cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling fecal coliform bacteria—II. Model development and application

Abstract The episodic nature of their origin and the transience of the receiving water response make the modeling of fecal coliform bacteria contamination events particularly challenging. A two-layer mass balance model was developed to simulate spatial and temporal variability in fecal coliform bacteria concentrations in a polluted, urban lake. Independently validated submodels were used to estimate bacteria loads from tributary and point source discharges, to quantify mass transport and to determine losses due to sedimentation and death. The overall model was validated by successfully simulating spatial and temporal dynamics for dry weather conditions and two wet weather events. Sensitivity analyses indicate that the likelihood of violating public health standards is influenced by environmental conditions, e.g. light intensity and wind mixing. Model simulations are used to illustrate the impact of water quality management actions on bacteria levels at various locations in the lake. The general approach presented here and the techniques used to quantify model inputs may be of value in application to other systems.
Conversion of progesterone by rat anterior pituitary tissue to 5 alpha-pregnane-3,20-dione and 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-pregnan-20-one.

Anterior pituitary glands from diestrous and proestrous rats were incubated with 3H-progesterone. After subcellular fractionation, the nuclear pellet contained 25-29% of the radioactivity whereas 30-33% of the radioactivity was associated with the 1000 × g supernatant. By reverse isotopic dilution, the radioactivity extracted from both diestrous and proestrous nuclear fractions was characterized as progesterone, 5α-pregnane- 3,20-dione and 3α-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20- one. Approximately 60-65% of the radioactivity remained as progesterone but 5-10% was identified as 5α-pregnane-3,20-dione, and 10-20% as 3α-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one. Of the radioactivity extracted from both diestrous and proestrous 1000 × g supernatants, 35% remained as unaltered progesterone and 15% was identified as 3α-hydroxy- 5α-pregnan-20-one. Less than 1% of the radioactivity in the 1000 × g supernatant remained congruent with 5α-pregnane-3,20-dione. (Endocrinology 93: 430, 1973)
Third-Party Reimbursement for Home Care of Clients with Diabetes

Home health care has increasingly become an integral component of the health care continuum for clients. The concept of providing care to a client in the home setting seems relatively straightforward. What has grown increasingly complex is the reimbursement structure under which services are provided. Adding to the complexity are the frequent changes in the regulations that govern the reimbursement for home care. This paper describes the current state of the third-party regulations that govern the reimbursement for the client with diabetes receiving home care.
Conceptual and perceptual information both influence melody identification.

Three processes have been identified as central to object identification: top-down processing, bottom-up processing, and lateral competition. Six experiments using the perceptual interference paradigm were conducted to assess the relative contributions of these three processes to melody identification. Significant interference was observed only when the target and the distracting information were difficult to distinguish both perceptually and conceptually. Lateral competition—the activation of specific distractor melodies—did not influence the magnitude of interference observed. These results suggest that bottom-up and top-down processes contribute more to melody identification than does lateral competition. The data are discussed in terms of the broader literature on object identification and the relationship between identifying melodies, spoken words, and visual objects.
Active occurrence-matrix-based approach to design decomposition

Abstract An efficient algorithm is presented for decomposing constraint equations defining an engineering design. It is assumed that the design problem is modelled mathematically by m independent, nonconflicting algebraic equations (constraints) in n design variables. The design procedure is initiated by specifying (or inputting) ( n − m ) variables, one by one. The algorithm uses an active occurrence-matrix approach to determine which variables can be computed, and the most efficient sequence for computing these variables. The procedure is independent of the order in which the input variable(s) are specified.
Retrospective analysis of ingestions of iron containing products in the united states: Are there differences between chewable vitamins and adult preparations?

Iron is the one of the leading causes of pediatric poisoning deaths in the United States. Most cases of serious iron overdose reported in the medical literature have resulted from adult formulations of iron. To begin evaluating the possibility that differences in toxicity exist between iron preparations, we performed a retrospective evaluation of all exposures to pediatric and adult iron products reported to the American Association of Poison Control Centers' (AAPCC) Toxic Exposure Surveillance System (TESS) from 1983 to 1998. We attempted to determine the incidence of fatal iron poisoning for each group. A total of 195,780 ingestions of children's vitamins containing iron were reported to the TESS between 1983 and 1998 with no resulting fatalities. During the same twelve-year study period, 147,079 exposures to adult forms of iron were reported with 60 fatalities (p < 0.0001). A prospective study is required to assess whether differences may exist in the toxicity of these two iron preparations.
Mechanistic study of upper ocean turbulence interacting with surface waves

