cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Short-Term Resource Adequacy in Electricity Market Design

Short-term resource adequacy is the ability of a system with a set of given resources to meet the load over the short term. In the aftermath of the 2000-2001 California crisis, the consideration of resource adequacy in market design became critically important. Various capacity approaches, such as requirements, payments, and subscriptions, have been proposed to ensure resource adequacy in electricity markets. We focus on short-term resource adequacy design and analysis within the context of making effective use of competition in electricity markets. We propose a design of a short-term resource adequacy program based on capacity requirements expressed in terms of a price-sensitive demand curve. The program gives incentives for providing capacity to markets and metes out penalties for nonperformance situations. The probabilistic modeling of the uncertainty in the generation availability and in the load allows the evaluation of reliability in terms of widely-used metrics. The analysis of the proposed design and the simulation of a simple implementation on different sized test systems show that the program results in improved reliability. These studies indicate that the total system costs may be minimized when key program parameters are appropriately chosen. The proposed design provides a meaningful linkage between reliability and markets and constitutes a contribution to the electricity market design.
CD4+ T cells and CXC chemokines modulate the pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus wound infections.

T cells are critical for the formation of intraabdominal abscesses by Staphylococcus aureus. We hypothesized that T cells modulate the development of experimental staphylococcal infections by controlling polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) trafficking. In models of staphylococcal s.c. abscess formation, hindpaw infection, and surgical wound infection, S. aureus multiplied in the tissues of WT C57BL/6J mice and elicited a marked inflammatory response. CD4+ αβ T cells homed to the surgical wound infection site of WT animals. In contrast, significantly fewer S. aureus were recovered from the tissues of mice deficient in αβ T cells, and the inflammatory response was considerably diminished compared with that of WT animals. αβ T cell receptor (−/−) mice had significantly lower concentrations of PMN-specific CXC chemokines in wound tissue than did WT mice. The severity of the wound infection was enhanced by administration of a CXC chemokine and abrogated by antibodies that blocked the CXC receptor. An acapsular mutant was less virulent than the parental S. aureus strain in both the s.c. abscess and the surgical wound infection models in WT mice. These data reveal an important and underappreciated role for CD4+ αβ T cells in S. aureus infections in controlling local CXC chemokine production, neutrophil recruitment to the site of infection, and subsequent bacterial replication.
The effects of agents that modify muscarinic tone upon behavior controlled by an avoidance schedule that employs signaled unavoidable shock.

Six male squirrel monkeys were subjected to a Sidman nondiscriminated avoidance schedule that superimposed conditioned stimuli (CS)—unavoidable shock pairings upon the ongoing avoidance behavior. Four of the six animals demonstrated facilitated avoidance response rates during the CS, while two demonstrated suppressed rates during the CS. Scopolamine hydrobromide (0.06, 0.125, 0.50, 1.0 mg/kg IM) reversed these patterns, causing the facilitators to suppress and vice versa. Scopolamine hydrobromide (0.50, 1.0 mg/kg) also led to a reliable reduction in overall response rate and an increase in the number of shocks received. Neither scopolamine methylbromide (0.50, 1.0 mg/kg), a peripheral acting anticholinergic, nor pilocarpine nitrate (1.25, 2.50 mg/kg), a muscarinic stimulant, produced any reliable effects upon avoidance behavior. These results were interpreted to indicate that the central acting antimuscarinic agent, scopolamine hydrobromide, may be able to reduce level of fear motivation either directly by interfering with cholinergic systems that mediate fear or by producing decrements in cognitive (i.e., memory) processes that are needed for animals to fully appreciate the aversive qualities of the CS.
Use of Preoperative Erythropoetin in Children Undergoing Major Surgery to Reduce the Need for Allogenic Blood Transfusions |[dagger]| 770

Despite impressive advances in the safety of blood products, the search for therapeutic alternatives to blood transfusions continues. Reinfusion of extravasated blood at surgery harvested using blood collectors, preoperative autologous blood donation and the use of pharmacological doses of recombinant erythropoetin (Epo) preoperatively have been used in adults to eliminate the need for transfusions. We administered Epo to three children (age 2 months, 6 years, 15 years) who were Jehovah's witnesses and were scheduled for major elective surgery (2 children had open heart surgery and one had scoliosis surgery). Epo was administered in the dose of 150 u/kg thrice weekly for six weeks to one patient and 500 u/kg twice weekly for three weeks to the other two. Iron supplementation (3 mg/kg) was also started concommitantly on the patients receiving the higher doses to optimize the response to Epo.There was a rise in hemoglobin by a mean of 4.1g/dl (2.3g/dl, 3.8g/dl, 6.3g/dl) and hematocrit increased by a mean of 14% (6.6%, 15.2%, 20.3%). WBC and platelet counts remained stable during the therapy. Higher and a more brisk response was observed in patients receiving the higher doses and iron supplements. Other than mild hypertension in one,which resolved when therapy was stopped, there were no other side effects observed. Postoperatively hemoglobin dropped by a mean of 6.1g/dl (3.4g/dl, 4.9g/dl, 10g/dl) and hematocrit decreased by a mean of 18%(8.7%, 15.1%, 29.8%). One patient received extravasated autologous blood harvested intraoperatively and none of the others required any blood products. The above experience indicates that preoperative Epo may provide a safe method to eliminate or at least minimize the need for blood products in children who undergo major elective surgery. Though there are many studies available in adults, larger studies are needed in children to determine the optimal dose, duration and limitations of Epo treatment. Further, the option of offering preoperative Epo therapy to all children undergoing major elective surgery needs to be explored.
Viability of Bacteria in High-Speed Dental Drill Aerosols with Antimicrobial Agents in the Water Coolant System

