cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The influence of early hemodynamic optimization on biomarker patterns of severe sepsis and septic shock.

Background:Despite abundant experimental studies of biomarker patterns in early severe sepsis and septic shock, human data are few. Further, the impact of the severity of global tissue hypoxia resulting from resuscitative strategies on these early biomarker patterns remains unknown.Methods:The tempo
Regulation in the White House: The Johnson Presidency

An examination of regulatory policy and its development in the Johnson administration. Based on an analysis of presidential papers in the Lyndon B. Johnson Library, the volume investigates the working relationships linking the presidency, regulatory commissions, and executive agencies with regulator
A new species of the archaic primate Zanycteris from the late Paleocene of western Colorado and the phylogenetic position of the family Picrodontidae

A new species of an archaic primate (Pleisadapiformes) is described based on a maxilla containing the first and second upper molars from the Fort Union Formation, Atwell Gulch Member in northwestern Colorado. The preserved teeth show the unusual dental characteristics of members of the rare and poorly documented Picrodontidae family, including an elongated centrocrista and wide occlusal surface. The new species is placed within the genus Zanycteris (represented by a single specimen from southern Colorado). This placement is based on similarities in regard to the parastyle, curvilinear centrocrista, and wider anterior stylar shelf on the upper molars. However, the new species differs from the only known species of Zanycteris in exhibiting an upper first molar that is 30% larger in area, while retaining a similarly sized upper second molar. Phylogenetic analysis supports the separation of the Picrodontidae family from the Paromomyidae, while still recognizing picrodontids position within Pleisadapiformes. The unusual dental features of the upper molars likely functioned in life as an enhanced shearing surface between the centrocrista and cristid obliqua crests for a specialized diet of fruit. A similar arrangement is found in the living bat Ariteus (Jamaican fig-eating bat), which feeds on fleshy fruit. The new species showcases the rapid diversification of archaic primates shortly after the extinction of the dinosaurs during the Paleocene, and the unusual dental anatomy of picrodontids to exploit new dietary specializations.
A Multi-Layer Green's Function Code for Ion Beam Transport

*† ‡ § A new version of the HZETRN code capable of simulating HZE ions with either laboratory or space boundary conditions is currently under development. The new code GRNTRN is based on recent improvements in the Green’s function approach to ion beam transport. Recent publications show that the new code accurately models the transport of ion beams through a single slab of material. Current research efforts are focused on enabling the code to handle multiple layers of material and the present paper reports on progress made towards that end.
Production, Purification, and Carboxy-Terminal Sequencing of Bioactive Recombinant Bovine Interferon-Stimulated Gene Product 17

Abstract An interferon (IFN)-stimulated gene (ISG) encodes a bovine 17-kDa protein (bISG17) that is released from endometrial cells but also conjugates to intracellular proteins through a ubiquitinlike mechanism. During early pregnancy in ruminants, conceptus-derived IFN-τ induces endometrial ISG17. The present experiments were designed to generate bioactive recombinant (r) bISG17. The Pichia pastoris yeast expression system was used because previous experiments expressing the human ISG15 ortholog in bacteria were confounded by inherent carboxypeptidase activity that cleaved C-terminal residues resulting in an inactive protein. In a series of extensive yeast culture experiments using shaker-bath and fermentation approaches, optimal conditions were determined for a transformant containing a multi-ISG17 gene insertion. Recombinant bISG17 was purified. Carboxy-terminal sequencing revealed that rbISG17 retained the C-terminal Gly that is potentially critical for the first step in covalent attachment to target...
Regulated secretion of complement factor H by RPE and its role in RPE migration

Background Variants in the gene for complement factor H (CFH) have been implicated as a major risk factor for the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Little is known, however, about the factors regulating local expression and secretion of CFH by retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE).
Timeline and distribution of melanocyte precursors in the mouse heart.

Summary Apart from the well-studied melanocytes of the skin, eye and inner ear, another population has recently been described in the heart. In this study, we tracked cardiac melanoblasts using in situ hybridization with a dopachrome tautomerase (Dct) probe and Dct-LacZ transgenic mice. Large numbers of melanoblasts were found in the atrioventricular (AV) endocardial cushions at embryonic day (E) 14.5 and persisted in the AV valves into adulthood. The earliest time Dct-LacZ-positive cells were observed in the AV endocardial cushions was E12.5. Prior to that, between E10.5 and E11.5, small numbers of melanoblasts traveled between the post-otic area and third somite along the anterior and common cardinal veins and branchial arch arteries with other neural crest cells expressing CRABPI. Cardiac melanocytes were not found in the spotting mutants Ednrbs-l/s-l and Kitw-v/w-v, while large numbers were observed in transgenic mice that overexpress endothelin 3. These results indicate that cardiac melanocytes depend on the same signaling molecules known to be required for proper skin melanocyte development and may originate from the same precursor population. Cardiac melanocytes were not found in zebrafish or frog but were present in quail suggesting an association between cardiac melanocytes and four-chambered hearts.
In-vivo ultrasound liver differentiation using artificial neural network

