cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conditions for military control over foreign policy decisions in major states: a historical exploration:

The potential or actual use of force against other states is a key element in the conduct of foreign relations. In peace as well as in war military leaders tend to participate to a greater or lesser extent in the making of foreign policy decisions. On their own initiative or that of civilian leaders, the men whose professional task it is to provide for the maximal utilization of the military instrument by a country's authoritative leaders become involved in foreign policy-making on issues involving the threat or the application of external force for offensive or defensive purposes. On such occasions specific military preferences are injected into the decision-making process and, to the extent that they are realized in the
The map behind a binomial coefficient matrix over ZpZ

Abstract The p n × p n matrix over Z /p Z whose entries are i+j j for 0⩽ i , j p n expresses the operation f⊸f( 1 (1−x) ) on functions F p n → F p n . This interpretation makes the behavior of the matrix transparent.
Examiner consistency and group balance at baseline of a caries clinical trial.

Two experienced investigators (G.L. & H.H.) independently examined 629 children in grades 6-9 (ages 10-17 yr) for baseline DMFS data in a clinical trial of a caries preventive. The examiners used the same written and visual (slides) criteria for dental caries diagnosis, but did not standardize or calibrate their methods before or during the survey. Results showed overall mean DMFS scores for Examiners 1 and 2 that were remarkably similar, 8.35 and 8.16, respectively; coefficients of variation were identical, C.V. = 87%. The reliability coefficient for the two sets of data showed that only 4% of the variability in DMFS scores was due to examiner inconsistency and other measurement errors. The findings indicate that, without undergoing clinical calibration, the two experienced examiners attained a high level of agreement in scoring dental caries merely by adhering to clearly defined written and visual criteria. Only the 308 children in the 6th grade (ages 10-14 yr) participated in the study (children in grades 7-9 were a reference population). Participants were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. The allocation procedure produced mean DMFS scores for Groups I and II of 7.87 and 6.17 (Examiner 1) and 8.07 and 6.41 (Examiner 2), respectively. The mean scores differed by about 21% (II compared with I) for each examiner. Both differences were clinically and statistically significant (P less than 0.05). Randomized assignment had generated an imbalance of baseline DMF scores by group.
Maximum drain efficiency class F 3 RF power amplifier

This paper presents a design procedure for the class F 3 RF power amplifier. The required range of the drain current conduction angle for the class F 3 power amplifier is specified. Additionally, an equation for the resistance of the third harmonic resonant circuit is given. Class F 3 , AB, and C power amplifiers were designed and simulated to compare their respective performance in terms of efficiency.
Changes in Economic Development Theory and Practice

The theory and practice of local economic development has undergone a transformation in the United States over the past ten years. Instead of an emphasis on attracting outside investment in manufac...
Gastrin and acid in relation to Helicobacter pylori

H. pylori infection, both in normal healthy subjects and patients with duodenal ulcer, results in modest elevations of serum gastrin concentrations in the fasting state and quite substantial elevations after a meal or gastrin releasing peptide (GRP) stimulation. Cure of the infection leads to normalization of gastrin homeostasis. Acid secretion in response to a submaximal infusion of GRP is three-fold higher in H. pylori-infected normal subjects and six-fold higher in DU patients than in non-infected controls. These changes also normalize after cure of the infection. H. pylori infection appears to lead to increased basal acid output in some patients with duodenal ulcer while effects on peak acid output to pentagastrin remain under debate. With the possible exception of peak acid output, the abnormalities of gastrin and acid secretion reported for patients with duodenal ulcer are largely a result of infection with H. pylori.
Radiative Weak Decays of Baryons as Single Quark Transitions

Radiative weak decays are investigated in the context of the quark model assuming the basic transition is an $s$ quark decaying to a $d$ quark plus a photon. This assumption, which encompasses a number of more detailed models, is used to predict relative rates and angular distributions for radiative weak decays of baryons. The measured decay rate for ${\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}p\ensuremath{\gamma}$ and upper limit on that for ${\ensuremath{\Xi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ are in disagreement with the predictions and appear to rule out such models.
Disparities in Ideal Cardiovascular Health A Challenge or an Opportunity

