cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prehospital pharmacotherapeutic interventions : recommendations for medication administration by EMT-A and EMT-I personnel

Because many communities lack prehospital advanced life support (ALS) services, increasing public access to such care is important. The present study was completed to establish an epidemiological database defining prehospital pharmacotherapeutic interventions by ALS rescue teams, in the hope of developing recommendations for medication administration by non-ALS personnel. Data were collected on 333 patients, including indication for pharmacotherapy, patient age, ambulance field time, route of medication administration, adverse effects of pharmacotherapy, efficacy of pharmacotherapy, additional ALS interventions, and patient medication/past medical history. Medications studied included albuterol nebulizer treatments (albuterol), aminophylline, amyl nitrite, atropine, bretylium tosylate, dexamethasone sodium phosphate, dextrose 50% (D-50), diazepam, diphenhydramine, dopamine, epinephrine 1 mg/1 mL, epinephrine 1 mg/10 mL, furosemide, glucagon, ipecac, isoproterenol, lidocaine, morphine sulfate, naloxone, nitroglycerin tablets (nitroglycerin), sodium bicarbonate, and verapamil. Albuterol, D-50, and nitroglycerin were used more often than other medications, accounting for total pharmacotherapeutic interventions for 228 persons (68.47% of total patients), including 100% of all pediatric patients. Partial pharmacological needs for an additional 20 patients also were satisfied by these agents. In all, albuterol, D-50, and nitroglycerin accounted for 250 of 395 total medication interventions (63.29%). No inappropriate use, point estimate [(0)/(333) (0.00% to 0.90%)], or unmet need, point estimate [(0)/(3,613) (0.00% to 0.08%)], of care was noted. When faced with communities lacking ALS rescue services, albuterol, D-50, and nitroglycerin are recommended for administration by emergency medical technician-ambulance and intermediate level rescuers, because of the high rate of use, relative ease of administration, and high benefit/low complication rates associated with these medications.
Deriving Composite Lamina Properties from Laminate Properties Using Classical Lamination Theory and Failure Criteria

This paper proposes a method of deriving the engineering and strength properties of unidirectional lamina from laminate properties. Simple straight-sided untabbed tension and compression specimens are used to obtain the laminate properties. The derivation approach is an extension of existing methods that use cross-ply or angle-ply test specimens and back-out factors (also known as cross-ply factors) to derive unidirectional lamina strengths in the fiber direction. This method may reduce the cost of testing and improve the accuracy of strength predictions. It may be used to characterize some newer material forms such as two-dimensional braids.
Fatigue crack propagation under varied mean stress conditions

Measurements of fatigue crack growth rates in copper monocrystalline and polycrystalline sheet specimens have been made at 295 K and 77 K to determine mean stress effects on growth rates. When load conditions remained unchanged throughout the period of crack growth, the rate of fatigue crack growth is independent of the level of mean stress and depends only on the cyclic stress amplitude. When the mean stress is changed during the crack growth period, a reduction of mean stress under plane strain conditions causes complete cessation of growth. A similar effect was not observed in plane stress crack growth, presumably due to reduced elastic constraint in narrow specimens containing large cracks. No change in growth rates occurs if the mean load is increased. In the event of crack growth stoppage, either restoration of the full previous mean load or crack re-nucleation under continued cycling at the reduced load levels is sufficient to restore the prior growth rate. A simple model is adapted to explain these observations which emphasizes the interaction of the growth rate with compressive residual stresses generated at the tip of the propagating crack.
Heart failure: metabolic derangements and therapeutic rationale

In the USA, over two-thirds of patients with heart failure (HF) are cared for by primary care practitioners exclusively. Significant progress has been made through basic science and clinical research focusing on the prevention of HF via control of known risk factors. There has also been a great deal of progress in both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic management of the disease. These therapeutic interventions, however, continue to be underutilized, with seemingly inadequate translation of new evidence and updated guidelines (American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association, European Society of Cardiology, Canadian Cardiovascular Society, and Heart Failure Society of America updates in 2005-2006) into clinical practice. In this review, we discuss the pathophysiology of HF in addition to the metabolic derangements and therapeutic rationale surrounding current treatment options, with a particular focus on the interventions that have been shown and recommended in updated guidelines to prevent the disease or halt its progression.
Some properties of generalized hypergeometric coefficients

A generalization to several variables of the Gauss hypergeometric series has been given in [13]. Defining generalized hypergeometric coefficients as Schur function transforms of this series, we develop here new properties and relations possessed by these coefficients. An integral representation of the generalized hypergeometric series is developed and application to q-analog series indicated.
Impact of Adjuvant Radiotherapy on Survival after Pancreatic Cancer Resection: An Appraisal of Data from the National Cancer Data Base

Purpose The impact of adjuvant radiotherapy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC) remains controversial. We examined effects of adjuvant therapy on overall survival (OS) in PAC, using the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB).
Synthesis and CD structural studies of CD52 peptides and glycopeptides

