cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immobilization and Stabilization of Lipase (CaLB) through Hierarchical Interfacial Assembly

Nanostructure-enabled hierarchical assembly holds promise for efficient biocatalyst immobilization for improved stability in bioprocessing. In this work we demonstrate the use of a hierarchical assembly immobilization strategy to enhance the physicochemical properties and stability of lipase B from Candida antarctica (CaLB). CaLB was complexed with iron oxide nanoparticles followed by interfacial assembly at the surface of an oil-in-water emulsion. Subsequent ring opening polymerization of the oil provided cross-linked microparticles that displayed an increase in catalytic efficiency when compared to the native enzyme and Novozym 435. The hierarchical immobilized enzyme assembly showed no leakage from the support in 50% acetonitrile and could be magnetically recovered across five cycles. Immobilized lipase exhibited enhanced thermal and pH stability, providing 72% activity retention after 24 h at 50 °C (pH 7.0) and 62% activity retention after 24 h at pH 3.0 (30 °C); conditions resulting in complete deact...
Epidemic tendency of imported Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Ezhou city and control measure

Objective To understand and master epidemic characteristics of imported Plasmodium falciparum malariaand to provide scientific basis for prevention and control strategies. Methods The epidemic characteristics of importedPlasnodium falciparum malaria in Ezhou city in 2005 ~ 2014 were analyzed using descriptive epidemiological method. Results From 2005 to 2014 toally 14 imported Plasnodium falciparum malaria cases were reported and the average annual reportedincidence rate was 0.13/100000. The case report was mainly concentrated in the autumn and winter an most of them were malesThe main source of infection was from African countries and regions. Conclusion Imported Plasmodium falciparum malariaincidence in general is on the rise in Ezhou city. Therefore the performances of malaria knowledge training, health education onthe personnel of export labor service, blood examination of malaria parasites and sectional collaboration, the control andmanagement of imported malaria be strengthened
Effects of Choline Acetyltransferase Inhibitors on the Growth and Differentiation of Mouse Neuroblastoma Cells in Culture

The effect of cholineacetyltransferase (ChA) inhibitors, bromoacetylcholine (BrACh), 2-benzoylethyltrimethylammonium (BETA), 3-benzoylpropyltrimethylammonium (BPTA), BETA's tertiary analog (TA-BETA) and 4-oxopentyltrimethylammonium (OPTA), on the growth of two types of neuroblastoma (NB) clones, NBE- and NBP2, were studied for the criteria of growth inhibition. Growth inhibitory activities of these agents for the NBE- cells were in the order of: BrACh (ED50: 1 microM) greater than BETA (3.8 microM) greater than BPTA (5.2 microM) greater than TA-BETA (6.5 microM) greater than OPTA (greater than 10 microM). Their potency for growth inhibition in NBP2 clone reflected the order of: BrACh (ED50: 2 microM) greater than BETA (7.8 microM) congruent to BPTA congruent to (greater than 10 microM) congruent to TA-BETA congruent to OPTA. Morphologic differentiation in NBP2 clone was observed with BETA (ED50=9 microM) and its tertiary analog. These results indicate that the NBE- clone is more sensitive to ChA inhibitors for the criteria of growth inhibition than NBP2, and BETA is a potent inducer of morphological differentiation. The fact that some of the inhibitors of ChA inhibit the growth at micromolar concentrations suggests that they may be potentially useful anticancer agents for NB tumors.
Platelet enhancement of postphagocytic destruction of Listeria monocytogenes in cultured mouse peritoneal macrophages.

Rabbit platelets enhance the bactericidal capability of cultured mouse peritoneal macrophages against Listeria monocytogenes.
The Current State of Clinical Application of Serum Biomarkers for Canine Lymphoma

Serum biomarkers of canine lymphoma activity for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy monitoring have been of clinical interest for more than a decade. Tumor products, biochemical enzymes, cytokines, metabolic profiling, leakage enzymes, as well as serum proteins have been studied as biomarkers for lymphoma. Multiple biomarkers combined have been shown to be most sensitive and specific. C-reactive protein, thymidine kinase 1, and haptoglobin have been most extensively studied and commercialized in diagnostic tests, the TK Canine Cancer Panel and the Canine Lymphoma Blood Test. These tests have been evaluated either in cohorts of diseased and healthy dogs or in prospective studies of ill dogs, respectively, for application to clinical decision making. Some evidence exists for application of these tests, but large-scale studies are lacking in a broad range of lymphoma forms. These biomarkers are commonly elevated at diagnosis and at relapse. Further study is necessary to determine if early intervention guided by biomarker elevation will improve quantity or quality of life for dogs with lymphoma.
Spatiotemporal Characterization of San Francisco Bay Denitrifying Communities: a Comparison of nirK and nirS Diversity and Abundance

