cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electrical Shrimp Trawl Catch Efficiency for Penaeus duorarum and Penaeus aztecus

Abstract The catch efficiency q of two electric shrimp trawl systems, fishing two commercially important species of shrimp, was determined. The variables which determined the efficiency of electric shrimp trawls are identified and defined. The efficiency of the two electric shrimp trawl systems were predicted with a mathematical model. Field studies indicated that the predictive model for Penaeus duorarum and P. aztecus is accurate to within 5% of the measured catch efficiency values. The predicted average catch efficiency value for a 21-m electric shrimp trawl was q* = 39% of the shrimp within its path as compared to q = 35% actual efficiency measured in the field. The predicted average efficiency value for a 15-m electric shrimp trawl was q* = 54% as compared to q = 54% measured in situ.
Multi-Scale Simulations of Climate-Change Influence on Chicago Heat Island

Over the past half century, burgeoning urban areas such as Chicago have experienced elevated anthropogenic-induced alteration of local climates within urbanized regions. As a result, urban heat island (UHI) effect in these areas has intensified. Global climate change can further modulate UHI’s negative effects on human welfare and energy conservation. Various numerical models exist to understand, monitor, and predict UHI and its ramifications, but none can resolve all the relevant physical phenomena that span a wide range of scales. To this end, we have applied a comprehensive multi-scale approach to study UHI of Chicago.The coupling of global, mesoscale, and micro-scale models has allowed for dynamical downscaling from global to regional to city and finally to neighborhood scales. The output of the Community Climate System Model (CCSM5), a general circulation model (GCM), provides future climate scenario, and its coupling with Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model enables studies on mesoscale behavior at urban scales. The output from the WRF model at 0.333 km resolution is used to drive a micro-scale model, ENVI-met. Through this coupling the bane of obtaining reliable initial and boundary conditions for the micro-scale model from limited available observational records has been aptly remedied. It was found that the performance of ENVI-met improves when WRF output, rather than observational data, is supplied for initial conditions. The success of the downscaling procedure allowed reasonable application of micro-scale model to future climate scenario provided by CCSM5 and WRF models. The fine (2 m) resolution of ENVI-met enables the study of two key effects of UHI at micro-scale: decreased pedestrian comfort and increased building-scale energy consumption. ENVI-met model’s explicit treatment of key processes that underpin urban microclimate makes it captivating for pedestrian comfort analysis. Building energy, however, is not modeled by ENVI-met so we have developed a simplified building energy model to estimate future cooling needs.© 2014 ASME
The SAGA Continues…to the End

In this issue of Molecular Cell, Atanassov et al. (2009) show that the GCN5-containing SAGA complex regulates telomere function via deubiquitination and stabilization of the telomere repeat binding factor TRF1.
Toward an Understanding of Preference for Agile Software Development Methods from a Personality Theory Perspective

This paper presents the results of an exploratory research study that investigates factors contributing to preference for the agile software development approaches. The initial exploration revolves around the Five Factor Model of personality and the premise that these personality factors provide a partial explanation of preference for an agile approach. A survey instrument for measuring the preference for agile methods was developed and validated. The results from the quantitative data collected from the survey study indicate that three out of the five personality factors from the Five Factor Model show a correlation with above average preference for agile methods. These factors are extra version, openness and neuroticism. The first two have a positive relationship with agile preference while neuroticism (emotional instability) has a negative relationship with agile methodology preference. To further investigate the results, an exploratory factor analysis was performed on the data, which identified three factors that may also contribute to a preference for agile methods.
Design of Dual PON-MAC ONU Dedicated for Communication System of Power Distribution and Utilization

With the development of smart power grid technology, EPON has become a popular communications technology both in power distribution and utilization automation. The article analyses several communication path protection methods of EPON system, then introduces the development of a dual PON-MAC ONU for such application, both hardware and software design are discussed. At last, A group of test data which verify the performance of fast protect switchover is given..
DETECTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOLOGIC DISORDERS

Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Patients can present with variety of symptoms, such as chest pain, fatigue, or dyspnea, that are mostly nonspecific for coronary artery disease. In this article, the importance of obtaining careful history in initiating the work-up of a rheumatologic patient who is suspected of having this disorder is discussed. The indications for noninvasive stress testing that can help differentiate deconditioning from significant coronary artery disease are reviewed, and dobutamine stress echocardiography and dipyridamole thallium imaging studies, the two most commonly used noninvasive techniques in identifying and localizing coronary artery disease, are compared and contrasted. An approach to management of coronary heart disease is also presented.
Establishment of a surgically-induced model in mice to investigate the protective role of progranulin in osteoarthritis.

