cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Firm Financing in India: Recent Risks and Patterns

Using balance sheet information for nearly 6,000 firms between 1994-2003, Love and Martinez Peria investigate recent firm financing patterns in India. They document the overall use of debt and, in particular, the role of bank financing (short-term and long-term), trade credit, intra-business group borrowing, and foreign financing. The authors examine financing patterns over time and explore differences across firms by sector, age, ownership type, export orientation, and, in particular, size. In terms of trends, they find that while debt to asset ratios have been relatively stable, nominal debt growth has slowed down in recent years. At the same time, firms' repayment capacity, as measured by the interest coverage ratio, has exhibited a U-shaped pattern falling during 1997-99 and recovering in recent years. Throughout the period of study, bank financing as a share of total debt has increased, while borrowing from nonbank financial institutions fell sharply. In terms of differences across firms, the most robust finding is that debt levels increase with firm size. Smaller firms have especially less debt relative to larger firms if they are young (below 10 years since incorporation), if they are in the manufacturing sector, and if they are located in Southern India. Furthermore, while the ratio of debt to assets has been relatively stable for large firms, the authors observe a significant decline for smaller firms. Overall, the findings presented provide suggestive (but not definite) evidence of stronger credit constraints for smaller firms. This paper - a product of the Finance Team, Development Research Group - is part of a larger effort in the department to study access to finance.
How Explanation Adequacy of Security Policy Changes Decreases Organizational Computer Abuse

We use Fairness Theory to help explain why sometimes security policy sometimes backfire and increase security violations. Explanation adequacy — a key component of Fairness Theory — is expected to increase employees’ trust in their organization. This trust should decrease internal computer abuse incidents following the implementation of security changes.The results of our analysis provide support for Fairness Theory as applied to our context of computer abuse. First, the simple act of giving employees advance notification for future information security changes positively influences employees’ perceptions of organizational communication efforts. The adequacy of these explanations is also buoyed by SETA programs. Second, explanation adequacy and SETA programs work in unison to foster organizational trust. Finally, organizational trust significantly decreases internal computer abuse incidents. Our findings show how organizational communication can influence the overall effectiveness of information security changes among employees and how organizations can avoid becoming victim to their own efforts.
Languages for Graphic Attention-Handling

The primary area of software research into interactive computer graphics has been in the design of languages for the definition of pictures and the required underlying data structures. While this research is undoubtedly important, it is unfortunate that it has been performed largely to the neglect of research into improved techniques and languages for the interaction phase. The result has been that while it is getting increasingly easier to define pictures to be displayed, it is still rather difficult to specify the control path to be followed in response to operator interactions which seek to identify and perhaps modify picture elements. The state of the art would appear to be at the macro-using or subroutine-calling level, with little convenience and no particular graphic or interactive orientation.
Abstract 16602: Pulmonary Vascular Response to Metaboreflex Stimulation During Submaximal Exercise in Heart Failure

Introduction: Neural feedback from skeletal muscle during exercise contributes to changes in pulmonary pressures in healthy individuals. Heart failure patients (HF) often develop pulmonary hypertension; however, the relationship between muscle afferent feedback and the pulmonary vasculature in HF remains unclear. Hypothesis: We examined the influence of metaboreceptor stimulation on pulmonary vascular capacitance using a validated non-invasive gas exchange equivalent (GX CAP ) in HF. Methods: Eleven HF patients (age 51±5 yrs; EF, 32±3%; NYHA class, 1.6±0.2) and 11 controls (CTL; age 43±3 yrs) completed 3 cycling session (4-min at 60% of peak oxygen consumption, VO 2 ). Session one: baseline control trial. Sessions 2 and 3: bilateral upper-thigh tourniquets inflated suprasystolic for 2 min at end-exercise (regional circulatory occlusion, RCO) with or without addition of inspired CO 2 to maintain end-exercise end-tidal CO 2 (P ET CO 2 ) (RCO+CO 2 ) (randomized). Rest, exercise, and recovery heart rate (HR), P ET CO 2 , and VO 2 were measured. O 2 pulse (VO 2 /HR) and GX CAP (O 2 pulseхP ET CO 2 ) were calculated. Results: During all conditions at end-exercise, HF demonstrated significantly lower GX CAP compared to CTL (p CAP from end-exercise to 2 min post-exercise was attenuated in HF compared to CTL (41±5% vs 64±1%, respectively, p CAP from end-exercise compared to 77±2% in CTL (p 2 , HF had a 49±4% reduction in GX CAP from end-exercise compared to 69±2% in CTL (p CAP was similar between sessions within HF. The CTL group demonstrated an attenuated return of GX CAP during RCO compared to both baseline and RCO+CO 2 (p 2 . Conclusion: These data suggest the exercise mediated rise and post-exercise recovery of pulmonary vascular capacitance are attenuated in HF during constant-load submaximal exercise compared to CTL. Additionally, our data confirm previous reports that locomotor muscle afferent feedback influences pulmonary vascular capacitance in CTL; however, this model of locomotor muscle metaboreflex stimulation appears to a differential response in HF compared to CTL.
A Condensed Matter View of Giant Resonance Phenomena

