cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of supplemental zinc concentration and source on performance, carcass characteristics, and serum values in finishing beef steers.

Three studies were conducted to examine the effects of zinc concentration or source in diets of finishing beef steers. In Exp. 1, 108 (British x Continental) beef steers were supplemented with concentrations of added zinc (as ZnSO4) at 20, 100, or 200 mg/kg of dietary DM. No differences (P > 0.10) were noted among treatments for ADG or gain:feed for the 112-d finishing period. However, a linear (P 0.10) were noted in hot carcass weight; dressing percentage; longissimus muscle area; percentage of kidney, pelvic, and heart fat; or marbling score. There were, however, quadratic increases in s.c. fat thickness (P 0.10) were observed in cholesterol or fatty acids among the supplemental zinc levels. In Exp. 3, 84 Brangus- and Angus-sired steers were fed a steam-flaked corn-based diet containing 30 mg of supplemental zinc per kilogram of dietary DM from one of the following sources: 1) ZnSO4, 2) Zn amino acid complex, or 3) a zinc polysaccharide complex. No differences (P > 0.10) were noted for the overall 126-d trial for ADG, DMI, or gain:feed ratio. Percentage kidney, pelvic, and heart fat was increased (P 0.10) among zinc sources. Supplemental zinc concentration in finishing diets did not seem to influence feedlot performance and had a minimal impact on carcass quality. Either the organic or inorganic source can be included in finishing diets without affecting feedlot performance.
Youthful Violence: Problems and Prospects

This is a study of 758 adolescents, aged 13 to 18 years, randomly selected from two public high schools in the South. The purpose is to examine the relative relationships between several predictors and violence in two age groups (ages 15 and younger versus 16 and older), and to investigate interactions between several of the predictors within these age groups. As hypothesized, there are differences in which factors predict violence according to age, and interactions between these predictors also differ between the two age groups. The social work practice implications of these findings are discussed.
New skip parameter to facilitate recurrence quantification of signals comprised of multiple components

Recurrence analyses are typically performed on discretized time series after applying proper embeddings, delays, and thresholds. In our study of atrial electrograms, we found limitations to this approach when sequential bipolar complexes were defined as the timings of the first two zero crosses following the initiation of each event. The reason for this is that each bipolar component consists of two points in odd-even pairings. Since recurrence analysis starts vectors on each sequential point, incorrect even-odd pairings occur for every other vector. To overcome this limitation, a new parameter SKIP is introduced such that recurrence vectors can skip 1 (or 2) points for signals with defined multiple components. To demonstrate the utility of parameter SKIP, we used the Courtemanche model to simulate the electrical activity in the human atrium on a square, two-dimensional plane with 800 × 800 nodes. Over this plane, a grid of 39 × 39 virtual unipoles was created. Neighboring unipoles formed 39 × 38 bipolar pairs, which were recorded as 1482 continuous and synchronous time series. At each unipolar site, the actual wavefront direction was determined by comparing the relative activation timings of the local intracellular potentials. Parameters were set such that the “tissue” exhibited both spiral waves (organized activity) and wave breakups (chaotic activity). For each bipolar complex in the continuous electrogram, discretized electrogram conformation was defined as the timing delays from the start of the complex to the first two zero-crosses. Long sequences of paired zero-cross timings were subjected to recurrence analysis using SKIP values of 0 (no skipping) and 1 (single skipping). Recurrence variables were computed and correlated with the absolute wavefront directions. The results showed that the introduction of the skipping window improved the correlations of some recurrence variables with absolute wavefront directions. This is critically important because such variables may be better markers for wavefront directions in human recordings when the absolute wavefront directions cannot be calculated directly.
Two-temperature, Magnetically Arrested Disc simulations of the jet from the supermassive black hole in M87

We present two-temperature, radiative general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations of Magnetically Arrested Discs (MAD) that launch powerful relativistic jets. The mass accretion rates of our simulations are scaled to match the luminosity of the accretion flow around the supermassive black hole in M87. We consider two sub-grid prescriptions for electron heating: one based on a Landau-damped turbulent cascade, and the other based on heating from trans-relativistic magnetic reconnection. The simulations produce jets with power on the order of the observed value for M87. Both simulations produce spectra that are consistent with observations of M87 in the radio, millimetre, and submillimetre. Furthermore, the predicted image core-shifts in both models at frequencies between 15 GHz and 86 GHz are consistent with observations. At 43 and 86 GHz, both simulations produce wide opening angle jets consistent with VLBI images. Both models produce 230~GHz images with distinct black hole shadows that are resolvable by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), although at a viewing angle of 17 degrees, the 230 GHz images are too large to match EHT observations from 2009 and 2012. The 230 GHz images from the simulations are dynamic on time-scales of months to years, suggesting that repeated EHT observations may be able to detect the motion of rotating magnetic fields at the event horizon.
Cause or prevention of breast cancer with estrogens: analysis from tumor biologic data, growth kinetic model and Women's Health Initiative study.

