cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acidification of the male reproductive tract by a proton pumping (H+)-ATPase.

An acidic luminal pH (ref. 1–3) is involved in sperm maturation, and in maintaining sperm in an immotile state in the epididymis and vas deferens2,4–6. Neutralization by prostatic fluid is one of a complex series of events that triggers sperm motility2,7,8. Failure of the acidification mechanism might, therefore, result in poor sperm maturation, premature motility and infertility. We have shown that a vacuolar (H+)–ATPase is expressed at high levels on the luminal plasma membrane of specialized cells in the epididymis9, which closely resemble acid–secreting kidney intercalated cells10,11. We now show that similar cells are also present in the vas deferens, and that a bafilomycin–sensitive proton flux can be detected using a noninvasive proton–selective vibrating probe. Up to 80% of the net proton secretion in the vas deferens is inhibited by bafilomycin, consistent with a major role of a vacuolar–type (H+)–ATPase in this process. This acidification mechanism is a potential target for novel strategies aimed at modulating the acidification capacity of parts of the male reproductive tract and, therefore, in regulating male fertility.
SU-E-T-181: Development of a Single-Marker-Based Optical Tracking System to Enhance Patient Safety in Radiotherapy.

Purpose: To develop an accurate and efficient single‐marker‐based optical tracking system to enhance patient safety and quality of care in radiotherapy.Methods: The optical tracking system consists of a Polaris camera as well as in‐house software. The camera is mounted inside the treatment room and detects the location of a single infra‐red (IR) reflective marker affixed on patient skin in real‐time. The tracking system safeguards patient from treating wrong sites by comparing real‐time marker position to the position predicted by virtual simulation, which is independent of couch or any indexing system. The deviation of marker position is shown in color (red or green) to indicate accuracy of patient positioning. The system works in concert with record‐and‐verify (R&V) system to further enhance patient safety and smooth clinic work flow. Marker information matching the patient under treatment is automatically loaded by the tracking system when a setup or treatment field is loaded in R&V. In non‐coplanar treatment, the system automatically adjusts expected marker coordinators by accounting for each beam's couch angle extracted from R&V. Results: Accuracy of the developed tracking system on a pelvis phantom has been verified against a CBCT system to be within 1.0 mm for coplanar treatment. In non‐coplanar treatment,uncertainty of the system increases as the distance of the marker relative to treatment isocenter. The system precisely and automatically loads in patient and marker information for each beam, in concert with our R&V system. Conclusions: We have developed an accurate and efficient single IR marker‐based optical tracking system for patient treatment position verification. It significantly enhances patient safety with streamlined clinic work flow. The system can be readily upgraded for high‐precision radiotherapy with the use of multiple markers (>4).
Structure-activity relationship study of a diverse set of estrogen receptor ligands (I) using MultiCASE expert system

Abstract The MultiCASE expert system was used to construct a quantitative structure–activity relationship model to screen chemicals with estrogen receptor (ER) binding potential. Structures and ER binding data of 313 chemicals were used as inputs to train the expert system. The training data set covers inactive, weak as well as very powerful ER binders and represents a variety of chemical compounds. Substructural features associated with ER binding activity (biophores) and features that prevent receptor binding (biophobes) were identified. Although a single phenolic hydroxyl group was found to be the most important biophore responsible for the estrogenic activity of most of the chemicals, MultiCASE also identified other biophores and structural features that modulate the activity of the chemicals. Furthermore, the findings supported our previous hypothesis that a 6 A distant descriptor may describe a ligand-binding site on an ER. Quantitative structure–activity relationship models for the chemicals associated with each biophore were constructed as part of the expert system and can be used to predict the activity of new chemicals. The model was cross validated via 10×10%-off tests, giving an average concordance of 84.04%.
Monopoly Power and Price Rigidities

I. Some shortcomings of the usual explanations of price rigidities, 456.—The method of attack on the problem, 459.— II. The coexistence of monopoly power and rigid prices, 459.— III. The nature of the monopoly equilibrium and of the movement between positions of monopoly equilibrium as "causes" of rigidity, 463.— IV. The choice of rigid prices, as such, under conditions of monopoly power: 1. As an aid to oligopoly adjustment, 466; 2. As an aid to resale price maintenance, 468; 3. As result of the use of average costs in pricing, 470; 4. As result of monopoly inertia, 472. — V. Conclusions and bearing on public policy, 473.
A hybrid approach to modeling metabolic systems using a genetic algorithm and simplex method