Denitrifying bacteria play a critical role in the estuarine nitrogen cycle. Through the transformation of nitrate into nitrogen gas, these organisms contribute to the loss of bioavailable (i.e., fixed) nitrogen from low-oxygen environments such as estuary sediments. Denitrifiers have been shown to vary in abundance and diversity across the spatial environmental gradients that characterize estuaries, such as salinity and nitrogen availability; however, little is known about how their communities change in response to temporal changes in those environmental properties. Here, we present a 1-year survey of sediment denitrifier communities along the estuarine salinity gradient of San Francisco Bay. We used quantitative PCR and sequencing of functional genes coding for a key denitrifying enzyme, dissimilatory nitrite reductase, to compare two groups of denitrifiers: those with nirK (encoding copper-dependent nitrite reductase) and those with nirS (encoding the cytochrome-cd 1-dependent variant). We found that nirS was consistently more abundant and more diverse than nirK in all parts of the estuary. The abundances of the two genes were tightly linked across space but differed temporally, with nirK peaking when temperature was low and nirS peaking when nitrate was high. Likewise, the diversity and composition of nirK- versus nirS-type communities differed in their responses to seasonal variations, though both were strongly determined by site. Furthermore, our sequence libraries detected deeply branching clades with no cultured isolates, evidence of enormous diversity within the denitrifiers that remains to be explored.
Chapter 3: Science and Pathways for Bending the Curve

Greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion and land use are changing the radiative budget of the Earth and changing its climate. The negative impacts of this climate change on natural and human systems are already emergent. The solution is to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions altogether as soon as possible, but the rate at which these emissions can decrease is limited by human reliance on fossil fuels for energy and the infrastructural, socio-economic, and behavioral inertia of current systems around the world. In this chapter, we discuss the physical impacts as well as the many challenges and obstacles to ‘bending the curve’, and provide a framework of possible solutions.
Discovery deep space optical communications (DSOC) transceiver

NASA’s 22 cm diameter Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) Transceiver is designed to provide a bidirectional optical link between a spacecraft in the inner solar system and an Earth-based optical ground station. This design, optimized for operation across a wide range of illumination conditions, is focused on minimizing blinding from stray light, and providing reliable, accurate attitude information to point its narrow communication beam accurately to the future location of the ground terminal. Though our transceiver will transmit in the 1550 nm waveband and receive in the 1064 nm waveband, the system design relies heavily on reflective optical elements, extending flexibility to be modified for use at different wavebands. The design makes use of common path propagation among transmit, receive and pointing verification optical channels to maintain precise alignment among its components, and to naturally correct for element misalignment resulting from launch or thermal element perturbations. This paper presents the results of trade studies showing the evolution of the design, unique operational characteristics of the design, elements that help to maintain minimal stray light contamination, and preliminary results from development and initial testing of a functional aluminum test model.
Opening the door of your patient’s medicine cabinet: Unexpected outcomes of cancer pain management.

e20629 Background: Most victims of the current epidemic of prescription pain medicine (PPM) overdoses are non-patients, with 75% of overdoses attributed to opioids prescribed to someone else. Respo...
Effective Scalable and Integrative Geocoding for Massive Address Datasets

With increased accessibility of large scale open data, public health studies are able to take advantage of integrative spatial big data to increase the spatial resolution to community or neighborhood level. One critical information for such studies is the large number of addresses of patients, which is private and highly sensitive. Geocoding such massive private addresses poses major challenges for public health researchers. Many geocoders provide only Web APIs which require sending private addresses over the Internet, which is not feasible. Commercial geocoders require high licensing fee and often have limitations on daily usage, which becomes a major hurdle for researchers. Scalability is another major challenge for large scale address dataset. In this paper, we present EaserGeocoder, a novel open source geocoder for effectively geocoding massive address datasets. EaserGeocoder takes an integrative approach by using multiple references based on open address data sources contributed by governments or communities. It takes a machine learning approach to automatically find the best answer from candidates produced by multiple references. The system provides high scalability through parallel processing. Our comparative studies demonstrate Easer-Geocoder outperforms open source geocoders and is comparable to commercial ones in terms of both accuracy and error. It provides a cost-effective and feasible solution for large scale public health studies.
[Research paper] formalizing interruptible algorithms for human over-the-loop analytics

Traditional data mining algorithms are exceptional at seeing patterns in data that humans cannot, but are often confused by details that are obvious to the organic eye. Algorithms that include humans “in-the-loop” have proved beneficial for accuracy by allowing a user to provide direction in these situations, but the slowness of human interactions causes execution times to increase exponentially. Thus, we seek to formalize frameworks that include humans “over-the-loop”, giving the user an option to intervene when they deem it necessary while not having user feedback be an execution requirement. With this strategy, we hope to increase the accuracy of solutions with minimal losses in execution time. This paper describes our vision of this strategy and associated problems.
Correction to: The Role of Intestinal Stem Cells in Epithelial Regeneration Following Radiation-Induced Gut Injury.