The existing medical literature suggests that estrogens may cause breast cancer but, paradoxically, can also prevent this neoplasm under specific circumstances. Appropriate interpretation of this c...
A systematic review and critical evaluation of inflammatory cytokine associations in hidradenitis suppurativa.

Background: The pathogenesis of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) remains unclear. In order to develop effective treatment strategies, a deeper understanding of pathophysiology is needed. This is impaired by multiple small studies with inconsistent methodologies and the impact of co-occurring pro-inflammatory conditions such as smoking and obesity. Methods: This systematic review aimed to collate all published reports of cytokine studies in tissue, blood, serum and exudate. It was registered with PROSPERO (Registration number CRD42018104664) performed in line with the PRISMA checklist. Results: 19 studies were identified comprising 564 individual HS patients and 198 control patients examining 81 discrete cytokines. Methodology was highly varied and the quality of studies was generally low. There was a large degree of variance between the measured levels of cytokines. 78.2% of cytokines demonstrated heterogeneity by the chi-squared test for homogeneity and hence meta-analysis was not deemed appropriate. However, a strong and significant IL-17 signalling component was identified. Conclusions: Cytokines consistently elevated in lesional, peri-lesional and unaffected tissue are identified and discussed. Areas for further investigation include the role of dendritic cells in HS; the contribution of obesity, smoking, diabetes and the microbiome to cytokine profiles in HS; and examining the natural history of this disease through longitudinal measurements of cytokines over time.
Abstract 489: Ex vivo Porcine Coronary Artery Remodeling With Seeded Endothelial Cells

Coronary heart disease is the most common cardiovascular problem that causes 370,000 deaths in America annually. Replacing the diseased coronary artery with a conduit obtained from another part of ...
Determining the biomarker landscape and its impact on outcomes in HPV+ head and neck cancer after primary resection.

e17520Background: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) has emerged as a risk factor for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Despite the better prognosis, HPV OPSCC is managed the same as HPV-negat...
Prediction and measurement update of fungal toxin geospatial uncertainty using a Stacked Gaussian process

Abstract The paper develops a stacked Gaussian process using both field and wet-lab measurements to predict fungal toxin (aflatoxin) concentrations in corn in South Carolina. While most of the aflatoxin contamination issues associated with the post-harvest period in the U.S. can be controlled with expensive testing, a systematic and economical approach is lacking to determine how the pre-harvest aflatoxin risk adversely affects crop producers as aflatoxin is virtually unobservable on a geographical and temporal scale. This information gap carries significant cost burdens for grain producers and it is filled by the proposed stacked Gaussian process. The novelty of the paper is twofold. First, the aflatoxin probabilistic maps are obtained using an analytical scheme to propagate the uncertainty through the stacked Gaussian process. The model predictions are validated both at the Gaussian process component level and at the system level for the entire stacked Gaussian process using historical field data. Second, a novel derivation is introduced to calculate the analytical covariance of aflatoxin production at two geographical locations. This is used to predict aflatoxin at unobserved locations using measurements at nearby locations but with the prior mean and covariance provided by the stacked Gaussian process. As field measurements arrive, this measurement update scheme may be used in targeted field inspections to warn farmers of emerging aflatoxin contaminations.
How accurate is the regional travel demand model in mimicking real-world travel times?

This paper provides insights pertaining to the validity of a regional travel demand model in mimicking real-world travel times. The estimated travel times from the regional travel demand model, for...
Systemic bevacizumab for the treatment of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis: A retrospective analysis from an academic tertiary care center

Abstract Background Recurrent Respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) can result in significant morbidity due to effects on voice and breathing and often requires frequent debulking procedures, which can disrupt quality of life. Responses to current surgical and medical treatments are inconsistent and there are no systemic treatments proven to be consistently effective in managing this disease. Bevacizumab, an anti-angiogenic agent that targets the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been used as systemic agent for the treatment of RRP. We present a retrospective analysis of safety, efficacy and clinical outcomes in thirteen patients who were treated with systemic bevacizumab. Methods We present a retrospective analysis of patients with severe RRP who received 10mg/kg or 15mg/kg systemic bevacizumab at 3 weekly intervals at a single academic tertiary care center. They were monitored for toxicity and response to treatment as measured by need for further surgical interventions and improvement of symptoms. Results Twelve patients received at least 2 doses of systemic bevacizumab for an average of 5 cycles. Overall the treatment was well tolerated with minimal side effects. The most common side effect was hypertension, which was experienced by 4 out of 12 patients. Two patients discontinued treatment due to side effects. One experienced grade 3 epistaxis and another patient developed hypertension and thrombocytopenia. Two other individuals tolerated treatment well however, therapy was suspended due to insurance denial. All patients reported an improvement in symptoms including, improved quality of voice and breathing as well as decreased cough. The average number of surgical interventions in the year prior to administration of systemic bevacizumab was 4, with most individuals requiring intervention at a frequency of 2-4 months. Following treatment, only 4 of the 12 patients required one surgical intervention. Conclusions Systemic bevacizumab appears to be a safe and well tolerated treatment option for patients with severe RRP. It demonstrates promising efficacy on symptoms including voice quality and improved breathing as well as decreased requirement for surgical therapy. Legal entity responsible for the study The author. Funding Has not received any funding. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
A Map of the Universe

