cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Speech Perception in Classroom Acoustics by Children With Cochlear Implants and With Typical Hearing

Purpose This study measured speech perception ability in children with cochlear implants and children with typical hearing when listening across ranges of reverberation times (RTs) and speech-to-no...
Envy In V&V: An Opinon Piece on New Directions for Verification and Validation in Nuclear Power Plants

Verification and validation (V&V) as applied in the nuclear power community has tended to involve efforts such as integrated system validation, which comes at the tail end of the design stage. In t...
Alcohol use and suicidality in firefighters: Associations with depressive symptoms and posttraumatic stress

Both suicidality and alcohol use disorders are significant public health concerns among firefighters, and alcohol use is associated with increased suicide risk. In addition, firefighters endorse high rates of symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Thus, the current investigation examined associations between alcohol dependence and suicide risk among a large sample of firefighters. Specifically, this study examined the indirect effects of alcohol dependence on suicidality outcomes via both depression and posttraumatic stress, using structural equation modeling. A total of 2883 male firefighters completed a self-report survey, containing measures of alcohol use, suicidality, PTSD, and depressive symptoms. Results indicated good model fit. The latent alcohol dependence variable was directly related to the latent suicide risk variable. However, when depression and posttraumatic stress latent variables were added into the model, alcohol dependence was no longer associated with suicide risk. Furthermore, alcohol dependence was indirectly related to suicide risk via latent depression and posttraumatic stress variables. Indirect effects were established after controlling for relevant covariates. Clinical implications are discussed.
The Limits of Mastery: Slaveholders, Slaves, and Baptist Church Discipline

ABSTRACTExisting scholarship describes early southern evangelical churches as racially radical institutions that, as the eighteenth century surrendered to the nineteenth, capitulated to slavery, implementing accommodations intended to make them more attractive to respectable, slaveholding churchgoers. This essay argues that that transition was never as complete as suggested. Based on a set of 65 Baptist church minutes from congregations located in 4 different southern states, it shows how evangelical churches continued to exercise a degree of authority over slave-owning members and their treatment of bondpeople from the late eighteenth century through the end of slavery itself.
LABOR'S CHANGING RESPONSES TO MANAGEMENT RHETORICS: A STUDY OF ACCOUNTING-BASED INCENTIVE PLANS DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY

This study compares organized labor's reactions to changing management rhetorics as these rhetorics surrounded accounting- based incentive plans, including profit sharing. Results suggest that labo...
SUL-PEAK, -MAX and -PAX in PERCIST 1.0: An ROC analysis

1223 Objectives To compare and assess the performance of PEAK, MAX and PAX when used in the application of the PERCIST 1.0 criteria. Methods Paired pre-treatment / 2-week monitoring FDG PET studies of 37 patients in an IRB approved trial of breast CA Tx were used in this analysis. Each study was evaluated by a semi-automated system which detects and measures lesions using PERCIST 1.0 criteria. The studies were analyzed using PEAK-SUL (a local average of voxels in a 1cc spherical VOI), PAX-SUL (calculated like PEAK-SUL, but using only those voxels which ≥ the calculated PERCIST 1.0 disease threshold), and single voxel MAX-SUL. Response based on tissue pathology at end of therapy was obtained for each case. An ROC analysis was performed testing the %Δ between baseline and monitoring study for each statistic against the tissue pathology response at end of chemotherapy. Results PET studies were considered assessable if disease was detected in the pre-treatment study by the specified statistic ≥ PERCIST 1.0 baseline threshold (1.5*Liver-Mean+2*Liver-SD as measured by a 3cm diameter spherical VOI). Of the 37 cases, 34 were assessable by MAX-SUL, 34 were assessable by PAX-SUL, and 29 were assessable by PEAK-SUL. At follow-up, in cases where disease was not detectable at the PERCIST 1.0 F/U threshold (Liver-Mean+2*Liver-SD), the calculated F/U threshold value was used for the %Δ calculation. ROC analysis of %Δ in SUL-MAX between baseline & monitoring PET yielded an area under the curve of 0.90 (est. SE=0.07). For SUL-PEAK, the %Δ analysis yielded an area under the curve of 0.91 (est. SE=0.06), and for SUL-PAX the %Δ analysis yielded an area under the curve of 0.88 (est. SE=0.09). Conclusions More cases were assessable with MAX and PAX. Of the assessable cases, MAX and PEAK performed nearly identically. PAX provided slightly higher sensitivity than both but at the loss of some specificity. Further study is warranted in the refinement of SUL-PAX as a statistical measure for response assessment by PERCIST, especially for small tumors. Research Support This work was partly supported by National Cancer Institute (NCI) grant 3P30CA 006973-43S2 (Image Response Assessment Team supplement award) and 1U01CA140204
Carcinoids and Capsules: A Case Series Highlighting the Utility of Capsule Endoscopy in Patients With Small Bowel Carcinoids

