cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Early Gestation Dexamethasone Exposure Alters Coronary Artery Reactivity in Newborn Lambs.

BACKGROUND: Exposure of the ovine fetus to glucocorticoids early in gestation programs postnatal elevation of blood pressure and enhanced coronary artery reactivity to second messenger-dependent vasoconstrictors. It is unknown whether the coronary alterations are a direct consequence of the corticosteroid exposure or related to the hypertension that evolves over the first 4 months of life. HYPOTHESIS: Early gestation glucocorticoid exposure enhances newborn lamb coronary artery vascular reactivity in the absence of systemic hypertension. METHODS: Dexamethasone (dex, 0.28 mg/kg/day iv for 48 hours) was administered to pregnant ewes at 27–28 days gestation (term being 145 days). The ewes were allowed delivery, and offspring were studied at a postnatal age of 8 ± 2 days (N = 6). Non-dex exposed age-matched control lambs were used for all comparisons (N = 6). Vascular catheters were placed 48 h prior to recording blood pressures. The contractile responses of circumflex coronary, mesenteric and femoral artery rings were then measured by wire myography. RESULTS: Exposure to dex was not associated with alterations in mean arterial blood pressure or heart rate at 8 days of life. Coronary vessels from dexamethasone-exposed sheep exhibited enhanced vasoconstriction to endothelin-1 and acetylcholine (both P < 0.05). There was no difference in maximal response of the coronary arteries to potassium chloride or angiotensin II. Dex exposure was associated with attenuation in vasodilatation to adenosine, but not sodium nitroprusside or forskolin. No differences in contractile response were detected between dex-exposed and control mesenteric or femoral arteries. CONCLUSION: Early gestation glucocorticoid exposure selectively programs postnatal alterations in coronary artery vascular reactivity prior to the development of hypertension. These findings suggest coronary artery dysfunction is a primary programming phenomenon and not secondary to alterations in blood pressure. These coronary vascular alterations may provide a mechanistic link between an adverse intrauterine environment and later coronary artery dysfunction.
Video digests: a browsable, skimmable format for informational lecture videos

Increasingly, authors are publishing long informational talks, lectures, and distance-learning videos online. However, it is difficult to browse and skim the content of such videos using current timeline-based video players. Video digests are a new format for informational videos that afford browsing and skimming by segmenting videos into a chapter/section structure and providing short text summaries and thumbnails for each section. Viewers can navigate by reading the summaries and clicking on sections to access the corresponding point in the video. We present a set of tools to help authors create such digests using transcript-based interactions. With our tools, authors can manually create a video digest from scratch, or they can automatically generate a digest by applying a combination of algorithmic and crowdsourcing techniques and then manually refine it as needed. Feedback from first-time users suggests that our transcript-based authoring tools and automated techniques greatly facilitate video digest creation. In an evaluative crowdsourced study we find that given a short viewing time, video digests support browsing and skimming better than timeline-based or transcript-based video players.
P53-independent down-regulation of Mdm2 in human cancer cells treated with adriamycin.

Abstract Mdm2 is a nuclear phosphoprotein which functions as a negative feedback regulator of the p53 tumor suppressor gene. In this study, we investigated the alteration of Mdm2 and p53 in three human cancer cell lines containing either a wild-type or mutant p53 gene after treatment with Adriamycin (doxorubicin, ADR), a DNA damaging agent. We found that human breast cancer MCF-7 cells containing wild-type p53 were much more susceptible to ADR compared to human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 and human prostate cancer Du-145 cells which contain mutant p53. ADR resulted in a significant dose-dependent accumulation of p53 protein in MCF-7 cells, whereas little or no influence was observed on p53 protein of the two mutant p53 cell lines. However, a significant down-regulation of Mdm2 at protein and mRNA levels was observed in these three cell lines following ADR treatment. Moreover, the decrease of Mdm2 was in both a dose- and time-dependent manner. It is interestingly noted that 5 μM is a critical dose for significant down-regulation of the Mdm2 protein. Selected proteasome inhibitors did not rescue the ADR-caused decline in the expression of Mdm2 protein. Therefore, our present results reveal that ADR can induce a down-regulation of Mdm2 via a p53-independent pathway in human cancer cells and the ubiquitin-proteasome degradation mechanism may not be involved in the decreased expression of Mdm2 protein.
The effect of ileal bypass on sterol balance and plasma cholesterol in the White Carneau pigeon.

