Information Asymmetry, Risk Rating, and Debt Maturity: Evidence from Small Business Data

This paper examines the interactive effects of risk ratings and banking relationships on debt maturity choice. Previous studies posit that there exist important interactions between risk ratings and proprietary information generated from monitoring. I test their predictions by introducing banking relationships as a proxy for proprietary information about borrowers. I find that, in the absence of prior banking relationships, both low-and high-risk firms borrow on shorter-term bases than intermediate-risk firms. With long-lasting banking relationships, however, the effects of risk ratings on maturity substantially decline. The findings here suggest that information asymmetry is at the root of debt maturity choice

Isolation and characterization of differentially expressed genes in the mycelium and fruit body of Pleurotus ostreatus

The fruiting body of one of the most widely cultivated mushrooms, the oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) is highly interesting, both commercially and scientifically. In the present study, we performed comparative proteomic profiling of P. ostreatus at two unique developmental stages; mycelium and fruit body, using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). Seven hundred fourteen (714) spots were detected and 29 spots (showing a high level of difference in their expressions) were identified by tandem mass spectrometry and basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) searching of an expressed sequence tag (EST) database of P. ostreatus. Among them, six proteins (putative fatty acid oxygenase, heat shock sks2, PriA homologue, Ap-1 like transcription factor YAP7, mung bean seed albumin, and C2H2 Zinc finger domain protein) and one protein (peroxisomal biogenesis factor 6) showed increased expression levels at the fruiting process and the mycelial stage, respectively. Through reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis, priA homologue and AP-1 like transcription factor yap7 showed gradually increased expression from mycelia to fruit body, whereas putative fatty acid oxygenase and heat shock protein sks2 were expressed only in the fruit body. These results provide useful information for future studies of mushroom development of P. ostreatus.Keywords: Developmental stage, mushroom fruiting, Pleurotus ostreatus, protein, two-dimensional gel electrophoresisAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(24), pp. 3790-379

In Vivo Dual-Modal Photoacoustic and Ultrasound Imaging of Sentinel Lymph Nodes Using a Solid-State Dye Laser System

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) is being actively investigated as a non-invasive and non-radioactive imaging technique for sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy. By taking advantage of optical and ultrasound imaging, PAI probes SLNs non-invasively with methylene blue (MB) in both live animals and breast cancer patients. However, these PAI systems have limitations for widespread use in clinics and commercial marketplaces because the lasers used by the PAI systems, e.g., tunable liquid dye laser systems and optical parametric oscillator (OPO) lasers, are bulky in size, not economical, and use risky flammable and toxic liquid dyes. To overcome these limitations, we are proposing a novel dual-modal photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging system based on a solid-state dye laser (SD-PAUSI), which is compact, convenient, and carries far less risk of flammability and toxicity. Using a solid-state dye handpiece that generates 650-nm wavelength, we successfully imaged the MB tube positioned deeply (~3.9 cm) in chicken breast tissue. The SLNs were also photoacoustically detected in the in vivo rats beneath a 2.2-cm-thick layer of chicken breast, which is deeper than the typical depth of SLNs in humans (1.2 ± 0.5 cm). Furthermore, we showed the multispectral capability of the PAI by switching the dye handpiece, in which the MB-dyed SLN was selectively highlighted from the surrounding vasculature. These results demonstrated the great potential of the SD-PAUSI as an easy but effective modality for SLN detection

Wave Touch: Educational Game on Interactive Tabletop with Water Simulation

Abstract. In this paper, we present an underwater exploration game called Wave Touch, designed specifically for a category of devices known as, interactive tabletops. The game provides users with a fun way to learn about important historical artifacts. An emphasis is placed on making Wave Touch entertaining to the user, a goal which is satisfied through the use of interactive tabletops and realistic water simulation. We also present the techniques we used to enable real-time water simulation effects in the game

Detection of micro inclusions in steel sheets using high-frequency ultrasound speckle analysis

AbstractWith the increasing need for steel sheet quality assurance, the detection of micro-scaled inclusions in steel sheets has become critical. Many techniques have been explored to detect inclusions, e.g., visual inspection, radiography, magnetic testing, and ultrasound. Among these methods, ultrasound (US) is the most commonly used non-destructive testing (NDT) method due to its ease of use and deep penetration depth. However, ultrasound currently cannot be used for detecting the micro-scaled inclusions due to low spatial resolution, e.g., less than 30 μm, which are the key important factors causing the cracks in the high-quality steel sheets. Here, we demonstrate a high-resolution US imaging (USI) using high-frequency US transducers to image micro inclusions in steel sheets. Our system utilizes through-transmission USI and identifies ultrasound scattering produced by the inclusions. We first ultrasonically imaged the artificial flaws induced by the laser on the steel sheet surface for validating the system. We then imaged the real inclusions in the steel sheets formed during manufacturing processes and analyzed them to derive quantitative parameters related to the number of micro-scaled inclusions. Our results confirm that inclusions less than 30 μm can be identified using our high-resolution USI modality and has the potential to be used as an effective tool for quality assurance of the steel sheets.11Nsciescopu

Quantitative assessment of peripheral vasculature using a 3D bimodal photoacoustic and ultrasound foot scanner

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Shear-Force Photoacoustic Microscopy: Toward Super-resolution Near-Field Imaging

© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.Optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM) enables both high-resolution and high-contrast imaging of optical chromophores ranging from biological tissues to inorganic samples. The lateral spatial resolution of OR-PAM depends on its optical configuration and is primarily determined by the numerical aperture of the objective lens. This study demonstrates a novel, lens-free, shear-force photoacoustic microscopy system using a tapered fiber, serving as a proof-of-concept toward the implementation of super-resolution, near-field scanning photoacoustic microscopy. An uncoated tapered fiber is attached to a quartz tuning fork, thereby maintaining the near-field distance between the fiber and sample surface via a shear-force detection mechanism. Light-field simulation confirms an evanescent wave at the end of the uncoated, tapered fiber. Based on the photoacoustic simulation and 2D photoacoustic scanning experimental results, targets are imaged with high-lateral resolutions of the order of 1.0 ± 0.3 µm. These results demonstrate the existence of near-field photoacoustic signals and the potential for future development of super-resolution, near-field, scanning photoacoustic microscopy.11Nsciescopu