cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of fluoroquinolone pharmacodynamics

Pharmacodynamics provides a rational basis for optimizing dosing regimens by describing the relationship between drug, host and antimicrobial effect. The successful identification of meaningful pharmacodynamic outcome parameters can, therefore, greatly assist clinicians in making objective prescribing decisions rather than relying on static in vitro MIC data. While pharmacodynamic outcome parameters have been proposed for select antimicrobial agents, their clinical application remains to be defined fully. Quinolone antibiotics are generally considered to have concentration-dependent bactericidal activity and peak/MIC and AUC/MIC ratios have been identified as possible pharmacodynamic predictors of clinical and microbiological outcome as well as the development of bacterial resistance. Investigators have suggested that AUC/MIC ratios of 100-125 or peak/MIC ratios of >10 are required to predict clinical and microbiological success and to limit the development of bacterial resistance. These conclusions are derived primarily from studies of Gram-negative bacteria, and recent data suggest that these ratios may not be applicable for Streptococcus pneumoniae, where an AUC/MIC ratio of <40 appears to be a more accurate predictor. There is considerable variation in pharmacodynamic calculations and outcome parameters appear to be quinolone- and pathogen-specific. Additional prospective clinical research is needed to characterize quinolone pharmacodynamic parameters and answer unresolved questions regarding optimal pharmacodynamic outcome predictors for Gram-positive bacteria, anaerobes and atypical respiratory pathogens.
A simple method for all solutions of a piecewise linear network

An efficient algorithm is proposed for searching for all solutions of a piecewise-linear resistive network. Let P/sub n/ be the number of largest segments of PWL resistors, and P/sub n-1/ the second largest. Then, the algorithm presented is better than the brute-force method by a factor of P/sub n/*P/sub n-1/ and the Chua and Ying (1982) method, the most efficient method at the present time, by a factor of at least P/sub n-1/. The algorithm is based on a novel theorem for piecewise-linear networks. >
Comparison of Measured and Predicted Infiltration Using the LBL Infiltration Model

The LBL infiltration model was developed in 1980; since that time many simultaneous measurements of infiltration and weather have been made allowing comparison of predictions with measured infiltration. This report presents the LBL model as it currently exists and summarizes infiltration measurements and corresponding predictions. These measurements include both long-term and short-term data taken in houses with climates ranging from the mild San Fransisco bay area to the more extreme mid-west. This data also provides a database for comparison with other infiltration models and provides a starting point for the determination of the accuracy and precision of air infiltration models. In this report we have presented the LBL infiltration model and have used field data to validate it. For short-term measurements the model predicts to within 20% for well defined environments (e.g. the MITU trailer) and slightly higher for other situations. The long-term (one week) average infiltration is accurate to 7%; in the Owens-Corning houses the long-term average error increases to up to 15%. A detailed examination of the LBL model using data from Mobile Infiltration Test Unit was used to probe the model and suggest areas for future research. 13 refs., 12 figs., 14 tabs.
The pros and cons of diffusion, filters and fixers in Atmospheric General Circulation Models

All atmospheric General Circulation Models (GCMs) need some form of dissipation, either explicitly specified or inherent in the chosen numerical schemes for the spatial and temporal discretizations. This dissipation may serve many purposes, including cleaning up numerical noise generated by dispersion errors or computational modes, and the Gibbs ringing in spectral models. Damping processes might also be used to crudely represent subgrid Reynolds stresses, eliminate undesirable noise due to poor initialization or grid-scale forcing from the physics parameterizations, cover up weak computational stability, damp tracer variance, and prevent the accumulation of potential enstrophy or energy at the smallest grid scales. This chapter critically reviews the wide selection of dissipative processes in GCMs. They are the explicitly added diffusion and hyper-diffusion mechanisms, divergence damping, vorticity damping, external mode damping, sponge layers, spatial and temporal filters, inherent diffusion properties of the numerical schemes, and a posteriori fixers used to restore lost conservation properties. All theoretical considerations are supported by many practical examples from a wide selection of GCMs. The examples utilize idealized test cases to isolate causes and effects, and thereby highlight the pros and cons of the diffusion, filters and fixers in GCMs.
Robust speech recognition using dynamic noise adaptation

Dynamic noise adaptation (DNA) [1, 2] is a model-based technique for improving automatic speech recognition (ASR) performance in noise. DNA has shown promise on artificially mixed data such as the Aurora II and DNA+Aurora II tasks [1]—significantly outperforming well-known techniques like the ETSI AFE and fMLLR [2]—but has never been tried on real data. In this paper, we present new results generated by commercial-grade ASR systems trained on large amounts of data. We show that DNA improves upon the performance of the spectral subtraction (SS) and stochastic fMLLR algorithms of our embedded recognizers, particularly in unseen noise conditions, and describe how DNA has been evolved to become suitable for deployment in low-latency ASR systems. DNA improves our best embedded system, which utilizes SS, fMLLR, and fMPE [3] by over 22% relative at SNRs below 6 dB, reducing the word error rate in these adverse conditions from 4.24% to 3.29%.
Synthesis and Antieancer Activity of Novel Cyclic N-Hydroxyureas

