Maximum Score Estimation of Preference Parameters for a Binary Choice Model under Uncertainty

This paper develops maximum score estimation of preference parameters in the binary choice model under uncertainty in which the decision rule is affected by conditional expectations. The preference parameters are estimated in two stages: we estimate conditional expectations nonparametrically in the first stage and then the preference parameters in the second stage based on Manski (1975, 1985)'s maximum score estimator using the choice data and first stage estimates. The paper establishes consistency and derives rate of convergence of the two-stage maximum score estimator. Moreover, the paper also provides sufficient conditions under which the two-stage estimator is asymptotically equivalent in distribution to the corresponding single-stage estimator that assumes the first stage input is known. These results are of independent interest for maximum score estimation with nonparametrically generated regressors. The paper also presents some Monte Carlo simulation results for finite-sample behavior of the two-stage estimator

Silicon nanowire devices

Transport measurements were carried out on 15–35 nm diameter silicon nanowires grown using SiH4 chemical vapor deposition via Au or Zn particle-nucleated vapor-liquid-solid growth at 440°C. Both Al and Ti/Au contacts to the wires were investigated. The wires, as produced, were essentially intrinsic, although Au nucleated wires exhibited a slightly higher conductance. Thermal treatment of the fabricated devices resulted in better electrical contacts, as well as diffusion of dopant atoms into the nanowires, and increased the nanowire conductance by as much as 10^4. Three terminal devices indicate that the doping of the wires is p type

Outcomes of Palivizumab Prophylaxis for Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in Preterm Children with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia at a Single Hospital in Korea from 2005 to 2009

This study was performed to evaluate the utilization and outcomes of palivizumab in high risk children born prematurely with chronic lung disease (CLD). A retrospective review of 128 patients was conducted from September 2004 to March 2009 at the Ajou University Hospital. All patients were diagnosed with CLD, were born at ≤35 weeks of gestation, were <2 yr old at the onset of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season, and had received medical therapy within six months prior to the RSV season. Fifty-three patients did not receive palivizumab prophylaxis and 75 patients received at least one dose of palivizumab. There were no statistically significant differences between the patients with and without palivizumab prophylaxis with regard to demographic characteristics and risk factors for RSV infection. There were no systemic adverse responses. Compliance with the course of prophylaxis was 92.2%. Hospitalization associated with RSV occurred in 12 cases (22.6%) in the group without prophylaxis and in three cases (4.0%) with prophylaxis. Palivizumab prophylaxis significantly reduced the frequency of RSV-related hospitalization in preterm children with CLD. This is the first retrospective review of palivizumab prophylaxis in Korea. Palivizumab is effective and well tolerated in high risk prematurely born children

3D garment digitisation for virtual wardrobe using a commodity depth sensor

5-Aminovaleric acid (5AVA) is an important five-carbon platform chemical that can be used for the synthesis of polymers and other chemicals of industrial interest. Enzymatic conversion of L-lysine to 5AVA has been achieved by employing lysine 2-monooxygenase encoded by the davB gene and 5-aminovaleramidase encoded by the davA gene. Additionally, a recombinant Escherichia coli strain expressing the davB and davA genes has been developed for bioconversion of L-lysine to 5AVA. To use glucose and xylose derived from lignocellulosic biomass as substrates, rather than L-lysine as a substrate, we previously examined direct fermentative production of 5AVA from glucose by metabolically engineered E. coli strains. However, the yield and productivity of 5AVA achieved by recombinant E. coli strains remain very low. Thus, Corynebacterium glutamicum, a highly efficient L-lysine producing microorganism, should be useful in the development of direct fermentative production of 5AVA using L-lysine as a precursor for 5AVA. Here, we report the development of metabolically engineered C. glutamicum strains for enhanced fermentative production of 5AVA from glucose.Various expression vectors containing different promoters and origins of replication were examined for optimal expression of Pseudomonas putida davB and davA genes encoding lysine 2-monooxygenase and delta-aminovaleramidase, respectively. Among them, expression of the C. glutamicum codon-optimized davA gene fused with His-Tag at its N-Terminal and the davB gene as an operon under a strong synthetic H promoter (plasmid p36davAB3) in C. glutamicum enabled the most efficient production of 5AVA. Flask culture and fed-batch culture of this strain produced 6.9 and 19.7\ua0g/L (together with 11.9\ua0g/L glutaric acid as major byproduct) of 5AVA, respectively. Homology modeling suggested that endogenous gamma-aminobutyrate aminotransferase encoded by the gabT gene might be responsible for the conversion of 5AVA to glutaric acid in recombinant C. glutamicum. Fed-batch culture of a C. glutamicum gabT mutant-harboring p36davAB3 produced 33.1\ua0g/L 5AVA with much reduced (2.0\ua0g/L) production of glutaric acid.Corynebacterium glutamicum was successfully engineered to produce 5AVA from glucose by optimizing the expression of two key enzymes, lysine 2-monooxygenase and delta-aminovaleramidase. In addition, production of glutaric acid, a major byproduct, was significantly reduced by employing C. glutamicum gabT mutant as a host strain. The metabolically engineered C. glutamicum strains developed in this study should be useful for enhanced fermentative production of the novel C5 platform chemical 5AVA from renewable resources