The authors present a pattern recognition algorithm and describe required instrumentation for in-vivo ultrasound human liver differentiation. A 50-MHz microprocessor-based data acquisition and analysis system is designed and constructed to capture, digitize and store the ultrasound backscattered signal. The algorithm is based on a multilayer perceptron neural network using the backpropagation training procedure. The network is implemented to differentiate between normal and abnormal liver. The acoustic attenuation coefficient is calculated using the log spectral difference technique over the frequency range from 1.5 to 4.5 MHz. The change of speed of sound with frequency (dispersion) is estimated over the 3 MHz bandwidth. The attenuation and velocity dispersion are used as differentiation features. The results show that out of 30 cases, the system differentiated correctly 27 and 28 using the attenuation and the velocity dispersion, respectively. >
STUDIES ON THE PATHOGENESIS OF FEVER I. THE PRESENCE OF TRANSFERABLE PYROGEN IN THE BLOOD STREAM FOLLOWING THE INJECTION OF TYPHOID VACCINE

The rate of clearance of intravenously injected typhoid vaccine was studied in unsensitized, sensitized, and pyrogen-tolerant rabbits by means of a passive transfer technique. The blood of unsensitized rabbits which had not been previously exposed to bacterial pyrogen remained pyrogenic for normal recipients throughout a period of 2 hours following the injection. In contrast, rabbits sensitized by having received either one or two injections of the vaccine at least 3 weeks prior to the experiment cleared their blood of the test vaccine within 30 minutes despite the fact that they exhibit the same febrile response as unsensitized rabbits. After 1 hour, however, a transferable pyrogenic substance was again demonstrable in the sera of this group. Reasons are discussed for believing that this newly appearing substance may be of endogenous origin and may be the factor which directly affects the thermoregulatory centers of the brain. Rabbits which are made tolerant by repeated daily injections of vaccine have a characteristically depressed febrile response. Not only were the blood streams of such animals cleared of the injected vaccine within less than 5 minutes, but samples of their sera obtained 1 and 2 hours after the injection also failed to contain demonstrable quantities of the secondary pyrogen observed in sensitized animals. The latter observation is in keeping with the suggestion that the secondary pyrogen may play a critical role in the production of fever.
Dimensions of State Politics, Economics, and Public Policy*

A question often posed by students of American state politics is: “Do state political systems leave a distinctive imprint on patterns of public policy?” Prior to recent years the nearly automatic response of political scientists was an unqualified “yes.” More recent research has led to a qualified but increasingly confident “no.”Several recent publications have explored relationships between various indices of state politics, socio-economic characteristics, and public policy. The general conclusion has been that central features of the political system such as electoral and institutional circumstances do not explain much of the variation in policy. There are occasionally high correlations between individual measures of voter turnout, party competitiveness, or the character of state legislatures and some aspects of governmental spending. But these political-policy correlations seem to disappear when the effect of socioeconomic development is controlled.These are disturbing findings. They have not gone unchallenged. But the challenges, rather than reassuring those who have asserted the relevance of parties, voting patterns, and government structures, have demonstrated that the burden of proof now rests on those who hypothesize a politics-policy relationship. The problem has not been resolved.Part of the problem may rest on the conceptualization and measurement of the central variables. Electoral balance or alternation in office is not “inter-party competition,” except in the most mechanical sense. Compare Massachusetts' loose-knit party structure to the centralization of Connecticut's. “Party competition” is not the same as “party organization.” And party competition, voting habits, and patterns of apportionment fall far short of being equivalents of “political systems.”
Measurements of Electron‐Impact Excitation Cross Sections out of the Ground and Metastable Levels of Rare Gases with Applications to Low‐Temperature Plasmas

Methods for measuring cross sections for electron-impact excitation into the 2p levels (Paschen's notation) out of the metastable levels of argon are described. The results of the cross sections and their relation to the corresponding cross sections for excitation out of the ground state are explained by a multi-pole field model. Applications to plasma diagnostics are discussed.
Knowledge transfer and the limits to profitability: an empirical study of problem-solving practices in semiconductor manufacturing and process development

A broadly based empirical study of problem-solving practices in the semiconductor industry reveals that the inability to transfer knowledge rapidly is limiting the profitability of semiconductor, manufacturers. Extremely high user loss rates force users and suppliers of semiconductor process and diagnostic technology to solve problems as rapidly as possible. Unfortunately, both sides possess knowledge that is required to solve problems but cannot be transferred rapidly enough for extensive losses to be avoided. Collaboration between users and suppliers, in which problem solvers physically relocate from one side's site to the other's, is minimizing losses but creating a shortage of experts that threatens the health of the industry. A series of practices that will reduce the cost of knowledge transfer is presented. Foremost among these is the establishment of an Internet-enabled toolkit for remote diagnostics and repair.
Removal of normal ovaries in women under age 51 at the time of hysterectomy

