cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of Soil-Moisture Sensitivity in Two Global Climate Models.

Abstract Area-averaged surface hydrological processes from two global spectral general circulation climate models coupled to simple slab-ocean mixed layers are compared for the climates simulated with present-day (control) and increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). The models were developed at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL). Both models use highly parameterized surface processes and the so-called “bucket” (15-cm field capacity) soil-moisture method. For increased CO2 compared to the control, both models simulate more snowmelt in winter and early spring and less in late spring. more runoff in early spring and less in late spring, and increased precipitation, evaporation, and latent-heat flux, particularly in sprint However, the models differ in several key respects for the increased CO2 compared to the control. In spite of a qualitatively similar annual cycle of soil moisture, the NCAR model simulates soil-moisture amounts much ...
Electrical rectification in a monolayer of zwitterions assembled by either physisorption or chemisorption

Rectification by a monolayer of (acetylthioundecyl)quinolinium tricyanoquinodimethanide, 6, sandwiched or physisorbed or chemisorbed on gold electrodes, was studied by scanning tunneling microscopy and scanning tunneling spectroscopy, and also by macroscopic “gold | monolayer | gold” pads, using either physisorption (Langmuir−Blodgett deposition, followed by partial chemisorption) onto a Au substrate or chemisorption (“self-assembly” onto Au surface). Rectification ratios of 5 to 7 were seen by scanning tunneling spectroscopy of individual molecules, as expected, but the macroscopic films are too disordered to show dramatic rectification ratios.
Prediction of a propellant tank pressure history using state space methods

An analysis of the time response of a propellant supply system operating in the blowdown mode is presented. The supply system is part of a pump-fed propulsion system intended for use on interplanetary spacecraft. As such, the supply system must provide the pump with propellant at sufficient pressure to avoid pump cavitation. The system, consisting of the tank, the liquid propellant, the pressurant gas and propellant vapor mixture, and a film layer separating the liquid and vapor phases, is analyzed using the principles of mass and energy conservation. The resulting set of ordinary, coupled, nonlinear differential equations for the thermodynamic state variables is integrated as an initial value problem. The resulting histories of total pressure, propellant vapor pressure, propellant liquid temperature, film layer temperature, propellant vapor/pressurant gas temperature, propellant vapor mass, and propellant liquid mass enable the calculation of the net positive suction head available at the pump which determines the viability of the pump-fed system concept when operated in the blowdown mode.
Helping a Japanese Immigrant Family Cope With Acculturation Issues: A Case Study:

A growing population of Asian immigrants to the United States amplifies the need for helping professionals to gain knowledge regarding the adjustment processes among these groups. Unless counselors...
Canopy closure and amphibian diversity in forested wetlands

The crowns of trees and shrubs often overtop temporary wetlands in forested regions. By shading pond basins, canopy can dramatically change the conditions experienced by residents such as amphibians. In this study, we estimated the presence of 8 amphibian species across 17 temporary wetlands at the Yale–Myers Forest in northeastern Connecticut, USA. In addition, we quantified the light environment using a grid of hemispherical canopy photographs to calculate Global Site Factor (GSF) within each wetland. Amphibian richness was low in most wetlands, and most wetlands were relatively shaded. Amphibian richness increased in lighter wetlands. This result was not confounded by relationships with wetland size. Most amphibian species tended to be absent from heavily shaded wetlands (‘open canopy specialists’). However, three species were often found in the shadiest wetlands (‘canopy generalists’). Field transplant experiments using one canopy generalist and one open canopy specialist showed that development of the generalist was less affected by wetland light levels compared with performance of the specialist. These findings suggest that canopy may be an important determinant of amphibian diversity patterns across wetlands. Further, conservation strategies dependent on universally applied, inviolate shoreline vegetation buffers may inadvertently contribute to species loss. Because species differ in their sensitivity to changes in canopy, these losses may be predictable.
Contraceptive Use among Women Migrants in Nang Rong, Thailand: An Exploratory Study:

Understanding the dynamics of contraceptive use among women migrants is considered important, especially to a country like Thailand that is undergoing many changes, and an increasingly female-dominated migration during the last few decades. Using survey data collected in 2000, this study seeks to examine the determinants of modern contraceptive use among women migrants in Nang Rong, Thailand. The study found that several demographic and socioeconomic factors are significant predictors of contraceptive use among women migrants and the magnitude of such effects varies across different migrant types.
Sensitization to Aeroallergens and Airway Hyperresponsiveness at 7 Years of Age

