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Online group buying has emerged as a new bargaining power for many shoppers and become more so as a result of increasingly growing popularity of social networking and community-based web sites. Aside from significant quantity discounts, these buying groups can also potentially influence the manufacturers and retailers on policies, product characteristics, and services. We propose an Online Group Buying Decision Framework to model the overall process of online group buying. We use a major group buying community web site in Taiwan, ihergo.com, to test our framework and conduct follow-up analysis. Based on the proposed framework, we design a survey study in an attempt to gain more insights on group buying communities, their activities, and culture within these communities. We then perform a path analysis, a special technique of structural equation modeling (SEM), to study the relationship among the factors used in the survey. Our findings provide useful advice for online group buying sites to attract customers and increase sales.

Environmental and health concerns have prompted consumers to more carefully plan their food consumption. This can be evidenced by the increasing number of organic grocery stores in the past two decades. To date, consumer awareness in Western countries about environmentally friendly and healthy products is considerably high. However, in emerging economies, the concept of green/organic products and healthy lifestyles is still at early stages. Prior studies show that opinion leadership in many markets is the single strongest factor leading to the final purchase decision. In this research, the authors propose a conceptual framework using the well-known theory of reasoned action (TRA) to study consumers' green consumption attitude and behavior in Taiwan. The findings reveal that opinion leaders (OLs) play an important role in product awareness and information diffusion of green products in emerging markets. This paper contributes to the literature by applying the TRA using opinion leaders and validating the theory in the area of green consumption. We also discuss managerial implications of our findings.

Metformin, the world’s most prescribed anti-diabetic drug, is also effective in preventing type 2 diabetes in people at high risk1,2. More than 60% of this effect is attributable to the ability of metformin to lower body weight in a sustained manner3. The molecular mechanisms by which metformin lowers body weight are unknown. Here we show—in two independent randomized controlled clinical trials—that metformin increases circulating levels of the peptide hormone growth/differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), which has been shown to reduce food intake and lower body weight through a brain-stem-restricted receptor. In wild-type mice, oral metformin increased circulating GDF15, with GDF15expression increasing predominantly in the distal intestine and the kidney. Metformin prevented weight gain in response to a high-fat diet in wild-type mice but not in mice lacking GDF15 or its receptor GDNF family receptor α-like (GFRAL). In obese mice on a high-fat diet, the effects of metformin to reduce body weight were reversed by a GFRAL-antagonist antibody. Metformin had effects on both energy intake and energy expenditure that were dependent on GDF15, but retained its ability to lower circulating glucose levels in the absence of GDF15 activity. In summary, metformin elevates circulating levels of GDF15, which is necessary to obtain its beneficial effects on energy balance and body weight, major contributors to its action as a chemopreventive agent.

Most existing studies on selling strategies in online auctions do not distinguish auction heterogeneity when providing operational selling recommendations. They also tend to assume single objective for sellers. In this study, we incorporate seller and product heterogeneity into our analytical framework and implement data mining analysis in four auction segments. We use classification and regression tree (CART) to identify the critical factors along with their sequences for auction success and prices. We find different determinants for auction success and ending prices in these four auction segments. The classification and regression trees provide operational choices for sellers to build the most effective selling strategies. We propose that, by using expected auction prices with the classification and regression trees, sellers can integrate auction success and prices as multiple objectives in their selling strategies. Overall, this study contributes to the literature by providing an innovative methodology for effective selling recommendations, which can potentially lead to significant and smooth growth of the online auction market.

Product sampling is an important marketing strategy in the software industry. In this work, we propose a dynamic model to study consumer behaviour in software product sampling. The model shows that the demand for dynamic sample is in two equilibrium states. The result of the comparative static analysis indicates that factors such as sampling effectiveness and network externality effect can result in converting samplers into software buyers. Other factors, however, have the opposite impact. These factors include attrition (forgetting) rate, software price, and learning cost. Managerial implications of our findings are provided to the software vendors. We recommend that the software vendor should design an effective and user-friendly sampling mechanism and provide good learning tutorials, courses and demos for the samplers. The software vendor can increase the network effect of software product sampling through increasing of sampler base and knowledge sharing with social media. The vendor should carefully plan the pricing policy so that the effective sampling and maximum total revenue can be achieved.

Drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome is a toxicoderma with systemic involvement. Suspicion of this disorder obliges rapid withdrawal of the suspected drug, which may have been introduced up to 3 months earlier. Screening for human herpesvirus (HHV) 6 reactivation is important both for its diagnostic value and for its association with a poor prognosis. Reactivation of this virus is not a contraindication for systemic corticosteroid treatment, which should be tapered slowly in order to avoid recurrence. The possible appearance of antiphospholipid antibodies must also be considered in those cases associated with thrombocytopenia, altered hemostasis, or thrombotic events. Autoimmune disorders may also develop as a sequela of the condition. Medium-to-long-term follow-up is required even after complete resolution of the condition. We describe a new case of sulfasalazine-induced hypersensitivity syndrome associated with HHV-6 reactivation and the induction of anticardiolipin and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies.

Amelogenin (AMEL) is a conserved gene located on the sex chromosomes of mammals. It is involved in the formation of enamel, which is the hard, white material that forms the protective outer layer of each tooth. In this study, we first cloned and determined the intron sequences of the goat AMELXand AMELYgenes from female and male ear tissues. The polymorphic AMELalleles were further analyzed by PCR-based RFLP and Southern blot hybridization analyses. Results showed that intron 5 nucleotide sequences of the goat AMELYgene contains multiple deletions/insertions and shares only 48.5% identity to intron 5 of the goat AMELXgene. Based on the polymorphic AMELintron sequences, a set of sex-specific triplex primers was designed to PCR amplify a single fragment of 264 bp from the X chromosome of female goats and 2 fragments of 264 and 206 bp from the X and Y chromosomes, respectively, of male goats. An increased sensitivity for sex determination was reached with a single blastomere at the blastula stage isolated from goat embryos. A total of 43 goat embryos were used to estimate a 100% accuracy rate of this method confirmed by chromosomal karyotyping and live births. The embryo sexing technique has been successfully applied in different strains of goats including Alpine, Saanen, Nubian, and Taiwan goats.

A new series of charge‐neutral Ru(II) pyridyl and isoquinoline pyrazolate complexes, [Ru(bppz)2(PPh2Me)2] (bbpz: 3‐tert‐butyl‐5‐pyridyl pyrazolate) (1), [Ru(fppz)2(PPh2Me)2] (fppz: 3‐trifluoromethyl‐5‐pyridyl pyrazolate) (2), [Ru(ibpz)2(PPhMe2)2] (ibpz: 3‐tert‐butyl‐5‐(1‐isoquinolyl) pyrazolate) (3), [Ru(ibpz)2(PPh2Me)2] (4), [Ru(ifpz)2(PPh2Me)2] (ifpz: 3‐trifluoromethyl‐5‐(1‐isoquinolyl) pyrazolate) (5), [Ru(ibpz)2(dpp)] (dpp represents cis‐1,2‐bis‐(diphenylphosphino)ethene) (6), and [Ru(ifpz)2(dpp)] (7), have been synthesized, and their structural, electrochemical, and photophysical properties have been characterized. A comprehensive time‐dependant density functional theory (TDDFT) approach has been used to assign the observed electronic transitions to specific frontier orbital configurations. A multilayer organic light‐emitting device (OLED) using 24 wt % of 5as the dopant emitter in a 4,4′‐N,N′‐dicarbazolyl‐1,1′‐biphenyl (CBP) host with 4,4′‐bis[N‐(1‐naphthyl)‐N‐phenylamino]biphenyl (NPB) as the hole‐transport layer exhibits saturated red emission with an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 5.10 %, luminous efficiency of 5.74 cd A–1, and power efficiency of 2.62 lm W–1. The incorporation of a thin layer of poly(styrene sulfonate)‐doped poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) between indium tin oxide (ITO) and NPB gave anoptimized device with an EQE of 7.03 %, luminous efficiency of 8.02 cd A–1, and power efficiency of 2.74 lm W–1at 20 mA cm–2. These values represent a breakthrough in the field of OLEDs using less expensive Ru(II) metal complexes. The nonionic nature of the complexes as well as their high emission quantum efficiencies and short radiative lifetimes are believed to be the key factors enabling this unprecedented achievement. The prospects for color tuning based on Ru(II) complexes are also discussed in light of some theoretical calculations.

Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) is a polypeptide precursor that undergoes extensive processing to yield a range of peptides with biologically diverse functions. POMC-derived ACTH is vital for normal adrenal function and the melanocortin α-MSH plays a key role in appetite control and energy homeostasis. However, the roles of peptide fragments derived from the highly conserved N-terminal region of POMC are less well characterized. We have used mice with a null mutation in the Pomcgene (Pomc−/−) to determine the in vivoeffects of synthetic N-terminal 1–28 POMC, which has been shown previously to possess adrenal mitogenic activity. 1–28 POMC (20 μg) given s.c. for 10 days had no effect on the adrenal cortex of Pomc−/−mice, with resultant cortical morphology and plasma corticosterone levels being indistinguishable from sham treatment. Concurrent administration of 1–28 POMC and 1–24 ACTH (30 μg/day) resulted in changes identical to 1–24 ACTH treatment alone, which consisted of upregulation of steroidogenic enzymes, elevation of corticosterone levels, hypertrophy of the zona fasciculate, and regression of the X-zone. However, treatment of corticosterone-depleted Pomc−/−mice with 1–28 POMC reduced cumulative food intake and total body weight. These anorexigenic effects were ameliorated when the peptide was administered to Pomc−/−mice with circulating corticosterone restored either to a low physiological level by corticosterone-supplemented drinking water (CORT) or to a supraphysiological level by concurrent 1–24 ACTH administration. Further, i.c.v. administration of 1–28 POMC to CORT-treated Pomc−/−mice had no effect on food intake or body weight. In wild-type mice, the effects of 1–28 POMC upon food intake and body weight were identical to sham treatment, but 1–28 POMC was able to ameliorate the hyperphagia induced by concurrent 1–24 ACTH treatment. In a mouse model which lacks all endogenous POMC peptides, s.c. treatment with synthetic 1–28 POMC alone can reduce food intake and body weight, but has no impact upon adrenal growth or steroidogenesis.

Fuzzy system has been known to provide a framework for handling uncertainties and imprecision by taking linguistic information from human experts. However, difficulties arise in determining effectively the fuzzy system configuration, i.e., the number of rules, input and output membership functions. A neuro‐fuzzy system design methodology by combining neural network and fuzzy logic is developed in this paper to adaptively adjust the fuzzy membership functions and dynamically optimize the linguistic‐fuzzy rules. The structure of a five‐layer feedforward network is shown to determine systematically the correct fuzzy logic rules, tune optimally (in the sense of local region) the parameters of the membership functions, and perform accurately the fuzzy inference. It is shown both numerically and experimentally that engineering applications of the neuro‐fuzzy system to vibration control have been very successful.

We have synthesized a fluorene-based copolymer, PFA-OXD, which possesses bipolar charge-transporting functionalities, through the incorporation of electron-rich triphenylamine moieties and electron-deficient oxadiazole pendent groups into the polymer backbone and onto the C9 position of each fluorene repeating unit, respectively. The propeller-shaped triphenylamine units in the main chain and the rigid cardo-type OXD side chains endow this polymer with a very high glass transition temperature (306 °C) and good thermal stability, without sacrificing its good solution processability. Both in dilute solution and as a thin film, PFA-OXD exhibits a bright blue emission upon excitation of either the main chain or oxadiazole side chains; this phenomenon indicates that efficient energy transfer occurs from the photoexcited pendent groups to the polymer backbone. An organic light-emitting device incorporating this copolymer as the emitting layer exhibits a voltage-independent and stable blue emission having color coordinates (0.14, 0.15) at 9 V; the maximum brightness was 7128 cd m^-2 and the maximum luminance efficiency was 2.07 cd A^-1. In addition, doping PFA-OXD as a host material with 2.6 wt % of a red-emitting phosphorescent dye, Os(fppz), led to a high-brightness, highly efficient red electroluminescent device having CIE coordinates of (0.65, 0.34), a maximum brightness of 28 440 cd m^-2, and a maximum external efficiency of 9.30%.