Background Neuroendocine tumors (NETs) or carcinoids arise at many different sites of the gastrointestinal tract. The small intestine is the most common site for NETs. Diagnosing small bowel carcinoids remains challenging given their non-specific presentations and the overall low incidence of small bowel tumors. Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) has significanly improved our ability to detect small bowel malignancies. We explore the value of VCE in the initial workup and management of a series of small bowel carcinoid patients. Methods We retrospectively analyzed adult patients undergoing surgical management for small bowel lesions from July 2005 to September 2015 at a tertiary care center. Patient characteristics, presenting symptomatology, diagnostic workup and surgical management were analyzed among patients with histologically confirmed small bowel carcinoid tumors. Results Our study identified 16 patients treated surgically for small bowel carcinoids. The majority of patients (87.5%) presented with either occult gastrointestinal bleeding or anemia. Most patients (87.5%) were initially evaluated with various endoscopic and imaging modalities before all ultimately undergoing surgery. Seventy-five percent of patients had a VCE, with 83.3% (10/12) having positive findings that correlated with intraoperative findings compared to 62.5% (5/8) with computed tomography scan, 21.4% (3/14) with colonoscopy, 44% (4/9) with deep enteroscopy, and 0% (0/9) with esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). Conclusions In the absence of any contraindications, VCE is an effective endoscopic modality in the diagnostic workup of small bowel NETs. Furthermore, positive VCE findings appear to highly correlate with surgical findings, thus suggesting a valuable role for VCE in the initial surgical assessment of patients with small bowel NETs.
Toward biomass-derived renewable plastics: Production of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid from fructose

We report a process for converting fructose, at a high concentration (15 weight %), to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), a monomer used in the production of polyethylene furanoate, a renewable plastic. In our process, fructose is dehydrated to hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) at high yields (70%) using a γ-valerolactone (GVL)/H2O solvent system. HMF is subsequently oxidized to FDCA over a Pt/C catalyst with 93% yield. The advantage of our system is the higher solubility of FDCA in GVL/H2O, which allows oxidation at high concentrations using a heterogeneous catalyst that eliminates the need for a homogeneous base. In addition, FDCA can be separated from the GVL/H2O solvent system by crystallization to obtain >99% pure FDCA. Our process eliminates the use of corrosive acids, because FDCA is an effective catalyst for fructose dehydration, leading to improved economic and environmental impact of the process. Our techno-economic model indicates that the overall process is economically competitive with current terephthalic acid processes.
A Practical Approach to Machine Learning for Clinical Decision Support

Machine learning has produced effective clinical decision support tools. The impact of such work is limited by the difficulty of implementing such tools outside the institution where they were designed. The recent wide-spread adoption of Electronic Medical Record systems (EMRs) makes possible the development and application of tools across institutions. We describe three machine learning projects to develop generalizable, EMR-based clinical decision support tools at the cardiac care units of Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford: false alarm suppression, detection of critical events, and automated identification and detection of drug-drug interactions. These projects utilize flexible statistical and deep learning frameworks to enable automated, patient-specific care. We focus on the practical challenges of implementing such methodology and describe our progress on producing tools useful for our institution.
The Pleurobemini (Bivalvia : Unionida) revisited: molecular species delineation using a mitochondrial DNA gene reveals multiple conspecifics and undescribed species

The Pleurobemini (Bivalvia: Unionida) represent approximately one-third of freshwater mussel diversity in North America. Species identification within this group is challenging due to morphological convergence and phenotypic plasticity. Accurate species identification, including characterisation of currently unrecognised taxa, is required to develop effective conservation strategies because many species in the group are imperiled. We examined 575 cox1 sequences from 110 currently recognised species (including 13 Fusconaia and 21 Pleurobema species) to understand phylogenetic relationships among pleurobemine species (mainly Fusconaia and Pleurobema) and to delineate species boundaries. The results of phylogenetic analyses showed no geographic structure within widespread species and illustrated a close relationship between Elliptio lanceolata and Parvaspina collina. Constraint tests supported monophyly of the genera Fusconaia and Pleurobema, including the subgenus P. (Sintoxia). Furthermore, results revealed multiple conspecifics, including P. hanleyianum and P. troschelianum, P. chattanoogaense and P. decisum, P. clava and P. oviforme, P. rubrum and P. sintoxia, F. askewi and F. lananensis, and F. cerina and F. flava. Species delimitation analyses identified three currently unrecognised taxa (two in Fusconaia and one in Pleurobema). Further investigation using additional genetic markers and other lines of evidence (e.g. morphology, life history, ecology) are necessary before any taxonomic changes are formalised.
Ophthalmoplegie mit beidseitiger Mydriasis

Wir berichten von dem Fall eines 41-jahrigen Patienten, der sich nach Infekt der Atemwege mit zunehmender Ophthalmoplegie, beidseitig erweiterten Pupillen ohne Reaktion auf Licht und Konvergenz sowie Gangunsicherheit vorstellte. Die Verdachtsdiagnose Miller-Fisher-Syndrom wurde durch den Nachweis von Gangliosid-GQ1b-Antikorpern im Serum bestatigt.
A comparison of pluronic F-68, low molecular weight dextran, mannitol, and saline as priming agents in the heart-lung apparatus. II. The in vitro influence on oxygen consumption of certain fluids used as priming agents in a heart-lung bypass apparatus.