It is my intent in this article to present a view of giant resonance phenomena (an essentially atomic phenomenon) from the perspective of a condensed matter physicist with an interest in the optical properties of matter. As we shall see, this amounts to a particular prejudice about how one should think about many-body effects in a system of interacting electrons. Some of these effects are special to condensed matter systems and will be dealt with in the second half of this paper. However, it turns out that my view of the main ingredient to a giant resonance differs significantly from that normally taken by scientists trained in the traditional methods of atomic physics. Therefore, in the first section that follows, I will take advantage of the fact that my contribution to this volume was composed and delivered to the publishers somewhat after the conclusion of the School (rather than before as requested by the organizers) and try to clearly distinguish the differences of opinion presented by the lecturers from the unalterable experimental facts.
Seeing Eye to Eye: Predicting Teacher-Student Agreement on Classroom Social Networks

This study examines the association between classroom characteristics and teacher–student agreement in perceptions of students' classroom peer networks. Social network, peer nomination, and observational data were collected from a sample of second through fourth grade teachers (N = 33) and students (N = 669) in 33 classrooms across five high-poverty urban schools. Results demonstrate that variation in teacher–student agreement on the structure of students' peer networks can be explained, in part, by developmental factors and classroom characteristics. Developmental increases in network density partially mediated the positive relationship between grade level and teacher–student agreement. Larger class sizes and higher levels of normative aggressive behavior resulted in lower levels of teacher–student agreement. Teachers' levels of classroom organization had mixed influences, with behavior management negatively predicting agreement, and productivity positively predicting agreement. These results underscore the importance of the classroom context in shaping teacher and student perceptions of peer networks.
Human Babesiosis: Pathogens, Prevalence, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Human babesiosis is a zoonotic disease caused by protozoan parasites of the Babesia genus, primarily in the Northeastern and Midwest United States due to B. microti, and Western Europe due to B. divergens. Parasites are transmitted by the bite of the ixodid tick when the vector takes a blood meal from the vertebrate host, and the economic importance of bovine babesiosis is well understood. The pathology of human disease is a direct result of the parasite's ability to invade host's red blood cells. The current understanding of human babesiosis epidemiology is that many infections remain asymptomatic, especially in younger or immune competent individuals, and the burden of severe pathology resides within older or immunocompromised individuals. However, transfusion-transmitted babesiosis is an emerging threat to public health as asymptomatic carriers donate blood and there are as yet no licensed or regulated tests to screen blood products for this pathogen. Reports of tick-borne cases within new geographical regions such as the Pacific Northwest of the US, through Eastern Europe, and into China are also on the rise. Further, new Babesia spp. have been identified globally as agents of severe human babesiosis, suggesting that the epidemiology of this disease is rapidly changing, and it is clear that human babesiosis is a serious public health concern that requires close monitoring and effective intervention measure.
Identification of a subgroup of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored tryptases.

Abstract The tryptase locus on mouse chromosome 17A3.3 contains 13 genes that encode enzymatically active serine proteases with different tissue expression profiles and substrate specificities. Mouse mast cell protease (mMCP) 6, mMCP-7, mMCP-11/protease serine member S (Prss) 34, tryptase 6/Prss33, tryptase e/Prss22, implantation serine protease (Isp) 1/Prss28, and Isp-2 are constitutively exocytosed enzymes. We now demonstrate that tryptase 5/Prss32, pancreasin/Prss27, and testis serine protease-1 are inserted into plasma membranes via glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors analogous to Prss21, and that these serine proteases can be released from the cell’s surface by a phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C. These data suggest that the C-terminal residues play key roles in determining where tryptases compartmentalize in cells. GPI-anchored proteins are targeted to lipid rafts. Thus, our identification of a number of GPI-anchored tryptases whose genes reside at mouse chromosome 17A3.3 also implicates important biological functions for this new family of serine proteases on the surfaces of cells.
Primordial non-Gaussianity from the covariance of galaxy cluster counts

It has recently been proposed that the large-scale bias of dark matter halos depends sensitively on primordial non-Gaussianity of the local form. In this paper we point out that the strong scale dependence of the non-Gaussian halo bias imprints a distinct signature on the covariance of cluster counts. We find that using the full covariance of cluster counts results in improvements on constraints on the non-Gaussian parameter f_(NL) of 3 (1) orders of magnitude relative to cluster counts (counts+clustering variance) constraints alone. We forecast f_(NL) constraints for the upcoming Dark Energy Survey in the presence of uncertainties in the mass-observable relation, halo bias, and photometric redshifts. We find that the Dark Energy Survey can yield constraints on non-Gaussianity of σ(f_(NL))~1–5 even for relatively conservative assumptions regarding systematics. Excess of correlations of cluster counts on scales of hundreds of megaparsecs would represent a smoking-gun signature of primordial non-Gaussianity of the local type.
Residency Information Preferences of Recent Pharmacy Residency Applicants.

