cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bilayer Plasmonic Nano-lattices for Tunable Hydrogen Sensing Platform

Abstract Gas sensors are critical for facilitating the safety and integrity of systems used in the hydrogen energy and storage systems. It is challenging for any sensing technology to meet all the performance requirements for emerging applications, such as dynamic measuring range, response time, and sensitivity. Here, we propose an optical hydrogen gas sensor platform based on Pd bilayer plasmonic nano-lattices (BPNL), which is comprised of two parallel, subwavelength-separated hexagonal arrays of Pd nano-patchy particles and nano-holes. Optical transmission studies of the BPNL structure and its isolated sub-structures of nano-patches (NPs) and nano-hole arrays (NHs) upon hydrogen sorption show distinct optical isotherms with different spectral changes and response times in the visible-to-near-infrared region. Experiments and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) calculations show that the strong electromagnetic coupling between localized and propagating plasmonic modes of the NPs and NHs, respectively, leads to the unique optical properties of the BPNL and their subsequent change upon hydrogen sorption. Notably, the BPNL structure possesses an extended optical response range and enhanced sensitivity for hydrogen detection. Additionally, the optical response time of the BPNL structure is an order of magnitude faster than that of the isolated array sensors in the low hydrogen pressure range. Finally, we demonstrate that the sensing characteristics of such a BPNL platform can be further improved by tuning its structural parameters.
Alloy amorphization through nanoscale shear localization at Al-Fe interface

Abstract Achieving reliable metallic bonding directly between steel and aluminum alloys has a broad societal impact on sustainability from transportation systems to space exploration and biomedical devices. This is because steel and aluminum alloys are the top two most available and widely used metals. However, the development of detrimental intermetallic compounds (IMCs) at the Al-Fe interface has frustrated researchers and engineers for decades. Here, we present a new mechanism on how a nanoscale amorphous layer can be introduced at the Al-Fe interface without undesirable IMC: (i) a rapid sliding at the Al-Fe interface can generate a nanoscale premelting layer, leading to nanoscale shear localization; (ii) the resulting high shear strain rate within the premelting layer is high enough to suppress crystallization; (iii) as long as sufficiently high shear strain rate can be sustained within the premelting layer until the interfacial temperature is low enough, a stable amorphous can be retained without relying on rapid solidification. The findings provide a mechanistic basis for devising novel alloy amorphization and dissimilar metal joining techniques.
A Focal Pontine Infarct Presenting as Unilateral Facial Nerve Paralysis.

Brainstem infarction typically presents with vague symptoms, including headache, nausea, vomiting, and vertigo. Rarely do patients present with complete unilateral facial paralysis, mimicking Bell's palsy. Here we report the case of a 40-year-old woman who presented to the emergency department with intractable nausea, vomiting, and vertigo upon waking along with left-sided upper and lower extremity numbness and right-sided facial paralysis. Her atypical presentation of unilateral facial nerve paralysis in the context of nausea, vomiting, and vertigo prompted neurological studies, which were significant for a small punctate infarct in the pons involving the right facial colliculus. ​History, physical examination, and clinical suspicion are important to prevent anchoring bias. Physicians rely on history and physical examination to help distinguish true Bell's palsy from other causes of facial nerve paralysis. Stroke and other clinically emergent etiologies should be considered high on the differential diagnosis when patients have neurological signs and symptoms in addition to facial nerve palsy.
COVLET: Covariance-Based Wavelet-Like Transform for Statistical Analysis of Brain Characteristics in Children

Adolescence is a period of substantial experience-dependent brain development. A major goal of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study is to understand how brain development is associated with various environmental factors such as socioeconomic characteristics. While ABCD study offers a large sample size, it still requires a sensitive method to detect subtle associations when studying typically developing children. Therefore, we propose a novel transform, i.e. covariance-based multi-scale transform (COVLET), which derives a multi-scale representation from a structured data (i.e., P features from N samples) that increases performance of downstream analyses. The theory driving our work stems from wavelet transform in signal processing and orthonormality of the principal components of a covariance matrix. Given the microstructural properties of brain regions from children enrolled in the ABCD study, we demonstrate a multi-variate statistical group analysis on family income using the multi-scale feature derived from brain structure and validate improvement in the statistical outcomes. Furthermore, our multi-scale descriptor reliably identifies specific regions of the brain that are susceptible to socioeconomic disparity.
Meaning, Evidence, and Objectivity

This chapter addresses the question of what, according to the conception of meaning offered by Donald Davidson, makes expressions meaningful. It addresses this question by reflecting on Kathrin Gluer’s recent response to it. It argues that Gluer misconstrues both the evidence for meaning that the radical interpreter must rely on and the way in which the principle of charity must be deployed. The articulation of the correct construal of the evidence and the principle reveals the thoroughly non-reductionist aspect of Davidson’s conception of meaning. This aspect becomes even clearer in his later work, through the articulation of the triangulation argument. The chapter shows how this argument, which is reconstructed in accordance with Claudine Verheggen’s interpretation of it, helps answer the initial question. It ends with a brief discussion of the question whether the conception has the resources to account for the objectivity of meaning.
Noradrenergic regulation of Win-Stay/Lose-Shift policy and choice determinism in a two-armed bandit task

