cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Critical Success Factors in ERP Upgrade Projects

Enterprise information systems have proven invaluable in improving the administration of organizations. Since the turn of the Century, enterprise system upgrades have become important. This study reports interviews with the CIOs of six institutions that have undergone (or are undergoing) enterprise system upgrades. Each interview discussed the process used to upgrade. Focus was on discussion of major critical success factors. This paper reviews critical success factors reported in the literature for enterprise system installation projects, and adds to that body of knowledge by preliminary views of factors important in successful enterprise system upgrade projects.
Diagnosing and Treating Depression in the Elderly

As the population of people over 65 years of age increases, clinicians will see more cases of late-life depression. Currently, the rates of depression in the elderly are higher for nursing home patients and other medical inpatients and outpatients than for the noninstitutionalized, non-medically ill elderly. Depression in the elderly may be difficult to diagnose because of factors such as late onset, comorbid medical illness, dementia, and bereavement, but depression is not a natural part of aging. People who are depressed have increased suffering, impaired functioning, and increased mortality. Fortunately, antidepressants have been shown to effectively treat late-life depression. While monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are efficacious for treating depression in the elderly, their side effect profiles may be difficult and even dangerous for some older patients. However, serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and other second generation antidepressants appear to be both effective and better tolerated in the elderly. Since elderly patients may be more sensitive to drugs, clinicians may need to closely monitor these patients for dosing, side effects, and drug-drug interactions.
Renal vascular histology and morphometry in systemic sclerosis. a case–control autopsy study

An autopsy case-control study of renal vascular histology and morphometry in systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) was performed. Thirty-five of 70 systemic sclerosis cases had renal tissue available for study: 26 had diffuse cutaneous involvement (9 with "renal crisis" and 17 without) and 9 had limited cutaneous disease (CREST syndrome [calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, telangiectasias]). Age-matched (within 10 years) and sex-matched controls with renal specimens were obtained. New sections were cut from tissue blocks, and morphometry was completed using a Zeiss Image Analyzer. Using analysis of variance, the intimal area (Ai) was significantly increased (intimal thickening) in small and medium-sized arteries of patients with diffuse scleroderma and in small arteries of CREST patients, compared with those in controls, while a decreased medial area (Am) was seen consistently in all groups. The proportion of the vessel wall occupied by intima (Ai:[Ai + Am]) was significantly greater in all vessel size groups in patients with diffuse scleroderma compared with that in controls. The percentage of luminal occlusion was greatest in patients with diffuse disease with renal crisis. These same patients had severe edematous and mucinous intimal thickening in small and medium vessels, often in association with fibrinoid necrosis. We conclude that renal vascular structural changes are an integral part of systemic sclerosis. However, the significant differences between diffuse scleroderma patients and CREST syndrome patients, for both intimal thickening and percentage of luminal occlusion, suggest that the arterial disease in these 2 patient subsets is distinctive.
Pressure Angle in Loom Shedding Cam Design

A method for calculating the shedding cam pressure angle in cam-driven looms has been developed. The main advantage of this method over the conventional drawing method is that, because of the mathematical treatment and the use of computers, the numerous mechanical factors involved can easily be taken into account and the precision significantly improved. There is also an analysis of the influence of the treadle pivot location and the harness movement on the pressure angle and the lateral force.
Possible Liposomal Amphotericin B–Induced Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus

OBJECTIVETo report the development of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) associated with the use of high-dose liposomal amphotericin B.CASE SUMMARYA 38-year-old white man with relapsed acute myelogenous leukemia underwent a matched unrelated donor allogeneic bone marrow transplant with adequate engraftment and mild graft-versus–host disease responding to corticosteroids. Approximately 11 months after transplant, the patient was admitted to the hospital with suspected fungal pneumonia and started on liposomal amphotericin B (baseline serum creatinine 1.4–1.5 mg/dL). The dose was increased due to his immunosuppression and poor response, as the fungal etiology was identified as Torulopsis glabrata. The patient required mechanical ventilation due to biopsy-proven bronchiolitis olbiterans organizing pneumonia. Additionally, he developed diffuse alveolar hemorrhage and received intravenous desmopressin, with a reduction in bloody secretions. He also developed hypernatremia (serum sodium 155 mEq/L) on day 3 of...
Environment and vascular bed origin influence differences in endothelial transcriptional profiles of coronary and iliac arteries