Background: The increasing number of both postgraduate year (PGY)-1 and PGY-2 residency programs and applicants requires all parties to discriminate among the many options available in the marketplace. Studies assessing the information preferences of pharmacy students searching for residencies, including the utility and popularity of information sources (eg, school brochures, program Web sites, etc), are lacking. Objective: The preferences of recent residency applicants for types and sources of residency program information were assessed to improve the recruitment strategies of residency programs. Methods: A survey was distributed to 1515 residency program directors (RPDs). Questions solicited information regarding use of electronic resources and preference of information used to discriminate between residency programs prior to and during the application/interviewing process. Results: One hundred ninety-two RPDs responded and forwarded the survey to 522 PGY-1 residents and 207 PGY-2 residents. Completed s...
The Caenorhabditis elegans homologue of the extracellular calcium binding protein SPARC/osteonectin affects nematode body morphology and mobility.

Abstract The extracellular matrix-associated protein, SPARC (osteonectin [Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cysteine]), modulates cell adhesion and induces a change in cell morphology. SPARC expression in mammals is developmentally regulated and is highest at sites of extracellular matrix assembly and remodeling such as parietal endoderm and bone. We have isolated cDNA and genomic DNA clones encoding the Caenorhabditis elegans homologue of SPARC. The gene organization is highly conserved, and the proteins encoded by mouse, human, and nematode genes are about 38% identical. SPARC consists of four domains (I-IV) based on predicted secondary structure. Using bacterial fusion proteins containing nematode domain I or the domain IV EF-hand motif, we show that, like the mammalian proteins, both domains bind calcium. In transgenic nematodes expressing a SPARC-lacZ fusion gene, beta-galactosidase staining accumulated in a striated pattern in the more heavily stained muscle cells along the body. Comparison of the pattern of transgene expression to unc-54-lacZ animals demonstrated that SPARC is expressed by body wall and sex muscle cells. Appropriate levels of SPARC are essential for normal C. elegans development and muscle function. Transgenic nematodes overexpressing the wild-type SPARC gene were abnormal. Embryos were deformed, and adult hermaphrodites had vulval protrusions and an uncoordinated (Unc) phenotype with reduced mobility and paralysis.
Regulation of ovarian growth; inhibition by estrogen or stimulation by gonadotrophins?

SummaryBoth ovaries of mature female rats were autotransplanted into the spleen, allowing the ovaries to be stimulated by pituitary gonadotrophins, but denying them the presence of circulating estrogen by interposing the liver between the ovaries and the systemic circulation.The ovaries of these animals increased 3-fold in weight after 30-57 days transplantation (149.5 mg) over their weight at the time of operation (49.0 mg).Two groups of experimental animals were injected with estradiol benzoate. One group received amounts exceeding physiological requirements and the other amounts approximately meeting physiological requirements. In both groups, the ovarian weights showed a marked decrease below the weight at operation.It is concluded that ovarian growth is inhibited by the presence of circulating estrogens.
Preoperative Anxiety in Women

Preoperative anxiety and fear can have adverse effects on patients' perioperative experiences. This study emerged from a larger study in which the researcher examined the perioperative experiences of women. The purpose of this study was to further investigate and describe the nature of preoperative anxiety in female subjects. This article reviews the literature on this topic, discusses the results, and explores the implications of anxiety and fear on the perioperative experience. The author offers suggestions to improve nurses' assessment of preoperative fear and anxiety and ways to lessen such feelings in patients.
An exploration of entrepreneurship and play

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the differences between entrepreneurs who see a connection between spirituality and work and those who do not.Design/methodology/approach – Data are collected and analyzed in two stages from in‐depth interviews of 112 entrepreneurs. Key differentiators explored are related to money, ethical decision making, definition of success, and the entrepreneurs' desire to live an integrated lifestyle.Findings – No significant differences are found between the two groups along key demographic attributes; however, when applying characteristics of flow and play to the entrepreneur's work experiences, distinct differences between the groups are found.Originality/value – These findings suggest that holistically oriented entrepreneurs utilize the business as part of their spiritual path, and create an environment in which work and play are not perceived as separate work‐related elements.
Dynamic Test Collections for Retrieval Evaluation

Batch evaluation with test collections of documents, search topics, and relevance judgments has been the bedrock of IR evaluation since its adoption by Salton for his experiments on vector space systems. Such test collections have limitations: they contain no user interaction data; there is typically only one query per topic; they have limited size due to the cost of constructing them. In the last 15-20 years, it has become evident that having a log of user interactions and a large space of queries is invaluable for building effective retrieval systems, but such data is generally only available to search engine companies. Thus there is a gap between what academics can study using static test collections and what industrial researchers can study using dynamic user data.In this work we propose dynamic test collections to help bridge this gap. Like traditional test collections, a dynamic test collection consists of a set of topics and relevance judgments. But instead of static one-time queries, dynamic test collections generate queries in response to the system. They can generate other actions such as clicks and time spent reading documents. Like static test collections, there is no human in the loop, but since the queries are dynamic they can generate much more data for evaluation than static test collections can. And since they can simulate user interactions across a session, they can be used for evaluating retrieval systems that make use of session history or other user information to try to improve results.
Atmospheric aerosol mass concentration and scattering coefficient in a midlake region

