cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Approximation of Measures by Markov Processes and Homogeneous Affine Iterated Function Systems

It is shown that under certain conditions, attractive invariant measures for iterated function systems (indeed for Markov processes on locally compact spaces) depend continuously on parameters of the system.
Climate Change and the Global Harvest: Potential Impacts of the Greenhouse Effect on Agriculture

The media preoccupation with El Nino and recent weather calamities suggests that nearly everyone should be aware, at least at a superficial level, of the possibilities for global climate changes. Endless articles in the popular press and scientific journal literature have reported a plethora of possible climate change outcomes, supported of course by a judicious selection of observations and reference citations. All this speculation has given rise to assertions that the scientific community is struggling with an uncomfortable dichotomy between genuine and justified concern versus enhanced budgets and notoriety that come with dire scenarios. Perhaps the climate-change research community is second only to the medical research community in having its credibility shaken by premature airing of uncertain findings.
Predicting Intraindividual Self-Concept Trajectories during Adolescence.

The level and stability of both global and domain-specific self-concepts was examined in a study of 253 adolescents, aged 11-20. Intraindividual self-concept trajectories were calculated through growth curve modeling. Six of the self-concept domains were stable over time. In the remaining three domains, there was a significant increase in perceived competency. Growth curve modeling highlighted individual differences in both level and change in self-concept for each of the domains. These differences were partially accounted for by the adolescents' age and gender, suggesting that these variables are important determinants of adolescent self-concept.
Out-of-plane displacement derivative measurements using interferometric strain/slope gage

An optical method originally developed for measuring derivatives of in-plane displacements is redefined to measure derivatives of out-of-plane displacements. The technique is based on interference of laser beams reflected and diffracted from two microindentations closely depressed on a specimen surface. As in-plane and out-of-plane displacements cause the microindentations to move relatively to each other, the two interference fringe patterns change accordingly. Movement of the interference fringes is monitored with linear photodiode arrays and analyzed via a computer-controlled system that allows simultaneous measurements of the in-plane and out-of-plane displacement derivatives. The technique is referred to as the interferometric strain/slope gage (ISSG). Having short gage length (∼100 μm), the technique is unique for measurements of high deformation gradients and for applications in complex geometries. Its principle as well as an experimental validation of measuring bending strains/stresses and deflection slopes in a cantilever beam is presented. The experiment shows that both the first-order and second-order derivatives of out-of-plane displacements can be obtained. Measurement sensitivities to in-plane and out-of-plane rigid-body motions are systematically investigated. The technique can be potentially extended to measure large deflection angles. The derived governing equations indicate a coupling effect between the in-plane and out-of-plane components. The associated instrumentation for data acquisition and analysis is described in great detail.
Viscosity of dilute gases and vapours of polyatomic molecules

A treatment of the “Viscosity of Dilute Gases and Vapors”, published in 1976, superimposed upon a single line the viscosities of Ne, Ar, CH4, CO2, C3H8, Br2 and n-C4H10 over ranges of temperature. This paper correlates by the same method the viscosities of 28 gases and vapours including some as polyatomic as normal octane, ethyl acetate, toluene, and stannic bromide. A relation is presented between heat capacities and the key parameters in the equation for viscosities of polyatomic vapours; the points for those with tetrahedral molecules fall upon one line; those with linear flexible molecules fall upon another.
Seasonal evolution of Titan's dark polar hood: midsummer disappearance observed by the Hubble Space Telescope

Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, has a dense organic-laden atmosphere that displays dramatic seasonal variations in composition and appearance. Here we document the evolution of the dark polar hood, first seen in 1980 by Voyager 1 around the north pole, and report quantitative measurements of the hood’s disappearance from the south pole in 2002‐2003 using previously unpublished observations with the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys (HST/ACS). These data support a model of the hood as a transient structure associated with downwelling during polar winter.
Automatic learning of language model structure

Statistical language modeling remains a challenging task, in particular for morphologically rich languages. Recently, new approaches based on factored language models have been developed to address this problem. These models provide principled ways of including additional conditioning variables other than the preceding words, such as morphological or syntactic features. However, the number of possible choices for model parameters creates a large space of models that cannot be searched exhaustively. This paper presents an entirely data-driven model selection procedure based on genetic search, which is shown to outperform both knowledge-based and random selection procedures on two different language modeling tasks (Arabic and Turkish).
America’s unreported economy: measuring the size, growth and determinants of income tax evasion in the U.S.

