cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Particle‐based transport model with Markovian velocity processes for tracer dispersion in highly heterogeneous porous media

[1] Monte Carlo (MC) studies of flow in heterogeneous porous formations, in which the log-conductivity field is multi-Gaussian, have shown that as the log-conductivity variance σ 2 Y increases beyond about 0.5, the one-point velocity probability density functions (PDFs) deviate significantly from Gaussian behavior. The velocity statistics become more complex due to the formation of preferential flow paths, or channels, as σ 2 Y increases. Methods that employ low-order approximations (e.g., truncated perturbation expansions) are limited to small σ 2 Y and are unable to represent the complex velocity statistics associated with σ 2 Y > 1. Here a stochastic transport model for highly heterogeneous domains (i.e., σ 2 Y > 1) is proposed. In the model, the Lagrangian velocity components of tracer particles are represented using continuous Markovian stochastic processes in time. The Markovian velocity process (MVP) model is described using a set of first-order ordinary and stochastic differential equations, which are easy to solve using a particle-based method. Once the MVP model is calibrated based on velocity statistics from MC simulations of the flow (hydraulic head and velocity), the MVP-based model can be used to describe the evolution of the tracer concentration field accurately and efficiently. Specifically, the MVP model is validated using MC simulations of longitudinal and transverse tracer spreading due to a point-like injection in the domain. We demonstrate that for σ 2 Y > 1, the ensemble-averaged tracer cloud remains markedly non-Gaussian for relatively large travel distances from the point source. The MVP transport model captures this behavior and reproduces the velocity statistics quite accurately.
Is lung maturation related to fetal growth in diabetic or hypertensive pregnancies

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine whether infants sufficiently affected by maternal diabetes or hypertension to exhibit abnormal growth (macrosomia, growth retardation) would also display significant alteration in timing of pulmonary maturity (delay or acceleration, respectively). We studied 874 consecutive women with fetal pulmonary maturity testing prior to delivery. Patients were stratified by birth weight into fetal size categories (small for gestational age [SGA], appropriate for gestational age [AGA], large for gestational age [LGA]). Cases were compared based on maternal disease, fetal size categories and pulmonary maturity testing results. Pulmonary maturity rates based on both phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio (L/S) did not differ between term LGA infants of diabetic mothers (97%) and term LGA (80%) or AGA (97%) infants of non-diabetic, non-hypertensive mothers. When compared based on PG alone, there was no difference between the rate of positive PG in term AGA infants of non-hypertensive, non-diabetic mothers (75%) and that seen in the other pregnancy groups (33–80%). Breakdown by gestational age revealed no significant differences in maturity rates between the study groups. Macrosomic diabetic infants and growth-retarded hypertensive infants are no different from controls in their timing of fetal pulmonary maturation.
Unhealthy herds: indirect effects of predators enhance two drivers of disease spread

Summary 1. Predators could reduce disease prevalence in prey populations by culling infected hosts and reducing host density. However, recently observed positive correlations between predator density and disease burdens in prey ⁄ hosts suggest that predators do not always ‘keep the herds healthy’. Several possible mechanisms could explain this ‘unhealthy herds’ effect, including a predator-induced change in prey ⁄ host traits which enhances susceptibility or alters other epidemiologically important traits. 2. Here, we use an invertebrate predator, zooplankton host, yeast parasite system to demonstrate such trait-mediated indirect effects. We exposed ten genotypes of the prey ⁄ host Daphnia dentifera to infochemicals (‘kairomones’) produced by the invertebrate predator Chaoborus and to a yeast parasite. 3. We found that kairomone exposure induced larger and more susceptible D. dentifera. Clones that showed substantial increases in body length also yielded more spores upon death. However, exposure to kairomones did not alter reproduction from uninfected hosts. All of these results were captured with a dynamic energy budget model of parasitism. 4. Overall, our empirical and theoretical results show that predators can have strong indirect effects on host–parasite interactions that could produce positive correlations between predation intensity and disease burden.
You want me to analyze data I don't have? Are you insane?

Eighteen years ago, Professor Xinming Tu (one of the journal's biostatistical editors) and I were coauthors of a paper[1] that involved missing data in chemometrics. One of the reviewer's comments included the following: The statement, ‘The naive approach of ignoring the missing data and using only the observed portion could provide very misleading conclusions’ is nonsense to me (and I think the authors should also recognize it as nonsense in the real world). Similarly, what does it mean, ‘When analyzing such missing data, ...’; if the data are missing, you can't analyze them. If you find nothing nonsensical in this reviewer's comments, then the current article is worth a few minutes of your time. Statistical analysis has the same inductive nature as detective work: inferring unknowns from whatever one knows and observes, including the evidence that something is missing. Few qualified detectives would ignore suspicious absences in drawing their overall conclusions. Similarly, understanding the complications and consequences of having missing data is essential to reaching statistically meaningful and scientifically defensible conclusions.
A Case of Adult Granulosa Cell Tumor of the Testis

