cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Natural convection above fires

The turbulent natural convection above fires in a dry calm atmosphere with a constant lapse rate has been the subject of several recent investigation (see references). The present paper presents solution curves from which the natural convection may be computed over a fire of arbitrary size in an atmosphere with arbitrary lapse-rate variation. The independent parameters of fire size, energy release rate (buoyancy), momentum release rate and atmospheric lapse rate are given over the expected range of values. The arbitrary variation of lapse rate is thus calculable as piecewise constant.
Quantitative genetic analysis of blood pressure reactivity to orthostatic tilt using principal components analysis.

Quantitative genetic analysis of blood pressure reactivity to orthostatic tilt using principal components analysis
Extraction of Acceleration Factor Parameters Based on the E model

This article describes how acceleration factor of time-dependent dielectric breakdown is formulated according to the E model. In addition, it demonstrates that there are two independent and equivalent approaches to experimentally obtain the effective dipole moment, a.
SHOULD FINANCIAL LIMITATIONS UPON LIABILITY BE APPLIED TO OIL SPILL REMOVAL AND DAMAGE

ABSTRACT The title of this paper might lead the uninformed to the conclusion that the question is yet to be resolved. To the more knowledgeable it might appear to be a discussion as to the merits of locking the barn long after the horse had been stolen. While several august bodies, including the Congress and the 1969 Brussels International Conference on Marine Pollution Damages have concluded that there should be, at least in certain cases, a financial limitation upon liability for damages resulting from oil spills, the issue is far from dead. The purpose of this paper is to raise the question as to whether financial limitation schemes are the best solution to the problem of cost distribution with regard to damage caused by oil.
Validation of the ActiGraph GT3X and activPAL Accelerometers for the Assessment of Sedentary Behavior

This study examined (a) the validity of two accelerometers (ActiGraph GT3X [ActiGraph LLC, Pensacola, FL, USA] and activPAL [PAL Technologies Ltd., Glasgow, Scotland]) for the assessment of sedentary behavior; and (b) the variations in assessment accuracy by setting minimum sedentary bout durations against a proxy for direct observation using an automated wearable camera in free-living environments. Time spent in sedentary behavior estimated from the GT3X, with varying identification methods (i.e., a hybrid machine learning algorithm, Sojourn, and activity count thresholds), and the activPAL were compared to the criterion measure with and without applying minimum sedentary bout durations. The activPAL assessed sedentary behavior most accurately followed by GT3X with the Sojourn method. The performance of the GT3X is improved when identifying sedentary bouts ≥ 15 min with the Sojourn method or a threshold of < 150 cpm. The activPAL should be considered for studies focusing on sedentary behavior. The abilit...
Retinoids and carotenoids as inhibitors of carcinogenesis and inducers of cell-cell communication.

In cell cultures of carcinogen-initiated fibroblasts, a number of retinoids and carotenoids can reversibly inhibit progression to the transformed state. The anticarcinogenic action of retinoids and carotenoids is closely correlated with enhanced gap-junction cell-to-cell communication and with increased synthesis of the gapjunction protein, connexin.
Parameter estimation and data analysis for stable distributions

It is now practical to use maximum likelihood estimation to estimate stable parameters and to give large sample confidence regions. Just as important as estimating parameters is assessing whether or not a given sample is stably distributed. Diagnostics for this purpose are demonstrated. Several methods of estimating the spectral measure of a multivariate stable distribution are described, and diagnostics for assessing stability of a multivariate sample are also demonstrated.
Production and binding of endothelin-2 (EDN2) in the rat ovary: endothelin receptor subtype A (EDNRA)-mediated contraction

Endothelin-2 (EDN2)-mediated contraction has been proposed as a final mechanical signal facilitating ovulation. The objectives herein were to determine (1) whether ovarian endothelins were increased before ovulation; (2) whether a specific endothelin-converting enzyme (ECE) was mediating their production; (3) which receptor was facilitating ovarian contraction; and (4) whether receptor-specific antagonism affected ovulation. Follicular development was induced in immature rats with 10 IU pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) and the ovulatory cascade was initiated 48 h later with 10 IU human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG). In Experiment 1, an immunoassay revealed that the ovarian concentration of endothelin peptide was increased 7-fold 12 h after hCG when compared with 48 h after PMSG (P < 0.05). In Experiment 2, real-time PCR indicated that mRNA for Ece1, but not Ece2, was increased in granulosa cells collected 12 h after hCG when compared with those collected before the ovulatory stimulus (P < 0.05). In Experiment 3, isometric tension analysis revealed that the contractile effect of EDN2 was mediated by endothelin receptor A (EDNRA), not B (EDNRB). In Experiment 4, no effect was observed on the rate of ovulation when rats were treated with an antagonist specific to EDNRA (BQ123) or EDNRB (BQ788), or when mice were treated with BQ123, BQ788 or BQ123 + BQ788. In conclusion, endothelin peptide is produced before ovulation and the contractile action of EDN2 within the ovary is facilitated via EDNRA. In addition, findings of this study indicate synergistic interactions among contractile factors affect ovulatory outcome, while the role of EDNRB alone in the process of ovulation requires further investigation.
Building Communities of Learning in Family Business Programs

