cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rethinking restructured electricity market design: Lessons learned and future needs

Abstract Many principles underlying the design of restructured electricity markets that are in-use today were developed over three decades ago when power systems were considerably different than today’s and tomorrow’s systems are. Systems of the past typically relied on large dispatchable thermal generators to supply energy. This can be contrasted with power systems today, which are experiencing rising penetrations of weather-dependent renewable energy sources that have limited dispatchability. Moreover, many power systems are experiencing growing adoption of distributed energy resources and novel uses of electric energy by end customers, which adds to demand uncertainty and variability. However, these technologies also provide opportunities for more active participation of the demand-side in maintaining system reliability and service quality. Given these marked changes in the architecture of electric power systems, we are at a unique point at which the tenets of restructured electricity market design can be re-evaluated. While this re-examination is largely driven by changes in power system designs, we can also rely on lessons learned from the past three decades of market-restructuring experience. In this paper, we highlight some of the challenges in designing electricity markets brought about by changes in system designs. We also discuss a number of lessons learned from market designs that have been implemented. We then suggest some important principles that should underlie future reforms of electricity market designs and raise design questions that require further research and examination.
Improving Squeezed Vacuum Generation via Spatial Mode Shaping in Hot Rb Vapor

Achievable squeezed vacuum may be limited by contamination of the output fields with higher-order spatial modes. Squeezing can be improved by multipass interactions with a less optically-dense medium or by spatial tailoring of the input.
LGB-parent families: the current state of the research and directions for the future

Over the past several decades, lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) parenting has grown more visible. Alongside this enhanced visibility, research on the experiences of LGB parents and their children has proliferated. The current chapter addresses this research, focusing on several main content areas: family building by LGB people, the transition to parenthood for LGB parents, and functioning and experiences of LGB parents and their children. In the context of discussing what we know about LGB-parent families, we highlight gaps in our knowledge and point to key areas that future research should aim to answer, including how race, ethnicity, social class, and geographic factors shape the experiences of LGB-parent families.
Gonadal Steroid Modulation of Growth Hormone Secretory Patterns in the Rat

Growth hormone (GH) secretory patterns are governed principally by two peptides, somatostatin and growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) whose centers are located within the medial preoptic/anterior periventricular and the ventromedial/arcuate region of the hypothalamus, respectively (1–3). Somatostatin, which inhibits GH secretion, is primarily responsible for the GH trough periods while GRF mediates the GH secretory episodes. The release of these two regulatory peptides is, in turn, modulated by a number of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides (1,2). Recent studies have indicated that gonadal steroids may also be an important determinant of the GH secretory patterns in male and female rats (4–9).
New Synthetic Metal Precursors: Substituted Tetrathiotetracene and Related Compounds

The electron donor tetrathiotetracene (TTT), Fig. 1, forms charge transfer salts which, at room temperature, possess some of the highest electrical conductivities of any known synthetic metal1. For example, a conductivity of ca 103 S/cm is observed for (TTT)2I3 at room temperature. As the temperature of the complex is decreased, the conductivity increases until ca 35 K, at which point it decreases dramatically2. While not firmly established, it is believed that the latter behavior is the result of a Peierls transition, which allows alternating pairwise interactions to occur between adjacent TTT molecules and cations.
Emergent Design: Creating a New Business in a Nascent Industry

This paper reports on a field study of the founding of a new company in a nascent industry. We examine how the company’s founders, facing the high ambiguity inherent in very early phases of a new i...
The Pupil Evaluation Inventory. A sociometric technique for assessing children's social behavior.

The Pupil Evaluation Inventory was developed to assess peer ratings of the behavior of male and female children in grades one through nine. Three homogeneous and stable factors emerged from a factor analysis: Aggression, Withdrawal and Likeability. High interrater agreement between male and female raters, stability of factorial structure, high internal consistency, and moderate concurrent validity were found across sex and grade levels. Test-retest reliability was high for a separate sample of third and sixth graders. There was a tendency for higher internal consistency and teacher-peer correlations for the Aggression factor.
An Examination of Surprise and Emotions in the Processing of Anecdotal Evidence

Low-probability and atypical cases are commonly used as anecdotal evidence to support arguments that are divergent from general medical knowledge, thus challenging current efforts of health promotion and education. The present study proposes an emotion-based model that centers on surprise to explain the effects of critical anecdotal evidence information on risk perception, need for uncertainty reduction, and information searching behavior. Using experimental design and two-group path structural equation models, the study results supported a key role of surprise followed by two development routes that led to a series of attitudinal and behavioral changes after exposure to anecdotal evidence. First, surprise caused a group of correlated negative emotions (sadness, fear, and anger). Second, negative emotions were part of the intermediate stage that subsequently resulted in risk perception and need for uncertainty reduction prior to information seeking behaviors. The research provides a model to explain and predict the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes associated with anecdotal evidence.
Untangling the evolutionary roots of lung cancer

