural evolution process, a detailed characterization of the crystallography of α laths formed from the β phase in a candidate α/β Ti alloy, Timetal 550, has been carried out. Specifically, the influence of the orientation relationship (OR) between the grain boundary α (GB α) and the adjacent β grains on the microstructural evolution has been investigated in this alloy employing orientation imaging microscopy (OIM) studies in a high-resolution SEM. The results indicate that the colony microstructure (clustering of α laths belonging to the same variant) tends to develop in the β grain that exhibits the Burgers OR with the GB α allotriomorph, whereas the basketweave microstructure (clustering of multiple variants) develops in the adjacent β grain. Additionally, the multiple variants of α laths forming the ...
Writing narrative literature reviews.

Narrative literature reviews serve a vital scientific function, but few resources help people learn to write them. As compared with empirical reports, literature reviews can tackle broader and more abstract questions, can engage in more post hoc theorizing without the danger of capitalizing on chance, can make a stronger case for a null-hypothesis conclusion, and can appreciate and use methodological diversity better. Also, literature reviews can draw any of 4 conclusions: The hypothesis is correct, it has not been conclusively established but is the currently best guess, it is false, or the evidence permits no conclusion. Common mistakes of authors of literature review manuscripts are described. Narrative literature reviews form a vital part of most empirical articles, theses, and grant proposals, and of course many articles and book chapters are devoted specifically to reviewing the literature on a particular topic. Literature reviews serve a scientific field by providing a much-needed bridge between the vast and scattered assortment of articles on a topic and the reader who does not have time or resources to track them down. Reviews also present conclusions of a scope and theoretical level that individual empirical reports cannot normally address. For individual researchers, writing a major literature review article is a very infrequent but often a very important career contribution. Yet, despite the importance of narrative literature reviews, no easy and available way to learn to write them is known. Research methods textbooks do not usually explain how to do them, even though reviewing literature is an important research method. Most graduate seminars in research methods likewise devote little or no time to them. Apprenticeship with an accomplished literature reviewer seems to be one possible strategy to learn this technique, but such specialists are rare, and moreover it is generally considered more important for stu
Genes Associated With Prognosis After Surgery For Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Promote Tumor Cell Survival In Vitro

Background: Mesothelioma is an aggressive neoplasm with few effective treatments, one being cytoreductive surgery. We previously described a test, based on differential expression levels of four genes, to predict clinical outcome in prospectively consented mesothelioma patients after surgery. In this study, we determined whether any of these four genes could be linked to a cancer relevant phenotype. Methods: We conducted a high-throughput RNA inhibition screen to knockdown gene expression levels of the four genes comprising the test (ARHGDIA, COBLL1, PKM2, TM4SF1) in both a human lung-derived normal and a tumor cell line using three different small inhibitory RNA molecules per gene. Successful knockdown was confirmed using quantitative RT-PCR. Detection of statistically significant changes in apoptosis and mitosis was performed using immunological assays and quantified using video-assisted microscopy at a single time-point. Changes in nuclear shape, size, and numbers were used to provide additional support of initial findings. Each experiment was conducted in triplicate. Specificity was assured by requiring that at least 2 different siRNAs produced the observed change in each cell line/time-point/gene/assay combination. Results: Knockdown of ARHGDIA, COBLL1, and TM4SF1 resulted in 2- to 4-fold increased levels of apoptosis in normal cells (ARHGDIA only) and tumor cells (all three genes). No statistically significant changes were observed in apoptosis after knockdown of PKM2 or for mitosis after knockdown of any gene. Conclusions: We provide evidence that ARHGDIA, COBLL1, and TM4SF1 are negative regulators of apoptosis in cultured tumor cells. These genes, and their related intracellular signaling pathways, may represent potential therapeutic targets in mesothelioma.
Correlation of Winds and Geographic Features with Production of Certain Infrasonic Signals in the Atmosphere

