cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from Corynebacterium glutamicum

Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxykinase is present in crude extracts of Corynebacterium glutamicum grown on both glucose and lactate. Preparation of PEP carboxykinase free from interfering PEP carboxylase and oxaloacetate decarboxylase showed an absolute dependence on divalent manganese and IDP for activity in the oxaloacetate (OAA) formation. Other diphosphate nucleotides could not substitute for IDP. The enzyme activity displayed Michaelis-Menten kinetics for the substrates PEP, IDP, KHCO3, OAA and ITP with a Km of 0.7 mM, 0.4 mM, 12 mM, 1.0 mM, and 0.5 mM, respectively. At the optimum pH of 6.6, 850 nmol of OAA were formed per min per mg of protein. ATP inhibited PEP carboxykinase in the OAA forming reaction for 60% at 0.1 mM, indicating that the enzyme mainly functions in gluconeogenesis.
Residual stresses caused by linear incompatibility of strains in an orthotropic cylindrical shell

We analyze a healed crack in an orthotropic cylindrical nonshallow shell using a continuously distributed dislocation model. The field of residual stresses on the faces of the shell is investigated for different cases of transverse dislocations of normal opening.
Discoidin I is implicated in cell-substratum attachment and ordered cell migration of dictyostelium discoideum and resembles fibronectin

Abstract All three forms of discoidin I, an endogenous N-acetylgalactosamine-binding lectin from D. discoideum, contain the amino acid sequence gly-arg-glyasp also found in fibronectin and implicated in its attachment to cells. Synthetic peptides containing these and adjacent amino acids of discoidin I block organized streaming during aggregation of D. discoideum and, at higher concentrations, block cell attachment and spreading on a plastic surface and formation of fruiting bodies. Pure discoidin I (with or without N-acetylgalactosamine) and univalent anti-discoidin I also block formation of streams during aggregation. Two mutants of D. discoideum with low levels of discoidin I apparently reflect the deficiency of this endogenous lectin by failing to form streams or to spread on plastic and by a partial failure to enter aggregates. Together, the results indicate that discoidin I functions like fibronectin to promote cell attachment and spreading as well as ordered cellular migration during morphogenesis.
Who wants to Marry a millionaire? Reality dating television programs, attitudes toward sex, and sexual behaviors

Past research has revealed associations between television viewing and sexual attitudes and behaviors. We examined a burgeoning new television genre, reality dating programs (RDPs). Undergraduate students (ages 18–24) reported their overall television viewing, their RDP viewing, and their involvement with RDPs (watching in order to learn and watching in order to be entertained). They also completed measures of attitudes toward sex, dating, and relationships, and answered questions about sexual behavior. Most participants were occasional or frequent viewers of at least one RDP. Men reported using RDPs for learning more than did women; there was no gender difference in use of RDPs for entertainment. Total amount of RDP viewing was positively correlated, for both men and women, with adversarial sexual beliefs, endorsement of a sexual double standard, and the beliefs that men are sex-driven, that appearance is important in dating, and that dating is a game. In all cases, however, these relationships were partially or totally mediated through viewer involvement. Men and women who watched RDPs tended to be less sexually experienced; there were few other correlations with sexual behaviors.
Steep switching tunnel FET: a promise to extend the energy efficient roadmap for post-CMOS digital and analog/RF applications

Steep switching Tunnel FETs (TFET) can extend the supply voltage scaling with improved energy efficiency for both digital and analog/RF application. In this paper, recent approaches on III-V Tunnel FET device design, prototype device demonstration, modeling techniques and performance evaluations for digital and analog/RF application are discussed and compared to CMOS technology. The impact of steep switching, uni-directional conduction and negative differential resistance characteristics are explored from circuit design perspective. Circuit-level implementation such as III-V TFET based Adder and SRAM design shows significant improvement on energy efficiency and power reduction below 0.3V for digital application. The analog/RF metric evaluation is presented including gm/Ids metric, temperature sensitivity, parasitic impact and noise performance. TFETs exhibit promising performance for high frequency, high sensitivity and ultra-low power RF rectifier application.
Lincoln Laboratory technique for the ultrahigh-resolution imaging of moving targets

Under the sponsorship of the Advanced Research Projects Agency, Lincoln Laboratory has been investigating techniques for creating ultra-high resolution imagery of moving targets for the past year. One application for such a capability would be in extending the time available for engaging high value military targets that are mobile. One such target is a missile-carrying transporter-errector-launcher (TEL).© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Kinetics and Mechanisms of Detergency: Part II: Particulate Soil

It is shown that the kinetic order n and the average soil-removal rate coefficient k of particulate soil detergency can be determined by measuring soil removal during a constant time interval Δt as a function of soil content of the fabric. With iron oxide as the model soil on cotton poplin and polyester fabrics, the kinetic order was found to be 1.1. The rate coefficient k decreases with increasing washing time, causing a deviation from first-order kinetics.
Renal failure in Wilms' tumor patients: A report from the National Wilms' Tumor Study Group

