cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of a Core Clinical Dataset to Characterize Serious Illness, Injuries, and Resource Requirements for Acute Medical Responses to Public Health Emergencies

OBJECTIVES: In developed countries, public health systems have become adept at rapidly identifying the etiology and impact of public health emergencies. However, within the time course of clinical responses, shortfalls in readily analyzable patient-level data limit capabilities to understand clinical course, predict outcomes, ensure resource availability, and evaluate the effectiveness of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for seriously ill and injured patients. To be useful in the timeline of a public health emergency, multi-institutional clinical investigation systems must be in place to rapidly collect, analyze, and disseminate detailed clinical information regarding patients across prehospital, emergency department, and acute care hospital settings, including ICUs. As an initial step to near real-time clinical learning during public health emergencies, we sought to develop an "all-hazards" core dataset to characterize serious illness and injuries and the resource requirements for acute medical response across the care continuum. SUBJECTS: A multidisciplinary panel of clinicians, public health professionals, and researchers with expertise in public health emergencies. DESIGN: Group consensus process. INTERVENTIONS: The consensus process included regularly scheduled conference calls, electronic communications, and an in-person meeting to generate candidate variables. Candidate variables were then reviewed by the group to meet the competing criteria of utility and feasibility resulting in the core dataset. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The 40-member panel generated 215 candidate variables for potential dataset inclusion. The final dataset includes 140 patient-level variables in the domains of demographics and anthropometrics (7), prehospital (11), emergency department (13), diagnosis (8), severity of illness (54), medications and interventions (38), and outcomes (9). CONCLUSIONS: The resulting all-hazard core dataset for seriously ill and injured persons provides a foundation to facilitate rapid collection, analyses, and dissemination of information necessary for clinicians, public health officials, and policymakers to optimize public health emergency response. Further work is needed to validate the effectiveness of the dataset in a variety of emergency settings. Language: en
Clustering Patterns in Initial Public Offerings

I develop a model of the IPO timing decisions of firms in an industry. The outcome of an IPO makes public previously private information, reducing the degree of asymmetric information among investors. This leads other firms in the industry to go public, even though they do not have immediate financing needs. The main result of the paper is that the offer prices of early IPOs predict the subsequent IPO volume. Investors with favorable information tend to indicate weak interest in the early offerings, so that their signals remain private and provide further profits in the anticipated wave of IPOs. The tendency to conceal favorable signals creates an asymmetry in the information content of the offer prices of early IPOs. High prices obtain only when information is favorable, but low prices need not imply unfavorable information, as investors with high signals may have strategically indicated weak demand. As a result, high prices reduce the subsequent informational asymmetry to a greater extent than low prices do, triggering more firms to go public.
Publication Productivity of Bsw Faculty

Abstract This article examines the publication productivity of BSW faculty, using self-reported data on journal articles, books, book chapters, and published conference proceedings. The authors analyze areas such as prevalent types of publications, topics addressed, journals in which articles appear, distribution of publications among respondents, and comparisons of productivity with various independent variables. Variables found to be related to productivity include size of both the institution and the social work program, faculty rank, public versus private auspices of the institution, administrative structure of the program, and institutional requirements for productivity. The article concludes by noting the parallel increases in demand for undergraduate faculty productivity and production of all types of publications, and by suggesting topics for further research.
Saturable Binding of Anesthetics to Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors

Recent controversies in the existence of saturable binding of general anesthetics in brain tissues prompted a careful examination of specific binding of anesthetics to neural receptors. We examined the binding of both local and general anesthetics using electron spin resonance and radioligand criteria. Our results suggested that the hydrophobic path, most probably through the lipid bilayer, figures importantly in the binding of the uncharged moieties of anesthetics. Competitive interactions by hydrophobic compounds for the high-affinity site in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor led us to propose a hypothesis that includes a hydrophobic crevice of limited volume as part of the high-affinity site. Association of anesthetic at this crevice is in turn dependent on the anesthetic concentration in the lipid phase of the membrane. The hypothesis provides a mechanism for the saturable interaction of anesthetics with their protein target site in the membrane without violating the correlations expressed by the Meyer-Overton rule of anesthetic action.
IDEALS IN TRANSFORMATION-GROUP C -ALGEBRAS

We characterize the ideal of continuous-trace elements in a sep- arable transformation-group C -algebra C0(X)oG. In addition, we identify the largest Fell ideal, the largest liminal ideal and the largest postliminal ideal.
Plasticity of vagal brainstem circuits in the control of gastric function

