cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunopathogenesis of Chronic Rhinosinusitis and Nasal Polyposis

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a troublesome, chronic inflammatory disease that affects over 10% of the adult population, causing decreased quality of life, lost productivity, and lost time at work and leading to more than a million surgical interventions annually worldwide. The nose, paranasal sinuses, and associated lymphoid tissues play important roles in homeostasis and immunity, and CRS significantly impairs these normal functions. Pathogenic mechanisms of CRS have recently become the focus of intense investigations worldwide, and significant progress has been made. The two main forms of CRS that have been long recognized, with and without nasal polyps, are each now known to be heterogeneous, based on underlying mechanism, geographical location, and race. Loss of the immune barrier, including increased permeability of mucosal epithelium and reduced production of important antimicrobial substances and responses, is a common feature of many forms of CRS. One form of CRS with polyps found worldwide is ...
Regime Duration and Economic Growth

While research on the effect of the level of democracy on economic performance abounds, less is known about the impact of democratic duration. In this paper, we show that democratic duration is an important factor in explaining growth. We theorize that the level of economic development interacts with duration in influencing growth, such that developed societies have slower growth while less developed societies have higher growth leading to convergence. The analysis of democratic duration is complicated by an endogeneity problem between duration and growth. We deal with this by combining event history modeling with two-stage estimation. Using a sample of 68 countries covering the years from 1975-2008, we find support for our hypothesis.
Some Technological Changes in the High Plains Cotton Area of Texas

T HE rapid shift from horse power to tractor power and increases in the size of power units is seen in recent farm management studies made in the High Plains cotton area of western Texas.' This area is fairly typical of the newer sections of the cotton belt in Texas and Oklahoma. Usually from these areas comes from 15 to 20 per cent of the Nation's cotton crop, and within them is located a large acreage of potential crop land suited to cotton production. The changes herein described are taking place quite generally over the State, but more especially in the High and Low Plains, the Corpus Christi Area, the Coast Prairie, and the Black Prairie. The High Plains cotton area has been developed from ranch lands during the past 25 years, with most of the development occurring during the decade following 1920,when almost three-fourths of the present cultivated area was brought under plow. Most of the settlers came from cottonproducing counties in north-central Texas, bringing one-row horse-drawn equipment with them. A study of the cost of producing cotton on 54 farms, selected at random in the area, revealed that as late as 1923 one-row equipment only was being used on these farms. Tractors available previous to 1925 were designed primarily for belt work and for flat breaking, discing, and harrowing, a set of operations not generally practiced in the area. Hence, they were useful on individual farms only during that short period of time when the sod was being broken. Usually this work was done on a custom basis by means of the large road type tractor. By 1925 a tractor especially designed to plant and cultivate row crops was developed.2 The new tractors
Coupled Spin-Torque Nano-Oscillator-Based Computation: A Simulation Study

In this article, we present a comprehensive study of four frequency locking mechanisms in Spin Torque Nano Oscillators (STNOs) and explore their suitability for a class of specialized computing applications. We implemented a physical STNO model based on Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert-Slonczewski equation and benchmarked the model to experimental data. Based on our simulations, we provide an in-depth analysis of how the “self-organizing” ability of coupled STNO array can be effectively used for computations that are unsuitable or inefficient in the von-Neumann computing domain. As a case study, we demonstrate the computing ability of coupled STNOs with two applications: edge detection of an image and associative computing for image recognition. We provide an analysis of the scaling trends of STNOs and the effectiveness of different frequency locking mechanisms with scaling in the presence of thermal noise. We also provide an in-depth analysis of the effect of variations on the four locking mechanisms to find the most robust one in the presence of variations.
Reno-portal shunt for liver transplant, an alternative inflow for recipients with grade III-IV portal vein thrombosis: Tips for a better outcome.

Abstract Introduction Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) poses an extremely difficult problem in cirrhotic patients who are in need of a liver transplant. The prevalence of PVT in patients with cirrhosis ranges from 0.6% to 26% Nery et al. (2015) [1]. The presence of PVT is associated with more technically difficult liver transplant and in certain cases can be a contraindication to liver transplant. The only option for these patients with extensive PVT would be a multi-visceral transplant, the later unfortunately has a much higher morbidity and mortality compared to liver only transplant Smith et al. (2016) [2]. An alternative approach is needed to provide a safe and reliable outcome. Presentation of case In this case series, we present our experience with reno-portal shunt as an alternative inflow for the liver allograft. Discussion This approach appears to be safe with good long-term outcome.Although this technique has been described before, we provide additional considerations that produced good outcomes in our patients. Conclusion We believe that meticulous preoperative planning with high-resolution triple phase CT imaging with a measurement of the diameter of the spleno-renal shunt along with a duplex scan measuring flow through the shunt is key to a successful transplantation. Moreover, appropriate donor liver size is also of extreme importance to avoid portal hypoperfusion.
What will Happen Next? Forecasting Player Moves in Sports Videos