Destabilization of medial meniscus (DMM) model is an important tool for studying the pathophysiological roles of numerous arthritis associated molecules in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA) in vivo. However, the detailed, especially the visualized protocol for establishing this complicated model in mice, is not available. Herein we took advantage of wildtype and progranulin (PGRN)-/- mice as examples to introduce a protocol for inducing DMM model in mice, and compared the onset of OA following establishment of this surgically induced model. The operations performed on mice were either sham operation, which just opened joint capsule, or DMM operation, which cut the menisco-tibial ligament and caused destabilization of medial meniscus. Osteoarthritis severity was evaluated using histological assay (e.g. Safranin O staining), expressions of OA-associated genes, degradation of cartilage extracellular matrix molecules, and osteophyte formation. DMM operation successfully induced OA initiation and progression in both wildtype and PGRN-/- mice, and loss of PGNR growth factor led to a more severe OA phenotype in this surgically induced model.
Do Warning Labels on Alcoholic Beverages Deter Alcohol Abuse

This is the accepted version of the following article: Engs, Ruth C (1989) "Do Warning Labels on Alcoholic Beverages Deter Alcohol Abuse?“ Journal of School Health 59(3):16-18 found at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1746-1561.1989.tb04676.x/abstract. DOI: 10.1111/j.1746-1561.1989.tb04676.x.
Academic Triage: Challenges Confronting College Preparation Programs

By way of portraiture, the author recounts his interactions with three young adults engaged in a precollege outreach program. By contextualizing the students’ experiences, he provides insight into the emotions, needs, and educational challenges faced by students in high school intervention programs. The findings point to the necessity of recognizing the social context in which college preparation programs occur, the importance of offering systematic and sustained support to students, and the embedded nature of college preparation programs requiring coordinated and comprehensive communication across high schools, universities, and outreach programs.
Sorting of protein a to the staphylococcal cell wall

The cell wall of gram-positive bacteria can be thought of as representing a unique cell compartment, which contains anchored surface proteins that require specific sorting signals. Some biologically important products are anchored in this way, including protein A and fibronectin binding protein of Staphylococcus aureus and streptococcal M protein. Studies of staphylococcal protein A and Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase show that the signal both necessary and sufficient for cell wall anchoring consists of an LPXTGX motif, a C-terminal hydrophobic domain, and a charged tail. These sequence elements are conserved in many surface proteins from different gram-positive bacteria. We propose the existence of a hitherto undescribed sorting mechanism that positions proteins on the surface of gram-positive bacteria.
Neoplastic and Nonneoplastic Lesions in Aging (C57BL/6N × C3H/HeN)F1 (B6C3F1) Mice

Neoplastic and nonneoplastic lesions in untreated (C57BL/6N x C3H/HeN)F1 (B6C3F1) mice used as controls in carcinogenesis tests were tabulated and evaluated. The most common neoplasms in 2,543 male mice were hepatocellular adenomas and carcinomas. In 2,522 female mice, common tumors were lymphomas, leukemias, pulmonary adenomas and carcinomas, hepatocellular adenomas and carcinomas, and pituitary adenomas. The risk of developing most neoplasms increased with the age of the mouse. Hepatocellular carcinomas metastasized in 12% of the animals with these tumors. Other than lymphomas and leukemias, few other tumors metastasized. Nonneoplastic lesions included cystic hyperplasia of the uterus, nephritis, ovarian and uterine cysts, inflammatory lesions of the lung, mineralization in the brain, and focal hyperplasias in several tissues. The focal hyperplasias in lung and pituitary, adrenal, and thyroid glands were suggestive of the early stages of neoplasia. Comparative aspects of lesions in aging mice and their interpretation in carcinogenesis tests are discussed.
Intraspecific variation in the response of rice (Oryza sativa L.) to increased CO2 and temperature: growth and yield response of 17 cultivars

Seventeen rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars of contrasting ecosystems and origins were exposed to two CO 2 concentrations (373 [ambient] and 664 μl l -1 CO 2 [elevated]) at two different day/night temperatures (29/21°C and 37/29°C) in glasshouses at the International Rice Research Institute phytotron during the dry seasons of 1994 and 1995. Growth at elevated CO 2 (as determined by total plant biomass at maturity) increased by an average of 70% and 22%, respectively, for all cultivars for growth temperatures of 29/21°C and 37/29°C relative to the ambient CO 2 treatment. At the 29/21°C optimal growth temperature, grain yield increased on average c. 50% with enriched CO 2 . In contrast, at the higher growth temperature (37/29°C), grain yield was almost zero, presumably due, in part, to temperature-induced infertility (i.e. the percentage of filled spikelets was <1%). Among cultivars, IAC 165, a tropical japonica from Brazil, showed the largest relative increase in both biomass and grain yield. While the range of responses to increased CO 2 and/or temperature were quite large (e.g. 10-250%) and may not be applicable to field conditions, data indicate that lines are available which could maximize productivity as CO 2 concentration increases. Additional work, however, would be needed to identify cultivars which would maintain maximum yields in a high CO 2 , high temperature environment.
Networked control of spatially distributed processes with sensor-controller communication constraints

