cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Post-transcriptional regulation of c-fms proto-oncogene expression by dexamethasone and of CSF-1 in human breast carcinomas in vitro

Abstract The c-fms proto-oncogene encodes the receptor for a hematopoietic growth factor, CSF-1. Recently, the importance of c-fms and its ligand CSF-1 in malignancies of non-hematopoietic origin, such as breast, ovarian, endometrial, pulmonary, and trophoblastic cancers has been recognized. We have previously shown that glucocorticoids induce a large increase in c-fms mRNA and protein levels in breast carcinoma cell lines. In this report, we investigate the mechanism underlying such c-fms overexpression by dexamethasone. We show that dexamethasone treatment of two breast carcinoma cell lines (BT20-c-fms expressor, and SKBR3-co-expressor of both c-fms and CSF-1) does not increase the rate of c-fms gene transcription, suggesting a post-transcriptional mechanism of regulation of c-fms expression by dexamethasone. The effect of protein synthesis inhibition was studied to help determine whether there was a role for intermediary regulatory proteins in the regulation of c-fms expression. We find that several protein synthesis inhibitors interfere with dexamethasone induction of c-fms transcripts, suggesting the existence of regulatory proteins. These regulatory proteins do not appear to be constitutively expressed, as we show no effect of protein synthesis inhibition on c-fms transcript expression in resting BT20 cells. These findings suggest that the putative regulatory proteins are induced by dexamethasone. Furthermore, the addition of a protein synthesis inhibitor, pactamycin, to dexamethasone-treated BT20 cells results in a decrease in c-fms mRNA stability. There is no decrease of c-fms transcripts over the six hours of actinomycin-D chase in the dexamethasone-treated cells. However, when pactamycin is added to dexamethasone, the calculated c-fms mRNA half-life falls to seven hours, which represents a decrease of c-fms mRNA half-life to that measured in the resting cell, and in monocytes. Taken together, these results suggest the involvement of a dexamethasone-inducible c-fms mRNA stabilizing protein in the regulation of c-fms gene expression in breast carcinoma cell lines. Interestingly, dexamethasone has no effect on CSF-1 expression in SKBR3 cells. Protein synthesis inhibition however results in a reciprocal effect, with induction and stabilization of CSF-1 transcripts, which contrasts with the destabilization of c-fms mRNA. This reciprocal effect led us to postulate that CSF-1 may also contribute to the post-transcriptional regulation of c-fms mRNA expression in breast carcinoma cells. Therefore, the effect of addition of exogenous CSF-1 on c-fms mRNA expression in BT20 cells was studied. We demonstrate that exogenous CSF-1 is able to down-regulate c-fms mRNA expression by 3-fold in BT20 cells. This suggests that CSF-1, in addition to glucocorticoids, may play a role in the post-transcriptional regulation of c-fms expression in breast carcinoma cells. (Steroids 59:514–522, 1994)
Netrin-3, a Mouse Homolog of Human NTN2L, Is Highly Expressed in Sensory Ganglia and Shows Differential Binding to Netrin Receptors

The netrins comprise a small phylogenetically conserved family of guidance cues important for guiding particular axonal growth cones to their targets. Two netrin genes, netrin-1 andnetrin-2, have been described in chicken, but in mouse so far a single netrin gene, an ortholog of chicknetrin-1, has been reported. We report the identification of a second mouse netrin gene, which we namenetrin-3. Netrin-3 does not appear to be the ortholog of chick netrin-2 but is the ortholog of a recently identified human netrin gene termed NTN2L(“netrin-2-like”), as evidenced by a high degree of sequence conservation and by chromosomal localization. Netrin-3is expressed in sensory ganglia, mesenchymal cells, and muscles during the time of peripheral nerve development but is largely excluded from the CNS at early stages of its development. The murine netrin-3 protein binds to netrin receptors of the DCC (deleted in colorectal cancer) family [DCC and neogenin] and the UNC5 family (UNC5H1, UNC5H2 and UNC5H3). Unlike chick netrin-1, however, murine netrin-3 binds to DCC with lower affinity than to the other four receptors. Consistent with this finding, although murine netrin-3 can mimic the outgrowth-promoting activity of netrin-1 on commissural axons, it has lower specific activity than netrin-1. Thus, like netrin-1, netrin-3 may also function in axon guidance during development but may function predominantly in the development of the peripheral nervous system and may act primarily through netrin receptors other than DCC.
The Ultrastructure of Macrophages in Granulomatous Colitis of Boxer Dogs