Abstract To overcome the disadvantages of hydroxyurea in anticancer therapy such as fast biotransformation and low potency, five cyclic N- hydroxyureas were synthesized. A new reaction was developed to prepare the desired products from the appropriate alkyl ω-haloalkylcarbamates with hydroxylamine. This reaction probably involves a two-step mechanism: nucleophilic substitution and intramolecular cyclization. The anticancer screening tests of these compounds were done both in vitro using tissue culture and in vivo. One compound, l-hydroxy-1,3-diaza- cyclohexan-2-one, had anticancer activity comparable to hydroxyurea both in vivo and in vitro.
Compulsive Activity Checklist (CAC): further psychometric analyses and revision

The psychometric properties of the Compulsive Activity Checklist (CAC) were examined in a sample of obsessive compulsives (OCD), anxiety disordered (AD) patients, and non-psychiatric subjects (NP). All but 9 of the 38 CAC items significantly discriminated among groups, yielding correct classification rates of 71% when OCDs were compared with ADs and 84% when OCDs were compared with normals. Internal consistency alpha was high (0.95), but nine item-total correlations for OCD subjects fell below 0.40. A 28-item abbreviated scale (CAC-R) was developed based on the above findings. Preliminary analyses of the CAC-R on a normal sample indicated that this version is an improvement over the longer version and may be a viable alternative to the 18-item French one. It appears that the original CAC can be shortened with little loss of validity. However, substantial reductions may reduce the clinical utility of an instrument assessing a disorder with such widely diverse manifestations.
French impersonal constructions

Traditional analyses of French impersonal constructions (ICs) involving the dummy il have distinguished “impersonal passive” from “extraposition of indefinite” according to whether the verbal morphology is passive or active. This paper proposes instead to distinguish ICs according to whether the predicate is unergative or not, arguing that the dummy enters as a 2 in unergative ICs, and as a 1 otherwise. In unergative ICs, passive morphology arises from advancement of the dummy from 2 to 1, while active morphology results from demotion of the postverbal nominal from 1 to 2 prior to the entrance of the dummy. In other ICs (e.g. passive and unaccusative), the postverbal nominal is neither an initial nor final 1, but nonetheless manifests subject properties. This supports an analysis in which the postverbal nominal, an initial 2, advances to 1 and is then put en chomage by the entry of a dummy 1.
Klein–Gordon equation with advection on unbounded domains using spectral elements and high-order non-reflecting boundary conditions

A reduced shallow water model under constant, non-zero advection in the infinite channel is considered. High-order (Givoli–Neta) non-reflecting boundary conditions are introduced in various configurations to create a finite computational space and solved using a spectral element formulation with high-order time integration. Numerical examples are used to demonstrate the synergy of using high-order spatial, time, and boundary discretization. We show that by balancing all numerical errors involved, high-order accuracy can be achieved for unbounded domain problems.
Sequence–Structure–Property Relationships of Recombinant Spider Silk Proteins: Integration of Biopolymer Design, Processing, and Modeling

The mechanical properties of spider silks drive interest as sources of new materials. However, there remains a lot to learn regarding the relationships between sequence, structure, and mechanical properties. In order to predict the types of sequence–functional relationships, synthesis–characterization–computation are integrated using recombinant spider silk-like block copolymers. Two designs are studied, both with origins from the spider Nephila clavipes. These proteins are studied both experimentally and in silico to understand the relationships between sequence chemistry, processing, structure, and materials function. Films formed from the two proteins are thoroughly characterized. In parallel, molecular modeling is used to assess the propensity of the two sequences to form β-sheets or crystalline structures. The results demonstrate that the modeling predicts the structural differences between the two silk-like polymers and these features can also be related to differences in functional outcomes. With this example of relating sequence design (hydrophobic–hydrophilic domains), experiment (genetic design and synthesis), processing (film and fiber formation) and modeling (predictions of crystallinity), synergy among these methods is demonstrated for predictable material outcomes. This approach offers a robust discovery path when looking towards next generation approaches to targeted materials outcomes.
Numerical Boundary Condition Procedures for Euler Solvers

A numerical boundary condition procedure for Euler solvers is presented. The procedure is based on a variation of the method of characteristi cs due to Kentzer. A second-order-a ccurate numerical algorithm using this procedure and the MacCormack explicit finite-difference method is presented. Results are presented for several two-dimensional and three-dimensional inviscid nozzle flowfields. Solutions obtained by the present method agree well with solutions obtained by method of characteristi cs algorithms and experimental data.
Transdifferentiation of the retina into pigmented cells in ocular retardation mice defines a new function of the homeodomain gene Chx10.

