cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Voter power and electricity prices

Overall, the results show that the method of regulator selection does not seem to have a consistent statistically significant effect on electricity rates; consequently, the primary hypothesis of this research is not validated. Although the direction in the movement of relative rates through time is consistent with our expectations, we expected the magnitude of shifts in the importance of method of regulator selection, to be much more important than the research results indicate. This expectation was based on the external pressures which have emerged since 1970 to which elected regulators would seem to be more sensitive than appointed regulators. The empirical analysis indicates that the response to these external pressures was insufficient to cause elected regulators to set electricity rates statistically lower than those set by appointed regulators.
Generalized Hankel matrices of Markov parameters and their applications to control problems

Abstract The concept of Hankel matrices of Markov parameters associated with two polynomials is generalized for matrices. The generalized Hankel matrices of Markov parameters are then used to develop methods for testing the relative primeness of two matrices A and B , for determining stability and inertia of a matrix, and for constructing a class of matrices C such that A + C has a desired spectrum. Neither the method of construction of the generalized Hankel matrices nor the methods developed using these matrices require explicit computation of the characteristic polynomial of A (or of B ).
Kinetics of virus production in cells doubly infected with the virus of bovine diarrhea and a bovine enterovirus.

One-step growth curves of a bovine enterovirus and the virus of bovine diarrhea (BVD) in singly and doubly infected bovine embryonic kidney (BEK) and bovine embryonic spleen (BES) cells were determined. In BEK cells, bovine enterovirus infectivity increased exponentially in both tissue culture fluid and cells 4 to 10 hours after inoculation and then levelled off. In BES cells, the exponential increase lasted 14 to 17 hours. In the growth curve of the BVD virus in BEK cells, the extracellular and cell-associated viruses increased exponentially until hour 12, increasing gradually thereafter. In BES cells, BVD virus infectivity increased exponentially 24 hours after infection and then levelled off. The peak infectivity in BES cells was reached 24 hours before that in BEK cells. Growth of bovine enterovirus was studied in cells of BEK and BES monolayers preinfected with the BVD virus for 20 hours. The infectivity titer in preinfected BEK cells was approximately 2 logs less than in preinfected BES cells. A decreased yield in infectivity was observed compared to the bovine enterovirus one-step growth curve.
Preparation of chemical gradient surfaces by hyperthermal polyatomic ion deposition: A new method for combinatorial materials science

surface, which increases in coverage with C3F5 + ion fluence. The air/water contact angle increases in parallel with the fluorine content along the surface gradient. These results clearly indicate that a chemical and wettability gradient is produced on PMMA by mass-selected hyperthermal ion deposition. C3F5 + ion deposition can also be used to produce chemical gradient surfaces on polystyrene, aluminum, and silicon substrates. It is shown that hyperthermal polyatomic ion deposition is a general method for a wide range of surface chemical gradients on various substrates including polymers, metals, semiconductors, and ceramics.
Osservazioni Intorno al Bosforo Tracio Overo Canale di Constantinopoli Rappresentate in Lettera Alla Sacra Real Maestá Cristina Regina di Svezia da Luigi Ferdinando Marsilii, 1681: First English Translation, with Notes

Count Luigi Ferdinando Marsigli (1658-1730) was a natural scientist and soldier of remarkable and idiosyncratic accomplishment. His first book reported observations and experiments that he carried out during and shortly after his one-year visit to Istanbul during 1679 and 1680. This work is recognized by oceanographers because it contains the first description of a simple laboratory-scale hydrological experiment to show how differences in the density of two water masses lead to two-layer flow. The range of observations and experiments that Marsigli made during that year, however, went well beyond this experiment, and are poorly known: he measured currents using the first example of a paddle-wheel current meter; he determined the water density in the Mediterranean and Black Sea; he estimated the depth of the Bosporus undercurrent; he made detailed meteorological observations and described the effect of weather on current and water levels; he described seasonal migrations of fish to and from the Black Sea, ...
Sexual ethics and communal judgments: on the pluralism of virtues, values, and practices.

Different judgments by Christian communities on issues in sexual ethics involve different weightings of various sources of moral authority, different understandings of the normativity of the natural, and different assessments of the scope of freedom to be exercised in relation to the goods of marriage. These fundamental differences of interpretation can be exemplified by the ongoing Roman Catholic discussion of the legitimacy of voluntary sterilization in certain “hard cases.” The contributors to this issue of Christian Bioethics, in their spirited exchange on that issue, exemplify the need for careful attention to the ways that differences of theological emphasis and moral method lead to different judgments in particular cases, both within and between particular Christian communities.
Multimodal, Multiplex, Raman Spectroscopy of Alcohol in Diffuse, Fluorescent Media

Optical diagnostics in biological materials are hindered by fluorescence and scattering. We have developed a multimodal, multiplex, coded-aperture Raman spectrometer to detect alcohol in a lipid tissue phantom solution.
Tropical and Subtropical Meridional Latent Heat Transports by Disturbances to the Zonal Mean and Their Role in the General Circulation

