cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Evaluation of Current Lunchroom Food Waste and Food Rescue Programs in a Washington State School District

Public schools waste approximately 30% to 50% of edible food and thus provide opportunities to study the problem of food waste and explore food rescue initiatives. This case study evaluates lunch­room waste sorting and food waste diversion prac­tices in a Washington State school district. It pro­vides a comprehensive analysis including descrip­tive characteristics and comparative statistical analyses to determine the types and amount of edible, wasted food and the potential to reduce or recover this wasted food. Waste audits were performed at 18 schools to quantify the amount and type of waste generated at each school. Audits consisted of weighing, sorting, and recording the pre and post-sort weights of all lunchroom com­post, recycling, and trash. Edible, rescuable food items were removed from bags and counted separately. Lunchroom-specific observational data, including lunchroom layout and implementation of food rescue programs, were also recorded. Statistical analysis evaluated the effect of these programs on lunchroom waste sorting. Data revealed significantly higher post-sort compost rates than pre-sort rates and significantly lower post-sort trash rates than pre-sort rates. Pre- and post-sort recycling rates were not significantly different. This suggests that a significant amount of trash could be diverted from landfills with imple­mentation of a lunchroom composting system. Additionally, participation in sustainability initia­tives, such as a county-wide resource conservation program, and use of lunchroom monitors affected waste sorting. Further, audits uncovered a large amount of wasted, edible food. This type of food could potentially be diverted to feeding students or community members experiencing food insecurity by means of food rescue programs, such as lunch­room food share programs or school-to-food-bank donation services. Overall, this study identified potential points for food waste reduction strategies in public school lunchrooms.
Evidence on Duality and Exchange Degeneracy from Finite-Energy Sum Rules: K - n-->π - Λ and π + n-->K + Λ

Using finite-energy sum rules for the reactions ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}n\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ and ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}n\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{K}^{+}\ensuremath{\Lambda}$, we determine the effective "pole" parameters of the ${K}^{*}$ and ${K}^{**}$ Regge trajectories from a knowledge of the low-energy resonances and their couplings. The resonance parameters and the $\frac{D}{(D+F)}$ ratio for the ${\mathrm{\textonehalf{}}}^{+}$ baryon octet are varied somewhat to test the sensitivity of the high-energy predictions; ${\mathrm{\textonehalf{}}}^{+}$ octet couplings within the range of values found empirically in other reactions are preferred in our solution. We find that the $s$-channel resonances in ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}n\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ do add in such a way as to produce predominantly real amplitudes at high energies as predicted by duality diagrams. We find, however, that these predictions are not satisfied exactly. Although the phases of both ${A}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ and $B$ are small and independent of $t$ for $|t|l0.5 {(\frac{\mathrm{GeV}}{c})}^{2}$, the residues of the even- and odd-signature Regge poles are closely exchange-degenerate only for the $B$ amplitudes, and not for the ${A}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ amplitudes, thereby allowing an appreciable polarization for ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}n\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ as is observed experimentally. The Regge-pole parameters determined from the sum rules give a good fit to the reaction ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}n\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ over a wide range of energies, whereas they are unable to fit ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}n\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{K}^{+}\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ at intermediate energies. Comparison of the resonance contributions to ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}n\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ and ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}n\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{K}^{+}\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ shows that "peripheral" resonances dominate the sum rules in the first reaction, while "nonperipheral" states are important in the second. By supposing that "peripheral" resonances are dual to the leading Regge singularities in the $t$ channel, while "nonperipheral" resonances are dual to lower-lying singularities, we are led to a rationale of why the simple model of two effective Regge poles is adequate for ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}n\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ even at intermediate energies, but inadequate there for ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}n\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{K}^{+}\ensuremath{\Lambda}$.
Developing and Evaluating an ESRI Story Map as an Educational Tool

Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) Story Maps are web applications based on maps and other multimedia, which can be effectively used in soil science education. The purpose of this study was to develop an ESRI Story Map “Soil Forming Factors: Topography” for teaching an introductory soil science courses and to assess the performance of the newly developed story map using ESRI’s “five principles of effective storytelling” and user responses to a quiz testing the acquired knowledge. Specific learning objectives were stated on each story map page and throughout the learning materials. Navigation of each story map page is controlled by the participant via tabs to allow the user to control the pace of the learning experience. Participants received an average score of 8.2 (out of 9 maximum points) for the quiz. The ESRI Story Map scored well for each principle of the ESRI’s five principles of effective storytelling, with more than 70% of responses having an excellent rating. Additional comments suggest that participants were positive about the ESRI Story Map as a stand-alone teaching tool or in combination with PowerPoint slides. The ESRI Story Map “Soil Forming Factors: Topography” can be further improved by incorporating interactive exercises. ESRI Story Maps can be effective teaching tools in science education.
Risk-Based Mitigation of Load Curtailment Cyber Attack Using Intelligent Agents in a Shipboard Power System

