cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A genetic algorithm for one -job m -machine flowshop lot streaming with variable sublots

Lot streaming is a technique used to split the processing of lots (batches) into several sublots (transfer batches) to allow the overlapping of operations in a multistage manufacturing systems thereby shortening the production makespan. In this technique, a production lot may be split into equal, consistent or variable sublots. Recent literature shows that, when production setup time is considered, significant lead time improvement is possible if variable sublots are used. In this research, however, we noted that lot streaming problems with variable sublots are difficult to solve using off-shelf optimisation packages even for problems of smaller sizes. Thus, efficient solution procedures are needed for solving such problems. In this paper, we develop a hybrid genetic algorithm for a model that appeared in recent literature for one -job m -machine lot streaming problems with variable sublots and setup. Computational results showed that the performance of the proposed genetic algorithm is encouraging.
Dose, duration, and pattern of nicotine administration as determinants of behavioral dependence in rats.

Relatively little is known about the role of dose, duration, and pattern of nicotine exposure in the development of dependence. Disruption of learned behavior during antagonist-precipitated withdrawal can be a sensitive, quantitative measure of behavioral dependence. The present study sought to determine whether behavioral dependence upon nicotine could be induced in rats and, if so, what exposure conditions were essential for inducing it. Our primary focus was on whether continuous exposure over several days was necessary to produce dependence. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were trained to lever press under fixed-ratio 10 schedules of food reinforcement during daily, 15-min experimental sessions. Nicotine was then administered s.c. via osmotic minipumps that delivered various nicotine dosage regimens, some including 24-h nicotine-free periods, to manipulate pattern of exposure. The presence of dependence was tested with challenges with the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist, mecamylamine, or during spontaneous withdrawal. After 7 days of 3, 6, and 12 mg kg−1 day−1 nicotine administration, response rates were significantly reduced in nicotinized, but not in saline-treated rats following mecamylamine challenges. Subsequent studies demonstrated that 4 days, but not 3 days, of cumulative 3 mg kg−1 day−1 nicotine administration was sufficient to induce dependence. The induction of dependence could be prevented by imposing a nicotine-free period between the first and second days during these 4-day regimens but not at other times. Behavioral dependence upon nicotine can be induced in the rat, and its induction is dependent upon its cumulative duration and pattern of exposure suggesting that tobacco dependencies could be controlled by similar determinants.
Are native brook charr and introduced rainbow trout differentially adapted to upstream and downstream reaches

Abstract— Due to species introductions, brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) occur together in many North American streams and typically exhibit a pattern of distribution in which brook charr numerically dominate headwaters and rainbow trout dominate downstream reaches. It has been suggested that 1) the two species compete or 2) the two species do not compete because they are differentially adapted to environmental conditions found in upstream and downstream zones. We assessed whether there were differences in growth and macrohabitat (pool, run and riffle) selection of brook charr and rainbow trout in upper, middle and lower stream zones of a small Pennsylvania stream. Brook charr and rainbow trout placed in replicate paired enclosures set in upstream and downstream reaches showed no significant differences in growth and survival rates upstream, but brook charr had significantly greater growth rates than rainbow trout downstream. Enclosed fish and free-ranging fish both had negative growth rates during the summer. Enclosed fish lost significantly less weight than free-ranging fish. Instantaneous growth rates of free-ranging adult brook charr and rainbow trout from May to August were negative for both species in all stream zones. Underwater observations of adult brook charr and rainbow trout showed both species occurred significantly more often in pool macrohabitats than expected on the basis of macrohabitat availability, except for rainbow trout in the upstream zone. The proportion of pool macrohabitat was not significantly different among stream zones. Brook charr do not appear to be better adapted to upstream environments in Powdermill Run based on growth, survival and macrohabitat selection during summer. Negative biotic interactions acting along with differential environmental adaptations may explain the pattern of distribution of brook charr and rainbow trout in streams, but long-term transplant experiments with additional life stages will be necessary to examine this hypothesis.
Failure of growth hormone alone to potentiate epinephrine-induced lipolysis.

SummaryPretreatment of hypophysectomized rats with growth hormone 3.5 hr before sacrifice significantly increased free fatty acid (FFA) production by epididymal fat incubated in vitro in the presence of epinephrine. No change in glycerol production in response to epinephrine was seen even when rats were pretreated with growth hormone for 3 days. In replicate tissues from the same animals, pretreatment with growth hormone significantly increased glycerol production in response to theophylline. It is suggested that growth hormone may exert a small effect on the basal activity of adenyl cyclase.The superb technical assistance rendered by Mrs. Rosalie Snyder and Mrs. Eleanor Herzog is gratefully acknowledged.
Electroincision of refractory esophagogastric anastomotic strictures