Abstract The syntheses of five natural and N-terminal acetylated peptides and glycopeptides of the CD52 antigen are described. Solid phase peptide synthesis was employed in the construction of the target compounds from Fmoc-protected commercial amino acids and synthetic glycan–asparagine conjugates. Circular dichroism studies of the synthetic targets showed that they exist as random coils in solution, and no significant change in secondary structure was observed when the CD52 peptide was either acetylated at the N-terminus or glycosylated at the Asn 3 residue with a disaccharide or a fucose-containing branched trisaccharide.
Buildings Fraught with Meaning: An Introduction to a Special Issue on Synagogue Architecture in Context

It has frequently been observed that synagogue buildings have long fulfilled three related but somewhat different functions, as reflected in the three Hebrew terms used to designate these buildings. The synagogue customarily has been called a beit knesset, a house of assembly; a beit tefilah, a house of prayer; and also a beit midrash, a house of study.1 However, there is yet another function of a synagogue building at least as significant as the three usually enumerated, for a synagogue is also a mivneh simli, a symbolic structure fraught with meaning. That is, a synagogue building often acts as a concrete representation of the character and condition of the Jewish community it serves. It can and often does reveal not only who the Jews who make use of it are and how they behave, but also what they think and what they believe. As one synagogue architect put it recently, "architecture speaks. It expresses what we value from the past, what our needs are now, and, at its best moments, looks to the future."2 As much as synagogue buildings provide venues for worship, study, and assembly, they also reflect the circumstances and the mentalite of those who build and use them.
Biomarkers in translational research: focus on discovery, development and translation of protein biomarkers to clinical immunoassays

The field of biomarker discovery has exhibited a great surge of interest in recent years. Biomarkers can be used for many purposes including diagnosis, prognosis and selecting appropriate patient therapy, and can provide information on disease mechanism or progression. Translation of such markers to clinical testing encompasses phases for their discovery and characterization, assay development, and finally, implementation using automated platforms employed in clinical laboratories. With a focus on protein-based biomarkers and clinical immunoassays, the three phases are discussed in greater detail. The currently used technologies in the clinical laboratory are described, including attributes of existing immunoassay types, and some recent advances in methods development for multiplexed immnuoassays. Finally, regulatory considerations that need to be addressed before a biomarker assay is commercialized are discussed briefly.
Engineering leadership studies and the robe leadership institute model in the russ college of engineering and technology at Ohio university

As technology's influence grows, it is critical that engineers take a greater role in public and private leadership. Most engineering students, however, are not exposed to formal studies in leadership development. For the past 12 years, the Robe Leadership Institute (RLI) has encouraged effective leadership for the college's students, faculty, and staff through a wide variety of activities, classes, and guest speakers. The focus on leadership concepts, styles, self-realization, and personal interactions with established leaders develops each student's own leadership style in preparation for future opportunities. This paper will summarize Institute progress in leadership education, focusing on the yearly course offered to the Russ College's most promising student leaders. This course includes a literature survey, studies of emotional intelligence and leadership styles, team building, interactions with invited leaders, and journaling on each activity. The course structure, pedagogy, assignments, speaker interaction, alumni surveys, and future goals will be presented.
Are Online Study Questions Beneficial

Brothen and Wambach (2001) found that under certain conditions students do not benefit from online resources. They awarded points toward the course grade for high performance on small sets of practice questions and concluded student strategies in completing these quizzes were not beneficial to course performance. We investigated student use of online questions when students received no credit for answering practice questions and found students who made voluntary use of online questions scored higher on course examinations. In contrast to situations in which students complete assigned tasks for credit, students who respond to questions as a voluntary study tactic may use question feedback quite differently and make decisions about how many questions to review using different criteria.
PvAlf, an embryo‐specific acidic transcriptional activator enhances gene expression from phaseolin and phytohemagglutinin promoters

Mutations in Vp1 and ABl3 genes of maize and Arabidopsis lead to drastic reductions in the synthesis of a subset of maturation-specific products including seed storage proteins. Gene Phaseolus vulgaris ABl3-like factor (PvAlf), whose protein product is similar to the ABl3 and Vp1 proteins, has been cloned. Here, it is shown that PvAlf positively regulates phaseolin and phytohemagglutinin (PHA-L) promoters in particle bombardment assays. PvAlf mRNA expression is embryo-specific and temporally complex. PvAlf mRNA abundance is highest during two periods (9-14 and 22-35 days after flowering) that precede the onsets of seed maturation and seed abscission, respectively. Protein fusions with the DNA-binding domain of the yeast transcriptional activator GAL4 demonstrated that the N-terminal 243 amino acids of PvAlf function as a strong transcriptional activation domain in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and plant cells. This domain consists of a central cluster rich in serine, threonine and proline (STP cluster) flanked by two negatively charged regions containing bulky hydrophobic residues similar to acidic activation domains of Vp1, the herpes simplex virus virion protein VP16 and transcription factors GCN4 and HAP4 from yeast. Together with the Vp1 proteins of maize and rice and ABl3, PvAlf constitutes a class (Vp1/ABl3-like factors or VAlfs) of regulatory factors that are pivotal for the promotion of seed maturation and dormancy in angiosperms.
Infants' representations of others' goals: representing approach over avoidance.

