cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endogenous Oil Rents

Oil rents may at times fall like “manna from heaven” into the fiscal coffers of the state. Yet politicians also make decisions that can increase or decrease the extent to which oil rents accrue to the central government. Though counterintuitive, various evidence suggests that politicians sometimes do not seek to maximize the state’s claim on rents. In this article, the author substantiates this observation with evidence from Venezuela and then develops a formal model of the relationship between electoral competition and rent choice. The author argues that the model can explain why politicians allowed the central government’s share of rents to decline in Venezuela beginning in the 1990s, even though a decline in rents plausibly contributed to the destabilization of Venezuelan democracy. The argument illuminates patterns of rent capture in other cases, whereas the model may be useful in many settings in which the gains from economic investment are realized over several electoral terms.
Accurate energy dissipation and thermal modeling for nanometer-scale buses

With technology scaling, power dissipation and localized heating in global and semi-global bus wires are becoming increasingly important, and this necessitates the development of accurate models to explore these effects during design stage, with simulators and using realistic workloads. In this work, we present a unified nanometer-scale bus energy dissipation and thermal model that helps designers monitor energy dissipation and temperature rise in individual wires during dynamic simulation. In addition to self capacitance, our model incorporates the effects of capacitive coupling between adjacent as well as non-adjacent pairs of wires on switching energy, effect of repeater insertion, and the effect of lateral heat transfer between adjacent wires, all of which have been ignored in earlier models. Next, using our integrated model in a first-of-its-kind study, we study energy dissipation and thermal characteristics of instruction and data address buses with traces obtained from standard SPEC CPU2000 benchmarks and using technology parameters for various nanometer technology nodes from the ITRS road-map. We also evaluate the effect of some well-known low-power bus design schemes on bus line energy dissipation.
RUBELLA VIRUS CARRIER CULTURES DERIVED FROM CONGENITALLY INFECTED INFANTS

Spontaneous rubella carrier cultures derived from tissues of infants with congenital rubella were studied in an attempt to elucidate a possible mechanism for viral persistence observed in these infants. Chronically infected cells were found to have a reduced growth rate and the cultures appeared to have a shortened life span. The rubella carrier state was not dependent on serum inhibitors or rubella antibodies. Virtually every cell in the carrier population was found to be producing virus. The carrier cultures could not be cured by rubella antibodies. The rubella-infected cells were resistant to superinfection with vesicular stomatitis virus and herpes simplex virus but were susceptible to infection with echovirus 11. The replication of vesicular stomatitis virus was apparently blocked at an intracellular site, for the virus readily adsorbed to the chronically infected cells and entered into an eclipse phase; however no infectious virus developed. No evidence of interferon production by these cells could be obtained. It is postulated that clones of rubella-infected cells in vivo, with properties similar to those in carrier cultures developed in vitro from tissues of in utero infected infants, might explain the observed viral persistence noted in congenital rubella.
Repair of Reproductive Deficits by Neural Transplantation

Transplantation of brain tissue has been used to ameliorate the genetic lesion of the hypogonadal mutant mouse. This animal does not synthesize gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and so has an infantile reproductive system. Implantation of normalfetal or neonatal preoptic area containing GPZRHneurons reverses many aspects of the reproductive deficiency. Pituitary and plasma levels of gonadotropins rise,followed by growth of the gonads and sexual organs. Pituitary release of gonadotropins is episodic, suggesting that the grafted tissue is integrated into the “pulse generator.” The vast majority of grafted animals do nor show castration-induced elevations of luseinizing hormone (LII) nor respond to exogenous steroids with a depression in circulating LH. Negative feedback of gonadal steroids seems to be inoperative. In contrast, some females can show ovulatory surges of LII in response to mating (reflex ovulation), after administration of exogenous steroid (progesterone), and, on rare occasion, ovulation cycles occur spodtaneously. Anatomical studies demonstrate that reproductive recovery is dependent on the outgrowth of GnRH axons to the host median eminence. Some but not all of the GPZRH neurons within the grafts contribute to this innervation. GnRH axons exit into the host along well-defined pathways, recapitulating in part the paths taken by normal axons. How the graft and host are integrated to produce the panoply of reproductive responses is the subject of current study.
Karl Marx: An Intellectual Biography. By Rolf Hosfeld. (New York, NY: Berghahn Books, 2013. Pp. 190. $29.00.)