Summary Of the waves which propagate in the atmosphere at acoustic velocity in the period range from 10 to 100 s, one type has been classified by triangulation as arising principally from mountainous regions. These signals were first described as ' northwesters ' or ' 310 ers ' by the NBS Geoacoustics Group under R. K. Cook at Washington, D.C., from the predominant direction of arrival. Subsequent operation of an observatory at Boulder, Colorado by Vernon Goerke gave a source region by triangulation in the Pacific Northwest, primarily in Montana and Alberta. Installations of observatories at College, Alaska (Wilson) and Pullman, Washington-Moscow, Idaho (Craine and Thomas) enlarged the data base available, and triangulation showed the principal source areas to be along the coast of British Columbia and in the inland Rocky Mountains of the British Columbia-Alberta border. This paper discusses the presently known characteristics of this class of infrasonic waves, locates the triangulation areas, reviews selected events, and suggests that certain of these waves are produced as aerodynamic sound. The paper shows a correlation between the 500 mb jet stream velocity and direction in these mountainous regions, and the detection of these atmospheric pressure waves. Infrasonic waves-10- to 100-s periods There are a number of atmospheric wave structures travelling at acoustic velocities that appear in the 10- to 100-s period range. An observatory, through four pressure sensitive transducers, provides basic information on the amplitude variations of pressure with time, from which the waveform, period, and time sequence of the event at an individual microphone can be obtained. By overlaying the charts and visually correlating the waveforms from several transducers, a signal can be identified in the noise, and arrival time differences measured. The azimuth of the direction of arrival, and the horizontal velocity across the transducer array, can then be calculated, assuming a plane wave. Detection of signals is often difficult, since local wind noise may obscure the desired signal, and changes in waveform caused by frequency dispersion of the signal or the effects of other signals arriving from different directions may make the waveform vary at each transducer. We define an ' event ' as a series of signals that appear to be related.
Game Design and Learning: A Conjectural Analysis of How Massively Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) Foster Intrinsic Motivation

During the past two decades, the popularity of computer and video games has prompted games to become a source of study for educational researchers and instructional designers investigating how various aspects of game design might be appropriated, borrowed, and re-purposed for the design of educational materials. The purpose of this paper is to present an analysis of how the structure in massively multiple online role-playing games (MMORPGs) might inform the design of interactive learning and game-based learning environments by looking at the elements which support intrinsic motivation. Specifically, this analysis presents (a) an overview of the two primary elements in MMORPGs game design: character design and narrative environment, (b) a discussion of intrinsic motivation in character role-playing, (c) a discussion of intrinsic motivational supports and cognitive support of the narrative structure of small quests, and (d) a discussion of how the narrative structure of MMORPGs might foster learning in various types of knowledge.
Images of the Life Course

Reporting on data gathered from speaking with 66 Odia Hindu women living in the temple town, the chapter discusses their conceptualizations of the life course, their understandings of typical or significant life experiences, and their expressions of satisfaction or dissatisfaction about the past and present as well as their expectations for the future. Women conceptualize the life course in a culturally distinctive fashion in terms of a two-phase model or a five-phase model: in the latter model, they divide adulthood into three phases: young adulthood (jouvana), mature adulthood (prauda), and old age (briddha avastha). In both models, marriage is regarded as the single, most significant, and transformative experience of a woman’s life. With respect to life satisfaction, most women identify the middle years of a woman’s life—prauda, or mature adulthood—as the most satisfying. Not surprisingly, perhaps, traditional Hindu ideas as presented in the dharmasastras have great salience within the temple town. The importance of marriage, the evaluation of prauda as the most desirable life phase, and the assumption that human development only occurs through social connections and familial relationships attest to this salience.
Global Disparities: Of People and Pets

This paper defines a new approach to measuring global disparities in development. Instead of comparing some characteristic, X, of development between people in rich and poor countries, we propose to compare X for people in poor countries against pets (of the mammalian kind) in rich countries. Among other advantages, this approach yields a measure of global disparities that is lower than the conventional estimates.
Electronic Structure of Complex Bismuth Chalcogenide Systems

Narrow band gap semiconductor Bi2Te3and its alloys with Sb and Se are bulk materials with one of the highest figure of merit Z (= α2σ/κ, where α is the thermopower, σ is the electrical conductivity, and κ is the thermal conductivity) in the range of room temperature.1Because of this, several attempts have been made to improve Z by making novel Bi-Te-Sb-Se based materials using new concepts such as quantum confinement2(QC) and phonon glass electron crystal3(PGEC). Within the QC picture, first proposed by Hicks et. al.2, model calculations predict an increase in Z for a two dimensional layer having thickness smaller than about 300 A (for example an idealized Bi2Te3-multiple quantum well (MQW) structure) due to enhanced power factor P = α2σ. Even larger power factor enhancement occurs in one-dimensional quantum wires. (See the article on bismuth nanowires by Dresselahaus et. al.4in this volume.) In contrast to the QC idea, within PGEC picture one uses superlattice (SL) structures consisting of two materials both having favorable α and σ (such that electronic properties are not affected by the SL structure), but reduces к by engineering the phonon band structure in suitably chosen transport direction.5A third approach where both the above ideas have been exploited to certain extent is to chemically synthesize new ternary and quaternary narrow band gap semiconductors containing Bi, Te, Se atoms with different arrangements of Bi-Te-Se blocks which we will refer to as different quantum architectures.6These compounds have low and promisingly high values of P.This has been the focus of our research program at Michigan State University. Some of these new compounds are BaBiTe3, CsBi4Te6, K2Bi8Se13, of which the last two show considerable promise.
Enhancement of Antibunching in Second Harmonic Generation

