cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Eliciting private user information for residential demand response

Residential Demand Response has emerged as a viable tool to alleviate supply and demand imbalances of electricity during times when the electric grid is strained. Demand Response providers bid reduction capacity into the wholesale electricity market by asking customers to temporarily reduce consumption in exchange for a monetary incentive. This paper models consumer behavior in response to such incentives by formulating Demand Response in a Mechanism Design framework. In this auction setting, the Demand Response Provider collects price elasticities as bids from its rational, profit-maximizing customers, which allows targeting only the users most susceptible to incentives such that an aggregate reduction target is reached in expectation. We measure reductions by comparing the materialized consumption to the projected consumption, which we model as the “10-in-10”-baseline used by the California Independent System Operator. Due to the suboptimal performance of this baseline, we show, using consumption data of residential customers in California, that Demand Response Providers receive payments for “virtual reductions”, which exist due to the inaccuracies of the baseline rather than actual reductions. Improving the accuracy of the baseline diminishes the contribution of these virtual reductions.
Innovative Six Sigma Design Using the Eigenvector Dimension-Reduction (EDR) Method

This paper presents an innovative approach for quality engineering using the Eigenvector Dimension Reduction (EDR) Method. Currently industry relies heavily upon the use of the Taguchi method and Signal to Noise (S/N) ratios as quality indices. However, some disadvantages of the Taguchi method exist such as, its reliance upon samples occurring at specified levels, results to be valid at only the current design point, and its expensiveness to maintain a certain level of confidence. Recently, it has been shown that the EDR method can accurately provide an analysis of variance, similar to that of the Taguchi method, but is not hindered by the aforementioned drawbacks of the Taguchi method. This is evident because the EDR method is based upon fundamental statistics, where the statistical information for each design parameter is used to estimate the uncertainty propagation through engineering systems. Therefore, the EDR method provides much more extensive capabilities than the Taguchi method, such as the ability to estimate not only mean and standard deviation of the response, but also the skewness and kurtosis. The uniqueness of the EDR method is its ability to generate the probability density function (PDF) of system performances. This capability, known as the probabilistic “what-if” study, provides a visual representation of the effects of the design parameters (e.g., its mean and variance) upon the response. In addition, the probabilistic “what-if” study can be applied across multiple design parameters, allowing the analysis of interactions among control factors. Furthermore, the implementation of the probabilistic “what-if” study provides a basis for performing robust design optimization. Because of these advantages, it is apparent that the EDR method provides an alternative platform of quality engineering to the Taguchi method. For easy execution by field engineers, the proposed platform for quality engineering using the EDR method, known as Quick Quality Quantification (Q3 ), will be developed as a Microsoft EXCEL add-in.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Moduli of Einstein and non-Einstein nilradicals

A nilpotent Lie algebra is called an Einstein nilradical if the corresponding Lie group admits a left-invariant Ricci soliton metric. While these metrics are of independent interest, their existence is intimately related to the existence of Einstein metrics on solvable Lie groups. In this note we are concerned with the following question: How are the Einstein and non-Einstein nilradicals distributed among nilpotent Lie algebras? A full answer to this question is not known and we restrict to the class of 2-step nilpotent Lie groups. Within this class, it is known that a generic group admits a Ricci soliton metric. Using techniques from Geometric Invariant Theory, we study the set of non-generic algebras to learn more about the distribution of non-Einstein nilradicals. Many new (continuous) families of non-isomorphic, non-Einstein nilradicals are constructed. Moreover, the dimension of these families can be arbitrarily large (depending on the dimension of the underlying Lie group). To show such large classes of Lie groups are pairwise non-isomorphic, a new technique is developed to distinguish between Lie algebras.
TweetVista: An AI-Powered Interactive Tool for Exploring Conversations on Twitter

We present TweetVista, an interactive web-based tool for mapping the conversation landscapes on Twitter. TweetVista is an intelligent and interactive desktop web application for exploring the conversation landscapes on Twitter. Given a dataset of tweets, the tool uses advanced NLP techniques using deep neural networks and a scalable clustering algorithm to map out coherent conversation clusters. The interactive visualization engine then enables the users to explore these clusters. We ran three case studies using datasets about the 2016 US presidential election and the summer 2016 Orlando shooting. Despite the enormous size of these datasets, using TweetVista users were able to quickly and clearly make sense of the various conversation topics around these datasets.
Characterizing strong pseudoconvexity, obstructions to biholomorphisms, and Lyapunov exponents

In this paper we consider the following question: For bounded domains with smooth boundary, can strong pseudoconvexity be characterized in terms of the intrinsic complex geometry of the domain? Our approach to answering this question is based on understanding the dynamical behavior of real geodesics in the Kobayashi metric and allows us to prove a number of results for domains with low regularity. For instance, we show that for convex domains with $$C^{2,\epsilon }$$ boundary strong pseudoconvexity can be characterized in terms of the behavior of the squeezing function near the boundary, the behavior of the holomorphic sectional curvature of the Bergman metric near the boundary, or any other reasonable measure of the complex geometry near the boundary. The first characterization gives a partial answer to a question of Fornaess and Wold. As an application of these characterizations, we show that a convex domain with $$C^{2,\epsilon }$$ boundary which is biholomorphic to a strongly pseudoconvex domain is also strongly pseudoconvex.
Mapping thixo-elasto-visco-plastic behavior

