cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Public–private partnerships: Perspectives on purposes, publicness, and good governance

Public–private partnerships (PPPs) have long been advocated and analyzed as organizational solutions to pressing societal problems that call for the comparative advantages of government, business, and civil society. However, ongoing questions remain about how to design, manage, and assess PPPs. The large literature on PPPs suffers from conceptual imprecision, and is weakly integrated. This article seeks to address these problems. It offers a discussion of partnership definitions and builds a framework that examines the features of PPPs as they relate to achieving particular purposes: policy, service delivery, infrastructure, capacity building, and economic development. The article summarizes the contributions to the symposium: social enterprise PPPs that target poverty reduction, health service delivery partnerships with faith-based organizations, diasporas as partners for international development, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, and the Better Factories Cambodia partnership. In examining cross-cutting themes, the analysis focuses on publicness and potential to promote international norms associated with good governance. Conclusions address the role of new partners in PPPs, the difficulties in finding a balance of interests and incentives among partners, the implications of embodying and promoting international good governance norms and values, the different sources of authority that operate within PPPs, and the trade-offs among PPPs' advantages. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Slender wing theory including regions of embedded total pressure loss

An aerodynamic theory of the flow about slender delta wings is described. The theory includes a treatment of the self-consistent development of the vortex wake patterns above the wing necessary to maintain smooth flow at the wing edges. The paper focuses especially on the formation within the wake of vortex 'cores' as embedded regions of total pressure loss, fed and maintained by umbilical vortex sheets emanating from the wing edges. Criteria are developed for determining the growing size and location of these cores, as well as the distribution and strength of the vorticity within them. In this paper, however, the possibility of vortex breakup is omitted. The aerodynamic consequences of the presence and evolution of the cores and the associated wake structure are illustrated and discussed. It is noted that wake history effects can have substantial influence on the distribution of normal force on the wing as well as on its magnitude.
Spatiotemporal Gaussian feature detection in sparsely sampled data with application to InSAR

Point cloud data present a broad swath of intriguing problems in signal processing. Namely, the data may be sparse, may be non-uniformly sampled in space and time, and cannot be processed directly by way of conventional techniques such as convolutional filters. This paper addresses such data under the application umbrella of remote sensing. Specifically, we examine the potential of interferometric synthetic aperture radar for detecting geohazards that affect transportation. Using sparsely distributed coherent scatterers on the ground, our algorithms attempt to locate events in process such as sinkholes in the vicinity of highways. Theoretically, the problem boils down to the detection of Gaussian-shaped changes that evolve predictably in space and time. The solution to the detection problem involves two basic approaches, one grounded in pattern matching and the other in statistical signal processing. Essentially, the spatiotemporal pattern matching extends a Hough-like voting algorithm to a method that penalizes deviation from the known model in space and time. For confirmation of geohazard location, we can exploit a fixed-time analysis of the distribution of subsidence from the point cloud data by way of computing mutual information. Results show that the detection and screening strategies conform to geological evidence.
Effects of interferon gamma on the antibody response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide in mice.

Abstract Different strains of mice were examined for the capacity to produce an Ig subclass-specific antibody response to purified Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide (PALPS). With the exception of the AKR strain, the predominant isotype for most of the strains tested was IgG3 whereas the least frequent isotype expressed was either IgG2b or IgGl. AKR mice were unique in that the predominant isotype produced was IgG2a, rather than IgG3; however, the administration of anti-interferon gamma antibody, at the time of immunization with PALPS caused a substantial decrease in the IgG2a antibody response. Selected B10 congenic strains were used to assess the relationship between the antibody responses and the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes. Here, the isotype-patterns for the antibody responses were essentially the same regardless of the MHC haplotype. Interestingly, an increase in IgG2a, with a concomitant decrease in IgM and IgG1 antibody was noted when C3H mice were given interferon gamma at the time of immunization. These studies indicate that, in general, the antibody response to PALPS consists of IgG3 antibody as the predominant isotype, and that the antibody response can be modified by interferon gamma.
The fallacy of evaluating biomaterial wear‐rates with water as lubricant: A hip simulator study of alumina‐PTFE and CoCr‐PTFE combinations