Karl Marx remains as relevant now as he ever was, though it remains a challenge to present a Marx free from the sectarian divisions of twentieth‐century Marxism. Rolf Hosfeld achieves this feat thr...
Primary Structure and Tissue-specific Expression of Human β-Hydroxyisobutyryl-coenzyme A Hydrolase

β-Hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA (HIBYL-CoA) hydrolase is responsible for the specific hydrolysis of HIBYL-CoA, a saline catabolite, as well as the hydrolysis of β-hydroxypropionyl-CoA, an intermediate in a minor pathway of propionate metabolism. We have obtained the amino acid sequences of several tryptic peptides derived from purified rat liver HIBYL-CoA hydrolase, and the NH2-terminal peptize sequence was matched to the translated sequence of a human expressed sequence tag present in the data base of the IMAGE Consortium (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA). The complete nucleotide sequence and the deduced amino acid sequence showed no similarity to the sequences of well known thioesterases but showed significant homology to the enoyl-CoA hydratase/isomerase enzyme family. The cDNA fragment corresponding to the mature (processed) protein was expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified recombinant enzyme displayed substrate specificity very similar to that of the rat enzyme and was specifically bound by polyclonal antibodies raised against purified rat liver HIBYL-CoA hydrolase. Northern and Western blot analyses with various human tissues indicated predominant expression in liver, heart, and kidney, with discrepancies occurring in the amounts of HIBYL-CoA hydrolase mRNA compared to stably expressed protein in several tissues.
Extending the reach of business processes

A business process is a systematic set of activities by which an enterprise conducts its affairs. Various technologies-including pagers, cell phones, pocket PCs, instant messaging (IM), and the short message service (SMS)-have emerged that people can use to communicate even when they are on the move or far away. Many such devices support synchronous communication as well as proactively "pushing" messages to users. However, these devices have no mechanism to control or structure the information that users are exchanging, and they arc not integrated with business processes based on workplaces. To address these problems, we have designed and implemented PerCollab, a middleware system that facilitates structured collaboration between various communication devices for business processes and pushes tasks to users.
Narrative and Expository Writing of Adolescents With Language-Learning Disabilities: A Pilot Study

We evaluated the narrative and expository writing samples of 12 adolescents with language-learning disabilities (LLD) in Grades 6 to 12 for elements of microstructure (e.g., productivity, grammatical complexity) and macrostructure (genre-specific text structure elements) using an experimental measure. Writing samples were elicited with genre-specific prompts via paper and pencil and transcribed according to Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT) conventions. Wilcoxon signed ranks tests indicate that levels of productivity and grammatical complexity were significantly greater in the narrative genre than in the expository genre. However, participants’ writing samples demonstrated equally impoverished text structure for both genres. Positive correlations were found between microstructure and macrostructure performance. Findings confirm the effects of discourse genre on measures of microstructure and further elucidate the use of microstructure and macrostructure elements in the writing of adolesce...
Performance of a novel phase noise compensation scheme for communication receivers in the presence of Wiener phase noise

The phase noise (PHN) is one of the primary factors that limits the achievable performance in many communication systems. Recently, the authors have proposed an effective "2-paths" PHN compensation scheme (L. Zhao et al, Globecom 2003). The approach uses the information provided by an additional signal path added to the receiver front-end to better estimate the PHN. There are generally two types of PHN found in the literature: stationary PHN and Wiener PHN. Previous results have shown the effectiveness of the "2-paths" scheme for stationary PHN. This paper addresses the applicability of the "2-paths" scheme for combating Wiener PHN. It shows that simple modifications of the "2-paths" approach work effectively for Wiener PHN as well. PHN estimation error and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) after PHN compensation are analyzed. Simulation results for a 64-QAM system demonstrate the significant improvement over conventional approaches in the presence of Wiener PHN.
The Domestication of Anger: The Use and Abuse of Anger in Politics

Anger is often described as a wild emotion that endangers both social order and the possibility of constructive political dialogue. And yet, anger is an indispensable political emotion – for without angry speech the body politic would lack the voice of the powerless questioning the justice of the dominant order. Anger is not the opposite of order, for anger is domesticated by the dominant to serve order – in the form of force, authority, moral indignation and care. Moreover, order itself, in the form of technical rationality, is rooted in the anger of the middle-class professional whose claim to social status and power depends upon their moralistic enforcement of the rule of technique. A dialogical politics can only emerge when anger is heard with empathy, rather than domesticated or silenced.
Mutual Funds, Fairness, and the Income Gap

The rich, it turns out, are different from the rest of us. The wealthy, for example, can assemble a diversified portfolio of securities, or can invest through hedge and private equity funds. When the rest of us invest, we do so largely through mutual funds. Nearly half of American households own mutual funds, and mutual funds represented a significant portion of the financial assets held by U.S. households. The tax rules governing mutual funds create an investment vehicle with significantly worse tax treatment than investments available to the wealthy. In particular, the tax rules governing mutual funds force shareholders to pay taxes on “forced realization income,” even though such income does not increase their wealth.Because mutual fund investors must pay taxes on non-existent gains, while the wealthy can use alternative investment strategies to avoid such taxes, the taxation of mutual funds violates the tax policy objective of vertical equity. To correct the inequities faced by mutual fund investors, the tax law needs to permit low- and middle-income taxpayers to exclude from their income 10 percent of the capital gain dividends they receive each year.
Temperature threshold and preservation of signaling for mitochondrial membrane proteins during ischemia in rabbit heart.