SUMMARY. Most esophagogastric anastomotic strictures can be successfully managed with endoscopic dilation. However, strictures that do not respond to repeated dilation (refractory strictures) are difficult to manage. We report a series of nine patients treated with needle-knife electroincision of symptomatic esophagogastric anastomotic strictures refractory to balloon or Savary dilation. Prior to needle-knife electroincision, the median symptom-free interval between dilations was 13 days; median number of dilations was six (range 3–12). After electroincision, 8/9 patients have experienced a reduction in dysphagia symptoms and a reduced need for endoscopic dilations (follow-up: 90–420 days). No complications occurred. Needle-knife stricturoplasty of refractory esophagogastric anastomotic strictures may produce improved clinical results and may delay or eliminate dysphagia recurrence.
Developmental regulation of excision timing of Mutator transposons of maize: Comparison of standard lines and an early excision bzl::Mu1 line

Three characteristics of standard Mutator lines reflect developmental regulation: new mutants usually involve single gametes, somatic excision is restricted to terminal cell divisions during tissue development, and germinal excision is rare. By selection for earlier (larger) somatic sectors in the aleurone, a Mutator line was identified that exhibits a dramatic elevation in somatic excision frequency during the first three nuclear divisions of the endosperm and more than a 10-fold increase in germinal reversion from the bzl::Mul reporter gene. The programming of early sectoring is dominant in crosses with Mutator lines containing diverse reporter alleles. Germinal reversion is biased 5- to 10-fold for events through the pollen compared to the ear. The timing of germinal excision in the tassel is late because somatic excision sectors in the anthers are small; however, 98% of the germinal revertants are concordant. These observations indicate that in the early sectoring line Mu excision usually occurs before the mitotic divisions that separate gametic nuclei and may be restricted to the early stages of microsporogenesis. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Ipsilateral versus contralateral extinction in dichotic listening resulting from hemisphere lesions.

Summary A study is presented of verbal dichotic listening by twenty-eight left brain-injured aphasic patients and twenty right brain-injured non-aphasic patients. The total population of the study was right-handed. The results reveal that the right hemisphere damaged group demonstrated exclusive extinction of the signals received by the contralateral left ear. The left hemisphere damaged group was divided between those who demonstrated extinction of the contralateral right ear and a significant number of subjects who demonstrated. what. might appear to be paradoxical extinction of the ipsilateral left ear. This ipsilateral extinction is presented as being less paradoxical by a model which postulates that competition between signals received by both ears occurs in the left hemisphere. The signal from the right ear arrives there directly via the more important decussating route but the information from the left ear reaches the left hemisphere via the stronger decussating route to the right hemisphere and anterior commissural fibers. By this model only a left hemisphere lesion can affect the information from either the contralateral or ipsilateral ear.
A construct with fluorescent indicators for conditional expression of miRNA

Transgenic RNAi holds promise as a simple, low-cost, and fast method for reverse genetics in mammals. It may be particularly useful for producing animal models for hypomorphic gene function. Inducible RNAi that permits spatially and temporally controllable gene silencing in vivo will enhance the power of transgenic RNAi approach. Furthermore, because microRNA (miRNA) targeting specific genes can be expressed simultaneously with protein coding genes, incorporation of fluorescent marker proteins can simplify the screening and analysis of transgenic RNAi animals. We sought to optimally express a miRNA simultaneously with a fluorescent marker. We compared two construct designs. One expressed a red fluorescent protein (RFP) and a miRNA placed in its 3' untranslated region (UTR). The other expressed the same RFP and miRNA, but the precursor miRNA (pre-miRNA) coding sequence was placed in an intron that was inserted into the 3'-UTR. We found that the two constructs expressed comparable levels of miRNA. However, the intron-containing construct expressed a significantly higher level of RFP than the intron-less construct. Further experiments indicate that the 3'-UTR intron enhances RFP expression by its intrinsic gene-expression-enhancing activity and by eliminating the inhibitory effect of the pre-miRNA on the expression of RFP. Based on these findings, we incorporated the intron-embedded pre-miRNA design into a conditional expression construct that employed the Cre-loxP system. This construct initially expressed EGFP gene, which was flanked by loxP sites. After exposure to Cre recombinase, the transgene stopped EGFP expression and began expression of RFP and a miRNA, which silenced the expression of specific cellular genes. We have designed and tested a conditional miRNA-expression construct and showed that this construct expresses both the marker genes strongly and can silence the target gene efficiently upon Cre-mediated induction of the miRNA expression. This construct can be used to increase the efficiency of making cell lines or transgenic animals that stably express miRNA targeting specific genes.
High Gas Permeability in Open-Structure Membranes