In 2010, the American Heart Association (AHA) declared 2020 health strategy goals to reduce deaths from cardiovascular disease and stroke by 20% and to improve the cardiovascular health (CVH) of all Americans by 20%.1 The latter goal is aimed at helping everyone living in the United States to achieve, or at least move toward, ideal CVH by focusing on 7 key health behaviors and risk factors—smoking, body mass-index, diet (based on the healthy diet score), participation in physical activity, and levels of blood pressure (<120/80 mm Hg), blood glucose (<100 mg/dL), and total cholesterol (<200 mg/dL).2 What must not be forgotten is that this 2020 AHA strategy was instituted against the background of health disparities identified by the Institute of Medicine3 in 2003 that are still present in our society today. In this issue of Circulation , Dong et al4 describe a strong graded relationship between the number of ideal CVH metrics and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk (stroke, myocardial infarction, and vascular death) among whites, blacks, and Hispanics living in the same community. Furthermore, the authors assessed stroke as a separate outcome event whereas previous studies5–8 on ideal CVH either did not include stroke or treated stroke only as a component of a composite outcome. Article see p 2975 There are several other key observations reported by Dong et al.4 First, the study highlights the observation that ideal CVH is rare. A glaring finding of the study is the dismally low prevalence of ideal CVH in the urban setting, in which no participants had all 7 ideal CVH metrics (0%) and few participants had 5 to 6 metrics (4.4%). Thus, considerable work needs to be done to achieve ideal CVH for all Americans, and these findings point to a particular …
Thinking science with thinking machines: The multiple realities of basic and applied knowledge in a research border zone

Some scholars dismiss the distinction between basic and applied science as passe, yet substantive assumptions about this boundary remain obdurate in research policy, popular rhetoric, the sociology and philosophy of science, and, indeed, at the level of bench practice. In this article, I draw on a multiple ontology framework to provide a more stable affirmation of a constructivist position in science and technology studies that cannot be reduced to a matter of competing perspectives on a single reality. The analysis is grounded in ethnographic research in the border zone of Artificial Intelligence science. I translate in-situ moments in which members of neighboring but differently situated labs engage in three distinct repertoires that render the reality of basic and applied science: partitioning, flipping, and collapsing. While the essences of scientific objects are nowhere to be found, the boundary between basic and applied is neither illusion nor mere propaganda. Instead, distinctions among scientific knowledge are made real as a matter of course.
CENTRAL BANKING IN THE CREDIT TURMOIL: AN ASSESSMENT OF FEDERAL RESERVE PRACTICE

Abstract Central banking is understood in terms of the fiscal features of monetary, credit, and interest on reserves policies. Monetary policy – expanding reserves by buying Treasuries – transfers all revenue from money creation directly to the fiscal authorities. Credit policy – selling Treasuries to fund loans or acquire non-Treasury securities – is debt-financed fiscal policy. Interest on reserves frees monetary policy to fund credit policy independently of interest rate policy. An ambiguous boundary of responsibilities between the Fed and the fiscal authorities contributed to economic collapse in fall 2008. “Accord” principles are proposed to clarify Fed credit policy powers and secure its independence on monetary and interest rate policy. The Fed needs more surplus capital from the fiscal authorities to be fully flexible against both inflation and deflation at the zero interest bound.
REGIONAL PLANNING FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF WASTEWATER

This paper describes the development and use of a mixed integer programming model for the planning of land disposal wastewater treatment facilities. Consideration is given to relevant construction and operating costs for land sites, transmission arteries, land acquisition costs, tangible benefits from land use, controls on aquifers, and various other engineering and technical constraints The model is used to determine which land disposal sites should serve which treatment plants, when initial construction should be initiated and completed, and when capacity expansion should occur. The model's application to the St. Louis Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area is illustrated and discussed.
‘Everybody knows him’ Social networks in the life of a small contractor in Alabama

The importance of social networks and social capital has been well established, but our understanding of exactly how people maintain useful ties, and how those ties operate day to day, is less advanced. In this article, I examine the networks of a self-employed construction contractor in the Sand Mountain area of Alabama who relies entirely on networks for job referrals. Though the core of his business comes from people in his own and related occupations, I argue that his use of purely social ties, maintained by extensive socializing, are also crucial, and that forms of conversation with no obvious utility, such as gossip, are actually central to his ability to maintain extremely large and occupationally valuable networks.
Excitability of Dopamine Neurons: Modulation and Physiological Consequences

This aim of this chapter is to review literature on the excitability and function of dopamine neurons that originate in the midbrain and project to cortico-limbic and motor structures (A9 and A10 dopamine pathways). Electrophysiological studies on rodent or non-human primates have shown that these dopamine neurons are silent or spontaneously active. The spontaneously active neurons show slow regular firing, slow irregular firing or fast bursting activity. In the first section, we will review how neuronal firing is modulated by intrinsic factors, such as impulse-regulating somatodendritic dopamine autoreceptors, a balance between inward voltage-gated sodium and calcium currents and outward potassium currents. We will then review the major excitatory and inhibitory pathways that play important roles in modulating dopamine cell excitability. In the second section, we will discuss how, in addition to being modulated by intrinsic and synaptic factors, excitability of dopamine neurons can also be modulated by life experiences. Dopamine neurons change their firing rate throughout the developmental period, their activity can be modified by stressful life events, and the firing mode can change as a consequence of acute or repeated exposure to psychoactive drugs. Finally, these cells change their firing pattern in response to behaviorally relevant stimuli and learning experiences. We will conclude by discussing how changes in the physiology of the dopamine neurons could participate in the development or exacerbation of psychiatric conditions such as drug addiction.
Multiwavelength optical networks: Next generation performance with today's technology