Although the possibility of antibunching in intracavity second harmonic generation was predicted1 a long time ago it has not been possible to observe it experimentally. The main difficulty lies in that antibunching is a small effect riding on an intense coherent background. Here we consider the possibility of enhancing the antibunching effect by filtering out the intense coherent background by means of an auxiliary cavity.
Conceptual Morphing Aircraft Sizing Using a Multi-Level Optimization Strategy

*† This paper presents an approach for sizing (i.e. predicting the dimensions, weight and performance) of a morphing aircraft based upon a multi-level design optimization approach. For this effort, a morphing wing is one whose planform can make significant shape changes in flight – increasing wing area by 50% or more from the lowest possible area, changing sweep 30o or more, and / or increasing aspect ratio by as much as 200% from the lowest possible value. The top-level optimization problem seeks to minimize the gross weight of the aircraft by determining a set of “baseline” variables – these are common aircraft sizing variables (T/W, S, AR, t/c, Λ, λ), along with a set of “morphing limit” variables – these describe the maximum shape change for a particular morphing strategy (e.g. Δb, Δc, ΔΛ). The sub-level optimization problems represent each leg in the morphing aircraft’s design mission; here, each sub-level optimizer minimizes fuel consumed during each mission leg by changing the wing planform within the bounds set by the baseline and morphing limit variables from the top-level problem. This approach predicts the wing empty weight based on a parametric equation derived from structural optimization studies of morphing wing concepts. This multi-level optimization sizing approach then sizes a morphing aircraft whose wing can change both sweep and wing root chord; this demonstration highlights the improved effectiveness of this multi-level approach over previous morphing aircraft sizing approaches.
A Critical Review of NOx Correlations for Gas Turbine Combustors

The effect of inlet temperature, pressure, air flowrate and fuel-to-air ratio on NOx emissions from gas turbine combustors has received considerable attention in recent years. A number of semi-empirical and empirical correlations relating these variables to NOx emissions have appeared in the literature. They differ both in fundamental assumptions and in their predictions. In the present work, these simple NOx correlations are compared to each other and to experimental data. A review of existing experimental data shows that an adequate data base does not exist to evaluate properly the various NOx correlations. Recommendations are proposed to resolve this problem in the future.Copyright © 1975 by ASME
Rapid Development of Heat and Ultraviolet Resistant of R-122 Alicyclic Epoxy Resins

Characteristics, synthesis and application of R-122 alicyclic epoxy resins in industry, agriculture, transportation and national defense were introduced in this paper.
Elimination method based on universal formability theory for warpage defect of stamping parts

To eliminate warpage defect fast and accurately in stamp forming process of auto-body panels,the mechanism of warpage defect is explained and a method is proposed based on FEA. A universal formability theory called UFT was introduced to analyze the defect,and the strain distribution could be symmetrical or uniform by adjusting the metal flow. The method was realized in the "Shape Change"module of independent research and development software "Stamp Forming Troubleshooting( SFT) ",and the analysis results demonstrated that the method was feasibility and efficiency.
The use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in the treatment of fever and neutropenia in a heart transplant patient

We had the opportunity to study the clinical effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in a heart transplant patient with a classic febrile neutropenic episode that was thought to be caused by immunosuppressive therapy. Administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor resulted in rapid recovery of his absolute neutrophil count, with resolution of fevers. Endomyocardial biopsy showed no pathologic evidence of worsened rejection. The use of hematopoietic cytokines after the organ allograft requires further study before it can be routinely advocated in this patient population.
Investigating Overall Restaurant Image: Generalizing the Triggering Mechanism to Multiple Casual Sit Down Restaurants

With the competitive and complex nature of today’s general retailing environment, researchers and practitioners see the links between retail image, loyalty metrics, and financial performance metrics (e.g., profitability) as critical to better understand how customers form a retail image (Kumar and Shah 2004; Pan and Zinkhan 2006). Despite the growing research attention paid to the links between retail image and critical constructs (e.g., customer satisfaction, repeat patronage behaviors and word of mouth behaviors), little agreement exists on the nature of these linkages (e.g., Chebat et al. 2006; Dawar and Parker 1994; Hartman and Spiro 2005, etc.). The links between retail image and other critical constructs have been conceptualized as symmetric and positive in nature by some researchers (Dawar and Parker 1994; Hartman and Spiro 2005), while others suggest the relationship is asymmetric and non-linear (Anderson and Mittal 2000; Gomez et al. 2004). Given the different perspectives on the relationships between retail image and other critical constructs, an important question emerges- what is the actual role of retail image in creating retail/customer loyalty?
The Impact of Social Health Insurance on Diabetes and Hypertension Process Indicators among Older Adults in Mexico