This report defines the incidence and determines the etiology of renal failure (RF) in patients undergoing treatment for Wilms' tumor (WT). The database of the National Wilms' Tumor Study (NWTS) was searched to identify all children reported to have developed chronic renal failure. There were 55 patients found to have RF. Of these, 39 patients had bilateral tumors, 15 with unilateral disease and one with a WT in a solitary kidney. The median interval from diagnosis to the onset of renal failure was 21 months. The incidence of RF in bilateral WT was 16.4% for NWTS-1 & -2, 9.9% for NWTS-3, and 3.8% for NWTS-4. The incidence of RF in unilateral WT remained stable. The most common etiologies of RF were: bilateral nephrectomy for persistent or recurrent tumor (24 pts), Drash syndrome (12 pts), progressive tumor in the remaining kidney (5 pts), radiation nephritis (6 pts), and other causes (5 pts). The etiology of renal failure was not reported in three children. Children with unilateral WT and a normal contralateral kidney have a very low incidence of RF, and this review does not support a recommendation for parenchymal sparing procedures in these patients. Children with bilateral WT are at risk for the development of RF, and parenchymal sparing procedures are warranted.
Computational methods for static allocation and real-time redeployment of ambulances

We propose new approaches to tackle the problems of static and dynamic ambulance fleet allocation. Static ambulance fleet allocation refers to deciding on home bases for ambulances, to which they return after serving calls. The number and location of bases are given. The goal is to keep response times to calls as small as possible. The first part introduces two models for this problem. Both of them are based on the Erlang loss formula. The first model is stylized and serves to illustrate that allocating ambulances to bases in proportion to base offered load is often non-optimal. The second model is similar in spirit to queueing theoretical models developed in the past but uses the Erlang loss function as a key ingredient. A careful computational comparison shows that the predictions obtained from our model are often more accurate than those produced by previous models, especially in low utilization regimes. This model can be used as a prescreening tool to find promising candidate allocations to be further evaluated through detailed simulation. Dynamic redeployment concerns the real-time relocation of idle ambulances so as to ensure better preparedness. The second part of this dissertation formulates this problem as a dynamic program in a high-dimensional and uncountable state space, and then resort to approximate dynamic programing (ADP) techniques to obtain approximate solutions. To this end, a specially tailored approximation architecture for the problem is developed. The architecture depends on a small number of free parameters which are tuned using simulated cost trajectories of the system and linear regression. Computational experiments show that the relocation policies obtained from this approach offer significant performance improvements relative to benchmark static-relocation policies. In the third part we use the linear programming approach to ADP on the dynamic-redeployment problem, using the previously developed approximation architecture. We conclude that, although the policies obtained are comparable in quality to those obtained using regression, there are serious issues related to numerical stability. Furthermore, the amount of computation required makes this approach less practical than the regression-based one.
Heritage language literacy maintenance: a study of Korean-American heritage learners

How heritage learners successfully maintain their heritage language (HL) and literacy is a significant topic of discussion in the field of bilingual education. This study examines what factors are most closely associated with literacy competence by inspecting Korean heritage learners’ language and literacy practice patterns and their literacy performance. Using language background surveys and Korean writing samples gathered from 56 Korean-English bilingual students in grades 4–12 and university undergraduates, it was discovered that participants’ levels of Korean literacy were positively associated with home Korean language use and focused Korean language practice, whereas they were negatively correlated with years of US stay, years of schooling in the USA, and home English language use. A regression analysis revealed that the quality and range of HL practice was the only significant predictor of HL literacy skills. In addition, a one-way ANOVA indicated no significant difference for HL writing scores acr...
Benefits of differential detection for nanoplasmonics

We presented a differential measurement technique for a nanoplasmonic sensor operating in the transmission mode. The differential technique provides a two fold increase in the range of intensity that may be observed due to the contribution of the second DTF, in addition to extending the dynamic range to cover more than a 3×10−2 index change. The differential DTF intensity measurement can be amplified by controlling the resonance FWHM, where a narrower FWHM translates into a steeper differential slope.
Producing simple utterances: How far ahead do we plan?