The genomic and host factors that drive the progression of pre-invasive lesions in non-small cell lung cancer are poorly understood. Studying these factors can advance our knowledge of lung cancer biology, aid in the development of better screening strategies and improve patient outcomes.
Interventions for Behaviorally Disordered Students: A Quantitative Review and Methodological Critique:

Recent research in the field of behavioral disorders has evidenced difficulties in the areas of definition and research reporting. The present study sought to investigate the degree to which recent...
The effects on the mandibular condyle of Botox injection into the masseter are not transient

Objectives To evaluate whether the effects on the mandibular condylar cartilage (MCC) and subchondral bone are transient of botulinum neurotoxin (Botox) injection into the masseter muscle. Methods Botox (0.3 U) was injected into the right masseter of 6-week-old female mice (C57BL/6; n = 16). In addition, 16 mice were used as control and received no injections. Experimental and matching control mice were killed 4 or 8 weeks after the single Botox injection. Mandibles and mandibular condyles were analyzed by means of microscopic computed tomography (microCT) and histology. Sagittal sections of condyles were stained for tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), toluidine blue, 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU), and terminal deoxynucleotide transferase–mediated dUTP nick-end labeling. Results Bone volume fraction was significantly decreased on the subchondral bone of the Botox-injected side, compared with the control side and control mice, 4 and 8 weeks after injection. Furthermore, histologic analysis revealed decrease in mineralization, cartilage thickness, TRAP activity, and EdU-positive cells in the MCC of the Botox-injected side 4 and 8 weeks after injection. Conclusions The effects on the MCC and subchondral bone of Botox injection into the masseter muscle persisted for 8 weeks after injection and were not considered to be transient.
The Effects Of Violence On Health

Violence in its many forms can affect the health of people who are the targets, those who are the perpetrators, and the communities in which both live. In this article we review the literature on the health consequences of many forms of violence, including child physical and sexual abuse, intimate partner violence, elder abuse, sexual violence, youth violence, and bullying. The biological effects of violence have become increasingly better understood and include effects on the brain, neuroendocrine system, and immune response. Consequences include increased incidences of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and suicide; increased risk of cardiovascular disease; and premature mortality. The health consequences of violence vary with the age and sex of the victim as well as the form of violence. People can be the victims of multiple forms of violence, and the health effects can be cumulative.
Implementation of a Risk Assessment Tool to Reduce Aspiration Pneumonia in Nonstroke Patients.

Background Aspiration pneumonia is one of the most common forms of pneumonia in hospitalized adults. Aspiration is potentially preventable when healthcare providers take action to decrease its occurrence. Standardized protocols can improve consistency with identification, assessment, and treatment of hospitalized patients at risk of aspiration pneumonia. Problem/purpose There was no process in place to identify patients at risk of aspiration who did not present with stroke symptoms. The aims of this project were to assess that action steps were taken in patients who assessed positive for aspiration risk and to determine the aspiration risk assessment tool's impact on the incidence of aspiration pneumonia. Methods After implementing an adapted evidence-based aspiration risk assessment tool and aspiration precautions protocol, consistency of actions taken was assessed descriptively, and rates of aspiration pneumonia were compared from preimplementation to postimplementation using χ analysis. Interventions An aspiration risk assessment tool was adapted to include local hospital findings and implemented. Results All adult patients admitted (n = 10 973) during the initial evaluation period (July 2016 to December 2016) were screened using the adapted aspiration risk assessment tool. Three hundred twenty-six patients (19%) were identified at risk of aspiration and referred to speech therapy for evaluation, with 87.1% evaluated in less than 24 hours. Signs for aspiration risk and speech therapy recommendations were posted on 40% (n = 12). During the 18-month preintervention and postintervention period, hospital-acquired aspiration pneumonia decreased from preimplementation (n = 58 cases/26 738 admissions, 0.22%) to postimplementation (37/28 164, 0.13%), P = .018. Conclusions Implementation of an adapted aspiration risk assessment screening tool to document risk of hospital-acquired aspiration pneumonia and aspiration precautions protocol was associated with a decrease in aspiration pneumonia rates.
Osmolar regulation of endothelin-1 production by the inner medullary collecting duct