Thirteen cases of granulomatous colitis of Boxer dogs were studied by electron microscopy to define the contents of macrophages and to seek infectious agents. Macrophages were of three types. The most numerous were distended with residual bodies composed of membranes and parallel pairs of membranes, many arranged in circular patterns. A second common form had heterogeneous cytoplasm distended with phagosomes containing numerous small granular spheres of various sizes and electron densities. The least common were "young" macrophages containing phagocytic vacuoles. Rare macrophages in four of 13 dogs contained bacteria. Macrophages in five of the dogs contained abundant coccoid, coccobacillary of lobulated granular structures, 100-500 nm in diameter, resembling chlamydia. Transition from phagocytic particle to phagosome to residual body was apparent. Granulomatous colitis of Boxer dogs is probably caused by a lipid-rich, ribosome-rich, coccoid to coccobacillary organism that possesses a cell membrane and sometimes a nucleoid, and ranges from 100 to 500 nm in size.
Methadone Treatment and Legal Supervision: Individual and Joint Effects on the Behavior of Narcotics Addicts

This study investigated the individual and joint effects of methadone maintenance treatment and of legal supervision that included drug use testing (e.g., parole or probation) in improving the behaviors of narcotics addicts. Subjects were 202 clients selected from a sample of admissions to methadone clinics in southern California. The subjects selected had experienced all intervention conditions (methadone maintenance alone, legal supervision/drug testing alone, both interventions simultaneously, and neither intervention) in their addiction careers. Extensive interviewing of subjects provided longitudinal self-report data on various characteristics and behaviors. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to test for statistical differences. Overall, the individual effect of methadone maintenance and of legal supervision was better than that of the no-intervention condition in improving drug use and criminal behavior by narcotics addicts. Methadone maintenance alone showed a broader range of improvem...
Covering Ground: Communal Water Management and the State in the Peruvian Highlands

Covering Ground: Communal Water Management and the State in the Peruvian Highlands. David W. Guillet. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 1992. 250 pp. $39.50 (cloth). ISBN 0–472–09474–2.
Event-Driven Control System for Geographically Distributed Hybrid Simulation

An event-driven distributed control system for conducting continuous seismic response simulations using geographically distributed hybrid models is presented. Hybrid models, comprising appropriately scaled experimental and numerical substructures in networked geographically distributed laboratories or computers, can be used to realistically and cost-effectively evaluate the performance of complex structures at large scales. The principal advantage of the proposed event-driven control system is its ability to mitigate the adverse effects of random completion times of communication, computation, actuation and measurement tasks during a hybrid simulation on the stability, accuracy and reliability of the simulation results. The efficiency of the proposed continuous extrapolation/interpolation hybrid simulation method is demonstrated by examining the earthquake response of a two-story shear building model that comprises two experimental substructures and a numerical integrator connected through the internet. An evaluation of results from these hybrid simulations suggests that distributed hybrid simulation conducted using the proposed procedure provides accurate and reliable results.
Analysis of Environmental Impact of Eliminating Arrival Hold Short Operations for Runway Crossings at Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport

This paper analyzes the environmental impact of eliminating arrival aircraft stops at active runway crossings. As the air traffic demand increases, innovative operating procedures to either reduce or maintain environmental impact will be required. To improve surface operation efficiency, as well as potentially reduce environmental harm, eliminating arrival aircraft stops at active runway crossings is being explored. This paper describes an analysis of active runway crossing operations for arrival aircraft, as well as a comparison of the fuel and emissions environmental impact of maintaining current active runway crossing operations versus eliminating aircraft hold short operations at active runway crossings. Three previously developed software tools were used in the data analysis. The results indicate a decrease in both emissions exposure levels and fuel consumption prior to a runway crossing on the order of 30% with the implementation of the operating procedure that eliminates hold short operations and allows continual taxi for runway crossings.
Approximating predicates and expressive queries on probabilistic databases

We study complexity and approximation of queries in an expressive query language for probabilistic databases. The language studied supports the compositional use of confidence computation. It allows for a wide range of new use cases, such as the computation of conditional probabilities and of selections based on predicates that involve marginal and conditional probabilities. These features have important applications in areas such as data cleaning and the processing of sensor data. We establish techniques for efficiently computing approximate query results and for estimating the error incurred by queries. The central difficulty is due to selection predicates based on approximated values, which may lead to the unreliable selection of tuples. A database may contain certain singularities at which approximation of predicates cannot be achieved; however, the paper presents an algorithm that provides efficient approximation otherwise.
Library Hospitality: Some Preliminary Considerations

Library scholars and practitioners have frequently reflected on the various factors that in combination make up a hospitable library, but there has been little theoretical synthesis of the notion of the library as a place of hospitality. The hospitality industry provides a rich vein of theoretical material from which to draw definitions of hospitality, and an analysis of this material leads to a preliminary definition of library hospitality: the provision of library resources by a genuinely motivated employee to fulfill the library need of a patron in an environment conducive to the provision of those resources. Libraries have historically provided and today continue to provide services that can be examined under the six elements of this definition. Library hospitality is best seen as a framing device for the entire service approach of the institution as a whole, a way for libraries to make decisions about implementing particular initiatives.
Toggling a conformational switch in Wnt/β-catenin signaling: regulation of Axin phosphorylation. The phosphorylation state of Axin controls its scaffold function in two Wnt pathway protein complexes

