cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A global optimization algorithm (GOP) for certain classes of nonconvex NLPs—I. Theory

Abstract A large number of nonlinear optimization problems involve bilinear, quadratic and/or polynomial functions in their objective function and/or constraints. In this paper, a theoretical approach is proposed for global optimization in constrained nonconvex NLP problems. The original nonconvex problem is decomposed into primal and relaxed dual subproblems by introducing new transformation variables if necessary and partitioning of the resulting variable set. The decomposition is designed to provide valid upper and lower bounds on the global optimum through the solutions of the primal and relaxed dual subproblems, respectively. New theoretical results are presented that enable the rigorous solution of the relaxed dual problem. The approach is used in the development of a Global OPtimization algorithm (GOP). The algorithm is proved to attain finite e-convergence and e-global optimality. An example problem is used to illustrate the GOP algorithm both computationally and geometrically. In an accompanying paper (Visweswaran and Floudas, Computers & Chemical Engineering 14 , 1419, 1990), application of the theory and the GOP algorithm to various classes of optimization problems, as well as computational results of the approach are provided.
Growth and Flowering Responses of Sea Marigold to Daminozide, Paclobutrazol, or Uniconazole Applied as Drenches or Sprays

Borrichia frutescens (L.) DC., sea marigold, is a woody perennial shrub native to the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of North America and has potential as a landscape shrub or groundcover. This study assesses application rates of three commercially available plant growth regulators (PGRs) on B. frutescens during container production. In one experiment, plants were drenched with 0, 0.5, 1, 2, or 4 mg active ingredient (a.i.) pot−1 of uniconazole or 0, 5, 10, 20, or 40 mg a.i. pot−1 of paclobutrazol, and in a second experiment, plants were sprayed with solutions of either 0, 25, 50, 100, or 200 mg a.i. L−1 of uniconazole, 0, 50, 100, 200, or 400 mg a.i. L−1 of paclobutrazol, or 0, 2500, 5000, 10000, or 20000 mg a.i. L−1 of daminozide. Drench-applied paclobutrazol (40 mg a.i. pot−1) reduced shoot mass and root mass (52.9 and 48.5 %, respectively). Both paclobutrazol (40 mg a.i. pot−1) and uniconazole (2 mg a.i. pot−1) reduced leaf number by as much as 56.7 and 23.8 %, respectively. Height was reduced 54.9 % by paclobutrazol at 40 mg a.i. pot−1 and 34.9 % by uniconazole at 2 mg a.i. pot−1. Drench application of paclobutrazol and uniconazole reduced internode extension by 50.1 and 41.4 %, respectively. At the levels tested, daminozide, paclobutrazol, and uniconazole were generally ineffective at controlling growth when applied as a spray. Drench application of paclobutrazol or uniconazole can be used to control height during container production of B. frutescens, whereas spray application rates need to be tested at higher concentrations or multiple applications to achieve desired control.
Can context tame web TV? Reconciling infinite choice and zero effort

Web TV is making a comeback, as users increasingly co-consume TV related web content on their companion devices (tablets and smartphones) in sync with TV watching. In this `dual screen' experience, users download and invoke TV apps on their companion devices to personalize their Superbowl or American Idol TV experience with a web counterpart. Unfortunately, the added effort in continually finding and invoking one of many TV Apps threatens to undermine the light-weightness of cognitive experience that makes TV addictive. In this paper, we propose a 2nd screen contextual UI that balances the richness of an App driven 2nd screen experience with the simplicity of a desirable TV experience. We further share user feedback that is both reinforcing and surprising in relation to the appropriate and inappropriate uses of context in a living room setting.
New Frontiers—-Energy and the: Environment

Abstract The recent and necessary jobs of emphasis on the environment and our energy resources has created new challenges for the industrial engineer. It has also created a need for the reexamination of our methods and their application. The purpose of this paper is to present and examine the application of selected techniques to selected problems in these areas of opportunity.
Conflicting Roles of Molecules in Hepatocarcinogenesis: Paradigm or Paradox

In delineating the molecular pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), recent experiments in mouse tumor models have revealed unexpected tumor-suppressing effects in genes previously identified as pro-oncogenic. This contradiction underscores the complexity of hepatocarcinogenesis and predicts uncertainty in targeting these molecules for HCC therapy. Deciphering the underlying mechanisms for these paradoxical functions will elucidate the complex molecular and cellular communications driving HCC development, and will also suggest more thoughtful therapeutic strategies for this deadly disease.
Restoration of dry tropical forests in Central America: A review of pattern and process

