cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of continuous quality improvement to increase use of process measures in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

ContextA rigorous evaluation of continuous quality improvement (CQI) in medical practice has not been carried out on a national scale.ObjectiveTo test whether low-intensity CQI interventions can be used to speed the national adoption of 2 coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery process-of-care measures: preoperative β-blockade therapy and internal mammary artery (IMA) grafting in patients 75 years or older.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThree hundred fifty-nine academic and nonacademic hospitals (treating 267 917 patients using CABG surgery) participating in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Cardiac Database between January 2000 and July 2002 were randomized to a control arm or to 1 of 2 groups that used CQI interventions designed to increase use of the process-of-care measures.InterventionEach intervention group received measure-specific information, including a call to action to a physician leader; educational products; and periodic longitudinal, nationally benchmarked, site-specific feedback.Main Outcome MeasureDifferential incorporation of the targeted care processes into practice at the intervention sites vs the control sites, assessed by measuring preintervention (January-December 2000)/postintervention (January 2001-July 2002) site differences and by using a hierarchical patient-level analysis.ResultsFrom January 2000 to July 2002, use of both process measures increased nationally (β-blockade, 60.0%-65.6%; IMA grafting, 76.2%-82.8%). Use of β-blockade increased significantly more at β-blockade intervention sites (7.3% [SD, 12.8%]) vs control sites (3.6% [SD, 11.5%]) in the preintervention/postintervention (P = .04) and hierarchical analyses (P<.001). Use of IMA grafting also tended to increase at IMA intervention sites (8.7% [SD, 17.5%]) vs control sites (5.4% [SD,15.8%]) (P = .20 and P = .11 for preintervention/postintervention and hierarchical analyses, respectively). Both interventions tended to have more impact at lower-volume CABG sites (for interaction: P = .04 for β-blockade; P = .02 for IMA grafting).ConclusionsA multifaceted, physician-led, low-intensity CQI effort can improve the adoption of care processes into national practice within the context of a medical specialty society infrastructure.
Signal Transduction Mediated by the T Cell Antigen Receptor: The Role of Adapter Proteins*

Engagement of the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) leads to a complex series of molecular changes at the plasma membrane, in the cytoplasm, and at the nucleus that lead ultimately to T cell effector function. Activation at the TCR of a set of protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) is an early event in this process. This chapter reviews some of the critical substrates of these PTKs, the adapter proteins that, following phosphorylation on tyrosine residues, serve as binding sites for many of the critical effector enzymes and other adapter proteins required for T cell activation. The role of these adapters in binding various proteins, the interaction of adapters with plasma membrane microdomains, and the function of adapter proteins in control of the cytoskeleton are discussed.
C-Terminal Invariable Domain of VlsE May Not Serve as Target for Protective Immune Response against Borrelia burgdorferi

VlsE, the variable surface antigen of the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, contains two invariable domains, at the amino and carboxyl termini, respectively, which collectively account for approximately one-half of the entire molecule's length and remain unchanged during antigenic variation. It is not known if these two invariable domains are exposed at the surface of either the antigen or the spirochete. If they are exposed at the spirochete's surface, they may elicit a protective immune response against B. burgdorferi and serve as vaccine candidates. In this study, a 51-mer synthetic peptide that reproduced the entire sequence of the C-terminal invariable domain of VlsE was conjugated to the carrier keyhole limpet hemocyanin and used to immunize mice. Generated mouse antibody was able to immunoprecipitate native VlsE extracted from cultured B. burgdorferi B31 spirochetes, indicating that the C-terminal invariable domain was exposed at the antigen's surface. However, this domain was inaccessible to antibody binding at the surface of cultured intact spirochetes, as demonstrated by both an immunofluorescence experiment and an in vitro killing assay. Mouse antibody to the C-terminal invariable domain was not able to confer protection against B. burgdorferi infection, indicating that this domain was unlikely exposed at the spirochete's surface in vivo. We concluded that the C-terminal invariable domain was exposed at the antigen's surface but not at the surface of either cultured or in vivo spirochetes and thus cannot elicit protection against B. burgdorferi infection.
Cervical Dysplasia, Ploidy, and Human Papillomavirus Status Correlate with Loss of Fhit Expression