The spectrum of meridional latent heat transport in the tropics and subtropics by disturbances to the zonal mean during all seasons is analyzed. The transport is divided into stationary and transient planetary- and subplanetary-scale eddy contributions. The stationary transport is largest in the subtropical lower troposphere and dominates the overall transport during summer. It is of planetary scale and the zonal scale of the transport corresponds to the number of subtropical anticyclones. The transient transport is large from the surface up to the midtroposphere and from the tropics to subpolar latitudes. It is dominated by the subplanetary-scale contribution during all seasons. Westward(eastward)-propagating waves dominatethe transport in the tropics (subtropics and midlatitudes). The analysis reveals that, while the total eddy meridional latent heat transport is seamless from the deep tropics to the pole, it represents the sum of transport by distinct dynamical features. The roleof the eddy meridionallatent heat transport in the moist isentropic circulation is assessed using the statistical transformed Eulerian mean formulation, which converts the eddy transports into streamfunctions. The addition of the eddy latent heat streamfunction to the Eulerian mean plus eddy sensible heat streamfunction increases the mass transport by a factor of 2‐3 in the subtropics and midlatitudes. The eddy transport is found to dominate the transport across the subtropical boundary. During Northern Hemisphere summer there is virtually no circulation in the absence of eddy latent heat transport. The results highlight the important role of latent heat transport by subtropical anticyclones and tropical and baroclinic waves in the general circulation.
The nutrition transition in Egypt: obesity, undernutrition and the food consumption context.

Objectives: To describe changing food consumption patterns in Egypt over the last several decades, current levels of overweight and obesity, and current data on obesity-related morbidity. Design: Secondary analysis and synthesis of existing data from national-level food consumption surveys, large recent surveys of hypertension and diabetes, and documentation of historical and policy context. Setting: Arab Republic of Egypt. Subjects: As selected and described in primary data sources. Results and conclusions: The nutrition transition in Egypt has occured in the context of abundant dietary energy availability, urbanisation and moderate fat intakes. The prevalence of obesity in adults is very high, particularly among women. The prevalences of diabetes mellitus and of hypertension parallel that of obesity, and both are very high. Little information is available on physical activity, but it is likely that a large proportion of the population is quite sedentary, particularly in the cities. At the same time, rates of early childhood malnutrition remain stubbornly stable and relatively high. Public awareness of the increasing prevalence of obesity and of diet-related chronic disease is increasing, and attention has turned to documenting the problem(s).
The Stream of Consciousness: V. William James's Change of View

This is the fifth in a series of articles that compile and critically spell out what is known or knowledgeably held about the stream of consciousness. Discussed here are two aspects of James's conception: 1) the kind of mental-occurrence instance that is the stream's basic durational component, and 2) the change in James's explicit account of the temporal structure of the stream, from The Principles to his later understanding. James's stream consists of “consciousnesses” (“states of consciousness”) as defined in the second half of the OED's fourth entry for consciousness. All such components of the stream are conscious: that is, actual or potential objects of inner apprehension. James had held that the consciousnesses constituting the stream are not distinct occurrences, being phases, rather, of a single protracted process that goes on, except for “time gaps” when all mentality stops. However, he argued later that the stream consists of adjacent drops of experience with nothing in between them.
Advances in the Lightweight Air-Liquid Composite Heat Exchanger Development for Space Exploration Applications

An advanced, lightweight composite modular Air/Liquid (A/L) Heat Exchanger (HX) Prototype for potential space exploration thermal management applications was successfully designed, manufactured, and tested. This full-scale Prototype consisting of 19 modules, based on recommendations from its predecessor Engineering Development unit (EDU) but with improved thermal characteristics and manufacturability, was 11.2 % lighter than the EDU and achieves potentially a 42.7% weight reduction from the existing state-of-the-art metallic HX demonstrator. However, its higher pressure drop (0.58 psid vs. 0.16 psid of the metal HX) has to be mitigated by foam material optimizations and design modifications including a more systematic air channel design. Scalability of the Prototype design was validated experimentally by comparing manufacturability and performance between the 2-module coupon and the 19-module Prototype. The Prototype utilized the thermally conductive open-cell carbon foam material but with lower density and adopted a novel high-efficiency cooling system with significantly increased heat transfer contact surface areas, improved fabricability and manufacturability compared to the EDU. Even though the Prototype was required to meet both the thermal and the structural specifications, accomplishing the thermal requirement was a higher priority goal for this first version. Overall, the Prototype outperformed both the EDU and the corresponding metal HX, particularly in terms of specific heat transfer, but achieved 93.4% of the target. The next generation Prototype to achieve the specification target, 3,450W would need 24 core modules based on the simple scaling factor. The scale-up Prototype will weigh about 14.7 Kg vs. 21.6 Kg for the metal counterpart. The advancement of this lightweight composite HX development from the original feasibility test coupons to EDU to Prototype is discussed in this paper.
Linking the Assessment of Self-Reported Functional Capacity With Abuse Experiences of Women With Disabilities

