cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Intraspecific Competition and Nutrient Supply on the Endangered Northeastern Bulrush, Scirpus ancistrochaetus Schuyler (Cyperaceae)

Abstract The effect of intraspecific competition and nutrient supply on the endangered northeastern bulrush, Scirpus ancistrochaetus, was examined in a full-factorial greenhouse experiment. Seedlings were exposed to 4 densities (1, 5, 10 or 25 plants/pot) and 3 nutrient concentrations (3, 25 or 50% of full strength) for 9 wk. Height, mass and survival generally decreased with increasing density. Root to shoot ratio (R : S) increased with density, indicating that competition primarily involved belowground resources. Nutrient concentration significantly affected average plant height, total mass and R : S but did not affect survival. Plant height and total mass generally increased with increasing nutrient concentration, whereas R : S decreased. In general, the negative effect of intraspecific competition on plant height and total mass was greatest at the highest nutrient concentration, confirming that the intensity of intraspecific competition increases with resource supply in this species. Neither density n...
Parametric Characterization of Plasma Etching Processes

The analysis of plasma etching processes has been explored for the etching of polysilicon films with CF3Cl/Ar discharges. The etching rate is well fit as a function of the macroscopic plasma parameters (power input, pressure, and composition) using Response Surface Methodology. The parametric expression obtained can be used to examine the sensitivity of the process to the operating conditions, and to optimize the process. The parametric expression also permits comparison of the experimental data with physically meaningful kinetic models. The Response Surface Method allows characterization of a wide parameter space with few experiments. The design of the experimental set is critical to the success of the parametric fit. The parametric expression must account for interactions between parameters, and the expected curvature of the response surface will dictate the required number of data points.
Chromosomal assignment of seven genes on canine chromosomes by fluorescence in situ hybridization.

Our group has developed more than 600 DNA markers to build a map of the canine genome. Of these markers, 125 correspond to genes (anchor loci). Here we report the first six autosomal genes assigned to canine chromosomes by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), using cosmid DNA: adenine phosphoribosyl transferase on Chromosome (Chr) 3; creatine kinase muscle type on Chr 4; pyruvate kinase liver and red blood cell type on Chr 2; and colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor, glucose transporter protein-2, and tumor protein p53 on Chr 5. These assignments are based on the karytotype proposed by Stone and associates (Genome 34, 407, 1991) using high-resolution techniques. In addition, we have assigned the Menkes gene to the X Chr of the dog.
Description and predictors of positive and negative alcohol-related consequences in the first year of college.

Objective:The purpose of this study was to establish the frequency of positive and negative alcohol-related consequences during the first year of college and to evaluate gender, race/ethnicity, time of year, alcohol use, and intoxication as predictors of consequences using frequent assessments.Method:Participants (N = 1,053; 57.5% female) completed biweekly assessments of alcohol use and positive and negative alcohol-related consequences throughout the year.Results:The majority of drinkers reported both positive and negative consequences. Having a good time and feeling less stressed were the most commonly reported positive consequences. Blackouts and getting physically sick were the most commonly endorsed negative consequences. At the weekly level, number of drinking days, drinks per drinking day, and estimated blood alcohol concentration (eBAC, reflecting intoxication) were significantly related to all consequences after controlling for demographics and time of year. Negative consequences had stronger as...
Beyond the Norm: Cognitive Biases and the Behavioral Underpinnings of US Federal Agency Macroeconomic Forecasts

US federal agency macroeconomic forecasts are generally made in a manner consistent with the unbiasedness-forecast rationality (UFR) hypothesis. While this inference may be valid under normal policy conditions, cognitive biases can make ex ante policy analysis more difficult when macroeconomic circumstances deviate from the norm. I test whether policy forecasting under abnormal macroeconomic conditions generates predictions that exhibit cognitive biases (uncertainty-induced bias). Moreover, I investigate whether government agencies will either overstate (availability bias)or understate (mean anchoring bias) true conditions during both good and bad times. These three behavioral hypotheses are examined by performing simultaneous quantile regression analysis on a pooled dataset on US macroeconomic forecasts by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and Social Security Administration (SSA) for the 1976- 2002 period. The statistical evidence provides unequivocal support f...
Cancer Cell Invasion: Treatment and Monitoring Opportunities in Nanomedicine

