cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Life of LED-based white light sources

Even though light-emitting diodes (LEDs) may have a very long life, poorly designed LED lighting systems can experience a short life. Because heat at the p-n-junction is one of the main factors that affect the life of the LED, by knowing the relationship between life and heat, LED system manufacturers can design and build long-lasting systems. In this study, several white LEDs from the same manufacturer were subjected to life tests at different ambient temperatures. The exponential decay of light output as a function of time provided a convenient method to rapidly estimate life by data extrapolation. The life of these LEDs decreases in an exponential manner with increasing temperature. In a second experiment, several high-power white LEDs from different manufacturers were life-tested under similar conditions. Results show that the different products have significantly different life values.
Interactions between epigenetics and metabolism in cancers

Cancer progression is accompanied by widespread transcriptional changes and metabolic alterations. Although it is widely accepted that the origin of cancer can be traced to the mutations that accumulate over time, relatively recent evidence favors a similarly fundamental role for alterations in the epigenome during tumorigenesis. Changes in epigenetics that arise from post-translational modifications of histones and DNA, are exploited by cancer cells to upregulate and/or downregulate the expression levels of oncogenes and tumor suppressors, respectively. Although the mechanisms behind these modifications, in particular how they lead to gene silencing and activation, are still being understood, many enzymes that carry out post-translational modifications that alter epigenetics require metabolites as substrates or cofactors. As a result, their activities can be influenced by the metabolic state of the cell. The purpose of this review is to give an overview of cancer epigenetics and metabolism and provide examples of where they converge.
Reassessment of Probabilistic Seismic Hazard in the Marmara Region

Abstract In 1999, the eastern coastline of the Marmara region (Turkey) witnessed increased seismic activity on the North Anatolian fault (NAF) system with two damaging earthquakes ( M 7.4 Kocaeli and M 7.2 Duzce) that occurred almost three months apart. These events have reduced stress on the western segment of the NAF where it continues under the Marmara Sea. The undersea fault segments have been recently explored using bathymetric and reflection surveys. These recent findings helped scientists to understand the seismotectonic environment of the Marmara basin, which has remained a perplexing tectonic domain. On the basis of collected new data, seismic hazard of the Marmara region is reassessed using a probabilistic approach. Two different earthquake source models: (1) the smoothed-gridded seismicity model and (2) fault model and alternate magnitude-frequency relations, Gutenberg–Richter and characteristic, were used with local and imported ground-motion-prediction equations. Regional exposure is computed and quantified on a set of hazard maps that provide peak horizontal ground acceleration (PGA) and spectral acceleration at 0.2 and 1.0 sec on uniform firm-rock site condition (760 m/sec average shear wave velocity in the upper 30 m). These acceleration levels were computed for ground motions having 2% and 10% probabilities of exceedance in 50 yr, corresponding to return periods of about 2475 and 475 yr, respectively. The maximum PGA computed (at rock site) is 1.5 g along the fault segments of the NAF zone extending into the Marmara Sea. The new maps generally show 10% to 15% increase for PGA, 0.2 and 1.0 sec spectral acceleration values across much of Marmara compared to previous regional hazard maps. Hazard curves and smooth design spectra for three site conditions: rock, soil, and soft-soil are provided for the Istanbul metropolitan area as possible tools in future risk estimates.
Evaluating Mergers for Coordinated Effects and the Role of "Parallel Accommodating Conduct" ∗

The 2010 Horizontal Merger Guidelines propose a form of coordinated effects, referred to as "parallel accommodating conduct," that is claimed not to involve the usual evaluation of the ability of firms to detect compliance and punish non-compliance with respect to supracompetitive prices. That claim is argued here to be false. Where the concept of parallel accommodating conduct is valid and constructive is in identifying coordinated effects that do not involve firms having an agreement. These issues are explored here in the context of a more general examination of how firms coordinate on and implement supracompetitive outcomes.
Irregular lattice model for quasistatic crack propagation

Peer ReviewedTitle:Irregular lattice model for quasistatic crack propagationAuthor:Bolander, J ESukumar, N, University of California, DavisPublication Date:03-01-2005Publication Info:Postprints, UC DavisPermalink:http://escholarship.org/uc/item/9qn7n4sbAdditional Info:Phys. Rev. B 71, 094106 (2005)Abstract:An irregular lattice model is proposed for simulating quasistatic fracture in softening materials.Lattice elements are defined on the edges of a Delaundy tessellation of the medium. The dual(Voronoi) tessellation is used to scale the elemental stiffness terms in a manner that renders thelattice elastically homogeneous. This property enables the accurate modeling of heterogeneity,as demonstrated through the elastic stress analyses of fiber composites. A cohesive descriptionof fracture is used to model crack initiation and propagation. Numerical simulations, whichdemonstrate energy-conserving and grid-insensitive descriptions of cracking, are presented. Themodel provides a framework for the failure analysis of quasibrittle materials and fiber-reinforcedbrittle-matrix composites.
CHBr3, CH2Br2, and CHClBr2 in U.S. coastal waters during the Gulf of Mexico and East Coast Carbon cruise