A century ago, and more than a decade before the term rheology was formally coined, Bingham introduced the concept of plastic flow above a critical stress to describe steady flow curves observed in English china clay dispersions. However, in many complex fluids and soft solids, the manifestation of a yield stress is also accompanied by other complex rheological phenomena such as thixotropy and viscoelastic transient responses, both above and below the critical stress. In this perspective article, we discuss efforts to map out the different limiting forms of the general rheological response of such materials by considering higher dimensional extensions of the familiar Pipkin map. Based on transient and nonlinear concepts, the maps first help organize the conditions of canonical flow protocols. These conditions can then be normalized with relevant material properties to form dimensionless groups that define a 3D state space to represent the spectrum of thixotropic elastoviscoplastic (TEVP) material responses.
Business cycles, informal economy, and interest rates in emerging countries

Abstract This paper recognizes the importance of a large informal economy and interest rate fluctuations for business cycles in emerging countries. I document (1) a positive relationship between the relative volatility of consumption to output and the size of the informal economy, and (2) countercyclical interest rates in emerging countries. I show that in a two-sector real business cycle model of a small open economy with a poorly measured informal sector, an increase in country interest rate generates a contraction in output, consumption, investment, hours, an improvement in trade balance-to-output ratio, and an expansion of informal sector.
Indigenous Climate Change Studies: Indigenizing Futures, Decolonizing the Anthropocene

Indigenous and allied scholars, knowledge keepers, scientists, learners, change-makers, and leaders are creating a field to support Indigenous peoples’ capacities to address anthropogenic (human-caused) climate change. Provisionally, I call it Indigenous climate change studies (Indigenous studies, for short, in this essay). The studies involve many types of work, including Indigenous climate resiliency plans, such as the Salish-Kootenai Tribe’s Climate Change Strategic Plan that includes sections on “Culture” and “Tribal Elder Observations,” policy documents, such as the Inuit Petition expressing “the right to be cold,” conferences, such as “Climate Changed: Reflections on Our Past, Present and Future Situation,” organized by the Indigenous Peoples Climate Change Working Group, and numerous declarations and academic papers, from the Mandaluyong Declaration of the Global Conference on Indigenous Women, Climate Change and REDD to a special issue of the scientific journal Climatic Change devoted to Indigenous peoples in the U.S. context.
Recent advances in neutral particle transport methods and codes

An overview of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL) 3D neural particle transport code, TORT, is presented. Special features of the code that make it invaluable for large applications are summarized for the prospective user. Advanced capabilities currently under development and installation in the production release of TORT are discussed in some detail. These include: multitasking on Cray platforms running the UNICOS operating system; adjacent-cell preconditioning acceleration scheme; and graphics codes for displaying computed quantities such as the flux. Further developments for TORT and its companion codes to enhance its present capabilities, as well as expand its range of applications will be discussed. Speculation on the next generation of neutral particle transport codes at ORNL, especially regarding unstructured grids and high order spatial approximations, will also be mentioned.
The effectiveness of incomplete and overlapping pollution regulation: Evidence from bans on phosphate in automatic dishwasher detergent

Abstract This paper examines the effectiveness of command-and-control policies in the presence of incomplete and overlapping regulations. We study how recent bans on phosphate in household dishwasher detergent affect pollution loads to waterways, costs at wastewater treatment facilities, and consumer behavior. We show that the effectiveness of the bans in reducing effluent depends critically on regulations at receiving treatment facilities. As cost minimizers, facilities with an emissions standard on phosphorus face no incentive to deviate from the standard. We show that bans have weak effects on effluent, especially in the most polluted waterways. We also use an early, isolated ban in Spokane, Washington to study the effect of the bans on consumers. We find that this ban shifted approximately 40% of dishwasher detergent sales from Spokane to bordering counties until a state-wide ban was implemented. Using these estimates, we find that the welfare loss to consumers from recent bans is likely greater than the cost-savings to treatment plants.
Fair stable sets of simple games

Abstract Simple games are abstract representations of voting systems and other group-decision procedures. A stable set—or von Neumann–Morgenstern solution—of a simple game represents a “standard of behavior” that satisfies certain internal and external stability properties. Compound simple games are built out of component games, which are, in turn, “players” of a quotient game. I describe a method to construct fair—or symmetry-preserving—stable sets of compound simple games from fair stable sets of their quotient and components. This method is closely related to the composition theorem of Shapley (1963c) , and contributes to the answer of a question that he formulated: What is the set G of simple games that admit a fair stable set? In particular, this method shows that the set G includes all simple games whose factors—or quotients in their “unique factorization” of Shapley (1967) —are in G , and suggests a path to characterize G .
A Quest to Unravel the Metric Structure Behind Perturbed Networks