Cell invasion is an intrinsic cellular pathway whereby cells respond to extracellular stimuli to migrate through and modulate the structure of their extracellular matrix (ECM) in order to develop, repair, and protect the body's tissues. In cancer cells this process can become aberrantly regulated and lead to cancer metastasis. This cellular pathway contributes to the vast majority of cancer related fatalities, and therefore has been identified as a critical therapeutic target. Researchers have identified numerous potential molecular therapeutic targets of cancer cell invasion, yet delivery of therapies remains a major hurdle. Nanomedicine is a rapidly emerging technology which may offer a potential solution for tackling cancer metastasis by improving the specificity and potency of therapeutics delivered to invasive cancer cells. In this review we examine the biology of cancer cell invasion, its role in cancer progression and metastasis, molecular targets of cell invasion, and therapeutic inhibitors of cell invasion. We then discuss how the field of nanomedicine can be applied to monitor and treat cancer cell invasion. We aim to provide a perspective on how the advances in cancer biology and the field of nanomedicine can be combined to offer new solutions for treating cancer metastasis.
Inhibitory Effects of Transforming Growth Factor β1 on Mitogenic Response, Transforming Growth Factor α, and c-myc in Quiescent, Well-Differentiated Colon Carcinoma Cells

Previously, we reported that exponentially proliferating cultures of well-differentiated human colon carcinoma cells responded to transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β) with growth inhibition, alterations in morphology, and increased secretion of the differentiation marker, carcinoembryonic antigen. Poorly differentiated cultures were unresponsive. Here we show that TGF-β was ineffective in repressing nutrient-stimulated mitogenesis in quiescent, poorly differentiated cells. However, in quiescent, well-differentiated cells, TGF-β repressed the mitogenic responses to both nutrients alone (by 90%) and to nutrients plus the exogenous stimulatory factors epidermal growth factor (E), insulin (I), and transferrin (T) (by 55–65%). Thymidine incorporation experiments indicated that TGF-β reduced both the onset and peak mitogenic response to growth factors and/or nutrients in the well-differentiated cells. Additionally, TGF-β repressed the growth factor (E + I + T)-stimulated up-regulation of expression of both c- myc and of transforming growth factor α (TGF-α) mRNAs in quiescent, well-differentiated cells. TGF-β also elicited a rapid ( t ½ ≈1h) down-regulation of c- myc expression in the absence of prior growth factor (E + I + T) stimulation. In contrast, TGF-β had no effect on c- myc or TGF-α mRNA expression in the poorly differentiated cells. The results suggest that TGF-β exerts rapid inhibitory effects on proliferation-associated genes in quiescent and restimulated, well-differentiated cells. Expression of these genes (c- myc and TGF-α) may otherwise (in the absence of TGF-β) play roles in the cellular signaling of mitogenic responses by growth stimulatory factors in well-differentiated colon carcinoma cells.
Pulmonary position cryopreserved homografts: Durability in pediatric Ross and non-Ross patients

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome and risk factors for implant failure in pediatric patients who underwent pulmonary position homograft placement for right ventricular outflow tract obstruction compared with conduit placement as a component of the Ross operation. Actuarial 5-year survivals for cryopreserved right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery homografts range from 55% to 94% at all ages. It is not known whether there is a difference in homograft durability when utilized for right ventricular outflow tract obstruction or as part of the Ross operation. Methods The records of all pediatric patients receiving a right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery homograft from July 1989 through October 2003 were reviewed. Ninety-eight consecutive patients were studied (26 Ross, 72 non-Ross). In addition to Ross versus non-Ross comparisons, other potential risk factors for homograft failure analyzed included age at operation, follow-up time, type of surgery, and homograft type and size. Results Ross and non-Ross patients were comparable in age at the time of the operation and follow-up time. Homograft failure rates were 12% and 51% for Ross and non-Ross patients, respectively. Freedom from reintervention was 93% in the Ross and 66% in the non-Ross group at 5 years (P = .019). On multivariate analysis, non-Ross operation and age less than 2 years were significant predictors of homograft failure. Conclusions 1. Pediatric patients undergoing the Ross operation have longer homograft survival than pediatric patients treated for right ventricular outflow tract obstruction, independent of age. 2. Homografts placed in patients less than 2 years of age have shorter homograft survival.
Different Roles for Phytochrome in Etiolated and Green Plants Deduced from Characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana Mutants.

We have isolated a new complementation group of Arabidopsis thaliana long hypocotyl mutant (hy6) and have characterized a variety of light-regulated phenomena in hy6 and other previously isolated A. thaliana hy mutants. Among six complementation groups that define the HY phenotype in A. thaliana, three (hy1, hy2, and hy6) had significantly lowered levels of photoreversibly detectable phytochrome, although near wild-type levels of the phytochrome apoprotein were present in all three mutants. When photoregulation of chlorophyll a/b binding protein (cab) gene expression was examined, results obtained depended dramatically on the light regime employed. Using the red/far-red photoreversibility assay on etiolated plants, the accumulation of cab mRNAs was considerably less in the phytochrome-deficient mutants than in wild-type A. thaliana seedlings. When grown in high-fluence rate white light, however, the mutants accumulated wild-type levels of cab mRNAs and other mRNAs thought to be regulated by phytochrome. An examination of the light-grown phenotypes of the phytochrome-deficient mutants, using biochemical, molecular, and morphological techniques, revealed that the mutants displayed incomplete chloroplast and leaf development under conditions where wild-type chloroplasts developed normally. Thus, although phytochrome may play a role in gene expression in etiolated plants, a primary role for phytochrome in green plants is likely to be in modulating the amount of chloroplast development, rather than triggering the initiation of events (e.g., gene expression) associated with chloroplast development.
New methods and fast algorithms for database normalization

