cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Complex Resonances of a Hard Rectangular Cavity Coupled to a Half-Space Through a Narrow Aperture

Electromagnetic coupling through a small slot into a two-dimensional rectangular cavity is computed via a simple Ritz-Galerkin expansion of the aperture field for the case of transverse electric (TE) polarization. One term expansions for each of the symmetric and antisymmetric dynamic aperture fields use the exact solutions for harmonic potentials that solve the related Neumann problem of a slot in a hard plane. Source-free solutions exist at discrete, complex-values of the frequency variable. These eigenfunctions of the negative Laplacian are improper modes and several of the low-order, complex resonances are found from zeros of the variational expression that relates the aperture field to the excitation. The complex resonances are perturbations of the real, closed-cavity resonances and their presence is unmistakable in the net stored energy in the cavity under plane-wave excitation from the exterior half-space.
Noise-robust automatic speech recognition using a discriminative echo state network

The echo state network (ESN) is a recurrent neural network proposed by Herbert Jaeger with a simplified training routine. Previously, we have demonstrated the noise-robust performance of the predictive ESN classifier in automatic speech recognition experiments in which the network was trained to predict the next frame of speech features. Classification performance was limited because the predictive models lacked discriminability, so we changed the model output to a one-of-many output encoding scheme and trained the model discriminatively. Performance was compared to a hidden Markov model (HMM) in small-vocabulary ASR experiments with additive noise. Accuracy of 50% was achieved by a discriminative ESN classifier at -8.5 dB SNR, compared to 0.4 dB SNR for a predictive ESN classifier and 6.6 dB SNR for an HMM. With discriminative training, a larger reservoir was employed for the discriminative ESN classifier compared to the predictive ESN classifier which resulted a larger memory depth and more noise-robust performance.
Measuring individual inbreeding in the age of genomics: marker-based measures are better than pedigrees

Inbreeding (mating between relatives) can dramatically reduce the fitness of offspring by causing parts of the genome to be identical by descent. Thus, measuring individual inbreeding is crucial for ecology, evolution and conservation biology. We used computer simulations to test whether the realized proportion of the genome that is identical by descent (IBDG) is predicted better by the pedigree inbreeding coefficient (FP) or by genomic (marker-based) measures of inbreeding. Genomic estimators of IBDG included the increase in individual homozygosity relative to mean Hardy–Weinberg expected homozygosity (FH), and two measures (FROH and FE) that use mapped genetic markers to estimate IBDG. IBDG was more strongly correlated with FH, FE and FROH than with FP across a broad range of simulated scenarios when thousands of SNPs were used. For example, IBDG was more strongly correlated with FROH, FH and FE (estimated with ⩾10 000 SNPs) than with FP (estimated with 20 generations of complete pedigree) in populations with a recent reduction in the effective populations size (from Ne=500 to Ne=75). FROH, FH and FE generally explained >90% of the variance in IBDG (among individuals) when 35 K or more SNPs were used. FP explained <80% of the variation in IBDG on average in all simulated scenarios, even when pedigrees included 20 generations. Our results demonstrate that IBDG can be more precisely estimated with large numbers of genetic markers than with pedigrees. We encourage researchers to adopt genomic marker-based measures of IBDG as thousands of loci can now be genotyped in any species.
The diversified business group as an innovative organisational model for large state-enterprise reform in China and Vietnam

The diversified business group (DBG) is a ubiquitous institution in developing economies. It is a formal inter-firm network that typically involves financial institutions, distributors and manufacturers. Groupwise diversification is viewed by some as a novel form of organisational innovation by entrepreneurial tycoons while others see it as an instrument for rent seeking. Inspired by Korean chaebols but chastened by Russian financial-industrial groups, China and Vietnam are creating business groups out of State enterprises. After reviewing the theory and cross-country experience, this paper concludes that selective economic grouping can be an efficient transitional organisation. DBGs can facilitate government monitoring, exploitation of scale economies for scarce managerial talent, better risk management, and realisation of network and scope economies. Success in incubating national champions is, however, predicated on a high technocratic capability for restraining abuse of market power, nurturing competitive market institutions, properly sequencing large-scale privatisation, and crafting WTO-compatible industrial and technology policies.
An mTOR kinase inhibitor slows disease progression in a rat model of polycystic kidney disease