Purpose: The tumor suppressor gene, FHIT , has been cloned and mapped at chromosome region 3p14.2, one of the regions most frequently deleted in cervical carcinoma. In this report, we show that the expression of the Fhit protein in relation to human papillomavirus (HPV) subtype, the type of the intraepithelial lesion, HIV-induced immunodeficiency, and the DNA content (ploidy) correlates with the biological behavior of the lesions. Experimental Design: To investigate involvement of the FHIT gene in squamous intraepithelial lesions of low and high grade (LGSILs and HGSILs, respectively ) of the uterine cervix, we examined the Fhit protein expression by immunocytochemistry in 131 cervical smears of 96 HIV-seropositive patients (42 with LGSILs and 10 with HGSILs) and 35 HIV-seronegative (5 with LGSILs) persons. Results: Fhit protein was detected in normal cells, whereas dysplastic cells (independently of HPV infection and HPV subtypes) showed reduced expression of Fhit ( P = 0.00001). Lesions from 52 HIV-seropositive patients, 42 LGSILs and 10 HGSILs, showed diploid DNA content in 63.5%, aneuploid in 32.7%, and polyploid in 3.8%, but 90% of the HGSILs showed an aneuploid DNA content, and all were infected by HPV 16/18 subtypes. 23.8% of LGSIL cases were associated with HPV 16. Conclusions: These data clearly suggest that loss of Fhit expression occurs in the early stages of cervical carcinogenesis. Pap test represents one of the most convenient and rapid procedures available in identification of cellular changes; hence, Fhit staining might be used as an useful tool in larger population screening to detect early alteration in cellular behaviors.
Model-order reduction by dominant subspace projection: error bound, subspace computation, and circuit applications

Balanced truncation is a well-known technique for model-order reduction with a known uniform reduction error bound. However, its practical application to large-scale problems is hampered by its cubic computational complexity. While model-order reduction by projection to approximate dominant subspaces without balancing has produced encouraging experimental results, the approximation error bound has not been fully analyzed. In this paper, a square-integral reduction error bound is derived for unbalanced dominant subspace projection by using a frequency-domain solution of the Lyapunov equation. Such an error bound is valid in both the frequency and time domains. Then, a dominant subspace computation scheme together with three Krylov subspace options is introduced. It is analytically justified that the Krylov subspace for moment matching at low frequencies is able to provide a better dominant subspace approximation than the Krylov subspace at high frequencies, while a rational Krylov subspace with a proper real shift parameter is capable of achieving superior approximation than the Krylov subspace at low frequency. A heuristic method of choosing a real shift parameter is also introduced based on its new connection to the discretization of a continuous-time model. The computation algorithm and theoretical analysis are then examined by several numerical examples to demonstrate the effectiveness. Finally, the dominant subspace computation scheme is applied to the model-order reduction of two large-scale interconnect circuit examples.
Efficacy of Beauveria bassiana for Red Flour Beetle When Applied with Plant Essential Oils or in Mineral Oil and Organosilicone Carriers

The carriers mineral oil and Silwet L-77 and the botanical insecticides Neemix 4.5 and Hexacide were evaluated for their impacts on the efficacy of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin conidia against red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), larvae. The dosages of liquid treatments were quantified by both conidia concentration in the spray volume and conidia deposition on the target surface. The latter approach allowed comparison with dry, unformulated conidia. The median lethal concentrations of B. bassiana in 0.05% Silwet L-77 solution or without a carrier were approximately double that for conidia in mineral oil. Carriers had highly significant effects on the efficacy of B. bassiana. The lower efficacy of conidia in aqueous Silwet L-77 may have been the result of conidia loss from the larval surface because of the siloxane's spreading properties. Neemix 4.5 (4.5% azadirachtin) delayed pupation and did not reduce the germination rate of B. bassiana conidia, but it significantly reduced T. castaneum mortality at two of four tested fungus doses. Hexacide (5% rosemary oil) caused significant mortality when applied without B. bassiana, but it did not affect pupation, the germination rate of conidia, or T. castaneum mortality when used in combination with the fungus.
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is secreted from the brain after intracerebroventricular injection of IL-1 beta in rats

To test the hypothesis that the brain is a source of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) that appears in the peripheral circulation of rats after intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of IL-1 beta, the concentration of bioactive IL-6 in superior sagittal sinus (SSS) blood plasma was compared with aortic plasma 4 h after icv injection of 100 ng of recombinant human IL-1 beta at a time at which cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) IL-6 concentration was found to be markedly elevated. In three separate experiments, CSF IL-6 concentration (pg/ml; values are means +/- SE) was significantly elevated after icv IL-1 beta compared with saline control injections (25,879 +/- 11,472 vs. 35.5 +/- 5; 32,323 +/- 4,945 vs. 128 +/- 29; 114,410 +/- 33,563 vs. 848 +/- 250, respectively). The concentration of plasma IL-6 (pg/ml) in the aortas of rats injected intracerebroventricularly with IL-1 was greater than in controls [252 +/- 93 vs. 36.7 +/- 8.3, P = 0.0037; 361 +/- 95 vs. 57 +/- 13, P = 0.02; 2,254 +/- 550 vs. 1,239 +/- 666, P = 0.26 (NS)]. In IL-1-injected animals, SSS venous plasma IL-6 (pg/ml) was greater than in the aorta in all three studies (1,617 +/- 357 vs. 252 +/- 93, P = 0.0011; 3,754 +/- 1,188 vs. 361 +/- 95, P = 0.024; 8,208 +/- 1,388 vs. 2,254 +/- 550, P = 0.0054). The concentration difference (pg/ml) between SSS and aorta was significantly greater after IL-1 beta injection than in diluent-injected animals (1,365 +/- 369 vs. 48.3 +/- 13, P = 0.0083; 3,393 +/- 1,203 vs. 126 +/- 59, P = 0.035; 5,954 +/- 1,260 vs. 494 +/- 774, P = 0.0042). Suppression of peripheral sympathetic activation by preganglionic cholinergic blockade (chlorisondamine, 250 micrograms sc) did not prevent the usual IL-1-induced elevation in aortic blood IL-6 (3,272 +/- 1,174 vs. 244 +/- 74 pg/ml, P = 0.0012) nor the increased SSS-aortic gradient (2,541 +/- 1,134 vs. 165 +/- 48, P = 0.0142 by Mann-Whitney comparison). Injection of rat/human corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH; 10.0 micrograms) icv did not change IL-6 concentration in CSF or in peripheral blood. These studies demonstrated that the brain and/or its supporting structures are activated by icv IL-1 beta to release IL-6 into the blood and that the effect is not dependent on peripheral sympathetic activity or central mobilization of CRH. Direct secretion of IL-6 and possibly of other cytokines from the brain is postulated to be a pathway of neuroimmunomodulation.
Preschoolers' Acquisition of Novel Verbs in the Double Object Dative