Recent studies have established that one-trial-back decision policies (Win-Stay/Lose-Shift) and measures of reinforcement learning (RL), e.g. learning rate, can explain how animals perform two-armed bandit tasks. In many published studies, outcomes reverse after one option is selected repeatedly (e.g. 8 selections in a row), and the primary measure of performance is the number of reversals completed. Performance and Win-Stay likelihood are confounded by using recent performance to drive reversals. An alternative design reverses outcomes across options over fixed blocks of trials. We used this blocked design and tested rats in a spatial two-armed bandit task. We analyzed performance using Win-Stay/Lose-Shift (WSLS) metrics and a RL algorithm. We found that WSLS policies remain stable with increasing reward uncertainty, while choice accuracy decreases. Within test sessions, learning rates increased as rats adapted their strategies over the first few reversals but inverse temperature remains stable. We found that muscimol inactivation of medial orbital cortex (mOFC) mediates task performance and negative feedback sensitivity. Finally, we examined the role of the adrenergic system in bandit performance, and found yohimbine (2 mg/kg) dramatically decreased sensitivity to positive feedback, leading to decreases in accuracy and inverse temperature. These effects are partially dependent on a2 adrenergic receptors in OFC. Our findings demonstrate a correspondence between reward schedule, WSLS policies and RL metrics in a task design that is free of the confound between Wins and reversals, and that the noradrenergic influence of mOFC on WSLS policy is dissociable from the regions general role in cognitive flexibility.
Magnetic Fields in Paradigms of Planetary Nebulae and Related MHD Frontiers

Many, if not all, post AGB stellar systems swiftly transition from a spherical to a powerful aspherical pre-planetary nebula (pPNE) outflow phase before waning into a PNe. The pPNe outflows require engine rotational energy and a mechanism to extract this energy into collimated outflows. Just radiation and rotation are insufficient but a symbiosis between rotation, differential rotation and large scale magnetic fields remains promising. Present observational evidence for magnetic fields in evolved stars is suggestive of dynamically important magnetic fields, but both theory and observation are rife with research opportunity. I discuss how magnetohydrodynamic outflows might arise in pPNe and PNe and distinguish different between approaches that address shaping vs. those that address both launch and shaping. Scenarios involving dynamos in single stars, binary driven dynamos, or accretion engines cannot be ruled out. One appealing paradigm involves accretion onto the primary post-AGB white dwarf core from a low mass companion whose decaying accretion supply rate owers first the pPNe and then the lower luminosity PNe. Determining observational signatures of different MHD engines is a work in progress. Accretion disk theory and large scale dynamos pose many of their own fundamental challenges, some of which I discuss in a broader context.
The Elusive Monitoring Function of Independent Directors

Federal law mandates that audit and compensation committees of public companies be comprised entirely of independent directors. The assumption underlying these legal requirements is that independent directors are more likely to act as monitors of the company’s top management. In this paper, we test this assumption. We conduct our tests by examining the level, direction, and profitability of independent directors’ insider trades and compare these to the trades of other members of top management in firms defending class-action lawsuits. Our evidence indicates that there are no differences between the trading activity of independent directors and other insiders during the class period. Our findings cast doubt on the effectiveness of independent directors’ monitoring role.
Approach to Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Pelvic organ prolapse is highly prevalent condition, for which up to one in nine women will receive a surgery in their lifetimes. Surgical repair options include those with native tissue, mesh, or biograft, though ongoing scrutiny and FDA regulation of mesh may limit those options in the future. Refinements of surgical technique have evolved with improved understanding of pelvic anatomy and results of clinical trials. The choice of technique depends upon a patient’s anatomy, physician’s experience and comfort, and shared decision making with the patient.
Digital Image System Software for Automated Part Identification

In this paper a software model has been developed on image processing for a digitial system which contains a video camera, digitizer, and an IBM XT personal computer. The software includes noise reduction and signal enhancement to reduce the environmental influence of the vision area, then edge detection and part identification to extract and characterize the image. Through this modelling system, the original binary 2D projection image data coming from the camera through digitizer can be processed for providing output of objects’ size, shape, position, and orientation which can be used to make the decision about the part being inspected and commands the robot, which is connected to the system, to pick up the object at the predetermined location. This developed computer model will increase the flexibility of the stiff, ponderous robotic arms and makes them suitable for industrial operations.
Long-Term Potentiation as a Physiological Phenomenon

