cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alpha-blockers: an effective treatment for prostatitis?

Chronic prostatitis is a multifaceted problem affecting men that is both poorly understood and poorly treated. It is inevitable, therefore, that no single treatment will benefit all patients. However, data suggest that some patients’ problems can be treated effectively with α-blockers. The prostate is rich in α-adrenergic receptors, and some urodynamic studies have shown a failure of the bladder neck to relax during voiding. Other studies have demonstrated turbulent flow in the prostate leading to prostatic duct reflux. Because urine is acidic, reflux into the prostatic ducts will cause inflammation and pain. Thus α-blockers are an effective treatment for men with prostatitis caused by dysfunctional voiding.
Chemistry of Superoxide Radical in Seawater: CDOM Associated Sink of Superoxide in Coastal Waters

Colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and humic substances contain a nonmetallic redox-cycling component capable of catalyzing superoxide (O2-) dismutation. First-order rate coefficients (kpseudo) measured for this O2- sink in a number of coastal and Chesapeake Bay water samples range up to 1.4 s-1, comparable in magnitude to catalyzed dismutation by Cu species. A significant (r 2 = 0.73) correlation is observed between kpseudo and the optical absorption and salinity of individual coastal water samples, suggesting an association with non-marine-derived CDOM. The activity of this sink is not changed by acidification or boiling of samples but is removed by photooxidation, indicating that it is an organic compound, but that it is neither enzymatic nor likely to consist of tightly bound metals. The stoichiometry of hydrogen peroxide formation from O2- decay indicates that this sink is capable of a redox cycle catalyzing the dismutation of O2-. This CDOM sink combined with the organic copper sink previously ...
Biosynthesis of meteloidine from 3α-tigloyloxytropane in Datura innoxia

Abstract The administration of 3α-tigloyl-[1- 14 C]-oxytropane-[3β- 3 H] ( 3 H/ 14 C = 11·0 to Datura innoxia plants for 7 days led to the formation of radioactive meteloidine ( 3 H/ 14 C = 11·6). Degradation of the meteloidine indicated that the alkaloid was labeled specifically with 3 H at C-3 of its teloidine moiety, and on the carbonyl group of its tigloyl residue with 14 C. These results strongly favor the hypothesis that hydroxylation of tropine occurs after formation of its tigloyl ester.
Squaring the circle: Gleb Wataghin and the prehistory of quantum gravity

Abstract The early history of the attempts to unify quantum theory with the general theory of relativity is depicted through the work of the Italian physicist Gleb Wataghin, who, in the context of quantum electrodynamics, has anticipated some of the ideas that the quantum gravity community is entertaining today.
Solubilization of Hydrophobic Compounds by Micellar Solutions of Hydrophobically Modified Polyelectrolytes

Solubilization of pyrene and steroid hormones into aqueous solutions of an associative polymer, poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-(poly(ethylene oxide))-g-poly(acrylic acid) (Pluronic−PAA), has been studied. A dramatic increase of solubilization is observed upon formation of micelles above the critical micellization temperature (cmt). The equilibrium partition coefficients of the probes between micelles and water (Km/w) above the cmt strongly correlate with the probe's octanol/water partition coefficient (Ko/w). The Km/w is increased with the ionization degree of the poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) segments. Preferential solubilization of the increasingly hydrophobic compounds into the Pluronic−PAA is dominated by the entropic effect. Comparison of the fraction of the probe located in the hydrophobic cores of the micellar aggregates for pyrene and estradiol illustrates the degree of chemical specificity of the Pluronic−PAA micellar aggregates, which is due to the hydrophobicity of the probe.
Dry etching characteristics of GaN for blue/green light-emitting diode fabrication

Abstract The etch rates, surface morphology and sidewall profiles of features formed in GaN/InGaN/AlGaN multiple quantum well light-emitting diodes by Cl2-based dry etching are reported. The chlorine provides an enhancement in etch rate of over a factor of 40 relative to the physical etching provided by Ar and the etching is reactant-limited until chlorine gas flow rates of at least 50 standard cubic centimeters per minute. Mesa sidewall profile angle control is possible using a combination of Cl2/Ar plasma chemistry and SiO2 mask. N-face GaN is found to etch faster than Ga-face surfaces under the same conditions. Patterning of the sapphire substrate for improved light extraction is also possible using the same plasma chemistry.
Clozapine eligibility: The effect of stringent criteria on ethnic, gender and age subgroups of schizophrenic patients

