cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ovarian surgery in an infertility patient as an indication for a short-interval second-look laparoscopy: a preliminary study

The usefulness of a short-interval second-look laparoscopy (SLL) after ovarian surgery was examined. In 23 infertile women who had either bilateral wedge resection (BWR) of polycystic ovaries, an oophorocystectomy (OC), or resection of endometriomata (RE), adhesions were graded before and after surgery and before and after laparoscopic lysis for each ovary. At SLL, periovarian adhesions involving at least one ovary were observed in all women. Of the 22 women who wanted to become pregnant, 3 of 3 with BWR, 1 of 3 with OC, and 6 of 16 with RE conceived. In the women with residual adhesive disease in both or the only remaining adnexa after SLL, there were no pregnancies; whereas 67% of the women with at least one adnexa free of disease became pregnant (P = 0.005). This preliminary study indicates that ovarian surgery does result in significant adhesion formation and that SLL offers an opportunity to reassess the pelvis, to lyse adhesions, and to establish a postoperative prognosis.
Lipogenesis in acute and 48-hour cultures of bovine intramuscular and subcutaneous adipose tissue explants.

In this study, the interactions among breed of cattle, adipose tissue site and specific incubation conditions were investigated. Subcutaneous and i.m. adipose tissues were obtained from 10 Angus and 9 Santa Gertrudis steers immediately postmortem. Adipose tissue explants were incubated acutely for 2 h immediately at slaughter or after being cultured 48 h with or without 1 mU/ml insulin and 30 mg/ml bovine serum albumin; the incorporation of 14C-labeled acetate and glucose (5 mM, plus 5 mM unlabeled lactate) into lipid fractions was measured. AT the same chronological age, Angus steers had a more youthful lean maturity score, higher USDA marbling score and higher USDA quality grade (P less than .05) than did carcasses from Santa Gertrudis steers. The lower marbling score of the Santa Gertrudis steers was paralleled by smaller i.m. adipocytes (P less than .05) relative to Angus steers. Pentose cycle reductase and NADP-malate dehydrogenase activities were greater in Angus i.m. adipose tissue than in Santa Gertrudis i.m. adipose tissue, which would provide more reducing equivalents (NADPH) and glycerol for fatty acid biosynthesis and triacylglycerol esterification. Correspondingly, Angus i.m. adipose tissue exhibited a greater rate of lipogenesis from acetate and glucose (P less than .05) than did Santa Gertrudis i.m. adipose tissue in acute incubations. The presence of insulin resulted in higher rates of lipogenesis from acetate in Angus s.c. adipose tissue than in Santa Gertrudis s.c. adipose tissue after 48 h of explant culture. These data indicate that i.m. and s.c. adipose tissues exhibit aspects of lipid metabolism unique to each tissue and suggest that breed-related differences in adipose tissues may explain the divergent responses to insulin observed in different laboratories.
Data, Methods, and Models for Project Allocations to African Americans

The analyses in Chapter 6 of project allocations to predominately black counties and to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are based on four regression models. The figures displayed and discussed in Chapter 6 are predicted values based on varying the key independent variables of interest while holding the other “control” variables at their means. This appendix presents the details of these four statistical models in more depth than in Chapter 6. I examine four regression models, with four different dependent variables, all measuring either the number or dollar amounts allocated to either predominately black counties or HBCUs. The data used in Chapter 6 for the dependent variables are from the Federal Awards Assistance Data System (FAADS), which is discussed in detail in Stein and Bickers (1995). Other details regarding the unit of analysis were given in the text of the chapter. The FAADS data are available from the U.S. census bureau as a list of every project allocated with associated geographic information. For Chapter 6's analyses of project allocations to predominately black counties and to HBCUs, I excluded all types of federal assistance other than project grants – formula-based grants, loans, contingent financial aid, and so on were not included. Project grants, and not these other forms of assistance, are the most likely to be particularistic to constituencies.
Sleep-patterns, co-sleeping and parent's perception of sleep among school children: Comparison of domicile and gender.

Abstract This study was aimed at assessment of sleep schedule, pre-sleep behavior, co-sleeping and parent’s perception of sleep of school going children. Method Four schools each, from urban and rural area were included. Sleep patterns were assessed using the validated Hindi version of Childhood-Sleep-Habit-Questionnaire. Comparison was made between urban and rural group and between boys and girls. Interaction of gender, domicile and school-type was examined on the sleep patterns. Results This study included 831 school children with mean age of 8.9 years. Nearly half of the subjects were boys in this study. Urban children outnumbered those from rural area. Total sleep time on weekdays was 8.3 h that increased to 9.5 h on weekends. Rural children spent more time in sleep than urban children on weekdays and weekends. A higher proportion of urban children felt sleepy during the day. Television watching before bedtime was more common in urban settings. Room sharing was more common among rural children. Nearly 65% rural parents as compared to 77.5% urban parents reported that their child was sleeping sufficient enough. Gender did not affect sleep-schedule and parent’s perception regarding their child’s sleep. Interaction between gender, domicile and school-type did not have any significant effect on sleep patterns. Conclusion Television watching before bedtime was more common among urban school children and they had shorter total sleep time. They had signs of sleep deprivation. Room sharing was more common among rural children. Despite longer sleep time, parents of rural children felt the need for more sleep.
The Positive Effects of Status Conflicts in Teams Where Members Perceive Status Hierarchies Differently