Goals fall into two broad types – approach and avoidance. Research on infants’ early goal understanding has focused only on approach goals, usually assuming that infants will encode an ambiguous display where an actor picks one object over another as the actor wanting to approach the former rather than avoid the latter. We investigated infants’ understanding of approach and avoidance separately by presenting 7-month-olds with a hand either consistently approaching, or consistently avoiding, an object. Infants dishabituated to a disruption of the consistent approach pattern, but not of the consistent avoidance pattern. In the second experiment, we show that 14-month-olds, who have a richer understanding of goals, still do not dishabituate when a hand first reaches to and picks up an object it has consistently avoided before. A third experiment found that 7-month-olds successfully dishabituated to the first motion of a previously stationary object when all the objects moved on their own with no hand present, ruling out several low-level interpretations of infants’ failure to dishabituate to the violations of the avoidance pattern in Experiments 1 and 2. We conclude that infants do not represent avoidance from the same type of evidence they can use to represent approach.
Changes in plasma triacylglycerol concentrations among free-living hyperlipidemic men adopting different carbohydrate intakes over 2 y: the Dietary Alternatives Study.

We reported previously that low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets containing 57% of energy as carbohydrate induce hypertriacylglycerolemia (hypertriglyceridemia) in hypercholesterolemic but not in combined hyperlipidemic (CHL) subjects. Because subjects may not consistently adhere to an assigned diet long term, we examined the extent to which plasma triacylglycerols (triglycerides) increase at four consistently reported carbohydrate intakes at intervals of up to 2 y. Three hundred seventy-two subjects reported consistent carbohydrate intakes of or = 60% of energy on food records for 3, 12, and 24 mo. Among hypercholesterolemic subjects reporting a carbohydrate intake > or = 60% of energy, triacylglycerols increased by 0.25, 0.18, and 0.27 mmol/L (22, 16, and 24 mg/dL) over baseline at 3, 12, and 24 mo, respectively (P < 0.01 in each instance), and 0.32 mmol/L (28 mg/dL) above the group with a carbohydrate intake 52-59.9% of energy (P < 0.05) after 3 mo. No statistically significant effects were observed among CHL subjects, but compared with baseline, triacylglycerols decreased during the first 3 mo (-0.29 to -0.04 mmol/L, or -26 to -4 mg/dL), were unchanged over 12 mo, and were increased after 24 mo in three of four carbohydrate intake strata (0.27-0.36 mmol/L, or 24-32 mg/dL). These data confirm our previous observation that a moderately but not extremely low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet can be used long-term without deleterious effects on plasma triacylglycerols in the management of hypercholesterolemia, whereas CHL is unaffected by the amount of carbohydrate ingested.
Increasing Dissolution Rates and Gastrointestinal Absorption of Drugs via Solid Solutions and Eutectic mixtures III: Experimental Evaluation of Griseofulvin—succinic Acid Solid Solution

The phase diagram for the griseofulvin and succinic acid system showed a eutectic mixture with considerable solid solubility of griseofulvin in succinic acid. Evaluation of the dissolution rates of critical samples indicated that the solid solution dissolved 6.5–7 times faster than the pure material.
Aspiration learning in coordination games

We consider the problem of distributed convergence to efficient outcomes in coordination games through payoff-based learning dynamics, namely aspiration learning. The proposed learning scheme assumes that players reinforce well performed actions, by successively playing these actions, otherwise they randomize among alternative actions. Our first contribution is the characterization of the asymptotic behavior of the induced Markov chain of the iterated process by an equivalent finite-state Markov chain, which simplifies previously introduced analysis on aspiration learning. We then characterize explicitly the behavior of the proposed aspiration learning in a generalized version of so-called coordination games, an example of which is network formation games. In particular, we show that in coordination games the expected percentage of time that the efficient action profile is played can become arbitrarily large.
Applications of acoustic charge transport

The emerging technology of acoustic charge transport (ACT), which has enabled the implementation of powerful signal processors capable of handling high-speed RF and microwave signals in their natural analog domain, is reviewed. The development of ACT technology has led to the implementation of fully programmable analog signal processors capable of performing over 45 billion multiply-and-accumulate operations per second. These processors are finding application as adaptive filters and equalizers in a variety of commercial and military systems. The operation and performance capabilities of the ACT device are described, and seven applications now under development are discussed. >
Complete edentulism prior to the age of 65 years is associated with all-cause mortality.