We perform direct numerical simulations to simulate the interaction between surface waves and the turbulence underneath. The Navier–Stokes equations are simulated using a pseudo-spectral method in horizontal directions and a finite-difference method in vertical direction, with fully nonlinear viscous free-surface kinematic and dynamic boundary conditions at the free surface. We set up the turbulence and the waves by a random forcing method in the bulk flow and a pressure forcing method at the surface, which were recently developed by [1]. It is found that there are surface waves generated on the free surface due to the excitation by the turbulence. The surface elevation is sensitive to the effect of gravity and surface tension. In the presence of progressive waves at the free surface, the turbulent vortical structure is turned, stretched, and compressed periodically by the strain field of waves.© 2010 ASME
An experimental study of non-Darcian effects in free convection in a saturated porous medium

Abstract Preliminary experimental results for the investigation of non-Darcy effects in free convection in a porous medium are reported in this paper. In comparison with experimental results, it is found that the Plumb and Huenefeld theory for non-Darcy flow in a porous medium overestimates the heat transfer rate while underestimates the temperature distribution by a substantial amount.
An authorization infrastructure for nomadic computing

We present an infrastructure for flexible and secure access to a group of distributed services in a nomadic computing environment, wherein users access local services from their mobile, wirelessly connected devices. We describe a secure hand-off' protocol, which allows a user to register with a single service that hands off' authorization to access a subset of the services. Our protocol helps maintain the user's privacy. It allows the services (which may be implemented on simple appliances) and the user's mobile device to have modest resources: services do not have to be online to any party except the user's device and the storage and communication requirements are minimal. In addition to the hand-off protocol, the paper presents a model for authorization hand-off and describes related research and technologies.
Characterization of nuclear T3 receptors in human neuroblastoma cells SH-SY5Y: effect of differentiation with sodium butyrate and nerve growth factor.

Nuclear receptors for the thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3) have been identified in vivo in brain tissues and in vitro in mouse and rat neuroblastoma and glioma cells. The present study characterizes nuclear T3 receptors in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells and compares their levels before and after differentiation. Undifferentiated cells, grown in DME/HAM F-12 medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum, show an abundant single type of nuclear receptor, indicated by a straight Scatchard plot, with aK d of 0.11 nmol/l. After treatment with sodium butyrate (0.5 mM for 4 days) or NGF (2 nM for 6 days), the cells showed neuronal-like patterns (extension of neurites, slowing of growth, increased tyrosine hydroxylase activity), with a decrease in the number of nuclear T3 receptors. As sodium butyrate and NGF treatments differentiate neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells, these data suggest a down-regulation of T3 receptors with cell maturation.
Wearable cardioverter defibrillator in stress cardiomyopathy and cardiac arrest

A 57-year-old woman presented with nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. She had severe hypokalaemia and hypomagnesemia with marked QTc (680 ms) prolongation after suspected viral diarrhoea. She then developed progressive dyspnoea with congestion. An echocardiogram was obtained and showed severe hypokinesis with apical ballooning and hyperdynamic cardiac base, suggestive of stress cardiomyopathy. A repeat ECG showed further prolongation of the QTc (883 ms) and she rapidly developed polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. She underwent cardiac arrest and was successfully resuscitated. A coronary angiogram confirmed the diagnosis of stress cardiomyopathy. We had therapeutic dilemma at discharge to implant a permanent automated implantable cardiac defibrillator in view of the high risk for recurrent ventricular tachycardia, or follow-up for resolution of both reversible causes of the prolonged QTc (stress cardiomyopathy and electrolytes abnormalities). We suggested an alternate treatment for sudden death prevention in high risk patients who have reversible cause for QT interval prolongation.
Guidance for Isolation Precautions for Mumps in the United States: A Review of the Scientific Basis for Policy Change

The 2006 mumps resurgence in the United States raised questions about the appropriate isolation period for people with mumps. To determine the scientific basis for isolation recommendations, we conducted a literature review and considered isolation of virus and virus load in saliva and respiratory secretions as factors that were related to mumps transmission risk. Although mumps virus has been isolated from 7 days before through 8 days after parotitis onset, the highest percentage of positive isolations and the highest virus loads occur closest to parotitis onset and decrease rapidly thereafter. Most transmission likely occurs before and within 5 days of parotitis onset. Transmission can occur during the prodromal phase and with subclinical infections. Updated guidance, released in 2007-2008, changed the mumps isolation period from 9 to 5 days. It is now recommended that mumps patients be isolated and standard and droplet precautions be followed for 5 days after parotitis onset.
Interaction-Dependent Gene Expression in Mla-Specified Response to Barley Powdery Mildew