This work presents a methodology for the design of a model-based networked control system for spatially distributed processes described by linear parabolic partial differential equations (PDEs) with measurement sensors that transmit their data to the controller/actuators over a bandwidth-limited communication network. The central design objective is to minimize the transfer of information from the sensors to the controller without sacrificing closed-loop stability. To accomplish this, a finite-dimensional model that captures the dominant dynamic modes of the PDE is embedded in the controller to provide it with an estimate of those modes when measurements are not transmitted through the network, and the model state is then updated using the actual measurements provided by the sensors at discrete time instances. Bringing together tools from switched systems, infinite-dimensional systems and singular perturbations, a precise characterization of the minimum stabilizing sensor-controller communication frequency is obtained under both state and output feedback control. The stability criteria are used to determine the optimal sensor and actuator configurations that maximize the networked closed-loop system's robustness to communication suspensions. The proposed methodology is illustrated using a simulation example.
Optically-guided frameless linac-based radiosurgery for brain metastases: clinical experience

The purpose of this study was to describe our clinical experience using optically-guided linear accelerator (linac)-based frameless stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for the treatment of brain metastases. Sixty-five patients (204 lesions) were treated between 2005 and 2008 with frameless SRS using an optically-guided bite-block system. Patients had a median of 2 lesions (range, 1–13). Prescription dose ranged from 14 to 22 Gy (median, 18 Gy) and was given in a single fraction. Clinical and radiographic evaluation occurred every 2–4 months following treatment. At a median follow-up of 6.2 months, actuarial survival at 12 months was 40% [95% confidence interval (CI), 28–52). Of 135 lesions that were evaluable for local control (LC), 119 lesions (88%) did not show evidence of progression. Actuarial 12 month LC was 76% (95% CI, 66–86). Tumors ≤2 cm in size had a better 12 month LC rate (81% vs. 36%, P = 0.017) than those >2 cm. Adverse events occurred in three patients (5%). Optically-guided linac-based frameless SRS can produce clinical outcomes that compare favorably to frame-based techniques. As this technique is convenient to use and allows for the uncomplicated delivery of hypofractionated radiotherapy, frameless SRS will likely have an increasingly important role in the management of brain metastases.
Jahnula species from North and Central America, including three new species.

Three new species of loculoascomycetes collected from freshwater habitats in North America are described as new species of Jahnula ( Jahnulales, Dothideomycetes). All three share these morpholog- ical features: hyaline to blackish translucent, mem- branous ascomata with subtending, wide, septate brown, spreading hyphae; peridia composed of large angular cells; hamathecium of septate pseudopara- physes; 8-spored, clavate to cylindrical asci; and 1- septate, broadly fusiform, brown, multiguttulate ascospores. Four additional species, J. aquatica, J. bipolaris, J. potamophila ,a ndJ. seychellensis ,a re reported for the first time from the western hemi- sphere.
In vivo investigation of communication between the distal intertarsal and tarsometatarsal joints in horses and ponies.

The frequency of communication between the tarsometatarsal and distal intertarsal joints was investigated in 27 horses and 12 ponies. After the injection of diluted latex into the tarsometatarsal joints using the plantarolateral approach, the horses and ponies were walked for 200 meters. Latex was found in the distal intertarsal joints of 19 of 73 tarsi (26% communication) at necropsy. In 3 tarsi, latex was also found in the proximal intertarsal and tar-socrural joints.
Effects of the Trichothecene Mycotoxin Diacetoxyscirpenol on Feed Consumption, Body Weight, and Oral Lesions of Broiler Breeders

Three experiments were conducted to determine the effects of 4,15-diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS) on BW, feed consumption, and oral lesions of broiler breeders. In Experiment 1, caged broiler breeder hens were fed 0, 5, 10, or 20 mg DAS/kg diet from 24 to 25 wk of age. There were dose-related decreases in BW and feed consumption indicating feed refusal, as well as dose-related increases in the extent of mouth lesions. The areas of the mouth most sensitive to DAS were associated with the salivary glands and the tip of the tongue. In Experiment 2, individually caged male and female broiler breeders were fed a basal diet containing 0, 5, 10, or 20 mg DAS/kg from 25 to 27 wk of age. There were dose-related decreases in BW and feed consumption for the female broiler breeders, whereas there was a decrease in feed consumption for the male broiler breeders at the 10 and 20 mg DAS/kg levels. In Experiment 3, male broiler breeders were fed 0 or 10 mg DAS/kg diet from 23 to 25 wk of age on a litter floor. For this experiment the daily intake of feed was restricted, and the feed consumption rate was measured. There was an increased amount of unconsumed feed at 23 wk of age due to the presence of DAS. In summary, the experiments provided evidence that DAS caused decreased BW and feed consumption as well as cytotoxic injury including oral lesions in broiler breeders.
Studying mind and brain with fMRI