For most polymeric membranes, the gas permeability coefficient (P) is often interpreted as the product of diffusivity (D) and solubility (S) of a penetrant gas in the polymer (P=D S). The basic assumption is that molecular diffusion is primarily responsible for mass transport in the membrane permeation process. However, for some open structure membranes, such as poly(1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne) [PTMSP] or poly(dimethylsiloxane) [PDMS], the high permeabilities of some gases yield much higher diffusivities when calculated from the above relationship (P=D S) than when calculated by using the direct kinetic measurement of diffusivity. It is hypothesized that this discrepancy is due to the convective transport of gas molecules through such open structured polymers. In most cases, the convective contribution to mass transport through membranes is negligible. However, for polymer membranes with high free volume, such as PTMSP, whose free volume fraction is 20 to 25%, the convective term may dominate the permeation flux. In this study, a non-equilibrium thermodynamic formalism is employed to properly treat the diffusion term and convective term that constitute the Nernst-Planck equation. The current analysis indicates that the total permeation flux, which consists of a diffusion term and a convective term, agrees well with the experimental data for several permeation systems: pure components propane and n-butane/PTMSP, pure gas hydrogen/PTMSP, and mixed gas hydrogen/PTMSP. Also, the permeation systems of a nonporous rubbery membrane, PDMS, and eight organophosphorus compounds were included in the study. It is recommended that the proposed model be validated by using other polymers with high free volumes and high permeabilities of gases and vapors, such as poly(1-trimethylgermyl-1-propyne) [PTMGeP] and poly(4-methyl-2-pentyne) [PMP].
Fibroblast growth factor and bone morphogenetic protein signaling are required for specifying prechondrogenic identity in neural crest‐derived mesenchyme and initiating the chondrogenic program

The pharyngeal endoderm is hypothesized as the source of local signals that specify the identity of neural crest-derived mesenchyme in the arches. Sox9 is induced and maintained in prechondrogenic cells during condensation formation and endochondral ossification. Using explant culture, we determined that pharyngeal endoderm was sufficient, but not necessary for specifying prechondrogenic identity, as surrounding tissues including the otic vesicle can compensate for signals from the pharyngeal endoderm. Multiple Fgf genes are expressed specifically in the pharyngeal endoderm subjacent to the neural crest-derived mesenchyme. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling is both sufficient and required for specification of Sox9 expression and specification of prechondrogenic identity, as demonstrated by the addition of recombinant FGF protein or the FGF receptor inhibitor (SU5402) to explanted tissue, respectively. However, FGF signaling cannot maintain Sox9 expression or initiate the chondrogenic program as indicated by the absence of Col2a1 transcripts. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 4 signaling can induce and maintain Sox9 expression in isolated mesenchyme, but only in combination with FGF signaling induce Col2a1 expression, and thus, chondrogenesis. Given the spatiotemporal expression patterns of FGFs and BMPs in the pharyngeal arches, we suggest that this may represent a general mechanism of local signals specifying prechondrogenic identity and initiation of the chondrogenic program. Developmental Dynamics 241:1091–1103, 2012. V C 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
BRICS’ Pursuit of Multipolarity: Response in the United States

In the last few years, “the BRICS” or Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa have been increasingly investing in developing their cooperation and seeking to exert joint global influence. BRICS’ mobilization has been visible in the cooperation of high-level officials, deeper policy coordination, and the creation of BRICS institutions. As the BRICS intensify their pursuit of multipolarity, surprisingly little attention has been paid to the ways in which the BRICS has been received in the United States (US), which is a crucial stakeholder in creating a multipolar system. How is the BRICS represented in US foreign policy circles? This article examines the state of the US debate on the BRICS, drawing on the perspectives from foreign policy officials, top think tanks, and academics. It argues that there is a considerable gap between BRICS’ multipolar aspirations and the perceptions of the grouping’s promise and potential in the US. The BRICS is often marginalized in the US as an entity, and—even if accepted as such—it is considered ineffective in terms of its results. However, the BRICS benefits US foreign policy development: it challenges US officials to clarify their message on multipolarity; it reframes the debate from bilateral China vs. US competition to multilateral processes of providing global public goods; it generates a subfield of BRICS studies, which internationalize the production and consumption of knowledge in the field of global politics.
College Student Retention: Focus on Success:

In this article the argument is made that student success should be the foundation for college student retention efforts. Utilizing a “black box” approach, together with a theoretical framework derived from expert systems thinking and the application of qualitative research methods, it is shown that the knowledge base and behavioral repertoire of successful students can be identified systematically and used to help students succeed in college. The information is locally derived and locally relevant, thus insuring that successful students can be identified for a given campus. To illustrate the approach, results are presented from a study involving Chicano students in the Southwest.
Changes in Nitrogen-Fixing and Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacterial Communities in Soil of a Mixed Conifer Forest after Wildfire

