cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Overexpression of activin A in stage IV colorectal cancer

Background and aims—Activins and inhibins are dimeric polypeptides that belong to the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-‚) superfamily and that bind to transmembrane receptors with serine/ threonine kinase activity. The aim of this study was to characterise, in colon cancer cell lines and in normal and malignant human colon tissues, levels of expression of inhibin subunits that are involved in activin/inhibin dimer formation, and of the type I and II activin receptors (actRI and actRII). Methods—Expression of inhibin subunits and activin receptors was analysed by northern blot analysis. Inhibin ‚A and activin receptor expression were also assessed by use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In addition, activin A/inhibin ‚A localisation in human colon samples was assessed by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridisation. Results—Inhibin ‚A mRNA was expressed in CaCo2 cells but not in SW 837 or SW 1463 cells whereas inhibin ‚B and inhibin AE were below the level of detection. In contrast, all four activin receptors were present in the three cell lines. Colon cancers overexpressed inhibin ‚A mRNA in comparison with normal colon,and this overexpression was greatest in stage IV tumours. ActRIb mRNA levels were slightly higher in the normal colon than in cancer tissues. By immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridisation, activin A and inhibin ‚A mRNA were present in the mucosal epithelial cells in normal tissues from patients with stage I disease but were either absent or weakly present in normal tissues from patients with stage IV disease. Conversely, they were present at weak to moderate levels in stage I cancers but at high levels in stage IV cancers. Conclusions—Our findings indicate that activin A is overexpressed in human colorectal tumours, especially in stage IV disease, raising the possibility that activin A may have a role in advanced colorectal cancer.Gut 2001;49:409‐417)
Fundamental Investigations into Performance of Carbon-Neutral Rice Husk Ash as Supplementary Cementitious Material

Although the benefits of rice husk ash (RHA) as a pozzolan have been known for a long time, its use in concrete has been limited. Past efforts to produce RHA have yielded ashes, some with high carbon content and others with some crystalline silica, neither of which is desirable for use of RHA as a pozzolan. Within the past decade, the production of off-white-colored RHA containing high levels of amorphous silica and very little carbon has become possible through innovations in incineration techniques. Results are presented from a study conducted to ascertain the properties of a low-carbon-content RHA and evaluate it as a supplementary cementing material. In addition, the as-obtained RHA was ground to a smaller particle size to study the effect of finer ash on properties of cementitious mixtures. Specific tests conducted include pozzolanic reactivity and microstructure of RHA and other properties of cementitious pastes and mortars. These include flow, initial and final setting time, compressive strength, flexural strength, and split tensile strength. In addition, other tests such as water absorption, effective porosity, and rapid chloride ion permeability were conducted to ascertain the improvements offered by RHA in enhancing durability of cementitious mixes. Comparative studies were conducted with silica fume mixes. Results from this study are very encouraging and suggest that RHA produced with a consistent quality (i.e., high amorphous silica content and low carbon content) can serve as an environmentally friendly and sustainable supplement for cementitious material needs in future; it can reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.
Circumstance descriptors: a method for generating plan modifications and fragmentary orders

Circumstance Descriptors are offered as a way to organize spatial and other military knowledge that may be difficult to formulate, particularly the kinds of details that are most often illustrated by example. The goal is better modeling of military command elements in simulations. These Circumstance Descriptors are applied to assimilate features, both terrain objects and units, into a frame based understanding of the Situation that organizes these into roles oriented around the decisionmaking unit's plan. A Circumstance represents a configuration of objects that may be present on the battlefield. If recognized, the effect is to splice new roles into the frame, extending it to cover the new features. A prototype has been built which demonstrates the use of these Circumstance Descriptors in both the context of planning and execution.
A Microfluidic Platform with Microacoustics and Dielectrophoresis for High Throughput Analyses of Spatiotemporal Signaling in Biological Cells

In this paper we describe our work that uses acoustics and dielectrophoresis to move particles/cells in microsystems. These particle manipulation technologies are used to create a high throughput system for spatiotemporal analyses of signaling within biological cells. The fabrication scheme and the focusing characteristics of the system are presented. The system allows the focusing characteristics to be tuned and optimized by changing the frequency of actuation for both the dielectrophoretic and piezoelectric electrodes. In addition to system characterization, we present initial data positioning rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells along the diffusion boundary of two different flow streams.
How adolescent girls interpret weight-loss advertising

