cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Constructing a generalizer superior to NETtalk via a mathematical theory of generalization

Abstract A mathematical theory of generalization has recently been developed by the author which can be used to investigate the generalization behavior of neural nets. In this paper some of the concepts of this theory are used to create generalizers for the task of reading aloud. Direct comparison of these generalizers with the neural net NETtalk, a back-propagated neural net also created for reading aloud, leads to the conclusion that NETtalk is in fact a poor generalizer.
The response of sulfate linearity and precipitation chemistry to gas-phase profiles

Abstract Results are reported from a series of cloud chemistry simulations designed to evaluate the sensitivity of precipitation sulfate concentrations to changes in the shape and mass of the preexisting gas phase profiles. Linearity factors relating chemical inflow conditions to depositio are evaluated. The height from which any given fraction of the sulfur in precipitation came in stratiform storms was found to be approximately equal to the height at which the corresponding fraction sulfur was located. This source height was greater for convective storms. Changes in the total sulfur generally resulted in an almost proportional change in the resulting precipitation sulfate concentrations. Because stratiform storms rely more strongly on the initial gas-phase profiles to define the available oxidant at a given height, the deposition and SO2 linearity factors associated with such storms were found to be more sensitive to the initial height dependence of the ratio [SO2] and [H2O2] than was found for convective storms. The deposition and the linearity factor for convective storms were found to be more strongly dependent on the total column mass of these species. The precipitation sulfate concentration and linearity were found to be generally insensitive to perturbations in the fine structure of the initial gas-phase profiles.
Adaptive Bayesian multiuser detection for synchronous CDMA with Gaussian and impulsive noise

We consider the problem of simultaneous parameter estimation and data restoration in a synchronous CDMA system in the presence of either additive Gaussian or additive impulsive white noise with unknown parameters. The impulsive noise is modeled by a two-term Gaussian mixture distribution. Bayesian inference of all unknown quantities is made from the superimposed and noisy received signals. The Gibbs sampler (a Markov chain Monte Carlo procedure) is employed to calculate the Bayesian estimates. The basic idea is to generate ergodic random samples from the joint posterior distribution of all unknown and then to average the appropriate samples to obtain the estimates of the unknown quantities. Adaptive Bayesian multiuser detectors based on the Gibbs sampler are derived for both the Gaussian noise synchronous CDMA channel and the impulsive noise synchronous CDMA channel. A salient feature of the proposed adaptive Bayesian multiuser detectors is that they can incorporate the a priori symbol probabilities, and they produce as output the a posteriori symbol probabilities. (That is, they are "soft-input soft-output" algorithms.) Hence, these methods are well suited for iterative processing in a coded system, which allows the adaptive Bayesian multiuser detector to refine its processing based on the information from the decoding stage, and vice versa-a receiver structure termed the adaptive turbo multiuser detector.
Project-oriented adjustable speed motor drive course for undergraduate curricula

Adjustable speed motor drive design requires knowledge of various electrical and mechanical fundamentals. The theories of these fundamental topics are very well addressed in different courses during the undergraduate level of a typical electrical engineering education. Furthermore, related laboratory courses help students to improve their practical skills to some extent. Since they find experimental equipment ready to use, product development skills with group work cannot be improved in laboratories. Also, these separate courses and their associated laboratories regarding fundamentals, such as power electronics, electric machines, electric circuits, electronics, dynamics, and thermal analysis, are independent courses, and students usually cannot find a chance to apply all these fundamentals to a single problem before starting their professional career. This paper summarizes a project-oriented adjustable speed drive design course suitable for senior electrical engineering undergraduate students. The project was divided into several subsystems, and each subsystem was assigned to a group of students among 28 enrolled students. The paper gives enough details for each subsystem to develop an induction motor drive system
Generalized least‐squares parameter estimation from multiequation implicit models

Maximum likelihood fit of nonlinear, implicit, multiple-response models to data containing normally distributed random errors can be carried out by a combination of the Gauss-Newton generalized nonlinear least-square algorithm first described by Britt and Luecke in 1973, with a Fletcher-Reeves conjugate gradient search for initial parameter estimates. The convergence of the algorithm is further improved by adding a step-limiting procedure that ensures a reduction in the objective function for each iteration. Multiple-equation regression methods appropriate to the solution of explicit fixed-regressor models are derived from this general treatment as special cases. These include weighted nonlinear least squares (where the covariance matrix of the response is known), and uniformly weighted nonlinear least squares (where the responses are uncorrelated and characterized by a single common variance). Alternative methods for fixed-regressor fits of explicit multiequation models with an unknown covariance matrix of the responses are also considered. The moment-matrix determinant criterion appropriate in such situations is also efficiently minimized by use of the conjugate-gradient algorithm, which is considerably less sensitive to the accuracy of the initial parameter estimate than the more usual Gauss-Newton methods. The performance of the new algorithm for models defined by one, two, and three implicit functional constraints per point is illustrated by random-regressor fits of isothermal p - X and p - X - Y vapor-liquid equilibrium data, and ternary liquid-liquid equilibrium data, respectively.
Progesterone and its metabolite allopregnanolone differentially regulate hemostatic proteins after traumatic brain injury.