A large number of very popular team sports involve the act of one team trying to score a goal against the other. During this game play, defending players constantly try to predict the next move of the attackers to prevent them from scoring, whereas attackers constantly try to predict the next move of the defenders in order to defy them and score. Such behavior is a prime example of the general human faculty to make predictions about the future and is an important facet of human intelligence. An algorithmic solution to learning a model of the external world from sensory inputs in order to make forecasts is an important unsolved problem. In this work we develop a generic framework for forecasting future events in team sports videos directly from visual inputs. We introduce water polo and basketball datasets towards this end and compare the predictions of the proposed methods against expert and non-expert humans.
Graphene-based fast electronics and optoelectronics

We present experimental results on high frequency field-effect transistors and fast photodetectors utilizing wafer-scale graphene grown epitaxially from silicon carbide.
Prolonged abstinence from cocaine or morphine disrupts separable valuations during decision conflict

Neuroeconomic theories propose changes in decision making drive relapse in recovering drug addicts, resulting in continued drug use despite stated wishes not to. Such conflict is thought to arise from multiple valuation systems dependent on separable neural components, yet many neurobiology of addiction studies employ only simple tests of value. Here, we tested in mice how prolonged abstinence from different drugs affects behavior in a neuroeconomic foraging task that reveals multiple tests of value. Abstinence from repeated cocaine and morphine disrupts separable decision-making processes. Cocaine alters deliberation-like behavior prior to choosing a preferred though economically unfavorable offer, while morphine disrupts re-evaluations after rapid initial decisions. These findings suggest that different drugs have long-lasting effects precipitating distinct decision-making vulnerabilities. Our approach can guide future refinement of decision-making behavioral paradigms and highlights how grossly similar behavioral maladaptations may mask multiple underlying, parallel, and dissociable processes that treatments for addiction could potentially target.
The Spinoff of Other Specialty Groups Related to Division 12

In a sense, the modern subdivisions of psychology go back all the way to Wilhelm Wundt, who pointed out that what he called “physiological psychology” could be considered a scientific field in the same sense as physiology was defined as a science. What is often not recalled is that according to Wundt, another whole side of psychology existed that did not so easily lend itself to scientific methods such as formal experimentation. This Wundt labeled as Volkerpsychologie (perhaps translatable as “cultural psychology”) and defined to include language, religion, and other historical and cultural matters obviously related to human behavior (Cahan & White, 1922). In contrast, Sigmund Freud defined his proposed science of psychoanalysis to include a broad range of phenomena ordinarily considered in American universities to be a part of the “humanities.” It is interesting that in Europe and to an increasing extent in the United States, Freudian influence on the so-called humanities has been greater than on academic psychology. Among the well-known psychoanalysts of our day are Erik Erikson (who was an artist and a Montessori teacher before becoming an analyst) and Peter Gay, Freud’s modern biographer (who is a professional historian).
Altered and Transitional States

This article explores the association between creative experience and behavior, and those aspects of waking human consciousness often referred to as altered and transitional states. All these hypothetical constructs (e.g., ‘creativity’ and ‘consciousness’) are social artifacts, viewed differently from culture to culture. As a result, several cross-cultural comparisons are made that demonstrate a wide variety of perspectives, many of them quite different from those encountered by Westerners. Specific attention is given to changes in patterns of phenomenological properties produced by the ingestion of psychoactive substances, by the practice of meditation, and by hypnotic induction. Phenomenological changes associated with hypnagogic states, hypnopompic states, and daydreaming are also considered.
The Emergency Response Plan

This chapter focuses on numerous formats for emergency response plans promulgated by various agencies, laws, and regulations. It is clear that no single format can be sufficient for preparing and responding to all potential emergency incidents. Legally mandated formats typically include minimum categorical requirements, with specific details left to be decided by the operational organization having primary responsibility for site-specific facilities and situations. This is not to say that there are no objective criteria for evaluating an emergency response plan. Any reasonable plan include certain provisions, such as vital elements as emergency evacuation procedures, methods for accounting for personnel, rescue and medical services, reporting requirements, and chain of command. However, in any plan, the specificity of circumstances can only be addressed adequately by an on-site personnel.
Rate of complete metabolic responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors in extremely heavily pre-treated patients with classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma and immunoepigenetic priming.

e19012Background: Options for relapsed/refractory (R/R) classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) after failure of brentuximab vedotin (Bv) and ASCT are limited. cHL is associated with genetically determine...
Patients' Use and Perception of Internet-Based Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Resources.