Graphs and network data are ubiquitous across a wide spectrum of scientific and application domains. Often in practice, an input graph can be considered as an observed snapshot of a (potentially continuous) hidden domain or process. Subsequent analysis, processing, and inferences are then performed on this observed graph. In this paper we advocate the perspective that an observed graph is often a noisy version of some discretized 1-skeleton of a hidden domain, and specifically we will consider the following natural network model: We assume that there is a true graph G^* which is a certain proximity graph for points sampled from a hidden domain X; while the observed graph G is an Erdos-Renyi type perturbed version of G^*. Our network model is related to, and slightly generalizes, the much-celebrated small-world network model originally proposed by Watts and Strogatz. However, the main question we aim to answer is orthogonal to the usual studies of network models (which often focuses on characterizing / predicting behaviors and properties of real-world networks). Specifically, we aim to recover the metric structure of G^* (which reflects that of the hidden space X as we will show) from the observed graph G. Our main result is that a simple filtering process based on the Jaccard index can recover this metric within a multiplicative factor of 2 under our network model. Our work makes one step towards the general question of inferring structure of a hidden space from its observed noisy graph representation. In addition, our results also provide a theoretical understanding for Jaccard-Index-based denoising approaches.
Photonics and spectroscopy in nanojunctions: a theoretical insight

The progress of experimental techniques at the nanoscale in the last decade made optical measurements in current-carrying nanojunctions a reality, thus indicating the emergence of a new field of research coined optoelectronics. Optical spectroscopy of open nonequilibrium systems is a natural meeting point for (at least) two research areas: nonlinear optical spectroscopy and quantum transport, each with its own theoretical toolbox. We review recent progress in the field comparing theoretical treatments of optical response in nanojunctions as is accepted in nonlinear spectroscopy and quantum transport communities. A unified theoretical description of spectroscopy in nanojunctions is presented. We argue that theoretical approaches of the quantum transport community (and in particular, the Green function based considerations) yield a convenient tool for optoelectronics when the radiation field is treated classically, and that differences between the toolboxes may become critical when studying the quantum radiation field in junctions.
The Nucleoporin Nup2 Contains a Meiotic-Autonomous Region That Promotes the Dynamic Chromosome Events of Meiosis

Meiosis is a specialized cellular program required to create haploid gametes from diploid parent cells. Homologous chromosomes pair, synapse, and recombine in a dynamic environment that accommodates gross chromosome reorganization and significant chromosome motion, which are critical for normal chromosome segregation. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Ndj1 is a meiotic telomere-associated protein required for physically attaching telomeres to proteins embedded in the nuclear envelope. In this study, we identified additional proteins that act at the nuclear periphery from meiotic cell extracts, including Nup2, a nonessential nucleoporin with a known role in tethering interstitial chromosomal loci to the nuclear pore complex. We found that deleting NUP2 affects meiotic progression and spore viability, and gives increased levels of recombination intermediates and products. We identified a previously uncharacterized 125 aa region of Nup2 that is necessary and sufficient for its meiotic function, thus behaving as a meiotic autonomous region (MAR). Nup2-MAR forms distinct foci on spread meiotic chromosomes, with a subset overlapping with Ndj1 foci. Localization of Nup2-MAR to meiotic chromosomes does not require Ndj1, nor does Ndj1 localization require Nup2, suggesting these proteins function in different pathways, and their interaction is weak or indirect. Instead, several severe synthetic phenotypes are associated with the nup2Δ ndj1Δ double mutant, including delayed turnover of recombination joint molecules, and a failure to undergo nuclear divisions without also arresting the meiotic program. These data suggest Nup2 and Ndj1 support partially overlapping functions that promote two different levels of meiotic chromosome organization necessary to withstand a dynamic stage of the eukaryotic life cycle.
Carbon Monoxide in the Distantly Active Centaur (60558) 174P/Echeclus at 6 au

(60558) 174P/Echeclus is an unusual object that belongs to a class of minor planets called Centaurs, which may be intermediate between Kuiper Belt Objects and Jupiter Family comets. It is sporadically active throughout its orbit at distances too far for water ice to sublimate, the source of activity for most comets. Thus, its coma must be triggered by another mechanism. In 2005, Echeclus had a strong outburst with peculiar behavior that raised questions about the nucleus homogeneity. In order to test nucleus models, we performed the most sensitive search to date for the highly volatile CO molecule via its J=2-1 emission toward Echeclus during 2016 May-June (at 6.1 astronomical units from the Sun) using the Arizona Radio Observatory 10-m Submillimeter Telescope. We obtained a 3.6-sigma detection with a slightly blue-shifted (delta v = -0.55 +- 0.1 km/s) and narrow (FWHM = 0.53 +- 0.23 km/s) line. The data are consistent with emission from a cold gas from the sunward side of the nucleus, as seen in two other comets at 6 AU. We derive a production rate of Q(CO) = (7.7 +- 3.3)x10^26 mol/s, which is capable of driving the estimated dust production rates. Echeclus CO outgassing rate is ~40 times lower than what is typically seen for another Centaur at this distance, 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1. We also used the IRAM 30-m telescope to search for the CO J=2-1 line, and derive an upper limit that is above the SMT detection. Compared to the relatively unprocessed comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp), Echeclus produces significantly less CO, as do Chiron and four other Centaurs.
Diacylglycerol lipase disinhibits VTA dopamine neurons during chronic nicotine exposure

