cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theories of communication, human nature, and the world: Associations and implications

Although much scholarly attention has been devoted to conceptualizing communication, few attempts have been made to examine the practical consequences of individuals’ beliefs about communication. This paper reports the results of an initial investigation into the relationships among personal theories of communication (or message design logics), privately held philosophies of human nature, and personal assumptions about the world. Results demonstrated significant differences in participants’ philosophies of human nature and assumptions about the world as a function of message design logic. Implications and directions for future research are addressed.
Degradation rate of natural fiber in cement composites exposed to various accelerated aging environment conditions

Abstract This paper reports the influence of different accelerated aging conditions on degradation of sisal fiber in the matrices of cement composites. Seven aggressive conditions, including dynamic wetting and drying cycling and static environments with various temperature and humidity, were studied. The dynamic wetting and drying cycling presented a superior accelerating effect on both the alkali hydrolysis of fiber’s amorphous components and the mineralization of cell wall. The findings indicate that the cyclic changes of humidity at relative high temperature (⩾70 °C) accelerate the degradation of natural fiber in cement matrix more effectively than the static aggressive conditions.
International Legitimation of Social Movements: The Rise and Decline of Ethnic Nationalism in South Africa

Much of the work on the human rights advocacy focuses on how domestic actors successfully transnationalize to influence targets beyond borders. In contrast, this paper focuses on how international society influences domestic movements. I bring together international relations and social movement theories to explore the avenues through which domestic movements can benefit from — or be harmed by — global connections. This requires looking at relatively unsuccessful as well as successful movements, in this case, variants of ethnic and secular nationalism in South Africa. Overall, I stress the importance of legitimation as a neglected dimension of power in the international system.
Self-healing structural composites with electromagnetic functionality

We have incorporated arrays of conductive electromagnetic scattering elements such as straight copper wires and copper coils into fiber-reinforced polymer composites, resulting in materials with required structural and further electromagnetic functionality. The scattering elements provide controlled electromagnetic response for tasks such as filtering and may be used to tune the overall index of refraction of the composite. Integration of these metallic elements into traditional fiber-reinforced polymer composites has introduced other opportunities for multifunctionality in terms of self-healing, thermal transport and perhaps sensing applications. Such functionalities are the result of fiber/wire integration through textile braiding and weaving, combined with a new polymer matrix that has the ability to heal internal cracking through thermo-reversible covalent bonds. Multifunctional composites of this kind enhance the role of structural materials from mere load-bearing systems to lightweight structures of good thermo-mechanical attributes that also have electromagnetic and other functionalities.
Rapid fluid resuscitation with central venous catheters

We attempted to determine whether central venous catheters are effective for rapid fluid administration in moderately to severely hypovolemic patients. Comparative maximum flow rates with water and blood products were tabulated for various central and peripheral catheters. The USCI™ 8 and 9 French introducers (USCI Cardiology and Radiology Division, CR Bard, Inc, Ellerica, MA) had the fastest flow rates of all catheters tested (P
Finite element method for fluids with memory

Numerical methods offer the best hope for the analysis of complex polymer processing flows. The construction of numerical programs with the necessary capabilities involve two essential choices. Firstly, a method must be selected which can successfully handle the velocity and stress boundary conditions encountered in polymer processing. This requirement coupled with the additional capability of handling complex geometries points decisively to the finite element method (FEM). Secondly, a choice must be made of a constitutive equation which is able to represent the behavior of real polymer fluids under a variety of conditions, and which must also conform to the needs of the numerical method. The main choice is between differential models which demand a high degree of differentiation of field variables, and integral models which involve the complexity of memory integrals but retain the same low order of differentiation as the Newtonian fluid. In this paper a Galerkin, finite element formulation is presented for the simplest fluid of the single integral memory type (linear in C and C−1). The memory fluid gives rise to basic difficulties in the assembly of the elements if particle paths are regarded as unknown. In this paper an iterative procedure is used in which the displacement is decomposed into a part determined from previous iterations and an unknown part to be determined. This device avoids the assembly problem. An important feature of the memory integral formulation is that it can be carried out with simple constant strain rate, triangular elements. In contrast elements having at least linear strain rate interpolation are required for any differential model. A less obvious aspect of the FEM for incompressible fluids is the interpolation of the scalar pressure. Experience with Newtonian fluids dictates consistency rules which do not hold for fluids with normal stresses. The problem is accentuated with nonlinear interpolation, and here again the memory fluid lends itself most readily to the resolution of the problem.
Nanometer control of the markerless overlay process using thermal scanning probe lithography