Abstract Aims Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is an autocrine inhibitor of collecting duct (CD) Na + and water reabsorption. CD ET-1 production is increased by a high salt diet and is important in promoting a natriuretic response. The mechanisms by which a high salt diet enhances CD ET-1 are being uncovered. In particular, elevated tubule fluid flow, as occurs in salt loading, enhances CD ET-1 synthesis. Tubule fluid solute content and interstitial osmolality can also be altered by a high salt diet, however their effect on CD ET-1 alone, or in combination with flow, is poorly understood. Main methods ET-1 mRNA production by a mouse inner medullary CD cell line (mIMCD3) in response to changing flow and/or osmolality was assessed. Key findings Flow or hyperosmolality (using NaCl, mannitol or urea) individually caused an ~ 2-fold increase in ET-1 mRNA, while flow and hyperosmolality together increased ET-1 mRNA by ~ 14 fold. The hyperosmolality effect alone and the synergistic effect of flow + hyperosmolality was inhibited by chelation of intracellular Ca 2 + , however were not altered by blockade of downstream Ca 2 + -signaling pathways (calcineurin or NFATc), inhibition of cellular Ca 2 + entry channels (purinergic receptors or polycystin-2), or blockade of the epithelial Na + channel. Inhibition of NFAT5 with rottlerin or NFAT5 siRNA greatly reduced the stimulatory effect of osmolality alone and osmolality + flow on mIMCD3 ET-1 mRNA levels. Significance Both flow and osmolality individually and synergistically stimulate mIMCD3 ET-1 mRNA content. These findings may be relevant to explaining high salt diet induction of CD ET-1 production.
176 – Stiff Equations*

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on stiff equations applicable to stiff differential equation, that is, equations that evolve on more than one scale. A numerical approximation technique is obtained. Because stiff equations evolve on different scales, the techniques used to numerically approximate the solution should change as the different scales become important. This is because the stability aspects of a numerical technique often change as the equation changes. When trying to numerically approximate the solution to a stiff differential equation, the step size used in the discretization process should be variable, becoming very small when needed. The step size should be made as small as needed to obtain a desired accuracy, but it should be increased whenever possible to reduce the total number of computations. A good choice of step size can be determined by monitoring the change in the solution of the differential equation.
Study on Field Calibration Technology of Zero Flux DC Current Transformer in ±500kV Converter Station

Carrying out researches on field calibration test of DC current transformer is of great significance for improving the type test and field test system of DC current transformer. In this paper, the field calibration technology of DC current transformer was studied. The scene of the DC current transformer calibration experiment method was proposed. Besides, the high stability DC current source rated 5000A/12V and the GPS wireless synchronous data acquisition device was developed. On this basis, the field calibration tests of three zero flux DC current transforms operating in Deyang ±500 kV DC converter station neutral wires were carried out. Test results indicate that the error property of zero magnetic current transformers in Deyang ±500kV DC converter station is stable, and the calibration method proposed in this paper is reasonable.
Family and Family-Like Relations for Transnational Migrants: Ideals of Care Informed by Kin, Non-Family, and Religion:

Studies of transnational family formation and care relationships suggest that, while family forms and care values are idealized, they are also negotiated, enacted, and fluid constructs. Strategies ...
Managing Credit and Debt

Through his job in the school district office human resources department, Jose has encountered a disturbing number of teachers in his district with substantial credit issues or even judgements applied to their paychecks. This chapter introduces the basic concepts around credit asking the provocative question, “Is credit from heaven or hell?” The common forms of credit are reviewed, the process for applying for credit is explained and credit scores and reports are also demystified. Jose believes that if every teacher in his district had access to this important information early in their teaching careers many would be more successful financially.
A Truncating Variant of CHRNG as a Cause of Escobar Syndrome: A Multiple Pterygium Syndrome Subtype

Escobar syndrome is a milder variant of multiple pterygium syndrome characterized by pterygia, scoliosis, and multiple congenital contractures. It is most frequently due to a genetic variant in CHRNG, which encodes the γ-subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Though the subunit is considered a “fetal” form and transitions to the “adult” e-subunit by 33 weeks' gestation, the pathogenic musculoskeletal effects during fetal development render children with this condition permanently affected. We report a neonate with homozygous CHRNG c.117dupC and discuss some of the downstream clinical effects we observed with this variant.
Mandating Digital Platform Support for Quality Journalism

Our democracy depends on a vibrant press, dedicated to informing the electorate and holding the powerful to account. Yet American newsrooms have suffered a debilitating economic decline in recent years, leaving more than half of U.S. counties without a daily newspaper and precipitating massive reductions in journalist employment. Digital platforms, primarily Google and Facebook, have been a primary cause of newsrooms’ decline. In asserting unparalleled dominance over the digital advertising market, they have siphoned off the advertising revenues that were the lifeblood of the commercial news media. And they have come to be news publishers’ primary gateway to potential readers, leaving newsrooms highly dependent on the platforms’ mercurial content selection and magnification algorithms. This Article thus proposes legislative initiatives to require digital platform support for quality journalism. Finding current antitrust enforcement initiatives and legislative proposals for news publishers’ intellectual property rights and antitrust exemptions wanting, it sets out blueprints for an excise tax on digital advertising to fund quality journalism and for bolstering newsroom brands by mandating that major platforms give original reporting prominent placement in news feed and search results. News publishers should also have a right to require platforms to include a link to the publisher website and to display a third party media watchdog trustworthiness rating of the publisher’s choice. Finally, major platforms should be required to open their application programming interfaces to enable news publishers to offer the publishers’ own curated news content feed directly to platform users. Those measure, I argue, should survive First Amendment scrutiny. They might not salvage quality journalism in and of themselves. But they are an important springboard for further government intervention in an ongoing market failure with dire consequences for democratic governance.
Sensory Neuroscience: Smelling Salts Lead Fish to Safety