Controversy surrounds wear data from hip-simulator studies, whether from the choice of lubricants or other parameters such as the particular biomaterial combinations used, and whether any such interactions could bias the resulting wear predictions. To investigate these phenomena, we studied the wear performance of CoCr and alumina femoral heads, in water and serum-based lubricants, using as our standard the polytetrafluoroethylene wear data derived clinically by Charnley. To model Charnley's clinical experience, PTFE acetabular cups were used in sets of three each with each size of femoral head for 22.25, 28, and 42-mm diameters in a nine-channel hip simulator. From the serum-based tests, the CoCr-PTFE wear data were consistently linear with duration of test, exhibited very large wear rates of 3,000–8,400 mm3/106, cycles had a precision within ±4% for each set of three cups, and copious amounts of small particulate were clearly seen circulating. The wear data clearly demonstrated Charnley's thesis that volume of wear increased with regard to size of femoral head. From the water-based tests, the CoCr-PTFE wear data were nonlinear with duration of test, had much reduced wear rates compared to the serum tests, lost the clinical relationship with ball size, and precision deteriorated to ±27% for each set. The wear debris appeared as 1–2 cm long ribbons which floated to the surface. For the alumina-PTFE combination in serum, the wear data appeared identical in performance to the CoCr-PTFE data in serum. Thus, the PTFE wear rates were not sensitive to the choice of femoral-head material. The most surprising outcome in this study was the zero-wear performance of the ceramic-PTFE combination in water. This contrasted remarkably with the large wear rates established for the same combinations run in serum. The zero-wear performance of the ceramic-PTFE combination in water was unexpected, but a similar phenomenon was noted in published simulator tests of ceramic-UHMWPE run in water. It now seems likely that such data may reflect the capricious behavior of water lubrication rather than any other variables under evaluation. The water-based experiments clearly favored the ceramic's superior tribological performance and placed metal bearings at a decided disadvantage. Therefore, for an in vitro simulation of materials wear-ranking of clinical relevance, it may be advisable to use a serum-based lubricant. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 39, 229–233, 1998.
The effects of hunter‐education requirements on hunting participation and recruitment in the United States

Abstract The effects of required hunter‐education programs on hunter recruitment and participation were examined using the 1980, 1985, and 1990 screener surveys from the U.S. National Surveys of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife‐Associated Recreation. Information provided by states on their requirements for hunter education allowed us to determine whether people were required to take an education course before they could purchase a hunting license. We estimated the effect of hunter‐education requirements on hunting participation, controlling for the person's age, sex, and race/ethnicity, as well as for the percentage of the state's population living in rural areas and the regional level of hunting participation in 1955 (as a surrogate for hunting culture). In 1980, 23 states with no hunter‐education requirement had an overall hunting participation rate of 12%, while participation in states with a hunter‐education requirement for all hunters was 6%. States with requirements were, however, more urban and had lo...
On the Characterization of a Bivariate Geometric Distribution

In this article it is shown that a bivariate random variable has a constant failure rate, and mixture geometric marginals, if and only if, it has the loss of memory property and the discrete Freund distribution. This characterization is achieved by extending a key lemma in this area. The mixture geometric can be collapsed to geometric marginals, thus validating the results.
Personal view: passing the buck and taking a free ride -- a game-theoretical approach to evasive management strategies in gastroenterology.

Summary Background: ‘Free-riding’ physicians enjoy the status, prestige and income of their profession without fully contributing to its overall mission. By shifting the costs of potential medical complications and difficult patient encounters to other physicians, they reap the benefits of their profession without carrying its full weight. Aim: To describe this phenomenon in terms of decision analysis and characterize the parameters affecting its occurrence. Methods: The interaction between two physicians is modeled as a non-zero-sum game. Two strategies of either contributing to patient management or taking a free ride are available to both physicians. The four possible outcomes are arranged in a two-by-two game matrix. Results: Physicians practice medicine because their personal benefit exceeds their cost. High cost to the physician results in a high probability of taking a free ride and copping out from potentially risky management. Increasing the benefit decreases the probability of free riding. As the number of possible encounters with other physicians increases, the probability of free riding increases and the probability for effective management by each individual physician decreases. Conclusion: If individual gastroenterologists felt less threatened by administrative repercussions and medico-legal consequences of untoward events, each one of them would contribute more to effective patient management.
Statistical analysis of factors influencing the performance of the timeout-based testing model

Time-out collaboration protocol is a mechanism to maximize system performance, with a service discipline (or a dispatching rule) collaborated, by disabling the access of a job to the resource when the job keeps the resource idle for too long and then by giving one of the other waiting jobs the access to the resource. This paper formally defines a generic testing model with a single tester shared by multiple types of jobs and with the repair process. This research performs statistical analysis of the timeout collaboration protocol by considering several factors simultaneously and identifies two key factors that affect the performance of different timeout thresholds in the testing model. It is shown that two extreme timeout threshold values ( T 0 = 0 and X ) outperform intermediate values (0 < T 0 <; X ) with respect to overall mean flow time. This research provides insights into applying the timeout mechanism that originated from communication problems to production systems.
Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) measured by radioligand binding techniques.