Chronic nicotine exposure (CNE) alters synaptic transmission in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in a manner that enhances dopaminergic signaling and promotes nicotine use. The present experiments identify a correlation between enhanced production of the endogenous cannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and diminished release of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA in the VTA following CNE. To study the functional role of on-demand 2-AG signaling in GABAergic synapses, we used 1,2,3-triazole urea compounds to selectively inhibit 2-AG biosynthesis by diacylglycerol lipase (DAGL). The potency and selectivity of these inhibitors were established in rats in vitro (rat brain proteome), ex vivo (brain slices), and in vivo (intracerebroventricular administration) using activity-based protein profiling and targeted metabolomics analyses. Inhibition of DAGL (2-AG biosynthesis) rescues nicotine-induced VTA GABA signaling following CNE. Conversely, enhancement of 2-AG signaling in naive rats by inhibiting 2-AG degradation recapitulates the loss of nicotine-induced GABA signaling evident following CNE. DAGL inhibition reduces nicotine self-administration without disrupting operant responding for a nondrug reinforcer or motor activity. Collectively, these findings provide a detailed characterization of selective inhibitors of rat brain DAGL and demonstrate that excessive 2-AG signaling contributes to a loss of inhibitory GABAergic constraint of VTA excitability following CNE.
Vibrations and Stability of Plates under Initial Stress

A linear theory of the motion of elastic plates is established which, in addition to initial membrane forces, takes into account initial moments and transverse shear forces. The equations of motion...
AFFINE BRAID GROUP, JM ELEMENTS AND KNOT HOMOLOGY

In this paper we construct a homomorphism of the affine braid group $$ {\mathfrak{Br}}_n^{\mathrm{aff}} $$ in the convolution algebra of the equivariant matrix factorizations on the space $$ {\overline{\mathcal{X}}}_2={\mathfrak{b}}_n\times {\mathrm{GL}}_n\times {\mathfrak{n}}_n $$ considered in the earlier paper of the authors. We explain that the pull-back on the stable part of the space $$ {\overline{\mathcal{X}}}_2 $$ intertwines with the natural homomorphism from the affine braid group $$ {\mathfrak{Br}}_n^{\mathrm{aff}} $$ to the finite braid group $$ {\mathfrak{Br}}_n $$ . This observation allows us derive a relation between the knot homology of the closure of β ∈ $$ {\mathfrak{Br}}_n $$ and the knot homology of the closure of β · δ where δ is a product of the JM elements in $$ {\mathfrak{Br}}_n $$
Learning to pour

Pouring is a simple task people perform daily. It is the second most frequently executed motion in cooking scenarios, after pick-and-place. We present a pouring trajectory generation approach, which uses force feedback from the cup to determine the future velocity of pouring. The approach uses recurrent neural networks as its building blocks. We collected the pouring demonstrations which we used for training. To test our approach in simulation, we also created and trained a force estimation system. The simulated experiments show that the system is able to generalize to single unseen element of the pouring characteristics.
16 – DEMAND AND CONSUMER CHOICE

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses demand and consumer choice. The demand schedule indicates the amount of a good that consumers would be willing to buy at each potential price. The quantity of a product demanded is negatively related to its price. A reduction in the price of a product reduces the opportunity cost of consuming it. At the lower price, many consumers would substitute the cheaper good for other products. In contrast, higher prices would induce consumers to buy less as they turn to substitutes that are cheaper. The market demand curve reflects the demand of individuals. It is the horizontal sum of the demand curves of individuals in the market area. Price elasticity reveals the responsiveness of the amount purchased to a change in price. Functional and subjective factors influence the demand for a product. The effect of advertising on consumer decisions is difficult to evaluate. The magnitude of advertising by profit-seeking business firms indicates that it influences consumer decisions. Advertising often reduces the amount of time that the consumers must spend looking for a product, and it helps them make more informed choices.
Velocity Reversal Criterion of a Body Immersed in a Sea of Particles

We consider a rigid body colliding with a continuum of particles. We assume that the body is moving at a velocity close to an equilibrium velocity \({V_{\infty}}\) and that the particles colliding with the body reflect diffusely, that is, probabilistically with some probability distribution K. We find a condition that is sufficient and almost necessary that the collective force of the colliding particles reverses the relative velocity V(t) of the body, that is, changes the sign of \({V(t)-V_{\infty}}\), before the body approaches equilibrium. Examples of both reversal and irreversal are given. This is in strong contrast with the pure specular reflection case in which only reversal happens.
On the Structure of Small-Time Reachable Sets for Multi-Input Nonlinear Systems in Low Dimensions

Abstract Extending earlier work of Lobry and Krener-Schattler for single-input control-linear systems, we outline how the exact structure of the small-time reachable set from a point p in dimension n ≤ 4 can be obtained for multi-input control-linear systems in nondegenerate situations. Specifically, we precisely describe a stratification of the small-time reachable set for a four-dimensional system with two controls. As a corollary we obtain the structure of time optimal controls for a related three-dimensional autonomous system.
mAAS - A Mobile Ambulatory Assessment System for Alcohol Craving Studies.