Summary Animals use their sensory systems to detect danger in their environments. New research shows that larval zebrafish navigate away from dangerous salt water by using their olfactory systems to detect the presence of both sodium and chloride ions.
Enhanced Intestinal TGF-β/SMAD-Dependent Signaling in Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infected Rhesus Macaques

Transforming growth factor-β signaling (TGF-β) maintains a balanced physiological function including cell growth, differentiation, and proliferation and regulation of immune system by modulating either SMAD2/3 and SMAD7 (SMAD-dependent) or SMAD-independent signaling pathways under normal conditions. Increased production of TGF-β promotes immunosuppression in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) infection. However, the cellular source and downstream events of increased TGF-β production that attributes to its pathological manifestations remain unknown. Here, we have shown increased production of TGF-β in a majority of intestinal CD3−CD20−CD68+ cells from acute and chronically SIV infected rhesus macaques, which negatively correlated with the frequency of jejunum CD4+ T cells. No significant changes in intestinal TGF-β receptor II expression were observed but increased production of the pSMAD2/3 protein and SMAD3 gene expression in jejunum tissues that were accompanied by a downregulation of SMAD7 protein and gene expression. Enhanced TGF-β production by intestinal CD3−CD20−CD68+ cells and increased TGF-β/SMAD-dependent signaling might be due to a disruption of a negative feedback loop mediated by SMAD7. This suggests that SIV infection impacts the SMAD-dependent signaling pathway of TGF-β and provides a potential framework for further study to understand the role of viral factor(s) in modulating TGF-β production and downregulating SMAD7 expression in SIV. Regulation of mucosal TGF-β expression by therapeutic TGF-β blockers may help to create effective antiviral mucosal immune responses.
Reliability-based topology optimization with stochastic heterogeneous microstructure properties

Abstract With advanced manufacturing processes, many modern structural designs need to include microscale uncertainties of material properties and microstructures that can affect overall performances, such as microelectromechanical systems, micro–opto–electro–mechanical systems, and micro-optical electronics systems. Topology design optimization at this scale must consider uncertainties from material microstructures as the scale of the structure and material microstructure is comparable. Very few studies consider microstructure uncertainties in topology design due to their scales are much different in classical mechanical/civil engineering. A novel framework of reliability-based topology optimization is proposed to specifically address this gap for the design. The microscale uncertainties of heterogeneous materials are quantified by the explicit mixture random field model. Then, the material distribution is optimized by a heuristic updating scheme, and sensitivities of reliability constraints are calculated using the adjoint design-point-based importance sampling method. The proposed methodology simultaneously considers microscale hierarchical uncertainties in microstructures and material property variations for each phase. The feasibility of the framework is demonstrated by several numerical examples with different multi-phase materials. Compared with deterministic topology optimization and classical topology optimization with first-order reliability method approximations, the optimal design obtained from the proposed method can achieve accurate target reliability with minimized limit state function evaluations.
Regular Turán numbers of complete bipartite graphs

Abstract Let rex ( n , F ) denote the maximum number of edges in an n-vertex graph that is regular and does not contain F as a subgraph. We give lower bounds on rex ( n , F ) , that are best possible up to a constant factor, when F is one of C 4 , K 2 , t , K 3 , 3 or K s , t for t > s ! .
Symbol-Based AI and Its Rationalist Presuppositions

In the next three chapters, Part II, we describe a number of approaches specific to AI problem-solving and consider how they reflect the rationalist, empiricist, and pragmatic philosophical positions. In this chapter, we consider artificial intelligence tools and techniques that can be critiqued from a rationalist perspective. A rationalist worldview can be described as a philosophical position where, in the acquisition and justification of knowledge, there is a bias toward utilization of unaided reason over sense experience (Blackburn 2008). Rene Descartes, as mentioned in Chap. 2, was arguably the most influential rationalist philosopher after Plato, and one of the first thinkers to propose a near axiomatic foundation for his worldview.
The Impacts of International Training Program in Pedagogy in Higher Education in the United States on Visiting Scholars in China

The longitudinal study was designed to investigate the impacts of International Training Program in Pedagogy (ITPP) at a midwestern institution in the US on the visiting scholars in seven cohorts from China in 2012–18. The study used the cohort survey research design method. The first part of the data was collected from 48 visiting scholars from Northwest Normal University in China who participated in the seven ITPP cohorts. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through several surveys from the beginning to the end of the training in each cohort from August to December each year in 2012-2018. In addition, a recent online impact survey was used to collect up-to-date data from the scholars in September 2020. The results of the quantitative and qualitative surveys revealed similar findings. It was found that the ITPP had significantly influenced all scholars. They had learned the American college teaching pedagogy in the US and exhibited different attitudes towards instruction and related practices in China. International implications result from the study.
Improved Model for Hydrogen Generation Rate of Radioactive Waste at the Hanford Site