This study was undertaken to examine the effects of forest fire on two important groups of N-cycling bacteria in soil, the nitrogen-fixing and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. Sequence and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of nifH and amoA PCR amplicons was performed on DNA samples from unburned, moderately burned, and severely burned soils of a mixed conifer forest. PCR results indicated that the soil biomass and proportion of nitrogen-fixing and ammonia-oxidizing species was less in soil from the fire-impacted sites than from the unburned sites. The number of dominant nifH sequence types was greater in fire-impacted soils, and nifH sequences that were most closely related to those from the spore-forming taxa Clostridium and Paenibacillus were more abundant in the burned soils. In T-RFLP patterns of the ammonia-oxidizing community, terminal restriction fragments (TRFs) representing amoA cluster 1, 2, or 4 Nitrosospira spp. were dominant (80 to 90%) in unburned soils, while TRFs representing amoA cluster 3A Nitrosospira spp. dominated (65 to 95%) in fire-impacted soils. The dominance of amoA cluster 3A Nitrosospira spp. sequence types was positively correlated with soil pH (5.6 to 7.5) and NH3-N levels (0.002 to 0.976 ppm), both of which were higher in burned soils. The decreased microbial biomass and shift in nitrogen-fixing and ammonia-oxidizing communities were still evident in fire-impacted soils collected 14 months after the fire.
On the deployment of wireless data back-haul networks

We study the deployment of data back-haul nodes for wireless networks with energy constraints. We address the following problem: given the required lifetime of a sensor network, the energy constraint of back-haul nodes, and the area to be covered, what is the minimum number of nodes needed to construct such a back-haul network and what is the corresponding deployment scheme? Finding an efficient deployment scheme involves location management, routing, and power management. We focus on linear networks and formulate a deployment optimization problem. We then propose and analyze a greedy deployment scheme that achieves close to optimal performance. We reveal the closed-form relationship among different design parameters, namely, the number of sensor nodes, the desired lifetime, and the coverage distance. We also study the effect of miscellaneous power consumptions and non-uniform data density, and consider extensions to planar networks
Magnetic transition rainbows in molecule-corrugated surface scattering

Abstract The first computations suggesting the occurrence of rainbow scattering in the magnetic transitions occurring in molecule-corrugated surface scatteringare presented. The system studied models a Cl 2 molecule scattered by a corrugated surface for which the potential is taken to be of the dumbbell type suggested by Gerber, Beard and Kouri (a sum of atom-Surface interactions). The magnetic transition probabilities which likely signal the Δ m j rainbow are much larger than those observed in the only previous study of magnetic transitions in molecule-surface scattering
On binary channels and their cascades

A detailed analysis of the general binary channel is given, with special reference to capacity (both separately and in cascade), input and output symbol distributions, and probability of error. The infinite number of binary channels with the same capacity lie on double-branched equicapacity lines. Of the channels on the lower branch of a given equicapacity line, the symmetric channel has the smallest probability of error and the largest capacity in cascade, unless the capacity is small, in which case the asymmetric channel (with one noiseless symbol) has the smallest probability of error and the largest capacity in cascade. By simply reversing the designation of the output (or input) symbols, we can decrease the probability of error of any channel on the upper branch of the equi-capacity line and increase the capacity in cascade of any asymmetric channel on the upper branch. In a binary channel neither symbol should be transmitted with a probability lying outside the interval [1/e, 1 - (1/e)] if capacity is to be achieved. The maximally asymmetric input symbol distributions are approached by certain low-capacity channels. For these channels, redundancy coding permits an appreciable fraction of capacity in cascade if sufficient delay can be tolerated.
Word Maturity: A New Metric for Word Knowledge

A new metric, Word Maturity, estimates the development by individual students of knowledge of every word in a large corpus. The metric is constructed by Latent Semantic Analysis modeling of word knowledge as a function of the reading that a simulated learner has done and is calibrated by its developing closeness in information content to that of a simulated literate adult. Individual human learner knowledge is aligned with the simulation by adaptive testing. Evidence of accuracy, example applications to vocabulary assessment, teaching and reading research, properties of the metric, and a conjecture about its possible wider importance are described.
A Pilot SMART for Developing an Adaptive Treatment Strategy for Adolescent Depression

This pilot study was conducted to assess the feasibility and acceptability of 4 adaptive treatment strategies (ATSs) for adolescent depression to plan for a subsequent full-scale clinical trial. The ATSs aim to address 2 questions that arise when personalizing treatment: (a) For adolescents treated with Interpersonal Psychotherapy for depressed adolescents (IPT-A; Mufson et al., 2004 ), at what time point should therapists make the determination that the adolescent is not likely to respond if the initial treatment plan is continued (week 4 or week 8)? (b) For adolescents who are judged to need their treatment augmented, should the therapist increase the number of IPT-A sessions or add pharmacotherapy (fluoxetine)? A 16-week pilot sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART) was conducted with 32 adolescents (M age = 14.9) who had a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, or depressive disorder not otherwise specified. Adolescents were primarily female (75%) and Caucasian (84.4%). Data regarding the feasibility and acceptability of the study and treatment procedures and treatment response rates were collected. Week 4 was the more feasible and acceptable decision point for assessing need for a change to treatment. Adolescents, parents, and therapists reported a range of attitudes about medication and more intensive therapy as treatment options. Results from the pilot study have yielded additional research questions for the full-scale SMART and will improve our ability to successfully conduct the trial.
Developmental haemostasis in moderate and late preterm infants