Plant recognition of pathogen-derived molecules influences attack and counterattack strategies that affect the outcome of host-microbe interactions. To ascertain the global framework of host gene expression during biotrophic pathogen invasion, we analyzed in parallel the mRNA abundance of 22,792 host genes throughout 36 (genotype x pathogen x time) interactions between barley (Hordeum vulgare) and Blumeria graminis f. sp hordei (Bgh), the causal agent of powdery mildew disease. A split-split-plot design was used to investigate near-isogenic barley lines with introgressed Mla6, Mla13, and Mla1 coiled-coil, nucleotide binding site, Leu-rich repeat resistance alleles challenged with Bgh isolates 5874 (AvrMla6 and AvrMla1) and K1 (AvrMla13 and AvrMla1). A linear mixed model analysis was employed to identify genes with significant differential expression (P value < 0.0001) in incompatible and compatible barley-Bgh interactions across six time points after pathogen challenge. Twenty-two host genes, of which five were of unknown function, exhibited highly similar patterns of upregulation among all incompatible and compatible interactions up to 16 h after inoculation (hai), coinciding with germination of Bgh conidiospores and formation of appressoria. By contrast, significant divergent expression was observed from 16 to 32 hai, during membrane-to-membrane contact between fungal haustoria and host epidermal cells, with notable suppression of most transcripts identified as differentially expressed in compatible interactions. These findings provide a link between the recognition of general and specific pathogen-associated molecules in gene-for-gene specified resistance and support the hypothesis that host-specific resistance evolved from the recognition and prevention of the pathogen's suppression of plant basal defense.
Stabilization of computational procedures for constrained dynamical systems

A new stabilization method of treating constraints in multibody dynamical systems is presented. By tailoring a penalty form of the constraint equations, the method achieves stabilization without artificial damping and yields a companion matrix differential equation for the constraint forces; hence, the constraint forces are obtained by integrating the companion differential equation for the constraint forces in time. A principal feature of the method is that the errors committed in each constraint condition decay with its corresponding characteristic time scale associated with its constraint force. Numerical experiments indicate that the method yields a marked improvement over existing techniques.
Generation of ten-cycle pulses from a Yb fiber laser

We demonstrate the use of a prism-grating sequence to reduce third-order dispersion inside a modelocked Yb fiber laser. 33-fs pulses, the shortest from a fiber oscillator, can be generated with extremely clean profiles.
Selection and economical evaluation of solar desalination technologies via DesalSolar software

Worldwide projection indicated that in 2020 the situation of water resources in Iran reach to scarcity. Besides, global warming and energy crisis have forced countries to use renewable energy resources. Solar desalination technologies particularly in remote area of Iran could be a method to emancipate from this crisis. In this paper, all kind of desalination technologies were reviewed. Then, Niroo Research Institute (NRI) solar radiation model considered for choosing most potential regions. The radiation map indicated that south part of Iran with annual average daily global irradiation 5.6 kWh/m 2 had inherent potential for applying solar desalination. Finally, selection and techno-economic evaluation of desalination technologies was performed in capacities from 1 m 3 /day to 100 m 3 /day under four South’s Iran cities by applying DesalSolar simulation software. The result of investigation demonstrated that in all cases, reverse osmosis coupled to Photovoltaic system had best performance in terms of energy consumption, cost, and other criteria which was considered in assumption.
Immuno-oncology: understanding the function and dysfunction of the immune system in cancer

The immune system has the greatest potential for the specific destruction of tumours with no toxicity to normal tissue and for long-term memory that can prevent cancer recurrence. The last 30 years of immuno-oncology research have provided solid evidence that tumours are recognised by the immune system and their development can be stopped or controlled long term through a process known as immunosurveillance. Tumour specificity of the immune response resides in the recognition of tumour antigens. Viral proteins in tumours caused by viruses and mutated proteins from oncogenes or other genes, as well as nonmutated but abnormally expressed self proteins found on all tumours, have been shown to be good antigens and good targets for immunosurveillance. In many cancers, however, malignant progression is accompanied by profound immune suppression that interferes with an effective antitumour response and tumour elimination. Initially, most of the escape from immunosurveillance was ascribed to changes in the tumour cells themselves (loss of tumour antigens, loss of human leukocyte antigen molecules, loss of sensitivity to complement, or T cell or natural killer (NK) cell lysis), making them a poor target of an immune attack. However, it has become clear that the suppression comes from the ability of tumours to subvert normal immune regulation to their advantage. The tumour microenvironment can prevent the expansion of tumour antigen-specific helper and cytotoxic T cells and instead promote the production of proinflammatory cytokines and other factors, leading to the accumulation of suppressive cell populations that inhibit instead of promote immunity. The best described are regulatory T cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Great conceptual and technical advances in the field of immuno-oncology over the past 30 years have provided us with the knowledge and techniques to develop novel immunotherapeutic approaches for the treatment of cancer. These include methods that enhance tumour immunity by blocking inhibitory pathways and inhibitory cells in the tumour microenvironment (e.g. antibodies against cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4, programmed death 1 or its ligand programmed death ligand 1, or low-dose chemotherapy). Of equal importance, they include methods that can enhance the specificity of antitumour immunity by inducing the expansion of T cells and antibodies directed to well-defined tumour antigens (e.g. cancer vaccines, potent adjuvants, immunostimulatory cytokines). Even as monotherapies, these approaches are having a substantial impact on the treatment of some patients with advanced, previously untreatable, malignancies. Most exciting of all, these successes provide a rationale to expect that used in various combinations or earlier in disease, current and future immunotherapies may transform cancer treatment, improving a prognosis for many patients.
The role of ammonium and nitrate in spring bloom development in San Francisco Bay