Abstract The effect of ileal bypass on steady-state sterol balance and plasma cholesterol was studied in sham operated (SO) and ileal bypass (IB) White Carneau pigeons 6 months (Group I) and 18 months (Group II) after surgery while fed their usual cholesterol-free diet. Unlike what has been noted in other animals, the bile acid (BA) and neutral sterol (NS) excretion (mg/kg per day) in IB was not statistically different from that in SO. Group I: BA, 40.2 (SO) vs 39.0 (IB); NS, 13.3 (SO) vs 17.3 (IB). Group II: BA, 55.7 (SO) vs 54.1 (1B); NS, 9.57 (SO) vs 8.84 (IB). IB pigeons had only slightly lower plasma cholesterol levels (postoperative) than SO pigeons. Group I, 329 (SO) vs 271 (IB) mg/dl ( P
Replacing the 2'-oxygen with an exocyclic methylene group reverses the stabilization effects of α-L-LNA

The synthesis and hybridization properties of an α-L-LNA analog where the 2'-oxygen atom is replaced with an exocyclic methylene group is reported. Contrary to the β-D series where the exocyclic methylene group is extremely well tolerated, this group was very poorly tolerated in the α-L-series and lead to duplex destabilization. Modeling studies showed that the exocyclic methylene group results in a steric clash with the nucleobase 3' to the modified residue. Based on this structural model one can anticipate that replacing the 2'-oxygen atom of α-L-LNA with larger groups is likely to be detrimental to duplex stability. The model also provides insights into what type of 2',4'-bridges are most likely to be tolerated in α-L-LNA modified oligonucleotide duplexes.
Phenobarbital and benzodiazepine assisted withdrawal of prolonged pentobarbital treatment for refractory status epilepticus

Status epilepticus (SE) usually responds to standard therapy, including phenytoin, benzodiazepines, and phenobarbital, but some patients require more prolonged treatment with benzodiazepine infusions or pentobarbital. Relapse of seizures and SE can occur when those drugs are discontinued, and tapering a patient from those treatments can be difficult. We report the successful control of refractory SE requiring over 7 weeks of pentobarbital therapy in which high doses of lorazepam, along with maintenance of phenytoin and phenobarbital, were helpful in tapering the pentobarbital without relapse. Some patients can make an excellent recovery after prolonged pentobarbital treatment, but several other anticonvulsants may be necessary in tapering the pentobarbital.
Trichospermum lessertianum comb. n., the correct name for the Cuban species of Trichospermum (Malvaceae, Grewioideae) also found in Mexico and Central America

The correct name for the Cuban species of Trichospermum Bl. (Malvaceae: Grewioideae) also found in Mexico and Central America is Trichospermum lessertianum (Hochr.) Dorr, comb. n. The name Trichospermum mexicanum (DC.) Baill., incorrectly applied to this Cuban species, should be restricted to a species endemic to western and southern Mexico.
Assessing the quality of programs: a topic for the CS2 course

Measuring the quality of programs is commonly discussed at widespread intervals in the computer science curriculum. Because discussions of quality are fragmented, the students do not develop a set of criteria by which they can evaluate the quality of a program. Since an assessment of quality must depend on the specifications that are set forth before the programming begins, it is important for students to be aware of the various criteria by which a program can be evaluated. Various measures of quality can be introduced in the CS2 course. These include evaluating the utilization of resources by a program, evaluating the correctness of the program and examining various human factors associated with program development and maintenance. Students should be provided with activities which allow them to explore and practice using thecriteria for evaluation in each context. Ultimately the development of skills in evaluating program quality will make students more effective programmers.
Matrix metalloproteinases and TGFβ1 modulate oral tumor cell matrix

The integrin beta6 has been shown to promote invasion and experimental metastasis by oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). In this study, we demonstrate that the expression of beta6 by oral SCC9 cells increased activation of the UPA --> MMP3 --> MMP9 pathway. We also demonstrate that the deposition of fibronectin and tenascin-C matrices by SCC9beta6 cells and peritumor fibroblast cocultures is counter-regulated by the UPA --> MMP3 --> MMP9 pathway. Suppression of individual components of this pathway increased the deposition of fibronectin, but decreased tenascin-C matrix assembly by the cocultures. When the SCC9beta6/PTF cocultures were incubated with TGFbeta1, the deposition of fibronectin and tenascin-C as well as the activation of MMP3 and MMP9 was increased. These results indicate that MMP3, MMP9, and TGFbeta1 are important for the modulation, composition, and maintenance of the ECM in oral SCC.
Topology optimization of creeping fluid flows using a Darcy-Stokes finite element

A new methodology is proposed for the topology optimization of fluid in Stokes flow. The binary design variable and no-slip condition along the solid–fluid interface are regularized to allow for the use of continuous mathematical programming techniques. The regularization is achieved by treating the solid phase of the topology as a porous medium with flow governed by Darcy's law. Fluid flow throughout the design domain is then expressed as a single system of equations created by combining and scaling the Stokes and Darcy equations. The mixed formulation of the new Darcy–Stokes system is solved numerically using existing stabilized finite element methods for the individual flow problems. Convergence to the no-slip condition is demonstrated by assigning a low permeability to solid phase and results suggest that auxiliary boundary conditions along the solid–fluid interface are not needed. The optimization objective considered is to minimize dissipated power and the technique is used to solve examples previously examined in literature. The advantages of the Darcy–Stokes approach include that it uses existing stabilization techniques to solve the finite element problem, it produces 0–1 (void–solid) topologies (i.e. there are no regions of artificial material), and that it can potentially be used to optimize the layout of a microscopically porous material. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of Platinum Electrode on Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Hydrogen Peroxide Formation in Aqueous Phase Pulsed Corona Electrical Discharge