One of the main obstacles in applying genetic algorithms (GA's) to complex problems has been the high computational cost due to their slow convergence rate. We encountered such a difficulty in our attempt to use the classical GA for estimating parameters of a metabolic model. To alleviate this difficulty, we developed a hybrid approach that combines a GA with a stochastic variant of the simplex method in function optimization. Our motivation for developing the stochastic simplex method is to introduce a cost-effective exploration component into the conventional simplex method. In an attempt to make effective use of the simplex operation in a hybrid GA framework, we used an elite-based hybrid architecture that applies one simplex step to a top portion of the ranked population. We compared our approach with five alternative optimization techniques including a simplex-GA hybrid independently developed by Renders-Bersini (R-B) and adaptive simulated annealing (ASA). Our empirical evaluations showed that our hybrid approach for the metabolic modeling problem outperformed all other techniques in terms of accuracy and convergence rate. We used two additional function optimization problems to compare our approach with the five alternative methods.
A new method for determining the number of RNA polymerases active in chromatin transcription

A new method is described for determining the number of RNA chains which are being actively propagated in an invitro transcription system. This method employs [32P]-α-cordycepin triphosphate which terminates RNA chain propagation upon incorporation of the nucleotide analogue into an RNA transcript. This method is quicker and subject to fewer problems than end group analysis using [3H]nucleoside triphosphates. The auxin-induced increase in soybean RNA polymerase I activity was examined using this method. At 12, 24, and 48 hours after auxin treatment, the increase in chromatin-bound RNA polymerase I activity is predominantly due to a greater rate of RNA chain elongation rather than to an increase in the number of elongating RNA chains.
Neuroimaging in Radiosurgery Treatment Planning and Follow-up Evaluation

Radiosurgery refers to the precise delivery of a large, single dose of radiation to a focal target. The focal dose distribution allows for a positive therapeutic gain. Because of the opacity of the cranial vault, target volume definition relies entirely on the anatomic accuracy of the available imaging modalities. The need for accurate anatomic visualization is magnified by the use of higher radiation dose delivered in radiosurgery as compared with radiotherapy. To achieve maximal spatial accuracy in radiosurgical planning, an understanding of the basic principles underlying neuroimaging as well as the limitations associated with each imaging modality is mandatory. Additionally, the optimal management of patients after radiosurgery requires knowledge of the expected neuroimaging changes as they relate to clinical outcome. These issues will be reviewed in this chapter.
Rat strain differences in flap tolerance to ischemia.

The rat epigastric island flap model is commonly used to explore ischemia-related phenomena. We sought to evaluate strain differences in tolerance to ischemia using two commonly used rat strains: Sprague-Dawley and Lewis. Epigastric flaps (3 × 6 cm) based on the superficial epigastric artery and vein were raised bilaterally in each rat (2 flaps/rat). Ischemia was induced for 10, 12, 14, or 16 hours by placing temporary occlusion clamps on each vessel of the vascular pedicle. Surviving flap areas were assessed planimetrically after 7 days. The average area of surviving flap tissue was greater in the Lewis rats for all ischemia times; this achieved significance for 12 hours and 14 hours of ischemia (P<0.005). These findings indicate that comparisons among studies on rat flap ischemia must take into account the particular strain used. Furthermore, these findings suggest an inherent capacity of Lewis rat tissue to withstand ischemia better than tissue of the Sprague-Dawley rat strain. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Multiple heterologies increase mitotic double-strand break-induced allelic gene conversion tract lengths in yeast.

Spontaneous and double-strand break (DSB)-induced allelic recombination in yeast was investigated in crosses between ura3 heteroalleles inactivated by an HO site and a +1 frameshift mutation, with flanking markers defining a 3.4-kbp interval. In some crosses, nine additional phenotypically silent RFLP mutations were present at ∼100-bp intervals. Increasing heterology from 0.2 to 1% in this interval reduced spontaneous, but not DSB-induced, recombination. For DSB-induced events, 75% were continuous tract gene conversions without a crossover in this interval; discontinuous tracts and conversions associated with a crossover each comprised ∼7% of events, and 10% also converted markers in unbroken alleles. Loss of heterozygosity was seen for all markers centromere distal to the HO site in 50% of products; such loss could reflect gene conversion, break-induced replication, chromosome loss, or G2 crossovers. Using telomere-marked strains we determined that nearly all allelic DSB repair occurs by gene conversion. We further show that most allelic conversion results from mismatch repair of heteroduplex DNA. Interestingly, markers shared between the sparsely and densely marked interval converted at higher rates in the densely marked interval. Thus, the extra markers increased gene conversion tract lengths, which may reflect mismatch repair-induced recombination, or a shift from restoration- to conversion-type repair.
Organic Electro-Optic Materials