Background:Current research is sparse regarding how patients with orthopaedic injuries perceive and use internet-based information resources.Hypothesis:The majority of patients use the internet to ...
Lack of Insurance Coverage Affect Access to Healthcare

The overall purpose of this study was to determine how lack of insurance affect access to health care. Access to health care is a supply side issue indicating the level of service that the health care system offers individual and it is necessary to expand on information that can provide insight on the availability of healthcare services. Among the findings was that there is a significant relationship between access to healthcare services and health insurance coverage among uninsured and insured population. About 61.9% (13033) indicated that they did not enrolled in Medicare compared to only 22.5% (4728) people that indicated of having Medicare advantage and only 9% (1898) people indicated of having Medicare plus Medicare supplemental plan. Overall, only 6.6% (1396) indicated that they have other Medicare plan.
Hawaiian Music and Oceanizing American Studies

American studies has been dedicated to understanding cultural forms from its beginnings as a field. Music, as one such form, is especially centered in the field as a lens through which to seek the cultural “essence” of US America – as texts from which to glean insight into negotiations of intellectual thought, social relations, subaltern resistance, or identity formation, or as a form of labor that produces an exchangeable commodity. In particular, the featuring of folk, indigenous, and popular music directly responded to anxieties in the intellectual circles of the postwar era around America's purported lack of serious culture in comparison to Europe. According to John Gilkeson, American studies scholars in the 1950s and 1960s “vulgarized” the culture concept introduced by the Boasian school of anthropology, opening the door to serious consideration of popular culture as equal in value to high culture.1
Baseline Right Ventricular Dysfunction Predicts Worse Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Implantation.

ABSTRACT Introduction Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been shown to improve survival in patients with systolic heart failure, wide QRS duration, and left-bundle-branch-block. However, CRT outcomes stratified by right ventricular (RV) function at implant have not been well studied. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients at Cleveland Clinic who underwent CRT implantation (n = 777) from 2003 to 2011 with a diagnosis of heart failure, echocardiography with both pre-CRT left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35% and available post-CRT echocardiography at 6 months post-implant. CRT response was defined as LVEF improvement ≥5%. Patients were separated into 2 groups: normal or mild RV dysfunction (n = 570) labeled Normal RV; moderate to severe dysfunction (n = 207) labeled RV DYSFXN based on qualitative echocardiography assessment. Survival was calculated as time from CRT implant to death, left ventricular assist device implant, or heart transplant. Results CRT response was significantly higher in patients with Normal RV (67%) compared with patients with RV DYSFXN (56%; P = .006). Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that CRT patients with Normal RV had significantly greater survival compared with patients with RV DYSFXN (P Conclusion Baseline RV dysfunction at CRT implant is an important predictor of worsened left ventricular remodeling and survival in CRT patients.
Alignment of Old Land Surveys for Accurately Locating Archaeological Sites: The 1634 and 1646 Palisades in Middle Plantation, Colonial Virginia

The location of magnetic north has changed significantly during times relevant to historical archaeologists. To accurately locate sites of archaeological interest mentioned in old land surveys, which used magnetic compass bearings, alignment of those old surveys with true (geographic) north is required. This paper describes the method for doing this and provides an archaeological example of this approach for refining the locations of 17th-century wooden palisades in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Who thrives as a direct support professional? Personal motivation and resilience in direct support.

Abstract Direct support professionals (DSPs) are an essential part of the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). High rates of DSP turnover and vacancy have spurred much research into the occupational stress and burnout experienced by DSPs. There are, however, DSPs who remain motivated by and successful in the profession. Less research has been done on what makes these DSPs resilient to the same stressors that negatively affect other DSPs. The present study used the tenets of sensitivity theory to examine the relationships between motivation and outcome measures relevant to DSP success, namely vocational strain, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. The motive of family related positively and vengeance related negatively with the three outcome variables. To a lesser extent, citizenship and social contact were positively related and prestige was negatively correlated with outcomes. The relevance of these findings and their potential applications to DSP recruitment and training are discussed.
Retinal vascular manifestations of obstructive sleep apnea.

Purpose of review The aim of this article is to summarize up-to-date research on the effects of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on retinal vascular conditions. Recent findings OSA is associated with the development of diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, and central serous chorioretinopathy. The severity of OSA and biomarkers such as the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) correlate with the severity of retinal disease. Dysregulation of circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (CLOCK) genes that govern circadian rhythm is associated with development of proliferative retinal disease. Summary OSA and retinal vascular disease have a high cost burden on the healthcare system. OSA creates systemic changes and hypoxic conditions that may incite or exacerbate retinal vascular diseases. Retinal changes may be the first clinical manifestation of otherwise undiagnosed OSA, so it is important to refer patients with new-onset retinal vascular disease for appropriate sleep testing.
Dependence of Gas-Phase Abundances in the Interstellar Medium on Column Density