Much information on restoration and management exists for wet tropical forests of Central America but comparatively little work has been done in the dry forests of this region. Such information is critical for reforestation efforts that are now occurring throughout Central America. This paper describes processes of degradation due to land use and provides a conceptual framework for the restoration of dry tropical forest. Most of this forest type was initially harvested for timber and then cleared for cattle in the last century (1930–1970). Only 1.7% remains largely restricted to infertile soils and remote areas on the Pacific coastal side of Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Mexico. These cleared areas are again in a state of transition due to a combination of decreasing land productivity, and land speculation for tourism development. Some farms have been sold to new landowners who are interested in reforesting to increase biodiversity and forest cover. Attempts have therefore been made to reforest by protecting the land from fire and cattle, by supplementing natural regrowth with enrichment planting, or through use of tree plantations. Experimental studies have demonstrated the ability of these lands to grow back to forests because of native species ability to sprout after cutting, and the capacity of remnant trees in field and riparian zones to provide seeds and to moderate edge environment for seed germination and seedling establishment. However, research also shows that on sites with long histories of land clearance, species diversity will remain low with functional groups missing unless some active management occurs. Under-planting with late-successional native tree species can add structure and diversity; enrichment planting with large-fruited shade-intolerant species can initiate new islands of more diverse regeneration beneath their canopies; and plantings of fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing trees that provide light canopy shade can moderate the environment below, promoting regeneration establishment of late-successional species. Plantations are the only option for lands that have lost almost all remnants of native forest, and where soils and vegetation have changed to new states of structure and function. Conversion of pastures to tree plantations that can facilitate natural regeneration beneath them is appropriate when pastures are prone to fire and/or lack immediate seed sources nearby. After the grasses have been shaded out, natural recruitment can slowly occur over a 10–15 years period. Under-planting of shade-tolerant late-successional species can supplement species composition and structure.
Two Coupled Motor Recovery Protocols Are Better Than One Electromyogram-Triggered Neuromuscular Stimulation and Bilateral Movements

Background and Purpose— Overcoming chronic hemiparesis from a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) can be challenging for many patients, especially after the first 12 months after the CVA. With the use of established motor control theories, the present study investigated electromyogram (EMG)-triggered neuromuscular stimulation and bilateral coordination training. Methods— Twenty-five CVA subjects volunteered to participate in this motor recovery protocol study. Subjects were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: (1) coupled protocol of EMG-triggered stimulation and bilateral movement (n=10); (2) EMG-triggered stimulation and unilateral movement (n=10); or (3) control (n=5). All participants completed 6 hours of rehabilitation during a 2-week period according to group assignments. Motor capabilities of the wrist and fingers were evaluated on the basis of 3 categories of motor tasks in a pretest-posttest control group design. Results— Significant findings for the (1) number of blocks moved in a functional task, (2)...
An Alternative Scenario for Central and East European Transformation

Examines the main problems plaguing Central and East European nations. Offers an explanation of why orthodox Western policies embodied in the “shock” approach will not be effective for resolving the region′s problems. Suggests an alternative perspective and type of economic policy for alleviating economic and social problems throughout Central and East Europe, namely that of the negotiated economy. Explains why such an economy would be more efficacious for Central and East European nations than orthodox policies have proved thus far.
A temperature dependent spectroscopic study of the fast ion conductor LiNaSO4 and other binary cation sulfate crystals

Abstract The results of a comparative vibrational spectroscopic study of LiKSO4 and LiNaSO4 are reported. Measurements in 6Li isotopically enriched crystals identify several modes as originating primarily in Li ionic motion. The temperature dependence of the modes in both crystals is described.
The impact of feminism on adult education publications: an analysis of British and American journals

Feminism has potentially important implications for adult education scholarship yet the actual influence of feminism has not previously been assessed in a comprehensive manner. This study sought to determine the extent to which selected adult education publications have been receptive to feminist perspectives. Major research objectives included: (1) to analyse trends in the inclusion of women and gender differences as central topics in adult education journals; and (2) to assess, through content analysis, the treatment of women and gender differences in journal articles not primarily focused on women or gender differences. A secondary objective was to compare trends in British and American publications. Four major adult education journals were analysed for trends from 1966‐88; six journals were subject to a more detailed content analysis of publications in 1987‐88. Findings indicate that only one journal, Adult Education (British), showed an identifiable increase in articles on women and gender for the 23...
Trends in online media relations: Web-based corporate press rooms in leading international companies

Abstract An analysis of 120 corporate websites from Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States reveals, for the first time, international results about the implementation and use of virtual press rooms. This article shows the importance that large international companies attribute to Web-based media centers to achieve organizational objectives and to meet journalists’ demands for information and audiovisual resources. The study also shows, however, that most press rooms are far from being complete, efficient, easy-to-use, reliable and updated on a daily basis. In fact, there is not a single country from those analyzed that consistently stands out from the rest. In most of them, good results in certain areas coexist with significant shortcomings in others, resulting in some cases in poor press rooms that may not achieve the desired public relations objectives.
New color GPHOG descriptors for object and scene image classification