Background. The mTOR pathway, which consists of mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2), is activated in polycystic kidney disease (PKD) kidneys. Sirolimus and everolimus indirectly bind and inhibit mTORC1. A novel group of drugs, the mTOR kinase inhibitors, directly bind to mTOR kinase, thus inhibiting both mTORC1 and 2. The aim of the study was to determine the therapeutic effect of an mTOR kinase inhibitor, PP242, in the Han:SPRD rat (Cy/+) model of PKD. Methods. Male rats were treated with PP242 5 mg/kg/day IP or vehicle for 5 weeks. Results. PP242 significantly reduced the kidney enlargement, the cyst density and the blood urea nitrogen in Cy/+ rats. On immunoblot of kidneys, PP242 resulted in a decrease in pS6, a marker of mTORC1 signaling and pAkt Ser473 ,am arker of mTORC2 signaling. mTORC plays an important role in regulating cytokine production. There was an increase in IL-1, IL-6, CXCL1 and TNF-α in Cy/+ rat kidneys that was unaffected by PP242. Apoptosis or proliferation is known to play a causal role in cyst growth. PP242 had no effect on caspase-3 activity, TUNEL positive or active caspase-3-positive tubular cells in Cy/+ kidneys. PP242 reduced the number of proliferating cells per cyst and per non-cystic tubule in Cy/+ rats. Conclusions. In a rat model of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, PP242 treatment (i) decreases proliferation in cystic and non-cystic tubules; (ii) inhibits renal enlargement and cystogenesis and (iii) significantly reduces the loss of kidney function.
The t(8;21) translocation converts AML1 into a constitutive transcriptional repressor.

The human translocation (t8;21) is associated with ∼12% of the cases of acute myelogenous leukemia. Two genes, AML1 and ETO, are fused together at the translocation breakpoint, resulting in the expression of a chimeric protein called AML1-ETO. AML1-ETO is thought to interfere with normal AML1 function, although the mechanism by which it does so is unclear. Here, we have used Drosophila genetics to investigate two models of AML1-ETO function. In the first model, AML1-ETO is a constitutive transcriptional repressor of AML1 target genes, regardless of whether they are normally activated or repressed by AML1. In the second model, AML1-ETO dominantly interferes with AML1 activity by, for example, competing for a common co-factor. To discriminate between these models, the effects of expressing AML1-ETO were characterized and compared with loss-of-function phenotypes of lozenge (lz), an AML1 homolog expressed during Drosophila eye development. We also present results of genetic interaction experiments with AML1 co-factors that are not consistent with AML1-ETO behaving as a dominant-negative factor. Instead, our data suggest that AML1-ETO acts as a constitutive transcriptional repressor.
Relationships among leaf damage, natural enemy release, and abundance in exotic and native prairie plants

The Enemy Release hypothesis holds that exotic plants may have an advantage over native plants because their specialized natural enemies are absent. We tested this hypothesis by measuring leaf damage and plant abundance for naturally-occurring plants in prairies, and by removing natural enemies in an enemy exclusion experiment. We classified plants as invasive exotic, noninvasive exotic, or native, to determine if their degree of invasiveness influenced their relationships with natural enemies. Our field surveys showed that invasive exotic plants generally had significantly lower levels of foliar damage than native species while there was no consistent pattern for noninvasive exotics compared to natives. The relationship between damage and abundance was different for exotic and native plants: foliar damage decreased with increasing abundance for exotic plants while the trend was positive for native plants. While these results from the field surveys supported the Enemy Release Hypothesis, the enemy exclusion experiment did not. There was no relationship between a species’ status as exotic or native and its degree of release from herbivory. Pastinaca sativa, the invasive exotic in this experiment, experienced gains in leaf area and vegetative biomass when treated with pesticides, indicating substantial herbivore pressure in the introduced range. These results show that foliar damage may not accurately predict the amount of herbivore pressure that plants actually experience, and that the Enemy Release hypothesis is not sufficient to explain the invasiveness of P. sativa in prairies.
Enhancement of seepage and lateral preferential flow by biopores on hillslopes

Natural soils are generally populated with a wide variety of macropores formed from physical processes and/or biological activity. These macropores can have a large influence on the lateral flow of water in hillslope soils even when those macropores are not continuous or connected directly to ponded water. The concept of self-organization of flow paths described by Sidle et al. (2001) is analyzed through numerical simulation of variably-saturated flow in a large cylinder of soil containing a population of disconnected macropores. It is demonstrated that there is a threshold water pressure at which the macropores will become active, and above this threshold the then active network of macropores significantly increases the effective conductance of the soil volume. In the case examined here the increase exceeded 40%. The analysis presented provides a context for the explanation of soil pipe formation by the process of seepage erosion. An analogy is drawn between percolation theory in porous media and the concept of self-organization of flow pathways at the hillslope scale.
Oversight in Hindsight: Assessing the U.S. Regulatory System in the Wake of Calamity

The fi rst de cade of the twenty- fi rst century concluded, and the second de cade began, with the United States having experienced one of the worst economic upheavals in its history as well as one of the worst environmental disasters in its history. These calamities, combined with a series of other major industrial accidents as well as a deep recession and sluggish economic recovery, have cast grave doubts over the adequacy of the nation’s regulatory system. In the wake of each calamity, politicians and members of the public have attributed much of the blame to a general breakdown in the U.S. regulatory system. 1 The various investigative reports that followed the century’s early disasters, for example, only reinforced this view of systemic regulatory failure: • In response to the subprime mortgage crisis that started in late 2007, the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission’s majority report accused federal regulators of “pervasive permissiveness.” The report’s authors argued that “little meaningful action was taken to quell . . . threats in a timely manner,” singling out “the Federal Reserve’s pivotal failure to stem the fl ow of toxic mortgages . . . by setting prudent mortgagelending standards” (National Commission on the Causes of the Financial and Economic Crisis in the United States 2011:xvii). 2 • Six months after the 2010 explosion on the BP- leased Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, which killed eleven crew members and caused nearly fi ve million barrels of oil to spill into the Gulf of Mexico, the federal investigating commission pointed to “de cades of inadequate regulation”
An assessment of the Newcastle Anxiety Depression Index