Sight lines through high- and intermediate-velocity clouds allow measurements of ionic gas-phase abundances A at very low values of H I column density N(H I). Present observations cover over 4 orders of magnitude in N(H I). Remarkably, for several ions we find that the A versus N(H I) relation is the same at high and low column densities and that the abundances have a relatively low dispersion (factors of 2-3) at any particular N(H I). Halo gas tends to have slightly higher values of A than disk gas at the same N(H I), suggesting that part of the dispersion may be attributed to the environment. We note that the dispersion is largest for Na I; using Na I as a predictor of N(H I) can lead to large errors. Important implications of the low dispersions regarding the physical nature of the interstellar medium are (1) because of clumping, over sufficiently long path lengths N(H I) is a reasonable measure of the local density of most of the H atoms along the sight line; (2) the destruction of grains does not mainly take place in catastrophic events such as strong shocks but is a continuous function of the mean density; (3) the cycling of the ions becoming attached to grains and being detached must be rapid, and the two rates must be roughly equal under a wide variety of conditions; and (4) in gas that has a low average density the attachment should occur within denser concentrations.
A Quad-Band MIMO Patch Antenna

In this work a novel quad-band MIMO microstrip patch antenna is proposed. The antenna consists of four rectangular patches operating at their dominant mode with edge-to-edge spacing of 0.0025λ o . The four patches operate at 750 MHz, 1.35 GHz, 1.42 GHz, and 2.07 GHz. It is shown that by appropriately positioning the patches in relation to each other, an isolation greater than 10 dB is achieved. The proposed antenna is low profile, compact, simple to design and fabricate, and it is well suited for MIMO base station applications.
Incorporating Gender Politics into Introduction to US Government Curriculum

Women are underrepresented among American legislators and political science majors. One explanation is that gender imbalances propagate through space and time. In this paper, we introduce a paired ...
Clinical experience of CAR T cells for B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has transformed the treatment for both pediatric and adult patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Clinical trial results across multiple institutions with different CAR constructs report significant response rates in treated patients. One product (tisagenlecleucel) is currently FDA approved for the treatment of R/R B-ALL in patients <26 y/o. Successful application of this therapy is limited by high relapse rates, potential for significant toxicity, and logistical issues surrounding collection/production. Herein, we review published data on the use of CAR T cells for B-ALL, including results from early pivotal clinical trials, relapse data, incidence of toxicity, and mechanisms to optimize CAR T cell therapy.
The Curious Case of the Delinquent Landlord: How the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act Applies to Landlords in Condominium Complexes

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) was enacted in 1977. In enacting the FDCPA, Congress intended to eliminate abusive debt collection practices, of which Congress found in abundance. Congress was primarily concerned with eliminating abusive debt collection practices of consumer debt. A consumer is defined as “any natural person obligated or allegedly obligated to pay any debt.” The Act defines a debt as “any obligation or alleged obligation of a consumer to pay money arising out of a transaction in which the money, property, insurance or services which are the subject of the transaction are primarily for personal, family, or household purposes, whether or not such obligation has been reduced to judgment.” Whether an obligation is a debt under the FDCPA is often an issue for the courts to decide. There is established case law that provides that collection of a business debt is not covered by the FDCPA. The reason for this is that business debt is not “primarily for personal, family or household purposes.” Some individuals own a condominium unit for the sole purpose of leasing it to other individuals. In that case, that individual is using their condominium for business purposes and not for personal purposes. This paper argues that the FDCPA should not apply to the collection of condominium assessments when the delinquent condominium unit owner is using the condominium unit as rental income property.
Toward cultural representation and identification for all in community-based virtual environments

The paper describes research undertaken to provide the empirical basis for engendering group or community identification in future iterations of an adaptive community-based collaborative virtual environment (CVE) designed to facilitate communication where there are mutual concerns or interests among virtual communities within or across organizations. The system taken as an example in this paper consists of a WWW-based collaborative virtual environment comprised of intelligent software agents that support explicit information sharing, chance meetings, and real time informal communication. Results from ethnography, questionnaires, and Persona design inform future directions that include cultural cues in intelligent community-based systems in order to enhance information sharing and real time communication among strangers toward more equitable cultural representation for all. It is argued that users' experiences are enhanced in community-based virtual environments through supporting intercultural communication and designing opportunities for equitable representation of and identification with individual, group, and organizational cultures.
Development of a transgenic mouse model using rat insulin promoter to drive the expression of CRE recombinase in a tissue-specific manner.

Background Tissue-specific ablation of a gene using the Cre-loxP system has been used as an important tool to define its role, in addition to the total ablation, to avoid the embryonic lethality in case of wide expression of the target gene.
A Nonlinear Electronic Equalizer Implemented in InGaP/GaAs HBT Technology for Dispersion Compensation of Gigabit Optical Fiber Links

This work describes a high-speed nonlinear fiber dispersion equalizer circuit implemented in InGaP/GaAs HBT technology. The equalizer IC consists of 3 independent and bypass-able 2-bit Analog to Digital Converters and a 64-bit programmable Look Up Table memory. The equalizer acts as a fully programmable pattern recognition circuit, designed to compensate serial links with data rates of above 5 Gigabits per second. Demultiplexing and parallel processing at low data rates is avoided as the LUT memory based architecture enables the circuit to directly process data at the incoming bit rate. Performance is evaluated with pattern tests in read mode up to 5GHz. This is very close to the maximum flip-flop clocking rate for the technology employed.
Thermal expansion of surface-frozen monolayers of semifluorinated alkanes