Platinum, when used as the high-voltage needle electrode in pulsed corona electrical discharge in water, reduces the production rates of molecular hydrogen, hydrogen peroxide, and molecular oxygen by the discharge, in comparison to the production rates of those species when a nickel−chromium electrode is used. Reactions between hydrogen and oxygen and hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide are proposed to explain this result. It is proposed that these reactions occur on the surfaces of particles sputtered from the discharge electrode.
The reproductive organs in malnutrition. Effects of chorionic gonadotropin upon atrophic genitalia of underfed male rats.

PROLONGED UNDERFEEDING, whether induced intentionally, or incidentally as the result of some extraneous experiment which causes anorexia, leads to marked depression of the endocrine glands (1). It has been suggested that the term pseudo-hypophysectomy best describes the regressive changes in the endocrine organs occurring during inanition, because they resemble the changes which follow hypophysectomy (1-4). Some evidence in support of the validity of this term comes from the work of Mason and Wolfe (5) who reported that the hypophyses of underfed male rats had low gonadotropic activity. Werner (6) corroborated these findings by demonstrating a decrease in the gonadotropic hormone content of the hypophysis of the underfed female rat. More recently the pseudo-hypophysectomy syndrome was studied in the chick (7, 8) in the guinea pig (9) and in man (10). Jackson (11) reviewed the literature on the effects of inanition on the testes and accessory genitalia.
Rerun: Exploiting Episodes for Lightweight Memory Race Recording

Multiprocessor deterministic replay has many potential uses in the era of multicore computing, including enhanced debugging, fault tolerance, and intrusion detection. While sources of nondeterminism in a uniprocessor can be recorded efficiently in software, it seems likely that hardware support will be needed in a multiprocessor environment where the outcome of memory races must also be recorded.We develop a memory race recording mechanism, called Rerun, that uses small hardware state (~166 bytes/core), writes a small race log (~4 bytes/kilo- instruction), and operates well as the number of cores per system scales (e.g., to16cores). Rerun exploits the dual of conventional wisdom in race recording: Rather than record information about individual memory accesses that conflict, we record how long a thread executes without conflicting with other threads. In particular, Rerun passively creates atomic episodes. Each episode is a dynamic instruction sequence that a thread happens to execute without interacting with other threads. Rerun uses Lamport Clocks to order episodes and enable replay of an equivalent execution.
State space controller design for a spatial inverted cart/pendulum system

A full state-variable feedback controller design for a state-space linear model of an inverted pendulum with two degrees of freedom mounted on a two-degree-of-freedom motor-driven cart is presented. This design is based on a pole-placement technique. The result of numerical simulation of the closed-loop system response to an initial disturbance is presented. >
Cytotoxicity of [125I]iodoHoechst 33342: contribution of scavengeable effects.

Purpose: The incubation of the DNA minor-groove binder [ 125 I]iodoHoechst 33342 (125 IH) with plasmid DNA leads to the production of one double-strand break (dsb) per decay, both in the presence and absence of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). In contrast, when 125 I is incorporated into mammalian cell DNA as an iodinated pyrimidine base, DMSO decreases the dsb yield and enhances survival. Because these variations in radioprotective effects may be due either to the location of 125 I vis-a-vis the DNA helix or to differences in DNA architecture, the toxicity of 125 IH and its modification by DMSO were examined in mammalian cells. Methods: Uptake and retention of 125 IH in V79 cells were measured, and survival was determined after accumulation of 125 I decays at 0.3 ° C +/- 10% DMSO. Results: A linear-quadratic survival curve was obtained both in the absence [D 37 = 114 + 36 decays/cell, alpha = (5.39 +/- 1.17)x 10 -3 cell/decay] and presence [ D 37 = 211 +/- 65 decays/cell, alpha = (1.27 +/- 0.52)x 10 -3 cell/dec...
Summary of the discussion concerning energy-protein balances and responses

The discussion after the papers presented during the session on energy-protein balances and responses covered four general areas. These included the effect of nitrogen intake and calorie intake on protein synthesis in malnourished and recovered children, lipid metabolism and ketogenesis in infection , changes in the host immune response related to biochemical changes, and lastly, a discussion of the variable metabolic response to infection.
Efficient dictionary and language model compression for input method editors

Reducing size of dictionary and language model is critical when applying them to real world applications including machine translation and input method editors (IME). Especially for IME, we have to drastically compress them without sacrificing lookup speed, since IMEs need to be executed on local computers. This paper presents novel lossless compression algorithms for both dictionary and language model based on succinct data structures. Proposed two data structures are used in our product “Google Japanese Input” 1 , and its open-source version “Mozc” 2 .
Logic design education at Stanford University

Recent developments in the logic design courses in the Computer Systems Laboratory at Stanford University are described. The courses include an introductory undergraduate lecture and laboratory course, an advanced undergraduate laboratory, and a graduate lecture and CAE (computer-aided engineering) laboratory course. >
Survival in hepatitis C and HIV co-infection: a cohort study of hospitalized veterans.

