cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lead Bonding Techniques and Physics of Failure Considerations

The areas in which perhaps most is at stake concerning economy and reliability of semiconductor components is that of attaching devices and integrated circuits into packages. The most common situation involves a single component, per package, although multi-component encapsulation and hybrid integrated circuits represent rapidly growing fields. A great many bonding techniques and geometries have evolved and are in use today--thermocompression and ultrasonic wire bonding (wedge and ball), welding, soldering, eutectic brazing, organic adhesion, flip chip bonding (solder and ultrasonic), beam lead, and spider. From the standpoint of reliability physics, the number of problems inherent in this multiplicity of bonding techniques is considerably expanded by the number of materials commonly utilized with each technique, and by the variety of package environments that are in use. All of this is further modified by the controls exercised on bonding and packaging during manufacture.
Susceptibility of eight potato cultivars to tuber infection by Phytophthora erythroseptica and Pythium ultimum and its relationship to mefenoxam‐mediated control of pink rot and leak

In addition to cultural practices, the application of the fungicide mefenoxam is an important disease management tactic used to control both pink rot and leak on potato tubers grown in the USA. Mefenoxam resistance has been identified in many of the potato growing regions, and therefore resistance management strategies are very important for retaining this fungicide as a tool to manage these storage rot diseases. The relationship between mefenoxam efficacy and cultivar susceptibility to pink rot and leak was assessed in post-harvest inoculation studies. Mefenoxam was applied to potato (Solanum tuberosum) cultivars known to express varying levels of susceptibility to pink rot and leak caused by Phytophthora erythroseptica and Pythium ultimum, respectfully. Tubers harvested from plants treated with in-furrow and foliar applications of mefenoxam were inoculated with isolates sensitive to the fungicide. Incidence and severity of both diseases ranged widely among cultivars. Russet Norkotah was the most susceptible to infection by P. erythroseptica, while cvs Pike and Atlantic were the most resistant. Cultivars Dark Red Norland, Russet Norkotah, Goldrush and Russet Burbank were most susceptible to infection by P. ultimum whereas Snowden was most resistant. Control of pink rot differed significantly among cultivars following mefenoxam treatment, ranging from 28% (cv. Goldrush) to 67% (cv. Snowden) and generally provided the greatest level of disease control on susceptible and moderately susceptible cultivars such as Russet Norkotah and Snowden, respectively. In contrast, the impact of mefenoxam on leak development was minimal and disease control did not differ significantly among the cultivars. The fungicide failed to control leak in the susceptible cvs Atlantic and Pike and control ranged from 1.7% to 5.2% in cvs Goldrush, Russet Norkotah, Dark Red Norland, Russet Burbank and Kennebec. The greatest level of leak control was achieved with the moderately resistant cv., Snowden, at 12.7%. Cultivars most likely to benefit from mefenoxam treatments should be targeted as part of a pink rot management programme. Judicious use of the fungicide, when matched with the level of cultivar susceptibility, may prove to be an efficient and effective approach to reduce infection rates and possibly manage mefenoxam resistance thereby maintaining longevity of the compound.
Energetics of Insect Diapause

Managing metabolic resources is critical for insects during diapause when food sources are limited or unavailable. Insects accumulate reserves prior to diapause, and metabolic depression during diapause promotes reserve conservation. Sufficient reserves must be sequestered to both survive the diapause period and enable postdiapause development that may involve metabolically expensive functions such as metamorphosis or long-distance flight. Nutrient utilization during diapause is a dynamic process, and insects appear capable of sensing their energy reserves and using this information to regulate whether to enter diapause and how long to remain in diapause. Overwintering insects on a tight energy budget are likely to be especially vulnerable to increased temperatures associated with climate change. Molecular mechanisms involved in diapause nutrient regulation remain poorly known, but insulin signaling is likely a major player. We also discuss other possible candidates for diapause-associated nutrient regula...
Empirical space-time statistical models for inhomogeneous acoustic propagation environments

When acoustic signals are subject to measurement over large distances or extended periods of time, the environmental conditions governing their propagation are unlikely to remain constant over the necessary spatial and temporal extents. Relative to a static environment, such inhomogeneities may result in severe signal distortion, such as non-linear warping, and can significantly degrade subsequent signal processing tasks such as classification and time-delay estimation. In this paper we 1) describe a set of experiments that were performed in order to collect space-time acoustic propagation data for empirical modeling, paying particular attention to important experimental design issues such as optimal sampling rates in the spatial domain, and 2) present a statistical two-dimensional model for inhomogeneous environments that describes the space-time distribution of acoustic propagation velocity governing low-frequency long-range propagation of aeroacoustic signals with long durations (several minutes). The model includes a deterministic component to model structured changes (e.g., increasing temperature during morning hours) and a stochastic component, specified by a two dimensional Gaussian random process, to capture correlated random deviations. Cram´er-Rao bounds are presented as a means of evaluating and optimizing sensor geometries for learning model parameters.
Discrimination across the ideological divide : The role of value violations and abstract values in discrimination by liberals and conservatives