A new method for computing minimal covers is presented using a new type of closure that allows significant reductions in the number of closures computed for normalizing relations. Benchmarks are reported comparing the new and the standard techniques.
Towards an integrated development environment

Problems of application-system cost, control, and effectiveness can best be addressed by highly consistent development and execution environments. This paper examines some relevant new approaches (systems description languages, new data models, application generators, and very-high-level languages), discusses the need for additional integration, and outlines a particular integration direction. This direction is intended to illustrate both the kind of consolidation needed and some of the problems involved.
Adaptive and controllable compliant systems with embedded actuators and sensors

We present a framework for the design of a compliant system; i.e. the concurrent design of a compliant mechanism with embedded actuators and embedded sensors. Our methods simultaneously synthesize optimal structural topology and placement of actuators and sensors for maximum energy efficiency and adaptive performance, while satisfying various weight and performance constraints. The goal of this research is to lay an algorithmic framework for distributed actuation and sensing within a compliant active structure. Key features of the methodology include (1) the simultaneous optimization of the location, orientation, and size of actuators concurrent with the compliant transmission topology and (2) the concepts of controllability and observability that arise from the consideration of control, and their implementation in compliant systems design. The methods used include genetic algorithms, graph searches for connectivity, and multiple load cases implemented with linear finite element analysis. Actuators, modeled as both force generators and structural compliant elements, are included as topology variables in the optimization. Results are provided for several studies, including: (1) concurrent actuator placement and topology design for a compliant amplifier and (2) a shape-morphing aircraft wing demonstration with three controlled output nodes. Central to this method is the concept of structural orthogonality, which refers to the unique system response for each actuator it contains. Finally, the results from the controllability problem are used to motivate and describe the analogous extension to observability for sensing.
Current-Voltage Measurements in a 2G YBCO Coil

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory in collaboration with American Superconductor Corporation and Cryomagnetics Inc. has designed, fabricated, and tested an HTS coil wound with second-generation (2G) YBCO coated conductor tape. The purpose of the HTS coil project was to study the quench characteristics in 2G YBCO coils at 77 K and lower temperatures (~30-45 K). These quench characteristics were investigated in both a pool boiling LN2 environment and in a conduction cooled configuration at ~30 K and 45 K. Transport critical current (Ic) measurements taken on the very first thermal cycle of the YBCO coil in pool boiling LN2 showed an Ic~31 A corresponding to a central magnetic field of 0.32 T. The measured Ic value was consistent with the calculated value using the calculated maximum perpendicular B-field component and the measured short sample Ic at 77 K. Subsequent Ic measurements taken in the conduction cooling configuration at 34 K and 45 K, showed a steady-state Ic~45-49 A and 38-44 A, respectively. These Ic values were significantly lower than the calculated value assuming a literature derived temperature dependent Ic of the 2G YBCO tape. A steady degradation was observed in the Ic of the coil with each successive thermal cycle. In addition, the coil was also pulse tested up to 1-T in non-steady state transient conditions and for ramp rates varying between 0.01 and 5 A/s. The issues and limitations encountered during testing of this new type of 2G coil are briefly discussed.
Myostatin Inhibition Enhances the Effects of Exercise on Performance and Metabolic Outcomes in Aged Mice

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of short-term exercise training, myostatin inhibition (PF-354), and exercise+PF-354, all relative to a vehicle control, on performance and metabolic measures in 24-month-old mice. At study termination, PF-354-treated mice exhibited significantly greater muscle weights. Performance measures revealed that exercise+PF-354 increased treadmill running time and distance to exhaustion (more than twofold) and increased habitual activity. Measures of strength were not different; however, all treatment groups demonstrated more than 30% reductions in muscle fatigue. Metabolic measures showed that basal metabolic rates were higher in PF-354- and exercise+PF-354-treated mice, and exercise and exercise+PF-354 groups exhibited significantly greater insulin sensitivity. PF-354 was associated with decreased Smad3 phosphorylation and increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1alpha expression and, similar to exercise, decreased MuRF-1. The data suggest that the combination of exercise training and myostatin blockade may significantly improve physical function and whole-body metabolism in older individuals.
Fool's Gold: Extracting Finite State Machines from Recurrent Network Dynamics