Thermal Scanning Probe Lithography [1] (tSPL) utilises a heated AFM tip to locally evaporate a polymer layer. Using tSPL nanometer precise 3D profiles can be formed in this polymer layer [2]. tSPL offers a resolution and linear scan speed that is competitive [3] with the current state of the art maskless technique, Gaussian electron beam lithography. A recently developed pattern transfer technique allows for the subsequent transfer of these patterns into the substrate [4]. Pattern alignment or overlay is a key challenge both in device fabrication and the investigation of novel nanostructures. tSPL has a pair of unique capabilities for meeting this challenge. Firstly it can read topography with sub-nanometer sensitivity and secondly reading the surface does not lead to resist exposure. This removes the need for dedicated alignment marks which in turn removes difficulties associated with marker degradation and inconsistencies in the positioning hardware used for read and write. Here we describe our efforts to implement and assess a markerless overlay process. In particular we investigate the two sources of error in the overlay process. The first are errors arising in the determination of the position of the existing pattern. We demonstrate theoretically that for our tSPL patterning stack the detection error may be some 200 times smaller than the 1μm feature size present in patterns produced using optical lithography. The second source of error is in the writing of the overlay pattern. We outline the practical steps including feed forward scanner control, on-the-fly drift correction and 3D patterning required to achieve nanometer accuracy in the pattern placement.
Wireless network interface energy consumption implications of popular streaming formats

With the proliferation of mobile streaming multimedia, available battery capacity constrains the end-user experience. Since streaming applications tend to be long running, wireless network interface card's (WNIC) energy consumption is particularly an acute problem. In this work, we explore the WNIC energy consumption implications of popular multimedia streaming formats from Microsoft (Windows media), Real (Real media) and Apple (Quick Time). We investigate the energy consumption under varying stream bandwidth and network loss rates. We also explore history-based client-side strategies to reduce the energy consumed by transitioning the WNICs to a lower power consuming sleep state. We show that Microsoft media tends to transmit packets at regular intervals; streams optimized for 28.8 Kbps can save over 80% in energy consumption with 2% data loss. A high bandwidth stream (768 Kbps) can still save 57% in energy consumption with less than 0.3% data loss. For high bandwidth streams, Microsoft media exploits network-level packet fragmentation, which can lead to excessive packet loss (and wasted energy) in a lossy network. Real stream packets tend to be sent closer to each other, especially at higher bandwidths. Quicktime packets sometimes arrive in quick succession; most likely an application level fragmentation mechanism. Such packets are harder to predict at the network level without understanding the packet semantics.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
HLA class II DRB high resolution genotyping by pyrosequencing: comparison of group specific PCR and pyrosequencing primers.

Abstract Sequencing of alleles of the highly polymorphic, multiple loci HLA-DRB gene family was performed by pyrosequencing using purified DNA from the 11th International Histocompatibility Workshop human lymphoblastiod cell lines as well as genomic DNA isolated from blood samples obtained from healthy adult volunteers. Genomic DNA was prepared from donors whose blood had been stored either frozen or as dried blood spots. Pyrosequence-based typing was optimized for identifying alleles of the HLA-DRB1, -3, -4, and -5 genes. The procedure should be applicable to other HLA loci including the class I genes HLA-A and -B that, along with HLA-DRB, are crucial for histocompatibility matching of tissue antigens during transplantation. Computer simulation of pyrosequencing data suggest that alleles of HLA-DRB1, -3, -4, and -5 were readily identifiable by pyrosequencing as were their heterozygous allelic combinations. Pyrosequencing primers were designed to specifically sequence HLA loci of interest even in a background of other amplified, closely related sequences such as alleles of the pseudogene HLA-DRB6, -7, -8, and -9. Polymorphic residues of HLA-DRB genes were identified within each pyrosequencing reaction, obtained by 50 to 70 nucleotide read lengths. Heterozygous allelic combinations of HLA genes were analyzed and compared successfully to genotyping of alleles by sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe hybridization as well as allele specific polymerase chain reaction protocols. Pyrosequence-based typing is compatible with genotyping of allelic combinations expected from heterozygous individuals, resulting in nucleotide resolution of the highly polymorphic HLA system. Using a single pyrosequence instrument, complete typing of HLA-DRB genes can be performed daily on hundreds of individuals for high resolution histocompatibility genotyping studies.
Thyroid, pituitary, and hypothalamic hormone levels in neonatal rat pups following maternal protein deficiency

SummaryThyroidal, pituitary, and hypothalamic hormones in the plasma and tissues of newborn young of rats fed diets containing 24 or 4% casein as the sole source of protein were quantitated by radioimmunoassay. Circulating levels of total plasma triiodothyronine (T3) were significantly reduced and the free fraction of T3 was lower in young of protein-deprived rats than in control pups. Total plasma T4, free T4, plasma TSH, pituitary TSH per milligram of pituitary, the metabolic clearance rate of exogenous TSH per 100 g of body weight, and the TRH content of the hypothalamus were not significantly affected by the maternal diet.
The Logic of Comparative Politics and the Development of Political Science in China