Children have difficulty comprehending novel verbs in the double object dative (e.g., Fred blicked the dog a stick) as compared to the prepositional dative (e.g., Fred blicked a stick to the dog). We explored this pattern with 3 and 4 year olds (N = 60). In Experiment 1, we replicated the documented difficulty with the double object frame, even though we provided more contextual support. In Experiment 2, we tested a novel hypothesis that children would comprehend novel verbs in, and generalize them to, the double object frame if they were first familiarized to the verbs in the prepositional frame. They did, suggesting that part of their difficulty with the double object frame is due to uncertainty about a new verb's semantic/syntactic properties, information that the easy-to-comprehend prepositional frame provides. The benefits of training were short-lived, however; children again struggled after a 2-h delay. The results are discussed in the context of mechanisms underlying verb acquisition.
Heart-Aching Love (Teng, 疼)

The emotions embodied by the term teng govern the lives of the Chinese from the cradle to the grave. This term denotes the heart-aching love that children learn from doting parents, and by extension the innate vulnerability that prompts altruistic impulses that adults are expected to exhibit as a defining attribute of their humanity. The Confucian preference for the hot cognition of affect over cold reason as the path to morality is examined in light of research on empathy.
Characterization of Spin -on Glasses by Microindentation.

Spin-on glasses are candidates in the microelectronics industry as low dielectric constant insulating layers. Spin-on glasses are very brittle materials. This paper discusses measurement problems as relevant to the characterization of a brittle material by the indentation technique. As for all polymeric materials curing temperature is the most important preparation parameter. There is a correlation between hardness, Young’s modulus, the onset of cracking with curing temperature. This dependence on curing temperature is also expressed by the change in Si-H bond density as shown by FTIR data. Life expectancy or aging characteristics were also investigated for these features. As an example results on silsesquioxane spin -on glasses are presented.
Update on the Animal Models for Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Because dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) severely does harm to human being's heath,it is quite necessary to gain animal models for DCM to carry out comprehensive research of its pathogenesis and therapy. This paper reviewed the recent progress of animal models for DCM induced by familial/genetic,viral/immune,alcoholic/toxic and the other etiological factors,and commented on their advantages and disadvantages.
Intensive Care, Intense Conflict: A Balanced Approach

Caring for a child in a pediatric intensive care unit is emotionally and physically challenging and often leads to conflict. Skilled mediators may not always be available to aid in conflict resolution. Careproviders at all levels of training are responsible for managing difficult conversations with families and can often prevent escalation of conflict. Bioethics mediators have acknowledged the important contribution of mediation training in improving clinicians' skills in conflict management. Familiarizing careproviders with basic mediation techniques is an important step towards preventing escalation of conflict. While training in effective communication is crucial, a sense of fairness and justice that may only come with the introduction of a skilled, neutral third party is equally important. For intense conflict, we advocate for early recognition, comfort, and preparedness through training of clinicians in de-escalation and optimal communication, along with the use of more formally trained third-party mediators, as required.
Thermodynamic properties of Co3O4 and Sr6Co5O15 from first-principles.