Antimicrobial agents were used in the water coolant system in the high-speed dental drill during a series of tooth preparations on a model. Artificial saliva was applied to the dentition before the procedure began. For five minutes after cessation of drilling, the aerosols generated were collected on precipitation plates. Six agents reduced the bacterial counts to levels less than that recorded for water alone.
Polarization-insensitive tunable liquid crystal Fabry-Perot filter incorporating polymer liquid crystal waveplates

A polarization-insensitive, tunable nematic liquid crystal Fabry-Perot filter incorporating polymer liquid crystal waveplates within the Fabry-Perot cavity is presented. The performance of the filter is evaluated experimentally, and theoretically verified using computational modeling techniques. Fabrication tolerance parameters are considered through theoretical experiments using the numerical model. A typical experimental filter yielded 12 nm tuning range with 13 VAC of applied voltage, with a finesse of 7 at the design wavelength 1550 nm.
High-energy electrode investigation for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles

Abstract In addition to the development of high-energy density electrode materials for lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, other engineering approaches, such as electrode optimization, should be considered in order to meet the energy requirements of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV). This work investigates the impact of the electrode thickness on the energy density of (Li-ion) batteries. The impedance results from the hybrid pulse power characterization (HPPC) test indicate that the electrode resistance is inversely proportional to the electrode thickness. This feature makes it possible to use thicker electrodes in (Li-ion) batteries to meet PHEV power requirements. The practical electrode thickness is determined to be around 100 μm, if considering the electrode mechanical integrity when using conventional PVDF binders. Furthermore, cycle performance shows that cells with a higher loading density have a similar capacity retention to cells with a lower loading density.
Numbers, Turnover, and Social Structure of the Isle Royale Wolf Population

Observations of wolves on Isle Royale are reported for 1961–66, with interpretations including the earlier 3-year period described by Mech (1966). On this 210-square-mile island the fully protected wolf population varied from approximately 22 to 28 in midwinter. The major and minor foods were moose and beaver, respectively. The main pack varied in number between 11 and 22 with about three breeding pairs believed present. The population remained relatively stable; mating occurred every winter; and adult mortality appeared to be low. High mortality among pups seemed to be the point of population control. Socio-economic factors may have controlled the size of the large pack. Availability of food during the period of parturition and rearing probably was critical to survival of young. Recruitment of young appeared to take place in years of high production of moose calves. Numbers in the large pack probably were curtailed through the progressive exclusion of aged and socially subordinate individuals. Under harassment these animals separated and became pack-following scavengers, then probably true loners ranging outside the area used by the pack. Smaller aggregations of two or three non-breeders were seen each winter, as were the loners, some of which appeared thin and weak. The only known breeding outside the big pack was in a group of five present in the winter of 1965. This group was probably a family unit which separated from the main pack. A year later the male had disappeared, and remains of a pup, probably theirs, were found. In the winter of 1966 the alpha male of the large pack became lame and apparently was killed. This background appears favorable for further changes in social organization.
A Tissue Engineering Approach to Progenitor Cell Delivery Results in Significant Cell Engraftment and Improved Myocardial Remodeling

Cell replacement therapy has become an attractive solution for myocardial repair. Typical cell delivery techniques, however, suffer from poor cell engraftment and inhomogeneous cell distributions. Therefore, we assessed the hypothesis that an epicardially applied, tissue-engineered cardiac patch containing progenitor cells would result in enhanced exogenous cell engraftment. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were embedded into a rat tail type I collagen matrix to form the cardiac patch. Myocardial infarction was induced by left anterior descending coronary artery ligation in immunocompetent male cesarean-derived fischer rats, and patches with or without cells were secured to hearts with fibrin sealant. After patch formation, hMSCs retained a viability of >90% over 5 days in culture. In addition, >75% of hMSCs maintained a high degree of potency prior to patch implantation. After 4 days in culture, patches were applied to the epicardial surface of the infarct area and resulted in 23% +/- 4% engraftment of hMSCs at 1 week (n = 6). Patch application resulted in a reduction in left ventricle interior diameter at systole, increased anterior wall thickness, and a 30% increase in fractional shortening. Despite this improvement in myocardial remodeling, hMSCs were not detectable at 4 weeks after patch application, implying that improvement did not require long-term cell engraftment. Patches devoid of progenitor cells showed no improvement in remodeling. In conclusion, pluripotent hMSCs can be efficiently delivered to a site of myocardial injury using an epicardial cardiac patch, and such delivery results in improved myocardial remodeling after infarction. Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
The Space Specific Theatre: Skewed Visions' The City Itself

The performances in these Critical Acts de-privilege the visual aspect of the performer-audience relationship, instead focusing on the materiality of the encounter. In The City Itself, the performa...
Ultraviolet B radiation increases steady-state mRNA levels for cytokines and integrins in hairless mouse skin: modulation by topical tretinoin.

