cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Promoterless gene targeting without nucleases ameliorates haemophilia B in mice

Site-specific gene addition can allow stable transgene expression for gene therapy. When possible, this is preferred over the use of promiscuously integrating vectors, which are sometimes associated with clonal expansion and oncogenesis. Site-specific endonucleases that can induce high rates of targeted genome editing are finding increasing applications in biological discovery and gene therapy. However, two safety concerns persist: endonuclease-associated adverse effects, both on-target and off-target; and oncogene activation caused by promoter integration, even without nucleases. Here we perform recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV)-mediated promoterless gene targeting without nucleases and demonstrate amelioration of the bleeding diathesis in haemophilia B mice. In particular, we target a promoterless human coagulation factor IX (F9) gene to the liver-expressed mouse albumin (Alb) locus. F9 is targeted, along with a preceding 2A-peptide coding sequence, to be integrated just upstream to the Alb stop codon. While F9 is fused to Alb at the DNA and RNA levels, two separate proteins are synthesized by way of ribosomal skipping. Thus, F9 expression is linked to robust hepatic albumin expression without disrupting it. We injected an AAV8-F9 vector into neonatal and adult mice and achieved on-target integration into ∼0.5% of the albumin alleles in hepatocytes. We established that F9 was produced only from on-target integration, and ribosomal skipping was highly efficient. Stable F9 plasma levels at 7-20% of normal were obtained, and treated F9-deficient mice had normal coagulation times. In conclusion, transgene integration as a 2A-fusion to a highly expressed endogenous gene may obviate the requirement for nucleases and/or vector-borne promoters. This method may allow for safe and efficacious gene targeting in both infants and adults by greatly diminishing off-target effects while still providing therapeutic levels of expression from integration.
AF2, an Ascaris neuropeptide: isolation, sequence, and bioactivity.

Abstract A FMRFamide-like neuropeptide, KHEYLRFamide (Lys-His-Glu-Tyr-Leu-Arg-Phe-amide; AF2), was isolated from a head extract of the nematode Ascaris suum by using a three-step HPLC separation. In a dorsal muscle strip preparation, synthetic AF2 produced multiple effects on muscle tension: a slow relaxation was followed by contraction and rhythmic activity. Sulfated AF2 was no more potent than AF2. The effects on muscle tension were correlated with electrical activity recorded intracellularly from muscle cells. AF2 markedly increased the tension change associated with changes in muscle membrane potential.
Economic evaluation of the environmental effects of erosion

Abstract Erosion of the soil is an important aspect of the environment, more so in the Third World where major environmental problems may stem mainly from low land productivity and are directly related to poverty, poor nutrition and paucity of employment opportunities. However, the allocation of resources for preventing and combating erosion does not usually receive its due priority. This is because of the insidious nature of the wide-ranging baneful consequences of erosion. Explicit ex-ante evaluation of investment options is obligatory in reaching rational land-use decisions, including optimal soil conservation and watershed management practices. Various tools of economic evaluation have been considered; benefit-cost analysis in a systems context could provide an appropriate approach. Methodological principles are postulated whereby it appears possible to rank options commensurably as well as to get around the difficulty of quantifying the intagible effects of erosion in terms of market value which, otherwise, can only be imputed at the risk of inaccurate measurements, heuristic trade-offs, subjective value judgements and socio-economically untenable assumptions. Attempts at improving the methodology and making case studies would be warranted for convincing the decision maker to consider anti-erosion and allied measures among gainful economic activities, especially for improving the earth's environment from a social standpoint.
Current and Future Imaging Paradigms in Colorectal Cancer.

Imaging of molecular events in vivo is beginning to change how we evaluate and treat patients. This review focuses on several of the clinical and pre-clinical advances that are relevant to colorectal surgery. In particular, metabolic imaging by positron emission tomograpy, lymph node metastatic imaging by nanoparticle-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, and fluorescent endoscopic and intraoperative imaging with activatable optical smart probes are detailed.
The use of biotinylated monoclonal antibodies and streptavidin affinity chromatography to isolate herpesvirus hydrophobic proteins or glycoproteins

A streptavidin/biotin-based immunoaffinity system was optimized to isolate herpesvirus (human cytomegalovirus) immediate early proteins or late glycoproteins from crude infected cell lysates. Biotinylation of the primary antibody by biotin substitution of epsilon amino groups was superior to biotin substitution of sugar residues. Biotinylation of the primary antibody was superior to that of a secondary antibody. A biotin substitution of approximately 8 M biotin/M antibody allowed for maximal recovery of viral antigens. The streptavidin/biotin-based immunoaffinity system can allow for relatively pure preparations of viral antigens that may be used for functional, immunological, or structural studies.
Species richness in Atlantic deep-sea fishes assessed in terms of the mid-domain effect and Rapoport's rule