Currently, most methods in clinical psychology research primarily rely on questionnaires and interviews with examiners, which could not provide real-life subject behavioral and psychology data monitoring and collecting services. This paper presents a smartphone-based mobile Ambulatory Assessment System, called mAAS, for psychology research, especially alcohol craving studies, to improve current methods and provide real-time data monitoring and collecting. This system consists of a wearable sensor, Equivital EQ2 sensor, for measuring physiological data, an Android smartphone, and a web server. The smartphone is responsible for collecting physiological data from wireless wearable sensor, recording smartphone sensor data, interacting with the users to conducting various surveys, and uploading data to the web server. The server is responsible for data processing, computation, and visualization. The sensor and survey data are used by machine learning methods to build models to predict alcohol or other substance cravings and emotion dysregulation caused by various psychological disorders. The system has been deployed in a field study of alcohol craving and initial data collected from real subjects are promising.
Bankruptcy choice with endogenous financial constraints

Abstract In this paper we study firm dynamics and industry equilibrium when firms under financial distress face a non-trivial choice between alternative bankruptcy procedures. Given limited commitment and asymmetric information, financial contracts specify default, renegotiation and reorganization policies. Renegotiation entails a redistribution of social surplus, while reorganization takes the form of enhanced creditor monitoring. Firms with better contract histories are less likely to default, but, contingent on default, firms with better outside options successfully renegotiate, in line with the empirical evidence. Unless monitoring is too costly, renegotiation leads to reorganization, which resembles actual bankruptcy practice. We calibrate the model to match certain aspects of the data on bankruptcy and firm dynamics in the U.S. Our counterfactual experiments suggest that poorly designed bankruptcy arrangements can increase substantially the fraction of firms facing financial constraints, with sizable negative implications for aggregate output and TFP.
Exploring the mundane: Towards an ethnographic approach to bioenergy

Abstract This article introduces the concept of ‘mundane bioenergy’, the largest source of renewable energy utilized by human society. While the term ‘renewable energy’ evokes images of solar panels and wind turbines, most renewable energy is used in a different form. This ‘mundane’ and largely invisible form of energy use takes place when families burn wood, dung, charcoal, and crop residue in cookstoves for their subsistence needs. We call on more energy ethnographers to grapple with mundane energy issues and strengthen this small but growing field of scholarship. Limited ethnographic scholarship on mundane energy issues leads to a partial understanding of emic perspectives and failed development initiatives. By sharing insights from our ongoing ethnographic research on mundane bioenergy, we demonstrate the value of bringing such insights into conversation with research in energy studies.
Identity of the Neoplastic Alkaline Phosphatase as Revealed With Monoclonal Antibodies to the Placental Form of the Enzyme

A panel of six monoclonal antibodies and a conventional polyclonal antibody raised against human placental alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were used to characterize the alkaline phosphatase detected by means of histochemistry on tumors of breast, ovary, lung, gastrointestinal tract, and kidney. Complete antigenic identity between the tumor ALP and the placental ALP was found only in one lung tumor. However, ten tumors reacted with the polyclonal antibody and some monoclonal antibodies, thus exhibiting partial identity with the placental ALP.
Reversible Inhibition of Testicular Steroidogenesis and Spermatogenesis by a Potent Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonist in Normal Men. An Approach Toward the Development of a Male Contraceptive

We studied the antifertility effects of a potent gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (LHRHA) D-Trp -Pro -N-ethylamide-LHRH in 8 normal men who received daily subcutaneous injections for 6-10 weeks. Plasma testosterone levels fell substantially in all 8. Plasma 17-hydroxyprogesterone and serum estradiol-17beta levels decreased concordantly with plasma testosterone. Impotence developed in 5 men between the 6th and 7th weeks of treatment with resolution in each case within 2 weeks of cessation of treatment. Serum gonadotropin levels also fell during treatment briefly rebounding above basal levels when therapy ended. Sperm density and motility fell to a nadir during the 7th-18th weeks after therapy. In 6 subjects sperm levels fell to 6x10 sperm/milliliter or less and in the other 2 they decreased 70 and 86% respectively below basal mean values. Sperm density returned to pretreatment levels in all men during the 10-14 weeks of recovery. These results are consistent with LHRHA-induced pituitary "desensitization" but do not exclude a direct inhibitory effect of LHRHA on testicular steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis. (authors)
The Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome in Infants and Children

