cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Portfolio Diversification for an Intermediary Energy Storage Merchant

Deploying a certain capacity of storage assets in a renewable-only generation portfolio is unarguably imperative to maintain system reliability. These storage assets can be owned and managed by utilities, renewable energy developers, system operator, or any private merchant. Intermediary storage merchant can invest on these storage assets through capacity contracts. Investing on capacity contracts is risky owing to the inherent uncertainties in the energy market and renewable energy generation. By contracting a selected set of geographically diverse storage assets, the merchant can mitigate the risk of revenue loss and improve the return profile. This paper aims to determine the optimal storage portfolio for the merchant from a risk averse perspective. We formulate this problem as a tri-level stochastic optimization program. The upper level minimizes the aggregate risk for the intermediary merchant, the mid-level maximizes the expected profit for the owner of the non-contracted storage assets, and the lower level clears a day-ahead electricity market. The proposed tri-level problem is reformulated as a bi-level program and solved by column-and-constraint generation technique. The experiments are conducted on an IEEE 24-bus and 96-bus systems, and the generation is assumed to be wind and solar only. The impact of regional and geographical diversification on the created portfolios is studied.
Impact of a Standardized Multimodal Analgesia Protocol on Opioid Prescriptions After Common Arthroscopic Procedures.

Background:Excessive prescription of opioids has become a national problem. Providers must attempt to decrease the amount of opioids prescribed while still providing patients with adequate pain rel...
Omental Flap Coverage for Management of Thoracic Aortic Graft Infection.

Background Since the first reported use of prosthetic aortic grafts, infection has remained a feared complication. Pedicled omentum is the preferred flap in managing thoracic aortic graft infection (TAGI); however the literature is sparse. The authors present their experience with TAGI managed with pedicled omental flaps. Methods A single-institutional review from 2007 to 2018 was performed to analyze postoperative outcomes of omental flap reconstruction, performed by 2 surgeons, after a confirmed diagnosis of TAGI. The primary outcomes of overall complication rate, 30-day mortality, and in-hospital mortality were evaluated with univariate analysis. Results Twenty patients requiring omental flap reconstruction after TAGI met inclusion criteria. The patient cohort included 14 men and 6 women with a mean age of 60.6 ± 12.9 years and a mean Charlson comorbidity index of 3.3 ± 2.1. Nine patients (45%) received omental flap reconstruction at the time of incipient TAGI surgical management by the cardiothoracic surgery team, whereas 11 patients received delayed reconstruction (mean, 6.22 days [range, 1-27]). The most common complications were graft leak (20%) and pseudoaneurysm (25%), with only 1 patient developing recurrent infection. Overall 30-day mortality was 20%. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and delayed omental flap reconstruction were associated with 30-day mortality (P = .04). Four of 11 patients (36.4%) who received delayed omental flap reconstruction died within 30 days, whereas 0 of 9 patients (0%) in the immediate omental coverage group died within 30 days (P = .043). Conclusions High mortality rates associated with TAGI exemplify the challenges associated with this disease process and patient population. Pedicled omentum is a safe adjunct with promising results to the management of TAGI while significantly reducing the risk of reinfection.
Human rights within one state: Dilemmas of personhood in liberal constitutional thought

Although there is little talk of ‘human rights’ in US constitutional law, the rights of ‘persons’ have long been among its core concerns. The constructions of personhood and human rights are, of course, distinct in some crucial ways; they nonetheless share a great deal, not least in their concern with protections of individuals from various forms of political and social harm. It is, therefore, worthwhile to examine whether the use of the legal concept of ‘personhood’ in the national constitutional setting offers insights which are applicable to the legal and social theory of human rights, especially with regard to migrants.
Strategies to Leverage Contractor Experience

AbstractThe construction manager/general contractor project delivery method is a relatively new approach for contracting public infrastructure projects in America. While added later to the Federal ...
Abstract 306: Guideline-based Strategies for Improving Control of High Blood Pressure: The 2019 Acc/Aha Performance and Quality Measures for Adults With High Blood Pressure

Despite a 27% reduction in all-cause mortality from targeting a systolic blood pressure of &lt 120 mm Hg, as compared with &lt 140 mm Hg, existing quality measures from the NCQA for controlling HBP...
A potential role for Galectin-3 inhibitors in the treatment of COVID-19

The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. With no standard of care for the treatment of COVID-19, there is an urgent need to identify therapies that may be effective in treatment. Recent evidence has implicated the development of cytokine release syndrome as the major cause of fatality in COVID-19 patients, with elevated levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) observed in patients. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is an animal lectin that has been implicated in the disease process of a variety of inflammatory conditions. Inhibitors of the small molecule Gal-3 have been shown to reduce the levels of both IL-6 and TNF-α in vitro and have shown anti-inflammatory effects in vivo. Additionally, a key domain in the spike protein of β-coronaviridae, a genus which includes SARS-CoV2, is nearly identical in morphology to human Gal-3. These spike proteins are critical for the virus' entry into host cells. Here we provide a systematic review of the available literature and an impetus for further research on the use of Gal-3 inhibitors in the treatment of COVID-19. Further, we propose a dual mechanism by which Gal-3 inhibition may be beneficial in the treatment of COVID-19, both suppressing the host inflammatory response and impeding viral attachment to host cells.
From Maternal Impressions to Eugenics: Pregnancy and Inheritance in the Nineteenth-Century U.S.