Abstract A decrease in species richness with increasing latitude has been documented for a broad range of taxonomic groups. A number of hypotheses relating to biological, environmental, and historical factors have been proposed to explain this phenomenon, and the mid-domain effect (MDE) has been proposed in the form of a null model. This model considers only the geometry of spatial gradients and species’ range extents, excluding any assumptions of environmental, biological or historical causes, and predicts that species richness will peak in the centre of a domain in which species occur when their ranges are randomly distributed. This model has been applied to observed latitudinal, elevational and depth gradients as a test to quantify the extent to which non-random processes influence species richness patterns in comparison to those based on geographical boundary constraints alone. We apply the MDE model to empirical datasets for the ranges of the bottom-living fish species occurring in the Faroe-Iceland Ridge, Denmark Strait, Southern New England and Northern Gulf of Mexico regions of the North Atlantic Ocean. The observed patterns show a decline in richness with depth, and do not match the richness patterns produced by the null model. Therefore it can be said that non-random processes have resulted in the observed patterns. Applied to bathymetric ranges, Rapoport's rule predicts that richness decreases and range size increases with depth and latitude. The rule explained decreasing fish species richness with depth and between latitudes, but did not appear to explain increasing range size with depth.
The Consent Decree in the Meatpacking Industry, 1920–1956

In the second of two articles, Professors Aduddell and Cain take the story of the application of antitrust law to the large meatpackers from the 1920 consent decree to Judge Julius Hoffman's 1956 decision not to lift the decree. Despite fundamental changes in the technology and structure of the food distribution industry, and strong indications that the packers' proposed plan to sell at retail was no longer good business, Hoffman refused to remove the obstacle to forward integration. The decision, in the authors' opinion, does not bear scrutiny on economic grounds. The episode supports two important generalizations about antitrust prosecution as a tool for economic planning: that constant change in a dynamic society often renders antitrust decisions meaningless; and that regulation frequently deprives society of rational structural change.
Dual activation of the inositol-triphosphate-calcium and cyclic nucleotide intracellular signaling systems by adrenocorticotropin in rat adrenal cells.

Abstract Hormones which primarily utilize cAMP as their intracellular “second messenger” are generally not thought to activate the IP3-Ca++ signalling system. Presently, we show that ACTH, at certain concentrations, can activate both the cAMP and IP3-Ca++ intracellular signalling systems.
Health Behavior Theories and Research: Implications for Suicidal Individuals’ Treatment Linkage and Adherence☆

Treatment linkage and adherence to psychotherapeutic interventions can be challenging with suicidal individuals. Health behavior theories, specifically the Health Belief Model, Stages of Change, and Theory of Planned Behavior, focus on individuals' beliefs, their readiness to change, their perceptions of illness severity and "threat," their perceptions of significant others' attitudes toward illness and treatment, and their behavioral intentions to change. These constructs have relevance both for understanding suicidal individuals' behaviors related to treatment utilization and for understanding cultural variations in these behaviors. Furthermore, these theories have implications for clinical practices aimed at facilitating improved treatment follow-through and adherence. After describing the theories and their constructs, clinical examples are provided to illustrate applications to practice with suicidal individuals.
opportunity for All: Linking Service-Learning and Business Education

A major criticism of contemporary business education centers on its failure to help business students achieve sufficient educational breath, particularly with regard to the external environment of business. The service-learning movement offers business faculty an excellent opportunity to address this deficiency. By developing curricular projects linked to community needs, faculty can further their students' technical skills while helping them simultaneously develop greater inter-personal, inter-cultural, and ethical sensitivity.
A study of sibling role relationships.

The major goal of this study was to learn whether or not is it possible to differentiate perceived sibling role relationships of sibling groups along two dimensions, problem and non-problem sibling groups. The researcher hypothesized a significant difference between problem and non-problem sibling groups in terms of sibling role differentiation, sibling role agreement, and sibling role location. No significant difference was found between the two groups on the role differentiation, agreement, and location scores. However, further analysis revealed that both groups differentiated roles among siblings to a great extent. Also, the level of role agreement among both groups was high. Finally, role location varied according to roles among both groups.
919-13 Superior Outcome with Rotational Atherectomy Combined with Balloon Angioplasty Compared to Balloon Angioplasty Alone: Results of a Case Control Study

Although a strategy of “debulk and dilate” may appear intuitively superior to balloon angioplasty (BA) alone, data supporting this concept are lacking. Accordingly, we performed angiographic laboratory analyses of 21 patients (pts) treated with rotational atherectomy (RA) and adjunctive aggressive BA and compared their immediate angiographic outcomes to 21 selected pts treated with BA only. The BA only group was chosen from a large PTCA database to identify a “matched” SA pt for each of the RA pts. Matching was based on clinical and coronary angiographic characteristics. When the two groups were compared at baseline, there were no differences (p g 0.05) in terms of age, gender, target lesion location, % stenosis, minimal lumen diameter (MLD), reference diameter, TIMI flow grade, lesion length or presence of calcium, thrombus, or eccentricity. The angiographic results of final outcome were: Charactenstic (mean ± 1SD) BA Alone RA/BA p Reference diameter (mm) 26 ± 0.4 2.70 ± 04 0.800 MLD(mm) 1.7 ± 0.4 2.1 ± 0.3 0.005 % Stenosis 33.2 ± 136 18.9 ± 10.1 0.000 Acute gain (mm) 1.1 ± 0.5 14 ± 0.3 0.038 Dissection (% pts) 28.6 9.5 0.116 Extent of dissection (mm 2 ) 2.2 ± 5.1 09 ± 0.3 0.057 Compared to BA alone, RA/BA resulted in a larger final MLD, greater acute gain and less severe % stenosis and extent of dissection. These data indicate that the acute angiographic outcome achieved by combining RA and BA is superior to that of BA alone.
On a Class of Functional Equations in Distribution