The substantial inventory of nitrate (NO3) in San Francisco Bay (SFB) is unavailable to the resident phytoplankton most of the year due to the presence of ammonium (NH4) at inhibitory concentrations that prevents NO3 uptake. Low annual primary productivity in this turbid estuary is generally attributed to the poor irradiance conditions. However, this may not be the only cause; spring phytoplankton blooms occur irregularly in north SFB only when NH4 concentrations are low, <4 mmol L � 1 and NO3 uptake by phytoplankton occurs. Field measurements and enclosure experiments confirm the NH4 inhibition process to be the cause of low NO3 utilization most of the year. Detailed analysis of spring blooms in three embayments of SFB over 3 years shows a consistent sequence of events that result in bursts of chlorophyll. The first requirement is improved irradiance conditions through stabilization of the water column by stratification or reduced tidal activity. Second, NH4 concentrations must be reduced to a critical range, 1 to 4 mmol L � 1 through dilution by precipitation and by phytoplankton uptake. This enables rapid uptake of NO3 and subsequent increase in chlorophyll. The resulting bloom is due to both the initial uptake of NH4 and the subsequent uptake of NO3. The NO3 uptake step is crucial since it is the larger nitrogen source and uptake occurs at higher rates than that for NH4 at the concentrations that occur in SFB. Existing models of light-limited, non-nutrient limited productivity in SFB require modification to include the NH4 inhibition effect. From measured NH4 uptake rates and initial concentrations, calculations can be made to predict the length of time that favorable irradiance conditions are required for the phytoplankton population to reduce ambient NH4 concentrations to non-inhibiting concentrations and allow bloom formation to begin. For Suisun Bay, the time required is so long that blooms are unlikely in any season. For San Pablo and Central Bays, these times are too long in summer but sufficiently short in spring to allow bloom development, depending on the ambient NH4 concentration prior to the productivity season. NH4 sources to SFB are primarily anthropogenic, from agricultural drainage and sewage treatment plants, and if not sufficiently diluted by runoff and precipitation can prevent development of the spring phytoplankton bloom. Attention should be paid to the form of N making up dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) in nutrient-rich estuaries. 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Effects of game technology on elementary student learning in mathematics

This paper reports the effects of game technology on student learning in mathematics as investigated in two data sets collected from slightly different subjects. In the first, 41 second graders (7 or 8 years old) from two classes used either a technology-based game or a paper-based game for 5 weeks. For the next 13 weeks, both classes used a technology-based game either two times per week, or more than three times per week. A quasi-experimental control-group design with repeated measures analysis of variance and analysis of covariance was employed to explore performance differences between groups. The second study examined student learning in relation to characteristics such as their game performance, attitudes toward the game and toward mathematics, and gender and ethnicity. During a 4-month period, 50 second grade students from three classesplayedatechnology-basedgameunderconditionsthatvarieddependingontheir teacher’s direction. Multiple regression was used to determine the relationship between students’ arithmetic scores and learner characteristics. Descriptive analyses by ability level, gender and ethnicity, and interview data about attitudes toward the technology game were also analyzed. Results from the two studies revealed that using a technologybased game in the classroom was beneficial to students of all ability levels in learning arithmetic skills.
Statistical interaction model for exchangeability of food folates in a rat growth bioassay

The comparative value of several sources of dietary folate in promoting growth of folate-depleted rats was determined in a folate depletion-repletion rat growth bioassay. Folate-depleted rats were fed an amino acid-based diet supplemented with 11 different concentrations of folate (227, 272, 317, 363, 408, 454, 499, 544, 590, 635 and 680 nmol/kg) from each of 12 different sources of folate (folic acid, fried beef liver, cooked pinto beans individually, or as 1/3, 1/1, or 3/1 combinations of folate from the folic acid/beans, folic acid/beef liver and beans/beef liver) for a total of 132 treatments. Growth response to folic acid and bean folate was linear, whereas that to beef liver folate was distinctly nonlinear, beef liver folate being more potent at lower dietary concentrations but less potent at higher concentrations compared with folic acid and bean folate. Folic acid and bean folate were equivalent to and exchangeable with one another in promoting growth. Beef liver folate and folic acid/bean folate had an interactive effect in promoting growth. The nature of the interaction was antagonistic in that the presence of folic acid and/or bean folate reduced the efficacy of beef liver folate and vice versa. Beef liver folate is not exchangeable with either folic acid or bean folate. We conclude that food folates generally are not exchangeable and do interact adversely. A statistical interaction model that predicted the growth-promoting effect of several sources of dietary folate was developed and validated.
Enhancement of magnetic dipole transitions in Lanthanide ions for optical metamaterials

