cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
0.6 T Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Orbit

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the orbit was performed with a 0.6 T superconducting imaging system in 100 patients with normal orbits who were being evaluated for brain pathology and in 21 additional patients with a variety of orbital lesions to determine the efficacy of MR imaging in displaying orbital abnormalities. Usually, MR studies were performed using a multislice technique with multiple spin-echo pulse sequences and 30, 60, and 90 msec echo times and 500, 1500, and 2000 msec repetition times. Using section thicknesses of about 8 mm, imaging was performed in the transaxial, coronal, and sagittal projections. Pixel size was 0.9 × 1.8 mm, and the examination took about 30 min. The MR findings were compared with computed tomographic (CT) findings in all cases. Either combined axial and coronal studies of 5-mm-thick sections or a thin axial study of 1-mm-thick sections followed by reformatting techniques to obtain multiplanar images was used. Contrast enhancement was used in the CT studies. Both MR and CT clearly demonstrated the soft-tissue abnormality in all cases except two, in which MR failed to detect the abnormality. In one, MR failed to detect a small retrobulbar hemorrhage that occurred after a surgical procedure for retinal detachment. In the second case, rather extensive calcification in the posterior choroidal layers and lens was not detected by MR imaging. In several other cases, MR provided information beyond that obtained with CT. MR has the advantage of providing exquisite anatomic detail in multiplanar images, and it appears to be more sensitive than CT in detecting small, subacute and chronic hemorrhage within soft-tissue masses in the orbit and in detecting ischemia of the globe. CT is superior to MR imaging in portraying fine bone detail.
Decarbonylative C-C bond forming reactions mediated by transition metals

New methods for carbon-carbon (C-C) forming reactions are constantly emerging in the field of organic synthesis. In this review, a brief history followed by recent developments of decarbonylative C-C forming reactions mediated by transition metals is described. Many different substrates are presented and the review is organized by the different carbonyl precursors, such as acyl chlorides, aldehydes, anhydrides, esters and ketones, used in the respective transformations. Furthermore, the broad scope of these reactions is exhibited by the application to several reaction types (e.g. Heck-type reactions, Suzuki cross-coupling type reactions, C-H activation, etc.) as well as a natural product synthesis (e.g. muscroride A). While several examples are provided, this review marks the beginning of a new field that is still in its infancy and for what might be a new approach to achieve highly efficient reactions that come closer to meeting the standards of chemical economies (e.g. atom, redox, step, etc.) and green chemistry.
Global Supply Chains and Trade Policy

How do global supply chain linkages modify countries' incentives to impose import protection? Are these linkages empirically important determinants of trade policy? To address these questions, this paper introduces supply chain linkages into a workhorse terms-of-trade model of trade policy with political economy. Theory predicts that discretionary final goods tariffs will be decreasing in the domestic content of foreign-produced final goods. Provided foreign political interests are not too strong, final goods tariffs will also be decreasing in the foreign content of domestically-produced final goods. The paper tests these predictions using newly assembled data on bilateral applied tariffs, temporary trade barriers, and value-added contents for 14 major economies over the 1995-2009 period. There is strong support for the empirical predictions of the model. The results imply that global supply chains matter for trade policy, both in principle and in practice.
General solution of the scattering equations

The scattering equations, originally introduced by Fairlie and Roberts in 1972 and more recently shown by Cachazo, He and Yuan to provide a kinematic basis for describing tree amplitudes for massless particles in arbitrary space-time dimension, have been reformulated in polynomial form. The scattering equations for N particles are equivalent to N − 3 polynomial equations h m = 0, 1 ≤ m ≤ N − 3, in N − 3 variables, where h m has degree m and is linear in the individual variables. Facilitated by this linearity, elimination theory is used to construct a single variable polynomial equation, Δ N = 0, of degree (N − 3)! determining the solutions. Δ N is the sparse resultant of the system of polynomial scattering equations and it can be identified as the hyperdeterminant of a multidimensional matrix of border format within the terminology of Gel’fand, Kapranov and Zelevinsky. Macaulay’s Unmixedness Theorem is used to show that the polynomials of the scattering equations constitute a regular sequence, enabling the Hilbert series of the variety determined by the scattering equations to be calculated, independently showing that they have (N − 3)! solutions.
Constitutional secession clauses

Taking the view that constitutions are devices whereby people coordinate to specific equilibria in circumstances that allow multiple equilibria, we show that a constitutional secession clause can serve as such a device and, therefore, that such a clause is more than an empty promise or an ineffectual threat. Employing a simple three-person recursive game, we establish that under certain conditions, this game possesses two equilibria—one in which a disadvantaged federal unit secedes and is not punished by the other units in the federation, and a second equilibrium in which this unit does not secede but is punished if it chooses to do so.
Semistable models for modular curves of arbitrary level