Modern shipboard power systems (SPSs) with advanced cyber infrastructure need urgent attention because they have higher risk of cyber attacks. In particular, false data injection (FDI) attacks can interfere with state estimation by tampering with measurement devices, or they may also directly target the central control system. This paper proposes a twofold strategy to mitigate the effects of such an unconventional FDI attack, using battery to actively reduce load curtailment. To detect signs of malicious data, a multiagent system (MAS) that checks commands from the central energy management system is employed. A novel bilevel optimization problem is formulated to model the interaction between the battery and the compromised SPS. A heuristic defense parameter is developed to improve the detection of corrupted commands. The merits of the proposed scheme are evaluated using a risk analysis model. The results of the case studies prove that a combination of autonomous battery with MAS-based heuristic method is effective in mitigating the effects of the cyber attack.
Minority Recruitment Trends in Phase III Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials (2003 to 2014): Progress and Critical Areas for Improvement.

Purpose:American minority groups have been historically underrepresented in phase III prostate cancer clinical trials despite often having higher risk disease. We analyzed enrollment trends of majo...
Genetics of graft-versus-host reactions (GVHR)

Injection of 20×106 donor lymph node cells (LNCs) into newborn allogeneic recipients incompatible with donors at theIC subregion of the mouseH-2 complex evoked both GVH splenomegaly and GVH mortality. The strength or severity of the allogeneic reactions induced varied as a function of the interallelic strain combination and was influenced particularly by properties of the recipientIC determinants. Thus,ICs determinants on recipient cells led to strong GVHR, whileICd determinants induced a moderate GVHR, even when donors carrying differentIC alleles were used. However, responder donor genes also affected the degree of GVHR in some combinations. The effect on donor GVH potential of pre-exposing B10 donors to antirecipient antiserum (B10 anti-B10.A) was also studied. Spleen cells from B10 donors pre-exposed to alloantiserum for two to seven days exhibited a markedly reduced ability to cause GVH splenomegaly and GVH disease in newborn B10. A or (B10. A × B10) F1 recipients. Inhibition of donor lymphocyte GVH potential waned eight to 14 days after antiserum pretreatment. Inhibition was shown to be specific for variousH-2 determinants and to be caused by antirecipient alloantibodies. Pre-exposure of donors to alloantiserum reduced the GVH potential of spleen cells but did not affect LNC reactivity.Ia antibodies and, to a lesser extent, anti-H-2D serum were shown to be able to inhibit GVHR. The results suggest that the observed reduction in donor GVH reactivity is caused by antibody-mediated central feedback inhibition. Anti-H-2 alloantibodies evidently play an important role in the network regulating allogeneic responses.
Contemporary Management of Hemorrhage After Minimally Invasive Radical Prostatectomy.

ABSTRACT Objective To describe contemporary management and outcomes of patients experiencing postoperative hemorrhage after minimally invasive radical prostatectomy. Materials and Methods We retrospectively analyzed data from patients who underwent minimally invasive radical prostatectomy at our institution between January 2010 and January 2017. Clinically significant hemorrhage was defined as a decrease in hemoglobin of ≥30% or 4 g/dL from preoperative to 4 or 14 hours postoperative measurement, receiving a blood transfusion within 30 days, or undergoing a secondary procedure to control bleeding. Patients were analyzed in 3 groups: (1) serially monitored only, (2) received a blood transfusion, and (3) underwent a secondary procedure. Outcomes included imaging studies performed, length of stay, emergency room visits, hospital readmissions, complication rates, and functional outcomes. Results Of 3749 men, 4% (151/3749) had clinically significant hemorrhage, 1.6% (60/3749) received a transfusion; 0.32% (12/3749) underwent a secondary procedure to control bleeding. In a 30-day composite outcome, increased healthcare utilization (emergency room visit, readmission, or Grade ≥3 complications), was seen in 25% of the serial monitoring group, 65% of the transfusion group, and 100% in the secondary procedure group. This rate in 3598 men without hemorrhage was 12.5%. One-year erectile function was poorest in men who underwent a secondary procedure. Urinary functional outcomes were similar in the 3 groups. Conclusion Most patients experiencing clinically significant hemorrhage will stabilize without transfusion, and a very small fraction require secondary intervention. Patients experiencing milder bleeding events utilized additional healthcare resources at approximately twice the rate of those who did not, warranting appropriate counseling and postoperative monitoring.
Helicopter Emergency Medical Services for Trauma: An Update

Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) have become a well-established component of most contemporary trauma systems throughout the world. HEMS is associated with significant costs, safety concerns, and potential inappropriate use. In this update, we briefly review the historical context, evidence for clinical effectiveness, and methods for ensuring proper utilization of HEMS. A recently validated prehospital triage score—the Air Medical Prehospital Triage (AMPT)—is reviewed. Examples of system improvements using evidence-based practices and adherence to both national and local utilization guidelines are also discussed. Appropriate triage for HEMS use remains an important goal for developed trauma systems. Although associated with significant costs and safety concerns, recent literature has highlighted the association of HEMS with improved outcomes for trauma patients.
Fueling the fire: emerging role of the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway in cancer