Chronically sun-damaged human skin has a wrinkled, aged appearance as a result of alterations in the dermal extracellular matrix. Secondary effectors such as cytokines and integrins may mediate the effects of UV radiation on the skin by regulating the synthesis of metalloproteinases and structural proteins including collagen. The aim of this study was to semiquantify the steady-state mRNA levels of interleukin-1α, tumor necrosis factor α, transforming growth factor β, collagenase, stromelysin, collagen, and integrins (α1 and α2) in the skin of hairless mice that were either treated with UV or concurrently treated with UV and topical tretinoin for 5 weeks. Total RNA was extracted from the skin of the mice, reverse transcribed to cDNA, and amplified by the polymerase chain reaction in the presence of 32P-dCTP using gene-specific primers. Results were normalized relative to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase levels. Steady-state mRNA levels of the cytokines and integrins were increased by UV radiation. Concurrent UV and topical tretinoin treatment superinduced the expression of interleukin-1, increased α1 and decreased α2 integrin expression. Immunofluorescence analysis showed increased dermal localization of β1 integrin in UV and tretinoin treated skin. These results suggest that cytokines and integrins may be involved in the mechanism of photodamage.
The Rotter Incomplete Sentences Blank Adjustment Score as an Indicator of Somatic Complaint Frequency

(1968). “The Rotter Incomplete Sentences Blank Adjustment Score as an Indicator of Somatic Complaint Frequency”. Journal of Projective Techniques and Personality Assessment: Vol. 32, No. 3, pp. 266-266.
Siliconized graphite products for protecting immersion thermocouples used to measure liquid steel temperatures

Sheaths made of siliconized graphite by the VIO (All Union Institute of Refractories) technology with preheating up to 1300° C are suitable for repeated measurement of liquid-steel temperatures.
MHTGR fuel performance and supporting data base

Abstract A key feature of the Modular High Temperature GasCooled Reactor (MHTGR) is the use of an all-ceramic, coated fuel particle to retain fission products. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the performance of the MHTGR fuel particle and the existing supporting data base.
Estimates for the ¯ ∂-Neumann problem and nonexistence of C 2 Levi-flat hypersurfaces in CP n

Letbe a pseudoconvex domain with C 2 boundary in CP n , n ≥ 2. We prove that the ¯ ∂-Neumann operator N exists for square-integrable forms on � . Furthermore, there exists a number � 0 > 0 such that the operators N , ¯ ∂ ∗ N , ¯ ∂N and the Bergman projection are regular in the Sobolev space W � (�) for � 0 and n ≥ 2. As a consequence, we prove the nonexistence of C 2 Levi-flat hypersurfaces in CP n .
News elements and selection by television news editors

(1969). News elements and selection by television news editors. Journal of Broadcasting: Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 47-54.
Energy margin of cable-in-conduit conductor as a function of operating pressure and initial heated zone

The intrinsic properties of low temperature helium exhibit strong variations with changes in pressure and temperature. As a result, important design parameters such as the energy margin of superconductors in the cable in conduit configuration is a strong function of the initial operating conditions. Since the energy margin of CICCs is dominated by the available helium enthalpy, the dependence of the energy margin on initial conditions can be derived from an examination of the helium properties. For superconductors operating in the range of 6 to 8 K, the energy margin can be improved by a factor of three with a suitable choice of initial operating pressure. Other factors effecting the energy margin include the length of the initial heated zone, and the length of the heating pulse.
Characterization of Salmonella enterica Serotype Newport Isolated from Humans and Food Animals