— The Newcastle Anxiety and Depression Diagnostic Index (NADDI) has been reviewed, and its advantages and disadvantages discussed. One hundred eighty-seven patients were examined, and grouped into three categories by means of the NADDI, which produced a unimodal distribution of score. These three groups were studied in respect of the Hamilton Depression and SCL-90 self-rating scales. Significant profile differences were found on both scales. Patients with pure anxiety and pure depression were more distressed than the intermediate group of mixed anxiety-depressed patients. The NADDI scale items were compared in four clinical groups of primary endogenous, primary nonendogenous depression, generalized anxiety, and panic disorder. Most differences were found when panic disorder was compared to the other three groups, and generalized anxiety disorder received minimal validation. Treatment response was also examined.
Pretreatment with sedative-hypnotics, but not with nondepolarizing muscle relaxants, attenuates alfentanil-induced muscle rigidity

Abstract Study Objective: To evaluate and compare the efficacy of various pretreatment agents to attenuate or prevent opioid-induced muscle rigidity using a well-established, previously described clinical protocol. Design: Prospective, controlled, single-blind, partially randomized study. Setting: Large medical center. Patients: ASA physical status I–III patients undergoing elective surgical procedures of at least 3 hours' duration. Interventions: The effect of pretreatment with nondepolarizing muscle relaxants (atracurium 40μg/kg or metocurine 50,μg/kg), benzodiazepine agonists (diazepam 5 mg or midazolam 2.5 mg), or thiopental sodium 1 mg/kg on the increased muscle tone produced by alfentanil 175 ,μg/kg was compared with a control group (given no pretreatment). Measurements and Main Results: Rigidity was assessed quantitatively by measuring the electromyographic activity of five muscle groups (biceps, intercostals, abdominals, quadriceps, and gastrocnemius). Rigidity also was rated qualitatively by attempts to initiate and maintain mask ventilation, attempts to flex an extremity, and the occurrence of myoclonic movements. Pretreatment with the two nondepolarizing muscle relaxants had no effect on the severe muscle rigidity produced by high-dose alfentanil. Whereas thiopental was only mildly effective, the benzodiazepines midazolam and diazepam significantly attenuated alfentanil rigidity ( p Conclusion: This study suggests that benzodiazepine pretreatment is frequently, but not always, effective in preventing opioid-induced muscle rigidity.
The surge in capital inflows to developing countries : prospects and policy response

After being excluded from world capital markets during the debt crisis, many developing countries have experienced large capital inflows in the past five years. The challenges these inflows pose for domestice policy have generated a substantial literature. The authors review and extend that literature. They characterize the new inflows, assess their causes and the likelihood of sustainability, analyze the policy issues they raise, and evaluate the possible policy responses. Their conclusions tie desirable policy responses to characteristics of both the flows themselves and to those of the recipient economy. Regarding the forces driving the current episode, they conclude that generally, the role of foreign interest rates as a "push" factor driving capital inflows and determining their magnitude has been well-established. On the other hand, country creditworthiness has helped determine both the timing and destination of the new capital flows. Even if creditworthiness is maintained, the early level of inflows is unlikely to be sustained. The pace of reduction in flows to countries that have been receiving them since the early 1990s depends on the path of foreign interest rates and the role of stock adjustment. But a loss of creditworthiness caused by a deterioration in domestic policy would stop inflows quickly and, depending on the circumstances, inflows may be replaced by substantial outflows and an outright balance of payments crisis.What are the implications for policy in recipient countries? Briefly, the receipt of capital inflows may strengthen the case for removing macroeconomic distortions, either because such inflows aggravate the cost of such distortions or because they ease the constraints that originally motivated their adoption. While direct intervention may not be feasible (because controls may be easily evaded), controls may sometimes be a second-best policy. To the extent that capital inflows are permitted to materialize, the desirability of foreign exhcange intervention depends on what is required for macroeconomic stability. Sterilized foreign exchange intervention to prevent overstimulation of demand with a fixed exchange rate may not be feasible or effective. A commensurate reduction in the money multiplier, achieved by increasing reserve requirements, may also have limited effects. The effectiveness of both measures depends on the structure of the domestic financial system. If domestic monetary expansion is not avoided, or if an expansionary financial stimulus is transmitted outside the banking system, the stabilization of total demand will require fiscal contraction.
Changes in the Metabolism of Labelled Acetanilide and Binding of Isotope to Serum and Liver Macromolecules during Chronic Administration