This chapter describes the lasting changes in function that are achieved in the hippocampus and elsewhere in the brain, focusing at the cellular level. Long-term potentiation (LTP) can be defined as a long lasting change in output in response to a transient input. The persistence of this effect has been demonstrated to extend many hours in vitro and several weeks in vivo . It is the best-understood example of long lasting synaptic plasticity in the mammalian CNS, and it is a model for the way long lasting memory-associated changes are likely to occur in the CNS. Intracellular recording and patch clamp techniques that measure electrophysiological responses in single neurons have also been used widely in studies of LTP. The bonafide changes in neuronal connections that occur in vivo may or may not be identical to LTP as it is presently studied in the laboratory, but this does not diminish its utility as a cellular model system for studying lasting neuronal change in the mammalian CNS.
Decreased GABAB receptors in the cingulate cortex and fusiform gyrus in Autism

Autism is a behaviorally defined neurodevelopmental disorder and among its symptoms are disturbances in face and emotional processing. Emerging evidence demonstrates abnormalities in the GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acid) system in autism, which likely contributes to these deficits. GABA(B) receptors play an important role in modulating synapses and maintaining the balance of excitation-inhibition in the brain. The density of GABA(B) receptors in subjects with autism and matched controls was quantified in the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex, important for socio-emotional and cognitive processing, and the fusiform gyrus, important for identification of faces and facial expressions. Significant reductions in GABA(B) receptor density were demonstrated in all three regions examined suggesting that alterations in this key inhibitory receptor subtype may contribute to the functional deficits in individuals with autism. Interestingly, the presence of seizure in a subset of autism cases did not have a significant effect on the density of GABA(B) receptors in any of the three regions.
Microdialysis Calibration Using Retrodialysis and Zero-Net Flux: Application to a Study of the Distribution of Zidovudine to Rabbit Cerebrospinal Fluid and Thalamus

A retrodialysis (RD) method for the real-time calibration of on-line microdialysis (MD) procedures was investigated in vitro and in vivo. Calibration by retrodialysis was simultaneously validated through the use of a zero-net flux (ZNF) method, which assumes directional independence of diffusion of the solute. In RD, a calibrator with dialysance (PeA; effective permeability–surface area product) similar to that of the compound of interest is introduced into the perfusate. If the calibrator is suitable, its loss from the perfusate during RD is identical to the recovery of the solute of interest determined simultaneously by normal MD. Two antiviral nucleosides (AZT and AZdU) which differ structurally by only a methylene group were utilized as solute and calibrator, respectively. Both nucleosides exhibited similar recovery and loss at flow rates of 0.5 to 5 (µL/min in vitro, indicating a similar PeA product in this flow domain. Furthermore, both compounds showed similar loss into the lateral ventricle or thalamus of rabbits (n = 4) during RD at a flow rate of 1 µL/min for 6 hr. The relative loss decreased rapidly within the first hour, reaching a relatively stable value after 2 hr. The significant reduction in the loss of AZdU and AZT in vivo compared with that in vitro likely results from a lower diffusion coefficient in tissue. The distribution of AZT between plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricle and extracellular fluid (ECF) in thalamus was determined at steady state using calibration by RD and ZNF simultaneously. The relative loss of AZdU during continuous RD was not significantly different from the recovery of AZT determined by ZNF in the same animal. Since RD may allow for continuous monitoring of microdialysis recovery in real time, it may offer an advantage over the ZNF method of system calibration. The steady-state C csf/C p and C ecf/C p ratios for AZT in this study were 0.26 ± 0.08 and 0.18 ± 0.08. That these ratios are much less than unity suggests that carrier-mediated transport of AZT exists in the brain-to-plasma direction.
Induction as Pre-processing

In most data mining applications where induction is used as the primary tool for knowledge extraction, it is difficult to precisely identify a complete set of relevant attributes. The real world database from which knowledge is to be extracted usually contains a combination of relevant, noisy and irrelevant attributes. Therefore, pre-processing the database to select relevant attributes becomes a very important task in knowledge discovery and data mining. This paper starts with two existing induction systems, C4.5 and HCV, and uses one of them to select relevant attributes for the other. Experimental results on 12 standard data sets showtha t using HCV induction for C4.5 attribute selection is generally useful.
Once upon a Time: Explaining Cultural Differences in Episodic Specificity

Research has generated converging evidence of cross-cultural differences in episodic specificity, whereby Western children and adults exhibit greater abilities to recall specific past events and event-specific details than their Asian counterparts. Are the cultural differences a result of methodological artifacts or the true work of ‘culture?’ This article addresses this question by critically evaluating recent cross-cultural data. The analysis based on extant work suggests that culture shapes episodic remembering through two intrapersonal variables – self-construal and emotion knowledge – and one interpersonal variable – parent–child reminiscing. The role of culture is discussed in a larger theoretical context pertaining to human memory and cognition and future directions are suggested.
Repression of Biotin Biosynthesis in Escherichia coli During Growth on Biotin Vitamers

