cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Information Asymmetries in Consumer Credit Markets: Evidence from Payday Lending

Abstract Information asymmetries are prominent in theory but difficult to estimate. This paper exploits discontinuities in loan eligibility to test for moral hazard and adverse selection in the payday loan market. Regression discontinuity and regression kink approaches suggest that payday borrowers are less likely to default on larger loans. A $50 larger payday loan leads to a 17 to 33 percent drop in the probability of default. Conversely, there is economically and statistically significant adverse selection into larger payday loans when loan eligibility is held constant. Payday borrowers who choose a $50 larger loan are 16 to 47 percent more likely to default. (JEL D14, D82, G21)
First-Principles Investigations of Acceptors in ZnSe

We present a theoretical formalism to investigate doping efficiencies of impurities in semiconductors, and show results for various acceptor impurities (Li, Na and N) in ZnSe. These results, obtained from first-principles calculations, yield important insights in the mechanisms that govern impurity formation energies and solubilities.
Reduction genioplasty: surgical techniques and soft-tissue changes

A retrospective study was made of the osseous and soft-tissue changes and clinical results after reduction genioplasty for correction of anteroposterior macrogenia in seven adults. The surgery was performed by a modified technique which maximized the soft-tissue attachment to the inferior and anteroinferior portions of the repositioned segment. The 0.58 ratio of soft-tissue to osseous change was greater than results reported in previous studies. The present article describes the anteroposterior reduction genioplasty technique and the clinical results achieved with its use.
Switched-capacitor DAC with analogue mismatch correction

A background calibration method for enhancing the accuracy and linearity of a switched-capacitor digital-to-analogue converter is described. The method can be used alone or in combination with mismatch shaping to achieve very high accuracy and linearity combined with high speed.
THE URINARY EXCRETION OF ESTROGENS, ANDROGENS AND FSH FOLLOWING THE ADMINISTRATION OF TESTOSTERONE TO HUMAN FEMALE CASTRATES

AEMLIORATION of the vaso‘motor symptoms of the menopause by the AMELIORATION use of testosterone.propionate has been reported by several investi ‘gators (1-4). Salmn (1) noted a change in the vaginal smear from the menc pausal to the cornified type, which was not found by Shorr et al. (2). Both, however, observed a decrease in the levels of FSH after treatment with testosterone became effective. It was concluded that testosterone had the same effect as the estrogens, that is, inhibition of the anterior pituitary gland. This study was undertaken to ascertain if there were changes from the pre’treatment levels of urinary FSH, androgens and estrogens, after ad‘ ministration of testosterone propionate1 to female castrates. Similar work on normal males, eunuchoids and female castrates, to be referred to later in this paper, has been reported by others during the course of these experiments. Subjects. Four women who had severe menopausal symptoms following surgical or radiation castration were selected for this...
Tandem measurement of D-dimer and myeloperoxidase or C-reactive protein to effectively screen for pulmonary embolism in the emergency department.

Objectives: The hypothesis was that the tandem measurement of D-dimer and myeloperoxidase (MPO) or C-reactive protein (CRP) could significantly decrease unnecessary pulmonary vascular imaging in emergency department (ED) patients evaluated for pulmonary embolism (PE) compared to D-dimer alone. Methods: The authors measured the sequential combinations of D-dimer and MPO and D-dimer and CRP in a prospective sample of ED patients evaluated for PE at two centers. Patients were followed for 90 days for venous thromboembolism (VTE, either PE or deep venous thrombosis [DVT]), which required the consensus of two of three blinded physician reviewers. Results: The authors enrolled 304 patients, 22 with VTE (7%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 5% to 10%). The sensitivity and specificity of a D-dimer alone (cutoff ≥ 500 ng/mL) were 100% (95% CI = 85% to 100%) and 59% (95% CI = 53% to 65%), respectively, and was followed by pulmonary vascular imaging negative for PE in 38% (115/304; 95% CI = 32% to 44%). The combination of either a negative D-dimer, or MPO < 22 mg/dL, had a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 73% (95% CI = 67% to 78%). Thus, tandem measurement of D-dimer and MPO would have decreased the frequency of subsequent negative pulmonary vascular imaging from 38% to 25% (95% CI of the difference of −13% = −5% to −20%). The combination of CRP and D-dimer would not have significantly improved the rate of negative imaging. Conclusions: The tandem measurement of D-dimer and MPO would have significantly decreased negative pulmonary vascular imaging compared with D-dimer alone and should be validated prospectively.
Commutative Boolean monoids, reduced rings, and the compressed zero-divisor graph

Let R be a commutative ring with 1≠0. The zero-divisor graph Γ(R) of R is the (undirected) graph whose vertices consist of the nonzero zero-divisors of R such that distinct vertices x and y are adjacent if and only if xy=0. The relation on R given by r∼s if and only if annR(r)=annR(s) is an equivalence relation. The compressed zero-divisor graph ΓE(R) is the (undirected) graph whose vertices are the equivalence classes induced by ∼ other than [0] and [1], such that distinct vertices [r] and [s] are adjacent in ΓE(R) if and only if rs=0. We investigate ΓE(R) when R is reduced and are interested in when ΓE(R)≅Γ(S) for a reduced ring S. Among other results, it is shown that ΓE(R)≅Γ(B) for some Boolean ring B if and only if Γ(R) (and hence ΓE(R)) is a complemented graph, and this is equivalent to the total quotient ring of R being a von Neumann regular ring.
Thermodynamic additivity of sequence variations: an algorithm for creating high affinity peptides without large libraries or structural information.

