cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Retrospective Review of Neonatal Sepsis among GBS-Colonized Women Undergoing Planned Cesarean Section after Labor Onset or Rupture of Membranes.

Background. Sepsis is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in neonates, with group B streptococcus (GBS) remaining the most frequent pathogen isolated from term infants. Surveillance data showed that the majority of cases of early-onset GBS disease were neonates born to women who either received no or suboptimal intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis with a notable portion of those women having a missed opportunity to receive ≥4 hours of chemoprophylaxis. Women planning delivery by cesarean section who present in labor or rupture of membranes prior to their scheduled surgery are unlikely to receive optimal GBS chemoprophylaxis and thus their neonates are at risk of having sepsis. Materials and Methods. A retrospective cohort study of women-infant dyads was extracted from the Consortium on Safe Labor dataset. Women who had an unlabored cesarean section at week gestation were selected and divided into four groups based on GBS status and timing of cesarean section with respect to onset of labor or rupture of membranes. The rate of neonatal sepsis and the patterns of intrapartum antibiotic chemoprophylaxis were determined. Results. The sepsis rate (4.5%) among neonates of GBS-colonized women having their unlabored cesarean section after onset of labor or rupture of membranes was significantly higher than that in any other group in this study. In this group, 9.4% of women received chemoprophylaxis for ≥4 hours, while 31% had a missed opportunity to receive ≥4 hours of chemoprophylaxis. Conclusion. This study suggests that neonates of GBS-colonized women having a planned cesarean section after onset of labor or rupture of membranes are at increased risk of having a sepsis diagnosis. This finding suggest the need for additional studies to assess the risk of sepsis among neonates of women in this group.
Abstract P131: Optimal Phenomapping Strategy to Identify Novel Subgroups of Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and High Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Introduction: Phenomapping can be used to identify subgroups of patients with similar risk factor profiles; however, there is no widely accepted clustering method. We compared 3 phenomapping strate...
One-Step Synthesis of Hierarchical, Bimodal NanoporousCarbons via Co-templating with Bottlebrush and Linear Block Copolymers

We report the preparation of hierarchically ordered porous carbon films with ∼5 nm mesopores distributed within a continuous carbon framework surrounding ∼100 nm macropores. The hierarchical carbons are prepared using bottlebrush block copolymers (BBCP) of large molecular weight (Mw = 1800 kg mol–1), low-molecular-weight linear block copolymers (LBCPs), and phenol-formaldehyde resin, which cooperatively assemble to yield “planet–satellite” morphologies following carbonization. The combination of BBCPs and LBCPs as co-templates enables a generalized strategy to design functional materials in which the pore sizes of both the mesopores and macropores are tuned within a continuous matrix and the mesopores uniformly surround macropores. The template is an ideal route for fabrication of tailored devices. The hierarchical carbon films exhibit exceptional performance as supercapacitor electrodes, with capacitance reaching up to C = 1420 mF cm–2 at 16 mA cm–2 (corresponding to 177 F g–1 at 2 A g–1 with mass loading 8 mg cm–2) resulting from a combination of high surface area and controlled pore structures. In such an application, the hierarchical carbons outperform devices that contain exclusively mesopores templated by the LBCP or only the macropores templated by the BBCP.
Conservation of the Regulatory Mechanisms Regulatng the Expression of Nitrogen Fixation Genes in R. meliloti and K. pneumoniae

The free-living nitrogen fixing bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae reduces N2 to NH4 + under conditions of NH4 + starvation and low O2 tension. The reduction of N2 is carried out by the enzyme complex nitrogenase which is comprised of polypeptides encoded by genes nifH, nifD and nifK. These three genes are organized into an operon transcribed in the direction nifH to nifK and are located within a cluster of at least 17 nif genes which are grouped into 7–8 transcription units. One of these operons, the nifLA operon, codes for regulatory proteins (for review, see ref. 1). The nifA product is involved in the activation of all of the other nif operons, while the nifL product is involved in the repression of these operons (2–7).
Aspirin for Deep-Venous Thrombosis Prophylaxis After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Aim To evaluate whether a daily full-dose aspirin regimen after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction reduces the risk of postoperative symptomatic deep-venous thrombosis (DVT). Materials and methods Single-center retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent ACL reconstruction from 2007 to 2016. One thousand two hundred thirty-three patients met inclusion criteria: 821 patients received no chemoprophylaxis and 412 patients received daily full-dose aspirin. Results A total of 10 patients, seven receiving no chemoprophylaxis and three using aspirin, sustained a postoperative symptomatic DVT. Calculated adjusted odds ratio for symptomatic postoperative DVT for aspirin versus no chemoprophylaxis was 0.928 (95% CI 0.237-3.629, P value = 0.91). Odds ratio for symptomatic postoperative DVT occurrence among tobacco users versus non-tobacco users was 3.76 (95% CI 1.077-13.124, P = 0.04). Conclusions No statistically significant difference was observed in postoperative symptomatic DVT after ACL reconstruction in those who received full-dose aspirin chemoprophylaxis versus those with no chemoprophylaxis. Additionally, there was a significantly increased risk of postoperative symptomatic DVT with tobacco use.
Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Cancer Survivors Undergoing Heart Transplantation

