cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nocardia cyriacigeorgica pneumonia in ulcerative colitis patient receiving infliximab despite TMP/SMX prophylaxis

Introduction Infliximab is an effective therapy for induction and maintenance of remission in patients with refractory ulcerative colitis (UC). Treatment with TNF-alpha inhibitors is associated with an increased risk of infection. In this case, we will discuss an uncommon cause of infection associated with infliximab therapy despite antibiotic prophylaxis. Case description 78-year-old man with history of UC maintained on infliximab infusion every 8-weeks was found to have pulmonary infiltrates on chest computed tomography (CT). His UC history was notable for recent Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia while on infliximab requiring intravenous Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) treatment for 21 days followed by single strength oral TMP/SMX for secondary prophylaxis. On evaluation, the patient endorsed weakness, generalized fatigue, and shortness of breath with activities. His lab was notable for mild anemia in the absence of leukocytosis. Result and conclusion Bronchoscopy was performed and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was sent to the microbiology laboratory for culture. After 30 days of incubation, the culture returned partially acid fast, branching, Gram-positive rod shaped bacteria consistent with Nocardia cyriacigeorgica. The isolate was susceptible to TMP/SMX (0.25/4.75μg/Ml). Patient was started on therapeutic dose of oral TMP/SMX at 5 mg/kg of the trimethoprim component for 6 months. Infliximab was subsequently held. Repeat chest CT scan at 6 months showed resolution of patchy ground glass and nodular infiltrates. Take-home message This case highlights the importance of considering Nocardia infection in ulcerative colitis patients receiving infliximab therapy presenting with shortness of breath and new infiltrates on chest imaging. In addition, patients receiving prophylaxis with TMP/SMX are still at risk for this infection because the effectiveness of prophylactic doses of TMP/SMX in preventing disease remains unclear.
Antineoplastic Agents. 606. The Betulastatins

The medicinal potential of the plant pentacyclic triterpene betulin has generated long-term interest focused on various SAR research avenues. The present approach was based on producing further analogues (chimeras) arising from a studied modification of betulin bonded to the Dov-Val-Dil-Dap unit of the powerful anticancer drug dolastatin 10, which provided betulastatins 1 (7b), 2 (11b), 3 (16b), and 4 (18b). Betulastatin 1, 2, and 4 exhibited modest levels of cancer cell growth inhibition against six cancer cell lines. Betulastatin 3 proved to be the most potent cancer cell growth inhibitor (GI50 0.01 μg/mL) and seems worthy of further development, as the presumed mixture of anticancer mechanisms of action may prove to be useful.
Social Complexity III: Theories

Since laws describe and theories explain, this chapter introduces the reader to generative theories of social complexity in CSS. The emphasis is on formal and empirically referenced theories, in some cases amenable to validation with real-world data, consistent with a computational approach. The chapter has three thrusts. The first is to provide the reader with proper foundations in elements of process analysis, Boolean logic, and elementary probability for compound events, as these ideas are applied to the statement and development of social complexity theories. This is done by highlighting useful parallels across formalisms and making use of mathematical isomorphisms. The second thrust of this chapter is to use these ideas as building blocks to examine theories of origins of social complexity. This is done by taking a closer look at how and why chiefdoms—and, later, states and empires—formed in the first cradles of civilization. Detailed analysis of these primary systems and processes is essential for understanding social complexity. The third thrust of the chapter is on general theories of social complexity, which encompass universal explanations of original, current, and future social complexity. The theoretical concepts, principles, and methods covered in this chapter constitute one of the most dynamic frontiers of CSS.
Helping Elementary Teachers to Think Aloud.

An essential element in teaching children to effectively comprehend text is the use of teacherled think alouds. The article follows a semester-long project with 31 inservice teachers, who planned, implemented, transcribed, and reflected upon think aloud lessons to build student comprehension. Through multiple exposures to think alouds, teachers made significant growth in the quantity and quality of reading comprehension strategies they incorporated. Discussion focuses on the successes and struggles that teachers encountered when thinking aloud. Finally, suggestions for supporting teachers in effectively thinking aloud are provided.
Modeling of Cryogenic Transfer Line Cool Down

The Cryogenic Storage and Propellant Feed System (CSPFS) of the space propulsion systems needs to provide propellant in controlled amounts during engine burns of variable duration. Thus, lines connecting the CSPFS to the engine/thruster will be subjected to cyclic cooling and heating. Here we present a model for cryogen transfer line chill-down rate. The model is based on an energy balance involving heat transfer from the outside to the pipe wall, from the wall to the flowing fluid, and energy depletion in the wall. The Morgan correlation is used for the outside heat transfer coefficient, ha. For the inside heat transfer coefficient, hfb, correlations of Giarrantano et al., Hendricks et al., and Ellerbrock et al. are examined.
Ovarian Cancer- Associated Proteinases