Community-based family business networks face significant challenges if they are to thrive and develop. They can increase their effectiveness by incorporating the principles and practices of a learning community into their programs. This paper presents a learning community approach to family business education where participants explore their assumptions about family and business, challenge their preconceptions, learn from each other, and discover new ways to take action. Also presented here are models for internal and cross-family learning, for professional development of family business participants, and for learning among the professional service sponsors.
Outcomes and Evaluation of the Role of Radiation and Surgery in Vaginal Melanoma

followed by surgical resection. Neoadjuvant treatment appears to be associated with decreased morbidity and acceptable long-term outcomes. We examined the patterns of care for elderly women with locally advanced vulvar cancer. Materials/Methods: Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was used to examine women with stage III-IVA vulvar cancer treated from 1988-2009. Primary therapy (surgery or radiation therapy) was noted for each patient. For those who received primary surgery, use of adjuvant radiation therapy was noted. For those who underwent primary radiation treatment, use of secondary surgery was noted. Multivariable logistic regression models were developed to examine treatment and Cox proportional hazards models used to determine survival. Results: We identified a total of 2292 women with stage III/IVA vulvar cancer. Surgery was the initial therapy in 1757 (77%) while 535 (23%) were treated primarily with radiation. Of the stage III patients, 80% underwent primary surgery whereas 20% underwent primary radiation. Of the stage IVA patients, 63% underwent primary surgery whereas 37% underwent primary radiation. In a multivariable model, women >75 compared to those <60 (ORZ1.33; 95% CI 1.03-1.72), black women (ORZ1.59; 95% CI, 1.14-2.23) and patients with stage IVA tumors (ORZ2.23; 95% CI, 1.78-2.81) were more likely to receive primary radiation. In addition, women diagnosed with vulvar cancer between 2002 and 2009 were significantly more likely to receive primary radiation than patients diagnosed before 1994 (ORZ1.64; 95% CI, 1.22-2.21). Among women treated with primary radiation therapy, only 17.8% ultimately underwent surgical resection. Five-year survival was 50.5% (95% CI, 47.753.3%) for stage III patients treated initially with surgery and 35.9% (95% CI, 30.6-41.3%) for patients who initially received radiation therapy. Among women with stage IVA tumors, five-year survival was 34.0% (28.0%-40.2%) for the primary surgery cohort compared to 18.4% (11.9%26.0%) for those who received primary radiation therapy. Conclusions: Despite evidence from clinical trials, there is limited use of neoadjuvant radiation for women with locally advanced vulvar cancer. Among women treated primarily with radiation, the majority do not ultimately undergo surgical resection. Further studies to compare the outcomes of surgery and radiation for advanced stage vulvar cancer are needed. Author Disclosure: C.S. Sharma: None. I. Deutsch: None. C. Chao: None. S.N. Lewin: None. T.J. Herzog: None. S. Xuming: None. Y. Lu: None. J.D. Wright: None.
COBRA A Multi-path Adaptive Local Load Sensing Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

We propose a family of location-based load balancing muting algorithms for wireless sensor networks (WSNs) called COBRA. In this approach, we combine local load balancing with shortest path routing to strike a balance between hop-count efficiency and load distribution. COBRA's advantages over traditional routing protocols are: (i) a significant reduction of hot-spot occurrences (i. e., nodes or areas of high congestion level), thus enabling longer uninterrupted operation of WSNs, (ii) a light-weight and scalable implementation that requires only local congestion updates, ideal for implementation on computationally challenged platforms, and (iii) combination of routing and congestion avoidance tasks in the protocol stack-a feature that leads to smoother TCP operation over wireless channels with fewer false positives on existing congestion and subsequent sending rate reduction by TCP. We show through simulation that COBRA's local load sensing in combination with a shortest path routing component is a promising paradigm that improves global performance in terms of throughput and scalability, while matching other protocols in the traditional energy efficiency objective.
High concentrations of divalent cations isolate monosynaptic inputs from local circuits in the auditory midbrain.