Purpose Heart transplantation (HT) remains the gold standard treatment for advanced heart failure (HF). Cancer survivors (CS) are at increased risk of developing HF in general and in some cases advanced HF. New consensus statements for organ transplantation in CS support the utilization of HT amongst select CS . The aim of this study was to examine clinical characteristics and outcomes of CS undergoing HT. Methods Retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing HT at a large medical center between Jan 1, 2010 and October 2020. CS were defined as those with history of malignancy other than non-melanoma skin cancer (CA) prior to HT. Baseline demographics, CA history and survival data were obtained from electronic medical records. Results 57(10.2%) CS were identified out of total of 560 HT recipients during the study period. Median age at the time of transplantation was 60 (IQR 50-65) years, and 60% of patients were male. Common pre-transplant malignancies included 13 breast CA (22.8%), 13 leukemia/lymphoma (22.8%), 8 prostate CA (14%), and 4 testicular CA (7%). 24 CS (42.1%) had received previous anthracycline therapy, and 23 CS (40.4%) had received chest radiation. Median follow-up time post-transplantation was 3.2 years (IQR 1.6-6.9 years). At the end of the study period, 50 of 57 (87.7%) CS were alive. Causes of deaths included infection (n=4), recurrent CA (n=2), and primary graft failure (n=1). Overall 9 patients (15.8%) developed 10 malignancies post HT. 4 patients had recurrence of their prior CA (2 breast ,1 colon, 1 prostate), while 6 patients developed new primary CA (prostate, renal, thyroid, lung, melanoma, lymphoma). The Kaplan Meier 5 year CA free survival was 69.8%(CI 49.8-83.1) (Figure 1) Conclusion CS appear to be at high risk of CA recurrence after HT; however infection is the leading cause of death on short term follow up. Longer follow-up is needed to understand long-term outcomes in this heterogenous group of patients to guide listing criteria, immunosuppression and CA screening.
Perspectives of Black women in the United States on salon-based intervention to promote the uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV.

Aims and objectives To understand Black women's perspectives on a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) education intervention in a salon setting. Background Black women have a significant lifetime risk of acquiring HIV. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective prevention approach in reducing that risk. Despite this, Black women are least likely to use PrEP. Design This was a qualitative study to identify Black women's perspectives on acceptability of a PrEP education intervention in a salon setting using hair stylists. The paper adhered to the COREQ checklist in reporting. Methods Seven focus groups among Black women (n = 44) living in north-central North Carolina were conducted. Ethical approval was obtained. The interview guide included questions on knowledge of PrEP and barriers and facilitators to a PrEP promotion programme in a salon setting. Results Conventional content analysis considered content in relation to themes of facilitators, barriers and women's preferences for intervention delivery. Facilitators included the salon characteristics, social culture and relationship with the stylist. Women noted concerns of accuracy of content from stylists and privacy as barriers. Conclusions Participants' trust with their stylists make a PrEP education salon-based intervention feasible. Salon-based interventions are not one-size-fits-all and researchers interested in this setting should tailor interventions to the individual salon. Interventions for PrEP in a salon setting should be culturally appropriate, confidential and consider the potential reach to the social networks of Black women in the salon. Relevance to clinical practice The insights shared by Black women can contribute to developing a PrEP uptake intervention as a way of reducing new cases of HIV.
Investigating the presuppositional realm of biblical-theological methodology: Part 3: Application and Comparison

In my first two articles, I have illustrated the pioneering work of Hermann Dooyeweerd and Fernando Canale as they analyzed the realm and operation of human rational activities. An understanding of Dooyeweerd's analysis of theoretical thought and Canale's phenomenological investigation into human Reason sets a starting point for a much-needed critical investigation into the field of academic methodologies in general and the multifarious exegetical methods as they are applied in the field of today's biblical studies in specific. 1
On the utility of oddities: exceptional bee reproduction illuminates fundamental questions of recombination

Despite its importance, the selective and mechanistic forces governing recombination remain obscure. A recent study of facultatively asexual honeybees suggests a clear case of adaptive adjustment o...
Sunspots and Animal Spirits: The Origin of Keynes's Cycle Theory