Altered metabolism and deregulated cellular energetics are now considered a hallmark of all cancers. Glucose, glutamine, fatty acids, and amino acids are the primary drivers of tumor growth and act as substrates for the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP). The HBP culminates in the production of an amino sugar uridine diphosphate N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) that, along with other charged nucleotide sugars, serves as the basis for biosynthesis of glycoproteins and other glycoconjugates. These nutrient-driven post-translational modifications are highly altered in cancer and regulate protein functions in various cancer-associated processes. In this review, we discuss recent progress in understanding the mechanistic relationship between the HBP and cancer.
Natural language processing of electronic health records is superior to billing codes to identify symptom burden in hemodialysis patients

Symptoms are common in patients on maintenance hemodialysis but identification is challenging. New informatics approaches including natural language processing (NLP) can be utilized to identify symptoms from narrative clinical documentation. Here we utilized NLP to identify seven patient symptoms from notes of maintenance hemodialysis patients of the BioMe Biobank and validated our findings using a separate cohort and the MIMIC-III database. NLP performance was compared for symptom detection with International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9/10 codes and the performance of both methods were validated against manual chart review. From 1034 and 519 hemodialysis patients within BioMe and MIMIC-III databases, respectively, the most frequently identified symptoms by NLP were fatigue, pain, and nausea/vomiting. In BioMe, sensitivity for NLP (0.85 - 0.99) was higher than for ICD codes (0.09 - 0.59) for all symptoms with similar results in the BioMe validation cohort and MIMIC-III. ICD codes were significantly more specific for nausea/vomiting in BioMe and more specific for fatigue, depression, and pain in the MIMIC-III database. A majority of patients in both cohorts had four or more symptoms. Patients with more symptoms identified by NLP, ICD, and chart review had more clinical encounters. NLP had higher specificity in inpatient notes but higher sensitivity in outpatient notes and performed similarly across pain severity subgroups. Thus, NLP had higher sensitivity compared to ICD codes for identification of seven common hemodialysis-related symptoms, with comparable specificity between the two methods. Hence, NLP may be useful for the high-throughput identification of patient-centered outcomes when using electronic health records.
Sudden-Discharge Cycling Characteristics and Millisecond Dynamic Behaviors of a HTS Stainless-Steel Insulated Double-Pancake Coil With Thin Copper Plates

We have tested an intermediate-sized HTS stainless-steel (co-wound) insulated double pancake coil ( $\sim$ 132 turns per coil) and discovered dynamic effects during sudden discharge on both millisecond and second scales. For soft break, the power supply is turned off suddenly but the shunt resistor (164 milliohm) is still connected; for hard break, a high voltage contactor is used to suddenly open the circuit so that the leads are completely open. Hard break is dangerous to traditionally insulated LTS magnets, but the SS-insulated HTS DPC retained integrity over $>$ 80 charge-discharge cycles. Voltage decay curves for soft and hard breaks are studied on short and long timescales. On long timescales, we observe the expected exponential decay and measure the time constant to calculate contact resistance. On short timescales, we observe highly dynamic effects: a hyper-exponential decay suggesting that the inductance or contact resistance is suddenly changing with time, likely an indication of the $RL$ circuit forming. Moreover, peak voltage immediately (ms) after the sudden discharge were collected and compared. It is found that the peak voltage in soft-discharge is proportional to the applied current, while the those in hard-break has an unique pattern and tends to stay flat even though the applied current increases.
Dispatching of a Scale Nuclear Power Plant using a Battery Storage

In this work, flexible generation is investigated using conventional nuclear generation and a battery storage device. Using unique dispatching, the fixed output power provided by nuclear generation, coupled with the storage device, an equation is formulated to determine the required battery capacity for a single dispatching cycle. A unique averaging constraint will maintain battery charge capacity at the end of a dispatching cycle with the use of a novel algorithm. Both, battery sizing equation and averaging-constraint algorithm are included in a computer model for validation. The level of dispatching or duration can be found, with a given existing system and any battery size, by manipulating the formulated equation. The results show that flexible generation can be achieved using conventional nuclear generation given system parameters and desired rated generation output percentage variations.
Incidence of congenital heart disease screened in 9156 term neonates at birth should be corrected after one year follow-up

Objective The neonates with congenital heart disease(CHD)screened after birth should be followed-up to exclude abnormalities of fetal transition and this study aimed at defining a more accurate incidence of neonatal CHD. Methods Totally,9156 term neonates at 0～7 d after birth were recruited from 3 rural hospitals from Mar. 2002 to Jan. 2007. Color Doppler echocardiography was performed for the infants with clinical suspected CHD.The infants with CHD and mild defect were followed-up from 3 month to 1 year periodically in the outpatient clinic after discharge.Results Seventy-three infants were confirmed CHD and 199 were mild defect at birth.The incidence of neonatal CHD of 2.97%(272/9156).Only 148 of the 199 mild defect cases were followed-up,among them only 10 cases were diagnosed with CHD and 51 were lost.Another 11 new cases were detected after discharge.CHD were finally confirmed in 94 cases and the corrected incidence of neonatal CHD was 1.03%(94/9156).Conclusions The neonatal CHD should be diagnosis until one year old to provide a more accurate incidence. Key words: Neonatal screening; Heart defects,congenital; Incidence; Follow-up studies
The helix 0 of endophilin modifies membrane material properties and induces local curvature

