cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Serial Contrast-Enhanced MRI of the Pancreas: Correlation With Secretin-Stimulated Endoscopic Pancreatic Function Test

Rationale and Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the pancreatic enhancement on serial contrast-enhanced MRI (CEMRI) and pancreatic exocrine function using the secretin-stimulated endoscopic pancreatic function test (ePFT). Materials and Methods A total of 30 patients with clinical symptoms consistent with chronic pancreatitis underwent CEMRI of the abdomen and ePFT within a 1- to 4-week interval. CEMRI was performed in arterial, early venous, and late venous phases. Secretin ePFT was performed with the measurement of HCO3 concentration from the duodenal aspirates after secretin stimulation. Contrast enhancement ratio of the arterial phase to early venous phase was measured on CEMRI (SIRa/SIRv). A three-point evaluation system was used for grading the HCO3 concentration and the enhancement ratio on MRI. For the significance of correlation, kappa statistics was used. Sensitivity and specificity of CEMRI was determined for the diagnosis of early chronic pancreatitis accepting ePFT as a reference. Results Twenty patients had identical scores on both secretin ePFT and CEMRI. Ten patients revealed discrepancy in scores. Kappa statistics revealed moderate agreement between MRI and ePFT (κ = 0.44). Sensitivity and specificity values for the diagnosis of pancreatitis were 82% and 57%, respectively. Positive predictive value was 56%, and negative predictive value was 86%. Conclusion The results of our data indicate that serial CEMRI is an appropriate imaging technique to rule out early chronic pancreatitis. However, secretin-stimulated imaging or ePFT may still be needed for the definite diagnosis of pancreatic exocrine dysfunction.
Gesture as a Window on Children's Beginning Understanding of False Belief

Given that gestures may provide access to transitions in cognitive development, preschoolers' performance on standard tasks was compared with their performance on a new gesture false belief task. Experiment 1 confirmed that children (N=45, M age=54 months) responded consistently on two gesture tasks and that there is dramatic improvement on both the gesture false belief task and a standard task from ages 3 to 5. In 2 subsequent experiments focusing on children in transition with respect to understanding false beliefs (Ns=34 and 70, M age=48 months), there was a significant advantage of gesture over standard and novel verbal-response tasks. Iconic gesture may facilitate reasoning about opaque mental states in children who are rapidly developing concepts of mind.
The ankyrin-3 gene is associated with posttraumatic stress disorder and externalizing comorbidity

Summary Background The ankyrin 3 gene ( ANK3 ) produces the ankyrin G protein that plays an integral role in regulating neuronal activity. Previous studies have linked ANK3 to bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. A recent mouse study suggests that ANK3 may regulate behavioral disinhibition and stress reactivity. This led us to hypothesize that ANK3 might also be associated with stress-related psychopathology such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as disorders of the externalizing spectrum such as antisocial personality disorder and substance-related disorders that are etiologically linked to impulsivity and temperamental disinhibition. Methods We examined the possibility of association between ANK3 SNPs and both PTSD and externalizing (defined by a factor score representing a composite of adult antisociality and substance abuse) in a cohort of white non-Hispanic combat veterans and their intimate partners ( n = 554). Initially, we focused on rs9804190—a SNP previously reported to be associated with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and ankyrin G expression in brain. Then we examined 358 additional ANK3 SNPs utilizing a multiple-testing correction. Results rs9804190 was associated with both externalizing and PTSD ( p = 0.028 and p = 0.042 respectively). Analysis of other ANK3 SNPs identified several that were more strongly associated with either trait. The most significant association with externalizing was observed at rs1049862 ( p = 0.00040, p corrected = 0.60). The most significant association with PTSD ( p = 0.00060, p corrected = 0.045) was found with three SNPs in complete linkage disequilibrium (LD)—rs28932171, rs11599164, and rs17208576. Conclusions These findings support a role of ANK3 in risk of stress-related and externalizing disorders, beyond its previous associations with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Studying Cell Rolling Trajectories on Asymmetric Receptor Patterns

Lateral displacement of cells orthogonal to a flow stream by rolling on asymmetric receptor patterns presents an opportunity for development of new devices for label-free separation and analysis of cells1. Such devices may use lateral displacement for continuous-flow separation, or receptor patterns that modulate adhesion to distinguish between different cell phenotypes or levels of receptor expression. Understanding the nature of cell rolling trajectories on receptor-patterned substrates is necessary for engineering of the substrates and design of such devices. Here, we demonstrate a protocol for studying cell rolling trajectories on asymmetric receptor patterns that support cell rolling adhesion2. Well-defined, μm-scale patterns of P-selectin receptors were fabricated using microcontact printing on gold-coated slides that were incorporated in a flow chamber. HL60 cells expressing the PSGL-1 ligand 3were flowed across a field of patterned lines and visualized on an inverted bright field microscope. The cells rolled and tracked along the inclined edges of the patterns, resulting in lateral deflection1. Each cell typically rolled for a certain distance along the pattern edges (defined as the edge tracking length), detached from the edge, and reattached to a downstream pattern. Although this detachment makes it difficult to track the entire trajectory of a cell from entrance to exit in the flow chamber, particle-tracking software was used to analyze and yield the rolling trajectories of the cells during the time when they were moving on a single receptor-patterned line. The trajectories were then examined to obtain distributions of cell rolling velocities and the edge tracking lengths for each cell for different patterns. This protocol is useful for quantifying cell rolling trajectories on receptor patterns and relating these to engineering parameters such as pattern angle and shear stress. Such data will be useful for design of microfluidic devices for label-free cell separation and analysis.
Evaluating similarity measures: a large-scale study in the orkut social network

