cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Outsourcing Game Software: A Longitudinal Study of Make or Buy Decisions in US Videogame Industry

When a software provider releases its software to a platform, it is important to decide not only which platform to choose but also how to release it. This paper investigates a videogame publisher’s strategic decision to provide its videogame titles to each game platform. Specifically, this paper focuses on a game publisher’s outsourcing decision regarding its game releases. Combining transaction cost theory with theories concerning modularity and network effects, the paper examines the determinants of a game publisher’s make-or-buy decision. Then, this paper empirically tests the impact of each determinant with the videogame titles data from 1991 to 2002. The results give a foundation for future research issues regarding the application of transaction cost theory to the context of modular system architecture and network-based competition, which are the key characteristics of the IT industry, and call for new determinants of the make-or-buy decision.
An Experimental System for Thermal Mechanical and Biaxial Fatigue Studies

This paper describes an experimental system developed to conduct thermal mechanical fatigue (TMF) and biaxial fatigue testing of materials. As such the biaxial mechanical loadings may be either pure torsion or combined axial-torsion using thin-wall tubular-type specimens. Additionally, the system is capable of conducting uniaxial TMF, and isothermal uniaxial and biaxial fatigue testing as well. Currently only a small number of researchers [1] besides the authors are known to be pursuing the experimental testing area of combined thermal and biaxial mechanical fatigue testing and analysis of materials. TMF testing and analysis of materials has been an ongoing research area for over twenty years, however, in all of these previous known cases the mechanical loadings have been the uniaxial.
Generation, Differentiation, and Maturation of Olfactory Receptor Neurons In Vitro

In the mammalian olfactory epithelium (OE), proliferation of neuronal precursor cells and differentiation of their progeny into olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) are ongoing processes [1]. The OE is thus an ideal system for exploring how neurogenesis can control neuron number. There is also evidence that cell interactions regulate neurogenesis in the OE: Degeneration of ORNs following removal of the olfactory bulb (their central target) or lesioning of ORN axons leads to increased proliferation of neuronal precursor cells in the epithelium and subsequent production of new receptor neurons [2].
Unholy Matrimony: Monetary Expansion and Deficit Spending

For the past several years, economists concerned with monetary policy have been establishing that an independent monetary policy maker provides superior price stability than a monetary policy maker that is more connected with politics (Alesina and Summers 1993). In short, introducing an independent monetary policy maker can lower average inflation without disrupting the economy. Americans, then, should rejoice that the Federal Reserve is considered to be one of the more independent central banks (Mishkin 2010). However, evidence suggests that the Federal Reserve is less independent than it first appears, and a more radical separation may be called for.
What Kind of Leader Do You Want To Be

The literature can be rather confusing in this regard as so much has been published on so many different approaches to leadership. But I suspect you may have a pretty good idea of the kind of leader you want to be based on the leadership styles you have witnessed during your career. Over the past 40 years, I have had the opportunity to observe many leadersboth good and bad. I have come to the conclusion that there are only two kinds of leaderthose who serve and those who are self-serving. In the long run, I contend the serving style is more effective. But the real question is what kind of leader do you want to be?
Large-Signal Impedance Modeling of Three-Phase Voltage Source Converters

Resonance problems have become a major hurdle in the large-scale grid integration of renewable energy. It is important to be able to predict the amplitude of resonance-induced distortions for the protection and control design of power electronic converters. We recently presented an impedance-based approach for the prediction of resonance amplitude. It was shown that the impedance response of a converter starts changing with the amplitude of resonance; this blocks the amplitude growth beyond a certain point where the converter forms a limit cycle mode of sustained oscillations. The large-signal impedance of a converter captures the change in its impedance response with the resonance amplitude, and it can be used to predict the resonance amplitude under different operation conditions. This paper presents large-signal sequence impedance modeling for three-phase voltage source converters (VSC) with dq-current control and PLL. Modeling challenges encountered in the absence of the small-signal approximation are addressed by a) leveraging the dominating influence of hard nonlinearities such as pulse-width modulation saturation and limiters over soft nonlinearities in shaping the converter large-signal behavior and b) modeling the large-signal gain of hard nonlinearities using appropriate describing functions. Developed large-signal impedance models are validated using numerical simulations. Measurements of the large-signal impedance responses of a commercial 1-MW VSC-based inverter are also presented to experimentally demonstrate the effects of the injected perturbation amplitude on impedance response as predicted by the developed model.
The role of uncertainty quantification and propagation in accelerating the discovery of electrochemical functional materials