1. The metabolism of 3H-acetanilide was studied in rats (a) after a single intraperitoneal dose of 200 mg/kg, (b) after 1–5 days of continuous feeding of 0.8% of labelled acetanilide in the diet, and (c) at weekly intervals during 4 weeks of such feeding. The three experimental groups excreted 56, 62 and 86% of dose, respectively, in 24 h samples of urine.2. 4-Hydroxyacetanilide, the major metabolite, was found free, as well as conjugated with glucuronic and sulphuric acids in all groups. The glucuronide fraction increased from 4.6% (single i.p. dose), and 6.0% (1 day feeding) to 16% of dose at 1 week. The sulphate conjugate of 4-hydroxyacetanilide decreased from 70% of dose at 24 h to only 43% after 1 week of feeding.3. Blood levels of radioactivity at 1 week were 11-fold higher than after a single dose. The liver contained 15 times more isotope at 4 weeks than after a single dose. Binding to DNA, RNA and proteins of liver at 4 weeks was 180-, 15- and 33-fold greater, respectively, than the values found ...
Fiduciary Or Force In The 21st Century

The rise of China over the past three decades is more than astonishing. Some have considered it to be nothing short of an economic miracle. China has transformed itself from a rural backward economy in 1978 to a thoroughly modern-looking economy and society today. While it took the United States almost 50 years (from 1839-86) to double its per capita GDP, China has done it twice in less than twenty years –from 1978-87 and again from 1987-96. The Chinese economy has improved at such a dramatic rate that many commentators have presumed China’s imminent global economic dominance in the 21 st century. Many now consider geopolitics a bi-polar affair, where only America and China matter. In 2008, for the first time, serious cracks are beginning to surface in the foundations of China’s economy, prompting a reconsideration of whether China’s future success is as guaranteed and inevitable as first thought. China is facing its most difficult year in this new century. With millions of unemployed workers and a slowing economic growth, China is facing tens of thousands of protests each year. Since the legitimacy of the Chinese government is based on its economic success, China’s continued success in the 21 st century will depend on whether the Communist Party is able to maintain trust in its economy, political system and society. China’s economic sustainability rests on whether it can cope successfully with its new- found economic power. The question that has yet to be decided is whether China will adopt a type of fiduciary culture like the ones prevalent in common law countries, such as the U.S. and Britain and its former colony Hong Kong, or will China resort to the use of force to maintain its political and economic power?
Factors associated with use of bone morphogenetic protein during pediatric spinal fusion surgery: an analysis of 4817 patients.

Background: Our goal was to investigate whether the use of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (rhBMP, or BMP) during pediatric spinal fusion surgery has been increasing and how patient, surgical, and hospital characteristics influence BMP use. Methods: Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database, we identified 4817 children eighteen years old or younger who had undergone spinal fusion surgery with the use of BMP from 2003 through 2009. A multivariate logistic regression model, the Z-test of proportions, and simple linear regression were used for statistical analysis (significance, p < 0.05). Results: There was a 3.4-fold increase in BMP use, from 2.7% in 2003 to 9.3% in 2009—an average 16% per year increase (p < 0.01). For each additional year of age, BMP use increased 1.09-fold (odds ratio [OR]: 1.05 to 1.13, p < 0.01). Compared with BMP use for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, the adjusted odds of BMP use were increased 1.3-fold for congenital scoliosis (OR: 1.02 to 1.76, p = 0.04), 2.8-fold for thoracolumbar fractures (OR: 2.1 to 3.8, p < 0.01), and 5.0-fold for spondylolisthesis (OR: 3.9 to 6.3, p < 0.01). Patients with private insurance were 1.5-fold more likely to receive BMP (OR: 1.2 to 1.9, p < 0.01). Patients in whom autograft bone was used intraoperatively were 0.63-fold less likely to receive BMP (OR: 0.52 to 0.77, p < 0.01). The rate of BMP use was 0.38-fold lower in teaching hospitals (OR: 0.31 to 0.48, p < 0.01) and 1.7-fold higher in hospitals with a large bed capacity (OR: 1.3 to 2.2, p < 0.01). Compared with hospitals located in the Northeast, those in the West had a 1.7-fold increase (OR: 1.3 to 2.4, p < 0.01) and those in the South had a 2.0-fold increase (OR: 1.5 to 2.7, p < 0.01) in the odds of BMP use. Conclusions: Use of BMP during pediatric spinal fusion has increased significantly. Patient factors (age, diagnosis, and insurance), surgical factors (autograft use), and hospital factors (teaching status, bed capacity, and location) influenced the variation in BMP use.
The reverse shoulder prosthesis for glenohumeral arthritis associated with severe rotator cuff deficiency. a minimum two-year follow-up study of sixty patients surgical technique.

