cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Morphogenesis in vitro of dissociated fetal rat small intestinal cells upon an open surface and subsequent to collagen gel overlay

The morphogenesis of cells dissociated from fetal rat intestine at 18 days of gestation was compared in vitro on two different substrates, tissue culture plastic and collagen gel. During the first 2 days in culture growth on both substrates was similar, resulting in the formation of layers of epithelial cells and of small lumina within them. On plastic, the cell layers contracted over time, resulting in the formation of small mounds of cells bearing on their surface small protrusions covered with epithelial cells which had densely packed microvilli on their apical surfaces. When the cultures on collagen gels were overlaid with more collagen gel, vesicles lined with epithelial cells developed. These cells were joined by junctional complexes and displayed an apical brush border which was periodic acid-Schiff and alkaline phosphatase positive. After 1 week in culture, when the vesicles reached their maximum extent, numerous epithelial cells were actively incorporating labeled thymidine and cells were being extruded into the lumen. These results demonstrate that the dissociated intestinal cells have the capacity to form intestine-like organoids in vitro and that surrounding the cells with the collagen gel allows expression of this potential. The collagen gel cultures thus undergo morphogenetic processes which can be modified by the surrounding environment and should provide a useful in vitro model system for the study of intestinal development.
Vitamin A and infection

Summary Three groups of children whose ages varied from seven to seventeen years were studied. One group received supplementary halibut liver oil in the diet; the second, viosterol; and the third group served as a control. No statistically significant difference in the incidence of respiratory infections was found.
Correction of anisoplanatic blur by using phase diversity

A variety of clever pre- and post-detection methods have been developed to image through atmospheric turbulence. These methods have been developed and exercised primarily for use in the isoplanatic (space-invariant) imaging case. Multi-conjugate methods have been investigated for the accommodation of space-variance with compensated imaging, however multiple guidestars, wavefront sensors, and deformable mirrors are required making a practical implementation uncertain. Post-detection correction methods can be extended to the space-variant case with mosaicing methods, but such approaches provide suboptimal estimates.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Sodium and potassium clearances by the maturing kidney: clinical-molecular correlates.

A temporal dissociation exists between the early appearance of sodium absorptive and later detection of potassium secretory processes in the maturing rabbit collecting duct. To extend the latter findings to the human, we sought to correlate developmental changes in renal sodium and potassium clearances with the molecular expression of corresponding ion channels in kidneys of premature infants. In a longitudinal prospective study of 23- to 31-week gestational age (GA) infants, sodium, potassium, and creatinine clearances were measured weekly for 5 weeks and the absolute and fractional excretions of sodium (FENa) and potassium (FEK) calculated. Gene-specific probes were used to assess steady-state abundance of mRNA encoding the sodium channel ENaC and potassium channel ROMK in homogenates of human kidneys (obtained from the Anatomic Gift Foundation). Although urinary losses of sodium in infants ~32 weeks GA achieved a state of positive balance, a maturational process associated with a decrease in FENa and increase in ENaC. Infants >~30 weeks GA maintained a state of positive potassium balance. We noted a twofold reduction in FEK after ~26 weeks GA and no change in ROMK abundance during the developmental window studied. We speculate that the developmental regulation of renal ENaC expression contributes, at least in part, to the decrease in FENa observed with advancing GA, and that in the human, as in the rabbit, there is a delay between the maturation of sodium absorptive and potassium secretory pathways.
Outcomes among Patients with End-Stage Liver Disease Who Are Coinfected with HIV and Hepatitis C Virus

In at-risk populations, shared routes of transmission lead to high rates of concordance between infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 and hepatitis C virus (HCV). In the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), end-stage liver disease (ESLD) has emerged as a leading cause of mortality in coinfected patients. HAART-related toxicities have been implicated, especially when given to patients with viral hepatitis. Rates of response to treatment for HCV infection in coinfected patients continue to lag behind those in monoinfected patients, even with the advent of pegylated interferons. Liver transplantation has been approached with caution in this population because of concern about the sequelae of immunosuppression and HAART-related hepatotoxicity, and results have been conflicting. Clinical and serological markers of ESLD in coinfected patients, management of cirrhosis, and the appropriateness of transplantation are discussed.
Overlapping Expression and Redundant Activation of Mesenchymal Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) Receptors by Alternatively Spliced FGF-8 Ligands*

FGF-8 is a member of the family of fibroblast growth factors and is expressed during vertebrate embryo development. Eight potential FGF-8 isoforms are generated by alternative splicing in mice, several of which are expressed during embryogenesis in epithelial locations. The significance of the multiple isoforms is currently unknown. In this report, we investigate the expression patterns and the specificity of the FGF-8 isoforms for known fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptors. RNAs for seven of the eight potential isoforms are present at multiple sites of embryonic Fgf8 expression. None of the FGF-8 isoforms exhibited activity when assayed with BaF3 cells expressing the "b" splice forms of FGF receptors 1-3, which are mostly expressed in epithelial tissues. Mesenchymally expressed "c" splice forms of FGF receptors 2 and 3 and FGF receptor 4 were activated by several FGF-8 isoforms. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the multiple FGF-8 isoforms are functionally redundant and function to signal in paracrine (epithelial to mesenchymal) contexts.
Advertising.com: Mobile optimization and predictive segments