Summary and conclusions The in vitro oxygen consumption of liver and heart tissue was investigated at 38°, 30°, and at 20° C. Tissue was weighed in aliquots and suspended in various fluids. The basic conclusion is that none of the agents interfered with diffusion of oxygen or absorption of oxygen into the cell. Oxygen consumption of liver tissue at 30° C. and at 20° C. was in direct proportion to the temperature and correlates very well with other experiments demonstrating the same percentage of reduction in oxygen consumption in vivo. Primary oxygen consumption was not reduced in heart tissue below 30° C.
Information Science, a New Discipline?

During the proceedings of this Institute, we have been discussing Information Science. We have explored the concepts and constructs of information systems and their relationships to general systems theory and design theory. We have reviewed the economic factors associated with information systems and their implications for the future. Some very interesting and novel applications have been described. We have concerned ourselves with the impact which information systems have upon society and the availability, or lack of availability, of suitable measures of this impact. Collectively, these and other topics constitute Information Science. Who then, are the practitioners of Information Science? If a poll were taken at this moment most of the members of this Institute would identify themselves as information scientists. However, if I should have the good fortune to meet you again in the future at some professional meeting, many of you would identify yourselves with other disciplines; except, possibly, for the younger members of the Institute who have pursued formal training in Information Science.
Manganese oxides as localized drivers of benthic invertebrate density and community structure

Oxidized manganese (Mn) forms tightly bound, dark precipitates on exposed rock surfaces in rivers, which could impact benthic communities. We combined a field survey with two experiments to identify patterns in benthic invertebrate community structure and potential mechanisms creating these patterns on substrates coated with Mn oxides and on ‘uncoated’ substrates in a large gravel-bed river. Uncoated substrate had roughly seven times higher densities of benthic macroinvertebrates, particularly fixed retreat filter feeders such as Brachycentrus, Rheotanytarsus, and Hydropsyche, while clinger taxa had similar densities between coated and uncoated substrates. In a substrate preference experiment conducted in laboratory microcosms, nymphs of a swimming mayfly (Isonychia bicolor) were more likely to avoid Mn-coated than uncoated substrate, while nymphs of a clinger mayfly family (Heptageniidae) showed no significant substrate preference or avoidance. In a field colonization experiment, invertebrate communities established on Mn-coated substrate had significantly higher variability in taxonomic composition but similar densities to communities on uncoated rocks. Combined, these results demonstrate a large difference in biological communities and describe patterns that occur during community assembly on Mn-coated substrate. While established communities responded negatively to Mn oxides, our results indicated coated substrate might also create community heterogeneity within large river riffle habitats.
Understanding the Value of Tumor Markers in Pediatric Ovarian Neoplasms

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of tumor markers for malignancy in girls with ovarian neoplasms. Methods A retrospective review of girls 2–21 years who presented for surgical management of an ovarian neoplasm across 10 children's hospitals between 2010 and 2016 was performed. Patients who had at least one concerning feature on imaging and had tumor marker testing were included in the study. Sensitivity, specificity, and negative and positive predictive values (PPV) of tumor markers were calculated. Results Our cohort included 401 patients; 22.4% had a malignancy. Testing for tumor markers was inconsistent. AFP had high specificity (98%) and low sensitivity (42%) with a PPV of 86%. The sensitivity, specificity, and PPV of beta-hCG was 44%, 76%, and 32%, respectively. LDH had high sensitivity (95%) and Inhibin A and Inhibin B had high specificity (97% and 92%, respectively). Conclusions Tumor marker testing is helpful in preoperative risk stratification of ovarian neoplasms for malignancy. Given the variety of potential tumor types, no single marker provides enough reliability, and therefore a panel of tumor marker testing is recommended if there is concern for malignancy. Prospective studies may help further elucidate the predictive value of tumor markers in a pediatric ovarian neoplasm population. Type of Study Retrospective Cohort Review. Level of Evidence Level III.
Utilization of scrap plastics in asphalt binders

Abstract In 1907 Bakelite, the first synthetic plastic was produced. The rapid growth in global plastic production, for many reasons, initiated in 1950s. The annual production of plastics increased by 200 folds over the next 65 years to over 400 million tons annually. In general, plastic pollution has had a negative impact on the oceans and wildlife as higher income countries generate more plastic per person. However, most of the global ocean pollution is from the middle- and low-income countries because they do not have, in general, a very effective waste management program. It is estimated that approximately 80% of ocean plastics come from land-based sources and the other 20% from marine (e.g., fishing nets, ropes and lines). However, the use of plastics in many parts of the world will not decrease because plastic is a unique material with many benefits including, but not limited to: (1) it is relatively inexpensive, (2) versatile, (3) lightweight, and (4) recyclable. Therefore, a complete ban or finding a substitute might be a very complex issue at this time. It is estimated that, by 20l8, over 9 billion tons of plastic have been produced in the world. That is more than 1.2 tons of plastic for every person alive. Recycling, in many formats, of plastic was not very organized before 1980; however, it is estimated that by 2050, incineration rates would increase to 50%, recycling to 44% and discarded plastic waste to only 6%.
Race and Personal Exposure to AD Influence Projected Memory Failure Attributions and Help-Seeking Behaviors.