Abstract In this article, we present the most general solution of the functional equations f ( xy ) + f ((1 − x )(1 − y )) = f ( x (1 − y )) + f ( y (1 − x )) and f ( xy ) + f ( x (1 − y )) + f ( y (1 − x )) + f ((1 − x )(1 − y )) = f ( x ) + f (1 − x ) + f ( y ) + f (1 − y ) in the domain of distributions; and show that for regular distributions the solutions are the same as the classical solutions. These functional equations arise in connection with the characterization of sum form information measures.
Electrochemical and Raman spectroscopy identification of morphological and phase transformations in nanostructured TiO2(B)

TiO2(B) exhibits unique electrochemical lithiation behavior where two closely spaced reduction and oxidation peaks, referred to as “double peaks,” are observed for 3-D forms of bulk and nanostructured TiO2(B) while a single broad redox peak is observed for 2-D nanosheet architectures. In this study, we have used a combination of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry on TiO2(B) nanosheets as well as a series of thermally annealed nanosheets to map the morphological and phase transformation pathways that help clarify the structure-dependent lithiation behavior. We found that the double peak redox behavior only arises once a three dimensional nanocrystalline structure of TiO2(B) exists by observing nanoparticle growth on the TiO2(B) nanosheet surface via TEM at temperatures above 150 °C. This morphological transformation was also verified by Raman spectroscopy. The appearance of low-energy torsional modes at temperatures above 150 °C which are not observed in 2-D morphologies of TiO2(B) agrees well with TEM evidence of 3-D nanoparticle formation. Using scan rate dependent cyclic voltammetry we also verified that all lithiation behavior associated with TiO2(B) (either nanosheet or nanoparticle) is due primarily to a surface redox (pseudocapacitive) mechanism. The thermal annealing study also shows the phase transformation of surface nucleated TiO2(B) nanoparticles to anatase nanoparticles at temperatures above 200 °C. These studies clearly show how nano-morphological control can influence electrochemical lithiation behavior and help identify a possible mechanism to explain the double peak phenomenon observed for TiO2(B).
Non-contact ultrasonic inspection of medical catheters for polymeric bond defects

A non-contact, laser-optic based laser ultrasonic technique referred to as the thermo-acousto-photonic non-destructive evaluation (TAP-NDE) was employed to investigate bond integrity and localized stiffening due to an attached wire stent on small diameter polymeric catheters. Laser-generated interrogating ultrasonic dispersive waves in the catheter were acquired using a fiber-tip interferometer (FTI) running on a HeNe laser. The basic notions of zero-crossing rate and artificial neural network (ANN) were applied to digitized tubular guided-waves to uniquely identify each of the following three bond defects: tensile pull, needle puncture, and crease. These induced flaws represent possible manufacturing defects such as de-bond, potential leak sources, and geometry irregularities. Zero-crossing rates were also found to uniquely identify localized stiffening due to an attached wire stent proving that this technique can unambiguously identify propagation modes from among non-propagation modes or vibrations. The 100% success rate reported in the paper renders the utility of TAP-NDE, along with ANN based classification scheme using zero-crossing rates, a viable quantitative measure for inspecting small-diameter polymeric medical tubing for sub-mm defects in real-time.
Learning Orientation and Market Orientation as Catalysts for Innovation in Nonprofit Organizations

The purpose of the study is to review the adoptability of learning orientation (LO), market orientation (MO), and innovation to human service nonprofits by investigating the relationships among the...
Transthoracic needle aspiration biopsy: variables that affect risk of pneumothorax.