Today the advertising industry is becoming increasingly dependent on the Internet to deliver advertisements to viewers. Third party advertising networks such as Advertising.com, a division of AOL Inc., are utilizing targeted advertising strategies to make Internet advertising more profitable. Targeted advertising utilizes cookies to track users and target them with advertisements based on attributes such as site history and past advertisements viewed. Chad Gallagher, the Mobile Team lead for Advertising.com, projects that mobile Internet usage will surpass computer Internet usage by 2015. This major shift will render the traditional cookie based targeting model obsolete, as the majority of mobile devices do not store cookies. Consequently, the development of new mobile targeting strategies has become a top priority for companies such as Advertising.com in order to increase the profitability of online advertising. Predictive segments power the Internet advertising targeting strategy, but with cookies no longer available new variables need to be used for the predictive segments aimed at mobile users. This analysis seeks to determine the predictive power of the information unique to mobile users, in particular cellular provider and model of phone. This analysis was conducted utilizing data from two telecom companies' advertising campaigns. The findings indicate that for telecom advertising, service provider and model of phone are statistically significant predictors of a consumer's likelihood to convert. From these findings, the authors of this paper recommend the incorporation of mobile variables into predictive segments as they provide significant insight into consumer patterns. With the addition of the team's work, Advertising.com will be able to boost their revenue per thousand impressions (RPM) from their mobile Internet traffic, which is currently their least valuable but most rapidly growing business segment. Future researchers should analyze the significance of these variables on advertising for nontelecom products, but as telecom companies are a major driver of mobile advertising, their campaigns proved to be a logical starting point.
Repeated Depression Screening During the First Postpartum Year

PURPOSE Postpartum depression (PPD) screening at 4 to 12 weeks’ postpartum can improve outcomes for women when linked to in-practice management programs. The benefit of repeated PPD screening during the first year postpartum remains unclear. METHODS We report a substudy of a large pragmatic trial of early PPD screening and practice management, the Translating Research into Practice for Postpartum Depression (TRIPPD) study. Outcome analyses were based on demographic information and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) screening scores from questionnaires mailed to all enrolled women at baseline (4 to 12 weeks’ postpartum) and again at 6 and at 12 months’ postpartum. The main outcomes of this substudy were the 6- and 12-month rates of PHQ-9 scores that were 10 or greater for women whose baseline PHQ-9 scores were less than 10. Women whose scores were 10 or greater would be considered at high risk of PPD and appropriate for further evaluation. RESULTS At 6 months, 134 (10.9%) of the 1,235 women who did not have PHQ-9 scores greater than 10 at baseline had elevated scores appropriate for further evaluation. At 12 months, 59 (6.1%) of the 969 women who did not have PHQ-9 scores greater than 10 at baseline or at 6 months had elevated scores. Together the 6- and 12-month repeated screenings identified 193 women at high risk of depression. This finding represents 13.5% of the 1,432 women whose screening results were negative for PPD at baseline. CONCLUSIONS Repeated PPD screening at 6 and 12 months’ postpartum increases the percentage of women identified as being at high risk of PPD. Further work will be required to understand the impact of this repeated screening on patient outcomes.
Crystal Structure of Neurotropism-Associated Variable Surface Protein 1 (Vsp1) of Borrelia turicatae

Vsp surface lipoproteins are serotype-defining antigens of relapsing fever spirochetes that undergo multiphasic antigenic variation to allow bacterial persistence in spite of an immune response. Two isogenic serotypes of Borrelia turicatae strain Oz1 differ in their Vsp sequences and in disease manifestations in infected mice: Vsp1 is associated with the selection of a neurological niche, while Vsp2 is associated with blood and skin infection. We report here crystal structures of the Vsp1 dimer at 2.7 and 2.2 A. The structures confirm that relapsing fever Vsp proteins share a common helical fold with OspCs of Lyme disease-causing Borrelia. The fold features an inner stem formed by highly conserved N and C termini and an outer "dome" formed by the variable central residues. Both Vsp1 and OspC structures possess small water-filled cavities, or pockets, that are lined largely by variable residues and are thus highly variable in shape. These features appear to signify tolerance of the Vsp-OspC fold for imperfect packing of residues at its antigenic surface. Structural comparison of Vsp1 with a homology model for Vsp2 suggests that observed differences in disease manifestation may arise in part from distinct differences in electrostatic surface properties; additional predicted positively charged surface patches on Vsp2 compared to Vsp1 may be sufficient to explain the relative propensity of Vsp2 to bind to acidic glycosaminoglycans.
Epidemiology of indications and contraindications to total disc replacement in an academic practice.

