cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Partial Dewatering of Mechanically Deboned Poultry Meat

Abstract Mechanically deboned turkey meat and chicken were subjected to partial dewatering during thawing. Treatments included draining, draining under pressure, centrifugation, and partial dehydration. Exudates were measured for moisture and protein content, and partially dewatered meat was analyzed for proximate composition and for emulsifying and water holding capacities. Frankfurters made from the dewatered meat were subjected to objective and subjective analyses. The treatments of removing exudate from mechanically deboned poultry meat under pressure and of centrifugation generally yielded the greatest moisture reduction and improvement in emulsifying capacity. Dehydration techniques did not appear practical, and pressure treatments with press devices were not satisfactory. Frankfurters made from partially dewatered meat were generally no better than those from control meat formulations. Therefore, partial dewatering of mechanically deboned poultry meat may not be justified.
Multiple intestinal atresia with combined immune deficiency.

Purpose of reviewTo update on the molecular and cellular basis of multiple intestinal atresia (MIA).Recent findingsMutations of the tetratricopeptide repeat domain 7A gene have been identified in patients with MIA and other related disorders, including MIA associated with combined immunodeficiency a
Regulation of glucocorticoid receptors and Na-K ATPase activity by hydrocortisone in proximal tubular epithelial cells.

The effect of hydrocortisone (HC) in modulating glucocorticoid receptors (GR) and sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase (Na−K ATPase) activity was studied in primary cultures of immunoisolated murine proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTEC). Utilizing monoclonal antibody against stage-specific embryonic antigen-1, a homogeneous population of PTEC was obtained in high yield. The cells were cultured to confluence and further treated for 48 h in serum-free growth medium containing no HC (control); 50 nM HC; or 50 nM HC plus 20 nM of the antiglucocorticoid, RU 38486. PTEC treated with 50 nM HC had 56% of GR binding and 160% Na−K ATPase activity as compared to controls (P<0.01). GR binding was abolished by incubation in RU 38486 whereas Na−K ATPase fell below control values (P<0.05). Brief incubations of HC-treated PTEC with 0.5 mM ouabain resulted in a fall in GR binding without a change in Na−K ATPase activity. These data indicate that in PTEC, HC regulates GR binding and they suggest that stimulation of Na−K ATPase activity is a direct biological response to this receptor-hormone interaction. Thus, primary cultures of immunoaffinity-isolated PTEC offer a good model system for investigating the molecular basis underlying the regulation of GR binding and postreceptor events influenced by glucocorticoids.
A Mexican American mother's experience in the neonatal intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND Most parents would agree that the admission of an infant to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is stressful. Existing research is focused on white mothers, with little known about the experiences of Spanish-speaking, Mexican American mothers who have an infant in the NICU. PURPOSE The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe the experiences of a Spanish-speaking, Mexican American mother whose infant had been in the NICU. METHODS Qualitative description was used to conduct this study. One Spanish-speaking, Mexican American mother who had an infant in the NICU was recruited through purposive sampling. An in-depth interview was conducted, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Conventional content analysis was used to analyze the data. FINDINGS Analysis of the data revealed that the experience of a Spanish-speaking, Mexican American mother who had an infant in the NICU was one of uncertainty, involvement, trust, and anticipating discrimination.
Foreign Investment and Trade Policies in an International Economy with Transnational Corporations: A Theoretical and Empirical Study with References to Latin America

Foreign investment and trade policies in an international economy with transnational corporations : a theoretical and empirical study with references to Latin America
In-situ mapping and modeling verification of thermomechanical deformation in underfilled flip-chip packaging using moire interferometry

An experimental technique of environmental moire interferometry has been developed for in‐situ monitoring and analysis of thermomechanical deformation of microelectronics packages subjected to thermal loading under a controlled atmosphere. Coupled with fractional fringe analysis and digital image processing, the environmental moire interferometry technique achieves accurate and realistic deformation monitoring with high sensitivity and excellent spatial resolution. It has been applied to investigate the thermomechanical deformations induced by thermal loading in an underfilled flip‐chip‐on‐board packaging. The effects of temperature change in the range of 102 °C to 22 °C are analyzed for underfill and solder bumps. In addition, shear deformation and shear strains across the solder bumps are determined as a function of temperature. The experimental results are compared with the results of a finite element analysis for modeling verification. Good agreement between the modeling results and experimental measurements has been found in the overall displacement fields. Through this study, the role of underfill in the thermomechanical deformation of the underfilled flip‐chip package is determined.
Deacidification and dewaxing of Chinese prickly ash kernel oil

