cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Growth hormone and drug metabolism. Acute effects on nuclear ribonucleic acid polymerase activity and chromatin

Adult male rats, subjected either to sham operation or to hypophysectomy and adrenalectomy were maintained for 10 days before treatment with growth hormone. Results of the acute effects of growth hormone on the rat liver nuclear RNA polymerase I (nucleolar) and II (nucleoplasmic) activities as well as the chromatin template capacity were then studied and compared with the growth-hormone effects on the drug metabolism described in the preceding paper (Wilson & Spelsberg, 1976). 2. Conditions for isolation and storage of nuclei for maintenance of optimal polymerase activities are described. It is verified that the assays for polymerase activities require a DNA template, all four nucleoside triphosphates, and a bivalent cation, and that the acid-insoluble radioactive product represents RNA. Proof is presented that under high-salt conditions DNA-like RNA (polymerase II) is synthesized, and that under low-salt conditions in the presence of alpha-amanitin, rRNA (polymerase I) is synthesized. 3. In the livers of hypophysectomized/adrenalectomized rats, growth hormone increases the activity of both RNA polymerase enzymes and the chromatin template capacity within 1h after treatment. The effects last for 12h in the case of polymerase II but for only 6h in the case of polymerase I. Sham-operated rats respond to growth hormone in a manner somewhat similar to that shown by hypophysectomized/adrenalectomized rats. These results, which demonstrate an enhancement of RNA polymerase I activity in response to growth hormone, support those from other laboratories. 4. Growth-hormone enhancement of the chromatin template capacity in the liver of hypophysectomized/adrenalectomized rats contrasts with previous reports. The growth-hormone-induced de-repression of the chromatin DNA could represent the basis of the growth-hormone-induced enhancement of RNA polymerase II activity in the hypophysectomized/adrenalectomized rats, although some effect of growth-hormone on the polymerase enzymes is still suggested.
Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in patients with chronic kidney disease

Mitochondria abnormalities in skeletal muscle may contribute to frailty and sarcopenia, commonly present in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Dysfunctional mitochondria are also a major source of oxidative stress and may contribute to cardiovascular disease in CKD We tested the hypothesis that mitochondrial structure and function worsens with the severity of CKD Mitochondrial volume density, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number, BNIP3, and PGC1α protein expression were evaluated in skeletal muscle biopsies obtained from 27 subjects (17 controls and 10 with CKD stage 5 on hemodialysis). We also measured mtDNA copy number in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), plasma isofurans, and plasma F2-isoprostanes in 208 subjects divided into three groups: non-CKD (eGFR>60 mL/min), CKD stage 3-4 (eGFR 60-15 mL/min), and CKD stage 5 (on hemodialysis). Muscle biopsies from patients with CKD stage 5 revealed lower mitochondrial volume density, lower mtDNA copy number, and higher BNIP3 content than controls. mtDNA copy number in PBMCs was decreased with increasing severity of CKD: non-CKD (6.48, 95% CI 4.49-8.46), CKD stage 3-4 (3.30, 95% CI 0.85-5.75, P = 0.048 vs. non-CKD), and CKD stage 5 (1.93, 95% CI 0.27-3.59, P = 0.001 vs. non-CKD). Isofurans were higher in patients with CKD stage 5 (median 59.21 pg/mL, IQR 41.76-95.36) compared to patients with non-CKD (median 49.95 pg/mL, IQR 27.88-83.46, P = 0.001), whereas F2-isoprostanes did not differ among groups. Severity of CKD is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and markers of oxidative stress. Mitochondrial abnormalities, which are common in skeletal muscle from patients with CKD stage 5, may explain the muscle dysfunction associated with frailty and sarcopenia in CKD Further studies are required to evaluate mitochondrial function in vivo in patients with different CKD stages.
Supervision of Publicity in catering trade:Analysis of its operating effect

[Objective] To provide a basis for scientific management in catering trade and explore new ways for food safety supervision by analyzing the effects of "Supervision of Publicity". [Methods] 1.Implementation of Supervision of Publicity in catering trade in model food safety streets.2.Among the consumers,carrying out awards activities: "How many smiling faces could you find at your side?" 3.Collecting data from questionnaire,interview and informal discussion.4.Comparing the management status of the catering enterprises and the efficiency of administrative enforcement before and after implementation of Supervision of Publicity. [Results] 1.Consumers had a positive attitude towards the "Supervision of Publicity".2.Food and beverage enterprises stated they had already felt the pressure from "Supervision of Publicity".3.Data from the investigation demonstrated the effects of the "Supervision of Publicity". [Conclusion] 1."Supervision of Publicity" was an effective way to let customers know the sanitary condition in catering units and to promote the catering trader to take various measures for better self-discipline and for food safety.2.Construction of relevant laws and regulations should be expedited,the authority of the "Supervision of Publicity" should be affirmed and the efficiency of administrative supervision should be improved.3."Supervision of Publicity" system should be continually explored and perfected in practice.4.Cooperation with the media or other relevant departments should be enhanced to bump up the awareness and impact degree in society.
Clinical Analysis of Hyperammonemia in 30 Neonates