While they demonstrate some ability to critically analyze the more obvious forms of deceptive weight-loss advertising, many girls do not recognize how advertising evokes emotional responses or how visual and narrative techniques are used to increase identification in weight-loss advertising. This study examined how girls aged 9‐17 years interpreted magazine advertising, television (TV) advertising and infomercials for weight-loss products in order to determine whether deceptive advertising techniques were recognized and to assess preexisting media-literacy skills. A total of 42 participants were interviewed in seven geographic regions of the United States. In groups of three, participants were shown seven print and TV advertisements (ads) for weight-loss products and asked to share their interpretations of each ad. Common factors in girls’ interpretation of weight-loss advertising included responding to texts emotionally by identifying with characters; comparing and contrasting persuasive messages with real-life experiences with family members; using prior knowledge about nutrition management and recognizing obvious deceptive claims like ‘rapid’ or ‘permanent’ weight loss. Girls were less able to demonstrate skills including recognizing persuasive construction strategies including message purpose, target audience and subtext and awareness of economic factors including financial motives, credibility enhancement and branding.
A real-time AGV-scheduling system that combines human decision-making with integer-programming algorithms

A description is given of the interaction of a human operator and an automated transportation system within a cell of an FMS. The interaction of a human operator with operations-research-based scheduling algorithms is the research focus. The human role in management of the cell transportation system consists of monitoring the status of parts requiring transportation and, when necessary, interacting with the automated scheduling system to affect the produced schedules in such a way that compensation is made for late parts. Specific operator interaction methods are proposed. Experiments to test the detailed supervisory control philosophy are then discussed. >
Changes in electrical transport and density of states of phase change materials upon resistance drift

Phase-change memory technology has become more mature in recent years. But some fundamental problems linked to the electrical transport properties in the amorphous phase of phase-change materials still need to be solved. The increase of resistance over time, called resistance drift, for example, poses a major challenge for the implementation of multilevel storage, which will eventually be necessary to remain competitive in terms of high storage densities. To link structural properties with electrical transport, a broader knowledge of (i) changes in the density of states (DoS) upon structural relaxation and (ii) the influence of defects on electrical transport is required. In this paper, we present temperaturedependent conductivity and photo-conductivity measurements on the archetype phase change material GeTe. It is shown that trap-limited band transport at high temperatures (above 165 K) and variable range hopping at low temperatures are the predominating transport mechanism. Based on measurements of the temperature dependence of the optical band gap, modulated photo-conductivity and photo-thermal deflection spectroscopy, a DoS model for GeTe was proposed. Using this DoS, the temperature dependence of conductivity and photo-conductivity has been simulated. Our work shows how changes in the DoS (band gap and defect distributions) will affect the electrical transport before and after
Localization of IP Links Faults Using Overlay Measurements

Accurate fault detection and localization is essential to the efficient and economical operation of ISP networks. In addition, it affects the performance of Internet applications such as VoIP, and online gaming. Fault detection algorithms typically depend on spatial correlation to produce a set of fault hypotheses, the size of which increases by the existence of lost and spurious symptoms, and the overlap among network paths. The network administrator is left with the task of accurately locating and verifying these fault scenarios, which is a tedious and time-consuming task. In this paper, we formulate the problem of finding a set of overlay paths that can debug the set of suspected faulty IP links. These overlay paths are chosen from the set of existing measurement paths, which will make overlay measurements meaningful and useful for fault debugging. We study the overlap among overlay paths using various real-life Internet topologies of the two major service carriers in the U.S. We found that with a reasonable number of concurrent failures, it is possible to identify the location of the IP links faults with 60% to 95% success rate. Finally, we identify some interesting research problems in this area.
An Inquiry into the Molecular Basis of HSV Latency and Reactivation

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) evolved an elegant strategy that enables the virus to impact a large fraction of the human population. The virus replicates at the portal of entry (mouth, genitals) and concurrently it is transported retrograde to sensory neurons. In sensory neurons it establishes a silent (latent) infection. A variety of stimuli can reactivate the virus. The reactivated virus is transmitted anterograde to a site at the portal of entry for transmission by physical contact between infected and uninfected tissues to other individuals. The central issue is how a virus that vigorously replicates and successfully blocks the innate immune defenses of the host at the portal of entry into the body remains silent in sensory neurons. The presentation focuses on three key issues: (a) current assessment of the impact of HSV on human health, (b) the mechanisms by which the virus overcomes a key host defense mechanism at the portal of entry into the body and yet is silenced in latently infected neurons, and (c) the mechanisms by which the virus reactivates.
Linear algebra approach to neural associative memories and noise performance of neural classifiers

The authors present an analytic evaluation of saturation and noise performance for a large class of associative memories based on matrix operations. The importance of using standard linear algebra techniques for evaluating noise performance of associative memories is emphasized. The authors present a detailed comparative analysis of the correlation matrix memory and the generalized inverse memory construction rules for auto-associative memory and neural classifiers. Analytic results for the noise performance of neural classifiers that can store several prototypes in one class are presented. The analysis indicates that for neural classifiers the simple correlation matrix memory provides better noise performance than the more complex generalized inverse memory. >
OH Radical-induced Crosslinks of Methionine Peptides