The explosion in publications using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) warrants an examination of how the technique is being used to study processes of mind and brain. Here, we propose a classification of fMRI studies that reveals how this technique is being used in the service of understanding psychological and neural processes and the relationship between the two. In 1993, the number of published articles citing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was fewer than 20. In 2003, that number was nearly 1800. Although not exponential, the rise in publications year by year during this interval was positively accelerated. What is it that psychologists and neuroscientists have found useful about this technique (and about other techniques such as positron emission tomography and event-related potentials)? That is, what use is being made of data from fMRI experiments? As this technology matures, we take a moment to reflect on the ways in which fMRI has been used to study mind and brain. We implement this reflection by attempting to classify the approaches that authors have used in applying fMRI data to understanding psychological and neural mechanisms. By our reckoning, the number of approaches taken by authors is quite small. As a representative sample, we surveyed all primary empirical studies using fMRI, published in the journals Science and Nature from 2000-2006. There are 64 such studies, and our analysis of them indicates that they adopted one or more of the approaches that we describe in subsequent sections.
The BAM H1 restriction site in the bacteriophage T4 chromosome is located in or near gene 8.

ABSTRACT Bacteriophage T4 cytosine-containing DNA is cleaved at a single site by the restriction endonuclease, Bam H1. The site lies within the late region of the T4 genome, close to, or within, gene 8 , one of the structural genes of the phage particle baseplate.
High Frequencies of Clindamycin and Tetracycline Resistance in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Pulsed-Field Type USA300 Isolates Collected at a Boston Ambulatory Health Center

ABSTRACT Individual or multiple resistance to clindamycin, tetracycline, erythromycin, levofloxacin, or mupirocin was detected in a large proportion of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pulsed-field type USA300 isolates collected at an ambulatory health center in Boston. The clindamycin, tetracycline, and mupirocin resistance genes identified in these isolates are commonly associated with plasmids.
Acceptability and characterization of extruded pinto, navy and black beans

BACKGROUND Consumption of dry beans has been relatively flat over the last decade. Creating new bean products may increase the consumption of beans and allow more consumers to obtain the health benefits of beans. In this study, pinto, navy and black beans were milled and the resulting flours extruded into puffs. Unflavored extruded puffs were evaluated by untrained panelists using a hedonic scale for appearance, flavor, texture and overall acceptability. The compositions of raw flours and extrudates were characterized. RESULTS Sensory results indicated that all beans met or exceeded the minimum requirement for acceptability. Overall acceptability of navy and pinto beans was not significantly different, while acceptability of black bean puffs was significantly lower. Total protein (198–217 g kg−1) in extrudates was significantly different among the three beans. Total starch ranged from 398 to 406 g kg−1 and was not significantly different. Resistant starch, total extractable lipid and raffinose contents were significantly reduced by extrusion. Extrusion did not affect crude fiber and phytic acid contents. CONCLUSION The minimal effects on protein and fiber contents, the significant reduction in raffinose content and the acceptability of the unflavored extruded puffs support using various bean flours as ingredients in extruded puffed products. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Experimental investigation of a naval propulsion drive model with PWM-based attenuation of the acoustic and electromagnetic noise

An extensive experimental investigation of a 40-hp ac drive has been conducted with respect to mitigation of the acoustic and electromagnetic noise, and vibration, by means of randomized pulse width modulation employed in the drive's inverter. The drive was a laboratory model of an electric propulsion system for naval vessels, particularly electric submarines, in which the noise mitigation is crucial for survivability. Three PWM methods were used. The deterministic PWM is characterized by a constant switching frequency equal to the sampling frequency of the digital modulator. In the known random PWM, RPWM I, technique, the switching and sampling periods vary simultaneously in a random manner. Finally, in the novel, RPWM II, method, the sampling frequency is constant, while the switching frequency randomly varies about an average value equal to the sampling frequency. Spectral properties of the three PWM techniques are described in the paper. The experimental results have confirmed the noise and vibration mitigating properties of random pulse width modulation. The technically convenient RPWM II technique is only marginally less effective than the classic RPWM I strategy. Conclusions drawn from the described study are also valid for industrial ac drives.
Incidence of Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli strains in beef, pork, chicken, deer, boar, bison, and rabbit retail meat

