cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ion transport in peo-alkali salt complex polymeric electrolytes

Abstract We have prepared and characterized association complexes of polyethylene oxide with LiCF 3 COO, NaSCN and KSCN. The readily hydrated films show a markedly higher electrical conductivity than the dry films. The samples are only useful at temperatures below the melting transition of 155°C for (PEO) 5 LiCF 3 COO, 12OC for (PEO) 4 KSCN and 195°C for (PEO) 4 NaSCN. The comductivity of (PEO) 5 LiTFA is 3×10 -8 (ohm cm) −1 at 25C and 1.0×10 −5 at 100C. Solid state NMR data and conductivity using blocking and non-blocking electrodes suggests that Li ions are the predominant conducting species.
Designing experiments for nonlinear models—an introduction

We illustrate the construction of Bayesian D-optimal designs for nonlinear models and compare the relative efficiency of standard designs with these designs for several models and prior distributions on the parameters. Through a relative efficiency analysis, we show that standard designs can perform well in situations where the nonlinear model is intrinsically linear. However, if the model is nonlinear and its expectation function cannot be linearized by simple transformations, the nonlinear optimal design is considerably more efficient than the standard design. Published in 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
NMR chemical shifts of129Xe dissolved in liquid ethers, secondary amines, and alkyl sulfides

Xenon-129 NMR spectra have been measured for solutions containing Xe dissolved in a variety of linear aliphatic ethers, secondary amines, and alkyl sulfides. The chemical shifts obtained from these data are found to be linearly related to the composition of the solvent molecules expressed as volume fraction of the constituent methyl groups, methylene groups, and the respective oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur atoms. These results support a model used previously to interpret chemical shifts measured for129Xe dissolved in a variety ofn-alkanes and their terminally substituted derivatives. This model treats dispersion force contributions to the chemical shift as resulting from pairwise additive interactions between each dissolved Xe atom and the individual constituent groups of each solvent molecule.
Coexistence mediated by recruitment fluctuations: a field guide to the storage effect

For most species, a changeable environment creates a situation in which recruitment varies considerably from one breeding season to the next. If adults survive well, an occasional favorable recruitment can sustain population numbers over long periods. In effect, the gains made in favorable periods are stored in the adult population. Storage is particularly important when the species is at low densities, because then the potential population growth rate is very high if a favorable period occurs. Our past work showed that the storage mechanism could lead to coexistence of two species in lottery competition for space, as long as generations overlapped and there was sufficient variation in recruitment (Chesson and Warner 1981). This was true even if one species had an average competitive advantage. The storage model also operates when more than two species are competing, when resources renew independently of population sizes, and when not all the resource is used. It also operates in simple Lotka-Volterra sys...
Information Reliability and a Theory of Financial Intermediation

This paper is an analysis of when it will be beneficial for agents engaged in the production of information to form coalitions. The model is cast in a financial market framework, thus leading to an identification of conditions sufficient for the existence of financial intermediaries. Intermediation is shown to improve welfare if informational asymmetries are present, and the information generated to rectify these asymmetries is potentially unreliable. The usual appeal to transactions costs to explain intermediation is not needed.
Protein aggregation and lyophilization: Protein structural descriptors as predictors of aggregation propensity.

Lyophilization can induce aggregation in therapeutic proteins, but the relative importance of protein structure, formulation and processing conditions are poorly understood. To evaluate the contribution of protein structure to lyophilization-induced aggregation, fifteen proteins were co-lyophilized with each of five excipients. Extent of aggregation following lyophilization, measured using size-exclusion chromatography, was correlated with computational and biophysical protein structural descriptors via multiple linear regression. Descriptor selection was performed using exhaustive search and forward selection. The results demonstrate that, for a given excipient, extent of aggregation is highly correlated by eight to twelve structural descriptors. Leave-one-out cross validation showed that the correlations were able to successfully predict the aggregation for a protein “left out” of the data set. Selected descriptors varied with excipient, indicating both protein structure and excipient type contribute to lyophilization-induced aggregation. The results show some descriptors used to predict protein aggregation in solution are useful in predicting lyophilized protein aggregation.
Non-Native Varieties of English: Nativization, Norms, and Implications

Institutionalized “non-native” varieties of English have developed in countries such as Nigeria and India, where English is widely used as a second, often official, language in a broad range of intranational domains. These varieties are characterized by “nativization” (Kachru, 1981a): systematic changes in their formal features at all linguistic levels, which result from the use of English in new sociocultural settings, in contact with other languages, and in the absence of native speakers of English. This paper demonstrates how non-native varieties are distinct from interlanguages or approximative systems of “established” (Platt & Weber, 1980) varieties of English (e.g., British or American). Crucial differences are illustrated in strategies common to both nativization and second language acquisition—generalization of rules in the established varieties of English and transfer of linguistic features from other languages—in terms of linguistic contexts in which they apply and motivations underlying their application. A survey of positive attitudes toward non-native varieties among their users indicates that certain nativized features are becoming new norms for English usage in many countries. These strategies of and attitudes toward nativization are shown to have important implications for the teaching of English as a second language and for linguistic theory.
Salivary acinar cells from aquaporin 5-deficient mice have decreased membrane water permeability and altered cell volume regulation.