PURPOSE: To analyze the influence of multiple variables on the rate of pneumothorax and chest tube placement associated with transthoracic needle aspiration biopsy of the lung. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 346 patients, 331 computed tomographically (CT) guided and 24 fluoroscopically guided lung biopsies were performed. Variables analyzed were lesion size, depth, and location; number of pleural passes; needle size; presence of emphysema; and training level of the person who performed the biopsy. RESULTS: Pneumothorax occurred at 144 (40.4%) of 356 biopsies, including 139 (42.0%) CT-guided and five (21%) fluoroscopically guided biopsies. Chest tube placement was needed in 25 (17.4%) of 144 cases of pneumothorax (7% of all biopsies). An increased rate of pneumothorax was correlated with smaller lesion size (P = .001) and presence of emphysema (P = .01). Patients with emphysema were three times as likely to require chest tube placement. The pneumothorax rate was 15% (16 of 105) if no aerated lung was traversed ...
The combinatorics of heuristic search termination for object recognition in cluttered environments

Many current recognition systems terminate a search once an interpretation that is good enough is found. The author formally examines the combinatorics of this approach, showing that choosing correct termination procedures can dramatically reduce the search. In particular, the author provides conditions on the object model and the scene clutter such that the expected search is at most quartic. The analytic results are shown to be in agreement with empirical data for cluttered object recognition. These results imply that it is critical to use techniques that select subsets of the data likely to have come from a single object before establishing a correspondence between data and model features. >
Enhanced electromagnetic power deposition in a lossy medium

It is demonstrated that an aperture antenna, excited by a leaky wave, will transfer power into an homogeneous lossy half-space at levels exceeding expectation. However, such local enhancements are only possible in the near-field region in the central part of the array. With the proper choice of parameters, enhancements of the order of 15 dB can be achieved. The calculated results are relevant to hyperthermic heating in cancer therapy and to related problems in biological hazards. >
Effect of Concave Wall Geometry on Heat Transfer in Hypersonic Boundary Layers

Heat transfer measurements are made to investigate the effects of concave surface curvature on a high-stagnation enthalpy boundary layer in a Mach 5.1 flow. Experiments are carried out using two curved models with 16 and 25 degree turning angles, and baseline planar models (at plate and linear ramp) for comparative study. Streamwise and spanwise cross-sections are obtained. Significant destabilization of the boundary layer is observed over the adverse pressure gradient geometries. For the curved surfaces, the heat flux distribution appears to exhibit a quadratic dependence with streamwise distance, in contrast with the linear dependence observed on the linear ramp.
The Qualitative Advantages of Quantities of Information: Bigger is Better

Digitization projects should focus on quantity rather than quality. Increasing quantities of information produce qualitatively more valuable services. Online writing and searching are now common, and it is only online reading that is still limiting our use of online books. New interfaces might increase our willingness to read online, which should be encouraged rather than fought, since it represents an increase both the amount of information available and the participation of more people in the writing and exchange of information.
The Effect of Moral Reconation Therapy on the Recidivism of Youthful Offenders A Randomized Experiment

A randomized experimental design was used to test the effect of moral reconation therapy on the recidivism rates of youth offenders. The sample consisted of youth offenders who were incarcerated in a county jail in Maryland (N = 256). A survival analysis compared the risk of recidivism of the treatment and control groups. The risk of recidivism for the treatment group was not significantly different from the risk of recidivism for the control group. A supplemental analysis compared a high implementation treatment group with the randomized control group. Individuals in the high implementation treatment group received a minimum of 30 days of treatment. Consistent with earlier results, group differences were not statistically significant.
Maternal inheritance, sexual conflict and the maladapted male

Females differ from males in transmitting not only nuclear genes but also cytoplasmic genetic elements (CGEs), including DNA in mitochondria, chloroplasts and microorganisms that are present in the cell. Until recently, evolutionary research has adopted a nucleocentric approach in which organelles have been viewed as subservient energy suppliers. In this article, we propose that a more equitable view of nuclear genes and organelle genomes will lead to a better understanding of the dynamics of sexual selection and the constraints on male adaptation. Maternal inheritance of CGEs intensifies sexually-antagonistic coevolution and provides a parsimonious explanation for the relatively high frequency in males of such apparently maladaptive traits as infertility, homosexuality and baldness.
Nanoscale superconducting THz hot electron bolometers fabricated with UV lithography on ultra-thin Si beam lead chips

While focused E-beam and Focused Ion Beam patterning tools have been shown to be successful methods for defining nanoscale features of superconducting hot electron bolometers (HEBs), there are some drawbacks to these techniques. These serial processes are not widely available and are slow for producing large numbers of HEBs. Although device throughput has not been traditionally emphasized for typical HEB and microwave circuits, HEBs are very vulnerable to ESD damage and low circuit yield. Also, there is growing interest in building high density HEB receiver arrays. As an alternative to high-end nanolithography techniques, we have developed a novel "Suspended Sidewall Nano Patterned Stencil" (SSNaPS) process, which requires conventional I-line contact lithography, sputtering, and RIE tools, which are all commonly available. This method involves a conformal sputtering of Titanium over patterned polyimide steps and a subsequent anisotropic etch of Titanium on the horizontal surfaces. Thin lines of Ti remain on the sidewalls of the polyimide features whose width is determined by the thickness of the initial sputtered layer. These nanoscale Ti-lines, combined with micrometer scale Ti patterns, can be used for the accurate patterning required for superconducting HEB fabrication. This method allows for simplified parallel fabrication of large numbers of HEBs or other nanoscale devices and is available to most fabrication facilities.
Architectonic Distribution of the Serotonin Transporter within the Orbitofrontal Cortex of the Vervet Monkey