Status conflicts, conflicts about members’ relative positions in a team’s status hierarchy, generally harm group performance. We integrate research on status conflicts and social information proces...
Identifying Health Beliefs Influencing Hispanic College Men's Willingness to Vaccinate against HPV

ABSTRACTThis study identifies health beliefs influencing Hispanic college men's human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake decision making processes. Hispanic college men were interviewed about their HPV vaccine knowledge, and information seeking behaviors. Overall, participants did not view HPV infection or vaccination as an immediate concern or priority; belief that it was a virus that only affected women, and a sense of invulnerability informed their positions. Despite these issues, most men were willing to consider getting the HPV vaccine if they received more education from health care providers, and cost concerns were addressed. These findings pointed to gaps in our understandings of Hispanic college men's HPV vaccination beliefs and provided insight into the importance of integrating this population's unique beliefs into campus health providers efforts aimed at increasing vaccination rates.
Geographic Concentration of the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery

The concentration patterns in the Northeast US Sea Scallop industry are examined from 1996-2014 using generalized indices of concentration and exploratory spatial data analysis. Absolute and relative Theil indices of concentration are computed to describe the regional pattern of concentration within ports over time. Moran's I provides a complementary measure of concentration of activity among neighboring ports. The Moran scatterplots and confidence plots provide insight into local patterns of concentration in this industry. The analysis reveals large changes from year to year in the geographic concentration of the scallop industry, which is likely to be related to natural variability of the environment and regulations enacted by fisheries managers in response to the variability of the environment.
Institutional Profile: Pharmacogenomic research in R Stephanie Huang Laboratory.

The Huang Lab was established in 2009 at the University of Chicago and has since been active in conducting pharmacogenomic research. Our laboratory's main research focus is translational pharmacogenomics with a particular interest in the pharmacogenomics of anticancer agents. By systematically evaluating the human genome and its relationships to drug response and toxicity, our goal is to develop clinically useful models that predict risk for adverse drug reactions and nonresponse prior to administration of chemotherapy. Specifically, the theme of our research evolved around the idea of cell-based pharmacogenomics, which utilizes in vitro models for biomarker discovery and prediction-model construction, followed by in vivo validation. We routinely use cell lines (derived from healthy and diseased individuals as well as commercially available cancer cell lines) and clinical samples to discover and functionally characterize genetic variation and gene, miRNA, and long noncoding RNA expression for their roles ...
Is “law as a social system” bad for women? A preliminary analysis of the Luhmannian approach to law from a feminist perspective

Women's struggle for emancipation can be characterized, among other elements, as an ongoing process for, first, entering the legal system and second, attempting to change it. This, nonetheless, stirs up conflicts and certain perplexities, as appropriately summarized by Alejandra Ciriza under the label the Wollstonecraft dilemma: the politicization of sexual difference, which constitutes the center of feminist struggle in modernity, faces a twofold obstacle. On the one hand, the presentation of sexual difference in the public sphere leads to the transformation of any question related to it into a vindication of rights. On the other hand, the judicialization and institutionalization of such demands lead to the recognition of the limits and impossibilities of a politics of rights (Ciriza, 2004, p. 210). Given the fact that there is this uncontestable and paradoxical relationship between women's political struggle for equality and the legal system, this paper aims to evaluate a specific approach to law, that is, Luhmann's account of law as a social system from a feminist perspective. The question guiding the discussion proposed here is the following: is the theory of law as a social system able to incorporate feminist contentions to law? In order to do so, the Luhmaniann theoretical framework and its most important concepts is presented and discussed. Then, this framework is reviewed through a feminist perspective, particularly by the confrontation with a feminist agenda of law that is based primarily on feminist legal theory and theories of patriarchy. At the end, I hope to accomplish the twofold intention of this paper: first, to point the limits of Luhmann's approach to law from a feminist standpoint and, second, to show the relevance of gender analysis in the legal field
Book Review: Chris (Kaspar) de Ploeg, Ukraine in the Crossfire:

Chris (Kaspar) de Ploeg,Ukraine in the Crossfire. Atlanta, GA: Clarity Press, Inc., 2017, pp. 269, US $23.95, ISBN: 978-0997287080, paperback.
ANTESEDEN KEPUASAN DAN RASA PERCAYA SERTA KONSEKUENSINYA TERHADAP INTENSI PERILAKU

