cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cerro Negro Bitumen Degradation by a Consortium of Marine Benthic Microorganisms

Cerro Negro bitumen, separated from an Orimulsion sample, was incubated for up to 120 days with sediments collected at a petroleum-impacted site in Tampa Bay, Florida. Biodegradation conditions were optimized by increasing bitumen surface area, continuous agitation on a shaker apparatus, use of a complete growth medium, and maintenance at 37 °C. Aerobic degradation conditions were promoted by maintaining sediment contact with the laboratory atmosphere. Bitumen recovered in solvent extracts when compared to autoclaved controls decreased by up to 40% during the first 56 days. There was no detectable change after this. Molasses addition and use of a culture enriched from the sediments did not change the extent or rate of decrease in bitumen recovery. Chemical fractionation of bitumen control and degraded bitumen showed that aromatic and aliphatic fractions were depleted by ≈50%. Accumulation of polars was observed; however, the apparent increase was relatively small when compared to the mass loss of the othe...
Multi-mode operation of different PV/BESS architectures in a microgrid: Grid-tied and island mode

The performance of two different solar photovoltaic (PV)/battery energy storage system (BESS) architectures are compared on a simulated microgrid testbed. The PV system is interfaced with the BESS at the DC link to provide reserve power. These two different integrated solutions can be compared with regards to the number of power stages, efficiency, storage system flexibility, and control complexity. A single power conversion system named Reconfigurable Solar Converter (RSC) presents more flexibility, less complexity, and multi-mode capability depending on system requirement, and results in a more efficient and economical system compared with a current indirect PV/battery system with two stages of power conversion units. There are various approaches to share the load when microgrids are islanded or disconnected from the main grid. In the islanded mode, a distributed generator (DG) like a diesel generator can enhance the reliability of the power supply and regulate the frequency and voltage within the microgrid. Different operation modes for both topologies such as PV to grid, PV plus battery to the grid, battery to the grid (DC to AC) and PV to battery (DC to DC) are simulated on a microgrid testbed, verifying the applicability of the two architectures in microgrids.
Dynamic product differentiation strategies: an examination of the interplay of firm and industry characteristics

Technologically dynamic industries are characterised by the availability of ample differentiation opportunities. Implementing an appropriate product differentiation strategy is a critical determinant of entrant success in such industries. Firms typically have to engage in two sequential decisions. They need to first decide whether to differentiate and if they decide to do so, they need to choose between a horizontal and a vertical differentiation strategy. Despite the growing literature on the consequences of product differentiation strategy, limited attention has been paid to ascertaining the determinants of these dynamic decisions. We suggest that a complex interplay of firm-level (firm size and pre-entry experience) and industry (technology regime) characteristics impacts the choice of differentiation strategies. Empirical tests using multinomial logit models on data obtained from a census of all entrants into the personal computer industry between 1974 and 1994 support our theory.
The Phytoplankton Zooplankton Link in the Lake Ontario Food Web

Monitoring in Lake Ontario in 1970 and 1982 demonstrated that the zooplankton community was dominated by microzooplankton, which suggested a longer, perhaps inefficient food chain. In this study, annual monitoring of the offshore region of Lake Ontario between 1986 and 1992 was used to determine if microzooplankton were still dominant despite recent changes in nutrient loading and species introductions. Microzooplankton accounted for 49.7% of the total summer zooplankton biomass while small edible phytoplankton accounted for 67.0% of the biomass during the summer. By direct in situ measurement using a Haney grazing chamber, rather than size grazing relationships, the relative impact of micro- and mesozooplankton grazers on phytoplankton production during the summer of 1995 was evaluated. Microzooplankton filtration rates (%/d) for 1995 were significantly higher than mesozooplankton filtration rates. Zooplankton consumed only 17.5% /d of the primary production with microzooplankton grazing representing 69.8% to 93.2% of this amount. Microzooplankton are clearly still dominant and their consumption of primary production in Lake Ontario is low. The major pathway of energy transfer can not be through the classical phytoplankton > large zooplankton > planktivore > piscivore food chain but rather through the phytoplankton > microzooplankton and presumably predacious zooplankton and fish. The longer food chain is a result of the introduction of a size-selective planktivore, the alewive, which has decreased the length and presumably lowered the consumption rate of the entire zooplankton community. This structural impact, a longer food chain, theoretically creates a higher factor of biomagnification of organic chemicals for top-level predators along with lower rates of energy transfer within the food web and suggests lower fish production than in a shorter food web.
Cellular and molecular therapeutic targets for treatment of contractile dysfunction after cardioplegic arrest.