Abstract Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) play a role in learning, memory and behavior in vertebrate animals. We measured the muscarinic cholinergic receptor levels in extracts from zebrafish (Danio rerio) brain by radioligand binding techniques. Saturation binding experiments with the radioligand [3H]-quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB) were used to determine receptor number and relative affinity for several agonists and antagonists. Affinity at zebrafish brain receptors was relatively high with a Kd of 40±5 pM. The number of receptors, represented by Bmax, was 63±16 fmol/mg protein. Oxotremorine and carbachol, agonists at muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, bound with displacement curves indicating multiple binding sites. In addition, oxotremorine bound with a higher affinity than did carbachol. The antagonist potency profile at zebrafish receptors in brain was determined to be atropine≫pirenzipine>p-fluoro-hexahydro-sila-difenidol≫otenzepad. The results obtained with zebrafish brain compare favorably to those found in insect, fish and mammalian species. Taken together, the binding results and favorable comparisons to mammalian systems indicate that zebrafish may provide a useful model organism for evaluating the role of cholinergic systems in learning, memory and behavior.
Salutary actions of thromboxane synthetase inhibition during global myocardial ischemia.

Isolated cat hearts were perfused with blood-free Krebs-Henseleit solution for 165 min. Ischemia was induced by reducing perfusion to 0.02 ml/min/g wet heart weight for 2h followed by reperfusion at controls flows for 30 min. Hearts perfused with the thromboxane synthetase inhibitor OKY-1581 at concentrations of 5×10−6 M were spared from the increases in circulating thromboxane B2 occurring in untreated ischemic hearts. After reperfusion, cardiac contractile force increased to a higher level in OKY-1581 treated hearts. This was associated with a lower coronary vascular resistance than in untreated ischemic hearts. OKY-1581 treated ischemic hearts exhibited lower perfusate and higher myocardial creatine kinase (CK) activity than untreated ischemic hearts, indicative of preservation of cellular integrity. Also, OKY-1581 treated ischemic hearts showed improved lysosomal stability as evidenced by a lower tissue percent free cathepsin D activity than untreated ischemic hearts. These results are consistent with a significant role of thromboxanes in the propagation of myocardial cellular damage during ischemia.
Rule monitoring ability predicts event-based prospective memory performance in individuals with TBI.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that prospective memory (PM) abilities are impaired following traumatic brain injury (TBI). PM refers to the ability to remember to complete a planned action following a delay. PM post-TBI has been shown to be related to performance on neuropsychological tests of executive functioning and retrospective episodic memory (RM). However, the relative influence of impairments in RM versus executive functioning on PM performance post-TBI remains uninvestigated. In the current study, PM and neuropsychological test performance were examined in 45 persons with a history of moderate to severe TBI at least 1 year before enrollment. Regression analyses examined the relative contributions of RM and executive functioning in the prediction of PM performance on the Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test (RBMT). Results indicated that scores on tests of delayed RM and rule monitoring (i.e., ability to avoid making errors on executive measures) were the strongest predictors of PM. When the interaction between RM impairment and rule monitoring was examined, a positive relationship between PM and rule monitoring was found only in TBI participants with impaired RM. Results suggest that PM performance is dependent upon rule monitoring abilities only when RM is impaired following TBI. (JINS, 2014, 20, 1–11)
Isoflavone profiles of soymilk as affected by high-pressure treatments of soymilk and soybeans

Abstract High hydrostatic pressure was applied to hydrated soybeans (100–700 MPa, 25 °C) and soymilk (400–750 MPa; 25 and 75 °C) to assess its effect on isoflavone content, profile and water-extractability. Neither pressure level nor initial treatment temperature affected soymilk isoflavone content. However, combined pressure and mild thermal treatment modified the isoflavone distribution. At 75 °C, the isoflavone profile shifted from malonylglucosides toward β-glucosides, which was correlated to the effect of adiabatic heating. When pressure was applied to the hydrated soybeans, the soymilk isoflavone concentration varied between 4.32 and 6.06 μmol/g. The content of protein decreased and fat increased in soymilks prepared from pressurized soybeans with increasing pressure level.
Psychological and sociological barriers to prenatal care

Abstract This review of psychosocial characteristics of women who delay prenatal care reveals that perceptions of barriers to care need to be considered by both designers of prenatal programs and by health care professionals.
Genomic analysis of biochemical function.