Temperature modulates both myocardial energy requirements and production. We have previously demonstrated that myocardial protection induced by hypothermic adaptation preserves expression of genes regulating heat shock protein and the nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins, the adenine nucleotide translocator isoform 1 (ANT1), and the b subunit of F1-ATPase (bF1-ATPase). This preservation is associated with a reduction in ATP depletion similar to that noted in cardioplegic arrested hearts preserved at a critical temperature (30°C) or below. We tested the hypothesis that expression of these genes may also be subject to this temperature threshold phenomenon. Isolated perfused rabbit hearts were subjected to ischemic cardioplegic arrest at 4, 30, or 34°C for 120 min. Cardiac function indices and steady-state mRNA levels for ANT1, bF1-ATPase, and HSP70-1 were measured prior to ischemia (B) and after 45 min of reperfusion. Cardiac function was significantly depressed in the 34°C group. Ischemia at 34°C reduced steady-state mRNA levels for ANT 1 and bF1-ATPase from B, but these levels were similarly preserved at 4 and 30°C. HSP70-1 levels were mildly elevated (fourfold) above B to similar levels at all three temperatures. These results indicate that mRNA expression for ANT 1 and bF1-ATPase is specifically preserved in a pattern consistent with the temperature threshold phenomenon. HSP70-1 expression is not influenced by ischemic temperature. Preservation of gene expression for these mitochondrial proteins implies that signaling for mitochondrial biogenesis or resynthesis is maintained after ischemic insult. © 1998 Academic Press
Cutting Edge: An In Vivo Requirement for STAT3 Signaling in TH17 Development and TH17-Dependent Autoimmunity

STAT3 activation has been observed in several autoimmune diseases, suggesting that STAT3-mediated pathways promote pathologic immune responses. We provide in vivo evidence that the fundamental role of STAT3 signaling in autoimmunity relates to its absolute requirement for generating T H 17 T cell responses. We show that STAT3 is a master regulator of this pathogenic T cell subtype, acting at multiple levels in vivo, including T H 17 T cell differentiation and cytokine production, as well as induction of RORγt and the IL-23R. Neither naturally occurring T H 17 cells nor T H 17-dependent autoimmunity occurs when STAT3 is ablated in CD4 cells. Furthermore, ablation of STAT3 signaling in CD4 cells results in increased T H 1 responses, indicating that STAT3 signaling skews T H responses away from the T H 1 pathway and toward the T H 17 pathway. Thus, STAT3 is a candidate target for T H 17-dependent autoimmune disease immunotherapy that could selectively inhibit pathogenic immune pathways.
An asymptotic closed-form representation for the grounded double-layer surface Green's function

An efficient closed-form asymptotic representation for the grounded double-layer (substrate-superstrate) Green's function is presented. The formulation is valid for both source (a horizontal electric dipole) and observation points anywhere inside the superstate or at the interfaces. The asymptotic expressions are developed via a steepest descent evaluation of the original Sommerfeld-type integral representation of the Green's function, and the large parameter in this asymptotic development is proportional to the lateral separation between source and observation points. The asymptotic solution is shown to agree with the exact Green's function for lateral distances even as small as a few tenths of the free-space wavelengths, thus constituting a very efficient tool for analyzing printed circuits/antennas. Since the asymptotic approximation gives separate contributions pertaining to the different wave phenomena, it provides physical insight into the field behavior, as shown by examples. >
Effects of Liming on Soils and Streamwaters in a Deciduous Forest: Comparison of Field Results and Simulations

Soil and chemical responses to liming in a deciduous forest watershed at Coweeta, NC, are compared with simulation results using the Nutrient Cycling Model (NuCM). Field comparisons of limed and unlimed soils after 23 yr indicated substantial net retention of applied Ca{sup 2+} and Mg{sup 2+} in upper soil horizons, even in black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) sites where NO{sub 3}{sup -} leaching was elevated. We hypothesized that NuCM simulations would also show that (i) retention of most applied Ca{sup 2+} and Mg{sup 2+} in the upper horizons and (ii) increased Ca{sup 2+} and Mg{sup 2+} retention with increased cation exchange capacity (CEC) and exchangeable H{sup +} (simulating pH-dependent CEC). Both hypotheses were supported by simulation results for Ca{sup 2+}, but not for Mg{sup 2+}. Most applied Mg{sup 2+} in the simulations was retained in the BC horizon, where the largest pool of exchangeable Mg{sup 2+} was initially located. Increasing CEC and exchangeable H{sup +} did result in increased retention of applied Ca{sup 2+} and Mg{sup 2+} in surface horizons. However, increasing CEC caused lower Mg{sup 2+} retention in the BC horizon, which offset the surface horizon increases and resulted in lower total retention of applied Mg{sup 2+}. Simulated BCmore » horizon soil solution concentrations mimicked the general patterns in streamwater NO{sub 3}{sup -}, Mg{sup 2+}, Na{sup +}, Cl{sup -}, SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}, and K{sup +} between 1971 (12 yr after liming) and 1979. NuCM simulations did not, nor was it possible to simulate the observed effects of an insect outbreak on streamwater NO{sub 3}{sup -}. 28 refs., 13 figs., 3 tabs.« less
Detection of Extended Red Emission in the Diffuse Interstellar Medium