Aquaporins (AQPs) are channel proteins that regulate the movement of water through the plasma membrane of secretory and absorptive cells in response to osmotic gradients. In the salivary gland, AQP5 is the major aquaporin expressed on the apical membrane of acinar cells. Previous studies have shown that the volume of saliva secreted by AQP5-deficient mice is decreased, indicating a role for AQP5 in saliva secretion; however, the mechanism by which AQP5 regulates water transport in salivary acinar cells remains to be determined. Here we show that the decreased salivary flow rate and increased tonicity of the saliva secreted byAqp5 −/− mice in response to pilocarpine stimulation are not caused by changes in whole body fluid homeostasis, indicated by similar blood gas and electrolyte concentrations in urine and blood in wild-type and AQP5-deficient mice. In contrast, the water permeability in parotid and sublingual acinar cells isolated from Aqp5 −/− mice is decreased significantly. Water permeability decreased by 65% in parotid and 77% in sublingual acinar cells fromAqp5 −/− mice in response to hypertonicity-induced cell shrinkage and hypotonicity-induced cell swelling. These data show that AQP5 is the major pathway for regulating the water permeability in acinar cells, a critical property of the plasma membrane which determines the flow rate and ionic composition of secreted saliva.
Hybrid power flow analysis: Combination of AC and DC models

This paper presents a hybrid approach with AC and DC power flow models for power flow analysis. Power flow problems are solved with the AC model in a part of system, whereas with the DC model in other parts. The proposed methodology can obtain benefits from both AC (non-linear) and DC (linear) models. In other words, this approach formulates both nonlinear and linear algebraic equations, and deals with tradeoff issues between accuracy of the AC model and faster solution of the DC model. A case study with an IEEE 14-bus system is provided to compare accuracy between the proposed and the DC model. It is shown that the hybrid approach can be used for applications requiring more accuracy than DC model allows.
Importance of Birth Weight as a Risk Factor for Severe Retinopathy of Prematurity When Gestational Age Is 30 or More Weeks

Purpose To determine whether birth weight less than 1500 g is a relevant guideline indicating the need for examination for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) when gestational age at birth is 30 or more completed weeks. Design A retrospective observational cohort study. Methods A total of 266 infants in a single institutional neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), whose gestational age at birth was 30 or more weeks but whose birth weight was less than 1500 g, were examined according to published guidelines. Infants with lethal congenital anomalies or major ocular abnormalities were excluded. Outcomes were vascularization in retinal zone III without a prior need for treatment, or ROP warranting treatment. Results A study outcome was reached by 212 infants. Two hundred and eleven (99.5%) became vascularized through zone III without needing treatment. Only 1 (0.5%) required treatment for ROP. The 95% confidence interval for the occurrence rate of ROP requiring treatment in this cohort was 0.01%-2.60%. Conclusion Our results suggest that the occurrence rates of ROP requiring treatment in infants with gestational age 30 or more weeks and birth weight less than 1500 g is very low, and could indicate the need to revise examination guidelines for this subgroup of infants.
Predictive value of combined serum biomarkers for adverse pregnancy outcomes

Abstract Objective To determine if a combination of first and second trimester serum biomarkers (pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A), free βhCG, and maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (msAFP)) may be utilized to develop a predictive model for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Study design We conducted a retrospective analysis including all women who delivered at our institution between 2007 and 2010. We estimated the area under the ROC curve (AUC) to compare predictive abilities of PAPP-A, free βhCG, and msAFP singularly, and in combination for adverse pregnancy outcomes. We sought to predict the risks of preeclampsia, preterm delivery (PTD, Results The final sample included 2199 women. Determining the AUC and optimal cutoff probability values for each of the biomarkers, we found that for PTD and LBW, the combination of all three biomarkers was most predictive, while for preeclampsia the combination of msAFP and PAPP-A was most predictive. The AUC of the three biomarker combination to detect adverse pregnancy outcomes are as follows: LBW 67%, PTD 72%, and preeclampsia 77%. We created race-specific logistic regression models to predict the risk probabilities. To illustrate, the predictive probability for a 33-year-old African American, nullipara with a BMI of 50, chronic hypertension, tobacco use, PAPP-A 0.3, msAFP 2.0 and free βhCG 0.98 MOMs are: PTD 59%, LBW 61% and Preeclampsia 91%. Conclusion The combination of biomarkers currently utilized in Down syndrome screening may also be used to predict additional adverse pregnancy outcomes. Further studies are needed to determine optimal maternal and fetal surveillance, if and when increased risks are identified.
Uniqueness and existence for bounded boundary value problems