Objective: Examine race and personal exposure to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) on projected memory failure attributions and medical help-seeking thresholds of pre-morbid adults. The goal is to better un...
Radiographic analysis of fatty infiltration of the extraocular muscles in thyroid eye disease.

Fatty infiltration of the extraocular muscles has been described radiographically in patients with thyroid eye disease (TED), yet it has not been studied on a large scale nor quantified. Our purpos...
Preparation of Carbamates, Esters, Amides, and Unsymmetrical Ureas via Brønsted Acid-Activated N-Acyl Imidazoliums

We report the application of Bronsted acid–activated N-acyl imidazoliums as versatile intermediates in carbonyl transformations. The efficient and scalable procedure was validated on a diverse set ...
Effects of bankruptcy court protection on asset sales

Abstract This paper uses commercial aircraft transactions to determine whether prices obtained from asset sales are greater under Chapter 11 reorganization than under Chapter 7 liquidation. Results indicate that prices obtained under both bankruptcy regimes are substantially lower than prices obtained by non-distressed airlines. Furthermore, there is no evidence that prices obtained by firms reorganizing under Chapter 11 are greater than those obtained by firms liquidating under Chapter 7. An analysis of aircraft sales indicates that Chapter 11 is also ineffective in limiting the number of aircraft sold at discounted prices.
Student perceptions in online higher education toward faculty mentoring

Student persistence is important for students, faculty, and universities and online faculty mentoring supports student persistence to graduation. The online learning environment is increasingly a c...
Design challenges resulting from construction of the River Dee Bridge, Aberdeen, UK

This paper sets out the challenges from the perspective of the designer associated with the construction of the River Dee Bridge built by the balanced cantilever method. The importance of managing ...
Going Deeper into Curriculum and Pedagogical Activity

This chapter takes a deeper dive into curriculum and pedagogy as these are defined and applied within education. Here terminology like pedagogy, curriculum, leadership (including leadership teams) and education itself are defined in terms of a particular ‘educational’ interest. Such an approach also features a mediation among state and national standards and the needs and interests of children. This approach sees the task of educating children as necessarily occurring in the pedagogical relation between teacher and student in classrooms and between formal leader/principal and teacher in schools and between district leader/superintendent and principals. We recognize the value of understanding the foundations of education developed in earlier times of political and cultural uncertainty. We explicitly define key terms for education, curriculum, pedagogy and leadership in school development using foundational understandings amidst the contemporary situation. Application of the concepts is explored through case studies.
The Pathophysiology of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS)

Despite the fact that it was first described over thirty years ago, the factors responsible for (OHSS) have continued to elude investigators. During this time, several theories have been popularized but none have become widely accepted. Recently, it has been suggested that angiotensin II (Ang II) derived from the ovary plays an important role in the development of OHSS (1). This paper will briefly review previous theories and present the results of experiments performed at the University of Southern California School of Medicine that add weight to the notion that ODPAC is involved in OHSS.
MBS key variables and MBS/PVC alloy behavior

This paper is another study of the use of graft polymerization onto synthetic rubber substrates. The mechanism of the grafting process and the resultant effects on impact strength are discussed. In addition, the effect of particle size on impact is presented.
SEROTONIN AND ANOREXIA IN A PATIENT WITH ARGININOSUCCINASE (AL) DEFICIENCY

We studied a 6 y.o. girl with AL deficiency who required NG feedings since 18 m.o. because of complete refusal to eat. NG Feedings contained 1g/kg protein (25g), including .75 g tryptophan (trp) and 1600 cal/d supplemented with arginine 4 mmol/kd/d. Weight was 10% and plasma ammonium was 40-60 uM (normal < 35). CSF 5-hydroxy-indolacetic acid (HIAA) was 91 ng/ml, normal < 35 and homovanillic acid (HVA) was 84 ng/ml, normal< 110. Behavior modification (BM) therapy led to a mean oral protein intake of 12 g/d throughout the study. However she ate no food during a 5 min. spontaneous intake (SI) period preceeding each BM meal. We reduced trp, the precursor of serotonin, from the NG feedings to .15 g/d; 5 days later, she began to eat during the SI period (2-18g prot/d). CSF HIAA level fell to 29 ng/ml, HVA was unchanged at 74 ng/ml. Trp was then increased to .55 g/d, and patient stopped SI eating in 2 days. Cyproheptadine (8 mg/d), a serotonin antagonist, did not affect HIAA level (102 ng/ml) or cause SI. REM sleep was markedly decreased (3% of total sleep) during high CSF HIAA and increased towards normal (11%) when trp-intake was decreased and HIAA fell. These results indicate a hyperserotonergic state in an anorectic child with AL deficiency. SI appeared when trp intake was decreased. This finding may have implications in other disorders associated with anorexia or hyperphagia.
Energy—capital substitutability/ complementarity: The dichotomy