Despite ample research linking conservatism to discrimination and liberalism to tolerance, both groups may discriminate. In two studies, we investigated whether conservatives and liberals support discrimination against value violators, and whether liberals’ and conservatives’ values distinctly affect discrimination. Results demonstrated that liberals and conservatives supported discrimination against ideologically dissimilar groups, an effect mediated by perceptions of value violations. Liberals were more likely than conservatives to espouse egalitarianism and universalism, which attenuated their discrimination; whereas the conservatives’ value of traditionalism predicted more discrimination, and their value of self-reliance predicted less discrimination. This suggests liberals and conservatives are equally likely to discriminate against value violators, but liberal values may ameliorate discrimination more than conservative values.
Recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO): Cross‐linking with disuccinimidyl esters and identification of the interfacing domains in EPO

Several amino groups of recombinant human erythropoietin are selectively cross-linked by specific cross-linkers including disuccinimidyl suberate or dithiobis(succinimidyl propionate). Intramolecular cross-linkings are obtained without significant change of the protein conformation using appropriate concentrations (0.2 mM) of the cross-linkers, which possess an 11-12-A length of a spacer between two reacting groups. Intramolecularly cross-linked peptides obtained suggest that several amino groups in erythropoietin (EPO) are positioned at a distance of near 12 A in the solution state. These interfacing amino groups include Lys 20-Lys 154, Lys 45-Lys 140, Lys 52-Lys 154, Lys 52-Lys 140, and Ala 1-Lys 116. A comparison of the cross-linking results between nonglycosylated EPO and glycosylated EPO suggests that both proteins retain high similarity regarding protein conformation. These results fit a structural model similar to that of human growth hormone, in which four alpha-helical bundles and a long stretch of beta-sheet structure are involved in the active protein.
Hierarchical demographic approaches for assessing invasion dynamics of non-indigenous species: An example using northern snakehead (Channa argus)

Abstract Models of species’ demographic features are commonly used to understand population dynamics and inform management tactics. Hierarchical demographic models are ideal for the assessment of non-indigenous species because our knowledge of non-indigenous populations is usually limited, data on demographic traits often come from a species’ native range, these traits vary among populations, and traits are likely to vary considerably over time as species adapt to new environments. Hierarchical models readily incorporate this spatiotemporal variation in species’ demographic traits by representing demographic parameters as multi-level hierarchies. As is done for traditional non-hierarchical matrix models, sensitivity and elasticity analyses are used to evaluate the contributions of different life stages and parameters to estimates of population growth rate. We applied a hierarchical model to northern snakehead ( Channa argus ), a fish currently invading the eastern United States. We used a Monte Carlo approach to simulate uncertainties in the sensitivity and elasticity analyses and to project future population persistence under selected management tactics. We gathered key biological information on northern snakehead natural mortality, maturity and recruitment in its native Asian environment. We compared the model performance with and without hierarchy of parameters. Our results suggest that ignoring the hierarchy of parameters in demographic models may result in poor estimates of population size and growth and may lead to erroneous management advice. In our case, the hierarchy used multi-level distributions to simulate the heterogeneity of demographic parameters across different locations or situations. The probability that the northern snakehead population will increase and harm the native fauna is considerable. Our elasticity and prognostic analyses showed that intensive control efforts immediately prior to spawning and/or juvenile-dispersal periods would be more effective (and probably require less effort) than year-round control efforts. Our study demonstrates the importance of considering the hierarchy of parameters in estimating population growth rate and evaluating different management strategies for non-indigenous invasive species.
The 2·5 Å Structure of Pokeweed Antiviral Protein

The pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP), isolated from the leaves of Phytolacca americana, is one of a family of plant and bacterial ribosome-inhibiting proteins (RIPs) which act as specific N-glycosidases on rRNA. Here we report the three-dimensional structure of PAP determined to 2.5 A resolution by X-ray crystallography. After 14 rounds of refinement, the R factor is 0.17 for 5.0 to 2.5 A data. The protein is homologous with the A chain of ricin and exhibits a very similar folding pattern. The positions of key active site residues are also similar. We also report the 2.8 A structure of PAP complexed with a substrate analog, formycin 5'-monophosphate. As seen previously in ricin, the formycin ring is stacked between invariant tyrosines 72 and 123. Arg179 bonds to N-3 which is thought to be important in catalysis.
Preconceptions and individual differences in understanding visual metaphors