The existence and uniqueness of solutions for the boundary value problems with general linear point evaluation boundary conditions is established. We assume that f is bounded and that there is uniqueness on a homogeneous problem and on the linear variational problems.
Optical nonblocking multicast and broadcast interconnects using multidimensional multiplexing concepts

It is well known that using space-switching, an N node multistage network can be constructed with its minimum switching complexity in the order of Nlog/sub 2/N but only for the point-to-point switching applications. To allow multicast and broadcast applications, a space-switching network has to use a minimum N/sup 2/ switching states, i.e., a cross-bar type switch. Recently, we have shown that a multidimensional multiplexing concept can be used to reduce the switching complexity while maintaining nonblocking multicast and broadcast switching. In this paper, based on acousto-optic and other photonic switching devices, a free-space optical architecture to support the multidimensional nonblocking multicast switching applications is detailed. System parameters and performance limitations are calculated. Based on a pair of eight-channel acousto-optic Bragg deflector arrays, a proof-of-principle bench-top system was designed and experimentally built. Some performance issues of the proposed the system are studied. Various fundamental and technological limits are evaluated.
Incidence and Outcomes of Stricture Formation Postlaryngectomy

Objective. Postlaryngectomy stricture formation and dysphagia negatively affect quality of life and result in nutritional compromise. Understanding risk factors and successful treatment strategies may improve treatment outcomes.Study Design. Historical cohort study.Setting. Tertiary care medical center.Subjects and Methods. Patients at a tertiary care center who underwent a total laryngectomy between 2003 and 2009 (N = 263) were evaluated in a retrospective manner. Patient demographics, comorbidities, tobacco and alcohol usage, dietary outcomes, feeding tube dependence, and treatment modalities were assessed. Management strategies and outcomes were evaluated.Results. Strictures developed in 19% (n = 49) of patients, and the majority (82%) occurred in the first year. Incidences of stricture formation were similar for primary (19%) and salvage laryngectomy (19%) patients. Patients undergoing salvage laryngectomy were 2 times more likely to be reconstructed with a free flap, whereas those undergoing a primar...
2-D images of deuterium emission in the Alcator C-Mod tokamak divertor

Two 7-mm diameter, remote-head, visible, charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras are used on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak to generate two-dimensional emissivity profiles of deuterium line radiation (typically at Balmer /spl alpha/ and Balmer /spl gamma/) from the divertor. These emissivity profiles are obtained by reconstructing the measured brightnesses using the thin-chord approximation and assuming toroidal symmetry of the emission. The regions of the divertor with a high ratio of Balmer /spl gamma/ to Balmer /spl alpha/ emission are indicative of a plasma that is recombining. These recombining regions in the divertor are seen to shift from the inner to the outer divertor as the core density in increased.
Nd and Sr Isotopes as Tracers of Wind Transport: Atlantic Aerosols and Surface Sediments

A study of Nd and Sr isotopes in the detrital fraction of surface sediments and aerosols permit distinction between different continental sources and the deduction of transport mechanisms of particulate matter to and within the Atlantic Ocean. Nd isotope ratios and Rb-Sr “model ages” are the most informative aeolian transport tracers. Isotopic ratios display consistent patterns for both present-day aerosols and Upper Holocene surface sediments. Important sources of aeolian particles are connected with major atmospheric circulation systems: the “Trades” and the “Westerlies”. In the tropical present-day aerosols, Rb-Sr model ages allow us to distinguish between “old” particles coming from the north-west part of the Saharan desert, transported during summer periods, and “young” particles coming from the south-east part of tropical Africa and transported during winter periods. The use of these tracers to evaluate wind flux and trajectory evolution would be fruitfully extended to the entire Quaternary period.
Simulated performance of monocrystalline CdTe/MgCdTe double heterostructure solar cells

This paper reports the simulated performance of monocrystalline CdTe/MgCdTe double-heterostructure solar cells using both the detailed-balance model and the drift-diffusion model. The Shockley-Queisser model predicts the limiting efficiency of an idealized solar cell with unity absorptance above the bandgap energy and zero below. However, practical solar cells do not have step-function absorptance spectra due to finite absorber thickness, non-ideal anti-reflection coating, Urbach tail, etc. This paper develops a detailed-balance model for solar cells with finite absorber thicknesses and arbitrary absorptance spectra, which can be calculated using the material property and sample structure of a solar cell. The drift-diffusion model is solved numerically using PC1D software while taking into account the photon recycling (PR) effects by adjusting the effective radiative recombination coefficient with a PR factor of the solar cell. With the inclusion of the PR effect, simulation results from PC1D agree well with the detailed-balance limit when non-radiative recombination is negligible. The expected efficiencies of a monocrystalline CdTe/MgCdTe double-heterostructure solar cell are calculated as a function of minority carrier lifetime. A 28.7 % efficiency is potentially achievable for monocrystalline CdTe/MgCdTe DH solar cells with a SRH lifetime of 2.7 µs demonstrated very recently.
Among the Periodicals: The Common Core State Standards

