cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic Susceptibility to Autoimmune Thyroid Disease: Past, Present, and Future

Background Autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD), including Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis, arise due to complex interactions between environmental and genetic factors. There are sound data coming from epidemiological, family, and twin studies demonstrating a strong genetic influence on the development of AITD. In this review we summarize the new findings on the genetic susceptibility to AITD focusing on emerging mechanisms of susceptibility.
The hypothalamic peptidergic system, hypocretin/orexin and vigilance control

Using forward and reverse genetics, the genes (hypocretin/orexin ligand and its receptor) involved in the pathogenesis of the sleep disorder, narcolepsy, in animals, have been identified. Mutations in hypocretin related-genes are extremely rare in humans, but hypocretin-ligand deficiency is found in most narcolepsy-cataplexy cases. Hypocretin deficiency in humans can be clinically detected by CSF hypocretin-1 measures, and undetectably low CSF hypocretin-1 is now included in the revised international diagnostic criteria of narcolepsy. Since hypocretin-ligand deficiency is the major pathophysiology in human narcolepsy, hypocretin replacements (using hypocretin agonists or gene therapy) are promising future therapeutic options. New insights into the roles of hypocretin system on sleep physiology have also rapidly increased. Hypocretins are involved in various fundamental hypothalamic functions such as feeding, energy homeostasis and neuroendocrine regulation. Hypocretin neurons project to most ascending arousal systems (including monoaminergic and cholinergic systems), and generally exhibit excitatory inputs. Together with the recent finding of the sleep promoting system in the hypothalamus (especially in the GABA/galanin ventrolateral preoptic area which exhibits inhibitory inputs to these ascending systems), the hypothalamus is now recognized as the most important brain site for the sleep switch, and other peptidergic systems may also participate in this regulation. Meanwhile, narcolepsy now appears to be a more complex condition than previously thought. The pathophysiology of the disease is involved in the abnormalities of sleep and various hypothalamic functions due to hypocretin deficiency, such as the changes in energy homeostasis, stress reactions and rewarding. Narcolepsy is therefore, an important model to study the link between sleep regulation and other fundamental hypothalamic functions.
Cannabis and endogenous cannabinoid systems

A series of remarkable developments during the last 10 years have provided conclusive evidence that 9 Ž 9 . D -tetrahydrocannabinol D -THC , the principal psychoactive constituent in marijuana, binds to specific cannabinoid receptors and mimics the actions of endogenous cannabinoids. The significance of the endogenous cannabinoid system is underscored by the finding that cannabinoid receptors exist in the brain at levels higher than most other G protein-coupled receptors, approaching levels observed for amino acid receptors. In many ways, the development of this field parallels that of the opioid receptor field almost 20 years earlier: both fields derive from plant products used for thousands of years; the receptors for both drug systems belong to the superfamily of G proteincoupled receptors; and both systems contain endogenous compounds which exert important biological effects of their own. However, the different structures of opioid and cannabinoid receptors, and the different distributions of these receptors in the brain, mean that these two drug systems exert very different spectra of effects, and represent different potentials for drug abuse. Most important, while the therapeutic benefits of morphine as an analgesic have been established for centuries and are still widely used today, the therapeutic utility for D-THC in a variety of conditions is a widely debated issue. The purpose of this article is to review the principal aspects of the endogenous cannabinoid systems in the brain. More extensive recent reviews on specific topŽ ics of cannabinoid actions are available Howlett, 1995; Abood and Martin, 1996; Adams and Martin, 1996; Childers and Deadwyler, 1996; Onaivi et al., . 1996; Pertwee, 1997; Breivogel and Childers, 1998 .
Plasmodium malariae: Distribution of circumsporozoite protein in midgut oocysts and salivary gland sporozoites

The distribution of the circumsporozoite protein within developing Plasmodium malariae oocysts and salivary gland sporozoites was examined by immunoelectron microscopy using protein A-gold and a monoclonal antibody specific for the CS protein of P. malariae. Gold particles were found along the capsule of immature oocysts but rarely within the cytoplasm. Gold label was detected on the inner surface of peripheral vacuoles during oocyst maturation and the plasma membrane of the sporoblast. Salivary gland sporozoites and budding sporozoites in mature oocysts were labeled uniformly on the outer surface of their plasma membranes. The surface of sporozoites that ruptured into midgut epithelial cells were entirely covered with gold particles. No label was seen on the surface of sporozoites which ruptured into the midgut lumen. In addition, a rabbit polyclonal antibody against repeat a region of P. brasilianum CS protein reacted with P. malariae sporozoites.
Radial image transfer by cylindrical, step-index optical waveguides

The theoretical extent of image transfer by perfect, cylindrical, step-index optical waveguides is examined. Azimuthal image structure is essentially removed by such waveguides, while substantial radial image structure is transmitted. The consequences of this behavior for optical-fiber image scramblers are discussed; such devices may be unsuitable for simple photometric applications but appear to be potentially useful in reducing zonal errors in slit spectroscopy.
Analysis of cepA and other Bacteroides fragilis genes reveals a unique promoter structure