Background Sensory information from the viscera, including the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, is transmitted through the afferent vagus via a glutamatergic synapse to neurons of the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), which integrate this sensory information to regulate autonomic functions and homeostasis. The integrated response is conveyed to, amongst other nuclei, the preganglionic neurons of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) using mainly GABA, glutamate and catecholamines as neurotransmitters. Despite being modulated by almost all the neurotransmitters tested so far, the glutamatergic synapse between NTS and DMV does not appear to be tonically active in the control of gastric motility and tone. Conversely, tonic inhibitory GABAergic neurotransmission from the NTS to the DMV appears critical in setting gastric tone and motility, yet, under basal conditions, this synapse appears resistant to modulation. Purpose Here, we review the available evidence suggesting that vagal efferent output to the GI tract is regulated, perhaps even controlled, in an ‘on-demand’ and efficient manner in response to ever-changing homeostatic conditions. The focus of this review is on the plasticity induced by variations in the levels of second messengers in the brainstem neurons that form vago-vagal reflex circuits. Emphasis is placed upon the modulation of GABAergic transmission to DMV neurons and the modulation of afferent input from the GI tract by neurohormones/neurotransmitters and macronutrients. Derangement of this ‘on-demand’ organization of brainstem vagal circuits may be one of the factors underlying the pathophysiological changes observed in functional dyspepsia or hyperglycemic gastroparesis.
The effects of repeated doses of ethanol on exploration and its habituation

The effects of ethanol (0.8–2.4 g/kg) on exploratory behavior and its habituation were investigated by testing DBA/2 mice in a holeboard apparatus. Mice familiar with the holeboard had lower levels of exploration than animals with no previous experience in the apparatus. If the animals received ethanol during their first exposure to the holeboard they did not show the same degree of habituation. Ethanol (0.8 g/kg) increased the exploration of animals naive to the holeboard, but failed significantly to increase the exploration of animals familiar with the apparatus. An increase in locomotor activity was observed following treatment with ethanol (2.4 g/kg). This was potentiated if animals received a single treatment with ethanol 3 days earlier, but only if they were tested in the apparatus following the initial treatment. These results have important implications for the design of experiments investigating tolerance and sensitization to ethanol's effects on locomotor activity and exploration.
Synthesis, characterization and applications of hydride-based surface materials for HPLC, HPCE and electrochromatography

Abstract The chemical modification method based on the silanization of an oxide surface to a hydride intermediate followed by hydrosilation with an organic molecule containing a terminal olefin is reviewed. The resulting bonded organic moiety is attached to the surface via a direct Si-C bond which leads to high stability. The method has been more extensively applied to silica surfaces for the production of stationary phases in HPLC but it can also be used on other oxides such as alumina, zirconia, titania and thoria. More recent applications have been in the modification of the inner wall of fused silica capillaries for HPCE. The bonded moieties possess high stability and useful applications have been developed for the separation of proteins and peptides under a variety of buffer conditions. The same procedure for modifying the inner wall of a fused silica capillary has also been extended to etched surfaces for use in electrochromatography (CEC). This type of CEC has been shown to be applicable to the sep...
Effects of Channel Scale on Slip Length of Flow in Micro/Nanochannels

The concept of slip length, related to surface velocity and shear rate, is often used to analyze the slip surface property for flow in micro- or nanochannels. In this study, a hybrid scheme that couples molecular dynamics simulation (used near the solid boundary to include the surface effect) and a continuum solution (to study the fluid mechanics) is validated and used for the study of slip length behavior in the Couette flow problem. By varying the height of the channel across multiple length scales, we investigate the effect of channel scale on surface slip length. In addition, by changing the velocity of the moving-solid wall, the influence of shear rate on the slip length is studied. The results show that within a certain range of the channel heights, the slip length is size dependent. This upper bound of the channel height can vary with the shear rate. Under different magnitudes of moving velocities and channel heights, a relative slip length can be introduced, which changes with channel height following a logarithmic function, with the coefficients of the function being the properties of the fluid and wall materials.
Studies of the conformation of apomyoglobin in aqueous solutions and denaturing organic solvents.

The properties of apomyoglobin were examined in aqueous solutions and various helix- and random-coil-forming solvents by solvent perturbation, optical rotation, circular dichroism, and viscosity measurements. The solvent perturbation data obtained in neutral aqueous solutions suggest 25–40% exposure of the two tryptophyl residues and 50–60% exposure of the three tyrosyls. The estimates of burial of these groups are in the ranges expected for myoglobin based on its X-ray structure. In the helicogenic alcohols, methanol, ethanol, 2-chloroethanol, trifluoroethanol, and 1-propyl alcohol, as well as in acidic solutions, 8 M urea and 6M guanidine hydrochloride, essentially all the tryptophyl and tyrosyl residues are found to be exposed to solvent based on this method. Analysis of the ORD and CD data indicates that in the alcohols the α-helix content of apomyoglobin has in most cases changed from 58–59% to about 80–95%. Analysis of the intrinsic viscosity data based on the equations of Simha and Kirkwood and Auer indicates that the polypeptide chain in these solvents has the dimensions of fully extended α-helical rods, with lengths of 221–251 A and mean diameters of 12.8–13.6 A. It is concluded that apomyoglobin in the various alcohols must have an extended but somewhat irregular rodlike structure, having a few bend or irregular sequences between the α-helical segments due largely to the presence of the four proline residues, 37, 88, 100, and 120 in the amino acid sequence.
Potentiation of C1-esterase inhibitor by heparin and interactions with C1s protease as assessed by surface plasmon resonance.

