query dict | pos dict | neg dict |
|---|---|---|
{
"abstract": "BackgroundRegular monitoring of the levels of anti-malarial resistance of Plasmodium falciparum is an essential policy to adapt therapy and improve malaria control. This monitoring can be facilitated by using molecular tools, which are easier to implement than the classical determination of the resistance phenotype. In Cameroon, chloroquine (CQ), previously the first-line therapy for uncomplicated malaria was officially withdrawn in 2002 and replaced initially by amodiaquine (AQ) monotherapy. Then, artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), notably artesunate-amodiaquine (AS-AQ) or artemether-lumefantrine (AL), was gradually introduced in 2004. This situation raised the question of the evolution of P. falciparum resistance molecular markers in Yaoundé, a highly urbanized Cameroonian city.MethodsThe genotype of pfcrt 72 and 76 and pfmdr1 86 alleles and pfmdr1 copy number were determined using real-time PCR in 447 P. falciparum samples collected between 2005 and 2009.ResultsThis study showed a high prevalence of parasites with mutant pfcrt 76 (83%) and pfmdr1 86 (93%) codons. On the contrary, no mutations in the pfcrt 72 codon and no samples with duplication of the pfmdr1 gene were observed.ConclusionThe high prevalence of mutant pfcrt 76T and pfmdr1 86Y alleles might be due to the choice of alternative drugs (AQ and AS-AQ) known to select such genotypes. Mutant pfcrt 72 codon was not detected despite the prolonged use of AQ either as monotherapy or combined with artesunate. The absence of pfmdr1 multicopies suggests that AL would still remain efficient. The limited use of mefloquine or the predominance of mutant pfmdr1 86Y codon could explain the lack of pfmdr1 amplification. Indeed, this mutant codon is rarely associated with duplication of pfmdr1 gene. In Cameroon, the changes of therapeutic strategies and the simultaneous use of several formulations of ACT or other anti-malarials that are not officially recommended result in a complex selective pressure, rendering the prediction of the evolution of P. falciparum resistance difficult. This public health problem should lead to increased vigilance and regular monitoring.",
"corpus_id": 1214038,
"title": "Molecular monitoring of plasmodium falciparum drug susceptibility at the time of the introduction of artemisinin-based combination therapy in Yaoundé, Cameroon: Implications for the future"
} | {
"abstract": "Amodiaquine, a 4-aminoquinoline compound, is being considered as an alternative to chloroquine and pyrimethamine/sulfadoxine where resistance in Plasmodium falciparum to both drugs has been selected. Although amodiaquine is more potent than chloroquine, its effectiveness is reduced in areas where chloroquine resistance is high. We report an association of the P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (pfcrt) gene and the P. falciparum multiple drug resistance 1 (pfmdr1) gene, two chloroquine resistance markers, with chloroquine and amodiaquine efficacy in vivo in southern Sudan. The data show that the allele of the pfcrt gene with a lysine to threonine change at codon 76 is strongly associated with both chloroquine and amodiaquine resistance. No such association was observed with the pfmdr1 gene.",
"corpus_id": 8487458,
"title": "Short report: association between chloroquine and amodiaquine resistance and allelic variation in the Plasmodium falciparum multiple drug resistance 1 gene and the chloroquine resistance transporter gene in isolates from the upper Nile in southern Sudan."
} | {
"abstract": "In this paper we propose a new context-sensitive crossover operator for genetic search based clustering applications. The proposed crossover operator compares relevant sub-regions in partitions represented by the two parents selected for mating, passing on to the child only high fitness sub-regions in the partition space. The use of the restricted growth function as the representation for the genotype makes it easier to do a meaningful cluster-wise comparison between two partitions. Clusters are compared using a statistical basis for spatial randomness on the assumption that natural groupings in data are compact and isolated and therefore spatially random within themselves. The proposed crossover operator has good exploitation properties and is heavily biased against an exploratory genetic search because it identifies and necessarily passes good schemas to the child. Preliminary results on two datasets of varying complexity tend to prove this point — when the proposed crossover operator is used with high probability, the search quickly homogenizes and moves as a whole towards high fitness regions of the partition space. We have also presented results of simulations where we have explicitly attempted to balance the exploitation and the exploration aspects of the search by using the crossover operator sparingly during the initial generations, thereby preserving diversity and letting the search branch off towards multiple local optima in the partition space.",
"corpus_id": 7831806,
"score": 0,
"title": "A context-sensitive crossover operator for clustering applications"
} |
{
"abstract": "Details of the direct synthesis of cationic Ru(II)(η5‐Cp)(η6‐arene) complexes from ruthenocene using microwave heating are reported. Developed for the important catalyst precursor [Ru(II)(η5‐Cp)(η6‐1‐4,4a,8a‐naphthalene)][PF6] reaction time could be shortened from three days to 15 min. The method was extended to [Ru(II)(η6‐benzene)(η5‐Cp)][PF6], [Ru(II)(η5‐Cp)(η6‐toluene)][PF6], [Ru(II)(η5‐Cp)(η6‐mesitylene)][PF6], [Ru(II)(η5‐Cp)(η6‐hexamethylbenzene)][PF6], [Ru(II)(η5Cp)(η6‐indane)][PF6], [Ru(II)(η5‐Cp)(η6‐2,6‐dimethylnaphthalene)][PF6], and [Ru(II)(η5‐Cp)(η6‐pyrene)][PF6]. 1‐methylnaphthalene and 2,3‐dimethylnaphthalene afforded mixtures of regioisomeric complexes. [Ru(Cp)(CH3CN)3][PF6], derived from the naphthalene precursor provided access to the cationic RuCp complexes of naphthoquinone, tetralindione, 1,4‐dihydroxynaphthalene, and 1,4‐dimethoxynaphthalene. Reduction of the tetralindione complex afforded selectively the endo,endo diol derivative. X‐Ray structures of five complexes are reported.",
"corpus_id": 155395734,
"title": "Microwave‐Assisted Synthesis and Transformations of Cationic CpRu(II)(naphthalene) and CpRu(II)(naphthoquinone) Complexes"
} | {
"abstract": "The first phosphorus-free, air- and moisture-tolerant Ruthenium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of methylketones and cyclic ketones, as well as aldehydes using hydrogen is presented.",
"corpus_id": 21214212,
"title": "Asymmetric hydrogenation of ketones with H2 and ruthenium catalysts containing chiral tetradentate S2N2 ligands."
} | {
"abstract": "Background: Ischemic stroke is often a sequel of atherosclerotic risk factors. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is a surrogate marker of early atherosclerotic changes. Purpose: It was hypothesized that CIMT is associated with ischemic stroke in adults across all ages. Methods: A case control study was performed on 163 diagnosed cases of first-time ischemic stroke and age- (±1 SD) and gender-matched healthy control attendants reporting at a tertiary care hospital. Data were collected on atherosclerotic risk factors for ischemic stroke. CIMT from both the carotids was measured using carotid vascular Doppler. The demographic profile and CIMT with atherosclerotic risk factors of cases and controls across different age groups were compared using unpaired t test if they passed the test of normality, else the Mann-Whitney test was used. OR for vascular risk factors for the development of stroke was calculated. The relationship of CIMT to atherosclerotic risk factors was analyzed by using Spearman correlation and regression analysis. The level of significance was set at 0.05. Results: Age-specific value of CIMT was significantly higher in stroke cases than in age-matched controls across all age groups. Right CIMT, along with the history of hypertension (HTN; OR 2.3), are important risk factors for ischemic stroke in the younger age group (20-40 years). With increasing age along with the history of HTN and right CIMT (OR >7), presence of plaque (OR 6.3) and daily smoking (OR 5.1) are also significant risk factors. CIMT is significantly related to the daily alcohol and smoking intake and the presence of plaques. Right CIMT is positively related to increasing age in normal population (R2 = 0.041; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Right CIMT and comorbid HTN are significant risk factors associated with the development of ischemic stroke across all adult age groups.",
"corpus_id": 12283591,
"score": 0,
"title": "Age-Wise Association of Carotid Intima Media Thickness in Ischemic Stroke"
} |
{
"abstract": "Biometrics has been introduced recently to identify people by their behavior and physiological features. It offers a wide application scope to detect fraud attempts in organizations, corporations, educational institutions, electronic resources and even crime scenes. The field of biometrics can be divided into two main classes according to features that humans are born with, such as fingerprints or facial features, or behavioral characteristics of humans, like a handwritten signature or voice (J. Ortega-Garcia et al., 2004). The work presented in this paper pursues the latter class, specifically how a person reacts to using daily devices or tools. The fact that we can exploit people's habits in handling devices to identity individuals was the hypothesis that motivated this work. Among the many examples of the potential use of this class of biometrics is the particular force applied to the keys in a keyboard. There is also the time interval between each keypad when dialing a telephone number. Another example that can be extracted from the latter would be the map described by the fingers in navigating through solving maze operation. Extracting these features by using a haptic-based application and defining the subsequent individual pattern is the objective of this research. A framework that identifies behavioral patterns through physical parameters such as direction, force, pressure and velocity has been built. The set up for the experimental work consisted of a multisensory tool, using the Reachin system (Reachin Technologies, User's Programmers Guide and API).",
"corpus_id": 3203986,
"title": "Recognizing and quantifying human movement patterns through haptic-based applications"
} | {
"abstract": "Security is a genuine concern with many applications. This paper reports a study of an intelligent haptics security system. The study evaluates the accuracy of user verification with the use of a haptics device on a virtual surface. A fuzzy logic controller is used for the decision making module. The system is simple and yet very effective. It can be used for access control applications such as access to data within organizations or incorporated within a virtual 3D game for access to a player's secrets.",
"corpus_id": 16966975,
"title": "Biometrics Security in a Virtual Environment"
} | {
"abstract": "One of the known problems with shared object manipulation in collaborative virtual environments (CVE) is the disruptive effect of network lag in collaboration sessions. It is widely recognized that delay and jitter cause significant problems for CVEs. Most solutions to this problem revolve around techniques to compensate for this lag at the networking level. More recently, the usage of visual queues indicating network lag to the user have shown to be effective. In this article we examine the latter for tele-haptic applications, and we find out an appropriate visual queue specifically for the low delay and jitter requirement necessary for closely-coupled collaborative tasks.",
"corpus_id": 15703577,
"score": 2,
"title": "Evaluating decorators for haptic collaboration over Internet"
} |
{
"abstract": "Tanespimycin (17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin or 17-AAG) is a promising heat shock protein 90 inhibitor currently undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of cancer. Despite its selective mechanism of action on cancer cells, 17-AAG faces challenging issues due to its poor aqueous solubility, requiring formulation with Cremophor EL (CrEL) or ethanol (EtOH). Therefore, a CrEL-free formulation of 17-AAG was prepared using amphiphilic diblock micelles of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(D,L-lactide) (PEO-b-PDLLA). Dynamic light scattering revealed PEO-b-PDLLA (12:6 kDa) micelles with average sizes of 257 nm and critical micelle concentrations of 350 nM, solubilizing up to 1.5 mg/mL of 17-AAG. The area under the curve (AUC) of PEO-b-PDLLA micelles was 1.3-fold that of the standard formulation. The renal clearance (CL(renal)) increased and the hepatic clearance (CL(hepatic)) decreased with the micelle formulation, as compared to the standard vehicle. The micellar formulation showed a 1.3-fold increase in the half-life (t(1/2)) of the drug in serum and 1.2-fold increase in t(1/2) of urine. As expected, because it circulated longer in the blood, we also observed a 1.7-fold increase in the volume of distribution (V(d)) with this micelle formulation compared to the standard formulation. Overall, the new formulation of 17-AAG in PEO-b-PDLLA (12:6 kDa) micelles resulted in a favorable 150-fold increase in solubility over 17-AAG alone, while retaining similar properties to the standard formulation. Our data indicates that the nanocarrier system can retain the pharmacokinetic disposition of 17-AAG without the need for toxic agents such as CrEL and EtOH.",
"corpus_id": 1339955,
"title": "A cremophor-free formulation for tanespimycin (17-AAG) using PEO-b-PDLLA micelles: characterization and pharmacokinetics in rats."
} | {
"abstract": "Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(D,L-lactic acid) (PEG-b-PLA) micelles have a proven capacity for drug solubilization and have entered phase III clinical trials as a substitute for Cremophor EL in the delivery of paclitaxel in cancer therapy. PEG-b-PLA is less toxic than Cremophor EL, enabling a doubling of paclitaxel dose in clinical trials. We show that PEG-b-PLA micelles act as a 3-in-1 nanocontainer for paclitaxel, 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG), and rapamycin for multiple drug solubilization. 3-in-1 PEG-b-PLA micelles were ca. 40 nm in diameter; dissolved paclitaxel, 17-AAG, and rapamycin in water at 9.0 mg/mL; and were stable for 24 h at 25 °C. The half-life for in vitro drug release (t(1/2)) for 3-in-1 PEG-b-PLA micelles was 1-15 h under sink conditions and increased in the order of 17-AAG, paclitaxel, and rapamycin. The t(1/2) values correlated with log P(o/w) values, implicating a diffusion-controlled mechanism for drug release. The IC(50) value of 3-in-1 PEG-b-PLA micelles for MCF-7 and 4T1 breast cancer cell lines was 114 ± 10 and 25 ± 1 nM, respectively; combination index (CI) analysis showed that 3-in-1 PEG-b-PLA micelles exert strong synergy in MCF-7 and 4T1 breast cancer cell lines. Notably, concurrent intravenous (iv) injection of paclitaxel, 17-AAG, and rapamycin using 3-in-1 PEG-b-PLA micelles was well-tolerated by FVB albino mice. Collectively, these results suggest that PEG-b-PLA micelles carrying paclitaxel, 17-AAG, and rapamycin will provide a simple yet safe and efficacious 3-in-1 nanomedicine for cancer therapy.",
"corpus_id": 848287,
"title": "A 3-in-1 polymeric micelle nanocontainer for poorly water-soluble drugs."
} | {
"abstract": "Abstract Objective This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the NiTi wire in Conventional NiTi (ProTaper Universal PTU) and Controlled Memory NiTi (ProTaper Gold PTG) instrument systems on the quality of root canal preparation. Material and Methods Twelve mandibular molars with separate mesial canals were scanned using a high-definition microcomputed tomography system. The PTU and PTG instruments were used to shape twelve mesial canals each. The canals were scanned after preparation with F2 and F3 instruments of the PTU and PTG systems. The analyzed parameters included the remaining dentin thickness at the apical and cervical levels, root canal volume and untouched canal walls. Data was analyzed for statistical significance by the Friedman and Dunn’s tests. For the comparison of data between groups, the Mann-Whitney test was used. Results In the pre-operative analysis, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of the area and volume of root canals (P>.05). There was also no statistically significant difference between the systems with respect to root canal volume after use of the F2 and F3 instruments. There was no statistical difference in the dentin thickness at the first apical level between, before and after instrumentation for both systems. At the 3 cervical levels, the PTG maintained centralization of the preparation on the transition between the F2 and F3 instruments, which did not occur with the PTU. Conclusion The Conventional NiTi (PTU) and Controlled Memory NiTi (PTG) instruments displayed comparable capabilities for shaping the straight mesial root canals of mandibular molars, although the PTG was better than the PTU at maintaining the centralization of the shape in the cervical portion.",
"corpus_id": 4496842,
"score": 0,
"title": "Influence of NiTi alloy on the root canal shaping capabilities of the ProTaper Universal and ProTaper Gold rotary instrument systems"
} |
{
"abstract": "We present an experimental analysis of a self-tuning colorless ONU transmitter based on amplified self-seeded RSOAs to be exploited in WDM PON fiber networks for fronthaul. The architecture is polarization independent thanks to the exploitation of high and low PDG RSOAs and Faraday rotators. The transmission over different lengths of fiber displaying various dispersive loads is demonstrated at 10 Gb/s evidencing the chromatic dispersion impact on performance.",
"corpus_id": 2930122,
"title": "10-Gb/s amplified self-seeding WDM PON transmission exploiting RSOAs"
} | {
"abstract": "This paper describes the technical aspects of optical access solutions for mobile fronthaul application. The mobile context and main constraints of fronthaul signals are presented. The need for a demarcation point between the Mobile operator and the Fiber provider is introduced. The optical solution to achieve such a network is discussed. A WDM network with passive monitoring at the antenna site and automatic wavelength assignment is proposed based on self-seeded solution.",
"corpus_id": 11640326,
"title": "Optical fiber solution for mobile fronthaul to achieve cloud radio access network"
} | {
"abstract": "The initial phase of thin-film formation from two components that are simultaneously deposited on a substrate was simulated by Monte Carlo calculations of adatom processes, e.g., surface diffusion, reevaporation, nucleation, and cluster growth by collisions and capture. Experiments had revealed that the condensation of Pd is nearly complete on NaCl at 300 {degree}C, whereas Au and Ag exhibit very low initial condensation coefficients. Therefore, the composition of the nuclei differs strongly from that of the vapor beam. Monte Carlo calculations of the composition at the early stage of Au-Pd and of Ag-Pd depositions were fitted to experimental data from earlier work, which allowed us to determine the differences of the atomic energy parameters of the components, e.g., of the energies of adsorption {ital E}{sub {ital a}} and of diffusion {ital E}{sub {ital d}} with high accuracy. These differences are ({ital E}{sub {ital a}}{minus}{ital E}{sub {ital d}}){sub Pd}{minus}({ital E}{sub {ital a}}{minus}{ital E}{sub {ital d}}){sub Au}=0.12{plus minus}0.03 eV, and ({ital E}{sub {ital a}}{minus}{ital E}{sub {ital d}}){sub Pd}{minus}({ital E}{sub {ital a}}{minus}{ital E}{sub {ital d}}){sub Ag}=0.25{plus minus}0.05 eV.",
"corpus_id": 44897439,
"score": 1,
"title": "Monte Carlo simulation of the nucleation and growth of binary-alloy particles of Au, Ag, and Pd on NaCl(100) substrates."
} |
{
"abstract": "BackgroundThe effects of different evolutionary forces are expected to lead to the conservation, over many generations, of particular genomic regions (haplotypes) due to the development of linkage disequilibrium (LD). The detection and identification of early (ancestral) haplotypes can be used to clarify the evolutionary dynamics of different populations as well as identify selection signatures and genomic regions of interest to be used both in conservation and breeding programs. The aims of this study were to develop a simple procedure to identify ancestral haplotypes segregating across several generations both within and between populations with genetic links based on whole-genome scanning. This procedure was tested with simulated and then applied to real data from different genotyped populations of Spanish, Fleckvieh, Simmental and Brown-Swiss cattle.ResultsThe identification of ancestral haplotypes has shown coincident patterns of selection across different breeds, allowing the detection of common regions of interest on different bovine chromosomes and mirroring the evolutionary dynamics of the studied populations. These regions, mainly located on chromosomes BTA5, BTA6, BTA7 and BTA21 are related with certain animal traits such as coat colour and milk protein and fat content.ConclusionIn agreement with previous studies, the detection of ancestral haplotypes provides useful information for the development and comparison of breeding and conservation programs both through the identification of selection signatures and other regions of interest, and as indicator of the general genetic status of the populations.",
"corpus_id": 861885,
"title": "A practical approach to detect ancestral haplotypes in livestock populations"
} | {
"abstract": "The effects of swine leukocyte antigen (SLA) molecules on numerous production and reproduction performance traits have been mainly reported as associations with specific SLA haplotypes that were assigned using serological typing methods. In this study, we intended to clarify the association between SLA class II genes and reproductive traits in a highly inbred population of 187 Microminipigs (MMP), that have eight different types of SLA class II haplotypes. In doing so, we compared the reproductive performances, such as fertility index, gestation period, litter size, and number of stillbirth among SLA class II low resolution haplotypes (Lrs) that were assigned by a polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP) typing method. Only low resolution haplotypes were used in this study because the eight SLA class II high-resolution haplotypes had been assigned to the 14 parents or the progenitors of the highly inbred MMP herd in a previous publication. The fertility index of dams with Lr-0.13 was significantly lower than that of dams with Lr-0.16, Lr-0.17, Lr-0.18, or Lr-0.37. Dams with Lr-0.23 had significantly smaller litter size at birth than those with Lr-0.17, Lr-0.18, or Lr-0.37. Furthermore, litter size at weaning of dams with Lr-0.23 was also significantly smaller than those dams with Lr-0.16, Lr-0.17, Lr-0.18, or Lr-0.37. The small litter size of dams with Lr-0.23 correlated with the smaller body sizes of these MMPs. These results suggest that SLA class II haplotypes are useful differential genetic markers for further haplotypic and epistatic studies of reproductive traits, selective breeding programs, and improvements in the production and reproduction performances of MMPs.",
"corpus_id": 198985317,
"title": "Genetic Association between Swine Leukocyte antigen Class II Haplotypes and Reproduction Traits in Microminipigs"
} | {
"abstract": "As the methodologies available for the detection of positive selection from genomic data vary in terms of assumptions and execution, weak correlations are expected among them. However, if there is any given signal that is consistently supported across different methodologies, it is strong evidence that the locus has been under past selection. In this paper, a straightforward frequentist approach based on the Stouffer Method to combine P-values across different tests for evidence of recent positive selection in common variations, as well as strategies for extracting biological information from the detected signals, were described and applied to high density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data generated from dairy and beef cattle (taurine and indicine). The ancestral Bovinae allele state of over 440,000 SNP is also reported. Using this combination of methods, highly significant (P<3.17×10−7) population-specific sweeps pointing out to candidate genes and pathways that may be involved in beef and dairy production were identified. The most significant signal was found in the Cornichon homolog 3 gene (CNIH3) in Brown Swiss (P = 3.82×10−12), and may be involved in the regulation of pre-ovulatory luteinizing hormone surge. Other putative pathways under selection are the glucolysis/gluconeogenesis, transcription machinery and chemokine/cytokine activity in Angus; calpain-calpastatin system and ribosome biogenesis in Brown Swiss; and gangliosides deposition in milk fat globules in Gyr. The composite method, combined with the strategies applied to retrieve functional information, may be a useful tool for surveying genome-wide selective sweeps and providing insights in to the source of selection.",
"corpus_id": 3982781,
"score": 2,
"title": "Detecting Loci under Recent Positive Selection in Dairy and Beef Cattle by Combining Different Genome-Wide Scan Methods"
} |
{
"abstract": null,
"corpus_id": 17323552,
"title": "Toward Personalized Relational Learning"
} | {
"abstract": "Abstract Social network analysis provides meaningful information about behavior of network members that can be used for diverse applications such as classification, link prediction. However, network analysis is computationally expensive because of feature learning for different applications. In recent years, many researches have focused on feature learning methods in social networks. Network embedding represents the network in a lower dimensional representation space with the same properties which presents a compressed representation of the network. In this paper, we introduce a novel algorithm named “CARE” for network embedding that can be used for different types of networks including weighted, directed and complex. Current methods try to preserve local neighborhood information of nodes, whereas the proposed method utilizes local neighborhood and community information of network nodes to cover both local and global structure of social networks. CARE builds customized paths, which are consisted of local and global structure of network nodes, as a basis for network embedding and uses the Skip-gram model to learn representation vector of nodes. Subsequently, stochastic gradient descent is applied to optimize our objective function and learn the final representation of nodes. Our method can be scalable when new nodes are appended to network without information loss. Parallelize generation of customized random walks is also used for speeding up CARE. We evaluate the performance of CARE on multi label classification and link prediction tasks. Experimental results on various networks indicate that the proposed method outperforms others in both Micro and Macro-f1 measures for different size of training data.",
"corpus_id": 3332112,
"title": "Community Aware Random Walk for Network Embedding"
} | {
"abstract": null,
"corpus_id": 15727142,
"score": -1,
"title": "Multi-Graph Learning with Positive and Unlabeled Bags"
} |
{
"abstract": "The objective of this paper is to broaden the discussion on regulation in general and on the regulation of utilities in particular. Beyond the technical complexity involved in designing and implementing regulatory interventions, we focus our attention on the conditions for achieving a fair process of regulations. Such a process takes into consideration the interest of consumers as well as those of the investors and the government. We conceptualize the problem of regulation as a problem of provision of a pure public good.",
"corpus_id": 152672572,
"title": "A Public Goods Approach to Regulation of Utilities"
} | {
"abstract": "The Making of Economic Policy begins by observing that most countries' trade policies are so blatantly contrary to all the prescriptions of the economist that there is no way to understand this discrepancy except by delving into the politics. The same is true for many other dimensions of economic policy. Avinash Dixit looks for an improved understanding of the politics of economic policymaking from a transaction cost perspective. Such costs of planning, implementing, and monitoring an exchange have proved critical to explaining many phenomena in industrial organization. Dixit discusses the variety of similar transaction costs encountered in the political process of making economic policy and how these costs affect the operation of different institutions and policies. Dixit organizes a burgeoning body of research in political economy in this framework. He uses U.S. fiscal policy and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) as two examples that illustrate the framework, and show how policy often deviates from the economist's ideal of efficiency. The approach reveals, however, that some seemingly inefficient practices are quite credible attempts to cope with transaction costs such as opportunism and asymmetric information.",
"corpus_id": 154459880,
"title": "The Making of Economic Policy: A Transaction-Cost Politics Perspective"
} | {
"abstract": "The document is an analytical report on the impact of structural reforms in the Bolivian telecommunications industry initiated in 1994-95. With the Capitalization Law, the Regulatory System Law and the Telecommunications Law in particular, the telecommunications industry is in transition to full liberalization in 2001, with current active regulation.",
"corpus_id": 109970336,
"score": 2,
"title": "Inversión y productividad en la industria boliviana de telecomunicaciones"
} |
{
"abstract": "The essential oil from the leaves of Feronia limonia was extracted and the chemical constituents and antibacterial activity were studied. The GC and GC-MS analyses revealed that the leaf essential oil of F. limonia contained fourteen compounds representing about 98.4% of the total oil. The major chemical compounds identified were Eudesma-4 (14).11-dine (46.3%), carvacrol (29.6%) and 1,5-cyclodecandine (13.4%). The essential oil was screened for its antibacterial activity against different clinically isolated Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial strains by disc diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration assay. The essential oil exhibited moderate antibacterial activity against all the tested bacterial strains with MIC values ranging from 125 to 500 μg/mL except Proteus mirabilis.",
"corpus_id": 2881210,
"title": "Chemical constituents and antibacterial activity of the leaf essential oil of Feronia limonia"
} | {
"abstract": "This study was designed to examine the chemical composition and the in vitro antibacterial activity of essential oil of Ocimum ciliatum Hornem. The inhibitory effects of the essential oil were tested against ten phytopathogenic strains, including Ralstonia solanacearum, Pseudomonas syringae pv. lachrymans, P. syringae pv. syringae, P. tolaasii, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, Xanthomonas citri, Brenneria nigrifluens, Pantoea stewartii subsp. indologenes, Agrobacterium vitis, and Rhodococcus fascians using disk diffusion assay. GC and GC–MS analysis revealed that the essential oil predominantly contains methyl chavicol (87.6%), methyl eugenol (2.6%), and 1,8-cineole (1.7%) that making this plant as a good source of methyl chavicol or estragole. The antibacterial test results indicated the oil had antibacterial activity against all of the tested bacteria. According to the width of the inhibition zone, the most susceptible bacterium was B. nigrifluens and the most resistant bacterium was Pseudomonas tolaasii. Furthermore, the lowest MIC values were obtained from the essential oil of the plant against R. solanacearum. In addition, the most bactericidal property of the essential oil from O. ciliatum with the lowest MBC was observed against X. citri strain.",
"corpus_id": 97829385,
"title": "Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oil of Ocimum ciliatum, as a new source of methyl chavicol, against ten phytopathogens"
} | {
"abstract": "In this study, the recovery phenomenon following infection with Potato virus Y (PVY) was investigated in tobacco (Nicotiana tobaccum), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and potato (Solanum tuberosum) plants. In tobacco plants, infection of severe strains of PVY (PVYN or PVYN:O) induced conspicuous vein clearing and leaf deformation in the first three leaves above the inoculated leaves, but much milder symptoms in the upper leaves. The recovery phenotype was not obvious in tobacco plants infected with PVY strain that induce mild symptoms (PVYO). However, regardless of the virus strains, reduction in PVY RNA levels was similarly observed in the upper leaves of these plants. Removal of the first three leaves above the inoculated leaves interfered with the occurrence of recovery, suggesting that the signal(s) mediating the recovery is likely generated in these leaves. In PVYN or PVYN:O but not in PVYO-infected tobacco plants, the expression of PR-1a transcripts were correlated with the accumulation level of PVY RNA. Reduced level of PVY RNA in the upper leaves was also observed in infected tomato plants, whereas such phenomenon was not observed in potato plants. PVY-derived small RNAs were detected in both tobacco and potato plants and their accumulation levels were correlated with PVY RNA levels. Our results demonstrate that the recovery phenotype following PVY infection is host-specific and not necessarily associated with the expression of PR-1a and generation of PVY small RNAs.",
"corpus_id": 13602138,
"score": 1,
"title": "Host Recovery and Reduced Virus Level in the Upper Leaves after Potato virus Y Infection Occur in Tobacco and Tomato but not in Potato Plants"
} |
{
"abstract": "We reconsider the problem of percolation on an equilibrium random network with degree-degree correlations between nearest-neighboring vertices focusing on critical singularities at a percolation threshold. We obtain criteria for degree-degree correlations to be irrelevant for critical singularities. We present examples of networks in which assortative and disassortative mixing leads to unusual percolation properties and new critical exponents.",
"corpus_id": 76949,
"title": "Percolation on correlated networks."
} | {
"abstract": "Resilience analysis of the popular P2P networks (like Gnutella) has emerged as an important research issue for the network community. Most of the contemporary studies primarily focused on the estimation of percolation threshold and disruption on the largest connected component due to node removal. However, real-world networks exhibit intrinsically degree-degree correlation, which makes the behavior of a real-world network distinctly different from a random network. We believe that the proper exploitation of the degree-degree correlation information can be helpful in healing the damage caused on P2P systems by the attacks. In order to investigate, we first develop an analytical framework to study the impact of degree-degree correlation on the resilience of real-world networks at different levels (node isolation, network density and component level). Our analysis shows that the Facebook-like network, which exhibits positive degree-degree correlation are much more robust than the negatively correlated network such as Gnutella. We capitalize on this observation and propose a lightweight correlation driven local link-rewiring mechanism that can improve the resilience of a Gnutella-like network against malicious node-perturbations. We substantiate our claims with the help of rigorous simulations on the real-world Gnutella topology and Facebook social graph as well as synthetic network datasets.",
"corpus_id": 5214518,
"title": "Can Degree Correlation Help to Design Resilient Superpeer Networks?"
} | {
"abstract": "We present a method for recovering the 3-D shape of an inextensible deformable surface from a monocular image sequence. State-of-the-art methods on this problem, utilize L ¿-norm of reprojection residual vectors and formulate the tracking problem as a Second-Order Cone Programming (SOCP) problem. Instead of using L ¿ which is sensitive to outliers, we use L 2-norm of reprojection errors. Generally, using L 2 leads a nonconvex optimization problem which is difficult to minimize. Instead of solving the nonconvex problem directly, we design an iterative L 2-norm approximation process to approximate the nonconvex objective function, in which only a linear system needs to be solved at each iteration. Furthermore, we introduce a shape regularization term into this iterative process in order to keep the inextensibility of the recovered mesh. Compared with previous methods, ours performs more robust to image noises, outliers and large interframe motions with high computational efficiency. The robustness and accuracy of our approach are evaluated quantitatively on synthetic data and qualitatively on real data.",
"corpus_id": 1679701,
"score": 1,
"title": "Monocular 3-D Tracking of Inextensible Deformable Surfaces Under $L_2$ -Norm"
} |
{
"abstract": "The pure and composite hydrogels of chitosan with sodium alginate were synthesized at various pH values and characterized by rheology and IR-spectroscopy. Chitosan shows gelation at neutral and basic pH while sodium alginate remains in solution form at all pH values. By careful adjustment of mixing weight fraction ratio and pH, an array of hydrogels with modulated structural dynamics and viscoelasticity, mechanical strength and encapsulation capacity were obtained. At acidic pH, a higher weight fraction of alginate increased the elasticity of the hydrogels while at basic pH more percentage of chitosan stabilized the hydrogel. Strongest composite hydrogels were obtained at acidic pH and gel strength decreased on increasing pH of the synthetic medium. The synthesized hydrogels were studied for their encapsulation capability towards Citral. The pure chitosan hydrogels showed maximum encapsulation capacity followed by the composite hydrogels prepared at neutral pH. This study highlights that a range of composite hydrogels with modified properties can be obtained by simple changes in experimental conditions exploiting physical interactions and can help in better understanding of niche of its applicability in research and industry.",
"corpus_id": 21723929,
"title": "Rheological behavior of pH responsive composite hydrogels of chitosan and alginate: Characterization and its use in encapsulation of citral."
} | {
"abstract": "We report an interesting finding of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) crystal growth in the silk fibroin (SF) hydrogel with different concentrations by a simple ion diffusion method. The experimental results indicate that the CaCO3 crystals obtained from silk fibroin gels with low and high concentrations are all calcites with unusual morphologies. Time-dependent growth study was carried out to investigate the crystallization process. It is believed that silk fibroin hydrogel plays an important role in the process of crystallization. The possible formation mechanism of CaCO3 crystals is proposed. This study provides a better explanation of the influence of silk fibroin concentration and its structure on CaCO3 crystals growth.",
"corpus_id": 8099701,
"title": "A novel growth process of calcium carbonate crystals in silk fibroin hydrogel system."
} | {
"abstract": "A novel high‐throughput method is presented based on fluorescence images of cells in a microchannel for determination of glutathione (GSH) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) inside single cells. We first present a method to determine GSH and ROS separately, in which GSH in cells is derivatized by 2,3‐naphthalenedicarboxaldehyde (NDA), and intracellular ROS is labeled using dihydrorhodamine 123. The cells with either fluorescent derivatized GSH or fluorescent labeled ROS are introduced into a microchannel and fluorescence images of every moving cell in the microchannel are taken continuously using a highly sensitive thermoelectrically cooled electron‐multiplying CCD. The fluorescence intensities of the images correspond to the masses of GSH or ROS. An average detection rate of 80–120 cells/min is achieved. We then propose a method for simultaneously determining GSH and ROS, in which ROS is first labeled in the cells. The labeled cells are then introduced into the whole channel and allowed to immobilize onto the glass substrate. The fluorescence images of all the cells in the channel are taken. NDA is then introduced into the channel to derivatize the GSH in the immobilized cells, and fluorescence images of all cells are taken again. An average analysis rate of ˜20 cells/min is achieved. The masses of GSH and ROS in the single cells can be obtained from the fluorescence intensities of the images using their calibration curves. Since the cells are not lysed, there is no problem with adsorption of biological macromolecules and cellular debris on the channel wall, so that channel treatment, necessary in usual single‐cell analysis techniques using CE and microchip electrophoresis, is no longer necessary. For single global cells, this method can also be used to determine the concentrations of ROS and GSH, which has not been reported previously. The concentrations of ROS and GSH in single global cells can be calculated from the determined masses and the cell volume (derived from the diameter of the round fluorescence image of the derivatized GSH). For gastric cancer cells, the concentrations of GSH and ROS are in the range 0.35×10‐3–1.3×10‐3 mol/L and 0.77×10‐6–1.5×10‐6 mol/L, respectively.",
"corpus_id": 25376649,
"score": 0,
"title": "High‐throughput determination of glutathione and reactive oxygen species in single cells based on fluorescence images in a microchannel"
} |
{
"abstract": "Valve stiction or static friction in control loops is a common problem in modern industrial processes. Several recent studies have tried to understand, reproduce, and detect such issue; however, the actual quantification is still a challenge. Since the valve position (mv) is normally unknown in industrial process, the main challenge is to diagnose stiction knowing only the output signals of the process (pv) and the control signal (op). This paper presents an artificial neural network approach in order to detect and quantify the amount of static friction using only the pv and op information. This study was validated by a simulation process. The results show satisfactory measurements of stiction.",
"corpus_id": 1202000,
"title": "Artificial neural network approach for detection and diagnosis of valve stiction"
} | {
"abstract": "Abstract A simple method diagnosing oscillations in process control loops is presented. The new method is based on the cross-correlation between control input and process output and it is shown to correctly distinguish between two important reasons for oscillations in control loops in the process industry, namely external oscillating disturbances and static friction (stiction) in control valves.",
"corpus_id": 110160166,
"title": "A simple method for detection of stiction in control valves"
} | {
"abstract": "Microalga,Dunaliella salina 1650 was selected to produce hydrocarbons that may possibly substitute for fossil fuels in the near future. It can produce 0.22 (mg/L) of hydrocarbons over 20 d batch cultivation, maintaining 1.32 (g-dry wt./L) of cell density. Its productivity was similar to that fromBotryococcus braunii, which was known to economically produce liquid fuels. Optimal growth conditions for the alga were also determined as pH 7.2, 28°C, and 0.00034 (Kcal/cm2/h) of light intensity. It was shown that the hydrocarbon production from the alga was closely related to cell growth, except for the later periods of batch cultivation. Better hydrocarbon production was observed during light periods in light/dark cycle cultivation. Under chemostat conditions, maximum steady cell concentration was maintained as 1.1 (g-dry wt./L) at 0.12 (1/d) of dilution rate. The system reached to the steady state after 30 d of the cultivation. The maximum specific hydrocarbon production rate, 0.024 (mg/cell/d) was also obtained under this condition. It proves that the hydrocarbon production fromD. salina 1650 can compete with that fromB. braunii. Index Entries: Algal hydrocarbon production; photoautotrophic growth;Dunaliella salina",
"corpus_id": 206825048,
"score": 1,
"title": "The production of hydrocarbons from photoautotrophic growth ofDunaliella salina 1650"
} |
{
"abstract": "Abstract.We present an optimal control model of drug treatment of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Our model is based upon ordinary differential equations that describe the interaction between HIV and the specific immune response as measured by levels of natural killer cells. We establish stability results for the model. We approach the treatment problem by posing it as an optimal control problem in which we maximise the benefit based on levels of healthy CD4+ T cells and immune response cells, less the systemic cost of chemotherapy. We completely characterise the optimal control and compute a numerical solution of the optimality system via analytic continuation.",
"corpus_id": 535272,
"title": "Optimal HIV treatment by maximising immune response"
} | {
"abstract": "In this paper, we investigate global dynamics for a system of delay differential equations which describes a virus-immune interaction in \\textit{vivo}. The model has two distributed time delays describing time needed for infection of cell and virus replication. Our model admits three possible equilibria, an uninfected equilibrium and infected equilibrium with or without immune response depending on the basic reproduction number for viral infection $R_{0}$ and for CTL response $R_{1}$ such that $R_{1} 1$. The immune activation has a positive role in the reduction of the infection cells and the increasing of the uninfected cells if $R_{1}>1$.",
"corpus_id": 1520245,
"title": "Global dynamics of cell mediated immunity in viral infection models with distributed delays"
} | {
"abstract": "AIM\nNitric oxide (NO)-mediated smooth muscle relaxation causes penile erections. The endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) coenzyme tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) converts eNOS-mediated catalytic activity from oxygen radical to NO production, improving endothelial function and vascular smooth muscle relaxation.\n\n\nMETHODS\nUsing quantitative immunohistochemistry, 8-isoprostane and nitrotyrosine concentrations were compared in cavernosal tissue from 17 potent and 7 impotent men, and the effect of single oral doses of BH4 on penile rigidity and tumescence was investigated. The pharmacodynamic effect of single oral doses of BH4 on penile rigidity and tumescence was investigated in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind cross-over fashion in 18 patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) while receiving visual sexual stimulation.\n\n\nRESULTS\n8-Isoprostane content in endothelium and smooth muscle was significantly higher in impotent patient samples; the level of nitrotyrosine was unchanged in ED patients. Relative to placebo, a single dose of 200 mg BH4 led to a mean increase in duration of > 60% penile rigidity (33.5 min [95% confidence interval (CI): 13.1-49.3] at base and 29.4 min [95% CI: 8.9-42.2] at tip). A 500-mg dose increased the relative duration of > 60% penile rigidity by 36.1 min (95% CI: 16.3-51.8) at the base and 33.7 min (95% CI: 11.4-43.9) at the tip. Treatments were well tolerated.\n\n\nCONCLUSION\nBH4 treatment is suggested to switch eNOS catalytic activity from super-oxide to NO formation, leading to a reduced formation of free radical reaction product 8-isoprostane without alteration of nitrotyrosine. The observed results make BH4 a suitable candidate as an ED treatment through reconstitution of altered catalytic activity of the eNOS.",
"corpus_id": 21565617,
"score": 1,
"title": "Evaluation of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) as a potential therapeutic agent to treat erectile dysfunction."