BACKGROUND: Patients who have pain and dysfunction from glenohumeral arthritis associated with severe rotator cuff deficiency have few treatment options. The goal of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the short-term results of arthroplasty with use of the Reverse Shoulder Prosthesis in the management of this problem. METHODS: We report the results for sixty patients (sixty shoulders) with a rotator cuff deficiency and glenohumeral arthritis who were followed for a minimum of two years. Thirty-five patients had no previous shoulder surgery, whereas twenty-three had had either an open or arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, one had had a subacromial decompression, and one had had a biceps tendon repair. All patients were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively with the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scoring system for pain and function and with visual analog scales for pain and function. They were also asked to rate their satisfaction with the outcome. The shoulder range of motion was measured preoperatively and postoperatively. RESULTS: The average age of the patients was seventy-one years. The average duration of follow-up was thirty-three months. All measures improved significantly (p < 0.0001). The mean total score on the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons system improved from 34.3 to 68.2; the mean function score, from 16.1 to 29.4; and the mean pain score, from 18.2 to 38.7. The score for function on the visual analog scale improved from 2.7 to 6.0, and the score for pain on the visual analog scale improved from 6.3 to 2.2. Forward flexion increased from 55.0° to 105.1°, and abduction increased from 41.4° to 101.8°. Forty-one of the sixty patients rated the outcome as good or excellent; sixteen were satisfied, and three were dissatisfied. There were a total of thirteen complications in ten patients (17%). Seven patients (12%) had eight failures, requiring revision surgery to another Reverse Shoulder Prosthesis in five patients (one shoulder had two revisions) and revision to a hemiarthroplasty in two patients because of deep infection. CONCLUSIONS: The data from this study suggest that arthroplasty with the Reverse Shoulder Prosthesis may be a viable treatment for patients with glenohumeral arthritis and a massive rotator cuff tear. However, future studies will be necessary to determine the longevity of the implant and whether it will provide continued improvement in function.
Biosynthesis of Phospholipids and Neutral Lipids of Monkey Kidney Cells (LLC-MK-2) Infected with Chlamydia trachomaiis Strain Lymphogranuloma Venereum

SummaryThe biosynthesis of phospho-lipids and neutral lipids in normal and monkey kidney cells infected with lympho-granuloma venereum were compared using 14C-acetate and 14C-serine in pulse-chase experiments. Synthesis of phospholipids and neutral glycerolipids were inhibited in infected cells. Phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) synthesis increased while phosphatidyl cho-line, phosphatidyl serine and cardiolipin synthesis decreased in infected cells within 36 hr after infection. Sphingomyelin synthesis decreased after 48 hr of infection. The synthesis of PE in the infected cell followed a similar pathway found in bacteria and could be distinguished from the normal host cell. An explanation of the parasitic nature of chlamydial infection based on the requirement for lipid precursors has been proposed.This investigation was supported by a Public Health Service research Grant No. HL08214 from the Program Projects Branch Extramural Programs, National Heart and Lung Institute, the World Health Organization and th...
Abstract C48: Antiangiogenic properties of rare earth nanoparticles: Implications in ovarian cancer

A substantial body of evidence suggests an association between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the neovascularization that occurs with ovarian carcinogenesis. VEGF expression has been directly related to ascites accumulation. Phase II clinical trials in ovarian cancer using single‐agent bevacizumab (a monoclonal antibody directed against VEGF) showed promising results, clearly highlighting the importance of anti‐angiogenesis based‐targeted therapies in ovarian cancer. One of the ways that VEGF mediates angiogenesis is by activating NADPH oxidase‐ROS pathway. We have developed and engineered nanoparticles (NP) of cerium oxide (Nanoceria, NCe), a rare earth oxides, which have been tested for their ability to serve as free‐radical scavengers to provide protection against chemical, biological, and radiological insults that promote the production of free radicals. Here we show for the first time that treatment of human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) with NCe resulted in inhibition of proliferation, capillary tube formation and VEGF165 induced activation of VEGFR2 and MMP2. Additionally, NCe treatment inhibited growth factor induced migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells. Collectively, these results indicate that cerium oxide based NP could potentially be used as an antiangiogenic therapeutic agent in ovarian cancer. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(23 Suppl):C48.
Relationship of Renal Injury and Expression of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor in Renal Tissue of Henoch-Schonlein Purpura Nephritis in Children

Objective To investigate the expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor(MIF) in renal tissue of children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis(HSPN),and its correlation with clinical indexes and pathological changes,and to explore its effect on the pathogenesis of HSPN.Methods According to the clinical manifestation,60 children with HPSN were divided into only purpura group,mixed group and HSPN group.MIF concentration of Henoch-Schonlein purpura(HSP) groups and healthy control group were detected with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).MIF protein expression and the marker of human macrophage(CD68) in renal tissues of HSPN and normal control group were detected with immunohistochemistry method.The total urine protein for 24 hours and urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) level were detected with laboratory routine method.Results MIF concentration in mixed group and HSPN group were significantly higher than that in only purpura group and healthy control group(Pa0.01),and MIF concentration was significantly higher in only purpura group than that in control group too(P0.01),but there was no difference between mixed group and HSPN group(P=0.34).Weak expression of MIF and CD68 were found in normal control group,while the expression of MIF and CD68 significantly increased in HSPN (P0.05);with the pathological changes of renal tissue aggravating,the expression of MIF and CD68 in renal tissue increased(Pa0.05);and positive correlation was found between the expression of MIF and CD68 as well(P0.05).The expression of MIF in renal tissues was significantly correlated with the total urine protein for 24 hours and urinary NAG level(Pa0.05),and it was significantly correlated with MIF concentration in serum too(P0.05).Conclusion There was a modest up-regulation in renal MIF expression in HSPN,and the degree of renal pathological changes and clinical indexes of renal damage were closely related with MIF levels.It may be an important mechanism for the renal injury of HSPN that upregulation of MIF can enhance infiltration of macrophages.
An Analysis of the Factors Affecting Chinese Students' Physical Health in the Period of Social Transformation