Background There is a significant need for affinity reagents with high target affinity/specificity that can be developed rapidly and inexpensively. Existing affinity reagent development approaches, including protein mutagenesis, directed evolution, and fragment-based design utilize large libraries and/or require structural information thereby adding time and expense. Until now, no systematic approach to affinity reagent development existed that could produce nanomolar affinity from small chemically synthesized peptide libraries without the aid of structural information. Methodology/Principal Findings Based on the principle of additivity, we have developed an algorithm for generating high affinity peptide ligands. In this algorithm, point-variations in a lead sequence are screened and combined in a systematic manner to achieve additive binding energies. To demonstrate this approach, low-affinity lead peptides for multiple protein targets were identified from sparse random sequence space and optimized to high affinity in just two chemical steps. In one example, a TNF-α binding peptide with Kd = 90 nM and high target specificity was generated. The changes in binding energy associated with each variation were generally additive upon combining variations, validating the basis of the algorithm. Interestingly, cooperativity between point-variations was not observed, and in a few specific cases, combinations were less than energetically additive. Conclusions/Significance By using this additivity algorithm, peptide ligands with high affinity for protein targets were generated. With this algorithm, one of the highest affinity TNF-α binding peptides reported to date was produced. Most importantly, high affinity was achieved from small, chemically-synthesized libraries without the need for structural information at any time during the process. This is significantly different than protein mutagenesis, directed evolution, or fragment-based design approaches, which rely on large libraries and/or structural guidance. With this algorithm, high affinity/specificity peptide ligands can be developed rapidly, inexpensively, and in an entirely chemical manner.
Effect of Azotemia in Dogs on the Pharmacokinetics of Pentamidine

We used a new high-performance liquid-chromatography assay to study the pharmacokinetics of pentamidine isethionate given intravenously to 10 dogs before and after surgically induced renal failure. The presurgery peak serum concentration of pentamidine averaged 867 ng/ml and by 6 hr had fallen to 30 ng/ml. After surgery the peak and 6-hr concentrations were 780 ng/ml and 28 ng/ml. Mean total body clearance of pentamidine before surgery was 46.7 ml/min per kg, of which only 2.0 ml/min per kg was due to renal clearance. After surgery, total body clearance was 40.0 ml/min per kg, even though renal clearance had fallen 80Vo ? to 0.4 ml/min per kg. Two dogs with azotemia and two control dogs received 14 daily infusions of pentamidine. Kinetic parameters measured after the last dose were not significantly different from those after the first dose, and the amount of pentamidine recovered from tissues was similar for dogs with azotemia and controls. In summary, because renal clearance of pentamidine accounted for such a small proportion of total body clearance, none of the parameters measured was affected significantly by moderate azotemia. In the United States, pentamidine isethionate is used most commonly for treating Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients who have failed to respond to or who have developed adverse reactions to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Before 1982 only a few patients had this disease, and only a fraction of these patients did not respond to or did not tolerate trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. The advent of the epidemic of AIDS dramatically changed these numbers. Over 60^0 of patients with AIDS develop Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, and many of these develop adverse reactions to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. By summer 1984, over 200 new patients a month were receiving pentamidine (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], Parasitic Diseases Drug Service, unpublished data).
Excitons in the fractional quantum hall effect

Quasiparticles of charge 1/m in the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect form excitons, which are collective excitations physically similar to the transverse magnetoplasma oscillations of a Wigner crystal. A variational exciton wavefunction which shows explicitly that the magnetic length is effectively longer for quasiparticles than for electrons is proposed. This wavefunction is used to estimate the dispersion relation of these excitons and the matrix elements to generate them optically out of the ground state. These quantities are then used to describe a type of nonlinear conductivity which may occur in these systems when they are relatively clean.
CO2 storage resources, reserves, and reserve growth: Toward a methodology for integrated assessment of the storage capacity of oil and gas reservoirs and saline formations

Abstract Geologically based methodologies to assess the possible volumes of subsurface CO 2 storage must apply clear and uniform definitions of resource and reserve concepts to each assessment unit (AU). Application of the current state of knowledge of geologic, hydrologic, geochemical, and geophysical parameters (contingencies) that control storage volume and injectivity allows definition of the contingent resource (CR) of storage. The parameters known with the greatest certainty are based on observations on known traps (KTs) within the AU that produced oil, gas, and water. The aggregate volume of KTs within an AU defines the most conservation volume of contingent resource. Application of the concept of reserve growth to CR volume provides a logical path for subsequent reevaluation of the total resource as knowledge of CO 2 storage processes increases during implementation of storage projects. Increased knowledge of storage performance over time will probably allow the volume of the contingent resource of storage to grow over time, although negative growth is possible.
Viruses manipulate the marine environment

