cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fixed order multivariable controller synthesis: A new algorithm

We consider the synthesis of a fixed order or fixed structure multivariable feedback controller C, parametrized by a design vector x, for a plant P, containing a vector p of uncertain parameters. The characteristic polynomials of such systems contain coefficients which depend polynomially on x and p. Using results on sign definite decomposition we develop a 4-polynomial stability test that gives a sufficient condition for stability of the family of closed loop systems that result when x and p vary over prescribed boxes. This test is reminiscent of Kharitonov?s theorem, even though the family of polynomials considered here is certainly not restricted to be interval or even convex. Moreover this result is tight in the sense that the test does reduce to Kharitonov?s theorem for the special case of interval polynomials. Using this criterion recursively and modularly we design an algorithm to determine sets of controllers that stabilize the family of uncertain plants. Examples and future research directions are provided.
Ethnic Differences in Appointment-Keeping and Implications for the Patient-Centered Medical Home—Findings from the Diabetes Study of Northern California (DISTANCE)

Primary care plays a central role in disease prevention, detection, care, and monitoring. For patients with chronic conditions like diabetes, primary care providers (PCPs) schedule regular encounters to provide long-term management and monitoring. Frequently missing these diabetes care appointments can extend the time between consultations and screenings, and delay review of treatment effectiveness, identification of adverse drug effects, and needed intensification efforts. Poor clinic attendance by patients with diabetes has been associated with adverse clinical outcomes and poorer risk-factor control (Hammersley, Holland, and Walford 1985; Jacobson, Hauser, and Willett 1997; Griffin 1998; Rhee, Slocum, and Ziemer 2005; Schectman, Schorling, and Voss 2008). We previously reported that patients missing >30 percent of scheduled appointments had substantively poorer glycemic control (HbA1c ∼ 0.75 points higher; p < .0001) relative to those attending all appointments (Karter, Parker, and Moffet 2004). A handful of studies have documented ethnic differences in the rates of missed PCP scheduled appointments in bivariate analyses (Griffin 1998). More recently, two multivariate studies have replicated these findings among diabetes patients, with almost double the “no-show” rates among nonwhite compared with white patients (Goldman, Friedin, and Cook 1982; Schectman, Schorling, and Voss 2008). However, there still remains skepticism regarding this association due to lack of adjustment for confounding by education, socioeconomic status, or facility effects. In addition, no study to date has had sufficient power to include Hispanic or Asian patients, thus limiting generalizability to an important segment of the U.S. population. Ethnic differences in appointment-keeping may play an important explanatory role in poorer health outcomes among minority patients, as well as impact patient-provider relationships, health operations efficiency, costs, and population-level quality of care measures. We examined correlates of frequent missed appointments in primary care among persons with diabetes, paying special attention to ethnic differences in a large, fully insured, and culturally diverse patient population with uniform access to health care. Expanding access to primary care teams (e.g., extending same-day appointment access) and planned visits are cornerstones of the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) (Rittenhouse and Shortell 2009; Bojadzievski and Gabbay 2011). Study findings regarding ethnic differences in appointment-keeping will have policy relevance for both PCMH and health care system efforts to reduce health inequities.
Structure of the Mouse Cytochrome P1‐450 Genomic Gene

Clone 46 was previously shown to represent mouse cytochrome P1-450 cDNA by both translation arrest experiments and segregation of induced P1-450 mRNA with induced aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity among individual 3-methylcholanthrene-treated offspring of the (C57BL/6N)(DBA/2N)F1× DBA/2N backcross. With clone 46 as a probe, a MOPC 41 mouse genomic-DNA library was screened. λ3NT12, a 16 × 103-base-pair insert of genomic DNA grown in a recombinant Charon 4A λ vector phage, was isolated and characterized. It was determined that clone 46 hybridizes to the extreme 5′ end of λ3NT12. pMJE12, a 3.0 × 103-base-pair fragment in the 5′ region of λ3NT12, was subcloned in plasmid pBR322 and used as a probe to screen again the same mouse-DNA library; recombinant phages λ3NT13, and λ3NT14, and λAhP-1 were isolated and characterized. The relative orientation of each of the four genomic clones on the mouse chromosome was determined. Only λAhP-1 contains the entire P1-450 genomic gene, which by R-loop analysis spans about 46 × 102 base pairs and contains at least five exons. Clone 46 is shown to be a 3′ unique sequence of the genomic P1-450 gene. The λAhP-1 genomic-DNA clone from the MOPC 41 plasmocytoma is shown by a series of restriction enzymes to be the same as genomic DNA from normal mouse liver. With a subclone in the 5′ portion of the P1-450 gene, two and three hybridizable fragments are found with mouse genomic DNA that has been digested with EcoRI and BamHI, respectively.
Cloning and expression of the gene for a protein disulfide oxidoreductase from Azotobacter vinelandii: complementation of an Escherichia coli dsbA mutant strain