Hierarchical processing of sensory information occurs at multiple levels between the peripheral and central pathway. Different extents of convergence and divergence in top down and bottom up projections makes it difficult to separate the various components activated by a sensory input. In particular, hierarchical processing at sub-cortical levels is little understood. Here we have developed a method to isolate extrinsic inputs to the inferior colliculus (IC), a nucleus in the midbrain region of the auditory system, with extensive ascending and descending convergence. By applying a high concentration of divalent cations (HiDi) locally within the IC, we isolate a HiDi-sensitive from a HiDi-insensitive component of responses evoked by afferent input in brain slices and in vivo during a sound stimulus. Our results suggest that the HiDi sensitive component is a monosynaptic input to the IC, while the HiDi-insensitive component is a local polysynaptic circuit. Monosynaptic inputs have short latencies, rapid rise times and underlie first spike latencies. Local inputs have variable delays and evoke long-lasting excitation. In vivo, local circuits have variable onset times and temporal profiles. Our results suggest that high concentrations of divalent cations should prove to be a widely useful method of isolating extrinsic monosynaptic inputs from local circuits in vivo.
A Comparison of Standard and “New” Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) in Dogs

Standard CPR, consisting of 60 chest compressions per min with a ventilation interposed after every fifth compression, often allows restoration of spontaneous circulation but cannot be relied upon to preserve the brain during resuscitation attempts. In experimental models, it produces only one-third to one-half of normal cerebral blood flow and cannot sustain EEG activity. Many attempts have been made to augment overall cardiac output during CPR and presumably thereby increase cerebral blood flow. Crile used a pneumatic pressure suit to bind the abdomen and legs, but subsequent investigations found a high risk of hepatic trauma with abdominal binding. Both Wilder and Harris showed in dogs that simultaneous ventilation and compression augment carotid flow. Birch showed in an animal model that prolonged compression increased mean arterial pressure during CPR. Weisfeldt and colleagues of Baltimore have recently extended these findings to man, and combined them into a so-called “New” CPR, which consists of: a) high pressure ventilation simultaneous with sternal compression; b) 40 compressions per min; c) 60% compression duration; and d) abdominal binding.
Play with objects in young males with fragile X syndrome: A preliminary study

Abstract Using the Developmental Play Assessment, this preliminary study described the categories and levels of play with objects produced by 10 young boys with diagnoses of full mutation fragile X syndrome, the leading inherited cause of intellectual disability. Additionally, the study examined concurrent associations between child characteristics and three different summary level variables representing object play skills. Presentation Combinations (i.e., recreating structured configurations of objects) was the highest play level emerging or mastered for all participants. The number of toys touched during the play sample, an index of object interest, was positively related to standardized measures of receptive and expressive language while the number of different actions produced, an index of play diversity, was negatively related to autism symptom severity. Both variables were significantly related to the number of nonverbal communication acts children produced while interacting with their mothers in play. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed. Learning outcomes : Readers will be able to: (1) define a framework for categorizing developmental levels of play; (2) discuss the constructs represented by three different summary level metrics of play with objects; (3) describe the relationship between object-play skills and child characteristics for young males with FXS.
A Conjunctural Model of Political Conflict The Impact of Political Opportunities on the Relationship between Economic Inequality and Violent Political Conflict

Violent political conflict has typically been studied either from an economic discontent or a political opportunity framework. This study proposes a conjunctural model, which hypothesizes that the production of grievances due to economic inequality varies systematically and interacts with political opportunities to generate violent political conflict. Using multiple regression analysis, this cross-national research examines the interaction between economic inequality and political opportunities, and their direct effects on political violence. Findings provide support for the conjunctural model propositions that political opportunity structures moderate the relationship between economic inequality and violent political conflict. Specifically, the positive effects of income inequality and separatist potential on political violence are enhanced in weak states. The impact of class exploitation on violent political conflict is moderated by regime structure and political institutionalization. Findings suggest t...
Semi-structured data management in the enterprise: a nimble, high-throughput, and scalable approach

In this paper we describe an approach and system for managing enterprise semi-structured data that is high-throughput, nimble, and scalable. We present the NETMARK system, which provides for a "schemaless" way of managing semi-structured documents. We describe in particular detail the unique underlying data storage approach and efficient query processing mechanisms given this storage system. We present an extensive benchmark evaluation of the NETMARK system and also compare it with related XML management systems. At the heart of the approach is the philosophy of a focus on most common data management requirements in the enterprise, and not burdening users and application developers with unnecessary complexity and formal schemas.
An Implicit Nonlinearly Consistent Method for the Two-Dimensional Shallow-Water Equations with Coriolis Force

Abstract An implicit and nonlinearly consistent (INC) solution technique is presented for the two-dimensional shallow-water equations. Since the method is implicit, and therefore unconditionally stable, time steps may be used that result in both gravity wave Courant–Friedrichs–Lewy (CFL) numbers and advection CFL numbers being larger than one. By nonlinearly consistent it is meant that all of the unknown variables appear at the same time level in the equations and are solved for simultaneously in an iterative manner (i.e., no splitting errors in time). The INC method is compared to a more traditional semi-implicit method for stepping over the gravity wave stability constraint. Results are presented that show that the second-order-in-time INC method can maintain a high level of accuracy if the dynamical timescale of the system is resolved by the time step. To investigate this difference in temporal integration accuracy between the nonlinearly consistent method and the semi-implicit method an approximate mo...
Target concentration dependence of DNA melting temperature on oligonucleotide microarrays