Phosphoric acid refining-alkali refining-crystallization was compared with phosphoric acid refining-alkali refining-solvent extraction in the dewaxing effect of Chinese prickly ash kernel oil,and the method of phosphoric acid refining-alkali refining-crystallization was choosed.The influence of crystallization temperature,crystallization time and concentration of potassium hydroxide on the dewaxing ratio was investigated.The results of orthogonal experiment showed that the optimal conditions were as follows:crystallization temperature 8℃,crystallization time 8 h,concentration of potassium hydroxide 0.5 mol/L.Under the conditions the dewaxing ratio of prickly ash kernel oil was 82.28%,and the removal ratio of free fatty acid was 97.20%.
Extended source interferometry in the compact regime

We present an atom interferometer based on an expanding cloud of laser-cooled atoms sensitive to rotations along two axes and acceleration along one axis in an effective volume of 1 cm3. We observed spatially resolved fringes created by the apparatus' rotation by imaging the expanding cloud after short free-fall durations. If the atom cloud does not start as a point source, a bias is introduced in the scale factor that differs from the simple point-source limit. We explored the scale factor deviation experimentally with different initial cloud sizes and present our understanding of this important systematic.
Neovascularity of a tracheal prosthesis/tissue complex.

Permanent bioincorporation of a microporous tracheal prosthesis will require a stable blood supply to connective tissue supporting an epithelial surface. In experience with over 80 tracheal implants in dogs, we have observed that end-on ingrowth and epithelialization does not occur in the absence of lateral ingrowth, epithelialization is marked by the appearance of a subepithelial network of vessels, and this process must be well advanced by 6 to 8 weeks for long-term stability. These observations were extended by using microangiography to delineate the blood supply of the prosthesis/tissue complex. Six implants of bioelectric polyurethane with 10% gentamicin (3 cm length, 2 cm diameter, 1 to 1.25 mm wall thickness, 60 to 120 μ micropore diameter) were interposed in the dog thoracic trachea and wrapped with an omental pedicle. The aorta was perfused with a barium suspension at elective sacrifice between 10 weeks and 21 months. Radiographs of specimens were correlated with bronchoscopic, gross, and histopathological findings. Neovascularity of the prosthesis/tissue complex can be described in three categories: outer capsule, prosthetic wall, and inner lining. Outer capsule vessels were oriented circumferentially immediately adjacent to the prosthetic wall. They resembled arteries up to 75 μ diameter on microscopy and appeared to develop from the omentum with connections developing to the bronchial circulation. Prosthetic wall vessels up to 75 μ with thin muscular walls were noted to traverse the porous prosthetic wall. The inner lining had a network of subepithelial vessels that connected to the lamina propria vasculature of the native trachea across the anastomoses with vessels up to 120 μ in diameter. We conclude that the omentum provides an immediate blood supply and a base for early connective tissue ingrowth. Epithelialization occurs as early as 3 weeks on the favorable bed, accompanied by vascular connections to the existing lamina propria tracheal vessels. This dual organization of blood supply with connections across the prosthetic wall is probably important to long-term stability of healing.
Stability of cataplexy over several months : information for the design of therapeutic trials

Twenty-seven narcoleptic patients severely affected with cataplexy completed four symptom diaries over a 4-month period in order to clarify some of the controversies surrounding assessment of anticataplectic medications. The home diary method was found to be a viable model for the assessment of anticataplectic activity. Assessment of reliability in 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, 5- and 10-day intervals indicated that reliability increases with the number of days included. A 10-day design was found to be optimal. Reliability decreased, however, with each successive diary over the 4-month period. Power analysis indicates that two groups of 30-40 subjects in a parallel design, or one group of 30-40 subjects in a crossover design, would be sufficient to demonstrate a significant therapeutic anticataplectic effect in most cases. A "first diary effect" was observed, suggesting that a training period prior to the actual trial might improve reliability. Whether the patient was treated or untreated with stimulant medications did not affect severity or fluctuation of cataplexy, suggesting that both groups of patients could be included in therapeutic trials. No time-of-day fluctuation was observed in the daily distribution of cataplexy attacks. Sudden increases in cataplexy were often, although not always, caused by unusual emotional events or sleepiness. The finding of a long-lasting "precataplectic" feeling or "aura" pointed to the need to carefully clarify the symptom prior to beginning a therapeutic trial.
Qué es una Formulación de Caso Basada en la Evidencia

This work posits and answers the question about 'What is an evidence-based case formulation?' It tries to shed some light on the topic by proposing three key criteria that any therapist could follow to assess a particular model of case formulation (CF), or when taking into consideration his or her own practice: The first criterion relates to the grounding of the CF's core hypothesis on a theory supported by a solid and relevant evidence; the second criterion relates to the features of the kind of reasoning, in which the clinical judgement that nurtures the formulation is based; and the third criterion, that relates to the extent in which a given formulation is founded on a structured model of CF. Furthermore, the background of evidence-based CF as a form of Evidence-Based Practice in Psychology (EBPP) is reviewed, as well as what constitutes appropriate evidence in CF. An evidence-based, systematic framework for CF is also provided and explained.
Accuracy of BMI correction using multiple reports in children