The precise orchestration of two opposing protein complexes - one in the cytoplasm (β-catenin destruction complex) and the other at the plasma membrane (LRP6 signaling complex) - is critical for controlling levels of the transcriptional co-factor β-catenin, and subsequent activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signal transduction pathway. The Wnt pathway component Axin acts as an essential scaffold for the assembly of both complexes. How the β-catenin destruction and LRP6 signaling complexes are modulated following Wnt stimulation remains controversial. A recent study in Science by He and coworkers reveals an underlying logic for Wnt pathway control in which Axin phosphorylation toggles a switch between the active and inactive states. This mini-review focuses on this and two other recent studies that provide insight into the initial signaling events triggered by Wnt exposure. We emphasize regulation of the β-catenin destruction and LRP6 signaling complexes and propose a framework for future work in this area.
Down-regulation of glycosyltransferase 8D genes in Populus trichocarpa caused reduced mechanical strength and xylan content in wood

Members of glycosyltransferase protein families GT8, GT43 and GT47 are implicated in the biosynthesis of xylan in the secondary cell walls of Arabidopsis. The Arabidopsis mutant irx8 has a 60% reduction in xylan. However, over-expression of an ortholog of Arabidopsis IRX8, poplar PoGT8D, in Arabidopsis irx8 mutant could not restore xylan synthesis. The functions of tree GT8D genes remain unclear. We identified two GT8 gene homologs, PtrGT8D1 and PtrGT8D2, in Populus trichocarpa. They are the only two GT8D members and are abundantly and specifically expressed in the differentiating xylem of P. trichocarpa. PtrGT8D1 transcript abundance was >7 times that of PtrGT8D2. To elucidate the genetic function of GT8D in P. trichocarpa, the expression of PtrGT8D1 and PtrGT8D2 was simultaneously knocked down through RNAi. Four transgenic lines had 85–94% reduction in transcripts of PtrGT8D1 and PtrGT8D2, resulting in 29–36% reduction in stem wood xylan content. Xylan reduction had essentially no effect on cellulose quantity but caused an 11–25% increase in lignin. These transgenics exhibit a brittle wood phenotype, accompanied by increased vessel diameter and thinner fiber cell walls in stem xylem. Stem modulus of elasticity and modulus of rupture were reduced by 17–29% and 16–23%, respectively, and were positively correlated with xylan content but negatively correlated with lignin quantity. These results suggest that PtrGT8Ds play key roles in xylan biosynthesis in wood. Xylan may be a more important factor than lignin affecting the stiffness and fracture strength of wood.
Polyaniline/poly(ε-caprolactone) composite electrospun nanofiber-based gas sensors: optimization of sensing properties by dopants and doping concentration.

Electrospinning was utilized to synthesize a polyaniline (PANI)/poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) composite in the form of nanofibers to examine its gas sensing performance. Electrical conductivity of the composite nanofibers was tailored by secondary doping with protonic acids including hydrochloride (HCl) or camphorsulfonic acid (HCSA). FT-IR and diffuse reflectance UV–vis spectroscopy were utilized to examine doping-dependent changes in the chemical structure and the protonation state of the nanofibers, respectively. The oxidation and protonation state of the composite nanofibers were shown to strongly depend on the doping agent and duration, demonstrating a simple way of controlling the electrical conductivity of the composite. PANI/PCL electrospun nanofibers having various electrical conductivities via varying dopants and doping concentrations, were configured to chemiresistors for sensing various analytes, including water vapor, NH3, and NO2. Secondary doping with Cl− and CSA differentially affected sensing behaviors by having distinctive optimal sensitivities. Biphasic sensitivity with respect to electrical conductivity was observed, demonstrating a facile method to enhance gas sensitivity by optimizing secondary doping. A balance between Debye length of the nanofibers and overall charge conduction may play an important role for modulating such an optimal sensitivity.
The locality of RBF-SVM for incremental learning

Data mining algorithms for large scale data are becoming more crucial in today's world. This is due to the unprecedented size of streaming data being collected by information technology. Incremental learning is considered one of the key concepts for streaming data mining where a learned model is updated when new data becomes available in time. In this paper, we study RBF-SVM local incremental learning. The RBF-SVM decision function has been shown to have local properties which can be beneficial if they hold during learning as well. A learning machine that has local properties during learning is very desirable for incremental learning; this is because the machine will need to be updated only locally to accommodate the newly collected training data. In this paper we show via mathematical formalization and experimental verification that RBF-SVM preserves the local properties during learning. We also propose an estimate of the size of the regions in the learned model that need to be updated during the learning increments.
Against the Standards: Analyzing Expectations and Discourse of Educators regarding Students with Disabilities in a Kindergarten Classroom