We produce an integral model for the modular curve $$X(Np^m)$$ over the ring of integers of a sufficiently ramified extension of $$\mathbf {Z}_p$$ whose special fiber is a semistable curve in the sense that its only singularities are normal crossings. This is done by constructing a semistable covering (in the sense of Coleman) of the supersingular part of $$X(Np^m)$$ , which is a union of copies of a Lubin–Tate curve. In doing so we tie together non-abelian Lubin–Tate theory to the representation-theoretic point of view afforded by Bushnell–Kutzko types. For our analysis it was essential to work with the Lubin–Tate curve not at level $$p^m$$ but rather at infinite level. We show that the infinite-level Lubin–Tate space (in arbitrary dimension, over an arbitrary nonarchimedean local field) has the structure of a perfectoid space, which is in many ways simpler than the Lubin–Tate spaces of finite level.
Bell-Plesset effects in Rayleigh-Taylor instability of finite-thickness spherical and cylindrical shells

Bell-Plesset (BP) effects account for the influence of global convergence or divergence of the fluid flow on the evolution of the interfacial perturbations embedded in the flow. The development of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in radiation-driven spherical capsules and magnetically-driven cylindrical liners necessarily includes a significant contribution from BP effects due to the time dependence of the radius, velocity, and acceleration of the unstable surfaces or interfaces. An analytical model is presented that, for an ideal incompressible fluid and small perturbation amplitudes, exactly evaluates the BP effects in finite-thickness shells through acceleration and deceleration phases. The time-dependent dispersion equations determining the “instantaneous growth rate” are derived. It is demonstrated that by integrating this approximate growth rate over time, one can accurately evaluate the number of perturbation e-foldings during the inward acceleration phase of the implosion. In the limit of small shell thickness, exact thin-shell perturbation equations and approximate thin-shell dispersion equations are obtained, generalizing the earlier results [E. G. Harris, Phys. Fluids 5, 1057 (1962); E. Ott, Phys. Rev. Lett. 29, 1429 (1972); A. B. Bud'ko et al., Phys. Fluids B 2, 1159 (1990)].
Spiral and Rotor Patterns Produced by Fairy Ring Fungi.

A broad class of soil fungi form the annular patterns known as ‘fairy rings’ and provide one of the only means to observe spatio-temporal dynamics of otherwise cryptic fungal growth processes in natural environments. We present observations of novel spiral and rotor patterns produced by fairy ring fungi and explain these behaviors mathematically by first showing that a well known model of fairy ring fungal growth and the Gray-Scott reaction-diffusion model are mathematically equivalent. We then use bifurcation analysis and numerical simulations to identify the conditions under which spiral waves and rotors can arise. We demonstrate that the region of dimensionless parameter space supporting these more complex dynamics is adjacent to that which produces the more familiar fairy rings, and identify experimental manipulations to test the transitions between these spatial modes. These same manipulations could also feasibly induce fungal colonies to transition from rotor/spiral formation to a set of richer, as yet unobserved, spatial patterns.
Downlink transceiver beamforming and admission control for massive MIMO cognitive radio networks

In this paper, an optimization framework is proposed for joint transceiver beamforming and admission control in massive MIMO cognitive radio networks. The objective of the optimization problem is to support maximum number of secondary users in downlink transmission with constraints on the total power allocated to users, the rate achieved at secondary users and the interference at the primary nodes. The proposed framework takes into account the imperfect knowledge of the channels between the secondary and the primary nodes and also mitigates the interference caused by the primary users at secondary receivers. In order to solve the underlying NP-hard problem, we propose a three-step algorithm with two alternative schemes for power allocation, namely: equal power and equal rate. In addition, we provide a solution by reducing the problem to an Integer Linear Program (ILP). The performances of equal rate, equal power, and ILP methods are studied in under different constraints.
Functional Encryption Without Obfuscation

Previously known functional encryption (FE) schemes for general circuits relied on indistinguishability obfuscation, which in turn either relies on an exponential number of assumptions (basically, one per circuit), or a polynomial set of assumptions, but with an exponential loss in the security reduction. Additionally most of these schemes are proved in the weaker selective security model, where the adversary is forced to specify its target before seeing the public parameters. For these constructions, full security can be obtained but at the cost of an exponential loss in the security reduction.
Impossibility of VBB Obfuscation with Ideal Constant-Degree Graded Encodings

A celebrated result by Barak et al. Crypto'01 shows the impossibility of general-purpose virtual black-box VBB obfuscation in the plain model. A recent work by Canetti, Kalai, and Paneth TCC'15 extends this impossibility result to the random oracle model assuming trapdoor permutations. In contrast, Brakerski-Rothblum TCC'14 and Barak et al. EuroCrypt'14 show that in idealized graded encoding models, general-purpose VBB obfuscation indeed is possible; these constructions require graded encoding schemes that enable evaluating high-degree polynomial in the size of the circuit to be obfuscated polynomials on encodings. We show a complementary impossibility of general-purpose VBB obfuscation in idealized graded encoding models that enable only evaluation of constant-degree polynomials assuming trapdoor permutations.
Monetary Shocks and Bank Balance Sheets