The gene for a disulfide oxidoreductase was cloned and sequenced from Azotobacter vinelandii and termed the dsbA locus. The deduced amino acid sequence contains 214 residues with a potential 17-residue signaling sequence on the N-terminal end. This gives the mature protein a calculated molecular mass of 21 799 Da. The A. vinelandii DsbA protein contains the well-conserved motif of C-P-H-C, which is found in the catalytic site of other bacterial DsbA enzymes. The A. vinelandii dsbA gene was expressed in Escherichia coli and was found to be able to complement an E. coli dsbA mutant strain by restoring flagellar and alkaline phosphatase activities. A. vinelandii dsbA mutant strains were impossible to characterize because of the extreme deleterious effect of the mutation. Therefore, the in vivo role of A. vinelandii DsbA is unknown, but it may function to form disulfide bonds and/or be involved in cytochrome biogenesis.
Optimal Policies for Reducing Unnecessary Follow-Up Mammography Exams in Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Mammography is the most effective screening tool for early diagnosis of breast cancer. Based on the mammography findings, radiologists need to choose from one of the following three alternatives: 1 take immediate diagnostic actions including prompt biopsy to confirm breast cancer; 2 recommend a follow-up mammogram; 3 recommend routine annual mammography. There are no validated structured guidelines based on a decision-analytical framework to aid radiologists in making such patient-management decisions. Surprisingly, only 15--45% of the breast biopsies and less than 1% of short-interval follow-up recommendations are found to be malignant, resulting in unnecessary tests and patient anxiety. We develop a finite-horizon discrete-time Markov decision process MDP model that may help radiologists make patient-management decisions to maximize a patient's total expected quality-adjusted life years. We use clinical data to find the policies recommended by the MDP model and also compare them to decisions made by radiologists at a large mammography practice. We also derive the structural properties of the MDP model, including sufficiency conditions that ensure the existence of a double control limit-type policy.
Analysis and design of perfusion-based event-related fMRI experiments.

Perfusion-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using arterial spin labeling (ASL) methods has the potential to provide better localization of the functional signal to the sites of neural activity compared to blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) contrast fMRI. At present, experiments using ASL have been limited to simple block and periodic single-trial designs. We present here an adaptation of the general linear model to perfusion-based fMRI that enables the design and analysis of more complicated designs, such as random and semirandom event-related designs. Formulas for the least-squares estimate of the perfusion response and the F statistic for the detection of a response are derived. Exact expressions and useful approximations for detection power and estimation efficiency are presented, and it is shown that the trade-off between power and efficiency for perfusion experiments is similar to that previously observed for BOLD experiments. The least-squares estimate is compared with an estimate formed from the running subtraction of tag and control images. The running subtraction estimate is shown to be approximately equal to a temporally low-pass-filtered version of the least-squares estimate. Numerical simulations and results from ASL experiments are used to support the theoretical findings.
The adsorption and decomposition of methanol on the Rh(100) surface

The adsorption and decomposition of methanol on the Rh(100) surface have been studied using high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy and thermal desorption mass spectrometry. Below 200 K, methanol is molecularly adsorbed and bonds to the surface via the oxygen atom. At 200–220 K, a saturated methanol layer undergoes two competing reactions: desorption and OH bond cleavage to form an O-bonded methoxy species. The methoxy species is stable to approximately 250 K. Between 250 and 320 K, a fraction of the methoxy species decomposes to form coadsorbed CO and hydrogen adatoms while the remainder recombines with hydrogen adatoms to desorb as molecular methanol. The hydrogen adatoms remaining on the surface desorb as H2 between 270 and 400 K, and the CO desorbs between 450 and 550 K. Following a saturation exposure, approximately 0.2 monolayers of methanol decompose to eventually yield CO and H2 as desorption products. These results are compared to the chemistry of methanol on other metal surfaces.
The integration of water quality into transboundary allocation agreements: Lessons from the southwestern United States

There is now a fairly substantial literature that addresses transboundary water allocation both at the international and interstate level. However, most of this literature deals almost exclusively with the question of allocation and ignores quality considerations. At the same time, there is a growing literature on transboundary pollution control and upstream/downstream externalities. What is missing is an attempt to integrate quality consideration into allocation agreements. This paper examines several allocation agreements and disputes in the southwestern United States and Mexico and looks at the ramifications of omitting pollution control and quality considerations in these negotiations.
Annotation: Early intervention and prevention of self‐injurious behaviour exhibited by young children with developmental disabilities

The ontogeny of self-injurious behaviour exhibited by young children with developmental delays or disabilities is due to a complex interaction between neurobiological and environmental variables. In this manuscript, the literature on emerging self-injury in the developmental disability population is reviewed with a focus on an operant conceptual model of how topographies of self-injurious behaviour can change structurally and become sensitive to various environmental consequences. Results of previous studies are reviewed in terms of extending our research focus from a reactive model of assessment and treatment of well-established cases of self-injury to an early intervention and prevention model.
The outcome of Cryptococcus neoformans intracellular pathogenesis in human monocytes.