Extended red emission (ERE) has been detected in many dusty astrophysical objects, raising the question of whether ERE is present only in discrete objects or if it is an observational feature of all dust, i.e., present in the diffuse interstellar medium. In order to answer this question, we determined the blue and red intensities of the radiation from the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) and examined the red intensity for the presence of an excess above that expected for scattered light. The diffuse ISM blue and red intensities were obtained by subtracting the integrated star and galaxy intensities from the blue and red measurements made by the Imaging Photopolarimeters (IPPs) aboard the Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft. The unique characteristic of the Pioneer measurements is that they were taken outside the zodiacal dust cloud and, therefore, are free from zodiacal light. The color of the diffuse ISM was found to be redder than the Pioneer intensities. If the diffuse ISM intensities were entirely caused by scattering from dust (i.e., diffuse Galactic light or DGL), the color of the diffuse ISM would be bluer than the Pioneer intensities. Finding a redder color implies the presence of an excess red intensity. Using a model for the DGL, we found the blue diffuse ISM intensity to be entirely attributable to the DGL. The red DGL was calculated using the blue diffuse ISM intensities and the approximately invariant color of the DGL calculated with the DGL model. Subtracting the calculated red DGL from the red diffuse ISM intensities resulted in the detection of an excess red intensity with an average value of ~10 S10(V)G2 V. This represents the likely detection of ERE in the diffuse ISM since Hα emission cannot account for the strength of this excess and the only other known emission process applicable to the diffuse ISM is ERE. Thus, ERE appears to be a general characteristic of dust. The correlation between NH I and ERE intensity is (1.43 ± 0.31) × 10-29 ergs s-1 A-1 sr-1 H atom-1, from which the ERE photon conversion efficiency was estimated at 10% ± 3%.
Underlying issues associated with validation and verification of dynamic data driven simulation

This paper presents a brief exposition of three underempha-sized issues concerning modeling and simulation as they relate to Dynamic Data Driven Application Systems. One issue concerns the fact that conventional procedures for validation of data-driven models and simulations are unnecessary as they intrinsically contain validation in that they have been constructed according to acquired data. Another issue concerns the inherent coupling between the experimental frame used to measure system response and the system itself. This coupling can lead to an unrealistic simulation of the system in that the data contains the interaction of the system with the experimental frame. The final issue concerns the inherent pluralism of parametric representation and of potential mappings from data space into model space. This inherent pluralism imposes the need for optimal model and data space navigation procedures that are structured for appropriate sampling of data space and specification of faithful model parameterizations.
Mechanism and Atomic Structure of Superoxide Dismutase

The active site Cu ion in Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase is alternately oxidized and reduced during the enzymatic dismutation of superoxide to hydrogen peroxide and molecular oxygen. For oxidized Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase, an atomic structure has been determined for the human enzyme at 2.5 A resolution. The resolution of the bovine enzyme structure has been extended to 1.8 A. Atomic resolution data has been collected for reduced and inhibitor-bound Cu,Zn superoxide dismutases, and the interpretation of the electron density difference maps is in progress. The geometry and molecular surfaces of the active sites in these structures, together with biochemical data, suggest a specific model for the enzyme mechanism. Similarities in the active site geometry of the Mn and Fe superoxide dismutases with the Cu,Zn enzyme suggest that dismutation in these enzymes may follow a similar mechanism.
Design of Safety Devices to Mitigate Explosions in Underground Vaults and Manholes

Results from a computer program are used to compare several alternative safety devices that can mitigate the effects of explosions in underground structures. After eliminating several candidate designs that are impractical or uneconomical, attention is focused on a flexible tether that can be attached to the manhole cover so that the cover does not become a dangerous projectile. An appropriate tether design is recommended which can restrain the cover when an explosion occurs in the structure. Types of explosions considered include an ignition of a combustible gas, an arcing fault, and the combination of an arcing fault followed by a gas explosion. Flexible tethers, such as traditional seat belt webbings, are shown to be superior to steel cables or chains. The tether material, length, and the amount of slack are shown to be critical factors in the design of an effective tether system. The effect of holes in the manhole cover that can vent the high-pressure gases inside the vault are shown to have a desirable effect on the size and geometry of the tether. An examination of the output is used to recommend characteristics of a tether system that will successfully mitigate the effects of an explosion, regardless of the source.
Enhancement of the aromatizing activity of ZSM-5 zeolite induced by hydrogen back-spillover : Aromatizing the outstream gases of a propane steam-cracker☆

Abstract Light olefins and/or paraffins can be selectively converted to aromatic hydrocarbons, primarily of the BTX type. The catalyst used is based on an H-ZSM-5 zeolite to which a small quantity of zinc oxide/aluminium oxide co-precipitate has been incorporated by mechanical admixing. Mixtures of olefinic and paraffinic gases obtained from the steam-cracking of propane have been tested. The new complex catalyst results in a selectivity to BTX aromatics several times greater than for a pure H-ZSM-5 zeolite. The substantial increase in aromatizing properties of the zeolite has been attributed to hydrogen back-spillover from the zeolite (main component) to the co-precipitate (minor component). The mild acidic/redox properties of the co-precipitate surface are assumed to be involved in such back-spillover phenomenon..
Quantifying Differential Interpretation of Public Information