This article attempts to discuss the debate about “indigenizing political science in China” from the logic of comparative politics. The author believes that the phrase “indigenizing political science in China” is misleading at best and destructive to political science development in China at worst. The logic of comparative politics is the same as other comparative social sciences: namely, it is the process of replacing proper names and treating tempo and spatial factors as potential variables contributing to the explanation of political phenomena. As social scientists, we should not be content in using “local Chinese conditions” or “special Chinese cultural factors” to explain political behavior and phenomena in China. Instead, we should decompose the “special Chinese conditions” and “cultural factors” for the deeper meaning of these conditions and factors so that we can conceptualize and elevate these conditions and factors to a theoretical level. In short, the author favors making political science study in China more scientific and argues that the future of political science studies in China lies in replacing the proper name “China” or “Chinese”.
The Uninsured: Problems, Solutions, and the Role of Academic Medicine

The number of uninsured persons in the United States--46 million--is more than the number covered by Medicare. The author discusses why there are so many uninsured, the health effects of being uninsured, and strategies to help the uninsured, with an emphasis on changing the safety net and employer-based insurance for smaller businesses. He then asks "What can academic medicine (AM) do now?" and proposes that (1) AM can help eliminate waste in health care. For example, AM can research areas of potential waste such as how often patients with chronic disease need to be seen and what tests they need (not to restrict care, but to determine what is appropriate). AM can also continue to develop electronic medical records that eliminate unnecessary repetition of work and can have embedded national practice guidelines with reminders. (2) AM can act as a large employer and develop novel benefit plans that provide various important choices and develop ways to educate employees to choose the appropriate health plan. The University of Virginia has established the Consumer Health Education Institute, which is researching ways to educate consumers in the format most accessible for them as individuals (i.e., tailored to their health literacy). (3) AM can work with state governments to develop innovative coverage models. Because it appears that innovation in health care may be at the state level at least for the next few years, individuals in AM can be extremely helpful in making suggestions to formulate policy and implement programs. The current estimate is for the United States to have 56 million uninsured by 2013--an increase to 19.4% of the population. Academic medicine can help slow this increase.
Descriptions of Four New Species of Nothocriconema and the Male of N. Sphagni (Criconematidae: Nematoda)

Four new species of Nothocriconema are described, one from USA and three from New Zealand. Topotypes of N. sphagni were collected in Denmark and the male described here for the first time. An emendation of the genus Nothocriconema is proposed.
Infrared Mapping of Surface-Modified Kevlar Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Systems

Epoxy-reacted Kevlar-49/epoxy systems were studied with the use of localized infrared microspectroscopy and IR imaging. Spectral evidence was acquired that indicated the modification of the fiber's surface with epoxy functionalities. Thin films of amine-cured epoxy resin, deposited on single filaments of unreacted and epoxy-reacted Kevlar, were examined with the use of FT-IR microspectroscopy. IR images of these samples reveal higher levels of cure along the reacted fiber surface in comparison with the unreacted fiber and bulk matrix. Finally, thin films of curing agent were deposited on the surface of reacted and unreacted single Kevlar filaments. IR functional group images from this sample reveal a preferential attraction of the curing agent, DEH 26, to the epoxy-reacted surface.
CHEMICAL, COOKING AND TEXTURAL PROPERTIES OF SEMIMEMBRANOSUS, SEMITENDINOSUS AND BICEPS FEMORIS MUSCLES OF PORK

The chemical, cooking and physical properties of semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris of ham were determined. Significant differences in fat content of muscle and force required to penetrate the ham samples from the three muscles were found. No significant differences among three muscles in other properties were noted. A statistically significant correlation (r=-0.54) existed between the fat content of muscle and force required to penetrate the ham sample. Expressible juice from the muscles was significantly related to the cook loss and yield of hams. The moisture content of hams was also negatively related to the expressible juice. The possible mechanisms for these correlations are related to the ability of porcine muscles to chemically bind moisture during the cooking processes.
Bilateral Impairment of Somesthetically Mediated Object Recognition in Humans

Thirty adult patients (six in each of five groups—neurologically normal, lacunar infarct-related hemiparesis, unilateral thalamic lacunar infarction, right cortical infarction with mild left hemineglect, and extensive right cortical infarction with severe left hemineglect) were asked to perform various tasks that encompassed basic and intermediate somatosensory functions and tactile and visual object recognition. Patients with thalamic and cortical infarctions had severe impairment of contralateral hand-mediated somatosensory functions in all three categories of somesthetic tasks, although patients with cortical infarction were more impaired on the object recognition task than were patients with thalamic infarction. Patients with extensive damage to the right hemisphere and severe left hemineglect also had impairment of somesthetically mediated object recognition in the ipsilateral hand despite normal basic and intermediate somatosensory function and visually mediated object recognition analogous to unilateral tactile agnosia. All other groups had normal ipsilateral tactile object recognition.
Team Implementation of New Technology