Study objectives To investigate the relationship between current and early life factors and airway responsiveness to inhaled methacholine in children with a median age of 7.0 years. Participants Study subjects were a subset of a prospective birth cohort of children in the Boston area at high risk for atopy. Methods One hundred thirty-one children underwent both skin-prick testing to a panel of aeroallergens and a methacholine challenge test between 6.5 years and 8.8 years of age. Telephone questionnaires were performed at set intervals, and home dust samples were collected in the first year of life. Results Of the 131 participating children, 51% (67 patients) had at least one positive skin-prick test response and 28% (37 patients) had airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) [provocative concentration of methacholine causing a 20% fall in FEV 1 of Conclusions Among young children at risk for atopy, sensitization to specific aeroallergens, but not early life exposures, is associated with increased airway responsiveness.
Multilayer analysis by high resolution backscattering spectrometry

Abstract High resolution RBS has been used to measure the thickness of individual layers about 20 A thick in multilayer X-ray mirrors. 2 MeV α-particles were directed onto multilayer targets. Ions scattered at 135° to the beam were energy analyzed with a magnetic spectrometer which afforded resolution better than 5 keV at ion energies of about 2 MeV. The resulting spectra were analyzed with the RBS analysis program RUMP. The main limitations to precision are due to the accuracy of the stopping power data, and to fluctuations in the beam energy and in the spectrometer field.
An Intergenerational Women's Group

The Intergenerational Women's Group was formed to provide social support and an interchange of ideas between women of different generations. In the group shared insights and experiences are combined with the introduction of new information and development of new interests. Provided is the model for such a program offered in a geriatric medical clinic and discussed is the impact of intergenerational support on both old and young people.
How to dismantle a detonator synapse.

Direct electrophysiological evaluation of ion channels in vertebrate presynaptic nerve terminals has been limited to synapses such as the neuromuscular junction and the giant calyx of Held. In this issue of Neuron , Engel and Jonas demonstrate that mossy fiber boutons have specialized voltage-gated Na + channels that critically impact upon presynaptic Ca 2+ influx by amplifying terminal invading action potentials.
Low frequency noise in 1024×1024 long wavelength infrared focal plane array based on type-II InAs/GaSb superlattice

Recently, the type-II InAs/GaSb superlattice (T2SL) material platform is considered as a potential alternative for HgCdTe technology in long wavelength infrared (LWIR) imaging. This is due to the incredible growth in the understanding of its material properties and improvement of device processing which leads to design and fabrication of better devices. In this paper, we report electrical low frequency noise measurement on a high performance type-II InAs/GaSb superlattice 1024×1024 LWIR focal plane array.
Cyanide catalyzes the oxidation of alpha-hydroxyaldehydes and related compounds: monitored as the reduction of dioxygen, cytochrome c, and nitroblue tetrazolium.

Abstract Cyanide catalyzed the oxidation of α-hydroxycarbonyls and of related compounds. In the cases of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and of dihydroxyacetone phosphate the tautomeric enediol was the obligatory intermediate which reacted with cyanide yielding the active reductant. Cytochrome c , nitroblue tetrazolium, and dioxygen were all reduced by this reductant. In the case of dioxygen the product was the superoxide radical which could then secondarily reduce cytochrome c or nitroblue tetrazolium. In air-equilibrated reaction mixtures, at 25 °C, approximately 35% of cytochrome c reduction and 95% of nitroblue tetrazolium reduction was mediated by superoxide, as judged from susceptibilities to inhibition by superoxide dismutase. Since the oxidations observed were univalent, carbon-centered radicals appear to be necessary intermediates, and their secondary reactions generated a multiplicity of products, seen as smears on thin-layer chromatograms. Free cyanide must be regenerated during these secondary reactions, since cyanide functioned catalytically in the overall process. A partial mechanism has been proposed in explanation of these observations.
Differential Diagnosis in Allergy

The otolaryngic allergist must be able to distinguish between common nonallergic diagnoses that present very similarly to allergic conditions. This article describes a few of the vast myriad of conditions that must be ruled out before a diagnosis of allergy may be made. After reading this article clinicians will be able to identify various conditions, which will enhance their ability to appropriately make correct decisions for prompt and efficient management of their patients with allergic or nonallergic diseases of the head and neck.
Catecholamine Excretion in Spontaneously Occurring Asymptomatic Neonatal Hypoglycemia

Extract: Twenty-six full-term infants delivered vaginally were studied. There were 16 males and 10 females. Capillary blood samples for glucose were obtained hourly. When the infant voided spontaneously, the urine collection for determination of epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE), metanephrine (M), normetanephrine (NM), and vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) was discontinued. Using the value of 30 mg/100 ml as the lower limit of normal for glucose in blood, the study patients were divided into three groups: group A (16 subjects), all values over 30 mg/100 ml; group B (5 subjects), one value under 30 mg/100 ml; group C (5 subjects), two or more values less than 30 mg/100 ml.
A Frequency Scan Scheme for PLL-Based Locking to High-Q MEMS Resonators