[1] Brominated very short-lived substances (VSLSs) such as bromoform (CHBr3), dibromomethane (CH2Br2), and chlorodibromomethane (CHClBr2) are receiving increasing attention, due to their important role in tropospheric and lower stratospheric ozone (O3) chemistry. These brominated VSLSs were measured in air and surface water during the Gulf of Mexico and East Coast Carbon (GOMECC) cruise in the summer of 2007. Mean atmospheric mixing ratios for CHBr3, CH2Br2 and CHClBr2 for the entire cruise were 14.6 (0.7 to 138.3) ppt, 2.8 (0.5 to 13.2) ppt, and 0.5 (0.03 to 3.2) ppt, respectively; and mean sea-surface water concentrations were 66.0 (4.4 to 1724.8) pmol L−1, 10.6 (1.9 to 153.8) pmol L−1, and 1.0 (0.1 to 17.2) pmol L−1, respectively. These compounds were supersaturated almost everywhere in the study region, except a few locations in the Florida Straits and along the east coast of Florida, where negative saturation anomalies and fluxes were observed. Mean net fluxes observed during the GOMECC cruise for CHBr3, CH2Br2, and CHClBr2 were 47.6 (−25.4 to 1056.3) nmol m−2 d−1, 9.7 (−0.5 to 112.3) nmol m−2 d−1, and 0.8 (−1.2 to 10.8) nmol m−2 d−1, respectively. The net fluxes for these polybrominated compounds from the coastally influenced waters (bottom depth ≤200 m) are significantly higher than the net fluxes observed in the open ocean (bottom depth >200 m).
Cooperative control of networked nonlinear systems

In this paper, network-based cooperative control of nonlinear dynamical systems is investigated. A theorem on cooperative stability is presented for designing nonlinear consensus algorithms, the proposed design admits varying topologies of network information flow as well as latencies in data transmission, and the network condition for achieving consensus is shown to be the same as in cooperative control of linear systems. A nonlinear triple-integrator example is used to illustrate the proposed nonlinear design and also to show how other design procedures such as the recursive design can be utilized to facilitate the design of cooperative control. In addition to network uncertainties, unknowns and/or uncertainties in dynamics of heterogeneous nonlinear systems are also considered. It is shown that both adaptive and robust control methodologies can be integrated into the proposed design in order to handle unknown/uncertain systems sharing a varying information network.
The Yukawa Quantum Field Theory in Two Space-Time Dimensions

In this talk we review recent progress made on a particular model in quantum field theory, the Yukawa model in two space-time dimensions. In four space-time dimensions this model is supposed to give a “realistic” description of the interaction between massive nucleons of spin 1/2 and massive scalar mesons. As for the theory of polynomial boson self interaction, which has been described to you by L. Rosen, the reason for choosing two space-time dimensions is in order to make the theory as easy as possible. Compared to the \(\textup{P}\left(\phi\right)_{2}\) theory this model poses new problems which are related to the fact that an infinite energy and boson mass renormalization is necessary. It is an open question whether the perturbation series converges, but nonperturbative methods have been established which permit a discussion. Nevertheless perturbation theory will again be a good guide in guessing the right form of the equations and estimates involved in the theory. To study the dynamics of the theory, the canonical way is to start with the Hamiltonian and express the interaction in terms of the free nucleon and meson field operators at time zero. This approach is obviously noncovariant, but the covariance will then hopefully be regained at a later stage.
“Sin-Food” Taxes and Sugar-Sweetened Beverages—The Right Policy for the Wrong Reasons?

As obesity rates continue to rise, taxing calorie-dense foods of little nutritional value—‘‘sin foods’’ such as sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs)—as a strategy to confront an impending epidemic is gaining popularity among researchers, the popular media, and policy makers. Leading academic proponents of a tax on SSBs (henceforth, soda tax) argue that it would reduce consumption and even encourage a consumption switch to healthier alternatives, thus leading to reduced calorie intake and less weight gain. Influential newspapers suggest that a soda tax ‘‘should help young people limit their intake of soda,’’ and in so doing, help fight the obesity epidemic; policy makers have seized on the idea on similar grounds. In this article, we question the claim that taxing SSBs will reduce obesity rates. It does not follow that we endorse SSBs, however. Quite the contrary, we wholeheartedly agree that they offer no nutritional value and may lead to serious health problems, including obesity. Yet for a soda tax to achieve the public health goal of reducing obesity and obesity disparities, it must be the case that reduced consumption of SSBs lead to a switch to healthier consumption patterns (rather than to a mere replacement by equally unhealthy ones) enough so as to have a significant public health impact on obesity rates and their distribution. As we argue below, we find this assumption problematic. We still believe that there is merit to taxation policies. However, if the generated revenue is to accomplish public health goals, they must be earmarked for such goals—in the case of obesity prevention, for reinvestments in improving the quality of food and built environments of low-income and minority communities to reduce the impact of the societal factors that drive obesity and obesity disparities in the first place.
On the probability of success in a routing process