AbstractHydrogen is the major flammable gas observed in the dome space of each million-gallon radioactive waste storage tank at the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site. Semiempirical rate equations are derived to estimate hydrogen generation based on chemical reactions, radiolysis of water and organic compounds, and corrosion. The rate equations account for tank waste composition, temperature, radiation dose rate, and liquid fraction. Numerical parameters are established by the analysis of gas generation kinetic data from actual waste samples, literature data, and waste characterization and field surveillance data. The model improvement includes development of refined water radiolysis equations, accounting of total alpha radiation contribution to both water and organic radiolysis, new parameterization on the rate equations of organic thermolysis and radiolysis with extra tank waste gas generation test data, and revised corrosion rate equations. A comparison of the generation rates observed in the field...
Statistical motor unit number estimation and ALS trials: the effect of motor unit instability.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as a relentlessly progressive primary motor system disease, in which patients experience progressive weakness. This weakness results in death that occurs in majority of the patients between 3 and 5 years after diagnosis. It discusses that motor unit number estimation (MUNE) represents an attempt to directly assess underlying motor neuron loss. MUNE can be performed on small muscles of either hands or feet, and provides an estimate of the number of functioning motor units present in a muscle under study. It also provides an estimate of the size of individual motor units that are affected by the physiological compensation. MUNE has been applied to the study of ALS in both longitudinal studies of patients and in animal models of motor neuron disease. No other commonly used technique for MUNE possesses all the attributes necessary to be a valid and useful outcome measure in ALS trials. However, MUNE as a theoretical outcome measure remains extremely attractive and new techniques must be sought, so that it can reach its full potential as a valid and reproducible outcome measure in ALS clinical trials.
Effect of TiOx nucleation layer on crystallization of Bi4Ti3O12 films

Abstract Crystalline Bi4Ti3O12 films were fabricated using a chemical solution deposition route. The spin solution was prepared with bismuth acetate and titanium isopropoxide dissolved in a mixture of acetic acid and 2-methoxyethanol. The effect of a titanium oxide buffer layer and Bi4Ti3O12 seed layers on Bi4Ti3O12 film crystallization was studied. The titanium oxide buffer layer and the Bi4Ti3O12 seed layer reduced grain size and grain size distribution. Less preferential c axis orientation was observed on TiOx than on Pt. Ferroelectric hysteresis loops were measured on Bi4Ti3O12 films with thickness’ ranging from 70 to 180 nm at 1–16 volts with remanent polarizations up to 14 μC/cm2. Remanent polarizations of 3–4 μC/cm2 at 4 volts were measured for Bi4Ti3O12 films on Pt with all the layers annealed all at once with no titanium oxide buffer layers or Bi4Ti3O12 seed layers.
A Review of “The Environmental Impact Statement After Two Generations: Managing Environmental Power”

The article reviews the book "The Environmental Impact Statement After Two Generations: Managing Environmental Power," by Michael R. Greenberg.
Shaping State Identity: International Law and Whaling in Japan

This article revisits the issue of whaling in an attempt to account for Japan's decision to observe the temporary moratorium on commercial whaling at the end of the 1986 whaling season and to remain a member of the International Whaling Commission despite increasingly restrictive regulations. This analysis develops an argument that focuses on the social aspects of international agreements, especially the role of international law in shaping state identity and (re)producing difference.
A Review of “Inequalities of Love: College-Educated Black Women and the Barriers to Romance and Family”

Inequalities of Love: College-Educated Black Women and the Barriers to Romance and Family (hereafter referred to as Inequalities of Love) is a testament to the notion that sometimes the simplest ex...
A nomenclatural guide and simplified key to the squirreltail taxa

The squirreltails, Elymus elymoides (Raf.) Swezey (bottlebrush squirreltail) (Poaceae) and E. multisetus (J.G. Smith) Burtt Davy (big squirreltail), occupy rangelands in the arid and semiarid portions of the northwestern US. Bottlebrush squirreltail exhibits multiple subspecies, while big squirreltail does not. Commercially available plant materials of squirreltail have been keyed and are listed by their taxon. A dichotomous key is presented to identify the correct squirreltail taxon that is based on the number of glumes per node and the cleavage displayed by those glumes. This key was developed from a previous key published in 1963 that was based on a now-obsolete systematic treatment. The new key better reflects phylogenetic relationships, as it is based on Dewey’s genomic system of classification rather than on morphological characters. . A nomenclatural guide and simplified key to the squirreltail taxa. Native Plants Journal 15(1):51–55.
Reduce3D: A tool for three-dimensional spatial statistical analysis of crystals