Understanding information visualization is more than a matter of reading a series of data values; it is also a matter of incorporating a visual structure into one's own thinking about a problem. We have proposed visual metaphors as a framework for understanding high-level visual structure and its effect on visualization use. Although there is some evidence that visual metaphors can affect visualization use, the nature of this effect is still ambiguous. We propose that a user's preconceived metaphors for data and other individual differences play an important role in her ability to think in a variety of visual metaphors, and subsequently in her ability to use a visualization. We test this hypothesis by conducting a study in which a participant's preconceptions and thinking style were compared with the degree to which she is affected by conflicting metaphors in a visualization and its task questions. The results show that metaphor compatibility has a significant effect on accuracy, but that factors such as spatial ability and personality can lessen this effect. We also find a complex influence of self-reported metaphor preference on performance. These findings shed light on how people use visual metaphors to understand a visualization.
Dielectric Measurements of Particulate Organic Polymers

The process of removing the entrained water within an organic polymer has been one focus of RF and microwave energy use in the plastics industry. This processing is critically dependent upon the absorption of the energy which in turn is dependent upon the frequency and the material’s dielectric loss factor. Knowledge, therefore, of this value is of great importance and is the subject of this study. Measurements were made on several plastic samples as a function of both temperature and frequency.
An effective and economic bi-level approach to ranking and rating spam detection

Rating and ranking of items are important parts of modern electronic commerce. As a result, dishonest business owners are spamming the ecosystems in return for favorable product rankings, while consumers can be misled to purchase low quality products. To protect the interests of consumers, it is a critical task to spot spamming activities and maintain the ecosystems health. Existing spam detection methods dichotomize microscopic and macroscopic viewpoints of the problem. On the one hand, microscopic methods work on the scale of individual ratings and can be trapped in the ratings that are less harmful to the ecosystems health, leading to sub-optimal allocations of human efforts. On the other hand, macroscopic approaches focus on the ratings that can manipulate the ecosystems in a larger scale. However, the macroscopic signals they inspect can only be tangentially connected to the most critical system health statuses, leading to hard-to-measure spam detection outcome. Further, these macroscopic methods lack of a consistent way to drill down to the microscopic scale and detect actual spams. To address the above drawbacks, we propose a bi-level framework that unifies both perspectives to pinpoint suspicious ratings that can affect the ecosystems more directly and significantly, such that the limited human effort is allocated to maintain the ecosystem health effectively and economically. The framework revolves around the notion of ranking regularity. It first constructs a system health signal from an approximation of ground truth ranking via aggregation of multiple noisy crowdsourced rankings, with only a minimum of expensive expert input. This signal helps the framework to drill down on critical regions where a microscopic method pinpoints suspicious individual ratings for human investigation. We obtain promising experimental results on datasets from mainstream restaurant rating websites.
The Influence of Clinical Decision Support on Diagnostic Accuracy in Nurse Practitioners

Background Clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) at the point of care are evidence-based interventions that have demonstrated incremental positive impact on quality of healthcare delivery over the past two decades. Existing best practices inform strategies to promote adoption and achievement of targeted outcomes. The purpose of this improvement project was to conduct a pilot implementation to understand the contextual factors and readiness for dissemination of a newly acquired electronic CDSS by evaluating its influence on diagnostic accuracy in nurse practitioners (NPs) functioning in a community health setting. Aims The specific aims of this project were to measure and compare diagnostic accuracy in a pilot group before and after CDSS use, educate clinicians about the system and pilot its use, and then leverage the experience to design the practice–wide CDSS dissemination strategy. Methods The project engaged a subset of NPs from a home–based primary care practice and other organizational stakeholders who provided tangible support and necessary resources for successful adoption of this innovation in practice. A structured conceptual model of Evidence-Based Practice Improvement enhanced with elements of the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Sciences framework was used to guide the development, implementation and evaluation of this practice improvement initiative. A group of seven NP representatives of the practice participated in the project. Data collection was composed of small tests of change (plan-do-study-act) cycles at the local practice level, measuring achievement of improvement of the chosen outcome of correctness of medical diagnosis evidenced by appropriate substantiating clinical documentation. Linking evidence to action In this home visiting primary care practice setting, use of a CDSS by NPs achieved eventual improvement in diagnostic accuracy and clinical documentation, as demonstrated on chart audit, though the improvement was not sustained over time. The pilot findings ultimately informed decision making about CDSS dissemination strategies and future uses of the system. When appropriately deployed, a CDSS offers the potential to improve professional practice, support differential diagnosis and evidence-based treatment, and provide detailed information about the disease state to facilitate robust clinical documentation.
Thermal Aspects of Mold Filling

In order to fill a mold cavity, the entering metal must have the required superheat. The temperature decrease in the fluid passing through the gating system must be accommodated in the processing such that liquid is allowed to fill the casting interstices completely.
Trends in surgical management and pre-operative urodynamics in female medicare beneficiaries with mixed incontinence.