Several recurrent networks have been proposed as representations for the task of formal language learning. After training a recurrent network recognize a formal language or predict the next symbol of a sequence, the next logical step is to understand the information processing carried out by the network. Some researchers have begun to extracting finite state machines from the internal state trajectories of their recurrent networks. This paper describes how sensitivity to initial conditions and discrete measurements can trick these extraction methods to return illusory finite state descriptions.
ProBLM Web Server: Protein and Membrane Placement and Orientation Package

The 3D structures of membrane proteins are typically determined without the presence of a lipid bilayer. For the purpose of studying the role of membranes on the wild type characteristics of the corresponding protein, determining the position and orientation of transmembrane proteins within a membrane environment is highly desirable. Here we report a geometry-based approach to automatically insert a membrane protein with a known 3D structure into pregenerated lipid bilayer membranes with various dimensions and lipid compositions or into a pseudomembrane. The pseudomembrane is built using the Protein Nano-Object Integrator which generates a parallelepiped of user-specified dimensions made up of pseudoatoms. The pseudomembrane allows for modeling the desolvation effects while avoiding plausible errors associated with wrongly assigned protein-lipid contacts. The method is implemented into a web server, the ProBLM server, which is freely available to the biophysical community. The web server allows the user to upload a protein coordinate file and any missing residues or heavy atoms are regenerated. ProBLM then creates a combined protein-membrane complex from the given membrane protein and bilayer lipid membrane or pseudomembrane. The user is given an option to manually refine the model by manipulating the position and orientation of the protein with respect to the membrane.
Noncardiac Challenges in the Cardiac ICU: Feeding, Growth and Gastrointestinal Complications, Anticoagulation, and Analgesia

Outcomes following cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) admission are influenced by many factors including initial cardiac diagnosis, surgical complexity, and burden of critical illness. Additionally, the presence of noncardiac issues may have a significant impact on outcomes and the patient experience during and following an intensive care unit stay. This review focuses on three common noncardiac areas which impact outcomes and patient experience in and beyond the CICU: feeding and growth, pain and analgesia, and anticoagulation. Growth failure and feeding dysfunction are commonly encountered in infants requiring cardiac surgery and have been associated with worse surgical and developmental outcomes. Recent studies most notably in the single ventricle population have demonstrated improved weight gain and outcomes when feeding protocols are implemented. Children undergoing cardiac surgery may experience both acute and chronic pain. Emerging research is investigating the impact of sedatives and analgesics on neurodevelopmental outcomes and quality of life. Improved pain scores and standardized management of pain and withdrawal may improve the patient experience and outcomes. Effective anticoagulation is a critical component of perioperative care but may be complicated by inflammation, multiorgan dysfunction, and patient factors. Advances in monitoring of anticoagulation and emerging therapies are reviewed.
Hair and Nail Changes During Long-term Therapy With Ibrutinib for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Importance Ibrutinib, a Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is a new targeted agent approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), mantle cell lymphoma, and Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia. Ibrutinib is overall well tolerated but long-term treatment is required until disease progression or intolerable toxic effects occur. Little is known regarding its cutaneous adverse effects. Objective To describe the hair and nail manifestations associated with the long-term use of ibrutinib for the treatment of CLL. Design, Setting, and Participants Prospective study of 66 patients with CLL enrolled in a single-arm phase 2 clinical trial of ibrutinib for CLL between March 2014 and October 2015 at the National Institutes of Health. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome, nail and hair changes associated with ibrutinib therapy, was assessed by an 11-question survey. In addition, the severity of nail changes was determined from a 0 to 3 rating scale for both onychoschizia and onychorrhexis. Results Among 66 patients (43 men and 23 women with ages ranging from 55 to 85 years), 44 (67%) reported brittle fingernails at a median of 6.5 (95% CI, 6-12) months after starting ibrutinib therapy. Fifteen patients (23%) developed brittle toenails after a median of 9 (95% CI, 6-15) months of ibrutinib therapy. Textural hair changes were reported in 17 patients (26%), at a median of 9 (95% CI, 6-12) months of ibrutinib treatment. Conclusions and relevance Hair and nail abnormalities are commonly associated with ibrutinib and appear several months after initiating therapy. Ibrutinib inhibits Bruton tyrosine kinase by covalently binding to cysteine 481. Whether ibrutinib affects the hair and nails by binding and altering cysteine-rich proteins of hair and nails or by means of another mechanism remains unknown. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT01500733
Abstract B59: Magnetic resonance imaging monitoring of tumor promotion and tumor progression in mouse model of inflammation-promoted colon cancer