This paper presents a novel set of image descriptors that encodes information from color, shape, spatial and local features of an image to improve upon the popular Pyramid of Histograms of Oriented Gradients (PHOG) descriptor for object and scene image classification. In particular, a new Gabor-PHOG (GPHOG) image descriptor created by enhancing the local features of an image using multiple Gabor filters is first introduced for feature extraction. Second, a comparative assessment of the classification performance of the GPHOG descriptor is made in grayscale and six different color spaces to further propose two novel color GPHOG descriptors that perform well on different object and scene image categories. Finally, an innovative Fused Color GPHOG (FC---GPHOG) descriptor is presented by integrating the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) features of the GPHOG descriptors in the six color spaces to combine color, shape and local feature information. Feature extraction for the proposed descriptors employs PCA and Enhanced Fisher Model (EFM), and the nearest neighbor rule is used for final classification. Experimental results using the MIT Scene dataset and the Caltech 256 object categories dataset show that the proposed new FC---GPHOG descriptor achieves a classification performance better than or comparable to other popular image descriptors, such as the Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) based Pyramid Histograms of visual Words descriptor, Color SIFT four Concentric Circles, Spatial Envelope, and Local Binary Patterns.
The influence of structural heterogeneities on the cohesivity and breakup of agglomerates in simple shear flow

Abstract The transmission of stress within an agglomerate, and hence its tendency to break from hydrodynamic shear, strongly depends on the arrangement of the primary particles within the cluster. The influence of structure on the dispersion process has been investigated using five types of computer-generated structures. Results of the simulations indicate that heterogeneity of the structures can account for an order of magnitude discrepancy between the critical hydrodynamic stress observed experimentally and that predicted on the basis of measurements of the cohesive strength of the solids. In addition, the simulations showed that there is no direct correlation between the fractal dimension of an agglomerate structure and its dispersibility.
Uncertainty specification for data acquisition (DAQ) devices

Specification of uncertainty has historically been done by a variety of methods with differences in results, especially for instruments and standards that achieve small uncertainty values. A relatively simple but practical approach is used in newly published standard IEC 62008 1st Edition, "Performance characteristics and calibration methods for digital data acquisition systems and relevant software." The standard currently covers only relevant manufacturer's specifications for direct current (dc) data acquisition (DAQ) devices. These are plug-in cards without the associated computer for readout and control or power supply. Rather than complete instruments, the cards require an associated computer for readout and control. The history of uncertainty is reviewed; some popular current techniques for specifying uncertainty are compared. The components of uncertainty chosen for DAQ plug-in cards are reviewed, and their effects are discussed.
A prototype FPGA finite-difference time-domain engine for electromagnetics simulation

Several field-programmable gate array (FPGA) based reconfigurable high-performance computing systems have recently become available. In this paper we describe our experience developing an application accelerator for a traditional HPC application, a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) electromagnetics simulation, for two such systems. We describe the design of our FDTD calculation engine and demonstrate that FPGA can accelerate a single precision floating point implementation. We discuss the current limitations of our design and describe design improvements to overcome them.
Development of the Spherical Silicon Solar Cell

A unique photovoltaic/electrochemical solar energy conversion/storage system utilizing silicon spheres as the individual photovoltaic elements is being developed at Texas Instruments. A new technology has been developed to produce high-purity single-crystal silicon spheres at high throughput rates. The spherical geometry offers several advantages including high crystal growth rate, simplified in-process material flow, and excellent silicon material utilization. The silicon sphere production process is discussed and the device efficiency status and goals are presented.
Wide Area Visualization

Summary form only given. ORNL is conducting a project to advance real-time wide-area visualization for power system operators. The ultimate goal is to develop interconnection wide state estimation, on-line contingency analysis, and visualization. Several approaches are being pursued. ORNL is working with two universities and several utilities
Estimation of spatially distributed processes in wireless sensor networks with random packet loss

This paper studies the effect of wireless channel imperfections on the transport and estimation of spatially distributed events using wireless sensor networks (WSNs). It is observed that the quality of event estimation at the sink (fusion center) degrades considerably with correlated packet losses during transmission from the sensors. A novel diversity technique based on field estimation is proposed to mitigate the effects of packet losses on the quality of estimation at the sink. Dense deployment of sensor nodes and the spatial nature of the observed physical phenomenon result in the sensor observations being noisy spatial samples of an unknown underlying function. The proposed algorithm exploits this feature, using supervised learning to achieve diversity. A new information fusion methodology based on approximate likelihood is proposed to integrate the information obtained from the learning algorithm into the classical estimation framework. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed approach.
Task allocation and scheduling models for multiprocessor digital signal processing