It's still been an urgent social problem for our government to solve the declination of the physical health of Chinese students in the period of social transformation from a traditional society to a modern society.The major factors leading to the deterioration of physical health of students are as follows: the regulations and rules of PE in schools、 the confliction of function multiplication in PE、the assessment of the PE stuff、 the change of life style in society、 family economy、 knowledge based conception、the students' academic and employment pressure、 exercise environment、 modern medium,and etc.The effective methods improving the physical quality of Chinese students are suggested,which include: establish health promotion mechanisms、optimize evaluation and environment of campus physical、 make efforts to deepen the revolution of PE、 abandon test oriented system、 be pragmatic and promote quality-oriented education in an all-round way.
A Brief History of Foreign Language Learning in the United States

The U.S. is a nation of immigrants, but relatively few Americans speak a foreign language. Only 25% of Americans feel capable of holding a conversation in another language, but without recent immigrants and their children, this number falls to about 10%. This language paradox can be partly explained by the melting pot metaphor used to describe American society for much of the 19th and 20th centuries, where assimilation and integration into the dominant English-speaking culture occurred simultaneously, as children of new arrivals attended U.S. public schools. Prior to the widespread availability of global travel and communication, the distance between the U.S. and other parts of the world formed a physical barrier, and isolationism has been a political theme at times. Even today, relatively few Americans are passport-holders. In this context, it is not surprising that foreign languages are not a priority in American education.
Meaningful conversations in living with and treating chronic conditions: development of the ICAN discussion aid

The needs of the growing population of complex patients with multiple chronic conditions calls for a different approach to care. Clinical teams need to acknowledge, respect, and support the work that patients do and the capacity they mobilize to enact this work, and to adapt and self-manage. Tools that enable this approach to care are needed. Using user-centered design principles, we set out to create a discussion aid for use by patients, clinicians, and other health professionals during clinical encounters. We observed clinical encounters, visited patient homes, and dialogued with patient support groups. We then developed and tested prototypes in routine clinical practice. Then we refined a final prototype with extensive stakeholder feedback. From this process resulted the ICAN Discussion Aid, a tool completed by the patient and reviewed during the consultation in which patients classified domains that contribute to capacity as sources of burden or satisfaction; clinical demands were also classified as sources of help or burden. The clinical review facilitated by ICAN generates hypotheses regarding why some treatment plans may be problematic and may not be enacted in the patient’s situation. We successfully created a discussion aid to elucidate and share insights about the capacity patients have to enact the treatment plan and hypotheses as to why this plan may or may not be enacted. Next steps involve the evaluation of the impact of the ICAN Discussion Aid on clinical encounters with a variety of health professionals and the impact of ICAN-informed treatment plans on patient-important outcomes.
Application of Artificial Neural Networks for Evaluating Pressure Filtration of Coal Refuse Slurries

ABSTRACTBench-scale pressure filtration testing was performed to evaluate the dewatering characteristics of two coal refuse slurries, which were collected from thickener underflow streams of two coal preparation plants. Pressure filtration provides an opportunity to produce drier solids (filter cake) that can be stacked or mixed with the coarse refuse and improved water (filtrate) recovery that can be reused in the plant. This paper examines the effects of some of the major influencing variables such as pressure, slurry pH, feed solids concentration, fines fraction of solids in the slurry, filtration time, and temperature on dewatering thickener underflow slurry. Experimental results indicated that the overall filtrate flux increased with increase in pressure and temperature while it decreased with increase in fines fraction, pH, filtration time, and solids concentration. A total of 82 experimental results were used to develop a feed forward back-propagating artificial neural network (ANN) model. The mode...
EFFECT OF MALATHION AND TRICHLORFON ON GROWTH1 AND MORPHOLOGY OF LACTIC CULTURE ORGANISMS