Objective To explore the causes,clinical characteristics,treatment and prognosis of neonatal hyperammonemia for enhancing the diagnosis and prognosis of neonatal hyperammonemia.Methods Data were collected retrospectively about clinical feature,laboratory examination and treatment among 30 neonatal hyperammonemia cases,who were admitted to Department of Neonatology in Guangzhou Women and Children′s Medical Center from Jan.2005 to Aug.2010,and the data were analyzed and the literature were reviewed.Results The causes of neonatal hyperammonemia included urea cycle disorder,propionic acidemia,methylmalonic acidemia/ aciduria,isovaleric acidemia,glutaric acidemia,transient hyperammonemia and acquired hyperammonemia.The initial symptoms were poor responsive and tachypnea,other symptoms included inability suck,deteriorationg feeding,cyanosis,moan,and vomit et al.The signs included conscious disturbance,muscular tension low or high,liver enlarged.The laboratory examination results included abnormality blood test,hyperlactacidemia,metabolic acidosis,abnormality head ultrasound,electrolyte disturbance,coagulation disorder,abnormality of plasma and urine amino acid analysis.The mortality of neonatal hyperammonemia in hospital was 46.67%,the level of plasma ammonia in death cases was(1 284.86±746.09) μmol·L-1,which higher than those of voluntary discharge cases(335.11±172.57) μmol·L-1(t=4.621,P0.001) and of recovery cases(219.65±22.32) μmol·L-1(t=5.334,P0.001).Conclusions When the baby shows poor responsive,tachypnea,deteriorationg feeding,vomit,should pay attention to neonatal hyperammonemia,and do some laboratory examination,such as plasma amino,plasma and urine amino acid analysis.Once diagnosis neonatal hyperammonemia,should interfere to decrease mortality and complication,and detect plasma amino regularity to judge prognosis.
Local inflammatory response and vector spread after direct intraprostatic injection of a recombinant adenovirus containing the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene and ganciclovir therapy in mice

We have evaluated the safety and potential toxicity of an adenoviral vector containing the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene (adenovirus/Rous sarcoma virus thymidine kinase in a preclinical model for prostate cancer. Clinical grade vector prepared for human trials was injected directly into the dorsolateral prostate of C57Bl/6 mice in a volume of 5 microL at doses of 2.5 x 10(6), 2.5 x 10(7), or 2.5 x 10(8). The mice received intraperitoneal injections of either ganciclovir or saline twice daily for 6 days, beginning 12 hours after vector injection. Representative tissues and fluids were collected for evaluation the day after the final dose. Microscopic pathologic evaluation revealed inflammatory infiltration without necrosis within the dorsolateral and ventral prostate, but no necrosis or leukocyte infiltration was observed in sample tissues from lung, liver, large intestine, bladder, seminal vesicle, testis, or epididymis. DNA was extracted from the above tissues as well as pelvic lymph nodes, blood, seminal fluid, urine, and sperm and analyzed by polymerase chain reaction for the presence of vector sequences. The vector was readily detected in the dorsolateral prostate, the site of injection. The amount of vector detected was reduced in some samples from ganciclovir-treated animals. At the highest dose, vector spread was observed in the ventral prostate, seminal vesicle, testis, pelvic lymph nodes, gut, and liver. Spread to the testis was observed in only one animal. Vector DNA was not detected in urine, seminal fluid, or sperm but was detected in the blood of one animal. This adenoviral vector, therefore, appears to have minimal spread to sites distant from the site of injection and no detectable pathological sequelae within this dose range in this preclinical model for prostate cancer, which may be generalizable to other solid tumors.
Use of RNA-seq to identify cardiac genes and gene pathways differentially expressed between dogs with and without dilated cardiomyopathy

OBJECTIVE To identify cardiac tissue genes and gene pathways differentially expressed between dogs with and without dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). ANIMALS 8 dogs with and 5 dogs without DCM. PROCEDURES Following euthanasia, samples of left ventricular myocardium were collected from each dog. Total RNA was extracted from tissue samples, and RNA sequencing was performed on each sample. Samples from dogs with and without DCM were grouped to identify genes that were differentially regulated between the 2 populations. Overrepresentation analysis was performed on upregulated and downregulated gene sets to identify altered molecular pathways in dogs with DCM. RESULTS Genes involved in cellular energy metabolism, especially metabolism of carbohydrates and fats, were significantly downregulated in dogs with DCM. Expression of cardiac structural proteins was also altered in affected dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggested that RNA sequencing may provide important insights into the pathogenesis of ...
Controlled exploration of the effects of conductive hearing loss on wideband acoustic immittance in human cadaveric preparations.