Background Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated yeast that is a facultative intracellular pathogen. The interaction between macrophages and C. neoformans is critical for extrapulmonary dissemination of this pathogenic yeast. C. neoformans can either lyse macrophages or escape from within them through a process known as phagosomal extrusion. However, most studies of intracellular pathogenesis have been made with mouse cells and their relevance to human infection is uncertain. In this study we extended studies of C. neoformans-macrophage cellular interaction/s to human peripheral blood monocytes.
Platelets and Thrombin Generation

This review examines the evidence that platelets play a major role in localizing and controlling the burst of thrombin generation leading to fibrin clot formation. From the first functional description of platelets, it has been recognized that platelets supply factors that support the activation of prothrombin. Studies have demonstrated that on activation, the amount of one specific lipid, phosphatidylserine, is significantly increased on the outer leaflet of platelet membranes. When it was found that phosphatidylserine containing lipid extracts could be substituted for platelets in clotting assays, this suggested the possibility that changes in platelet lipid composition were necessary and sufficient to account for platelet surface thrombin generation. Because a growing body of data suggest that platelet-binding proteins provide much of the specificity for platelet thrombin generation, we review in this report data suggesting that changes in lipid composition are necessary but not sufficient to account for platelet surface regulation of thrombin generation. Also, we review data suggesting that platelets from different individuals differ in their capacity to generate thrombin, whereas platelets from a single subject support thrombin generation in a reproducible manner. Individual differences in platelet thrombin generation might be accounted for by differences in platelet-binding proteins.
Species-Specific Identification of Human Adenoviruses by a Multiplex PCR Assay

A multiplex PCR assay was developed by using primers to the fiber gene that could differentiate human adenovirus (Ad) species A through F in a single amplification reaction. The assay correctly identified the species of all 49 recognized Ad prototype strains as well as 180 geographically and temporally diverse Ad field isolates. Ad serotype 6 (Ad6) (species C), Ad16 (species B), Ad31 (species A), and Ad40 and Ad41 (species F) could also be distinguished by amplicon size within each respective species. In comparison, a previously described Ad species-specific multiplex PCR assay that used primers to the Ad hexon gene gave equivocal results with several serotypes of species B, whereas our multiplex assay amplified all species B serotypes equally well. Our multiplex PCR assay will permit rapid, accurate, and cost-effective classification of Ad isolates.
Cutting Edge: The Orphan Nuclear Receptor Nr4a1 Regulates CD8+ T Cell Expansion and Effector Function through Direct Repression of Irf4

The transcription factor IFN regulatory factor (IRF)4 was shown to play a crucial role in the protective CD8+ T cell response; however, regulation of IRF4 expression in CD8+ T cells remains unclear. In this article, we report a critical role for Nr4a1 in regulating the expansion, differentiation, and function of CD8+ T cells through direct transcriptional repression of Irf4. Without Nr4a1, the regulation of IRF4 is lost, driving an increase in Irf4 expression and, in turn, resulting in a faster rate of CD8 T cell proliferation and expansion. Nr4a1-deficient mice show increases in CD8 T cell effector responses with improved clearance of Listeria monocytogenes. Our data support a novel and critical role for Nr4a1 in the regulation of CD8+ T cell expansion and effector function through transcriptional repression of Irf4.
Training improves glucose homeostasis in rats during exercise via glucose production

The effects of endurance training (running 1 h/day at 35 m/min, 10% grade) on glucose homeostasis during exercise (running 20 m/min) was studied in 30-h fasted rats. Primed-continuous infusion of [6-3H]- and [U-14C]glucose were employed to assess rates of appearance (Ra), disappearance (Rd), and apparent recycling. Training resulted in a 65% increase in skeletal muscle succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity but did not significantly influence body weight. Resting blood glucose concentrations were not significantly different between controls, 5.01 +/- 0.19 mM, and trained animals, 4.86 +/- 0.16 mM. Exercise resulted in a more rapid decline in blood glucose levels for control animals, reaching a value of 2.35 +/- 0.39 mM at 60 min, compared with 3.69 +/- 0.47 mM for trained animals. Glucose Ra was not significantly different between groups at rest, and rose for both groups during exercise. However, for controls Ra plateaued between 15 and 60 min of exercise at 11.03 +/- 0.73 mumol.100 g-1.min-1, whereas trained animals demonstrated a continuous rise to 17.13 +/- 1.18 mumol.100 g-1.min-1. Glucose Rd values were not significantly different between groups during the first 30 min of exercise but were significantly higher for trained animals during the final 30 min. As a result of the higher glucose Ra, trained animals demonstrated a smaller mean difference between Ra and Rd during exercise when compared with controls, -0.27 +/- 0.14 vs. -0.96 +/- 0.17 mumol.100 g-1.min-1. Trained animals further demonstrated significantly higher rates of glucose carbon recycling during the final 30 min of exercise.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Recognizing Artificial Faces Using Wavelet Based Adapted Median Binary Patterns