Abstract Changes in the price of energy affect not only the demand for energy but also the rates of capital formation and labour utilization. These changes depend on the functional relationship between energy and the primary factor inputs. In particular, the relationship between energy and capital has been characterized by major conflicting evidence. Time-series data classify the two inputs as complements. By contrast, pooled cross-section studies conclude that capital and energy aresubstitutes in the production process. In this case, higher priced energy will stimulate the demand for investment. While several reconciliation attempts on this disparity deserve marked attention, the most prominent explanation is that time-series studies reflect short-term relationships and cross-section analyses capture long-term effects.
Wilson, Women's Migration Networks In Mexico And Beyond

Anthropologist Tamara Diana Wilson examines the role of women's networks in internal and transnational migration. She relies primarily on oral history interviews to interpret the role of kinship ne...
Politicizing the Personal: Thinking about the Feminist Subject with Michel Foucault and John Dewey

While the varied theoretical frameworks of second wave feminism made possible critical interrogation of societal patterns of domination and oppression in view of the transformative goal of liberation, Michel Foucault’s conceptualization of power shifts contemporary feminist thought away from this binary field of relations towards more fundamental questions about gender constitution. Indeed, from the perspective of popular culture it would seem that challenges to rigid gender roles were a thing of the past, to which freedom and certain kinds of gender malleability were intrinsically tied. In fact gender roles continue to be defined in strict opposition to each other and sexist attitudes and practices continue, although increasingly disguised and unacknowledged. If liberation from the strictures of patriarchy is nothing but a lost illusion from the second wave, is there nonetheless a need for a resurgent feminist consciousness today? In this paper, I argue that this is the case, and attempt to show that “the work of the intellect” described by Foucault, must first be catalyzed by an experiential disruption, leading to recognition of what pragmatist philosopher John Dewey described as the “problematic situation.” While both Foucault and Dewey emphasize the necessity of problematization, Dewey’s methodology includes focus on envisioning desired outcomes. Here, my aim is not to resurrect an old idea of unconditioned liberation, but merely to reconsider whether and how experiential disruption and subsequent consideration of the problem might lead to a shift in social and self-consciousness, and create the possibility for change.
Social Groups, Sport and Political Engagement in New Zealand

Many prominent social theorists contend that memberships in voluntary associations make major contributions to making citizens more engaged with democracy. Although substantial attention has been directed at the potential role of sports groups, previous studies using survey data have not found membership in sports groups to be associated with political activity. New Zealand presents an important context for testing this theory, given its high levels of public participation in sports groups. We find that membership in sports and other social groups is associated with higher levels of political engagement. We discuss how these findings advance our understanding of the role that specific group memberships may have in democratic societies.
Protein interactions. Unspinning the web.

A large-scale study of the protein network in yeast cells demonstrates the merit of taking an integrated approach to cellular dynamics, and shows the value of databases.
Inescapable Ecologies: A History of Environment, Disease, and Knowledge

Countless books on California's beginnings reassert the boosters' boast: California's environment provided an antidote to that of the fouled American East and Midwest, and the Anglo settlers found ...
Ultrastructure of trophoblast and endometrium in invasive hydatidiform mole (chorioadenoma destruens)

Abstract Trophoblast of invasive mole maintains the ultrastructural features of its counterparts in normal placenta, benign hydatidiform mole, and choriocarcinoma. Syncytium, poorly differentiated cytotrophoblast, and prominent clumps of transitional trophoblast are distinguished. The endometrial stroma in closest relation to the invasive trophoblast, however, is ultrastructurally less complex than normal decidua basalis, bearing greater resemblance to parietal decidua. There is relatively little necrosis of trophoblast and adjacent decidua and less deposition of fibrinoid than in normal placentation. The decreased reaction of decidua to trophoblast may permit the more extensive invasion characteristic of malignant chorionic neoplasms. Endometrial epithelial cells exhibit the Arias-Stella phenomenon. The affected cells are more highly differentiated ultrastructurally than those of normal proliferative or secretory endometria. This reaction appears to reflect cellular hyperactivity rather than involution.
What Happened to the Chibok Girls

The kidnapping of the Chibok girls by Boko Haram in northern Nigeria generated widespread national and international attention, but a year later that attention has faded and the girls’s fate remains unknown. This essay is an effort to analyze and explain what happened, both to the initial global and Nigerian outrage about the Chibok girls and with regard to Boko Haram more generally. I focus on four issues: 1) the initial outburst of attention after the girls’ abduction—both in Nigeria and globally—and its subsequent waning; 2) what we can learn from the intersecting narratives about gender and Islam that dominated global discourse after the abductions; 3) how to understand the politics around Boko Haram within Nigeria, and particularly the failure of the Nigerian government to rescue the girls or reign in the militant group; and 4) what events so far suggest might happen going forward.
An investigation of BiCMOS ESD protection circuit elements and applications in submicron technologies