In the United States, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were developed by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers and endorsed by the American Federat...
Clean Water Act of 1977

One of several federal laws relating to the environment, the Clean Water Act of 1977 is quite lengthy and to reproduce it here in its entirety would serve the needs of relatively few persons. However, to provide an acquaintanceship with its purposes and provisions generally, the titles of subchapters are listed and some sections are presented in their entirety or in part. Persons having to deal with water pollution matters should examine the entire act and other related statutes as well.
Social Movements in Contentious Politics: A Review Article

Political Protest and Social Change: Analyzing Politics. By Charles F. Andrain and David E. Apter. New York: New York University Press, 1996. 387p. $50.00 cloth, $19.95 paper. The Politics of Social Protest: Comparative Perspectives on States and Social Movements. By J. Craig Jenkins and Bert Klandermans, eds. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1995. 381p. $49.95 cloth, $19.95 paper. New Social Movements in Western Europe: A Comparative Analysis. By Hanspeter Kriesi, Ruud Koopmans, Jan Willem Duyvendak, and Marco G. Giugni. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1995. 310p. $54.95 cloth, $21.95 paper. Shanghai on Strike: The Politics of Chinese Labor. By Elizabeth J. Perry. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1993. 327p. $42.50 cloth, $16.95 paper. Popular Contention in Great Britain, 1758-1834. By Charles Tilly. Cambridge, MA, and London: Harvard University Press, 1995. 476p. $49.95. Ikki: Social Conflict and Political Protest in Early Modern Japan. By James W. White. Ithaca, NY, and London: Cornell University Press. 1995. 348p. $39.95.
Clinical observation of montelukast prevention for wheezing infants and young children after brochiolitis

AIM To discuss the clinical efficacy of montelukast in prevention for recurrent asthmatic wheezing in infants and young children after brochiolitis.METHODS From 2006-2007,children with cured bronchiolitis in our hospital(out-patient and in-patient) were randomly divided into two groups;49 children were assigned in experimental group including male 33,female 16 with an average age of(9.20 ± s 0.20) months,and another 49 as the control group consisting of male 30,female 19 with an average age of(8.50 ± 0.20) months.The experimental group continued to take frequencies montelukas for 3 months as the control group did not adopt any intervention.Statistical of the recurrent wheezing in two groups were discharged after 6 months.RESULTS The experimental group presented obvious less in number with asthmatic symptoms than that of the control group after the treatment with the incidence of 9%(4 / 46) vs 33%(16 / 49),P 0.01.There were 1 patient of skin rash and 2 patients of restlessness occurring adverse reactions in the experimental group and thus stop the medication.CONCLIUSION Orally taken montelukast is effective and has less adverse reaction for infants and young children after bronchiolitis prevent recurrent asthmatic wheezing in and ought to be recommended.
Caveat Emptor: Caliceal Stones and the Missing Calix

AbstractThe failure of a stone-containing calix to visualize on an imaging study (that is a missing calix) is often the initial and only sign of an associated pyocalix, since the patient may present without fever and with sterile urine. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL**Dornier Medical Systems, Inc., Marietta, Georgia.) in these patients may lead to life-threatening systemic sepsis. Therefore, the treatment of choice for the stone-laden missing calix is percutaneous drainage of the affected calix followed by percutaneous stone removal and, when necessary, an endoinfundibulotomy to reestablish communication between the obstructed calix and the renal pelvis.
Management of Stage IIIA (N2) Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

There is no consensus as to the optimal management of IIIA (N2) non-small cell lung cancer, nor for the role of surgery in treating this disease stage. Clinical trial evidence struggles to keep up with technology advancement and the evolution of expert opinion. Despite advances in chemotherapeutic regimens, methods of delivery for radiation, and less invasive surgical techniques, survival for patients with stage IIIA-N2 malignancies remains poor. Further developments in both will stimulate and maintain controversy in the field for years to come.
Hormone-Replacement Therapy for Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone Deficiency

The first law of endocrine disease treatment is that an absent hormone should be replaced. As they report in this issue of the Journal, Kuhnen et al.1 successfully applied this principle to two adult patients with genetic proopiomelanocortin deficiency, and both patients had impressive hunger reduction and weight loss as well as improved insulin sensitivity. Proopiomelanocortin is a prohormone that is cleaved in different cells to produce multiple peptide ligands that act primarily on the five melanocortin receptors.2 The pituitary corticotroph product, adrenocorticotropic hormone, stimulates the adrenal gland through the melanocortin-2 receptor (MC2R). Clinically, proopiomelanocortin deficiency is dominated by a . . .
The Strengths of Pharmacy

Abstract In this first of three chapters into which we have divided the 1953 Remington Medal Address, Dr. Muldoon traces American Pharmacy's Public and Professional Relationships from its colonial origins to the present day. In subsequent installments of this magnificent portrayal of Pharmacy's Strengths he covers Pharmaceutical Industry, Education, Specialization, Organization and Administration.
Socio-economic Characteristics and Cropping Pattern of Custard Apple Grower in Maharashtra