Objective We sought to examine the surgical trends and utilization of treatment for mixed urinary incontinence among female Medicare beneficiaries. Methods Data was obtained from a 5% national random sample of outpatient and carrier claims from 2000 to 2011. Included were female patients 65 and older, diagnosed with mixed urinary incontinence, who underwent surgical treatment identified by Current Procedural Terminology, Fourth Edition (CPT-4) codes. Urodynamics (UDS) before initial and secondary procedure were also identified using CPT-4 codes. Procedural trends and utilization of UDS were analyzed. Results Utilization of UDS increased during the study period, from 38.4% to 74.0% prior to initial surgical intervention, and from 28.6% to 62.5% preceding re-intervention. Sling surgery (63.0%) and injectable bulking agents (28.0%) were the most common surgical treatments adopted, followed by sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) (4.8%) and Burch (4.0%) procedures. Re-intervention was performed in 4.0% of patients initially treated with sling procedures and 21.3% of patients treated with bulking agents, the majority of whom (51.7% and 76.3%, respectively) underwent injection of a bulking agent. Risk of re-intervention was not different among those who did or did not receive urodynamic tests prior to the initial procedure (8.5% vs. 9.3%) Conclusions Sling and bulk agents are the most common treatment for MUI. Preoperative urodynamic testing was not related to risk of re-intervention following surgery for mixed urinary incontinence in this cohort. Neurourol. Urodynam. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Tractive-Force Distribution in Open Channels

Tractive-force distribution in open channels are derived with the aid of simplifying assumptions that reduce the turbulent flow problem to the computer solution of laminar flow equations. Boundary drag and other effects, caused by restraint of the turbulent fluctuations at the wall and the free surface, are considered to originate two superimposed laminar velocity distributions on the same flow. Two laminar flow cases are solved; (1) The usual laminar open channel case, and (2) a closed channel, or pipe, having the same cross-sectional shape as the open channel. The two solutions are superimposed to obtain the final velocity distribution from which the tractive-force distribution is derived. The relative influence of the two solutions on the final velocity distribution is determined experimentally based on channel geometry and roughness. It is assumed that the relative tractive force distributions for these laminar-type flows are similar.
Analysis of nodal involvement in small peripheral lung adenocarcinomas lessthan 2.0 cm in diameter

標準 (ND2a) 以上のリンパ節郭清が施行された最大径2cm以下の末梢小型肺腺癌45例について, 免疫組織化学的方法による微小リンパ節転移を含めた肺門縦隔リンパ節転移の実態を調べ, こうした腫瘍をもつ患者の適切な治療方針についてリンパ節郭清を中心に考察を行った.リンパ節転移は45例中13例 (28.8%) に認め, この内, 微小リンパ節転移が4例を占めた.リンパ節転移の内訳は, N1が3例, N2が7例, N3が3例であり, これらの転移例の内, スキップ転移と見倣される症例が38.4%に認められ, また半数以上の症例は術前cNOと評価されていた.リンパ節転移をNoguchi分類別にみると, A, B型の腫瘍では転移を認めなかった.以上から, 2cm以下の末梢小型肺腺癌においては, Noguchi分類のA, B型を除いて, 標準的郭清 (ND2a) 以上のリンパ節郭清が必要と考えられ, cN診断や術中のリンパ節のsampling結果に基づく郭清範囲の縮小化あるいは省略はできないことが示唆された.
Risk-averse stochastic unit commitment with incomplete information

ABSTRACTDue to the sustainable nature and stimulus plans from government, renewable energy (such as wind and solar) has been increasingly used in power systems. However, the intermittency of renewable energy creates challenges for power system operators to keep the systems reliable and cost-effective. In addition, information about renewable energy is usually incomplete. Instead of knowing the true probability distribution of the renewable energy course, only a set of historical data samples can be collected from the true (while ambiguous) distribution. In this article, we study two risk-averse stochastic unit commitment models with incomplete information: the first model being a chance-constrained unit commitment model and the second one a two-stage stochastic unit commitment model with recourse. Based on historical data on renewable energy, we construct a confidence set for the probability distribution of the renewable energy and propose data-driven stochastic unit commitment models to hedge against the...
The Impact of China's ‘One-Child’ Policy on the Educational Attainment of Adolescents:

In January 1979 the Chinese government implemented a highly controversial ‘one-child’ policy that set strict limits to the number of children that each couple is allowed to have. The purpose of thi...
Procoagulant Activity of Laminaria Japonica Derived Fucoidan (BAX513) Depends on the Interaction with the C-Terminus of Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor

Abstract Abstract 4417 BAX513, a fucoidan derived from the brown seaweed Laminaria japonica, and other non-anticoagulant sulfated polysaccharides (NASPs) improve coagulation in hemophilic blood and plasma. Fucoidans are heterogeneous, polysulfated molecules with procoagulant activities in a wide concentration range. Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) has been described as a potential target for the procoagulant activity of NASPs (Liu et al. Thromb Haemost 2006; 95:68). In the current study, we investigated the interaction of BAX513 with TFPI proteins to gain a detailed understanding of the mechanism of action of BAX513. We used calibrated automated thrombography to monitor the activity of BAX513 in normal, FX and TFPI-deficient plasma. TFPI plasma levels were varied by the addition of truncated TFPI (TFPI1-160) and TFPI-domain specific antibodies. Initiating thrombin generation by addition of FXa to plasma deficient in both, FX and FVIII-showed a BAX513-dose dependent increase of thrombin generation, which was completely abolished when TFPI-specific polyclonal antibodies were present. Furthermore, when full-length TFPI was inhibited in plasma and instead supplemented with increasing amounts of TFPI 1–160, BAX513 did not show any activity. The data are further supported by surface plasmon resonance experiments (BiaCore) exploring the BAX513-TFPI interaction. A high affinity interaction was only observed for BAX513 with full-length TFPI but not for BAX513 with TFPI1-160. Our findings support a mechanism of action in which BAX513 acts as a potent dose-dependent TFPI antagonist that requires the highly charged C-terminus of TFPI to unfold its full potential. Understanding the mechanism of action of BAX513 supports the development of BAX513 as a promising new therapeutic for hemophiliacs and FVIII-inhibitor patients. Disclosures: Palige: Baxter Innovations GmbH: Employment. Redl: Baxter Innovations GmbH: Employment. Knappe: Baxter Innovations GmbH: Employment. Ehrlich: Baxter Innovations GmbH: Employment. Dockal: Baxter Innovations GmbH: Employment. Scheiflinger: Baxter Innovations GmbH: Employment.
The relationship between cervical lordosis and Nurick scores in patients undergoing circumferential vs. posterior alone cervical decompression, instrumentation and fusion for treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

Abstract The loss of regional cervical sagittal alignment and the progressive development of cervical kyphosis is a factor in the advancement of myelopathy. Adequate decompression of the spinal canal along with reestablishment of cervical lordosis are desired objective with regard to the surgical treatment of patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy. A retrospective chart review was conducted in which patients who underwent either a combined anterior/posterior instrumentation and decompression or a posterior alone instrumentation and decompression for the treatment of CSM at our institution were identified. Any patient undergoing operative intervention for trauma, infection or tumors were excluded. Similarly, patients undergoing posterior instrumentation with constructs extending beyond the level of C2–C7 were similarly excluded from this study. A total of 67 patients met the inclusion criteria for this study. A total of 32 patients underwent posterior alone surgery and the remaining 35 underwent combined anterior/posterior procedure. Radiographic evaluation of patient’s preoperative and postoperative cervical lordosis as measured by the C2–C7 Cobb angle was performed. Each patient’s preoperative and postoperative functional disability as enumerated by the Nurick score was also recorded. Statistical analysis was conducted to determine if there was a significant relationship between improvement in cervical lordosis and improvement in patient’s clinical outcomes as enumerated by the Nurick Score in patients undergoing posterior alone versus combined anterior/posterior decompression, instrumentation and fusion of the cervical spine.
Freezing-of-Gait detection using temporal, spatial, and physiological features with a support-vector-machine classifier

Freezing-of-Gait (FoG) is a syndrome of Parkinson's disease defined by episodes when patients show a complete inability to take a step or continue with their locomotion. In order to develop closed-loop therapeutic strategies, including deep brain stimulation, a reliable means of detecting freezing episodes is required. By using wearable accelerometers, freezing episodes can be detected with energy-based algorithms when the ratio of the energy in the freeze band (3 to 8 Hz) to that of the locomotion band (0.5 to 3 Hz) is above a patient-specific threshold. However, due to the great variability in patient activity type, walking style, and freezing pattern, this detection method often does not work. Here we describe a new FoG-detection method that captures temporal, spatial, and physiological features and uses a support-vector-machine to classify freezing episodes. Since our method uses more diverse features, it is able to more robustly detect FoG events. We have shown that when the energy-based method fails (e.g., area under the receiver operator curve is ∼0.5), our new method performs well (e.g., area under ROC curve is 0.96).
Child maltreatment as a social determinant of midlife health-related quality of life in women: do psychosocial factors explain this association?