Lee's path search mechanism has been identified as a percolation process and the probability of a successful search is obtained analytically.
Drawdowns and the Speed of Market Crash

In this paper we examine the probabilistic behavior of two quantities closely related to market crashes. The first is the drawdown of an asset and the second is the duration of time between the last reset of the maximum before the drawdown and the time of the drawdown. The former is the first time the current drop of an investor’s wealth from its historical maximum reaches a pre-specified level and has been used extensively as a path-dependent measure of a market crash in the financial risk management literature. The latter is the speed at which the drawdown occurs and thus provides a measure of how fast a market crash takes place. We call this the speed of market crash. In this work we derive the joint Laplace transform of the last visit time of the maximum of a process preceding the drawdown, the speed of market crash, and the maximum of the process under general diffusion dynamics. We discuss applications of these results in the pricing of insurance claims related to the drawdown and its speed. Our applications are developed under the drifted Brownian motion model and the constant elasticity of variance (CEV) model.
A nuclear gene of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Tba1, encodes a putative oxidoreductase required for translation of the chloroplast psbA mRNA

Biosynthesis of chloroplast proteins is to a large extent regulated post-transcriptionally, and a number of nuclear-encoded genes have been identified that are required for translation or stability of specific chloroplast mRNAs. A nuclear mutant of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, hf261, deficient in the translation of the psbA mRNA, has reduced association of the psbA mRNA with ribosomes and is deficient in binding of the chloroplast localized poly (A) binding protein (cPAB1) to the psbA mRNA. Cloning of the hf261 locus and complementation of hf261 using a wt genomic clone has identified a novel gene, Tba1, for translational affector of psbA. Strains complemented with the wt Tba1 gene restore the ability of the psbA mRNA to associate with ribosomes, and restores RNA binding activity of cPAB1 for the psbA mRNA. Analysis of the Tba1 gene identified a protein with significant homology to oxidoreductases. The effect of Tba1 expression on the RNA binding activity of cPAB1, and on the association of psbA mRNA with ribosomes, implies that Tba1 functions as a redox regulator of cPAB1 RNA binding activity to indirectly promote psbA mRNA translation initiation. A model of chloroplast translation incorporating Tba1 and other members of the psbA mRNA binding complex is presented.
Prosecutor v. Perišić, Case No. IT-04-81-A, International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia

This note introduces a controversial ICTY decision which attempted to clarify the requisite elements required to convict the former head of the Army of Yugoslavia with aiding and abetting war crimes committed by other organizations in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia. The Perisic judgment serves as a reminder of the still unsettled nature of international criminal law on even threshold issues like the elements for a mode of liability. Given that the Special Court for Sierra Leone has already affirmatively rejected the Perisic formulation the case may, sadly, signal the fragmentation of international criminal law.
Waging war against uropathogenic Escherichia coli: winning back the urinary tract.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is a substantial economic and societal burden—a formidable public health issue. Symptomatic UTI causes significant discomfort in infected patients, results in lost productivity, predisposes individuals to more serious infections, and usually necessitates antibiotic therapy. There is no licensed vaccine available for prevention of UTI in humans in the United States, likely due to the challenge of targeting a relatively heterogeneous group of pathogenic strains in a unique physiological niche. Despite significant advances in the understanding of UPEC biology, mechanistic details regarding the host response to UTI and full comprehension of genetic loci that influence susceptibility require additional work. Currently, there is an appreciation for the role of classic innate immune responses—from pattern receptor recognition to recruitment of phagocytic cells—that occur during UPEC-mediated UTI. There is, however, a clear disconnect regarding how factors involved in the innate immune response to UPEC stimulate acquired immunity that facilitates enhanced clearance upon reinfection. Unraveling the molecular details of this process is vital in the development of a successful vaccine for prevention of human UTI. Here, we survey the current understanding of host responses to UPEC-mediated UTI with an eye on molecular and cellular factors whose activity may be harnessed by a vaccine that stimulates lasting and sterilizing immunity.
Effects of sorption on the biodegradation of 2-methylpyridine in aqueous suspensions of reference clay minerals

The effects of sorption on the bioavailability of 2-methylpyridine (2-MP) were investigated by determining the biodegradation of 2-MP by an Arthrobacter sp. in aqueous suspensions of reference clay minerals and a synthetic cation exchange resin. Adsorption of 2-MP on kaolinite, illite, hectorite, montmorillonite, and Dowex was determined by the batch equilibrium method. In general, adsorption of 2-MP was positively correlated with the cation exchange capacity of the sorbent, suggesting that sorption of 2-MP on clay minerals occurs through a cation exchange reaction via the 2-methylpyridinium ion. The biodegradation of 2-MP was most rapid in the kaolinite suspensions, followed by no clay > illite >> Dowex > hectorite/montmorillonite. With the exception of kaolinite, adsorption of 2-MP on clay minerals and Dowex reduced the rate of biodegradation. The degree of attenuation was positively correlated with the fraction of 2-MP sorbed, suggesting that sorbed 2-MP was not directly available for degradation. Desorption was not rate limiting in suspensions containing hectorite, montmorillonite, or Dowex; however, desorption may have become limiting in the kaolinite and illite suspensions. The results of this study clearly indicate that adsorption can directly affect the degradation of 2-MP in complex mineral systems.
An appraisal of multivariable logistic models in the pulmonary and critical care literature.