We discuss what we see as the "next generation" in WDM networking, which is still waiting in the wings: the integration of transmission, switching and network access equipment, both optical and electronic, into a seamless whole. Our objective is to show how today's off-the-shelf technology can be organized into multiwavelength networks which go well beyond the potential of the current generation of WDM networks. The networks we describe are designed, managed and controlled within the framework of a layered multiwavelength network architecture. They use "ordinary" components in special ways to obtain out-of-the-ordinary performance. The networks are all in the form of an underlying purely optical infrastructure, which provides a pool of bandwidth to a number of independent logical networks, each of which is specialized in providing a particular service to some user population. For example, one logical network might belong to an internet service provider, and another to a distributor of video-on demand.
Correlation of tumor-associated macrophages and clinicopathological factors in Wilms tumor.

Background/purpose Despite high long-term survival rates in patients with Wilms tumor, there is a need to develop better prognostic biomarkers in order to maximize cure while avoiding treatment-associated morbidities. Tumor-associated macrophages have been recently associated with poorer prognosis and increased disease progression in a number of adult cancers. We investigated the relationship between macrophages and clinicopathological fators in this pediatric solid tumor.
Constructing Sigfrid: History and Legend in the Making of a Hero

Few figures in medieval German literature have received as much attention as Sigfrid, the most important figure in the Nibelungenlied. Not surprisingly, the theories about his origin have been many and varied. These range from depicting him as a product of Germanic mythology (Schroder 13f.) to rep- resenting him as a literary descendant of Arminius, the Germanic warrior and hero of the battle of the Teutoberg forest (Hofler 22). It is fair to say that most, if not all, of those who have addressed the question of the origin of Sigfrid have, like Hofler, found the answer in some historical account. How- ever, the equation of Sigfrid with a specific historical figure is problematic— for two reasons. First, there is the question as to which historical figure is the model for Sigfrid, and second, it is apparent that the figure of Sigfrid itself is not unitary, but exhibits traits that bear a resemblance to various historical figures. Moreover, it is increasingly recognized that the variation in the ac- counts preserved in our manuscripts is not merely the result of scribal crea- tivity, but rather the product of a very lively oral tradition which has found its way into the manuscripts which have been preserved. In this article, the spelling Sigfrid is used as a general term for the various forms found in the works in which he appears: Sivrit in the Nibelungenlied, Seyfrid in Hans Sachs's poem Der hurnen Seyfrid, Sigifridus in various Latin texts, etc. When specific texts are cited, the form which appears in those texts will be used. The abbreviation "NL" refers to the Nibelungenlied. As to the NL, we are largely dependent on the written tradition for our picture of Sigfrid—Sivrit—which has been preserved in nearly 40 manu- scripts or fragments of manuscripts. From the beginning, this raised the ques- tion as to which manuscript was, or was closest to, the original (e.g., Lach- mann, v). The method used to answer this question employed the techniques of textual criticism which had been developed since the Renaissance for the edition of Latin works. This effort culminated in the work of Wilhelm Braune,
Calculation of sulfate and nitrate levels in a growing, reacting aerosol

The temporal variation of particle size and chemical composition of a marine aerosol exposed to SO2, NH3, NO, NO2, H2SO4 and H2O vapor is studied to determine the effect of these parameters on the sulfate and nitrate levels in the particle. Results show that, for gas phase SO2 oxidation to sulfate, and liquid phase nitrate formation, those parameters that enhance sulfate formation tend to inhibit nitrate formation, and vice versa. Further, for the situation considered, the ratio predicted for sulfate and nitrate ions to ammonium ions is very nearly that found if all these ions were present in the form of NH4NO3 and (NH4)2SO4. This compares favorably with data on sulfate, nitrate and ammonium levels in the Los Angeles area. The model used is capable of representing a general growing, reacting aerosol; other cases studied by this approach are briefly outlined. Limitations of its use are discussed.
TRENDS IN THEORY BUILDING AND THEORY TESTING: A FIVE-DECADE STUDY OF THE ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT JOURNAL

We introduce a taxonomy that reflects the theoretical contribution of empirical articles along two dimensions: theory building and theory testing. We used that taxonomy to track trends in the theoretical contributions offered by articles over the past five decades. Results based on data from a sample of 74 issues of the Academy of Management Journal reveal upward trends in theory building and testing over time. In addition, the levels of theory building and testing within articles are significant predictors of citation rates. In particular, articles rated moderate to high on both dimensions enjoyed the highest levels of citations.
Visualizing Biological Complexity in Cephalopod Skin: A Synergy of Art and Science Technologies