The linear coefficient of thermal expansion of a quasi-2D surface-frozen crystalline layer is measured, using surface X-ray diffraction, for three different semifluorinated alkane diblocks. The values obtained are in goodagreement with those of surface-frozen monolayers of fully protonated alkanes. An unexpected strong dependence on the protonated block's length is found and discussed.
Critical constants of the aromatic hydrocarbons

Following an approach similar to that presented for the aliphatic (6, 7) and naphthenic (8) hydrocarbons, methyl-group contributions have been developed that now make possible the calculation of van der Waals' constants for aromatic hydrocarbons of considerable size and complexity. These constants are then utilized to calculate the critical temperatures, pressures, and volumes for these aromatic hydrocarbons. In addition, simple relationships have been developed that permit the evaluation of both van der Waals' constants for the unsubstituted linearly fused aromatic hydrocarbons. Comparisons of calculated critical constants with values presented in the literature for over twenty aromatic hydrocarbons produced average absolute deviations of 0.70% for the critical temperature and 2.14% for the critical pressure.
Inhibition of Notch signaling promotes browning of white adipose tissue and ameliorates obesity

Beige adipocytes in white adipose tissue (WAT) are similar to classical brown adipocytes in that they can burn lipids to produce heat. Thus, an increase in beige adipocyte content in WAT browning would raise energy expenditure and reduce adiposity. Here we report that adipose-specific inactivation of Notch1 or its signaling mediator Rbpj in mice results in browning of WAT and elevated expression of uncoupling protein 1 (Ucp1), a key regulator of thermogenesis. Consequently, as compared to wild-type mice, Notch mutants exhibit elevated energy expenditure, better glucose tolerance and improved insulin sensitivity and are more resistant to high fat diet-induced obesity. By contrast, adipose-specific activation of Notch1 leads to the opposite phenotypes. At the molecular level, constitutive activation of Notch signaling inhibits, whereas Notch inhibition induces, Ppargc1a and Prdm16 transcription in white adipocytes. Notably, pharmacological inhibition of Notch signaling in obese mice ameliorates obesity, reduces blood glucose and increases Ucp1 expression in white fat. Therefore, Notch signaling may be therapeutically targeted to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Closed-loop voltage control of a parallel-plate MEMS electrostatic actuator

This paper addresses the control problem of extending the travel range of a MEMS electrostatic actuator through a closed-loop voltage control scheme. Since the electrostatic actuator is inherently unstable due to its pull-in limit, one of the major control goals is to stabilize the actuator system beyond the limit. In addition, the controller has to be robust against external disturbances and noise. After comparing and analyzing the advanced controllers being reported, an active disturbance rejection controller (ADRC) is originally employed to the micro actuator to solve the control problem. The ADRC mainly consists of an extended state observer (ESO) and a PD controller. The ESO is used to estimate system states and the external disturbance, which can be taken as an augmented state of the ESO. The PD controller based on the observed states drives the displacement output of the actuator to a desired level. The ADRC is successfully simulated onto a parallel-plate electrostatic actuator. The simulation results verified the effectiveness of the controller through extending the travel range of the actuator to 99% of the initial gap between two plates in the presences of noise and disturbance.
Complexity of decoding Gabidulin codes

In this paper, we analyze the complexity of decoding Gabidulin codes using the analogs in rank metric codes of the extended Euclidean algorithm or the Berlekamp-Massey algorithm. We show that a subclass of Gabidulin codes reduces the complexity and the memory requirements of the decoding algorithm. We also simplify an existing algorithm for finding roots of linearized polynomials for decoding Gabidulin codes. Finally we analyze and compare the asymptotic complexities of different decoding algorithms for Gabidulin codes.
Stress appraisals and training performance on a complex laboratory task

Objective: We investigated whether training performance on a complex laboratory task differs for trainees whose stress appraisals denote challenge or threat. Background: Past research outside a training context found better performance on tasks when stress appraisals denoted challenge (in which perceived situational demands are commensurate with perceived resources) as opposed to threat (in which perceived coping resources fall short of the demands of the stressor). Method: College students performed Space Fortress during 80 3-min practice trials, 20 tests, and posttests (retention, transfer, secondary task interference). Stress appraisals were measured with a two-item scale (Experiments 1—3) or an eight-item scale (Experiment 3) with (Study 1) or without (Experiments 2 and 3) brief hands-on experience. Results: In all experiments, training improved performance and challenged trainees outperformed threatened trainees throughout training as well as on some baseline and posttraining tests. Conclusions: Thes...
More on Zeta-Function Regularization of High-Temperature Expansions