The smallest object detected with a telescope is an asteroid about the size of a beach ball. The largest asteroids, debris left over from the formation of the planets range are a few hundred miles in diameter. Our sun is almost 1 million miles in diameter. Some red giant stars are large enough that one could fit all the planets up to the orbit of Mars inside them. The largest star we know of is so big that if it were located in the center of the solar system its outer envelope would extend past Jupiter. The Milky Way galaxy disk which we inhabit has a diameter of about 100,000 light years. The largest galaxy we know of lies at the center of a cluster of galaxies and has a huge diameter of 5 million light years.
Report of the ALCTS Technical Services Managers of Academic Libraries Interest Group Meeting. American Library Association Conference, Washington, DC, June 2019

The Technical Services Managers in Academic Libraries Interest Group (TSMALIG) met at the 2019 ALA Annual Conference on Saturday June 22. Thirty-six librarians sat at five tables where different di...
Perils of data-driven equity: Safety-net care and big data’s elusive grasp on health inequality:

Large-scale data systems are increasingly envisioned as tools for justice, with big data analytics offering a key opportunity to advance health equity. Health systems face growing public pressure t...
TREAT Test E8 Simulating a Liquid-Metal Fast Breeder Reactor $3/s Overpower Accident with Irradiated Fast Test Reactor Type Fuel

In a transient overpower (TOP) accident, the fuel element failure threshold is a function of the rate of reactivity increase and the fuel microstructure. In Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) Test E8, seven mixed-oxide PNL-10 elements from the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) subassembly X093 were used in a simulation of an unprotected /3/s transient overpower (TOP) accident in a liquid-metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR). This paper presents the results of Test E8. Experimental hardware is also described. 9 refs.
Development of nonlinear probabilistic S-N curves using survival analysis techniques with application to steel bridges

Abstract This paper presents the application of survival analysis techniques, widely used in medical research, to the development of nonlinear probabilistic S-N curves for fatigue including the effects of other covariates. The number of cycles to failure is treated as a fictitious “time-to-event” parameter. Parametric survival analyses were performed using fatigue test data for steel bridges. The loglogistic accelerated failure time survival model was determined to be best suited for steel bridges. Results indicate that the current linear S-N curves for bridges do not provide a consistent probability of failure. Survival analysis can be a powerful tool for probabilistic fatigue analyses.
A conceptual framework of evolutionary novelty and innovation

Since 1990 the recognition of deep homologies among metazoan developmental processes and the spread of more mechanistic approaches to developmental biology have led to a resurgence of interest in evolutionary novelty and innovation. Other evolutionary biologists have proposed central roles for behaviour and phenotypic plasticity in generating the conditions for the construction of novel morphologies, or invoked the accessibility of new regions of vast sequence spaces. These approaches contrast with more traditional emphasis on the exploitation of ecological opportunities as the primary source of novelty. This definitional cornucopia reflects differing stress placed on three attributes of novelties: their radical nature, the generation of new taxa, and ecological and evolutionary impact. Such different emphasis has led to conflating four distinct issues: the origin of novel attributes (genes, developmental processes, phenotypic characters), new functions, higher clades and the ecological impact of new structures and functions. Here I distinguish novelty (the origin of new characters, deep character transformations, or new combinations) from innovation, the ecological and evolutionary success of clades. Evidence from the fossil record of macroevolutionary lags between the origin of a novelty and its ecological success demonstrates that novelty may be decoupled from innovation, and only definitions of novelty based on radicality (rather than generativity or consequentiality) can be assessed without reference to the subsequent history of the clade to which a novelty belongs. These considerations suggest a conceptual framework for novelty and innovation, involving: (i) generation of the potential for novelty; (ii) the formation of novel attributes; (iii) refinement of novelties through adaptation; (iv) exploitation of novelties by a clade, which may coincide with a new round of ecological or environmental potentiation; followed by (v) the establishment of innovations through ecological processes. This framework recognizes that there is little empirical support for either the dominance of ecological opportunity, nor abrupt discontinuities (often caricatured as 'hopeful monsters'). This general framework may be extended to aspects of cultural and social innovation.
Prognostic Factors After Neoadjuvant Imatinib for Newly Diagnosed Primary Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor

Neoadjuvant imatinib (Neo-IM) therapy may facilitate R0 resection in primary gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) that are large or in difficult anatomic locations. While response to preoperative tyrosine kinase inhibitors is associated with better outcome in metastatic GIST, little is known about prognostic factors after Neo-IM in primary GIST. Patients with primary GIST with or without synchronous metastases who underwent Neo-IM were retrospectively analyzed from a prospective maintained institutional database for Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), tumor viability, and mitotic rate. Overall survival (OS) was estimated by Kaplan-Meier and compared by log-rank test. Cox proportionate hazard models were used for univariate and multivariate analysis. One hundred and fifty patients were treated for a median of 7.1 months (range 0.2–160). By RECIST, partial response, stable disease, and progressive disease were seen in 40%, 51%, and 9%, respectively. By pathologic analysis, ≤ 50% of the tumor was viable in 72%, and the mitotic rate was ≤ 5/50HPF in 74%. On multivariate analysis, RECIST response and tumor viability were not associated with OS, while post-treatment high mitotic rate (hazard ratio (HR) for death 5.3, CI 2.3–12.4), R2 margins (HR 6.0, CI 2.3–15.5), and adjuvant imatinib (HR 0.4, CI 0.2–0.9) were (p < 0.05). Five-year OS was 81 vs. 38% for low vs. high mitotic rate; 81, 59, and 39% for R0, R1, and R2 margins; and 75 vs 61% for adjuvant vs. no adjuvant imatinib therapy (p < 0.05). In primary GIST undergoing Neo-IM therapy, progression was uncommon, but substantial down-sizing occurred in the minority. High tumor mitotic rate and incomplete resection following Neo-IM were associated with poor outcome, while adjuvant imatinib was associated with prolonged survival.
Interpretable morphological features for efficient single-lead automatic ventricular ectopy detection.

Abstract Objective We designed an automatic, computationally efficient, and interpretable algorithm for detecting ventricular ectopic beats in long-term, single-lead electrocardiogram recordings. Methods We built five simple, interpretable, and computationally efficient features from each cardiac cycle, including a novel morphological feature which described the distance to the median beat in the recording. After an unsupervised subject-specific normalization procedure, we trained an ensemble binary classifier using the AdaBoost algorithm Results After our classifier was trained on subset DS1 of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Beth Israel Hospital (MIT-BIH) Arrhythmia database, our classifier obtained an F1 score of 94.35% on subset DS2 of the same database. The same classifier achieved F1 scores of 92.06% on the St. Petersburg Institute of Cardiological Technics (INCART) 12-lead Arrhythmia database and 91.40% on the MIT-BIH Long-term database. A phenotype-specific analysis of model performance was afforded by the annotations included in the St. Petersburg INCART Arrhythmia database Conclusion The five features this novel algorithm employed allowed our ventricular ectopy detector to obtain high precision on previously unseen subjects and databases Significance Our ventricular ectopy detector will be used to study the relationship between premature ventricular contractions and adverse patient outcomes such as congestive heart failure and death.
Injury Rates in Major League Baseball During the 2020 COVID-19 Season

Background:The 2020 Major League Baseball (MLB) season was drastically altered because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The changes included an extended layoff between March and July as well as a shortene...
Searching for the Child in Colonial Uganda’s Educational Archives

This chapter takes as its starting point a critique of the colonial archive for its neglect of documenting perspectives of colonized people. The author argues that children are especially short-changed by the official narratives of imperialism; their voices are disregarded in favor of adult narrators, mostly representing views from European colonizers. For the most part, when children appear in the colonial archive, they are the objects of colonial policy, whose meaning is defined by adults for their own aims. This objectification is especially debilitating for the history of education; educational efforts both past and present have been focused primarily on children, but children’s own perspectives of their school experiences have received scant attention. Lefebvre pushed the boundaries of the archive by searching for and highlighting rare child-focused and child-authored sources in the archives of colonial Uganda in order to begin (de)constructing existing educational histories and narratives.
Power System Network Reduction for Power Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation

This paper proposes single-port equivalent and two-port equivalent network reduction methods to respectively reduce single-port and two-port areas in a large power network. Parameters of the reduced systems are rigorously derived, which guarantees that the electrical quantities at the port(s) remain unchanged over the reduction, including voltage magnitude and phase and active and reactive power injections into the area to be reduced. The proposed techniques are applied to reduce a practical Maui grid, where the total numbers of buses, lines and transformers are respectively reduced from 212, 106 and 108 to 45, 30 and 13. Dynamic behaviors between the full model and the reduced model are compared in detail to illustrate the efficacy and accuracy of the proposed network reduction.
Serological and Clinical Profile of Antibody Positive Autoimmune Gastrointestinal Dysmotility Patients Receiving IVIg (P2.2-108)