Salmonella enterica serotype Newport isolates resistant to at least nine antimicrobials (including extended-spectrum cephalosporins), known as serotype Newport MDR-AmpC isolates, have been rapidly emerging as pathogens in both animals and humans throughout the United States. Resistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporins is associated with clinical failures, including death, in patients with systemic infections. In this study, 87 Salmonella serotype Newport strains were characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing and examined for the presence of class 1 integrons and blaCMY genes. Thirty-five PFGE patterns were observed with XbaI, and three of these patterns were indistinguishable among isolates from humans and animals. Fifty-three (60%) Salmonella serotype Newport isolates were identified as serotype Newport MDR-AmpC, including 16 (53%) of 30 human isolates, 27 (93%) of 29 cattle isolates, 7 (70%) of 10 swine isolates, and 3 (30%) of 10 chicken isolates. However, 28 (32%) Salmonella serotype Newport isolates were susceptible to all 16 antimicrobials tested. The blaCMY gene was present in all serotype Newport MDR-AmpC isolates. Furthermore, the plasmid-mediated blaCMY gene was transferable via conjugation to an Escherichia coli strain. The transconjugant showed the MDR-AmpC resistance profile. Thirty-five (40%) of the isolates possessed class 1 integrons. Sequence analyses of the integrons showed that they contained aadA, which confers resistance to streptomycin, or aadA and dhfr, which confer resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. One integron from a swine isolate contained the sat-1 gene, which encodes resistance to streptothricin, an antimicrobial agent that has never been approved for use in the United States. In conclusion, Salmonella serotype Newport MDR-AmpC was commonly identified among Salmonella serotype Newport isolates recovered from humans and food animals. These findings support the possibility of transmission of this organism to humans through the food chain.
Fracture Properties of SiC-Based Particulate Composites

In order to evaluate the role of residual stresses in fracture toughening, a SiC-based particulate composite has been studied under uniform stressing conditions and in the near tip stress field of a pre-cracked specimen. First, residual stresses in a SiC-TiB2 composite before and after stressing have been measured using x-ray diffraction. Tensile residual stresses in the TiB2 drop by 50% after bending stresses of 250 MPa were applied. Likewise, the compressive residual stresses in the SiC phase decrease accordingly. Second, in the near tip stress field, a process zone of microcracks has been measured using transmission electron microscopy of thin foils taken from various locations from a fracture surface of a fracture mechanics specimen. Microcrack zones greater than 150 μm in height have been measured. Crack bridging sites of TiB2 particles operate more than a few millimeters behind a propagating crack. Hence, the toughening in this system is comprised of both stress-induced microcracking and crack bridging. The various contributions to the toughening are discussed.
The Effect of Artificial Ejaculation on the Body Weight and Semen Quality of Fowl

Abstract It has been hypothesized by the author, as a result of experience, that when caged males were used as a source of semen for artificial insemination, there was a loss of body weight. An experiment was designed to test the hypothesis that frequent artificial ejaculation results in reduced body weight, and to determine the effects on semen quality. METHODS AND MATERIALS Eighteen White Plymouth Rock males, approximately 14 months old at the beginning of the experiment, were used in trial one. These males were divided according to pedigree into two groups of 9 males each. They were housed in individual cages measuring 2 by 2 by 2 feet. All males were ejaculated three times a week for one month prior to the start of this experiment. The experiment was started on March 13, 1961, and terminated on September 27, 1961. The feed consisted of an all-mash breeder diet. The experiment…
Can the standard treatment of acute spinal cord injury be improved? Perhaps the time has come.

Abstract Objectives: To present additional surgical maneuvers that might lead to improved results in the treatment of acute spinal cord injuries (SCI). Methods: Techniques are presented that allow the dura mater to be widely opened over a traumatized spinal cord, thus limiting the opportunity for extrusion of edematous spinal cord material. Additionally, placement of an intact omental pedicle over a traumatized SCI allows absorption of spinal cord edematous fluid. Results: Widely opening the dura mater and placing an intact omental pedicle over an SCI site results in a dynamic equilibrium between the production of spinal cord injury edema fluid and its absorption by the omentum. This absorption of edema fluid allows for the associated absorption of fibrinogen. A decreased fibrinogen level lessens its activation to fibrin, thus resulting in the decreased production of scar tissue which is readily observed in patients with a chronic SCI. Conclusion: A proposal is presented that may have the potential to imp...
A biologically motivated model for rotation, shift, scaling and distortion invariant pattern recognition

Summary form only given. A biologically motivated multilayer neural network for 2D visual pattern recognition with rotation, shift, scaling, and distortion invariance is proposed. Based on the hierarchical module proposed by Hubel and Wiesel, the new structure has a rotation layer in the image preprocessing area, followed by a neocognitron-type structure and a modified masking fields neural network module in the associative area. The rotation layer rotates the image to different orientations on polar coordinates to solve the rotation problem of an input object. By combining with a neocognitron-type network, the structure possesses shift, scaling, and distortion invariant properties. A modified masking fields network allows competition and cooperation with different excited components to make the classification for patterns without significant distortion and scaling, and find out the orientation of an input pattern. Based on the detected orientation, a second associative module similar to the neocognitron is incorporated to further resolve significant distorted and scaled patterns. Experimental results have been obtained for target and hand-written character recognition. >
Design of low energy, high performance synchronous and asynchronous 64-point FFT