The classification of the pediatric acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is based on epidemiologic, immunologic, and virologic data. Persons at risk include mothers who use intravenous drugs, infants who have received blood transfusions from subjects with risk factors, patients receiving factor VIII therapy, and infants born to heterosexual mothers with bisexual husbands. A distinct immunologic phenotype, rarely seen in other immunodeficiency disorders, is associated with pediatric AIDS consisting of polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia and T-cell immunodeficiency. Detection of antibody to the AIDS retrovirus or isolation of virus are essential in establishing a diagnosis. During early infancy, viral isolation is essential as passive transfer of material IgG may occur. Primary immunodeficiency diseases, in particular adenosine deaminase and purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency, should be excluded. A diagnosis of pediatric AIDS may be established in a patient who has a risk factor associated with AIDS, polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia, T-cell immunodeficiency, and antibody to the AIDS retrovirus or isolation of virus.
A Dynamic Model of Optimal Capital Structure

This paper presents a continuous time model of a firm that can dynamically adjust both its capital structure and its investment choices. In the model we endogenize the investment choice as well as firm value, which are both determined by an exogenous price process that describes the firm's product market. Within the context of this model we explore cross-sectional as well as time-series variation in debt ratios. We pay particular attention to interactions between financial distress costs and debtholder/equityholder agency problems and examine how the ability to dynamically adjust the debt ratio affects the deviation of actual debt ratios from their targets. Regressions estimated on simulated data generated by our model are roughly consistent with actual regressions estimated in the empirical literature. Copyright 2007, Oxford University Press.
Quantitative Dextran Trafficking to the Coxiella burnetii Parasitophorous Vacuole.

The gram-negative bacterium Coxiella burnetii causes human Q fever, a disease characterized by a debilitating flu-like illness in acute cases and endocarditis in chronic patients. An obligate intracellular pathogen, Coxiella burnetii survives within a large, lysosome-like vacuole inside the host cell. A unique feature of the Coxiella parasitophorous vacuole (PV) is high levels of fusion with the host endocytic pathway, with PV-endosome fusion critical for Coxiella survival within the host cell. This unit describes quantitating PV-endosome fusion by measuring delivery of the fluid phase endosome marker dextran to the PV using live cell imaging. To study the effect of host cell proteins involved in PV-endosome fusion, details are provided for using siRNA knockdown host cells. This method is a powerful tool for understanding mechanisms underlying Coxiella’s ability to manipulate host cell trafficking pathways. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: Coxiella burnetii; endocytic trafficking; parasitophorous vacuole; quantitative microscopy
Granulocyte Transfusions: Time for a Second Look

Among the available therapies to support neutropenic patients with infection, granulocyte transfusions have generated considerable controversy. Plagued by the inconvenience of harvesting cells, infusion-associated toxicity, and marginal efficacy, granulocyte transfusions, once in vogue in the 1980s, had been relegated to a secondary role. Several recent developments, however, have given new impetus to re-evaluating the role of granulocyte transfusions. The two most notable reasons include the ability to increase the number of circulating granulocytes in the donor by treatment with one or two doses of recombinant hematopoietic growth factors, such as granulocyte- and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, and improvements in the efficiency of the collection process. Armed with these advances, it is an appropriate time to review the existing data and consider studies designed to determine the appropriate role of granulocyte transfusions in neutropenic hosts.
Epidermal PPARγ influences subcutaneous tumor growth and acts through TNF-α to regulate contact hypersensitivity and the acute photoresponse

// Raymond L. Konger 1, 2 , Ethel Derr-Yellin 1 , Jeffrey B. Travers 2, 3 , Jesus A. Ocana 2 and Ravi P. Sahu 3 1 Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA 2 Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA 3 Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA Correspondence to: Raymond L. Konger, email: rkonger@iupui.edu Keywords: contact hypersensitivity; immunosuppression; peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor Γ; ultraviolet; tumor necrosis factor alpha Received: June 14, 2017 Accepted: August 26, 2017 Published: September 18, 2017 ABSTRACT It is known that ultraviolet B (UVB) induces PPARγ ligand formation while loss of murine epidermal PPARγ ( Pparg -/- epi ) promotes UVB-induced apoptosis, inflammation, and carcinogenesis. PPARγ is known to suppress tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) production. TNF-α is also known to promote UVB-induced inflammation, apoptosis, and immunosuppression. We show that Pparg -/- epi mice exhibit increased baseline TNF-α expression. Neutralizing Abs to TNF-α block the increased photo-inflammation and photo-toxicity that is observed in Pparg-/- epi mouse skin. Interestingly, the increase in UVB-induced apoptosis in Pparg-/- epi mice is not accompanied by a change in cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer clearance or in mutation burden. This suggests that loss of epidermal PPARγ does not result in a significant alteration in DNA repair capacity. However, loss of epidermal PPARγ results in marked immunosuppression using a contact hypersensitivity (CHS) model. This impaired CHS response was significantly alleviated using neutralizing TNF-α antibodies or loss of germline Tnf . In addition, the PPARγ agonist rosiglitazone reversed UVB-induced systemic immunosuppression (UV-IS) as well as UV-induced growth of B16F10 melanoma tumor cells in syngeneic mice. Finally, increased B16F10 tumor growth was observed when injected subcutaneously into Pparg -/- epi mice. Thus, we provide novel evidence that epidermal PPARγ is important for cutaneous immune function and the acute photoresponse.
Prokinetics in the Management of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders.