The article The Role of Intestinal Stem Cells in Epithelial Regeneration Following Radiation-Induced Gut Injury, written by Chang-Kyung Kim, Vincent W. Yang, and Agnieszka B. Bialkowska, was originally published Online First without open access.
A Qualitative Assessment of Community Attitudes and Barriers to Family Planning Use in the Trifinio Region of Southwest Guatemala

Introduction Our aim was to identify beliefs about and specific barriers to use of birth spacing methods that married and cohabitating women in the Trifinio Sur-Oeste region of Guatemala report in order to design future family planning educational programs. Methods We conducted key informant interviews with community health workers and focus groups with married or cohabitating women. We used inductive and deductive coding to identify common themes. Using these themes, we created explanatory models for decision-making context and identified barriers to family planning use, community educational needs, and potential interventions. Results Thirty-seven women, aged 20–47 years, with an average of 3.5 children and a 2nd grade education level, were included in focus groups. Women had accurate knowledge about benefits of birth spacing however had poor knowledge of family planning methods. Most common barriers included lack of spousal approval, difficulty accessing contraceptive methods, lack of knowledge, and fear of adverse effects. Women were interested in increased education for men, adolescents, and themselves. Discussion Targeted education for women, men, and adolescents is needed to improve family planning uptake in the Trifinio region. Programming should focus on increasing knowledge and acceptability of birth spacing methods and increasing constructive dialogue among couples.
Assessment of the Carbonate Chemistry Seasonal Cycles in the Southern Ocean From Persistent Observational Platforms

U.S. National Science Foundation's Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling (SOCCOM) project under the NSF [PLR-1425989]; NASA [NNX14AP49G]; U.S. Argo through NOAA/JISAO [NA17RJ1232]; Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory of NOAA; Ocean Observations and Monitoring Division, Climate Program Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States; ARCS Foundation Oregon Chapter
Actions and Interactions of Cholinergic and Excitatory Aminoacid Receptors on Phosphoinositide Signals, Excitotoxicity and Neuroplasticity

The excitatory neurotransmitters acetylcholine and glutamate are involved in neuronal plasticity, which is thought to be an essential component of learning and memory. The loss of cognitive ability in Alzheimer’s disease and in age-associated memory impairment has been suggested to be secondary to a loss of central nervous system cholinergic transmission. Drugs which specifically disrupt cholinergic transmission have profound effects on learning and memory. A loss of cholinergic neurons clearly occurs early in the course of Alzheimer’s disease when memory loss is the only prominent symptom. In studies using experimental models of Alzheimer’s disease, lesioning cholinergic neurons also disrupts the ability of animals to learn. Glutamate has also been implicated in memory processes. Drugs that block glutamate receptors, particularly the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subtype, can produce cognitive deficits. An in vitro model of synaptic plasticity, long-term potentiation (LTP), is thought to be mediated in part through NMDA receptors. These studies suggest that both cholinergic and glutamatergic signals play an important role in memory processes and cognitive function.
Transformation kinetics and mechanical properties of Zr-Mo alloys

Alloys containing 1.3, 3.3, 5.4, and 7.5 pct Mo were prepared using high purity molybdenum and sponge zirconium. Time-temperature-transformation curves were established for these alloys based on the resistivity vs time of anneal curves of isothermally quenched rods. Tensile and impact bars of each alloy were heat treated by isothermal quench techniques as well as by quench and reheat treatments. These bars were then machined, tested, and the properties compared. Optimum properties could be developed in the 1.3 pct Mo alloy using the isothermal quench technique. The 3.3, 5.4, and 7.5 pct Mo alloys exhibited a brittle behavior irrespective of type of heat treatment. An ω or transition phase in the β → α transformation was discovered which undoubtedly accounts for most of the brittleness observed. The ω phase has been tentatively indexed as tetragonal, c/a= 1.45. Mechanical properties of unalloyed sponge zirconium are presented for comparison.
Multisite evaluation of radiomic feature reproducibility and discriminability for identifying peripheral zone prostate tumors on MRI.