This study empirically investigates the extent of noncompliance with the tax code and examines the determinants of federal income tax evasion in the U.S. Employing a refined version of Feige’s (Staff Papers, International Monetary Fund 33(4):768–881, 1986, 1989) General Currency Ratio (GCR) model to estimate a time series of unreported income as our measure of tax evasion, we find that 18–23% of total reportable income may not properly be reported to the IRS. This gives rise to a 2009 “tax gap” in the range of $390–$540 billion. As regards the determinants of tax noncompliance, we find that federal income tax evasion is an increasing function of the average effective federal income tax rate, the unemployment rate, the nominal interest rate, and per capita real GDP, and a decreasing function of the IRS audit rate. Despite important refinements of the traditional currency ratio approach for estimating the aggregate size and growth of unreported economies, we conclude that the sensitivity of the results to different benchmarks, imperfect data sources and alternative specifying assumptions precludes obtaining results of sufficient accuracy and reliability to serve as effective policy guides.
Association of Hepatitis C Virus Infection with Serum Iron Status: Analysis of Data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Background. There is growing evidence that mildly increased amounts of iron in the liver can increase hepatic injury, particularly if combined with other hepatotoxic factors, such as alcohol use, use of porphyrogenic drugs, or chronic viral hepatitis. In the present study, the association of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with serum measurements of iron status was assessed in the US population. Methods. We analyzed data from a total of 14,462 participants in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We excluded subjects who were aged <12 years, subjects for whom measurements of serum levels of iron or ferritin or the results of liver function tests were missing, and subjects who had a serum transferrin saturation of ≥50% (to help exclude subjects with hemochromatosis). Results. Mean serum levels of ferritin and iron (± standard error) were significantly higher among subjects with HCV infection (100 ± 3 ng/mL and 229 ± 17 μg/dL, respectively) than among subjects without liver disease (83 ± 0.3 ng/mL and 101 ± 2.1 μg/dL, respectively) (P<.0001). Serum levels of ferritin were directly and significantly correlated with serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (r = 0.25, r = 0.24, and r = 0.28, respectively; P<.0001), whereas platelet counts were inversely correlated with serum levels of ferritin (r = -0.12; P<.0001). Conclusion. HCV infection is significantly associated with higher serum levels of ferritin and iron in the US population.
Java and the digitized battlefield

Interoperability is the key to the future of tactical communication systems. With this in mind, several programs have been initiated to develop radios that can communicate with current radio systems such as SINCGARS and EPLRS while including the latest developments for the Tactical Internet. General Dynamics Land Systems-Tallahassee Operations (GDLS-TO) is taking this approach to a higher level. GDLS-TO, while investigating methods of allowing these radios to communicate with each other, is also researching methods for designing radios that will be able to share and exchange software in a dynamic environment.
Contractile activity restores insulin responsiveness in skeletal muscle of obese Zucker rats

Both insulin and contraction stimulate glucose transport in skeletal muscle. Insulin-stimulated glucose transport is decreased in obese humans and rats. The aims of this study were (1) to determine if contraction-stimulated glucose transport was also compromised in skeletal muscle of genetically obese insulin-resistant Zucker rats and (2) to determine whether the additive effects of insulin and contraction previously observed in muscle from lean subjects were evident in muscle from the obese animals. To measure glucose transport hindlimbs from lean and obese Zucker rats were perfused under basal insulin-stimulated (0.1 uM) contraction- stimulated (electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve) and combined insulin-+contraction-stimulated conditions. One hindlimb was stimulated to contract while the contralateral leg served as an unstimulated control. 2-Deoxyglucose transport rates were measured in the white gastrocnemius red gastrocnemius and extensor digitorum longus muscles. As expected the insulin-stimulated glucose transport rate in each of the three muscles was significantly slower (P<0.05) in obese rats when compared with lean animals. When expressed as fold stimulation over basal there was no significant difference in contraction-induced muscle glucose transport rates between lean-and obese animals. Insulin-+contraction-stimulation was additive in skeletal muscle of lean animals but synergistic in skeletal muscle of obese animals. Prior contraction increased insulin responsiveness of glucose transport 2-5-fold in the obese rats but had no effect on insulin responsiveness in the lean controls. This contraction-induced improvement in insulin responsiveness could be of clinical importance to obese subjects as a way to improve insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in resistant skeletal muscle. Originally published Biochemical Journal Vol. 289 Pt. 2 Jan 1993
Preterm Labor and Birth: What Have We Learned in the Past Two Decades?