Density functional theory (DFT) has proved to be exceptionally successful in rationalizing trends in activity and functionality for electrochemical functional materials. With continued increases in computing power, there has been an increased interest in “high-throughput” materials discovery and design based on a few descriptors to scan the phase space en masse for thousands of potential candidates, which could be made technologically and commercially viable. However, given fundamental accuracy limitations associated with DFT, the success of high-throughput material discovery efforts has been limited. In this review, we suggest an additional dimension to aid in high-throughput material discovery related to uncertainty quantification and propagation, which provides a more realistic picture of the likelihood of new candidate materials to improve upon known materials. We demonstrate the approach and its utility through two case studies: (1) electrocatalyst materials for their activity and selectivity for the oxygen reduction reaction, and (2) cathode materials for Li-ion batteries based on Ni-Mn-Co oxides. The ease with which uncertainty quantification and propagation can be incorporated into traditional high-throughput material discovery with almost no additional computational cost allows for its proposed wide usage.
A Simple Multi-Curve Model for Pricing SOFR Futures and Other Derivatives

In this note we propose a simple two-factor multi-curve model where Fed-fund, SOFR and LIBOR rates are modeled jointly. The model is used to price the newly quoted SOFR futures as well as Eurodollar futures. We then derive pricing formulas for SOFR-based swaps, and show how the valuations of LIBOR-based swaps as well as LIBOR-SOFR basis swaps are impacted by the introduction of a new LIBOR fallback.
Excluded-volume effects of radial oscillations in disks confined to a circular box

The effect of radial vibrations on the properties of one or two disks confined to a circular trap in contact with a thermal reservoir are investigated. The vibrational amplitudes and energies are assumed to be quantized, with the motions corresponding roughly to certain modes for ringlike or tetrahedral molecules (such as benzene or methane, respectively). The calculation of the partition function requires integrations over the internal phases describing the oscillations, as well as the disks' center-of-mass positions and momenta; while an exact result is obtained for a single disk, for two disks the position-space integration can only be approximated. In spite of the small number of disks considered, various "thermodynamic" quantities are evaluated from the partition function. It is found that the average energy of the system is increased---compared to that for rigid disks---as are the entropy and compressibility; the pressure, however, is decreased, and there is a variable effect on the heat capacity, depending on the ratio of the vibrational energy to the temperature. These changes can be traced either directly or indirectly to the oscillations causing an effective increase in the area available to the molecules within the circle, which in turn leads to an increase in the size of the accessible phase space, with the increase being larger for higher energy states.
Sensitivity of a Next-Generation NIRS Device to Detect Low Mixed Venous Oxyhemoglobin Saturations in the Single Ventricle Population

Regional cerebral oxygenation index (rSO2) based on near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is frequently used to detect low venous oxyhemoglobin saturation (ScvO2). We compared the performance of 2 generations of NIRS devices. Clinically obtained, time-matched cerebral rSO2 and ScvO2 values were compared in infants monitored with the FORE-SIGHT (n = 73) or FORE-SIGHT ELITE (n = 47) by linear regression and Bland-Altman analyses. In both devices, cerebral rSO2 correlated poorly with measured ScvO2 (FORE-SIGHT partial correlation 0.50 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.40-0.58]; FORE-SIGHT ELITE partial correlation 0.47 [0.39-0.55]) and mean bias was +8 (standard deviation [SD] 13.2) for FORE-SIGHT and +14 (SD 12.5) for FORE-SIGHT ELITE. When ScvO2 was <30%, rSO2 was <40 in 8% of FORE-SIGHT ELITE readings. Future NIRS should be validated in more hypoxic cohorts.
The impact of polycystic ovary syndrome and body mass index on the absorption of recombinant human follicle stimulating hormone

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have an increased ovarian responsiveness to exogenous recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (rFSH) but also have high rates of obesity, which is known to affect serum FSH concentrations following exogenous injection. The purpose of this study was to compare rFSH absorption and ovarian response between lean and overweight/obese PCOS subjects and normo-ovulatory controls. Fourteen women with PCOS aged 18–42 years old with a BMI of 18.5–24.9 kg/m2 (normal) or 25.0–40.0 kg/m2 (overweight/obese) and eleven normo-ovulatory controls matched by age and BMI were included. After downregulation with oral contraceptives, participants were administered a single subcutaneous injection of 225 IU rFSH and underwent serial blood draws over 72 h. Lean PCOS subjects exhibited a significantly higher area under the curve (AUC) of baseline-corrected serum FSH over 72 h when compared with overweight/obese PCOS subjects (183.3 vs 139.8 IU*h/L, p = 0.0002), and lean, normo-ovulatory women had a significantly higher AUC FSH when compared with overweight/obese, normo-ovulatory women (193.3 vs 93.8 IU*h/L, p < 0.0001). Within overweight/obese subjects, those with PCOS had a significantly higher AUC FSH compared with normo-ovulatory controls (p = 0.0002). Lean PCOS subjects similarly had the highest AUC of baseline-corrected estradiol (6095 pg h/mL), compared with lean normo-ovulatory subjects (1931 pg h/mL, p < 0.0001) and overweight/obese PCOS subjects (2337 pg h/mL, p < 0.0001). Lean PCOS subjects exhibited significantly higher baseline-corrected FSH and estradiol levels following rFSH injection compared with overweight/obese PCOS subjects with similar ovarian reserve markers. Amongst overweight/obese subjects, those with PCOS had significantly higher FSH and E2 levels when compared with normo-ovulatory controls.
A Time and a Place for Ice Cream

Growing up in upstate New York, I took for granted the easy access to one of my favorite foods: ice cream. More specifically, I did not properly appreciate the ubiquitous, creatively named, indepen...
Relations of Mindfulness and Illness Acceptance With Psychosocial Functioning in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer and Caregivers.