The purpose of this study to analyze the factors affecting the intentions of alumni who are willing to assist their university, whether financial or non-financial. The intentions of alumni are consequences of satisfaction and trust, where satisfaction and trust are the mediating variables of academic experience, current income, relation and agency image. The study was conducted through a survey method that included 250 respondents living in Jakarta, with middle and upper class economic levels. The sampling technique used is proportionate stratified random sampling. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data. The finding from this study is the antecedent factors of satisfaction and trust including academic experience, income, relationships, and institution image that are proven to be positive and significantly influential in satisfaction and trust, partially or simultaneously. The behavior intention as a consequence of trust and satisfaction are found to be positive and significant although only moderate. Based on the findings, Indonesian higher education has to improve student’s satisfaction and trust through improvement of academic experience, relationship and institution image because the alumni will measure their satisfaction based on their current income. Therefore, for further research it is advisable to explore motivational factor, family education values and cultural factors as antecedents of behavior intention.
Advancing behavioural genomics by considering timescale

Animal behavioural traits often covary with gene expression, pointing towards a genomic constraint on organismal responses to environmental cues. This pattern highlights a gap in our understanding of the time course of environmentally responsive gene expression, and moreover, how these dynamics are regulated. Advances in behavioural genomics explore how gene expression dynamics are correlated with behavioural traits that range from stable to highly labile. We consider the idea that certain genomic regulatory mechanisms may predict the timescale of an environmental effect on behaviour. This temporally minded approach could inform both organismal and evolutionary questions ranging from the remediation of early life social trauma to understanding the evolution of trait plasticity.
Welfare Effects of Selective Taxation: Economic Efficiency as a Normative Principle

Politicians often frame sin taxes as sound sources of revenue that will improve consumer behavior. Economists point out that the first principle of tax policy is the value of consumer choice; consumers’ purchasing decisions reflect their choices for pursuing their best interests. Taxes that make their preferred choices more expensive will make people worse off. This chapter shows that selective consumption taxes make taxpayers worse off by changing consumers’ purchasing decisions relative to what they would choose to buy if all goods were taxed equally.
Accountability in Foreign Aid Delivery: Links between Donors and NGOs

How do foreign aid organizations distinguish between “good” NGOs and “bad” NGOs in the local development scene? Most foreign aid donors rely on local NGOs for service delivery and information gathering, and contracts with donors constitute an important source of funding for local NGOs in developing countries. “Good” NGOs are efficient and knowledgeable, and are frequently already involved in tackling the problems the donors seek to target. However, once funding becomes available, there are incentives for less qualified NGOs to organize and solicit funding. This paper examines the mechanisms used by NGOs and donors in the contracting process to explore how credibility and accountability of local NGOs is established.
Flow Pump Applications in Triaxial Testing

New testing capabilities can be added to a conventional triaxial system by using a commercially available flow pump to control the rate and amount of pore fluid movement to or from the ends of a test specimen. These capabilities include measurements of equipment compliance, constant-rate-of-deformation consolidation, very-small-strain compressibility, permeability, coefficient of consolidation, and strain-path control with arbitrary combinations of vertical and volumetric strain rates. These capabilities are of interest not only in themselves; they facilitate a testing strategy that reduces the amount of equipment and the number of replicate specimens needed to define the permeability, compressibility, and strength of a soil.
Investigating the Impact of Caving on Longwall Mine Ventilation Using Scaled Physical Modeling

In longwall mining, ventilation is considered one of the more effective means for controlling gases and dust. In order to study longwall ventilation in a controlled environment, researchers built a unique physical model called the Longwall Instrumented Aerodynamic Model (LIAM) in a laboratory at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Pittsburgh Mining Research Division (PMRD) campus. LIAM is a 1:30 scale physical model geometrically designed to simulate a single longwall panel with a three-entry headgate and tailgate configuration, along with three back bleeder entries. It consists of a two-part heterogeneous gob that simulates a less compacted unconsolidated zone and more compacted consolidated zone. It has a footprint of 8.94 m (29 ft.) by 4.88 m (16 ft.), with a simulated face length of 220 m (720 ft.) in full scale. LIAM is built with critical details of the face, gob, and mining machinery. It is instrumented with pressure gauges, flow anemometers, temperature probes, a fan, and a data acquisition system. Scaling relationships are derived on the basis of Reynolds and Richardson numbers to preserve the physical and dynamic similitude. This paper discusses the findings from a study conducted in the LIAM to investigate the gob-face interaction, airflow patterns within the gob, and airflow dynamics on the face for varying roof caving characteristics. Results are discussed to show the impact of caving behind the shields on longwall ventilation.
A Review of Interactions between Insect Biological Control Agents and Semiochemicals