We examined if child maltreatment (CM) is associated with worse health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in midlife women and if the association is mediated by psychosocial factors. A total of 443 women were enrolled in the Pittsburgh site of the longitudinal Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation-Mental Health Study. The analytic sample included 338 women who completed the SF-36 and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Generalized linear regression was used to assess the association between CM and two HRQoL component scores. Structural nested mean models were used to evaluate the contribution of each psychosocial mediator (lifetime psychiatric history, depressive symptoms, sleep problems, very upsetting life events, low social support) to the association. Thirty-eight percent of women reported CM. The mean mental (MCS) and physical (PCS) SF-36 component scores were 2.3 points (95% CI − 4.3, − 0.3) and 2.5 points (95% CI − 4.5, − 0.6) lower, respectively, in women with any CM than in those without. When number of CM types increased (0, 1, 2, 3+ types), group mean scores decreased in MCS (52, 51, 48, 47, respectively; p < .01) and PCS (52, 52, 49, 49, respectively; p = .03). In separate mediation analyses, depressive symptoms, very upsetting life events, or low social support, reduced these differences in MCS, but not PCS. CM is a social determinant of midlife HRQoL in women. The relationship between CM and MCS was partially explained by psychosocial mediators. It is important to increase awareness among health professionals that a woman’s midlife well-being may be influenced by early-life adversity.
π - p Elastic Scattering in the c. m. Energy Range 1400-2000 MeV

Total and differential cross sections for n-p elastic scattering are presented at 35 energies between 1400 and 2000 MeV.
Kinetic Modeling of Corn Fermentation with S. cerevisiae Using a Variable Temperature Strategy.

While fermentation is usually done at a fixed temperature, in this study, the effect of having a controlled variable temperature was analyzed. A nonlinear system was used to model batch ethanol fermentation, using corn as substrate and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, at five different fixed and controlled variable temperatures. The lower temperatures presented higher ethanol yields but took a longer time to reach equilibrium. Higher temperatures had higher initial growth rates, but the decay of yeast cells was faster compared to the lower temperatures. However, in a controlled variable temperature model, the temperature decreased with time with the initial value of 40 ∘ C. When analyzing a time window of 60 h, the ethanol production increased 20% compared to the batch with the highest temperature; however, the yield was still 12% lower compared to the 20 ∘ C batch. When the 24 h’ simulation was analyzed, the controlled model had a higher ethanol concentration compared to both fixed temperature batches.
The radiographic appearances of allografts in total hip arthroplasty revisions

The aim of this study was to describe the radiographic appearances of femoral allografts in 29 total hip arthroplasty (THA) revision procedures among 21 patients. Each patient had evidence of severe bone loss in the proximal femur related to previous hip arthroplasty. Proximal femoral allografts and cortical strut allografts were used to supplement and reinforce the native femur. The radiographic appearances were reviewed over a mean follow-up period of 2.5 years. A definite pattern emerged as the graft proceeded to unite with the host bone. The earliest feature was haziness and blurring of the ends of the allograft, followed by rounding and tapering of the ends, several months later. Eventually, sclerosis and coarse trabeculation of the cortex was seen when the graft had incorporated. A minor degree of resorption occurred in all cases, most commonly beneath the cerclage wires binding the grafts to the host bone. Complications included infection, fracture of the allograft and the host femur, and resorption of the graft. There were 3 cases of complete non-union and 11 cases of partial union. A definite radiographic pattern is evident as allograft bone unites with host bone. Knowledge of this pattern is useful to assess progression towards bony unit. Le but de ce travail est de decrire les apparences radiographiques d'allogreffes femorales dans 29 cas d'arthroplasties totales de la hanche (ATH) chez 21 patients ayant subi une intervention corrective. Chacun des patients presentait une perte considerable de la masse osseuse du femur proximal due a la precedente arthroplastic. Afin de renforcer et de compenser le femur naturel on avait procede a des allogreffes femorales proximales et des allogreffes a etai cortical. Les apparences radiographiques ont ete etablis sur une periode moyenne de suivi medical de deux ans et demi. Un schema bien defini apparait a partir du moment ou la greffe commence a se souder a l'os recepteur. On observe d'abord l'apparition d'une tache trouble et voilee aux extremites de l'allogreffe suivi plusieurs mois plus tard d'un effacement aux extremites. Une fois la greffe prise, on remarque une sclerose et trabecule grossiere du corteux. Dans tous les cas observes il s'etait produit une resorption, en general au niveau des cerclages metalliques fixant la greffe a l'os recepteur. Parmi les autres complications il faut citer egalement l'infection, la fracture de l'allogreffe et du femur recepteur et la resorption de la greffe elle-meme Dans trois des cas la greffe ne s'etait pas faite et dans onze des cas elle n'etait que partielle. Il est ainsi possible d'observer au niveau radiographique le schema evolutif d'une allogreffe tandis qu'elle se soude a l'os recepteur. Il est utile de savoir reconnaitre cette evidence afin de pouvoir estimer la progression de la soudure des os.
Evaluating Dietary Compounds in Pancreatic Cancer Modeling Systems