Abstract A cross-disciplinary team of artists and scientists is working to illuminate the detailed properties of dynamic coloration in squid, cuttlefish and octopus. They have synergistically fused the 3D animation software Blender with scientific bio-imaging techniques to better visualize the organization of cephalopod skin and its intricate web of nerve connections. This paper presents the practical benefits of the collaboration: how scientific detail has enriched artistic appreciation of these exquisite marine species and how artistic visualization has enriched scientific understanding of how cephalopods dynamically manipulate color.
Ralph Bunche: Academic Excellence and Global Responsibility

The pioneering career of Ralph Johnson Bunche in political science can only be briefly summarized in this limited space. Fortunately, an increasing number of works published in the last decade are rescuing his legacy for new generations. I have chosen to focus my comments on three aspects of his career: his education, his contributions to Howard University, and his contributions to the discipline of political science. (For his contributions to the APSA, see Henry 1983.)
Intimate partner violence and HIV-positive women's non-adherence to antiretroviral medication for the purpose of prevention of mother-to-child transmission in Lusaka, Zambia

Background Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) depends critically on HIV-positive women's adherence to antiretroviral drugs during and after pregnancy. Adherence among pregnant and breastfeeding women remains a challenge across sub-Saharan Africa. Power dynamics within couples, such as intimate partner violence, has largely been neglected in research regarding PMTCT adherence. Objective This study aims to determine if there is a relationship between intimate partner violence and non-adherence to PMTCT. Methods In 2014, using a verbally administered cross-sectional survey at a large public health clinic in Lusaka, Zambia, 320 HIV-positive postpartum women, who were currently married or living with a man, provided information on their drug adherence during and after pregnancy, as well as relationship dynamics. Adherence was defined as the woman reporting she took or gave to the infant at least 80% of prescribed medication doses. Results Experiencing intimate partner violence was associated with decreased odds of adherence to PMTCT during and after pregnancy. Different forms of violence affected PMTCT adherence differentially. Physical violence had a less pronounced effect on non-adherence than emotional and sexual violence. A dose-response relationship between intimate partner violence and non-adherence was also observed. Conclusions Intimate partner violence is associated with non-adherence to PMTCT during and after pregnancy, which deserves increased attention in the effort to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
System Resilience Framework and Modeling for a CubeSat System

System resilience is an innovative and affordable approach for complex systems to circumvent, survive, and recover from disruptions. Resilience is recognized in various fields of study. Specifically in systems engineering, there are several definitions of system resilience. This makes it challenging when conducting trade studies with respect to system resilience characteristics. The objectives of this paper are to document existing system resilience related definitions, propose a means to capture systems resilience for use as a future tradeoff ility in Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and propose a method to model system resilience in CubeSat systems. System resilience is highly dependent on system behavior, reliability, operational availability, system state, real-­‐‐time constraints, and potential unknowns.
Abstract LB-20: Transcriptionally inactive PAX3-FKHR fails to induce ARMS cells differentiation

Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) is an aggressive muscle cancer of childhood and believed to arise from committed muscle progenitor cells that have arrested during the process of skeletal muscle differentiation. One of the most established genetic signatures in ARMS is the presence of chimeric aberrant transcription factor PAX3-FKHR generated by fusion of PAX3 and FKHR genes. The stronger transcriptional activity of this fusion PAX3-FKHR protein has previously been attributed to the deregulation of genes, which are known to be associated with tumorigenesis and suppression of skeletal muscle differentiation. Currently, we are investigating the relative contribution of PAX3-FKHR9s transcriptional activity in abrogating ARMS cells differentiation using mouse ARMS cells as an in vitro model differentiation readout system. Here, we show that transactivation potential of PAX3-FKHR is declined in mouse ARMS cells that have been induced to differentiate by growing these cells in mitogens-deficient in vitro differentiation-permissible condition. Moreover, this diminished activity of PAX3-FKHR is not due to the alteration of its sub-cellular localization or changes in the level of either mRNA or protein in these ARMS cells. Results also show the lack of muscle-specific gene activation in these ARMS cells despite the reduced transcriptional activity of PAX3-FKHR under condition of differentiation. We also observed that decrease in transcriptional activity of PAX3-FKHR is coincided with the activation of PI3/AKT pathway. The results further show that blockade of PI3/AKT pathway sustains the transcriptional activity of PAX3-FKHR whereas forced activation of AKT inhibits this activity. Together, our results signify that transcriptionally inactive PAX3-FKHR by AKT is incompetent to induce mouse ARMS cells differentiation. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-20.
Explaining the American “Tilt” in the 1971 Bangladesh Crisis: A Late Dependency Approach

This paper develops a model based on late dependency theory of client relations between a superpower and a state in a divided society. The model is used to analyze the American “tilt” toward Pakistan in the 1971 Bangladesh crisis. An explanation of regime type based on class and institutional alliances is derived from the works of Cardoso, Hirschmann, and O'Donnell. This explanation is integrated with assumptions about transnational class and institutional relations to yield a model of client relations. Predicate logic is used to state the model and to derive the proposition that Pakistan was an American client from empirically supported factual claims. The alliance between the United States and the Pakistani military and bourgeoisie is analyzed as the basis of the client relationship. When the alliance is challenged by the Bengalis and India, the United States is motivated to protect its credibility as a guarantor of client states through the tilt policy.
CD30+ Cutaneous T Cell Lymphoma: Response to Rotational Total Skin Electron Irradiation.