William Stanley Jevons’s “Sunspot Theory” of business cycles related the number of spots on the sun to economic activity, primarily through the weather and agriculture, but also through psychological components like optimism and uncertainty. The theory is widely discredited, but John Maynard Keynes agreed with Jevons’s underlying use of market participants’ moods to explain the transmission and magnification of the boom and bust phases of the cycle. Jevons’s use of psychology to explain business cycles originated in John Mills’s 1867 “On Credit Cycles and the Origin of Commercial Panics.” This paper establishes this connection between Mills, Jevons, and Keynes, which is not recorded in the literature that explores the origin of Keynes’s psychological “animal spirits” concept. John Mills’s “On Credit Cycles” is not well-known, so it is reviewed at length, noting points of comparison to the business cycle theories of both Keynes and the Austrian school. Another reason for the extensive treatment of Mills’s “On Credit Cycles” is that Jevons regarded it as an accurate description of the business cycle, even if he was unsatisfied with the unexplained fluctuations in “commercial moods.” If it is true that Jevons essentially founded the idea of market psychology and attitude determinants of the business cycle, then his impact on modern economic theory and policy via Keynes has been underestimated.
Unraveling the Gordian Knot of Implicit Bias in Jury Selection: The Problem of Judge-Dominated Voir Dire, the Failed Promise of Batson, and Proposed Solutions

An experienced federal district judge discussed his own path in discovering problems of implicit bias, expires problems of implicit bias in jury selection, discusses the failed promise of Batson, and proposed some solutions. The solutions include implicit bias jury instructions that the judge has uses is all criminal and civil cases.
Tutoring Diagnostic Problem Solving

This paper presents an approach to intelligent tutoring for diagnostic problem solving that uses knowledge about causal relationships between symptoms and disease states to conduct a pedagogically useful dialogue with the student. An animated pedagogical agent, Adele, uses the causal knowledge, represented as a Bayesian network, to dynamically generate a diagnostic process that is consistent with the best practice approach to medical diagnosis. Using a combination of hints and other interactions based on multiple choice questions, Adele guides the student through a reasoning process that exposes her to the underlying knowledge, i.e., the patho-physiological processes, while being sensitive to the problem solving state and the student's current level of knowledge. Although the main focus of this paper is on tutoring medical diagnosis, the methods described here are applicable to tutoring diagnostic skills in any domain with uncertain knowledge.
Pulmonary Thromboembolism Complicating Amebic Liver Abscess: First Reported Case in the United States—Case Report and Literature Review

Even in the absence of Amebic colitis, Amebic liver abscess (ALA) is the most common extraintestinal complication of Entamoeba histolytica infection. In the USA, it is most prevalent in middle aged immigrant males from endemic countries such as Africa, Mexico, and India. One of the complications of ALA is inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombosis, which is believed to result from the mechanical compression of the IVC and the consequent thrombogenic nidus elicited from the resultant inflammatory response. There are very few reported cases and even fewer in which the thrombus became a harbinger to pulmonary thromboembolism. We present the case of a 43-year-old male from West Africa who presented with the chief complaint of right upper quadrant abdominal pain for one week associated with persistent nonproductive cough. He had a positive serum Entamoeba histolytica antibody with CT scan findings of a hepatic abscess with thrombosis of the hepatic vein and inferior vena cava and numerous bilateral pulmonary emboli. This amebic liver abscess was successfully treated with metronidazole and paromomycin, whereas the pulmonary thromboembolism was managed with medical anticoagulation. Based on current knowledge, this is the first reported case in the USA.
Does the Composition of a Company's Shareholder Base Really Matter?

Most corporations dedicate significant time and attention to managing their shareholder base. Furthermore, companies overwhelmingly prefer “long-term shareholders” to “short-term shareholders.” There is little rigorous research, however, that conclusively demonstrates the impact that individual investor groups have on corporate decision making, or that quantifies the premium (or discount) that specific shareholder groups add to corporate value.We explore this topic in greater detail, and ask: Does the composition of a company’s shareholder base really matter? What substantive impact do shareholder — including activists — have on strategy, investment, and management? How long is long-term? How short is short-term? Can short-term market pressures be offset by long-term compensation incentives?The Closer Look series is a collection of short case studies through which we explore topics, issues, and controversies in corporate governance and executive leadership. In each study, we take a targeted look at a specific issue that is relevant to the current debate on governance and explain why it is so important. Larcker and Tayan are co-authors of the books Corporate Governance Matters and A Real Look at Real World Corporate Governance.
Characterization of human megakaryocyte colony-stimulating factor in the urinary extracts from patients with aplastic anemia and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura

Using procedures that were effective in the purification of human urinary erythropoietin (Epo), we attempted initial purification of megakaryocyte colony-stimulating factors (CSF) in urinary extracts from patients with aplastic anemia (AA) and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Comparison of colony stimulation by purified human Epo and crude urinary extracts revealed: (1) that the pure Epo augments megakaryocyte colony formation in culture and (2) MEG-CSF activity is also present in materials other than Epo in the crude urinary extracts from the two types of patients. Similar to purification of Epo, ethanol precipitation and sulfopropyl-Sephadex chromatography provided twofold and threefold increases in the specific activity of MEG-CSF, respectively. In contrast to Epo, however, significant inactivation of MEG-CSF activity was seen with phenol treatment. The elution profile of MEG-CSF seen on hydroxylapatite chromatography of urinary extracts was different from that of Epo. These data provided a basis for initial steps for purification of MEG-CSF and support the notion that MEG-CSF is distinct from Epo.
Two-time-scale design of active suspension control using acceleration feedback