Objective Multivariable modeling techniques are appearing in today's medical literature with increasing frequency. Improper reporting of these statistical models can potentially make the results of a study inaccurate, misleading, or difficult to interpret. We performed a manual literature search of five international pulmonary and critical care journals to determine the accuracy in the reporting of logistic regression modeling strategies. Design We examined all of the published manuscripts for 12 potential limitations in the reporting of important statistical methodologies over a 6-month period from July 1, 2000, until December 31, 2000. Results Of the 81 articles that included multivariable logistic regression analyses, only 65% (53 analyses) properly reported the coding classification of pertinent independent variables that were included in the final model. An odds ratio and confidence interval were reported for the independent variables included in the final model for 79% (64 analyses) and 74% (60 analyses), respectively. Only 12% (10 articles) referenced whether interaction terms or effect modifications were examined, 1% (1 article) reported testing for collinearity, and only 16% (13 articles) included a goodness-of-fit analysis of the logistic model. The type of statistical package was reported in 69% (56 articles). Finally, approximately 39% of the articles (22 of 57) may have overfit the logistic regression model, leading to potentially unreliable regression coefficients and odds ratios. Conclusions Our results indicate that the reporting of multivariable logistic regression analyses in the pulmonary and critical care literature is often incomplete, therefore making it difficult for the reader to accurately interpret the manuscript. We recommend the implementation of adequate guidelines that will lead to overall improvements in the reporting and possibly to the conducting of multivariable analyses in the pulmonary medicine and critical care medicine literature.
Comments on “The South Indian Convergence Zone and Interannual Rainfall Variability over Southern Africa” and the Question of ENSO's Influence on Southern Africa

Abstract Observational and modeling studies have produced extensive evidence of a link between rainfall variability in southern Africa and the Pacific ENSO phenomenon, as well as a link with sea surface temperatures in the Indian and, to a lesser extent, Atlantic Oceans. The consensus of various studies is that the direct cause of reduced rainfall in southern Africa, late in most ENSO events, is abnormally high SSTs in the oceans near Africa. These, in turn, are a response to ENSO. In contrast, the modeling study of Cook produces evidence that a direct link to ENSO is possible via a purely atmospheric response to the Pacific SST anomalies. In this note, this issue of direct versus indirect forcing is examined and Cook's model and its applicability to southern Africa are evaluated. Model output is shown to compare unfavorably with gauge-based climatologies and rainfall anomalies during ENSO events. This might account for the disagreement noted by Cook between her results and observational studies, as well ...
A Trimmed Jackknife

SUMMARY The jackknifed version of a regular estimate is the average of the sample pseudo-values, which in general are not independent and often have long-tailed distributions. We examine the simple alternative of the trimmed average of the pseudo-values, which is a naive type of robust estimate. The asymptotic theory is developed and two simple examples are discussed.
Role of Ih in differentiating the dynamics of the gastric and pyloric neurons in the stomatogastric ganglion of the lobster, Homarus americanus.

The hyperpolarization-activated inward cationic current (Ih) is known to regulate the rhythmicity, excitability, and synaptic transmission in heart cells and many types of neurons across a variety ...
Technology induced competitive advantage: a case of US lodging industry

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to assist hospitality organizations to better deploy and manage their information technology (IT) resources and enhance overall effectiveness by demonstrating how technologies can be used as a competitive weapon at various levels from a managerial perspective. Both academia and practitioners attempt to understand the driving factors of IT-induced competitive advantage. While some firms enjoy competitive advantage through IT, others struggle to gain such competitive advantage. Design/methodology/approach – AHLA E-Commerce and Technology Committee members were interviewed for their knowledge and insight toward the perceived problem. The committee comprises technology executives who meet twice per year to discuss the changing face of technology and e-business in the hospitality industry. Participants of this study consisted of vice presidents, CTO/CIOs of hotels, CEOs of hospitality technology vendors and academics who focus on hospitality technology research. Findin...
PATTERNS OF SPECIATION IN DROSOPHILA REVISITED