Making a MEMS resonator to oscillate at its natural frequency is an essential function in vibratory gyroscopes and is done by using a PLL inside the feedback loop. In particular, because of high Q (quality factor) resonators, signal levels at start up can be very low, posing challenges to achieve PLL lock or lead to unacceptable lock times. This paper proposes a novel frequency scan technique to achieve start up and, hence, lock for the loop. The paper describes a comparator circuit to convert the input sinusoid to a clock with in-built band pass filter, dc and ac hysteresis. Also a scheme is proposed to avoid wrong phase at start up which could arise in a resonator loop using charge pump based PLL. All the above techniques are implemented in TSMC 0.18 micron process for the ADXRS290 gyroscope product and results show a reliable PLL lock with startup time <5 ms for up to a Q of 2500.
Manifold based Sparse Representation for robust expression recognition without neutral subtraction

This paper exploits the discriminative power of manifold learning in conjunction with the parsimonious power of sparse signal representation to perform robust facial expression recognition. By utilizing an l1 reconstruction error and a statistical mixture model, both accuracy and tolerance to occlusion improve without the need to perform neutral frame subtraction. Initially facial features are mapped onto a low dimensional manifold using supervised Locality Preserving Projections. Then an l1 optimization is employed to relate surface projections to training exemplars, where reconstruction models on facial regions determine the expression class. Experimental procedures and results are done in accordance with the recently published extended Cohn-Kanade and GEMEP-FERA datasets. Results demonstrate that posed datasets overemphasize the mouth region, while spontaneous datasets rely more on the upper cheek and eye regions. Despite these differences, the proposed method overcomes previous limitations to using sparse methods for facial expression and produces state-of-the-art results on both types of datasets.
Revision of the Abuse Assessment Screen to Address Nonlethal Strangulation

The Abuse Assessment Screen has been used since 1987 to identify and assess for intimate partner violence in a wide variety of clinical and research settings. It has been translated and successfully used in at least 7 languages in addition to English. Meanwhile, a growing body of research indicates that nonlethal strangulation (commonly called "choking") is a significant form of intimate partner violence and that choking has substantial consequences for the health of the woman. This paper describes the modification of the Abuse Assessment Screen to include "choking."
Development of a Freeze-out Technique and Constant Sampling Rate for the Portable Uni-Jet Air Sampler

(1960). Development of a Freeze-out Technique and Constant Sampling Rate for the Portable Uni-Jet Air Sampler. American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal: Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 325-329.
Is it recurrent cryptococcal meningitis or immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome

We report a case of a 45-year-old patient with a history of cryptococcal meningitis who was started on antiretroviral therapy. The patient presented four months later with complaints of fever and memory loss. Lumbar puncture revealed positive cryptococcal antigen and therefore the patient was treated for recurrent cryptococcal meningitis. Unfortunately, the patient did not improve even after two weeks. The diagnosis of immune reconstitution was made at this time and steroids were started. The patient showed remarkable improvement.
Ruptured papillary muscle, a complication of myocardial infarction: Clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment

Ruptured papillary muscle due to myocardial infarction was encountered in 14 patients during the period 1975-1983. Five of the 14 patients had a history of angina pectoris and two had a history of prior myocardial infarction. Eleven patients with myocardial infarction developed additional pain due to myocardial ischemia and/or a murmur of mitral regurgitation and pulmonary edema within a week, 3 others had a prolonged course with intermittent pain due to myocardial ischemia and breathlessness for longer periods and then deteriorated. Thirteen of our 14 patients developed a murmur and all but one had pulmonary edema on the chest x-ray. Five patients had infarction patterns on the electrocardiogram, the remainder of the patients had only ST- and T-wave changes. Echocardiograms showed fine flutter and notching of the anterior mitral leaflets and vigorous contractions of the left ventricle. Only one patient was demonstrated to have a papillary muscle tip prolapsing into the left atrium on two-dimensional echocardiography. Twelve patients underwent surgery and 8 survived. Seven patients had single-vessel coronary disease, 4 involving the circumflex system and 3 involving the right coronary system. Four of the 7 patients with single-vessel coronary disease survived surgery. Five patients went to surgery with the intra-aortic balloon pump in place and only 3 survived. Three others had the pump inserted intraoperatively and 2 of these survived. Six of 9 patients who had mitral valve replacement and coronary bypass survived. Ejection fraction ranged from 40 to 79%. Surgical survival did seem to be related to the extent of papillary muscle rupture, with the best results occurring in the group with a small portion of the tip ruptured. Seven patients had a stormy clinical course and required surgery within 10 days of rupture. Four of these 7 survived. It seems reasonable to believe that these patients who often have small infarction and limited coronary disease have good potential for survival. Our approach has been to move toward surgery once the diagnosis is made to avoid the sudden deterioration that frequently occurs. The surgical mortality in this group remains in the 30 to 40% range.
Life beyond biologism