Preterm births in the United States reached a 20-year high of 11.9% in 2001. Preterm and low-birth-weight births are the end result of multiple pathways. This article examines two decades of multidisciplinary research related to preterm birth from both individual and ecologic perspectives. The difficulties in identifying women who will have preterm birth, risk factors amenable to change in the preconception and prenatal periods, and strategies for intervention are described, along with maternal treatment to improve infant outcomes. Future directions for nursing practice and research are suggested.
Complete ranking procedures with quadratic loss

Suppose that one wishes to rank k normal populations, each with common variance σ2 and unknown means θi (i=1,2,…,k). Independent samples of size n are taken from each population, and the sample averages are used to rank the populations. In this paper, we investigate what sample sizes, n, are necessary to attain “good” rankings under various loss functions. Section discusses various loss functions and their interpretation. Section 2 gives the solution for a reasonable non-parametric loss function. Section 3 gives the solution for a reasonable parameteric loss function.
Neuralized1 causes apoptosis and downregulates Notch target genes in medulloblastoma

Neuralized (Neurl) is a highly conserved E3 ubiquitin ligase, which in Drosophila acts upon Notch ligands to regulate Notch pathway signaling. Human Neuralized1 (NEURL1) was investigated as a potential tumor suppressor in medulloblastoma (MB). The gene is located at 10q25.1, a region demonstrating frequent loss of heterozygosity in tumors. In addition, prior publications have shown that the Notch pathway is functional in a proportion of MB tumors and that Neurl1 is only expressed in differentiated cells in the developing cerebellum. In this study, NEURL1 expression was downregulated in MB compared with normal cerebellar tissue, with the lowest levels of expression in hedgehog-activated tumors. Control of gene expression by histone modification was implicated mechanistically; loss of 10q, sequence mutation, and promoter hypermethylation did not play major roles. NEURL1-transfected MB cell lines demonstrated decreased population growth, colony-forming ability, tumor sphere formation, and xenograft growth compared with controls, and a significant increase in apoptosis was seen on cell cycle and cell death analysis. Notch pathway inhibition occurred on the exogenous expression of NEURL1, as shown by decreased expression of the Notch ligand, Jagged1, and the target genes, HES1 and HEY1. From these studies, we conclude that NEURL1 is a candidate tumor suppressor in MB, at least in part through its effects on the Notch pathway.
Non-Coordinate Genetic Alterations in the Expression of Catalase and other Glyoxysomal Enzymes during Maize Development

Huang, D., Scandalios, J. G., Skadsen, R. W. and Tsaftaris, A. S. 1986. Non-coordinate genetic alterations in the expression of catalase and other glyoxysomal enzymes during maize develop ment.—J. exp. Bot. 37: 1189-1200. In the scutellum of maize during post-germinative development, the primary form of catalase expressed is the product of the Cat2 structural gene, CAT-2. The developmental time-course of CAT-2 protein follows a rapid increase with a peak at approximately 4-5 d after germination and a subsequent decline. An inbred strain of maize, A337, has been found to exhibit a similar generalized profile with the significant exception that the level of CAT-2 protein present in the scutellum is far above that in the 'typical' maize lines exemplified by W64A. Our data suggest that the higher levels of CAT-2 exhibited in A337 are due to increased synthesis and accumulation of more CAT-2 protein, and not merely to enzyme activation. A comparison of A337 and W64A showed that the two lines are similar with respect to number of glyoxysomes and with the exception of catalase, other microbody associated enzymes exhibit similar activity levels and developmental profiles. Thus, the results presented suggest that the catalase developmental programme characteristic of line A337 is not due to a concurrent increase and subsequent decline in the number of glyoxysomes formed in the scutellum during this developmental period but is instead due to a greater level of CAT-2 protein. The data further support our earlier findings that the genes coding for glyoxysomal enzymes in maize are non-coordinately regulated.
Bonded Wood-Concrete T-Beams

Timber-concrete composite T-beams were fabricated and tested to destruction. Unreinforced precast concrete slabs were glued to timber beams using an epoxy compound resulting in a T-section with the concrete serving as the flange and the timber serving as the web. Using an equivalent all wood transformed section gave good experimental agreement for the neutral axis position and curvature in the test beams but poor agreement for deflection. Four beams failed in sliding shear at the high shear region while one beam reached the full flexural strength of the composite section. It was shown that wood-concrete bonded T-beams may carry substantial loads and function as true composite beams.
The Potential of Night Sky Radiation for Humidity Control