In a paper published seven years ago in this journal (Coyne and Orr 1989a), we analyzed the time course of speciation in Drosophila by correlating electrophoretic genetic distance between pairs of species (a number roughly proportional to their divergence time) with the strength of reproductive isolation between them. That analysis yielded five conclusions. First, both prezygotic and postzygotic reproductive isolation increase with divergence time between taxa. Second, prezygotic (sexual) isolation evolves more rapidly than postzygotic isolation (sterility and inviability of hybrids). This difference is, however, due entirely to much stronger prezygotic isolation between sympatric than between allopatric pairs of species. We suggested that this difference was due to "reinforcement," or direct selection for sexual isolation that occurs among sympatric taxa that produce unfit hybrids (Dobzhansky 1937). Third, hybrid sterility and inviability evolve at similar rates. This conclusion now appears to be incorrect because average divergence time between taxa is not a sensitive way to measure evolutionary rates of reproductive isolation, and more sensitive analyses show that hybrid sterility may in fact evolve more rapidly than inviability (Wu 1992). Fourth, the usual pathway for the production of postzygotic isolation is the initial appearance of sterility or inviability in hybrid males, followed by its appearance in females. This explains the frequent observation of Haldane's rule: the pattern that if only one gender of hybrids is sterile or inviable in species crosses, it is nearly always the heterogametic (XY or XO) sex (Haldane 1922; Coyne and Orr 1989b). Finally, there is a large increase in genetic distance between those species pairs producing sterile or inviable males only and those producing sterile or inviable hybrids of both sexes. This implies that there is a long time lag between the evolution of postzygotic isolation in males and in females. While a similar (but much smaller) analysis has since been conducted in salamanders (Tilley et al. 1990), the data from Drosophila are unique-and are likely to remain so-because of the large number of crossable species and the ease of estimating sexual and postzygotic isolation in the laboratory. These Drosophila data have hence attracted some interest. Because of this, we have continued to accumulate new data as they have appeared. We have also found a few errors in our original data set, and have revised some estimates of reproductive isolation and phylogenetic relatedness when better data became available. We now have data for 171 interspecific hybridizations in Drosophila, an increase of 43% over the 119 hybridizations described in our previous paper. Because DNA sequencing has largely supplanted gel electrophoresis as a way of measuring divergence between species, it is unlikely that this data set will grow much larger; and it will be many years before we possess DNA-based estimates of divergence between many pairs of Drosophila species. We therefore thought it timely to check our earlier conclusions using the new and larger data set.
A Replication Property for Magic Squares

which is just a shifted version of the original A. It is obtained from A by cycling the rows two steps up and cycling the columns two steps to the left. Generally if A is any m X n matrix, define A' to be the matrix derived from A by the process described above. This m x n matrix A' will be called the derived matrix. We say that A has the replication property if its derived matrix A' equals a constant plus a shifted version of A.
Presecretory degradation of apolipoprotein[a] is mediated by the proteasome pathway

Abstract Plasma levels of atherogenic lipoprotein [a] (Lp[a]) vary over a 1000-fold range and are largely determined by the gene for its unique glycoprotein, apolipoprotein [a] (apo[a]). The apo[a] locus comprises more than 100 alleles, encoding proteins from 800 kDa. Using primary baboon hepatocyte cultures, we previously demonstrated that differences in the secretion efficiency of apo[a] allelic variants contribute to the variation in plasma Lp[a] levels. In the current study, we investigated the mechanism of apo[a] presecretory degradation. The proteasome inhibitors, acetyl-leucyl-leucyl-norleucinal and lactacystin, prevented apo[a] degradation and increased apo[a] secretion. Transfection with an HA-tagged ubiquitin construct demonstrated the accumulation of ubiquitinated apo[a] in the presence of lactacystin. These results suggest a role for the cytoplasmic proteasome in apo[a] proteolysis. Apo[a] that accumulated intracellularly in the presence of lactacystin remained sensitive to endo-B-N-glucosaminidase H, and apo[a] degradation was reversibly inhibited by brefeldin A, suggesting that transport to a post-endoplasmic reticulum (ER) pre-medial Golgi compartment is required for apo[a] degradation. Newly synthesized apo[a] bound to the ER chaperone calnexin and conditions that enhanced this interaction prevented apo[a] degradation, suggesting that calnexin can protect apo[a] from proteolysis. These studies provide further support for the role of the proteasome in endoplasmic reticulum quality control, and expand this role to one that influences plasma levels of the atherogenic lipoprotein Lp[a]. —White, A. L., B. Guerra, J. Wang, and R. E. Lanford. Presecretory degradation of apolipoprotein[a] is mediated by the proteasome pathway. J. Lipid Res. 1999. 40: 275–286.
Clinical study of combined Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in 60 patients with eczema

Objective To explore the efficacy of herbal medicine and injection of compound glycyrrhizin application of eczema.Methods Sixty patients with eczema were treated with herbal medicine and injection of compound glycyrrhizin,once daily for 4 weeks.The controls were 60 patients with eczema who were injected the compound glycyrrhizin only.Results In herbal medicine and injection of group effective rate was 86.7%,and the effective rate was 68.33% in compound glycyrrhizin group.There was significant difference between the two groups(P 0.05).Conclusion The treatment of eczema with herbal medicine and injection of compound glycyrrhizin is a safe and effective method for patients with Eczema.
An Analysis on Risk Factors of Common Malignant Tumors in Tongxiang City