The homeodomain transcription factor Chx10 is one of the earliest markers of the developing retina. It is required for retinal progenitor cell proliferation as well as formation of bipolar cells, a type of retinal interneuron. or J (ocular retardation) mice, which are Chx10 null mutants, are microphthalmic and show expanded and abnormal peripheral structures, including the ciliary body. We show here, in a mixed genetic background, the progressive appearance of pigmented cells in the neural retina, concomitant with loss of expression of retinal markers. Fate mapping analysis using a multifunctional Chx10 BAC reporter mouse revealed this process to be direct transdifferentiation of retinal cells into pigmented cells. Microarray and in situ hybridization analyses revealed a complex program underlying the transdifferentiation. This program involved the expansion of expression of genes normally found only in the periphery into central regions of the eye. These genes included a transcription factor controlling pigmentation, Mitf , and the related factor Tfec ( Tcfec – Mouse Genome Informatics), which can activate a melanogenic gene expression program. Misexpression of Chx10 in the developing retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) caused downregulation of Mitf, Tfec , and associated pigment markers, leading to a nonpigmented RPE. These data link Chx10 and Mitf to maintenance of the neural retina and RPE fates respectively. Further, they suggest a new role for Chx10 in maintenance of compartment boundaries in the peripheral retina.
Maternal Condition, Reproductive Investment, and Offspring Sex Ratio in Captive Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus)

Abstract Maternal condition can affect reproductive investment in one or more ways. Captive female Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus) that were heavier, controlling for tarsus length, produced larger eggs and initiated laying earlier, but did not produce more eggs per clutch. Maternal mass was also a positive predictor of offspring mass. That appears to result from the strong positive relationships between egg size and offspring mass. When the relationship between egg size and offspring mass was statistically controlled, maternal mass no longer predicted offspring mass. Mothers in better condition produced male-biased broods, as predicted when offspring condition depends on maternal condition and when male reproductive success is more dependent than female reproductive success on condition.
High-fructose diet in pregnancy leads to fetal programming of hypertension, insulin resistance, and obesity in adult offspring.

Background Consumption of fructose-rich diets in the United States is on the rise and thought to be associated with obesity and cardiometabolic diseases. Objective We sought to determine the effects of antenatal exposure to high-fructose diet on offspring's development of metabolic syndrome–like phenotype and other cardiovascular disease risk factors later in life. Study Design Pregnant C57BL/6J dams were randomly allocated to fructose solution (10% wt/vol, n = 10) or water (n = 10) as the only drinking fluid from day 1 of pregnancy until delivery. After weaning, pups were started on regular chow, and evaluated at 1 year of life. We measured percent visceral adipose tissue and liver fat infiltrates using computed tomography, and blood pressure using CODA nonivasive monitor. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance testing with corresponding insulin concentrations were obtained. Serum concentrations of glucose, insulin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, leptin, and adiponectin were measured in duplicate using standardized assays. Fasting homeostatic model assessment was also calculated to assess insulin resistance. P values Results Maternal weight, pup number, and average weight at birth were similar between the 2 groups. Male and female fructose group offspring had higher peak glucose and area under the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance testing curve compared with control, and higher mean arterial pressure compared to control. Female fructose group offspring were heavier and had higher percent visceral adipose tissue, liver fat infiltrates, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance scores, insulin area under the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance testing curve, and serum concentrations of leptin, and lower concentrations of adiponectin compared to female control offspring. No significant differences in these parameters were noted in male offspring. Serum concentrations of triglycerides or total cholesterol were not different between the 2 groups for either gender. Conclusion Maternal intake of high fructose leads to fetal programming of adult obesity, hypertension, and metabolic dysfunction, all risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This fetal programming is more pronounced in female offspring. Limiting intake of high fructose–enriched diets in pregnancy may have significant impact on long-term health.
Gypsy moth defoliation of oak trees and a positive response of red maple and black cherry: an example of indirect interaction

Abstract We calculated relative growth rates of all species over 10 cm circumference at breast height from 1997–1999, 1999–2001 and 2001–2003 in a 70 by 100 m plot in an oak forest in southeastern Michigan. Red maple and black cherry represented most of the understory species while white and black oaks dominated the canopy. During the summer of 1999, outbreak levels of gypsy moths preferentially defoliated oaks on the plot, often resulting in 100% defoliation. The relative growth rates (RGR) of red maple and black cherry were significantly higher during the time period where gypsy moths were at outbreak levels. Oaks had lower RGR during the gypsy moth attack than in the subsequent time period. Consequently, the preference gypsy moths exhibited towards oak species indirectly resulted in a higher growth rate for understory tree species, possibly due to increased light availability and the decreased competitive capacity of the defoliated oaks. This indirect effect could accelerate the succession at which oak...
Preparing active patients for international travel.

