cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Keynote: Internet of mobile things: Challenges and opportunities

The Internet of Things (IoT) concept has been around for some time and applications such as transportation, health-care, education, travel, smart grid, retail, are and will be major benefactors of this concept. However, only recently, due to technological advances in sensor devices and rich wireless connectivity, Internet of Things at scale is becoming reality. For example, Cisco's Internet of Things Group predicts over 50 billion connected sensory devices by 2020. In this talk, we will discuss the Internet of Mobile Things (IoMT) since several game-changing technological advances happened on ‘mobile things’ such as mobile phones, trains, and cars, where rich sets of sensors, connected via diverse sets of wireless Internet technologies, are changing and influencing how people communicate, move, and download and distribute information. In this space, challenges come from the needs to determine (1) contextual information such as location, duration of contact, density of devices, utilizing networked sensory information; (2) higher level knowledge such as users' activity detection, mood detection, applications usage pattern detection and user interactions on ‘mobile things’, utilizing contextual information; and (3) adaptive and real-time parallel and distributed architectures that integrate context, activity, mood, usage patterns into mobile application services on mobile ‘things’. Solving these challenges will provide enormous opportunities to improve the utility of mobile ‘things’, optimizing scarce resources on mobile ‘things’ such as energy, memory, and bandwidth.
An evaluation of the chat and knowledge delivery components of a low-level dialog system: The AZ-ALICE experiment

An effective networked knowledge delivery platform is one of the Holy Grails of Web computing. Knowledge delivery approaches range from the heavy and narrow to the light and broad. This paper explores a lightweight and flexible dialog framework based on the ALICE system, and evaluates its performance in chat and knowledge delivery using both a conversational setting and a specific telecommunications knowledge domain. Metrics for evaluation are presented, and the evaluations of three experimental systems (a pure dialog system, a domain knowledge system, and a hybrid system combining dialog and domain knowledge) are presented and discussed. Our study of 257 subjects shows approximately a 20% user correction rate on system responses. Certain error classes (such as nonsense replies) were particular to the dialog system, while others (such as mistaking opinion questions for definition questions) were particular to the domain system. A third type of error, wordy and awkward responses, is a basic system property and spans all three experimental systems. We also show that the highest response satisfaction results are obtained when coupling domain-specific knowledge together with conversational dialog.
Cosmic ray scintillations, 4. The effects of non‐field‐aligned diffusion

A previous discussion of the fluctuations in the cosmic ray intensity near earth is generalized by including non-field-aligned diffusion in the model. For frequencies of approximately-greater-than5 x 10/sup -6/ Hz the fluctuations are interplanetary scintillations caused by the field-aligned anisotropy, as was previously discussed. For lower frequencies the effects of non-field-aligned diffusion dominate and give a power spectral density proportional to f/sup -2/. Observations are presented which support the model. (AIP)
Surgical management of thoracic malignancies invading the heart or great vessels

Abstract Background Surgical resection of thoracic malignancies involving either the heart or great vessels is uncommonly performed because of the potential morbidity and mortality for an unknown probability of significant palliation or cure. We reviewed our experience of 10 patients treated surgically, either primarily or as a component of multimodality therapy, to assess feasibility and results. Methods A retrospective review of the results in 10 patients who underwent resection of thoracic malignancies that included either great vessel or the heart was conducted. Results Histologic diagnoses included soft tissue sarcoma (n = 7), squamous cell carcinoma (n = 1), malignant thymoma (n = 1), and mediastinal teratoma (n = 1). Three patients underwent induction chemotherapy. Cardiopulmonary bypass was used in 7 patients. Structures resected included superior vena cava (n = 5), left atrium (n = 4), right atrium (n = 2), descending aorta (n = 1), and main pulmonary artery (n = 1). Concomitant anatomic pulmonary resections were performed in 3 patients. Seven patients had an R0 or R1 resection. There were no perioperative deaths. All symptomatic patients had immediate and sustained palliation of their presenting symptoms. The median length of stay was 6 days (range, 4 to 43 days). Six patients underwent postoperative systemic therapy. The overall median survival was 21.7 months (range, 3.2 to 69 months) and was 33.3 months (range, 3.7 to 69 months) for patients who had an R0 or R1 resection. Conclusions Resection of the heart and great vessels involved by thoracic malignancies can be performed with acceptable morbidity and mortality and results in significant palliation and, in some cases, prolonged survival.
Subcritical bifurcation in spatially extended systems

A theory for noise-driven subcritical instabilities in spatially extended systems is put forward. The theory allows one to calculate the critical bifurcation parameter for a first-order phase transition in such non-equilibrium systems in the thermodynamic limit and analyse the mechanism of phase transition. Two examples with distinctive features are studied in detail to demonstrate the usefulness of the theory and the different scenarios that can occur in the thermodynamic limit of non-equilibrium systems.
Population viability analysis and fire return intervals for an endemic Florida scrub mint