Ovarian carcinoma is the leading cause of death from gynecologic malignancies and the fourth most common cause of cancer related deaths among North American women. Approximately one out of every 70 women is estimated to develop ovarian cancer and one in 100 will die from the disease. A major cause of the high mortality of ovarian cancer is the lack of proper diagnostic tools for early detection when the tumor is still confined to the ovaries (FIGO stage I). Approximately 75% of patients are diagnosed with pre-existing disseminated intra-abdominal metastases (FIGO stage III or IV). Although the 5-year survival rate for cancer localized to the ovary can be as high as 90%, women with distant metastases have a less than 20% survival rate (Hoskins, 1995). Thus, a more detailed understanding of the factors that control ovarian cancer invasion and metastasis may have a significant impact on patient survival.
The Function of Forms

It is always fun when two of the greatest minds on the current federal bench disagree. It is even more fun when their disagreement provides a terrific opportunity to explore the relative roles of functionalism and formalism in legal analysis. This article looks at the quarrel between Judges Frank Easterbrook and Richard Posner in the case of IN RE PAYNE over the meaning of the term "return" (as in "tax return") in tax and bankruptcy law. One prefers form to function and the other does not. Their disagreement provides a wonderful window into substance and form in tax administration. This paper explores the function of the formal requirement found in the Tax Code (section 6011) that taxpayers "make a return or statement according ot the forms and regulations prescribed by the Secretary." Part I maps out the borderlands of tax administration and bankruptcy. Part II reviews the facts and opinions in PAYNE, which presents a common interplay of tax and bankruptcy administration. Part III explains why Judge Posner's opinion about applying the tax administration concept of "return" to bankruptcy cases is right and Judge Easterbrook's is wrong. Finally Part V looks at the likely ill effects of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (which I and many others call "BARF," standing for Bankruptcy Abuse Reform Fiasco") on the many cases like PAYNE.
Master status or intersectional identity? Undocumented students’ sense of belonging on a college campus

Research on undocumented students in the United States often focuses on the challenges they face navigating postsecondary education, rooted in their precarious legal status. The observed influence ...
Estimates of the prevalence of motor speech disorders in children with idiopathic speech delay

ABSTRACTThe goal of this research was to obtain initial estimates of the prevalence of each of four types of motor speech disorders in children with idiopathic Speech Delay (SD) and to use findings...
Interactions between auditory quality, linguistic context, short-term memory, and speech recognition

The ability to recognize speech depends on several factors, including the quality of the auditory input, linguistic context, and the listener’s cognitive abilities. These factors correlate with speech recognition, but less consideration has been given to how these factors interact. Here, we present evidence from two studies indicating that interactions exist between quality, context, and short-term memory. In study one, we demonstrate that contextual expectations across stimulus sets can determine the relationship between auditory quality and short-term memory. Specifically, recall of lists of digits is not affected by noise-band vocoding, whereas vocoding impairs both item identification and recall for lists of single syllable words drawn from a large, untrained set. In study two, we demonstrate that correlations between digit list recall and PRESTO sentence recognition are strongest when auditory quality is poor, whereas correlations between digit and word list recall weaken with decreasing auditory quality. This finding suggests that auditory quality and semantic context moderate the relationship between memory and speech recognition. We conclude that incorporating experimental measures of auditory quality, short-term memory, and recognition of speech materials with different contexts will provide a clearer perspective on how these factors relate to speech recognition in listeners with hearing loss.The ability to recognize speech depends on several factors, including the quality of the auditory input, linguistic context, and the listener’s cognitive abilities. These factors correlate with speech recognition, but less consideration has been given to how these factors interact. Here, we present evidence from two studies indicating that interactions exist between quality, context, and short-term memory. In study one, we demonstrate that contextual expectations across stimulus sets can determine the relationship between auditory quality and short-term memory. Specifically, recall of lists of digits is not affected by noise-band vocoding, whereas vocoding impairs both item identification and recall for lists of single syllable words drawn from a large, untrained set. In study two, we demonstrate that correlations between digit list recall and PRESTO sentence recognition are strongest when auditory quality is poor, whereas correlations between digit and word list recall weaken with decreasing auditory qua...
Online crisis communication in a post-truth Chinese society: Evidence from interdisciplinary literature

Abstract Through a thematic content analysis of 118 journal articles from interdisciplinary fields, this study reviews the research trends of online crisis communication literature in a Chinese post-truth society, where objective facts play a diminishing role, and Chinese people are losing their trust, despite the best efforts of organizations to deal with fake news in crises. Results of this study disclose some unique crisis communication strategies (e.g., strategic distraction, rumor-rebuttal, fabrication, acting cute, and content censorship) in crises of China. Influential contextual factors such as the political system, cultural values, and media features are identified as well. Theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed, and a greater picture of online crisis communication in contexts is posited for future research.
Autoimmune gait disturbance accompanying adaptor protein-3B2-IgG.