Abstract The subjects were presented pictures depicting a man, woman, girl, or boy touching, kicking, greeting, or standing beside one of the others. The subjects, constrained to using only these names, produced utterances whose lengths and grammatical forms were prespecified. The latencies for subject-verb utterances (e.g., The man is greeting) were longer than for naming the actors (e.g., The man). However, the latencies for subject-verb utterances when the actor was already known were shorter than for naming the actions (e.g., Greeting). Together these results imply that some, but not all, verb selection is performed before subject-verb utterances are initiated. Three control experiments eliminated alternative interpretations. Finally, it was demonstrated that the same degree of advance planning occurs before the initiation of subject-verb-object utterances (e.g., The man is greeting the woman).
HCMV pUS28 initiates pro-migratory signaling via activation of Pyk2 kinase

Background Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has been implicated in the acceleration of vascular disease and chronic allograft rejection. Recently, the virus has been associated with glioblastoma and other tumors. We have previously shown that the HCMV-encoded chemokine receptor pUS28 mediates smooth muscle cell (SMC) and macrophage motility and this activity has been implicated in the acceleration of vascular disease. pUS28 induced SMC migration involves the activation of the protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) Src and Focal adhesion kinase as well as the small GTPase RhoA. The PTK Pyk2 has been shown to play a role in cellular migration and formation of cancer, especially glioblastoma. The role of Pyk2 in pUS28 signaling and migration are unknown.
Portraits of Leaders: Striving for a Fuller Humanity

This case study uses real events and hypothetical elements associated with the struggle for school finance equity in Texas. It involves a superintendent faced with difficult choices brought about by a convergence of events and issues, namely, by a national and state economic crisis, the demographic realities of his district, a historically contentious political landscape of his state, a tradition of leadership for social justice established in his school system, and by his own career aspirations. This work is particularly significant because it prompts specific questions related to elements of social justice leadership that are not often specifically addressed in professional preparation programs, namely, the chosen means of advocacy and the resulting consequences to the actor. It also directly addresses a critical domain of social justice action, school finance equity.
New developments in the Lincoln stack-decoder based large-vocabulary CSR system

The system described here is a large-vocabulary continuous-speech recognition (CSR) system developed using the ARPA Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and North American Business (NAB) databases. The recognizer uses a stack decoder-based search strategy, with a left-to-right stochastic language model. This decoder has been shown to function effectively on 56 K-word recognition of continuous speech. It operates left-to-right and can produce final textual output while continuing to accept additional input. The recognizer also features recognition-time adaptation to the user's voice. The new system showed a 48% reduction in the word error rate over the previously reported Nov. 92 system.
Survival, the hormonal stress response and UV-B avoidance in Cascades Frog tadpoles ( Rana cascadae ) exposed to UV-B radiation

Summary 1. Despite the increasing occurrence of global environmental changes, including increases in ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B; 280‐320 nm), little is known about how factors such as UV-B affect animals physiologically. Amphibians provide a good model for examining physiological effects of UV-B exposure because studies documenting both lethal and sub-lethal effects have been completed on many species. 2. This study examines survival and the hormonal stress response, as measured by whole body levels of the glucocorticoid hormone corticosterone, of Cascades Frog, Rana cascadae , tadpoles exposed to ambient UV-B in the field for either 7 or 42 days. 3. There were no differences in corticosterone levels between UV-B exposed and nonexposed tadpoles at either time point. However, after 42 days, survival was significantly higher in tadpoles shielded from UV-B. 4. A stress response profile performed in the field demonstrated that young R. cascadae tadpoles are able to respond to confinement stress with increasing corticosterone. In addition, results from UV-B avoidance tests suggest that R. cascadae tadpoles do not avoid UV-B. 5. Thus, R. cascadae tadpoles may not perceive UV-B radiation, which would explain why they do not respond hormonally to exposure, despite the potential for exposure to result in mortality.
Computational Vision at Yale

We present a brief introduction to the five articles that make up this special issue: Shock Graphs and Shape Matching, The Bas-Relief Ambiguity, Incremental Focus of Attention for Robust Vision Based Tracking, What Tasks can be Performed with an Uncalibrated Stereo Vision System, and Volumetric Deformation Analysis Using Mechanics-Based Data Fusion: Application in Cardiac Motion Recovery. Tjis introduction and accompanying articles provide a by no means exhaustive, but hopefully representative sampling of the computational vision at Yale University.
Interest Similarity and Cross-Strait Peace

Studies in this article support the peace-building effects of interest similarity, and we have to re-evaluate the current world peace through a new lens of interest. Previous research has informed us that states with similar security and/or economic interests will experience fewer conflict onsets. This study begins with research treating interest similarity as a “facilitating condition for conflict,” and argues that in addition to security interest, capitalist economic policies that lead to the deeper integration of an economy into international markets should be considered one of the ultimate driving forces of peace. By discussing a brief description of bilateral peace in the China–Taiwan dyad, this article concludes that the China–Taiwan dyad has less possibility of encountering military conflict if both governments can maintain similarity in their security interests. Moreover, the author distinguishes different models in capitalist peace theory, which include the free-market and the social-market. Accordingly, this article examines three different prestigious capitalist models: trade, capital openness, and contract-intensive economy as social-market theory. The results suggest that the China–Taiwan case is an appropriate case for the trade (Weede, Economic development, social order, and world politics, 1996) and capital openness models (Gartzke, Am J Polit Sci 51(1):166–191, 2007). Future studies need to be more aware of the model chosen for capitalist peace on cross-Strait relations.
R24 anti-GD3 ganglioside antibody can induce co-stimulation and prevent the induction of alloantigen-specific T cell clonal anergy