Abstract Transient left ventricular (LV) dysfunction can occur after hypothermic hyperkalemic cardioplegic arrest. This laboratory has developed an isolated LV myocyte system of simulated cardioplegic arrest and rewarming in order to examine cellular and molecular events that may contribute to the LV dysfunction after cardioplegic arrest. Contractile function was examined using high-speed video microscopy after reperfusion and rewarming. After cardioplegic arrest and reperfusion, indices of myocyte contractility were reduced by over 40% from normothermic control values. The capacity of the myocyte to respond to an inotropic stimulus was examined through β-adrenergic receptor stimulation with isoproterenol. After cardioplegic arrest, the contractile response to isoproterenol was reduced by over 50% from normothermic values. The next series of studies focused upon preventing these changes in myocyte contractile processes after cardioplegic arrest. First, the cardioplegic solutions were augmented with adenosine or an ATP-sensitive potassium channel opener, aprikalim. Both adenosine and aprikalim augmentation significantly improved myocyte function compared with cardioplegia alone values. A potential intracellular mechanism for the protective effects of either adenosine or the ATP-sensitive potassium channel is the activation of protein kinase C (PKC). A brief period of PKC activation before cardioplegic arrest provided protective effects on myocyte contractility with subsequent reperfusion and rewarming. In another set of studies, the potential protective effects of the active form of thyroid hormone (T 3 ) were examined. In myocytes pretreated with T 3 , myocyte contractile function and β-adrenergic responsiveness were significantly improved after hypothermic cardioplegic arrest and rewarming. Thus, endogenous means of providing improved myocardial protection during prolonged cardioplegic arrest can be achieved through a brief period of PKC activation or pretreatment with T 3 . Future studies, which more carefully deduce the basis for these pretreatment effects, will likely yield novel methods by which to protect myocyte contractile processes during cardioplegic arrest.
Correlating S-nitrosothiol decomposition and NO release for modified poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) polymer films

This study marks the first parallel measurements where S-nitrosothiol behaviour is directly correlated to nitric oxide (NO) release for an established polymer system under exposure conditions that are specific to S-nitrosothiol decomposition (i.e. heat, light, pH). These methods are intended to be applied to confirm the NO source in any biomaterial system.
A tracer method for the determination of microgram quantities of protein

Abstract A technique is described which utilizes radioactive tungsten for the determination of protein concentrations in the range of 1–10 μg/ml. It has been noted that Ag + , Sr ++ , Y +++ , and the tantalate anion are all bound to protein to some extent, while Tl + is not bound. A suggestion is made that the numerous radioactive ionic species now available might well be applied to further studies of ion binding by proteins.
Dynorphin (1–13): Analgesia, hypothermia, cross-tolerance with morphine and β-endorphin

Abstract Intracerebroventricular administration of 20, 40 and 60 nmol of dynorphin (1–13) produced analgesia, as assessed by flinch/jump response to footshock, and hypothermia in the rat. Rats developed tolerance to both the analgesic and thermic effects of the 20 nmol dose of dynorphin. Dynorphin and β-endorphin showed cross-tolerance with respect to their analgesic but not their thermic effects. Dynorphin and morphine also produced cross-tolerant analgesic effects. Naloxone (10 mg/kg, IP) completely blocked the barrel rolling produced by 20 nmol dynorphin but did not alter its analgesic or thermic effects.
Choroid plexus papillomas: advances in molecular biology and understanding of tumorigenesis

Choroid plexus papillomas are rare, benign tumors originating from the choroid plexus. Although generally found within the ventricular system, they can arise ectopically in the brain parenchyma or disseminate throughout the neuraxis. We sought to review recent advances in our understanding of the molecular biology and oncogenic pathways associated with this disease. A comprehensive PubMed literature review was conducted to identify manuscripts discussing the clinical, molecular, and genetic features of choroid plexus papillomas. Articles concerning diagnosis, treatment, and long-term patient outcomes were also reviewed. The introduction of atypical choroid plexus papilloma as a distinct entity has increased the need for accurate histopathologic diagnosis. Advances in immunohistochemical staining have improved our ability to differentiate choroid plexus papillomas from other intracranial tumors or metastatic lesions using combinations of key markers and mitotic indices. Recent findings have implicated Notch3 signaling, the transcription factor TWIST1, platelet-derived growth factor receptor, and the tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand pathway in choroid plexus papilloma tumorigenesis. A combination of commonly occurring chromosomal duplications and deletions has also been identified. Surgical resection remains the standard of care, although chemotherapy and radiotherapy may be considered for recurrent or metastatic lesions. While generally considered benign, these tumors possess a complex biology that sheds insight into other choroid plexus tumors, particularly malignant choroid plexus carcinomas. Improving our understanding of the molecular biology, genetics, and oncogenic pathways associated with this tumor will allow for the development of targeted therapies and improved outcomes for patients with this disease.
A temporal saliency map for modeling auditory attention

