cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetics of flow and strain-hardening☆

Abstract The kinetics of glide at constant structure and the kinetics of structure evolution are correlated on the basis of various experimental observations in pure f.c.c. mono- and polycrystals. Two regimes of behavior are identified. In the initial regime, the Cottrell-Stokes law is satisfied, hardening is athermal, and a single structure parameter is adequate. With increasing importance of dynamic recovery, be it at large strains or at high temperatures, all of these simple assumptions break down. However, the proportionality between the flow stress and the square-root of the dislocation density holds, to a good approximation, over the entire regime; mild deviations arc primarily ascribed to differences between the various experimental techniques used. A phenomenological model is proposed, which incorporates the rate of dynamic recovery into the flow kinetics. It has been successful in matching many experimental data quantitatively.
Traffic Monitoring and Control Using Machine Vision: A Survey

The large increase in traffic density during the last 25 years in the US, Europe, and Japan has required the automation of some functions of traffic control and monitoring. Buried magnetic loops are widely used for this purpose, but there are functions such as incident detection, vehicle tracking, etc., which are not implementable with them. In addition, magnetic loops are not flexible. Image processing represents a potentially much more powerful tool for this application. Its main disadvantage is the high initial cost. Research in the area of machine vision for traffic monitoring and control is being actively pursued in several countries. This paper surveys current efforts.
Species distribution during the cure of dicyanate ester

The network formation process for bisphenol A-based cyanate ester resin was examined using size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). A kinetic scheme based on the SEC data was used to predict the species distribution in the reaction medium in the pregel region. After gelation, the molecular species undergo retroversion as the high molecular species are predominantly attached to the growing network structure.
Correction: Humidity-dependent surface tension measurements of individual inorganic and organic submicrometre liquid particles

Surface tension, an important property of liquids, is easily measured for bulk samples. However, for droplets smaller than one micron in size, there are currently no reported measurements. In this study, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and force spectroscopy have been utilized to measure surface tension of individual submicron sized droplets at ambient pressure and controlled relative humidity (RH). Since the surface tension of atmospheric aerosols is a key factor in understanding aerosol climate effects, three atmospherically relevant systems (NaCl, malonic and glutaric acids) were studied. Single particle AFM measurements were successfully implemented in measuring the surface tension of deliquesced particles on the order of 200 to 500 nm in diameter. Deliquesced particles continuously uptake water at high RH, which changes the concentration and surface tension of the droplets. Therefore, surface tension as a function of RH was measured. AFM based surface tension measurements are close to predicted values based on bulk measurements and activities of these three chemical systems. Non-ideal behaviour in concentrated organic acid droplets is thought to be important and the reason for differences observed between bulk solution predictions and AFM data. Consequently, these measurements are crucial in order to improve atmospheric climate models as direct measurements hitherto have been previously inaccessible due to instrument limitations.
Self-Aligned AlGaN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors

In this paper, we present high performance 0.25mum gate-length self-aligned AIGaN/GaN HEMTs on 6H-SiC substrates using a single ohmic step. Our recently developed Mo/Al/Mo/Au-based ohmic contact requiring annealing temperatures between annealing temperatures 500 and 600degC was utilized. Ohmic contact resistances between 0.3 - 0.5 ohm-mm have been achieved.
Media Use and Global Warming Perceptions: A Snapshot of the Reinforcing Spirals

This study used the reinforcing spirals model to investigate the mutual influence between individuals’ media use and their global warming perceptions. Data from the science module of the 2006 General Social Survey were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results offered support for the reinforcing spirals model’s predictions. Media use mediated the effects of age, race, and education on perceived knowledge about global warming. Perceived knowledge and concern over global warming also predicted future information seeking about the polar regions.
Efficiency of partner choice and sanctions in Lotus is not altered by nitrogen fertilization

Eukaryotic hosts must exhibit control mechanisms to select against ineffective bacterial symbionts. Hosts can minimize infection by less-effective symbionts (partner choice) and can divest of uncooperative bacteria after infection (sanctions). Yet, such host-control traits are predicted to be context dependent, especially if they are costly for hosts to express or maintain. Legumes form symbiosis with rhizobia that vary in symbiotic effectiveness (nitrogen fixation) and can enforce partner choice as well as sanctions. In nature, legumes acquire fixed nitrogen from both rhizobia and soils, and nitrogen deposition is rapidly enriching soils globally. If soil nitrogen is abundant, we predict host control to be downregulated, potentially allowing invasion of ineffective symbionts. We experimentally manipulated soil nitrogen to examine context dependence in host control. We co-inoculated Lotus strigosus from nitrogen depauperate soils with pairs of Bradyrhizobium strains that vary in symbiotic effectiveness and fertilized plants with either zero nitrogen or growth maximizing nitrogen. We found efficient partner choice and sanctions regardless of nitrogen fertilization, symbiotic partner combination or growth season. Strikingly, host control was efficient even when L. strigosus gained no significant benefit from rhizobial infection, suggesting that these traits are resilient to short-term changes in extrinsic nitrogen, whether natural or anthropogenic.
Prostate cancer invading the rectum: a clinicopathological study of 18 cases.