A recent paper using the Riemann ζ-function to regularize the (divergent) coefficients occurring in the high-temperature expansions of one-loop thermodynamic potentials is extended. This method proves to be a powerful tool for converting Dirichlet-type series Σmam(xi)/ms into powerseries in the dimensionless parameters xi. The coefficients occurring in the power series are (proportional to) ζ-functions evaluated away from their poles - this is where the regularization occurs. High-temperature expansions are just one example of this highly-nontrivial rearrangement of Dirichlet series into power series form. We discuss in considerable detail series in which am(xi) is a product of trigonometrie, algebraic and Bessel function factors. The ζ-function method is carefully explained, and a large number of new formulae are provided. The means to generalize these formulae are also provided. Previous results on thermodynamic potentials are generalized to include a nonzero constant term in the gauge potential (time component) which can be used to probe the electric sector of temperature gauge theories.
Stimulation of cutaneous mechanoreceptors by 60‐Hz electric fields

Chronic exposure of animals to 60-Hz electric fields is known to affect the nervous system in a variety of subtle ways. The mechanism whereby these effects are produced remains unknown. One hypothesis is that the effects are a result of direct interaction between neuronal membranes and induced currents. Alternatively, the effects could be produced indirectly, as a result of sensory stimulation and the resulting low-level stress. To test these hypotheses, a system was developed to expose the surface of an anesthetized cat's paw to surface electric fields up to 600 kV/m while simultaneously measuring, in dorsal root fibers, afferent nerve impulses originating from various receptor types in the exposed paw. Of the 245 receptor units tested, comprising ten cutaneous receptor types, ten responded to the electric field with an increase in firing rate. The most sensitive receptor type was the rapidly adapting field receptor (RAF); eight of 20 (40%) were sensitive to the electric field, with thresholds as low as 160 kV/m. One of 35 rapidly adapting high-frequency receptors and one of 22 type T hair-follicle receptors were also sensitive to the electric field. Follow-up tests on the RAF receptors showed that hair removal reduced but did not eliminate the electric field sensitivity, suggesting that at least one other mechanism was involved in addition to stimulation via hair movement. The most likely mechanism is field-induced vibrations of the skin, since a further reduction in firing rate occurred following application of mineral oil to the depilated paw. Direct interaction with neuronal membranes is not supported by our evidence.
New empirical likelihood inference for linear transformation models

Abstract The transformation model plays an important role in survival analysis. In this paper, we investigate the linear transformation model based on new empirical likelihood. Motivated by Fine et al. (1998) and Yu et al. (2011) , we introduce the truncated survival time t 0 and adjust each term of estimating equations to improve the accuracy of coverage probability. We prove that the log-likelihood ratio has the asymptotic distribution 4 χ p + 1 2 . The new empirical likelihood method avoids estimating the complicated covariance matrix in contrast to normal approximation method and empirical likelihood method developed by Zhao (2010) . Moreover, the proposed method enables us to obtain confidence intervals for the component of regression parameters. In the simulation study, our method demonstrates better performance than the traditional method in the small samples.
Influence of the structure on the high-temperature cyclic crack resistance of Ti-8Al-1.4Si-2.2Zr alloy

It is shown that, for various structural modifications of Ti-8Al-1.4Si-2.2Zr alloy, the elevation of temperature leads to the increase in the cyclic fracture toughness ΔK fc and the decrease in the fatigue threshold ΔK th. At 20°C, the cast material with coarse-grained lamellar structure exhibits better properties than the fine-grained modifications obtained by thermomechanical treatment under medium and high levels of loading. At 700°C, this is true only for medium amplitudes of the load. The procedure of quenching from the β-region of the alloy thermally deformed by 90% doubles the value of ΔK th at a temperature of 20°C as compared with the cast alloy. At the same time, the value of ΔK fc at 700°C becomes 1.6 times higher.
Internal Tides in the Southwestern Japan/East Sea

Abstract This paper investigates the internal tidal energy distribution in the southwestern Japan/East Sea using vertical round-trip travel time (τ) data from 23 pressure-sensor-equipped inverted echo sounders (PIES). The τ records are analyzed by bandpass filtering to separate time-dependent variability of the semidiurnal and diurnal bands. The semidiurnal internal tides exhibit a horizontal beam pattern of high energy, propagating into the open basin. They originate from a restricted portion of the shelf break where the Korea Strait enters the Ulleung Basin. The generation appears to occur at ∼200-m water depth near 35.5°–35.7°N and 130°–131°E, where the slope of bottom topography matches that of the wave characteristics, coinciding with the location where the semidiurnal barotropic cross-slope tidal currents are strongest. Maximum vertical displacement of the thermocline interpreted as a long-wave first baroclinic mode from the measured τ is about 25 m near the generation region. Annual and monthly var...
Reduction in penis size and plasma testosterone concentrations in juvenile alligators living in a contaminated environment.