Addition of 100 ppm of malathion or trichlorfon had little effect on lactic acid production in reconstituted non-fat dry milk by Streptococus diacetilactis or Streptococus thermophilus. Variation in cell size of Streptococus cremoris 3, Streptococcus lactis W 8 and several strains of S. thermophilus occurred following repeated transfers in litmus milk to which 100 ppm of malathion or 500 ppm trichlorfon had been added. The Lactobacillus bulgaricus A culture, after 15 serial transfers in litmus milk containing 500 ppm of trichlorfon, exhibited increased frequency of chain formation and cell structure 30 to 50 μ long with few visible cross walls. A similar effect was observed with L. bulgaricus A and L. bulgaricus GA after repeated transfers in litmus milk which contained 100 ppm malathion. One of five strains of L. casei studied showed similar changes in morphology after repeated transfers in litmus milk which contained 100 ppm malathion. Adding 500 ppm trichlorfon produced a lesser effect. Changes in morp...
Adaptation by stealth: climate information use in the Great Lakes region across scales

While there has been considerable focus on understanding barriers to climate information use associated with the character of climate knowledge, individuals’ negative perception of its usability and constraints of decision-contexts, less attention has been paid to understanding how different scales of decision-making influence information use. In this study, we explore how water and resource managers’ scales of decision-making and scope of decision responsibilities influence climate information use in two Great Lakes watersheds. We find that despite availability of tailored climate information, actual use of information remains low. Reasons include (a) lack of willingness to place climate on agendas because local managers perceive climate change as politically risky, (b) lack of formal mandate or authority at the city and county scale to translate climate information into on-the-ground action, (c) problems with the information itself, and (d) perceived lack of demand for climate information by those managers who have the mandate and authority to use (or help others use) climate information. Our findings suggest that (1) scientists and information brokers should produce information that meets a range of decision needs and reserve intensive tailoring efforts for decision makers who have willingness and authority to use climate information; (2) without support from higher levels of decision-making (e.g., state), it is unlikely that climate information use will accelerate significantly; and (3) the trend towards characterizing climate specific actions within a broader concept of sustainability practices, or “adaptation by stealth,” should be supported as a component of the climate adaptation repertoire.
A Pilot Study of Thrice-Weekly Low Dose Rituximab (RTX) in the Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Suggests Enhanced Therapeutic Targeting Compared to Standard Dose Regimens.

Abstract We have reported that treatment of CLL patients with weekly RTX doses of 375 mg/m2 depletes complement (C) and induces substantial loss (~90%) of CD20 on circulating cells which is not caused by B cell internalization or RTX masking of CD20 (Kennedy, J Immunol, 2004). This loss reduces the potential efficacy of RTX. CD20 loss may be caused by “shaving” of high density RTX-CD20 immune complexes from malignant B cells by fixed tissue macrophages of the mononuclear phagocytic system. To preserve C activity and reduce CD20 loss, we have investigated whether more frequent, but lower RTX doses might enhance therapeutic efficacy for CLL. Patients were treated 3 times/week (MWF) with either 20 mg/m2 or 60 mg/m2 RTX, for 4 weeks. During the first 2 weeks at least 6 blood samples were collected before, during, and after RTX infusions, and samples were analyzed for CBC, C activity, B cell expression of CD20, and degree of opsonization by C3 fragments. Findings for the first 3 patients enrolled in the 20 mg/m2 group include the following observations. Immediately after the first RTX infusion lymphocyte counts (cells/ul) decreased from 70000 ± 17000 to 9000 ± 7000, and then recrudesced to 21000 ± 1700, 2 hrs after RTX infusion. At this time B cell CD20 levels were reduced, but were still at ≥ 50 % of their initial CD20 values. After 2 days lymphocyte counts increased but were modestly reduced from starting values, and the second and subsequent RTX infusions induced similar patterns of cell clearance, recrudescence and partial CD20 loss. For example, CD20 levels on treatment day 6 started at ≥ 50% of their pre-treatment (day 1) values. These phenomena continued over the 4 week treatment course, except starting lymphocyte counts on each new treatment day continued to decrease: Lymphocyte counts at the start of the 12th treatment day averaged 10,000 ± 9,000 and 4 weeks after completion of treatment, lymphocyte count for patient #2 remained low (2,000). In all 3 patients infusion of RTX induced deposition of C3 fragments on circulating cells, but C activity remained substantial throughout 4 weeks. The first 2 patients enrolled in the 60 mg/m2 regimen demonstrated somewhat similar patterns, except CD20 levels showed greater decreases. CD20 on B cells of patient #4 decreased ~80 % after the first infusion, and continued to decrease throughout the treatment course, although lymphocyte counts were reduced from 86,000 (initially) to 21,000 at the start of treatment day 12. In patient #5, B cell CD20 deceased by ~ 75% during each RTX treatment, but partially recovered every two days, and was at ~ 30% of its initial value at the start of treatment day 6. Six patients will be enrolled in each treatment group. Our results to date suggest that frequent but low dose RTX regimens can promote slow but steady cytotoxic attack of RTX on CD20 cells while preserving C activity and maintaining CD20 levels so that additional RTX treatments continue to be effective.
An integrative functional genomics framework for effective identification of novel regulatory variants in genome–phenome studies