R24 is a monoclonal antibody directed against the cell surface ganglioside GD3. It can detect GD3 on the surface of a subset of T lymphocytes and can stimulate proliferation and secretion of cytokines in vitro. In the present report, we examined the effects of the R24 antibody upon antigen-specific T cell response, employing an HLA-DR7-specific T cell clonal model. As previously shown, primary stimulation of HLA-DR7-specific alloreactive T cell clones by transfectants expressing HLA-DR7 alone (t-DR7) in the absence of B7 co-stimulation resulted in anergy. Binding of cell surface GD3 on HLA-DR7-specific alloreactive T cell clones with R24 under these anergizing conditions resulted in interleukin-2 (IL-2) accumulation and prevented the induction of alloantigen-specific T cell clonal anergy. Binding of GD3 by R24 also prevented anergy under conditions where B7:CD28 interactions were blocked by CTLA4-Ig. The effect of R24 was abrogated in the presence of a combination of monoclonal antibodies for the alpha and beta chains of the IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) or a neutralizing anti-IL-2 antibody. R24 does not appear to interact directly with the IL-2R since incubation of T cell clones with R24 did not induce early activation of IL-2R associated Jak kinases, Jak1 and Jak3, as was induced following incubation with IL-2. In contrast, incubation of HLA-DR7-specific clones with t-DR7 in the presence of R24 did result in phosphorylation of IL-2R related Jak kinases after 24 h. Our data indicate that the membrane ganglioside GD3 structure recognized by R24 may play an important role in antigen-specific T cell clonal response.
The Influence of Weathering and of Microorganisms on the Aqueous-Extract pH of Cotton Fiber:

Exposure of cotton in the field to wet weather following normal opening of the boll and fluffing of the fiber resulted in increases in the pH of aqueous extracts of the fiber, as determined by methods herein described, from a level in the general range of pH 6.3 to 7.3 for the un- weathered fiber to progressively higher values. The maximum pH attained was in the range of 9.5 to 10.0, and was sometimes reached within a period of 5 days.Cotton fiber subjected to wet weather during the process of boll opening, with the consequent unfluffed and darkened appearance characteristic of "fungus tight-lock" and "boll rot," had pH values ranging from 5.3 to 9.7. In the case of the common Diplodia tight-lock, serious fiber weakening and fiber disintegration were accompanied by pH values from 5.6 to 6.8.Pure-culture laboratory tests involving inoculation with fungi and humid-atmosphere incuba tion of fiber and unbleached cotton fabric, followed by pH determinations, indicated that several microorganisms, including cer...
Validation of CKD and related conditions in existing data sets: A systematic review

Background Accurate classification of individuals with kidney disease is vital to research and public health efforts aimed at improving health outcomes. Our objective is to identify and synthesize published literature evaluating the accuracy of existing data sources related to kidney disease. Study Design A systematic review of studies seeking to validate the accuracy of the underlying data relevant to kidney disease. Setting & Population US-based and international studies covering a wide range of both outpatient and inpatient study populations. Selection Criteria for Studies Any English-language study investigating the prevalence or cause of kidney disease, existence of comorbid conditions, or cause of death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). All definitions and stages of CKD, including end-stage renal disease (ESRD), were accepted. Index Tests Presence of a kidney disease–related variable in existing data sets, including administrative data sets and disease registries. Reference Tests Presence of a kidney disease–related variable defined using laboratory criteria or medical record review. Results 30 studies were identified. Most studies investigated the accuracy of kidney disease reporting, comparing coded renal disease with that defined using estimated glomerular filtration rate. The sensitivity of coded renal disease varied widely (0.08-0.83). Specificity was higher, with all studies reporting values ≥0.90. Studies evaluating the cause of CKD, comorbid conditions, and cause of death in patients with CKD used ESRD or transplant populations exclusively, and accuracy was highly variable compared with ESRD registry data. Limitations Only English-language studies were evaluated. Conclusions Given the heterogeneous results of validation studies, a variety of attributes of existing data sources, including the accuracy of individual data items within these sources, should be considered carefully before use in research, quality improvement, and public health efforts.
Energy Efficient Min-Max Spatial Monitoring with Wireless Sensor Networks

We focus on dense networks of wireless sensors used for distributed sampling and interpolation. Sensors periodically sample a physical quantity of interest, e.g. temperature, and report their measurements to a data center. A continuous spatial estimate of the quantity can then be constructed through interpolation. In these cases, density in deployment can be exploited to achieve longer operational time for the network. The challenge is how to select multiple disjoint subsets of sensors such that each of them is individually capable of meeting the quality demands of the monitoring application. In this paper we present an efficient sensor selection scheme for the min-max monitoring application, i.e., minimizing the maximum distortion incurred over space through interpolation. Evaluation with synthetic sensor network data shows that significant reductions in the number of active sensors and energy consumption are possible compared to simpler selection methods.
Optimal Surgical Management for Occult Breast Carcinoma: A Meta-analysis.