The development of the male reproductive ducts and external genitalia in vertebrates is dependent on elevated androgen concentrations during embryonic development and the period of postnatal growth. We have observed that a population of juvenile alligators living on Lake Apopka exhibit significantly smaller penis size (24% average decrease) and lower plasma concentrations of testosterone (70% lower concentrations) when compared to animals of similar size on Lake Woodruff. In addition to smaller phalli, no relationship exists between plasma testosterone concentrations and penile size in males from Lake Apopka, whereas a positive relationship exists for males from Lake Woodruff. The alligators on Lake Apopka are known to have elevated concentrations of the antiandrogenic DDT breakdown product p.p'-DDE stored in their fat. We suggest a number of hypotheses that could explain the modification in the phenotype of the juvenile male living in Lake Apopka. These modifications in phenotype include a smaller penis size, lower plasma androgen concentrations, and lack of responsiveness of the penis to the plasma androgens present.
Congenital Gaucher Disease With Nonimmune Hydrops/Erythroblastosis, Infantile Arterial Calcification, and Neonatal Hepatitis/Fibrosis. Clinicopathologic Report With Enzymatic and Genetic Analysis

The findings in a stillborn female fetus of 31 weeks' gestation with congenital Gaucher disease, nonimmune hydrops/erythroblastosis, infantile arterial calcification, and neonatal hepatitis/fibrosis are presented, the first report of this complete constellation. Prior reports describe two similar patients. One lacked the hepatocellular features of giant cell hepatitis although manifesting hepatic fibrosis; the second lacked hepatic pathology. The diagnosis of Gaucher disease herein was established by microscopic examination of the proband, enzymatic analysis of trophoblast, and enzymatic and genetic study of the parents. The father was heterozygous for a recombinant glucocerebrosidase gene; the mother demonstrated a unique frame shift mutation. Thus the fetus is a compound heterozygote for a null and a severe mutation. Studies of parental DNA were negative for the D409H mutation of type IIIc Gaucher disease. Genetic studies were not performed of the ENPP1 gene, mutations of which are associated with idiopathic infantile arterial calcification.
Studies on the Chemistry of the Living Bark of the Black Locust Tree in Relation to Frost Hardiness. IV. Effects of Ringing on Translocation, Protein Synthesis and the Development of Hardiness.

Seasonal changes which occur in the water-insoluble protein nitrogen, the water-soluble protein nitrogen, the water-soluble non-protein nitrogen, and the reducing and non-reducing sugar contents of the living bark tissue of normal black locust trees and the relationships that these changes bear to seasonal variations in the frost hardiness of this tissue have been reported earlier (2, 22). These studies were initial steps in an analytical approach to the problem of the biochemistry of frost hardiness. The objective of this approach is the identification of those changes in biochemical composition of the cells which occur in association with their changes in hardiness. Such information, while not necessarily supplying a basis for explaining the physiological mechanism involved in hardiness, constitutes a necessary advance in the attempt to elucidate this mechanism. Among the seasonal changes in the chemical composition of the tissues which were followed, those which occurred in the water-soluble proteins showed the best correlation with frost hardiness changes. This relationship could have been fortuitous rather than causal, i.e., it could have arisen from a simultaneous but independent normal seasonal variation in the protein content of the cells and in their hardiness. Included in these earlier studies were results of hardiness tests and chemical analyses performed on the bark of the stumps of trees from which the crown and upper trunk had been removed in winter. Dehardening of the bark of the stumps in the spring was observed to be abnormally slow and the seasonal decrease in protein which is observed in normal trees was also delayed in proportion to the observed retention of hardiness. This apparently resulted from the elimination of the upward translocation of bark cell constituents from the trunk to the crown which normally occurs in the spring in response to the demands made by the new flush of growth. Even under such unseasonal conditions, the association of soluble protein content with hardiness was observed. Contrasted to this,
Local health department food safety and sanitation expenditures and reductions in enteric disease, 2000-2010.

Objectives. In collaboration with Public Health Practice–Based Research Networks, we investigated relationships between local health department (LHD) food safety and sanitation expenditures and reported enteric disease rates.Methods. We combined annual infection rates for the common notifiable enteric diseases with uniquely detailed, LHD-level food safety and sanitation annual expenditure data obtained from Washington and New York state health departments. We used a multivariate panel time-series design to examine ecologic relationships between 2000–2010 local food safety and sanitation expenditures and enteric diseases. Our study population consisted of 72 LHDs (mostly serving county-level jurisdictions) in Washington and New York.Results. While controlling for other factors, we found significant associations between higher LHD food and sanitation spending and a lower incidence of salmonellosis in Washington and a lower incidence of cryptosporidiosis in New York.Conclusions. Local public health expenditu...
Local wave climate and long-term bed shear stress characteristics in Monterey Bay, CA