This two-year ethnographic case study critically examines the language educators use to describe students with disabilities who are considered to present challenging behaviors in one classroom. Focusing on the language and practices used by one special education teacher and three teaching assistants, this paper explores how educators respond to students’ behaviors by analyzing educators’ utterances and the implication of such use for the education of the students. Using critical discourse analysis, this paper highlights how educators’ language in the classroom reflects a discourse of expectations that is based on various social standards and pressures that educators have to juggle. Educators expressed academic and behavioral standards by comparing students’ performance to the expected norm as well as through comparisons between students. Based on such comparisons, some students were constructed as always lacking and ultimately defined by the adjectives originally used to describe them. Students were perceived to embody defiance or smartness, the characteristics by which they were defined.
NFATc3 mediates chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary arterial remodeling with α-actin up-regulation

Physiological responses to chronic hypoxia include polycythemia, pulmonary arterial remodeling, and vasoconstriction. Chronic hypoxia causes pulmonary arterial hypertension leading to right ventricular hypertrophy and heart failure. During pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary arteries exhibit increased expression of smooth muscle-α-actin and -myosin heavy chain. NFATc3 (nuclear factor of activated T cells isoform c3), which is aCa2+-dependent transcription factor, has been recently linked to smooth muscle phenotypic maintenance through the regulation of the expression of α-actin. The aim of this study was to determine if: (a) NFATc3 is expressed in murine pulmonary arteries, (b) hypoxia induces NFAT activation, (c) NFATc3 mediates the up-regulation of α-actin during chronic hypoxia, and (d) NFATc3 is involved in chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling. NFATc3 transcript and protein were found in pulmonary arteries. NFAT-luciferase reporter mice were exposed to normoxia (630 torr) or hypoxia (380 torr) for 2, 7, or 21 days. Exposure to hypoxia elicited a significant increase in luciferase activity and pulmonary arterial smooth muscle nuclear NFATc3 localization, demonstrating NFAT activation. Hypoxia induced up-regulation of α-actin and was prevented by the calcineurin/NFAT inhibitor, cyclosporin A (25 mg/kg/day s.c.). In addition, NFATc3 knock-out mice did not showed increased α-actin levels and arterial wall thickness after hypoxia. These results strongly suggest that NFATc3 plays a role in the chronic hypoxia-induced vascular changes that underlie pulmonary hypertension.
Deducibility security with dynamic level assignments

The authors give a generalization of the definition of security for state machines given by D. Sutherland (Proc. 9th Nat. Comput. Security Conf., Sept. 1986). The generalization allows the security levels of inputs and outputs to be assigned dynamically. Its aim is merely to say what it means to infer high-level information from low-level information when the definitions of what is high and low can change. Although the generalization supports the modeling of thins like login and reclassification, it does not give any guidance about how to do login or reclassification correctly. It merely allows such procedures to be represented; this cannot be done in a straightforward way with previous models. >
GENERATION 1.5 MEETS COLLEGE COMPOSITION: ISSUES IN THE TEACHING OF WRITING TO U.S.-EDUCATED LEARNERS OF ESL. Linda Harklau, Kay M. Losey, and Meryl Siegal (Eds.). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum, 1999. Pp. v + 245. 24.50 paper.

For the last decade, college campuses across the United States have witnessed an influx of U.S.-educated nonnative speakers of English. Many of these students come to postsecondary institutions with almost nativelike communicative competence yet marginal literacy skills. This mismatch in proficiency has proved to be a daunting challenge to ESL and composition faculty. Furthermore, few researchers have examined the linguistic needs of this population, creating a gap in our knowledge of how best to intervene with these students. Generation 1.5 Meets College Composition: Issues in the Teaching of Writing to U.S.-Educated Learners of ESLis one of the first attempts to fill that void. This noteworthy volume brings together the current research on U.S.-educated learners of ESL, or Generation 1.5, a reference to U.S.-educated immigrant students who are caught somewhere between the cultural and linguistic experiences of the first and second generations.
Seven Contexts for Service System Design

Many of the most complex service systems being built and imagined today combine person-to-person encounters, technology-enhanced encounters, self-service, computational service s, multi-channel, multi-device, and location-based and context-aware services. This paper examines the characteristic concerns and methods for these seven different design contexts to propose a unifying view that spans them, especially when the service-system is “information-intensive.” A focus on the information required to perform the service, how the responsibility to provide this information is divided between the service provider and service consumer, and the patterns that govern information exchange yields a more abstract description of service encounters and outcomes. This makes it easier to see the systematic relationships among the contexts that can be exploited as design parameters or patterns, such as the substitutability of stored or contextual information for person-to-person interactions. A case study for the design of a “smart multi-channel bookstore” illustrates the use of the different design contexts as building blocks for service systems.
Data Parallel Quadtree Indexing and Spatial Query Processing of Complex Polygon Data on GPUs