Biological control agents and semiochemicals have become essential parts of the integrated pest management of insect pests over recent years, as the incorporation of semiochemicals with natural enemies and entomopathogenic microbials has gained significance. The potential of insect pheromones to attract natural enemies has mainly been established under laboratory conditions, while semiochemicals from plants have been used to attract and retain natural enemies in field conditions using strategies such as trap crops and the push-pull mechanism. The best-known semiochemicals are those used for parasitoids-insect pest-plant host systems. Semiochemicals can also aid in the successful dispersal of entomopathogenic microbials. The use of semiochemicals to disseminate microbial pathogens is still at the initial stage, especially for bacterial and viral entomopathogens. Future studies should focus on the integration of semiochemicals into management strategies for insects, for which several semiochemical compounds have already been studied. More effective formulations of microbial agents, such as granular formulations of entomopathogenic fungi (EPFs), along with bio-degradable trap materials, could improve this strategy. Furthermore, more studies to evaluate species-specific tactics may be needed, especially where more than one key pest is present.
Pancreatic cancer intratumoral microbiome and characteristics within paired patient samples.

744Background: While most studies evaluating the microbiome in gastrointestinal cancers analyze stool, little is known about the microbiota of the peri-tumoral and intra-tumoral environment. Here, ...
Political determinants of investment in water and sanitation: Evidence from Brazilian elections

Abstract This paper studies the extent to which political determinants play a role in the investment decisions for water and sanitation (WS) services. We focus on the political alignment between local and state officials using the outcomes of close mayoral elections in Brazil. We find that mayors of municipalities with self-run WS companies aligned with the state governor significantly decreased investment in their WS systems compared to unaligned mayors, providing evidence that politics plays a role in the running of public utilities.
Workflow Automation in Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry

We describe the fully automated workflow path developed for the ingest and analysis of liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS) data. With the help of this computational workflow, we were able to replace two human work days to analyze data with two hours of unsupervised computation time. In addition, this tool also can compute confidence intervals for all its results, based on the noise level present in the data. We leverage only open source tools and libraries in this workflow.
Dipolar interactions between localized interlayer excitons in van der Waals heterostructures

Although photons in free space barely interact, matter can mediate interactions between them resulting in optical nonlinearities. Such interactions at the single-quantum level result in an on-site photon repulsion, crucial for photon-based quantum information processing and for realizing strongly interacting many-body states of light. Here, we report repulsive dipole–dipole interactions between electric field-tuneable, localized interlayer excitons in the MoSe2/WSe2 heterobilayer. The presence of a single, localized exciton with an out-of-plane, non-oscillating dipole moment increases the energy of the second excitation by ~2 meV—an order of magnitude larger than the emission linewidth and corresponding to an inter-dipole distance of ~7 nm. At higher excitation power, multi-exciton complexes appear at systematically higher energies. The magnetic field dependence of the emission polarization is consistent with the spin-valley singlet nature of the dipolar molecular state. Our finding represents a step towards the creation of excitonic few- and many-body states such as dipolar crystals with spin-valley spinor in van der Waals heterostructures. Repulsive dipole–dipole interactions between localized interlayer excitons are shown to modify the optical response of van der Waals heterobilayers, forming the basis to obtain strong optical nonlinearity and excitonic many-body states in two-dimensional materials.
Seroprevalence and Correlates of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Healthcare Workers in Chicago

Background: Identifying factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers (HCW)s may help health systems optimize SARS-CoV-2 infection control strategies. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the Northwestern HCW SARS-CoV-2 Serology Cohort Study. The Abbott Architect Nucleocapsid IgG assay was used to determine seropositivity. Logistic regression models (unadjusted and adjusted for demographics and self-reported community exposure to COVID-19) were fit to quantify the associations between occupation group, healthcare delivery tasks, and community exposure and seropositive status. Results: 6,510 HCWs, including 1,794 nurses, and 904 non-patient facing administrators participated. The majority were women (79.6%), 74.9% were white, 9.7% were Asian, 7.3% were Hispanic and 3.1% were Black. The crude prevalence rate of seropositivity was 4.8% (95% confidence interval (CI): 4.6%-5.2%). Out-of-hospital exposure to COVID-19 occurred in 9.3% of HCWs and was strongly associated with seropositivity (OR=4.7, 95% CI: 3.5-6.4). When compared to administrators, nursing was the only occupation group with a significantly higher adjusted-odds (OR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.3-2.9) of seropositivity. Exposure to COVID-19 patients was reported by 37.8% of participants and was associated with higher positivity than those not exposed (OR= 2.2, 95% CI: 1.6-3.0). Being exposed to patients receiving high-flow oxygen therapy, and hemodialysis also remained significantly associated with a 45% and 57% higher odds for seropositive status, respectively. Conclusions: Exposure to COVID-19 patients, and longer duration patient therapies were each associated with higher risk for seropositive status; however, the community burden of COVID-19 remains a significant source of exposure to SARS CoV-2 infection among HCWs in Chicago.
Therapeutic induction of tolerogenic dendritic cells via aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling

Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen-presenting cells (APCs), which sample the exogenous and endogenous cues to control adaptive immunity, balancing effector and regulatory components of the immune response. Multiple subsets of DCs, such as plasmacytoid and conventional DCs, have been defined based on specific phenotypic markers, functions and regulatory transcriptional programs. Tolerogenic DCs (tolDCs) have been functionally defined based on their ability to expand the regulatory T-cell compartment and suppress immune responses. However, it is still unclear whether tolDCs represent a homogeneous population, a specific DC subset and/or a heterogeneous collection of DC activation/maturation states. The ligand-activated transcription factor aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) has been shown to control transcriptional programs associated to tolDCs. In this review, we discuss the role of AHR in the control of tolDCs, and also AHR-targeted approaches for the therapeutic induction of tolDCs in autoimmune diseases and allergy.
Capital Mobility & Taxation in Non-OECDCountries – Evidence from China

Do more mobile firms pay lower taxes? Much research contends that capital mobility creates downward pressure on corporate taxes, as firms can threaten to exit. A substantial share of the existing work, however, is based on country average statutory tax rates in OECD countries. We instead explore this relationship at the firm level in China. Using two comprehensive panel data sets with more than 780,000 Chinese firms over two decades, we find that firms with higher shares of mobile capital, in fact, pay higher effective tax rates. We then explore potential explanations for this counter-intuitive finding using both quantitative and qualitative evidence. We argue that in an environment lacking fiscal transparency and rule of law, collusion between local governments and businesses can partially explain the positive relationship between capital mobility and tax rates. Firms with more fixed assets have stronger incentives to invest in connections with local officials in exchange for lower tax rates compared to their mobile counterparts. We provide evidence that the positive relationship between capital mobility and tax rates is more pronounced in contexts with cozier government-business relations and less transparency.
DPP9 sequesters the C terminus of NLRP1 to repress inflammasome activation

Nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat pyrin-domain containing protein 1 (NLRP1) is an inflammasome sensor that mediates the activation of caspase-1 to induce cytokine maturation and pyroptosis1–4. Gain-of-function mutations of NLRP1 cause severe inflammatory diseases of the skin4–6. NLRP1 contains a function-to-find domain that auto-proteolyses into noncovalently associated subdomains7–9, and proteasomal degradation of the repressive N-terminal fragment of NLRP1 releases its inflammatory C-terminal fragment (NLRP1 CT)10,11. Cytosolic dipeptidyl peptidases 8 and 9 (hereafter, DPP8/DPP9) both interact with NLRP1, and small-molecule inhibitors of DPP8/DPP9 activate NLRP1 by mechanisms that are currently unclear10,12–14. Here we report cryo-electron microscopy structures of the human NLRP1–DPP9 complex alone and with Val-boroPro (VbP), an inhibitor of DPP8/DPP9. The structures reveal a ternary complex that comprises DPP9, full-length NLRP1 and the NLRPT CT. The binding of the NLRP1 CT to DPP9 requires full-length NLRP1, which suggests that NLRP1 activation is regulated by the ratio of NLRP1 CT to full-length NLRP1. Activation of the inflammasome by ectopic expression of the NLRP1 CT is consistently rescued by co-expression of autoproteolysis-deficient full-length NLRP1. The N terminus of the NLRP1 CT inserts into the DPP9 active site, and VbP disrupts this interaction. Thus, VbP weakens the NLRP1–DPP9 interaction and accelerates degradation of the N-terminal fragment10 to induce inflammasome activation. Overall, these data demonstrate that DPP9 quenches low levels of NLRP1 CT and thus serves as a checkpoint for activation of the NLRP1 inflammasome. Structures of NLRP1–DPP9 alone and with a small-molecule inhibitor of DPP9 reveal the mechanisms through which NLRP1 is regulated, providing insights into the role of this complex in inflammasome regulation.
Factors contributing to persistent disparate outcomes of in vitro fertilization treatment.

Purpose of review Disparate healthcare outcomes are ubiquitous and occur across all fields of medicine, specifically for racial and ethnic minorities. Within reproductive health, minority women face disparate access to care, particularly infertility services, poor outcomes of fertility treatment, alarmingly higher rates of maternal morbidity and mortality as well as higher rates of preterm birth, lower live birth rates when they conceive spontaneously or when they conceive with assisted reproductive technology. The objective of this review is to highlight factors contributing to the persistent racial/ethnic disparities in in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. Recent findings Recent studies document poorer outcomes after IVF treatment. Black women have been shown to have lower live birth rates following IVF treatment for more than 15 years. Summary In an effort to better understand these negative outcomes, scientists and clinicians have investigated possible biological contributing factors including the vaginal microbiome, differences in oocyte quality, embryo viability, endometrial factors, and hormonal differences. Multiple social/cultural factors also play a role including access to care, particularly for people with low income, patient (mis)education, and medical racism/bias.
GaN-HEMT Based Very-High-Frequency AC Power Supply for Electrosurgery