The macroscopic electro-optic activity of organic materials depends upon the mo- lecular hyperpolarizability, β, of individual organic chromophores and upon the product of number density, N, and noncentrosymmetric order, , of the chromophores in a hard- ened polymer lattice. Quantum and statistical mechanical calculations provide the basis for rational improvement of these parameters leading to electro-optic coefficients (at tele- communication wavelengths) of greater than 100 pm/V (a factor of 3 larger than values for the best inorganic material, lithium niobate). Such calculations also provide insight into what further improvements can be expected. Owing to low and relatively dispersionless dielectric constants and refractive indicies, organic materials facilitate the fabrication of devices with 3 dB operational bandwidths of greater than 100 GHz. Moreover, robust and low optical loss materials can be fabricated by design. An under-appreciated advantage of organic electro- optic materials is their processability, and a variety of stripline, cascaded prism and super- prism, and ring microresonator devices are readily fabricated. Conformal, flexible, and three- dimensional devices are also readily produced. With ring microresonator devices, active wavelength division multiplexing, optical network reconfiguration, and laser frequency tun- ing are straightforwardly accomplished.
Rising ozone concentrations decrease soybean evapotranspiration and water use efficiency whilst increasing canopy temperature

Summary • Here, we investigated the effects of increasing concentrations of ozone ([O3]) on soybean canopy-scale fluxes of heat and water vapor, as well as water use efficiency (WUE), at the Soybean Free Air Concentration Enrichment (SoyFACE) facility. • Micrometeorological measurements were made to determine the net radiation (Rn), sensible heat flux (H), soil heat flux (G0) and latent heat flux (kET) of a commercial soybean (Glycine max) cultivar (Pioneer 93B15), exposed to a gradient of eight daytime average ozone concentrations ranging from approximately current (c. 40 ppb) to three times current (c. 120 ppb) levels. • As [O3] increased, soybean canopy fluxes of kET decreased and H increased, whereas Rn and G0 were not altered significantly. Exposure to increased [O3] also resulted in warmer canopies, especially during the day. The lower kET decreased season total evapotranspiration (ET )b yc. 26%. The [O3]-induced relative decline in ET was half that of the relative decline in seed yield, driving a 50% reduction in seasonal WUE. • These results suggest that rising [O3] will alter the canopy energy fluxes that drive regional climate and hydrology, and have a negative impact on productivity and WUE, key ecosystem services.
The Psychological Origin of the 1300-Year-Old Arab-Israeli War: How History Must Guide Policy Making

This psycho-historical analysis advances the hypothesis that the long-standing hostilities between Israel and her Arab neighbors is fundamentally a religious conflict with a significant psychological co mponent. The origins of the war and standoff between the parties are traced back to the time of the founding of Islam and the encounter between Muhammad and the Jews of what is now Saudi Arabia. When the Jews rejected Muhammad as the Apostle of God, he experienced a severe psychological wound leading to a series of actions that would now be referred to as acts of narcissistic rage. This rage was transcribed into the Qur'an and has become an integral part o f Islamic-Jewish relations since that time. Key h istorical and psychological contexts are provided and serve as the basis for recommended next steps to be taken to promote the peace process, including roles for polit ical and consulting psychologists.
cAMP Inhibits Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression and NF-κB-Binding Activity in Cultured Rat Hepatocytes

Abstract Background. The inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is strongly expressed following inflammatory stimuli. Adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) increases iNOS expression and activity in a number of cell types but decreases cytokine-stimulated iNOS expression in hepatocytes. The mechanisms for this effect are unknown. Methods. Rat hepatocytes were stimulated with cytokines to induce iNOS and cultured with cAMP agonists dibutyryl-cAMP (dbcAMP), 8-bromo-cAMP, and forskolin (FSK). Nitric oxide synthesis was assessed by supernatant nitrite levels and iNOS expression was measured by Northern and Western blot analyses. Nuclear factor κB binding was assessed by electromobility shift assay. Results. Cyclic AMP dose dependently decreased NO synthesis in response to a combination of proinflammatory cytokines or interleukin-1β (IL-1β) alone. The adenylate cyclase inhibitor SQ 22,536 increased cytokine- or IL-1β-stimulated NO synthesis. dbcAMP decreased iNOS mRNA expression and iNOS protein expression. Both dbcAMP and glucagon decreased iNOS promoter activity in rat hepatocytes transfected with the murine iNOS promoter and decreased DNA binding of the transcription factor NF-κB. Conclusion. These data suggest that cAMP is important in hepatocyte iNOS expression and agents that alter cAMP levels may profoundly alter the response of hepatocytes to inflammatory stimuli through effects onthe iNOS promoter region and NF-κB.
Heterogeneity in fibromyalgia based upon cognitive and physical performance and psychological symptomology.