Objective To describe phenotypes, treatment response, and outcomes of autoimmunity targeting a synaptic vesicle coat protein, the neuronal (B2) form of adaptor protein–3 (AP3). Methods Archived serum and CSF specimens (from 616,025 screened) harboring unclassified synaptic antibodies mimicking amphiphysin–immunoglobulin G (IgG) on tissue-based indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) were re-evaluated for novel IgG staining patterns. Autoantigens were identified by western blot and mass spectrometry. Recombinant western blot and cell-binding assay (CBA) were used to confirm antigen specificity. Clinical data were obtained retrospectively. Results Serum (10) and CSF (6) specimens of 10 patients produced identical IFA staining patterns throughout mouse nervous system tissues, most prominently in cerebellum (Purkinje neuronal perikarya, granular layer synapses, and dentate regions), spinal cord gray matter, dorsal root ganglia, and sympathetic ganglia. The antigen revealed by mass spectrometry analysis and confirmed by recombinant assays (western blot and CBA) was AP3B2 in all. Of 10 seropositive patients, 6 were women; median symptom onset age was 42 years (range 24–58). Clinical information was available for 9 patients, all with subacute onset and rapidly progressive gait ataxia. Neurologic manifestations were myeloneuropathy (3), peripheral sensory neuropathy (2), cerebellar ataxia (2), and spinocerebellar ataxia (2). Five patients received immunotherapy; none improved, but they did not worsen over the follow-up period (median 36 months; range 3–94). Two patients (both with cancer) died. One of 50 control sera was positive by western blot only (but not by IFA or CBA). Conclusion AP3B2 (previously named β-neuronal adaptin-like protein) autoimmunity appears rare, is accompanied by ataxia (sensory or cerebellar), and is potentially treatable.
Towards convergence of mobile and psychological theories of learning

Abstract This special issue was designed to promote an integration of mobile and psychological theories of learning by inviting empirical research that draws upon both theoretical approaches to guide investigation into learning involving mobile devices. Five empirical articles illustrated how mobile devices afford resources to learners and how new channels of data afford researchers new insight into learning processes. Authors of two invited commentaries note the challenges involved in researching mobile learning, which unfolds across multiple contexts and can involve novel tools, multiple learners, and instructors and experts. These authors propose a taxonomy that can organize research that investigates interactions amongst learners, instructors, experts, and tools across one or more physical contexts, as well as a research agenda that would empirically test and refine assumptions made by mobile learning theorists. In this commentary, the editorial team proposes that mobile and psychological theories may be improved through convergence. Theories of mobile learning can be advanced by adopting practices previously employed to refine psychological theories of learning, whereas conducting research using mobile devices (and the data they provide) can further refine psychological theories of learning. We illustrate these positions with examples, and consider how instruction must be designed and how learners must be prepared in order to benefit from learning using mobile technology.
Wars of excess: Georges Bataille, solar economy, and the accident in the age of precision war:

Both classical and critical studies of warfare often comment on the relationship between war and excess. However, even in richly theoretical work, this connection is unanalyzed. This article focuse...
Coordinated outreach for veterans in long-term care facilities by an integrated Veterans Affairs healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Author(s): Winnett, Alexander; Jatt, Lauren P; Sohn, Linda; Lysaght, Marcia; Yoshikawa, Thomas; Simon, Steven R; Graber, Christopher J; Goetz, Matthew Bidwell
Automobile windshield washer fluid: A potential source of transmission for Legionella

Epidemiological evidence suggesting driving cars to be a risk factor for legionellosis has prompted public health studies to investigate vehicle windshield washer fluid as a novel transmission source of this disease. The goal of the current study was to investigate whether or not windshield washer fluid could serve as a potential source of transmission for Legionella. A wide variation in the survival of L. pneumophila was observed when incubated in different washer fluids at 25 and 37 °C, however, one brand tested supported Legionella survival similar to or greater than sterilized deionized water. In addition, 1 L of tap water contained in a washer fluid reservoir was able to support population growth and survival of Legionella for several months. In a field study examining the windshield washer fluid of 12 elementary school buses, Legionella were detected from 84% of samples at a high concentration of 8.1×10(4) CFU/mL. Culturable cells were also detected in aerosolized washer fluid during washer fluid spray. By demonstrating survival in certain windshield washer fluids, growth within washer fluid reservoirs, and the presence of viable cells in bus washer fluid spray, we have provided evidence suggesting the potential for a novel route of Legionella exposure.
Dialysis adequacy reconsidered: The person comes first