The term “developmental haemostasis” was first coined by Maureen Andrews to describe the age-related physiological changes of the coagulation system during childhood.[1] Given the age-dependent specificity of haemostasis, the evaluation and the interpretation of coagulation assays in newborns may present diagnostic difficulties and appropriate reference ranges for the diagnosis and management of coagulopathies in moderate and late preterm infants are needed.
Superresolution effects in weak turbulence

Superresolution in an optical-imaging system, which is caused by the focusing properties of a distant turbulent distribution, is considered in this paper. Analytical expressions for the average image spectrum of an object illuminated by a monochromatic plane wave are found. Conditions under which the superresolution effect is observed, and the relationship among the Fresnel number of the aperture lens, the aperture diameter, and the coherence length of the turbulence are discussed.
Extracellular Serotonin in the Lateral Hypothalamic Area Is Increased during the Postejaculatory Interval and Impairs Copulation in Male Rats

Serotonin (5-HT) is generally inhibitory to masculine sexual behavior. It has been suggested that 5-HT released after ejaculation may promote the sexual quiescence of the postejaculatory interval (PEI). The following experiments were conducted to test (1) whether extracellular 5-HT increases in either the anterior lateral hypothalamic area (LHAA) or the medial preoptic area (MPOA) of male rats after ejaculation; (2) whether increasing 5-HT in these sites, by microinjecting the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor alaproclate, could inhibit copulatory abilities; and (3) whether copulation deficits produced by alaproclate were attributable to locomotor impairments. The effects of local application of alaproclate on extracellular 5-HT levels in the LHAA and the MPOA were also tested. Extracellular serotonin was measured in all experiments using in vivo microdialysis. Ejaculation was correlated with enhanced 5-HT release from the LHAA; no 5-HT increases were observed before ejaculation, and levels were decreased toward basal values during a subsequent copulatory series. Elevating 5-HT in the LHAA by microinjecting alaproclate inhibited copulation by increasing the latency to mount, intromit, and ejaculate. This inhibition did not result from nonspecific locomotor impairments. In the MPOA, 5-HT release remained stable throughout copulation, and microinjecting alaproclate into this site did not significantly alter sexual behavior. These data support the large body of evidence suggesting that 5-HT is inhibitory to masculine sexual behavior. Furthermore, the LHAA, but not the MPOA, may be one site responsible for serotonergic inhibition of copulation during the PEI.
La familia, el trabajo flexible y los riesgos que corre la cohesión social

P ara analizar los cambios que se producen en la vida laboral, en cualquier momento de la historia, es necesario comprender las relaciones de las mujeres y los hombres con las instituciones sociales ajenas al lugar de trabajo, especialmente la familia y la comunidad. Y ello es hoy mas necesario que nunca porque la mujer se ha reincorporado masivamente al empleo remunerado, en una epoca de profunda transformacion del centro de trabajo, la familia y la comunidad. El presente articulo trata de la situacion de la familia en una economia que se esta mundializando, de la influencia de esos cambios en la manera en que las mujeres y los hombres de la sociedad posindustrial afrontan la era de la informacion y de como ha de modificarse la politica social para que cumpla su funcion en el nuevo entorno.
NASA Aerodynamic Research Applicable to Business Aircraft

NASA aerodynamic research applicable to business aircraft concerning wind tunnel and flight tests, STOL performance and high speed cruise technology
Assessing depression in fibromyalgia patients

Purpose. This study investigated the relationships among four methods of detecting depression in patients with fibromyalgia. Methods. Data were obtained from 100 women (mean age 43 years) who had been diagnosed with fibro-myalgia. Instruments included a computerized Diagnostic Interview Schedule (C-DIS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), an adjusted “disease-free” BDI (BDI-A), and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory depression subscale (MMPI-D). Chance-corrected concordance, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy among the four methods were calculated. Results. The C-DIS detected 22% and BDI-A 29% with current major depression. The BDI and MMPI-D yielded higher estimates of 55% of the 44%, respectively. Agreement on the diagnosis among the four methods was significantly greater than chance. When compared with the C-DIS, the BDI was the most sensitive instrument and the BDI-A most specific. Conclusions. The C-DIS and BDI-A appear to be more reliable methods for determining the presence of major depression in women with fibromyalgia than are the MMPI-D or standard BDI.
Pulse Construction in OFDM Systems Via Convex Optimization

In order to reduce the inter-carrier interference (ICI) produced by frequency offset in OFDM systems, we set up an optimization problem to find the transmission pulse which maximizes the signal-to-average-ICI power ratio. Furthermore, by solving a constrained convex optimization problem, our pulses can satisfy various decay requirements, for instance with respect to a prescribed spectral mask. The latter is an important feature in order to comply with industry standard specifications. Furthermore we discuss issues concerning the numerical treatment of the constrained convex optimization problem. Simulation results show that our pulses outperform many currently known transmission pulses with respect to the ICI criterion.
Conservative surgical management of endometriosis in women with pelvic pain