New technology is dramatically changing the workplace by allowing companies to increase efficiency, productivity, quality, safety, and overall profitability. An effective new technology implementation is required for companies to compete successfully in the global marketplace. Time and money wasted on unsuccessful and improper new technology implementation is counterproductive to the overall goal of improving the competitiveness and profitability of the company. Teams and teamwork have been recommended as a way to improve efficiency, productivity, quality, safety, profitability, and employee satisfaction. With the utilization of total quality management (TQM) and quality improvement (QI), each of which rely on teamwork, new technology implementations have been more successful. New technology challenges the current state of traditional implementation methods and techniques. To effectively utilize these new technologies it is best to consider all of the factors involved in the implementation process; most i...
Characterization of hydrogenase II from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus and assessment of its role in sulfur reduction.

Pyrococcus furiosus is an archaeon that grows optimally near 100°C by the fermentation of carbohydrates and peptides to produce acetate, CO2, and H2 (9). If elemental sulfur (S0) is present in the medium, it is reduced to H2S. It has previously been shown that the organism contains two enzymes that are able to catalyze the reduction of S0 to H2S, hydrogenase I (H-I) and sulfide dehydrogenase. The hydrogenase, also known as sulfhydrogenase because of its S0-reducing activity, is a Ni-containing, iron-sulfur flavoprotein that also serves to reduce H+ to H2 (16). Sulfide dehydrogenase is an iron-sulfur flavoprotein which also functions as a ferredoxin:NADP oxidoreductase (13). The two enzymes are thought to transfer electrons from reduced ferredoxin and NADPH, generated from the fermentation pathways, to the terminal electron acceptors, H+ and S0. It was assumed that S0 reduction by P. furiosus was merely a means of removing the H2 produced during fermentation, as H2 inhibits growth (9). However, the presence of S0 in the growth medium both stimulates the growth rate and increases the cell yield by about 50%, suggesting that H2S production is an energy conservation process (19). Yet, H-I and sulfide dehydrogenase are cytoplasmic enzymes and a conventional respiratory mechanism with S0 as a terminal electron acceptor is not present in this organism. It is thought that S0 reduction may increase the ratio of oxidized to reduced electron carriers, thereby favoring the oxidative rather than the nonoxidative decarboxylation of the 2-keto acids produced by ferredoxin-linked oxidoreductases during fermentation (14). How this process is regulated, however, is not known. In this paper, we show that the energy metabolism of S0 by P. furiosus may be even more complicated than was originally thought. A second enzyme, termed hydrogenase II (H-II), has been identified and purified. It is demonstrated that both it and H-I catalyze the reduction of S0 to H2S using NADPH as the electron donor. In fact, both enzymes preferentially reduce S0 rather than protons. The biochemical and molecular characterization of this new H2-evolving, S0-reducing enzyme is presented.
Pain management in children

Summary Pain management in children has improved considerably in the last 10 years. Attitudes to pain in children have changed, and an improved understanding of the physiological development of the pain pathway has produced a more informed approach to managing pain. Assessing pain by using age related pain tools enables pain to be continuously monitored and treated effectively, even with a small drug armamentarium. The management of acute pain after surgery has benefited from the widespread formation of Acute Pain Services and development of protocols for analgesia using morphine infusions and epidural analgesia. Chronic pain in children is an under-recognised phenomenon and specialist services for its management have been slow to develop. For many large paediatric centres developing a multidisciplinary chronic pain service has become a priority.
On Viruses, Sex, and Motherhood

Mammals, being viviparous, pose an interesting immunological dilemma. They have highly adaptive immune systems that fail to recognize their own allogeneic embryos. In a sense, mammalian embryos resemble parasites that must suppress their mothers’ immune recognition systems to survive. Mammals are also unique in that their genomes are highly infected with endogenous retroviral agents. As retroviruses are also generally immunosuppressive, I here considered the participation of retroviruses in the immunosuppression by the embryo and the evolution of placental orders.
Dodgson condensation : The historical and mathematical development of an experimental method

Abstract Dodgson’s condensation method has become a powerful tool in the automation of determinant evaluations. In this expository paper I describe its 19 th century roots and the major steps on the path that began in the 20 th century when the iteration of an identity derived by Dodgson first was studied, including its role in the discovery of the alternating sign matrix conjecture, the evaluation of an important 19 th century determinant in partition theory as well as a combinatorial proof of it. I then discuss additional developments that have led the way to its use in modern experimental mathematics.
Genotypic and Phenotypic Studies of Murine Intestinal Lactobacilli: Species Differences in Mice with and without Colitis