We use population viability analysis of an endangered Florida scrub mint, Dicerandra frutescens, to specify the optimal fire return intervals for its long-term persistence and for its specific habitat. We derived 83 population projection matrices from 13 years of demographic data from eight populations, 59 matrices from scrub populations and 24 from firelane or yard edges. Seed dormancy and germination transitions were inferred based on experimental data and verified by comparing modeled vs. observed population trajectories. Finite rates of increase in scrub sites were highest shortly after fire and declined steeply through 10 years postfire. The break-even value of k = 1 was passed quickly, in about six years, suggesting that populations >6 years postfire were already facing decline. The decline is probably related to the rapid growth of competing shrubs in the habitat of D. frutescens. In long-unburned sites, finite rates of increase were nearly always 1 and <1, with no temporal trend. Stochastic simulations in scrub sites suggested an optimal regular fire return interval of about 6‐12 years. Regular fires at this interval were more favorable than stochastic fire regimes, but stochasticity reduced extinction percentages at longer fire return intervals. Stochastic fire return intervals implied a wider optimal fire return interval of 6‐21 years. We suggest that prescribed fire in Florida scrub on yellow sand has occurred (and needs to occur) more frequently than previously recommended.
Why Problems Do Not Go Away: The Case of Inflation

Problems persist despite efforts to solve them because those efforts are irrelevant, inadequate, or unsupported. A behavioral structure consisting of the philosophy of the system in which the problem resides, its institutions, administration, and the operation that implements its policies is devised to analyze persistent problems such as inequality, underdevelopment, and inflation. As a chronic problem in the United States and other capitalist economies, inflation reflects a contradiction within the behavioral structure. Its resolution requires reinstatement of perfect competition, which is improbable, or change of the philosophy, which is revolutionary and equally improbable; hence, inflation will persist regardless of the measures taken against it.
Adolescents' smoking expectancies: psychometric properties and prediction of behavior change.

Outcome expectancies have been related to smoking behavior among adults, but less attention has been given to expectancies about smoking among adolescents at differing levels of smoking experience. The present study reports the psychometric properties and predictive validity of a brief expectancy scale across two samples of adolescents. Sample 1 (N5349) consisted of high school students (54% female) who were regular smokers enrolled in a cessation program. Sample 2 (N5273) consisted of 8th- and 10th-grade early experimenters (54% female) involved in a natural history study of smoking trajectories. In both samples, a principal component analysis of a 13-item expectancy scale yielded four factors (taste, weight control, boredom relief, and negative affect management), each with high internal consistency (coefficient alphas ..77) and accounting for 73% and 80% of the total variance for each sample, respectively. Expectancies were significantly higher among current smokers than among early initiators. In Sample 1, boredom relief and weight management expectancies predicted smoking status 6 months later. In Sample 2, students whose smoking increased over 18 months had higher overall expectancies at baseline compared with those who tried smoking and did not escalate. These findings support the predictive validity of expectancies in predicting escalation and cessation. Implications for the importance of expectancies in understanding adolescent smoking behavior are considered.
Laughing at Love: L.E.L. and the Embellishment of Eros

In Letitia Elizabeth Landon’s The Improvisatrice, the physical body of the book puns on the female body. The erotics of poetess poetry is anchored in the sensuality of "embellishments," including the elaborate chirographic renditions of the initials “L.E.L.” Landon capitalizes on by eroticizing / embellishing all kinds of writing already in circulation. Moreover, The Improvisatrice enacts a kind of viewing that L.E.L. wants readers to participate in as they read. The poem encourages readers to engage in an "onanistic poesaphilia," to witness and participate in thinly-veiled pornographic scenes of indulgence in poetic sensibility. Landon presumes that being entertained consists in reading about people writing erotically. L.E.L.'s heroines are less passive sentimental victims than the proponents of "safe sex," an eroticism that is both bookish and solitary.
Signal integrity optimization on the pad assignment for high-speed VLSI design

Pad assignment with signal integrity optimization is very important for high-speed VLSI design. In this paper, an efficient method is proposed to effectively minimize both simultaneous switching noise and crosstalk that are inevitably caused by package inductance and capacitance during the design of high-speed/high-bandwidth circuits. Due to its efficiency, our algorithm can be incorporated into existing circuit floorplanning and placement schemes for the co-design of VLSI and packaging. For a set of industrial circuits/packages tested in our experiment, on the average, our method achieves a 16.8% reduction of total electrical noise when compared with the conventional design rule of thumb popularly used by circuit designers.
Design Formulas for Nonreactive High-Voltage Pulse Resistors