Objective: To describe the serological and clinical profile of antibody positive autoimmune gastrointestinal dysmotility patients receiving IVIg Background: Autoimmune gastrointestinal dysmotility (AGID) is a limited form of dysautonomia that can accompany other autonomic symptoms. As a relatively under-recognized condition, features of AGID are not well described in literature. Specifically, gut motility and transit times using SmartPill assessment have not been previously reported. Design/Methods: 20 adult antibody positive patients assessed in dysautonomia and gastric dysmotility clinic at the Cleveland Clinic were identified from an existing list of patients who have received or are currently receiving IVIg therapy. Serological, clinical, Smart Pill dysmotility, and autonomic testing data were recorded. Pearson correlation used to investigate correlation between antibody titers and dysmotility times. Results: Antibodies for GAD (14/20), voltage-gated potassium channel (6/20), N-type voltage gated calcium channel (3/20), acetylcholine receptor (3/20) and GM1 (1/20) were identified. Fifteen patients had coexisting autoimmune diagnoses including hypothyroidism, stiff person syndrome, Sjogren’s syndrome, type 1 diabetes, Crohn’s disease, lupus, celiac, CIDP, and HUS. Of 16 patients who underwent Smart Pill testing, 12 had abnormal testing. Specifically, 7 had prolonged whole gut transit duration, 8 had delayed gastric emptying, 7 had delayed small bowel transit, and 7 had delayed colonic transit. GAD titer did not correlate with gut transit times. While the two patients with most prolonged whole gut transit times both had multiple positive antibodies, this pattern was also inconsistent. Of 16 patients who underwent autonomic testing, 13 had abnormal results including 4 with abnormal tilt tables, 4 with abnormal Valsalva, 4 with abnormal skin nerve biopsy, 1 with abnormal QSART, and 1 with abnormal TST. Conclusions: AGID patients have a heterogeneous clinical and serological presentation requiring comprehensive autonomic evaluation. SmartPill testing is a valuable addition to assessment of these patients. Disclosure: Dr. Yan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Owendoff has nothing to disclose. Dr. Edelbrock has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wilson DO has nothing to disclose.
A decade of sea surface temperature from MODIS

Abstract The MODIS (MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers) on the Terra and Aqua satellites, both part of NASA's Earth Observing System, have each been providing high quality global sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) for over a decade. The ability to retrieve accurate SST from satellites is dependent on many factors including spectral response, radiometer noise, pre-launch instrument characterization and in flight behavior, calibration, viewing geometry, cloud screening and correction of the clear-sky atmospheric effects. We present a characterization of both the historical and current MODIS SST products, and we describe the evolution of, and motivation for, improvements in MODIS SST for each Collection released to the public, i.e., each radiance level mission data reprocessing, each driven by improved knowledge of the instrument behavior and better corrections for instrumental artifacts.
What Are the Kinetics of Slipband Extrusion

It is well known that the development of persistent slipbands plays an important role in the initiation of fatigue cracks. This paper describes the application of photoelectron microscopy to measure the kinetics of the early stages of growth of persistent slipbands in 6061-T6 aluminum. The persistent slipbands (PSBs) are shown to consist of a periodic array of approximately semicircular extrusions 1 to 2 μm in diameter. Initially a single extrusion appears. The PSB elongates by the addition of further extrusions. The lengths of individual PSBs increase as the square root of the number of fatigue cycles. A model is proposed based upon an array of cells similar to the dislocation structure which has been observed in the PSBs of other materials. The cyclic strain within these cells is shown to be 10 to 100 times greater than the applied macroscopic strain.
Spatially Discordant Alternans and Arrhythmias in Tachypacing-Induced Cardiac Myopathy in Transgenic LQT1 Rabbits: The Importance of IKs and Ca2+ Cycling

Background Remodeling of cardiac repolarizing currents, such as the downregulation of slowly activating K+ channels (IKs), could underlie ventricular fibrillation (VF) in heart failure (HF). We evaluated the role of Iks remodeling in VF susceptibility using a tachypacing HF model of transgenic rabbits with Long QT Type 1 (LQT1) syndrome. Methods and Results LQT1 and littermate control (LMC) rabbits underwent three weeks of tachypacing to induce cardiac myopathy (TICM). In vivo telemetry demonstrated steepening of the QT/RR slope in LQT1 with TICM (LQT1-TICM; pre: 0.26±0.04, post: 0.52±0.01, P<0.05). In vivo electrophysiology showed that LQT1-TICM had higher incidence of VF than LMC-TICM (6 of 11 vs. 3 of 11, respectively). Optical mapping revealed larger APD dispersion (16±4 vs. 38±6 ms, p<0.05) and steep APD restitution in LQT1-TICM compared to LQT1-sham (0.53±0.12 vs. 1.17±0.13, p<0.05). LQT1-TICM developed spatially discordant alternans (DA), which caused conduction block and higher-frequency VF (15±1 Hz in LQT1-TICM vs. 13±1 Hz in LMC-TICM, p<0.05). Ca2+ DA was highly dynamic and preceded voltage DA in LQT1-TICM. Ryanodine abolished DA in 5 out of 8 LQT1-TICM rabbits, demonstrating the importance of Ca2+ in complex DA formation. Computer simulations suggested that HF remodeling caused Ca2+-driven alternans, which was further potentiated in LQT1-TICM due to the lack of IKs. Conclusions Compared with LMC-TICM, LQT1-TICM rabbits exhibit steepened APD restitution and complex DA modulated by Ca2+. Our results strongly support the contention that the downregulation of IKs in HF increases Ca2+ dependent alternans and thereby the risk of VF.
ANALYZING MONOPOLY POWER EX ANTE