Lactobacilli represent components of the commensal mammalian gastrointestinal microbiota and are useful as probiotics, functional foods, and dairy products. This study includes systematic polyphasic analyses of murine intestinal Lactobacillus isolates and correlation of taxonomic findings with data from cytokine production assays. Lactobacilli were recovered from mice with microbiota-dependent colitis (interleukin-10 [IL-10]-deficient C57BL/6 mice) and from mice without colitis (Swiss Webster and inducible nitric oxide synthetase-deficient C57BL/6 mice). Polyphasic analyses were performed to elucidate taxonomic relationships among 88 reference and murine gastrointestinal lactobacilli. Genotypic tests included single-locus analyses (16S ribosomal DNA sequencing and 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region PCR) and genomic DNA profiling (repetitive DNA element-based PCR), and phenotypic analyses encompassed more than 50 tests for carbohydrate utilization, enzyme production, and antimicrobial resistance. From 20 mice without colitis, six Lactobacillus species were recovered; the majority of the mice were colonized with L. reuteri or L. murinus (72% of isolates). In contrast, only, L. johnsonii was isolated from 14 IL-10-deficient mice. Using an in vitro assay, we screened murine isolates for their ability to inhibit tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) secretion by lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages. Interestingly, a subpopulation of lactobacilli recovered from mice without colitis displayed TNF-α inhibitory properties, whereas none of the L. johnsonii isolates from IL-10-deficient mice exhibited this effect. We propose that differences among intestinal Lactobacillus populations in mammals, combined with host genetic susceptibilities, may account partly for variations in host mucosal responses.
Genomics in clinical practice

Prior to the completion of the human genome project and establishment of the phrase “personalized medicine”, physicians and scientists forecasted the transformative impact of human genetics upon the understanding and treatment of human disease. Within the field of cardiovascular medicine, the current application of clinical genetic testing is generally limited to inherited arrhythmias, cardiomyopathies, occasional pharmacogenomic profiling for anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapies, and rarely to establish syndromic diagnoses. Even among informed practitioners on the wards and in the clinics, the skeptics among us observe that the rapid proliferation of genome wide association studies (GWAS) which characterize the contribution of common genetic variation to common diseases contrasts sharply with their infrequent application to everyday clinical practice. Some cardiologists may argue that advances in genetic basis of cardiovascular disease do not inform us any more than a family history.1 The authors of the study published in this issue of Heart have endeavored to bridge the divide between our growing knowledge of cardiovascular genomics and the application of genetics to routine clinical practice.2 In a cohort of 460 individuals for whom the first presentation of coronary artery disease was acute coronary syndrome, Labos et al . …
Reduction of Radiation to Children: Our Responsibility to Change

Medical radiation from X-rays and nuclear medicine is the largest man-made source of radiation exposure in Western countries, and accounts for a mean effective dose (ED) of 3.0 milliSievert (mSv) per person per year, equivalent to a radiation dose of 150 chest X-rays. In the USA, cardiologists are responsible for about 40% of the entire cumulative ED to the population from all sources, excluding radiotherapy.1 In pediatric patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), the annual ED is relatively low ( 100 mSv) in selected cohorts of pediatric chronic patients,2 especially those undergoing interventional fluoroscopy procedures and serial CT evaluations.3 The benefits of ionizing imaging in children, especially in those with CHD, are immense and often life-saving, even more so with the advent of invasive fluoroscopy and CT. Yet the use of radiation in children raises special concerns, and offers a unique challenge for the current generation of pediatric cardiologists.
A framework for mapping with resource co-allocation in heterogeneous computing systems

In heterogeneous computing systems, an application often requires multiple resources of different types to be allocated simultaneously. This is the resource co-allocation problem. We develop a framework for mapping a collection of applications with resource co-allocation requirements. In our framework, application tasks have two types of constraints to be satisfied: precedence constraints and resource-sharing constraints. We use a graph theoretic framework to capture these constraints. A directed acyclic graph is used to represent precedence constraints of tasks within an application and a compatibility graph is used to represent resource-sharing constraints among tasks of applications. Both these graphs are used to find maximal independent sets of tasks that can be executed concurrently. The objective of the mapping is to minimize the overall schedule length for a given set of applications. We develop heuristic algorithms to solve the mapping problem with resource co-allocation constraints. We also provide a two-phase algorithm that can be used for run-time adaptation. We conducted simulation experiments to evaluate the performance of our heuristic algorithms. Simulation results for our algorithms show a performance improvement of 10% to 30% over a baseline algorithm of list scheduling which considers only the precedence constraints and allocates tasks from the resulting order. This paper demonstrates the importance of considering the co-allocation requirements when mapping applications in heterogeneous computing environments including grid environments.
Quantitative Assessment of Fibrinogen Cross-Linking by Aminocaproic Acid in Patients With End-Stage Liver Disease