Online information services have grown too large for users to navigate without the help of automated tools such as collaborative filtering, which makes recommendations to users based on their collective past behavior. While many similarity measures have been proposed and individually evaluated, they have not been evaluated relative to each other in a large real-world environment. We present an extensive empirical comparison of six distinct measures of similarity for recommending online communities to members of the Orkut social network. We determine the usefulness of the different recommendations by actually measuring users' propensity to visit and join recommended communities. We also examine how the ordering of recommendations influenced user selection, as well as interesting social issues that arise in recommending communities within a real social network.
Trust‐opportunism paradox, relationalism, and performance in interfirm relationships: evidence from the retail industry

Building on recent theoretical work documenting that interorganizational relationships (IORs) are ‘multifaceted and multiplex’ we investigate, from the agent's perspective, the joint effects of trust and opportunism in fostering (or inhibiting) relationalism, which, in turn, is predicted to influence performance within interfirm exchange relationships. Based on longitudinal survey data on 409 catalog intermediaries affiliated with a large retail firm, we found strong support for most of the hypothesized relationships. Implications for future research are offered. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Loss of rachis cell viability is associated with ripening disorders in grapes

Rachises of grape (Vitis vinifera L.) clusters that appeared healthy or displayed symptoms of the ripening disorders berry shrivel (BS) or bunch-stem necrosis (BSN) were treated with the cellular viability stain fluorescein diacetate and examined by confocal microscopy. Clusters with BS and BSN symptoms experienced a decrease of cell viability throughout the rachis, and their berries contained 70-80% less sugar than healthy berries. The xylem-mobile dye basic fuchsin, infiltrated via the cut base of shoots with one healthy and one BS cluster, moved to all berries on the healthy cluster but generally failed to move into the peduncle of the BS cluster. Peduncle girdling did not interrupt dye movement in the xylem, but stopped solute accumulation in berries and led to berry shrinkage. In contrast, surgically destroying the peduncle xylem at the onset of ripening did not affect berry growth and solute accumulation. These results indicate that cessation of sugar and water accumulation in BS and BSN is associated with phloem death in the rachis. Although xylem flow to the berries may also cease, a functional xylem connection to the shoot may not be required for normal ripening, while water loss from berries by transpiration and xylem efflux may explain the characteristic berry shrinkage that is associated with these ripening disorders. The similarity of internal tissue breakdown in BS and BSN rachises and the correlation observed here between the proportion of shrinking berries on a cluster and the severity of rachis necrosis suggest that there may be a gradual transition between the two ripening disorders. Seeds from healthy and BS clusters showed no differences in colour, morphology, weight, viability, and ability to germinate, which indicates that the disorder may not appear until seeds are mature.
Authoritarianism and political preferences in 1980

The relationship between authoritarianism and various sociopolitical attitudes and choices has been investigated repeatedly during past presidential campaigns. The supporters of the most conservative and most liberal of the candidates differ correspondingly in F scale scores. In 1980 the similarity among the three major candidates seemed great enough to blur this usual effect. Among 119 undergraduates, analysis of variance indicated that the supporters of Ronald Reagan were significantly (p <.0001) higher in authoritarianism than were supporters of Jimmy Carter or John Anderson. Similarly, among 95 undergraduates, supporters of Alfonse D’Amato in the New York senatorial race were significantly (p <.005) more authoritarian than supporters of Elizabeth Holtzman and Jacob Javits. Thus, as in previous years, the perceived liberal-conservative variations among candidates were differentially attractive to equalitarian-authoritarian variations among voters.
Piezoelectric Materials for High Temperature Sensors

Piezoelectric materials that can function at high temperatures without failure are desired for structural health monitoring and/or nondestructive evaluation of the next generation turbines, more efficient jet engines, steam, and nuclear/electrical power plants. The operational temperature range of smart transducers is limited by the sensing capability of the piezoelectric material at elevated temperatures, increased conductivity and mechanical attenuation, variation of the piezoelectric properties with temperature. This article discusses properties relevant to sensor applications, including piezoelectric materials that are commercially available and those that are under development. Compared to ferroelectric polycrystalline materials, piezoelectric single crystals avoid domain-related aging behavior, while possessing high electrical resistivities and low losses, with excellent thermal property stability. Of particular interest is oxyborate [ReCa4O (BO3)3] single crystals for ultrahigh temperature applications (>1000°C). These crystals offer piezoelectric coefficients deff, and electromechanical coupling factors keff, on the order of 3–16 pC/N and 6%–31%, respectively, significantly higher than those values of α-quartz piezocrystals (~2 pC/N and 8%). Furthermore, the absence of phase transitions prior to their melting points ~1500°C, together with ultrahigh electrical resistivities (>106 Ω·cm at 1000°C) and thermal stability of piezoelectric properties (< 20% variations in the range of room temperature ~1000°C), allow potential operation at extreme temperature and harsh environments.
Supplier evaluation and selection: an augmented DEA approach