A case study exploring multi-frequency design is presented for a low energy and high performance FFT circuit implementation. An FFT architecture with concurrent data stream computation is selected. An asynchronous and synchronous implementations for a 16-point and a 64-point FFT circuit were designed and compared for energy, performance and area. Both versions are structurally similar and are generated using similar ASIC CAD tools and flows. The asynchronous design shows a benefit of 2.4×, 2.4× and 3.2× in terms of area, energy and performance respectively over its synchronous counterpart. The circuit is further compared with other published designs and shows 0.4×, 4.8× and 32.4× benefit with respect to area, energy and performance.
Role of Afferent Sensors in the Initiation of Swallowing in Man

Chewing and swallowing sounds that were recorded on magnetic tape by means of a paralaryngeally placed contact microphone were used to evaluate temporal relationships of the events of the swallowing cycle in young women. Temporal inter-event parameters indicate a reflex nature for the initiation of swallowing, and the effects of topical anesthesia suggest a triggering mechanism for swallowing similar to the gating theory for pain proposed by Melzack and Wall.
Comparing Propensity Score Methods for Creating Comparable Cohorts of Chiropractic Users and Nonusers in Older, Multiply Comorbid Medicare Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain

Abstract Objective Patients who use complementary and integrative health services like chiropractic manipulative treatment (CMT) often have different characteristics than do patients who do not, and these differences can confound attempts to compare outcomes across treatment groups, particularly in observational studies when selection bias may occur. The purposes of this study were to provide an overview on how propensity scoring methods can be used to address selection bias by balancing treatment groups on key variables and to use Medicare data to compare different methods for doing so. Methods We described 2 propensity score methods (matching and weighting). Then we used Medicare data from 2006 to 2012 on older, multiply comorbid patients who had a chronic low back pain episode to demonstrate the impact of applying methods on the balance of demographics of patients between 2 treatment groups (those who received only CMT and those who received no CMT during their episodes). Results Before application of propensity score methods, patients who used only CMT had different characteristics from those who did not. Propensity score matching diminished observed differences across the treatment groups at the expense of reduced sample size. However, propensity score weighting achieved balance in patient characteristics between the groups and allowed us to keep the entire sample. Conclusions Although propensity score matching and weighting have similar effects in terms of balancing covariates, weighting has the advantage of maintaining sample size, preserving external validity, and generalizing more naturally to comparisons of 3 or more treatment groups. Researchers should carefully consider which propensity score method to use, as using different methods can generate different results.
Determination of the Optical Thickness and Effective Particle Radius of Clouds from Reflected Solar Radiation Measurements. Part II: Marine Stratocumulus Observations

A multispectral scanning radiometer has been used to obtain measurements of the reflection function of marine stratocumulus clouds at 0.75, 1.65 and 2.16 pm. These observations were obtained from the NASA ER-2 aircraft as part of the First ISCCP [International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project] Regional Experiment (FIRE), conducted off the coast of southern California during July 1987. Multispectral images of the reflection function were used to derived the optical thickness and effective particle radius of stratiform cloud layers on four days. In addition to the radiation measurements, in situ microphysical measurements were obtained from the University of Washington Convair C- 13 I A aircraft. In this paper we compare remote sensing results with in situ observations, which show a good spatial correlation for both optical thickness and effective radius. These comparisons further show systematic differences between remote sensing and in situ values, with a tendency for remote sensing to overestimate the effective radius by -2-3 pm, independent of particle radius. The optical thickness, in contrast, is somewhat overestimated for small optical thicknesses and underestimated for large optical thicknesses. An introduction of enhanced gaseous absorption at a wavelength of 2.16 pm successfully explains some of these observed discrepancies. Marginal probability density functions of optical thickness, liquid water path and effective radius have been derived from our remote sensing results. The joint probability density function of liquid water path and effective radius shows that the effective radius increases as the liquid water path increases for optically thin clouds, in contrast to optically thick clouds for which the effective radius decreases with increasing liquid water path.
The mediating effect of organizational commitment and employee empowerment: how transformational leadership impacts employee knowledge sharing intention

This study examined the underlying process through which transformational leaders provide an influence on employees’ knowledge sharing intention by concentrating on mediating roles of psychological empowerment and employees’ commitment to organizations. The direct and indirect impacts of transformational leadership on knowledge sharing were explored. In order to test the proposed hypotheses, structural equation modelling analysis was conducted with a sample of 426 full-time employees in South Korea. The results of this study showed a significant direct effect of transformational leadership on psychological empowerment and organizational commitment, which in turn had a significant influence on employees’ knowledge sharing intention. Transformational leadership had only an indirect effect on knowledge sharing intention among employees. These results bring out the importance of mediating roles of employee’s attitudes, especially organizational commitment, for promoting knowledge sharing intention among emplo...
Examining the Context of Attitudes toward Immigrants: A Reanalysis of the Threat/Contact hypotheses