AbstractPurpose:This study sought to investigate the existence of subgroups within a fibromyalgia (FM) sample based on physical and cognitive performance measures, as well as self-report psychological measures. A multisystem disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain and co-morbid con
Scientific research in education: A critical perspective1

This article reviews the debate in the USA about quality in educational research which has underpinned particular approaches to educational research being mandated in federal legislation. It argues that the movement towards 'evidence-based policy and practice' oversimplifies complex problems and is being used to warrant governmental incursion into legislating scientific method. It calls for critical readings of current policy and direct engagement in policy forums--putting critical theory to work.
Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus prostatic abscess

We present a 43-year-old man with a history of intravenous drug abuse who presented to the emergency department with a 5-week history of lower urinary tract symptoms. On digital rectal examination, a firm prostate with exquisite tenderness was noted. Computed tomography scan of the pelvis with contrast demonstrated a 4.4 by 2.7-cm prostatic abscess in the right lobe. Suppurative fluid was expressed from the right prostatic lobe during transurethral resection of the prostate. Cultures of blood and suppurative prostatic fluid grew methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
Machine translation in the year 2004

Machine translation (MT) accuracy has recently increased, due to better techniques and to the availability of larger parallel training sets. Statistical MT systems are now able to translate across a wide variety of language pairs. This paper covers the basic elements of state-of-the-art, statistical MT, including modeling, decoding, evaluation, and data preparation.
Application of B-splines in digital filtering

Summary form only given, as follows. In many digital signal processing applications, the input signal rate is higher than the output signal Nyquist rate. In the case of an FIR (finite-impulse-response) digital filter, it has been found that a B-spline representation of the filter response leads to minimal time and circuit complexities. The number of filter coefficients required in this implementation is reduced and corresponds to the lower sampling rate of the filter function. The aliasing usually associated with this lower sampling rate is substantially reduced by processing the input data with a prefilter which can be interpreted as an interpolator. The prefilter is implemented using a cascade of running average filters which requires no multipliers. The B-spline approach is suited to VLSI implementation and leads to substantial reductions in circuit complexity. >
Tree structured multiple processor join methods

This paper summarizes the execution cost of join operations performed by parallel executing processors. Four different parallel join algorithms are proposed for execution on multiple processing nodes interconnected on a tree structured communication network. Secondary storage is accessed in parallel by leaf nodes. An average execution cost analysis is presented for the multiple processor join methods. For a reasonable ratio of result to operand cardinality, joins which use hashing for semi-join of operands at the leaf node secondary storage interface are predicted to perform better than nested-loop and sort-merge joins. Both node memory capacity and join result cardinality have a large influence on the relative performance of the join methods. This analysis method forms a basis for selecting among alternative processing methods for statically linked, multiple processor computer architectures.
The Development and Outcomes of a Pediatric Palliative Care Program: A Quality Improvement Process

Palliative care strives to enhance quality of life in the face of a life-threatening illness without hastening or postponing death, helping the individual to live as long and normally as possible. The World Health Organization (2011) defines pediatric palliative care as active, total care of the child and begins when illness is diagnosed and continues whether the child receives treatment for the disease.
Source Localization and Tracking of a Wideband Source Using a Randomly Distributed Beamforming Sensor Array

We consider the array signal processing aspect of a power efficient self-organized and synchronized wireless sensor network for source detection, signal enhancement, localization, and identification. The beamforming and source localization are the most computationally intensive operations in the network. In this paper, we introduce a class of computationally efficient source localization algorithms. The novel source localization estimators also include the speed of propagation estimation since it is often unknown. For a more robust solution, a parametric source tracking algorithm is developed based on a linear track assumption. We also derive the Cramer-Rao bound for source localization and speed of propagation estimations using a randomly distributed sensor array. A blind beamforming approach, which enhances the strongest signal while attenuating other interferences, using only the measured data is presented. The maximum power collection criterion is used to obtain array weights from the dominant eigenvector of the sample correlation matrix. In many practical scenarios, the locations of some of the sensors may be unknown or non-stationary. From three or more source locations and source distances, we formulate a least-squares estimator for the unknown sensor location. Systematic evaluations via simulations show the proposed algorithms are effective and efficient with respect to the Cramer-Rao bound. The proposed algorithms are also shown to be effective in the examples using measured data.
Posture, Locomotion, and Paleoecology of Pterosaurs

Posture, Locomotion, and Paleoecology of Pterosaurs. Sankar Chatterjee and R. J. Templin. 2004. The Geological Society of America, Special Paper 376, Boulder, Colorado, 64 + iv p. ISBN 0-8137-2376-0; Evolution and Palaeobiology of Pterosaurs. 2003. Eric Buffetaut and Jean-Michel Mazin, eds. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 217, London, 347 p. ISBN 1-8623-9143-2. In the past year, two books about pterosaurs have been published: Posture, Locomotion, and Paleoecology of Pterosaurs by Chatterjee and Templin and Evolution and Palaeobiology of Pterosaurs edited by Buffetaut and Mazin. Although both books include broad coverage of the present knowledge of pterosaurs, they are very different in approach and not equally successful. Chatterjee and Templin's work suffers from a split personality. It was clearly written by two people with different styles, who seem not to have been able to decide whether it was intended as a general review of pterosaurs and their literature or as a new contribution to our understanding of pterosaur flight. The majority of the book is a general review of pterosaurs that is rather muddled and often omits recent contributions. The authors suggest that there is little agreement among pterosaur workers on even the smallest details; however, a general consensus on almost all topics has been forged by pterosaur workers in a recent series of workshops and symposia, and while there are dissenters on most subjects, the extent of agreement is remarkable. The book includes various inaccuracies and inconsistencies. For example, the term pterodactyl is used in a number of places to refer to all pterodactyloids when it properly refers only to members of the genus Pterodactylus ; pterosaurs are described as quadrupedal knuckle walkers whereas knuckle walking properly refers to walking on flexed proximal interphalangeal joints of the manus and pterosaurs walked with their metacarpophalangeal joints hyperextended and the palmar surfaces …
Discontinuous Element Insertion Algorithm