We propose a model to explain why banks' balances sheets are exposed to interest rate risk despite the existence of markets where that risk can be hedged. A rise in nominal interest rates raises the opportunity cost of holding currency; since bank liabilities are close substitutes of currency, demand for bank liabilities rises and banks earn higher spreads. If risk aversion is higher than 1, the optimal dynamic hedging strategy is to sustain capital losses when nominal interest rates rise and, conversely, capital gains when they fall. A traditional bank balance sheet with long duration nominal assets achieves that.
The liquidity approach to bubbles, crises, jobless recoveries, and involuntary unemployment

The paper shows that liquidity considerations provide a simple rationale for the creation and destruction of bubbles, and related disturbances in the credit market—the fall in collateral values, in particular. It presents a framework in which credit disturbances can explain jobless recoveries and involuntary unemployment. Jobless recovery follows from the assumption that job creation is at a disadvantage with respect to physical capital investment projects, because the latter furnish their own collateral. Involuntary unemployment arises because, due to severe working capital constraints, the full-employment real wage would ravage work ethic to such an extent that firms find it more profitable setting their wages above the full-employment level—even though nominal wages are perfectly downward flexible. The models are simple and intuitive, and provide an alternative approach which the paper claims is well suited for understanding some basic and common features of financial crises.
Basic research: the key to economic competitiveness

Recent trends in research, education and economics in the USA are summarized. The Director of the US National Science Foundation identifies the strains and deficiencies in the US science and engineering base, and argues that renewed attention must be paid to the levels of investment in people, equipment and facilities.
Recursive partitioning for heterogeneous causal effects

In this paper we propose methods for estimating heterogeneity in causal effects in experimental and observational studies and for conducting hypothesis tests about the magnitude of differences in treatment effects across subsets of the population. We provide a data-driven approach to partition the data into subpopulations that differ in the magnitude of their treatment effects. The approach enables the construction of valid confidence intervals for treatment effects, even with many covariates relative to the sample size, and without “sparsity” assumptions. We propose an “honest” approach to estimation, whereby one sample is used to construct the partition and another to estimate treatment effects for each subpopulation. Our approach builds on regression tree methods, modified to optimize for goodness of fit in treatment effects and to account for honest estimation. Our model selection criterion anticipates that bias will be eliminated by honest estimation and also accounts for the effect of making additional splits on the variance of treatment effect estimates within each subpopulation. We address the challenge that the “ground truth” for a causal effect is not observed for any individual unit, so that standard approaches to cross-validation must be modified. Through a simulation study, we show that for our preferred method honest estimation results in nominal coverage for 90% confidence intervals, whereas coverage ranges between 74% and 84% for nonhonest approaches. Honest estimation requires estimating the model with a smaller sample size; the cost in terms of mean squared error of treatment effects for our preferred method ranges between 7–22%.
Spectrophotometric Determination of the Styrene Content of Butadiene-Styrene Copolymers

Abstract The ultraviolet absorption of polystyrene, with maximum absorption at 262 mµ, is due to the presence of phenyl residues in the polymer. The specific extinction coefficient is constant, i.e., independent of the molecular weight of the polymer. This shows that the extinction of the phenyl residues is additive. On the basis of this fact, it is shown that the styrene content of a butadiene-styrene copolymer (such as GR-S rubber) can be determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry. The relative precision of the determination is about 1 per cent, the probable relative accuracy is about 3 per cent.
Palladium(II)-catalyzed highly enantioselective C-H arylation of cyclopropylmethylamines.

C–H arylation via a Pd(II)/Pd(IV) catalytic cycle has been one of the most extensively studied C–H activation reactions since the 1990s. Despite the rapid development of this reaction in the past two decades, an enantioselective version has not been reported to date. Herein, we report a Pd(II)-catalyzed highly enantioselective (up to 99.5% ee) arylation of cyclopropyl C–H bonds with aryl iodides using mono-N-protected amino acid (MPAA) ligands, providing a new route for the preparation of chiral cis-aryl-cyclopropylmethylamines. The enantiocontrol is also shown to override the diastereoselectivity of chiral substrates.
Modeling of Boron Diffusion in Polysilicon-on-Silicon Layers

In the present study we have modeled the diffusion of boron in single crystal silicon from an ion-implanted polysilicon film deposited on a single crystal silicon substrate. Modeling has been done for both BF2 and boron implants in the polysilicon layer. A new phenomenological model for B diffusivity has been implemented in the PEPPER simulation program using an effective concentration-dependent diffusivity approach. The effective diffusivities of boron in single crystal silicon have been extracted using Boltzmann-Matano analysis. The modeling has been implemented for a wide range of furnace anneal conditions (800°C to 950°C, from 30 min. to 6 hours), and implant conditions (BF2 doses varied from 5×1015 to 2×1016 cm−2 at 70 keV, boron dose of 5×1015 cm−2 at 20 keV).
Racial Diversity and Judicial Influence on Appellate Courts