To elucidate the organization of the serotoninergic innervation within the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), serotonin transporter (SERT) density was quantified by autoradiogra- phy using ( 3 H)cyanoimipramine binding. In six adult vervet monkeys, 15 architectonic areas were delineated according to cytoarchitectonic (Nissl), myeloarchitectonic (Gallyas) and chemoarchitectonic (acetylcholinesterase) criteria to assess SERT distribution at two levels of organization: cortical area and cortical type. For cortical type, the 15 areas were evenly divided into three different categories primarily based upon the degree of granularization of layer IV: agranular, dysgranu- lar, and granular. Within agranular and dysgranular, but not granular cortical types, SERT density was area-specific and progressively decreased in a medial to lateral gradient. Across cortical types, SERT density decreased in a caudal to rostral gradient: agranular>dysgranular>granular. A similar caudal to rostral gradient was seen when serotonin content was measured (using high performance liquid chromatogra- phy) in areas representative of each cortical type. Collec- tively, these results suggest that the serotoninergic innerva- tion is organized according to both cortical type and area, and is thus structured to differentially modulate information processing within the OFC. © 2007 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Regionalism, Functionalism, and Universal International Organization

Nothing compels the reexamination of basic constitutional postulates so much as the possibility of their peaceful revision. Hence the much-advertised United Nations Review Conference underscores the need for contrasting the theoretical structure of the Charter with the reality of the practices which have evolved within its framework. Such an effort, while it might give support to those who strive for severe alterations of the structure, may also lead to the conclusion that even though the operational practices of international organization fail to meet the specifications of the Charter, peace might be more secure in the Cold War era if it is permitted to depend on operational vagaries rather than on legal precision. What, then, is the basic theory of the Charter and what the actual practice?
A symbolic method to reduce power consumption of circuits containing false paths

Power dissipation in technology mapped circuits can be reduced by performing gate re-sizing. Recently we have proposed a symbolic procedure which exploits the compactness of the ADD data structure to accurately calculate the arrival times at each node of a circuit for any primary input vector. In this paper we extend our timing analysis tool to the symbolic calculation of required times and slacks, and we use this information to identify gates of the circuits that can be re-sized. The nice feature of our approach is that it takes into account the presence of false paths naturally. As shown by the experimental results, circuits re-synthesized with the technique we present in this paper are guaranteed to be at least as fast as the original implementations, but smaller and substantially less power-consuming.
Human Arsenic Methyltransferase (AS3MT) Pharmacogenetics GENE RESEQUENCING AND FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS STUDIES

Abstract Arsenic contaminates ground water worldwide. Methylation is an important reaction in the biotransformation of arsenic. We set out to study the pharmacogenetics of human arsenic methyltransferase (AS3MT, previously CYT19). After cloning the human AS3MT cDNA, we annotated the human gene and resequenced its 5′-flanking region, exons, and splice junctions using 60 DNA samples from African-American (AA) and 60 samples from Caucasian-American (CA) subjects. We observed 26 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including 3 non-synonymous cSNPs, as well as a variable number of tandem repeats in exon 1 within an area encoding the cDNA 5′-untranslated region. The nonsynonymous cSNPs included T860C (M287T) with frequencies of 10.8 and 10% in AA and CA subjects, respectively, as well as C517T (A173W) in one AA and C917T (T306I) in one CA sample. Haplotype analysis showed that Ile306 was linked to Thr287, so this double variant allozyme was also studied functionally. After expression in COS-1 cells and correction for transfection efficiency, the Trp173 allozyme displayed 31%, Thr287 350%, Ile306 4.8%, and Thr287/Ile306 6.2% of the activity of the wild type (WT) allozyme, with 20, 190, 4.4, and 7.9% of the level of WT immunoreactive protein, respectively. Apparent Km values for S-adenosyl-l-methionine were 4.6, 3.1, and 11 μm for WT, Trp173, and Thr287 allozymes, with Km values for sodium arsenite with the same allozymes of 11.8, 8.9, and 4.5μm. The Ile306 and Thr287/Ile306 allozymes expressed too little activity for inclusion in the substrate kinetic studies. Expression of reporter gene constructs for the 5′-flanking region and the variable number of tandem repeats in the 5′-untranslated region demonstrated cell line-dependent variation in reporter gene expression, with shorter repeats associated with increased transcription in HepG2 cells. These results raise the possibility that inherited variation in AS3MT may contribute to variation in arsenic metabolism and, perhaps, arsenic-dependent carcinogenesis in humans.
Evaluating answer passages using summarization measures

Passage-based retrieval models have been studied for some time and have been shown to have some benefits for document ranking. Finding passages that are not only topically relevant, but are also answers to the users' questions would have a significant impact in applications such as mobile search. To develop models for answer passage retrieval, we need to have appropriate test collections and evaluation measures. Making annotations at the passage level is, however, expensive and can have poor coverage. In this paper, we describe the advantages of document summarization measures for evaluating answer passage retrieval and show that these measures have high correlation with existing measures and human judgments.
Einsatz von HP-Personal Computern im Rechnungswesen und Administration bei HP

Rechner, die den Mitarbeitern eines Unternehmens zur Verbesserung ihrer Arbeitsproduktivitat an den Arbeitsplatz gestellt werden, erfreuen sich seit uber 10 Jahren groser Beliebtheit.
The Informational Efficiency of the Corporate Bond Market: What is the Role of Trading Volume?