Abstract Background Human C1-esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) is a multifunctional plasma protein with a wide range of inhibitory and non-inhibitory properties, mainly recognized as a key down-regulator of the complement and contact cascades. The potentiation of C1-INH by heparin and other glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) regulates a broad spectrum of C1-INH activities in vivo both in normal and disease states. Scope of research We have studied the potentiation of human C1-INH by heparin using Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR), circular dichroism (CD) and a functional assay. To advance a SPR for multiple-unit interaction studies of C1-INH we have developed a novel (consecutive double capture) approach exploring different immobilization and layout. Major conclusions Our SPR experiments conducted in three different design versions showed marked acceleration in C1-INH interactions with complement protease C1s as a result of potentiation of C1-INH by heparin (from 5- to 11-fold increase of the association rate). Far-UV CD studies suggested that heparin binding did not alter C1-INH secondary structure. Functional assay using chromogenic substrate confirmed that heparin does not affect the amidolytic activity of C1s, but does accelerate its consumption due to C1-INH potentiation. General significance This is the first report that directly demonstrates a significant acceleration of the C1-INH interactions with C1s due to heparin by using a consecutive double capture SPR approach. The results of this study may be useful for further C-INH therapeutic development, ultimately for the enhancement of current C1-INH replacement therapies.
Interference and interactions in open quantum dots

In this report, we review the results of our joint experimental and theoretical studies of electron-interference, and interaction, phenomena in open electron cavities known as quantum dots. The transport through these structures is shown to be heavily influenced by the remnants of their discrete density of states, elements of which remain resolved in spite of the strong coupling that exists between the cavity and its reservoirs. The experimental signatures of this density of states are discussed at length in this report, and are shown to be related to characteristic wavefunction scarring, involving a small number of classical orbits. A semiclassical analysis of this behaviour shows it to be related to the effect of dynamical tunnelling, in which electrons are injected into the dot tunnel through classically forbidden regions of phase space, to access isolated regular orbits. The dynamical tunnelling gives rise to the formation of long-lived quasi-bound states in the open dots, and the many-body implications associated with electron charging at these resonances are also explored in this report.
Semantic verification for fact seeking engines

We present the architecture of our web question answering (fact seeking) system and introduce a novel algorithm to validate semantic categories of the expected answers. When tested on the questions used by the prior research, our system demonstrated the performance comparable to the current state of the art systems. Our semantic verification algorithm has improved the accuracy of answers of the affected questions by 30%.
Frequency and significance of late evolution of Q waves in patients with initial non-Q-wave acute myocardial infarction☆

Serial 12-lead electrocardiogram and plasma creatine kinase (CK)-MB values from 544 patients with confirmed non-Q-wave acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were analyzed to define the rate of progression of non-Q-wave AMI to Q-wave AMI and to examine its relation to CK-MB evidence of extension. The baseline electrocardiogram was obtained 50 +/- 10 hours after AMI and compared with subsequent electrocardiograms at 48 and 72 hours after baseline record and at discharge. Plasma CK-MB was assayed every 12 hours after baseline. A total of 76 patients (14%) progressed to Q-wave AMI. Compared to the 468 patients who retained non-Q-wave AMI, those patients who evolved Q-wave AMI were more likely to exhibit ST elevation greater than or equal to 1.0 mm in greater than or equal to 2 infarct-related leads (49 vs 32%, p less than 0.005), higher peak CK values with the index AMI (754 +/- 625 vs 611 +/- 604 IU; p = 0.0018) and a greater incidence of CK-MB-confirmed extensions (18.5 vs 5.5%, p less than 0.0001). For those patients progressing to Q-wave AMI within 48 hours of baseline electrocardiogram, CK-MB extension occurred in 9.5% (4 of 42) versus 29.4% (10 of 34) of those who progressed after 48 hours (p = 0.0262). A distinct minority (14%) of patients with non-Q-wave AMI will develop Q waves before discharge. The progression to Q-wave AMI after initial non-Q-wave AMI appears to involve 2 different mechanisms: temporal lag in the electrocardiogram, and actual extension by quantitative CK-MB criteria.
Technology Adoption Decisions under Irreversibility and Uncertainty: An Ex Ante Appproach

Empirical results demonstrate that uncertainty about costs and requirements for environmental compliance is an important determinant of dairy producers& investment behavior. Ex ante forecasting of how uncertainty and irreversibility are likely to affect producers& responsiveness to agricultural technologies has implications for the design of environmental policies. Simulation modeling methods are described. The empirical analysis focuses on Texas producers& propensity to adopt free-stall dairy housing. Free-stall investments offer advantages for both productivity-augmentation and pollution abatement, yet uncertainty and irreversibility are obstacles to adoption. Implications of this ex ante paradigm for policy design and implementation are discussed.
912 A MONKEY MODEL FOR IgE MEDIATED OTITIS MEDIA WITH EFFUSION