Establishing the linkage between an individual biochemical activity and the gene(s) specifying that activity has been facilitated by advances in mass spectrometry and affinity purification methods. In addition, a genomic protein array has been produced in yeast by fusing each yeast open reading frame to glutathione-S-transferase, thus linking each protein with its cognate gene. Purification and biochemical assay of pools of glutathione-S-transferase–open-reading-frame proteins allows analysis of the entire proteome for biochemical activities, followed by simple deconvolution to identify the responsible open reading frame. An alternative method to analyze large sets of proteins is the use of protein microarrays in which over 10,000 individual proteins can be immobilized and assayed on a single slide.
The energetic and nutritional yields from insectivory for Kasekela chimpanzees

Insectivory is hypothesized to be an important source of macronutrients, minerals, and vitamins for chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), yet nutritional data based on actual intake are lacking. Drawing on observations from 2008 to 2010 and recently published nutritional assays, we determined the energy, macronutrient and mineral yields for termite-fishing (Macrotermes), ant-dipping (Dorylus), and ant-fishing (Camponotus) by the Kasekela chimpanzees of Gombe National Park, Tanzania. We also estimated the yields from consumption of weaver ants (Oecophylla) and termite alates (Macrotermes and Pseudacanthotermes). On days when chimpanzees were observed to prey on insects, the time spent in insectivorous behavior ranged from <1 min to over 4 h. After excluding partial bouts and those of <1 min duration, ant-dipping bouts were of significantly shorter duration than the other two forms of tool-assisted insectivory but provided the highest mass intake rate. Termite-fishing bouts were of significantly longer duration than ant-dipping and had a lower mass intake rate, but provided higher mean and maximum mass yields. Ant-fishing bouts were comparable to termite-fishing bouts in duration but had significantly lower mass intake rates. Mean and maximum all-day yields from termite-fishing and ant-dipping contributed to or met estimated recommended intake (ERI) values for a broad array of minerals. The mean and maximum all-day yields of other insects consistently contributed to the ERI only for manganese. All forms of insectivory provided small but probably non-trivial amounts of fat and protein. We conclude that different forms of insectivory have the potential to address different nutritional needs for Kasekela chimpanzees. Other than honeybees, insects have received little attention as potential foods for hominins. Our results suggest that ants and (on a seasonal basis) termites would have been viable sources of fat, high-quality protein and minerals for extinct hominins employing Pan-like subsistence technology in East African woodlands.
Irradiated tumor cell vaccine for treatment of an established glioma. II. Expansion of myeloid suppressor cells that promote tumor progression.

These studies report the identification of a population of myeloid suppressor cells (MSC) that are preferentially enriched in the spleens and tumor-infiltrating mononuclear cells (TIMC) from T9.F-vaccinated animals. In this model designed to mimic immunotherapy for an established intracranial (i.c.) glioma, animals were given an i.c. inoculum with 5 x 10(4) T9 glioma cells at day 0, followed by a subcutaneous (s.c.) injection of 5 x 10(6) irradiated T9.F glioma cells 5 days later. Unexpectedly, we found that the survival of these T9.F-vaccinated animals was dramatically shorter than their age-matched counterparts who received only saline injections. Since MSC have previously been demonstrated to be associated with tumor progression, the question arose of whether MSC might play a role in the rapid tumor progression observed in this model. Analysis of the spleen cells and TIMC revealed an increase in the population of myeloid cells expressing granulocytic and monocytic markers. Both the polyclonal and tumor-specific proliferation of splenic T cells and tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes (T-TIL) from T9.F-vaccinated animals were significantly inhibited in the presence of these myeloid cells. Furthermore, the adoptive transfer of MSC into animals bearing a 5-day T9 glioma caused rapid tumor progression. Reduced survival of the glioma-bearing vaccinated rats was associated with enhanced tumor growth, as well as with an increased density of T-TIL. However, purified T-TIL did not show any discernable signs of inherent defects in terms of their effector functions and T cell receptor (TCR) signal transduction protein levels. Therefore, we believe that an MSC population is responsible for inhibiting the anti-tumor T cell response, resulting in the enhanced growth of the i.c. glioma, and may represent a significant obstacle to immune-based therapies.
Curriculum sensitive assessment: Content does make a difference

Abstract This chapter explores the use of rankings and total test scores in large-scale international comparative studies and some of the issues related to them. It examines their value as a basis for policy decisions and educational research. Country ranks on total test scores have been seen to be relatively robust to changes in test content, even changes directed at greater curriculum relevance. Unfortunately, other analyses suggest this robustness is likely a consequence of high levels of aggregation and broad, shallow domain sampling. Student achievement in mathematics and science is inherently multi dimensional. Highly aggregated scores of broadly sampled domains are inherently misleading and mask fundamental, educationally relevant diversities at more specific levels of the curriculum.
Histamine-induced Ca2+ signalling is mediated by TRPM4 channels in human adipose-derived stem cells