To terminate pulse equipment supplying peak voltages up to a million volts for microsecond durations requires nonreactive loads to maintain the pulse characteristics. The resistive elements must not only dissipate the pulse energy but must also maintain a low reactance for the high frequencies in the pulse waveform. The return circuit, treated as a short-circuited transmission line, forms the basis for designing nonreactive resistors with both cylindrical and fiat conductors. The distribution of voltage, current, and power is shown for the ideal design. Formulas are derived for the Chaperon double winding, the "hairpin" or loop geometry, and the coaxial form. Resistance values range from less than an ohm to several hundred thousand ohms for pulse voltages up to 1.2 million volts. Time constants vary from 10-6to 10-10seconds. A frequency expression is derived to aid in predicting the resistor's frequency response. Construction and measuring techniques are included. Frequency effects are analyzed to compensate for the skin effect on the resistance and inductance, and to select low-loss dielectric materials.
Tissue Distribution of Lycopene in Ferrets and Rats after Lycopene Supplementation

To determine lycopene uptake and tissue distribution in ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) and F344 rats, we supplemented orally 4.6 mg/(kg body wt.d) lycopene in a tomato oleoresin-corn oil mixture (experimental groups). After 9 wk of supplementation, the animals were killed and blood and organs were collected. Plasma and tissue carotenoids were extracted and measured using HPLC. Mean concentrations of lycopene (nmol/kg wet tissue) in saponified tissues of ferrets were as follows: liver 933, intestine 73, prostate 12.7 and stomach 9.3. Levels of lycopene (nmol/kg wet tissue) in saponified tissue of rats were as follows: liver 14213, intestine 3125, stomach 78.6, prostate 24 and testis 3.9. When these organs were extracted without saponification, the lycopene levels were lower, except for rat testis. All-trans-lycopene was the predominant isomer found in tomato oleoresin and in the majority of rat tissues, whereas cis-lycopenes were predominant in rat prostate and plasma. This pattern was reversed in ferrets. The results show the following: 1) lycopene from tomato oleoresin is absorbed and stored primarily in the liver of both animals; 2) saponification generally improves the extraction of lycopene from most tissues of both animals; 3) cis-lycopene and all-trans-lycopene are the predominant isomers in ferret and rat tissues, respectively; and 4) rats absorb lycopene more effectively than ferrets.
THE X-Y-Z SCHEME OF IMMUNOCYTE MATURATION VII. CELL DIVISION AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SHORT-TERM IGM MEMORY

Short-term IgM memory is established within 1 day after primary injection. This 1 day priming is independent of cell division as it can take place in the pressence of methotrexate or hydroxyurea. The primary response involves a similar 1 day nonproliferative phase. On the contrary, cells responding to a second injection of antigen after short priming intervals begin to proliferate within hours. This implies a qualitative difference between the antigen-sensitive cells in primed and normal animals. After 1 day, further proliferative expansion of memory can occur, which is probably antigen dependent. The response to several dose regimens indicates that repeated antigenic contact is needed to maintain the IgM response.
Endoribonuclease activity associated with animal RNA viruses.

Abstract A specific endoribonucleolytic activity was detected when detergent-lysed vesicular stomatitis of Sendai virus was incubated with the precursor to Escherichia coli tRNA Tyr. The cleavage products produced and the characteristics of the reaction were similar to those previously reported for human KB cell RNase NU. Like RNase NU, the virus-associated reaction generates 5'-hydroxyl and 3'-phosphate groups at the cleavage sites. At protein concentrations similar to those used to test vesicular stomatitis and Sendai viruses, virions of Sindbis virus and poliovirus also exhibited endoribonucleolytic activity, but reovirus, simian virus 40, and minute virus of mice did not. This endoribonuclease may be of physiological relevance to some of the viruses we tested.
Principal component analysis in decomposable Gaussian graphical models

We consider principal component analysis (PCA) in decomposable Gaussian graphical models. We exploit the prior information in these models in order to distribute its computation. For this purpose, we reformulate the problem in the sparse inverse covariance (concentration) domain and solve the global eigenvalue problem using a sequence of local eigenvalue problems in each of the cliques of the decomposable graph. We demonstrate the application of our methodology in the context of decentralized anomaly detection in the Abilene backbone network. Based on the topology of the network, we propose an approximate statistical graphical model and distribute the computation of PCA.
Vigabatrin increases human brain homocarnosine and improves seizure control

Homocarnosine, a dipeptide of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and histidine, is thought to be an inhibitory neuromodulator synthesized in subclasses of GABAergic neurons. Homocarnosine is present in human brain in greater amounts (0.4-1.0 micromol/g) than in other animals. The antiepileptic drug vigabatrin increases human cerebrospinal fluid homocarnosine linearly with daily dose. By using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, serial occipital lobe GABA and homocarnosine concentrations were measured in 11 patients started on vigabatrin. Daily low-dose (2 g) vigabatrin increased both homocarnosine and GABA. Larger doses of vigabatrin (4 g) further increased homocarnosine but changed GABA levels minimally. Seizure control improved with increasing homocarnosine and GABA concentrations. Patients whose seizure control improved with the addition of vigabatrin had higher mean homocarnosine, but the same mean GABA concentrations, than those whose seizure control did not improve. Increased homocarnosine may contribute to improved seizure control.
On the Nature of Verbal Rules and Their Role in Problem Solving