Abstract Background context Given the experience with anterior lumbar cages, the similar enthusiasm for total disc replacement (TDR) and the economic incentives driving use of this new technology, it is important to document reasonable expectations as to the incidence of patients with appropriate indications for this new technology. Purpose To document epidemiological data for the indications and contraindications to total disc replacement (TDR) to guide expectations for use of this new technology. Study design/settings Retrospective evaluation of contraindications and indications for lumbar TDR in consecutive symptomatic patients presenting to an academic spine practice. Patient sample Six hundred twenty-seven consecutive symptomatic patients presenting to an academic spine service. Outcome measures Presence of contraindications to lumbar TDR based on Food and Drug Administration criteria. Methods Over a year, 627 new patients were evaluated by the only orthopedic spine surgeon on faculty at a major university. 131 underwent lumbar surgeries. Surgical patients were divided into Group 1 (57 patients who had fusions) and Group 2 (74 patients who had nonfusion surgeries). The incidence (period prevalence) and prevalence (point prevalence) of indications for and contraindications to TDR were documented. Results The incidence of indications for TDR was 0.5% (3/627). The prevalence of no contraindications to TDR in the fusion Group 1 was 5% (3/57). Overall, 9% (3 fusion and 9 nonfusion) had no contraindications to TDR and the same percentage satisfied indications for TDR. However, 96% (71/74) of Group 2 patients considered themselves satisfied with laminectomies and laminotomies. The combined average number of contraindications to TDR was 2 (SD, 1.33) (range, 0–6). For Group 1, it was 3 and 1 for Group 2 ( p Conclusions Despite early enthusiasm for TDR replacing fusion, there was only a 0.5% incidence of indications for TDR in the overall population and a 5% prevalence in the fusion patients, but the majority were in young patients who averaged about 38 years old. The absence of contraindications for TDR did not equate to indications for TDR because other nonfusion techniques exist. Based on the history of the introduction of other new spinal technologies and the fact that the current criteria for TDR seems to result in a relatively small number of eligible patients, there is risk of overuse of this new technology.
ECOLOGY: A Personal History

▪ Abstract FH Bormann, based on personal experience, recalls 55 years of association with the field of ecology, including the forces that led him into the field, research, development of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study, and clashes between ecology, policy, and politics. He concludes with thoughts on humankind's search for the quality of life and sustainability.
Situating Work–Family Negotiations Within a Life Course Perspective: Insights on the Gendered Experiences of NCAA Division I Head Coaching Mothers

Despite the progress women have made since the inception of Title IX, many still face discrimination in the sport workplace. Given the assumption that time-use is gendered, the traditional culture of US intercollegiate sport stands in sharp contrast to the evolving notion of work-life balance. This study employed a qualitative life course perspective to examine the experiences of seventeen head coach mothers in NCAA institutions. Results focus on the participants’ historical/social context, biography, relationships, interplay between these factors, and most importantly the role of administrators as life linkages. The results suggest that it is insufficient for managers to view the employee in isolation or to neglect the organizational culture in athletics. Supervisor attention to this, while time and effort-intensive, can impact employee well-being.
Leukocyte CTG repeat length correlates with severity of myotonia in myotonic dystrophy type 1.

Objective: To quantitate hand muscle myotonia and to assess the relationship between CTG repeat length and myotonia in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). Methods: First dorsal interosseous twitch and tetanic contractions evoked by single and 10-Hz ulnar nerve stimulation were recorded with a force transducer in 15 patients with genetically confirmed DM1 and 15 control subjects. An automated computer program analyzed three single and three tetanic recordings per subject on 2 successive days by placing cursors along the declining (relaxation) phase of the force recordings at 90, 50, and 5% of peak force (PF) and calculating relaxation times (RT) between these points. Results: Tetanic and twitch RT was longer and PF lower in patients than subjects. RT (90 to 5%) was above the normal mean + 2.5 SD in 13 tetanic (87%) and 11 (73%) twitch patient recordings. In DM1, prolongation of RT was due mainly to delay in the terminal (50 to 5%), rather than the initial (90 to 50%) phase of relaxation, and was much greater in tetanic than single-twitch recordings. Mean test–retest variability was 19% for tetanic RT and 16% for tetanic PF. In DM1, both tetanic and twitch RT were positively correlated with leukocyte CTG repeat length. Conclusions: In DM1, myotonia of intrinsic hand muscles can be quantitated reliably by automated analysis of tetanic and twitch RT, targeting, in particular, the terminal phase of muscle relaxation after tetanic stimulation. Severity of hand muscle myotonia depends on CTG repeat length consistent with a “triplet repeat dosage” effect on chloride channel mRNA splicing and function.
Wireless E-mail Security: A State-of-the-Art Review for Message Privacy and Protection from Application Perspective