Both the measurement of crystal sizes and locations in three dimensions and the simulation of crystallization produce data sets that require characterization. Reduce3D is a new computer program for measuring spatial statistics of interest to kinetic studies of crystallization. The principal statistical measures of such interest are the L′ function, the pair correlation function, and the mark correlation function. Reduce3D implements the ability to create a large number of pseudorandom interface controlled crystal arrays designed to mimic the rock being studied but with interface control of nucleation and growth, forming a null-hypothesis envelope. Values that exceed this envelope in the direction of ordering of crystal centers and/or growth suppression of nearby crystals may be interpreted as significantly ordered, which for metamorphic crystallization may imply diffusional control of nucleation and growth. Reduce3D, together with utility programs GraphCFs for visualizing relevant statistics and Render3D for visualizing the data set, form a suite that makes such interpretation rapid and straightforward.
Transmembrane TNF–TNFR2 Impairs Th17 Differentiation by Promoting Il2 Expression

The double-edged sword nature by which IL-2 regulates autoimmunity and the unpredictable outcomes of anti-TNF therapy in autoimmunity highlight the importance for understanding how TNF regulates IL-2. Transmembrane TNF (tmTNF) preferentially binds TNFR2, whereas soluble TNF (sTNF) binds TNFR1. We previously showed reduced IL-2 production in TNFR1(-/-) TNFR2(-/-) CD4(+) T cells. In this study, we generated TNFR1(-/-), TNFR2(-/-), or TNFR1(-/-) TNFR2(-/-) 5C.C7 TCR Il2-GFP mice and report that CD4(+) T cell-intrinsic tmTNF/TNFR2 stimulates Il2 promoter activity and Il2 mRNA stability. We further used tmTNF Foxp3 gfp reporter mice and pharmacological TNF blockade in wild-type mice to report a tmTNF/TNFR2 interaction for Il2 expression. IL-17 is critical for host defense, but its overabundance promotes autoimmunity. IL-2 represses Th17 differentiation, but the role for TNFR2 in this process is not well understood. We report elevated expression of TNFR2 under Th17-polarization conditions. Genetic loss-of-function experimental models, as well as selective TNF blockade by etanercept and XPro1595 in wild-type mice, demonstrate that impaired tmTNF/TNFR2, but not sTNF/TNFR1, promotes Th17 differentiation in vivo and in vitro. Under Th17-polarizing conditions, elevated IL-17 production by TNFR2-knockout CD4(+) T cells was associated with increased STAT3 activity and decreased STAT5 activity. Increased IL-17 production in TNFR2-knockout T cells was prevented by adding exogenous IL-2. We conclude that CD4(+) T cell-intrinsic tmTNF/TNFR2 promotes IL-2 production that inhibits the generation of Th17 cells in a Foxp3-independent manner. Moreover, under Th17-polarizing conditions, selective blockade of CD4(+) T cell-intrinsic TNFR2 appears to be sufficient to promote Th17 differentiation.
Solution Branching in Linear Differential Equations

Abstract Given a nontrivial y, solution branches of the form z ≡ y + ∑mi = 1ciwi are constructed with ||wi|| = 1, 1 ≤ i ≤ m. Multiple zeros of y "unwind" to nearby simple zeros of the branch z. Key assumptions are 1-dimensionality of the solution space of the boundary value problem, an exactness condition on the zeros of y, and a restriction on multiple zero counts. The branching lemmas and theorems are applied to the theory of conjugate points and extremal solutions, and also to branching of solutions of y(n) + p(x) y = 0. If l-dimensionality is dropped, then solution branches z exist but the constants ci, may not be small.
Symmetry groups of Markov processes and the diagonal principle

LetXt be a transient Markov process onE with potentialU and excessive measures Exc. Let Sym be the group of finely continuous bijections onE which leave Exc invariant. From each subgroupJ of Sym, we construct the spaceF ofJ orbits inE and the canonical surjection Ψ:E→F. We show that Ψ(Z1) is a strong Markov process onF, whereZt is obtained fromXt by anh transform and time change. IfH is a subgroup of Sym withHe={ϕ∈H: ϕ(e)=e} trivial, thenH induces a group structure onE. There is a function 0<h<∞ such thatV(x, ·)=h(x)−1 U(x, ·) is translation-invariant onE; h need not be excessive. Analogous results for supermartingale multiplicative functionals are given, and a general framework is proposed.
Box-loop ligament reconstruction of the elbow for medial and lateral instability