Objectives To examine relationships in mindfulness and illness acceptance and psychosocial functioning in patients with metastatic breast cancer and their family caregivers. Sample & setting 33 dyads from an academic cancer center in the United States. Methods & variables Participants completed questionnaires on mindfulness, illness acceptance, relationship quality, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Dyadic, cross-sectional data were analyzed using actor-partner interdependence models. Results Greater nonjudging, acting with awareness, and illness acceptance among caregivers were associated with patients' and caregivers' perceptions of better relationship quality. Higher levels of these processes were associated with reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients and caregivers. Implications for nursing Aspects of mindfulness and illness acceptance in dyads confer benefits that are primarily intrapersonal in nature. Nurses may consider introducing mindfulness and acceptance-based interventions to patients and caregivers with adjustment difficulties.
Erythropoietin-stimulating agent-resistant vitamin B6 deficiency anemia in a pediatric patient on hemodialysis.

Vitamin B6 is a rate-limiting coenzyme that plays an important role in the biosynthesis of heme and the incorporation of iron into protoporphyrin. Its deficiency is often seen in chronic kidney disease (CKD), particularly those requiring dialysis and following administration of erythropoietin-stimulating agent (ESA). A 16-year-old African-American male with stage 5 CKD on chronic hemodialysis experienced a decrease in hemoglobin over a 3-month period from 11 to 6.5 g/dl while receiving ESA, resulting in multiple blood transfusions. His transferrin saturation was 41%, ferritin level 706 [80–388] ng/mL, mean corpuscular volume (MCV) 87 [78–98] μm3, corrected reticulocytes count 2.3% [0.2–1.8%], and vitamin B6 1.2 [5.3–46.7] μg/L. Bone marrow biopsy was normocellular (65%) with erythroid hyperplasia and rare dyserythropoiesis. Prussian blue staining showed increased iron storage. Supplemental vitamin B6 (100 mg daily) was initiated at hemoglobin 7.3 g/dL with correction of anemia. Eighteen months later, his hemoglobin is 11.7 g/dL, transferrin saturation 45%, with no additional blood transfusions. Vitamin B6 deficiency anemia should be considered in any pediatric patient on hemodialysis who does not respond to standard ESA and iron therapy.
On the distribution of lcm of k-tuples and related problems

We study the distribution of the least common multiple of positive integers in N\cap [1, x] and related problems. We refine some results of Hilberdink and Toth (2016). We also give a partial result toward a conjecture of Hilberdink, Luca, and Toth (2020).
Non-Hermitian Cavity Quantum Electrodynamics - Configuration Interaction Singles Approach for Polaritonic Structure with ab initio Molecular Hamiltonians

We combine {ab initio molecular electronic Hamiltonians with a cavity quantum electrodynamics model for dissipative photonic modes and apply mean-field theories to the ground- and excited-states of resulting polaritonic systems. In particular, we develop a restricted Hartree-Fock theory for the mean-field ground-state and a non-Hermitian configuration interaction singles theory for mean-field excited-states of the molecular system strongly interacting with a photonic mode, and apply these methods to several paradigmatic polaritonic systems. We leverage the Psi4Numpy framework to yield open-source and accessible reference implementations of these methods.
Quantifying Microbial Activity In Situ: the Link between Cells and Cycles

Metagenomic sequencing of environmental samples has dramatically expanded our knowledge of microbial taxonomic and metabolic diversity and suggests metabolic interdependence is widespread. However, translating these insights into knowledge of ecosystem function and, therefore, implications for local and global chemistry, remains a challenge. In this commentary, I argue that making direct measurements of microbial activity in situ is an essential step to confirm gene-based hypotheses of microbial physiology and bridge advances in microbial ecology with a predicative understanding of global chemistry and climate. Making these measurements across a range of spatial scales and experimentally manipulated conditions contributes to a process-based understanding and, therefore, more robust predictions of how activity will respond to changing environmental conditions. I discuss recent advancements in quantifying microbial activity in situ and highlight several lines of research in marine microbiology that leverage complementary genomic and isotopic methods to connect microbes and global chemistry.
Intersectionality: Race, Gender, Sexuality, and Class