Recent advances in the field of radiomics have enabled the development of a number of prognostic and predictive imaging-based tools for a variety of diseases. However, wider clinical adoption of these tools is contingent on their generalizability across multiple sites and scanners. This may be particularly relevant in the context of radiomic features derived from T1- or T2-weighted magnetic resonance images (MRIs), where signal intensity values are known to lack tissue-specific meaning and vary based on differing acquisition protocols between institutions. We present the first empirical study of benchmarking five different radiomic feature families in terms of both reproducibility and discriminability in a multisite setting, specifically, for identifying prostate tumors in the peripheral zone on MRI. Our cohort comprised 147 patient T2-weighted MRI datasets from four different sites, all of which are first preprocessed to correct for acquisition-related artifacts such as bias field, differing voxel resolutions, and intensity drift (nonstandardness). About 406 three-dimensional voxel-wise radiomic features from five different families (gray, Haralick, gradient, Laws, and Gabor) were evaluated in a cross-site setting to determine (a) how reproducible they are within a relatively homogeneous nontumor tissue region and (b) how well they could discriminate tumor regions from nontumor regions. Our results demonstrate that a majority of the popular Haralick features are reproducible in over 99% of all cross-site comparisons, as well as achieve excellent cross-site discriminability (classification accuracy of ≈0.8). By contrast, a majority of Laws features are highly variable across sites (reproducible in <75 % of all cross-site comparisons) as well as resulting in low cross-site classifier accuracies (<0.6), likely due to a large number of noisy filter responses that can be extracted. These trends suggest that only a subset of radiomic features and associated parameters may be both reproducible and discriminable enough for use within machine learning classifier schemes.
Assessing preference for types of social interaction

To date, few researchers have evaluated methods for assessing preference for social interactions. Due to concerns that commonly used stimulus preference assessment methods may be inappropriate, or at least cumbersome, for the assessment of social reinforcers, we developed and evaluated a new method of assessing preference for social interactions. A social interaction preference assessment (SIPA) and a concurrent operant reinforcer assessment were conducted with five participants diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. A differentially preferred and reinforcing social interaction was identified for all five participants. The SIPA procedures, results, and the implications of these results are discussed.
Household Preferences for Managing Coastal Vulnerability: State vs. Federal Adaptation Fund

People living in the coastal areas are highly vulnerable to the extreme weather events and climatic shocks. In this paper, we analyze households’ willingness to pay (WTP) for public adaptation funds to support proactive measures that would potentially minimize the extent of coastal vulnerability. Using split-sample dichotomous choice contingent valuation (CV) method, we investigate households’ preference for a state adaptation fund (SAF) versus a federal adaptation fund (FAF), lasting for either 5 or 10 years. We analyze more than 1200 randomly selected household responses from the counties of 10 Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic States that were adversely affected by a major hurricane (Sandy). From the annual estimates of median WTP, we observe that the households are willing to pay more for SAF ($68.37) than FAF ($27.35). The findings can provide inputs for policy evaluation to minimize coastal vulnerability, particularly to decide whether similar projects should be managed at the state or federal levels.
Model-Reference Adaptive Control of Distributed Lagrangian Infinite-Dimensional Systems Using Hamilton’s Principle

This paper presents a Hamilton's principle for distributed control of infinite-dimensional systems modeled by a distributed form of the Euler-Lagrange method. The distributed systems are governed by a system of linear partial differential equations in space and time. A generalized potential energy expression is developed that can capture most physical systems including those systems that have no spatial distribution. The Hamilton's principle is applied to derive distributed feedback control methods without resorting to the standard weak-form discretization approach to convert an infinite-dimensional systems to a finite-dimensional systems. It can be shown by the principle of least action that the distributed control synthesized by the Hamilton's principle is a minimum-norm control. A model-reference adaptive control framework is developed for distributed Lagrangian systems in the presence of uncertainty. The theory is demonstrated by an application of adaptive flutter suppression control of a flexible aircraft wing.
The Emerging Landscape of Immune Cell Therapies.

Cell therapies present an entirely new paradigm in drug development. Within this class, immune cell therapies are among the most advanced, having already demonstrated definitive evidence of clinical benefits in cancer and infectious disease. Numerous features distinguish these "living therapies" from traditional medicines, including their ability to expand and contract in proportion to need and to mediate therapeutic benefits for months or years following a single application. Continued advances in fundamental immunology, genetic engineering, gene editing, and synthetic biology exponentially expand opportunities to enhance the sophistication of immune cell therapies, increasing potency and safety and broadening their potential for treatment of disease. This perspective will summarize the current status of immune cell therapies for cancer, infectious disease, and autoimmunity, and discuss advances in cellular engineering to overcome barriers to progress.
Potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on financial toxicity in cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: In the context of COVID-19, cancer survivors represent a particularly vulnerable population that may be "doubly hit" by both costs of cancer treatment and financial strain imposed by the pandemic. METHODS: We performed a review of the literature pertaining to cancer, financial toxicity, and economic challenges. RESULTS: Multiple societies have put forth recommendations to modify delivery of cancer care in order to minimize patient exposure to the virus. Cancer survivors, especially patients with head and neck cancer, have been disproportionately affected by rising unemployment levels and economic recessions in the past, both of which are linked to higher cancer mortality. Patients who rely on employer-provided insurance and do not qualify for Medicaid may lose access to life-saving treatments. CONCLUSIONS: It is essential to implement interventions and policy changes in order to mitigate the effects of this pandemic but also to ensure this becomes a nonissue during the next one.
Layer-Dependent Bit Error Variation in 3-D NAND Flash Under Ionizing Radiation