Recognizing avatar faces is a challenge and very important issue for terrorism and security experts. Recently some avatar face recognition techniques are proposed but they are still limited. In this paper, we propose a novel face recognition technique based on discrete wavelet transform and Adapted Median Binary Pattern (AMBP) operator to recognize avatar faces from different virtual worlds. The original LBP operator mainly thresholds pixels in a specific predetermined window based on the central pixel’s value of that window. As a result the LBP operator becomes more sensitive to noise especially in near-uniform or flat area regions of an image. One way to reduce the effect of noise is to update the threshold automatically based on all pixels in the neighborhood using some simple statistical operations. Experiments conducted on two virtual world avatar face image datasets show that our technique performs better than original LBP, adapted LBP, Median Binary Pattern (MBP) and wavelet statistical adapted LBP in terms of accuracy.
Factor analysis of symptom subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder and their relation to personality and tic disorders

Despite advances in our understanding of the pathology and genetics of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and in our ability to successfully treat patients with medications and behavioral psychotherapy, the identification of homogeneous subgroups of patients with OCD has remained elusive. Once identified, such subgroups may be found related to treatment response, biological markers, or genetic transmission of OCD. To clarify identification of symptom subtypes, my colleagues and I administered the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) Symptom Checklist to 107 patients with OCD and applied principal components analysis (e.g., factor analysis) to these data. We then examined the correlations between these factor scores and the presence of comorbid tic and personality disorders, which are thought to be related to OCD. We found that three factors, which we named "symmetry/hoarding," "contamination/cleaning," and "pure obsessions," best explained the symptoms of the Y-BOCS Symptom Checklist. Only the first factor was significantly related to comorbid obsessive compulsive personality disorder or to a lifetime history of Tourette's syndrome or chronic tic disorder. Implications of these findings regarding possible clinical utility are discussed.
Hagesias as Sunoikistêr: Seercraft and Colonial Ideology in Pindar's Sixth Olympian Ode

In positioning his laudandus Hagesias as the co-founder of Syracuse, Pindar considers the larger ideological implications of including a seer in a colonial foundation. The poet begins Olympian 6 by praising Hagesias as an athletic victor, seer, and sunoikister (co-founder) and therefore as a figure of enormous ritual power. This portrayal, however, introduces an element of competition into Hagesias9 relationship with his patron Hieron, the founder of Aitna. In response, the ode9s subsequent mythic portions circumscribe Hagesias9 status so as to mitigate any challenge the seer might present to Hieron9s own political authority. An intertextual reading of Olympian 69s myth with the myth of Pelops in Olympian 1 highlights Pindar9s careful negotiation of Hagesias9 position in this colonial context. Despite the resulting need to affirm Hagesias9 subordination to Hieron, Pindar joins together the seemingly incompatible roles of seer and co-founder because, as an intertextual reading of Nemean 1 helps to illustrate, Hagesias embodies and symbolically enacts in the ode Hieron9s synoikism of Aitna.
Modifying a reading intervention based on behavioral phenotypes could improve phonological awareness and decoding skills for students with Down syndrome

This review provides a summary and appraisal commentary on the treatment review by Lemons, C. J., King, S. A., Davidson, K. A., Puranik, C. S., Fulmer, Mrachko, A. A., Partanen, J., … & Fidler, D. J. (2015). Adapting phonological awareness interventions for children with Down syndrome based on the behavioral phenotype: A promising approach? Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 53, 271–288.Source of funding and disclosure of interests: This study was funded in part by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education [Grant R324A110162]. No interests were disclosed.
The Au–Pb Phase Diagram

The Au–Pb system has been redetermined using dta, metallography and X-ray techniques. The compounds Au 2 Pb, AuPb 2 and AuPb 3 are generated by peritectic reactions at 434° , 253° and 221.5°C respectively. AuPb 3 and Pb form a eutectic at 84.8 at% Pb and 212°C. It is confirmed that Au 2 Pb is stable down to at least 200°C.
Covert Aversive Sensitization in the Treatment of Obesity