There is little known about the sequences that mediate the initiation of transcription in Bacteroides fragilis, thus transcriptional start sites for 13 new genes were determined and a total of 23 promoter regions upstream of the start sites were aligned and similarities were noted. A region at about −7 contained a consensus sequence of TAnnTTTG and upstream in the region centered at about −33, another TTTG motif was found in the majority of promoters examined. Canonical, Escherichia coli, −10 and −35 consensus sequences were not readily apparent. Mutations within the −7 motif indicated the TTTG residues were essential since changes in this sequence reduced the promoter activity to that of a no promoter control in a chloramphenicol acetyl transferase transcriptional fusion model system. Additional fusion studies indicated that the −33 region was also necessary for full activity.
A study of the bone machining process-orthogonal cutting.

Abstract There appears to be no record of any orthogonal cutting analysis of bone in the literature, although many surgical procedures using cutting tools are performed every day. This paper describes a series of two-component cutting dynamometer experiments at constant speed using bovine bone as the workpiece for an orthogonal cutting analysis. The bone samples were taken from the mid-diaphysis of bovine tibiae and were cut in three mutually perpendicular directions; across, parallel and transverse to the preferred osteon direction. Microscopic and SEM photographs are presented detailing the five different chip types categorized by the authors. Precutting (i.e. plastic deformation) studies were conducted and a theory for precutting behavior based on hydroxyapatite crystallite interlocking is postulated. The Merchant analysis of orthogonal cutting is shown to have limited applicability to bone material.
NP and L Proteins of Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV) Are Sufficient for Efficient Transcription and Replication of LCMV Genomic RNA Analogs

The genome of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) consists of two negative-sense single-stranded RNA segments, designated L and S. Both segments contain two viral genes in an ambisense coding strategy, with the genes being separated by an intergenic region (IGR). We have developed a reverse genetic system that allows the investigation of cis -acting signals and trans -acting factors involved in transcription and replication of LCMV. To this end, we constructed an LCMV S minigenome consisting of a negative-sense copy of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene flanked upstream by the S 5′ untranslated region (UTR) and IGR and downstream by the S 3′ UTR. CAT expression was detected in LCMV-infected cells transfected with the minigenome RNA. Intracellular coexpression of the LCMV minigenome and LCMV L and NP proteins supplied from cotransfected plasmids driven by the T7 RNA polymerase provided by the recombinant vaccinia virus vTF7-3 resulted in high levels of CAT activity and synthesis of subgenomic CAT mRNA and antiminigenome RNA species. Thus, L and NP represent the minimal viral trans -acting factors required for efficient RNA synthesis mediated by LCMV polymerase.
CYSTOSCOPIC FINDINGS CONSISTENT WITH INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS IN NORMAL WOMEN UNDERGOING TUBAL LIGATION

AbstractPurpose: We test the hypothesis that women without chronic pelvic pain or irritative voiding symptoms do not demonstrate petechial hemorrhages known as glomerulations that are characteristic of patients with interstitial cystitis.Materials and Methods: A prospective cohort design was used for examination with cystoscopy and bladder distention of 20 asymptomatic women undergoing tubal ligation. Cystoscopy with the patient under general anesthesia was performed to inspect the bladder mucosa before and after distention at 70 cm. of water pressure for 2 or 6 minutes. Photographs of the right, posterior and left of the bladder surfaces taken before and after the distention were scored on a scale of 1 to 5 using a panel of standards. Five urologists blinded to the source of individual photographs independently evaluated 120 research images interspersed with 46 other pictures from a library containing images from 19 symptomatic patients with and without interstitial cystitis.Results: A total of 20 normal...
The impact of toxicity on carcinogenicity studies: implications for risk assessment

This paper explores the inter-relationship between toxicity, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity in laboratory rodents. To our knowledge this is the first attempt to integrate these factors and evaluate their implications for the process of risk assessment. The evaluation is based on information obtained from 2-year laboratory-animal studies involving 99 chemicals. The data suggest that only seven of the 53 positive carcinogenicity studies exhibited the types of target organ toxicity that could have been the cause of all observed carcinogenic effects. Furthermore, no apparent difference in mutagenicity as measured by the Ames Salmonella assay was observed between 'high dose only' carcinogens and the entire set of carcinogens. These findings suggest that the number of chemical carcinogens that we can identify solely through rodent studies as being potential tumor inducers through some indirect mechanism is small. Generally speaking, the identification of histopathological effects is not sufficient in itself for justifying mechanistic assumptions, and supplemental biological information will be necessary to reach definitive conclusions.
Memory applications based on ferroelectric and high-permittivity dielectric thin films