This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of primary schemes for wireless e-mail security. It attempts to discuss most common standards available in the market place for e-mail security as well as their applicability on message privacy and protection. The main focus is given on e-mail security standards, message format types, email certificate and trust management systems and issues associated with each of these concepts from privacy and message integrity protection perspectives. Their applications on these two main security service areas are examined and real-world applied solutions are analyzed. The most common security standards, which are overviewed here, are 3DES, PEM, MOSS, PGP, PGP/MIME and S/MIME. It is assumed readers have basic knowledge on MIME specification.
A Bayesian approach to uncovered background and moving pixel detection

We have formulated and evaluated a binary hypothesis test for the detection of uncovered background pixels between image frames in a noisy image sequence where we assume additive, white, Gaussian noise. We have extended the binary hypothesis test to a 3-ary hypothesis test to allow for the segmentation of the image into three regions: uncovered background, stationary and moving pixels. We have evaluated both the binary and 3-ary hypothesis tests using a single measurement and multiple measurements for classifying each pixel on synthetic images, and we have evaluated the 3-ary hypothesis test on the Trevor image sequence.
A new method for stress relieving amorphous alloys to improve magnetic properties

An analysis of the kinetics of stress relief annealing in amorphous alloys, with particular emphasis on the effect of annealing on the resulting magnetic properties, is made. Based on this analysis, an optimal procedure for annealing amorphous alloy magnetic cores is suggested. It involves a fast heatup to a high temperature for a short time. The expected benefits of this procedure are decreased embrittlement, lower strain induced anisotropy, and lower residual stresses. The conventional technique for stress relieving magnetic cores proved unsuitable for the application of the new annealing treatment. A new technique was devised in which the ribbon is dynamically annealed as it is wound onto the core. The magnetic properties of the resulting toroids are superior to those produced by the conventional technique.
Using visualization to teach novices recursion

This paper describes an approach for introducing recursion, as part of a course for novice programmers. The course is designed to make use of a 3-D animation world-builder as a visualization tool that allows students to see their own programs in action. One of the pedagogical goals of the course is to enable the student to gain an intuitive sense of and mathematical insight into the recursive process. The software, examples of animation using recursion, and some experiences in using this approach are discussed.
Compiler-directed selective data protection against soft errors

Soft errors in electronic devices are a growing concern for many embedded systems from diverse domains. Chip vendors are already working with system customers on ways to guard against the effects of soft errors. While error code based protection mechanisms for memories such as ECC are important, indiscriminately applying them to all data can have serious memory space and energy overheads. This paper demonstrates how an optimizing compiler can be useful in deciding which data elements need to be protected based on user-specified annotations. The proposed idea makes use of a variant of forward slicing.
Issues in fatigue life prediction model for underfilled flip chip bump

Flip Chip (FC) technology has now become mainstream solution for high-performance packages. From commercial gaming machines to high-reliability servers, FC package is gaining more market share over traditional packaging technologies, such as wire bond. Extensive research has been carried out in FC technologies to improve reliability with increasing IO density. In a flip chip package, thermal mismatch between the silicon die, and the substrate causes solder bump failure due to thermal cycling. Typical failures like bump fatigue, package warpage, die low-k or ELK delamination, die backside crack, BGA joint fatigue are still the major challenges in flip chip packages. Appropriate underfill can significantly reduce the risk of bump cracking by reducing stresses on solder bumps. Due to the complex nature of underfilled flip chip package, accurate failure prediction in accelerated or field life condition is very problematic. There are some good predictive models for package warpage, die low K delamination, and BGA fatigue life that have been published in the literature with varying level of accuracy, however, there is no strong predictive model for flip chip bump life prediction with underfill. Very often researchers use BGA fatigue model for flip chip bump life prediction that end up with huge discrepancy with the actual data. Specifically, the interaction between the underfill material and solder bumps is still unknown. Moreover, there is no good modeling methodology for flip chip bump life prediction. Unlike board level reliability testing, most of the package level testing done for flip chip reliability use qualification testing approaches where the test is suspended after a set number of cycles and pass/fail criteria is based on open/short testing after the conclusion of test. This creates difficulty in correlating simulation results with actual life. In this effort, a large die Pb free flip chip test vehicle has been designed to monitor in-situ bumps and BGA joints crack during temperature cycle. Wide range of material variables such as substrate core type, underfill type, package type, and test conditions have been considered in this study. Through this comprehensive package evaluation and simulation studies, both bump and BGA in-situ data for underfilled packages will be collected and to help develop accurate Pb free bump fatigue model for flip chip bumps.
Intra-European medical travel remains minor: a commentary in response to 'Hermesse J, Lewalle H, Palm W. Patient mobility within the European Union. Eur J of Public Health. 1997'.