BACKGROUND: Adult granulosa cell tumors of the testis (AGCTT) are classified as sex cord-stromal tumors. Only 31 cases have been reported. Typical presentation includes a slowly enlarging, painless testicular mass. Associated findings are gynecomastia, decreased libido, and erectile dysfunction. Immunohistochemistry can be used to confirm the diagnosis. CASE REPORT: A 22-year-old male presented with complaint of mild pain in both testicles. A testicular ultrasound revealed a 4.0×3.8×4.6 mm hypoechoic lesion within the left testicle. Serum tumor markers (STM) included lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) measuring 146 IU/L (98-192), serum alpha-1-fetoprotein (AFP), 2.89 ng/mL (0-9), and plasma beta human chorionic gonadotropin (Beta HCG) measuring less than 0.50 mIU/mL (<0.50-2.67). Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen and pelvis with oral and intravenous contrast was normal. A radical orchiectomy was recommended but the patient refused. He agreed to surveillance with imaging and serum tumor markers (STM). The patient's testicular ultrasound showed the mass to be stable in size and STMs remained negative. The patient agreed to an orchiectomy 9 months after his diagnosis. This case is the first reported with c-kit-positive immunohistochemistry. His post-operative course has been unremarkable. CONCLUSIONS: AGCTT is a rare tumor and information regarding its presentation, gross and microscopic morphology, and immunohistochemical characteristics is lacking. This report provides an update of the immunohistochemical findings and adds to the available data concerning this tumor. Based on the results of this case, future reports that include c-kit immunohistochemistry would be beneficial to evaluate its utility in diagnosing AGCTT.
Rose-Colored Glasses: Examining the Social Information-Processing of Prosocial Young Adolescents

The social information-processing (SIP) model has generated significant knowledge concerning the social cognitions of rejected and aggressive children. However, the model rarely has been applied to the cognitions and behavior of prosocial children or adolescents. This study examined SIP patterns of prosocial young adolescents (10 through 12 years of age). Hypothetical situation instruments were used to assess the intent attributions, feelings of distress, and response-ecision processes (for relational and instrumental provocation situations) of fourth- through sixth-grade young adoles-cents (N = 675). Results revealed that, in contrast to their comparison group peers, pro-social young adolescents (a) were less likely to attribute hostile intent or feel distressed in provocation situations (i.e., a benign attributional bias), (b) gave relatively more negative evaluations of aggressive responses and relatively more positive evaluations of prosocial responses to provocation, and (c) were more likely to endor...
Can Dance Exergames Boost Physical Activity as a School-Based Intervention?

Abstract Background: Children need opportunities to have physical activity (PA). Using exergames could be a feasible and acceptable way to boost PA in middle schools. Our goal was to increase PA by 40 minutes per week and to determine how much time, if any, was spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). Subjects and Methods: Eighty-four middle school youth were in a pilot study for 20 weeks: half in the Generation Fit (GenFit) intervention group and half in the control group. The GenFit group played the exergame for the first 10 weeks (Session 1), and the control group joined from 10 to 20 weeks (Session 2). The main outcome was exergaming time per student per week. Results: Fifty-eight students completed the pilot after 26 youth at School C were excluded for administrative reasons. Of those remaining, 40 students at School A and 18 students at School B, the average age of the sample was 13.7 years (SD=0.6), and average body mass index percentile was close to 70. During Session 1, the average dance time per...
Intermediates in the Synthesis of Type 2 Adenovirus Deoxyribonucleic Acid

Intermediates in the synthesis of adenovirus type 2 deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) were studied in HeLa cells. Pieces of DNA smaller than the viral genome were demonstrated after labeling with (3)H-thymidine for 10 to 240 sec. Intermediates as small as the Okazaki fragments (8 to 10S) do not predominate at any of the above times. No detectable addition of nucleotides to parental genome could be shown, nor was there any breakdown of recently synthesized viral DNA. The DNA intermediates were of viral origin for they hybridized to viral DNA and were made at a stage of the cell cycle (G(2)) when host DNA is not synthesized.
Turtle Decline in the Early Oligocene of Western Nebraska

Abstract Turtles are the most common vertebrates in the upper Eocene and lower Oligocene rocks of Nebraska. In this work we characterize a striking decline in overall turtle abundance in the early Oligocene at two Nebraska localities: Toadstool Park and Scotts Bluff National Monument. In both locations, this decline occurs at a prominent change in rock composition, the contact between the Orella and Whitney members of the Brule Formation. The two study sites are 140 km apart, suggesting that this decline in turtle fossils was a regional event. Although the reasons for the abundance changes are not entirely clear, we present preservation biases or regional cooling and drying as competing hypotheses.
Autonomy, Relatedness, and Male Adolescent Delinquency: Toward a Multidimensional View of Social Competence