Evaluating and selecting suppliers is an essential part of effectively managing today's dynamic and global supply chains. In this paper, we propose a supplier evaluation and selection methodology based on an extension of data envelopment analysis (DEA) that can evaluate suppliers in an efficient manner. Through the incorporations of a range of virtual standards, the proposed methodology termed augmented DEA, has enhanced discriminatory power over basic DEA models to rank suppliers. In addition, weight constraints are introduced to reduce the possibility of having inappropriate input and output factor weights. We demonstrate the application of augmented DEA with comparison experiments and find that the augmented DEA model has advantages over the basic DEA model as well as the cross-efficiency and super-efficiency models. Finally, we present a case application with data obtained from a communication and aviation electronics company to demonstrate the applicability and use of augmented DEA.
A New Method to Quantify Demand on the Upper Extremity During Manual Wheelchair Propulsion

Abstract Sabick MB, Kotajarvi BR, An K-N. A new method to quantify demand on the upper extremity during manual wheelchair propulsion. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2004;85:1151–9. Objective To use an ergonomics-based rating that characterizes both demand on, and capacity of, upper-extremity muscle groups during wheelchair propulsion to help identify the muscle groups most at risk for pain or overuse injury in a relatively demanding wheelchair propulsion task. Design Case series. Setting Biomechanics research laboratory. Participants Sixteen manual wheelchair users with complete (American Spinal Injury Association grade A) T6-L2 paraplegia. Interventions Not applicable. Main outcome measures Internal peak joint moments required by each of the major upper-extremity muscle groups for propelling a wheelchair up a ramp; isometric strength of each of the muscle groups in positions simulating wheelchair propulsion; and wheelchair propulsion strength rating (WPSR) for each muscle group, calculated by normalizing the joint demands to their capacity. Results The largest joint moment was for shoulder flexion, at 39.7±13.9Nm. Shoulder flexion also accounted for the peak WPSR value of 66.5%±20.3%. Supination and pronation movements had low peak moment requirements (3.4Nm, 5.0Nm, respectively) but high WPSR values (41%, 53%, respectively). Conclusions Even a relatively benign ramp (2.9°) places a large demand on the musculature of the upper extremity, as assessed by using the WPSR to indicate muscular demand.
Evidence and Authority in Ethnographic and Linguistic Perspective

A mainstream narrative in the academy casts hidebound authority as the enemy of evidence and, in many cases, the truth. In this review, I argue for an ethnographic and linguistic approach to evidence and authority as communicative practices that are not inherently opposed but rather inseparably intertwined. For ethnographers, authority can usefully be viewed as authorizing acts (recognizing that the act includes the receiver), and evidence can be thus treated as a kind of authorization, an act of providing evidence. Viewed in this more dynamic framework, authority and evidence become observable practices in which actors deploy cultural forms—performances, experiments, verb tenses, quotes, narratives, pronouns—to persuade, argue, confirm, and mediate social and cultural relations.
Make-or-buy decisions in R&D: small technology based firms in the United States and Japan

This paper examines key factors which affect make-or-buy decisions in research and development (R&D) settings-whether technology is developed in house or acquired from external sources (e.g., through licensing or R&D contracts). The paper constructs several hypotheses from the literature survey and discussions and tests these hypotheses by using data from small technology based firms in the United States and Japan. Our analyses show external technology acquisitions are more likely to be practiced when the number of rivals expected to develop a similar product is greater, and the needed technology is less related to a firm's core technology. Our analyses also imply two qualitatively different goals in external technology acquisitions: to shorten development time, and thereby reap short-term profits (short-term strategy), and to maximize long-term profits over the life of the innovation (long-term strategy). Our analyses suggest the dominance of the former strategy.
SVM-HUSTLE—an iterative semi-supervised machine learning approach for pairwise protein remote homology detection