B59 Purpose Early detection of pre-cancerous tissue has significantly increased survival for most cancers including colorectal cancer. Animal models that follow early stages of cancer are valuable for identifying molecular events and response indicators that correlate with the early stages of tumor development. The goal of this work was to generate new methods to monitor over time the early stages of colorectal cancer in mice using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Experimental Design Mice treated with azoxymethane and dextran sulafate sodium (DSS) were imaged by MRI throughout the tumor development. Early inflammation was imaged in T2-weighted MRI. Dark-lumen images were obtained in both T1 and T2-weighted images using a poly-fluorinated liquid enema. Individual tumor volumes were calculated and validated ex vivo. Results Using T2-weighted MRI, inflammation was detected 3 days after DSS exposure and subsided over the next week. The poly-fluorinated liquid enema distended the colon and provided a clear differentiation of the lumen of the colon from the mucosal lining. Tumors were detected as early as 29 days after initiation and as small as 1.2 mm3. Individual tumor growths were followed over time and tumor volumes measured by MRI correlated with volumes measured ex vivo. Conclusions Early detection of tumorigenesis is important for understanding tumor development. The use of MRI for detection of the initial stages of colon cancer allows real time evaluation of preclinical trials for prevention and intervention. The use of the poly-fluorinated liquid enema for Dark-lumen MRI in both T1 and T2-weighted imaging could simplify clinical MRI detection of colon cancer. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2008;1(7 Suppl):B59.
Transmission geometry laser desorption atmospheric pressure photochemical ionization mass spectrometry for analysis of complex organic mixtures.

We present laser desorption atmospheric pressure photochemical ionization mass spectrometry (LD/APPCI MS) for rapid throughput analysis of complex organic mixtures, without the need for matrix, electric discharge, secondary electrospray, or solvents/vaporizers. Analytes dried on a microscope slide are vaporized in transmission geometry by a laser beam aligned with the atmospheric pressure inlet of the mass spectrometer. The laser beam initiates a cascade of reactions in the region between the glass slide and MS inlet, leading to generation of reagent ions for chemical ionization of vaporized analyte. Positive analyte ions are generated predominantly by proton transfer, charge exchange, and hydride abstraction, whereas negative ions are generated by electron capture or proton transfer reactions, enabling simultaneous analysis of saturated, unsaturated, and heteroatom-containing hydrocarbons. The absence of matrix interference renders LD/APPCI MS particularly useful for analysis of small molecules (<2000 Da...
Impact of obstructive sleep apnoea on insulin resistance in nonobese and obese children.

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) has been inconsistently associated with insulin resistance and adverse metabolic states. We aimed to assess independent contributions of OSA to insulin resistance and dyslipidaemia in a large paediatric cohort.Habitually snoring children underwent overnight polysomnography, anthropometric measurements and fasting laboratory evaluations. Primary outcome measures included insulin, glucose, homeostasis model of insulin resistance, lipoproteins and sleep disturbance measures.Among 459 children aged 5-12 years, obesity was the primary driver of most associations between OSA and metabolic measures, but sleep duration was inversely associated with glucose levels, with N3 and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep being negatively associated and sleep fragmentation positively associated with insulin resistance measures. In children with mild OSA, the presence of obesity increased the odds for insulin resistance, while higher apnoea/hypopnoea index values emerged among obese children who were more insulin-resistant.The exclusive presence of interactions between OSA and obesity in the degree of insulin resistance is coupled with synergistic contributions by sleep fragmentation to insulin resistance in the context of obesity. Insufficient N3 or REM sleep may also contribute to higher glycaemia independently of obesity. Studies are needed to better delineate the roles of puberty and sleep fragmentation in insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome.
The Third Dimension in Site Structure: An Experiment in Trampling and Vertical Dispersal

Two measured and weighed assemblages of lithic debitage were subjected to human treadage, one set on a compact sandy silt (“loam”) substrate, the other on unconsolidated sand. The assemblages were excavated, plotted in three dimensions, and documented for damage. Downward migration of pieces at the loam site was minimal: fracture of small pieces was the dominant damage pattern. Most sand site pieces migrated to 3-8 cm depth; vertical distribution of pieces approximated a normal curve, and edge-damage to larger pieces was the dominant damage pattern. Vertical distribution of artifacts at the sand site approximated a pattern observed in two other trampling experiments and a number of archaeological occurrences. Factors influencing these distributions are discussed.
RENIN AND ALDOSTERONE IN ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSION

1. The renin-aldosterone system was studied in seventy-one selected hypertensive patients. Nine (13%) were diagnosed as having primary aldosteronism. Of the twenty-three patients who presented with a history of unprovoked hypokalaemia, the incidence of primary aldosteronism was 40%. 2. Renin and aldosterone responses to the combined stimuli of a low sodium diet and the upright posture were suppressed in patients with essential hypertension. There was no evidence that the suppression was due to abnormal adrenal function, sympathetic neuropathy, or the level of the blood pressure. The mechanism of the suppressed plasma renin activity response and its significance in the pathogenesis of hypertension are unknown.
Outpatient air leak management after lobectomy: a CMS cost analysis