IN BRIEF: The risk of acquiring an illness when traveling internationally depends mostly on the area of the world to be visited. Today, with so many transportation options, increasing numbers of athletes are traveling abroad for training and competition, and leisure travelers are enjoying physically challenging adventure vacations-thus exposing themselves to potential medical problems. Primary care, sports medicine, and team physicians must be able to provide travelers with up-to-date information on immunization and chemoprophylaxis requirements, as well as other preventive medicine recommendations.
Sacrificial amphiphiles: Eco-friendly chemical herders as oil spill mitigation chemicals

Crude oil spills are a major threat to marine biota and the environment. When light crude oil spills on water, it forms a thin layer that is difficult to clean by any methods of oil spill response. Under these circumstances, a special type of amphiphile termed as “chemical herder” is sprayed onto the water surrounding the spilled oil. The amphiphile forms a monomolecular layer on the water surface, reducing the air–sea surface tension and causing the oil slick to retract into a thick mass that can be burnt in situ. The current best-known chemical herders are chemically stable and nonbiodegradable, and hence remain in the marine ecosystem for years. We architect an eco-friendly, sacrificial, and effective green herder derived from the plant-based small-molecule phytol, which is abundant in the marine environment, as an alternative to the current chemical herders. Phytol consists of a regularly branched chain of isoprene units that form the hydrophobe of the amphiphile; the chain is esterified to cationic groups to form the polar group. The ester linkage is proximal to an allyl bond in phytol, which facilitates the hydrolysis of the amphiphile after adsorption to the sea surface into the phytol hydrophobic tail, which along with the unhydrolyzed herder, remains on the surface to maintain herding action, and the cationic group, which dissolves into the water column. Eventual degradation of the phytol tail and dilution of the cation make these sacrificial amphiphiles eco-friendly. The herding behavior of phytol-based amphiphiles is evaluated as a function of time, temperature, and water salinity to examine their versatility under different conditions, ranging from ice-cold water to hot water. The green chemical herder retracted oil slicks by up to ~500, 700, and 2500% at 5°, 20°, and 35°C, respectively, during the first 10 min of the experiment, which is on a par with the current best chemical herders in practice.
Indexing the World Wide Web: The Journey So Far

In this chapter, we describe the key indexing components of today’s web search engines. As the World Wide Web has grown, the systems and methods for indexing have changed significantly. We present the data structures used, the features extracted, the infrastructure needed, and the options available for designing a brand new search engine. We highlight techniques that improve relevance of results, discuss trade-offs to best utilize machine resources, and cover distributed processing concept in this context. In particular, we delve into the topics of indexing phrases instead of terms, storage in memory vs. on disk, and data partitioning. We will finish with some thoughts on information organization for the newly emerging data-forms.
Effect of acid solutions on human gustatory chemoreceptors as determined by parotid gland secretion rate.

SummarySeventeen organic acids were used to evaluate the effect of (H+) concentration, total acid concentration, undissociated acid concentration, carbon chain length, polar groupings, and carbon to carbon double bonds on the stimulatory action of acids on human gustatory chemoreceptors. Parotid gland secretion rate was used to measure human response to the stimuli. Both hydrogen ion concentration and the chemical configuration of the anion were found to control the degree of response elicited.
Eclecticism as an Ideological Alternative: An African Perspective

At least since the beginning of this century Africa has been an intellectual melting pot. The penetration of external intellectual influences, started earlier, gathered momentum more recently, and assumed most diverse forms in the last seventy to eighty years. Both Islam and Christianity as systems of ideas came to Africa from their earliest days. Ethiopia has been Christian longer than many parts of Europe, including England. And North Africa was substantially Islamized in the first century of Muhammad's religion, which later spread to other parts of the continent. Each had ideas and values which have direct political implications. After examining the role of culture in imperialism, the entry of liberal and capitalist values in Africa, the rise of modern nationalism, the fascination of Marxism among black intellectuals, and the obstinate resilience of many traditional African values, the essay comes to the conclusion that creative eclecticism (implying a genius for selectivity, for synthesizing disparate...
Low-temperature microchip nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis of aliphatic primary amines: applications to Titan chemistry.