Women with disabilities are abused at rates similar to or greater than their nondisabled counterparts. Compared with nonabused women, women abused by an intimate partner have a greater risk of being disabled or having an illness that affects their activities of daily living. Although disabled women experience similar forms of abuse to those of nondisabled women, some forms of abuse are unique to disabled women due to the limitations that the disability itself presents. This article presents a conceptual analysis of abuse of disabled women and discusses assessment procedures that can assist in identifying abuse and informing service delivery. We propose a model of abuse assessment for women with disabilities composed of three elements: traditional assessment anchored on the Power and Control Wheel that encompasses the unique forms of abuse that disabled women experience; comprehensive functional assessment through self-reporting and self-rating; and attention to heterogeneity with regard to cultural sensit...
Money, morality and new forms of exchange in postsocialist Ukraine

Abstract One of the legacies of Soviet socialism is a moralizing lens through which to evaluate wealth and consumption practices. A contrast between the moral underpinnings of generating and consuming wealth under capitalism and those emerging in postsocialist Ukraine shows that socioeconomic differences are emerging as proxies for moral indictments that strain the social fabric. Soviet-era economic practices and exchange networks of favors are giving way to cash-based forms of exchange that are redefining moral commitments to social obligations. When legal codes are mobilized in diverse ways in response to divergent moralities the forging of moral consensus to shape emerging economic practices is rendered elusive.
Sex differences in susceptibility to social influence

Sex differences in compliance and persuasiveness were examined while varying the sex-role relevance of the stimulus. Undergraduate students were asked to respond to opinion statements previously discussed by a fictitious “group.” Subjects read the “group's” unanimous opinion accompanying each statement and were told they would participate in a discussion with this “group.” Some subjects responded to statements about female sex-role relevant activities and others to statements about male sex-role relevant activities. Sex of influence source was manipulated by showing subjects all male or all female names of “group” members. Compliance was measured by the extent to which a subject's response approximated the “group's” opinion. The results show that males were more compliant than females when the stimulus statements concerned female sex-role-related activities and that females were more easily influenced when they responded to statements about male sex-role-related activities. Further, subjects were somewhat more easily persuaded by women on female sex-role-related activities and more influenced by men's opinions on issues relevant for males.
Deletion of the Olfactomedin 4 Gene Is Associated with Progression of Human Prostate Cancer

The olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4) gene is located on chromosome 13q14.3, which frequently is deleted in human prostate cancer. However, direct genetic evidence of OLFM4 gene alteration in human prostate cancer has not yet been obtained. In this study, we investigated the genetics, protein expression, and functions of the OLFM4 gene in human prostate cancer. We found overall 25% deletions within the OLFM4 gene in cancerous epithelial cells compared with adjacent normal epithelial cells that were microdissected from 31 prostate cancer specimens using laser-capture microdissection and genomic DNA sequencing. We found 28% to 45% hemizygous and 15% to 57% homozygous deletions of the OLFM4 gene via fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis from 44 different prostate cancer patient samples. Moreover, homozygous deletion of the OLFM4 gene significantly correlated with advanced prostate cancer. By using immunohistochemical analysis of 162 prostate cancer tissue array samples representing a range of Gleason scores, we found that OLFM4 protein expression correlated inversely with advanced prostate cancer, consistent with the genetic results. We also showed that a truncated mutant of OLFM4 that lacks the olfactomedin domain eliminated suppression of PC-3 prostate cancer cell growth. Together, our findings indicate that OLFM4 is a novel candidate tumor-suppressor gene for chromosome 13q and may shed new light on strategies that could be used for the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of prostate cancer patients.
Dhāraṇīs and visions in early esoteric Buddhist sources in Chinese translation

Within the wider esoteric Buddhist tradition, this paper examines visions and soteriological goals in dhāraṇī practice by looking at the early instructions that are preserved in multiple Chinese translations. A number of different but not mutually exclusive ritual scenarios are presented in these materials. Here I will focus on two specific scenarios, namely dhāraṇī practices with and without visionary confirmation.
SHANNON AND WEAVER Unravelling the Paradox of Information

A case is presented for separating Shannon's (1949) paper on information theory from Weaver's introduction, which is shown to contain distortions, as well as proofs by coincidence and homonym. Shannon's mathematical tools and methods are distinguished from his theory, which consists of 23 theorems setting forth the conditions for maximum efficiency in electromechanical signal transmission. Attempts to apply Shannon's theory to our field are reviewed, along with previous critiques, and it is recommended that future uses of Shannon's theory adopt a more methodologically rigorous approach. In particular, it is argued that Shannon's assumptions must be shown to hold before his theorems can be successfully applied.
Incidence and outcome of procedural distal emboli using the Penumbra thrombectomy for acute stroke