Although many nephrologists see value in maximizing clearance and time on dialysis, clinical trials have failed to show a clear and consistent benefit of increasing clearance above the minimum threshold level recommended in clinical practice guidelines or of increasing dialysis session length or frequency. Available evidence suggests that patients and clinicians do not necessarily agree on what matters most when it comes to dialysis care, and that what patients consider to be an adequate dialysis session is highly individual and has little to do with solute clearance. Qualitative studies suggest that patients value spending less time on dialysis, having the dialysis procedure go smoothly, and being treated like an individual by staff members. Because many patients feel that they have little choice but to show up for their dialysis sessions, failing to involve them in decisions about time spent on the machine can contribute to feelings of powerlessness and loss of control, erode their sense of self, and diminish the quality of therapeutic relationships. On the other hand, a flexible and shared approach to decision-making about time spent on dialysis (and other aspects of care) can help to strengthen relationships, uphold personhood, and align care with what matters most.
Awareness is Not Enough: Commitment, Adoption, and Performance Implications of Supply Chain Integration

Purpose: Given the tension between the rationale for and resistance to supply chain integration (SCI), our purpose is to provide an update on the rhetoric and reality of SCI and to test and extend theory related to adoption and efficacy of integration strategies. We examine changes in the level of integration engagement and its influence on firm performance. Design/methodology/approach: We employ a multi-method – survey and interview – replication approach to 1) gauge the extent to which companies are increasing their engagement in SCI and 2) assess integration’s influence on firm performance.Findings: Despite managerial awareness of SCI’s potential benefits, levels of integration have remained relatively unchanged over time. We find that integration is positively related to operational performance and firm performance. Integration’s primary influence is through productivity and customer service. The interviews indicate some firms are beginning to manage value co-creation initiatives across multiple tiers of the supply chain. They also reveal a major challenge to effective integration is a lack of managerial commitment. Awareness of integration’s competitive potential is insufficient to mobilize resources and mitigate resistance to collaboration. Originality/value: Multi-method, replication research is extremely rare, but it is necessary to understand collaboration dynamics. We demonstrate that integration can improve operating and firm performance. Indeed, our approach enables us to delve into the paradox between the positive performance impact and the lack of progress toward greater integration. Theoretically, we link commitment and capability. Managerially, we propose a maturity framework that managers can use to benchmark their own SCI initiative.
Easy synthesis of poly( ionic liquid) for use as a porous carbon precursor

A novel poly( ionic liquid) which can be used as a carbon precursor was synthesized using a one- pot reaction using 1, 2-dimethylimidazole and epichlorohydrin as starting materials. The unique features of this poly( ionic liquid) include: no additional initiator is required; anions can be metathesized to regulate the micropore size of the carbonaceous materials. Carbonaceous materials derived from the poly( ionic liquid) with chloride anions( Cl-) as counter ions have a low surface area of 47m2 /g. However,by replacing Cl- with a bulky bis( trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide( TFSI-) anion,the carbonaceous materials produced have a high surface area of 595m2 /g,while replacing Cl- with dicyanoimide( N( CN) 2-) anion results in a reduced surface area of 30m2 /g.
Potassium wasting nephropathy in the setting of tizanidine overdose: a case report.

Hypokalemia has been rarely attributed to tizanidine, although the precise mechanism is unclear. Severe hypokalemia is a well-established cause of abnormalities involving cardiac conduction. Given this agent’s well-known cardiac arrhythmogenic potential, awareness of potential concomitant electrolyte abnormalities is important. Electrolyte disorders, including hypokalemia, are rare complications of the antispasmodic medicine tizanidine when taken in doses as outlined by the manufacturer’s prescribing instructions. Although cases of severe hypokalemia have also been described in the literature in association with this agent, such reports are few. We report a Caucasian case of an intentional overdose involving a very large ingestion of tizanidine. In addition to the characteristic abnormalities on the electrocardiogram, our patient developed electrolyte derangements as well as self-limited acute kidney injury. These biochemical abnormalities included profound hypokalemia that was refractory to aggressive replacement over the ensuing several days, before eventually dissipating. A thorough assessment of the etiology of this hypokalemia was consistent with a defect in renal potassium handling. In our patient with intentional tizanidine overdose, severe and refractory hypokalemia appears to have been due to a transient potassium wasting nephropathy.
The IL-33-ILC2 pathway protects from amebic colitis

Entamoeba histolytica is a pathogenic protozoan parasite that causes intestinal colitis, diarrhea, and in some cases, liver abscess. Through transcriptomics analysis, we observed that E. histolytica infection was associated with increased expression of IL-33 mRNA in both the human and murine colon. IL-33, the IL-1 family cytokine, is released after cell injury to alert the immune system of tissue damage. Treatment with recombinant IL-33 protected mice from amebic infection and intestinal tissue damage; moreover, blocking IL-33 signaling made mice more susceptible to amebiasis. IL-33 limited the recruitment of inflammatory immune cells and decreased the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 in the cecum. Type 2 immune responses were upregulated by IL-33 treatment during amebic infection. Interestingly, administration of IL-33 protected RAG2-/- mice but not RAG2-/-γc-/- mice, demonstrating that IL-33-mediated protection required the presence of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). IL-33 induced recruitment of ILC2 but not ILC1 and ILC3 in RAG2-/- mice. At baseline and after amebic infection, there was a significantly higher IL13+ILC2s in C57BL/J mice, which are naturally resistant to amebiasis, than CBA/J mice. Adoptive transfer of ILC2s to RAG2-/-γc-/- mice restored IL-33-mediated protection. These data reveal that the IL-33-ILC2 pathway is an important host defense mechanism against amebic colitis.
Advancing the Specialty of Plastic Surgery While Helping and Supporting Other Surgical Services at an Academic Medical Center.