Abstract Several metal oxide perovskites and Bi layered perovskites are of substantial interest for integrated circuit memories. Strontium titanate, barium strontium titanate, and lead zirconate titanate based paraelectrics are of particular interest for dynamic memory applications since they have high charge storage densities, low leakage currents, and resistance against time dependent dielectric breakdown sufficient to achieve gigabit densities and beyond. The high remanent polarization of ferroelectric lead zirconate titanate and strontium bismuth tantalate hold out the promise of low-voltage, high-speed, non-volatile memories. Advances are being made in the reliability of ferroelectric memories.
Three-dimensional imagery and quantitative analysis in SEM studies of nematodes

Abstract During the past 20 years, the application of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to nematological investigations has considerably increased our knowledge about the structural features of nematodes. However, two relatively new techniques, namely three-dimensional visualization of specimens (stereopsis) and taking quantitative measurements from three-dimensional images (stereometry) offer additional insight. This investigation demonstrates how these techniques can be utilized and applied to studies in nematology. Stereopsis of nematodes is easily attained with a standard SEM by tilting the specimen 4 to 8° between two successive micrographs. The resulting micrographs, which constitute a stereo pair, contain parallax information that is needed for stereopsis. Three-dimensional visualization of the pair is achieved by an individual using a simple stereo viewer or by an audience when a Polaroid projection system is employed. The three-dimensional images that result improve resolution and clarify the shapes, topography and spatial relationships of structural features. Quantitative information, which is not attainable from a single two-dimensional micrograph, can be obtained from a stereo image by using a four-minor stereoscope equipped with a parallax measuring system. Information obtainable with this instrument allows one to make simple, accurate measurements, contour maps and models of specimens. The application of these two techniques, which are used in conjunction with SEM, are potentially important to morphological, anatomical, and taxonomic studies of nematodes as well as to their interactions with host tissues and naturally occurring pathogens.
Energy storage to reduce renewable energy curtailment

Curtailment of renewable energy generation is an increasing concern in electric power systems. Due to transmission constraints and generator flexibility an increasing fraction of wind generation is curtailed. This decreases the environmental benefits of renewable energy while increasing their costs. Energy storage is one option to decrease renewable curtailment. This paper discusses how energy storage can be used to increase grid flexibility and reduce curtailment. It is also compared to other options on the flexibility supply curve for integrating variable generation.
Characterizing and Differentiating the Semantic Qualities of Auditory Tones for Products

Traditionally, sounds in user interfaces have served the practical purpose of providing feedback for control operations and informing users of various system states. The purpose of the present study was to explore properties of sounds that are not primarily functional in nature, but might be useful for characterizing and differentiating products based upon semantic qualities. Twenty nine short tonal sequences were created exhibiting a variety of musical properties. Each tonal sequence was evaluated by thirty five participants using a set of twenty three bipolar attribute rating scales intended to capture a range of semantic qualities. Results of a principal components factor analysis revealed four factors: elegance, sturdiness, complexity and activity. These results provide a conceptual framework for describing and differentiating among audio tones based upon their semantic qualities. Physical properties of sounds associated with each factor were also identified providing a design tool for creating new to...
Self-contained actuation of phase-change pistons in microchannels

An inchworm-like self-contained actuation mechanism for phase-change pistons using a movable thermopneumatic air chamber has been demonstrated. Two phase-change pistons that enclose an air pocket between them have been moved incremental distances by successive melting and solidification of the pistons timed with the expansion and contraction of the air pocket. For a system in which both pistons were wax-based, localized heating of each piston and the air chamber was used to achieve the motion of the assembly. This design used a two-component wax piston that did not coat the microchannel walls. In a separate design a combination of a wax piston with a piston that solidifies at high temperatures was used to eliminate the localized heating requirement for self-contained actuation. This actuation mechanism can be easily integrated on lab-on-a-chip devices for the self-contained pumping of fluid columns.
The scheme environment: dynamic variables

Scheme variables have static scope and indefinite extent. That is, the visibility (or scope) of a Scheme variable can be determined statically by looking at the lexical structure of a program, and the lifetime (or extent) of the variable is unbounded. The reason variables have indefinite extent in Scheme is that they may be remembered by procedures created as the result of evaluating a lambda expression.
Transforming Growth Factor-β1 Mechanisms in Aortic Valve Calcification: Increased Alkaline Phosphatase and Related Events