Abstract Background Air leaks after lobectomy are associated with increased length of stay (LOS) and protracted resource utilization. Portable drainage systems (PDS) allow for outpatient management of air leaks in patients otherwise meeting discharge criteria. We evaluated the safety and cost efficiency of a protocol for outpatient management of air leaks with a PDS. Methods We retrospectively assessed patients who underwent lobectomy for non–small-cell lung cancer at our institution between 2004 and 2014. All patients discharged with a PDS for air leak were included in the analysis. The study group was compared to an internally matched cohort of patients undergoing lobectomy for non–small-cell lung cancer managed without the need for outpatient PDS. Study end points included resource utilization, postoperative complications, and readmission. Results A total of 739 lobectomies were performed during the study period, 73 (10%) patients with air leaks were discharged with a PDS after fulfilling postoperative milestones. Shorter LOS was observed in the study group (3.88 ± 2.4 versus 5.68 ± 5.7 d, P = 0.014) without significant differences in 30-d readmission (11.7% versus 9.0%, P = 0.615). PDS-related complications occurred in 6.8% of study patients (5/73), and 2.7% (2/73) required overnight readmission. PDSs were used for 8.30 ± 4.5 outpatient days. A CMS-based cost analysis predicted an overall savings of $686.72/patient (4.9% of Medicare reimbursement for a major thoracic procedure), associated with significantly fewer hospital days and resources used. Conclusions In patients otherwise meeting discharge criteria, outpatient management of air leaks is safe and effective. This strategy is associated with improved efficiency of postoperative care and a modest reduction in hospital costs. This model may be applicable to other thoracic procedures associated with protracted LOS.
The effects of immunosuppression on sperm granulomas in vasectomized rats.

The relationship between automimmunity and sperm granulomas was investigated by histological study of these lesions in immunosuppressed and nonimmunosuppressed rats. To produce immunosuppression the thymus-dependent lymphocyte component of cell-mediated immunity was reduced by the administration of antilymphocytic serum. In others further suppression of thymus-dependent lymphocyte response was sought by neonatal thymectomy plus the serum. In another group the alkylating agent cyclophosphamide (cytoxan) was used 40 mg/kg (lethal dose 80) to block dexocyribonucleic acid synthesis in rapidly dividing precursors of immunocompenten cells. Proof of immunosuppression was shown by the ability of the treated animals to accept allogeneic skin grafts for 21 days. Vasectomies were done leaving the ends of the severed vas deferens unligated. All rats were sacrificed 21 days after vasectomy. Average weights of sperm granuloma were increased in the immunosuppressed animals. Sections of testicular tissue and of granulomas were examined histologically. Spermatogenesis had continued. Testicular and epididymal histology remained normal. The granulomas were composed of a central core of packed unabsorbed spermatozoa surrounded by a paracentral core of histiocytic cells and a peripheral fibrous zone. Polymorphonuclear leukocytes were present in the paracentral zone. Lymphocytes and plasma cells predominated in the fibrous zone. The immunosuppression had no effect on the formation of sperm granulomas suggesting that sperm granuloms do not indicate autoimmunity. Nor are they the result of an inflammatory process brought about primarily by autoimmune phenomena.
Surface membrane vesicles from mononuclear cells stimulate erythroid stem cells to proliferate in culture

In order to examine the contribution of cell surface materials to erythroid burst-promoting activity (BPA), we separated media conditioned by a variety of human cell types into pellets and supernatants by centrifugation. When added to serum-restricted cultures of nonadherent human marrow cells, pellets contained about half of the total stimulatory activity. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy of the pellets revealed the presence of unilamellar membrane vesicles ranging from 0.10 to 0.40 microM in diameter. The amount of BPA in culture increased with added vesicle concentration in a saturable fashion. Preparation of leukocyte conditioned medium (LCM) from 125I-wheat germ agglutinin labeled cells and studies comparing the glycoprotein composition of vesicles with that of leukocyte plasma membranes suggest that LCM-derived vesicles are of plasma membrane origin. Moreover, partially purified leukocyte plasma membrane preparations also contained BPA. While disruption of vesicles by freezing/thawing and hypotonic lysis did not alter BPA, heat, trypsin, or pronase treatment removed greater than 65% of BPA, implying that vesicle surface rather than intravesicular molecules express BPA. Results of BPA assays performed in two-layer clots indicated that proximity to target cells is required for vesicle BPA expression. We conclude that membrane vesicles spontaneously shed from cell surfaces may be important regulators of erythroid burst proliferation in vitro.
Designing for Optimal Energy Absorption II, The Damped Wave Equation