Endometriosis is a common cause of pelvic pain in women. This article addresses the conservative surgical treatment of endometriosis for this indication.
Model fitting in the presence of nuisance parameters

A basic problem in any statistical modeling of a scientific dataset is to provide the 'best' fit. Such inference is generally based on the empirical distribution function when the underlying process generating the data is not reasonably known. A computationally intensive resampling method called the bootstrap method are presented, to estimate the null distributions of various goodness of fit test statistics, when the underlying process is partially known. These results hold not only in the univariate case but also in the multivariate setting.
Structural Characterization of Thermochromic and Spin Equilibria in Solid-State Ni(detu)4Cl2 (detu = N,N'-Diethylthiourea)

Consecutive thermochromic lattice distortional and spin crossover equilibria in solid-state Ni(detu)4Cl2 (detu = N,N'-diethylthiourea) are investigated by variable-temperature X-ray crystallography (173-333 K), DFT calculations, and differential scanning calorimetry. Thermochromism and anomalous magnetism were reported previously (S. L. Holt, Jr., et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1964, 86, 519-520); the latter was attributed to equilibration of a singlet ground state and a thermally accessible triplet state, but structural data were not obtained. A crystal structure at 173(2) K revealed [Ni(detu)4](2+) centers with distorted planar ligation of nickel(II) to the four sulfur atoms, with an average Ni-S bond length of 2.226(3) A. The nickel ion was displaced out-of-plane by 0.334 A toward a proximal apical chloride at a nonbonding distance of 3.134(1) A. Asymmetry in the trans S-Ni-S angles was coupled to a monoclinic ↔ tetragonal lattice distortion (T(1/2) = 254 ± 11 K), resulting in thermochromism. Spin crossover occurs by tetragonal modulation of nickel(II) with approach of the proximal chloride at higher temperatures (T(1/2) = 383 ± 18 K), which is consistent with a contraction of -0.096(4) A in the Ni···Cl separation observed at 293 K. A high-spin (S = 1) square-pyramidal [Ni(dmtu)4Cl](+) model (dmtu = N,N'-dimethylthiourea) was optimized by DFT calculations, which estimated limiting equatorial Ni-S bond lengths of 2.45 A and an apical Ni-Cl bond of 2.43 A. Electronic spectra of the spin isomers were calculated by TD-DFT methods. Assignment of the FTIR spectrum was assisted by frequency calculations and isotope substitution.
Abstract 307: Estimation of Femoral Arterial Diameters in Men and Women Using New Postprocessing MR Angiographic Fly-Through Technique

Background and Purpose: Development of the human vasculature database including femoral arterial parameters like maximum femoral artery diameter (MFAD), length, branching angles, etc for both men and women will be critical for Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) diagnosis for a treating clinician. Sporadic or limited work has been reported in clinical/pre-clinical research till date. This work was an important effort towards the development of human vasculature database using our newly developed method for estimation of stenosis1. Methods: Patient exams were performed under an IRB-approved protocol. Raw MR angiographic images of 30 male & 30 female PAD patients were retrospectively processed and analyzed for MFAD. The measurement includes healthy as well as symptomatic regions of interest at different femoral arterial sections. MR angiographies with 1mm3 spatial resolution were used for this work. Clinical exams were acquired on 3.0 T scanners (GE, DVMR 20.1IB, Milwaukee, WI). Data analysis: The angiogram w...
Glutamate, Gaba and Cholinergic Systems in the NTS, DMN and Hypoglossal Nucleus of the Rat *

Several nuclei within the medulla oblongata are involved in processing afferent inputs from several peripheral organs as well as from higher centers within the central nervous system. Thus, the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) has been shown to receive inputs from respiratory [1], gastrointestinal [2], gustatory [3,4], and baroreceptor [5-9] systems, as well as from central areas including the hypothalamus [10,11], and the medial lateral frontal cortex [12,13]. Data have been published to show that the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMN) receives afferent inputs from the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, nucleus reticularis gigantocellularis and the NTS [14] while the hypoglossal nucleus (n.XII) receives inputs from the reticular formation, the spinal V complex and the NTS [15].
Optimization and comparison of bottom-up proteomic sample preparation for early-stage Xenopus laevis embryos