Errors in reported height and weight raise concerns about body mass index (BMI) and obesity estimates obtained from self or proxy reports. Researchers have corrected BMI using linear statistical models, primarily with adult samples. We compared the accuracy of BMI correction in children for models that included child or parent reports versus both reports, and models that separately predicted height and weight compared to a single model for BMI. Height and weight from child reports, parent reports, and objective measurements for 475 children participating in the Military Teenagers’ Environment, Exercise and Nutrition Study were analyzed. Two approaches were evaluated: (1) separate linear correction models for height and weight versus (2) a single linear correction model for BMI. Each approach considered models for height, weight, or BMI with child reports, parent reports, or both reports, respectively, as predictors, stratified by gender. Prediction accuracy was computed using leave-one-out validation. Models were compared using root mean squared error for BMI, and sensitivity and specificity for overweight and obesity indicators. Models that included both reports provided the best fit relative to a model using either set of reports, with adjusted R2 of height, weight, and BMI models ranging from 67.1 to 87.6 % in males, and 69.2 to 88.3 % in females. Estimates of BMI from separate models for height and weight had the least prediction error, relative to those derived from a single model for BMI or from uncorrected (child or parent) reports. Cross-validated Root Mean Squared Error (RMSEs) preferred a model that included only parent reports among males and females, compared to models with only child reports or both reports. When assessing sensitivity (true positive) for obesity and overweight/obesity, the results varied by gender and outcomes. Specificity (true negative) was similarly high for all models. Objective measurements are more accurate than self- or proxy-reports of BMI. In situations where objective measurement is infeasible, an approach that combines collecting a validation sub-sample including multiple reports of children’s height and weight, with estimation of BMI correction models maybe a cost-effective and practical solution. Correction models generate BMI estimates that are closer to objective measurements than reports.
Accelerated aging to estimate life of short cable assemblies

In many practical apparatus, high voltage cables in the 10 to 50kV range are needed between modules. Such cables, in contrast to carefully designed coaxial lines with stress cones to minimize stress enhancements, may contain multiple wires, non-coaxial connectors, localized stress enhancements and non-homogeneous potting. Even with such short comings from the ideal, long life amounting to 5 to 10 or more years of operation is often desired. This paper considers practical cable assemblies and short time accelerated testing which can be employed to increase confidence that a particular design is adequate for needed service.
CHAPTER 58 – Acquired Disorders of Platelet Function

Acquired disorders of diverse etiologies are associated with altered platelet function and a bleeding diathesis. In most of these disorders, the specific biochemical and pathophysiological aberrations leading to platelet dysfunction are poorly understood. In several disorders, abnormalities have been described in multiple aspects of platelet function, including adhesion, aggregation, and secretion, and in the platelet contribution to blood coagulation reactions. Although it would be preferable to consider the acquired platelet function disorders based on the nature of the specific biochemical defect, the presence of multiple and poorly characterized platelet abnormalities even in a single disease state makes such a classification difficult. In this chapter, the acquired qualitative platelet disorders are therefore described according to the disease states in which they are recognized (Table 58-1). The platelet abnormalities in these diseases arise because of a variety of factors. In some, such as the myeloproliferative disorders, there is production of intrinsically abnormal platelets by the bone marrow. In others, the dysfunction results from the interaction of platelets with exogenous factors such as pharmacologic agents, artificial surfaces (cardiopulmonary bypass, discussed in Chapter 59), compounds that accumulate in plasma due to impaired renal function, and antibodies.
Unions, Fairness, and the Conundrums of Collective Choice

This article posits that attempts thus far to develop a consistent, principles theory of the duty of fair representation have not been successful. We do not deny that certain particularized rules of fairness derived from various sources can be generated and applied to particular cases. We do not think, however, that there is an intelligible general rule of distributive or procedural fairness that may be interposed by a court to overrule the discretionary decisions made by a union in bargaining for its constituents. This article examines the substantive theories of fairness that have been suggested by courts and commentators.
A Likelihood-Free Approach for Characterizing Heterogeneous Diseases in Large-Scale Studies