Background The Penumbra system is effective for recanalization of the primary arterial occlusion (PAO) in acute stroke. However, clinical outcomes are not as promising. The authors hypothesized that the formation of procedural distal emboli (PDE) during mechanical thrombectomy may lead to poorer patient outcomes. Design/methods A retrospective review of patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with the Penumbra system was undertaken. Patients9 outcome was evaluated by comparing discharge National Institute of Health stroke scale and modified Rankin score (mRS) of patients with and without PDE. Results Out of 20 patients reviewed, recanalization of PAO was 100%. Six patients (30%) were confirmed to have PDE, of which two died (33.3%) and one (16.7%) had mRS of 2 or less. Of the 14 patients without PDE, three died (21.4%) and six (42.9%) had mRS of 2 or less. In the patient group who survived, mean National Institute of Health stroke scale decrease was only 2.3 in patients with PDE versus a decrease of 10.6 in patients without PDE. Conclusions In spite of PAO recanalization, distal emboli formed subsequent to Penumbra thrombectomy may contribute to poorer clinical outcome in acute stroke patients.
Comments on "Class of Cyclic-Based Estimators for Frequency-Offset Estimation of OFDM Systems"

This comment corrects several errors found in the paper, "Class of Cyclic-Based Estimators for Frequency-Offset Estimation of OFDM Systems". In addition, we show that the minimum variance unbiased estimator for frequency offset derived in the above paper is the maximum-likelihood estimator when the timing delay is perfectly known.
Validation of the Abdominal Pain Index Using a Revised Scoring Method

Objective: Evaluate the psychometric properties of child- and parent-report versions of the fouritem Abdominal Pain Index (API) in children with functional abdominal pain (FAP) and healthy controls, using a revised scoring method that facilitates comparisons of scores across samples and time. Methods: Pediatric patients aged 8–18 years with FAP and controls completed the API at baseline (N ¼1,967); a subset of their parents (N ¼290) completed the API regarding the child’s pain. Subsets of patients completed follow-up assessments at 2 weeks (N ¼231), 3 months (N ¼330), and 6 months (N ¼107). Subsets of both patients (N ¼389) and healthy controls (N ¼172) completed a long-term follow-up assessment (mean age at follow-up ¼20.21 years, SD ¼3.75). Results: The API demonstrated good concurrent, discriminant, and construct validity, as well as good internal consistency. Conclusion: We conclude that the API, using the revised scoring method, is a useful, reliable, and valid measure of abdominal pain severity.
The Mechanical Design of a Mesh Ka-band Parabolic Deployable Antenna (KaPDA) for CubeSats

A Ka-band high gain antenna would provide a 10,000 times increase in data communication rates over an X-band patch antenna and a 100 times increase over state-ofthe-art S-band parabolic antennas. Unfortunately, such a design does not exist as current CubeSat high gain antennas have focused on S-band. JPL has initiated a research and technology development effort to design a half-meter Ka-band parabolic deployable antenna (KaPDA) which would stow in 1.5U (10 cm x 10 cm x 15 cm) and provide 42dB of gain (50% efficiency). The KaPDA design must solve conflicting mechanical requirements on surface accuracy, stowed space, and ability to deploy. The development of a conceptual design that satisfies each requirement is discussed in this paper. The design uses folding ribs to fit in the stowage space, deep rib sections with precision hinges to maintain surface accuracy, and a combination of an innovative inflating bladder and springs to deploy the antenna. RF simulations show that after losses, KaPDA would have about 42 dB gain, at 50% efficiency. KaPDA would create opportunities for a host of new CubeSat missions by allowing high data rate communication which would enable using data intensive instruments or venturing further into deep space, including interplanetary missions.
Optimum dielectric overlay thickness for equal even- and odd-mode phase velocities in coupled microstrip circuits

An optimum dielectric overlay thickness was found for achieving the equal even- and odd-mode phase velocities in coupled microstrip lines. The theoretical results were calculated based on a variational method. Coupled linear resonator structures were used to measure both the even- and odd-mode effective dielectric constants and the results agree very well with the theory. A directional coupler, built with overlay, has greater than 60 dB isolation as compared with 20 dB isolation for an uncompensated coupler.
Behavioral Problems After Early Life Stress: Contributions of the Hippocampus and Amygdala

BACKGROUND: Early life stress (ELS) can compromise development, with higher amounts of adversity linked to behavioral problems. To understand this linkage, a growing body of research has examined two brain regions involved with socioemotional functioning—amygdala and hippocampus. Yet empirical studies have reported increases, decreases, and no differences within human and nonhuman animal samples exposed to different forms of ELS. This divergence in findings may stem from methodological factors, nonlinear effects of ELS, or both. METHODS: We completed rigorous hand-tracing of the amygdala and hippocampus in three samples of children who experienced different forms of ELS (i.e., physical abuse, early neglect, or low socioeconomic status). Interviews were also conducted with children and their parents or guardians to collect data about cumulative life stress. The same data were also collected in a fourth sample of comparison children who had not experienced any of these forms of ELS. RESULTS: Smaller amygdala volumes were found for children exposed to these different forms of ELS. Smaller hippocampal volumes were also noted for children who were physically abused or from low socioeconomic status households. Smaller amygdala and hippocampal volumes were also associated with greater cumulative stress exposure and behavioral problems. Hippocampal volumes partially mediated the relationship between ELS and greater behavioral problems. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests ELS may shape the development of brain areas involved with emotion processing and regulation in similar ways. Differences in the amygdala and hippocampus may be a shared diathesis for later negative outcomes related to ELS.
The premixed flame in uniform straining flow