This essay examines the theory of maternal impressions, the belief that a woman’s experiences or emotions during pregnancy could explain congenital disability or emotional/ behavior differences in her child and asks why this theory circulated as an explanation for disability seen at birth by both medical doctors and in literature for far longer than it did across the Atlantic. By presenting examples from nineteenth-century medical literature, popular fiction, maternal handbooks, and two canonical works of literature, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and Harriet Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave, I argue that maternal impressions worked to maintain anxiety for women, and particular white women, to ensure they felt responsible if anything was “wrong” with their child. Ultimately, I show how maternal impressions was both an ableist and racialized understanding of inheritance that wouldn’t be discarded until the emergence of eugenics in the early twentieth century.
Are Female CEOs Really More Risk Averse? Examining Economic Downturn and Other-Orientation:

Scholars and practitioners have offered anecdotal evidence that firms led by female chief executive officers (CEOs) fare better during global recession, perhaps because they take fewer risks. In co...
A community-based group randomized trial to increase aspirin use for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: Study protocol and baseline results for the "Ask About Aspirin" initiative.

Abstract Background USPSTF evidence-based recommendations for the use of low-dose aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease were published in 2009. We describe a statewide campaign using innovative methods to educate the public and health communities about appropriate aspirin use. Methods/design The “Ask About Aspirin” initiative is designed to lower the number of first heart attacks and strokes in the State of Minnesota by promoting the appropriate use of low dose aspirin. A health system intervention combined with an aspirin awareness media campaign will be evaluated in a pragmatic group randomized controlled trial including 267 primary care clinics within 84 health systems over a four year period. Matched pairs of geographic territories will be randomized to intervention (12 territories) or control (12 territories). The primary outcome of appropriate aspirin use will be measured at the individual level, by community-based telephone surveys of 100 participants in each of the 24 geographically determined clusters. Discussion We briefly describe the rationale for the interventions being studied, as well as the major design choices. Rigorous research designs such as the one described here are necessary to determine whether evidence-based recommendations can be effectively disseminated in multiple health systems. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02607917 .
Utility of PSA Density in Predicting Upgraded Gleason Score in Men on Active Surveillance With Negative MRI.

Abstract Objectives To determine whether PSA density (PSAD), can sub-stratify risk of biopsy upgrade among men on active surveillance (AS) with normal baseline MRI. Methods We identified a cohort of patients with low and favorable intermediate-risk prostate cancer on AS at two large academic centers from February 2013 - December 2017. Analysis was restricted to patients with GG1 cancer on initial biopsy and a negative baseline or surveillance mpMRI, defined by the absence of PI-RADS 2 or greater lesions. We assessed ability of PSA, prostate volume and PSAD to predict upgrading on confirmatory biopsy. Results We identified 98 patients on AS with negative baseline or surveillance mpMRI. Median PSA at diagnosis was 5.8 ng/mL and median PSAD was 0.08 ng/mL/mL. Fourteen men (14.3%) experienced Gleason upgrade at confirmatory biopsy. Patients who were upgraded had higher PSA (7.9 vs 5.4 ng/mL, P = .04), PSAD (0.20 vs 0.07 ng/mL/mL, P Conclusion PSAD reliably discriminated the risk of Gleason upgrade at confirmatory biopsy among men with low-grade prostate cancer with negative MRI. PSAD could be clinically implemented to reduce the intensity of surveillance for a subset of patients.
Weakly supervised pneumonia localization in chest X-rays using generative adversarial networks.