A survey of prior research testing the threat and contact hypotheses uncovers a wide, often conflicting, range of conclusions regarding the influence of contexts on attitudes. Through a reanalysis (verification and replication) of publicly available data we test the threat/contact hypotheses by examining views on immigration. Using different measures (self-reported contact vs. contextual), models, estimation techniques (logit vs. HLM) and samples (local, state, and national) the reanalysis provides insights on why we observe such wide variation in results in the literature. The results show that the findings are not only sensitive to model choice and specification, but are not generalizable across regions. The study suggests that contextual effects cannot be understood without a better understanding of the larger environments where these contexts are operating, confirming what Huckfeldt (1986) argued decades earlier, 'political opinions and behavior of individuals cannot be understood separate from the environment within which they occur.'
Forced oscillations in sympathetic nerve discharge

Periodic electrical stimulation of the medullary raphe or lateral tegmental field in baroreceptor-denervated cats was used to force the central systems responsible for the 10-Hz and 2- to 6-Hz rhythms in post-ganglionic sympathetic nerve discharge (SND). The 10-Hz rhythm in SND could be entrained either to the frequency of medullary stimulation or to harmonics of the stimulus frequency. The harmonic of the stimulus frequency to which the 10-Hz rhythm was entrained in one postganglionic nerve could be different from that in another nerve. On this basis, we propose that the circuits responsible for the 10-Hz rhythms in SND may be modeled as a system of coupled nonlinear oscillators, each of which either influences one postganglionic nerve or nonuniformly affects different postganglionic nerves. The relatively wide band 2- to 6-Hz component in SND could be forced into a stable oscillatory state by medullary stimulation at frequencies between 3 and 5 Hz. This observation is consistent with the view that the 2- to 6-Hz component reflects the complex behavior of a nonlinear oscillator rather than the output of a physiological noise generator.
Comparison of hemoglobin Koln erythrocyte membranes with malondialdehyde-reacted normal erythrocyte membranes

Splenectomized patients with hemoglobin (Hb) Koln have rigid RBCs with membrane polypeptide aggregates that are not dissociable with disulfide- reducing agents. Malondialdehyde (MDA) action on normal RBCs produced rigid RBCs with similar nondissociable aggregates. To test the hypothesis that Hb Koln RBC aggregates contained unsaturated MDA-type bonds, we reduced normal control RBC membranes, Hb Koln RBC membranes, and MDA-reacted membranes with [3H]NaBH4. Hb Koln RBC membranes and MDA- reacted membranes both had significantly more 3H incorporation than control membranes. Furthermore, 3H incorporation in both Hb Koln and MDA-treated membranes was located in the membrane polypeptide aggregates, presumably saturating the crosslinking bonds. After reaction of RBCs with [14C]MDA, the MDA label was similarly concentrated in the membrane polypeptide aggregates. Normal RBC membranes incubated with MDA were analyzed with and without reduction by NaBH4 prior to amino acid determination by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Reduction with NaBH4 after MDA treatment decreased the lysyl residues by 33% and the serine by 7% and increased by 10% the methionyl residues, but did not affect 12 other amino acids. Similar changes could be detected in NaBH4-reduced Hb Koln aggregates in methionine and serine content. MDA may also alter protein configuration, as evidenced by an increase in the protease susceptibility of membrane proteins from MDA-treated and Hb Koln RBCs. We conclude that Hb Koln RBC membranes, like MDA-treated membranes, have similar high molecular weight aggregates conferring decreased membrane deformability, [3H]NaBH4-reducible unsaturated bonds, changes in amino acid composition upon reduction, and protease-sensitive configurational changes.
Feeding, Mating, and Oviposition by Rhagoletis cingulata (Diptera: Tephritidae) Flies in Nature

Data from field observations on the location and activity of Rhagoletis cingulata (Loew) flies on Prunus serotina Ehrl. revealed the following. Females made more visits to each of fruit, leaves, and branches than did males. Females fed almost as often while on fruit or leaves, but males fed mostly on fruit juice and less often than females. While females spent most of their time on fruit searching for suitable oviposition sites, male spent almost all of their time there either searching or waiting for potential mates. Although most encounters between males were on fruit, intersexual ones occurred more often on leaves. Males mounted other males as often as they did females, indicating the inability of males to distinguish between the sexes. Unripe fruit were preferred over ripe ones for oviposition.
Avoidable Mortality and Healthcare Expenditure in OECD Countries: DEA and SFA methods to health expenditure efficiency

Healthcare expenditures rise as a share of GDP in most countries, raising questions regarding the value and quality of future spending increases. According to Heijink and Koolmanâ€™s (2012) research, it is possible that an above-average rise in healthcare expenditures per year went along with a below-average avoidable mortality reduction. This study estimates quality of health using avoidable mortality as outcome variable, and investigates the relationship between total avoidable mortality and healthcare expenditure using data envelopment analysis (DEA) method and stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) method. This research extends Heijink and Koolmanâ€™s (2012) studies from 14 developed countries to 31 OECD countries, and also expands disease groups in terms of avoidable mortality from two (diseases of the circulatory system and neoplasms) to four (plus diseases of the respiratory system and diseases of the digestive system). Efficient outcomes across sectors and analytical methods seem to cluster around a small number of core countries, even if for difference reasons: Japan and the United States.
Development of an AIDS Vaccine: Biological and Ethical Challenges