The design of microarrays is currently based on studies focusing on DNA hybridization reaction in bulk solution. However, the presence of a surface to which the probe strand is attached can make the solution-based approximations invalid, resulting in sub-optimum hybridization conditions. To determine the effect of surfaces on DNA duplex formation, the authors studied the dependence of DNA melting temperature (T(m)) on target concentration. An automated system was developed to capture the melting profiles of a 25-mer perfect-match probe-target pair initially hybridized at 23°C. Target concentrations ranged from 0.0165 to 15 nM with different probe amounts (0.03-0.82 pmol on a surface area of 10(18) A(2)), a constant probe density (5 × 10(12) molecules/cm(2)) and spacer length (15 dT). The authors found that T(m) for duplexes anchored to a surface is lower than in-solution, and this difference increases with increasing target concentration. In a representative set, a target concentration increase from 0.5 to 15 nM with 0.82 pmol of probe on the surface resulted in a T(m) decrease of 6°C when compared with a 4°C increase in solution. At very low target concentrations, a multi-melting process was observed in low temperature domains of the curves. This was attributed to the presence of truncated or mismatch probes.
Retrofit of Built-Up Steel Columns: Modeling and Fundamental Behavior

AbstractCover plates are often added to built-up steel columns as an effective retrofit method for increasing strength. For retrofitted columns, the original member carries all loads, whereas the added cover plates resist only the loads applied after their addition. As a result, the original member may yield before the added cover plates. Although some specifications provide guidance for evaluating the capacity of retrofitted columns, the approaches are conservative and do not address the behavior of retrofitted columns if portions of the original cross section yield first because of preload. In this paper, the behavior and strength of retrofitted built-up columns, as well as the influence of the cover plates, are evaluated using two analysis approaches: (1) three-dimensional finite-element analysis and (2) nonlinear inelastic column buckling analysis. Both approaches include the effects of geometric imperfections, column slenderness, cyclic loading, and temperature gradient on the behavior and strength o...
Susceptibility of immunodeficient gene-knockout mice to urinary tract infection.

AbstractPurpose: Clinical and experimental evidence indicates that mucosal immunity to urinary tract infection involves B and T-cell functions. The present study was conducted to assess the susceptibility of immunocompetent and immunodeficient mice with genetically engineered deletions in T and B-cell functions to experimentally induced urinary tract infections (UTI) with Escherichia coli.Materials and Methods: Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-10, inducible nitric oxide synthase, T cell receptor (TCR) delta-chain and JH D B cell-deficient gene knockout mice and their immunocompetent controls were challenged with uropathogenic Escherichia coli. The bladders and kidneys were cultured for viable E. coli at time intervals after intraurethral challenge to assess susceptibility to an experimentally induced UTI.Results: Knockout mice with gamma delta-T cell or IFN-gamma deficiencies were more susceptible to UTI than immunocompetent mice or mice with immunodeficiencies in IL-10, IL-4, induci...
The efficacy of using a taxonomic approach in predicting performance of Navy tasks

The objective of this research was to validate the use of Fleishman's human abilities taxonomy approach in predicting human performance in loading the U.S. Navy's Close-In Weapon System (CIWS). An experiment was conducted that compared actual and predicted performance of CIWS loading operations. Twenty-one male students and staff from the Close-In Weapon System School, Fleet Training Center, were participants in the experiment. They ranged in age from 20 to 35 years (mean = 27.2, standard deviation = 4.88) with an average of 81.1 months (standard deviation = 51.83) of military experience and 23.95 months of CIWS loading experience. Each participant was tested in the human abilities identified for CIWS loading operations, and the test results were correlated with recorded times of the loading tasks. Correlations were performed using bivariate regression analysis. The results of the experiment showed high linear relations between human abilities scores and CIWS loading times. The results show that the participants who scored highest on the human abilities tests completed the loading tasks in the shortest time. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Theoretical Analysis of a Low Dispersion SiGe LNA for Ultra-Wideband Applications

We demonstrate a low dc power consumption SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) low noise amplifier (LNA) for ultra-wideband (UWB) applications covering the 0.5GHz to 10GHz band. Using theoretical analysis, the dominant design factor for low group delay variation is identified and applied to UWB LNA design. The implemented SiGe LNA achieves a gain of 13dB, a minimum noise figure of 3.3dB, and an IIP3 of -7.5dBm between 0.5GHz and 10GHz, while consuming a dc power of only 9.6mW. This SiGe UWB LNA exhibits less than 22ps of uniform group delay variation over the entire band. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first attempt to analyze the effects of group delay variation on the operation of wideband LNAs
Fact learning: how information accuracy, delay, and repeated testing change retention and retrieval experience.