Intracellular Ca2+ oscillations are frequently observed during stem cell differentiation, and there is evidence that it may control adipogenesis. The transient receptor potential melastatin 4 channel (TRPM4) is a key regulator of Ca2+ signals in excitable and non-excitable cells. However, its role in human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs), in particular during adipogenesis, is unknown. We have investigated TRPM4 in hASCs and examined its impact on histamine-induced Ca2+ signalling and adipogenesis. Using reverse transcription (RT)-PCR, we have identified TRPM4 gene expression in hASCs and human adipose tissue. Electrophysiological recordings revealed currents with the characteristics of those reported for the channel. Furthermore, molecular suppression of TRPM4 with shRNA diminished the Ca2+ signals generated by histamine stimulation, mainly via histamine receptor 1 (H1) receptors. The increases in intracellular Ca2+ were due to influx via voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels (VDCCs) of the L-type (Ca(v)1.2) and release from the endoplasmic reticulum. Inhibition of TRPM4 by shRNA inhibited adipogenesis as indicated by the reduction in lipid droplet accumulation and adipocyte gene expression. These results suggest that TRPM4 is an important regulator of Ca2+ signals generated by histamine in hASCs and is required for adipogenesis.
Capsule Homology Does Not Increase the Frequency of Transformation of Linked Penicillin Binding Proteins PBP 1a and PBP 2x in Streptococcus pneumoniae

Penicillin resistance is mainly confined to a limited number of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes. Given linkage between the capsular biosynthesis locus and two penicillin binding proteins, we tested whether capsule homology increases transformation rates of penicillin resistance. Transformation rates in homologous donor-recipient pairs were no higher than expected, falsifying this hypothesis.
An automated procedure for determining asymptotic elastic stress fields at singular points

The paper describes an analytical tool in MATLAB for determining the nature of the stress and displacement fields near a fairly general singular point in linear elasticity. The user is prompted to input the local geometry of the system, the material properties, and the boundary conditions (and interface conditions in the case of composite bodies or problems involving contact between two or more bodies). The tool then computes the dominant eigen- value and provides as output the equations defining the singular stress and displacement fields and contour plots of these fields. No knowledge of the asymptotic analysis procedure is required of the user. The tool is tested against previously published results where available and proves to be robust and accurate. It is potentially useful for the development of special finite elements for singular points or for characterizing failure at such points. It can be downloaded from the website http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jbarber/asymptotics/intro.html
Design of sealed ignitron rectifiers for three-wife service

IN the past four years, the many constructional and operational advantages of sealed ignitron rectifiers have greatly aided the war effort by saving critical materials and manufacturing facilities. Two-wire sealed ignitron rectifiers1 have met industry's urgent need for efficient d-c power and have found wide application in the range of 75- to 1,000-kw capacity, at voltages ranging between 250 and 600 volts direct current for general industrial, railway, mining, and-electrochemical service.
Design and implementation of a two-dimensional inkjet bioprinter

Tissue engineering has the potential to improve the current methods for replacing organs and tissues and for investigating cellular process within the scope of a tissue test system. Bioprinting technology can aid in the difficult task of arranging live mammalian cells and biomaterials in viable structures for tissue engineering purposes. This paper describes a system, based on HP26 series print cartridge technology, capable of precisely depositing multiple cell types in precise patterns. The paper discusses the research, design, and implementation of the printing system, which permits control of droplet firing parameters, including firing energy, speed, and spacing. The results demonstrate the system’s fine patterning ability of viable cells, including two-dimensional patterned co-cultures of two cell types. The system has been specifically designed with the flexibility to be extended to print more than two cell types and/or materials simultaneously and to layer printed patterns to form three-dimensional constructs. With these features, the printing system will serve as the foundation for a biofabrication system capable of three-dimensional cell co-cultures, i.e. tissue test systems.
Quantification of particle-induced inflammatory stress response: a novel approach for toxicity testing of earth materials

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are vital regulators of many cellular functions in the body. The intracellular ROS concentration is highly regulated by a balance between pro-oxidants and anti-oxidants. A chronic excess of pro-oxidants leads to elevated ROS concentrations and inflammation, possibly initiating or enhancing disease onset. Mineral-induced generation of ROS, the role of minerals in upregulating cellular ROS, and their role in the development of several occupational diseases are now widely recognized. However, there is no standard protocol to determine changes in ROS production in cells after exposure to mineral dust or earth materials in general. In this study, a new method for determining the degree of cellular toxicity (i.e., cytotoxicity) of particles is described that will help bridge the gap in knowledge. By measuring the production of ROS and the viability of cells, an inflammatory stress response (ISR) indicator is defined. This approach normalizes the ROS upregulation with respect to the number of viable cells at the time of measurement. We conducted experiments on a series of minerals and soils that represent materials that are inert (i.e., glass beads, anatase, and a soil with low trace element content), moderately reactive (i.e., soil with high trace element content), and highly reactive (i.e., pyrite). Inert materials generated the lowest ISR, averaging 350% compared to the control. Acid washed pyrite produced the highest ISR (1,100 fold higher than the control). The measurements conducted as a function of time showed a complex response. Most materials showed an increase in ISR with particle loading. The amount of cellularly generated ROS and cell viability combined provide a better understanding of particle-induced oxidative stress. The results indicate that some earth materials may solicit an initial burst of ROS, followed by a second phase in which cell viability decreases and ROS production increases, leading to a high ISR value. Hence, measurements conducted over a range of particle loading combined with multiple data measurements up to 24 hours can provide new insights in the possible effect of exposure to earth materials on human health.
Comparative Biology of Aging