This article evaluates the substantive consequences of judicial diversity on the U.S. Courts of Appeals. Due to the small percentage of racial minorities on the federal bench, the key question in evaluating these consequences is not whether minority judges vote differently from nonminority judges, but whether their presence on appellate courts influences their colleagues and affects case outcomes. Using matching methods, I show that black judges are significantly more likely than nonblack judges to support affirmative action programs. This individual-level difference translates into a substantial causal effect of adding a black judge to an otherwise all-nonblack panel. Randomly assigning a black counterjudge—a black judge sitting with two nonblack judges—to a three-judge panel of the Courts of Appeals nearly ensures that the panel will vote in favor of an affirmative action program. These results have important implications for assessing the relationship between diversity and representation on federal courts.
The ternary system chromium—manganese—carbon

The phase equilibria have been established for three isothermal sections by means of X-ray diffraction measurements.
Agricultural Development for Inclusive Growth: A Strategy for Achieving the Millennium Development Goals

One of the Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations is to reduce the global level of "extreme poverty" (the roughly 1.5 billion people whose income is less than $1 a day) by half by 2015. How can such a goal be reached? This paper argues that since the vast majority of the people living in extreme poverty depend either directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihood, sustained growth in agricultural production and productivity is one of the most important ways to alleviate poverty and hunger. However, for this to happen, the pace of rural and agricultural development must be greatly accelerated. Public investments in rural services and infrastructure, the application of modern science and technology, and the use of new biotechnologies ­ the so­called "second generation green­revolution" ­ will be critical to boost and sustain agricultural growth and reduce global poverty.
Apatite Growth on Bioactive Glass in Artificial Saliva

Bioactive glass disks from the MgO-CaO-P2O5-SiO2 system were placed in artificial saliva for time periods varying from 1 to 42 days. Surfaces were then analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray diffraction to investigate surface morphologies and crystallinity. SEM examination exhibited dramatic surface changes as early as 2 d. X-ray results showed crystallinity in the form of apatite at 10 d, which became more developed though 42 d. The bioactive glass in water and non-bioactive glass in artificial saliva were used as controls; both exhibited no evidence of apatite formation on their surfaces through the 42 d time period. This study shows that bioactive glass reacts in artificial saliva to form apatite and that the apatite layer becomes better crystallized over an extended time period. These results give a better understanding of the surface changes and mineralization that occur over time and can be used to interpret results from in vitro and in vivo studies done on bioactive glass in the oral environment.
Tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF)-catalyzed addition of substituted trialkylsilylalkynes to aldehydes, ketones, and trifluoromethyl ketones.

Herein we report that tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF) is a very efficient catalyst for the addition of trialkylsilylalkynes to aldehydes, ketones, and trifluoromethyl ketones in THF solvent at room temperature. The reaction conditions are mild and operationally simple, and a variety of aryl functional groups, such as chloro, trifluoromethyl, bromo, and fluoro groups, are tolerated. Impressively, using our protocol, useful CF3-bearing tertiary propargylic alcohols can be synthesized. Product yields are generally better than or comparable to those in the literature. 1-Phenyl-2-trimethylsilyl acetylene, trimethyl ((4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)ethynyl)silane, 1-trimethylsilyl-1-hexyne, and trimethyl(thiophen-3-ylethynyl)silane underwent clean conversion to their corresponding propargylic alcohols as products under our conditions. Heterocyclic carbonyl compounds, such as furan-3-carboxaldehyde, thiophene-3-carboxaldehyde, and 2-pyridyl ketone, gave good yields of propargylic alcohols.
Cu(I)-Catalyzed, α-Selective, Allylic Alkylation Reactions between Phosphorothioate Esters and Organomagnesium Reagents

Regiocontrol of allylic alkylation reactions involving hard nucleophiles remains a significant challenge and continues to be an active area of research. The lack of general methods in which α-alkylation is favored underscores the need for the development of new processes for achieving this type of selectivity. We report that Cu(I) catalyzes the allylic substitution of phosphorothioate esters with excellent α-regioselectivity, regardless of the nature of the Grignard reagent that is used. To the best of our knowledge, the Cu-catalyzed allylic alkylation of phosphorothioate esters has never been described. We have also developed a simple protocol for inducing high α selectivity starting from secondary allylic halides. This is accomplished by using sodium phosphorothioates as an additive.
The Bacterial Oxidation of Rubber

Abstract In studying the biological oxygen demand of sea water, it has been observed that rubber stoppers increase the amount of oxygen consumed. In fact, the small amount of rubber gasket exposed to the water in citrate of magnesia bottles perceptibly increases the amount of oxygen consumed after 5 to 10 days' incubation. Heat-sterilized as well as formaldehyde-preserved controls proved that the increased oxygen consumption is attributable to biological activity. One-gram samples of various kinds of rubber, cut in small pieces to give a surface area of approximately 10 sq. cm., were placed in 160-cc. glass-stoppered bottles. After sterilizing in an autoclave at 120° C for 20 minutes, the bottles were filled with sterile water saturated with oxygen. Half the bottles were inoculated; the others were left sterile. Duplicate bottles were analyzed for oxygen immediately by the Winkler technique, and the others were incubated in the water bath for one to five days at 22° C, after which the amount of oxygen con...
Distinct Effects of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells and Adipocytes on Normal and Cancer Cell Hierarchy.

Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) have received considerable attention in oncology because of the known direct link between obesity and cancer as well as the use of ASCs in reconstructive surgery after tumor ablation. Previous studies have documented how cancer cells commandeer ASCs to support their survival by altering extracellular matrix (ECM) composition and stiffness, migration, and metastasis. This study focused on delineating the effects of ASCs and adipocytes on the self-renewal of stem/progenitor cells and hierarchy of breast epithelial cells. The immortalized breast epithelial cell line MCF10A, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) cell lines MCF10DCIS.com and SUM225, and MCF10A overexpressing SRC oncogene were examined using a mammosphere assay and flow cytometry for the effects of ASCs on their self-renewal and stem-luminal progenitor-differentiated cell surface marker profiles. Interestingly, ASCs promoted the self-renewal of all cell types except SUM225. ASC co-culture or treatment with ASC conditioned media (CM) altered the number of CD49fhigh/EpCAMlow basal/stem-like and CD49fmedium/EpCAMmedium luminal progenitor cells. Among multiple factors secreted by ASCs, IFNγ and HGF displayed unique actions on epithelial cell hierarchy. IFNγ increased stem/progenitor-like cells while simultaneously reducing the size of mammospheres, whereas HGF increased the size of mammospheres with an accompanying increase in luminal progenitor cells. ASCs expressed higher levels of HGF, whereas adipocytes expressed higher levels of IFNγ. Since luminal progenitor cells are believed to be prone for transformation, IFNγ and HGF expression status of ASCs may influence susceptibility for developing breast cancer as well as on outcomes of autologous fat transplantation on residual/dormant tumor cells. Implications: This study suggests that the ratio of adipose-derived stem cells to adipocytes influences cancer cell hierarchy, which may impact incidence and progression.
Chemistry of prolactin.

The purification of prolactin is simplified by the strong binding of the hormone to pituitary tissue. An extreme alkaline or acidic pH is required to effectively extract prolactin and this provides a convenient way of removing a large number of serum and pituitary proteins by an initial extraction near neutrality. The first extraction can be made by homogenization of pituitary glands with O.9% saline (Lewis, Singh, and Seavey, 1971) which is effective for glands of both mammalian and non-mammalian species, or various acidic buffers can be used (Ellis, Grindeland, Nuenke, and Callahan, 1969; Hwang, Robertson, Guyda, and Friesen, 1973). After the initial extraction, prolactin is recovered by treating the tissue with an alkaline buffer (pH 10-11), either aqueous or ethanolic (Ellis et al., 1969; Lewis, Singh, and Seavey, 1972a; Hwang et al., 1973), since prolactin is soluble in this concentration of organic solvent so significant purification can be achieved in a single step. Prolactin can also be extracted from pituitary tissue at acidic conditions (pH 2-3) but this method has not been used frequently. The procedure of Lyons (1937) is the best example of this type of extraction.
The Effect of Recycling Versus Trashing on Consumption: Theory and Experimental Evidence

AbstractThis article proposes a utilitarian model in which recycling could reduce consumers’ negative emotions from wasting resources (i.e., taking more resources than what is being consumed) and increase consumers’ positive emotions from disposing of consumed resources. The authors provide evidence for each component of the utility function using a series of choice problems and formulate hypotheses on the basis of a parsimonious utilitarian model. Experiments with real disposal behavior support the model hypotheses. The findings suggest that the positive emotions associated with recycling can overpower the negative emotions associated with wasting. As a result, consumers could use a larger amount of resources when recycling is an option, and more strikingly, this amount could go beyond the point at which their marginal consumption utility becomes zero. The authors extend the theoretical model and introduce acquisition utility and the moderating effect of the costs of recycling (financial, physical, and m...
Gluon TMD in particle production from low to moderate x

We study the rapidity evolution of gluon transverse momentum dependent distributions appearing in processes of particle production and show how this evolution changes from small to moderate Bjorken x.
Weight gain and the outcome of pregnancy

This study determined the relationship of maternal weight gain in pregnancy to its outcome. Mothers who were overweight at the start of pregnancy had the fewest fetal and neonatal deaths with a 16 pound weight gain at term. The optimal weight gain for normally proportioned mothers was 20 pounds and for underweight mothers 30 pounds. For all three groups perinatal mortality rates increased with weight gains less or more than these optimal values. Very low or very high pregnancy weight gains had only a modest influence on the frequency of common placental and fetal disorders. However, once one of these disorders was established, mortality rates from it usually increased severalfold when mothers had very low or very high weight gains.
Adverse Outcome Pathway on Aromatase Inhibition Leading to Reproductive Dysfunction (in Fish)