A strain of Escherichia coli in which the lacZ gene was fused to the bioA promoter was constructed. Colonies of this strain formed Lac(+) colonies on low-biotin agar (1.6 to 4.1 nM) and Lac(-) colonies on high-biotin agar (41 nM). This lac-bio fusion strain was used to study the question of whether cells growing on the biotin vitamers d-biotin-d-sulfoxide (BDS) and dethiobiotin (DTB) generate enough biotin to give maximal repression of beta-galactosidase synthesis. Repression by high concentrations (400 nM) of BDS was almost maximal (about 96%), whereas DTB repression reached a saturation level of about 80% with increasing DTB concentrations. The levels of repression obtained with both vitamers were sufficient to cause the colonies to appear Lac(-). When the lac-bio fusion was transduced into lines carrying mutations (bis) that prevent reduction of BDS to biotin, the transductants were not repressed by added BDS. Repression by BDS is unlikely to result from accumulation of extracellular biotin-related substances because (i) washed bis(+) cells were not detectably derepressed when transferred into medium containing BDS and (ii) washed bis cells were not detectably repressed when transferred into medium in which bis(+) cells had grown. Lactose agar plates containing high concentrations of DTB or BDS comprise an efficient selective medium for bioB or bis mutants and were used to isolate spontaneous mutations of these genes. This method should be adaptable to the selection of mutations in any biosynthetic pathway subject to end-product repression.
Windows into the Human Brain

Developmental psychologists have long debated how growth and experience affect the development of the human brain and behavior. In a Perspective, [Casey][1] explains new work ([ Schlaggar et al .][2]) that seeks to resolve the debate by using functional magnetic resonance imaging to distinguish differences in brain activity between adults and children performing single word processing tasks. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/296/5572/1408 [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/296/5572/1476
Dixmier Algebras for Classical Complex Nilpotent Orbits via Kraft-Procesi Models I

We attach a Dixmier algebra \(\mathcal{B}\) to the closure of \(\bar{\mathcal{O}}\) any nilpotent orbit of G where G is GL(nℂ), O(nℂ) or Sp(2n ℂ). This algebra \(\mathcal{B}\) is a noncommutative analog of the coordinate ring \(\mathcal{R} of \bar{\mathcal{O}}\) in the sense that \(\mathcal{B}\) has a G-invariant algebra filtration and \(gr\mathcal{B} = \mathcal{R}\).
Measurement in Intermittent and Periodic Flow

For the purpose of the present discussion, it may be taken for granted that the signals from the various individual probes (hot-wire, LDA, microphone) follow faithfully the physical variables at a given point, consequently the concern here is shifted to the signal processing techniques that enable the extraction of relevant information about the nature of the flow field.
No world but in things : The poetry of Naess's concrete contents

Arne Naess introduced the notion of ‘concrete contents’ to posit that the qualities we perceive in nature are intrinsic to the things themselves, and not just projections of our senses on to the world. This gives environmentalism more credence than if secondary qualities about the environment are considered subjective in a pejorative sense. But the concrete contents position pushes philosophy toward poetry because it suggests that felt qualities are as primary as logic. For a philosophy to justify itself, it sometimes needs to find resonance with qualities outside its borders. Examples are presented from Italian writer Italo Calvino, the music of the Kahuli people of New Guinea, a film by John Sayles, and a poem by Tomas Transtromer. The concrete philosophical contents of the world are found in the relationships between philosophy and experience, never inside philosophy alone.
System Optimal Time-Dependent Path Assignment and Signal Timing in Traffic Network:

Optimization of system performance in congested traffic networks is one of the main goals of intelligent transportation systems. A formulation and solution algorithm for the combined signal control and dynamic traffic assignment problem is presented. The solution algorithm is implemented and tested on an actual network, illustrating the benefits that could be attained through joint optimization of signal control and route guidance decisions.
Finite sample performance of Schmidt–Philips unit root tests

The finite sample performance is investigated for two versions of the Lagrange multiplier (LM) unit root tests. It is found that the correct size of the augmented tests is obtained at the expense of the power, while the reasonable power of the transformed tests reflects the size distortions under the null hypothesis.
Robot-assisted versus Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: Is There a Difference in Outcomes?

Application of the robot for Roux-en-Y gastric bypass has been slow to evolve, despite its rapid acceptance in other fields. This is largely due to associated costs of technology, reports of increased operative time, and inadequate data available to correlate the benefits of robotics to a clinical outcome. The authors present a comparative study between laparoscopic and robot-assisted Roux-en-Y gastric bypass performed at a specialized institution for robotic surgery. A total of 135 consecutive Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedures were performed from January 2006 to December 2009 by a single surgeon. The first 45 were performed laparoscopically and the remaining 90 were robot-assisted. Patient demographics, operative time, complication rate, length of stay, long-term weight loss, and follow-up for the two groups were gathered from a prospectively maintained database and statistically analyzed. The overall operative time was significantly shorter for the robot-assisted procedures than for the laparoscopic procedures (207 ± 31 vs. 227 ± 31 min) (P = 0.0006). The robotic set-up time remained constant at 13 ± 4 min. 30 robotic cases were necessary in order to perform the procedure in less time than with the laparoscopic approach (P = 0.047). Mortality was 0% in both groups, with no conversions to open surgery and no transfusions. Early morbidities and percentage of excess weight loss at 1 year were comparable for the two groups. The use of the robot for performing the gastrojejunostomy during laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass does not increase the operative time or the rate of specific complications. The short-term outcomes of the robot-assisted procedure are comparable to those found with the conventional laparoscopic method.
Testing for Ph 1 chromosome on mailed specimens of peripheral blood.