Motivation: As the amount of biological sequence data continues to grow exponentially we face the increasing challenge of assigning function to this enormous molecular ‘parts list’. The most popular approaches to this challenge make use of the simplifying assumption that similar functional molecules, or proteins, sometimes have similar composition, or sequence. However, these algorithms often fail to identify remote homologs (proteins with similar function but dissimilar sequence) which often are a significant fraction of the total homolog collection for a given sequence. We introduce a Support Vector Machine (SVM)-based tool to detect homology using semi-supervised iterative learning (SVM-HUSTLE) that identifies significantly more remote homologs than current state-of-the-art sequence or cluster-based methods. As opposed to building profiles or position specific scoring matrices, SVM-HUSTLE builds an SVM classifier for a query sequence by training on a collection of representative high-confidence training sets, recruits additional sequences and assigns a statistical measure of homology between a pair of sequences. SVM-HUSTLE combines principles of semi-supervised learning theory with statistical sampling to create many concurrent classifiers to iteratively detect and refine, on-the-fly, patterns indicating homology. Results: When compared against existing methods for identifying protein homologs (BLAST, PSI-BLAST, COMPASS, PROF_SIM, RANKPROP and their variants) on two different benchmark datasets SVM-HUSTLE significantly outperforms each of the above methods using the most stringent ROC1 statistic with P-values less than 1e-20. SVM-HUSTLE also yields results comparable to HHSearch but at a substantially reduced computational cost since we do not require the construction of HMMs. Availability: The software executable to run SVM-HUSTLE can be downloaded from http://www.sysbio.org/sysbio/networkbio/svm_hustle Contact: [email protected]
Creep Behavior and Microstructure of XD ™ Titanium Aluminide

The creep behavior of extruded XD™ Ti-47at%Al/7.5v%TiB2 composite was investigated together with extruded Ti-46at%Al alloy. Prior to creep testing, both materials received a duplex heat-treatment at 1200°C for 16h plus 900°C for 8h. The creep tests were conducted at 69, 103 and 138MPa at 760°C in air. The microstructures of both materials prior to and after the creep testing were examined by TEM. The microstructures suggest that the formation of the TiAl/Ti3Al two-phase lamellar structure was the predominant creep mechanism.
Monitoring aerosol distribution from ground based elastic scattering lidar: a review

The original lidars were incoherent elastic backscatter systems, and one of the original applications for such systems was profiling the vertical distribution of aerosol. In the beginning there was significant limitation in both the practicality of the lidar hardware and in using data for aerosol retrievals of significant parameters such as the aerosol extinction and backscatter cross section. The paper reviews the use of lidars for remote sensing of atmospheric aerosols.
Adaptive Computer-Aided Diagnosis Scheme of Digitized Mammograms

Rationale and Objectives. We investigated an adaptive rule-based computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) scheme for digitized mammograms that can be optimized by using an image difficulty index as determined from global measures of image characteristics. Methods. First, we defined an image "difficulty" index based on image feature measurements in both the spatial and frequency domains. The CAD scheme then segmented the database into three groups. An image database of 428 digitized mammograms with 220 verified masses was randomly divided into two subsets, one for training (rule-setting) and the other for testing the adaptive CAD scheme. Each of the image difficulty groups in the training set was optimized independently to achieve a low false-positive detection rate while maintaining high detection sensitivity. Scheme performance was then evaluated with the test set, and the results were compared with a global rule-based system that was optimized without the adaptive method. Results. In this preliminary study, a relatively simple adaptive scheme reduced false-positive mass detections compared with the nonadaptive scheme from 0.85 to 0.53 per image. At the same time sensitivity was not significantly changed. Conclusion. This adaptive CAD scheme has distinct advantages in improving CAD scheme performance as long as the training database includes a large number of cases in each image difficulty group with a variety of truepositive abnormalities.
Ultra-high mobility transparent organic thin film transistors grown by an off-centre spin-coating method

One of the advantages of organic over inorganic semiconductors is they can be grown from solution, but their electrical mobility is often poor. Yuan et al. report a technique for fabricating organic transistors with mobilities far beyond that of amorphous silicon and close to that of polycrystalline silicon.
Fast and accurate decimation-in-angle hierarchical backprojection algorithms

We introduce a family of fast algorithms for backprojecting images from tomographic projections. They aggregate the projections in a hierarchical structure and achieve a computational cost of O(N/sup 2/ log P), when backprojecting an N /spl times/ N pixel image from P projections. The images in the hierarchy are formed by the rotation and the adding together of other images made up of fewer projections. While these algorithms are related to existing fast algorithms, this work places them within the signal processing framework, providing systematic means to optimize and adjust the trade off between computational cost and accuracy. Rotations are performed separably in order that higher-order interpolators may be used with low computational cost. The same ideas can be applied to tomographically project an N/spl times/N pixel image onto P view-angles with a cost of O(N/sup 2/ log P).
Effects of diet, time after feeding, and position sampled on numbers of viable bacteria in the bovine rumen.