Background Aortic valve stenosis is the most frequent indication for valve replacement surgery, and is commonly associated with pathologic calcification. Previous investigations by our group have shown a strong association of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1)-related mechanisms with calcific aortic stenosis in both cell culture and clinical pathology studies. Methods In the present investigations we sought to investigate the sequence of events involved in TGF-β1-initiated aortic valve interstitial cell calcification in cell culture, and to study related gene expression pattern differences comparing calcific aortic stenosis surgical specimens with normal aortic valve leaflets. Results Sheep aortic valve interstitial cells (SAVIC) in culture progressively calcified over 14 days after the addition of TGF-β1 to a significantly greater extent than non-TGF-β1 controls. The TGF-β1-induced SAVIC calcification was associated with maximal levels of alkaline phosphatase by 72 hours. Annexin V positive apoptosis was increased in TGF-β1-treated SAVIC cultures at 14 days compared with controls. Matrix metalloproteinase 9 per gel zymography was detectable only in SAVIC cultures treated with TGF-β1 from seven days on. Matrix metalloproteinase 2 was present in all SAVIC cultures per gel zymograms, either with or without TGF-β1, but the active form of matrix metalloproteinase 2 significantly increased over 14 days in response to TGF-β1. Quantitative gene expression studies (re: RNA levels) of human aortic valve cusps obtained at cardiac surgery demonstrated a number of related trends, including upregulation of the expression of TGF-β1, alkaline phosphatase, and matrix metalloproteinase 9 in calcified human aortic valves. Conclusions Transforming growth factor-β1 causes SAVIC to calcify due to an early maximal increase in alkaline phosphatase activity with associated apoptotic events and increased matrix metalloproteinase 9. These TGF-β1-related mechanistic events may be of clinical relevance based upon the gene expression pattern changes observed in calcific aortic stenosis valve cusps.
Improving robust control performance through on-line optimization

In this paper, a new receding horizon control (RHC) scheme is proposed for a general class of uncertain linear systems with structured parametric uncertainties and linear input/output constraints. The cost function is defined over a moving finite horizon as the "worst-case" quadratic performance for all admissible uncertainties. The robust stability of proposed RHC scheme is guaranteed by imposing terminal penalty term using a control Lyapunov function (CLF), which is available through off-line synthesis procedure. Moreover, it is shown that the controlled performance of the proposed RHC scheme will be gradually improved as the upper bound of performance is monotonically decreasing as time goes by.
Screening for Balance and Mobility Impairment in Elderly Individuals Living in Residential Care Facilities

Background and Purpose. The rapid growth of the elderly population has resulted in a corresponding rise in the number of elderly individuals who experience disability during their lifetimes. The purpose of this study was to test the usefulness of four established clinical measures of balance, gait, and subjective perceptions of fear of falling as screening methods for referring community-dwelling elderly individuals living in residential care facilities for detailed physical therapy evaluation and possible intervention. Subjects. The subjects were a convenience sample of 53 elderly individuals living in two residential care facilities for the elderly. Methods. Subjects were tested on each of four clinical measures of balance and mobility. Their performance on these measures was compared with a physical therapist's brief evaluation of disability and appropriateness for more detailed evaluation. The usefulness of these tools as screening methods was determined by calculating sensitivity and specificity levels using the physical therapist's evaluation as a standard. Results. The sensitivity and specificity levels of the four clinical measures in their application as screening tests for referral to physical therapy were as follows: Berg Balance Scale, 84% and 78%; balance subscale of the Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment, 68% and 78%; gait speed, 80% and 89%; and Tinetti Fall Efficacy Scale, 59% and 82%. The combination of two tests, Berg Balance Scale and gait speed, yielded the highest sensitivity of 91% and the highest specificity of 70% when a subject tested positive on at least one test. Conclusion and Discussion. These findings indicate the feasibility of developing screening methods for referring community-dwelling elderly individuals for a detailed physical therapy evaluation based on established clinical assessment measures, with a combination of tests measuring balance and gait demonstrating the most promising results.
Catheter Closure of Congenital/Acquired Muscular VSDs and Perimembranous VSDs Using the Amplatzer Devices

Over the past 10 years a variety of occluding devices has been used for transcatheter closure of ventricular septal defects (VSDs), but none has gained wide acceptance. This article presents the experience of transcatheter closure of muscular and perimembranous VSDs in 22 and 13 patients, respectively, with the new Amplatzer VSD occluders. Overall total occlusion was achieved in 95% and 92.3% of patients with muscular and perimembranous VSDs, respectively. The main complication was embolization of the device in 1/13 (7.6%) patients with perimembranous VSDs. Transcatheter closure of VSDs using the Amplatzer VSD occluders appears to be a safe and effective alternative to the standard surgical treatment.
Governance and Strategic Leadership in Entrepreneurial Firms

Corporate governance has been a central focus of strategic management research, particularly the associations among governance structures, strategic leaders, and firm performance. Extant research, however, provides little evidence of systematic relationships in these areas. There are a series of theoretical/conceptual rationales suggesting that such relationships might be more pronounced in entrepreneurial firms. Accordingly, we provide an overview and synthesis of the entrepreneurship literature addressing the intersection of governance and strategic leadership with firm performance. The strongest relationships reflected in this literature are consistent with a resource dependence perspective of the firm. We conclude with several suggestions for advancing research in this important domain.
Growth and mitotic potential of multicelled fibers of cotton (Malvaceae).