This article investigates the informational efficiency of the corporate bond market by examining whether the technical analysis of volume data can help in predicting the bond return volatility as well as the bond returns itself. To this end, the researcher uses prices and volume data obtained from TRACE for a sample of continuously traded corporate bonds from January 2007 to June 2009. To model volatility, we use a variant of GARCH model and the results show that it is an attractive representation of the daily corporate bond return and volatility. The overall conclusion from the results is that the trading volume data does not help in predicting future bond return volatility. Although such result is consistent with the informational efficiency of the corporate bond market, there is still a possibility that this study suffers from some data problems related to the liquidity issue in the corporate bond market.
Inductive Sensing to Detect Tissue Thickness Between Magnets for Potential Application in Magnetic Compression Based Anastomosis

Magnetic compression based anastomoses use magnetic force to necrose tissue between two magnets to create an anastomosis. Nickel-plated neodymium–iron–boron magnets are used in our study. The compression pressure between the magnets depends on the distance between the magnets, which is determined by the thickness of the compressed tissue and depends on bowel wall thickness and elasticity. It is critical to know the distance between the magnets once the tissue is compressed because the magnets must be within a critical distance of each other in order to create enough compressive force to necrose the tissue. We have developed an inductance sensor to detect the distance (tissue thickness) between the two magnets after the surgeon has deployed them. Inductance sensing is a contact-less sensing method that enables precise short-range detection of conducting surfaces. The inductor coil mounted on one magnet detects the second magnet by measuring the change in inductance due to eddy current induced on the nickel-plated surface of the second magnet. The change in the inductance is proportional to the change in distance between the magnets. The sensor was first calibrated by using polycarbonate sheets to simulate the intestine tissue. We are able to detect up to 6 mm of spacing between the magnets. Pig intestine from Yorkshire pigs was used to characterize the sensor. We are able to distinguish up to five distinct layers of the intestine from the large intestine. This sensing mechanism can indicate the operating surgeon the exact thickness of the tissue compressed between the two magnets. The surgeon can thus be sure of formation of a clean anastomosis and avoid the likelihood of the magnets sliding away or uncoupling.
Three Dimensional Integration Technology Applied to Neuromorphic Hardware Implementation

Neuromorphic computation is recognized as a break-through technology which is very energy efficient and has a huge potential for significant contribution in hardware architecture using integrated circuit technology. Due to the huge parallelism between the neuron layers, hardware implementation of neuromorphic system using three dimensional (3D) integration could provide a sustainable and promising alternative to the existing conventional two dimensional (2D) planar integrated circuit. In this study, the neural architecture, their implementation in 3D model, associated limitation and design challenges are discussed. Through Silicon Via (TSV) is used in 3D chip which is a key technology that vertically stacks multiple neuron dies to make the signal path shorter and more concise. In TSV based 3D neuromorphic IC, crosstalk is an important issue that appears due to electromagnetic interference between the neighboring TSV. We analyzed the crosstalk and coupling between the proposed TSV arrangement of 3D neural structure by means of EM field simulation.
Roots and History of Humanistic Psychology

The author shares her excitement on first encountering humanistic psychology approaches in the early 1970s – a breakthrough into a new world of experience. A considered critique follows, while accentuating the liberation of the non-victim culture of that period. The author goes on to elucidate her appreciation of the training she undertook with Gerda Boyesen, with its emphasis on a respectful handling of our varying modes of defence, enabling access to our primary or natural vitality. It was this approach that led gradually to reconnection with the spiritual dimension of life that had sustained the author as a child. She concludes with an account of the growth of humanistic psychology in Norwich (UK), fortuitously arriving there at the same time as Brian Thorne in 1974.
Enlightening the Galaxy: How Players Experience Political Philosophy in Star Wars: The Old Republic

The role of political persuasion in Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) affirms the serious nature and even educational value possible in video games designed with entertainment as their primary motivation. Within SWTOR, players wrestle with political conflicts first posited centuries ago by Enlightenment thinkers and have an opportunity to use the game as a springboard for political reflection in the contemporary world. Based upon surveys and interviews, this study reveals that politics can inform the cultural experience of entertainment games; SWTOR offers valuable lessons in civics by providing opportunities to explore and engage with the political philosophies of our Enlightenment heritage.
Biosensors, memristors and actuators in electrical networks of plants