Our laboratory has shown in numerous experiments that the neurosteroids progesterone (PROG) and allopregnanolone (ALLO) improve molecular and functional outcomes after traumatic brain injury (TBI). As coagulopathy is an important contributor to the secondary destruction of nervous tissue, we hypothesized that PROG and ALLO administration may also have a beneficial effect on coagulation protein expression after TBI. Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were given bilateral contusions of the medial frontal cortex followed by treatments with PROG (16 mg/kg), ALLO (8 mg/kg), or vehicle (22.5% hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin). Controls received no injury or injections. Progesterone generally maintained procoagulant (thrombin, fibrinogen, and coagulation factor XIII), whereas ALLO increased anticoagulant protein expression (tissue-type plasminogen activator, tPA). In addition, PROG significantly increased the ratio of tPA bound to neuroserpin, a serine protease inhibitor that can reduce the activity of tPA. Our findings suggest that in a model of TBI, where blood loss may exacerbate injury, it may be preferable to treat patients with PROG, whereas it might be more appropriate to use ALLO as a treatment for thrombotic stroke, where a reduction in coagulation would be more beneficial.
Candida parapsilosis Infection In A Rose Thorn Wound

Candida parapsilosis should be recognized by primary care physicians as an important nosocomial pathogen, which is also frequently associated with sporadic skin and appendage infections. Its association with environmentally acquired skin ulcers can mimic fixed cutaneous sporotrichosis.
The flexible design of compactly supported wavelets

A time-domain approach to the design of compactly supported wavelets is considered. The time-domain formulation has resulted in a unified design approach for uniform, nonuniform, low-delay, and efficient analysis-synthesis filter banks. Because of the generality of the framework, regularity and phase conditions can easily be imposed on the wavelet. Because the design procedure can be used for nonuniform band systems, decompositions with higher frequency resolution than that of dyadic wavelet-based systems can be designed and realized. Design examples are included. >
An ethical frame for research with immigrant families.

In this introduction, the editors give an overview of the ways the volume addresses the growing individual and institutional calls for increased clarity and rigor in methodological, ethical, and practical research policies and guidelines for conducting research with immigrant individuals, families, and communities. In addition to summarizing the volume’s purpose, background on the U.S. immigrant population is given, followed by delineation of the fi ve major issues contributing to the fi eld of immigrant studies research and entering the “fi eld” and engaging with immigrant families and communities: heterogeneity and history, documentation status, research pragmatics, research lens and bias, and infl uence on policy. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Layout Generator for Transistor-Level High-Density Regular Circuits

In this paper, we describe an automatic place and route strategy for a high-density, super-regular, double-gate, transistor-array-based layout. Interconnects on all metal layers are strictly parallel and can be manufactured by an optical proximity correction free process. Our objective is to achieve a circuit layout area equal to the transistor footprint. Such layout constraints limit routing flexibility and render traditional approaches impractical. Our tools automatically generate circuits with several tens of transistors. Experimental results demonstrate both the efficiency of the proposed algorithms and the high quality of the layouts produced.
Tracking dynamics of plant biomass composting by changes in substrate structure, microbial community, and enzyme activity

Understanding the dynamics of the microbial communities that, along with their secreted enzymes, are involved in the natural process of biomass composting may hold the key to breaking the major bottleneck in biomass-to-biofuels conversion technology, which is the still-costly deconstruction of polymeric biomass carbohydrates to fermentable sugars. However, the complexity of both the structure of plant biomass and its counterpart microbial degradation communities makes it difficult to investigate the composting process. In this study, a composter was set up with a mix of yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) wood-chips and mown lawn grass clippings (85:15 in dry-weight) and used as a model system. The microbial rDNA abundance data obtained from analyzing weekly-withdrawn composted samples suggested population-shifts from bacteria-dominated to fungus-dominated communities. Further analyses by an array of optical microscopic, transcriptional and enzyme-activity techniques yielded correlated results, suggesting that such population shifts occurred along with early removal of hemicellulose followed by attack on the consequently uncovered cellulose as the composting progressed. The observed shifts in dominance by representative microbial groups, along with the observed different patterns in the gene expression and enzymatic activities between cellulases, hemicellulases, and ligninases during the composting process, provide new perspectives for biomass-derived biotechnology such as consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) and solid-state fermentation for the production of cellulolytic enzymes and biofuels.
Beam Potential Measurement of an Intense H- Beam by Use of the Emissive Probe Technique

An emissive probe has been developed to study the beam-plasma potential generated by a 20-keV, 30-mA/cm2 quiescent H- beam propagating in Xe background gas. An axial ion trap has been built, and its influence on the measured potentials is reported. The peak plasma potential at 1012 cm-3 Xe density increased from +5V to +10V when the ion-trap voltage was increased from zero to +80V. The quiescent H- beam rms emittance, measured 34 cm from the ion source, increased from 0.012 to 0.023 ?·cm·mrad when the Xe density was decreased from 2.2 × 1012 cm-3 to zero.
Classical Versus Improved Thin Shell Theories: A Theoretical Argument or a Design Concern?