Abstract The characteristics of individual protection circuit elements, the npn and the NMOS transistors, in a 0.8 μm BiCMOS technology have been evaluated, and their use in ESD protection circuits have been discussed in some detail. Both the output and input protection circuits have been developed using npn transistors as the primary protection elements. The design requirements and limitations of these circuits are analyzed. ESD thresholds of > 4kV have been obtained for both input and output buffers in this technology.
Aortobronchial fistula after unilateral lung transplantation

Abstract An aortobronchial fistula resulting in massive hemoptysis developed in a 48-year-old man 15 months after unilateral lung transplantation. His posttransplantation recovery was complicated by bronchial dehiscente requiring revision and subsequent stricture formation treated by granulation tissue excision, placement of endobronchial stents, dilation, and laser photoablation. Early and aggressive treatment using these modalities is necessary in the successful management of airway complications after pulmonary transplantation.
Numerical methods for the maximum likelihood estimation of Weibull parameters

For solving the maximum likelihood equations in the case of two parameter Weibull distribution, we prove analytically that properly organized Newton–Raphson methodalways converges (quadratically and monotonically). This is in contrast to a recent note by Qiao and Tsokos (1994) where they declare that standard Newton–Raphson methodmay diverge. We also provide examples showing that then iterative procedure may diverge or may converge exactly with geometric rate of 112 (which is not faster than thestandard bisection method).
Estimating and predicting bark thickness for seven conifer species in the Acadian Region of North America using a mixed-effects modeling approach: comparison of model forms and subsampling strategies

In many situations, information on stem diameters inside bark (dib) are more desirable than on diameters outside bark (dob). However, obtaining dib measurements is usually expensive, time-consuming, and prone to significant measurement errors when done on standing trees. Many bark thickness equations have been proposed to estimate the dibs of standing trees. In this study, we compared several commonly used bark thickness equations for seven conifer species in the Acadian Region of North America. Mixed-effects modeling techniques were employed to fit linear and non-linear bark thickness equations. We found the equation proposed by Cao and Pepper (South J Appl Forestry 10:220–224, 1986; Eq. 5) performed significantly better than other equations for most of our study species. The Cao and Pepper (South J Appl Forestry 10:220–224, 1986) equation is a function of dob, relative height in the stem, tree height, and the ratio of dib to dob at breast height. The mean absolute bias was found to be reduced up to 74% compared with using a fixed ratio approach employed in the widely used Northeastern variant of the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS-NE) growth and yield model. Leave-one-out cross validation was further performed to determine the location of suitable prior measurements in the prediction process for three of the most well-behaved equations. Results show that no unified prior measurement can provide best predictive abilities across all species as the choice of prior dib measurements depends on both species and bark thickness equations.
Transforming growth factor B and hepatic fibrosis: Cause or effect?

Background. Cirrhosis is a diffuse process of hepatic fibrosis and regenerative nodule formation of unknown pathogenesis. Transforming growth factor (TGF) β1 induces the production of extracellular matrix proteins by liver cells and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis in laboratory animals. TGFα is a hepatocyte mitogen that participates in liver regeneration. Methods. Using Northern blot analysis, we studied the expression of TGFβ1 messenger RNA (mRNA) in liver specimens from 42 patients with chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis and 12 subjects with either normal or fatty livers. The results were correlated with measurements of procollagen Type I mRNA in liver tissue, procollagen Type III peptide in serum, and the degree of histologic injury. We also investigated whether TGFα mRNA would be detectable in biopsy specimens of livers with proliferative activity. Results. TGFβ1 mRNA expression correlated closely with the expression of procollagen Type I mRNA (r = 0.94) and serum procollagen Type III peptide (r = 0.89) and with the histologic activity index (r = 0.73). All patients with increased fibrogenic activity (serum procollagen Type III peptide level, > 11.9 μg per liter) had increased levels of TGFβ1 mRNA (2 to 14 times the levels in the control group or in patients with normal fibrogenic activity), and both TGFα and H3 histone (a marker of DNA synthesis) mRNAs were detectable in patients with regenerative nodules. Six of eight patients with hepatitis C treated with interferon alfa for one year had sustained clinical responses with normalization of serum procollagen Type III peptide and aminotransferase activity. All these patients had normal levels of TGFβ1 mRNA in liver specimens obtained at the end of the year. Conclusions. TGFβ1 may have an important role in the pathogenesis of fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease, and TGFα expression may be associated with liver regeneration in these patients.
Complex Modulation of the GABAA α1β2γ2 Receptor Function by Bupropion