﻿The law governing monopolization is in dire need of correction. Antitrust rules governing unilateral behavior can be characterized by intellectual incoherence and logical vacuity. The shortcoming has arisen from a judicial inability to espouse qualitative tests that logically distinguish objectionable from benign instances of unilateral conduct. Failure to highlight a single definitional metric by which to dichotomize the meaning of pro- and anti-competitive behavior has exacerbated the problem. Yet, despite decades of academic and judicial effort, no satisfactory solution has emerged. In seeking to accomplish two goals, this article first advocates the use of aggregate welfare as a guiding narrative to section 2 enforcement. Introducing such a qualitative standard would inject much-needed definitional clarity into the conceptual distinctions between “desirable” and “objectionable” monopolization. Having addressed the issues underlying the normative case for such a lodestar, the article seeks to tackle a far more onerous challenge. This involves articulating a rule that would enable jurists coherently and correctly to sanction desirable unilateral conduct. While the subjectivity that so ubiquitously plagues jurisprudence in the section 2 arena is unlikely to dissipate even in the presence of the most perspicacious test, the article presents a novel solution by which to bypass this problem. It does so by turning to the sole element of the Grinnell test that is conducive to relatively objective application, namely, the requirement of monopoly power. The courts currently adopt an ex post approach to market power analysis in actual monopolization cases, considering a defendant’s economic might at the time of suit. If sufficient power is demonstrated, the courts proceed to the subjective, and hence probabilistic, constituent of the test, pursuant to which the desirability of the monopoly is assessed according to the vacuous stan dards referenced above. It is inevitable in this context that some desirable business conduct will be both erroneously punished and deterred. Given the increasing importance of new economy markets displaying powerful network effects and a concomitant predisposition to monopolization, the incidence of Type I errors in antitrust enforcement is likely to proliferate. To insulate desirable behavior from judicial scrutiny under section 2, an ex ante approach to market power analysis should be adopted. Under this view, a defendant would have its power assessed as of the initiation of the practice alleged to have led to the monopoly in question. Such a rule, heretofore unconsidered by either the judiciary or ﻿academy, would largely remove desirable unilateral conduct from the stochastic oversight of section 2.
Human Neuroepithelial Cells Express NMDA Receptors

L-glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter, binds to both ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors. In certain parts of the brain the BBB contains two normally impermeable barriers: 1) cerebral endothelial barrier and 2) cerebral epithelial barrier. Human cerebral endothelial cells express NMDA receptors; however, to date, human cerebral epithelial cells (neuroepithelial cells) have not been shown to express NMDA receptor message or protein. In this study, human hypothalamic sections were examined for NMDA receptors (NMDAR) expression via immunohistochemistry and murine neuroepithelial cell line (V1) were examined for NMDAR via RT-PCR and Western analysis. We found that human cerebral epithelium express protein and cultured mouse neuroepithelial cells express both mRNA and protein for the NMDA receptor. These findings may have important consequences for neuroepithelial responses during excitotoxicity and in disease.
Auroral and thermospheric response to the 9 day periodic variations in the dayside reconnection rate in 2005

[1] In this paper we seek the means to forecast changes in thermospheric composition. In particular, we focus on a period where there was a strong 9 day periodicity in the high-latitude drivers, as this provides the best opportunity to explore our ability to determine the signature of the drivers that change the thermosphere. Using measurements from ACE and TIMED/GUVI in 2005, we establish a link among the dayside magnetic merging rate (MMR), auroral hemispheric power (HP), thermospheric neutral density, and temperature as all of them showed a clear 9 day variation. The magnitude of the 9 day variation in the thermospheric temperature increased from the equator (∣latitude∣ < 30) to the midlatitude (30 < ∣latitude∣ < 45) and reached its peak values at high latitudes (45 < ∣latitude∣ < 90). These observations confirm that changes in thermospheric composition are created locally at high latitude (i.e., in the auroral zone). These composition changes then expanded to lower latitudes due to the global thermosphere circulation. The correlation among the drivers (MMR and HP) and the thermospheric density/temperature provides an opportunity to establish a forecast relationship between solar wind and IMF measurements and thermospheric conditions. The 9 day periodic variation in HP and the thermosphere also leads to periodic variations in ionosphere electron density/conductance and field-aligned currents. All these changes strongly impact satellite drag, satellite surface charging, and radio frequency propagation.
Extended-range ensemble forecasting of tropical cyclogenesis in the northern Indian Ocean: Modulation of Madden-Julian Oscillation

[1] A conventional atmosphere-ocean coupled system initialized with NCEP FNL analysis has successfully predicted a tropical cyclogenesis event in the northern Indian Ocean with a lead time of two weeks. The coupled forecasting system reproduces the westerly wind bursts in the equatorial Indian Ocean associated with an eastward-propagating Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) event as well as the accompanying northward-propagating westerly and convective disturbances. After reaching the Bay of Bengal, this northward-propagating Intra-Seasonal Variability (ISV) fosters the tropical cyclogenesis. The present finding demonstrates that a realistic MJO/ISV prediction will make the extended-range forecasting of tropical cyclogenesis possible and also calls for improved representation of the MJO/ISV in contemporary weather and climate forecast models.
Regulatory T-cell physiology and application to treat autoimmunity