Atherosclerotic plaques tend to form in the major arteries at certain predictable locations. As these arteries vary in atherosusceptibility, interarterial differences in endothelial cell biology are of considerable interest. To explore the origin of differences observed between typical atheroprone and atheroresistant arteries, we used DNA microarrays to compare gene expression profiles of harvested porcine coronary (CECs) and iliac artery endothelial cells (IECs) grown in static culture out to passage 4. Fewer differences were observed between the transcriptional profiles of CECs and IECs in culture compared with in vivo, suggesting that most differences observed in vivo were due to distinct environmental cues in the two arteries. One-class significance of microarrays revealed that most in vivo interarterial differences disappeared in culture, as fold differences after passaging were not significant for 85% of genes identified as differentially expressed in vivo at 5% false discovery rate. However, the three homeobox genes, HOXA9, HOXA10, and HOXD3, remained underexpressed in coronary endothelium for all passages by at least nine-, eight-, and twofold, respectively. Continued differential expression, despite removal from the in vivo environment, suggests that primarily heritable or epigenetic mechanism(s) influences transcription of these three genes. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction confirmed expression ratios for seven genes associated with atherogenesis and over- or underexpressed by threefold in CECs relative to IECs. The present study provides evidence that both local environment and vascular bed origin modulate gene expression in arterial endothelium. The transcriptional differences observed here may provide new insights into pathways responsible for coronary artery susceptibility.
Connected-word recognition using the NeXT workstation

In the field of man/machine interface, connected-word recognition systems are becoming essential for efficient interaction. Various algorithms have been implemented which combine accuracy with computational efficiency and required storage. The authors present a real-time implementation of a connected-word speech recognition using the NeXT workstation as the DSP platform. The NeXT workstation offers the advantages of having integrated DSP, real-time, and interface tools readily available for the development environment. The on-board DSP32 offers the signal process capacity for real-time speaker recognition. The Motorola 68030 is used to handle the system-wide data flow. A 3rd-party A/D unit (Digital Ears) is used as the input device. The connected-word recognition algorithm combines a max/min coding parameter with a varying-order Markov model. The resulting system is speaker-dependent with accuracy exceeding 95%. Vocabulary sizes of up to 100 words have been developed. >
Regional, Laminar, and Cellular Distribution of Immunoreactivity for ERα and ERβ in the Cerebral Cortex of Hormonally Intact, Adult Male and Female Rats

Behavioral, biochemical and anatomical studies suggest that estrogen stimulates structure and/or function in the adult cerebral cortex. The studies presented here used immunocytochemistry to map the alpha and beta isoforms of intracellular estrogen receptors (ER alpha, ER beta) in major subdivisions of adult rat cortex to identify potential sites for relevant receptor-mediated hormone actions. These studies revealed that immunoreactivity for ER alpha (ER alpha-IR) and ER beta (ER beta-IR) was present in most cortical areas, was associated exclusively with neurons, and was similar in males and females. Each receptor isoform also had its own unique distribution with respect to cortical regions, layers, and cells. In sensorimotor areas, for example, ER beta-IR was more prominent than ER alpha-IR, and was concentrated in layer V neurons that were immunoreactive for parvalbumin. In contrast, ER alpha-IR was scattered among parvalbumin-immunonegative cells in layers II/III and V/VI. Likewise, in entorhinal cortex, ER beta-IR was present in calbindin-containing cells in layers III-VI, while ER alpha-IR was restricted to small numbers of calbindin-negative neurons in infragranular layers. In sum, ER beta-IR and ER alpha-IR were differentially distributed both with respect to cortical compartments and with respect to each other. Accordingly, estrogen activation at these two sites may be anticipated to impact disparate sets of cortical circuits, cells, and functions.
Cytochrome oxidase activity in bovine and human retinal pigment epithelium: topographical and age-related differences.

Cytochrome c oxidase (CO) is a mitochondrial enzyme complex that was used in this study as a marker enzyme of aerobic metabolism. The activity of the enzyme was measured in the RPE of posterior and peripheral regions of bovine and human eyes. The posterior regions included the bovine area centralis or human macula. To determine if aging affected CO activity, activity was compared in RPE cells from human donors of varying age. An in vitro aging model was also used in which CO activity was measured in bovine and human RPE cells that were aged by repeated culture passage. CO activity was found to be significantly lower in posterior RPE cells from both bovine and human eyes suggesting that aerobic metabolism in RPE cells differs regionally. For human RPE samples, CO activity was lower in posterior cells at all donor ages and no significant age-related changes in CO activity were observed except that the highest activity samples were from older donors. Similarly, RPE cells that were aged in culture showed no s...
ZnO, GaN, and InN Functionalized Nanowires for Sensing and Photonics Applications

A review is given of recent work in use of functionalized ZnO, GaN, and InN nanowires (NWs) as hydrogen gas and biological sensors, and the use of ZnO NWs with polymers in hybrid LEDs. For the biological sensors, specific examples of the detection of lactic acid and glucose by ZnO NWs are detailed. We also discuss self-consistent solutions of a coupled quantum-drift diffusion equation with a 3-D Poisson equation for simulations of the effects of sensing molecules on the surface of the ZnO NWs on the resulting conductance of the wires. The change in conductance is found to be a strong function of the channel length and diameter of the NWs and the simulations can be used as a method to optimize the sensor performance.
The Productivity and Quality Connection