Given the rapid integration of EU Member States and current debate on patient mobility in the EU, one would expect a significant amount of intra-European medical travel. The available data, however, reveals relatively low cross-border healthcare throughout EU history. In 2006, the Observatoire Social Europeen in Brussels found that the overall numbers of medical travel in Europe remained ‘minor’. Medical travel seemed the result of specific circumstances such as waiting times or national bioethical legislations, and were endemic to certain areas and contexts such as tourist areas and border regions.1 Later, in 2008, the European Commission stated that cross-border healthcare was responsible for (only) 1% of public expenditure on healthcare2 involving an expenditure of US$13.5 billion (Forbes, 2009).3 In Germany, a …
Ectopic ossification following total hip replacement. Incidence and a method of classification.

A method to classify the degree of ectopic-bone formation about the hip following total hip arthroplasty revealed that 21 per cent of 100 consecutive patients treated by total hip arthroplasty had ectopic-bone formation about the hip of various degrees when reviewed six months following the operation. Ectopic-bone formation, however, did not seem to affect the functional result as judged by the Harris hip evaluation unless apparent bone ankylosis resulted.
Parametric Studies on the Processing Parameters of a Thermally Wicking Material using Image Analysis

A heat pipe is a device that transports heat against gravity using a wicking material and evaporation-condensation cycle..In these systems a thermal wick moves fluid from the cool region of a heat pipe to the hot region, where evaporative cooling occurs. Due to the operating demands of a thermal wick, several microstructural features are integral to the performance of the wick: capillary radii, specific surface area and permeability. Measuring these properties of a thermal wick (capillary radii, specific surface area and permeability) is difficult, therefore image analysis methods of quantification of the critical properties of a thermal wick has been developed . However, the microstructure of a thermal wick contains semicontinuous pores, therefore connectivity of pores cannot be assumed during quantification of the critical properties.. Two processing parameters, sacrificial template particle size and sintering temperature, were varied during the thermal wick synthesis. Quantification of the critical properties of the thermal wick was performed using the newly developed method. The newly developed method was able to detect the an increase in the pore connectivity as the sintering temperature decreased, and an increase in the connectivity as the sacrificial template particle size decreased. The newly developed method was also able to describe the size distribution of individual pores as well as the hydraulic resistance and orientation of individual pores as well as estimate the porosity and true specific surface area of the different samples.
Role of oxytocin in the natriuresis of extracellular volume expansion.

SummaryThe effect of extracellular volume expansion on the oxytocin levels in jugular blood and the influence of oxytocin infusion on sodium excretion as the degree of volume expansion was varied, were evaluated in 8 anesthetized dogs. Extracellular volume expansion was not associated by a simualtneous rise in blood levels of oxytocin in 5 of the 8 dogs studied. Oxytocin infusion did not enhance sodium excretion during a steady state volume expansion and was unable to prevent the fall in urinary sodium as volume expansion was falling. The results indicate that oxytocin does not play an important role in the natriuresis of extracellular volume expansion.
Phase I-II Trial of Interferon-α2b by Continuous Subcutaneous Infusion over 28 Days

Interferon-α2b (IFN-α) was administered by continuous subcutaneous (s.c.) infusion to 23 patients with hematologic malignancies or metastatic solid tumors: 5 patients with multiple myeloma, 3 with malignant melanoma, 2 with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), 10 patients with renal cell cancer, and 3 patients with other solid tumors. Drug was delivered by continuous s.c. infusion for 28 days (1 cycle) at daily dose levels of 0.7, 1.4, 2.5, 3.6, or 5.0 × 106 IU/m2 to 3, 3, 3, 8, and 6 patients, respectively. At the highest dose level, a severe flu-like syndrome was seen in 3 patients and severe gastrointestinal toxicity in 2 patients. The maximally tolerated dose (MTD) was 3.6 × 106 IU/m2 · day and the principal toxicity was a mild to moderate flu-like syndrome. Local skin reactions were occasionally noted at all dose levels if the s.c. needle site was not rotated every 3-4 days. At dose levels of 2.5-3.6 × 106 IU/m2 · day, IFN-α serum levels at steady state ranged from 19 to 61 IU/ml. The time to achieve ...
Feedbunk Management and Finishing Steer Performance

One hundred ninety-two mixed-breed steers were used in a randomized block design with four treatments which included the following feeding practices: a) control- feeding at 0800 and 1500 with 24.3 cm linear bunk space per head; b) feeding at 0800 and 1500 with 24.3 cm per head and every fourth day linear bunk space was reduced to 13.3 cm per head by inserting a 20B.2-L drum in the feedbunks; c) feeding time of 0800 and 1500 linear bunk space 24.3 cm and every fourth day the 0800 feeding was skipped, the afternoon feeding on day 3 was fed at 1.5 times the day 3 morning feeding, and the day 4 afternoon feeding was normal; and d) feeding time of 1500 and linear bunk space per head of 24.3 cm. Feed efficiency was poorer (P<.02) during period 2 for the control steers than the change linear bunk space or skip one feeding treatments. Otherwise, there were no statistical differences in cattle performance, feed cost of gain, or carcass measurements. This study suggests: a) that feeding once a day in the afternoon may be as good a management practice as twice a day feeding, and b) a "planned" irregularity in the feeding schedule may not hurt performance compared to twice a day feeding.
Performance Analysis and Optimization of Primary Frequency Modulation for Thermal Power Unit