Abstract The relationship between aerosol mass concentration ( M ) and scattering coefficient ( B scat ) in urban and rural land-based environments has been well documented. In this study, comparison of M and B scat in the mid-Lake Michigan region has revealed a linear regression line B scat = (0.298 ± 0.036) + (0.0138 ± 0.0029) M with correlation coefficient 0.97. The slope of this regression is substantially less than the values reported previously in land-based settings. This difference is accounted for by the midlake aerosol size distribution, which exhibits a distinctly greater number concentration of secondary aerosols as measured by an active scattering aerosol spectrometer. The integrating nephelometer is confirmed to be a good instrument for in situ measurement of mass concentration. However, the slope of the linear regression line between M and B scat is dependent on the ambient aerosol size distribution and, therefore, on the sampling environment.
The fossil evidence of anthropoid brain evolution

The endocast of Aegyptopithecus, a 27 million year old ape, reveals that its brain was advanced over that of prosimians and comparable to that of modern anthropoids in relative size and in having expanded visual cortex, reduced olfactory bulbs, and a central sulcus separating primary somatic sensory and motor cortex. The early appearance of those features suggests that they may have been among the adaptations responsible for the evolution of anthropoids from prosimian ancestors. The frontal lobe was relatively smaller in Aegyptopithecus than in modern anthropoids. An endocast of Dolichocebus, one of the oldest known New World monkeys (25–30 million years old), reveals visual cortex expanded as in modern anthropoids. The 19 million year old Napak frontal bone displays a hominoid rather than cercopithecoid sulcal pattern. An 18 million year old endocast of the ape Dryopithecus (Proconsul) was neither monkey-like nor primitive, as originally described, but rather apelike and essentially modern in all observable features. The oldest undoubted Old World monkey endocast, from nine million year old Mesopithecus, reveals that the brain was modern in sulcal pattern and proportions. The sulcal pattern was like that of modern colobines, but that appears to be the more primitive condition, from which features characteristic of modern cercopithecine brains have evolved. The brain of six million year old Libypithecus was similar to that of Mesopithecus. A two million year old endocast of “Dolichopithecus” arvernensis displays a modern cercopithecine sulcal pattern.
Disentangling the Consequences of Direct Payment Schemes in Agriculture on Fixed Costs, Exit Decisions, and Output

This paper goes beyond orthodox considerations of direct payment effects on agricultural output, by highlighting the role of subsidies in affecting individual producers' ability to cover fixed costs, and in distorting the volume of aggregate production and net trade by implicitly discouraging exits. The theoretical model considers both taxpayer and consumer financed decoupled direct payment schemes and compares them to a coupled production subsidy. In terms of possible producer responses to direct payments, the paper proposes an analytical framework of production decision-making in the presence of a stochastic distribution of fixed costs across representative farms. The paper shows that decoupled payments in theory can have a larger effect on output than coupled payments. The model explicitly recognizes three consequences of domestic support: (a) induce exit or entry; (b) bias production incentives to domestic markets; and (c) cross-subsidize export in global markets. An empirical model of the U.S. wheat sector is developed to illustrate the relative potential impacts of coupled versus decoupled payments on output through the effects on a farmer's ability to cover fixed costs and hence exit decisions.
Evolution, homology, and function of the supracranial sinuses in ceratopsian dinosaurs

ABSTRACT Ceratopsians, or horned dinosaurs, display a spectrum of variation in the system of depressions or sinuses on the dorsum of the skull. Derived non-ceratopsoid neoceratopsians such as Protoceratops and Zuniceratops variably possess a frontoparietal depression rostral to the dorsotemporal fenestrae. In ceratopsids, such as Triceratops, the depression is roofed secondarily by bone to form a supracranial sinus. The sinuses vary in their lateral extent, with the most restricted condition found in Centrosaurus and Styracosaurus. The sinuses are suggested to be pneumatic structures, although it cannot be determined if they are paranasal, paratympanic, or pharyngeal in origin. The inferred pneumatic diverticula that supplied the sinus extended from the dorsotemporal fenestrae into the sinus via a pair of channels on the dorsum of the skull. Ontogenetically, the sinus began as a shallow depression on the roof of the skull that was enclosed by excavation into the cranial bone and overgrowth of bone. Sinus ...
XKvalidator: a constraint validator for XML