We cannot afford the present balance of trade and we cannot afford protectionism. What we can afford and must provide is a fair, open market and American products that set the world standards for quality and value. This paper reviews today's need for imoroved quality and productivity; it shows how they work together to complement each other, not contradict each other. It discusses the following key strategies required for continuous improvement: 1) setting the directions 2) setting the stage for an attitude and personality change 3) providing quality-related education 4) developing an in-house improvement process 5) establishing improvement goals 6) developing supplier improvement programs 7) establishing an annual and long-range improvement plan.
Comparison of deuterated leucine, valine, and lysine in the measurement of human apolipoprotein A-I and B-100 kinetics

The production rates of apolipoprotein (apo)B-100 in very low density lipoprotein and in low density lipoprotein and apolipoprotein A-I in high density lipoprotein were determined using a primed-constant infusion of [5,5,5,-2H3]leucine, [4,4,4,-2H3]valine, and [6,6-2H2,1,2-13C2]lysine. The three stable isotope-labeled amino acids were administered simultaneously to determine whether absolute production rates calculated using a stochastic model were independent of the tracer species utilized. Three normolipidemic adult males were studied in the constantly fed state over a 15-h period. The absolute production rates of very low density lipoprotein apoB-100 were 11.4 +/- 5.8 (leucine), 11.2 +/- 6.8 (valine), and 11.1 +/- 5.4 (lysine) mg per kg per day (mean +/- SDM). The absolute production rates for low density lipoprotein apoB-100 were 8.0 +/- 4.7 (leucine), 7.5 +/- 3.8 (valine), and 7.5 +/- 4.2 (lysine) mg per kg per day. The absolute production rates for high density lipoprotein apoA-I were 9.7 +/- 0.2 (leucine), 9.4 +/- 1.7 (valine, and 9.1 +/- 1.3 (lysine) mg per kg per day. There were no statistically significant differences in absolute synthetic rates of the three apolipoproteins when the plateau isotopic enrichment values of very low density lipoprotein apoB-100 were used to define the isotopic enrichment of the intracellular precursor pool. Our data indicate that deuterated leucine, valine, or lysine provided similar results when used for the determination of apoA-I and apoB-100 absolute production rates within plasma lipoproteins as part of a primed-constant infusion protocol.
Formative Research in School and Community-Based Health Programs and Studies: “State of the Art” and the TAAG Approach

Formative research uses qualitative and quantitative methods to provide information for researchers to plan intervention programs. Gaps in the formative research literature include how to define goals, implementation plans, and research questions; select methods; analyze data; and develop interventions. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute funded the Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls (TAAG), a randomized, multicenter field trial, to reduce the decline in physical activity in adolescent girls. The goals of the TAAG formative research are to (a) describe study communities and schools, (b) help design the trial’s interventions, (c) develop effective recruitment and retention strategies, and (d) design evaluation instruments. To meet these goals, a variety of methods, including telephone interviews, surveys and checklists, semistructured interviews, and focus group discussions, are employed. The purpose, method of development, and analyses are explained for each method.
Cognitive impairment among the dually‐diagnosed: substance use history and depressive symptom correlates

The present study examined the effects of substance use history and depressive symptomatology on the cognitive functioning of 149 male and 72 female dually diagnosed inpatients. Logistic regression models examined the effects of life-time alcohol and cocaine use, previous month's alcohol and cocaine use and depression on abstract reasoning as assessed by the Shipley Institute of Living Scale (SILS) and neuropsychological functioning as measured by the Screening Test for the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (ST-LNNB). Results indicated differential effects of substance use across the two cognitive outcome measures. Specifically, a significant relationship was demonstrated for previous month's alcohol use on Shipley classification. However, after adjusting for possible borderline cases, previous month's alcohol use dropped to non-significance and in its stead an association between Shipley classification and life-time use was demonstrated. No significant effects were demonstrated for cocaine use, recent alcohol use, depressive symptoms or any of the interaction terms. The Luria-Nebraska performance classifications were significantly associated with both educational level and life-time cocaine use. No significant relationships were obtained for previous month's cocaine use, the alcohol use variables, depressive symptoms, or any of the interactions terms. The degree of classification agreement between the two outcome measures was slightly better than chance (kappa = 0.24 for ST-LNNB and traditional or full scale SILS; kappa = 0.35 for ST-LNNB and modified SILS). These kappa coefficients suggest that the SILS and ST-LNNB assess partially independent dimensions of cognitive functioning. The findings are discussed in light of previous research and implications for clinical assessment and treatment are outlined.
One =Mi: An Evidential, Epistemic Modal, and Focus Marker

The aim of this paper is to support Faller’s (2003) claim that an enclitic -mi in Imbabura Quechua cannot be classified as a pure evidential (EV, henceforth) or as a pure epistemic modal (EM, henceforth), but encode both notions, based on elicited data from two native Imbabura Quechua speakers. This paper also observes that the marker is used as a focus marker and explores a possibility that its focus marking function can be conceptually related to the other functions in that all the functions indicate that the origo’s attention is given to more cognitively salient portion of stimuli in the given context.
Big Data and reality