Previous classroom studies have shown that the phenomenology of studied facts changes over time. However, pedagogical needs preclude both the study of errors and the separation of the effects that delay and repeated testing have on retention and retrieval experience. We addressed these issues together in an experiment where participants read stories containing correct and misleading information and provided Remember, Just Know, and Familiar judgements on immediate and delayed general knowledge tests. After 2 days, information learned from the stories shifted from Remembered to Just Known, but repeated testing attenuated this shift. Interestingly, similar patterns of retrieval and phenomenology were observed for correct and misleading information with one important difference*the shift over time to Just Knowing was significantly greater for correct than for misleading information. Together, these findings show the roles of information accuracy, delay, and testing in determining both retention and the subjective experience of retrieval.
Underwater repair with composites

Externally bonded fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites have been used for over 30 years to repair and strengthen concrete structures. The availability of resins that can cure under wet conditions made it possible to extend its application to repairing partially submerged concrete elements. This chapter provides an overview on the use of FRP composites for repairing corroding concrete piles subjected to tidal wet/dry cycles in a marine environment. A brief description of available composite repair systems is first presented followed by a summary on advances made over the past ten years. The final section explores future research directions.
Modelling entrepreneurial career progressions: concepts and considerations

Studying entrepreneurship longitudinally is in effect a study of entrepreneurial careers, but there is little vocational theory specific to self-employment, much less entrepreneurship. Using Edgar Schein's Career Anchor Theory as a starting point, the existing anchors of autonomy and entrepreneurship are adapted to facilitate secondary analysis using existing longitudinal datasets. A model of career progression or trajectory, which would permit analysis of the self-employed as well as others, is developed using six variables. The first three come from Schein's “career cone” model of vocational movement–-hierarchy, function, and centrality. Three new variables are derived from a diverse literature on entrepreneurship–-employment duration, job multiplicity, and self-employment emergence. One approach to the operationalization of these six variables Is shown using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, and implications for future research and theorizing on entrepreneurial career progression are given.
Effects of Partial-Design-Strength Concrete on the Seismic Performance of Concrete-Filled Tube Columns in Accelerated Bridge Construction

This study evaluated the seismic performance of circular concrete-filled tube (CCFT) columns in accelerated bridge construction (ABC). In these projects, the bridge should be open to service after a couple of days. For this reason, this study evaluated the ability of CCFT columns to perform adequately under gravitational and seismic loading before the concrete reached its design strength at 28 days. A reduced seismic hazard that accounted for this temporal condition was implemented, and a performance evaluation was performed to obtain the CCFT column probability of failure. The performance of a CCFT column was compared with that of a circular reinforced concrete (RC) column of a Caltrans bridge. Probabilistic analyses using reduced seismic loads for the temporary condition indicated that CCFT columns with partial design concrete compressive strength can be used for ABC without resulting in an increased probability of failure.
Some observations on the vertical distribution of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizae in roots of salt marsh grasses growing in saturated soils.

(1993). Some Observations on the Vertical Distribution of Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizae in Roots of Salt Marsh Grasses Growing in Saturated Soils. Mycologia: Vol. 85, No. 4, pp. 547-550.
Environment Management of the livestock Industry in New Rural Construction:A Case in Gansu Province

In the process of accelerating China's new rural construction,pollution from livestock industry is increasingly prominent.The laws and regulations of the pollution of livestock industry are carried out,but it's far behind the seriousness of the pollution.Combined with the actual pollution situation of livestock industry in Gansu Province,this paper puts forward four specific environmental management measures in the prevention and control of pollution:(1) Reasonable planning,stoping the regional pollution;(2) Strengthening the environmental management of scale livestock industry,carry out the "Three simultaneity";(3) Researching and extent the recycling of the waste keeping free-roaming type of scale;(4) Strengthening the environmental management training.
Gender Antagonism in Females' Writings

In the works of the contemporary female writers, as soon as the optimistic female having day-dreams found that life was not as glorious as imagined, and the harmony between two genders instantly collapsed. Therefore, they began to rewrite the real situation where both genders get along with each other in the modern society-antagonism between two genders.
Experimental study on silica dust induced celluar damage to human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cell