Highly efficient electrophosphorescent polymer light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with saturated red emission (Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage chromaticity coordinates exactly at x = 0.67, y = 0.33) are achieved by blending a novel neutral Osmium complex into a single-component bipolar polymer host that possesses balanced hole- and electron-transporting ability. By using a tetraphenylenebiphenyldiamine (TPD)-based cross-linkable hole-transport layer as well as a layer of 1,3,5-tris(N-phenylbenzimidazol-2-yl)benzene (TPBI) as an electron-transport layer, a device structure with both effective hole/electron injection and efficient carriers/excitons blocking or confinement at both electrode sides is constituted. In this way, external quantum efficiency 12.8% is reached the first time with an organometallic complex with heavy metal core other than iridium.

Several numeric measures have been proposed in the past for the assessment of crash compatibility between two vehicles of dissimilar sizes. These proposed measures are generally intended to quantify the dynamic behavior of the vehicle structure in a crash and they intend to measure either the location of application of vehicle's crash forces, or the peak values of the forces and their distribution pattern such as the co-efficient of variance and homogeneity. This paper presents results for the height of force and for the load distribution patterns for several vehicles from crash tests and from finite element simulations. Results were obtained for crashes against rigid barrier instrumented with two different sizes of load cells to assess the effect of the load cell size on these parameters and on the relationship of these parameters to the vehicle structure. Investigations were also conducted for the case when a deformable face is added to the load cell barrier and results are presented assessing the influence of the deformable face on the measurement of height of force and of load distribution patterns. The relationship between the vehicle structure, the various proposed parameters, their measured values, the inherent errors and the effect on self-protection as well as partner protection in vehicle-to-vehicle crashes are discussed.

The nonionic, red-emitting complexes [Os(fppz)2L2] (L = PPh2Me (1), PPhMe2 (2)) and [Os(bptz)2L2] (L = PPh2Me (3)) were synthesized, showing highly intense red phosphorescent emission in CH2Cl2 solution at λmax 617, 632, and 649 nm, respectively. The electroluminescent properties of these compounds on OLEDs showed promising device efficiencies required for future OLED applications.

Providing healthcare and related services through the world wide web, or e-healthcare, is an emerging phenomenon. To implement e-healthcare strategy successfully, a careful study of consumers' information needs is crucial. This paper reports our survey research, in which we sought opinions on the importance of various features. Our findings indicate that consumers view features related to consumer self-education via an e-healthcare website as most important, followed by features related to efficiency. Improved communications and timely services, with no statistically significant differences between the two, are both viewed as less important features than efficiency. Self-diagnosis and self-test tools come in last in the preference list. Given the proliferation of online healthcare information in general, the high importance given by participants to features related to self-education, calls for involvement of healthcare providers in certifying, endorsing, or providing quality healthcare information. The low importance assessed to self-diagnosis and self-test tools cautions those who are considering implementing these tools. The survey questionnaire can be accessed via http://opim.sba.uconn.edu/zwalter/ehealth/

The atomic force microscopy (AFM) technique has been developed to study the sublimation rate of an organic solid film on smooth surfaces. On the basis of the experimental results, a dipole-induced dipole propagation potential is employed to explain a nonlinear sublimation rate of a solid TNT thin film in a very close proximity to the substrate surface. In this model, three important physical parameters, the bulk sublimation rate δo, surface interaction potential Uo, and the effective decay length of the surface potential ho, are introduced without any arbitrary constants. It is argued that the model reflects a general phenomena rather than a special case.

Treatment of β-ketoiminates with [(allyl)Pd(μ-Cl)]2 affords volatile, air-stable allyl(β-ketoiminato)palladium(II) complexes. The structure of [(methallyl)Pd(Phacac)] (Phacac = MeCOCHCMeNPh) was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In solution ¹H NMR analyses indicate either a direct rotation of a planar allyl ligand about the allyl−palladium axis or a solvent-assisted exchange process involving the transient formation of a monodentate ketoiminato ligand. The physical properties of the complexes were modified by altering the β-ketoiminato or the η³-allyl ligands. Some derivatives are liquid at room temperature and were known to be suitable for chemical vapor deposition of Pd thin films.