Abstract 1. 1. The purpose of this retrospective chart review study was to determine whether broad and stringent criteria differentially impact clozapine eligibility in ethnic, gender, and age subgroups of schizophrenic patients. 2. 2. 505 patient charts were selected from a random cluster sample of mental health patients known to the city and county of San Francisco. Information related to clozapine eligibility was abstracted by trained non-clinical personnel. The impact of subgroup membership on eligibility was examined using logistic regression procedures. 3. 3. Even under the broadest interpretation of FDA requirements for clozapine use, Asian patients were less likely to be eligible, since fewer Asian patients met clozapine treatment requirements. Under more stringent eligibility criteria, older patients were more likely to be excluded from eligibility when TD does not automatically satisfy treatment criteria, and younger patients were more likely to lose eligibility if the number of required adequate medication trials increases to three. 4. 4. Broad eligibility criteria tend to differentially exclude Asian patients while more stringent criteria differentially exclude younger and older patients.
Observations of Accelerated Silicon Carbide Recession by Oxidation at High Water-Vapor Pressures

A study of the exposure of SiC at 1200°C and high water-vapor pressures (1.5 atm) has shown SiC recession rates that exceed what is predicted based on parabolic oxidation at water-vapor pressures of less than or equal to ∼1 atm. After exposure to these conditions, distinct silica-scale structures are observed; thick, porous, nonprotective cristobalite scales form above a thin, dense silica layer. The porous cristobalite thickens with exposure time, while the thickness of the underlying dense layer remains constant. These observations suggest a moving-boundary phenomenon that is controlled by the rapid conversion of dense vitreous silica to a porous, nonprotective crystalline SiO2.
Talking About Intentional Objects

Tim Crane has recently defended the view that all intentional states have objects, even when these objects do not exist. In this note I first set forth some crucial elements of Crane’s view: his reasons for accepting intentional objects, his rejection of certain ways of thinking about them, and his distinction between the ‘substantial’ and the ‘schematic’ notion of an object. I then argue that while Crane’s account successfully explains what intentional objects are not, it leaves unexplained how it could make sense to say that intentional objects need not exist. Finally I propose that we can do justice to Crane’s reasons for talking about intentional objects by re-interpreting talk about intentional objects as talk about the truth- or satisfaction-conditions of intentional states.
Serial changes in the biophysical profile in patients undergoing cervical ripening with a controlled release PGE2 vaginal pessary.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of exogenous administration of PGE2 upon the components of the biophysical profile.Methods: The study group included 17 nulliparas at ≥38 weeks gestation, with a Bishop score of ≥4, requiring induction of labor. A controlled release vaginal pessary containing 10 mg of PGE2, designed to release hormones at ~0.8 mg per hour in vitro, was used for 12 hours of cervical ripening. The BPP was performed by the same sonographer at three intervals: prior to pessary insertion, at 6 hours, and 12 hours.Results: None of these patients had membrane rupture or went into spontaneous labor during the ripening process. All patients subsequently required amniotomy and oxytocin. The proportion of patients scoring 2 points for fetal breathing movements decreased from 59% at baseline to 0% at 12 hours, P < 0.0005, and the proportion of patients with fetal body movements decreased from 100% at baseline to 25% at 12 hours, P < 0.0005. However, the other components...
Progressive myopathy in an inducible mouse model of oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy.

The genetic basis of oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is a short expansion of a polyalanine tract (normal allele: 10 alanines, mutant allele: 11–17 alanines) in the nuclear polyadenylate binding protein PABPN1 which is essential for controlling poly(A) tail length in messenger RNA. Mutant PABPN1 forms nuclear inclusions in OPMD muscle. To investigate the pathogenic role of mutant PABPN1 in vivo, we generated a ligand-inducible transgenic mouse model by using the mifepristone-inducible gene expression system. Induction of ubiquitous expression of mutant PABPN1 resulted in skeletal and cardiac myopathy. Histological changes of degenerative myopathy were preceded by nuclear inclusions of insoluble PABPN1. Downregulation of mutant PABPN1 expression attenuated the myopathy and reduced the nuclear burden of insoluble PABPN1. These results support association between mutant PABPN1 accumulation and degenerative myopathy in mice. Resolution of myopathy in mice suggests that the disease process in OPMD patients may be treatable.
Model-based feedforward derivative compensation for prosthetic hands

Two methods of prosthetic hand control are investigated. A typical proportional force control scheme is compared to a force controller with a feedforward inertia stopping derivative term. Eleven human operators use these two controllers with an antagonist electromyogram input. The experimental feedforward force controller is found to help prevent unwanted force overshoot when initially grasping objects.
Accelerated MPEG compression of dynamic polygonal scenes

This paper describes a methodology for using the matrix-vector multiply and scan conversion hardware present in many graphics workstations to rapidly approximate the optical flow in a scene. The optical flow is a 2-dimensional vector field describing the on-screen motion of each pixel. An application of the optical flow to MPEG compression is described which results in improved compression with minimal overhead.
Indexing and the object concept: developing `what' and `where' systems