Marine viruses affect Bacteria, Archaea and eukaryotic organisms and are major components of the marine food web. Most studies have focused on their role as predators and parasites, but many of the interactions between marine viruses and their hosts are much more complicated. A series of recent studies has shown that viruses have the ability to manipulate the life histories and evolution of their hosts in remarkable ways, challenging our understanding of this almost invisible world.
Hippocampal damage equally impairs memory for single items and memory for conjunctions

In a prior study of continuous recognition performance, data were reported in support of the hypothesis that the hippocampus is not needed to remember the individual components of a stimulus but is important for remembering associations between its components (Kroll et al. 1996. J Mem Lang 35:176-196). Patients with left hippocampal damage were able to endorse recently encountered words and to reject novel words, as well as disyllabic words in which one of the syllables had been previously encountered. However, they failed to reject words in which both syllables had been encountered independently in different words. We present data from five experiments designed to examine this finding in more detail. In each experiment, five patients with bilateral hippocampal damage and eight controls were tested using the same protocol as Kroll et al. (1996). On each trial, a two-component stimulus was presented. Stimuli could be entirely novel, novel with one previously encountered (repeated) component, novel but with both components repeated, or a true repetition. The first experiment was a direct replication using the same disyllabic words as Kroll et al. (1996). The second experiment used pseudo-words, constructed of two monosyllabic words (e.g., jambark). The third experiment used the same pairs of monosyllabic words, but presented separately on the screen to encourage participants to treat each component independently. The fourth experiment used pairs of objects, and the fifth experiment used face-house pairs. In all five experiments, patients with hippocampal damage exhibited impaired recognition memory. The impairment extended across all trial types with no evidence that hippocampal damage selectively (or disproportionately) impaired the associative or conjunctive component of memory. We discuss our findings in the light of the work by Kroll et al. (1996) and other recent neuropsychological, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging studies of hippocampal function and single-item and associative memory.
Rhodococcus equi Pneumonia: An Unusual Early Manifestation of the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

Infection with Rhodococcus equi has been reported as an occasional cause of cavitary pneumonia in severely immunocompromised patients, including those with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). We report two cases of R equi pneumonia presenting in one month in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who had not previously had an opportunistic infection. The clinical and radiographic manifestations of the disease are distinctive and should suggest the diagnosis. R equi pneumonia in a person with HIV infection should be considered diagnostic of AIDS. Recognition of this entity is important since antibiotic therapy is different from that conventionally used in pneumonias in AIDS patients and must be prolonged.
Case Study of an Orographically Induced Mesoscale Vortex (Denver Cyclone)

Abstract Observations taken during the Convection Initiation and Downburst Experiment (CINDE) are used to describe the formation and structure of an orographically induced mesoscale vortex that frequently occurs in northeastern Colorado. This vortex, known locally as the Denver Cyclone due to its proximity to the Denver metropolitan area, is frequently associated with severe weather. We present a case study of the Denver Cyclone of 25 June 1987, that formed during the late morning hours and remained nearly stationary for over 24 hours. Interesting features of the case study vortex are: low-level convergence into the center of the cyclone during nighttime hours but divergence at the center when daytime heating becomes significant; a very shallow initial vertical extent at night, growing to nearly 1500 m during the daytime hours; a cold pool of air on the west side of the vortex, with highest surface potential temperatures present in a warm plume on the east side; a perturbation low pressure of ∼150 Pa in t...
A Combined-Techniques Approach to Elucidating Crystalline Interface Atomic Structure

A case study is presented in which HREM, Z-Contrast Imaging and EELS are used as complementary techniques for elucidating interface structure. The NiO-ZrO2(cubic) interface is investigated along two orthogonal directions by these electron imaging and spectroscopy techniques to reveal the three-dimensional interface structure. Based on findings from this study, a protocol is suggested for using all three experimental techniques to gain a thorough understanding of interface structures.
Climate change and agriculture in the Mid-Atlantic Region

Agriculture in the Mid-Atlantic Region, like agriculture worldwide, has an intrinsic rela- tionship with climate. This article considers how climate change might affect future Mid-Atlantic agri- culture. Our assessment differs from prior work in 2 important ways. First, prior assessments have for the most part examined the impacts of future climate change on present-day agriculture, neglecting the fact that agriculture is likely to change dramatically in the coming century independent of climate change. Second, previous assessments have focused almost exclusively on the impacts of climate change on agricultural production. Societal interest in agriculture, however, is much broader than pro- duction because agriculture is a source of both rural amenities and negative environmental impacts. Our assessment suggests that Mid-Atlantic crop and livestock production will probably not change sig- nificantly in either direction. There might be changes in the environmental impacts of agricultural pro- duction and land use, but we currently lack evidence on the magnitudes and even directions of these changes. Given that agriculture currently has significant negative impacts on water quality in many areas, including the Chesapeake Bay, this should be a high priority for research. In addition, research is needed to understand climate impacts on agriculture's contributions to wildlife habitat, rural land- scape amenities and carbon sequestration.
Enrichment of breast cancer stem-like cells by growth on electrospun polycaprolactone-chitosan nanofiber scaffolds.