In this article, we studied the total ionization dose (TID) effects on the multilevel-cell (MLC) 3-D NAND flash memory using Co-60 gamma radiation. We found a significant page-to-page bit error variation within a physical memory block of the irradiated memory chip. Our analysis showed that the origin of the bit error variation is the unique vertical layer-dependent TID response of the 3-D NAND. We found that the memory pages located at the upper and lower layers of the 3-D stack show higher fails compared to the middle-layer pages of a given memory block. We confirmed our findings by comparing radiation response of four different chips of the same specification. In addition, we compared the TID response of the MLC 3-D NAND with that of the 2-D NAND chip, which showed less page-to-page variation in bit error within a given memory block. We discuss the possible application of our findings for the radiation-tolerant smart memory controller design.
Financial-related psychological factors affect life satisfaction of farmers

Abstract Farmers as individual financial decision-makers can be better identified as those under the greater responsibility of managing multi-faceted stressful situations in both family and farm management. With using 1044 random sampling survey method, this study investigates how financial stress, financial risk tolerance, locus of control, and financial self-efficacy are associated with the life satisfaction of farmers. By investigating the farmer's financial stress and finance-related psychological factors on their life satisfaction, this study has a purpose to inform financial services professionals, such as financial planners and advisors, of how to better serve a population in the farmland industries. Our findings showed that: (a)_ financial stress decreases the life satisfaction, but farmers show lower maringal effect than the non-farmers; (b) locus of control increases the life satisfaction, but the farmers show smaller marginal effect than non-farmers, and (c) demographic factors show different maringal effects among non-famrers and farmers (i.e., age, education, gender). Overall, identification of themselves as a farmer eased the negative relationship between financial stress and life satisfaction but reduced the positive relationship between locus of control and life satisfaction.
Learning to Plan Optimistically: Uncertainty-Guided Deep Exploration via Latent Model Ensembles

Learning complex behaviors through interaction requires coordinated long-term planning. Random exploration and novelty search lack task-centric guidance and waste effort on non-informative interactions. Instead, decision making should target samples with the potential to optimize performance far into the future, while only reducing uncertainty where conducive to this objective. This paper presents latent optimistic value exploration (LOVE), a strategy that enables deep exploration through optimism in the face of uncertain long-term rewards. We combine finite-horizon rollouts from a latent model with value function estimates to predict infinite-horizon returns and recover associated uncertainty through ensembling. Policy training then proceeds on an upper confidence bound (UCB) objective to identify and select the interactions most promising to improve long-term performance. We apply LOVE to continuous visual control tasks and demonstrate improved sample complexity on a selection of benchmarking tasks.
The impact of molecular profiling on cholangiocarcinoma clinical trials and experimental drugs.

Cholangiocarcinomas (CCAs) are a heterogeneous group of malignancies arising from the biliary tract. CCAs are categorized as intrahepatic (iCCA) and extrahepatic CCA (eCCA) depending on their anato...
The risks of risk adjustment

Context Risk adjustment is essential before comparing patient outcomes across hospitals. Hospital report cards around the country use different risk adjustment methods. Objectives To examine the history and current practices of risk adjusting hospital death rates and consider the implications for using risk-adjusted mortality comparisons to assess quality. Data sources and study selection This article examines severity measures used in states and regions to produce comparisons of risk-adjusted hospital death rates. Detailed results are presented from a study comparing current commercial severity measures using a single database. It included adults admitted for acute myocardial infarction (n=11880), coronary artery bypass graft surgery (n=7765), pneumonia (n=18016), and stroke (n=9407). Logistic regressions within each condition predicted in-hospital death using severity scores. Odds ratios for in-hospital death were compared across pairs of severity measures. For each hospital, z scores compared actual and expected death rates. Results The severity measure called Disease Staging had the highest c statistic (which measures how well a severity measure discriminates between patients who lived and those who died) for acute myocardial infarction, 0.86; the measure called All Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Groups had the highest for coronary artery bypass graft surgery, 0.83; and the measure, MedisGroups, had the highest for pneumonia, 0.85 and stroke, 0.87. Different severity measures predicted different probabilities of death for many patients. Severity measures frequently disagreed about which hospitals had particularly low or high z scores. Agreement in identifying low- and high-mortality hospitals between severity-adjusted and unadjusted death rates was often better than agreement between severity measures. Conclusions Severity does not explain differences in death rates across hospitals. Different severity measures frequently produce different impressions about relative hospital performance. Severity-adjusted mortality rates alone are unlikely to isolate quality differences across hospitals.
BOLD fMRI in Mice with Large-Scale Optical Cranial Windows

We demonstrate the feasibility of fMRI in mice with large-scale chronic optical cranial windows.
Ab Initio Computation Of The Fcc Pd-V Phase Diagram