Rotational total skin electron irradiation (RTSEI) is an effective therapy for cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL). CD30 expression has been identified as a prognostic factor in CTCL. Therefore, we investigated CD30 status, treatment response, and survival in our cohort of patients with CTCL treated with RTSEI. Patients with CTCL treated with RTSEI (≥30 Gy) between 2000 and 2013 at our institution were identified, and clinical and pathologic data were retrospectively reviewed. Primary outcomes were complete clinical response (CCR; >90% reduction of skin disease burden), relapse-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS). Sixty-eight patients with CTCL treated with RTSEI were identified. Median age at diagnosis was 51 years with median follow-up of 61 months. Median OS was 76 months and median RFS was 11 months. Thirteen patients (19%) had CD30+ lymphocytes on initial pathology. In the CD30+ cohort, there were no T2, eight T3, and five T4 cases. In comparison, in the CD30− cohort, there were 18 T2, 29 T3, and 8 T4 cases (P = 0.01). Six weeks post-RTSEI, CCR was 85% in CD30+ and 81% in CD30− cases (P = 1). Six months post-RTSEI, CCR was 23% in CD30+ and 50% in CD30− cases (P = 0.083). RTSEI resulted in excellent CCR at 6 weeks in our cohort of patients with CTCL, with a median RFS of 11 months. We found CD30+ patients presented with significantly higher T stage at time of RTSEI and trended towards decreased CCR at 6 months post-RTSEI compared with the CD30− group.
The Application of Adaptive Neuro-fuzzy Inference System in Photoelectric Detection

Photoelectric detection system will be affected by various noises and variational environmental temperature and produce a certain error,only to error compensation can improve detection accuracy.For realizing better error compensation function. The photoelectric detection system is established which based on Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System. This kind of Takagi-Sugeno model of Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System can automatically adjust membership function parameters and adjust the fuzzy rules.This model has overcomed the shortcomings of the fuzzy control system which lack of on-line self-learning ability and self-adjusting capability. Simulation results show that this inference system model applies to photoelectric detection system and can improve the precision of photoelectric detection.
Engineering of ethanolic E. coli with the Vitreoscilla hemoglobin gene enhances ethanol production from both glucose and xylose

Escherichia coli strain FBR5, which has been engineered to direct fermentation of sugars to ethanol, was further engineered, using three different constructs, to contain and express the Vitreoscilla hemoglobin gene (vgb). The three resulting strains expressed Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb) at various levels, and the production of ethanol was inversely proportional to the VHb level. High levels of VHb were correlated with an inhibition of ethanol production; however, the strain (TS3) with the lowest VHb expression (approximately the normal induced level in Vitreoscilla) produced, under microaerobic conditions in shake flasks, more ethanol than the parental strain (FBR5) with glucose, xylose, or corn stover hydrolysate as the predominant carbon source. Ethanol production was dependent on growth conditions, but increases were as high as 30%, 119%, and 59% for glucose, xylose, and corn stover hydrolysate, respectively. Only in the case of glucose, however, was the theoretical yield of ethanol by TS3 greater than that achieved by others with FBR5 grown under more closely controlled conditions. TS3 had no advantage over FBR5 regarding ethanol production from arabinose. In 2 L fermentors, TS3 produced about 10% and 15% more ethanol than FBR5 for growth on glucose and xylose, respectively. The results suggest that engineering of microorganisms with vgb/VHb could be of significant use in enhancing biological production of ethanol.
Dual precursor atmospheric plasma deposition of bilayer organosilicate protective coatings on plastics

We demonstrate a dual organic and inorganic precursor method to deposit transparent organosilicate protective bilayer coatings on poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) substrates with atmospheric plasma deposition in ambient air. The bottom layer was a hybrid organosilicate adhesive layer deposited with dual organic 1, 5-cyclooctadiene (CYC) and Tetraethoxysiline (TEOS) precursors. The selection of the organic CYC precursor allowed incorporation of carbon chain in the organosilicate adhesive layer, which resulted in improved adhesion. The top layer was a dense silica coating with high Young's modulus and hardness deposited with TEOS. The deposited bilayer structure showed ∼100% transparency in the visible light wavelength region, twice the adhesion energy and five times the Young's modulus of commercial polysiloxane sol-gel coatings.
Update 2015 on Target Fabrication Requirements for NIF Layered Implosions, with Emphasis on Capsule Support and Oxygen Modulations in GDP

Experiments and analysis in the 3 years since the 2012 Target Fabrication Meeting have resulted in significant improvement in understanding of the requirements for high-performance layered implosio...
Comparative Assessment of Pavement Fatigue Life Prediction Approaches for Use in Performance Based Specification