This paper introduces the performance evaluation method of primary frequency modulation of units by power grid dispatcher and specifies the performance target.It also describes the method to realize primary frequency modulation function for the current domestic thermal power units and analyzes the main influencing factors,such as reverse action of Automatic Generation Control(AGC)instruction and primary frequency modulation,measurement accuracy of steam turbine rotation speed,frequency modulation dead band and diversity factor parameters setting,characteristics of steam turbine control valve,logic realization of primary frequency modulation,unit and dispatch data communication etc.The optimization methods are provided to improve the performance of primary frequency modulation.
Characteristics of Magnetotactic Bacteria and Biosynthesis Conditions of Nano-magnetosomes

Characteristics of magnetotactic bacteria and magnetosomes were summarized in this paper. Conditions and affecting factors for magnetosomes formation were reviewed. Problems for mass culture of magnetotactic bacteria and enhancement of magnetosomes yields were indicated. Methods to resolve these problems were proposed. A hypothesis involved in mechanism and physiological function of magnetosomes formation was suggested. Ferrous irons were transported into magnetotactic bacteria cells resulted in ferric iron transportation through membranes as electron acceptors under stresses of low oxygen levels. It is to avoid cytotoxicity of ferrous iron and further transform to Fe3O4 on surface of inner membrane the reason of magnetosome formation.
Material handling improvement in warehouses by parts clustering

A major part of warehouse operations is related to the collection of parts from the warehouse which is called the Order Picking Problem. To improve order picking operations, the total travel distance and generally picking time must be reduced. In this paper, a two-level approach is proposed that determines the locations of parts in the warehouse. The first step clusters parts into part families. Four different clustering methods based on principal component analysis, singular value decomposition and Two-Step Cluster Component are applied. In the second step, four different heuristics are proposed to determine the locations of parts. In addition to the minimisation of travel distance, we also consider the minimisation of the total congestion in aisles due to multiple workers. The proposed algorithms also consider the interactions between part families to minimise intergroup movements. As a result of the implementation, we achieved more than 40% reduction in material handling compared to the current set-up ...
Arteriosclerotic abdominal aortic aneurysms.

In the absence of otherwise fatal disease, the mere presence of an arteriosclerotic abdominal aortic aneurysm is indication for its removal and replacement with a graft. If the aneurysm is not treated, the patient has only one chance in 10 of living long enough to die of some other cause. The fact that half of the patients whose aneurysms have ruptured can be saved makes it worthwhile to attempt removal and replacement on any patient who is alive when he reaches a properly equipped operating room.
Species Composition Changes in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Grassland When Managed for Biomass Feedstock Production: Species Composition Changes in CRP..

Grasslands enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) serve as one of the potential national herbaceous resources for use as a dedicated bioenergy feedstock. The goal of this project was to assess the yield potential and suitability of CRP grassland as a bioenergy feedstock source across the USA in regions with significant CRP land resources. In addition to that goal, one major objective of this project was to assess vegetation composition changes that also occurred on these different CRP grasslands over time with different harvest and fertilization management strategies. Three levels of nitrogen fertilization (0, 56, and 112 kg ha−1) and two harvest timings [peak standing crop (PSC) or end of growing season (EGS)] were evaluated for effects on biomass production and resulting species composition changes. Three sites in regions containing concentrated tracts of CRP grassland and representing variable climatic parameters were analyzed for vegetation composition trends over the course of six growing seasons (2008–2013). Specifically, a mixture of warm-season perennial grasses was evaluated in Kansas (KS), while a cool-season mixture was evaluated in Missouri (MO). North Dakota (ND) contained a mixture of both warm- and cool-season grasses. At the MO and KS sites, nitrogen fertilization significantly altered the grass and legume composition over time by lowering the legume percentage in the stand. In KS and ND, the two sites with warm-season grasses, harvesting in mid-summer at PSC, greatly reduced warm-season grass composition over time in favor of annual cool-season grass invaders or perennial cool-season grasses. Any shift to less desirable or less productive species limits the ability of these lands to provide a sustainable or reliable feedstock for bioenergy production.
Other Complications: Late-Onset Myopic Regression 12 Years Following Properly Centered Myopic LASIK

Myopic regression following myopic LASIK is a common long-term outcome of refractive surgery [1, 2]. High degrees of myopic changes raise red flags that something more serious might be occurring.
Humor: The Ultimate Defense