The biologic, ethical, and social obstacles in AIDS vaccine development are explored. Current understanding of the immunodeterminants of HIV-1 pathogenesis is reviewed and ideal biological properties for an AIDS vaccine are proposed. Options for clinical trial design, criteria for entry into clinical trials, and provision for care of volunteers who experience vaccine-associated adversity are discussed.
The NGK’s Development within Afrikaner Civil Society (1910–33)

In 1910 the South African state was formed. The establishment of the Union of South Africa represented a new phase of white minority rule because it was accompanied by the implementation of extensive segregation laws. These political changes coincided with significant transitions in the economy. South Africa’s political economy entered a period of increased industrialization in the 1910s and 1920s that intensified class and race rivalries.
Radiology Imaging for Ureteral Stones

Imaging methods play an essential role in the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with urolithiasis. Precise detection of stone burden and location and delineation of the collecting system, ureteral and surrounding organs’ anatomy may affect the selection of the treatment modality. The selection of the proper imaging method should be made individually. While plain radiographic studies are not favored methods for radiolucent stones, more detailed studies may be required for patients with anatomical abnormalities. Contrast studies are not preferred for patients with renal failure or with an allergy to contrast material. Children and especially pregnant patients who are more sensitive to ionizing radiation also require special attention. In this chapter the imaging methods used for ureteral calculi are summarized.
Effects of Country Culture on the use of Signals in the Motion Picture Industry: A Hierarchical Growth Modeling Approach

The growing trend in the globalization leads to increased efforts to internationalize products and marketing activities. Among global products, motion picture industry provides an interesting case for marketing managers and researchers because it is a typical experience product market, where the quality of a movie is difficult to assess without actually seeing it (Basuroy et al. 2006; Eliashberg and Sawhney 1994). Such experience-based product markets are characterized by information asymmetry arising from the disparate levels of information between buyers and sellers. Signaling theory, which aims to determine whether a signal credibly conveys information about a product’s observed quality, suggests that consumers use available signals in the environment that deliver information about a product or service to reduce uncertainty (Spence 1974). However, given the global nature of movies, unless signals are evaluated in the same way, we might expect to find substantial differences in the use of signals across countries (Dawar and Parker 1994). The potential divergence in judging product quality signals leads to dissimilar product performances at a global scale. Despite the theoretical importance and managerial relevance of the subject, there is scarce research examining the impact of signals to evaluate product quality across various countries (Craig et al. 2005; Erdem et. al. 2006; Neelamegham and Chintagunta 1999).
Thoughts About an Early Evaluation Life

Scriven describes how he believes the early death of his father, constant intercontinental moving he experienced as a child, and associated fractures in relationships he began with peers influenced his “attitude towards the value of reason,” which is his “main professional area of publication and evaluation.” He recounts stories of developing his own evaluation life by running away from home at age 14 (following his father's example); writing an award-winning essay on quantitatively evaluating acts of valor (as he wanted to be a RAF pilot like his father); pursuing math, science, and philosophy in college; critiquing parapsychology; evaluating sports cars; exploring and teaching critical thinking; deciding where to go to university and where to work; and eventually being pulled into professional evaluation by being asked to work on a White House task force that included evaluating university courses and curricula on critical thinking; and collaborating with other early evaluation theorists.
Ground-state properties of H 5 from the He 6 (d, He 3) H 5 reaction

We have studied the ground state of the unbound, very neutron-rich isotope of hydrogen $^{5}\mathrm{H}$, using the $^{6}\mathrm{He}(d,^{3}\mathrm{He})^{5}\mathrm{H}$ reaction in inverse kinematics at a bombarding energy of $E(^{6}\mathrm{He})=55A$ MeV. The present results suggest a ground-state resonance energy ${E}_{R}=2.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3$ MeV above the $^{3}\mathrm{H}+2n$ threshold, with an intrinsic width of $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}=5.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.4$ MeV in the $^{5}\mathrm{H}$ system. Both the resonance energy and width are higher than those reported in some, but not all previous studies of $^{5}\mathrm{H}$. The previously unreported $^{6}\mathrm{He}(d,t)^{5}\mathrm{He}_{\mathrm{g}.\mathrm{s}.}$ reaction is observed in the same measurement, providing a check on the understanding of the response of the apparatus. The data are compared to expectations from direct two-neutron and dineutron decay. The possibility of excited states of $^{5}\mathrm{H}$ populated in this reaction is discussed using different calculations of the $^{6}\mathrm{He}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}^{5}\mathrm{H}+p$ spectroscopic overlaps from shell-model and ab initio nuclear-structure calculations.
Intranasal immunization of pigs with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus-like particles plus 2′, 3′-cGAMP VacciGrade™ adjuvant exacerbates viremia after virus challenge