DNA sequencers, Twitter, MRIs, Facebook, particle accelerators, Google Books, radio telescopes, Tumblr: what do these things have in common? According to the evangelists of “data science,” all of these are instruments for observing reality at unprecedentedly large scales and fine granularities. This perspective ignores the social reality of these very different technological systems, ignoring how they are made, how they work, and what they mean in favor of an exclusive focus on what they generate: Big Data. But no data, big or small, can be interpreted without an understanding of the process that generated them. Statistical data science is applicable to systems that have been designed as scientific instruments, but is likely to lead to confusion when applied to systems that have not. In those cases, a historical inquiry is preferable.
Rethinking Ratification: Legalization and Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaties

Why do countries ratify international treaties‘ To what extent is ratification contingent on the creation of agreements‘ To address these questions, this article examines the creation and ratification of regional nuclear weapon free zone (NWFZ) treaties, which prohibit the development, testing, deployment, and transit of nuclear weapons. We argue that states establish NWFZs when they have little interest in the future development of nuclear weapons, since nonproliferation commitments are relatively cheap under such circumstances. We also hypothesize that the actual terms of the treaty have little to do with ratification. Countries ratify NWFZ treaties when their neighbors do so as a result of norm diffusion. Statistical tests employing a Heckman probit selection model lend strong support to the hypotheses. The findings help resolve a debate in the literature on treaty ratification and have important implications for research on selection effects and legalization. They also suggest that NWFZ treaties can be viable nonproliferation tools, but only in regions where there is a relative absence of militarized conflict.
Control of Mosquito-Borne Infectious Diseases: Sex and Gene Drive

Sterile male releases have successfully reduced local populations of the dengue vector, Aedes aegypti, but challenges remain in scale and in separating sexes before release. The recent discovery of the first mosquito male determining factor (M factor) will facilitate our understanding of the genetic programs that initiate sexual development in mosquitoes. Manipulation of the M factor and possible intermediary factors may result in female-to-male conversion or female killing, enabling efficient sex separation and effective reduction of target mosquito populations. Given recent breakthroughs in the development of CRISPR-Cas9 reagents as a source of gene drive, more advanced technologies at driving maleness, the ultimate disease refractory phenotype, become possible and may represent efficient and self-limiting methods to control mosquito populations.
Dual kidney transplants from adult marginal donors successfully expand the limited deceased donor organ pool.

Background The need to expand the organ donor pool remains a formidable challenge in kidney transplantation (KT). The use of expanded criteria donors (ECDs) represents one approach, but kidney discard rates are high because of concerns regarding overall quality. Dual KT (DKT) may reduce organ discard and optimize the use of kidneys from marginal donors. Study design We conducted a single-center retrospective review of outcomes in adult recipients of DKTs from adult marginal deceased donors (DD) defined by limited renal functional capacity. If the calculated creatinine clearance in an adult DD was <65 mL/min, then the kidneys were transplanted as a DKT. Results Over 11.5 yr, 72 DKTS were performed including 45 from ECDs, 17 from donation after cardiac death (DCD) donors, and 10 from standard criteria donors (SCD). Mean adult DD and recipient ages were both 60 yr, including 29 DDs and 26 recipients ≥65 yr of age. Mean pre-DKT waiting and dialysis vintage times were 12 months and 25 months, respectively. Actual patient and graft survival rates were 84.7% and 70.8%, respectively, with a mean follow-up of 58 months. One yr and death-censored graft survival rates were 90% and 80%, respectively. Outcomes did not differ by DD category, recipient age, or presence of delayed graft function (DGF). Eleven patients died at a mean of 32 months post-DKT (eight with functioning grafts) and 13 other patients experienced graft losses at a mean of 33 months. The incidence of DGF was 25%; there were two cases (2.8%) of primary non-function. Mean length of initial hospital stay was 7.2 d. Mean serum creatinine and glomerular filtration rate levels at 12 and 24 months were 1.5 and 53 and 1.5 mg/dL and 51 mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively. DKT graft survival and function were superior to concurrent single ECD and similar to concurrent SCD KTs. Two patients underwent successful kidney retransplantation, so the dialysis-free rate in surviving patients was 87%. The proportion of total renal function transplanted from adult DD to DKT recipients was 77% compared to 56% for patients receiving single KTs. Conclusions Dual kidney transplantation using kidneys from adult marginal DDs that otherwise might be discarded offer a viable option to counteract the growing shortage of acceptable single kidneys. Excellent medium-term outcomes can be achieved and waiting times can be reduced in a predominantly older recipient population.
An Experimental Study of Customer Effort, Expectation, and Satisfaction:

Results of a laboratory experiment indicate that customer satisfaction with a product is influenced by the effort expended to acquire the product, and the expectations concerning the product. Speci...
Reinforcing Properties of Nonnutritive Sweeteners in Dry Compound

Previous research on the reinforcing properties of saccharin used saccharin in solution with water, a primary reinforcer. In the present study rats were given extensive runway training with dry pellets containing sodium saccharin combined with purified kaolin. Even after 250 trials, neither the runway response nor the consummatory response showed any evidence of extinction.
Gas Turbine Inlet Air Filtration in Marine Environments: Part I — Marine Aerosols and Equipment for Their Control