The study of object cognition over the past 25 years has proceeded in two largely non-interacting camps. One camp has studied object-based visual attention in adults, while the other has studied the object concept in infants. We briefly review both sets of literature and distill from the adult research a theoretical model that we apply to findings from the infant studies. The key notion in our model of object representation is the `sticky' index, a mechanism of selective attention that points at a physical object in a location. An object index does not represent any of the properties of the entity at which it points. However, once an index is pointing to an object, the properties of that object can be examined and featural information can be associated with, or `bound' to, its index. The distinction between indexing and feature binding underwrites the distinction between object individuation and object identification, a distinction that turns out to be crucial in both the adult attention and the infant object-concept literature. By developing the indexing model, we draw together two disparate sets of literature and suggest new ways to study object-based attention in infancy.
Correlation Between Macroscopic Porosity Location and Liquid Metal Pressure in Centrifugal Casting Technique

Radiographic analysis of uniform cylindrical castings fabricated by the centrifugal casting technique has revealed that the macroscopic porosity is dependent on the location of the sprue attachment to the casting. This is attributed to the significant pressure gradient associated with the centrifugal casting technique. The pressure gradient results in different heat transfer rates at portions of the castings near and away from the free surface of the button. Consequently, the macroscopic porosity is invariably at portions of the casting close to the free surface of the button. In addition, some optimized sprue-reservoir combinations could be predicted and proved, based on this pressure gradient concept.
Exploring Home-School Value Conflicts: Implications for Academic Achievement and Well-Being Among Latino First-Generation College Students

U.S. colleges place a high value on the fulfillment of academic obligations by their students. The academic achievement of each individual student is the institutional priority; this is an individualistic frame of reference. However, many Latino first-generation college students have been raised to prioritize family obligations; their home socialization is collectivistic. Our exploratory study investigated how Latino first-generation college students experience home-school value conflict between family obligation and individual academic achievement during their transition to college. A group interview followed the prompt of a conflict scenario that each group member first responded to in writing. The written responses provide evidence of the prioritization of school or home and the conflict that can arise in making these decisions. The group discussions that followed identified multiple types of home-school conflict and provide insights into how these conflicts are experienced. Conflicts revealed by the d...
Significance of synthetic nanostructures in dictating cellular response

Cell-substratum interaction is influenced by topographical in addition to chemical cues. The majority of patterning studies on cellular response have been conducted on micropatterned surfaces. Cells clearly respond to the topography of substrates in the micron range in terms of adhesion, proliferation, migration, and gene expression. However, cells in their natural environment also interact with extracellular matrix components in the nanometer scale. This review will cover recent studies that show mammalian cells responding to nanoscale features on a synthetic surface. An important and exciting direction of research in nanomedicine would be to gain a better understanding of the interaction between cells and nanostructures. This will facilitate the creation of the next generation of biomaterials with well-defined nanotopography that can elicit the desired cellular and tissue response.
‘Meddling with Politics’: The Political Role of Foreign Missions in the Early Nineteenth Century

The proper character of the relationship between missionaries and politics shaped one of the most contentious debates within the first century of the modern missionary movement. While the leadership of the missionary societies repeatedly insisted upon the separation between the work of the gospel and politics, missionaries in the field frequently found it difficult to remove themselves from political controversies. John Philip and James Read served with the London Missionary Society in the Cape Colony for most of the first half of the 19th century. Their persistent defence of the interests of the colonial Khoi made them controversial figures in the debates over the social, political and economic structures of the Cape Colony. Missionaries like Read and Philip, rarely described their activities as �political�, and certainly did not conceive of their work as in any way related to the patronage-ridden political system of the early 19th century. Nonetheless, in their promotion of the ideas of religious and civil equality, and in their effective use of public opinion to shape government and public perception of colonial policy, their actions reflected many of the important changes taking place in contemporary British politics. Dissenting political activity focused on the issues of the defence of religious liberty, the struggle to secure their own civil equality, and the debate over the proper relationship between church and state. These issues also played a crucial role in colonial politics throughout the period. This essay will illustrate the important role of the foreign missionary movement in this process. Examining the work of Philip and Read enables us to identify the ways that issues of domestic politics helped to shape the political debates emerging in Britain's expanding empire.
Achieving performance consistency in heterogeneous clusters

Hash-based randomization is a powerful technique used in clusters and distributed systems for load management. It offers uniform distribution, efficient addressing, little shared state, and scalability. However, simple hash-based randomization is unable to deal with skew and heterogeneity and, therefore, cannot achieve load balance in many environments. Virtual processors have been proposed as a solution to simple randomization's problem. We evaluate an alternative load management scheme for heterogeneous, shared-disk clusters. Our scheme directly tunes hash-based randomized load placement using a technique called adaptive, nonuniform (ANU) randomization [2003] and compares favorably to the virtual processor approach. It provides the load balancing benefits of virtual processors with less shared state. It also automatically adapts to workload and cluster configuration changes, such as failure and recovery and adding or removing servers, without human involvement. Experimental results show that our scheme outperforms virtual processors and performs comparably to prescient load-balancing algorithms. They also show that our system maintains consistent performance across all servers while moving a minimal amount of load.
Instantaneous Normal Modes and the Glass Transition