Objective To explore the risk factors of common malignant tumors in Tongxiang City. Methods A total of 1 154 malignant tumor cases were collected and multi- case group was built. The design method of 1 to 1 matching case-control study was used. The data was analyzed by multiple- factor non- conditional Logistic regression analysis. Results Long term depressed state or psychic trauma was the risk factor of 5 common malignant tumors including lung cancer, colorectal cancer,liver cancer,gastric cancer and breast cancer( OR = 3. 590,3. 923,3. 896,12. 429 and 11. 291 respectively). The common risk factors relating to lung cancer,gastric cancer and colorectal cancer were diseases history( OR =2. 817,7. 799 and 7. 650) and family history of cancer( OR =3. 674,6. 594 and 11. 954). Drinking tea and eating more fresh fruits and vegetables were protective factors of lung cancer( OR = 0. 569 and 3. 161),but smoking was a risk factor for lung cancer and gastric cancer( OR = 3. 826 and 5. 699). Alcohol drinking was the risk factor for both colorectal cancer and liver cancer( OR = 3. 593 and 5. 316),eating less smoked foods may help prevent the occurrence of colorectal cancer( OR = 0. 093). Conclusion Lifestyles like smoking,drinking,dietary habits,spiritual and psychological factors, disease history and family history of cancer are the risk factors of common malignant tumors in Tongxiang city.
In Vitro Exposure of Human T98G Glioblastoma Cells to Mixed BNCT Drugs

The selective targeting with sufficient quantities of 10B atoms to the tumor cells is critical for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) of cancer. At present there are two BNCT drugs, p-boronophenylalanine (BPA) and sodium borocaptate (BSH), approved for use in clinical trials. Since both BPA and BSH may deliver boron to tumor cells by different mechanisms, the concept of mixing the two compounds may have the merit of providing a unique approach for attaining a higher net accumulation of boron atoms in tumor cells than would otherwise be attained by an individual compound. Clinical applications of this mixed-drug approach would require that both drugs provide 10B atoms. For laboratory research purposes, however, one can use a mixture such as 10B labeled 10BPA and 11B labeled 11BSH and an isotopic imaging technique of ion microscopy for studying intracellular accumulations of both 10B and 11B in the same cell. Ion microscopy, based on secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS),1,2 is capable of quantitatively imaging the subcellular distribution of both 10B and 11B atoms delivered by two different BNCT agents in the same cell since the technique distinguishes isotopes based on their mass-to-charge (m/z) ratio. The exposure of cells to two BNCT compounds mixed together may result in the enhancement of boron uptake by tumor cells. In the present study, by using 10B labeled p-boronophenylalanine-fructose (10BPA-F) and 11B labeled sodium borocaptate (11BSH) as a mixed-drug model we were able to image the subcellular distribution of both 10B and 11B atoms independently in the same cell with ion microscopy. Such independent imaging of boron atoms from two mixed-drugs in the same cell introduces a novel approach for checking the boron delivery characteristic of two BNCT compounds combined together.
A National Temperance Movement

A women’s national temperance movement finally took hold in Britain in the 1870s after decades of false starts.1 It owed its birth partly to the work of the London Temperance League, but more importantly to a newcomer to the British temperance world, the Independent Order of Good Templars. An American fraternal organization, the Good Templars (as it was popularly called) was brought to England in 1868 by a returning English workingman, where it quickly caught hold among the respectable working classes. Even a few middle-class reformers joined. All members had to be pledged teetotalers and committed to fighting the use of drink wherever possible. It was an aggressive association and encouraged its members to take controversial stands in the fight against alcoholic beverages. Within a few years the Good Templars claimed a membership of over 200,000 in Britain.2
Wealth for All

While Smith understood the societal importance of the wealthy, he argued that increased productivity because of the division of labor should result in universal opulence, even for the poorest people. Workers should be well-paid; wealth should not be concentrated. Smith’s ideal has been undermined by Wall Street excess, monopolization of productivity gains by the wealthy, weak unions, and failed trickle-down policies. This has turned the American Dream into a mirage for increasing numbers of people because of reduced social mobility, homelessness, plus weakening of both the economy and democracy. And weakening democracy has a negative impact on happiness. Solutions might include adapting Danish “flexicurity” and strengthening the Earned Income Tax Credit. Equal opportunity would increase happiness for all.
Mexican Hat Wavelet Mathematical Formula Applied to Business and Economics

Abstract. The Mexican hat wavelet mathematical formula is used in physics, music, and earthquake prediction to allow different equations to equal because the wavelet can approximate the exogenous and the endogenous variables. This spontaneous symmetry breaking equation can have applications to business and economics akin to the game theory Nash equation that enabled companies to provide yields to financial instruments without necessarily go through a zero sum equation scenario. This research will allow the economics and finance practioners to apply the model to their respective disciplines to be able to draw the different uses in business and economics in particular risk analysis. Keywords. Mexican hat wavelength mathematical formula, economics and business theory building, Nash equation. JEL. C40, C50, C57.
Impact of Levonorgestrel Intrauterine Device on Endometrial Ablation Utilization for Treatment of Menorrhagia