To power electrosurgery, a very-high-frequency AC inverter (VHFI) is required. In this paper, a full-bridge based VHFI is proposed to enable electrosurgery. Its high-frequency output generating mechanism and the high order filter design are explained. To check the feasibility of the proposed VHFI, a 300 W Gallium Nitride High Electron Mobility Transistors (GaN HEMT) based experimental setup with 390 kHz output frequency, has been designed and implemented. Experimental efficiency and total harmonic distortion (THD) results are graphed for pure cutting mode. It turns out that maximum THD is less than 2.5% for the proposed VHFI. Further, recurring and burst experiment results are provided for blend cutting mode and coagulation mode, respectively. The experiment results show that the proposed VHFI has extreme fast-responding time for both blend cutting and coagulation mode, and crest factor is about 21 for coagulation mode. All experiment results together validate the feasibility of the proposed VHFI and also verify its capability of supporting different load values under different clinical modes.
Young readers in a Mandarin Chinese dual-language bilingual education programme

This study investigated the oral reading strategy use of 51 first-grade readers in a Chinese Dual-Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) programme. It attempted to answer the following research questi...
Family meals, positive versus negative emotion suppression, and emotional eating: examining adolescent-parent dyadic associations.

The present study aimed to extend existing research by examining adolescent–parent dyadic associations among adaptive and maladaptive family meal characteristics, positive and negative emotion suppression, and emotional eating. Participants included a community-based sample of adolescents and parents (N = 1646 dyads) who participated in the National Cancer Institute’s Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating Study. Dyad members both completed measures assessing family meal characteristics (family meal importance beliefs, family mealtime television watching), emotion suppression, and emotional eating via online surveys. Actor–partner interdependence models were used to examine dyadic associations among the assessed family meal characteristics, positive and negative emotion suppression, and emotional eating. Multiple within-person (e.g., adolescent–adolescent, parent–parent), cross-dyad member (e.g., adolescent–parent, parent–adolescent), and divergent adolescent versus parent dyadic effects were identified that differed based on the extent to which participants suppressed positive versus negative affect. For example, whereas adolescents’ stronger beliefs in the importance of frequent family meals were associated with lower levels of their own suppression of positive emotions and, in turn, lower levels of both their own and their parents’ emotional eating, these mediational associations were only identified at the within-person (not cross-dyad member) level among parents. Collectively, these findings attest to the complexity of associations among the assessed risk and protective family meal characteristics, the suppression of differentially valenced emotions, and emotional eating that manifest at the adolescent–parent dyadic level. Findings also support the continued use of a family-based perspective to further the understanding of factors that are associated with emotional eating. Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.
Phosphorylation of a Reconstituted Potassium Channel

Ion channels in biological membranes are dynamic entities. They of course act as pores through which ions can move down their electrochemical gradients, but more than that, many of them are regulatable pores. Channels can exist in more than one functional state, and rapid transitions between these states can be regulated by the voltage across the membrane or by the binding of a small molecule to a specific receptor that is intimately associated with the channel. Furthermore, it is now becoming evident that these rapid transitions are themselves subject to longer-term modulation, which may last for seconds, minutes, or even hours.
Octreotide Does Not Prevent Pancreatic Fistula Following Pancreatoduodenectomy in Patients with Soft Pancreas and Non-dilated Duct: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

Whether octreotide prevents pancreatic fistula following pancreatoduodenectomy is controversial and it is believed to be beneficial in soft glands and normal-sized ducts. The aim of this study is to assess the potential value of octreotide in reducing the incidence of pancreatic fistula, postoperative complications, morbidity and hospital stay in patients with soft pancreas and non-dilated ducts. A total of 109 patients undergoing elective pancreatoduodenectomy with soft pancreas and non-dilated duct were randomized to octreotide group versus no octreotide—the control group. Surgical steps were standardized and incidences of pancreatic fistula, complications, death and hospital stay were assessed. There were 55 patients in octreotide group and 54 in the control group. Demographic features and pancreatic duct diameter of the groups were comparable. The rates of clinically significant pancreatic fistulae (grades B and C) were 10.9 and 18.5 % (p = ns), and morbidity was 18 and 29.6 % (p = ns), respectively. Patients who received octreotide resumed oral diet early and had a shorter hospital stay. This study demonstrated no statistical difference in pancreatic fistulae with the use of octreotide, though there was a trend towards fewer incidences of pancreatic fistulae, morbidity and shorter hospital stay. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01301222
Digital Analysis of the Breakdown Process in High-Voltage Circuit Breakers

More and more computational fluid dynamics tools or CFD tools are used to analyze and study gas flows inside high-voltage circuit breaker chambers and to reduce testing. These tools are built upon the classical physical fluid dynamics equations by integrating very complex models. The numbers of variants of SF6 interrupting chambers are now quite numerous based on their specific applications. These tools permit to estimate, analyze, and understand better the interrupting process. These tools also increase our knowledge about the gas flow behavior inside the chambers. This leads to the optimization of the shapes and geometric parameters of the circuit breaker interrupters
Effect of supplementation with concentrates and lasalocid during late pregnancy and lactation on productivity of Rambouillet ewes and development of wool follicles in their lambs.