On November 15, 1996, NASA FAST and POLAR satellites obtained data in the cusp/cleft region for extended intervals. POLAR sampled a narrow range of local times. FAST observed cusp/cleft plasma for more than 5 hours in local time. At 07:51 UT the satellites were in near magnetic conjunction, and the interplanetary magnetic field was steady for an extended interval before this time. We confirm prior observations that show solar wind plasma often enters the magnetosphere over extended regions of local time. For the one hour interval of steady solar wind conditions when POLAR encountered cusp/cleft plasma, irregularly spaced ion injections interspersed with intervals of nearly constant cusp/cleft ion fluxes were observed. The data are consistent with temporal variations in the reconnection rate. At the time of the near conjugate observations the data suggest that solar wind plasma entered the magnetosphere over an extended region of the magnetopause, i.e. not in small discontinuous patches.

Abstract: Computerized sediment transport models are frequently employed to quantitatively simulate the movement of sediment materials in rivers. In spite of the deterministic nature of the models, the outputs are subject to uncertainty due to the inherent variability of many input parameters in time and in space, along with the lack of complete understanding of the involved processes. The commonly used first-order method for sensitivity and uncertainty analyses is to approximate a model by linear expansion at a selected point. Conclusions from the first-order method could be of limited use if the model responses drastically vary at different points in parameter space. To obtain the global sensitivity and uncertainty features of a sediment transport model over a larger input parameter space, the Latin hypercubic sampling technique along with regression procedures were employed. For the purpose of illustrating the methodologies, the computer model HEC2-SR was selected in this study. Through an example application, the results about the parameters sensitivity and uncertainty of water surface, bed elevation and sediment discharge were discussed.

Abstract: This paper discusses the derivation of a unit hydrograph by multiple storm analysis using least squares methods. Variations of least squares method was generalized using the framework of weighted ridge analysis. The paper also shows two theorems to support using multi-storm analysis to derive UH. In addition, an issue was addressed on the scaling effect in the conventional multi-storm analysis which could create potential bias toward large storms in deriving a multi-storm UH. For that, a simple scaling procedure was proposed to reduce such potential bias problem. Numerical investigations were conducted to examine the performance of the scaling procedure by comparing with the conventional multi-storm analysis (without scaling) and the HEC-1 weighing procedures. Based on various performance criteria using a total of 39 storms from three watersheds, the proposed scaling procedure was found to produce a quite desirable UH.

Abstract: Because it can be carried by flowing water, a sand/gravel pit on the river bed could migrate downstream. Consequently, the presence of pits on river beds could pose a safety threat to in-stream hydraulic structures such as bridge piers. A pit migration model can be used to predict progressive changes of pit geometry as it migrates downstream. However, due to the existence of many uncertainties, the maximum pit depth cannot be predicted with certainty. This paper adopted a simple pit migration model and evaluated the uncertainty associated with the calculated maximum pit depth. Such information is essential for evaluating the probability that a migrating pit could pose a safety threat to a downstream hydraulic structure. Three reliability analysis techniques were applied and their performances were compared.

Abstract: For a proposed highway bridge or culvert, the total cost to the public during its expected service life includes capital investment on the structures, regular operation and maintenance costs, and various flood related costs. The flood related damage costs include items such as replacement and repair costs of the highway bridge or culvert, flood plain property damage costs, users costs from traffic interruptions and detours, and others. As the design discharge increases, the required capital investment increases but the corresponding flood related damage costs decrease. Hydraulic design of a bridge or culvert using a riskbased approach is to choose among the alternatives the one associated with the least total expected cost.In this paper, the risk-based design procedure is applied to pipe culvert design. The effect of the hydrologic uncertainties such as sample size and type of flood distribution model on the optimal culvert design parameters including design return period and total expected cost are examined in this paper.

Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) was used to follow the decomposition kinetics of ethylene glycol dinitrate (EGDN) adsorbed on a zinc oxide surface at 313 K. The principal decomposition products are most likely a variety of carbonyl, carboxylate, and carbonate species. The appearance of these products follows zeroth-order Langmuir kinetics. Another decomposition product, carbon monoxide, exhibited more complex kinetics. Overall, because of its reactivity with EGDN, ZnO does not appear to be a suitable material for an explosive preconcentrator device.