Background Elbow instability remains a challenging surgical problem. Most commonly, isolated reconstructions of the medial collateral ligament or lateral collateral ligament are performed; however, on occasion, there can be deficiency that requires reconstruction of both ligaments. The senior author has developed a method to reconstruct both the medial and lateral collateral ligaments using 1 graft. This technique uses a “box-loop” design, whereby the donor tendon is passed through the humerus and ulna and tied back to itself, creating a loop. Materials and methods Fourteen cases with mean follow-up of 64 months were reviewed. Nine patients returned to the clinic and were evaluated both clinically and radiographically. An additional 5 patients participated by phone questionnaire. Results Average follow-up time was 64 months (range, 19-109 months). According to the Summary Outcome Determination given by the patients, 7 elbows were normal or nearly normal, 4 were greatly improved, 2 were improved, and 1 was worse compared with before surgery. The Summary Outcome Determination score average was 7 (range, −2 to 10). American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores (including both clinic patients and phone questionnaire patients) ranged from 36 to 100, with an average of 81; of 14 patients, 8 had an American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons self-satisfaction score of 10. The average Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score was 13 (range, 0-64). The average Mayo Elbow Performance Index score was 88 (range, 60-100), with 4 excellent (90-100), 3 good (75-89), and 3 fair (60-74) results and no poor results. Discussion This technique was found to have excellent midterm results. Compared with separate medial- and lateral-sided reconstruction, there is simplification of bone tunnel formation as well as graft fixation.
Two-state system driven by imperfect π pulses: An estimate of the error accumulation in bang-bang control methods

Abstract The evolution of a two-state system driven by a sequence of imperfect π pulses (with random phase or amplitude errors) is calculated. The resulting decreased fidelity is used to derive a plausible limit on the performance of ‘bang-bang’ control methods for the suppression of decoherence.
Brief Report: Is Cognitive Rehabilitation Needed in Verbal Adults with Autism? Insights from Initial Enrollment in a Trial of Cognitive Enhancement Therapy

Cognitive rehabilitation is an emerging set of potentially effective interventions for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder, yet the applicability of these approaches for "high functioning" adults who have normative levels of intelligence remains unexplored. This study examined the initial cognitive performance characteristics of 40 verbal adults with autism enrolled in a pilot trial of Cognitive Enhancement Therapy to investigate the need for cognitive rehabilitation in this population. Results revealed marked and broad deficits across neurocognitive and social-cognitive domains, despite above-average IQ. Areas of greatest impairment included processing speed, cognitive flexibility, and emotion perception and management. These findings indicate the need for comprehensive interventions designed to enhance cognition among verbal adults with autism who have intact intellectual functioning.
Thoughts on the taxonomy and semantics of value terms

In several areas of ethics frequent reference is made to value. In environmental ethics there seems to be a major division between those who attribute value to animals and plants, or to species or nature as a whole, and those who see all value in terms of human interests alone. Issues in social ethics raise questions about the value of individual persons, the society of humans and groups within that society, and such entities as embryos and dead bodies. Unfortunately the terminology which has been used to talk about value in relation to ethical issues is a bit of a muddle, especially the use of the terms "intrinsic" and "inherent.', The dictionary meanings of these terms are not distinctly different, and numerous writers have used the terms interchangeably or with specific meanings which varied with each writer; one person's "intrinsic" was another's "inherent." These two terms have played an important role in the discussion of ethical issues, and they have caused no small amount of confusion. The need for clarification does not stop with these two words; the notion of instrumental value and the various senses in which value can be extrinsic also call for examination. Stipulating meanings for the terms used in discussions of value will not be enough; various stipulations have been made before, and usually ignored. In my attempt to make a contribution to the clarification of the taxonomy of value and its relation to ontological issues (the semantics of value terms), I will use some familiar terms which do not seem to be problematical, but I will also use some new terms, which I hope will not be terribly awkward. Let me enter a clarification at this point. My use of the noun term "value" should not be taken to imply acceptance of an ontology; this would be quite premature this early in the paper, and it might never be called for. References to value should, until further notice, be read as a
Current therapeutic trends in therapy for chronic viral hepatitis

Hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis delta virus (HDV) are associated with clinically significant chronic infection that may lead to the development of cirrhosis or even hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Intervention at the earliest possible stage is needed to prevent such untoward sequelae. Currently, interferon (IFN) is the only approved and widely used agent for the treatment of these infections, including in HBV patients with precore mutant hepatitis or decompensated cirrhosis, but its efficacy is far from satisfactory. Corticosteroid priming has been shown to increase the efficacy of IFN therapy in HBV patients with low abnormal serum transaminase levels, but only a few responders will clear serum hepatitis Bs antigen (HBsAg). Ongoing randomized controlled trials of thymosin alpha 1, lamivudine and famcyclovir have demonstrated encouraging preliminary results. Therapeutic vaccines, such as polypeptides with human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-specific hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) epitopes, are under phase II/III clinical trial. For HDV infection, the use of IFN in the early phase of acute superinfection tends to prevent chronic progression. For HCV infection, IFN used at higher doses for a longer period of time is associated with a higher sustained response, but overall it is still not satisfactory. The combined use of ribavirin or corticosteroid priming may improve the effect of IFN therapy by enhancing the durability of the response. Interferon in the acute phase of HCV infection may also prevent chronic progression. There is evidence to suggest that IFN therapy, when associated with response, tends to reduce the risk of cirrhosis or HCC and prolongs survival. There is no doubt that satisfactory treatment of chronic viral infection will require more effective agents and demand optimal treatment strategies, many of which are yet to be found.
Glucuronidation of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine: human and rat enzyme specificity.