SummaryAims: Prostate cancer may involve the rectum and cause severe perineal pain. The aim of this study was to understand the rectal involvement by prostate cancer and its clinical significance.Methods: We evaluated pathological and clinical features of 18 cases of prostate cancer with rectal involvement.Results: All patients presented with intractable perineal pain. Twelve patients received rectal biopsies, which revealed poorly differentiated prostatic adenocarcinoma (n = 6), squamous cell carcinoma (n = 3), angiosarcoma (n = 1), or no tumour (n = 2). All patients received palliative total pelvic exenteration, which demonstrated prostate cancer invading the rectal wall. In these resection specimens, the tumour consisted of poorly differentiated prostatic adenocarcinoma (n = 16), squamous cell carcinoma (n = 1), or angiosarcoma (n = 1). In addition, six cases of prostatic adenocarcinomas also showed focal squamous (n = 3) or high-grade neuroendocrine (n = 3) differentiation. Nine patients died at a mea...
Investigating divergent mechanisms of mesoderm development in arthropods: the expression of Ph‐twist and Ph‐mef2 in Parhyale hawaiensis

The evolution of mesoderm was important for the development of complex body plans as well as key organ systems. Genetic and molecular studies in the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster, have provided the majority of information concerning mesoderm development in arthropods. In Drosophila, twist is necessary for the specification and correct morphogenesis of mesoderm and myocyte enhancing factor 2 (mef2) is involved downstream of twist to activate muscle differentiation. In Drosophila, mesoderm is defined by positional cues in the blastoderm embryo, while in another arthropod group, the amphipod crustaceans, cell lineage plays a greater role in defining the mesoderm. It is not known how different mechanistic strategies such as positional information vs. cell-lineage-dependent development affect the timing and use of gene networks. Here we describe the development of the mesoderm in a malacostracan crustacean, Parhyale hawaiensis, and characterize the expression of Parhyale twist and mef2 orthologues. In Parhyale, the mesoderm of the post-mandibular segments arises mainly through the asymmetric division of mesoteloblasts as the germband elongates. Ph-twist expression is seen in a subset of segmental mesoderm during germband development, but not during early cleavages when the specific mesodermal cell lineages first arise. ph-mef2 expression starts after the segmental mesoderm begins to proliferate and persists in developing musculature. While the association of these genes with mesoderm differentiation appears to be conserved across the animal kingdom, the timing of expression and relationship with different mechanisms of mesoderm development may give us greater insight into the ancestral use of these genes during mesoderm differentiation.
Serotonin1B receptors in the ventral tegmental area modulate cocaine-induced increases in nucleus accumbens dopamine levels

Previous work has demonstrated that peripheral serotonin(1B) (5-HT(1B)) receptor agonist administration facilitates the behavioral and neurochemical effects of cocaine. This study used dual probe microdialysis to investigate whether activation of serotonin(1B) (5-HT(1B)) receptors in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) alters the ability of peripherally administered cocaine to elevate dopamine (DA) levels in the ipsilateral nucleus accumbens (NAcc) of drug-naive Wistar rats. Intra-VTA administration of the selective 5-HT(1B) agonist 1,4-dihydro-3-(1,2,3,6-tetrahydro-4-pyridinyl)-5H-pyrrolo [3,2-b]pyridin-5-one dihydrochloride (CP 93,129) by reverse dialysis produced a dose-dependent (30 and 100 microM) potentiation of cocaine-induced (10 mg/kg i.p.) increases in NAcc DA efflux and concurrent cocaine-induced decreases in VTA GABA efflux. There was no effect of either local CP 93,129 or peripheral cocaine on VTA glutamate efflux. Intra-VTA administration of the 5-HT(1A/7) receptor agonist 8-hydroxy-2-dipropylaminotetralin (8-OH-DPAT; 100 microM) did not alter cocaine-induced alterations in NAcc DA or VTA GABA, suggesting that the effects of CP 93,129 were not mediated through 5-HT(1A) receptors. Moreover, the effects of intra-VTA CP 93,129 (100 microM) on both cocaine-induced increases in NAcc DA levels and cocaine-induced decreases in VTA GABA levels were reversed by coadministration of the selective 5-HT(1B) receptor antagonist 3-[3-(dimethylamine)propyl]-4-hydroxy-N-[4-(4-pyridinyl] phenyl] benzamide dihydrochloride (GR 55562; 300 microM). In the absence of cocaine, intra-VTA CP 93,139 produced an increase in NAcc DA and decrease in VTA GABA levels. However, intra-VTA GR 55562 alone had no effect on any of our neurochemical measures. These findings indicate that activation of VTA 5-HT(1B) receptors potentiates cocaine-induced increases in NAcc DA levels by enhancing the ability of cocaine to decrease VTA GABA efflux.
Neonatal Aspergillosis A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Neonatal aspergillosis is a rare, usually overwhelming multisystem infection diagnosed postmortem. We present a neonate who had a brain abscess diagnosed by CT scan that was found at surgical exploration to contain aspergillus. Treatment included prolonged antifungal medication and several surgical interventions. The child has neurologic sequelae, including a seizure disorder and hemiplegia. There are no previously reported survivors of neonatal aspergillosis.
A unique role for IL-23 in promoting cellular immunity