Ambient energy sources, including ambient air, ground and night sky, have potential for space cooling. The night sky offers the lowest temperature and, therefore, the greatest potential across most of the US. Compared to a previous analysis that considered only the sensible cooling load, the objective of this new project was to evaluate the potential of night-sky radiation (NSR) to also serve the latent cooling load. ASHRAE standard 55 was used to establish the comfort limits (22°C for room temperature and 60% relative humidity). Condensation was evaluated as the mechanism for humidity reduction, thus the dew-point temperature, 13.9°C, corresponding to the ASHRAE limits was the maximum target temperature for night-sky cooling. Typical meteorological year (TMY3) weather data was used for eleven locations representing ASHRAE climate zones. Building heat gain, infiltration/ventilation requirements and night-sky radiator size were characterized by a load-to-radiator ratio LRR defined as the infiltration/ventilation volume flow rate times the ratio of building floor area to radiator area. Three values of LRR were evaluated: 0.35, 3.5 and 35 m/hr. Three thermal storage cases were considered: 1. Annual NSR cooling potential (seasonal storage), 2. Diurnal storage, and 3. The minimum storage capacity to serve the entire annual load, as well as the effects of capacity less than the minimum. To evaluate the effect of night-sky radiator temperature on storage capacity, six NSR temperatures Trad = 13.9 to −26.1°C were tested. Results showed that even in Miami, FL (the most challenging climate evaluated), annual NSR potential exceeded the total sensible and latent cooling load, at least for the lowest LRR and highest Trad. For diurnal storage, NSR could serve less than 20% of the load in the hot and humid southeast, but the entire load in the mountain west. The minimum storage capacity to meet the entire annual load corresponds to the capacity required to bridge the span of time without NSR availability during which the largest cooling load occurs. This capacity decreases with decreasing LRR and decreasing Trad. For the southeast, large capacity is required, but for Louisville, for instance, sufficient capacity is provided by the equivalent of as little as 0.05 m of water over the floor area of the building for LRR = 0.35 m/hr. These results demonstrate that for much of the US, night-sky radiation has the potential to serve the entire annual sensible and latent cooling load.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Fungal skin infections associated with animal contact

Zoophilic dermatophytes are fungal organisms that primarily infect animals but occasionally infect humans. The most common of these are Microsporum canis and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. The clinical lesions of zoophilic fungal infections are more inflammatory than those caused by the typical anthropophilic fungi normally transmitted from person to person. To diagnose zoophilic fungal infections, a potassium hydroxide preparation of the skin scrapings may be examined microscopically or a culture may be obtained. Small lesions located anywhere except on the scalp may be treated with a topical antifungal agent. Oral griseofulvin is preferred for the treatment of scalp infections and extensive cutaneous infections.
Pseudo-differential operators with singular symbols (ΨDOSS)

We begin Chapter 2 with simple examples of initial and boundary value problems, solution operators of which have singularities of one or another type in the dual variable. The presence of a singularity often causes a failure of well posedness of the problem in the sense of Hadamard. Let A be a linear differential operator mapping a function space X into another function space F.
Ophthalmic Complications Associated with Direct Oral Anticoagulant Medications

ABSTRACTObjective: To describe the clinical features and management of six patients with ocular complications associated with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). Methods: The medical records of all adult patients known to be taking a DOAC and with an unusual bleeding event at a large tertiary referral center over a one-year period were reviewed. Patients with less than one-month follow-up were excluded. Data collection included relevant clinic notes, operative reports, surgical videos, and clinical images (fundus photography, optical coherence tomography, B-scan ultrasonography, and fluorescein angiography). Results: Six eyes in six patients were identified with an unusual bleeding event associated with DOAC use. One patient was taking apixaban, two patients were taking dabigatran, and three patients were taking rivaroxaban. Two patients had large submacular hemorrhage (including one with vitreous hemorrhage breakthrough), three patients had vitreous hemorrhage, and one patient had recurrent hyphema. Pres...
Evaluating security and privacy in cloud computing services: A Stakeholder's perspective

The cloud computing paradigm is now adopted in many organizations in various fields because of its low cost, high availability and scalability features. Healthcare, education, business, and many other domains look at cloud computing as an endeavor to solve the continuous shortage in volume, infrastructure, accessibility, and monitoring potency. However, moving data to the cloud implies shifting control of the customer's data to the cloud service provider indefinitely. Hence, the security and privacy of the customer's information becomes an important issue. Being an emerging field, there is a lack of experience in cloud security and lack of consensus on security and privacy. Assessing and comparing among potential cloud computing services, poses an issue for novice customers interested to move their work to the cloud to choose security options that are sufficient and robust at the same time. This paper attempts to identify and categorize a list of attributes which reflect the various aspects of cloud security and privacy. These attributes can be used to assess and compare cloud computing services so that consumers can make well educated choices. Cloud service providers can use them to build and/or offer better cloud solutions.
The Deficit View and Its Critics

This paper investigates what it is to understand human differences in terms of deficits and examines criticisms of this approach. In the past few decades, across many fields of inquiry and outside the academy there has been a surge of interest in critiquing "the deficit view" of all manner of group differences and deviations from the norm. But what exactly is meant by "deficit view" and related terms when they figure in accounts of human differences? Do critics of the deficit view claim that they are never appropriate or that particular applications of the approach are inappropriate? The aim of this paper is twofold: to identify and articulate some of the conceptual issues at the heart of debates about deficit approaches and to examine how these issues matter. Autism is my focus case. As we will see, many critiques of the deficit view of autism tend to characterize what is problematic about taking a deficit view in terms of the personal and social harm that deficit views can or do effect. One important upshot of my discussion, I argue, is that there is another kind of drawback to deficit thinking that is independent of the deficit view's potential negative personal and social consequences, a drawback that deserves serious consideration and sustained critical attention: in some instances, at least, deficit views impede scientific and philosophical progress in our understanding of the phenomena themselves. Thus, articulating and assessing deficit approaches is of practical and theoretical importance.
Old and new models for studying host-microbe interactions in health and disease: C. difficile as an example