The auditory system is flooded with information throughout our daily lives. Rather than processing all of this information, we selectively shift our attention to various auditory events - either events of interest (top-down attention) or events that capture our attention exogenously (bottom-up). In this work, we are concerned with aspects of human attention that are bottom-up stimulus-driven. Saliency of an auditory event is measured by how much the event differs from the surrounding sounds that precede it in time. To calculate this, we propose a novel auditory saliency map that is defined only over time. The proposed model is contrasted against previously published auditory saliency maps which treat the two-dimensional auditory time-frequency spectrogram as an image that can be analyzed using visual saliency models. Instead, our proposed model capitalizes on the rich high-dimensional feature space that defines auditory events; where each acoustic dimension is processed across multiple scales. These normalized feature maps are then combined over time into a single temporal saliency map. The peaks of the temporal saliency map indicate the locations of the salient events in the auditory scene. We validate the accuracy of the proposed model in simulated test scenarios of simple and complex sound clips. By exploiting the unique aspects of auditory processing that cannot be readily captured by visual processes, we are able to outperform other auditory saliency models; all while highlighting the commonalities and differences between the two modalities in processing salient events in everyday scenes.
Researching Participation in Adult Education: The Potential of the Qualitative Perspective

Current research on participation is critiqued in terms of problems in exact measurement, superimposed definitions, and the use of value-laden constructs. Building upon the thesis that the qualitative and quantitative approaches to research represent different perspectives, they are compared in terms of purpose, their interpretations, premises, focus, method, and research criteria, including reliability and validity. The qualitative perspective, particularly as influenced by hermeneutics and social phenomenology, is developed further and implications for the study of participation are considered. Emphasis is placed upon the importance of understanding the meaning of participation in the life-world of the individual. Educational participation is considered within the broader context of learning, and learning is viewed as embedded in the life-world.
Repaired tetralogy of Fallot in the adult: monitoring and management

Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) is the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease (CHD). The history of surgical treatment of ToF is closely linked with the origins of cardiac surgery. Before the era of cardiac surgery, most ToF patients died in childhood; now well over 85% survive to adulthood, resulting in an increased prevalence of ToF in adults.1 Patients with “repaired” ToF pose unique challenges for primary care providers and cardiologists. This review will focus on the history and changing epidemiology of ToF in adults, the pathophysiology of repaired ToF, and emerging data for monitoring and treatment. The aorta and pulmonary artery form from septation of the distal bulbus cordis and truncus arteriosus and rotate to overlie the ventricles. Faulty rotation and septation with incomplete transfer of the aorta to a position above the left ventricle results in a malalignment ventricular septal defect (VSD) and an aorta that “overrides” the interventricular septum.w1 Right ventricle (RV) outflow tract obstruction, the other defining feature of ToF, is the result of one or more of the following abnormalities: subvalvar obstruction from septal deviation, hypertrophied muscular bands in the RV outflow tract, a hypoplastic pulmonary valve annulus, pulmonary valve stenosis or atresia, and main or branch pulmonary artery stenosis. The RV hypertrophies as a result of the outflow tract obstruction. Thus, the characteristic four features of ToF are an overriding aorta, RV outflow tract obstruction, malalignment VSD, and RV hypertrophy (fig 1). In addition, ToF is associated with other congenital cardiac abnormalities in about 40% of patients. Some of the more common anomalies are a right sided aortic arch (13–34%), atrial septal defect (∼15%), atrioventricular septal defect (1.7–7%), anomalous coronary arteries (most commonly a prominent conus artery or the left anterior descending artery from the right coronary artery or right sinus of Valsalva) …
Sustaining a Nepali Telecenter: An Ethnographic Study Using Activity Theory

While advances have made it possible for the average Nepali to access mobile phones, computers, and digital cameras, barriers continue to impede access. Like other governments, Nepal responded in 2004 by creating about 80 telecenters to push sustainable technology to its people. Five years later, most telecenters struggle with sustainability. This ethnographic study explores tensions youth face when using a telecenter located in Sankhu, Nepal, a Newari village 20 kilometers southeast of Kathmandu. To understand the complex tensions, an ethnographic approach was adopted as the method for data collection. Given the nature of the problem, Activity Theory was used as a framework for analyzing and understanding the tensions. Tensions are categorized in order of frequency as they appeared in the data. Major tensions included gender norms, generational distrust, lack of awareness, and funding. Moderate tensions included lack of training and time. Minor tensions were location, power, and connectivity.
Deep-subwavelength coaxial waveguides with a hollow core

We analyze propagating plasmonic modes in deep-subwavelength coaxial metallic waveguides with a hollow core. Such modes couple to plane waves and exhibit much larger cut-off wavelengths than the TE11-mode in a conventional coaxial waveguide.
A Unified Method for Dynamic and Cross-Sectional Heterogeneity: Introducing Hidden Markov Panel Models

Conventional statistical methods for panel data are based on the assumption that unobserved heterogeneity is time constant. Despite the central importance of this assumption for panel data methods, few studies have developed statistical methods for testing this assumption and modeling time-varying unobserved heterogeneity. In this article, I introduce a formal test to check the assumption of time-constant unobserved heterogeneity using Bayesian model comparison. Then, I present two panel data methods that account for time-varying unobserved heterogeneity in the context of the random-effects model and the fixed-effects model, respectively. I illustrate the utility of the introduced methods using both simulated data and examples drawn from two important debates in the political economy literature: (1) the identification of shifting relationships between income inequality and economic development in capitalist countries and (2) the effects of the GATT/WTO on bilateral trade volumes.
Lysophosphatidylcholine Inhibits Endothelial Cell Migration by Increasing Intracellular Calcium and Activating Calpain