We demonstrate microchip nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis (μNACE) analysis of primary aliphatic amines (C1–C18) in ethanol down to −20 °C as a first step in adapting microfluidic protocols for in situ analysis on Titan. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a nonaqueous separation at −20 °C on-chip. Limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 1.0 nM to 2.6 nM, and we identified several primary amines ranging in length from C2 to C16 in Titan aerosol analogue (tholin) samples; new amines were also detected in a tholin sample exposed to oxygen and liquid water. This preliminary work validates the sensitivity and efficacy of microfluidic chemical analysis of complex organics with relevance to Titan aerosols and surface deposits.
Early Life Exposure to Cigarette Smoke and Depressive Symptoms Among Women in Midlife

Introduction Active cigarette smoking has consistently been associated with depression, but little is known about the association between other cigarette smoke exposures, particularly in early life, and depression. We investigated whether exposures to maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSP) and childhood secondhand smoke (SHS) are associated with depressive symptoms in midlife. Methods Pregnant mothers were enrolled and were provided data on maternal smoking and other parental characteristics. Female offspring were followed through age 7 years and again in midlife (age range = 38-44 years), when they provided data on smoking history, SHS across the life course, and current depressive symptoms using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Results Participants exposed to MSP had a higher risk for depression (risk ratio [RR] = 1.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.08, 3.09) than those without MSP exposure. Relative to those with no MSP and no childhood SHS exposures, participants with MSP and childhood SHS had more than twice the risk of depressive symptoms (RR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.07, 5.41). Further adjustment for adult factors, particularly current smoking, substantially reduced these associations (e.g., MSP vs. no MSP exposure: RR = 1.36 [95% CI = 0.75, 2.45]). Conclusions Early life exposure to cigarette smoke is associated with increased risk for depression in midlife, with the association largely mediated by active smoking. These findings support a role for early life cigarette exposures in shaping smoking and depression risks in later life, and they provide some support for the direction of smoke exposure influence on depression.
XPS STUDY ON THE SURFACE REACTION OF URANIUM METAL WITH CARBON MONOXIDE AT 200

The surface reaction of uranium metal with carbon monoxide at 200 C has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The carbon monoxide adsorpton on the surface oxide layer resulted in U4f peak shifting to the lower binding energy and the content of oxygen in the oxide is decreased. O/U radio decreases with increasing the exposure of carbon monoxide to the surface layer. The investigation indicated the surface layer of uranium metal was further reduced in the atmosphere of carbon monoxide at high temperature.
Simulation analyses of waiting queue problems at test service windows with Monte Carlo method

The waiting queue problems at the client serve windows of test institutes were analyzed with Monte Carlo simulation method.And the waiting queue situations in the case of opening one window and in the case of two windows were simulated respectively.The conclusions achieved through 2000 simulations and statistic analyses in Excel,could bring up practical reference frames to decision maker.Also,this method was low cost and with strong practicability and its simulations were close to the real situations completely.
ADVANCED IMAGING TECHNIQUES OF THE BRACHIAL PLEXUS

SUMMARY The brachial plexus is a complex structure that arises from nerve roots in the neck and terminates by dividing into peripheral nerves in the axilla. Imaging the brachial plexus can be difficult because of this anatomy. MRI now is the imaging modality of choice in the evaluation of brachial plexopathy. T1-weighted axial and oblique coronal images supplemented by T-2 weighted or STIR images are a standard protocol. MRI can be used to diagnose nerve root avulsion, neuromas, tumor, and radiation fibrosis.
KINETOSTATIC ANALYSIS OF A BEAM-AXLE SUSPENSION WITH PANHARD ROD RESTRAINING LINKAGE

Kinetostatic response characteristics of a beam–axle suspension comprising a transversal Panhard rod constraint are evaluated as a function of the suspension geometry, vertical load and lateral force arising from a steady turning manoeuvre. A roll plane model of a road vehicle is developed incorporating the kinematic constraint posed by the transverse linkage. The non–linear algebraic equations governing the roll plane kinematic motion are formulated and solved using the Newton iterative techniques. The kinetostatic response characteristics are evaluated in terms of the body roll, effective roll stiffness and variations in the coordinates of the roll centre for various geometric parameters. The coordinates of the suspension roll centre and sprung mass cg are determined from the algebraic equations developed by vector loop method. The results of the study show that the suspension spring rate and the location and orientation of the Panhard rod influence the kinetostatic roll properties of the suspension in a significant manner, when the vehicle is subiect to vertical and lateral forces.
Enhancing clinical utility of respiratory-gated PET/CT using patient respiratory trace classification