A strong immunoreactivity for ferritin was observed in the neuritic (senile) plaques in Alzheimer's disease hippocampus. The ferritin accumulation was almost exclusively associated with the microglia, which appeared to have proliferated greatly. These cells were also positive for HLA-DR, a putative marker for reactive microglia. In contrast, in the diffuse plaques, which were without neuritic pathology, the ferritin-stained microglia appeared to be normal. Microglia were seen frequently in contact with neurons undergoing neurofibrillary changes but only the tangles in the extracellular space were ferritin positive. No ferritin was detected, by Western blots, in paired helical filaments isolated from Alzheimer's disease brain, suggesting that ferritin was most likely weakly associated with and was not a constituent of these fibrils. No correlation between increased ferritin/microglia activity and blood-brain barrier leakage was detected. Ferritin, an iron-storage protein, might have a role in the formation of amyloid through the action of free radicals generated during the release of iron from the ferritin molecule. Alternatively, the ferritin/microglia system might be secondarily involved in the removal and processing of the amyloid.

Paired helical filaments (PHF) were isolated from autopsied brain of cases of Alzheimer dementia, and their polypeptides were identified with monoclonal antibodies to PHF by Western blots. The PHF polypeptide profile consisted of several bands with a size difference of less than 5 kilodalton (kDa) between adjacent bands; the most prominent bands were in the 45–62 kDa region. These PHF polypeptides were also labeled with tangles reactive antisera to microtubules from normal brain but had electrophoretic patterns different from those of microtubules and neurofilaments. These studies define the molecular weight profile of PHF polypeptides and suggest that they might originate from normal brain proteins.

We have used the FT-IR/ATR technique to investigate TNT diffusion in acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber (NBR) at 93, 103, and 113 °C. An analysis of the frequency and intensity of the NO2symmetric and asymmetric stretch vibrations suggests that TNT diffused in NBR is in an isolated molecular state and/or cluster form. The diffusion process can be well-described by Fickian kinetics. The kinetic model fitting shows that the diffusion coefficient of TNT in NBR is on the order of 10−7cm2/s and the activation energy is in the range of 30–35 kJ/mol.

The construction of a double-stranded cDNA library using rat prostatic poly(A)RNA and pBR322/?1776 system and the isolation of three prostatic binding protein (PBP) cDNA clones are described. These cDNA clones were characterized and identified by in situ hybridization, mRNA selection-translation and immunoprecipitation as coding for the three subunit components, C1, C2, and C3, of PBP. These clones were used in hybridization experiments with prostatic poly(A)RNA to determine the effect of testosterone on the levels of PBP-mRNA. The results showed that synthesis of these mRNAs varied in response to either androgen withdrawal or replacement. Accumulation of PBP-mRNAs coding for C2 and C3 components occurred 1 hr after androgen administration to castrated rat, whereas the mRNA coding for the Cl component did not appear until 4 hr after androgen replacement. Quantitation of PBP-mRNA sequences in nuclear and polysomal poly(A)RNAs showed that they did not vary coordinately in response to androgen withdrawal. These results indicate differential regulation of PBP genes and suggest possible multiple levels of androgen control of PBP synthesis.

Microtubule-associated protein tau was purified from bovine brain microtubules by either (1) phosphocellulose chromatography, (2) heat treatment at pH 6.4, (3) heat treatment at pH 2.7, (4) heat treatment at pH 2.7 followed by extraction with perchloric acid and precipitation with glycerol, or (5) by precipitation with ammonium sulfate followed by extraction with perchloric acid. All of these tau preparations reacted specifically with antibodies to Alzheimer paired helical filaments. Affinity purified antibodies to tau labeled both Alzheimer neurofibrillary tangles and plaque neurites but not amyloid in Alzheimer brain tissue sections and labeled paired helical filament polypeptides on Western blots. Human brain tau and paired helical filament polypeptides co-migrated on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. These results suggest that tau is a major component of Alzheimer paired helical filaments.

In patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, deafness sometimes occurs following radiotherapy. It is usually conductive, but may be sensorineural. Tinnitus is present frequently and usually is distressing. The role of ventilation tubes (grommets) in relieving these problems was assessed in a prospective randomized controlled trial of 115 patients. In the group with grommets, there was an improvement in hearing, with a reduction of the averaged air-bone gap (p< .01). This was not found in the control group without ventilation tubes, who developed a larger conductive loss (p< .01) and, in addition, a slight deterioration of the averaged bone conduction threshold (p< .01). Surprisingly, the group with grommets did not develop this sensorineural loss (p> .01). In addition, tinnitus was improved significantly by the insertion of ventilation tubes (p< .01). Neither necrosis nor stenosis of the external auditory meatus was found in either group.

Abstract: Hydrologic model parameters obtained from regional regression equations are subject to uncertainty. Consequently, hydrologic model outputs based on the stochastic parameters are random. This paper presents a systematic analysis of uncertainty associated with the two parameters, N and K, in Nash's IUH model from different regional regression equations. The uncertainty features associated with N and K are further incorporated to assess the uncertainty of the resulting IUH. Numerical results indicate that uncertainty of N and K from the regional regression equations are too significant to be ignored.

Abstract: Hydrologic regionalization is a useful tool that allows for the transfer of hydrological information from gaged sites to ungaged sites. This study developed regional regression equations that relate the two parameters in Nash's IUH model to the basin characteristics for 42 major watersheds in Taiwan. In the process of developing the regional equations, different regression procedures including the conventional univariate regression, multivariate regression, and seemingly unrelated regression were used. Multivariate regression and seeming unrelated regression were applied because there exists a rather strong correlation between the Nash's IUH parameters. Furthermore, a validation study was conducted to examine the predictability of regional equations derived by different regression procedures. The study indicates that hydrologic regionalization involving several dependent variables should consider their correlations in the process of establishing the regional equations. The consideration of such correlation will enhance the predictability of resulting regional equations as compared with the ones from the conventional univariate regression procedure.

Abstract: Unit hydrographs (UHs), along with design rainfalls, are frequently used to determine the discharge hydrograph for design and evaluation of hydraulic structures. Due to the presence of various uncertainties in its derivation, the resulting UH is inevitably subject to uncertainty. Consequently, the performance of hydraulic structures under the design storm condition is uncertain. This paper integrates the linearly constrained Monte-Carlo simulation with the UH theory and routing techniques to evaluate the reliability of hydraulic structures. The linear constraint is considered because the water volume of each generated design direct runoff hydrograph should be equal to that of the design effective rainfall hyetograph or the water volume of each generated UH must be equal to one inch (or cm) over the watershed. For illustration, the proposed methodology is applied to evaluate the overtopping risk of a hypothetical flood detention reservoir downstream of Tong-Tou watershed in Taiwan.

Antisera to microtubule-enriched fraction fron normal human brain (anti-MT sera) label neurofibrillary tangles and neurites of neuritic (senile) plaques in brain sections of cases with Alzheimer disease/senile demintia of the Alzheimer type (AD/SDAT); the plaque core amyloid is not labeled. These anti-MT sera label both tangles in tissue sections and smears of isolated tangles which had been extracted with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) to remove impurities trapped in between the paired helical filaments (PHF). The tangle labeling of anti-MT sera is eliminated on their absorption both with microtubule-enriched fractions from human and animal brain and with the isolated PHF. Neurofilament triplet, actin, myosin, keratin, or fibroblasts do not absorb the tangles staining antibodies. Furthermore, antisera containing antibodies to tubulin, microtubule-associated high mol. wt. polypeptides (MAPS), neurofilament triplet, and the 50,000 mol. wt. contaminant of CNS neurofilament preparations do not label tangles. On immunoblots of SDS-polyacrylamide gels of isolated PHF anti-MT sera label some of the same polypeptides identified with antisera to PHF; affinity-purified antibodies to tubulin used as a control do not label any PHF polypeptide on the immunoblots. The anti-MT sera, when preabsorbed with the PHF polypeptides eluted from SDS-polyacrylamide gels, do not label tangles. These studies demonstrate that a polypeptide/s cross-reactive with Alzheimer PHF is indeed normally present in brain and that it is different from tubulin, neurofilament triplet, actin, myosin, vimentin, and keratin.