Recent discoveries of interleukin (IL)- 23, its receptor, and its signal-transduction path- way add to our understanding of cellular immunity. IL-23 is a heterodimer, comprising IL-12 p40 and the recently cloned IL-23-specific p19 subunit. IL-23 uses many of the same signal-transduction components as IL-12, including IL-12R1, Janus kinase 2, Tyk2, signal transducer and activator of transcription (Stat)1, Stat3, Stat4, and Stat5. This may explain the similar actions of IL-12 and IL-23 in promoting cellular immunity by inducing inter- feron- production and proliferative responses in target cells. Additionally, both cytokines promote the T helper cell type 1 costimulatory function of antigen-presenting cells. IL-23 does differ from IL-12 in the T cell subsets that it targets. Whereas IL-12 acts on naive CD4 T cells, IL-23 preferen- tially acts on memory CD4 T cells. This review summarizes recent advances regarding IL-23, pro- viding a functional and mechanistic basis for the unique niche that IL-23 occupies in cellular immunity. J. Leukoc. Biol. 73: 49-56; 2003.
Heuristic metrics for AI problem domains such as natural language processing

It is proposed that a series of numeric metrics be established for the evaluation of problem domains such as natural-language processing. These metrics should be weighted averages of multiple independent factors and should be constructed so that typical human-level performance is taken to be unity. The usage of such metrics is discussed, and the example of natural language processing is detailed with a suggested metric delineated. >
Treatment of small cell carcinoma of lung with combined high dose mediastinal irradiation, whole brain prophylaxis and chemotherapy

Abstract Survival of patients with small cell carcinoma of lung, treated on a new combined radiotherapy-chemotherapy protocol, compares favorably with other regimens in the literature and our own previous combined approaches. Radiation, given after induction chemotherapy, consisted of whole brain prophylaxis in all 44 evaluable patients. Patients with limited disease were also treated to the primary and mediastinum to a high dose (5000 rad equivalent) using multiple fields. The new chemotherapy regimen consisted of induction with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and vincristine alternated with cis-platinum and VP-16 (an epipodophyllotoxin) for two cycles, followed by consolidation with low dose cyclophosphamide and vincristine concurrent with irradiation. Patients with limited disease who achieved less than complete response, and all patients with extensive disease were not continued on maintenance chemotherapy. Out of 24 evaluable patients with limited disease, there was 73 % survival at 1 year by life-table analysis, measured from treatment initiation. After induction, 16 24 of these limited disease patients were CR (complete responders): 20 24 were CR at completion of their irradiation. Out of 20 evaluable patients with extensive disease, there was 59% survival at 1 year by life-table analysis. Only 4 44 (9%) brain parenchymal relapses occurred, one at 3 months and one at 6 months after local failure and two in patients who did not become CRs, implicating a possible re-seeding mechanism. Five patients had central nervous system relapses outside of brain parenchyma (spinal epidural and leptomeningeal); in three patients this was the initial site of failure. Significant complications included leukopenia (50% ) and thrombocytopenia (24% ) primarily during induction, and chronic pulmonary fibrosis (25% ), possibly contributing to two deaths.
Genome-scale analysis of interaction dynamics reveals organization of biological networks

Summary: Analyzing large-scale interaction networks has generated numerous insights in systems biology. However, such studies have primarily been focused on highly co-expressed, stable interactions. Most transient interactions that carry out equally important functions, especially in signal transduction pathways, are yet to be elucidated and are often wrongly discarded as false positives. Here, we revisit a previously described Smith–Waterman-like dynamic programming algorithm and use it to distinguish stable and transient interactions on a genomic scale in human and yeast. We find that in biological networks, transient interactions are key links topologically connecting tightly regulated functional modules formed by stable interactions and are essential to maintaining the integrity of cellular networks. We also perform a systematic analysis of interaction dynamics across different technologies and find that high-throughput yeast two-hybrid is the only available technology for detecting transient interactions on a large scale. Contact: haiyuan.yu@cornell.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Arithmetic on a Parallel Computer: Perception Versus Logic ⁄

This article discusses the properties of a controllable, flexible, hybrid parallel computing architecture that potentially merges pattern recognition and arithmetic. Humans perform integer arithmetic in a fundamentally different way than logic-based computers. Even though the human approach to arithmetic is both slow and inaccurate it can have substantial advantages when useful approximations (“intuition”) are more valuable than high precision. Such a computational strategy may be particularly useful when computers based on nanocomponents become feasible because it offers a way to make use of the potential power of these massively parallel systems. Because the system architecture is inspired by neuroscience and is applied to cognitive problems, occasional mention is made of experimental data from both fields when appropriate.
Role of delivery options in basis convergence