Abstract Objective: The aim of this research was to determine changes in endometrial ablation utilization following Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the levonorgestrel–intrauterine device (IUD) for treatment of menorrhagia. Materials and Methods: This was a cohort study. All women who had undergone second-generation endometrial ablation or levonorgestrel-IUD placement for treatment of menorrhagia between January of 2009 and December of 2013 were considered for inclusion. Women's cases were excluded if the primary indication for treatment was not menorrhagia or if outpatient evaluation and treatment records were not available for review. Results: A total of 333 cases met study inclusion criteria, including the women who had undergone endometrial ablation (n = 204) or levonorgestrel-IUD placement (n = 129). The primary outcome measured was the number of patients who underwent endometrial ablation or levonorgestrel-IUD placement prior to and following FDA approval of the levonorgestrel-IUD for ...
Minilaparotomy without general anesthesia for the treatment of sigmoid volvulus in high-risk patients: A case series of 4 patients

Abstract Background Sigmoid volvulus (SV) is a common cause of large bowel obstruction worldwide. Presenting symptoms can be nonspecific and varied amongst the elderly population, making medical and surgical management challenging. This population is at markedly increase risk of complications and mortality with surgery under general anesthesia. In this case series, we describe 4 cases of sigmoid volvulus in octogenarians. Goals To demonstrate that sigmoid colectomy under local anesthesia, with or without intravenous conscious sedation, is feasible and can be done safely and with a low rate of converting to a general anesthetic. Results Four patients, mean age 90 years, were admitted a total of 4 times for acute sigmoid volvulus. All patients had serious comorbidities and were classified as ASA III. There was no relevant past surgical history. All patients were severely physically deconditioned but alert and able to interact meaningfully with their families and caregivers. Three patients suffered recurrent volvulus following endoscopic decompression and one patient underwent immediate surgery due to abdominal tenderness. Conclusion Our experience demonstrates that minilaparotomy for sigmoid volvulus is effective and safe. The techniques and can extend the applicability of definitive surgical intervention to this high-risk population of patients. In our series postoperative outcomes were excellent, however, additional studies are needed to determine if this technique results in improved 30-day and long-term mortality and morbidity in high-risk patients and to determine the utility of extending the technique to all patients with sigmoid volvulus.
Acquisition, maintenance, and therapeutic use of a simple motor skill

Operant conditioning of the spinal stretch reflex (SSR) or its electrical analog, the H-reflex, is a valuable experimental paradigm for studying the acquisition and maintenance of a simple motor skill. The central nervous system (CNS) substrate of this skill consists of brain and spinal cord plasticity that operates as a hierarchy — the learning experience induces plasticity in the brain that guides and maintains plasticity in the spinal cord. This is apparent in the two components of the skill acquisition: task-dependent adaptation, reflecting brain plasticity; and long-term change, reflecting gradual development of spinal plasticity. The inferior olive, cerebellum, sensorimotor cortex, and corticospinal tract (CST) are essential components of this hierarchy. The neuronal and synaptic mechanisms of the spinal plasticity are under study. Because acquisition of this skill changes the spinal cord, it can affect other skills, such as locomotion. Thus, it enables investigation of how the highly plastic spinal cord supports the acquisition and maintenance of a broad repertoire of motor skills throughout life. These studies have resulted in the negotiated equilibrium model of spinal cord function, which reconciles the spinal cord's long-recognized reliability as the final common pathway for behaviors with its recently recognized ongoing plasticity. In accord with this model, appropriate H-reflex conditioning in a person with spasticity due to an incomplete spinal cord injury can trigger wider beneficial plasticity that markedly improves walking. H-reflex operant conditioning appears to provide a valuable new method for enhancing functional recovery in people with spinal cord injury and possibly other disorders as well.
Of Ideological Continuums and Sentimental Memories: Enriquillo Sánchez’s Musiquito: Anales de un déspota y de un bolerista

Mendez analyzes Musiquito: Anales de un despota y de un bolerista [Musiquito: Annals of a Despot and a Bolero Writer] by Enriquillo Sanchez. He examines how Sanchez incorporates a postmodern parodic subtext that is inspired by other works of fiction such as Jorge Luis Borges’ short story “Funes el memorioso” to construct his main character, Porfirio Funess. This intertextuality—along with the reference to a key historical figure in the political sphere of Latin America, Rafael Leonidas Trujillo—is central to the characterization of Funess, and subtly illustrates a key idea: an ideological continuum that is expressed through a postmodern decentering of memory, truth, and history. Funess embodies the reality of a succession of political regimes in the Dominican Republic with similar despotic ideology.
The Role of Microfloral and Faunal Interactions in Affecting Soil Processes

Soils and the organisms within them are an integral part of the detritus-decomposition and nutrient-cycling that enables ecosystems to function. The physical, chemical and biotic regimes both buffer and constrain the ongoing nutrient transformations. Using conceptual models and laboratory experiments, a considerable amount of information has been gained about interactions between primary decomposers (bacteria and fungi) and the fauna that feed on them or are predatory on the microbivores. Both bacterial feeders (protozoa and nematodes) and fungal feeders (nematodes) in microcosm experiments showed considerable facilitation of nutrient (nitrogen) return, leading to enhanced nutrient uptake and dry matter yield of test plants.
Piaget and artificial intelligence