PURPOSE Automatic localization of pneumonia on chest X-rays (CXRs) is highly desirable both as an interpretive aid to the radiologist and for timely diagnosis of the disease. However, pneumonia's amorphous appearance on CXRs and complexity of normal anatomy in the chest present key challenges that hinder accurate localization. Existing studies in this area are either not optimized to preserve spatial information of abnormality or depend on expensive expert-annotated bounding boxes. We present a novel generative adversarial network (GAN)-based machine learning approach for this problem, which is weakly supervised (does not require any location annotations), was trained to retain spatial information, and can produce pixel-wise abnormality maps highlighting regions of abnormality (as opposed to bounding boxes around abnormality). METHODS Our method is based on the Wasserstein GAN framework and, to the best of our knowledge, the first application of GANs to this problem. Specifically, from an abnormal CXR as input, we generated the corresponding pseudo normal CXR image as output. The pseudo normal CXR is the "hypothetical" normal, if the same abnormal CXR were not to have any abnormalities. We surmise that the difference between the pseudo normal and the abnormal CXR highlights the pixels suspected to have pneumonia and hence is our output abnormality map. We trained our algorithm on an "unpaired" data set of abnormal and normal CXRs and did not require any location annotations such as bounding boxes/segmentations of abnormal regions. Furthermore, we incorporated additional prior knowledge/constraints into the model and showed that they help improve localization performance. We validated the model on a data set consisting of 14 184 CXRs from the Radiological Society of North America pneumonia detection challenge. RESULTS We evaluated our methods by comparing the generated abnormality maps with radiologist annotated bounding boxes using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, image similarity metrics such as normalized cross-correlation/mutual information, and abnormality detection rate.We also present visual examples of the abnormality maps, covering various scenarios of abnormality occurrence. Results demonstrate the ability to highlight regions of abnormality with the best method achieving an ROC area under the curve (AUC) of 0.77 and a detection rate of 85%.The GAN tended to perform better as prior knowledge/constraints were incorporated into the model. CONCLUSIONS We presented a novel GAN based approach for localizing pneumonia on CXRs that (1) does not require expensive hand annotated location ground truth; and (2) was trained to produce abnormality maps at the pixel level as opposed to bounding boxes. We demonstrated the efficacy of our methods via quantitative and qualitative results.
Straight out of Cape Cod: The origin of community choice aggregation and its spread to other states

Abstract This policy history describes how community choice aggregation was created in Massachusetts by a small group of advocates and subsequently spread across the US. Twenty-one interviews with key participants, primary materials from government and personal archives, and newspaper articles were used to attribute and corroborate these events. A new finding is that community choice aggregation was created as part of electric sector restructuring efforts in Massachusetts in 1997, but that this new policy was barely perceived by many stakeholders in the larger restructuring process, and was included by legislators in response to advocates who organized local governments through direct democracy strategies. Kingdon’s multiple streams approach provides a useful framework to understand how organizing by advocates led to successful passage of legislation in Massachusetts. The spread of community choice aggregation to other states occurred through organizing that combined advocacy with policy learning and emulation. CCA has since been adopted by more than 1800 local governments that represent more than 36 million people in six states. This article concludes by discussing the early outcomes, current status, and some prospective implications of community choice aggregation.
Privacy in context: the costs and benefits of a new deidentification method

The American public continues to be concerned about medical privacy. Policy research continues to show people's demand for health organizations to protect patient-specific data. Health organizations need personally identifiable data for unhampered decision making; however, identifiable data are often the basis of information abuse if such data are improperly disclosed. This thesis shows that health organizations may use deidentified data for key routine organizational operations. I construct a technology adoption model and investigate if a for-profit health insurer could use deidentified data for key internal software quality management applications. If privacy-related data are analyzed without rigor, little support is found to incorporate more privacy protections into such applications. Legal and financial motivations appear lacking. Adding privacy safeguards to such software programs apparently doesn't improve policy-holder care quality. Existing technical approaches do not readily allow for data deidentification while permitting key computations within the applications. A closer analysis of data reaches different conclusions. I describe the bills that are currently passing through Congress to mitigate abuses of identifiable data that exist within organizations. I create a cost and medical benefits model demonstrating the financial losses to the insurer and medical losses to its policy-holders due to less privacy protection within the routine software applications. One of the model components describes the Predictive Modeling application (PMA), used to identify an insurer's chronically-ill policy-holders. Disease management programs can enhance the care and reduce the costs of such individuals because improving such people's health can reduce costs to the paying organization. The model quantifies the decrease in care and rise in the insurer's claim costs as the PMA must work with suboptimal data due to policy-holders' privacy concerns regarding the routine software applications. I create a model for selecting variables to improve data linkage in software applications in general. An encryption-based approach, which allows for the secure linkage of records despite errors in linkage variables, is subsequently constructed. I test this approach as part of a general data deidentification method on an actual PMA used by health insurers. The PMA's performance is found to be the same as if executing on identifiable data. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Power, Distributive Conflicts, and Multiple Growth Paths

This article shows that multiple growth paths may occurin a politico-economic model of endogenous growth. This multiplicityis characterized by the coexistence of the low-tax, low-capital-flightequilibrium and a high-tax, high-capital-flight equilibrium.The likelihood of multiplicity is crucially related to the structureof power in society—namely, it is necessary that the politicallydecisive agents have a greater access to international capitalmarkets than the average in the economy.
Mg2+ dependence of guanine nucleotide binding to tubulin.