A small population of highly tumorigenic breast cancer cells has recently been identified. These cells, known as breast-cancer stem-like cells (BCSC), express markers similar to mammary stem cells, and are highly resistant to chemotherapy. Currently, study of BCSC is hampered by the inability to propagate these cells in tissue culture without inducing differentiation. Recently, it was reported that proliferation and differentiation can be modified by culturing cells on electrospun nanofibers. Here, we sought to characterize the chemoresistance and stem-like properties of breast cancer cell lines grown on nanofiber scaffolds. Cells cultured on three-dimensional templates of electrospun poly(e-caprolactone)-chitosan nanofibers showed increases in mammary stem cell markers and in sphere-forming ability compared with cells cultured on polystyrene culture dishes. There was no increase in proliferation of stem cell populations, indicating that culture on nanofibers may inhibit differentiation of BCSC. The increase in stemness was accompanied by increases in resistance to docetaxel and doxorubicin. These data indicate that BCSC populations are enriched in cells cultured on electrospun poly(e-caprolactone)-chitosan nanofibers, scaffolds that may provide a useful system to study BCSC and their response to anticancer drug treatment.
Synthesis and reactions of molybdenum triamidoamine complexes containing hexaisopropylterphenyl substituents.

We have synthesized a triamidoamine ligand ([(RNCH2CH2)3N]3-) in which R is 3,5-(2,4,6-i-Pr3C6H2)2C6H3 (hexaisopropylterphenyl or HIPT). The reaction between MoCl4(THF)2 and H3[HIPTN3N] in THF followed by 3.1 equiv of LiN(SiMe3)2 led to formation of orange [HIPTN3N]MoCl. Reduction of MoCl (Mo = [HIPTN3N]Mo) with magnesium in THF under dinitrogen led to formation of salts that contain the {Mo(N2)}- ion. The {Mo(N2)}- ion can be oxidized by zinc chloride to give Mo(N2) or protonated to give MoNNH. The latter was found to decompose to yield MoH. Other relevant compounds that have been prepared include {MoN−NH2}+ (by protonation of MoNNH), Mo⋮N, {Mo=NH}+ (by protonation of Mo⋮N), and {Mo(NH3)}+ (by treating MoCl with ammonia). (The anion is usually {B(3,5-(CF3)2C6H3)4}- = {BAr‘4}-.) X-ray studies were carried out on {Mg(DME)3}0.5[Mo(N2)], MoNNMgBr(THF)3, Mo(N2), Mo⋮N, and {Mo(NH3)}{BAr‘4}. These studies suggest that the HIPT substituent on the triamidoamine ligand creates a cavity that stabilizes a variety of...
Telomerase reverse transcriptase subunit immunoreactivity: a marker for high-grade prostate carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein complex that maintains telomeric DNA, has been detected in 67–93% of prostate carcinomas by telomeric repeat-amplification protocol assay (involving polymerase chain reaction). One study used in situ hybridization in nine patients; however, to date, no immunohistochemical results have been published. METHODS From two hospitals, the authors compiled data on 62 patients who underwent prostatectomy from January 1996 to May 2001. Representative tissue sections were immunostained with a polyclonal antibody to telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), the catalytic subunit of telomerase. Staining was evaluated by two observers and was correlated with grade, stage, and biochemical failure. There were 28 sections from low-grade to intermediate-grade tumors (Gleason score, 3–6), 14 sections with a Gleason score of 3 + 4 = 7, 9 sections with a Gleason score of 4 + 3 = 7, and 11 sections from high-grade tumors (Gleason score, 8–10). RESULTS From low-grade to high-grade tumors, the four groups described above disclosed nuclear reactivity in 64%, 100%, 100%, and 100% of sections, respectively. Mean percentages of 5%, 15%, 40%, and 51% of nuclei were reactive in the respective groups (P < 0.0001) with intratumoral heterogeneity. The percent of reactive tumor nuclei was not correlated with pathologic stage (P = 0.32) or margin status (P = 0.35). The basal cell layer in sections of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) and benign/atrophic acini was reactive; secretory cells were reactive in 13 of 34 HGPIN foci (38%) in 1–20% of nuclei and were never reactive in benign acini. Lymphocytes and skeletal muscle were reactive. Weak, nonspecific, cytoplasmic staining was noted in benign and tumor acini. CONCLUSIONS Like cytokeratin 34βE12, nuclear anti-TERT reactivity is a basal cell marker in nonneoplastic prostatic acini. Anti-TERT reactivity is acquired by secretory cells in tumorigenesis, but consistent reactivity is restricted to high-grade carcinoma (Gleason primary pattern ≥4). This histologic evidence suggests that higher grade tumors have maximally activated telomerase and may be most responsive to antitelomerase therapy. Cancer 2002;95:2487–93. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10988
Naltrexone for the management of alcohol dependence.