Objective To examine the impact of Seguro Popular (Mexican social health insurance for the poor; SP) on diabetes and hypertension care, intermediate process indicators for older adults (>50 years): pharmacological treatment, blood glucose tests, the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and adherence to their nutrition and exercise program. (CAM was defined as products or practices that were not part of the medical standard of care.) Data sources/study setting Repeated cross-sectional surveys from Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutricion (Mexican Health and Nutrition Survey, ENSANUT), a nationally representative health and nutrition survey sampling N = 45,294 older adults in 2000, N = 45,241 older adults in 2005-2006, and N = 46,277 older adults in 2011-2012. Study design Fixed-effects instrumental variable (FE-IV) repeated cross-sectional at the individual level with municipality fixed-effects estimation was performed. Principal findings We found a marginally significant effect of SP on the use of insulin and oral agents (40 percentage points). Contrary to that expected, no other significant differences were found for diabetes or hypertension treatment and care indicators. Conclusions Social health insurance for the poor improved some but not all health care process indicators among diabetic and hypertensive older people in Mexico.
Load Carrying Assistance Device Pogo Suit

Wearable robots including exoskeletons, powered prosthetics, and powered orthotics must add energy to the person at an appropriate time to enhance, augment, or supplement human performance. Adding energy while not being in sync with the user can dramatically hurt performance. Many human tasks such as walking, running, and hopping are repeating or cyclic tasks and a robot can add energy in sync with the repeating pattern for assistance. A method has been developed to add energy at the appropriate time to the repeating limit cycle based on a phase oscillator. The phase oscillator eliminates time from the forcing function which is based purely on the motion of the user. This approach has been simulated, implemented and tested in a robotic backpack which facilitates carrying heavy loads. The device oscillates the load of the backpack, based on the motion of the user, in order to add energy at the correct time and thus reduce the amount of energy required for walking with a heavy load. Models were developed in Working Model 2-D, a dynamics simulation software, in conjunction with MATLAB to verify theory and test control methods. The control system developed is robust and has successfully operated on different users, each with their own different and distinct gait. The results of experimental testing validated the corresponding models. Full Text: PDF DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/ijra.v5i3.1012
Two Decades of IDPs; What have we Learned?

The existence of functional, disordered proteins—now termed intrinsically disordered proteins, or IDPs—was recognized about 20 years ago, leading to the now paradigmic concept of folding-upon-binding and the association of disorder with multifarious interactions. Shortly after the initial observations, first Dunker and then others developed computational algorithms to accurately identify disordered regions within protein sequences. The development of disorder predictors coincided with an explosion of gene sequence information due to the Human Genome Project and other large-scale efforts and to the realization that protein disorder is prevalent in all forms of life. Mining of Gene Ontology terms revealed that IDPs are often involved in signaling and regulation, and further analyses revealed their strong associations with human diseases, including neurodegeneration, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and others. While awareness of their roles in biology and disease grew rapidly in the 2000s, knowledge of the mechanisms of IDP function progressed at a slower pace. A key discovery, however, was that IDPs can form “fuzzy” complexes with their functional partners, ushering in the disorder-order continuum view of protein “structure”. Systems biology studies showed that IDPs are more tightly regulated in cells than folded proteins and that their dysregulation is likely to alter cellular behavior. Amazingly, the pace of discoveries on IDPs has accelerated during the 2nd decade of the new millennium. IDP sequences can now be decoded in terms of the conformational features of their ensembles, their roles within multi-component assemblies are being cataloged, and IDP-targeted therapeutics are on the horizon. Very recently, the discovery that disordered protein regions mediate liquid-liquid phase separation has revolutionized our understanding of subcellular organization across broad length scales. We will review the evolution of the IDP field over the past two decades and speculate on its current challenges and future directions.
Solution spectra and stability of current biased Josephson junctions in a magnetic field

We examine the solutions of the non-linear equations governing the behavior of a current biased Josephson junction. Both inline and overlap current bias geometries are considered. The solution space is investigated analytically and using numerical techniques. We characterize the types of solutions expected analytically and find good approximations for large magnetic fields. For small magnetic fields the solution space is large and its stability is entangled. We study this space and its stability as a function of magnetic field and applied bias current. Selective results are presented that characterize the general behavior of the solution space.
Venue shopping throughout environmental decision-making processes: climate change and winter use policies in Yellowstone

In order to make environmental policy changes, policymakers must first convince decision-making authorities that their problem definitions and alternative policy solutions warrant being placed on the decision-making agenda. This article highlights the utility of being able to venue shop policy solutions across the three decision-making venues in the federalist system of the USA - the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. Two major recent international policy concerns, climate change and winter use in Yellowstone National Park (visited by many citizens from around the globe all year long), are used to show the importance of having scientific evidence and consensus when seeking to make environmental policy decisions in contrast to the status quo.