The "instantaneous" normal mode (INM) spectrum for a model soft-sphere system is calculated via molecular-dynamics computer simulation for a variety of temperatures both above and below the observed glass transition temperature. In such spectra, the modes can be classified as either real or imaginary frequency. Results indicate that the liquid \ensuremath{\rightarrow} glass transition is associated with the temperature below which all "unstable" INM's become localized and that the crossover from unstable to stable INM's occurs at a finite imaginary frequency and not at zero as is generally assumed. Two possible mechanisms for the glass transition are discussed that are consistent with the present data.
Confucius: A Scientific Collaboration System Using Collaborative Scientific Workflows

Large-scale scientific data management and analysis usually relies on many distributed scientists with diverse expertise. In recent years, such a collaborative effort is often composed and automated into a dataflow-oriented process, a so-called scientific workflow. However, existing scientific workflow tools are single user-oriented and do not support collaborative scientific workflow composition, execution, and management among multiple distributed scientists. In this paper, we report our study of collaboration protocols towards building a tool supporting collaborative scientific workflow composition. Based on a scientific collaboration ontology, we propose a collaboration model supported by a set of collaboration primitives and patterns. The collaboration protocols are then applied to support effective concurrency control in the process of collaborative workflow composition.
Effects of pH on distribution of Listeria ribotypes in corn, hay, and grass silage.

Listeria app, isolated from 13 of 129 (10%) corn silage samples, 21 of 76 (28%) hay silage samples, and 3 of 5 (60%) grass silage samples during a previous Vermont survey were subjected to automated ribotype (RT) analysis. The 13 positive corn silage samples contained 3 Listeria monocytogenes isolated (three RTs, including one known clinical RT) and 10 L. innocua isolates (four RTs). Similarly, 2 L. monocytogenes isolates (two RTs) and 19 L. innocua isolates (three RTs) were identified in the 21 positive hay silage samples. The three positive grass silage samples contained two L. innocua isolates (two RTs) and one isolate of L. welshimeri. One hundred seven of 129 (83%) high-quality (pH or = 4.0) harbored 20 of 21 isolates, including isolates belonging to two nonclinical L. monocytogenes RTs. Poor-quality silage is readily discernible by appearance; however, these findings raise new concerns regarding the safety of high-quality (pH
The Relationship of State and Society: Productive or Unproductive

The policies followed by patrimonial states generally involve playing one group against another and are inimical to long-run growth. Social cohesion or closure among rural groups (tenants, part-owners, etc.) provides a mechanism by which the governing elite are likely to find increased opportunities to behave in a developmental way. More strongly, this rural cohesion or closure often compels them to behave in a developmental manner. Such closure is most likely to result from broad based rural development resulting in the creation of extensive social networks via the operation of intermediaries. The prewar experiences of Japan and Korea with land reform are used to illustrate the argument.
Genetic and molecular analysis of a regulatory region of the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate catabolic plasmid pJP4.

Summary In Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP134, pJP4 carries the genes coding for 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate (2,4-D) and 3-chlorobenzoate (3-Cba) degradation plus mercury resistance. The plasmid genes specifying 2,4-D and 3-Cba catabolism are organized in three operons: tfdA, tfdB, and tfdCDEF. Regulation of these operons by two unlinked genes, tfdR and tfdS, has been proposed. Physical and DNA sequence analyses revealed that the tfdR and tfdS genes were identical and were located within a longer inverted repeat of 1592bp. Similar stem-loop structures were observed among other 2,4-D plasmids. The tfdR gene is 888 bp long and capable of encoding a polypeptide of 32kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence of tfdR indicates that it is a member of the LysR-type activators. Investigation of the regulation of the catabolic gene clusters through the construction of a pJP4 defined deletion mutant, pYG1010, which lacks a 4.2 kilobase Xbal fragment containing the inverted repeat region carrying the tfdR and tfdS regulatory genes, showed that Pseudomonas cepacia strains containing pYG1010 became 2,4-D negative, but 3-Cba positive. In vivo recombinants of pYG1010 and a cloned tfdS gene rescued the 2,4-D phenotype, indicating that TfdS is a positive regulator of tfdA expression, but not for tfdCDEF expression.
Restaurant Organizational Forms and Community in the U.S. in 2005

Recent sociological theory and research highlights food, drink, and restaurants as culturally meaningful and related to social identity. An implication of this view holds that the prevalence of cor...
Spatial resonance in a small artery excited by vibration input as a possible mechanism to cause hand–arm vascular disorders

Hand–arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) is collectively a vasospastic and neurodegenerative occupational disease. One of the major symptoms of HAVS is vibration white finger (VWF) caused by exaggerated vasoconstriction of the arteries and skin arterioles. While VWF is a very painful and costly occupational illness, its pathology has not been well understood. In this study a small artery is modeled as a fluid filled elastic tube whose diameter changes along the axial direction. Equations of motion are developed by considering interactions between the fluid, artery wall and soft-tissue bed. It is shown that the resulting wave equation is the same as that of the basilar membrane in the cochlea of mammals. Therefore, the artery system shows a spatial resonance as in the basilar membrane, which responds with the highest amplitude at the location determined by the vibration frequency. This implies that a long-term use of one type of tool will induce high-level stresses at a few identical locations of the artery that correspond to the major frequency components of the tool. Hardening and deterioration of the artery at these locations may be a possible cause of VWF.
Vertical distribution of Calanus hyperboreus in the central Arctic Ocean1