unpleasant sensations and nausea, and 10 sessions in which they were treated with covert aversive sensitization as described by Cautela (1966, 1967). Those free-associating about food lost slightly, nonsignificantly more weight than those receiving relaxation training, so the 2 groups were combined for statistical analysis. Average weights of the 10 Ss completing treatment and the 6 prematurely terminating Ss at their local TOPS clubs 14 wk. before treatment began were 244.8 and 224.4 Ib. respectively, compared to 251.0 and 223.5 lb. at the time preliminary training began. Those completing treatment lost 2.9 Ib. during the preliminary sessions (probably due to attention) and an additional 5.9 Ib. during the 10 wk. of covert aversive sensitization. A comparison of the baseline change with the change during covert aversive sensitization for 10 Ss completing treatment, taken from a single factor analysis of variance for repeated measures, was significant (F = 6.31, df = 1/27, p < .05). Of 10 Ss 8 gained weight during the 14 wk. prior to treatment, 9 of 10 lost weight during treatment (p < .O1 by exact test from 2 x 2 contingency table). Although average change was quite modest in relation to total body weight, it was maintained relatively well during follow-up (+ 1.5 and +0.4 lb. after 3 and 6 mo.). Most of those terminating did so before receiving much actual covert aversive sensitization, and on average gained 4.5 Ib. before dropping out, with an additional 3.8 lb. gain on 3-mo. follow-up, but during the following 3 mo. they lost 2.3 lb. Of 6 Ss terminating treatment, all but one were seen by a very young, small female psychology trainee. The 6 women seen by the experienced male therapists all completed treatment. Because of small N, high drop-out rate, differences between therapists, lack of a control group, and the variations in pre-training sessions, results cannot be considered a conclusive test of covert aversive sensitization but do suggest the technique may have potential for weight reduction.
Low incidence of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) in the first-degree relatives of PBC probands after 8 years of follow-up.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is characterized by chronic cholestasis and disease-specific antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA). A high prevalence of AMAs in first-degree relatives (FDRs) of PBC probands has been reported, although the natural history of such patients has not been described. We aimed to assess the risk of developing PBC in AMA+ FDRs of patients with PBC. METHODS First-degree relatives recruited to the Mayo Clinic PBC Genetic Epidemiology Registry and Biorepository were followed for disease onset after recruitment. Development of PBC was ascertained via self-report during a telephone interview and/or via proband report on a questionnaire. Chi-squared test and t-test were used to assess the differences between categorical and continuous variables respectively. A mixed-effects model was used to assess the change in biochemical profiles over time. RESULTS Forty AMA+ and 423 AMA- subjects were included and followed for a median of 8.9 and 8.4 years respectively. Overall, 3% (n = 15) of FDRs were diagnosed with PBC, and AMA+ FDRs had a higher risk than AMA- FDRs (24% vs. 0.7%, P < 0.01). However, among undiagnosed FDRs, only 4% of AMA+ (n = 1) and 0.4% of AMA- (n = 1) FDRs were diagnosed with PBC (P = 0.17) during the follow-up period. None of the AMA+ FDRs with normal alkaline phosphatase at baseline developed PBC in follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest a low risk of developing PBC over time in FDRs of patients with PBC, particularly those without biochemical evidence of cholestasis at baseline. These data are useful in counselling and reassuring relatives of their overall favourable prognosis.
Induced Loudness Reduction and Enhancement in Acoustic and Electric Hearing

The loudness of a tone can be reduced by preceding it with a more intense tone. This effect, known as induced loudness reduction (ILR), has been reported to last for several seconds. The underlying neural mechanisms are unknown. One possible contributor to the effect involves changes in cochlear gain via the medial olivocochlear (MOC) efferents. Since cochlear implants (CIs) bypass the cochlea, investigating whether and how CI users experience ILR should help provide a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms. In the present study, ILR was examined in both normal-hearing listeners and CI users by examining the effects of an intense precursor (50 or 500 ms) on the loudness of a 50-ms target, as judged by comparing it to a spectrally remote 50-ms comparison sound. The interstimulus interval (ISI) between the precursor and the target was varied between 10 and 1000 ms to estimate the time course of ILR. In general, the patterns of results from the CI users were similar to those found in the normal-hearing listeners. However, in the short-precursor short-ISI condition, an enhancement in the loudness of target was observed in CI subjects that was not present in the normal-hearing listeners, consistent with the effects of an additional attenuation present in the normal-hearing listeners but not in the CI users. The results suggest that the MOC may play a role but that it is not the only source of these loudness context effects.
743 UTILIZATION OF PROPERDIN IN CHILDREN WITH VASCULITIS AND MILK ALLERGY

Patients with various types of vasculitis have serologic findings which indicate that properdin is consumed during disease activity. In all of 22 patients with documented Henoch Schonlein Purpura, the level of serum properdin was reduced more than 3 standard deviations below the mean in the first week of the disease. Patients with predominant signs of abdominal pain and glomerulonephritis had more pronounced reductions in serum properdin than did those patients with arthritis as a presenting symptom. Serum levels of properdin convertase were also reduced in 12 of the 22 patients. As the disease subsides, levels of properdin and properdin convertase return to normal. All other serum complement components and alternative pathway proteins were normal. Similarly, six patients with nonspecific vasculitis had isolated reductions in serum properdin which correlated well with disease activity. Of great interest is the fact that 3 patients with milk allergy also had isolated low levels of serum properdin. The level of properdin returned to normal on a milk-free diet and fell on challenge with milk. In addition, these latter patients demonstrate a functional inadequacy of the alternative pathway as judged by incomplete C3-C9 consumption on the addition of zymosan to their serum. These findings suggest that properdin and properdin convertase may be involved in those disorders effecting vascular inflammation.
In the Center of the Urban Space for Qujiang and Research of the Tang Poetry

As the most famous Tang Dynasty garden area,Qujiang witnessed the rise and fall of the Tang Dynasty,became the most representative of the geographical space in Chang'an city.It has a very special meaningin the Chinese's mind.Therefore,this article make an example of Qujiang to analysis the relationship between Chang'an urban space and its poetry.Qujiang as subject provided a lot of creation material for the poet and services for the lyric,as Love in the clues lead to a poet.Also it has a rich cultural connotation in Qujiang:the rise and fall of one dynasty vane,the second is the poet of the past memories and future pursuit,the three friends miss the emotional poet carrier,
Content of amniotic fluid prostaglandins in normal, diabetic, and drug-abuse human pregnancy.