ABSTRACT While helping and supporting other surgical services at our academic medical center, we noticed that many clinical problems presented to our plastic surgery team are truly unique and challenging. Many of the necessary reconstructive procedures, performed by the senior author, had never been published in plastic surgery textbooks or the literature before. Because of the plastic surgeon's creative problem-solving ability, we use reconstructive treatment plans that also innovate and advance the field of plastic surgery. In this case series, we share our experience with creative solutions for the management of novel and challenging clinical problems faced by our plastic surgery service. The resultant and effective solutions for each challenging case have all been published in reputable plastic surgery journals by the senior author. Once published, our inventive reconstructive solutions can be harnessed by other plastic surgeons and trainees and new standardized techniques or solutions for these unique and challenging clinical problems can be established. Ultimately, plastic surgeons can evolve their specialty through helping and supporting other surgical services at an academic medical center by establishing innovative solutions for ever arising challenging clinical problems. Once again, the plastic surgery team in a tertiary hospital supports many surgical services so that more complex surgical procedures can be performed safely and complications from other surgical services can be managed successfully. Therefore, adequate support for a plastic surgery service, by the hospital or department, is critical in developing a strong plastic surgery program at an academic medical center.
An Exploration of the Influences of Race, Class and Gender Identity on the Help-Seeking Behavior of LGBTQ Survivors of Violence

AN EXPLORATION OF THE INFLUENCES OF RACE, CLASS AND GENDER IDENTITY ON THE HELP-SEEKING BEHAVIOR OF LGBTQ SURVIVORS OF VIOLENCE By Xavier Luciano Guadalupe-Diaz A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2010 Director: Sarah Jane Brubaker, PhD. Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director, L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Without a doubt, violence continues to be a brutal reality in our society. It reaches and affects millions across our nation and around the world. For centuries, scholars, researchers and academics have studied and analyzed the existence of violence in many capacities. While violence affects every individual, group, and community the dynamics and the realties that are carried out vary tremendously across race, income levels, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation and national origin to name a few. The existence, impact and repercussions of violence in different communities carry varying meanings, perceptions and significance. This paper explores the influences of race, class, and gender identity on the help-seeking behavior of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) survivors of hate motivated and intimate partner violence utilizing data collected by the Virginia Anti-Violence Project (VAVP) Community Violence Survey. Utilizing a target sampling method, nearly 1,000
Stress urinary incontinence in the female

Abstract The urethras of 164 women were measured 496 times. Three methods of measurement were compared. Direct and radiographic measurements with a Foley catheter resulted in specious and inconsistent impressions of shortening because the urethra telescoped over the catheter. The metallic bead chain method of mensuration was deemed most satisfactory because distortion of the urethra did not occur but measurement was approximate because of variable bead distribution; the error was estimated to be within the range of plus or minus 5 mm. No correlation between incidence, severity, or cure of stress urinary incontinence and a short urethra could be demonstrated.
Reductionistic Research Strategies and Their Biases in the Units of Selection Controversy

Butler’s satiric comment encapsulates the reductionistic spirit that made Darwinism objectionable to many in his own day, but has fared ever better as a prophetic characterization of the explanatory tenor of modem evolutionary biology. It preceded August Weismann’s doctrine of the continuity of the germ plasm advanced in his inaugural lecture in 1883 by some five years. As Weismann’s views became one of the anchor points of the modern ‘neo-Darwinian’ theory of evolution, they led to many modern recapitulations and elaborations of Butler’s epigram. Thus Richard Dawkins writes (1976, p. 21): Was there to be any end to the gradual improvement in the techniques and artifices used by the repliators to insure their own continuance in the world? … They did not the out, for they are past masters of the survival arts. But do not look for them floating loose in the sea…. Now they swarm in huge colonies, safe inside gigantic lumbering robots, sealed off from the outside world, communicating with it by torturous indirect routes, manipulating it by indirect controL They are in you and me; they created us, body and mind; and their preservation is the ultimate rationale for our existence…. Now they go by the name of genes, and we are their survival machines.
Hopf Orders in KC p 3