The sequential design procedure of two-time-scale systems is used to design a feedback controller for a quarter-car model of an active suspension system. The controller uses acceleration measurement. It is shown that the proposed design significantly attenuates the body acceleration gain of the closed-loop system over a frequency range wider than what had been achieved earlier using various design techniques. >
Perspectives on Official English: The Campaign for English as the Official Language of the USA

Perspectives on Official English: The Campaign for English as the Official Language of the USA. Karen L. Adams and Daniel T. Brink. eds. Contributions to the Sociology of Language, 57. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 1990. 365 pp. DM 148 (cloth)
‘Characters reall’: Francis Bacon, China and the entanglements of curiosity

This article explores Francis Bacon's numerous references to China, Chinese people and Chinese technologies in the context of the projected impression of China available to early modern England. Bacon knew a great deal about China and, rather than simple flights of fancy or empty rhetorical gestures, his descriptions of China were serious claims in keeping with orthodox intelligence on the subject. These claims have significant implications in the context of contemporary criticism on Bacon's philosophy of language and his reading of Chinese ‘Characters reall’. Furthermore, the hazy spectre of China that emerges from the collection of those scattered references provides a clear precedent for the scientocratic, utopian vision prefigured in the New Atlantis and central to Bacon's philosophical programme as a whole.
C2 creation, emission, and laser-induced fluorescence in flames and cold gases

We describe photochemical production of C2 in the upper (d 3Πg) and the lower (a 3Πu) levels of the Swan-band transitions by 266 and 292-nm laser irradiation of flames and room-temperature flows of acetylene and ethylene. Topics treated include the spectroscopy of the Swan bands, lifetimes and quenching of the Swan-band emission, intensity dependences of the Swan-band emission in several environments, profiles of C2 in low-pressure hydrocarbon flames, and the affect of Swan-band emission on three-photon-excited fluorescence detection of atomic hydrogen in hydrocarbon flames.
Resource Shocks, Real Exchange Rate Appreciation and the Independence of Monetary Policy in Developing Oil-Exporting Countries

This paper examines the objectives of monetary policy in four developing oil-exporting countries (DOECs), and the effects of the oil shocks on monetary control. A macroeconomic model is developed to analyze the relationships between domestic credit, the real exchange rate, and the balance of payments. The results show that efforts were made to sterilize foreign reserves, but the independence of monetary policy was compromised in some countries by monetized budget deficits and real exchange rate overvaluation. Variance decompositions from a VAR model affirm the role of the real exchange rate in balance of payments disequilibrium. [E52, F41]
Development of structure and properties during spunbonding of propylene polymers

The production of a spunbond fabric involves the interrelation of numerous process variables. The development of fiber morphology is influenced and controlled by the extrusion variables. Fabric properties are greatly influenced by the properties of the filaments composing them, web structure and the bonding conditions. Understanding the relation between the process parameters and the properties is of utmost importance since the desired properties of the end product can be predicted and engineered by adjusting the process conditions. Two types of polypropylenes (PP) prepared using different catalyst systems were processed on our spunbond pilot line. Filament samples collected before bonding and the bonded fabrics were analyzed for aspects of structure and properties such as crystallinity, birefringence, density, thermo-mechanical stability and tensile properties. Structure and properties of the fibers produced from metallocene catalyzed PP were much better than that of the Ziegler Natta (ZN) catalyzed PP.
THE RATE OF LOSS OF POTASSIUM FROM HUMAN RED CELLS IN SYSTEMS TO WHICH LYSINS HAVE NOT BEEN ADDED