} |
{
"abstract": "Reactive gliosis is characterized by enhanced glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression, cellular hypertrophy, and astrocyte proliferation. The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this process are still largely undefined. We investigated the role of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in reactive gliosis in corpus callosum after lysolecithin (LPC)-induced focal demyelination and in cultured astrocytes. We show that ET-1 levels are upregulated in demyelinated lesions within 5 d after LPC injection, together with enhanced astrocyte proliferation, GFAP expression, and JNK phosphorylation. Infusion of the pan-ET-receptor (ET-R) antagonist Bosentan or the selective ETB-R antagonist BQ788 into the corpus callosum prevented postlesion astrocyte proliferation and JNK phosphorylation. In cultured astrocytes, ET-1-induced activation of ETB-Rs promotes a reactive phenotype by enhancing both GFAP expression and astrocyte proliferation. In the same cells, ET-1 activates both JNK and p38MAPK pathways, and induces c-Jun expression at the mRNA and protein levels. By using selective pharmacological inhibitors, we also provide evidence that ET-1 induces astrocyte proliferation and GFAP expression through activation of ERK- and JNK-dependent pathways, consistent with the previous observation of ET-1-induced activation of ERK (Schinelli et al., 2001). Finally, we show by gain and loss of function that increased c-Jun expression enhances the proliferative response of astrocytes to ET-1, whereas c-jun siRNA prevents ET-1-induced cell proliferation. Our results indicate that the effects of ET-1 on astrocyte proliferation depend on c-Jun induction and activation through ERK- and JNK-dependent pathways, and suggest that ET-R-associated pathways might represent important targets to control reactive gliosis.",
"corpus_id": 11252616,
"title": "Endothelin-1 Regulates Astrocyte Proliferation and Reactive Gliosis via a JNK/c-Jun Signaling Pathway"
} | {
"abstract": "Abstract: Astrocytes have been shown to express endothelin (ET) receptors functionally coupled, via different heterotrimeric G proteins, to several intracellular pathways. To assess the relative contribution of each subtype in the astrocytic responses to ET‐1, effects of BQ123, an antagonist selective for the ET receptor subtype A (ETA‐R), and IRL1620, an agonist selective for the ET receptor subtype B (ETB‐R), were investigated in primary cultures of rat astrocytes. Binding experiments indicated that the ETB‐R is the predominant subtype in these cells. Inhibition of forskolin‐stimulated cyclic AMP production was observed under ETB‐R stimulation. Bordetella pertussis toxin (PTX) pretreatment completely abolished this effect, indicating that this pathway is coupled to the ETB‐R via Gi protein. Increases of tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular proteins, stimulation of mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK), and DNA synthesis were also found to be mediated by the ETB‐R, but through PTX‐insensitive G protein. IRL1620‐induced MAPK activation involved the adapter proteins Shc and Grb2 and the serine/threonine kinase Raf‐1. This study reveals that the various effects of ET‐1 in astrocytes are mediated by the ETB‐R, which couples to multiple signaling pathways including the MAPK cascade.",
"corpus_id": 898439,
"title": "Coupling of ETB Endothelin Receptor to Mitogen‐Activated Protein Kinase Stimulation and DNA Synthesis in Primary Cultures of Rat Astrocytes"
} | {
"abstract": "Endothelin (ET) peptides are potent growth factors that bind to G protein-coupled receptors. Although short-term signals activated by ET receptors have been extensively characterized, relatively little is known about mitogenic signal transduction. We investigated the ET receptor subtype involved in mitogenic signaling in glomerular mesangial cells and the role of protein kinase C (PKC) and protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) activity. Pertussis toxin attenuates increases in [Ca2+Ii by ET-1 but not [3H]thymidine uptake. An ETAselective receptor antagonist, BQ 123, blocks increments in [Ca2+Ii by ET-1 and inhibits t3H]thymidine uptake. A nonselective ETA-ETB receptor antagonist (PD 142893) blocked 13H]thymidine uptake, but ETB receptor-selective agonists (S6c and [Ala',Ala3,Ala\",Ala16]ET-1(6-21)) were unable to increase [Ca2+Ii or [3H]thymidine uptake. Collectively, these data suggest that mitogenic signaling occurs through an ETA receptor subtype in mesangial cells. Experiments with both PKC inhibition and depletion demonstrate that PKC was necessary but not sufficient for mitogenic signaling. ET1 increased tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular proteins in quiescent mesangial cells that was blocked by preincubation with herbimycin A. Two chemically and mechanistically dissimilar PTK inhibitors (herbimycin A and genistein) blocked [3H]thymidine uptake by ET-1. In addition, herbimycin A attenuated c-fos induction, AP-1 DNA binding, and transcription directed by an AP-1 ciselement in response to ET-1. Taken together, these data suggest that mitogenic signaling by ET-1 also involves a PTK-based mechanism. We further demonstrated that ET1 stimulated autophosphorylation of pp60\"\"'\" and pp6OC\"-catalyzed phosphorylation of a peptide substrate specific for PTK activity. That the dose-response relationship for ET1-induced pp60\"\"m activation and [3H]thymidine uptake were similar suggests that these events might be functionally linked. Thus, cross-talk between G protein-coupled receptors and nonreceptor PTK such as pp60\"\"m might be involved in transcriptional regulation and mitogenic signaling by ET1.",
"corpus_id": 19211729,
"score": -1,
"title": "Protein Kinase C and Protein Tyrosine Kinase Activity Contribute to Mitogenic Signaling by Endothelin-1"
} |
{
"abstract": "The analysis of sterols in biological fluids allows the clinical study of cholesterol related diseases. This research is focused on reducing the sample processing time of the determination of free and bonded sterols in human serum. Ten sterols were studied: cholesterol precursors (desmosterol, lanosterol, and cholestanol); phytosterols (stigmasterol, campesterol, sitosterol, and sitostanol) and oxysterols (7-α-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one, 24-hydroxycholesterol, and 27-hydroxycholesterol). Ultrasound assistance was used to diminish the reaction time during the alkaline hydrolysis for determining total sterols. Different retention mechanisms of solid-phase extraction were compared, two reversed-phase sorbents DSC-18 and polymeric Oasis-HLB and a novel zirconia-coated silica phase. DSC-18 and zirconia-coated silica were the most suitable sorbents to analyze these metabolites. The resulting extracts were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The analytical parameters were determined and better values were observed with DSC-18 cartridges for most sterols. LOQ were in the low ng/mL level. Recoveries were in the range 85-99%. Average intermediate precision was 15%. Accuracy for both cartridges was more than 92%. Zirconia-coated silica showed better performance for the oxysterols, with recoveries around 90%. The procedure allows the determination of free and bonded sterol precursors, phytosterols, and oxysterols in human serum.",
"corpus_id": 7010857,
"title": "Development of a fast sample treatment for the analysis of free and bonded sterols in human serum by LC-MS."
} | {
"abstract": "A Fast gas chromatography and mass spectrometry method for plant sterols/stanols analysis was developed, using a short capillary gas chromatography column (10 m × 0.1 mm internal diameter × 0.1 μm film thickness) coated with 5% diphenyl-polysiloxane. A silylated mixture of the main plant sterols/stanols standards (β-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, campestanol, sitostanol) was well separated in 1.5 min, with a good peak resolution (>1.4, determined on a critical chromatographic peak pair (β-sitosterol and sitostanol)), repeatability (<13%), and sensitivity (<0.017 ng/mL). The suitability of this Fast chromatography method was tested on plant sterols/stanols-enriched dairy products (yogurt and milk), which were subjected to lipid extraction, cold saponification, and silylation prior to injection. The analytical performance (sensitivity < 0.256 ng/mL and repeatability < 10.36%) and significant reduction of the analysis time and consumables demonstrate that Fast gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method could be also employed for the plant sterols/stanols analysis in functional dairy products.",
"corpus_id": 22696206,
"title": "Analysis of phytosterols and phytostanols in enriched dairy products by Fast gas chromatography with mass spectrometry."
} | {
"abstract": "Introduction Epilepsy is a neural disorder in which abnormal plastic changes during short and long term periods lead to increased excitability of brain tissue. Kindling is an animal model of epileptogenesis which results in changes of synaptic plasticity due to repetitive electrical or chemical sub-convulsive stimulations of the brain. Lateral hypothalamus, as the main niche of orexin neurons with extensive projections, is involved in sleep and wakefulness and so it affects the excitability of the brain. Therefore, we investigated whether lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) inactivation or orexin-A receptor blocking could change convulsive behavior of acute and kindled PTZ treated animals and if glutamate has a role in this regard. Methods Kindling was induced by 40 mg/kg PTZ, every 48 hours up to 13 injections to each rat. Three consecutive stages 4 or 5 of convulsive behavior were used to ensure kindling. Lidocaine was injected stereotaxically to inactivate LHA, unilaterally. SB334867 used for orexin receptor 1 (OX1R) blocking administered in CSF. Results We demonstrated that LHA inactivation prevented PTZ kindling and hence, excitability evolution. Hippocampal glutamate content was decreased due to LHA inactivation, OX1R antagonist infusion, lidocaine injection and kindled groups. In accordance, OX1R antagonist (SB334867) and lidocaine injection decreased PTZ single dose induced convulsive behavior. While orexin-A i.c.v. infusion increased hippocampal glutamate content, it did not change PTZ induced convulsive intensity. Discussion It is concluded that LHA inactivation prevented kindling development probably through orexin receptor antagonism. CSF orexin probably acts as an inhibitory step on convulsive intensity through another unknown process.",
"corpus_id": 6219215,
"score": 0,
"title": "Unilateral Hypothalamus Inactivation Prevents PTZ Kindling Development through Hippocampal Orexin Receptor 1 Modulation"
} |
{
"abstract": "Peroneal tendon and retinacular pathology contributes to \nchronic lateral ankle instability. The “gold standard” surgical treatment for \nchronic lateral ankle instability has been the Brostrom-Gould procedure with \nits modifications. An ankle arthroscopy is an adjuvant procedure to address any \nintra-articular pathology. We review our results of two study groups. The first \ngroup underwent an ankle arthroscopy and a Brostrom-Gould procedure. The second \ngroup (triad) underwent an ankle arthroscopy, the Brostrom-Gould procedure and \nexcision of low lying peroneal muscle belly with tightening of the inferior \nperoneal retinaculum. The triad technique was performed on 97 patients and \nresults compared to 71 ankle arthroscopies with the Brostrom-Gould procedure. \nThe patients were contacted at a mean follow-up time of 30 months for \npostoperative ACFAS scores, VAS scores, and overall satisfaction. Patients were \nalso asked to report incidence of ankle sprain recurrence. The average \npostoperative ACFAS hindfoot and ankle score was 92 for the triad group and 89 \nfor the arthroscopic debridement and Brostrom-Gould group. The average overall \nsatisfaction was 98% in the triad group and 91% in the scope and Brostrom \ngroup. There were 4 (4.3%) recurrences in the triad group and 12 (17.6%) in the \nBrostrom-Gould with scope group. Each group had a similar incidence of wound \nhealing complications. Peroneal tendon and retinacular pathology contributes to \ncontinued ankle instability and pain. We believe that the triad procedure is \nsuperior to the Brostrom-Gould procedure.",
"corpus_id": 2017931,
"title": "Ankle Arthroscopy, Lateral Ligament Repair and Peroneal Tendon Reefing for Chronic Lateral Ankle Instability: The Triad vs Arthroscopy with Ligament Repair"
} | {
"abstract": "Surgically repairing peroneus brevis tendon tears include postoperative complications such as adhesions, which is concerning given the period of postoperative immobilization. The use of human amniotic allograft (HAA) has been found to have anti-microbial, anti-fibrotic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties. These benefits may help decrease postoperative adhesions and pain. All patients included in the study (129) were surgically treated for longitudinal peroneus brevis tendon tear. The procedure included the Triad procedure (ankle arthroscopy, lateral ankle ligament reconstruction, and peroneal retinacular tightening), tubularization of the tendon, and debridement of low lying peroneus muscle belly, if present. Some patients (58) had their repair augmented with HAA, while others (71) did not. There was no significant between the two groups in terms of gender, age and modified American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons hindfoot and ankle scores preoperatively or pain scores preoperatively. There was significance in postoperative physical therapy times between the control group (7.01 weeks) to the graft group (5.21 weeks) (p<0.001). Mean postoperative visual analog scales between the human amniotic allograft and control group were 1.24 and 1.62 respectively and also rendered statistically significant (p<0.001). The authors found the use of human amniotic allograft to be a viable and effective adjunct in peroneal tendon repair with reduced postoperative pain, physical therapy time with minimal or no associated complications.",
"corpus_id": 20253942,
"title": "Surgical Treatment of Peroneus Brevis Tendon Repair with and without Human Amniotic Allograft : A Comparison Study"
} | {
"abstract": "Subluxation of the peroneal tendons is a rare injury that is often misdiagnosed. This injury is usually related to and often accompanied by lateral ankle ligament sprains. A comprehensive review of the literature, as well as two cases of surgically treated subluxing peroneal tendons will be presented. Anatomy, etiology, and diagnosis will be discussed. Both conservative and surgical treatment methodology will be discussed in detail.",
"corpus_id": 9904139,
"score": 2,
"title": "Peroneal subluxation: a comprehensive review of the literature with case presentations."
} |
{
"abstract": "In recent years, there has been a growing interest towards the application of artificial intelligence approaches in software engineering (SE) processes. In the specific area of SE for self-adaptive systems (SASs) there is a growing research awareness about the synergy between SE and AI. However, just few significant results have been published. This paper briefly studies uncertainty in SASs and surveys techniques that have been developed to engineer SASs in order to tackle uncertainty. In particular, we highlight techniques that use AI concepts. We also report and discuss our own experience using Dynamic Decision Networks (DDNs) to model and support decision-making in SASs while explicitly taking into account uncertainty. We think that Bayesian inference, and specifically DDNs, provide a useful formalism to engineer systems that dynamically adapt themselves at runtime as more information about the environment and the execution context is discovered during execution. We also discuss partial results, challenges and future research avenues.",
"corpus_id": 17208479,
"title": "Bayesian artificial intelligence for tackling uncertainty in self-adaptive systems: The case of dynamic decision networks"
} | {
"abstract": "With the intensified use of intelligent things, the demands on the technological systems are increasing permanently. A possible approach to meet the continuously changing challenges is to shift the system integration from design to run-time by using adaptive systems. Diverse adaptivity properties, so-called self-* properties, form the basis of these systems and one of the properties is self-improvement. It describes the ability of a system not only to adapt to a changing environment according to a predefined model, but also the capability to adapt the adaptation logic of the whole system. In this paper, a closer look is taken at the structure of self-adaptive systems. Additionally, the systems' ability to improve themselves during run-time is described from the perspective of Organic Computing. Furthermore, four different strategies for self-improvement are presented, following the taxonomy of self-adaptation suggested by Christian Krupitzer et al.",
"corpus_id": 51966443,
"title": "Self-Adaptive Systems in Organic Computing: Strategies for Self-Improvement"
} | {
"abstract": "This paper demonstrates the performance of a 900 V silicon carbide (SiC) power MOSFET operating at 13.56 MHz in a 2 kW resonant inverter targeted for wireless power transfer (WPT) systems. Operating at multi-MHz switching frequency leads to smaller passive components and has the potential to improve power density and reduce weight for weight-sensitive applications. In addition, the advent of wide band gap (WBG) power semiconductors with higher breakdown voltages than silicon (Si) allows the design of high-power (2 kW or more) inverters even when operating at MHz frequencies. Previous work described the design and implementation of a class Φ 2 inverter using an enhancement mode gallium nitride (eGaN) FET at output power of 1.3 kW and switching at 13.56 MHz [1]. While eGaN FETs have promising electrical characteristics for high-frequency operation, SiC MOSFETs are becoming available with higher temperature ratings, higher breakdown voltages and higher avalanche ratings to operate at tens of MHz switching frequency. In this work, we study and evaluate the electrical characteristics of a 900 V, 7L D2PAK SiC MOSFET and demonstrate the design of a 2 kW single-ended resonant inverter operating at 13.56 MHz.",
"corpus_id": 30284597,
"score": -1,
"title": "Evaluation of a 900 V SiC MOSFET in a 13.56 MHz 2 kW resonant inverter for wireless power transfer"
} |
{
"abstract": "We report unidirectional charge transfer in multidimensional nanohybrids, consisting of a quantum dot, an electronically active molecular linker, and a carbon nanotube. After covalent attachment to the nanotube, only emission consistent with the negatively charged quantum dot exciton ion rather than the neutral exciton is observed, showing nearly monoexponential recombination kinetics and an average lifetime of 3.5 ns. Using kinetic models, we explain how charge transfer is biased at the expense of other decay pathways.",
"corpus_id": 4632541,
"title": "Efficient charge separation in multidimensional nanohybrids."
} | {
"abstract": "As a model system for understanding charge transfer in novel architectural designs for solar cells, double-walled carbon nanotube (DWNT)–CdSe quantum dot (QD) (QDs with average diameters of 2.3, 3.0, and 4.1 nm) heterostructures have been fabricated. The individual nanoscale building blocks were successfully attached and combined using a hole-trapping thiol linker molecule, i.e., 4-mercaptophenol (MTH), through a facile, noncovalent π–π stacking attachment strategy. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the attachment of QDs onto the external surfaces of the DWNTs. We herein demonstrate a meaningful and unique combination of near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) and Raman spectroscopies bolstered by complementary electrical transport measurements in order to elucidate the synergistic interactions between CdSe QDs and DWNTs, which are facilitated by the bridging MTH molecules that can scavenge photoinduced holes and potentially mediate electron redistribution between the conduction bands ...",
"corpus_id": 2401761,
"title": "Probing the Dependence of Electron Transfer on Size and Coverage in Carbon Nanotube–Quantum Dot Heterostructures"
} | {
"abstract": "Abstract SWNT was functionalized with N -(1-pyrenylmethyl)-1,5-diaminopentane and the resulting PY ∝ SWNT sample characterized by optical and IR spectroscopy. The photochemical properties of PY ∝ SWNT were studied by dispersing the insoluble solid in silica and applying diffuse reflectance techniques. From the emission decay kinetics (quenching of pyrenyl singlet excited state by the SWNT walls) and laser flash photolysis (detection of pyrenyl radical cation) evidence in support of occurrence of an intramolecular quenching from pyrenyl singlet excited state to the SWNT walls has been obtained.",
"corpus_id": 95872844,
"score": 2,
"title": "An organically modified single wall carbon nanotube containing a pyrene chromophore: fluorescence and diffuse reflectance laser flash photolysis study"
} |
{
"abstract": "Line digraphs can be obtained by sequences of state splittings, a particular kind of operation widely used in symbolic dynamics [12]. Properties of line digraphs inherited from the source have been studied, for instance in [7] Harminc showed that the cardinalities of the sets of kernels and solutions (kernel’s dual definition) of a digraph and its line digraph coincide. We extend this for (k, l)-kernels in the context of state splittings and also look at (k, l)-semikernels, k-Grundy functions and their duals.",
"corpus_id": 2042727,
"title": "(k, l)-kernels, (k, l)-semikernels, k-Grundy functions and duality for state splittings"
} | {
"abstract": "In this paper we present some results on the existence of k-kernels and (k, l)-kernels in digraphs which generalize the following Theorem of P. Duchet 2]: “If every directed cycle of odd length in a digraph D has at least two symmetrical arcs, then D has a kernel.”",
"corpus_id": 33495768,
"title": "On the existence of (k, l)-kernels in digraphs"
} | {
"abstract": "There have been significant regulatory changes by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in recent years to curb abusive naked short selling. A 2009 study by the U.S. Government Accounting Office suggested that abusive naked shorting has been reduced by the new regulations and suggested certain factors which might characterize firms targeted by naked short sellers. The purpose of this study is to determine if these factors are in fact useful in predicting naked short selling and to what extent they might have analytical power. Historical daily delivery failure data, a prime indicator of naked short selling, was gathered along with firm and stock trading characteristics. A combined data set for the first half of 2011 was created for over five thousand stocks from the AMEX, NASDAQ and NYSE exchanges. The results showed that trading volume, market capitalization, institutional ownership, insider ownership, listed options, and short interest are significant in the prediction of delivery failures. This study indicates that naked shorting is not a random effect in the market and can be predicted by easily observable variables, implying that further regulatory action might be required.",
"corpus_id": 158036180,
"score": 0,
"title": "Predictors of naked short selling: Analyzing delivery failures in U.S. stock markets"
} |
{
"abstract": "Arabidopsis thaliana was thought to contain two spermine synthase genes, ACAULIS 5 (ACL5) and SPMS. Recent investigations, however, revealed that the ACL5 gene encodes thermospermine synthase. In this study, we have established a simple method to separate two isomers of tetraamine, spermine and thermospermine, in extracts from plant tissues of less than 500 mg. Polyamines (PAs) extracted from plant tissues were benzoylated, and the derivatives were completely resolved by high-performance liquid chromatography on a C18 reverse-phase column, by eluting with 42% (v/v) acetonitrile in water in an isocratic manner at 30 degrees C and monitoring at 254 nm. The relevance of the method was confirmed by co-chromatography with respective PAs and by the PA analysis of the single- and double-mutants of acl5 and spms, which could not synthesize thermospermine and/or spermine, respectively. Furthermore, with this method, we monitored the thermospermine contents in various tissues of A. thaliana and found that stems and flowers contain two- to three-fold more thermospermine compared to whole seedlings and mature leaves. The presence of thermospermine was confirmed in Oryza sativa and Lycopersicon pesculentum. Finally we addressed whether salinity stress changes the contents of PAs including thermospermine in Arabidopsis.",
"corpus_id": 1649158,
"title": "Quantitative analysis of plant polyamines including thermospermine during growth and salinity stress."
} | {
"abstract": "The genome of Arabidopsis thaliana contains five genes (AtPAO1 to AtPAO5) encoding polyamine oxidase (PAO) which is an enzyme responsible for polyamine catabolism. To understand the individual roles of the five AtPAOs, here we characterized their tissue-specific and space-temporal expression. AtPAO1 seems to have a specific function in flower organ. AtPAO2 was expressed in shoot meristem and root tip of seedlings, and to a higher extent in the later growth stage within restricted parts of the organs, such as shoot meristem, leaf petiole and also in anther. The expression of AtPAO3 was constitutive, but highest in flower organ. AtPAO3 promoter activity was detected in cotyledon, distal portion of root, boundary region of mature rosette leaf and in filaments of flower. AtPAO4 was expressed at higher level all over young seedlings including roots, and in the mature stage its expression was ubiquitous with rather lower level in stem. AtPAO5 expression was observed in the whole plant body throughout various growth stages. Its highest expression was in flowers, particularly in sepals, but not in petals. Furthermore, we determined the substrate specificity of AtPAO1 to AtPAO4. None of the AtPAO enzymes recognized putrescine (Put). AtPAO2 and AtPAO3 showed almost similar substrate recognition patterns in which the most preferable substrate is spermidine (Spd) followed by less specificity to other tetraamines tested. AtPAO4 seemed to be spermine (Spm)-specific. More interestingly, AtPAO1 preferred thermospermine (T-Spm) and norspermine (NorSpm) to Spm, but did not recognize Spd. Based on the results, the individual function of AtPAOs is discussed.",
"corpus_id": 2679025,
"title": "Characterization of five polyamine oxidase isoforms in Arabidopsis thaliana"
} | {
"abstract": "Stomata can be regarded as hydraulically driven valves in the leaf surface, which open to allow CO2 uptake and close to prevent excessive loss of water. Movement of these 'Watergates' is regulated by environmental conditions, such as light, CO2 and humidity. Guard cells can sense environmental conditions and function as motor cells within the stomatal complex. Stomatal movement results from the transport of K+ salts across the guard cell membranes. In this review, we discuss the biophysical principles and mechanisms of stomatal movement and relate these to ion transport at the plasma membrane and vacuolar membrane. Studies with isolated guard cells, combined with recordings on single guard cells in intact plants, revealed that light stimulates stomatal opening via blue light-specific and photosynthetic-active radiation-dependent pathways. In addition, guard cells sense changes in air humidity and the water status of distant tissues via the stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA). Guard cells thus provide an excellent system to study cross-talk, as multiple signaling pathways induce both short- and long-term responses in these sensory cells.",
"corpus_id": 5032901,
"score": 2,
"title": "In the light of stomatal opening: new insights into 'the Watergate'."
} |
{
"abstract": "The upgrade of the BESSY II storage ring to BESSY VSR [1] demands additional beam diagnostics for machine commissioning and development. Especially bunch resolved measurements are needed. Currently, transverse beam size measurements are done with X-ray pinhole monitor systems, which cannot provide bunch resolved information. Alternative methods to measure the transverse beam size using synchrotron radiation in the visible spectrum are interferometric techniques, which could also be upgraded to bunch resolved systems. For that purpose a double slit interferometer has been constructed. Commissioning of the system has started and experimental results are discussed and compared with the existing pinhole system.",
"corpus_id": 3959882,
"title": "Status of a Double Slit Interferometer for Transverse Beam Size Measurements at BESSY II"
} | {
"abstract": "This contribution focusses on the different types of new or improved electron-beam monitors at BESSY II for bunch resolved measurements under future BESSY-VSR conditions. A new diagnostics platform, involving three different dipole beam lines will be built for different dipole-related optical and THz methods. Our main concepts for robust future monitors for bunch length, beam size and position are presented in the following.",
"corpus_id": 106399603,
"title": "Development of the Electron-Beam Diagnostics for the Future BESSY-VSR Storage Ring"
} | {
"abstract": "The optical method of measuring the transverse beam profile and size using visible synchrotron radiation (SR) began with simple imaging systems. The resolution was limited by both diffraction and wavefront errors making it difficult to resolve beam sizes less than 50 m. Instead of imaging, an interferometric method for measuring the beam profile and size using spatial coherence was introduced. The method is based on Van Cittert-Zernike’s theorem, and can resolve 4-5 m beam sizes with an error of only 0.5 m. In this presentation, the principle of the measurement, the SR interferometer design, and some resent measurement results are reviewed. The incoherent field depth effect for the horizontal beam size measurement is also described with some recent results. Design study calculations for the SR interferometer at the LHC will be presented.",
"corpus_id": 33220200,
"score": 2,
"title": "Recent Trends in Beam Size Measurements using the Spatial Coherence of Visible Synchrotron Radiation"
} |
{
"abstract": "An advanced stimulator for neuromuscular stimulation of spinal cord injured patients has been developed. The stimulator is externally controlled and powered by a single encoded radio frequency carrier and has four independently controlled bipolar stimulation channels. It offers a wide range of reprogrammability and flexibility, and can be used in many neuromuscular electrical stimulation applications. The implant system is adaptable to patient's needs and to future developments in stimulation algorithms by reprogramming the stimulator. The stimulator is capable of generating a wide range of stimulation waveforms and stimulation patterns and therefore is very suitable for selective nerve stimulation techniques. The reliability of the implant has been increased by using a forward error detection and correction communication protocol and by designing the chip for structural testability based on scan test approach. Implemented testability scheme makes it possible to verify the complete functionality of the implant before and after implantation. The stimulators architecture is designed to be modular and therefore its different blocks can be reused as standard building blocks in the design and implementation of other neuromuscular prostheses. Design for low-power techniques have also been employed to reduce power consumption of the electronic circuitry.",
"corpus_id": 5821043,
"title": "Electronic design of a multichannel programmable implant for neuromuscular electrical stimulation."
} | {
"abstract": "This compact Ni-Cd powered stimulation controller has been designed to operate, by means of appropriate transmitters, a three-channel RF coupled implant for paraplegic bladder control. A wide range of stimulation options may be selected by the use of control lines to CMOS analogue gates. Transdermal transmitters (Hartley oscillators) are driven by power amplifiers of virtually zero quiescent current. Overload protection circuitry which takes account of the pulsatile nature of the output, allows confident use of smaller power transistors than would be required for standard current limit or fold-back protection.",
"corpus_id": 21544840,
"title": "Versatile three-channel stimulation controller for restoration of bladder function in paraplegia."
} | {
"abstract": "This paper describes a multiple electrode, suitable for chronic implantation and single unit recording in the superficial cerebral cortex of the cat. The electrodes are fine wires, 5-8 per implant, not kept together in a bundle; a segment of them floats freely in saline in a closed chamber over the place of penetration. The electrode tips are not sharpened electrolytically, but cut at a bevel during surgery. Longevity of the implants is improved by slowing down the occasional rapid head shaking characteristic of cats, which tends to tear out implanted electrodes, by means of a small weight attached by a bar to the head.",
"corpus_id": 4558435,
"score": 2,
"title": "A multiple floating microelectrode for chronic implantation and longterm single unit recording in the cat."
} |
{
"abstract": "Major burn trauma often leads to reduced gut barrier function, immunosuppression, and increased bacterial translocation. We hypothesized that treatments that maintain normal gut after burn trauma will also reduce immunosuppression and bacterial translocation. Recent studies suggest that treatment with glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2), which is synthesized in the intestine and released after food intake, elicits mucosal hyperplasia in the small intestine of rodents and prevents parenteral nutrition-induced gut hypoplasia. Therefore, we determined whether GLP-2 would prevent loss of gut integrity after major burn trauma. Osmotic minipumps were implanted into the peritoneum of 22 adult, male, Sprague-Dawley rats to infuse saline (10 microl/hr; n = 14) or GLP-2 (1 microg/hr; n = 8). On the next day 8 saline-infused and 8 GLP-2-infused rats were subjected to a 25 sec duration 30% BSA open flame burn, with the remaining rats serving as sham-burn controls. Five days after burn, all rats were killed. Gut protein was assessed, and immunosuppression was estimated by the mitogenic response of cultured splenocytes to phytohemagglutinin, pokeweed, and concanavalin A. Bacterial translocation was determined by culturing the mesenteric lymph nodes. Although protein content was significantly decreased in the ileum of burned rats treated with saline, the burned rats treated with GLP-2 exhibited significant increases in protein levels in duodenum, jejunum. and ileum. Colon protein was not affected by GLP-2 infusion. Saline-treated burned rats also exhibited immunosuppression, as suggested by significantly decreased responses to each of the mitogens. Infusion of GLP-2 normalized the response by the burned rats to each of the mitogens. Lymph nodes taken from sham rats exhibited no colony forming units, whereas in both of the burn groups, 50% of the cultures were positive. However, more aggressive colonization may have occurred in the saline-infused burned rats as compared with the GLP-2-infused burned rats (81 +/- 63 vs 3 +/- 2 colony forming units). These results suggest that GLP-2 may stimulate gut mucosa and reduce immunosuppression in burned rats. However, there does not seem to be a statistically significant positive effect of GLP-2 on bacterial translocation. Thus, improving small intestine mucosa may increase immunity while being ineffective against bacterial translocation.",
"corpus_id": 2347392,
"title": "Glucagon-like peptide-2 stimulates gut mucosal growth and immune response in burned rats."
} | {
"abstract": "Multiple peptide hormones produced within the gastrointestinal system aid in the regulation of energy homeostasis and metabolism. Among these is the intestinotrophic peptide glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2), which is released following food intake and plays a significant role in the adaptive regulation of bowel mass and mucosal integrity. The discovery of GLP-2's potent growth-promoting and cytoprotective effects in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract stimulated interest in its use as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of GI diseases involving malabsorption, inflammation, and/or mucosal damage. Current research has focused on determining the physiological mechanisms contributing to the effects of GLP-2 and factors regulating its biological mechanisms of action. This chapter provides an overview of the biology of GLP-2 with a focus on the most recent findings on the role of this peptide hormone in the normal and diseased GI tract.",
"corpus_id": 9856016,
"title": "Glucagon-like Peptide-2."
} | {
"abstract": "The Limulus-lysate test revealed endotoxin in postmortem tissue homogenates of 20 of a random series of 35 patients. Data indicated that the finding of endotoxin in the livers of these patients signified an endotoxemia consequent on a failure of the endotoxin-detoxifying mechanisms. Endotoxemia was associated with a high incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding, hemorrhagic ulceration of the gastrointestinal mucosa, acute pulmonary pathology, and major injury to the liver. The absence of a septic focus as a source for endotoxemia in many of these patients is consistent with evidence that endotoxemia of intestinal origin commonly develops when the antibacterial defense mechanism has been depleted as a result of severe damage to the reticuloendothelial system. Circulating endotoxin has been identified in various septic and nonseptic disorders in man and in experimental animals by the Limulus-lysate technique, a specific and highly sensitive quantitative assay for endotoxin [1]. In the experimental animal, persisting endotoxemia produces an increase in vascular permeability, plasma and red-cell extravasation into the lung and intestine, and progressive vascular collapse. In this communication we shall present data to show that a similar syndrome occurs in man, and that the intraintestinal gram-negative flora are frequently responsible for the development of this syndrome.",
"corpus_id": 30316888,
"score": 2,
"title": "Role of the intestinal flora in major trauma."
} |
{
"abstract": "FT-IR with partial least squares (PLS) was used to establish a full calibration model for tartaric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, citric acid and acetic acid in wines, vinegars and spirits. Sample pre-treatment was not required except for filtering. The PLS method was employed and FT-IR spectra were correlated with the results from a reference HPLC method. In the validation with an independent set of samples, a strong correlation with the reference values was demonstrated for the highest concentration range (>0.6 g L(-1)) in all acids but the correlation was much weaker in the lower range (<0.6 g L(-1)). In the case of acetic acid, however, good results were obtained in the low concentration range for both red and white wine and for spirit drinks. This finding explains the fact that calibration and validation of the FT-IR spectroscopy method depends very strongly on the composition of the sample set and on the quality of the reference analysis. It was not possible to obtain a single calibration for all of the analysed samples and in some cases individual calibrations for specific samples were required. This situation was due to the different matrixes in the studied samples: 12-15% ethanol (wines), 30-40% ethanol (spirits) and 6-10% acetic acid (vinegars). As a result, a calibration model was developed for each acid in red and white wine, tartaric acid, acetic acid and total acidity in vinegar, and acetic acid in spirit drinks.",
"corpus_id": 3519070,
"title": "Direct determination of organic acids in wine and wine-derived products by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and chemometric techniques."
} | {
"abstract": "The analysis of food components and their metabolome in urine has recently found a growing interest due their potential ability to reflect specific dietary intakes. In the present work, a fast, simple, and environmentally friendly method based on liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry was developed for the analysis of main wine organic acids in human urine. The proposed method was evaluated in terms of linearity, precision, accuracy, and limits of detection. Quantitative recovery (96-102%) and satisfactory interday precision (RSD <6%) were achieved for all target compounds. To demonstrate the applicability of the method, urine samples from five male volunteers were analyzed before and after consumption of a single moderate dose (200 mL) of red wine. A significant increase (p < 0.01) in the urinary concentration of tartaric and malic acids was observed.",
"corpus_id": 11614413,
"title": "Development of a LC-ESI-MS/MS approach for the rapid quantification of main wine organic acids in human urine."
} | {
"abstract": "Stir bar sorptive extraction was evaluated for analysing volatiles in vinegar. The procedure developed shows detection and quantitation limits, and linear ranges adequate for analysing this type of compounds. The accuracy obtained was close to 100%, with repeatability values lower than 13%. The extraction efficiency is inversely affected by the acetic acid content. Although the absolute areas decrease, the compound area/internal standard area ratio remains constant, so for quantitative analysis, the acetic acid concentration does not affect the analytical data. The method was compared with a previous SPME method. Similar performance characteristics were obtained for both methodologies, with lower detection and quantitation limits and better repeatability reproducibility values for SBSE. Both analytical methods were used to analyse a variety of vinegars. The results obtained from both methods were in agreement.",
"corpus_id": 12600106,
"score": 2,
"title": "Stir bar sorptive extraction of volatile compounds in vinegar: validation study and comparison with solid phase microextraction."
} |
{
"abstract": "This paper presents the design of an automatic target classifier for a Ground Surveillance Radar namely NUST Radar∗ (NR-V3). The classifier is developed to distinguish between pedestrians, vehicles and no target (noise) classes. Feature vectors are extracted from the FFT spectrum of radar audio signal. Logistic regression and linear discriminant analysis based classifiers are used for classification of feature vectors. The classifiers are trained and tested using radar data collected with NR-V3. Overall classification accuracy of 95.6% and 92% is achieved for Logistic regression and linear discriminant analysis classifiers respectively.",
"corpus_id": 21086990,
"title": "Automatic target classifier for a Ground Surveillance Radar using linear discriminant analysis and Logistic regression"
} | {
"abstract": "Evolutionary Community Outliers (ECO) is a type of outlier group in which the average evolutionary behavior of certain objects is different from the same community by some measures. The detection, classification and removal of ECO are a very important and challenging task of data cleaning and preprocessing. ECO is different from the old outlier detection technique, which detect objects that have fairly diverse nature as compared with the community objects. Different outlier detection and removal studies have been presented in the last few years, but there are some limitations due to the individual process at a time. The proposed research approach uses Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Logistic Regression (LR) at the same time to accurately classify, detect and remove the outliers form the Evolutionary community dataset, which is a new technique for outlier detection and removal. We have used Azure Machine Learning (ML) which is the state of the art data processing tool to test our proposed technique on the Forest Fire data of Southern Algarve Portugal to show the result, which gives us very good results on the given data. The accuracy of these outliers' detection and removal is 73–93 percent varying due to the data acquisition process. Proposed technique shows remarkable results in detecting diverse ECO on both real time and temporal datasets.",
"corpus_id": 24610866,
"title": "Outliers classification for mining evolutionary community using Support Vector Machine and Logistic Regression on Azure ML"
} | {
"abstract": "Since the commercialization of low cost RGB-D sensors, like the Kinect, more and more indoor robots have been equipped with this kind of sensors to perform tasks as people tracking or gesture recognition. Nevertheless, as far as we know from the literature, studies do not consider the limits of the sensors in term of motion speed, position of the sensor on the robot, etc. In this work, we propose to provide a corpus dedicated to low level RGB-D algorithms benchmarking. Originality of our approach is the use of dummies in order to play static users in the environment. This idea let us vary other variables that can impact algorithm performance: linear/angular speed of the robot, trajectory of the robot, RGB-D sensor height and vertical angle of view, number and relative position of dummies and furniture position. This paper first describes the experimental platform used to perform the acquisitions and the environment setup required to reproduce the dataset. Then, a precise description of all available data is given. We will see that, as this corpus contains a lot of configurations, it will allow researchers to investigate how these variables impact the results of their algorithms.",
"corpus_id": 14830581,
"score": -1,
"title": "MobileRGBD, an open benchmark corpus for mobile RGB-D related algorithms"
} |
{
"abstract": "Food insecurity, the inability to access an adequate food supply, is often considered an issue confronting developing countries only. Yet, conservative estimates show that about 5 per cent of the Australian population are food insecure at any point in time. This paper uses newly released data from the 2004/05 ABS National Health Survey to examine the prevalence and correlates of the severity of food insecurity, and to uncover potential health and nutrition outcomes. Consistent with previous studies, results show that just over 5 per cent of Australians are food insecure due to financial constraints. Of this figure, about 40 per cent are considered to be 'severely' food insecure. That is, the person ran out of money to purchase food, and as a result went without food. A range of economic and socio-demographic factors were found to be associated with food insecurity, indicating differential access to food supply throughout the Australian population. Results also show significant differences in the self-reported measures of health, wellbeing and dietary behaviours of the severely insecure, moderately insecure and food secure Australians.",
"corpus_id": 152686536,
"title": "Severe and Moderate Forms of Food Insecurity in Australia: Are They Distinguishable?"