The objective of the current study was to determine the incidence of contamination by the top 7 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O-groups, responsible for the majority of E. coli infections in human beings, in retail meat from different animal species. Samples from ground beef (n = 51), ground pork (n = 16), ground chicken (n = 16), and game meat (deer, wild boar, bison, and rabbit; n = 55) were collected from retail vendors for the detection of 7 STEC O-groups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157). Meat samples were tested by using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay targeting the wzx gene of O antigen gene clusters of the 7 STEC O-groups. The positive samples were further tested for Shiga toxin genes (stx1 and stx2). Out of a total of 83 ground beef, pork, and chicken samples, 17 (20%) carried O121, 9 (10%) carried O45, 8 (9%) carried O157, 3 (3%) carried O103, and 1 (1%) carried O145. None of the samples were positive for O26, O111, or the stx gene. All 3 white-tailed deer samples (100%) were positive for O45, O103, or both, 2 (10%) out of 20 red deer samples exhibited the presence of O103, and all 3 bison samples were contaminated with either O121, O145, or O157. One sample from ground deer, contaminated with E. coli O45, carried the stx1 gene. This preliminary investigation illustrates the importance of microbiological testing of pathogens in meat products, as well as the recognized need for increased surveillance and research on foodborne pathogens.
Phenology-guided saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) mapping using Landsat TM images in western U.S.

Accurate distribution maps are essential to understand further and control the fast expansion of the introduced saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) in the western U.S. Remote sensing imagery, due to its broad spatial and temporal coverage, is well-suited for this task. More specifically, images acquired during late fall and early winter are used for saltcedar identification as the plant's foliage turns a unique orange-yellow color (coloration) during this time of a year, which makes them easily distinguishable from other plant species. However, saltcedar coloration usually lasts for only several weeks, and the timing of this phenological event varies across space. Therefore, without prior knowledge of saltcedar phenology, it is often challenging to select the remote sensing image collected at the optimal time of the year to capture the distinctive spectral signature of the coloring saltcedar. Moreover, the timing of saltcedar coloration also varies within a single remote sensing scene making it inappropriate to use an entire scene as the mapping unit. In our study, we found that the timing of saltcedar peak coloration and leaf drop were linearly correlated with each other and we were able to model this relationship using the MODIS End of Season–Time (EoST) product and Landsat TM images. Guided by a per-pixel model estimation of saltcedar coloration date, we constructed composite Landsat images at two study sites along the Rio Grande River such that each pixel in the composite images was acquired during saltcedar peak coloration. Classification results showed that the phenology-informed composite image was better for saltcedar identification than the single scene image as it was able to capture the within-scene variations in saltcedar phenology. In addition, given our lack of training data for the model, the successful classification results obtained at the Middle Rio Grande River site also demonstrated the potential of our proposed method to be applied for large-scale saltcedar mapping.
Assessing CO2 Emissions Reduction: Progress toward the Kyoto Protocol Goals in the European Union

The second phase of the Kyoto Protocol began in 2008. European nations had committed to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) by an average of 8 percent from the base year 1990 by the end of 2012. A little less than half of the actual reduction in GHG emissions was achieved by implementing a market-based cap and trade mechanism. In this paper we evaluate the effectiveness of cap and trade as the preferred method for reducing carbon emissions. To do this, an examination is made of emissions for 14 European countries that are the largest GHG emitters in Europe. We conclude that using cap and trade in combination with other measures that reduce GHG emissions led to the EU achieving its Kyoto Protocol goals.
Towards designing social question-and-answer systems for behavioral support of individuals with autism

Individuals with autism need a network of support to overcome the wide range of challenges in their daily life. Social media hold the promise for improving the quality of life of individuals with autism by offering remote advice for these daily challenges. In the paper, we study an online autism forum as a social question-and-answer (Q&A) venue. We examine 1,277 threads on the forum to characterize topics and types of questions asked by members. Our findings indicate that the majority of questions seek subjective advice and require knowledge about socially appropriate behavior---knowledge perhaps not easily elicited from the forum itself. Based on the identified opportunities and challenges, this paper contributes design recommendations for features in pervasive social computing systems that enhance online Q&A experience for individuals with autism.
Settling Performance of New Type Mixer-Settler

Mixer-settler separator is the most widely used extraction equipment in rare earth production process. The volume ratio between single-stage settler and mixer in China's rare earth industry is generally above 2. 5∶ 1,which leads to a large floor area,high rare earth accumulation and high entrainment losses. To solve the problem,a newtype of mixer-settler was designed,and a mixing cylinder was installed in the settler. The aqueous phase entrainment at the settler outlet was studied by ultraviolet visible spectrophotometry and was compared with the case of industrial production process. The experimental results showed that appropriate conditions are conducive to the two-phase separation after reducing the settler volume. When the diameter of the ring cover is 30 mm,impeller clearance over the tank bottom is 13 cm and mixing speed is within 300 r / min, the measured aqueous phase entrainment is less than the industrial result of 0. 50%. This proves that the newtype mixer-settler can meet the demand of industrial production.
Application of Probiotics in Rabbits Production

Growth-promoting antibiotics played an important role in animal production.While the longterm use of antibiotics in animal feed,a large number of growth promoting agents produced a series of worrying problems.To find and develop "green" feed additive which could instead of medicated feed additive became a hot research in animal nutrition and feed in recent years.Probiotics were becoming more and more important with its superior features.
Analysis on the results of four experimental detection methods for the diagnosis of syphilis in children