An algorithm is presented for inserting zero-thickness interface elements, termed herein as “couplers”, into continuous finite element meshes in two and three dimensions. Insertion is governed solely by the mesh topology and is specified according to regions or subdomains within the overall analysis domain, a geometrically intuitive means to designate the coupler locations. The algorithm is self-contained and requires only nodal coordinates and element connectivity as input. A wide class of volume elements and interface couplers are treated within the framework. Since the algorithm is topologically-based, interfaces of arbitrary complexity are naturally accommodated. Separate treatment is given to inserting couplers within regions and along region boundaries to improve efficiency. Numerical tests verify that the algorithm is computationally scalable and produces analysis suitable meshes.
Actuator Constrained Optimal Control of Formations Near the Libration Points

Spacecraft applications like space-based interferometry have motivated investigations into the feasibility of spacecraft formations near the libration points of the Sun-Earth/Moon system. The sensitivity of the dynamical regime imposes extremely precise control requirements for non-natural formations. Unconstrained control laws tend to require acceleration magnitudes smaller than existing thruster technology can provide. In the present study, a methodology is presented that identifies actuator constrained solutions in the nonlinear model. The optimal solutions that ensue are attainable with existing technology and demonstrate the feasibility of spacecraft formationkeeping in the presence of actuator constraints in the Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem. Nomenclature B body-fixed frame c constraint vector f, ˜ f dynamics function
Effects of Meditation versus Music Listening on Perceived Stress, Mood, Sleep, and Quality of Life in Adults with Early Memory Loss: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Background Older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) are at increased risk not only for Alzheimer's disease, but for poor mental health, impaired sleep, and diminished quality of life (QOL), which in turn, contribute to further cognitive decline, highlighting the need for early intervention. Objective In this randomized controlled trial, we assessed the effects of two 12-week relaxation programs, Kirtan Kriya Meditation (KK) and music listening (ML), on perceived stress, sleep, mood, and health-related QOL in older adults with SCD. Methods Sixty community-dwelling older adults with SCD were randomized to a KK or ML program and asked to practice 12 minutes daily for 12 weeks, then at their discretion for the following 3 months. At baseline, 12 weeks, and 26 weeks, perceived stress, mood, psychological well-being, sleep quality, and health-related QOL were measured using well-validated instruments. Results Fifty-three participants (88%) completed the 6-month study. Participants in both groups showed significant improvement at 12 weeks in psychological well-being and in multiple domains of mood and sleep quality (p's≤0.05). Relative to ML, those assigned to KK showed greater gains in perceived stress, mood, psychological well-being, and QOL-Mental Health (p's≤0.09). Observed gains were sustained or improved at 6 months, with both groups showing marked and significant improvement in all outcomes. Changes were unrelated to treatment expectancies. Conclusions Findings suggest that practice of a simple meditation or ML program may improve stress, mood, well-being, sleep, and QOL in adults with SCD, with benefits sustained at 6 months and gains that were particularly pronounced in the KK group.
ConfChem Conference on Interactive Visualizations for Chemistry Teaching and Learning: The Cutting Edge—Educational Innovation, Disability Law, and Civil Rights

This communication summarizes one of the invited papers to the Interactive Visualizations for Chemistry Teaching and Learning ACS CHED Committee on Computers in Chemical Education online ConfChem held from May 8 to June 4, 2015. Mr. Paul Grossman, Chief Regional Attorney (retired), Office of Civil Rights, United States Department of Education, succinctly places the development of American disability rights protections and principles within the broader context of race, sex, and national origin civil rights laws in the United States. Starting with the Emancipation Proclamation and ending with the revolutionary changes in education heralded by technology, Mr. Grossman’s guide provides a background to understanding the modern evolution of disability law and how it relates to accessibility in education. The resulting discussion included resources for learning about how to make education technology accessible, the use of screen readers for reading chemistry content, how to design interactive simulations with ac...
Investigation of Tobacco Control in Primary and secondary schools in Huairou District of Beijing City