} | {
"abstract": "As global concern about sustainability, food waste, and poverty increases, there is an urgent need to understand what motivates businesses to adopt pro-social and pro-environmental behaviours. This paper suggests that food redistribution organisations hold both pro-social and pro-environmental aims, due to their concern with reducing food surplus and food insecurity. To achieve this, they must motivate food businesses to donate their surplus food. However, little is known about the values, attitudes, and motives of food industry donors. The purpose of this paper is to provide a theoretical and conceptual overview to set out principles from which empirical data on food redistribution will be analysed or critiqued. Specifically, it explores pro-social and pro-environmental literature, as these fields have examined the motivations behind donations and reducing environmental impact. This review highlights that charitable giving of food is different to other inorganic material, such as money. Thus, future research is needed to capture the unique temporal, emotional, social, and environmental factors that motivate food donations. This information may contribute to the development of strategies that target and motivate people from the food industry to become food donors. Alternatively, it may reveal concerns about food donations, and highlight the need for other approaches to food waste and food insecurity.",
"corpus_id": 14291803,
"title": "Charity Starts … at Work? Conceptual Foundations for Research with Businesses that Donate to Food Redistribution Organisations"
} | {
"abstract": "Non-food lignocellulosic biomass is the most abundant renewable bioresource as a collectable, transportable, and storable chemical energy that is far from fully utilized. The goal of biomass pretreatment is to improve the enzymatic digestibility of pretreated lignocellulosic biomass. Many substrate factors, such as substrate accessibility, lignin content, particle size and so on, contribute to its recalcitrance. Cellulose accessibility to hydrolytic enzymes is believed to be the most important substrate characteristic limiting enzymatic hydrolysis. Cellulose solvents effectively break linkages among cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, and also dissolve highly-ordered hydrogen bonds in cellulose fibers accompanied with great increases in substrate accessibility. Here the history and recent advances in cellulose solvent-based biomass pretreatment are reviewed and perspectives provided for addressing remaining challenges. The use of cellulose solvents, new and existing, provides opportunities for emerging biorefineries to produce a few precursors (e.g. monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, and lignin) for the production of low-value biofuels and value-added biochemicals. c � 2012 Society of Chemical Industry",
"corpus_id": 38339801,
"score": 0,
"title": "New lignocellulose pretreatments using cellulose solvents: a review"
} |
{
"abstract": "Final year preservice teachers' perceptions of their mentoring in primary science teaching were gathered through a survey from two separate studies. The two studies (n=331, n=60) provided an indication of the degree mentors model primary science teaching practices. This research argues that mentors need to model primary science teaching particularly in the areas of modelling: enthusiasm, classroom management and a rapport with students, science teaching, and effective science teaching with well-designed lessons that include hands-on experiences. Mentors also need to model syllabus language so that mentees develop appropriate discourse towards understanding science teaching practices. The key study results (n=331, from nine Australian universities involved in primary teacher education) indicated that on average 55% of mentors did not model primary science teaching in each of the associated mentoring practices (mean range: 2.68 to 3.66, standard deviation range: 1.22 to 1.30).",
"corpus_id": 153332550,
"title": "Mentors and Modelling Primary Science Teaching Practices"
} | {
"abstract": "The mentoring literature is beginning to expand because of increased interest in teacher induction programs. In this arti cle, Galvez-Hjornevik reviews some of the most significant studies of the past decade, and she identifies the salient characteristics of successful mentor-pro tégé relationships. Based on data drawn from the aeraidable literature, the author suggests that the mentoring relation ship be voluntary and that age and gen der factors be considered before men tor-protégé pairs are established. Further, she argues that educators, and particularly teacher educators, make use of knowledge derived from other disci plines and fields in their efforts to design induction programs for new teachers.",
"corpus_id": 145466242,
"title": "Mentoring among Teachers: A Review of the Literature"
} | {
"abstract": "Summary This study describes the long‐term effects of a staff development programme based on selected findings from teaching effectiveness research in schools with multigrade or mixed‐age classes. The short‐term effects of this programme were examined in two studies directed at schools with multigrade classes. The first improvement study was conducted in the school year 1986/87; the second improvement study was conducted in 1989/90. In the latter study, the effects of coaching in addition to participation in the staff development programme were also evaluated. In the school year 1992/93, a retention or follow‐up study was conducted. A quasi‐experimental, treatment‐control group design was used to test the long‐term effects of the programme ‘Dealing with multigrade classes’ and the effects of coaching. Based on pre‐ and post‐training classroom observations, the follow‐up study revealed a significant treatment effect for the time‐on‐task levels of the pupils in the multigrade classes and for the instruction...",
"corpus_id": 30438997,
"score": 2,
"title": "Long-term Effects of a Staff Development Programme on Effective Instruction and Classroom Management for Teachers in Multigrade Classes"
} |
{
"abstract": "Cell-free microRNAs in plasma and serum have become a promising source of biomarkers for various diseases. Despite rapid progress in this field, there remains a lack of consensus regarding optimal quantification methods, reference genes, and quality control of samples. Recent studies have shown that hemolysis occurring during blood collection has substantial impact on the microRNA content in plasma/serum. To date, the impact of hemolysis has only been investigated for a limited number of microRNAs, mainly the red blood cell (RBC)-enriched miRs-16 and -451. In contrast, the effect of hemolysis on other microRNAs – in particular those proposed as biomarkers – has not been addressed. In this study we profiled the microRNA content of hemolyzed and non-hemolyzed plasma as well as RBCs to obtain a profile of microRNAs in the circulation affected or unaffected by hemolysis. Profiling by TaqMan Array Microfluidic Cards was used to compare three pairs of hemolyzed and non-hemolyzed plasma (with varying degrees of hemolysis) and one RBC sample. A total of 136 microRNAs were detectable in at least two of the samples, and of those 15 were at least twofold elevated in all three hemolyzed samples. This number increased to 88 microRNAs for the sample with the highest level of hemolysis, with all of these also detected in the RBC profile. Thus these microRNAs represent a large proportion of detectable microRNAs and those most likely to be affected by hemolysis. Several of the hemolysis-susceptible microRNAs (e.g., miRs-21, -106a, -92a, -17, -16) have also been previously proposed as plasma/serum biomarkers of disease, highlighting the importance of rigorous quality control of plasma/serum samples used for measurement of circulating microRNAs. As low-level hemolysis is a frequent occurrence during plasma/serum collection it is critical that this is taken into account in the measurement of any candidate circulating microRNA.",
"corpus_id": 2229354,
"title": "The Impact of Hemolysis on Cell-Free microRNA Biomarkers"
} | {
"abstract": "Recent studies have demonstrated that one-third of known microRNAs (miRNAs) are stably detectable in plasma. Therefore, we assessed plasma miRNAs to investigate the dynamics of oncomir 17-92a, which is highly expressed in multiple myeloma (MM) patients. The plasma miR-92a level in symptomatic MM patients was significantly downregulated compared with normal subjects (P<0.0001), regardless of immunoglobulin subtypes or disease stage at diagnosis. In contrast, miR-92a levels in peripheral blood CD8+ or CD4+ cells from MM patients were lower than those of normal subjects, and the miR-92a levels of the cells tended to correlate with plasma miR-92a levels. The plasma miR-92a level in the complete remission group became normalized, whereas the partial response (PR) and very good PR groups did not reach the normal range. In smoldering MM, the plasma miR-92a level did not show a significant difference compared with normal subjects. Our findings suggest that measurement of the plasma miR-92a level in MM patients could be useful for initiation of chemotherapy and monitoring disease status, and the level may represent, in part, the T-cell immunity status of these patients.",
"corpus_id": 9930294,
"title": "Downregulated plasma miR-92a levels have clinical impact on multiple myeloma and related disorders"
} | {
"abstract": "Syntaxin-11 (Stx11), an atypical member of the SNARE protein family, is part of the cytolytic machinery of T and NK cells and involved in the fusion of lytic granules with the plasmamembrane. Functional loss of syntaxin-11 in humans causes defective degranulation and impaired cytolytic activity of T and NK cells. Furthermore, patients with STX11 deficiency develop familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis type 4 (FHL4), a life-threatening disease of severe hyperinflammation. We established Stx11-deficient mice as an animal model for FHL4. Stx11-deficient mice exhibited severely reduced degranulation and cytolytic activity of CTL and NK cells and developed all clinical symptoms of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) after infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). The HLH phenotype was further characterized by hyperactive CD8 T cells and continuous IFN-γ production. However, in contrast to perforin-deficient mice, which represent a model for FHL2, progression of HLH was not fatal. Survival of Stx11-deficient mice was determined by exhaustion of antigen-specific T cells, characterized by expression of inhibitory receptors, sequential loss of effector functions, and finally T-cell deletion. Blockade of inhibitory receptors on T cells in Stx11-deficient mice converted nonfatal disease course into fatal HLH, identifying T-cell exhaustion as an important factor for determination of disease severity in HLH.",
"corpus_id": 5798251,
"score": 1,
"title": "Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in syntaxin-11-deficient mice: T-cell exhaustion limits fatal disease."
} |
{
"abstract": "Ag presentation to T lymphocytes and subsequent activation are characterized by a cascade of signaling events, some of which result in the transcriptional activation of a diverse set of genes. An important example is the induction of the IL-2 gene, which is a critical event in the escalation of T cell activation. Previous studies have found that expression of Krüppel-like factor 2 (KLF2), a zinc finger transcription factor, is extinguished after T cell activation. However, the biological role of KLF2 during T cell activation is still unknown. In this study we found that KLF2 protein degradation is delayed, and KLF2 expression is up-regulated during the early stage of T cell activation in primary T cells. Within a few hours, this process is reversed, and KLF2 expression is turned off. Next, we found that the expression of KLF2 significantly increases IL-2 production 4-fold in activated T cells, resulting from activation of the IL-2 promoter. By narrowing down the 2.0-kb IL-2 promoter region, we found that the KLF2 responsive element in the IL-2 promoter is a CACCC element, the KLF consensus binding motif. Moreover, KLF2 binds to this promoter in vivo under different conditions. Our studies show that KLF2 regulates IL-2 promoter activity in the earliest stages of T cell activation, indicating that KLF2 may act as a novel immediate-early transcriptional factor to maximally prime T cell activation.",
"corpus_id": 1442515,
"title": "Krüppel-Like Factor 2, a Novel Immediate-Early Transcriptional Factor, Regulates IL-2 Expression in T Lymphocyte Activation1"
} | {
"abstract": "Core 2 β1,6 N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-I (C2GnT-I) catalyzes the synthesis of one of the major core structures in GalNAc α-Ser/Thr O-linked oligosaccharides, the core 2 branch. The production of the core 2 branch is required for the synthesis of glycoforms that are important for the cellular functions of lymphocytes, mucin-producing epithelial cells and other cell types. Therefore, proper molecular control of C2GnT-I expression is very important for different types of cells. C2GnT-I is transcribed from 4 promoters, with promoter 2 being the major promoter. C2GnT-I promoter 2 lacks a TATA box and is very GC rich. In this study, the analysis of this promoter finds that the transcription factor Sp1 is essential for transcription of C2GnT-I in both mesodermally derived T-cells (Jurkat) and in endodermal mucin producing epithelial cells (NCI H292). In Jurkat cells, all nine of the Sp1 binding sites within the minimal promoter region contribute to transcription, and there is a linear relationship between the number of Sp1 sites and the transcriptional activity of the promoter. In NCI H292 cells, only three of these Sp1 binding sites are required for transcription from promoter 2. Chromatin immunoprecipitation confirms that Sp1 binds to promoter 2 in NCI H292 cells in vivo.",
"corpus_id": 1159736,
"title": "Control of core 2 β1,6 N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-I transcription by Sp1 in lymphocytes and epithelial cells"
} | {
"abstract": "VET courses as historical entities and research objects The need to modernise vocational education and training (VET) systems along a „future-proof“ strategy has emerged as a central issue of educational policy, both at home and abroad. Although intensity, speed and decisiveness alter from country to country, it appears that modernisation for various reasons has become an international phenomenon or problem, a fact that is underlined by the European Union’s commitment to „lifelong learning“ as a global strategy for all European countries (KOMMISSION DER EUROPÄISCHEN GEMEINSCHAFTEN 1996). As a consequence, the borders drawn between the various sectors of the educational and/or training system, including higher and further education, could become more and more permeable as the perception of a mismatch of learning outcomes with work requirements urges a fundamental rethinking of traditional courses as well as curriculum patterns. In contrast to these modern dynamics, the problem of integrating young people into the structures of social and economic life in former times was part of a natural process determined by the ongoing change of generations. When “division of labour” (SMITH 1776/1993) began to replace or complement the archaic forms of subsistence, occupations and work processes emerged as independent patterns for the production of goods and services and the process of skill formation became part of what Brunner (1956, 17) labelled the “basic tendency of European history towards rationality”. In contrast to higher education, however, the pedagogical concept behind vocational reproduction was “imitatio” which became institutionalised in the corporations of the medieval world. In England, e.g., in 1563, the Statute of Artificers formalized the system of guild apprenticeship by establishing what has been described as a national manpower and employment policy (PERRY 1976, 6; DEIßINGER 1994). Having served an apprenticeship, under a properly qualified master, was made the central prerequisite for obtaining \"freedom of the trade\" within a city or town. The rules which determined this selection in most cases did not include the standardisation of training contents. The latter obviously were the product of practices within the community of the trade or occupation, which meant outside state regulation and the “curriculum of the occident” (DOLCH 1959/1982). It is interesting, though, that despite this general development in all European societies, differences between the Germanspeaking world and most other countries in Europe in terms of a specific “apprenticeship culture” (DEIßINGER 2004) strike the eye of the historical observer: This includes the insight into what different societies perceived as “education” and how they linked the idea of training for an occupation or a job to the notion of personality development of individuals (WINCH 2006). In this lies the root of the separation of education from training which applies to most national contexts.",
"corpus_id": 15876458,
"score": 0,
"title": "1 Development and Evaluation of VET Courses"
} |
{
"abstract": "Purpose: Dementia is associated with various alterations of the eye and visual function. Over 60% of cases are attributable to Alzheimer's disease (AD), a significant proportion of the remainder to vascular dementia (VD) or dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), while frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) are less common. This review describes the oculovisual problems of these five dementias and the pathological changes which may explain these symptoms. It further discusses clinical considerations to help the clinician care for older patients affected by dementia. Recent findings: Visual problems in dementia include loss of visual acuity (VA), defects in colour vision and visual masking tests, changes in pupillary response to mydriatics, defects in fixation and smooth and saccadic eye movements, changes in contrast sensitivity function (CSF) and visual evoked potentials (VEP), and disturbance of complex visual functions such as in reading ability, visuospatial function, and the naming and identification of objects. Pathological changes have also been reported affecting the crystalline lens, retina, optic nerve, and visual cortex. Clinically, issues such as cataract surgery, correcting the refractive error, quality of life, falls, visual impairment and eye care for dementia have been addressed. Summary: Many visual changes occur across dementias, are controversial, often based on limited patient numbers, and no single feature can be regarded as diagnostic of any specific dementia. Nevertheless, visual hallucinations may be more characteristic of DLB and PDD than AD or FTD. Differences in saccadic eye movement dysfunction may also help to distinguish AD from FTD and PDD from DLB. Eye care professionals need to keep informed of the growing literature in vision/dementia, be attentive to signs and symptoms suggestive of cognitive impairment, and be able to adapt their practice and clinical interventions to best serve patients with dementia.",
"corpus_id": 3024960,
"title": "Invited review Oculovisual changes and clinical considerations affecting older patients with dementia"
} | {
"abstract": "The increasing number of afflicted individuals with late‐onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) poses significant emotional and financial burden on the world's population. Therapeutics designed to treat symptoms or alter the disease course have failed to make an impact, despite substantial investments by governments, pharmaceutical industry, and private donors. These failures in treatment efficacy have led many to believe that symptomatic disease, including both mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD, may be refractory to therapeutic intervention. The recent focus on biomarkers for defining the preclinical state of MCI/AD is in the hope of defining a therapeutic window in which the neural substrate remains responsive to treatment. The ability of biomarkers to adequately define the at‐risk state may ultimately allow novel or repurposed therapeutic agents to finally achieve the disease‐modifying status for AD. In this review, we examine current preclinical AD biomarkers and suggest how to generalize their use going forward.",
"corpus_id": 1461127,
"title": "The critical need for defining preclinical biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease"
} | {
"abstract": "The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the turn to risk within sociology and to survey the relationship between structure and agency as conceived by popular strands of risk theorizing. To this end, we appraise the risk society, culture of fear and governmentality perspectives and we consider the different imaginings of the citizen constructed by each of these approaches. The paper goes on to explore what each of these visions of citizenship implies for understandings of the structure/agency dynamic as it pertains to the question of reflexivity. In order to transcend uni-dimensional notions of citizenship and to reinvigorate sociological debates about risk, we call for conceptual analyses that are contextually rooted. Exampling the importance of knowledge contests around contemporary security threats and warnings of the deleterious effects of pre-emptive modes of regulation that derive from the 'risk turn' within social science, we argue for a more nuanced embrace of reflexivity within risk theorising in order to facilitate a more dynamic critique of the images of citizenship that such theorizing promotes.",
"corpus_id": 40748993,
"score": 0,
"title": "Agency, reflexivity and risk: cosmopolitan, neurotic or prudential citizen?"
} |
{
"abstract": "Background: The impulse oscillation system (IOS) measures respiratory impedance (Zrs) in terms of resistance (Rrs) and reactance (Xrs) at multiples of 5 Hz. These measurements can be used clinically to help diagnose and monitor respiratory disorders, independent of effort.",
"corpus_id": 2998037,
"title": "Predictive equations and the reliability of the impulse oscillatory system in Japanese adult subjects"
} | {
"abstract": "The impulse oscillometry system (IOS) was introduced as a new technique to assess airflow obstruction in patients who are not able to perform forced breathing maneuvers, e.g., subjects with cerebral palsy or severe mental retardation, and young children. This study evaluates the sensitivity and specificity of IOS parameters to quantify changes in airflow obstruction in comparison with forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow (PEF) measurements. Measurements of FEV1, PEF, and resistance (R) and reactance (X) at frequencies of 5–35 Hz were performed in 19 children with asthma before, during, and after methacholine challenge and subsequent bronchodilatation. All parameters changed significantly during tests. Values of R5 and R10 correlated with FEV1 (r = −0.71 and −0.73, respectively, P < 0.001), as did values of X5 and X10 (r = 0.52 and 0.57, respectively, P < 0.01). Changes in R preceded changes in PEF and FEV1 during methacholine challenge. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to predict a 15% fall in FEV1 showed better sensitivity and specificity for R5 (area under the curve, 0.85) compared to PEF (0.79) or R10 (0.73). We conclude that IOS parameters can be easily used as an indirect measure of airflow obstruction. This might be helpful in patients who are not able to perform forced breathing maneuvers. In individual subjects, R values measured at 5 Hz showed to be superior to PEF measurements in the detection of a 15% fall in FEV1. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2003; 35:214–219. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.",
"corpus_id": 13255616,
"title": "Impulse oscillometry: A measure for airway obstruction"
} | {
"abstract": "It is well known that individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) are subject to higher mortality than the general population but the causes of this have not been systematically analysed. This study investigates mortality in a Californian population of 45 292 individuals with CP, 4028 of whom died during the 1986 to 1995 study period. The aims of this study were to identify diseases that may be causally linked with CP, and diseases whose diagnosis and/or treatment need improvement. Overall, the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was 8.4. Mortality from breast cancer was three times that of the general population, suggesting poorer detection and/or treatment. The dramatic elevation of mortality due to brain cancer, especially in children (SMR=24), raises the possibility of a link between this and CP. Cause of death was non-specific in some individuals. Therefore, these SMRs are conservative. As expected, SMRs due to respiratory diseases were very high but, contrary to anecdotal reports, such diseases did not account for most deaths. High SMRs were also found for diseases of the circulatory and digestive systems. Finally, a marked elevation of deaths was due to external causes, including drowning and being hit by motor vehicles.",
"corpus_id": 221585333,
"score": 2,
"title": "Causes of excess mortality in cerebral palsy."
} |
{
"abstract": "Atopic dermatitis (AD), also known as eczema, is one of the most common chronic skin conditions worldwide, affecting up to 16% of children and 10% of adults. It is incurable and has significant psychosocial and economic impacts on the affected individuals. AD etiology has been linked to deficiencies in the skin barrier protein, filaggrin. In mammalian skin, l-histidine is rapidly incorporated into filaggrin. Subsequent filaggrin proteolysis releases l-histidine as an important natural moisturizing factor (NMF). In vitro studies were conducted to investigate the influence of l-histidine on filaggrin processing and barrier function in human skin-equivalent models. Our further aim was to examine the effects of daily oral l-histidine supplementation on disease severity in adult AD patients. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover, nutritional supplementation pilot study to explore the effects of oral l-histidine in adult AD patients (n=24). In vitro studies demonstrated that l-histidine significantly increased both filaggrin formation and skin barrier function (P<0.01, respectively). Data from the clinical study indicated that once daily oral l-histidine significantly reduced (P<0.003) AD disease severity by 34% (physician assessment using the SCORingAD tool) and 39% (patient self-assessment using the Patient Oriented Eczema Measure tool) after 4 weeks of treatment. No improvement was noted with the placebo (P>0.32). The clinical effect of oral l-histidine in AD was similar to that of mid-potency topical corticosteroids and combined with its safety profile suggests that it may be a safe, nonsteroidal approach suitable for long-term use in skin conditions that are associated with filaggrin deficits such as AD.",
"corpus_id": 1536025,
"title": "Feeding filaggrin: effects of l-histidine supplementation in atopic dermatitis"
} | {
"abstract": "A hybridization chain reaction (HCR)-based DNAzyme fluorescent sensor is demonstrated for l-histidine (l-His) assays.",
"corpus_id": 108460645,
"title": "Hybridization chain reaction based DNAzyme fluorescent sensor for l-histidine assay"
} | {
"abstract": "Abstract We conducted a meta‐analysis to evaluate the efficacy of adding any antiangiogenic therapy (AT) to the standard of care in advanced non–small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The electronic databases Ovid PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Embase were searched to identify eligible trials. We included all phase III randomized trials with any line and type of treatment, histology. and AT dose. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) for overall survival (OS) and progression‐free survival (PFS), and pooled odds ratio (OR) for overall response rates (RR) were calculated. We divided the population into 2 subgroups based on the bevacizumab dose. Data of 19,098 patients from 25 phase III trials were analyzed. Compared with the standard of care, the addition of AT did not prolong OS (HR 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.96‐1.00; P = .1 and HR 0.97; 95% CI, 0.94‐1.00; P = .06 for groups 1 and 2, respectively). However, there was a significant improvement in PFS with the addition of AT (HR 0.85; 95% CI, 0.79‐0.91; P < .00001 and HR 0.81; 95% CI, 0.75‐0.88; P < .00001 for groups 1 and 2, respectively) and overall RR (OR 1.61; 95% CI, 1.30‐2.01; P < .0001 and OR 1.72; 95% CI, 1.39‐2.14; P < .00001 for groups 1 and 2, respectively). This is the first meta‐analysis including only all phase III trials with AT in NSCLC showing no significant effect on OS and an improvement in PFS and RR only. The role of AT in advanced NSCLC is still questionable; strong validated biomarkers are eagerly needed to predict which subgroup might benefit the most from such therapy.",
"corpus_id": 4754661,
"score": 1,
"title": "Antiangiogenic Therapy in Advanced Non–small‐cell Lung Cancer: A Meta‐analysis of Phase III Randomized Trials"
} |
{
"abstract": "A(2A) adenosine receptor (A(2A)AR) has potent anti-inflammatory properties, which may be important in the regulation of airway reactivity and inflammation. Inflammatory cells that possess A(2A)AR also produce nitrosative stress, which is associated with pathophysiology of asthma, so we hypothesized that A(2A)AR deficiency may lead to increased airway reactivity and inflammation through nitrosative stress. Thus the present study was carried out to investigate the role of A(2A)AR on airway reactivity, inflammation, NF-kappaB signaling, and nitrosative stress in A(2A)AR knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice using our murine model of asthma. Animals were sensitized intraperitoneally on days 1 and 6 with 200 microg of ragweed, followed by aerosolized challenges with 0.5% ragweed on days 11, 12, and 13, twice a day. On day 14, airway reactivity to methacholine was assessed as enhanced pause (Penh) using whole body plethysmography followed by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and lung collection for various analyses. Allergen challenge caused a significant decrease in expression of A(2A)AR in A(2A) WT sensitized mice, with A(2A)AR expression being undetected in A(2A) KO sensitized group leading to decreased lung cAMP levels in both groups. A(2A)AR deletion/downregulation led to an increase in Penh to methacholine and influx of total cells, eosinophils, lymphocytes, and neutrophils in BAL with highest values in A(2A) KO sensitized group. A(2A) KO sensitized group further had increased NF-kappaB expression and nitrosative stress compared with WT sensitized group. These data suggest that A(2A)AR deficiency leads to airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness, possibly via involvement of nitrosative stress in this model of asthma.",
"corpus_id": 1945105,
"title": "Enhanced airway reactivity and inflammation in A2A adenosine receptor-deficient allergic mice."
} | {
"abstract": "Adenosine, an important signaling molecule in asthma, produces bronchoconstriction in asthmatics. Adenosine produces bronchoconstriction in allergic rabbits, primates, and humans by activating A1 adenosine receptors (ARs). Effects of L-97-1 [3-[2-(4-aminophenyl)-ethyl]-8-benzyl-7-{2-ethyl-(2-hydroxyethyl)-amino]-ethyl}-1-propyl-3,7-dihydro-purine-2,6-dione] a water-soluble, small molecule A1 AR antagonist were investigated on early and late phase allergic responses (EAR and LAR) in a hyper-responsive rabbit model of asthma. Rabbits were made allergic by intraperitoneal injections of house dust mite [HDM; 312 allergen units (AU)] extract within 24 h of their birth. Booster HDM injections were given weekly for 1 month, biweekly for 4 months, and continued monthly thereafter. Hyperresponsiveness was monitored by measuring lung dynamic compliance (Cdyn), after histamine or adenosine aerosol challenge in allergic rabbits. Hyper-responsive rabbits were subjected to aerosol of HDM (2500 AU), 1 h after intragastric administration of L-97-1 (10 mg/kg) solution or an equivalent volume of saline. Cdyn was significantly higher after treatment with L-97-1 compared with untreated controls (p < 0.05 n = 5). Histamine PC30 was significantly higher (p < 0.05; n = 5) after L-97-1 at 24 h compared with histamine PC30 at 24 h after HDM. Adenosine PC30 was significantly higher at 15 min and 6 h after L-97-1 compared with control (p < 0.05; n = 5). L-97-1 showed strong affinity for human A1 ARs in radioligand binding studies and no inhibition toward human phosphodiesterase II, III, IV, and V enzymes. These data suggest that L-97-1 produces a significant reduction of histamine or adenosine-induced hyper-responsiveness and HDM-induced EAR and LAR in allergic rabbits by blocking A1 ARs and may be beneficial as an oral therapy for human asthma.",
"corpus_id": 37113799,
"title": "A Novel A1 Adenosine Receptor Antagonist, L-97-1 [3-[2-(4-Aminophenyl)-ethyl]-8-benzyl-7-{2-ethyl-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-amino]-ethyl}-1-propyl-3,7-dihydro-purine-2,6-dione], Reduces Allergic Responses to House Dust Mite in an Allergic Rabbit Model of Asthma"
} | {
"abstract": "In the present review, sperm morphology, acrosome reaction, motility, short-term storage and cryopreservation are summarized and discussed in sturgeon (Chondrostei, Acipenseriformes). The elongated head of spermatozoon comprises an acrosome with 8–12 posterolateral projections. Usually three endonuclear canals are observed in the nucleus. Proximal and distal centrioles and 3–6 mitochondria are located in the midpiece region. The flagellum consists of an axoneme with a typical “9 + 2” structure of microtubules and presents a ribon-like structure due to two lateral membranous fins. Egg water, Ca2+ and Mg2+ can trigger acrosome reaction. Trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like activities are reported in sturgeon sperm. These physiological properties of sturgeon sperm are identified as serine activity with 33 kDa molecular mass and can be inhibited by their respective inhibitors. The K+ prevents sperm activation in seminal plasma, and hypo-osmolality or decrease of extracellular K+ triggers sperm activation. Extracellular Ca2+ is involved in flagellar beating pattern and sperm velocity. After activation, sperm motility, velocity, and flagellar beating frequency, wavelength and amplitude decrease, while number of waves and curvature increase. Sturgeon sperm can be stored for several days at 4 °C; however it is better to add K+ into the immobilizing medium because it prevents sperm activation during incubation. Regarding sperm cryopreservation, methanol is a better cryoprotectant than DMSO. Either short-term storage or cryopreservation of sperm generates damage to spermatozoa that lead to reduction of sperm motility performance. Some studies suggest using an activation medium containing Ca2+ for enhancing sperm motility performance of incubated or frozen-thawed sperm.",
"corpus_id": 7336181,
"score": 1,
"title": "Sperm biology and control of reproduction in sturgeon: (II) sperm morphology, acrosome reaction, motility and cryopreservation"
} |
{
"abstract": "The 1956 Suez Crisis has attracted enormous attention and been widely seen as marking a sea change in Britain's position in the Middle East and within the Anglo-American special relationship. Yet in September 1951 the Attlee government had already signalled waning British power in pulling back from major unilateral military action to defend Britain's single most important overseas asset: the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company and its huge operations in Iran. What this crisis revealed of British aspirations in the Middle East and within the special relationship has not received the attention it deserves. This article examines the Attlee government's decision to ‘scuttle’ from Abadan in September 1951. It first places the decision in the context of Anglo-American relations and great cumulative pressure in favour of British military action. It then weighs various considerations claimed in the extant literature to explain the British decision. In doing so it disagrees with suggestions that British military intervention was precluded by an understanding between Truman and Attlee that such action was acceptable only in a narrow range of circumstances for fear of retaliatory Soviet intervention in Iran. It also argues that accounts that correctly emphasise US opposition to the use of force as the key restraint on the Attlee government could and should have gone further. Specifically, it needs to be better appreciated just how the Truman administration actively undermined potential British recourse to military intervention, infused other potential constraints with extra weight and helped delay a Cabinet decision until a point when armed intervention was least likely to achieve British ends.",
"corpus_id": 154460550,
"title": "Anglo-American Relations and the Labour Government's ‘Scuttle’ from Abadan: a ‘Declaration of Dependence’?"
} | {
"abstract": "This article examines the British response to the crisis that resulted from the Iranian decision to nationalise the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company in 1951. The British government contemplated the use of military force from the outset of the crisis and a series of plans were developed. Unfortunately, in a manner similar to the Suez Crisis five years later, the military were unable to provide a suitable response until political considerations had made the use of force unattractive. Despite this, the Foreign Secretary, the Minister of Defence and the Chiefs of Staff continued to press for an armed response. This article uses newly released archival sources to examine the military plans and preparations and to analyse the way in which these interacted with political considerations to undermine the British position in Iran.",
"corpus_id": 144603237,
"title": "A Splutter of Musketry? The British Military Response to the Anglo-Iranian Oil Dispute, 1951"
} | {
"abstract": "pean idea can be traced to Christian convictions and to European cultural values, more generally. This is hardly a novel argument, but Professor Mowat reaches beyond its usual formulation. The Community was indisputably the creature of the Christian Democratic leadership of post-World War II Western Europe. But to what extent did integration draw sustenance from Christian, democratic, and humanist values? This is the question to which Professor Mowat addresses himself but, unhappily, in a superficial fashion.",
"corpus_id": 151396048,
"score": 2,
"title": "Soviet-American Confrontation: Postwar Reconstruction and the Origins of the Cold War"
} |
{
"abstract": "This is a general equilibrium analysis of preferential trading. A method was developed which allows the analysis of the many-good case and which suggests the tools for empirical studies. It is shown that increasing the number of commodities beyond two introduces new considerations. It is, however, always possible to identify welfare-increasing tariff changes. The study analyzes the inter-relationship between preferential trading and a unilateral movement to free trade. The effect of a customs union on income distribution among union members is emphasized.",
"corpus_id": 153356959,
"title": "Preferential Trading Theory: The n Commodity Case"
} | {
"abstract": "The paper analyzes the effects of general commodity taxation under the restricted origin principle when the union countries are small relative to the rest of the world and trade deflection can be controlled by tax authorities. A change in the tax rate of one union country leads to two fiscal externalities, an intra-union terms of trade effect and a change in national tax bases. While the direction of terms of trade effects depends on the specific trade pattern assumed the tax base effect is always negative for the country which raises the domestic tax rate. This suggests that a process of downward tax competition between union members can take place under the restricted origin principle.",
"corpus_id": 53536506,
"title": "Unilateral tax reform under the restricted origin principle"
} | {
"abstract": "If the ratios of price to marginal cost in certain industries are given, what can be said about the optimal ratios of price to marginal cost in other industries? It is to this problem that the present paper is addressed. It is related to certain recent contributions in this field as follows: (a) it differs from the discussions of direct and indirect taxation by Meade and by Corlett and Hague (references [1] and [8] pp. 24–33) in that the total amount of revenue from taxes on commodities and labour incomes is not taken as given; the government is assumed free to balance changes in revenue from these sources by changes in transfer payments and in lump-sum taxes in its search for an optimum; (b) it differs from the treatment by Lipsey and Lancaster [5] in that a “budget” constraint is explicitly introduced into the analysis; (c) the model here used is very similar to that which underlies McManus’s geometrical treatment of the three-commodity case ([7], pp. 213–19[201–7]; cf. also [5], pp. 18–20[151–3]).",
"corpus_id": 154520100,
"score": 2,
"title": "The Social Optimum in the presence of Monopoly and Taxation"
} |
{
"abstract": "The use of immobilized hepatocytes represents a promising approach for the problem of detoxification in acute hepatic failure. Hepatocyte viability and detoxification function of a number of complex enzyme systems were examined before and after immobilization in alginate droplets. Detoxification function was assessed quantitatively by measuring the kinetics of several specific detoxification systems: the cytochrome P450 system, the urea cycle, and two conjugation systems. Reaction rates for all enzyme systems were similar in immobilized and nonimmobilized cells, and were in good agreement with previously published literature values. These results indicate that transport limitations do not occur in these gels and that the intrinsic reaction rate is the limiting step. Feasibility of detoxification replacement by immobilized cells is discussed using measured reaction rates.",
"corpus_id": 1982028,
"title": "Enzymatic function of alginate immobilized rat hepatocytes"
} | {
"abstract": "Single implantation of microencapsulated islets into rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes corrected the diabetic state for 2 to 3 weeks. The microencapsulated islets remained morphologically and functionally intact throughout long-term culture studies lasting over 15 weeks.",
"corpus_id": 11146365,
"title": "Microencapsulated islets as bioartificial endocrine pancreas."
} | {
"abstract": "Implants of rabbit neonatal pancreas, encased in 'Nucleopore' chambers (0.4 micrometer) reversed streptozotocin-induced diabetes in the rat. Blood-glucose, plasma-insulin, and oral glucose-tolerance test returned to normal. An isolated, perfused, streptozotocin-treated pancreas removed from a diabetic animal did not secrete insulin and removal of implants after 6 weeks from six animals caused all animals to die in hyperglycaemia within 8 days. This shows that the implant did not lead to the re-establishment of endogenous pancreatic function. Implanted diced neonatal pancreas in three chambers removed after 6 weeks secreted glucagon, insulin, and pancreatic polypeptide in vitro. No rejection reactions were seen. Rabbit neonatal pancreatic implants may thus be feasible therapy in insulin-requiring diabetic patients. Implants of other non-syngeneic endocrine cells--i.e., pituitary, thyroid, and ovary--may be useful in other hypoendocrine syndromes.",
"corpus_id": 27689019,
"score": 2,
"title": "REVERSAL OF STREPTOZOTOCIN-INDUCED DIABETES IN RATS BY INTRAPERITONEAL IMPLANTATION OF ENCAPSULATED NEONATAL RABBIT PANCREATIC TISSUE"
} |
{
"abstract": "Exploration of a group of Early Horizon platforms by quadrat in Peru made contact with a midden, rich in artefacts and faunal remains. Was this the result of discard from an elite residence, or deposits of ‘ceremonial trash’ emanating from ritual performance? The author shows how this question may be decided, even through the analysis of a single small sample.",
"corpus_id": 162658639,
"title": "Recognising ritual: the case of Campanayuq Rumi"
} | {
"abstract": "Why are certain common classes of ritually destroyed objects (persons, artifacts, or architecture), such as persecuted witches, so difficult to identify in the archaeological record? Although a common topic in cultural anthropology, witches seldom receive the attention of archaeologists. The difficulties archaeologists face in the study of religion derive, in part, from the lack of correlates linking ritual activities to the formation of archaeological deposits. This paper defines ritual as a technology and employs an object life history approach that draws upon ethnographic, archaeological, and experimental research to begin building such linkages—including those describing the presecution and deposition of witches, sorcerers, and other victims of ritual violence. These new directions are illustrated through a case study of anomalous deposits of human skeletal remains from the North American Southwest",
"corpus_id": 161081298,
"title": "Where are the witches of prehistory?"