Analysis of the effectiveness of antifibrinolytic therapy for liver transplant recipients is hampered by lack of quantitative assays for assessing drug effects. We adapted chemical engineering tools used in polymerization studies to quantify fibrinogen cross-linking by plasma from liver transplant patients obtained before and after epsilon aminocaproic acid (EACA) therapy. A target fluorescein isothiocyanate-fibrinogen (FITC-fibrinogen) molecule was constructed; it fluoresces in a quantifiable pattern when in solution, and undergoes cross-linking in the presence of plasmin inhibitors. Cross-linking quenches the fluorescent signal, and the quenching is a quantifiable endpoint. Thus fluorescence from this reporter molecule can be used to assess functional improvement in fibrinogen cross-linking as a result of antifibrinolytic therapies, and it is sensitive to picomolar amounts of plasmin inhibitors and activators. Cross-linking of FITC-fibrinogen by patient plasma, before and after EACA therapy, was assessed using fluorescence spectrometry. Fluorescence patterns from FITC-fibrinogen indicated no significant cross-linking of the target fibrinogen as a consequence of EACA in posttreatment plasma. When the fibrinogen-FITC target was assayed without plasma in the presence of EACA at concentrations that bracket therapeutic levels (100 and 400 microg/ml), significant fluorescence quenching (target FITC-fibrinogen cross-linking) was achieved. These results suggest that fibrinogen-FITC fluorescence is sensitive enough to detect EACA activity in clinically relevant ranges, but that EACA given in usual doses is insufficient to promote fibrinogen cross-linking in patients with end-stage liver disease.
Reduced Complexity Semidefinite Relaxation Algorithms for Source Localization Based on Time Difference of Arrival

We investigate the problem of source localization based on measuring time difference of signal arrivals (TDOA) from the source emitter. Taking into account the colored measurement noise, we adopt a min-max principle to develop two lower complexity semidefinite relaxation algorithms that can be reliably solved using semidefinite programming. The reduction of algorithm complexity is achieved through a simple, but effective method to select a reference node among participating measurement nodes such that only selective time differences of signal arrival are exploited. Our estimation methods are insensitive to the source locations and can be used either as the final location estimate or as the initial point for more traditional search algorithms.
Helping users help themselves

Application-learning problems are a perennial design challenge. This persistent help-seeking behavior is forcing designers to wonder if any technologies for designing interactive help will satisfy the user as much as asking a real person. In addition to hypermedia applications, the paper considers several technologies explored as help systems. These technologies can easily provide a knowledgeable apprentice to help users accomplish their tasks, but they do pose challenges for interface design. >
Cyclonic and anticyclonic motion in the upper ocean

[1] Upper ocean variability is highly energetic and contributes to key processes such as heat transport and water mass formation. Here, the distribution of ocean surface cyclonic and anticyclonic motion is computed from global drifter observations for scales from large eddies to submesoscale. Two zonal bands of small-scale motion are recovered: a known anticyclonic band at 30°–40° latitude, mostly wind-induced, and an unexpected cyclonic band at 10°–20° latitude. It is suggested that this is due to submesoscale processes related to salinity front instabilities. These results provide a first global view of the upper ocean including these motions.
Robust stability analysis of discrete-time systems using genetic algorithms

We reduce stability robustness analysis for linear, time-invariant, discrete-time systems to a search problem and attack the problem using genetic algorithms. We describe the problem framework and the modifications that needed to be made to the canonical genetic algorithm for successful application to robustness analysis. Our results show that genetic algorithms can successfully test a sufficient condition for instability in uncertain linear systems with nonlinear polynomial structures. Three illustrative examples demonstrate the new approach.
A PROPOSED GENERALIZED HEURISTIC ALGORITHM FOR SCHEDULING WITH RESPECT TO n-INTERRELATED CRITERION FUNCTIONS

SUMMARY This paper offers a heuristic algorithm for the allocation of resources both in physical space and in time. The algorithm, to be implemented by a computer, will seek out good, if not optimum, combinations of items, namely, schedules and arrangements with respect to more than one payoff function. The algorithm has application in such diverse fields as the time scheduling budget allocations, courses of study in training programs, transportation, interdependent projects, and allocation in two or three dimensional space of production, service and/or warehousing facilities.
La Barraca, 1933: el giro lopiano de García Lorca

Este articulo analiza las practicas escenicas de Garcia Lorca en el montaje de los clasicos con el Teatro Universitario La Barraca a raiz de la eleccion de las comedias de Lope de Vega Fuenteovejuna y El caballero de Olmedo. En 1933, la compania experimenta un cambio sustancial en su acercamiento a la puesta en escena con la adicion de Fuenteovejuna al repertorio. La Barraca responde con esta obra al mandato de hacer de intermediario de la tradicion teatral del Siglo de Oro y educar a sus nuevos espectadores, pero al mismo tiempo politiza sus practicas, que se significan como proyecto de extension cultural de la Republica.
Clinical control in the dual diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and rhinitis: a prospective analysis

BackgroundObstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and allergic rhinitis (AR) are common coexisting disorders. Upper airway, specifically al resistance, is thought to increase during exacerbations o...
Ablation of SIRT3 causes coronary microvascular dysfunction and impairs cardiac recovery post myocardial ischemia.