Fast growing computing power on commodity parallel hardware makes it both an opportunity and a challenge to use modern hardware for large-scale data management. While GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) computing is conceptually an excellent match for spatial data management which is both data and computing intensive, the complexity of multi-dimensional spatial indexing and query processing techniques has made it difficult to port existing serial algorithms to GPUs. In this study, we propose a parallel primitives based strategy for spatial data management. We present data parallel designs for polygon decomposition, quadtree construction and spatial query processing. These designs can be realized on both GPUs and multi-core CPUs as well as future generation hardware when parallel libraries that support the primitives are available. Using a large-scale geo-referenced species distribution dataset as an example, the GPU-based implementations can achieve up to 190X speedups over serial CPU implementations and 14X speedups over 16-core CPU implementations for polygon decomposition, which is the most computing intensive module in the end-to-end spatial data management solution we have provided. For quadtree constructions and spatial range/polygon query modules, which are more data intensive, the speedups over single and multi-core CPUs are up to 27X and 2X, respectively, depending on workloads. Comparing with a similar technique on polygon decomposition that is realized using a native parallel programming language, our parallel primitives based implementation is up to 3X faster on the species distribution dataset. The results may suggest that simplicity and efficiency can be achieved simultaneously using the data parallel design strategy by identifying the inherent data parallelisms in application domains.
Improvement of Existing Wastewater Treatment Plants' Efficiencies without Enlargement of Tankage by Application of the Linpor-Process – Case Studies

The LINPOR process is a convenient method for upgrading activated sludge plants without enlargement of tankage. By filling up 15-30% of the aeration volume with highly porous plastic foam particles, which serve as a carrier for the active biomass, the total MLSS concentration is increased and the F/M ratio is lowered. Three examples of upgraded activated sludge plants are presented.
Security Incident Origin Discovery (SIOD): IP Transaction Tracking for Centralized Cyber Defense

In many enterprise Internet Protocol networks, Network Address Translation and other traffic forwarding techniques protect interior assets from exterior threats by minimizing exposure to just a single, hardened point. Complex networks may incorporate several layers of such protection. However, this obfuscation also hinders legitimate cyber security functions, discovering the complete path of a suspicious traffic flow requires inspecting forwarders' logs, unraveling one layer of concealment at a time. These challenges are compounded when centralized cyber-defense teams must pursue suspicious activity across numerous regional and individual site networks. Identifying a single host at the end of a dubious transaction may require coordination among central, regional, and local administrators, as well as human review of many intermediary devices' activity logs. In this paper, we describe an approach to automate the investigation process by correlating details of alerts and forwarder records to iteratively discover the chain of forwarders implicated in a given transaction. By rapidly revealing a suspicious transaction's true endpoints, incident response times can be dramatically reduced, allowing for rapid intervention and analysis. We present our prototype tracing algorithm in pseudo-code, describe the diverse lab environment in which it was developed, and detail specific trace scenarios for both web and Domain Name Service traffic. We address unique log formats and behaviors of different forwarders and recommend practices for specific units. Finally, we discuss means to integrate investigation triggers and results into existing Security Information and Event Management deployments, empowering cyber-defense analysts without further complicating their workflows.
The Influence of Muscle Pain on Spinal Reflexes.

SummaryStimuli such as injection of hypertonic NaCl solution into striated muscle or faradization of muscles which cause “muscle pain” in man, and pupillary dilatation and vocalization in the anesthetized animal modify spinal reflexes in the latter. It is shown that in general ipsilateral “painful” stimuli increase the response of a flexor reflex and diminish the response of the knee jerk to a standard stimulus. On the other hand, contralateral “pain” stimulation causes an increase in the knee jerk and a decrease in the flexor reflex. If excessive stimuli are used the knee jerk may be inhibited not only from the ipsi- but also from the contralateral side. The fact that “muscle pain” greatly enhances the effect of electrical stimulation of the motor cortex is not due to the alteration of spinal centers but suggests the involvement of supraspinal mechanisms.
Current and Emerging Therapies for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

This chapter will discuss state-of-the-art of various therapies for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). As only patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are generally at risk for progressing to end-stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma, liver-directed therapies to improve or reverse NASH are directed at this population. The most tested options with some efficacy are weight loss, vitamin E, and pioglitazone. In the morbidly obese patients with NASH, bariatric surgery is effective at improving or resolving the liver injury, but its safety is unknown in NASH patients with cirrhosis. Liver transplantation offers excellent patient and graft survival for NASH patients with cirrhosis and liver failure or early stage hepatocellular carcinoma. Existing literature does not currently support the use of many previously tested agents for NAFLD and NASH such as metformin, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, or ursodeoxycholic acid. A number of emerging therapeutics agents in different stages of testing are reviewed as well. Recent data from a large randomized trial of obeticholic acid in patients with NASH is encouraging but requires validation and long-term safety data. Finally, addressing the metabolic and cardiac comorbidities is an important element in managing all patients with NAFLD. In this setting, statins can be safely used when indicated to treat dyslipidemia.
A case study of a family's digital technology use