Antisera to isolated Alzheimer neurofibrillary tangles (ANT) of paired helical filaments (PHF) were raised in rabbits. These anti-PHF sera immunolabeled both ANT in sections of Alzheimer hippocampus and ANT which were isolated and extracted with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The immunostaining of ANT in tissue sections was removed by absorption of the anti-PHF serum with small amounts of PHF and also with 40-fold the amount of a fraction prepared identically from normal brain; neurofilament and brain microtubule preparations used at the same concentration as the normal brain control fraction did not eliminate the tangle staining. Furthermore, the tangle staining was also not removed with glial filaments or actin and myosin filaments. No labeling of the neurofilaments of axons and cerebellar basket fibers by anti-PHF sera was observed in tissue sections from non-neurologic brain. On paper blots of SDS-polyacrylamide gels anti-PHF serum reacted with neither polypeptides of the normal brain control fraction nor major microtubule and neurofilament polypeptides. However, the immunoblots of PHF preparations with the anti-PHF serum revealed staining of several polypeptide bands in the 45,000–70,000 molecular weight (MW) region, material on top of the gel and diffuse staining of the high MW region. The tangles staining in tissue sections by the anti-PHF serum was abolished by its absorption with PHF polypeptides extracted from high and low molecular weight areas of SDS polyacrylamide gels but not with identically prepared neurofilament polypeptides. These results indicate that (1) the antigen(s) recognized by the anti-PHF serum is inherent to the PHF, (2) this PHF polypeptide(s) is at least partly soluble in SDS, and (3) this polypeptide(s) occurs in normal brain but is not associated with microtubules, neurofilaments, actin, or myosin.

Amino acid sequencing of a CNBr digest of the tau protein isolated from bovine brain revealed an amino acid sequence of 17 residues, Pro-Gly-Leu-Lys-Glu-Ser-Pro-Leu-Gln-Ile-Gly-Ala-Ala-Pro-Gly-Leu-Lys, which we call peptide I, with heterogeneity at position 11 of glycine (peptide Ia) and proline (peptide Ib); peptide I showed no homology with the previously reported cDNA-derived mouse and human tau sequences. Antisera raised to synthetic peptides corresponding to peptides Ia and Ib labeled all the bovine tau polypeptides recognized by other monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to bovine tau. Antisera to peptide Ib did not label any mouse tau polypeptides; however, an anti-Ia antiserum labeled two of the four mouse tau polypeptides. Antisera to both peptides labeled paired helical filaments (PHF) as neurofibrillary tangles, plaque neurites, and neuropil threads in Alzheimer disease brain and PHF polypeptides on immunoblots. Immunostaining with anti-Ia antisera of PHF in tissue sections and PHF polypeptides, but not bovine tau, on immunoblots was markedly increased when pretreated with alkaline phosphatase. These studies suggest that (i) the amino acid sequences of some isoforms of tau peptide might be different from that predicted from cDNAs, (ii) a tau peptide that is absent in the predicted sequences is present in PHF in Alzheimer disease, and (iii) tau in PHF is abnormally phosphorylated.

A monoclonal antibody to the microtubule-associated protein tau (tau) labeled some neurofibrillary tangles and plaque neurites, the two major locations of paired-helical filaments (PHF), in Alzheimer disease brain. The antibody also labeled isolated PHF that had been repeatedly washed with NaDodSO4. Dephosphorylation of the tissue sections with alkaline phosphatase prior to immunolabeling dramatically increased the number of tangles and plaques recognized by the antibody. The plaque core amyloid was not stained in either dephosphorylated or nondephosphorylated tissue sections. On immunoblots PHF polypeptides were labeled readily only when dephosphorylated. In contrast, a commercially available monoclonal antibody to a phosphorylated epitope of neurofilaments that labeled the tangles and the plaque neurites in tissue did not label any PHF polypeptides on immunoblots. The PHF polypeptides, labeled with the monoclonal antibody to tau, electrophoresed with those polypeptides recognized by antibodies to isolated PHF. The antibody to tau-labeled microtubules from normal human brains assembled in vitro but identically treated Alzheimer brain preparations had to be dephosphorylated to be completely recognized by this antibody. These findings suggest that tau in Alzheimer brain is an abnormally phosphorylated protein component of PHF.