Virtually, all research on basic mechanisms of aging has used species that are short lived and thus demonstrably unsuccessful at combating basic aging processes. A novel comparative approach would use a diversity of populations and species, focusing on those with particularly long, healthy lives, seeking the causative mechanisms that distinguish them from shorter lived relatives. Species of interest from this perspective include the naked mole rat, a mouse-size rodent that lives up to 30 years in the laboratory, and the little brown bat, which lives up to 34 years in the wild. Comparisons among dogs of different sizes, which differ by more than 50% in health span might also prove rewarding, as might novel species chosen because of their similarity to humans in certain key traits. Primates, because of their sophisticated cognitive ability, are a group of special value, and small, short-lived primates like the common marmoset might prove especially beneficial. Cell repositories and tissue banks from key species, as well as genomic and analytic tools optimized for comparative studies, would make valuable contributions to a new comparative approach to basic aging research.
Extending photovoltaic operation beyond 2000 suns using a liquid metal thermal interface with passive cooling

Photovoltaic systems operating at solar concentration levels in excess of 500 suns require efficient cooling systems to manage the associated high incident power densities above 50 W/cm2. We present results for a liquid metal thermal interface with a 2–5 mm2C/W thermal resistance used in conjunction with a 1 cm2 commercial triple junction concentrator cell to produce up to 75 W of electrical power. We show that the liquid metal interface can be used to extend the limits of passive cooling relative to polymer thermal interface materials for solar photovoltaic concentrator systems. We will discuss the operation of triple junction photovoltaic cells above the 2000 sun level employing the liquid metal thermal interface and passive cooling.
Regulation of brown fat adipogenesis by protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B.

Background Protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is a physiological regulator of insulin signaling and energy balance, but its role in brown fat adipogenesis requires additional investigation.
Cut-Stump Treatment of Saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima) on the Cimarron National Grasslands

Saltcedar is an invasive shrub or tree found along stream banks and waterways throughout the western United States. Research was conducted on saltcedar stands located on the Cimarron National Grasslands near Elkhart, KS. Saltcedar was cut during the dormant season. Spring applied treatments included an untreated check and herbicides containing either glyphosate, triclopyr, or imazapyr. All untreated plants resprouted. All herbicides provided greater than 90% defoliation 3 months after treatment (MAT), except those cut-stump treatments containing glyphosate. At 15 MAT, glyphosate + imazapyr (5% + 5%), imazapyr (10%), triclopyr (5 and 10%), and undiluted triclopyr as Pathfinder II provided ≥ 80% mortality.
Immigrant managers as boundary spanners on offshored software development projects: partners or bosses?

A growing trend to source complex software development projects to lower-cost (offshore) locations has created a need for effective collaboration across cultural boundaries. One way of addressing this need in practice has been to nominate onshore immigrants to manage projects being sourced to the immigrant's country of origin. The assumption is that these managers will enable effective collaboration by drawing on their dual identity. We report findings of a qualitative study involving offshore software providers and onshore project managers (both immigrant and non-immigrant) investigating consequences of this practice. We then use social identity theory to explain our findings.
Characterization of Respiratory Exposures at a Microwave Popcorn Plant with Cases of Bronchiolitis Obliterans

Eight former workers from a microwave popcorn packaging plant were reported to have severe obstructive lung disease consistent with bronchiolitis obliterans. Investigations into respiratory exposures at this plant were done during August through November of 2000. Samples were collected to assess airborne particulate concentrations, particle size distributions, endotoxins, oxides of nitrogen, organic gases and vapors, and other analytes. Bulk corn and flavoring components were also analyzed for endotoxins and culturable bacteria and fungi. Workers in the microwave production areas of the plant were exposed to particulates and a range of organic vapors from flavorings. The particles were comprised largely of salt and oil/grease particles. Respirable dust concentrations (area plus personal) in the microwave mixer job category, the highest job exposure category in the plant, ranged from 0.13 milligrams per cubic meter of air (mg/m3) to a high of 0.77 mg/m3. Endotoxin concentrations were below 60 endotoxin uni...
HYPERSHELL: a practical hypervisor layer guest OS shell for automated in-VM management