We propose a non-parametric approach for characterizing heterogeneous diseases in large-scale studies. We target diseases where multiple types of pathology present simultaneously in each subject and a more severe disease manifests as a higher level of tissue destruction. For each subject, we model the collection of local image descriptors as samples generated by an unknown subject-specific probability density. Instead of approximating the probability density via a parametric family, we propose to side step the parametric inference by directly estimating the divergence between subject densities. Our method maps the collection of local image descriptors to a signature vector that is used to predict a clinical measurement. We are able to interpret the prediction of the clinical variable in the population and individual levels by carefully studying the divergences. We illustrate an application this method on simulated data as well as on a large-scale lung CT study of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Our approach outperforms classical methods on both simulated and COPD data and demonstrates the state-of-the-art prediction on an important physiologic measure of airflow (the forced respiratory volume in one second, FEV1).
Early history of Neanderthals and Denisovans

Extensive DNA sequence data have made it possible to reconstruct human evolutionary history in unprecedented detail. We introduce a method to study the past several hundred thousand years. Our results show that (i) the Neanderthal-Denisovan lineage declined to a small size just after separating from the modern lineage, (ii) Neanderthals and Denisovans separated soon thereafter, and (iii) the subsequent Neanderthal population was large and deeply subdivided. They also (iv) support previous estimates of gene flow from Neanderthals into modern Eurasians. These results suggest an archaic human diaspora early in the Middle Pleistocene.
Heat flow bounds over the Cascadia margin derived from bottom simulating reflectors and implications for thermal models of subduction

Understanding the thermal structure of the Cascadia subduction zone is important for understanding megathrust earthquake processes and seismogenic potential. Currently our understanding of the thermal structure of Cascadia is limited by a lack of high spatial resolution heat flow data and by poor understanding of thermal processes such as hydrothermal fluid circulation in the subducting basement, sediment thickening and dewatering, and frictional heat generation on the plate boundary. Here, using a dataset of publically available seismic lines combined with new interpretations of bottom simulating reflector (BSR) distributions, we derive heat flow estimates across the Cascadia margin. Thermal models that account for hydrothermal circulation predict BSR-derived heat flow bounds better than purely conductive models, but still over-predict surface heat flows. We show that when the thermal effects of in-situ sedimentation and of sediment thickening and dewatering due to accretion are included, models with hydrothermal circulation become consistent with our BSR-derived heat flow bounds.
Development of Phenyl Cyclohexylcarboxamides as a Novel Class of Hsp90 C‐terminal Inhibitors

Inhibition of the heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) C-terminus represents a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of cancer. Novobiocin, a coumarin antibiotic, was the first Hsp90 C-terminal inhibitor identified, however, it manifested poor anti-proliferative activity (SKBr3, IC50≈700 μm). Subsequent structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies on novobiocin led to development of several analogues that exhibited improved anti-proliferative activity against several cancer cell lines. Recent studies demonstrate that the biphenyl core could be used in lieu of the coumarin ring system, which resulted in more efficacious analogues. In continuation of previous efforts, the work described herein has identified the phenyl cyclohexyl core as a novel scaffold for Hsp90 C-terminal inhibition. Structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies on this scaffold led to the development of compounds that manifest mid-nanomolar activity against SKBr3 and MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines through Hsp90 inhibition.
Interstate Banking and Small Business Finance: Implications from Available Evidence:

The prospect of full interstate banking in the near future raises questions about the supply and cost of bank credit for small business firms under such a regime. This study explores this issue, dr...
Case 1: No Fiber-Optic Intubation System: A Potential Problem

You are to anesthetize a 19-year-old Indian woman (42 Kg) who is otherwise healthy but is coming for a removal of a large keloid scar (7 cm × 8 cm) on the front of her neck. This was caused 2 years before by hydrochloric acid (HCl) when she tried to drink it in an attempt to commit suicide. Someone prevented her from doing so, but during the tussle that ensued, the large cup of HCl spilt down the front of her neck causing a severe third-degree burn. She survived but is now left with a large keloid scar that has pulled her chin to nearly touch the sternum, and she can only open her mouth slightly (0.5 cm between the top and bottom teeth). You see this young woman in the preoperative area and decide that an awake nasal or oral fiber-optic intubation is needed. Unfortunately, there is no scope available, and the surgeon tells you that if we do not do it today, the young woman will not come back. You decide to proceed and take her back to the operating room after an IV is started and 1 mg of midazolam. After routine monitors are placed, you attempt an inhalation induction with sevoflurane to be followed by a blind oral or nasal endotracheal intubation. Unfortunately, you lose her airway during the induction and she stops breathing. The saturation falls to 82%. You turn the sevoflurane off and attempt to ventilate with 100% oxygen but with great difficulty. With the sevoflurane off, she slowly commences to breathe again and her saturation improves. Your attempt at an awake nasal intubation also fails. There is no other airway equipment available, .for example, a Trachlight (Laerdal Medical A/S, Stavanger, Norway). You suggest to the surgeon that he does a tracheostomy under local anesthesia. The surgeon says that will be impossible as there are no landmarks, and it is very difficult to anesthetize the keloid scar with local anesthesia. But more important is the fact that the tracheostomy will be in the surgical site, and therefore it is not an option. You attempt to place the smallest pediatric LMA that you can find. Unfortunately, even that LMA is too big. In desperation you now try to pass a pediatric gum elastic bougie blindly into her trachea both through the mouth and nose. This also fails. Understandably she is now getting very upset and agitated. The surgeon looks at you and wonders if there is anything else that can be done to secure the airway without doing a tracheostomy. What will you suggest?
Do students benefit from longer school days? Regression discontinuity evidence from Florida's additional hour of literacy instruction