The role of XML in data exchange is evolving from one of merely conveying the structure of data to one that also conveys its semantics. In particular, several proposals for key and foreign key constraints have recently appeared, and aspects of these proposals have been adopted within XMLSchema.In this paper, we examine the problem of checking keys and foreign keys in XML documents using a validator based on SAX. The algorithm relies on an indexing technique based on the paths found in key definitions, and can be used for checking the correctness of an entire document (bulk checking) as well as for checking updates as they are made to the document (incremental checking). The asymptotic performance of the algorithm is linear in the size of the document or update. Furthermore, experimental results demonstrate reasonable performance.
Brain armadillo protein δ‐catenin interacts with Abl tyrosine kinase and modulates cellular morphogenesis in response to growth factors

delta-Catenin associates with adhesive junctions and facilitates cellular morphogenesis (Lu et al., 1999). Here we show that delta-catenin colocalizes with actin filaments and Abl tyrosine kinase in the growth cones of cultured hippocampal neurons. PC12 cells induced to express delta-catenin show accelerated neurite extension upon nerve growth factor (NGF) stimulation. STI571, an Abl family kinase inhibitor, further accentuates these stimulatory effects. delta-Catenin is a potent substrate for Abl in vitro using an immunocomplex assay and most of the Abl-induced tyrosine phosphorylation within cells is present in the N-terminus of delta-catenin. When delta-catenin-expressing epithelial cells are induced to scatter in response to hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), STI571 leads to the rapid redistribution of delta-catenin and changes in cellular morphology. We suggest that delta-catenin is a possible Abl substrate and acts downstream of Abl to orchestrate actin-based cellular morphogenesis.
Separation of rare earth elements by high-speed counter-current chromatography

Abstract Besides being widely used in electronic and glass industries, rare earth elements have recently been found to have important biological effects including the ability to stabilize and enhance interferon activity [J.J. Sedmak and S. E. Grossberg, J . Gen . Virol ., 52 (1981) 195]. In this paper, the rare earth elements have beens eparated using a high-speed counter-current chromatography ( HSCCC ) centrifuge equipped with three multilayer coils connected in series. Two-phase solvent systems were composed of n -heptane containing di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (stationary phase) and dilute hydrochloric acid (mobile phase) where the partition coefficient of each can be optimized by selecting the proper hydrochloric acid concentration. The mobile phase was eluted through the column at a flow-rate of 5 ml/min, while the apparatus was rotated at 900 rpm. Continuous detection of the rare earth elements was effected by means of a post-column reaction with arsenazo III and the elution curve was obtained by on-line monitoring at 650 nm. Excellent isocratic separations of closely related rare earth elements were achieved at high partition efficiencies up to several thousand theoretical plates. Versatility of the present method was demonstrated in an exponential gradient elution of hydrochloric acid concentration where fourteen rare earth elements were all resolved about 4.5 h.
Congenital gingival granular cell tumor with smooth muscle cytodifferentiation

Congenital epulis of the newborn is a rare benign congenital gingival granular cell tumor (GGCT) of unknown histogenesis which occurs most commonly on the gingiva of the anterior maxillary alveolar ridge in girls. The granular cells in this entity are histologically indistinguishable from those in extragingival granular cell tumors, known historically as granular cell myoblastoma (GCM), which occur at any age and appear to be of Schwann cell origin. Ultrastructural, histochemical, and immunohistochemical features of three GGCT were examined and compared to three GCM and a granular cell ameloblastoma. This is the first instance in which the ultrastructure of granular cells in a congenital epulis showed evidence of smooth muscle differentiation. Carcinoembryonic antigen-like immunoreactivity was localized in granular cells from all granular cell tumors studied, but S-100 protein was present only in GCM. The smooth muscle ultrastructural features and the lack of S-100 protein in GGCT strongly suggest a different histogenesis from that of GCM. The GGCT is likely derived from a primitive gingival perivascular mesenchymal cell with the potential for smooth muscle cytodifferentiation.
Nonlinear programming formulation for constrained feedback control system design

In the design of feedback control systems, modern techniques are often neglected in favor of the more classical trial and error techniques due to the difficulty of incorporating practical engineering constraints. This paper attempts to present algorithms that may overcome some of these difficulties. Efficient computational techniques from linear algebra are stressed as a means of making nonlinear programming and parameter optimization algorithms practical.
Sediment compaction rates and subsidence in deltaic plains: numerical constraints and stratigraphic influences

ABSTRACT Natural sediment compaction in deltaic plains influences subsidence rates and the evolution of deltaic morphology. Determining compaction rates requires detailed knowledge of subsurface geotechnical properties and depositional history, neither of which is often readily available. To overcome this lack of knowledge, we numerically forward model the incremental sedimentation and compaction of stochastically generated stratigraphies with geotechnical properties typical of modern depositional environments in the Mississippi River delta plain. Using a Monte Carlo approach, the range of probable compaction rates for stratigraphies with compacted thicknesses <150 m and accumulation times <20 kyr. varies, but maximum values rarely exceed a few mm yr−1. The fastest compacting stratigraphies are composed primarily of peat and bar sand, whereas the slowest compacting stratigraphies are composed of prodelta mud and natural levee deposits. These results suggest that compaction rates can significantly influence vertical and lateral stratigraphic trends during deltaic evolution.
Dielectric dispersion of ethyl cellulose in n‐butyl acetate solution