We tested the hypothesis that the growth of multicelled cotton fibers of Gossypium hirsutum, cultivar MD51 ne, occurs exclusively within the tip cell. Direct cellular measurements proved the hypothesis incorrect. The results show that all cells within a fiber grow and that the relative growth of the tip cell is reduced as the number of cells per fiber increases. Also, measurements of two- and three-celled fibers show that the two daughter nuclei in two-celled fibers differ. The ability to divide resides primarily, if not exclusively, with the basal cell. Thus, the fate of the tip-cell nucleus is fixed while that of the base cell is not. This rule is unaltered by the presence of IAA (indoleacetic acid) and GA 3 (gibberellic acid-3) in the culture medium.
An approximation method for the nonlinear servomechanism problem

An analysis of the nonlinear servomechanism problem by the authors (1992) is shown to lead naturally to a straightforward and practical method for solving the problem in an approximate sense. The results are based on a kth-order approximate solution for the plant zero-error manifold, and corresponding control law constructions are shown to yield kth-order asymptotic tracking and disturbance rejection properties for the closed-loop system. The approach is illustrated by application to the ball and beam system. >
Ion energy and angular distributions onto polymer surfaces delivered by dielectric barrier discharge filaments in air: II. Particles

Atmospheric pressure streamers intersecting particles are of interest in the context of plasma aided combustion, where the particle may be a fuel aerosol droplet, or in sterilization of air, where the particle may be a bacterium. The ion energy and angular distributions (IEADs) incident on the particles, small curved dielectric surfaces, then in part determine the propensity for activating chemical reactions or, in the case of bacteria, the plasma’s sterilization capability. In this paper, we discuss results from a computational investigation of IEADs on small particles (45 µm radius) produced by atmospheric pressure discharge. Streamers intersecting a particle momentarily generate a large sheath potential as the streamer passes by as the particle charges towards the plasma floating potential. During that time, ions of energies up to 3‐10eV can strike the particle. The permittivity of the particle and the streamer polarity in part determine the character of the IEAD. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)
EFFECT OF LSD ON THE TONIC ACTIVITY OF THE VISUAL PATHWAYS OF THE CAT

(Received 18 January 1965) The hallucinatory effects of such substances as lysergic acid diethylamide "(LSD) have been partially attributed to their direct action on the retina (i, 2). This retinal action was inferred from the effects of LSD on the spontaneous electroretinogram (ERG) activity in cats (I) and from changes in evoked ERG in humans (2). The ERG is a gross measure of retinal activit_y and tells very little about the underlying neuroelectrlc phenomena which may accompany drug administration. Further, Apter and Pfeiffer (i) reported spontaneous ERG J
Estimation of Gene-Environment Interaction by Pooling Biospecimens

Case-control studies are prone to low power for testing gene-environment interactions (GXE) given the need for a sufficient number of individuals on each strata of disease, gene, and environment. We propose a new study design to increase power by strategically pooling biospecimens. Pooling biospecimens allows us to increase the number of subjects significantly, thereby providing substantial increase in power. We focus on a special, though realistic case, where disease and environmental statuses are binary, and gene status is ordinal with each individual having 0, 1 or 2 minor alleles. Through pooling, we obtain an allele frequency for each level of disease and environmental status. Using the allele frequencies, we develop new methodology for estimating and testing GXE that is comparable to the situation when we have complete data on gene status for each individual. We also explore the measurement process and its effect on the GXE estimator. Using an illustration, we show the effectiveness of pooling with an epidemiologic study which tests an interaction for fiber and PON1 on anovulation. Through simulation, we show that taking 12 pooled measurements from 1000 individuals achieves more power than individually genotyping 500 individuals. Our findings suggest that strategic pooling should be considered when an investigator designs a pilot study to test for a GXE.
An Exploration of Multicorrelates of Ethnic Group Choice

A critical sociocultural question today is: "Under what experimental and environmental conditions do ethnic subjects select stimuli of their own group?" To assess patterns of ethnic choice, Anglo, Black, and Chicano second- and fifth-grade children were asked to relate 12 statements to ethnic cues presented in a photographic and sociometric modality. After sex and ethnicity of examiners; relative attractiveness of photographs used; and sex, age, and socioeconomic level of subjects were controlled, results indicate that Blacks show higher own-group choice than Anglos. Patterns of ethnic choice were influenced by age and sex of the children and ethnicity of examiner.
SmartCharge: cutting the electricity bill in smart homes with energy storage