This study explored adolescents'developmental strivings for autonomy and relatedness as motivations in socialproblem-solving competence, and the relevance of those strivings to explaining variation...
A Telemetry-based Study of Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) Nest-activity Patterns, Food-provisioning Rates and Foraging Energetics

To better understand how birds balance the demands of reproduction and food-provisioning, Snowy Egrets (Egretta thula) were studied from May-July 2009 and 2010 in a mixed-species colony in Wichita, Kansas. Observations included 68 h of scan samples at 34 nests which yielded >11,000 instantaneous records; the durations of 57 food-provisioning trips made by eight radio-tagged birds; 73 records of foraging locations, and 27 h of foraging activity and aggressive intraspecific interactions. Adult activities at the nest included sitting (41% of the time), standing (18%), preening (10%), nest maintenance (7%) and feeding chicks ( 18 km from the colony), birds that used sites near the colony (<3 km) had higher capture efficiencies but caught smaller prey, had much higher rates of aggression, and lower rates of energy intake.
On-chip Peltier cooling using current pulse

Thermoelectric coolers (TECs) can address an efficient removal of localized heat for a wide range of applications such as microelectronic processors, DNA micro arrays, lasers. The efficient usage of thermoelectric devices for these applications require investigation and remedy of various obstacles such as integration of these devices with electronic package, parasitic contact resistances and utilization of appropriate current pulses and control algorithms. We investigate the effect of steady state and transient mode of operation of ultrathin TEC devices on hot spot temperature reduction on a chip through a developed computational model. The numerical model incorporates the effect of thermal and electrical contact resistances to analyze the hot spot cooling. Our analysis shows that transient pulses can be very effective to reduce the hotspot temperature in addition to the cooling achieved by the steady state current through the device. Thermal and electrical contact resistance play a very crucial role in the performance of TEC devices as high values of these resistances can completely diminish the effect of Peltier cooling. The effect of these parasitic resistances is even higher for the transient cooling of hot-spots by the pulsed current through the device compared to the steady state operation.
Development of attitudes in respect to discrimination. 1. The formation of social attitudes.

A major study of social stratification is Allison Davis and John Dollard's children of bondage. It was designed to explain the personality development of Negro youth in New Orleans, using “social class” and “color caste” as basic concepts. This paper holds that individuals are primarily identified with more limited social segments—“social worlds.” The most significant “social worlds” in New Orleans Negro society are the middle class, matriarchy, gang, nuclear family and marginality.
Using the Alzheimer's Association web site to improve knowledge of Alzheimer's disease in health care providers.

Background:The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether an informative Web site is effective at producing higher scores for an individual’s knowledge of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) rela...
Prototypes in pervasive computing

In product design, prototypes - approximations of a product along some dimensions - are the essential medium for information, interaction, integration, and collaboration. Information appliances such as mobile phones, digital cameras, and music players are a growing area of ubiquitous computing. Designers currently create two separate sets of prototypes: "looks-like" prototypes that show only the device's form (the atoms) and "works-like" prototypes that use a computer display to demonstrate the interaction (the bits). Because of the required skill and time investment, designers don't build comprehensive prototypes that join form and function until late in development.
Achieving creativity and innovation through IEEE Pre-University divisions

At last year's IEEE Sections Congress, a recommendation was made to encourage and support the participation of high school students in engineering-based activities. The authors discuss their experience founding a new club at Montgomery High School, in Skillman, New Jersey. There was considerable enthusiasm for the club, which currently has twenty-five members. Students meet once a week to work on open-ended problems, developing their interest in engineering and intellectual pursuits in general.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Patients at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Abstract Objective: To examine the prevalence and modalities of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in children with cancer and sickle cell disease; the reasons for use of CAM; and the use of CAM before, during, and after treatment in children with cancer. Methods: This single-center, observational study administered caregivers a written questionnaire regarding the use of CAM therapies. Results: A total of 101 caregivers completed questionnaires. Including prayer, total CAM use in oncology and sickle cell disease was 64% and 63%, respectively. Non-prayer CAM use was 30% in oncology and 23% in sickle cell disease. Of respondents who reported using any CAM, the three most commonly used types were prayer (62.3% oncology; 60.0% sickle cell disease), vitamins/minerals (14.8% oncology; 10.0% sickle cell disease), and massage (9.8% oncology; 7.5% sickle cell disease). The primary reasons for using CAM were to provide hope, to improve quality of life, and to lessen adverse effects. In oncology patien...
Comparing the Transition Planning, Postsecondary Education, and Employment Outcomes of Students With Intellectual and Other Disabilities