Background Occult breast cancer (OBC) represents a rare clinical entity and poses a therapeutic dilemma. Due to limited experience, no optimal treatment approaches have yet been established.
The process of addiction to alcohol. Social aspects.

A sociological approach to the concept of “loss of control” is used to describe and explain addiction to alcohol.
Editorial Commentary: The cold facts: Role of therapeutic hypothermia in cardiac arrest survivors

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) remains a worldwide epidemic. In the US, there is an annual incidence of 250,000 when the etiology is limited to coronary heart disease to over 450,000 when all causes are included. Furthermore, the definition of SCD may include patients resuscitated from acardiac event that would have led to SCD without intervention. Approximately 50% of all deaths associated with heart disease are sudden and unexpected. SCD is the initial manifestation of coronary artery disease or other structural heart disease in up to 50% of all SCDs [1–3]. Advances in the detection, prevention, and treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD), congestive heart failure (CHF), and other heart diseases have reduced the incidence of SCD. Nevertheless, with a growing and aging population, SCD remains a problem. Additionally, with recent therapeutic advances including the use of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), there has been a declining incidence of ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) as a cause of SCD. Thus, while 470% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) were previously attributed to VT/VF based on initial rhythm, it presently accounts for less than 30% of the initial rhythm identified during OHCA. From 2000 to 2009, the incidence of PEA increased to 46% of all initial rhythms during in-hospital cardiac arrest [4].
A Simple and Efficient Synthesis of Functionalized Cyclic Carbonate Monomers Using a Versatile Pentafluorophenyl Ester Intermediate

An improved two-step synthetic route to functionalized cyclic carbonate monomers that features a novel cyclic carbonate intermediate with an active pentafluorophenyl ester group (MTC-OPhF5) has been developed. The versatile pentafluorophenyl ester intermediate can be synthesized on the gram to kilogram scale in one high-yielding step and is easy to store and handle on the benchtop. The active pentafluorophenyl ester of MTC-OPhF5 is amenable to further substitution with suitable nucleophiles such as alcohols and amines to generate functionalized cyclic carbonates in high yields. The substitution reaction is tolerant of a wide variety of functionalities, including various hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups, reactive functionalities (via thiol−ene click chemistry or alkyl halides), and protected acids, alcohols, thiols, and amines. In view of the ever-increasing need for biodegradable and biocompatible polymers, this new methodology provides a simple and versatile platform for the synthesis of new and innova...
Interfacial phenomenology of SiC fibre reinforced Li2O?Al2O3?6SiO2 glass-ceramic composites

The microstructures of SiC fibre-reinforced Li2O·Al2O3·6SiO2 glass-ceramic composites with Ta2O5, Nb2O5, TiO2 and ZrO2 dopants were investigated. An amorphous carbon-rich layer, from 100–170 nm thick, was observed in the interfacial region between fibre and matrix. A second interfacial layer of TaC, NbC, or TiC precipitates, appeared adjacent to the C-rich layer. Low bond strength between these two interfacial layers resulted in low interfacial shear strength, and this in turn led to an increase in toughness of the composites containing 4 mol% Ta2O5 or Nb2O5 dopant. 2 mol% Ta2O5 dopant in this composite acted as a nucleating agent for the matrix but was not adequate to form an appreciable volume of TaC particles in the interfacial region, hence a flexural strength decrease was observed. The composite containing TiO2 dopant exhibited low flexural strength and fracture toughness resulting from the formation of a TiC layer which had a larger coherent bond strength with the interfacial C-rich layer, and attacked the structural integrity of the fibres.
Cancer Incidence and Mortality Among Children in Haimen County from 1999 to 2009

[Purpose] To describe the incidence and mortality of cancer among children in Haimen County,and to provide basic information on control and prevention of childhood cancer.[Methods] Incidence and mortality of all cancers among children aged 0~14 years old during 1999 to 2009 were analyzed by descriptive epidemiologic methods.[Results] The annual average incidence rate of childhood cancer was 67.57/106(male:69.18/106,female:65.91/106),and the China age-standardized incidence rate was 69.41/106(male:71.00/106,female:67.81/106),the world age-standardized incidence rate was 43.00/106(male:22.01/106,female 20.98/106).The annual average mortality rate,the China age-standardized mortality rate and the world age-standardized mortality rate were 52.98/106(male:57.65/106,female:48.21/106),56.04/106(male:61.12/106,female:50.91/106) and 34.91/106(male:19.07/106,female:15.82/106),respectively.The leading three cancers of both incidence and mortality were leukemia,brain tumors and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.[Conclusions] The incidence of childhood cancer is not high,but its influence on family and society is tremendous.Thus,three-grade preventive strategies and measures should be strengthened to control the risk factors of childhood cancer.
Gas Chromatographic Method for the Determination of Methanol in Biological Samples