Background & Aims: Previous studies reported increased morbidity and mortality related to liver disease among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients with hepatitis C co-infection. However, the long-term effect of hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection on the mortality of HIV-infected patients remains unclear. Methods: By using national Veterans Affairs (VA) databases, we performed a retrospective cohort study of HIV patients hospitalized between October 1991 and September 2000. Mortality rates and hazard rate ratios (HRRs) for mortality were calculated for the entire cohort as well as after excluding patients with pre-existing liver disease, with follow-up through September 2001 after discharge. Multivariable adjustment for differences in demographics, comorbidities, and HIV disease severity was performed. Separate analyses were performed for patients identified during the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) era. Results: We identified 18,081 patients, of whom 5320 patients had dual HCV/HIV infection and 12,761 patients had HIV monoinfection. The number of deaths per 100 patient-years was 7.33 in the dual infection group and 14.13 in the HIV monoinfection group during 22,054 and 40,655 person-years of follow-up, respectively. The mortality rate ratio between HCV/HIV dual infection and HIV monoinfection was .53. In Cox multiple regression, the dual HCV/HIV infection group had an adjusted HRR for mortality of .55 compared with the HIV monoinfection group (95% CI, .51–.58, P P = .003). Conclusions: Co-infection with hepatitis C is associated with a significant decrease in the mortality of HIV-infected patients. However, this effect was less pronounced during the HAART era.
MCTs and IGBT: a comparison of performance in power electronic circuits

There is a continuous demand for improvements in the quality of switching power devices, such as higher switching frequency, higher withstand voltage capability, larger current-handling capability, and lower conduction losses. However, for single-conduction-mechanism devices (SCRs, GTOs, BJTs, FETs), possessing all these features is probably unrealizable for physical reasons. An attractive solution appears to be double-mechanism devices, in which the features of both a minority carrier device (BJT or SCR) and a majority carrier device (MOSFET) are embedded. Both IGBTs (insulated-gate bipolar transistors) and MCTs (MOS-controlled thyristors) belong to this family of double-mechanism devices and promise to have a major impact on converter circuit signs. The authors deal with the major features of these two devices, pointing out those that are most critical to the design of power converter topologies. In particular, the two devices have been tested both in a chopper and in two resonant link converter topologies, and the experimental results are reported. >
Conjugates of group A and W135 capsular polysaccharides of neisseria meningitidis bound to recombinant Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin C1: preparation, physicochemical characterization, and immunological properties in mice.

Neisseria meningitidis groups A (GAM) and W135 capsular polysaccharides (CPs) were bound to recombinant Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin C1 (rSEC). The CPs were activated with 1-cyano-4-dimethylaminopyridinium tetrafluoroborate and then bound to adipic acid dihydrazide derivatives of rSEC. Syntheses were conducted with native GAM CP (GAMP), W135 CP (W135P), and ultrasonicated or hydrazine-treated W135P at various concentrations of reactants, pHs, and ionic strengths. The conjugates were characterized by compositional and serologic analyses, high-performance size-exclusion chromatography with multi-angle laser light scattering detection, and immunogenicity in 5- to 6-week-old mice. Conjugates injected subcutaneously in phosphate-buffered saline elicited immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses against their respective CPs and rSEC, whereas GAMP and W135P alone did not induce detectable CP antibodies. The O-acetyl content of W135P was low, and its removal had no adverse effect upon the conjugate’s immunogenicity. Reduction of the molecular size of W135P by treatment with hydrazine improved the immunogenicity of W135P-rSEC. IgG anti-CP elicited by the conjugates showed complement-dependent bactericidal activity against their respective organisms, and IgG anti-rSEC neutralized the T-cell proliferative activity of native SEC. A bivalent formulation of GAMPrSEC and W135P-rSEC elicited IgG anti-CP at comparable levels to those induced by the conjugates administered separately.
Primary hormone therapy for locally advanced prostate cancer

Locally advanced prostate cancer is a treatment dilemma. As with prostate cancer in general, there is no clear evidence that aggressive intervention (ie, surgery or radiation) is superior to noninvasive interventions (eg, delayed treatment or androgen ablation). Because patients with locally advanced prostate cancer have a high risk of local and systemic recurrence, there is some argument to proceed with androgen ablation as the sole modality of treatment. The data using this approach are limited, but an understanding of the degree and duration of response is helpful in selecting patients for primary androgen ablation.
Social revolutions in the modern world