An mRNA-specific tRNAi carrier eIF2A plays a pivotal role in cell proliferation under stress conditions: Stress-resistant translation of c-Src mRNA is mediated by eIF2A

c-Src, a non-receptor protein tyrosine kinase, activates NF-��B and STAT3, which in turn triggers the transcription of anti-apoptosis- and cell cycle-related genes. c-Src protein regulates cell proliferation, cell motility and programmed cell death. And the elevated level of activated c-Src protein is related with solid tumor generation. Translation of c-Src mRNA is directed by an IRES element which mediates persistent translation under stress conditions when translation of most mRNAs is inhibited by a phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eIF2 carrying the initiator tRNA (tRNAi) to 40S ribosomal subunit under normal conditions. The molecular basis of the stress-resistant translation of c-Src mRNA remained to be elucidated. Here, we report that eIF2A, an alternative tRNAi carrier, is responsible for the stress-resistant translation of c-Src mRNA. eIF2A facilitates tRNAi loading onto the 40S ribosomal subunit in a c-Src mRNAdependent manner. And a direct interaction between eIF2A and a stem-loop structure (SL I) in the c-Src IRES is required for the c-Src IRES-dependent translation under stress conditions but not under normal conditions. Finally, we showed that the eIF2Adependent translation of c-Src mRNA plays a pivotal role in cell proliferation under stress conditions. ? The Author(s) 2016.115sciescopu

Electronic structures of hexagonal RMnO3 (R = Gd, Tb, Dy, and Ho) thin films

We investigated the electronic structure of multiferroic hexagonal RMnO3 (R = Gd, Tb, Dy, and Ho) thin films using both optical spectroscopy and first-principles calculations. Using artificially stabilized hexagonal RMnO3, we extended the optical spectroscopic studies on the hexagonal multiferroic manganite system. We observed two optical transitions located near 1.7 eV and 2.3 eV, in addition to the predominant absorption above 5 eV. With the help of first-principles calculations, we attribute the low-lying optical absorption peaks to inter-site transitions from the oxygen states hybridized strongly with different Mn orbital symmetries to the Mn 3d3z2-r2 state. As the ionic radius of the rare earth ion increased, the lowest peak showed a systematic increase in its peak position. We explained this systematic change in terms of a flattening of the MnO5 triangular bipyramid

Arrhythmia surgery for atrial fibrillation associated with atrial septal defect: Right-sided maze versus biatrial maze

BackgroundAlthough it has been inferred that a biatrial maze procedure for atrial fibrillation in left-sided heart lesions may lead to better outcomes compared with a limited left atrial lesion set, it remains controversial whether the biatrial maze procedure is superior to the right atrial maze procedure in right-sided heart lesions.MethodsA retrospective review was performed for 56 adults who underwent surgical closure of atrial septal defect and various maze procedures for atrial fibrillation between June 1998 and February 2011. The median age at operation was 59 years (range, 34-79 years). Clinical manifestations of atrial fibrillation were paroxysmal in 8 patients, persistent in 15 patients, and long-standing persistent in 33 patients. A right atrial maze procedure was performed in 23 patients (group 1), and a biatrial maze procedure was performed in 33 patients (group 2). Treatment failure was defined as atrial fibrillation recurrence, development of atrial flutter or other types of atrial tachyarrhythmia, or implantation of a permanent pacemaker. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify risk factors for decreased time to treatment failure.ResultsDuring the median follow-up period of 49 months (range, 5-149 months), there was no early death and 1 late noncardiac death. On Cox survival model, group 1 showed a significantly decreased time to treatment failure in comparison with group 2 (hazard ratio, 5.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.59-16.44; P = .006). Maintenance of normal sinus rhythm without any episode of atrial fibrillation recurrence at 2 and 5 years postoperatively was 57% and 45% in group 1, respectively, and 82% and 69% in group 2, respectively.ConclusionsLeft-sided ablation in addition to a right atrial maze procedure leads to better electrophysiologic outcome in atrial fibrillation associated with atrial septal defect