By measuring the capacity change of ethyl cellulose in n-butyl acetate solutions and determining the frequency at which the dielectric dispersion is 0.50, the same general dependence of the intrinsic viscosity on the critical frequency was found as has already been reported for solutions in other solvents. The difficulty in measuring capacities for solutions of high dissipation factor could be overcome either by using a special resistance network with the bridge, or by inserting large values of capacity in parallel with the bridge arms. The latter procedure appears to offer possibilities for use with solvents of still higher dielectric constant and is being investigated at present in this laboratory.
Constrained Multi-Objective Optimization of a Hydraulic Flywheel Accumulator

Improving energy storage technology is an important means of addressing concerns over fossil fuel scarcity and energy independence. Traditional hydraulic accumulator energy storage, though favorable in power density, durability, cost, and environmental impact, suffers from relatively low energy density and a pressure-dependent state of charge. The hydraulic flywheel accumulator concept utilizes both pneumatic and kinetic energy domains by employing a rotating pressure vessel.This paper describes a mathematical model of the hydraulic flywheel accumulator and presents the results of a multi-objective optimization of the associated design parameters. The two optimization objectives are to minimize the total system mass and minimize the total energy converted between the pneumatic and kinetic domains during operation. These objectives are pursued by varying five design parameters: accumulator radius, wall thickness, and length; end cap length; and maximum angular velocity. Constraints on combinations of these design parameters are imposed by material stress, as well as the energy capacity required to complete a specified drive cycle. This optimization approach can be used to guide the design of a hydraulic flywheel accumulator for a variety of different applications.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Paleomagnetic evidence for a post-Cretaceous accretion of Wrangellia

In order to test the various estimates of the accretion age of some of the southern Alaska terranes, a paleomagnetic investigation of the MacColl Ridge Formation (latest Cretaceous age) in the Wrangell Mountains (Wrangellia) was undertaken. The data pass the fold test and reversal test, thus affirming the primary nature of the magnetic remanence. The mean paleomagnetic direction corresponds to a paleolatitude of 32°±9°, which is far south of the predicted paleolatitude, assuming a North American paleogeography. Therefore, these results apparently rule out a pre-Cenozoic accretion age of Wrangellia and its associated terranes composing the Southern Alaska superterrane. The data also imply about 130° counterclockwise rotation, which is the opposite sense of rotation usually observed in western North America.
Vitamins and cutaneous wound healing.

Background: Vitamins have long been thought to modulate the various stages of wound healing through a variety of proposed mechanisms. Our goal was to investigate relevant studies examining the role of different vitamins in wound healing. Methods: MEDLINE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Google Scholar were searched for basic science and clinical studies examining the role of vitamins as adjuncts in wound healing. Results: Mechanisms of action for each of the vitamins are reviewed. It was suggested by many of the studies that the major vitamins A, C, E, D, K, and B have demonstrated utility as adjuncts in wound care in basic science and clinical trials. Conclusion: There is a vast amount of literature on the effect of vitamins on wound healing at the basic science level. Further understanding and controlled trials will help better understand how to utilize vitamins in wound care. Declaration of interest: none.
Standard potentials of the silver/silver-chloride electrode in 95 wt-% 1-propanol and related thermodynamic functions

Abstract The standard potentials of the silver/silver-chloride electrode in 95 wt-% 1-propanol have been determined by means of a theoretically justified polynomial curve-fitting programme. The emf measurements of cells of the type Pt; H 2 (g, 1 atm) HCl ( m ) in 95 wt-% 1-propanol, AgCl/Ag at nine temperatures from 5–45°C have been used to evaluate (a) the mean molal activity coefficient, (b) the primary medium effect, (c) the relative partial molal enthalpy and heat capacity of HCl, and (d) the thermodynamic constants for the process of transfer of HCl from water to 95 wt-% 1-propanol. The significance of the data with respect to the solvent structure and acid—base properties is discussed.
Metrics and visualization tools for surface mesh comparison

This paper describes a system for comparing surface meshes using different distance metrics and mapping the results to different visual presentations. Hierarchical and multi- resolution (HMR) methods produce meshes with different levels of details. Different HMR methods produce meshes with varying quality. The surface mesh comparison system presented here allows the user to qualitatively compare and investigate the merits of the meshes produced by different HMR algorithms as well as how different resolution meshes degrade as they are simplified.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Left ventricular assist device implantation augments nitric oxide dependent control of mitochondrial respiration in failing human hearts.

Abstract OBJECTIVES The objective of the study was to evaluate nitric oxide (NO) mediated regulation of mitochondrial respiration after implantation of a mechanical assist device in end-stage heart failure. BACKGROUND Ventricular unloading using a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) can improve mitochondrial function in end-stage heart failure. Nitric oxide modulates the activity of the mitochondrial electron transport chain to regulate myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2). METHODS Myocardial oxygen consumption was measured polarographically using a Clark-type oxygen electrode in isolated left ventricular myocardium from 26 explanted failing human hearts obtained at the time of heart transplantation. RESULTS The rate of decrease in oxygen concentration was expressed as a percentage of baseline. Results of the highest dose of drug are shown. Decrease in MVO2 was greater in LVAD hearts (n = 8) compared with heart failure controls (n = 18) in response to the following drugs: bradykinin (−34 ± 3% vs. −24 ± 5%), enalaprilat (−37 ± 5% vs. −23 ± 5%) and amlodipine (−43 ± 13% vs. −16 ± 5%; p CONCLUSIONS Chronic LVAD support potentiates endogenous NO-mediated regulation of mitochondrial respiration. Use of medical or surgical interventions that augment NO bioavailability may promote myocardial recovery in end-stage heart failure.
Numerical evaluation of a one-dimensional inverse scattering algorithm for simultaneous seismic imaging and inversion