Reactions of radiation-generated OH radicals with methionine (Met) and its homopeptides, L-Met-L-Met and tri-L-Met, were investigated through reaction products. Samples of irradiated Met and HCl-hydrolysates of its irradiated homopeptides were trimethylsilylated and analysed by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Mass spectra taken revealed the formation of three products, 2-amino-4-(methyldithio)butanoic acid, 4,4'-thiobis(2-aminobutanoic acid) and homocystine. G values of these products were determined to be 0.10, 0.16 and 0.30, respectively.
Phagocytosis of Live Versus Heat-Killed Bacteria by Human Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes

Heat-killed Pseudomonas aeruginosa are phagocytized much more slowly by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes than are the live organisms. The post-phagocytic increase in hexose monophosphate shunt activity (HMS) parallels the ingestion of the bacteria. The addition of serum to the live organisms causes a marked increase in both ingestion and cellular HMS activity; serum actually causes an inhibition of both uptake and HMS activity when added to the heat-killed organisms. Differences in postphagocytic HMS activity between live and heat-killed organisms were observed with three different species of bacteria, indicating that the phenomenon is not restricted to P. aeruginosa. These data emphasize that the influence of the particle on the phagocytic process is considerable.
Resection of talocalcaneal coalition—the effect on subtalar joint movements

Abstract Surgical resection of symptomatic coalition between the talus and calcaneus is recommended by many surgeons. The success of this procedure in reducing symptoms has been well described in the literature, but the quantitative effect of resection surgery on hindfoot movements and biomechanics has not been documented. We prospectively studied the mechanical effect of resection of talocalcaneal coalitions in a population of 14 feet in 12 patients, over a 2-year period. The mean age of the patients was 13 years (range 12–14). Seven patients were male and five were female. A standard resection procedure was performed by the same surgeon in each case. Visual analogue pain scores and the range of hindfoot movement were recorded before and after surgery. The minimum follow-up period was 6 months (range 6–24). All patients reported an improvement in their visual analogue pain scores (median improvement 7 points; range 2–10). The resting valgus attitude of the calcaneus did not change significantly in any case. However, active and passive inversion at the hindfoot increased significantly ( P
The Epigenetic Effects of a High Prenatal Folate Intake in Male Mouse Fetuses Exposed In Utero to Arsenic

Inorganic arsenic (iAs) is a complete transplacental carcinogen in mice. Previous studies have demonstrated that in utero exposure to iAs promotes cancer in adult mouse offspring, possibly acting through epigenetic mechanisms. Humans and rodents enzymatically convert iAs to its methylated metabolites. This reaction requires S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) as methyl group donor. SAM is also required for DNA methylation. Supplementation with folate, a major dietary source of methyl groups for SAM synthesis, has been shown to modify iAs metabolism and the adverse effects of iAs exposure. However, effects of gestational folate supplementation on iAs metabolism and fetal DNA methylation have never been thoroughly examined. In the present study, pregnant CD1 mice were fed control (i.e. normal folate, or 2.2 mg/kg) or high folate diet (11 mg/kg) from gestational day (GD) 5 to 18 and drank water with 0 or 85 ppm of As (as arsenite) from GD8 to 18. The exposure to iAs significantly decreased body weight of GD18 fetuses and increased both SAM and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) concentrations in fetal livers. High folate intake lowered the burden of total arsenic in maternal livers but did not prevent the effects of iAs exposure on fetal weight or hepatic SAM and SAH concentrations. In fact, combined folate-iAs exposure caused further significant body weight reduction. Notably, iAs exposure alone had little effect on DNA methylation in fetal livers. In contrast, the combined folate-iAs exposure changed the CpG island methylation in 2,931 genes, including genes known to be imprinted. Most of these genes were associated with neurodevelopment, cancer, cell cycle, and signaling networks. The canonical Wnt-signaling pathway, which regulates fetal development, was among the most affected biological pathways. Taken together, our results suggest that a combined in utero exposure to iAs and a high folate intake may adversely influence DNA methylation profiles and weight of fetuses, compromising fetal development and possibly increasing the risk for early-onset of disease in offspring.
Stability of C60 fullerite intercalation compounds.