Current clinical practice cannot distinguish, with any degree of certainty, the multiple pathologies that produce conductive hearing loss in patients with an intact tympanic membrane and a well-aerated middle ear without exploratory surgery. The lack of an effective non-surgical diagnostic procedure leads to unnecessary surgery and limits the accuracy of information available during pre-surgical consultations with the patient. A non-invasive measurement to determine the pathology responsible for a conductive hearing loss prior to surgery would be of great value. This work investigates the utility of wideband acoustic immittance (WAI), a non-invasive measure of middle-ear mobility, in the differential diagnosis of pathologies responsible for conductive hearing loss. We focus on determining whether power reflectance (PR), a derivative of WAI, is a possible solution to this problem. PR is a measure of the fraction of sound power reflected from the middle ear when a sound stimulus is presented to the ear canal. PR and other metrics of middle-ear performance (such as ossicular motion via laser Doppler vibrometry) were measured in well-controlled human temporal bone preparations with simulated pathologies. We report measurements before and after simulation of stapes fixation (n = 8), malleus fixation (n = 10), ossicular disarticulation (n = 10), and superior canal dehiscence (n = 8). Our results are consistent with the small set of previously published reflectance measurements made in temporal bones and patients. In this present study, these temporal bone experiments with different middle- and inner-ear pathologies were compared to the initial normal state by analyzing both WAI and ossicular motion, demonstrating that WAI can be a valuable tool in the diagnosis of conductive hearing loss.
Recurrent Doubt: A Brief Story of OCD through Its Literary Texts

Young learners often believe in the concepts of history as fact and story as fiction, with a pretty heavy figurative wall, however immaterial, separating the two. For some, such beliefs persist into adulthood. Yet few have merged the two ideas and dissolved the boundaries of these beliefs as well as Robert Penn Warren, who wrote that history and poetry in the end should not be deemed to stand in contradiction, “for if poetry is the little myth we make, history is the big myth we live, and in our living, constantly remake” (xii). Still, if we are to converge histories and stories, we should do so with full awareness of the mythical nature of not one but both universes and our role of remakers at every turn.
5 – Standards and specifications for lightweight ballistic materials

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the test standards and specifications used by the US and a number of countries in South America, Europe, and Asia for testing military and law enforcement ballistic materials and ballistic products. The test standards and specifications are essential elements for the armor designer, manufacturer, and buyer. Since lightweight ballistic materials are relatively new, both test standards and specifications in certain areas are still evolving. Similarly, although ballistic testing has been conducted on different materials for the last few decades, fine tuning of these test methods and new test techniques continues to evolve. The US standards and specifications are fairly detailed and revised on a continual basis. Some of the European, South Asian, and Pacific Rim countries have test standards and specifications that are slightly different than the US, but overall there are more similarities than differences. Each test standard or specification could be fairly detailed covering every single item used in the vest or helmet or on an armored vehicle.
The power of metaphor/the metaphor of power

ABSTRACTPower is a central concept in social theory and political discourse. Concepts are much used metaphors that seem to fit the world as collectively experienced, in the process losing their freshness as metaphors unless freshened by association with other metaphors. Soft power is a case in point. Power and causation are metaphors turned concepts with a long history of mutual refreshment; Aristotle’s four causes capture competing ways of talking about power. Once power became metaphorically associated with mass, weight and strength, talk shifted from agents’ powers to states as hard objects possessing comparable properties, measurable as power. Defined as attraction but explicated as attractiveness, soft power is ambiguously related to metaphors pointing up strength, preferences, competence and expertise. Thanks to functional differentiation and professionalisation, experts individually have powers and exercise power on a small scale. Collectively they have massive effects on social relations at every ...
Adsorbate-mediated strong metal–support interactions in oxide-supported Rh catalysts