Task allocation and scheduling models for distributed digital signal processing are presented. The notions of block-type and stream-type tasks in signal processing application are introduced, and models for sequential and parallel I/O are presented. By extending the traditional models, more accurate schedules can be obtained. Those models can be further enhanced by allowing additional restrictions on the number of parallel I/O ports and the amount of parallelism on memory access. The deterministic nature of digital signal processing algorithms allows for more computationally intensive and accurate task allocation techniques to be performed at compile time. By applying a branch and bound algorithm, the task allocation problem can easily be solved for a variety of scheduling models and various system restrictions. >
Bandwidth management in distributed sequential detection

The problem of distributed sequential detection in the presence of communication constraints is considered. The observations available at each sensor are first compressed to multibit sensor decisions and sent to the fusion center. At the fusion center, a sequential data fusion scheme is implemented in order to reach a global decision. An algorithm is developed for optimal bandwidth distribution among sensors under a fixed bandwidth constraint. Under symmetry and conditional independence assumptions, the algorithm can be simplified substantially: the cooperative quantizer design algorithm reduces to independent quantizer design. The case when communication bandwidth is the only constraint is also considered.
Pipe failure prediction

Preventative pipe maintenance is a key activity in pipe asset management. Central to such activity is a precise pipe failure (burst/leakage) prediction. Here a statistical pipe failure prediction approach is proposed based on the massive data including pipe physical property, environmental factor, operational condition, historical failure records, and etc. Considering the biased training cases, survival analysis model is adopted to avoid over-fitting. The effectiveness of such an approach over several machine learning algorithms is proven in an Asia city with 4 pipe physical indicators (material type, age, diameter, and length) considered over a given region in the past 10 years. Compared with a heuristic approach, there is 5∼8 times improvement in targeting precision. It also shows that there still a significant improvement opportunity by incorporating more factors.
Expression and diagnostic values of calretinin and CK5/6 in cholangiocarcinoma

Mesothelin, a mesothelial marker, has been found expressed in and as a potential treatment target of cholangioacarcinoma (CC). It is possible that CC may be derived from the cells sharing mesothelial markers. However, the expression of other mesothelial markers in CC is largely unknown. Thirty CC cases (10 extrahepatic and 20 intrahepatic) were retrieved from our institutional archive. The immunohistochemical study of Calretinin (DC8), WT1 (6F-H2), Lymphatic Endothelial Marker (D2-40), CK5/6 (D5/16 B4) and CK19 (b170) was done on formalin fixed paraffin embedded sections for 2–3 blocks of each case. We compared the expression levels between CC and normal bile duct (NBD) on the same block. All of the CC and NBD are positive for CK19 (23/23) and negative for WT1 (0/23) and D2-40 (0/23), except one CC positive for D2-40(1/30, 3.3%) and one NBD positive for WT1 (1/23, 4.3%). Calretinin immunoreactivity was detected in 52.2% (12/23) of CC, but none in NBD (0/23). CK5/6 was also detectable in 73.3% (22/30) of CC and all NBD (30/30). Increased expression of calretinin and reduced expression of CK5/6 were more likely associated with CC than NBD (P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively). The sequential staining pattern of positive calretinin and negative CK5/6 in calretinin negative cases has a sensitivity of 69.57% and a specificity of 100% for differentiating CC from NBD. CK5/6 expression was also more likely associated with well-differentiated CC (7/7 versus 12/20 in moderately differentiated, and 9/10 in poorly differentiated, P = 0.019) and extrahepatic CC (10/10 versus 12/20 in intrahepatic, P = 0.029), but there was no association between the calretinin expression and the CC grade or location. Calretinin and CK5/6 immunohistochemical stains may be useful for diagnosing a CC. Their immunohistochemical results should be interpreted with caution in the cases with differential diagnoses of mesothelioma and CC. A full mesothelioma panel, including WT1 and/or D2-40, is recommended to better define a mesothelial lineage. The biology of calretinin and CK5/6 expression in CC is unclear, but might shed light on identifying therapeutic targets for CC.
Neonatal Parent Baby Interaction Programme does not affect mental or psychomotor development of preterm infants at corrected age 2 years

Commentary on: S Johnson, A Whitelaw, C Glazebrook, et al.. Randomized trial of a parenting intervention for very preterm infants: outcome at 2 years. J Pediatr2009;155:488–94.
Po/So Synthetics For A Variety of Oceanic Models and Their Implications For the Structure of the Oceanic Lithosphere