Abstract Instructional time is a fundamental educational input, yet we have little causal evidence about the effect of longer school days on student achievement. This paper uses a sharp regression discontinuity design to estimate the effects of lengthening the school day for low-performing schools in Florida by exploiting an administrative cutoff for eligibility. Our results indicate significant positive effects of additional literacy instruction on student reading achievement. In particular, we find effects of 0.05 standard deviations of improvement in reading test scores for program assignment in the first year, though long-run effects are difficult to assess.
Reasoning about Models of Nonlinear Systems

An engineer’s model of a physical system balances accuracy and parsimony: it is as simple as possible while still accounting for the dynamical behavior of the target system. PRET is a computer program that automatically builds such models. Its inputs are a set of observations of some subset of the outputs of a nonlinear system, and its output is an ordinary differential equation that models the internal dynamics of that system. Modeling problems like this have immense and complicated search spaces, and searching them is an imposing technical challenge. PRET exploits a spectrum of AI and engineering techniques to navigate efficiently through these spaces, using a special first-order logic system to decide which technique to use when and how to interpret the results. Its representations and reasoning tactics are designed both to support this flexibility and to leverage any domain knowledge that is available from the practicing engineers who are its target audience. This flexibility and power has let PRET construct accurate, minimal models of a wide variety of applications, ranging from textbook examples to real-world engineering problems.
Risk Management in Chronic Pain Practice

Clinicians must balance achieving pain relief and minimizing risk of drug abuse and diversion. Pain relievers are the third most commonly abused illicit drug category after marijuana and cocaine. Patient assessment, clinician decision-making, and discussions with the patient about pain treatment can be readily documented using standardized charting tools. Reasons for selecting specific therapy, treatment objectives, goal attainment, and consideration of therapy adjustment must be clearly documented in the patients' medical records. Reasons for using opioid therapy include failure of other pain therapy, inability to tolerate other medications, and severe, disabling pain. Continued opioid treatment must be contingent on treatment compliance and achievement of functional improvement goals, such as increased household chores, return to work, or increased ability to participate in physical or occupational therapy.
Microfabrication, Microstructures and Microsystems

This review gives a brief introduction to materials and techniques used for microfabrication. Rigid materials have typically been used to fabricate microstructures and systems. Elastomeric materials are becoming attractive, and may have advantages for certain types of applications. Photolithography is the most commonly used technique for the fabrication of structures for microelectronic circuits, microelectromechanical systems, microanalytical devices and micro-optics. Soft lithography represents a set of non-photolithographic techniques: it forms micropatterns of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) by contact printing and generates microstructures of polymers by contact molding. The aim of this paper is to illustrate how non-traditional materials and methods for fabrication can yield simple, cost-effective routes to microsystems, and now they can expand the capabilities of these systems.
SOME SAMPLING DISTRIBUTIONS

Probably the basic problem in statistical work, both applied and theoretical, is the relationship between the population and samples from it. For this, one can simply categorize the people of the population into say male and female, or under 30 years of age, and 30 or over. It is of great importance in all statistical applications that samples be properly chosen. In general the basic aim is to avoid sample bias insofar as possible. For this the most common technique is to choose sample at random from the population. By definition this means that for a finite collection of people, say, one selects the sample in such a way that each person has the same probability of being chosen in the sample. If the selection is made one at a time, then for those people in the population not yet drawn for the sample, each is to have the same chance of being drawn next. This is the way to draw a sample randomly. To accomplish such drawing with equal probability, the standard approach is to use a table of random numbers.
The Role of Cathepsins in the Inactivation of Plasma Kinins

For several years our laboratory has been concerned with the properties and possible functions of the intracellular proteinases known as the cathepsins. These enzymes exist in the lysosomal particles of the cell (de Duve, 1959) and consist of a series of catalytic agents which, like pancreatic trypsin, chymotrypsin, and pancreatic carboxypeptidases, hydrolyze synthetic peptide substrates with somewhat exacting specificity. They are quite different when compared to their extracellular counterparts in terms of pH optima, requirements for cofactors, and their intracellular location. Despite our knowledge of the presence of cathepsins in almost all tissues, we lack understanding of them in two respects. First, a homogeneous cathepsin preparation has not been prepared, thus preventing comparison of their structure with that of other known proteases. Second, the actual function of these enzymes in the body remains to be elucidated. The cathepsins are of interest here since they seem to have properties necessary for participation in the formation and inactivation of kinins under conditions that may exist in inflammation or tissue injury, e.g. in an acidic environment. Such conditions favor catheptic action.
Evidence from the Archives of Societies: Early Instrumental Observations