Objective To establish gas chromatographic method for determination of methanol in biological samples.Methods The biological samples including blood,urine and content of stomach were placed in head-space vial,and added sodium chloride and water for gas-liquid equilibrium under 60℃ water-bath for 20 minutes,external standard quantification was used for definite quantitative determination.Results For spiked level of 0.10-1.00mg,the recovery rate of the method was in the range of 94.7%-102%,with the relative standard deviations of 3.5%-6.3%.Conclusion This method is simple,reliable,accurate and suitable for the determination of methanol in biological samples.
Portal Hypertensive Gastropathy

PHG is a common condition that is now recognized as a complication of advanced liver disease. This vascular disorder has been shown to be a significant cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with portal hypertension. Although its pathogenesis is directly related to portal hypertension, the exact mechanisms remain to be determined. Decreased mucosal blood flow and passive congestion of the gastric submucosal layer appear to play a role in the development of PHG. Its endoscopic appearance is characterized by a "snake skin" mucosal pattern with gastric biopsies revealing vascular congestion. PHG may present as either acute or chronic gastrointestinal bleeding and has been noted to worsen after endoscopic sclerotherapy and band ligation therapy for esophageal varices. Unlike variceal bleeding, this condition cannot be treated with either sclerotherapy or band ligation. Effective treatment requires a reduction in portal pressure. This can be accomplished through the use of beta-blockers, radiographic or surgical shunting, or liver transplantation.
Strength Decrement of Muscles of Trunk and Lower Extremities from Sub-Maximal Treadmill Running

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the strength-decrement fatigue effects in 14 muscle groups of the trunk and lower extremities resulting from a sub-maximal treadmill run at seven miles per hour for a period of ten minutes on a horizontal plane. Only two muscle groups, the hip outward rotators and the trunk flexors, were fatigued sufficiently to cause a significant strength decrement; a third muscle group, the knee flexors, had a loss in mean strength which approached the .05 level of confidence.
Revisiting and Ranking the Cities and Regions

In Chaps. 5– 9 we reviewed the major megatrends that will affect society in the twenty-first century. Now, let’s take a look at how these trends may affect the cities and regions that we discussed in Chap. 4. The sustainability rankings are based on the following key factors and trends, and how they are expected to vary across the American landscape.
Study and analysis of magnetic flux controlling continuously adjustable reactor

This paper presents a Magnetic Flux Controlling Continuously Adjustable Reactor (MFC-CAR). It provides a magnetic circuit and device whose reluctance could be controlled by provision of a rotatable iron core. The key difference between MFC-CAR and conventional single-phase reactor is that a rotatable iron core with air gap is inserted in the upper yoke. The equivalent magnetic resistance could be regulated by adjusting the angle of the rotatable iron core, so reactance adjustment in a wide range can be obtained. Moreover, The driving system consisting of stepping motor, over-running clutch and reducer, brings great improvement on anti-electromagnetic torque, in order to hold the iron core in a designed position. The three-dimension finite element model of MFC-CAR is established and studied in the MAXWELL software, and a prototype of 13kVA/400V adjustable reactor has also been manufactured to study the magnetic characteristics of the MFC-CAR. The actual measurement values match well with the theoretical calculations, as well as the simulation results, and the inductance could be continuously varied within 44% ∼ 100%, which indicates a promising prospect for industrial application.
Molecular Imaging of Extrapyramidal Movement Disorders

Extrapyramidal movement disorders including Parkinson disease, multiple systems atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, and corticobasal degeneration are neurodegenerative syndromes with distinct neuropathological changes, indicating differing underlying etiologies. Clinical features that may distinguish among these conditions are often absent, particularly early after the onset of symptoms. Therapy is presently limited, and there are no established disease-modifying or neuroprotective interventions. Advances in therapeutics will depend on the early and accurate diagnostic classification of patients. Existing molecular imaging approaches demonstrate ability to separate several of these syndromes, but are clinically underutilized or are available only in research settings. The development of additional, specific imaging approaches targeting the misfolded protein deposits that characterize these neurodegenerative pathologies promises to advance not only the sensitive and specific endophenotyping of patients, but may also serve to measure directly potential therapeutic responses in the initial evaluations of new treatments.
Staging a social drama: Ritualized framing of the spring festival homecoming in Chinese state media:

The transformation of Chinese media from the propaganda organ of the Party-state to its central means of hegemony has given rise to typified news practices that vary in formality but cohere in func...
Chronic cough and an atypical pattern of peripheral pulmonary opacities: A case report secondary to suspected drug onset.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (CEP) is an idiopathic interstitial lung disease with nonspecific symptoms that involves a complex inflammatory cascade. Case study. A 36-year-o...
Cell-Cycle Therapeutics Come of Age.