Abstract The numbers of bacteria, estimated by colony counts, in samples of rumen digesta obtained from different positions in the rumen were determined at 1.0, 2.5, 5.5, and 10 hours after feeding four heifers at 12-hour intervals at the maintenance level of intake. Four rations: chopped alfalfa hay, the same hay ground and pelleted, the same hay plus equal weight of grain mixture, and hay crop silage from a different source were fed. Numbers were lowest at one hour and increased significantly between 1, 2.5, and 5.5 hours. Only when pellets were fed were the numbers at one hour not significantly lower from those ten hours after feeding. Numbers in the ventral rumen when animals were fed each of the rations were significantly lower (P
Besondere Betriebsbedingungen von Kreiselpumpen

In diesem Kapitel sind die Betriebszustande von Pumpen auserhalb ihres normalen Bereiches von Forderhohe, Fordermenge und Drehzahl behandelt. Bezeichnet man die normale Drehzahl, Forderhohe und Fordermenge als positiv, so beschrankt sich der normale Bereich auf einen Quadranten des Q—H-Koordinatenkreuzes. Die ublicherweise nicht befahrenen Betriebspunkte liegen in den restlichen drei Quadranten Einige dieser besonderen Betriebspunkte lassen sich nicht vermeiden, andere stellen sich gelegentlich ein und wieder andere konnen nur im Laboratorium dargestellt werden oder entwickeln sich in einer Ubergangsperiode wahrend des Wechsels von einem Zustand in den anderen. Beispiele fur ungewohnliche Betriebszustande sind das Arbeiten einer Pumpe als Turbine, das Verhalten einer Pumpe bei Ausfall des Antriebes oder das Anfahren einer Pumpe mit verkehrter Drehrichtung.
Triennially Inspected Audit Firms that Fail to Address PCAOB Quality Control Criticisms Satisfactorily: Do Quality Control Criticisms Really Matter?

Part II of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) inspection report is released one year after the initial inspection report (Part I) only for firms that fail to remediate quality control criticisms (QCC firms). We provide evidence that the release of Part II discloses new relevant information about a firm’s disregard for maintaining an effective quality control system. More specifically, we find that QCC firms have lower audit quality in terms of restatements after the PCAOB provides their inspection findings than those firms that address their criticisms (Remediate firms). This suggests that the release of Part II indicates a disregard or an inability to address the identified weaknesses, which results in continued audit quality issues. We also find that the release of Part II foreshadows a change in auditors, either due to dismissal or resignation. Finally, we find that a majority of restatements for clients of QCC firms are discovered by a successor auditor of higher quality (non-QCC firm) after the client has changed auditors. We conclude that for triennial firms, Part II signals audit quality and the two-part reporting process leads to improved financial statement reliability.
Arboreal Arthropod Associations with Epiphytes Following Gap Harvesting in The Acadian Forest of Maine

Arthropod and epiphyte assemblages were compared at three heights (0-2, 2-4 and 4-6 m) on the boles of red maple (Acer rubrum) trees located in a closed canopy forest and within harvest gaps. A positive correlation among bryophytes, Collembola (springtails) and Araneae (spiders) suggested a potential trophic interaction where arboreal spiders, during early developmental stages, were dependent upon availability of Collembolan prey. This relationship appeared to be sensitive to a decline in bryophyte abundance that occurred following gap harvesting. Fifteen families of Diptera (flies) were identified, eight of which were common. The eight common families utilized the arboreal habitat differently depending on height along the bole and abundance of crustose and other lichens. A potential association was identified between six Dipteran families and a Collembolan morphospecies in the family Entomobryidae, suggesting a diverse arthropod community that exploits different attributes of the arboreal habitat and exhibits varied responses to harvest gaps.
Modified glycan models of pig-to-human xenotransplantation do not enhance the human-anti-pig T cell response.

Abstract Genetically modified porcine models of pig-to-human xenotransplantation offer the most immediate answer to a growing shortage of available solid organs. Recently a modified porcine glycan model has been discovered that reduces human antibody binding to levels comparable with allograft standards. As this background provides an answer to the problem of acute humoral xenograft rejection (AHXR), it is important to consider the impact these modifications have on measures of cell-mediated rejection. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of currently relevant glycan knockout models of pig-to-human xenotransplantation in a lymphocyte proliferation assay. To accomplish these goals, genetically modified pigs were created through CRISPR/Cas9-directed silencing of the GGTA1, and CMAH genes. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and spleen cells were obtained from these animals and used as a source of stimulation for human responders in one-way mixed lymphocyte reactions. The response was tested in the presence and absence of clinically available immunomodifiers. Conclusions: Clinically relevant glycan knockout models of pig-to-human xenotransplantation do not enhance the human-anti-pig cellular response. Currently available and conventional immunosuppression has the capacity to mediate the human xenogeneic T cell response to these knockout cells.
Parathyroid Hormone and Subclinical Cerebrovascular Disease: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Background Elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels have been associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors and events. We hypothesized that elevated PTH levels would also be associated with subclinical cerebrovascular disease. We examined the relationship between elevated PTH level and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) and subclinical infarcts measured on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods PTH was measured at baseline (1993-1994) among participants free of prior clinical stroke who underwent a brain MRI at baseline (n = 1703) and a second brain MRI 10 years later (n = 948). PTH levels of 65 pg/mL or higher were considered elevated (n = 204). Participants who did not return for a follow-up MRI had, at baseline, higher PTH and a greater prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors ( P Results At baseline, the participants had a mean age of 62 years and were 60% female and 49% black. Cross-sectionally, after adjusting for demographic and lifestyle factors, elevated PTH level was associated with higher WMH score (β = .19, 95% confidence interval [CI] .04-.35) and increased odds of prevalent infarcts (odds ratio 1.56, 95% CI 1.02-2.36). Results were attenuated after adjustment for potential mediators of this association (i.e., hypertension). No prospective associations were found between PTH and incident infarcts or change in estimated WMH volume, although estimates were imprecise. Conclusions Although associated cross-sectionally, we did not confirm any association between elevated PTH level and progression of cerebrovascular changes on brain MRIs obtained 10 years apart. The relationship of PTH with subclinical brain disease warrants further study.
Michigan Local Government Fiscal Health Continues Gradual Improvement, but Smallest Jurisdictions Lagging