There has been an explosion of interest in studying the indigenous microbiota, which plays an important role in human health and disease. Traditionally, the study of microbes in relationship to human health involved consideration of individual microbial species that caused classical infectious diseases. With the interest in the human microbiome, an appreciation of the influence that complex communities of microbes can have on their environment has developed. When considering either individual pathogenic microbes or a symbiotic microbial community, researchers have employed a variety of model systems with which they can study the host-microbe interaction. With the use of studies of infections with the toxin-producing bacterium Clostridium difficile as a model for both a pathogen and beneficial bacterial communities as an example, this review will summarize and compare various model systems that can be used to gain insight into the host-microbe interaction.
Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis 420 mitigates the pathological impact of myocardial infarction in the mouse

There is a growing appreciation that our microbial environment in the gut plays a critical role in the maintenance of health and the pathogenesis of disease. Probiotic, beneficial gut microbes, administration can directly attenuate cardiac injury and post-myocardial infarction (MI) remodelling, yet the mechanisms of cardioprotection are unknown. We hypothesised that administration of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis 420 (B420), a probiotic with known anti-inflammatory properties, to mice will mitigate the pathological impact of MI, and that anti-inflammatory T regulatory (Treg) immune cells are necessary to impart protection against MI as a result of B420 administration. Wild-type male mice were administered B420, saline or Lactobacillus salivarius 33 (Ls-33) by gavage daily for 14 or 35 days, and underwent ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Pretreatment with B420 for 10 or 28 days attenuated cardiac injury from I/R and reduced levels of inflammatory markers. Depletion of Treg cells by administration of anti-CD25 monoclonal antibodies eliminated B420-mediated cardio-protection. Further cytokine analysis revealed a shift from a pro-inflammatory to an anti-inflammatory environment in the probiotic treated post-MI hearts compared to controls. To summarise, B420 administration mitigates the pathological impact of MI. Next, we show that Treg immune cells are necessary to mediate B420-mediated protection against MI. Finally, we identify putative cellular, epigenetic and/or post-translational mechanisms of B420-mediated protection against MI.
Failure-to-Rescue in Thoracic Surgery

Variability in outcomes not attributable to case mix or chance is an indicator of low-quality care. Failure-to-rescue is an outcome measure defined as death during a hospitalization among patients who experience a complication. Researchers have used this measure to better understand the determinants of an untimely death-preventing complications, rescue, or both. Studies repeatedly find that complication rates vary little, if at all, across hospitals ranked by risk-adjusted mortality rates, suggesting that hospitals are equally capable (or incapable) of preventing complications. In contrast, variation in failure-to-rescue rates seems to explain much of the variation in risk-adjusted hospital-level mortality rates. These findings suggest that system-level interventions that allow for the early detection and treatment of complications (ie, rescue) may reduce variability in hospital-level outcomes and improve the quality of thoracic surgical care.
Mens Rea by the Numbers

Before the recent presidential election, a bipartisan congressional effort was made to pass a criminal justice reform bill. The bill faltered in part because of a proposed default mens rea provision: statutes silent on mens rea, that were not explicitly identified as strict liability by the legislature, would be taken to require for guilt proof of knowledge with respect to each material element. This paper focusses on a prominent line of disagreement about the default mens rea provision. Proponents argued that it would reduce the number of unjust verdicts in corporate cases. They noted that there have been convictions of corporations and corporate officers for public welfare offenses in instances in which there was good reason to believe that the defendants lacked mens rea. They touted the legislation, then, as a way of reducing the false positive rate. Opponents noted that the provision would also reduce the rate of true positives in corporate prosecutions—convictions of those possessing mens rea who could not be proven to—and opposed the legislation on those grounds. Both sides, then, accepted that the relevant question was, in part, numerical: under the provision, would the reductions in guilty verdicts of those lacking mens rea outnumber and outweigh the increases in acquittals of those possessing it? This paper critically examines this numerical approach for assessing and justifying the default mens rea provision. The paper argues that there is a small domain under which it is appropriate to reason in such numerical terms about a default mens rea provision, but that that domain is so small as to make such arguments inappropriate when it comes to sweeping legislation, such as that proposed. The paper further argues that in light of this conclusion the default mens rea provision must be examined non-numerically, through appeal to principled considerations about the necessary conditions for morally justified infliction of punishment. When such arguments are freed from numerical considerations of the kind that dominated the public discussion of the legislation, they decide the matter: the default mens rea provision deserves bipartisan support.
Development of a Recombinant Multifunctional Biomacromolecule for Targeted Gene Transfer to Prostate Cancer Cells