To direct the operation of a computer, we often use a shell, a user interface that provides accesses to the OS kernel services. Traditionally, shells are designed atop an OS kernel. In this paper, we show that a shell can also be designed below an OS. More specifically, we present HYPERSHELL, a practical hypervisor layer guest OS shell that has all of the functionality of a traditional shell, but offers better automation, uniformity and centralized management. This will be particularly useful for cloud and data center providers to manage the running VMs in a large scale. To overcome the semantic gap challenge, we introduce a reverse system call abstraction, and we show that this abstraction can significantly relieve the painful process of developing software below an OS. More importantly, we also show that this abstraction can be implemented transparently. As such, many of the legacy guest OS management utilities can be directly reused in HYPERSHELL without any modification. Our evaluation with over one hundred management utilities demonstrates that HYPERSHELL has 2.73X slowdown on average compared to their native in-VM execution, and has less than 5% overhead to the guest OS kernel.
Expanding the Boundaries of E-Collaboration

This article provides an introduction to the special issue on Expanding the Boundaries of E-Collaboration. It presents an operational definition of the term e-collaboration, and a historical review of the development of e-collaboration tools and related academic research. That is followed by an introductory development of the notion of e-collaboration boundaries. The article concludes with a summarized discussion of the articles published in the special issue.
Nonantibody-mediated suppression of delayed hypersensitivity to human γ-globulin in mice☆

Abstract Development of delayed hypersensitivity (DHS) to human γ-globulin (HIgG) in mice was documented by histological analysis, by the kinetics of footpad swelling in animals exhibiting humoral or delayed responses, and by the failure of sera to transfer delayed reactions to normal, syngeneic recipients. Since cyclophosphamide (CY) treatment resulted in diminished humoral and augmented delayed reactions, we used this as a tool to explore the nature of the regulatory mechanisms which affect expression of this type of cell-mediated immunity. In order to evaluate the effect which the presence or absence of antigen-specific cells might exert on expression of DHS, we subjected mice to experimental regimes which would result in lymphocyte proliferation or depletion, respectively (see Bachvaroff, R., and Rapaport, F. T., Cell. Immunol. 15, 336, 1975). Cell proliferation was induced by injection of 80 μg of aqueous antigen on Day −4; this was followed by sensitization with HIgG-CFA (Freund's adjuvant) on Day 0, and footpad challenge on Day 13. These mice exhibited strong humoral reactivity; three of six died of anaphylaxis following footpad challenge, and the remaining three showed a diminished delayed response. Similarly treated mice that, in addition, received 6 mg of CY 3 days after injection of aqueous antigen and, therefore, would have antigen-specific cells present showed greatly diminished humoral reactivity, due to B-cell depletion. However, they also exhibited a marked diminution in delayed responsiveness. The data clearly demonstrate that a nonantibody-mediated, possibly cell-directed, regulatory influence is exerted on DHS where cell proliferation has occurred. We next examined the impact which the depletion of proliferating cells would exert on the expression of DHS. Cell depletion was attempted by giving one injection of aqueous antigen (Day 0) early in a regime of chronic CY administration (Days −1 through +3) ; antigen-induced proliferating cells would be susceptible to CY and, therefore, depleted under these conditions. The results show that mice receiving both aqueous antigen and CY have depressed humoral and markedly diminished delayed reactivity compared to animals that were injected with CY alone. Thus, the augmenting effect which CY exerts on DHS is abrogated by stimulation with aqueous antigen. One interpretation is that CY removes a regulatory cell population in the normal animal, thereby allowing enhanced expression of delayed responsiveness. Clearly, regulatory function cannot be attributed solely to bumoral antibody production.
The effects of LAN-like input traffic on a switch access node

This paper addresses the modeling and analysis of a switching network access node. This is an area of importance due to forthcoming high-speed ATM backbone networks and the need to transmit data for current and future network applications. The nature of these applications must be considered when designing an access node to a switching network. A traffic arrival process for the network and characteristics of the access node are combined into an access node performance model. This model is implemented using Deterministic and Stochastic Petri Nets (DSPNs) which provides transitions with zero and deterministic firing times, as well as, exponentially distributed firing times, thus allowing the slotted behavior of the ATM interface to be captured in the model.
Cognitive Changes after Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinsonâs Disease: ACritical Review

Concern about cognitive worsening, especially after subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been reported in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients, although it has not been deemed severe enough to discredit DBS as a powerful tool in the armamentarium against PD. We here provide an in-depth and critical review of the current literature on this topic, summarizing the available data on the impact of STN and globus pallidus interna (GPi) DBS on each of the following cognitive domains: language, executive function, attention and concentration, memory, visual function, psychomotor and processing speed, and global cognition; then looking in more details into controlled studies as well as studies directly comparing GPi and STN DBS. We conclude that worsening of one or more cognitive function is rare and subtle after DBS in PD patients, without negative impact on quality of life, and that there is very little data supporting that STN DBS has a worse cognitive outcome than Gpi DBS.
Synaesthetic Associations Decrease During Infancy