Introduction Part I. Doing Macroscopic Social Science: 1. A critical review of Barrington Moore's social origins of dictatorship and democracy 2. Wallerstein's world capitalist system: a theoretical and historical critique 3. The uses of comparative history in macrohistorical research Part II. Making Sense of the Great Revolutions: 4. Explaining social revolutions: in quest of a social-structural approach 5. Revolutions and the world-historical development of capitalism 6. France, Russia, and China: a structural analysis of social revolutions Part III. A Dialogue about Culture and Ideology in Revolutions: 7. Ideologies and revolutions: reflections on the French case, byWilliam H. Sewell, Jr 8. Cultural idioms and political ideologies in the revolutionary reconstruction of state power Part IV. From Classical to Contemporary social revolutions: 9. What makes peasants revolutionary? 10. Rentier state and Shi'a Islam in the Iranian revolution 11. Explaining revolutions in the contemporary Third World 12. Social revolutions and mass military mobilisation Conclusion: reflections on recent scholarship about social revolutions and how to study them.
Pervaporation of aromatic C8-isomers

A pervaporation process was applied to the separation of different mixtures of aromatic C8-isomers using a dense homogeneous polyethylene membrane. The influence of feed temperature and downstream pressure on the flux of pure components was investigated. For mixtures, the effect of feed composition on permeation rates and separation characteristics was determined. Molar fluxes and separation factors depend on the feed composition. Coupled transport occurs and the extent of coupling depends on the difference in the permeabilities of the pure components. p]The mass transport of pure components through the membrane was modelled for varying downstream pressures with diffusivities linearly dependent on the concentration of all the permeants in the membrane. On the basis of this model, molar fluxes of each component in the mixture of ethylbenzene and p-xylene were calculated and compared with the experimental data. The model and experimental data show good agreement.
Effect of Sulfur Dioxide on the Chemical and Physical Properties of Nylon 661

The degradation of nylon 66 fabric by exposure to light and air is increased if the air is contaminated with sulfur dioxide. The additional degradation becomes evident when the chemical properties of fabrics exposed to light and air are compared with those of fabrics exposed to light and air containing 0.2 ppm sulfur dioxide. The increased degradation is also in dicated by the differences in tensile properties of yarn taken from fabrics. The chemical properties and yarn tensile properties of nylon fabric hydrolyzed with sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid and of nylon fabric irradiated with light in the presence of sufuric acid also were measured to provide comparisons with the degradation of nylon by exposure to sulfur dioxide. The effect of degradation by light and air contaminated with sulfur dioxide, by hydrolysis with sulfuric acid or by irradiation with light in the presence of sulfuric acid on the surface of nylon fibers and on the thermal behavior of nylon are discussed. The mode of degradation of ...
Production of the X(3872) at the Tevatron and the LHC

We predict the differential cross sections for production of the X(3872) at the Tevatron and the Large Hadron Collider from both prompt QCD mechanisms and from decays of b hadrons. The prompt cross section is calculated using the nonrelativistic QCD (NRQCD) factorization formula. Simplifying assumptions are used to reduce the nonperturbative parameters to a single nonrelativistic QCD matrix element that is determined from an estimate of the prompt cross section at the Tevatron. For X(3872) with transverse momenta greater than about 4 GeV, the predicted cross section is insensitive to the simplifying assumptions. We also discuss critically a recent analysis that concluded that the prompt production rate at the Tevatron is too large by orders of magnitude for the X(3872) to be a weakly bound charm-meson molecule. We point out that if charm-meson rescattering is properly taken into account, the upper bound is increased by orders of magnitude and is compatible with the observed production rate at the Tevatron.
Beam Current and Position Monitors at the NBS Linac

During the development of a new beam current and position display system, the quality of the signals and the convenience of the display have been of most importance. The quiality of the signals from the ferriteloaded toroids and solenoids has been improved by careful noise shielding from modulator and beam return currents, and by steps taken against beam-induced microwave signals. The beam display is a set of edgewise meters showing beam current and position along the linac: logarithmic scales for current and variable gain amuplifiers for the position channels allow convenient use of the system.
A Complete Graphical Criterion for the Adjustment Formula in Mediation Analysis

Various assumptions have been used in the literature to identify natural direct and indirect effects in mediation analysis. These effects are of interest because they allow for effect decomposition of a total effect into a direct and indirect effect even in the presence of interactions or non-linear models. In this paper, we consider the relation and interpretation of various identification assumptions in terms of causal diagrams interpreted as a set of non-parametric structural equations. We show that for such causal diagrams, two sets of assumptions for identification that have been described in the literature are in fact equivalent in the sense that if either set of assumptions holds for all models inducing a particular causal diagram, then the other set of assumptions will also hold for all models inducing that diagram. We moreover build on prior work concerning a complete graphical identification criterion for covariate adjustment for total effects to provide a complete graphical criterion for using covariate adjustment to identify natural direct and indirect effects. Finally, we show that this criterion is equivalent to the two sets of independence assumptions used previously for mediation analysis.
On-line detection of ball bearing failures by an intelligent technique