The optimization of supported metal catalysts predominantly focuses on engineering the metal site, for which physical insights based on extensive theoretical and experimental contributions have enabled the rational design of active sites. Although it is well known that supports can influence the catalytic properties of metals, insights into how metal-support interactions can be exploited to optimize metal active-site properties are lacking. Here we utilize in situ spectroscopy and microscopy to identify and characterize a support effect in oxide-supported heterogeneous Rh catalysts. This effect is characterized by strongly bound adsorbates (HCOx) on reducible oxide supports (TiO2 and Nb2O5) that induce oxygen-vacancy formation in the support and cause HCOx-functionalized encapsulation of Rh nanoparticles by the support. The encapsulation layer is permeable to reactants, stable under the reaction conditions and strongly influences the catalytic properties of Rh, which enables rational and dynamic tuning of CO2-reduction selectivity.
Prognostic Value of Coronary Artery Calcium Score in Acute Chest Pain Patients Without Known Coronary Artery Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Study objective Coronary artery calcium score (CACS) is a well-established test for risk stratifying asymptomatic patients. Recent studies also indicate that CACS may accurately risk stratify stable patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with acute chest pain; however, many were underpowered. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the prognostic value and accuracy of a zero (normal) CACS for identifying patients at acceptable low risk for future cardiovascular events who might be safely discharged home from the ED. Methods We searched multiple databases for longitudinal studies of CACS in symptomatic patients without known coronary artery disease that reported major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), including death and myocardial infarction. Pooled risk ratios, sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios were analyzed. Results Eight studies evaluated 3,556 patients, with a median follow-up of 10.5 months. Pooled prevalence of zero CACS was 60%. Patients with CACS=0 had a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular events compared with those with CACS greater than 0 (MACEs: relative risk 0.06, 95% confidence interval 0.04 to 0.11, I2=0%; death/myocardial infarction: relative risk 0.19; 95% confidence interval 0.08 to 0.47, I2=0%). The pooled event rates for CACS=0 (MACEs 0.8%/year; death/myocardial infarction 0.5%/year) were significantly lower than for CACS greater than 0 (MACEs 14.6%/year; death/myocardial infarction 3.5%/year). Analysis of summary testing parameters showed a sensitivity of 96%, specificity of 60%, positive likelihood ratio of 2.36, and negative likelihood ratio of 0.07. Conclusion Acute chest pain patients without history of coronary artery disease, ischemic ECG changes, or increased cardiac enzyme levels commonly have a CACS of zero, with a very low subsequent risk of MACEs or death or myocardial infarction. This meta-analysis proffers the potential role of initial CACS testing for avoiding unnecessary hospitalization and further cardiac testing in acute chest pain patients with a CACS of zero.
Evidence for Different Reactive Hg Sources and Chemical Compounds at Adjacent Valley and High Elevation Locations

The spatial distribution of chemical compounds and concentration of reactive mercury (RM), defined as the sum of gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) and <3 μm particulate bound mercury (PBM), are poorly characterized. The objective of this study was to understand the chemistry, concentration, and spatial and temporal distribution of GOM at adjacent locations (12 km apart) with a difference in elevation of ∼1000 m. Atmospheric GOM measurements were made with passive and active samplers using membranes, and at one location, a Tekran mercury measurement system was used. The chemistry of GOM varied across time and location. On the basis of data collected, chemistry at the low elevation site adjacent to a highway was primarily influenced by pollutants generated by mobile sources (GOM = nitrogen and sulfur-based compounds), and the high elevation site (GOM = halogen-based compounds) was affected by long-range transport in the free troposphere over the marine boundary layer into Nevada. Data collected at these two lo...
Implementation guidance of smart grid communication

Employing proper communication system is one of the most challenging tasks when implementing smart grid applications. Many utility personnel may lack expertise in communication engineering, and have insufficient understanding of strengths and weaknesses of different communication options. In addition, there is no formal decision process for utilities to choose the best communication option for specific applications. Due to these reasons, the current communication implementation process is time-consuming and inefficient. This paper studies the attributes of different communication types available to utilities, and provides detailed illustration of advantages and disadvantages of each communication type. Different smart grid applications may require communication options with different characteristics. Therefore, common smart grid applications along with their best communication types are also discussed. A possible decision process is proposed as a guidance for choosing communication options. Following this process, the implementation of communication technologies could be accelerated and improved.
Fixed dynamometry is more sensitive than vital capacity or ALS rating scale

Introduction: Improved outcome measures are essential to efficiently screen the growing number of potential amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) therapies. Methods: This longitudinal study of 100 (70 male) participants with ALS compared Accurate Test of Limb Isometric Strength (ATLIS), using a fixed, wireless load cell, with ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) and vital capacity (VC). Results: Participants enrolled at 5 U.S. sites. Data were analyzed from 66 participants with complete ATLIS, ALSFRS-R, and VC data over at least 3 visits. Change in ATLIS was less variable both within- and among-person than change in ALSFRS-R or VC. Additionally, participants who had normal ALSFRS-R arm and leg function averaged 12 to 32% below expected strength values measured by ATLIS. Conclusions: ATLIS was more sensitive to change than ALSFRS-R or VC and could decrease sample size requirements by approximately one-third. The ability of ATLIS to detect prefunctional change has potential value in early trials. Muscle Nerve 56: 710–715, 2017
On some unexpected theoretical and practical applications of functional equations

Since functional equations arise in virtually every area of mathematics, both pure and applied, it is not surprising that the study of such equations can lead to useful results. For example, in the cosmological theory of Milne (now slowly coming back into favour as a subject of investigation after some years of neglect) it is necessary to correlate signals exchanged between different “observers”. To effect such correlation, one must be able to find iterative square roots of certain functions, where an iterative square root of a function g is a function f such that f(f(x))=g(x) for all x in the domain of g.
Femoral and Lumbar Fractures During Rehabilitation for a Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in Osteogenesis Imperfecta: A Case Presentation