With the establishment of outstanding rodent models of pancreatic neoplasia and cancer, there are now systems available for evaluating the role diet, dietary supplements, and/or therapeutic compounds (which can be delivered in the diet) play in disease suppression. Several outstanding reports, which demonstrate clear inhibition or regression of pancreatic tumors following dietary manipulations, represent a noticeable advancement in the field by allowing for the contribution of diet and natural and synthetic compounds to be identified. The real goal is to provide support for translational components that will provide true chemoprevention to individuals at higher risk for developing pancreatic cancer. In addition, administration of molecules with proven efficacy in an in vivo system will screen likely candidates for future clinical trials. Despite this growing enthusiasm, it is important to note that the mere one-to-one translation of findings in rodent models to clinical outcomes is highly unlikely. Thus, careful consideration must be made to correlate findings in rodents with those in human cells with full disclosure of the subtle but often critical differences between animal models and humans. Additional concern should also be placed on the approaches employed to establish dietary components with real potential in the clinic. This chapter is focused on procedures that provide a systematic design for evaluating dietary compounds in cell culture and animal models to highlight which ones might have the greatest potential in people. The general format for this text is a stepwise use of fairly well-known approaches covered briefly but annotated with certain considerations for dietary studies. These methods include administration of a compound or a diet, measuring the cellular and molecular effects (histology, proliferation, apoptosis, RNA and protein expression, and signaling pathways), measuring the level of certain metabolites, and assessing the stability of active compounds. Though this chapter is divided into in vitro and in vivo sections, it is not an implication as to the order of experiments but an endorsement for utilizing human cells to complement work in a rodent modeling system. The notion that cell culture can provide the basis for further in vivo work is an attractive starting point, though the lack of a response in a single cell type should not necessarily prevent diet studies in rodents. The advantage of cell culture over animal models is the human origin of these cells and the ease and directness of manipulating a single cell type (particularly when exploring mechanism of action in that cell). Of course, the full effect of a diet, diet supplement, or therapeutic can only be wholly appreciated in an intact living organism with similar anatomical and physiological relevance. Thus, both approaches are considered in this chapter as each can provide unique strengths to determining the effectiveness of various dietary compounds or supplements on pancreatic neoplasia and cancer.
A Noncoherent Detection Scheme for Space-Time Block Codes

A differential detection transmit diversity method is presented. The transmission scheme exploits the diversity given by multiple transmit antennas when neither the transmitter nor the receiver has access to channel state information. Multiple transmit antenna differential encoding/decoding schemes are explicitly constructed based on generalized orthogonal designs. The detection scheme can use equal energy constellations and encoding is simple. At the receiver, decoding is achieved with low decoding complexity. The transmission provides full spatial diversity and requires no channel state side information at the receiver. The scheme can be thought of as the extension of differential detection schemes like DPSK to multiple transmit antennas.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Older Adults: A Conceptual Review

Issues that are salient in understanding posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in older adults are examined in this review. Although this issue has received scattered attention in the literature since introduction of the diagnosis of PTSD to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) in 1980, it is clear that numerous conceptual and defining questions exist in our understanding of the aftermath of trauma exposure in older adults. In approaching this issue, studies pertaining to diagnostic status as well as broader dimensions of psychosocial functioning are examined. Concerns that are unique to older adults are highlighted throughout, with particular attention to areas where additional research is warranted.
Using Natural Language Processing to Assess Text Usefulness to Readers: The Case of Conference Calls and Earnings Prediction

We examine whether support vector regressions (SVR), supervised LDA (sLDA), random forest regression trees (RF), and ‘tone’ extract narrative content from conference calls that correlates with useful information that a human reader would identify. We find that each narrative-content measure (along with a composite measure) explains a portion of analyst-forecast revisions for quarter q 1 issued after the conference call in quarter q. Correlation with analyst-forecast revisions improves when the composite measure adapts to context (positive/negative returns; high variance/low variance) and ignores sparse words. The correlation is comparable and incremental to that of financial signals (cash-flow changes, earnings surprises, and management forecasts), which suggests that the narrative content of conference calls as extracted by readers is economically significant. Our results suggest that models of narrative content have reasonable construct validity and that this validity is likely to be improved by further thought on the unique characteristics of text.
Welfare Economics, Public Policy, And Smoking

For the better part of a century now economists have sought to use the principles of their discipline to shed light on the nature of desirable public policy. For the most part they have accepted the central presumptions of political liberalism, presumptions which were also incorporated into the foundations of American democracy.1 These presumptions hold that people should largely be free to conduct themselves as they choose, provided only that in the process they do not infringe upon the equal rights of other people to do the same. To be sure, such a broad statement leaves much room for controversy along a vast spectrum of particular issues. The branch of economics now referred to as “welfare economics” represents the efforts of economists to think systematically about public policy in light of such political presumptions.
Quantization of fractional corner charge in C n -symmetric higher-order topological crystalline insulators