The fcc Pd-V phase diagram is computed by means of a Monte Carlo simulation with pair and multiplet interactions up to the fourth nearest neighbor distance. The Monte Carlo simulation was made faster by sampling the configuration on small clusters around each lattice point.
5 – Guided Waves

This chapter discusses guided waves. It starts with the definition of guiding structure and waveguide. A waveguide can be defined as a geometrical structure capable of propagating electromagnetic energy in a preferred direction in space within a certain frequency range. Usually, this direction is referred to as the direction of propagation, and the frequency range is referred as the waveguide operating band-width. There are two major types of waveguides, namely of the metallic or dielectric type. Metallic waveguides are closed structures surrounded by metal and confine the electric field inside the guide. Dielectric waveguides are open structures where the field confinement is obtained from the dielectric constant discontinuities between the dielectric waveguiding structure and free space. A rectangular waveguide is among the most commonly used waveguides. This is due to its manufacturing simplicity, low cost, and low-loss operation up to 100 GHz. Rectangular waveguides are also capable of handling very high-power microwave signals, and they are suitable for operations in outdoor environments.
Application of Multivariable Controller Design Techniques to an Electrohydryaulic Circuit for Coordinated Motion Control

The hydraulic coupling in the series-bypass circuit is examined in this paper. Application of multivariable techniques to the series-bypass circuit is also presented. The series-bypass circuit combines variable displacement pumps and serially connected, bypass flow modulated actuators. A prototype series-bypass circuit is mathematically modeled and analyzed using linear dynamic models and a nonlinear time domain simulation. Pseudo-diagonalization techniques and Rosenbrock's INA methods are applied to the linear model and used to minimize coupling, determine the stable gain space and design compensation. The feasability of using a linear model for these purposes is confirmed by simulation results. Experimental data is compared to the linear model and simulation and found to exhibit the same dependences on operating conditions but some discrepancies are found between pseudo-diagonalization and INA predications and empirical behavior.
SAFETY STUDIES RELATED TO RRR PROJECTS

The Resurfacing, Restoration and Rehabilitation (RRR) Program and, in general, the improvements often associated with RRR projects on safety are discussed. Studies that analyze traffic accident data are presented. The safety implications of resurfacing, skid resistance, lane and shoulder width delineation, and the removal of roadside and fixed objects are discussed.
Fat metabolism in higher plants. LV. Acetate uptake and accumulation by class I and II chloroplasts from Spinacia oleracea.

Abstract The permeability of chloroplast membranes to acetate was studied by measuring the direct movement of radioactive acetate into the organelle. The half-time for equilibration of 1 m m acetate across the envelope membrane was less than 5 sec while that for the lamellar membranes was greater than 30 min at pH 7.9. Evidence suggested that the undissociated acid penetrated faster than the acetate anion. Acetate was bound by the chloroplasts with an optimum pH of 6.5. The binding was enhanced fourfold by Mn2+ and Mg2+ with a reversal of the enhancement by EDTA. Binding was weak and saturated at 15–30 nmoles acetate/mg chlorophyll. It appeared that acetate was bound in the vicinity of the lamellar membranes. Permeation of acetate was much faster than and without effect on that of glutamate.
Cooperative Query Answering with GeneralizedQuantifiers

The use of Generalized Quantifiers in query languages was introduced independently in (Hsu and Parker, 1995s Gyssens et al., 1995). In both cases it is argued that GQs make query languages more able to handle complex queries in a declarative way and provide a syntax more similar to natural language. In this paper we argue that query languages with Generalized Quantifiers can be used to produce cooperative question answering (Gaasterland et al., 1992). We introduce the Query Language with Generalized Quantifiers QLGQ and review related work in cooperative query answering, focusing on research that has direct connections with the results of this paper. Then we show how to use Generalized Quantifiers in dealing with false presuppositions, constructing justifications, and query relaxation. For each technique, we give examples that suggest that Generalized Quantifiers are better suited to the application of the technique than traditional approaches.
The Use of Maps, Images and Gestures for Navigation

The problem of designing an information system for locating objects in space is discussed. Using the framework of a cognitive collage, as developed by Tversky (1993), it is argued that redundant information from a variety of media is most useful in constructing a spatial information broker. This approach is supported by examining four case studies in detail, you-are-here maps, information kiosks, an information browser, and library locator system. Implications for design of future navigation systems are discussed.
Brief report: rheumatoid arthritis is associated with left ventricular concentric remodeling: results of a population-based cross-sectional study.