Differences in the response of thin nonshallow spherical shells resulting from the choice of the adopted shell theory (classical or improved) are addressed analytically and through a series of representative shell problems. The analytical approach utilized to study the variation between the two theoretical models is based on the response resulting from singular loads. The differences are quantified in a set of problems that reflect on the assumptions used in formulating the analytical description of the two theories in question. The broad scope of this paper is to examine the impact of shear deformability, introduced by the improved theory on the stress field when amplified under specific loading and geometric conditions, when those are of primary concern to the engineers. Such cases associated with stress concentration around cutouts, interaction of shells with nozzles, stress field in the vicinity of concentrated surface loads, etc. The mathematical formulation is based on the derivation of appropriate green functions and the computational scheme is formed upon a special type of boundary integral equation. Comparison solutions for stress concentration around circular cutouts of twisted and sheared shells, stress amplification in the junction of shell with nozzles, and local stress field induced by concentrated loads aremore » presented for the two theories.« less
INFLUENCE OF AGE ON TOTAL LIPIDS AND PHOSPHOLIPIDS OF TURKEY MUSCLE

SUMMARY Variation was noted in lipid and lipid fractions obtained from muscles of maturing turkeys. The lipid content of thigh muscles increased with advancing maturity, whereas breast muscle lipid remained constant throughout the test period. Total phospholipid levels showed no significant variation with age, but comprised a decreasing percentage of total lipid as bird age advanced. Of the individual phospholipids studied, phosphatidylethanolamine had an inverse relationship with age in both tissues studied. Phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine accounted for approximately 50 and 22%, respectively, of the total phospholipid. Lysophosphatidylcholine (5%), sphingomyelin (10%), phosphatidylinositol plus phosphatidylserine (10%) and other unidentified phospholipids comprised the remainder.
Absorption of Intact Protein Molecules across the Pulmonary Air-Tissue Barrier

The majority of heterologous serum albumin and globulin molecules introduced into the pulmonary alveoli of dogs are absorbed into the circulatory system antigenically intact. This function of the alveoli has both physiologic and pathologic importance.
Interaction between the Human Cytomegalovirus Tegument Proteins UL94 and UL99 Is Essential for Virus Replication

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) virions are structurally complex, and the mechanisms by which they are assembled are poorly understood, especially with respect to the cytoplasmic phase of assembly, during which the majority of the tegument is acquired and final envelopment occurs. These processes occur at a unique cytoplasmic structure called the assembly complex, which is formed through a reorganization of the cellular secretory apparatus. The HCMV tegument protein UL99 (pp28) is essential for viral replication at the stage of secondary envelopment. We previously demonstrated that UL99 interacts with the essential tegument protein UL94 in infected cells as well as in the absence of other viral proteins. Here we show that UL94 and UL99 alter each other's localization and that UL99 stabilizes UL94 in a binding-dependent manner. We have mapped the interaction between UL94 and UL99 to identify the amino acids of each protein that are required for their interaction. Mutation of these amino acids in the context of the viral genome demonstrates that HCMV is completely defective for replication in the absence of the interaction between UL94 and UL99. Further, we demonstrate that in the absence of their interaction, both UL94 and UL99 exhibit aberrant localization and do not accumulate at the assembly complex during infection. Taken together, our data suggest that the interaction between UL94 and UL99 is essential for the proper localization of each protein to the assembly complex and thus for the production of infectious virus.
Genetic Analysis of hook, a Gene Required for Endocytic Trafficking in Drosophila

The Drosophila hook gene encodes a novel component of the endocytic compartment. Previously identified hook alleles, which still expressed truncated Hook proteins, affected the accumulation of internalized transmembrane ligands into multivesicular bodies (MVBs). To determine the hook null phenotype, we isolated nine new hook alleles on the basis of their characteristic hooked-bristle phenotype. At least one of these alleles, hk11, is a complete loss-of-function allele. Flies carrying the hk11 allele are viable and fertile but neither transmembrane ligands nor soluble ligands accumulate in MVBs. This effect on endocytosed ligands can be mimicked by the expression of Hook proteins truncated for the N- and C-terminal domains flanking the central coiled-coil region. The importance of all three domains for Hook function was confirmed by their conservation between two Drosophila and two human Hook proteins.
Introduction to Enzyme Kinetics: Assay of β-Galactosidase