Characteristics of the premixed flame in uniform straining flow are investigated by the technique of activation-energy asymptotics. An inverse method is used, which avoids some of the restrictions of previous analyses. It is shown that this method recovers known results for adiabatic flames. New results for flames with heat loss are obtained, and it is shown that, in the presence of finite heat loss, straining can extinguish flames. A stability analysis shows that straining can suppress the cellular instability of flames with Lewis number less than unity. Strain can produce instability of flames with Lewis number greater than unity. A comparison shows quite good agreement between theoretical deductions and experimental observations of Ishizuka, Miyasaka & Law (1981).
Bone remodeling in response to in vivo fatigue microdamage

It has been suggested that osteonal remodeling is triggered by bone microdamage. The validity of this theory rests on the assumption that loading within the physiological range will produce substantial microdamage with relatively few load cycles. The object of the first experiment was to determine threshold values required to consistently produce fatigue microdamage in vivo. The left forelimb of five groups of dogs, characterized by different strain levels and different numbers of load cycles, were loaded in three point bending. The number of microscopic fields which contained some microdamage was calculated as a percentage of the total number of fields. This experiment indicated that loads producing strains as low as 1500 microstrain on the radius and 1400 microstrain on the ulna for 10,000 cycles will produce significant bone microdamage. A second experiment was performed to verify this threshold and to determine whether microcracks are associated with the initiation of bone remodeling. Procedures in this experiment were the same as those in the first, except that all dogs were loaded in such a way as to produce strains on the radius of 1500 microstrain for 10,000 cycles, and the dogs were sacrificed 1-4 days after loading. The loaded limb demonstrated significantly more microdamage than the control limb (p = 0.03). Moreover, we observed 44 times as many microcracks in association with resorption spaces as expected by chance alone. These data support the hypothesis that fatigue microdamage is a significant factor in the initiation of intracortical bone remodeling.
Disclosing the disclosure: Factors associated with communicating the results of genetic susceptibility testing for Alzheimer’s disease

This study explored the extent to which recipients of genetic susceptibility testing for Alzheimer's disease (AD) communicated their results to others. It also examined demographic characteristics, along with beliefs about AD, associated with such communication. Participants (N = 271) in a randomized clinical trial involving genetic testing for Apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene variants among first-degree relatives of AD patients reported their communication behaviors 6 weeks after the results disclosure. Information on beliefs about AD and genetic testing was collected at baseline. Eighty-two percent of participants receiving APOE genotype information shared their results with someone. Specifically, 64% shared with family members, 51% with spouse or significant others, 35% with friends, and 12% with health care professionals. Greater AD treatment optimism was associated with communicating results to family (OR = 1.43), spouse (OR = 1.62), friends (OR = 1.81), and health care professionals (OR = 2.20). Lower p...
Noncardiac abnormalities in diagnostic cardiac computed tomography: within normal limits or we never looked!

Noncontrast cardiac computed tomography (electron beam tomography [EBT] and multidetector computed tomography [MDCT]) for the definition of coronary artery calcium score has been shown to be of value in defining individualized cardiac risk, over and above population-based, conventional risk factors
Advanced systems engineering and model philosophy (WIP)

Being an engineer in the age of the Internet of Things means dealing with constant, dizzying complexity and change. The tools of the past, even last decade's software-based tools, may not be up to the challenge. What's needed is a new paradigm for engineering---Model Based Engineering. Live, interconnected, real-time engineering information replaces dead-end documents, reports and drawings. Changes propagate across all engineering disciplines and bits of engineering information are linked up to form new product variants. Systems are built out of virtual bytes before being built out of real steel and silicon, saving time, money and cutting through the complexity. In this paper the world of Model Based Engineering is examined along with a key sub-practice, Model Based Systems Engineering.
Woman-to-Woman Marriage: Practices and Benefits in Sub-Saharan Africa

This article examines the various forms of woman-to-woman marriage in sub-Saharan Africa and discusses how each form can or could have been used by a woman to advance her social and/or economic sta...
Using Text Reviews for Product Entity Completion