In a move that has puzzled commentators, Derrida’s The Animal that Therefore I Am rejects claims for continuity between the human and the animal, aligning such claims with the ideology of “biologistic continuism.” This problematization of the logic of the human-animal limit holds implications for how we are to understand life in relation to auto-affection, immanence in relation to transcendence, and naturalism in relation to phenomenology. Derrida’s abyssal logic parallels the “strange kinship” described by Merleau-Ponty, though only if this strangeness is intensified as “hetero-affection” by incorporating death into life. Following Merleau-Ponty and Elizabeth Grosz, we locate the creative moment of this abyssal intimacy in the transformative productions of sexual difference. This positive account of the excess of hetero-affection reconciles phenomenology with evolution and offers a figure for thinking the thickening and multiplying of the differences between human and non-human, living and nonliving, corporeal and cosmic.
Interpretive analysis of spoken discourse: Dealing with the limitations of quantitative and qualitative methods

Quantitative and qualitative methods of analyzing discourse, while producing some pertinent findings, suffer from a number of limitations. Such limitations have become apparent in studies of doctor‐patient communication but also manifest themselves in research on other forms of spoken, interpersonal communication. Quantitative methods alone do not deal with complexities of discourse, usually are not helpful in analyzing the social context in which discourse arises, do not clarify underlying themes and structures, and are costly and tedious to use. With qualitative methods, the selection of discourse for analysis is not straightforward, quality of interpretation is difficult to evaluate, and textual presentation is not clear‐cut. Several criteria of an appropriate method offer reasonable compromises in dealing with these limitations: a) discourse should be selected through a sampling procedure, preferably a randomized technique; b) recordings of sampled discourse should be available for review by other obs...
Identification of Three-Dimensional Objects Using Fourier Descriptors of the Boundary Curve

The feasibility of a method for the identification of a three-dimensional object from information contained in the boundary of its silhouettes is demonstrated. A silhouette is characterized by parametric representation of its boundary curve in the complex plane. After normalization and transformation, a set of Fourier descriptors is derived for every silhouette. A minimum distance classifier uses the descriptors to identify the three-dimensional object and to estimate its position and attitude with respect to a known reference coordinate system. The method was tested for identification of four aircraft representing complex and nonconvex objects. Simulation results, quantitative and statistical, are presented.
Conjunto in the Classroom.

www.mej.sagepub.com With the evening engulfed in the Texas heat, the arena was filled with the scents of fajitas and tortillas. It was enveloped by the sounds of the dancer's feet shuffling side to side; the musicians playing accordion, guitars, and drums; and with singing, laughter, applause, and gritos (loud shouts and hollers) made by the audience, which included family and friends visiting and reconnecting. Near the stage, a crowd of Tejanos' stood singing, moving, and listening to the conjunto group housed in an outdoor arena. In the arena, an expansive dance floor contained couples of all ages shuffling and gliding side to side to the music. They were spinning and twirling each other to the music as they all flowed seamlessly in a community circle that was propelled by the musical performance. Juan Tejeda and Avelardo Valdez described a similar conjunto event:2
Teaching Video NeuroImages: Reading epilepsy A seizure in a thousand words (or less)

A 14-year-old right-handed boy developed spells of lip twitching only while reading. With prolonged reading, he occasionally experienced loss of awareness and limb jerking (figure and video on the Neurology® Web site at [www.neurology.org][1]). Reading epilepsy is a rare form of reflex seizure in which reading (silently or aloud) may trigger orofacial myoclonus, stammering, aphasia, or generalized convulsions. Onset is typically in early adulthood, with 2:1 male predominance. It occurs in isolation or autosomal dominant fashion.1 Previous reports suggest efficacy of clonazepam, valproate, or levetiracetam.2 Our patient did not tolerate levetiracetam but remains seizure-free on oxcarbazepine. Reading epilepsy should be recognized and promptly treated to avoid unnecessary academic struggles. [1]: http://www.neurology.org/
Low Endocytic pH and Capsid Protein Autocleavage Are Critical Components of Flock House Virus Cell Entry