The vertical distribution of Cdanus hyperboreus was determined for a 23-month period from net samples collected from T-3 Ice Island in the central Arctic Ocean. Distributions of copepoditc stages were similar, but dissimilar to that of the adults. The depth range of the copepodites was 300-500 m, except during summer when they rise to the surface. The adult female population sank gradually from 100 to 300 m in the spring. During summer, females were at the surface and by fall they were centered at about 150 m, where they remained throughout winter. Adult males were centered deeper (400-700 m) than the females and were present only during spring and early summer.
Genome-wide identification and characterization of aquaporin gene family in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Plant aquaporins are a large and diverse family of water channel proteins that are essential for several physiological processes in living organisms. Numerous studies have linked plant aquaporins with a plethora of processes, such as nutrient acquisition, CO2 transport, plant growth and development, and response to abiotic stresses. However, little is known about this protein family in common bean. Here, we present a genome-wide identification of the aquaporin gene family in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), a legume crop essential for human nutrition. We identified 41 full-length coding aquaporin sequences in the common bean genome, divided by phylogenetic analysis into five sub-families (PIPs, TIPs, NIPs, SIPs and XIPs). Residues determining substrate specificity of aquaporins (i.e., NPA motifs and ar/R selectivity filter) seem conserved between common bean and other plant species, allowing inference of substrate specificity for these proteins. Thanks to the availability of RNA-sequencing datasets, expression levels in different organs and in leaves of wild and domesticated bean accessions were evaluated. Three aquaporins (PvTIP1;1, PvPIP2;4 and PvPIP1;2) have the overall highest mean expressions, with PvTIP1;1 having the highest expression among all aquaporins. We performed an EST database mining to identify drought-responsive aquaporins in common bean. This analysis showed a significant increase in expression for PvTIP1;1 in drought stress conditions compared to well-watered environments. The pivotal role suggested for PvTIP1;1 in regulating water homeostasis and drought stress response in the common bean should be verified by further field experimentation under drought stress.
A 1.8GHz wideband open-loop phase modulator with TDC based non-linearity calibration in 0.13µm CMOS

A non-linearity calibration technique is proposed for an open loop RF phase modulator. The phase modulator integrates a digital phase-locked loop, LO distribution network and digital calibration. A prototype was implemented in 0.13-µm CMOS 1.8-GHz GFSK transmitter integrated circuit. Measurements on the prototype show that out-of-band quantization noise is 56-dB lower than the signal when transmitting 20-Mb/s GFSK signal and the r.m.s. error is only 3.2%. The power consumption of the phase modulator is 18 mW.
Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide over Co–Fe Bimetallic Catalysts

A series of Co–Fe bimetallic catalysts was prepared, characterized, and studied for the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide. The catalyst precursors were prepared via an oxalate coprecipitation method. Monometallic (Co or Fe) and bimetallic (Co–Fe) oxalate precursors were decomposed under a N2 flow at 400 °C and further pretreated under a CO flow at 250 °C. The catalysts (before decomposition of the oxalates or after activation) were characterized by BET, TGA-MS, X-ray diffraction, CO-TPR, SEM, HR-TEM, and Mossbauer spectroscopy techniques. The hydrogenation reaction of CO2 was performed using Co–Fe bimetallic catalysts pretreated in situ in a fixed-bed catalytic microreactor operating in the temperature range of 200–270 °C and a pressure of 0.92 MPa. With increasing Fe fraction, the selectivity to C2–C4 for Co–Fe catalyst increased under all operating conditions. The alcohol selectivity was found to increase with increasing iron content of the Co–Fe catalyst up to 50%, but then it dropped with further additi...
A possible constructive approach to ϕ{ 4 / 4 } III

We continue our investigation into a constructive approach for ϕ d 4 and prove under the hypotheses of our previous work that on a lattice and in the single phase region the theory is uniquely determined by the intermediate renormalization conditions. Then the Gaussian theory and the Ising model are the two extremal cases for all ϕ d 4 theories.
Remote regions, remote data: A spatial investigation of precipitation, dynamic land covers, and conflict in the Sudd wetland of South Sudan