Early development is characterized by a period of exuberant neural connectivity followed by a retraction and reweighting of connections over the course of development. It has been proposed that this connectivity may facilitate arbitrary sensory experiences in infants that are unlike anything experienced by typical adults but are similar to the sensory experiences of adults with synaesthesia, a rare sensory phenomenon that has been associated with exuberant neural connectivity and that is characterized by strong arbitrary associations between different sensations. We provide the first evidence for this infant-synaesthesia hypothesis by showing that the presence of particular shapes influences color preferences in typical 2- and 3-month-olds, but not in 8-month-olds or adults. These results are consistent with the possibility that exuberant neural connectivity facilitates synaesthetic associations during infancy that are typically eliminated during development, but that a failure of the retraction process leads in rare cases to synaesthesia in adults.
Evaluation of wind power capacity value including effects of transmission system

In recent years, investigations of the effects of the intermittency and uncertainty of wind power on power system reliability have gathered significant momentum. This paper proposes a method to model large wind farms and determine their capacity values in a manner that considers both the mechanical failures of wind turbines and the effects of the transmission system. The proposed method combines the probabilistic model of wind power and mechanical failures of wind turbines by sorting wind speeds into bands. While most methods estimate the capacity value based on generation adequacy, the method presented here also captures the effects of transmission constraints by using a composite system reliability analysis approach. Wind power capacity values were evaluated and compared for different scenarios taking into account the effects of operation and transmission line constraints and mechanical failures of wind turbines. Capacity values of wind power in composite system were compared with those of using adequacy assessment. The proposed method was applied on the IEEE-RTS to calculate the reliability indices and capacity values of wind power. The obtained results demonstrated that system operation and transmission line constrains have significant impacts on capacity values of wind farms. Also, the results showed that ignoring mechanical failures of wind turbines produces conservative assessment of the reliability indices and capacity values.
RECENT TRENDS IN EXPOSURE TO SECONDHAND SMOKE IN THE UNITED STATES (US) POPULATION

Background: Previous research using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) data documented a significant downward trend in secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure between 1988 and 2002. The objective of this study was to assess whether the downward trend in exposure continued from 2001 through 2006. Methods: We analyzed data from the 2001-2006 NHANES to estimate exposure of nonsmokers to SHS. Geometric means of serum cotinine levels for all nonsmokers were computed. Results: Overall serum cotinine levels (95% Confidence Intervals) in 2001-2002, 2003-2004, and 2005-2006 were 0.06 ng/mL (0.05-0.07), 0.07 ng/mL (0.06-0.09), and 0.05 ng/mL (0.05-0.06), respectively. Subgroup analysis by age, gender, and race/ethnicity groups showed similar trends in cotinine levels. Children, males, and non-Hispanic Blacks had higher cotinine levels than adults, females, and non-Hispanic Whites and Mexican Americans, respectively. Insignificant P values from the Wald test indicate that serum cotinine levels did not differ over time. Conclusions: The long-term trend of declining exposure to SHS among nonsmokers appears to have leveled off. However, disparities noted in previous research persist today, with the young, non-Hispanic Blacks, and males experiencing higher levels of exposure.
Craniosynostosis of coronal suture in twist1 mice occurs through endochondral ossification recapitulating the physiological closure of posterior frontal suture

Craniosynostosis, the premature closure of cranial suture, is a pathologic condition that affects 1/2000 live births. Saethre-Chotzen syndrome is a genetic condition characterized by craniosynostosis. The Saethre-Chotzen syndrome, which is defined by loss-of-function mutations in the TWIST gene, is the second most prevalent craniosynostosis. Although much of the genetics and phenotypes in craniosynostosis syndromes is understood, less is known about the underlying ossification mechanism during suture closure. We have previously demonstrated that physiological closure of the posterior frontal (PF) suture occurs through endochondral ossification. Moreover, we revealed that antagonizing canonical Wnt signaling in the sagittal suture leads to endochondral ossification of the suture mesenchyme and sagittal synostosis, presumably by inhibiting Twist1. Classic Saethre-Chotzen syndrome is characterized by coronal synostosis, and the haploinsufficient Twist1+/- mice represents a suitable model for studying this syndrome. Thus, we seeked to understand the underlying ossification process in coronal craniosynostosis in Twist1+/- mice. Our data indicate that coronal suture closure in Twist1+/- mice occurs between postnatal day 9 to 13 by endochondral ossification, as shown by histology, gene expression analysis and immunohistochemistry. In conclusion, this study reveals that coronal craniosynostosis in Twist1+/- mice occurs through endochondral ossification. Moreover, it suggests that haploinsufficency of Twist1 gene, a target of canonical Wnt-signaling, and inhibitor of chondrogenesis, mimics conditions of inactive canonical Wnt-signaling leading to craniosynostosis.