} | {
"abstract": "We present a method fof Fourier analyzing quasi-periodic light and radial velocity variations. The scheme gives a particularly clear interpetation to the periodogram, reduces the alias problem, allows detection of very weak components, has potential for greater precision in frequency measurement, and is a shorter computation than the usual method Our developement points out the possibility of error in evaluating the zero-frequency component by the usual method. We derive, under appropriate assumptions, a rigorous evaluation of the phase of each component. (auth)",
"corpus_id": 119728146,
"score": 1,
"title": "A new approach to periodogram analyses"
} |
{
"abstract": "The Welsh ‘geosyncline’1, an example of the classic geosyncline, has often been viewed in terms of plate tectonics as a Japan Sea-type marginal sea2–15. It is generally agreed that in the Welsh area during Cambrian and Ordovician times, Anglesey, with its north-east and south-west extensions, was an island arc complex with a trench to the north-west, the trench being accompanied by a south-east dipping subduction zone which caused the Ordovician volcanism of Wales2,5,10–14. Some authors believe that the Welsh region was the site of a back-arc tensional basin at the time of Ordovician volcanism. We believe that in Silurian times the subduction zone migrated landwards, that is southeastwards, due to tectonic erosion16, a process which has been implied for the modern Japan Trench17. Here, we compare the Welsh Silurian Basin with the modern Japan Sea and the sedimentary basins of the Pacific offshore of Japan, and conclude that a different interpretation is possible, that the Silurian Basin could have been a fore-arc basin.",
"corpus_id": 4251862,
"title": "The Welsh ‘geosyncline’ of the Silurian was a fore-arc basin"
} | {
"abstract": "The early Silurian griestoniensis Zone turbidite system developed in the ensialic, tectonically active Welsh Basin. The preserved remnants of the system are interpreted as deposits of the largely unchannelled outer region of a moderately large, high-efficiency, confined turbidite system with a minimum length of 100 km. Large-scale conglomerate and sandstone-filled erosional structures are present in the most proximal areas of exposure. Palaeocurrent patterns and inferred onlap relationships reflect strong lateral confinement by structurally controlled slopes. Growth of the system appears to have been essentially aggradational and vertical stacking of lobe sandstone packets is ascribed to pulses of rapid tectonic uplift at source. The sediment source was probably a large delta located on the uplifting southern basin margin.",
"corpus_id": 126405849,
"title": "The Griestoniensis Zone Turbidite System, Welsh Basin"
} | {
"abstract": "BackgroundThe recalcitrant nature of cellulosic materials and the high cost of enzymes required for efficient hydrolysis are the major impeding steps to their practical usage for ethanol production. Ideally, a recombinant microorganism, possessing the capability to utilize cellulose for simultaneous growth and ethanol production, is of great interest. We have reported recently the use of a yeast consortium for the functional presentation of a mini-cellulosome structure onto the yeast surface by exploiting the specific interaction of different cohesin-dockerin pairs. In this study, we engineered a yeast consortium capable of displaying a functional mini-cellulosome for the simultaneous growth and ethanol production on phosphoric acid swollen cellulose (PASC).ResultsA yeast consortium composed of four different populations was engineered to display a functional mini-cellulosome containing an endoglucanase, an exoglucanase and a β-glucosidase. The resulting consortium was demonstrated to utilize PASC for growth and ethanol production. The final ethanol production of 1.25 g/L corresponded to 87% of the theoretical value and was 3-fold higher than a similar yeast consortium secreting only the three cellulases. Quantitative PCR was used to enumerate the dynamics of each individual yeast population for the two consortia. Results indicated that the slight difference in cell growth cannot explain the 3-fold increase in PASC hydrolysis and ethanol production. Instead, the substantial increase in ethanol production is consistent with the reported synergistic effect on cellulose hydrolysis using the displayed mini-cellulosome.ConclusionsThis report represents a significant step towards the goal of cellulosic ethanol production. This engineered yeast consortium displaying a functional mini-cellulosome demonstrated not only the ability to grow on the released sugars from PASC but also a 3-fold higher ethanol production than a similar yeast consortium secreting only the three cellulases. The use of more complex cellulosomal structures may further improve the overall efficiency for ethanol production.",
"corpus_id": 11500438,
"score": 0,
"title": "Simultaneous cell growth and ethanol production from cellulose by an engineered yeast consortium displaying a functional mini-cellulosome"
} |
{
"abstract": "Vertical gate-all-around (VGAA) structure has been shown to be one of the most promising devices for the scaling beyond 10 nm for its reduced area, large driving current, and good gate control. Moreover, emerging devices such as heterojunction tunneling FETs are more amenable to vertical fabrication. However, past studies of vertical channel devices focused more on regular memory architectures and simple standard cells like inverters. Since naïve migration of regular FinFET layouts to vertical FETs yields little benefits, we identify several vertical efficient layout structures and propose novel layout generation heuristics for vertical channel devices. We also compare VGAA with symmetric and asymmetric source/drain architectures and different contact placement strategies. The layout efficiencies of several VGAA structures, vertical double-gate, lateral gate-all-around (LGAA), and FinFET are presented in our experiments. Routing congestion estimation on both cell-level and chip-level after placement and routing are also presented. We observe that even though most vertical channel standard cells have more diffusion gaps than lateral cells do, they still benefit from vertical architectures in area because of the vertically aligned top contacts. For asymmetric architectures, the area is larger than symmetric architectures because of the extra diffusion gaps needed, but our experiments indicate that for both symmetric and asymmetric architectures, vertical channel devices are likely to have a density advantage over lateral channel devices.",
"corpus_id": 9159400,
"title": "Efficient Layout Generation and Design Evaluation of Vertical Channel Devices"
} | {
"abstract": "This paper presents dc and RF characterization as well as modeling of vertical InAs nanowire (NW) MOSFETs with L<sub>G</sub>=200 nm and Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/HfO<sub>2</sub> high-κ dielectric. Measurements at V<sub>DS</sub>=0.5 V show that high transconductance (g<sub>m</sub>=1.37 mS/μm), high drive current (I<sub>DS</sub>=1.34 mA/μm), and low ON-resistance (R<sub>ON</sub>=287 Ωμm) can be realized using vertical InAs NWs on Si substrates. By measuring the 1/f-noise, the gate area normalized gate voltage noise spectral density, S<sub>VG</sub>·L<sub>G</sub>·W<sub>G</sub>, is determined to be lowered by one order of magnitude compared with similar devices with a high-κ film consisting of HfO<sub>2</sub> only. In addition, with a virtual source model we are able to determine the intrinsic transport properties. These devices (L<sub>G</sub>=200 nm) show a high injection velocity (v<sub>inj</sub>=1.7×10<sup>7</sup> cm/s) with a performance degradation for array FETs predominantly due to an increase in series resistance.",
"corpus_id": 658890,
"title": "Extrinsic and Intrinsic Performance of Vertical InAs Nanowire MOSFETs on Si Substrates"
} | {
"abstract": "This letter presents a vertical gate-all-around silicon nanowire transistor on bulk silicon wafer utilizing fully CMOS compatible technology. High aspect ratio (up to 50: 1) vertical nanowires with diameter ~20 nm are achieved from lithography and dry-etch defined Si-pillars with subsequent oxidation. The surrounding gate length is controlled using etch back of the sacrificial oxide. N-MOS devices thus fabricated with gate length ~150 nm showed excellent transistor characteristics with large drive current (1.0 times 103 muA/mum), high Ion/Ioff ratio (~107), good subthreshold slope (~80 mV/dec) and low drain-induced barrier lowering (~10 mV/V). Along with good electrical characteristics, the use of low cost bulk wafers, and simple gate definition process steps could make this device a suitable candidate for next generation technology nodes.",
"corpus_id": 32235120,
"score": -1,
"title": "Vertical Silicon-Nanowire Formation and Gate-All-Around MOSFET"
} |
{
"abstract": "Conventional molecular dynamics simulations enable the elucidation of an astonishing array of phenomena inherent in the mechanical and chemical behavior of materials. Unfortunately, current computational limitations preclude accounting for processes whose transition times exceed, at best, microseconds. This limitation severely impacts, among others, a realistic assessment of slow-strain-rate mechanical behavior. In this work, using a simple paradigmatical model of a metallic nanopillar that is often the subject of experimental works, we attempt to circumvent the time-scale bottleneck of conventional molecular dynamics and provide novel physical insights into the rate-dependence of mechanical behavior of nanostructures. Using a collection of algorithms that include a recently developed potential energy surface sampling method-the so-called autonomous basin climbing approach, kinetic Monte Carlo, and others, we assess the nanopillar mechanical behavior under strain rates ranging from 1 to 10(8) s(-1). While our results for high-strain rate behavior are consistent with conventional molecular dynamics, we find that the response of nanostructures to slow compression is \"liquid-like\" and accompanied by extensive surface reconstructions.",
"corpus_id": 1730284,
"title": "Time-Scaling in Atomistics and the Rate-Dependent Mechanical Behavior of Nanostructures."
} | {
"abstract": "The strain-rate response of flow stress in a plastically deforming crystal is formulated through a stress-sensitive dislocation mobility model that can be evaluated by atomistic simulation. For the flow stress of a model crystal of bcc Fe containing a 1/2[111] screw dislocation, this approach describes naturally a non-Arrhenius upturn at high strain rate, an experimentally established transitional behavior for which the underlying mechanism has not been clarified. Implications of our findings regarding the previous explanations of strain-rate effects on flow stress are discussed.",
"corpus_id": 2926280,
"title": "Onset mechanism of strain-rate-induced flow stress upturn."
} | {
"abstract": "Abstract Bifurcation of solution branches in static or steady problems of nonlinear mechanics is often associated with the underlying symmetry of the physical system. The use of group-theoretic methods in local bifurcation theory for problems with symmetry is well known. In this paper it is shown that the exploitation of symmetry via group invariance also yields an efficient computational approach to global bifurcation problems. These techniques are illustrated in the analysis of a lattice-dome structure with hexagonal symmetry. The methodology leads to a drastic reduction in numerical effort in the determination of several global solution branches, and enables the accurate computation of numerous singular points.",
"corpus_id": 120049837,
"score": 2,
"title": "A group-theoretic approach to computational bifurcation problems with symmetry"
} |
{
"abstract": "The number of available walking tests has increased dramatically over the past decades. Therefore, it is highly important to help clinicians choose the most appropriate walking test for a specific setting. This systematic review aimed to critically evaluate the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of clinical walking speed in a broad population of elderly persons living in the community, sheltered housing, or institutions. Literature searches were performed in several different databases. Key words were based on the topic of the measurement properties of performance-based clinical tools for quantifying walking. The instrument selected for review was walking speed. The methods and results of all the evaluated measurement properties were rated by using a standard checklist for appraising the qualitative attributes and measurement properties of the instrument. A total number of 3,781 abstracts were reviewed, and 86 articles were chosen for inclusion. Habitual walking speed seems to be highly reliable in community-dwelling people and residents in mixed settings. There have not been any studies that accord with our inclusion and exclusion criteria that have evaluated the reliability of maximum walking speed in an aged population. Walking speed is a highly valid test, both at habitual and maximum speed. Few studies gave information about responsiveness for walking speed, which means that these results cannot be evaluated properly. Habitual walking speed is a reliable measure, but maximum walking speed needs further evaluation. Both habitual and maximum walking speeds are valid instruments, and they predict death, hospitalization/institutionalization, and decline in mobility.",
"corpus_id": 2503775,
"title": "Investigation into the reliability and validity of the measurement of elderly people's clinical walking speed: A systematic review"
} | {
"abstract": "BackgroundOsteoporotic vertebral fractures are common, and are associated with reduced functioning and health related quality of life. The primary aims of this randomized controlled trial are to examine the immediate and long-term effects of a 12-weeks supervised group exercise programme on habitual walking speed in older women with osteoporosis and a history of vertebral fracture. The secondary aims are to examine the immediate and long-term effects of the exercise program on physical fitness, fear of falling and quality of life.MethodsThe study is a single-blinded randomized controlled trial. Women aged 65 years or older with osteoporosis and a history of vertebral fracture are included. The intervention group receives a 12-week multicomponent exercise programme, including resistance training combined with balance training. The control group receives usual care. Adherence to the programme will be of importance for the internal validity of the study. Participants in the exercise group who don’t attend will be followed up with motivational phone calls. The primary outcome is habitual walking speed over 10 m. Secondary outcomes are health related quality of life (Qualeffo-41, SF-36), physical activity (I-PAQ), Patient Specific Functional Scale, Fear of falling (FES-1) and physical fitness (Senior Fitness test, Functional reach test, 4 square step test, grip strength). Sample size, based on the primary outcome, is 150 participants randomized into the two arms on a 1:1 allocation, including an estimated 20% drop out. Descriptive data will be reported as mean (standard deviation), median (range) or count (percent) as appropriate. The data will be analysed following the intention-to-treat principle. Between group differences in primary and secondary outcomes at 3 months follow-up will be assessed using linear regression models with respective outcome at baseline as covariate and the randomised group as factor.DiscussionThis trial will generate new knowledge on the effects of a multicomponent exercise programme among women over 65 years with osteoporosis and a history of vertebral fracture, knowledge that is of importance for clinicians, health managers and policy makers.Trial registrationClincialTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02781974. Registered 18.05.16. Retrospectively registered.",
"corpus_id": 4566920,
"title": "Effect of a resistance and balance exercise programme for women with osteoporosis and vertebral fracture: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial"
} | {
"abstract": "The aim of this work was to develop a simple and rapid analytical method for the simultaneous determination of a wide range of drug residues in milk by UHPLC-MS/MS. A total of 25 typical veterinary drugs investigated belong to six families including β-lactams, quinolones, β-agonists, phenicols, glucocorticoids and nitrofurans. The samples were extracted by acetonitrile and defatted with n-hexane twice. Electrospray ionization and positive/negative polarity switching were utilized for the analysis of 25 veterinary drugs in a single chromatographic run. The linearity, recovery, precision and matrix effects of the method were fully validated. The intra- and inter-precision were in the range of 1.7-11.1% and 2.5-10.4%, respectively. The average recoveries ranged from 65.9% to 123.5% with RSD less than 10.8% at three concentration levels. The proposed method was demonstrated to be simple, economical and reliable for the fast monitoring of these drug residues in milk samples.",
"corpus_id": 4602063,
"score": 0,
"title": "Multiclass analysis of 25 veterinary drugs in milk by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry."
} |
{
"abstract": "Metal-on-metal hip-bearing components with different percentages of carbon content (low and high carbon) were tested in 6 different configurations using a hip joint simulator. The aim of this study was to characterize metallurgical and tribological events occurring at the articulating surfaces of these articulations. Also, ion release was evaluated and correlated with wear. After the test, for the high-carbon components, carbides were observed below the matrix surface. In the low-carbon content components, most carbides were “carbide-free”, while a minority were worn below the matrix surface with increased test cycles. In the cast alloy components, some carbides were pulled out resulting in micropits. Scanning microscope electron characterization of the tested specimens showed scratches and holes. The surface showed a dominant severe wear mechanism due to third-body particles. A greater amount of ions was released in the lubricant used during the wear test for the smaller diameter compared with the bigger one. This study showed that the metallurgical and tribological events taking place at the articulating surfaces of metal-metal hip implants are numerous and complex. The surface morphology after the test showed the effect of more critical working conditions with smaller diameters.",
"corpus_id": 1870363,
"title": "Wear of Metal-on-Metal Hip Bearings: Metallurgical Considerations after Hip Simulator Studies"
} | {
"abstract": "Highlights • A patient with MoM THA presented ARMD with worsening paresthesias.• Elevated Cr–Co values, worsening clinical picture, prosthetic revision was considered.• Acetabular cup and femoral stem were found correctly osteointegrated.• Only prosthetic metallic head was replaced with a polyethylene one.• Cr and Co decreased and normalized 3 months after surgery.",
"corpus_id": 42642369,
"title": "Normalization of chromium and cobalt values after femoral head replacement"
} | {
"abstract": "Porous ceramic (Al2O3) implants with a pore size of 100--750 mum were used in the surgical treatment of four patients at the Department of Oral Surgery and Oral Medicine, Dental Faculty, University of Oslo. In two of the cases, ceramic implants were placed in small surgical defects in the edentulous maxillary alveolar ridge, while two patients were treated with mandibular ridge augmentation. All four individuals healed uneventfully, and the implants were firm and immovable 3 weeks postoperatively. No adverse tissue reactions were observed. Dentures were inserted over the implants 8 days to 6 weeks after implantation. In one of the cases, reoperation was performed because of 2 X 2 mm zone of exposure of the ceramic 4 weeks after denture insertion. Examination after observation times up to 15 months revealed clinically normal soft tissue over the implants. There were no complaints about wearing of the dentures. Radiographs at varying intervals after implantation did not disclose any pathologic changes or signs of resorption of bone adjacent to the ceramic implants.",
"corpus_id": 22960098,
"score": 1,
"title": "Rebuilding of deficient edentulous alveolar ridge with porous ceramic implants."
} |
{
"abstract": "The ecologically unique forest ecosystems of the Luquillo Mountains in Eastern Puerto Rico and the scenic value of its forests, rivers and surrounding beaches have promoted population growth, tourism and light industry, thus increasing regional water demands. In light of further increases in future water demand, integrated water resources management (IWRM) initiatives are rapidly evolving in this area. In an effort to seek international collaboration and information exchange on IWRM, the Luquillo Mountains joined the Hydrology for the Environment, Life, and Policy (HELP) Programme of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)/International Hydrological Programme (IHP) in 1999. This paper was prepared to document existing IWRM efforts and to promote internal discussion for further IWRM development in the region.",
"corpus_id": 154230254,
"title": "Integrated water resources management in the Luquillo mountains, Puerto Rico: an evolving process"
} | {
"abstract": "Migration of large-bodied “macroconsumers” (e.g., fishes, shrimps, and snails) is an important functional linkage between many tropical rivers and their estuaries. Increasingly, this linkage is being severed by dams and water abstraction. The ecological impacts of these activities are poorly understood and are largely being ignored by dam operators. We investigated the direct effects of a water intake and low-head dam on the migration of amphidromous freshwater shrimps between the headwater streams and estuary of the Rio Espiritu Santo, Puerto Rico, USA. Both downstream migratory drift of larvae and upstream migration of postlarvae had strong diel patterns, with most activity occurring at night. Unlike large dams on the island, this low-head dam did not act as a complete barrier to the upstream migration of metamorphosed postlarvae. However, the dam did cause large numbers of postlarval shrimps to accumulate directly downstream of the structure. Mortality of drifting first-stage larvae by entrainment into...",
"corpus_id": 84296057,
"title": "EFFECTS OF A LOW‐HEAD DAM AND WATER ABSTRACTION ON MIGRATORY TROPICAL STREAM BIOTA"
} | {
"abstract": "Past mining activities in northern Mexico left a legacy of delerict landscapes devoid of vegetation and seasonal formation of salt efflorescence. Metal content was measured in mine tailings, efflorescent salts, soils, road dust, and residential soils to investigate contamination. Climatic effects such as heavy wind and rainfall events can have great impact on the dispersion of metals in semi-arid areas, since soils are typically sparsely vegetated. Geochemical analysis of this site revealed that even though total metal content in mine tailings was relatively low (e.g. Cu= 1000 mg kg(-1)), metals including Mn, Ba, Zn, and Cu were all found at significantly higher levels in efflorescence salts formed by evaporation on the tailings impoundment surface following the rainy season (e.g. Cu= 68,000 mg kg(-1)). Such efflorescent fine-grained salts are susceptible to wind erosion resulting in increased metal spread to nearby residential soils. Our results highlight the importance of seasonally dependent salt-formation and wind erosion in determining risk levels associated with potential inhalation or ingestion of airborne particulates originating from contaminated sites such as tailings impoundments. In low metal-content mine tailings located in arid and semi-arid environments, efflorescence salts could represent a human health risk and a challenge for plant establishment in mine tailings.",
"corpus_id": 44186073,
"score": 1,
"title": "The impact of unconfined mine tailings in residential areas from a mining town in a semi-arid environment: Nacozari, Sonora, Mexico."
} |
{
"abstract": "Abstract Thin stacks consisting of a single intrinsic Josephson junction on (Bi,Pb)SrCaCuO thin films are investigated under the influence of external microwave fields. The I – V -characteristic shows a single resistive branch, a clear superconducting gap edge structure and a pronounced current step in external microwave fields. With increasing irradiation power it shifts to higher voltages, while the height of the step remains practically unchanged. In a numerical simulation including an ac-magnetic field parallel to the superconducting layers the experimental features of the structure can be explained by a collective motion of Josephson fluxons.",
"corpus_id": 1988622,
"title": "Interpretation of a microwave induced current step in a single intrinsic Josephson junction on a Bi-2223 thin film"
} | {
"abstract": "We have studied the microwave response of an array of intrinsic Josephson junctions in the c-axis direction in large Bi/sub 2/Sr/sub 2/CaCu/sub 2/O/sub 7/ (BSCCO) single crystals indicating multiple resistive branches on the I-V characteristics. Under the 8-10 GHz microwave irradiation, they showed three types of responses depending on its power P. For relatively low P, the Shapiro steps were observed, whose voltage separations were two order magnitude larger than that calculated from /spl Delta/V=hf/2e, indicating that about one hundred intrinsic junctions in the crystal are phase-locked. For high P, two types of RF-induced steps were observed. In the case of resonance mode, the I-V curve showed the pronounced constant voltage step together with subharmonic ones. On the other hand, for off-resonance mode the broad step was observed. The voltages of these steps increased lineally with p/sup 1/2/. These results suggest that the fluxon motions in intrinsic Josephson junctions interact with external RF field.<<ETX>>",
"corpus_id": 10931578,
"title": "Microwave response of intrinsic Josephson junctions in BSCCO single crystals"
} | {
"abstract": "A system of two vertically stacked Nb/Al‐AlOx/Nb long Josephson junctions is studied experimentally. The magnetic coupling between the junctions is provided by their common electrode of the thickness d∼λL. The current‐voltage characteristics of the stack displays resonant steps which are understood to be the phase‐locked flux‐flow resonances of the two junctions. These modes can be tuned by the magnetic field in a broad voltage range which corresponds to the Josephson frequencies between 150 and 600 GHz. Our observations suggest a possibility of application of the stacked long Josephson junctions as local oscillators for millimeter and submillimeter wave circuits.",
"corpus_id": 122968207,
"score": 2,
"title": "Possible phase locking of vertically stacked Josephson flux‐flow oscillators"
} |
{
"abstract": "We present an approach to the question of evaluating worm defenses against future, yet unseen, and possibly defense-aware worm behavior. Our scheme employs model checking to produce worm propagation sequences that defeat a worm defense of interest. We demonstrate this approach using an exemplar collaborative worm defense, in which LANs share alerts about encountered infections. Through model checking experiments, we then generate propagation sequences that are able to infect the whole population in the modeled network. We discuss these experimental results and also identify open problems in applying formal methods more generally in the context of worm quarantine research",
"corpus_id": 784451,
"title": "Automatically deducing propagation sequences that circumvent a collaborative worm defense"
} | {
"abstract": "Cooperative defensive systems communicate and cooperate in their response to worm attacks, but determine the presence of a worm attack solely on local information. Distributed worm detection and immunization systems track suspicious behavior at multiple cooperating nodes to determine whether a worm attack is in progress. Earlier work has shown that cooperative systems can respond quickly to day-zero worms, while distributed detection systems allow detectors to be more conservative (i.e., paranoid) about potential attacks because they manage false alarms efficiently. In this paper we present our investigation into the complex tradeoffs in such systems between communication costs, computation overhead, accuracy of the local tests, estimation of viral virulence, and the fraction of the network infected before the attack crests. We evaluate the effectiveness of different system configurations in various simulations. Our experiments show that distributed algorithms are better able to balance effectiveness against worms and viruses with reduced cost in computation and communication when faced with false alarms. Furthermore, cooperative, distributed systems seem more robust against malicious participants in the immunization system than earlier cooperative but non-distributed approaches.",
"corpus_id": 6111491,
"title": "COVERAGE: detecting and reacting to worm epidemics using cooperation and validation"
} | {
"abstract": "We formulate an energy for segmentation that is designed to have preference for segmenting the coarse over fine structure of the image, without smoothing across boundaries of regions. The energy is formulated by integrating a continuum of scales from a scale space computed from the heat equation within regions. We show that the energy can be optimized without computing a continuum of scales, but instead from a single scale. This makes the method computationally efficient in comparison to energies using a discrete set of scales. We apply our method to texture and motion segmentation. Experiments on benchmark datasets show that a continuum of scales leads to better segmentation accuracy over discrete scales and other competing methods.",
"corpus_id": 1944067,
"score": 1,
"title": "Coarse-to-Fine Segmentation with Shape-Tailored Continuum Scale Spaces"
} |
{
"abstract": "Collision-induced dissociation of the deprotonated molecules of glycosyl esters of nucleoside pyrophosphates and polyisoprenyl (dolichyl and polyprenyl) phosphates results in distinct fragmentation patterns that depend on cis-trans configuration of the phosphodiester and 2″ (or 2′, respectively)-hydroxyl groups of the glycosyl residue. At the collision-offset voltage of 0. 5 V, sugar nucleotides with cis configuration produce only one very abundant fragment of nucleoside monophosphate, whereas compounds with trans configuration give weak signals for nucleoside di- and mono-phosphates and their dehydration products. These fragmentation patterns are largely preserved at higher collision energy, with the exception that, for sugar nucleotides with trans configuration, the characteristic signals are much more abundant and a novel diagnostic fragment of [ribosyl(deoxyribosyl)-5′-P2O5 — H]− is generated. In the case of polyisoprenyl-P-sugars, polyisoprenyl phosphate ion is the only fragment observed for compounds with trans configuration, whereas in compounds with cis configuration, this ion is accompanied by another abundant fragment, which is derived from the cleavage across the sugar ring and corresponds to [polyisoprenyl-PO4-(C2H3O)]−. The relative intensity ratio of the latter ion to the [polyisoprenyl-HPO4]− ion is close to 1 for compounds with cis configuration, but it is only about 0. 01 for compounds with trans configuration. This ratio may serve, therefore, as a diagnostic value for determination of the anomeric configuration of glycosyl esters of polyisoprenyl phosphates. It is proposed that the observed differences in fragmentation patterns of cis-trans sugar nucleotides and polyisoprenyl-P-sugars could be explained in terms of kinetic stereoelectronic effect, and a speculative mechanism of fragmentation of compounds with trans configuration is presented. For compounds with cis configuration, formation of a hydrogen bond between the C-2″(2′) hydroxyl and the phosphate group could play a crucial role in directing the specific fragmentation reactions. Consequently, the described empirical rules would hold only for compounds that have a free 2″(2′)-hydroxyl group and no alternative charge location. Owing to its simplicity, sensitivity, and tolerance of impurities, fast-atom bombardment-tandem mass spectrometry represents a suitable method for determination of the anomeric linkage of glycosyl esters of nucleoside pyrophosphates and polyisoprenyl phosphates if the absolute configuration of glycosyl residue is known and the compound fulfills the above-mentioned requirements.",
"corpus_id": 7074483,
"title": "Determination of the anomeric configuration of glycosyl esters of nucleoside pyrophosphates and polyisoprenyl phosphates by fast-atom bombardment tandem mass spectrometry"
} | {
"abstract": "Biosynthesis of the cell envelope in mycobacteria is largely unknown; however, several antituberculosis drugs apparently interfere with this process. Recently, we described a lipid intermediate for the biosynthesis of the cell wall arabinogalactan/arabinomannan of Mycobacterium smegmatis: β-D-arabinofuranosyl-1monophosphodecaprenol (Wolucka, B. A., McNeil, M. R., de Hoffmann, E., Chojnacki, T., and Brennan, P. J.(1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 23328-23335). In the present work, by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, fast atom bombardment tandem mass spectrometry, and proton NMR, the major pentose-containing component of the polyprenyl-P-sugar family from M. smegmatis was characterized as β-D-ribosyl-1-monophosphodecaprenol (decaprenyl-P-ribose). Additionally, the structure of a minor arabinose-containing compound, β-D-arabinosyl-1-monophosphooctahydroheptaprenol, could be deduced. In vivo labeling experiments with [14C]glucose demonstrated unequivocally that decaprenyl-P-ribose is actively synthesized in Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra and Mycobacterium avium serovar 4. It is proposed that decaprenyl-P-ribose could be a precursor for the biosynthesis of either some unknown ribose-containing cell envelope polymers of mycobacteria or the arabinan part of the cell wall arabinogalactan/arabinomannan due to the presence of a 2′-epimerase activity at some late stages of the arabinogalactan/arabinomannan biosynthesis.",
"corpus_id": 24510690,
"title": "The Presence of β-D-Ribosyl-1-monophosphodecaprenol in Mycobacteria (*)"
} | {
"abstract": "IntroductionThe androgen receptor (AR) is widely expressed in breast cancers and has been proposed as a therapeutic target in estrogen receptor alpha (ER) negative breast cancers that retain AR. However, controversy exists regarding the role of AR, particularly in ER + tumors. Enzalutamide, an AR inhibitor that impairs nuclear localization of AR, was used to elucidate the role of AR in preclinical models of ER positive and negative breast cancer.MethodsWe examined nuclear AR to ER protein ratios in primary breast cancers in relation to response to endocrine therapy. The effects of AR inhibition with enzalutamide were examined in vitro and in preclinical models of ER positive and negative breast cancer that express AR.ResultsIn a cohort of 192 women with ER + breast cancers, a high ratio of AR:ER (≥2.0) indicated an over four fold increased risk for failure while on tamoxifen (HR = 4.43). The AR:ER ratio had an independent effect on risk for failure above ER % staining alone. AR:ER ratio is also an independent predictor of disease-free survival (HR = 4.04, 95% CI: 1.68, 9.69; p = 0.002) and disease specific survival (HR = 2.75, 95% CI: 1.11, 6.86; p = 0.03). Both enzalutamide and bicalutamide inhibited 5-alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-mediated proliferation of breast cancer lines in vitro; however, enzalutamide uniquely inhibited estradiol (E2)-mediated proliferation of ER+/AR + breast cancer cells. In MCF7 xenografts (ER+/AR+) enzalutamide inhibited E2-driven tumor growth as effectively as tamoxifen by decreasing proliferation. Enzalutamide also inhibited DHT- driven tumor growth in both ER positive (MCF7) and negative (MDA-MB-453) xenografts, but did so by increasing apoptosis.ConclusionsAR to ER ratio may influence breast cancer response to traditional endocrine therapy. Enzalutamide elicits different effects on E2-mediated breast cancer cell proliferation than bicalutamide. This preclinical study supports the initiation of clinical studies evaluating enzalutamide for treatment of AR+ tumors regardless of ER status, since it blocks both androgen- and estrogen- mediated tumor growth.",
"corpus_id": 1108231,
"score": 1,
"title": "Role of the androgen receptor in breast cancer and preclinical analysis of enzalutamide"
} |
{
"abstract": "There have been many studies on the simultaneous approximation capability of feed-forward neural networks (FNNs). Most of these, however, are only concerned with the density or feasibility of performing simultaneous approximations. This paper considers the simultaneous approximation of algebraic polynomials, employing Taylor expansion and an algebraic constructive approach, to construct a class of FNNs which realize the simultaneous approximation of any smooth multivariate function and all of its derivatives. We also present an upper bound on the approximation accuracy of the FNNs, expressed in terms of the modulus of continuity of the functions to be approximated.",
"corpus_id": 1244066,
"title": "The errors of simultaneous approximation of multivariate functions by neural networks"
} | {
"abstract": "We consider the problem of deriving from experimental data an approximation of an unknown function, whose derivatives also approximate the unknown function derivatives. Solving this problem is useful, for instance, in the context of nonlinear system identification for obtaining models that are more accurate and reliable than the traditional ones, based on plain function approximation. Indeed, models identified by accounting for the derivatives can provide a better performance in several tasks, such as multi-step prediction, simulation, Nonlinear Model Predictive Control, and control design in general. In this paper, we propose a novel approach based on convex optimization, allowing us to solve the aforementioned identification problem. We develop an optimality analysis, showing that models derived using this approach enjoy suitable optimality properties in Sobolev spaces. The optimality analysis also leads to the derivation of tight uncertainty bounds on the unknown function and its derivatives. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach with two numerical examples. The first one is concerned with approximation of an univariate function, the second one with multi-step prediction of the Chua chaotic circuit.",
"corpus_id": 207847257,
"title": "Nonlinear system identification in Sobolev spaces"
} | {
"abstract": "Part 1 Introduction - why study the economics of international business? Part 2 What insights does trade theory provide?: International trade and economic theory the great debate - free trade versus protectionism. Part 3 The international trading system: the search for order in international trade regional trade associations institutions of the multilateral trading system orderly markets how countries restrict trade the control of the use of trade barriers fair trade. Part 4 The economic actors who conduct international trade: national firms and transnational firms private firms and state trading agencies production firms and trading houses. Part 5 Institutions that facilitate international trade: financing international transactions moving between countries the settlement of international commercial disputes. Part 6 Future trends in international trade and commerce: facing the future issues for the international trading system.",
"corpus_id": 153836113,
"score": 0,
"title": "The economics of international business"
} |
{
"abstract": "Keloids are benign fibroproliferative tumors more frequently found among African Americans. Until now, keloid etiopathogenesis is not fully understood. To characterize keloids in African Americans, we performed transcriptional profiling of biopsies from large chronic keloids, adjacent non‐lesional (NL) skin (n=3) and a newly formed keloid lesion using Affymetrix HGU133 2.0 plus arrays. Quantitative RT‐PCR (qRT‐PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining were performed to confirm increased expression of relevant genes. We identified 1202 upregulated and 961 downregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between keloid and NL skin; 1819 up‐ and 1867 downregulated DEGs between newly formed keloid and NL skin; and 492 up‐ and 775 downregulated DEGs between chronic and newly formed keloid (fold change >2, false discovery rate <0.05). Many of the top upregulated DEGs between chronic keloid and NL skin and between newly formed keloid and NL skin are involved in bone/cartilage formation including Fibrillin 2 (FBN2), Collagen type X alpha 1, Asporin (ASPN), Cadherin 11 (CDH11), Bone morphogenic protein 1 (BMP1), Secreted phosphoprotein 1 and Runt‐related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2). qRT‐PCR confirmed significant (P<.05) upregulation of BMP1, RUNX2, CDH11 and FBN2 in chronic keloid compared to NL skin. IHC staining showed increased protein expression of ASPN, CDH11, BMP1 and RUNX2 on chronic and newly formed keloid compared to NL skin. Our study shows that large keloids in African Americans represent a dysplasia of cutaneous connective tissue towards immature cartilage or bone differentiation. The phenotype is potentially regulated by overexpression of RUNX2. This knowledge may give insights to guide the development of better treatment for the disease in the future.",
"corpus_id": 1351894,
"title": "Aberrant connective tissue differentiation towards cartilage and bone underlies human keloids in African Americans"
} | {
"abstract": "Macrophages are important cells of the innate immune system, and their study is essential to gain greater understanding of the inflammatory nature of psoriasis. We used immunohistochemistry and double-label immunofluorescence to characterize CD163(+) macrophages in psoriasis. Dermal macrophages were increased in psoriasis compared with normal skin and were identified by CD163, RFD7, CD68, lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP2), stabilin-1, and macrophage receptor with collagenous structure (MARCO). CD163(+) macrophages expressed C-lectins CD206/macrophage mannose receptor and CD209/DC-SIGN, as well as costimulatory molecules CD86 and CD40. They did not express mature dendritic cell (DC) markers CD208/DC-lysosomal-associated membrane glycoprotein, CD205/DEC205, or CD83. Microarray analysis of in vitro-derived macrophages treated with IFN-γ showed that many of the genes upregulated in macrophages were found in psoriasis, including STAT1, CXCL9, Mx1, and HLA-DR. CD163(+) macrophages produced inflammatory molecules IL-23p19 and IL-12/23p40 as well as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). These data show that CD163 is a superior marker of macrophages, and identifies a subpopulation of \"classically activated\" macrophages in psoriasis. We conclude that macrophages are likely to contribute to the pathogenic inflammation in psoriasis, a prototypical T helper 1 (Th1) and Th17 disease, by releasing key inflammatory products.",
"corpus_id": 205170964,
"title": "A subpopulation of CD163-positive macrophages is classically activated in psoriasis."