The corn futures contract, traded on the Chicago Board of Trade, provides sellers with delivery options about the timing of delivery, the location of delivery, and the grade to be delivered. These options presumably have values that can vary from one delivery month to the next. The joint values of the timing and location options are estimated for each delivery month for the years 1989 through 1997. These estimates are then used in regression models to determine the degree to which they influence basis variability on the first day of the maturity month. Econometric models are also developed to see if the estimated implicit options values are useful in improving the forecasts of basis convergence over the 2-month period prior to maturity. The results suggested that variation in the delivery options values in the corn futures contract does indeed help explain basis variability on the first day of maturity. An option-value variable, based on estimated values two months prior to maturity, resulted in occasional, small improvements (from a statistical point of view) in the precision of forecasts. The existence of delivery options increases basis variability at maturity, but it is difficult to use this information to improve forecasts of basis convergence. One limitation of the analysis is that the Chicago cash market had few transactions per day during the sample period, and hence the reported spot prices may be inadequate for making high-quality estimates of the options values. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 22:783–809, 2002
Involvement of the HP0165-HP0166 Two-Component System in Expression of Some Acidic-pH-Upregulated Genes of Helicobacter pylori

About 200 genes of the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori increase expression at medium pHs of 6.2, 5.5, and 4.5, an increase that is abolished or much reduced by the buffering action of urease. Genes up-regulated by a low pH include the two-component system HP0165-HP0166, suggesting a role in the regulation of some of the pH-sensitive genes. To identify targets of HP0165-HP0166, the promoter regions of genes up-regulated by a low pH were grouped based on sequence similarity. Probes for promoter sequences representing each group were subjected to electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) with recombinant HP0166-His6 or a mutated response regulator, HP0166-D52N-His6, that can specifically determine the role of phosphorylation of HP0166 in binding (including a control EMSA with in-vitro-phosphorylated HP0166-His6). Nineteen of 45 promoter-regulatory regions were found to interact with HP0166-His6. Seven promoters for genes encoding α-carbonic anhydrase, omp11, fecD, lpp20, hypA, and two with unknown function (pHP1397-1396 and pHP0654-0675) were clustered in gene group A, which may respond to changes in the periplasmic pH at a constant cytoplasmic pH and showed phosphorylation-dependent binding in EMSA with HP0166-D52N-His6. Twelve promoters were clustered in groups B and C whose up-regulation likely also depends on a reduction of the cytoplasmic pH at a medium pH of 5.5 or 4.5. Most of the target promoters in groups B and C showed phosphorylation-dependent binding with HP0166-D52N-His6, but promoters for ompR (pHP0166-0162), pHP0682-0681, and pHP1288-1289 showed phosphorylation-independent binding. These findings, combined with DNase I footprinting, suggest that HP0165-0166 is an acid-responsive signaling system affecting the expression of pH-sensitive genes. Regulation of these genes responds either to a decrease in the periplasmic pH alone (HP0165 dependent) or also to a decrease in the cytoplasmic pH (HP0165 independent).
A circulation time model for fed-batch reactors

Abstract This paper discusses a very simple model for the mixing of liquid components which have been individually charged to a batch reactor. Comparisons with other models are made based on perceived realism of the mechanism, ability to portray mixing extremes, computational simplicity, and potential for a priori parameter estimation. The circulation time model proves to be superior in most, but not all respects. A batch counterpart to the bounding theorem of continuous reactor theory is introduced. It is shown by counterexample that the limits of fast and slow mixing do not provide absolute bounds on product concentrations. Interior optima can exist. The numerical values associated with interior optima are model dependent.
Insights into T cell recognition of antigen: significance of two-dimensional kinetic parameters.

The kinetic parameters governing T cell activation have been intensely studied for over a decade. However, the details of how the various aspects of receptor:ligand interactions culminate in T cell activation remains shrouded in mystery. Initial measurements were generated using surface plasmon resonance, a three-dimensional (3D) technique in which fluid-phase receptors and ligands are removed from their cellular environment. This approach demonstrated kinetics of TCR:pMHC interaction with relatively low affinities and slow off-rates for agonist peptides. Newer generation techniques have analyzed TCR:pMHC interactions in two dimensions (2D), with both proteins anchored in apposing plasma membranes. These approaches reveal TCR:pMHC interaction kinetics that are of high affinity and exhibit rapid off-rates upon interaction with agonist ligands. Importantly, 2D binding parameters correlate better with T cell functional responses to a spectrum of ligands than 3D measures.
EP News: Clinical

Cryoballoon vs open irrigated radiofrequency ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation Luik et al (Circulation 2015;132:1311, PMID 26283655) compared the efficacy and safety of open irrigated radiofrequency (RF) and cryoballoon catheter (CB) ablation in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. A total of 315 patients were randomly assigned to RF (n1⁄4 159) or CB (n1⁄4 156) ablation. The primary end point was freedom from atrial arrhythmia with absence of persistent complications. At 12 months, the primary end point was achieved by 70.7% with RF and 73.6% with CB (multiple procedure success). This include 31 redo procedures in each group (19.5% of RF vs 19.9% of CB; P 1⁄4 .933). Single procedure success rates at 6 months were 63.1% and 64.1% for the RF and CB groups, confirming noninferiority (risk difference 0.010; P 1⁄4 .002). Periprocedural complications for the index procedure were more frequent in the CB group (5.0% RF and 12.2% CB; P 1⁄4 .022), with a significant difference in phrenic nerve palsies (0% RF and 5.8% CB; P1⁄4 .002). The authors conclude that CB ablation is not inferior to RF ablation for treating patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
Endometrial stromal sarcoma presenting as large bleeding left upper quadrant mass

Endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) represents only 0.2% of all uterine malignancies. Even fewer cases have been reported on patients presenting with symptomatic disease. We report the case of young lady presenting with a large bleeding abdominal mass. At the time of surgery, an en bloc excision of the mass with a partial pancreatectomy, splenectomy, transverse colectomy, left nephrectomy, left adrenalectomy and resection of the diaphragm was performed. The final pathology revealed a malignant spindle and epithelial cell neoplasm with features favoring a variant of ESS. ESS can present in an atypical fashion as an intra-abdominal mass; a multi-disciplinary treatment approach for patients with this disease is crucial.
Essentialization strategies in the storytellings of young Luso-descendant women in France: Narrative calibration, voicing, and scale

Abstract This article examines how young Franco-Portuguese storytelling participants use a particular set of strategies of narrative calibration and voicing to make essentializing claims in narrative discourse. Specifically, I analyze how storytelling participants shift between specific and generic deictics of verb tense and pronouns in ways that “jump scale” between reportively narrating single events and nomically asserting general “timeless” types and principles. Participants exploit such shifts between specific and generic forms in ways that also transform and enhance the voicing and uptake of the generalizing claims made. Through use of such strategies, participants implicitly invoke generational, historical, and national time scales. I argue for an approach to scale that integrates earlier discussions of event, context(ualization) and interdiscursivity.
Be Careful What You Click for: An Analysis of Online Contracting

Thanks to the Internet, a shopper in Chicago can make a purchase from a seller in Shanghai, any time of the day or night, with nothing more than a click of the mouse. That click will form an agreement which differs from the traditional ‘sign-on-the-dotted-line’ format in how it satisfies the traditional requirements of a contract. It is estimated that seventy-six percent of United States consumers have made a purchase online, citing convenience and the ability to comparison-shop as particular advantages of the practice. While online shopping has broad appeal, the majority of online consumers have at one time or another abandoned a transaction over uncertainty or distrust of the website. Consumer distrust arises primarily out of
Electronic publishing : The publisher's view

Many people have heralded the emrgence of an online world where all the world's citizens can easily and freely access all the world's literature. Alternatively, some authors mourn the death of print and are convinced that paper products and the greatness of civilizatio are liked. Reality lies somewhere between these poles. The author outlines the current state of electronic publishing at HighWire Press
Morphological Studies in the Chaetomiaceae. I

The cultures of Lophotrichus antmpullus Benjamin and L. martinii Benjamin employed in this study were subcultures of the material upon which Benjamin based his descriptions. Material to be sectioned was cultured, killed and fixed, and stained by the same procedures outlined in an earlier paper on Chaetomium (Whiteside, 1961). Under the procedures followed, the Gram stain usually proved to be more satisfactory than Heidenhain's hematoxylin for staining sectioned material of this genus. For the observation of ascocarp initials, as well as for the study of the contents of crushed perithecia, a dilute aqueous phloxine solution was used. The nuclei of the ascogenous cells stained readily with the phloxine but only with difficulty when treated with the carmine stains.
Worker-Bee Crowding Affects Brood Production, Honey Production, and Longevity of Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

This study measured the effects of hive volume on the productivity and growth of colonies of honey bees, Apis mellifera L., in Baton Rouge, LA. In a winter experiment, populations of 5,000, 10,000, and 15,000 bees were installed in hives to produce population densities of 150 or 550 bees per liter of hive volume (3 by 2 factorial, n = 60). More crowded bees consumed less honey (6.8 ± 1.9 mg per bee/d [mean SD] versus 12.2 ± 2.6 mg per bee/d) but produced less brood (0.34 ± 0.20 versus 0.72 -±0.31 cells per bee) and had a shorter life span than less crowded colonies. In spring, summer, and autumn, experiments were conducted with initial populations of 9,600 bees per colony. At 100, 200, 300, and 500 bees per liter ( n = 32), more crowded bees produced more honey. Average honey production was -70, -17, +28, and +67 g/d for the least to most crowded bees, respectively. More crowded bees produced less brood, but the difference was less marked than in winter. A final experiment measured the effects of adding hive space that did not contain comb ( n = 27). Of three treatments, colonies with five combs in a 25-liter hive produced the most honey (105 g/d), and colonies with additional space and combs (10 combs in a 47-liter hive) produced the least (29 g/d). Colonies with combless space (five combs in a 47-liter hive) were intermediate (62 g/d). The treatment with combless space produced more brood than the more crowded treatment but less than the treatment with 10 combs.
Condensation of carbon dioxide in microchannels