. Ph1 Chromosome could reliably be detected in specimens drawn as long as 120 h before testing and held at 4° or 30°C, although the quality of the karyotype deteriorated somewhat after 72 h. Positive results were found with specimens transmitted through the mail. However, delays between specimen collection and receipt by the laboratory in excess of 2 days led to some false negative results.
Bacterial sporulation: A question of commitment?

Starved Bacillus subtilis cells monitor environmental conditions and intracellular events before committing to sporulation. The precise identity of the sporulation-inducing signals is an open question, but recent results suggest strategies by which Bacillus integrates diverse signals in the decision-making process.
Comparative morphology of the carpel in the Liliaceae: Uvularieae

Three genera of the Uvularieae (Kreysigia, Schelhammera, Uvularia) have tricarpellate, syncarpous pistils. Ventral bundles (presumably the united simple septal and placental bundles of a carpellary wing) may be present in Kreysigia and Schelhammera. In Kreysigia the two presumptive ventral bundles from adjoining carpels are fused basipetally in each septum. The septal bundles of the other two genera are either simple (Schelhammera) or in part compound (united) below and simple (separate) above (Uvularia), hence fused acropetally. In Uvularia, the dorsal bundle of the carpel and the median bundle of the tepal are uniquely tripartite and probably homologous. No raphides were found in the carpels of these genera.
Acetyltransferase machinery conserved in p300/CBP-family proteins.

CREB-binding protein (CBP) and p300 are highly conserved and functionally related transcription coactivators and histone/protein acetyltransferases. They are tumor suppressors, participate in a wide variety of physiological events, and serve as integrators among different signal transduction pathways. In this study, 11 distinct proteins that have a high degree of homology with the amino acid sequence of p300 have been identified in current protein databases. All of these 11 proteins belong to either animal or plant multicellular organisms (higher eucaryotes). Conservation of p300/CBP domains among these proteins was examined further by sequence alignment and pattern search. The domains of p300/CBP that are required for the HAT function, including PHD, putative CoA-binding, and ZZ domains, are conserved in all of these 11 proteins. This observation is consistent with the previous functional assays and indicates that they are a family of acetyltransferases, i.e. p300/CBP acetyltransferases (PCAT). TAZ domains (TAZ1 and/or TAZ2) of PCAT proteins may allow them to participate in transcription regulation by either directly recruiting transcription factors, acetylating them subsequently, or directing targeted acetylation of nucleosomal histones.
Using wafer stacks as neutron monochromators

Abstract A process to introduce a spatially homogeneous but anisotropic mosaic structure into thin, single-crystal wafers, which are then stacked and used as neutron monochromators, is described. The advantages compared to conventional techniques are good reproduceability, low cost and reduced risk of process failure. A focusing Ge(115) monochromator made from 24 wafer stacks was built for the high-resolution neutron powder diffractometer at the High Flux Beam Reactor at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Besides building “classical” monochromators for elastic neutron scattering experiments, individual wafers with a given peak reflectivity can be tilted with respect to each other to increase the reflected wavelength band Δλ/λ. Such “fanned” arrays present a competitive alternative to monochromators using highly-oriented pyrolitic graphite (HOPG).
Parallel processing in knowledge-based diagnostic systems

This paper highlights the use of the parallel processing concept in knowledge-based diagnostic systems. A MIMD machine connected in a cubic mesh fashion using Parlog has been suggested to implement such systems. An algorithm supporting the concurrent execution of multiple conflict set rules of the same production system program is presented. A specific application to communication systems maintenance utilizing these principles has been discussed.
Community Earth System Model Data Management: Policies and Challenges

The data management plan of the Community Earth System Model (CESM)[1] from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is given historical context and its policies, definitions, and features are detailed. The drivers of CESM data management are discussed, including the upcoming Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5), the ongoing Earth System Grid (ESG) project, and the strategies to address these drivers are mentioned. Future plans and strategies to address CESM data management needs and requirements are noted. The significant challenges resulting from the use of CESM output in the areas of metadata, preservation, curation, provenance, and other aspects of data management are considered.
Applied Multivariate Statistics for the Social Sciences

(2003). Applied Multivariate Statistics for the Social Sciences. The American Statistician: Vol. 57, No. 1, pp. 68-69.
Structure of 0+ states in 40Ca☆

Abstract The 36Ar(6Li,d)40Ca reaction has been studied with emphasis on the population of 0+ final states. These data, in comparison with data from previous two-and multinucleon transfer reactions, are used to elucidate the probable dominant configurations of the 0+ states in 40Ca.
Using decision analysis to assess the quality of quality assurance.