} | {
"abstract": "An attempt has been made in this study to evaluate the groundwater quality in two industrial blocks of Ghaziabad district. Groundwater samples were collected from shallow wells, deep wells and hand pumps of two heavily industrialized blocks, namely Bulandshahar road industrial area and Meerut road industrial area in Ghaziabad district for assessing their suitability for various uses. Samples were collected from 30 sites in each block before and after monsoon. They were analyzed for a total of 23 elements, namely, Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Se, U, V, and Zn. In addition to these elements, some other parameters were also studied viz: color, odor, turbidity, biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand (COD), dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids and total suspended solid. The water quality index was also calculated based on some of the parameters estimated. Out of the 23 elements, the mean values of 12 elements, namely, Al, As, Ca, Cd, Cr, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Se, and U, were higher than the prescribed standard limits. The concentrations (in milligram per liter) of highly toxic metals viz., Al, As, Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, Se, and U, ranged from 1.33–6.30, 0.04–0.54, 0.005–0.013, 4.51–7.09, 0.14–0.27, 0.13–0.32, 0.16–2.11, and 0.10–1.21, respectively, in all groundwater samples, while the permissible limits of these elements as per WHO/BIS standards for drinking are 0.2, 0.01, 0.003, 0.05, 0.07, 0.01, 0.04, and 0.03 mg L−1, respectively. The EC, pH, and COD in all samples varied from 0.74–4.21, 6.05–7.72, and 4.5–20.0 while their permissible limits are 0.7 dS m−1, 6.5–8.5, and 10 mg L−1, respectively. On the basis of the above-mentioned parameters, the water quality index of all groundwater samples ranged from 101 to 491, and 871 to 2904 with mean value of 265 and 1,174 based on two criteria, i.e., physico-chemical and metal contaminations, respectively while the prescribed safe limit for drinking is below 50. The results revealed that the groundwater in the two blocks is unfit for drinking as per WHO/BIS guidelines. The presence of elements like As, Se, and U in toxic amounts is a matter of serious concern.",
"corpus_id": 24600853,
"score": 0,
"title": "Assessment and spatial distribution of groundwater quality in industrial areas of Ghaziabad, India"
} |
{
"abstract": "Technology is a never ending process. The world is moving fastly towards automation. People have less time to handle any work so automation is simple way to handle any device or machine will work to our desire. This paper aim is to develop and design a Home automation using Arduino with Bluetooth module. Home automation system gives a simple and reliable technology with Android application. Home appliances like fan, Bulb, AC, automatic door lock are controlled by Home automation system using Arduino Uno with Bluetooth module. The paper mainly focuses on the monitor and control of smart home by Android phone and provide a security based smart home, when the people does not present at home. This paper motive is controlled home appliances in smart home with user friendly, design at low cost, simple installation. Keyword: Arduino Uno, Home automation, Bluetooth Module, Smart phone.",
"corpus_id": 236492944,
"title": "Design and Fabrication of Compact Sized Electrical Signal Controller through Smartphone"
} | {
"abstract": ": The most important source of motivation in continuity of technological developments is to upgrade human living standards. The technological development provides and increases human-beings’ safety and comfort directly and indirectly. Developing technologies for this purpose directly affects the life standards by means of smart home systems design. It is possible to classify smart home systems into two as local and remote. In this study, a smart home automation system design was carried out by using Delta DVP28SV model PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). Smart home system can be controlled in two different ways either by any internet-connected device or an operator panel assembled on PLC. Control of the ventilation, lighting and security units in the smart home were carried out. Instantaneous states and variations of the smart home system which is feedback based are monitored and can be changed from the user interface prepared with the C# programming language. Unusual circumstances occurred in security units have been reported to the user with SMS (Short Message Service).",
"corpus_id": 16400106,
"title": "Web-based Smart Home Automation : PLC-controlled Implementation"
} | {
"abstract": "The conventional design of home security systems typically monitors only the property and lacks physical control aspects of the house itself. Also, the term security is not well defined because there is a time delay between the alarm system going on and actual arrival of the security personnel. This paper discusses the development of a home security and monitoring system that works where the traditional security systems that are mainly concerned about curbing burglary and gathering evidence against trespassing fail. The paper presents the design and implementation details of this new home control and security system based on field programmable gate array (FPGA) The user here can interact directly with the system through a web-based interface over the Internet, while home appliances like air conditioners, lights, door locks and gates are remotely controlled through a user-friendly web page. An additional feature that enhances the security aspect of the system is its capability of monitoring entry points such as doors and windows so that in the event any breach, an alerting email message is sent to the home owner instantly.",
"corpus_id": 24675063,
"score": -1,
"title": "Sensor based home automation and security system"
} |
{
"abstract": "This article presents the PRIFAM, an interdisciplinary family intervention program co-constructed with parents of children with a disability. The PRIFAM’s theoretical foundations, clinical model of the adaptation/transformation process and tools have enabled professionals to conceptualize many years’ worth of research, clinical observations, and professional and personal experience. Through its relational foundations, the partnership forged between families and professionals contributes extensively to the adaptation of families and the well-being of professionals, by acknowledging their reciprocal resources and mutual competencies. The birth of a child with a disability triggers severe stress and plunges parents and families into a grieving process, but this process also leads to learning that generates transformation of the bereavement experience. A number of evaluative studies of the PRIFAM have demonstrated the importance of the close reciprocal relationship between research and clinical practice, which enables family intervention practices to evolve.",
"corpus_id": 2612191,
"title": "PRIFAM: a shared experience leading to the transformation of everyone involved"
} | {
"abstract": "A partir de son experience clinique en tant que psychanalyste aupres de jeunes enfants atteints de handicaps varies et de leur famille, l'auteur propose une reflexion sur les repercussions psychologiques sur les parents et sur l'enfant de la revelation de ce handicap qui marque l'enfant de l'etrangete et en fait un bebe pas comme les autres. Par quelle modalites psychiques passent les parents pour faire face au choc traumatique qu'est l'annonce du handicap de leur enfant?",
"corpus_id": 194951264,
"title": "Quand arrive au monde un bébé «pas comme les autres». Conséquences de l'annonce du handicap sur le devenir de l'enfant et de sa famille"
} | {
"abstract": "The filamentous fungi Phaeoacremonium aleophilum (P.al, Teleomorph: Togninia minima) and Phaeomoniella chlamydospora (P.ch) are believed to be causal agents of wood symptoms associated with the Esca associated young vine decline. The occurrence of these diseases is dramatically increasing in vineyards all over the world whereas efficient therapeutic strategies are lacking. Both fungi occupy the same ecological niche within the grapevine trunk. We found them predominantly within the xylem vessels and surrounding cell walls which raises the question whether the transcriptional response towards plant cell secreted metabolites is comparable. In order to address this question we co-inoculated grapevine callus culture cells with the respective fungi and analyzed their transcriptomes by RNA sequencing. This experimental setup appears suitable since we aimed to investigate the effects caused by the plant thereby excluding all effects caused by other microorganisms omnipresent in planta and nutrient depletion. Bioinformatics analysis of the sequencing data revealed that 837 homologous genes were found to have comparable expression pattern whereas none of which was found to be differentially expressed in both strains upon exposure to the plant cells. Despite the fact that both fungi induced the transcription of oxido- reductases, likely to cope with reactive oxygen species produced by plant cells, the transcriptomics response of both fungi compared to each other is rather different in other domains. Within the transcriptome of P.ch beside increased transcript levels for oxido- reductases, plant cell wall degrading enzymes and detoxifying enzymes were found. On the other hand in P.al the transcription of some oxido- reductases was increased whereas others appeared to be repressed. In this fungus the confrontation to plant cells results in higher transcript levels of heat shock and chaperon-like proteins as well as genes encoding proteins involved in primary metabolism.",
"corpus_id": 16980485,
"score": 0,
"title": "Differing Alterations of Two Esca Associated Fungi, Phaeoacremonium aleophilum and Phaeomoniella chlamydospora on Transcriptomic Level, to Co-Cultured Vitis vinifera L. calli"
} |
{
"abstract": "It is nearly 20 years since the concept of a small-world network was first quantitatively defined, by a combination of high clustering and short path length; and about 10 years since this metric of complex network topology began to be widely applied to analysis of neuroimaging and other neuroscience data as part of the rapid growth of the new field of connectomics. Here, we review briefly the foundational concepts of graph theoretical estimation and generation of small-world networks. We take stock of some of the key developments in the field in the past decade and we consider in some detail the implications of recent studies using high-resolution tract-tracing methods to map the anatomical networks of the macaque and the mouse. In doing so, we draw attention to the important methodological distinction between topological analysis of binary or unweighted graphs, which have provided a popular but simple approach to brain network analysis in the past, and the topology of weighted graphs, which retain more b...",
"corpus_id": 6022872,
"title": "Small-World Brain Networks Revisited"
} | {
"abstract": "Pathological perturbations of the brain can be described and modelled using network science. In this Review, Fornito, Zalesky and Breakspear discuss adaptive and maladaptive neural responses to such insults and consider how connectomics can be used to map, track and predict disease progression.",
"corpus_id": 1792111,
"title": "The connectomics of brain disorders"
} | {
"abstract": "According to Hitt (1998), “we are on the precipice of an epoch,” in the midst of a new economic age, in which twenty-first century organizations are facing a complex competitive landscape driven largely by globalization and the technological revolution. This new age is about an economy where knowledge is a core commodity and the rapid production of knowledge and innovation is critical to organizational survival (Bettis and Hitt, 1995; Boisot, 1998). Consistent with these changes, much discussion is taking place in the management literature regarding challenges facing organizations in a transitioning world (Barkema et al., 2002; Bettis and Hitt, 1995; Child and McGrath, 2001).",
"corpus_id": 206714820,
"score": -1,
"title": "Complexity Leadership Theory: Shifting leadership from the industrial age to the knowledge era"
} |
{
"abstract": "We consider random walks on classes of graphs de®ned on the ddimensional binary cube Zd2 by placing edges on n randomly chosen parallel classes of vectors. The mixing time of a graph is the number of steps of a random walk before the walk forgets where it started, and reaches a random location. In this paper we resolve a question of Diaconis by ®nding exact expressions for this mixing time that hold for all n > d and almost all choices of vector classes. This result improves a number of previous bounds. Our method, which has application to similar problems on other Abelian groups, uses the concept of a universal hash function, from computer science.",
"corpus_id": 1519875,
"title": "Random Random Walks on Zd 2"
} | {
"abstract": "Abstract Consider the Cayley graph of the cyclic group of prime order q with k uniformly chosen generators. For fixed k, we prove that the diameter of said graph is asymptotically (in q) of order . This answers a question of Benjamini. The same also holds when the generating set is taken to be a symmetric set of size 2k.",
"corpus_id": 13988557,
"title": "The diameter of a random Cayley graph of ℤ q"
} | {
"abstract": "In this note, we present initial results towards developing a distributed algorithm for repairing topological holes in the sensor cover of a mobile robot team. Central to our approach is the melding of recent advances in the application of computational homology (a sub-discipline of algebraic topology) to static sensor networks with relative metric information (i.e. relative pose). More precisely, we consider a greedy, hybrid (discrete-continuous) algorithm whereby a desired Cěch complex, the simplicial complex that captures the underlying topology of the sensing cover, is iteratively generated using local rules (between multi-hop neighbors) and agents are driven towards achieving this topology via a gradient-ascent simplicial control law. Convergence of the proposed algorithm is established as a function of the convergence of the underlying simplicial control law, and the relationship of the latter to the spectrum of the combinatorial Laplacian is considered. Simulation results for teams operating in ℝ2 are presented.",
"corpus_id": 2612361,
"score": 1,
"title": "Towards simplicial coverage repair for mobile robot teams"
} |
{
"abstract": "significant impact on the decision to initiate therapy. In effect, SAFE biopsy consists of two screening tests prior to biopsy. This increases the complexity of how to interpret the results. In addition, patients and clinicians like to have a test result that gives an estimate of fibrosis severity at the time they are seen and that is easy to calculate. This is the advantage of techniques such as transient elastography3 and other noninvasive tests such as aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI)4 and Kings score.5 In order for this to be achieved, blood tests would be required prior to assessment. Finally, the percentage of patients with cirrhosis in this cohort of patients was low. Any noninvasive test compared to liver biopsy should consider the frequency of particular stages of fibrosis to reduce error using the method described by Poynard and colleagues.6 This low level of cirrhosis may account for why the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves were lower for APRI than in other published series.4,5,7",
"corpus_id": 530967,
"title": "Is it difficult to obtain an optimal liver biopsy specimen?"
} | {
"abstract": "Nine thousand two hundred twelve liver biopsies were performed according to a defined protocol, and data were prospectively recorded to identify risk factors for major bleeding. There were 10 fatal and 22 nonfatal hemorrhages (0.11% and 0.24%, respectively). By comparison with a control group that did not hemorrhage, malignancy, age, sex, and the number of passes were the only predictable risk factors. The risk of fatal hemorrhage in patients with malignancy is estimated to be 0.4%; for nonfatal hemorrhage, 0.57%. In patients undergoing liver biopsy for nonmalignant disease, the risks are 0.04% and 0.16%, respectively.",
"corpus_id": 38980528,
"title": "A 21-year experience with major hemorrhage after percutaneous liver biopsy."
} | {
"abstract": "BACKGROUND/AIMS\nOur objectives were: (1) to assess the clinical benefits and costs of performing ultrasound-guided liver biopsy with an automated needle compared to blind biopsy with a conventional Trucut needle in patients with chronic hepatitis C; (2) to compare the histological yield of automated needles with Trucut needles.\n\n\nMETHODS\nWe prospectively studied 166 patients with hepatitis C virus who underwent either ultrasound-guided biopsy using automated ASAP needles or blind biopsy using conventional Trucut needles. Both groups were matched for age, sex, cirrhosis, needle gauge and operator experience. Patient tolerance, complications and histological adequacy were assessed. In a separate in vitro study, we assessed the histological adequacy of liver biopsy specimens obtained using automated and Trucut needles from 10 fresh autopsy cases.\n\n\nRESULTS\nUltrasound-guided biopsy caused significantly less biopsy pain (36.4% vs. 47.3%; p < 0.0001) and significantly less pain-related morbidity (1.8% vs. 7.7%, p < 0.05). Although, there was no significant difference in diagnostic yield between guided and blind biopsy (98% vs. 94%, p = 0.15), 3 blind biopsies (3.3%), including 2 which yielded extra-hepatic tissue, had to be repeated. The additional expense of performing guided liver biopsy with automated needles was 42 Irish Pounds per patient. In vitro, automated ASAP 15G needles provided liver specimens comparable to Trucut 15G needles and had the highest histopathologic score among the automated needles assessed.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nEven in the absence of major complications, ultrasound-guided liver biopsy with an automated needle in HCV patients is safer, more comfortable and only marginally more expensive than blind Trucut biopsy.",
"corpus_id": 23889437,
"score": 2,
"title": "Guided versus blind liver biopsy for chronic hepatitis C: clinical benefits and costs."
} |
{
"abstract": "Significance A large part of the research on renewable energy has focused on harvesting power from solar radiation. But, for the Earth to maintain its temperature, it must radiate to the outer space an amount of power approximately equal to that of the incoming solar radiation. However, far less is understood about the theoretical limits of harvesting power from such outgoing radiation. Here, we identify a duality relation between harvesting incoming and outgoing thermal radiation and use it to derive fundamental limits of harvesting outgoing thermal radiation. Our results indicate a theoretical limit that far exceeds what was previously thought to be possible and highlight the significant potential for harvesting outgoing thermal radiation for renewable energy applications. We derive the thermodynamic limits of harvesting power from the outgoing thermal radiation from the ambient to the cold outer space. The derivations are based on a duality relation between thermal engines that harvest solar radiation and those that harvest outgoing thermal radiation. In particular, we derive the ultimate limit for harvesting outgoing thermal radiation, which is analogous to the Landsberg limit for solar energy harvesting, and show that the ultimate limit far exceeds what was previously thought to be possible. As an extension of our work, we also derive the ultimate limit of efficiency of thermophotovoltaic systems.",
"corpus_id": 4566177,
"title": "Thermodynamic limits of energy harvesting from outgoing thermal radiation"
} | {
"abstract": "The concept of third generation photovoltaics is to significantly increase device efficiencies whilst still using thin film processes and abundant non-toxic materials. This can be achieved by circumventing the Shockley-Queisser limit for single band gap devices, using multiple energy threshold approaches. Such an approach can be realised either by incorporating multiple energy levels in tandem or intermediate band devices; or by modifying the incident spectrum on a cell by converting either high energy or low energy photons to photons more suited to the cell band gap; or by using an absorber which is heated by the solar photons with power extracted by a secondary structure. These methods have advantages and disadvantages and are at various stages of realisation. The paper discusses and compares these approaches, with some suggested conclusions for the most appropriate approaches.",
"corpus_id": 43256635,
"title": "Third generation photovoltaics"
} | {
"abstract": "Abstract A new analytical technique for the solution of nonlinear longitudinal combustion instability problems in rocket combustors is developed. Using relatively little computation time, this technique is capable of predicting the transient and limit cycle behavior of the combustion instability oscillations as well as the disturbance amplitude required to trigger an instability in a linearly stable motor. The limit cycle waveforms are found to exhibit shock wave characteristics for most unstable engine operating conditions. It is shown that the characteristics of the resulting instability are independent of the nature of the initial disturbance and they depend solely upon the engine operating conditions and the characteristics of the unsteady combustion process. Calculated results indicate that a second-order analysis can adequately describe the behavior of combustion instability oscillations over a broad range of engine operating conditions; however, higher order effects must be included in order to inv...",
"corpus_id": 95591552,
"score": 0,
"title": "Nonlinear Longitudinal Combustion Instability in Rocket Motors"
} |
{
"abstract": "Our previous study showed that endosulfan increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. To identify toxic mechanism of endosulfan, we conducted an animal study for which 32 male Wistar rats were randomly and equally divided into four groups: Control group (corn oil only) and three treatment groups (1, 5 and 10mgkg-1·d-1). The results showed that exposure to endosulfan resulted in injury of cardiac tissue with impaired mitochondria integrity and elevated 8-OHdG expression in myocardial cells. Moreover, endosulfan increased the expressions of Fas, FasL, Caspase-8, Cleaved Caspase-8, Caspase-3 and Cleaved Caspase-3 in cardiac tissue. In vitro, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with different concentrations of endosulfan (1, 6 and 12μgmL-1) for 24h. An inhibitor for Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Protein (ATM) (Ku-55933, 10μM) was added in 12μgmL-1 group for 2h before exposure to endosulfan. Results showed that endosulfan induced DNA damage and activated DNA damage response signaling pathway (ATM/Chk2 and ATR/Chk1) and consequent cell cycle checkpoint. Furthermore, endosulfan promoted the cell apoptosis through death receptor pathway resulting from oxidative stress. The results provide a new insight for mechanism of endosulfan-induced cardiovascular toxicity which will be helpful in future prevention of cardiovascular diseases induced by endosulfan.",
"corpus_id": 3519719,
"title": "Endosulfan induces cell dysfunction through cycle arrest resulting from DNA damage and DNA damage response signaling pathways."
} | {
"abstract": "The asymptomatic properties and high treatment resistance of ovarian cancer result in poor treatment outcomes and high mortality rates. Although the fundamental chemotherapy provides promising anticancer activities, it is associated with severe side effects. The derivative of phenothiazine, namely, 10H-3,6-diazaphenothiazine (PTZ), was synthesized and reported with ideal anticancer effects in a previous paper. In this study, detailed anticancer properties of PTZ was examined on A2780 ovarian cancer cells by investigating the cytotoxicity profiles, mechanism of apoptosis, and cell invasion. Research outcomes revealed PTZ-induced dose-dependent inhibition on A2780 cancer cells (IC50 =0.62 µM), with significant less cytotoxicity toward HEK293 normal kidney cells and H9C2 normal heart cells. Generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and polarization of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) suggests PTZ-induced cell death through oxidative damage. The RT2 Profiler PCR Array on apoptosis pathway demonstrated PTZ-induced apoptosis via intrinsic (mitochondria-dependent) and extrinsic (cell death receptor-dependent) pathway. Inhibition of NF-κB and subsequent inhibition of (BIRC6-XIAP) complex activities reduced the invasion rate of A2780 cancer cells penetrating through the Matrigel™ Invasion Chamber. Lastly, the cell cycle analysis hypothesizes that the compound is cytostatic and significantly arrests cell proliferation at G2/M phase. Hence, the exploration of the underlying anticancer mechanism of PTZ suggested its usage as promising chemotherapeutic agent.",
"corpus_id": 7802333,
"title": "10H-3,6-Diazaphenothiazine induces G2/M phase cell cycle arrest and caspase-dependent apoptosis and inhibits cell invasion of A2780 ovarian carcinoma cells through the regulation of NF-κB and (BIRC6-XIAP) complexes"
} | {
"abstract": "Abstract In the present study, zinc oxide nanoparticle was synthesized through chemical precipitation method. The size effect of zinc oxide nanoparticle under zinc acetate precursor molar concentration were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy (FT-Raman), Ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV–Visible), Photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and Energy dispersive X-ray (EDAX) analysis. X-ray Diffractogram affirms the hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO nanoparticles. The average crystallite size was found to be 29–22 nm. The FTIR spectrum endorsed the existing functional groups on the ZnO surfaces. Raman spectroscopy deals with the molecular vibrational response of ZnO nanoparticle. Raman scattering displays a strong E2 mode at 438 cm−1 reveals the grown nanostructures have a hexagonal wurtzite phase. The surface morphology and the elemental composition of the samples were analyzed by HR-TEM, FE-SEM and EDAX. The direct optical bandgap energy was evaluated in the range of 3.10–3.14 eV. Near band edge (NBE) emission and violet emission in the PL spectrum indicates the presence of crystal defects in ZnO lattice. The anti-corrosive property of nanoscopic size (22 nm) ZnO/Epoxy nanocomposite was studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique in both neutral and acidic medium. The acquisition of ZnO into the plain epoxy coating materially increased the charge transfer resistance Rct by 32 times in 3% NaCl solution and 11 times in 3% Oxalic acid solution compared to bare mild steel.",
"corpus_id": 216355502,
"score": 0,
"title": "Influence of Zn concentration on zinc oxide nanoparticles and their anti-corrosion property"
} |
{
"abstract": "Deep generative models trained with large amounts of unlabelled data have proven to be powerful within the domain of unsupervised learning. Many real life data sets contain a small amount of labelled data points, that are typically disregarded when training generative models. We propose the Cluster-aware Generative Model, that uses unlabelled information to infer a latent representation that models the natural clustering of the data, and additional labelled data points to refine this clustering. The generative performances of the model significantly improve when labelled information is exploited, obtaining a log-likelihood of -79.38 nats on permutation invariant MNIST, while also achieving competitive semi-supervised classification accuracies. The model can also be trained fully unsupervised, and still improve the log-likelihood performance with respect to related methods.",
"corpus_id": 11922095,
"title": "Semi-Supervised Generation with Cluster-aware Generative Models"
} | {
"abstract": "Many different methods to train deep generative models have been introduced in the past. In this paper, we propose to extend the variational auto-encoder (VAE) framework with a new type of prior which we call \"Variational Mixture of Posteriors\" prior, or VampPrior for short. The VampPrior consists of a mixture distribution (e.g., a mixture of Gaussians) with components given by variational posteriors conditioned on learnable pseudo-inputs. We further extend this prior to a two layer hierarchical model and show that this architecture with a coupled prior and posterior, learns significantly better models. The model also avoids the usual local optima issues related to useless latent dimensions that plague VAEs. We provide empirical studies on six datasets, namely, static and binary MNIST, OMNIGLOT, Caltech 101 Silhouettes, Frey Faces and Histopathology patches, and show that applying the hierarchical VampPrior delivers state-of-the-art results on all datasets in the unsupervised permutation invariant setting and the best results or comparable to SOTA methods for the approach with convolutional networks.",
"corpus_id": 3523097,
"title": "VAE with a VampPrior"
} | {
"abstract": "Recently deep learning has been successfully adopted in many applications such as speech recognition and image classification. In this work, we explore the possibility of employing deep learning in graph clustering. We propose a simple method, which first learns a nonlinear embedding of the original graph by stacked autoencoder, and then runs k-means algorithm on the embedding to obtain clustering result. We show that this simple method has solid theoretical foundation, due to the similarity between autoencoder and spectral clustering in terms of what they actually optimize. Then, we demonstrate that the proposed method is more efficient and flexible than spectral clustering. First, the computational complexity of autoencoder is much lower than spectral clustering: the former can be linear to the number of nodes in a sparse graph while the latter is super quadratic due to eigenvalue decomposition. Second, when additional sparsity constraint is imposed, we can simply employ the sparse autoencoder developed in the literature of deep learning; however, it is nonstraightforward to implement a sparse spectral method. The experimental results on various graph datasets show that the proposed method significantly outperforms conventional spectral clustering, which clearly indicates the effectiveness of deep learning in graph clustering.",
"corpus_id": 2701448,
"score": -1,
"title": "Learning deep representations for graph clustering"
} |
{
"abstract": "A consistent observation of a given distributed computation is a sequence of global states that could be produced by executing that computation on a monoprocessor system. Therefore a distributed execution generally accepts several consistent observations. This paper concentrates on what all these observations have in common. An abstraction called common global state is defined. A necessary and sufficient condition characterizing such states is given. A monitor-based algorithm that detects them is also presented and proved correct. Previous works on detection of unstable properties of distributed computations are revisited and explained with this abstraction. Moreover other uses of such particular states are sketched.",
"corpus_id": 12859402,
"title": "Characterizing and detecting the set of global states seen by all observers of a distributed computation"
} | {
"abstract": "Testing and debugging programs are more involved in distributed systems than in uniprocessor systems because of the presence of the communication medium and the inherent concurrency. Past research has established that predicate testing is an approach that can alleviate some of the problems in this area. However, checking whether a general predicate is true in a particular distributed execution appears to be a computationally hard problem. This paper considers a class of predicates called conjunctive form predicates (CFP) that is quite useful in distributed program development, but can be tested efficiently. We develop fully-distributed algorithms to test CFP's, prove that these algorithms are correct, and analyze them for their message complexity. The analysis shows that our techniques incur a fairly low overhead on the distributed system. >",
"corpus_id": 1482730,
"title": "Testing and Debugging Distributed Programs Using Global Predicates"
} | {
"abstract": "This paper describes parts of the design of a debugger for a distributed real-time multimedia system. Emphasis lies on the distributed aspect of debugging, which means that attention is paid to the external behaviour of the processes. This type of debugging is useful to find communication or synchronization errors. However, experience shows that this is not enough: the debugger must also provide hooks for the user to use traditional sequential debuggers. This type of debugging focuses on the internal behaviour - or internal logic - of processes. For the sequential debugging part a normal debugger like GDB can be taken. Three key elements of the debugger are events, filters and recognizers. By definition events are the lowest level of system activity that may be observed by the event debugger. Filters are applied to remove events from the stream of events produced by the debuggee that are of no interest for the programmer. Recognizers are used to recognize behaviour -right or wrong- of the system. By combining events, different levels of abstraction are introduced, thus alleviating the task of the programmer.<<ETX>>",
"corpus_id": 7999354,
"score": -1,
"title": "A debugging tool for distributed systems"
} |
{
"abstract": "Photosynthetic electron transfer was studied in thylakoids isolated from control and DCMU-grown wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings. When exposed to high temperature (HT) and high iradiance (HI), thylakoids showed large variations in the photosynthetic electron transport activities and thylakoid membrane proteins. A drastic reduction in the rate of whole electron transport chain (H2O → MV) was envisaged in control thylakoids when exposed to HT and HI. Such reduction was mainly due to the loss of photosystem 2, PS2 (H2O → DCBQ) activity. The thylakoids isolated from seedlings grown in the presence of DCMU showed greater resistance to HT and HI treatment. The artificial exogenous electron donors MnCl2, DPC, and NH2OH failed to restore the HI induced loss of PS2 activity in both control and DCMU thylakoids. In contrast, addition of DPC and NH2OH significantly restored the HT induced loss of PS2 activity in control thylakoids and partially in DCMU thylakoids. Similar results were obtained when Fv/Fm was evaluated by chlorophyll fluorescence measurements. The marked loss of PS2 activity in control thylakoids was evidently due to the loss of 33, 23, and 17 kDa extrinsic polypeptides and 28-25 kDa LHCP polypeptides.",
"corpus_id": 1450324,
"title": "Temperature and Light Dependence of Photosynthetic Activities in Wheat Seedlings Grown in the Presence of DCMU [3-(3,4-Dichlorophenyl)-1,1-Dimethylurea]"
} | {
"abstract": "When Triticum vulgare cv HD 2189 seedlings were grown in the presence of 125 micromolar BASF 13.338 (4-chloro-5-dimethylamino-2-phenyl-3(2H)pyridazinone), the rate of electron transport (H(2)O --> methyl viologen) in chloroplast thylakoids isolated from the treated seedlings was higher (by 50%) as compared to the control at assay temperatures above 30 degrees C. Below 30 degrees C, however, the rate with the treated seedlings was lower than the control rate. The temperature dependence of the rate of photosystem I electron transport (2-6-dichlorophenol indophenol-reduced --> methyl viologen) in the treated system was similar to that in the control. At high temperatures (>30 degrees C), with diphenyl carabazide as electron donor, the rates of electron transfer (diphenyl carbazide --> methyl viologen) were similar in the treated and in the control thylakoids. Direct addition of BASF 13.338 to the assay mixture for the measurement of rate of electron transport (H(2)O --> methyl viologen) in the thylakoids isolated from the control plants did not cause any change in the temperature dependence of photosynthetic electron transport. These results suggested that the donor side of photosystem II became tolerant to heat in the treated plants. Chlorophyll a fluorescence emission was monitored continuously in the leaves of control and BASF 13.338 treated wheat seedlings during continuous increase in temperature (1 degrees C per minute). The fluorescence-temperature profile showed a decrease in the fluorescence yield above 55 degrees C; this decrease was biphasic in the control and monophasic in the treated plants.",
"corpus_id": 725012,
"title": "Temperature Dependence of Photosynthetic Activities in Wheat Seedlings Grown in the Presence of BASF 13.338 (4-Chloro-5-Dimethylamino-2-Phenyl-3(2H)Pyridazinone)."
} | {
"abstract": "In this article, we explore energy transfer processes within a series of Zn-porphyrin-appended dendrimers by means of excitation intensity dependent transient absorption measurements. We report singlet-singlet annihilation on two distinct time scales of 18 +/- 5 ps and 130 +/- 10 ps in the dimer and the dendrimers. The two distinct processes reflect the presence of two structural conformer distributions. Analysis of the singlet-singlet annihilation transient kinetics shows that sequential annihilation occurs within subunits up to four Zn-porphyrins in the dendrimers. The onset of the singlet-singlet annihilation process depending on the size of the molecule reveals a difference in the number of communicating Zn-porphyrins. We further report a full characterization of the transient absorption kinetics of the monomer over a spectral range from 450 to 730 nm.",
"corpus_id": 9567707,
"score": 1,
"title": "Energy transfer within Zn-porphyrin dendrimers: study of the singlet-singlet annihilation kinetics."
} |
{
"abstract": "Marine organisms such as seaweeds, sponges and corals protect their own surfaces from fouling by their high anesthetic, repellant, and settlement inhibition properties. Within the marine ecosystem, evolution has allowed for the development of certain antifouling properties. Isatin is a biologically active chemical produced by an Alteromonas sp. strain inhibiting the surface of embryos of the cardiean shrimp Palaemon macrodectylus, which protect them from the pathogenic fungus Lagenidium callinectes. In present study, an antibacterial activity of isatin and its synthetic analogues were evaluated against different fouling bacteria in order to explore the structure activity relationships for the first time. The synthesized compounds along with parent isatin were tested against different ecologically relevant marine microorganisms by using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Few synthetically modified isatin exhibited potent inhibitory activity at concentration of 2 μg/disc against Planococcus donghaensis, Erythrobacter litoralis, Alivibrio salmonicida, Vibrio furnisii. Overall, the modified analogues showed stronger activity than the parent marine natural product (isatin) and hence 1H-indole-2,3-dione scaffold has immense potential as future antibacterial/antifouling candidate.",
"corpus_id": 1818346,
"title": "Design and synthesis of marine natural product-based 1H-indole-2,3-dione scaffold as a new antifouling/antibacterial agent against fouling bacteria."
} | {
"abstract": "The bacterial biofilms and the emergence of multiple drug resistance have become a major threat for current medical treatment of nosocomial infections. It has been estimated that about 65-80% of microbial infections in the developed countries are associated with biofilms. Given the prominence of biofilms in infectious diseases, increasing efforts toward the development of small molecules that will modulate bacterial biofilm development and maintenance is on the rise. Till date, marine natural products have shown a tremendous potential as pharma leads and also given new skeletons which would be used as biofilm/QS inhibitors. Medically relevant biofilm forming bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa which is most frequently isolated bacteria in nosocomial infection is believed to be a model organism for biofilm studies. Hence, in this review, we have highlighted the development of small molecules that inhibit and/or disperse bacterial biofilms of P. aeruginosa in particular. Additionally, the rational design approaches as well as synthetic methodologies along with biological studies has been accounted in this article.",
"corpus_id": 7774594,
"title": "Next generation biofilm inhibitors for Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Synthesis and rational design approaches."
} | {
"abstract": "SUMMARY An M-antibody capture radioimmunoassay (MACRIA) for anti-rubella IgM was developed. Under optimum conditions positive serum specimens bound up to 20 times as much radioactivity as negative specimens. Positive reactions were expressed in arbitrary units/ml by comparison with a calibration curve derived from results obtained with dilutions of a standard serum. The specificity of the assay was confirmed by testing IgM and IgG rich fractions of positive sera. One hundred and forty specimens from blood donors, patients whose sera contained rheumatoid factor and patients with acute, non-rubella, virus infections were tested by MACRIA. No significant non-specific reactions were detected. Paired sera from acute rubella (25 patients) and individual sera from suspected rubella (69 patients) were tested for anti-rubella IgM by MACRIA and by haemagglutination inhibition following sucrose-density-gradient fractionation. There was close agreement between the two methods. The capture assay was more sensitive and could be used to detect the weak IgM response in women given RA 27/3 vaccine. After the natural infection, the MACRIA was strongly positive for two months and remained weakly so for a further two months. Repeat testing of sera demonstrated good reproducibility of the assay. MACRIA proved a simple, sensitive and specific test for anti-rubella IgM and compared favourably with currently used techniques.",
"corpus_id": 45138351,
"score": 1,
"title": "Antibody capture radioimmunoassay for anti-rubella IgM"
} |
{
"abstract": "In this work, we use dark-field optical microscopy (DFM) and hyper spectral imaging (HSI) to study the interactions of single Ag and Au nanoparticles (NPs) with Hg2+ in real time, at room temperature (25 °C). NPs were immobilized on glass substrates using 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) as the anchoring agent. Red, green and blue colors were assigned to the particles in hyper spectral images on the basis of their relative scattering intensities at 640, 550 and 460 nm, where the particles showed maxima in their scattering spectra. While Ag NPs showed all the colors, Au NPs were mostly red and rarely green in DFM images. The scattering spectra of Ag NPs were more blue shifted (with an average shift of 46 nm in the case of red particles) in a given time compared to Au NPs, after passing over Hg2+ solution and these shifts increased with time. Depending on the extent of blue shift, the colors of the particles got modified. Red particles appeared more reactive than green and blue, as revealed from the larger extent of shifts and their time dependence. The greater reactivity of red particles is attributed to their anisotropic nature possessing reactive tips, edges and more surface area due to their large size. The effect of quality of water on the scattering spectrum was checked by passing over deionized (DI) and tap waters separately, which showed that the effect is minimal compared to the presence of Hg2+, when data at a given time, flow rate and temperature were compared. Solution phase interactions of NPs with Hg2+ were also performed for comparison. These were characterized by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX). Solution phase experiments showed citrate-induced aggregation of Ag NPs and partial reduction of Hg2+ to Hg0 upon exposure to Hg2+. Immobilized particles cannot aggregate and they show only reduction.",
"corpus_id": 837526,
"title": "Real time plasmonic spectroscopy of the interaction of Hg2+ with single noble metal nanoparticles"
} | {
"abstract": "Colors of scattering light of single gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were coded with the tricolor (RGB) system by assigning digital values to R, G and B and then this was applied to binding studies of thiols to AuNPs through RGB analysis.",
"corpus_id": 10390581,
"title": "Individually color-coded plasmonic nanoparticles for RGB analysis."
} | {
"abstract": "Radiation treatment of cancer has evolved to include massive particle beams, instead of traditional irradiation procedures. Thus, patient doses and worker radiological protection have become issues of constant concern in the use of these new technologies, especially for proton- and heavy-ion-therapy. In the beam energies of interest of heavy-ion-therapy, secondary particle radiation comes from proton, neutron, and neutral and charged pions produced in the nuclear collisions of the beam with human tissue atoms. This work, for the first time, offers the upper bound of meson radiation dose in organic tissues due to secondary meson radiation in heavy-ion therapy. A model based on intranuclear collision has been used to follow in time the nuclear reaction and to determine the secondary radiation due to the meson yield produced in the beam interaction with nuclei in the tissue-equivalent media and water. The multiplicity, energy spectrum, and angular distribution of these pions, as well as their decay products, have been calculated in different scenarios for the nuclear reaction mechanism. The results of the produced secondary meson particles has been used to estimate the energy deposited in tissue using a cylindrical phantom by a transport Monte Carlo simulation and we have concluded that these mesons contribute at most 0.1% of the total prescribed dose.",
"corpus_id": 4388747,
"score": 0,
"title": "Upper bound dose values for meson radiation in heavy-ion therapy"
} |
{
"abstract": "Background Clinical guidelines advocate the routine identification of depressive symptoms for patients with pain in the lumbar or cervical spine, but not for other anatomical regions. Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and impact of depressive symptoms for patients with musculoskeletal pain across different anatomical regions. Design This was a prospective, associational study. Methods Demographic, clinical, depressive symptom (Symptom Checklist 90–Revised), and outcome data were collected by self-report from a convenience sample of 8,304 patients. Frequency of severe depressive symptoms was assessed by chi-square analysis for demographic and clinical variables. An analysis of variance examined the influence of depressive symptoms and anatomical region on intake pain intensity and functional status. Separate hierarchical multiple regression models by anatomical region examined the influence of depressive symptoms on clinical outcomes. Results Prevalence of severe depression was higher in women, in industrial and pain clinics, and in patients who reported chronic pain or prior surgery. Lower prevalence rates were found in patients older than 65 years and those who had upper- or lower-extremity pain. Depressive symptoms had a moderate to large effect on pain ratings (Cohen d=0.55–0.87) and a small to large effect on functional status (Cohen d=0.28–0.95). In multivariate analysis, depressive symptoms contributed additional variance to pain intensity and functional status for all anatomical locations, except for discharge values for the cervical region. Conclusions Rates of depressive symptoms varied slightly based on anatomical region of musculoskeletal pain. Depressive symptoms had a consistent detrimental influence on outcomes, except on discharge scores for the cervical anatomical region. Expanding screening recommendations for depressive symptoms to include more anatomical regions may be indicated in physical therapy settings.",
"corpus_id": 1349160,
"title": "Depressive Symptoms, Anatomical Region, and Clinical Outcomes for Patients Seeking Outpatient Physical Therapy for Musculoskeletal Pain"
} | {
"abstract": "&NA; • STUDY DESIGN: Observational, prospective cohort. • BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal pain is a common reason to seek health care, and earlier nonpharmacological treatment and enhancement of personalized care options are 2 high‐priority areas. Validating concise assessment tools is an important step toward establishing better care pathways. • OBJECTIVES: To determine the predictive validity of Optimal Screening for Prediction of Referral and Outcome (OSPRO) tools for individuals with neck, low back, shoulder, or knee pain. • METHODS: A convenience sample (n = 440) was gathered by Orthopaedic Physical Therapy‐Investigator Network clinics (n = 9). Participants completed demographic, clinical, and comorbidity questionnaires and the OSPRO tools, and were followed for 12‐month outcomes in pain intensity, region‐specific disability, quality of life, and comorbidity change. Analyses predicted these 12‐month outcomes with models that included the OSPRO review‐of‐systems (OSPRO‐ROS) and yellow flag (OSPRO‐YF) tools and planned covariates (accounting for comorbidities and established demographic and clinical factors). • RESULTS: The 10‐item OSPRO‐YF tool (baseline and 4‐week change score) consistently added to predictive models for 12‐month pain intensity, region‐specific disability, and quality of life. The 10‐item OSPRO‐ROS tool added to a predictive model for quality of life (mental summary score), and 13 additional items of the OSPRO‐ROS+ tool added to prediction of 12‐month comorbidity change. Other consistent predictors included age, race, income, previous episode of pain in same region, comorbidity number, and baseline measure for the outcome of interest. • CONCLUSION: The OSPRO‐ROS and OSPRO‐YF tools statistically improved prediction of multiple 12‐month outcomes. The additional variance explained was small, and future research is necessary to determine whether these tools can be used as measurement adjuncts to improve management of musculoskeletal pain.",
"corpus_id": 4719161,
"title": "Optimal Screening for Prediction of Referral and Outcome (OSPRO) for Musculoskeletal Pain Conditions: Results From the Validation Cohort"
} | {
"abstract": "The development of high-contrast capabilities has long been recognized as one of the top priorities for the VLTI. As of today, the VLTI routinely achieves contrasts of a few 10− 3 in the near-infrared with PIONIER (H band) and GRAVITY (K band). Nulling interferometers in the northern hemisphere and non-redundant aperture masking experiments have, however, demonstrated that contrasts of at least a few 10− 4 are within reach using specific beam combination and data acquisition techniques. In this paper, we explore the possibility to reach similar or higher contrasts on the VLTI. After reviewing the state-of-the-art in high-contrast infrared interferometry, we discuss key features that made the success of other high-contrast interferometric instruments (e.g., integrated optics, nulling, closure phase, and statistical data reduction) and address possible avenues to improve the contrast of the VLTI by at least one order of magnitude. In particular, we discuss the possibility to use integrated optics, proven in the near-infrared, in the thermal near-infrared (L and M bands, 3-5 μ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$\\upmu $\\end{document}m), a sweet spot to image and characterize young extra-solar planetary systems. Finally, we address the science cases of a high-contrast VLTI imaging instrument and focus particularly on exoplanet science (young exoplanets, planet formation, and exozodiacal disks), stellar physics (fundamental parameters and multiplicity), and extragalactic astrophysics (active galactic nuclei and fundamental constants). Synergies and scientific preparation for other potential future instruments such as the Planet Formation Imager are also briefly discussed. This project is called Hi-5 for High-contrast Interferometry up to 5 μm.",
"corpus_id": 254509649,
"score": 0,
"title": "The path towards high-contrast imaging with the VLTI: the Hi-5 project"
} |
{
"abstract": "BackgroundTau protein exists as six different isoforms that differ by the inclusion or exclusion of exons 2, 3 and 10. Exon 10 encodes a microtubule binding repeat, thereby resulting in three isoforms with three microtubule binding repeats (3R) and three isoforms that have four microtubule binding repeats (4R). In normal adult brain, the relative amounts of 3R tau and 4R tau are approximately equal. These relative protein levels are preserved in Alzheimer's disease, although in other neurodegenerative tauopathies such as progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration and Pick's disease, the ratio of 3R:4R is frequently altered. Because tau isoforms are not equally involved in these diseases, it is possible that they either have inherently unique characteristics owing to their primary structures or that post-translational modification, such as phosphorylation, differentially affects their properties.ResultsWe have determined the effects of phosphorylation by a kinase widely believed to be involved in neurodegenerative processes, glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), on the microtubule binding and inducer-initiated polymerization of these isoforms in vitro. We have found that each isoform has a unique microtubule binding and polymerization profile that is altered by GSK-3β. GSK-3β phosphorylation had differential effects on the isoforms although there were similarities between isoforms and the effects were generally mild.ConclusionThese results indicate that tau phosphorylation by a single kinase can have isoform specific outcomes. The mild nature of these changes, however, makes it unlikely that differential effects of GSK-3β phosphorylation on the isoforms are causative in neurodegenerative disease. Instead, the inherent differences in the isoform interactions themselves and local conditions in the diseased cells are likely the major determinant of isoform involvement in various neurodegenerative disorders.",
"corpus_id": 816868,
"title": "GSK-3β phosphorylation of functionally distinct tau isoforms has differential, but mild effects"
} | {
"abstract": "In normal adult brain the microtubule associated protein (MAP) tau contains 2–3 phosphates per mol of the protein and at this level of phosphorylation it is a soluble cytosolic protein. The normal brain tau interacts with tubulin and promotes its assembly into microtubules and stabilizes these fibrils. In Alzheimer disease (AD) brain tau is three to fourfold hyperphosphorylated. The abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau binds to normal tau instead of the tubulin and this binding leads to the formation of tau oligomers. The tau oligomers can be sedimented at 200,000 × g whereas the normal tau under these conditions remains in the supernatant. The abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau is capable of sequestering not only normal tau but also MAP MAP1 and MAP2 and causing disruption of the microtubule network promoted by these proteins. Unlike Aβ and prion protein (PrP) oligomers, tau oligomerization in AD and related tauopathies is hyperphosphorylation-dependent; in vitro dephosphorylation of AD P-tau with protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) inhibits and rehyperphosphorylation of the PP2A-AD P-tau with more than one combination of tau protein kinases promotes its oligomerization. In physiological assembly conditions the AD P-tau readily self-assembles into paired helical filaments. Missense tau mutations found in frontotemporal dementia apparently lead to tau oligomerization and neurofibrillary pathology by promoting its abnormal hyperphosphorylation. Dysregulation of the alternative splicing of tau that alters the 1:1 ratio of the 3-repeat: 4-repeat taus such as in Down syndrome, Pick disease, and progressive supranuclear palsy leads to the abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau.",
"corpus_id": 1661389,
"title": "Hyperphosphorylation-Induced Tau Oligomers"
} | {
"abstract": "The fabrication of a suitable scaffold material is one of the major challenges for bone tissue engineering. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is one of the most favorable matrix materials in bone tissue engineering owing to its biocompatibility and biodegradability. However, PLA suffers from some shortcomings including low degradation rate, low cell adhesion caused by its hydrophobic property, and inflammatory reactions in vivo due to its degradation product, lactic acid. Therefore, the incorporation of bioactive reinforcements is considered as a powerful method to improve the properties of PLA. This review presents a comprehensive study on recent advances in the synthesis of PLA-based biocomposites containing ceramic reinforcements, including various methods of production and the evaluation of the scaffolds in terms of porosity, mechanical properties, in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility and bioactivity for bone tissue engineering applications. The production routes range from traditional approaches such as the use of porogens to provide porosity in the scaffolds to novel methods such as solid free-form techniques.",
"corpus_id": 13172786,
"score": 1,
"title": "A comprehensive study on the fabrication and properties of biocomposites of poly(lactic acid)/ceramics for bone tissue engineering."