Objective To analyze the clinical testing data of children suspected of syphilis, to provide more comprehensive information and the experimental basis for the clinical diagnosis of syphilis in children. Methods All blood samples of 141 suspected syphilis 0-3 years old children in XuZhou Children's Hospital, from April 2010 to December 2012 were selected and divided into infants group(0-1 years old) with 119 cases and children group(1-3 years old) with 22 cases; experimental detection methods were used separately, the rapid plasma regain test(RPR), the colloidal gold test(SYP), the enzyme association immunity syphilis immune body examines(ELISA) and the agglutination test(TPPA). The relevant experimental data were analyzed by SPSS 13.0. Results The positive rate of ELISA was the highest, it was 96.45%, and RPR was the lowest, it was 46.10%; the positive rate of SYP(77.30%) and TPPA(85.11%) were higher than RPR(χ2= 53.36, P = 0.000), the positive rate of SYP and TPPA were lower than ELISA(χ2= 61.76, P = 0.000), the differences were statistically significant(P 0.05). Among the 86 false positive, false positive rate of ELISA was the highest(78 cases), no false positive of TPPA was found. The false positive of the children group was higher than that of infant group(P 0.05). Conclusion The high false positive rate of ELISA is high, the reason is hemolysis. RPR is low sensitivity, and SYP is adapted to emergency treatment. But the TPPA is fit for the diagnosis of syphilis. The best way to the diagnosis of syphilis in children is two or two more methods used together, and making comprehensive judgment. It is necessary for the primary diagnosis of the syphilis in children to reexamine in the course of time.
Maize and the Biotech Industry

The story of maize and the biotech industry is predominantly a tale of technological innovations and scientific discoveries that have led to products which have added significant value to the crop and boosted farm income. The primary impact of biotechnology on maize has been through transformation. The initial development of plant transformation was enabled by the suitability of the Ti plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens to serve as a natural transformation vector that could be engineered to introduce novel genes into dicots. Since maize is not naturally infected by Agrobacterium tumefaciens, transformation of maize was not accomplished until the invention of biolistic transformation, though with the later invention of super-binary vectors, efficient Agro-mediated transformation of maize was achieved. Advances in tissue culture and plant regeneration also played a significant role in enabling development of the maize biotech industry. Molecular markers have been enlisted to accelerate progress in conventional corn breeding. Herbicide tolerance derived from several sources and insect resistance through modification of gene constructs coding for Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal proteins comprise the current product base of the industry. RNA interference technology is being harnessed and applied to gene regulation and insect pest control. Development of functional artificial chromosomes promises to extend the power of biotechnology in the modification of plants. Many patent applications have been filed and granted for a wide array of additional technological innovations and products, many of which are likely to be soon commercialized.
Design as Advocacy: Using a Human-Centered Approach to Investigate the Needs of Vulnerable Populations

Human-centered design expands the context and reach of the work of technical communicators and provides an opportunity to investigate and advocate for the needs of vulnerable populations. This arti...
Developing a Multicultural Curriculum in a Predominantly White Teaching Context

In this study, I sought to understand an African American teacher’s curriculum development and teaching in a suburban (mostly White) high school. (The terms “African American” and “Black” are used interchangeably throughout this chapter.) The study contributes to the literature in that it focuses on a context that might otherwise be ignored because there is not a large student-of-color representation in the school. Evidence is needed to understand how multicultural education emerges and is received in a variety of contexts, including suburban schools, because students will interact with multicultural, multiracial, multilingual, and multiethnic people in the United States for the remainder of their lives. In like form, these people of color will interact with mainstream students, and it is essential for all students to develop knowledge, skills, awareness, and understandings in order to live healthy and productive lives.
Multi-beam laser-plasma interactions: From ICF to “plasma photonics” applications

Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) experiments at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) have unveiled a wealth of new insights into the physics of laser-plasma interaction (LPI) in the presence of many laser beams. Besides their crucial impact on ICF experiments, these findings have also revealed new ways in which LPI processes can alter the fundamental optical properties of plasmas (optical anisotropy, refractive index modifications, dispersion etc.). These findings have led to the proposal of new ideas to manipulate light using plasmas, including conceptual designs for new plasma-based optical systems such as plasma polarizers, wave plates and dielectric mirrors. Compared to traditional (crystal-based) optics systems, such plasma-based photonics devices essentially alleviate the constraints of optics damage, and can manipulate laser beams at fluences millions of times above the damage threshold of solid-state optics. In this presentation, some of the main recent findings on multi-beams LPI in NIF experiments will be reviewed, as well as how their analysis has led us to pursue new research in “plasma photonics”. Recent and on-going experiments at the Jupiter Laser Facility (LLNL) to test and validate these new schemes will also be presented. A tunable plasma waveplate was recently demonstrated (D. Turnbull et al., submitted), and was used to produce near-ideal circular polarization of an intense laser beam. Follow-up experiments aimed at demonstrating a plasma-based polarizer and dielectric mirror are currently in preparation.
Genetic engineering: Chemical control for CRISPR editing.