This tutorial describes a colorometric enzyme assay to determine simple enzyme kinetics. It is designed as an introduction for beginning laboratory students in a biology or biochemistry course, and requires no previous understanding of chemistry. It may be used as an assignment to prepare students for a laboratory exercise in enzyme kinetics Through this tutorial, students will gain an understanding of the procedures for measuring enzyme activity, using the specific example of an assay for the bacterial enzyme, β-galactosidase.
The Impact Of Liberalization On Foreign Direct Investment In The Slovak Republic

Czechoslovakia became a “non-nation” in January 1993. The creation of the Czech and Slovak Republics resulted in two unique and distinct societies which moved in different economic directions. While the Czech Republic prospered within the first six years, the same could not be said for Slovakia. For the first six years, Slovakia’s economic growth was stifled due to factors of economic and financial repression. As a result of the political changes, financial liberalization began to emerge and, as a result, economic progress. As pronounced were the effects of repression, so too were the effects of liberalization. To truly understand the impact upon the society, the change must be viewed from the viewpoint of foreign direct investment. The factors which limited FDI due to their repressive nature, were now being replaced with factors that encouraged and expanded FDI within the Slovak nation. As a result of a complete turnaround transformation, Slovakia is now on a course to sustain and expand economic development through increased FDI. To understand the overall transformation that occurred within the Slovak Republic, one needs to define the factors that create financial repression and the liberalization factors that move an economy in a different direction. The determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) must be examined along with the transition from repression to liberalization.
Does Fiscal Policy Affect Private Sector Output? A VAR Analysis

This paper employs tests for Granger-Sims causality and a four-variable vector-autoregression (VAR) to examine whether real government spending and real net taxes have any systematic effect on output purchased by the private sector. The paper finds no evidence of causality from government spending to private sector output, and very little evidence of causality from net taxes to private sector output. The VAR analysis implies that, at best, increases in government spending have no multiplier effect on private sector output, or, at worst, cause private sector output to decline by an equal amount. The VAR analysis implies that changes in taxes either have no effect on output or affect output with a delay too long to make tax changes a useful tool for short-run stabilization policy.
ELECTRON-CAPTURE-TO-POSITRON RATIO IN $sup 207$Bi DECAY.

Positron emission in the second-forbidden nonunique transition from the ground state of $^{207}\mathrm{Bi}$ to the first excited level of $^{207}\mathrm{Pb}$ was found to occur in (1.2 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.2) \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ of all decays. Taking into account newly assigned relative intensities of the $^{207}\mathrm{Bi}$ electron-capture decay branches, the $\frac{\mathrm{EC}}{{\ensuremath{\beta}}^{+}}$ ratio is found to be (6 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 1) \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{2}$. From the ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{+}$ intensity and the measured $^{207}\mathrm{Bi}$ half-life of 38 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 4 yr, it follows that $logft=12.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1$ for this transition.
Clinical Genomics: From Pathogenicity Claims to Quantitative Risk Estimates

Fifteen years after the Human Genome Project, genomic variants have been associated with disease risk and outcomes in thousands of publications. Based largely on this literature, physicians who order genetic testing receive reports that indicate whether “pathogenic” variants have been found. This information aspires to form the basis of precision medicine. Knowledge of pathogenic variants is expected to lead to optimal management of individuals as well as their families through recommendations about further screening, prevention, and tailored treatment. However, in this Viewpoint, we suggest that current information on pathogenic variants is typically impossible to act on. This information is often unreliable and generally does not provide a quantitative measure of risk. The information the physician usually needs is the likelihood of disease among patients with the variant (penetrance), and an assessment of whether the genetic profile requires action or not.
Renin-angiotensin system and opioids during acute hemorrhage in conscious rabbits

We measured changes in plasma renin activity (PRA) and used angiotensin-converting enzyme blockade with captopril to evaluate the role of the renin-angiotensin system during hemorrhage and after opioid receptor blockade in conscious rabbits. The increase in PRA after nonhypotensive hemorrhage was not statistically significant. PRA increased sixfold after a hypotensive hemorrhage to a mean arterial pressure less than 40 mmHg. This increase was statistically significant. Captopril altered the hemodynamic response to hemorrhage. The normal increase in vascular resistance early in hemorrhage was reduced by captopril pretreatment. After a critical blood loss, arterial pressure and heart rate decreased in both groups. The blood loss required to decrease mean arterial pressure to less than 40 mmHg was approximately 25% less in animals pretreated with captopril. The characteristic decrease in vascular resistance coincident with the onset of hypotension was still present after captopril pretreatment. Injection of naloxone or saline during acute hemorrhagic hypotension did not affect PRA. However, recovery of blood pressure after naloxone or saline was attenuated by converting-enzyme blockade. This attenuation was due primarily to a reduction in spontaneous recovery (i.e., recovery after the control saline injection) and not to a reduction in the response to naloxone. We tested whether this effect of captopril might be due to an interaction of ANG II and catecholamines. The plasma norepinephrine (NE) response to naloxone was statistically similar with and without captopril. In contrast, the response to exogenous NE after hypotensive hemorrhage was significantly reduced by captopril pretreatment. Captopril apparently did not alter baroreflex sensitivity but did reset the baroreflex to lower pressure levels during naloxone's pressor response.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
On the Effects of Tannic Acid on Erythrocyte Membrane Acetylcholinesterase