Endowed with the ability to actively suppress an immune response, regulatory T cells (Tregs) hold the promise of halting ongoing pathogenic autoimmunity and restoring self-tolerance in patients suffering from autoimmune diseases. Through many in vitro and in vivo studies, we have learned that Tregs can function in the lymph nodes as well as in the peripheral tissues. In vivo, Tregs act through dendritic cells to limit autoreactive T-cell activation, thus preventing their differentiation and acquisition of effector functions. By limiting the supply of activated pathogenic cells, Tregs prevent or slow down the progression of autoimmune diseases. However, this protective mechanism appears insufficient in autoimmune individuals, likely because of a shortage of Tregs cells and/or the development and accumulation of Treg-resistant pathogenic T cells over the long disease course. Thus, restoration of self-tolerance in these patients will likely require purging of pathogenic T cells along with infusion of Tregs with increased ability to control ongoing tissue injury. In this review, we highlight advances in dissecting Treg function in vivo in autoimmune settings and summarize multiple studies that have overcome the limitations of the low abundance of Tregs and their hypoproliferative phenotype to develop Treg-based therapies.
On-chip interconnects: giga hertz and beyond

Due to the excessive loss of long signal lines and limited DC and AC current carrying capacity, pushing the conventional on-chip interconnect system into multi-GHz VLSIs will soon hit performance barriers. Introduction of metal planes or meshes into on-chip interconnects provides an impedance-controlled environment for signal lines, and combined with larger signal lines, the long lossy line problem can be solved. Planes also help distribute power with minimal AC/DC noise. As an additional feature, integration of passive elements into on-chip interconnects will be very useful for realization of a fully integrated "system-on-a-chip".
Ano-Genital Neoplasia in Renal Transplant Patients

Ano-genital neoplasia is about 20 x more common in renal transplant patients than the general population. Neoplasms in the immunosuppressed are more morbid and mortal because: patients are younger; tumors are more undifferentiated; they have more and larger foci; more sites are involved; neoplasms tend to persist, recur and progress; and there are more complications from treatments. Intraepithelial neoplasia engenders some morbidity. Invasion is rarer, but when it occurs, it is always morbid, and all too often mortal. Invasive ano-genital cancer is primarily preventable because the lower genital and anal tracts are accessible to inspection, cytologic screening, endoscopy and biopsy. Prime prevention is avoiding infection with the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Next best is detecting HPV/intraepithelial neoplasia early with frequent inspection, cytology and liberal biopsies; and then removing any condylomas or intraepithelial neoplasia that develop.
International business competence and the contemporary firm

The trend of increasing internationalization of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is noteworthy, because such firms typically have far fewer financial and tangible resources than large multinational enterprises. As a result, international business is often more challenging for smaller firms. In this study we investigate the widespread internationalization of SMEs, and specific factors that support their superior performance abroad. We uncover a collection of intangible capabilities that are especially salient to these firms and their growing international involvement. We identify international business competence (IBC) as an intangible, overarching firm resource that engenders superior international performance in the international SME. Through case studies and a comprehensive literature review, we identify four dimensions of IBC. We devise and assess a model that links IBC to SME international performance. Results suggest that international orientation, international marketing skills, international innovativeness, and international market orientation are all significant dimensions of IBC, and that IBC is instrumental in SME international performance. We discuss resultant findings and offer managerial implications.
SOA formation from partitioning and heterogeneous reactions: model study in the presence of inorganic species.

A predictive model for secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation by both partitioning and heterogeneous reactions was developed for SOA created from ozonolysis of α-pinene in the presence of preexisting inorganic seed aerosols. SOA was created in a 2 m3 polytetrafluoroethylene film indoor chamber under darkness. Extensive sets of SOA experiments were conducted varying humidity, inorganic seed compositions comprising of ammonium sulfate and sulfuric acid, and amounts of inorganic seed mass. SOA mass was decoupled into partitioning (OMP) and heterogeneous aerosol production (OMH). The reaction rate constant for OMH production was subdivided into three categories (fast, medium, and slow) to consider different reactivity of organic products for the particle phase heterogeneous reactions. The influence of particle acidity on reaction rates was treated in a previous semiempirical model (1). Model OMH was developed with medium and strong acidic seed aerosols, and then extrapolated to OMH in weak acidic condition...
Measurement of excited state population decay time in NH3 by optical adiabatic rapid passage

Abstract A strong Q-switched N2O laser capable of 60 MHz frequency sweep is used to induce population inversion by optical adiabatic rapid passage on the ν2[asQ(8,7)] transition of 14NH3. The fast inversion and the subsequent return to equilibrium are detected by a cw weak counterpropagating N2O laser, and are used to measure the pressure dependence of excited state population relaxation time T1 for the infrared transition of interest. this decay is found to be 3.6 times slower than the correpsonding decay in the ground state, an effect which may be explained by the larger inversion energy separation in the excited state of NH3.
Neutralization Determinants of United States Bluetongue Virus Serotype Ten