There is a need to incorporate long term pavement performance evaluation into the current specification through development of performance-related specification (PRS). PRS calls for the prediction of pavement life and development of pay adjustment factors based on expected life differences between as-design and as-built conditions. Different distress models have been developed and are in use by different researchers. Testing and analysis features, simplicity, test equipment and knowledge availability play a significant role in selection of the model for use. Nevertheless, to date, a comparative assessment of how the different analysis approaches affect pavement performance evaluation has not been undertaken. In this study fatigue performance evaluation is done on pavements with different surface mixture condition, varying asphalt and air void content to replicate a range of conditions in the field. Material characterization is done by performing complex modulus and fatigue testing. Pavement response is computed using three layer elastic analysis (LEA) programs. Fatigue life evaluation is done using three different fatigue life prediction models. The results from dynamic modulus testing show that there is an increase in stiffness with a decrease in asphalt and air void content which infers a reduction in tensile strain at the bottom of the asphalt layer. The tensile strain outputs from the different LEA programs were comparable and there is about a 20 % increase in strain for a change in bond condition from full bond to full slip. There is a distinction between predicted fatigue life due to the use different models. The highest variation is observed at low air void content level whereas the impact was lower at optimum and high air void content levels.
Malnutrition at Intensive Care Unit Admission Predicts Mortality in Emergency General Surgery Patients.

Background: Emergency general surgery (EGS) patients are at an increased risk for morbidity and mortality compared with non-EGS patients. Limited information exists regarding the contribution of malnutrition to the outcome of critically ill patients who undergo EGS. We hypothesized that malnutrition would be associated with increased risk of 90-day all-cause mortality following intensive care unit (ICU) admission in EGS patients. Materials and Methods: We performed an observational study of patients treated in medical and surgical ICUs at a single institution in Boston. We included patients who underwent an EGS procedure and received critical care between 2005 and 2011. The exposure of interest, malnutrition, was determined by a registered dietitian’s formal assessment within 48 hours of ICU admission. The primary outcome was all-cause 90-day mortality. Adjusted odds ratios were estimated by multivariable logistic regression models. Results: The cohort consisted of 1361 patients. Sixty percent had nonspec...
Quartic propagators, negative norms, and the physical spectrum

Many arguments against quartic propagators, negative norm states and related effects concern the sicknesses which occur when the spectrum of the free particle Hamiltonian is formed. However, if the theory is more complicated, for example involving confinement such that the particle in question does not appear in the physical spectrum, those considerations do not apply directly. Path integral methods suggest that some of these may be acceptable theories. I provide an example that should be able to be simulated on a lattice which then allows a nonperturbative resolution of this question. In its SU(2) version it involves a scalar triplet with a quartic derivative Lagrangian coupled to the SU(2) gauge field. If this is verified to be a healthy theory, it could open new avenues in model building. I also discuss how strong interactions can dynamically modify the dispersion relation leaving a healthy effective field theory, using conformal gravity coupled to a Yang-Mills theory as an example. Such a theory could possibly form a UV completion for quantum gravity.
The Priority of Form: Kenneth Burke and the Rediscovery of Affect and Rhetoric

This essay analyzes the treatment of affect and aesthetic form in the major mid-century works of the prominent literary and rhetorical theorist Kenneth Burke. In engaging Burke’s prescient studies of the intersection of human physiological response with culture and art, this essay demonstrates how Burke’s work remains particularly relevant to the present, a time wherein the dominant texts and media seem more than ever to be dependent on structures of feeling and persuasion mapped by Burke decades ago.
Controlling Voltage Levels of Distribution Network-Radial Feeder after Connecting Wind Turbines to the Network

عدة عوامل يجب ان تأخذ بنظر الاعتبار عند توليد الطاقة الكهربائية مثل، نقص إمدادات الطاقة، استقرار النظام، نوعية الطاقة، وتعطل النظام بسبب خسائر الشبكة نتيجة التنمية الصناعية والتوسع السكاني. اضافة توربينات الرياح الى شبكة التوزيع تساهم في توفير طاقة إضافية وحل هذه المشاكل، ولكن هذه الإضافة ترافقها مشكلة الجهد المنخفض للشبكة. الفكرة الرئيسية لهذا البحث هو الحفاظ على مستوى فولتية لوحدة تغذية شعاعية لشبكة توزيع ضمن نطاق مقبول وثابت عند إدخال توربينات الرياح إلى وحدة التغذية في "الطرف البعيد". هذا البحث يبحث في ايجاد الحل الامثل لمشكلة الجهد المنخفض لشبكة التوزيع بعد ربط توربينات الرياح. نتائج هذه الدراسة اعتمدت البرنامج “PSCAD” لتشغيل تصميم كامل لنظام المحاكاة التي ستكون متوافقة مع واقع تدفق الطاقة لجميع مكونات الشبكة . كشف برنامج التحليل الحالي عن الحل الأمثل لملف الجهد المنخفض لشبكة التوزيع بعد توصيل توربينات الرياح.
Diversity and endemism of tree ferns (Cyatheaceae: Polypodiopsida) in the Central Andes along latitudinal and elevation gradients