Bupropion is one of the most common drugs prescribed for treating depression and aiding smoking cessation, and is generally well tolerated with the exception of a rare dose-dependent incidence of seizures. It inhibits norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake, as well as noncompetitively antagonizes neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which are members of the Cys-loop superfamily. While investigating its effects on other key members of this superfamily, bupropion showed complex modulation of the γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) α1β2γ2 receptor function.In the brain, GABAA α1β2γ2 receptors are one of the most abundant chloride-conducting hetero-pentameric ligand-gated ion channels. They are targets for a number of drugs including anesthetics, anticonvulsants, anxiolytics, hypnotics, and muscle relaxants.To the best of our knowledge, the interaction of bupropion with the GABAA receptor has not yet been described. Therefore, the primary goal of this study was to characterize the functional interactions of bupropion with the GABAA α1β2γ2 receptor. In oocytes, bupropion-alone (0.1 mM - 3 mM) directly activated GABAA receptor-mediated currents. The comparison of dose-response curves showed that bupropion-activation was lower in potency (EC50=1.5 mM vs. 1.3 μM) and efficacy (49.5% vs. 100%) than that for GABA, consistent with partial agonism of the GABAA receptor. Interestingly, at lower concentrations (0.001 µM - 100 μM) bupropion inhibited 0.5 μM GABA-induced currents by ∼ 8 - 20%; in contrast, at higher concentrations (1 mM - 3 mM) it potentiated GABA-induced currents by ∼ 50 - 70%. Notably, in many ways bupropion mimics the actions of some of the general anesthetics (e.g. propofol) at the GABAA receptor. This warrants exploring the bupropion binding site(s) within these receptors.
uv photoemission measurements of the upper d levels in the IIB-VIA compounds

Photoemission measurements have been made of the upper $d$ levels in ZnO, ZnSe, ZnTe, CdS, CdSe, CdTe, HgSe, and HgTe using 21.2-eV (584-\AA{}) and 16.8-eV (740-\AA{}) radiation. All the samples except for HgSe and HgTe were cleaved and measured in an oil-free ion-pumped vacuum system at a pressure in the ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}7}$-${10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$ Torr range. The results agree extremely well with values obtained by x-ray-induced-electron-emission spectroscopy. The spectra obtained for HgSe and HgTe make it possible to positively verify the identification of certain peaks observed in photoemission spectra of the IIB-VIA compounds as being due to the upper $d$ levels. The photoemission results reported in this study are also compared with both reflectivity and energy-loss measurements to obtain information about the optical density of states in the conduction bands of these compounds.
Fano core resonances and augmented continua of Zn adsorbed on and dissolved in alkali metals.

We report 3${d}^{10}$4${s}^{2}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}3${d}^{9}$4${s}^{2}$4p excitation spectra of Zn impurities coupled to alkali-metal host lattices. Very similar effects are observed for Zn adsorbed on alkali-metal surfaces and dissolved in the bulk of alkali-metal host lattices. Much of the 3d\ensuremath{\rightarrow}4p oscillator strength occurs in a broad absorption continuum. A remaining sharp fraction of the process interferes with the continuum with a decay lifetime of \ensuremath{\sim}0.5 eV, which exceeds the value for autoionization of the free Zn atom by only a factor \ensuremath{\sim}2. There is evidence that the ${D}_{3/2}$ and ${D}_{5/2}$ hole channels interfere. In its weak resonance amplitude and strong continuum absorption the 3d\ensuremath{\rightarrow}4p process resembles the 4s\ensuremath{\rightarrow}4p process reported in an earlier publication. In both processes, the resonance (per Zn atom) weakens markedly as the Zn concentration is increased. These observations are discussed in the light of theoretical models.
Water Quality Standards: A Scientific and Theological-Ethical Analysis

Drama, scripts, plot twists, and character development are all elements we think of as connected to good movies or television shows; none of these would seem to be promising elements to find in the...
A Peptide Model of Basement Membrane Collagen α 1(IV) 531- 543 Binds the α3β1 Integrin

Tumor cell adhesion to the triple-helical domain of basement membrane (type IV) collagen occurs at several different regions. Cellular recognition of the sequence spanning α1(IV)531-543 has been proposed to be independent of triple-helical conformation (Miles, A. J., Skubitz, A. P. N., Furcht, L. T., and Fields, G. B.(1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 30939-30945). In the present study, integrin interactions with a peptide analog of the α1(IV)531-543 sequence have been analyzed. Tumor cell adhesion (melanoma, ovarian carcinoma) to the α1(IV)531-543 chemically synthesized peptide was inhibited by a monoclonal antibody against the α3 integrin subunit, and to a lesser extent by monoclonal antibodies against the β1 and α2 integrin subunits. An anti-α5 monoclonal antibody and normal mouse IgG were ineffective as inhibitors of tumor cell adhesion to the peptide. Two cell surface proteins of 120 and 150 kDa bound to an α1(IV)531-543 peptide affinity column and were eluted with 20 mM EDTA. When the eluted proteins were incubated with monoclonal antibodies against either the α3 or β1 integrin subunit, proteins corresponding in molecular weight to α3 and β1 integrin subunits were precipitated. No proteins were immunoprecipated with monoclonal antibodies against the α2 or α5 integrin subunits. Thus, the α3β1 integrin from two tumor cell types has been shown to bind directly to the α1(IV)531-543 peptide. The α1(IV)531-543 peptide is the first collagen-like sequence that has been shown to bind the α3β1 integrin.
Craniopharyngioma: a comparison of tumor control with various treatment strategies