In all 60 custard apple growers were randomly selected from twelve villages of two tehsils of Aurangabad district for the year 2010-2011. Cross sectional data were collected from custard apple growers with the help of pretested schedule by personal interview method. Regression coefficients with respect to socio-economic characteristics were obtained through linear regression analysis. The mean values of socio-economic characteristics were also estimated in arithmetic form. The result revealed that educational level showed highly significant effect on custard apple productivity with regression coefficient of 4.54 with mean value of educational level was 2.36 scores. In next order, regression coefficient of land holding was also highly significant (1.59) while mean value of land holding was 3.11 hectares. Regression coefficient of milch animal was 3.66 while mean value of milch animal was 2.65 numbers. Age of custard apple grower, family size and investment on irrigation structure were found nonsignificant characteristics. Regarding cropping pattern, gross cropped area was 3.11 hectares. It was observed that proportionate share of cereal crops was the highest as 31.51 per cent followed by cash crops (24.43 %), fruit crop (17.04 %), pulse crops (13.51 %) and oilseed crops (13.51 %). The net sown area was 2.59 hectares and double cropped area was 0.52 hectares. Cropping intensity was found to be 120.08 per cent.
RESPONSES OF ISOLATED, PRESSURIZED NEWBORN PULMONARY RESISTANCE VESSELS TO CHANGES IN EXTRACELLULAR pH (æ pH) † 1459

Isolated vessel segments have been useful for studying control of vascular tone. For technical reasons, most studies of pulmonary vascular responses have utilized large conductance vessels. However, the principal site of increased pulmonary vascular resistance is the small precapillary arteriole (<300μm diameter). Indeed, the unique pressor response of the intact pulmonary circulation to hypoxia is observed only in isolated resistance vessels. We have similarly found that large conductance vessels do not demonstrate consistent responses to changes in pH (Δ pH). We hypothesized that isolated, pressurized pulmonary resistance vessels would mimic the unique responses of the intact lung to ▵ pH. Pulmonary resistance vessels(<300 μm) from newborn piglets were isolated, cannulated at both ends, pressurized to 15 mm Hg and superfused with NaHCO3-containing buffer equilibrated with gas mixtures containing room air (RA) plus 14, 5 or 2% CO2 to achieve a buffer pH of 6.8, 7.4 or 7.7, respectively. The vessel image was projected on a monitor for continuous measurement of the lumen diameter (LD) with a video dimension analysis system. Spontaneous responses to▵ pH were studied in 9 pulmonary resistance vessels from 5 piglets (mean LD 206; range 115-265 μm). All vessels constricted to 50 mM KCl (21± 13% decrease in LD) and demonstrated intact endothelial-dependent dilation to bradykinin (1 μM). After one hour equilibration with stable LD in RA/5% CO2 (pH 7.4) the superfusion gas was changed to RA/14% CO2 (pH 6.8). Acidosis caused a 9 ± 4.6% decrease in LD, which was immediately reversed by changing to RA/2% CO2 (pH 7.7). Continued exposure to alkalosis caused a 15.2 ± 6.6% dilation to a LD consistently larger than that observed at pH 7.4. We conclude that isolated, pressurized pulmonary resistance vessels can be used as a model to study signaling mechanisms mediating the unique responses of the pulmonary circulation to ▵pH. These findings emphasize the importance of viewing the pulmonary circulation as a non-homogeneous unit and of focusing on small precapillary arterioles in investigations of pulmonary vascular responses to hypoxia and pH. (Supported by March of Dimes #6-FY96-0703)
Epigenetic Influences on Diapause

Abstract Diapause is an endogenously regulated dormant state that allows insects and other animals to survive seasons of inimical conditions. Diapause is characterized by altered gene expression profiles, which mediate developmental arrest, metabolic depression, increased stress resistance, and other physiological and biochemical changes associated with this dormant state. In this chapter, I explore epigenetic processes that may regulate gene expression and contribute to the diapause phenotype. Only a few studies have explored the influence of DNA methylation, histone modification, and small RNA silencing on diapause. However, there is evidence that histone methylation and histone acetylation influence diapause in a wide range of species. In addition, microRNAs, siRNAs, and piRNAs appear to regulate gene expression before, during, and after diapause. Together, the accumulating evidence supports the inclusion of multiple epigenetic pathways in the “toolbox” of processes that regulate dormant states in insects and other animals.
Overflow metabolism and growth cessation in Clostridium thermocellum DSM1313 during high cellulose loading fermentations.