We construct a thermodynamic Born-Haber cycle to predict formation energies of donor- and acceptor-based C 60 fullerite intercalation compounds with different stoichiometries. Energies associated with the individual steps in the cycle contain important related information such as the lattice constant, bulk modulus, and phonon spectra of the compounds. Our results indicate that alkali and alkaline-earth intercalated fullerite compounds are most stable
Rett syndrome : clinical correlates of the newly discovered gene

The recent identification of mutations in the gene, MECP2, in girls with Rett syndrome (RS) firmly establishes the molecular genetic basis of this X-linked dominant disorder. This discovery, with ramifications far beyond establishing the gene for RS, represents a dramatic conclusion to an intensive, decade-long search. MECP2 encodes a methyl-CpG-binding protein (MeCP2) involved in transcriptional silencing of a yet to be defined number and type of genes. The clinical spectrum of resultant disorders extends well beyond RS. Indeed, the clinical phenotypes for MECP2 mutations range from mild disability in the mother of a girl with RS to rapidly progressive encephalopathy in her brother. Further, the recent identification of MECP2 mutations in boys with phenotypes quite different from RS adds yet another element to the mix. Within the classic RS group, clinical severity varies remarkably, depending at least in part on the degree of non-random X-inactivation. Those with clinical patterns in the border zones of RS remain to be examined fully for less severe mutational events. Further, the pathobiology of RS and the role of transcriptional silencing as a disease-producing mechanism could be a prototype for other disorders of neurodevelopment. Thus, the identification of mutations in MECP2 creates completely new vistas as to fundamental neurobiologic processes, to disease mechanisms in the neurodevelopmental disabilities, and to potential new therapeutic strategies for RS and related disorders.
Suicidal adolescents after hospitalization: parent and family impacts on treatment follow-through

OBJECTIVE: To help determine optimal strategies for treating suicidal adolescents, the authors studied family predictors of compliance with recommended psychotropic medication monitoring, individual therapy, and parent guidance/family therapy sessions. METHOD: Sixty-six hospitalized, suicidal adolescents participated in a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation and depression/suicidality assessment. Family/parental assessment measures were the Family Assessment Device, Social Adjustment Inventory for Children and Adolescents (parent-adolescent subscales), Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, and Social Adjustment Scale-Self Report. Follow-up evaluation, 6 months posthospitalization, consisted of structured telephone interviews assessing treatment follow-through. RESULTS: Compliance with recommended medication follow-up (66.7%) and individual therapy (50.8%) was better than compliance with parent guidance/family therapy (33.3%) sessions. The most dysfunctional families and those with the least involved/affectionate father-adolescent relationships had the poorest follow-through with parent guidance/family therapy. Mothers' depressive and paranoid symptoms were linked with less adolescent individual therapy and family therapy follow-through. Mothers' hostility was associated with less medication follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Follow-through was best for medication and individual therapy. Multiple family/parental predictors of poor follow-through suggest the need for alternative or supplemental treatment strategies. Language: en
Understanding the image functions for icon design.

Because icons vary from very representational to extremely abstract symbols in a user interface, an important issue faced by designers when designing an icon is how to select an appropriate design style for the image. There are no simple rules that can be followed by designers to determine the design style. The present study is intended to help designers to choose a proper design style for the icon at an early design stage. First, a classification of icons is summarized and the levels of stylization are discussed and demonstrated with examples. Then, thirty icons from several drawing packages and generally used symbols are selected, and a matching test is conducted to obtain the correct matching rates. The results are presented with some explanations for icon recognition and confusion, and finally how to select the right image function for icon design is discussed.
Radial fracture in a three-phase composite: Application to wellbore cement liners at early ages

Abstract Little understanding exists between the early-age stress developments in a wellbore cement sheath and its risk of impairment. During hydration, the cement morphology and pore-pressure changes induce eigenstresses in the solid and pore volumes. Utilizing these stresses as the driving mechanism of fracture, this paper formalizes the inspection of a radial crack in an elastic cement sheath constrained by an inner steel casing and an outer rock formation. The solution is constructed in the framework of analytic function theory and seeks the Green’s function for an edge dislocation in the intermediate cement phase. A dislocation pile-up along the line of fracture constructs a singular integral equation for the crack opening displacement derivative, from which the energy release rate is readily deduced. Under the uniform development of eigenstresses, the stiffness ratios of steel-to-cement and rock-to-cement generally predict the crack to initiate along the steel-cement interface. Here, the impacts of (i) a rigid bond and (ii) a sliding interface with no shear are assessed. This leads to the primary result of the paper: the potential for radial fracture is substantially mitigated by ensuring the shear connection between the steel casing and the cement sheath.
Music, technology and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: The effectiveness of the touch screen interface

ABSTRACTThe use of technology in music education is gaining momentum, although very little work has focused on students with disabilities. Our SoundScape programme addressed this gap through implementing a technology-based music programme for adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Programme participants met on a weekly basis for 9 weeks and engaged in a range of music-related activities mostly utilising touch screen technology and iPads. We were particularly interested in how those with ASD responded to the iPad interface and its impact on social interactions among participants. We also investigated whether participating in the programme reduced stress and anxiety among participants. Questionnaire data completed by programme participants at the beginning and end of the programme, as well as qualitative analysis of focus groups conducted with parents, provided evaluation of the efficacy of our programme model. Findings from the questionnaires indicated that more than half of the...
The Brazilian Female Judge