On-line detection of ball bearings can improve product quality and enhance productivity. Three features, including peak amplitude of the frequency domain, percent power, and peak RMS, have been extracted from the radial acceleration of ball bearings. The Sequential Forward Search (SFS) algorithm has been applied to select the best vibration features. Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference Systems (ANFIS) have been used. A 2 x 2 ANFIS using the pi-shaped built-in membership function can distinguish normal bearings from defective bearings with 100% reliability. Furthermore, a 3 x 5 ANFIS can classify ball bearings into six different conditions with a success rate of over 95%. In simple words, on-line detection of ball bearings can be performed successfully using SFS and ANFIS.
Laser imaging through scattering media

In this contribution, new paradigms of laser interaction and imaging through scattering media are presented. Specifically, the imaging potential of efficient optical polarimetric techniques, for active imaging through scattering media has been studied. The depolarization of backscattered polarized laser light, based on the Mueller-matrices formalism, has been investigated. The experimental results indicates clearly that, scattered photons from disperse media maintain a high degree of polarization. As a result, image quality and target recognition can be improved significantly.
Zinc deficiency in infants and children: a review of its complex and synergistic interactions

Zinc deficiency is estimated to contribute to over half a million deaths per year in infants and children under 5 years of age. This paper reviews the features of mild-to-moderate zinc deficiency, which include growth faltering, deficits in immune function and altered integrity and function of the gastro-intestinal tract. Sub-clinical features include oxidative stress and a pro-inflammatory state. The homeostatic response to low dietary zinc intake by increasing absorption is limited, especially if the source of zinc is of poor bioavailability, and conservation of endogenous intestinal losses is a critical component of adaptation. Owing to low zinc intakes, older breastfed infants, especially those of low birthweight, are predictably at risk of zinc deficiency if complementary food choices are unfortified and/or low in zinc. Host factors such as young age, poor intra-uterine zinc accretion owing to poor maternal status and/or prematurity, and gastro-intestinal dysfunction also potently predispose to zinc deficiency. Environmental enteropathy, which is prevalent in low-resource settings, may substantially impair zinc absorption and/or increase endogenous losses, and thus lead to relatively high zinc requirements. Emerging evidence highlights common features between chronic inflammation and zinc deficiency, and each may exacerbate the other. More investigations of zinc homeostasis in populations in low-resource settings are needed to better quantify absorption capacity and losses. Effective preventive strategies must address potentially higher zinc requirements as well as the underlying context that perpetuates a vicious cycle of zinc deficiency and multiple adverse outcomes.
Endosteal Implants for Posterior Single Tooth Replacement: Alternatives, Indications, Contraindications, and Limitations

Patients frequently need treatment to replace single teeth in the posterior regions. A number of different kinds of therapy have been used to treat this problem, including (1) removable partial denture, (2) acid-etched resin-retained prosthesis, (3) maintenance of the missing space, (4) a fixed partial denture, or (5) an implant-supported prosthesis. The purpose of this article is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of each of these treatments. The author concludes that single tooth implants are generally the best choice for dealing with a missing single tooth in the posterior regions of the mouth.
Physiological characterization of auxinic herbicide-resistant biotypes of kochia (Kochia scoparia)

Abstract Auxin-mediated responses of kochia biotypes resistant to dicamba (HRd) or resistant to dicamba and fluroxypyr (HRdf) were compared with those of two susceptible biotypes. Rates of shoot and root gravitropic response and patterns of apical dominance, as determined by lateral bud sprouting after decapitation, were determined in the absence of herbicide treatment. Shoots of susceptible plants reoriented toward vertical at a rate of 23.4° h−1, whereas the rates of HRd and HRdf shoot reorientation were significantly slower at 7.2° and 14.4° h−1, respectively. Root gravitropic responses were not different between resistant and susceptible biotypes. In contrast to susceptible biotypes, both apical and basal lateral buds on HRd plants elongated after decapitation, although differences between HRd and susceptible biotypes became smaller during succeeding weeks. The elongation pattern of HRdf lateral buds was intermediate to that of susceptible and HRd plants. Inhibition assays of root growth by natural an...
Microtubules and the Morphogenesis of Plants

A major distinction between the morphogenesis of animals and plants is that in the former the migration of cells, can play a large part in shaping tissues, whereas in plants the relative positions of cells are mapped out in ways that exclude cell locomotion. Another difference is that animal development may involve a progressive loss of totipotency, but mature plant cells can retain their capacity to divide, not only to repair local wounds, but in order to initiate new organs and—as illustrated by the regeneration of plants from tissue culture cells—entire organisms. These different traits reflect the different ways in which growth contributes to form in the animal and plant kingdoms. Organ formation is largely a once-and-for-all event in animals, but plants construct their organs (i.e., leaves, lateral roots) repetitively and retain the capacity to do so in mature organisms—a feature exploited in recovery from injury and predation and during asexual propagation.
Preparing Dental Students to Treat Patients with Special Needs: Changes in Predoctoral Education After the Revised Accreditation Standard