} |
{
"abstract": "Rather than programming, training allows robots to achieve behaviors that generalize better and are capable to respond to real-world needs. However, such training requires a big amount of experimentation which is not always feasible for a physical robot. In this work, we present robot_gym, a framework to accelerate robot training through simulation in the cloud that makes use of roboticists' tools, simplifying the development and deployment processes on real robots. We unveil that, for simple tasks, simple 3DoF robots require more than 140 attempts to learn. For more complex, 6DoF robots, the number of attempts increases to more than 900 for the same task. We demonstrate that our framework, for simple tasks, accelerates the robot training time by more than 33% while maintaining similar levels of accuracy and repeatability.",
"corpus_id": 52132736,
"title": "Robot_gym: accelerated robot training through simulation in the cloud with ROS and Gazebo"
} | {
"abstract": "Policy search methods can allow robots to learn control policies for a wide range of tasks, but practical applications of policy search often require hand-engineered components for perception, state estimation, and low-level control. In this paper, we aim to answer the following question: does training the perception and control systems jointly end-to-end provide better performance than training each component separately? To this end, we develop a method that can be used to learn policies that map raw image observations directly to torques at the robot's motors. The policies are represented by deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) with 92,000 parameters, and are trained using a partially observed guided policy search method, which transforms policy search into supervised learning, with supervision provided by a simple trajectory-centric reinforcement learning method. We evaluate our method on a range of real-world manipulation tasks that require close coordination between vision and control, such as screwing a cap onto a bottle, and present simulated comparisons to a range of prior policy search methods.",
"corpus_id": 7242892,
"title": "End-to-End Training of Deep Visuomotor Policies"
} | {
"abstract": "Software is everywhere, from mission critical systems such as industrial power stations, pacemakers and even household appliances. This growing dependence on technology and the increasing complexity of software has serious security implications as it means we are potentially surrounded by software that contains exploitable vulnerabilities. These challenges have made binary analysis an important area of research in computer science and has emphasized the need for building automated analysis systems that can operate at scale, speed and efficiency; all while performing with the skill of a human expert. Though great progress has been made in this area of research, there remains limitations and open challenges to be addressed. Recognizing this need, DARPA sponsored the Cyber Grand Challenge (CGC), a competition to showcase the current state of the art in systems that perform; automated vulnerability detection, exploit generation and software patching. This paper is a survey of the vulnerability detection and exploit generation techniques, underlying technologies and related works of two of the winning systems Mayhem and Mechanical Phish.",
"corpus_id": 1896583,
"score": -1,
"title": "Survey of Automated Vulnerability Detection and Exploit Generation Techniques in Cyber Reasoning Systems"
} |
{
"abstract": "Purpose \n– The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of various corporate characteristics on the capital structure of French small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). \nDesign/methodology/approach \n– OLS fixed‐effect regressions are used to estimate the influence of SME corporate characteristics on three capital structure measures, namely total, long‐term and short‐term debt. \nFindings \n– The findings suggest that size, profitability, growth and tangibility of assets influence, in a significant way, the capital structure of French SMEs. Furthermore, when decomposing the sample into two groups: small (1) and medium‐sized (2) firms, the findings indicate that corporate characteristics affect the capital structure of these two subsamples in the same direction, but with different amplitudes. \nOriginality/value \n– The evidence presented and discussed in this paper extends the existing literature. From an academic perspective, the methodological approach and the empirical results provide a level of analysis unmatched by the previous research on French firms. Moreover, the findings can add to the knowledge and the understanding of SME corporate managers. They can provide useful information to assist them in their decision making regarding the capital structure of their firms at a time when difficulties of SME financing are more and more evoked in the French context.",
"corpus_id": 153625980,
"title": "How do corporate characteristics affect capital structure decisions of French SMEs"
} | {
"abstract": "Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether SMEs have a target debt ratio or not; who makes financing decisions for investments; the financing preferences; and which factors play a role in external financing policy of the firms. Design/methodology/approach - – The authors adopted questionnaire survey methodology in the study. The questionnaire was administered to SMEs operating in Istanbul through e-mail, telephone, and fax in July 2011. For the analysis, the authors have adopted the non-parametric test of the Kruskal-Wallis. Findings - – The study produced several important findings. Most of the surveyed firms do not follow a target debt ratio. Hence, the trade-off theory is not supported. Partners rather than professional managers are more likely to make financing choices in SMEs. The study has provided evidence regarding the implementation of the pecking order principle. Turkish SMEs primarily prefer internal funding sources over external ones and short-term debt over long-term debt. Thus, the pecking order theory is supported. General economic conditions, debt-paying ability of the firm, and financial distress risk play the most important role in outside financing decisions. Research limitations/implications - – The study has got some limitations as all such studies have. First, it was conducted only on SMEs in Istanbul; hence it has a geographical limitation. Second, the findings may not be generalizable to large and publicly traded companies as the sample consists of only SMEs. For further study, similar research can be carried out across Turkey on a wider sample. Originality/value - – The SMEs are different from large companies in a variety of ways, such as ownership structure, complexity of operations, financing sources, and so on. Hence, there is a need for empirical analysis conducted, particularly, on SMEs. The primary motivation for the study is the scarcity of such empirical works in general. Secondarily, SMEs make up a large proportion of companies in the Turkish economy. Therefore, the subject needs to be studied in Turkey.",
"corpus_id": 154092827,
"title": "Impact of firm characteristics on capital structure choice of Turkish SMEs"
} | {
"abstract": "The emergence of network environment puts forward a new subject for the cash management of conglomerate. To keep pace with the environment reforming, conglomerate should reform the traditional cash management by deeply analyzing the new features of network environment and the new requirements of cash management. After doing that, conglomerate can clearly define the new mechanism of cash operation under network environment and launch the significant reforming to the traditional cash operation system. Taking Yunhai Group as the object of case study, this paper will make a comprehensive analysis on merits and demerits of the previous cash management system. This paper aims at constructing the comprehensive cash management system which will be carried out under the network environment. As a consequence, it will provide effective cash source supporting for the healthy and sustainable development of corporation.",
"corpus_id": 55515416,
"score": 1,
"title": "The Reconstruction of Cash Management System of Yunhai Group under the Network Environment"
} |
{
"abstract": "The role of Nav1.7 in electrogenesis in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and sympathetic ganglion neurons is well-established, and it is clear that Nav1.7 functions as a threshold channel in these neurons, amplifying small depolarizing inputs to bring the cell to threshold for action potential generation and facilitating neural transmitter release.1–3 Nav1.7 dysfunction is associated with different human pain disorders. Gain-of-function missense mutations in Nav1.7 have been shown to cause primary erythermalgia and paroxysmal extreme pain disorder,4–7 while nonsense mutations in Nav1.7 result in loss of Nav1.7 function and a condition known as channelopathy-associated insensitivity to pain, a rare disorder in which affected individuals are unable to feel physical pain.8–11 \n \nA number of mediators, including prostaglandin,12 adenosine13 and serotonin,14 affect the electrophysiological properties of voltage-gated sodium channels. These mediators increase the magnitude of the current, lead to activation of the channel at more hyperpolarized potentials, and enhance the rates of channel activation and inactivation. As a consequence, hypersensitivity can sensitize nociceptive neurons. In an experimental model of inflammatory pain in which an irritant was injected into the hind paw in rats, Nav1.7 protein expression was upregulated within DRG neurons that project their axons to the inflamed area and such change increased excitability of these cells.15 Collectively, these data suggest that Nav1.7 contributes, at least in part, to pain associated with inflammation. Whether or not the stress (without inflammation) is one of the causes resulting in a dynamic change of Nav1.7 expression is unknown. \n \n“Nav1.7: stress-induced changes in immunoreactivity within magnocellular neurosecretory neurons of the supraoptic nucleus,” reported by Black et al,16 reveals a relationship between salty feeding and high level expression of Nav1.7 in supraoptic nucleus in rodent, which potentially provided a biological animal model to understand the relationship of stress and change of voltage gated sodium channel in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). \n \nIn the study, the rats were housed under a 12 hours-12 hours dark-light cycle, and fed with 2% NaCl (ad libitum) in their drinking water and unlimited access to food. The measurement of plasma osmotic pressure after such feeding was confirmed by hyperosmolarity (mOsm), i.e., 323.3 ± 4.8 in control rats, 353.2 ± 3.3 in salt-loaded rats (P < 0.05). The changes of Nav1.7 expression were analyzed using immunocytochemistry by comparing Nav1.7 immunofluorescence between two groups (6 control and 6 salt-loaded rats) after 7 days of salt loading. The authors found that salt-loading induced a substantial increase in the level of Nav1.7 immunoreactivity in magnocellular neurosecretory cells of the supraoptic nucleus compared to magnocellular neurosecretory cells in control rats. In addition to the detection of greater numbers of magnocellular neurosecretory cells that displayed Nav1.7 immunolabeling, the intensity of Nav1.7 in some magnocellular neurosecretory neurons was markedly greater than that observed in magnocellular neurosecretory cells from control rats. Quantification of the mean intensity of Nav1.7 signal within the circumscribed supraoptic nucleus demonstrated a significant up-regulation of Nav1.7 in response to salt-loading challenge. These observations demonstrate that the level of Nav1.7 protein in these cells is significantly increased in osmotically-challenged rats.",
"corpus_id": 874691,
"title": "Upregulation of Nav1.7 Through High Salt Loading"
} | {
"abstract": "The general lack of pain experience is a rare occurrence in humans, and the molecular causes for this phenotype are not well understood. Here we have studied a Canadian family from Newfoundland with members who exhibit a congenital inability to experience pain. We have mapped the locus to a 13.7 Mb region on chromosome 2q (2q24.3-2q31.1). Screening of candidate genes in this region identified a protein-truncating mutation in SCN9A, which encodes for the voltage-gated sodium channel Na(v)1.7. The mutation is a C-A transversion at nucleotide 984 transforming the codon for tyrosine 328 to a stop codon. The predicted product lacks all pore-forming regions of Na(v)1.7. Indeed, expression of this altered gene in a cell line did not produce functional responses, nor did it cause compensatory effects on endogenous voltage-gated sodium currents when expressed in ND7/23 cells. Because a homozygous knockout of Na(v)1.7 in mice has been shown to be lethal, we explored why a deficiency of Na(v)1.7 is non-lethal in humans. Expression studies in monkey, human, mouse and rat tissue indicated species-differences in the Na(v)1.7 expression profile. Whereas in rodents the channel was strongly expressed in hypothalamic nuclei, only weak mRNA levels were detected in this area in primates. Furthermore, primate pituitary and adrenal glands were devoid of signal, whereas these two glands were mRNA-positive in rodents. This species difference may explain the non-lethality of the observed mutation in humans. Our data further establish Na(v)1.7 as a critical element of peripheral nociception in humans.",
"corpus_id": 15517602,
"title": "A stop codon mutation in SCN9A causes lack of pain sensation."
} | {
"abstract": "Abstract Two new enzymes, a rhamnose isomerase and a rhamnulokinase, were found in an R + mutant of Pasteurella pestis when grown in the presence of rhamnose. The rhamnose isomerase converts rhamnose into the keto sugar, rhamnulose, and the rhamnulokinase phosphorylates rhamnulose, probably to rhamnulose 1-phosphate. Neither enzyme can be detected in R + cells grown in the absence of rhamnose or in the wild type (R − ) cells grown in the presence or absence of rhamnose or rhamnulose. The ability of the mutant to respond to rhamnose and rhamnulose leading to the production of these two enzymes is “gained” as the result of a single mutational event.",
"corpus_id": 22278329,
"score": 1,
"title": "Physiological basis for rhamnose utilization by a mutant of Pasteurella pestis. II. A single mutational event leading to the production of two enzymes."
} |
{
"abstract": "Small-angle neutron scattering and turbidity were used to probe nanoscale structure in bicontinuous microemulsions before and after polymerization. Difficulties in capturing nanoscale structure by polymerizing microemulsions have persisted with the use of thermal initiation. Bicontinuous microemulsion polymerization with a reactive surfactant monomer and cross-linker was done with only a 20% increase in repeat distance. This small increase represents better than an order of magnitude advance over previous attempts, exhibiting hundreds to thousands percent increases. Both the network gel and the precursor microemulsion were transparent and devoid of microphase separation.",
"corpus_id": 5716703,
"title": "Capturing Nanoscale Structure in Network Gels by Microemulsion Polymerization."
} | {
"abstract": "A polymerizable ionic liquid surfactant, 1-(11-acryloyloxyundecyl)-3-methylimidiazolium bromide (ILBr), was copolymerized with methyl methacrylate (MMA) in aqueous microemulsions at 30% (ILBr w/w) and various water to MMA ratios. The ternary phase diagram of the ILBr/MMA/water system was constructed at 25 and 60 °C. Homopolymers and copolymers of ILBr and MMA were produced by thermally initiated chain radical microemulsion polymerization at various compositions in bicontinuous and reverse microemulsion subdomains. Microemulsion polymerization reaction products varied from being gel-like to solid, and these materials were analyzed by thermal and scanning electron microscopy methods. Microemulsion polymerized materials were insoluble in all solvents tested, consistent with light cross-linking. Ion exchange between Br(-) and PF6(-) in these copolymeric materials resulted in the formation of open-cell porous structures in some of these materials, as was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Several compositions illustrate the capture of prepolymerization nanoscale structure by thermally initiated polymerization, expanding the domain of compositions exhibiting this feat and yet to be demonstrated in any other system. Regular cylindrical pores in interpenetrating ILBr-co-MMA and PMMA networks are produced by anion exchange in the absence of templates. A percolating cluster/bicontinuous transition is \"captured\" by SEM after using anion exchange to visualize the mixed cluster/pore morphology. Some design principles for achieving this capture and for obtaining stimuli responsive solvogels are articulated, and the importance of producing solvogels in capturing the nanoscale is highlighted.",
"corpus_id": 38190485,
"title": "Porating anion-responsive copolymeric gels."
} | {
"abstract": "No general theory exists that can predict the efficiency of phosphors with electronic transitions in localized centers. In this paper a survey and discussion are given of the correlation between fluorescent properties and chemical properties, like composition and structure. Points of discussion are (a) choice of the activator together with concentration quenching and critical concentration for this phenomenon, (b) influence of the host lattice on the photoluminescence efficiency for direct excitation of the activator, and (c) energy transfer between fluorescent centers. These considerations are illustrated by a large number of experimental examples.",
"corpus_id": 96041161,
"score": 1,
"title": "Photoluminescent Efficiency of Phosphors with Electronic Transitions in Localized Centers"
} |
{
"abstract": "According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by three major symptom clusters following an event that elicited fear, helplessness, or horror. This review will examine each symptom cluster of PTSD separately, giving case study examples of patients who exhibit a preponderance of a given symptom domain. We use a translational approach in describing the underlying neurobiology that is relevant to particular symptoms and treatment options, thus showing how clinical practice can benefit from current research. By focusing on symptom clusters, we provide a more specific view of individual patient’s clinical presentations, in order to better address treatment needs. Finally, the review will also address potential genetic approaches to treatment as another form of individualized treatment.",
"corpus_id": 1847521,
"title": "Tailoring therapeutic strategies for treating posttraumatic stress disorder symptom clusters"
} | {
"abstract": "It is always important to capture information generated from clinical databases to advance theory and practice. This is certainly the case with two articles in this issue of the Journal. One article addresses the secondary prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by the administration of morphine during resuscitation and early trauma care in U.S. Navy and Marine Corps personnel injured in combat.1 The other article describes increased mental health problems among wives of deployed U.S. Army personnel.2 The search for a “morning-after pill” after exposure to traumatic stress is obviously of great importance. It would be valuable if it . . .",
"corpus_id": 2900307,
"title": "Prevention of psychiatric problems among military personnel and their spouses."
} | {
"abstract": "ABSTRACT The reporting of exaggerated effect size estimates may occur either through researchers accepting statistically significant results when power is inadequate and/or from repeated measures approaches aggregating, averaging multiple items, or multiple trials. Monte-Carlo simulations with input of a small, medium, or large effect size were conducted on multiple items or trials that were either averaged or aggregated to create a single dependent measure. Alpha was set at the .05 level, and the trials were assessed over item or trial correlations ranging from 0 to 1. Simulations showed a large increase in observed effect size averages and the power to accept these estimates as statistically significant increased over numbers of trials or items. Overestimation effects were mitigated as correlations between trials increased but still remained substantial in some cases. The implications of these findings for meta-analyses and different research scenarios are discussed.",
"corpus_id": 18189526,
"score": 1,
"title": "Accuracy of Effect Size Estimates From Published Psychological Experiments Involving Multiple Trials"
} |
{
"abstract": "We develop an incremental-tableau-based decision procedure for the multi-agent epistemic logic MAEL(CD) (aka S5n (CD)), whose language contains operators of individual knowledge for a finite set Sigma agents of agents, as well as operators of distributed and common knowledge among all agents in agents. Our tableau procedure works in (deterministic) exponential time, thus establishing an upper bound for MAEL(cd)-satisfiability that matches the (implicit) lower-bound known from earlier results, which implies ExpTime-completeness of MAEL(CD)-satisfiability. Therefore, our procedure provides a complexity-optimal algorithm for checking MAEL(CD)-satisfiability, which, however, in most cases is much more efficient. We prove soundness and completeness of the procedure, and illustrate it with an example.",
"corpus_id": 1594507,
"title": "Tableau-Based Decision Procedure for the Multi-agent Epistemic Logic with Operators of Common and Distributed Knowledge"
} | {
"abstract": "We develop a conceptually clear, intuitive, and feasible de- cision procedure for testing satisability in the full multiagent epistemic logic CMAEL(CD) with operators for common and distributed knowl- edge for all coalitions of agents mentioned in the language. To that end, we introduce Hintikka structures for CMAEL(CD) and prove that sat- isability in such structures is equivalent to satisability in standard models. Using that result, we design an incremental tableau-building procedure that eventually constructs a satisfying Hintikka structure for every satisable input set of formulae of CMAEL(CD) and closes for every unsatisable input set of formulae.",
"corpus_id": 2364398,
"title": "Tableau-based decision procedure for the multiagent epistemic logic with all coalitional operators for common and distributed knowledge"
} | {
"abstract": "Abstract Unreinforced masonry (URM) is one of the most common structural types for low-rise buildings in the United States. Its dynamic behavior is highly nonlinear, and generally shows high vulnerability to seismic loading. Despite the need for seismic risk assessment of this class of structures, the fragility curves for URM buildings based on analytical models are scarce in the field of earthquake engineering. This study performs seismic fragility analysis of a URM low-rise building. Fragility curves are developed for a two-story URM building designed to represent a typical essential facility (i.e., a firehouse) in the central and southern US (CSUS) region. A structural modeling method is proposed such that it can be effectively used for fragility analysis without significant increase in computational time, and maintains an acceptable level of accuracy in representing the nonlinear behavior of the structures. A set of fragility curves are developed and include different configurations of the out-of-plane walls and their associated stiffness. The fragility analysis shows that the seismic performance of URM buildings is well below the desirable building seismic performance level recommended by current seismic codes, indicating high vulnerability of URM buildings within the CSUS region. It is also shown that the out-of-plane wall stiffness should not be ignored in the risk assessment of URM buildings because the overall seismic performance of URM buildings is rather sensitive to the out-of-plane wall stiffness. The analytical fragility curves developed are compared with those of HAZUS. The comparison shows that the analytical fragility curves developed have lower variation in the seismic response than those of HAZUS. Several reasons for the discrepancy are discussed. The model-based analytical fragility curves developed in this study can increase the accuracy and effectiveness of seismic risk assessment of essential facilities of the CSUS region. Moreover, the structural modeling method introduced in this study can be effectively used for development of the fragility curves of URM buildings.",
"corpus_id": 108518222,
"score": 0,
"title": "Seismic fragility analysis of low-rise unreinforced masonry structures"
} |
{
"abstract": "36",
"corpus_id": 210590890,
"title": "Hippocampal-entorhinal codes for space, time and cognition"
} | {
"abstract": null,
"corpus_id": 8518920,
"title": "The Hippocampus, Memory, and Place Cells Is It Spatial Memory or a Memory Space?"
} | {
"abstract": "In this article, we present a perspective on the role of the hippocampal system in generalization, instantiated in a computational model called REMERGE (recurrency and episodic memory results in generalization). We expose a fundamental, but neglected, tension between prevailing computational theories that emphasize the function of the hippocampus in pattern separation (Marr, 1971; McClelland, McNaughton, & O'Reilly, 1995), and empirical support for its role in generalization and flexible relational memory (Cohen & Eichenbaum, 1993; Eichenbaum, 1999). Our account provides a means by which to resolve this conflict, by demonstrating that the basic representational scheme envisioned by complementary learning systems theory (McClelland et al., 1995), which relies upon orthogonalized codes in the hippocampus, is compatible with efficient generalization—as long as there is recurrence rather than unidirectional flow within the hippocampal circuit or, more widely, between the hippocampus and neocortex. We propose that recurrent similarity computation, a process that facilitates the discovery of higher-order relationships between a set of related experiences, expands the scope of classical exemplar-based models of memory (e.g., Nosofsky, 1984) and allows the hippocampus to support generalization through interactions that unfold within a dynamically created memory space.",
"corpus_id": 2607739,
"score": -1,
"title": "Generalization Through the Recurrent Interaction of Episodic Memories"
} |
{
"abstract": "Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) has become a powerful tool to substantially increase the sensitivity of high-field magic angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR experiments. The addition of dissolved hyperpolarizing agents usually results in the presence of solvent signals that can overlap and obscure those of interest from the analyte. Here, two methods are proposed to suppress DNP solvent signals: a Forced Echo Dephasing experiment (FEDex) and TRAnsfer of Populations in DOuble Resonance Echo Dephasing (TRAPDORED) NMR. These methods reintroduce a heteronuclear dipolar interaction that is specific to the solvent, thereby forcing a dephasing of recoupled solvent spins and leaving acquired NMR spectra free of associated resonance overlap with the analyte. The potency of these methods is demonstrated on sample types common to MAS-DNP experiments, namely a frozen solution (of l-proline) and a powdered solid (progesterone), both containing deuterated glycerol as a DNP solvent. The proposed methods are efficient, simple to implement, compatible with other NMR experiments, and extendable past spectral editing for just DNP solvents. The sensitivity gains from MAS-DNP in conjunction with FEDex or TRAPDORED then permits rapid and uninterrupted sample analysis.",
"corpus_id": 1748517,
"title": "Solvent signal suppression for high-resolution MAS-DNP."
} | {
"abstract": "A method based on highly concentrated radical solutions is investigated for the suppression of the NMR signals arising from solvents that are usually used for dynamic nuclear polarization experiments. The presented method is suitable in the case of powders, which are impregnated with a radical-containing solution. It is also demonstrated that the intensity and the resolution of the signals due to the sample of interest is not affected by the high concentration of radicals. The method proposed here is therefore valuable when sensitivity is of the utmost importance, namely samples at natural isotopic abundance.",
"corpus_id": 73471598,
"title": "Brute-force solvent suppression for DNP studies of powders at natural isotopic abundance."
} | {
"abstract": "Abstract The potential impact of changing crystal forms during late-stage drug development, in terms of cost and product delay, justifies systematic and early characterization of polymorphism. A thorough understanding of polymorph characteristics also allows selection of the best form to market. The authors review the key elements of polymorph characterization (identification and quantitation, structures, properties and structure-property relationships). The emphasis is on recent developments and an integrated characterization strategy for different types of polymorphs using crystallographic, spectroscopic, microscopic and thermal techniques.",
"corpus_id": 72538862,
"score": 2,
"title": "Physical characterization of polymorphic drugs: an integrated characterization strategy"
} |
{
"abstract": "Hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ) thin films were deposited from tetrakis(ethylmethylamino)hafnium (TEMAH) and ozone (O 3 ) by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on 200 mm silicon wafers. The O 3 half-reaction shows good saturation behavior. However, gradual surface saturation is observed for the TEMAH half-reaction. Within wafer non-uniformity of less than 1% and step coverage of about 100% were achieved for trenches with aspect ratio of around 40:1. The film thickness increased linearly as the number of cycles increased. From susceptor temperatures of 160-420°C, the lowest deposition rate (A/cycle) and the highest refractive index is observed at 320°C. The atomic ratio of hafnium to oxygen determined by Rutherford backscattering is 1:2.04 for the films deposited at 320°C. The carbon and hydrogen content determined by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) decreased as the susceptor temperature increased from 200 to 320°C. Lower carbon and hydrogen levels were obtained in the control films made with H 2 O than the films made with O 3 . A reaction mechanism of the TEMAH + O 3 ALD process is discussed. The results show that an O 3 -based ALD HfO 2 deposition is promising for microelectronic applications.",
"corpus_id": 7972482,
"title": "ALD of Hafnium Oxide Thin Films from Tetrakis(ethylmethylamino)hafnium and Ozone"
} | {
"abstract": "Highly conformal coatings can be deposited inside narrow features, such as holes, using complementary self-limiting reactions of two vapors with a surface. A simple theory is developed for the conditions needed to deposit coatings with uniform thickness in narrow holes of arbitrary cross section. Two conditions are found to be necessary: 1) certain minimum amounts of vapor must be supplied, and 2) a certain minimum product of vapor pressure and its exposure time at the entrance to the hole. The theory is in good agreement with data from the reaction of hafnium dimethylamide vapor and water vapor to form hafnium dioxide films that are completely conformal in holes with an aspect ratio of 43. The theory provides simple scaling laws to predict the conditions needed to coat holes with other aspect ratios.",
"corpus_id": 137424716,
"title": "A Kinetic Model for Step Coverage by Atomic Layer Deposition in Narrow Holes or Trenches"
} | {
"abstract": "The reactions between Zr thin films and SiO2 substrates in the temperature range of 650–950 °C in vacuum have been studied by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and glancing angle x‐ray diffraction. A Zr‐rich silicide, Zr5Si4, formed next to the SiO2 substrate and a surface layer of Zr oxide appeared on top of the Zr‐rich silicide. The reaction was characterized by an activation energy, Ea =2.8 ±0.2 eV.",
"corpus_id": 98098117,
"score": 2,
"title": "Reactions of Zr thin films with SiO2 substrates"
} |
{
"abstract": "A stable finite element scheme that avoids pressure oscillations for a three-field Biot's model in poroelasticity is considered. The involved variables are the displacements, fluid flux (Darcy velocity), and the pore pressure, and they are discretized by using the lowest possible approximation order: Crouzeix-Raviart finite elements for the displacements, lowest order Raviart-Thomas-Nedelecźelements for the Darcy velocity, and piecewise constant approximation for the pressure. Mass-lumping technique is introduced for the Raviart-Thomas-Nedelecźelements in order to eliminate the Darcy velocity and, therefore, reduce the computational cost. We show convergence of the discrete scheme which is implicit in time and use these types of elements in space with and without mass-lumping. Finally, numerical experiments illustrate the convergence of the method and show its effectiveness to avoid spurious pressure oscillations when mass lumping for the Raviart-Thomas-Nedelecźelements is used.",
"corpus_id": 3652217,
"title": "A nonconforming finite element method for the Biot's consolidation model in poroelasticity"
} | {
"abstract": "A least-squares mixed finite element method for the coupled problem of flow and deformation is presented and analyzed in this paper. For the analysis, we restrict ourselves to fully saturated conditions for the flow process and to a linearly elastic material law for the deformation process. This is known in the literature as Biot's consolidation problem. For simplicity, the analysis is presented for the problem in two space dimensions. Our least-squares approach is motivated by the fact that all process variables, i.e., fluid pressure and flux as well as displacement field and stress tensor, are approximated directly by suitable finite element spaces. Ellipticity of the corresponding variational formulation is proven for the stationary case as well as for the subproblems arising at each step of an implicit time discretization in the general time-dependent case. Standard H1-conforming piecewise linear and quadratic finite elements are used for the fluid pressure and for (each component of) the displacement, respectively. For the flux and stress components, the H(div)-conforming Raviart--Thomas spaces (of lowest order) are used. Computational results are presented for some two-dimensional test problems.",
"corpus_id": 19416914,
"title": "A Least-Squares Mixed Finite Element Method for Biot's Consolidation Problem in Porous Media"
} | {
"abstract": "a b s t r a c t Seismic signals near rivers are partially composed of the elastic waves generated by bedload particles impacting the river bed. In this study, we explore the relationship between this seismic signal and river bedload transport by analyzing high-frequency broadband seismic data from multiple stations along the Chijiawan River in northern Taiwan following the removal of a 13 m check dam. This dam removal provides a natural experiment in which rapid and predictable changes in the river's profile occur, which in turn enables independent constraints on spatial and temporal variation in bedload sediment transport. We compare floods of similar magnitudes with and without bedload transport, and find that the amplitude of seismic shaking produced at a given river stage changes over the course of a single storm when bedload transport is active. Hysteresis in the relationship between bedload transport and river stage is a well-documented phenomenon with multiple known causes. Consequently, previous studies have suggested that hysteresis observed in the seismic amplitude-stage response is the signature of bedload transport. Field evidence and stream profile evolution in this study corroborate that interpretation. We develop a metric (Ψ ) for the normalized magnitude of seismic hysteresis during individual floods. This metric appears to scale qualitatively with total bedload transport at each seismic station, indicating a dominance of transport on the rising limbs of both storms. We speculate that hysteresis at this site arises from time-dependent evolution of the bed, for example due to grain packing, mobile armoring, or the temporal lag between stage and bedform growth. Ψ reveals along-stream variations in hysteresis for each storm, with a peak in hysteresis further downstream for the second event. The pattern is consistent with a migrating sediment pulse that is a predicted consequence of the dam removal. Our results indicate that hysteresis in the relationship between seismic wave amplitude and river stage may track sediment transport.",
"corpus_id": 55924937,
"score": 1,
"title": "Migration of a coarse fluvial sediment pulse detected by hysteresis in bedload generated seismic waves"
} |
{
"abstract": "Guided by the cultural competence and confidence (CCC) model, the Transcultural Self-Efficacy Tool (TSET) was used to evaluate the influence of cultural competence education on the transcultural se...",
"corpus_id": 29610510,
"title": "Evaluating the Influence of Cultural Competence Education on Students’ Transcultural Self-Efficacy Perceptions"
} | {
"abstract": "AIM ::: To evaluate the influence of incivility on the new graduate nurse transition experience. ::: ::: ::: BACKGROUND ::: Incivility in the work environment is a major source of dissatisfaction and new graduate nurses are especially vulnerable. Incivility contributes to the high levels of turnover associated within the first 2 years of new graduate nurse employment. ::: ::: ::: EVALUATION ::: An integrated review of the literature was conducted using MEDLINE-EBSCOhost, PsycInfo and CINAHL databases. Relevant articles were reviewed for appropriateness related to inclusion/exclusion criteria and for quality using established criteria. Sixteen studies were included in the final analysis. ::: ::: ::: KEY ISSUES ::: Themes that emerged included workplace incivility, nurse residency programmes, mentoring through preceptors and empowerment/work environment. Findings indicated that incivility in the workplace was a significant predictor of low job satisfaction in new graduate nurses transitioning into practice. ::: ::: ::: CONCLUSIONS ::: While graduate nurse transition programmes are associated with improved satisfaction and retention, they appear to address incivility by acculturating new graduate nurses to the experience of incivility. There is little evidence that the culture of incivility has been addressed. ::: ::: ::: IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT ::: Nurse managers have the responsibility to be aware of the prevalence of incivility, assess for its occurrence, and implement strategies which eliminate workplace incivility and tolerance for uncivil behaviours.",
"corpus_id": 206120550,
"title": "Incivility, retention and new graduate nurses: an integrated review of the literature"
} | {
"abstract": "because observed behavior is the result of interactions between environmental factors and genes during the extended period of development. Therefore, to better understand expert and exceptional performance, we must require that the account specify the different environmental factors that could selectively promote and facilitate the achievement of such performance. In addition, recent research on expert performance and expertise (Chi, Glaser, & Farr, 1988; Ericsson & Smith, 1991a) has shown that important characteristics of experts' superior performance are acquired through experience and that the effect of practice on performance is larger than earlier believed possible. For this reason, an account of exceptional performance must specify the environmental circumstances, such as the duration and structure of activities, and necessary minimal biological attributes that lead to the acquisition of such characteristics and a corresponding level of performance. An account that explains how a majority of individuals can attain a given level of expert performance might seem inherently unable to explain the exceptional performance of only a small number of individuals. However, if such an empirical account could be empirically supported, then the extreme characteristics of experts could be viewed as having been acquired through learning and adaptation, and studies of expert performance could provide unique insights into the possibilities and limits of change in cognitive capacities and bodily functions. In this article we propose a theoretical framework that explains expert performance in terms of acquired characteristics resulting from extended deliberate practice and that limits the role of innate (inherited) characteristics to general levels of activity and emotionality. We provide empirical support from two new studies and from already published evidence on expert performance in many different domains.",
"corpus_id": 11187529,
"score": -1,
"title": "The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance"
} |
{
"abstract": "Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a systemic, autoimmune, chronic inflammatory disease affecting the connective tissue. SSc is mainly characterised by progressive fibrosis of the skin, subcutaneous tissue and internal organs, leading to their failure (1). In the majority of cases, lesions involve the osteoarticular, gastrointestinal or cardiovascular system, lungs, kidneys, and nervous system (2-4). The disease occurs in all ethnic groups and mainly affects women; its peak incidence is observed in the 5th and 6th decade of life. Occasionally, lesions develop in childhood (about 3% of cases) (5). The aetiology and pathogenesis of SSc have not been fully elucidated. The immune system activation appears to be essential for the development of disease (6-8). By releasing cytokines and growth factors, the immune response markedly affects the growth and differentiation of fibroblasts as well as synthesis of collagen (9). The study findings demonstrate that the extent of lymphocytic infiltrates in the affected skin of SSc patients correlates with the severity and degree of skin hardening (10). In the early stages of SSc, inflammatory infiltrates in the skin composed of T lymphocytes, macrophages, mast cells, eosinophils, basophils, and, although less frequently, of B lymphocytes, precede the histological features of fibrosis (7,11). With the progression of fibrosis, inflammatory infiltrates tend to regress (12).",
"corpus_id": 36404552,
"title": "Apoptosis of T Lymphocytes in Systemic Sclerosis"
} | {
"abstract": null,
"corpus_id": 2288374,
"title": "Distinct immune profiles characterize patients with diffuse or limited systemic sclerosis."
} | {
"abstract": "There have been few recent studies of the descriptive epidemiology of systemic sclerosis, but in recent work the limited form of the disease seems more prominent than reported in previous studies. Molecular genetic investigation of systemic sclerosis remains disappointing in identifying susceptibility alleles. There are some associations in relation to HLA class II alleles, specifically DP, DQ, and DR. These associations, however, seem to be more important in predicting the nature of the autoimmune response rather than describing disease susceptibility itself. The study of occupational and environmental influences has been dominated by studies on the role of silicone gel breast implants. These studies, driven by medicolegal constraints, have overwhelmingly failed to prove any association. Other studies confirm the continuing likelihood that organic solvents are implicated, at least in a proportion of cases.",
"corpus_id": 24908802,
"score": -1,
"title": "Epidemiology of systemic sclerosis."