The process by which nonenveloped viruses cross cell membranes during host cell entry remains poorly defined; however, common themes are emerging. Here, we use correlated in vivo and in vitro studies to understand the mechanism of Flock House virus (FHV) entry and membrane penetration. We demonstrate that low endocytic pH is required for FHV infection, that exposure to acidic pH promotes FHV-mediated disruption of model membranes (liposomes), and particles exposed to low pH in vitro exhibit increased hydrophobicity. In addition, FHV particles perturbed by heating displayed a marked increase in liposome disruption, indicating that membrane-active regions of the capsid are exposed or released under these conditions. We also provide evidence that autoproteolytic cleavage, to generate the lipophilic gamma peptide (4.4 kDa), is required for membrane penetration. Mutant, cleavage-defective particles failed to mediate liposome lysis, regardless of pH or heat treatment, suggesting that these particles are not able to expose or release the requisite membrane-active regions of the capsid, namely, the gamma peptides. Based on these results, we propose an updated model for FHV entry in which (i) the virus enters the host cell by endocytosis, (ii) low pH within the endocytic pathway triggers the irreversible exposure or release of gamma peptides from the virus particle, and (iii) the exposed/released gamma peptides disrupt the endosomal membrane, facilitating translocation of viral RNA into the cytoplasm.
Food reinforcement, the dopamine D2 receptor genotype, and energy intake in obese and nonobese humans.

The authors measured food reinforcement, polymorphisms of the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) and dopamine transporter (DAT1) genes, and laboratory energy intake in 29 obese and 45 nonobese humans 18–40 years old. Food reinforcement was greater in obese than in nonobese individuals, especially in obese individuals with the TaqI A1 allele. Energy intake was greater for individuals high in food reinforcement and greatest in those high in food reinforcement with the TaqI A1 allele. No effect of the DAT1 genotype was observed. These data show that individual differences in food reinforcement may be important for obesity and that the DRD2 genotype may interact with food reinforcement to influence energy intake.
Reactive collision avoidance of multiple moving agents by cooperation and conflict propagation

A strategy for collision avoidance between several moving robots that are not in possession of each other's plans is presented here. A robot's awareness of other robots is limited to the knowledge of their current states represented by their present and impending velocities and their motion direction. A robot is aware of the presence of other robots when they fall within its field of vision. Collision avoidance is attempted at three levels namely at individual, cooperative and propagation levels through velocity control. At individual level it suffices that one of the robots involved in a forthcoming collision modifies its velocity. The cooperative level is characterized by the requirement that all the robots involved in collision modify their velocities in a synchronized fashion. In the third level robots not involved in a collision are entailed to participate by altering their velocities in a manner that resolves collision conflicts between the robots involved. The third level is termed as the propagation level since the collision conflict is propagated to robots not a part of the conflict and their assistance sought in avoiding conflicts. The strategy is implemented in a distributed fashion across all robots in the system. Simulation results are presented to authenticate the efficacy of the proposed method.
Distal villous immaturity

Abstract Distal villous immaturity (DVI) is a placental phenotype characterized by enlarged distal villi with excessive stroma, hypercellular villous trophoblast, paucity of vasculosyncytial membranes, and a decreased fetoplacental weight ratio. It is predominantly observed in term or near-term placentas and is associated with specific maternal conditions including impaired glucose tolerance, obesity, and excessive pregnancy weight gain. A similar phenotype is observed in placentas with hypercoiling of the umbilical cord. DVI is also occasionally seen in the placentas of preterm infants with idiopathic fetal growth restriction, congenital malformations, and genetic or chromosomal abnormalities. In infants of diabetic mothers, DVI may in part be a consequence of excessive maternal glucose leading to release of fetal insulin and other growth factors that promote excessive placental growth at the expense of villous maturation. Adverse outcomes associated with DVI include intrauterine fetal death (IUFD), fetal growth restriction (FGR), and, more speculatively, late gestational hypoxia and chronic diseases of childhood and later adult life.
Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counseling Outcomes for School-Aged Youth: A Meta-Analysis of Studies From 1990 to 2009

Clinical trials exploring the use of counseling and psychotherapy to treat alcohol and other drug use problems in school-aged youth were meta-analyzed using a random effects model. Of 374 possible ...
Motivation and Acceptability Norms of Human-Caused Sound in Muir Woods National Monument

Acceptability of sound, natural or human-caused, was predicted to vary by an individual's motivation for quiet at Muir Woods National Monument. This study used a dose-response methodology where vis...
The impact of episodic nonequilibrium fracture-matrix flow on repository performance at the potential Yucca Mountain site

Adequate representation of fracture-matrix interaction during episodic infiltration events is crucial in making valid hydrological predictions of repository performance at Yucca Mountain. Approximations have been applied to represent fracture-matrix flow interaction, including the Equivalent Continuum Model, which assumes capillary equilibrium between fractures and matrix, and the Fracture-Matrix Model, which accounts for nonequilibrium fracture-matrix flow and transport for the eight major hydrostratigraphic units in the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain. 18 refs., 6 figs., 3 tabs.
Congenital bone marrow failure in DNA-PKcs mutant mice associated with deficiencies in DNA repair

The nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway is essential for radioresistance and lymphocyte-specific V(D)J (variable [diversity] joining) recombination. Defects in NHEJ also impair hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) activity with age but do not affect the initial establishment of HSC reserves. In this paper, we report that, in contrast to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)–dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs)–null mice, knockin mice with the DNA-PKcs3A/3A allele, which codes for three alanine substitutions at the mouse Thr2605 phosphorylation cluster, die prematurely because of congenital bone marrow failure. Impaired proliferation of DNA-PKcs3A/3A HSCs is caused by excessive DNA damage and p53-dependent apoptosis. In addition, increased apoptosis in the intestinal crypt and epidermal hyperpigmentation indicate the presence of elevated genotoxic stress and p53 activation. Analysis of embryonic fibroblasts further reveals that DNA-PKcs3A/3A cells are hypersensitive to DNA cross-linking agents and are defective in both homologous recombination and the Fanconi anemia DNA damage response pathways. We conclude that phosphorylation of DNA-PKcs is essential for the normal activation of multiple DNA repair pathways, which in turn is critical for the maintenance of diverse populations of tissue stem cells in mice.
Integration of a TMN-based management platform into a CORBA-based environment

The evolving liberalisation of the European telecommunication markets will result in a growing competition among service and network providers. In such an environment the rapid development and deployment of new telecommunication services take on increasing significance. The use of distributed object-oriented platforms that provide a set of common and generic building blocks for applications helps to reduce the efforts required to implement new telecommunication services. Therefore, there is a strong trend towards object-orientation in modelling and realisation of telecommunication services, especially in the employment of industry platform standards such as OMG/CORBA. Another key to the success of a service or network provider in this future environment is the comprehensive, flexible and integrated management of its telecommunication services. Traditionally, the state of the art in management-oriented applications is characterised by the OSI management and Internet management standards. However, specifically in the telecommunications world the Telecommunications Management Network (TMN) standard is becoming more and more important. This paper describes how a specific TMN-based management platform, i.e., the ANDROMEDA platform, is integrated within a CORBA-based environment. It outlines the required changes to the existing management platform and identifies the problems which are encountered during such a migration.
Pyrolytic cyanobacteria derived activated carbon as high performance electrode in symmetric supercapacitor

Abstract Cyanobacteria, as a renewable source of carbon, was used to prepare activated carbon electrodes in supercapacitors. The activation includes a pre-carbonization at 400 °C followed by KOH heat treatment at 800 °C, leading to efficient and high degree of graphitization. The activated carbon electrode consisted primarily of carbon and oxygen, and possessed a large specific surface area of 2184 m2 g−1, with pore size centered at 27 nm. In 6 mol L−1 KOH electrolyte, the electrode exhibited superior specific capacitance of 271 F g−1 and 222 F g−1 at a charge/discharge current density of 0.1 A g−1 and 5.0 A g−1, respectively. The results demonstrated that the activated carbon derived from cyanobacteria can serve as promising electrode material for electrical double-layer capacitors.
Regional clearance of solute from peripheral airway epithelia: recovery after sublobar exposure to ozone.

The influence of local exposure to ozone (O3) on respiratory epithelial permeability of sublobar lung segments was studied by using aerosolized99mTc-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA; mol w...
Cancer Prevention by Catechins, Flavonols, and Procyanidins

1. Dietary catechins, flavonols, and procyandins (PC) are found in a large variety of fruits, vegetables, tea, and other foods. Epidemiological studies have shown that the intake of a variety of fruits and vegetables has been supported by a lower risk of developing cancer.
Multiple joint osteonecrosis following short-term steroid therapy. Case report.

The general goals for treating an acetabular fracture are to restore congruity and stability of the hip joint. These goals are no different from those for the subset of fractures of the posterior wall. Nevertheless, posterior wall fractures present unique problems compared with other types of acetabular fractures. Successful treatment of these fractures depends on a multitude of factors. The physician must understand their distinctive radiologic features, in conjunction with patient factors, to determine the appropriate treatment. By knowing the important points of posterior surgical approaches to the hip, particularly the posterior wall, specific techniques can be used for fracture reduction and fixation in these often challenging fractures. In addition, it is important to develop a complete grasp of potential complications and their treatment. The evaluation and treatment protocols initially developed by Letournel and Judet continue to be important; however, the surgeon also should be aware of new information published and presented in the past decade.
Algorithms and software systems for learning and research

Software systems have experienced an impressive growth in the last few decades and have impacted a wide variety of areas. In this respect, two fields benefit greatly. Learning and research. In this work, we present several software systems that we have created to assist in the process of learning and to help researchers by performing complex computations and generating data. We demonstrate three web-based educational video games that we developed to teach science to middle school students. We also describe several software systems that we created for research in graph theory and model checking. Finally, we discuss our results, contributions and future directions.
The Rational Founder: A Study of Comprehensiveness in Business Start-ups