Abstract Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is one of the most common inherited bone disorders. These individuals are high-risk for developing fractures during their lifetime secondary to bone fragility. This case presents a female with type I OI involved in a high speed motor vehicle accident resulting in a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) and paraplegia. Inpatient rehabilitation was complicated by fractures of the femur and lumbar spine which impacted her level of independence upon discharge to prevent additional fractures and maintain safety. OI coupled with SCI creates a difficult combination for the rehabilitation team. This case highlights the complexity of this challenge to bring awareness to the rehabilitation team in order to safely maximize independence and minimize and prevent unnecessary injury when designing an interdisciplinary treatment plan. Level of Evidence V
Position Bias Estimation for Unbiased Learning to Rank in Personal Search

A well-known challenge in learning from click data is its inherent bias and most notably position bias. Traditional click models aim to extract the ‹query, document› relevance and the estimated bias is usually discarded after relevance is extracted. In contrast, the most recent work on unbiased learning-to-rank can effectively leverage the bias and thus focuses on estimating bias rather than relevance [20, 31]. Existing approaches use search result randomization over a small percentage of production traffic to estimate the position bias. This is not desired because result randomization can negatively impact users' search experience. In this paper, we compare different schemes for result randomization (i.e., RandTopN and RandPair) and show their negative effect in personal search. Then we study how to infer such bias from regular click data without relying on randomization. We propose a regression-based Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm that is based on a position bias click model and that can handle highly sparse clicks in personal search. We evaluate our EM algorithm and the extracted bias in the learning-to-rank setting. Our results show that it is promising to extract position bias from regular clicks without result randomization. The extracted bias can improve the learning-to-rank algorithms significantly. In addition, we compare the pointwise and pairwise learning-to-rank models. Our results show that pairwise models are more effective in leveraging the estimated bias.
The crossed frontal aslant tract: A possible pathway involved in the recovery of supplementary motor area syndrome.

Introduction Supplementary motor area (SMA) syndrome is a constellation of temporary symptoms that may occur following tumors of the frontal lobe. Affected patients develop akinesia and mutism but often recover within weeks to months. With our own case examples and with correlations to fiber tracking validated by gross anatomical dissection as ground truth, we describe a white matter pathway through which recovery may occur. Methods Diffusion spectrum imaging from the Human Connectome Project was used for tractography analysis. SMA outflow tracts were mapped in both hemispheres using a predefined seeding region. Postmortem dissections of 10 cadaveric brains were performed using a modified Klingler technique to verify the tractography results. Results Two cases were identified in our clinical records in which patients sustained permanent SMA syndrome after complete disconnection of the SMA and corpus callosum (CC). After investigating the postoperative anatomy of these resections, we identified a pattern of nonhomologous connections through the CC connecting the premotor area to the contralateral premotor and SMAs. The transcallosal fibers have projections from the previously described frontal aslant tract (FAT) and thus, we have termed this path the "crossed FAT." Conclusions We hypothesize that this newly described tract may facilitate recovery from SMA syndrome by maintaining interhemispheric connectivity through the supplementary motor and premotor areas.
Determination of pole figure coverage for texture measurements with neutron time-of-flight diffractometers

The coverage of a given diffraction instrument as a percentage of the area 2π of a pole figure hemisphere is a crucial parameter of each diffraction instrument used for texture or strain pole figure determination. On the basis of this knowledge, the number of rotations and rotation angles for a full determination of the orientation distribution function can be optimized. However, the determination of this quantity is non-trivial. This paper presents a method that projects a given detector coverage into pole figure space, i.e. outlines the detector areas in a pole figure, and then determines the fraction of the entire 2π pole figure hemisphere around the sample that is covered. The freely available Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) and ImageJ are utilized for this quantification. With this method, it is shown that the empirically determined rotation angles for the HIPPO neutron time-of-flight diffractometer are close to optimal for a set of three rotations.
Influences of the in vivo and in vitro hormonal environment upon luteinization of granulosa cells in tissue culture.

Publisher Summary In this chapter, in vitro culture of granulosa cells has been chosen as the model system to study the mechanism of luteinization because spontaneous luteinization has been observed in tissue cultures of equine, porcine human, and rhesus monkey granulosa cells. In a study described in the chapter, in each species, luteinization was observed only in cultures of granulosa cells harvested from large preovulatory follicles, not in cultures of cells harvested from smaller follicles. Granulosa cells were said to luteinize in culture if they accumulated eosinophilic granules and lipid droplets in the cytoplasm, increased in size and cytoplasmic-nuclear ratio, and secreted large amounts of progesterone. The chapter presents results of studies primarily on the rhesus monkey in addition to several other species and also presents a unified theory of the mechanism of luteinization. Granulosa cells from the monkey, pig, human, and mare most likely luteinize according to similar mechanisms. Pituitary gonadotropins appear to be required for the process. Cyclic 3', 5'-AMP is probably a mediator for morphologic and steroidogenic luteinization.
A Rogues’ Gallery of Reductions