In this paper we address the problem of obtaining structured information about products in the form of attribute-value pairs by leveraging a combination of enterprise internal product descriptions and external data. Product descriptions are short text strings used internally within enterprises to describe a product. These strings usually comprise of the Brand name, name of the product, and its attributes like size, color, etc. Existing product data quality solutions provide us the capability to standardize and segment these descriptions into their composing attributes using domain specific rulesets. We provide techniques that can leverage the supervision provided by these existing rulesets for extracting missing values from other external text data sources accurately. We use a large real life data collection to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
Insulator behavior in contaminated atmospheres

The conditions leading to flashover in contaminated atmospheres are very complex and do not always permit simple choices of insulator types for good performance. Increased understanding concerning performance under salt contamination has been realized, and reasonably good correlation between artificially contaminated insulators and pollution under natural environment is possible.
Culex pipiens morphology and molecular biology identification analysis in Urumchi city

Objective To study the categories of common Culex species in Urumchi city,the use of morphological and molecular characteristics of the mosquito for rapid species identification. Methods The samples collected from the city of Urumqi,the artificial breeding of adult mosquitoes and larvae,morphological identification and determination of test mosquito's mtDNA-COI and rDNA-ITS2 gene sequences for identification of molecular biology analysis. Results Conduct morphological identification for adult mosquitoes and larvae,to determine the microscopic characteristics of Culex pipiens complex group. Test mosquito mtDNA-COI and rDNA-ITS2 PCR amplification products were sequenced to obtain the sequence BLAST homology comparison,combined with the morphological identification of other factors identified as Culex pipiens. Conclusions Application of morphological and molecular characterization of mosquito species is simple,fast. Urumqi identified a common mosquito species Culex pipiens,introduced the mosquito species identification of molecular biology methods.
Low-power Tipping-bucket Flowmeter Based on Atmega8515L

In order to solve the oilfield liquid production of single well to be measured timely and accurately,this paper designed the tipping-bucket flowmeter system based on Atmega8515L.By introducing the working principle of tipping-bucket flowmeter,using the SCM embedded technology;it developed the smart metering system with a variety of functions and figures display.The theoretical and experimental development proved that the tipping-bucket flowmeter achieves good results in low-power and high-precision,and the design options is practical,and has been gradually applied in the market.
Role of Hormones in Growth Kinetics of Renal Cell Carcinoma in Vitro

Medroxyprogesterone acetate has been used to treat metastatic renal cell carcinoma largely because of its observed inhibitory effects on the growth of estrogen-induced tumors in male Syrian golden hamsters. The absence to date of any successful, established chemotherapeutic regimen in the management of metastatic renal cell carcinoma has led to the continued application of medroxyprogesterone acetate in the majority of patients with this disease because of the occasional regression witnessed (particularly in male patients) and the absence of untoward side effects. To examine the mechanism of action of medroxyprogesterone acetate renal cell carcinoma tumor cells from a patient who had responded to medroxyprogesterone acetate therapy were established in tissue culture. Cells were cultured in control medium, and in the presence of therapeutic and pharmacologic levels of medroxyprogesterone acetate. Tumor cell growth kinetics were determined by the incorporation of 3H thymidine. There was no growth inhibition effected by medroxyprogesterone acetate at therapeutic or pharmacologic levels. Therefore, the proposed salutary effect of medroxyprogesterone acetate in regression of metastatic renal cell carcinoma results from factors other than direct inhibition of renal cell carcinoma growth.
Distributed Leadership: A Good Theory but What if Leaders Won't, Don't Know How, or Can't Lead?.

This article presents the results from an empirical qualitative study of the challenges faced by teacher leaders in their attempts to work directly with their colleagues to change instructional str...
Duodenal Obstruction on 99mTc-DISIDA Cholescintigraphy: A Noninvasive Approach to Bowel Obstruction Diagnosis

We present a case study of a 56-y-old man who was admitted with acute abdominal pain and was found to have retroperitoneal hematoma from a ruptured duodenal aneurysm. 99mTc-diisopropyliminodiacetic acid cholescintigraphy showed incidental absent transit of radiotracer into the distal duodenum and severe enterogastric reflux, thought to be secondary to duodenal obstruction from the hematoma. Findings were confirmed on esophagogastroduodenoscopy, and the patient improved after subsequent gastrojejunostomy.
Characterization of Acyl-CoA synthetase isoforms in pancreatic beta cells: Gene silencing shows participation of ACSL3 and ACSL4 in insulin secretion