Abstract The relationship between the concentration of Mg2+ and the binding of GDP and GTP to tubulin dimers was investigated by measuring the displacement of the nucleotide bound at the exchangeable site (E-site) by radiolabeled GDP and GTP. A wide range of concentrations of GTP, GDP, and Mg2+ was explored. In the near absence of Mg2+, the affinity of tubulin for GDP was found to be much greater than its affinity for GTP. In the presence of 1.0 mM Mg2+, however, its affinity for GDP was slightly less than for GTP. The results could be quantitatively described in terms of a small number of reversible equilibria. Equilibrium constants, pertaining to measurements at 0 degrees C, in 0.1 M piperazine-N,N'-bis(2-ethanesulfonic acid), 0.2 mM dithioerythritol, 2 mM EGTA, pH 6.9, were obtained by nonlinear least squares fitting of the data. When the association constant of tubulin for GDP uncomplexed with Mg2+ was taken to be 1.6 X 10(7) M-1, that for uncomplexed GTP was found to be no larger than 1.4 x 10(4) M-1, at least 1100-fold smaller. The association constant of tubulin for the GDP.Mg2+ complex was found to be 2.5-2.7 x 10(7) M-1, while that for the GTP.Mg2+ complex is 6.4-9.0 x 10(7) M-1.
Neural network enhancement for a two speaker separation system

A multilevel perceptron has been used to perform critical classification tasks within an automated two-speech separation system. The neural network provides decisions as to the number of simultaneous speakers and their voicing state for each time frame of speech data. A small database of actual mixed speech has been recorded and digitized for evaluating the performance of the mixed speech separator. Results of tests made using these samples indicate that neural networks can make accurate judgments as to the nature of a mixed-speech waveform. >
Study of stick slip behavior in interface friction using optical fiber pull-out experiment

Experimental results are presented for the microscopic aspect of friction between two surfaces of dissimilar materials. The frictional behavior is studied using the fiber-pull-out experiment for glass/gold and glass/acrylate interfaces. The experiments are carried out with optical fibers of 125 and 200 μm diameters. The optical glass fiber coated with various layers such as 0.1 μm thick gold or 62.5 μm thick acrylate is imbedded in an epoxy matrix. Then the fiber is pulled out with various speeds. The frequency and amplitude of the stick slip friction is dependent on the speed of pulling, imbedded length of the fiber and the compliance of the system. The unstable sliding is believed not only due to the local constitutive behavior of the contact interface but also due to non-uniform sliding of the two deformable surfaces. The non- uniform sliding process of the two deformable surfaces is studied with photoelasticity and optical fiber signal processing. Delineating the non-uniform sliding process with the photomechanical experiment, the relaxation and creep behavior of interface friction may be modelled accurately.
Ghosts, Murderers, and the Semantics of Descriptions

It is widely agreed that sentences containing a non-denoting description embedded in the scope of a propositional attitude verb have true de dicto interpretations, and Russell's (1905) analysis of definite descriptions is often praised for its simple analysis of such cases, cf. e.g. Neale (1990). However, several people, incl. Elbourne (2005, 2009), Heim (1991), and Kripke (2005), have contested this by arguing that Russell's analysis yields incorrect predictions in non-doxastic attitude contexts. Heim and Elbourne have subsequently argued that once certain facts about presupposition projection are fully appreciated, the Frege/Strawson analysis of definite descriptions has an explanatory advantage. In this paper, I argue that both Russell's analysis and the Frege/Strawson analysis face a serious problem when it comes to the interaction of attitude verbs and definite descriptions. I argue that the problem observed by Elbourne, Heim, and Kripke is much more general than standardly assumed and that a solution requires a revision of the semantics of definite and indefinite descriptions. I outline the conditions that are required to solve the problem and present an analysis couched in dynamic semantics which can provide a solution. I conclude by discussing some further issues related to propositional attitude verbs that complicate a fully general solution to the problem.
Evaluation of Step Directions in Optimization Algorithms

We present a method for comparing that part of optimization algorithms that chooses each step direction. It is an example of a general approach to algorithm evaluation in which one tests specific parts of the algorithm, rather than making overall evaluations on a set of standard test problems. Our testing procedure can he useful for developing new algorithms and for writing and evaluating optimization software.We use the method to compare two versions of the conjugate gradient algorithm, and to compare these with an algorithm based on conic functions.
Surveying Louisiana: Cartographic Records in the Southeastern Architectural Archive

Architectural Archive (seaa.tulane.edu),1 a research repository located at Tulane University, houses cartographic materials associated with four generations of surveyors/engineers that document over 150 years of mapping endeavors. The records chronicle the region’s division into long lots, the creation and expansion of canals and sewerage systems, and the development of faubourgs and more recent subdivisions. The collection includes survey sketches, field notebooks, chain of title research, historic maps, auction announcements, and correspondence.
Palliative hemiskeletal irradiation for widespread metastatic prostate cancer: A comparison of single dose and fractionated regimens