What consequences could the feminisation of the Judiciary have for our understanding of law and the operation of the legal system? Do female Brazilian judges conceptualise and resolve legal conflict by applying a logical process different from that traditionally used by their male counterparts? Or does the gender balance within the Judiciary have little influence over legal interpretation because other factors - such as social change within law faculties, legal professions and theJudiciary itself - all exert a greater impact than the gender variable. These questions were the main subject of an empirical enquiry which set out to analyse, by means of interviewing female judges from Rio de Janeiro, the extent of this phenomenon and its impact on decision-making processes of Brazilian Justice.
Using Enrollment Data to Predict Retention Rate

First- to second-year retention rates are one metric reported by colleges and universities to convey institutional success to a variety of external constituents. But how much of a retention rate is institutional inputs, and how much can be understood by examining student inputs? The authors utilize multi-year, multi-institutional data to examine differences in predicted and observed retention rates at a mid-size, selective, comprehensive public university in the Midwest.
Molecular Orientation in Stable Glasses of Indomethacin.

Spectroscopic ellipsometry has been used to measure the properties of indomethacin prepared by physical vapor deposition at Tsubstrate/Tg = 0.78, 0.84, and 0.90. The as-deposited glasses exhibited high kinetic stability and had densities 0.8–1.2% higher than the ordinary glass prepared by cooling the liquid at 1 K/min. Deposition at the higher temperatures yielded glasses with positive birefringence (up to Δn = 0.028), while the lowest-temperature sample was negatively birefringent (Δn = −0.015). These results indicate that substrate temperature can be used to manipulate molecular orientation in high-density and high-stability glasses. The data for the supercooled liquid and the ordinary glass of indomethacin are reasonably consistent with the Lorentz–Lorenz equation, but significant deviations are noted with the as-deposited materials.
Teaching Nurses Sight Unseen: Comparing the Cultural Competency of Online and On-Campus BSN Faculty

Purpose: This study supports best practices in nursing education and the need for cultural competency among faculty members. The purpose of this study was to examine the levels of cultural competency among on-campus Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) faculty compared with those of online BSN faculty. Design: The research used a quantitative, nonexperimental, descriptive, correlational design. The Cultural Diversity Questionnaire for Nurse Educators (CDQ-NE) was e-mailed to 500 BSN faculty at five research sites (N = 222). The instrument included Likert-type scale items organized into the components of cultural competence according to Campinha-Bacote. Results: The lowest levels of cultural competency were among the on-campus group (3.95). Faculty teaching both online and on-campus had the highest levels (4.0). Discussion/Conclusions: A significant finding indicated that training within the past 5 years in cultural competency reflected higher scores. Implications: These findings suggest that some cultural...
Effect of thyroidectomy on development of polyploid nuclei in rat liver.

SummaryThyroidectomy of weanling rats kept under normal dietary conditions results in initial prolonged retardation in production of polyploid nuclei in the liver, followed by gradual resumption of polyploid cell formation over long periods. The effect appears to be mediated, at least in part, through the pituitary, and polyploid shifts are greater than can be explained on the basis of absolute or relative liver weight, or liver growth rate. The liver cytology appears to be more sensitive to thyroid deficiency than the general growth of the animal, the time of greatest sensitivity for this study having been observed at 122 days of age.
The sudden vector projection model for reactivity: mode specificity and bond selectivity made simple.

ConspectusMode specificity is defined by the differences in reactivity due to excitations in various reactant modes, while bond selectivity refers to selective bond breaking in a reaction. These phenomena not only shed light on reaction dynamics but also open the door for laser control of reactions. The existence of mode specificity and bond selectivity in a reaction indicates that not all forms of energy are equivalent in promoting the reactivity, thus defying a statistical treatment. They also allow the enhancement of reactivity and control product branching ratio. As a result, they are of central importance in chemistry.This Account discusses recent advances in our understanding of these nonstatistical phenomena. In particular, the newly proposed sudden vector projection (SVP) model and its applications are reviewed. The SVP model is based on the premise that the collision in many direct reactions is much faster than intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution in the reactants. In such a sudden li...
Investigations on Fe Lattice Strain Relaxation in the Al/Fe/Al Trilayer

We have measured polarization-dependent Fe K-edge XAFS spectra from an epitaxially-grown Al/Fe/Al/ZnSe/GaAs(001) sample using synchrotron radiation. The Fourier-transformed XAFS spectra were fit up to four coordination shells simultaneously using theoretical spectra generated with FEFF 6. Our results reveal a small tetragonal distortion of the bcc α-Fe film lattice towards a contraction in the film growth direction (c=2.863 A and a=2.874 A; bulk a=2.867 A). The anomalous tetragonal distortion is consistent with a model involving substantial interdifussion of Fe and Al, leading to Fe 1−x Al x alloy formation localized in the interface regions.
Atomistic-Scale Analysis of Carbon Coating and Its Effect on the Oxidation of Aluminum Nanoparticles by ReaxFF-Molecular Dynamics Simulations