A 44-year-old businessman with a history of hypertension presents for evaluation with a report of being under stress at work and home, which has led to “unsatisfactory” sleep. Although there is some despondency, screening for depression is negative. His blood pressure is 158/98 mm Hg. Laboratory results include a mean corpuscular volume of 102 fl (normal range, 80 to 100), an alanine aminotransferase level of 60 U per liter (normal range, 7 to 41), an aspartate aminotransferase level of 45 U per liter (normal range, 12 to 38), and a γ-glutamyltransferase level of 110 U per liter (normal range, 9 to 58). His physician asks about alcohol consumption, and the patient admits that perhaps he drinks “more than he should,” since he often wakes up with a hang-over and arrives late to work. After weekend golf outings, he comes home intoxicated, leading to arguments with his wife and embarrassment in front of his children. He has been quietly wondering about the need to cut down or stop drinking and wants some advice. His physician discusses medication or a referral to an alcohol clinic for further evaluation. Naltrexone is proposed as a treatment option.
NSeq: a multithreaded Java application for finding positioned nucleosomes from sequencing data

We introduce NSeq, a fast and efficient Java application for finding positioned nucleosomes from the high-throughput sequencing of MNase-digested mononucleosomal DNA. NSeq includes a user-friendly graphical interface, computes false discovery rates for candidate nucleosomes from Monte Carlo simulations, plots nucleosome coverage and centers, and exploits the availability of multiple processor cores by parallelizing its computations. Java binaries and source code are freely available at https://github.com/songlab/NSeq. The software is supported on all major platforms equipped with Java Runtime Environment 6 or later.
Surface Level Ozone and its Adverse Effects on Crops and Forests: A Need for an Interdisciplinary Understanding

Surface level ozone (O3) is clearly a global scale problem with regard to its adverse effects on crops, forests and native, terrestrial plant ecosystems. Photochemists and meteorologists are continuing to define the chemistry and physics of the prevalence of O3 at the ground level. Similarly, plant scientists in the U.S. and Europe have examined the effects of O3 on crops and tree seedlings or saplings through large-scale studies. Examples include the U.S. National Crop Loss Assessment Network (NCLAN), the U.S. EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency’s) San Bernardino National Forest Photochemical Oxidant Study, European Open-top Chambers Programme (EOTCP), and several ongoing EU (European Union) projects. In addition, there have been studies on mature tree responses through field measurements and by simulation modeling.
Effect of the oral hypoglycemic agent 2-tetradecylglycidic acid on fatty acid oxidation in suckling rats in vivo and in perfused liver.

Abstract The hypoglycemic agent, 2-tetradecylglycidic acid (TDGA), administered in vivo lowered the concentration of plasma glucose and ketone bodies but raised the concentration of liver and plasma triglycerides in 10-day-old suckling rats. Phospholipid and cholesterol content of the plasma and liver were unaffected by drug treatment. TDGA inhibited the in vivo oxidation of [1-14C]palmitate but not that of [1-14C]decanoate. In suckling rat liver perfusion, TDGA totally inhibited ketone body formation from palmitate and depressed ketone body production from decanoate by 20%. Liver ATP and ADP content in the presence of TDGA decreased although this was probably a reflection of the increased triglyceride content of the liver since the ATP ADP was the same as control livers. The results are discussed in relation to the diet and to the inhibition of carnitine acyl transferase in suckling rats.
Nocturnal male sex drive in Drosophila.

Summary Many behaviors and physiological processes including locomotor activity, feeding, sleep, mating, and migration are dependent on daily or seasonally reoccurring, external stimuli [1–3]. In D. melanogaster , one of the best-studied circadian behaviors is locomotion. The fruit fly is considered a diurnal (day active/night inactive) insect, based on locomotor-activity recordings of single, socially naive flies [4, 5]. We developed a new circadian paradigm that can simultaneously monitor two flies in simple social contexts. We find that heterosexual couples exhibit a drastically different locomotor-activity pattern than individual males, females, or homosexual couples. Specifically, male-female couples exhibit a brief rest phase around dusk but are highly active throughout the night and early morning. This distinct locomotor-activity rhythm is dependent on the clock genes and synchronized with close-proximity encounters, which reflect courtship, between the male and female. The close-proximity rhythm is dependent on the male and not the female and requires circadian oscillators in the brain and the antenna. Taken together, our data show that constant exposure to stimuli emanating from the female and received by the male olfactory and other sensory systems is responsible for the significant shift in intrinsic locomotor output of socially interacting flies.
Turbulent Natural Convection Heat Transfer to Gases at High Wall Temperatures.