Objective To study left ventricular (LV) geometry in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and no history of heart failure compared with that in subjects with neither RA nor a history of heart failure, and to determine the impact of RA on LV remodeling. Methods A cross-sectional, community-based study was conducted among adult (age ≥50 years) patients with RA and age- and sex-matched subjects with neither RA nor a history of heart failure. All participants underwent standard 2-dimensional Doppler echocardiography. LV geometry was classified into the following 4 categories based on relative wall thickness and sex-specific cutoffs for the LV mass index: concentric remodeling, concentric hypertrophy, eccentric hypertrophy, or normal geometry. Results Among 200 patients with RA and 600 age- and sex-matched subjects without RA, the mean age was 65 years, and 74% of the individuals in both cohorts were female. Compared with subjects without RA, patients with RA were significantly more likely to have abnormal LV geometry (odds ratio [OR] 1.44, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.03–2.00), even after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors and comorbidities. Among subjects with abnormal LV geometry, the odds of concentric LV remodeling were significantly increased in patients with RA (OR 4.73, 95% CI 2.85–7.83). In linear regression analyses, the LV mass index appeared to be lower in patients with RA who were currently receiving corticosteroids (β ± SE −0.082 ± 0.027, P = 0.002), even after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors and comorbidities. Conclusion RA was strongly associated with abnormal LV remodeling (particularly concentric LV remodeling) among RA patients without heart failure. This association remained significant after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors and comorbidities. RA disease–related factors may promote changes in LV geometry. The biologic mechanisms underlying LV remodeling warrant further investigation.
Stillbirth evaluation: a stepwise assessment of placental pathology and autopsy

Background The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists places special emphasis on autopsy as one of the most important tests for evaluation of stillbirth. Despite a recommendation of an autopsy, many families will decline the autopsy based on religious/cultural beliefs, fear of additional suffering for the child, or belief that no additional information will be obtained or of value. Further, many obstetric providers express a myriad of barriers limiting their recommendation for a perinatal autopsy despite their understanding of its value. Consequently, perinatal autopsy rates have been declining. Without the information provided by an autopsy, many women are left with unanswered questions regarding cause of death for their fetus and without clear management strategies to reduce the risk of stillbirth in future pregnancies. To avoid this scenario, it is imperative that clinicians are knowledgeable about the benefit of autopsy so they can provide clear information on its diagnostic utility and decrease potential barriers; in so doing the obstetrician can ensure that each family has the necessary information to make an informed decision. Objective We sought to quantify the contribution of placental pathologic examination and autopsy in identifying a cause of stillbirth and to identify how often clinical management is modified due to each result. Study Design This is a cohort study of all cases of stillbirth from 2009 through 2013 at a single tertiary care center. Records were reviewed in a stepwise manner: first the clinical history and laboratory results, then the placental pathologic evaluation, and finally the autopsy. At each step, a cause of death and the certainty of that etiology were coded. Clinical changes that would be recommended by information available at each step were also recorded. Results Among the 144 cases of stillbirth examined, 104 (72%) underwent autopsy and these cases constitute the cohort of study. The clinical and laboratory information alone identified a cause of death in 35 (24%). After placental pathologic examination, 88 (61%) cases had a probable cause of death identified. The addition of autopsy resulted in 78 (74%) cases having an identifiable probable cause of death. Placental examination alone changed clinical management in 52 (36%) cases. Autopsy led to additional clinical management changes in 6 (6%) cases. Conclusion This stepwise assessment of the benefit of both placental pathological examination and autopsy in changing probable cause of death beyond traditional clinical history and laboratory results emphasizes the need to implement more comprehensive evaluation of all stillbirths. With the aim of providing a cause of stillbirth to the parents, and to prevent future stillbirths, it behooves health care professionals to understand the value of this more comprehensive approach and convey that information to the bereaved parents.
Modern Commercial Policy: Managed Trade or Retaliation?

In this paper we study worldwide antidumping (AD) case filing patterns in order to determine the extent to which economic versus strategic incentives explain the behavior of countries employing AD actions. We compare four main hypotheses. Two are motivated by the Bagwell- Staiger (1990) model of special protection and are consistent with the view that AD actions are used to prevent unfair trade: the "big supplier" and the "big change in imports" hypotheses. The other two hypotheses, tit-for-tat and the club effect, are outside the basic Bagwell-Staiger model and are consistent with the belief that strategic considerations influence AD actions. We find strong support that AD actions are directed at big suppliers, but far weaker evidence that AD actions are filed against suppliers whose imports have "surged." This finding casts doubt on the view that AD actions are primarily used to stop unfair trade practices because one would expect that such practices would be associated with large import gains. We also find very strong evidence that AD actions are used strategically to deter further use of AD and/or to punish trading partners who have used AD. Our findings reject the notion that the rise in AD activity is solely explained by an increase in unfair trading.
Insulin Increases Lipogenic Enzyme Activity in Human Adipocytes in Primary Culture