We test the capability and efficiency of an inverse scattering algorithm for imaging and inverting seismic data. The algorithm does not require a velocity model or any other a priori information about the medium under investigation. We use four different models that exemplify different types of one-dimensional media with variable velocity. We show that the algorithm can precisely locate the interfaces and discover the correct velocity changes at those interfaces. We also compare this algorithm with the inverse scattering Leading Order Imaging Algorithm presented in [1] and show that the present algorithm locates the interfaces more accurately in all the test cases.
Armored dinosaurs(Ornithischia: Ankylosauria)) from the Middle and Upper Jurassic of England

Abstract Hitherto the earliest positive record of ankylosaurs(armored dinosaurs) has been from beds well up in the Lower Cretaceous; in fact, however, specimens referable to the ankylosaurian family Nodosauridae are present in the Middle and Upper Jurassic of England: from the Middle Callovian [partial mandible Sarcolestes leedsi Lydekker ]], the Upper Oxfordian [femur Cryptodraco eumerus ( Seeley )), maxilla Priodontognathus phillipsii ( Seeley ))], and the Upper Tithonian [caudal vertebra, tooth]. The Tithonian tooth and those of Priodontognathus are large and similar to those of the nodosaurids Priconodon and Sauropelta (Lower Cretaceous, U.S.A.). The incomplete mandible of Sarcolestes is similar to that of Sauropelta with a dermal scute fused to the lateral surface, and a tooth row extending to the anterior end of the jaw; an unusual feature is the caniniform first tooth. The quadrupedal ankylosaurs and stegosaurs probably represent separate evolutionary lines that extend back at least into the Lower Jurassic, and both lines probably evolved from ornithopod dinosaurs that were bipedal. Nodosaurid ankylosaurs occur in Europe from the Middle Jurassic to Late Cretaceous and probably reached North America via a filter route in the early Cretaceous.
Efficacy of transthoracic cardioversion of atrial fibrillation using a biphasic, truncated exponential shock waveform at variable initial shock energies.

Biphasic shocks are more effective than damped sine wave monophasic shocks for transthoracic cardioversion (CV) of atrial fibrillation (AF), but the optimal protocol for CV with biphasic shocks has not been defined. We conducted a prospective, randomized study of 120 consecutive patients with persistent AF to delineate the dose-response curve for CV of AF with a biphasic truncated exponential shock waveform and to identify clinical predictors of shock efficacy. Our data suggest that the initial shock energy for CV with this waveform should be 200 J if the patient weighs
Comparative activities of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and progesterone as antiestrogens in the female rat uterus.

Abstract The comparative antiestrogenic effects of progesterone and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD) on cytosolic and nuclear estrogen (ER c and ER n , respectively) and progesterone (PR c and PR n , respectively) receptor levels were determined in female Long Evans rats. Estradiol treatment typically increases ER and PR levels in target cells or tissues and these proteins have been proposed as markers of estrogen action. 2,3,7,8-TCDD causes a dose-dependent decrease in uterine ER c , ER n , PR c , and PR n levels which persist up to 7 days. Progesterone treatment caused significant decreases in uterine ER c , ER n , and PR n levels; however, after 7 days, the effects of the hormone on receptor levels were diminished. The effects of 2,3,7,8-TCDD and progesterone on hepatic ER and PR levels were comparable to those observed in the uterus. Treatment of the rats with estradiol (5 μg/kg), estradiol (5 μg/kg) plus progesterone (1 mg/animal), or 2,3,7,8-TCDD (80 μg/kg) showed that both progesterone and 2,3,7,8-TCDD significantly antagonized the estradiol-mediated increases in uterine (and hepatic) ER c , ER n , PR c , and PR n levels and for 2,3,7,8-TCDD the decreased receptor levels persisted for up to 7 days. In vitro studies with freshly isolated uterine strips demonstrated that both 2,3,7,8-TCDD and progesterone antagonized the estradiol-mediated increases in ER and PR levels. Previous studies suggest that the antiestrogenic activity of progesterone is due, in part, to the induction of proteins which are involved in decreasing ER n levels in target cells. Moreover in the uterine strip assay procedure, it was previously shown and reproduced in this study that the decrease in uterine ER n by progesterone was inhibited by both protein and RNA synthesis inhibitors over a 4-hr incubation period. In contrast, the 2,3,7,8-TCDD-mediated decrease in uterine ER n was inhibited only by actinomycin D and not by cycloheximide or puromycin. These in vitro studies thus confirm that both progesterone and 2,3,7,8-TCDD exhibit comparable antiestrogenic effects invivo and in vitro; however, the results suggest that these effects are expressed through different mechanisms.
Neonatal nephrotic syndrome associated with placental transmission of proinflammatory cytokines.