The chief mechanisms by which salt is introduced into marine air are examined, and the quantity and character of the salt are related to environmental conditions, height above the sea, and distance inland from the shore. Characteristics of commercially available moisture separators are described, and statistical descriptions of salt levels are calculated for representative applications.Copyright © 1980 by ASME
A new test procedure for the choice of dependence structure in risk measurement: application to the US and UK stock market indices

ABSTRACTThe choice of an appropriate dependence structure in modelling multivariate risks is an important issue because different tail structure embedded in copula leads to a different capital requirement for the institution. We present how to select a well-specified dependence structure to given application data. Using a simple simulation technique, we develop a statistical test to assess the adequacy of a specific dependence structure. We examine the sensitivity of risk estimates to the choice of copulas using the S&P 500 and FTSE 100 stock indices.
Identification of H-2Kb-restricted CTL epitopes derived from Heparanase antigen

Objective To identify the H-2Kb-restricted epitopes derived from murine Heparanase.Method The specific lysis of mHpa-specific CTL induced by mHpa epitopes on B16 melanoma cell(mHpa+,H-2Kb+)、Lewis lung carcinoma cell(mHpa+,H-2Kb+)、EL-4 leukoma cells(mHpa+,H-2Kb+) and P815 mastocytoma cells(mHpa+,H-2Kd+) will be measured by standard 51Cr release test respectively.IFN-γ released by effectors was measured by ELISPOT method.Result Of five peptides tested,only peptide mHpa398-405 and mHpa519-526 were able to elicit mHpa-specific CTLs,which could lyse Lewis lung carcinoma cells,B16 melanoma cells and EL-4 lymphoma cells expressing both mHpa and H-2Kb.But they can not lyse P815 mastocytoma cells(mHpa+,H-2Kb-).Further research shows mHpa epitopes can induce IFN-γ release in effectors.Conclusion Two H-2Kb-restricted CTL epitopes derived from murine Heparanse,mHpa398-405(LSLLFKKL) and mHpa519-526(FSYGFFVI),were determined for the first time.
Induction of hypothalamic opioid activity with transdermal estradiol* administration in postmenopausal women†‡

The effects of estradiol (E 2 ) administered by a transdermal system on the induction of hypothalamic opioid activity was examined in 18 postmenopausal women. Women were given 25, 50, 100, or 200 μg /d dosages of E 2 for 28 days each. Naloxone at a dosage of 2 mg/h was infused intravenously for 4 hours, and serum was obtained every 15 minutes for 6 hours. With increasing doses, rises of serum E 2 and estrone were elicited across the range seen in premenopausal women. A stepwise reduction of luteinizing hormone (LH) levels was observed with increasing dosages of E 2 . The naloxone infusions resulted in significant increases of LH when E 2 was being given but not during the pretreatment studies. These data indicate E 2 , in physiological concentrations, induces hypothalamic opioid activity.
Presidential disability and the XXV Amendment.

Following an attempted assassination on March 30, 1981, President Reagan had an operation under anesthesia and was seriously ill during the postoperative period. At that time, no one in the Administration suggested that the President invoke Section 3 of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution. That amendment, which was ratified in 1967, provides for voluntary transfer of powers to the Vice-President (Section 3) or for the possibility of involuntary transfer of powers and duties (Section 4). The amendment also defines the Vice-President's role after transfer as that of Acting President so that when the President recovers, he or she can resume the powers and duties of office. Such a transfer of authority did take place in July 1985, when President Reagan had a colectomy for colon carcinoma, but he initially denied that he was using the amendment. This reluctance to employ the mechanisms available for transfer of power led to the formation of a Working Group on Disability in U.S. Presidents under the leadership of a prominent neurologist, James F. Toole, MD, FACS, of Winston-Salem, NC. The working group has held meetings at the Carter Center at the invitation of President Jimmy Carter, at Wake Forest University with the participation of President Gerald Ford, and most recently, at the White House Conference Center in Washington. As a representative of the American College of Surgeons, the author participated in the latter meeting, where agreement was reached on nine specific recommendations that provide guidelines for use of the amendment.
Painting and Gardening: The Blending of Science and Art

No matter how rigorous a naturalist may be in his scientific work, there are always moments when he senses the aesthetic character of the objects he studies. It may even be safely conjectured that any botanist’s initial attraction to plants was aesthetic before becoming scientific. Surely the term amiable science defined its aesthetic component. A similar observation may be made about botanical gardens. If primarily established to assist those eager to discern the distinctive characters of plants, whether for medicinal or scientific purposes, they have always been visited as well by those whose sole interest is to enjoy the beauty to be found there. From its opening in 1640, the Jardin du roi became a meeting place for learned plant collectors, for artists, and even for artisans who sought either inspiration or models to give additional allure to the objects they produced.
Response Surfaces for the Mean and Variance Using a Nonparametric Approach