This chapter defines early instrumental observations and explains their significance for climate reconstruction. It also addresses their problems and explains how best to work with them. The chapter sections discuss the development and shortcomings of early instruments—thermometers, barometers, and rain gauges—the relevant measurement practices, and the history of early instrumental observation networks.
Uniform Thermo-Optic Tunability of Dielectric Metalenses

The advent of low-loss dielectric metasurfaces offers a paradigm of miniaturization for free-space optical elements like lenses and deflectors, but these are limited to static functionality. This study illustrates the possibility to tune the focal length of a metalens through spatially uniform modulation of refractive index. Using traditional thermo-optic effects, the authors demonstrate large refractive index changes ($\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}n$ = 0.15) in InSb Mie resonators. They furthermore show how to form a metasurface from a single material, enabling easier wafer-scale production.
Simultaneous visualization of nerves and blood vessels with multispectral photoacoustic imaging for intraoperative guidance of neurosurgeries

Real-time intraoperative guidance during neurosurgeries are often limited to endoscopy or microscopy, which are suboptimal at locating underlying blood vessels and nerves. Damaging these critical structures can have severe surgical complications. To overcome this challenge, we are developing a fast-tuning, multispectral photoacoustic approach to guiding neurological procedures. An ex vivo porcine sciatic nerve and caprine carotid artery perfused with whole human blood were suspended in a water bath. A spectroscopic analysis with wavelengths 690 nm to 1260 nm was performed on each specimen with a constant optical energy of 1.5 mJ/pulse and 11 mJ/pulse for a 1 mm diameter optical fiber and a 5 mmm diameter fiber bundle, respectively. The contrast and signal-to-noise ratio of each target was calculated from photoacoustic images, with wavelength-dependent contrast values and signal-to-noise ratios that ranged from 0.41 to 21.8 dB and 10.12 to 25.6 dB, respectively. In particular, the blood vessel contrast (18.2 dB) was greater than the nerve contrast (0.61 dB) when excited with 750 nm light. However, the nerve contrast (10.7 dB) was greater than the blood vessel contrast (6.6 dB) when excited with 1230 nm light. These results indicate that simultaneous visualization of major vessels and nerves requires an imaging system that exploits the unique optical absorption peaks of both hemoglobin and lipids by fast-tuning between 750 nm and 1230 nm excitation wavelengths.
Transplant2Mongo: Python Scripts that Insert Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Data in MongoDB

transplant2mongo allows users to transform Standard Transplant Analysis and Research (STAR) ASCII data files from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) into a MongoDB database [1, 2]. The STAR data are a complex collection of tab-separated files with inter-related records that are not amenable to complex queries. A researcher planning to use OPTN STAR data can use transplant2mongo to convert the data into a MongoDB database and then use open-source tool software for analysis. The source code for transplant2mongo is available on GitHub at https://github.com/ceharvs/transplant2mongo and includes sample data files for initial testing and queries. Funding Statement: The software referenced herein is copyright of The MITRE Corporation and the result of MITRE’s Early Career Research program and work done in the Computational Science and Informatics program at George Mason University. Approved for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited. Case Number 18-0298. The author’s affiliation with The MITRE Corporation is provided for identification purposes only and is not intended to convey or imply MITRE’s concurrence with, or support for, the positions, opinions, or viewpoints expressed by the author.
Downstream Monomer Capture and Polymerization during Vapor Phase Fabrication of Porous Membranes

Porous membranes can be formed by the polymerization of solid monomer by a vapor-phase initiator followed by sublimation of the unreacted monomer. This versatile bottom-up process can be used to deposit porous polymer membranes on a variety of substrates including planar, curved, and structured surfaces. In this paper, we incorporate additional thermoelectric coolers (TECs) into the reactor in order to study downstream monomer capture and polymerization. Better uniformity across the TECs is achieved by capturing the unreacted monomer from the preceding surface instead of capturing the monomer onto multiple surfaces at once. We show that the surface temperature of the downstream TEC affects the membrane morphology and the kinetics of polymerization. Lower capture temperatures lead to better surface coverage while higher temperatures promote the polymerization rate. The morphological differences are further confirmed by coating the membranes with a fluoropolymer to study variations in hydrophobicity. Our ab...
A Quality-by-Control Approach in Pharmaceutical Continuous Manufacturing of Oral Solid Dosage via Direct Compaction