Based on a standard Bayesian learning model, we propose a new measure of differential interpretation of public information, which is applicable to firms with analyst following. We validate our measure in the context of earnings announcements and provide evidence of its applicability relative to a number of previously used proxies, such as the change in dispersion, Kandel and Pearson’s (1995) metric, abnormal volume and bid-ask spread. We find that the new measure of differential interpretation is positively related to other commonly used proxies, trading volume, disclosure informativeness and the cost of capital and it is negatively related to disclosure readability and management guidance precision. This more precise measure of opinion divergence will enable researchers to pursue studies that were previously difficult to conduct.
Toward Understanding the Structure and Function of Cellular Interaction Networks

The components of a biological cell (such as proteins and molecules) interact on several levels, forming a variety of networks. Newly-developed high-throughput molecular biology methods now allow for the construction of genome-level interaction graphs. In parallel, high-throughput molecular abundance data paired with computational algorithms can be used to infer graphs of interactions and causal relationships. Graph-theoretical measures and network models are more and more frequently used to discern the functional constraints in the organization of biological networks. Perhaps most importantly, the combination of interaction and abundance information allows the formulation of predictive dynamic models. Here we review some of the dominant theoretical and computational methods used for the inference, graph-theoretical analysis and dynamic modeling of cellular networks, and we present two specific projects that integrate these three steps. Throughout this chapter we focus on presenting the significant advances in understanding biological systems allowed by graph theory. Conversely, we hope that the new biological data and results may inspire new directions in graph theory.
Particle Swarm Optimization in Wireless-Sensor Networks: A Brief Survey

Wireless-sensor networks (WSNs) are networks of autonomous nodes used for monitoring an environment. Developers of WSNs face challenges that arise from communication link failures, memory and computational constraints, and limited energy. Many issues in WSNs are formulated as multidimensional optimization problems, and approached through bioinspired techniques. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is a simple, effective, and computationally efficient optimization algorithm. It has been applied to address WSN issues such as optimal deployment, node localization, clustering, and data aggregation. This paper outlines issues in WSNs, introduces PSO, and discusses its suitability for WSN applications. It also presents a brief survey of how PSO is tailored to address these issues.
Posterior circulation CT angiography collaterals predict outcome of endovascular acute ischemic stroke therapy for basilar artery occlusion

Introduction The natural history of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to basilar artery occlusion (BAO) is poor. Endovascular reperfusion therapy (EVT) improves recanalization rates in patients with emergent large vessel intracranial occlusion. Objective To examine the hypothesis that good collateral patterns identified by pretreatment CT angiography (CTA) might be associated with favorable outcomes after EVT. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients presenting with AIS due to BAO in a tertiary care stroke center during a 4-year period. BAO was diagnosed by CTA in all cases. Admission stroke severity was documented using the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score. Pretreatment collateral score for posterior circulation was defined as follows: 0, no posterior communicating artery (PCOM); 1, unilateral PCOM; 2, bilateral PCOM. Favorable outcome was defined as modified Rankin Scale score of 0–2 at 3 months. Results A total of 21 patients with AIS due to BAO (age range 31–84 years, median admission NIHSS score: 18 points, range 2–38) underwent EVT. Eleven of 21 patients (52.4%) had bilateral PCOMs, while unilateral PCOM was seen in 3 patients (14.3%). Patients with bilateral PCOMs tended (p=0.261) to have less severe stroke at admission than those with absent/unilateral PCOM (median NIHSS score 18 vs 27 points). Neurological improvement during hospitalization (quantified by the median decrease in NIHSS score) and the rate of 3-month functional independence were greater in patients with good collaterals (16 vs 0 points (p=0.016) and 72.7% vs 0% (p=0.001)). Conclusions The presence of bilateral PCOMs on pretreatment CTA appears to be associated with more favorable outcomes in BAO treated with EVT.
An Outbreak of Typhoid Fever in Cedar Falls, Iowa

Cedar Falls is a city of about 5,000 inhabitants, situated on Cedar River about seven miles above Waterloo in Blackhawk County. The Iowa State Teachers College is located in the city and has an attendance of about 1,100. As many of the students are regular residents of Cedar Falls the combined population is in the neighborhood of 6,000. The city is principally a residential one, being the home of well-to-do people, many of whom are retired farmers and their families. There is a flour mill and several
A Business-Analytic Approach to Identify Critical Factors in Quantitative Disciplines

Most business students in universities across the United States find the quantitatively oriented courses challenging to comprehend the course material to a degree necessary to develop capability and confidence level to solve business problems. A determination of critical factors that influence performance in such courses is critical to designing class instructions. Instructors teaching these classes agonize over the fact that these courses are amongst the most difficult to teach as they encompass relatively harder concepts transformed into analytical skill sets with real applications to business operations that students struggle to grasp. This study employs a machine learning-based approach to determine critical success factors by analyzing the dataset of a focus course and provides some guidelines to educators for improving their teaching effectiveness. Information fusion-based sensitivity analyses on the data mining models provide an unbiased weighting scheme for the rank order of the variables that hel...
Loss of presenilin function is associated with a selective gain of APP function