The ability to sustain unscheduled proliferation is a hallmark of cancer. The normal process of cell division occurs via the cell cycle, a series of highly regulated steps that are orchestrated at the molecular level by specific cyclins that act in association with cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). Cyclin D and CDK4/6 play a key role in cell-cycle progression by phosphorylating and inactivating the retinoblastoma protein, a tumor suppressor that restrains G1- to S-phase progression. The first-generation CDK inhibitors demonstrated broad activity upon several CDKs, which likely explains their considerable toxicities and limited efficacy. Palbociclib, ribociclib, and abemaciclib represent a new class of highly specific ATP-competitive CDK4/6 inhibitors that induce reversible G1-phase cell-cycle arrest in retinoblastoma-positive tumor models. Both palbociclib and ribociclib have been approved in combination with hormone-based therapy for the treatment of naive hormone receptor–positive advanced breast cancer ...
Hypomethylating agents in myelodysplastic syndromes and population-level outcomes: a changing landscape or a small dent?

One of the major goals of the clinical research community is to ensure the extension of the benefits seen with therapies in the selected groups of patients treated in clinical trials to the patient...
The Relationship Between Intimal Thickening and the Hemodynamic Environment of the Arterial Wall

The time-varying shear rates at the walls of human arteries are estimated from laser Doppler anemometer measurements in flow-through casts of human aortic and coronary bifurcations, through which physiologically realistic, fluid dynamically scaled, pulsatile flows are passed. These shear rates are then correlated against morphological measurements at corresponding sites in the vessels from which the casts had been made. These correlations suggest that the dependence of intimai thickening rate on mural shear is complex and changes over time; in particular, the intimai thickness at sites exposed to high or more unidirectional shear stresses increases quickly to a modest value, growing slowly thereafter, while the thickness at sites exposed to low or more oscillatory shears rises more slowly but, after time, reaches higher values. This behavior can be the result of competing shear-dependent processes. This explanation of the experimental results is supported by a mathematical model of intimai thickening that incorporates a selection of the biological processes that take place in the arterial wall as it responds to its hemodynamic environment. A best parsimonious fit to the data is obtained when, at sites exposed to relatively high shear, smooth muscle cells accumulate more rapidly in the intima but express extracellular matrix at a slower rate.
Promoting sustainability in quality improvement: an evaluation of a web-based continuing education program in blood pressure measurement.

The accuracy of blood pressure measurement is variable in office-based settings. Even when staff training programs are effective, knowledge and skills decay over time, supporting the need for ongoing staff training. We evaluated whether a web-based continuing education program in blood pressure measurement reinforced knowledge and skills among clinical staff and promoted sustainability of an existing quality improvement program. Medical assistants and nurses at six primary care clinics within a health system enrolled in a 30-min online educational program designed to refresh their knowledge of blood pressure measurement. A 20-question pre- and post-intervention survey addressed learners’ knowledge and attitudes. Direct observation of blood pressure measurement technique before and after the intervention was performed. Differences in responses to pre- and post-module knowledge and attitudes questions and in observation data were analyzed using chi-square tests and simple logistic regression. All 88 clinical staff members participated in the program and completed the evaluation survey. Participants answered 80.6% of questions correctly before the module and 93.4% afterwards (p < 0.01). Scores improved significantly among staff from all job types. Licensed practical nurses and staff who had been in their current job at least a year were more likely to answer questions correctly than registered nurses and those in their current job less than a year. Attitudes toward correct blood pressure measurement were high at baseline and did not improve significantly. Prior to the intervention, staff adhered to 9 of 18 elements of the recommended technique during at least 90% of observations. Following the program, staff was more likely to explain the protocol, provide a rest period, measure an average blood pressure, and record the average blood pressure, but less likely to measure blood pressure with the arm at heart level and use the right arm. We designed, implemented, and evaluated a web-based educational program to improve knowledge, skills, and attitudes in blood pressure measurement and use of an automated device among nurses and medical assistants in ambulatory care. The program reinforced knowledge related to recommended blood pressure measurement technique. Retrospectively registered with ClincalTrials.gov on March 22, 2012; registration number NCT01566864 .
Realistic modeling of vehicle-to-grid in an enterprise parking lot: A stackelberg game approach

Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology has been considered to be of great potential on Demand Response (DR). During the V2G process, Electric Vehicle (EV) owners can earn profits by "selling" surplus energy from their EV's battery back to grid as a distributed storage system. This paper studies a V2G model based on a mid-level enterprise parking lot where EVs can discharge when plugged-in. An aggregator is considered as a middleware between EVs and the grid that is capable of bi-directional energy and information collection and transmission. We model this virtual energy trading process by using a Stackelberg Game approach where the aggregator (Leader) purchases energy from all the participating EVs (Followers) in the parking lot and pays at a different unit price to each of them, respectively. In this uncoordinated game, optimal energy-price scheduling algorithm for each players is formulated to maximize their own profits by selecting different optimal strategies. Also the battery degradation caused by added charging-discharging cycles and the power losses during energy transmission are considered. Simulation results show the effectiveness and robustness of our scheduling algorithm.
The potential effects of substrate type, currents, depth and fishing pressure on distribution, abundance, diversity, and height of cold-water corals and sponges in temperate, marine waters