Long-chain acyl-CoA synthetases (ACSLs) convert fatty acids to fatty acyl-CoAs to regulate various physiologic processes. We characterized the ACSL isoforms in a cell line of homogeneous rat beta cells (INS-1 832/13 cells) and human pancreatic islets. ACSL4 and ACSL3 proteins were present in the beta cells and human and rat pancreatic islets and concentrated in insulin secretory granules and less in mitochondria and negligible in other intracellular organelles. ACSL1 and ACSL6 proteins were not seen in INS-1 832/13 cells or pancreatic islets. ACSL5 protein was seen only in INS-1 832/13 cells. With shRNA-mediated gene silencing we developed stable ACSL knockdown cell lines from INS-1 832/13 cells. Glucose-stimulated insulin release was inhibited ∼50% with ACSL4 and ACSL3 knockdown and unaffected in cell lines with knockdown of ACSL5, ACLS6 and ACSL1. Lentivirus shRNA-mediated gene silencing of ACSL4 and ACSL3 in human pancreatic islets inhibited glucose-stimulated insulin release. ACSL4 and ACSL3 knockdown cells showed inhibition of ACSL enzyme activity more with arachidonate than with palmitate as a substrate, consistent with their preference for unsaturated fatty acids as substrates. ACSL4 knockdown changed the patterns of fatty acids in phosphatidylserines and phosphatidylethanolamines. The results show the involvement of ACLS4 and ACLS3 in insulin secretion.
General Approaches to Structurally Diverse Isocyanoditerpenes

Since their discovery in the 1970s, the striking architectures and the unusual isonitrile functional groups of the isocyanoterpenes have attracted the interest of many organic chemists. The more recent revelation of their potent in vitro antiplasmodial activity sparked new endeavors to synthesize members of this family of secondary metabolites. In this Synopsis, we discuss three distinct strategies that each address multiple structurally different members of the isocyanoterpenes, ending with some of our group’s recent contributions in this area.
Anticoagulation and Neuraxial/Peripheral Anesthesia

Novel anticoagulants (NAGs) have emerged as the preferred alternatives to vitamin K antagonists. In patients being considered for regional anesthesia, these drugs present a layer of complexity in the preprocedure evaluation. There are no established tests to monitor anticoagulant activity and our experience is short with these drugs. These authors believe it is important to review the relevant hematology, orthopedics, and anesthesiology literature to provide a valuable reference for the clinician who is met with these challenges. In addition to discussing NAGs, we also review the existing American Society of Regional Anesthesia guidelines for heparin, low-molecular-weight heparin, and antiplatelet agents.
Radiographic Assessment of the presigmoid retrolabyrinthine approach.

Background Lesions of the petroclival fissure are difficult to access surgically. Both retrosigmoid and presigmoid retrolabyrinthine approaches have been described to successfully treat these complex tumors. The retrosigmoid approach offers quick and familiar access, whereas the presigmoid retrolabyrinthine approach reduces the operative distance and the need for cerebellar retraction. The presigmoid retrolabyrinthine approach, however, is constrained by anatomical limits that can be subject to patient variation. We sought to characterize the surgically relevant variation to guide preoperative assessment. Methods One hundred and seventy-seven high-resolution computed tomography scans of the head (without preexisting pathology) were reviewed. Three hundred and fifty-four temporal bone scans were analyzed for level of aeration, size of Trautmann's triangle dura, and petrous slope. Petrous slope is the angle between the anterior sigmoid sinus and the petroclival fissure at the level of the internal acoustic canal. Results Trautmann's triangle area had a mean of 185.15 mm2 (range 71.4-426.7 mm2). Petrous slope had a mean value of 149° (range 106-178°). Increasing aeration was found to be correlated with decreasing petrous slope and decreasing Trautmann's triangle area. Conclusion The presigmoid retrolabyrinthine approach is uniquely confined. Variations in temporal bone anatomy can have dramatic impacts on the operative time, risk profile, and final exposure. Preoperative assessment is critical in guiding the surgeon on the appropriateness of approach. Preoperative measurement of Trautmann's triangle, petrous slope, and aeration can help to reduce surgical morbidity.
Coarse-Grained Directed Simulation.

Many free-energy sampling and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) computations on protein complexes have been performed where, by necessity, a single component is studied isolated in solution while its overall configuration is kept in the complex-like state by either rigid restraints or harmonic constraints. A drawback in these studies is that the system’s native fluctuations are lost, both due to the change of environment and the imposition of the extra potential. Yet, we know that having both accurate structure and fluctuations is likely crucial to achieving correct simulation estimates for the subsystem within its native larger protein complex context. In this work, we provide a new approach to this problem by drawing on ideas developed to incorporate experimental information into a molecular simulation by relative entropy minimization to a target system. We show that by using linear biases on coarse-grained (CG) observables (such as distances or angles between large subdomains within a prote...
Two organic carbon application rates to control inorganic nitrogen in minimal water exchange, biofloc, shallow water, shrimp nursery systems