Abstract Between 1986 and 1987 patients with hormone refractory metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate were treated with hemiskeletal irradiation. One group of 15 patients was treated with a fractionated regimen of 2500–3000 cGy in 9 to 10 fractions. A second group of 14 patients received a single dose of 600 cGy or 800 cGy depending upon whether the upper or lower hemiskeleton was irradiated. Both groups were similar with respect to their initial Karnofsky performance status and extent of disease. With the exception of one patient in the single dose group, all patients treated achieved complete or partial relief shortly after completion of their respective courses of therapy. Of the patients treated with single dose therapy, 10 of 14 (71%) ultimately needed retreatment in the region initially irradiated because of recurrent bone pain or spinal cord compression. In contrast, only 2 of 15 (13%) of the patients receiving the fractionated treatment course needed retreatment ( p = .001). Although the median survival of both groups from the time of initial treatments was similar (10 and 11 months), the median duration for palliation was greater for those patients receiving the fractionated regimen as compared with single dose therapy (8.5 months vs 2.8 months). The incidence of treatment related toxicity was similar for both groups. We conclude that fractionated hemiskeletal radiation is a more effective means of palliation when compared to single dose therapy.
Daughters and Mothers Exercising Together (DAMET): A 12-Week Pilot Project Designed to Improve Physical Self-Perception and Increase Recreational Physical Activity

This paper presents the results of a 12-week single-sex, family-based physical activity intervention grounded in Social Cognitive Theory. Mother/daughter pairs and triads (n = 20) attended physical activity and classroom sessions twice weekly. Physiological data (VO2peak, height, and weight), psychological data (physical self-perception profile subscale scores), information about physical activity participation (PAP, d x wk(-1)) and qualitative impressions (QI) of the program were collected pre- and post-intervention. PAP and QI were also collected 6-months after completing the intervention. Although no significant increases in physical activity were reported, significant improvements in perceived sport competence, physical condition, and strength and muscularity were reported over time. The social cognitive theory, as used to plan this physical activity intervention, offered a promising theoretical perspective for facilitating improved physical self-perception in adolescent girls and their mothers.
A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE E/ι PUZZLE

Apparent experimental conflict in the 1.4 GeV mass region for non-strange mesons can be resolved if there are three states: the 1.45 GeV iota, which is mainly gluonium; a 1.42 GeV 0/sup -/ predominantly ss-bar state, probably the missing eta' in the radially excited nonet; and a 1.42 GeV 1/sup +/ mainly light quark state, which does not fit in the 1/sup ++/ nonet. The third of these appears to a be a possible candidate for a four-quark meson.
The effect of solidification on the casting window after bubble entrainment

The objective of this work is to investigate the feasibility of extending the velocity boundary during the slot die casting of a polymer film, by studying the dynamics of entrained bubbles as they transition from the fluid to the solid phase. The solution of interest is a relatively high viscosity non-Newtonian solution. A 2D computational fluid dynamics model, using ANSYS FLUENT 13.0 software, was developed to analyze this behavior. The volume of fluid method and enthalpy–porosity technique were used to track the air (i.e., entrained bubbles) and fluid phases and the solidification of the solution, respectively. It has been found that for this class of solution, bubbles that are entrained in the fluid phase will not diffuse out of the fluid due to the stresses formed during solidification. Thus, for relatively high viscosity non-Newtonian solution, the upper boundary of the casting window cannot be extended after a defect has originated in the film during the casting process.
Possible excess tritium production on Pd codeposited with deuterium

Abstract Tritium production was measured in the liquid and gas phases on Pd codeposited with deuterium from PdCl2 + LiCl + D2O solutions. During two weeks of electrolysis, in four out of six cells, average excess tritium levels of 1.9 times in the gas phase and 1.6 times in the liquid phase were found over those expected from the separation factor. The largest excess of tritium found was three times that calculated theoretically from the separation factor. The excess tritium observed exhibited a ‘burst’ nature, both in the gas and liquid phases. On two occasions, where tritium production was within classical limits, no bursts were observed. A separation factor of 1.6 was measured in these two cells. This method has the advantage that the tritium concentration in the bulk of Pd was measured in solution before the Pd was deposited on an Au substrate.
Patronage, Per Diems and the 'Workshop Mentality': The Practice of Family Planning Programs in Southeastern Nigeria

Abstract This article examines the ways in which family planning program personnel in Nigeria appropriate population program resources and models of social change to suit local priorities. The family planning project discussed here was manipulated by local officials as an instrument of patronage in a manner that exemplified the benefits of having strong and reliable kinship networks. The article explains the “corruption” that characterizes donor-funded projects by situating the actions of project personnel in the context of local political economy and culture. The phenomenon of training workshops is examined to show how these workshops satisfy simultaneously the competing priorities of donors and local participants.
Loneliness and Sleep during Adolescence

Samples of 106 early, 111 middle, and 113 late adolescents responded to the UCLA Loneliness Scale and the VSH Sleep Scale. Statistically significant correlations showed greater loneliness was associated with greater sleep disturbance in early and middle adolescents but not in late adolescents. Both sleep effectiveness and amount of sleep were not appreciably correlated with loneliness during adolescence.
Quantitation of individual tocopherols in plasma, platelets, lipids, and livers by high-performance liquid chromatography