Market-based electricity pricing provides consumers an opportunity to lower their electric bill by shifting consumption to low price periods. In this paper, we explore how to lower electric bills without requiring consumer involvement using an intelligent charging system, called SmartCharge, and an on-site battery array to store low-cost energy for use during high-cost periods. SmartCharge's algorithm reduces electricity costs by determining when to switch the home's power supply between the grid and the battery array. The algorithm leverages a prediction model we develop, which forecasts future demand using statistical machine learning techniques. We evaluate SmartCharge in simulation using data from real homes to quantify its potential to lower bills in a range of scenarios. We show that typical savings today are 10-15%, but increase linearly with rising electricity prices. We also find that SmartCharge deployed at only 22% of 435 homes reduces the aggregate demand peak by 20%. Finally, we analyze SmartCharge's installation and maintenance costs. Our analysis shows that battery advancements, combined with an expected rise in electricity prices, have the potential to make the return on investment positive for the average home within the next few years.
Opportunity Recognition as Pattern Recognition: How Entrepreneurs “Connect the Dots” to Identify New Business Opportunities

Executive Overview How do entrepreneurs identify opportunities for new business ventures? One possibility, suggested by research on human cognition, is that they do so by using cognitive frameworks they have acquired through experience to perceive connections between seemingly unrelated events or trends in the external world. In other words, they use cognitive frameworks they possess to “connect the dots” between changes in technology, demographics, markets, government policies, and other factors. The patterns they then perceive in these events or trends suggest ideas for new products or services—ideas that can potentially serve as the basis for new ventures. This pattern recognition perspective on opportunity identification is useful in several respects. First, it helps integrate into one basic framework three factors that have been found to play an important role in opportunity recognition: engaging in an active search for opportunities; alertness to them; and prior knowledge of an industry or market. I...
Correspondence among the correlation, RMSE, and Heidke forecast verification measures; refinement of the Heidke score

Abstract The correspondence among the following three forecast verification scores, based on forecasts and their associated observations, is described: 1) the correlation score, 2) the root-mean-square error (RMSE) score, and 3) the Heidke score (based on categorical matches between forecasts and observations). These relationships are provided to facilitate comparisons among studies of forecast skill that use these differing measures. The Heidke score would be more informative, more “honest,” and easier to interpret at face value if the severity of categorical errors (i.e., one-class errors versus two-class errors, etc.) were included in the scoring formula. Without taking categorical error severity into account the meaning of Heidke scores depends heavily on the categorical definitions (particularly the number of categories), making intercomparison between Heidke and correlation (or RMSE) scores, or even among Heidke scores, quite difficult. When categorical error severity is taken into account in the He...
Gravitational radiation from cosmic strings

Gravitational radiation from oscillating loops of string is studied both analytically and numerically. The total radiated power is found to be P=\ensuremath{\gamma}G${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{2}$, where \ensuremath{\mu} is the mass density of the string and \ensuremath{\gamma} is a numerical coefficient \ensuremath{\sim}100. The intensity and the spectrum of the stochastic gravitational-wave background produced by the loops are calculated. Gravitational radiation from asymmetric loops carries not only energy, but also momentum; the loop recoils and accelerates like a rocket. The momentum radiation rate from loops is calculated and it is shown that cosmological loops formed with sufficiently small initial velocities are slowed down by dynamical friction and do not rocket away.
Failure of rectal ornithine decarboxylase to identify adenomatous polyp status.

Abstract Rectal mucosal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity has been reported to distinguish between patients with and without adenomatous polyps (AP). In the present investigation, ODC activity has been measured in 28 patients with AP and 34 patients without AP. To assess the intraindividual variation in ODC activity, repeat biopsies were performed on 11 patients. In addition, the effect of postbiopsy sample handling was investigated by storage of samples on either dry or wet ice during transport to the laboratory. The mean rectal mucosal ODC activity in patients with AP was 196.0 ± 195.5, whereas that in AP negative patients was 182.2 ± 320.5. The rectal mucosal ODC activity in patients with colorectal cancer was 388.2 ± 581. Repeat samples in individuals were generally within the same range as the original samples. The method of sample transport did not significantly affect the level of ODC measured in a particular biopsy. Because of high variability in rectal mucosal ODC activity within the population, there was wide overlap in ODC values between those patients with and without AP in an unselected general population. Thus, the measurement of flat rectal mucosal ODC activity is not a good predictor of the presence or absence of AP. Additional studies of the factors affecting mucosal ODC activity are necessary before the potential clinical utility of the method can be realized in the general population.
Burns and pregnancy