Teenagers in the United States are rapidly adopting emerging digital technologies, around which they create complex social practices, such as instant messaging, text messaging, and online video gaming (Kaiser Family Foundation & San Jose Mercury News, 2003; Lenhart, Rainie, & Lewis, 2001). Embedded in these online social practices are technologically-mediated conversations in which teens explore their identities, gain information, develop cybercultures, create communication styles and patterns, and learn socialization skills.
Optical fiber panel shadow detection based on edge operator and mathematical morphology

Shadow is one kind of defects of optical fiber panel(OFP)caused during production.According to the gradient variation of the shadow light transmittance,this paper discussed the gray variation of its corresponding image and proposed a new method for OFP shadow detection based on classical edge operator and mathematical morphology.Firstly,the shadow edge was detected initially using Canny operator,then the optimal mathematical morphology method and structure element was selected.Finally,the shadow edge was connected based on close operation.The experimental results indicated that this method could detect the shadow of OFP effectively and the results were distinct and integrated.
Drug resistance of 371 strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Quzhou in the year 2010

Objective To explore the drug resistance status of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Quzhou in the year 2010 so as to provide reference for its diagnosis and treatment.Methods The WHO recommended proportion was adopted,371 clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were enrolled in drug sensitivity test with proportion method recommended by WHO.Results The total drug resistance rate was 24%,and the rate of MDR was 6.7%.The rate of drug resistance to isoniazid and streptomycin was higher than others,which were 15.4% and 11.9%,respectively.Conclusion Drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis tends to be serious,which is worthy of attention from relevant health authorities.
Priming the Mind to See Its Double: Mindfulness in a New Key

In accordance with the distinction made by Bloom (Dev Sci 10:147–151, 2007) between two distinct cognitive systems—“one for dealing with material objects, the other for social entities” (p. 149), we propose two forms of mindfulness—non-relational and relational. Non-relational mindfulness is exemplified by Ellen Langer’s cognitive mindfulness, whereas relational mindfulness is best articulated by Chinese aesthetics. In this chapter, we invoke the physics notion of symmetry to explain relational mindfulness and also show that this framework is compatible with the Langerian formulation of mindfulness. We conclude with a study in which relational mindfulness was experimentally induced to test the hypotheses that (a) the capacity of the human mind to see its double beyond the social arena can be primed and (b) attunement with a virtual mind can reap unique mental health benefits such as tranquility and a sense of well-being associated with affiliative fantasies.
Are We Overemphasizing Manipulatives in the Primary Grades to the Detriment of Girls

During the last twenty-five years, arithmetic curricula have included more hands-on activities with an increasing emphasis on problem solving. According to the Representation Standard in Principles and Standards, “instructional programs from prekindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to use representations to model and interpret physical, social, and mathematical phenomena” (NCTM 2000, p. 136). Representations, such as manipulatives, help children develop understanding by building a foundation for the later use of symbols. When given a choice of how to solve a problem, children gravitate toward manipulatives because they can act out the situation or relationships in the problem. When children are free to choose strategies for problem solving in single-digit arithmetic, they typically progress from using concrete strategies to more abstract strategies. For example, consider the following problem: “Lisa had 8 seashells in her collection. Hal gave her 5 more seashells. How many seashells did Lisa have then?” To solve this problem, children in the beginning stage of development will make a set of 8 objects and another set of 5 objects, join the two sets, and count all the objects. As they progress in their development, children do not need to build the first set but can count on from 8 to get the answer. Eventually, children can solve the problem abstractly without requiring a concrete model of either quantity in the problem (see Carpenter et al. [1999] for a complete discussion of these developmental stages). This progression of strategies is quite natural, and even five-year-olds move from counting-all strategies to counting-on strategies without instruction (Groen and Resnick 1977). Some children progress along the same kind of developmental path for multidigit addition and subtraction, initially using concrete strategies in which they manipulate the quantities in the prob-
Preferential Solvation of an Asymmetric Redox Molecule

The fundamental correlations between solubility and solvation structure for the electrolyte system comprising N-(ferrocenylmethyl)-N,N-dimethyl-N-ethylammonium bistrifluoromethylsulfonimide (Fc1N112-TFSI) dissolved in a ternary carbonate solvent mixture is analyzed using combined NMR relaxation and computational methods. Probing the evolution of the solvent–solvent, ion–solvent and ion–ion interactions with an increase in solute concentration provides a molecular level understanding of the solubility limit of the Fc1N112-TFSI system. An increase in solute concentration leads to pronounced Fc1N112-TFSI contact-ion pair formation by diminishing solvent–solvent and ion–solvent type interactions. At the solubility limit, the precipitation of solute is initiated through agglomeration of contact-ion pairs due to overlapping solvation shells.
Trustworthy Analysis of Online A/B Tests: Pitfalls, challenges and solutions