Building upon the concepts of band representations and their relation to localized Wannier functions, the authors systematically study charge fractionalization in higher-order topological insulators. They show that, when protected by ${C}_{n}$ rotation symmetries, charge can be fractionally quantized in units of $e/n$. The authors build topological indices for ${C}_{n}$-symmetric higher-order topological insulators in class AI. Due to an algebraic structure of the topological classification of these phases, these indices apply even to fragile phases, which lack a Wannier description, but for which a ``generalized'' Wannier description can be formulated.
Technical Note: Dosimetric Characterization of the Dynamic Beam Flattening MLC Sequence on a Ring Shaped, Jawless Linear Accelerator with Double Stacked MLC

PURPOSE To characterize the dosimetric features and limitations of the dynamic beam flattening (DBF) on the Halcyon 2.0 linear accelerator (Varian Medical Systems). METHODS A predefined multi-leaf collimator (MLC) sequence was introduced and used to flatten the 6 MV flattening filter free (FFF) beam on the Halcyon 2.0. Dosimetric characterizations of the flattened beams, including beam flatness, symmetry, percent depth dose (PDD), output factor and MU linearity, were investigated. Flatness and symmetry were obtained from profile measurements with both radiographic films (EDR2) and a two dimensional ion-chamber array (IC Profiler, Sun Nuclear Corporation). MU linearity, output factors, and PDDs were measured in a water tank with a CC13 ion chamber (Scanditronix Wellhofer, Nuremburg, Germany). In addition, the effect of the DBF sequence on 3D plan quality was evaluated by creating DBF plans for a 4-field box rectum and an AP/PA spine plan. Patient specific QA was performed on these plans. RESULTS At 100 cm SSD and 10 cm depth, a flatness of <3% was observed on both transversal and radial profiles for all square field sizes ≥10 cm with DBF. For both larger and smaller field sizes the flatness showed a tendency to increase as the fields got bigger or smaller, respectively. Similar trends in flatness were observed at all depths measured. All measured output factors for square field sizes ≥5 cm were within 1% of the TPS prediction. Linearity was ≤2.02% for all measurements. For both treatment sites, the MD judged the plans created for the Halcyon without the use of DBF not to be clinically acceptable, however considered both the TrueBeam plan and the Halcyon plan with the DBF sequence to be clinically acceptable. CONCLUSIONS The DBF sequence on the Halcyon and its characteristics were investigated. The analysis indicates that the DBF sequence can be used on the Halcyon to generate clinically acceptable 3D treatment plans.
Inducing Tumor Suppressive Microenvironments through Genome Edited CD47-/- Syngeneic Cell Vaccination.

Tumors can escape from the immune system by overexpressing CD47 and other checkpoint blockades. CD47 is expressed ubiquitously by all cells in the body, posing an obstacle for CD47 blocking treatments due to their systemic toxicity. We performed a study to determine how the tumor microenvironment changes after vaccination with genome edited CD47−/− syngeneic tumor cells. We discovered that inactivated CD47-depleted mouse melanoma cells can protect mice from melanoma. Our animal study indicated that 33% of vaccinated mice remained tumor-free, and 100% of mice had 5-fold reduced growth rates. The characterization of immunomodulatory effects of the vaccine revealed a highly anti-tumorigenic and homogenous microenvironment after vaccination. We observed consistently that in the tumors that failed to respond to vaccines, there were reduced natural killer cells, elevated regulatory T cells, M2-type macrophages, and high PD-L1 expression in these cells. These observations suggested that the tumor microenvironments became more suppressive to tumor growth after vaccination, suggesting a potential new immunotherapy for solid tumors.
A historical perspective of how public policy shaped dialysis care delivery in the United States.

Broadly defined public policy has been said to be whatever "governments choose to do or not to do" As applied to healthcare, public policy can be traced back to the 4000-year-old Code of Hammurabi. As it applies to dialysis care its history is barely 50 years old since national coverage for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) was legislated as Public Law 92-603 in 1972. As with most healthcare policy changes, it was a result of medical progress which had changed renal function replacement by dialysis from its rudimentary beginnings during the Second World War into an experimental acute life-saving procedure in the 1950s and to an established life-sustaining treatment for the otherwise fatal disease of uremia in the 1960s that was limited by its costs. Since 1973, the Medicare ESRD Program has saved the lives of thousands of individuals, a compassionate achievement that has come at increasing costs which have exceeded all estimates and evaded containment. Apart from cost containment, policy changes in dialysis care have been directed at improving its safety and adequacy. Some of the results of these changes are evident as one compares the outcomes and complications of dialysis encountered in the 1970s to those in the present; others, particularly those related to vascular access and hospitalization rates have improved modestly. This article recounts the historical background in which national coverage for dialysis care was developed, legislated and has evolved over the past 50 years.