We consider the wave equation in a bounded domain with zero Dirichlet data and damping proportional to velocity and pose the problem of minimizing, with respect to damping, the maximum, over all initial data of unit energy, of the infinite time integral of the instantaneous energy. We show the minimum to exist over those dampings that uniformly avoid zero and infinity. We provide an exact minimum over the class of constant dampings and proceed to show it to be a critical point over the class of bounded dampings.
Measurement of K tip in Fiber and Whisker Composites

A direct method of measuring stress intensity factors by measuring stresses at the crack tip was used to detennine Ktip simultaneously with Kfar field in model fiber composites and whisker composites of Al2O3 matrix and SiC fibers and whiskers. The resultant relationship was Ktip=α.Kfar field+K(0). Since Ktip is the driving force for crack growth, results can be used to predict the rate of crack growth for composites.
Acute Myocardial Infarction in the First Trimester of Pregnancy in a Great Grand Multiparous Woman with Poorly Controlled Chronic Hypertension.

Introduction Acute myocardial infarction (MI) in pregnancy is a rare event, usually occurring late in gestation, either in the third trimester or in the puerperium. It is associated with significant maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Although diagnosis and management of MI in pregnancy has been discussed in the literature, management of pregnancy following an early antepartum MI, which may have more consequences for the fetus, has not received as much attention. Case A 38-year-old great grand multiparous woman presented to the emergency department complaining of acute onset chest pain. The patient had a history of chronic hypertension and was an active smoker. She was incidentally found to be 5 weeks pregnant. She was diagnosed with an acute MI, which was treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Her subsequent pregnancy course was complicated by poorly controlled chronic hypertension, but she ultimately delivered a healthy newborn at 36 weeks of gestational age. Conclusion Good pregnancy outcomes are possible after early antepartum MI, especially with early diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and a multidisciplinary team approach to prenatal care. Delivery should occur in a tertiary referral center with experience managing high-risk obstetric patients with cardiac disease.
Human as the Ultimate Wound Healing Model: Strategies for Studies Investigating the Dermal Lipidome.

Purpose of Review The purpose of this review was to educate the reader of the multiple roles undertaken by the human epidermal lipidome and the experimental techniques of measuring them.
Comment on phase-space representation of quantum state vectors

A simple approach to phase-space representation of quantum state vectors using the displacement-operator formalism is presented. Although the resulting expressions for the fundamental operators (position and momentum) are equivalent to those obtained by other methods, this approach provides both alternative mathematical foundation as well as physical interpretation of phase-space representation of quantum state vectors.
Introduction to Special Section: “The Whole Family Serves: Serving the Whole Military Family”

Though the focus of much research on military families has been on the service member or veteran, it is well established that in military families, the whole family serves. Spouses and partners, ch...
Migration Disruption: Crisis and Continuity in the Cambodian Mass Returns1:

In 2014, Thailand experienced the mass exodus of 220,000 Cambodian migrant workers, an event precipitated by a military coup and rumors of an impending migrant crackdown. This movement was reportedly the largest in South‐East Asia since the 1970s. Yet while the mass returns were outwardly articulated as a “crisis” moment, migrants largely understood the exodus as a more extreme version of the everyday. The most significant features of the exodus—financial loss, indebtedness, involuntary immobility, and fear of violence and deportation—have been and continue to be regular features of the Cambodian–Thai migration system. In light of these findings, I suggest that taking migration disruptions seriously requires (1) decentering the language and logic of “crisis” and (2) considering what migration disruptions reveal about ordinary times.
Towards Energy-Efficient 5G Mm-Wave links: Exploiting broadband Mm-Wave doherty power amplifier and multi-feed antenna with direct on-antenna power combining

It is envisioned that future 5G wireless links will extensively employ multiple mm-Wave spectra (e.g., 28GHz, 37GHz, 39GHz, and 70GHz). A major bottom neck for silicon-based mm-Wave electronics lies in the generation of mm-Wave signals with high energy efficiency, high linearity, and large modulation bandwidth, all of which are indispensable to support Gbit/s complex modulations with large peak-to-average-power ratio (PAPR) in 5G systems. In this paper, we focus on two technical aspects that recently attract increasing attention and may together address these challenges. We will first present Doherty power amplifier (PA) architecture that offers large back-off efficiency enhancement, linear operation, and low overhead on signal processing. A recent multi-band (28/37/39GHz) mm-Wave Doherty PA in a 130nm SiGe process will be presented as a design example. Next, we will present a new concept of antenna-electronics co-design at mm-Wave. A new “Multi-Feed Antenna” (MFA) is recently proposed and demonstrated by the authors to achieve direct on-antenna low-loss power combining of multiple mm-Wave PAs. A 60GHz all-silicon transmitter design employs on-chip MFA to combine power from 16 PAs and achieves state-of-the-art total radiated output power per transmitter element.
Optimizing Private Antitrust Enforcement in Health Care