We developed a ReaxFF reactive force field for Al/C interactions to investigate carbon coating and its effect on the oxidation of aluminum nanoparticles (ANPs). The ReaxFF parameters were optimized against quantum mechanics-based (QM-based) training sets and validated with additional QM data and data from experimental literature. ReaxFF-molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to determine whether this force field description was suitable to model the surface deposition and oxidation on complex materials (i.e., carbon-coated ANPs). Our results show that the ReaxFF description correctly reproduced the Al/C interaction energies obtained from the QM calculations and qualitatively captured the processes of the hydrocarbons’ binding and their subsequent reactions on the bare ANPs. The results of the MD simulations indicate that a carbon coating layer was formed on the surface of the bare ANPs, while H atoms were transferred from the hydrocarbons to the available Al binding sites typically without bre...
Optimize and Explore on Curriculum of Programming Design in the major of Computer for Independent Institute

For the current situation and issues of programming design's course teaching in the major of Computer in independentinstitute, we had analyzed the employer's requirement of software development ability, optimized the curriculum by optimizingteaching content, merging similar courses, extracting all-purpose contents of algorithm design, reforming examination method andstrengthening the practice course, and finally discussed the implementation methods in detail.
The mitochondrial genome of the ethanol-metabolizing, wine cellar mold Zasmidium cellare is the smallest for a filamentous ascomycete.

Fungi in the class Dothideomycetes often live in extreme environments or have unusual physiology. One of these, the wine cellar mold Zasmidium cellare, produces thick curtains of mycelia in cellars with high humidity, and its ability to metabolize volatile organic compounds is thought to improve air quality. Whether these abilities have affected its mitochondrial genome is not known. To fill this gap, the circular-mapping mitochondrial genome of Z. cellare was sequenced and, at only 23 743 bp, is the smallest reported for a filamentous fungus. Genes were encoded on both strands with a single change of direction, different from most other fungi but consistent with the Dothideomycetes. Other than its small size, the only unusual feature of the Z. cellare mitochondrial genome was two copies of a 110-bp sequence that were duplicated, inverted and separated by approximately 1 kb. This inverted-repeat sequence confused the assembly program but appears to have no functional significance. The small size of the Z. cellare mitochondrial genome was due to slightly smaller genes, lack of introns and non-essential genes, reduced intergenic spacers and very few ORFs relative to other fungi rather than a loss of essential genes. Whether this reduction facilitates its unusual biology remains unknown.
The diuretic action of an azido pyrimidine in man

SC-16l02, an azido pyrimidine, is a potent diuretic in rats but not dogs. In 6 inpatients maintained on a constant diet, 100 mg. of SC-16l02 orally, showed a maximum diuretic effect in the first 2 hours. Minor increases in bicarbonate excretion and uric acid clearance were noted. Blood pressure and creatinine clearance were unchanged. In 8 hours there was significant weight loss. Although no toxic effects were noted, all subjects developed a mild, temporary polymorphonuclear leukocytosis. SC-16l02 produces a pattern of diuresis similar to that of hydrochlorothiazide. lts predominant site of action is probably the proximal tubule, and it does not appear to inhibit mic acid excretion.
Functional Segregation within the Muscles of Aquatic Propulsion in the Asiatic Water Monitor (Varanus salvator)

Water monitor lizards (Varanus salvator) swim using sinusoidal oscillations generated at the base of their long (50% of total body length) tail. In an effort to determine which level of the structural/organizational hierarchy of muscle is associated with functional segregation between the muscles of the tail base, an array of muscle features — myosin heavy chain profiles, enzymatic fiber types, twitch and tetanic force production, rates of fatigue, muscle compliance, and electrical activity patterns — were quantitated. The two examined axial muscles, longissimus and iliocaudalis, were generally similar at the molecular, biochemical, and physiological levels, but differed at the biomechanics level and in their activation pattern. The appendicular muscle examined, caudofemoralis, differed from the axial muscles particularly at the molecular and physiological levels, and it exhibited a unique compliance profile and pattern of electrical activation. There were some apparent contradictions between the different structural/organizational levels examined. These contradictions, coupled with a unique myosin heavy chain profile, lead to the hypothesis that there are previously un-described molecular/biochemical specializations within varanid skeletal muscles.
Multiyear fate of a 15 N tracer in a mixed deciduous forest: retention, redistribution, and differences by mycorrhizal association.