Objective Despite recommendation for ovarian conservation in low-risk, premenopausal women, bilateral oophorectomy is often performed. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors associated with removal of normal ovaries at the time of hysterectomy for benign indication in women age Study Design Demographics, indication for surgery, adnexal pathology, and surgical approach were analyzed for hysterectomies from a voluntary, statewide surgical quality collaborative. Cases were excluded if the surgical indication was cancer, pelvic mass, or obstetric, or if age was >50 years. Cases were categorized according to pathology of the adnexal specimen as cancer, benign findings, normal ovary, or no ovarian specimen. Variables including demographics, medical comorbidities, and surgical characteristics were analyzed to identify characteristics associated with oophorectomy at the time of hysterectomy. A logistic regression model was then developed to identify factors independently associated with removal of normal ovaries. Results A total of 6789 subjects were included. Oophorectomy was performed in 44.2% of women (n = 3002). In all, 23.1% (n = 1565) had normal ovaries on pathology. Incidental ovarian cancer was found in 0.2% (n = 12), and benign pathology was found in 21% (n = 1425). Removal of normal ovaries was less likely when the surgical approach was vaginal (18%) as opposed to laparoscopic (23.1%) or abdominal (26.0%). With adjustment, abdominal (odds ratio [OR], 1.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.43–2.09]) and laparoscopic (OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.08–1.50) approach showed significantly higher odds of normal ovary removal compared to vaginal hysterectomy. Age 46-50 years was also significantly associated (OR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.53–2.07). Surgical indications associated with increased oophorectomy with normal resultant pathology were family history of cancer (OR, 3.09; 95% CI, 1.94–4.94), endometrial hyperplasia (OR, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.38–4.01), endometriosis (OR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.30–3.09), and cervical dysplasia (OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.12–3.28). Conclusion Removal of histologically normal ovaries is performed in nearly 1 of every 4 women age
Balancing the risks of stent thrombosis and major bleeding during primary percutaneous coronary intervention

This editorial refers to ‘Bivalirudin is superior to heparins alone with bailout GPIIb/IIIa Inhibitors in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction transported emergently for primary percutaneous coronary intervention: a pre-specified analysis from the EUROMAX trial’[†][1], by U. Zeymer et al ., on page 2460. Two feared peri-procedural complications of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are stent thrombosis (ST) and major bleeding. Although rare, ST is associated with high rates of myocardial infarction and death.1 Potent antithrombotic therapy around the time of PCI markedly reduces the risk of ST, but increases bleeding hazard ( Figure 1 ). Historically, the anticoagulant of choice for PCI has been unfractionated heparin (UFH). Glycoprotein inhibitors (GPI) added to heparin significantly reduce peri-procedural ischaemic complications, but increase major bleeding and the need for transfusions. There has been a consistent association between major bleeding and increased mortality.2 In PCI for elective indications and across the spectrum of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), the direct thrombin inhibitor bivalirudin is non-inferior to heparin plus GPI with respect to overall ischaemic complications, but significantly decreases major bleeding. Figure 1 Balancing reductions in stent thrombosis with increases in major bleeding. PCI, percutaneous coronary intervention. In this issue of European Heart Journal , an important pre-specified analysis by Zeymer et al. uses the European Ambulance Acute Coronary Syndrome Angiography (EUROMAX) study population to compare patients receiving bivalirudin with patients receiving heparins [UFH or low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH)] with routine GPI use (defined as initiation before or during coronary angiography) and patients receiving heparins with only bailout GPI use (defined as initiation after the start of PCI). This study expands on the original EUROMAX findings by reporting a significant difference in the composite primary endpoint of death or major bleeding that favours bivalirudin over heparins with routine GPI use and heparins with bailout GPI use (5.1 vs. … [1]: #fn-1
Comparison of Salvia Growth in Seaweed Compost and Biosolids Compost

Salvia ‘Red Hot Sally’ (Salvia splendens F. Sellow ex Roem. & Schult.) shoot dry mass and number of flower spikes was significantly greater in substrates containing compost made from biosolids and yard trimmings (SYT) than in substrates containing compost made from seaweed and yard trimmings (SW). Initial substrate electrical conductivity (EC), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) concentrations also were greater in substrates containing SYT than in substrates containing SW. Salvia shoot dry mass and flower number increased as the percentage of SYT compost increased from 0 to 60% but decreased at 100% SYT. Initial EC levels in 100% SYT were more than twice as high as the levels measured in the other percentages. Shoot dry mass and number of flowers of plants grown in 30, 60, and 100% SW, however, was similar to plants grown in 0% SW. There were no differences in plant quality rating among the treatments and all salvia plants grown in both compost products were considered saleable.
Identification and Characterization of Interferon-Induced Proteins That Inhibit Alphavirus Replication