SUMMARY Polso synthetic seismograms were computed for a variety of oceanic structures in order to model data from an t?zb = 5.7 earthquake, recorded during the OSS IV seismic experiment. Satisfactory modelling of Polso waveshapes and frequency content was achieved with no lateral heterogeneity, but with a small random vertical heterogeneity in the mantle, superimposed on a mean velocity structure which is consistent with seismic refraction data. The random heterogeneity in the P and S velocities appears to be about 2 per cent with a scale length of 5 km. This kind of heterogeneity is easily achieved by varying slightly the major mineral components in either the peridotite or eclogite mantle mineralogy and can be another cause of observed upper mantle anisotropy. Using a step-function source time behaviour, our numerical modelling also indicates that in the upper mantle Qp is roughly proportional to rising from about 450 at f = 1 Hz to about 800 at f = 15 Hz, and that Q, is roughly proportional to rising from about 900 at f= 1Hz to about 1800 at f= 15Hz. A slight decrease in Q, from these values in any small zone of the upper mantle reduces So amplitudes drastically and we believe this is why So is sometimes missing from observed seismograms. The computed synthetic record sections were also used to examine the relation between intrinsic Q and the apparent Q inferred from data in earlier studies. Apparent Q was found to be lower than intrinsic Q below about 5Hz and higher than intrinsic Q above 5 Hz. When these differences are accounted for, the mantle Q’s of this study agree with the mantle Q’s of Butler et al. (1987) to within 10 per cent. There can no longer be any doubt that oceanic upper mantle Q’s are very large, above 5 Hz, and that Q, is about twice as large as Qp.
Instability Criteria and Growth of Baroclinic Disturbances

The instability criterion and the rate of growth of long baroclinic disturbances in horizontally uniform zonal flow is derived for a sloping streamsurface. Both quantities are expressed by one explicit and simple function. Unstable disturbances are characterized by upward motion toward the cold air and downward motion toward the warm air. The slope of the streamsurface is eliminated, and the growth equation is compared with the results of other studies. The maximum rate of growth is small enough to indicate that numerical prediction of the development of baroclinic disturbances is practicable. Other results are that long waves may occur in a baroclinic atmosphere above a flat earth as well as above a spherical earth and that on a spherical earth unstable disturbances occur only north of a critical latitude. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1955.tb01149.x
Kalirin, a multifunctional Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor, is necessary for maintenance of hippocampal pyramidal neuron dendrites and dendritic spines

The structures of dendritic spines and the dendritic tree, key determinants of neuronal function, are regulated by diverse inputs that affect many scaffolding and signaling molecules. Nevertheless, here we show that reduced expression of a single gene results in loss of dendritic spines and a decrease in dendritic complexity. Kalirin, a dual Rho GDP-GTP exchange factor, causes spine formation when overexpressed. Reduced expression of Kalirin in CA1 hippocampal neurons resulted in a reduction in linear spine density, with dispersion of postsynaptic density markers and elimination of presynaptic endings. Simplification of the apical dendritic tree preceded simplification of basal dendrites. Pyramidal cell axons were not dramatically altered. Although many factors determine dendrite shape and spine formation, expression of Kalirin is necessary for the normal function of these many regulatory elements.
THE APPARENT DISTORTION OF BRIEF RECTANGULAR ELECTRICAL STIMULI IN NERVE

If it is assumed that the kinetics of the process of excitation in nerve is given by dp/dt = KI - kp, I being the actual exciting component of the current, p the state of excitation, and K and k constants, it is necessary to postulate that on application of a rectangular stimulus of voltage, V, the current, I, undergoes a transient exponential variation, usually a decrease, in order that the integral of the differential equation (above) may fit the strength-duration data in V and t. This hypothesis is substantiated by data by Sakamoto on single fibers of the sciatic nerve of the frog. The time constant of the postulated current transient is of the order of 10(-4) sec. for single fibers and of the order of 10(-5) sec. or less in the sciatic nerve trunk. The latter value is about the same as that found by Cole in the same tissue by purely physical measurements. Some criticisms by Rushton (1934) are discussed.
Interaction of nuclear factors with upstream sequences of a lipid body membrane protein gene from carrot.

To study the regulation of gene expression during embryo development, we isolated a gene, DC 59, expressed in embryos but not in mature carrot plants. Sequence and S1 analysis showed that the gene was composed of one exon encoding a polypeptide of 19 kilodaltons and was highly homologous to the lipid body membrane protein gene L3 from maize. The plant hormone abscisic acid regulated the accumulation of DC 59 mRNA. To understand the mechanism of embryo-specific and hormonal regulation of DC 59, 59 DNA fragments were incubated with nuclear proteins. Two adjacent regions (from -706 to -235) interacted with nuclear extracts from embryos, resulting in the formation of four complexes (C1, C2, C3, and C4). Factors involved in the formation of the C3 and C4 complexes could be competed with sequences upstream of DC 8, a gene that is coordinately expressed with DC 59 during embryo development. DNase I footprinting analysis revealed that nuclear extracts from embryos bound to four AT-rich sequences, and the protected motifs within fragment V were located in the highly homologous upstream regions of DC 59 and DC 8 genes.
Invasive European Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica L.) Association with Mammalian Species Distribution in Natural Areas of the Chicagoland Region, USA