Objective To explore the damage mechanism of free silica dust on human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cell( A549 cell). Methods Three dose treated groups( low-,middle-and high-dose treated groups) of A549 cells were treated with free silica dust for 24 hours to establish the cell experiment model. The final concentrations of silica dust suspension were 50. 0,100. 0 and 200. 0 mg /L at each dose group respectively. The control group was not treated with silica dust. The cell survival rate was detected by thiazole blue method,the apoptosis and reactive oxygen species( ROS) relative levels were measured by flow cytometry. Results The cell survival rates in high- and middle- dose treated groups were lower than that in the control group respectively [( 88. 68 ± 4. 23) % vs( 100. 00 ± 4. 04) %,( 80. 12 ± 5. 17) % vs( 100.00 ±4.04) %,P 0.05],and lower than that in the low dose group [( 88.68 ±4.23) % vs( 94.36 ±6.10) %,( 80.12 ±5.17) % vs( 94.36 ± 6.10) %,P 0. 05]. The cells apoptosis rates were higher in the three dose treated groups than that in the control group respectively [( 4. 27 ± 0. 79) % vs( 1. 08 ± 0. 14) %,( 6. 25 ± 0. 42) % vs( 1. 08 ±0. 14) %,( 8. 93 ± 1. 40) % vs( 1. 08 ± 0. 14) %,P 0. 05]. The differences among the three dose treated groups were statistical significant differences respectively( P 0. 05). The relative levels of ROS in the three treated groups were higher than that in the control group respectively [( 1. 23 ± 0. 01) % vs( 1. 00 ± 0. 03) %,( 1. 40 ± 0. 03) % vs( 1. 00 ±0. 03) %,( 1. 36 ± 0. 02) % vs( 1. 00 ± 0. 03) %,P 0. 05〗. The relative levels of ROS in high- and middle- dose treated group were higher than that in low dose group respectively( P 0. 05). The apoptosis rate( ^y) increased with the increase of relative level of ROS( x) when silica dust concentration was 0. 0-100. 0 mg /L [regression equation: ^y = 12. 886x- 11. 760,decision coefficient = 0. 949,P 0. 05]. Conclusion The production of ROS caused by silica dust is one important factor leading to apoptosis. The ROS production and apoptosis are very important in the process of epithelial injury by silica dust.
Prevention of de novo hepatitis B infection after liver transplantation with allografts from hepatitis B core antibody positive donors.

The frequent scarcity of organ donors has made it necessary to consider transplantation of organs that may have the potential to transmit hepatitis B virus (HBV) to the recipient. Previous reports have documented the probability of infection of particular recipient populations with transplanted livers from hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) positive donors. Results have varied depending on the status of the recipients with respect to antibodies directed at the virus. Anti-HBc-positive and anti-HBs-positive recipients were generally resistant to hepatitis B infection, with the former infected at a low rate and the latter not at all. However, the probability of de novo HBV infection in naive recipients (anti-HBc- negative and anti-HBs-negative) was quite high (about 70%). The survival rate for infected patients is similar to those who are uninfected, but a significant percentage of infected patients will develop chronic hepatitis and a small percentage will develop allograft failure. Also reported here is a protocol designed to prevent the adverse consequences to naive recipients receiving livers from anti-HBc-positive donors. Hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIg) and lamivudine were utilized to prevent transmission of the hepatitis B virus. This combination has prevented de novo infections in all patients tested thus far. There are indications that HBIg or lamivudine may not be as effective when administered separately.
Checkpoint inhibition in meningiomas

Meningiomas are increasingly appreciated to share similar features with other intra-axial central nervous system neoplasms as well as systemic cancers. Immune checkpoint inhibition has emerged as a promising therapy in a number of cancers, with durable responses of years in a subset of patients. Several lines of evidence support a role for immune-based therapeutic strategies in the management of meningiomas, especially high-grade subtypes. Meningiomas frequently originate juxtaposed to venous sinuses, where an anatomic conduit for lymphatic drainage resides. Multiple populations of immune cells have been observed in meningiomas. PD-1/PD-L1 mediated immunosuppression has been implicated in high-grade meningiomas, with association between PD-L1 expression with negative prognostic outcome. These data point to the promise of future combinatorial therapeutic strategies in meningioma.
Global Times Call for Global Measures: Investigating Automated Essay Scoring in Linguistically-Diverse MOOCs.

This paper utilizes a case-study design to discuss global aspects of massive open online course (MOOC) assessment. Drawing from the literature on open-course models and linguistic gatekeeping in education, we position freeform assessment in MOOCs as both challenging and valuable, with an emphasis on current practices and student resources. We report on the findings from a linguistically-diverse pharmacy MOOC, taught by a native English speaker, which utilized an automated essay scoring (AES) assignment to engage students in the application of course content. Native English speakers performed better on the assignment overall, across both automated- and human-graders. Additionally, our results suggest that the use of an AES system may disadvantage non-native English speakers, with agreement between instructor and AES scoring being significantly lower for non-native English speakers. Survey responses also revealed that students often utilized online translators, though analyses showed that this did not detrimentally affect essay grades. Pedagogical and future assignment suggestions are then outlined, utilizing a multicultural-lens and acknowledging the possibility of certain assessments disadvantaging non-native English speakers within an English-based MOOC system.
The sequential acquisition of pronominal reference in narrative discourse

This study investigates the use of pronominal reference in narrative discourse in the stories of 57 children in five age groups. Sixty-two subjects participated in this study: 57 children, and 5 ad...
TYROSINE HYDROXYLASE: A SUBSTRATE FOR CYCLIC AMP-DEPENDENT PROTEIN KINASE IN VITRO

ABSTRACT A near homogeneous preparation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) from a transplantable rat pheochromocytoma has been found to incorporate 32P from [γ-32P]ATP in the presence of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit and Mg++. The phosphate incorporation is highly correlated with activation of TH at subsaturating concentrations of pterin cofactor. Approximately 1 mole of 32P is incorporated into each mole of TH subunit.
Waveform Window #37: Fact or Artifact, 2nd Edition.