The impact of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on forest ecosystems depends in large part on its fate. Past tracer studies show that litter and soils dominate the short-term fate of added 15N, yet few have examined its longer-term dynamics or differences among forest types. This study examined the fate of a 15N-NO3- tracer over 5-6 years in a mixed deciduous stand that was evenly composed of trees with ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal associations. The tracer was expected to slowly mineralize from its main initial fate in litter and surface soil, with some 15N moving to trees, some to deeper soil, and some net losses. Recovery of added 15N in trees and litterfall totaled 11.3% both 1 and 5-6 years after the tracer addition, as 15N redistributed from fine and especially coarse roots into cumulative litterfall and small accumulations in woody tissues. Estimates of potential carbon sequestration from tree 15N recovery amounted to 12-14 kg C per kg of N deposition. Tree 15N acquisition occurred within the first year after the tracer addition, with no subsequent additional net transfer of 15N from detrital to plant pools. In both years, ectomycorrhizal trees gained 50% more of the tracer than did trees with arbuscular mycorrhizae. Much of the 15N recovered in wood occurred in tree rings formed prior to the 15N addition, demonstrating the mobility of N in wood. Tracer recovery rapidly decreased over time in surface litter material and accumulated in both shallow and deep soil, perhaps through mixing by earthworms. Overall, results showed redistribution of tracer 15N through trees and surface soils without any losses, as whole-ecosystem recovery remained constant between 1 and 5-6 years at 70% of the 15N addition. These results demonstrate the persistent ecosystem retention of N deposition even as it redistributes, without additional plant uptake over this timescale. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Branch-and-Bound Algorithms for Assortment Optimization Under Weakly Rational Choice

We study the static assortment optimization problem under weakly rational choice models, i.e. models in which adding a product to an assortment does not increase the probability of purchasing a product already in that assortment. This setting applies to most choice models studied and used in practice, such as the multinomial logit and random parameters logit models. We give a mixed-integer linear optimization formulation with an exponential number of constraints, and present two branch-and-bound algorithms for solving this optimization problem. The formulation and algorithms require only black-box access to purchase probabilities, and thus provide exact solution methods for a general class of discrete choice models, in particular those models without closed-form choice probabilities. We show that one of our algorithms is a PTAS for assortment optimization under weakly rational choice when the no-purchase probability is small, and give an approximation guarantee for the other algorithm which depends only on the prices of the products. Finally, we test the performance of our algorithms with heuristic stopping criteria, motivated by the fact that they discover the optimal solution very quickly.
Electron spin coherence of silicon vacancies in proton-irradiated 4 H -SiC

We report ${T}_{2}$ spin coherence times for electronic states localized in Si vacancies in $4H\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{SiC}$. Our spin coherence study included two SiC samples that were irradiated with 2 MeV protons at different fluences (${10}^{13}$ and ${10}^{14}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{c}{\mathrm{m}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$) in order to create samples with unique defect concentrations. Using optically detected magnetic resonance and spin echo, the coherence times for each sample were measured across a range of temperatures from 8 to 295 K. All echo experiments were done at a magnetic field strength of 0.371 T and a microwave frequency of 10.49 GHz. The longest coherence times were obtained at 8 K, being $270\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}61\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s}$ for the ${10}^{13}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{c}{\mathrm{m}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ proton-irradiated sample and $104\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}17\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s}$ for the ${10}^{14}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{c}{\mathrm{m}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ sample. The coherence times for both samples displayed unusual temperature dependencies; in particular, they decreased with temperature until 60 K, then increased until 160 K, then decreased again. This increase between 60 and 160 K is tentatively attributed to a motional Jahn-Teller effect. The consistently longer lifetimes for the ${10}^{13}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{c}{\mathrm{m}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ sample suggest that a significant source of the spin dephasing can be attributed to dipole-dipole interactions between Si vacancies or with other defects produced by the proton irradiation. The lack of a simple exponential decay for our ${10}^{14}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{c}{\mathrm{m}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ sample indicates an inhomogeneous distribution of defect spins.
Development and Applications of the Capacity Function that also Measures Accuracy

Abstract The measure traditionally used in Systems Factorial Technology to assess efficiency as a function of cognitive workload is known as capacity. This reaction-time measure was introduced by Townsend and colleagues in the 1990s and drew upon the mathematical principles of the “race model inequality.” The importance of capacity in the perceptual sciences is multifaceted: people are bombarded with multiple sources of information within and across modalities as they navigate their environment. Identifying objects, sounds, and other percepts therefore requires the efficient combination of these sensory cues. Recognizing a face or spoken word, for example, requires observers to quickly integrate information across multiple channels, and just as important, accurately identify the source of the percept. As such, the original reaction-time measure of capacity merely offers partial and incomplete information since it relies only on RTs from correct responses. To remedy this shortcoming, Townsend and Altieri (2012) developed a nonparametric statistic that takes into account contributions of reaction-times and accuracy during recognition. This chapter provides the reader with a tutorial introduction to the measure for two decision rules—namely the OR and AND rules—while discussing applications from experiments requiring the identification of audiovisual speech signals.
Modeling nutrient removal using watershed-scale implementation of the two-stage ditch