The Gibbs energy function of Sr6Co5O15 is calculated by first-principles for use in CALPHAD thermodynamic modeling. An efficient method is employed, using the Debye−Gruneisen model to predict the t...
Testicular Response to Exogenous Gonadotropins in the Syndrome of Feminizing Testes

The steroid response of testes to exogenous gonadotropin administration was studied before castration in a patient with the complete form of the testicular feminization syndrome. Urinary steroid determinations were made along with measurements of plasma testosterone during adrenal suppression with dexamethasone and after stimulation with human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG) and HMG plus human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). Our data provide evidence that the gonads in the testicular feminization syndrome synthesize steroids normally. Estrogens and testosterone are secreted by the testes, and the Leydig cells of the testes are capable of responding to exogenous HMG and HCG stimulation. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that there is no abnormal testicular steroidogenesis in these genotypic males. Additional evidence is provided that these gonads secrete testosterone in amounts comparable to those of normally functioning testes. Failure of virilization in the presence of androgen secretion as indicated by previous authors is probably the result of a deficiency of androgenic action at the end organs. The presence of sparse pubic and axillary hair in the mother and the finding of the same type of karyotype (46, XY) in a sibling suggest that hereditary factors play a role in this disorder.
Large area growth of layered WSe2 films

Growth of smooth and continuous films of WSe2 has been demonstrated by employing atomic layer deposition (ALD) on 5 cm × 5 cm substrates. The substrates consisted of silicon wafers with a layer of SiO2. The ALD precursors were WCl5 and H2Se. The film properties characterized using Raman spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are comparable to those reported for WSe2 films produced by chemical vapor deposition and exfoliation. Carrier mobilities were determined with back-gated transistors. With Pd contacts, median electron and hole mobilities of 531 cm2 V−1 s−1 and 354 cm2 V−1 s−1, respectively, were measured.
Loss-of-function mutations in the RNA biogenesis factor NAF1 predispose to pulmonary fibrosis–emphysema

Telomeres are the protective caps that prevent the ends of chromosomes from unraveling. People carrying mutations in the protein or RNA component of telomerase, the enzyme that makes telomeres have short telomeres and a serious and often fatal lung disease—pulmonary fibrosis. Now, Stanley et al . find in several patients that other mutations, specifically those that interfere with RNA biogenesis, can also cause both short telomeres and lung disease. This work expands our understanding of how telomeres are maintained and their role in human disease.
Population genetics: A map of human wanderlust

Genetic studies of individuals from geographically diverse human populations provide insights into the dispersal of modern humans across the globe and how geography shaped genomic variation. See Articles p.201 & p.207 & Letter p.238
Cytokines and Immune Regulation: An Overview

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of cytokines and immune regulation. The regulation of murine immunoglobulin production by cytokines is a complex phenomenon. During the course of an immune response, multiple and pleiotropic cytokines are produced by a variety of cell types which may significantly influence the nature of the immunoglobulin isotypes generated during that response. In certain instances, individual cytokines appear to control directly the nature of the immunoglobulin response. Thus, for the production of immunoglobulin E (IgE) or IgG2a antibodies, interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) appear to have a clear influence and exhibit a reciprocal relationship. This may reflect the production of these cytokines by different T-cell subsets, but the factors determining which T-cell subset is ultimately dominant have not been defined. It has been shown that the mode of presentation may be important in regard to the preferential stimulation of T H 1 or T H 2 subsets; however, the in vivo relevance of this observation has not been determined. Alternatively, there may be microenvironmental influences that determine the nature of the T cell response.
Physics as Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage typically refers to a religious quest or journey. Can science ever be viewed as a sort of pilgrimage, even retaining some of the religious hallmarks thereof? Employing the views of Joseph Campbell, a widely-known religious thinker, and Albert Einstein, creator of the special and general theories of relativity, I so argue for the case of theoretical physics—the most basic and fundamental physical science. I then sketch the centuries-long (and still ongoing) development of physical ideas of space from Newton to Einstein. These ideas, while relatively accessible to non-physicists, are of the most profound physical significance, determining the large-scale behavior of not only Earth, but the cosmos itself. I argue how their development may, in consonance with Campbell and Einstein, be viewed as a sort of pilgrimage.
Cross-Cultural Encounters in the Research: Lessons Learned

Walsh argues for the importance of engaging more explicit intercultural and interdisciplinary lived religion research on the differences in meaning-making practices that can occur across cultures after violent trauma. She also argues for the importance of attending to a power analysis of the specific communal context of a culture within a larger national or global context. Socioeconomic and racial differences existed between these two case studies in a US context. The significance of making space and place sacred, narratives of encounters with God and/or with evil, sources of sustenance and connection, struggles with meaning-making and forgiveness, and how language and cultural narratives emerged differently in light of experiences with power, privilege, or oppression are examined for lessons learned between the two case studies.
Relational Distance and Epistemic Generosity: The Power of Detachment in Skeptical Ethnography:

Much contemporary ethnography hopes to engage with a community to justify social critique. Whether from problem selection, interpersonal rewards, or a desire for exchange, researchers often take the “side” of informants. Such an approach, linked to “public ethnography,” marginalizes a once-traditional approach to fieldwork, that of the ethnographic stranger. I present a model of scholarly detachment and questioning of group interests. Drawing on my own experiences and those of members of the Second Chicago School, I argue for an approach in which an unaffiliated observer questions community interests, arguing that skepticism of local explanations can discover processes shared by other scenes and can develop transsituational concepts. While the ethnographer can be seduced into sharing a group’s perspective, observational distancing can mitigate this. In an approach I label skeptical ethnography, the ethnographic stranger avoids partisan allegiance in the field and at the desk. Skepticism of local interests...
Zinc transporters YbtX and ZnuABC are required for the virulence of Yersinia pestis in bubonic and pneumonic plague in mice