[Objective]To understand the smoking status among primary and secondary school students and the understanding of tobacco related knowledge,to find effective tobacco control method for different schools,and provide support data and scientific evidence for government to develop related policies and measures.[Methods] 840 students of 4 primary schools,684 students of 4 secondary schools,430students of 3 high schools,and 252 students of a vocational school in Huairou District were selected.The proportion of boys to girls should be in line with the 1:1 as far as possible.Anonymous questionnaire survey of closed type was conducted.Based on the different learning stages,questionnaire were divided into junior primary level(grades 1 to 3),senior primary level(grades 4 to 6),and secondary level.[Results]Attempting smoking rate of junior primary school students was 15.21%,that of senior primary school students was 0.10,smoking rate was 0.49%;attempting smoking rate of secondary school students was 29.51%,smoking rate was 17.20%.[Conclusion]Tobacco control of secondary school students should be the focus of tobacco control in schools of our region.
SGMW GA Shop SPS Implemention Analysis

As new products rapidly develop and material gradually increase in SGMW GA shop,the line side space is limited to meet with mix-production requirement in one line.This paper is to introduce West General Assembly shop SPS implementation base on its actual situation,which successfully save the line side space,improve the site environment,eliminate safety risk,improve assembly quality and reduce shut down time for lacking of material to show important signification of SPS system for group team building.
Role of colony-stimulating factor in myelopoiesis in murine long-term bone marrow cultures.

Weekly medium change or midweek feeding of long-term bone marrow cultures (LTMBCs) results in a significant increase in total myeloid cell production. Proliferative myeloid cells peak 48 hours after feeding, and nonproliferative myeloid cells reach maximum levels at 72 hours. This increase in myelopoiesis is invariably preceded by a significant elevation in biologically and immunologically measurable colony-stimulating factor (CSF) in the supernatants of LTBMC. The level peaks 24 hours after medium change, then gradually returns to basal values. The decrease in CSF relates to its consumption by generating myeloid precursors because no fluctuation in the levels occur in cultures without active myelopoiesis. No significant inhibitors or promoters of CSF were detected. When highly purified L cell CSF, CSF in lung-conditioned medium, or CSF concentrated from LTBMC supernatant is added to cultures, an identical increase in myelopoiesis occurs. Anti- CSF antiserum, added to culture at the time of medium change, totally neutralizes supernatant CSF levels but does not affect myelopoiesis. These findings suggest a potential regulatory role for CSF in myelopoiesis in LTBMC. CSF appears to function within the microenvironment through a mechanism involving cell:cell interactions or by causing the production of other substances that stimulate myelopoiesis. Because exogenous CSF stimulates myelopoiesis, it is likely that it too can react either directly or through microenvironmental cells to stimulate primitive myeloid cells to divide.
Phase Space Method

Phase Space Method - ushers in an analytical technique for treating blast waves propagating into atmospheres of finite pressure and density. The Phase Space Method (PSM) is based on the autonomous form of the blast wave equations in Eulerian space coordinates presented in Chapter 10. The solution of these equations is obtained by determining a family of integral curves forming a surface in the phase space of blast wave coordinates, rather than directly in the physical space, as is conventionally done by numerical algorithms.
Avulsion of the coracoid process in an athlete. Report of a case.

A case report of avulsion of the coracoid process in a young athlete is presented. Treatment consisted in surgical excision of the distal fragment of the coracoid process and reattachment of the conjoined tendon.
SSA walking machine

One objective of this research was to produce control programs for the SSA walking machine. This chapter contains a description of the machine and of its particular properties that made the walking task tractable. The first section gives a brief description of the machine’s physical attributes. The second section describes the natural motions provided by the legs of the machine. The third section describes the important features of the control electronics. The fourth section is a short tutorial on hydraulics. A more detailed description of the machine is given by Sutherland [58].
Prenatal Screening for Neural Tube Defects and Aneuploidy

Neural tube defects (NTDs) and aneuploidies are major causes of perinatal death and childhood morbidity. Routine screening for these anomalies has become a standard part of prenatal care in many countries. Improvements in screening tests for aneuploidy have led to a dramatic shift in the practice patterns. Folate supplementation and screening with maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein followed by comprehensive ultrasound evaluation for screen-positive women has reduced the birth incidence of NTDs. Recent advances in combined first- and second-trimester screening strategies, utilizing both biochemical and ultrasound evaluation, have increased the detection rates of chromosomal abnormalities such that many women elect to forego prenatal diagnostic procedures.
Exploring the Impact of Environmental Effects on Social Presence with a Virtual Human

We explore how and in what ways the surrounding environment can be an important factor in human perception during interactions with virtual humans. We also seek to leverage any such knowledge to increase the sense of Social/Co-Presence with virtual humans. We conducted a user study to explore the influence of environmental events on social interaction between real and virtual humans in a Mixed Reality setting. Specifically we tested two different treatments to see the effects on Social/Co-Presence: (i) enhanced physical-virtual connectivity/influence via a real fan blowing on virtual paper, and (ii) the virtual human’s corresponding awareness of the environmental factor as she looks at the fan and holds the fluttering paper. While a statistical analysis for the study did not support the positive effects of the two treatments, we have developed some new insights that could be useful for future studies involving virtual humans.
Initial studies of plasma facing component surface conditioning in the national spherical tokamak experiment upgrade with the materials analysis particle probe