Alpha/beta interferon (IFN-α/β) produces antiviral effects through upregulation of many interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) whose protein products are effectors of the antiviral state. Previous data from our laboratory have shown that IFN-α/β can limit Sindbis virus (SB) replication through protein kinase R (PKR)-dependent and PKR-independent mechanisms and that one PKR-independent mechanism inhibits translation of the infecting virus genome (K. D. Ryman et al., J. Virol. 79:1487-1499, 2005). Further, using Affymetrix microarray technology, we identified 44 genes as candidates for PKR/RNase L-independent IFN-induced antiviral activities. In the current studies, we have begun analyzing these gene products for antialphavirus activity using three techniques: (i) overexpression of the protein from SB vectors and assessment of virulence attenuation in mice; (ii) overexpression of the proteins in a stable tetracycline-inducible murine fibroblast culture system and assessment of effects upon SB replication; and (iii) small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of gene mRNA in fibroblast cultures followed by SB replication assessment as above. Tested proteins included those we hypothesized had potential to affect virus genome translation and included murine ISG20, ISG15, the zinc finger antiviral protein (ZAP), viperin, p56, p54, and p49. Interestingly, the pattern of antiviral activity for some gene products was different between in vitro and in vivo assays. Viperin and ZAP attenuated virulence most profoundly in mice. However, ISG20 and ZAP potently inhibited SB replication in vitro, whereas and viperin, p56, and ISG15 exhibited modest replication inhibition in vitro. In contrast, p54 and p49 had little to no effect in any assay.
Acute and chronic NOS inhibition enhances α2- adrenoreceptor-stimulated RhoA and Rho kinase in rat aorta

We demonstrated that arteries from rats made hypertensive with chronic nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS) inhibition (N ω-nitro-l-arginine in drinking water, LHR) have enhanced contractile sensitivit...
Chromaffin cell transplants in the CNS: Basic and clinical update

The potential usefulness of chromaffin cells as a source of neuroactive agents for transplantation in the CNS is based on several promising features, including the diversity of biologically active neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, and trophic factors produced by the cells, their apparent neurochemical and morphological plasticity, and the ability to utilize cells derived from adult donors. The majority of studies using adrenal medullary transplants have been attempted for the alleviation of Parkinsonian symptoms, both in animal models and clinical studies (for review, see [1–3]). However, the general outcome from this work has been disappointing, most likely due to poor graft survival, suboptimal levels of dopamine production, or the failure of the grafts to re-establish appropriate host neural circuitry. More recent studies utilizing trophic factor support, co-grafts with trophic factor producing cells, and novel tissue preparation or cellular isolation methods may improve the outcome and feasibility of adrenal medullary transplantation approaches. In addition to Parkinson’s disease, adrenal medullary transplants have been used for other applications, including chronic pain, memory, Huntington’s disease, and depression models. The focus of this review is on recent developments in the use of adrenal medullary chromaffin cells as a graft source for disorders of the CNS.
Is the Link from Working Memory to Analogy Causal? No Analogy Improvements following Working Memory Training Gains

Analogical reasoning has been hypothesized to critically depend upon working memory through correlational data [1], but less work has tested this relationship through experimental manipulation [2]. An opportunity for examining the connection between working memory and analogical reasoning has emerged from the growing, although somewhat controversial, body of literature suggests complex working memory training can sometimes lead to working memory improvements that transfer to novel working memory tasks. This study investigated whether working memory improvements, if replicated, would increase analogical reasoning ability. We assessed participants’ performance on verbal and visual analogy tasks after a complex working memory training program incorporating verbal and spatial tasks [3,4]. Participants’ improvements on the working memory training tasks transferred to other short-term and working memory tasks, supporting the possibility of broad effects of working memory training. However, we found no effects on analogical reasoning. We propose several possible explanations for the lack of an impact of working memory improvements on analogical reasoning.
Admissible Locational Marginal Prices via Laplacian Structure in Network Constraints

Standard computations reveal that locational marginal prices (LMPs), being Lagrange multipliers in an optimization problem, must lie in the null space of a Jacobian matrix evaluated at the optimal power flow solution, augmented by columns associated with active line flow limits. The impact of network power flow and active line limit constraints is to confine the LMPs in a subspace that satisfies necessary conditions for optimality. Optimal market clearing can then proceed as a minimization over offer curves confined to admissible LMPs in this subspace. When no line limits are active and losses neglected (e.g. in a dc power flow representation), the matrix in question has a generalized Laplacian structure, and admits only a vector of all equal elements in its null space (verifying the well-known equal incremental cost condition). As line flow limits become active, the null space grows in dimension. Among the phenomena of interest as the dimension of admissible LMPs grows is that of ldquoload pocketsrdquo; that is, admissible LMP vectors that can show patterns in which buses partition into zones of approximately equal LMPs, with significant differences between zones. This paper explores an approach to admissible LMP calculation that isolates the topological role of active line flow constraints, independent of offer curve prices. Identification of this admissible subspace can then greatly facilitate computations such as clustering to identify potential zones of differentiated LMPs.
Bacterial biofilms of importance to medicine and bioterrorism: proteomic techniques to identify novel vaccine components and drug targets.