As a model thermophilic bacterium for the production of second-generation biofuels, the metabolism of Clostridium thermocellum has been widely studied. However, most studies have characterized C. thermocellum metabolism for growth at relatively low substrate concentrations. This outlook is not industrially relevant, however, as commercial viability requires substrate loadings of at least 100 g/L cellulosic materials. Recently, a wild-type C. thermocellum DSM1313 was cultured on high cellulose loading batch fermentations and reported to produce a wide range of fermentative products not seen at lower substrate concentrations, opening the door for a more in-depth analysis of how this organism will behave in industrially relevant conditions. In this work, we elucidated the interconnectedness of overflow metabolism and growth cessation in C. thermocellum during high cellulose loading batch fermentations (100 g/L). Metabolic flux and thermodynamic analyses suggested that hydrogen and formate accumulation perturbed the complex redox metabolism and limited conversion of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA conversion, likely leading to overflow metabolism and growth cessation in C. thermocellum. Pyruvate formate lyase (PFL) acts as an important redox valve and its flux is inhibited by formate accumulation. Finally, we demonstrated that manipulation of fermentation conditions to alleviate hydrogen accumulation could dramatically alter the fate of pyruvate, providing valuable insight into process design for enhanced C. thermocellum production of chemicals and biofuels. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Variable Forgetting Factor Based Least Square Algorithm for Intelligent Radar

With the wide use of electromagnetic spectrum, the electromagnetic environment becomes more and more complicated. Complex electromagnetic environment will pose a severe challenge to radar system. Modern intelligent radar should provide feedback from receiver to transmitter, and transmit waveform according to working environment. Adaptive algorithm is the core problem of radar feedback. In this paper, after analysis of feedback in intelligent radar and adaptive filtering, we propose a novel variable forgetting factor based least square algorithm based on feedback system. In simulations, we compare the performances of vector estimation error, signal recovery, and equalization. Simulation results demonstrate that performances of the proposed variable forgetting factor based least square algorithm are better than traditional least square algorithm. Finally, the whole paper is summarized.
Downy Brome (Bromus tectorum) Vernalization: Variation and Genetic Controls

Downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.) is a widely distributed invasive winter annual grass across western North America. Bromus tectorum phenology can vary considerably among populations, and those differences are considered adaptively significant. A consensus hypothesis in the literature attributes the majority of observed differences in B. tectorum phenology to differing vernalization requirements among populations. A series of greenhouse experiments were conducted to identify differences in B. tectorum vernalization requirements and link vernalization to expression of annual false-brome [Brachypodium distachyon (L.) P. Beauv.]-derived vernalization gene homolog (BdVRN1). Results from this study indicate that variation in time to flowering is partially governed by differing vernalization requirements and that flowering is linked to the expression of BdVRN1.
The Natural and the Supernatural in Human Nature: Hegel on the Soul

Looking at contemporary philosophy of mind, one has the impression that philosophers no longer know, nor want to know, nor would find intelligible the desire to know, what the soul is. The soul, it seems, is no longer a legitimate topic for philosophical discourse. It has largely become a form of locution or a linguistic metaphor without philosophical significance, so that it would be inappropriate even to raise the question as to its nature. Rather than being a manifestation of Geist as Hegel would have it, the soul has become somewhat of a ghost. This is unfortunate, because, as I hope to show in what follows, the soul is both a philosophically fascinating as well as a perfectly genuine category in our ontology, at least in the way in which it is analyzed and discussed by Hegel. In particular, it seems that Hegel’s categorial explication of the soul has the merit of avoiding both the physicalist reductionism of mind to matter as well as the metaphysical hypostatization of a suprasensible immaterial entity, or so I shall argue. Moreover, Hegel’s approach also has the advantage of staying clear of the artificial Cartesian separation of res cogitans from res extensa. In short, I believe that Hegel found a way of saying something both interesting and important about the soul after Kant’s decisive critique of rational psychology in the Paralogisms, and without abandoning the topic entirely to empirical psychology.
Diagnosis of Central Nervous System Disorders with Projective Techniques

When discussing the problem of the relationship between central nervous system disorders and projective techniques, one needs to simultaneously present the theoretical considerations relating to brain damage (or CNS disorders) with the theoretical considerations regarding projective techniques. Because this is not possible, it is necessary to present these pieces individually and then to try to weave them together. For these purposes this chapter will be divided into two major parts. The first will discuss some theoretical considerations relating to CNS disorders, projective techniques, and some general commentary on the question of diagnosis. The second part will illustrate some of these concepts as they relate to specific projective instruments and processes and cite some of the available research.
Designing New Foods and Beverages for the Ageing

Abstract: This chapter shows how a consumer-led approach to product development can be employed in the design of new foods and beverages for the ageing. After a brief description of the underlying concepts and practices, a detailed picture is given of how this approach was used in the design of home meal replacements for senior households. The chapter also includes a comprehensive review of the main determinants of food preference and meal choice behaviour at a later age.
Self-reported Intentional Weight Loss and Risk of Death in Moderate Chronic Kidney Disease in the United States