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) causes reproductive failure in pregnant sows and acute respiratory disease in young pigs. It is a leading infectious agent of swine respiratory complex, which has significant negative economic impact on the swine industry. Commercial markets currently offer both live attenuated and killed vaccines; however, increasing controversy exists about their efficacy providing complete protection. Virus-like particles (VLPs) possess many desirable features of a potent vaccine candidate and have been proven to be highly immunogenic and protective against virus infections. Here we explored the efficacy of PRRSV VLPs together with the use of a novel 2′, 3′-cGAMP VacciGrade™ adjuvant. Animals were immunized twice intranasally with phosphate buffered saline (PBS), PRRSV VLPs, or PRRSV VLPs plus 2′, 3′-cGAMP VacciGrade™ at 2 weeks apart. Animals were challenged with PRRSV-23983 at 2 weeks post the second immunization. PRRSV specific antibody response and cytokines were measured. Viremia, clinical signs, and histological lesions were evaluated. PRRSV N protein specific antibody was detected in all animals at day 10 after challenge, but no significant difference was observed among the vaccinated and control groups. Surprisingly, a significantly higher viremia was observed in the VLPs and VLPs plus the adjuvant groups compared to the control group. The increased viremia is correlated with a higher interferon-α induction in the serum of the VLPs and the VLPs plus the adjuvant groups. Intranasal immunizations of pigs with PRRSV VLPs and VLPs plus the 2′, 3′-cGAMP VacciGrade™ adjuvant exacerbates viremia. A higher level of interferon-α production, but not interferon-γ and IL-10, is correlated with enhanced virus replication. Overall, PRRSV VLPs and PRRSV VLPs plus the adjuvant fail to provide protection against PRRSV challenge. Different dose of VLPs and alternative route of vaccination such as intramuscular injection should be explored in the future studies to fully assess the feasibility of such a vaccine platform for PRRSV control and prevention.
An NCDB analysis of trends in male breast cancer from 2004-2009 and 2010-2014.

544Background: To examine the trends in clinicopathologic features, treatment, and survival of male breast cancer (MBC), utilizing the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB). Methods: MBC patients entered in the NCDB from 2004-2009 were compared with those from 2010-2014 for demographics, stage at diagnosis, tumor characteristics, treatment type, and overall survival (OS). Male patients were also compared to female patients from the same time periods. Statistical analysis included Pearson’s chi-square test. Results: Of 2,047,868 breast cancer cases, a total of 19,409 (0.95%) men were available for analysis. The group of MBC patients from 2004 to 2009 included 9,790 men with a median age of 65. The group from 2010 to 2014 included 9,619 men with a median age of 66. In the later group there was a decreased rate of DCIS, increased rate of invasive ductal carcinoma, and increased rate of hormone positive tumors. Among the earlier and later MBC groups, 24% vs. 27% of patients underwent lumpectomy. Of these, 61% vs 6...
Predicting Consumer Effort in Finding and Paying for Health Care: Expert Interviews and Claims Data Analysis.

Background: For consumers to accept and use a health care information system, it must be easy to use, and the consumer must perceive it as being free from effort. Finding health care providers and paying for care are tasks that must be done to access treatment. These tasks require effort on the part of the consumer and can be frustrating when the goal of the consumer is primarily to receive treatments for better health. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the factors that result in consumer effort when finding accessible health care. Having an understanding of these factors will help define requirements when designing health information systems. Methods: A panel of 12 subject matter experts was consulted and the data from 60 million medical claims were used to determine the factors contributing to effort. Results: Approximately 60 million claims were processed by the health care insurance organization in a 12-month duration with the population defined. Over 292 million diagnoses from claims were used to validate the panel input. The results of the study showed that the number of people in the consumer’s household, number of visits to providers outside the consumer’s insurance network, number of adjusted and denied medical claims, and number of consumer inquiries are a proxy for the level of effort in finding and paying for care. The effort level, so measured and weighted per expert panel recommendations, differed by diagnosis. Conclusions: This study provides an understanding of how consumers must put forth effort when engaging with a health care system to access care. For higher satisfaction and acceptance results, health care payers ideally will design and develop systems that facilitate an understanding of how to avoid denied claims, educate on the payment of claims to avoid adjustments, and quickly find providers of affordable care.
An exploratory study of Turkish fathers’ involvement in the lives of their preschool aged children

ABSTRACTThis study examined the nature and extent of the involvement of Turkish fathers in the lives of their preschool aged children. A survey instrument was developed and administered to a sample of 84 Turkish fathers of preschool aged children. The survey was designed to measure the amount of time that fathers and children spend together, the types of activities they engage in, and factors that could be related to father involvement (e.g. age, education, income, and work hours). The findings suggest that fathers’ occupation type, monthly income, number of years they have been married, number of children in the family, and fathers’ work hours are associated with the nature and extent of their involvement with their children. The results are discussed with reference to fathers’ accessibility, responsibility and engagement.