Pregnancy does not predispose to thermal injuries. Most burns are minor, and erythema usually subsides within 24 hours during the outpatient therapy. Severe burns during pregnancy are rare but alarming events. Care should be provided at a regional facility with expert burn care and fetal monitoring. Attempts should be undertaken during maternal transport to avoid hypovolemia, hypotension, and hypoxia. The wound should be covered with sterile dressings to prevent further contamination. Maternal and fetal survival is directly related to the extent of the body surface injury. When maternal injury is lethal, fetal survival is very unlikely because of sudden in-utero death or complications from prematurity following spontaneous labor. Complications to be considered during the emergent and acute phases of recovery include fluid and electrolyte imbalance, respiratory difficulties, systemic and wound infection, inadequate nutrition, and emotional disturbances. Therapy should be directed to saving the mother. Whether fetal well being is compromised by the burn and resultant therapy is difficult to determine from prior published reports. Periodic ultrasonic examination and biophysical testing of the fetus are recommended. If conditions are considered unfavorable to meet fetal circulatory and oxygen demands, prompt delivery during the late second and third trimesters has been advocated if the mother's burn covers 50 per cent or more of the surface area. If the patient has instead recovered satisfactorily and there has been no evidence of fetal jeopardy or premature labor within the first week following the burn injury, the eventual delivery of a healthy-appearing, term-sized fetus is quite likely.
Mentally abnormal offenders. Evaluation and management of violence.

This article presents standards for the evaluation and management of violence of mentally abnormal offenders. The clinician must take a detailed history of the problems with violence as well as do complete physical and laboratory examinations to determine the underlying psychiatric and/or medical causes of the violence. During the acute management of violent patients, clinicians must uphold the safety of the patient and the staff by using verbal deescalation, emergency medication, and restraint and seclusion. Long-term management of violent behavior involves the use of medication for the underlying disorder and, in some cases, anticonvulsants, beta-blockers, and lithium for disorders these medications are not usually used to treat. Behavioral therapy and psychotherapy can be effective for certain types of violence. The short-term prediction of violence and the duty to protect intended victims of violence by patients are discussed.
Investigation of Environmental Factors and Their Relationship to Populations of the Stable Fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.)

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of moisture, temperature, organic matter, pH, and interspecies competition on stable fly populations under field conditions. Statistical analysis did not detect a correlation of stable fly populations to the four physical factors. However, statistical analysis detected a significant effect for competing insects which increased when a pH factor was added. Populations of Syrphidae and organic matter significantly influenced stable fly populations in a stepwise regression analysis.
Practical Methods in the Purification of Obligate Anaerobes

Nearly every one agrees that many of the descriptive data in the older publications on obligative anaerobes were vitiated by impurity in the cultures examined. While care was usually exercised that no aerobic forms were present, no doubt many cultures have been described as single species in cases where two or more obligate anaerobes were associated. This fact has been responsible for much of the past and some of the present confusion in the literature on the taxonomy of this group. Whatever method is used to limit a bacterial culture to anaerobes, there is no justification for the asumption of purity of species therein. Until reasonable assurance can be given that a culture does not contain two or more species, differential tests are of no value farther than to show the possible presence or absence of certain organisms with outstanding peculiarities. Thus the production of tetanus in susceptible animals by injection of a toxic filtrate or culture, or of botulism by feeding, may indicate the presence of these organisms but does not prove the purity of the culture. Where special organisms are being looked for, such tests should be made with enriched cultures previous to attempted isolation; but the folly of recording metabolic properties of cultures not consciously and carefully purified is obvious.
Photoelectron Spectroscopy of BiAu– and BiBO–: Further Evidence of the Analogy between Au and Boronyl

Boronyl (BO) is a monovalent σ radical with a B≡O triple bond. Its chemistry has remained relatively unknown, though analogy has been established for BO with monovalent atoms, such as H or Au. Here we report a photoelectron spectroscopic study of BiAu– and BiBO–, showing further evidence of the analogy between Au and BO. The photoelectron spectra of BiAu– and BiBO– are found to be similar, suggesting that they possess similar electronic structure and chemical bonding. The electron affinities of BiAu and BiBO are measured to be 1.38(4) and 1.84(3) eV, respectively. The ground states of both BiAu and BiBO are shown to be a triplet (X 3Σ–). In addition, vibrational structures are resolved in the spectra of BiBO–. Two vibrational frequencies at 320(30) and 1860(50) cm–1 are measured for the ground state of BiBO, corresponding to the Bi–B and B–O stretching modes, respectively. The low-lying electronic excited states of BiAu and BiBO are also found to be similar: their first four excited states are A 1Δ, B 1Σ+...
Hope, Cynicism, and Complicity: Worldly Resistance in Reinhold Niebuhr's Criticism of Karl Barth

This paper seeks to investigate the relationship between hope, cynicism, and despair in the stakes of a well-known dispute between Karl Barth and Reinhold Niebuhr. Niebuhr accuses Barth, and those who adopt Barth's central doctrinal and political positions, of quietism: in the name of religious perfectionism, such Barthians are not disposed toward incremental but necessary social reforms. For Niebuhr, this is a sure sign of “Barthian pessimism,” the despair that results from a conscience oversensitive to the absolute demands of God's righteousness. This paper seeks to show that a certain form of Barthian political theology is defensible as an ethical disposition since it need not fall victim to the helpless despair that Niebuhr fears, and simultaneously that a defensible account of what I call “total complicity” reflects the self-awareness and self-criticism that often become deformed into cynical despair and reshapes them toward repentant engagement with the world.
Efficient Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters Utilizing (001) Textured Bimorph PZT Films on Flexible Metal Foils