This work characterizes associations between respiratory trace parameters and improvements in PET image quantification due to gating so as to guide the selection of patients for appropriate motion compensation. Twenty-six lung and liver cancer patients underwent PET/CT exams with recorded abdominal displacement using the Varian RPM system. Static and respiratory-gated [18F]FDG PET images for each patient were generated from the same list-mode acquisition in 2D or 3D mode on a GE Discovery STE PET/CT scanner, attenuation corrected with helical or phase-averaged cine CT, and reconstructed with OSEM. Patients were grouped by trace type using heuristic classification, by lesion location on diagnostic CT, or by lesion translational freedom on diagnostic CT. FDG PET lesion avidity was quantified with the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax). Relative differences (% ASUVmax) between static and gated PET images were calculated across patient groups and compared using an independent 2-sample t-test. No statistically significant differences in % ASUVmax were observed between patients of different trace type (Type 1 vs. 2-3) or lesion translational freedom (detached vs. attached). Lower lung and liver lesions had significantly higher % ASUVmax than upper lung lesions (14% vs. 3%, p <; 0.0001). Linear associations were strongest between % ASUVmax and motion reduction & data fraction (0.42 ± 0.10, r2 = 0.59, p <; 0.003) metrics. Patients could be classified according to lesion location between those with significant changes in PET parameters due to respiratory gating and those with negligible changes. Further refinement in patient selection guidelines may enhance respiratory-gated PET/CT utility in therapy target definition and response assessment.
Allogeneic major histocompatibility complex-mismatched equine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells are targeted for death by cytotoxic anti-major histocompatibility complex antibodies

SummaryReasons for performing study Allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a promising cell source for treating musculoskeletal injuries in horses. Controversy exists, however, over whether major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-mismatched MSCs are recognised by the recipient immune system and targeted for death by a cytotoxic antibody response. Objectives To determine if cytotoxic anti-MHC antibodies generated in-vivo following MHC-mismatched MSC injections are capable of initiating complement-dependent cytotoxicity of MSCs. Study design Experimental controlled study. Methods Antisera previously collected at days 0, 7, 14, and 21 post-injection from four horses injected with donor MHC-mismatched Equine Leukocyte Antigen (ELA)-A2 haplotype MSCs and one control horse injected with donor MHC-matched ELA-A2 MSCs were utilised in this study. Antisera were incubated with ELA-A2 MSCs before adding complement in microcytoxicity assays and cell death was analysed via eosin dye exclusion. ELA-A2 peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) were used in the assays as a positive control. Results Antisera from all four horses injected with MHC-mismatched MSCs contained antibodies that caused the death of ELA-A2 haplotype MSCs in the microcytotoxicity assays. In two of the four horses, antibodies were present as early as day 7 post-injection. MSC death was consistently equivalent to that of ELA-A2 haplotype PBL death at all time points and antisera dilutions. Antisera from the control horse that was injected with MHC-matched MSCs did not contain cytotoxic ELA-A2 antibodies at any of the time points examined. Conclusions The cytotoxic antibody response induced in recipient horses following injection with donor MHC-mismatched MSCs is capable of killing donor MSCs in-vitro. These results suggest that the use of allogeneic MHC-mismatched MSCs must be cautioned against, not only for potential adverse events, but also for reduced therapeutic efficacy due to targeted MSC death. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Characteristics of elderly nursing home residents: data from the 1995 National Nursing Home Survey.

OBJECTIVE This report presents the sociodemographic characteristics, functional dependencies in the activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), dental status, primary admission diagnosis, types of services used, and source of payment of elderly nursing home residents. METHODS The data used for this report are from the National Center for Health Statistics' 1995 National Nursing Home Survey's (NNHS) sample of current residents age 65 years and above. The 1995 NNHS is the fourth annual survey of nursing homes. The first survey was conducted from August 1973 through April 1974, the second was conducted from May through December 1977, and the third was conducted from August 1985 through January 1986. The 1995 NNHS was conducted from July 1995 through December 1995. RESULTS The overall results of the survey indicate that elderly nursing home residents were predominantly women, 75 years old and over, white, non-Hispanic, and widowed. A large portion of residents needed assistance in their ADL's and IADL's. A shifting of the primary source of payment to Medicaid occurred among residents who used Medicare as their source of payment at the time of admission.
Dynamic behaviors on the NAO robot with closed-loop whole body operational space control

Exploiting full-body dynamics in feedback control can enhance the balancing capability of a legged system using various techniques such as Whole-Body Control (WBC) or Centroidal Momentum control. However, motion control of the NAO robot based on full-body dynamics has not been extensively studied due to its limited computation power, limited sensors, and restricted access to its low-level controllers. Whole-Body Operational Space Control (WBOSC) is a promising WBC approach for NAO, since its closed form solution provides computational efficiency. But, users need to provide the velocity map (Jacobian) between operational space and configuration space to add the balancing control task. Thus, in this paper, we formulate the Jacobians incorporating the Capture Point (CP) technique [1] and the Centroidal Angular Momentum (CAM) [2], [3], and demonstrate the enhancement of balancing capability in a physics-based simulation. While WBOSC reduces the computational load, implementing WBC in the real system with limited sensing capability and built-in joint position control is challenging. We show that the combination of a virtual model as an interface to the real robot and an Extended Kalman-filter based orientation estimator results in a stable implementation of a closed-loop WBOSC. We demonstrate the validity of our approach by performing a dynamic kicking motion on the physical NAO robot. Overall, the contributions of this paper are: (1) to extend WBOSC by adding CAM and CP control tasks, and (2) to implement WBOSC in a restricted physical system by utilizing a virtual model and an orientation estimator.
A metaplasticity view of the interaction between homeostatic and Hebbian plasticity.