This paper develops the idea of a verbal rule as a concise, linguistic description of a plan for problem solving. The first section discusses the properties of verbal rules, including what they are, why they are useful, what kind of plan is described, the additional knowledge needed to convert them into performable procedures, and how they might be used in problem solving. The second section reports the results of an empirical study of the role of signed-arithmetic verbal rules when they were instructed as a problem-solving method. Analysis of problem-solving protocols yields three kinds of results. Mental procedures constructed from verbal rules can be structurally different from the instructed verbal rules. Difficulties arise in selecting and executing procedures because of inadequate parsing procedures. Verbal rules tend to be used optionally and drop out of performance when a person becomes skilled, but they can be recalled and used explicitly when appropriate mental procedures are unavailable. Drawing on the results of the empirical study, the third section discusses the role of verbal rules in learning and problem solving, the process of converting verbal rules into mental procedures, and two hypotheses about the origins of systematic performance errors.
Bernoulli catenary and elasto-capillary effect in partially wet fibrous materials

When a wetting liquid wicks into a fibrous material, it causes the material to deform. In this paper we discuss the elasto- capillary effect that leads to spontaneous internal stresses in the materials. The elasto-capillary effect produced by menisci in pores can be identified through a specific stress distribution in the fibrous matrix. We show that the classical Bernoulli problem of a freely hanging fabric can be used for the analysis of gravity-induced stresses in textile materials. These stresses change due to elasto-capillary effect. Wicking of a wetting liquid into a freely suspended fibrous material is shown to be an instructive nontrivial experiment illustrating interesting distinguishable stress distributions in the fibrous matrix.
Reducing emergency department visits and hospitalizations in African American and hispanic patients with asthma: A 15-year review

Minority populations in the United States continue to experience a disproportionate share of emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations due to asthma. This review examines programs that have attempted to reduce these acute care visits in African American and Hispanic patients. We performed a PubMed search of the English literature for studies published from March 1990 to March 2005, aimed at reducing ED visits and hospitalizations in patients with asthma. Decreased acute care visits in African American and Hispanic patients with asthma have been demonstrated in several studies over the past 15 years, including collaboration by physicians, nurses, and clinical pharmacists in achieving this goal. These studies have shown that reduced acute care visits are associated with optimal drug therapy per national guidelines, concurrent with patient education, environmental control, and objective monitoring of this inflammatory airway disease. Early intensive patient education was a key feature of these successful programs. Written action plans, including early use of oral corticosteroids at home, and rapport with patients are other key components of programs that have resulted in a decrease in ED visits and hospitalizations.
Student Perceptions of and Preferences for a Short Overseas Study Tour.

Business programs and colleges of business have responded to c alls from both AACSB and industry with many different methods of internationalizing business curricula. One increasingly popular method of exposing business students to international issues is the short study tour. This research investigates student perceptions of and preference for, different aspects of a short study tour. Students at a medium-sized metropolitan university in the Midwest were asked to complete a survey. Results suggest that for the students involved in this research, cost is the most important criteria, followed by the country or countries in which the tour will take place. Students recognize the value of short study tours, and seem prepared to pay a reasonable price for the appropriate experience. The paper concludes with a discussion of the value of study tours to developed versus emerging market countries.
Patient Health Data Privacy

Throughout the world, health data is given special protection and clinicians’ duty to confidentiality is recognized. Yet, as electronic records proliferate, medical information is collected and transmitted on a scale impossible with paper records, increasing the likelihood of privacy violations. This paper discusses health data privacy risks, and legal and technological approaches towards privacy protection. Privacy risks are inherent in the many requirements, exceptions, exclusions, and reliance on de-identification (or anonymization) that characterizes US and other countries’ law. Multiplicity of regulations as well as private sector developments serve neither transparency nor consistency. Lack of awareness and transparency contribute to making current approaches and proposals neither sufficiently protective against privacy threats nor allow for beneficial uses of health-related data. Privacy and other values need to be balanced with data access needs for public and commercial purposes. Proposed solutions concerning data aggregation and ownership, data as speech and free speech, and informed consent alone are inadequate. By addressing multiple issues and regulatory domains, this review begins to describe a fuller legal landscape than the usual focus on one specific issue. It also takes a more patient-centric approach because more serious consideration of how to weigh conflicting needs, values, and theories is difficult without public, and hence legislative and regulatory, understanding. In light of rapidly changing technological and societal norms, principles may serve better than rigid rules. Transparency, harmonization, and simplication are needed so that patients, and then, in turn, policy makers and, where necessary, courts, can make wiser, more democratically based decisions.
Specialization and the Use of GPS for Domestic Violence by Pretrial Programs: Findings from a National Survey of U.S. Practitioners