Abstract Five and a half years of wave measurements at two stations in Monterey Bay, CA show that the local wave climate at the South (Marina station) is markedly different from that at the North (Santa Cruz Harbor station). Measured significant wave heights at the Marina station are profoundly greater than at the Santa Cruz Harbor station, especially during winter. During summer, southerly or southwesterly Pacific Ocean swells can be dominant, and therefore, the peak wave periods at the Marina station, protected from these swells by the Monterey Peninsula headland, are much shorter than at the Santa Cruz station. This disparity of wave characteristics at the two stations are the direct causes of the difference in the long-term probability of sediment suspension and transport. Sheet-flow conditions, under which significant sand transport events presumably take place, occur about 20 to 40 times more often at the Marina station than at the Santa Cruz Harbor station.
Ventricular Fibrillation Following Elective Cardioversion in a Patient with Permanent Pacemaker

Elective cardioversion was undertaken in a patient with a VVI pacemaker and atrial tachyarrhythmia after converting the pacemaker to a VOO mode of function. The cardioverter output energy was unwittingly synchronized to the pacemaker output pulses that were falling randomly in various portions of the cardiac cycle. This resulted in the cardioverter DC shock being discharged in the ST segment of (he native QRS with consequent ventricular fibrillation.
p-Hydroxyphenacyl Phototriggers: The Reactive Excited State of Phosphate Photorelease

Fast release of biological stimulants is needed to monitor physiological response in real time.1 p-Hydroxyphenacyl (pHP) phototriggers meet this requirement. Moreover, the side products are biologically compatible and transparent to excitation wavelengths >300 nm.2 Knowledge of the release rate is essential to biophysical applications. Givens et al. identified a short-lived triplet state as the reactive excited state of pHP phosphates and carboxylates on the basis of quenching experiments.2 In a recent study of pHP esters Zhang et al.3a questioned that evidence and favored a singlet mechanism. Here, we prove that the reactive excited state of pHP diethyl phosphate (1) is a very short-lived triplet state and we provide direct evidence for adiabatic tautomerization of p-hydroxyacetophenone and its derivatives in the triplet state.
Evaluation of t-wise Approach for Testing Logical Expressions in Software

Pair-wise and, more generally, t-wise testing are the most common and powerful combinatorial testing approaches. This paper investigates the effectiveness of the t-wise approach for testing logical expressions in software in terms of its fault detecting capabilities. Effectiveness is evaluated experimentally using special software tools for generating logical expressions and t-wise test cases, simulating faults in expressions, testing faulty expressions, and evaluating effectiveness of the testing. T-wise testing effectiveness is measured in its totality and for specific types of faults; it is then compared with random testing. A detailed analysis of the experimental results is also provided.
Diazomethane Insertion into Lanthanide− and Yttrium−C(allyl) Bonds To Form the η2-Hydrazonato Complexes (C5Me5)2Ln[η2(N,N′)-RNN═CHSiMe3] (R = C3H5)

(Trimethylsilyl)diazomethane, Me3SiCHN2, is not metalated by the metallocene allyl complexes (C5Me5)2Ln(C3H5) but instead inserts to form the lanthanide hydrazonato complexes (C5Me5)2Ln[η2(N,N′)-RNN═CHSiMe3] (R = CH2═CHCH2; Ln = Sm, La, Y). Although the La, Y, and Sm complexes are isomorphous, the double bond in the allyl substituent is oriented toward La and away from Y and Sm.
Endovascular Repair of Mycotic Aneurysm of the Descending Thoracic Aorta

Background Mycotic thoracic aortic aneurysms (MTAAs) are a rare yet life-threatening disease. The current standard of care consists of surgical resection, in situ or extra-anatomic revascularization, and antibiotic therapy. Despite this treatment, mortality remains high (range, 5–40%). The endovascular repair of degenerative thoracic aortic aneurysms has been shown to be safe and effective, but its use in the treatment of MTAAs is still controversial. The purpose of this study is to review the use of endovascular repair for MTAAs. Methods A 10-year retrospective chart review was conducted of patients who underwent endovascular repair of MTAAs between March 2001 and March 2011. The surgical results of this single-institution review are reported. Results Seven patients underwent endovascular repair of MTAAs. One patient died 2 days postoperatively, which gave an in-hospital survival rate of 85.7%. The 1-year survival rate was 71.4%. The mean follow-up time was 25 months (range, 0–72 months), with a survival rate at that time of 57.1%. All patients were free of infection during their follow-up period. Conclusions In this single-center case series, endovascular repair of MTAAs was associated with favorable perioperative and short-term mortality and morbidity.
Manipulation of multidimensional polynomials

Abstract Methods are presented for use in the manipulation of multidimensional (multivariate) polynomials. Techniques for performing algebraic operations are outlined with special application to the determination of the impulse response of an N-dimensional digital filter. The case of separable polynomials is examined in detail. No matrix inversions are needed for any of the techniques described.