Abstract A rapid, sensitive procedure is described for the analysis of the tocopherols (α-, β-, γ-, and δ-) in plasma, platelets, lipids, and liver using high-performance liquid chromatography and fluorometric detection. Excellent recoveries of these tocopherols in plasma were obtained - greater than 90%. Separation and quantitation of the four tocopherols required as little as 0.2 ml plasma.
Prostaglandin and acyl chain effects on glutamate dehydrogenase activity

Prostaglandins A1 (PGA1), A2, B1, B2, E1, E2, F1α, F2α, and 19 esterified natural fatty acids were tested as effectors of beef liver glutamate dehydrogenase (L-glutamate: NAD(P)+, oxidoreductase [deaminating], EC 1.4.1.3). All prostaglandins tested are found to activate the enzyme initially, but only PGA2>PGB2≥PGA1 cause a subsequent time-dependent loss (not inhibition) of NADH oxidation activity. Both PGA1 and PGA2 desensitize glutamate dehydrogenase to allosteric activation by ADP, whereas PGA2 and PGB2 desensitize to allosteric inactivation by GTP. Preincubation of enzyme with diethylstilbestrol prevents the initial activation by the PG. Of the methyl esters, only prostaglandin precursors inactivated the enzyme. Simultaneous desensitization to the ADP and GTP allosteric effects resulted. Multiple esterification to glycerol or phospholipids enhanced the action of linoleoyl and diminished the action of linolenoyl chains. Preincubation of the PGA with glutathione or cysteine prevents the inactivation; i.e., the sulfhydryl binding region of the prostaglandin must be free for enzyme to be inactivated. Sulfhydryl reagents also protect the enzyme from the effects of the unsaturated acyl chains, and pHMB mimics acyl protection against GTP allosteric inactivation. Where the lipid effector is active against sulfhydryl groups, the desensitizations to the ADP and GTP allosteric effectors are reciprocal. The initial activation, subsequent inactivation and desensitization to ADP and GTP are all characteristic of binding in the estrogen-specific effector site, suggesting this site as the target for PG and acyl action. In the PGA2 activation, the effect is found to be amplified by the cooperativity of the enzyme at 1 PG molecule/6 molecules of GDH. We conclude from the action of the PG and structural analogs that the initial activation of glutamate dehydrogenase is caused by α,β-unsaturated monoketo cyclopental structures. GTP inhibition is blocked primarily by diketo structures which eventually inactivate the enzyme. ADP activation is blocked by sulfhydryl binding of the unsaturated cyclopental keto structure of the PG. Appearance of a 270 nm absorbance simultaneous to the acyl effects on the enzyme suggests that conjugated unsaturations are responsible for the precursor's qualitatively similar action to that of the PG.
Precision in mouse behavior genetics.

The intellectual paths some scientists have followed toward behavioral experimentation have traversed the physical sciences, as well as biology and other academic territories. Those who have studied physics may well be disposed to strive for a universal lawfulness, expressed quantitatively, in the demonstration of stimulus-response connections. This endeavor can be hard, because of the complexity of some stimuli and certain behavioral responses and because of the need to recognize and control the relevant environmental variables.
Year 15 and Preservation of Tax-Credit Housing for Low-Income Households: An Assessment of Risk

This paper examines the risk associated with the expiration of the initial 15-year period protecting affordability for housing units developed using the federal Low-Income Housing Tax-Credit (LIHTC). The paper finds that the primary determinants of risk for properties with credit allocated between 1987 and 1989 are reduced by three factors: whether not-for-profit sponsors are part of the ownership structure of the projects, the existence of additional affordability restrictions, and the rehabilitation costs associated with the conversion to market rental. The proportion of properties in need of rehabilitation increased substantially in the post-1989 period, representing a different type of risk for tax-credit projects. It is concluded that state agencies have the opportunity to promote and support preservation measures by adding additional affordability restrictions as part of any refinancing related to capital improvements, by supporting non-profit sponsorship of projects, and by providing funding for re...
Response of Mineral Soil Carbon to Clear-Cutting in a Northern Hardwood Forest

Northern New England is characterized by extensive forest cover (84%) and large reservoirs of soil carbon (C). There has been an increasing demand for forests to serve both as a C sink and a renewable energy source. Our understanding and management of the ecosystem C balance relies on accurate modeling of each compartment of the ecosystem. However, the dynamics of soil C storage with respect to forest use are poorly understood. For example, current regional models assume negligible mineral soil C loss after forest harvesting, while some studies on soil C demonstrate that belowground mineral soil C pools can be affected by disturbances at the soil surface. We investigated harvesting-related changes in mineral soil C to a depth of 60 cm in the Bartlett Experimental Forest in New Hampshire, USA. We found significantly lower concentrations of C in some recently harvested stands compared with >100-yr-old stands. Carbon concentrations among harvested stands varied significantly in all but the 0- to 10-cm depth increment. Mineral soil C pools were lower in some stands that had been harvested, with isolated significant differences occurring between the 120-yr-old stand and stands that were cut 5 or 55 yr before sampling. However, there were no trends in mineral soil C pools over time after harvest, and the isolated differences in C pools do not suggest widespread C loss with forest harvesting. When combined, stands that had been harvested within the last 100 yr had significantly lower C pools than the >100-yr-old stands. Further work is needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the observed loss of C after forest harvest. However, changes in C inputs and outputs to and from mineral soil in the decades following harvest could potentially lead to appreciable differences in C concentrations and pools across the landscape.
Command-and-control: Alternative futures of geoengineering in an age of global weirding