In this paper, a model is presented that provides good agreement when compared with the correlations of Pirovano et al. and Siebers et al. within the parametric range of the existing data. However, the model disagrees with models suggesting an explicit temperature correction term, such as the model of Siebers et al., outside the parametric range of the data. The major disagreement in the two types of models arises when they are applied to the conditions when hot gases are cooled by natural convection while in contact with a cold wall (T[sub w]/T[sub a] < 1). However, there are no pertinent data to verify the applicability of either model to such conditions. 5 refs., 1 fig.
Integrative thermodynamic optimization of the environmental control system of an aircraft

Abstract In this paper we propose to optimize the geometric configuration of a component by maximizing the global thermodynamic performance of the much larger system that contains the component. This “integrative” approach departs from current thermodynamic optimization practice in which the configuration of a component (e.g., heat exchanger) is optimized by itself, in isolation. In the present example the larger system is an aircraft and the component is its environmental control system (ECS). We show that the configuration of the ECS impacts the performance (exergy destruction, fuel consumption) of the aircraft in two ways, not one: through its own irreversibility, and its weight-related contribution to the power required to sustain the flight. By minimizing the thermodynamic losses at the aircraft level, we deduce all the geometric details of the cross-flow heat exchanger that dominates the weight and structure of the ECS. The optimized geometry is robust with respect to changes in some of the operating parameters that have to be specified. The integrative method illustrated in this paper is generally applicable to the optimization of architecture in other systems where all the functions are driven by the exergy of the fuel installed onboard.
Helium Content of Beryllium

THE abnormally high helium content of several Palaeozoic beryls discovered by Strutt1 has recently been verified by Paneth and Guenther.2 Atkinson and Houttermans have discussed3 the proton bombardment in the interior of the stars and the possible formation of Be8 which being probably unstable would yield two helium nuclei, and Lord Rayleigh4 suggests that the high helium content of beryls might conceivably be due to Be8 which has existed in geological times even if not known to exist at present. This implies, however, that Be8 existed at least in Palaeozoic times, a relatively very late period since the star state and proton bombardment. The recent experiments of Cockcroft and Walton5 would indicate that Be8 can have only a very short life period. A possible source of excess helium might be found, however, in the following proposed mechanism: Be9 + α-particle = 3 He nuclei + neutron, and treating this in a similar manner to Chadwick's treatment,6 the maximum energy of the emission of the neutron is about 5.2 × 106electron volts as compared to 5.7 × 106 found in Chadwick's experiments and a maximum energy of about 8 × 106 electron volts given by the equation assuming C12 is the end product. If both mechanisms are possible we might then expect two groups of neutrons of different maximum energies. In the Palaeozoic beryl, about 300 × 106 years old, radium was detected but no thorium. The α-particle of greatest kinetic energy is therefore from Ra C' which would give a maximum energy to the neutron of about 7.7 × 106 volts or about 10.5 × 106 if C12 is the end product.
Structure of the hexapeptide xenobiotic acetyltransferase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The crystal structure of the xenobiotic acetyltransferase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA103 (PaXAT) has been determined, as well as that of its complex with the substrate chloramphenicol and the co...
Selenium renal homeostasis is impaired in patients receiving long-term total parenteral nutrition

Selenium deficiency has been reported previously in patients receiving long-term total parenteral nutrition (TPN) without selenium supplementation in their solutions. The recommended dietary allowance for selenium is 0.87 microgram/kg, of which 80% is absorbed. We studied 28 adult long-term TPN patients aged 21 to 79 years (mean, 51.2 +/- 3.0 years) who have received TPN for 8.3 +/- 4.4 years. They receive 40 to 60 micrograms of selenium daily in their TPN solution. Twenty-one (75%) of 28 patients had low serum selenium levels. Of the patients with low serum selenium levels, 15 (73%) had elevated urinary selenium losses. However, no significant correlation between serum or urine selenium levels and glomerular filtration rate (measured by indium-111-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid clearance) or renal tubular function was observed. We conclude that the previously described renal homeostatic mechanism for selenium conservation may be significantly impaired in patients receiving long-term TPN. Such patients may require much larger doses of selenium than previously recommended. Therefore, patients receiving long-term TPN should have their serum selenium level monitored even though they receive daily selenium supplementation.
Effects of cyclophosphamide on lesions induced by persistent LCM virus infection in gnotobiotic mice

Cyclophosphamide (CP) has shown therapeutic benefits for treatment of immnoproliferative disease associated with persistent LCM virus infection. Depending on the age of LCM mice at onset of the treatment, the classical lesions were prevented or reversed by treatment with the drug. Reappearance of lesions following cessation of treatment coincided with the time period in which lesions originally appeared in the organs, namely about 5 months. CP can control the symptoms and lesions of the disease, but does not show antiviral activity.
PTK2b function during fertilization of the mouse oocyte