Engineers and statisticians must consider both the expected value and the process variance when specifying appropriate operating conditions for an industrial process. One approach estimates separate models for the response and for the process variance. ..
Quantum dot at a Luttinger liquid edge

We study a system consisting of a Luttinger liquid coupled to a quantum dot on the boundary. The Luttinger liquid is expressed in terms of fermions interacting via density-density coupling, and the dot is modeled as an interacting resonant level onto which the bulk fermions can tunnel. We solve the Hamiltonian exactly and construct all eigenstates. We study both the zero- and finite-temperature properties of the system, in particular, we compute the exact dot occupation as a function of the dot energy in all parameter regimes. The system is seen to flow from weak to strong coupling for all values of the bulk interaction, with the flow characterized by a nonperturbative Kondo scale. We identify the critical exponents at the weak- and strong-coupling regimes.
Improving the antibody-based evaluation of autoimmune encephalitis.

Objective We tested whether antibody screening samples of patients with suspected autoimmune encephalitis with additional research assays would improve the detection of autoimmune encephalitis compared with standard clinical testing alone. Methods We examined 731 samples (333 CSF, 182 sera, and 108 pairs) from a cohort of 623 patients who were tested for CNS autoantibodies by the University of Pennsylvania clinical laboratory over a 24-month period with cell-based assays (CBAs) on commercially obtained slides of fixed cells for antibodies to NMDA receptor (NMDAR), α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR), γ-aminobutyric acid-B receptor (GABABR), leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 (LGI1), contactin-associated protein-like 2 (Caspr2), and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65). In parallel, our research laboratory screened all samples for reactivity to brain sections and for anti-NMDAR using in-house CBAs. Samples with brain reactivity or positive clinical studies were examined with CBAs for a larger panel of antibodies. Results The clinical laboratory reported positive findings for NMDAR (80 samples), GAD65 (8), LGI1 (5), Caspr2 (2), and GABABR (4). Sixty-five serum samples and 32 CSF samples were indeterminate for one or more antibodies. In our research laboratory, all but 4 positive results were confirmed, 88 of 97 indeterminate results were resolved, and 15 additional samples were found positive (10 NMDAR, 1 AMPAR, 3 LGI1, and 1 Caspr2). Clinical information supported these diagnoses. Overall, informative autoantibodies were detected in 15.5% of cases. Conclusions Standard clinical laboratory kits were specific, but some tests were insensitive and prone to indeterminate results. Screening with immunohistochemistry for reactivity to brain sections, followed by additional CBAs for cases with brain reactivity, improves the diagnostic accuracy of testing for autoimmune encephalitis.
A safety review of medications used for labour induction.

Introduction: Induction of labour is a commonly performed procedure around the world. There are various medications used for induction including those commonly used for cervical ripening (prostagla...
Development of smart microgrid research and educational testbed

This paper presents a smart Microgrid educational testbed developed by authors at the California State University, Northridge. A small scale low voltage (208V) distribution grid demonstration system was built and tested for training and educational purposes. This three phase testbed is made of three feeder radial lines. Loads are located at the end of each feeder. The Microgrid system can be reconfigured by relays allocated on each line which enables each load to be fed from another route if needed. All line relays can be manually or remotely controlled by wireless xbees installed on the panel. In case of a fault or a line interruption event occurs, the critical loads can stay on using an automatic reconfiguring algorithm that is written and implemented to this prototype.
Modulation interference in cochlear implants

Modulation interference, in which the temporal envelope of a signal is rendered less salient due to the presence of a competing temporal envelope of a masker, has been modeled as the result of modulation-tuned filters operating in the midbrain. In listeners with cochlear implants (CIs) who rely more heavily on the speech temporal envelope, such interference may be particularly problematic for speech perception in competing, fluctuating backgrounds. Here, we present evidence for modulation interference in CI users from our laboratory, using both non-speech and speech targets. Maskers were presented either in the same ear or in the contralateral ear relative to the target, and either concurrently with the target or preceding the target (forward masking). Tasks include the detection of the temporal envelope on the target as well as the discrimination of temporal envelopes between targets. Results suggest that modulation interference plays an important role in CI users, reducing the salience of the speech tem...
Importance of Soils of Agroecosystems for Climate Change Policy