Purpose: We examine the relationship between complete edentulism prior to the age of 65 years and all-cause mortality after adjustment for socioeconomic characteristics. Methods: Using data from 41,000 adult participants in the 1986 National Health Interview Survey, with mortality follow-up data on each cohort member through December 31, 2002 (16 years follow-up), we estimated the relative odds of all-cause mortality among adults (age ≥18 years) with complete edentulism prior to the age of 65 years compared with that among those without the condition. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analyses were repeated for complete edentulism at any age. Results: The age-standardized prevalence of complete edentulism was 12.3 percent [95 percent confidence interval (CI), 12.0-12.6]. Among persons aged <65 years, the risk of death from all causes was 19 percent for persons with complete edentulism compared to 10 percent for persons without. Compared with those without complete tooth loss, the risk of death from all causes was 1.5 (95 percent CI, 1.3-1.7) (P < 0.001) times greater for persons with complete edentulism prior to the age of 65 years after multivariable adjustment. Similar results were observed for complete edentulism among persons aged ≥65 years. Conclusions: Complete edentulism prior to the age of 65 years was associated with all-cause mortality after multivariable adjustment for several socioeconomic characteristics. These results provide further evidence supporting the notion that poor oral health as evidenced by complete edentulism is an important public health issue across the lifespan.
Thermal coupling of conjugate ionospheres and the tilt of the Earth's magnetic field

The effect of thermal coupling and the tilt of the earth's magnetic field on interhemispheric coupling is investigated, and, due to a longitudinal displacement in the conjugate points, it is found that the tilt significantly effects the upward flow of H(+) flux such that the maximum upward flux can occur several hours before local sunrise. Heating from the conjugate atmosphere, which accompanies solar illumination in one hemisphere, produces electron temperatures 1000 K higher in the dark than in the sunlit hemisphere, and the morning upward H(+) fluxes in the dark ionosphere are as large as the daytime fluxes. A strong symmetry is also noted in the overall behavior of the H(+) fluxes due to the differing day lengths at the conjugate points, which are separated by 15 deg in latitude. Electron temperatures in the conjugate hemispheres are found to be strongly coupled above the F region peaks, though in the vicinity of the peaks near 250 km, the coupling is weak during the day and strong during the night.
Relation of quantitative visual and neurologic outcomes to fatigue in multiple sclerosis

Abstract Background The relation of fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS) to the visual system, an emerging structural and functional surrogate in MS, has not been well established. Objective We examined how physical and cognitive fatigue could be associated with visual dysfunction and neurologic impairment. Methods At a single time-point, we assessed 143 patients with: Low-contrast letter acuity (LCLA) and high-contrast visual acuity (VA) testing, the 25-Item National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25) and Neuro-Ophthalmic Supplement, the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), the MS Functional Composite (MSFC), and the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Results Worse binocular LCLA scores were associated with increased levels of total and physical fatigue ( p ≤0.026). Greater levels of fatigue were also associated with reduced vision-specific QOL ( p r =0.39, p r =0.22, p =0.011) and EDSS ( r =0.45, p Conclusions Reduced vision in MS is highly associated with physical fatigue and could be used to capture more global, difficult to describe, symptoms. The potential differences in physical vs. cognitive fatigue and their correlates may begin to provide insight into their underlying mechanisms.
An Interaction of Oxytocin Receptors with Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors in Hypothalamic Astrocytes

Hypothalamic astrocytes play a critical role in the regulation and support of many different neuroendocrine events, and are affected by oestradiol. Both nuclear and membrane oestrogen receptors (ERs) are expressed in astrocytes. Upon oestradiol activation, membrane-associated ER signals through the type 1a metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR1a) to induce an increase of free cytoplasmic calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)). Because the expression of oxytocin receptors (OTRs) is modulated by oestradiol, we tested whether oestradiol also influences oxytocin signalling. Oxytocin at 1, 10, and 100 nm induced a [Ca(2+)](i) flux measured as a change in relative fluorescence [DeltaF Ca(2+) = 330 +/- 17 relative fluorescent units (RFU), DeltaF Ca(2+) = 331 +/- 22 RFU, and DeltaF Ca(2+) = 347 +/- 13 RFU, respectively] in primary cultures of female post-pubertal hypothalamic astrocytes. Interestingly, OTRs interacted with mGluRs. The mGluR1a antagonist, LY 367385 (20 nm), blocked the oxytocin (1 nm)-induced [Ca(2+)](i) flux (DeltaF Ca(2+) = 344 +/- 19 versus 127 +/- 11 RFU, P 0.05) and previous oxytocin exposure did not affect the [Ca(2+)](i) response to oestradiol (P > 0.05). Furthermore, simultaneous oestradiol and oxytocin stimulation failed to yield a synergistic [Ca(2+)](i) response. These results suggest that the OTR signals through the mGluR1a to release Ca(2+) from intracellular stores and rapid, nongenomic oestradiol stimulation does not influence OTR signalling in astrocytes.
Are high doses of carbidopa a concern? A randomized, clinical trial in Parkinson's disease.