This report presents Michigan local government leaders' assessments of their jurisdictions' fiscal conditions in 2013 and the actions they are taking in response to ongoing and widespread fiscal challenges. The findings are based on responses from five statewide survey waves of the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS) conducted annually each spring from 2009 through 2013.
Influence of Exhaust Gas Recirculation on Combustion Instabilities in CH4 and H2/CH4 Fuel Mixtures

This paper evaluates the impact of two strategies for reducing CO2 emissions on combustion instabilities in lean-premixed combustion. Exhaust gas recirculation can be utilized to increase the concentration of CO2 in the exhaust stream improving the efficiency in the post-combustion separation plant. This coupled with the use of coal derived syngas or hydrogen augmented natural gas can further decrease CO2 levels released into the environment. However, changes in fuel composition have been shown to alter the dynamic response in lean-premixed combustion systems. In this study, a fully premixed, swirl stabilized, atmospheric burner is operated on various blends of H2/CH4 fuels with N2 and CO2 dilution to simulate EGR. Acoustic pressure and velocity, and global heat release measurements were performed at fixed adiabatic flame temperatures to evaluate the impact of fuel composition and dilution on various mechanisms that drive the instabilities.
James Franklin Crow. 18 January 1916 — 4 January 2012

James Crow enjoyed relating how he and the first issue of the journal Genetics were scheduled to arrive on the same day—18 January 1916—and how he was delivered on time, whereas the journal was delivered several weeks late. The coincidence was altogether fitting, as Crow became one of the leading geneticists of the twentieth century. Renowned as scholar, teacher, mentor, author and historian, he had a career in science that spanned 70 years, primarily at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Professor Crow’s research was in theoretical and experimental population genetics, focusing on Drosophila as his model organism and extending his results to human genetics. He had further influence on the field of genetics as a writer and speaker and as a synthesizer and disseminator of knowledge, and he performed service to his colleagues in many different capacities.
Mammal sounds and motivation-structural rules: a test of the hypothesis

We tested if mammal sounds given in aggressive and fearful/friendly contexts showed acoustic design characteristics in accordance with the Motivation-Structural (MS) rule hypothesis (Morton, 1977). Our data were taken from literature and consist of 76 aggressive sounds and 75 fearful/friendly sounds from 50 species of mammals. Aggressive sounds are of low-frequency and wide bandwidth and thus support MS rule predictions. Fearful/friendly sounds show a trend toward conforming to MS rule design expectations (high-frequency and tonal) but exhibit considerable variation. This variation may be due to the existence of acoustic parameters other than frequency or bandwidth that might convey motivation information in fearful/friendly contexts. In addition, fear and friendliness represent two very different motivation states in mammals and MS rules may not apply to both.
Explanation to Carey: Cross-Culture Transformation ·Difference between Journalism and Communication

The thesis reads and criticizes James W.Carey's Some Personal Notes on US Journalism Education.The contents mainly focused on three issues: first,how to explain the text from USA(broader,from the west);Second,what's the significance to comparing between the USA(West) issue to ours;third,the relationship that Carey mentioned between journalism and communication,journalism education and journalism research,journalism practice and media work,all above this,what suggest they could give to us in the basic issue of subject contribution.
Why Do Women Want Children? The Case of Hong Kong, China: A Lowest-Low Fertility Context

ABSTRACTGovernments in low fertility countries tend to tackle low birth rates by addressing macro-level factors rather than the meaning that having a child holds for men and women. Yet whether or not an individual decides to have a child depends in part on what they think having a child will mean for their lives. This study examines the meanings that constitute reasons for wanting a child among a sample of middle-class, married, Hong Kong Chinese women who wanted children. These women were living in Hong Kong when it had one of the lowest total fertility rates in the world and the lowest in its history. Using semi-structured, in-depth interviews, it finds that for these women, to have a child makes one’s family complete; is the next stage of life; provides happiness, fun, and enjoyment; brings care and company in old age; and children are “lovely” and “cute.” Governments concerned about low birth rates can use research on what having a child means for women to improve policy so as to make having a child m...
Clinical analysis of 111 cases of children with prolonged pneumonia