Fertilization triggers rapid changes in intracellular free calcium that serve to activate multiple signaling events critical to the initiation of successful development. Among the pathways downstream of the fertilization-induced calcium transient is the calcium-calmodulin dependent protein tyrosine kinase PTK2b or PYK2 kinase. PTK2b plays an important role in fertilization of the zebrafish oocyte and the objective of the present study was to establish whether PTK2b also functions in mammalian fertilization. PTK2b was activated during the first few hours after fertilization of the mouse oocyte during the period when anaphase resumption was underway and prior to the pronuclear stage. Suppression of PTK2b kinase activity in oocytes blocked sperm incorporation and egg activation although sperm-oocyte binding was not affected. Oocytes that failed to incorporate sperm after inhibitor treatment showed no evidence of a calcium transient and no evidence of anaphase resumption suggesting that egg activation did not occur. The results indicate that PTK2b functions during the sperm-egg fusion process or during the physical incorporation of sperm into the egg cytoplasm and is therefore critical for successful development.
Cataract Extraction Outcomes and the Prevalence of Zonular Insufficiency in Retinitis Pigmentosa

Purpose To examine surgical outcomes in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) undergoing phacoemulsification cataract extraction. Design Retrospective observational case series. Patients and Methods In this single-institution study of consecutive RP patients who underwent phacoemulsification cataract extraction and intraocular lens implantation by a single surgeon between 2002 and 2012, preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative records were analyzed with attention to best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), lens and zonular status, capsular tension ring use, incidence of posterior capsular opacification and neodymium-doped yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG) laser capsulotomy, and surgical complications. Results Eighty eyes of 47 RP patients (21 male) underwent cataract surgery during the study period at an average age of 48.9 years (range, 31-78 years). Mean follow-up time was 23.3 months (range, 1 day - 95 months). Posterior subcapsular cataracts were present in 97.5% of patients. Mean BCVA improved from 20/340 (logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution [logMAR] 1.23) to 20/129 (0.81) within 3 months of surgery, P P Conclusion Cataract surgery yields significantly improved Snellen visual acuity in a majority of RP patients with a preoperative vision of 20/200 or better. Conversely, patients with a preoperative visual acuity of 20/400 or worse generally have more limited objective improvements, likely because of macular involvement, but usually report noticeable subjective improvement. A high prevalence of zonular instability is seen in RP patients undergoing cataract extraction. It is therefore important to conduct a careful preoperative assessment of lens stability with preparation for adjunctive methods that augment intraoperative and postoperative lens stabilization.
The contested space of prudence in the 1874–1875 civil rights debate

This essay examines how the rhetoric of Reconstruction congressional actors expressed divergent modes of political judgment with respect to the civil rights of African Americans. Through an interpretive analysis of the 1874–1875 civil rights debate, the essay contends that proponents and opponents enacted adverse norms of discursive practice and competing conceptions of equality. This conflict's discourse helped to bring about the separate but equal doctrine that guided race relations into the next century. This essay concludes that when studied as a contested space, prudence can reveal the evolution of a rhetorical culture and community.
A high-performance distributed parallel file system for data-intensive computations

One of the challenges brought by large-scale scientific applications is how to avoid remote storage access by collectively using sufficient local storage resources to hold huge amounts of data generated by the simulation while providing high-performance I/O. DPFS, a distributed parallel file system, is designed and implemented to address this problem. DPFS collects locally distributed and unused storage resources as a supplement to the internal storage of parallel computing systems to satisfy the storage capacity requirement of large-scale applications. In addition, like parallel file systems, DPFS provides striping mechanisms that divide a file into small pieces and distributes them across multiple storage devices for parallel data access. The unique feature of DPFS is that it provides three file levels with each file level corresponding to a file striping method. In addition to the traditional linear striping method, DPFS also provides a novel Multidimensional striping method that can solve performance problems of linear striping for many popular access patterns. Other issues such as load-balancing and user interface are also addressed in DPFS.
Multispectral imaging of vegetation at Biosphere 2

Abstract Remote sensing plays a key role in the study of Earth’s biological processes on a global scale and can also be used in experimental settings. Here we report initial results of a pilot project to explore the potential of remote sensing to measure and monitor vegetation within the thornscrub mesocosm of the Biosphere 2 experimental facility in Oracle, AZ, USA. Goals of the project were to investigate methods for mapping the spatial distribution of diverse species within the facility and to monitor vegetation changes over time. We show that the total cross-sectional area of vegetation within a scene can be estimated from digital visible and near-infrared images obtained from simple and inexpensive camera systems. Plant species can be distinguished on the basis of morphology and appearance in false-color images, allowing estimation of the fractional cross-sectional area occupied by each plant type. Changes in cross-sectional areas can be used to monitor temporal variations such as those caused by growth or senescence, possibly providing an alternative to destructive testing techniques. Practical considerations complicate the derivation of biologically useful information from remotely sensed data inside Biosphere 2. Future research will focus on the relationship between the cross-sectional areas derived from image analysis and important parameters such as Leaf-Area-Index (LAI) and growth rate.
Conversion of 5-Methylcytosine to 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine in Mammalian DNA by MLL Partner TET1