SummaryTreatment of human erythrocytes with tannic acid caused irreversible inactivation of the surface located acetylcholinesterase (ACHE). This effect was dependent on concentration, time, temperature, and pH. The ACHE inactivation was prevented by albumin but not by coating the cells with blood-group specific antibodies. The enzyme was not affected by the other phenolic compounds tested.
The Stimulation by the Adrenocorticotropic Hormone of the Phosphorylation of an Adrenal Mitochondrial Preparation

SummaryMitochondria isolated from beef adrenal cortex slices which had been incubated with and without ACTH and with ACTH plus puromycin or cycloheximide were incubated with (γ-32P)ATP in the presence of the detergent, Triton X-100. A phosphorylated peak, detected by gel electrophoresis, was increased by ACTH and sharply decreased if the inhibitors of protein synthesis were present along with the ACTH. The changes in the extent of phosphorylation are accompanied by corresponding changes in corticoid synthesis. The data suggests that ACTH causes the phosphorylation of a rapidly turning-over protein which stimulates the conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone.
Subregions and Functions of the Chicken Major Histocompatibility Complex

Abstract The chicken major histocompatibility complex (MHC) exerts genetic influence over a variety of important biological functions including immune response, disease resistance, growth and development, aging, and reproduction. The chicken MHC possesses at least three subregions encoding distinct gene products. The B-G subregion encodes antigens unique to erythrocyte surfaces. The B-L and B-F subregions encode cell surface glycoproteins homologous to mammalian Class II and Class I antigens, respectively. Class I and Class II molecules are crucial for recognition of self vs. nonself and for cell communication, and therefore are fundamental for all immune responses. Studies of chromosomal recombinants have been particularly useful in eliciting the structure and function of subregions of the chicken MHC.
Treatment of 48 cases of tuberculous hemoptysis by "Baiji Pipa Pills"

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of "Baiji Pipa Pills" in the treatment of tuberculous hemoptysis.Methods Ninety-five subjects were randomized into two groups: treatment group in which 48 cases were treated by antituberculotics and "Baiji Pipa Pills",and control group in which 47 cases were treated by antituberculotics and hemostatics,with a course of 14 days.Results The cure rate and overall effective rate were 47.9% and 83.3% in the treatment group,and they were respectively 21.3% and 46.8% in the control group;there were significant differences in the clinical efficacy between the two groups(P0.01).Conclusion "Dai's Baiji Pipa Pills" is quite effective for tuberculous hemoptysis.
Surgical correction of hydrothorax from diaphragmatic eventration in children on peritoneal dialysis

Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) is frequently used in the pediatric age group for reversible and end-stage renal failure. Most pediatric patients tolerate this therapy with few complications. Approximately 2% of children, however, develop massive unilateral hydrothorax. This major complication usually results in the discontinuation of peritoneal dialysis in all forms and the institution of hemodialysis. Occult diaphragmatic defects account for most adult and pediatric patients who develop this complication. Three pediatric patients receiving CAPD complicated by massive hydrothorax are described. All patients were successfully treated by thoracotomy and repair of the diaphragmatic eventration with an immediate return to CAPD. This is the first report of successful therapy of this kind in children. A review of the cause, diagnosis, and treatment of massive hydrothorax developing during CAPD therapy is presented.
Arteriography in the Small Hospital

Although the number of patients needing arteriography in a rural setting is small, in some emergencies procedures must be done locally if the patient is to survive. Dr. Boyle suggests techniques that will allow the radiologist to maintain his angiographic skills while providing an important service to patients.
Metabolic Activation of Polycyclic Aromatic Carcinogens: A Theoretical Study

Huckel molecular orbital calculations have been performed on a series of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) to obtain bond localization energies and π-electron stabilization energies for the reaction sequence through which the "bay region" diol epoxide is formed. These calculations suggest that carcinogenic PAH and non-carcinogenic PAH may exhibit different behavior at three points in the sequence. The highest localization energies for formation of the initial epoxide are exhibited exclusively by a block of non-carcinogenic PAH, suggesting that they may form only minimal amounts of the initial dihydrodiol. Of the remaining PAH, the carcinogens generally exhibit greater π-electron stabilization than do non-carcinogens following opening of both the initial epoxide and the diol epoxide rings, possibly indicating more facile production of the initial dihydrodiol and of the final biomolecule adduct. The relative potencies of the twelve carcinogenic PAH considered, as measured by the Iball Index, can be satisfactorily reproduced (correlation coefficient = 0.90) through an equation combining indices for formation of the initial epoxide and for π-electron stabilization of its ring-opened cation.
Rhodopsin: A Light-sensitive Membrane Glycoprotein