Common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica L.) is an invasive Eurasian shrub that has successfully invaded many of the woodlands of the northeastern United States. While the ecology and invasive properties of this species are well documented, little research has focused on buckthorn's effects on wildlife species. In this study, we surveyed 35 forest preserves and natural areas in the Chicago metropolitan region for the presence of buckthorn. Motion-triggered infrared cameras were used to detect mammal species in sites with and without buckthorn. Cameras were active for an average of four weeks for seven seasons during 2010 and 2011. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimm.) were more likely to be present in sites without buckthorn, while coyotes (Canis latrans Say) and Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana Kerr) were more likely to be present in sites invaded with buckthorn. While there was no overall significant difference in raccoon (Procyon lotor L.) presence between the two site types, raccoons were more likely to be present in invaded sites during the spring season, a trend that was also observed for other mesocarnivores. Our results strongly suggest that the presence of invasive buckthorn impacts habitat use and the presence of wildlife species.
Elevated calcitonin precursor levels are related to mortality in an animal model of sepsis.

Increased serum levels of procalcitonin (ProCT) and its componentpeptides have been reported in humans with sepsis. Using a hamster model ofbacterial peritonitis, we investigated whether serum ProCT levels are elevatedand correlate with mortality and hypocalcemia. Incremental increases in doses of bacteria resulted inproportional increases in 72h mortality rates (0, 20, 70, and 100%) as well asincreases in serum total immunoreactive calcitonin (iCT) levels at 12 h (250,380, 1960, and 4020 pg/ml, respectively, vs control levels of 21 pg/ml).Gel filtration studies revealed that ProCT was the predominant (> 90%)molecular form of serum iCT secreted. In the metabolic experiments, total iCTpeaked at 12 h concurrent with the maximal decrease in serum calcium. In this animal model, hyper-procalcitoninemia was an earlysystemic marker of sepsis which correlated closely with mortality and had aninverse correlation with serum calcium levels.
Decreased Food Intake With Aging

There is a physiological decline in food intake with aging. The reasons for the decline in food intake are multifactorial and involve both peripheral and central mechanisms. Altered hedonic qualities of food occur due to alterations in taste and, more particularly, smell with aging. A decline in adaptive relaxation of the fundus of the stomach and an increased rate of antral filling appear to play a role in the early satiation seen in many older persons. Cholecystokinin levels are increased with aging and older persons are more sensitive to the satiating effects of this gut hormone. The decline in testosterone levels in older males leads to increased leptin levels and this may explain the greater decline in food intake with aging in the male. Within the hypothalamus, decreased activity of both the dynorphin (kappa opioid) and neuropeptide Y systems occurs in aging rodents. Cytokines are potent anorectic agents. Many older persons have mild inflammatory disorders that lead to anorexia. Exercise may increase food intake in older persons.
An integrated framework for scheduling and control using fast model predictive control

Integration of scheduling and control involves extensive information exchange and simultaneous decision making in industrial practice (Engell and Harjunkoski, Comput Chem Eng. 2012;47:121–133; Baldea and Harjunkoski I, Comput Chem Eng. 2014;71:377–390). Modeling the integration of scheduling and dynamic optimization (DO) at control level using mathematical programming results in a Mixed Integer Dynamic Optimization which is computationally expensive (Flores-Tlacuahuac and Grossmann, Ind Eng Chem Res. 2006;45(20):6698–6712). In this study, we propose a framework for the integration of scheduling and control to reduce the model complexity and computation time. We identify a piece-wise affine model from the first principle model and integrate it with the scheduling level leading to a new integration. At the control level, we use fast Model Predictive Control (fast MPC) to track a dynamic reference. Fast MPC also overcomes the increasing dimensionality of multiparametric MPC in our previous study (Zhuge and Ierapetritou, AIChE J. 2014;60(9):3169–3183). Results of CSTR case studies prove that the proposed approach reduces the computing time by at least two orders of magnitude compared to the integrated solution using mp-MPC. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 61: 3304–3319, 2015
Three-body Decays of the Proton

The rates for the three-body proton decays p→ππe+ are related to the rate for the decay p→π0e+. This is done by making an ansatz for the form of the three-body amplitude which is consistent with current algebra and with the measured ππ final-state interactions. We find that the three-body decay rates are comparable with the rate for the two-body decay p→π0e+.
Consent and Internet-Enabled Human Genomics