Abstract The pharmaceutical industry has been undergoing a paradigm shift towards continuous manufacturing, under which novel approaches to real-time product quality assurance have been investigated. A new perspective, entitled Quality-by-Control (QbC), has recently been proposed as an important extension and complementary approach to enable comprehensive Quality-by-Design (QbD) implementation. In this study, a QbC approach was demonstrated for a commercial scale tablet press in a continuous direct compaction process. First, the necessary understanding of the compressibility of a model formulation was obtained under QbD guidance using a pilot scale tablet press, Natoli BLP-16. Second, a data reconciliation strategy was used to reconcile the tablet weight measurement based on this understanding on a commercial scale tablet press, Natoli NP-400. Parameter estimation to monitor and update the material property variance was also considered. Third, a hierarchical three-level control strategy, which addressed the fast process dynamics of the commercial scale tablet press was designed. The strategy consisted of the Level 0 built-in machine control, Level 1 decoupled Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) control loops for tablet weight, pre-compression force, main compression force, and production rate control, and Level 2 data reconciliation of sensor measurements. The effective and reliable performance, which could be demonstrated on the rotary tablet press, confirmed that a QbC approach, based on product and process knowledge and advanced model-based techniques, can ensure robustness and efficiency in pharmaceutical continuous manufacturing.
The Effect of Culture System on Proximate Composition and Amino and Fatty Acid Profiles of Peled Coregonus peled Fillets

Proximate composition and amino and fatty acid profiles of peled fillets of both sexes reared in a pond-based system (PS) and intensively cultured in a recirculating aquaculture system (RS) were co...
Emotional Nonacceptance, Distraction Coping and PTSD Symptoms in a Trauma-Exposed Adolescent Inpatient Sample

Emotional nonacceptance is associated with greater posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among trauma-exposed youth. Similarly, the use of distraction as a coping strategy is associated with greater PTSD symptoms, yet synergistic relations between emotional nonacceptance and distraction coping among trauma-exposed youth have not been examined. The present study examined associations and interactive effects of emotional nonacceptance and distraction coping in relation to PTSD symptoms among trauma-exposed inpatient adolescents. Participants included 50 adolescents (52.0% female; Mage = 15.1 years, SD = .51; 44% White) receiving acute psychiatric care at an inpatient hospital. All participants reported experiencing at least one traumatic event and completed measures of emotion dysregulation, coping strategies, and PTSD symptoms. Analyses revealed a significant interaction between emotional nonacceptance and distraction coping in relation to PTSD symptoms (∆R2 = 0.05; B = 0.60, SE = 0.29; t = 2.06, p = 0.045; 95% CI [0.12, 1.18]). PTSD symptoms were most severe among youth who reported higher levels of emotional nonacceptance and greater use of distraction as a coping strategy. Difficulties accepting negative emotions, coupled with greater use of distraction as a coping mechanism, were associated with more severe PTSD symptoms. The importance of teaching adaptive coping mechanisms to trauma-exposed youth who experience difficulties accepting negative emotions is discussed.
Gender equality and work–family conflict from a cross-national perspective

This study examines the relationship between gender ideology at the individual level, gender equality at the country level, and women and men’s experiences of work interference with family (WIF) an...
Quantum Critical Higgs: from AdS5 to colliders

We examine distinctive signatures of Quantum Critical Higgs models at the LHC and future higher energy colliders. In these models the Higgs boson is part of a conformal sector that is softly broken at a threshold scale, and generically the scaling dimension of the Higgs is larger than in the Standard Model. In particular we examine the gg → H → ZZ, gg → H → γγ, and gg → Z → H Z channels to see how the cross sections deviate from the Standard Model in the high invariant mass region. In order to perform the calculations we use 5D duals of Quantum Critical Higgs models using the AdS/CFT correspondence, with a soft wall to break the conformal symmetry.
Channel Estimators for Full-Duplex Communication using Orthogonal Pilot Sequences

Full-duplex communication is desirable to maximize the spectral efficiency, despite the challenges it puts forth. The key challenge inhibiting the operation of radios in full-duplex mode is self-interference. In this paper, we propose a pilot-based channel estimation to estimate both self-interference and communication channels simultaneously at both ends of a full-duplex link using orthogonal sequences. The Cramer-Rao Lower Bound for estimators of both the channels was determined and compared with the half-duplex channel estimator. We performed simulations varying sequence length and channel taps and studied the performance of the estimators. We also studied the effect of synchronization between the sequences on the performance of the estimators. Thus, providing a solution to balance the trade-off between the accuracy of the channel estimation and the overhead added to the transmissions for full-duplex communication.
PPS results and prospects from CMS/TOTEM collaborations