Objective To analyze the clinical and etiological characteristics of prolonged pneumonia in children.Methods The clinical and etiological characteristics of prolonged pneumonia in the 111 cases of children were retrospectively analyzed.Results Prolonged pneumonia was more common in children under 3-year-old,especially in infants under 1-yearold.The prevalence of airway abnormalities is higher in children under 3-year-old.Bronchial foreign body is the second most common underlying complication in prolonged pneumonia.Airway dysplasia is the most common cause of infection.The rate of mycoplasma infection in children over 3-year-old is higher than in children under 3-year-old.G+ bacteria is the main cause of bacterial infection.The main cause of viral infection is respiratory syncytial virus.Conclusions Prolonged course of pneumonia is closely related to the underlying diseases and infectious agents.Drug-resistant bacteria and mycoplasma as pathogens should be paid attention to.
The Safety, Efficacy and Compliance of Terazosin Therapy for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

AbstractThe primary objective of the present interim analysis of an open label study initiated in December 1988 is to provide further insight into the long-term safety, efficacy and compliance of terazosin, a long-acting selective α1-blocker, for the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A total of 45 normotensive patients with symptomatic BPH was enrolled into this study. The dose of terazosin was titrated to 5mg. during a 1-month period provided adverse reactions and orthostatic hypotension were not observed. The subjects were maintained on 5mg. terazosin throughout the 24-month followup. The peak and mean urinary flow rates, obstructive and irritative Boyarsky symptom scores, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures were evaluated at 2, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after initiation of therapy. Of the 45 subjects 21 (47%) exhibited a durable clinical response with no significant adverse events during the 24-month followup. The obstructive and irritative symptom scores decreased by 63...
Phospholipase D mediates Fc gamma receptor activation of neutrophils and provides specificity between high-valency immune complexes and fMLP signaling pathways.

Neutrophils phagocytize high-valency immune complexes (HIC) by an Fc gamma receptor-mediated mechanism, activating an oxidative burst and initiating degranulation. In contrast, neutrophils exhibit chemotaxis to N-formylated peptides [e.g., N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP)] and secrete far fewer oxidants or granule contents than neutrophils activated by HIC. However, if neutrophils are treated with cytochalasin B (CB) or permeabilized with streptolysin O, chemoattractant-induced neutrophil secretion is increased to a level beyond that observed in response to HIC. Because priming neutrophils with CB, or permeabilizing them, also augments activation of phospholipase D (PLD) in response to fMLP, we reasoned that, in intact (i.e., nonpermeabilized) unprimed neutrophils, PLD may participate in a signaling pathway specific to phagocytic stimuli such as HIC and hence may contribute to degranulation control. PLD activity in response to HIC and fMLP correlated closely with stimulus-induced azurophilic degranulation under a wide variety of experimental conditions, including compounds that abrogated or augmented stimulus-induced PLD action. PLD activation preceded, and appeared to be necessary for, azurophilic degranulation. These results suggest that PLD may play a central role in controlling azurophilic degranulation and provide signaling specificity between pathways activated by fMLP and HIC in intact neutrophils.
Preweaning diet and stall weaning method influences on stress response in foals.

The stress response of foals during weaning was examined in terms of a behavioral protocol and the responses of plasma ascorbate, serum cortisol, and the serum cortisol response to an ACTH challenge. The experimental plan was a 2 x 2 factorial of two preweaning diets and two stall weaning methods. Dietary groups included foals raised on pasture supplemented with hay and a pelleted concentrate (PHC) and foals raised on pasture supplemented with hay only (PH). Stall weaning methods included foals placed in stalls singly or in pairs. Sex influences were also examined. The foals exhibited characteristic behavioral and physiological responses to weaning stress. Behavior scores indicated fewer outward signs of stress in single than in paired foals (P = .008) and tended to indicate fewer signs of stress in PHC than in PH foals (P = .15). No differences in plasma ascorbate concentrations were found among treatments. Responses of serum cortisol to an ACTH challenge were lower (representing adrenal depletion arising from stress) in PH than in PHC foals (P = .001) and in paired than in single foals (P = .058). Behavior scores were positively correlated with the response of serum cortisol to ACTH. Both behavioral data and the ACTH response indicated that foals may cope better with weaning when supplemented with concentrate before weaning or when placed singly in stalls rather than in pairs.
Automatic Localization and Display of MRI-Guided Needles in Interventional MRI

Because of its superior soft tissue contrast, MRI has become the imaging method of choice for the development of many interventional procedures. Such procedures, being developed at UCLA, include interventional therapies involving focal lesion destruction using laser, RF heating and ultrasound; MRI-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology; MRI-compatible deeply-embeded electrodes for accurate physiological monitoring of brain activity; among others.
HYDROGEN BONDING IN β-NITRO ALCOHOLS. III. PYRIDINE COMPLEXES

Abstract β-Nitro alcohols form stable 1:1 complexes with pyridine, examples of which have been prepared. In solvents such as dichloromethane and carbon tetrachloride these complexes partially dissociate into their components. The dissociation constants for these equilibria have been determined by infrared methods and may be used as a measure of the strength of the complex hydrogen bond. The dissociation constants decrease with increasing number of β-nitro groups. Some reactions of the pyridine complexes are described.
The Electric Field of Nature