Occasionally the biological world provides the inquisitive scientist with a fortuitous system that is useful for studies in many apparently unrelated disciplines. The erythrocyte is a good example. It is a cell that can be obtained in quantity and in a highly purified form. It was the obvious system in which to study oxygen binding and transport and, as such, produced a wealth of information on the chemistry of heme proteins. But it also gave us one of the first clear examples of a disease, sickle cell anemia, caused by a subtle molecular rearrangement. This observation, in turn, was evidence of an amino acid replacement resulting from a base exchange in messenger RNA; and the genetic code began to make sense. But pure hemoglobin was not the only gift of the erythrocyte. Lysis of these cells also produced a pure preparation of cell membranes. Over the years remarkable progress has been made in understanding the structure of these membranes and, by inference, all cell membranes. In short, pages could be written on the utility of red blood cells in biological research.
Minimally invasive lobectomy for early stage non-small cell lung cancer—it can be done without sacrificing oncologic outcomes

The introduction of minimally invasive surgical techniques to perform lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has significantly changed the practice of general thoracic surgery over the past two decades. Since the first reports of the use of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) to perform lobectomy for NSCLC in the early 1990s (1), many more studies across a wide array of cohorts have reported on short-term and long-term outcomes. Initial studies focused on the feasibility and reproducibility of the procedure (2), and then subsequent studies demonstrated VATS lobectomy had less morbidity compared to thoracotomy (3). Over time, studies have shown that a minimally invasive approach may be particularly beneficial in those patients with higher peri-operative risk due to advanced age or poor pulmonary function (4,5). More recently, experience with robotic-assisted lobectomy has been increasingly reported and a robotic approach appears to provide similar advantages over thoracotomy as a VATS approach (6). Despite these demonstrated benefits, universal adoption of minimally invasive lobectomy for early-stage NSCLC has not occurred (4,7,8).
Engineered Cardiac Tissues Generated from Immature Cardiac and Stem Cell-Derived Cells: Multiple Approaches and Outcomes

The translation of in vitro engineered cardiac tissues (ECTs) from immature cardiac and stem cell-derived cells toward clinical therapies is benefiting from the following major advances: (1) rapid progress in the generation of immature cardiac cells from the cardiac and noncardiac cells of multiple species including normal and disease human cells, (2) incorporation of multiple cell lineages into 3D tissues, (3) multiple scalable 3D formulations including injectable gels and implantable tissues, and (4) insights into the regulation of cardiomyocyte proliferation and functional maturation. These advances are based on insights gained from investigating the regulation of cardiac morphogenesis and adaptation. Our lab continues to explore this approach, including changes in gene expression that occur in response to mechanical loading and tyrosine kinase inhibition, the incorporation of vascular fragments into ECTs, and the fabrication of porous implantable electrical sensors for in vitro conditioning and postimplantation testing. Significant challenges remain including optimizing ECT survival postimplantation and limited evidence of ECT functional coupling to the recipient myocardium. One clear focus of current research is the optimization and expansion of the cellular constituents, including CM, required for clinical-grade ECTs. Another major area of investigation will be large animal preclinical models that more accurately represent human CV failure and that can generate data in support of regulatory approval for phase I human clinical trials. The generation of reproducible human ECTs creates the opportunity to develop in vitro myocardial surrogate tissues for novel drug therapeutics and toxicity assays.
Varieties of Sociological Field Theory

Field theory offers a view of social life concerned with how a set of actors orienting their actions to one another do so within a meso-level social order. Fields, once formed, are the arenas where the sociological game of jockeying for position constantly plays out. Our purpose is to review contemporary field theory as articulated in three major theoretical statements in sociology. We first discuss field theory’s intellectual roots, paying particular attention to the influences of Max Weber and Kurt Lewin, but also phenomenology and symbolic interaction. We next provide an overview of three of the most developed elaborations of field theory from the last half-century – Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of fields (1992), the neo-institutional approach to organizational fields (DiMaggio and Powell 1983), and the theory of strategic action fields recently proposed by Fligstein and McAdam 2012. We follow these overviews with more a detailed examination of how each of these theories addresses two of the most fundamental problems in sociological theory: (1) how to conceive of agency and actors in fields, and (2) how social fields emerge, reproduce, and change. We spend the bulk of our essay discussing key differences between the three approaches on these issues. We end by suggesting the next steps forward in elaborating field theory.
Introduction to Partial Differential Equations

In this chapter we present an introduction to some methods for the solution of partial differential equations. After a short review of the first-order equations we discuss the classification of second-order equations and introduce the fundamental tools such as the resolvent and the heat kernel. We also show how to solve exactly partial differential equations in some simple cases, such as equations with constant coefficients and homogeneous equations.
The Effects of Team Emergent States and Conflict Trajectories On Individuals’ Team Identification