Human amniotic fluid prostaglandins have been separated and quantitated by a special technique at different stages of pregnancy. The amount and the percentage composition of the various prostaglandin classes was the same in the three groups examined: 24 weeks, 26 to 34 weeks, and 34 to 36 weeks. The levels of prostaglandins in all groups increased significantly at term. The dominating fraction was PGF 2 α among primary prostaglandins. The average values of PGF 2 α at labor were (in nanograms per milliliter): normal, 30.0; diabetic, 26.0; methadone, 23.0; heroin, 25.0—which was five to six times greater than nonlabor values in all groups. Comparisons between normal, diabetic, methadone, and heroin patients’ prostaglandin F 2 α were not significant.
The Need for Accreditation Management

Despite the many criticisms about accreditation of higher education at this time, institutions and the general public still have a fundamental desire and true need for identification and revitalization of postsecondary institutions by societal administrations such as the federal government. Twenty years ago, a research study surveyed 520 institutions accredited by the American Council on Education in 1986 and discovered that 90 percent of participants surveyed concurred that education accreditation provides a practical directory of institutional value and worth (Andersen 1987). The study also found that a preponderance of thought that accreditation is perceived as a practical instrument for self-evaluation and a incentive for organizational improvement. Nevertheless, only 20 percent of the survey respondents reported it to be very useful as a measure for entitlement to offer federal money to students. This perception brings up an inquiry with regard to the potential divergence between the summative and formative objectives of the accreditation procedures. This potential conflict may be supported by established management theories related to the separation of such goals in performance appraisals (Meyer et al. 1965). The main idea is that appraisal of functioning should not be connected directly with development strategies, in order to augment the prospective benefits of each educational objective. Can external collegiate colleague-evaluators in an accreditation review offer genuine and comprehensive guidance for improvement when the process also requires that the evaluators give a formal decision on institutional or specialized program quality?
Mars, Panspermia, and Origin of Life Where did it all begin?

During the nineteenth century, when steady-state cosmological theories were in vogue, Lord Kelvin, Svante Arrhenius, and other eminent scientists believed that the transfer of life from one planet to another was a process made inevitable by the infinite extent and duration of the universe. This hypothesis, known as panspermia, subsequently fell out of favor, partly as a result of the acceptance of the Big Bang theory. Most efforts to understand the origin of life have since been framed by the assumption that life began on Earth.
JUN dependency in distinct early and late BRAF inhibition adaptation states of melanoma

A prominent mechanism of acquired resistance to BRAF inhibitors in BRAFV600-mutant melanoma is associated with the upregulation of receptor tyrosine kinases. Evidences suggested that this resistance mechanism is part of a more complex cellular adaptation process. Using an integrative strategy, we found this mechanism to invoke extensive transcriptomic, (phospho-) proteomic and phenotypic alterations that accompany a cellular transition to a de-differentiated, mesenchymal and invasive state. Even short-term BRAF-inhibitor exposure leads to an early adaptive, differentiation state change—characterized by a slow-cycling, persistent state. The early persistent state is distinct from the late proliferative, resistant state. However, both differentiation states share common signaling alterations including JUN upregulation. Motivated by the similarities, we found that co-targeting of BRAF and JUN is synergistic in killing fully resistant cells; and when used up-front, co-targeting substantially impairs the formation of the persistent subpopulation. We confirmed that JUN upregulation is a common response to BRAF inhibitor treatment in clinically treated patient tumors. Our findings demonstrate that events shared between early- and late-adaptation states provide candidate up-front co-treatment targets.
Surveying commuter behavior as a basis for designing motorist information systems

A motorist information survey was conducted by University investigators as part of a project sponsored by the Washington State Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. This survey gathered information about motorist activities and behaviors, particularly the potential for changing these behaviors through the design and delivery of motorist information. Of particular interest were the commuter-based methodology designed to allow application of multivariate techniques to data analysis, and the use of cluster analysis to determine discrete groups of commuter types. The design and administration of the survey, the cluster analysis methodology and its preliminary results are described. >
Towards Clinically Feasible Relaxation-Diffusion Correlation MRI Using MADCO