Genome–phenome studies have identified thousands of variants that are statistically associated with disease or traits; however, their functional roles are largely unclear. A comprehensive investigation of regulatory mechanisms and the gene regulatory networks between phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) and genome-wide association study (GWAS) is needed to identify novel regulatory variants contributing to risk for human diseases. In this study, we developed an integrative functional genomics framework that maps 215,107 significant single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) traits generated from the PheWAS Catalog and 28,870 genome-wide significant SNP traits collected from the GWAS Catalog into a global human genome regulatory map via incorporating various functional annotation data, including transcription factor (TF)-based motifs, promoters, enhancers, and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) generated from four major functional genomics databases: FANTOM5, ENCODE, NIH Roadmap, and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx). In addition, we performed a tissue-specific regulatory circuit analysis through the integration of the identified regulatory variants and tissue-specific gene expression profiles in 7051 samples across 32 tissues from GTEx. We found that the disease-associated loci in both the PheWAS and GWAS Catalogs were significantly enriched with functional SNPs. The integration of functional annotations significantly improved the power of detecting novel associations in PheWAS, through which we found a number of functional associations with strong regulatory evidence in the PheWAS Catalog. Finally, we constructed tissue-specific regulatory circuits for several complex traits: mental diseases, autoimmune diseases, and cancer, via exploring tissue-specific TF-promoter/enhancer-target gene interaction networks. We uncovered several promising tissue-specific regulatory TFs or genes for Alzheimer’s disease (e.g. ZIC1 and STX1B) and asthma (e.g. CSF3 and IL1RL1). This study offers powerful tools for exploring the functional consequences of variants generated from genome–phenome association studies in terms of their mechanisms on affecting multiple complex diseases and traits.
Using Stratum Corneum Thickness and Configuration to Distinguish Lichenoid Dermatoses.

BACKGROUND Clues in the stratum corneum (SC) can aide in histopathologic diagnosis of many conditions. OBJECTIVE To determine if SC configuration and thickness could help differentiate the lichenoid dermatoses. METHODS A retrospective study was performed. A total of 305 cases (55 lichenoid keratosis, 51 lichen planus, 7 hypertrophic lichen planus, 40 lichenoid drug eruption, 19 lichenoid graft-vs.-host disease, 14 hypertrophic lupus, 46 lichenoid actinic keratosis, 73 lentigo maligna) fulfilled the selection criteria. Cases were digitally scanned using the 40× (0.23 μm/pixel) mode of a Hamamatsu NanoZoomer 2.0-HT Slide Scanner (Hamamatsu Photonics, Hamamatsu City, Japan), allowing for the creation of virtual (digital) slides. SC thicknesses and configuration were assessed for each case. RESULTS Mixed SC patterns were common in cases of lichenoid keratoses. Compact parakeratosis was the most common pattern in lichenoid drug eruption. Tiered parakeratosis was the most predominant pattern in cases of lichenoid graft versus host disease and lichenoid actinic keratosis. Hypertrophic lupus had the highest average SC thickness. LIMITATIONS The sample size for cases of hypertrophic lupus and hypertrophic lichen planus was low. CONCLUSIONS SC thickness and configuration can be utilized to help differentiate the lichenoid dermatoses.
Restoration and Validation

The previous chapters provide techniques for making the best possible interpretation from the geological data. Because the primary data are always incomplete and may be in part contradictory, the final interpretation should be validated. A powerful and independent test for the validity of a structural interpretation is the restoration of the structure to the shape it had before deformation. A restorable structure can be returned to its original, pre-deformation geometry with a perfect or near-per-fect fit of ail the segments in their correct pre-deformation order (Fig. 8.1). Restoration is a fundamental test of the internai consistency of the interpretation. A restorable structure is internally consistent and therefore is a topologically possible interpretation. An unrestorable structure is topologically not possible and therefore is geologically not possible. The purpose of this chapter is to give a brief overview of the basic restoration techniques and how to use them. An extended treatment of this subject and related topics in structural modeling will be the subject of a subsequent volume.
A Multi-Neuronal Vectorial Phase-Space Analysis for Detecting Dynamical Interactions in Firing Patterns of Biological Neural Networks

A multi-neuronal vectorial phase-space analysis is introduced to detect spatio-temporally correlated firing patterns in a network of n neurons. The cross- interval analysis uses a vectorial approach to establish spatio-temporal correlation between firing intervals among multiple neurons. The resultant vectorial sum captures an n-wise correlation among all n neurons in the network. Applying this vectorial phase-space analysis on multiple spike trains recorded simultaneously, an n-tuple correlation among all n neurons in the network can be computed. The results show clusters of these vector trajectories clearly identified the spatio-temporal firing patterns. This vectorial phase-space analysis also provides quantitative descriptions of dynamical interactions from the trajectories and clusters of these vectors in the phase-plane.
Singularities in X-Ray Spectra of Metals

The field of x-ray edge singularities is now about twenty years old. It started when I predicted this effect [1], although at the time no one believed me. Two years later they were first observed by HAENSEL et al. [2] in one of the first experiments utilizing synchrotron radiation as a light source. Then the phenomena was believed by nearly everybody, and has since developed into an important field of x-ray physics.