Piaget's Genetic Epistemology and Artificial Intelligence can be of great use to each other, since the strengths of each approach complement the weaknesses of the other. Two ways of bringing the two approaches together are suggested: elaborating the parallels between them (such as the concept of schemata), and building AI models based directly on Piaget's theory. How this might benefit AI is illustrated by examining how Piagetian research on problem solving can suggest new ways of building programs that learn.
Valdemar’s Abjection: Poe, Kristeva, Masculinity, and Victim-Monsters

ABSTRACTThis article explores intersections between Edgar Allan Poe’s 1845 tale “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” and Julia Kristeva’s Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection (1982). Highly in...
Low Power Memristor Crossbar Based Winner Takes All Circuit

Edge devices often have to processdata at low power and would benefit from being adaptable. Given that the data coming into these devices is generally unlabeled, unsupervised training on these devices is beneficial. This paper examines a low power approach to implement the winner takes all algorithm, for self-organizing maps through a memristor crossbar based circuit. A novel neuron circuit is designed for the winning neuron detection and lateral inhibition operations. Our experimental results show that the proposed system can self-organize based on unlabeled training data. The proposed design was around 0.002mm$^{\mathbf{2\, $textbf{{in area and consumed about 0.2mW of power. When compared to a CPU, the design had a higher error rate, but was 100 times faster and consumed much lower area and power. Thus when area or power reduction are crucially important, this approach is quite viable.
Cellulose-specific Type B carbohydrate binding modules: understanding oligomeric and non-crystalline substrate recognition mechanisms.

Effective enzymatic degradation of crystalline polysaccharides requires a synergistic cocktail of hydrolytic enzymes tailored to the wide-ranging degree of substrate crystallinity. To accomplish this type of targeted carbohydrate recognition, nature produces multi-modular enzymes, having at least one catalytic domain appended to one or more carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs). The Type B CBM categorization encompasses several families (i.e., protein folds) of CBMs that are generally thought to selectively bind oligomeric polysaccharides; however, a subset of cellulose-specific CBM families (17 and 28) appear to bind non-crystalline cellulose more tightly than oligomers and in a manner that discriminates between surface topology. To provide insight into this unexplained phenomenon, we investigated the molecular-level origins of oligomeric and non-crystalline carbohydrate recognition in cellulose-specific Type B CBMs using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and free energy calculations. Examining two CBMs from three different families (4, 17, and 28), we describe how protein–ligand dynamics contribute to observed variations in binding affinity of oligomers within the same CBM family. Comparisons across the three CBM families identified factors leading to modified functionality prohibiting competitive binding, despite similarity in sequence and specificity. Using free energy perturbation with Hamiltonian replica exchange MD, we also examined the hypothesis that the open topology of the binding grooves in families 17 and 28 necessitates tight binding of an oligomer, while the more confined family 4 binding groove does not require the same degree of tight binding. Finally, we elucidated the mechanisms of non-crystalline carbohydrate recognition by modeling CBMs complexed with a partially decrystallized cellulose substrate. Molecular simulation provided structural and dynamic data for direct comparison to oligomeric modes of carbohydrate recognition, and umbrella sampling MD was used to determine ligand binding free energy. Comparing both protein–carbohydrate interactions and ligand binding free energies, which were in good agreement with experimental values, we confirmed the hypothesis that family 17 and 28 CBMs bind non-crystalline cellulose and oligomers with different affinities (i.e., high and low). Our study provides an unprecedented level of insight into the complex solid and soluble carbohydrate substrate recognition mechanisms of Type B CBMs, the findings of which hold considerable promise for enhancing lignocellulosic biomass conversion technology and development of plant cell wall probes.
The role of rhizobacteria in rice plants: growth and mitigation of toxicity.

Abstract Allelopathic compounds reduce the growth and productivity of upland rice plants, especially in consecutive plantations. The rhizobacteria Pseudomonas fluorescens BRM-32111 and Burkholderia pyrrocinia BRM-32113 have been recorded as growth promoters in rice. This study was developed to understand the effect of the application of rhizobacteria on upland rice plants in consecutive plantations. Experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design with four replications of four treatments: rice seed inoculated with P. fluorescens BRM-32111, rice seed inoculated with B. pyrrocinia BRM-32113 (both sown on soil with rice residue), non-inoculated plants sown on soil with rice residue (control with residue (WR)), and non-inoculated plants on soil with no residue (NR). Roots and seedling growth were adversely affected by allelopathic compounds in control WR plants. Plants inoculated with rhizobacteria P. fluorescens BRM-32111 or B. pyrrocinia BRM-32113 induced an increase of 88% in biomass, 3% in the leaf area, 40% in length, 67% in root biomass, 21% in chlorophyll a, 53% in chlorophyll (a+b), 50% in rate of carbon assimilation (A), 227% in A/rubisco carboxylation efficiency (Ci) and 63% in water use efficiency (WUE) compared to control WR plants. These results indicate that rhizobacteria P. fluorescens BRM-32111 and B. pyrrocinia BRM-32113 increase the tolerance of rice plants to stress from allelochemicals. There are possible practical agricultural applications of these results for mitigating the effects of environmental allelochemistry on upland rice.