New approaches allow tight control over Cas9 activity using chemical induction. These studies expand the ability to rapidly induce and suppress Cas9-mediated nuclease activity and conditionally modulate the multiplex regulation of endogenous gene expression.
Tuberculosis Screening and Control in the US Military in War and Peace

Tuberculosis (TB) has a well-established association with military populations, but the association of increased TB risk during armed conflict is less certain. This historical review focuses on the evolution of screening practices, the changing epidemiology of TB, and the risk of TB among US military service members during armed conflict from 1885 to the present. Overall, deployed soldiers were not at increased risk for TB compared with nondeployed soldiers in any of these conflicts, and the risk of TB in the US military largely reflected that of the underlying US population. Nevertheless, there are focal risk groups with higher rates of TB in the military, including prisoners of war. Although the principles of TB control in the military conform to those used in the civilian population, unique military exposures during both times of peace and of armed conflict require additional screening, surveillance, and control measures.
Effects of TVA Impoundments on Downstream Water Quality and Biota

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), a corporate agency of the United States Government, was established in 1933 to develop the resources of the Tennessee Valley. The Tennessee River is an integral part of the interconnected Inland Waterway System of the United States, the final portion being the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, presently under construction. The 106,000-square-kilometer watershed, shown in Fig. 1, encompasses portions of seven southeastern states with a population near 4 million people.
Stages of language shift in twentieth-century Inner Mongolia

Mongolian as a minority language in China is losing speakers, although several million remain in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The case of 20th-century Inner Mongolia is an example of the long-term processes that may precede language endangerment. This paper takes Fishman’s (1991) notion of language shift as a decline in intergenerational mother tongue transmission and formalizes it for quantitative research, applying the methodology to a retrospective survey of intergenerational language transmission concerning over 600 Inner Mongolians born between 1922 and 2007. Results show that bilingualism with Chinese has penetrated the entire Mongolian-speaking population, but has not thus far precipitated massive language shift.
Borderline Ovarian Tumor in the Pediatric and Adolescent Population: A Case Series and Literature Review

Abstract Study Objective To determine the diagnosis, management, and outcome for children and adolescents with borderline ovarian tumor (BOT), and to provide a review of the literature on BOT in children and adolescents. Design A retrospective cohort study of female adolescents younger than age 21 years diagnosed with BOT between January 2001 and May 2016. Setting Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas. Participants Fourteen patients (ages 12 to 18 years) diagnosed with BOT. Main Outcome Measures Clinical presentation, preoperative characteristics, surgical technique, cancer stage, histology, treatment, and recurrence. Results Median age at diagnosis was 15.5 years, with most postmenarchal. Abdominal mass/pain were the most common presenting symptoms. Median tumor size was 16.6 cm (range, 4-32 cm). Preoperative cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) was elevated in 54% (7/13) of cases. All patients had fertility-preserving surgery, either cystectomy (CY) or unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (USO): 5 via laparoscopy (LSC) and 9 via laparotomy. Most were stage I with 5 serous and 9 mucinous BOT histology. No one received adjuvant chemotherapy. Two patients had recurrence. One had ipsilateral recurrence 2 months after LSC CY for FIGO stage IC1 mucinous BOT. The second had contralateral recurrence 15 months after laparotomy, right USO for FIGO stage IIIC serous BOT treated with LSC CY, then a second recurrence treated with USO after oocyte cryopreservation for fertility preservation. All patients were alive at last follow-up, 1 with disease. Conclusions BOT in children and adolescents can be treated conservatively with fertility-preserving techniques and surveillance with good outcome. The role of adjuvant therapy is not known.
Effect of lithium hydride on the cooling of primordial gas

We complete the formulation of the standard model of first star formation by exploring the possible impact of $\mathrm{LiH}$ cooling, which has been neglected in previous simulations of non-linear collapse. Specifically, we find that at redshift $z\gtrsim 5$, the cooling by $\mathrm{LiH}$ has no effect on the thermal evolution of shocked primordial gas, and of collapsing primordial gas into minihaloes or relic HII regions, even if the primordial lithium abundance were enhanced by one order of magnitude. Adding the most important lithium species to a minimum network of primordial chemistry, we demonstrate that insufficient $\mathrm{LiH}$ is produced in all cases considered, about $[\mathrm{LiH/Li}]\sim 10^{-9}$ for $T\lesssim 100$ K. Indeed, $\mathrm{LiH}$ cooling would only be marginally significant in shocked primordial gas for the highly unlikely case that the $\mathrm{LiH}$ abundance were increased by nine orders of magnitude, implying that $all$ lithium would have to be converted into $\mathrm{LiH}$. In this study, photo-destruction processes are not considered, and the collisional disassociation rate of $\mathrm{LiH}$ is possibly underestimated, rendering our results an extreme upper limit. Therefore, the cooling by $\mathrm{LiH}$ can safely be neglected for the thermal evolution of Population~III star-forming gas.
Polychaetes from Rocas Alijos