In its accreditation standards published in 2004, the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) adopted a new standard, to be implemented starting in January 1, 2006, stating that "Graduates must be competent in assessing the treatment needs of patients with special needs." The literature shows that academic dental institutions have a history of underpreparing students to deal with the increasing population of individuals with special needs. The purpose of this study was to survey the then-fifty-four accredited U.S. dental schools to determine what if anything had changed since the deadline for implementation of the new standard. If dental schools' efforts to meet this standard were found to be incomplete or ineffective, the result may be an even greater shortage of services for this population and will point to the need for additional efforts in this area.
Cambial Zone Characteristics

In Chapter 4.4, several different schemes were presented for distinguishing cambial initials from their derivatives (Figs. 4.15, 4.16). According to these schemes, the cambial initials and their immediate derivatives, the xylem and phloem mother cells, were collectively referred to as the cambial zone. However, as pointed out in previous chapters, it is seldom possible to precisely identify cambial initials in histological preparations. Consequently, characteristics of the initials must, by necessity, be determined retrospectively by examining cambial derivatives in various states of differentiation.
Traumatic Ulnar Artery Pseudoaneurysm Following a Grenade Blast: Report of a Case

ABSTRACTVascular injuries comprised a small percentage of total injuries requiring medevac in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts; however, their impact cannot be overstated. This case highlights an individual who sustained a grenade blast injury leading to hemorrhage, and forearm compartment syndrome. He was initially treated with irrigation and debridement, forearm fasciotomy, and delayed primary closure. The patient developed persistent ulnar neuropathy and hypothenar atrophy despite a normal initial vascular examination. During reconstructive surgery, he was discovered to have a proximal ulnar artery pseudoaneurysm. Upper extremity pseudoaneurysms are a rare sequelae following vascular injury, but have significant consequences for the patient and are identifiable by imaging.
Promoting Youth Agency Through Dimensions of Gay–Straight Alliance Involvement and Conditions that Maximize Associations

Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) may promote wellbeing for sexual minority youth (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning youth) and heterosexual youth. We considered this potential benefit of GSAs in the current study by examining whether three GSA functions-support/socializing, information/resource provision, and advocacy-contributed to sense of agency among GSA members while controlling for two major covariates, family support and the broader school LGBT climate. The sample included 295 youth in 33 Massachusetts GSAs (69 % LGBQ, 68 % cisgender female, 68 % white; M age = 16.06 years). Based on multilevel models, as hypothesized, youth who received more support/socializing, information/resources, and did more advocacy in their GSA reported greater agency. Support/socializing and advocacy distinctly contributed to agency even while accounting for the contribution of family support and positive LGBT school climate. Further, advocacy was associated with agency for sexual minority youth but not heterosexual youth. Greater organizational structure enhanced the association between support/socializing and agency; it also enhanced the association between advocacy and agency for sexual minority youth. These findings begin to provide empirical support for specific functions of GSAs that could promote wellbeing and suggest conditions under which their effects may be enhanced.
Neoliberalism and the Global Imbalances: the Neo-Gramscian Approach

This paper argues that the current episode of global imbalances is caused by the rise of neoliberalism. The paper employs the neo-Gramscian approach to understand the emergence and expansion of neoliberalism. The global imbalances have been the economic consequences of the rise of neoliberalism as a new world order. As no significant counter-hegemonic challenge is likely to occur, the neoliberal world order is likely to remain intact in the near future. To the extent that the neoliberal world order prevents an effective rebalancing of the global imbalances, the current episode of global imbalances may end up with a hard-landing of the global economy.
Validity and feasibility of the EMG direct observation tool (EMG-DOT)

Objective: To develop a new workplace-based EMG direct observation tool (EMG-DOT) and gather validity evidence supporting its use for assessing electrodiagnostic skills among postgraduate medical trainees. Methods: The EMG-DOT was developed by experts using an iterative process. Validity evidence from content, response process, internal structure, relations to other variables, and consequences of testing was collected during the 2013–2014 academic year. Results: Of 3,412 studies performed by trainees during the study period, 299 (9%) were assessed using the EMG-DOT. Of these, 203 (68%) involved a physician rater and 96 (32%) involved a technician rater. The 14-item EMG-DOT had excellent internal-consistency reliability (Cronbach α 0.94). Correlations between individual items and criterion-referenced global ratings of performance ranged from 0.36 to 0.72 (all p p p Conclusions: This study provides validity evidence supporting the use of EMG-DOT scores to assess electrodiagnostic skills of residents and fellows. The EMG-DOT can be used to inform milestone-based assessments of trainee performance in neurology, child neurology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, neuromuscular, and clinical neurophysiology training programs.
Schuck, Peter H. Why Government Fails So Often: And How It Can Do Better. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2014 (hardcover); 2015 (softcover). 488 pages. $27.95 (hardcover); $22.95 (softcover).