An allergic (IgE) pathogenesis for otitis media with effusion (OME) has been suggested but not confirmed. Monkeys have been used previously to study allergic reactions by passive sensitization with serum from allergic patients. A method of insufflation of the eustachian tube (politzerization) by ragweed pollen grains was confirmed by recovery of pollen from the middle ear. Three normal juvenile monkeys were passively sensitized I.V. with human sera (high RAST anti-ragweed IgE titer), 40 cc/kg over 2 to 3 days and demonstrated positive skin tests and serum IgE antibodies to ragweed. Antigen challenge by politzerization with 0.1 gm ragweed pollen for 3 to 5 days induced OME as measured by tympanometry and confirmed by tympanocentesis in all animals. Similar studies in infant monkeys induced middle ear effusion (MEE) in 2 of 3 antigen challenges. In a single study without tympanocentesis, the OME resolved spontaneously in 5 days. A monkey given non-allergic serum did not develop OME after ragweed antigen challenge via politzerization as described above. Another juvenile monkey passively sensitized with allergic serum was challenged by nasopharyngeal insufflation without eustachian tube entry of the ragweed pollen and no OME developed. Studies thus far of the MEE obtained by tympanocentesis have shown no bacterial organisms by gram stain or culture. A monkey model of IgE mediated MEE has been developed to study the pathogenesis and therapy of OME.
Identification of residues that contribute to receptor activation through the analysis of compensatory mutations in the G protein-coupled alpha-factor receptor.

The α-factor receptor (Ste2p) stimulates mating of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Ste2p belongs to the large family of G protein-coupled receptors that are characterized by seven transmembrane α-helices. Receptor activation is thought to involve changes in the packing of the transmembrane helix bundle. To identify residues that contribute to Ste2p activation, second-site suppressor mutations were isolated that restored function to defective receptors carrying either an F204S or Y266C substitution which affect residues at the extracellular ends of transmembrane domains 5 and 6, respectively. Thirty-five different suppressor mutations were identified. On their own, these mutations caused a range of phenotypes, including hypersensitivity, constitutive activity, altered ligand binding, and loss of function. The majority of the mutations affected residues in the transmembrane segments that are predicted to face the helix bundle. Many of the suppressor mutations caused constitutive receptor activity, sugge...
Sequences of polycythemia-type Friend spleen focus-forming virus in clone-745-derived mouse erythroleukemia cells

Friend leukemia virus complex consists of a replication-competent virus plus one of two replication-incompetent viruses, spleen focus-forming virus anemia virus or spleen focus-forming virus polycythemia virus. The replication-incompetent viruses induce rapid malignant transformation of erythroid precursor cells. Transformed cell lines from mice infected with the complex can be induced to undergo erythrodifferentiation in vitro. However, lines containing the anemia-type virus require erythropoietin and another agent such as dimethyl sulfoxide for optimal erythrodifferentiation, whereas those containing the polycythemia-type virus do not require or respond to erythropoietin. Mice infected with the original Friend virus isolates were anemic, so sub-lines derived from these mice should be erythropoietin-dependent for induction of erythrodifferentiation. However, many of the widely studied sub-lines are erythropoietin-independent. In order to clarify this apparent anomaly, the genomes of viruses present in two commonly used erythropoietin-independent sub-lines were sequenced. Sequence analysis demonstrates that they contain the polycythemia-type virus and not the anemia-type virus.
Ouabain-sensitive H,K-ATPase functions as Na,K-ATPase in apical membranes of rat distal colon.

Na,K-ATPase activity has been identified in the apical membrane of rat distal colon, whereas ouabain-sensitive and ouabain-insensitive H,K-ATPase activities are localized solely to apical membranes. This study was designed to determine whether apical membrane Na,K-ATPase represented contamination of basolateral membranes or an alternate mode of H,K-ATPase expression. An antibody directed against the H,K-ATPase α subunit (HKcα) inhibited apical Na,K-ATPase activity by 92% but did not alter basolateral membrane Na,K-ATPase activity. Two distinct H,K-ATPase isoforms exist; one of which, the ouabain-insensitive HKcα, has been cloned. Because dietary sodium depletion markedly increases ouabain-insensitive active potassium absorption and HKcα mRNA and protein expression, Na,K-ATPase and H,K-ATPase activities and protein expression were determined in apical membranes from control and sodium-depleted rats. Sodium depletion substantially increased ouabain-insensitive H,K-ATPase activity and HKcα protein expression by 109–250% but increased ouabain-sensitive Na,K-ATPase and H,K-ATPase activities by only 30% and 42%, respectively. These studies suggest that apical membrane Na,K-ATPase activity is an alternate mode of ouabain-sensitive H,K-ATPase and does not solely represent basolateral membrane contamination.
A shock tube study of cyclopentane and cyclohexane ignition at elevated pressures