Curves describing the loss of K from human red cells as a function of time can be interpreted in terms of an equation which treats the K content of the cell (varphi) as the result of an accumulation process occurring at a rate P and an outward diffusion process regulated by a constant a. The equation is useful for describing the observations and for exploring the mechanisms which may be responsible for the K losses, although it cannot be used for analyzing the experimental data in a strict sense in the absence of independent metabolic data because P and a may both be functions of time. The applicability of the equation is illustrated by its use in connection with experimental curves showing K loss as a function of time at 4 degrees , 25 degrees , and 37 degrees C. for systems containing human red cells in isotonic NaCl or NaCl-buffer. At 4 degrees C., the K loss follows an exponential curve approaching an asymptote in the neighborhood of varphi = 0.50 +/- 0.15. The corresponding value of P implies that the cells are able to accumulate about 0.6 per cent of their initial K per hour under these conditions. At 25 degrees C., the K loss starts exponentially but becomes roughly linear with time after 24 to 48 hours. The change of form is probably due to the appearance of autolysins in the system. Curves of a similar mixed or intermediate form may be obtained even at 4 degrees C. if the observations are sufficiently extended and if spontaneous hemolysis becomes appreciable. At 37 degrees C., the K loss is exponential for the first 24 to 36 hours, the curves approaching asymptotes which, translated into terms of P, indicate that the cells can accumulate about 7 +/- 3 per cent of their initial K per hour. After this time autolysis begins to affect the shape of the curves, the rate of K loss increasing rapidly. The effect of adding fluoride or iodoacetate is to lower the position of the asymptote to which the curves proceed; i.e., to decrease the accumulation rate P, to increase the diffusion constant a, or both. Cyanide has almost no effect. Hypotonicity has little effect on the rate of K loss at 37 degrees C.; at 4 degrees C., the rate of loss is somewhat less in hypotonic NaCl. The observation that the K loss in systems at 4 degrees C. and containing as much as 0.086 M NaF does not become complete, but proceeds exponentially towards an asymptote between varphi = 0.2 and 0.4, suggests that 20 to 40 per cent of the cell K is much less diffusible than the remainder at low temperatures and in the absence of lytic substances. A similar conclusion is suggested by the form of the curve for K loss into saline at 4 degrees C., an accumulation rate of 0.6 m. eq./litre of cells/hour at the end of 100 hours or more being improbably great for a system at such a low temperature and containing no added glucose.
The design and operating characteristics of a 30-kW thermal arcjet engine for space propulsion

Attention is given to the design features of a radiation-cooled, 30-kW thermal arcjet thruster, whose laboratory tests have yielded specific impulses of up to 935 sec at 36-44 percent thrust efficiency, together with a cumulative lifetime of over 400 hours. All materials used, including seals, can sustain operation at temperatures sufficiently elevated to require the radiation of all waste heat. This electric propulsion system is ideally suited to missions such as the Space-Based Radar. A detailed consideration is conducted for the thruster's seals, which are the most critical element of the design.
Linearly Coupled Communication Games

This paper discusses a special type of multi-user communication scenario, in which users' utilities are linearly impacted by their competitors' actions. First, we explicitly characterize the Nash equilibrium and Pareto boundary of the achievable utility region. Second, the price of anarchy incurred by the non-collaborative Nash strategy is quantified. Third, to improve the performance in the non-cooperative scenarios, we investigate the properties of an alternative solution concept named conjectural equilibrium, in which individual users compensate for their lack of information by forming internal beliefs about their competitors. The global convergence of the best response and Jacobi update dynamics that achieve various conjectural equilibria is analyzed. It is shown that the Pareto boundaries of the investigated linearly coupled games can be sustained as stable conjectural equilibria if the belief functions are properly initialized. The investigated models apply to a variety of realistic applications encountered in the multiple access design, including wireless random access and flow control.
On alternatives to the multinormal distribution

El autor discute dos tipos de alternativas de funcioues de densidad de una variable multidimensional normal y sus propiedades estadisticas.
Biomedical Science in Europe

European biomedical research is now in full resurgence, 19 years after the devastation of the World War II. The more advanced countries of Western Europe are gradually approaching a position of economic self-sufficiency with respect to research. However, certain problems persist. Lingering nationalism and language differences continue to inhibit Europe from finding its full strength as a scientific community. Educational reforms, manpower planning, and scientific support still lag far behind the technologic recovery of science. International pooling of scientific interests and activities, so necesary for the smaller countries, has been slow to develop. The bonds between American and European biomedical science are extraordinarily strong and healthy, the result of the huge flow of young Europeans to America and of American scientists to Europe for training. These training exchanges have done much more than extend technologic competence. The two communities, one European, the other American, have different attitudes and atmospheres for research, which complement and strengthen each other. The benefits which lie in collaborative research and training among laboratories of the two communities are becoming more and more apparent and no doubt will lead to new levels of creativity and productivity in biomedical research.
Comparison of linear and non-linear digital power solutions

Recently, digital power has gained some traction in computing applications. Digital power's allure is its flexibility and user interface. This paper compares the key performances of digital power solutions that use traditional non-linear (discrete) digital control and advanced linear digital control. Through detailed comparison, the proposed linear digital power solution that is realized with Intersil's proprietary EAPP Digital and Auto Phase Number (APN) Control demonstrates the superior performance in transient response and high frequency current balance as well as overall efficiency without scarifying the flexible programmability and easy user interface.
Flame-Surface Advection in Transient Periodic Flow