Abstract Heat transfer coefficients and pressure drops during condensation of carbon dioxide (CO2) are measured in small quality increments in rectangular microchannels of 0.10 ⩽ Dh ⩽ 0.16 mm and aspect ratios from 1 to 4. Channels are fabricated on a copper substrate by electroforming copper onto a mask patterned by X-ray lithography, and sealed by diffusion bonding. The test section is cooled by chilled water circulating at a high flow rate to ensure that the thermal resistance on the condensation side dominates. A conjugate heat transfer analysis, in conjunction with local pressure drop profiles allows driving temperature differences, heat transfer rates, and condensation heat transfer coefficients to be determined accurately. Condensation heat transfer coefficients and pressure drops are measured for G = 400, 600 and 800 kg m−2 s−1, for 0
Research on multi-bus auto-test technology of circuit board fault diagnosis

To meet the increasingly complex modern electronic equipment test requirements,diversified with the development of the test instrument interface,put forward a multi-bus auto-test system which integrated VXI、GPIB、1394 in one.The test system used VXI and 1394 these high transmission rate buses,improved the circuit board functional test and fault diagnosis efficiency.Commonality of the system avoided the waste of money caused by the repetitive construction of a test system,reduced the cost of test.And take a simple relay switch control circuit for example,using SVM classifier to classify faults,it can make the accuracy rate of fault diagnosis achieve to 99.73%.
Parallel Block-diagonal Quasi-Newton Method for High dimensional nonlinear optimization

A parallel block-diagonal quasi-Newton method is proposed based on quasi-Newton method.This method adopts a block-diagonal matrix as an approximation of the reverse of Hessian matrix at current iteration point,and then every block sub-matrix is computed through quasi-Newton update formula on several different processors at the same time,and then every sub-direction is computed.These sub-directions are assembled to get the search direction at current iteration point,and then parallel Armijo linear search strategy is used to achieve search step and then next iteration point,with each processor solving a function value at the same time.This process is done repeatedly until convergence.The results of numerical examples show that this method has good convergence for high dimensional nonlinear unconstraint optimization,and it can improve computing efficiency and reduce computing time markedly,and can ensure enough computing precision at the same time.
Is fever after infection part of the illness or the cure

An increase in temperature above the normal range of 35.6 degrees C-38.2 degrees C (Ryan and Levy 2003) can indicate the presence of infection or sepsis. When the body detects infection, a series of responses to control infection are initiated that result in a rise in systemic temperature. Research suggests that this rise in temperature can be regarded as a cure, in that it is part of the autonomic response to remove infection and create a favourable environment for antibiotics. Nevertheless, it remains common practice to try to reduce fever with medication and physical cooling methods. This article explores the physiological changes that occur during bacterial sepsis that result in increased temperature, and discusses the pros and cons of administering antipyretic medication. The aim is to enable nurses to understand and support patients who present with fever.
An evaluation of prostate specific antigen in prostatic cancer.

AbstractProstate specific antigen levels were measured in 118 patients with prostatic cancer and 138 control individuals. Prostate specific antigen was sensitive in detecting prostatic cancer. The levels of prostate specific antigen were elevated in 10 per cent of the patients with stage A, 24 per cent with stage B, 53 per cent with stage C and 92 per cent with stage D disease. However, prostate specific antigen levels also were elevated in 9 per cent of the patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy. This lack of specificity in the presence of benign prostatic hypertrophy probably precludes prostate specific antigen from being recommended as a screening test for prostatic cancer. The ultimate role of prostate specific antigen might be as the marker of choice to monitor therapy for prostatic carcinoma.
Carcinoma of the adrenal cortex.