We present experimental evidence of optically enhanced magnetic dipole transitions from trivalent Europium ions. Spectra and lifetime data are used to highlight direct and indirect enhancement pathways, and implications for optical metamaterials are discussed.
Abundance and Parasitism of Lygus lineolaris in Alfalfa and Strawberry Fields

Abstract Lygus lineolaris (Heteroptera: Miridae) adults and nymphs were collected weekly from April to September in 2000 and 2001 from three alfalfa fields in central Iowa. From mid-May to June each year, L. lineolaris were also collected in three strawberry fields. In 2000 and 2001, patterns of seasonal abundance of L. lineolaris were similar at two of the three alfalfa sites. When the alfalfa was cut the number of L. lineolaris declined. In strawberries, the number of L. lineolaris decreased after the fruits had formed. Peak populations in 2001 (20 L. lineolaris per 20 sweeps) were approximately 2.5 times the population in 2000 (8 L. lineolaris per 20 sweeps). No parasitoids were reared from L. lineolaris collected from strawberries in either year. In 2000, four unidentified parasitoid cocoons and one parasitoid larva were reared from 1326 L. lineolaris collected in alfalfa (seasonal parasitism = 0.3%). The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Hyphomycetes: Moniliales) infected one adult L. lineo...
Diacylglycerol activation of protein kinase C results in a dual effect on Na+,K(+)-ATPase activity from intact renal proximal tubule cells.

This study evaluated the effect of L-1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-3-glycerol (OAG) on ouabain-sensitive Na,K-dependent oxygen consumption (Na,K-QO2) in intact renal proximal tubule cells (RPTC). Basal Na,K-QO2 (nmol O2/mg protein per min) was 20.0 +/− 1.0. Incubation with 10 nM of OAG induced a dual effect on Na,K-QO2, with an initial stimulation (maximal at 10 min, 37.1 +/− 5.0), followed by an inhibition (significant at 20 min, 16.3 +/− 1.0). No changes in ouabain-insensitive QO2 were observed in any of the protocols. The effects were abolished by sphingosine, a protein kinase C inhibitor. Stimulation was abolished by amiloride 0.1 mM. Amiloride had no effect on Na,K-QO2 at the concentration used. Stimulation was not potentiated by the sodium ionophore, amphotericin B, and the later inhibition was still observed in the presence of amphotericin B. The initial stimulation was attributed to an increase in sodium permeability, while the later inhibition was attributed to a direct effect on the Na,K-pump. Regulation of Na+,K(+)-ATPase activity by protein kinase C in intact RPTC can be accomplished by a direct effect on the protein or as a secondary effect consequent upon changes in intracellular sodium.
Participation and property rights

This paper puts forward an argument for stakeholder rights. It begins by exploring two major answers to the question, 'in whose interests should the commercial company function?'. One claims parity for other stakeholders alongside the shareholder on the basis of a theory of property rights, and another on a theory of citizenship. Each of these answers, it is argued, fail to convince. The way forward is to recast the initial question, not asking in whose interest the company should function, but which type of interest, potentially located in any sort of person, might the company serve. That interest is identified and distinguished from others that people affected by corporations might have. These distinctions then provide the basis for an argument in favour of enfranchising two sorts of individual: sovereign stakeholders, in charge of monitoring the formulation and revision of company objectives; and secondary stakeholders, who along with those in the first category monitor the means used to achieve those objectives.
Gender Differences: Emotional Distress as an Indirect Effect Between Family Cohesion and Adolescent Alcohol Use

Early alcohol abuse is related to negative outcomes that can persist into adulthood. Family cohesion is often associated with the development of emotional distress and alcohol use, while emotional distress is suggested as the most problematic motivation for alcohol use. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), this study explored the relationship between family cohesion, emotional distress, and adolescent alcohol use for N = 6,504 adolescents. Results indicated emotional distress as indirectly related to adolescent alcohol use through family cohesion, supporting family systems theory in considering the development of alcohol use in adolescence. A multiple sample analysis indicated gender differences in the model, such that family cohesion was more strongly related to female adolescents’ reported emotional distress, while emotional distress was more strongly related to males’ reported problems related to alcohol use. These findings support the need to consider not only how an adolescent’s emotional state is related to their problematic behavior, but also how that could be representative of the parent–child relationship, and an indicator of the health of the family system.
Abstract 2741: S-Nitrosoglutathione Increases Benefit of Motor Exercise on Functional Recovery and Stimulates Neurorepair Mechanisms Following Experimental Stroke in Rats

Background: Stroke is the leading cause of long-term physical disability and life-long neurologic deficits. The disability stems from acute neurovascular injury and injury-induced compromised neuro...
Students can Create Knowledge: A Pedagogical Suggestion to use Web-based Surveys in Support of Student Research