The advection of an interface by a known transient periodic excitation flow is investigated in the present study, the results of which are relevant to the propagation of nearly isothermal premixed flames in turbulent flow. The relation between the corrugated-surface area and the intensity of the excitation flow is obtained numerically and compared with exact analytically derived solutions. The results elucidate the relation between the surface area and the intensity of spatial and temporal flow-field variations at low, moderate, and large intensities and highlight the stabilizing influence of Huygens surface propagation (e.g., of premixed flames) on the rate of surface-area increase, which is found to be otherwise unbounded in time.
Reexamination of The Standard Model Nucleon Electric Dipole Moment

The Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix in the standard model is currently the only experimentally confirmed source of CP violation. The intrinsic electric dipole moment of the nucleon induced by this CP phase via hadronic loop and pole diagrams was studied more than two decades ago, but is subject to various theoretical issues such as the breakdown of chiral power counting and uncertainties in the determination of low energy constants. I carry out an up-to-date re-analysis on both one-loop and pole diagram contributions to the nucleon electric dipole moment based on heavy baryon chiral perturbation theory in a way that preserves power counting, and I redo the determination of the low-energy constants following the results of more recent articles. Combined with an estimation of higher-order contributions, I expect the long-distance contribution to the standard model nucleon electric dipole moment to be approximately $(1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}32}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}--\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}32})\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}e\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\mathrm{cm}$.
Progesterone induction of pseudocopulatory behavior and stimulus-response complementarity in an all-female lizard species

Individuals of the all-female whiptail lizard species (Cnemidophorus) exhibit male-like and female-like pseudocopulatory behaviors that are correlated with stages of the ovarian cycle. Here we report on the hormonal bases of these behaviors. Parthenogenetic C. uniparens were ovariectomized and given Silastic implants containing either progesterone (P) or estradiol (E2); untreated controls received blank implants. Ten pairs of the following combinations were observed: P females paired with E2 females, P females paired with blank females, and E2 females paired with blank females. Each pair was observed at regular intervals 4 hr a day for 6 days. Pseudocopulations were observed between P and E2 animals; P animals consistently assumed the male-like role while E2 females assumed the female-like role. No pseudosexual behavior was observed between individuals of either P and blank or E2 and blank pairs. These data indicate that the postovulatory surge in P mediates male-like pseudosexual behaviors and the preovulatory surge in E2 mediates female-like pseudosexual behaviors in C. uniparens. Further, a complementarity in the behavior and physiology of both participants (male-typical mounting and female-typical receptivity) are important factors in pseudocopulatory behavior.
Computer simulations of cardiac action potentials in two dimensions.

Abstract A novel method of calculation is presented which allows computer simulations of action potentials for a two-dimensional, planar reconstruction of the depolarization phase of a cardiac action potential to be followed through nonuniform tissue. The calculation is explicit in type and assumes an infinite, grounded extracellular region. A 70 by 70 point region is calculated swiftly on a PC/AT. Results show elliptical isochrones when slow and fast directions have different resistivities. The time derivative of Vm is, however, similar in both directions. Insertion of a test region of tissue with high resistance results in wave-like propagation of the A.P. around the ‘bad’ region.
A New MR Fluid-Elastomer Vibration Isolator:

In this study, the performance of a new design concept utilizing a magnetorheological (MR) fluid composite material is examined through encapsulating a MR fluid into an elastomer. A prototype MR Fluid-Elastomer (MRF-E) Vibration Isolator is built and its dynamic behavior is studied in oscillatory compressions for a wide range of frequencies under various applied magnetic fields. The experimental results show that both the stiffness and the damping capability of the MRF-E Vibration Isolator is a function of the displacement amplitude and magnetic field strength, and only weakly dependent upon the frequency of excitation. This demonstrates that the new vibration isolator, whose mechanical properties can be controlled by an applied magnetic field, has potential in applications where tuning vibration characteristics are desired.
Capacity and Zero-Error Capacity of the Chemical Channel with Feedback

We consider a family of channels, collectively referred to as the 'chemical channel', which generalizes the trapdoor channel. We show that the feedback capacity of the chemical channel can be cast as the solution to a dynamic programming (DP) problem. We obtain numerical values for the feedback capacity of the chemical channel by approximating the solution of the DP problem using value iteration. For the special case of the trapdoor channel, by solving the DP problem analytically, we prove that the feedback capacity of the trapdoor channel is the logarithm of the golden ratio. Further, we describe a simple scheme that achieves the capacity of the trapdoor channel. The scheme has zero probability of error, which allows us to conclude that the logarithm of the golden ratio is also the zero error capacity of the chemical channel.
Implications of thrombocytosis in giant cell arteritis.

Purpose To bring attention to the implications of thrombocytosis in giant cell arteritis. Method Case report. Platelet counts were measured before and after corticosteroid therapy in a patient with biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis. RESULT: Platelet counts were increased before corticosteroid therapy was begun and returned to normal levels after corticosteroid therapy was instituted. Conclusion Platelet counts in a patient with giant cell arteritis may have diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic value.
Chitinosans as tableting excipients for modified release delivery systems.