Recommended doses of carbidopa are 75-200 mg/day. Higher doses could inhibit brain aromatic amino-acid decarboxylase and reduce clinical effects. We compared 4-week outpatient treatments with carbidopa (75 and 450 mg/day) administered with L-dopa on the subjects' normal schedule. After each treatment phase, subjects had two 2-hour L-dopa infusions. The first infusion examined the effects of carbidopa doses administered the preceding 4 weeks, and the second infusion determined the acute effects of the two dosages of carbidopa. The antiparkinsonian effects and L-dopa and carbidopa plasma concentrations were monitored during the infusions. Twelve subjects completed the study. Carbidopa concentrations were eight times higher after the high-carbidopa phase. Area under the curve (AUC) for clinical ratings did not differ for the four L-dopa infusions, although AUC for plasma L-dopa was modestly increased with 450 mg of carbidopa. Nine subjects reported that the high-carbidopa outpatient phase was associated with greater response to L-dopa. Doses of 450 mg/day of carbidopa did not reduce the responses to L-dopa infusion, extending the safe range of carbidopa to 450 mg/day. © 2012 Movement Disorder Society
The X/R Method of Applying Power Circuit Breakers

A NEW BASIS for rating power circuit breakers was proposed at the January 1954 AIEE Winter General Meeting by the Working Group on Methods of Rating Power Circuit Breakers. This group proposed that the making, latching, and interrupting current ratings of circuit breakers be combined into one rating, rated short-circuit current, having specified characteristics which a breaker shall be able to close, carry, and interrupt with any permissible delay in tripping on a predominantly resistive or inductive circuit. To compare these specified characteristics with the decrement rates for asymmetrical fault currents on high-voltage systems, a so-called X/R method has been developed and is intended for use as the basis for a simplified application procedure for power circuit breakers rated on the proposed new basis.
Lidar Detected Spike Returns

Abstract : Lidar measurements of spike returns from clear air are presented. These spikes occur infrequently (approximately one in hundred returns) but provide returns that are significantly stronger (occasionally an order of magnitude larger) than the average aerosol backscatter signal. The spike density is 5.7e-3 spikes per meter-cubed for backscattering cross sections estimated to be between 0.003 and 0.80 square-mm per sr. A modified form of the lidar equation which includes returns from large particulates is presented and the probability distribution for the spike magnitudes is derived from five million measurements.
Likelihood of Multiple Mating in Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

We evaluated the mating ability of male western corn rootworms, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera Leconte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), for 20 d after initial mating, using a series of laboratory experiments. Males mated an average of 2.24 times within 10 d after their first mating and averaged 0.15 matings between days 11 and 20 after their first mating. Because estimating the mating frequency in Bt/refuge cornfields is critical to developing robust and reliable models predicting Bt resistance development in this pest, we discuss how these laboratory findings may influence development and evaluation of current and future insect resistance management plans.
The Gatekeeper’s Toolbox: A Survey on Judicial Handling of Expert-Reliability Motions

(Please note: this is an abridged version of the complete Study, which appears in the University of Mississippi Law Review and is available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract= 2410272)Daubert and its progeny may have given judges clear substantive standards for deciding challenges to expert reliability, and great discretion to do so, but the effect of those changes has not been entirely clear. In the decade after Daubert, a few studies used empirical data to analyze the changes Daubert had made, in deciding how and why judges decide the way they do. But since those studies, there has been little analysis of the issue.This survey is intended to fill the gap, by exploring how judges actually make their reliability determinations in court. By asking state trial court judges, the survey shows the frequency with which such motions arise, what substantive factors are most helpful in deciding the motion, and what procedures get used. It can also measure whether, considering the state of the law, judges are comfortable with their role in deciding expert reliability, or in limiting expert testimony due to a reliability challenge. By measuring the actual practices of state court judges, this survey provides actual data on Daubert gatekeeping and the tools used and not used by the judiciary to that end.
What's Yours is Protection and Security in a Digital World

Whether they like it or not, as businesses and individuals have grown increasingly more dependent on the use of electronic data networks to communicate and transmit data and information, the ability to control the flow of such data and information has grown increasingly more valuable and more critical. For individuals, the ability to protect one's personal privacy and personal information may be important for reasons of personal security and safety. For businesses, the ability to protect data may be important for reasons of protecting core business assets. From either point of view, it is apparent that the increased use of electronic data networks has made it easy for someone to misappropriate someone else's data and make it their own.
REMODELING FOR PASSIVE SOLAR: PERFORMANCE OF AN ADD-ON SOLAR GREENHOUSE

In order to study the potential for remodeling existing structure for passive solar utilization in a climate with severe winters, an experimental studio-office has been built near Madison, Wisconsin. The remodeling was substantially complete in October, 1977. Winter temperatures have been measured twice daily from November 12, 1977. Readings were taken of outside temperature, inside ambient temperature, and air temperature in the sunspace enclosed by each glazing material. A method is described using these temperature data to calculate a total building heating load and the percentage of that load supplied from the passive solar retrofit. Measured temperature swings are also reported. Improved instrumentation installed for the second heating season provides comparative environmental data.
From sensors to structures: Unsupervised language learning.