This article describes a secondary analysis of variables from the National Longitudinal Transition Survey 2 (NLTS-2) database. Specifically, students with intellectual disability (ID) were compared to students with other disabilities regarding post-school transition goals listed on their IEPs/Transition Plans, contacts/referrals made to outside agencies during transition planning, participation of other agencies/organizations in transition planning (e.g., vocational rehabilitation and higher education representatives), and students’ postsecondary education and employment outcomes. Students with ID were less likely to have postsecondary education or competitive employment goals and outcomes and more likely to have sheltered and supported employment goals and outcomes compared to students with other disabilities. Contacts with and participation of external professionals in IEP/Transition Plan meetings also differed between the two groups of students.
Cassava Response to Water Deficit in Deep Pots: Root and Shoot Growth, ABA, and Carbohydrate Reserves in Stems, Leaves and Storage Roots

Cassava (Manihot esculenta, Crantz) is an important staple crop for tropical climates worldwide, including drought-prone environments where it is valued for its reliable yield. The extent to which stress tolerance involves regulation of growth and carbon balance aided by remobilization of carbohydrate from various plant parts was investigated. Plants were grown in 1-meter high pots to permit observation of deep rooting while they were subjected to four soil water regimes over a 30-d period. Transpiration declined abruptly in conjunction with leaf ABA accumulation and severe leaf abscission. In water stressed plants, growth of all plant parts decreased substantially; however, a basal rate of leaf growth continued to provide some new leaves, and although growth of fibrous lateral roots was reduced, main root elongation to deeper regions was only modestly decreased by stress. In leaf blades and petioles, sugars were the predominant form of nonstructural carbohydrate and about one third was in starch; these reserves were depleted rapidly during stress. In contrast, stems and storage roots maintained relatively high starch concentrations and contents per organ until final harvest. Stems gradually lost starch and had sufficient reserves to serve as a prolonged source of remobilized carbohydrate during stress. The amount of starch stored in stems represented about 35 % of the reserve carbohydrate in the plant at the onset of water stress (T0), and 6 % of total plant dry mass. We suggest that this pool of carbohydrate reserves is important in sustaining meristems, growing organs, and respiring organs during a prolonged stress and providing reserves for regrowth upon resumed rainfall.
A Theory of Tacit Collusion

A theory of tacit collusion is developed based on coordination through price leadership and less than full mutual understanding of strategies. It is common knowledge that price increases are to be at least matched but who should lead and at what price is not common knowledge. The steady-state price is characterized and it falls short of the best collusive equilibrium price. Coordination through tacit means, rather than express communication, is then shown to constrain the extent of the price rise from collusion.
Parallel symbolic execution for structural test generation

Symbolic execution is a popular technique for automatically generating test cases achieving high structural coverage. Symbolic execution suffers from scalability issues since the number of symbolic paths that need to be explored is very large (or even infinite) for most realistic programs. To address this problem, we propose a technique, Simple Static Partitioning, for parallelizing symbolic execution. The technique uses a set of pre-conditions to partition the symbolic execution tree, allowing us to effectively distribute symbolic execution and decrease the time needed to explore the symbolic execution tree. The proposed technique requires little communication between parallel instances and is designed to work with a variety of architectures, ranging from fast multi-core machines to cloud or grid computing environments. We implement our technique in the Java PathFinder verification tool-set and evaluate it on six case studies with respect to the performance improvement when exploring a finite symbolic execution tree and performing automatic test generation.We demonstrate speedup in both the analysis time over finite symbolic execution trees and in the time required to generate tests relative to sequential execution, with a maximum analysis time speedup of 90x observed using 128 workers and a maximum test generation speedup of 70x observed using 64 workers.
Dominant Cloud Microphysical Processes in a Tropical Oceanic Convective System: A 2D Cloud Resolving Modeling Study

Abstract Dominant cloud microphysical processes associated with a tropical oceanic convective system are investigated based on a 2D cloud resolving simulation. The model is forced by the zonal-mean vertical velocity, zonal wind, sea surface temperature, and horizontal temperature and moisture advections measured and derived from the TOGA COARE period. The analysis of cloud microphysics budgets shows that cloud water forms due to vapor condensation, but most of the conversion of cloud water to precipitation occurs primarily through two mechanisms, depending on the temperature when they occur: through riming of cloud water onto precipitation ice (snow or graupel) at colder than 0°C and collection of cloud water by rain at warmer temperatures. Processes involving the liquid phase are dominant during the early stages of convection development. The collection process produces rain, and the riming process enhances ice clouds. Ice processes are more dominant during the later stages. The melting of precipitation ...
The Long-Run Elasticity of New Housing Supply in the U.S.: Empirical Evidence for 1950-1994

The long-run price elasticity for alternative specifications of new housing supply is estimated using U.S. annual data for 1950 through 1994. The basic model expresses residential construction as a linear function of new housing price and the prices of construction inputs. Long-run elasticities range from 1.6 to 3.7, suggesting that new housing supply is price elastic. Residential construction responds to both the real interest and expected inflation rates, but other construction cost variables perform poorly. However, the results are sensitive to the time-series processes underlying the variables. A modified model that expresses residential construction as a function of changes in input prices, rather than their levels, produces a long- run elasticity of about 0.8 and a significant inverse relationship between new housing supply and the construction wage rate.
Evolving practice pattern changes and outcomes in the era of hybrid aortic arch repair.