This month, PLoS Genetics is publishing an article from the company 23andMe reporting the first genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on multiple traits ascertained by self-reported information provided through the Internet from over 10,000 participants who pay the company for providing whole genome genotypes [1]. The paper passed through scientific review by a panel of three experts relatively quickly and is sure to attract the attention of anyone with freckles, curly hair, or an aversion to asparagus. Novel associations are described for four intrinsically interesting traits (out of 22 considered), while known associations with hair and eye color are replicated in a dynamic data-gathering context. Additionally, intriguing observations on the interaction between genetic self-knowledge and self-report of phenotypes are described. The implications of the successful application of this Internet-enabled approach to GWAS research were considered to be more than sufficient to warrant publication in the journal. However, publication was delayed for six months while the editors sought a variety of opinions on three issues: ethical review, consent, and data access. Anyone who has read Rebecca Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks [2] will be sensitive to the ongoing ethical and moral concerns surrounding consent and research with human samples. The editors of PLoS Genetics decided to proceed after satisfying ourselves on two major points, namely that the participants were not coerced to participate in the study in any way, and they were clearly aware that their samples would be used for genetic research. Recognizing that institutional review is an imperfect process and that the complexities raised by GWAS are not readily resolved, we call for a concerted effort on the part of granting agencies, scientists, review boards, and the public communities they serve to standardize processes and procedures of consent and review of human genomic research. It also needs to be stated that the Editor-in-Chief, Professor Greg Barsh, is a potential consultant to 23andMe, and so recused himself from all dealings with this paper prior to acceptance.
Soy biodiesel emissions have reduced inflammatory effects compared to diesel emissions in healthy and allergic mice

Toxicity of exhaust from combustion of petroleum diesel (B0), soy-based biodiesel (B100), or a 20% biodiesel/80% petrodiesel mix (B20) was compared in healthy and house dust mite (HDM)-allergic mice. Fuel emissions were diluted to target fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)) concentrations of 50, 150, or 500 μg/m(3). Studies in healthy mice showed greater levels of neutrophils and MIP-2 in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid 2 h after a single 4-h exposure to B0 compared with mice exposed to B20 or B100. No consistent differences in BAL cells and biochemistry, or hematological parameters, were observed after 5 d or 4 weeks of exposure to any of the emissions. Air-exposed HDM-allergic mice had significantly increased responsiveness to methacholine aerosol challenge compared with non-allergic mice. Exposure to any of the emissions for 4 weeks did not further increase responsiveness in either non-allergic or HDM-allergic mice, and few parameters of allergic inflammation in BAL fluid were altered. Lung and nasal pathology were not significantly different among B0-, B20-, or B100-exposed groups. In HDM-allergic mice, exposure to B0, but not B20 or B100, significantly increased resting peribronchiolar lymph node cell proliferation and production of T(H)2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13) and IL-17 in comparison with air-exposed allergic mice. These results suggest that diesel exhaust at a relatively high concentration (500 μg/m(3)) can induce inflammation acutely in healthy mice and exacerbate some components of allergic responses, while comparable concentrations of B20 or B100 soy biodiesel fuels did not elicit responses different from those caused by air exposure alone.
Support of PC s in Concurrent Engineering

The DICE (DARPA Initiative in Concurrent Engineering) Network is a collection of architectural services that support the usage of concurrent engineering (CE) practices in manufacturing organizations. Leading corporations depend heavily on supplier industries for up to 60 to 70 percent of their product components. These supplier industries connect PCs in their shops over local area networks (LANs). This paper discusses existing and future scenarios in PC-LANs and possible integration strategies and implementations using readily available commercial software packages. The PC user could exploit the advanced facilities provided by the DICE Network such as the Electronic Design Notebook, the DICE Blackboard, the sending of messages and pictures. At the same time users at Unix workstations could execute application on the PCs enabling access to thousands of applications available at a relatively cheaper price. The support of PCs in concurrent engineering provides a relatively inexpensive alternative in terms of hardware and software for manufacturing industries.
Prescribed Activity for Radioiodine Ablation

Radioiodine or remnant ablation refers to the destruction of residual macroscopically normal thyroid tissue in the thyroid bed after near-total thyroidectomy in patients with well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma.
Simplifying the ST and AT Concepts

As stated in a IEA Burning Plasma Workshop Review (Donne et al. in Fusion Sci Technol 49:79, 2006) “…there is not much flexibility in the fueling of ITER”. High-performance tokamak and ST plasmas greatly benefit from plasma rotation and rotation shear to increase energy confinement time and sustain high beta, made possible due to toroidal momentum injection from neutral beams. Advanced ST and AT scenarios rely on optimized density and pressure profiles that must be maintained for efficient device performance. In addition these discharges require the capability for off-axis current drive. Controlled variable-depth deep fueling that also injects toroidal momentum, in combination with the capability for off-axis current drive, would allow the AT/ST concepts to operate at close to projected performance levels. Advanced fuelling based on compact toroid injection and Electron Bernstein Wave off-axis current drive in conjunction with solenoid-free plasma start-up are proposed as methods to improve FNSF device performance and simplify the ST/AT Demo.
LASIK interface keratitis: epidemiology, diagnosis and care.