Objective We hypothesized that intentional weight loss is associated with lower mortality risk, whereas unintentional weight loss is associated with higher mortality risk in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Design and Methods We examined this hypothesis in 872 participants with age >20 years, body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2 and CKD from 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who reported their 1 year prior and current weights and the intent to lose weight. We examined the association of self-reported intentional versus unintentional weight loss with all-cause mortality. Participants with no intent to lose weight and no change in weight were the reference group. A multivariable Cox regression model was used to relate mortality with intentional and unintentional weight losses after adjustment for demographics and comorbidity. Results There were 446 deaths over 6271 years of follow-up. Compared to the reference group, intentional weight loss of 5% to Conclusions Intentional weight loss in CKD participants was not associated with lower mortality risk. This might reflect residual confounding. Mechanistic and interventional studies are warranted to determine the effects of intentional weight loss in CKD.
Telephoned, Texted, or Typed Out: A Randomized Trial of Physician-Patient Communication After Emergency Department Discharge.

Abstract Background Novel means of emergency department (ED) post-discharge communication—telephone callbacks and text messages—are increasingly being utilized to facilitate patient-oriented outcomes, such as ED revisits, patient adherence, and satisfaction. Objective The primary measure of interest is the rate of ED revisits in the week after discharge. The secondary measures of interests are rate of primary medical doctor (PMD) or specialist physician contact in the week after discharge and patient satisfaction. Methods Pilot randomized controlled trial with three groups: usual discharge; usual care + phone call 48 h after discharge asking if patients wanted to speak with a physician; or usual care + text message 48 h after discharge asking if patients wanted to speak with a physician. All participants received a 1-week assessment of patient satisfaction. ED revisit and contact with PMD or specialist physician within 7 days of discharge were obtained from electronic medical record and analyzed using χ2 test. Results Two hundred and fifty-one patients were enrolled and randomized (66 control, 103 phone, 82 text). Although the three groups did not show a statistically significant difference, the phone and text groups had similar and lower proportions of patients revisiting the ED (>50% reduction) and calling or visiting their PMD or specialist physician (approximately 30% reduction) than the control group (χ2 = 4.57, degrees of freedom [df] = 2, p = 0.10; χ2 = 1.36, df = 2, p = 0.51). There was no difference in patient satisfaction (χ2 = 2.88, df = 2, p = 0.24). Conclusions Patients who are contacted for ED follow-up by phone and text, though perhaps not more satisfied, may tend to revisit the ED and contact their PMD or specialty physician less often than patients receiving standard written discharge instructions. However, this pilot study is underpowered, so larger randomized studies are needed to confirm.
A phase II study of oral azacitidine (CC-486) in combination with pembrolizumab (PEMBRO) in patients (pts) with metastatic melanoma (MM).

9560Background: Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) have improved survival for many pts with MM, offering durable responses in up to 35% of pts, but many have short-lived or no response ( > 40%). A po...
Divergent Reactivity in Pd-Catalyzed [3,3]-Sigmatropic Rearrangement of Allyloxy- and Propargyloxyindoles Revealed by Computation and Experiment

Detailed computational (DFT) studies of the palladium(II)-catalyzed Claisen rearrangement of 2-allyloxy- and propargyloxyindoles revealed an unexpected divergent mode of reactivity. Subsequent experimental kinetic isotope effects are in accord with the mechanism derived from the computations. The computational results led to the development of Pd(II)-catalyzed [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of 3-aryl substituted 2-propargylindoles.
The potential of future gasoline and diesel engine concepts

Limited fossil resources and the impact of CO2 emissions on global warming have strengthened the efforts to develop alternatives to the internal combustion engine. In the long term, fuel cells might have the potential to power not only heavy and light trucks but also passenger cars.
Effects of Endogenous Progesterone During Ovarian Follicle Superstimulation on Embryo Quality and Quantity in Beef Cows

Abstract Despite modifications in techniques and protocols used for multiple ovulation embryo transfer in recent decades, transferrable quality embryos (TQE) has remained relatively unchanged. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of endogenous progesterone during beef cow superstimulation on embryo quality and quantity. Thirty non-pregnant beef cows were sorted into 1 of 5 replicates and randomly assigned to one of two groups: High Progesterone (HP) or Low Progesterone (LP). All cows, were pre-synchronized utilizing a 5-d CO-Synch + CIDR protocol. Nine days after estrus (d 0) with a corpus luteum present, all cows received ultrasound-guided dominant follicle ablation (DFA) and were administered a CIDR with LP cows also being administered PGF2α. All cows began a timed, 13-d, superovulation CIDR-based protocol and were artificially inseminated (AI) twice. Embryo were recovered and evaluated on each replicate 7 days after first AI. Blood samples were collected to evaluate progesterone (P4) and estradiol concentrations daily when cows were handled. Greater number of total embryos were recovered from the HP than the LP cows (19.26 vs. 10.74, P = 0.01). The HP cows also had greater number Stage 4 embryos along with more Quality Grade 3 and 4 embryos than the LP group (5.76 vs 2.20 P = 0.002; 1.87 vs 0.61, P = 0.01; 8.22 vs 2.89, P = 0.01, respectively). However, LP cows had a greater percentage overall of freezable embryos with a higher percentage of Grade 1 embryos (58.22 vs 37.32, P = 0.03) and a greater percentage of Stage 7 and 6 TQEs (18.47 vs 1.22, P = 0.01; 10.37 vs 3.19, P = 0.03). Serum P4 concentrations were greater on d 2–3 in the HP cows (P = 0.002). In addition, HP cows had greater concentrations of estradiol (P
BluePlan: A Service for Automated Migration Plan Construction Using AI