Abstract Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) is the most intensively farmed region of the Great Lakes. Because of the flat topography and poorly-drained soils many farmers rely on drainage management practices (e.g., subsurface tile drainage, ditch channelization) to maintain productive agriculture. However, these practices also facilitate the delivery of excess nutrients and sediments to Lake Erie, which have been linked to recurring harmful algal blooms (HABs) and associated environmental degradation. Implementation of inset floodplains in formerly channelized waterways via the two-stage ditch can improve water quality but the efficacy has been tested using only implementation in short reaches. Watershed models are critical tools for assessing watershed-scale implementation and as such can guide effective management. We evaluated the effectiveness of the two-stage ditch in improving water quality in the River Raisin Watershed (RRW), a major subbasin in the WLEB, combining empirical measurements for nutrient reductions from two-stage ditches across the Midwest with output from a Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. We modeled two-stage implementation in 25, 50, and 100% of headwater reaches in the RRW, and found that the practice could reduce total annual NO3−-N export by 2, 5 and 10%, respectively. The two-stage was even more effective at reducing total phosphorus (TP) export, which was reduced by 12, 20 and 31%, respectively. Compared to other conservation practices, nutrient reduction efficiency for the two-stage ditch was good, both in terms of percent load reduction and cost, but watershed-scale adoption will be required in order to achieve significant nutrient reductions as called for by policymakers.
Attribution of Economic Denial of Sustainability Attacks in Public Clouds

The cloud pricing model leaves cloud consumers vulnerable to Economic Denial of Sustainability (EDoS) attacks. In this type of attacks, an adversary first identifies web resources with high levels of cloud resource consumption, and then uses a botnet of compromised hosts to make fraudulent requests to these costly web resources. The attacker’s goal is to disrupt the economical sustainability of the victim by inflicting cost through fraudulent consumption of billable cloud resources.
Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic analysis of benzoic acid in rats, guinea pigs and humans: Implications for dietary exposures and interspecies uncertainty

Abstract Benzoic acid (BA) is a common preservative used in food and beverage products. In this study, we systematically reviewed the available pharmacokinetic data for BA within a variety of animal models to design multiple species-specific physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models. We focused specifically on rat, guinea pig, and human metabolic and dosimetric variations. Rate constants for the hepatic metabolism of BA to hippuric acid (HA) were predicted using elimination curves in conjunction with available liver perfusion data and appropriately optimized compartmental models. Following optimization simulations, the PBPK models were quantitatively validated by previously observed time-course datasets of BA and HA plasma concentrations after administration of different amounts of benzoate salts and/or BA, demonstrating the predictive strength and robustness of our computational approach. After validation of the computational models, we assessed resulting internal exposures that corresponded to repeated dosing schemes within each species (1, 5, 10, 50, 100 mg/kg(bw)/day). Simulated continuous daily exposure to BA at a dose of 5 mg/kg(bw)/day allowed for steady-state plasma concentrations of 0.1288 mg/L and 0.0426 mg/L in rats and humans, respectively. The individual steady-state values reached after different dosing schemes give rise to a human:rat steady-state-based margin of exposure (MOE) ratio range of 0.33–0.44 and a human:rat AUC-based MOE ratio range of 0.33–0.37 for pharmacokinetic extrapolation with respect to the dietary exposure schemes assessed. These data provide implications for reducing the pharmacokinetic component of the interspecies uncertainty factor associated with the current acceptable daily intake for assessing dietary exposures to benzoates.
Non-Work Related Movements in Machine Paced and in Self-Paced Work*:

In studying the non-work related movements (NRM) on 10 experienced industrial workers performing similar light repetitive work, the following is concluded:1)on the average there is 54% more NRM in ...
Demand Management and Inventory Control for Substitutable Products

This paper studies dynamic inventory and pricing decisions for a set of substitutable products over a flnite planning horizon. We present a general stochastic, price-dependent demand model that unifles many commonly used demand models in the literature. Unsatisfled demands are backlogged. There are linear purchasing, inventory-holding, and backordering costs. The objective is to maximize the total expected discounted proflt. The original formulation is not jointly concave in the decision variables and is therefore intractable. One key observation here is that the problem becomes jointly concave if we work with the inverse of the price vector { the market share vector. We characterize the optimal policy and develop algorithms to compute it. We establish conditions under which the optimal policy demonstrates certain monotonicity property, which, in turn, can greatly enhance computation. We also analyze the myopic policy and its optimality, and present a numerical study to illustrate the interplay of the pricing and inventory decisions.