This adverse outcome pathway details the linkage between inhibition of gonadal aromatase activity in females and reproductive dysfunction, as measured through the adverse effect of reduced cumulative fecundity and spawning. Initial development of this AOP draws heavily on evidence collected using repeat-spawning fish species. Cumulative fecundity is the most apical endpoint considered in the OECD 229 Fish Short Term Reproduction Assay. The OECD 229 assay serves as screening assay for endocrine disruption and associated reproductive impairment (OECD 2012). Cumulative fecundity is one of several variables known to be of demographic significance in forecasting fish population trends. Therefore, this AOP has utility in supporting the application of measures of aromatase, or in silico predictions of the ability to inhibit aromatase, as a means to identify chemicals with known potential to adversely affect fish populations and potentially other oviparous vertebrates.
Hybrid Transformer Model for Transient Simulation—Part I: Development and Parameters

A new topologically correct hybrid transformer model is developed for low and midfrequency transient simulations. Power transformers have a conceptually simple design, but behaviors can be very complex. The selection of the most suitable representation for a given behavior depends on the type of transformer to be simulated, the frequency range, and other factors, such as the internal design of the transformer and available parameters or design data. Here, a modular model suitable for frequencies up to 3-5 kHz is developed, utilizing a duality-based lumped-parameter saturable core, matrix descriptions of leakage and capacitive effects, and frequency-dependent coil resistance. Implementation and testing of this model was done for 15-kVA 208Delta-120Y 3-legged and 150-kVA 12,470Y-208Y 5-legged transformers. The basis and development of the model is presented, along with a discussion of necessary parameters and the approaches for obtaining them
Collaborative Collection Development: Progress, Problems, and Potential

Le partage des ressources entre bibliotheques de recherche comme parade aux difficultes financieres est illustre par la politique developpee par le RLG (Research Libraries Group). Les avantages presentes par l'approche du RLG dans le partage des responsabilites quant au developpement des collections sont soulignes
High power experimental studies of hybrid photonic band gap accelerator structures

This paper reports the first high power tests of hybrid photonic band gap (PBG) accelerator structures. Three hybrid PBG (HPBG) structures were designed, built and tested at 17.14 GHz. Each structure had a triangular lattice array with 60 inner sapphire rods and 24 outer copper rods sandwiched between copper disks. The dielectric PBG band gap map allows the unique feature of overmoded operation in a ${\mathrm{TM}}_{02}$ mode, with suppression of both lower order modes, such as the ${\mathrm{TM}}_{11}$ mode, as well as higher order modes. The use of sapphire rods, which have negligible dielectric loss, required inclusion of the dielectric birefringence in the design. The three structures were designed to sequentially reduce the peak surface electric field. Simulations showed relatively high surface fields at the triple point as well as in any gaps between components in the clamped assembly. The third structure used sapphire rods with small pin extensions at each end and obtained the highest gradient of $19\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MV}/\mathrm{m}$, corresponding to a surface electric field of $78\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MV}/\mathrm{m}$, with a breakdown probability of $5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ per pulse per meter for a 100-ns input power pulse. Operation at a gradient above $20\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MV}/\mathrm{m}$ led to runaway breakdowns with extensive light emission and eventual damage. For all three structures, multipactor light emission was observed at gradients well below the breakdown threshold. This research indicated that multipactor triggered at the triple point limited the operational gradient of the hybrid structure.
Fireballs from Superconducting Cosmic Strings

Thermalized fireballs should be created by cusp events on superconducting cosmic strings. This simple notion allows to reliably estimate particle emission from the cusps in a given background magnetic field. With plausible assumptions about intergalactic magnetic fields, the cusp events can produce observable fluxes of high-energy photons and neutrinos with unique signatures.
Low dose immunotherapy in very young children to treat peanut allergy.

Peanut allergy is a serious, typically life-long, and potentially fatal immunologic condition growing in prevalence, now affecting approximately 1% of individuals in the U.S. and other developed na...
Novel role of miR-29a in pancreatic cancer autophagy and its therapeutic potential.