Schuck, Peter H. Why Government Fails So Often: And How It Can Do Better. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2014 (hardcover); 2015 (softcover). 488 pages. $27.95 (hardcover); $22.95 (softc...
Host Resistance to Bacteria in Hemorrhagic Shock IV. Effect of Hypothermia on Clearance of Intravenously Injected Bacteria.

ConclusionThe anti-bacterial defense mechanisms of the dog, which are severely injured by exposure to hemorrhagic shock of two hours duration, are protected to a considerable degree by precooling to 28°C.
Design and Test of Hydrostatic Gas Bearings for a Hybrid Cryogenic Refrigerator

A hybrid pulse-tube/reverse-Brayton cryocooler is being developed that integrates a regenerative, pulse-tube upper stage with a recuperative, reverse-Brayton lower stage using a flow rectification system consisting of check-valves and buffer volumes. This system shows the potential for high performance with high reliability and low mass, and simple electrical, mechanical, and thermal integration. The turbine in the reverse-Brayton stage will be supported on hydrostatic gas bearings. The performance of the hybrid cryocooler system is strongly dependent upon the performance of these bearings; in particular their stiffness and mass flow consumption. This is a unique application of hydrostatic bearings; the miniature bearings are operating at cryogenic temperatures using high pressure helium. This paper describes the theoretical model that was developed to predict journal bearing performance as geometry and operating conditions change. The model is verified against experimental measurements of stiffness and mass flow consumption for a prototypical set of journal bearings. The model is subsequently used to optimize a set of journal bearings for the cryogenic turbine and parametrically investigate the effect of journal bearing clearance on system performance.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Probiotic approach to prevent antibiotic resistance

Probiotics are live microorganisms, mainly belonging to the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, although also strain of other species are commercialized, that have a beneficial effect on the host. From the perspective of antibiotic use, probiotics have been observed to reduce the risk of certain infectious disease such as certain types of diarrhea and respiratory tract infection. This may be accompanied with a reduced need of antibiotics for secondary infections. Antibiotics tend to be effective against most common diseases, but increasingly resistance is being observed among pathogens. Probiotics are specifically selected to not contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance and not carry transferable antibiotic resistance. Concomitant use of probiotics with antibiotics has been observed to reduce the incidence, duration and/or severity of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. This contributes to better adherence to the antibiotic prescription and thereby reduces the evolution of resistance. To what extent probiotics directly reduce the spread of antibiotic resistance is still much under investigation; but maintaining a balanced microbiota during antibiotic use may certainly provide opportunities for reducing the spread of resistances. Key messages Probiotics may reduce the risk for certain infectious diseases and thereby reduce the need for antibiotics. Probiotics may reduce the risk for antibiotic-associated diarrhea Probiotics do not contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance and may even reduce it.
Study on Treatment of Cr(VI)-containing Wastewater by New Flocculant APAC

A new flocculant APAC was used to treat the simulated wastewater which contains Cr(Ⅵ),and the effect of different factors on removal of Cr(Ⅵ) and turbidity was investigated.The experimental results show that APAC has strong removal capability of Cr(Ⅵ),and the highest removal rate of Cr(Ⅵ) is 92.65%.The higher the pH value is,the higher the removal rate of Cr(Ⅵ) is.The attapulgite in APAC plays the main role in the removal of Cr(Ⅵ).The removal efficiencies of Cr(Ⅵ) and turbidity are best when the dosage is 32 mg/L,the pH value is 7 to 12,and the basicity is 80%.It is concluded that APAC can be applied to Cr(Ⅵ)-containing wastewater treatment.
Research of Grid Weather Disaster Monitoring and Warning System Based on GIS

Grid weather disaster monitoring and warning system based on GIS aims to access various forms of meteorological data, to analyze the relationship of meteorological disasters data and grid equipment GIS data, and to build a reliable disaster weather warning model applicable to the field of grid operation to warn grid equipments involved in weather disaster. This paper proposes a grid weather disaster monitoring and warning system, which transforms XML or binary format data to predefined format data through a variety of data parse technologies, adapts sequence diagram to display various weather information and reveals their variation tendency, and shows geographical distribution and variation tendency of weather elements by generating meteorological color map through isosurface. Research and application of the system will play an important role in the scientific arrangement of power network planning and operation, effective implementation of disaster prevention and disaster reduction of power facilities, and fine management of power grid safe operation, and also will create social value.
Black-start Scheme Based on PSCAD/EMTDC Transient Simulation and Research for Southern Liaoning Power System

Supposing the blackout of Liaoning power grid under large disturbance or fault,the power system resumes normal operation using hydropower stations with automatically start capability to starts power plants without automatically start capability in southern Liaoning.It sets up black-start transient simulation model using PSCAD simulation program to carry out simulation calculation for the black start scheme.This study presents the path of black-start scheme,and through the generator self-excitation,overvoltage,resonance,frequency and voltage stability problems in the black-start process are calculated and analyzed.Taipingshao Hydropower Plant as the black-start power supply starting two units,the feasibility of which as the black-start power source in southern Liaoning is discussed.