Ignition delay times for cyclopentane/air and cyclohexane/air mixtures were measured in a shock tube at temperatures of 847–1379 K, pressures of 11–61 atm, and equivalence ratios of ϕ = 1.0, 0.5, and 0.25. Ignition times were determined using electronically excited OH emission monitored through the shock tube endwall and piezoelectric pressure measurements made in the shock tube sidewall. The dependence of ignition time on pressure, temperature, and equivalence ratio is quantified and correlations for ignition time formulated. Measured ignition times are compared to kinetic modeling predictions from four recently published mechanisms. The data presented provide a database for the validation of cycloalkane kinetic mechanisms at the elevated pressures found in practical combustion engines. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 40: 624–634, 2008
EFFECTS OF ROMANTIC LOVE ON PERCEPTION OF STRANGERS' PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS

Summary.-The present study was designed to determine whether re mantic love affects perceptions of physical attractiveness. Individuals were given the Rubin Scale of Romantic Love either before or after being asked to rate an opposite-sexed stimulus-person on physical attractiveness. Based on the love scale data subjects were classified as being or not being in love. Subjects who were classified as being in love gave a significantly higher mean rating of physical amactiveness but only if they had filled out the love scale and been reminded of their romantic partner before being asked to rate a stimulus-person on physical attractiveness. After avoiding research on the effects of physical attractiveness, psychologists have recently collected much data attesting to the importance of physical attractiveness in various situations. Research has concerned effects of physical attractiveness in specific situations and in specific decisions, e.g., dating, performance evaluations, etc. (Aronson, 1969; Berscheid & Walster, 1974). Recently psychologists have begun to study not only the factors influenced by physical atcractiveness but also which factors affect the perception of physical attractiveness. For example, Kenrich and Gutierres (1980) found that the levels of physical attractiveness to which an individual is adapted will influence ratings of physical attractiveness. Gross and Crofton ( 1977) noted that perception of physical attractiveness is influenced by the target person's personality. The present study concerned another variable, romantic love, which is often described as passionate, emotional, intense, and arousing (Hatfield & Walster, 1978). Research has shown that arousal leads to a heightened response to romantic others (Carducci, Crosby, & Ward, 1978; Dermer & Pyszczynski, 1978). Assuming that romantic love can be considered arousing, it follows that love should modify an individual's perception of another's physical attractiveness in the same way that arousal has been shown to affect feelings of attractiveness or desirability (Dutton & Aron, 1974; White, Fishbein, & Rutsein, 1981). Based on the previously mentioned research, it was hypothesized that individuals who were in love with another would respond intensely toward a target person and rate the target person as more attractive than an individual who was not in love.
Microstructure, Mechanical Properties and Wear Resistance of WC/Co Nanocomposites

The microstructure, mechanical properties, abrasion and wear resistance of WC-Co nanocomposites synthesized by the spray conversion technique by McCandlish, Kear and Kim have been investigated. The binder phase of WC-Co nanocomposites is enriched in W and C, compared to conventional cermets. Small amorphous regions exist in the binder despite the slow cooling after liquid phase sintering. Few dislocations are found in the WC grains. The increased WC content and the amorphous regions modify (i.e. strengthen) the binder phase of the composites. Vickers indentation measurements show a hardness of the nanocomposites reaching 2310 kg/mm2. While the toughness of conventional cermets decreases with increasing hardness, the toughness does not decrease further as the WC grain size decreases from 0.7 to 0.07 μm. but remains constant at 8 MPam1/2. Scratches caused by a diamond indenter are small, commensurate with their hardness. These scratches are ductile, devoid of the grain fracture that is observed with conventional materials. The abrasions resistance of nanocomposites is about double that of conventional materials, although their hardness is larger by 23% only. This is due to the lack of WC grain fragmentation and removal which takes place in conventional cermets. Sliding wear resistance of WC/Co is proportional to their hardness; no additional benefit of nanostructure is obtained. This results from the very small size of adhesive wear events in even large WC grains.
Symptomatic Macromastia: A Quality of Life Evaluation after Reduction Mammaplasty

Abstract: The aim of this retrospective study is to present the severity of symptoms and clinical signs attributed to macromastia and the extent to which reduction mammaplasty relieves them. We studied, both by specially designed questionnaires and review of their clinical records, 92 patients, aged 18–64 years, who underwent bilateral reduction mammaplasty for symptomatic macromastia. The most common symptoms were breast pain and discomfort, shoulder grooving and pain, back and neck pain, intertrigo, and in one case, ulnar paraesthesia. The mean weight of removed tissue from each breast was 720 g. The complication rate was 11%, the most frequent being postoperative infection. The mean follow-up period was 27 months. Postoperatively 88 patients presented with significant improvement of symptoms, whereas in 3 patients the breast discomfort persisted apparently due to residual fibrocystic elements. The majority of patients would recommend the operation to friends and relatives with macromastia. The significant degree of symptom recess supports the reconstructive value of reduction mammaplasty.
Improved smoothing of an altimetric ocean‐tide model with global Proudman functions