Biofilms are highly ordered microbial communities enmeshed in a carefully sculpted matrix designed for survival of organisms either in multi- or mono-genus/species in a specific microniche. In human disease, biofilm infections are some of the most recalcitrant to treat. Even with rigorous antibiotic regimens, some biofilms, such as those within the thick airway mucus of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, persist throughout the course of the disease process. In this editorial, discussion will cover the utility of using advanced proteomic techniques to help identify potential weaknesses in the already impressive defensive armamentarium of biofilm bacteria. Two biofilm systems will be discussed herein, one of which is that of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms within CF airway biofilms. The other is referred to as persistent ‘bioterrorist agent biofilms’ in which Francisella tularensis can grow on surfaces where environmental amoeba can phagocytose them, allowing for growth of F. tularensis within the amoebae.
A Study of Teaching Presence and Student Sense of Learning Community in Fully Online and Web-Enhanced College Courses.

Abstract This paper focuses on two components of a model for online teaching and learning—“teaching presence” and “community”. It is suggested that previous research points to the critical role that community plays in academic success and persistence in higher education. Through a review of recent literature it is proposed that teaching presence–viewed as the core roles of the online instructor–is a promising mechanism for developing learning community in online environments. This investigation presents a multi-institutional study of 1067 students across 32 different colleges that further substantiates this claim. An instrument to assess instructor teaching presence (“The Teaching Presence Scale”) is presented and validated. Factor and regression analysis indicate a significant link between students' sense of learning community and effective instructional design and “directed facilitation” on the part of course instructors, and highlights interesting differences between online and classroom environments. Alternative hypotheses regarding student demographics associated with variables such as age (the “net generation” effect) and gender are also examined. Despite recent assertions that younger students are or soon will be too sophisticated to “feel at home” in largely text-based asynchronous learning environments, no significant effects were found by demographic differences examined. Recommendations for online course design, pedagogy, and future research are included.
An Experimental Concentric Near-Field Plate

We present a concentrically corrugated near-field plate that can form a subwavelength near-field focal spot. The experimental plate consists of a coaxial aperture surrounded by nonperiodic concentric corrugations. The measured subwavelength patterns are shown to be significantly narrower than those created by a coaxial probe (without corrugations) of similar dimensions. Close agreement between simulated and measurement results is observed. Further, the subwavelength beam emitted by the corrugated near-field plate is shown to be narrower that of the coaxial probe, confirming the superior electromagnetic confinement achieved by the near-field plate over a focal length. Finally, the near-field plate is used to image two sources separated by subwavelength distances. The images obtained using the near-field plate exhibit significantly higher resolution than those obtained using a coaxial probe. The reported near-field plate will find use in near-field probing and microscopy applications.
Experimental and Numberical Method of Measuring Flip Chip Die Bump Temperature for Electroncis Packing

Recent trends in the semiconductor industry are driving a continuous increase in current draw, but require a lighter, more compact and thinner packaging technology. As the electrical current through the controlled-collapse-chip-connection flip chip die bump increases, it results in increased bump and trace temperatures due to the Joule heating. Increasing electrical current and temperature have compounding effects on the electro-migration failure of the flip chip die bumps. This has necessitated the development of a measurement method to quantify the flip chip die bump temperature. This paper discusses the methodology of numerically predicting the flip chip die bump temperature. A numerical scheme is introduced which utilizes a multi-scale technique consisting of both a global model (in millimeters) and a local model (in microns). The local model, which is a subset of the global model, consists of a section of the die metal layers, flip chip bumps, and the multiple package layers. It utilizes temperature boundary conditions generated from the global model to ensure self-consistency in the approach. The local model is then used to determine the hottest temperature in the studied bumps. The current carrying capability of the bump can then be determined by the temperature value predicted
Dark current reduction and bandgap-voltage offset in solution-processed nanocrystal solar cells