A/B tests (or randomized controlled experiments) play an integral role in the research and development cycles of technology companies. As in classic randomized experiments (e.g., clinical trials), the underlying statistical analysis of A/B tests is based on assuming the randomization unit is independent and identically distributed (\iid). However, the randomization mechanisms utilized in online A/B tests can be quite complex and may render this assumption invalid. Analysis that unjustifiably relies on this assumption can yield untrustworthy results and lead to incorrect conclusions. Motivated by challenging problems arising from actual online experiments, we propose a new method of variance estimation that relies only on practically plausible assumptions, is directly applicable to a wide of range of randomization mechanisms, and can be implemented easily. We examine its performance and illustrate its advantages over two commonly used methods of variance estimation on both simulated and empirical datasets. Our results lead to a deeper understanding of the conditions under which the randomization unit can be treated as \iid In particular, we show that for purposes of variance estimation, the randomization unit can be approximated as \iid when the individual treatment effect variation is small; however, this approximation can lead to variance under-estimation when the individual treatment effect variation is large.
Selection-dependent and Independent Generation of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Gene Knockouts in Mammalian Cells

The CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering system has revolutionized biology by allowing for precise genome editing with little effort. Guided by a single guide RNA (sgRNA) that confers specificity, the Cas9 protein cleaves both DNA strands at the targeted locus. The DNA break can trigger either non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) or homology directed repair (HDR). NHEJ can introduce small deletions or insertions which lead to frame-shift mutations, while HDR allows for larger and more precise perturbations. Here, we present protocols for generating knockout cell lines by coupling established CRISPR/Cas9 methods with two options for downstream selection/screening. The NHEJ approach uses a single sgRNA cut site and selection-independent screening, where protein production is assessed by dot immunoblot in a high-throughput manner. The HDR approach uses two sgRNA cut sites that span the gene of interest. Together with a provided HDR template, this method can achieve deletion of tens of kb, aided by the inserted selectable resistance marker. The appropriate applications and advantages of each method are discussed.
Association of End-stage Renal Disease with Radiographically and Clinically Diagnosed Apical Periodontitis: A Hospital-based Study.

Abstract Introduction The present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of apical periodontitis (AP) and endodontic treatment in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) as compared with patients with no history of ESRD. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 40 patients diagnosed with nondiabetic ESRD were included. The control group consisted of 40 age-matched and sex-matched healthy individuals. Digital panoramic radiographs were exposed on patients in both the experimental and control groups. The number of remaining teeth and the prevalence of nonsurgical and/or surgical root canal treatment were evaluated. Also, the presence of AP in all teeth and endodontically treated teeth (ETT) was recorded using the periapical index. Logistic regression was used to determine the possible association between ESRD and AP. Results AP in at least 1 tooth was found in 29 of the patients with ESRD (73%) and in 16 of the control patients (40%) (odds ratio [OR] = 3.9, P P P P Conclusion AP was significantly more prevalent in the experimental group. This may suggest that ESRD could possibly alter the pathogenesis of AP. However, these findings do not confirm the presence of any cause-and-effect relationship between these conditions. Also, considering the modifying effect of AP on urea serum level, the treatment of AP could be incorporated in the treatment planning of patients with ESRD.
The Federal Home Loan Bank System: A Bibliography

This is an unannotated bibliography of writings through 2016 primarily about the Federal Home Loan Bank System (FHLBS), but it also includes materials regarding the savings and loan (S&L) industry. While it is comprehensive, it is not exhaustive, with a focus on work published by government agencies, economists, legal and policy scholars, private sector analysts and think tanks. The bibliography also includes other materials about the housing finance market in the 19th and early 20th Century. These materials provide some context for the operations of the FHLBS and the S&L industry. This bibliography will be posted on Wikipedia so that others can make additions to it. The text of this page and the attached downloadable document are available for modification and reuse under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Unported License and the GNU Free Documentation License (unversioned, with no invariant sections, front-cover texts, or back-cover texts).
Die Entwicklungserregung des Seeigeleies durch Alkalien

Wir haben in einem fruheren Kapitel gezeigt, das die ursprungliche Methode der Entwicklungserregung des Eies durch hypertonische Losungen in Wirklichkeit eine Kombination von zwei Variablen war, namlich hypertonischer Losung und Konzentration der Hydroxylionen.1)Nur wenn die Losung alkalisch war, erwies sich die hypertonische Losung als wirksam. Es lag nahe zu vermuten, das die beiden Agenzien sich zeitlich trennen lassen, und das die Hydroxylionen ahnlich wie die Fettsauren wirken. Diese Vermutung bestatigte sich auch. Nur ist die Analogie nicht ganz vollkommen. Die Membranbildung erfolgt selten durch die Behandlung mit Alkali allein. Wenn man aber die Eier erst mit Alkali behandelt und dann mit hypertonischem Seewasser, so bildet sich oft eine Membran. Dieselbe liegt dem Zytoplasma oft sehr dicht an. Aber das letztere beobachten wir auch, wenn wir Eier, die 24bis 48Stunden in Seewasser gelegen haben, mit Samen befruchten.
Endoscopic biliary stent placement for anastomotic stricture following esophageal atresia repair in infant