Tree ferns are a conspicuous and yet poorly known component of Neotropical montane forests. Conservation efforts for these plants are hindered by a lack of information of patterns of species richness and endemism, which has been in turn prevented by an unstable taxonomy and limited collections. Based on distribution data from the most recent floristic accounts of tree ferns from Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina, this study presents an analysis of species richness and endemism of this group in the Central Andes. Results show that tree fern diversity falls steeply with distance from the equator, and the effect is stronger in the lowlands than at tree line to -20°. In elevation, tree fern species richness shows a bimodal distribution with peaks at 1000 and 2100 m, where as many as 24 species can coexist in 200 m elevation intervals. Endemic species are concentrated in the northern Central Andes. Endemics in more southern latitudes tend to be restricted to higher elevations. Correspondingly, the tree fern flora of the southern Central Andes is mostly composed of widely ranging species, potentially tolerant of higher seasonality and longer term climatic fluctuations. These results provide a tool for predicting how many tree fern species should be found in any given area of the Central Andes, even those botanically unexplored, and indicates areas where species richness and endemism is concentrated, and may serve to guide efforts aimed to conserve tropical montane forests.
Nickel Dual Photoredox Catalysis for the Synthesis of Aryl Amines

In this work, a new dual photoredox nickel catalysis system has been utilized for the synthesize of aryl amines. Previously, our group has shown that a nickel catalyst in conjunction with a photosensitizer and a sacrificial electron donor can cross-couple C–C bonds via photoredox-assisted reductive coupling. Here we have built upon that system to develop a redox-neutral cross-coupling system for the formation of C–N bonds. The catalytic system is composed of just a nickel cross-coupling catalyst, a Ru photocatalyst, and base and is capable of coupling amines with aryl halides in good to excellent yields. Furthermore, it was found that these reactions are functional under ambient conditions with catalyst loadings of 1 mol %. Spectroscopic studies provide support that this amination mechanism proceeds via a nitrogen-based radical intermediate. This N-radical mechanism offers direct synthetic access to di- and triaryl amines from nickel photocatalysis.
The treatment of aqueous-deficient dry eye with removable punctal plugs. A clinical and impression-cytologic study

Punctal plugs were placed in 18 dry eye patients of the aqueous-deficiency type who were on maximally tolerable medical therapy and who had Schirmer testing with topical anesthetic measuring less than 6 mm. Pretreatment and posttreatment evaluations included rose Bengal and fluorescein staining, Schirmer testing, and conjunctival impression cytology. Six weeks after plug placement, 11 of 18 patients had subjective improvement and were able to decrease dependency on tear supplements; all of these patients have successfully worn plugs for at least 8 months. Although these 11 patients improved clinically, impression cytologic abnormalities persisted 6 weeks after plug placement. Three patients did not improve clinically after punctal plug therapy, and four patients improved subjectively but extruded plugs within 2 weeks of placement. Three of the patients who extruded plugs had marked lid laxity and dilated puncta before placement. Reversible punctal occlusion by plugs may significantly decrease dependency on tear supplements in selected patients.
Thiamine Deficiency-Induced Disruptions in the Diurnal Rhythm and Regulation of Body Temperature in the Rat

In the present study, diurnal rhythm and regulation of body temperature were monitored during and several weeks following pyrithiamine-induced thiamine deficiency (PTD group, n=8) or pairfeeding (control group, n=9). A significant decline of core body temperature and a disruption of its diurnal rhythm were observed at varying stages of PTD treatment. Following thiamine administration and return to thiamine-fortified chow, body temperature continued to fall and several days transpired before body temperature and its diurnal rhythm were returned to normal. When exposed to warm and cold environments, no significant group differences were observed in either the maximum temperature change or the time elapsed to reach maximal temperature change. Histological examination revealed necrotic lesions in thalamus and mammillary body in the PTD group characteristic of Wernicke's encephalopathy. No significant damage was observed in the medial preoptic and suprachiasmatic nuclei, brain regions involved in the regulation of body temperature and circadian rhythm. These findings suggest that hypothermia and disruption of the diurnal rhythm of body temperature can be reversed by restoration of adequate thiamine levels and are related to biochemical and physiological disturbances rather than gross structural changes.
Close Linkage of Transferred Galactokinase and Thymidine Kinase Genes in a Transformant after DNA-Mediated Gene Transfer

There are many similarities and some differences between DNA- and chromosome-mediated gene transfer. The cellular uptake of both DNA1 and metaphase chromosomes2 involves phagocytosis and there is a requirement for co-precipitation of the donor DNA3 or chromosomes4 with calcium phosphate to achieve optimal frequencies of gene transfer. In either method, transformants usually initially exhibit an unstable phenotype, and stabilization ultimately occurs through covalent integration of the donor DNA with recipient chromosomal DNA at multiple non-homologous sites. The optimal frequency for gene transfer is dependent upon many factors but a higher frequency of transfer has been reported for chromosome-than DNA-mediated gene transfer under similar conditions.5
Patient and Facility Demographics Related Outcomes in Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Radiofrequency Ablation: A National Cancer Database Analysis.