Objective— Endothelial cell (EC) migration, essential for reestablishing arterial integrity after vascular injury, is inhibited by oxidized LDL (oxLDL) and lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC) that are present in the arterial wall. We tested the hypothesis that a mechanism responsible for lysoPC-induced inhibition is increased intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca 2+ ] i ). Methods and Results— LysoPC, at concentrations that inhibit in vitro EC migration to 35% of control, increased [Ca 2+ ] i levels 3-fold. These effects of lysoPC were concentration dependent and reversible. LysoPC induced Ca 2+ influx within 10 minutes, and [Ca 2+ ] i remained elevated for 2 hours. The calcium ionophore A23187 also increased [Ca 2+ ] i and inhibited EC migration. Chelators of intracellular Ca 2+ (BAPTA/AM and EGTA/AM) and nonvoltage-sensitive channel blockers (lanthanum chloride and gadolinium chloride) blunted the lysoPC-induced [Ca 2+ ] i rise and partially preserved EC migration. After lysoPC treatment, calpain, a calcium-dependent cysteine protease, was activated, and cytoskeletal changes occurred. Calpain inhibitors (calpastatin, MDL28170, and calpeptin) added before lysoPC prevented cytoskeletal protein cleavage and preserved EC migration at 60% of control levels. Conclusions— LysoPC increases [Ca 2+ ] i . In turn, activating calpains that can alter the cytoskeleton are activated and EC migration is inhibited.
Theoretical Investigations of Polymer Based Solar Cells

We investigate the behavior of a polymer blend (M3EH-PPV:CN-ether-PPV) bulk heterojunction solar cell using a numeric model that self-consistently solves Poisson's equation and the charge continuity equation while incorporating electric field dependent mobilities. We obtain good quantitative agreement with present experimental data for J-V curves and photocurrent action spectra. To reproduce experimental photocurrent action spectra, our model predicts 36% exciton dissociation efficiencies in the bulk of the polymer. We also study the limiting conditions of polymer solar cell development by simulating an ideal solar cell using an AM1.5 global spectrum and assuming all absorbed photons hitting a M3EH-PPV:CN-ether-PPV polymer blend (band gap ~2.0 eV) based solar cell at normal incidence contribute to current. If such a solar cell has 100 nm length, open circuit voltage=0.6 V and 50% fill factor, then the maximum theoretical power conversion efficiency is ηp=5.6%. A similar analysis for a M3EH-PPV:PCBM bulk heterojunction cell yields, ηp=3.5%. These results further highlight the need to develop smaller band gap materials and help explain why the best polymer based solar cells have power conversion efficiencies that remain stuck at about 3%. Our model is used to investigate the important increase in power conversion efficiencies we can expect as lower band gap polymers become available.
Design and benchmarking of an ASIC with five SHA-3 finalist candidates

This contribution describes our efforts in the design of a 130nm CMOS ASIC that implements Skein, BLAKE, JH, Grostl, and Keccak, the five candidates selected by NIST in the third round SHA-3 competition. The objective of the ASIC is to accurately measure the performance and power dissipation of each candidate when implemented as an ASIC. The design of this ASIC, and its optimization for benchmarking, creates unique problems, related to the integration of five heterogeneous architectures on a single chip. We implemented each algorithm in a separate clock region, and we integrated an on-chip clock generator with flexible testing modes. The chip is further designed to be compatible with SASEBO-R board, a power-analysis and side-channel analysis environment. We report the design flow and test results of the chip, including area, performance and shmoo plot. Furthermore, we compare our ASIC benchmark with an equivalent FPGA benchmark.
Merge tree detection in a national-level air traffic simulation model

A simulation model of the United States (U.S.) National Airspace System (NAS) has been in use for several years, and is currently being improved. In the model, it was noticed that delay was not well-distributed for arrival flights. As a generalized solution, control points were algorithmically identified at air traffic flow merge points, since these points are typically the places where air traffic control (ATC) applies delay maneuvers to effect spacing. This paper describes the algorithm developed for the automatic identification of these points.
The inner and the outer : Kant's 'Refutation' reconstructed

In Skeptical idealism says that possibly nothing exists outside my own conscious mental states. Purported refutations of skeptical idealism – whether Descartes's, Locke's, Reid's, Kant's, Moore's, Putnam's, or Burge's – are philosophically scandalous: they have convinced no one. I argue (1) that what is wrong with the failed refutations is that they have attempted to prove the wrong thing – i.e., that necessarily I have veridical perceptions of distal material objects in space, and (2) that a charitable reconstruction of Kant's ‘Refutation of Idealism’ in fact provides a sound refutation of skeptical idealism.
Predicting Academic Achievement from Cumulative Home Risk: The Mediating Roles of Effortful Control, Academic Relationships, and School Avoidance