Multidimensional relaxation-diffusion correlation (REDCO) NMR is an assumption-free method that measures how water is distributed within materials. Although highly informative, REDCO had never been used in clinical MRI applications because of the large amount of data it requires, leading to infeasible scan times. A recently suggested novel experimental design and processing framework, marginal distributions constrained optimization (MADCO), was used here to accelerate and improve the reconstruction of such MRI correlations. MADCO uses the 1D marginal distributions as a priori information, which provide powerful constraints when 2D spectra are reconstructed, while their estimation requires an order of magnitude less data than conventional 2D approaches. In this work we experimentally examined the impact the complexity of the correlation distribution has on the accuracy and robustness of the estimates. MADCO and a conventional method were compared using two T1-D phantoms that differ in the proximity of their peaks, leading to a relatively simple case as opposed to a more challenging one. The phantoms were used to vet the achievable data compression using MADCO under these conditions. MADCO required ~43 and ~30 less data than the conventional approach for the simple and complex spectra, respectively, making it potentially feasible for preclinical and even clinical applications.
Comparison of a computerized anesthesia device with a traditional syringe in preschool children.

Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the efficacy of a computerized injection device (Wand) on reducing pain behavior during injections with preschool-aged children. Methods: Subjects consisted of 40 patients between the ages of 2 and 5 requiring local anesthesia for dental restorations in the maxilla. Patients were randomly assigned to either the Wand or the traditional anesthetic delivery system. A palatal approach to the anterior and middle superior alveolar nerves and the anterior superior alveolar nerve was used with the Wand injections. Buccal infiltration and palatal injections were used for the traditional method. Pain behavior was observed and coded. Results: Results of Fisher Exact tests found that using the Wand to deliver anesthetic lead to significantly fewer (P<.01) disruptive behaviors in preschool-aged children when compared with a traditional injection regimen. In addition, none of the preschool-aged children exposed to the Wand required restraint during the initial interval, while nearly half of the children receiving a traditional injection required some type of immediate restraint. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that the Wand can significantly reduce disruptive behaviors in a population of young children who are traditionally more difficult to manage and may be one method of creating a more positive experience for the young child and the practitioner. (Pediatr Dent. 2002;24:315-320)
Cove‐Edge Nanoribbon Materials for Efficient Inverted Halide Perovskite Solar Cells

Two cove-edge graphene nanoribbons hPDI2-Pyr-hPDI2 and hPDI3-Pyr-hPDI3 are used as efficient electron transporting materials (ETMs) in inverted planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs). It was found that devices based on the new graphene nanoribbons exhibit maximum power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 15.6% and 16.5% for hPDI2-Pyr-hPDI2 and hPDI3-Pyr-hPDI3, respectively, while a maximum PCE of 14.9% is achieved with devices based on [6,6]-phenyl-C₆₁-butyric acid methyl ester (PC₆₁BM). The interfacial effects induced by these new materials are studied using photoluminescence (PL), and we find that hPDI2-Pyr-hPDI2 and hPDI3-Pyr-hPDI3 act as efficient electron extraction materials. Additionally, compared with PC₆₁BM, these new materials are more hydrophobic and have slightly higher LUMO energy levels, thus providing better device performance and higher device stability.
An improved method for fast and selective separation of carotenoids by LC–MS

Carotenoids are a large class of compounds that are biosynthesized by condensation of isoprene units in plants, fungi, bacteria, and some animals. They are characteristically highly conjugated through double bonds, which lead to many isomers as well susceptibility to oxidation and other chemical modifications. Carotenoids are important because of their potent antioxidant activity and are the pigments responsible for color in a wide variety of foods. Human consumption is correlated to many health benefits including prevention of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and age-related disease. Extreme hydrophobicity, poor stability, and low concentration in biological samples make these compounds difficult to analyze and difficult to develop analytical methods for aimed towards identification and quantification. Examples in the literature frequently report the use of exotic stationary phases, solvents, and additives, such as ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, and methyl tert-butyl ether that are incompatible with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS). In order to address these issues, we implemented the use of LC-MS friendly conditions using a low-hydrophobicity cyano-propyl column (Agilent Zorbax SB-CN). We successfully differentiated between isomeric carotenoids by optimizing two gradient methods and using a mixture of 11 standards and LC-MS in positive ionization mode. Three complex biological samples from strawberry leaf, chicken feed supplement, and the photosynthetic bacterium Chloroflexus aurantiacus were analyzed and several carotenoids were resolved in these diverse backgrounds. Our results show this methodology is a significant improvement over other alternatives for analyzing carotenoids because of its ease of use, rapid analysis time, high selectivity, and, most importantly, its compatibility with typical LC-MS conditions.
Change and Stability of Emotional Health of Rural Pennsylvania Youth During High School