Abstract An innovative PFC diagnostic, the Materials Analysis Particle Probe (MAPP) was used to study the chemistry of Plasma Facing Components (PFCs) in the National Spherical Tokamak Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U). NSTX-U used boronization as conditioning strategy during the 2015–2016 experimental campaign. Deposition with ∼9.1 g of deuterated tri-methyl boron (d-TMB) in a helium glow discharge resulted in coatings with an equivalent thickness of 7.0 nm at the lower outer divertor region. MAPP was used to capture for the first time the in-vacuo evolution of the chemical state of ATJ graphite PFCs after boronization and plasma exposure via X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) on a day-to-day basis. The XPS data shows the formation of B 4 C on the PFCs surface during boronization. We observed the gradual increase of the B 2 O 3 fraction in the coatings with plasma exposures. In contrast, we measured the formation of non-stoichiometric oxides when the samples were only exposed to residual gases and an argon vent. MAPP data revealed erosion and oxidation of deposited boron coatings over the course of tens of shots (a time resolution improved several orders-of-magnitude compared to post-campaign PFC characterization) that is correlated with the transitory nature of plasma performance enhancement with boron conditioning.
Systemic Biodistribution and Intravitreal Pharmacokinetic Properties of Bevacizumab, Ranibizumab, and Aflibercept in a Nonhuman Primate Model.

Macular Degeneration Research Fund from the Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of Arizona Medical Center and Lions Clubs International
Quality of life and functioning of Hispanic patients with Major Depressive Disorder before and after treatment.

Background Similar rates of remission from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) have been documented between ethnic groups in response to antidepressant treatment. However, ethnic differences in functional outcomes, including patient-reported quality of life (QOL) and functioning, have not been well-characterized. We compared symptomatic and functional outcomes of antidepressant treatment in Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients with MDD.
Sex bias in basic and preclinical noise-induced hearing loss research.

Introduction: Sex differences in brain biochemistry, physiology, structure, and function have been gaining increasing attention in the scientific community. Males and females can have different responses to medications, diseases, and environmental variables. A small number of the approximately 7500 studies of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) have identified sex differences, but the mechanisms and characterization of these differences have not been thoroughly studied. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a mandate in 2015 to include sex as a biological variable in all NIH-funded research beginning in January 2016. Materials and Methods: In the present study, the representation of sex as a biological variable in preclinical and basic studies of NIHL was quantified for a 5-year period from January 2011 to December 2015 prior to the implementation of the NIH mandate. Results: The analysis of 210 basic and preclinical studies showed that when sex is specified, experiments are predominantly performed on male animals. Discussion: This bias is present in studies completed in the United States and foreign institutions, and the proportion of studies using only male participants has actually increased over the 5-year period examined. Conclusion: These results underscore the need to invest resources in studying NIHL in both sexes to better understand how sex shapes the outcomes and to optimize treatment and prevention strategies.
Cross-sectional associations between gender-linked personality traits and use of weight-loss and muscle-building products among U.S. young adults.

This study examined the cross-sectional associations between gender-linked personality traits and use of products for weight loss and muscle building using data from young adults participating in Wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health who completed the short-form Bem Sex-Role Inventory (n = 3,343). Among men, a higher score on the masculinity scale was associated with greater odds of diet pill use, legal performance-enhancing substance (PES) use, and illicit PES use, while a higher score on the femininity scale was associated with lower odds of illicit PES use. These findings can inform interventions for men with weight/shape concerns.
Biased signaling by thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor–specific antibodies determines thyrocyte survival in autoimmunity

The thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) is a heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide–binding protein (G protein)–coupled receptor (GPCR). Autoimmune hyperthyroidism, commonly known as Graves’ disease (GD), is caused by stimulating autoantibodies to the TSHR. We previously described TSHR-specific antibodies (TSHR-Abs) in GD that recognize linear epitopes in the cleavage region of the TSHR ectodomain (C-TSHR-Abs) and induce thyroid cell apoptosis instead of stimulating the TSHR. We found that C-TSHR-Abs entered the cell through clathrin-mediated endocytosis but did not trigger endosomal maturation and failed to undergo normal vesicular sorting and trafficking. We found that stimulating TSHR-Abs (S-TSHR-Abs) activated Gα s and, to a lesser extent, Gα q but that C-TSHR-Abs failed to activate any of the G proteins normally activated in response to TSH. Furthermore, specific inhibition of G proteins in the presence of S-TSHR-mAbs or TSH resulted in a similar failure of endosomal maturation as that caused by C-TSHR-mAbs. Hence, whereas S-TSHR-mAbs and TSH contributed to normal vesicular trafficking of TSHR through the activation of major G proteins, the C-TSHR-Abs resulted in GRK2- and β-arrestin-1–dependent biased signaling, which is interpreted as a danger signal by the cell. Our observations suggest that the binding of antibodies to different TSHR epitopes may decrease cell survival. Antibody-induced cell injury and the response to cell death amplify the loss of self-tolerance, which most likely helps to perpetuate GPCR-mediated autoimmunity.
An Experimental Test of the Two-Dimensional Theory of Cultural Sensitivity in Health Communication