If one can solve problem A using a black box that solves problem B, one can reasonably say that problem A is “not much harder than” problem B, the degree of the “not much” being linked to how powerful and extensive the use of B is. Thus, reductions provide a means of classifying the relative hardness of sets. If A reduces to B and B reduces to A, then we can reasonably say that A and B are of “about the same” hardness. Of course, the closeness of the relationship between A and B will again depend on how powerful the reduction is. The more computationally weak the reduction is, the stronger the claim we can make about the similarity of hardness of A and B. Over the years, a rich collection of reductions has been developed to aid in classifying the relative hardness of sets. In this chapter, we define the key reductions, mention some standard notational shorthands, and then present some comments about reductions and their relative powers. We also discuss a centrally important reduction, Cook’s reduction, which is the reduction that proves that SAT is NP-complete.
The Medicine and Public Health Initiative: Ten Years Later

The Medicine and Public Health Initiative (MPHI) was created jointly 10 years ago by the American Medical Association and the American Public Health Association to bridge the nearly century-wide gulf between the respective disciplines. We review the history of MPHI and its growing significance in light of recent terrorism events. We report on current MPHI activities by examining three bellwether states-California, Florida, and Texas-as well as international sites. Upon its inception, MPHI was rapidly embraced and nationally disseminated. Sustainability 10 years later in the post-911 world requires renewed commitment by all collaborators. In order to meet the numerous health challenges facing our nation, from terrorism to chronic disease, and for MPHI to be successful, medicine and public health must work in tandem.
Design and Evaluation of Mobile Applications for Augmentative and Alternative Communication in Minimally-verbal Learners with Severe Autism

One of the most significant disabilities in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) includes a delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language. Approximately half of those on the autism spectrum are functionally non-verbal or minimally verbal and will not develop sufficient natural speech or writing to meet their daily communication needs.
Internal Resource Allocation and External Alliance Activity of Diversified Firms

Prior research suggests that diversified firms are often unable to match resources to the market needs and opportunities of their divisions due to factors such as influence activities. In this research, we propose that when such internal inefficiencies arise, diversified firms may form alliances to access resources externally to support their divisions in their industries and operations. Using a sample of US firms between 1997 and 2006, we find that, on average, diversified firms form more alliances within industries that they currently operate in when compared to single business firms. The alliancing activity in related industries increases when businesses with diverse growth opportunities exist within the same firm, and it decreases with the intensity of internal control and coordination mechanisms. Our study suggests a link between internal resource allocation processes and external alliancing activity, while highlighting that alliances may play an important role in how diversified firms manage the inefficiencies that arise within their boundaries.
Assessment of task-based performance from five clinical DBT systems using an anthropomorphic breast phantom

Purpose: There are currently five FDA approved commercial digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) systems, all of which have varying geometry and exposure techniques. The aim of this work was to determine if an anthropomorphic breast phantom could be used to systematically compare performance of DBT, full field digital mammography (FFDM) and synthetic mammography (SM) across the systems. Methods: An anthropomorphic breast phantom was created through inkjet printing containing printed masses. The phantom was imaged using automatic exposure control (AEC) settings for that system. Thus, all phantom acquisition settings, and subsequent radiation dose levels, were dictated from the manufacturer settings. A four alternative forced choice reader study was conducted to assess reader performance. Results: Performance in detecting masses was higher with DBT than with FFDM or SM. The difference in proportion correct (PC) was statistically significant for most cases. Additionally, PC of the DBT systems trended with increased gantry span with lowest PC from Hologic and Fuji (both 15°), then both GE systems (25°), and highest for Siemens (50°). Conclusions: A phantom containing masses was imaged on five commercially available DBT systems across 3 states. A 4AFC study was performed to assess performance with FFDM, DBT, and SM across all systems. Overall detection was highest using DBT, with improvement as the gantry span increased. This study is the first of its kind to use an inkjet based physical anthropomorphic phantom to assess performance of all five commercially available breast imaging systems.
Environmental toxicant exposure and menstrual cycle length.

Purpose of review This review seeks to evaluate the impact of environmental exposures on the menstrual cycle length detailing timing of exposure on pathophysiology. Recent findings Recent literature has examined the relationship between menstrual cycle length and environmental exposures including air pollutants, parabens, and polybrominated biphenyls. Summary Research is limited but suggest importance of further research in evaluating environmental exposures and menstrual cycle length.
Useful Notions of Probability Theory

The theory of probability is an important branch of mathematics and our goal is not to review it extensively but only to briefly present useful key concepts and results.
Mesocosms to Evaluate Aquatic-Terrestrial Contaminant Linkages Using Aquatic Insect Emergence: Utility for Aquatic Life Criteria Development

Our understanding of the fate and effects of contaminants has evolved as researchers advance our knowledge of the ecological interdependence between aquatic and terrestrial environments. To account for linked aquatic-terrestrial (A-T) effects, the methods researchers use to develop aquatic life criteria should extend beyond the aquatic environment. Mesocosm experiments provide the spatial and temporal resolution required to describe A-T contaminant transfer and subsidy alterations. In this chapter, we focus on aquatic insect emergence evaluated with mesocosm approaches because of the dual utility that both mesocosms and emergence assessments provide in predicting aquatic contaminant effects on aquatic-dependent terrestrial ecosystems. We will review the literature of mesocosm studies that evaluate aquatic insect adult emergence endpoints, provide key considerations to conducting these experiments, and discuss integrating emergence into the aquatic life criteria development process.
Rate of Incomplete Revascularization Following Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting at a Single Institution Between 2007 and 2017.