A total of 64 Rambouillet ewes was utilized in this study. Ewes were fed a 50:50 mixture of alfalfa and prairie hay ad libitum and either no concentrates (C), .4 kg concentrates . head-1 X d-1 (S) or .4 kg concentrates containing 73 ppm lasalocid . head-1 X d-1 (SL) during the last 50 d of pregnancy and through 60 d of lactation. A total of 163 skin samples was obtained from the mid-side region of the lambs at birth, 1 and 2 mo of age, and follicle traits were estimated by histological techniques. Wool growth per unit area (100 cm2) was estimated by clipping wool from both right and left mid-sides of all ewes 60 d postpartum. Birth weight of single lambs did not differ (P greater than .20) among treatments. Twin lambs of supplemented ewes were heavier (P less than .01) at birth than those of control ewes and the difference between S and SL groups was not significant. Compared with the control, concentrate supplementation with or without lasalocid increased (P less than .01) postnatal lamb survival and ewe productivity, expressed as kilograms of lamb weaned per ewe lambed. The C, S and SL groups weaned 12.50, 18.52 and 20.72 kg/ewe lambed (P less than .01), respectively. Maternal concentrate supplementation did not influence secondary to primary wool follicle ratio (Sf/Pf) of single lambs (P greater than .20). Twin lambs of the S ewes tended to have higher Sf/Pf than controls. The SL twins had intermediate Sf/Pf values (P greater than .20).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Location-based activity recognition

Learning patterns of human behavior from sensor data is extremely important for high-level activity inference. We show how to extract and label a person's activities and significant places from traces of GPS data. In contrast to existing techniques, our approach simultaneously detects and classifies the significant locations of a person and takes the high-level context into account. Our system uses relational Markov networks to represent the hierarchical activity model that encodes the complex relations among GPS readings, activities and significant places. We apply FFT-based message passing to perform efficient summation over large numbers of nodes in the networks. We present experiments that show significant improvements over existing techniques.
Propagation of radiation in a medium with complex matrix elements

We consider here the propagation of the radiation intensity, represented by Tr {ϱa † a k }, in a medium made up of electrons with non-overlapping wave functions bound atN discrete points. They are bound by a local potential and are subject to a constant external magnetic field. It is found using perturbation theory to fourth order in the matrix elements that if the matrix elements of the electron are real the intensity for single-mode propagation is unaffected by the unperturbed fourth-order coherence function, Tr {ϱa + a Emphasis>† a k a k }. If the elements are complex, however, the intensity is dependent on this function. This result is found in the absence of absorption or stimulated emission as commonly defined and raises the possibility of energy exchange between the radiation field and the static external field.
Superconducting properties of MgCNi 3 films

We report the magnetotransport properties of thin polycrystalline films of the recently discovered nonoxide perovskite superconductor ${\mathrm{MgCNi}}_{3}.$ ${\mathrm{CNi}}_{3}$ precursor films were deposited onto sapphire substrates and subsequently exposed to Mg vapor at $700\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\mathrm{C}.$ We report transition temperatures ${(T}_{c})$ and critical field values $({\mathrm{H}}_{c2})$ of ${\mathrm{MgCNi}}_{3}$ films ranging in thickness from 7.5 nm to 100 nm. Films thicker than $\ensuremath{\approx}40$ nm have a ${T}_{c}\ensuremath{\sim}8$ K, and an upper critical field ${H}_{c2}(T=0)=14\mathrm{T},$ which are both comparable to that of polycrystalline powders. Hall measurements in the normal state give a carrier density, $n=\ensuremath{-}4.2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{22}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3},$ that is approximately 4 times that reported for bulk samples.
Nomograms for Calculation of Urea Clearance

Two nomograms are given for use in calculating standard, C [unknown] , or maximum, C m , urea clearance. The first nomogram calculates the urine flow rate, f , from the urine collection time and volume data. With the second nomogram, values of f and urea nitrogen concentrations in blood serum (or plasma) and urine are used to calculate either C [unknown] or C m , according to the value of f . There is no intermediate calculation of √ f . Examples of the use of the two nomograms in the calculation of C [unknown] or C m are given.
Modified convolution-subtraction scattering correction technique for 3D PET

A modified convolution-subtraction (CS) scatter correction technique in 3D PET imaging has been proposed and evaluated. It can compensate for the shortcomings with the conventional CS techniques, which are commonly used in 2D PET data. The shortcomings include requiring the position-dependent scatter-kernel calibration, the non-standard convolution and long processing time. The modified CS technique assumes that the position-dependent scatter response function (SRF) can be modeled by a product of an average SRF, an adjustable parameter and a relative scatter fraction function. The relative scatter fraction function is a function of source position. The technique was applied to both simulated and measured data. The preliminary results indicate that the modified CS scattering correction technique is practical and robust to the sizes of objects. It provides more accurate scatter estimates than the conventional CS techniques, especially for highly nonuniform distributed sources.
Self-organization of traffic lights for minimizing vehicle delay