Marty always had a good sense of humor, which he didn’t lose until the very end. In the first few weeks of our living together, he claimed I caused him to laugh so hard that he had to lock me out of the apartment to punish me for making him pee his pants. I don’t even remember what the joke was, but we had that effect on each other. We’d horse around until one of us would burst out in a laughing fit. Everything seemed so much funnier then.
The Effectiveness of Oral Corticosteroids for Management of Lumbar Radiating Pain: Randomized, Controlled Trial Study

Background Although both pregabalin and gabapentin are known to be useful for treating lumbar radiating pain and reducing the incidence of surgery, the oral corticosteroids sometimes offer a dramatic effect on severe radiating pain despite the lack of scientific evidence.
The Role of Customer Readiness in User’s Willingness to Use Augmented Reality: An Abstract

As the number of augmented reality applications increases, it will be necessary to acknowledge how customers become prepared to use this technology. Since prior research barely emphasized the role of customer readiness in customers’ willingness to use augmented reality, this study develops a conceptual framework regarding how customers become ready to use augmented reality. Drawing on the intrinsic motivation theory and the diffusion of innovation theory, this study presents that customer readiness is a recipient of various antecedents, including personal innovativeness, previous experience, desire for control, need for interaction, need for touch, personal innovativeness, service complexity, perceived risk, relative advantage, perceived playfulness, perceived interactivity, and novelty, and influences customers’ willingness to use augmented reality.
International Criminal Law as One Response to World Suffering: General Observations and the Case of Darfur

In the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries some actions that caused mass violence have been redefined from heroic deeds to criminal acts, including war crimes and genocide. This essay outlines dimensions of mass violence in recent history and describes how new institutions such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) and Amnesty International have sought to define actions producing mass violence as criminal acts. Special attention and research detail are given to recent events in Darfur, derived in large part from the author’s research on inter-national media content over the course of the Darfur conflict. The author concludes with some cautionary notes about the extent to which this historical interjection of criminal law and criminal sanctions into international conflicts will have lasting effects in future instances of mass violence. To the extent that relevant institutional changes persist, we can be optimistic about being on a path that relieves some kinds of world suffering.
Identification of the White-Mold affected Soybean fields by using Multispectral Imageries, Spatial Autocorrelation and Support Vector Machine

Remote Sensing has been contributing to increase in agricultural production with Site-Specific Crop Management based on development of the Geospatial technologies. In particular, identifying the crop disease affected regions becomes one of the major issues. One of methodology to solve this problem is Machine Learning technology. In this paper, we implemented an effective White-Mold disease (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) identification with Support Vector Machine (SVM) and evaluated the accuracy using Spatial Autocorrelation (SA). Our implementation steps included relevant imagery extraction using the Spectral Vegetation Indices (SVI), SVM for White-Mold region identification using SVIs, and discernment of crop disease clustering pattern using SA. The obtained accuracy of SVM is up to 70% that showed promising performance of White-Mold identification from the given field. SA could identify a clustering pattern from given dataset, but the p-value analysis indicates that it is not statistically significant to generalize the clustering pattern onto whole White-Mold region.
Geochemistry and Mineralogy

Provided the data are considered to be of high quality (in terms of precision, accuracy, detection limits etc.), the mineralogical affinities of elements and controls on geochemistry and mineralogy should be understood before utilizing the inorganic geochemical data to propose chemostratigraphic schemes. Some elements are almost exclusive to particular minerals (e.g. Hf and Zr in zircons), but many are not. For example, Ti may be linked with a number of heavy minerals including rutile, anatase, sphene, titanomagnetite, magnetite and illmenite. Similarly, K is often concentrated in K feldspars, but may also be associated with clay minerals (e.g. illite) and micas. For this reason, it is necessary to gain an understanding of element:mineral links by comparing geochemical and mineralogical data acquired from the same samples, and by employing statistical and graphical techniques.
Coordinated control for voltage regulation of distribution network voltage regulation by distributed energy storage systems

With more and more distributed photovoltaic (PV) plants access to the distribution system, whose structure is changing and becoming an active network. The traditional methods of voltage regulation may hardly adapt to this new situation. To address this problem, this paper presents a coordinated control method of distributed energy storage systems (DESSs) for voltage regulation in a distribution network. The influence of the voltage caused by the PV plant is analyzed in a simple distribution feeder at first. The voltage regulation areas corresponding to DESSs are divided by calculating and comparing the voltage sensitivity matrix. Then, a coordinated voltage control strategy is proposed for the DESSs. Finally, the simulation results of the IEEE 33-bus radial distribution network verify the effectiveness of the proposed coordinated control method.
Firesetting in Childhood and Adolescence

The problem of firesetting is of such proportions as to call upon the combined resources of mental health researchers and practitioners alike for some remedial direction. A prototype for a program of interviewing, categorizing, and referring youthful firesetters, presently used in 21 states, is described.
Alexa, are you listening to me? An analysis of Alexa voice service network traffic