A number of bacterial pathogens require the ZnuABC Zinc (Zn2+) transporter and/or a second Zn2+ transport system to overcome Zn2+ sequestration by mammalian hosts. Previously we have shown that in addition to ZnuABC, Yersinia pestis possesses a second Zn2+ transporter that involves components of the yersiniabactin (Ybt), siderophore-dependent iron transport system. Synthesis of the Ybt siderophore and YbtX, a member of the major facilitator superfamily, are both critical components of the second Zn2+ transport system. Here we demonstrate that a ybtX znu double mutant is essentially avirulent in mouse models of bubonic and pneumonic plague while a ybtX mutant retains high virulence in both plague models. While sequestration of host Zn is a key nutritional immunity factor, excess Zn appears to have a significant antimicrobial role in controlling intracellular bacterial survival. Here, we demonstrate that ZntA, a Zn2+ exporter, plays a role in resistance to Zn toxicity in vitro, but that a zntA zur double mutant retains high virulence in both pneumonic and bubonic plague models and survival in macrophages. We also confirm that Ybt does not directly bind Zn2+in vitro under the conditions tested. However, we detect a significant increase in Zn2+-binding ability of filtered supernatants from a Ybt+ strain compared to those from a strain unable to produce the siderophore, supporting our previously published data that Ybt biosynthetic genes are involved in the production of a secreted Zn-binding molecule (zincophore). Our data suggest that Ybt or a modified Ybt participate in or promote Zn-binding activity in culture supernatants and is involved in Zn acquisition in Y. pestis.
Efficient Hybrid Algorithms for Computing Clusters Overlap

Abstract Every year, marketers target different segments of the population with multitudes of advertisements. However, millions of dollars are wasted targeting similar segments with different advertisements. Furthermore, it is extremely expensive to compute the similarity between the segments because these segments can be very large, on the order of millions and billions. In this project, we come up with a fast probabilistic algorithm, described in Section 3, that can determine the similarity between large segments with a higher degree of accuracy than other known methods.
Expiratory muscle strength training for radiation-associated aspiration after head and neck cancer: A case series.

Objective/Hypothesis Expiratory muscle strength training (EMST) is a simple, inexpensive, device-driven exercise therapy. Therapeutic potential of EMST was examined among head and neck cancer survivors with chronic radiation-associated aspiration. Study Design Retrospective case series. Methods Maximum expiratory pressures (MEPs) were examined among n = 64 radiation-associated aspirators (per penetration–aspiration scale score ≥ 6 on modified barium swallow). Pre–post EMST outcomes were examined in a nested subgroup of patients (n = 26) who enrolled in 8 weeks of EMST (25 repetitions, 5 days/week, 75% load). Nonparametric analyses examined effects of EMST on the primary endpoint MEPs. Secondary measures included swallowing safety (Dynamic Imaging Grade of Swallowing Toxicity [DIGEST]), perceived dysphagia (M.D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory [MDADI]), and diet (performance status scale for head and neck cancer patients [PSSHN]). Results Compared to sex-matched published normative data, MEPs were reduced in 91% (58 of 64) of aspirators (mean ± standard deviation: 89 ± 37). Twenty-six patients enrolled in EMST and three patients withdrew. MEPs improved on average 57% (87 ± 29 to 137 ± 44 cm H2O, P < 0.001) among 23 who completed EMST. Swallowing safety (per DIGEST) improved significantly (P = 0.03). Composite MDADI scores improved post-EMST (pre-EMST: 59.9 ± 17.1, post-EMST: 62.7 ± 13.9, P = 0.13). PSSHN diet scores did not significantly change. Conclusion MEPs were reduced in chronic radiation-associated aspirators relative to normative data, suggesting that expiratory strengthening could be a novel therapeutic target to improve airway protection in this population. Similar to findings in neurogenic populations, these data also suggest improved expiratory pressure-generating capabilities after EMST and translation to functional improvements in swallowing safety in chronic radiation-associated aspirators. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 2017
The Political Economy of a Planetary Sunshade

Geoengineering proposals are increasingly acknowledged as possible responses to climate change because of the repeated failure of national decision makers to solve the collective action problem of ...
Accurate modal dispersion measurements using maximally-orthogonal Stokes vectors