Problems of delay and resultant driver frustration continue to get worse as congestion increases in large cities. The delays can be minimized by optimization of traffic signals. Traffic signal optimization is a complex problem making improvements difficult. Recent advances in sensors and communication have enabled the use of novel algorithms for improving traffic signal efficiency. This paper investigates the use of a distributed traffic signal control algorithm based on the concepts self-organization. The algorithm is benchmarked against traditional traffic signal algorithms. The self-organization based algorithms perform significantly better compared to the existing algorithms. A simulation model was created based on an abstraction of city road with multiple intersections using data on actual traffic counts. The results are presented in this paper along with the details of the algorithm.
Incorporation of [3H]acetate into L-cell lipids Dependence on method of linoleate administration and timing of the pulse label

Abstract An aqueous solution containing 5 μmol of sodium linoleate was supplied to cultures of L-fibroblasts by two methods: (a) direct addition to the culture as a single dose at the start of a 48 h incubation period (method I); or (b) infusion into the culture at a constant rate throughout the same time period (method II). At 23 h and 47 h the cells were subjected to a 1 h pulse of [ 3 H]acetate. At 23 h method I was 1.2-times as effective as method II in reducing incorporation of radioactive label into cell sterol. Conversely, the decrease in utilization of [ 3 H]acetate for acyl group biosynthesis was 1.7-times greater by method II than by method I. At 47 h both methods had similarly reduced [ 3 H]acetate incorporation into both fractions by 85%. Regardless of the method used for supplementation, the large decline in biosynthesis from [ 3 H]acetate noted at 47 h was not accompanied by any corresponding decrease in the total amount of sterol synthesized. Additional data suggest that 50% of more of the decrease in [ 3 H]acetate incorporation at this time may be attributable to metabolites derived from the unlabeled exogenous fatty acid, which act to dilute the radioactively labeled tracer and/or to inhibit endogenous lipid biosynthesis.
Using the NSDL and CITIDEL to enhance teaching

We present an overview of the National Science Digital Library, NSDL, and focus on one of the partner projects it supports. The computing and Information Technology Interactive Digital Educational Library (CITIDEL) harvests metadata from repositories and collections, and provides tools to customize learning with these resources. CITIDEL's integrated tools guide the user to create instructional environments that enhance the learning experience. Additional tools available from NSDL are included in this presentation to complete the picture. Information on integrating new collections and materials into CITIDEL is included.
Update on Quinolone Resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Quinolones are widely used for treating gonococcal infections, typically in single-dose, oral regimens. However, in the 1990s, quinolone-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae emerged, potentially compromising the utility of this drug class. In the past year, these strains have widely disseminated, accounting for over half of isolates in parts of Southeast Asia. The molecular mechanism of resistance has been localized to multiple mutations in genes coding for the bacterial DNA gyrase and topoisomerase enzymes. These mutations accumulate until the minimum inhibitory concentration is 4.0 μg/mL or more, which in clinical studies appears to be the threshold for clinical treatment failure. Quinolone-resistant N. gonorrhoeae is independent from other plasmid- and chromosomally-mediated resistance determinants; nearly all isolates to date have been sensitive to cephalosporins and spectinomycin. Nevertheless, designing public health strategies to contain quinolone-resistant N. gonorrhoeae will be difficult.
Changes in the Teaching of Reading.

William S. Gray is considered by many literacy authorities today to have been the premier reading educator of the last century. He was most noted for his extensive research and writing in many aspects of literacy. The following interview with Gray was originally published in School and Community, a Missouri state teachers' journal, in 1949. Although the interviewer is not specifically listed, it was probably A. Sterl Artley, then a professor at the University of Missouri–Columbia and a personal friend of Dr. Gray. A number of books and related materials have been written about William S. Gray but as far as this writer knows, the following article has never been listed in any of these references. Thus, the opportunity to read the thoughts of this pioneer in the literacy field provides a rare insight into his thinking.
Multidisciplinary approach to optimizing antibiotic prophylaxis of surgical-site infections

Surgical-site infections (SSIs) are a common cause of nosocomial infections. More than 2% of surgical patients in the United States will develop an SSI, with at least 50% of those patients more likely to spend time in an intensive care unit.[1][1] The efficacy of antimicrobial prophylaxis in
Analyses of atmospheric extinction data obtained by astronomers—III. Compilation of optical depths for 31 observatory sites

Abstract A compilation of mean visual atmospheric extinction (550 nm) above 31 observatory sites during the period 1950–1972 is presented and their apparent dependence on altitude is discussed. The extinction values found above maritime sites are generally quite low and are compatible with reported light scattering measurements at background locations.