Until now, international climate change policy has neglected the potential of agroecosystems to contribute to climate change mitigation by reduction in net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and by enhancing soil inorganic carbon (SIC) and soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. Proven agricultural practices for creating a positive soil C balance such as those under the umbrella of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) are readily available. In the future, the importance of soil C stocks for climate change mitigation will be addressed by the target of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and land- and soil-related targets for achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Further, many nationally determined contributions (NDCs) submitted to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) after the 2015 Paris Agreement include references to soil enhancement and to the necessity of better soil management practices. Similarly, an ambitious goal to increase global soil C stocks of managed agricultural land by 0.4% per year in the topsoil was set by the ‘4 Per 1000 Initiative: Soils for Food Security and Climate’ (4p1000). Based on this, spatially diversified strategies need to be developed to sequester SOC in agroecosystems by addressing limitations imposed by nutrient (i.e., nitrogen and phosphorus) availability, and due consideration of economic and social aspects. Thus, meaningful actions that help to restore and protect soils of agroecosystems including their SOC stocks have been initiated recently. It is hoped that soils of agroecosystems will increasingly be managed to address climate climate change while at the same time contributing to food security under increasing pressure from population growth and dietary changes. This chapter begins with an overview over some practices to enhance soil C stocks in agroecosystems for climate and food security. This is followed by a description of previously proposed climate change mitigation policies and their reference to agroecosystems soil C stocks. Then, a brief overview over CSA, carbon farming, and the soil security framework is given. This chapter concludes with a section on payments for ecosystem services (ESs).
Effectiveness of Sofscale™ Calculus Scaling Gel as an AID during Dental Scaling of Teeth of Dogs:

The effect of pre-scaling application of SofScale Calculus Scaling Gel was studied on teeth of cadaver dogs, comparing scaling time and effort among pre-treated and untreated pairs of teeth. Teeth with light, moderate and heavy calculus were studied, treated by either hand-scaling only or hand and ultrasonic scaling. No significant difference was found in overall mean time required, comparing SofScale treated and untreated teeth. Scaling time was faster for SofScale treated teeth with light calculus, and slower for SofScale treated teeth with heavy calculus. There were no differences observed in the effort required for scaling, comparing SofScale treated and untreated teeth.
Microiontophoresis and Pressure Ejection

The ability to introduce minute amounts of drugs and chemicals by iontophoresis or pressure ejection from fine-tipped micropipettes into the microenvironment of nerve cells offers several advantages over other modes of administration: (1) Direct application circumvents diffusional barriers and limits enzymatic breakdown that might otherwise prevent substances from reaching the site of action. (2) The actions and effects of the substances can be confined to a single neuron. (3) Cell receptors for neurotransmitters and neuromodulators can be identified pharmacologically. (4) The functional significance of neurotransmitters can be assessed by comparing their effects through local application with stimulus-evoked responses, and observing how each are affected by receptor antagonists or by agents which block neurotransmitter breakdown or uptake. (5) Local application of membrane-permeable second messenger-selective agents can be used to identify intracellular signal transduction mechanisms.
EFFECTS OF SPERMATOGENIC CELL TYPE ON QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF MUTATIONS

It is probable that most instances of male-mediated developmental toxicity will be traceable to damage induced in male germ cells. With respect to the action of environmental agents, germ cells obviously constitute a specialized system. Their response mechanisms are very likely to be different from those of cells used for other mutagenicity test systems; and, since the organism at risk is not the father but his offspring, not only the induction but the transmission of a genetic lesion must be considered.
A sustainable human centered design framework based on human factors

Since humans are creators and users of artifacts and processes, and are constrained by limited resources, a sustainable approach with human element in the center of the development cycle is vital today. Managing and understanding technical and analytical issues about human element in design process is a core challenge for practitioners to develop and improve design strategies that serves to accommodate human needs, abilities and limitations. Although attention has increased in recent decades, direct progress towards a sustainable product development is still not apparent. Methods for sustainability are mostly applied as post-processing activities to safeguard nature, however a pro-active approach is necessary. A sustainable Human Centered Design platform provides an alternative approach to deal with the degeneration of the ecology while providing alternative criteria for considering customer requirements. This paper focuses on improving product design by considering Human Factors as a medium to integrate Sustainability and Human Centered Design strategies. The emphasis in this framework is to introduce Human Factors aspects of product design early in the concept generation phase, provide a modular platform to allow integration of domain knowledge and technologies and to enhance the product development, and overall well being of human element in design cycle.
Shedding Light on the Role of the Skin in Vaccine-Induced Protection against the Malaria Sporozoite.

ABSTRACT The most advanced vaccine against Plasmodium falciparum malaria, RTS,S/AS01, provides partial protection in infants and children living in areas of malaria endemicity. Further understanding its mechanisms of protection may allow the development of improved second-generation vaccines. The RTS,S/AS01 vaccine targets the sporozoites injected by mosquito vectors into the dermis which then travel into the blood stream to establish infection in the liver. Flores-Garcia et al. (Y. Flores-Garcia, G. Nasir, C. S. Hopp, C. Munoz, et al., mBio 9:e02194-18, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.02194-18) shed light on early protective responses occurring in the dermis in immunized animals. They demonstrated that immunization impairs sporozoite motility and entry into blood vessels. Furthermore, they established that challenge experiments performed using a dermal route conferred greater protection than intravenous challenge in immunized mice. Thus, the dermal challenge approach captures the additional protective mechanisms occurring in the dermis that reflect the natural physiology of infection. Those studies highlighted the fascinating biology of skin-stage sporozoites and provided additional insights into vaccine-induced protection.
Lag Time Between Evidence and Guidelines: Can Clinical Pathways Bridge the Gap?