Abstract Rationale Sirtuin (SIRT3), a major nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + )-dependent deacetylase in mitochondria, declines with aging and its ablation is associated with accelerated development of cardiovascular diseases. However, the role of SIRT3 in coronary microvascular function and post-MI recovery has not been completely understood. Objective The goal was to investigate whether ablation of SIRT3 causes coronary microvascular dysfunction, exacerbates post-myocardial ischemia (MI) cardiac dysfunction and impairs cardiac recovery. Methods and results Using endothelial cells (ECs) isolated from SIRT3 knockout (KO) mice, we revealed that the angiogenic capabilities were significantly reduced in SIRT3 deficient ECs. SIRT3 KO mice presented a pre-existing coronary microvascular dysfunction and microvascular rarefaction, as evidenced by a reduction in hyperemic peak diastolic blood flow velocity and coronary flow reserve (CFR), accompanied by loss of capillary-pericytes in the heart. Furthermore, SIRT3 KO mice subjected to myocardial ischemia by the ligation of left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) exhibited more severe cardiac dysfunction together with decreased pericyte/EC coverage than that of wild type (WT) mice. In contrast, overexpression of SIRT3 preserved cardiac function in post-MI mice. Immunoblot analysis further showed that the expression of angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) were significantly decreased in the SIRT3-deficient ischemic hearts than those of WT ischemic hearts. This was accompanied by higher levels of cleaved caspase-3 and apoptosis. Conclusion Our results reveal a potential mechanism by which SIRT3 deletion exacerbates post-MI cardiac dysfunction and impairment of cardiac recovery involving microvascular rarefaction and pre-existing coronary microvascular dysfunction.
Changes and significance of CysC,S100B,NSE and biochemical indexes in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with viral encephalitis caused by enteroviruses 71

Objective To observe the change of CysC,S100 B,NSE and biochemical indexes in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with viral encephalitis caused by enteroviruses 71,andprovide not only theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of EV71 encephalitis but also prognostic evaluation. Methods Collected cerebrospinal fluid of 41 cases HFMD patients with viral encephalitis caused by enteroviruses 71 and 32 cases children patients encephalitis caused by other virus and 22 cases children patients with infection of non the central nervous system. To analyze the levels of CysC,biochemical indexes、NSE in cerebrospinal fluid. The date was statistically analyzed by SPSS software. Results Compared with the control group,the level of CysC were reduced( P 0. 05),and the levels of S100 B,NSE were increased( P 0. 05) in the cerebrospinal fluid of other viral encephalitis and EV71 encephalitis group fluid in acute stage. Compared with the acute stage of other viral encephalitis group,the level of CysC were reduced( P 0. 05) in the acute stage of EV71 encephalitis group. Compared with the acute stage of EV71 encephalitis group,the level of CysC were reduced( P 0. 05),and the levels of S100 B,NSE were increased( P 0. 05) in the convalescence of EV71 encephalitis group. Conclusion To observe the dynamic change of CysC,S100 B and NSE in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with viral encephalitis caused by enteroviruses 71,which not only can provide theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of EV71 encephalitis but also has great assessment of prognosis significance.
Realized heritability and risk assessment of resistance of Plutella xylostella to tolfenpyrad

To evaluate the resistance risk of diamondback moth( Plutella xylostella) to tolfenpyrad and to provide positive guidance for scientific application of tolfenpyrad,P. xylostella were selected in the laboratory for resistance to tolfenpyrad. The realized resistance heritability and generations holding a 10-time increase in LC50 were evaluated based on the Tabashnik's method( threshold trait analysis). The realized resistance heritability( h2) was 0. 124 9 for F0- F13and0. 184 3 for F16- F26,during which there were a total of 2 generations without selection. The realized resistance heritability for the entire selection period was 0. 167 2,according to which it would take 15. 0 ~ 6. 8 generations for P. xylostella to develop 10-time resistance to tolfenpyrad under selection pressure of 50%- 90% mortality for each generation. These results indicated that P. xylostella may have significant resistance risk to tolfenpyrad.
The G1 Cyclin-dependent Kinase CRK1 in Trypanosoma brucei Regulates Anterograde Protein Transport by Phosphorylating the COPII Subunit Sec31