Based on a theoretical framework describing culturally sensitive (CS) health communication, this experiment tested the relative contributions of surface structure and deep structure in the recall o...
Health crises, social support, and caregiving practices among street children in Bangladesh

Abstract An estimated 1–3 million children live on the streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh relying on each other for survival in an environment characterized by illness, violence, and poverty. Research has rarely examined the everyday caregiving environment of street children in Bangladesh or how they survive the illness and injury so common to their experience. To understand street children's caregiving practices, this paper draws in part from the informal caregiving and social support literatures. The qualitative project purposively selected 75 street children and asked three primary questions: 1) What is the nature of crisis children encounter on the street? 2) What are the ranges of informal caregiving practices? 3) What social network characteristics facilitate or complicate caregiving? Findings suggest that street children encounter unprecedented dangers and experience frequent accidental injuries and repeated episodes of sickness. They rely mostly on social network members for a range of supports. Network members, primarily peers, help devise a treatment plan, accompany them to treatment centers, buy medicine and nurse sick youth. Network members bear most treatment, food and other expenses and usually do not expect immediate repayment. Street children offer support to close and weak network ties, however support is more intense for friends. Caregivers also struggle to balance their own life and work while engaged in caregiving practices with evidence of detrimental effects on friendship ties in some cases.
A Política Externa Portuguesa Face À China (Portugal Foreign Policy Towards China)

Spanish Abstract: A politica externa de Portugal tem estado captiva do designio portugues de uma plena integracao politica e economica na Uniao Europeia. A unica alternativa a este pendos europeiista tem sido Africa, designadamente os cinco paises que foram, antes, colonias portuguesas. O autor argumenta que o abandono dispiciendo do legado de 440 anos da presenca portuguesa em Macau, e por via disso, de relacoes bilaterais entre Portugal e China - primeiro no contexto das relacoes entre as monarquias portuguesa e chinesa e depois no contexto dos governos republicanos - tem sido um erro politico clamoroso, uma falta de visao dos governas socialistas portugueses. Em dez anos, nada sobrevivera a este gradual desinvestimento de Portugal na relacao politico-diplomatica Portugal-China. English Abstract: Portuguese foreign policy has been captive of Portugal's desiderata of a complete and sustainable political and economic integration in the European Union. The only alternative area for Portugal's projection of political influence has been Africa, namely the five countries that were, before, Portuguese colonies. The author stresses that the desertion of 440 years of historical relations between Portugal and China has been a dreadful political mistake, a lack of vision from Portugal's Socialists governments. In ten years time, probably nothing will survive this gradual desinvestment in Portugal-China relationship.
Mechanism of Translation in Eukaryotes

Recent years have seen a tremendous advance in our understanding of the mechanism of protein synthesis in eukaryotic cells. Furthermore, our understanding of the role of translation in cancer development and progression, as well as its significance in clinical medicine has also greatly increased. The process of messenger RNA (mRNA) translation is comprised of four main stages: initiation, elongation, termination and ribosome recycling. Each stage is promoted by many different protein factors that interact with mRNA, transfer RNA (tRNA) and the 40S and 60S ribosomes to ensure an mRNA is accurately translated into protein. Here, we will describe the fundamental mechanisms involved in selection, recruitment, and translation of an mRNA by the eukaryotic ribosome with an emphasis on aspects most relevant to the theme of translation and cancer.
A Semiconducting Conjugated Radical Polymer: Ambipolar Redox Activity and Faraday Effect

Investigations of magnetism in electronically coupled polyradicals have largely focused on applications in photonic and magnetic devices, wherein radical polymers were found to possess molecularly tunable and cooperative magnetic properties. Radical polymers with nonconjugated insulating backbones have been intensively investigated previously; however the integration of radical species into conducting polymer backbones is at an early stage. We report herein 1,3-bisdiphenylene-2-phenylallyl (BDPA)-based conjugated radical polymers that display ambipolar redox activities and conductivities. Moreover, these radical polymers were demonstrated to be promising magneto-optic (MO) materials with Faraday rotations wherein the sign is modulated by the radical character and display absolute Verdet constants up to (2.80 ± 0.84) × 104 deg T–1 m–1 at 532 nm. These values rival the performance of the present-day commercial inorganic MO materials (e.g., terbium gallium garnet, V = −1.0 × 104 deg T–1 m–1 at 532 nm). The s...