The amphipathic helix 0 of endophilin (i.e., H0-Endo) is important to membrane binding, but its function of curvature generation remains controversial. We used electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to study effects of H0-Endo on membrane material properties. We found that H0-Endo reduced lipid chain mobility and increased bilayer polarity, i.e., making the bilayer interior more polar. Lipid-dependent examination revealed that anionic lipids augmented the effect of H0-Endo, while cholesterol had a minimal impact. Our EPR spectroscopy of magnetically aligned bicelles showed that as the peptide-to-lipid ratio increased, the lipid chain orientational order decreased gradually, followed by a sudden loss. We discuss an interfacial-bound model of the amphipathic H0-Endo to account for all EPR data. We used atomic force microscopy and fluorescence microscopy to explore membrane morphological changes. We found that H0-Endo caused the formation of micron-sized holes in mica-supported planar bilayers. Hole formation is likely caused by two competing forces - the adhesion force exerted by the substrate represses bilayer budging, whereas the line tension originating from peptide clustering has a tendency of destabilizing bilayer organization. In the absence of substrate influences, membrane curvature induction was manifested by generating small vesicles surrounding giant unilamellar vesicles. Our results of membrane perforation and vesiculation suggest that the functionality of H0-Endo is more than just coordinating membrane binding of endophilin.
Cell-type specific transcriptional adaptations of nucleus accumbens interneurons to amphetamine

Parvalbumin-expressing (PV+) interneurons of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) play an essential role in the addictive-like behaviors induced by psychostimulant exposure. To identify molecular mechanisms of PV+ neuron plasticity, we isolated interneuron nuclei from the NAc of male and female mice following acute or repeated exposure to amphetamine (AMPH) and sequenced for cell type-specific RNA expression and chromatin accessibility. AMPH regulated the transcription of hundreds of genes in PV+ interneurons, and this program was largely distinct from that regulated in other NAc GABAergic neurons. Chromatin accessibility at enhancers predicted cell-type specific gene regulation, identifying transcriptional mechanisms of differential AMPH responses. Finally, we observed dysregulation of multiple PV-specific, AMPH-regulated genes in an Mecp2 mutant mouse strain that shows heightened behavioral sensitivity to psychostimulants, suggesting the functional importance of this transcriptional program. Together these data provide novel insight into the cell-type specific programs of transcriptional plasticity in NAc neurons that underlie addictive-like behaviors.
Multiepitope Fusion Antigen: MEFA, an Epitope- and Structure-Based Vaccinology Platform for Multivalent Vaccine Development.

Vaccines are regarded as the most cost-effective countermeasure against infectious diseases. One challenge often affecting vaccine development is antigenic diversity or pathogen heterogeneity. Different strains produce immunologically heterogeneous virulence factors, therefore an effective vaccine needs to induce broad-spectrum host immunity to provide cross-protection. Recent advances in genomics and proteomics, particularly computational biology and structural biology, establishes structural vaccinology and highlights the feasibility of developing effective and precision vaccines. Here, we introduce the epitope- and structure-based vaccinology platform multiepitope-fusion-antigen (MEFA), and provide instructions to generate polyvalent MEFA immunogens for vaccine development. Conceptually, MEFA combines epitope vaccinology and structural vaccinology to enable a protein immunogen to present heterogeneous antigenic domains (epitopes) and to induce broadly protective immunity against different virulence factors, strains or diseases. Methodologically, the MEFA platform first identifies a safe, structurally stable and strongly immunogenic backbone protein and immunodominant (ideally neutralizing or protective) epitopes from heterogeneous strains or virulence factors of interest. Then, assisted with protein modeling and molecule dynamic simulation, MEFA integrates heterogeneous epitopes into a backbone protein via epitope substitution for a polyvalent MEFA protein and mimics epitope native antigenicity. Finally, the MEFA protein is examined for broad immunogenicity in animal immunization, and assessed for potential application for multivalent vaccine development in preclinical studies.
The Politics of Jewish Commerce: Economic Thought and Emancipation in Europe, 1638–1848