We propose optimal launch modes minimizing the noise error in the estimation of the fiber modal dispersion vector. For a 20-mode fiber, the SNR is improved by 4 dB compared to conventional mode combinations.
PHONETICS OF PARTIALLY NASAL CONSONANTS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the phonetic structure of partially nasal consonants and it reviews the types of such consonants known to occur, and presents some interpretations of the ways that the phonetic patterns relate to phonological structures. The phrase, partially nasal consonants, is intended to describe only segments that contain a part that is a nasal in the traditional phonetic use of that term. The class of segments discussed in the chapter is the one that consists of an interval of time that is considered to be a single consonantal element but which contain a subpart during which the velopharyngeal port is open and the oral escape of air is blocked. The chapter presents the distinctions between underlying and derived prenasalized stops. The prenasalized stops are persuasively analyzed as single segments from the phonological point of view. There are stops of two types, voiceless oral and voiced prenasalized. These two types of stop have the same distributional patterns.
A Law and Economics Analysis of the General Welfare Clause

The General Welfare Clause of the United States Constitution grants authority to the federal government to expend funds that provide for the general welfare. If one were to apply utilitarian economic theory to the General Welfare Clause, one might reasonably conclude that the government only has the authority to pass legislation that benefits some supermajority of the population. In other words, all special interest legislation is unconstitutional, and therefore not valid law. This paper explores the issue of legislation from the perspective of law and economics.
Degradation and nitrogen release of zein-based bioplastic containers.

Abstract Environmental problems caused by petroleum-based plastics have led to interest in alternatives made from biodegradable polymers (bioplastics), but little effort has been made to evaluate horticultural containers made from these materials. We hypothesized the stability and longevity of containers made from polymers of the hydrophobic corn (Zea mays L.) protein, zein, is sufficient to make commercial use of zein-based containers feasible. Our objectives were to fabricate containers from zein, to determine longevity under conditions typical of horticultural production, and to identify limitations of the containers that might be overcome by further research. Zein-based, bioplastic containers of two wall thicknesses were filled with either a peat-based, soilless potting substrate or with coarse perlite and irrigated every 2 or 4 days. After 10 weeks, weight loss of containers was determined as a measure of their degradation. Containers filled previously with soilless substrate lost nearly twice as muc...
The corporation as a ‘community’: an oxymoron? Can business schools re-invent themselves?’: The Inaugural Dean F. Berry Memorial Lecture

The paper is the inaugural public lecture given at INSEAD (6.11.1999) to the memory of Dean F. Berry, former Dean of INSEAD. The author aims at inviting a debate on the role and responsibility of business schools in today’s globalization process. He summarizes some of the arguments which question the globalization and the neo-liberal ideology and wonders whether there is still some place for developing the sense of the “community”. Today’s cult of individualism and the “I and We” debate are discussed, exploring whether the enterprise can become or remain a “community” (when the competitive pressure induces M&A and the cult of EVA). The answer does not encourage optimism. In that context the lecture explores whether business schools can bring a contribution to the development of a sense of community. The answer is a positive one if business schools are willing and able to redefine their role and models to develop “accountable citizens” sharing a community.
Does loyalty trump honesty? Moral judgments of loyalty-driven deceit

Abstract People sometimes engage in deceit out of loyalty to their group. How are these “loyal lies” judged? Are they viewed as unethical, because lying is wrong, or as ethical, because loyalty is a virtue? Conversely, how is “disloyal honesty” judged, or behaving truthfully when deceit would benefit one's group? In four studies, we found that people evaluate loyal lies and disloyal honesty differently, depending on whether they are evaluating others' or their own actions. When evaluating others' behavior, people viewed loyal lies as unethical and as less ethical than disloyal honesty, just as they viewed lies and honesty in other conditions (Studies 1, 3 and 4). However, when evaluating their own behavior, people who actually lied to benefit their groups in conditions of loyalty judged their deceit as ethical, and as more ethical than did actors who engaged in disloyal honesty – even though the latter behaved truthfully (Studies 2 and 4). Therefore, when people were called to be loyal to their group, loyalty trumped honesty, in that people viewed a loyal but dishonest act as more ethical than a disloyal but honest act.
Computing in memory with FeFETs

Data transfer between a processor and memory frequently represents a bottleneck with respect to improving application-level performance. Computing in memory (CiM), where logic and arithmetic operations are performed in memory, could significantly reduce both energy consumption and computational overheads associated with data transfer. Compact, low-power, and fast CiM designs could ultimately lead to improved application-level performance. This paper introduces a CiM architecture based on ferroelectric field effect transistors (FeFETs). The CiM design can serve as a general purpose, random access memory (RAM), and can also perform Boolean operations ((N)AND, (N)OR, X(N)OR, INV) as well as addition (ADD) between words in memory. Unlike existing CiM designs based on other emerging technologies, FeFET-CiM accomplishes the aforementioned operations via a single current reference in the sense amplifier, which leads to more compact designs and lower power. Furthermore, the high Ion/Ioff ratio of FeFETs enables an inexpensive voltage-based sense scheme. Simulation-based case studies suggest that our FeFET-CiM can achieve speed-ups (and energy reduction) of ~119X (~1.6X) and ~1.97X (~1.5X) over ReRAM and STT-RAM CiM designs with respect to in-memory addition of 32-bit words. Furthermore, our approach offers an average speedup of ~2.5X and energy reduction of ~1.7X when compared to a conventional (not in-memory) approach across a wide range of benchmarks.
The profile of blunt traumatic infratentorial cranial bleed types.