Electrical circuits connect biosensors and actuators in plants and trees. There are many electrochemical components and devices in plants created by nature. Memristors participate in the electrical signal transduction between phytosensors and actuators. Electrical processes play important roles in the physiology of plants, trees, fruits and seeds. Electrical form of energy has no entropy content that can be used to do work, information transfer, computing and analysis. These signals propagate along sophisticated electrical circuitry of plants consisting of many electrical components and cell computing system for decision-making processes. Action potentials are the mediators for intercellular and intracellular communication in response to environmental stresses.
A mended method on Black-Scholes option pricing model

In this paper, the authors discuss pricing warps of Black-Scholes model and give a mended method. The problem of contingent claims valuation is studied when the underlying asset price is a jump-diffusion process under stochastic interest rates. Pricing formula of European contingent claims is derived and put-call parity is analyzed.
Hydrothermal synthesis of three-dimensional graphene and its adsorption property

Three-dimensional graphene(3D) has attracted increasing attention due to its excellent performance such as light weight,high porosity,large specific surface area and high mechanical strength. In this paper,we report a simple and controllable method for the preparation of 3D architectures of graphene by the hydrothermal synthesis at 180 ℃.There were no chemical crosslinking agents are needed during the synthesis process. The as-prepared 3D graphene were characterized by use of X-ray diffraction,scanning electronic microscope,video contact angle measuring instrument and Raman spectroscope. The results show that the 3D graphene architectures have low densities,high porosity,high mechanical properties and high efficient absorption,compared with other methods,this method has shown better stability and reproducibility. The prepared 3D graphene can be expected to be used in the fields of supercapacitors,hydrogen storage,catalysts and environmental protection etc.
Pericardial effusion associated with minoxidil therapy in dialyzed patients

Pericardial effusion, diagnosed clinically or by echocardiography, was found in 13 of 16 regularly dialyzed patients (81%) receiving minoxidil for refractory hypertension. In a comparable group of 125 patients not receiving minoxidil, 28 patients (23%) had evidence of pericardial effusion, the difference between the groups being highly significant (p less than 0.0005). In minoxidil treated patients, the effusions resolved spontaneously in 4 (3 remaining on treatment), required pericardiocentesis (3), or pericardiectomy (1), and persisted in 4 (3 remaining on treatment). It is suggested that minoxidil treated dialysis patients be regulary examined for the development of potentially threatening pericardial effusions.
Fe Promoted Ni―Ce/Al2O3 in Auto-Thermal Reforming of Ethanol for Hydrogen Production

Ni–Ce/Al2O3 and Ni–Ce–Fe/Al2O3 catalysts prepared by impregnation were tested in auto-thermal reforming (ATR) of ethanol. With ceria promotion, conversion of ethanol near 100% and selectivity to hydrogen at 103.6% can be achieved at 600 °C in ATR of ethanol, while with both iron and ceria promotion, selectivity to hydrogen at 118.4% is observed, which are higher (57.17% improvement on hydrogen selectivity) than that of the conventional Ni catalyst. In addition, higher stability is also observed during a 31-h test. The improvements are attributed to the restrained acidity and high dispersion of nickel alumina spinel phase.
Routes of periodic motions to chaos in a periodically forced pendulum

In this paper, with varying excitation amplitude, bifurcation trees of periodic motions to chaos in a periodically driven pendulum are obtained through a semi-analytical method. This method is based on the implicit discrete maps obtained from the midpoint scheme of the corresponding differential equation. Using the discrete maps, mapping structures are developed for specific periodic motions, and the corresponding nonlinear algebraic equations of such mapping structures are solved. Further, semi-analytical bifurcation trees of periodic motions to chaos are also obtained, and the corresponding eigenvalue analysis is carried out for the stability and bifurcation of the periodic motions. Finally, numerical illustrations of periodic motions on the bifurcation trees are presented in verification of the analytical prediction. Harmonic amplitude spectra are also presented for demonstrating harmonic effects on the periodic motions. The bifurcation trees of period-1 motions to chaos possess a double spiral structure. The two sets of solutions of period- $$2^{l}$$ motions $$(l=0,1,2,\ldots )$$ to chaos are based on the center around $$2m\pi $$ and $$(2m-1)\pi (m=1,2,3,\ldots )$$ in phase space. Other independent bifurcation trees of period-m motions to chaos are presented. Through this investigation, the motion complexity and nonlinearity of the periodically forced pendulum can be further understood.
Design Implications of Extended Producer Responsibility Legislation

Take-back legislation based on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) holds producers responsible for proper end-of-life treatment of their products. In addition to diverting waste products from landfills, EPR legislation has the potential advantage of incentivizing eco-design of products. However, evidence suggests that product design outcomes of EPR legislation can be significantly influenced by its implementation. In this chapter, we survey the research on this topic, focusing on design impacts associated with several key operational considerations in supply chains. We show that intended design incentives under EPR legislation may be weakened, muted, or even negated as a result of operational factors such as design trade-off, market competition, and recycling resource sharing. Accordingly, we develop insights as to how the design potential of EPR legislation may be realized.
Application of hydrodynamic cavitation to improve antioxidant activity in sorghum flour and apple pomace