ABSTRACTTools that facilitate the electronic monitoring of criminal justice populations are becoming widespread and multifaceted as they are adapted for a range of purposes and offender categories. In the past two decades, justice agencies across the United States have incorporated global positioning systems (GPS) to enforce no-contact orders in cases involving domestic violence (DV) or intimate partner violence (IPV). The current study surveyed a national (U.S.) sample of representatives (N = 114) from agencies administering pretrial programs that use GPS following DV-related charges. While all respondents are involved in using GPS for DV, analysis shows that some also use a range of other tools and monitor diverse portfolios of offenders; we report on relationships between the number of technologies used, populations monitored, attitudes, and practices. The article discusses the importance of giving due attention to the role of specialization in remotely supervising clients and providing them with services.
Responsible innovation in industry: a cautionary note on corporate social responsibility

ABSTRACTIn their recent paper, “Responsible Innovation: A Primer for Policymakers”, Valdivia and Guston offer their definition of the emerging concept of “responsible innovation” (RI). To illustrate how “RI” operates in the policy arena, Valdivia and Guston present three initiatives focusing on industry, universities and national laboratories, and the federal government. This commentary, however, will focus only on the “industry” initiative and the concept of “corporate social responsibility”, which represents the managerial philosophy proposed by Valdivia and Guston to promote RI in industry. According to Valdivia and Guston: “CSR must be extended to innovation in emerging technologies in order for responsible innovation to influence both new entrants and incumbent firms working at the forefront of innovation.” An alternative managerial framework – corporate citizenship – is proposed that incorporates the concept of social responsibility into the organizational structure of the firm and is reflective of ...
PERIPHERAL GUSTATORY MECHANISMS OF SALT INTAKE IN THE RAT

The focus of this research is to determine the nature of the contribution of taste sensitivity in controlling salt intake in the rat. We know that salt taste sensitivity is important to the salt intake of the rat for several reasons. First, the normal preferences for salt are reduced after severing the taste nerves1 or after gustatory thalamic lesions2; moreover, denervation of taste afferents in sodium deficient adrenalectomized rats causes them to not increase their salt intake which ultimately leads to their death3. Second, rats select sodium solutions the first time they become sodium deficient, and they do so immediately upon tasting the salt4. Third, this sodium appetite is triggered by sodium ions as rats chose sodium salts over nonsodium salt and other taste compounds; lithium salts are the only exception as sodium deficient rats can be fooled into consuming the toxic LiCl simply because it tastes similar to NaCl4. Fourth, the rat has taste receptors and fibers that are keenly sensitive to sodium (and lithium) salts; these receptors and fibers evolved presumably to protect the animal from sodium deficiency5.
Controlled activation of species typical behaviour to low salinity, seawater movement and seawater depth in Aurelia labiata (Scyphozoa) Jellyfish in Roscoe Bay, Canada

Controlled observations in Roscoe Bay examined whether Aurelia labiata medusae would respond to three environmentally significant stimuli: low salinity, seawater movement and seawater depth. Significantly more upward-swimming medusae turned and swam down or sideways when they encountered an experimentally created low-salinity plume than did upward-swimming medusae that encountered a seawater plume or a seawater plume containing milk powder. Downward-swimming medusae that encountered a plume containing freshwater continued swimming down. Significantly more upward-swimming medusae exposed to an experimentally created stream of seawater that gently pushed them horizontally turned and swam down than did upward-swimming medusae not exposed to the seawater stream. Downward-swimming medusae continued to swim down when pushed horizontally. A stronger seawater stream that tumbled as well as pushed medusae horizontally was less effective. In a shallow area near the time of a low tide, most medusae were in the top metre of a 2 m water column whilst in an adjacent area where the water was 4–6 m deep, almost all medusae were below 1.5 m. These observations add to a growing body of evidence that the ecological distribution of A. labiata is influenced by their ability to respond adaptively to significant environmental stimuli.
Use of complementary therapies for side effect management in breast cancer: evidence and rationale

Women diagnosed with breast cancer can experience chronic side effects after curative treatment concludes, negatively impacting survivorship. The most prevalent side effects addressed in the medical and nursing literature include symptoms such as hot flashes, fatigue, myalgias/arthralgias and cognitive impairment. Complementary therapies, particularly natural products including herbs, dietary supplements, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics, and mind–body techniques that include such modalities as yoga, meditation, massage, acupuncture, relaxation, tai chi and hypnosis show promise for treatment of some of these symptoms associated with cancer care. However, the research in this area is nascent and much more work is needed to understand symptom physiology and mechanisms of action of complementary therapies. The purpose of this paper was to summarize key evidence from Phase II and III randomized clinical trials in order to provide guidance to distinguish promising versus nonpromising interventions for sympt...
A Semantics-Based Consultations Workbench