From its origins in the Black feminist legal scholarship of Kimberle Williams Crenshaw to its contemporary centrality in online activist debates, intersectionality has always signaled both academic insights and activist implications. As a basic definition, intersectionality refers to the ways in which race, class, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, and other locations of social group membership impact lived experiences and social relations. The term emphasizes the mobility of social group identities and locations, not simply of their appearances in individual bodies. This chapter examines intersectionality and how it is used in the social sciences, including research in religion, health, gender-based violence, and interdisciplinary studies. In addition to providing definitions and an overview of the history of intersectionality as a theoretical tradition, this chapter also explores how it has been applied in social science research and methodologies, and recommends that future social science research continue both the academic and activist heritage of the intersectional framework.
Recommendations for randomness in the operating system or, how to keep evil children out of your pool and other random facts

Common misconceptions about randomness underlie the design and implementation of randomness sources in popular operating systems. We debunk these fallacies with a survey of the "realities of randomness" and derive a number of new architectural principles for OS randomness subsystems.
VCSEL tolerance to optical feedback for inter-chip optical interconnects

We demonstrate that optical feedback in single-mode VCSELs only induces a power-penalty with no error-floor, thus enabling the integration of VCSELs without optical isolators, for optical interconnect applications.
A Bayesian Approach to Pharmaceutical Product Quality Risk Quantification

The FDA's Quality by Design initiative and associated design space construct (ICH, 2009), have stimulated the use of quantitative methods, mathematical and statistical models, and designed experiments in the process of drug development and manufacture. For a given drug product, the design space may be interpreted as the constrained region of the manufacturing operating variable space within which assurance can be provided that drug product quality specifications will be met. It is now understood, at least conceptually, that this assurance is not deterministic, rather it must be stated in probabilistic terms. In this paper, we report on the use of Bayesian methods to develop a suitable risk metric based on both mathematical and statistical models of the manufacturing processes and product properties. The Bayesian estimation is carried out to determine the joint posterior distribution of the probability of the product meeting quality specifications. The computations are executed using a novel Variational Bayes approximation. In this paper the direct computational approach using this approximation is compared to the widely used but computationally very intensive Markov Chain Monte Carlo method. The approach is illustrated using experimental data and models drawn from a recent QbD study on the drug gabapentin in which the authors were participants.
Assessment and Strategies to Reduce Light Pollution Using Geographic Information Systems

Abstract Light pollution is a negative lighting condition because it prevents views of the night sky from the general population and astronomers. As a solution to light pollution, proper lighting system design is vital. The location, mounting height, and aim of exterior luminaries need to be taken into consideration for efficient use of lighting energy. In line with the effort, this paper presents the assessment results on light pollution at the port area, which is one of the brightest spots on Earth. In doing so, a GIS model is created to determine the level of light pollution at the study areas. The lighting power densities of ASHRAE 90.1-2007 are applied in order to find a way to reduce the level of light pollution. The effect of light pollution generated from the Long Beach Port area is examined by comparing against the sky glow generated from the Port of Long Beach area and other areas throughout the coast of Southern California, as well as comparing how deep the sky glow penetrates the ocean. The results are validated by comparing against the lighting specification used in the study areas. The lighting strategies proposed include the decreased height of light poles and increased spacing between light poles. This study will serve as a platform in which future researchers may continue and expand on the designs of heights and spaces of lighting poles in order to make severe light pollution areas better sustainable places.
Isolation of a type D retrovirus from B-cell lymphomas of a patient with AIDS.

Abstract An atypical syncytial variant of a high-grade Burkitt's-type B-cell lymphoma from a patient with AIDS who was seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 was studied. A productive type D retrovirus infection was identified in early-passage cell lines derived from two lymphomas from this patient. Nucleotide and amino acid sequence analysis as well as immunologic reactivity indicated that the isolated virus was highly related to Mason-Pfizer monkey virus (MPMV). MPMV is an immunosuppressive type D retrovirus that causes an AIDS-like syndrome in rhesus macaques. Amplification of DNA from the patient's diagnostic bone marrow biopsy specimen by polymerase chain reaction generated the appropriate MPMV-specific fragments and indicated that the patient was infected with the MPMV-like retrovirus. In addition, the patient's serum contained antibodies which recognized type D viral env proteins (gp70 and gp20) and gag proteins (p27 and p14). Although there have been reports of human cell lines infected with type D retroviruses and of type D-reactive human sera, this is the first evidence of a type D retrovirus infection in a human confirmed by virus isolation, serum reactivity, and viral DNA identification in tumor tissue.
Multiresolution persistent homology for excessively large biomolecular datasets

Although persistent homology has emerged as a promising tool for the topological simplification of complex data, it is computationally intractable for large datasets. We introduce multiresolution persistent homology to handle excessively large datasets. We match the resolution with the scale of interest so as to represent large scale datasets with appropriate resolution. We utilize flexibility-rigidity index to access the topological connectivity of the data set and define a rigidity density for the filtration analysis. By appropriately tuning the resolution of the rigidity density, we are able to focus the topological lens on the scale of interest. The proposed multiresolution topological analysis is validated by a hexagonal fractal image which has three distinct scales. We further demonstrate the proposed method for extracting topological fingerprints from DNA molecules. In particular, the topological persistence of a virus capsid with 273 780 atoms is successfully analyzed which would otherwise be inaccessible to the normal point cloud method and unreliable by using coarse-grained multiscale persistent homology. The proposed method has also been successfully applied to the protein domain classification, which is the first time that persistent homology is used for practical protein domain analysis, to our knowledge. The proposed multiresolution topological method has potential applications in arbitrary data sets, such as social networks, biological networks, and graphs.
BIAS OF PHENCYCLIDINE DISCRIMINATION BY THE SCHEDULE OF REINFORCEMENT