Incomplete revascularization following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is associated with increased repeat revascularization, myocardial infarction and death. Whether the rate of incomplete revascularization is increasing over time has not been previously described. All patients with multivessel coronary artery disease who underwent isolated and elective CABG at our Institution in 2007 (n = 291) were compared to patients who underwent CABG in 2017 (n = 290). A Revascularization Index Score was created to compare rates of incomplete revascularization between the 2 years based on the coronary anatomy and degree of stenosis. Comparison of the 2 years disclose that the rate of incomplete revascularization increased from 17.9% in 2007 to 28.3% in 2017 (p = 0.003) and was accompanied by a decline in the Revascularization Index Score from 0.73 to 0.67 (p = 0.005). Left ventricular function improved in both groups following CABG. Two-year cardiovascular mortality was significantly higher in the 2017 cohort compared to the 2007 cohort. These differences may be attributable to patient factors including more severe coronary artery disease associated with older age, greater incidence of smoking and previous percutaneous coronary intervention. In conclusion, the rate of incomplete revascularization following CABG significantly increased in 2017 compared to 2007 and was associated with higher cardiovascular mortality.
Decline in eGFR over time and incidence of cardiovascular events: Shinken database analysis

Abstract Background It has been reported that a large decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) over time is associated with increased incidence of cardiovascular disease. We investigated whether this association differs according to the baseline eGFR. Methods A total of 4666 patients (male 71%) with measurements of eGFR at both baseline and 1 year and that had no cardiovascular events at 1-year follow-up were retrieved from the Shinken Database between June 2004 and March 2015. The study population was divided into three groups by baseline eGFR (mL/min/1.73 m2): high (≥60, n = 1650), intermediate (45–59, n = 1947), and low ( Results A total of 187 cardiovascular events occurred during the mean follow-up of 2.8 ± 0.6 years. The adjusted hazard ratios of eGFR slope ( Conclusions Decline in eGFR was associated with an increase in cardiovascular events, and this effect was consistent regardless of the baseline eGFR.
Patient compliance and satisfaction using web-based glucose monitoring for the management of pregnant women with pregestational diabetes

Optimal glycemic control is vital in decreasing the risk of congenital birth defects and perinatal complications in women with diabetes. Although frequent blood glucose (BG) monitoring is essential...
Enhancing Utilization and Cycle Times at Clustered Etch Tools through Concurrent Dispatching

Scheduling and dispatching play a critical role in achieving various key factory goals. Plasma etching or dry etching is one of the many key semiconductor manufacturing process steps. In this paper, we will discuss a dispatching approach that was employed at cluster type plasma etching tools. The loading decisions at cluster type plasma etching are fairly challenging due to highly diverse work in progress (WIP) queue and advanced process control (APC) impact on recipe, chamber qualification. The paper will discuss the loading decision challenges at the tools, possible solution approaches, and the chosen solution with results.
The Foreign Office and the Foreign Service

As a result of the adoption, after the secession of Belgium, of a policy of thoroughgoing abstention from involvment in great power politics, the minister of foreign affairs played a minor role in Dutch politics. All parties and sections of public opinion were agreed upon the policy of playing a minor, cautious role in world politics. This general attitude naturally influenced the character and position of the Department of Foreign Affairs. The place of the Department and its director in Dutch politics and public opinion was described by a Dutch historian as follows: “Foreign Affairs had in this country, which is by no means situated in an out of the way corner of the world, become a forgotten department. One heard of it only when new cabinets came to power and one unknown succeeded another in this office. Not that the succeeding Ministers for Foreign Affairs were such obscure members of society: they usually bore respected family names, but as to their achievements or failures in the office no one ever enquired. The department was not popular; the few citizens who came in contact with it observed that it was enslaved to routine and very musty. The Department did very little to acquire a better name; nor was it spurred from the outside to do so. People apparently were perfectly satisfied provided the Department effaced itself as much as possible; not to bring the Netherlands in ill repute was all that was expected of it.”1
Group theories: relevance to group safety studies

Promoting safety in the workplace has been attempted in a variety of ways. Increasingly, industries are using groups such as safety teams and quality circles to promote worker safety. Group influences on individual behavior and attitudes have long been studied in the social psychology literature, but the theories have not been commonly found outside the psychology arena. This paper describes the group theories of group polarization, risky shift, social loafing, groupthink and team think and attempts to apply these theories to existing studies that examine work group influences on safety. Interesting parallels were found but only one study examined group influences as their primary focus of research. Since groups are increasingly used for safety promotion, future research on safety that studies group influences with respect to current group theories is recommended.
Conductive Inkjet-Printed Wireless Sensor Nodes on Flexible Low-Cost Paper-Based Substrates