Though wetlands are recognized for their wide range of ecosystem services, the sustainable management of wetlands is hindered by a lack of data, especially in large transnational river systems in less-developed countries. The Sudd wetland of South Sudan is the largest freshwater wetland on the Nile River and supports transhumant pastoral cultures and wildlife migrations; yet, it is understudied in terms of its regional hydrologic controls and corresponding changes in land cover. To assess the use of remote data derived from remote sensing systems, the wetland extent between 2000 and 2014 was delineated using MODIS thermal infrared data and baseline changes in the wetland land cover extents were mapped using NDVI products. The upper White Nile basin was subdivided into seven natural sub-basins and correlations between sub-basin precipitation amounts and wetland extents were determined. Areas of high spatial variability in land cover were related to the spatial distribution of conflict in South Sudan. Results indicate that downstream sub-basins, which have largely been ignored, display high correlations (0.58–0.74) with the wetland extent and appear to be major sources of water for the wetland. Precipitation patterns in the Lake Kyoga sub-basin, instead of the neighboring torrent sub-basin that has previously been cited, correspond to inter-annual changes in wetland extents. Land cover transitions in years of reduced flow amounts varied depending upon the precipitation in upstream and downstream sub-basins. Because the downstream sub-basins appear to have a higher influence than previously anticipated, a reduction in water from the upstream sub-basins didn't necessarily lead to a reduced wetland extent. The most highly variable regions of land cover changes correspond not only to locations of conflict, but also to ethnic boundary lines. Though the conflict in this region makes in-situ data collection difficult, the conflict only increases the need for scientific assessments in order to predict changes in ecosystem services.
Systems and Slogans: The American Clear and Present Danger Doctrine and South African Publications Control

(1986). Systems and Slogans: The American Clear and Present Danger Doctrine and South African Publications Control. South African Journal on Human Rights: Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 29-48.
Scoring SJTs for Traits and Situational Effectiveness

Lievens and Motowidlo (2016) addressed three of the most important unanswered questions regarding situational judgment tests (SJTs): (a) Should we view them as tests that can assess relatively generic constructs that predict performance across settings, (b) what constructs can they assess, and (c) how should they be scored? They suggested fundamentally changing the SJT development process by targeting the specific constructs we measure, using scoring systems that address both the targeted traits and their situational effectiveness, examining construct validity, and evaluating the criterion-related validity of SJT traits (Lievens & Motowidlo, pp. 11–12). These recommendations are highly significant on both practical and conceptual grounds.
Physical and Chemical Properties and Accelerated Aging Test of Bio-oil Produced from in Situ Catalytic Pyrolysis in a Bench-Scale Fluidized-Bed Reactor

In situ catalytic upgrading is a promising technique to improve the properties of bio-oil because the bio-oil produced from the conventional method has several negative attributes, such as low heating value and highly acidic nature, and is also unstable during storage. In this study, the catalytic effect of CaO, MgO, and ZSM-5 as in situ upgrading catalysts during biomass pyrolysis was studied in a fluidized-bed reactor. Southern pine sawdust was subjected to pyrolysis with inert bed material (quartz sand) and subsequently with the catalysts. The quality of bio-oil obtained was compared to the baseline values (i.e., with the use of sand as bed material without any catalyst) in terms of its chemical composition, heating value, viscosity, pH, total acid number (TAN), and oxygen and water contents. The use of CaO resulted in an improvement in pH (2.39–3.98) and TAN (88.9–46.6) of the bio-oil when compared to the results when using only sand. In comparison, MgO was a mild catalyst because it altered the bio-o...
Chemotherapy of intermediate- and high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas with an intensive epirubicin-containing regimen

An intensive chemotherapy regimen (EVDAC), including high-dose epirubicin, vincristine, and dexamethasone followed by cyclophosphamide and high-dose cytarabine, was administered to 54 untreated adults with intermediate or high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL). The median age was 59, 61% were Ann Arbor Stage IV, 57% had “B” symptoms, 50% had serum lactate dehydrogenase greater than 250 U/L, and 48% had masses greater than 7 cm (33% > 10 cm) in diameter. Seventy-six percent of patients attained complete or probable complete remissions. The Kaplan- Meier actuarial failure-free survival at 7 years is 50%, and 59% (32 of 54) of all patients started on therapy remain alive and in first remission at a median of 62+ (range, 49+ to 76+) months from completion of therapy. Nearly all patients developed severe neutropenia. Febrile episodes requiring hospitalization during neutropenia occurred after 56% of courses of epirubicin, vincristine, and dexamethasone and after 9% of courses of cyclophosphamide and cytarabine; 80% of patients were hospitalized at least once. Platelet count nadirs of less than 20,000/microL occurred after only 1 of 146 evaluable courses of epirubicin and after none of the cyclophosphamide/cytarabine courses. Although 8 patients had decreases of at least 0.12 in their left ventricular ejection fractions (5 to below normal levels), none have developed clinically evident congestive heart failure. Clinically significant mucositis occurred after only 8% of courses of high-dose epirubicin. Three deaths from infections and one from hyperkalemia with cardiac arrest occurred during therapy. These results confirm that high remission and sustained, failure-free survival rates can be achieved in patients with aggressive NHL, using high-dose anthracycline-containing chemotherapy regimens. Epirubicin appears to have an advantage over doxorubicin at high doses because of decreased toxicity at a therapeutically equivalent dose. These phase II study results need to be validated in a randomized phase III trial, and growth factors should be used to attempt to reduce the neutropenia-associated complications.
Tracking patient-reported outcomes in spinal disorders.