The term 'chitinosans' embraces the spectrum of acetylated poly(N-glucosamines) ranging from chitin to chitosan. Chitinosans (I), at acidic pH, have protonated amines which can interact with oppositely charged drug ions and, thereby, modify drug release from drug delivery systems. Tablets were compressed from a physical mixture containing salicylic acid (II) as the model drug, I, and magnesium stearate. Five commercial I compounds, varying in degree of deacetylation and molecular weight, were selected. Tablets were compressed at 5000, 10 000, and 15 000 psig using a Carver and a single punch tablet press. The differential scanning calorimetry thermograms provided evidence of I-II interaction in the powder blend. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that the compression pressure did not significantly affect the crushing strength (CS) or the release profile of II from the I-matrix tablets (P?0.05). Furthermore, the ANOVA also indicated that the tablet press used during manufacture did not affect the above properties (P?0.05); however, the chitinosans significantly affected the CS as well as the release profile of II from I-matrix tablets (P<0.05). This study provides further evidence for the use of commercial I compounds as excipients for use in modified release drug delivery systems.
Process analysis and optimization of biodiesel production from soybean oil.

The overall goal of this work is to design and optimize a biodiesel production process from soybean oil. To achieve this goal, several inter-connected activities were undertaken. First, an initial flowsheet for the process was synthesized. The performance of this flowsheet along with the key design and operating criteria were identified by conducting computer-aided simulation using ASPEN Plus. Various scenarios were simulated to provide sufficient understanding and insights and to select a base-case flowsheet. Next, mass and energy integration studies were performed to reduce the consumption of material and energy utilities, improve environmental impact, and enhance profitability. Capital cost estimation was carried out using the ICARUS Process Evaluator computer-aided tool linked to the results of the ASPEN Plus simulation. The operating cost of the process was estimated using the key information on process operation such as raw materials, utilities, and labor. A profitability analysis was carried out by examining the return on investment and the payback period. It was found that the cost of soybean oil is the largest contributor to the production cost. A sensitivity analysis was carried out to determine the effect of soybean oil prices on the process profitability.
AIDS: Let Science Inform Policy

Thirty years have passed since the first cases of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) were reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How does this anniversary compare to the 20th or the 10th? The differences are considerable, because we now have an unprecedented opportunity, based on solid scientific data, to control and ultimately end the AIDS pandemic.
Auditory P300 in high-risk, recent-onset and chronic schizophrenia.

Abstract Background The present study examined the integrity of the P300 component of the event-related potential (ERP) in patients at high imminent risk for schizophrenia in relation to healthy comparison subjects and patients in the recent-onset and chronic stages of schizophrenia. Methods The P300 was recorded by using an auditory oddball task in 10 patients clinically considered at risk of being prodromally symptomatic for schizophrenia, 10 patients with recent-onset schizophrenia, 14 patients with chronic schizophrenia, 14 young healthy comparison subjects, who were age-matched to the high-risk and recent-onset schizophrenia groups, and 14 older healthy comparison subjects, who were age-matched to the chronic schizophrenia group. Results High-risk subjects displayed smaller than normal P300 amplitudes at the parietal, centroparietal and central scalp locations. The observed P300 amplitude abnormalities in high-risk subjects were severe, being comparable in magnitude to the abnormalities seen in recent-onset and chronic schizophrenia subjects. However, whereas high-risk subjects showed P300 amplitude abnormalities that were bilaterally symmetrical, subjects with recent-onset schizophrenia and, particularly, subjects with chronic schizophrenia exhibited abnormalities that were markedly larger over the left temporal scalp sites. Conclusions Patients at high imminent risk for developing a first florid psychotic episode seem to manifest auditory P300 amplitude abnormalities that are similar, but not identical, to those observed in patients in the recent-onset and chronic stages of schizophrenia. These results support the idea that auditory P300 abnormalities in schizophrenia reflect a primary cognitive and pathophysiological feature of the illness.
Affinity of integrins for damaged extracellular matrix: αvβ3 binds to denatured collagen type I through RGD sites

Cellular adhesion receptors termed integrins play an important role in the interaction of cells with extracellular matrix (ECM) during wound healing, development and tumorigenesis. During such events, ECM may become modified or damaged which could alter the types of adhesive signals presented to cells. In this study, cell adhesion and affinity chromatography experiments were performed to determine whether different integrins interact with denatured versus native ECM molecules. Human melanoma cells were found to adhere to denatured versus native type I collagen through different integrins. The cells adhere to denatured collagen through the alpha v beta 3 integrin and this interaction is inhibited by an RGD containing peptide but not by a control peptide. In contrast, adhesion to native type I collagen appears to be mediated by several beta 1 integrins and thus, is not inhibited by either alpha v beta 3 antibodies or the RGD peptide. Affinity chromatography reveals a marked increase in the quantity of alpha v beta 3 isolated on denatured collagen versus native collagen-sepharose. These results suggest that RGD sites in type I collagen may be masked and that they become exposed upon denaturation of the molecule. Wounding of extracellular matrix may, thus, expose RGD sites in collagens that facilitate the interaction of cells with damaged extracellular matrix through RGD binding integrins.
Calcium Chloride Added to Irrigation Water of Mushrooms (Agaricus Bisporus) Reduces Postharvest Browning