In this work, we report dark current reduction in solution-processed PbS nanocrystal-metal Schottky junction solar cells via improved LiF passivation of the interface between PbS nanocrystal films and the metal electrode. For the optimized LiF interfacial layer, the dark saturation current density (J0) is decreased by at least one order of magnitude, resulting in very high open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 692±7 mV under one sun illumination for ∼1.4 eV PbS nanocrystals. Using different size of PbS nanocrystals and therefore different bandgaps, we also demonstrate Voc (mV)=553Eg/q−59 as a function of the PbS nanocrystal bandgap (Eg). For different types of junctions employed for solution-processed PbS nanocrystal solar cells, we plot the bandgap-voltage offsets (Eg/q−Voc) under open-circuit conditions, showing strong dependence of the Voc on the Eg regardless of the types of junction used. Similar dependence is also found in solution-processed and sintered CdTe nanocrystal solar cells. These results suggest that suppressing the non-radiative recombination contributions to the dark current, such as improved passivation of nanocrystal surfaces, is more critical to improve the Voc in nanocrystal solar cells, rather than optimizing the device architecture with varying the n-type semiconducting materials.
Finite-temperature Gutzwiller approximation from the time-dependent variational principle

We develop an extension of the Gutzwiller approximation to finite temperatures based on the Dirac-Frenkel variational principle. Our method does not rely on any entropy inequality, and is substantially more accurate than the approaches proposed in previous works. We apply our theory to the single-band Hubbard model at different fillings, and show that our results compare quantitatively well with dynamical mean field theory in the metallic phase. We discuss potential applications of our technique within the framework of first-principle calculations.
'Especially Heinous': Sex Panics and Panicked Politics

This paper intervenes against what I term cultural constructivist literature on sex panics around children and sexual predators. This literature is necessary but insufficient, and insufficient on two counts. First, while Birmingham School sociological research, anthropology and lit crit have all explored the latent *social* anxieties that propel 'moral panics' and 'sex panics,' these literatures have not thoroughly examined *political* anxieties. More simply, episodic outbursts over sex molesters and child vulnerability are fueled not only by social dislocation, gendered normativity, or homophobia, but also by insecurities about self-sovereignty and capacities to consent to the arrangements of late modern political life. On the second count: cultural constructivist literature, in gauging panics and their rhetorics of harm and protection, has failed to sufficiently theorize harm. Scholarship has either sidelined the question as moot to its assigned endeavor (why do panics happen and what do they do), or implicitly relied upon a simplistic notion of harm as the imposition of physical force without consent, an assumption incapable of adequately addressing how structural relations of power, dependency, risk, and coercion, saturate the sexual landscape. Public panics about sexual harm is not just about the sexual, but also about the harmful, and this must be granted theoretical attention to better interpret and diffuse fear around child vulnerability and sexual predation.
Failure Properties of Natural Rubber Double Networks

Abstract When measured parallel to the curing deformation, double networks of natural rubber have a higher modulus than single networks of equal crosslink density. The difference is greater at high...
Impact of a worker's compensation practice guideline on lumbar spine fusion in Washington State.

OBJECTIVES In the face of escalating medical costs for injured workers, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I), which pays for most workers' compensation costs in the state, established guidelines for elective lumbar fusion as part of its inpatient utilization review program. The guidelines were tied to reimbursement strictures. The authors attempt to assess the effects of these guidelines, which were introduced in November 1988, upon subsequent L&I fusion procedures. METHODS Discharge data from the Comprehensive Hospital Abstract Reporting System and algorithms using International Classification of Diseases, Version 9, Clinical Modification diagnosis and procedure codes were used to identify lumbar surgical cases. Population estimates were from the 1990 US Census Bureau. RESULTS During the period of years 1987 through 1992, the lumbar fusion rate for the state showed a 26% decline compared with a 3% decrease for all lumbar operations. After November 1988, when the guidelines went into effect, the state fusion rate declined 33%, whereas rates for nonfusion operations essentially were unchanged. The sharpest decline corresponded in time to implementation of the guidelines. Prior to the initiation of L&I guidelines, the proportion of fusions among L&I patients was higher than among non-L&I patients. The opposite was true by the end of 1992, and the L&I proportion decreased more rapidly than the non-L&I proportion. Time series analysis revealed that both the decline in Washington state lumbar fusion rates and the decline in the proportion of lumbar fusion among L&I patients were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS The data suggest that the L&I lumbar fusion surgery criteria and reimbursement standards implemented in 1988 contributed to a decline in rates of performing that procedure. The utilization review aspect of the guidelines as well as the process of involving surgeons in the preparation and dissemination of guidelines also may have been contributory.
Effect of enhanced prenatal and HIV-focused services for pregnant women who are infected by human immunodeficiency virus on emergency department use.