In this paper, inkjet-printed flexible antennas fabricated on paper substrates are introduced as a system-level solution for ultra-low-cost mass production of UHF Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Tags and Wireless Sensor Nodes (WSN) in an approach that could be easily extended to other microwave and wireless applications. A compact inkjet-printed UHF "passive-RFID" antenna using the classic T-match approach and designed to match IC's complex impedance, is presented as a demonstrating prototype for this technology. In addition, the authors briefly touch up the state-of-the-art area of fully-integrated wireless sensor modules on paper and show the first ever 2D sensor integration with an RFID tag module on paper, as well as the possibility of a 3D multilayer paper-based RF/microwave structures.
BIBO Stability of Nonlinear Fuzzy PI Control Systems

In this paper, we analyze in detail the bounded-input/bounded-output BIBO stability of the nonlinear fuzzy proportional-integral PI control systems developed in Ying, Siler, and Buckley 1990. In this investigation, the “small gain theorem” is employed to obtain a simple sufficient condition on the global BIBO stability for general stable and unstable nonlinear control systems that possess finite gains and under the control of this type of fuzzy PI controlers. The derived sufficient condition provides a useful criterion for the design of such fuzzy PI control systems. In addition, we prove that in a conventional PI control system, if the linear PI controller is replaced by the nonlinear fuzzy PI controller, the stability of the resulting control system remains unchanged. This is true no matter the given process is linear or not. We will also derive some simple and explicit formulas for computing the fuzzy PI controller parameters, using only the proportional and integral gains of the corresponding conventional linear PI controller. This result makes the new sufficient condition very practical, because using these formulas one can always replace a conventional linear PI controller by a nonlinear fuzzy PI controller without altering the system stability, to obtain better control performance.
Pedestrian skywalks in Calgary, Canada: A comparison with US downtown systems

Abstract A skywalk system is a network of elevated pedestrian walkways. Although most familiar as a feature of US cities, the largest one in North America is in Calgary, Canada. This system, while it has emerged in an uncoordinated, ad hoc manner, has a variety and vitality which other cities planning such a system would do well to emulate.
Further results on robust CFAR processing in conjunction with adaptive clutter/jamming suppression

The authors examine the performance degradation of the generalised likelihood ratio (GLR) algorithm in the presence of two types of nonhomogeneity. They note that Chen and Reed (1991) contains a study of the modified sample matrix inversion (MSMI) performance with a different signal contamination model. For convenience of the discussion they confine their attention only to the temporal processing part of a multichannel system. The extension of the results to the spatial processing (e.g., the array processing) and the joint spatial-temporal domain processing theoretically straightforward.
Rejoinder to Discussions on: Deductive derivation and turing-computerization of semiparametric efficient estimation

We thank the Editors and the Associate Editor for the opportunity to have this exchange. We also thank the discussants for welcoming this search to make semiparametric inference more deductive, and for all their very interesting and useful comments.
Crystal structure of Ssu72, an essential eukaryotic phosphatase specific for the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II, in complex with a transition state analogue.

Reversible phosphorylation of the CTD (C-terminal domain) of the eukaryotic RNA polymerase II largest subunit represents a critical regulatory mechanism during the transcription cycle and mRNA processing. Ssu72 is an essential phosphatase conserved in eukaryotes that dephosphorylates phosphorylated Ser5 of the CTD heptapeptide. Its function is implicated in transcription initiation, elongation and termination, as well as RNA processing. In the present paper we report the high resolution X-ray crystal structures of Drosophila melanogaster Ssu72 phosphatase in the apo form and in complex with an inhibitor mimicking the transition state of phosphoryl transfer. Ssu72 facilitates dephosphorylation of the substrate through a phosphoryl-enzyme intermediate, as visualized in the complex structure of Ssu72 with the oxo-anion compound inhibitor vanadate at a 2.35 A (1 A=0.1 nm) resolution. The structure resembles the transition state of the phosphoryl transfer with vanadate exhibiting a trigonal bi-pyramidal geometry covalently bonded to the nucleophilic cysteine residue. Interestingly, the incorporation of oxo-anion compounds greatly stabilizes a flexible loop containing the general acid, as detected by an increase of melting temperature of Ssu72 detected by differential scanning fluorimetry. The Ssu72 structure exhibits a core fold with a similar topology to that of LMWPTPs [low-molecular-mass PTPs (protein tyrosine phosphatases)], but with an insertion of a unique 'cap' domain to shelter the active site from the solvent with a deep groove in between where the CTD substrates bind. Mutagenesis studies in this groove established the functional roles of five residues (Met17, Pro46, Asp51, Tyr77 and Met85) that are essential specifically for substrate recognition.