Components of the home environment are associated with children’s academic functioning. The accumulation of risks in the home are expected to prove more detrimental to achievement than any one risk alone, but the processes accounting for this relation are unclear. Using an index of cumulative home risk (CHR) inclusive of protective factors, as well as risks, we examined child-level and school environment variables as potential mediators of the relation of CHR to academic achievement in a sample of 266 third-grade through fifth-grade children. Parents reported on the home environment, and school-issued report cards assessed achievement. Results from structural equation models indicated that children’s effortful control (parent- and child-reported), conflictual peer and student-teacher relationships (teacher- and child-reported), and school avoidance (teacher- and child-reported) significantly mediated the relation between CHR and achievement. Findings offer insights into specific mechanisms that link a negative home environment to academic functioning.
STRG-Index: spatio-temporal region graph indexing for large video databases

In this paper, we propose new graph-based data structure and indexing to organize and retrieve video data. Several researches have shown that a graph can be a better candidate for modeling semantically rich and complicated multimedia data. However, there are few methods that consider the temporal feature of video data, which is a distinguishable and representative characteristic when compared with other multimedia (i.e., images). In order to consider the temporal feature effectively and efficiently, we propose a new graph-based data structure called Spatio-Temporal Region Graph (STRG). Unlike existing graph-based data structures which provide only spatial features, the proposed STRG further provides temporal features, which represent temporal relationships among spatial objects. The STRG is decomposed into its subgraphs in which redundant subgraphs are eliminated to reduce the index size and search time, because the computational complexity of graph matching (subgraph isomorphism) is NP-complete. In addition, a new distance measure, called Extended Graph Edit Distance (EGED), is introduced in both non-metric and metric spaces for matching and indexing respectively. Based on STRG and EGED, we propose a new indexing method STRG-Index, which is faster and more accurate since it uses tree structure and clustering algorithm. We compare the STRG-Index with the M-tree, which is a popular tree-based indexing method for multimedia data. The STRG-Index outperforms the M-tree for various query loads in terms of cost and speed.
Dynamic logic of phenomena and cognition

Modeling of complex phenomena such as the mind presents tremendous computational complexity challenges. The neural modeling fields theory (NMF) addresses these challenges in a non-traditional way. The main idea behind success of NMF is matching the levels of uncertainty of the problem/model and the levels of uncertainty of the evaluation criterion used to identify the model. When a model becomes more certain then the evaluation criterion is also adjusted dynamically to match the adjusted model. This process is called dynamic logic (DL) of model construction, which mimics processes of the mind and natural evolution. This paper provides a formal description of phenomena dynamic logic (P-DL) and outlines its extension to the cognitive dynamic logic (C-DL). P-DL is presented with its syntactic, reasoning, and semantic parts. Computational complexity issues that motivate this paper are presented using an example of polynomial models.
Nuclear Structure and Mitosis in the Dinoflagellate Gonyaulax monilata

SYNOPSIS. Nuclear structure and mitosis in Gonyaulax monilata were studied. Between the arms of the U-shaped interphase nucleus is a band of material which, it is suggested, is homologous with the “central body” of G. tamarensis. Histochemical studies of whole cells, extruded nuclei and Epon-embedded sections indicate that the band is composed at least in part of protein, phospholipid and possibly RNA. The chromosomes of interphase nuclei are attached to the ends of the band. The band is also attached to a proteinaceous, extra-chromosomal matrix which pervades the nucleus. Studies on material treated with trypsin indicate that the matrix may be a factor in maintaining chromosomal integrity and orientation and nuclear form. During mitosis the band acts as a point of attachment for the chromosomes, and appears to control anaphase and telophase movements. It is suggested that the band is a component of the mitotic apparatus in G. monilata.
Renal handling of circulating nitrates in anesthetized dogs

Nitric oxide (NO) is rapidly oxidized to nitrite ( NO 2 − ) and then to nitrate ( NO 3 − ) in biological tissues. Although urinary excretion rates of NO 3 − are often used as an index of NO product...
Origin of the Apparent Asynchronous Activity of Hippocampal Mossy Fibers

Fiber volleys (FVs) from the stratum lucidum of rat hippocampal area CA3 were recorded extracellularly from in vitro slices in the presence of 10 mM kynurenic acid. In agreement with previous work, bulk stimulation of the dentate gyrus (DG) near the hilar border leads to an asynchronous FV. Transection of the stratum lucidum between the DG stimulation site and the CA3 recording site reduced or eliminated the early components of the asynchronous FV, indicating that they are of mossy fiber (MF) origin. In contrast, moving the stimulating electrode away from the hilus toward the hippocampal fissure reduced or eliminated the late components of the FV. Subsequently, we found that bulk stimulation on the DG/hilar border induces an antidromic population spike in CA3 pyramidal cells. Finally, the MFs and associational collaterals have different conduction velocities (0.51 and 0.37 m/s, respectively; temperature = 33 degrees C). From these data, we conclude that the late components of the asynchronous FV are due to antidromic activation of CA3 collaterals that have been shown to be present in the DG and hilus. A corollary of these findings is that bulk stimulation on the DG/hilar border can lead to at least two different monosynaptic inputs to CA3 pyramidal cells: the MFs and the antidromically activated associational collaterals. We suggest that when MF synaptic responses are being evoked with the use of bulk stimulation, stimulating electrodes should be placed in the outer molecular layer of the DG to prevent the activation of hilar-projecting associational collaterals. This procedure should be added to the previously proposed criteria for preventing polysynaptic contamination of the intracellularly recorded evoked MF synaptic response.
Application of metamodeling to the valuation of large variable annuity portfolios