Little understanding exists on how strategic decisions interact with environmental forces in the initial stages of an entrepreneurial enterprise. Assessing the decision-making process in the start-...
Modification of catalytic properties of chicken liver fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase by allicin

The activity of chicken liver fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase increases dramatically after incubation with allicin, a major biologically active compound produced by garlic. Activation is more pronounced when the enzyme is assayed with Mn2+ than Mg2+. Maximum activation is accompanied by the disappearance of 4 highly reactive sulfhydryl groups per molecule of enzyme. This modification also leads to loss of activation by K+, and reduced sensitivity to inhibition by AMP, fructose 2,6-bisphosphate, and high concentration of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. All the altered properties induced by allicin can be reversed by dithiothreitol or tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine, the latter being much more effective.
Chapter 1 High Pressure in Semiconductor Physics: A Historical Overview

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an historical overview of high pressure in semiconductor physics. There are two major contributions to the development of apparatus in the post-Bridgman era, which have led to considerable expansion of activity in the field. The first is the introduction of strong, flexible, high-pressure tubing to separate a massive pressure-generating system from the final experimental vessel—which may be at the exit of a spectrometer, between the poles of a magnet, or settled deep in the interior of a cryostat. The second is the advent of the compact diamond anvil cell, which avoids the storage of large energies in compressed fluids. Raman scattering has also been used extensively to map out certain portions of the phase diagram. The pressure dependence of all Raman-active zone-center phonons has been determined as 11 GPa at ambient temperature. Information about zone-edge modes is also found from second- and third-order scattering processes.
The Changing Character of Financial Flows to Sub-Saharan Africa

The chapter analyzes the changing nature of capital flows to sub-Saharan Africa and related opportunities and risks given the characteristics of the sub-Saharan economies and the global environment in which they find themselves. The subcontinent has received unprecedented financial flows over the past decade, but some country groups are more exposed to these flows than others. A common trend for all countries in the region is that private capital inflows are becoming more important relative to public inflows. While new and growing capital flows offer increasing opportunities to finance economic development, the globally integrated sub-Saharan economies’ reliance on high concentrations of commodity exports puts them in a vulnerable position.
Transport with reversed Er in the GAMMA-10 tandem mirror

The radial E x B transport losses in the central cell of the GAMMA-10 device are analyzed and compared with recent data from E r -control experiments. Reversed E r -profile are seen to inhibit transport.
Religion among Scientists in International Context: A New Study of Scientists in Eight Regions

Scientists have long been associated with religion’s decline around the world. But little data permit analysis of the religiosity of scientists or their perceptions of the science-faith interface. ...
Anti-Yo positive paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration in the setting of cholangiocarcinoma

Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes are a rare complication of malignancy. Subacute cerebellar ataxia, or paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration, usually presents in women with a subcate onset of gait instability, followed by progressive limb and trunk ataxia, dysarthria, diplopia, and dysphagia that occurs in the setting of, or precedes the diagnosis of, a gynecologic or breast malignancy and clinically stabilizes within six months. The most common autoantibody associated with PCD is purkinje cell cytoplasmic antibody type 1, also known as anti-Yo. Here we describe the first reported case of a man with anti-Yo positive paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration in the setting of occult cholangiocarcinoma.
Hepatocellular carcinoma decreases the chance of successful hepatitis C virus therapy with direct-acting antivirals

Background & Aims The approval of all-oral direct-acting antiviral (DAA) regimens for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has led to the expansion of therapy to include patients with cirrhosis who have hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Data on the use of DAAs in HCV+ patients with HCC is limited. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of all-oral-DAA regimens in HCV+ cirrhotic patients who have or had HCC compared to those without HCC. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted on all cirrhotic patients who were treated for HCV with DAAs at our institution between January 2014 and November 2015. Results A total of 421 HCV+ patients with cirrhosis were identified, of whom 33% had active or a history of HCC. Failure to achieve sustained virologic response (SVR) occurred in 21% of patients with HCC compared to 12% of patients without HCC ( p =0.009). Of the 29 patients with HCC who did not achieve SVR, 27 (93%) occurred when an active tumor was present. DAA therapy in the presence of an inactive tumor or after removal of tumor (resection/transplant) resulted in excellent SVR rates, similar to those without HCC ( p Conclusions The presence of active HCC tumor at the initiation of HCV therapy is significantly associated with all-oral DAA treatment failure. HCV treatment after curative therapies for HCC resulted in excellent SVR. Lay summary The new medications for hepatitis C have excellent cure rates. However, our study shows that in patients with both liver cancer and hepatitis C, they do not achieve these cure rates. Patients with liver cancer are almost 8 times more likely to fail hepatitis C treatment than patients without liver cancer.
Technology Management: Case of 3D Printing in Healthcare