This study demonstrates the centrality of economic rationales to debates on Jews' status in Italy, Britain, France and Germany during the course of two centuries. It delineates the common themes that informed these debates - the ideal republic and the 'ancient constitution', the conflict between virtue and commerce, and the notion of useful and productive labor. It thus provides an overview of the political-economic dimensions of Jewish emancipation literature of this period. This overview is viewed against the backdrop of broader controversies within European society over the effects of commerce on inherited political values and institutions. By focusing on economic attitudes toward Jews, the book also illuminates European intellectual approaches toward economic modernity. By elucidating these general debates, it renders more contemporary Jewish economic self-conceptions - and the enormous impetus that Jewish reformist movements placed on the Jews' economic and occupational transformation - fully explicable.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH—BASIC SCIENCE: I. Slow Oscillations in Vaginal Blood Flow: Alterations during Sexual Arousal in Rodents and Humans

ABSTRACT Purpose This study investigated slow oscillatory rhythms in vaginal blood flow as a physiological marker of female sexual arousal in rodents, human healthy volunteers, and women with female sexual arousal disorder (FSAD). Materials and Methods Vaginal blood flow was measured in urethane-anesthetized rodents using laser Doppler flowmetry, while in humans, vaginal photoplethysmography was used. Acquired data were filtered for frequency analysis in the range of 0.013–2.5 Hz in rodents and 0.01–0.5 Hz in humans. Rodents were assessed for changes in a high frequency range (HF = 0.6–2.5 Hz), and a low frequency range (LF = 0.013–0.6 Hz). Human data were assessed for total spectral power in the entire frequency range. Results During naturally induced arousal (exposure to male), oscillatory rhythms in vaginal blood flow from rodents demonstrated an increase in the ratio of LF oscillations to HF oscillations (LF/HF ratio). Drugs known to induce sexual arousal (apomorphine and melanotan II) were tested in anesthetized rodents. Both compounds induced an increase in the LF/HF ratio. In humans, visual sexual stimulation induced an increase in the total power of slow oscillatory activity in vaginal blood flow in healthy human volunteers. No such increase was observed in women with FSAD. Conclusions This study demonstrated that slow oscillations in vaginal blood flow are correlated with subjective physiological arousal and display diminished responsiveness in women with FSAD. Slow oscillations in vaginal blood flow are entirely independent of vaginal vasocongestion as women with FSAD demonstrated a normal vasocongestion response to visual sexual stimulation. In conditions where rodents would be expected to be sexually aroused, slow oscillations in vaginal blood flow showed a shift from HFs to LFs. This technique will greatly enhance the investigation of female sexual function both clinically and preclinically. Kelly KA, Richards N, Sultana S, Sudworth M, Dawkins T, Hawcock AB, Buchanon T, Casey JH, and Wayman C. I. Slow oscillations in vaginal blood flow: Alterations during sexual arousal in rodents and humans.
The Roots of Military-Led Nation Building: How Peacekeeping Operations Transformed the Army's Language of War and Politics

In contrast to the theme of this conference, this paper argues that international crisis is not sufficient to explain the U.S. Army’s recent acceptance of counterinsurgency warfare and nation building as core capabilities. I contend instead that this change in Army thinking would not have been possible without a long-term erosion of the Army’s dominant discourse, which held that the military’s responsibility was to fight wars, not to transform politics and society. This process was decades in the making. Only after substantial shifts in the language officers and soldiers used to describe the Army’s mission was a group of officers and experts from inside and outside the government able to institutionalize a new discourse effacing the barrier between war and politics.I first compare the Army’s capstone doctrine of 1993, 2001, and 2008 to show that while the recent changes should be considered a transformation of Army thinking, there were substantial shifts between 1993 and 2001. I then analyze Army themes of Army discourse during the 1990s to understand whether there were significant shifts away from the dominant, Weinberger-Powell paradigm of the 1980s. I find key shifts in the way the Army discussed its main goals; the Army’s identity as a force rooted on the ground; the ineffectiveness of the civilian-led interagency process; and the decentralization of command. Because some of this new language appears to have been shared by a broad base of officers and intellectuals, the Army’s recent embrace of counterinsurgency and nation building may have found, in the 2000s, support from elements of the Army where we might not expect it.The evidence suggests that some significant seeds of the later institutional changes were sown in the 1990s. This indicates that this transformation was not only a result of the politics of hard times but was decades in the making. Deeper study of the 1990s is necessary, as are comparisons with the 1980s and 2000s.
Firm size and R & D expenditure: A decomposition analysis for the West German economy

Abstract The relationship between firm size and innovative activity is analyzed using panel data for West Germany over 1978–1982. A decomposition of Tobit-coefficients is performed to separate the total effect of the firm size variable on the measure of innovation. The results indicate marked differences across industries in the functional relationship.
Load Balancing: An Exercise in Constrainted Convergence

We consider the problem of load balancing to illustrate the design and analysis of distributed control based on a generalized form of stabilization. We call this form of stabilization constrained convergence. Constrained convergence yields novel, fully distributed, global load balancing programs which are (i) adaptive, (ii) fault-tolerant and, most notably, (iii) the first such programs to exhibit stability while interacting with any possible environment.
Ex-Ante vs. Ex-Post Efficiency in Matching