The recent emphasis on outcome assessment has required hospitals not only to practice high quality care but also to prove that they do so. In search of leadership, many hospitals have turned to epidemiologists and infection control practitioners (ICPs), arguing that there are strong parallels between their activities and those of quality assurance. Both have the same ultimate goal of improving the health of the patient. The principles of surveillance, data management and problem solving used in epidemiology apply also to quality assurance. As advisers, participants or leaders, epidemiologists and ICPs are being drawn irresistibly into the field of quality assurance. The need for leadership has arisen because the assessment of quality is a surprisingly complex task. Initial approaches are often unstructured and designed to fulfill the requirements of various regulatory agencies rather than to improve the delivery of care. In addition, quality assurance is costly, and financial restrictions on medicine are increasing. It is time to take a serious look at the cost-effectiveness of quality assurance and apply the techniques of medical decision analysis to combat the inefficiency and ineffectiveness that often dominate the field.
Products of Mercury Demethylation by Sulfidogens and Methanogens

14 CH4 . These results led to the suggestion of sulfidogen and methanogen involvement in the oxidative demethylation of mercury. Direct mercury demethylation experiments using pure cultures of sulfidogens and methanogens conducted within the same study remained inconclusive due to the marginal mercury demethylation activity of these cultures. Nevertheless, the report left the reader with the impression that mercury demethylation by methanogens and sulfidogens is likely to be an oxidative one, yielding 14
THE LOW-ENERGY EFFECTIVE DYNAMICS OF TWO-DIMENSIONAL GAUGE THEORIES

Abstract Path integral bosonization techniques are used to derive a low-energy effective action, in the limit e c / m → ∞, for a general theory of Dirac fermions interacting with gauge fields ( e c is the gauge coupling constant and m is a typical fermion mass). Specializing to specific gauge and global symmetry groups, low-energy effective actions are obtained for the many-flavor massive Schwinger model (QED 2 ) and for single and many flavor QCD 2 . For many flavor QCD 2 , the low-energy theory is a non-linear σ-model with Wess-Zumino and soliton stabilizing terms; this results bears a striking resemblance to the expected low-energy effective theory of four-dimensional QCD. In Coleman's low-energy effective theory for two-flavor QED 2 with non-equal fermion masses, the low-lying states of the effective theory remain in degenerate isospin multiplets. In our analysis, we do not encounter this paradox: the degeneracy is lifted explicitly by an isospin-breaking term. For m → 0, the large- N behavior of the QCD 2 effective theory is shown to contain zero mass mesons in leading order, consistent with 't Hooft's results. Using the 't Hooft anomaly conditions and non-abelian bosonization, an explanation for the restoration of chiral symmetry is offered in both this case and in QED 2 .
Immunolocalization of progesterone-induced uterine protein-1 in human endometrium during the menstrual cycle and in the placenta throughout gestation

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Progesterone-induced uterine protein-1, a product of secretory endometrial stromal cells (relative molecular mass 70,000, isoelectric point 5.7), was immunolocalized in endometrium and placental. STUDY DESIGN: Biopsies were performed to obtain human endometrium and placenta throughout the menstrual cycle and gestation. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues ( n = 74) were sectioned and immunohistochemically stained for proesterone-induced uterine protein-1 by the avidin-biotin peroxidase procedure. Isolated endometrial cells were also stained for progesterone-induced uterine protein-1. RESULTS: Progesterone-induced uterine protein-1 localized in proliferative endometrial stroma and in early to midsecretory stroma and cillated epithelia and vanished from nonpregnant, late-secretory endometrium yet localized in the decidua, syncytiotrophoblast, and intermediate cytotrophoblast during pregnancy. Isolated, cultured endometrial stromal but not epithelial cells displayed progesterone-induced uterine protein-1 staining. CONCLUSION: Endometrial progesterone-induced uterine protein-1 localization shifts from stromal to epithelial, coinciding with the time of ovulation, fertilization, and implantation. This observation, combined with the disappearance of progesterone-induced uterine protein-1 in late-secretory, nonpregnant endometrium and its presence in decidua and trophoblast, suggests that progesterone-induced uterine protein-1 may play a role in decidualization, endometrial or embryo cross-talk, or placental physiologic features.
On non-symmetry equivalence

We consider non-symmetry related coincidences in mathematical descriptions of structures of interest in chemistry. We illustrate structural factors for ''unexpected'' or ''accidental'' coincidences. We hypothesize that the so-called ''accidental'' degeneracies or coincidences are always structural in origin, although in some instances we may yet not know the structural factors involved. A search and the study of coincidences may be rewarding and revealing. We pose a number of unsolved problems which may provide additional illustrations of structural coincidences.
MAGEA4 induces growth in normal oral keratinocytes by inhibiting growth arrest and apoptosis