Objective The role of hybrid repair in the management of aortic arch pathology, and long-term outcomes with these techniques, remains uncertain. We report a decade of experience with hybrid arch repair (HAR) and assess institutional practice patterns with regard to the use of hybrid and open techniques. Methods Hybrid and open total and distal arch procedures performed between July 2005 and January 2015 were identified from a prospectively maintained, institutional aortic surgery database. Perioperative morbidity and mortality, freedom from reintervention, and long-term survival were calculated. Hybrid and open procedural volumes over the study period were assessed to evaluate for potential practice pattern changes. Results During the study period 148 consecutive procedures were performed for repair of transverse and distal aortic arch pathology, including 101 hybrid repairs and 47 open total or distal arch repairs. Patients in the hybrid repair group were significantly older with a greater incidence of chronic kidney disease, peripheral vascular disease, and chronic lung disease. Perioperative mortality and outcomes were not significantly different between the hybrid and open groups, aside from decreased median length of stay after hybrid repair. Need for subsequent reintervention was significantly greater after hybrid repair. Unadjusted long-term survival was superior after open repair (70% 5-year survival open vs 47% hybrid; P = .03), although aorta-specific survival was similar (98% 5-year aorta-specific survival open vs 93% hybrid; P = .59). Institutional use of HAR decreased over the final 3 years of the study, with an associated increased use of open total or distal arch repairs. This was primarily the result of decreased use of native zone 0 hybrid procedures. Concurrent with this apparent increased stringency around patient selection for HAR, perioperative morbidity and mortality was reduced, including avoidance of retrograde type A dissection. Conclusions HAR remains a viable option for higher-risk patients with transverse arch pathology with perioperative outcomes and long-term aorta-specific survival similar to open repair, albeit at a cost of increased reintervention. This observational single-institution study would suggest decreased use in more recent years in favor of open repair due to avoidance of native zone 0 hybrid procedures. This decline in the institutional use of native zone 0 hybrid repairs was associated with improved perioperative outcomes.
Coarse-Grained Simulation Studies of Effects of Polycation Architecture on Structure of the Polycation and Polycation-Polyanion Complexes

Polycations are a promising class of nonviral DNA delivery agents that bind to negatively charged DNA and transfect the DNA into target cells. The architecture and chemistry of the polycation strongly affect polycation–DNA complexation and in turn the ability of polycations to transfect DNA into cells. Here we develop coarse-grained models and conduct Langevin dynamics simulations to understand how the architecture of lysine-based polycations affects their complexation with DNA-like polyanions. We first characterize the structure of linear polylysine and oligolysines grafted to a polyolefin backbone and then the structure of complexes (termed polyplexes) formed by these polycations with polyanions of varying flexibility. We find that increasing oligolysine graft length and decreasing graft spacing both increase the size and rigidity of the grafted oligolysines, although they remain less rigid than semiflexible linear polylysine. Increasing ionic strength or counterion valency reduces polycation size and m...
SPECTRAL EVOLUTION OF DIRECTIONAL FINITE AMPLITUDE DISPERSIVE WAVE IN SHALLOW WATER

Two different aspects of nearshore wave modelling are discussed. The first section details a model valid in deeper water than the usual shallow water wave models. We derive a mild-slope equation in which nonlinearity is retained to second order in e and dispersion is retained to all orders. The resulting parabolic model is then simplified for expedient calculation. This simplified model is compared to the data of Whalin (1971) with favorable results. The second section concerns the role of vector-sum interactions as compared to colinear, near-resonant interactions. We use the angular spectrum model of Kirby (1990) to determine which sort of interaction is dominant in the nearshore wavefield. A steady wave solution of the model and a case of unsteady wave evolution were investigated. Two simplified data sets with different amounts of directional spread were then run through the model. All three tests indicate that vector-sum interactions contribute significantly to wave field evolution.
COMPARATIVE RESISTANCE OF VAGOTOMIZED MONKEYS TO INTRAVENOUS VS. INTRAGASTRIC STAPHYLOCOCCAL ENTEROTOXIN CHALLENGES.