Various forms of efficiency exist in the context of two-sided matching. Following Hylland and Zeckhauser (1979), an assignment is called ex-post efficient if no other deterministic assignment is improving on it; and ex-ante efficient if no lottery over deterministic assignments is. In the context of the "housing problem," where only one side of the market has preferences, it can be shown that these two notions are equivalent for deterministic assignments, and we show that efficient assignments (either ex-ante or ex-post) maximize a weighted sum of the individual utilities.Surprisingly, this is no longer the case when the two sides of the markets have preferences, in the "marriage problem." In this case ex-ante efficiency implies ex-post efficiency, but the converse fails: there are assignments that are ex-post efficient that are not ex-ante efficient. To explain this, we show that in the marriage problem, ex-ante efficient assignments still maximize a weighted sum of the individual utilities; but ex-post efficient assignments maximize a weighted sum of the minimum of the utilities of the partners across a pair. The results obtained in this paper offer a new perspective on the bridge (and the gap) between Transferable Utility (TU) and Non-Transferable Utility (NTU) matching models.
Single-phase distributed generation synchronization with a distorted or weak grid

Fast and accurate synchronization of power electronics interfaced distributed generation to the grid or a microgrid is an important step in the management and utilization of the distributed energy resources. Several synchronization algorithms have been proposed to improve the phase tracking of the grid voltage. However, when the grid is weak or distorted, the synchronization process may suffer from poor frequency regulation. Therefore, Sliding Discrete Fourier Transform Phase-locked-loop (SDFT-PLL) algorithm is proposed to extract an accurate angle of the fundamental voltage while rejecting the harmonics in a distorted or weak grid. The SDFT-PLL algorithm and simulation results to validate this method are presented in this paper.
Efficient schema design for a pharmaceutical data repository

Large scientific databases often consist of heterogeneous components that differ in the number of attributes and the number of tuples. In this paper, we show that increased performance is achieved when a complex schema is used to represent different components of a data repository. The driving application used in this study is a pharmaceutical drug repository. The types of access patterns associated with this repository consist of the retrieval of a selected set of attribute values for a consecutive or a random set of tuples. These consecutive and random access patterns, which are typical of a drug discovery experiment, are used to measure the data retrieval throughput for different schemas.
Holographic data storage in phenanthrenequinone-doped PMMA

Phenanthrenequinone (PQ)-doped poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is a photopolymer holographic recording material that can be made in large thicknesses and does not exhibit any shrinkage. Holograms are made permanent by a post-recording diffusion amplification process. PQ-doped PMMA thus exhibits many properties which make it an ideal candidate as a high-density read-only holographic data storage medium.
Renal injury in the asphyxiated newborn infant: Relationship to neurologic outcome

The relationship of renal and central nervous system injury was prospectively evaluated in 120 asphyxiated infants. Renal evaluation findings were considered abnormal if there was oliguria (urine output β 2 -microglobulin concentration from first-void urine was elevated: (1) Thirteen infants had persistent oliguria; the urinary β 2 -microglobulin level was elevated in all. The six term infants had clinical signs consistent with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE); all six had ultrasonographic abnormalities. The outcome was poor (i.e., death or long-term neurologic deficits) in five of six infants. The seven preterm infants with persistent ollguira had clinical evidence of HIE, and three infants had intraventricular hemorrhage; all seven infants died. (2) Fifteen infants had transient oliguria ( β 2 -microglobulin level was elevated in eight infants). Two of the eight term infants had evidence for HIE; the cranial ultrasound scan was normal in all. At follow-up, seven term infants are normal and one is abnormal. Six of the seven preterm infants with transient oliguria had clinical evidence of HIE; three infants had intraventricular hemorrhage. Three infants died, and the four survivors are normal at follow-up. (3) Ninety-two infants had normal urine output. Of the 22 term infants, two developed signs of HIE, and the ultrasound scan was abnormal in three infants. Of the 70 preterm infants, eight (11%) had clinical signs consistent with HIE, the ultrasound scan was abnormal in 20 of 64 (31%) infants scanned, and 14 (20%) infants died. Most of the followed infants are normal. Thus oliguria was significantly associated with clinical signs of HIE, including seizures, death (specifically in the premature infant), and long-term neurologic deficits. These data suggest that oliguria in the perinatal period is a sensitive indicator of infants at risk for long-term neurologic deficits.
Gross thermodynamics of heat engines in deep interior of Earth.

Abstract From the gross conservation laws of thermodynamics in a convecting material we derive a bound on the ratio of the rate of production of mechanical or magnetic energy to the rate of internal radioactive heating which drives the convection. Our bound for this “efficiency” depends on the temperatures in the material, and can exceed unity. Whether the bound can be attained by “efficiencies” in real fluids is not known, but a simple machine shows that “efficiencies” larger than unity are physically realizable. Our bound gives upper limits on the viscous dissipation in the earth's mantle and ohmic heating in the core, but these limits are too large to be physically interesting.
Comparison of Date Entry Methods: An Update for the Internet Age

This study examined seven methods for date entry on the web, including text input, selection using dropdown menus or radio buttons, and combination approaches. The focus was on the entry of dates that may be many years in the past, such as a date of birth. A total of 776 participants, randomly assigned to one of the seven methods, each entered ten dates in an online study. Speed and accuracy were measured, and subjective ratings of task ease were collected. The methods with three separate text-entry fields for month, day, and year, either with or without auto-tab, were the fastest and received the highest task ease ratings. However, they also had the highest error rates. Three separate dropdowns for month, day, and year yielded the lowest error rate. The implications of these results for the design of web forms are discussed.
Enhanced salt intake in oxytocin deficient mice.