Econsultations constitute an effective means to inclusive and informed participation of citizens and society in policy, decision and law formulation processes, and an answer to democratic deficit issues. Econsultation platforms need to support all stages of consultation processes including agenda setting and topics raising, legislation proposal publicity, notification of developments, proposal debate and commentary, collection, analysis and synthesis of views. In this paper we present the design of an open platform assisting policy makers and the civil society in the set-up, enactment, management and federation of inclusive and informed digital consultations. The proposed platform employs semantic techniques, such as semantics, content annotation and summarization to support the consultation processes and provide targeted and digested information to participants, and facilitates tailoring of Econsultation procedures by offering basic Econsultation activities as building blocks, which can be combined according to contextual needs. The platform also enables distinct Econsultation processes to be federated, allowing the exchange of information, which may be subject to different semantic annotations and classifications, according to the rules of each Econsultation process
BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES IN SHRIMP INOCULATED WITH PSEUDOMONAS, BACILLUS AND A CORYNEFORM BACTERIUM1,2

White shrimp (Penaeus setiferus) washed with ethanol and sterile water were inoculated with a fluorescent Pseudomonas, non-fluorescent Pseudomonas, Bacillus, and a coryneform bacterium. Washing reduced the microbial load but growth occurred on control samples during refrigerated storage. Samples inoculated with Pseudomonas became putrid 2–3 days sooner than their controls. Addition of coryneform bacteria delayed spoilage. Shrimp inoculated with Bacillus spoiled at the same time as the non-inoculated controls. Inoculation of shrimp with Pseudomonas species (a) retarded development of melanosis; (b) produced volatile nitrogen in the atmosphere surrounding shrimp but only after spoilage had taken place; (c) caused higher levels of water-soluble protein, non-protein nitrogen, and total volatile nitrogen than in their corresponding controls; and (d) reached higher pH levels sooner than the controls. No significant changes occurred in volatile reducing substances. Sterile shrimp juices exhibited more extensive ...
Crystal structure of chlorido-bis-[(1,2,5,6-η)-cyclo-octa-1,5-diene]iridium(I).

The title complex, [IrCl(C8H12)2], was synthesized directly from the reaction of IrCl3·3H2O with a large excess of cod (cod = cyclo­octa-1,5-diene) in alcoholic solvent. Large yellow needles were obtained by the slow cooling of a hot solution. Based on the positions of the chloride ligand and the mid-points of the four C=C bonds, the mol­ecule adopts a five-coordinate geometry that is midway between square pyramidal and trigonal bipyramidal. The material crystallizes in the ortho­rhom­bic space group Pbca with one mol­ecule per asymmetric unit in a general position and shows no significant inter­molecular inter­actions. Individual mol­ecules are aligned along [010], and these rows form a pseudo-hexa­gonal packing arrangement.
Ubiquitin-like Protein Conjugation: Structures, Chemistry, and Mechanism

Ubiquitin-like proteins (Ubl’s) are conjugated to target proteins or lipids to regulate their activity, stability, subcellular localization, or macromolecular interactions. Similar to ubiquitin, conjugation is achieved through a cascade of activities that are catalyzed by E1 activating enzymes, E2 conjugating enzymes, and E3 ligases. In this review, we will summarize structural and mechanistic details of enzymes and protein cofactors that participate in Ubl conjugation cascades. Precisely, we will focus on conjugation machinery in the SUMO, NEDD8, ATG8, ATG12, URM1, UFM1, FAT10, and ISG15 pathways while referring to the ubiquitin pathway to highlight common or contrasting themes. We will also review various strategies used to trap intermediates during Ubl activation and conjugation.
Sustainable Water Management in the Hotel Sector: A Policy Network Analysis of Singapore

Water use in the tourism industry is a vital sustainability issue in destination development. Achieving sustainable water demand management (WDM) is challenging and requires destination stakeholder...
Mechanisms of Epigenetic Regulation by Nitric Oxide

Abstract Within the human body, nitric oxide (NO) can arise from several sources including enzymatic synthesis, dietary nitrate, and pharmacological agents. Regardless of its source, the phenotypic consequences of NO production are influenced by complex microenvironmental factors that determine the target molecules NO will react with. Classical signaling mechanisms of NO are mediated via interactions with soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) and other heme-containing proteins or through the formation of protein adducts (S-nitrosothiols, 3-nitrotyrosine, and dinitrosyliron complexes). These interactions usually result in a loss or gain of protein function, thereby altering cellular phenotype. In addition, multiple lines of evidence have emerged recently demonstrating that a significant proportion of phenotypic changes attributed to NO production may be downstream from epigenetic regulatory events. It is becoming clear that NO affects dozens of histone modifications as well as DNA adducts, thus altering the epigenetic programs controlling the gene expression patterns that dictate cell phenotype, fate, and differentiation. This chapter will give an overview of the major NO-driven epigenetic mechanisms using specific examples.
Body diffusion-weighted imaging using magnetization prepared single-shot fast spin echo and extended parallel imaging signal averaging.