Cancer testis antigens (CTAs) are proteins that are normally expressed only in male germ cells and are aberrantly upregulated in a variety of cancers such as melanomas and lung cancer. MAGEA proteins belong to Class I CTAs and are being utilized as targets for cancer immunotherapy. Despite the discovery of the first CTA (MAGEA1) 20 years ago, the functions of these proteins remain poorly understood and evidence suggests both oncogenic as well as tumor suppressive roles for these proteins. Herein, we investigated the role of MAGEA4 in promoting cell growth. When overexpressed, MAGEA4 promotes growth of spontaneously transformed normal oral keratinocytes (NOK-SI). To understand the mechanism of growth stimulation by MAGEA4, we explored the effect of overexpressing MAGEA4 on cell cycle and apoptosis. MAGEA4 inhibits growth arrest of cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. We also found that overexpression of MAGEA4 inhibits G418-induced apoptosis of NOK-SI cells. Interestingly, this inhibition was accompanied by repression of two p53 downstream genes, BAX and CDKN1A. Our results indicate that MAGEA4 promotes growth by preventing cell cycle arrest and by inhibiting apoptosis mediated by the p53 transcriptional targets.
Mechanism of neurogenic pulmonary edema.

Abstract The mechanism of paroxysmal pulmonary edema following brain injury or irritation is discussed after a review of older and recent experimental studies. It is concluded that both a systolic and a diastolic overload of the left ventricle, connected with sympathetic stimulation, are necessary elements. However, a recently described phenomenon i.e., inadequate left ventricular relaxation caused by the same adrenal-sympathetic mechanism, seems to play an essential role by rapidly elevating the pressure in the pulmonary capillaries.
Coagulopathy of Liver Disease

Coagulopathy in patients with liver disease results from impairments in the clotting and fibrinolytic systems, as well as from reduced number and function of platelets. Parenteral vitamin K replacement corrects coagulopathy related to biliary obstruction, bacterial overgrowth, or malnutrition. Vitamin K is less effective for coagulopathy caused by severe parenchymal liver injury. Transfusion of fresh frozen plasma is the hallmark of treatment of significant coagulopathy in patients with liver disease and active bleeding. Transfusion of fresh frozen plasma also reverses moderate to severe coagulopathy of cirrhosis prior to invasive procedures. Cryoprecipitate is useful for severe coagulopathy with hypofibrinogenemia, especially when avoidance of volume overload is desired. Exchange plasmapheresis is useful in selected patients with coagulopathy due to liver disease, in whom fresh frozen plasma fails to correct coagulopathy or in patients who have coexistent severe fluid overload. Platelet transfusions, pooled or single donor, are useful in thrombocytopenic patients prior to performing invasive procedures or in the presence of significant bleeding, especially when the platelet count is below 50,000/mL. The use of recombinant factor VIIa and thrombopoietin therapy for correction of coagulopathy and thrombocytopenia, respectively, in patients with cirrhosis, is currently under investigation. Therapy with prothrombin complex concentrates, 1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin and antithrombin III concentrates for the management of coagulopathy caused by liver disease can be hazardous and the use of these products is considered investigational at the present time.
Performance of Nitrogen and Liquid Nitrogen as Coolants in Orthogonal Machining of AISI 1020 Steel Alloy With Uncoated Carbide Tools

The growing cost associated with insurance, handling and disposing of conventional metal working fluids (oil and water based) continues to drive a need for alternative metal working fluids. An orthogonal tube turning experiment was conducted to study the effects of nitrogen and liquid nitrogen in machining of AISI 1020 steel alloy on a HAAS CNC lathe along with a Kistler Dynamometer to record the force data. Two levels of uncut chip thickness, 0.002” and 0.004” per revolution are maintained with a constant feed and depth of cut of 0.125”. The tool used in this study is an uncoated carbide insert at three different rake angles of 0°, 7° and 15°, with no chip breaker. The statistical design of the experiment established the machining for a duration of 1 minute at each factor level combination. Force data from the dynamometer is analyzed along with wear of the tooling. Tool inserts were studied under a 3-dimensional optical microscope to measure the rake face tool wear. Simple nitrogen produced less wear than the more expensive liquid nitrogen setup.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Noniterative MAP Reconstruction Using Sparse Matrix Representations

We present a method for noniterative maximum a posteriori (MAP) tomographic reconstruction which is based on the use of sparse matrix representations. Our approach is to precompute and store the inverse matrix required for MAP reconstruction. This approach has generally not been used in the past because the inverse matrix is typically large and fully populated (i.e., not sparse). In order to overcome this problem, we introduce two new ideas. The first idea is a novel theory for the lossy source coding of matrix transformations which we refer to as matrix source coding. This theory is based on a distortion metric that reflects the distortions produced in the final matrix-vector product, rather than the distortions in the coded matrix itself. The resulting algorithms are shown to require orthonormal transformations of both the measurement data and the matrix rows and columns before quantization and coding. The second idea is a method for efficiently storing and computing the required orthonormal transformations, which we call a sparse-matrix transform (SMT). The SMT is a generalization of the classical FFT in that it uses butterflies to compute an orthonormal transform; but unlike an FFT, the SMT uses the butterflies in an irregular pattern, and is numerically designed to best approximate the desired transforms. We demonstrate the potential of the noniterative MAP reconstruction with examples from optical tomography. The method requires offline computation to encode the inverse transform. However, once these offline computations are completed, the noniterative MAP algorithm is shown to reduce both storage and computation by well over two orders of magnitude, as compared to a linear iterative reconstruction methods.
Salmonella and Caspase-1: A complex Interplay of Detection and Evasion.