Abstract Since preclinical studies indicated that 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT, zidovudine, Retrovir®, BW A509U), a potent anti-HIV agent, is not metabolized extensively in rats, rabbits, mice, guinea pigs, cats, or dogs [1,2], the extensive biotransformation of AZT observed in humans was not expected. On average, approximately 75% of an oral AZT dose is recovered in human urine as a single metabolite while only 14–18% of the dose is recovered unchanged [1, 3]. Ultraviolet, infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectra and enzymatic degradation characterized the isolated major metabolite as a 5'-O-glucuronide (3'-azido-3'-deoxy-5'-s-D-glucopyranuronosylthymidine, GAZT), a very unique nucleoside metabolite [1]. These observations suggest that UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UDPGT), EC2.4.1.17, mediates the in vivo biotransformation of AZT to GAZT. Since glucuronidation is one of the major conjugation reactions involved in the metabolic conversion of xenobiotics to more polar, water-soluble metabolites, it is an important detoxification pathway in humans. Therefore, it is important to understand the enzymatic basis for the discrepancy between metabolism of AZT in laboratory mammals and humans. This is especially relevant in light of the use of laboratory mammals to predict the metabolism of novel pharmaceutical agents in humans. The study presented herein confirms that liver UDPGT does catalyze the glucuronidation of AZT and that the higher substrate efficiency of AZT with human enzyme compared to rodent enzyme may account for metabolic differences observed in vivo.
Echocardiographic assessment of ventricular dyssynchrony

Although cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been of unquestioned therapeutic benefit to many patients with heart failure identified by a widened QRS complex on an electrocardiogram, many patients do not respond favorably. Several studies using echocardiographic methods to measure abnormalities of mechanical activation, known as dyssynchrony, have been proposed to improve patient selection for CRT. Many single-center studies from institutions with special expertise have demonstrated the feasibility of echocardiographic dyssynchrony to potentially assist with patient selection. However, the PROSPECT trial, a recent large multicenter study, highlighted the technical challenges in echocardiographic dyssynchrony analysis in mainstream clinical practice. Accordingly, a uniform clinical approach has not been established, and refinements of echocardiographic approaches and methods are constantly evolving. This article reviews current echocardiographic methods to quantify ventricular dyssynchrony, their strengths and limitations, and the proposed and potential expanding clinical applications.
Quantum time correlation functions and classical coherence

Abstract Quantum time correlation functions for electronically adiabatic and nonadiabatic processes have recently been evaluated directly using the semiclassical initial value representation [J. Cao and G.A. Voth, J. Chem. Phys. 104 (1996) 271]. In this paper, the approach to the classical limit of this theory is analyzed and the nature of coherence in such limits is explored.
Synthesis and Thermoelectric Properties of Thin Film Assemblies of Bismuth Telluride Nanopolyhedra

Solvothermal synthesis of tetrahedrally and octahedrally faceted bismuth telluride nanocrystals is reported. Thin film nanocrystal assemblies show a threefold lower thermal conductivity than bulk bismuth telluride, a room-temperature electrical conductivity of 400 Ω−1 m−1, and Seebeck coefficient of −42 μV/K. These results offer promise for developing high figure of merit nanomaterials through nanocrystal shape control.
Examining key drivers of customer delight in a hotel experience: A cross-cultural perspective

Abstract Welcoming all guests is the calling shared by those who work in the hotel industry. Everyday hoteliers strive to provide a service of excellence to all of those who visit. This can be somewhat of a complex endeavor, as hotels receive guests from different nationalities and cultures. Previous research in the area of customer delight has revealed some of the factors that define and drive the customer delight experience. Despite the emerging literature on the subject, the question remains: are guest from different cultures likely to be delighted by different things? In the present study, the researchers conducted extensive semi-structured interviews (n = 228) with guests from different nationalities visiting the Central Florida area. The guests interviewed came predominantly from the United States, Brazil, Germany, and Canada. Using a process of content analysis, the researchers analyzed the drivers of customer delight and concluded that while some universal service elements exists, guests from different cultures can also be delighted by different services and amenities.
Physical Organic Chemistry of Transition Metal Complexes. 31. Nucleophilic Attachment of the Malononitrile Anion to Fischer Carbene Complexes

Rate constants for the attachment of CH(CN)2- to Fischer carbene complexes of the type (CO)5MC(XR)C6H4Z with M = Cr, W and XR = OMe, OEt, SMe in 50% MeCN−50% water (v/v) at 25 °C are reported. The ...