Purpose This work demonstrates a magnetization prepared diffusion-weighted single-shot fast spin echo (SS-FSE) pulse sequence for the application of body imaging to improve robustness to geometric distortion. This work also proposes a scan averaging technique that is superior to magnitude averaging and is not subject to artifacts due to object phase. Theory and methods This single-shot sequence is robust against violation of the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) condition. This is achieved by dephasing the signal after diffusion weighting and tipping the MG component of the signal onto the longitudinal axis while the non-MG component is spoiled. The MG signal component is then excited and captured using a traditional SS-FSE sequence, although the echo needs to be recalled prior to each echo. Extended Parallel Imaging (ExtPI) averaging is used where coil sensitivities from the multiple acquisitions are concatenated into one large parallel imaging (PI) problem. The size of the PI problem is reduced by SVD-based coil compression which also provides background noise suppression. This sequence and reconstruction are evaluated in simulation, phantom scans, and in vivo abdominal clinical cases. Results Simulations show that the sequence generates a stable signal throughout the echo train which leads to good image quality. This sequence is inherently low-SNR, but much of the SNR can be regained through scan averaging and the proposed ExtPI reconstruction. In vivo results show that the proposed method is able to provide diffusion encoded images while mitigating geometric distortion artifacts compared to EPI. Conclusion This work presents a diffusion-prepared SS-FSE sequence that is robust against the violation of the CPMG condition while providing diffusion contrast in clinical cases. Magn Reson Med 79:3032-3044, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
A prospective study of intravenous pentamidine for PJP prophylaxis in adult patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplant

Prophylaxis for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) is recommended for patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) or intensive chemotherapy. Trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole and inhaled pentamidine are used frequently, but are limited, by their tolerability and therefore compliance. Intravenous (IV) pentamidine is a potential alternative agent. Here we conducted the first prospective study of the safety and efficacy of IV pentamidine for PJP prophylaxis in adult patients undergoing HSCT or intensive chemotherapy (clinicaltrials.gov NCT02669706). Fifty patients requiring PJP prophylaxis were enrolled and received monthly IV pentamidine at 4 mg/kg (maximum 300 mg) while undergoing intensive chemotherapy or HSCT. Patients were followed for the occurrence of PJP pneumonia and for adverse events. Satisfaction was assessed using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM Version 1.4) survey. Seventeen (34%) patients experienced a grade 1 or 2 adverse event. There were no grade 3/4 events. The TSQM questionnaire indicated that the majority of patients were satisfied with the administration of IV pentamidine (n = 43, 86%, p = 0.01). There were no cases of PJP during the 24 month follow-up period. Our study illustrates the safety, feasibility, and high degree of patient satisfaction when using IV pentamidine for PJP prophylaxis.
Prediction of EMG envelopes of multiple terrains over-ground walking from EEG signals using an unscented Kalman filter

Advanced powered lower-limb prosthetic devices require an intuitive and flexible user control interface to work in a dynamic environment. This study investigated the feasibility of inferring muscle activation patterns (electromyography, EMG, envelope) from non-invasive electroencephalography (EEG) signals. Six healthy individuals participated in this study; the subjects were instructed to walk at a comfortable speed across various terrains (e.g. level-ground, up/down slope, up/down stair walking). An unscented kalman filter (UKF) was used to predict the EMG envelope from fluctuations in the amplitude of slow cortical potentials of EEG in the delta band (0.1–3 Hz). The highest decoding accuracy obtained was an r-value (Pearson's correlation r-value) of 0.57 in the medial gastrocnemius of a single subject. In the same subject, the mean r-value across all the muscle groups exceeded 0.4. The mean accuracy across all subjects and muscle group corresponded to an r-value of 0.236. As for the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), 79.3% of the obtained results were more than 0 dB with mean performance SNR of 0.8 (max: 2.8 to min: −1.7). The highest accuracy was obtained using a lag of 50ms with a window length (tap) of 500ms. In conclusion, this is the first study to show offline continuous decoding of the EMG envelope during over-ground walking on multiple terrains. The results show the feasibility of such neural decoding. This method could be coupled with EMG-based terrain prediction techniques to further improve the neural control interface with powered lower-limb prostheses.
Modeling epidemiological disturbances in LANDIS-II