Variable annuities are long-term investment vehicles that have grown rapidly in popularity recently. One major feature of variable annuities is that they contain guarantees. The guarantees embedded in variable annuities are complex and the values of the guarantees cannot be obtained from closed-form formulas. Insurance companies rely heavily on Monte Carlo simulation to calculate the fair market values of the guarantees. Valuation and risk management of a large portfolio of variable annuities are a big challenge to insurance companies because the Monte Carlo simulation model is very time consuming. In this paper, we propose to use a metamodeling approach to speed up the valuation of large portfolios of variable annuities. Our numerical results show that the metamodeling approach can reduce the runtime significantly and produce accurate approximations.
Informed Projections

Low rank approximation techniques are widespread in pattern recognition research — they include Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA), Probabilistic LSA, Principal Components Analysus (PCA), the Generative Aspect Model, and many forms of bibliometric analysis. All make use of a low-dimensional manifold onto which data are projected. Such techniques are generally "unsupervised," which allows them to model data in the absence of labels or categories. With many practical problems, however, some prior knowledge is available in the form of context. In this paper, I describe a principled approach to incorporating such information, and demonstrate its application to PCA-based approximations of several data sets.
Standardization of the two-dimensional transcoelomic echocardiographic examination in the central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps)☆

Abstract Objectives To objectively and subjectively describe the normal spectrum of two-dimensional echocardiographic findings in the central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps). Animals Sixteen central bearded dragons. Methods Central bearded dragons were prospectively evaluated under manual restraint in right and left lateral recumbency to identify imaging planes for reproducible measurements of cardiac chambers, subjective two-dimensional analysis and color Doppler assessment. Results Echocardiography can be performed through windows in the left and right axillae. The window in the left axilla allows for a subjective and objective assessment of cardiac structure and function. The right axillary window allows for evaluation of pulmonary artery flow. Both views provide data for the presence of pericardial effusion or valvular insufficiency. With optimized imaging planes, cardiac chambers and fractional area change along with fractional shortening in the longitudinal and transverse planes can be calculated. Body weight and cardiac chamber dimensions of males were significantly larger than females. Ventricular fractional area change was the most consistent functional assessment. The majority of animals were found to have no evidence of valvular insufficiency, while approximately half had evidence of pericardial fluid. Pulmonary artery flow was assessed in all patients. Left and right aortic velocities cannot be reliably obtained. Conclusions This study is the first to generate reference values for cardiac structure and function in clinically healthy central bearded dragons. Valvular insufficiency is not a normal finding in central bearded dragons, while mild pericardial effusion may be.
Mobilizing Political Information on the Websites of U.S. Labor Organizations during the 2012 Presidential Campaign

This study examined the extent to which mobilizing information (MI) was present on the websites of the largest, national U.S. labor unions during the 2012 presidential campaign. Using a content analysis, results showed that information and features associated with the election were scarce on the sites. The websites exhibited modest amounts of tactical MI associated with the presidential election. Locational and identificational MI were almost nonexistent on the sites. In addition, analyses showed that size of union was related to the number of features on the sites.
Requirements, Capabilities and Accuracy of Time-Resolved PIV in Turbulent Reacting Flows

Motivated by some of our previous work, this study investigates: (i) the impact of aliasing in temporal under-sampled cinematographic Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements on the interpretation of temporal information, spectra and correlation functions; (ii) the effect of flame-induced particle image deformation and blurring on the accuracy of a typical kHz-rate stereoscopic PIV configuration; (iii) the application of a denoising filter that is consistent with the spectrum of a turbulent flow and that can ameliorate some of the limitations associated with velocity measurement noise introduced by imaging in turbulent flames. In order to understand the importance of aliasing, the effect of spatial averaging introduced by the PIV algorithm is first reviewed and then extended to mimic aliasing. This work demonstrates that, within the limits of the constructed model, the spatial filtering inherent to PIV is effectively an efficient spatial anti-aliasing filter that can also have implications on temporally sampled measurements. The assessment of accuracy and noise characteristics of a typical kHz-rate stereoscopic PIV configuration for reacting flows studies is carried out by comparing simultaneous measurements generated with two different systems in reacting and nonreacting jets. It is found that the combined effect of image blur, low density and non-uniform seeding in jet flames results in an increase in measurement error of about 50%. The error, however, seems to be dominated by random components. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of what we refer to as an "optimal" filter to remove unwanted noise in PIV time-series data.
Lithium-induced acute intermittent dystonia in a patient with schizoaffective disorder