Hebbian and homeostatic plasticity are two major forms of plasticity in the nervous system: Hebbian plasticity provides a synaptic basis for associative learning, whereas homeostatic plasticity ser...
Competition Policy and State-Owned Enterprises in China

The Anti-Monopoly Law (AML) of China came into effect in August 2008. In less than a decade, China has made remarkable strides to enforce this law; no other jurisdiction with a competition law system – over 130 to date – comes close to matching China's accomplishments in the first decade of its competition regime. However, China's progress in implementing competition policy remains uncertain.
Autonomous Leader-Follower Architecture of A.R. Drones in GPS Constrained Environments

In this paper, we present a low cost leader-follower formation control architecture of UAVs. The low cost architecture comprises of two AR. Drones and two Raspberry Pi. The computation of each drones has been done in cost effective Raspberry Pi. The relative localization among the drones has been done using Aruco Marker. A gradient descent based self-tuning PID controller is used by the follower drone to preserve the formation with respect to the leader drone. Experimental results as well as simulation results have shown in this paper.
Incidence, etiology, management, and outcomes of flank hernia: review of published data.

To review the published data describing the incidence, etiology, management, and outcomes of flank hernia. A retrospective review of articles identified with an online search (using the terms “flank hernia”, “flank bulge”, “lateral hernia”, “retroperitoneal aorta hernia”, and “open radical nephrectomy”) was performed. Studies exclusively on lumbar hernia or subcostal hernia were excluded. All articles retained for analysis (N = 26) were uncontrolled series or case reports; there were no controlled trials. The incidence of incisional hernia in the flank was ~ 17% (total patients analyzed = 1,061). Flank hernia repair was accomplished successfully with a variety of techniques, with overall mean rates of perioperative complications, chronic post-procedure pain, and recurrence equal to 20, 11, and 7%, respectively. Mesh utilization was universal. The available data of outcomes of flank hernia repair are not of high quality, and recommendations essentially consist of expert opinions. Operative approach (open vs. laparoscopic) and mesh insertion details have varied, but reasonable results appear possible with a number of techniques.
Prehospital sedation with intramuscular droperidol: A one-year pilot

Objective. Combative patients pose a threat to themselves and prehospital personnel, and are at risk for sudden death. Droperidol is an antipsychotic and sedative agent that might be effectively utilized by paramedics to assist in the management of uncontrollably violent patients. Methods. A prospective observational study of patients requiring sedation was conducted in an urban third-service emergency medical services system (55,000 calls per year). Patients were scored by paramedics on a five-point agitation scale with 5 being extremely combative (continuous, vigorous fighting against restraints) and 1 being somnolent (sleeping or sleepy). Eligible (score 4–5) patients received 5 mg of intramuscular droperidol on direct physician order. Data including vital signs and agitation scores were recorded at 5-minute intervals until hospital arrival. Adverse effects were also recorded. Results. Fifty-three patients received droperidol (51 patients received 5 mg; two received 2.5 mg) during the study period. The...
On the Power of Isolation in Planar Structures.

The purpose of this paper is to study the deterministic isolation for certain structures in directed and undirected planar graphs. The motivation behind this work is a recent development on this topic. For example, [BTV 07] isolate a directed path in planar graphs and [DKR 08] isolate a perfect matching in bipartite planar graphs. One natural question raised by their work is: “How far is the reach of the deterministic isolation in planar structures ?” Our first observation is that the restriction of planarity is in fact, fairly general, in the sense that efficiently isolating certain planar structures would significantly bring down the complexities of some fundamental problems in general graphs. For example, we show that efficiently isolating a cycle cover in directed planar graphs would imply Bipartite-Matching ∈ NC, efficiently isolating a minimum weight perfect matching in undirected planar graphs would imply that non-deterministic log-space computations can be made unambiguous, i.e., NL = UL and efficiently isolating a Red-Blue path in directed planar graphs would imply NP ⊆ ⊕P. Further, we show that such efficient isolations are indeed possible in bipartite planar graphs, thus leaving non-bipartiteness as the only bottleneck to break. A deceptively simple combinatorial puzzle comes out of our investigations where a positive solution to the puzzle would have strong consequences like NL = UL. Our main tools are some new simple bijections, which might be of an independent interest combinatorially.
Trace organic contaminant removal in six full-scale integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) systems treating municipal wastewater.