OBJECTIVES This study examines whether the receipt of enhanced prenatal or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) medical services is associated with in-pregnancy emergency department (ED) utilization by HIV-infected women. METHODS Medicaid and vital statistics records were linked for 1,826 women who are infected by HIV and who were delivered from 1993 to 1995 while receiving New York State Medicaid. The authors examined two types of ambulatory care--the Prenatal Care Assistance Program (PCAP) and enhanced care focused on HIV--that offer additional services in exchange for increased Medicaid reimbursement. From logistic regression models, the authors estimated adjusted associations of these types of care with ED use during pregnancy not leading directly to hospitalization. RESULTS Fifty-three percent of pregnant women visited the ED. Women with ED use averaged 2.0 visits (SD = 1.1). After adjustment for demographic and substance use factors, enhanced care focused on HIV was not associated with any ED use (OR = 1.11, 95% CI 0.94, 1.30) or, among those using the ED at least once, with number of visits (P = 0.84). Interactions of receipt of PCAP care with the Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization Index (APNCU) and having a usual source of care in pregnancy improved model fit (P < 0.001 and P = 0.06, respectively). PCAP was associated with increased ED use only among women with inadequate APNCU or no usual source of prenatal care. CONCLUSION Pregnant women infected with HIV receiving Medicaid relied heavily on ED care. Use of the ED was not associated with services focused on HIV but was positively associated with enhanced prenatal care. The association of enhanced prenatal care with greater ED use was curbed for women with more timely and adequate prenatal care visits or a usual source of prenatal care.
Understanding of Relaxor Ferroelectric Behavior of Poly(vinylidene fluoride–trifluoroethylene–chlorotrifluoroethylene) Terpolymers

Relaxor ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) based terpolymers are attracting tremendous interest because of their potential applications in advanced energy harvesting and storage devices. Fundamental understanding of the ferroelectric behaviors of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) based terpolymers has proved elusive. Current research suggests that the existence of different hysteresis loops results from physical pinning of the ferroelectric domains by the bulky defect monomers and that the size of the defect monomer determines the ferroelectric behavior. In this study, a poly(vinylidene fluoride-ter-trifluoroethylene-ter-chlorotrifluoroethylene) random terpolymer is processed using a variety of methods and found to exhibit normal ferroelectric, single hysteresis loop (SHL), and double hysteresis loop (DHL) behaviors depending on the processing method. This indicates that the ferroelectric behavior of the terpolymer is related to not only the size of an individual defect unit but also how they a...
Immune responsiveness of the bovine host to repeated low-level infestations with Dermacentor andersoni.

The effects of low level infestations with adult Dermacentor andersoni (Stiles) on the immune responsiveness of Bos taurus cows and calves were examined. Exposure regimen consisted of one to four ten-day infestations, each with ten female and five male ticks. Tick feedings were separated by ten-day tick-free periods. Antibody responsiveness to infestation differed for cows and calves, calves uniformly displaying precipitating antibodies to D. andersoni salivary gland antigen (SGA) after all infestations. Most of the cows displayed precipitating antibodies before and after the first infestation, but by the end of the second infestation most cows had lost detectable precipitating antibodies to SGA. All tick-exposed cows and calves gave significant immediate and delayed reactions when skin-tested with SGA. Peripheral blood lymphocytes derived from cows and calves at the termination of a third and fourth infestation reacted in vitro in an antigen-specific manner to SGA, indicating the presence of an antigen-r...
Methods of Marking Insects, with Especial Reference to Orthoptera (Sens. Lat.)

Radioactive and nonradioactive methods used in the past for marking insects, and their applicability to orthopterous insects (sens. lat.), are evaluated on the basis of experimentation, prior field and laboratory experience, and critical analysis of pertinent literature. Radioactive methods based on external application of the isotope are found unsatisfactory for use on Orthoptera; but internal application by ingestion, by surgical insertion, and especially by injection, are suitable for this group of insects, though the ingestion method is subject to several limitations. The nonradioactive methods, grouped into 13 broad categories, are virtually all unsatisfactory for Orthoptera. Fluorescent materials (for nocturnal species) and various kinds of paints indicate some promise, but their applications are limited. One method, the amputation of tegmina, is useful, especially in combination with the new “notch technique.” This latter consists of the removal, with fine iris scissors, of V-shaped portions of exoskeleton from the fore, hind, and lateral margins of the pronotum. Various assortments of these notches, in combination with half or full amputation of tegmina, yield a large number of distinctive marks which are readily applied and interpreted in the field, easily supplemented with paint, and reasonably persistent through at least the later life stages; yet they do no apparent harm to the tagged insects.
Simulation Analysis of Characteristics of Radio Interference on HVDC-flexible Transmission System Converter Valve