While lithium is well known for its neurotoxicity, there are very few publications about lithium-induced acute dystonic reaction. We are presenting a clinical case of lithium-induced acute intermittent dystonic reaction in a patient with schizoaffective disorder (SAD). The patient is a 69-year-old African-American male with a long history of SAD, who was treated for many years with ziprasidone and divalproex and was admitted with SAD exacerbation. Due to increased QTC interval, we switched patient to lurasidone. After 2 weeks, due to increased ammonia level, divalproex was switched to lithium (600 mg loading dose and then 450 mg twice/day). Three days later, patient developed a series of intermittent episodes of acute dystonia, manifested as mutism, dysarthria, upper and lower extremity muscle rigidity, dysphagia, and tremor (Table 1). Dystonic reactions responded to benztropine. Eventually, lithium was discontinued and patient did well on a combination of carbamazepine and olanzapine. In this case, we would like to emphasize not only the intermittent but also the atypical presentation of acute dystonic reactions with involvement of large muscle groups, the resemblance to NMS, and a “spectrum” of dystonic reactions rather than one clear-cut presentation. We can only speculate the role lurasidone played in this presentation but reoccurrence of dysarthria on day 54 after lithium was restarted points to its major role. Table not available.
Analysis on incidence condition and clinical treatment on 33 cases of occupational brucellosis in Baoji city

Objective To study the incidence condition and clinical treatment of occupational brucellosis. Methods Clinical data of patients diagnosed as occupational brucellosis from December 2012 to December 2013 in Baoji city were analyzed. Results The cases of occupational brucellosis were mainly distributed in milking workers and calf midwifery staff in Baoji city,which accounted for 51. 5%( 17 /33) and 21. 2%( 7 /33) respectively. It frequently occurred during the summer,which accounted for 75. 8%( 25 /33); the median of exposure length was 1 year and 9 months( from 8months to 4 years),the patients were mainly young adults( accounting for 93. 9%,31 /33); the clinical manifestations were diversiform and complex,and they mainly were joint pain, fatigue, hyperidrosis and low fever, and so on.Conclusion Occurrence of occupational brucellosis are closely related to occupational factors,so the measures of monitoring,publicity and prevention and control must be strengthened.
Current Progress in Methods for Analysis of Alkylphenols in Foods

Methods for analysis of alkylphenols, a class of endocrine disruptors, were reviewed. Different sample preparation method for different sample materials (milk, beverage, animal tissues) and detection technologies were introduced.
Pretreatment of filtration leukapheresis donors with colchicine.

Although filtration leukapheresis (FL) is a relatively simple and efficient means of harvesting neutrophils (PMN) for transfusion, the PMN obtained by this procedure have both functional and morphologic abnormalities induced when the cells adhere to nylon wool filters used in FL. Adherence to nylon wool causes a partial degranulation of PMN together with the production of superoxide at cell surfaces, and it has been suggested that this and other toxic oxygen metabolites are responsible in part for the abnormalities of FL cells. Because colchicine inhibits PMN degranulation and oxidative metabolism, we evaluated the pretreatment of donors with this drug as a means of preventing adherence-induced changes in FL PMN. The bactericidal capacity and chemotactic responsiveness of FL PMN were compared with and without pretreatment of donors with 2.4 mg colchicine (0.6 mg by mouth 12, 11, 10, and 2 hr before FL). Both the bactericidal and chemotactic functions of FL PMN were significantly impaired when donors received no pretreatment, as shown previously, but these cell functions in vitro were normal when donors received colchicine pretreatment. The improved function of FL cells with donor pretreatment was a consistent and significant finding (p
Molecular chaperones: providing a safe place to weather a midlife protein-folding crisis

Contrary to conventional wisdom that molecular chaperones rely on hydrophobic interactions to bind a wide variety of client proteins in danger of misfolding, three recent studies reveal that the ATP-independent chaperone Spy exploits electrostatic interactions to bind its clients quickly, yet loosely enough to enable folding of the client while it is chaperone bound.
Challenges in Marketing Academic Conferences: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACTAn Internet survey was conducted to examine the factors influencing attendance at academic conferences. A total of 76 respondents answered questions addressing recent conference attendance, registration fees, total costs of attendance, and university reimbursement. Factors influencing attendance were ranked, and respondent characteristics were collected. As expected, most respondents reported that the two most important factors influencing their decision to attend a conference was their role in the conference and location. However, the majority of respondents reported that the conference they most frequently attend had declining attendance over the last five years, which represents challenges to event organizers.
Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Chest Shielding on Preventing Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Premature Infants.