Fact or Artifact: Back by popular demand! Artifact recognition is an essential skill in the interpretation of EEG. This can be especially challenging when reviewing ambulatory and long-term monitor...
Early characteristic radiographic changes in mucolipidosis II.

Background Although mucolipidosis type II has similar metabolic abnormalities to those found in all the mucopolysaccharidoses and mucolipidoses, there are distinctive diagnostic radiographic changes of mucolipidosis II in the perinatal/newborn/infant period.
Pulse Delay Estimation Using Epoch Folding

In this chapter we offer our first approach for estimation of the pulse delay. The proposed approach is to retrieve the photon intensity functions on each detector via epoch folding to obtain the empirical rate functions, i.e., \(\breve{{\lambda }}_{k}(t)\). Then, the empirical intensities will be used for estimation of the initial phase on each detector.
Conservative management of uremic pericardial effusions

Although there has been a recent trend toward early operative treatment of uremic pericardial effusions unresponsive to intensified dialysis, this approach may be unnecessarily aggressive. Review of 787 patients in our chronic dialysis program since 1969 has shown 54 patients (6.9 percent) to have developed 56 episodes of large pericardial effusion. All were managed by increasing the frequency of dialysis. If the effusion failed to diminish or if life-threatening signs of tamponade developed, pericardiocentesis was performed. In 63 percent (35/56) the effusion resolved with increased dialysis. In 37 percent (21/56), pericardiocentesis was performed, with 57 percent (12/21) requiring only one aspiration. During a mean follow-up of 34 months (2 to 100 months) only 5.5 percent (3/54) have undergone operation: one partial pericardiectomy incidental to pulmonary decortication and two pericardiectomies for late (3 months and 5 months, respectively) constriction. There were five complications of pericardiocentesis: one pneumothorax, one pneumoperitoneum, one costochondritis, and two myocardial punctures without sequelae. The one death related to pericardial effusion in this series occurred in a home-dialysis patient who arrived in the emergency room moribund. Our experience suggests that the great majority of uremic pericardial effusions can be effectively controlled with simple needle aspiration by experienced personnel and that pericardial resection is usually not necessary.
Sex-based disparities in venous thromboembolism outcomes: A National Inpatient Sample (NIS)-based analysis:

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) contributes to significant morbidity, mortality, and socioeconomic burden. There is a paucity of literature regarding sex-based sociodemographic differences in VTE presentation and short-term outcomes. We aimed to compare clinical outcomes between men and women hospitalized for VTE management. We performed a retrospective analysis using data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2012 to 2013. Inclusion criteria were age 18 years and older and a primary discharge diagnosis of VTE. Sociodemographic features and medical comorbidities were analyzed, as were hospital length of stay and in-hospital mortality rates. A total of 107,896 patients met the inclusion criteria; 53% were female. Median age was 65 years (interquartile range 51-77) and women were older than men (65 vs 62 years, p<0.001). There were significant differences between men and women with respect to race, primary insurance payer and medical comorbidities, and small differences with respect to VTE location. Female sex was associated with a small but significantly longer hospital length of stay (mean ratio 1.04, 95% CI 1.03-1.05, p<0.001) but no significant difference in in-hospital mortality (2.2% vs 2.1%, p=0.15). In a multivariate model, there was no significant difference between women and men with respect to hospital length of stay or in-hospital mortality. In conclusion, we used data from the NIS to study over 100,000 patients hospitalized for VTE, and identified several sex-based disparities in sociodemographic factors and location of VTE. However, in a multivariable analysis correcting for these factors, sex was not associated with significant differences in clinical outcomes.
Imaging of anticancer drug action in single cells

Imaging is widely used in anticancer drug development, typically for whole-body tracking of labelled drugs to different organs or to assess drug efficacy through volumetric measurements. However, increasing attention has been drawn to pharmacology at the single-cell level. Diverse cell types, including cancer-associated immune cells, physicochemical features of the tumour microenvironment and heterogeneous cell behaviour all affect drug delivery, response and resistance. This Review summarizes developments in the imaging of in vivo anticancer drug action, with a focus on microscopy approaches at the single-cell level and translational lessons for the clinic.
Complete genitourinary reconstruction in female epispadias