In order to predict the radio interference(RI) level of HVDC-flexible converter stations, taking an HVDC-flexible project as the sample, we studied its RI by simulations. Firstly, we analyzed the topology and operation mechanism of modular multi-level converter(MMC). Combining with the model of Hertz dipole, we established an FEKO electromagnetic radiation model of the MMC. Then, we obtained the time-domain voltage and current waves of the upper and lower bridge arms of converter valves though simulations in PSCAD. After fast Fourier transform of the waves, we got the resistor frequency features of the valves at different stages in normal operation, and hence the resistor parameters for further simulations. Finally, taking the typical turn-on and turn-off voltage waves of IGBTs as the excitation, using the FEKO software and the methods of moments, we calculated and analyzed the RI characteristics of the operating HVDC-flexible converter valve qualitatively. The results show that, as the frequency increases, the RI produced by the converter station decreases in value, but its directivity gets obvious gradually, i.e. the electric field intensity of the lateral side valves is higher than that of the longitudinal side valves. However, the maximum RI is 75.10 dB, which is within the standard limits. The results can be used as a reference for the future electromagnetic compatibility design and electromagnetic interference protection of HVDC-flexible converter valves.
Parallel Costimulation of Effector and Regulatory T Cells by OX40, GITR, TNFRSF25, CD27, and CD137: Implications for Cancer Immunotherapy

Adaptive immune responses are triggered by antigen presenting cells that display particular antigens in the context of MHC molecules and in the presence of appropriate costimulatory molecules. These costimulatory molecules are diverse, and include members of the Immunoglobulin (Ig) and TNF receptor superfamilies. In general, costimulatory molecules are induced by innate immune stimuli and their expression is transient, signaling the presence of a potential threat. The presence of costimulatory molecules is critical to overcome the predominance of inhibitory immune signals needed to initiate an adaptive immune response. TNF receptor superfamily molecules are particularly important for the fine-tuning of adaptive immune responses, and often have dual effects toward both effector and regulatory T cells. Five of the better studied effector T cell costimulators: 4-1BB, GITR, OX40, TNFRSF25, and CD27, can all augment effector and regulatory T cell biology in unique ways. An understanding of how these pathways are similar, and where they diverge, may facilitate the clinical development of receptor agonists for use in cancer immunotherapy.
Evaluation of thermal processing variables for reducing acrylamide in canned black ripe olives

Abstract Acrylamide, formed in certain plant foods at elevated cooking temperatures, has been identified as a probable carcinogen. A wide variation in acrylamide concentration has been reported for commercial canned black ripe olives, with some levels being quite high. Standards for olive sterilization were developed before acrylamide was discovered to be present in food. The objective of this study was to determine if alternative sterilization conditions during thermal processing could substantially reduce acrylamide levels in black ripe olives, while still maintaining safety and quality. Heat penetration tests for six thermal processes were used to evaluate process F 0 – a sterilization value –which was correlated to acrylamide formation and changes in quality attributes of black ripe olives. Acrylamide concentration followed a positively correlated second order polynomial regression with process F 0 . This correlation was further demonstrated by two of the experimental processes with different initial temperatures and different processing times, but with ultimately similar F 0 , that produced very similar levels of acrylamide. The amounts of solids leaching from olives in brine increased at higher temperatures of thermal processing, whereas pH variation in olives and brine was most likely related to the differences in lye-wash cycles. Skin color was unaffected, whereas increasing (time/temperature) thermal processing reduced the firmness of whole olives. Optimization of safe thermal processing conditions while lowering process F 0 is a practical and efficient strategy to reduce acrylamide formation and improve the safety of black ripe olives.
Matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor, doxycycline and progression of calcific aortic valve disease in hyperlipidemic mice.

Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is the most common cause of aortic stenosis. Currently, there is no non-invasive medical therapy for CAVD. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are upregulated in CAVD and play a role in its pathogenesis. Here, we evaluated the effect of doxycycline, a nonselective MMP inhibitor on CAVD progression in the mouse. Apolipoprotein (apo)E−/− mice (n = 20) were fed a Western diet (WD) to induce CAVD. After 3 months, half of the animals was treated with doxycycline, while the others continued WD alone. After 6 months, we evaluated the effect of doxycycline on CAVD progression by echocardiography, MMP-targeted micro single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT), and tissue analysis. Despite therapeutic blood levels, doxycycline had no significant effect on MMP activation, aortic valve leaflet separation or flow velocity. This lack of effect on in vivo images was confirmed on tissue analysis which showed a similar level of aortic valve gelatinase activity, and inflammation between the two groups of animals. In conclusion, doxycycline (100 mg/kg/day) had no effect on CAVD progression in apoE−/− mice with early disease. Studies with more potent and specific inhibitors are needed to establish any potential role of MMP inhibition in CAVD development and progression.
Some approaches to shape analysis

Analysis of shapes is important for image analysis. The notion of shapes has been used in a variety of ways across the literature. From the definition of a shape, to the derivation of statistical procedures for shape analysis, the usage of shape is different among different papers. In this paper, we summarize common attributes of different approaches, and compare a few commonly used ones. In particular, we focus on a landmark-based shape analysis, a diffeomorphism approach to shape matching, and a geometric approach to analyzing shapes of curves.