Objective This study aims to perform a meta-analysis of randomized studies to evaluate if chest shielding during phototherapy is associated with decreased incidence of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in premature infants. Design/Methods We used published guidelines for the meta-analysis of clinical trials. The search strategy included electronic searches of CINAHL, CENTRAL Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, PubMed, and abstracts presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies. Inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs or cluster RCTs published in English and involving chest shielding during phototherapy in premature infants with PDA as an outcome. Exclusion criteria involved case reports, case series, and multiple publications from the same author. Heterogeneity testing using Q statistics was performed to evaluate the variance between studies. Results Two RCTs met study criteria. There was heterogeneity (I2: 55.4%) between the two trials. Meta-analysis of RCTs using the random effect model demonstrated that chest shielding during phototherapy was associated with decreased incidence of PDA (odds ratio: 0.47, 95% confidence interval: 0.23–0.96). There was no publication bias on Eggers test. Heterogeneity was seen in gestational age, gender, prophylactic use of postnatal indomethacin, duration of phototherapy, and assessment of PDA. Conclusion Chest shielding during phototherapy may be associated with decreased incidence of PDA among premature infants.
Evaluation of PBL Parameterizations for Modeling Surface Wind Speed during Storms in the Northeast United States

AbstractThis study identifies conditions that determine errors in numerical simulations of 10-m wind speed over moderately complex terrain, emphasizing winds that lead to overhead power-line damage over a subregion of the northeast United States. Simulations with the Mellor–Yamada–Janjic (MYJ) scheme, the Yonsei University (YSU) scheme, and a subgrid-scale topographic drag correction (Topo) applied to YSU are used to investigate error components. The wind speed distribution is dominated by low speeds, which are well depicted by Topo, but are underestimated by the MYJ and YSU schemes. Conversely, moderate and high speeds are underestimated by Topo, and MYJ and YSU perform better across specific ranges. Verification samples are conditioned by season, diurnal cycle, topography, and spatial patterns obtained with a clustering analysis. The systematic error is characterized by a positive bias in low speeds, and as speed increases the biases become more negative. Quantile comparisons, along with systematic and ...
Nucleotide Excision Repair: Finely Tuned Molecular Orchestra of Early Pre-incision Events

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) eliminates a broad variety of helix-distorting DNA lesions that can otherwise cause genomic instability. NER comprises two distinct sub-pathways: global genomic NER (GG-NER) operating throughout the genome, and transcription-coupled NER (TC-NER) preferentially removing DNA lesions from transcribing DNA strands of transcriptionally active genes. Several NER factors undergo post-translational modifications, including ubiquitination, occurring swiftly and reversibly at DNA lesion sites. Accumulating evidence indicates that ubiquitination not only orchestrates the spatio-temporal recruitment of key protein factors to DNA lesion sites but also the productive assembly of NER preincision complex. This review will be restricted to the latest conceptual understanding of ubiquitin-mediated regulation of initial damage sensors of NER, i.e., DDB, XPC, RNAPII and CSB. We project hypothetical NER models in which ubiquitin-specific segregase, valosin-containing protein (VCP)/p97, plays an essential role in timely extraction of the congregated DNA damage sensors to functionally facilitate the DNA lesion elimination from the genome. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Genome Sequences of Two Salmonella enterica Serovar Kentucky Isolates Recovered from Poultry Carcasses in the United States.

ABSTRACT We report here the draft genome sequences of two Salmonella enterica serovar Kentucky eBurstGroup 15 isolates collected from poultry carcasses in Georgia (USA).
MYH9 binds to lncRNA gene PTCSC2 and regulates FOXE1 in the 9q22 thyroid cancer risk locus

A locus on chromosome 9q22 harbors a SNP (rs965513) firmly associated with risk of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). The locus also comprises the forkhead box E1 (FOXE1) gene, which is implicated in thyroid development, and a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) gene, papillary thyroid cancer susceptibility candidate 2 (PTCSC2). How these might interact is not known. Here we report that PTCSC2 binds myosin-9 (MYH9). In a bidirectional promoter shared by FOXE1 and PTCSC2, MYH9 inhibits the promoter activity in both directions. This inhibition can be reversed by PTCSC2, which acts as a suppressor. RNA knockdown of FOXE1 in primary thyroid cells profoundly interferes with the p53 pathway. We propose that the interaction between the lncRNA, its binding protein MYH9, and the coding gene FOXE1 underlies the predisposition to PTC triggered by rs965513.
Sending Them Home Alive

Ideally, a museum visit is a memorable experience that affects a person's life beyond the museum's walls. To be changed in this way, however, people must be fully alive where they are; free to drop their self-consciousness, their roles and facades, their fears of knowing too little, or of needing to judge and analyze; free to allow the objects and events to become part of themselves. Over and above the design requirements and neutral architectural backdrop of an exhibit, there is the opportunity and challenge to make each space a more successful place of learning and creativity, where people get more in touch with who they really are and what they might be. The following summary of ideas gathered from research in the field of environmental psychology suggests that achieving such "aliveness" depends on designing an ambience with sufficient environmental stimulation to keep the brain at optimal levels of alertness by meeting at least four basic needs: movement, comfort, competence, and control.