The goal of this review is to review the current status of prokinetics and to place it in historical context. Impaired motility and thus propulsion have long been thought to play important roles in the pathogenesis of a number of gastrointestinal disorders including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastroparesis, chronic idiopathic pseudo-obstruction, and constipation. Historically, disordered motility was also thought to contribute to a number of functional gastrointestinal disorders such as functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). As we learn more of the pathophysiology of FD, IBS, GERD, constipation, and gastroparesis, the limitations of a therapeutic strategy based on the stimulation of motility (i.e., the use of a prokinetic) have become apparent and the disappointments of the past explained. The development of prokinetic drugs has also been hampered by the non-selective nature of many of the agents studied to date which resulted in some unexpected side effects. There is still an unmet need for an effective and safe prokinetic, but drug development in this area must be mindful of the challenges of the area and the need for selectivity for a given target receptor.
Institutional Development and Foreign Banks in Chile

Abstract This paper analyzes the effects of foreign banks on developing countries' bank performance. We study this relationship from a different perspective by focusing on Chile, an emerging market with strong institutions. The results from dynamic panel regressions on hand-collected financial statement data from 2005 to 2014 indicate that foreign banks improve banking sector competitiveness, reduce the volatility of returns, and increase commercial and consumption loans. The overall evidence suggests that, in the presence of solid institutions, foreign banks improve the banking sector in developing countries. Therefore, public policies on foreign banks should be more effective when accompanied by advances in institutions.
Van der Waals Materials for Atomically-Thin Photovoltaics: Promise and Outlook

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors provide a unique opportunity for optoelectronics due to their layered atomic structure and electronic and optical properties. To date, a majority of the application-oriented research in this field has been focused on field-effect electronics as well as photodetectors and light emitting diodes. Here we present a perspective on the use of 2D semiconductors for photovoltaic applications. We discuss photonic device designs that enable light trapping in nanometer-thickness absorber layers, and we also outline schemes for efficient carrier transport and collection. We further provide theoretical estimates of efficiency indicating that 2D semiconductors can indeed be competitive with and complementary to conventional photovoltaics, based on favorable energy bandgap, absorption, external radiative efficiency, along with recent experimental demonstrations. Photonic and electronic design of 2D semiconductor photovoltaics represents a new direction for realizing ultrathin, efficie...
Acceptability and Results of Dementia Screening Among Older Adults in the United States.

OBJECTIVES To measure older adults acceptability of dementia screening and assess screening test results of a racially diverse sample of older primary care patients in the United States. DESIGN Cross-sectional study of primary care patients aged 65 and older. SETTING Urban and suburban primary care clinics in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2008 to 2009. PARTICIPANTS Nine hundred fifty-four primary care patients without a documented diagnosis of dementia. MEASUREMENTS Community Screening Instrument for Dementia, the Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Telephone Instrument for Cognitive Screening. RESULTS Of the 954 study participants who consented to participate, 748 agreed to be screened for dementia and 206 refused screening. The overall response rate was 78.4%. The positive screen rate of the sample who agreed to screening was 10.2%. After adjusting for demographic differences the following characteristics were still associated with increased likelihood of screening positive for dementia: age, male sex, and lower education. Patients who believed that they had more memory problems than other people of their age were also more likely to screen positive for dementia. CONCLUSION Age and perceived problems with memory are associated with screening positive for dementia in primary care.
Power or concerns: Contrasting perspectives on missionary conflict:

Among the consequences of conflicts between missionaries are a reduction in ministry effectiveness and an increase in the likelihood of missionary attrition. In contrast to perspectives of conflict...
Pulling the Plug: The Capability to Terminate Unsuccessful Projects and Firm Performance

The recent interest in learning from failure has led to repeated praise of failure as part of the innovation process. The challenges in detecting and terminating failing projects are, however, ofte...
Bereaved Parents’ Health Status During the First 6 Months After Their Child’s Death:

Purpose:To examine bereaved parents’ physical, mental, and social health during the first 6 months after their child’s (<12 years) death from a life-threatening illness.Background and Significance:...
Work in the Platform Economy: Beyond Lower Transaction Costs

Work on platforms is part of a wider trend towards the increasing fragmentation of work. It takes different forms, ranging from short spells of employment with the same employer to moving between different work arrangements to juggling multiple jobs at the same time. In all its forms, it signals an increasing job instability and is often fuelled by insufficient income from one job to cover the cost of living.
Why Are Banks Exposed to Monetary Policy