} |
{
"abstract": "Objective This study aimed to pilot a cystoscopy training program for community gynecologists that is validated by posttraining examination. Methods Twenty-eight gynecologists were trained to perform cystoscopy using a competency-based training approach. Baseline information included years in practice and number of incontinence procedures and/or cystoscopies performed per month. Three 5-hour workshops were administered that included applied practice. After learners individually trained until they felt comfortable with their skills on a model, they were individually tested on a cadaver. Performance was evaluated with 2 instruments, namely, a task-specific checklist and a global rating scale based on the objective structured assessment of technical skill model. Failure was defined as inability to independently complete elements of the task-specific checklist for cystoscopic examination. Likert-type self-report scales were used during pretesting and posttesting, assessing confidence to perform component tasks for diagnostic cystoscopy. Results Twenty-four of 28 trainees successfully performed a systematic cadaveric bladder examination during the primary posttest. After debriefing, the 4 trainees who initially failed successfully performed cystoscopy during a second trial. Median age was 51 years and median time in practice was 19.5 years. All participants reported high confidence in identifying ureteral injury at the course’s conclusion. Conclusions A task-specific training program can successfully improve the confidence and skill of community gynecologists to perform intraoperative diagnostic cystoscopy. Professionals may not be able to define when they have received enough instruction in terms of hands-on training with models, before acquisition of technical skills. Formal evaluation of technical skills is recommended after training to ensure competence.",
"corpus_id": 688894,
"title": "Training Community Gynecologists to Perform Intraoperative Cystoscopy: A Competency-Based Training Experience"
} | {
"abstract": "Objective Although gynecologists perform a large number of surgeries in close proximity to the ureters and the urinary bladder, traditionally, Obstetrics and Gynecology resident physicians are not formally taught to perform cystoscopy. The primary objective was to document resident physicians’ performance in diagnostic cystoscopic instrumentation and technique. The secondary objective was to examine if reported prior cystoscopic experience was associated with superior performance. Methods Fifty-one postgraduate year 4 residents with reported experience with cystoscopy were evaluated using an operation-specific checklist and a global ratings scale based on the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill model. Before evaluation, they attended a formal training session in cystoscopy, which included practice on a bench model of a simulated bladder. Results Forty-three of the 51 residents were able to successfully perform a thorough diagnostic examination immediately after the course. Six of the 8 failures were re-evaluated 2 weeks later and successfully performed a complete examination at that time. Before the course, the residents had performed a mean of 12.2 cystoscopic examinations as the primary surgeon (median, 12; range, 2–33). The number of reported cystoscopic examinations performed before the course did not correlate with the ability to perform a thorough cystoscopic examination (r = −0.109; P = 0.496). Conclusions For this group of residents, there was poor correlation between the number of reported cystoscopic examinations and the ability to perform diagnostic cystoscopy. Trainees may not be able to determine when they have received enough instruction in hands-on training with models before acquisition of technical skills.",
"corpus_id": 7944794,
"title": "Reported Cystoscopic Experience Correlates Poorly With Objective Assessment of Cystoscopic Skills"
} | {
"abstract": "Abstract The flood that occurred in summer 1997 in Poland, affecting the drainage basins of the Odra and the Vistula, caused 54 fatalities and material losses of the order of billions of US$. The flood struck a large part of the country and caused inundation of 665 000 ha of land. The number of evacuees was 162 thousand. The rhetoric commonly used in Poland refers to the Great Flood of 1997 as an event whose scale exceeded all imagination about the possible size of the disaster. Indeed, historic maxima of river stage and flow rate were considerably exceeded. From the hydrological point of view, this flood was a very rare event, with a return period in some river cross-sections of the order of a thousand years and more. As this natural disaster, striking a dynamically developing country-in-transition, attracted much international interest, a holistic view of it is presented. Attempts to answer the questions: “Could the disaster have been avoided?” and “What lessons can be learnt from the flood?” are also made.",
"corpus_id": 14189233,
"score": 0,
"title": "The Great Flood of 1997 in Poland"
} |
{
"abstract": "Ce travail a pour objectif de mettre en evidence les effets de la simulation mentale guidee sur l’apprentissage, sur la performance et sur l’image du mouvement en danse. Dans la revue de litterature, nous presentons les principales theories de l’apprentissage cognitif et socio-cognitif, ainsi que les mises en œuvre des methodes d’apprentissage issues de ces deux champs theoriques. Puis, a partir des specificites de la danse « didactisee », des transformations visees en milieu scolaire et universitaire, et de la place des images mentales en danse, nous envisageons la simulation mentale guidee par des consignes rythmiques, motrices et metaphoriques. Nous presentons ensuite une etude preliminaire visant la construction d'outils d'evaluation de la performance en danse, ainsi que deux etudes experimentales menees aupres de sujets adultes novices portant sur l'apprentissage lors de tâches de reproduction de forme et d'improvisation-composition. Les resultats dans ce qu'ils ont d'essentiel montrent (1) que la simulation mentale est une methode d'apprentissage plus efficace que l'observation a partir du moment ou elle est guidee, (2) que les consignes rythmiques sont fondamentales dans l'apprentissage en danse parce qu'elles permettent d'organiser et de structurer le mouvement, (3) que les consignes metaphoriques apparaissent particulierement adaptees a la dimension expressive et artistique de la danse. Dans leur ensemble, ces resultats soulignent l'importance de guider la simulation mentale a l'aide de consignes pour s'assurer de son efficacite dans l'apprentissage.",
"corpus_id": 193256800,
"title": "Influence de la simulation mentale guidée sur l'apprentissage du mouvement en danse"
} | {
"abstract": null,
"corpus_id": 4043263,
"title": "Relationship between mental imagery and sporting performance"
} | {
"abstract": "This paper provides a critical review of research on mental practice, with special emphasis on works investigating the role of visual imagery in this type of learning technique. Relevant properties of images and conditions required for their effectiveness in mental practice of motor skills are analyzed in the light of empirical evidence. The paper examines the specific question of individual imagery differences in mental practice research. Finally, implications for future research are discussed as regards the impact of certain kinds of physical training on mental imagery.",
"corpus_id": 44770950,
"score": -1,
"title": "Visual imagery and the use of mental practice in the development of motor skills."
} |
{
"abstract": "Over the past decade, nursing has identified the significance of self-esteem in maintaining wellness among adolescents. Low self-esteem has been linked to numerous adolescent risk behaviors such as smoking, drug use, and sexual activity. Adolescents engaging in these risk behaviors may have subsequent health problems, such as alcohol and drug addiction, as well as teen pregnancy. Present treatment modalities for low self-esteem have not been optimally effective. Nursing needs to examine adolescent self-esteem within the discipline of nursing and develop its own prevention and intervention strategies. Guided by the Roy Adaptation Model, our study used a descriptive, correlational design and examined the self-report of self-esteem on age group, gender, exercise participation, smoking, parental alcohol usage, depression, and anger in a nonclinical, community sample of adolescents aged 12-19.",
"corpus_id": 860494,
"title": "A study of self-esteem among well adolescents: seeking a new direction."
} | {
"abstract": "Mental, emotional, and behavioral challenges may emerge during adolescence (Kazdin, 1993); however, many, if not most, young people negotiate this life stage without serious difficulty (e.g., Loh & Wragg, 2004). The literature, nonetheless, acknowledges an increase in negative social and psychological development trajectories (e.g. teen depression) for today’s generation of adolescents (Small & Covalt, 2006), exemplifying the need for continued focus on the psychosocial well-being of this group. Statistics substantiate mental health problems in adolescents, revealing, for example, that in general, one in five adolescents experience significant symptoms of emotional distress and approximately 10% of children and adolescents suffer from emotional disorders which impair their personal, school, and family lives (Knopf, Park, & Mulye, 2008; US Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 1999). Other research reported greater psychiatric problems (including anxiety) and greater risk of comorbidity problems among Black adolescents as compared to other racial/ethnic groups (e.g., Chen, KilleyaJones, & Vega, 2005).",
"corpus_id": 6042576,
"title": "Social Integration and Mental Health Promotion: A Study of Black Adolescents"
} | {
"abstract": "Some people may be laughing when looking at you reading in your spare time. Some may be admired of you. And some may want be like you who have reading hobby. What about your own feel? Have you felt right? Reading is a need and a hobby at once. This condition is the on that will make you feel that you must read. If you know are looking for the book enPDFd nursing assessment and health promotion strategies through the life span as the choice of reading, you can find here.",
"corpus_id": 70931556,
"score": 2,
"title": "Nursing assessment & health promotion strategies through the life span"
} |
{
"abstract": "The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 3C-like protease has been proposed to be a key target for structurally based drug design against SARS. The enzyme exists as a mixture of dimer and monomer, and only the dimer was considered to be active. In this report, we have investigated, using molecular dynamics simulation and mutational studies, the problems as to why only the dimer is active and whether both of the two protomers in the dimer are active. The molecular dynamics simulations show that the monomers are always inactive, that the two protomers in the dimer are asymmetric, and that only one protomer is active at a time. The enzyme activity of the hybrid severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 3C-like protease of the wild-type protein and the inactive mutant proves that the dimerization is important for enzyme activity and only one active protomer in the dimer is enough for the catalysis. Our simulations also show that the right conformation for catalysis in one protomer can be induced upon dimer formation. These results suggest that the enzyme may follow the association, activation, catalysis, and dissociation mechanism for activity control.",
"corpus_id": 85906,
"title": "Only One Protomer Is Active in the Dimer of SARS 3C-like Proteinase*"
} | {
"abstract": "A newly identified severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), is the etiological agent responsible for the outbreak of SARS. The SARS-CoV main protease, which is a 33.8-kDa protease (also called the 3C-like protease), plays a pivotal role in mediating viral replication and transcription functions through extensive proteolytic processing of two replicase polyproteins, pp1a (486 kDa) and pp1ab (790 kDa). Here, we report the crystal structures of the SARS-CoV main protease at different pH values and in complex with a specific inhibitor. The protease structure has a fold that can be described as an augmented serine-protease, but with a Cys-His at the active site. This series of crystal structures, which is the first, to our knowledge, of any protein from the SARS virus, reveal substantial pH-dependent conformational changes, and an unexpected mode of inhibitor binding, providing a structural basis for rational drug design.",
"corpus_id": 15206958,
"title": "The crystal structures of severe acute respiratory syndrome virus main protease and its complex with an inhibitor"
} | {
"abstract": "Recently, we have shown that net magnetization transfer among scalar coupled homonuclear spins can be obtained by the application of a spin-lock field (I), or more effectively, by the application of a phase-alternated spin-lock field (2, 3). Analogous methods to accomplish net homonuclear magnetization transfer, based on different rfirradiation schemes have previously been reported by Braunschweiler and Ernst (4). As they and others (5-9) have pointed out, the key to net magnetization transfer between two coupled spins, A and X, is to remove the Zeeman contributions, HzA and Hzx, from the Hamiltonian, or to make them identical, i.e., HzA = Hz,. This can be accomplished by suitable rf irradiation schemes or by zero-field NMR (JO). In this communication we describe a new mixing scheme that is based on the MLEV-16 composite pulse decoupling cycle (II). We have modified this cycle to make it less sensitive to pulse imperfections and it will be shown that this type of MLEV mixing provides net magnetization transfer over a substantial bandwidth with only limited rf power. More importantly, the apparent decay constant of spin-locked magnetization can be prolonged by up to a factor of two (compared to TIP) by using this new type of mixing scheme. If the Zeeman part of the Hamiltonian is eliminated, the spin system will evolve solely under the influence of scalar coupling. Magnetization can then propagate through the molecule in a way that is very similar to spin diffusion among protons in a rigid solid, where dipolar couplings are usually much larger than differences in chemical shift. For molecules consisting of only two coupled homonuclear spins, A and X, Braunschweiler and Ernst have shown that in the isotropic coupling limit there is an oscillatory exchange of the A and X magnetization, with period 1 /JAx. Explicit results for the AX2 case have very recently been presented by Chandrakumar and Subramanian (12). For larger spin systems a computer simulation program appears to be the easiest way to predict the rate at which magnetization will propagate through the molecule. AS demonstrated earlier (2), the net magnetization transfer obtained in this type of experiment permits the recording of phase-sensitive spectra, and gives in many cases enhanced resolution and sensitivity compared to the widely used COSY experiment (13-16). For short mixing times (<0.1/J), only direct connectivities will be observed. For longer mixing times, magnetization that has been transferred from spin A to spin M during the first part of the mixing period can be relayed to spin X during the second",
"corpus_id": 4993828,
"score": 2,
"title": "MLEV-17-based two-dimensional homonuclear magnetization transfer spectroscopy"
} |
{
"abstract": "A water-soluble antioxidant (ascorbic acid, vitamin C) was encapsulated together with poly(l-glutamic acid)-capped silver nanoparticles (AgNpPGA) within a poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) polymeric matrix and their synergistic effects were studied. The PLGA/AgNpPGA/ascorbic acid particles synthesized by a physicochemical method with solvent/non-solvent systems are spherical, have a mean diameter of 775 nm and a narrow size distribution with a polydispersity index of 0.158. The encapsulation efficiency of AgNpPGA/ascorbic acid within PLGA was determined to be >90%. The entire amount of encapsulated ascorbic acid was released in 68 days, and the entire amount of AgNpPGAs was released in 87 days of degradation. The influence of PLGA/AgNpPGA/ascorbic acid on cell viability, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HepG2 cells, as well as antimicrobial activity against seven different pathogens was investigated. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay indicated good biocompatibility of these PLGA/AgNpPGA/ascorbic acid particles. We measured the kinetics of ROS formation in HepG2 cells by a DCFH-DA assay, and found that PLGA/AgNpPGA/ascorbic acid caused a significant decrease in DCF fluorescence intensity, which was 2-fold lower than that in control cells after a 5h exposure. This indicates that the PLGA/AgNpPGA/ascorbic acid microspheres either act as scavengers of intracellular ROS and/or reduce their formation. Also, the results of antimicrobial activity of PLGA/AgNpPGA/ascorbic acid obtained by the broth microdilution method showed superior and extended activity of these particles. The samples were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, zeta potential and particle size analysis. This paper presents a new approach to the treatment of infection that at the same time offers a very pronounced antioxidant effect.",
"corpus_id": 1777292,
"title": "Multifunctional PLGA particles containing poly(l-glutamic acid)-capped silver nanoparticles and ascorbic acid with simultaneous antioxidative and prolonged antimicrobial activity."
} | {
"abstract": "Acticoat, a new silver-coated dressing, produces a moist healing environment along with the sustained release of ionic silver for improved microbial control. These properties suggest that Acticoat might be a useful donor site dressing. However, there are no human studies which assess Acticoat for this use. The purpose of this study was to compare the healing of human skin graft donor sites dressed with Acticoat, to the healing of those dressed with Allevyn, an occlusive moist-healing environment material, which is our standard donor site dressing. In burn patients who had undergone burn excision and grafting, identical side-by-side split thickness donor site wound pairs were dressed with Allevyn and Acticoat. Re-epithelialization was directly assessed daily by a single observer from post-operative day 6 onward, and by four independent observers who rated the extent of re-epithelialization by viewing standardized digital images of the wounds that had been obtained on post-operative days 6, 8, 10,and 12. Donor sites were swabbed for bacterial culture on days 3, 6, and 9. Subsequently, each study donor site scar was rated by a blinded observer using the Vancouver Scar Scale at 1, 2, and 3 months. Sixteen paired sites in 15 patients (3 female, 12 male) were studied. Donor sites dressed with Allevyn were >90% re-epithelialized at a mean of 9.1+/-1.6 days while donor sites dressed with Acticoat required a mean of 14.5+/-6.7 days to achieve >90% re-epithelialization (P=0.004). The Allevyn sites had significantly greater estimated re-epithelialization at days 6, 8, 10 and 12 than the Acticoat sites based on the observations of the digital images. There were no significant differences in the incidence of positive bacterial cultures with either dressing at days 3, 6, and 9. Donor sites dressed with Acticoat had significantly worse scars at 1 and 2 months but this difference resolved by 3 months. Our findings do not support the use of Acticoat as a skin graft donor site dressing.",
"corpus_id": 20397105,
"title": "The use of silver coated dressings on donor site wounds: a prospective, controlled matched pair study."
} | {
"abstract": "Abstract—Structural alterations of small resistance arteries in patients with essential hypertension (EH) are mostly characterized by inward eutrophic remodeling. However, we have observed the presence of hypertrophic remodeling in patients with renovascular hypertension, as well as in patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, suggesting a relevant effect of humoral growth factors on vascular structure. Growth hormone may stimulate in vitro proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. However, no data are presently available about small artery structure in acromegalic patients. Therefore, we have investigated the structure of subcutaneous small arteries in 12 normotensive (NT) subjects, in 12 EH subjects, and in 9 acromegalic patients (APs). All subjects underwent biopsy of the subcutaneous fat; then, small resistance arteries were dissected and mounted on a micromyograph. The normalized internal diameter, media thickness, media-to-lumen ratio, the media cross-sectional area together with remodeling, and growth indices were calculated. Demographic variables were similar in the three groups, except for blood pressure. The media-to-lumen ratio was significantly greater in EH and AP, compared with NT. No difference was observed between EH and AP. The media cross-sectional area was significantly greater in AP compared with EH and with NT. The calculation of remodeling and growth index suggests the presence of eutrophic remodeling in EH (growth index 0%) and of hypertrophic remodeling in AP (growth index 40%). In conclusion, our data suggest the presence of hypertrophic remodeling of subcutaneous small resistance arteries of AP, probably as a consequence of growth-stimulator properties of IGF-1.",
"corpus_id": 3061556,
"score": 0,
"title": "Acromegalic Patients Show the Presence of Hypertrophic Remodeling of Subcutaneous Small Resistance Arteries"
} |
{
"abstract": "Objective: The aim of this literature review is to examine the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of non-union fracture. To date, a wide variety of modalities have been explored to achieve unions and stability of fractured bones. Researchers and orthopedic surgeons aim to explore the versatility of mesenchymal stem cells and to understand the importance of their role in bone healing. Methods: A number of literature and published articles were gathered from PubMed, Elsevier, Clinical key, and Google Scholar. Search terms included, “mesenchymal stem cells”, “pluripotent”, “embryonic stem cell”, “non-union”, “fracture healing”, “multipotent”, “osteogenesis”, “bone marrow” “long bone fracture”. Results: Almost all the studies used in this literature review observed improvement in bone healing time with the use of stem cells. There was no standardized technique employed in the delivery of stem cells into the host. The technique and mode of delivery heavily depended on the orthopedic surgeons and their level of familiarity with the method used. Conclusion: All the articles agree that there are measurable benefits in the use of stem cells to improve bone healing, however, there are inconsistency in the methods of observations. Majority of the studies were also performed on a small scale and as such makes it less to be statistically significant. There is wide scale agreement that further research is needed in the department to orthopedic surgery to consistently generate results on a larger scale with a high degree of accuracy and precision.",
"corpus_id": 53397830,
"title": "Do mesenchymal stem cell improve bone healing in non-union?"
} | {
"abstract": "Bone is a highly vascularized tissue reliant on the close spatial and temporal association between blood vessels and bone cells. Therefore, cells that participate in vasculogenesis and osteogenesis play a pivotal role in bone formation during prenatal and postnatal periods. Nevertheless, spontaneous healing of bone fracture is occasionally impaired due to insufficient blood and cellular supply to the site of injury. In these cases, bone regeneration process is interrupted, which might result in delayed union or even nonunion of the fracture. Nonunion fracture is difficult to treat and have a high financial impact. In the last decade, numerous technological advancements in bone tissue engineering and cell-therapy opened new horizon in the field of bone regeneration. This review starts with presentation of the biological processes involved in bone development, bone remodeling, fracture healing process and the microenvironment at bone healing sites. Then, we discuss the rationale for using adult stem cells and listed the characteristics of the available cells for bone regeneration. The mechanism of action and epigenetic regulations for osteogenic differentiation are also described. Finally, we review the literature for translational and clinical trials that investigated the use of adult stem cells (mesenchymal stem cells, endothelial progenitor cells and CD34(+) blood progenitors) for bone regeneration.",
"corpus_id": 539825,
"title": "Recent advances in bone regeneration using adult stem cells."
} | {
"abstract": "BACKGROUND\nHigh-resolution microcomputed tomography (microCT) is one of the most recent technical developments to visualize and quantify primarily cancellous bone. Regarding bone formation, microCT is becoming increasingly important, although its reliability has not yet been evaluated. Our study had two goals: to develop a reproducible nonunion model and to determine the efficacy of microCT for the assessment of bone healing in this model.\n\n\nMETHODS\nThe designed fracture model in the rat simulates secondary fracture healing. After plate fixation to the femur, diaphysis transverse middiaphyseal osteotomy was performed with a reciprocating saw, resulting in a 0.38-mm gap with a defect of bone and periosteum corresponding to the thickness of the blade. Proximally and distally to this gap, the periosteum was preserved. Thus, three separate zones were defined: proximal femur diaphysis with periosteum, gap, and distal femur diaphysis with periosteum. In the nonunion group (NM group), a model of impaired bone healing (nonunion), silicone foil was wrapped around the femur diaphysis to block any influence from surrounding tissue. Coverage of the bone repair site by thigh muscles was designed for a model of bone union (M group). Four weeks postoperatively, callus formation was determined by conventional anterior-posterior and lateral plain radiographs. Ten weeks later, a second x-ray series was done as the clinical standard evaluation method. Afterward, specimens were harvested for microCT examination (two-dimensional and three-dimensional [3D]). Biomechanical testing was carried out to determine fracture healing.\n\n\nRESULTS\nOur model is highly reproducible and results in bone nonunion in five out of six cases (83.3%). In determining fracture site, plain radiographs the least reliable method in comparison to the biomechanical testing which is the most accurate reference method. In contrast, microCT (the 3D reconstruction) showed significant correlation (r = 1) to the results assessed by biomechanical testing, whereas microCT was correct in 100%. We found bone healing in five out of six animals in the M group verified by microCT (in accordance to biomechanical data). In the M group, significantly enhanced bone formation (50%) (p = 0.008) was observed within the osteotomy site (i.e. within the gap), but there was no difference in periosteal bone formation between the groups proximally and distally to the gap. Interestingly, we did not find statistically significant differences in mineralization.\n\n\nCONCLUSION\nWe conclude that microCT with 3D reconstruction is the optimal method diagnostic tool in fracture healing, especially in nonunion. Furthermore, direct coverage of the fracture site by muscle flaps results in a mineralized enhanced bone formation within the osteotomy site (i.e. within the gap). Skeletal muscle coverage hypothetically might have osteogenic augmentation potential, thus being able to prevent pseudoarthrosis.",
"corpus_id": 8170584,
"score": -1,
"title": "Assessment of bone union/nonunion in an experimental model using microcomputed technology."
} |
{
"abstract": "E-Mail tracking uses personalized links and pictures for gathering in- formation on user behavior, for example, where, when, on what kind of device, and how often an e-mail has been read. This information can be very useful for marketing purposes. On the other hand, privacy and security requirements of customers could be violated by tracking. This paper examines how e-mail track- ing works, how it can be detected automatically, and to what extent it is used in German e-commerce. We develop a detection model and software tool in order to collect and analyze more than 600 newsletter e-mails from companies of sev- eral different industries. The results show that the usage of e-mail tracking in Germany is prevalent but also varies depending on the industry.",
"corpus_id": 1878126,
"title": "E-Mail Tracking in Online Marketing - Methods, Detection, and Usage"
} | {
"abstract": "Web tracking seems to become ubiquitous in online business and leads to increased privacy concerns of users. This paper provides an overview over the current state of the art of web-tracking research, aiming to reveal the relevance and methodologies of this research area and creates a foundation for future work. In particular, this study addresses the following research questions: What methods are followed? What results have been achieved so far? What are potential future research areas? For these goals, a structured literature review based upon an established methodological framework is conducted. The identified articles are investigated with respect to the applied research methodologies and the aspects of web tracking they emphasize.",
"corpus_id": 4678095,
"title": "Web Tracking - A Literature Review on the State of Research"
} | {
"abstract": "In semi-nomadic professions such as medicine, practitioners move through office buildings carrying personal computing and communication devices. These practitioners make use of fixed computing and communication resources in the rooms they visit. Organizations have strong financial incentives to help their mobile professionals find each other, communicate effectively, and make efficient use of the infrastructure. The challenge is to provide the desired functionality in a cost-effective manner without requiring special hardware on the mobile devices. Our solution consists of a standards-based voice, video, and instant messaging communication system integrated with a location tracking system. Our location tracking system is a low-cost scanning network that monitors the wireless network transmissions from the mobile devices and uses that information to identify and track the mobile clients. This paper describes (1) the architecture, implementation, and performance tradeoffs for a low-cost sensor network for live tracking of 802.11 wireless clients in an office building, and (2) the integration of the location tracking data with a standards-based SIP voice/video/presence communication infrastructure. This architecture requires no special client hardware or software. This system has been deployed and tested both in the laboratory and at two conferences.",
"corpus_id": 17673397,
"score": 1,
"title": "Integrating Presence and Location Services using SIP"
} |
{
"abstract": "Mitochondrial mass was determined in the heart and liver of rats submitted to 4,400 m (simulated altitude) for 9 mo and their controls at sea level. This was done 1) by evaluation of isolated mitochondrial protein per gram of tissue, 2) by evaluation of the ratio between cytochrome oxidase activity in tissue homogenate and in isolated mitochondria, and 3) by evaluation of mitochondrial numerical and volume density in fixed tissues analyzed by electron microscopy. An increase in mitochondrial mass and a more homogeneous distribution of mitochondria were found in liver. In cardiac tissue an increase in numerical density of mitochondria accompanied by a slight decrease in their mean volume was observed. Maximal physiological rate of mitochondrial respiration (state 3, active respiration), resting respiration, ADP/O, and acceptor control ratio were determined in the isolated mitochondria. No differences were found in the intrinsic properties of mitochondria. The results suggest that chronic mild hypoxia promotes tissue adaptation by increasing the mitochondrial mass or number in liver and heart, respectively, and improves intracellular O2 diffusion by adopting a more homogeneous intracellular distribution of mitochondria in the liver.",
"corpus_id": 704895,
"title": "Liver and heart mitochondria in rats submitted to chronic hypobaric hypoxia."
} | {
"abstract": "Heart mitochondria play a central role in cell energy provision and in signaling. Nitric oxide (NO) is a free radical with primary regulatory functions in the heart and involved in a broad array of key processes in cardiac metabolism. Specific NO synthase (NOS) isoforms are confined to distinct locations in cardiomyocytes. The present article reviews the chemical reactions through which NO interacts with biomolecules and exerts some of its crucial roles. Specifically, the article discusses the reactions of NO with mitochondrial targets and the subcellular localization of NOS within the myocardium and analyzes the available data about heart mitochondrial NOS activity and identity. The article also describes the regulation of heart mtNOS by the distinctive mitochondrial environment by showing the effects of Ca(2+), O(2), l-arginine, mitochondrial transmembrane potential, and the metabolic states on heart mitochondrial NO production. The article depicts the effects of NO on heart function and highlights the relevance of NO production within mitochondria. Finally, the evidence on the functional implications of heart mitochondrial NOS is delineated with emphasis on chronic hypoxia and ischemia-reperfusion studies.",
"corpus_id": 906640,
"title": "Strategic localization of heart mitochondrial NOS: a review of the evidence."
} | {
"abstract": "An upcoming emerging device type of transistor is the TFET that is Tunnel Field Effect transistors. MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors) is generally used for low energy usable electronics devices. The structure of TFET is approximately closer to MOSFET, however with different fundamental switching mechanism. Switching of TFET is done by modulating quantum tunneling through a barrier instead of modulating thermionic emission over a barrier as in traditional MOSFETs. The purpose of this paper is to do Survey of TFET from its initial stage to till today. This paper studies and reviews various types of TFET available for design. Surface Tunnel Transistor is first tunnel transistor deals with speed, power and IOFF/ION ratio. Then first TFET basic p-i-n structure is invented which deals with speed, power, IOFF/ION, tuning range etc. After that feedback TFET, p-n-i-n TFET, NEMFET, Raised Buried Oxide TFET, Junctionless TFET, Double gate TFET (DG-TFET), Vertical TFET, Dopingless PNPN TFET are studied. Along with these different structures of TFET DG-TFET, Dopingless PNPN TFET and Vertical DG-TFET shows superior performance than other studied.",
"corpus_id": 13870360,
"score": 0,
"title": "Review of Tunnel Field Effect Transistor ( TFET )"
} |
{
"abstract": "Lithium Air (Li/O2) batteries are energy conversion devices that produce electricity from the oxidation of lithium metal at the anode and the reduction of molecular oxygen at the cathode. These batteries are considered as promising rechargeable cells for high power applications due to their high power density ranging from 1000 to 2000 Wh/kg. However, one of the most significant challenges is the need to separate the metallic lithium anode from any oxygen or water-containing environment while at the same time allowing fast and efficient lithium ion transport through the electrolyte. Therefore, lithium ion conducting materials that are water and CO2 resistant are a prerequisite. Common materials used as anode protective films and/or Li+ conducting electrolytes for lithium air batteries are perovskite-type oxides (formula: ABO3). Perovskites are good candidates for this application because of their versatility, particularly in regards to ionic conductivity. In the present work, a low cost perovskite family such as SFO (SmFeO3) is developed as a lithium ion conducting material by the introduction of Li+ into its lattice. The perovskites have been synthesized using a solid-state reaction method (SSR) and characterized using different techniques such as powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The synthesized perovskites are based on samarium lithium ferrite and divided into two groups depending on the formal presence of vacancies in the stoichiometric formula. The first group (SLFO) with no formal vacancies has the stoichiometric formula of SmxLi1-xFeO2+x (where x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7). While the second group (SLFO*) was generated with less metal atoms than specified in the perovskite structure, thereby generating a structure with intrinsic vacancies and with the formula, Sm(x)Li([1-x] – [0.1] or [0.2]) FeO3-δ (where x = 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6). Finally, the effect of varying Li and Sm concentrations in both groups and vacancies created in the lattice for the second group, on the ionic conductivity is explored.",
"corpus_id": 103843913,
"title": "Novel Lithium Ionic Conducting Perovskite Materials for Lithium-Air Batteries"
} | {
"abstract": null,
"corpus_id": 20133906,
"title": "Nonstoichiometric Oxides as Low-Cost and Highly-Efficient Oxygen Reduction/Evolution Catalysts for Low-Temperature Electrochemical Devices."
} | {
"abstract": "Lithium-oxygen batteries have attracted great attention for advanced energy storage systems because of their high specific energy. The enhancement of the interfacial stability of lithium negative electrodes is one of the many technical challenges toward high safety and long life lithium-oxygen batteries due to their high reactivity toward organic electrolytes and the lithium dendrite growth during the repeated cycling. Herein, we demonstrate that the protective layer comprising conductive polymer and AlF3 particles on lithium metal stabilized the lithium electrode by effectively reducing the reductive decomposition of the liquid electrolyte and suppressing the growth of lithium dendrite. As a result, the cycling performance of a lithium-oxygen cell assembled with a surface-modified lithium electrode was remarkably improved as compared to a cell with a pristine lithium electrode.",
"corpus_id": 13364348,
"score": -1,
"title": "Improved Cycling Performance of Lithium-Oxygen Cells by Use of a Lithium Electrode Protected with Conductive Polymer and Aluminum Fluoride."
} |
{
"abstract": "This research shows how two teacher educators, one from Canada and one from the United States, have attempted to imbue their preservice and graduate education practices with a sense of social justice, despite the downgrading of the importance of social justice by accreditation agencies such as National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) in the United States. Most specifically, narrative exemplars (Lyons & LaBoskey, 2002) are presented and reflectively analyzed through Connell's (1993) three principles of curricular justice, which lead toward or away from social justice in preservice and graduate education. As a consequence of this inquiry into lived educational practice, rich insights into teaching, learning, and human interaction emerge.",
"corpus_id": 153738297,
"title": "Social Justice in Preservice and Graduate Education: A Reflective Narrative Analysis"
} | {
"abstract": "• an understanding of the major principles guiding modern scientific thought; • a comprehension of the varying approaches and aspects of science; • an appreciation of the connection among the sciences and the fundamental role of mathematics in practicing science; • an awareness of the roles and limitations of theories and models in interpreting, understanding, and predicting natural phenomena; and • a realization of how these theories and models change or are supplanted as our knowledge increases.",
"corpus_id": 9413596,
"title": "[Scientific inquiry]."
} | {
"abstract": "Contents: International social work practice and education in a globalized postmodern world Globalization, postcolonialism and postmodernism: conflicts and connections Critical reflection to promote contextual social work practice and education Racism, social exclusion and cultural translation Knowledge production: what is valid knowledge? Social work's identity in postmodern agencies and universities Piloting through the challenges of globalization Exchanges and cross-national activities: broadening the mind Technology-based social work education and practice Conclusion Bibliography Indexes.",
"corpus_id": 141637904,
"score": 1,
"title": "Globalization and International Social Work: Postmodern Change and Challenge"
} |
{
"abstract": "This paper proposes a direct parsing of non-local dependencies in English. To this end, we use probabilistic linear context-free rewriting systems for data-driven parsing, following recent work on parsing German. In order to do so, we first perform a transformation of the Penn Treebank annotation of non-local dependencies into an annotation using crossing branches. The resulting treebank can be used for PLCFRS-based parsing. Our evaluation shows that, compared to PCFG parsing with the same techniques, PLCFRS parsing yields slightly better results. In particular when evaluating only the parsing results concerning long-distance dependencies, the PLCFRS approach with discontinuous constituents is able to recognize about 88% of the dependencies of type *T* and *T*-PRN encoded in the Penn Treebank. Even the evaluation results concerning local dependencies, which can in principle be captured by a PCFG-based model, are better with our PLCFRS model. This demonstrates that by discarding information on non-local dependencies the PCFG model loses important information on syntactic dependencies in general.",
"corpus_id": 711437,
"title": "PLCFRS Parsing of English Discontinuous Constituents"
} | {
"abstract": "Linear Context-Free Rewriting System (LCFRS) is an extension of Context-Free Grammar (CFG) in which a non-terminal can dominate more than a single continuous span of terminals. Probabilistic LCFRS have recently successfully been used for the direct data-driven parsing of discontinuous structures. In this paper we present a parser for binary PLCFRS of fan-out two, together with a novel monotonous estimate for A parsing, with which we conduct experiments on modified versions of the German NeGra treebank and the Discontinuous Penn Treebank in which all trees have block degree two. The experiments show that compared to previous work, our approach provides an enormous speed-up while delivering an output of comparable richness.",
"corpus_id": 6794841,
"title": "PLCFRS Parsing Revisited: Restricting the Fan-Out to Two"
} | {
"abstract": "Abstract The variations in the vibrational structures of the fluorescence spectra of coronene and triphenylene in a variety of solvents have been studied in connection with the solvent polarities. The forbidden vibronic bands increased in relative intensity by increasing the dielectric constant of the solvent. The intensity enhancements may be explained by the interaction between the inhomogeneous dielectric field in the solvent and the induced dipole of the solute.",
"corpus_id": 97656913,
"score": 0,
"title": "Solvent effect on the vibrational structures of the fluorescence spectra of coronene and triphenylene"
} |
{
"abstract": "CONTEXT\nA discrepancy exists between the abundance of ammonia (NH3) derived previously for the circumstellar envelope (CSE) of IRC+10216 from far-IR submillimeter rotational lines and that inferred from radio inversion or mid-infrared (MIR) absorption transitions.\n\n\nAIMS\nTo address the discrepancy described above, new high-resolution far-infrared (FIR) observations of both ortho- and para-NH3 transitions toward IRC+10216 were obtained with Herschel, with the goal of determining the ammonia abundance and constraining the distribution of NH3 in the envelope of IRC+10216.\n\n\nMETHODS\nWe used the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far Infrared (HIFI) on board Herschel to observe all rotational transitions up to the J = 3 level (three ortho- and six para-NH3 lines). We conducted non-LTE multilevel radiative transfer modelling, including the effects of near-infrared (NIR) radiative pumping through vibrational transitions. The computed emission line profiles are compared with the new HIFI data, the radio inversion transitions, and the MIR absorption lines in the ν2 band taken from the literature.\n\n\nRESULTS\nWe found that NIR pumping is of key importance for understanding the excitation of rotational levels of NH3. The derived NH3 abundances relative to molecular hydrogen were (2.8 ± 0.5) × 10-8 for ortho-NH3 and [Formula: see text] for para-NH3, consistent with an ortho/para ratio of 1. These values are in a rough agreement with abundances derived from the inversion transitions, as well as with the total abundance of NH3 inferred from the MIR absorption lines. To explain the observed rotational transitions, ammonia must be formed near to the central star at a radius close to the end of the wind acceleration region, but no larger than about 20 stellar radii (1σ confidence level).",
"corpus_id": 4099096,
"title": "Herschel/HIFI observations of the circumstellar ammonia lines in IRC+10216."
} | {
"abstract": "Abstract High-resolution absorption spectra of NH3 in the region 500–2100 cm−1 at temperatures up to 1027 °C and approximately atmospheric pressure (1013±20 mbar) are measured. NH3 concentrations of 1000 ppm, 0.5% and 1% in volume fraction were used in the measurements. Spectra are recorded in high temperature gas flow cells using a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer at a nominal resolution of 0.09 cm−1. Measurements at 22.7 °C are compared to high-resolution cross sections available from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The higher temperature spectra are analysed by comparison to a variational line list, BYTe, and experimental energy levels determined using the MARVEL procedure. Approximately 2000 lines have been assigned, of which 851 are newly assigned to mainly hot bands involving vibrational states as high as v2=5.",
"corpus_id": 53442715,
"title": "High-resolution absorption measurements of NH3 at high temperatures: 500-2100 cm 1"
} | {
"abstract": "A new chemical model is presented for the carbon-rich circumstellar envelope (CSE) of the asymptotic giant branch star IRC+10216. The model includes shells of matter with densities that are enhanced relative to the surrounding circumstellar medium. The chemical model uses an updated reaction network including reactions from the RATE06 database and a more detailed anion chemistry. In particular, new mechanisms are considered for the formation of CN−, C3N−, and C2H−, and for the reactions of hydrocarbon anions with atomic nitrogen and with the most abundant cations in the CSE. New reactions involving H− are included which result in the production of significant amounts of C2H− and CN− in the inner envelope. The calculated radial molecular abundance profiles for the hydrocarbons C2H, C4H, and C6H and the cyanopolyynes HC3N and HC5N show narrow peaks which are in better agreement with observations than previous models. Thus, the narrow rings observed in molecular microwave emission surrounding IRC+10216 are interpreted as arising in regions of the envelope where the gas and dust densities are greater than the surrounding circumstellar medium. Our models show that CN− and C2H− may be detectable in IRC+10216 despite the very low theorized radiative electron attachment rates of their parent neutral species. We also show that magnesium isocyanide (MgNC) can be formed in the outer envelope through radiative association involving Mg+ and the cyanopolyyne species.",
"corpus_id": 16522711,
"score": 2,
"title": "DENSITY-ENHANCED GAS AND DUST SHELLS IN A NEW CHEMICAL MODEL FOR IRC+10216"
} |
{
"abstract": "Create an artificial-intelligence platform for the planet, urges Lucas N. Joppa. Create an artificial-intelligence platform for the planet, urges Lucas N. Joppa.",
"corpus_id": 4467896,
"title": "The case for technology investments in the environment"
} | {
"abstract": "We present a project that aims to generate images that depict accurate, vivid, and personalized outcomes of climate change using Cycle-Consistent Adversarial Networks (CycleGANs). By training our CycleGAN model on street-view images of houses before and after extreme weather events (e.g. floods, forest fires, etc.), we learn a mapping that can then be applied to images of locations that have not yet experienced these events. This visual transformation is paired with climate model predictions to assess likelihood and type of climate-related events in the long term (50 years) in order to bring the future closer in the viewers mind. The eventual goal of our project is to enable individuals to make more informed choices about their climate future by creating a more visceral understanding of the effects of climate change, while maintaining scientific credibility by drawing on climate model projections.",
"corpus_id": 148571620,
"title": "Visualizing the Consequences of Climate Change Using Cycle-Consistent Adversarial Networks"
} | {
"abstract": "Although disturbances such as fire and native insects can contribute to natural dynamics of forest health, exceptional droughts, directly and in combination with other disturbance factors, are pushing some temperate forests beyond thresholds of sustainability. Interactions from increasing temperatures, drought, native insects and pathogens, and uncharacteristically severe wildfire are resulting in forest mortality beyond the levels of 20th-century experience. Additional anthropogenic stressors, such as atmospheric pollution and invasive species, further weaken trees in some regions. Although continuing climate change will likely drive many areas of temperate forest toward large-scale transformations, management actions can help ease transitions and minimize losses of socially valued ecosystem services.",
"corpus_id": 26438240,
"score": 2,
"title": "Temperate forest health in an era of emerging megadisturbance"
} |
{
"abstract": "ABSTRACTAugmented reality (AR) technologies could enhance learning in several ways. The quality of an AR-based educational platform is a combination of key features that manifests in usability, usefulness, and enjoyment for the learner. In this paper, we present a multidimensional model to measure the quality of an AR-based application as perceived by students. The model is specified by a second-order factor (perceived quality) and three dimensions: ergonomic quality, learning quality, and hedonic quality. The purpose of this model is to embody previous research into a coherent framework for the evaluation of AR-based educational platforms and to provide guidance for researchers and practitioners. The model was empirically validated on a Chemistry learning scenario and the results confirm the importance of both the learning and hedonic quality.",
"corpus_id": 5979176,
"title": "Measuring the perceived quality of an AR-based learning application: a multidimensional model"
} | {
"abstract": "Abstract This paper proposes a new usability evaluation checklist, UseLearn, and a related method for eLearning systems. UseLearn is a comprehensive checklist which incorporates both quality and usability evaluation perspectives in eLearning systems. Structural equation modeling is deployed to validate the UseLearn checklist quantitatively. The experimental results show that the UseLearn method supports the determination of usability problems by criticality metric analysis and the definition of relevant improvement strategies. The main advantage of the UseLearn method is the adaptive selection of the most influential usability problems, and thus significant reduction of the time and effort for usability evaluation can be achieved. At the sketching and/or design stage of eLearning systems, it will provide an effective guidance to usability analysts as to what problems should be focused on in order to improve the usability perception of the end-users. Relevance to industry During the sketching or design stage of eLearning platforms, usability problems should be revealed and eradicated to create more usable and quality eLearning systems to satisfy the end-users. The UseLearn checklist along with its quantitative methodology proposed in this study would be helpful for usability experts to achieve this goal.",
"corpus_id": 33567919,
"title": "UseLearn: A novel checklist and usability evaluation method for eLearning systems by criticality metric analysis"
} | {
"abstract": "In this paper, the effect of load capacitance variation on the location of the closed loop poles of three-stage amplifiers is analyzed and a frequency compensation scheme that automatically adjusts the damping factor according to the load capacitance is proposed. A class-AB 16 Omega headphone driver designed using the proposed scheme in 0.13 mum technology can handle 1 pF to 22 nF capacitive load while consuming as low as 1.2 mW of quiescent power. It can deliver a peak power of 40 mW (1.6 Vpp swing) to the load with - 84.8 dB THD and 92 dB peak SNR. It occupies 0.1 mm2 area.",
"corpus_id": 12768133,
"score": -1,
"title": "Design of Three-Stage Class-AB 16 $\\Omega$ Headphone Driver Capable of Handling Wide Range of Load Capacitance"
} |
{
"abstract": "Nine juvenile mink with hind-limb paresis/paralysis from 2 Ontario farms were submitted for necropsy. Diagnostic tests revealed spinal compression and severe thoracic diskospondylitis with intralesional Gram-positive coccoid bacterial colonies. Streptococcus canis, Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis, and hemolytic Staphylococcus spp. were isolated from vertebral lesions.",
"corpus_id": 903351,
"title": "Bacterial diskospondylitis in juvenile mink from 2 Ontario mink farms."