Salmonellae are intracellular pathogens that replicate within epithelial cells and macrophages, and are a significant public health threat in both developed and developing countries. The innate immune system detects microbes through pattern recognition receptors, which are compartmentalized on the subcellular level to detect either extracellular (e.g. TLRs) or cytosolic (e.g. NLRs) perturbations. Salmonella infection is detected by the NLRC4 and NLRP3 inflammasomes, which activate Caspase-1, resulting in reduced bacterial burdens during infection. NLRC4 responds to the SPI1 type III secretion system via detection of inadvertently translocated flagellin and rod protein. The signals for NLRP3 detection during Salmonella infection remain undefined. Salmonella have evolved evasion strategies to attenuate Caspase-1 responses. We review recent findings describing the interplay between detection and evasion of S. typhimurium infection by the inflammasome. We discuss how the interplay between detection and evasion affects Caspase-1 effector functions mediated by IL-1β secretion, IL-18 secretion, and pyroptosis.
Exciton electroabsorption moments and sum rules

Abstract Excitonic electroabsorption spectra in semiconductor epilayers and heterostructures have spectral structure that contributes to modulator performance in broad-band applications such as femtosecond pulse manipulation. We define several electro-optic sum rules and electroabsorption moments combined into figures-of-merit that describe field sensitivities, bandwidths and signal-bandwidth products for semi-insulating GaAs heterostructures and AlGaAs/GaAs multiple quantum wells. The quantum-confined Stark effect and Franz–Keldysh field ionization are treated on an equal basis in the analysis. Franz–Keldysh field broadening produces larger electroabsorption than the quantum-confined Stark effect in quantum wells for electric fields smaller than 40 kV/cm.
Critical current density, flux creep, and microstructure in a Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O system

We measured magnetization hysteresis and zero-field-cooled magnetic relaxation for liquid-quenched Bi--Sr--Ca--Cu--O samples at various temperatures. We found that there is a close correlation between the magnetic behavior and the microstructures of the samples. The magnetization hysteresis greatly increases in the samples with a large amount of crystal defects such as precipitates and stacking faults in the matrix of the material. We also found that the flux creep is enhanced as a result of these microstructural changes. 6 refs., 3 figs.
Sequences, expression patterns and regulation of the corticotropin releasing factor system in a teleost

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is well known for its role in regulating the stress response in vertebrate species by controlling release of glucocorticoids. CRF also influences other physiological processes via two distinct CRF receptors (CRF-Rs) and is co-regulated by a CRF binding protein (CRFBP). Although CRF was first discovered in mammals, it is important for the regulation of the stress response, motor behavior, and appetite in all vertebrates. However, it is unclear how the actions of CRF, CRF-Rs, and CRFBP are coordinated. To approach this problem, we cloned and identified CRF, CRF-Rs, and CRFBP in a teleost fish model system, Astatotilapia burtoni and mapped their expression patterns in the body and brain. We found that CRF, CRFBP, and CRF-Rs gene sequences are highly conserved across vertebrates, suggesting that the CRF system plays an essential role in survival. Members of the CRF system are expressed widely in the brain, retina, gill, spleen, muscle, and kidney, thereby implicating them in a variety of bodily functions, including vision, respiration, digestion, and movement. We also found that following long-term social stress, mRNA expression of CRF in the brain and CRF type 1 receptor in the pituitary decrease whereas CRFBP in the pituitary increases via a homeostatic mechanism.
Allelic Loss at Drosophila Patched Gene Is Highly Prevalent in Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinomas of the Skin

The human homolog of the Drosophila Patched gene (PTCH), located at chromosome 9q22.3, is frequently altered in both nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome, and sporadic basal cell carcinomas (BCCs). However, alteration of the PTCH gene locus has been poorly studied in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). We analyzed loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at five markers in and around the PTCH gene in 276 keratinocyte tumors from a population-based study in New Hampshire. We found a high prevalence of any 9q22.3 LOH in both BCC (75.5%) and SCC (60.8%), with BCC being significantly more likely to have LOH than SCC (P<0.009). The PTCH gene was specifically lost in 60% of BCC, and 50% of SCC tumors. Among SCC tumors, 9q22 LOH was significantly more likely to occur in those who tend to burn (P<0.05), and this association was strongest for tumors that occurred on sun-exposed areas of the body (P<0.04). Additionally, 9q22 LOH occurred more frequently in SCC tumors associated with a history of severe sunburns (P<0.08). Thus, in our large, population-based sample, 9q22 loss, including PTCH, was highly prevalent in both BCC and SCC. Overall, these data support the hypothesis that PTCH loss is a common, early lesion for SCC and BCC.