Web-based surveying supported by user-friendly software is presented as a valuable tool for achieving quality student research in upper-level economics courses. The timesaving aspect of this tool allows for the integration of student research in upper-level economic courses without overburdening students or faculty. The use of the commercially available software to conduct web-based surveys contributes to (1) significant time economizing; (2) cost saving; (3) improved student research; and (4) improvements in student motivation. This paper describes some of the challenges to achieving substantive student research and the results of the use of web-based surveys in an Environmental Issues in Public Policy course.
Frailty and Short-Term Outcomes in Patients With Hip Fracture:

Objectives:To assess the prevalence of frailty and its ability to predict short-term outcomes in older patients with hip fracture.Design:Prospective cohort study.Setting:University-affiliated commu...
Do U.S. firms hold more cash than foreign firms do

From 1998 to 2011, U.S. firms held more cash on average (but not at the median) than similar foreign firms (foreign twins) did. The average difference in cash holdings does not increase after 2008, and it is driven by highly R&D-intensive U.S. firms. Because there are almost no similarly R&D-intensive foreign firms, mean comparisons involving these U.S. firms are not reliable. Without these U.S. firms, neither U.S. multinational firms nor purely domestic U.S. firms hold more cash than their foreign twins do. Country characteristics have negligible explanatory power for differences in cash holdings between U.S. firms and their foreign twins.
Lactic Acidosis During Sepsis Is Related to Increased Pyruvate Production, Not Deficits in Tissue Oxygen Availability

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to quantitate the derangements in intermediary carbohydrate metabolism and oxygen use in severely septic patients in comparison with healthy volunteers. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA. It commonly has been assumed that the development of lactic acidosis during sepsis results from a deficit in tissue oxygen availability. Dichloroacetate (DCA), which is known to increase pyruvate oxidation but only when tissue oxygen is available, provides a means to assess the role of hypoxia in lactate production. METHODS. Stable isotope tracer methodology and indirect calorimetry was used to determine the rates of intermediary carbohydrate metabolism and oxygen use in five severely septic patients with lactic acidosis and six healthy volunteers before and after administration of DCA. RESULTS. Oxygen consumption and the rates of glucose and pyruvate production and oxidation were substantially greater (p < 0.05) in the septic patient compared with healthy volunteers. Administration of DCA resulted in a further increase in oxygen consumption and the percentage of glucose and pyruvate directed toward oxidation. Dichloroacetate also decreased glucose and pyruvate production, with a corresponding decrease in plasma lactate concentration. CONCLUSIONS. These findings clearly indicate that the accumulation of lactate during sepsis is not the result of limitations in tissue oxygenation, but is a sequelae to the markedly increased rate of pyruvate production. Furthermore, the substantially higher rate of pyruvate oxidation in the septic patients refutes the notion of a sepsis-induced impairment in pyruvate dehydrogenase activity.
Clusterin and Complement Activation in Exfoliation Glaucoma

Purpose. The study was done to better understand the biological significance of clusterin co-localization with the exfoliation deposits (XF deposits), and provide insight into a pathogenic mechanism involving activation of the complement system and its pro-inflammatory consequences in patients with exfoliation glaucoma.
EFFECT OF ALDOSTERONE ON JUXTAGLOMERULAR INDEX AND ZONA GLOMERULOSA OF NORMOTENSIVE AND HYPERTENSIVE RATS.

SummaryInjections of aldosterone produced moderate, but significant, elevation of blood pressure in normotensive rats. A comparable elevation of blood pressure was noted in rats with existing renal hypertension produced by unilateral renal artery constriction. JGI and ZGI were decreased in kidneys and adrenals from both aldosterone-treated groups. These findings are interpreted to indicate the indirect role of aldosterone in regulating renin production. Aldosterone failed to influence the vascular lesions of renal hypertension.
REFRACTORY HEART FAILURE

Recurrent refractory acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) in the setting of advanced cardiomyopathy (CMY) is often feared to be the result of end-stage disease but may represent a culmination of multiple subclinical triggers. A 69-year-old man presented with recurrent biventricular HF despite
The Osculating Spiral

This article describes a method of approximating nonplanar space curves by cylindrical spirals rather than by planar circles. Readers familiar with osculating circle approximations should skip to the middle of the article. Readers unfamiliar with osculating circles will only need some familiarity with the geometry of vectors in three dimensions, especially the dot and cross products, along with some knowledge of parameterization of curves in space. One way to approximate a space curve by a more simple curve is to compare it with the so-called osculating circle. [1]
Survey on Health Literacy Among Residents in Shifang City,2013