Children are facile at acquiring the structure and meaning of their native tongues. The ease with which they become language experts belies the complexity of the underlying task – learning from a raging sea of information. Computational approaches to learning aspects of language typically reduce the problem to learning syntax alone, learning a lexicon alone, or learning semantics alone. These simplifications have led to disconnected solutions and some unreasonable assumptions about inputs to their algorithms. This dissertation addresses the language learning problem for an embodied robot embedded in a rich environment. We present a pair of theoretical contributions and realize them through a suite of algorithmic contributions. Our first theory posits that language learning systems that rely exclusively on syntax can exploit semantics to improve their success. Similarly, systems that learn semantics can exploit syntax to improve their success. We demonstrate this approach through a life-long learning system, and prove a series of theoretical results identifying a class of learnable context-free languages. When learning syntax, most algorithms expect complete knowledge about the language’s alphabet (or lexicon). When learning a lexicon, most algorithms never consider the usage of the lexical items when acquiring the lexicon. We relax this assumption and utilize this new information, respectively, in our second theoretical contribution: bootstrapping learning tasks. We introduce a bootstrapped approach to learning a lexicon and a grammar for a class of regular languages. Using phonetic transcriptions of natural language, we report on experimental results for this bootstrap. We also extend our approach to learning both syntax and semantics through bootstrapping the two, using limited knowledge about semantics to infer additional knowledge about syntax, and limited knowledge about syntax to infer additional knowledge about semantics. Finally, the ultimate goal of this research is to ground all learning in real-valued sensor data. We present a set of algorithms that point toward new approaches to incorporating real-valued data into our bootstrap learning systems.
Declining Operative Experience for Junior-Level Residents: Is This an Unintended Consequence of Minimally Invasive Surgery?

Introduction Our group has previously demonstrated an upward shift from junior to senior resident participation in common general surgery operations, traditionally performed by junior-level residents. The objective of this study was to evaluate if this trend would correct over time. We hypothesized that junior resident case volume would improve. Methods A sample of essential laparoscopic and open general surgery procedures (appendectomy, inguinal herniorrhaphy, cholecystectomy, and partial colectomy) was chosen for analysis. The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Participant Use Files were queried for these procedures between 2005 and 2012. Cases were stratified by participating resident post-graduate year with “junior resident” defined as post-graduate year1-3. Logistic regression was performed to determine change in junior resident participation for each type of procedure over time. Results A total of 185,335 cases were included in the study. For 3 of the operations we considered, the prevalence of laparoscopic surgery increased from 2005-2012 (all p Conclusions Along with the proliferation of laparoscopy for common general surgical procedures there has been a concomitant reduction in the participation of junior-level residents. As previously thought, familiarity with laparoscopy has not translated to redistribution of basic operations from senior to junior residents. This trend has significant implications for general surgery resident education.
Comparative Analysis of Infrared Spectroscopy and Pyrophosphate Digestion in Determination of Free Silica in Dust

[Objective]To compare the feasibility of infrared spectroscopy and digestive pyrophosphate in determination of free silica in dust.[Methods]The content of free silica in dust were determined by the above 2 methods,the results were compared.[Results]The determination results of free silica in dust by infrared spectroscopy and digestive pyrophosphate were not significant(P0.05).The concentration of free silica showed a good linearity with absorbance value in the range of 0～100.03 mg,with correlation coefficient r =0.9996.The recoveries were 93.08%～95.01%.The relative standard deviation was not more than 5.21%(n=5).[Conclusion]Infrared spectroscopy can achieve fast batch testing with high accuracy,and can replace pyrophosphate digestion gradually.
Evaluation on Control Effect of Iodine Deficiency Disorders in Zhumadian in 2009

[Objective] To know the effect of comprehensive control measures which is dominated by universal salt iodization on iodine deficiency disorder,provide scientific reference for further strategies of prevention and control.[Methods]The study was performed in accordance with the methods and requirements of Henan Monitoring Program.[Results]The monitoring results of iodine deficiency disorders in 9 counties and 1 district of Zhumadian in 2009 showed: ① The urinary iodine levels of children in 9 counties and 1 district of Zhumadian mostly ranked in normal range,but that in some counties/districts was slightly higher.② All of the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt in 9 counties and 1 district of Zhumadian reached 90%,that in Shangcai County and Pingyu County was the highest(100%),and that in Runan County was the lowest(91.67%).Compared with the consumption rate of qualified iodized salts in 2007 and 2008,that in 2009 showed a downward trend.③Health education in 9 counties and 1 district has a good effect.[Conclusion]Zhumadian is iodine deficiency areas,and the control effect is satisfactory.The relevant departments should pay attention to the non-iodized salt and non-qualified iodized salt,strengthen the management,improve the health education,increase the health protection awareness among residents,and enhance the coverage rate of iodine salt in key areas.
Diiron Bridged-Thiolate Complexes That Bind N2 at the FeIIFeII, FeIIFeI, and FeIFeI Redox States