Purpose of review Diffuse lamellar keratitis (DLK) is one of the more common interface complications occurs after laser in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK). The diagnosis can sometimes be challenging, as the differential diagnosis includes infectious keratitis, which requires a completely different treatment compared to DLK. This review assesses our current knowledge of the epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of DLK. Recent findings DLK occurs during the immediate postoperative period, but there are also late-onset cases. Early cases can occur in outbreaks, related to exogenous factors. Late-onset cases are most often related to inciting factors. Over time, case reports and series have reported DLK onset occurring further after surgery. It is probable that additional inciting factors will also be reported over time. Visual outcomes following DLK tend to be good when the condition is diagnosed properly and treated with intensive topical or systemic steroids, possibly combined with interface irrigation. Summary DLK is a well recognized and well described complication occurring after LASIK. Associated inciting and risk factors and treatment algorithms have been described, but additional questions remain. Our knowledge and our patients will benefit from further research and development of evidence-based treatments.
Can corrosion testing make the transition from comparison to prediction

Corrosion testing has evolved to the point where it is possible to compare the relative corrosion resistance of two or more materials in a small number of experiments of relatively short duration. However, this comparison is only valid for the environments used for the experiments, and these experiments are frequently considered poor indicators of ctual in-service behavior. This paper examines the emerging need for better prediction of performance in corrosive environments, the form that a prediction should take, and some of the tools being developed and explored for meeting this need.
DETERMINATION OF THE MATERIALS STRESS AND STRAIN RELA-TIONSHIP FROM THE TENSILE SMOOTH AND NOTCHED BARS

A method has been presented to determine the stress-strain relationship from the experimental results of smooth and notched bars with the help of finite element method (FEM). First, smooth bars and notched bars with different notch geometries have been analyzed. The influence of the FEM boundary constraints on the necking has been studied. Four key cases have been analyzed, and a best FEM boundary constraints simplification has been suggested. The evolution of the distribution of the stress and strain in the necking section with the necking displacement and change of configuration of the specimens has been studied. Bridgeman formula is assessed; the predictability of the formula has been given out.
Application of ATP Bioluminescence in Microbial Detection

ATP bioluminescence is one kind of rapid detection method for microorganisms, since it is easy, highly sensitive and timely, etc. In this paper, principles, procedures, characteristics, influencing factors of ATP bioluminescence and its application in food industry are introduced. Meanwhile, its drawbacks are presented. To sum up, ATP bioluminescence is potential fora pplication.
Beleaf and Other Insecticides for Control of Asian Citrus Psyllid During Bloom: Spring, 2015

Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) is the vector responsible for the spread of “Huanglongbing” or citrus greening disease in Florida and therefore is the key pest of citrus. Control is critical throughout the year, including spring, when trees produce new growth required by ACP to develop and reproduce but when presence of bloom limits insecticide choice. The experimental block at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center consisted of 5-yr-old sweet orange “Hamlin” trees bud grafted to “US-802” ( Citrus grandis × Poncirus trifoliata ) planted at a density of 308 trees/acre. Trees were irrigated with microsprinklers …
Using devices to upregulate nonnutritive swallowing in typically developing infants.

Sensory stimuli—a pacifier and a vibrator placed over the laryngeal area on the neck—were used to determine whether they could upregulate reflexive swallowing in typically developing infants. Both ...
Non-conventional and Hybrid Methods of Bone Machining

Having explored the basics of important fundamental contact (mechanical) and non-contact (thermal) operations involved in machining of the bones, the discussion will proceed towards some of the non-conventional techniques.
On-Demand Removal of Bacterial Biofilms via Shape Memory Activation

Bacterial biofilms are a major cause of chronic infections and biofouling; however, effective removal of established biofilms remains challenging. Here we report a new strategy for biofilm control using biocompatible shape memory polymers with defined surface topography. These surfaces can both prevent bacterial adhesion and remove established biofilms upon rapid shape change with moderate increase of temperature, thereby offering more prolonged antifouling properties. We demonstrate that this strategy can achieve a total reduction of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms by 99.9% compared to the static flat control. It was also found effective against biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus and an uropathogenic strain of Escherichia coli.
Mixture Models for Fitting Freeway Travel Time Distributions and Measuring Travel Time Reliability

Travel time reliability has attracted increasing attention in recent years and is often listed as a major roadway performance and service quality measure for traffic engineers and travelers. Measuring travel time reliability is the first step toward improving it, ensuring on-time arrivals, and reducing travel costs. Most measures of travel time reliability derive from continuous probability distributions and apply to traffic data directly. However, little previous research shows a consensus for selection of a probability distribution family for travel time reliability. Different probability distribution families could yield different values for the same measure of travel time reliability (e.g., standard deviation). The authors believe that specific selection of probability distribution families has few effects on measuring travel time reliability. Therefore, they proposed two hypotheses for accurately measuring travel time reliability and designed an experiment to prove the two hypotheses. The first hypot...