Objective To understand the healthy literacy among local residents in Shifang city and thus to provide scientific evidence for further heath education and promotion. Methods Altogether 445 local residents from 16 towns / communities were conducted face- to- face survey with questionnaire. Results The overall average correct response rate was 68. 3%,including contents of health knowledge,behaviors and skills. As for the health concept and knowledge,the awareness rates of prevention of TB,AIDS and Flu were all over 88. 3%; while the awareness rate of passive smoking related disease and precursor signal of cancer were 13. 5% and 16. 9%,respectively. In term of health lifestyle and behaviors,the awareness rate of "Motorcyclists should wear helmets", "Opening window or ventilation is the most effective way to purge indoor air pollution"and "Expired food can' t be eat"were all over 91. 8%; while the awareness rate of "The right handling method of deadpoultry and birds", "The examination time of pregnant women after pregnancy", "The correct habit of chopping board"and "I Will discourage smokers smoking in the room " were all below 40. 0%. As to the health related skills,"Knowing the emergency number"was the best( 99. 1%); while the awareness rate on"Safety mark of radioactivity and biosafety"were as low as 17. 4% and 20. 6%,respectively. Conclusion The basic health literacy in residents of Shifang city needs to be further strengthened. Prevention knowledge on chronic disease and basic medical common knowledge should be stressed in the propaganda as a key mean of health promotion in the residents.
Methane—make it or break it

About 500 to 600 million metric tons of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, are emitted annually worldwide; ~69% of this methane is produced biologically by anaerobic archaea known as methanogens ( 1 ). In some environments, methane emissions are partly offset by anaerobic methane oxidizing archaea (ANME) and aerobic methanotrophic bacteria ( 1 ). In methanogens, the methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR) enzyme uses a nickel-containing cofactor (F430) to catalyze the final step of methane synthesis (see the figure, panels A and B) ( 2 , 3 ). The MCR reaction is reversible, and MCR may also catalyze the first step of methane oxidation by ANME ( 2 ). The MCR catalytic cycle begins with F430 in the reduced Ni(I) form ( 4 ), but what happens next has been unclear. On page 953 of this issue, Wongnate et al. ( 5 ) report evidence for a Ni(II)-thiolate intermediate.
Fuse trim links physical analysis methodology

Fuse trim links failure on analog devices can cause wrong Vref value, incorrect I2C address, incorrect frequency setting, etc. The fuse trim links failure can either be unblown or mistakenly blown during the trimming process. To validate, if blown or unblown, physical analysis is needed to check the trim links. This paper aims to discuss the different physical analysis methodology to check the integrity of trim links.
MILK FLAVOR: THE TRUE TEST OF QUALITY1

Since the consumer's appraisal of a glass of milk is based solely on taste, flavor and keeping quality are of paramount importance to maintaining consumption of fluid milk and by-products. For the past 5 years, the New York State Milk Flavor Program has identified off-flavor problem areas to the industry, particularly with regard to the farm supply. There has been a marked improvement where companies and the college have cooperated. Emphasis now is being placed on getting the finished product protected to the highest degree in an effort to improve shelf life. The program is carried out primarily by the Quality Control staffs currently employed by industry. This force is assisted by the extension staff in the Department of Food Science at Cornell in the following ways: (a) individual plant seminars for each plant or company participating in the program; (b) follow-up sessions to help solve special problems, to evaluate progress, and to maintain interest and enthusiasm; and (c) direct contact with top manag...
Adaptive optics: Neural network wavefront sensing, reconstruction, and prediction

We introduce adaptive optics as a technique to improve images taken by ground-based telescopes through a turbulent blurring atmosphere. Adaptive optics rapidly senses the wavefront distortion referenced to either a natural or laser guidestar, and then applies an equal but opposite profile to an adaptive mirror. In this paper, we summarize the application of neural networks in adaptive optics. First, we report previous work on employing multi-layer perceptron neural networks and back-propagation to learn how to sense and reconstruct the wavefront. Second, we show how neural networks can be used to predict the wavefront, and compare the neural networks’ predictive power in the presence of noise to that of linear networks also trained with back-propagation. In our simulations, we find that the linear network predictors train faster, they have lower residual phase variance, and they are much more tolerant to noise than the non-linear neural network predictors, though both offer improvement over no prediction. We conclude with comments on how neural networks may evolve over the next few years as adaptive optics becomes a more routine tool on the new large astronomical telescopes.
Estimating the Relationship Between Preschool Attendance and Kindergarten Science Achievement: Implications for Early Science Achievement Gaps

Recent evidence demonstrates that disparities by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status in science achievement are present in the earliest grades of school. Preschool represents one potential poli...
The Pathophysiology of Obesity and Obesity-Related Diseases

Body weight is controlled by physiologic systems that regulate food intake, metabolic rate, and multiple other metabolic functions. These physiologic systems have been selected over eons of human evolution in a nutrient-poor environment, imparting a selective advantage in the form of metabolic thrift. Metabolic thrift causes a blossoming of the obesity phenotype in a modern nutrient-rich obesogenic environment. Adipose tissue acts as a buffer for high-energy nutrients and metabolites, protecting other tissues from nutrient excess and nutrient toxicity. Metabolic disease results from a failure of adipose tissue nutrient buffering capacity due to chronic delivery of excess nutrients to adipocytes, which in turn leads to nutrient overflow into the systemic circulation. Resulting nutrient toxicity in virtually all peripheral tissues generates complex cell stress responses that underlie the pathogenesis of metabolic disease, a diverse set of pathologies that involve every organ system.
Photodynamic Therapy Targeted to Pathogens