Abstract In July 2012, Russ George, the founder of Planktos Inc., organized efforts to dump 100 tons of iron sulfate off the coast of Canada to engineer a plankton bloom that would, ostensibly, absorb carbon dioxide and store it in the depths of the Pacific Ocean. As George's geoengineering experiment is one of the largest and first of its kind, many were quick to denounce his rogue action while others were delighted to see that he succeeded as a large algae bloom was reported to have emerged. Using the George event as a point of entry for exploring alternative futures of geoengineering in an age of global weirding, this project fuses the 2 × 2 scenario modeling technique with the “Mānoa School” four-futures method by situating command and control, along X (control) and Y (command) axes as two critical uncertainties and key drivers of change that will impact the design, development, and diffusion of climate mitigation engineering initiatives, which some see as holding the only solution to avert global catastrophe and others condemn as a postnormal remedy.
Hubrecht, Macfarlane, Jensen and Willmer: on the nature and testability of four versions of the nemertean theory of vertebrate origins

Four authors (A. A. W. Hubrecht, J. M. Macfarlane, D. D. Jensen and E. N. Willmer) have argued that nemerteans are the proximal invertebrate ancestors of vertebrates. While all these authors accept certain homologies (i.e. vertebrate pituitary and notochord with nemertean proboscis invagination and proboscis sheath or mesoderm), there is considerable variation among them in the derivation of the vertebrate nervous system, sense organs and foregut apertures. For example, Hubrecht suggests that the vertebrate nervous system developed from a solid dorsal nerve found in some nemerteans; Macfarlane suggests it developed by fusion of the left and right solid brains of nemerteans; Jensen suggests that the vertebrate tubular nervous system developed by the backward extension of the nemertean frontal organ and fusion with the nemertean dorsal and ventral brain ganglia. Modern EM, histochemical and biochemical methods can test empirically the four theories. Research testing these theories will also test the more popular acraniate theory, since that theory implies that vertebrate head structures evolved de novo in chordates and that no homologies should exist between vertebrate and nemertean head structures.
Knowledge of and perceived access to emergency contraception at two urgent care clinics in California.

Abstract Background California allowed women access to emergency contraception (EC) without a physicians' prescription in 2002. Methods To assess knowledge of and perceived access to EC among California women outside of family planning settings, we administered a computerized survey to women, age 18–45 years, who could become pregnant, in the waiting areas of two urgent care clinics in San Francisco in 2005. Results Four hundred forty-six women were enrolled. Most women [87%; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 83–89%] in this well-educated (48% had college degrees), ethnically diverse sample knew that a postcoital contraceptive exists. However, many women (32%; 95% CI, 28–37%) did not know EC is currently available in California. Only 49% of women knew that using EC will have no adverse effect on their future fertility and only 15% knew that EC will not cause a miscarriage or birth defects if used by a woman who is pregnant. Seven percent thought EC was not at all effective and 27% thought EC was somewhat or very unsafe. Eight percent had EC at home for future use. Conclusions Functional knowledge of EC remains limited in California. Public education campaigns are needed to allow women to benefit from pharmacy direct access to EC.
New subgrid artificial viscosity Galerkin methods for the Navier-Stokes equations

Abstract We study subgrid artificial viscosity methods for approximating solutions to the Navier–Stokes equations. Two methods are introduced that add viscous stabilization via an artificial viscosity, then remove it only on a coarse mesh. These methods can be considered as conforming, mixed methods, the first for velocity and vorticity, and the second for velocity and its gradient, the former incorporating a naturally arising grad–div stabilization term. In this paper, we rigorously study the first scheme analytically, showing that it is unconditionally stable and optimally convergent, as well as both schemes computationally. Numerical experiments demonstrate the advantages of both of these methods.
Radical external radiotherapy for prostatic carcinoma.