Studies with human adipose tissue have demonstrated the presence of key enzymes of fat synthesis. However, long-term regulation of these enzymes has not been reported. To address this issue, we used human adipocytes in primary culture. Human adipose tissue was obtained from abdominal fat of patients undergoing abdominal surgery. Adipocytes were isolated by collagenase digestion and cultured in media supplemented with 1% fetal bovine serum. To evaluate metabolic activity of cultured cells, we assessed the following during the culture: DNA pattern, cell size, glucose consumption and activities for two lipogenic enzymes, fatty acid synthase (FAS) and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH). Analysis of DNA pattern showed that human adipocytes cultured under the above condition did not undergo cell apoptosis. In addition, no significant change in the cell size occurred during 22 d of culture. Glucose consumption by cultured cells was also constant during the culture and was 60% greater in the presence of 10 nmol/L of insulin. Treatment of cultured human adipocytes with insulin for 3-22 d increased GPDH and FAS activity by 60% and 2.8-fold, respectively, compared to cells cultured without insulin. Furthermore, the increase in FAS activity due to insulin treatment was dose dependent and maximal at 10 nmol/L. Our studies show for the first time that human adipocytes can be maintained viable and metabolically active for 2-3 wk in culture. Interestingly, cultured cells remain responsive to insulin. Therefore, this system will allow further characterization of long-term regulation of lipogenesis in human adipocytes and will be useful for developing pharmacological treatments of obesity.
Total aortic arch replacement with a branched graft and limited circulatory arrest of the brain

Abstract Background Total replacement of the aortic arch is commonly performed with either antegrade perfusion of the brachiocephalic arteries by means of direct cannulation or with an interval of hypothermic circulatory arrest of at least 30 to 40 minutes. We present a technique with a branched graft that uses antegrade brain perfusion without the need for direct cannulation of the brachiocephalic arteries or a separate perfusion circuit, with only a brief period of circulatory arrest of the brain. Methods Twelve patients underwent resection of the aortic arch through either a midline sternotomy (4 patients) or a bilateral anterior thoracotomy (8 patients). The right axillary artery was used for arterial return and for brain perfusion. After establishing hypothermic circulatory arrest, the brachiocephalic arteries were detached from the aorta, flushed, and occluded with clamps. Hypothermic perfusion of the brain was established through the right axillary artery, and the brachiocephalic arteries were sequentially attached to the limbs of a branched aortic graft. Flow to the brain was then established in the antegrade direction through the axillary artery. Results The mean duration of circulatory arrest of the brain at a mean nasopharyngeal temperature of 16°C was 8.8 minutes (range, 6-13 minutes). The subsequent period of hypothermic (20°C-22°C) brain perfusion, during which the 3 branches of the graft were attached to the brachiocephalic arteries, averaged 35 minutes (range, 23-44 minutes). All the patients survived the procedure and were discharged from the hospital. No patient sustained a permanent neurologic deficit. One patient had lethargy for 2 days, with full recovery. Nine of the 12 patients were extubated within 72 hours. Conclusions This technique obviates the need for direct cannulation of the brachiocephalic arteries and for a separate perfusion circuit and requires only a brief period of circulatory arrest of the brain.
Getting God Out of Our (Modal) Business

Some hold that if we can imagine God creating a world in which a particular proposition (p) is true, then we can conclude that p is possible. I argue that such appeals to God can’t provide us with a guide to possibility. For either God’s powers aren’t co-extensive with the possible or they are. And if they are, these appeals either beg the question or court a version of Euthyphro’s Dilemma. Some may argue that such appeals were only intended to prompt us to think broadly about the modal claim at issue. I argue instead that these appeals must be understood as more than mere prompts. For it is these appeals that would, if successful, render the conceivability principle viable.
A mesoscale atmospheric dispersion model for predicting ambient air concentration and deposition patterns for single and multiple sources

Abstract A mesoscale modified Gaussian model (MGM) that incorporates chemical oxidation of sulfur dioxide, dry deposition and precipitation scavenging for single and multiple sources is described. The model was verified in the range 5–250 km using 1.5-y monthly deposition data, 1 y of 24-h ambient air SO 2 data, and by comparison to two dispersion models. The calculated deposition rates which were compared to data collected around the Sudbury, Ontario, smelter complex were found to be within a factor of two to three of measured values depending on the averaging time. The comparison with two existing dispersion models gave results to within a factor of two. Sensitivity testing on the input parameters is also discussed.
How managers make sourcing decisions about low cost regions: Insights from perceptual mapping

Abstract This exploratory study combines in-depth interviews with survey data from sourcing managers to provide insights into the evaluation process used in deciding whether a particular country or region is a good sourcing option. Using the survey data we construct a multidimensional perceptual map of sourcing managers' perceptions of low cost regions. As expected, we find that cost and reliability are key criteria used by sourcing managers, but other factors such as intellectual property protection also come into play. Thus, the evaluation process seems to be more nuanced than typically portrayed in the literature, and these nuances have direct implications for marketing and regional development professionals in low cost regions.