Abstract Trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) often pass through conventional activated sludge wastewater treatment plants (CAS-WWTPs) and are discharged into surface waters, where they can threaten aquatic ecosystems and human health, largely due to the hormone disrupting effects of certain TrOCs. The integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) process is a cost-effective means of upgrading CAS-WWTPs by adding free-floating carrier media, which promotes biofilm formation in the well-mixed suspended growth reactors, providing a potential niche for slow-growing microorganisms. Although IFAS upgrades are typically aimed at enhancing nutrient removal, limited bench- and pilot-scale data indicate that TrOC removal may also be improved. However, only limited reports which focus on a small number of compounds in individual full-scale IFAS-WWTPs have been published to date, and no data is available regarding the removal of estrogenic activity in full-scale IFAS-WWTPs. In this study, six full-scale IFAS-WWTPs were surveyed to quantify TrOC and estrogenic activity removal. Twenty-four hour composite samples of secondary influent and effluent (pre-disinfection) were analyzed for total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), estrogenic activity, and 98 TrOCs. The biomass distribution between the suspended growth phase (i.e. mixed liquor) and IFAS media was also assessed. All IFAS-WWTPs performed well in terms of TSS, COD, and ammonia removal. TN removal varied in accordance with nitrate removal. Total solids per liter of wetted reactor volume ranged from 2.5 to 7.6 g, with 40–60% attached to media. TrOCs with no detection (17) and those with high median removal (23, ≥90% average removal) were observed. Other TrOCs had lower and more variable removal efficiencies. Qualitative comparison with CAS literature shows potentially higher IFAS removal efficiencies for a number of compounds including several which have been previously indicated in bench- or pilot-scale studies (atenolol, diclofenac, gemfibrozil, DEET, 4-nonylphenol, and 4-tert-octylphenol), as well as the chlorinated flame retardants TCIPP and TDCIPP. Effluent estrogenic activity was found to be similar to that reported for full-scale CAS-WWTPs. These results provide the first survey of multiple full-scale IFAS-WWTPs employing mobile plastic carrier media in terms of basic chemical endpoints (removal of ammonia, TN, TP, and COD), the distribution of solids within the systems, and the removal of TrOCs and estrogenic activity.
Large-Scale Application of the Constraint Annealing Method for Pressurized Water Reactor Core Design Optimization

AbstractThe constraint annealing method is presented and demonstrated for the solution of large-scale, multiconstrained problems in light water reactor fuel cycle optimization. Constraint annealing is a penalty-free method that eliminates the need for traditional constraint weighting factors by treating each objective function and constraint as separate and concurrently solved minimization problems within a global optimization search framework. The current application seeks to demonstrate the effectiveness of constraint annealing for a complex core loading pattern design problem containing multiple objective functions and constraints without the need for additional ad hoc control parameters. Two problems of varying degrees of complexity are analyzed. The first problem is defined by a single objective function based on maximizing cycle energy with two constraints based on power peaking and peak rod exposure. The second problem expands upon the first by adding an additional objective function for vessel flu...
Finite-Difference Modeling of the Cryostability of Helium II Cooled Conductor Packs

The need for high-field (up to 16 tesla on the conductor) magnets in fusion reactors is forcing the magnet community to find new approaches to superconducting magnet design which will produce the required fields. One design approach is to increase the critical-current density of the superconductor by operating the magnet at lower temperatures than possible with 4.2 K helium I. This can be accomplished by using superfluid helium II near 1.8 K. Operating at this temperature can increase the critical current density of the superconductor as much as a factor of two over a helium I system1- Helium II has the added benefit of increasing the heat transfer capabilities of the conductor. The 0.2 W/cm2 practical heat flux limit that exists for helium I pool-boiling can be increased to 1–2 W/cm2 for pool-boiling helium II. Thus, through reduction in the required cross-sectional area of stabilizer for cryostability, the potential exists for decreasing the magnet size. Also, the specific heat of superfluid helium II is greater than liquid helium I, so that a transient disturbance would raise the temperature of the helium II system less.
Feature Extraction Methods for the Detection of North Atlantic Right Whale Up-Calls

A In this paper, a feature extraction method for detecting North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW) upcalls is proposed. The core of the scheme is an integration of Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC) or Gammatone Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (GFCC) with Discrete Wavelet Transforms (DWT) for the extraction of features of NARW up-calls. Several types of wavelets are tested in terms of detection accuracy. Once the up-call features are extracted, popular classifiers such as Support Vector Machines and K-Nearest Neighbors are applied to classify call types. Detection results show that the upcall detection rate by using Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients is 73.82%, and False alarm rate is 2.48%. However, the upcall detection rate and false alarm rate are improved to 92.27% and 1.48% when these are integrated with Discrete Wavelet Transforms for feature extraction. GFCC works better than MFCC as a feature extractor if it is used alone. When both are integrated with DWT, the advantage of the former disappears. Furthermore, it is shown through experimental studies that the proposed detection scheme is superior to those obtained using spectrogram-based techniques in terms of both detection accuracy and speed. Due to its effectiveness and efficiency, the proposed algorithm can potentially be implemented in auto-detection buoys.