Transport of secretory proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi is mediated by the coat protein II (COPII) complex comprising a Sec23-Sec24 heterodimer and a Sec13-Sec31 heterotetramer. The mechanisms underlying COPII-mediated protein trafficking have been well defined, but the extent of regulation of this secretory machinery by cellular signaling pathways remains poorly understood. Here, we report that CRK1, a G1 cyclin-dependent kinase in Trypanosoma brucei, regulates anterograde protein trafficking by phosphorylating Sec31. Depletion of CRK1 abolished anterograde transport of the secretory protein and disrupted the localization of multiple Golgi proteins, reminiscent of Sec31 depletion. CRK1 phosphorylates Sec31 at multiple serine/threonine sites, and mutation of these phosphosites to alanine recapitulates the protein trafficking defects caused by Sec31 depletion. Mutation of these CRK1 phosphosites to aspartate restored Sec31 function. Taken together, these results uncover a novel function of CRK1 in anterograde protein trafficking and elucidate the mechanistic role of CRK1 in protein trafficking through regulation of the COPII subunit Sec31.
Setting the agenda for a healthy retail environment: content analysis of US newspaper coverage of tobacco control policies affecting the point of sale, 2007–2014

Background Tobacco control policies affecting the point of sale (POS) are an emerging intervention, yet POS-related news media content has not been studied. Purpose We describe news coverage of POS tobacco control efforts and assess relationships between article characteristics, including policy domains, frames, sources, localisation and evidence present, and slant towards tobacco control efforts. Methods High circulation state (n=268) and national (n=5) newspapers comprised the sampling frame. We retrieved 917 relevant POS-focused articles in newspapers from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2014. 5 raters screened and coded articles, 10% of articles were double coded, and mean inter-rater reliability (IRR) was 0.74. Results POS coverage emphasised tobacco retailer licensing (49.1% of articles) and the most common frame present was regulation (71.3%). Government officials (52.3%), followed by tobacco retailers (39.6%), were the most frequent sources. Half of articles (51.3%) had a mixed, neutral or antitobacco control slant. Articles presenting a health frame, a greater number of protobacco control sources, and statistical evidence were significantly more likely to also have a protobacco control slant. Articles presenting a political/rights or regulation frame, a greater number of antitobacco control sources, or government, tobacco industry, tobacco retailers, or tobacco users as sources were significantly less likely to also have a protobacco control slant. Conclusions Stories that feature procontrol sources, research evidence and a health frame also tend to support tobacco control objectives. Future research should investigate how to use data, stories and localisation to encourage a protobacco control slant, and should test relationships between content characteristics and policy progression.
“ G -NEUTRAL” TECHNICAL CHANGE, COMPARATIVE STATICS, AND INTEGRABILITY CONDITIONS

This chapter discusses G-Neutral technical change, comparative statics, and integrability conditions. These are closely related to parametric changes under Lie groups and related transformations. Although these topics may appear to be entirely different, their fundamental formal structure shares the common property of transformations resulting from parametric changes in the economic system. The chapter also describes the theoretical foundations of various neutral types of technical progress that have frequently appeared in the economic literature. Of the several well-known types of technical progress that have appeared in economic literature over the years, the most frequently encountered is the Hicks neutral type. The chapter explores that the Lie type of technical progress under its own holothetic production function can always be expressed as a Hicks neutral type of product-augmenting technical progress. Under certain conditions, comparative static analysis of an equilibrium system can be carried out in a most efficient and systematic way using Lie groups and related concepts. The simultaneous holotheticity and compatibility conditions can alternatively be interpreted as the well-known integrability conditions in economic analysis.
Sleep disturbances in irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review

Background Sleep disturbances are well-documented among persons with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Difficulty in falling asleep, shorter sleep time, frequent arousal and awakenings, or non-restorative sleep are the most common manifestations. Sleep disturbances are also related to a higher risk of having IBS. Some researchers have provided evidence of a positive association between poorer subjective sleep quality and increased severity and frequency in gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in those with IBS. However, findings from studies using objective sleep and activity measures, such as polysomnography and actigraphy, are inconclusive. Purpose This systematic review of the literature between 1990 and 2015 evaluates the evidence of sleep disturbances in adults with IBS and their relationship with GI symptoms.
Gender differences in the intentions to voice complaints across different service failure modes

The present study investigates the joint impact of the service failure mode (interpersonal service versus self-service technology) and gender on consumers’ intention to voice their complaints. Resu...
Ecological engineering principles in a restoration curriculum

Abstract University restoration ecology courses are predominantly offered in departments of biology, forestry, ecology, landscape architecture, and environmental science, and may enroll students who do not have a strong math or engineering background. Three restoration courses at the University of Washington have been strengthened by adding elements of ecological engineering to their lectures and problem sections. Restoration implies the management of natural resources, and there are a number of restoration problems for which better solutions are achieved when the restorer has a good grasp of numerical and engineering methods We have incorporated team activity, problem solving, estimating, and project management elements into three senior level restoration courses that present complex problems to students. The use of ecological engineering methods has given greater authenticity to the classes, and has sparked real student interest in the use of such methods to solve problems in a discipline that has traditionally been more focused on the biology and ecology of ecosystems.