SummaryRhesus monkeys subjected to transthoracic vagotomy were challenged with staphylococcal enterotoxin and observed for vomiting. A significantly higher tolerance was shown against intragastric administration than against intravenous injection of enterotoxin. Complete protection was not obtained even against oral challenge. Responsiveness to enterotoxin-induced emesis in vagotomized monkeys and cats is similar if the challenge is by the intravenous route.
An Investigation Study of the Current Situation and Demand of Health Human Resources on Community Health Service Institutions in Dingxi

OBJECTIVE To kown about the prevalence study of health human resources on township health service institutions and health demand in Dingxi, making a rational allocate the township medical resources and providing scientific reference for the government, so as to meet the needs of township residents and the demand for basic health. METHODS According to taking the cluster sampling method and selecting the seven township health services of Anding District in Dingxi, so as to investigate their status of medical and health services and health human resources. RESULTS 40.2% of the human resources in sanitations have the diploma of technical college and 46.0% have the secondary specialized or technical, while lieutenant specialty count for 40.2%, township health service institutions can not meet the existing demand for the recent demand. CONCLUSIONS It is manifested that the current medical service institutions and the health manpower have an unreasonable structure, such as the educational background, gender age, specialty and title. To increase budget of health care, optimize the allocation of medical resources, reinforce ethic education for medical professionals, to make sufficient use of the township health services.
The Role of Early-stage Inhalation Therapy on Post-operative Precaution of Pulmonary Infection in Biliary Atresia Children

Objective:To investigate the effect of early-stage inhalation on post-operative precaution of pulmonary infection in biliary atresia (BA)children.Method:Fifty-six biliary atresia children from December 2012 to February 2013 in our hospital were selected,they were randomly divided into the experimental group and control group,28 cases in each group.The control group was given conventional peri operation period nursing,the experimental group was given early nursing intervention group on the basis of atomizing inhalation.The incidence of pulmonary infection and postoperative average hospitalization days were compared between the two groups.Result:The incidence of pulmonary infection of the experimental group was 10.7%, it was significantly lower than 42.9% of the control group,postoperative average hospitalization days of the experimental group was (14±1.2)d,it was significantly less than (20±2.3)d of the control group,the differences were statistically significant (P0.05).Conclusion:Early-stage inhalation therapy in BA children can significantly reduce the incidence of pulmonary infection and hospitalization days.
Liposomes, muramyl dipeptide derivatives, and nontoxic lipid A derivatives as adjuvants for human malaria vaccines.

Studies indicate that adjuvant formulations based on liposomes, nontoxic lipid A, and muramyl peptide derivatives are safe and effective for vaccine use. Future research on the immunobiology of these adjuvants as well as the mechanisms by which adjuvants can alter the quality of immune responses may play an important role in determining their efficacy in malaria vaccines
Insecticides applied to soil of transplant plugs for Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) management in broccoli

Abstract Chemical control with insecticides, typically applied as foliar sprays or chemigation, is the primary tactic used to manage Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). We evaluated the efficacy of 14 insecticides, including both systemic and non-systemic insecticides, against B . hilaris applied as a seedling tray drench. Experiments were conducted in both greenhouse and field settings. In all experiments, we used the maximum label rate of insecticides and calculated dose per seedling based on this rate and standard plant density per hectare. Each seedling in the tray received 2-mL insecticide solution, and the seedlings were then exposed to B . hilaris adults after transplanting in cages for greenhouse experiments or natural B . hilaris populations in the field experiments. A scale system (0–4) was used to evaluate the severity of B . hilaris feeding injury on leaves where 0 = no injury and 4 = >75% of the leaf margins with B . hilaris feeding injury. We evaluated damage using the rating system, percentage of damaged leaves, number of feeding injury sites, as well as plant height, leaf width, and fresh and dry weight. In the greenhouse experiment, percentage of injured leaves, number of injury sites, and damage rating were significantly lower for transplants treated with acetamiprid, clothianidin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam, and cyclaniliprole compared with the untreated. There was a relationship between feeding injury sites and plant height, leaf width, fresh and dry weight (R 2 > 0.5) in both 2015 field experiments. Similarly, the transplants treated with acetamiprid, clothianidin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, thiamethoxam + chlorantraniliprole, imidacloprid + β-cyfluthrin and cyclaniliprole had significantly lower damage ratings than those treated with chlorpyrifos, bifenthrin, tolfenpyrad, flonicamid, cyantraniliprole, spinetoram and the untreated control. For transplanted broccoli, treatment of transplant plugs with neonicotinoid insecticides prior to planting can be an effective method for controlling B . hilaris .
A Mechanistic Model for Cooperative Behavior of Co-transcribing RNA Polymerases