While female epispadias is a rare congenital anomaly, the treatment of complete epispadias in the female patient does not significantly differ from that of their male counterparts, although the female defect can be overlooked as a cause of incontinence. Attention must be given to the creation of an adequate urethral channel so that an adequate bladder capacity can be achieved and eventual bladder neck plasty can be performed. Finally, attention must be given to the reconstruction of the external genital defect. During the last 7 years 11 female patients with complete epispadias were treated. Of these patients 4 were referred from elsewhere and 3 had failed a previous procedure (2 had recently undergone external genital and urethral reconstruction, 1 underwent urinary diversion after multiple failed bladder neck procedures). Nine patients underwent bladder neck plasty: 5 are completely continent day and night, 3 are dry for greater than 3 hours during the day, and 1 is dry for only 1 to 3 hours during the day and wet at night, for an overall continence rate of 87.5%. Our experience with these patients has taught us that the bladder in this condition is much like that found in complete male epispadias. Therefore, creating a urethral outlet with sufficient length and resistance along with simultaneous reconstruction of the external genitalia allows for bladder regrowth, thus, facilitating achievement of greater volumes and bladder neck reconstruction with an excellent chance of success.
Sliding Mode Boundary Control of an Euler–Bernoulli Beam Subject to Disturbances

In this paper, a control technique is presented for an undamped, pinned–pinned Euler–Bernoulli beam with control inputs and bounded disturbances on one boundary. The control strategy drives the system to its origin at an arbitrary exponential rate in the presence of the disturbances. This is achieved in two main steps. First, a backstepping transformation is used to convert the marginally stable Euler–Bernoulli beam system to a new form that has an exponentially stable homogeneous form. Control inputs are needed to fully convert the system to this form; however, since they are distorted by unknown bounded disturbances, the next step implements a sliding mode controller to account for them. The proposed sliding manifolds require a combination of classical and “second order” techniques in order to avoid discontinuous chattering on the physical system. Therefore, the continuous sliding mode controllers developed return the beam to its origin at an arbitrary exponential rate, and do so in the presence of unknown bounded disturbances on the boundary. The main contributions of this paper with respect to previous backstepping designs for the Euler–Bernoulli beam are that all three of the following goals are accomplished together: (i) steady-state position is the origin, (ii) decay rate has no theoretical restrictions, and (iii) is robust to bounded disturbances.
Semi-Automated Coding for Qualitative Research: A User-Centered Inquiry and Initial Prototypes

Qualitative researchers perform an important and painstaking data annotation process known as coding. However, much of the process can be tedious and repetitive, becoming prohibitive for large datasets. Could coding be partially automated, and should it be? To answer this question, we interviewed researchers and observed them code interview transcripts. We found that across disciplines, researchers follow several coding practices well-suited to automation. Further, researchers desire automation after having developed a codebook and coded a subset of data, particularly in extending their coding to unseen data. Researchers also require any assistive tool to be transparent about its recommendations. Based on our findings, we built prototypes to partially automate coding using simple natural language processing techniques. Our top-performing system generates coding that matches human coders on inter-rater reliability measures. We discuss implications for interface and algorithm design, meta-issues around automating qualitative research, and suggestions for future work.
Reply to Cheong et al.: Unicellular survival precludes Parrondo's paradox.

Parrondo’s paradox is a scenario in game theory in which a combination of two losing strategies (“losing” here defined as population decline) can result in a “winning” strategy (population persistence) when different strategies are used in different conditions (1). For example, hares that are constitutively either brown or white may suffer strong predation during the winter or summer, respectively, making both coat colors losing strategies. A hare that alternates between brown in the summer and white in the winter, however, can successfully avoid predation in both seasons. Cheong … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: pgnelson{at}email.arizona.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
The Tax Court's Home

This article analyzes issues related to the Tax Court’s constitutional status. Although the issue has been debated for decades, recent litigation has revived the issue. In Battat v. Commissioner, the primary issue before Tax Court was whether the President’s limited removal power over tax judges violates the Constitution’s separation of powers. In addressing this issue, the Tax Court outlined the background on the Tax Court’s status to show the Tax Court is not in the Executive branch. Further, the Battat opinion holds that even though the court exercises judicial power, the Tax Court does not exercise the “judicial power of the United States” reserved for Article III courts. Thus, the President’s limited removal power presents no separation of powers violation. The Tax Court did not reach an ultimate answer as to which branch of the government it resides, but it does provide background showing that it lies outside the Executive branch. To determine which branch the Tax Court resides, the article first examines whether the Tax Court is an Article III court. As an Article III court, the Tax Court would be in the Judicial branch. Under the two approaches in the case law permitting non-Article III courts to exercise limited judicial power, the formalistic approach would suggest the Tax Court is not an Article III court. However, recent cases applying the second approach (i.e., the functional approach) could reach a contrary determination. Next, this article looks at whether the Tax Court may reside in the Judicial branch even if it does not exercise the “judicial power of the United States.” For reasons related to the how the Constitution set up the government, the Tax Court likely may call the Judicial branch its home.
Adverse effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on bone health

Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors offer attractive metabolic and cardiorenal benefits for patients with type 2 diabetes, but are associated with a number of safety issues. A recent study documented that SGTL2 inhibition indirectly triggers the FGF23/1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D/parathyroid hormone axis, which may contribute to adverse effects on bone health.