All known nitrogenase cofactors are rich in both sulfur and iron and are presumed capable of binding and reducing N2. Nonetheless, synthetic examples of transition metal model complexes that bind N2 and also feature sulfur donor ligands remain scarce. We report herein an unusual series of low-valent diiron complexes featuring thiolate and dinitrogen ligands. A new binucleating ligand scaffold is introduced that supports an Fe(μ-SAr)Fe diiron subunit that coordinates dinitrogen (N2-Fe(μ-SAr)Fe-N2) across at least three oxidation states (FeIIFeII, FeIIFeI, and FeIFeI). The (N2-Fe(μ-SAr)Fe-N2) system undergoes reduction of the bound N2 to produce NH3 (∼50% yield) and can efficiently catalyze the disproportionation of N2H4 to NH3 and N2. The present scaffold also supports dinitrogen binding concomitant with hydride as a co-ligand. Synthetic model complexes of these types are desirable to ultimately constrain hypotheses regarding Fe-mediated nitrogen fixation in synthetic and biological systems.
Analysis of Ligand-Receptor Association and Intermediate Transfer Rates in Multienzyme Nanostructures with All-Atom Brownian Dynamics Simulations.

We present the second-generation GeomBD Brownian dynamics software for determining interenzyme intermediate transfer rates and substrate association rates in biomolecular complexes. Substrate and intermediate association rates for a series of enzymes or biomolecules can be compared between the freely diffusing disorganized configuration and various colocalized or complexed arrangements for kinetic investigation of enhanced intermediate transfer. In addition, enzyme engineering techniques, such as synthetic protein conjugation, can be computationally modeled and analyzed to better understand changes in substrate association relative to native enzymes. Tools are provided to determine nonspecific ligand–receptor association residence times, and to visualize common sites of nonspecific association of substrates on receptor surfaces. To demonstrate features of the software, interenzyme intermediate substrate transfer rate constants are calculated and compared for all-atom models of DNA origami scaffold-bound b...
Experimental investigation of the influence of freestream turbulence on an anti-vortex film cooling hole

Abstract Film cooling is used in gas turbines to thermally protect combustor and turbine hot section components by creating a layer of relatively cooler air to insulate the components from the hot freestream gases. This relatively cooler air is taken from upstream in the compressor section at a loss to the engine efficiency and therefore must be used as effectively as possible. A novel anti-vortex hole (AVH) geometry has been investigated experimentally through a transient infrared thermography technique to study the film cooling effectiveness and heat transfer coefficient by varying blowing ratio and freestream turbulence intensity. The AVH geometry is designed with two secondary holes stemming from a main cooling hole that attempts to diffuse the coolant jet and mitigate the vorticity produced by conventional straight holes. The AVH geometry data collected showed improved cooling performance at low freestream turbulence intensities compared to conventional straight holes. Three turbulence intensities of 1, 7.5, and 11.7% were investigated for the AVH geometry at blowing ratios of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 for a total of twelve different conditions. Results showed that higher freestream turbulence conditions were beneficial to the performance of the AVH. Increasing the blowing ratio at all turbulence levels also improved film cooling effectiveness, both span-averaged and on the centerline. The highest performing case was at a turbulence intensity of 7.5% and a blowing ratio of 2.0. The 11.7% cases outperformed the 1% cases, but it appears that at the 11.7% cases the higher freestream turbulence reduces the performance of the secondary holes compared to the 7.5% case. Increasing the blowing ratio and turbulence intensity will result in a higher heat transfer coefficient, which must be taken into account for future designs and overall reduction of heat load.
Examining the Acceptability of mHealth Technology in HIV Prevention Among High-Risk Drug Users in Treatment

Despite promising trends of the efficacy of mobile health (mHealth) based strategies to a broad range of health conditions, very few if any studies have been done in terms of the examining the use of mHealth in HIV prevention efforts among people who use drugs in treatment. Thus, the goal of this study was to gain insight into the real-world acceptance of mHealth approaches among high-risk people who use drugs in treatment. A convenience sample of 400 HIV-negative drug users, who reported drug- and/or sex-related risk behaviors, were recruited from a methadone clinic in New Haven, Connecticut. Participants completed standardized assessments of drug- and sex-related risk behaviors, neurocognitive impairment (NCI), and measures of communication technology access and utilization, and mHealth acceptance. We found a high prevalence of current ownership and use of mobile technologies, such as cell phone (91.5%) including smartphone (63.5%). Participants used mobile technologies to communicate mostly through phone calls (M = 4.25, SD = 1.24), followed by text messages (M = 4.21, SD = 1.29). Participants expressed interest in using mHealth for medication reminders (72.3%), receive information about HIV (65.8%), and to assess drug-related (72.3%) and sex-related behaviors (64.8%). Furthermore, participants who were neurocognitively impaired were more likely to use cell phone without internet and show considerable interest in using mHealth as compared to those without NCI. The findings from this study provide empirical evidence that mHealth-based programs, specifically cell phone text messaging-based health programs, may be acceptable to this high-risk population.
Effects of habitat fragmentation and differing mobility on the population structures of a Great Basin dragonfly ( Sympetrum corruptum ) and damselfly ( Enallagma carunculatum )