With approximately 8.2 million Echo family devices sold since 2014, Amazon controls 70% of the intelligent personal assistant market. Amazon's Alexa Voice Service (AVS) provides voice control services for Amazon's Echo product line and various home automation devices such as thermostats and security cameras. In November 2017, Amazon expanded Alexa services into the business intelligent assistant market with Alexa for Business. As corporations integrate Alexa into their corporate networks, it is important that information technology security stakeholders understand Alexa's audio streaming network behavior in order to properly implement security countermeasures and policies. This paper contributes to the intelligent personal assistant knowledge domain by providing insight into Amazon Voice Services behavior by analyzing the network traffic of two Echo Dots over a 21-day period. The Echo Dots were installed in a private residence, and at no time during the experiment did family members or house guests purposely interact with the Echos. All recorded audio commands were inadvertent. Using a k-mean cluster analysis, this study established a quantifiable AVS network signature. Then, by comparing that AVS signature and logged Alexa audio commands to the 21-day network traffic dataset, this study confirmed disabling the Echo's microphone, with the on/off button, prohibits audio recording and streaming to Alexa Voice Service. With 30---38% of Echo Dots' spurious audio recordings were human conversations, these findings support the Echo Dot recorded private home conversations and not all audio recordings are properly logged the Alexa Application. While further Alexa network traffic studies are needed, this study offers a network signature capable of identifying AVS network traffic.
Physiological Consequences of Dietary Restriction: An Overview

The early studies on food restriction focused primarily on its ability to extend the life span and to retard age-associated disease processes (Weindruch 1985). Not until the 1970s was there a major emphasis on the effects of food restriction on physiological processes and on age changes in these processes.
Uniformity and Precomputation

The first two dimensions of complexity are parallel time and hardware. These can be measured by the descriptive resources quantifier depth and number of variables, respectively. The third dimension is precomputation; the work that initially goes into designing the program, formula, or circuit. Precomputation is less well understood than time and hardware.
Unstructured data analysis of streaming video using parallel, high-throughput algorithms

This paper describes the use of high-performance, parallel, unstructured data analysis techniques to extract of human faces from streaming video. These faces are placed into a database which may be searched to answer the question "have we seen this person's face before? If the answer is yes, then where/when have we seen this person and what other faces (i.e., people) were they associating with?" This paper describes the algorithms that are used to: 1) extract all faces from the videos [1], 2) classify and characterize the faces into clusters containing all the different views of the faces, 3) search the face database using a network graphs representing face vs. time, face vs. location and face vs. face to discover social networks/relationships and 4) parallelize the algorithms to achieve optimal use of the processing power and communication bandwidth. We describe the parallel, high-throughput methods (used to process video at a rate of about one DVD (~5Gbytes) per second), and algorithms that extract faces and build attribute vectors computed for each video frame and face based on information entropy relationships. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) [2] is used to identify relationship among the frames and faces to reveal clusters of images and the trajectories of images that define how close one frame is to another or how close one face is to another. Finally, "social" networks are constructed to indicate which faces interacted with which other faces at what location for what period of time. The major use of the system described in this paper would be a scenario where the video feeds of many surveillance cameras are processed into a centralized database.
Global metabolomic responses in urine from atm deficient mice in response to LD50/30 gamma irradiation doses.

Exposures to ionizing radiation (IR) may either be accidental or intentional, for medical purposes or even through terrorist actions. As certain populations emerge to be more radiosensitive than others, it is imperative to assess those individuals and treat them accordingly. To demonstrate the feasibility of rapid identification of such cases, we utilized the highly radiosensitive mouse model Atm-/- in the C57BL/6 background, and evaluated the urinary responses in 8-10 week old male mice at early time points (4, 24, and 72 h) after exposure to their respective LD50/30 doses [4 Gy for Atm-/- , and 8 Gy for wild type (WT)]. Urinary profiles from heterozygous animals exhibited remarkably similar responses to WT before and after radiation exposure. However, genotypic differences (WT or Atm-/- ) were the primary driver to responses to radiation. Putative metabolites were validated through tandem mass spectrometry and included riboflavin, uric acid, d-ribose, d-glucose, pantothenic acid, taurine, kynurenic acid, xanthurenic acid, 2-oxoadipic acid, glutaric acid, 5'-deoxy-5'-methylthioadenosine, and hippuric acid. These metabolites mapped to several interconnected metabolic pathways which suggest that radiosensitive mouse models have underlying differences significantly impacting overall metabolism. This was further amplified by ionizing radiation at different time points. This study further emphasizes that genetically based radiosensitivity is reflected in the metabolic processes, and can be directly observed in urine. These differences in turn can potentially be used to identify individuals that may require altered medical treatment in an emergency radiological situation or modification of a regimen during a radiotherapy session. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 59:576-585, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.