PURPOSE:The 2018 American Society for Radiation Oncology guidelines state that hypofractionated whole-breast irradiation (HF-WBI) may be used for early-stage breast cancer regardless of age, althou...
Is it Too Late for Growth

The planet is on a path to catastrophic warming which calls for structural changes in the operation of Global North economies, not merely a transformation of energy sources, the core of “green grow...
The Hype Cycle of Working Memory Training

Seventeen years and hundreds of studies after the first journal article on working memory training was published, evidence for the efficacy of working memory training is still wanting. Numerous stu...
Association of Early-Onset Alzheimer Disease With Elevated Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels and Rare Genetic Coding Variants of APOB.

Importance Early-onset Alzheimer disease (EOAD) is a rare form of Alzheimer disease (AD) with a large genetic basis that is only partially understood. In late-onset AD, elevated circulating cholesterol levels increase AD risk even after adjusting for the apolipoprotein E e4 (APOE E4) allele, a major genetic factor for AD and elevated cholesterol levels; however, the role of circulating cholesterol levels in EOAD is unclear. Objectives To investigate the association between circulating cholesterol levels and EOAD and to identify genetic variants underlying this possible association. Design, Setting, and Participants In this case series, plasma cholesterol levels were directly measured in 267 samples from the AD research centers (ADRCs) of Emory University and University of California, San Francisco, collected from January 21, 2009, through August 21, 2014. The association between cholesterol and EOAD was examined using multiple linear regression. To determine the underlying genetic variants,APOB,APP,PSEN1, andPSEN2were sequenced in samples from 2125 EOAD cases and controls recruited from 29 ADRCs from January 1, 1984, through December 31, 2015. Data were analyzed from November 23, 2016, through April 10, 2018. Exposures Clinical diagnosis, age at clinical diagnosis, plasma cholesterol measures (total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C], high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and apolipoprotein B), and genetic variants inAPOE,APP,PSEN1,PSEN2, andAPOB. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was the association between EOAD and plasma cholesterol measures. The secondary outcome was the association between EOAD and the burden of genetic variants inAPOB. Results Of the 2125 samples that underwent genetic sequencing, 1276 were from women (60.0%) and 654 (30.8%) were from patients with EOAD (mean [SD] ages, 55.6 [4.3] years for cases and 72.0 [9.6] years for controls).APOE E4explained 10.1% of the variance of EOAD. After controlling forAPOE E4,EOAD cases had higher levels of total cholesterol (mean difference [SE], 21.9 [5.2] mg/dL;P = 2.9 × 10−5), LDL-C (mean difference [SE], 22.0 [4.5] mg/dL;P = 1.8 × 10−6), and ApoB (mean difference [SE], 12.0 [2.4] mg/dL;P = 2.0 × 10−6) than controls in 267 frozen samples. Approximately 3% of EOAD cases carried known AD-causing mutations. Gene-based rare variant burden testing in 2066 samples showed that rareAPOBcoding variants were significantly more abundant in EOAD cases after adjusting for sex,APOE E4,genetic principal components, ADRC center, and batch (effect size, 0.20;P = 4.20 × 10−4). Conclusions and Relevance Elevated LDL-C levels were associated with higher probability of having EOAD, and EOAD cases were enriched for rare coding variants inAPOB, which codes for the major protein of LDL-C. Collectively, these novel findings highlight the important role of LDL-C in EOAD pathogenesis and suggest a direct link ofAPOBvariants to AD risk.
What will autonomous trucking do to U.S. trade flows? Application of the random-utility-based multi-regional input–output model

This study anticipates changes in U.S. highway and rail trade patterns following widespread availability of self-driving or autonomous trucks (Atrucks). It uses a random-utility-based multiregional input–output model, driven by foreign export demands, to simulate changes in freight flows among 3109 U.S. counties and 117 export zones, via a nested-logit model for shipment or input origin and mode, including the shipper’s choice between autonomous trucks and conventional or human-driven trucks (Htrucks). Different value of travel time and cost scenarios are explored, to provide a sense of variation in the uncertain future of ground-based trade flows. Using the current U.S. Freight Analysis Framework (FAF4) data for travel times and costs—and assuming that Atrucks lower trucking costs by 25% (per ton-mile delivered), truck flow values in ton-miles are predicted to rise 11%, due to automation’s lowering of trucking costs, while rail flow values fall 4.8%. Rail flows are predicted to rise 6.6% for trip distances between 1000 and 1500 miles, with truck volumes rising for all other distance bands. Introduction of Atrucks favors longer truck trades, but rail’s low price remains competitive for trade distances over 3000 miles. Htrucks continue to dominate in shorter-distance freight movements, while Atrucks dominate at distances over 500 miles. Eleven and twelve commodity sectors see an increase in trucking’s domestic flows and export flows, respectively. And total ton-miles across all 13 commodity groups rise slightly by 3.1%, as automation lowers overall shipping costs.