The objectives of this study were to develop and test a quantitative method for reactive carbon application to control inorganic nitrogen, and to compare the effect of carbon application using 40% and 60% microbial conversion efficiency (MCE) while leaving a residual 11.3 mg/l nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) level. The organic carbon requirement was based on the carbon to nitrogen ratio of the elemental composition of microbial cells. The source of supplemental organic carbon was shortchained fructooligosaccharide (scFOS). Correction for moisture was duplicated on the first 2 days of scFOS application, so the actual efficiency rates were 35.1% and 58.3%. The proposed carbon quantitative method was effective in predicting the amount of carbon required to control inorganic nitrogen. Both 35.1% MCE and 58.3% MCE maintained total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) and nitrite nitrogen (NO2-N) at desired levels of equal to or less than 2.3 mg/l and 3.1 mg/l, respectively. The amount of carbon applied using 35.1% MCE was higher than with 58.3% MCE. e 58.3% MCE treatment resulted in slightly higher NO3-N levels than 35.1 % MCE. The most toxic species of inorganic nitrogen, TAN and NO2-N, are assimilated by heterotrophic bacteria before NO3-N, permitting decreased reactive carbon input and water quality improvement. The benefits of 58.3% MCE vs. 35.1% MCE were lower organic loading, reduced water replacement, and decreased costs. The total water replacement associated with biofloc control was 0.24% using 35.1% MCE and 0% using 58.3% MCE. After a culture period of 14 days the mean weight was 65.5 mg and 61.9 mg for 31.5% MCE and 58.1% MCE, respectively, and a survival of 79.5% for both MCE’s.
Design of a randomized controlled trial examining the efficacy and biological mechanisms of web-prolonged exposure and present-centered therapy for PTSD among active-duty military personnel and veterans

Abstract Improved accessibility of effective and efficient evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for military personnel suffering with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an urgent need to meet the growing demand for timely care. In addition, a better understanding of the mechanism of action of behavioral therapy can inform the delivery of care to meet accessibility demands. Effective EBTs for PTSD are available, but logistical and stigma-related barriers to accessing behavioral healthcare can deter military personnel from receiving these treatments. Web-based treatments represent an innovative way to overcome these barriers. The efficacy of previously developed web-based treatments for PTSD appears promising; however, they were not developed based on treatment protocols with strong empirical support for their efficacy. No study to date has examined web-based treatment of PTSD using a well-established evidence-based treatment, nor delineated the biological mechanisms through which a web-based treatment exerts its effects. This paper describes the rationale and methods of a randomized controlled trial comparing the efficacy and potential biological mediators of 10 sessions of a web-version of Prolonged Exposure (PE), “Web-PE,” delivered over 8 weeks compared to 10 sessions of in-person Present-Centered Therapy (PCT) delivered over 8 weeks by a therapist in 120 active duty military personnel and veterans with PTSD.
Efficient Outlier Detection in Hyperedge Streams Using MinHash and Locality-Sensitive Hashing

Mining outliers in graph data is a rapidly growing area of research. Traditional methods focus either on static graphs, or restrict relationships to be pairwise. In this work we address both of these limitations directly, and propose the first approach for mining outliers in hyperedge streams. Hyperedges, which generalize edges, faithfully capture higher order relationships that naturally occur in complex systems. Our model annotates every incoming hyperedge with an outlier score, which is based on the incident vertices and the historical relationships among them. Additionally, we describe an approximation scheme that ensures our model is suitable for being run in streaming environments. Experimental results on several real-world datasets show our model effectively identifies outliers, and that our approximation provides speedups between 33–775x.
CLARITY-BPA: Effects of chronic Bisphenol A exposure on the immune system: Part 1 – Quantification of the relative number and proportion of leukocyte populations in the spleen and thymus

Abstract Bisphenol A (BPA) is extensively used in manufacturing of a broad range of consumer products worldwide. Due to its widespread use, human exposure to BPA is virtually ubiquitous. Broad human exposure coupled with a large scientific literature describing estrogenic activity of BPA in animals has raised public health concerns. To comprehensively evaluate the health effects of BPA exposure, a chronic toxicity study using a wide-range of BPA doses (2.5–25000 μg/kg bw/day) was conducted jointly by the NTP, thirteen NIEHS-supported grantees, and the FDA, which is called the Consortium Linking Academic and Regulatory Insights on Toxicity of BPA (CLARITY-BPA). As a participant in the CLARITY-BPA project, the objective of the current study was to evaluate the effects of chronic BPA exposure in Sprague-Dawley rats on the relative number and proportion of defined leukocyte populations in the spleen and the thymus. Toward this end, lymphoid tissues from a total of 641 rats were assayed after being continuously dosed with BPA or controls for up to one year. To comprehensively evaluate the effects of BPA on leukocyte compositions, extensive endpoints that cover major populations of leukocytes were assessed, including B cells, T cells, NK cells, granulocytes, monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells. In total, of the 530 measurements in BPA-treated rats, 10 measurements were statistically different from vehicle controls and were mainly associated with either the macrophage or dendritic cell populations. Most, if not all, of these alterations were found to be transient with no persistent trend over the one-year time period. In addition, the observed BPA-associated alterations were mostly moderate in magnitude and not dose-dependent. Due to the aforementioned, it is unlikely that the observed BPA-mediated changes alone would adversely affect immune competence.
Glutamate dehydrogenase: role in regulating metabolism and insulin release in pancreatic β-cells.

A model of β-cell metabolism and regulation of insulin release is presented. The model integrates regulation of oxidative phosphorylation, glucokinase (GK), and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH-1). GDH...