Let p be a rational prime, let K be a finite extension of \(\mathbb{Q}\), and let G be a finite Abelian group. In Chapter 5, we constructed a collection of Hopf orders in KG using p-adic order-bounded group valuations on G. These were called Larson orders. We specialized to the case \(G = {C}_{{p}^{n}}\), completed R at the prime P above p, and considered Larson orders over the complete local ring \({\hat{R}}_{P}\). In Chapter 6, we constructed a collection of formal group Hopf orders in \({K}_{P}{C}_{{p}^{n}}\) and found that the Larson orders in \({K}_{P}{C}_{{p}^{n}}\) formed a proper subcollection of the formal group Hopf orders.
A theory of language acquisition based on general learning principles

A simulation model is described for the acquisition of the control of syntax in language generation. This model makes use of general learning principles and general principles of cognition. Language generation is modelled as a problem solving process involving principly the decomposition of a lobe-communicated semantic structure into a hierarchy of subunits for generation. The syntax of the language controls this decomposition. It is shown how a sentence and semantic structure can be compared to infer the decomposition that led to the sentence. The learning processes involve generalizing rules to classes of words, learning by discrimination the various contextual constraints on a rule application, and a strength process which monitors a rule's history of success and failure. This system is shown to apply to the learning of noun declensions in Latin, relative clause constructions in French, and verb auxiliary structures in English.
Ion Transport through Ligand-Gated Channels

Channels are integral membrane proteins that permit charged species to traverse the lipid bilayers of cells by providing a water-filled pathway through which ions may pass. All cell types face the problem of how to regulate the transport of ions across the inhospitable hydrophobic environment of the cell membrane, and they all solve this problem in part by employing channels of various sorts. Channels generally have several characteristics: 1. Ion flow through channels is a passive—though possibly complex—process that derives the energy for ion flux solely from concentration gradients of the ion species moving through the channel. Ion motion is much like that in free diffusion but may be complicated by ion-ion and ion-protein interactions. 2. Channels are selective in that only certain ion species are permitted to pass through. Different types of channels exist, and each channel type generally has its characteristic selectivity. For example, one channel species might allow a Na + flux and exclude K+ ions whereas another sort of channel would accept K+ ions and not Na+ ions. 3. Ion flux is regulated by the channel. A usual form of regulation is termed gating, in which case a pore through which ions can pass is opened and closed by conformational changes in the channel protein. Another form of regulation occurs when a cell controls the number and distribution of channels by metabolic or other means.
Organizing in the Age of Competition, Cooperation, and Collaboration:

The purpose of this article is to describe how organizations have evolved across three periods of modern economic history. These periods can be called the age of competition, age of cooperation, an...
Correlating optical coherence elastography based strain measurements with collagen content of the human ovarian tissue.

In this manuscript, the initial feasibility of a catheter based phase stabilized swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT) system was studied for characterization of the strain inside different human ovarian tissue groups. The ovarian tissue samples were periodically compressed with 500 Hz square wave signal along the axial direction between the surface of an unfocused transducer and a glass cover slide. The displacement and corresponding strain were calculated during loading from different locations for each tissue sample. A total of 27 ex vivo ovaries from 16 patients were investigated. Statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) was observed between the average displacement and strain of the normal and malignant tissue groups. A sensitivity of 93.2% and a specificity of 83% were achieved using 25 microstrain (μe) as the threshold. The collagen content of the tissues was quantified from the Sirius Red stained histological sections. The average collagen area fraction (CAF) obtained from the tissue groups were found to have a strong negative correlation (R = −0.75, p < 0.0001) with the amount of strain inside the tissue. This indicates much softer and degenerated tissue structure for the malignant ovaries as compared to the dense, collagen rich structure of the normal ovarian tissue. The initial results indicate that the swept source OCT system can be useful for estimating the elasticity of the human ovarian tissue.
Endoscopic exploration and measurement in 3D radiological images

ABSTRACT A high-resolution 3D radiological image provides a virtual copy of the anatomy that can be used as an input to acomputer-based image—analysis system. In particular, useful information can be obtained by interactively navigatingthrough a 3D radiological image in a manner similar to an endoscopic examination. Traditional endoscopy, though, only provides views in restricted regions (e.g., inside hollow passages) and only offers limited exploration and quantitation. Wepresent a computer-based endoscopic system, QUICKSEE, that heads toward overcoming these difficulties. QUICKSEE enables noninvasive unrestricted exploration of the virtual anatomy and can be useful as an anatomical quantitationtool. The system is particularly suited for analyzing complex 3D branching structures such as the pulmonary airwaysand coronary arteries. The paper describes the current form of QUICKSEE and provides examples of the system's usefor 3D pulmonary analysis and 3D microCT imaging.Keywords: endoscopy simulation, virtual endoscopy, dynamic visualization, interactive navigation, 3D imaging, 3D
History of Electric Propulsion at NASA Glenn Research Center: 1956 to Present