Abstract The characteristics of blunt traumatic supratentorial cranial bleed (STCB) types have not been directly compared. The National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) 2014 was queried for adults with an isolated single STCB n = 57,278. Patients were grouped by STCB categories: subdural (SDH), subarachnoid (SAH), epidural (EDH), intraparenchymal (IPH), and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). Frequency, demographics, clinical characteristics, procedures, and outcomes were compared among groups. SDH was the most common STCB (53%) and occurred mostly in elderly patients after a fall (78%), 30% underwent craniotomy and their mortality was 7%. SAH occurred in 32% of patients and carried the lowest mortality (3%). SAH were least likely to have a severe brain injury (7%), and had the lowest Injury Severity Score (ISS, median 8) and complication rate (1%), as well as the shortest hospital length of stay (HLOS, 4.6 ± 6.4 days). EDH was uncommon (2%), occurred in younger patients (median 35 years), and had the highest percentage of traffic related injuries (28%). While EDH patients presented with the poorest neurological status (16% Glasgow Coma Scale ≤ 8, ISS median 18) and were operated on more than any other STCB type (51%), their mortality was lower (4%) and they had the highest discharge to home rate (71%). IVH was the least common (2%), but most lethal (9%) STCB type. These patients had the highest HLOS and intensive care unit LOS, and the lowest craniotomy rate (21%). STCB types have different clinical course, and outcomes. Understanding these differences can be useful in managing patients with STB.
Physics, applications, and limitations of borehole neutron-gamma density measurements

ABSTRACTRadioactive chemical sources can pose security, health, and environmental risks when used to estimate rock porosity in situ. The oil industry has been developing solutions to eliminate radi...
Organismal immunometabolism: advances in both directions.

Immunometabolism is a relatively new field, first cited on PubMed in 2011. It is also a field that is increasingly ‘en vogue’, with over 200 PubMed citations so far in 2018. Since its beginning, the field of immunometabolism has been operating on two different planes: one set of investigators works at the organismal level, studying interactions between the immune and metabolic systems; a second set operates at the cellular level, examining metabolic aspects of immunocytes. The focus here is on organismal immunometabolism. One topic related to the control of metabolism by the immune system and, conversely, one concerning metabolic control of the immune system will be highlighted. The field of immunometabolism (both on the cellular as well as on the organismal level) is advancing rapidly. This article highlights several studies from 2018 that examine how immune cells can regulate systemic metabolism, as well as studies of the impact of organismal metabolism on the immune system in conditions such as obesity and cancer.
Public validation and its impact on the initial Affordable Care Act enrollment

The 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) resulted in the creation of state-based marketplaces (SBMs) and federally facilitated marketplaces (FFMs), and provided financial assistance to a portion of those eligible to enroll. This study looks at how choosing to create a SBM rather than a FFM, and the financial assistance provided to some, influenced enrollments rates as signals of support for the ACA in the eyes of those eligible to enroll. The findings show that the enrollment behavior of those most strongly in support of the ACA legislation was influenced by those external signals of support for the ACA.
Reaction Rate Enhancement for Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 Absorber Materials Using Ag-Alloying

The addition of Ag to Cu-Ga-In precursors for synthesizing (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se2 (ACIGS) thin films has shown benefits including improved adhesion, greater process tolerance, and potential for improved device performance. In this study, reaction pathways to form Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) and ACIGS were studied by time-progressive reactions at 450 °C in a 5% Ar/H2Se atmosphere followed by ex situ characterization. Results indicated that the addition of 25% Ag/(Ag+Cu) to the CIGS film reduces the reaction time by 50%. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of CIGS films showed that the CuInSe2 phase initially formed after 3.5 min. The slow reaction of the stable γ-Cu9(In,Ga)4 phase, however, required more than 20 min to complete. Importantly, the addition of Ag to the CIGS film accelerated the reaction. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy shows that Ga/(Ga+In) grading occurs in the first 10 min of the reaction. XRD analysis showed that the chalcopyrite phase fully forms after 10 min and no significant changes were observed in samples selenized from 10–45 min. Reaction pathways of Ag-alloyed films were further characterized using in situ high temperature XRD analysis. The onset temperature of Se reaction was detected at 230 °C and a AgIn2 phase transformation to (Ag,Cu)In2 occurred during the early stage of the reaction.
Colletotrichum fioriniae Development in Water and Chloroform-based Blueberry and Cranberry Floral Extracts