Though Emerson broke from the Unitarian Church in 1832, casting off his ministerial office in favor of the poet’s vocation, he continued to preach, the lyceum his pulpit, the essay his sermon. In substantiating religious intuitions with scientific facts, Emerson, suckled on the scripture, tutored by his intensely devout Aunt Mary, never thought to reject Christianity but to revise it, to improve upon it. This he did by redeploying in scientific contexts the religious ideas, patterns, structures he most valued: God’s animating breath became the scientific principle of life; prophecy, apprehension and expression of natural law; the grandeur of scripture, the sublime. Again, Emerson was about synthesizing, blending, in hermetic fashion, a religious sensibility with scientific rigor. He wished to bring the minister’s speculations to fruition in the laboratory.
Syntheses of three naturally occurring polybrominated 3,3'-bi-1H-indoles.

The naturally occurring polybrominated indoles 2,2′,5,5′-tetrabromo-3,3′-bi-1H-indole, 2,2′,6,6′-tetrabromo-3,3′-bi-1H-indole, and 2,2′,5,5′,6,6′-hexabromo-3,3′-bi-1H-indole were synthesized using a palladium catalyzed, carbon monoxide mediated, double reductive N-heterocyclization of 2,3-bis(2-nitro-4(or 5)-bromophenyl)-1,4-butadienes as the key step.
CT in the Evaluation of Acute Injuries of the Anterior Eye Segment.

OBJECTIVE. Slit-lamp ophthalmologic examination and ocular B-scan sonography of the globe are frequently constrained by technical limitations in the setting of traumatic orbital injury. The main pu...
Civil Wars & Transnational Threats: Mapping the Terrain, Assessing the Links

Among the primary strategic rationales for U.S. policy engagement in war-torn states has been the assumption that internal violence generates cross-border spillovers with negative consequences for ...
Genetically Engineered Herbicide-Resistant Crops and Herbicide-Resistant Weed Evolution in the United States

Genetically engineered (GE) herbicide-resistant crops have been widely adopted by farmers in the United States and other countries around the world, and these crops have caused significant changes in herbicide use patterns. GE crops have been blamed for increased problems with herbicide-resistant weeds (colloquially called by the misnomer “superweeds”); however, there has been no rigorous analysis of herbicide use or herbicide-resistant weed evolution to quantify the impact of GE crops on herbicide resistance. Here, I analyze data from the International Survey of Herbicide Resistant Weeds and the USDA and demonstrate that adoption of GE corn varieties did not reduce herbicide diversity, and therefore likely did not increase selection pressure for herbicideresistant weeds in that crop. Adoption of GE herbicide-resistant varieties substantially reduced herbicide diversity in cotton and soybean. Increased glyphosate use in cotton and soybean largely displaced herbicides that are more likely to select for herbicide-resistant weeds, which at least partially mitigated the impact of reduced herbicide diversity. The overall rate of newly confirmed herbicideresistant weed species to all herbicide sites of action (SOAs) has slowed in the United States since 2005. Although the number of glyphosate-resistant weeds has increased since 1998, the evolution of new glyphosate-resistant weed species as a function of area sprayed has remained relatively low compared with several other commonly used herbicide SOAs.Nomenclature: Glyphosate; corn, Zea mays L.; cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L.; soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr.
Deep learning enabled national cancer surveillance

Pathology reports are a primary source of information for cancer registries which process high volumes of free-text reports annually. Information extraction and coding is a manual, labor-intensive process. In this talk I will discuss the latest deep learning technology, presenting both theoretical and practical perspectives that are relevant to natural language processing of clinical pathology reports. Using different deep learning architectures, I will present benchmark studies for various information extraction tasks and discuss their importance in supporting a comprehensive and scalable national cancer surveillance program.
How nature covers its bases

The response of DNA and RNA bases to ultraviolet (UV) radiation has been receiving increasing attention for a number of important reasons: (i) the selection of the building blocks of life on an early earth may have been mediated by UV photochemistry, (ii) radiative damage of DNA depends critically on its photochemical properties, and (iii) the processes involved are quite general and play a role in more biomolecules as well as in other compounds. A growing number of groups worldwide have been studying the photochemistry of nucleobases and their derivatives. Here we focus on gas phase studies, which (i) reveal intrinsic properties distinct from effects from the molecular environment, (ii) allow for the most detailed comparison with the highest levels of computational theory, and (iii) provide isomeric selectivity. From the work so far a picture is emerging of rapid decay pathways following UV excitation. The main understanding, which is now well established, is that canonical nucleobases, when absorbing UV radiation, tend to eliminate the resulting electronic excitation by internal conversion (IC) to the electronic ground state in picoseconds or less. The availability of this rapid "safe" de-excitation pathway turns out to depend exquisitely on molecular structure. The canonical DNA and RNA bases are generally short-lived in the excited state, and thus UV protected. Many closely related compounds are longer lived, and thus more prone to other, potentially harmful, photochemical processes. It is this structure dependence that suggests a mechanism for the chemical selection of the building blocks of life on an early earth. However, the picture is far from complete and many new questions now arise.