3D Printing is a radical innovation that is enabling us to create personalized objects at low cost and quickly. Similar to Amazon’s success in the revolutionizing the retailing industry with Ecommerce, 3D printing technology is showing the promise of turning healthcare on its heel with its capacity of rapid prototyping and personalizing the solution to the patient. This gives us an opportunity to study this innovation using technology management principles and tools. We explored the technology using engineering, technology forecast and motivating factors [Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)] models. We also conducted a market analysis to assess the expected economic return. The study highlighted the engineering challenge in developing the right biological materials and the appropriate 3D printing manufacturing processes. A time-based trend analysis of Bibliometrics in this technology segment drew us to the conclusion that this technology is straddling the innovator and the early adopter phases of the Technology Adoption Life Cycle (TALC). On the policy side, the motivating factors study highlighted the legal, ethical and regulatory challenges. But, the motivating factors review also highlighted the expansive benefits, both profit-based and humanitarian, of this technology. The research put together, showed that this disruptive technology will be a game-changer in the future of healthcare.
Lymphocyte Nadir and Esophageal Cancer Survival Outcomes After Chemoradiation Therapy

Purpose Host immunity may affect the outcome in patients with esophageal cancer. We sought to identify factors that influenced absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) nadir during chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for esophageal cancer (EC) and looked for clinically relevant associations with survival. Methods and Materials 504 patients with stage I-III EC (2007-2013) treated with neoadjuvant or definitive CRT with weekly ALC determinations made during treatment were analyzed. Grade of lymphopenia from ALC nadir during CRT was based on Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0. Associations of ALC nadir with survival were examined using multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis (MVA) and competing risks regression analysis. Results The median follow-up time was 36 months. The incidences of grade 1, 2, 3, and 4 ALC nadir during CRT were 2%, 12%, 59%, and 27%, respectively. The impact was lymphocyte-specific because this was not seen for monocyte or neutrophil count. On MVA, grade 4 ALC nadir (G4 nadir) was significantly associated with worse overall and disease-specific survival outcomes. Predictors of G4 nadir included distal tumor location, definitive CRT, taxane/5-fluorouracil chemotherapy, and photon-based radiation type (vs proton-based). Radiation type strongly influenced the mean body dose exposure, which was a strong predictor for G4 nadir (odds ratio 1.22 per Gray, P Conclusions G4 nadir during CRT for EC was associated with poor outcomes, suggesting a role of host immunity in disease control. This observation provides a rationale to prospectively test chemotherapeutic and radiation treatment strategies that may have a lower impact on host immunity.
Functionalization of Silica Surface Using Chan- Lam Coupling

Abstract The reaction of base-free Chan–Lam coupling was successfully used for functionalization of surface of mesoporous silica gel. Various aromatic, aliphatic, and heterocyclic compounds were immobilized by a copper-catalyzed reaction of corresponding boronic acids with surface amino groups at mild conditions. Obtained functionalized materials were mesoporous although their surface area decreased after immobilization. The reactivity of some surface functional groups was tested in their characteristic reactions.
Abstract 998: OPeN: the oncology precision network data sharing consortium

Background: The advent of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), and other molecular diagnostic technologies, has enabled the use of genomic information to guide targeted treatment in cancer patients. While this precision oncology approach can yield exciting clinical outcomes, the innumerable genomic variants identified in individual tumors effectively establishes each case as a unique N=1 clinical presentation. This scenario is contrary to a basic dogma of medical practice where historical cases and treatment outcomes guide future management and therapeutic decisions. Aggregation of large data sets, on a multi-institutional basis, has the potential to overcome the N=1 paradox and yield management insights in the implementation of precision oncology. Methods: We have formed the Oncology Precision Network (OPeN), an oncology data sharing consortium, to aggregate big data sets consisting of clinical, genomic, pharmacological, and treatment response data from diverse patient cases. Data from Intermountain Healthcare, Stanford University, and Swedish Cancer Institute-Providence St. Joseph Health, as well as other institutions, comprises the database and is derived from 79 hospitals, over 800 physician clinics and more than 50,000 annual cases. Results: The OPeN database can be interrogated by variant type, specific therapeutics, clinical outcomes, and by grouped variables, in a structured data format. The overarching IT platform is a cloud based, open source, triple store precision oncology solution, Syapse. These data are yielding valuable insights, including tumor mutational burden (TMB) scores and their correlation to immunotherapy response, clinical response in various drug-gene combinations, and therapy-specific adverse events. Conclusions: We anticipate this resource will be used by the Molecular Tumor Boards of contributing institutions for clinical interpretation, and by treating providers to overcome the N=1 challenge associated with precision oncology. Citation Format: Lincoln Nadauld, Derrick Haslem, Paul D. Tittel, Mariko Tameishi, Thomas Brown, James Ford. OPeN: the oncology precision network data sharing consortium [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 998. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-998