The population structure of 2 Great Basin odonate species was assessed using protein electrophoresis. Analyses included 7 populations of Sympetrum corruptum (suborder Anisoptera), a migratory and highly mobile dragonfly, and 8 populations of Enallagma carunculatum (suborder Zygoptera), a weak flier that is not known to migrate far from natal water sources. Though we expected the damselfly ( E. carunculatum ) to show greater genetic isolation than the dragonfly ( S. corruptum ), both species apparently had high levels of gene flow (theta = 0.0604 for S. corruptum , theta = 0.0485 for E. carunculatum ) and showed no evidence for isolation by distance. These results suggest that both species are highly vagile and that the most important factors affecting population structure of these odonates may be ecological conditions such as habitat patchiness and the ephemerality of water sources.
Strain-compensated Ga(AsP)/Ga(AsBi)/Ga(AsP) quantum-well active-region lasers (Conference Presentation)

Ga(AsBi) quantum well (QW) active regions are an alternate to dilute-nitride QWs for achieving lasers in the telecom wavelength regions (λ~1.3-1.55μm) on GaAs substrates. Ludewig et al first reported the successful operation of Ga(AsBi) single quantum well laser in 2013 [1] with low threshold current densities, Jth=1.56kA/cm2 where (AlGa)As was used as a barrier material for low Bi-content QWs to improve the electron confinement in the conduction band and reduce thermally activated carrier leakage from the QW. We implement here the use of tensile-strained Ga(AsP) as a QW barrier material, providing carrier confinement as well as potential for strain-balancing. Laser structures employing a single GaAs0.976Bi0.024 quantum well (SQW) with either GaAs0.8P0.2, Al0.15Ga0.85As, or GaAs barrier materials were grown by MOVPE on a nominally singular (001) GaAs substrate Ridge waveguide lasers, 25μm-wide and 1mm-long ridge, were fabricated and characterized under pulsed current conditions. The threshold current densities for devices are 5.9kA/cm2 and 5.8kA/cm2 for GaAsP barriers and Al0.15Ga0.85As barriers respectively, with a lasing wavelength of 960nm. Devices with GaAs barriers only lased at higher currents for a short wavelength transition ~900nm. While threshold currents are relatively high, no post growth thermal annealing was performed on these laser materials. Thermal annealing studies will be presented indicating significant improvement in QW luminescence and reduction in Jth can be achieved after the post-growth in-situ annealing. [1] Ludewig, P., Knaub, N., Hossain, N., Reinhard, S., Nattermann, L., Marko, I. P., and Volz, K. 2013. Appl. Phys. Lett., 102(24), 242115.
A Noneventful Social Movement: The Occupy Wall Street Movement’s Struggle Over Privately Owned Public Space

Why did the Occupy Wall Street movement settle in Zuccotti Park, a privately owned public space? Why did the movement get evicted after a two-month occupation? To answer these questions, this study offers a new tentative framework, spatial opportunity structure, to understand spatial politics in social movements as the interaction of spatial structure and agency. Drawing on opportunity structure models, Sewell’s dual concept of spatial structure and agency, and his concept of event, I analyze how the Occupy activists took over and repurposed Zuccotti Park from a site of consumption and leisure to a space of political claim making. Yet, with unsympathetic public opinion, intensifying policing and surveillance, and unfavorable court rulings privileging property rights over speech rights, the temporary success did not stabilize into a durable transformation of spatial structure. My study not only explains the Occupy movement’s spatial politics but also offers a novel framework to understand the struggle over privatization of public space for future social movements and public speech and assembly in general.
Proteomics in graft-versus-host disease and graft-versus-leukemia

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is the most effective form of tumor immunotherapy available to date. However, while allo-HSCT can induce beneficial graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effects, the adverse effect of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), which is closely linked to GVL, is the major source of morbidity and mortality following HSCT. Currently available diagnostic and staging tools frequently fail to identify those at higher risk of disease progression or death. Furthermore, there are shortcomings in the prediction of the need for therapeutic interventions or the response rates to different forms of therapy. Similarly, recent past decades have been characterized by an explosive evolution of ‘-omics’ technologies, largely due to important advances in chemistry, engineering, high-throughput technical devices and bioinformatics. Building on these opportunities, blood biomarkers have been identified and validated both as promising diagnostic tools that predict future occurrence of GVHD and as prognostic tools for responsiveness to GVHD therapy and non-relapse mortality. These biomarkers might facilitate timely and selective therapeutic intervention. However, such blood tests are not yet available for routine clinical care. This chapter identifies clinical questions in need of answers in the post-HSCT setting, summarizes current information on clinical proteomics and the GVHD and GVL biomarkers available, and proposes future directions for the blinded evaluation of these biomarkers in samples collected as part of a multicenter prospective study.