During the 1990 Cordell Expedition to Rocas Alijos, numerous general collections of invertebrates in aggregate were made. While polychaetes were not deliberately targeted, large numbers of these worms were present in the collections. Several lots of aggregates were received by the author in 1990, from which five lots of polychaetes were separated, yielding nearly a thousand individuals.
Dynamic and static compressibility of porous granular hexanitrostilbene

Hexanitrostilbene (HNS) is a binderless, granular explosive prepared over wide ranges of initial grain size and final bulk density. During shock initiation of HNS, ignition initially occurs at discrete hot spots formed during the dynamic compaction of the porous material. In order to develop a predictive understanding of the shock initiation mechanisms occurring in this explosive, it is necessary to formulate constitutive relations modeling the mechanical response of HNS materials under compressive loading. In an early study of HNS properties, Sheffield et al. [1] established shock Hugoniot properties and formulated an equation of state for bulk densities of 1.0 – 1.7 g/cc (crystal density is 1.74 g/cc). Subsequently, Hayes and Mitchell [2] and Hayes [3] developed a model for the shock compaction and chemical decomposition of HNS. In these studies, the non-reactive material response was treated as depending only on the initial bulk density (related to initial porosity) of the HNS sample. Our recent studies [4,5] have established that the shock sensitivity of HNS samples pressed to a common density depends critically on the initial grain size distribution of the material. In the present study, we have undertaken both experimental and analytical studies of the compressibility behavior of HNS under non-reactive conditions.
145-P: NOTCH4 POLYMORPHISMS, FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT AND ASSOCIATIONS WITH BREAST CANCER SUSCEPTIBILITY

Aim NOTCH proteins are highly relevant in oncogenesis. Four NOTCH genes are present: NOTCH4 in the HLA complex and others in paralogous regions. Different NOTCH variants show associations with diseases including NOTCH2 and breast cancer (BC). In this stage I study for a BC project, we adopted a combined approach of bioinformatics and genetics to identify NOTCH4 SNPs acting as proxies, and also to assess the value of polymorphisms not represented in GWAS microarray chips. Methods Using available online tools, we assessed all NOTCH4 SNPs listed in dbSNP for their predicted function. We evaluated relationships of eight NOTCH4 SNPs with HLA haplotypes using the IHWG cell line panel, and examined associations of five independent NOTCH4 SNPs in a case-control study using BioServe Breast Cancer SNPlates (180 cases and 180 controls). Genotyping was performed by TaqMan analysis. Results Bioinformatically, the most functional SNP was rs1044506, which is rare but a very strong risk marker for type 1 diabetes. This SNP is not included in any GWAS chip. Its variant allele was most commonly present on HLA-DRB1∗15:01. rs9296009 was correlated to DRB1∗04 alleles, and rs3096690 was present on all four independent samples homozygous for the conserved extended haplotype 8.1 (B8DR3, the most common haplotype in Europeans) and only on one other haplotype (B47DR7). The B8DR3 and B47DR7 haplotypes carrying the rs3096690 variant allele have C4A and C4B deletions, respectively. rs382259 shows an association with Crohn disease as a proxy for HLA-DR11, and the same SNP also showed a trend for protection in BC in the present study (OR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.23 to 1.15) confirming the previously shown HLA-DR11 protective association in BC. This SNP also shows a protective association in the NIH-CGEMS BC project (OR = 0.78, P = 0.005). Conclusions The present study suggested that like NOTCH2, NOTCH4 may also have variants modifying BC risk. The study also highlighted the deficiencies of current GWAS platform for the HLA region.
Kernelized Q-Learning for Large-Scale, Potentially Continuous, Markov Decision Processes

We introduce a novel means of generalizing experi- ences agent experiences for large-scale Markov decision processes. Our approach is based on a kernel local linear regression function approximation, which we combine with Q-learning. Through this kernelized regression process, value function estimates from visited portions of the state-action space can be generalized to those areas that have not yet been visited in a non-linear, non-parametric fash- ion. This can be done when the state-action space is either discrete or continuous. We assess the performance of our approach on the game Su- per Mario Land 2 for the Nintendo GameBoy system. We show thatbetter performance is obtained with our kernelized Q-learning approach compared to linear function approximators for this com- plicated environment. Better performance is also witnessed with our approach compared to other non-linear approximators.