Americans are paying too much for health care services and insurance, in large part due to insufficiently competitive markets. Waves of consolidation have fortified providers and insurers with market power, resulting in higher prices and lower quality for consumers. As antidotes, advocates have proposed various legislative, regulatory, and enforcement solutions. Yet, unlike public antitrust enforcement, private antitrust enforcement is either not mentioned or criticized as sour grapes from competitors or a money grab by consumers. Instead of ignoring or bashing private litigation, those looking to address the health care pricing crisis in the United States should be looking to optimize it. Effective private enforcement can restore competition, deter antitrust violations, and compensate victims in the markets for health care services and insurance. For plaintiffs, the key to optimizing private antitrust enforcement is overcoming the unavoidable challenges in litigating these cases-from satisfying pleading standards and establishing standing, to defining relevant markets. This article explains the key obstacles involved in these cases and tracks recent and current plaintiffs whose experiences provide insight.
Can regional transportation and land-use planning achieve deep reductions in GHG emissions from vehicles?

Abstract The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) must be cut 40–70% by 2050 to prevent a greater than 2 °Celsius increase in the global mean temperature; a threshold that may avoid the most severe climate change impacts. Transportation accounts for about one third of GHG emissions in the United States; reducing these emissions should therefore be an important part of any strategy aimed at meeting the IPCC targets. Prior studies find that improvements in vehicle energy efficiency or decarbonization of the transportation fuel supply would be required for the transportation sector to achieve the IPCC targets. Strategies that could be implemented by regional transportation planning organizations are generally found to have only a modest GHG reduction potential. In this study we challenge these findings. We evaluate what it would take to achieve deep GHG emission reductions from transportation without advances in vehicle energy efficiency and fuel decarbonization beyond what is currently expected under existing regulations and market expectations. We find, based on modeling conducted in the Albuquerque, New Mexico metropolitan area that it is possible to achieve deep reductions that may be able to achieve the IPCC targets. Achieving deep reductions requires changes in transportation policy and land-use planning that go far beyond what is currently planned in Albuquerque and likely anywhere else in the United States.
Towards NEXP versus BPP

We outline two plausible approaches to improving the miserable state of affairs regarding lower bounds against probabilistic polynomial time (namely, the class BPP).
Intertemporal Risk-Aversion and Calibration Uncertainty May Explain Violations of the Independence Axiom

This paper shows that expected utility theory with negative intertemporal complementarity and positive intertemporal lottery correlation yields the Allais mean/variance model, the Chew weighted nonlinear utility model and the Bell elation/disappointment model as special cases. Thus intertemporal risk-aversion and positive intertemporal correlation between lotteries can potentially explain violations of independence.
Latin America: No Fireworks, No Crisis?

With two important exceptions, Latin America has not generated any major financial ‘fireworks’ since the start of the East Asian crisis in the sense that there have been no systemic banking crises, no major currency crises, no acceleration of inflation and no defaults on debt. The two exceptions are Ecuador and Brazil. Ecuador is in a fullblown banking and currency crisis with defaults on external debts, freezing of domestic banking deposits, major bank failures, a 15 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) swing in the current account, a major acceleration of inflation and a drop of output close to 10 percent of GDP. The second exception is Brazil, a country that went through a major currency realignment and which received a significant commitment of official international ‘precautionary’ financial support. However, the Brazilian currency realignment generated remarkably little collateral damage either in terms of inflation, recession or banking problems, nor did it actually disburse much of the official support and hence should probably not be considered an exception.
Prevention of Heart Diseasein Children

Coronary heart disease has its roots in childhood. The evidence for this is reviewed in this article, and polygenic and environmental familial factors are identified. Risk factors are present, identifiable, and modifiable in children. A practical guide for the pediatrician and family physician is presented that emphasizes the identification of risk factors and their monitoring and reduction in early life. It may be more effective to modify lifestyle factors as they are learned, rather than in adult life when they are more well established.
Numerical data quality in IS research and the implications for replication

Abstract We argue that there are major, persistent numerical data quality issues in IS academic research. These issues undermine the ability to replicate our research – a critical element of scientific investigation and analysis. In IS empirical and analytics research articles, the amount of space devoted to the details of data collection, validation, and/or quality pales in comparison to the space devoted to the evaluation and selection of relatively sophisticated model form(s) and estimation technique(s). Yet erudite modeling and estimation can yield no immediate value or be meaningfully replicated without high quality data inputs. The purpose of this paper is: 1) to detail potential quality issues with data types currently used in IS research, and 2) to start a wider and deeper discussion of data quality in IS research. No data type is inherently of low quality and no data type guarantees high quality. As researchers, our empirical research must always address data quality issues and provide the information necessary to determine What, When, Where, How, Who, and Which.