Adrenal cortical carcinoma is a rare tumor that affects all ages and sexes and has a dismal prognosis. Half are functional, half are not. Early stages are uncommon and are detected by their endocrine effects, usually in females, as incidental findings at surgery or on computed tomography scans. Arteriography, venography, and CT-scan define the local disease. Endocrine evaluations may delay surgery and do not affect the treatment. Radical local surgery with wide exposure is indicated in all adrenal tumors except the radiologically defined small tumor of pure primary hyperaldosteronism. Thoracoabdominal incisions, extra-fascial dissection, nephrectomy, splenectomy, and partial pancreatectomy may be used. Adjunctive chemotherapy or radiation have not been tested. Cures are recorded only in widely-excised, low stage tumors without evidence of metastases (T 1-2 NOMO). Ortho-p-DDD is useful in less than half the cases, functional or not. Phase II studies and collaborative combined chemotherapy treatment studies are badly needed.
A single-blind, dose escalation, phase I study of high-fluence light-emitting diode-red light (LED-RL) on human skin: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Skin fibrosis is involved in a variety of pathologic conditions ranging from scar formation secondary to surgery or trauma to immune-mediated processes. Skin fibrosis is a significant international health problem with an estimated incidence of greater than 100 million people affected per year worldwide with few effective treatment options available. Preliminary in vitro data generated by our research group suggests that red light can function as a stand-alone treatment for skin fibrosis. To our knowledge, no prior clinical trials have been performed to determine the safety of high-fluence (dose) light-emitting diode-red light (LED-RL) phototherapy. The goal of this study is to evaluate the safety of LED-RL fluences from 160 J/cm2 up to 640 J/cm2 in healthy subjects. This is a single-blind, dose escalation, randomized controlled, phase I study to evaluate the safety of high-fluence LED-RL on human skin. The protocol for dose escalation requires subjects be enrolled sequentially in groups of five. Within each group, three subjects will be randomized to LED-RL phototherapy and two subjects randomized to mock therapy. Subjects in group 1 randomized to LED-RL phototherapy will receive the maximum recommended starting dose (160 J/cm2). LED-RL dose will be escalated in subsequent groups (320 J/cm2, 480 J/cm2 and 640 J/cm2). The maximally tolerated dose (MTD) is defined as the dose level below the dose producing unacceptable but reversible toxicity and is considered to be the upper limit of subject tolerance. After either a MTD has been established, or the study endpoint of 640 J/cm2 has been achieved, an additional 27 LED-RL phototherapy subjects (for a total of 30) and 18 mock therapy subjects (for a total of 20) (determined randomly) will be enrolled. Each subject will receive a total of nine procedures, three times per week for three consecutive weeks. This study may provide important safety information on the effects of high-fluence LED-RL phototherapy on human skin and help facilitate future phase II studies to evaluate the efficacy of high-fluence LED-RL as a potential noninvasive, safe, portable, at-home therapy for treatment of skin fibrosis. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02630303 . Registered on 9 December 2015.
Soluble Endoglin and Its Interaction with Adhesion Molecules in Patients with Thalassemia Intermedia

Endoglin (CD105) is an accessory protein of the transforming growth factor-β receptor system expressed on vascular endothelial cells. Mutations on the endoglin gene are associated with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasias (Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome) and, thus, endoglin has been extensively studied in the context of this disease. Endoglin is highly expressed on endothelial cells in healing wounds, developing embryos, inflammatory tissues and solid tumors. It is a marker of activated endothelium, while its vascular expression is limited to proliferating cells. Previous studies have shown that the endothelial function is impaired in patients with Thalassemia Intermedia (TI). Oxidative damage resulting from hemolysis and iron load, leads to increased expression of the intercellular and vascular adhesion molecules-1 (ICAM-1 and VCAM-1) and impaired nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. As endoglin plays a critical role in angiogenesis and dysregulation of its expression and/or activity has been implicated in multiple vascular diseases, we aimed to investigate the expression of endoglin and its correlation with factors of endothelial dysfunction in patients with TI. Thirty adult patients with TI were included in the study, while 20 healthy individuals served as controls. Soluble endoglin, soluble forms of adhesion molecules ICAM-1, VCAM-1, E and P-Selectins, thrombomodulin, von Willebrand factor, as well as NO and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), were measured in patients and controls, by immunoenzymatic methods. The main results of the study are: levels of endoglin, E-selectin, thrombomodulin, VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and VEGF in patients with TI (5.5±0.4 ng/ml, 91.4±20.0 ng/ml, 48.8±16.5 ng/ml, 1413.7±176.1 ng/ml, 658.8±34.6 ng/ml and 619.1±227.8 pg/ml, respectively) were higher compared to controls (4.9±0.3 ng/ml, 10.3±2.2 ng/ml, 4.0±0.6 ng/ml, 328.3±43.8 ng/ml, 107.6±26.5 ng/ml, 81.3±58.1 pg/ml), (p endoglin levels in patients with TI correlated positively with concentrations of ICAM-1 (r=0.760, p Angiogenesis is a highly coordinated process in which VEGF, endoglin and hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) play a pivotal role by coordinating interaction between endothelial cells, extracellular matrix and the surrounding cells. Taking into assumption that endoglin is a protective-repair tissue protein, our findings support the hypothesis that patients with TI exhibit increased degree of angiogenesis and endothelial regeneration, which are probably compensatory mechanisms in response to tissue hypoxia and damage.
Enhancing robustness and perturbation tolerance of cognitive radio engines with metacognition

A cognitive radio engine (CE) is an intelligent agent which observes the radio environment and chooses the best communication settings that best meet the application's goal. In this process, providing reliable performance is one of the major tasks in designing CEs for wireless communication systems. The main purpose of this work is providing predictable performance and controlling the cost of intelligent algorithms based on the CE's experience and complexity analysis respectively. In this work, we extend our meta-CE design to control the cost of computations and provide more reliable performance for providing the minimum requirement of the radio applications in different scenarios. To achieve this, we use robust training algorithm (RoTA) in two different levels alongside of the individual CE algorithms. The RoTA, enables radio to guarantee some minimum output performance based on the learning stages. RoTA uses confidence interval approximation for standard normal distribution to calculate the lower and upper bounds of CE's expected performance to analyze the reliability of decisions. Moreover, in the case of non-stationary environments, RoTA is facilitated by forgetfulness factor to provide minimum performance guarantees. The second level of RoTA operates in meta-level to control the amount of computation complexity of intelligent algorithms in all levels with respect to the obtained performance and complexity analysis.
Reward System Activation in Response to Alcohol Advertisements Predicts College Drinking.