Abstract Esophageal atresia is the most common congenital anomaly of the esophagus. Treatment optimally includes primary tension-free anastomosis of the upper and lower aspects of the esophagus. Distance between the upper and lower esophagus predisposes the anastomosis to tension, increasing the risk of anastomotic stricture. Esophageal stricture has historically been managed with repeated endoscopic balloon dilations. Multiple failed attempts at endoscopic balloon dilation requires surgical revision of the anastomosis. Stenting of esophageal stricture has been used in the adult population but has not been described for children. This case report demonstrates the placement of biliary stents in a 2-month-old infant with esophageal stricture following repair of a long gap Type C tracheoesophageal fistula. Successful stenting procedure averted the need for surgical revision.
Human Pluripotent Stem Cells to Assess Developmental Toxicity in the Osteogenic Lineage.

Musculoskeletal birth defects are frequent, yet their causes remain insufficiently investigated. Aside from genetic factors, exposure to environmental toxicants is suspected to contribute to the etiology of skeletal malformations. However, most chemicals in the environment are insufficiently characterized for their potential to cause harm to the differentiation of osteoblasts, the bone-forming cells and thereby the development of the skeleton.This lack of information primarily stems from animal testing being prohibitively expensive and time-consuming, which has prompted the development of predictive in vitro alternative methods. With the advent of mouse embryonic stem cells, which represent cells with the potential to become any of the 200 cell types in the body, among them osteoblasts, the past 15 years have borne suitable opportunities to assess chemicals in vitro. However, with an increasing understanding of the differences between mouse and human embryonic development, a need for human-specific developmental toxicity testing has risen. This chapter provides a detailed protocol on how to differentiate human embryonic stem cells into the osteogenic lineage, how to assess differentiation inhibition and how to evaluate such findings in relation to the mitochondrial activity of human embryonic stem cells and human fibroblasts, while exposed to a potential toxicant. Together, these endpoints allow for a human-specific screening of developmental toxicity specifically related to the osteogenic lineage.
Using consensus to automatically infer post-conditions

Formal behavioral specifications help ensure the correctness of programs. Writing such specifications by hand however is time-consuming and requires substantial expertise. Previous studies have shown how to use a notion of consensus to automatically infer pre-conditions for APIs by using a large set of projects. In this work, we propose a similar idea of consensus to automatically infer post-conditions for popular APIs. We propose two new algorithms for mining potential post-conditions from API client code. The first algorithm looks for guarded post-conditions that test the value returned from the API and throws an exception. The second algorithm looks for values flowing from the API to another API with already known preconditions, which recommends them as post-conditions of the first API.
Coupled feedbacks between mountain erosion rate, elevation, crustal temperature, and density

Abstract Many ancient (>1 Gyr) mountain belts have crust >50 km thick, in contrast with isostatic and erosion models that predict crustal attenuation to ∼30 km in
Structural Adaptation of Darunavir Analogs Against Primary Resistance Mutations in HIV-1 Protease

Abstract HIV-1 protease is one of the prime targets of agents used in antiretroviral therapy against HIV. However, under selective pressure of protease inhibitors, primary mutations at the active site weaken inhibitor binding to confer resistance. Darunavir (DRV) is the most potent HIV-1 protease inhibitor in clinic; resistance is limited, as DRV fits well within the substrate envelope. Nevertheless, resistance is observed due to hydrophobic changes at residues including I50, V82 and I84 that line the S1/S1’ pocket within the active site. Through enzyme inhibition assays and a series of 12 crystal structures, we interrogated susceptibility of DRV and two potent analogs to primary S1’ mutations. The analogs had modifications at the hydrophobic P1’ moiety to better occupy the unexploited space in the S1’ pocket where the primary mutations were located. Considerable losses of potency were observed against protease variants with I84V and I50V mutations for all three inhibitors. The crystal structures revealed an unexpected conformational change in the flap region of I50V protease bound to the analog with the largest P1’ moiety, indicating interdependency between the S1’ subsite and the flap region. Collective analysis of protease-inhibitor van der Waals (vdW) interactions in the crystal structures using principle component analysis indicated I84V mutation underlying the largest variation in the vdW contacts. Interestingly, the principle components were able to distinguish inhibitor identity and relative potency solely based on vdW interactions of active site residues in the crystal structures. Our results reveal the interplay between inhibitor P1’ moiety and primary S1’ mutations, as well as suggesting a novel method for distinguishing the interdependence of resistance through principle component analyses.