Pigeons, trained to discriminate phencyclidine from saline under a procedure requiring the bird to track the location of a color, received cumulative doses of phencyclidine, pentobarbital, or d-amphetamine with a variety of schedules of reinforcement in effect (across phases). When the same second-order schedules were used to reinforce responding after either saline or phencyclidine administration, stimulus control by phencyclidine did not depend on the schedule parameter. When different second-order schedules were used that biased responding toward the phencyclidine-correlated key color, pigeons responded on the phencyclidine-correlated key at lower doses of phencyclidine and pentobarbital than when the second-order schedule biased responding toward the saline key color. A similar but less marked effect was obtained with d-amphetamine. Attempts to produce bias by changing reinforcement magnitude (duration of food availability) were less successful. A signal-detection analysis of dose-effect curves for phencyclidine under two of the second-order schedules employed suggested that at low doses of phencyclidine, response bias is a major determinant of responding. As doses were increased, position preferences occurred and response bias decreased; at higher doses both response bias and position preference decreased and discriminability increased. With low doses of pentobarbital, responding again was biased but increasing doses produced position preference with only small increases in discriminability. At low doses of d-amphetamine responding also was biased, but bias did not decrease consistently with dose nor did discriminability increase. These experiments suggest that the schedule of reinforcement can be used to bias responding toward or away from making the drug-correlated response in drug discrimination experiments, and that signal-detection analysis and analysis of responding at a position can be used to separate the discriminability of the drug state from other effects of the drug on responding.
Caring Elders: Reflections on the Uses of Buddhist Memorial Observances

ABSTRACT Written from the Jodo shinshu tradition founded by Shinram (1173–1262) perspective, this article offers insights into Buddhist memorial observances. Memorial services are critical to the grieving process upon the death of a loved one. For the Japanese American Buddhist community in Hawai'i and in North America, these services ritualize the sentiments of reverence, appreciation, and respect for elders.
Characterization of trace gases measured over Alberta oil sands mining operations: 76 speciated C 2 –C 10 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), CO 2 , CH 4 , CO, NO, NO 2 , NO y , O 3 and SO 2

Abstract. Oil sands comprise 30% of the world's oil reserves and the crude oil reserves in Canada's oil sands deposits are second only to Saudi Arabia. The extraction and processing of oil sands is much more challenging than for light sweet crude oils because of the high viscosity of the bitumen contained within the oil sands and because the bitumen is mixed with sand and contains chemical impurities such as sulphur. Despite these challenges, the importance of oil sands is increasing in the energy market. To our best knowledge this is the first peer-reviewed study to characterize volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from Alberta's oil sands mining sites. We present high-precision gas chromatography measurements of 76 speciated C2–C10 VOCs (alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, cycloalkanes, aromatics, monoterpenes, oxygenated hydrocarbons, halocarbons and sulphur compounds) in 17 boundary layer air samples collected over surface mining operations in northeast Alberta on 10 July 2008, using the NASA DC-8 airborne laboratory as a research platform. In addition to the VOCs, we present simultaneous measurements of CO2, CH4, CO, NO, NO2, NOy, O3 and SO2, which were measured in situ aboard the DC-8. Carbon dioxide, CH4, CO, NO, NO2, NOy, SO2 and 53 VOCs (e.g., non-methane hydrocarbons, halocarbons, sulphur species) showed clear statistical enhancements (1.1–397×) over the oil sands compared to local background values and, with the exception of CO, were greater over the oil sands than at any other time during the flight. Twenty halocarbons (e.g., CFCs, HFCs, halons, brominated species) either were not enhanced or were minimally enhanced ( In addition to the emission of many trace gases, the natural drawdown of OCS by vegetation was absent above the surface mining operations, presumably because of the widespread land disturbance. Unexpectedly, the mixing ratios of α-pinene and β-pinene were much greater over the oil sands (up to 217 pptv and 610 pptv, respectively) than over vegetation in the background boundary layer (20±7 pptv and 84±24 pptv, respectively), and the pinenes correlated well with several industrial tracers that were elevated in the oil sands plumes. Because so few independent measurements from the oil sands mining industry exist, this study provides an important initial characterization of trace gas emissions from oil sands surface mining operations.
Bamboo extract reduces interleukin 6 (IL-6) overproduction under lipotoxic conditions through inhibiting the activation of NF-κB and AP-1 pathways.

Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is an inflammatory cytokine overexpressed in obese individuals that contributes to the development of diseases such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. This study investigated the inhibitory effect of an extract from the bamboo Phyllostachys edulis (BEX) on lipotoxicity-induced over-production of IL-6 in metabolic cell lines. Palmitic acid (PA, 0.4 mM) was used to induce lipotoxicity in murine C2C12, 3T3-L1, and Hepa6 cells. Both intra- and extra-cellular protein concentrations of IL-6 were measured in the three cell lines after PA treatment with or without the presence of BEX using cytometric bead assays. IL-6 mRNA levels were quantified using real-time PCR, and nuclear concentrations of c-fos, p50 and p65 proteins were measured using DNA-binding ELISA in 3T3-L1 cells. Lipotoxicity increased IL-6 protein concentration in both cytosol and media collected from myoblast and myotube C2C12, as well as preadipose and adipose 3T3-L1, and the presence of BEX (0.5%, v/v) effectively inhibited this overproduction. IL-6 protein expression in hepatic Hepa6 cells was less affected by lipotoxicity. BEX significantly ameliorated PA-induced upregulation of IL-6 mRNA, which correlated with a reduction in nuclear translocation of p50, p65, and c-fos proteins with the presence of BEX, indicating inhibition of NF-κB and AP-1 activation. In summary, BEX inhibits lipotoxicity-induced IL-6 overproduction in muscle and adipose cell lines through the NF-κB and AP-1 pathways, implicating a potential application of this natural product as a cost-effective anti-inflammation nutraceutical.
The daytime mixing layer observed by radiosonde, profiler, and lidar during MILAGRO

Abstract. During the MILAGRO campaign centered in the Mexico City area, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) operated atmospheric profiling systems at Veracruz and at two locations on the Central Mexican Plateau in the region around Mexico City. These systems included radiosondes, wind profilers, a sodar, and an aerosol backscatter lidar. An additional wind profiler was operated by the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) at the Mexican Petroleum Institue (IMP) near the center of Mexico City. Because of the opportunity afforded by collocation of profilers, radiosondes, and a lidar, and because of the importance of boundary layer depth for aerosol properties, we have carried out a comparison of mixing layer depth as determined independently from these three types of measurement systems during the campaign. We have then used results of this comparison and additional measurements to develop a detailed description of the daily structure and evolution of the boundary layer on the Central Mexican Plateau during MILAGRO. Our analysis indicates that the profilers were more consistently successful in establishing the mixing layer depth during the daytime. The boundary layer growth was similar at the three locations, although the mixing layer tended to be slightly deeper in the afternoon in central Mexico City. The sodar showed that convection began about an hour after sunrise. Maximum daily mixing layer depths always reached 2000 m a.g.l. and frequently extended to 4000 m. The rate and variability of mixing layer growth was essentially the same as that observed during the IMADA-AVER campaign in the same season in 1997. This growth did not seem to be related to whether deep convection was reported on a given day. Wind speeds within the boundary layer exhibited a daily low-altitude maximum in the late afternoon with lighter winds aloft, consistent with previous reports of diurnal regional circulations. Norte events, which produced high winds at Veracruz, did not appreciably modulate the winds on the plateau. Finally, despite the typically dry conditions at the surface, radiosonde profiles showed that relative humidity often exceeded 50% in the early morning and in the upper part of the boundary layer. This suggests that aerosol particles would have experienced hygroscopic growth within the boundary layer on many days.
Synthesis and Characterization of Conjugated Polymers Containing First Row Transition Metal Complexes

A series of novel conjugated polymers containing first row transition metal complexes have been synthesized and characterized. Metal complexes including Mn(II), Fe(II), Co(II), Ni(II), and Cu(II) were incorporated into the bipyridine coordination sites of the conjugated polymer backbone. Upon inclusion of the metal complexes the absorption bands of the polymers were red-shifted and metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) bands were observed. The magnetic properties of these polymers were studied and the results showed that they all had high paramagnetic susceptibility; where applicable they were all stable in the high-spin state. Their large free spins and stability makes them promising as magnetic materials.
Hormonal influences on odor detection in rats: changes associated with the estrous cycle, pseudopregnancy, ovariectomy, and administration of testosterone propionate.