Presenilin 1 (PS1) is an essential γ-secretase component, the enzyme responsible for amyloid precursor protein (APP) intramembraneous cleavage. Mutations in PS1 lead to dominant-inheritance of early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD). Although expression of FAD-linked PS1 mutations enhances toxic Aβ production, the importance of other APP metabolites and γ-secretase substrates in the etiology of the disease has not been confirmed. We report that neurons expressing FAD-linked PS1 variants or functionally deficient PS1 exhibit enhanced axodendritic outgrowth due to increased levels of APP intracellular C-terminal fragment (APP-CTF). APP expression is required for exuberant neurite outgrowth and hippocampal axonal sprouting observed in knock-in mice expressing FAD-linked PS1 mutation. APP-CTF accumulation initiates CREB signaling cascade through an association of APP-CTF with Gαs protein. We demonstrate that pathological PS1 loss-of-function impinges on neurite formation through a selective APP gain-of-function that could impact on axodendritic connectivity and contribute to aberrant axonal sprouting observed in AD patients.
Practical considerations in the safe and effective use of theophylline.

Theophylline is the most widely prescribed drug for treatment of asthma in the United States. In order to use theophylline effectively and safely, the physician must appreciate factors influencing absorption, distribution to body tissues, metabolism, and elimination of the drug. Since both efficacy as a bronchodilator and toxicity are related to serum concentration, measurement of theophylline in serum has proved useful in optimizing therapy. Much still needs to be learned in regard to the concentration of theophylline in serum for optimal bronchodilator activity. It is important to treat the patient and not the serum concentration.
Glioma nasal gigante: reporte de un caso

Los gliomas nasales son restos de tejido neuroglial que se presentan como una masa craneofacial. Es poco frecuente y no tiene caracteristicas malignas, pero local-mente es bastante agresivo. Se encuentra dentro del diagnostico diferencial de masas congenitas de la linea media. Se presenta el caso de un recien nacido que presenta un polipo nasal derecho y distres respiratorio. La RNM revela una masa intranasal sin conexion intracraneal. Via endoscopica se realiza exeresis de la masa sin complicaciones. Biopsia confirma diagnostico de glioma.
Large format PACE HgCdTe FPA performance

In addition to several 256 × 256 devices with 40-μm pitch (which are the largest high-sensitivity HgCdTe hybrids currently available), we are presently developing a 640 × 480, 27-μm pitch device and a 320 × 240, 30-μm pitch device for the MWIR (3–5 μm) spectral band. The 256 × 256 hybrids are made with PACE-1 (Producible Alternative to CdTe for Epitaxy; HgCdTe-on-sapphire) detector material. The 640 × 480 will use recently developed PACE-3 (HgCdTe-on-silicon) material.
Neural Mechanisms in Somesthesis: Recent Progress and Future Problems

Professor Ottoson, friends and colleagues: I am pleased to be invited to attend this symposium, and to participate in this opening program. Firstly, because it honours Professor Yngve Zotterman, whom I admired greatly for his many contributions to the subject we address: the neural mechanisms in somesthesis. And, for his warm and effervescent personality, filled with collegiality for Neurophysiologists from every land. Secondly, because I have for a dozen years worked in a different field, the central neural mechanisms of spatial perception and directed visual attention. I hope this temporal detachment will lend some perspective to what I wish to say. That is, to summarize what I perceive to have been the main advances of the last decades; and, to suggest where opportunity lies in the years ahead.
Low-cost W-band frequency converter with broad-band waveguide-to-microstrip transducer

A new waveguide-to-microstrip transducer has been developed using a polytetrafluoroethylene printed circuit board. This can fully cover the W-band (75 GHz-110 GHz), and the transmission loss is typically 0.77 dB. Combining the transducer with a 2nd-order harmonic mixer, a W-band frequency converter has been successfully developed. An up-conversion gain of −20.0 dB and down-conversion gain of −22.3 dB, including a loss of peripheral circuits, are obtained. In this paper, we present the development of the waveguide-to-microstrip transducer and the frequency converter for ultra-wideband communications.
Covariance Matrix Estimation in Time Series

Abstract Covariances play a fundamental role in the theory of time series, and they are critical quantities that are needed in both spectral and time domain analysis. Estimation of covariance matrices is needed in the construction of confidence regions for unknown parameters, hypothesis testing, principal component analysis, prediction, discriminant analysis, among others. In this chapter, we consider both low and high-dimensional covariance matrix estimation problems and present a review for asymptotic properties of sample covariances and covariance matrix estimates. In particular, we shall provide an asymptotic theory for estimates of high-dimensional covariance matrices in time series and a consistency result for covariance matrix estimates for estimated parameters.
Thoughts on Recent Trends and Future Research Perspectives in Big Data and Analytics in Higher Education