SUMMARY A set of global Proudman functions, computed on a 2" finite-difference grid, is used to smooth raw tidal estimates previously derived by Cartwright and Ray from a two-year analysis of Geosat altimeter data. The least-squares problem provides an interesting application of ridge regression and Hansen's L-curve analysis. The final smoothed maps are found to agree more closely to a set of 80 'ground-truth' constants than did the original tidal models.
Winner Take All in the NFL: The Effect of the Salary Cap and Free Agency on the Compensation of Skill Position Players

In an earlier paper, Kowalewski and Leeds showed that free agency and the salary cap brought profound changes to the level and nature of players’ salaries in the National Football League (NFL). Their study is limited, however, by the fact that—unlike most other professional athletes—football players are evaluated by position-specific statistics. The authors improve on their earlier work by performing quantile regressions on data for specific positions to show how free agency and the salary cap affected compensation. They show that the new bargaining regime greatly increased the reward to performance.
Method to improve setup and overlay performance on an excimer laser stepper using a unique DUV resist: KRS

Accurate stepper setup is essential for getting good overlay performance on product wafers. As part of a typical stepper setup procedure, one or more wafers are exposed, developed, aligned to the initial exposure, and then exposed again in order to determine the x/y baseline position and grid rotation. By removing the wafer from the chuck for processing (baking and development) before the alignment and exposure, both pre-aligner and stage errors are introduced. If the alignment and second exposure could be made without removing the wafer from the stepper chuck, these two sources of error could be eliminated. This is possible if the resist has a strong and immediate latent image after exposure.
A Mechanism for the Recurrence of Wintertime Midlatitude SST Anomalies

Abstract In the early 1970s, Namias and Born speculated that ocean temperature anomalies created over the deep mixed layer in winter could be preserved in the summer thermocline and reappear at the surface in the following fall or winter. This hypothesis is examined using upper-ocean temperature observations and simulations with a mixed layer model. The data were collected at six ocean weather stations in the North Atlantic and North Pacific. Concurrent and lead-lag correlations are used to investigate temperature variations associated with the seasonal cycle in both the observations and the model simulations. Concurrent correlations between the surface and subsurface temperature anomalies in both the data and the model indicate that the penetration of temperature anomalies into the ocean is closely tied to the seasonal cycle in mixed layer depth: high correlations extend to relatively deep (shallow) depths in winter (summer). Lead-lag correlations in both the data and the model, at some of the stations, ...
Effects of a high-fat—sucrose diet on enzymes in homocysteine metabolism in the rat

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HH) and hyperinsulinemia are both risk factors for cardiovascular disease. To examine the effects of hyperinsulinemia on homocysteine metabolism, we fed rats a high-fat—sucrose (HFS) diet and then measured the hepatic mRNA and activity of 2 key enzymes involved in this metabolic pathway: 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and cystathionine-β-synthase (CβS). Fischer rats made insulin-resistant by a HFS diet were examined at 6 months and 2 years of age and compared with control rats fed a low-fat, complex-carbohydrate (LFCC) diet. At the end of 6 months, the HFS rats were heavier than the LFCC rats (214 ± 3.4 v 188 ± 1.4 g, P v 14.5 ± 2.9 μU/mL; homocysteine, 10.77 ± 0.9 v 6.89 ± 0.34 μmol/L, P v 0.64 U/mg, P = .0001), and this decrease was reflected in a decrease of the CβS mRNA concentration. In contrast, hepatic MTHFR enzyme activity and mRNA concentration were significantly elevated in the HFS group compared with controls (HFS and LFCC, 8.62 and 4.8 nmol/h/mg protein, respectively, P = .0001). These changes in plasma homocysteine, CβS, and MTHFR were significantly correlated with the degree of obesity and hyperinsulinemia. Fasting plasma insulin correlated significantly and positively with plasma homocysteine ( r = .51, P r = .48, P r = −.54, P r = −.58, P
Fecundity and fitness in cross-compatible pollinations of tristylous North American Lythrum salicaria populations

As heterostyly and self incompatibility are linked in tristylous L. salicaria, all cross-compatible pollinations – those between anthers and styles of the same level – should produce viable seed. The rigor of this theory was tested using seed set and germination of cross-compatible pollinations in 18 naturalized L. salicaria populations in Minnesota/Wisconsin (n=342 genotypes; n=86 shorts, n=127 mids, and n=129 longs). Seed set for short-styled genotypes ranged from zero to 135 (36+38); mids–0–156, (53+39), and longs–0–151 (59+39). Mean seed set per capsule was not significantly different for mids and longs, but both were significantly greater than that of shorts (F=14, P 0.5). A sporophytic incompatibility model is proposed with a minimum of three specificities. Zero seed set in compatible crosses is due to the addition of alleles from L. alatum, a distylous species that forms introgressive hybrids with L. salicaria. Reduced fecundity could increase the deficiency of shorts, and significantly greater seed germination of shorts could explain the continued presence of short-styled individuals in L. salicaria populations.
Quantum geometry and gravitational entropy