Using a multilevel research design with data collected over three time periods, we propose and test a model illustrating how team emergent states and conflict occurring over time influence individu...
Prediction of interfacial area transport in a scaled 8×8 BWR rod bundle

Abstract In the two-fluid model, it is important to give an accurate prediction for the interfacial area concentration. In order to achieve this goal, the interfacial area transport equation has been developed. This study focuses on the benchmark of IATE performance in a rod bundle geometry. A set of interfacial area concentration source and sink term models are proposed for a rod bundle geometry based on the confined channel IATE model. This model was selected as a basis because of the relative similarity of the two geometries. Benchmarking of the new model with interfacial area concentration data in an 8×8 rod bundle test section which has been scaled from an actual BWR fuel bundle is performed. The model shows good agreement in bubbly and cap-bubbly flows, which are similar in many types of geometries, while it shows some discrepancy in churn-turbulent flow regime. This discrepancy may be due to the geometrical differences between the actual rod bundle test facility and the facility used to collect the data which benchmarked the original source and sink models.
Unsteady Disturbances in Swirling Turbomachinery Flows

The propagation of small disturbances in an annular duct with a mean swirling flow is analyzed. It is shown that because of the centrifugal and Coriolis forces created by the mean swirl, the upstream disturbances can no longer be decomposed into distinct potential, rotational and entropic modes. A normal mode analysis shows that, for a rotational mean swirl, there are two distinct sets of discrete acoustic-vorticity eigenmodes. A pressure-dominated set whose eigenmodes propagate at near sonic speed and carry only small amount of vorticity, and a vorticity-dominated set of modes with only a small pressure associated with them and which accumulates with increasing density at the edges of a critical layer. The normal modes do not form a complete set and must be complemented with initial-value type solutions. A generalized definition for incident rotational waves (gusts) is proposed which accounts for both the eigenmodes and the initial-value solutions.
Interactive Query Synthesis from Input-Output Examples

This demo showcases Scythe, a novel query-by-example system that can synthesize expressive SQL queries from input-output examples. Scythe is designed to help end-users program SQL and explore data simply using input-output examples. From a web-browser, users can obtain SQL queries with Scythe in an automated, interactive fashion: from a provided example, Scythe synthesizes SQL queries and resolves ambiguities via conversations with the users. In this demo, we first show Scythe how end users can formulate queries using Scythe; we then switch to the perspective of an algorithm designer to show how Scythe can scale up to handle complex SQL features, like outer joins and subqueries.
Impulsivity interacts with momentary PTSD symptom worsening to predict alcohol use in male veterans.

ABSTRACTBackground: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is prevalent among veterans who served post-9/11, and co-occurs with problem alcohol and substance use. Studies using ecological momentary assessment have examined the temporal association between time-varying PTSD symptoms and alcohol use. Results suggest individual differences in these associations. Objectives: We tested hypotheses that alcohol use measured by momentary assessment would be explained by acute increases in PTSD symptoms, and the PTSD–alcohol association would be moderated by trait impulsivity. Methods: A sample of 28 male post-9/11-era veterans who reported past-month PTSD symptoms and risky alcohol use were enrolled. On a quasi-random schedule, participants completed three electronic assessments daily for 28 days measuring past 2-h PTSD symptoms, alcohol, and substance use. At baseline, trait impulsivity was measured by the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. Past-month PTSD symptoms and alcohol use were measured. Using three-level hierar...
Nutritional Support of the Burn Patient

Nutritional support of the burn patient is essential to optimize host immune defenses and to promote prompt wound healing. The interdependent relationship between metabolism, nutrition, and infection is discussed, followed by an extensive description of the various means of determining the appropriate type, form, and amount of nutritional support to provide to patients of various ages and with differing burn sizes. A concise discussion of the role of various growth factors and micronutrients completes this article.
Methotrexate. A single agent for early abortion.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether methotrexate as a single agent for induced abortion in pregnancies up to 5 weeks is as effective, has fewer side effects and is as acceptable to subjects as the combination of methotrexate and misoprostol. STUDY DESIGN: Women with no greater than a 5-week gestation were compared with a historical control group of consecutive women presenting for a medical abortion matched for gestational age. Subjects received intramuscular methotrexate on day 1. The study group received no misoprostol until day 21, when it was offered if the abortion had not yet occurred. The control group self-administered one or more doses of misoprostol within the first week after methotrexate. A complete abortion was defined by either negative transvaginal ultrasound or negative urine pregnancy test. All subjects completed a daily symptom log and satisfaction questionnaire. The analysis consisted of a comparison of the study group and control group for completion and timing of the abortion, symptoms and subject satisfaction. RESULTS: There were 40 study subjects and 53 controls. All subjects had a medical abortion without surgery. Ten (25%) of the 40 study subjects reached study day 21 without bleeding: 4 used misoprostol and 6 chose to wait for the abortion to occur spontaneously. One of the 10 subjects had persistent embryonic cardiac activity at 21 days and aborted after misoprostol. The mean number of days to bleeding was 15.5 days (SD 7.8 days) for the study group as compared with 8.1 days (SD 11.3) (P = .0003) for the control group. There was no significant difference in the number of days of bleeding, gastrointestinal side effects or reported subject satisfaction. CONCLUSION: While methotrexate as a single agent was effective in inducing abortion in early pregnancy, 15% of the study subjects finally used misoprostol, the abortion took significantly longer, and side effects were not less common as compared with those in subjects who received the combination of methotrexate and misoprostol.
Ascorbic Acid and Cancer