Xenopus laevis is an important model organism in developmental biology. While there is a large literature on changes in the organism’s transcriptome during development, the study of its proteome is at an embryonic state. Several papers have been published recently that characterize the proteome of X. laevis eggs and early-stage embryos; however, proteomic sample preparation optimizations have not been reported. Sample preparation is challenging because a large fraction (~90 % by weight) of the egg or early-stage embryo is yolk. We compared three common protein extraction buffer systems, mammalian Cell-PE LBTM lysing buffer (NP40), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and 8 M urea, in terms of protein extraction efficiency and protein identifications. SDS extracts contained the highest concentration of proteins, but this extract was dominated by a high concentration of yolk proteins. In contrast, NP40 extracts contained ~30 % of the protein concentration as SDS extracts, but excelled in discriminating against yolk proteins, which resulted in more protein and peptide identifications. We then compared digestion methods using both SDS and NP40 extraction methods with one-dimensional reverse-phase liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (RPLC-MS/MS). NP40 coupled to a filter-aided sample preparation (FASP) procedure produced nearly twice the number of protein and peptide identifications compared to alternatives. When NP40-FASP samples were subjected to two-dimensional RPLC-ESI-MS/MS, a total of 5171 proteins and 38,885 peptides were identified from a single stage of embryos (stage 2), increasing the number of protein identifications by 23 % in comparison to other traditional protein extraction methods.
The effect of cognitive impairment on quality of life in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Objective To investgate the influence of cognitive impairment on quality of life in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.Methods A total of 112 elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were screened with MMSE and SF-36,there were 50 patients in the hypertension with cognitive impairment group(case group)and 62 patients in the hypertension without cognitive impairment group(control group),and SF-36 score was compared between the above two groups.Results The physical functioning,role-physical,bodily pain,social functioning,mental health,role-emotional.vitality and general health in case group were significantly lower than those of control group(P0.01).Conclusion The quality of life of the type 2 diabetes mellitus elderly patients with cognitive impairment is worse.We should pay attention to cognitive impairment and conduct psychological regulation in order to decrease the cognitive impairment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in the elde rly people.
Influence of Dioxygen on the Promotional Effect of Bi during Pt-Catalyzed Oxidation of 1,6-Hexanediol

A series of carbon-supported, Bi-promoted Pt catalysts with various Bi/Pt atomic ratios was prepared by selectively depositing Bi on Pt nanoparticles. The catalysts were evaluated for 1,6-hexanediol oxidation activity in aqueous solvent under different dioxygen pressures. The rate of diol oxidation on the basis of Pt loading over a Bi-promoted catalyst was 3 times faster than that of an unpromoted Pt catalyst under 0.02 MPa of O2, whereas the unpromoted catalyst was more active than the promoted catalyst under 1 MPa of O2. After liquid-phase catalyst pretreatment and 1,6-hexanediol oxidation, migration of Bi on the carbon support was observed. The reaction order in O2 was 0 over Bi-promoted Pt/C in comparison to 0.75 over unpromoted Pt/C in the range of 0.02–0.2 MPa of O2. Under low O2 pressure, rate measurements in D2O instead of H2O solvent revealed a moderate kinetic isotope effect (rateH2O/rateD2O) on 1,6-hexanediol oxidation over Pt/C (KIE = 1.4), whereas a negligible effect was observed on Bi-Pt/C (...
NFAT5/STAT3 interaction mediates synergism of high salt with IL-17 towards induction of VEGF-A expression in breast cancer cells

Chronic inflammation has been considered an important player in cancer proliferation and progression. High salt (sodium chloride) levels have been considered a potent inducer of chronic inflammation. In the present study, the synergistic role of high salt with interleukin (IL)-17 towards induction of the inflammatory and angiogenic stress factor vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A was investigated. Stimulation of MCF-7 breast cancer cells with high salt (0.2 M NaCl) and sub-minimal IL-17 (1 ng/ml) enhanced the expression of VEGF-A (2.9 and 2.6-fold, respectively, P<0.05) compared with untreated cells. Furthermore, co-treatment with both high salt and sub-minimal IL-17 led to a 5.9-fold increase in VEGF-A expression (P<0.01), thus suggesting a synergistic role of these factors. VEGF-A promoter analysis and specific small interfering RNA knock-down of transcription factors revealed that high salt induced VEGF-A expression through nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT)5, while IL-17 induced VEGF-A expression via signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3 signaling mechanisms. Treatment of normal human aortic endothelial cells with the supernatant of activated MCF-7 cells enhanced cell migration and induced expression of migration-specific factors, including vascular cell adhesion protein, β1 integrin and cluster of differentiation 31. These data suggest that high salt levels synergize with pro-inflammatory IL-17 to potentially induce cancer progression and metastasis through VEGF-A expression. Therefore, low-salt diet, anti-NFAT5 and anti-STAT3 therapies may provide novel avenues for enhanced efficiency of the current cancer therapy.
Satisfaction with dental care among patients who receive invasive or non-invasive treatment for non-cavitated early dental caries: findings from one region of the National Dental PBRN