Forest landscape simulation models (FLSMs) – often used to understand and project forest dynamics over space and time in response to environmental disturbance – have rarely included realistic epidemiological processes of plant disease transmission and impacts. Landscape epidemiological models, by contrast, frequently treat forest ecosystems as static or make simple assumptions regarding ecosystem change following disease. Here we present the Base Epidemiological Disturbance Agent (EDA) extension that allows users of the LANDIS-II FLSM to simulate forest pathogen spread and host mortality within a spatially explicit forest simulation. EDA enables users to investigate forest pathogen spread and impacts over large landscapes (> 105 ha) and long time periods. We evaluate the model extension using Phytophthora ramorum as a case study of an invasive plant pathogen causing emerging infectious disease and considerable tree mortality in California. EDA will advance the utility of LANDIS-II and forest disease modeling in general.
Recreation Activity Prescription

(2006). Recreation Activity Prescription. SCHOLE: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education: Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 163-166.
An Analytical System for Corporate Strategic Planning

The key to effective analytical support of the strategic planning process is not simply a corporate model, but an integrated system of models with appropriate software support. This paper presents a computer-based cor porate planning system which combines the analytical power of optimization with simulation capabilities and more specialized planning models in the context of an interactive information management program. The system has been designed to aid both periodic and ad hoc planning decisions in a large multi-national firm and can be implemented in a wide variety of corporate contexts.
The discovery of the body: human dissection and its cultural contexts in ancient Greece.

In the first half of the third century B.C, two Greeks, Herophilus of Chalcedon and his younger contemporary Erasistratus of Ceos, became the first and last ancient scientists to perform systematic dissections of human cadavers. In all probability, they also conducted vivisections of condemned criminals. Their anatomical and physiological discoveries were extraordinary. The uniqueness of these events presents an intriguing historical puzzle. Animals had been dissected by Aristotle in the preceding century (and partly dissected by other Greeks in earlier centuries), and, later, Galen (second century A.D.) and others again systematically dissected numerous animals. But no ancient scientists ever seem to have resumed systematic human dissection. This paper explores, first, the cultural factors--including traditional Greek attitudes to the corpse and to the skin, also as manifested in Greek sacred laws--that may have prevented systematic human dissection during almost all of Greek antiquity, from the Pre-Socratic philosopher-scientists of the sixth and fifth centuries B.C. to distinguished Greek physicians of the later Roman Empire. Second, the exceptional constellation of cultural, political, and social circumstances in early Alexandria that might have emboldened Herophilus to overcome the pressures of cultural traditions and to initiate systematic human dissection, is analyzed. Finally, the paper explores possible reasons for the mysteriously abrupt disappearance of systematic human dissection from Greek science after the death of Erasistratus and Herophilus.
Molecular Pathogenesis, Detection and Clinical Management of Pre-invasive Cervical Lesions

The major public health burden of cervical cancer and its associated lesions warrants the development of effective preventive measures and successful therapies. Cervical cancer is the second most common female cancer worldwide, with approximately 493,000 diagnoses and 270,000 deaths annually. The disease can be detected early by cervical cytology in the pre-malignant phase, in the form of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, and treated by a variety of methods including loop electrosurgical excision procedure. As human papillomavirus (HPV) has been identified as the major causative agent of cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer, HPV DNA testing and genotyping are also valuable in enhancing the sensitivity and specificity of cervical cancer screening. Advances in the understanding of HPV pathogenesis have led to the concept that persistent infection with high-risk HPV (hrHPV) genotypes is recognized as a necessary though not sufficient step in causing cervical cancer. This has led to the identification of tumor-promoting markers that may be required in cervical carcinogenesis. Further investigation of these markers may potentially be useful for risk stratification in screening. The knowledge of HPV virology and its role in cervical carcinogenesis leads to the potential prevention and treatment of cervical cancer. The current status of HPV vaccines is also discussed.
PMR and magnetic susceptibility studies on Clostridium acidi-urici ferredoxin.

Abstract PMR and magnetic susceptibility studies of C. acidiurici ferredoxin are reported. The magnitude and temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility of oxidized ferredoxin indicate extensive antiferromagnetic exchange coupling between component iron atoms. Contact-shifted resonances attributed to the B-CH2 protons of the eight cysteine residues are observed in both redox forms of the protein. A comparison between C. pasteurianum and C. acidi-urici ferredoxins suggests a striking similarity among the magnetic, electronic, and geometrical properties of the iron-sulfur centers of the two ferredoxins.
Signal Shaping at Interface of Wireless Power Harvesting and AC Computational Logic

The wirelessly powered adiabatic logic has introduced significant power savings in the design of the computational logic. We explore energy-efficient interfacing of one of the most efficient adiabatic logic families, pass-transistor adiabatic logic (PAL), with RF harvested signal. The interface circuit, signal shaper, transforms the bipolar sinusoidal input voltage to nonnegative unipolar sinusoidal output that serves as the power clock signal for PAL. A theoretical analysis of the operation of the signal shaper is presented and verified using simulations in 65 nm CMOS technology. The designed shaper, when interfaced with 8-bit multiplier implemented using PAL, demonstrates the settling time of a few clock periods and high power conversion efficiency as high as 90%.