Deep-sea benthic environments can be home to diverse communities of corals and sponges which are important habitat for marine fishes and invertebrates. From 2010 to 2014, underwater camera surveys in the Aleutian Islands were completed with the objective of evaluating potential effects of substrate type, tidal currents, depth, and fishing pressure on distribution, abundance, diversity, and size of structure-forming invertebrate (SFI) communities. The presence of rocky substrates was associated with higher probability of presence, higher density, and taller SFI. Multivariate analyses showed community structure changed over gradients of substrate, tidal currents, and longitude, with sea whips typically occupying deeper depths and mostly unconsolidated substrates, while other corals were largely found in rocky, shallower areas. These patterns were also reflected in co-occurrence analyses indicating sea whips were negatively associated with other SFI taxa. Most SFI occupied areas of swift tidal currents; however, heights of individual SFI decreased with increasing tidal currents. Coral and sponge densities at some sites in this study exceeded densities reported from other global coral and sponge habitats. Identifying the environmental conditions leading to high-density and high-diversity SFI communities is important for management of fisheries and evaluating potential impacts of climate change in benthic marine ecosystems.
Hitting Retributivism Where It Hurts

Many philosophers think that, when someone deserves something, it’s intrinsically good that she get it or there’s a non-instrumental reason to give it to her. Retributivists who try to justify punishment by appealing to claims about what people deserve typically assume this view or views that entail it. In this paper, I present evidence that many people have intuitions that are inconsistent with this view. And I argue that this poses a serious challenge to retributivist arguments that appeal to desert.
The Role of the Firm’s Internal Technical Entrepreneurs in Commercializing Technology from Federal Laboratories

This paper describes the role of the corporate internal technical entrepreneur in commercializing technology from federal laboratories. The study of the process of technology transfer from federal labs has been well documented in the literature. Chakrabarti and Rubenstein [4], for example, studied factors which significantly affected the adoption of 45 NASA-disseminated technologies in 68 organizations. Whiteley and Postma [21] studied several federal laboratories and their past and current users and collaborators. They suggested that the main mechanism for interaction between the federal laboratory and industry is at the individual level, between researchers in the interacting organizations. Wolek [22] studied the technology transfer process at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS). He surveyed 54 cases of transfer in over 50 ARS laboratories, and concluded that “the polices, procedures and resources of ARS are not designed to support effective transfer to industry” (p. ii). Allen et al. [1] studied three large national DOE (Department of Energy) laboratories. They concluded that “those inventors who become entrepreneurs in order to commercialize their inventions have different attitudes ex post from those inventors who do not participate in the commercialization of their inventions through the act of entrepreneurship” (p. 12).
Size of Olfactory Structures in Strepsirhines: Ontogenetic and Ecological Factors

The importance of olfaction in social and dietary contexts for strepsirhine primates has been established by numerous field studies. Such work supports inferences drawn from data on olfactory structures in the primate brain. Surprisingly few detailed studies exist on development and variations in the peripheral olfactory organs. This chapter provides an update on ontogeny and distribution of the olfactory and vomeronasal neuroepithelia in the nasal fossa of strepsirhines.
Men's and Women's Beliefs About Gender Inequality: Family Ties, Dependence, and Agreement

This paper addresses an often stated but rarefy tested assumption in feminist theory: that women's dependence on men and the high degree of intimate contact between women and men shape women's consciousness of gender stratification, encouraging them to develop interpretations of gender inequality similar to men's. I explore this issue by examining whether women's dependence on men and family ties to men are associated with the degree of similarity in men's and women's gender-related attitudes, using data from a national probability sample of adults in the United States. The analyses presented are not conclusive, but they do suggest that further inquiry into the role of dependence and family ties in drawing women's interpretations of gender inequality toward men's is merited.
Bertrand Russell and Wiener’s Postdoctoral Years, 1914—1917

Wiener decided to utilize his Harvard traveling fellowship to study mathematical philosophy at Cambridge University under Bertrand Russell, on whose work his thesis had been based. Russell was Lecturer in the Principles of Mathematics, and had just completed the monumental and epoch-making Principia Mathematica {W11} together with his former teacher, the philosopher Alfred North Whitehead. Wiener well describes this phase of his life as “emancipation”: he was to be in a superb environment amid great minds, with the Atlantic Ocean acting as a potential barrier to paternal interference. But it was only with his father’s intervention that this “emancipation” was procured.’ Russell’s autobiography {R8, Vol. I, pp. 345, 346} contains a letter he received from Leo Wiener. It is reproduced here in full, since it gives us a glimpse of Leo’s interesting personality, and the tale it tells has a touch of humor. The emphasis we have added corroborates Norbert’s complaints about his father’s overbearing attitutes.