// Jason J. Kwon 1 , Jeffrey A. Willy 2 , Kayla A. Quirin 1 , Ronald C. Wek 1, 2 , Murray Korc 2, 3, 4, 5 , Xiao-Ming Yin 6 , Janaiah Kota 1, 4, 5 1 Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM), Indianapolis, IN, USA 2 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM), Indianapolis, IN, USA 3 Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM), Indianapolis, IN, USA 4 The Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM), Indianapolis, IN, USA 5 Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Indiana University and Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indianapolis, IN, USA 6 Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM), Indianapolis, IN, USA Correspondence to: Janaiah Kota, email: jkota@iu.edu Keywords: pancreatic cancer, autophagy, gemcitabine, metastasis, miR-29 Received: February 16, 2016 Accepted: August 24, 2016 Published: September 10, 2016 ABSTRACT Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal malignancy that responds poorly to current therapeutic modalities. In an effort to develop novel therapeutic strategies, we found downregulation of miR-29 in pancreatic cancer cells, and overexpression of miR-29a sensitized chemotherapeutic resistant pancreatic cancer cells to gemcitabine, reduced cancer cell viability, and increased cytotoxicity. Furthermore, miR-29a blocked autophagy flux, as evidenced by an accumulation of autophagosomes and autophagy markers, LC3B and p62, and a decrease in autophagosome-lysosome fusion. In addition, miR-29a decreased the expression of autophagy proteins, TFEB and ATG9A, which are critical for lysosomal function and autophagosome trafficking respectively. Knockdown of TFEB or ATG9A inhibited autophagy similar to miR-29a overexpression. Finally, miR-29a reduced cancer cell migration, invasion, and anchorage independent growth. Collectively, our findings indicate that miR-29a functions as a potent autophagy inhibitor, sensitizes cancer cells to gemcitabine, and decreases their invasive potential. Our data provides evidence for the use of miR-29a as a novel therapeutic agent to target PDAC.
DNA from Dust: Comparative Genomics of Large DNA Viruses in Field Surveillance Samples.

ABSTRACT The intensification of the poultry industry over the last 60 years facilitated the evolution of increased virulence and vaccine breaks in Marek’s disease virus (MDV-1). Full-genome sequences are essential for understanding why and how this evolution occurred, but what is known about genome-wide variation in MDV comes from laboratory culture. To rectify this, we developed methods for obtaining high-quality genome sequences directly from field samples without the need for sequence-based enrichment strategies prior to sequencing. We applied this to the first characterization of MDV-1 genomes from the field, without prior culture. These viruses were collected from vaccinated hosts that acquired naturally circulating field strains of MDV-1, in the absence of a disease outbreak. This reflects the current issue afflicting the poultry industry, where virulent field strains continue to circulate despite vaccination and can remain undetected due to the lack of overt disease symptoms. We found that viral genomes from adjacent field sites had high levels of overall DNA identity, and despite strong evidence of purifying selection, had coding variations in proteins associated with virulence and manipulation of host immunity. Our methods empower ecological field surveillance, make it possible to determine the basis of viral virulence and vaccine breaks, and can be used to obtain full genomes from clinical samples of other large DNA viruses, known and unknown. IMPORTANCE Despite both clinical and laboratory data that show increased virulence in field isolates of MDV-1 over the last half century, we do not yet understand the genetic basis of its pathogenicity. Our knowledge of genome-wide variation between strains of this virus comes exclusively from isolates that have been cultured in the laboratory. MDV-1 isolates tend to lose virulence during repeated cycles of replication in the laboratory, raising concerns about the ability of cultured isolates to accurately reflect virus in the field. The ability to directly sequence and compare field isolates of this virus is critical to understanding the genetic basis of rising virulence in the wild. Our approaches remove the prior requirement for cell culture and allow direct measurement of viral genomic variation within and between hosts, over time, and during adaptation to changing conditions.
Planar Harmonic and Monogenic Polynomials of Type A

Harmonic polynomials of type A are polynomials annihilated by the Dunkl Laplacian associated to the symmetric group acting as a reflection group on R N . The Dunkl operators are denoted by T j for 1 ≤ j ≤ N , and the Laplacian Δ κ = ∑ j = 1 N T j 2 . This paper finds the homogeneous harmonic polynomials annihilated by all T j for j > 2 . The structure constants with respect to the Gaussian and sphere inner products are computed. These harmonic polynomials are used to produce monogenic polynomials, those annihilated by a Dirac-type operator.
Empirical Asset Pricing: Eugene Fama, Lars Peter Hansen, and Robert Shiller

The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for 2013 was awarded to Eugene Fama, Lars Peter Hansen, and Robert Shiller for their contributions to the empirical study of asset pricing. Some observers have found it hard to understand the common elements of the laureates' research, preferring to highlight areas of disagreement among them. In this paper, I argue that empirical asset pricing is a coherent enterprise, which owes much to the laureates' influential contributions, and that important themes in the literature can best be understood by considering the laureates in pairs. Specifically, after summarizing modern asset-pricing theory using the stochastic discount factor as an organizing framework, I discuss the following: the joint hypothesis problem in tests of market efficiency, which is as much an opportunity as a problem (Fama and Hansen); patterns of short- and long-term predictability in asset returns (Fama and Shiller); and models of deviations from rational expectations (Hansen and Shiller). I conclude by reviewing the ways in which the laureates have already influenced the practice of finance, and how they might influence future innovations.
Highly Conducting, n-Type Bi12O15Cl6 Nanosheets with Superlattice-like Structure