The objectives were to: (1) quantify patient satisfaction with treatment for early dental caries overall, and according to whether or not (2a) the patient received invasive treatment; (2b) was high-risk for dental caries, and had dental insurance; and (3) encourage practitioners to begin using non-invasive approaches to early caries management. Ten practitioners recorded patient, lesion, and treatment information about non-cavitated early caries lesions. Information on 276 consecutive patients with complete data was included, who received either non-invasive (no dental restoration) or invasive (dental restoration) treatment. Patients completed a patient satisfaction questionnaire and were classified as dissatisfied if they did not “agree” or “strongly agree” with any of 14 satisfaction items. Patients had a mean (± SD) age of 41.8 (±15.8) years, 64% were female and 88% were white. Twenty-five percent (n = 68) were dissatisfied in at least one of the 14 satisfaction items. Satisfaction levels did not significantly vary by patient’s gender, race, caries risk category, or affected tooth surface location. Overall, 11% (28 of 276) received invasive treatment; satisfaction did not differ between patients who had invasive or non-invasive treatment. Seven patients received invasive treatment at their request even though that was not what their practitioner recommended; 5 out of 6 were satisfied with their treatment nonetheless. About one-fourth of patients treated for non-cavitated early caries were dissatisfied with at least some aspect of their dental care experience. Satisfaction of patients who received invasive treatment did not differ from those who received non-invasive treatment.
A pre-therapeutic coating for medical devices that prevents the attachment of Candida albicans

Hospital acquired fungal infections are defined as “never events”—medical errors that should never have happened. Systemic Candida albicans infections results in 30–50% mortality rates. Typically, adhesion to abiotic medical devices and implants initiates such infections. Efficient adhesion initiates formation of aggressive biofilms that are difficult to treat. Therefore, inhibitors of adhesion are important for drug development and likely to have a broad spectrum efficacy against many fungal pathogens. In this study we further the development of a small molecule, Filastatin, capable of preventing C. albicans adhesion. We explored the potential of Filastatin as a pre-therapeutic coating of a diverse range of biomaterials. Filastatin was applied on various biomaterials, specifically bioactive glass (cochlear implants, subcutaneous drug delivery devices and prosthetics); silicone (catheters and other implanted devices) and dental resin (dentures and dental implants). Adhesion to biomaterials was evaluated by direct visualization of wild type C. albicans or a non-adherent mutant edt1 −/− that were stained or fluorescently tagged. Strains grown overnight at 30 °C were harvested, allowed to attach to surfaces for 4 h and washed prior to visualization. The adhesion force of C. albicans cells attached to surfaces treated with Filastatin was measured using Atomic Force Microscopy. Effectiveness of Filastatin was also demonstrated under dynamic conditions using a flow cell bioreactor. The effect of Filastatin under microfluidic flow conditions was quantified using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Experiments were typically performed in triplicate. Treatment with Filastatin significantly inhibited the ability of C. albicans to adhere to bioactive glass (by 99.06%), silicone (by 77.27%), and dental resin (by 60.43%). Atomic force microcopy indicated that treatment with Filastatin decreased the adhesion force of C. albicans from 0.23 to 0.017 nN. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy in a microfluidic device that mimic physiological flow conditions in vivo showed lower impedance for C. albicans when treated with Filastatin as compared to untreated control cells, suggesting decreased attachment. The anti-adhesive properties were maintained when Filastatin was included in the preparation of silicone materials. We demonstrate that Filastatin treated medical devices prevented adhesion of Candida, thereby reducing nosocomial infections.
Chosen Aspects of Building Robotized Lines (Two Practical Examples)

Abstract The paper describes the robotized medium size press line and the TV-tubes graphite coating line, designed and build in Poland. The chosen aspects i.e. basic user requirements and exploitation experience are also presented and discussed in connection with the positive results obtained.
Magnetic surgery: first U.S. experience with a novel device.

Magnet-assisted surgery is a new platform within minimally invasive surgery. The Levita™ Magnetic Surgical System, the first magnetic surgical system to receive Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, includes a deployable, magnetic grasper and an external magnet that is used to manipulate the grasper within the peritoneal cavity. This system is currently approved for patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy with a body mass index (BMI) between 21 and 34 kg/m2. Herein, we detail the first United States experience with the Levita™ Magnetic Surgical System during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The Levita™ Magnetic Surgical System was used on consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy at our institution from June 2016 through November 2016. Only patients undergoing elective surgery and those with a body mass index (BMI) between 21 and 34 kg/m2 were included. Baseline patient characteristics, operative time, and perioperative details were collected. A total of ten patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy with the Levita™ Magnetic Surgical System during the defined study period. The mean age at the time of surgery was 49.0 years and the average BMI of the cohort was 27.6 kg/m2. The average operative time was 64.4 min. There were no perioperative complications. Seven (70.0%) patients were discharged to home on the day of surgery, while the remaining three (30.0%) patients were discharged to home on postoperative day number one. Surgeons reported that the magnetic grasper was easy to use and provided adequate tissue retraction and exposure. The Levita™ Magnetic Surgical System is safe and feasible to use in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Routine use of this system may facilitate a reduction in the total number of laparoscopic trocars used, leading to less tissue trauma and improved cosmesis. Additional studies are needed to determine the applicability and utility of this system for other general surgery cases.