DNA cytosine methylation is crucial for retrotransposon silencing and mammalian development. In a computational search for enzymes that could modify 5-methylcytosine (5mC), we identified TET proteins as mammalian homologs of the trypanosome proteins JBP1 and JBP2, which have been proposed to oxidize the 5-methyl group of thymine. We show here that TET1, a fusion partner of the MLL gene in acute myeloid leukemia, is a 2-oxoglutarate (2OG)- and Fe(II)-dependent enzyme that catalyzes conversion of 5mC to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (hmC) in cultured cells and in vitro. hmC is present in the genome of mouse embryonic stem cells, and hmC levels decrease upon RNA interference–mediated depletion of TET1. Thus, TET proteins have potential roles in epigenetic regulation through modification of 5mC to hmC.
Meeting report: “Depression and Anxiety Spectrum disorders: from basic science to the clinic and back”

In March, 2012 we held the first Mideast conference on “Depression and Anxiety Spectrum disorders: from basic science to the clinic and back”, at the University of Amman, Jordan. This event brought together both clinical and basic scientists with expertise in depression and anxiety spectrum disorders. The meeting took place in a large lecture hall at the University of Jordan Medical School. The audience included faculty, residents, and students. The Dean of the Medical School opened the meeting, welcoming the guest speakers and participants.
Editorial-Defining and Measuring Value

About one year ago, when senior editor Paul Maglio asked me to edit a special issue of the journal Service Science I was flattered and grateful. When he told me to pick whatever topic for the issue that I desired, I was incited to promote a particular research agenda that I believe is central to the discipline of service science. My response was immediate. I accepted the invitation and chose value as the topic for this issue. As a devotee of service dominant logic (SDL) and the new science of service that it engendered, I have preached the doctrine that the distinguishing characteristic of service is cocreation of value. However, in my study of this field and my interaction with other researchers who are far more knowledgeable than I, a disturbing impression emerged. It seems that nobody has a precise definition of value, a model of its construction, or a methodology for evaluating it. Any research in cocreative processes provokes a host of questions about the very objective of the cocreation. Other authors have shed light on some of these questions. Ng and Smith’s (2012) review of literature on value reveals numerous perspectives of value that include value as utility, economic worth, perceived satisfaction, net benefit, means-end, and phenomenological experience. As an integrating and reconciling framework, they propose that value and value creation take place through an interplay of access consciousness and phenomenal consciousness. As illuminating as this work is, the service scientist will still encounter many conceptual digressions on the path toward modeling service systems. The purpose of this special issue is to advance the discipline’s knowledge of the definition and measurement of value. We are fortunate to have received six outstanding treatises on this subject of value. Although these papers offer six different perspectives on value, we only scratch the surface. I urge the reader to keep in mind that our ambition in presenting this special issue is to initiate a discussion and debate within the service science community on questions of central importance that have defied valid answers. In reading the papers in this special issue, I am rewarded with many new questions. Without any hope of obtaining answers to even a fraction of these questions, I post them here to illustrate the motive for this special issue and to orient the readers’ thinking during the reading of the papers in this special issue.
Techniques for providing software engineering education to working professionals

As the pace of change of technology increases, software engineering professionals are experiencing a pressure to maintain currency in recent developments in the software engineering field. Providing effective education to this population of working professionals is of increasing importance. This paper is an initial investigation of effective education techniques that may be employed when teaching working professionals. The paper will attempt to answer two main questions: 1) What techniques does prior research indicate might be effective in teaching working professionals? 2) How might these techniques be employed in software engineering courses for working professionals? Survey-based feedback from prior software courses taught to working professionals will be used to provide baseline insight into techniques in current courses and to suggest directions for future efforts. This feedback is taken from multiple courses taught to adult working professional students spanning several semesters and two U.S. institutions.
The Impact of Prairie Strips on Aphidophagous Predator Abundance and Soybean Aphid Predation in Agricultural Catchments

Reconstructing prairie vegetation in row crop-dominated agricultural landscapes may contribute to several ecosystem services, including the biological control of insect pests, such as the soybean aphid Aphis glycines Matsumura. The influence of the amount and configuration of reconstructed prairie vegetation on the delivery of ecosystem services was investigated in several small catchments at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa. Treatments include catchments entirely in row crops under a no-till, corn-soybean (Zea mays L.-Glycine max [L.] Merrill) rotation, catchments with 10% of the land in prairie located at the base, and catchments with 10 or 20% of the land in multiple contour strips of prairie. During 2009 and 2011 growing seasons, we measured abundance and diversity of aphidophagous insect predators in response to treatment and habitat type (i.e., soybean, prairie). In 2011, we further studied the biological control of soybean aphids by artificially infesting uncaged and caged plants to prevent exposure from predators. While aphidophagous predators were more abundant in prairie, populations of key aphid predators did not significantly differ among treatments. Biological control of the soybean aphid did not differ among treatments or with distance from prairie. Our results suggest that prairie strips, in addition to providing soil and water quality benefits, may increase the populations of beneficial insects, but may not directly impact biocontrol. We propose several hypotheses to explain why we did not observe more soybean aphid predation with the increased abundance of aphidophagous predators in catchments containing prairie.