The objective of this study was to genetically engineer a fully functional single chain fusion peptide composed of motifs from diverse biological and synthetic origins that can perform multiple tasks including DNA condensation, cell targeting, cell transfection, particle shielding from immune system and effective gene transfer to prostate tumors. To achieve the objective, a single chain biomacromolecule (vector) consisted of four repeatative units of histone H2A peptide, fusogenic peptide GALA, short elastin-like peptide, and PC-3 cell targeting peptide was designed. To examine the functionality of each motif in the vector sequence, it was characterized in terms of size and zeta potential by Zetasizer, PC-3 cell targeting and transfection by flowcytometry, IgG induction by immunogenicity assay, and PC-3 tumor transfection by quantitative live animal imaging. Overall, the results of this study showed the possibility of using genetic engineering techniques to program various functionalities into one single ...
Satisfaction with police services among victims of physical assault in India: Impact of quality of procedure and outcome of process

Victim satisfaction is impacted by both the quality of the procedure and the outcome of the criminal justice process. Quality of procedure encompasses procedural and interactional justice. Using su...
Reply to Robergs et al.

In their editorial on the lactic acid paper ([10][1]), Robergs et al. claim the non-existence of lactic acid in the body and that lactate is not an acid-related anion but rather a buffer that minimizes acidosis. They also assert that, in traditionally viewed lactic acidosis, protons (H+) are
Addition Reactions with Formation of Carbon–Sulfur or Carbon–Selenium Bonds

Organosulfur and organoselenium reagents offer many advantages over their first row counterparts for effecting a wide range of important synthetic transformations. These materials can be introduced into substrates either as nucleophiles, radicals or electrophiles. Once introduced, they can facilitate a variety of different processes by stabilizing adjacent positive or negative charges. Finally, after serving their purpose, they can be removed either oxidatively or reductively, thereby introducing either unsaturation or saturation, respectively.
Swords in the hands of children: reflections of an American revolutionary

Jonathan Lerner is the latest former member of the Weather Underground to publish a memoir. Lerner never planted any of the 25 or so bombs the notorious American leftist guerrilla group detonated t...
Brain Age from the Electroencephalogram of Sleep

Abstract The human electroencephalogram (EEG) of sleep undergoes profound changes with age. These changes can be conceptualized as “brain age (BA),” which can be compared to chronological age to reflect the degree of deviation from normal aging. Here, we develop an interpretable machine learning model to predict BA based on 2 large sleep EEG data sets: the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) sleep lab data set (N = 2532; ages 18–80); and the Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS, N = 1974; ages 40–80). The model obtains a mean absolute deviation of 7.6 years between BA and chronological age (CA) in healthy participants in the MGH data set. As validation, a subset of SHHS containing longitudinal EEGs 5.2 years apart shows an average of 5.4 years increase in BA. Participants with significant neurological or psychiatric disease exhibit a mean excess BA, or “brain age index” (BAI = BA-CA) of 4 years relative to healthy controls. Participants with hypertension and diabetes have a mean excess BA of 3.5 years. The findings raise the prospect of using the sleep EEG as a potential biomarker for healthy brain aging.
Hyaluronan, a common thread.

Hyaluronan, nature’s simplest, but still exceptionally versatile glycosaminoglycan, is currently the focus of attention across a wide front of research; from cell biology, morphogenesis, matrix organization, pathobiology to tissue engineering. This macromolecule has entangled me in a number of puzzling and challenging projects over the past 3 decades. These entertaining encounters are outlined in this retrospective.
A Tutorial on Optimization in the Context of Perishable-Asset Revenue Management Problems for the Airline Industry

This paper provides a tutorial on the subject of perishable-asset revenue management, which is a term given to a field that combines the more familiar areas in the airline industry of yield management, overbooking, and pricing. The paper also provides a comprehensive taxonomy with 15 different dimensions (elements) along which problems that are included in this important research area can be classified. A review of the basic seat allocation decision on how many seats to sell in each fare class is given. Several commonly used overbooking algorithms and decision rules for customer diversion are discussed. Finally, two complex, yet fruitful, areas of research (approaches that consider the entire flight network and approaches that attempt to determine an optimal price) are presented.
Abdominal Clinical Application of Servo Controlled Sector Scanner with Video Recorder Permitting Manipulation of Image Parameters during Playback

In this paper we will discuss our clinical experience over the past six months using a servo controlled sector scanner in the examination of the upper abdomen. The full technical details of this equipment will be presented in another paper. However, a brief description of the equipment is pertinent to understanding its clinical applications.
Characterization of Plasmalogen-Selective Phospholipase A2 from Bovine Brain