PURPOSE To determine facility and patient demographics associated with survival in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with radiofrequency (RF) ablation. MATERIALS AND METHODS The National Cancer Database was queried for cases of stage 1a NSCLC treated with RF ablation without chemotherapy or radiotherapy from 2004 to 2014. High-volume centers (HVCs) were defined as the top 95th percentile of facilities by number of procedures performed. Overall survival (OS) was estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method, and comparisons between survival curves were performed with the log-rank test. Propensity score-matched cohort analysis was performed. P values less than .05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS In the final cohort, 967 cases were included. Estimated median survival and follow-up were 33.1 and 62.5 months, respectively. Of 305 facilities, 15 were determined to be HVCs, treating 13 or more patients from 2004 to 2014. A total of 335 cases (34.6%) were treated at HVCs. On multivariate Cox regression analysis, treatment at an HVC was independently associated with improved OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.766; P = .006). After propensity score adjustment, 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS was 89.8%, 51.2%, and 27.7%, respectively, for patients treated at HVCs, compared to 85.2%, 41.5%, and 19.6%, respectively, for patients treated at non-HVCs (P = .015). Increasing age (HR = 1.012; P = .013) and higher T-classification (HR = 1.392; P < .001) were independently associated with worse OS. CONCLUSION Patients with early-stage NSCLC treated with RF ablation at HVCs experienced a significant increase in OS, suggesting regionalization of lung cancer management as a means of improving outcomes.
Error Effects of Compensation Circulating Current of Modular Multilevel Converters in Low Frequency Motor Drive Operation

Errors of the high-frequency compensation circulating current are originally investigated for modular multilevel converters (MMCs) in low speed drive operation. The results reveal these errors causing serious energy unbalance in the MMC arms, resulting in a large submodule voltage fluctuation and unstable drive operation. A remedy approach is proposed to minimize the error effects.
An Injectable Reverse Thermal Gel for Minimally Invasive Coverage of Mouse Myelomeningocele.

Abstract Background Myelomeningocele (MMC) results in lifelong neurologic and functional deficits. Currently, prenatal repair of MMC closes the defect, resulting in a 50% reduction in postnatal ventriculoperitoneal shunting. However, this invasive fetal surgery is associated with significant morbidities to mother and baby. We have pioneered a novel reverse thermal gel (RTG) to cover MMC defects in a minimally invasive manner. Here, we test in-vitro RTG long-term stability in amniotic fluid and in vivo application in the Grainy head-like 3 (Grhl3) mouse MMC model. Materials and methods RTG stability in amniotic fluid (in-vitro) was monitored for 6 mo and measured using gel permeation chromatography and solution–gel transition temperature (lower critical solution temperature). E16.5 Grhl3 mouse fetuses were injected with the RTG or saline and harvested on E19.5. Tissue was assessed for RTG coverage of the gross defect and inflammatory response by immunohistochemistry for macrophages. Results Polymer backbone molecular weight and lower critical solution temperature remain stable in amniotic fluid after 6 mo. Needle injection over the MMC of Grhl3 fetuses successfully forms a stable gel that covers the entire defect. On harvest, some animals demonstrate >50% RTG coverage. RTG injection is not associated with inflammation. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that the RTG is a promising candidate for a minimally invasive approach to patch MMC. We are now poised to test our RTG patch in the large preclinical ovine model used to evaluate prenatal repair of MMC.
Pharmacogenetics to Prevent Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia: What Do We Know?

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a life-threatening, immune-mediated adverse reaction to heparin anticoagulants. The inability to predict HIT represents a considerable liability associated with heparin administration. Genetic studies of HIT are challenging due to the scarcity of true HIT cases, potential for misclassification, and many environmental risk factors. Genetic studies have not consistently identified risk alleles for HIT, the production of platelet factor 4/heparin antibodies or the thromboembolic complications of HIT. Genes implicated in HIT and platelet factor 4/heparin antibody levels include FCGR2A, TDAG8, HLA-DR and others. Compelling evidence also suggests that the FCGR2A H131R polymorphism is associated with HIT-related thrombosis. There is a need for well-powered, multiethnic studies with laboratory confirmation of HIT, detailed patient- and drug-specific data, and inclusion of both serologic and thromboembolic outcomes. Genomic biomarkers identified from such studies offer the possibility of shifting current clinical practice paradigms from early detection and treatment to prevention.