Although there are clinical data suggesting a direct relationship between neonatal nephrotic syndrome and placental transfer of proinflammatory cytokines from mothers with HELLP syndrome, there is no direct evidence that these inflammatory cytokines are pathogenic. Here, the first human model of placental transfer of proinflammatory cytokines from a mother with HELLP syndrome to a newborn, resulting in neonatal nephrotic syndrome is described. Forty-eight hours after delivery, the neonate developed nephrotic syndrome and abnormalities in renal function which resolved completely during the 5 days following the initiation of therapy with hydrocortisone, albumin, and furosemide. The newborn’s cord blood showed increased concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha that were identical to those found in the mother’s serum. Hydrocortisone therapy was discontinued after a 2-week course. Clinical and laboratory improvements were associated with a marked decline in serum cytokine levels, indicating that the proinflammatory cytokines were pathogenic. The neonate remained in remission with no recurrence of nephrotic syndrome during 12 months of follow-up. These findings demonstrate that the placental transmission of circulating cytokines causing HELLP syndrome occurred during pregnancy and may have resulted in nephrotic syndrome in the neonate.
Low complexity dimensionality reduction for hyperspectral images

In hyperspectral imaging systems, principal component analysis (PCA), also known as the Karhunen Loeve Transform (KLT) is the conventional way of spectral dimensionality reduction which compacts the image energy into relatively few coefficients to enable compression. The computational burden of the data dependent PCA/KLT often exceeds the capacity of resource constrained hyperspectral sensing platform considering the large size of the hyperspectral image. We propose to use a spectral dimensionality reduction method based on the relationship between KLT and the Discrete Prolate Spheroidal Sequences (DPSS). DPSSs construct a highly efficient basis that captures most of the signal energy while in signal processing the KLT is used to find the filter that maximizes the concentration of the output energy for a given spectrum of the input signal. On the other hand, spatial dimensionality reduction can provide significant amount of reduction as well. The reduction in the spatial domain can be implemented by subsampling. We demonstrate our method's performance on the AVIRIS Hyperspectral data.
EXPRESSION OF INTERLEUKIN-1 RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST IN RETINA: EFFECTS OF HYPEROXIA AND GLUCOCORTICOID. † 1331

Oxygen is an important factor in pathogenesis of retinopathy of prematurity(ROP). Proinflammatory cytokines are among the factors mediating the hyperoxic damage. Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a major cytokine participating in inflammatory response. Another cytokine, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) binds to the IL-1 receptors but does not elicit the intracellular signal transduction. Being a specific antagonist to IL-1, IL-1ra is an anti-inflammatory cytokine. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether hyperoxia and/or glucocorticoid affect the growth of the retinal vessels, and the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-1ra. Altogether four groups of newborn rabbits were studied during days 3 and 12: group 1. animals were in room air and received placebo (n=6); group 2. animals received dexamethasone (DX, at 1 mg/mg/day during days 3 to 8) (n=6); group 3. animals were kept in 100% O2 during days 3 to 7 and received placebo (n=10); group 4. animals were kept in O2 and received DX (n=10). Day 12 the eyes were studied for retinal vessel length, and for expression of IL-1ra mRNA in the retina using the Northern blot analysis. According to the present results: 1. hyperoxia decreased the length of the retinal vessels by 75%, and increased the incidence of neovascularization (4 of 6 eyes); 2. the glucocorticoid decreased the axial length of the retinal vessels by 64%, increased the tortuosity of the retinal vessels, and did not cause neovascularization; 3. O2 and DX tended potentiate each others actions in vessel growth inhibition; 4. O2 decreased the expression of IL-1ra m-RNA by 70%; 5. DX had no effect on IL-1ra expression, and did not potentiate the suppression of IL-1ra by hyperoxia. According to present results the inhibition of retinal vessel growth by the glucocorticoid was not associated with neovascularization or with altered expression of IL-1ra. The hyperoxia-induced suppression of the retinal anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-1ra, serves as an evidence that proinflammatory cytokines are involved in the pathogenesis of ROP.
Reorganizing the brain

Noninvasive modulation of cortical plasticity promotes beneficial plastic changes that may help in treating patients with cerebral injury.
Evidence suggests external triggering of substorms

Before substorms can be fully understood, we must first determine whether they are triggered by an internal instability of the magnetosphere or whether they are a response to external changes in the solar wind or interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). If substorms often occur in the absence of any external changes, it would suggest that they are triggered by internal magnetospheric processes. Such internal triggering has been suggested by observations that have been interpreted to imply that substorms occasionally occur while the IMF is steady. However, published observations show that magnetic activity during periods of steady IMF is fundamentally different from substorms and can readily be distinguished from substorms. It is thus necessary to distinguish substorms from the other activity that occurs during periods of steady IMF to determine the extent to which substorms are externally triggered.