To accurately monitor the phenology of the bloom period and the temporal dynamics of floral chemical cues on fungal fruit rotting pathogens, floral extraction methods and coverslip bioassays were developed utilizing Colletotrichum fioriniae. In blueberry and cranberry, this pathogen is optimally controlled by applying fungicides during the bloom period because of the role flowers play in the initial stages of infection. The protocol detailed here describes how floral extracts (FE) were obtained using water-, chloroform-, and field rainwater-based methods for later use in corresponding glass coverslip bioassays. Each FE served to provide a different set of information: response of C. fioriniae to mobilized floral chemical cues in water (water-based), pathogen response to flower and fruit surface waxes (chloroform-based), and field-based monitoring of collected floral rainwater, moving in vitro observations to an agricultural setting. The FE is broadly described as either water- or chloroform-based, with an appropriate bioassay described to compensate for the inherent differences between these two materials. Rainwater that had run off flowers was collected in unique devices for each crop, alluding to the flexibility and application of this approach for other crop systems. The bioassays are quick, inexpensive, simple, and provide the ability to generate spatiotemporal and site-specific information about the presence of stimulatory floral compounds from various sources. This information will ultimately better inform disease management strategies, as FE decrease the time needed for infection to occur, thus providing insight into changing risks for pathogen infection over the growing season.
The classification of travelling wave solutions and superposition of multi-solutions to Camassa?Holm equation with dispersion

Under the travelling wave transformation, the Camassa–Holm equation with dispersion is reduced to an integrable ordinary differential equation (ODE), whose general solution can be obtained using the trick of one-parameter group. Furthermore, by using a complete discrimination system for polynomial, the classification of all single travelling wave solutions to the Camassa–Holm equation with dispersion is obtained. In particular, an affine subspace structure in the set of the solutions of the reduced ODE is obtained. More generally, an implicit linear structure in the Camassa–Holm equation with dispersion is found. According to the linear structure, we obtain the superposition of multi-solutions to Camassa–Holm equation with dispersion.
Variables associated with 30-day postoperative complications in lower extremity free flap reconstruction identified in the ACS-NSQIP database.

BACKGROUND Lower extremity free flaps are a common way to treat both traumatic and oncologic lower extremity wounds. These patients often suffer postoperative complications. We sought to use the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database to identify variables associated with postoperative complications. METHODS Patients who had free flap procedure and a primary diagnosis code for lower extremity pathology were identified in the NSQIP database from 2006 to 2017. NSQIP includes data on preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables, including information up to 30 postoperative days. Current procedural terminology (CPT) codes for free flaps and international classification of diseases (ICD) 9 and 10 codes for lower extremity pathology were used for our cohort. We examined overall and major complication rates. Major complications were defined as reoperation, readmission, organ space infection, or death. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify associations with complications. RESULTS Four hundred and eighty-three patients underwent lower extremity free flaps. Overall complication rate was 31.6% and major complication rate was 14.9%. Prolonged operative time (OR = 2.81, CI:1.76-4.48, p < .001), preoperative steroid use (OR = 3.04, CI:1.12-8.29, p = .030), and preoperative anemia (OR = 4.10, CI:2.00-8.41, p < .001) were independently associated with any complication. Diabetes (OR = 2.56, CI:1.24-5.29, p = .011) and prolonged operative time (OR = 3.75, CI:2.17-6.47, p < .001) were independently associated with major complications. CONCLUSIONS In lower extremity flap reconstruction, associations with overall complications include prolonged operative time, steroid use, and anemia. Associations with major complications included diabetes and prolonged operative time. These associations can be used to guide interventions on patients identified to have greater risk of complications.
Exact algorithms for a joint order acceptance and scheduling problem

Abstract This paper considers the scenario where a manufacturer receives multiple orders that are characterized by the revenue, processing time, due date, and tardiness penalty per time unit. The manufacturer can be seen as a single-machine system that adopts a make-to-order strategy. Due to the capacity limitation and tardiness penalty, the manufacturer cannot accept all orders. It needs to determine the optimal set of accepted orders and the corresponding production schedule that maximizes the total revenue minus tardiness penalty. Three different mathematical formulations are presented to model the problem: sequential relation-based formulation (SBF), assignment formulation (ASF), and time-index formulation (TIF). The first two models use both continuous and binary variables while (TIF) only uses binary variables but requires order processing times to be integer. Three exact algorithms are proposed to solve the problem. The first algorithm, denoted by DPA, follows a pure dynamic programming (DP) approach. The second algorithm, denoted by DPIA-SR, solves the problem in multiple stages. In the first stage, it solves a relaxed version of (TIF) using DP; then, in the following stages, the relaxed constraint is gradually recovered, and the resulting models are solved using DP until an optimal solution to the original model is found. The results of one stage are used to eliminate unnecessary states in the DP algorithm for the next stage. The third algorithm, denoted by DPIA-LRSR, improves DPIA-SR by incorporating Lagrangian relaxation to achieve higher computational efficiency. The numerical experiment shows that, when using CPLEX to solve the models, (ASF) and (TIF) take much less CPU time than (SBF); the last two algorithms and their variations significantly outperform CPLEX regarding computational time; and DPIA-LRSR shows the highest efficiency.