We propose a model of banks' exposure to movements in interest rates and their role in the transmission of monetary shocks. Since bank deposits provide liquidity, higher interest rates allow banks to earn larger spreads on deposits. Therefore, if risk aversion is higher than one, banks' optimal dynamic hedging strategy is to take losses when interest rates rise. This risk exposure can be achieved by a traditional maturity mismatched balance sheet, and amplifies the effects of monetary shocks on the cost of liquidity. The model can match the level, time pattern, and cross-sectional pattern of banks' maturity mismatch.
Bewegungs- und Physiotherapie bei Osteoporose

In Reaktion auf die Muskelarbeit gegen die Schwerkraft regulieren Osteozyten, Osteoklasten und Osteoblasten wahrend des gesamten Lebens die Formation und Resorption von Knochengewebe. Ein progressives Widerstandstraining fur alle grosen Muskelgruppen und Aktivitaten mit Belastungen durch das eigene Korpergewicht haben einen positiven Effekt auf die Knochendichte. Derartige regelmasig durchgefuhrte Aktivitaten erhohen die Knochendichte oder bremsen zumindest deren physiologischen Abbau. Ubungen mit niedriger Intensitat und ohne Korpergewichtsbelastung zeigen keinen Effekt auf die Knochendichte. Eine Bewegungstherapie bei Patienten mit Osteoporose muss dies berucksichtigen. Eine Remobilisierung nach Frakturen muss mit dem Ziel, den Knochendichteverlust durch Inaktivitat zu vermeiden, rasch eingeleitet und, falls erforderlich, durch eine Schmerztherapie erganzt werden. Ziele einer rehabilitativen Bewegungstherapie sind die Erhaltung oder Verbesserung der Gelenkbeweglichkeit und Korperbalance und die Muskelkraftigung zur Vermeidung des Rundruckens und zur Funktionserhaltung von Armen und Beinen. Eine enge Zusammenarbeit der Physiotherapeuten mit den behandelnden Arzten ist fur den Therapieerfolg Voraussetzung. Der Ubungsaufbau muss progressiv und an den individuellen Trainingsstatus sowie das Frakturrisiko adaptiert sein. Dynamische Aktivitaten mit Rumpfflexionen erhohen das Risiko von vertebralen Kompressionsfrakturen. Sportarten mit erhohter Sturzgefahrdung mussen vermieden werden. Eine Unterforderung des Osteoporosepatienten bei korperlichen Aktivitaten ist nicht zielfuhrend.
Dietary nitrate-induced increases in human muscle power: high versus low responders.

Abstract Maximal neuromuscular power is an important determinant of athletic performance and also quality of life, independence, and perhaps even mortality in patient populations. We have shown that dietary nitrate (NO 3 − ), a source of nitric oxide (NO), improves muscle power in some, but not all, subjects. The present investigation was designed to identify factors contributing to this interindividual variability. Healthy men ( n = 13) and women ( n = 7) 22–79 year of age and weighing 52.1–114.9 kg were studied using a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, crossover design. Subjects were tested 2 h after ingesting beetroot juice (BRJ) either containing or devoid of 12.3 ± 0.8 mmol of NO 3 − . Plasma NO 3 − and nitrite (NO 2 − ) were measured as indicators of NO bioavailability and maximal knee extensor speed ( V max ), power ( P max ), and fatigability were determined via isokinetic dynamometry. On average, dietary NO 3 − increased ( P P max by 4.4 ± 8.1%. Individual changes, however, ranged from −9.6 to +26.8%. This interindividual variability was not significantly correlated with age, body mass (inverse of NO 3 − dose per kg), body mass index (surrogate for body composition) or placebo trial V max or fatigue index (in vivo indicators of muscle fiber type distribution). In contrast, the relative increase in Pmax was significantly correlated ( r = 0.60; P 2 − concentration. In multivariable analysis female sex also tended ( P = 0.08) to be associated with a greater increase in Pmax. We conclude that the magnitude of the dietary NO 3 − ‐induced increase in muscle power is dependent upon the magnitude of the resulting increase in plasma NO 2 − and possibly female sex.
Credit unions during the crisis: did they provide liquidity?

We use the consumer finance monthly national survey to demonstrate that credit unions (CUs) in the United States did little to help consumers obtain a home equity line of credit (HELOC) during the ...
Cell Membranes Resist Flow.

The fluid-mosaic model posits a liquid-like plasma membrane, which can flow in response to tension gradients. It is widely assumed that membrane flow transmits local changes in membrane tension across the cell in milliseconds, mediating long-range signaling. Here, we show that propagation of membrane tension occurs quickly in cell-attached blebs but is largely suppressed in intact cells. The failure of tension to propagate in cells is explained by a fluid dynamical model that incorporates the flow resistance from cytoskeleton-bound transmembrane proteins. Perturbations to tension propagate diffusively, with a diffusion coefficient Dσ ∼0.024 μm2/s in HeLa cells. In primary endothelial cells, local increases in membrane tension lead only to local activation of mechanosensitive ion channels and to local vesicle fusion. Thus, membrane tension is not a mediator of long-range intracellular signaling, but local variations in tension mediate distinct processes in sub-cellular domains.