Abstract A panel of five neutralization-resistant escape mutant (EM) viruses was used to investigate the neutralization determinants of the U.S. prototype strain of bluetongue virus serotype 10 (BTV-10). The phenotypic properties of each EM virus were characterized by neutralization and immuneprecipitation assays with a panel of four monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). These MAbs were used to select the various EM viruses and together the MAbs define four distinct neutralizing epitopes on the prototype strain of BTV-10 (Heidner, H. W., Rositto, P. V., and MacLachlan, N. J., Virology 176, 658-661 (1990)). Sequencing of the L2 gene identified mutations responsible for the altered phenotypic properties exhibited by each EM virus. The L2 gene encodes BTV outer capsid protein VP2 which is responsible for virus neutralization. Four amino acids in three distinct regions of VP2 are critical to expression of the epitopes recognized by the MAb panel. Both amino acid 208 and 211 can affect the binding of MAb 039 and MAb 045, amino acid 327 affects binding of MAb 041, and amino acids 327 and 402 cooperatively interact to affect binding by MAb 034. The location of two of these critical regions on VP2 of BTV-10 is identical to two of those which affect neutralization of Australian BTV-1, despite the fact that these two viruses are antigenically distinct and have divergent L2 gene sequences (Gould, A. R., and Eaton, B. T., Virus Res. 17, 161-172 (1990)). The four individual neutralizing epitopes on VP2 of BTV-10 are interactive (Heidner, H. W., Rositto, P. V., and MacLachlan, N. J., Virology 176, 658-661 (1990)) and at least two are conformationally dependent.
Sero‐Discordant Couples in Five African Countries: Implications for Prevention Strategies

Most analyses of the determinants of HIV infection are performed at the individual level. The recent Demographic and Health Surveys, which include results from HIV tests, allow the study of HIV infection at the level of the cohabiting couple. This article exploits this feature of the data for Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania. The analysis yields two findings about the dynamics of the HIV/AIDS epidemic that have important implications for policy. First, at least two-thirds of the infected couples are sero-discordant, that is, only one of the two partners is infected. This implies scope for prevention efforts among infected couples. Second, among 30–40 percent of the infected couples only the woman is infected. This is at odds with levels of self-reported extramarital sex by women and with the common perception that unfaithful men are the main link between high-risk groups and the general population. These findings are confirmed by tests of robustness. These results indicate that extramarital sexual activity among women in union is a substantial source of vulnerability to HIV that should be, as much as male extramarital activity, targeted by prevention efforts.
Why it Pays for Hospitals to Initiate a Heart Failure Disease Management Program

Heart failure is a clinical syndrome usually caused by structural changes in the heart. These changes result in varying degrees of symptomatic functional limitation, typically shortness of breath and fatigue. Heart failure is common, with a lifetime risk for its occurrence in a healthy 40-year-old of 20%. In the US, the cost of heart failure care is now estimated at over $US30 billion annually (year 2007 values).
An Application of Digital Human Modeling and Ergonomics Analysis in Workplace Design

In today’s challenging environment, companies gain a competitive advantage by reducing time-to-market of their products. This effort requires an integration of various technologies and effective utilization of simulation tools. As an integral part of any manufacturing environment, operator health and safety is a primary focus of the companies. Digital human modeling and virtual reality tools provide an excellent solution to factor human element early in the design phase and to make proactive choices in workplace and equipment design decisions. In this paper, the process of ergonomics analysis within digital environment is discussed, and an application is summarized. The case study gives details of the integration of digital human modeling, motion capturing, and ergonomics analysis in an automobile part sub-assembly process.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Application of quantum beams to analysis of radioactive materials

Abstract The methodology of quantum beams, an X-ray beam in this study, was used to examine the diffusion layer between a U-23 at.% Zr alloy and a Ni-16.4 at.% Cr alloy that exhibited nine distinct layers, many of which were mixtures of two phases. Four single-phase regions were less than 10 μm wide. A synchrotron X-ray beam, collimated by a 50 μm by 1 mm slit, was used to identify these phases. This beam was translated across the sample to obtain diffraction patterns throughout the diffusion zone. In this way, only a few phases were simultaneously within the beam, easing identification of the phases. Strains in the lattice due to solid solution were also observed. These microdiffraction techniques are applicable to a wide range of material systems.
Photochemistry of Substituted Benzyldiphenylphosphine Oxides

Photochemical reactions (λ irr = 254 nm) of substituted benzyldiphenylphosphine oxides 1a−e have been investigated in benzene and acetonitrile. α-Cleavage from the singlet excited state is proposed as the primary process, and products formed both before and after escape of the primary intermediates from the solvent cage result. Radicals 2 and 3 are observed by nanosecond flash photolysis following excitation of 1a at 266 nm in acetonitrile. Acetone sensitization of 1a,b fails to improve the efficiency of product formation. The quantum yields of disappearance of 1a,b are unaffected by O2, and mechanisms for product formation from 1a in the presence of oxygen are proposed.