Object Craniopharyngiomas have a propensity to recur after resection, potentially causing death through their aggressive local behavior in their critical site of origin. Recent data suggest that subtotal resection (STR) followed by adjuvant radiotherapy (XRT) may be an appealing substitute for gross-total resection (GTR), providing similar rates of tumor control without the morbidity associated with aggressive resection. Here, the authors summarize the published literature regarding rates of tumor control with various treatment modalities for craniopharyngiomas. Methods The authors performed a comprehensive search of the English language literature to identify studies publishing outcome data on patients undergoing surgery for craniopharyngioma. Rates of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were determined through Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results There were 442 patients who underwent tumor resection. Among these patients, GTR was achieved in 256 cases (58%), STR in 101 cases (23%), and S...
Genome Sequence of a Serotype M28 Strain of Group A Streptococcus: Potential New Insights into Puerperal Sepsis and Bacterial Disease Specificity

Puerperal sepsis, a major cause of death of young women in Europe in the 1800s, was due predominantly to the gram-positive pathogen group A Streptococcus. Studies conducted during past decades have shown that serotype M28 strains are the major group A Streptococcus organisms responsible for many of these infections. To begin to increase our understanding of their enrichment in puerperal sepsis, we sequenced the genome of a genetically representative strain. This strain has genes encoding a novel array of prophage virulence factors, cell-surface proteins, and other molecules likely to contribute to host-pathogen interactions. Importantly, genes for 7 inferred extracellular proteins are encoded by a 37.4-kb foreign DNA element that is shared with group B Streptococcus and is present in all serotype M28 strains. Proteins encoded by the 37.4-kb element were expressed extracellularly and in human infections. Acquisition of foreign genes has helped create a disease-specialist clone of this pathogen.
Comparison of selected ultrasound performance tests with varying overall receiver gain and dynamic range, using conventional and magnified field of view.

Most ultrasound(US)scanner vendors currently offer a feature that allows a region of the ultrasoundimage to be magnified or zoomed. Although the methods of magnification vary among vendors, the ability to “zoom in” on a selected portion of the image has gained clinical acceptance. However, using this feature introduces additional steps in the quality assurance (QA) measurement procedures. No studies exist that demonstrate the advantage of a magnified field of view (FOV) over the conventional FOV for QA purposes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of a magnified versus nonmagnified FOV on various common QA performance tests as a function of the overall receiver gain and dynamic range. Additionally, since the performance tests are subject to variations caused by scanner settings, sets of QC tests were recorded using several different scanner settings to investigate any change in the sensitivity of the QC measurements with respect to the magnified and nonmagnified fields of view. The lateral and axial resolution, slice thickness, and caliper accuracy (vertical and horizontal) as a function of varying overall receiver gain and dynamic range, were obtained using conventional (no zoom) as well as a magnified (zoom) field of view (FOV). Each measurement was performed three times by a single observer using a 4 MHz “vector” format transducer on a single diagnosticmedicalultrasoundscanner. The results show no statistical significance in the variability of most recorded measurements when using the conventional versus the magnified FOV. However, in some cases, such as lateral resolution, the average value measured using the magnified FOV was typically 0.5 mm lower than when using a conventional FOV.
Routing in ad hoc networks: a case for long hops

For multihop wireless networks, a fundamental question is whether it is advantageous to route over many short hops (short-hop routing) or over a smaller number of longer hops (long-hop routing). Short-hop routing has gained a lot of support, and its proponents mainly produce two arguments: reduced energy consumption and higher signal-to-interference ratios. Both arguments stem from a simplified analysis based on crude channel models that neglects delay, end-to-end reliability, bias power consumption, the impact of channel coding, mobility, and routing overhead. In this article we shed more light on these issues by listing 18 reasons why short-hop routing is not as beneficial as it seems to be. We also provide experimental evidence to support this claim. The conclusion is that for many networks, long-hop routing is in every aspect a very competitive strategy.
A Study of the Development of an Analytical Wall Function for LES

In order to invent a new near-wall treatment for turbulence in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation, an Analytical Wall Function (AWF) has been studied and shown that it is possible to work accurately with Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) Simulation even for complicated geometry such as impinging jet flow or separation and reattachment flow. One of the most common wall functions is the Standard Wall Function (SWF) which assumes log-law inside the boundary layer. However, there is a problem that SWF has been used for industrial applications even though it is difficult to analyze the turbulence phenomenon in a complicated geometry accurately because log-law is not applicable in that geometry. On the other hand, since AWF derives the boundary condition on the wall by integrating analytically the boundary layer equation in wall adjacent cells, it can analyze the turbulence accurately even in complicated geometry. AWF has an advantage over SWF from this point of view.In this study, AWF was improved and optimized for Large Eddy Simulation (LES) by changing the way of modeling of eddy viscosity inside the boundary layer for steady state simulation to that for unsteady state simulation. This is because RANS is a steady state simulation; on the other hand, LES is unsteady state simulation, which is one of the largest differences between them. The accuracy of the new AWF for LES (LES-AWF) was validated by both of experimental results and CFD simulation results. Both of the experiment and CFD simulation are conducted in the wind tunnel.Copyright © 2014 by ASME