Abstract Eight studies describe the development of an apparatus for investigating odor detection and its use in measuring changes in performance associated with various hormonal states. The central aims were to establish the existence and magnitude of these changes and to identify hormones involved and their possible sites of action. Male and four-day cyclic female Long Evans rats were trained to detect odors delivered from an air dilution olfactometer. Females, but not males, showed cyclicity in performance nonspecific to the odor (cyclopentanenone, eugenol, α-ionone and Exaltolide) and maximal around ovulation. The changes correspond with known fluxes in rat plasma concentrations of estrogen and progesterone. Induction of pseudopregnancy or ovariectomy of cyclic females eliminated these fluctuations. Performance scores of ovariectomized rats were higher than those of pseudopregnant or normal females not in ovulation as determined by vaginal smears. Androgen treated ovariectomized rats showed a significant dose-dependent increase to performance levels comparable or superior to that of normal males. Odor detection in rats is thus markedly influenced by circulating levels of certain hormones. The effects may originate at one or more of numerous potential sites.
Proteomics and Systems Biology for Understanding Diabetic Nephropathy

Like many diseases, diabetic nephropathy is defined in a histopathological context and studied using reductionist approaches that attempt to ameliorate structural changes. Novel technologies in mass spectrometry-based proteomics have the ability to provide a deeper understanding of the disease beyond classical histopathology, redefine the characteristics of the disease state, and identify novel approaches to reduce renal failure. The goal is to translate these new definitions into improved patient outcomes through diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic tools. Here, we review progress made in studying the proteomics of diabetic nephropathy and provide an introduction to the informatics tools used in the analysis of systems biology data, while pointing out statistical issues for consideration. Novel bioinformatics methods may increase biomarker identification, and other tools, including selective reaction monitoring, may hasten clinical validation.
Warlordism à la russe: Baron von Ungern‐Sternberg's anti‐Bolshevik crusade, 1917–21

This article explores the life and career of Baron R.F. von Ungern‐Sternberg (1885–1921), a murky villain of the White Armies in the Russian Civil War. Scion of an old Baltic German family, Ungern‐Sternberg had a rebellious youth and an inauspicious education and early military career. After distinguishing himself as a junior officer in a Cossack regiment during the First World War, Ungern served with the Whites in the Far East under his fellow officer Grigorii Semenov in the months after the revolution. Using the civil war and its chaotic atmosphere to act independently, Ungern wrested Mongolia from its Chinese occupiers in 1920–21 and established a nominally theocratic government under his military control. He then attempted to use Mongolia as a base from which to attack Soviet power. Unsuccessful in this endeavour, he was apprehended by Red forces and executed in September 1921.
Comparison of the ultrastructural demonstration of cytochrome oxidase activity with three bis(phenylenediamines).

Three bis(phenylenediamines) are compared in formaldehyde-fixed rat liver and rat heart. Diaminobenzidine (DAB) demonstrated cytochrome oxidase on mitochondrial cristae, BAXD demonstrated both mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase and a terminal oxidase in endoplasmic reticulum and sarcoplasmic reticulum and BED demonstrated a terminal oxidase only on endoplasmic reticulum and sarcoplasmic reticulum.
EO-1 Advanced Land Imager calibration and performance overview

The pre-launch measurements and test required for calibration and characterization of the advanced land imager (ALI), which will be flown on NASA's EO-1 mission, have been completed. The instrument level performance testing was conducted at MIT Lincoln Laboratory with the ALI in an operational environment. The overall calibration strategy, which includes both pre-launch and post-launch components, will be described in this paper. The fundamental sensor calibration data comprise five measurement categories: angular position in object space for each pixel; normalized spectral response functions; response coefficients; zero signal offsets; and modulation transfer functions. Performance and characterization test include measurements of noise, SNR, linearity, repeatability, image artifacts, stray light rejection, and cross-talk. An overview of the facilities, equipment, tests and results is presented here.
Conformal single-layer encapsulation of PEDOT at low substrate temperature

Abstract In this work, we demonstrate a single-layer encapsulation method for poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT). This method is achieved by initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) process, which is scalable and employs solvent-free and low-substrate temperature conditions. The encapsulant used, poly(divinylbenzene-co-maleic anhydride) (PDVB-MA), was first time synthesized via vapor phase process. This cross-linked iCVD polymer can be rapidly deposited (40 nm min −1 ) with uniform and conformal morphology. In the test of PEDOT degradation, the encapsulation extended the halflife of PEDOT to 900 h at 30 °C in air, which is more than 10 times of the counterpart without encapsulation.
The influence of dodecylamine hydrochloride on the dissolution kinetics of heat-treated hydroxyapatite samples

Abstract The influence of dodecylamine hydrochloride (DAC) on the dissolution rate behavior of hydroxyapatite (HAP) samples prepared by digestion at 100°C and heated to various temperatures was investigated. The dissolution rates of HAP samples heated to temperatures of 300, 500, 750, 900, 1000, and 1200°C were determined at various levels of DAC in an acetate buffer having a pH of 4.50 and an ionic strength of 0.10. DAC adsorption isotherms for these different HAP samples and the specific surface areas were also determined. The initial dissolution rates (IDR) for all preparations generally decreased with increasing DAC levels with an approximately inverse relationship between IDR and DAC adsorption. For HAP samples heated at 1000°C and higher, the dissolution rates at 3.0 m M DAC were completely inhibited, while for samples heated at 900°C or less, there was a significant residual IDR at 3.0 m M DAC. This residual rate was approximately 20% of the zero DAC rate for all samples treated between 300 and 900°C. These results are in agreement with the concept that HAP prepared by precipitation and digestion at 100°C has two or more kinds of sites for dissolution and that heat treatment at around 1000°C or greater causes the elimination of one or more of these sites.
Anomalous ion-channeling behavior across the superconducting transition in high-Tc materials