Most quantum states have wavefunctions that are widely spread over the accessible Hilbert space and hence do not have a good description in terms of a single classical geometry. In order to understand when geometric descriptions are possible, we exploit the AdS/CFT correspondence in the half-BPS sector of asymptotically AdS_5 x S5 universes. In this sector we devise a"coarse-grained metric operator" whose eigenstates are well described by a single spacetime topology and geometry. We show that such half-BPS universes have a non-vanishing entropy if and only if the metric is singular, and that the entropy arises from coarse-graining the geometry. Finally, we use our entropy formula to find the most entropic spacetimes with fixed asymptotic moments beyond the global charges.
An improved protocol for determining ratios of retinol-d4 to retinol isolated from human plasma

An improved protocol for assessing vitamin A status in humans using stable isotope dilution is described. Human subjects were given an oral dose of retinyl-d4 acetate, and blood specimens were collected after a period of pseudoequilibration. After the precipitation of proteins, the plasma was extracted with hexane and partitioned against acetonitrile. Retinol was isolated from the acetonitrile fraction using HPLC, and the retinol was converted to its tert-butyldimethylsilyl ether and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry using selected-ion monitoring. The new method allows for more rapid isolation of retinol from plasma with fewer interferences than were seen in our earlier work. Significant improvements in the reliability, sensitivity, and precision of the method have been obtained in the present study, and these improvements should allow for the use of smaller doses of isotopically labeled vitamin A for evaluation of the vitamin A status of human populations.
Information technology in developing countries

Broadly defined, any technology has three aspects: hardware, software and orgware - the last, orgware, standing for the organization of man and machines to take advantage of the hardward and software in the provision of certain valuable functions of the technology. This concept is particularly important for information technologies. The national strategy for a developing country vis-a-vis information technologies may be considered from two perspectives: acquisition from foreign countries and development by indigenous institutions. Given the many demands on its resources and the shortage of technical specialists, a developing country would probably be better off not to enter into hardware development in the foreseeable future in the field of information technologies. On the other hand, some of the most advanced hardware may be acquired from foreign countries even if this hardware is not being utilized by the industrialized countries themselves. From the perspective of indigenous development of information technologies, using domestic capabilities and institutions, it appears that a developing country should focus on software and orgware development. To be successful, these developments must take into account the domestic, social, cultural and institutional heritages - something which cannot really be accomplished by foreign scientists and engineers. 8 references, 1 table.
Selective recruitment of TAFs by yeast upstream activating sequences. Implications for eukaryotic promoter structure.

Abstract The general transcription factor TFIID is composed of the TATA box binding protein (TBP) and multiple TBP-associated factors (TAFs) [1–3]. In yeast, promoters can be grouped into two classes based on the involvement of TAFs [4, 5]. TAF-dependent (TAF dep ) promoters require TAFs for transcription, and TBP and TAFs are present at comparable levels on these promoters. TAF-independent (TAF ind ) promoters do not require TAFs for activity, and TAFs are either absent or present at levels far below those of TBP on these promoters. Here, we demonstrate that the upstream activating sequence (UAS) mediates the selective recruitment of TAFs to TAF dep promoters. A TAF ind UAS fails to recruit TAFs and to direct efficient transcription when inserted upstream of a TAF dep core promoter. This transcriptional defect can be overcome by a potent activator, indicating that a strong activation domain can compensate for the absence of TAFs on a TAF dep core promoter. Our results reveal a requirement for compatibility between the UAS and core promoter and thus help explain previous reports that only certain yeast UAS-core promoter combinations and mammalian enhancer-promoter combinations are efficiently transcribed [6–11]. The differential recruitment of TAFs by UASs provides strong evidence for the proposal that in vivo TAFs are the targets of some, but not all, activators.
Optical DC overlay measurement in the 2nd level process of 65 nm alternating phase shift mask

ABSTRACT Alternating phase shift mask (APSM) techniques help bridge the significant gap between the lithography wavelength and the patterning of minimum features, specifically, the poly line of 35 nm gate length (1x) in Intels 65 nm technology. One of key steps in making APSM mask is to pattern to within the design tolerances the 2 nd level resist so that the zero-phase apertures will be protected by the resist and the pi-phase apertures will be wide open for quartz etch. The ability to align the 2 nd level to the 1 st level binary pattern, i.e. the 2 nd level overlay capability is very important, so is the capability of measuring the overlay accurately. Poor overlay could cause so-called the encroachment after quartz etch, producing undesired quartz bumps in the pi-apertures or quartz pits in the zero-apertures. In this paper, a simple, low-cost optical setup for the 2 nd level DC (develop check) overlay measur ements in the high volume manufacturing (HVM) of APSM masks is presented. By removing systematic errors in overlay associated with TIS and MIS (tool-induced shift and Mask-process induced shift), it is shown th at this setup is capable of supporting the measurement of DC overlay with a tolerance as small as +/- 25 nm. The outstanding issues, such as DC overlay error component analysis, DC  FC (final check) overlay correlation and th e overlay linearity (periphery vs. indie), are discussed. Keywords: Mask, APSM, Optical, Overlay, 2
Nano doesn't have a marketing problem… yet

Successful engagement with the public about emerging technologies has little to do with marketing, but relies on the same principles.
Abstract 1417: CXCR2 plays critical roles in colitis and colitis-associated cancer through trafficking of myeloid-derived suppressor cells.