AbstractThis paper provides a brief overview of the history of electric propulsion (EP) at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Glenn Research Center (GRC). Since the inception of EP technology, GRC has played a pivotal role in developing the technology and transitioning it to flight. Research and development efforts by GRC’s employees, grantees, and contractors brought operational EP systems to commercial satellites in the early 1990s and to NASA and other government agency missions starting in the late 1990s. GRC’s early construction of unique EP test infrastructure and NASA’s and GRC’s sustained investments in EP research and development over several decades were strategic in the creation of technologies that continue to greatly benefit the competitiveness and capabilities of U. S. space systems and missions.
Atomistic simulation study of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates at the water/air interface

Molecular dynamics simulations with the CHARMM atomistic force field have been used to study monolayers of a series of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) at the water/air interface. Both the numbers of carbon atoms in the LAS alkyl tail (1 to 11) and the position of attachment of the benzene ring on the alkyl chain have been varied. Totally 36 LAS homologues and isomers have been investigated. The surface tensions of the systems and the average tilt angles of the LAS molecules are found to be related to both the length and the degree of branching of the alkyl tails, whereas the solubility and mobility are mostly determined by the tail length.
Preeclampsia is associated with decreased placental interleukin-6 production.

OBJECTIVE The etiology of preeclampsia is poorly understood, but may involve abnormal fetal-maternal immunologic interactions. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional immunologic cytokine that is normally produced by the placenta during pregnancy. Recent studies have shown that amniotic fluid IL-6 is decreased in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia. Consequently, this study was designed to test the hypothesis that placental IL-6 production is decreased in preeclampsia. METHODS Placental explants from normal (N = 6) and preeclamptic (N = 6) pregnancies were cultured in vitro, and the media were sampled at 0, 2, 6, 16, 28, and 48 hours. Production rates of IL-6 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and relative IL-6 mRNA expression was measured by Northern and dot blot analyses. RESULTS Production rates of IL-6 were 2.3-fold lower in preeclamptic placentas than in normal placentas, at 146 pg/microgram/hour versus 341 pg/microgram/hour (P < .05). However, relative steady-state IL-6 mRNA expression was identical in preeclamptic and normal placentas. CONCLUSIONS Placental IL-6 production is decreased in preeclampsia. The decrease in placental IL-6 production and secretion in preeclampsia is regulated by a post-transcriptional mechanism.
Weakly compressible high-order I-stable central difference schemes for incompressible viscous flows

Abstract In this paper, we propose a weakly compressible model for numerical simulation of the incompressible viscous flows. This model asymptotically approximates the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations when the mach number tends to zero. The main advantage of this model is that its numerical discretization avoids any Poisson solver, thus is very attractive for problems with complicated geometries. This model is discretized by high-order center differences in space and the so-called `I-stable' method for time. The linear stability region of an I-stable method contains part of the imaginary axis. When solving a system of convection–diffusion equations with a small viscosity, the I-stable method allows a very large cell Reynolds number, thus is particularly suitable for the simulation of fluid flows with large Reynolds numbers. Numerical experiments illustrate the efficiency and robustness of this approach.
The intrinsic control of myocardial contraction--ionic factors.

THE heart is an organ that is notable for its ability to adapt very rapidly to changes in demand even in the absence of extrinsic neural or humoral stimuli. One such adaptation is that of adjustmen...
HEMOPOIETIC CELL LINE-SPECIFIC EFFECTS OF RENAL GRANULOPOIETIC FACTOR (GPF) ON TRANSPLANTABLE MOUSE MARROW STEM CELLS: COMPARISON WITH ERYTHROCYTE STIMULATING FACTOR (ESF) AND ENDOTOXIN

The Till-McCulloch spleen colony system was used to differentiate the time- and dose-dependent effects of GPF (calf renal granulopoietic factor), ESF (erythrocyte stimulating factor) and Pyrexal (endotoxin from S. abortus equi) on the total and differential exocolonizing potential of treated donor mouse marrow cells. A single optimal dose of either hemopoietin given to the donor was found to activate transplantable colony forming units (CFU) of the hemopoietin-specific cell line. There followed a series of time-dependent oscillatory waves of specific CFU activation, the magnitude of which gradually dampened over a period approximating the stimulated cells’generation time. Flooding doses of GPF and ESF abrogated this phenomenon. Combination treatment with GPF and ESF cancelled out the cell line-specificity of CFU stimulation, presumably due to the two hemopoietins’competition for a common stem cell. Multiple doses of GPF were found to potentiate the granulopoietic effects of a single dose of GPF, the response apparently being limited both by the magnitude of the stimulation and by the size of the available CFU pool(s). A single dose of Pyrexal failed to evoke a GPF-like or ESF-like CFU increase and shifted the marrow's differential exocolonizing potential in the direction of the erythrocytic cell line. The CFU response to GPF is thus qualitatively and quantitatively distinct from those evoked by ESF and endotoxin. The possibility is proposed that GPF may be specific for the granulocytic line at the level of the CFU compartment(s).
Effects of copper trifluoromethanesulphonate as an additive to propylene carbonate-based electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries

Abstract Addition of copper trifluoromethanesulphonate (CuTF) to propylene carbonate (PC)-based electrolyte effectively suppresses the cointercalation and decomposition of PC in the mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB) electrodes during the first lithiation process. During the first charging cycle, copper ions are reduced at a higher potential (2 V versus Li/Li + ) than the potential of PC cointercalation and decomposition (0.6–0.8 V versus Li/Li + ), and predominately form a porous copper layer over the MCMB surface, thereby obstructing PC to cointercalate. An increase in reversible capacity can be achieved by increasing the amount of CuTF. However, above a critical value, the copper layer inhibits the intercalation of lithium ions and lowers the capacity. The AC impedance data reveal that the passivation film and the charge-transfer resistance are both increased when the deposited copper is in excess. An optimum result may be obtained when the addition is approximately 5 wt.%. CuTF is a possibility for PC-based electrolyte additive in lithium-ion batteries.
Resonance emission studies of the photodissociating water molecule

Abstract The results of a resonance Raman study of the X → A transition of water and its isotopomers, D 2 O and HOD, are presented. Spectra were obtained using 174.6, 171.4 and 160.0 nm excitation in resonance with this transition. These spectra exhibit intensity in overtone bands of the stretching vibrations. There is no activity in the bending vibration. The experimental data are corrected for instrument response and compared quantitatively to spectra calculated using a quantum mechanical time-dependent wave packet propagation technique with the ab initio excited electronic state potential energy surface of Staemmler and Palma. The agreement between the calculated and experimental spectra is excellent.
The manipulation of volatile solutes and solvents in infrared spectrophotometry

Abstract A new type of weighing flask is described suitable for the preparation of quantitative solutions in volatile solvents. It allows the direct transfer of the solution to an infrared absorption cell without the intermediary use of a pipette, syringe or other transfer device. It also permits the recovery of the quantitative solution after the measurement. Two modifications of the flask are illustrated, one of which will deal with volatile solutes as well as volatile solvents. The flask may also be used for the preparation and manipulation of other types of quantitative solutions where it is desired to minimize exposure to the atmosphere. These could include radioactive solutions, solutions in hygroscopic solvents such as sulfuric acid or deuterium oxide, or sterile aqueous solutions.
Krylov deferred correction accelerated method of lines transpose for parabolic problems

In this paper, a new class of numerical methods for the accurate and efficient solutions of parabolic partial differential equations is presented. Unlike traditional method of lines (MoL), the new Krylov deferred correction (KDC) accelerated method of lines transpose ( MoL T ) first discretizes the temporal direction using Gaussian type nodes and spectral integration, and symbolically applies low-order time marching schemes to form a preconditioned elliptic system, which is then solved iteratively using Newton-Krylov techniques such as Newton-GMRES or Newton-BiCGStab method. Each function evaluation in the Newton-Krylov method is simply one low-order time-stepping approximation of the error by solving a decoupled system using available fast elliptic equation solvers. Preliminary numerical experiments show that the KDC accelerated MoL T technique is unconditionally stable, can be spectrally accurate in both temporal and spatial directions, and allows optimal time-stepsizes in long-time simulations.
Influence of Diphenylhydantoin on Spontaneous Release of Ovulating Hormone in the Adult Rat

SummaryIt may be concluded from the present studies that diphenylhydantoin interferes with the neural stimulus that is responsible for the discharge of the hypophysiotrophic principles necessary for the release of ovulating hormone from the adenohypophysis. Artificial stimulation of the medial preoptic area in the DPH-blocked rat is capable of provoking the release of ovulating hormone. Subsequent peripheral interference with the ovulatory process, sites undetermined, occurs only with the use of the higher dose of diphenylhydantoin.
Effect of estradiol upon serum enzymes in primary biliary cirrhosis.

The repeated observation of a fall in serum enzymes at midmenstrual cycle in an untreated patient with primary biliary cirrhosis stimulated a study of estrogen administration in five patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. One patient was premenopausal, one patient was postmenopausal and three had had oophorectomy. After 2 weeks of ethinyl estradiol, AST was under 100 IU per dl in all and had decreased by 50% or more in 4 of 5 patients. γ-glutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase fell by 50 and 30% or more, respectively, in all patients. The decreases in serum enzymes were statistically significant in all patients for γ-glutamyltransferase, in 4 of 5 for AST and in 3 of 5 for alkaline phosphatase. One patient developed increased icterus leading to withdrawal of estradiol. Withdrawal of estradiol was followed by return toward control values over variable periods, usually 1 to 4 weeks. Repeated courses of estradiol reproduced these enzyme changes. These observations indicate that estradiol in the doses used (0.05 mg per day) reversibly lowers serum enzyme values in biliary cirrhosis. The mechanism of the effect is unexplained, but an immune system alteration may be responsible.