Abstract Axial channeling scans with minimum RBS yields of ≤ 2% were obtained for 1.5 MeV 4 He ions incident along the c -axis in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ and ErBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ single crystals. Large variations in the FWHM of the (001) channeling dip were observed fo temperatures between 30 and 300 K. An abrupt, ∼ 8% increase was measured as the temperature was lowered through the superconducting transition ( T c ); the relative increase across T c . in the width of the axial dip was even larger for angles of i less than the critical angle. A simple analytical procedure for polyatomic materials yields isotropic, average thermal vibrational amplitudes that agree well with considerably less precise neutron powder diffraction results on sintered samples. The individual contribution to the angular channeling dip from the row of Er and Ba atoms parallel to the c -axis can be isolated in the RBS scans of the Er compound. This separation reveals normal (Debye-type) behavior for atoms in the ErBa row, demonstrating that the anomalous changes are due solely to atomic displacements in the CuO row. The large magnitude ( ∼ 30% in Debye temperature) of the change found for the CuO row at T c suggests that the atomic displacements in this row become highly correlated in the superconducting state. New measurements using X-ray and resonance backscattering yields are presented which considerably improve the experimental statistics, and which also permit more direct identification of the contributions from the individual atomic species to the observed channeling phenomena. These new results confirm that Cu and O are responsible for the observed anomalous temperature dependence. Finally, X-ray studies using specimens with different O stoichiometries reveal that the anomalous change in the FWHM shifts in temperature in direct proportion to the change in T c .
Effect of machining time in the duplication process of machine cells formation

Abstract After the assignment of parts and machines to manufacturing cells are made, it would be advantages to consider duplicating bottleneck machines, as in the long run significant savings in material handling costs can be realized. In this paper, we consider the effect of machining time saved over and above the savings in material handling costs in the development of the model. Comparative results obtained from solving an example problem demonstrate that this effect could indeed be significant under certain levels of budgetary restrictions.
Phytogeography of patagonia

The Patagonian flora is mainly xerophytic in contrast to the hydrophytic Magellanic flora which borders it on the west. It is a complex of elements, each of which has originated from a different geographical region. The most unusual and peculiar endemics of Patagonia, for the most part plants of swales, have their closest relationships with the Magellanic flora. Most of the Patagonian species that belong to cosmopolitan genera are apparently derived from the pampus flora to the north. The largest part of the flora has its immediate affinities with the mountain flora of central Chile. The Patagonian species with a broad hiatus in range, usually halophytes, are related to elements of the desert flora of southwestern North America. To these groups may now be added the recently introduced weed flora which is largely from Europe.
Some oscillating integrands with small ripples

This article concerns the convergence of a class of real improper integrals of the form s m sin(x) z= __ f(x) dx3 (1) I where CI is a constant, f(x) is continuous and positive, and lim ~ _ 3c f(x) = co. If f(x) increases sufficiently rapidly, then the integral is absolutely convergent. We shall not be concerned with this case. If .f(x) is monotone, then it is well known (see, for example, [2, p. 3331) that the integral I converges just like an alternating series of the form C,“=,,, (- l)“/f(nn). If the monotonicity condition of S(x) is dropped, it is difficult to imagine how to retain sufficient control over f(x) so that new convergence results would still have an interesting level of generality. This choice was resolved for us by a fundamental problem in mathematical physics in which the existence of discrete eigenvalues for the Dirac Hamiltonian operator hinges [1] on the convergence of integrals with the general form (1). The class of integrals we study in this article is illustrated by the following five examples, only one of which converges:
Nonparticipation of Older Adults in a Heart Disease Self-Management Project Factors Influencing Involvement

Nonparticipation is an important issue in gerontological research. However, literature describing factors influencing participation of older adults in disease management programs is limited. This a...
Paternalism and Human Dignity

This paper explores the possibility that some cases of criminal paternalism might include among their justifying reasons an appeal to human dignity.
The kinetics of interacting gates in potassium channels. A comparison of linear and non-linear models

The Hodgkin-Huxley equations for potassium channels, in squid giant axon which utilize a sequence of first order, linear conformational transitions of gating molecules to generate an open channel have successfully described most experimental observations. However, the equations fail to describe the large induction period generated by preconditioning the axon with a hyperpolarizing potential (the Cole-Moore shift) and the large induction period produced by ascending potential ramps. The equations can be corrected in two distinct ways (1) the rate constants and/or the number of states in a linear kinetic sequence can be altered (2) gating molecule interactions can change the mechanism for the transitions to give a rate expression with a non-linear component. Some special characteristics of the two approaches are described for an ensemble of channels and some experiments which permit differentiation of the two types of mechanism are discussed.