The influence of 0.3% CaCl 2 added to irrigation water on mushroom tyrosinase activity and postharvest browning was examined. Calcium concentration of mushrooms was significantly increased with the addition CaCl 2 to irrigation water but had no effect on inherent tyrosinase activity but reduced postharvest browning. The CaCl 2 had even more pronounced improvement in shelf life as indicated by reduced browning following a standard bruising treatment. Transmission electron micrographs indicate that increased levels of calcium in mushrooms irrigated with CaCl 2 may have decreased browning by increasing vacuolar membrane integrity ; thereby reducing the opportunity for tyrosinase to react with its substrates.
Etiology and incidence of pediatric gallbladder disease

Purpose The spectrum of pediatric biliary tract disease is changing. The goal of this study was to examine the causes and comorbidities of pediatric gallbladder disease at our institution. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review on consecutive patient at Kosair Children's Hospital who underwent cholecystectomy over a 9-year time period ending in 2012. Results Among the 453 patients in the study group, the average age was 13.3 years and 67.2% were female. Indications for cholecystectomy were gallstones in 285 (63%) and biliary dyskinesia in 140 (33%). Of the patients with gallstones, 68 children (15%) had hemolytic disease. Although the number of cholecystectomies for hemolytic disease was relatively stable throughout our study, the number for biliary dyskinesia and non-hemolytic (cholesterol) cholelithiasis rose by 63% and 216%, respectively. Average body mass index (BMI) for patients with non-hemolytic (cholesterol) stones and biliary dyskinesia were significantly greater than the average BMI for patients with hemolytic stones ( P P Conclusion Symptomatic gallbladder disease increased over the study period. Biliary dyskinesia and children with non-hemolytic disease are responsible for this increase.
Heme and Globin Synthesis Control: Observations in vivo in Beta Thalassemia

After administration of glycine-2-(14)C to a patient with thalassemia, the specific activities of heme and globin of F hemoglobin were consistently higher than those of hemoglobin A. After reaching a maximum, the ratio of the specific activity of heme to that of globin remained constant within each hemoglobin. Explanations considered include dilution by preformed subunits, differential turnover of hemoglobins, and possibly more than one heme-synthesizing pool.
AMERICAN AND CANADIAN EXPERIENCE WITH THE SALES TAX

GENERAL SALES TAXATION in the United States was largely a product of the depression of the 1930's, which resulted in an increase in state expenditures at the same time that other revenues were falling. The introduction of the tax was also facilitated by the long-standing pressure for property tax reduction. These early sales taxes were drawn up hastily and in large measure copied by succeeding states. Typically the tax was regarded as a temporary measure, essential only until recovery made the revenues unnecessary. But for the most part the tax survived the depression years; the sales tax yielded too much money too easily to be abandoned. Like many other tax measures, public opposition gradually declined as persons became accustomed to the tax. In the period between 1937 and 1945, no new sales taxes were added because of good financial condition of the states. However, in the postwar period, the sales tax movement revived under the pressure of inflationary influences upon costs and the failure of other tax revenues to keep pace. Eight states have introduced the tax since 1945, to bring the total to thirty-one (if Indiana is included). Likewise a number of cities, especially in California, have joined the movement. In Canada the Dominion government was the pioneer in the field, with the levy of a turnover tax in 1921. But the defects of this form of sales tax proved so serious that it was replaced by the present manufacturers sales tax in 1923. The Canadian provinces, caught by the same pressures as the American states, began to enter the sales tax field in 1936; five of the ten provinces now use the levy, with substantial municipal use in Quebec. The provincial taxes were largely modeled after the American sales taxes, with some administrative and exemption features of the Dominion manufacturers tax. There are substantial lessons to be learned from the sales tax experience of the last thirty years-lessons which are useful as a guide in the establishment of new sales taxes and as a basis for reconsideration of the present laws.
Data Acquisition with CAMAC Using an Optical Link for Data Transmission

In the Nuclear Structure Laboratory, data acquisition had been performed for many years with a PDP-9 computer equipped with a custom-designed ADC interface. Acquisition of a Perkin-Elmer (PE) 3220 computer for data analysis represented a giant step forward but made all the more clear the need to replace the aging PDP-9 with a new data acquisition system. An opportunity arose to meet this need in the form of a used PE 3220 which became available at a very reasonable price. The design of a data acquisition system to work with this second 3220 was undertaken with the attributes of speed, flexibility, reliability and low cost in mind.