Abstract To overcome the energy inefficiency and scale-up issues of ultrasonication, hydrodynamic cavitation was studied to release the bound phenolics in sorghum flour (SF) and apple pomace (AP) to enhance their antioxidant activity. In this study, SF and AP, naturally fermented at optimized conditions, were hydrodynamic cavitated at different flour to water (FWR) of 100, 275, 450 g/L and 50, 87.5, 125 g/L, respectively. In addition, three types of cavitators with 2, 3 and 4 rows of holes in rotor were used to cavitate SF and AP for the cavitation temperatures as 30, 35, 40 °C and 40, 45, 50 °C, respectively. For SF and AP, optimized conditions were determined as 100 g/L and 87.5 g/L FWR, 3 and 4 rows of rotor holes, 35 °C and 45 °C cavitation temperature, respectively. At these conditions, total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (AA) of SF were 39.5% and 38.6%, respectively higher than the control SF, while for AP, these numbers were observed as 42% and 97%, respectively. IVSD in SF showed 4.7% increase, whereas AP exhibited 7.6% increment in TDF as compared to that of control samples. The study suggests that hydrodynamic cavitation can be successfully used for the preparation of processed foods with increased levels of phenolic antioxidants.
Various Types of Ghosts Derived from Human Red Cells: Heat Fragmentation and Phase Optics Studies

1. A large number of kinds of ghost, each with its own characteristic properties, can be prepared from human red cells. These ghosts, which differ from each other in their appearance as seen with phase optics, in their heat fragmentation, and probably in other respects also, are the result of the procedures used to prepare them (lysis by water as opposed to lysis in dilute saline, lysis followed by ‘reversal of haemolysis’ by phosphate or veronal buffers at various pH or by saturating the haemolysate with CO2, lysis by freezing and thawing, lysis by chemical lysins, etc.). In view of this, it is meaningless to speak of the ‘red cell ghost’ and of its structure without further specification. 2. No entirely satisfactory explanation for the differences in heat fragmentation of the various kinds of ghost has been found. The best one is that fragmentation into stable fragments occurs when the ghost is discoidal and when it has a certain plasticity, the plasticity depending on the concentration of residual Hb. It is shown that heat fragmentation of red cells occurs maximally in a tonicity of about 1.5, i.e. when the Hb molecules are a certain optimal distance apart. 3. A number of other phenomena which occur optimally at certain values of tonicity, i.e. when the Hb molecules are neither too closely packed nor too widely separated, are described. Among these phenomena are mechanical fragility, the formation of typical sickles, resistance to certain lysins, and K-Na exchange. The various forms of disk-sphere transformation seem to have no tonicity dependence.
Mitochondrial Genome Analysis Reveals Historical Lineages in Yellowstone Bison

Yellowstone National Park is home to one of the only plains bison populations that have continuously existed on their present landscape since prehistoric times without evidence of domestic cattle introgression. Previous studies characterized the relatively high levels of nuclear genetic diversity in these bison, but little is known about their mitochondrial haplotype diversity. This study assessed mitochondrial genomes from 25 randomly selected Yellowstone bison and found 10 different mitochondrial haplotypes with a haplotype diversity of 0.78 (± 0.06). Spatial analysis of these mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotypes did not detect geographic population subdivision (FST = -0.06, p = 0.76). However, we identified two independent and historically important lineages in Yellowstone bison by combining data from 65 bison (defined by 120 polymorphic sites) from across North America representing a total of 30 different mitochondrial DNA haplotypes. Mitochondrial DNA haplotypes from one of the Yellowstone lineages represent descendants of the 22 indigenous bison remaining in central Yellowstone in 1902. The other mitochondrial DNA lineage represents descendants of the 18 females introduced from northern Montana in 1902 to supplement the indigenous bison population and develop a new breeding herd in the northern region of the park. Comparing modern and historical mitochondrial DNA diversity in Yellowstone bison helps uncover a historical context of park restoration efforts during the early 1900s, provides evidence against a hypothesized mitochondrial disease in bison, and reveals the signature of recent hybridization between American plains bison (Bison bison bison) and Canadian wood bison (B. b. athabascae). Our study demonstrates how mitochondrial DNA can be applied to delineate the history of wildlife species and inform future conservation actions.
Clinical characteristics and platelet phenotype in a family with RUNX1 mutated thrombocytopenia

A 29-year-old female with life-long easy bruising and chronic thrombocytopenia presented for further evaluation after her father, sister, and son were also noted to be thrombocytopenic. Clinical hi...
Niche Theory and Models

Predicting potential and actual distributions of species has become an active research area in biogeography. Recent debate about the appropriate term for these models – “niche models” or “species distribution models” – stems from confusion over the original niche theory on which they are both based. While niche theory itself has evolved in ecology, there are three main niche concepts that have remained the most relevant for niche models. These concepts and how they inform the development and practice of niche modeling are summarized. Keywords: applied biogeography; bioclimatic envelope; niche conservatism; predictive biogeography; species distribution models