The maternal roles of oxytocin (OT) are well known, but recent work suggests that OT is also a vital component in fluid balance regulation. To explore the role of OT in salt/volume regulation, we studied NaCl intake in a genetically modified mouse strain lacking OT. Using male control and OT knockout mice (OTKO), we determined the circadian pattern of salt and water intake under need-free conditions. For the study of intake, a two-bottle choice system was used to provide access to water and 2% NaCl with computerized monitoring of licking activity. Salt licking activity (licks/24 h) for controls was 59 ± 22 vs 380 ± 105 in OTKO (P < 0.05). The volume of salt consumed (ml/24 h) was 0.4 ± 0.1 in controls vs 1.8 ± 0.4 in OTKO (P < 0.01). There was no statistical difference in the consumption of water between the groups. However, the initiation of water intake was shifted, with an advancement of almost 3 h in OTKO (P < 0.01). Differences in the timing of salt intake could not be determined due to the low volume of salt consumed by controls. Taken together, these data show that removal of OT amplifies the salt-seeking behavior associated with normal daily fluid fluctuations. The fact that OTKO voluntarily consume a normally aversive salt solution further implies that OT is a powerful regulator of circadian salt appetite.
Organizational Complexity in Lobster Olfactory Receptor Cellsa

: The current working model of transduction in lobster olfactory receptor cells suggests that: (1) inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3) is the excitatory olfactory second messenger in these cells; (2) activation of the cell also involves a secondary, current-carrying channel; and (3) the phosphoinositol pathway works in parallel to a second, cyclic nucleotide-mediated signaling pathway that provides input of opposite polarity into the cell. The complexity of intracellular signaling in lobster olfactory receptor cells renders the cells capable of fine tuning, and even integrating, the signal they send to the brain.
Database and the Web

At one point in an episode of the campy Batman TV series of the 1960â€™s, Batman came up with an obscure fact about ancient Egyptian history. Robin looked at him, totally in awe, and said, â€œGee, Batman, isnâ€™t there anything you donâ€™t know?â€ Batman replied (seriously), â€œYes, Robin. A few things.â€ From the crystal ball to The Library of Congress to HAL, the computer in the movie 2001 A Space Odyssey, we seem to have developed something of a fanciful obsession with the concept of omniscience. Then, along came the Internet and the World Wide Web and that fanciful obsession has turned into a cross between an expectation and a demand as a birthright.
Friction and wear behavior of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene as a function of polymer crystallinity

In this study the friction, wear and surface mechanical behavior of medical-grade ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) (GUR 1050 resin) were evaluated as a function of polymer crystallinity. Crystallinity was controlled by heating UHMWPE to a temperature above its melting point and varying the hold time and cooling rates. The degree of crystallinity of the samples was evaluated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). A higher degree of crystallinity in the UHMWPE resulted in lower friction force and an increase in scratch resistance at the micro- and nanoscales. On the nanoscale, the lamellar structure appeared to affect the observed wear resistance. Reciprocating-wear tests performed using a microtribometer showed that an increase in crystallinity also resulted in lower wear depth and width. Nanoindentation experiments also showed an increase in hardness values with an increase in sample crystallinity.
The monobenzo and mononaphtho nonafulvene frames

Abstract The synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of two thermally stable, all-hydrocarbon, nonafulvenes, 2 and 3, are described.
The Origins of Holocaust Education in American Public Schools

��� Many scholars depict the rise of Holocaust education in American public schools as a natural outgrowth of the overall rise in Holocaust consciousness. This consciousness, they believe, was spread through the activities of Jewish organizations and religious elites, as well as through television shows and events in popular culture. Although all of these factors were influential, the author believes that scholars tend to overlook the educational context in which the first teachers of the Holocaust worked. In this article, he presents evidence that the first teachers of the Holocaust—who introduced the subject in their schools during 1973–1975—were drawing upon an emerging body of educational and cognitive research. He then links this context explicitly to the design of three of the most influential Holocaust curricula in the country.
Insulin Receptor Substrate-1 is the Predominant Signaling Molecule Activated by Insulin-like Growth Factor-I, Insulin, and Interleukin-4 in Estrogen Receptor-positive Human Breast Cancer Cells