Purpose Few prior studies have examined change in emotional health of high school students in a rural context. Considering the multifaceted nature of emotional health, this research aims to identify the patterns and explore change and stability of the emotional health of rural Pennsylvania youth. It also investigates the influence of family, peers, school, and the community environment on rural adolescents' emotional health. Methods Using panel data from the Rural Youth Education Project, we employed latent transition analysis to examine changes in patterns of rural students' self-reported emotional health from 9th grade to 11th grade (N = 1,294). Findings Four distinct emotional health subgroups for rural adolescents were identified. Over half of the youth in the sample felt emotionally well, or positive, in both 9th and 11th grades. Roughly 60% of rural youth remained in the same emotional health category from 9th to 11th grade, but a substantial minority experienced change in emotional health. One-fifth reported lower emotional health status in 11th grade, and one-fifth indicated more positive emotions in 11th than in 9th grade. We found strong evidence of family, school, community, and peer influences on the emotional health of rural youth in 9th grade. Conclusions The results suggest that while a large share of rural youth exhibit positive emotional health and remain positive across their high school years, a substantial share of rural youth experience changing emotional health. The study underscores the important role that family, peers, school, and the community environment play for rural youth's emotional health over time.
A closer look at Sporidiobolales: Ubiquitous microbial community members of plant and food biospheres.

Carotenoid-containing yeasts in Sporidiobolales (Microbotryomycetes, Pucciniomycotina, Basidiomycota) have been reported from contrasting ecosystems, including marine, soil, phylloplane, polar ice,...
Acromegaly, Therapy for

Acromegaly, a somatic growth and proportion disorder, is a rare and insidious disease caused by growth hormone (GH)-secreting pituitary tumors or (rarely) extrapituitary disorders. Elevated levels of GH and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) are the hallmarks of this syndrome. Clinical manifestations include skeletal and soft tissue growth and deformations as well as cardiac, respiratory, neuromuscular, endocrine, and metabolic complications. Early diagnosis and aggressive control of the disease significantly attenuate or even abolish the increased morbidity and mortality from the disease. Although transsphenoidal surgery is considered the primary treatment of choice, it is apparent that complete macroadenoma resection, especially if invasive, is difficult even for skilled surgeons, hence their low rate of biochemical control.
Probabilistic evaluation of combination rules for seismic force demands from orthogonal ground motion components

Abstract A probabilistic approach to assessing the effectiveness of the rules used to combine demands from orthogonal ground motion components is developed. Full probability distributions of the ratio between the force demands obtained from nonlinear response history analyses using bidirectional loading, which are taken as the “true” demands, and rule-based combinations of the demands from unidirectional loading, are developed. For the percentage combination rules (100-p), a relationship is established between the value of p (e.g. p = 30% for 100–30 rule) and the probability that the bidirectional loading demands exceed the rule-based combination of the unidirectional loading demands. Using this relationship, an appropriate value of p based on an acceptable exceedance probability is determined. The proposed framework is demonstrated using special concentric braced frames with biaxially loaded columns, which are shared by orthogonal braced frames. The combinatorial effect of the orthogonal responses is found to be influenced by several factors including the type of demand parameter (e.g. column axial forces versus stresses), demand level and building height.
Pressure ulcers: Prevention and management

Prevention has been a primary goal of pressure ulcer research. Despite such efforts, pressure ulcers remain common in hospitals and in the community. Moreover, pressure ulcers often become chronic wounds that are difficult to treat and that tend to recur after healing. Especially given these challenges, dermatologists should have the knowledge and skills to implement pressure ulcer prevention strategies and to effectively treat pressure ulcers in their patients. This continuing medical education article focuses on pressure ulcer prevention and management, with an emphasis on the evidence for commonly accepted practices.
Stanley Cavell at Amherst College

In February of 2000, Stanley Cavell came to Amherst College to present two public lectures as the John C. McCloy ’16 Professor of American Institutions. (I had nominated him for the lectureship the previous year, and he had been approved by a College committee and the president of the College at the time, Tom Gerety, who was himself a legal philosopher.) It was a big deal. In the fall, the lecturer had been Ronald Dworkin. Others who had lectured through these early years of the lecture included such luminaries as Martha Nussbaum and George Kateb. (The first McCloy lecturer had been Fred Korematsu, who had unsuccessfully sued the U.S. government during World War II to end the Japanese internment program. Korematsu’s invitation had been a sort of historical reparation, since John McCloy, for whom the professorship had been named, had directed the internment camp program for FDR, famously saying, when asked about its constitutionality, “Compared to my country, the Constitution is just a piece of paper.”)
The Suggest a Library Purchase Program at the University of Colorado Boulder

This case study examines the workflow of “Suggest a Purchase” requests at the University of Colorado Boulder. The author collected data examining requests from July 2017 to December 2018. This stud...
Exogenous Expression of Connexins for Physiological Characterization of Channel Properties: Comparison of Methods and Results

The cloning of cDNAs encoding rat (1–3) and human connexin (C×) 32 (3) ushered in a new era in which molecular approaches could be applied to the study of gap junctions. At that time, the gap junction field had amassed considerable and diverse information using a variety of microscopic, immunological, biochemical, structural, and electrophysiological techniques (4-8). As a result, the ability to clone and exogenously express wild type or mutant connexins rapidly advanced knowledge of gap junction function and regulation. A particularly surprising outcome from these studies has been the diversity of the gap junction gene family.