Modulating the type and magnitude of electrical conductivity remains a basic requirement for a semiconductor’s widespread acceptability and use. Here, we convert nanosheets of BiOCl, a V–VI–VII ternary semiconductor, to an oxygen-rich Bi12O15Cl6 phase. In the process, the intrinsic conductivity switches from p-type to n-type. The phase change is achieved using a vacuum annealing step at 500 °C for 1 h. BiOCl nanosheets convert to the Bi12O15Cl6 phase via volatilization of BiCl3 resulting in a unique superlattice like structure with a periodicity of 1.48 nm. Correspondingly, the band gap decreases from 3.41 to 2.48 eV from the raising of the valence band edge. Activation energy for electrical conductivity reduces from 862 meV for BiOCl to 778 meV for Bi12O15Cl6, and a corresponding photoconductivity increase of 80× is observed. Density functional theory calculations predict changes to the valence band and increase in the Fermi level toward the conduction band edge for the Bi12O15Cl6 nanosheets—in accordanc...
Whistler Turbulence Heating of Electrons and Ions: Three-dimensional Particle-in-cell Simulations

In this study, the decay of whistler turbulence in a collisionless, homogeneous, magnetized plasma is studied using three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. The simulations are initialized with a narrowband, relatively isotropic distribution of long wavelength whistler modes. A first ensemble of simulations at electron beta $${\beta }_{{\rm{e}}}$$ = 0.25 and ion-to-electron mass ratio $${m}_{{\rm{i}}}$$/$${m}_{{\rm{e}}}$$ = 400 is carried out on a domain cube of dimension $$L{\omega }_{\mathrm{pi}}$$/c = 5.12 where $${\omega }_{\mathrm{pi}}$$ is the ion plasma frequency. The simulations begin with a range of dimensionless fluctuating field energy densities, $${\epsilon }_{{\rm{o}}}$$, and follow the fluctuations as they cascade to broadband, anisotropic turbulence which dissipates at shorter wavelengths, heating both electrons and ions. The electron heating is stronger and preferentially parallel/antiparallel to the background magnetic field $${{\boldsymbol{B}}}_{{\rm{o}}};$$ the ion energy gain is weaker and is preferentially in directions perpendicular to $${{\boldsymbol{B}}}_{{\rm{o}}}$$. The important new results here are that, over 0.01 < $${\epsilon }_{{\rm{o}}}$$ < 0.25, the maximum rate of electron heating scales approximately as $${\epsilon }_{{\rm{o}}}$$, and the maximum rate of ion heating scales approximately as $${\epsilon }_{{\rm{o}}}^{1.5}$$. A second ensemble of simulations at $${\epsilon }_{{\rm{o}}}$$ = 0.10 and $${\beta }_{{\rm{e}}}$$ = 0.25 shows that, over 25 < $${m}_{{\rm{i}}}$$/$${m}_{{\rm{e}}}\;$$< 1836, the ratio of the maximum ion heating rate to the maximum electron heating rate scales approximately as $${m}_{{\rm{e}}}$$/$${m}_{{\rm{i}}}$$.
Local government and old-age support in the New Deal

Abstract A key question in the design of public assistance to the needy is how allocation of responsibility for funding and decision-making across different levels of government influences the level and type of assistance provided. The New Deal era was a period in which this allocation changed significantly in the United States, as provision of public assistance shifted from local governments to states and the federal government, accompanied by a large increase in government transfer payments. Focusing on assistance to the elderly and using variation in state laws governing the division of funding between local and state governments for the Old Age Assistance (OAA) Program, this paper investigates the responsiveness of OAA payments and recipiency to local government funding shares. Payments per elderly resident were significantly lower in states with higher local funding shares, driven largely by reductions in recipiency. The baseline results suggest that had local governments needed to fund half of OAA payments in 1939, on the lower end of local funding shares prior to the New Deal, the share of the elderly receiving OAA would have been 5 percent rather than 22 percent, and perhaps even lower. More speculative results suggest that greater local funding led to lower representation of blacks among OAA recipients relative to their share of the population, particularly in the South.
Optimal Learning for Stochastic Optimization with Nonlinear Parametric Belief Models

We consider the problem of estimating the expected value of information (the knowledge gradient) for Bayesian learning problems where the belief model is nonlinear in the parameters. Our goal is to...
Strong approximation of sets of finite perimeter in metric spaces

In the setting of a metric space equipped with a doubling measure that supports a Poincare inequality, we show that any set of finite perimeter can be approximated in the $$\mathrm {BV}$$ norm by a set whose topological and measure theoretic boundaries almost coincide. The proof relies on a quasicontinuity-type result for $$\mathrm {BV}$$ functions proved by Lahti and Shanmugalingam (J Math Pures Appl 107(2): 150–182, 2017).
A density result for real hyperelliptic curves

Abstract Let { ∞ + , ∞ − } be the two points above ∞ on the real hyperelliptic curve H : y 2 = ( x 2 − 1 ) ∏ i = 1 2 g ( x − a i ) . We show that the divisor ( [ ∞ + ] − [ ∞ − ] ) is torsion in Jac J for a dense set of ( a 1 , a 2 , … , a 2 g ) ∈ ( − 1 , 1 ) 2 g . In fact, we prove by degeneration to a nodal P 1 that an associated period map has derivative generically of full rank.