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) employs a non-toxic dye termed a photosensitizer (PS) together with low intensity visible light, which, in the presence of oxygen, produce cytotoxic species. PS can be targeted to its destination cell or tissue and, in addition, the irradiation can be spatially confined to the lesion giving PDT the advantage of dual selectivity. This promising approach can be used for various applications including microbial inactivation and the treatment of infections. Resistance to PDT has not been shown and multiantibiotic-resistant strains are as easily killed as naive strains. It is known that Gram (+) bacteria are more sensitive to PDT as compared to Gram (-) species. However, the use of cationic PS or agents that increase the permeability of the outer membrane allows for the effective killing of Gram (-) organisms. Some PS have an innate positive charge, but our approach is to link PS to a cationic molecular vehicle such as poly-L-lysine. This modification dramatically increases PS binding to and penetrating through the negatively charged bacterial permeability barrier. Due to focused light delivery the use of PDT is possible only for localized infections. Nonetheless numerous diseases can be treated. Selectivity of the PS for microbes over host cells, accurate delivery of the PS into the infected area, and PDT dose adjustment help minimize side effects and give PDT an advantage over conventional therapy. There are only a few reports about the use of antimicrobial PDT in animal models and clinical trials. We have used genetically modified bioluminescent bacteria to follow the effect of PDT in infected wounds, burns, and soft tissue infections in mice. Not only were bacteria infecting wounds, burns, and abscesses killed, but mice were saved from death due to sepsis and wound healing was improved.
Detecting Doctored Images

With the availability of powerful image-editing software, digital cameras, and a wealth of online imagery, almost anyone can doctor an image. Consequently, image hoaxes are now commonplace and people even expect that images of celebrities have been retouched. For many, seeing is no longer believing. While most doctored images are made for entertainment or artistic purposes, they have also shown up in courtrooms as evidence and in scientific publications. The presence of manipulated images in these settings is troubling and the field of digital image forensics has emerged to address this growing problem. This chapter provides an overview of current tools for detecting doctored images and discusses trends that have emerged in the field. Several tools are described in detail and references are provided for related techniques.
Remarks on Myth, Interpretation, and Violence

This essay discloses a personal reaction to the events of September 11th filtered through the experience of teaching a class on film that explores the heroic quest. American myths and the archetypes they contain can be turned upside down by an event such as the attack on the World Trade Center. By acknowledging that acts of interpretation in which we all engage are powerful tools, and more particularly by understanding the variety of interpretations surrounding the Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey and Ascension, we could increase our own capacity to achieve a healthier interpretation of Islam in all of its multiplicity.
The Role of the Reticuloendothelial System in Infections of the Central Nervous System

The term reticuloendothelial system (RES) or its alternate, histiocytic metabolic apparatus, was adopted by Ludwig Aschoff (1924) to define a group of diffuse collections of mesenchymal cells identified by phagocytic activity with ingestion and accumulation of particulate matter, as well as by their staining characteristics using vital dyes such as trypan blue, toluidine blue, lithium carmine, or pyrrole blue. Today some authors prefer the term mononuclear phagocyte system or lympho-reticular system as more adequate. It has been recognized that the common biologic and functional nature of these cells is of diverse ontogeny and phylogeny, but with common pathophysiologic and protective functions. They are characterized by changing their forms, proliferating and moving through fluids and tissues. The morphologic features of these cells are variable. Their origin has also been disputed by many authorities, so that several names have been coined for them. Cells are present in multiple tissues and organs and they usually appear as elements of inflammatory exudates. They have been called monocytes or transitional cells; endothelial leukocytes; macrophages by Metchnikoff; clasmatocytes by Ranvier; adventitial or leukocytoid cells by Marchand; histiocytes or polyblasts by Maximow; histoblasts by Kiyono; rhagiocrine cells by Renaut; endothelial sinusoidal cells; perithelial, mononuclear cells or phagocytes by Aschoff; resting wandering cells; Kupffer stellate cells of the liver; microglia of the central nervous system (CNS); or Horteea cells (Rio-Horteea, 1919a).
Funding God’s policies, defending whiteness: Christian nationalism and whites’ attitudes towards racially-coded government spending.

Research shows that white Americans who subscribe to “Christian nationalism” – an ideology that fuses Christianity with civic life – tend to draw more rigid racial boundaries. Such research, howeve...
Java Software Components and Event Handling: Projects CalculatorApp and ImageSlider

A game GUI is not only for outputting game scenes but also for accepting players’ controlling actions. These actions go through Java software components, events, and event listeners to form action-event chains for controlling the game. Furthermore, the action-event chain is developed to be the action-event-update-repaint chain for updating and repainting dynamic scenes.