The relationship of ascorbic acid to cancer has, unfortunately, been one of some confusion. While there have been clinical reports suggesting that high doses of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) can exert an inhibitory effect on the development of cancer, these reports have not been adequately corroborated. Furthermore, the scientific literature on experimental animal studies and cell culture studies has offered only occasional suggestions that vitamin C has an anticancer effect. In fact, some of the experimental studies suggest that vitamin C may even have an enhancing effect on carcinogenesis and on subsequent developing cancers.
Neurochemical Mechanisms of Temperature Regulation and Food Ingestion

Although the actual concept of a neurohumoral code for a physiological control process may be a relatively straightforward one (Miller, 1965; Myers and Sharpe, 1968a), the specific details of any of the postulated coding systems are virtually unknown. The biological meaning of the term coding, which was used originally by the geneticists, refers to a synaptic systematization of chemical events that either trigger or suppress an efferent pathway (Myers, 1974). As such, the process of systematization can often explain how a physiological or behavioral response is activated or how it is inhibited. But what does this mean in terms of a neuronal process?
Emerging Patterns in Construction Defect Litigation: Survey of Construction Cases

AbstractAcross the United States, increased development has led to an increase in construction defect litigation, particularly for multifamily for-sale projects. This research consists of a survey ...
Bridging silos in higher education: using Chicana Feminist Participatory Action Research to foster Latina resilience

This study takes place at a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and examines the experience of women who are part of a research collective studying a Latina college mentoring program. As of Fall 201...
Analysis of 8 cases intrauterine pregnancy combined with corpus lutein rupture and differential diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy

Objective To analyze the clinical features of early pregnancy combined with corpus rupture of uterus and the differential diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy. Methods The clinical data of 8 cases of early pregnancy complicated with corpus rupture were retrospectively analyzed. Results 8 cases were postmenopausal patients with history of abdominal pain, 6 cases in the posterior vaginal fornix puncture was not blood coagulation, diagnosis of intraperitoneal hemorrhage, emergency surgical treatment in 5 cases, 3 cases were diagnosed as intrauterine pregnancy with corpus luteum rupture due to relatively stable disease received conservative treatment. Conclusion The intrauterine pregnancy combined with corpus rupture is easy to be misdiagnosed.The diagnosis of blood beta-HCG and ultrasound should be dynamically monitored when the condition is stable, so as to reduce the misdiagnosis. Key words: Pregnancy; Ovarian corpus luteum rupture; Pregnancy, ectopic; Diagnosis, differential
Risk Factors for Complications Requiring Interventional Radiological Treatment After Hepatectomy.

To identify perioperative factors that are significantly associated with complications requiring interventional radiology (IR) treatment after hepatectomy. We retrospectively reviewed data from 11,243 patients in the USA who underwent hepatectomy from 2014 to 2016 using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Data on the following IR procedures were extracted: abscess drain placement, endovascular treatment for bleeding, and postoperative percutaneous biliary drain (PBD) placement up to 30 days postoperatively. Patients’ clinical and intraoperative factors were examined. Population, univariate, and multivariable analyses were performed. P < 0.05 was considered significant. A total of 704 patients (6%) required IR treatment postoperatively, and 10,539 patients (94%) did not. On multivariable analysis, biliary reconstruction was a significant predictor of postoperative abscess drain placement (hazard ratio (HR), 3.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.8, 6.5; P < .001), endovascular treatment for bleeding (HR, 3.3; 95% CI 1.4, 7.8 P = .006), and postoperative PBD placement (HR, 2.9; 95% CI 1.9, 4.2; P < .001). Compared with hepatectomy without biliary reconstruction, hepatectomy with biliary reconstruction was associated with significantly higher rates of complications treated with IR procedures (26% vs. 4.9%) and death within 30 days (6.0% vs. 1.2%) (both, P < .001). Biliary reconstruction is a strong predictor of the need for postoperative IR treatment after hepatectomy. One in four patients who underwent biliary reconstruction required IR treatment of a complication during the first 30 days after hepatectomy.