Because insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), insulin, and interleukin-4 (IL-4) have known biological effects in breast cancer cells and signal through insulin-receptor substrate (IRS) adaptor proteins, we examined the expression and function of IRS-1 and IRS-2 in breast tumors and cell lines. IRS-1 and IRS-2 were expressed by cell lines and primary breast tumor specimens. IGF-I, insulin, and IL-4 treatment of MCF-7 and ZR-75, and IGF-I treatment of T47-D breast cancer cells, resulted in much greater tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 compared with IRS-2. Furthermore, IGF-I stimulated greater tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 than either insulin or IL-4. IGF-I treatment also enhanced association of the p85 regulatory subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase with IRS-1 and stimulated increased enzymatic activity compared with IL-4 and insulin in all three cell lines. Similarly, mitogen-activated protein kinase activity was greater in IGF-I-stimulated cells. To determine the functional significance of the activation of these pathways, we inhibited activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase with wortmannin and mitogen-activated protein kinase with PD098059. Both compounds inhibited IGF-stimulated growth, suggesting that both pathways contributed to the mitogenic response to IGF-I. We conclude that IRS-1, and not IRS-2, is the predominant signaling molecule activated by IGF-I, insulin, and IL-4. Furthermore, enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 by IGF-I, compared with either insulin or IL-4, is associated with greater activation of mitogenic downstream signaling pathways resulting in enhanced cell growth.
Order in the Home: Family Routines Moderate the Impact of Financial Hardship.

Abstract The study examined whether frequency of adolescent reported family routines moderated the relation between caregivers' perceptions of financial resources and adolescents' behavioral and academic outcomes among a sample of inner-city African American families. The sample consisted of 115 adolescents (average age = 15.95) and their female caregivers participating in a large scale study on African American family life. The results revealed a significant main effect of financial resources and family routine on adolescent outcomes, such that an increase in both was related to less delinquency and more favorable academic outcomes. Family routines moderated the relation between financial resources and adolescent outcomes. Specifically, the study revealed that the link between lack of financial resources and negative adolescent outcomes was diminished for youth in high-routine homes. Alternatively, family routines did not have a significant impact on youth from high-resource homes. Results highlight the importance of organization and predictability for economically disadvantaged youth and families.
Topmanager im Spiegel ihrer Selbstorientierung

Eine Vielzahl von fach-und popularwissenschaftlicher Literatur beschaftigt sich mit Reflexions-und Kommunikationsprozessen in Unternehmen. Wie gestalten sich jedoch die Reflexions-und Kommunikationsprozesse derjenigen, die in ihrer Position als Vorstand oder Topmanager richtungsweisende Impulse setzen? Welche Mechanismen und Strategien kommen hier zum Tragen? Wie lautet deren Selbst-und Weltsicht? Antworten auf diese Fragen werden in diesem Beitrag in Form einer Typenbildung und in der Identifizierung typenubergreifender Strukturen vorgestellt. Als Datengrundlage dienen narrativ biographisch angelegte Interviews mit sieben Topmanagern und einer Topmanagerin, die in Unternehmen ab 70 Milliarden EUR Jahresumsatz und ab 300 000 Mitarbeitern-meist in der Position eines Vorstandes — tatig sind. Der Stammsitz dieser Unternehmen liegt in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland.
Effects of the uricogenic agent, 2-ethylamino-1,3,4-thiadiazole in hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase deficiency☆

Abstract The effects of 2-ethylamino-1,3,4-thiadiazole have been assessed in two patients with a disorder of uric acid metabolism and cerebral function. Patients with this inborn error of metabolism have marked overproduction of purine, and absent activity of hypoxanthine, guanine phosphoribosyl transferase. It was found that this uricogenic thiadiazole increased further, the elevated concentrations of uric acid in blood and urine. Clinical reactions were dramatic, required vigorous therapy, and suggested that the investigation of this compound should not be undertaken lightly in patients with this disease. There was an increase in the cumulative conversion of 14 C-labeled glycine into urinary uric acid. These observations indicate that the increased de novo purine synthesis of this condition is capable of further increase. They suggest the possibility that the overproduction of purine found in the disease and that which follows thiadiazoles, are both related to the role of guanine nucleotide in the feedback regulation of purine synthesis.
Ocular surface neoplasia masquerading as chronic blepharoconjunctivitis.

Purpose To present the clinical characteristics and difficulties in the diagnosis of various ocular surface malignancies mimicking features of chronic blepharoconjunctivitis and to summarize the current therapeutic approach and prognosis of patients. Methods Six patients with slowly evolving signs of persistent inflammation underwent a conjunctival biopsy after a prolonged course of medical treatment. The medical records of the patients were reviewed. Results Histopathologic examination of the biopsy specimens revealed intraepithelial squamous neoplasia (one patient), invasive squamous cell carcinoma (one patient), sebaceous carcinoma (two patients), and conjunctival lymphoma (two patients). Conclusion Although uncommon, ocular surface malignancies may involve the conjunctiva diffusely and present as chronic conjunctivitis. A high index of suspicion and an early histopathologic examination are essential to not delay diagnosis.