In many sectors, including education, the growth of data has been increasing dramatically over the years. In order to make sense of this data and improve decision-making, analytics and intuition-based decision-making should be key components in this “Big Data” era. Educational data mining and learning analytics are becoming the lingua franca for those institutions who seek to improve their strategic and operational decision-making abilities. This chapter highlights some thoughts in these areas.
A Retrospective Analysis of the Clinical Utility of Carotid Doppler Ultrasound in Evaluation of Syncope (P06.256)

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to assess the clinical utility of CUS in the workup of syncope. BACKGROUND: Syncope accounts for 1-3% percent of all emergency department visits and hospital admissions in the United States. There are conflicting evidence on the role of carotid ultrasound (CUS) in syncope. DESIGN/METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review of consecutive adult patients between January 2010 and July 2011 with syncope. Each chart was thoroughly reviewed by one of the study authors and the cause of syncope was ascertained. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the clinico-demographic data. Charts were carefully reviewed to see if CUS either changed the pre-testing diagnosis or management and the statistical significance assessed by Chi square analysis. RESULTS: 282 patients (average age: 71.5y,140 males and 142 females). CUS was ordered in 31%. 84% of those who had CUS had vascular risk factors (68% hypertension, 51% hypercholesterolemia and 28% diabetes mellitus). 33% had a history of either stroke or coronary artery disease, and 18% had a history of arrhythmia. Causes of syncope were neurocardiogenic 38%, orthostatic hypotension 25%, arrhythmia 10%, unknown 21%. 92% of them had less than 70% carotid stenosis. Of those patients with additional neurological symptoms during the syncopal episode that were evaluated with CUS, none had more than 50% stenosis, and the cause of syncope was not attributed to the carotid stenosis. CUS results did not change pre-test diagnostic impression in 100% of the patients. 2 patients with asymptomatic severe carotid stenosis found incidentally during the syncope work-up underwent endarterectomy and stenting. CONCLUSIONS: Carotid ultrasound neither changed the diagnosis nor affected the treatment for syncope even in patients with neurological symptoms during the event. Disclosure: Dr. Reyes has nothing to disclose. Dr. Govindarajan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Salgado has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity from Belvoir Media Group as Consulting Editor of A Special Report published by the editors of Heart Advisor Cleveland Clinic STROKE: Advances in Prevention and Treatment of Cerebrovascular Disease.
Ledipasvir/sofosbuvir is effective and well tolerated in postkidney transplant patients with chronic hepatitis C virus.

Patients with end-stage renal diseases on hemodialysis have a high prevalence of hepatitis C infection (HCV). In most patients, treatment for HCV is delayed until postrenal transplant. We assessed the effectiveness and tolerance of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) in 32 postkidney transplant patients infected with HCV. The group was composed predominantly of treatment-naive (75%) African American (68.75%) males (75%) infected with genotype 1a (62.5%). Most patients received a deceased donor kidney graft (78.1%). A 96% sustained viral response (SVR) was reported (27/28 patients). One patient relapsed. One patient with baseline graft dysfunction developed borderline rejection. No graft loss was reported. Six HIV-coinfected patients were included in our analysis. Five of these patients achieved SVR 12. There were four deaths, and one of the deaths was in the HIV group. None of the deaths were attributed to therapy. Coinfected patients tolerated therapy well with no serious adverse events. Serum creatinine remained stable at baseline, end of therapy, and last follow-up, (1.351±.50 mg/dL; 1.406±.63 mg/dL; 1.290±.39 mg/dL, respectively). In postkidney transplant patients with HCV infection with or without coinfection with HIV, a combination of LDV/SOF was well tolerated and effective.
String Theory Realization of \(\mathbb{Z}_{4}^{R}\) Symmetry

In Chap. 19 we showed that discrete R symmetries can be used to define the MSSM. In this chapter we present a globally consistent string compactification with the exact MSSM spectrum below the compactification scale. The model exhibits the \(\mathbb{Z}_{4}^{R}\) symmetry, which originates from the Lorentz group of compactified dimensions [276].
Deadline-Aware Joint Optimization of Sleep Transistor and Supply Voltage for FinFET Based Embedded Systems

Leakage power consumption has recently become a great concern for modern embedded systems. FinFET technologies, power gating, and near- and super-threshold regimes can significantly reduce the power consumption. However, there lacks a comprehensive analysis of jointly applying the aforementioned power saving techniques. In this paper, we investigate the application of power gating to FinFET circuits operating in near- and super-threshold voltage regimes for embedded system applications. A joint optimization algorithm is proposed to determine the width/length, position and threshold type of the sleep transistor together with the operating voltage constrained to a certain deadline, and with the goal of minimizing energy per operation. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm achieves up to 99.9% energy reductions when compared to the near-threshold approach without power gating and 95.3% when compared to deadline-free optimization.
Cardioscopically Guided Beating Heart Surgery: Paravalvular Leak Repair