We describe the most recent results from the Proton Precision Spectrometer from the CMS and TOTEM collaborations, namely the first observation of exclusive di-lepton production at high mass at the LHC, and the prospects concerning the sensitivity to quartic anomalous couplings..
Towards understanding the difference in ultraviolet, ns-laser damage resistance between hafnia films produced by electron beam evaporation and ion beam sputtering methods

It is well known that dielectric coatings used in high energy laser systems for beam steering are susceptible to laser damage. The laser damage ensued in high refractive index materials, such as hafnia, is responsible for limiting the laser operation fluence and lifetime. Although hafnia is an ideal high refractive index material used in dielectric coatings for a broad range of laser wavelengths, defects developed during the deposition process leads to laser-induced damage. In order to increase the resistance to laser damage and improve laser performance, it is imperative to understand the underlying physics of laser damage in high index coating materials. Earlier work observed a substantial difference in laser damage thresholds for hafnia coatings produced by different deposition methods, yet the underlying mechanisms for the observed difference remains elusive. In this work we investigated the responses of single layer hafnia films produced by two deposition processes, electron beam (e-beam) evaporation and ion beam sputtering (IBS) methods upon UV ns-laser exposure. The films underwent laser damage testing using a 1-on-1 laser damage testing protocol with a beam size of 650 µm (1/e2) at 355 nm and 8 ns pulse duration. Both S and P polarizations were tested at a 45° angle of incidence. Chemical, structural and morphological characterizations of the films both pre- and post-laser damage were performed using Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, glancing incidence X-Ray diffraction, and optical and scanning/transmission electron microscopy. We found that films deposited from the e-beam process had a higher damage onset threshold (4.4 +/- 0.1 J/cm2) than those deposited by IBS method (2.1 +/- 0.2 J/cm2). Furthermore, a polarization-dependent damage threshold onset was observed for the e-beam evaporated coatings but was not observed in IBS films. Although the typical size of the damage in general is larger for the e-beam produced films, the morphology shows similar foamy appearance in both films. The density of the damage sites, on the other hand, was much greater in the IBS produced films than that by the e-beam method. The observed difference can be attributed to their resulting structural/textural differences inherited in each method: porous in the e-beam films and dense with isolated nanobubbles in the IBS films, which can lead to a large difference in laser-defect coupling. The underlying physical mechanism will be discussed in detail. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. IM Release# LLNL-ABS-809117
Gauge invariant correlators in noncommutative gauge theory

Abstract Using perturbation theory, we explore the universal high momentum behavior of correlation functions of gauge invariant operators in planar noncommutative gauge theories. We find that the correlation functions are strongly enhanced when pairs of momenta become antiparallel. In particular, there is a transition from the previously noted exponential suppression of correlation functions at high momenta to a more field theoretic behavior when the momenta of pairs of operators antialign within a critical angle. Some of our calculations can be extrapolated to strong coupling, and in particular we are able to reproduce precisely the supergravity prediction for the behavior of two point functions, including the coupling dependence.
Instance-Based Learning for Human Action Recognition

Along with the exponential growth of online video creation platforms such as Tik Tok and Instagram, state of the art research involving quick and effective action/gesture recognition applications remains crucial. This work addresses the challenge of classifying such short video clips, using a domain-specific feature design approach, capable of performing significantly well using little training data. The method is based on Gunner Farneback dense optical flow (GF-OF) estimation strategy, Gaussian mixture models, and information divergence. We first aim to obtain accurate 3D representations of the human movements/actions through clustering the results given by GF-OF using K-means method of vector quantization. We then proceed by representing the result of one instance of each action by a Gaussian mixture model. Furthermore, using Kullback–Leibler divergence (KL-divergence), we attempt to find similarities between the trained actions and the ones in the test videos. Classification is done by matching each testing video to the trained action with the highest similarity (lowest KL-divergence). We have performed experiments on the KTH and Weizmann Human Action datasets, and the results reveal the discriminative nature of our proposed methodology in comparison with other state of the art techniques.
Network structure and performance of crony capitalism systems credible commitments without democratic institutions

Networks underlie notable cases of rapid development without democratic institutions, a phenomenon known as crony capitalism that has two distinctive features: (1) dispensation of selective privileges, and (2) social connections among beneficiaries. This paper advances a formal theory that explains how crony networks can induce large-scale effects that can both propagate risk of predation and incentivize private protection to withstand it. Dense networks that activate both relational mechanisms translate into aggregate outcomes wherein governments respect property rights for favored parties. From formal theory, I derive equilibrium predation conditions for a computational model that examines how variable network structures impact the number of protected privileges. A statistical analysis of computer simulations lends support for the posited relational mechanisms that scale up protection in successful cases of crony capitalism.