Abstract From 1965 through 1974, 88 patients with Stage B or C prostatic carcinoma were treated with radical megavoltage therapy. Treatment technique was small field arc alone for Stage B and 4 field box whole pelvis irradiation to 4400 or 5000 rad with small field rotational boost for Stage C. All were at risk for 5 years and 30 for 10 years or more. None of the 14 Stage B patients have died of cancer, although one is living with metastases. In Stage C (74 patients) uncorrected actuarial survival was 55% ± 5.8 (5 year) and 28% ± 6.5 (10 year). When corrected for intercurrent deaths, survival was 65 % ± 5.8 (5 year) and 37 % ± 8.1. Survival curves for those patients receiving 6000–6900 rad were not significantly different from those receiving 7000 rad or more. Local control may be better in the latter group, 82.7% (43/52) versus 71.4% (20/28), although this is, not significant. Thirty-one percent of local failures appeared after 5 years. Whole pelvis dose of 5000 rad was associated with a higher 5 and 10 year survival than 4400 rad but the difference was not statistically significant. Comparison between groups treated with radiation alone, versus radiation plus a simultaneous hormonal therapy showed no significant differences in survival, local control or complications. A group of 20 patients who failed hormonal therapy and were then irradiated did less well. Complications were generally mild, but early in the series 2 patients receiving 7500 rad developed ano-rectal necrosis; one of these patients died. More common problems were urethral stricture (12 % ) and ano-rectal stenosis (10%). Changes in technique in 1971 drastically reduced the subsequent complications. The failure of whole pelvic irradiation to improve on the 10 year results of local treatment is discussed.
Surface compatibility studies of potassium perchlorate reaction with pyrotechnic fuels

Abstract Surface sensitive x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and x-ray induced Auger electron spectroscopy (XAES) were used to analyze surface changes in F
The selective functionalization of saturated hydrocarbons. Part 38. Bis(trimethylsilyl) peroxide: an efficient oxidant for the functionalization of hydrocarbons involving the FeII-FeIV manifold.

Abstract The selective functionalization of alkane was achieved in a good yield, by a simple FeIICl2 salt and bis(trimethylsilyl) peroxide in pyridine. Unlike the FeII-H2O2 system, no extra ligand was needed. The presence of a carbon radical from the FeII-FeIV manifold was proposed to explain the results.
Craniofacial bone infarcts in sickle cell disease: clinical and radiological manifestations.

Objective To investigate the clinicoradiological manifestations of craniofacial bone infarcts in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Materials and methods After institutional review board approval, we identified 85 SCD patients who underwent head and neck magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during a period of 5 years (January 1, 2004-December 31, 2008) and reviewed their clinical presentations and radiological findings. Results Of 40 subjects with headache or facial pain, 6 (5 males, 1 female; age range, 2-22 years; 5 Hb SS, 1 Hb SC) were diagnosed with acute bone infarct by MRI. Of these 6, 4 demonstrated infarcts in the mandible. Magnetic resonance images showed bone marrow edema, subperiosteal fluid collections with susceptibility effects suggesting associated hemorrhage, and heterogeneous enhancement. Conclusions Acute craniofacial bone infarcts were found in 7% of SCD patients who underwent MRI and in 15% of SCD patients who presented with pain. The MRI showed characteristic imaging findings including marrow edema, subperiosteal hematoma, and heterogeneous enhancement.
DEFORMATIONS OF AN AXIALLY LOADED THERMOVISCOPLASTIC BAR DUE TO LASER HEATING

We study quasi-static deformations of a thermoviscoplastic thin rectangular bar subjected to a dead axial load and the upper surface heated by a laser. By assuming that strains due to elastic deformations and thermal expansion are small as compared to the plastic strains, the problem is simplified to that of simultaneously solving two coupled ordinary differential equations. One of these equations gives the evolution of the axial strain, and the other describes the evolution of the damage. It is found that after a certain time interval, whose duration depends upon the axial prestress, the strain rate increases rapidly. On a log-log plot, the time to failure decreases essentially affinely with an increase in the laser power density.
Quality of service – technology and implementation

This paper discusses various facets of quality of service (QOS), a technology that allows network managers to prioritize data to optimize bandwidth use and maintain data quality. Given the wide variety and high volume of data as well as bandwidth limitations on networks today, QOS has gained great importance in recent years. Successful implementation of QOS requires selecting from the wide array of models and algorithms available and careful consideration of other technical and organizational issues. Different QOS models and algorithms have been discussed to provide the network manager with an insight into these technologies that can aid in the selection of QOS models and algorithms. Various technical and organizational implementation issues, including how QOS is implemented in routers, have been discussed to assist the network manager to be aware of these issues and properly implement QOS.
Performance of Reduced Order Models of Moving Heat Source Deposition Problems for Efficient Inverse Analysis

In order to reduce the demanding computational requirements for the numerical solution of problems involving heat transfer problems of moving heat source deposition, we present an approach utilizing reduced order models based on proper orthogonal decomposition and associated Galerkin projection. We subsequently describe the finite element implementation of solution methodology for both the full order and the reduced order models, as well as the respective computational implementation details. Using this methodology, we performed a sensitivity analysis for a problem of a moving heat source to investigate the performance characteristics of the relevant reduced order model size and present the efficiency of the approach. We demonstrated the efficiency of the reduced models for performing inverse analysis.Copyright © 2014 by ASME