Plasmalogens are hydrolyzed by a plasmalogen-selective phospholipase A2. This enzyme, purified from bovine brain, does not require Ca2+ and is localized in cytosol. It has a molecular mass of 39 kDa and is strongly inhibited by glycosaminoglycans, gangliosides, and sialoglycoproteins. These molecules may be involved in the regulation of its enzymic activity. Plasmalogen-selective phospholipase A2 plays an important role in the release of free fatty acids and platelet-activating factor during trauma.
Induction gemcitabine and cisplatin followed by radiation therapy in advanced loco-regional head and neck cancer.

e16043 Background: This retrospective study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of induction chemotherapy with gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC) followed by radiation / concomitant che...
The Absurdity of Bureaucracy. How Implementation Works: by Nina Holm Vohnsen, Manchester, Manchester University Press, 2017,208 pp., $84.06 (hardcover), ISBN: 978-1-5261-0134-1

In The Absurdity of Bureaucracy. How Implementation Works, Nina Holm Hansen studies a labour market reform launched by Danish authorities in 2008, called Active – Back Sooner. The reform was except...
10 – Sensorless drives

Publisher Summary This chapter begins with outlining basic issues in sensorless control of induction motors. Sensorless drives operate without speed or position sensors, which increases their robustness and reduces the equipment cost. Quality of operation of sensorless drives falls between that of scalar control drives and vector control drives with speed/position sensors. The chapter presents example flux and speed estimators and describes parameter adaptation and self-commissioning procedures. Finally, the chapter reviews commercial adjustable-speed drives (ASDs) with induction motors. Commercial ASDs can be divided into three major classes—namely, constant volts per hertz, sensorless vector, and field-oriented drives. In addition to the flux, torque, speed, and position control systems, commercial drives possess numerous features enhancing their operation and are equipped with various protection systems.
Chapter Twenty-Five – Enterovirus

This chapter discusses the basic microbiology, natural history of the organism, clinical features and epidemiology of waterborne outbreaks, including transmission, distribution and persistence in the environment, removal by treatment, and waterborne outbreaks of enterovirus such as poliovirus, coxsackievirus and echovirus. Occurrence of enterovirus infection and illness varies by serotype, geography, season and the host's age and antibody status. Coxsackievirus primarily causes meningitis, unspecified febrile illness, hand-foot-and-mouth disease and conjunctivitis. Echovirus primarily causes meningitis, unspecified febrile illness and respiratory illness. Wild poliovirus causes the most severe neurological disease. The history of the poliovirus vaccine and role of vaccination in eradication of the disease is presented. Transmission is faecal–oral and by secretory droplets from the nasopharynx. Enteroviruses are found in all types of water that can be polluted by human sewage such as lakes, rivers, sediments, marine environments, ground water, wastewater, and drinking water.
Potential-Modulated Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence for Measurement of the Electron Transfer Kinetics of Submonolayers on Optically Transparent Electrodes.

An electroreflectance method to determine the electron transfer rate constant of a film of redox-active chromophores immobilized on an optically transparent electrode when the surface coverage of t...
Laboratories of Bureaucracy: Administrative Cooperation Between State and Federal Tax Authorities

This Article argues that states and the federal tax authorities coordinate and cooperate in subtle ways to reduce some of the inefficiencies of our tax system. Indeed, two levels of taxation may offer some previously under-appreciated benefits in compliance and enforcement. For example, having both state and federal income taxes may strengthen voluntary compliance. Research suggests that the threat of federal audit increases voluntary compliance with state income taxes,7 and the reverse may also be true. Thus, the existence of two separate tax administrations helps to deter tax evasion. Further, because the states and the IRS often select returns for audit based on different criteria, two systems offer an additional check on the accuracy of taxpayer returns, increasing the efficacy of enforcement efforts. The states and the federal government share audit results with one another. In light of these benefits, this Article argues that these partnership model programs should be strengthened. Using insights derived from an examination of current effective programs, the Article suggests factors that make the programs successful and steps that might be taken to extend the reach of this partnership model in tax compliance and enforcement. First, productive personal relationships between IRS officials and their counterparts at state revenue departments often help to ensure the success of these programs. Second, the existence of clear institutional responsibility for these programs is likewise important to their receiving continued attention within the IRS bureaucracy. Third, the broad authorization Congress provided to the IRS to implement many of these programs allows the agency to work with the states in a cooperative fashion to develop these programs, and improvements in information technology will offer additional opportunities for federal-state partnerships. This Article also suggests that these cooperative programs may allow state policymakers more flexibility to deviate from federal tax law when it conflicts with state policy interests because the benefits of these programs do not depend on significant conformity. The Article proceeds as follows. Part II provides a brief background on state tax systems and scholarly concerns about inefficiency resulting from our dual tax system. Part III describes the partnership *702 model used in tax enforcement and compliance programs and discusses how these programs differ from what is usually meant by cooperative federalism. Part IV outlines how cooperative programs ameliorate some of the concerns about the inefficiency of administering two separate income tax systems. Part V provides recommendations for how Congress and the IRS can work to strengthen cooperative programs and shows how these programs offer state policymakers greater policy flexibility. Part VI concludes with suggestions for further research.
Outcomes of cholecystectomy in US veterans with cirrhosis: Predicting outcomes using nomogram.