Extracting energy from low vibration frequencies (<10 Hz) using piezoelectric energy harvester promises continuous self-powering for sensors and wearables. The piezoelectric compliant mechanism (PCM) design provides a significantly higher efficiency by fostering a uniform strain for its 1st mode shape, and so is interesting for this application. In this paper, a PCM energy harvester with bimorph Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) films on Ni foil deposited by rf magnetron sputtering is shown to have high efficiency and large power for low frequency mechanical vibration. In particular, {001} textured PZT films are deposited on both sides of polished Ni foils with (100) oriented LaNiO3 seed layers on HfO2 buffer layers. The performance of PCM with an active area of 5.2 cm2 is explored for various excitation accelerations (0.02–0.16 g [g = 9.8 m s−2]) around 6 Hz. The PCM device provides a power level of 3.9 mW cm−2 g2 and 65% mode shape efficiencies.
Gastric and pancreatic secretion in response to gastric distention in dogs.

In dogs with chronic gastric and pancreatic fistulas, distention of the stomach with a water-filled balloon stimulated water, acid, and pepsin secretion by the stomach and water, bicarbonate, and protein secretion by the pancreas. The gastric response increased with increasing distending volumes up to a maximum with 900 ml. The maximal acid response was about 40% of the maximal response to histamine or gastrin, and the maximal pepsin response was about 60% of the maximal response to insulin and about 10 times the maximal pepsin output to exogenous gastrin. The high pepsin response supports the view that the gastric response to distention is mediated mainly by a vagal reflex. Administration of exogenous gastrin during gastric distention depressed pepsin secretion. Similar inhibition of pepsin secretion by exogenous gastrin had previously been reported to occur in Pavlov pouches stimulated by sham feeding. The high pepsin secretion seen with gastric distention, insulin hypoglycemia, and sham feeding indicate that in all of these circumstances vagal release of gastrin is limited to the small amount required to augment acid secretion in response to direct vagal impulses to the oxyntic glands and is less than the moderate amounts of gastrin that inhibit pepsin secretion. The pancreatic response to gastric distention was small and could best be demonstrated during infusion of a small background dose of secretin. The increase in volume (1 ml per 15 min) was about 6% of the maximal response to endogenous secretin. The increase in protein output (44 mg per 15 min) was about 20% of the response to a large dose of exogenous pancreozymin. The relative contributions of gastrin and of direct vagal impulses to these small pancreatic responses to gastric distention cannot be assessed from the present studies.
Neutron-scattering study of the one-dimensional conductor K/sub 2/Pt(CN)/sub 4/Br/sub 0/ /sub 3/. 3. 2D/sub 2/O (KCP)

The triple-axis neutron technique has been used to make a detailed temperature-dependent study of the scattering associated with the $2{k}_{F}$ instability discovered by Comes et al. and subsequently studied by Renker et al. in the "one-dimensional" (1-D) conductor ${\mathrm{K}}_{2}$Pt${(\mathrm{CN})}_{4}$${\mathrm{Br}}_{0.3}$.3.2${\mathrm{D}}_{2}$ O(KCP). At low temperatures, they found that the elastic scattering on the planes perpendicular to the conducting $c$ axis at ${Q}_{z}=2{k}_{F}$ was confined to relatively narrow peaks, and that with increasing temperature these peaks became diffuse perpendicular to $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{c}}$. We find that the elastic scattering can be quantitatively described by assuming there are static (or quasistatic) charge-density waves (CDW) in the parallel Pt${(\mathrm{CN})}_{4}$ chains, with a temperature-dependent interchain correlation length. The observed asymmetry of the scattering perpendicular to $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{c}}$ is due to the variation of the structure factor of the Pt${(\mathrm{CN})}_{4}$ complexes, which respond as a unit to the CDW. At elevated temperatures, the elastic scattering approaches the 1-D form expected for uncorrelated CDW's in "chains" of Pt${(\mathrm{CN})}_{4}$. The temperature variation of the amplitude of the CDW in each chain is obtained from the data, and is found to decrease slowly with increasing temperature above 80 K. The width of the scattering along the chain direction remains very narrow at all temperatures, and for $T\ensuremath{\lesssim}160$ K a lower limit to the intrachain correlation length of 300 \AA{} has been set. The inelastic scattering in the vicinity of the $2{k}_{F}$ instability extends to lower energies than previously observed and in fact appears to fall to $E\ensuremath{\approx}0$ for all temperatures in the range 80-300 K. We interpret these results to indicate that at room temperature the CDW distortion has already manifested itself in the lattice, and that the development of interchain correlations at low temperatures is not directly related to a Peierls-type transition.