Objective:In this study, we assess whether activation of the brain’s reward system in response to alcohol advertisements is associated with college drinking. Previous research has established a relationship between exposure to alcohol marketing and underage drinking. Within other appetitive domains, the relationship between cue exposure and behavioral enactment is known to rely on activation of the brain’s reward system. However, the relationship between neural activation to alcohol advertisements and alcohol consumption has not been studied in a nondisordered population.Method:In this cross-sectional study, 53 college students (32 women) completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan while viewing alcohol, food, and control (car and technology) advertisements. Afterward, they completed a survey about their alcohol consumption (including frequency of drinking, typical number of drinks consumed, and frequency of binge drinking) over the previous month.Results:In 43 participants (24 women) meeting i...
Elevated nitrate alters the metabolic activity of embryonic zebrafish.

Abstract Nitrate accumulation in aquatic reservoirs from agricultural pollution has often been overlooked as a water quality hazard, yet a growing body of literature suggests negative effects on human and wildlife health following nitrate exposure. This research seeks to understand differences in oxygen consumption rates between different routes of laboratory nitrate exposure, whether via immersion or injection, in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. Embryos were exposed within 1 h post fertilization (hpf) to 0, 10, and 100 mg/L NO3-N with sodium nitrate, or to counter ion control (CIC) treatments using sodium chloride. Embryos in the immersion treatments received an injection of 4 nL of appropriate treatment solution into the perivitelline space. At 24 hpf, Oxygen Consumption Rates (OCR) were measured and recorded in vivo using the Agilent Technologies XFe96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer and Spheroid Microplate. Immersion exposures did not induce significant changes in OCR, yet nitrate induced significant changes when injected through the embryo chorion. Injection of 10 and 100 mg/L NO3-N down-regulated OCR compared to the control treatment group. Injection of the 100 mg/L CIC also significantly down-regulated OCR compared to the control treatment group. Interestingly, the 100 mg/L NO3-N treatment further down-regulated OCR compared to the 100 mg/L CIC treatment, suggesting the potential for additive effects between the counter ion and the ion of interest. These data support that elevated nitrate exposure can alter normal metabolic activity by changing OCR in 24 hpf embryos. These results highlight the need for regularly examining the counter ion of laboratory nitrate compounds while conducting research with developing zebrafish, and justify examining different routes of laboratory nitrate exposure, as the chorion may act as an effective barrier to nitrate penetration in zebrafish, which may lead to conservative estimates of significant effects in other species for which nitrate more readily penetrates the chorion.
Systematic Characterization of Stress-Induced RNA Granulation.

Summary Upon stress, cytoplasmic mRNA is sequestered to insoluble ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules, such as the stress granule (SG). Partially due to the belief that translationally suppressed mRNAs are recruited to SGs in bulk, stress-induced dynamic redistribution of mRNA has not been thoroughly characterized. Here, we report that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress targets only a small subset of translationally suppressed mRNAs into the insoluble RNP granule fraction (RG). This subset, characterized by extended length and adenylate-uridylate (AU)-rich motifs, is highly enriched with genes critical for cell survival and proliferation. This pattern of RG targeting was conserved for two other stress types, heat shock and arsenite toxicity, which induce distinct responses in the total cytoplasmic transcriptome. Nevertheless, stress-specific RG-targeting motifs, such as guanylate-cytidylate (GC)-rich motifs in heat shock, were also identified. Previously underappreciated, transcriptome profiling in the RG may contribute to understanding human diseases associated with RNP dysfunction, such as cancer and neurodegeneration.
Qualitative Case Studies

Most educators have encountered case studies as part of their preservice preparation and continued professional training; yet, there is often some uncertainty as to what exactly a case study is and in particular what a qualitative case study is. A case study is an in-depth description and analysis of a single bounded system, a unit of one, whether that unit is a teacher, a classroom, a program, or a school district. When the question of interest within the case is one of understanding how people construct the meaning of an event, activity, or phenomenon, it is a qualitative case study. This article defines qualitative case study research, discusses aspects of the design and implantation of a qualitative case study, and concludes with a brief discussion of how to think about generalizing from a single case study.
Measuring the Impact of Anxiety on Online Social Interactions

For individuals with anxiety disorders, maladaptive feelings and negative beliefs can interfere with daily activities and importantly, social relationships. Literature has examined both direct and indirect influences of an individual's anxiety on their social interactions, however, how they co-vary temporally remains less explored. As individuals appropriate social media platforms more pervasively, can anxiety play an equally significant role in impacting one's \textit{online} social interactions? This paper seeks to answer this question. Employing a dataset of 200 Twitter users, their timeline, and social network data, we examine the relationship between manifested anxiety and various attributes of social interaction of a user by employing Granger causality and time series forecasting approaches. We observe that increases in anxiety levels of an individual result in increased future interaction with weak ties, indicating a tendency to seek support from the broader online community. We discuss how our findings provide novel insights and practical lessons around the impact of an individual's mental health state on their online social interactions.