} | {
"abstract": "Pododermatitis is a disease of concern for mink breeders in Canada and worldwide, as it causes discomfort and lowers the breeding rates on farms affected by the disease. Unfortunately, the etiology and pathogenesis of pododermatitis are still unknown. In this study, we compared Staphylococcus spp. and Streptococcus canis isolates from healthy mink with isolates from animals with pododermatitis on 2 farms in Ontario. Almost all hemolytic Staphylococcus spp. isolated were shown to be Staphylococcus delphini Group A by 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) sequence analysis and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) did not reveal any S. delphini or S. canis clonal lineages specifically associated with pododermatitis, which suggests that these bacteria do not act as primary pathogens, but does not dismiss their potential roles as opportunistic pathogens. While S. delphini and S. canis were the most prevalent bacterial pathogens in mink pododermatitis, they were also present in samples from healthy mink. Arcanobacterium phocae is occasionally isolated from pododermatitis cases, but is difficult to recover with conventional culture methods due to its slow growth. A quantitative real-time PCR was developed for the detection of A. phocae and was tested on 138 samples of footpad tissues from 14 farms. The bacterium was detected only in pododermatitis-endemic farms in Canada and was at higher concentrations in tissues from infected footpads than in healthy tissues. This finding suggests that A. phocae is involved in the pathogenesis of pododermatitis.",
"corpus_id": 34085369,
"title": "Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus canis, and Arcanobacterium phocae of healthy Canadian farmed mink and mink with pododermatitis."
} | {
"abstract": "PURPOSE\nTo systematically evaluate magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings described as being indicative of spinal infection in patients with proven spinal infection.\n\n\nMATERIALS AND METHODS\nContrast material-enhanced spinal MR images obtained in 46 consecutive patients (22 women, 24 men; mean age, 58.2 years) with culture or histologic examination results positive for spinal infection were systematically evaluated by two observers. Tuberculous and postoperative infections were excluded. Disk signal intensity and disk height, presence of the nuclear cleft, vertebral signal intensity alterations, endplate erosions on T1-weighted MR images, and presence of paraspinal or epidural inflammation were evaluated. Patient charts and surgical reports were reviewed.\n\n\nRESULTS\nIn the 44 patients with disk infection, MR imaging criteria with good to excellent sensitivity included presence of paraspinal or epidural inflammation (n = 43, 97.7% sensitivity), disk enhancement (n = 42, 95.4% sensitivity), hyperintensity or fluid-equivalent disk signal intensity on T2-weighted MR images (n = 41, 93.2% sensitivity), and erosion or destruction of at least one vertebral endplate (n = 37, 84.1% sensitivity). Effacement of the nuclear cleft was only applicable in 18 patients (n = 15, 83.3% sensitivity). Criteria with low sensitivity included decreased height of the intervertebral space (n = 23, 52.3% sensitivity) and disk hypointensity on T1-weighted MR images (n = 13, 29.5% sensitivity). Involvement of several spinal levels occurred in seven (16%) patients. Other spinal infections included isolated vertebral osteomyelitis (n = 1) and primary epidural abscess (n = 1).\n\n\nCONCLUSION\nMost MR imaging criteria commonly used to diagnose disk infections offer good to excellent sensitivity. In atypical manifestations of proven spinal infections, however, some of the classically described MR imaging criteria may not be observed.",
"corpus_id": 6444663,
"score": 2,
"title": "MR imaging findings in spinal infections: rules or myths?"
} |
{
"abstract": "The purpose of this paper is to propose a method for the optimization of raw wood for the timber construction industry that would meet the green business and sustainable development requirements within the concept of corporate social responsibility. The methodology conceptually applied the ImageJ software in the process of spruce-timber valuation using 100 log specimens according to the standard STN 480055. The impact of timber structure on the environment compared to silicate buildings was assessed via selected environmental criteria of life-cycle assessment. The methodology was applied according to the standards within the monitored phase of the life-cycle cradle to a gate based on the available environmental products declaration. The overall difference in the assortment value when using the ImageJ software as the evaluation method reached €426.68 (+6.7%). The individual construction elements creating the composition of perimeter walls of the evaluated alternatives showed a positive impact of the following indicators: global warning potential, primary energy input for production, ozone depletion potential, and photochemical ozone creation potential of the reference timber structure. The findings presented in this study clearly confirm the ecological approach toward building a wood-based structure while meeting the requirements of sustainable development.",
"corpus_id": 158524371,
"title": "Sustainable Innovation Approach for Wood Quality Evaluation in Green Business"
} | {
"abstract": "Purpose – The purpose of this study is two‐fold: to survey research on supply management and corporate social responsibility (CSR) reported over the past two decades; and to carry out an empirical study of the current status of supply management and CSR in the Korean electronics industry.Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on an explorative approach, wherein “triangulation” is adopted, combining quantitative and qualitative methods. A questionnaire survey with a 132‐company sample is employed as a quantitative method and the telephone interviews with 23 samples are used as a qualitative method. By adopting a triangulation approach, rich data and explanatory power can be obtained to answer the research question.Findings – The results of the study show that “environmental” pressures and standards are widely accepted and implemented for supply management in the Korean electronics industry. However, “social” pressures and standards are still not commonly used and there is a lack of implementation...",
"corpus_id": 167438442,
"title": "Current Status of CSR in the Realm of Supply Management: the Case of the Korean Electronics Industry"
} | {
"abstract": "Abstract The skin is an excellent barrier to the transport of charged compounds and large molecules. Many substances of present and potential therapeutic utility carry charge at physiological pH, have high molecular weights and/or are hydrophilic and, consequently, do not transport well across the skin. Pathways for the transport of small ions do appear to exist through the skin and flow along these pathways can be substantially enhanced by iontophoresis. The imposition of an exogenous transdermal potential may also create new routes of permeation. Iontophoretic transport appears to take place primarily at discrete sites, which are often referred to as ‘pores’; note, however, that the pores are not necessarily skin appendages. Paracellular transport also takes place and may be a major route of permeation. Binding within the skin and access to the circulation may constitute additional barriers, and the barrier function of the skin may be altered by iontophoresis. There is not an adequate in vivo or in vitro skin model for iontophoretic studies. An understanding of these conductive routes as well as whether and how they change (with time, current density, etc.) is essential for the optimization of transdermal drug delivery and the treatment of dermatologic conditions.",
"corpus_id": 96761424,
"score": 1,
"title": "What are the pathways of iontophoretic current flow through mammalian skin"
} |
{
"abstract": "In this article, it is shown how judgement regarding the cyclical component of a series can be incorporated into the Hodrick–Prescott filter. An analytical expression for the trend extraction under judgement restrictions is derived. It is also shown that imposing judgement in the trend extraction procedure can improve the correlation between the extracted GDP gap and CPI inflation for Sweden, during the period 1981Q1-2007Q4.",
"corpus_id": 153899253,
"title": "Trend extraction with a judgement-augmented hodrick–prescott filter"
} | {
"abstract": "One of the primary responsibilities of economics is to build a good indicator of the magnitude of short term disequilibrium. Knowledge of the magnitude of the excess demand in the economy is essential for conducting fiscal and monetary policy. In a period of contraction when monetary policy is designed to control inflation, the excess demand measure is vital in constructing the concept of structural public budget balance, since the usual empirical concepts of output gap are not sufficiently well designed to give an accurate view of the negative excess demand when there are output breaks in the economy. The information produced by different quasi-official output gaps is quite often misleading, contributing to a rise in the unemployment rate, in the face of which policy-makers usually say “everything is all right, there nothing to be done”. We propose a solution that might contribute to solve this problem that is clearly a crucial one in times of crisis.",
"corpus_id": 152377894,
"title": "The Importance of a Good Indicator for Global Excess Demand"
} | {
"abstract": "In this work the stability of Gallium Nitride based high electron mobility transistors grown on 4-in Si substrate (GaN-on-Si HEMTs) were tested both in off-state at high drain voltage (200 V) and in on-state at large gate voltage (+2 V) with low drain bias (5 V). In each stress experiment the ambient temperature was fixed at 200°C. Remarkably, despite the considerably large drain voltage used in the off-state stress on only 5 μm gate-drain spaced transistors, negligible signs of degradation were observed after more than 350 hours of testing. Similar results were obtained after the on-state stress. In fact, only small degradation signs were reported in spite of the large gate current and high junction temperature the devices have to withstand during the on-state stress. These results show the robustness of these devices to operate under high electric field conditions, high temperature and to withstand also a large gate current for considerable time.",
"corpus_id": 25549315,
"score": 1,
"title": "High temperature on- and off-state stress of GaN-on-Si HEMTs with in-situ Si3N4 cap layer"
} |
{
"abstract": "Molecules of the title compound, C7H7IN2O3, are linked by pairs of N-H...O hydrogen bonds into C(8)C(8)[R(2)(2)(6)] chains of rings, and antiparallel pairs of such chains are linked by a two-centre iodo-nitro interaction into tripartite ribbons. A single aromatic pi-pi stacking interaction links the ribbons into sheets.",
"corpus_id": 9261406,
"title": "2-Iodo-6-methoxy-4-nitroaniline: tripartite ribbons built from N-H...O hydrogen bonds and iodo-nitro interactions are pi-stacked into sheets."
} | {
"abstract": "Abstract The modified saponite (SASAP) was prepared with 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane, stearic acid, 1-(3-Dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride, 1-hydroxybenzotriazole and triethylamine. The structure of SASAP was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and static contact angle, which confirmed that SASAP had been successfully prepared. To improve the crystallization rate of poly (lactic acid) (PLA), PLA/SASAP nanocomposites was melt intercalation with SASAP as fillers. The mechanical properties showed that the elongation at break of PLA/SASAP nanocomposites was increased from 9.8% of PLA0 to 45.5%, its impact strength was increased from 9.1 kJ/m2 to 13.5 kJ/m2, and its tensile strength was increased from 23.25 MPa to 28.79 MPa. The interface tension testing demonstrated that the interface tension of PLA/SASAP nanocomposites decreased to 0.24 ( mN·m−1), which was due to the fact that amide groups of SASAP formed stronger intermolecular interactions with the PLA chains. Moreover, rotation rheology demonstrated that the interface compatibility of PLA/SASAP nanocomposites was significantly improved. Rheonaut technology analysis for simultaneous rheology and FTIR investigated the isothermal crystallization and chemical structure of PLA/SASAP nanocomposites, which indicated that SASAP accelerated the crystallization rate of PLA.",
"corpus_id": 236562403,
"title": "Performance, interfacial compatibility testing and rheonaut technology analysis for simultaneous rheology and FTIR of poly(lactic acid)/modified saponite nanocomposites"
} | {
"abstract": "A simple and straightforward approach to selectively iodinate Tyr residues on peptides using IPy2BF4 is described which is compatible with Met residues on the side chain; preliminary studies reveal that the method is also suitable to iodinate Phe derivatives.",
"corpus_id": 98662017,
"score": 2,
"title": "Iodination of aromatic residues in peptides by reaction with IPy2BF4"
} |
{
"abstract": "The influence of management and nutrient availability on the vegetation dynamics of heathlands characterised by Calluna vulgaris and Erica tetralix were studied in three mountain sites in Northern Spain. A total of 90 plots (1 m2 each) received different combinations of cutting and twice the estimated background atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (56 kg ha−1 yr−1). One of the two dominant ericaceous species was selectively cut by hand at ground level and their regeneration compared in the presence or absence of the other. The results after 2 years showed significant effects of the fertiliser on the vegetation cover, mainly by favouring perennial herbaceous species. There were less noteworthy effects on the number of flowers and on the annual growth of the ericaceous species. It is concluded that, in the short term, increased nutrients alone, at twice the estimated current atmospheric deposition for the area, will not alter significantly the composition of the mountain heathlands. However, once the stands reach the mature phase, the capacity of the community to regenerate after a severe disturbance diminishes. A drastic impact, such as cutting may not result in re-growth of the same shrub species but in replacement by herbaceous species, which will also benefit from the increased nutrients.",
"corpus_id": 2184970,
"title": "Short-term study of effects of fertilisation and cutting treatments on the vegetation dynamics of mountain heathlands in Spain"
} | {
"abstract": "In the present study we analyzed the combined effects of management (grazing, mowing, prescribed burning, sod-cutting) and atmospheric deposition on N and P budgets of heathland ecosystems (Lüneburger Heide nature reserve; N Germany). We hypothesize that management measures such as grazing and mowing can accelerate a deposition-induced imbalance of N and P pools as a result of a disproportionally high output of P. We analyzed management and deposition affected input–output flows of N and P and related them to changes in the nutritional status of Calluna vulgaris 5 years after treatment application. We found that grazing and mowing caused the highest net loss of P due to high P concentrations in the aboveground biomass. In contrast, prescribed burning only slightly affected P pools, as P remained in the system due to ash deposition. Management-mediated effects on N and P pools were mirrored in the nutritional status of Calluna vulgaris: at the grazed and mown sites, the P content of current season’s shoots significantly decreased within 5 years after treatments, whereas the N content remained unchanged. We conclude that grazing and mowing can accelerate declining availability of P and, thus, accelerate a deposition-induced shift from N- to P-limited plant growth in the medium term. In the face of ongoing atmospheric N loads management schemes need to combine high- and low-intensity measures to maintain both a diverse structure and balanced nutrient budgets in the long term.",
"corpus_id": 2130844,
"title": "Shifts in N and P Budgets of Heathland Ecosystems: Effects of Management and Atmospheric Inputs"
} | {
"abstract": "Present knowledge regarding associations between sediment and riverine aquatic habitats is summarized. Physical processes govern aquatichabitat quality and development. Within limits, engineering a...",
"corpus_id": 221987967,
"score": 1,
"title": "Sediment and Aquatic Habitat in River Systems"
} |
{
"abstract": "The gut microbiome provides access to otherwise unavailable metabolic and immune functions, likely affecting mammalian fitness and evolution. To investigate how this microbial ecosystem impacts evolutionary adaptation of humans to particular habitats, we explore the gut microbiome and metabolome of the BaAka rainforest hunter-gatherers from Central Africa. The data demonstrate that the BaAka harbor a colonic ecosystem dominated by Prevotellaceae and other taxa likely related to an increased capacity to metabolize plant structural polysaccharides, phenolics, and lipids. A comparative analysis shows that the BaAka gut microbiome shares similar patterns with that of the Hadza, another hunter-gatherer population from Tanzania. Nevertheless, the BaAka harbor significantly higher bacterial diversity and pathogen load compared to the Hadza, as well as other Western populations. We show that the traits unique to the BaAka microbiome and metabolome likely reflect adaptations to hunter-gatherer lifestyles and particular subsistence patterns. We hypothesize that the observed increase in microbial diversity and potential pathogenicity in the BaAka microbiome has been facilitated by evolutionary adaptations in immunity genes, resulting in a more tolerant immune system. Significance Human ecological adaptation requires changes at the genomic level. However, the gut microbiome, the collection of microbes inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract and their functions, also responds significantly to ecological challenge. To determine how the gut microbiome responds to evolutionary adaptations in the host, we profiled gut bacterial communities of the BaAka, rainforest hunter-gatherers from Central Africa. The gut microbiome of the BaAka shows adaptations to metabolize foods rich in fiber, tannins and fats. Similarly, higher bacterial diversity and abundance of pathogenic bacteria, compared to other hunter-gatherers and western populations, suggest that the BaAka immune system evolved to coexist with increased pathogen threats. Accordingly, these results show how the gut microbiome contributes to human ecological plasticity, impacting host adaptation and evolution.",
"corpus_id": 1868697,
"title": "Ecological and evolutionary adaptations shape the gut microbiome of BaAka African rainforest hunter-gatherers"
} | {
"abstract": "Bdellovibrio and like organisms (BALOs) are gram-negative, obligate predators of other gram-negative bacteria. These small bacteria interact with their prey as highly motile attack phase cells, attaching to the outer membrane and consuming the prey extracellularly (epibiotic predation) or penetrating their periplasm (periplasmic predation). The former divides in a binary fashion, while the latter grows as a polynucleotide filament to finally split as progeny attack cells. High-resolution microscopy, molecular genetics, genomics, and functional genomics have been applied to study the cell cycle of BALOs, An erratum to this chapter can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39044-9_405 osenberg et al. (eds.), The Prokaryotes – Deltaproteobacteria and Epsilonproteobac ringer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014 revealing functions required for predation and for cellular organization. Until recently, Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus was the only recognized species of BALOs. Culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches have shown that these predators form diverse monophyletic groups, including the three families Bdellovibrionaceae, Bacteriovoraceae, and Peridibacteraceae in the d-proteobacteria, and the genus Micavibrio in the a-proteobacteria. Based on this detailed taxonomical knowledge, it has become possible to track predator and prey interacimpact of bacterial predation on community structure.",
"corpus_id": 5213538,
"title": "The Prokaryotes"
} | {
"abstract": "There has been recent progress in identifying selective sweeps underlying a range of adaptations. Jonathan Pritchard and Anna Di Rienzo argue that many adaptive events in natural populations may occur by polygenic adaptation, which would largely go undetected by conventional methods for detecting selection.",
"corpus_id": 5982934,
"score": 2,
"title": "Adaptation – not by sweeps alone"
} |
{
"abstract": "This paper studies a minimal-energy driving strategy for high-speed electric trains with a fixed travel time. A hybrid system model is proposed to describe the new characteristics of high-speed electric trains, including the extended speed range, energy efficiency, and regenerative braking. Based on this model, train driving is characterized by the gear sequence and the switching locations. An approximate gradient information is derived via the variational principle. To avoid a combinatorial explosion, the gear sequence is fixed by a priori knowledge. Then, a gradient-based exterior point method is proposed to calculate the optimal driving. In the case study, the minimal-energy driving with a fixed travel time for CRH-3 is investigated, and the result reveals some new understandings for high-speed electric train drive. Additionally, the tradeoff relationship between energy consumption and travel time is quantitatively studied, which is helpful in assigning an appropriate travel time for high-speed trains.",
"corpus_id": 1536113,
"title": "Minimal-Energy Driving Strategy for High-Speed Electric Train With Hybrid System Model"
} | {
"abstract": "Trajectory planning plays a crucial role in train operation by providing with the authorized speed at each position. The traditional static train trajectory planning methods are always designed offline according to a preplanned timetable, and they ignored the uncertainties of parameters, resulted by line condition, resistance coefficient, and delay. These uncertain disturbances have not been considered adequately in previous studies. This paper deals with the dynamic optimal train trajectory planning problem with uncertainties. First, in order to identify uncertain resistance coefficients and calculate the dynamic limited speed, we present the optimization framework using onboard equipment such as a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) terminal, a power supply system, and a communication device to sample the real-time traffic information. Then, by taking the energy consumption and punctuality as objectives, we propose a moving horizon train trajectory planning optimization model with an adaptive weight allocation mechanism based on trip time error. The innovation of this paper lies not only in the establishment of a novel dynamic optimization model for train trajectory planning but also the strategy that combines real-time traffic information with the trajectory planning procedure. By contrast with most existing solutions, the proposed approach fully takes advantage of the real-time information and thus avoids the difficulties for modeling the uncertain coefficients for train trajectory planning. The efficiency of the proposed approach is illustrated by showing some numerical results of simulations with the infrastructure data from Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Railway of China.",
"corpus_id": 2204101,
"title": "Moving Horizon Optimization of Dynamic Trajectory Planning for High-Speed Train Operation"
} | {
"abstract": "Abstract In this paper a novel time varying acceleration coefficients particle swarm optimization (TVAC-PSO) algorithm is implemented to solve combined heat and power economic dispatch (CHPED) problem. The CHPED problem is a challenging non-convex and non-linear optimization problem. The acceleration coefficients in PSO algorithm are varied adaptively during iterations to improve solution quality of original PSO and avoid premature convergence. The effect of valve-point in cost function considered with adding an absolute sinusoidal term to conventional polynomial cost function. The proposed method is applied to five test cases with different characteristics. Also, a new large scale test case considering valve-points effects is proposed in this paper. The obtained results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method in solving non-convex and constrained CHPED problem.",
"corpus_id": 120079447,
"score": 1,
"title": "Combined heat and power economic dispatch problem solution using particle swarm optimization with time varying acceleration coefficients"
} |
{
"abstract": "Abstract To explore low–cost, high–yielding and environment–friendly rainfed farming technology is critical for sustainable agricultural development in semiarid east African Plateau (EAP). An innovative ridge–furrow mulching system (RFMS) was first introduced to EAP, with a two–year field experiment using maize cultivar KDVI in a typical semiarid site of Kenya from 2012 to 2013. Nine treatments were designed including ridge–furrow cultivation with black plastic mulching (RFB), straw mulching (RFS) and without mulching (RF) under high (375 kg ha−1), conventional (225 kg ha−1) and zero fertilization rates. We found RFB and RFS significantly increased soil water storage (0–40 cm) by 10.2% and 4.8%, while lowered evapotranspiration rate and improved thermal status, compared to RF across two growing seasons. Importantly, RFB and RFS increased soil organic carbon and C/N ratio (soil organic carbon/soil total nitrogen) by 7.8% and 4.9%, 7.2% and 5.1% respectively, following two growing seasons of farming practice. As expected, grain yield and water use efficiency (WUE) were averagely increased by 63.3% and 63.8%, 27.5% and 35.9% in RFB and RFS than those of RF respectively. Additionally, net income and economic output–to–input ratio were significantly greater in RFB and RFS than those of RF. On the other hand, conventional fertilization rate achieved similar grain yield and WUE as high fertilization did. Considering environmental and economic benefits, the RFMS farming system with conventional fertilization may act as a promising option to upgrade local dryland agricultural system in EAP.",
"corpus_id": 158560222,
"title": "Environmental and economic benefits of micro–field rain–harvesting farming system at maize (Zea mays L.) field scale in semiarid east African Plateau"
} | {
"abstract": "With the investment of large-scale and high-speed informatization under the traditional institutional framework, serious information islands have been caused. Therefore, the establishment of data models for the agricultural economy has become an urgent requirement for the construction of agricultural economic informatization. With the rise of Bitcoin in China, the region Block chain (BC) technology has entered people’s sight, providing new possibilities for the establishment of agricultural economic management data models. Based on this, this article carried out a research on the establishment of a data model for agricultural economic management based on BC technology. This article elaborates on the establishment of a data model based on BC technology. Through an overview of BC in technology, it introduces the technical characteristics of the BC itself, and discusses several possible application scenarios of BC technology, and explains the working principle of BC technology used in agricultural economic management shows the characteristics and advantages of decentralized management. This article is aimed at the problems of data sharing in the economic network, combined with the scalability of the information technology on the BC and the privacy protection solution we proposed to use the BC to classify the nodes of each agricultural unit and department connected, data exchange is carried out through the platform, and the authenticity and reliability of the data exchange is ensured and it is not maliciously tampered with. The investigation and research results show that in the experiments of the paillier cryptosystem system in this paper, as the total length of the key generated by it gradually increases, the number of calculations that must be required in the process of generating the key gradually increases, and its increasing time and rate gradually increase by 67%; as the total length of the key decreases, the time spent in the encryption and decryption process will gradually decrease, the amount of calculation in the encryption and decryption process gradually increases by 127%, and the time required for decryption and decryption as the key length changes exponentially.",
"corpus_id": 244181254,
"title": "Establishment of Agricultural Economic Management Data Model Based on Block Chain Technology"
} | {
"abstract": "Floor type management is an important factor in turkey production in hot climates exceeding 30°C. In this study, a total of 360 turkeys aged 4 wk were randomly distributed to investigate growth performance, carcass characteristics, certain health aspects (breast blisters score, footpad burns, hock discoloration, and plumage condition), and airborne conditions. Birds in the first group were raised on a littered floor (control; C), whereas birds in the other groups (T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5) were raised on cement, wire net, rubber mat, plastic and wooden slatted floors, respectively. The results indicated that growth performance and meat quality were improved, with increases in body weight, daily body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and tenderness and juiciness values, when plastic and wooden slatted floors were used. Moreover, the use of plastic and wooden slatted floors attenuated body temperature, airborne dust particulates, and ammonia concentrations. In conclusion, placing plastic, wooden slatted, or wire floors reduced the incidence of health disorders and alleviated heat stress effects by decreasing body temperature and the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio. Thus, plastic and wooden slatted floors are suitable for growing turkeys under the conditions of this study.",
"corpus_id": 52002365,
"score": 1,
"title": "Sustainable floor type for managing turkey production in a hot climate"
} |
{
"abstract": "Background We wanted to establish a technique of laparoscopically assisted radical vaginal surgery for deep endometriosis of the rectovaginal septum with extensive rectal involvement. Technique The procedure is started by vaginally excising the involved area which is left on the rectum, followed by bilateral dissection of the pararectal and retrorectal spaces. Para- and retrosigmoido-rectal spaces are developed laparoscopically along the coccygeosacral bone and medially to the pelvic splanchnic nerves toward the para- and retrorectal openings that were made transvaginally. Rectal transection is done with a laparoscopic stapling device caudal to the endometriotic lesion. Using a suprapubic minilaparotomy, the bowel is transected cranial to the lesion and reintroduced into the abdomen, and a transanal circular stapler anastomosis is done. Experience Thirty-four women had this procedure. The mean distance of the anastomosis was 4 cm above the anus. None required ileostomy or colostomy and no major complications were noted. Conclusion The combination of laparoscopic and vaginal approaches is useful for removing extensive endometriotic infiltration of the rectosigmoid; bladder and rectal function and fertility can be preserved.",
"corpus_id": 1559829,
"title": "LAPAROSCOPICALLY ASSISTED VAGINAL RESECTION OF RECTOVAGINAL ENDOMETRIOSIS"
} | {
"abstract": "OBJECTIVE\nTo compare three methods of segmental lower colon resection for treatment of symptomatic intestinal endometriosis.\n\n\nDESIGN\nRetrospective case study.\n\n\nSETTING\nPrivate practice patients in a rural community hospital.\n\n\nPATIENTS\nPatients with nodular, invasive rectosigmoid endometriosis requiring segmental resection and anastomosis for treatment. Laparotomy patients were matched with laparoscopy patients for severity of intestinal endometriosis.\n\n\nINTERVENTIONS\nSegmental resection of the rectosigmoid colon by laparotomy, by a laparoscopic Intracorporeal technique or by a laparoscopically assisted transvaginal technique.\n\n\nMAIN OUTCOME MEASURES\nLength of surgery, length of hospital stay, operating room charges and total hospital charges corrected to 1995 dollars.\n\n\nRESULTS\nCompared with laparotomy segmental colon resection for endometriosis, laparoscopic transvaginal segmental resection resulted in a shorter length of stay, equivalent operating room charges, and significantly lower total hospital charges. The laparoscopic transvaginal technique is much faster, safer, and less fatiguing to the surgeon than a total intracorporeal technique.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nLaparoscopically assisted transvaginal segmental rectosigmoid resection for endometriosis is a promising technique that is simpler than a laparoscopic intracorporeal segmental resection technique and is less costly than a laparotomy segmental resection technique.",
"corpus_id": 36479963,
"title": "Laparoscopically assisted transvaginal segmental resection of the rectosigmoid colon for endometriosis."
} | {
"abstract": "Background Study design labels are used to identify relevant literature to address specific clinical and research questions and to aid in evaluating the evidentiary value of research. Evidence from the human healthcare literature indicates that the label “case series” may be used inconsistently and inappropriately. Objective Our primary objective was to determine the proportion of studies in the canine and feline veterinary literature labeled as case series that actually corresponded to descriptive cohort studies, population‐based cohort studies, or other study designs. Our secondary objective was to identify the proportion of case series in which potentially inappropriate inferential statements were made. Design Descriptive evaluation of published literature. Participants One‐hundred published studies (from 19 journals) labeled as case series. Methods Studies were identified by a structured literature search, with random selection of 100 studies from the relevant citations. Two reviewers independently characterized each study, with disagreements resolved by consensus. Results Of the 100 studies, 16 were case series. The remaining studies were descriptive cohort studies (35), population‐based cohort studies (36), or other observational or experimental study designs (13). Almost half (48.8%) of the case series or descriptive cohort studies, with no control group and no formal statistical analysis, included inferential statements about the efficacy of treatment or statistical significance of potential risk factors. Conclusions Authors, peer‐reviewers, and editors should carefully consider the design elements of a study to accurately identify and label the study design. Doing so will facilitate an understanding of the evidentiary value of the results.",
"corpus_id": 19281049,
"score": 1,
"title": "What's in a Name? The Incorrect Use of Case Series as a Study Design Label in Studies Involving Dogs and Cats"
} |
{
"abstract": "Although alterations in nonspecific (or global) DNA methylation (GDM) in specific cells are known to be involved in the process of lung carcinogenesis, similar associations have not been evaluated in other smoking‐related cancers of the head and neck.",
"corpus_id": 3144496,
"title": "Pattern of nonspecific (or global) DNA methylation in oral carcinogenesis"
} | {
"abstract": "Head and neck tumors comprise a wide spectrum of heterogeneous neoplasms for which biomarkers are needed to aid in earlier diagnosis, risk assessment and therapy response. Personalized medicine based on predictive markers linked to drug response, it is hoped, will lead to improvements in outcomes and avoidance of unnecessary treatment in carcinoma of the head and neck. Because of the heterogeneity of head and neck tumors, the integration of multiple selected markers in association with the histopathologic features is advocated for risk assessment. Validation of each biomarker in the context of clinical trials will be required before a specific marker can be incorporated into daily practice. Furthermore, we will give evidence that some proteins implicated in cell-cell interaction, such as CD44 may be involved in the multiple mechanism of the development and progression of laryngeal lesions and may help to predict the risk of transformation of the benign or precancerous lesions to cancer.",
"corpus_id": 5608940,
"title": "Biomarkers of head and neck cancer, tools or a gordian knot?"
} | {
"abstract": "Expression of many cell type-specific genes is correlated with a reduced level of cytosine methylation1,2 and some results argue that genetic programmes may be activated by a reduction in DNA methylation3. During embryogenesis, however, when many genes are activated in specific cell lineages, it has not been demonstrated that they are hypomethylated prior to their expression. We have examined the timing of hypomethylation and gene activation during embryonic chick lens development for the two genes encoding δ-crystallin (the major lens-specific protein). We report here that while many of the CCGG sequences analysed become hypomethylated, most do not do so until 2 days after δ-crystallin is first synthesized. However, there is at least one site which is hypomethylated earlier, approximately when transcription is thought to commence. We conclude that hypomethylation in the δ-crystallin genes is probably not a simple process which activates transcription, although early hypomethylation events indicate obvious sites to be examined for a role in gene activation.",
"corpus_id": 4352073,
"score": 2,
"title": "Is hypomethylation linked to activation of δ-crystallin genes during lens development?"
} |
{
"abstract": "Several, if not all adrenergic β-blockers (β-Bs), accumulate progressively inside secretory vesicles in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, and could be considered to be false neurotransmitters. This transmitter effect is most likely unrelated to their ability to block adrenergic receptors, but it could explain the delay in lowering arterial pressure in hypertensive patients. We have developed a new drug to monitor the accumulation of β-Bs inside living cells, RCTM-3, which fluoresces in the visible spectrum. Here we describe the procedure to synthesize this new compound, as well as its fluorescent properties, pharmacological profile and its accumulation inside the secretory vesicles of PC12 cells.",
"corpus_id": 988630,
"title": "Fluorescent β-Blockers as Tools to Study Presynaptic Mechanisms of Neurosecretion"
} | {
"abstract": "School of Pharmacy, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK, and Institute of Cell Signalling, School of Biomedical Science, Queen’s Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK Correspondence Dr Barrie Kellam, School of Pharmacy, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK. E-mail: barrie.kellam@nottingham.ac.uk",
"corpus_id": 55807756,
"title": "Themed Section: Molecular Pharmacology of GPCRs"
} | {
"abstract": "In Diffusion Weighted Magnetic Resonance Image (DW-MRI) processing a 2 order tensor has been commonly used to approximate the diffusivity function at each lattice point of the DW-MRI data. It is now well known that this 2-order approximation fails to approximate complex local tissue structures, such as fibers crossings. In this paper we employ a 4 order symmetric positive semi-definite (PSD) tensor approximation to represent the diffusivity function and present a novel technique to estimate these tensors from the DW-MRI data guaranteeing the PSD property. There have been several published articles in literature on higher order tensor approximations of the diffusivity function but none of them guarantee the positive semi-definite constraint, which is a fundamental constraint since negative values of the diffusivity coefficients are not meaningful. In our methods, we parameterize the 4 order tensors as a sum of squares of quadratic forms by using the so called Gram matrix method from linear algebra and its relation to the Hilbert’s theorem on ternary quartics. This parametric representation is then used in a nonlinear-least squares formulation to estimate the PSD tensors of order 4 from the data. We define a metric for the higher-order tensors and employ it for regularization across the lattice. Finally, performance of this model is depicted on synthetic data as well as real DW-MRI from an isolated rat hippocampus.",
"corpus_id": 737669,
"score": 0,
"title": "Symmetric Positive 4 th Order Tensors & Their Estimation from Diffusion Weighted MRI"
} |
{
"abstract": "Myoglobin and haemoglobin, the respiratory pigments of mammals and some molluscs, annelids and arthropods, belong to an ancient superfamily of haem‐associated globin proteins. Members of this family share common structural and spectral features. They also share some general functional characteristics, such as the ability to bind ligands, e.g. O2, CO and NO, at the iron atom and to undergo redox changes. These properties are used in vivo to perform a wide range of biochemical and physiological roles. While it is acknowledged that the major role of haemoglobin is to bind oxygen reversibly and deliver it to the tissues, this is not its only function, while the often‐stated role of myoglobin as an oxygen storage protein is possibly a misconception. Furthermore, haemoglobin and myoglobin express enzymic activities that are important to their function, e.g. NO dioxygenase activity or peroxidatic activity that may be partly responsible for pathophysiology following haemorrhage. Evidence for these functions is described, and the discussion extended to include proteins that have recently been discovered and that are expressed at low levels within the cell. These proteins are hexaco‐ordinate, unlike haemoglobin and myoglobin, and are widely distributed throughout the animal kingdom (e.g. neuroglobins and cytoglobins). They may have specialist roles in oxygen delivery to particular sites within the cell but may also perform roles associated with O2 sensing and signalling and in responses to stress, e.g. protection from reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Haemoglobins are also widespread in plants and bacteria and may serve similar protective functions.",
"corpus_id": 1446648,
"title": "Oxygen‐binding haem proteins"
} | {
"abstract": "BackgroundThe giant kidney worm, Dioctophyme renale, is a debilitating and potentially lethal parasite that inhabits and destroys, typically host’s right kidney, and may also be found in ectopic sites. It is circumglobally distributed, mainly in dogs, and is increasingly regarded as a threat to other domestic animals and humans. There is little information on the parasite’s true incidence, or immune responses to it, and none on its biochemistry and molecular biology.ResultsWe characterised the soluble proteins of body wall, intestine, gonads and pseudocelomic fluid (PCF) of adult parasites. Two proteins, P17 and P44, dominate the PCF of both male and females. P17 is of 16,622 Da by mass spectrometry, and accounts for the intense red colour of the adult parasites. It may function to carry or scavenge oxygen and be related to the ‘nemoglobins’ found in other nematode clades. P44 is of 44,460 Da and was found to associate with fatty acids by thin layer chromatography. Using environment-sensitive fluorescent lipid probes, P44 proved to be a hydrophobic ligand-binding protein with a binding site that is highly apolar, and competitive displacement experiments showed that P44 binds fatty acids. It may therefore have a role in distributing lipids within the parasites and, if also secreted, might influence local inflammatory and tissue responses. N-terminal and internal peptide amino-acid sequences of P44 indicate a relationship with a cysteine- and histidine-rich protein of unknown function from Trichinella spiralis.ConclusionsThe dominant proteins of D. renale PCF are, like those of large ascaridids, likely to be involved in lipid and oxygen handling, although there is evidence of strong divergence between the two groups.",
"corpus_id": 683943,
"title": "Identification and characterization of the major pseudocoelomic proteins of the giant kidney worm, Dioctophyme renale"
} | {
"abstract": "Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), via activation of TrkB receptors, mediates vital physiological functions in the brain, ranging from neuronal survival to synaptic plasticity, and has been implicated in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disorders. Although transcriptional regulation of the BDNF gene (Bdnf) has been extensively studied, much remains to be understood. We discovered a sequence within Bdnf promoter 4 that binds the basic helix-loop-helix protein BHLHB2 and is a target for BHLHB2-mediated transcriptional repression. NMDA receptor activation de-repressed promoter 4-mediated transcription and correlated with reduced occupancy of the promoter by BHLHB2 in cultured hippocampal neurons. Bhlhb2 gene −/− mice showed increased hippocampal exon 4-specific Bdnf mRNA levels compared with +/+ littermates under basal and activity-dependent conditions. Bhlhb2 knock-out mice also showed increased status epilepticus susceptibility, suggesting that BHLHB2 alters neuronal excitability. Together, these results support a role for BHLHB2 as a new modulator of Bdnf transcription and neuronal excitability.",
"corpus_id": 2922882,
"score": 1,
"title": "BHLHB2 Controls Bdnf Promoter 4 Activity and Neuronal Excitability"
} |
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