A large body of evidence indicates that chronic inflammation is a risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC). However, all of the mechanisms by which inflammation promotes CRC development are not fully understood. Our lab previously showed that PGE2 promotes CRC progression through angiogenic chemokine CXCL1 (Wang et al., 2006). CXCL1 exerts its downstream functions via binding to its receptor, CXCR2, which is a G-protein-coupled receptor. Our previous study showed that CXCR2 expression is also elevated mainly in endothelial and immune cells of human colorectal carcinomas. CXCR2 is expressed on neutrophils and involved in neutrophil trafficking. These results prompted us to hypothesize that CXCR2 may be one of mediators connecting inflammation and CRC. To address this question, preliminary experiments were performed to determine whether CXCR2 is involved in inflammation-enhanced CRC progression. Our results revealed that deletion of CXCR2 significantly attenuated AOM/DSS induction of chronic colonic inflammation and tumor burden, suggesting that CXCR2 is required for promoting chronic inflammation and tumor formation and growth in the colon. Among immunocytes we tested, loss of CXCR2 only significantly suppressed a massive infiltration of MDSCs (CD11b+Ly6G+) into the colonic mucosa in both normal (water treatment) and chronic inflammatory (DSS treatment) conditions. We further found that the status of CXCR2 did not affect MDSC populations in the bone marrow of mice treated with either water or DSS. Interestingly, treatment with DSS more dramatically reduced MDSC populations in the circulatory system of WT mice than of CXCR2 knockout mice, suggesting that CXCR2-deficient MDSCs have less ability to migrate to local organs. Our in vitro results further demonstrated that treatment with CXCL1 or CXCL5 were able to induce chemotaxis of WT-mice derived MDSCs but not MDSCs isolated from CXCR2-/- mice. Collectively, these results suggest that CXCR2-expressing MDSCs contribute to chronic inflammation and colitis-associated tumor formation and growth. Our findings are novel and provide a rationale for development of new therapeutic approaches to subvert tumor-induced immunosuppression by using CXCR2 antagonists and neutralized antibodies. Citation Format: Hiroshi Katoh, Dingzhi Wang, Sun-Hee Kim, Raymond N. DuBois. CXCR2 plays critical roles in colitis and colitis-associated cancer through trafficking of myeloid-derived suppressor cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1417. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1417
USE OF THE FLUORESCENT CALCITE MARKER CALCEIN TO LABEL FORAMINIFERAL TESTS

We describe a novel application of the fluorescent compound calcein (Bis[N,N-bis(carboxymethyl)aminomethyl]-fluorescein), which was used to fluorescently label foraminiferal calcite. Foraminifers that were incubated in a 10 mg L−1 solution of calcein and seawater precipitated normal-looking chambers during and after calcein incubation, which lasted up to three weeks. The survival rate of specimens incubated in calcein was similar to that of control specimens; some specimens reproduced during or after calcein exposure. Thus, this calcein-tagging method is non-lethal. Chambers precipitated during calcein incubation fluoresced a yellow-green when viewed with epifluorescence or laser scanning confocal microscopy (470 nm excitation, 500 nm emission). When viewed alternatively with reflected light, chambers formed after calcein incubation were easily distinguished from calcein-marked chambers, because calcite precipitated after calcein exposure does not fluoresce. Fluorescence is retained through fixation and air drying, thus the signal can be viewed in archived specimens. The method was executed on specimens from 15 species collected from three habitats with diferent environmental conditions. Results indicate that calcein is incorporated by all 15 species. The method has a number of potential applications, including experiments aimed at identifying benthic foraminifers that are faithful recorders of paleoceanographic proxies, as well as field studies to assess locations and chronology of foraminiferal calcification.
Equatorial Waves in the Presence of Air-Sea Heat Exchange

Abstract Changes in propagation of free linear waves on the equatorial β-plane associated with air-sea heat exchange are in investigated here. By using a mixed-layer model, with the waves considered as perturbations on a specified basic state, the usual separability problems are avoided and the sea surface temperature is carried as a prognostic variable. The heat exchange is limited to that associated with turbulent fluxes, and a simplified air-sea transfer function allows analytic solutions of the various equatorial modes. The problem is reduced to the classical solutions for a single vertical mode with the air-sea heat flux and mixed layer entrainment feedback effects cast in terms of three adjustments scales: an atmospheric adjustment length scale and two oceanic adjustment time scales, one for the response to surface fluxes and one for the response to entrainment. In order for the feedback to have any effect, both surface fluxes and entrainment must be included. Propagation speeds of the equatorial wa...
Use and Abuse of Appetite-Suppressant Drugs in the Treatment of Obesity

Most of the available appetite-suppressant drugs act on noradrenergic and possibly dopaminergic receptors to produce satiety. A smaller number increase excess neuronal serotonin levels by blocking ...