Abstract Background This study examines the outcomes of open and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (OC/LC) in veterans with cirrhosis and develops a nomogram to predict outcomes. Methods We analyzed the Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program to identify all patients with cirrhosis and ascites who underwent cholecystectomy from 2008 to 2015. Univariate and multivariate regression were used to identify predictors of morbidity and mortality. A predictive nomogram was constructed and internally validated. Results A total of 349 patients were identified. Overall, complications occurred in 18.7% of patients, and mortality was 3.8%. LC was performed in 58.9%, and 19.2% were preformed emergently. Overall, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score was an independent factor of morbidity and mortality, while laparoscopic approach had a protective effect on morbidity. Conclusions Although cholecystectomy is a high-risk operation in cirrhotic veterans, LC may have favorable outcomes than OC in selected patients. An easy-to-use nomogram to predict morbidity and mortality for cirrhotic patients undergoing cholecystectomy is proposed.
The acceptability and feasibility of a pilot study examining the impact of a mobile technology-based intervention informed by behavioral economics to improve HIV knowledge and testing frequency among Latinx sexual minority men and transgender women

We developed a novel intervention that uses behavioral economics incentives and mobile-health text messages to increase HIV knowledge and testing frequency among Latinx sexual minority men and Latinx transgender women. Here we provide a theoretically-grounded assessment regarding the intervention’s acceptability and feasibility. We conducted 30-min exit interviews with a stratified sample of participants (n = 26 Latinx sexual minority men, 15 Latinx transgender women), supplemented with insights from study staff (n = 6). All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and translated for a content analysis using Dedoose. Cohen’s Kappa was 89.4% across coded excerpts. We evaluated acceptability based on how participants cognitively and emotionally reacted to the intervention and whether they considered it to be appropriate. We measured feasibility based on resource, scientific and process assessments (e.g., functionality of text messaging service, feedback on study recruitment procedures and surveys). Regarding acceptability, most participants clearly understood the intervention as a program to receive information about HIV prevention methods through text messages. Participants who did not complete the intervention shared they did not fully understand what it entailed at their initial enrollment, and thought it was a one-time engagement and not an ongoing program. Though some participants with a higher level of education felt the information was simplistic, most appreciated moving beyond a narrow focus on HIV to include general information on sexually transmitted infections; drug use and impaired sexual decision-making; and differential risks associated with sexual positions and practices. Latinx transgender women in particular appreciated receiving information about Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis. While participants didn’t fully understand the exact chances of winning a prize in the quiz component, most enjoyed the quizzes and chance of winning a prize. Participants appreciated that the intervention required a minimal time investment. Participants shared that the intervention was generally culturally appropriate. Regarding feasibility, most participants reported the text message platform worked well though inactive participants consistently said technical difficulties led to their disengagement. Staff shared that clients had varying reactions to being approached while being tested for HIV, with some unwilling to enroll and others being very open and curious about the program. Both staff and participants relayed concerns regarding the length of the recruitment process and study surveys. Our theoretically-grounded assessment shows the intervention is both acceptable and feasible. The trial was registered on May 5, 2017 with the ClinicalTrials.gov registry [ NCT03144336 ].
Gastroesophageal reflux disease

Although neither a common nor typical symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), dysphagia is frequently encountered in GERD patients and should prompt evaluation for GERD complications (e.g., reflux esophagitis, peptic stricture, malignancy) or alternate diagnoses. Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) can overlap with or mimic GERD; primary treatment of EoE also starts with proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy similar to GERD. Esophageal body hypomotility is seen in especially complicated GERD, but a cause-and-effect relationship may not exist in all cases. The frequency of ineffective sequences and breaks in esophageal body peristaltic integrity on esophageal high-resolution manometry (HRM) are more common in GERD patients with dysphagia. Esophageal function testing should be undertaken in patients with suspected GERD, especially when symptoms are refractory to PPI, to evaluate for confounding motor disorders such as achalasia and other non-GERD processes. PPIs are effective for proven GERD and heal reflux esophagitis and associated dysphagia. Maintenance PPI therapy decreases the need for repeat dilation of reflux-mediated (peptic) esophageal strictures. Efficacy of antireflux surgery is comparable to PPI therapy for GERD but carries risks of post-operative dysphagia. Provocative maneuvers on esophageal HRM, barium radiography, and endoscopic functional lumen imaging probe (endo-FLIP) can complement diagnosis. If esophageal testing is completely negative and dysphagia persists, functional dysphagia is diagnosed.