Purpose There remains a paucity of direct visualization techniques for beating-heart intracardiac procedures. To address this need, we evaluated a novel cardioscope in the context of aortic paravalvular leaks (PVLs) localization and closure. Description A porcine aortic PVL model was created using a custom-made bioprosthetic valve, and PVL presence was verified by epicardial echocardiography. Transapical delivery of occlusion devices guided solely by cardioscopy was attempted 13 times in a total of three pigs. Device retrieval after release was attempted six times. Echocardiography, morphologic evaluation, and delivery time were used to assess results. Evaluation Cardioscopic imaging enabled localization of PVLs via visualization of regurgitant jet flow in a paravalvular channel at the base of the prosthetic aortic valve. Occluders were successfully placed in 11 of 13 attempts (84.6%), taking on average 3:03 ± 1:34 min. Devices were cardioscopically removed successfully in three of six attempts (50%), taking 3:41 ± 1:46 min. No damage to the ventricle or annulus was observed at necropsy. Conclusions Cardioscopy can facilitate intracardiac interventions by providing direct visualization of anatomic structures inside the blood-filled, beating-heart model.
Gut Microbe–Mediated Suppression of Inflammation-Associated Colon Carcinogenesis by Luminal Histamine Production

Microbiome-mediated suppression of carcinogenesis may open new avenues for identification of therapeutic targets and prevention strategies in oncology. Histidine decarboxylase (HDC) deficiency has been shown to promote inflammation-associated colorectal cancer by accumulation of CD11b + Gr-1 + immature myeloid cells, indicating a potential antitumorigenic effect of histamine. Here, we demonstrate that administration of hdc + Lactobacillus reuteri in the gut resulted in luminal hdc gene expression and histamine production in the intestines of Hdc −/− mice. This histamine-producing probiotic decreased the number and size of colon tumors and colonic uptake of [ 18 F]-fluorodeoxyglucose by positron emission tomography in Hdc −/− mice. Administration of L. reuteri suppressed keratinocyte chemoattractant ( KC ), Il22 , Il6 , Tnf , and IL1α gene expression in the colonic mucosa and reduced the amounts of proinflammatory, cancer-associated cytokines, keratinocyte chemoattractant, IL-22, and IL-6, in plasma. Histamine-generating L. reuteri also decreased the relative numbers of splenic CD11b + Gr-1 + immature myeloid cells. Furthermore, an isogenic HDC-deficient L. reuteri mutant that was unable to generate histamine did not suppress carcinogenesis, indicating a significant role of the cometabolite, histamine, in suppression of chronic intestinal inflammation and colorectal tumorigenesis. These findings link luminal conversion of amino acids to biogenic amines by gut microbes and probiotic-mediated suppression of colorectal neoplasia.
Cerebral Toxoplasmosis. Pathogenesis, Host Resistance and Behavioural Consequences.

Abstract Following infection with Toxoplasma gondii, tachyzoites proliferate within a variety of nucleated cells in various organs during the acute stage of infection. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)-dependent cell-mediated immune responses, and humoral immune responses to a lesser extent, control the tachyzoite proliferation, but the parasite establishes a chronic infection by forming tissue cysts, especially in the brain, heart and skeletal muscle. IFN-γ can activate microglia, astrocytes, and brain microvascular endothelial cells to prevent tachyzoite growth by using different mechanisms depending on the cell types. T cells are an essential producer of IFN-γ to control tachyzoites, and interleukin (IL)-12 plays a crucial role in inducing their IFN-γ production. Many other cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6 are involved in the IFN-γ-mediated protective immune responses against tachyzoites in the brain. In addition, multiple cytokines and molecules such as IL-10, IL-27, and lipoxin A4 play important downregulatory roles on the immune responses to prevent development of immunopathology. T. gondii can form cysts in multiple cell types in the brain, including neurons and astrocytes. Recently, CD8+ T cells were revealed to have an activity to remove tissue cysts from the brains of chronically infected mice. This anti-cyst activity of the T cells is does not require their IFN-γ but requires perforin. Therefore, the immune system appears to use two different mechanisms, one is mediated by IFN-γ and another is mediated by perforin, depending on the stage of the parasite that it targets. Therefore, cerebral infection with T. gondii is controlled by well-organized and orchestrated functions of the immune system. Genetic factors in both the host and the parasite also affect the susceptibility to the cerebral infection. Although chronic infection with T. gondii has been considered as “latent”, recent studies indicated a correlation of the infection with cryptogenic epilepsy and neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. T. gondii can also cause congenital infection to the fetus, in which the brain is the major organ affected.
Protecting Self-Image: The Rationalization of Cheating in an International Billiard League

ABSTRACTThe American Poolplayers Association, founded in 1979, is an international billiard league established in the United States, Canada, and Japan, with more than 250,000 members. The most diff...
Exploring consumption intentions of customized apparel

The online shopping experience promises to become more interactive, creative, and social. Emerging digital technologies in the fashion industry could change the dynamics of online garment purchase and garment consumption by enabling consumers to acquire visual information, interact, co-design, and make more educated purchase decisions (Ashdown & Loker, 2010).