In fast-transcribing prokaryotic genes, such as an rrn gene in Escherichia coli, many RNA polymerases (RNAPs) transcribe the DNA simultaneously. Active elongation of RNAPs is often interrupted by pauses, which has been observed to cause RNAP traffic jams; yet some studies indicate that elongation seems to be faster in the presence of multiple RNAPs than elongation by a single RNAP. We propose that an interaction between RNAPs via the torque produced by RNAP motion on helically twisted DNA can explain this apparent paradox. We have incorporated the torque mechanism into a stochastic model and simulated transcription both with and without torque. Simulation results illustrate that the torque causes shorter pause durations and fewer collisions between polymerases. Our results suggest that the torsional interaction of RNAPs is an important mechanism in maintaining fast transcription times, and that transcription should be viewed as a cooperative group effort by multiple polymerases.
The Discipline of Behavioral Pharmacology

This article overviews behavioral pharmacology and introduces the articles that appear in this special issue, which is devoted to the discipline. By combining the methods and concepts characteristic of the experimental analysis of behavior with those characteristic of pharmacology, behavioral pharma
Neural plasticity across the lifespan

An essential feature of the brain is its capacity to change. Neuroscientists use the term 'plasticity' to describe the malleability of neuronal connectivity and circuitry. How does plasticity work? A review of current data suggests that plasticity encompasses many distinct phenomena, some of which operate across most or all of the lifespan, and others that operate exclusively in early development. This essay surveys some of the key concepts related to neural plasticity, beginning with how current patterns of neural activity (e.g., as you read this essay) come to impact future patterns of activity (e.g., your memory of this essay), and then extending this framework backward into more development-specific mechanisms of plasticity. WIREs Dev Biol 2017, 6:e216. doi: 10.1002/wdev.216 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Structural Color for Additive Manufacturing: 3D-Printed Photonic Crystals from Block Copolymers

The incorporation of structural color into 3D printed parts is reported, presenting an alternative to the need for pigments or dyes for colored parts produced through additive manufacturing. Thermoplastic build materials composed of dendritic block copolymers were designed, synthesized, and used to additively manufacture plastic parts exhibiting structural color. The reflection properties of the photonic crystals arise from the periodic nanostructure formed through block copolymer self-assembly during polymer processing. The wavelength of reflected light could be tuned across the visible spectrum by synthetically controlling the block copolymer molecular weight and manufacture parts that reflected violet, green, or orange light with the capacity to serve as selective optical filters and light guides.
Introductory remarks: space, chronology and the Habsburg home fronts

These introductory remarks suggest that we reconsider two lines typically used to conceptualize the Habsburg war experience. One is the imagined line separating front and home front. “Spaces of war...
The Early Mosque Revisited: Introduction of the Minbar and Maqṣūra

As the mosque evolved in response to the contested authority of Islam’s early rulers, the dependency of this authority upon the public audience in the mosque gave rise to a series of changes that occurred within the qibla of the mosque. By considering the congregational mosques at Kufa, Basra, Damascus, Wasit, and Madina between 630 and 715, and revisiting the development of their qibla spaces, three changes are presented as embodiments of this shift. This includes the development of the minbar as a platform for the khuṭba (Friday sermon) and of the enclosure screen (maqṣūra) in front of the qibla for the caliph, as well as the provision of direct access to the dār al-imāra via the qibla wall. By situating these developments within the context of contested religious and political authority in early Islam, this study challenges paradigms of formal influence in the interpretation of mosque architecture.
Kindling: A Model and Phenomenon of Epilepsy

Kindling was first recognized in 1968 by Graham Goddard during experiments investigating whether learning in rats was disrupted by repeated hippocampal electrical stimulation. Goddard observed that repeated electrical stimulation of a variety of brain pathways unexpectedly evoked gradually evolving seizures and permanent progressive increases in seizure susceptibility that he described as “kindling,” and recognized as potentially significant for epilepsy.
Downstream Processing of Transgenic Plant Systems: Protein Recovery and Purification Strategies

Plant-derived recombinant proteins provide alternatives to proteins produced by mammalian, microbial, and insect cell cultures due to significant upstream technological achievements over the past 5–10 years. Plants offer flexibility in both growth methods (open-field, greenhouse, and bioreactor) and host expression systems (seeds, leaves, and cell culture). The diversity of plant production systems provides for numerous commercial applications of plant-derived recombinant proteins but economic viability must be ensured through high expression levels and scalable manufacturing processes. Initial research efforts in plant biotechnology were focused on expression strategies and, thus, upstream production achievements have not be matched by downstream processing advancements. However, case-by-case extraction studies for numerous recombinant proteins led to the development of plant system-based approaches. Other progress includes the development of pretreatment strategies to improve purification efficiency and to reduce downstream processing costs for purification from green tissue homogenates that contain chlorophyll, phenolics, and active enzymes. In spite of all the progress and positive developments made in the last 10 years, continual research and technological breakthroughs in downstream processing are needed to capitalize on the lower production cost of transgenic biomass. This chapter describes general advantages and disadvantages of seed-, leaf-, and bioreactor-based plant systems and strategies used for primary recovery and purification of recombinant proteins.
Preschool Teachers’ Use of Music in the Classroom: A Survey of Park District Preschool Programs:

The purpose of this study was to explore how preschool teachers use music and identify the types of music activities available to children in their classrooms. Preschool teachers (N = 178) at park district programs throughout a large state in the American Midwest responded to an online questionnaire. Although teachers acknowledged using music every day, examples of music activities were primarily teacher-directed such as singing along to CDs or following music cues. Teachers also used music to build academic connections and to engage children during transitions. Teachers valued music as important to their teaching practice and for its contribution to children’s learning and development, but cited limited resources, a self-reported lack of music ability, and an absence of knowledge of the standards for music education, as inhibiting their use of child-centered music activities. Implications for teacher preparation and professional development course work in early childhood and music teacher education are d...
The lion and man game on polyhedral surfaces with obstacles

Abstract We study a geometric version of the cops and robbers game known as the lion and man game. In this game, a group of lions (the pursuers) try to capture a man (the evader). The players have equal speed. They can observe each other at all times. While the lion and man game is well-studied in planar domains such as polygons, very little is known about its properties in higher dimensions. In this paper, we study the game when played on the surface of a polyhedron with or without boundary, possibly in the presence of obstacles (i.e. forbidden regions). In particular, in the absence of obstacles, the surface has genus zero, and it can be homeomorphic to either a disk or a sphere. We assume that the input surface is triangulated. We show that three lions with non-zero capture distance δ can capture the man in O ( ( A δ 2 + L δ + N ) 2 δ 2 + ( A δ 2 + L δ + N ) D ) steps where A is the area, L is the total edge length of the polyhedron, N is the number of triangular faces used in the representation of the polyhedron, and D is the length of the longest shortest path on the surface.
Commutation of triacs

In AC power-control applications, a triac must switch from the conducting state to the blocking state twice each cycle, at each zero-current point. This action is called commutation. Because of the charges stored in the triac during conduction, at high voltage-rising rates (dv/dt), the triac may fail to block the circuit voltage following the zero-current point. In such a case the control of the load power is lost, although the triac itself is not damaged in any way.
Modeling and measurement of specific fuel consumption in diesel microgrids in Papua, Indonesia

Abstract Supplying electricity to populations without full access requires cost-effective, distributed sources of electricity generation. Diesel generators are a popular electricity source because of their low capital costs, but they can have high operating costs. Little data exist regarding the real-world behavior and operating costs of installed diesel microgrids. We report on the energy delivery and fuel consumption in three diesel microgrids in the Lake Sentani region of Papua, Indonesia. We found that these generators are operated below their capacity and that the fuel used per unit of electricity delivered can be over five times greater than expected based on published values. These estimations of specific fuel consumption suggest that nominally electrified areas are paying high costs for poor reliability, but cost-effective improvements are possible.
Scalable Secure Privacy-Preserving Record Linkage (PPRL) Methods Using Cloud-based Infrastructure

IntroductionBloom Filters (BFs) are a scalable solution for probabilistic privacy-preserving record linkage but BFs can be compromised. Yao’s garbled circuits (GCs) can perform secure multi-party computation to compute the similarity of two BFs without a trusted third party. The major drawback of using BFs and GCs together is poor efficiency. Objectives and ApproachWe evaluated the feasibility of BFs+GCs using high capacity compute engines and implementing a novel parallel processing framework in Google Cloud Compute Engines (GCCE). In the Yao’s two-party secure computation protocol, one party serves as the generator and the other party serves as the evaluator. To link data in parallel, records from both parties are divided into chunks. Linkage between every two chunks in the same block is processed by a thread. The number of threads for linkage depends on available computing resources. We tested the parallelized process in various scenarios with variations in hardware and software configurations. ResultsTwo synthetic datasets with 10K records were linked using BFs+GCs on 12 different software and hardware configurations which varied by: number of CPU cores (4 to 32), memory size (15GB – 28.8GB), number of threads (6-41), and chunk size (50-200 records). The minimum configuration (4 cores; 15GB memory) took 8,062.4s to complete whereas the maximum configuration (32 cores; 28.8GB memory) took 1,454.1s. Increasing the number of threads or changing the chunk size without providing more CPU cores and memory did not improve the efficiency. Efficiency is improved on average by 39.81% when the number of cores and memory on the both sides are doubled. The CPU utilization is maximized (near 100% on both sides) when the computing power of the generator is double the evaluator. Conclusion/ImplicationsThe PPRL runtime of BFs+GCs was greatly improved using parallel processing in a cloud-based infrastructure. A cluster of GCCEs could be leveraged to reduce the runtime of data linkage operations even further. Scalable cloud-based infrastructures can overcome the trade-off between security and efficiency, allowing computationally complex methods to be implemented.