BACKGROUND Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) quantify health status from the patient's point of view. While the number of published outcomes studies grows each year, so too has the number of instruments being reported, leading to confusion on which instruments are appropriate to use for various spinal conditions. METHODS A broad search was conducted to identify commonly used PROMs in patients undergoing spinal surgery. We searched PubMed for combinations of terms related to anatomic location and a measure of patient-reported outcome in the title or text. We supplemented the search using the "related articles" feature of PubMed and by manually searching the bibliographies of selected articles. RESULTS Major categories of PROMs in spine surgery include health-related quality-of-life, pain, and disease-specific disability, for which several different instrument options were identified and detailed. The minimal clinically important difference varies between instruments and differentiates statistical significance from clinical significance. In addition, the accurate estimation of costs has become a challenging but intrinsically linked variable to outcomes as increased attention is paid to the relative value of surgical interventions. CONCLUSION While a number of PROMs are available for tracking outcomes in spine surgery, only a handful appear to be widely used. At least one instrument from each category should be measured pre- and post-operatively to quantify treatment effect. In addition, while the primary goal is to select the most appropriate instruments for the patient's condition, one should keep in mind sustainability of efforts with regard to patient and administrative burden.
Knowledge and Beliefs About E-Cigarettes in Straight-to-Work Young Adults.

INTRODUCTION Young adults are a growing segment of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) users. Young adults who go straight to work (STW) from high school make up a large portion of the young adult population, yet research to date has focused on college-educated young adults. This study explored STW young adult beliefs and knowledge about e-cigarettes. METHODS Semistructured individual interviews were used to elicit in-depth information from STW young adults ages 19-31 from a state in the southwest United States. Thirty interviews were conducted focusing on beliefs about e-cigarettes, current knowledge, and information-seeking practices. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using NVivo. RESULTS Nine themes were identified falling into three categories: (1) beliefs about e-cigarettes, (2) knowledge about e-cigarettes, and (3) personal rules about e-cigarettes. STW young adults held positive beliefs about the health and safety of e-cigarettes for themselves, others, and the environment. They reported their social networks and the Internet as reliable sources of information about e-cigarettes, but they reported parents as the best source for advice. Participants had rules about e-cigarettes that contradicted some of their beliefs such as using e-cigarettes around children indicating that their beliefs were not as strongly held as they initially reported. CONCLUSIONS Industry marketing and contradictory information may contribute to STW young adult knowledge and beliefs about e-cigarettes. Lack of credible public health information may also contribute to this issue. Ensuring that what is known about the benefits and harms of e-cigarettes is conveyed through multichannel communication and continued monitoring of marketing practices of the e-cigarette industry in light of the soon to be implemented regulations should be top priorities for public health. IMPLICATIONS Beliefs and knowledge of STW young adults have not been explored even though they are heavily targeted by the e-cigarette industry. This group holds strong positive beliefs about the health and safety of e-cigarettes, despite having little credible knowledge about them. This study indicates a need for efforts focused on educating STW young adults on the potential risks and benefits of e-cigarettes and the communication of credible information or at minimum the acknowledgment of the uncertainty regarding the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes. It also indicates a need for continued monitoring and advocacy related to marketing practices of the e-cigarette industry.
Polysilicon based flexible temperature sensor for high spatial resolution brain temperature monitoring

In this paper, we present a flexible temperature sensor with ultra-small polysilicon thermistors for brain temperature monitoring. In vitro sensitivity, resolution, thermal hysteresis and long term stability tests were performed. Temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of −0.0031/ °C and resolution of 0.1 °C were obtained for the sensor. Thermal hysteresis for temperature range of 30∼45 °C was less than 0.1 °C. With silicon nitride as the passivation layer, the temperature sensor showed a drift within 0.3 °C for 3 days long term stability test in water. In vivo tests showed a clear correlation between the localized brain temperature and electrocorticography (ECoG) signal during spreading depolarization. The developed flexible temperature sensor with small size polysilicon thermistors can be adopted for high resolution brain temperature mapping as well as multimodal monitoring with limited sensing space.
Examining the Role of Prior Experience in the Learning of Algebra

Widespread emphasis on developing students’ algorithmic competency and symbol manipulation has resulted in students failing to think analytically and critically. If students are not encouraged to think flexibly about arithmetic and algebra in school, then this needs to be addressed by developmental courses and tasks designed to change the procedural orientation and superficial, fragmented knowledge of too many of our undergraduate students. Those who teach mathematics at the postsecondary level often dismiss the increasing number of students enrolled in precollege mathematics courses as “not my problem,” not realizing that “just algebra” is the downfall for many college students. Learning “just algebra” is a much more complex task than it appears. In this chapter, prior knowledge will be shown to have become problematic for many students, and we provide evidence of the need to improve the effectiveness of our own teaching and that of our future teachers in ways that help students develop deeper understanding of mathematics and promote mathematical thinking.
Bacillus Calmette-Guerin strain may not effect recurrence-free survival when used intravesically with interferon-alpha2b for non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer

Abstract Objectives Adjuvant intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) remains the standard-of-care for high-grade non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Conflicting reports exist regarding disparate outcomes among BCG strains. We sought to determine whether a difference in recurrence-free survival (RFS) existed between TICE BCG and Connaught BCG strains used with interferon (IFN) for the treatment of NMBIC. Materials and methods A post hoc analysis of the phase 2 BCG/IFN study, conducted from May 1999 to February 2001. A total of 901 patients had sufficient records for analysis. Enrollment criteria were liberal and included primary and recurrent NMIBC, patients with and without carcinoma in situ, and patients with prior BCG failure. At the beginning, 3 to 8 weeks after transurethral resection or biopsy, patients received induction with 6 weekly intravesical treatments of BCG (TICE or Connaught) with 50 million units of IFN. Surveillance for recurrence began 4 to 6 weeks after induction and quarterly thereafter for 2 years. If no recurrence was identified, patients received maintenance therapy. Separate models were created for BCG naive and failure patients. Multivariable analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazards regression. Results Overall, 609 patients received TICE BCG and 292 received Connaught BCG with similar baseline characteristics. BCG strain was not associated with worse RFS in both the multivariable BCG naive model ( P = 0.28) and BCG failure model ( P = 0.53). Duration of disease, tumor focality, tumor size, and BCG failure interval (in the BCG failure model) were associated with worse RFS. Conclusion No significant difference in RFS was observed among patients treated with TICE BCG or Connaught BCG in combination with IFN.
The Role of Selective Depletion of Alloreactive Donor T Cells in Graft-Versus-Host Disease after Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation.

Abstract One of the main goals in allogeneic bone marrow(BM) transplantation is the abrogation of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) with the preservation of antileukemia and antiviral activity. The Study present a selective T cell depletion strategy based on the physical separation of the alloreactive T cells, which were identified by expression of two activation-induced antigens (CD25 and CD69). T cells from C57BL/6(H-2b) mice were first activated with BALB/c (H-2d) recipient spleen cells in a 2-day mixed-lymphocyte-culture (MLC). Following this activation, this compound is selectively depleted based on expression of two activation-induced antigens CD25 and CD69 using magnetic cell sorting. The depleted cells or the untreated cells were then rechallenged respectively in a secondary MLC, with the same stimulator cells or a third-party (DBAH-2k) or tumor- specific (SP2/0, BALB/c-origin myeloma) cells. Cells proliferation were assayed at the indicated time points(1, 2, 3, 4, 5 days). These treated cells or control-cultured cells (2.0×106) mixed with 5.0×106 BM cells from C57BL/6 were transfused respectively by the trail vain into the lethally irradiated BALB/c to observe the survival time, GVHD incidence and pathological analysis. MLC assays demonstrated that this technique led to a significant decrease in alloreactivity of donor cells(29.02~64.17%), which at the same time preserved reactivity against third party cells(49.61~75.69%)and anti-tumor cells(61.14~68.62%). The mice in the group of control-coclutured were died of acute GVHD within 24days. The 7 recipient mice in the treated group were free of acute GVHD, and 3 mice were died of acute GVHD (aGVHD) within 23 days. MACS-based ex-vivo depletion of alloreactive donor T cells based on expression of two activation-induced antigens (CD25 and CD69) could inhibit anti-host responses, by contrast, anti-SP2/O and anti-third-party responses were preserved. Cotransplantation of these selected depleted cells and BM cells could reduce aGVHD.
PhD Forum: Human Activity Recognition in Smart Environments

Determining user activities and analyzing behavior is an important topic in many applications regarding with smart environments. Traditional discriminative models are not suitable for modeling the sequential nature of human activity. Considering this, Hidden Markov Models make an excellent candidate for modeling complex human activity and have already seen wide use as a sequence predictor in bioinformatics and audio recognition. Proper topological construction of Hidden Markov Models is a difficult task, however, and human activity often violates the Markov property. We discuss the aforementioned issues and propose the use of probabilistic context-free grammars as a more proper way of modeling complex human behavior.
Changes in microvascular density differentiate metabolic health outcomes in monkeys with prior radiation exposure and subsequent skeletal muscle ECM remodeling

Radiation exposure accelerates the onset of age-related diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and neoplasia and, thus, lends insight into in vivo mechanisms common to these disorders. ...
Late Age at Childbirth: Survival Advantage or Artifact?

An editorial is presented which addresses the relationship between late maternal age at childbirth and the likelihood of living to age 90, and it mentions predictors of longevity for women in America. The risk of childhood-related death for older pregnant women is examined, along with the U.S. Women's Health Initiative, leukocyte telomeres, and additional factors such as educational attainment and higher income among women.