Migration of legacy applications to Cloud has been growing steadily over the past years, driven by the promise of greater flexibility, scalability, and lower management costs. However, the complexity of the migration tasks and activities makes transformation of the current service and application architectures a long and difficult process that involves months of migration planning and execution. In this paper, we present a service application BluePlan and its implementation, which employs an artificial intelligence (AI) planner that optimizes the end-to-end migration planning with constraints, and creates migration plans for execution. The AI planner service serves to expedite and simplify the migration planning process by defining the clients’ constraints and resources in a simplified format that abstracts the user’s need to hardcode domains and problems. This capability is exposed as a service and evaluated for migration plans for over 500 hundred clients with varying independent memory, cpu and time constraints in the span of a few minutes, thereby enabling migration project manager and migration architects to reason about potential migration plans, and replan as needed.
Do We Need Any More Antihypertensive Drugs: The Validity of a Change in Blood Pressure as the Only Endpoint for Approvability

A change in blood pressure is likely the only practical criterion, along with apparent safety, for approval of a new antihypertensive agent. However, there is a hierarchy of possible and potential endpoints beyond simple antihypertensive efficacy than can be considered as criteria for approvability (Table). Brief consideration will be given to each of these, starting from the bottom and proceeding upward.
Perceived sleep quality, coping behavior, and associations with major depression among older adults.

In older adults, we determined (1) the association of perceived sleep quality with stress-coping behaviors (drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, medication/drug use, overeating, prayer, exercise, soc...
Microscopic size measurements in post-neoadjuvant therapy resections of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) predict patient outcomes.

AIMS Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) are increasingly being treated with neoadjuvant therapy. However, the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 8th edition T staging based on tumour size does not reflect treatment effect, which often results in multiple, small foci of residual tumour in a background of mass-forming fibrosis. Thus, we evaluated the performance of AJCC 8th edition T staging in predicting patient outcomes by the use of a microscopic tumour size measurement method. METHODS AND RESULTS One hundred and six post-neoadjuvant therapy pancreatectomies were reviewed, and all individual tumour foci were measured. T stages based on gross size with microscopic adjustment (GS) and the largest single microscopic focus size (MFS) were examined in association with clinicopathological variables and patient outcomes. Sixty-three of 106 (59%) were locally advanced; 78% received FOLFIRINOX treatment. The average GS and MFS were 25 mm and 11 mm, respectively; nine cases each were classified as T0, 35 and 85 cases as T1, 42 and 12 cases as T2, and 20 and 0 cases as T3, based on the GS and the MFS, respectively. Higher GS-based and MFS-based T stages were significantly associated with higher tumour regression grade, lymphovascular and perineural invasion, and higher N stage. Furthermore, higher MFS-based T stage was significantly associated with shorter disease-free survival (DFS) (P < 0.001) and shorter overall survival (OS) (P = 0.002). GS was significantly associated with OS (P = 0.046), but not with DFS. CONCLUSIONS In post-neoadjuvant therapy PDAC resections, MFS-based T staging is superior to GS-based T staging for predicting patient outcomes, suggesting that microscopic measurements have clinical utility beyond the conventional use of GS measurements alone.
Research: Prevalence of Dense Bone Island.

Objective To determine the prevalence of dense bone island (DBI) and its relationship to age and sex; its predominant location, amount, and shape; and its correlation with resorption of roots. Study design A retrospective chart review was done with panoramic images of 4581 patients above the age of 14 years at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine in northeast Ohio from January 2014 to May 2015. Results Of 4581 patients seen, 147 (3.2%) reported with DBI. Females were mostly affected compared with males, and this was statistically significant. The age group primarily involved was from 15 to 24 years. The mandibular right premolar apical region was mostly involved,and the shape of lesions was mostly round. Conclusion Based on the findings, DBI appears as radiopaque islands without any radiolucent rim on radiographic images. These islands can occur at any age and at any location, with a predilection for females.The lesions are mostly seen in the mandibular premolar apical area. Resorption was seen in few cases of DBI, and follow-up showed no deleterious effects.
Considering the Evolution of the STEM Mathematical Pathway at the University of Oklahoma Using Organizational Development and Change Theory

In this case study, we use organizational development and change theory to look at how the University of Oklahoma (OU) has attended to the mathematical pathway leading to STEM fields. Using multipl...